Equestria. Mareflower. Potion Nova's Green House.
A warning from Unown Variants had been issued. A threat from a lost world had the potential to appear. But at the moment, the Dread League were the only problems everyone from Kanto, Equestria and beyond had to deal with. Attempts to foil the Black Crusade were still being made as Ash and Delia returned to their dimension thanks to Galaxy Master.
The fictional character brought them over, travelling from the other dimension with ease. No need for any potion when he can do it casually.
"Alright. I'll be focusing on reaching Xerneas before they do. Perhaps I can warn it of what's coming." Galaxy Master said, aiming to protect Xerneas from harm. The Dread League were searching for the counterpart to Yveltal as it posed a large threat to their plan.
"What was the point of these bags then?" Delia pouted as all the bags she brought along were practically pointless now that Galaxy Master was continuing his work. Everything in there was meant for him to bring back some nostalgia, even if he was just fictional for the most part.
"Ah...I-I'll keep some of them with me at the Galaxy Tower if that makes up for it. I'm sure my memories will recall whatever's in there." He stammered a bit before picking up one of the bags. "There'll be something for my Pokemon to enjoy. probably. Maybe something for Potion Nova as well."
"How far do your memories go, Dad?" Ash asked.
"I believe it goes up to the point where I left Pallet Town to continue my Pokemon Journey. You were either 4 or 5 by the time I did so. Everything else is a blur but we've already made new memories, haven't we? If you ever see your real father, tell him everything, alright?"
"You bet! Good luck with the Dread League. We'll be involved as always too." Ash gave a reassuring thumbs-up. This was followed by Galaxy Master doing the same as they would fist-bump afterwards.
"I'll be there to visit you sometimes. I'll be waiting for you to pick me up." Delia approached him, promising that she would come by that dimension when available.
"Right. And if you're ever in trouble, believe that I'll be there at the speed of light. Until then...stay safe. If something new comes up about the Dread League, it'll go to Princess Celestia as soon as possible. Potion Nova has already found something interesting not too long ago."
"Yeah? What'd she find?" Now Ash was curious. Before he could depart with his mother, he had to know what Potion Nova had found out since it was related to the Dread League. And any information of the Dread League was definitely crucial.
Inside the Green House, Twilight, Fluttershy, Mr Mime and Potion Nova were currently searching for Pikachu, Raboot, Audino and Bayleef after they wandered off. Thankfully, they didn't go too far and they never left the same room. Pikachu and the others were too busy with the room they were in simply because of how appealing the potions were with their endless possibilities.
"See? There's too many for them to get too far." Potion Nova said, entering the room where Pikachu and his colourful friends were mucking about.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu already found a new potion to try out as there were many bottles on the floor, showing that they have been occupied this entire time. The colourful liquids of the potions made a mess of the floor as various effects have come and gone for them.
"Ah! You all made such a mess!" Twilight bellowed while Potion Nova looked completely unphased by this.
"Pika?" Pikachu turned to face the Princess of Friendship as he wiped his mouth, removing any remains of the potion liquid. He then put on a cheeky smile, knowing that he goofed off and let his adventurous nature get the better of him. And he didn't regret it one bit.
Neither did Bayleef Raboot or Audino, who enjoyed themselves and wanted to try out some more potions while they still had the chance. "Oh, my goodness," said Fluttershy. "You all look okay but you might have gotten a bit out of control."
"Bay! Bayleef!" Bayleef just had to share with Fluttershy what she had experienced earlier. The one moment that stuck out to her was how she fused with Pikachu, making an entirely new Pokemon.
"You fused with Pikachu?" Fluttershy translated, grabbing the attention of Twilight Sparkle and her partner Espeon.
"I'm sorry, what?" Twilight's words were filled with confusion. "Fused? Like...fusion?"
"Oh, you found that potion bottle." Potion Nova still looked unbothered by this. The mess didn't bother the unicorn one bit as she was completely casual about this. This also confused Twilight as she expected Potion Nova to have the opposite reaction.
"You're not upset about this?" The Princess of Friendship commented.
"Oh, it's fine. I have so many potions along with duplicates of them that it barely leaves a budge in my work. I'm always making potions, ready for the next day and the future. Except for the ones that are harder to make." Potion Nova picked up one of the used potion bottles that was only halfway done. And with her magic, she would immediately replenish it. "I can even replenish some of them."
"Lucky..." Twilight said with amazement. Potion Nova's craft would have this advantage. She has spent years doing it after all.
"Don't worry about it. As for the Fusion Potion, that's a work in progress. Judging by how you're all in your normal forms, it's clear that there's still work to be done."
"So, wait. You made a potion that fuses Pokemon? Am I getting that right?" Fluttershy asked before realizing what this meant. Her eyes opened with wonder as that major part of her that loves discovering new Pokemon was about to burst out. "Oh! Does that mean new species can be born?!"
"That's right. It's a work in progress but at least I got the end result down. It takes both Pokemon and forms a new species that has never been seen before. I actually had this in mind when I heard about the Harmony Phenomenon. It's thanks to that phenomenon that I can pull this off by harnessing it."
"You used the Harmony Phenomenon? How did you harness it?" Twilight asked.
"The same way I harnessed Infinity Energy. But I'll admit, the Harmony Phenomenon's harder to work with. Thanks to my bond with Rapidash, I could tap into it and use its power for some potions." Potion Nova continued, aiming her hoof at a row of potions. These potions she pointed at were influenced by the Harmony Phenomenon in some way. "I haven't quite figured out the fusion one. It only lasts for about 10 seconds or less. But now you've got a tip on making special potions."
"That's an impressive tip. I guess I'm used to harnessing energy. I do that with Rift Energy and I have some of it in me right now." Twilight would showcase this by unleashing a bit of magic from her horn. A mixture of her original magic and Rift Magic would sparkle beautifully, letting out some stardust. "I've never thought about doing that though. Can you do that with anything?"
"Oh, sure. If I put my mind to it, I can harness anything into a potion. Years of work have led me to realize that. And it also gives me a better understanding of that thing and what it's related to. One of which is some magic from the Dread League."
"The Dread League?!" Twilight and Fluttershy bellowed in unison, making some of the potions in here tremble from the volume of their voices. They were completely blindsided by this reveal.
"Y-Yes. The Dread League." A stunned Potion Nova pulled back.
"You have magic from the Dread League?! How?!" In a flash, Twilight would get up close to Potion Nova's face, needing to hear about this. Months of figuring out things from the Dread League and there was finally something to hear about.
"My missions with Galaxy Master are how. All the vampires we've gone against and what they unleash on the world tend to have a lot of magic with them, as you can guess." Potion Nova explained. "But it's very dangerous too. I only managed to get one potion that has magic from Magehold. But I'm not sure if I should use it."
"What is it?"
"Come and see." Potion Nova would lead them to the room where this Dread League Potion could be found. Potion Nova's craft went as far as to harness magic from Magehold, which was incredibly risky. The magic from there was volatile and destructive, threatening everyone. The fact that it was in a bottle didn't make it safer at all.
They arrived at the room where this potion was kept. And it was a rather lone one. It sat inside of a case where many chains were keeping it closed, surrounded by a magical aura. It was clear that Potion Nova was too cautious of this potion and what it could do but her work tempted her to keep it around.
After all, this was the first of its kind. A potion that came from Maegehold while everything else was centred around either Equestria or the other regions and their Pokemon. Potion Nova stood before the chained case, refusing to open it right now.
"In there is the potion. And the effect...? Plagues. A terrifying plague was threatening to consume a few towns nearby, but Galaxy Master and I managed to stop it. But this wasn't an ordinary plague. I've found out that Magehold is home to some of the most terrifying plagues out there. So vicious that there's seemingly no cure for them."
"We've heard. Our friend Chrysalis got hit with one of them. I think that's what the Lich Queen used on her. Not Curse Magic. Although it could've been." said Twilight Sparkle. Her head would then lower, remembering Chrysalis' condition and how dire it was. "She's in peril right now and the only way to repel this affliction is if the victim does it."
"Oh, I heard about the news. That's terrible. And I don't think any of my potions will do anything about it. This one certainly won't. I've actually been wanting to find a cure for the Dread League's plagues. They seem so invincible and the only ones who can stop them are those who are afflicted. There have only been a few creatures who received plagues."
"So, there's no potion for that? Are you sure?" Fluttershy questioned, hoping that Potion Nova had at least something that could work.
"I'm sorry." Alas, she didn't have anything with her. "I guess...the only logical thing I could do is continue working on Pokemon Abilities. I've been working on making potions that are based on the abilities of Pokemon and one of them is Healer. It can restore status conditions, but that might not work. Even my research on Pokemon Physiology will take a long time and I don't know how that will affect Chrysalis."
"It might be too late by then." Twilight bit her hoof. "Sombra knows what he was saying too when he said that only the victim can cure it. But how can Chrysalis pull it off in the state she's in if nothing can heal her? IS there something in the world?"
"Well...I always thought there was something, but I'm not so sure." Fluttershy chimed in, rubbing her hoof as she had something in mind that she wasn't so sure of.
"You do? What is it Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.
"You remember Mage Meadowbrook, right? She was brought up back at the Crystal Empire and even when we first encountered Starlight." Fluttershy brought some memories back to Twilight Sparkle about a pony named Mage Meadowbrook.
"I do. She's one of the Pillars of Equestria. But what can she do?"
"My parents told stories about her and how she was a Legendary Healer. It's said that she could make a medicine for pretty much anything. But I don't know about Magehold magic. Not many knew about that place after all."
"Oh, Mage Meadowbrook. She actually inspired some of my potion work and she was amazing." Potion Nova's work was inspired by this legendary healer. It was unclear which but most likely, healing potions were the answer. "That's a great idea, Fluttershy. But why don't you think her medicines can't-" It took Potion Nova a moment to realize why. "Oh, right. She's not around any more. Got it."
"Does anypony at least know some of her recipes for healing?" Twilight asked, hoping someone out there could remake what Mage Meadowbrook once made, just for the sake of helping Chrysalis.
"I don't think so. No one did it quite like her." Unfortunately, that was a high bar to live up to. There was a reason Mage Meadowbrook was a Legendary Healer and no one else. "Her notes might still be out there but she vanished without a trace one day."
"Sorry that I can't be of any help with Chrysalis' pain. I wish I could do something about it. But for the most part, I'm trying to stop the Dread League from doing anything like this again. Honestly, we've been playing cat and mouse with them for a while."
"Well, we're focused on reaching Magehold and getting Yveltal back. So far, we've only gotten the Box of 100 Demons back and that's with the Changelings. Chrysalis is the rightful owner of it so they can't use it anymore now that it's back with her. Anything for that?" The Princess of Friendship replied.
"Reaching Magehold..." The unicorn would close her eyes, using all of her brain power for this. "Hmm...I heard that's a major objective that Princess Celestia wants done. I'm not sure if I can give out that much power though. Sorry. But I can still provide you with some Magehold knowledge."
"Then it's settled. I'll see if I can get something for you. If I can harness whatever magic they unleash, I can bring it to. Without the Box of 100 Demons, they've been weakened." Twilight had something she could strive towards to now when it came to helping out Potion Nova.
"Lovely! You'd best do it before things get out of control. I don't have much research about the vampires because they keep blowing up." Potion Nova sighed before taking a seat. "That's the perfect way to escape, honestly. But that happens for a reason. If I had something about the vampire ponies aside from their magic, I could get somewhere."
"I can maybe do that for you." Suddenly, Fluttershy would step forward, grabbing Potion Nova's attention.
"Uh...Y-You?" The unicorn stuttered.
"The Dread League wants me because I have a bit of a vampire in me. It was an accident that made a Vampire Pony a few years back and I thought it was gone. But it turns out, a part of that still lives in me but it's locked away. Now might be a good time to have it be used for something for once."
"Fluttershy! Are you sure about this?!" A worried Twilight asked. "You could unleash that side of you again...!"
"Pika?!" So did Pikachu and the others.
"Mhm. Any little thing helps. Will that do, Potion Nova?"
"Oh yes! It'll do perfectly! That's just what I need!" Potion Nova was all for it. This was a huge opportunity. The closest thing she had to a vampire being with her and not combusting out of nowhere. "We can get started right now!"
"I guess it's happening." Twilight shrugged as Potion Nova agreed to it already. Potion Nova and Fluttershy would leave the room together to get things rolling. The unicorn did not want to waste any time at all. And there wasn't much time to waste overall. The Black Crusade and Chrysalis' demise were ticking. "We should try and play our part somehow. Getting some Dread League Magic is the key. But I'd rather it'd be silent and sneaky rather than just out there."
"Espeon..."
Kalos.
The Kalos Region. Famous for many things. Famous for many things. And one of them were the three Legendary Pokemon known as the Aura Trio. Xerneas, Yveltal and Zygarde. However, one of them was captured, absent from its role and was set to be used as a weapon against not just the entire world, not the universe but multiple universes to fulfil a twisted goal.
The only ones that remained were Xerneas and Zygarde, existing elsewhere in the world. And aiming to snuff Xerneas out was the Dread League. For days now, they've been searching for the Life Pokemon, using every source they could gather to do so.
And leading this mission was none other than Opal Vivacity. With her massive mane that had the power to change fate, stolen from Bayleef, she rode a carriage for her leisure. This carriage was being pulled by other vampire ponies while she was sitting pretty, polishing and sharpening her hoof, looking into a mirror at the same time.
Opal Vivacity was going at her own pace but was still dedicated to finding Xerneas as soon as possible. After all, she helped in the mission of figuring out where Yveltal could be, leading to the Lich Queen Rosa Maledicta taking action. The carriage was currently being carried along the hills of Kalos.
After enough time passed, the afternoon Sun was starting to call it a day soon, preparing to make way for the evening Moon. But there was still more time before that could happen. The vampires also needed their time to rest as the carriage would stop moving for the vampires to take a break and see what other havoc they could start. But they had to be careful. Galaxy Master could potentially show up in response to their actions, but little did they know, he was heading for Kalos thanks to Ash's knowledge.
"Lady Opal." A vampire walked up to Opal Vivacity, who was still tending to her looks, now smoothing out her mane. "You must hear this at once.
"What is it? Is it Xerneas or another town we can stop by at?" She asked, hoping it was about Xerneas. "Her majesty is listening in as always so this had better be about Xerneas."
"Not at all but...it's equally important. Reports of Zekrom have been made."
"Zekrom!?" Opal's jaw gasped as the second member of the Tao Trio had been brought up. "You mean the opposite of Reshiram? The same Reshiram that I put into a recovery state?"
"Y-Yes. Zekrom. It didn't notice us at all when flying by but it has been moving across the world a lot recently. It's said to be looking for Reshiram after what happened to it."
"Hm yes. He would be looking for his brother, wouldn't he? Reshiram is out there somewhere, healing after the damage he took. I don't even know where he is. But if Zekrom thinks he can find and revive him, he's wrong. Where did you see Zekrom exactly? And is he focused on Xerneas?"
"No...But he might be on to us. He noticed our wings, lady Opal. He knows who we are. Some of our scouts managed to elude him." The vampire said as the others would gulp and tremble. The last thing they wanted was for Zekrom to pay attention to them.
"And?" But Opal was fearless. "I took out a Dragon and I'll do it again. If he thinks he can interfere, he'll join his brother as soon as possible." Opal Vivacity was willing to take out Zekrom as well, banking on her magic. I won't let our mission for Xerneas be interrupted by him as well. Let's quickly deal with Zekrom. He can't be that hard to miss."
With a sinister smile, Zekrom was the second Legendary the Dread League had eyes on. But only for the sake of destroying him. They wanted Zekrom out of the way since the Deep Black Pokemon was onto them. Why else would the Dread League be out here? Zekrom was also another defender of Equestria after all.
Zekrom was now a target but so were Opal's group as Galaxy Master was already planning to head here as soon as possible. As Fluttershy works with Potion Nova to delve deeper into the Vampires, the clouds above closed in on each other with a looming darkness. An ominous aura indeed and potentially a sign of things to come as the journey continues.
Chapter 120 End.