Outer Space. Galaxy Tower.
"Okay, no need to panic!" Right now, Rainbow Dash was trying her best not to panic. When facing off against the Rift-Palkia, by getting the jump on it, it looked like she was taking control of this scuffle. However, moments later, the unexpected happened. Something that affected Rainbow Dash and her Pokemon.
Their bodies had been split in half with perfect symmetry. Right now, Rainbow Dash's body was split with two parts of her floating in the air. The same went for Castform, Altaria and Braviary.
She wasn't hurt at all. However, being split apart brought its own problems. "Just gotta...put myself back together. That's all." When trying to move her split parts back, Rainbow Dash soon discovered the major consequence of having a split body. Both sides of her body fell over in directions in response to her trying to bring them together again. "Oh!"
One side of Rainbow Dash landed flat on her face while the other landed on her back. Rainbow Dash's attempt to fly back failed instantly. She groaned before trying to get back up. However, only one-half of her got back up while the other half was still on the floor. "What gives?"
"Castform!" Castform and the other Pokemon were having a hard time as well. They couldn't find a balance at all. Mainly because every balance had been thrown off completely. None of them could move in the way they were used to. Even on the ground since they are most known for being airborne.
With their bodies split in half, their sense of control had been thrown off. Rainbow Dash found it extremely difficult to try and get her other half up. She could barely move both wings too as it was a mess.
"I take it back...this isn't kinda awesome! I can't move like this!" Rainbow Dash yelled. "I can't walk or fly normally...everything's all messed up! How are ya doing, Braviary? Guys?"
"Braviary...!" Braviary kept bumping into the walls when trying to reassemble himself. He wasn't even close.
"Not great...either." Rainbow Dash sighed. "It's always easy when you have one body to worry about...but we've got two bodies at this point! Maybe Princess Celestia's got a spell that can fix this up."
But before she could depart from here, Rift-Palkia suddenly stood up. It wasn't down and out yet. It may be weaker than its original counterpart but it certainly wasn't fragile.
"Seriously?!" Rainbow Dash gasped with her singular eye widening at Rift-Palkia's rise. "I don't need this right now..."
"Braviary!" Even when split up, Braviary, as his name confirms, was brave enough to stand up to Rift-Palkia. Well, one half of him stood up to Braviary while the other could only see the floor. The weapon from Rift-Palkia returned to its possession as after that cooperative attack, it looked agitated at Rainbow Dash and her team even after the weapon retaliated by splitting them in half.
"I can't battle like this." But even the battle-hungry Rainbow Dash knew when to pull back from a battle. And now was a good time to do so, especially since Rift-Palkia was preparing another attack already, not wasting any time. "Time to go!"
Running was the right option. They certainly couldn't fly. However, running away was equally as difficult as flying away since they still had no proper control over their split bodies. Thanks to all the panicking, everyone's halves had been scattered across the room. If they wanted to flee, they would have to get their correct halves. Immediately, Rainbow Dash and her team started scrambling upon seeing Rift-Palkia charge up a Hyper Beam.
"Come on other me! This way! To my right!" She yelled, attempting to do what she could to bring her other half to her.
"Which right?!" The other half of Rainbow Dash yelled, wriggling on the floor like a Wurmple.
"Your right is my right!" She roared before then scrunching her face. Both halves realized that they both could speak for themselves despite being the same individual. "Wait! You can talk like that?!"
Interrupting their conversation was Rift-Palkia. The time to attack was now. It immediately went for Dragon Claw, raising its arms as the first target was the left side of Rainbow Dash's body.
"Gah!" Rainbow Dash screeched like an Exploud. Both halves did. The left side scrambled with only two hooves to work with. Immediately, she began tilting and wobbling when trying to flee with only half of herself.
But it was immediately disrupted the second her right half made a move. The movement from the second half caused a reaction between the two, leading to the left side to tumble. It was somewhat of a lucky fall as she managed to narrowly evade Dragon Claw with only her tail being grazed.
"I can't move if you move!"
Well, I can't move if you move!" The two halves of her said as the constant swinging from Rift-Palkia forced the left side to keep moving frantically.
It was utter chaos. The various halves scattered and scrambled with each of them trying to evade Rift-Palkia's attacks. Castform bounced with one half while the other ended up rolling. His bounce led to him jumping over a Dragon Claw luckily.
Braviary scurried on the floor as his massive wings ended up messing with his balance even more. He had to improvise. Rift-Palkia now had more to focus on than before. With these scattered halves moving frantically, trying to focus on one would be a bit difficult since each half possesses sentience.
It tried grabbing and slashing each of them, only for their erratic movements to keep them safe for a while. Rainbow Dash's right half ended up activating one of the doors just by wriggling and flopping next to it.
"If I can just get close...!" Rainbow Dash's right side ended up taking a mighty leap by springing both her hooves up with all she could currently muster. Flying was currently unavailable for her. And at the same time, Braviary would also leap with his talon, attempting to reach his right side.
But the second they were both near each other, the unthinkable happened. As if things weren't strange already, with both of these split bodies being so close to each other, something happened that pulled them together. Rainbow Dash and Braviary were suddenly attracted as if they were magnets, having their bodies come together with a pink cosmic glow going off. "B-Braviary?!"
"What the?!" Rainbow Dash before then sticking to Braviary's body. The Left Side of Rainbow Dash and the right side of Braviary had become one, creating this bizarre amalgamation of species. Of course, one individual was bigger than the other, making it truly unbalanced and inconsistent. "Oh, come on! What's this now?!"
"Castform..." Castform felt like passing out at the sight of this. As if things weren't difficult enough for them. Now, this combination only increased the difficulty. But they couldn't just continue standing around. Not when Rift-Palkia was charging up a Dragon Pulse.
"We'll work with it!" Rainbow Dash screeched as she and Braviary started jetting off. Braviary only had one talon while Rainbow Dash had two hooves, making their movements shift to the side constantly. Castform and the other halves from each body would soon follow, leaving this room while being chased down by a Rift Creation.
"Mmmm..." Waking up at last after falling unconscious was Rarity. She found herself in another room that was different from the outfit room she was previously in. When waking up, she saw other ponies with this one room along with beds that were being brought in. Though, many of them were mostly ruined thanks to conflict.
Fluttershy and Cynthia were responsible for this, nursing everyone who had suffered a loss to Galaxy Master and his Pokemon to health in this one room. Sci-Twi, Sweetie Belle and many others were healed thanks to Audino and Fluttershy. They were lucky to all be in one piece, especially with those who encountered Dragonite.
"Oh my. What happened?" Rarity groaned. "Are we still in the tower?"
"I'm afraid we are. And it's going to stay that way for a while unless the veil is broken." Cynthia said to Rarity. "We're in outer space. I've already informed everyone here."
"Outer space...? Somehow, I'm not too surprised." A recovering Rarity said after Audino finished healing her. "But the sights might be beautiful either way,"
"I wish we could see the sights right now," Fluttershy added. "But that can't happen with everything going on. The Rift's still active and won't stop unless it finds Ash."
"Or if it runs out of steam," Cynthia replied. "With how much of its power is missing, it can't keep going for long. Eventually, it'll have to return to its realm and recover at once. For now, we're all staying here."
"What about stopping the Rift? Who else is missing from here?" Rarity wondered.
"A few others. But since the Rift is going for Ash, that might be its main target. Perhaps at this point, it's already found Ash or Ash is coming to the Rift."
"There's better news. I've got one of the books about Galaxy Master here." Sci-Twi held up a Galaxy Master Comic. "There's a weakness for us to expose. He's not quite unbeatable, even if the Rift's controlling him."
"That's nice and all but can it happen any time soon? Are we even on the same day?" Rarity got off the bed.
"Surprisingly yes. Even in space. Everything's been moving so fast." Cynthia nodded. "But, rest easy. This could all end soon...Let's just hope it's sooner than we want it to be."
Top of the tower.
The very top of the tower. This is where Galaxy Master's main room could be found. Everywhere else was right below this part of the tower which had the most theming to it out of any other room in this structure.
Huge cosmic-themed braziers attached to each of the fourteen columns lit up every part of this room and radiated warmth across this hall. The thousands of stardust on the slanted ceiling dance in the flickering light while carved images look down upon the smooth white floor of this extravagant room.
A lilac rug runs from the throne down the centre and loops back from both left and right while ribbon banners with gilded embroideries droop from the walls.
Here, the Rift had arrived. It sat on a dignified seat of silver which sat in front of a large monitor, radiating cosmic light onto the seat. If there was any room in this tower that truly felt galactic, it would be this one.
In this room, the Rift had been trying to get through to Hoopa. The Mischief Pokemon harboured staggering power that the Rift couldn't ignore. It's why it even prevented Ash from recalling Hoopa's existence for so long during the start of the two worlds crossing over.
"Come on! Why can't I take anything from you?!" Right now, the Rift was frustrated with Hoopa. It could easily manipulate Meloetta with puppet strings and use her for battle. But with Hoopa, the amazing power he held was unable to be used.
"Ugh..." Hoopa was also slightly conscious, groaning in pain after what happened between him and Dragonite.
"What gives? I want that power f yours. If I had I could summon whatever I wanted honestly. So why won't you respond"?
"Hoopa won't give it up...Hoopa can't give it up..." Hoopa groaned.
"You can't or you won't. Make up your mind!" The Rift roared. "Unless...don't tell me. Is it Arceus' doing? That annoying equine...deer..llama...whatever Arceus is! How I wish I could do something about him as well. But...I can't access your rings. They've been specifically catered to your own volition. But do you think that'll stop me?"
"Huh?"
"If I was at my best, this would be a different story. Alas, that's not the case. I already worked hard to keep Ash and you from ever meeting again, only for events to lead up to your reunion. But, I could make this the last time you two ever see each other again."
"Don't do this...! Ashkan didn't do anything wrong!"
"Wrong! It's because of him that I'm even in this state. Do you know how virulent Aura is to me? Throughout each universe I've travelled to and each I've crossed over, I was always aware of those who would pose a threat to me. There exist forces out there who can be a problem for me if I'm not careful. Ash is just the first one who managed to finally get past my defences. Aura is the antithesis of what I do. My power intervene with life and everything natural whilst Aura is what makes so much in the world natural and keeps it going."
"And you wanna have revenge because Ashkan surprised you?"
"I enjoy surprises just like you Hoopa. But not when they're greatly against me in a way that brings me down. Never before have I felt so weak. Having to resort to finally stepping out and taking action. I don't have long in this body either, so it's not permanent at all. I'll have to go back to my realm to recover as always. Being this weak and restrained is so...aggravating! All the things I want to do...all the creativity that I harbour is now limited, even with what I receive."
"Hoopa gets it." After listening to the Rift rant about its current state, those words hit close to home for Hoopa. "Hoopa knows what it feels like?"
"What? Oh right. That clash at Dahara City. You're saying you of all Pokemon can understand me?"
"Hoopa loves to do whatever Hoopa wants to do. Hoopa's rings are the best thing ever. So much fun can come from them, so Hoopa never feels bored. But, that other part in Hoopa..."
"Your Unbound Form. Listen. You and I are barely alike. Sure, we have summoning capabilities. But I'm fighting for a different reason, genie. Understand?"
"Not that." Hoopa then flew out of the Rift's grasp, finally regaining enough strength to levitate once more. "Before that. You didn't hate Ashkan before, right? You were just like Hoopa. It was all about having fun!"
"Hmph. I didn't hate Ash at all." The Rift stood up. "Truth is, he and I had our exchanges but they were mutual. From when he requested that I bring all of his Pokemon to help during the invasion of the Canterlot Wedding. Or even when we issued that challenge as to who would win before the end of this story. Even though I cheated as some would say. Even then...Ash was an interesting one. I've had my eye on him for a long time, learning about his adventures from when he first started his journey. And I must say...There aren't many that hold up to it."
"Really?"
"Of course. The only thing that rivals is it another world that involves a pirate that might as well be Ash's twin brother. The adventures he goes on intrigued me. Especially compared to what I've seen. In every world that I've visited, the headliners and figureheads of each of those respective worlds always have triumphant victories. And then there was Ash. He was different from the rest. When he lost the Indigo League, I suspected that would be it. But he kept going and I witnessed him win the Orange League. I believed I saw everything I needed to see and could predict what could happen next. And then..."
"And then?" Hoopa questioned, wanting to know more. This was all new to him.
"His story kept pulling me back in. So many worlds, I could predict what each of the could entail at the very end. But not Ash's story. His story kept going and came with a barrage of losses I would've never expected. How does someone who is the headliner of his universe fall this greatly? It kept me intrigued constantly. But even with these losses, there wasn't a slither of him losing hope or losing the drive to continue. Most would've quit at this point, seeing themselves as too weak. But it was then that I realized...Ash isn't aiming to be the strongest."
"No? But what about that World Coro...whatever it's called."
"He still wants to be the World's Strongest Trainer. But do you think that is what determines a Pokemon Master? I've seen the end of Ash's story Hoopa. Something that felt like it was endless. And surprisingly...it might as well be endless. This concept of a Pokemon Master is something that I followed. Because he was the only one to walk this path. Learning and laughing along the way. The friends he made along the way, whether they be Human or Pokemon always had my attention. And I loved it. I loved every bit of it. Never before has a world made me so...happy."
The Rift shocked Hoopa with its words. Away from all the conflict, the Rift could utter words that only it could say due to what it's experienced. Not just in this world or the Pokemon World. But so many worlds in the past.
"I loved this world. I loved those who lived in it. And when Ash won the Alola League, a new feeling of happiness was born that I rarely get from other worlds. After watching him for so long, it all felt so wonderful. Staying along for the ride was the best decision I could ever make. And that's when I made up my mind, Hoopa. This is the world that I wanted to see the most out of. I wanted to see what the Pokemon World could bring to other worlds. The boundless possibilities with various worlds could skyrocket to new levels. And...I wasn't wrong. Especially when Ash came along. He already left a mark in this world with who he's made friends with and what he's shared."
The Rift then thought back to every moment with Ash and his adventures in this world. The Rift watched it all, finding absolute joy and entertainment in every event.
"What is not there to love? Is it that dynamic between those two headliners?"
"Or maybe it's the interactions and relationships that come from them despite the separate worlds. Not even Royalty is exempt from his presence."
"Is it all the battles that come with it? The adrenaline-pumping and eye-candy action that emerges from a Pokemon Battle or even an encounter with other forces from each respective world?"
"I love it all, Hoopa. I love it all so much."
"Then, why hate Ashkan now? Sounds like you liked what Ashkan brought."
"The effect that Aura had on me was too stellar for you to imagine. Even with what you've been through Hoopa. But even so...I don't plan on getting rid of Ash entirely. I couldn't do it either way. His existence is necessary. I just want to see him suffer." The Rift then faced Hoopa. "And until then..."
"Hoopa won't let you!" A damaged Hoopa yelled before straining himself. "Hoopa can see that the Rift had so much fun, just like Hoopa. Hoopa won't let you lose all that fun."
"I haven't lost it all. I don't need you trying to reason with me Hoopa." The Rift scoffed. "I just need you to chime in just for me. And I can exact my full revenge on Ash!"
"I don't think so!" Bursting into this room was none other than the Trainer himself. Ash. Pikachu's Iron Tail knocked the door down as Ash, Twilight and Fluttershy had arrived, finally finding Galaxy Master, Hoopa and Meloetta.
"Ashkan!"
"Finally. You came to me." The Rift said with a grizzled voice. The two individuals clad in blue and red stood before each other. It took a while, but this encounter was finally realized.
And at the same time, Hoopa gained a new perspective after what the Rift shared. Behind that vengeful spirit was a great ordeal of respect. And more importantly, a love for entertainment. But all of that was being clouded. And the one who continued to block off that entertainment was the mere sight of Ash Ketchum in the eyes of the Rift as the journey continues.
Chapter 919 End.