Equestria. Mareflower. Potion Nova's Green House. Afternoon.
Fluttershy found herself working with Potion Nova. The trace of a vampire pony resides within her, albeit small. Potion Nova, who's been looking for a way to study the magic of the vampires further, has been unlucky since they tend to combust themselves, making it impossible to keep them around. But Fluttershy was a game changer for that.
"Alright. You're not exactly a Vampire Pony. You're a Vampire Bat Pony. Not exactly the same as the Dread League but similarities are there." Potion Nova explained to the pegasus, who was currently seated. "I don't think there are many Vampire Bat Ponies out there. You might be the only one."
"I am?" Fluttershy replied as she felt like she was inside a doctor's office. She decided to have Potion Nova investigate her so there were zero qualms.
"Mhm. You're full of standard Equestrian Magic that allows you to fly and harness the Elements of Harmony. Not exactly brimming with Curse Magic. But I can trace it back to them. Now..." An eager Potion Nova rubbed her hooves together, greatly looking forward to this moment. "This won't hurt. Not at all. I just need to look into your magic. And all it takes is this potion."
A potion was given to Fluttershy to drink. Once it was lent to her, the pegasus would take a drink. This would be her first potion and it involved looking into her magic, but Fluttershy already had other brews she wished to try. Thanks to the antics of Pikachu and the others, her interest in potions has been piqued.
"Mmm. It actually tastes good." Fluttershy said with a smile, enjoying the taste. "By the way, when do you think your work on Pokemon Physiology will be done?"
"Oh. Are you interested in that?"
"Mhm. I've only been a Pokemon more than once. The first two were inside of a board game and I was an Audino. And the second time was when the Unown turned me and my friends into Pokemon. I became a Meloetta and I have no complaints about that at all."
"That so? Don't you have a friend named Discord who owns some Unown, or am I getting that wrong? Can't he give you something like that?"
"Oh. Right, he can. I usually go over to Discord to have the Unown turn me into a Pokemon. I've been so many Pokemon thanks to them and it helps me understand all other Pokemon some more. Their wants and needs and such. I guess I don't need the potion then."
"I'll still make them. And if you're craving for that change and the Unown aren't availabe, I'll lend you some. I'm still looking into Pokemon after all."
"That's gre-" But before Fluttershy could finish her sentence, a flare of magic would fly out of her body. A mystical yellow and pink magic to be exact as it appeared in the shape of a pegasus. Specifically, Fluttershy. Her shape was shown as a mystical aura, having two spots of light inside of her. Fluttershy looked in awe at this magical projection of herself, investigating the lights. She could figure out what those might be. "Oooh...I-Is that what it looks like inside of everypony?!"
"Not really. I just made a potion that allows me to get an easier understanding of how inner magic works. It's easier this way. And this is your Magical Makeup." Potion Nova answered, having the easiest way to investigate magic instead of going through a long process.
After looking at Fluttershys' Magical Makeup, the unicorn observed closely as to what the two lights were. She already knew one of them had to be Equestrian Magic so it was a matter of figuring out the second one. Fluttershy sat completely still, but not before waving her hoof at her Magical Makeup, causing the aura to flow and pulsate in response.
Once Potion Nova had enough time, she brought over stick with her magic, pointing at the two lights. "These two lights are your respective magics. Equestrian Magic and Pokemon Magic. How'd you get Pokemon Magic exactly?"
"Oh, it's Fairy Magic. I think I first got it when I Mega Evolved Audino. Or was it when I went to the Frenzy Forest? Either way, Valerie taught me all about it since she knows about Fairy Magic too."
"Hm-hm. Nice stuff. I wish I had that with my Galarian Rapidash." The unicorn nodded, wanting a piece of Fairy Magic for herself. "But I'm looking for the third one. That part of you that's a vampire. Where is it...?"
Potion Nova would look closely before using her magic to hold the Magical Makeup. With her control, she enlarged it to see what else could be found. This was rather convenient for her, but what else could be expected from this master of Potions? After enlarging the projection, Potion Nova found what she was looking for. "Aha! There it is!"
"Where?" Fluttershy leaned in before soon spotting that third light. Below the other two forms of magic that burned brightly within Fluttershy, the third form was discreet and faint, as if it was keeping itself locked away. That certainly fit the description of Fluttershy's hidden Vampire Bot Pony presence. "Oooh..."
"Yeesh! It is faint!" Potion Nova was amazed by how minuscule this magical presence was. "You really did keep it locked away, didn't you?"
"I didn't even know it was still there until Opal Vivacity told me about it," said Fluttershy. "I thought it was gone forever after we solved it but the vampires saw through me and want me in Magehold."
"Hm-hm. About that...since they want you in Magehold, don't you think that's an easy way to get in there?" Potion Nova side-eyed Fluttershy, bringing up a dangerous but interesting recommendation.
"Oh, I thought so too. But I'm not sure if I want to go through with that. Magehold's a bit too intimidating for me."
"Fair enough. Alright. We'll be here for a while since I'm gonna use this part of you to investigate vampire magic."
"And that'll help us get into Magehold?" Fluttershy questioned.
"Hopefully it counts for something. We have to get into Magehold as soon as possible and free Yveltal. Being used as a tool of destruction must be horrible. And it's been kept there for months ever since the third Pokemon Festival." Potion Nova would continue to focus her magic on the Magical Makeup.
Fluttershy also had to wonder about it. Her love for Pokemon went beyond just the small ones. She loved all forms of Pokemon. And even though she hasn't met Yveltal, she was not a stranger to the destructive kinds of Pokemon, even befriending lots of them. For that, she feared for Yveltal.
Magehold.
Speaking of Yveltal, he was still unable to break free from his containment. Kept within a sphere, the Destruction Pokemon could only flail around furiously. He knew what he was about to be used for soon and vehemently refused to let it happen. His power and his reason for existing was not some weapon of mass destruction. The roar of Yveltal boomed through the room, but never went any further thanks to the sphere.
And hearing the roar was Rosa Maledicta, who was rather eager to soon use Yveltal's power for herself. By now, the Lich Queen has been careful about how much magic she uses. Her confrontations with Galaxy Master have been draining her. Rosa Maledicta wished to have her magic in a good condition when the Black Crusade happens. And with how much time has passed, she was certainly gaining some more strength back.
"Hm. It seems that Opal and her party are going for Zekrom. A wise but risky decision. I can't have Zekrom ruining things for me either." She commented, knowing about Opal's plan to take out Zekrom, who was also onto the Dread League by now. But that wasn't all she saw. Rosa Maledicta's visions also saw the Pokemon Contest being prepared by Fantina. "And that contest...is it not ready yet?"
The Pokemon Contest was seeing further development. After the secret meeting with Fractured Note and other vampires who planned to break the Lich Cycle, the Hearthome Home Gym Leader decided to be the one to try and break the field of magic. If that field breaks, Magehold won't exactly be fully hidden anymore.
Fantina wanted it to be so grand that it would aid in breaking the field somehow. But she also wanted Galaxy Master's power involved in it, thus, she delayed it until the time was right. And as a bonus, she got to do what she loved the most.
Fantina made sure to have it as big as possible, overseeing the Contest's preparations. She didn't just want to make a Contest Stage and call it a day, she wanted it to be special. Fantina was all about flashiness and style, so simple wouldn't do for her. And already, some impressive progress had been made thanks to her instructions.
An entirely new building was constructed for this Pokemon Contest and since Fantina wanted to mostly keep it tied to Magehold, not planning on harming any vampires with bright lights, it had a gothic appearance to it. Every other Pokemon Contest Building across the regions all have bright and beautiful designs. But not this one.
From how it appeared with its current progress It was shaped like a maw instead of a dome. Specifically, the maw of a wolf and it was tall enough to match those domed buildings. The fangs were even built to a point where they would close in on each other, forming a protective roof. Then again, no one really needed the protection since there was constant darkness in Magehold.
And as an extra bit of flair, vampires hovered over the building, casting their Curse Magic to give it something else. The fangs began moving, grinding against each other and even gently moving back and forth. It made the building look like it was life, grabbing the attention of many vampires. It wasn't complete yet. Other fangs had to be added along with some paint and design on the building.
As for the indoors, the changing room was relatively the same. Nothing much was different considering the purpose it served. The real attraction was the stage itself. Right now, the two versions of the Contest Stages were still being built. The first stage and the second stage. The podium where the contestants would stand for the first stage were all skulls. Tall skulls that had a rather smooth and sturdy surface at the top. This was the closest to being completed by far with only a few skulls remaining for the total number of Pokemon Coordinators.
The second one wasn't ready just yet. Right now, it was just a simple circular floor and that was it. But Fantina strived for more. And she was obviously doing it to drag things out until the time to strike was ready. But she already had something in mind, holing up a drawing of the future stage.
She envisioned it to be similar to a ballroom. Dark crystal chandeliers would spiral down from the arching fanged ceiling, sending a dark aura down the colourless jet-black walls and a floor so polished it might as well be a frozen lake. That was what Fantina envisioned for this Contest Hall.
And to her benefit, because of her glamorous mindset, this was only natural. Fantina knew that if she was anywhere else, her design would vary. Her skills spoke louder than her words.
"Marvelous, my little ponies!" Fantina complimented their hard work. "Make it...I suppose not shine or sparkle." She paused, realizing that would just harm everyone inside. "Make it emanate! That's better!"
"Miss Fantina. The preparations for a band aren't yet ready. Nopony here was any musical experience." A vampire who was sent by Fractured Note spoke to Fantina.
"No musical experience? Nothing at all?" Fantina was surprised to hear that. She wanted there to be some music in this Pokemon Contest and the fact that no one here had any experience was outrageous. "Hmm...I will handle that. What else is missing?"
"Well...The Coordinators are having a bit of a squabble. They're arguing about their Pokemon and how they won't stand out. It's devolving into a bit of a mess."
"Ah, I see what you mean." Immediately, Fantina figured it out. "They all have Ghost-Type Pokemon with a few Dark-Types here and there. But the species aren't that varied." When Fantina thought about it, the pool of Pokemon here was incredibly limited.
Gastly, Haunter, Duskull, Sableye, Litwick, Pumpkaboo and Misdreavus. Those were the most common Pokemon here at Magehold. Despite Opal Vivacity getting out there to bring some Pokemon back for everyone, she did not go that far in what Pokemon she could find. Very few had unique Pokemon from the others, such as Spectrum Shade and her Machoke.
"It will be hard to stand out and those little ones certainly do love standing out." Fantina chuckled. "What about the older ponies?"
"They don't seem to mind at all if they have the same Pokemon as each other."
"I will speak to the children and let them know they can work around this. Thank you for telling me."
"Fantina! Hey, Fantina!" Before Fantina could do anything else, along came the vampire pony Eccentrick. She would slide over by using her magic to reverse the foundation of the floor. It went from hard to slippery, allowing the vampire pony to slide. This, in turn, made other vampires slip and fall when they least expected.
"Ah, Eccentrick. Do you need something?" But Fantina was standing completely still with her heels.
"You're gonna let me join in, aren't you?!" Eccentrick's eyes lit up with stars, requesting that she took part in the Pokemon Contest. "Everything I've heard about you makes me want to impress you!"
"Of course you can join. What's stopping you?" It was a no-brainer that Eccentrick was free to join. Anyone was.
"I just want to be the best, okay? I'll be so good you'll be taken aback by what you've seen! I took the time to learn what I can about your skills and I think I can pull them off. But in case I don't, could you teach me?!" She spoke at high-speeds, expressing her excitement more.
"Ah, I can teach you. I've been teaching the little ones about Pokemon Contests recently. But you can learn as well."
"Great! If I'm taught by you, I'll rise to the ranks for sure!" She said with a bright smile widening her face. "And then, I'll be getting autographs from everypony. Just like how I'm gonna get one from you!" Suddenly, Eccentrick's hoof became a blur as she held out what appeared to be a doll of Fantina.
"Oh? Is that...a Doll of me?"
"Mhm! Made it myself! I bet you'll never guess how I used Reverse Magic to make this~!"
"You used Reverse Magic?" But Fantina couldn't exactly see how REverse Magic was involved with this. It just seemed like crafting skills to her. Either way, she would appeal to Eccentrick's wish, signing the doll's dress with her pen.
"Thanks, Fantina! I'll remember this!" Ecstatic by this, she put the doll near her face, gleefully laughing. At the same time, Eccentrick reversed the flow of the wind, causing her to move backwards while reversing the foundation of the floor back to how it was. That was certainly a way to exit the scene.
"She's a jolly one, isn't she?" Fantina saw Eccentrick as a fangirl. No way else to put it. Someone who was really inspired by her and aimed to please.
"She is. Before you came along, Eccentrick has always been the glamorous one." The vampire explained. "Always aiming to impress everyone and her magic was seen as unique. For Magehold, at least."
"Hm, I can see that." That was easy to tell with how exuberant Ecentrick was. Fantina only fulfilled those wishes and dreams of hers.
"But, because of Opal Vivacity, she hasn't had the best of luck. Opal is dedicated to being on top when it comes to beauty after all. So when she found out, she immediately ruined Eccentrick's chances."
"What?! She did?!" Fantina's tone changed, followed by a gasp that echoed across the hall. Opal Vivacity was involved in this somehow.
"Mm. Opal Vivacity sabotaged her a few times and the worst was when she sealed off most of Eccentrick's magic. The only one that she managed to keep behind was her Curse Magic thankfully, but other than that, she can't fly at all. She's not the first to receive that."
"Ooh..." Fantina would then look back at Eccentrick who was in the distance. Even after hearing about that, Fantina still saw Eccentrick as that happy-go-lucky vampire. However, she had to wonder what happened to the other ponies who were sabotaged by Opal Vivacity and how bad it turned out for them. "Is that the reason why Magehold is like this?"
"It is. Entertainment in Magehold has been dry for so long because of Opal Vivacity. She upstaged them so much that she crushed many of their dreams. You could say that Eccentrick was the last example of that era. But that's until you showed up of course!" The vampire then changed the tone into something more uplifting. "That moment you embarrassed her on stage was cathartic to many, as you can imagine. I know this contest will be enjoyable with you at the helm."
"Right. Thank you." Fantina thanked him before walking off. In her mind, she then thought about the vampires who had their dreams crushed. Magehold was only excited about the Pokemon Contests and everything Fantina brought to the table because of Opal Vivacity.
For a while, Fantina believed that Magehold was only like this because of its aesthetic. The dark and ominous nature of it would potentially lead to little excitement and entertainment. Thus, resulting in a silent and eerie place which was fitting. However, from what Fantina learned, that was never the case. And the existence of the first Lich King proved it.
Old Magehold was potentially bustling and lively after it became a Ghost Town and the current Magehold, even in its past, had the same energy. Now it was gone. And because Opal Vivacity was a vampire, she had all the years to crush it all, giving her the status of Magehold's most beautiful vampire.
Fantina was ready to change that. Life was about to be brought into Magehold.
However, Rosa Maledicta was gearing up to take life away from the rest of the world. And right now, she was hoping to take the life of Zekrom, who was in the Kalos Region where Opal Vivacity's party was.
"This time, I will not get myself involved. I need to converse as much magic as I can." Rosa Maledicta was careful with her magic yet again, wanting to keep it intact instead of wasting it. "Even if Galaxy Master shows up. And I especially don't want that dragon to turn into an orb and escape. Hurry up and deal with Zekrom so that you can get to Xerneas Opal..."
Kalos. Azure Bay. Late Afternoon.
The Deep Black Wings of Zekrom moved across the nearly-night sky. The sound of Zekrom's movements fittingly matched that of thunder rumbling. He was a walking thunderstorm in the literal sense, searching for both Reshiram and the Dread League. The Dread League were the closest by far as the Deep Black Pokemon fixated his attention on them, aiming to see what they were up to now. What other reason would they have to be outside of Magehold?
His journey led him to Azure Bay. A deep blue ocean off Kalos's coast, where Pokémon from distant lands are said to visit. The Deep Black Pokemon would gently lower himself, flying over the seas of Azure Bay to see what he could find, getting a closer look at the place. For the most part, Azure Bay was a peaceful place. Too peaceful in fact. The silence here was rather disturbing as there were no Pokemon in sight. No Water-Types were seen swimming out at sea at all.
"Down you go, Zekrom." With a flash of magic and a familiar yet intimidating voice, Zekrom felt a sudden change in reality. And he was right to feel this change as something touched his back. Before he could even turn around, he found himself rocketing to the ground at high speeds.
The Deep Black Pokemon crashed into the sands of Azure Bay, causing a massive sand cloud to emerge right afterwards. It felt like gravity changed on him all of a sudden. Zekrom's large body left a wide wave of destruction thanks to the seas being affected.
The only positive from this was that there were no civilians around or even any Pokemon around, so his wave of destruction was safe for the most part. However, the massive crater was definitely effective. Zekrom laid there for a while before getting back up, groaning a bit. The damage wasn't anything serious however, he could not ignore that.
"It felt like reality itself suddenly changed...This only means one thing..." When groaning, Zekrom could already figure out who was responsible for this considering he was snooping on this group earlier.
"Following us, are you?" Above him was none other than the Dread League. And Opal Vivacity was the one who spoke to him and brought him down. Her Fate Changing Mane was responsible for this, forcing the Deep Black Pokemon to lose his control over the air. "You're just like your brother. Can't stay out of our business, can't you?"
Zekrom growled at the Dread League as now both of them had each other's attention, meeting at last. These are the ones who harmed Reshiram. Even if both Reshiram and Zekrom came from other universes and were kidnapped, they were still connected either way. Their bond was multiversal no matter what. So naturally, Zekrom harboured anger towards the Dread League and especially Opal Vivacity, who was behind it all.
"Why are you looking at me like that? That's disgusting?" Opal scoffed at Zekrom's menacing glare. "Do you think that will intimidate me? Your brother certainly didn't succeed at it. He should've stayed out of it in the first place, then he wouldn't be in the state that he's in.
"What are you doing here? What are you up to now?"
"None of your business. All you need to know is that you can join your brother as a stone. Is what I would say but the Lich Queen would prefer if you were destroyed. Completely. To the point where you're just a giant skeleton of a dragon. That would look wonderful, wouldn't it?" It was clear what Opal and the other vampires were here to do.
Destroying Zekrom was their temporary goal before they could continue searching for Xerneas. All who stood in the way of the Dread League would suffer that same fate. Ironically, Zekrom stood by ideals but these were not the kind of ideals he could get behind at the moment. Not after what happened with Reshiram and how it threatens all life and the balance of the world. The Dragon of Ideals had his own goal aside from finding Reshiram. To stop the Dread League once and for all.
A confrontation between Zekrom and the Dread League was about to begin here at Azure Bay. And it was also spelling the coming of the Dread League's deadly advances on the world itself. As the journey continues.
Chapter 121 End.