Equestria. Canterlot. Day.
"Ta-dah! Phione here's our ticket to Jirachi!" Recently, Sweetie Belle, while going Phione Watching with her friends and Fantina which had led to surprising events, brought back a Phione that could change everything.
"Oooh." Celestia and Luna nodded in awe. Mainly at Phione's appearance. They were also intrigued by how Phione, having the blessing of Arceus, could help find Jirachi. "So, Arceus will be giving us assistance from beyond. But scarcely," said Luna.
"It is said that Arceus guides others from time to time." Celestia turned to her little sister. "I'm sure this is one of those instances."
"Yeah. Good thing we went Phione Watching. I have Ms Fantina here to thank for that." The little unicorn looked at her contest mentor Fantina. "All we need to do is have Ash use Aura and Phione's smile and emotions will come back."
"You've done well," Celestia said. "I think a reward is due for you and your friends, Sweetie Belle. And to you as well, Fantina. This is a massive growth and just what we need. "So, what first, Phione? Since you have Arceus' power within you, what is the first step to finding Jirachi."
"Phione..." Phione decided to speak normally instead of using telepathy like before. But thankfully, Passion could translate Phione's words, quickly transferring them to Celestia.
"Gardevoir."
"I beg your pardon? Build a staircase?" Celestia pulled back as the rest of them had confused expressions. "Why so?"
"Phi. Phione." Phione then gave an expression, stretching her arms to emphasize the size of the staircase. Soon, Passion received it, passing it on again. Celestia then blinked a couple of times.
"I see... staircase to Jirachi. And the way for us to find one..is by heading to Arche Valley?" Celestia translated for everyone else to hear. "I can understand what you're saying. Is that what we truly need to do?!" She leaned in.
"Phi." Phione shook her head which made Gardevoir explain in further detail.
"Oh. That was just a recommendation from Arceus in case a scenario leads to that..." Celestia chuckled. "Right, right. In any case um...Sweetie Belle. Take care of Phione over here until everything can be sorted out."
"You can count on me, Princess Celestia!" Sweetie Belle saluted, giving a proud grin. This was the most praise she's ever gotten from the Ruler of Equestria. And possibly the first.
"Ah, Sweetie Belle. Your contest in Baltimare is coming next. I'd like to see how far you've grown when it comes around." Fantina snapped her finger, alerting the little unicorn. "Everything that you've learned and taught."
"Thanks, Ms Fantina. Just give me until next week and that ribbon is gonna be smiling at my face. Come on, Phione. You're gonna be heading home with me." Sweetie Belle then held Phione's arms with her hooves, pulling the Sea Drifter Pokemon with her.
"Shouldn't we have just had Phione stay here, sister?" Luna asked. "It is no one's Pokemon at the moment."
"I know. But it'd be nice for Phione and Sweetie Belle to bond now that they've met each other." Celestia nudged, choosing to have bonds of friendship emerge as always upon this new union between the filly and the Mythical Pokemon Phione.
Equestria. Ponyville. Carousel Boutique.
But first things first, freeing the rest of the Rift Energy inside of Phione was next. Arceus had already done most of the work, using all of his power to rid some of it out of the Sea Drifter Pokemon's power before going too far and ripping everything apart.
Now, it was up to Ash to finish it off. And after being summoned here, he stood before the Water-Type while the others held their Pokedexes out, marvelling at Phione.
"So...Is it related to Manaphy or not?" Rainbow Dash asked. "The Pokedex won't show any evolution trees like it always does."
"Maybe it's like Mew and Mewtwo!" Pinkie Pie raised her hoof. "Like how they looked alike and kinda share a lot of things in common, but they don't evolve from each other! Right, Mew?"
"Mew-Mew!"
"Okay. Gonna have Sir Aaron's staff help out on this too." Ash had summoned Sir Aaron's Staff, which always increased his Aura capabilities when used. He then spun the staff around before having Lucario out to assist. "Just hold still, Phione."
"Phi."
"Ready, Lucario? Twilight, Pinkie Pie. I'm gonna need you two to back me up with this." Ash requested.
"You got it." Twilight and Pinkie Pie would do just that with the assistance of Mew and Togekiss. Both knew Aura Sphere, being able to use Aura properly. Togekiss was sent out as she and Mew touched Ash's back, lending him Aura. Ash then focused the staff onto Phione as he was searching for Rift Energy.
He closed his eyes, allowing the Aura to feel everything. And the most present force here was the Rift Energy within Phione. Once he had found it, the Aura from Ash's body flowed towards Phione, immediately interacting with the energy the same way Water reacts to Electric.
"There it is!" Ash shouted before allowing the Aura to accelerate around the Rift Energy. And with this acceleration, the Aura forced the RIft energy inside of Phione to burst. It had been shattered on the spot as the collision made Ash's arm twitch afterwards. His whole body would twitch, however, his friends were there to keep him stable. And with this unification, they had successfully rid all of the Rift Energy from Phione. No longer was it a Rift Phione, now just a regular one. But it preferred that.
"Phi...Phione! Phione's cheery attitude returned. It jumped for joy, glad that all of that energy had been rid of its body. It was a well-needed release. With its true attitude being brought back, Phione had grabbed Mew's arms, jumping up and down with.
"Mew!"
"Phew." Ash shook his arm, still feeling the effects. "Thanks, guys. Return, Lucario." He then returned Lucario before making Sir Aaron's Staff shrink afterwards.
"Good for you, Phione." Sweetie Belle slid over. She then raised her hoof, wanting the equivalent of a high-five. And Phione would grant her that wish, connecting its arm with Sweetie Belle's hoof.
"That's one problem. But there's another." Rarity spoke among her friend group, clearing her throat. "Judging from what Sweetie Belle had learned, it seems that finding Jirachi will involve some less-than-needed experiences. That crafty Rift..." She then growled. "Playing fair isn't in its spirit is it?"
"It made a promise and it...kinda...sorta broke it. Not really." Pinkie Pie puffed her cheeks. "But I'm still pretty mad about that!"
"This will make things harder than they need to be, Ash," said Twilight to Ash. "With the Rift involved, it won't let us have many chances of even reaching Jirachi."
"Yeah. I gotcha. We can't let it beat us. We'll find Jirachi before it can stop everything." Ash understood that the severity of things had been escalated once more. "But this time, it's not gonna stop our trip to Holon, I'll tell ya that. And we're not gonna let it get ahead of us, no way."
"Pikachu!"
"Yeah. But first...I've got a contest coming up!" Sweetie Belle announced. "Phione. Please watch it with me, okay?"
"Phione!" It saluted. Phione would not only be here to guide them to Jirachi, but also provide support in different ways. Meanwhile, Twilight was currently thinking of ways to try and outsmart the Rift, just for the sake of reaching Jirachi before anything could go awry.
She rushed to her castle as soon as she could, appearing before Starlight. Meanwhile, preparing for next week, Sweetie Belle went off to train with her Pokemon to refine their contest skills.
"Starlight. We need a plan. A new plan. Something big!" Twilight exclaimed, standing in a bipedal position and stretching her front hooves to give an exaggeration.
"Why? What happened?" Starlight asked as Twilight walked past her.
"Turns out the Rift has been busy while we weren't aware." Twilight then shuffled through her assortment of books, looking for something of great value to form the plan. "Anything that could help us find Jirachi has been cancelled out by the Rift with the only exception being a single Phione that has Arceus' power inside of it."
"S-Say what now?" Twilight said all of that so fast that it was processing in Starlight's mind.
"It's probably still doing so as we speak. Which is why we can't afford to let it stop us." Twilight shook her head. "Where's Nyx? She might help us with this."
"Nyx is doing what she always does. Going across different worlds and helping free them from the Empress. And uh...Cocoa and Rosestar too. I never see much of those two. Weird..."
"Cocoa and Rosestar are too busy to hang around. Their world is in peril, after all. I'm sure we can find the time to get to know them better. But for now..." Twilight then placed a giant assortment of books in front of Starlight, making the floor bounce. "Let's start planning. With how things are right now, we're not powerless against the Rift anymore. At least not as much."
"Uh, you mean Ash and Princess Celestia aren't powerless." Starlight shrugged. "Princess Celestia's magic is the only magic that can do anything to it and Aura is Aura."
"Right, right. But that's the thing." Twilight winked. "Ash, Cynthia and everyone else in the Pokemon World aren't the only ones who have Aura now. Applejack has a lot of Aura that's massive. That Gardevoir showed us just how impressive it was too. Plus, we have some as well thanks to our Pokemon. And those Z-Crystals help with that."
"Yeah, you raise a good point. Can't argue with that." Starlight nodded in response. "I guess we are better equipped than before. Back then, we couldn't phase any Rift creation but now, that doesn't look like the case."
"Which is why we can't slow down now." Twilight placed on some glasses, looking at the various books. "With Princess Celestia's magic, spells that would usually never work on the Rift can work now. Even with Gardevoir being defeated, Delayed Aura Ataxia is still a thing. She has that power."
"True...Still haven't gotten rid of it..."
"I'm sure Princess Celestia's focusing on all of her known spells or already has. As for us, we need to keep up. And I suggest, we do the same thing that we did with Lucien and Sienna."
"Same thing...Wait!" Starlight gasped. "You're gonna trap the Rift?!" After asking that question, Twilight smirked, basically confirming her approach. The same way the combination of Celestia's magic and an Aura Sphere had imprisoned Lucien and Sienna, the same idea was being tailored to the Rift itself. "That's insane! Can it be done?! I mean, Lucien and Sienna aren't as powerful as the Rift!"
"We have to try. It was Ash that taught me never to give up, no matter how overwhelming things can get. I would've given up with any Rift Creation, especially when the Rift confronted me. But it was Ash that helped me get here. Along with all of my friends. Even you."
"Aw geez..." Starlight chuckled, appreciating the compliment. "I don't much, ya know..."
"We'll need all the help we can get. Cold Colt!" Twilight bellowed, summoning her student. Dashing to the scene was the little unicorn as he wobbled for a bit.
"Here!"
"I need you to help bring Emerald Aura here. Even if she's been weakened, she can be of great help right now." Twilight requested.
"Oh, uh that's gonna be tricky. Emerald's not in the best mood for much." Cold nervously spoke. "Applejack's not happy with how she's been treating her home so..."
"I'll handle it. As my duty as the Princess of Friendship." Twilight chose to sort it out. "Starlight. Go over to the Pokemon House. Zecora's still there and she has the cauldron of Rift Magic inside. She's been studying Rift Magic well and might know a few things."
"On it." Starlight would do just that. The cauldron of Rift Magic still existed and Zecora held permanent custody of it. Zecora's study on Rift Magic was extensive, so this was something to not be passed up on.
"Now. Let's start the plan. Might take a while, but nothing's too long for us to accomplish. We're going to make the most powerful prison ever. More than even Tartarus or anything." Twilight had her magic bring over a blank sheet of paper. A fairly large one.
Some major planning out was about to be done. The plan to imprison the Rift.
Canterlot. Afternoon.
"Hm-hm." Meanwhile, Celestia also had ideas brewing in her head. Specifically, the recommendation given to her by Phione concerning the staircase. "It's not impossible...It can be done."
"You mean the staircase, right?" Luna looked with a low brow. "Please do not tell me we're going to attempt something like that. To space?"
"Precisely," Celestia replied with a sparkle in her eyes, grinning. Luna was fearing something like this.
"Even if it can be done...space?! To reach just one Pokemon?!" Luna exclaimed. "We can't even breathe in space! At least not for a long time! Being sealed in the moon freed me from suffering breathing problems."
"We can't. But Reshiram and Zekrom can." Celestia nudged her little sister playfully. "Recently, it's been found out that when going up against the Empress' ships, sometimes they reach to the cosmos above to stop them. As to be expected from Legendary Pokemon. And when I think about it, perhaps Pinkie Pie's Mew fits into that category as well. Maybe asking those two Mewtwo for help wouldn't hurt."
"Fair enough...But how are we going to build it? Let alone keep it stable. And won't it take far too long?"
"I have that covered. It pays to always think ahead when something comes up." Celestia winked. "Building the staircase will be easy, but supporting it is where things will escalate. Reshiram and Zekrom can help with that. It'll be a one-time use after all."
"Hm. Speaking of which..." Luna was then reminded of something. "The Ultra Ball that had Reshiram inside of it. Wasn't there another that Jackie and Sweetie Drops returned?"
"Oh." It had been recalled to Celestia as well. Indeed, there was one more Ultra Ball that hadn't been opened yet and was sitting there all this time. But Celestia knew the answer to that. "Turns out, it was an empty one. I went to throw it and found out that there wasn't a Pokemon inside. Seems that Team Plasma were keeping it for more Pokemon. But on the bright side..." Celestia then revealed the Ultra Ball to Luna. "I have a free Ultra Ball to use when needed. I even put my Cutie Mark on it and Passion's Poke Ball. Pretty charming, right?" She giggled.
"Yes, sister. It is charming." Luna agreed thoroughly. The Royal Family had their plans too. While Twilight and her friends would focus on trapping the Rift, Celestia and her sister were focused on trying that staircase suggestion from Phione.
A staircase to space. Truly an impressive idea that would be a great feat when pulled off. The race for Jirachi was now accelerating to new heights.
Kanto Region. Pallet Town. Ketchum Household. Nightfall.
After all of that time, nightfall had come. Naturally, Ash and Pikachu were asleep, along with Delia and Mr Mime. All except for Sombra. Sombra was awake for one reason. Not that he didn't want to sleep, but he was just done with being stuck to Ash. He wanted to be free and reign once more.
But his options were thin. Discord certainly didn't want to under Ash's accord to keep an eye on Sombra, Cold's Rift Magic was still growing, Emerald had been weakened and so on. This irritated Sombra to no avail. He currently thought of all the horrible things he would do to Ash and his friends when freed. It put a smile on his face, only for it to fade away afterwards.
Seeing that his options were low, Sombra thought of another possible option. He wasn't sure it was the most effective way to go about things. He then thought about what Ash said back then during Valentine's Day/Heart's and Hooves.
"Aw, come on. Even I know there's someone. Everyone's always had someone special in their life. Even if they're gone now there was always something there."
"You are smarter than you look, boy. I will give you this...there was someone but there is no point in bringing her up right now. Now leave me be."
"There is someone who could do something. How I dreaded meeting with her again..." Sombra spoke to himself before scoffing. "It doesn't matter. Much like everyone else, they'll be beneath me. Brat, wake up. Wake up this instant!" He then alerted Ash, bashing onto his head with his own.
"Zzzzz..." However, Ash was fully asleep at this point. And once he's comfortable in his bed, nothing will wake him up. Not even Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Only Delia could wake him from his bed.
"Tch. The one time I need your assistance..." Sombra couldn't help but groan. For now, he was going to have to wait until morning. Then, he would let Ash know. And beyond that, the Crystal Empire was on his mind. The next destination for tomorrow.
The next day.
Eventually, tomorrow did come. Ash was up along with his partner Pikachu. They were each standing outside of the Ketchum Household, ready to tackle the day.
"So. What to do first..." Ash and Pikachu wondered, performing the same thinking pose.
"Here's an idea." Sombra appeared as his usual shadowy self. "For once, I can't believe I'm asking something from you of all people."
"No shame in asking." He only laughed at Sombra's words. "What is it?"
"Go to the Crystal Empire at once. "There is a pony that I must see at once. Somepony that could maybe help me with how things are right now. Anything to free me of you." He ordered.
"Really? Hm...Is it Sunburst?!" Ash pointed at Sombra.
"Who?" Sombra pulled back, unaware of Sunburst's existence. "No! Just go there and I will show you."
"Okay. Guess we're going for the Crystal Empire today, buddy. Let's see what adventures we can get ourselves into today, okay?" Ash grinned, adjusting his hat, ready for a brand new adventure.
"Pika! Pikachu!"
"Safe travels as always!" Delia whistled while opening the door. She waved goodbye to them as Ash and Pikachu had passed through the gateway to Equestria. And when passing through, Sombra could only think of the one pony he had mentioned throughout the entire trip.
Equestria. Twilight's Castle. Day.
Over at Twilight's Castle, the plan was underway. With the assistance of her Togekiss, an extra-large Aura Sphere had been made as Twilight tried using her magic to hold it in place. Starlight, Espeon, Ninetales and Hatterene were assisting as well.
Cold Colt's Rift Magic was the ace in the hole for this. His magic made the Aura Sphere stay in one position instead of fading away or combusting. With this union, they had successfully made the sphere stable.
"Okay. I already knew how that was done." Twilight sighed, feeling a bit exhausted. "But it's still not big enough to hold the Rift. Especially if it has the power to change its shape and size."
"Please don't tell me we're going to have to make one that's bigger than a mountain..." Starlight breathed in and out after using all of her magic for that one sphere. "Where are we even gonna put it...?"
"We can keep it...um...Aha! In our secret base over at Queen Pyrestar's world! That'll do the trick!" Twilight exclaimed. "Now, all we have to do is move it."
"Is it safe to touch something like this?" Starlight slowly approached the sphere, using her magic to remove a strand of her hair. Afterwards, she threw the strand at the Sphere, finding out that it merely bounced off of it. "Oh. It is?!" TO further test it out, Starlight put her hoof on the Aura Sphere, feeling it. "Aaah...That's a soft and fuzzy feeling."
"It came from Togekiss. Of course, it would feel good. Isn't that right, girl?" Twilight nuzzled the Jubilee Pokemon.
"Toge!"
"Now, let's get this thing moving." Twilight rubbed her hooves together as her magic would cover the Aura Sphere, beginning to drag it. It was far easier to drag the sphere than make it. Once it had been made, it was free to control.
"Another thing...How are we going to get the Rift to be in it? It can't be tricked, can it? It could be listening to this conversation right now. Heck ! It might've seen us making this thing!" Starlight started worrying, fearing for the worst.
"You're just like me when Starlight. I used to worry a lot. Still do..." Twilight scrunched her face, feeling guilty for worrying so many times it was absurd. "But worrying's not going to get us anywhere. We already have a lot on our plate. There's no telling when the Empress might try and invade us again or when Ghetsis and Team Plasma do...whatever they do."
"Right..." Cold Colt chimed in with some words of his own, albeit briefly.
"The only thing I'm worried about is the Rift trying to slow our progress with Jirachi down. And no matter what, there's no way I'm going to let the friendship I've made with all of my Pokemon and human friends go to waste." A determined Twilight Sparkle stopped walking, turning to face Starlight. "You understand, right?"
"Fully do. Well said, Twilight. Can't argue with that." Starlight accepted as she, Twilight and Cold Colt started laughing. Togekiss found some amusement in it while Ninetales was only laughing because everyone else was.
The clock was ticking. Albeit slow, pressure was being applied. The staircase to space where Jirachi resides, an orb to trap the Rift, a Manaphy to guide them to Jirachi and supposedly, a pony that could help King Sombra. All were racing against the clock as the journey continues.
Chapter 690 End.