//------------------------------// // Cresselia: An Abundant Night // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Sinnoh. Out in a forest. Late Afternoon. In the midst of investigating nightmares occurring in Sinnoh, Ash and his friends are in pursuit of Darkrai. Meanwhile, Luna, who had come across the duo of Dawn and Chloe, had a stunning encounter. Cresselia, the Lunar Pokemon, had been found out there in this forest. Retreating from the Matori Matrix, she could be seen lying on a rock, attempting to rest away her injuries if she could. Fitting that they would find the antithesis to Darkrai, but while Darkrai was currently on the move, Cresselia was static due to her injuries. "It's a Cresselia...!" Dawn gasped. "That Pokemon...That's Cresselia?" Luna had only ever heard about Cresselia from Darkrai and the way the two Pokemon oppose each other. She would instantly take out her Pokedex to read up on the Lunar Pokemon. "Cresselia. The Lunar Pokemon. When it flies, it releases shiny particles from its veil-like wings. It is said to represent the crescent moon, being an incarnation. On nights around the quarter moon, the aurora from its tail extends and undulates beautifully. It leaves a brilliant line of light in its wake as it flies across the night sky. Some even say it resembles the heavenly maiden who created the Milky Way." "She should be on Fullmoon Island," Dawn said, revealing the home of Cresselia. Another difference between Cresselia and Darkrai were their respective homes. Newmoon and Fullmoon. "Fullmoon Island?" Chloe repeated. "Yeah. I met her there once." Dawn reminisced about the time she encountered Cresselia at Fullmoon Island. It was all so clear to her. It was even the day when her Swinub evolved into a Piloswine. "Hm?" Looking closer at the Lunar Pokemon, Luna would spot various injuries on her. The lightning bolts from before were still prominent, sending faint but visible cracks of electricity around her body which kept her in a constant state of paralysis. Not only that but other elements were involved. Burn marks could be found on her wings along with a bit of frostbite at the end of her body. Each were detrimental to her and it was truly Legendary for her to withstand all of this. However, one affliction stood out from the rest in Luna's eyes. And that was the emanation of Rift Particles that were around Cresselia's body. Team Rocket, having access to Rift-related objects thanks to Team Plasma, was the cause of this. "This damage is unbelievable!" Luna was stunned by what Cresselia had to go through. "On top of that, there are Rift Particles around her." At this rate, if nothing was done, either one of these afflictions would finish off Cresselia for good. Refusing to let that happen, Luna would approach the Lunar Pokemon, aiming to remove those afflictions for good, especially the energy of the Rift. "Cresselia..." Cresselia would hear the voices of Luna, Dawn and Chloe, turning her head. Upon seeing this trio, she was on full alert. And for a good reason. Being chased down and hunted which led to these injuries would warrant heavy caution from the Lunar Pokemon. "Selia!" Despite being badly injured, Cresselia still had enough energy to unleash a warning to those who would get close to her. From her body, a pink wave was shot out, having Rift Particles within it. The wave would rustle the leaves of the trees, giving off a mild wind pressure that was only strong enough to launch pebbles and sticks off the ground. "I-I don't think she wants us to get close!" Chloe stammered, stepping back once Cresselia unleashed her cry, flinching from the pink wave. "That's too bad for her." Luna did not flinch at all, however. She was unphased by the wave and didn't even show any signs of moving. "If we don't then she'll succumb to all of those afflictions." "No need to worry, Cresselia. We're not enemies." Dawn said, trying to convince Cresselia that they all came in peace. But once more, Cresselia was heavily cautious, sending out a Psychic Blade from her body. This blade stabbed into the ground, acting as a way to try and intimidate them. It certainly intimidated Eevee and Chole while startling Dawn and Piplup. "Cresselia...!" "What nonsense are you spouting?" Suddenly, Luna would reply to Cresselia's words, surprising the Lunar Pokemon with her response. Even if she couldn't understand the language of Pokemon, emotions and reactions were Luna's expertise without a doubt. "Selia?" "Look at you." Luna approached the Psychic-Type. "You're lying here alone with horrible afflictions. Someone with the power to harness the Rift in some way did this to you. With that kind of power around you, even you'll struggle to make it." "You're kidding...Is it that bad?" Dawn questioned. Luna was making the Rift affliction to be the worst kind, even for a Legendary Pokemon. "If something isn't done about it then yes. And it's worse when the energy is unpredictable." Luna replied before facing Cresselia once more. The pink wave failed to keep her back as it was only an intimidation method. And she certainly wasn't intimidated in the slightest. "Cresselia. I want to help you." "Cress?" Cresselia gasped once Luna revealed her true intentions. "I have the means to cancel out Rift Magic now. It was always a challenge getting over this cosmic power." Luna raised her hoof, alarming Cresselia who was too weak to move out of the way. "Selia..." That pink aura was still being kept up,p even if it was fading with how much power Cresselia was spending. It wasn't exactly the wisest move as the Lunar Pokemon would whinge while using it. "Don't use anything." Luna softly placed her hoof on Cresselia's injury. Cresselia winced, as to be expected with this contact. However, Luna would quickly mellow it out with her magic. During this sunset, her ethereal magic that perfectly represented the night would emanate beautifully, wrapping around Cresselia's wings. "Dawn. I assume you have potions for this? Unfortunately, I haven't come with my own this time." Luna requested some potions. "My mistake. I can enchant those potions to break through the Rift Particles." "I do, Princess Luna." Thankfully, as an experienced Pokemon Trainer, Dawn always had potions on her, no matter what. Piplup would do the honours, taking out various potions from her bag. "Excellent." Luna would instantly use her magic on the potions. A mixture of her standard magic and Lunar Ire's magic had been unleashed. At her level, Rift Magic could be interacted with thanks to the magical growth she experienced during the journey to the Sea Temple and the third Pokemon Festival. "Be careful!" Chloe was still nervous about this. "No need to worry. She's got this." Dawn reassured Chloe to stay calm. "Princess Luna has a lot of Pokemon, so she knows what she's doing. All those Pokemon to take care of and she's so earnest with them. That's one way we trainers understand one another." "Here you go." Luna would unleash the enchanted potions on Cresselia's injuries with Dawn doing the same. Both worked in unison to remove the afflictions, especially the particles of Rift Energy. Luna's magic was mainly responsible for dispelling the Rift Energy from Cresselia's body until there was nothing left. Cresselia closed her eyes, feeling relaxed by Luna's Aura, letting the potions and magic work without putting up any resistance. The Lunar Pokemon, upon being closer to Luna, sensed no hostility at all. "Come on, Chloe. Come close." Dawn encouraged Chloe to approach Cresselia. Dawn already had the courage to do so, helping heal the Psychic-Type Pokemon. Chloe would take a gentle step, only for Eevee to go all in. The Evolution Pokemon wasn't as nervous as her trainer. Cresselia would look up at Chloe while being tended to, losing her serious and hostile expression. With how Dawn and Luna were currently treating her, the Lunar Pokemon was feeling rather peaceful at the moment. Peaceful enough for Chloe to come close. Chloe stood near Cresselia before raising her arm, wondering what it felt like to touch such a rare and powerful Pokemon. Her first time out and already she came across a Legendary Pokemon. Just a touch. And nothing happened. Chloe felt the head of Cresselia, smiling afterwards. There was absolutely nothing to fear. But with all the damage she's received, it would take a little bit of time for Cresselia to fully recover as the Moon was beginning to rise. Courtesy of Luna, of course, after Celestia lowered the Sun. Once the moon was up, Luna, Dawn and Chloe all sat around Cresselia with Luna and Dawn still healing the Lunar Pokemon. But by now, they were finished. All afflictions were gone as well as any areas that were heavily injured. "So...You're the one who raises the moon," Chloe said as she had witnessed Luna's amazing power to raise and lower the moon. "And lowers it." Luna added. "Pleasure to meet you. But I'm afraid we won't be seeing each other for long." "Eh? Why not?" Chloe asked as it sounded like Luna would make a quick departure. "The moon is up which means the time for many to sleep has come. And time for my duties as the Princess of the Night. Isn't that right, Darkrai?" "I'm already getting ready to-" Darkrai would emerge out of the shadows, revealing himself to Chloe and Dawn. Both collectively screeched with Chloe's scream being louder out of pure shock from seeing the Pitch Black Pokemon for the first time. But they weren't the only ones who had a startled reaction. "Hm!" Darkrai himself was startled. Once he emerged out of the shadows, he would spot a certain figure next to Princess Luna. The figure that was the opposite of him and every Darkrai out there knew about and had one that would oppose their power. The Lunar Pokemon Cresselia. "What's wrong, Darkrai? You look a bit bewildered." Luna noticed Darkrai's rapid expression change. Well, as much as he can express with the face he was built with. "Cresselia?" Cresselia would then recognize the name Darkrai, raising her head to spot her opposite. The Pitch Black Pokemon that spreads nightmares. "I didn't expect to see her here..." Darkrai grumbled before descending into the shadows. But only halfway. Half of his body was there was he gazed at the Lunar Pokemon, who gazed back at him. The two Pokemon stared at each other for a bit with Darkrai being rather distant. More than usual since it was only around one Pokemon. But this one Pokemon was rather crucial to his species. "Selia..." As for Cresselia, she was also rather shocked to see Darkrai. And the reasons for that are strikingly identical to why Darkrai was surprised. "What's up with those two?" Chloe noticed how the two of them were eyeing each other down. "Oh, right!" Dawn exclaimed, raising her finger. "You see...Darkrai and Cresselia are opposites to each other. Darkrai brings nightmares to people and Pokemon. And Cresselia is the one who dispels them, bringing pleasant dreams as well. I actually saw this first-hand when they battled against each other once." "Really? So it's almost symbiotic in a way? Well, I guess no one is benefiting from this." said Chloe, understanding the kind of relationship these two species of Pokemon have. "Ah, right...Darkrai did mention how the two of them do not get along with each other. That refers to any other Darkrai and Cresselia out there." Luna recalled Darkrai's brief comment about the Cresselia. The two of them do not got along so well because of these differences. "Right...I'll just stay here." Darkrai slowly moved back, keeping his distance from the Lunar Pokemon. "Darkrai. You have nothing to worry about." Luna chuckled. "You aren't spreading any nightmares to anyone after all. Why should you fear Cresselia? Especially when she's trying to rest at the moment." "I'm not afraid of her...!" Darkrai grumbled. "I'm not afraid of anyone." "If you're not then what is it?" Dawn squeed, putting on a bright grin. This only made Darkrai's grumble even louder while also putting a smile on Cresselia's face. This was rather amusing to Cresselia, seeing her opposite react in such a way. "Are you sure? You've faced a lot of terrifying forces and this is what makes you steer away?" Luna raised an eyebrow. "Is it perhaps that Cresselia is just as threatening as little Flurry Heart?" "I can get close to her if I wanted to." Darkrai crossed his arms while blending in with the shadows. "And that baby only caught me by surprise, okay?" "Come on. Cresselia won't bite. I'm not sure she feels the same way. Then again, I don't know if every Cresselia has their own Darkrai to keep an eye on." Dawn scratched her hair. "If that's the case, then you're not the Darkrai she's looking for." "We aren't assigned to anyone." Darkrai scoffed. "Plus, why would I be worried when I don't spread nightmares that often. If anything, you're asking for a nightmare with all of this teasing." "Gh!" Dawn grimaced before putting her hands up for a truce, not wishing for any potential nightmares. "Alright, I get it. It's just pretty funny how you reacted like that, that's all." "Piplup!" "You can pat her on the head if you want, Darkrai. You and your big meaty claws." Luna would only add to the teasing. "If you have any meat on that shadowy body anyway." "Selia-Selia." Cresselia ended up laughing. Laughing about this staved more of the pain away and brought a comforting feeling to her heart. "You're not helping..." Darkrai understood what Cresselia said, turning away. "This is embarrassing. And shouldn't we be searching for the other Darkrai by now? By now, others should be sleeping." "Other Darkrai?" Chloe repeated. "There's another one around?" "Another Darkrai? Is...that the one that did this to Cresselia?" Dawn would then turn to face Cresselia, wondering if that Darkrai was responsible for her injuries. "Impossible." Luna immediately shut that possibility down. "The Rift Particles debunk that possibility by a mile. The damage done to Cresselia was most likely done by perhaps multiple individuals with Pokemon. Most likely a team. Cresselia, who did this to you, exactly?" "Selia...Cresselia." Cresselia had to share this. She needed them to know who was responsible for this vicious damage. And it would be Darkrai that would translate it for everyone. "She didn't get the name. But the group wore black outfits with a Red 'R' as their symbol, using all sorts of elements to attack her." Darkrai translated. "That sounds all too familiar." "That does..." Luna shuddered, knowing who wore such outfits with that specific symbol. She was even reminded of the one that gave the Pokemon House and even Nightmare Moon so much trouble. The Matori Matrix. Specifically..."Team Rocket." "Team Rocket?!" Dawn gasped. "Why are they always so troublesome? And are they everywhere nowadays?" "So, they are still in pursuit of you if you're lying here," Luna said. "And with Rift Weapons at their disposal. Even if we have only one gateway left in this world, usage of the Rift's powers have not faded away. Cresselia. You are not safe here. Out in the open." "What do we do then, Princess Luna?" Dawn asked. "Hmm..." Luna pondered for a moment before then thinking up something. "Darkrai can enter the Dream Realm and Hyperdream with me because of his Nightmare Powers. "I wonder...Cresselia. Can you do the same?" "Selia?" "Oooh!" Dawn's eyes lit up before vigorously nodding her head. She was clearly all for this decision as it also sounded wonderful as well. "Entering the Dream Realm's a great idea! It should totally work for Cresselia!" "Cresselia. Hide in the Dream Realm until then. Your body will be away from the real world, concealed from Team Rocket. In the meanwhile, we should continue searching for that other Darkrai." Luna declared. "There is no possible way for them to enter it." "There certainly isn't it!" Just then, a familiar voice replied to Luna's words, echoing through the air. Recognizing that voice, Luna and the others would look up to see a helicopter above them. Cresselia noticed that helicopter as she did everything in her power to try and escape from it, leading to the injuries she received and the rock she was currently lying on. Matori and her group had appeared. The Matori Matrix couldn't have shown up at a worse time. "We meet again, Princess Luna! Or should I say, Nightmare Moon!" Matori grinned with that devious look on her face as always. Chloe wasn't a fan of how this was starting to turn out as she stayed close to the Princess of the Moon and Dawn for safety. "You won't be entering any realms with this!" Immediately after spouting a few words, Matori took action without wasting too much time. And she did so by holding out one of the many Rift-related weapons she managed to possess. This time, it ended up being something that resembled a Travel Sphere that was used to travel across universes. But it wasn't quite that. For one, this sphere had multiple holes within it that emanated Rift Energy. Once it held out, a blinding flash of Rift Energy came out, letting out a rather ominous and haunting sound that resembled that of a ghost. It didn't do anything to Luna and the others. Only make them flinch for a bit with how bright the light was. "What kind of bluff was that...?" Luna growled after opening one of her eyes. "A bluff? Oh, let's see if you call it that pretty soon. Since this is our second time meeting, I'm expecting to see Nightmare Moon again. I'd say I humiliated her. But I don't have time to see her or you. I'm just here for Cresselia." "Back off!" Dawn yelled, standing in front of Cresselia. "As if you'll ever get Cresselia! She's returning home to Fullmoon Island after this!" "But is it safe there?" Matori shrugged. "After all...what's stopping us from going back there if she managed to head home. Not that she will after this." "She raises a good point, Dawn." Chloe gulped. "You won't get her. Not when she's in another realm!" Luna's horn flared as she was ready to enter the Dream Realm to try and conceal Cresselia, even if the Matori Matrix knew what she was up to. However, when attempting to enter the Dream Realm, nothing happened. Not a flash, not a flicker, nothing. Luna's horn did react but it unleashed nothing. "W-What?" She would try again when she had the chance, but yet again, nothing happened. Darkrai would try entering the Dream Realm too, only to fail by being pushed out of the shadows. "What is this?! Darkrai gasped. "I can't seem to enter the Dream Realm!" "Think it's a bluff? You won't be hiding in your little realm any more thanks to that Dream Disruptor." Matori grinned as that sphere from before had served its purpose. Luna's access to the Dream Realm had been severed. "Cresselia thought she could hide from us but not with this power..." "So, you used that against Cresselia too." Luna grizzled her teeth as it was revealed that Matori had used this sphere on Cresselia already. And now that it was used on her, she found it impossible to enter the Dream Realm at least for now. "No matter...We cannot enter the Dream Realm, but you are fools for coming here." "Oh, I don't think so, princess. Fire!" With a bellow, Matori ordered her group to attack Luna's group. And that was from the aerial vehicle that they had. The same things that attacked Cresselia before would be used yet again. Flames, Electricity, Ice and of course, Rift Magic. The cannons from the ship were unleashed at once, raining down these elements from the night sky. Luna would put up a shield around Dawn, Chloe and the Pokemon, protecting them from the raining elements and cosmic power. The elements were blocked successfully. However, the Rift Ray didn't abide by those rules. It wasn't an ordinary ray. The chaotic nature of the Rift had been revealed once more as the ray would transform parts of Luna's shield to disrupt it. Luna gasped as her shield suddenly gained fangs without her own control. With the power of the ray, the top part of her shield had been transformed while everything else remained the same. And unfortunately, these fangs were not on their side. Soon as they were made, the fangs would have their first instinct. And that was to chomp on Luna's head. Luna quickly lowered her shield to avoid this, barely doing so as the fangs took a strand of her ethereal mane. However, even though she managed to lower the shield, the power of the Rift kept a bit of it intact. And that would be the one with the fangs. Soon, it became its own separate being as a Barrier of Fangs had been born. It even started taking shape, using Luna's own magic to do so. Gaining the dome shape of Luna's shield, four more fangs would grow. Two from the sides, one at the front and one at the back. "Rift Energy is destructive...but we've realized how beneficial it can be when the unpredictable and random nature of it is utilized," Matori spoke. Team Rocket, thanks to Team Plasma's contributions, were taking full advantage of this cosmic power for their own deeds. "Dawn...Chloe. Take Cresselia away from here at once!" Luna ordered, prioritizing Cresselia's safety. "The Darkrai we are searching for must be connected to this Cresselia if they are both currently in certain situations!" "Okay!" Dawn understood, feeling confident enough to leave this to Princess Luna and her Darkrai. "It'll be hard carrying you, Cresselia. Can you manage?" "Selia." Cresselia had regained some strength thanks to the healing she received from Dawn and Luna. Enough strength to finally get off that rock and move. But she would have to book it at once while the Matori Matrix were eyeing her down. Finding that other Darkrai would have to wait. With the Matori Matrix involved, Darkrai was the least of their problems. Even with the gateways being reduced to one and a mysterious Infinity-Shaped gateway, the power of the Rift remained. And for a group like Team Plasma, now that the worlds have been united, there was more to gain and more to take advantage of since the power of the Rift never left all as the journey continues. Chapter 47 End.