//------------------------------// // Clash in the Sky // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// Equestria. Magehold. Above the Hyperborean Island. Day. Magehold was airborne. By the power of the Lich Queen, the entire nation had been removed from its original position and was now moving across the air. Currently, it was above the Hyperborean Island as Rosa Maldedicta aimed to destroy the Windigos but was promptly stopped by Ash and Pikachu, who were standing at the edge of the Magehold Chamber. The two sides locked eyes as Rosa Maledicta stood on the castle balcony with her controlled Yveltal, facing Ash Ketchum at last. "I'll take you on up here!" Ash shouted as his energetic voice boomed across the high clouds, even reaching the Lich Queen from this distance. "Are you an idiot?! One wrong move and you'll fall to your doom!" Rosa laughed at Ash's brazen and wild approach at battling her. "But fine! Go ahead! It'll be impossible for you to land the best possible hits in this scenario, especially with the current environment. "It's a good thing Ash tackles the impossible. I'll try and go for Yveltal, Ash. Maybe I can free it by entering its mindscape!" As for Twilight, she would focus on freeing Yveltal from Rosa Maledicta's control. That would obviously mean getting to the castle and up close with the Lich Queen but Twilight was willing to take that risk. The winds blew fiercely this high over the Hyperborean Island as it was noticeably closer. However, the winds were blowing in the direction of Rosa Maledicta due to how the Windigos felt. They chose a side very clearly and shifted the fierce winds towards the Lich Queen. "Let's go, Pikachu! Lucario! We'll ace this battle!" Ash pumped his fists forward. "Pikachu!" "Lucario!" "You'll just be collateral damage once I'm done with the Windigos!" Rosa Maledicta's eyes would flash green along with her horn as she would summon roots from the earth. At last, she would reveal the weapons greater than her thorns. The even stronger thorns that were just as hard to overcome. But Ash did not fear it for a moment. "It will be fitting for Equestria's Golden Boy to fall to these. You've earned it, Ash Ketchum." "Ash Ketchum." The Windigos would suddenly speak to Ash, floating in his direction and even changing the temperature just for him. "We will help you manage yourself in the air. You have our word. Battle freely in the skies without fearing the fall." "Awesome! I'm counting on everyone to free the souls from the Despair Plants. And then, those roots aren't gonna be so tough anymore. All that matters is that we get up close and personal with her." Ash grinned, trusting in his friends to weaken the Lich Queen's durable force. And right now, he fully trusted the Windigos. "Alright, Pikachu! Quick Attack!" "Pika!" Pikachu would go first and he would do it from this high up. He took off at lightning speeds, leaving behind a flash of light. Rosa Maledicta smiled before manipulating her roots which appeared around the castle, fiercely moving through the ground as if they were worms. Pikachu ended up moving through the air with Quick Attack, temporarily flying. But he would receive more air support in the form of the Windigos, who manipulated the winds, keeping Pikachu airborne, just as promised. The roots would then close in on Pikachu, ready to crush him as they were moving so fast they could ignore the fierce winds. They were also heavy enough to resist them as the Windigos could barely freeze them over. However, for Pikachu, he would boost himself up, going over the incoming roots. By evading them, he would then land on the roots, running up them as a new platform as he was approaching the Lich Queen. "Yveltal! Oblivion Wing!" Rosa Maledicta yelled as she tried pulling her thorns back. However, Pikachu was keeping up with the thorns even when they were retracting. Yveltal would then take action, unleashing Oblivion Wing on Pikachu, which would be absolutely disastrous if it managed to land. "Pi!" However, once the Oblivion Wing approached, Pikachu would leap onto another side of the roots, avoiding the incoming beam of destruction. The roots would be destroyed by Yveltal's Oblivion Wing, shocking the Lich Queen. And on top of that, Pikachu was the closest he has ever been to the Lich Queen, going for a full-force tackle. "Pika!" But getting in the way and shielding Rosa Maledicta from any damage was Yveltal as he would fly as fast as he could, taking the hit. Yveltal received Quick Attack which barely moved him back. Pikachu gasped as he was then pushed back by Yveltal's wing flap. "Pikaaa!" Pikachu screamed as he went flying through the air. However, thanks to the Windigos, the winds were in his favour. Pikachu's knockback wasn't as harsh as the Windigos saved him from crashing into something. On top of that, there was a powerful current of wind below him that was keeping him afloat. "Pika?" "Awesome! It's like you're flying!" Ash cheered. "Then in that case..." Realizing this, Ash took full advantage of the altered winds since they were on his side. He and Lucario would jump out of the chamber, entering the cold outside. And with nothing to fear Ash was now airborne. His feet touched the powerful wind current underneath him, keeping the King of the Sea and the Aura Pokemon afloat. Naturally, this annoyed Rosa Maledicta, who would have to go through hurdles to try and really damage this group since the Windigos were fully supporting them. "Okay! Thunderbolt and Aura Sphere!" "Pikaaa...Chuuu!" Together, Pikachu and Lucario performed a unison of attacks. Flying out were 100,000 volts of powerful lightning which would crack in the sky along with a sphere of Aura that was heightened thanks to Ash's Aura connecting with Lucario's. The Lich Queen would then use the Roots, forming a massive hand with them. This Root Hand would catch the attacks in its palm, holding them back as they were fiercely trying to break through. Rosa Maledicta narrowed her eyes which resulted in the Root Hand crushing the Thunderbolt and Aura Sphere as they would combust, failing to get through. After crushing the attacks, the Root Hand would then form a fist, flying over to the duo which breaking through the spaces of fierce winds that the Windigos made up. "Double Team into Force Palm!" "Lu!" The Aura Pokemon duplicated himself multiple times as each of these clones would also be supported by the air currents. Pikachu would be behind the clones who all collectively approached the massive Root Fist that was wide enough to hit this many Lucarios. Each of the Lucarios pulled their arms back, enveloping their paws in an orange light and throwing them forward. These Force Palms met with the giant fist. The impact disrupted some of the wind that the Windigos made, forming a new wind pressure, but one that favoured the Lich Queen instead. Lucario and his clones growled when trying to push through this Root Fist. They may not be able to damage it but they could at least push it back. "Iron Tail!" "Chu...!" Leaping higher into the air was Pikachu, who hardened his tail. He would then perform multiple flips before fiercely swinging his tail down, smashing it into the top of the root fist. The impact of his Iron Tail sent powerful vibrations through the fist which allowed the many Lucario to push it back. "Why you...!" Rosa Maledicta growled before having the Root Fist flick the air with one of its fingers. By doing so, a strong tunnel of wind would come crashing in as a form of retaliation. Lucario's clones were obliterated instantly by the wind while also knocking the real Lucario away. Pikachu's small body was also pushed back as he went hurtling through the air but managed to recover by using the wind the Windigos gave him. "Rrr!" Lucario growled, wiping away the wind that masked him for a moment. "You're just in the way! Oblivion Wing!" Once again, Oblivion Wing would be used as Rosa Maledicta was making sure to go for those lethal hits. She wanted this to be over as soon as possible. "I won't let you get past us! Electroweb!" "Pika-Pika-Pika!" From his tail, a small lightning orb was flung. But from that small orb came a giant web of electricity. It would intercept the Oblivion Wing, being the attack that stops it in its tracks. And once the two attacks met, that's exactly what happened. Electroweb contained the Oblivion Wing, causing it to combust. The Dark-Type attack would blow up but taking the Electroweb along with it "Now! Bullet Punch!" "Luca!" Rushing in with his newest move was Lucario, enveloping his paws in a silver light. He dashed through the controlled air, feeling the wind hit his face as he was starting to become a blue blur. Getting in his way was the Root Fist as he was reminded of Dimstar's Tendrils. This was the same thing but on a new level, but that would not deter the Aura Pokemon. He threw his punches as fast as he could, smashing them against the Root Fist which came charging in. Multiple punches from Lucario would strike the Root Fist, keeping it from going any further. But Lucario couldn't go any further at all either. He was stuck bashing his paws into the nigh-indestructible roots. The Lich Queen then cast a spell while Lucario would bashing against the roots. She would reflect the air itself, summoning a massive a wind tunnel that was originally made from Lucario's attacks. Lucario was creating plenty of pressure from his movements and the Lich Queen used to her advantage by reflecting his own pressure. "R-Rrrr!" Lucario felt the pressure he created being reflected back at him. However, he did not move at all but he stood strong, keeping up his fierce assault. "We gotta close this distance as soon as possible!" Ash then held out another Poke Ball, needing to get to the Lich Queen pronto. "Dragonite! I choose you!" "Dragonite!" Entering the scene was Dragonite, who spun around in the air. Thanks to the Windigos, the chilling atmosphere was no longer an issue for the Dragon-Flying-Type as she could freely battle without having her weakness to ice coming into the way. And on top of that, she was already a master of the air so the wind currents were helping her greatly. "Dragon Claw!" "Raaaaa!" Dragonite joined the battle, zooming in with Dragon Claw as she would strike the same root fist that Lucario was attacking repeatedly. With her power, there was a shift in this struggle. The Root Fist was pushed back successfully thanks to Dragonite's involvement. The roots went flying back so far that they almost hit the Lich Queen herself. "!" Rosa Maledicta gasped as she managed to keep the Roots away from her by moving them elsewhere, but as a result, they hit the castle walls instead. The castle walls came crumbling as the Lich Queen who once hailed from Equestria, gave a vicious glare to Ash and his Pokemon. "Oh...You're just as troublesome as your father." "Thanks." Ash chuckled, glad to know he was getting under the Lich Queen's skin. "It was clear that Ash, his Pokemon and the Windigos were capable of occupying the Lich Queen while everyone else went to work. And of course, this was not ignored by the residents of Magehold. Those not involved with the Dread League were all still in the Chamber, being ordered to stay inside during this attack. And when looking outside the window, they saw the fierce battle outside for their own eyes. They've already witnessed a Pokemon Battle here at the Pokemon Contest but that also involved pulling off the most beautiful attacks possible just for style points. This battle had a greater weight to it and involved some of the most powerful attacks the vampires have ever witnessed. On top of that, they saw Pokemon they've never seen before. For the most part, it's just been Ghost and Dark-Types. But not anymore. Pikachu, Lucario and Dragonite were brand new to their eyes. But they also saw Ash, standing in the air and yelling out attack names while confronting the Lich Queen. "What Pokemon are those?" The vampires spoke amongst each other, having so many questions right now. "I don't know. And who's that the Lich Queen is facing off against?" Amazement filled their eyes. They were still worried but also intrigued. First, the Pokemon Contest happened and now this battle was breaking out. Fantina approached the window, wanting to see this for herself. "That boy..." And when looking at the battle, she saw Ash there. When looking at Ash, there was a part of her that felt like she's seen him before. She's never had that feeling even when meeting with Rarity and Applejack back in the Despair Plant Garden. Unfortunately, she couldn't put her finger on it. Her memories were still affected after all. But even though she didn't remember who that was, she knew one thing. They were on her side judging by what she knows. "What do we do, Miss Fantina?" A young vampire asked. "...We carry on with the show." Fantina decided to continue the Show. The Pokemon Contest would continue, despite what was happening outside. Fantina did not wish to see everypony panic and worry as she only wanted them to be happy. And this contest has been making them happy the entire time so why stop now just because of a sudden interruption? After all, Fantina knew that they wouldn't target these vampires since they weren't involved with the Dread League. "Let's finish up here as soon as possible!" "Continue?" The vampires all chatted, surprised that Fantina would rather continue the contest. She hopped back onto the stage where Eccentrick and her opponent were about to face off with each other but had their battle interrupted. "Yes! Whatever happens...I can promise you will all be safe. So to reassure that, let's enjoy the last moments of this contest! It'll go out with a bang! Whether it's from the outside or the inside, you'll all be amazed!" Fantina exclaimed with high exuberance in her voice as always. Fantina always knew how to get the crowd excited. They were willing to sit through until the end. They would have a wonderful show inside and outside. The battle that was taking place outside was just as entertaining as what was happening in here. But that was all thanks to Ash's way of battling. He always knew how to amaze everyone despite not being a coordinator. Ash entertains in his own way, much like Fantina. "I like the sound of that," Eccentrick said before raising her voice to everyone. "Plus! I want to win this so badly, and no outside attack is going to stop me!" "S-Seriously?" Her opponent stuttered along with her Haunter. She shrugged, going along with it as well. She's come this far after all. "Okay then." "Then in that case..." Fantina smiled, raising her arm before swinging it down. "Battle Start!" Magehold Chamber. Twilight was already on her way to try and reach Yveltal. But she was going for an approach that was less direct than Ash's. Twilight aimed to sneak up on the Destruction Pokemon and enter his mindscape that way, hoping to free him from Yveltal's mind control. And right behind her were Radiant Hope, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Cadence, Daisy, Paradise and Flurry Heart who joined up with her. Daisy and Paradise finally had their bodies back to normal now that Equestrian Magic in this area had returned. No longer were they reverting to their respective flowers as they felt reenergized. And with Magehold moving across the skies, the chances of them seeing Sunlight again were high. While moving across the chamber, the sights of more Pokemon taking on Despair Plants could be seen as they couldn't go anywhere without seeing at least one Pokemon and a Despair Plant. The brawl within the Magehold Chamber had been elevated with the involvement of Galaxy Master's Pokemon. And since they carried the light that could counter the insane durability of the Despair Plants, a massive advantage had been made. "So Ash is out there right now taking on the Lich Queen?!" Rainbow Dash said while flying next to Twilight. "He'll be fine!" Twilight exclaimed. "All we have to do is get into Yveltal's mind and free it! Without Yveltal, the Lich Queen will lose her biggest advantage. I'm counting on Ash to keep her busy. If anyone knows how to handle a dangerous foe, it's him!" "You won't be getting to our majesty!" Of course, the vampires would be here to stop them, overhearing Twilight's words. But it wasn't a secret what she aimed to do considering what has happened to Yveltal. And the vampires who heard her were Sweet Fang and Shrivel. Joined by Despair Plants, they blocked Twilight and her friends from getting anywhere. "All it'll take is for her to turn on Yveltal and destroy everything in sight! It's just that easy!" "We don't have time for you! Move! Braviary, use Brave Bird!" Rainbow Dash didn't have time for these vampires and their interruptions. She would quickly throw her Poke Ball into the air, summoning Braviary. "Braviary!" And with Braviary emerging, he would hear Rainbow Dash, going for an instant Brave Bird which involved him igniting his body in a flaming aura. The Valiant Pokemon tackled the Despair Plants in the air, knocking them aside. The Despair Plants would crash into the walls or fall to another level thanks to Braviary's speedy tackle which didn't stop there. He was going straight for the vampires too. Unfortunately, all it took was Shrivel and Sweet Fang using their magic to form a dark magic field. Braviary crashed into this field at full force, causing some shockwaves to fly out. The barrier shattered, but Braviary couldn't blow past them, unfortunately. "Not these two again! I'm sick of 'em!" Applejack groaned out of aggravation. "If we can't get rid of you, we can at least wait until Yveltal's final hours. Well, these final moments anyway. After all, Yveltal will be reborn and it will still be under the control of the Lich Queen." Sweet Fang spoke as she and Shrivel would descend. "The next planet we go to will have all of its life wiped out in an instant as well. There's most definitely other life out there in the space and we won't miss a single one. After that, it's off to different universes." "That's insane though!" Radiant Hope bellowed. "You can't gain anything from this! Wiping out all life will leave everything empty! There'll be no point to it!" "It'll just be us vampires in a brand new world. And an indestructible army to boot." Shrivel replied. "A World of Vampires, populating everything. "And hey, maybe the next Lich Ruler might have something in mind." Sweet Fang shrugged, laughing about this despite how vile it was. "I'm already planning on taking over the Crystal Empire once this is all said and done. I'll be its new ruler and you two will be my skeletal servants." Sweet Fang looked over at Cadence and Flurry Heart, disrespecting them by coming for their throne. "Isn't that right, Sylveon?" "Sylveon!" Emerging from all the smoke that was made from this fierce battle was none other than Cadence's Pokemon. Or in this case, Sweet Fang's Pokemon. "Sylveon!" Emerging from all the smoke that was made from this fierce battle was none other than Cadence's Pokemon. Or in this case, Sweet Fang's Pokemon. Infected with Curse Magic, Sylveon now belonged to Sweet Fang, becoming a warped and twisted version of herself as she would appear before Twilight and everyone else. Cadence couldn't believe her eyes. She has been wondering where Sylveon was the entire time and now she knew the horrible truth. "S-Sylveon?!" Cadence stammered, witnessing her beloved partner in a different state. She still looked like Sylveon but there was a noticeable darkness about her. Her eyes were sharper, her ribbons were enveloped in a dark aura and her usually colourful appearance was darkness as an unbridled amount of anger was exuding out of her. "My Sylveon now, I'm afraid." Sweet Fang petted Sylveon, taunting Cadence. "Not yours anymore. The Curse Magic I've injected her with makes her a perfect fit for me. Too bad for you. You're missing out on so much power, like this!" "Syl!" To demonstrate, Sylveon would smash her foot on the ground, summoning a powerful tremor. She could make an earthquake now with this power. This also appeared in the form of a dark energy that would ripple through the ground. The energy formed a massive split in the ground, knocking over most of Twilight's friends and even nearby platforms and stairs. They would crumble against the might of Dark Sylveon's brute strength, which she never possessed before. None of the Eeveelutions have been shown to hold such might. "Audino!" Audino put up a Protect, shielding them all from receiving the dark energy. But even she fell over after blocking the energy as the tremors were something she couldn't stop. "D-Dino!" "See? What Sylveon do you know does that?" Sweet Fang boasted. "Here at Magehold, everything is made to be better as you can see. Your age is about to come to an end and our age can finally begin after waiting for so many centuries. This is also payback! I haven't forgotten about the Human World and I'll make sure the Lich Queen remembers it." "The Human World?" Twilight gasped, realizing that her human counterpart, Sunset Shimmer and all the friends she's made there were targets as well. Their world wouldn't be ignored at all. The Black Crusade truly intended to take everything out, no matter where it may be or how far out of reach it was. "You...You took my husband...and my subjects too. And now you've taken Sylveon away from me!" Cadence uttered, taking all of it in and how upset it made her. Never before has Cadence had to deal with something so heavy and vile. Her magic aura was rising. Even though some of her lifespan had been taken away, she still had some magic to show off and the way it appeared was beyond what she should have right now. "Hm?" Sweet Fang raised an eyebrow, noticing the magical aura. Most notably, she even noticed the shift in Cadence's signature aura. "Cadence?" Twilight uttered before noticing a familiarity with this magic. It wasn't familiar because it was Cadence's. It was familiar because she has experienced it before from herself. In fact, she's also experienced it from Princess Luna too. Now, she was sensing it from Cadence. "This Magic..." "Mom?" A worried Flurry spoke, unaware of what this magic was at all. "And for what? You're going to pay for this!" Suddenly, Cadence's magic shot up. Even though the Lich Queen robbed her of most of it, in a sudden outburst of anger, she built up an obscene amount of it. So much of it that it felt like what she lost was returning to her. It was so fierce that not only did it reach the Dread League, causing them to step back, it even forced Twilight and her friends back as well. The ceiling above would start breaking apart just from her outburst as the Despair Plants would try pushing through, only to be held back by this alicorn's anger. Sylveon snarled, trying to stay strong, but even she was being pushed back. "What's happening to Mom?!" "It's Sorrowful Rage Magic! It only shows up when someone experiences heavy rage and sadness at the same time! All of this has awakened it in Cadence!" Indeed. All of this was enough to awaken that powerful magic. Cadence has experienced anger and sadness together to a level she never expected. Losing her husband, subjects and now Sylveon tapped into that staggering magic. She was beginning to unleash something similar to Lunar Ire and Horizon Storm. "This looks a bit worrying..." Sweet Fang chuckled for a moment, feeling the intensity in Cadence's eyes. "But you don't scare us!" "Twilight," Cadence said to Twilight without facing her as magic was suddenly pulsating, as if it had a heartbeat. The way it was pulsating was intimidating too, sounding a lot like a thunderstorm. "Go ahead. Get to Yveltal and make this right." Despite her anger, she looked like she was in control of herself. Unlike Lunar Ire, who would try and force herself out at certain times, the Sorrowful Rage Version of Cadence was seemingly staying within her but at the same time, she was exuding that powerful magic as she wiped a tear off her face. Her magic was overflowing as this powerful magic was correlating with something else. Love. The love she had for those she lost was in there as that was one part of Cadence that was vital to her and would never leave. Twilight was amazed to see the Magic of Love flowing with the Sorrowful Rage Magic. Cadence did not lose herself due to the overwhelming love she had for those she lost. But another reason for her control was that she knew there was a way to bring them back. It was not goodbye forever. Shining Armor and her subjects could be saved. Sylveon could be saved. Even though it hurt her to see all of this transpire, that part within her stood strong and refused to die out. "We'll help get SYleon back for you, Cadence. We're staying." Opting to help Cadence were Applejack, Flurry Heart, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. "Thank you." Cadence, who was overflowing with magic, would smile back at them. Her smile would then transform when looking at the Dread League as she took a deep breath. And from her voice, she used the equivalent of the Royal Canterlot Voice, speaking to her Pokemon. "Sylveon!" "S-Sy?!" Sylveon stuttered after hearing her name at such a high volume. "You're coming back with us. No matter what we have to do, I'm not letting you go along with this anymore." Like a mother to her child, Cadence was dead set on steering Sylveon away from a darker side. Sylveon, despite her violent nature, felt intimidated just from Cadence's words and presence. "Good luck, Cadence!" Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy and Radiant Hope would jet away, leaving this up to Cadence, Rainbow Dash and the others. Near the Hyperborean Island. As Magehold moved across the skies, it was close to leaving the Hyperborean Island and eventually, entering the rest of Equestria. After that, the nearest area would be the Crystal Empire. The residents of the Crystal Empire were resting after the fierce attack they received. They wished their King and Queen the best of luck, unaware of what was happening back at Magehold and the fact that they could end up seeing Maeghold itself. However, while they stayed back, someone was approaching the Hyperborean Island, placing a hoof in the deep snow. Magehold's actions had to be stopped and the best way to do that was by entering the land itself. "It's close." And the one who placed her hoof in the snow was none other than the Ruler of Equestria. Princess Celestia. Equestria's Ruler was finally about to approach the nation of vampires. And of course, she was not alone. Behind her and in the harsh blizzard were her many Canterlot Forces. And right next to her was Sunburst, who was out of the Crystal Empire. "I'm sure of it. This is what Starswirl left behind. It's all related to the Dread League since the Pony of Shadows is working with them." In his magical grasp was a book that had information about Celestia's old teacher, Starswirl the Bearded. "Starswirl had experience with the Dread League before and this looks like one of the few records we have on it." "Good. I've always wondered where Starswirl went after he disappeared. What does the book say?" She requested information from the book. Sunburst would begin, even getting near Celestia to show her the images. "The best elements within us can spread light and virtue, and I know ponies who represent them all – strength, bravery, healing, beauty, hope, and sorcery. Myself and these Pillars of Equestria were gathered together by another to maintain and share the light of these powerful ideals. But we soon came to believe the pony who brought us together only wanted that power for himself. Cast out and alone, this power-mad pony turned to darkness to satisfy his thirst. Transformed into a Pony of Shadows, he returned for revenge – to extinguish the Pillars' light and rob the world of hope. To stop him, the Pillars and I must make a grave sacrifice. But we shall leave behind a seed in hopes that one day it will grow into a force to stand against the darkness for all time. We must now face the fiend with the only plan we have...I only hope it will be enough." That's the last entry. And maybe Star Swirl's final words before he vanished." "And what about Magehold?" "It's near the end. It looks like Starswirl had little information about Magehold that he never expanded on. He never got to learn more about the place but there was something interesting he revealed. It looks like the Pony of Shadows is responsible for the Lich Cycle." "The Lich Cycle? The Pony of Shadows is responsible for it? How can that be? The years are too far apart." Celestia pondered as that did not seem right. The Lich Cycle, according to Mellifera, happened centuries before Starswirl was even born. It predates even her. "It must've been the same magic that the Pony of Shadows possesses. The point is, whatever the Pony of Shadows is doing is fueling Magehold in some way and benefitting off the Lich Queen too. It adds to that darkness since they use Dark Magic as well." "I see. Then, we'll confront the Pony of Shadows as well. And the pony that has been overtaken by the darkness." said Celestia. "If we cut their connection to the Pony of Shadows, we'll greatly weaken Magehold. But Yveltal is the biggest one we have to get back." "Will we have enough when we get there though?" Sunburst questioned. "No need to worry, Sunburst." Celestia smiled before facing the entryway to the Hyperborean Island. "I had a chat with a vampire back at Pallet Town...Ash, Twilight and everyone are already enough. I can tell. We just have to back them up." Along came Princess Celestia and her forces, ready to tip the scales. The vampire she referred to was none other than Spectrum Shade who was recently seen over at the Ketchum Household. However, before she and her massive group could enter the Hyperborean Island, something else caught their attention that made them stop. It started with a roar of thunder in the sky, which didn't seem natural. This was then followed by a powerful howl along with the sound of something combusting. So many different sounds were going off in the distance and they didn't seem consistent at all. The Hyperborean Island certainly couldn't be responsible for making those noises. It was full of Windigos and even they couldn't make that noise. When using her magic, Celestia looked beyond the Hyperborean Island, seeing what was causing that chaotic array of voices. Her vision went far, moving through the powerful mist as it didn't take long for her to see what was going on. And it truly shocked her. She saw Magehold for the first time, but not in the way she expected. It was flying, moving across the high skies of the Hyperborean Island. But more importantly, the faces she managed to see surprised her. Her vision could only go so far but from what she found, she saw the familiar figure of Ash Ketchum, his partner Pikachu and some of his Pokemon. And even though she couldn't see her, Celestia saw the Lich Queen's magic being active, moving around massive roots that Pikachu, Dragonite and Lucario were fiercely battling against. Even a stream of Oblivion Wing could be seen flying by as the Windigos were moving all over the place, keeping Ash and his friends active. "What do you see, your majesty?" A soldier asked "We might have to rethink where we go..." Celestia's jaw dropped, ending her spell as she already knew things were about to escalate to a new level that she did not anticipate. No one else anticipated what was about to come. "Listen! Magehold might be coming to us, so get ready!" "Coming to us?" The soldiers all repeated, unsure of what she meant by that. They would eventually find out as the flying nation was getting closer to the end despite its moving speed. Celestia gulped, unsure of how to deal with this flying nation now that it's come up. But she would try her best as the forces behind her, who were masked by the harsh blizzard were ready to act in whatever way they could. "Hang in there, Ash. Twilight. Everyone. If push comes to shove...we might have to go to Ponehenge." As the journey continues. Chapter 181 End.