Equestria. Magehold. Magehold Chamber. Day
A close friend, Sylveon, was now working for Magehold all thanks to Sweet Fang's magic. Once belonging to Cadence and now a servant to the Dread League, Sylveon appeared before Pinkie Pie, Applejack and their Pokemon, who she blew away with a Darkened Dazzling Gleam. It wasn't exactly Dazzling as Sylveon's body had been injected with Curse Magic, changing her nature entirely including her attacks.
"I...I can't move..." And unfortunately, the Dazzling Gleam left Pinkie Pie and Applejack seemingly down for the count. All they could do was groan and slightly move their body. Combined with the lack of Magic in them thanks to the Necropillars, they might as well be statues.
"M-Mew..." Mew had been reverted back into his original form, no longer appearing as a massive Machamp. He took the hit well even if it left him winded for a bit. Slurpuff also took the hit and so did Delta Riolu but Delta Riolu's fragile body didn't help him here.
"Rio...!" He got on one knee as he felt this the most since he was a Dark-Type. Despite Sylveon's Dazzling Gleam being altered, it was still a Fairy-Type move.
"I'm actually glad the Necropillars don't nullify the Pokemon." Sweet Fang chuckled. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have Sylveon doing our bidding and Yveltal would be useless. Then again, with some Curse Magic in her, she would've done some good for us either way so..."
"Sylveon!? Don't you recognize us?!" Applejack yelled at the Intertwining Pokemon. But the only response she got was a vicious snarl from Sylveon.
"Sylveon!"
"Don't raise your voice at my Pokemon, okay?" Sweet Fang replied, caressing Sylveon's head casually with Sylveon having no reaction to this.
"She's not your Pokemon though...!" An angered Applejack grunted while trying to stand up on her two weakened hooves.
"Oh, but she is. And very soon, all of your Pokemon will be mine too. Of course, they'll be destroyed once the Black Crusade is finished so I suppose it's only temporary. But I'll make good use of the Pokemon while I still have the opportunity."
"Yeah...Well, all we gotta do is beat her out of it." Applejack replied, knowing of the best way to get rid of Sweet Fang's mind control. And it was the most straightforward way possible that every Pokemon Trainer could get behind. Battling. By total knockout.
"Hm. You're right about that. So I'll just beat you before that can happen. Dazzling Gleam, SYlveon! Bombard them!"
"Sylveon!" Another Dazzling Gleam was unleashed. This time in the form of rays. Dark rays flew out of Sylveon's body, fiercely sending a bombardment to Mew and everyone else. There to protect them was Mew, who used a barrier to shield himself and his friends by getting in front of the rays.
"Mew!" Mew acted as the shield, taking the dark rays as they viciously crashed into his protective energy. Thanks to the Curse Magic, the rays for Dazzling Gleam were stronger than ever and they felt heavier too. The shield Mew put up would shake violently as if t felt like hammers were being bashed onto it, staggering the body of the New Species Pokemon. Some of the rays passed by Mew's shield, swerving and targeting Riolu and Slurpuff.
"S-Slur!" Slurpuff would be bombarded by these heavy rays, taking consecutive hits with none of them missing. It was surprising how accurate they were. Riolu tried fighting back but he was still feeling the effects of the previous Dazzling Gleam, leaving him weakened in this moment. Delta Riolu once again got the worst of it, taking repeated blows from the rays which would whip him fiercely.
"R-Riolu!"
Pinkie Pie and Applejack tried helping out even in their condition but they just couldn't muster the strength. And on top of that, the Golurk that Sweet Fang brought along were also present. But even if they couldn't battle alongside their Pokemon, they could at least change the odds.
Mew saw that these rays were really putting the pressure on him and his friends and will eventually reach the injured Applejack and Pinkie Pie. He expanded his barrier, but he did so by transforming. Mew turned himself into a Probopass, increasing his size and the barrier's size as well. It would catch the other rays, shielding them from Pinkie Pie and Applejack but that didn't mean the barrier was stronger just because of the size increase. It was still taking heavy blows.
"You can't defend forever! Hyper Beam, Golurk!" Sweet Fang shouted, giving the Golurk the opportunity to attack. The four Golurks she managed to keep would step up, holding their massive arms out in sync. Together, they would unleash a powerful blast of Infinity Energy which would fly over Sweet Fang, Shrivel and Sylveon, going straight for the intruders with the only thing getting their way being Mew's shield.
The shield was hit with four Hyper Beams and took the biggest hit yet. Mew's shield shattered, failing to stick around as thei mpact of the Hyper Beams would blow the New Species Pokemon away, sending him hurling through the air. With the body of a Probopass, he would crash into Slurpuff, knocking her down with him.
"No! Mew!" Pinkie Pie cried out.
"Now, Sylveon! Blow them away wth Moonblast!"
"Syl...!" Sylveon growled as she began gathering power from the Moon itself. And since she was at Magehold which had a permanant Moon, never showing the Sun, the power behind Moonblast would be elevated, influenced by the Curse Magic within her as well. As for the Moonblast, it appeared as a Dark Moon instead of the usual bright one that everyone knows of. It truly felt like everything about Sylveon had been fully corrupted. From her mouth, the Dark Moonblast was thrown out, targeting the downed Pokemon. The Moonblast was also larger than what it originally appears
"I don't have all the strength I need...But this'll do!" An injured Applejack shouted before throwing her saddlebag into the air. Her saddlebag would let out 12 different Poke Balls which would immediately trigger once they were launched. And out of them came all of Applejack's 12 Golett.
"Golett!" 12 Golett lined up. The one in the front was the first one Applejack ever caught while the rest were all Golett's made by her many friends. A majority of them were in Magehold at this moment.
"Pro?" Riolu looked to the side, noticing the visage of the Golurk squadron that Applejack had sent out. With their appearance, they quickly took action, seeing that Applejack was weakened at the moment, unable to really give it her all in this battle.
"Golett!" Together, all of the Golett would use different Punch-Based Moves. Shadow Punch, Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Ice Punch and Mega Punch were the ones they possessed thanks to their physical capabilities. The Shadow Punches would fly out, acting as ranged weapons instead of Golett getting up close and personal. Two of these Golett's would use Shadow Punch, targeting the Moonblast. Two Shadow Punches stopped it for a moment, but it wasn't enough. The wide Moonblast was strong enough to handle them both.
That was when the other Goletts got involved, throwing their own Punches in. Flashes of different Punch Moves flew in, meeting with the Moonblast. The Fairy-Type attack did not fully reach through. It was being held back completely by all of these Golett. All 12 of them. They were pouring in a plethora of their strength, attempting to shatter it.
"Riolu!" Delta Riolu noticed this before gathering the strength to get involved. He held out one paw while still on one knee, using Dark Pulse. The Golett tried their best but didn't seem to cut it with their physical strength. It looked like Moonblast would push through until Dark Pulse arrived.
The attack helped out each of the Golurk, striking the Moonblast dead in the centre. And that addition from Delta Riolu
"Syl?!" Sylveon gasped as her Moonblast was taken out by the combined might of the Golett, breaking it apart. The Moonbalst shattered once all 13 Pokemon came together. Sweet Fang even grit her teeth in annoyance but smirked once she saw that the Golurk has finished recharging.
"Not bad! But how will you do against your superiors?! Blast them with Hyper Beam and Dazzling Gleam!"
"Gol...!" Now that the Golurk had finished recharging, they all went for another Hyper Beam, holding their hands out once more. They wouldn't target the Golett since they were immune to this but everyone else was a prime target for the Hyper Beam. If either one lands, it could cause serious damage or much worse.
"Mew!" Quickly Mew would transform back into his original form, flying over to Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Seeing how serious things were getting, he decided to get them to safety. He couldn't have them lying around in such vulnerable conditions. He used Psychic, lifting them both and carrying them upwards. Quickly, he would launch them through the air with a Psychic push.
"Huh?! Mew?!" Pinkie Pie gasped while passing through the floor that was above them but was already exposed thanks to the damage done earlier. Mew had to make sure they weren't hit by these incoming attacks in any way. Whether it was direct or the shockwaves.
"Sylveon!" Sylveon and Golurk all attacked once more. Hyper Beam and Dazzling Gleam were thrown out together but with no vulnerable ponies around. Standing before the Hyper Beam and Dazzling Gleam were Riolu, the 12 Golett and Slurpuff as they would all confront it in their own way.
Each of the Golett used Shadow Ball while Slurpuff went for her own Dazzling Gleam, countering Sylveon's. This was followed up by Riolu using yet another Dark Pulse. All of these attacks approached each other but it was clear which one had the number advantage. However, the opposing Pokemon had plenty of power with them.
A fierce clash happened at this lower part of the chamber, causing the ground below the centre of this clash to tremble. Both sides entered a struggle, fighting for dominance. But even with the Golett outnumbering them, the enhancements Sylveon had and the power of the Golurk said otherwise as the Hyper Beam Dazzling Gleam combination looked to be the superior force, pushing the attacks back.
"R-Rio...!" Riolu's single arm was shaking as he could barely use his other arm. He felt a great pushback once the opposing side gained the advantage. The Golurk also felt this pushback and while they didn't have bones, their bodies were still trembling.
"Mew!" Once Mew got Applejack and Pinkie Pie to safety, he would quickly get involved. Seeing the fierce power struggle, Mew had to think fast. Surely, this couldn't go on forever. Not when one of his friends was being controlled and more of his friends were somewhere nearby. But from the looks of it, his side was at a disadvantage at the moment even with their numbers.
Knowing how rough this was getting, Mew decided on one thing. Pinkie Pie and Applejack, who were right above them, looked down and spectated this battle's development. It wasn't looking good, not when their Pokemon were losing the clash. To do this, he would ascend, entering the other levels and leaving the sight of Sweet Fang and Shrivel
"This ain't fair...I wish I could do more here..." A frustrated Applejack said, attempting to slam her hooves on the ground but just didn't have the strength to do so.
"Hang on...What's Mew doing?" Pinkie Pie soon noticed Mew was up to something right above her and Applejack. Instead of throwing his own attack in the mix, Mew ent for something different. Something that he hoped would turn the tide and keep everyone safe. He put his hands together, forming an Aura Sphere. With this Aura Sphere in his grasp, he would throw it down but not towards the other attacks. Instead, it was focused on the floor.
Specifically, the ground near Sylveon's side. He took advantage of the fact that the floor was shaking violently from this clash and suffering damage, only adding to that damage. But it was for a beneficial purpose. The floor began breaking apart below from this burst of Aura, disrupting the Golurk and Sylveon. They saw that the ground was beginning to break apart.
"S-Syl?!" The corrupted Sylveon gasped as she couldn't focus on her Dazzling Gleam at all. She and the Golurk all lost their balance as they inadvertently contributed to the destruction of the ground. Sweet Fang and Shrivel quickly flew up to avoid the destruction while the clash quickly took a turn.
The attacks from Riolu and everyone else would win, beating out Hyper Beam and Dazzling Gleam. Mew helped in his own way. Not by adding his Aura Sphere to the clash but by destroying the floor and thanks to the clash, it was vulnerable enough.
"Gol!" The four Golurk and Sylveon fell as the floor on their side began collapsing. This ended up saving them from the incoming attacks that managed to beat their own, going right over their heads. They were safe from the hit but not what was behind them.
"No! The Necropillars!" Sweet Fang and Shrivel gasped, quickly realizing where the attacks were heading for next. The two remaining Necropillars as all of these combined attacks were more than enough to destroy them.
"Mew-Mew!" But Mew did not stop there. He pulled off one last trick with Psychic. The New Species Pokemon focused his power on the combined attacks, selecting a few of them with his mental power. He grabbed Slurpuff's Dazzling Gleam and a Shadow Ball from one of the Golurks, sending them upwards. These attacks were exclusively targeted at Sweet Fang and Shrivel who noticed them approaching while the other attacks were free to keep on going.
Right as Sweet Fang and Shrivel tried going for the Necropillars, their attention was drawn to the Dazzling Gleam and Shadow Ball that were thrown upwards. Sweet Fang and Shrivel both flew out of the way, narrowly evading the attacks as they almost grazed their faces. Mew couldn't exactly hit his mark. But he ended up succeeding in distracting the two vampires, allowing the Necropillars to take a hit with no interruption.
The remaining two Necropillars took a crushing blow once each of these attacks landed. And compared to how Mew turned into a Wailord to destroy the first two and a majority of this room, the energies that came from these attacks did their own destructive damage.
The explosion eclipsed the two Necropillars, destroying them while also expanding to the point where they reached the upper level. This forced Sweet Fang and Shrivel to ascend as the explosion almost reached them. Once again, they managed to avoid any damage but things were getting close for them now.
"R-Rio...Rio..."Riolu breathed in and out as the explosion subsided, giving him time to recollect himself. The Necropillars had been destroyed. At least, the ones down here were. And as for Sylveon and the Golurk, they were already at the lower levels thanks to the destroyed floor. However, all of this destruction was about to reach the other side now since it had only worsened.
"Gol!" Quickly, two of the Golett who would help Riolu up, running as fast as they could before it could reach them. Slurpuff was picked up by them as well, carrying the Meringue Pokemon over their heads as they fled from the scene. Pinkie Pie and Applejack were once again held by Mew's Psychic, leaving the ground.
And speaking of leaving the ground, Sylveon suddenly started returning to the upper floor by swiftly jumping onto the falling rocks, refusing to let them get away from their sight. Everyone was leaving the scene of this crumbling area, except for Sylveon who was trucking on through. The Golurk turned their heads to see Sylveon approaching as she used her agile body to rise back up as if nothing happened. She took one last mighty leap, soaring through the air, essentially flying as she was now in hot pursuit of them.
"Curses! They got the other two!" Sweet Fang groaned as she was greatly annoyed by how all four pillars fell in the end. They failed to protect them and now their best weapon against Equestrian Magic had been cut short.
"It's fine! We have the other Necropillars still! Have those be activated by gathering them in one spot! Then we'll take out all magic from the ponies who've arrived here!" Shrivel uttered, shifting her attention to a better plan. A plan to wipe out all the Equestrian Magic. There weren't many ponies in here but it would still make a difference if they were not at their best.
"Right, right. But there's no way I'm letting them get away! Sylveon! After them!" Sweet Fang would join in on this pursuit. She wasn't going to let them escape so freely. This would soon go from being a battle to a chase.
"Lu...Luca." And all of this was felt by Lucario. By picking up on all the Auras here, he felt a great shift. He saw so many Auras moving around and the ones that really stuck out involved the most fiercest of confrontations. Such as the one Applejack's group had to go through.
But the further he went, the closer he felt Fluttershy, Cadence and Flurry Heart's Aura. They were near without a doubt and with so much concentration on these three Auras, Lucaro did not lose sight of them at all. He would then relay this message to Ash, using a pulse of Aura.
"Oh yeah! They're close!" Ash translated after hearing Lucario's Aura message. "We just have to keep going and not stop for a moment!"
"That's great and all but..." Emerald Aura held her breath in before turning her head to see the absolutely terrifying image behind her. And that was the fact that multiple Despair Plants were chasing them down. "Can we at least get rid of those Despair Plants?! They've been chasing as down for a while now! And how come you two aren't affecting it at all?!"
"Sorry! But it looks like they won't listen to us at all!" Daisy panted heavily while running for her life as she and Paradise were unable to calm down these Despair Plants.
"Nevermind that! All that matters is that we find the others and then we can deal with the Despair Plants later! Right now, we're in hot water!" Twilight shouted as her group would pass by a nearby battle, avoiding it. There was at least the benefit of knowing that there would be a nearby ally to help even if everywhere was incredibly hazardous and dangerous.
"Ca!" Lucario then saw an open entryway that went downstairs, sensing that the Aura was closer in that general direction. After seeing it, Lucario would then use Force Palm, leaping through the air for a quick yet devastating blow. He struck the walls that the entryway was connected to, blowing it away with one strike. The walls came crashing down, revealing the rest of this path as it was enlarged for the sake of those too big to go through it since they were shaped for ponies.
And by breaking through it, he startled the vampires that already entered this passageway, catching them off guard. Unlucky for them, their opponents were heading this way right as they were trying to get around. It was now off to the lower level of the Magehold Chamber.
Back with Opal Vivacity, her confrontation with Rarity continued. She once again used her massive mane as a weapon, swinging it around and attacking Pheromosa, Bayleef and Audino with it. It was not easy getting over her and surprisingly, even without multiple other vampires by her side, Opal was tough to deal with. She was a powerful pony without a doubt but that was only elevated thanks to the stolen power that originally came from Bayleef, allowing her to change fate, among other things she stole thanks to the Parasite Demon.
But during this confrontation. Opal Vivacity received a message. A Telepathic one. And it was from none other than the Lich Queen herself, Rosa Maledicta. Opal, who was in the air at the moment, listened to the Lich Queen while also putting up a magic barrier to defend herself from Audino's Hyper Beam.
"Your majesty!" She spoke out loud. "Everything's fine here, your majesty! The intruders are just being massive nuisances that's all.
"Not at all. The intruders are putting up a fight and I expected this much. But they have yet to submit. Not when their fire burns brightly as much as their magic. Which is why...they need to lose their magic."
"Ah, so it's time for that then?" Opal had a wide smile on her face, already expecting the usage of the Necropillars.
"Precisely. Gather up the current Necropillars and use them at once. Shut down all magic of the intruders. The Pokemon may be unaffected, but the Equestrians will be greatly weakened by this."
"What about the rest of the Equestrians who plan to enter Magehold eventually?" Opal asked while deflecting a barrage of leaves from Bayleef's Magical Leaf.
"We will set them off for them as well. The Necropillars will regain their energy with Equestrian Magic as well. They will always be ready for usage. With the barrier weakened it won't take long for them to realize they can enter with ease. So make sure the current Equestrians are shut down, especially the Princess."
"Understood. I'll be on it." Opal nodded before turning her attention back to Rarity's group. "I'm afraid we'll have to cut this short, Rarity. I have a way to shut you down so that you're not in peak form at all. Our battle will conclude with me as the victor but in a different way."
"What are you on about!? You're not fleeing from this one! Not anymore!" Rarity rejected, tired of Opal and other vampires fleeing the scene as always. This time, now that she was in enemy territory, Rarity was going to make sure that the vampires would stick around and taste the lingering effect of defeat.
"Try and stop me then, if you can!" Opal laughed before ascending higher into the air, moving through the open roof of this part of the room. Despite the fact that it showed the sky, it did not lead to the outside at all, showing just how massive this chamber was and how bewildering it could be.
"Opal!" Rarity shouted her name, refusing to let Opal escape. Now there was another pursuit in the chamber. And this time, Rarity would be the one to pursue Opal. She quickly hopped on Pheromosa's back, counting on her Ultra Beast partner to catch up with the vampire. Even though Opal was in the air, that wouldn't stop Rarity.
Kalos.
Elsewhere, the search for Reshiram continued. And this time, the location of this Legendary Dragon was known all thanks to Zekrom. He was still in the Kalos Region, residing here for a reason even though he was last seen at Holon. It was for Xerneas. Knowing of what the Dread League were plotting after finding Yveltal, Reshiram situated himself where Yveltal's Counterpart can also be found.
The Van of the Sirens moved across the scarred land that was caused by Opal Vivacity, following Zekrom's guidance as he was sensing his Draconic Counterpart even in his current Stone State. And in that van was Princess Luna, who had to find Reshiram and head back to Equestria as soon as possible.
"He's over there. I can sense more of him now."
"There?" Luna repeated before looking onwards. Right ahead as another crater that had been made here in Kalos. But this one wasn't like the others. It didn't seem to be involved with Opal VIvacity's attack. Instead, this crater sat on a mountain of all things, appearing rather deep as well. "In that crater or the mountain?"
"It's the crater deep within the mountain. That has to have been made by him. He's waiting for us."
"After this, it's the first plane back to Equestria, right?" Vivace looked back at Luna. "I'd like to head back there as well."
"We're going back too, mom? What about searching for the other Sirens?" Sonata questioned. "Plus, it'll be tough getting back here and we'll have to start all over again. There's only one gateway left."
"Equestria's our home too, girls. And you've made some great friends there, haven't you?" Vivace smiled as the Dazzlings went silent for a moment. Their mother was completely right about this. "Besides...I refuse to let the Dread League succeed in any way shape or form. Not since they tarnished the old league."
"Hm?" That caught Luna's attention. Vivace just spouted something of great importance that couldn't be missed. Now she had a question that needed an immediate answer and the best one possible as Vivace seemingly knew something about Magehold thanks to her old age. "What do you mean the Old League?"
As the journey continues.
Chapter 169 End.