Equestria.
Arriving at the Despair Plant Garden was the Dread League. Most were the usual vampires but the odd ones out were Ebony Rhyme and Fantina. Especially Fantina. While most of the vampires flew with their wings, Ebony Rhyme and Fantina took a Hot Air Balloon powered by spectral flames.
"Alright. This garden looks healthy as it is. But it needs that extra push so it can get rid of these interlopers." A vampire commented, scraping her hoof on the soil of the garden. Immediately, they would spread out, searching for those who were trespassing on Magehold property. With the vampires here, Ash and everyone else were their targets as assigned by Fractured Note but truly, it was from the Lich Queen Rosa Maledicta.
However, unbeknownst to all of them, EBony Rhyme was carrying secret information that would shake everything back at Magehold up. And more importantly, something secret that would apparently replace the vampires and the actions up here. After Fantina exited the Hot Air Balloon, Ebony Rhyme received a personal telepathic message from Fractured Note.
"Remember. She'll be the one to spearhead things up here. After all, despite our plan, we still need to convince the Lich Queen that you're on her side."
"I get that...If it's for Fantina's safety, I'll do it." Ebony Rhyme said as she was only going through with this because of Fantina. The Hearthome City Gym Leader wasn't exempt from the Black Crusade and the horrible actions it could lead to after all and with the bond she developed with her, despite her loyalty, Ebony Rhyme was willing to put Fantina first.
"Excellent. Now, release her. And let's make it quick before the Lich Queen wakes up."
"Alright...Here goes." Digging into her box of potions, Ebony Rhyme would search for something. Or rather someone due to what she and Fractured Note have been speaking about. Digging further and further, she came across what she needed with a momentary pause.
"Ah...Can you feel the air, Ebony?" Meanwhile, Fantina was taking in the wonderful air. Being outside of Magehold was truly refreshing for her as she twirled on a flower bed. "It feels so new...And this flower bed is absolutely beautiful!"
"Mhm. Yeah." But Ebony wasn't quite focused on the scenery. Rather, it was what she pulled out. In her hooves, she held a black cube with a star on each of its faces, appearing vastly different from all the potions she had with her. "Alright...I just have to unleash her. Whoever she is."
This mysterious individual could be found within the cube instead of just being out there. The fact that she wasn't seen at all only confirmed that. And with a simple toss, the cube would touch the ground, reacting to this impact. It was almost like a Poke Ball the way it shot out of a dark light upon being thrown. From this dark light, the figure of a pony would be unleashed, grabbing the attention of Fantina. Ebony stepped back from the pulsating light which would summon a pony into this world. That mysterious pony would finally show herself at last.
"Oh? Who's this?" Fantina approached the mysterious pony.
"This is Dimstar. She'll be the one to cause some trouble for them. When the Lich Queen wakes up, she'll think everything is smooth sailing from here. And now that she's shown up, you should drop some potions behind and find time to leave as soon as possible."
"Dimstar?" Ebony Rhyme spoke the name of this vampire from the cube. "W-Why was she in a cube in the first place?"
"She's been resting for centuries. Just a few months after my rule ended. Since you're the one who released her from her prison, she answers to you. And only you, Ebony Rhyme. Use that to your advantage and you won't be disappointed. I'll leave things up to you now."
"So Dimstar is your name, is it? Bonjour. My name is Fantina." Fantina held her hand out, greeting the vampire with a friendly aura.
"There are at least 40 trespassers on this garden." Dimstar completely ignored Fantina's greeting, focusing on the garden instead. And impressively, she spouted out the potential number of people, ponies and Pokemon on the Despair Plant Garden. "Shall I eliminate them at once?" She would then turn to face Ebony Rhyme instead, still ignoring Fantina.
"Um...S-Sure." Ebony Rhyme stuttered. "Go on ahead and do what you can. Make sure this garden grows to its full potential as it should be. That's my order."
"It'll be fulfilled." Dimstar bowed to Ebony Rhyme. Fractured Note certainly wasn't joking about how she would listen to only Ebony since she released her. "The intruders here will be eliminated as soon as possible. Excuse me."
Without saying much else, this vampire got to work at once, spreading her wings out as bits of it would fly out, landing on Ebony Rhyme's face. Ebony blew the air, causing these bits to fall off as the next thing she knew, Dimstar was gone. And without any visible sight of her. Ebony shifted her eyes in the sky, seeing no sign of Dimstar. It was like she vanished out of thin air once she took flight. "H-How did she...?"
"Strange. I didn't see her leave either." Fantina didn't even see her despite having her eyes fully on Dimstar. Her disappearance was certainly swift. Swifter than most ponies anyway. "Well, now that we are here, let's enjoy ourselves!"
"Fantina. We're not here to enjoy ourselves. We came here for a mission, you know." Ebony Rhyme would then look back inside of her box of potions. "And this one is more important than I thought it would be..."
"I suppose. I'm just thrilled to explore. How about we do both? Have fun and succeed in what we need to do. Well, I'm only here to support you as said by Fractured Note."
"I guess I can have some fun. It's not every day I get to try my potions out on someone outside of Magehold. In fact...It's not any day at all. This is the first time." Ebony Rhyme soon realized this massive opportunity that she had before her. For the longest, her potions have been secluded in Magehold, never used on someone outside of a vampire apart from Fantina who was living there. But here in the garden, that could all change. "Hmm...Alright. You're always smiling through everything so I guess you know what you're talking about."
It was decided. Ebony Rhyme would take some enjoyment in this. As much as she can anyway. Fantina would always take enjoyment in whatever she does. Whether it's against an opponent or with her friends. However, neither knew exactly who was in the garden and had yet to find out.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"
"Mew, Aura Sphere!" Meanwhile, with everyone else, the conflict against the Despair Plants continued. The Triantis and Arachorchids were still very present, moving across the Despair Plant Garden with seemingly no end. And with the garden growing, completely centred around these deadly plants, it might as well be endless.
"Chu...Pika!" Blocking a slash from a Triantis was Pikachu using Iron Tail. When clashing with the Triantis, sparks would fly. Knowing that not much could harm the Despair Plants, engaging in a battle with them was incredibly risky. However, there was one thing that was troublesome to them, much like how it was troublesome to many powerful forces in the world. Aura.
"Mew!" Mew would have access to that Aura being the ancestor of so many Pokemon after all. The Arachnorchids that came his way would be met with a sphere of Aura that was thrown at them. The sphere would combust, enveloping the Despair Plants in an azure flash. The Despair Plants would fall back thanks to this and even though Pikachu didn't have access to that same kind of energy, he still had the strength to push the Triantis back with his Iron Tail, winning the clash.
However, Triantis would quickly rush back in, going for another slash with its powerful claws. But Pikachu and Mew weren't the only Pokemon Triantis had to look out for. There was also the presence of Fluttershy and her own Pokemon. Audino, Bayleef and Raboot.
Once Triantis attempted to slash both Pikachu and Mew, the Mouse and the Cat would jump out of the way, giving a clear path for Audino to strike. And the perfect attack for this was Hyper Beam.
"Audino...!" Audino would put her hands together, forming a flare of infinity energy which would soon form into a beam that was shot out. Triantis' body lit up once the beam approached, instantly enveloping it. The beam tore through the grass and the ground, moving towards the Arachnorchids that were just now getting up after the Aura Sphere.
The Hyper Beam crashed into them, combusting upon impact, forming a mighty explosion. Without a doubt, Hyper Beam would leave a mark on the Despair Plants. The power of this attack could not be denied at all.
"This way!" But Ash and his friends couldn't afford to just stand around and watch what happened to the Despair Plants. They had to keep moving to find the rest of their friends. They immediately left the scene once the explosion and smoke lingered.
Across the Despair Plant Garden, more battles were beginning to start once more Despair Plants were showing up, encountering everyone. One of which was Rainbow Dash, who was with Enola, Adriel and a few other People of the Water. When trying to find everyone else, they ended up only finding Despair Plants, unfortunately. Enola stayed close to her big brother Adriel with all of the People of the Water staying behind Rainbow Dash. Alas, none were protective of themselves since they had nothing to defend themselves with. The only defence they had was Rainbow Dash and her Pokemon.
"Altaria, use Dragon Pulse! Mienshao, Force Palm!"
"Mienshao!" Her Mienshao and Altaria were currently the ones out facing the Despair Plants. With swiftness, Mienshao would find herself going up against two Triantis. Two rapid swings from these mantis Despair Plants were unleashed, forcing Mienshao to think quickly on her feet. She was an excellent choice since she had rapid strikes of her own. Her arms would fly, becoming white and purple blurs as they would meet with the claws of the Triantis.
Mienshao's eyes rapidly moved from side to side, focusing on both of them at the same time. Mienshao was being pushed back by them but she wasn't letting the Triantis win the struggle for one second. She soon found herself being interrupted by one of the Arachnorchids that decided to sneak up on her, using a string of webs to do so.
"Taria!" Thankfully, she had Altaria to assist her. With Dragon Pulse, she unleashed a dragon-shaped beam that would not only intercept the web but hit the other Arachnorchids that were approaching. The spider-based Despair Plants would tumble after Dragon Pulse approached, rolling down a nearby hill.
Mienshao was saved but that didn't stop the Triantis from landing some hits in after she had been interrupted by that one Arachnorchid. Mienshao growled after receiving these sharp claws to her body. And the weight of them was nothing to scoff at. It felt like being struck by not two, but ten blades at the same time.
"Mienshao...!" Immediately after staggering and stumbling, Mienshao would quickly regain her focus, seeing the Triantis go for another swing. Impressively, she caught both of their claws, refusing to let them get the advantage. "Shao...!"
"Ice Beam!"
"Altaria!" Helping Mienshao once more, Altaria would use Ice Beam, unleashing the chilling beam of ice onto the grass. This was for a reason. She would flash-freeze the ground, turning most of it into ice. This favoured Mienshao as she already knew about this tactic, experiencing it multiple times in a battle. In Ash's friend group, next to the Counter Shield, this was the most common tactic that everyone uses to try and switch things up.
"Mienshao!" And Mienshao took advantage of this, leaping into the air. She let go of the Triantis' claws, leaping into the air to evade their next attack. Right on time as the Triantis would try and pursue Mienshao, who performed a rather stylish frontflip to get over them. The Despair Plants would find themselves slipping immediately. After falling over while Mienshao landed on her feet without any issue, the Triantis would tremble.
Their bodies would quiver upon coming into contact with the ice, especially when on their backs. The flowers on their backs would gain an icy blue tint that was starting to spread around them, only increasing this quivering tension.
"Hehe! You're still plants so you're weak to ice!" Rainbow Dash pointed out another glaring weakness of the Despair Plants. Ice was a major problem for any kind of plant. And the Triantis found that out the hard way.
In their current position, they were unable to get up, try as they might. It started with their flowers being frozen and soon their legs. The Despair Plants were practically frozen stiff by this. Literally. When moving their claws, they found themselves slowing down greatly while sliding down the frozen hill, joining the Arachnorchids.
"Time for the big one! Aura Sphere!"
"Mienshao!" Mienshao would be the one to deal some serious damage thanks to her access to Aura Sphere. For some payback, she would throw lob the sphere. The attack struck the frozen ground, dealing damage to the ice but also to the Triantis most importantly. The energy of Aura Sphere would combust, enveloping the two Despair Plants in its power. With some of the ice breaking apart, the Despair Plants would be knocked away from the hill, gauging distance from Rainbow Dash's group.
"Nice!" Enola applauded. So did the People of the Water. They were kept safe by Rainbow Dash and her Pokemon's efforts despite the numerical difference. And yet, Rainbow Dash could close that gap with her remaining Pokemon. "That was great Miss Rainbow Dash!"
"It was, wasn't it?" Loving the praise and applause, Rainbow Dash proudly put on a smile. "I could've done that quicker if Altaria was Mega Evolved or if Mienshao used a Z-Move. So it wasn't that tough at all. Are you two doing okay?"
"Mienshao!"
"Altaria!"
"And everyone else? No one's hurt, right?" Rainbow Dash turned to face the People of the Water.
"We're fine. Thank you for defending us. We're sorry for being such a bother to you..." They immediately bowed their heads, apologizing to Rainbow Dash since they weren't defending themselves. They were only relying on Rainbow Dash to protect them.
"Don't worry about it. If you guys came prepared, this wouldn't be an issue. But I'm always prepared when I've got my Pokemon by my side. The same goes for my friends. I just gotta find them really soon but I know they're smacking around those Despair Plants without a doubt. Maybe some of you should head back down."
"It's a bit hard to return to the Sea Temple now. The height from here is rather intimidating and it seems those vines vanished the moment the garden took action..."
"What are you talking about? I can take you back. I've got wings after all." Rainbow Dash flapped her wings. "So can, Altaria, Braviary and...maybe Castform."
"Castform!" Castform spoke, peeping his head out of Rainbow Dash's saddlebag.
"Just stay next to me, alright? As soon as we find everyone we'll be-"
"Miss Rainbow Dash! Behind you!" Enola yelled as she and the People of the Water stepped back, having shocked expressions on their face. Confused, Rainbow Dash would quickly turn her head to see what exactly stunned them and prompted Enola to shout out. With one turn, she saw her.
Dimstar.
"What the?!" Jumpscared by Dimstar's appearance, Rainbow Dash would instinctively fly back. And at the right time. She felt something invisible pass by her, grazing her the side of her mane. A strand of her hair was clipped off by this invisible force which was felt but not seen.
"Mienshao!" Mienshao and Altaria would quickly rush to Rainbow Dash's side, just now seeing Dimstar as Castform nearly flew out of Rainbow Dash's saddlebag because of the sudden reaction. The pegasus slid on the ground, regaining her balance as her heart was racing a bit after that scare.
"W-What was that all about?!" Rainbow Dash sighed, holding the side of her face which felt rather chilly from whatever force nearly hit her. When looking at Dimstar, who made quite the silent entrance, Rainbow Dash spotted a fang and vampiric wings. One look at her and it was already clear what she was.
A vampire. While for the most part, only Despair Plants have shown up, it was only a matter of time until a vampire made an appearance. In fact, multiple of them were currently moving across the Despair Plant Garden but Dimstar certainly stuck out, trapped within that cube for centuries.
"You're a vampire...So the Dread League showed up!" Rainbow Dash growled as the situation had only escalated. It was already rather dangerous with the Despair Plants populating this garden but now the involvement of vampires increased it greatly.
Especially with Dimstar standing before her. Her presence was rather foreboding while under the night sky. Her sharp eyes were piercing, grabbing everyone's attention as she stood with such confidence and mystery as well.
"You shouldn't be on this garden, intruders. Especially with how you're soiling it." Dimstar spoke to Rainbow Dash. "Inferior creatures."
"I-Inferior?!" Rainbow Dash pulled back as she was already hit with a harsh insult from Dimstar. She was also referring to the Pokemon and the Humans. Not just the pegasus. "Oh yeah...?"
"So that's a vampire...?" Enola held onto her big brother.
"Hmph. Is it just you that showed up?" Rainbow Dash confidently smiled. "If it's just one vampire, then I've got nothing to worry about. That sunlight's gonna break through later on so if you wanna keep us occupied, go ahead."
"I did not come alone. But the other vampires will be irrelevant and insignificant after I'm done here." Dimstar replied. "After I'm done with you, they will not matter afterwards. You yourself won't be an issue, Rainbow Dash."
"You know my name? Oooh, I'm so scared." Rainbow Dash said sarcastically.
"By looking at you, I know everything about you. But no one here knows anything about me. Especially this." Dimstar simply stood there but something emanated from her body. It was that invisible force again. But even though it was invisible, it could be felt.
"It's coming again! Look out, Rainbow Dash! Duck!" Mostly by the People of the Water. They were the ones to warn Rainbow Dash of what was coming and soon the pegasus would sense this force approaching her rapidly.
"Oh!" Ducking her head, Rainbow Dash evade this strange force thanks to the People of the Water. The force would then approach the People of Water who would quickly move out of the way. The trees near them would have holes blown through them by this force, leaving a strong impact behind. "What was that...?"
"You don't need to know. But I'm surprised you all can sense it." Dimstar continued, not moving an inch. It seemed that she was relying on an invisible power to do her work that did not require much movement.
"It's coming for Mienshao and Altaria too!" Adriel exclaimed as the People of the Water were the ones to point it out once more.
"What are you guys seeing?! Ugh, whatever! Dodge you two!"
"Mienshao!" Mienshao wasn't sure where to dodge. She only heard that it was coming from the side and that was it. Taking that into consideration, she leapt into the air while Altaria was still trying to figure out what to do. The invisible force was felt underneath Mienshao's legs as she did manage to evade it despite not seeing it.
"Tari!" The same couldn't be said for Altaria. The force struck her, knocking the Humming Pokemon to the side. Altaria cried out as she found herself crashing into the trees. Thankfully, her durable body that was correlated with her wings gave her some resistance but she still felt the damage.
"Altaria!" The multi-coloured-maned-mare yelled for her Dragon-Flying-Type who could not evade this force. Whatever it was, it was rather intimidating, being invisible to the eyes but not to the other senses. That definitely made Dimstar rather mysterious as she has not moved an inch yet. It didn't help that she suddenly appeared without a sound, even nearly getting the jump on Rainbow Dash. "Why you...!"
With the involvement of vampires, things were starting to worsen. Everyone was still moving through the garden, focused on one thing. Finding each other and Galaxy Master. But some had different goals that all lead to one objective. Rushing through the garden in different directions were Ash's group and Twilight's group. And with Twilight's group, she had the key to weakening the Despair Plant Garden. Daisy and Paradise. The two Flora Ponies. Their presence was taken into account, holding back the garden with their aura. However, with a box of potions, Ebony Rhyme was ready to drop some of her own magic into the mix. And yet, she wasn't the only one here with potions. As the journey continues.
Chapter 73 End.