Castelia City. On a Unovan Ship. The Pokemon Festival. Day.
News about a new gateway being formed spread fast during the Pokemon Festival. Starting from Canterlot and soon reaching everywhere else, Lucas's Accidental Ability, combined with Twilight's Rift Magic was known by many. It even spread fast enough to reach the seas.
On the ship was Ash's main friend group that he was constantly with, joined by Celestia, Luna and Chrysalis. Chrysalis could be seen sitting on her own with a pile of romance novels keeping her company. A tired and lazy Sweetie Belle was also lying on the pile of books, finding them to be surprisingly comfortable.
By now, Rarity's Human Counterpart was back home in her world, but not Twilight's Human Counterpart. She was along for the ride, joining her otherworld friends on this fun and cosy journey.
Lucas gained global notoriety rather quickly, even gaining different nicknames based on his successful gateway creation. If Hilbert was in this situation, he would've taken in all the glory, but not Lucas. But he did admire it either way. From making a movie about his adventures to opening gateways. An amazing leap indeed. Having free time on his hands, not having to instantly make a new gateway, he could rest.
The gateway fragment that Twilight Sparkle had was still present here and available to be used. Even after Lucas used it, it didn't shrink at all. Starswirl made sure that it would never shrink, essentially making an endless gateway until its role is fulfilled.
"Much better..." Lucas was fully revitalized now. He was practically out of commission for the rest of the day and the night until a new day arrived. Making a new gateway truly took a lot out of him. He could relax on the ship. "I feel brand new now. Tell me when you wanna get a new gateway and I'll be available."
"How long until we reach Galar?" Apple Bloom, who stretched her hooves on the couch, asked. "Unova's not that far from Galar, right?"
"It is. And it's a bigger world too. Most likely, we'll be at Galar in about a day." Rarity deduced as they had a long trip ahead of them just to reach one region.
"We could reach Galar in a few hours or so. Make yourself as comfortable as you can," said Celestia. "I know I will. I can spend the entire time trying out what the ship has to offer."
"Same here. Rainbow Dash. You and I throw down?" Ash asked, requesting a quick battle with Rainbow Dash. Immediately, Rainbow Dash agreed as the two of them were off to throw down. Ships across different regions are also built for Pokemon Battling thankfully, having arenas at the ready.
"After this, I'm gonna have to chat with Dawn. I gotta know if Palkia attacked me for this very reason. And if it did...it could've at least told me instead." Lucas added while lounging on the couch. "Makes me wonder if the other guys have something in them. Aside from that Prisma Soul or whatever."
"Don't they?" Scootaloo questioned. She assumed all of Ash's counterparts had something special going for them if they're all related to Prisma. It would only make sense since Prisma was apparently someone capable of many things.
"No way. Hilbert especially?" Lucas chuckled. "If Hilbert got a hold of Spatial Abilities or anything like that, we'd be doomed!"
"Eugh..." Sweetie Belle was already imagining it and it was rather terrifying. Not in an evil way but in a way that only works for Hilbert. The ship continued on its merry way as peace was very much present here. It was so peaceful that their Pokemon already fell asleep next to each other.
They had plenty of time behind them until this ship reaches the Galar Region. The sounds of Ash and Rainbow Dash battling were heard at the nearby arena with sparks of electricity going off. Chrysalis was fully zoned in, not taking her eyes off these novels. Her face would even turn red based on what she was reading.
Twilight Sparkle and Sci-Twi both looked outside, hoping they could get a glance of the Arcane Sea. Sci-Twi would love to witness it for herself, but based on where this ship was heading, she wouldn't get the chance. Waiting for their destination, they lived their lives peacefully.
Galar. Flattersea Power Station. Late Afternoon.
Plenty of time had passed for it be to late in the afternoon and the ship had finally arrived at Galar. It stopped right at a pier known as Flattersea Power Station Pier. A pier just near Wyndon that was heavily powered by Electric-Type Pokemon which kept many things around here running with a few simple jolts. Leaving the Pier were Ash and his friends as they were a bit closer to the Isle of Armor. Just one more step had to be taken and that was by using the train.
"Just gotta take the train now. Uhh..." Ash held a map in his hands, searching for the Wyndon Train. "We gotta go all the way to Wedgehurst for the Isle of Armor?"
"It should be around here somewhere," Celestia added. "Hopefully there aren't any delays. I would hate to miss Cobalion. He might head elsewhere. He told me that the Isle of Armor or even the Crown Tundra would be places that he'll be at during the Pokemon Festival."
"Why the rush?" Luna passed by her little sister. "With Lucas here, travelling will be much easier so you won't have to worry about your late date with Cobalion."
"It's not a date yet! It's just a meet-up, that's all." Celestia scoffed.
"The Princess is in love with a Cobalion?" Lucas was now fully aware of this. Immediately, his mind jumped to conclusions, wondering what a relationship like that would look like. It didn't seem out of place at all. Celestia and Cobalion were surprisingly good together. The colour contrast between the two really made it sublime. "Hm. I can see it."
"Wedgehurst...Wedgehurst..." Ash and his friends went further and further searching for this train to the point where they were distancing themselves from the large crowd here. The afternoon Sun was slowly setting with Celestia multi-tasking along the way.
They went downstairs, reaching the lower sections of the train station and yet, none of the trains nearby went to where they needed to be. That is until they came across what was possibly the deepest part of the train station. The sun was being blocked from their sights. Apple Bloom would shiver as she felt herself getting cold for a moment.
Up ahead was a door that had the number 0 on it. It was rather lonely, distanced away from everything else and found at the lowest part of the train station. Looking at the map, Ash saw that the guide to the Isle of Armor led straight here.
"Well, this looks like the only one it connects to. This'll take us to Wedgehurst. It's the only train that'll do it for us today." Ash said. Just then, the door started to open. And from it, hands were grabbing on the side as a strange face was slowly peering over. Everyone looked over to see a small figure appearing. They were prepared to enter the train and wait for the passenger to leave, only for them to witness this small character.
The CMC were slightly spooked by this face which had very hollow eyes and a hollow mouth, but they briefly saw a proper face in there. It looked like a boy and this was most definitely a mask. Once this character saw them, immediately, he went back inside, letting out a small gasp.
"Did we spook him or something?" Rainbow Dash scratched her mane
"More like he spooked up. Was that a mask or his face?" Sweetie Belle wondered.
"Guess he's not getting off. Come on." Ash would continue on his way, entering the train. Everyone else would soon follow him. And immediately after they passed through the door, they saw how eerie it was. As if it was already ominous before. It didn't lead to a train instantly, but only the steps to a nearby train.
After going down these eerie steps as a group, they came across a rather beat-up train. It looked rough and rugged compared to the others as there was a purple smoke cloud around it. Lingering inside the train were some Ghost-Type Pokemon who immediately spotted Ash and his friends. A Pumpkaboo and a Sinistea were slowly floating around, concealing themselves within the smoke.
"I don't like this. What's all of this about?" Sci-Twi shuddered. "Are we sure this is the only train going to Wedgehurst today?"
"Looks like it. Wonder what's up with it though..." Ash observed. "And what's up with all of this fog?"
"Pika..." Pikachu squinted, struggling to see in here. But the train was still visible thanks to its massive size. But someone else who was visible despite being much smaller was the same boy from before who bolted off after seeing Ash's group. He would soon enter the train after being spotted once more.
"The Ghost Train, now for Wedgehurst, will be departing soon." A voice came through, announcing the eventual departure of this train. It was indeed going to Wedgehurst but it had a different name compared to the others. "All passengers, please board as soon as possible."
"Ghost Train?!" Sci-Twi, the CMC and Fluttershy collectively said.
"Yep. This is our train." Ash was fully fearless, entering the train without hesitation. Soon, Lucas, Rainbow Dash, Rarity Applejack, Twilight, Celestia, Luna and Chrysalis would do the same. Those who were fearless had no qualms entering this Ghost Train while those who were slowed down a bit when entering. Those intimidated would at least have fearless friends by their side who were powerful enough to take on whatever comes their way.
With all of the passengers on board, the train could now depart. And when this train started moving, the fog would strengthen, concealing it from the platform and everything else. Once it was gone, it was nowhere to be seen.
As for the inside of the train, it was neat and pleasing to look at but it was also rather empty. No one else was here aside from Ash's team. And since it was just them and that mysterious boy, they were free to indulge in whatever the train had to offer.
"Oooh, this is nice. Talk about first class." Ash's eyes met with some luxurious furniture, sweet-scented plants and some decorative art.
"Pikachu."
"At least it looks pleasing. But is no one worried about why it's called a Ghost Train?" Sci-Twi said, slowly taking a seat. They would make themselves comfortable once more but there was something uncomfortable about this train. Probably due to its name and how it casually has it.
"Audi heard some Ghost-Type Pokemon in here earlier if that answers your question," said Fluttershy.
"Dino. Audino..." But Audino's ears were picking up on something else. She listened closely, passing by the sounds of the Ghost-Type Pokemon residing in here. She heard some footsteps, most likely the footsteps of the boy. "Audi."
Speaking of which, he was in the same carriage as them which was essentially first class. Audino and Fluttershy turned their attention to the boy who was at the very end of the train which was right at the front. Holding a timid disposition, he would simply stand behind the seats, glaring at the group.
"Hello." Fluttershy waved, grabbing his attention. "Sorry for the scare back there. You spooked us too with that mask."
"...!" The masked boy gasped once more when looking at Ash's group. He specifically focused on Ash, Lucas, Twilight and Sci-Twi. No one else but those four. And when looking at them, he saw flashes of four visages. For Ash and Lucas, it was Prisma. The boy managed to see the image of Prisma emanating from both of them for a moment. He was aware of Prisma's existence.
As for Twilight and Sci-Twi, he saw someone entirely different. The only one who managed to properly challenge Prisma during the final moments of the Lost Universe. The one known as Twilight Luminaria. It was brief, but it was there.
"You four are...Them." He silently said.
"Hm?" Pinkie Pie definitely didn't catch that. "What did he say?
"He said you four are them." But Fluttershy did. She and Audino heard him clearly, which surprised the boy considering how much he lowered his voice. She specifically faced Ash, Lucas, Twilight and Sci-Twi when mentioning four of them.
"Why...are you on the Ghost Train?" He continued. "You shouldn't be on here...Not you four."
"He's warning us. He's saying the four of you shouldn't be on this train." Once again Fluttershy heard his words.
"Just us? How come?" Lucas asked before looking at Celestia and the rest of the party. "And no one else."
"My guess is that it has something to do with Prisma. And maybe it's Twilight Luminaria again if he's referring to just us four." Twilight already deduced it.
Before she could continue, the train would suddenly shake, throwing everyone off balance. Some held onto the handles while some, such as Pinkie Pie, bounced up and down. The train would suddenly come to a halt, but it wasn't for another station. The next station would take a little bit more time to reach. It was stopping for a different reason and it didn't seem pleasant.
"Man...Anyone else feel a bit hot-headed?" Ash held his head, feeling himself heat up. Soon, Lucas would also heat up.
"Yeah...Same here." Lucas sighed. "It's not hot in here, is it?"
"We're not hot at all. Are you two okay?" Celestia asked when seeing Ash and Lucas heat up. And it wasn't sweat that showed their heat. It was an aura. A deep red one that was rather faint.
"I feel hot too..." Sci-Twi held onto her arms, feeling the heat around her. Twilight Sparkle felt the same heat around her body. Once again, these four were the main targets. "Why?"
"Audino." Instantly, Audino tried using Refresh on them to cool their bodies. A beautiful white light enveloped their bodies, only to completely do nothing. Refresh failed to temper their heat. as they were still burning up. "Dino?"
"The train...It's targeting your dormant souls." He spoke up a bit where everyone could hear him now. But it was still rather low.
"Their dormant souls?" Chrysalis squinted before letting out a loud gasp. "You don't mean...!"
This train wasn't just eerie and home to Ghost-Type Pokemon. It was also capable of targeting the souls. But specifically, it targeted Ash, Lucas, Sci-Twi and Twilight. For one reason only. The dormant souls of Prisma and Twilight Luminaria. After all that talk about keeping Prisma's soul locked up, this train was beginning to ruin it.
All that burning was the result of Prisma's soul being tampered with. Ash and Lucas groaned as the deep red aura rose some more. They closed their eyes before soon opening them. Soon, their pupils were starting to gain a green glow. The same green glow that Prisma seems to have. This was a sign that they were slowly releasing his soul
"Not good! If Prisma somehow shows up here, that could lead to a heap of trouble!" Celestia bellowed. "Do we have a response for this?!"
"Not at all!" Luna frantically shook her head.
"Man...I didn't think it'd happen now...!" Feeling the heat build-up and his head ache, Ash groaned some more. "Sombra!"
Aiding him was none other than Sombra. Using his magic, Sombra would try and temper the Soul of Prisma. His magic flew out of Ash and straight for Lucas as well. He even targeted Twilight and Twilight Luminaria, making sure they weren't getting into their own soul hijinks. With all of his might, Sombra tried to maintain the soul and keep it locked up.
But at that moment, Ash stood still, continuing to hold his head. The deep red aura would flow at a slower rate while Ash let out a groan. It looked like Sombra stopped it, but the green glow was still present in his eyes. The same went for Lucas. The Green Glow was still around.
"Are you four okay?!" Fluttershy asked.
"I feel..." Ash slowly said, removing his hands from his head. The tone of his voice also changed. It was noticeably deeper but everyone recognized it as his voice even with that tone shift. "I feel weird..."
"Ash? Your voice is way different. What's up with that?" A nervous Scootaloo questioned. Ash would respond by turning his face, showing his glowing green pupils.
"I don't think that's Ash." But Celestia didn't see Ash. Instead, she saw someone else. She saw Prisma. Sombra barely managed to temper his soul. Right now, Ash was still himself but it was clear that in some way, Prisma had taken over. Twilight and Sci-Twi, not so much. Their souls had been tempered greatly as there was a lack of aura for them.
The train started moving again, but now it felt rather dangerous. Mainly because Prisma was present in the same room as them. They weren't sure how dangerous this could be. His soul was not all there, but the fact that it was close to being unleashed was rather alarming.
Ash and Lucas both looked at their arms as they both had half of Prisma's soul active at that moment. No one had a clue as to what this could lead to, but if everything they've heard from Prisma was anything to go by, things might not turn out pleasant. And the mysterious boy already knew, seeing their souls.
A simple trip to Wedgehurst and eventually the Isle of Armor led to this scenario. No one knew if it was going to remain simple or even safe for that matter. It all depends on what happens next. With two parts of Prisma back in action, the outcome is truly unexpected as the journey continues.
Chapter 296 End.