//------------------------------// // The Sun's Embrace // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Hoenn. Rustboro City. Nightfall. "Gardevoir...!" Held back by the intense flames of Celestia's magic which was being influenced by Daybreaker, Gardevoir attempted to help her Trainer in her current condition. Thanks to Rosa Maledicta's dark magic, Daybreaker had been provoked. While she hadn't been released, even when lying dormant within Celestia, this alter-ego's power was tremendous. Celestia herself was lying flat on the ground with a stream of flames emerging from her chest, piercing the clouds and illuminating the night sky. The light was so vibrant that even the people and Pokemon from Dewford Town could see it. Gardevoir persisted. She would try and power through the heat. "Passion! Wait!" Luna cried out for the Embrace Pokemon but it was too late to stop her. Passion was fully going through with this, putting her arms up to try and overcome this pressure. "Curses...What did you do, Rosa?!" "I only planned to remove Daybreaker from her entirely and eradicate that part within Celestia. My Magic tapped into Celestia's darkest parts and immediately found Daybreaker, lying dormant within her. But I never expected her to be far worse than the Daybreaker I've gained. Perhaps she has more to lose." "More to lose?" Luna repeated. In Rosa's words, this version of Daybreaker was potentially far more powerful than the Daybreaker everyone else knew solely because of what was on the line. Luna could already see it. With this combined world and everything that's happened so far, losing it all would spark a colossal amount of rage. "It's so bright!" Nightmare Moon could barely reach Rustboro with the potent light that was coming from Celestia. The heat could still reach her even from this distance and height. She wasn't even sure if Luna was in peril from the Dread League by this point since the Despair Plants were also suffering. "Voir...!" Passion could already feel herself melting by approaching the stream of magic. If she wanted to save Celestia and prevent the awakening of Daybreaker, Passion would have to tap into some mind hijinks herself. Each step meant colossal pain would follow immediately. To protect herself, Gardevoir placed a Psychic shield around herself, hoping to nullify the heat. It barely worked. Even with this shield, the solar rage from Daybreaker passed through. But once she was close enough, Passion pushed her hand through her shield, placing it on Celestia's open chest where all of the magic was being unleashed. "That foolish Pokemon...She'll be torched alive soon." Rosa commented, seeing this as a pitiful endeavour on Gardevoir's part. With that touch, Gardevoir created a Psychic Link between herself and Princess Celestia. This link has always been there thanks to their bond and now it was time for their bond to overcome this overflow of anger. A golden and pink aura would flare from Passion's body as she winced from touching the stream of magic which was akin to touching magma. Or worse. The Sun. Celestia's Mindscape. Gardevoir would also enter the Mindscape, coming to Celestia's rescue. The white void from before was given a new visitor in the form of the Embrace Pokemon. Elegantly, Gardevoir would drop from the cracks above like an angel. However, the white void was no longer just a blank slate. It already underwent some changes. The flames from Daybreaker had changed up the place, adding land. Now, there was a vast land with flames spurting out from every gap. It resembled a mountainside but on its last legs with all the flames that were scattered and flowing. The cracks in the ground would breathe out solar flames as it was nigh impossible to see through all of this. It was as if multiple volcanoes had shown up in one place. The skies above were dark red with not a hint of blue to be seen. Once Passion landed, she would feel a sharp burn on her legs that made her grimace. She just couldn't escape the heat, unfortunately. "Garde! Gardevoir!" When putting a shield around herself once more, Gardevoir called out for the Ruler of Equestria. However, she would find someone else standing amidst all of the flames. With a singular glance, Gardevoir saw a flaming figure. There she was. Daybreaker. She hasn't moved one bit. She has been in this same position and stance from the very beginning. But even with this minimal movement, the power she was exhibiting was absolutely colossal and impossible to ignore. Though she wasn't fully awakened and was merely an apparition, she was a fierce apparition. "Gardevoir?" For the first time, Gardevoir got a glimpse at what Daybreaker could truly look like. A flaming mane on an elegant pony. It was both beautiful and terrifying to gaze at. Celestia was practically in the eye of the storm right now, closer to the intense flames than anyone. Daybreaker's presence intimidated the Embrace Pokemon to a level she had never felt before. When attempting to take a step, Passion would move back, feeling an unholy presence threatening her. She felt if she went any further, she could be obliterated. Was that simply Daybreaker's dormant rage? All of it was correlated to everything Celestia had gone through and will go through. That involved moments with Passion. However, Gardevoir would still go further. It would mean going against these overpowering flames. All she had to do was try and overpower them. "Garde...Voir!" Gardevoir attempted to do so by using Dazzling Gleam. Putting her hands together, a flash of rainbows would appear before being shot out as multiple rays which travelled at blitzing speeds. But immediately, they would be consumed by the flames. Her rainbows were absolutely crushed and incinerated the moment they came across Daybreaker's flames. Gardevoir unleashed more, only for all of them to lose in the end. Dazzling Gleam was ineffective while the Daybreaker Appration just stood there in a static position. "Voir!" Passion would try again. This time with something that is considered hotter than the surface of the sun. She would use Thunderbolt, sending a flare of bolts from her hands which had enough force to slightly push her back. The lightning bolt cracked through the air before meeting with the flames. These bolts fared slightly better than the rainbows, but that wasn't saying much as they didn't last long. When shaking violently to try and push through the flames, the struggle that the bolts faced ended with the solar flames of Daybreaker consuming them as well. And once Thunderbolt was defeated by the Solar Flames, Passion would receive some retaliation. She gasped as the flames would strike her with the force of a whip. The Embrace Pokemon was knocked back, flying through the air with a sharp burn mark already emerging on her. "G-Garde...!" But even after being knocked away, Gardevoir would find an opportunity to retaliate as well. She recovered in the air via levitation before fighting back with her own flames. The Embrace Pokemon used Mystical Fire, unleashing a spiral of scarlet flames to try and surpass these flames. But those flames were no match for these Solar Flames. Even though the scarlet flames from Mystical Fire ended up holding the Solar Flames back for a bit, forcing Passion to pour more of it in to try and break through, it didn't take long for Daybreaker's might to absolutely crush Passion's Mystical Fire. The flames shattered as if they had become solid, shocking the Psychic-Fairy-Type. After being stunned by witnessing her flames being broken, the Solar Flames from Daybreaker would then erupt from underneath, forming a pillar that would engulf Gardevoir. "Gardevoir!" She screamed after the Infernal Pillar caught her. Unfortunately for Passion, since this entire landscape was a Fire Hazard, resisting the flames was out of the question. And yet, she would try. With the pillar furiously burning around her, Passion would fight back by using Psychic around herself. A Psychic field emerged as she managed to blow away the flames around her. But the damage had been done. Multiple burn marks appeared across the Embrace Pokemon's body. Though this was only within the mind, Passion could still feel the pain. "Garde...Garde..." She would breathe in and out before slowly descending. The heat was getting to her to the point where she might as well pass out. The Daybreaker Apparation said nothing in response. It would only act out more than anything. Acting out in violence was all that it knew to do. Passion held her burnt arm which was sizzling. So far, all of her moves have been ineffective with Psychic only acting as a way to blow away the weaker flames. Gardevoir was struggling to reach Celestia and save her from this potential awakening thanks to this stark difference in strength. But Passion still had more to offer. A combination of moves. The Embrace Pokemon would separate her arms before allowing a surge of flames and lightning to flare out of her. She would use Plasma Bolt. A signature move that was made by her and Celestia. With a thunderous yell that even caused an echo, Gardevoir would smash her hands together with Mystical Fire and Thunderbolt, creating a pulsating burst of two destructive elements. The impact of them both being mashed together was so colossal that it created a thunder-like sound effect. And yet, the Daybreaker Apparation was not phased by this. Passion would then form the element of plasma. It was certainly hot enough to surpass that of fire. Passion managed to create her own ferocious and overwhelming heat before then unleashing it in the form of a bolt that raced forward. The Plasma Bolt met with the Solar Flames and this time, a stark difference was shown. The Plasma Bolt lasted longer against the flames than anything she had tried so far. "Gardevoir!" The Embrace Pokemon entered a full-force struggle against the flames, using all that she could to overpower them. It was a fierce back and forth against the Heat of the Sun and the Heat of Plasma. The ground below was starting to be scorched to pieces by this constant struggle. "G...!" Gardevoir got on her knees, struggling to win this struggle. The flames were still too much for her. Passion could feel her hands tremble when trying her best to beat out the Solar Flames. It felt like they could fall off at any moment. But for Celestia's sake, she had to press on. However, it was clear as day that Daybreaker would be the one to win this clash. "G-Gardevoir..." Passion lowered her head, thinking of what she could do in this instance. If she couldn't think of something, Gardevoir would be forced out of Celestia's mindscape, possibly unable to stop the awakening of Daybreaker. The Embrace Pokemon wished she could use Mega Evolution but that was impossible considering where she was right now. There was no other power that she could utilize. The flames from Daybreaker were already starting to wrap around the Psychic-Fairy-Type, on the verge of winning this struggle while Passion's Plasma Bolt was starting to shrink, soon to be lost to the flames. Gardevoir knew of another power. But it was a power that she hated and feared. And yet, it was strikingly similar to what was within Daybreaker. A power that focuses on rage and sorrow, bringing out the full destructive capabilities of her Infinity Energy but at the cost of losing sight of who she originally is. It was all too familiar to what Daybreaker could become. Or rather, what the current Daybreaker from Universe 11 had become. Gardevoir saw no other power that could get past this. So to beat out the Solar Flames, she had to unleash her own anger as well. And there was a lot to react to. Mainly Rosa Maledicta. This was all her fault after all. Even when the two worlds merged to make a new world, she just couldn't help herself. The Dread League were the most recent problem, causing so much despair across the world just for the fun of it. And of course, Rosa Maledicta's ultimate goal of wiping out all life. There was everything else that could rile up Gardevoir. From Ghetsis to Empress Twilight and so much more. That was enough to spark rage within Gardevoir. Her eyes flared up as her vast pool of potential had been opened up once more but focused more on what she tried to bottle up. Once more, Passions' anger would overtake her but this time, willingly. "Gardevoir...!" By embracing the darkness that was within her, a flare of Infinity Energy would fly out of the Embrace Pokemon increasing her Plasma Bolt. As a meteor hit the land, the clash of Plasma and Solar Energy would end in an outburst. That terrifying power that Olympia once saw within Gardevoir when she was still getting used to her evolution had shown itself, altering Gardevoir's appearance. The green hair on Gardevoir would flare, catching on fire as the beautiful flowing gown that she had would also be affected. It was as if Gardevoir herself was turning into a Fire-Apparation. Her pink eyes lit had embers within them as a stream of flames flowed out from her gown. Gardevoir managed to match Daybreaker's power by embracing her own anger. The Daybreaker Apparation had finally been moved before being enveloped by this while light which surrounded every direction. The skies had been cleared by the expanding light with the dark red vanishing out of sight. "Voir..." That was as far as Gardevoir wanted to go. She may have allowed that overwhelming rage to come out but she certainly didn't want it to overtake her. She would pant heavily before returning to normal. The flames around her would disperse and diminish as everything fell silent for a bit. With a ton of energy within her being spent, Gardevoir would look ahead to see if she managed to win this struggle. Seemingly, yes. In the distance, right where the Daybreaker Apparation originally stood, someone else had taken this Flame Apparation's spot. Someone that wasn't made out of flames at all but natural flesh. It was Princess Celestia. Or rather, Celestia before she became an alicorn. Gardevoir saw her Trainer in a much younger state. She had a pink mane with no other colours on her unlike what Celestia currently has. She was no longer the tall alicorn that she regularly appears as. She was no longer an alicorn at all. This was Celestia before her rise. But right now, she looked like she was suffering a massive fall. Reacting to Daybreaker's rage sparked something within this prodigal filly. Celestia could be seen weeping while surrounded by leftover flames. Not only that but there was a large aura coming out of her. That aura was in the shape of her adult form. Gardevoir attempted to figure out what this meant. Why was there an Aura of the current Celestia over the younger Celestia and they were both taking on the same curling position? It didn't take long for the Embrace Pokemon to figure it out. Though she was looking at a younger Celestia, the current Celestia was weeping as well, releasing her emotions. Seeing this reminded Gardevoir of herself. In fact, this whole scenario was eerily familiar. Not just the part where her rage was being unleashed. It took Gardevoir back to when she was a Kirlia. Her potential and power have always been so vast and as a Kirlia, she struggled to control what she couldn't handle. And yet, it was Celestia who helped her overcome it. It was Celestia who saved Gardevoir during her hardest time. Now, it was Gardevoir's turn to repay the favour. Celestia helped her through such trying times, even when it looked like everything would fall apart. Figuratively and literally. This was Gardevoir's chance to reach her. The Psychic-Fairy-Type stood up, approaching the young princess. Celestia had yet to see Gardevoir approach her, continuing to cry without looking elsewhere. But all of that weeping would cease once the Embrace Pokemon embraced her. "Huh?" The filly and the aura would look up, spotting Gardevoir. The embrace of Gardevoir was extraordinary. She wasn't called the Embrace Pokemon for anything. Being hugged by her not only ceased all of Celestia's weeping but it soothed her soul. "Passion..." The voice of a young Celestia called out Gardevoir's name, resting her head into her arms. "Gardevoir." She didn't need to say much for Gardevoir to understand how she felt. She knew it all thanks to her previous experiences. All Gardevoir wanted Celestia to do was rest and let it all go. All of this was not her fault. Gardevoir did not want Celestia to think that much like how Celestia knew that Gardevoir's outburst was not her fault either. Both of them still had ways to go with what lies within them. Which is why they were all in it together. The skies would turn blue once more, giving way to the sun's rays. And with that, the light of the sun would consume them both in its warm embrace. No longer was its aggressive heat punishing Celestia. And that went for outside of the mindscape. Out in Rustboro, the effects carried over. Everyone watched in awe as the aggressive heat had vanished, only bringing a welcoming warmth. Gardevoir succeeded in her goal as the essence of magic within Celestia would fly back into her. The hole would patch up, returning what was originally tampered with. The last thing that entered her chest with a tiny ember which would soon vanish. "She did it..." Luna uttered with a smile slowly forming on her face. Passion helped Celestia up as the Ruler of Equestria regained consciousness once more. "Thank you...Passion. I suppose we're even now?" Celestia chuckled before regaining her balance. "Gardevoir~" Gardevoir nodded in response. "Tch. All that just for Daybreaker to return...I believe I'm done here. But I still aim to rid her from you, Celestia. You and I both know what would happen if she showed up again after all." Rosa Maledicta scoffed. Her Despair Plants had suffered massive damage thanks to the outburst that Celestia felt. The Lich Queen chose to cease her attacks here considering what had become of the Despair Plants. All of the Cordyceps had defused, unable to handle the heat at all. The Cordyceps that already succumbed to the heat would drop to the sea with some of them slowly sinking into the ground. The Golurk would watch as the Despair Plants all left the scene in either sea or land. The voice of Rosa Maledicta would drown out, signifying her departure. Not just from Rustboro but also from Dewford. "Sister!" Luna rushed over to Celestia's aid. "Are you alright?! Feeling better?!" "I'm fine...Luna. All thanks to Passion." Thankfully, Celestia was in one piece. Despite all of that, major damage was not on her at all. Minus the pain she felt when her essence and Daybreaker were being pulled out. "What about everyone else? I didn't harm you all, did I?" "We're fine," Roxanne reassured. "Thank you very much, Princess Celestia. Even though the buildings have been harmed a bit from the flames...it'll be fine." "Good. But now, Rosa's certainly pushed her luck too far." Celestia's eyes suddenly narrowed with her tone changing instantly. She focused on Rosa Maledicta, who was now mute along with the disappearance of the Despair Plants. "Time and time again, the Dread League found some way to terrorize us all in the worst possible ways. And trying to force such a power out of me which threatened everyone else is what has settled it for me. Then again, their ultimate goal is enough." "What does this mean, sister? What will you do?" Luna asked. "Soon, we'll put a stop to the Dread League once and for all. " Celestia looked up at the night sky which would be clear of any clouds, only showing the stars. "If she wants to make this personal, then so be it." As the journey continues. Chapter 23 End.