The 18 Realms. Through the Ice-Type door.
Right through the Ice-Type door, not many had entered it. In fact, no one did. Not many own Ice-Type Pokemon and the ones that do own Ice-Types were currently in other realms.
The landscape was fitting for this realm. A completely arctic area. So far, it was the only location that fit the door it was hidden behind. Practically desolate with only a flurry of snow beating down on it.
However, the Giga Lucario, the cause of many of the Lucario being trapped here, had appeared in this Ice-Type realm. After witnessing Brawly, Bea and Rumble manage to escape through another door, and feeling one of the Lucario departing after finding resolve, the Giga Lucario decided to do what it could to stop any more releases.
So it called for assistance. And it went to the Lucario residing here in the artic. These Lucario, compared to the others, were similar to the ones seen in the Fighting-Type realm. Peaceful. But not for the right reasons. Many of them were trapped in prisons of ice that had Aura surrounding them.
Even they couldn't break free from it at all. As for their Aura Guardians, much like many of them, they were long gone. And their clothes could be seen trapped within the ice, indicating that their demise happened in the arctic one day.
The Giga Lucario decided to free them from their imprisonment for temporary assistance. It used its potent Aura to shatter the ice and remove the Aura around it. The Lucario within the ice cages were free and immediately, the Giga Lucario had its control over them.
The goal was to stop anyone else from potentially leaving this realm at all costs. The Rift Energy was already making that difficult but coupled with this and it would be a massive roadblock.
Reality. Equestria. Ponyville. Afternoon.
Meanwhile, in reality, while a majority of everyone in Equestria was still in a state of mind, Team Rocket were taking the chance to steal as many Pokemon as they could before anyone could wake up.
However, despite everything that had happened within the 18 realms so far, it had only been 9 minutes at best. Time certainly worked differently in that realm. However, even in those 9 minutes, Team Rocket with their surprisingly impressive intellect had managed to build something.
A machine that would hold every Pokemon within it. And it had the appearance of a Tangrowth. A perfect Pokemon to base the machine on considering how it had a massive hatch in the middle that was enough to store a multitude of Pokemon.
Team Rocket ended up grabbing the first of many Pokemon, tossing them into the hatch. The massive Tangrowth arms did all the grabbing with their impressive reach. And to Team Rocket, with many not around, they felt like they could get away with this without an issue. There wasn't much to worry about.
They had then entered Twilight's Castle, seeing which Pokemon they could grab next. And that's when they saw something surprising. The Pokemon they have been pursuing for years and have constantly failed to fully retrieve.
Ash's Pikachu.
He was sitting there along with everyone else, within this state of mind and completely unresponsive. "Check it out!" Meowth exclaimed.
"Do our eyes deceive us?" Jessie gasped. "Is it really him?"
"Straight tail and everything. Plus the twerp's next to him." James nodded. "Out like everyone else."
"This is our chance!" Jessie pumped her fist. "Fate's smiling down on us right now! Let's not be rude and decline its offer!"
Seeing Pikachu defenceless, they went to grab the Mouse Pokemon, finally feeling like they were getting somewhere. Jessie grabbed Pikachu, raising him in the air while cackling. Team Rocket's hopes were at an all-time high now that they had Pikachu. It felt like no other Pokemon would matter to them. But they still wanted them.
"Wait for us, boss! Your lifelong dream is coming true!" They cheered together before leaving the castle. Once out, they tossed Pikachu in the hatch with joy with their eyes. A goal they had been pursuing was seemingly coming to an end at last.
And luckily for them, one of the gateways still functioning was the gateway to Pallet Town in the Kanto Region. Granted, the issue of Delia being aware of the machine was an issue but Team Rocket was already thinking of a counter-measure.
Except there was one counter-measure they didn't account for. It was for a certain pony who they weren't too intimidated by. And that was Derpy Hooves.
Derpy was made aware of the machine as she flew over towards it, curious about its existence. She then saw Team Rocket hop inside of the machine, wondering what they were doing and finding some interest in something that seemed fairly playful from a first glance.
And yet, everything that happens outside will be slower compared to what was happening within the 18 Realms.
The Grass-Type Realm.
Previously, Fluttershy, Sunset Shimmer who was still in her human form and Scootaloo had made their way here after clearing the Fire-Type section.
The Grass area had a familiar appearance to it. Mainly because it resembled Deerling Forest and the nearby Pikachu Highlands, two existing and fairly popular places in Equestria. One that they were familiar with as opposed to the theme park that could be found in the Fire-Type realm of all places. So far, they hadn't found any of their friends here, considering many of them do own Grass-Types.
"Huh?" Just as they were venturing the area, Sunset Shimmer felt some rumbling from below. Soon, she, Braixen and the others felt the same. "What's happening? Is it coming from the forest?"
"I don't think so." Fluttershy shook her head. It wasn't an earthquake from what she could make out. It was something else entirely.
And it was the result of the Giga Lucario's anger. It knew about the interference and especially the first group to do so. Fluttershy's group. With its potent manipulation over this realm of multiple types, it had summoned a door underneath them.
The door to the Ice-Type area. And it wasted no time in doing so. Right as it appeared, the first victims were Scootaloo, Raboot and Audino respectively. The moment the open-door had been summoned, they blinked for a moment, realizing what was below them.
"Oh. Aaaaah!" Scootaloo screeched as she and the Pokemon started falling through. But, reacting quickly were Sunset Shimmer, Braixen and Fluttershy as they grabbed onto their friends.
Sunset grabbed Scootaloo's hoof while Braixen and Fluttershy both held onto Audino and Raboot's long ears. The door itself had a powerful pull behind it, acting similarly to a vacuum. "Hang on!" Sunset Shimmer cried out. "Urgh, this pull is ridiculous!"
"A-Audino...!" Audino strained as her ars being pulled on was obviously painful. The same went for Raboot's ears as well. Braixen used one hand to grab her stick, aiming to use Psychic abilities to lift them up.
However, flowing out of the door was an array of vicious hail, sent by the Giga Lucario. The hail started rapidly bombarding Fluttershy and the others, hitting their eyes and breaking their focus too. A horrible chill was also sent through the door.
As if that wasn't enough, The paws of the Ethereal Lucario could be seen underneath, grabbing onto their legs. The ones that the Giga Lucario had freed showed themselves, adding to the hail problem.
"Ugh!" Fluttershy groaned as her grip on her friends was weakening along with Sunset Shimmer. Unable to combat the hail and the pull of the Lucario, they had failed to hold on as Scootaloo, Audino and Raboot fell, screaming. "No!" Wanting to do what she could, Fluttershy wasted no time and jumped into the hole with them.
"Ah! Fluttershy!" Sunset Shimmer was surprised by that. She did not expect that at all. Soon, Fluttershy joined them, heading elsewhere as a courtesy by Giga Lucario. A whirlwind of hail was the last thing to blow out of the door as it pushed Sunset Shimmer and Braixen back, causing them to fall over.
"B-Braix!"
But it didn't end there. As the door to the Ice-Type realm faded away, another door had been opened up behind them. Right as they fell, the door was opened, causing them to fall in. This door led to the Poison-Type realm respectively.
"Braixen!" Sunset Shimmer screeched, grabbing onto Braixen's hand as they fell. Braixen then hugged Sunset Shimmer, scared of all that was happening around them as they eventually reached a new room. The realm to the Poison-Type realm had faded away afterwards.
But this didn't go unnoticed. In the far distance, Applejack, Apple Bloom and Sceptile heard all the noise that had happened. They tried seeing what caused it but their distance was too far to reach there.
"What was that?" Applejack wondered, unaware of what just happened and what else could happen depending on how things go in these 18 Realms.
Ice-Type Realm.
"Guh!" Fluttershy and the others ended up finding themselves in the Ice-Type Realm. They fell flat on the snowy ground, making accidental snow angels in the process.
"Ow..." Scootaloo groaned, raising her head from the ground. She also started shaking with her face feeling an immense chill. In fact, her, Fluttershy and Audino felt the chill. Raboot was free of this issue considering how he was a Fire-Type. But it was still powerful. "C-C-C-Cold...!"
"T-Those looked like Lucario that pulled you down..." Fluttershy shuddered, wrapping her wings around herself. "And that d-d-d-door came out of nowhere to pull you in."
"W-Where are we now, F-F-Fluttershy?"
"L-Looks like the Ice-Type area! A-And it's certainly cold!" She closed her eyes as Audino also shivered, getting on the ground. Thankfully, there was a solution to this.
"Raboot." Raboot lit his ears up, causing some heat to rise. And to be extra helpful, he personally went into Scootaloo's saddlebag, grabbing two of her Poke Balls. Raboot, by himself, had sent out Ponyta and Cyndaquill.
"Ponyta!"
"Cyndaquill!"
Seeing their friends shivering, the Fire-Types did what they did best. Cyndaquill's back flames erupted while Ponyta's mane flared beautifully. They got close to Fluttershy, Audino and Scootaloo, keeping them warm.
"Ah..." Fluttershy felt great relief from that as her heart melted. "Good work, Raboot."
"Ra-Raboot."
"Lu!" But, there wasn't any more time to rest. The Lucario that the Giga Lucario had freed from the icy prisons were still present. Their footsteps slammed into the snow, making marks in the process.
"Boot!" Raboot's attention was drawn by this as he instantly turned to face them. Fluttershy and the others were next, noticing five Ethereal Lucario standing before them. Their ethereal colouring had a darker colouring to them as snowflakes orbited their bodies.
"Just when we got done with one Lucario..." Scootaloo sighed. "We didn't even get the chance to meet with Apple Bloom over at the Grass area at all."
"I think that's the least of our worries." Fluttershy gulped as she noticed how the snow was rising with the force of a snowstorm due to the power of the Aura. But more than that, she and soon Scootaloo noticed something in the sky. The Giga Lucario.
Its face flashed with a roar that was so violent, anyone could mistake it for thunder. They were not expecting a large Lucario in the sky but there was still so much they didn't know. After the roar, the 5 Lucario had sent snowstorms towards Fluttershy's group.
"Ponyta!" Ponyta and his fellow Fire-Types acted quickly, countering the snowstorm with Fire Spin, Flame Charge and Ember as soon as they could.
"Wait! Maybe we can talk it out just like be-" Fluttershy flew ahead, wanting to settle this without battling, similar to last time. However, the Giga Lucario was going to make sure that wouldn't happen ever again as one of the Ethereal Lucario sent an Aura Sphere in her direction. "!"
"Audino!" Audino quickly used Protect, getting in front of her trainer and shielding her from the Aura Sphere.
"Okay! Maybe not!" Fluttershy gulped.
"Finally!" Scootaloo cheered, seeming excited about this. "I've been itching for a battle! If I can beat a Lucario, then I'll be stronger than ever!"
"Just don't go too overboard, Scootaloo. These are all Lucario that are still sad."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. Alright, team! Let's go!" Scootaloo pointed her hoof forward, ready to take on these Lucario. "Cyndaquill! Flame Wheel! Ponyta, use Flame Charge!"
"Cynda...Quill!" Cyndaquill curled into the ball as he started spinning on the spot. He summoned an aura of fire afterwards as it started melting the snow below. The same went for Ponyta who charged forward, forming a flaming aura as well. Both approached the Ethereal Lucario.
"Lu!" The Lucario then threw Aura Spheres at the two Fire-Types to knock them away. Cyndaquill drifted to the side, avoiding the sphere whilst Ponyta used his powerful legs to leap over the spheres. With those stylish evasions, Cyndaquill crashed into one of the Lucarios from the side while Ponyta came crashing down like a meteor, hitting four of them.
The 5 Lucario were blown back by this combination of Fire-Type attacks. And it seemed that they kept their Steel-Typings as it was super-effective. Ponyta's speed increased thanks to Flame Charge, making him faster than ever.
"Cario!" The Lucario roared as two of them approached the duo of Fire-Types with Force Palm. They held both their paws out to do so.
"Raboot, High Jump Kick!"
"Raboot!" Raboot came to their rescue, leaping off the ground with swiftness, putting his foot out. The foot then collided with the two paws, creating a collision. Raboot wasn't strong enough to hold both of them back as his leg was being pushed by the might of the Dual Force Palm.
"Swift, Cyndaquill!"
"Cynda...Quill!" Returning the favour to Raboot, Cyndaquill opened his mouth, shooting out star-shaped rays. These rays pelted the Lucario in their legs and stomachs, breaking their focus on Raboot.
"Boot!" That allowed Raboot to win the clash as he blew both of them back, making a shockwave that made the snow fly everywhere.
"Quick Attack!"
"Ra!" After performing that super-effective High Jump Kick, Raboot performed a stylish landing before zooming towards the two Lucario with another hit.
"Cario!" But a third one showed up, using Bone Rush while strafing on the ground. It had two bones that it connected to make a bigger bone. Raboot gasped as the Ethereal Lucario appeared right in front of him, moving faster than even Quick Attack. "Lu!" Lucario then swung its bone at Raboot, hitting him square in the chest.
"R-Raboot!" Raboot took super-effective damage as well, being sent flying through the air from that hit, hurling around. Fluttershy quickly ascended, grabbing him.
"Lu!" The Ethereal Lucario then went for Ponyta and Cyndaquill next. It had ripped the bone in half, making it two once more as it then threw them. The two bones struck Ponyta and Cyndaquill on the head, knocking them over.
"C-Cynda!"
"Pony...Ta!"
"Heal Pulse!"
"Audino!" Audino then raised her arms, causing a green pulse of healing energy to flow through the area. his energy caressed Raboot, Ponyta and Cyndaquill, healing them from the damage they had taken.
"Now, Ponyta! Fire Spin! And Cyndaquill, use Flame Wheel!"
"Audi! Hyper Beam! Raboot, use Flame Charge to make yourself faster!"
"Audi...!" Audino put her hands together, preparing for an extra-strong Hyper Beam to blow the Lucario away. Meanwhile, both Cyndaquill and Raboot approached the Fighting-Steel types with auras of fire while Ponyta breathed it.
The Lucario then came together, using the power of Aura and the snow to make a mighty snow tornado. Their Aura could control the elements from what Fluttershy and the others had seen, especially back at the Fire Realm. Aura was exuding out of the Snow Tornado, making it slightly resistant to Fire as the tornado had been launched.
"No!" Hyper Beam had been released by Audino. It was so strong that it even pushed Audino back a bit as the beam raced forward, separating the snow.
It ended up reaching the Snow Tornado faster than the others, holding it back for a bit. But it would soon be pushed back as Raboot and Cyndaquill charged into it with Flame Wheel and Flame Charge. Ponyta added to that with Fire Spin.
Their combined might was enough to push the tornado back as the Lucario were each struggling to hold it back, surprised by how strong these smaller Pokemon were. Aside from Audino who had yet t even use Mega Evolution.
However, there was one more Lucario. The 5th one. It had used an Aura cloaking to fly through the Snow Tornado. It then appeared above everyone, using Metal Sound. "LUCAAAAA!" An ear-piercing sound came from its mouth, causing the Pokemon to lose their focus. Ponyta, Cyndaquill, Audino and Raboot were thrown off guard once the soundwave was thrown in their direction.
That allowed the opposing Lucario to push back, increasing the size of the tornado as they ended up winning the clash thanks to extra help. Raboot and Cyndaquill gasped as they had been pulled in by the tornado.
"Raboot, no!" Fluttershy cried out.
The three Fire-Types were being carried away as the tornado was approaching Ponyta and Audino next. Audino needed to recharge but Ponyta didn't so he was free to do something.
"Uh...Uh...!" Scootaloo tried thinking of a solution as the tornado was getting closer with Aura sparks flying out. "What would Ash do?!" She used one of her idols as an inspiration. That's when Scootaloo showed parts of that inspiration by coming up with an idea.
The Counter Shield.
"Duh! That's obvious! Ponyta! Spin with Fire Spin! Let's use the Counter Shield!"
"Ta! Pony...!" Ponyta did just that. He laid on his back before shooting a spiral of flames from his mouth. But more than that, he had spun around on the ground, allowing the already spinning flames to spiral once more. And once they did, they formed a tornado of fire. It wasn't as big as the Snow Tornado but it had to suffice.
The two tornadoes clashed, causing the atmosphere to spiral as the snow started rising and melting just from these two elements. The Snow Tornado was starting to win as Ponyta's Counter Shield just wasn't strong enough. And in the meanwhile, Cyndaquill and Raboot were being battered by the tornado.
"Audino!" Audino had recovered from her Hyper Beam usage, however, the other Lucario that had used Metal Sound was still there. And to make matters worse, thanks to the Metal Sound from before and all the noise in general, an avalanche had begun. It happened a few seconds ago and was approaching at a violent pace.
"Luca...!" The 5th Lucario held out its arm, charging up an Aura Sphere.
"Audi, Protect!"
"Dino!" Audino readied up a Protect, preparing for Aura Sphere. But, it wasn't thrown at the Hearing Pokemon. Instead, Lucario added it to the Snow Tornado. It gained an extra Aura, turning the white parts of the Snow Tornado into a dark azure blue.
After that added Aura, the Snow Tornado had combusted. An explosion of snow that was so powerful it even pushed defeated Ponyta's Fire Tornado. Ponyta was blown back, crashing into Audino's Protect shield and shattering it. "A-Audi!" Audino staggered as Ponyta collided with her. But she didn't fall over due to her endurance.
Unfortunately, Raboot and Cyndaquill had fainted from that outburst plus the previous damage they had taken. They crashed onto the soft ground, landing near their trainers.
"Raboot, no!" Fluttershy picked the Rabbit Pokemon up.
"Not my Cyndaquill!" Scooataloo rushed to the Fire Mouse Pokemon's side. The Lucario then stood before the group while the avalanche was approaching, picking up speed in the process. "You jerks! This isn't over yet! I've still got-" But before Scootaloo could take out her next Pokemon, that's when the avalanche finally arrived.
It had cast a massive shadow over the group, ready to engulf them. Audino was the first to do something. She grabbed Fluttershy and the others, using her larger body to defend them.
The Lucario watched as the avalanche had landed on them. So did the Giga Lucario as its face flashed in the sky, witnessing this occur. But it wanted to make sure that they would stay out of this. Thus, the Giga Lucario glared at the ground, causing a massive crater to form while the avalanche was still going.
Fluttershy and everyone fell within the deep crater with the giant avalanche following after them. Afterwards, the avalanche came to an end as some Aura was mixed in there, causing the snow to combust afterwards, making more craters and holes within the landscape.
It was safe to say that they had lost this battle.
Poison-Type Realm.
As for Sunset Shimmer, she and Braixen awoke in the Poison Realm. And as opposed to the Ice Realm, this was far worse. This area resembled something fairly limited. More limited than the mansion from the Ghost Realm. It was a sole island that was not familiar to Sunset or Braixen. Upon arriving here and opening their eyes, Sunset Shimmer and Braixen were met with a mephitic scent.
"U-Ugh!" Sunset groaned before coughing. "What is this...?" She then looked around to see a toxic landscape. Filled with purple smoke and hazardous virulent water that had poison flowing through it. "P-Poison..."
"Braixen!" Braixen gasped, holding her wand out. She then used her Psychic abilities to cast a protective Psychic shield around her and Sunset Shimmer. Psychic was good against Poison so this was the best approach. However, this shied would not last forever.
"Thanks, Braixen..." Sunset got on one knee, taking some time to breathe. "I don't know what just happened, but I hope Fluttershy and the others are safe. How'd that door just suddenly open?"
Their answer was given without them knowing as the Giga Lucario's face flashed in the sky once more. Sunset and Braixen looked up to see its face emerge. "What the?!"
"Braix?!"
Roaring through the poisonous skies, the Giga Lucario then looked down on them both, glaring at them. Just like that, it had immediately attacked the barrier of Psychic energy that Braixen had made, attempting to break it. Sunset and Braixen gasped, seeing shards of it crack.
"Hey!" Sunset cried out. "What are you doing?!"
But the Giga Lucario didn't respond. In fact, it didn't do much other than roar and use its highly advanced Aura capabilities that have never been seen before. Braixne quickly put up another one, only for Giga Lucario to glare once more.
"Xen!" Braixen was starting to get aggravated by this.
"I don't know what's going on but if you're gonna get in our way then s be it! Braixen! Psybeam!"
"Brai...Xen!" Braixen jumped into the air, doing some twirls for style points. While twirling she made a Psychic trail appear out of her wand as it spiralled around her. Afterwards, she unleashed the beam, sending it at the Giga Lucario.
But it was quickly countered once the Giga Lucario fired an Aura Beam from its mouth. In a second, Braixen's Psybeam had been overpowered. The Fox Pokemon was flabbergasted by this display of raw power. At the same time, she witnessed the beam come her way. As well as towards Sunset Shimmer.
"Braixen!" She shouted out her partner's name as they both saw only a bright light that eclipsed a majority of this realm in its colour.
Braixen quickly put her wand out, doing what she could to protect herself and mostly Sunset. The result was the land being eclipsed with a massive Aura explosion following afterwards. Sunset ducked for cover once the explosion came through, screaming in fear of what was coming her way.
Ice Realm.
Within the ice realm, deep inside one of the holes, Fluttershy and the others could be found. If anything, all that destruction saved their lives.
But, despite all of that, they were buried underneath the rocks and the darkness of the crater. Ponyta, Raboot and Cyndaquill were out cold as Ponyta had just fainted. They tried keeping their friends warm but they didn't have the stamina left to do so.
To add to that, the Giga Lucario manipulated the elements with its Aura, turning the temperature to absolute zero. The rest of the Lucario would be fine due to being Steel-Types, but the same couldn't be said to the others. Especially Fluttershy, Audino and Scootaloo.
After that destruction, the Giga Lucario deemed the threat of Fluttershy and her group dealt with. This, the temporary assistance it gave to the 5 Ethereal Lucario had ended. They returned to their senses, holding their heads.
"Lu..." They groaned, feeling perplexed. And just then, the Ethereal Lucario realized what they had done. They had harmed innocents as they collectively gasped. Not only were they back to their senses, but their icy prisons were starting to reform. "Cario!" Before that could happen, the Ethereal Lucario wanted to fix things. Due to their good heart, they couldn't let anyone perish even if it was their fault.
Meanwhile, Audino had taken major damage with her back damaged. She had successfully protected her friends with her body at the cost of her own health. "A-Audino..."
"Audi..." Fluttershy looked up, seeing the Hearing Pokemon greatly hurt. She then shivered, feeling the horrible chill run through them. Fluttershy curled up as Audino's body was starting to freeze over. So was Scootaloo's body as she had passed out from the overwhelming destruction. She was still a child after all.
Fluttershy looked at her hoof, aiming to use Mega Evolution. However, the chill soon started freezing her, starting from both her hooves.
"I-It's so cold..." She shuddered. "Ch-Chikorita...If you can hear me, please help..." She then called for her last Pokemon. Chikorita. She knew it was dangerous for her to be out there considering how cold it was. But any help was needed.
Emerging out of her Poke Ball was Chikorita.
"Chikorit! Chiko?" Chikorita then saw the scenario before her eyes. Her friends were starting to freeze under this absolute zero temperature. It started from their hooves to their upper bodies and onwards. It was almost as bad as a flash-freeze. "Chi!"
"Chikorita..." Fluttershy held her hoof out to the Leaf Pokemon. "Help."
"Chi! Chiko...!" Chikorita nodded as she had one way of helping. Her fate-changing leaf. The Leaf Pokemon was already feeling the absolute zero and how horrid it was. Her legs were already starting to be affected. But she didn't let that stop her.
Due to the power of the leaf, the Rift Energy laying within it was being used. And that alerted the Giga Lucario. Aura, being one of the few things that could interact with Rift energy led to the Giga Lucario being alerted. Its face flashed in the sky once more before descending.
As a massive chunk of Chikorita's leaf came off, appearing to the area and bursting through the mountain was the face of the paw of Giga Lucario. It broke the walls apart, startling Chikorita. By the mighty yet fearsome Aura, the paw had slapped Chikorita and even the chunk of leaf away.
"C-Chiko!"
"Chikorita...!" Fluttershy wailed as the Leaf Pokemon crashed into a wall with her fate-changing leaf falling for the first time due to Aura interference. The chunk had even been obliterated as the face of Lucario passed through the massive hole.
The Giga Lucario saw Chikorita as another threat. Especially with how she had Rift Magic within her. Chikorita stood up, shaking her head and showing her cute yet admirable toughness. "Chikori...!" She then growled at the Aura Pokemon, seeing it as her enemy.
"Chikorita, don't...!"
"Chiko!" Despite Fluttershy's warning, Chikorita went into battle. She charged headfirst, approaching the Giga Lucario. The Giga Lucario saw this as a challenge as it swiped its paw towards Chikorita. "Chi!" The Leaf Pokemon leapt of the paw swing, evading it while parts of the underground had been blown off.
While she began her battle, her body was freezing over at the same time. The Grass-Type had then used Magic Leaf, shooting curious leaves that bombarded Lucario's face.
They slightly phased the Giga Lucario, only for an Aura Beam to fly out of its eyes. Chikorita gasped, quickly running away from them. She managed to evade one, only for the second to scrape her leg. "Rita!" She whimpered as her leg had been injured, she then fell on the ground, tumbling.
"Chikorita!" Fluttershy cried out.
"C-Chiko..." And yet, Chikorita persisted, getting up from the ground despite her injured leg. She could see that she was starting to freeze all over now due to how fragile she was. However, this Leaf Pokemon was full of surprise. Mostly because of how one of her moves, Aromatherapy, could fix this.
She closed her eyes, releases a multicoloured fragrance from the half-torn leaf on her head. Just like that, she had removed the icy chill within her body. However, that didn't stop it forever as the chill would return.
"Chikorita!" Chikorita stood up tall before running back at the Giga Lucario, no longer frozen but still having an injured leg. An Aura Beam came her way, only for her to avoid it this time with another leap. Chikorita then used Body Slam, slamming the full weight of her body onto the Giga Lucario.
It wasn't much but it still did damage. Fluttershy was amazed by how Chikorita was performing. Those small moments with Rainbow Dash when they swapped Pokemon for a while had greatly paid off. She was now more than just a healer. She was a full-time battler. And even when she battled at the Canterlot Tag Battle Competition showed how much potential she had.
"Chikorita...You're amazing..."
Unfortunately, her impressive skills could only take her so far as the Aura of the Giga Lucario had manipulated the atmosphere. Concentrated airwaves came flying at Chikorita, hitting her stomach. "C-Chiko!" She crashed into the ceiling of the wall from that sudden attack.
Afterwards, the mouth of Giga Lucario opened up, threatening to blast Chikorita. And it would be up-close. Chikorita didn't have a move to counteract what was coming next. Except for her fate-changing leaf. There was already a massive chunk of it gone due to what happened earlier.
Another part of the leaf came off, touching Chikorita's nose right as the beam came out. Fate had been changed as Chikorita was on the floor with the beam missing completely. However, now Chikorita was starting to lose more of her leaves as there was no sun to heal her.
She started running back, shooting out Magical Leaf to keep her distance. The Giga Lucario pursued her, manipulating the elements once more as a giant earth pillar rose up from below. Before that, another one of Chikorita's leaves came off, touching her head this time as the pillar was delayed, allowing for the Leaf Pokemon to jump over it.
However, Giga Lucario managed to hit her whilst in the air, phasing its paw through the walls and causing them to come out from the other side. They had slapped Chikorita, knocking her into a wall. "R-Rita!" She whimpered with her back being damaged as well. The Grass-Type them slid off the walls, tumbling.
Fluttershy was starting to tear up, not wanting to see Chikorita in this state anymore. While she admired her bravery, seeing her partner take this much of a beating was unbearable. And telling Chikorita to stop would be pointless.
"Chiko..." Chikorita stood up as both her back and legs were injured. And yet, she stood fearless in front of the Giga Lucario, aiming to come out of this successfully. "Chikorita..."
"Chikorita, please stop!" Fluttershy cried out before using her wings. She then used her wing to grab a rock with all of her might, trying to ignore the chill around her body as she was almost completely frozen.
Lucario then sent a barrage of Aura waves that started bombarding Chikorita. The Leaf Pokemon took all of them, still standing. But it was truly relentless as Fluttershy then threw a rock at the Giga Lucario. "Stop it!"
The rock poked Lucario, grabbing its attention for a bit. Fluttershy's wing was now fully frozen as she could no longer move at all. She shuddered with everything inside of her being gradually turning to absolute zero. The Giga Lucario could see that it had failed to fully get rid of them. Thus, it was ready to blast them with an Aura Beam.
"Chiko!" Chikorita then ran past the Giga Lucario, looking badly beat up yet still having the strength to move. She knew that if Fluttershy and everyone were to be hit by this, it would be horrifying and distraught. Something that Chikoria could not allow. Her leaf was smaller now as all the big chunks were gone, making Chikorita unable to change fate. That was when she recalled the words of Virizion months back. About a moment similar to this.
"Every Pokemon can evolve in different ways and unique methods. Not just by battling or using special stones and items to do so. The power of the Evolution Process is vast with many possibilities. No matter what you try, there's a chance your evolution will come."
"Chi!" Chikorita grit her teeth as her eyes flashed green, thinking of what else Virizion said to her back then.
"Don't be so upset, little girl. There are various opportunities still waiting for you. Perhaps, you'll evolve when the time is right. "It will come."
And with her body glowing with a trail of leaves flying behind her, Chikorita unleashed all of her dormant Infinity Energy, letting her heart move forward for the love of Fluttershy and her friends.
Just then, as her body was fully covered in a green light, making her a silhouette almost, she moved in a spurt of speed, greater than she's ever moved before. She became a green streak that appeared in front of the beam. The Aura Beam came into collision with the green light, but it had been blocked, causing sparks to fly.
Fluttershy's eyes were half-closed as she had seen this green light suddenly grow. The silhouette of Chikorita was changing. Changing into something bigger. Not only that, but Rift Energy was also sparking out of the light, fighting back against the Aura Beam.
Not only did it fight back against it and even push it back, but the burst of Infinity Energy and Rift Energy emerged, hitting Lucario with it and its own beam. The Giga Lucario had taken massive damage from that as it had been blown out of the underground from this overwhelming push. And out of the light emerged the second evolution of Chikorita.
Bayleef.
"BAY!" She cried out with majesty in her voice, blowing some of the leftover snow away. Fluttershy's eyes opened back up as she witnessed her partner evolve at last.
"B-Bayleef...!
"Bay! Bay-Bay!" Bayleef then turned to Fluttershy and the others, ready to save them. She still had Aromatherapy thankfully, using the fragrance from it to cover Fluttershy and the others. Just like that, the ice around their bodies had been erased thanks to the beautiful power of Grass Infinity Energy. "Bay."
"Hoh..." Fluttershy took a deep breath as the immense chill she felt was gone. But she could still feel some of it. Thankfully, as a Bayleef, a spicy aroma emanates from around her, neck, acting as a stimulant to restore health.
She used that stimulant well, causing the aroma to flow over Fluttershy and the others. The pain they felt was gone. Scootaloo gasped as she woke up. It felt as if her heart had been restarted in a way. She hyperventilated along with Raboot, Ponyta, Audino and Scorbunny.
"Hah...! What just happened?!" The little pegasus screeched. "Wait, Bayleef?!"
"Bayleef! You're amazing!" Proud of her partner, Fluttershy went to hug her. But it was Bayleef doing the hugging as she pounced on Fluttershy, pinning her to the ground.
"Bay! Bay-Bay!" Excited to see Fluttershy alright, she licked Fluttershy, making her laugh.
"Okay! Knock it off, Bayleef!" Fluttershy chuckled. But despite how happy this was, they couldn't stop for anything. They had to get back to the surface. Thankfully, that massive hole that Bayleef made was there to be used. They could climb out of there and hopefully find a way out of this realm.
Once they reached the top, waiting for them were the five Lucario. But not out of hostility. The five Lucario were being placed back into their icy prisons as they were unable to move. But, their heads could move as they saw the resurgence of Fluttershy's group.
"Lu!"
"Bay." Bayleef climbed out of the hole, helping Audino up. Now, she was big and strong enough to carry Audino on her back. In fact, Bayleef was now bigger than Audino and the biggest out of Fluttershy's Pokemon Team. At least for now. Raboot's final evolution was still a possibility.
"Oh! The Lucario!" Scootaloo pointed out as she and her Pokemon were on high alert. That went for Bayleef too.
"No, wait!" But Fluttershy stopped them, deciding to approach the Lucario once more. "I think they're fine now."
"They are?" Scootaloo and the Pokemon titled their heads.
"Mm. The way their Auras looked were different around their bodies. Now they're their natural colours again. Something was wrong with them. Isn't that right, Lucario?"
"Cario."
"...Mm. She knows what she's doing." Scootaloo shrugged, accepting Fluttershy's impressive ways with reading Pokemon from a few seconds of glaring.
"Oh, your bodies. They're freezing over as well..." Fluttershy observed. "Bayleef, use Aromatherapy."
"Bay." Bayleef was on it. With the fragrance moving out of her leaves, wrapping around the Aura Pokemon, the horrible ice had been negated, permanently freeing the Lucario from their icy prison. No other Pokemon had been here before to do so. It's always been Lucario. So this was much needed.
"Lu! Lucario!" The Lucario then bowed to Fluttershy and Bayleef, giving their eternal gratitude.
"You're welcome. And just you all sit tight. We'll get you out of here eventually. Right now, we need to find Sunset Shimmer and Braixen. We got separated from that door suddenly appearing."
"Oh! Speaking of doors, I see one right there!" Scootaloo pointed at the Ice-Type door that was within a nearby cave. The jackpot for them. They could leave and enter another realm now. Hopefully, they would find the one where Sunset Shimmer went to.
"Right! Stay safe, Lucario!" Fluttershy and everyone bid their farewell to the Aura Pokemon, heading for the door. The 5 Lucario then waved, putting their faith and trust in them.
As for the Giga Lucario, it was taken aback by how powerful Baylef's evolution was. That kind of power was shocking. The Giga Lucari had just recovered, seeing that the threats were only rising from this point onwards. In its eyes, something had to be done. It was time to amp things up.
The evolution of Chikorita into Bayleef. Sunset and Braixen being within the Poison-Type Realm and the further frustration of this mysterious Giga Lucario. Only 13 doors remain as the journey continues.
Chapter 645 End.