The Badlands. Late Afternoon.
Zygarde was still on the move. It had not lost track of the Storm King this entire time. Not for a moment. Dedicated to its mission, Zygarde saw something in the distance that could not be ignored. Up ahead, a castle could be seen here at the Badlands. It was without a doubt the biggest structure in the Badlands which meant that the Storm King most likely resides there most of the time. The Storm King was still leading Zygarde with all of this destruction, allowing it to chase him down just so he can get home field advantage. And there was no better home field advantage than your own castle.
And while on the move, it witnessed the damage that had been done to the world. And while it wanted to stop the Storm King before anything else, the way certain ecosystems took a hit couldn't be ignored. During its pursuit of the Storm King, the path of destruction grew even larger as Zygarde's own energy was ripping through the earth, completely twisted and corrupted compared to what it usually has.
Currently, some Pokemon were in the midst of collapsing thanks to a massive chasm made by the Storm King. Their homes have been absolutely demolished. It may have only been 4 years, but their homes were still precious to them. Refusing to let them perish, Zygarde took action. As Guardian of the Land and Ecosystem, it could not let this stand.
Zygarde would use Land's Wrath, but this time, it was used for protective purposes. The Order Pokemon summoned a green wave from its body which would manipulate the land. The massive chasm was being closed up by Zygarde's power which had to draw power from the land itself.
However, knowing this, the Storm King had corrupted the land in the chance that Zygarde uses its power in the Badlands. And there was obviously a high chance of that happening. When drawing power from the land, Zygarde's energy was suddenly pushed back. The Corrupted Energy hissed back at Zygarde's Land Energy, preventing it from fixing what had been left behind. Thanks to the Sea Temple Crystals, they had enough power to match Zygarde.
The chasm did not fully close and out if, that corrupted energy was pulsating out. The Pokemon that were hanging from it found their bodies exposed to the radiation of this energy, harming them some more. Zygarde quickly moved, only for the ground next to it to split open. The Order Pokemon was right near a massive chasm that had opened up but he managed to avoid it before potentially falling through it.
Zygarde still used his power to reshape the land, saving as many Pokemon as he could. Some Pokemon were rolling down jagged hills, only for Zygarde to soften the hills and reshape their angle, turning them into flat lands instead of downward hills which would stop their movements.
Zygarde tried keeping up with the destructive energy which was moving faster thanks to how violent and erratic it was. So many Pokemon to save all the while the Storm King was getting further away. Zygarde would create more land as another chasm was in front it. By making that land, it would move across the chasm, evading danger once more while also saving the lives of other Pokemon.
But there were just too many Pokemon to keep track of and the energy was doing everything in its power to stop Zygarde. The Order Pokemon's work was being interrupted and squandered by his energy. He managed to save some Pokemon by reshaping the land but moments later, the energy would simply ruin it by corrupting the ecosystem.
The energy would also lash out at Zygarde, whipping it. The Dragon-Ground-Type was suddenly whipped by the energy the Storm King left behind, taking damage while trying to save some Pokemon. Zygarde fought back, unleashing a Core Enforcer pulse that would reflect the energy.
However, as a way to taunt it, the energy used its own version of Core Enforcer. A similar colour to Zygarde's Core Enforcer came out but with a darker shade. Zygarde received its own attack, sending the Order Pokemon flying while also reshaping the landscape to a place where barely any Pokemon can withstand. Thanks to Zygarde, many Pokemon could flee from the destruction, but some were still struggling. With how Zygarde had been knocked back, it looked like it wouldn't make it in time to save these Pokemon that were about to be caught by the raging energy. That is until someone else got involved.
Suddenly, appearing from above and cutting the energy in half was a blue figure, descending and becoming a blur for a moment. Right as the energy tried grabbing a hold of an Ekans, it had been cut in half, failing to reach it. And the one to do it was none other than a friend of Zygarde, who came along with the Order Pokemon.
"Greninja!" It was Greninja. Both had left Kalos just to show up here as the Ninja Pokemon had excellently slashed the energy in half, giving Ekans the chance to flee. Zygarde was pleased to see Greninja. It expected him to show up eventually but he certainly took his time getting here while Zygarde was chasing down the Storm King. "Grenin."
Zygarde nodded in response. Greninja would be very helpful in this instance. Zygarde looked ahead, past the energy that was ruining this land and straight at the castle in the distance. The Order Pokemon wasn't too far away from the Storm King and the sooner he's stopped, the better. With Greninja here, that could be arranged fairly soon. Greninja looked at the same direction as Zygarde, knowing exactly where to go.
The Storm King's Castle.
The Storm King's Castle. Located in what could be considered his own realm, It appeared to be a fairly small castle despite the view of it in the distance, designed as a tower rather than typical castles with sharp, antler-like branches pointing off of it. It's pitch black with blue windows and appears to be at the centre of a perpetual storm. Out of every other location in the Badlands, this one was actually covered by water, resting on sharp rocks with ice nearby.
Turns out Capper was telling the truth after all about there being an extra body of water somewhere in the Badlands but it just so happened to be at where the Storm King was. And above his castle were permanent Storm Clouds. There were no pegasi to control them. They would always be here, fitting the aesthetic of the place.
And in that castle, was the recently captured Twilight Sparkle. Tempest Shadow had successfully captured Twilight during the battle back at Mount Aris. And at the moment, Twilight was on her lonesome. Cinccino and Ninetales were still at Mount Aris, Espeon was previously seen with the Hippogriffs and the two Poke Balls containing Absol and Togekiss had been taken away from her.
Her body still felt some paralysis after what Tempest Shadow did. She would heal but it would take some time and the paralysis wasn't kind to her at all. To add insult to injury, the paralyzed Twilight Sparkle was being kept in a cage that was in a red room. A very saturated red room. Twilight breathed in and out, trying to relax so that paralysis will eventually vanish. At the same time, Tempest Shadow was approaching her.
" Aww, the 'Princess of Friendship'. With no friends! And no way out." Tempest Shadow taunted. "I hear that my counterpart from another universe has her horn. Very soon, we'll be very much alike when mine returns."
"I'm guessing she's in a similar situation as you. That was obvious since she's also working for a conqueror." Twilight panted, keeping a serious face on her. "The only difference is that she still backs up Equestria...But, you're with someone else. Far away from Equestria and with the Storm King. You're just like me,"
"I'm nothing like you! I'm more than you'll ever be!" Tempest Shadow exclaimed, suddenly showing aggression. "That's one that's different from me and my counterpart. She stuck by Equestria and failed during a mission. I found somewhere else and have seen success instead. But that only makes sense since I could never count on those from Equestria. Or even here."
"N-Not even from the Storm King?"
"Not even him despite all of his power. You should look past where I originally came from and what I am now. I once hoped for friendship, to find a place among my kind" Tempest Shadow then held up the cube, using the last of its power to show Twilight something special. Out of it, a projection of light showed up. And that light made a visage of TEmpest Shadow herself.
Or rather, a young Tempest Shadow. Like many ponies, she started out as a foal. Innocent in the beginning. Still having plenty of her life to explore. Twilight would get to witness a projection of Tempest Shadow's past life. Two other foals were with Tempest Shadow, who still had her horn, showing great promise of magic in the future as the three pranced along, entering a forest.
However, it was that very pathway where things turned for Tempest. The ball the foals were playing with ended up in this eerie part of the forest which was clearly not meant to be entered in. However, the two foals insisted that Tempest should be the one to take it.
She went for it, feeling a bit nervous but her magic enveloped the ball either way. However, there was a reason why this place was seen as dangerous and that was thanks to the creature resting in the cave right up ahead. Twilight's eyes widened in unison with the young Tempest Shadow, witnessing the Ursa Minor emerge from it.
The creature the size of many buildings appeared, growling and roaring at the young filly as it had been disturbed from its sleep. After all, much like Tempest Shadow, the Ursa Minor was still a child. But even in the face of such a colossal being, Tempest Shadow would try and defend herself, but against an Ursa Minor, that was beyond pointless.
To Twilight's surprise, it was the Ursa Minor that broke her horn. That was the moment a part of Tempest Shadow's future had been shattered. She lost a valuable part of herself over something like this. And the worst part was how her friends reacted to this once she returned home. The ball had been retrieved but at a cost that far surpassed it in every way.
Like normal friends, they were worried about Tempest Shadow, seeing her in such a state. A broken horn was rare for a unicorn but that did not mean they were exempt from using magic. The Young Tempest Shadow used her magic on the ball but as a result, it went completely haywire.
Much like what was seen today, because of her broken horn, her magic had no proper flow or stability. It was as wild as a wildfire and the only good thing it brought was that it managed to increase Tempest's destructive capabilities and that was it. But it was for that reason her friends feared her. They drifted away from Tempest Shadow, refusing to be near such a terrifying power that could harm any of them in many ways.
With that, Tempest's trust in others had greatly dwindled. At such a young age, it was easy to see how she would lose that trust. And it stuck with her even to this day. As such, she went her own way, being seen as an oddity where she grew up at. And the area that Young Tempest Shadow was near before setting out was very familiar to Twilight.
It was the Ponyville Schoolhouse.
Tempest Shadow was once a Ponyville resident. But not anymore. Tempest left Ponyville, off to do her own thing. And by going on her own, she eventually left Equestria itself, entering the Badlands. To Tempest Shadow, she felt like she gained a new perspective on things. What was usually shown back at Equestria was thrown aside here at the Badlands. It felt rather welcoming to Tempest Shadow as what she believed in was completely non-existent there. And yet she thrived, opening her eyes to something else. Something dark.
"I saw the truth. My "friends" abandoned me when times got tough. Looks like I'm not the only one. Face it, Princess. Friendship has failed you, too."
"What about Sneasler? And Noivern? You met them and became their friends, didn't you?"
"Sneasler and Noivern are...just allies to me. I met them 3 years ago." Tempest Shadow turned around, using the crystals to show her encounter with Sneasler and Noivern. Back then, they were in their pre-evolved states as they were unlucky to end up here at the Badlands. When the worlds crossed over, these two were brought to the Badlands and Sneasler, who was a Hisuian Sneasel prior to this, was pulled out of her own time, unfamiliar with this new world.
Noivern was also just a Noibat, making him very vulnerable here. That is until Tempest Shadow found them one day. They were the first Pokemon she ever came across and they were the most vulnerable here at the Badlands. The Badlands was still getting used to the Pokemon but some of the most dangerous ones made themselves at home here.
She saved the lives of these two Pokemon and that instantly made them attach themselves to Tempest Shadow. Ever since then,n much like many Pokemon Trainers, Tempest Shadow would soon learn more about Pokemon over the months. At least, these two.
"That right there is Friendship! It has to be!" Twilight shouted.
"Wrong. Our alliance is mutual. They help me in what I need to accomplish and that's that." Tempest Shadow said. "I don't need friendship. I just need to work with others and get things done. That's all."
"It's coming! It's coming!" Interrupting Tempest Shadow before she could say anything else was none other than Grubber. He came running in, already out of breath while holding some food. "Hah..."
"What? What's coming?" Tempest Shadow asked.
"It's...Zygarde. He's just over the horizon."
"This is our final destination as well. So now it'll have nowhere to go." Tempest Shadow smirked. "And the best part is that the Storm King already prepared the castle for Zygarde's arrival."
"Zygarde's here?!" Twilight gasped.
"Sit tight while we deal with Zygarde. The rest of its power is coming to us. But while that happens...I suppose I should send you to the Storm King at once."
Mount Aris.
Back at Mount Aris, Ash and his friends showed up to try and find Twilight. Ash was already back to normal as that Cosmic Form did not last that long. It was already gone. And so was Twilight. Around them, they saw how the Hippogriffs and Water Pokemon were still lying down after being pulled back to the surface. They also saw Ninetales and Cinccino, who were bewildered and damaged after the battle they had just had without Twilight being anywhere in sight.
"Twilight's already gone! We were too late to get out here!" Ash and his friends were too late. Twilight had already been taken away and was at the Storm King's Castle. His group may have succeeded in saving the Hippogriffs but the cost was losing Twilight now that she had been kidnapped.
"That was a mighty clever plan..." Applejack sighed. "But, where is she? They could be way ahead of us by now."
"Ahead of us, but the chances of us losing them are low. We can easily sniff them out. Right, Pinkie Pie?" Rarity said, looking over at the Earth Pony.
"I hear ya!" Pinkie Pie winked, knowing what Rarity was going for. She had the means to find Twilight and that was by relying on Slurpuff's amazing sense of smell. But before she could send one of her Slurpuff out, something else grabbed her and everyone's attention.
Above them, something was giving off a strong wind pressure. They believed that this could be the airship of the Storm King again, here to launch another attack. Thankfully, it wasn't. Instead, it was something far more recognizable. It was not the ship of Captain Celeano either. To their surprise, the ship in the air was none other than the Grand Equestria.
And the ones carrying it were Reshiram and Zekrom. With their strength, they gently descended with the ship, surprising Ash and the others. But even though it was not Celaeno's ship, the captain could still be seen up there. Celaeno tipped her hat off to Rainbow Dash and the others as Capper was also seen onboard. The Grand Equestria was more populated than ever. Not just holding many guards and Golurks but also pirates and cats.
"Oooh! Celestia?! And you guys?!" Ash exclaimed.
"Would ya look at that...They are real." Capper's eyes widened as he couldn't believe he was actually laying eyes on the Hippogriffs. They weren't exactly rare anymore now that many have seen them.
"We're on board to help you fight the Storm King! Just not on board our... actual ship." Celaeno added, explaining everything else. "Sunk. The Storm King took it down and it's only thanks to the Princesses and our Pokemon that we made it safe and sound."
"When following the trail of the Storm King, we managed to save them from that devastating blast," Luna replied. "Right now, he has already gathered some of Reshiram and Zekrom's power."
"He took Reshiram and Zekrom's power too?!" Fluttershy put her hooves in her mouth as her ears did not deceive her. The Storm King got some of Reshiram and Zekrom's power as well.
"Indeed. And it seems that because of those two crystals, it doesn't matter how little power he takes. Those crystals can boost their strength the same way they boosted only 10% of Zygarde's Energy. Ash. Everyone. We have to go now. The ecosystem will soon be beyond repair. The energy that the Storm King has summoned is out of control. With Reshiram and Zekrom's power, he could form plasma and scorch the earth."
"That's not gonna happen. We're going straight for Twilight right about now. She's been taken." said Ash. "Novo and the Hippogriffs are gonna help us out but I wanna get going as soon as possible."
"Pikachu!"
"I understand. No time to waste then. We've been chasing the Storm King for a while now and I'd love to put an end to it. By now, he's probably come to a halt considering where he's going. He's at his castle and he won't be going anywhere else now."
"He'll stop at just his castle?" Pinkie uttered.
"That's where he wants Zygarde. We even saw Zygarde during our pursuit. If Zygarde gets there first, there might be a chance its power will be taken away. All of it. Then, the Storm King will be stronger than ever. Hop on board! Quick!"
Without wasting any more time, Ash and everyone would jump onto the Grand Equestria, which would be the ship that carries them to their destination. It became even more crowded now. It was practically a Full House now with all of these passengers and yet, it was not overcrowded at all. This ship was Truly Grand. The Purrloin rushed over to hug Ash, swarming him and making him laugh. It hasn't been that long but they certainly missed him after what they experienced back at the ship.
Being surrounded by new friendly faces who were once devious and tricky was rather soothing for Ash and the others, especially when getting to know Capper and his Pokemon a bit more. The more friends the merrier as Celaeno and Rainbow Dash nudged each other. While they would all love to chat, they had to get going. It was off the Storm King's Castle and Reshiram and Zekrom would be the ones to carry the ship in the sky since there was barely a sea around.
That made Ash think. What of the Sea Temple? What was happening with it right now? His main thought was that they were on the move as well, but right now, on his mind was getting Twilight back. It wasn't just Ash's group that was heading for the Storm King's Castle.
Zygarde and now Greninja were on the move. And it wouldn't be a safe trip there. Not with the energy bursting out of Badlands. If this were to continue, Equestria, Kanto and other regions will surely suffer from this twisted version of Zygarde's energy. Time was of the essence right now for just two crystals as the journey continues.
Chapter 211 End.