Equestria. Canterlot. Night.
At Canterlot, under the Moon, Spike's group met up with Princess Celestia after being led by Luna. Reaching Canterlot with Rayquaza in the cart, they learned of something rather important regarding the Dragon Matter. Something Celestia and Luna have already managed to figure out.
Sitting there was Princess Celestia, gazing upon Spike, Starlight, Amethyst and Big Mac. And most importantly, Rayquaza. "Glad you made an appearance tonight. Did Luna already tell you everything?" Celestia asked.
"Only that it appeared in response to him," Luna answered, only giving Spike the bare minimum. But it was a powerful bare minimum. "You can tell him the rest."
"What do you mean? It followed me?"
"Not just you, Spike. It seems to specifically react to Dragons." Celestia answered. "You were around an area that had Dragon Matter nearby and obviously, something happened to trigger it. Not just your presence."
"Well, we did hear something." Amethyst Star spoke. "it was so horrible. The worst sound I ever heard and I have no clue what it was."
"Whatever it was, it woke up the Dragon Matter." Starlight continued. "Caught us off guard, even though we were trying to be ready. Has the Dragon Matter shown up around other Dragons."
"It most certainly has. But only when something disturbs it. A few days ago, a few ponies and their Dragons said that the Dragon Matter showed up around them and only them. It hasn't been too long since the Pokemon Festival ended and already that Dragon Matter's been making more and more appearances."
"Mmm..." Big Mac thought for a moment. Applejack did tell him about how the Dragon Matter is the reason she and Fluttershy found the Kirin and eventually found Kangaskhan. While not a Dragon in his normal state, Sceptile did have Mega Evolution to change that, so most likely, the Dragon Matter reacted to that as well.
"..." The group then looked at Spike before stepping away from him for a moment.
"Ah! Hey!" Spike bellowed once they saw them gain their distance.
"Worry not. As long as nothing too intense disturbs you, it shouldn't show up. But that's the problem. Anything that reaches a certain level can awaken it." Celestia reassured.
"And uh...How many times has that happened recently?" Starlight questioned with a gulp.
"About 5. Mainly sparse across the world." Luna answered. "Your encounter makes it the sixth one so far. And based on what I felt and saw in the distance, the worst thus far. That many Dragons is what made it react in such a way. Rayquaza included.
"Seriously?" Spike would turn to his Dragons and Rayquaza as they were just as involved, unfortunately. This many Dragons made it easier for the Dragon Matter to be highly destructive. "But why? It doesn't even hurt us Dragons. Why would it do all that if it can't hurt us?" Spike just couldn't understand that part."
But Celestia and Luna gave him an answer, aiming their hooves at Starlight and Amethyst. They played a part in this as well for one simple reason. The two unicorns pulled back before looking at each other and back at the Royal Sisters. In unison, they said, "Us?!"
"That's right. It's because there were two Fairies present. And that was more than enough for the Dragon Matter to make an appearance."
"Hold on, hold on! Skitty's not a Fairy-Type though!" Amethyst objected, holding up her partner. "No disrespect, Princess."
"Skitty!"
"Not a Fairy-Type. But she's a part of the Fairy Egg Group." Celestia smiled, knowing her Pokemon biology well. That just confirmed more of it for Big Mac. Sceptile was in the same boat being a part of the Dragon Egg Group. "Like Cats and Dogs or Zangoose and Seviper, the Dragon Matter sees anything related to a Fairy as a threat and the presence of those two played a part in its appearance."
"What do we do then?"
"Well, Luna and I have been thinking and Fairy-Types are the best response to them. They're also immune to the Dragon Matter but they can also stave it away, whereas Dragon-Types can't."
"So why didn't Hatterene stave it away?" Starlight wondered why her partner Pokemon couldn't do the same. She only pulled it off momentarily but the Dragon Matter made an appearance just seconds later. "I had her use so much power to blow it away and yet..."
"They have to use the Fairy Matter themselves to make that happen. In the few instances of it appearing near others, those surrounded by the Fairy Matter were able to fend off the Dragon Matter, even by accident." Luna explained. "If you can do that, the Dragon Matter will leave and seep back into the Earth. Not that it'll stop moving."
"Now, about Rayquaza. I can only imagine why he's down here." Celestia would approach the Sky High Pokemon, finally addressing him. "It's been a while, Rayquaza." In response, the Sky High Pokemon would cry out to the Sun Princess, remembering her well. "You were up there, weren't you? Trying to stop Daybreaker and her team. The Ranger Union told me what happened. You did your best."
"Uh, is there any way to help him? He can't fly anymore. Whatever he did totally drained a good chunk of his strength." Spike asked.
"Well, based on what the Ranger Union said, Rayquaza dabbled in the Dragon Matter himself. In fact, I believe he used it incredibly well despite it being so new." Celestia explained. "But seems like even he can't handle it all just yet. Even if the Dragon Matter can't harm Dragon Pokemon, it can certainly give them a disadvantage."
"We've been here before." said Luna. "Reshiram was also rather powerless for a while, but I assure you, much like Reshiram, Rayquaza will recover. Not sure for how long though."
"We can't heal Rayquaza, I'm afraid. Not yet at least. So for now, he needs time to rejuvenate." Celestia offered that as the current solution until he recovers or something else is done. "But I'm leaving him in the care of Ponyville."
"Huh?!" Spike, Starlight and Amethyst collectively gasped.
"That's right. We can't have someone catching Rayquaza while he's left vulnerable like this. If someone like Team Plasma came across him, that would spell too much trouble for us all." But Celestia had her reasons as always. "That's why he needs to be away from the Wild for a while until he's ready once more. That isn't a problem, right, Rayquaza."
"Umm..." Before Spike could say anything else, he looked back at the Sky High Pokemon, who would nod in understanding. Spike grimaced as Ponyville was about to have quite a large guest.
"Don't worry. I ensure that it will all be alright." Celestia could understand their worries and fears. "I feel confident in entrusting his safety to all of you. Just like how Cobalion and the Ranger Union entrusted Zeraora to Rainbow Dash. Just make sure Rayquaza is safe and rests well."
"I-I got it." Spike nodded in understanding and by extension, so did the others. "We'll do our best. Not sure Mayor Mare will like it though."
"Your majesty." Entering the throne room was one of the guards. "We've just received news from Pegalysium that the ship has returned to Earth. The same ones Ash's group took."
"They're back already?" Celestia spoke, already aware of their departure. She had her connections to Pegalysium to thank for that.
Pegalysium. Sky Monarch.
Descending onto the area it originally took off from, Ash and his friends had safely returned to Earth, landing in Pegalysium. And as soon as it touched down and opened up, exiting it were the Unown, followed by Ash and everyone else. Rolling out of the ship were the Wailmer, followed by the Android Doll and her Nanos.
"How did it go? Is everything alright?" King Paramount asked upon seeing them return.
"Do you have a Pokemon Center up there?!" Rarity immediately rushed over, needing intensive care for Pheromosa. Pinkie Pie would do the same, holding Mew in her hooves.
"W-We don't, I'm afraid. What happened to him?" Luminary looked over at Mew, who was struggling to stay awake. "Did you stop Daybreaker?"
"We had to come back." Three of our Pokemon got hit with something huge and they're in a critical state. We couldn't afford to go back to Daybreaker and risk them getting hurt anymore." Twilight explained. "As for Daybreaker, we have no idea where she and her team are right now..."
"Well...head home for the night," Paramount suggested. "Get a good night's sleep and have your Pokemon recovered."
"Wow...Earth." As for Doll, she was more amazed by what she was seeing. Definitely way more life present here. Granted, she did briefly stay on that New Planet Ash made. "This is where Father comes from?"
"Best we get you somewhere you can live. Your father's home was taken with him, so you're going to have to find a new one." Fluttershy suggested, knowing Doll would need somewhere new to live. She wasn't returning to Planet Vinlie anytime soon. Fluttershy and Applejack would make sure she gets a new home and of course, they would help the Wailmer, Lapras and Wailord back into the world once more.
"Mew..." Mew groaned, being the only one to actually take all of that damage and still be somewhat conscious. Pinkie Pie held him in his hooves like a baby, making sure he was comfortable and not feeling too much stress or pressure. Pinkie was rather worried that Nurse Joy might not be enough for such a problem.
Equestria. Lapras Lake.
As for where Wailord's group would be sent to, it was right back where they last saw them. Lapras Lake. Fluttershy arrived there with just her Pokemon by her side. The rest of her friends were already off doing other things, such as making sure Pheromosa, Mew and Kartana get proper treatment.
The Wailmer immediately leapt into the familiar ocean of the world they love, splashing water droplets everywhere. Fittingly, Lapras would soon enter Lapras Lake. And of course, the big one himself. Fluttershy tossed the Poke Ball in the air, immediately summoning the Float Whale Pokemon.
She made sure the throw was powerful enough to reach great distances. Wailord emerged, almost dropping into the ocean. However, as his title suggests, he could float, hovering over the ocean.
They were all back to where they originally were once more, making Fluttershy feel a bit nostalgic. The Wailord happily bounced around.
"Glad you're back, Wailord. Everyone." Fluttershy smiled. "Now, I'm just hoping things turn out well for Pheromosa, Mew and Kartana."
"WAIL." Wailord had something to admit. He knew why the three of them were in such a state as he overheard it all. Wailord told Fluttershy that he was the one responsible for their conditions. Of course, it was mainly caused by Daybreaker.
"It was you...?" Fluttershy gawked. But she understood it was never his fault from the start. Much like how Craft became even more intelligent with Rift Energy, the same went for Wailord who was aware of his galactic-size. "I understand, Wailord. No hard feelings. I'll make sure they understand too. Now...you all should get going. But before that."
Fluttershy then looked at the Poke Ball, ready to destroy it to set Wailord free. No way her own strength could do it, so she was counting on Raboot to pull it off. However, before she could have Raboot destroy it, Wailord said something surprising that caught Fluttershy off guard once more.
"You...don't want me to?" Fluttershy translated. To her surprise, Wailord didn't want her to destroy the Poke Ball. And by extension, that meant only one thing. Wailord wanted Fluttershy to keep that Poke Ball, as a sign of these two being partners. "O-Oh! Alright! I got it, Wailord!"
Granted, Wailord was still going to swim away, taking care of his family and everything. But he would be Fluttershy's Pokemon now, out there somewhere. And Fluttershy could count on him to show up when it most matters. Lapras then happily cheered for Wailord for finding a Pokemon Trainer such as Fluttershy. And in Fluttershy's ears, she heard a particular word only associated with couples.
"Wait...You two are Husband and Wife!" Fluttershy was hit with the third surprise of the night by Wailord. This time, from the mouth of Lapras. Fluttershy then looked at the Wailmer, finally understanding that they were Lapras's kids too, even if it wasn't by blood.
"...WAIL." And this was confirmed with Wailord blushing in response.
Fluttershy was proud of them but also stunned. Wailord was a Family Pokemon and a huge one at that. He would then swim away with his family. Fluttershy chuckled for a moment before walking off. She definitely needed time to rest and recover herself.
Unova. Castelia City. Pokemon Center. Night.
Taking the nearest gateway, Pinkie Pie, Twilight and Pheromosa immediately went to Castelia's Pokemon Center, getting their Pokemon checked up. Thankfully, no one else was needing care at the moment, leaving their Pokemon available.
Like a worried mother, Rarity was pacing back and forth, even using her magic to levitate from place to place. "Oooh! Maybe I shouldn't have taken her to space! She's a supple Pokemon after all! But that means she can recover faster, right?! Surely?!"
"Since Mew is still somewhat conscious, then I believe they'll recover," Twilight said. "Poor Kartana. I hope he isn't discouraged by all of this. I've only been his partner for a short while..." Waiting for minutes and minutes under the Unoan Moon, Nurse Joy appeared, here to say something.
"Sorry. This might take way longer than I expected." Nurse Joy bowed her head. "Their condition is unheard of. I've never seen anything like it before. But that doesn't mean they can't recover." Alas, it would not be instant and the recovery would take longer. "Not sure how many days or weeks it will take, but your Pokemon will have to stay here until further notice.
"A-Alright..." Twilight sighed, nodding in understanding. It was for the best anyway. Anything else would just put the three of them in further danger considering how wild their days can be. "Come on, girls."
Understanding their Pokemon had to stay, the three of them left the Pokemon Center with heavy hearts. Pinkie was reminded of when she first saw Mew being so defenceless. Rarity was gutted she let Pheromosa experience such a thing. As for Twilight, she had some faith in Kartana considering his strong-willed personality. It was time for them to depart from Unova and return to Equestria.
Twilight then looked up at the night sky, gazing at the Moon. She wondered if anything was happening up there. If Daybreaker and her forces had found Lunala and started another cosmic conflict. But so far, the Moon was silent and so was the sky.
Ponyville. SugarCube Corner.
"Oh, Mew..." Pinkie said upon opening the door to her room. Usually, Mew would fly in with her, ready to call it a night or mess around until they both passed out from excitement. Pinkie Pie would have to spend not one night, not two nights, but possibly multiple nights without Mew. She still had her other Pokemon but there would certainly be a void there.
Her mane was even starting to deflate from its usual playful and bouncy style. Pinkie Pie just had to hope for the best and receive something good later down the road. Hopefully tomorrow. With the lights off, the Earth Pony crawled into her bed, calling it a night.
However, her sadness would not go unnoticed. Not from any higher powers such as Arceus or the one known as Writing Glory. Not at all. Another external force of lesser power would pick up on this.
Far off in the distance, moving at high speeds and leaving behind a huge smoke cloud was one individual. Far from Ponyville, this round individual was moving at a breakneck pace, spotting the quant town in the distance. Approaching from the hills, passing by Pokemon and animals in a flash, specifically a pink flash, it was clear that this was a Pokemon on the move.
Faster and faster. Through the lakes, the forests and hills, this Pokemon was approaching Ponyville while it was starting to settle down for the night. It was rather fast for its size. But more specifically, considering the species, this Pokemon should not be this fast. While Pinkie Pie was snug in her bed with a frown on her face, the Pokemon in question finally arrived.
It was a Blissey.
Responding to Pinkie, Twilight and Rarity's sadness, the Happiness Pokemon had arrived. But this wasn't just any Blissey. This was the Blissey said to move from town to town when there is a heap of sadness. And even though it was only three individuals, the sadness was heavy.
The Happiness Pokemon had finally appeared in Ponyville under the night. She knew exactly which buildings they were coming from. Twilight's Castle, Carousel Boutique and SugarCube Corner. And not only did she sense where they came from, she could see through it.
In a flash, her eyes lit up with energy. Rift Energy, to be exact. This was a Blissey that had been hit with Rift Energy, much like some Pokemon out there.
With her eyes lighting up with a cosmic energy which just can't seem to escape the Ponies no matter what, she looked through the three buildings. In Twilight's Castle, she saw the Princess of Friendship open the doors to her home, unaware of the Pokemon that was waiting for her inside.
For Rarity, she was still awake in her bed. Her eyes wide open as she thought about Pheromosa. And as for Pinkie Pie, she was the only one asleep with a frown on her face. Blissey had one goal in mind that her entire species was dedicated to.
And her first target would be none other than Pinkie Pie. Instead of running, the Happiness Pokemon would approach with a walk, gently making her way to SugarCube Corner. Granted, that also meant finding a way inside, but she would manage.
All the while, in the night sky, a bright flash that looked like a twinkling star went off. Specifically, near the Moon. This twinkle would then fade away moments later as the journey continues.
Chapter 430 End.