//------------------------------// // The Solar Drive to Battle // Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World // by Amarvax //------------------------------// The Dream Realm. Hyperdream. Celestia's Dream. At this point in time, during a peaceful night, Celestia was dreaming of her greatest desires. And for once in her life, it did not involve cake. Normally, it would. But things are different now. This time, she was having dreams of Cobalion, specifically a wedding. Celestia dreamt of herself walking through the aisle. Possibly the biggest aisle in the world for what was seen as the greatest wedding of all time. Standing there was Cobalion, who was wearing a suit which only fit him thanks to the power of dreams. Naturally, Celestia imagined Cobalion with a rather handsome yet unnerving face. It was Cobalion trying to pull off a smolder even though it is biologically impossible for him to pull it off. But everything was possible in a dream. In the sky, a head would poke through. It was none other than Luna, who was currently viewing her little sister's dream. She expected to see a plethora of cake, as usual. But not this time. This is the first time she was seeing her sister appear in a wedding dress. There she was, wearing her ideal dress while approaching Cobalion. Weeping at this were her parents Sunlight and Eventide as well as the many friends she's gathered across the years. Nothing was going to ruin this dream for her and Luna was going to make sure of it. She would slip into this dream, observing any potential odd occurrences. "Glad you could show up for this dream, Luna!" Celestia said, standing next to Cobalion with the brightest look on her face. "Isn't this just the most wonderful thing you can imagine?!" "Umm..." Luna observed Cobalion's face and how uncanny it was. To see Cobalion exhibit a vastly different facial expression was unsettling. But Luna understood that this was her big sister's dream and Cobalion was her very first crush so this was to be expected. "This is nice and all but I'm not sure Cobalion would be here. He doesn't seem like the type to do so. Not to ruin your dream but since it might be a reality eventually..." "He'll definitely be here." Celestia said, coming face to face with Cobalion. "He may not look like the type but he'll show up. It's a promise!" Celestia wrapped her hoof around Cobalion. "Dream big, Luna. In this world, dreaming big isn't impossible. I mean, you've had your first crush too, right? Imagine something like this happening to you one day." "Hmm..." Luna closed her eyes as she was also thinking about her own wedding. Suddenly, she hi-jacked Celestia's wedding, spawning her dream version of Ash right next to Cobalion. Celestia gasped after seeing Luna invade her dream. "Mhm. It is wonderful. You're right." "Luna! You infiltrated my dream!" Celestia bellowed. "You said imagine. So I did. And there's no shame in sharing dreams since it tends to happen from time to time." "But this is supposed to be what my special day will one day look like. We can't both share it..." Celestia grizzled her teeth. "I'm eager to have that special day show up for me as well." Luna stood proud, puffing her chest out. "I think I'd love to become a Queen before you do, while you're still the Princess. At least I can always reach Ash compared to Cobalion." "Before me? Not for a moment. If there's one thing that's for sure, I'm always ahead of you, Luna" Celestia used her wing feathers as fingers, wagging them. "Of course, you'd go there..." Now it was Luna's turn to grizzle her teeth. A sister squabble occurred between the two, but that was only natural since they were siblings. Siblings will argue while the Dream Creations of their respective crushes stand there with the same silly faces. "But it doesn't matter Right, Ash?" "Of course." The Dream Version of Ash had a rather deep voice. Deeper than what he usually has, which caught Celestia off guard. "Nothing matters in the face of our union." "Ash doesn't speak like that. You and I both know that. I thought you didn't like those romance novels." "I don't but it's complicated..." Luna grumbled while blushing lightly. Meanwhile, Darkrai was peeking through the crowd, watching this Sibling Squabble occur, but he certainly wasn't going to get involved at all. Darkrai sank into the shadows, continuing to patrol the dream realm while Luna bickers with Celestia for a little while. Hopping into this dream was Diancie, who was sleeping next to Celestia. Because of how close they were, the Jewel Pokemon was able to be in the same area as Celestia. And upon arriving, she gazed upon the beautiful wedding that had been set up here in a Dream Version of Canterlot. It was her first time seeing it and even witnessing a wedding. Diancie had never heard of a wedding before so this was certainly a first. But alas, she wouldn't know what it was since Celestia and Luna were still going at it, comparing their crushes. Of course, this was just limited to words and never evolved into anything beyond that. Thankfully. She wasn't the only one sharing this dream. Right near Celestia was Twilight Moonlight, who was perfectly hidden in the crowd. Unable to escape this dream, she was forced to watch this all play out until she wakes up. If only she could dream about stopping Prisma. Equestria. Las Pegasus. The Pokemon Festival. Day. A new day has come, prompting Celestia to wake up. The dream she had was over. Stretching her hooves and yawning, the Sun Princess was greeted by the very Sun she raised and lowered. But in this Grander World, the Sun can pull it off on its own. Diancie also woke up, rolling out of the bed and making a loud thud noise since her body was made out of rocks. That thud managed to wake others up, such as the CMC. "It's a new day!" Rainbow Dash bellowed when waking up. "That means one thing! The Battle Frontier!" "Zera?" Zeraora groaned, rubbing her eyes as her terrible dream was broken by Rainbow Dash's voice. She needed that, otherwise, Zeraora would've woken up with violent tendencies to unleash. "I've waited long enough. The next Frontier Brain is going down, I promise that!" Rainbow Dash roared, waking Applejack up from her sleep. "Today?" Luna yawned as she also woke up, finishing her patrol and taking the time to rest as always. "And yet...The Equestria League has yet to start." "I'll just do a little bit of training and then it's off to Manehattan. No clue what the next Frontier Battle is gonna be so I'll try whatever." "Mmm..." Fluttershy, who currently had bed hair, saw that her Xtransceiver had gone off. Calling her at this moment was Ash, who was also awake at this moment. She picked it up to see that Ash, Twilight, Lucas and Sci-Twi were currently at Eindoak Town after Lucas made a new gateway. They were waiting to reunite with their previous group as they even sent a picture to Fluttershy. It was them with the Human Counterparts. All of the Human Counterparts could be seen posing with them, pulling off different faces and greetings with all three Pikachus in the middle. "Bit too early for a battle, isn't it?" Celestia's yawn was extended, prompting her to slide out of the hotel bed. "Are we on the second week? I believe I've lost count." "Somewhere during the second week of the Festival. So far, so good honestly." Luna would unleash a long stretch as she could hear and feel her bones breaking. The Moon Princess grimaced, realizing how good of a sleep she received. Perhaps too good. Celestia also received messages on her Xtransceiver this early in the morning. Looking at it, she saw updates from the Ranger Union, revealing that they dealt with the Diamond Domain's Rift Pedestal. An image was sent to her, showing Kidd Summers and the other Pokemon Rangers around the Pedestal, granting it extra Rift Energy to keep it active. Another one was of an update of Canterlot Castle and it looks like while she was asleep, her mother and father ended up appearing. And during the entire night, they ended up goofing off with Premium Polish, partying the night away with the other Canterlot Guards, who were roped into this mess. A mess was made of the castle, but that didn't matter since it made Celestia smile. "Well. I have a good feeling about today." Celestia said when closing the Xtransceiver. "I still have yet to find Cobalion. Let's see if we can fix that." "We should be at the Pokemon School right about now but nah.." Scootaloo grinned once she was fully awake. "The Pokemon Festival's the second-best holiday out there!" "Above or below Summer?" Apple Bloom asked. "Below Summer. Hearth's Warming is still on top." Scootaloo answered, prioritizing Hearth's Warming, then after that is the Pokemon Festival and finally, Summer Vacation. "The Pokemon Festival doesn't mind if you skip school or not." Luna said while walking past her. "But hopefully, you're learning something along the way. Your Pokemon will teach you and you'll teach them." They made their way out of the hotel, re-entering Las Pegasus's active outdoors. But they wouldn't be here for long. Now, they would be heading elsewhere and Manehattan was up next for Rainbow Dash. But it might just be Rainbow Dash and a few others heading to Manehattan. Luna held out her own map, observing where she could go today. If she had to guess, Celestia might try and find Cobalion a second time. But not this time. Celestia had something else in mind after what she said last night. The Sun Princess wished to do more than just taking on threats to her home. "If you're preparing to tackle the Battle Frontier...Then I suppose I'll do some battling of my own." Celestia spoke, revealing what else she had in mind. "You don't normally do official Pokemon Battles at all, Princess." Sweetie Belle said. This much was true. Every time Celestia participated in a battle, 99% of them time, it was the fate of the world or others at stake. Celestia has never been in an official Pokemon Battle for the fun of it. "You're right. First time for everything. You all have so much fun going through your own Pokemon Battles and all I do is just watch them from afar." "Well, there aren't any competitions happening right now. Unless you want to start one as soon as possible. You have that power after all." "It's fine. I'll find a battle. Not here at Las Pegasus but somewhere else." Celestia smiled, knowing where to be if she wanted to participate in a battle. It was high-time Equestria's Ruler indulged herself in the exciting wonder of a fun Pokemon Battle. Her sister and her friends have all done it by now. There was one place she chose to go to which no one else ever thought about. Magehold. Magehold. The Sun Princess made her way to the home of the vampires, choosing to have her Pokemon Battle there. The hoof of Equestria's Ruler touched down on the soil of Magehold. The Land of the Vampires has gone through a grandiose change, especially with entertainment finally returning. After Rosa Maledicta and Opal Vivacitiy's defeat, hope returned to this eerie land. "You chose Magehold?! Really!?" Coming along after hearing where she decided to go was Rainbow Dash, who was in absolute disbelief. "Why?!" "Magehold is safe terrirtory for us to walk on now ever since Fantina came into power. There is nothing to worry about. No fear of having your soul stolen and placed in a plant." "R-Right..." The pegasus gulped, gazing at the menacing castle in the distance. Of course, there was the Heavenly Maiden Tree which cancelled out some of the eeriness. It was where Xerneas was resting previously but even after the Black Crusade ended, the tree sat there as a reminder of the hope that befell the world during its darkest moment. "Yipee!" Compared to Rainbow Dash, the three fillies were excited to tackle this, prancing off with glee and joy in their hearts. Seems that they weren't as scared of vampires as they should be. Perhaps, being around Dragons, Ghosts, snakes, demons and other fierce creatures has completely negated the intimidation factor of the vampires. Rainbow Dash was just cautious instead of being afraid. The main appeal of Magehold was now the Entertainment Commune, originally made by Fantina once she came into power. Vampires could enjoy themselves at last without needing to think about mass extinctions or anything destructive at all. Fantina found that perfect balance to keep the vampires happy after a Post-Rosa Maledicta Rule. A thin mist envelops the streets, giving the illusion of perpetual twilight. Shimmering purple lanterns line the cobblestone paths, casting soft, enchanting light that dances on the shadowy walls. These were not enough to harm the vampires, of course. At the center of the city, an immense silver fountain, adorned with exquisite Pokemon, sprays purple liquid instead of water, attracting curious onlookers. A statue had been erected near the fountain. A statue of Fantina. Showing great gratitude to the Hearthome City Gym Leader who was also the New Lich Queen, the vampires built a statue in her honour. To say that they loved Fantina was an understatement. Already, she was far more beloved than the previous Lich Kings and Queens that came before her. Sweetie Belle and Rarity wound gander at this statue of Fantina, seeing how the purple liquid perfectly captures her colour scheme. The Pokemon statues were also of Fantina's own Pokemon. From Mismagius to Drifblim. As you explore, you notice a group of well-dressed vampires engaged in an animated discussion about the latest fashion trends. And there were a lot, as seen by Rarity's dazzling eyes. Her fashionista eyes locked onto the clothes that were available at Magehold, having their own style. With Fantina at the helm, style returned to Magehold. There was a gothic appearance on many of them which made sense. Magehold, no matter what happens to it and how many rulers it goes through, will always have that eerie feeling behind it. The Contest Hall that was built here was still around, available to be used with the Magehold Ribbon up for grabs. But by now, Sweetie Belle had all the ribbons she needed and was eligible for the Grand Festival. The other main attraction were the Pokemon Battles and Magehold certainly had them. Many buildings were rapidly made in the span of a few weeks thanks to Fantina's amazing power that was now hers. Such as a stadium for Pokemon Battles. Magehold wasn't exactly adept in Pokemon Battles since they were rather behind compared to almost everyone across Equestria and beyond with only a few other species lagging behind. "Welcome to Magehold." Greeting them was none other than Dimstar. The Half Lich Half Vampire Pony and the daughter of the first Lich King. "We meet again so soon, it seems." "Morning, Dimstar~" Celestia waved. "Glad to be here again. Well, not for the first time but you know what I mean." "If you're here to meet the Lich Queen, she is at Hearthome City at the moment." "Hm. Remind me to have Lucas create a gateway inbetween Magehold and Hearthome. With Fantina's permission, of course." Celestia tapped her head. "But we're not here for anything important. We're just here for fun. And I'm here for a Pokemon Battle." "That so? Alright then." Dimstar shrugged while keeping her serious expression, barely putting on a smile. She was taking her new role as the Lich Queen's Guard, Soldier and many other roles very seriously. "If you're looking for a battle, the Magehold Stadium is available and free to all. "If anyone of you wishes to use the Contest Hall, go right ahead." "This should be a good way to prepare for the Battle Frontier, right, Rainbow Dash?" "No thanks. I don't think anyone here at Magehold is strong enough, honestly." An honest Rainbow Dash said. "No offence, but we've got a few years of experience ahead." "I wouldn't be so sure about that." However, Dimstar begged to differ. "I've taken interest in Pokemon Battling and I can safely say that catching up won't be an issue." "S-Seriously? Are you saying you're already a pretty strong trainer? In that little time?" Rainbow Dash found that pretty hard to believe. "I don't know...She doesn't look like she's bluffing," said Applejack when observing Dimstar's expression and her tone. "I have a slight advantage. I am naturally able to adapt to many things since I am Half Lich and Half Vampire. The Lich part in me is where that adaptation comes in. Compared to the former Lich Queen and even the current one, I am almost full-blooded because of my father. The others could not adapt since they only inherited the magic and blood of a Lich during a certain point in their lives. Except for Queen Fantina, who is stronger than all of us." "Well, can't argue with her, can we? Not that we know much about Liches anyway." Celestia replied. It was difficult to ague with Dimstar there since she knew what she was saying. Next to Merry Dread, she was the closest to a Lich. "Many vampires are training to become better Pokemon Battlers. Some are even thinking about working at Queen Fantina's Gym. You will find many of them in the stadium, challenging each other but they are very much novices, rookies and greenhorns. If you wish to find a challenge, then I will gladly take you up on that." "Splendid. I would love to take on that challenge, Dismtar." Celestia held her hoof out. Dimstar would kindly shake her hoof back, appearing as another example of Equestria and Magehold's unity. Magehold's Pokemon Battle Stadium. Aesthetically different from all the other Battle Stadiums, a plethora of ivy snakes its way up the cracked walls, whispering secrets with every rustle. The whole stadium looms over the surrounding landscape like a fortress of dark power. Its exterior is adorned with intricate carvings that seem to come alive in the darkness. Inside, the air is heavy with the scent of fresh marble, all thanks to the new dazzle that Magehold received under Fantina's rule. The centrepiece of the stadium is a massive, blood-red crystal suspended above the battle arena, pulsating with an eerie, unearthly glow. Naturally, there were vampires trying to improve at Pokemon Battling, finally learning to bond with these Strange Wonderful Creatures. The pool of Pokemon here at Magehold has improved as some could be seen with various other Types now. "Hold it." Dimstar halted them. "There is one massive rule here that is for the sake of our own safety. Under no circumstances must you unleash an abundance of light in the stadium, for obvious reasons." "No light? What about the Pokemon you have?" Rainbow Dash questioned, pointing out the other Pokemon Types that were very much capable of emitting light. Whether it was the power of Solar Beam, Electric-Types in general, maybe a Flash Cannon here and there and most definitely Fairy-Types. "While we are no longer limited to Ghosts and Darks, the Pokemon we choose have specific moves that do not unleash heavy portions of light. Light Moves can be used but they must be kept at a minimum." Dimstar would aim her hoof at the rules that were plastered on the walls. "And I've seen your Pokemon. You all have Pokemon that can emit powerful forms of light. Especially that one." "Zera?" Zeraora pointed at herself since Dimstar was referring to her. It was true though. All of Celestia's friends and family had Pokemon that could generate a ton of light if they wanted to. It's how they fought against Magehold so viligantly in the first place. "She's not my Pokemon though. But you don't have to worry about Zeraora." Rainbow Dash explained. "And you won't have to worry about an over abundance of light, Dimstar." Celestia stepped forward. "I'm still going to enjoy myself here without needing to use absolutely everything." "Hm. Good to hear." Dimstar cracked a smile while closing her eyes. "Now then. Let's make the arena our own and have what you call, 'a Friendly Battle'. But there is something I should tell you." "Yes?" The Sun Princess leaned forward. "Even though you are our allies now, I will find great enjoyment in defeating the Ruler of Equestria." Dimstar's smile became rather intimidating. Her tendencies of being a Lich and Vampire were showing and she knew it. While she would agree to this battle, she also wanted to defeat Celestia in front of everyone else. "It will bring great honour and respect to Magehold." "Ah!" Luna jerked back. "Rude much? I thought-" "Agreed." But Celestia was not offended by this at all. She welcomed it. The Sun Princess loved a challenge and something thrilling. It would be boring if it was too easy just because of her status. Dimstar was the right pony to issue this challenge to her. The two of them would get ready, just to make battle preparations. Dimstar knew about Celestia's team but Celestia had no idea what Dimstar had. It would make it all the more exciting though as the journey continues. Chapter 344 End.