Equestria. The Crystal Empire. Nightfall.
After destroying the Shadow Spire, one problem that the Crystal Empire was facing had been solved. The Crystal Empire was no longer blocked off. Ash, Sombra, Twilight, Radiant Hope, Pikachu, Espeon and Baby Flurry Heart all came together to make this possible.
However, the issue of the mind-controlled Sableye and Golurk was still present and had yet to be solved since Sweet Fang was absent. The freed Golurk gently brought Ash back to the ground as he was still feeling the blowback from interacting with the Shadow Spire's Dark Magic.
"Thanks, Golurk..." Ash groaned as he was let down, getting on one knee. "We've dealt with that but..." There was still a lot on Ash's plate. He looked over at the Golurk and Sableye that were still under control, unable to resist. Ash would even point out something about all of this that was never there when it came to Sweet Fang's magic. "Looks like Sweet Fang's magic got better. Last time, everyone back in Sci-Twi's world were freed once she left. But now, that's not the case."
Ash pointed out how Sweet Fang's magic then and now was different. It had certainly improved to have this strong of an effect when she wasn't here. Ash had to wonder if the same went for other vampires. Have they improved their magical capabilities much like Sweet Fang? A part of it got Ash both excited and worried.
"Ash! Are you alright?!" Shining Armor quickly ran over to him.
"I'm doing fine. But I can't slow down now. Not when things are picking up from here. That Shadow Spire was just the beginning." Ash replied, adjusting his hat as his clothes were slightly tattered thanks to the clash he had while Sombra was in control. "If you wanna go after your family now, then let's do that now."
"No." Surprisingly, Shining Armor did not go with the latter. Previously, he was all about finding his family. But now, his mind has changed. "I want to see them more than anything...But I also know I need all the help I can get. If they're already at Magehold, then I can't just enter there without any support. And all the support that I need is under mind control. So I'll stay here until they're all free."
"Okay." Ash understood his decision. "Let's make it happen. Sombra needs time to rest so he won't be using his magic. But there's another way to snap someone back into their senses." Just then, Ash took out the rest of his Poke Balls, throwing them into the air.
Out of them appeared Lucario, Dracovish and Dragonite. All of his Pokemon minus Pikachu were now present at the Crystal Empire for battle. Ash would go with the more upfront way of freeing someone from mind control. Sombra already used two ways previously when controlling Ash's body. So did Shining Armor and his guards but it wasn't quite enough due to the number difference.
"You can still continue?!"
"Of course, I can!" Ash grinned. Even after all of that, he had the strength to continue battling. "Shining. Now that the spire's down, you can call for the Swords of Justice, can't you? Everything's clear."
"Aegislash needs time to recover though." Unfortunately, with Aegislash being down, Shining Armor could not perform his signature call for the Swords of Justice. Specifically, his mentor. "I'm not even sure that they're nearby thanks to this expanded world."
"Then leave it to us. Only Cadence and the older Flurry Heart were taken away. That means that there's a chance that your baby is still somewhere here." Ash suggested that Shining Armor should focus on Baby Flurry Heart. "Leave the rest to us. Golurk. Sableye. Some of you should go along with Shining Armor."
"Sableye!" The freed Sableye cried out in response. Some would go with Shining Armor to assist him while others would stay behind and help Ash deal with the rest of the controlled Pokemon. And thankfully, because of how Sweet Fang had a clutch on all the Sableye and Golurk, they knew where Flurry Heart originally went to first before vanishing. Sunburst's home.
The Sableye and Golurk would lead Shining Armor, asking him to follow them. If there was anyone who'd know about where Flurry Heart was previously at, it was them. Ash, his Pokemon and some of the freed Golurk and Sableye stayed behind to confront the controlled Pokemon despite the disadvantage.
"Okay! Let's do this! Dragonite, use Draco Meteor!"
"Dra...!" Dragonite was back in action now that the chilling aura that the Windigos brought was gone. The Dragon Pokemon too flight, leaving behind a shockwave before ascending above everyone else here.
Dragonite ten shot out a purple sphere that was brimming with Draconic Energy, sending it upwards. The sphere touched te clouds which were previously darkened but were now clear thanks to the destruction of the Shadow Spire. The sphere formed its own clouds, bringing them together but formed a brighter feel compared to what was there previously. She then fiercely waved her arms downwards, causing purple meteors to rain down.
This attack was the perfect way to strike at multiple opponents. The meteors already struck some of the Golurk that were airborne, forcing them back to the crystal ground. The meteors would go after the Sableye that appeared on top of buildings which had already been ravaged. By this point, with how many crystals that have been ripped off thanks to the Sableye, Draco Meteor surprisingly caused less destruction. But it still dealt heavy damage to its opponents.
The Sabeley scattered, attempting to avoid the meteors from above. Now they were the ones running from something instead of pursuing it. And speaking of pursuing, the Golurk and Sableye who were free from Sweet Fang's control would leap into action, attempting to knock some sense into their own species.
The conflict here at the Crystal Empire continued but now the tables were starting to turn. And meanwhile, entering the Crystal Empire without having to worry about the Shadow Spire were Twilight, Radiant Hope, Pikachu and Espeon. They quickly entered the Crystal Empire, rushing to meet up with everyone else. They looked up to see meteors falling from above. Purple meteors. Twilight already knew who that belonged to as that brought a smile to her face.
Pikachu was especially in a hurry, wanting to see if Ash was okay. The Mouse Pokemon ran as fast as he could, jumping over crystal rubble. Some of the controlled Pokemon stood in their way, surprising Pikachu. "Pika?!"
"Sableye?! Golurk?!" Twilight gasped after seeing the two Ghost-Types charge a Shadow Ball, actually attempting to attack them. There was no time to stop or wonder why they were suddenly preparing to strike at them. Pikachu only knew to take action.
"Chu...Pika!" With a combination of Quick Attack and Iron Tail, Pikachu accelerated, zooming through the air while hardening his tail. The moment the Shadow Balls were collectively thrown to form a larger one, Pikachu would then swing at them, clashing with the Shadow Ball. With impressive strength, Pikachu reflected the Shadow Ball back at the Golurk and Sableye that stood in his way. They would be struck by their own attacks, making way for Pikachus' group.
"Well, looks like we showed up at a pretty hectic moment and missed out on a lot!" Radiant Hope pointed out.
"Hectic is right! What happened here while we were blocked off?!" Twilight had to wonder what kind of chaos played out in the Crystal Empire the entire time the place was caged by the Shadow Spire. A lot happened and there was more to come without a doubt.
Underground.
Meanwhile, back underground, with the Shadow Spire completely gone the very edge of the Crystal Empire from below was no longer blocked off. Alas, that didn't mean much since it was a pointless end. The ponies down here still felt nervous about going back up to the surface.
And they had every reason to. The conflict was still going on as they could hear explosive sounds occurring even from this level. Most likely, that was Dragonite's Draco Meteor at play. At this point, they were conflicted. The Shadow Spire didn't seem to mean much to them now that it was gone. It did seem pointless. However, Flurry Heart refused to stay down here forever. Not when the rest of her family were in jeopardy.
The young alicorn would continue moving, but instead of going past the edge of the Crystal Empire, she would reverse her steps. It was back to where she started. "Hm? Wait, where are you going?" Sunburst questioned. But Flurry Heart had no time to explain. Not like she had the skill to explain at such an age in the first place.
"If she's going somewhere else, it's probably better than here." Ms Harshwhinny said. "We have nowhere else to go and those shadows disappearing might be a sign of something."
"But what? What's even happening up there now that they're gone? Those things went straight through the ground." A pony wondered.
"Well, I'm not staying down here forever. I at least wanna get somewhere." Another replied, wishing to leave the underground as soon as possible. Many of the other ponies wondered. They would end up following Flurry Heart who they witnessed destroy the Shadow Spire, even though she had outside help.
They followed their future ruler, looking for a way out that didn't involve them being attacked. But little did they know, the ones who attack them recently, were searching for them, but with a different intention in mind.
Ponyville. SugarCube Corner.
Back at Ponyville, the Despair Plant was still active, attacking the town and disturbing the peace. For the most part. While it did seem as if everyone in Ponyville was woken up by the Despair Plant's actions, one pony managed to sleep through it. And that was Pinkie Pie. She was lazily sleeping in her bed with Mew right next to her.
She was peacefully asleep, barely disturbed by the sounds outside. They weren't too close to her home but they were still effective enough to reach multiple buildings. It seemed like Pinkie would sleep through the destruction of Ponyville and Mew, who was a lot like her, would do the same.
Well, that is until Jade Skies and the other Mew from Holon showed up. Jade, who was incapable of sleeping since she was a Rift Pony, walked into Pinkie Pie's room to see if she was alright. Pinkie and Mew were more than alright. They were oblivious to this. The powerful leaps of the Despair Plant Bullfrog shaking the ground weren't enough. The ferocious croak it made wasn't enough. The yelling of Pokemon moves and attacks flying everywhere didn't even work.
But what did end up working was the voice of Jade Skies. In such a deadpan and expressionless way, Jade would speak to Pinkie Pie before nudging her slightly. "Pinkie, wake up."
"Mmmmrgh..." That was all it took. Everything that occurred wasn't enough yet a simple and dry word from Jade did the trick. "Oh, Jade? Is it morning already?"
"You're awfully relaxed considering what's going on outside. Mr and Mrs Cake have already left to your secret base to hide from this." Jade explained as a flash of light went off outside.
"Wait, what? What's going on?" Pinkie Pie questioned.
"Ponyville's under attack. It's one of those Despair Plants from Magehold." And all it took was that quick answer from Jade for Pinkie to soon process the scenario. Everything was not so calm. Her mind raced, followed by a bombastic expression that resembled a balloon being inflated.
"The Dread League are here?!" As soon as she yelled that, a rock flew straight through her window thanks to the battle outside.
Speaking of the outside, it was not looking so good for Ponyville's residents. Currently, they were suffering from illnesses and diseases that the Despair Plant summoned thanks to the warts. As such, their performance was waining. They ahd the spirit to do their best but the afflictions were dragging them down.
"I don't know if I can keep this up...I should be in bed by now." Berry Punch expressed.
"This is more than just a cold." Carrot Top sniffled, wanting to lie down just like Berry Punch. Each of them who were outside were struggling to stay active. They wished to lie down and rest the illnesses away as soon as possible. Some of them had common illnesses which could easily be solved with the right treatment. But others had diseases that came from Magehold, making them harder to deal with as their properties were unknown.
Those with Magehold Exclusive Diseases would suddenly drop to the ground, breathing in and out. The same went for their Pokemon who just couldn't keep up their strength consistently. When trying to attack Bullfrog, they were sloppy in the execution of their attacks. This prompted Bullfrog to either perfectly tank their attacks or even slap them away with its tongue.
Pokemon failed to land strong hits in when facing this Despair Plant as these illnesses held them back. The only ones immune to this were Daisy and Paradise since they had the properties of actual plants.
"S-Stoutland...!" Stoutland coughed, trying to go for a Fire Fang, only to slow down and be slapped away by Bullfrog's tongue.
"It's best that you Keel over instead. More of the Dread League will show up here anyway. I'm merely the first one who managed to get here." Shrivel cackled, reminding the ponies that they had more vampires to worry about.
"Absolutely not...!" Mayor Mare groaned, nearly falling over. "Illnesses won't overcome us. But I do wish to lie down right about now."
"Daisy...! Paradise...! Do something!" Roseluck requested, coming down with a harsh rash and cold. "You two are immune!"
"I know, but...I don't know what to do about this!" Daisy cried out, unsure as to how she could tackle this. Even Paradise, who was prone to spring into action more than her sister, had no options.
"If I send out my Pokemon, they'll get ill for sure. This sucks!" Paradise growled, knowing that she couldn't send out her Pokemon since they didn't share an immunity in the same way she did.
"You Flora Ponies might survive to see your home be fully disease-ridden. Even before the others get here, you might see this town perish if you're lucky. You two are proof that her majesty's experiment from the past came to fruition. Even if she does not care for you anymore, the relationship you have with nature is impressive."
"Yeah, right! It was our mom who succeeded in making us!" Paradise yelled back.
"But it was the Lich Queen's elixir in the first place. The same elixir that inspired her to create the Despair Plants! Bullfrog! Take out the Flora Ponies!" With Shrivel's command, Bullfrog would go straight for Daisy and Paradise. Everyone else was rather weak at the moment, leaving the two Flora Ponies to be vulnerable. However, they weren't as vulnerable as they seemed to me.
The unique way that they travel was used once more. By dematerializing their bodies into their respective flowers, they evaded the tongue swing from Bullfrog, taking no damage. On top of that, they manipulated the flowers, causing them to move elsewhere. Every single one of those flowers were their bodies. After evading the swing, they returned to their original forms, gaining distance from the Despair Plant.
Before Bullfrog could continue another attack, a Hyper Beam flew in its direction, interrupting and catching its attention. Bullfrog slid back from this Hyper Beam which was certainly powerful enough for all the right reasons. This was done by a Sudowoodo who needed time to recharge now.
Mayor Mare and other ponies backed away with their Pokemon, also trying to gauge some distance. But that was too late now since they were all infected. The only ones fine from this were the ones indoors. The warts thankfully did not infect the inside.
Rarity was among one of these ponies. She had her mask on, wanting to help out the ponies outside. But she knew that if she tried to leave, the mist would immediately enter the inside of her home. And even then, it wasn't safe inside because of Bullfrog's destructive capabilities. Rarity was stumped on what she could do. The fashionista knew she could fight against the Despair Plant but that would opening the door and having the mist infect her and Sweetie Belle. She wasn't even sure if the mask was safe.
But that was when Rarity spotted the familiar face of Emerald Aura showing up. Another Rift Pony. And surprisingly, she was casually running outside while the Disease Mist was still active. She had no form of protection whatsoever. Not a single mask on her face or any gloves. Emerald Aura looked completely safe and unbothered by the mist. The Rift Pony arrived, sliding on the ground. She watched as the Flora Ponies kept trying to distance themselves from the Despair Plant's attacks was, turning themselves into flowers which allowed them to evade easily. So far, all they could do was just avoid the Despair Plant.
Their natural ability to befriend a Despair Plant wasn't working this time. All thanks to Shrivel, who was on the back of this Despair Plant. And this whole time, she's been sitting pretty, untouched by many considering how effective the Despair Plant's abilities were.
"Darn it! I really wish I could do more!" Paradise groaned, frustrated that this was all that she could do. Evading wasn't really something she preferred to do right now in the face of danger.
"You don't have to keep this up!" Shouting out and speaking, at last, was Emerald Aura once she arrived at the scene.
"Oh? Running into the scene so casually?" Shrivel noticed Emerald Aura. "And you seem to be completely healthy? Are you a Flora Pony as well?"
"Not at all. But somepony who can keep everyone safe. You're all not cut out to continue battling your ill states. You're going elsewhere!" Emerald Aura was the one who came to their safety. With a flash of Rift Magic from her horn, a wide magical circle would appear from below.
Everyone ill looked down at this Emerald Magical Circle appeared as it would continue expanding until stopping near the Despair Plant. With an expanded appearance, the light then unleashed a flare of magic that rose upwards, engulfing everyone it managed to reach. Shrivel hissed as this magic was bright enough to damage her skin. Even when hiding behind the Despair Plant, it was still potent enough to reach her.
And right after the bright Emerald light faded away, Shrivel and the Despair Plant saw no signs of the Ponyville citizens. Just like that, they vanished. Not a trace of them left. Shrivel gasped after the sudden disappearance of Ponyville and its citizens and this was obviously done by Emerald Aura and her impressive Rift Magic.
"Hiding? Well, that won't matter. Bullfrog will find you eventually. Even if it means destroying the rest of your town!" This did not bother Shrivel. In fact, she saw this as a great opportunity to destroy Ponyville while its citizens were gone. She promised that she would find them and she would use every ounce of Bullfrog's most destructive capabilities to do so.
Emerald Aura saved them from going any further. The citizens were ill and more could be infected if they even dared to step out. All except for Emerald Aura, who appeared to have an immunity much like the Flora Ponies. Their whereabouts were currently unknown but what mattered most than stopping the Despair Plant were the diseases that they have contracted.
As the journey continues.
Chapter 139 End.