Hoenn. Out on the beaches. Before Daybreak.
The beaches of Hoenn. This was where the temple stopped after the seas attacked it. Everyone on it managed to escape from Rosa Maledicta's attack, finding a safe area at the beaches of Hoenn. And best of all, it was when the Sun was waiting to rise up as a light blue tint was starting to appear. Daybreaker was upon them as the sunlight gradually rose out upon the sea.
With them away from Rosa Maledicta and the Dread League entirely, they had time to clean up the mess that came from the Despair Plant Garden. Thanks to the Sea Temple being very durable, it was able to avoid some massive destruction. The most damage that could be found were crumbled pillars and platforms.
"Looks like everything's fine here. Even after all that, the temple's still alright? How come?" Pinkie Pie questioned now that everything was peaceful here.
"It was built to resist destructive power from the seas. The most damage we can ever receive is the temple being sunk. But I suppose the Dragon Force is one of those forces that can change that." A guard replied to her.
"We wish we could've helped you above, but we were too focused on the destruction coming from above and protecting everyone else here." Another guard added as they were backed down here during that mess. "Give our apologies to his majesty for not being by his side, if you will."
"Bah, I'm sure Ash won't mind." Pinkie shook her head, knowing her friend very well and how he would truly react. "You were just keeping everyone else safe down here. Right, Twilight?"
"Daisy. Paradise. Are you two alright?" But Twilight was more occupied with something else. She looked down at the unconscious Flora Ponies, who showcased more of their special magic, leading them to this unresponsive state. At last, they would wake up once a bit of sunlight broke through. Once a bit of sunlight met their bodies, they would instantly sit up at blistering speeds, startling Twilight Sparkle. It was like their bodies were levers that had been pulled, taking no time to build up or give them time to rest.
"Oh...Y-You got up fast." Twilight stammered. The two Flora Ponies seemed to wake up faster than the average pony. Another special trait that this newfound species had. "Are you feeling any better?"
"Just a bit dazed." Paradise yawned before taking in the sunlight. repairing parts of her body that were removed. "Nothing a good sunlight can't fix."
"Oh thank Celestia." A relieved Twilight uttered. "It's great that you're alright so quickly. You recover surprisingly fast too even after that. You two just dropped after using all of that magic."
"Right. I didn't think we would. It all happened so fast." said Daisy, still feeling the effects of the magic. "But we did it, didn't we? I had full faith that we could do it!"
"Yeah, right. You were shaken up once we showed up at that core." Paradise begged to differ.
"The garden's feeling a lot better, right? W-Where is it by the way?" Daisy looked up as the view of the garden was no longer there. They were all far from it after all.
"We left it behind. Right now, Galaxy Master's on it, going up against the Lich Queen. I'm not sure what'll become of the garden because of those two, but you did an excellent job at healing it." Twilight explained. "But, I made sure we wouldn't leave without something from the garden."
"What's that?" Paradise asked.
"These little ones." Twilight had a surprise for the Flora Ponies. A wonderful surprise. She would step to the side, revealing a box that was made out of Sea Temple material, resembling marble. And in that box, the Baby Despair Plants from the Garden had been revealed. The Baby Triantis and Arachnorchids were kept within the box, poking their little heads out to see the two ponies that brought them to life.
"Oh, you brought them?!" Daisy immediately jetted over to the box of baby Despair Plants, spinning Paradise around. "The little ones!"
"I figured I'd bring them along since you were already so attached to them. Even the Lich Queen was surprised to learn about their existence. Despair Plant Babies are new to the world it seems."
"You seriously kept those? Is that a good idea?" Rainbow Dash questioned, reasonably worried about the presence of Despair Plants within the temple. "I mean, I know the ones back at the garden weren't so tough, but still."
"It's fine. These ones were made by Daisy and Paradise's magic. They've never been babies before. Without the Lich Queen's magic or the Dread League getting involved, they're on their own path that leads to Daisy and Paradise.
"Despair Plants on our side? Very wonderful." Rarity approved of this. "They are rather adorable when they're this small. By the way, where is Ash?"
"His majesty went out to the beaches to think for a moment." Alo approached, answering Rarity's question. "After all, he missed his opportunity to see Galaxy Master because of the Dread League's involvement. The crystal has even stopped glowing."
"That's a shame. He was all kinds of excited to see him. It's the closest he has to his dad." said Applejack, shaking her head. All of it was ruined by the Dread League. Specifically, Rosa Maledicta, who awakened the garden in the first place. Ash's chance to meet up with Galaxy Master on friendlier terms was taken away yet again. And by extension, the visions from the crystal ball did not come true. An entirely different outcome played out. Twilight would head out to check up on Ash. Daisy and Paradise were doing well now but what about Ash? He hasn't suffered any damage except for the missing opportunity to meet with Galaxy Master.
As for Ash, with the sun rising up, he sat on a rock, appearing to be in a deep state of thought. The waves crashed near him as he had never had such a serious look on his face before. But it was also somewhat relaxed, being a mixture of the two emotions. While he was pondering, he had all of his Pokemon out, allowing them to roam freely on this beach. But Ash would not roam freely, instead, it was all about Galaxy Master for him right now as a Corphish would move past him.
But it wasn't just Galaxy Master. News about Fantina had been revealed to him thanks to Rarity and Applejack's experience.
"Thinking hard? That's not like you." Someone spoke to Ash, approaching him. A voice of familiarity was currently on this beach and who better to show up in the beaches of Hoenn than Dewford Town's Gym Leader? Brawly.
"Oh, hey Brawly." Ash greeted the Dewford Town Gym Leader, who was most likely here to surf, especially this early in the morning when the Sun was just starting to rise. "Yeah, I've been thinking about some stuff."
"What's got you looking like this? Is it about the Pokemon World Championships or something?"
"Nah. It's about Galaxy Master and Fantina." Ash took off his hat, ready to get into what he discovered. "I was so psyched to meet up with him again but...the Dread League got in the way of that. But I guess getting on the garden was on us."
"Fantina?! You saw Fantina?!" Brawly gasped as at last, Fantina had been seen after many months.
"Yeah. Well, Rarity and Applejack did. But she didn't come along with us. Fantina's with the Dread League now, missing some of her memories. Not sure how but, she didn't recognize them at all. Not even her time with Sweetie Belle." Ash explained. "That's two things that happened up there."
"Oh boy. That's rough." Brawly sat next to Ash, feeling the impact of this. "Roxanne's gonna pretty bummed out when she finds out that Fantina's at Magehold. So, all that happened where?"
"On a garden. A Despair Plant Garden. The Dread League made a new one after Galaxy Master took the last one out. But..." Ash stretched his arms. "No matter how rough it is, I've still got a good feeling, ya know."
"Even after that look on your face, you're still feeling good? Not bad..." Brawly nodded, impressed that Ash could just get back up after that.
"Yeah. It's a shame I didn't get to meet him this time. He's the closest thing to my dad and I don't even know where my dad is right now. But I know we'll meet up again someday." Ash smiled, looking back at the Fighting-Type Gym Leader. "It's a lot like my dream to become a Pokemon Master."
"Really? How?"
"It's what my dad used to say. Or I guess sing. It was a while back but I still remember it." He tapped his head. "It's something that my family line used to sing long ago. I think it was...Chase your Dreams, keep them close and eventually, they'll come true. So I've got all the time in the world to wait."
"Fair enough. We'll get Fantina back, especially since we know where she is. Magehold...That's a rough place to be at."
"It didn't sound like it. Sounds like Fantina's enjoying herself there and already made a friend. For all those months, she's probably been doing good for herself even with little memories." Ash grinned. Over at the temple and through the windows, Twilight watched how Ash powered through this disappointment once more.
Years of experience are what led him to having such a nature. That nature was even how he connected with others.
"You're not the only one that remembers that song." Another reply came his way. This time, from an unexpected guest. Looking up, Ash and Brawly would spot none other than Diadora, sitting on one of the Sea Temple platforms, looking down at the King of the Sea. It wasn't just Twilight watching him.
"Hey, Diadora!" Ash greeted her with a wave despite the intense stare she gave him. Twilight just lowered her eyes, knowing Diadora would just start spouting nonsense out of spite towards Ash.
"Gh!" Brawly had a different reaction, pulling back when looking at Diadora. "Green Hair...Red Eyes...That reminds me of someone too much." It was natural for Brawly to react like this since Twilight and the others had the same reaction when seeing her. She shared some similarities with Ghetsis that were rather intimidating.
"Oh, you know about the song too? Was it sung to you once?" Ash asked since Diadora also brought it up.
"Too many times to count. You Ketchums love to sing about your dreams..." Diadora sneered, bringing up Ash's family line once more.
"Right, right. You know a lot about my family too since you've been around for a long time. Can ya tell me something about my ancestors?" Ash figured that the next best thing were his ancestors. The Ketchum line seemed to be rather relevant to Diadora's family, whoever they were.
"They were as annoying as you. That's all you need to know." Diadora replied, refusing to go any further. "Honestly, I was hoping you would meet your demise on top of that garden and I would take the throne, but yet again, you Ketchums manage to slip past destruction."
"We're pretty good at that, aren't we? That goes for Pikachu." Ash said, standing proud.
"Hey, that's uncalled for!" Twilight watched it all, appearing on the scene after Diadora's harsh comment. "Ash and everyone else up there risked a lot to make sure the People of the Water were safe! Your people!"
"They're not my people." Diadora narrowed her eyes at Twilight. "Don't let these markings fool you. I may wish to become Queen of the Sea, but I'm from somewhere else as you already know. Even if my heritage is lost, I know I should be the newest ruler of the Sea. But against all odds, it had to be someone who doesn't even have royal blood."
"So what if he doesn't have royal blood?" Twilight got in front of Ash. "I'm a princess but I don't have any royal blood in me!"
"That's what separates me from you. You're just a lowly princess while I'm set to be a Queen. Far beyond that title." Diadora put on a cocky smile that immediately pushed Twilight's buttons.
"Why you...!" Twilight growled with magic slowly flaring from her horn. However, she would quickly recollect herself before putting on a confident smile. "Well, I guess we're even since you're also a princess, aren't you? Miss Lost Royalty."
"Kh!" Diadora received a taste of her own medicine. Twilight was right on the spot as Diadora was technically a princess since she had royalty within her. Twilight put her on the same pedestal, using her own logic against her. "You dare...?!"
"Uh, this looks personal so I'll just..." Brawly decided to back away, not wanting to get involved in this heated dispute.
"Seems like after all these years of being sealed away, you never did get the chance to become Queen." Twilight shrugged. "Ash quickly accomplished what you haven't in...how long have you all been sealed up?"
"Hmph! It's fitting that you would stick up for him. Why does he even bother coming back here at all? He's barely a king with how he's constantly moving across the world. He only rarely sits on that throne anyway." Diadora addressed more of her complaints.
"Well, I'm not too sure about that either." Ash laughed. "Everyone at the Sea Temple still see me as a King. And from what I learned, I guess it's who gains the Sea Crown that becomes the King."
"What an awful way to achieve power." Diadora sighed, hating how the Sea Crown is what dictates the next Ruler of the Sea, not anything else. Ash just happened to be the one to save the Sea Temple from its demise and revived the People of the Water.
"But hey. Don't give up on it." Ash threw some optimism her way. "If you wanna be Queen, then one day, you'll earn the Sea Crown, I can bet. I guess something crazy would have to happen again."
"I don't need your sympathy, Ketchum!" Diadora roared at Ash. "I would never want sympathy from a Ketchum."
"What's your problem? Why do you hate Ash's family so much?" Twilight asked, curious as to why Diadora harboured this much negativity towards Ash and his family line.
"You're the smart one. Go to a library and see if you can find it." Diadora would have those be her last words before walking off, returning to the Sea Temple.
"You're the smart one... Oooh, she's a right piece of work!" Twilight mocked Diadora. "She just comes up to you and says all of that? For what? Jealousy?"
"Something must've happened way back then if she knows about my family." But Ash was still seeing this from another perspective. Diadora did have her reasons and she had to know. "Or maybe she really is just jealous.
"I'm opting for the second option," said Twilight. "Anyway, we should be getting back home now. I think we need some more downtime, don't you think?"
"Yeah. But you can go on ahead and return with everyone else. I'll stay here for a while. You can get back home pretty fast with the Sea Temple's light-speed travel."
"You're not coming with us? Why?" Twilight asked, wondering why Ash was choosing to stay behind here instead of coming along with all of his friends and subjects.
"I just wanna hang around here first. That's all. But I'll be back soon, okay? No need to worry." Ash reassured.
"Alright then. You know what you're doing. And I'm sorry about Galaxy Master. You didn't get your chance again because of the Dread League and now we know Fantina's with them. If only we could find it and break past that barrier then this would all be over."
"It's fine. We'll get there. But you've got some Flora Ponies to take care of, right? After what they did, you've gotta keep an eye on them for what other awesome things they can do."
"Right. I'll be occupied with them and I guess some Despair Plants too." Twilight scratched her mane. "I should really get new rooms since they might grow up later on. Anyway, see you tomorrow or later!" After that, the Princess of Friendship would depart from the beach, waving goodbye to the King of the Sea.
Ash would wave goodbye once more as the sun would finally rise, showing its golden brilliance to the world once more. There was a brief moment of silence, followed by the sound of the waves moving against each other. And after that, Ash would turn to face all of his Pokemon, ready to tackle this new day now that it can truly begin.
Yesterday's problems were history. Today was full of excitement and tomorrow was another adventure waiting around the corner. Ash would rush to the side of his Pokemon and Brawly, wanting in on the action now that he's cleared his mind. Every moment of his life was worthwhile to him. Whether it was the friends he made along the way, the enemies that appear before him and seem to keep increasing or the journey he takes that focuses on becoming a Pokemon Master, Ash is always constantly moving, much like the Sea Temple.
Moving towards that goal he's sought out for so long. And by addition, Diadora's words even made him curious about his ancestors since they sounded a lot like him in many ways. It seems to run in the family, especially with his father. Whether it was the real deal or Galaxy Master.
When running through the beaches of Hoenn, Ash would take one last moment to look at the Sea Temple and those within it. The People of the Water, Ponies of different species and of course, Pokemon. If anything, this massive group of characters were the perfect culmination of his adventures all balled up into one. Every foe, and every friend have made him who he is today. And he wouldn't have it any other way.
As the journey continues.
Chapter 81 End.