Equestria. Ponyville. Late Afternoon.
Finding Rayquaza after he crashed into a meadow, Spike was currently bringing the Sky High Pokemon with him for healing. And at this very moment, he had Haxorus and Druddigon use their combined might to carry the Guardian of the Sky all the way over to Ponyville until the Late Afternoon Sun arose.
"Spike! W-What is that?!" Amethyst Star bellowed upon seeing Rayquaza's long body. All the other residents noticed this as it was practically impossible to do so.
"It's Rayquaza. Doing okay there, Haxorus?" Spike asked them both after they dropped the Sky High Pokemon.
"Haxo...Haxorus!" Haxorus and Druddigon panted after having to carry Rayquaza. It may be serpentine and long, but it has a ton of weight, as to be expected from the guardian of the sky.
"Sweet Celestia, Spike!" Mayor Mare galloped over with her Stoutland immediately. "You brought a Rayqauza here?! How?"
"Well, I was just in the meadow, training with Deino and all of a sudden, it just came crashing down." Spike explained with his recollection. "I mean, I couldn't just leave it there since it looked so hurt."
"How'd this happen?" One of the residents asked. More and more ponies gathered around Rayquazajust to gaze at the Sky High Pokemon. It's not every day they get to see such a powerful Legendary Pokemon, albeit in a weakened state. Just then, Rayquaza's eyes would open up.
They all grimaced, screeched and squealed upon seeing its eyes open. Some of them immediately zipped back out of fear. But even though Rayquaza's eyes were open, it couldn't exactly move.
Rayquaza wondered why this was the case before remembering how much power it used back in space. It used so much to the point where its own body was out of commission. But it could still raise his head, immediately towering over everyone else.
As Rayquaza raised its head, a hush fell over the crowd as they gazed up in awe at the majestic creature before them. Despite its weakened state, Rayquaza still exuded an aura of power and authority.
Rayquaza's golden eyes swept across the gathered crowd, taking in the sight of the ponies and their Pokémon companions. It had never found itself in such a setting before, surrounded by creatures so different from those it was accustomed to encountering in the vast expanse of the sky.
"I-Is it upset? It looks upset." A worried Snips and Snails collective said.
"I-I'm sure it's just recollecting its thoughts..." Carrot Top gulped.
"Why'd you bring it here and not Ponyville?" Mayor Mare grumbled, shifting her eyes in Spike's general directions.
"Here was closer, I swear." Spike sheepishly said before being started by Rayquaza's roar. The roar of the Sky High Pokemon alerted everyone as it rang through the azure skies. Rayquaza remembered how it got down here and needed to be back to the cosmos immediately before Daybreaker's forces potentially return to the moon in time.
As Rayquaza attempted to take flight once more, the crowd below watched with bated breath, anticipating the majestic sight of the legendary Pokémon soaring into the sky. However, to their surprise and concern, Rayquaza's efforts proved futile. With a strained exertion, Rayquaza's massive wings fluttered weakly, but it remained grounded, unable to lift its colossal body from the earth.
Gasps of astonishment rippled through the crowd as they witnessed Rayquaza's struggle. Spike and his Pokémon team exchanged worried glances, realizing that the legendary creature's ordeal was far from over.
"Oh, it's just showing off. What were we worried about?" Derpy shrugged and scoffed, thinking that Rayquaza was only putting on a show.
"I don't think that's it. It can't fly at all." Starlight gasped after seeing Rayquaza's inability to fly. "How hard did it fall, Spike?"
"Pretty hard. Something must've happened in space for it to come crashing down like that." Spike theorized and he was definitely right on the mark.
However, after looking at all the ponies and Pokemon here and realizing how drained it was, Rayquaza would then spot Spike, who was the smallest here. Rayquaza actually saw Spike help it from that crater, carrying it all the way here. While this wasn't the preferred position, Rayquaza, despite being rather intimidating, was actually grateful for that.
"What's it saying?" Spike looked at the others, needing a translation.
"Don't look at me. I'm not Fluttershy." Roseluck shook her head, being out of the question. Since Fluttershy was not here at the moment, no one could translate what Rayquaza was saying.
"Hmm..." Spike had one other option. Looking at his hands, he let out a golden glow, using the Dragon Energy that he's been trained to use by other Dragon Trainers. While faint in comparison to others, Spike would try his hand at using this to communicate with Rayquaza. "Maybe this'll work."
Spike focused his energy, channeling the power of the Dragon Energy within him as he reached out to communicate with Rayquaza. A golden glow surrounded his hands, illuminating the darkness of the night as he directed his thoughts towards the legendary Pokémon.
Rayquaza, sensing the unique energy emanating from Spike, turned its attention towards the young dragon trainer, its gaze locking onto him with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation.
"Can you actually do that with Rayquaza? Seems like a pretty big Pokemon for that if you ask me." Scootaloo questioned.
"I don't know..." Spike pondered for a moment, unsure himself.
In that moment, a silent exchange occurred between Spike and Rayquaza, transcending language barriers as their minds connected on a deeper level. Through the power of the Dragon Energy, Spike was able to reach Rayquaza in some way, much to his surprise.
Rayquaza, in turn, let out a cry of gratitude. The Sky High Pokemon certainly knew how to be grateful, knowing that it was Spike who came for it.
"Oh, it was nothing!" Spike chuckled.
"You understood it?! No way!" Apple Bloom let out a prolonged gasp after Spike briefly interacted with Rayquaza.
Spike smiled modestly, his cheeks flushing with a hint of embarrassment at the sudden attention. "Well, I'm not sure if I fully understood everything, but I think we had a moment there."
"Wonderful. So did you get anything else?" Mayor Mare asked.
"Well, Rayquaza can't go up anymore. Whatever happened up there drained it, so it's stuck. I guess it can just slither now?"
"Do we have to get it back up in the sky, or something?" Scootaloo questioned. "Is that what we have to do?"
"No use in doing that if it can't fly itself. It'll just drop like a noodle if we take it to the skies. If you ask me, it needs to rest."
But Rayquaza couldn't rest. It refused to. Not when the threats in outer space will be on the move again. Rayquaza managed to push them back to another galaxy but that wouldn't last for long. Alas, despite how stubbornly it wanted to head back into space, Rayquaza knew that it couldn't do so right now. It was stuck to the ground.
"I think Rayquaza wants to go back into space," Spike interjected, drawing the attention of the others. "But it's not in any condition to do so right now. It needs time to rest and recover."
"Just so you know...we are not taking care of Rayquaza." Mayor Mare shook her head, already knowing what Spike was thinking. "Fluttershy isn't here to do it herself, so there's only one pony you should go to."
"Uh...Not sure Nurse Joy's a pony." Spike scratched his head.
"Not her. Princess Celestia." Mayor Mare revealed. "I heard that she encountered Rayquaza once. I believe it was the same day she caught Arcanine and this might be the same Rayquaza she met a few years ago."
"Really?! Are you?!" Spike quickly turned to face the Sky High Pokemon. And Rayuaza didn't sugarcoat it either. It recognized that name indeed, especially the face. In fact, Rayquaza took on her alter-ego Daybreaker in space, who was the reason it crashed down to Earth in the first place.
"Speak to Princess Celestia and she'll know what to do with Rayquaza. Best be quick about it, Spike." Mayor Mare instructed.
"Great! But I don't think Haxorus and Druddigon can carry Rayquaza anymore. They're already tired."
"Ah, no need to worry about that." The Mayor flailed her hoof. "We can easily chime in and help you get Rayquaza there. Everypony. You know what to do."
"Aw, but I'm busy." Roseluck had plans for today, even if it was getting late in the afternoon. So did many others, but Mayor Mare didn't want to hear it. They were helping out Rayquaza either way.
With Mayor Mare's decisive instructions, the residents of Ponyville quickly sprang into action, rallying together to assist Spike in transporting Rayquaza to Princess Celestia. Despite their initial hesitations and conflicting schedules, the ponies went for it.
As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting a golden glow over the landscape, a coordinated effort unfolded before Spike's eyes. Ponies and Pokemon of all shapes and sizes gathered around Rayquaza, each offering their support. It would take a lot of muscle to make this happen.
Thankfully, Big Mac's Machamp provided a lot of that muscle, easily lifting Rayquaza's body. But it wouldn't be enough to just lift Rayquaza. The Sky High Pokemon needed something to be in for easy and safe transportation, especially in its condition.
With Rayquaza's well-being in mind, the residents of Ponyville continued to brainstorm ways to ensure a safe and comfortable journey to Canterlot. Recognizing the need for a mode of transportation that would accommodate the legendary Pokémon's size and condition, they put their heads together to devise a plan.
"Use this!" Mr and Mrs Cake had the perfect response. Out of SugarCube Corner, they ended up pushing an absolutely massive cart.
"The size of that thing...Where'd you get this?!" Amethyst Star questioned.
"Pinkie Pie saves this thing for huge loads of food here and there, but it's rarely ever used. Now's a good time for it to come into play." Mrs Cake explained. "She won't mind if we use it once. Not that she's here right now."
"Hm. The perfect size." Mayor Mare observed, seeing how it was actually perfect for Rayquaza's size. And if Rayquaza curls its serpentine body, it'll be even easier. "Alright! Load it up!"
With its sturdy construction and spacious interior, the cart provided a secure and comfortable means of transporting the legendary Pokémon. Rayquaza, nestled within the confines of the cart, appeared visibly more at ease, its massive form cradled safely amidst the cushions and supports.
Spike and the other residents quickly sprang into action, securing Rayquaza within the cart and ensuring that it was positioned for maximum comfort and stability. With the help of Mr. and Mrs. Cake, they carefully manoeuvred the cart into position, readying it for the journey ahead.
"Aww, it looks so cute in there!" The CMC, Diamond Tiara and all the other young ones cooed and awed at Rayquaza's little resting spot. Rayquaza looked back at them, not too fond of being spoken to like that. But it didn't roar back in response. Instead, it continued to lie down there.
"I'd say it'll take at least 4 hours for you to get to Canterlot if you move at a nice pace. You can't rush it for Rayquaza's sake. Do you think you can do it alone, Spike?" Mayor Mare asked.
"I'm not alone. I've got my Pokemon with me. But I am gonna need a lot of help pushing and pulling this thing. Getting to Canterlot on foot isn't easy." Spike then took out one of his Poke Balls. "I'll ask Salamence if he wants to pull the cart. And if we need a push, Haxorus and Druddigon have my back. So do my other dragons."
"Wonderful. But just in case something weird happens, especially with all that Dragon and Fairy Matter going around...Starlight, Glimmer. Amethyst Star. Big Macintosh. Go with him as support."
Turning to his Pokémon team, Spike called forth Salamence from its Poké Ball, the mighty Dragon-type Pokémon emerging with a resolute expression. "Salamence, I need your help with just one thing for a while."
With the team assembled and the cart prepared, Spike and his companions set off towards Canterlot with Rayquaza as their passenger. Everyone wished them safe travels, hoping that nothing would go wrong out there. Especially since it might become nighttime fairly soon.
Inbetween the gateway.
Meanwhile, back in the middle of the gateway, Jackie and Empress Twilight were still there thanks to the Dragon Matter disrupting it. The dimensional energy in the gateway disturbed the Empress enough to finally wake her up.
"Finally awake?" Jackie spoke to her once she awoke. "You're lucky. I can't exactly apprehend you since we're stuck in the middle of this.
"Hah...Aaaah!" The Empress screeched, harming Jackie's eardrums in the process. "How dare you?!" After harming his eardrums, despite feeling weak at the moment, the Empress would aggressively slap her hoof across Jackie's face repeatedly.
"Ow-ow!" Jackie cried out after receiving multiple face slaps.
"You've got some nerve! Doing this to me while I'm out! Where are we?!" She questioned while continuing to slap Jackie.
"In!" Jackie's sentences were paused due to each slap from Empress Twilight. "Between! A...Gateway!"
"What!? That can't be!" The Empress actually stopped in response to those words, letting Jackie's face rest.
"Whew..." Jackie shook his head after those ferocious slaps. "Oh, it be. Thanks to you all being up to no good, Rayquaza used Dragon Matter and that completely jammed the gateway."
"The Dragon Matter caused this? You're lying."
"Nope. There's only one exit and it's back to your ship. See for yourself." Jackie would then turn the Empress to the only exit in this gateway. "No way I'm going back there. I can just wait until the Union gets this thing working again."
"Tch. I should've seen this coming. Different forms of matter can interact with gateways in various ways."
"Hm? You knew this from the start?"
"Of course I did. But I didn't anticipate the Dragon Matter. The worst I would have to watch out for is Dark Matter or Anti Matter." The Empress scoffed. "At least I can keep that in mind the net time I use a gateway. And how unfortunate for you that Rayquaza foiled your plans as well."
"Well, not forever. I've got time." Jackie smiled. "Plus, if you head back there, you're gonna be pretty confused. Pretty sure your ship and everyone else are in a completely different galaxy thanks to Rayquaza. And your ship definitely got the worst of it."
"Irrelevant." The Empress crossed her hooves. "I have a backup ship. My empire is crippled, not destroyed. I'll always come back, no matter what. Even when I am in your strong grasp I won't be stopped."
"Well, you could just leave my arms right now." Jackie chuckled, causing the Empress to scowl..
"I need time to recover, but I promise you...when I do, you'll be sorry."
"Okay then." Jackie was already prepared to drop the Empress. "Guess I can do my best to leave you here by-"
"I DIDN'T SAY TO PUT ME DOWN!" She would bellow at the top of her lungs, using the Royal Canterlot Voice as well to elevate it. After realizing what she just said, she looked Jackie in the eyes for a moment. And after a few seconds of silence, the Empress closed her eyes as if nothing happened, trying to shrug it off.
"Alright. How long until this thing opens up on the other side?" Jackie spoke to the dispatch.
"Well, on the bright side, it didn't take that long to for it to do something else." One of the dispatchers at the Ranger Union spoke. "But....something else is wrong. The Dragon Matter doesn't look like it's finished just yet."
"What? What's wrong?" Jackie asked. This even caused Empress Twilight to open her eyes, curious on what else could be happening.
"The gateway is stretching! It's growing in length and gaining its own pull!" The dispatcher exclaimed. "It's acting almost like a vortex!"
"Which side?!" Jackie turned to face the exit, but saw that things were perfectly normal there. Nothing was occurring on that side. Instead, it was the other side that was an issue. He turned his head to see the other side growing in length, slowly opening up.
"It's becoming its own vortex!" The Empress gasped, already knowing what this was. "It could do more than just swallow us and everything else outside it. "It could dissolve our bodies!"
The gateway would then pulsate as the Dragon Matter could be seen bursting through it. This erratic energy was truly violent in so many ways, doing this to a gateway. The pressure it brought flew in their direction, causing Jackie to hold the Empress closely to him, shielding her from most of the pressure.
Jackie then looked back at the gateway, fearing for his fellow rangers including everyone else in there. This was already getting even uglier. "No other option but to warn them all!" Jackie immediately made his way to the exit of the gateway, deciding to return to the ship of the Empress.
Outer Space. The Solar Sword.
Those on the Solar Sword were not yet aware of this incoming vortex that was currently stretching. With their ships damaged from the Dragon Mater, many of them were struggling to pick up on this. Except for Sunrise Sparkle. The alter-ego of Twilight Sparkle sensed this herself.
"Your majesty! Something's slowly heading this way!" Sunrise Sparkle said when monitoring her own screen. "It's a gateway. it seems to be elongating in size."
"A gateway? Is it one of our own?"
"I don't think so. There wasn't a transmission from our universe. It's coming from Empress Twilight's ship though. Whichever gateway it is, the Dragon Matter must have gotten to it as well, because the pressure it's emitting..."
"It looks a lot like a Vortex!" Moondancer gasped and so did the other crew members.
"Hmph. As if it's going to swallow us." Daybreaker scoffed even in the presence of something that could very much end her and everything she has. "We'll deal with this vortex. You'll go straight for that gateway and subdue it."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Sunrise Sparkle nodded as she would personally go there herself along with other ponies who were managing the ship. Now, a few of them remained to manage things, only further worrying Cozy Glow.
"Your majesty. We're closing in on the edge of this galaxy. But we aren't sure if it will take us back to the one we were previously at." One of the ponies said. "This galaxy seems to have some sort of wall around it."
"So you say? A perfect time to use one of the Solar Sword's greatest assets. We'll pierce that galaxy wall.
In the far distance, the screen showed Daybreaker and everyone a massive Galaxy Wall, blocking them from entering the next galaxy. But to Daybreaker, she saw it as something else that could be shattered, no matter how massive the boundary may be.
As for the Dragon Matter, the aftermath of it was crackling around the ships, showing that it wasn't quite done. Coupled with the potions from before, it was leading to even more trouble for them.
The Wailord Galaxy.
The Wailord Galaxy.
Approximately 100,000 light-years in its Galactic Diameter with it being a completely sentient galaxy since it was Wailord himself. Transformed by Rift Energy, he now wanders the cosmos while having his own cosmos within him, where his family was at.
Unfortunately, he was unable to see them or even hear them. All he could see was the universe around him and while it was beautiful, it did not remove his smile.
Meanwhile, inside of his body, at this very moment, Mew, Pheromosa and Kartana were on their way to try and speak to Wailord since they could breathe outside of Wailord's own Solar System. They flew as fast as they could through the cosmos, hoping to find the exit.
Pheromosa squinted her eyes, unsure if they were anywhere near close to the exit. If they at least see something that looks like teeth, that'll be a good enough sign. Mew saw that they weren't going any faster at this rate. Plus, Pheromosa was only really fast on foot, not by floating through space.
"Mew..!" Seeing this, Mew knew that he had to accelerate everyone and the best way to do that was to become a Pokemon that was adept in the cosmos. With his body flashing a beautiful colour, Mew transformed himself in Palkia, emerging as the Spatial Pokemon.
Once he emerged as Palkia, he carried Pheromosa and Kartana on his back and the speed difference definitely showed. Mew travelled at a quicker rate as Palkia which was surprising since Palkia is a much larger Pokemon. However, it was that same reason that it was the Creator of Space.
With this, they could approach Wailord a bit quicker. Hopefully.
Meanwhile, Ash and the others had come across one of the many planets found in Wailord's Galaxy. One of which was a planet that looked older than the rest but not by much This planet could be seen with Water around at least so that was a start while the others were rather dry and just starting out. But with the Wailmer having no food and starving for an entire year this was not good enough. At least they had water, even if it was the entire planet.
"Is that planet good enough?" Pinkie Pie questioned.
"I'd say so. The Unown could help it out." Twilight commented.
"There's only 9 Unown here. Are we sure that's enough?" Applejack wasn't 100% sure about this. 9 Unown wasn't a lot. They could do great things but what does that mean to a planet?
"It doesn't have to be something massive. It just needs to be something small with a ton of impact. Like a seed. Not sure how that would work on a planet full of nothing but water. Go for it, Unown. Do your best."
The Unown would use Hidden Power on the planet from afar, sending a crimson ray forward. However, 9 Unown couldn't possibly fix this, even though they were pouring everything they had. Twilight scrunched her face, hoping they could pull something off. And if not, she was counting on Ash to discover something the aliens left behind that could help.
Speaking of Ash, he was currently with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, exploring more of the spaceship. And when moving across this absolutely massive ship's interior and many rooms, they found one room located in the far west.
At the centre of this wide room stands a circular platform, upon which unknown symbols and letters of significance are inscribed, glowing softly with a green energy. Surrounding the platform are various apparatuses and other instruments. The place they appeared in looked like some sort of forge with multiple sections being visible across the room.
They weren't sure what this room was for, but they'll do what they can to get something good out of it. The aliens left this all behind and the Unown repaired it. Surely, it had to have some use.
As the journey continues.
Chapter 424 End.