Equestria. Canterlot. The Pokemon Festival. Late Afternoon.
Here at Canterlot., a bit of a regroup was made. After it was revealed that Lucas was the catalyst to bringing back the gateways, everyone knew what had to be done after what Scione had shared. Lucas had to be the one to bring all the gateways back.
It was a tall order for Lucas, mainly considering that he became very woozy after interacting with his accidentally gifted spatial abilities, so tackling multiple locations was most likely going to leave quite an impact. Something like this had to be informed immediately, especially two of Equestria's Number One rulers.
Nearby, the Pokemon School was being fed with food that came straight from Pinkie Pie. She made sure the students were getting a good fill for this year's Pokemon Festival, especially since new species were now learning there. Pinkie Pie was just close enough to hear the rest of her friends chatter.
"I've called Celestia and Luna, so they'll be here for sure," Ash said, putting away his Xtransceiver. He took care of business, informing his friends. "Twilight should be showing up eventually too."
"So...How many gateways am I gonna have to handle?" Lucas sighed, knowing what was coming his way.
"Oh, darling. We won't be too hard on you. We'll have you do just...10 today at best. We have 3 weeks of the Pokemon Festival to go."
"10? For 3 weeks? Mmmrgh..." Lucas grumbled.
"If it makes you feel any better, Twilight will chime in so you won't have to do it all alone." Comforting him was Fluttershy. "Oh, what about your Infernape?"
"Yeah. He got hit by Spacial Rend too and can mess around with the Infinity Gateway." Rainbow Dash pointed out. "He can do what you can, right?"
"Oh yeah..." it was all clicking for Lucas. Since it was only he and Infernape who received spatial particles, it would make sense for Infernape to also possess such power. "That could be a ton of help."
"If you do reach 10 today, you gotta make sure it's places we're used to." Rainbow Dash requested. "We always had fun moving from gateway to gateway to places we always visit. I never get tired of visiting Castelia City back to back."
"Yeah, yeah I get it. I'll see what I can do." Lucas stopped her right there. "After this, I'd better not be disappointed with the Pokemon Festival, ya hear?"
"We showed up as soon as we could!" Appearing here in a flash of light was none other than Princess Celestia. Right next to Lucas too. Lucas was jumpscared by the Ruler of Equestria who knew she had to show up here as soon as possible. And she did, via teleportation, of course. "I had to miss out on a party game, but that's perfectly fine with me!"
"Where's Luna?" Ash noticed a lack of Luna even though he also informed her.
"Eh. She decided to stay behind. But not me. I wouldn't waste an opportunity to see this. Because this is the most efficient way to meet up with Cobalio- I mean! Restore easy transportation to us all, yes." Her ulterior motive was to reach Cobalion easily once the gateways return. "Is Twilight here?"
"Not yet. I called her first and she was all the way in Manehattan." Ash replied. "Manehattan's not that far so she'll be here soon."
"When my counterpart gets here, I'd like to talk to her about what we learned back in my world." Throwing her own words in was Sci-Twi, who was currently using the Shift Stone to stay in her Human Form.
"Who?" This was Celestia's first time hearing such a name. Ash and the others had quite the story to tell her.
On the Train to Canterlot.
Speaking of Twilight Sparkle, she was currently making her way to Canterlot via a Train. She could already see the castle in the distance through the window. And she wasn't going at it alone. Right next to her was Twilight Wish, who was also tagging along.
"Are you sure it's safe for you to come along? You'll be very far away from your castle since you're always on a time limit."
"Ah, it's fine. I can always return to Manehattan with teleportation. Even if I have to say a few words. I wish I could teleport inside of the castle but...that's impossible. It's very limited despite how amazing it is. But it sounds like your universe doesn't have to worry about that."
"Well, yeah. We had it easy with all those gateways around. Using them was all kinds of useful. If there was somewhere we needed to be, we could count on the gateways to get us there, no matter how many we had to go through to take shortcuts. I'll admit, it's pretty fun getting the chance to travel to different areas for long periods of time but..." Twilight smiled, making herself comfortable on the seats.
"Lucky you. Your universe seems to be a perfect version of what I have. It's a shame it had to be sieged just because they were targeting me. I still have no idea why." Twilight Wish would let out a disappointed and gutted sigh. "I miss so many of my friends. Moondancer, Applejack, Firefly, Spike, Megan and everyone else. I know they'll be fine rebuilding everything but I wish I could go back."
"But you can't after the Prisma problem is solved. I still don't get why he's seen as so dangerous for you and Moonlight to be all about stopping him. Is he really that bad?"
"I've seen the effects of what Prisma once did. It was outside my own universe. I knew I had to stop Prisma from returning after learning the truth about the Lost Universe. If I don't stop Prisma, then your universe could suffer a similar fate."
"No way. For that to happen, Ash would have to be behind it but that's not possible." Twilight shook her head. "I mean, I'm not sure about Red and the others but..."
"If I get the chance to seal his soul, then you won't have to worry about something happening to Ash at all. I promise. Plus, he sounds like a great guy based on what you've told me. You can-" Before Twilight Wish could finish her sentence, her body started glowing. It was time for her to return to Manehattan and quickly approach the Dimensional Castle. "Oh. That's my cue."
"That's a shame. I guess I'll see you soon if you somehow manage to leave Manehattan's outskirts."
"I'll find a way to move the castle. I'd love to meet the rest of your friends. You have an Applejack of your own after all. See you soon!" Twilight Wish bid farewell but this would not be the last time they meet. They would most likely meet fairly soon during the Pokemon Festival. "I wish, I wish, I wish." With those three simple words, Twilight Wish was gone. It was just Twilight Sparkle and Espeon.
It was strange. With Twilight Wish gone, things suddenly felt rather lonely and empty. Almost as if a part of Twilight was gone. It only made sense they were essentially the same pony but with differences. The train continued onwards until it eventually reaches Canterlot, where the restoration of the gateways can finally occur.
Canterlot.
Eventually, she arrived at Canterlot, where all of her friends were waiting for her. Of course, the gateway fragment was still
with her and this time, it would be used to its fullest potential. When showing up to where her friends were, Twilight immediately glanced at Lucas, seeing Ash's face once more but on a different body. But it wasn't that much of a surprise anymore considering what she's seen.
Celestia could be seen with a bright grin on her face, along with some of her friends. To say they were excited about this would be an understatement. They've truly missed this type of transportation, each for very different reasons. They were acting as if one of their parents was coming home with some goods.
"So. You're the one who'll help bring the gateways back? Lucas, right?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah. You look just like your Human Self, so you'll be the one to help me out?"
"That's right. I have the fragment with me right here." From her saddlebag, the Gateway fragment was taken out, still fresh and unused. "I haven't figured it out at all, so I'm counting on you to put an end to our problems. I'll chime in with my own Rift Magic since you'll be woozy after interacting with just one gateway."
"Come on, come on! Hurry and do it!" An ecstatic Scootaloo couldn't wait any longer, frantically jumping up and down.
"Man, it's small," Lucas said, holding the fragment of the gateway which didn't even cover the entirety of his palm. It was just that tiny. But that also meant it had the most room to grow. Lucas wondered how he could make it grow and form a new gateway. There was only one possible way to really increase its size.
Lucas held his arm out, holding onto the two sides of the Gateway Fragment by using just his fingers. They were so small that he needed only his fingers. But that would soon change once he started stretching the gateway. It was completely malleable thanks to Lucas' newfound control over space, which allowed him to grow the Gateway fragment.
Now, it was no longer a fragment. To the amazement of everyone and even Lucas himself, the fragment was now a full-on Gateway. Lucas moved back, freeing his hands as they were no longer wide enough to hold the two sides of the gateway. The size of this gateway was bigger than everyone else, as it should be.
"He did! He actually did it!" Fluttershy bellowed, amazed by what she saw. "A new gateway at last!"
"But...does it go anywhere?" Rarity and her Human Counterpart wondered. Even though a new gateway has been created, it didn't lead to anywhere. There wasn't a single sign of land or anything. Just pure darkness.
"Not yet. All that's left to do is have Lucas think of where it'll lead to. Any ideas Lucas?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah. After giving it some thought, I think Castelia's the easiest to go for. Everyone seems to like that. Let me see what I can do." Lucas grinned, rubbing his hands together as he had one more job to do to really solidify things. The Trainer from Sinnoh placed his hand through the empty gateway. It was decided that Castelia City would be the first location that he would choose.
The spatial particles started leaving his body once more as he closed his eyes, imagining Castelia City. He already knew about Castelia back in his universe, but he had to make sure he got this universe's Castelia City right. He needed to make the perfect bridge between the two worlds and not make any mistakes.
At that moment, Twilight unleashed a blast of Rift Magic from her horn, targeting Lucas's body. Twilight helped him make that perfect bridge by instilling the knowledge of this world's Castelia into his mind. Lucas's eyes opened, unleashing that glow once again. He was in the zone, fully focused on the location alone and how to bridge it.
Thanks to the boost of Twilight's Rift Magic, the visage of Castelia City was appearing. Everyone gawked, even those who were doing their own thing couldn't help but turn their attention to the gateway that had just formed. Lo and behold, Castelia City was seen as Lucas added the gateway on the other side of the world.
It has been done. A perfect replication of a Gateway. Lucas moved back once more as his hand was trembling, showing another side-effect to pulling off such a feat. But his body would soon be soothed thanks to Twilight's Rift Magic which kept him steady.
Everyone nearby would immediately erupt with joy and praise after seeing the gateway to Castelia City appearing. Something like this was obviously going to please everyone since they have been waiting for new gateways for so long. "Oooh..That wasn't so bad." Lucas giggled after restoring a gateway. "And that was just one."
"Yep! That's Castelia alright!" Ash placed his head through the gateway, seeing Castelia City in all of its glory. "Way to go, Lucas!"
"Pikachu!"
"T-Thanks..." Lucas grinned before looking at his harm. It was still trembling but now at a slower pace. "I think I can do one more. Maybe."
"Well, if that's the case. Under my request, could you open one gateway for me to a specific area?" Celestia asked. Since it was her requesting something, everyone else would let her have this. She was in charge after all but where would she possibly select since it most likely involves Cobalion?
"What would that be?" A woozy Lucas asked.
"Cobalion mentioned how there are some areas he tends to visit here and there. And two of them I believe were named the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra." Celestia added.
"Isle of Armor? Leon went there during the Black Crusade." That was a name Ash also recalled.
"I'd like to try the Isle of Armor first before anything else. Unless you need some time to rest."
"Isle of Armor...Isle of Armor..." Lucas pouted. "That name does ring a bell. I think Victor went there once. I could try and take you there, sure. But first..." Lucas got on one knee. "I don't think I can go at it a second time. That was way different from the other gateway I messed with..."
"Perhaps you should take a rest then." Celestia had patience. Great patience. "It would also be best if you select different locations to summon these gateways. We appreciate the help but we don't want you harming yourself consistently. I think I'll head to the Isle of Armor the old-fashioned way."
"Many thanks, Princess..." Lucas groaned while looking at his trembling hand. "Does anyone have an Ice-Type Pokemon on them?"
"Audino." While she wasn't an Ice-Type, Audino would help Lucas first, using Heal Pulse on his arm. She gently grabbed his arm, sending a soothing healing energy through it. It wouldn't stop the trembling, but much like the Rift Magic, it would temper it.
"Aah..." Lucas sighed with great relief in his voice. He definitely deserved the rest for doing this for everyone. Lucas was without a doubt, a shining beacon of hope for new gateways. Especially familiar ones.
"Well, how about we all head to the Isle of Armor together?" Celestia suggested, looking back at her friends. "It's where I was planning to go next with Luna and Chrysalis and it's a place of promise. Well, it sounds like it if Cobalion's there. And if he's not there, then I suppose the Crown Tundra would be next."
"If you're going there next and right after that is the Crown Tundra, you might wanna watch out," Lucas added. "If they're anything like the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra in my Universe, you have something wild ahead of you. Then again, it sounds like your universe is wilder than mine."
"Why? What's in the Isle of Armor and Crown Tundra?" Sweetie Belle questioned.
"Heh...I wouldn't wanna spoil the surprise." Lucas grinned, keeping it a secret. "But you'll see some new and familiar faces there. Mainly some Pokemon. I haven't seen it but I know Viktor has. Now...let me rest before I go at it again. Can someone carry me?"
"Audino!" Audino would gladly grant his request, picking the Sinnohan up from the ground. Twice his size, she placed him on her back while he was still too weak to stand. It might take a while before he's ready to make a new gateway, but either way, he's succeeded in what others have been struggling to figure out for a while. Even Starswirl and Discord struggled to figure it out.
One has to wonder if that encounter with Palkia was an accident or not.
With the Castelia Gateway available to them, they could reach Galar at a quicker rate. Castelia City had some ships lying in wait and if they were lucky, they could get on the Royal Unova again for a second time in a row. Before departure, there was just one thing Celestia had to do before she leaves for Galar.
Hoenn. Ranger Union.
The Ranger Union, of course. Allied with Equestria and dedicated to keeping this new and grander world safe, the people at the Ranger Union were informed about this recent development. They were already told about Lucas and how he created a new gateway. From this point onward, Lucas would be the one to handle all gateway manners, but he would need someone to help him bridge different locations. Twilight certainly wasn't going to available all the time so it only made sense to call the Ranger Union for help.
"Thank you for the update, Princess." One of the workers spoke with Princess Celestia. "We understand that Lucas won't be available all the time, but if it helps, our Rift-Based Technology might help him."
Luckily for Lucas, the Ranger Union was stacked with Rift-Based Technology that they've had for a while. The International Police also possesses such technology in case of Rift-Based issues. Even with the lack of gateways, they were always prepared and now that the gateways were looking to make an amazing comeback, they'll be needed more than ever. Specifically, for Lucas.
"If it helps, we can send someone to accompany Lucas whenever he's set to open a new gateway. Our best Ranger Jack Walker has the most experience with the gateways and you're rather familiar with him too. I know it'll be easy for us to send him to you, if he's available."
"He's always available." Another worker said, knowing Jackie too well. "He's already out there in the world right now, but I bet you he'll find the time to jump to another mission. Unless it's that Manaphy Mission. That one took a while."
"Hehe. True." She chuckled in response. "Anyway, once the news of the gateways breaks out, we'll be on it. You say you're heading to the Isle Armor and potentially the Crown Tundra, right? We'll make sure to send someone there soon."
"Who else is available? The Rangers are busy lately. Working with the International Police means that we have to be on the lookout for Twilight Moonlight as well." Once again, Twilight Moonlight was in the conversation as her actions were impossible to ignore.
"Well, if Jackie's not available, we'll just send in his equal. She's not a Ranger but she's always helpful either way. I'm sure she'd love to chime in if she's busy with these new misplaced locations and objects that come from this lost universe. We might have to call in Kidd Summers."
As the journey continues.
Chapter 295 End.