Kanto. Pallet Town. Ketchum Household. Nightfall.
An illness rare to Changeling Queens, known as the Amora Scourge has plagued Chrysalis. Having full-on true feelings for Ash while also seeing him as an equal, possibly even a superior has caused this illness to emerge. The supposed cure was for the Changeling Queen to meet with the one she loves and in this case, Chrysalis had to meet with Ash in her current condition.
The only place to go was to Pallet Town, hoping to meet Ash there while he was asleep. As Chrysalis was being carried, May would knock on the Ketchum Household door. The moonlight was shining down on the Earth, providing a wonderful view.
After waiting a couple of minutes, Delia opened the door, rubbing her eyes. She was a bit tired as she had a bit of a nap earlier.
"Oh...May? Is that you?" Delia was starting to recognize May's face. It has been a long time since she's seen her after all. "You're here a bit late."
"Sorry, but I need to see Ash right away. Is he home?"
"Oh, sorry. But Ash isn't here tonight, I'm afraid. He's elsewhere." Alas, coming here was pointless since Ash was absent.
"Ah...I should've figured." May scratched hier face. "He'd obviously be exploring somewhere.
"Goodness. Chrysalis, is that you?!" Delia looked to the side, facing Chrysalis, who was currently in a bed that was carried by two other Changelings while Mellifera was near her.
"Mrs. Ketchum, I'm afraid she's very ill. It's a very rare illness. It's called the Amora Scourge, a condition exclusive to Changelings. The former Changeling Queen suffered from this." May explained.
"Ash..." Chrysalis spoke Ash's name, groaning from it. "Please..."
"Please, You have to tell us where Ash went, Mrs Ketchum!" May pleaded.
"Truth is...I don't have a clue." Delia lowered her eyes afterwards. "After Ash had a second awakening with Prisma's soul affecting him, he hasn't shown up around here or Ponyville that much."
"Second awakening? What does that mean?" May was not yet caught up on the Prisma situation. Delia would explain it to all with a heavy heart.
"Well...inside Ash, Red and the other counterparts, there exists a soul of a man named Prisma. Whenever Ash is pushed to a certain point where his anger is rising, Prisma's soul can affect him, making him a far more aggressive trainer. His second awakening happened not too long ago and this time, he ended up hurting his friends in the process."
"S-Seriously?!"
"It's not like the Ash we know. So he's been trying to figure out a way to control it so that it never happens a third time or more. Twilight told me he was seen heading elsewhere, but I have no clue as to where. The only ones who would know are his Pokémon and friends. That's all I know."
"Urgh...Ngh...!" Chrysalis's voice sounded raspy. She was looking at the moon, her body shaking.
"Chrysalis...Don't push yourself. We'll find him, okay?" May reassured the Changeling Queen. "Mrs Ketchum, do you think we could call him?"
"He hasn't answered his Xtransceiver at all, I'm afraid. It seems he's not speaking to anyone else at the moment. But, you could ask Pinkie Pie to help you. Her Slurpuff could track his scent and find him. That is a guaranteed way to find him."
At SugarCube Corner, May immediately went to Pinkie Pie, visiting her for the first time. She walked through the doors of the building, seeing a lot of things here. There were many cakes and confectionaries being displayed. The room was well-lit and clean but also with a strong scent of sweets and pastries.
To May, this was the most divine place next to a restaurant. So much food just present and ready to be consumed. Her eyes were ablaze with joy. Up ahead, at this time, Pinkie Pie was still awake, seen working overtime.
"Um, hello." May spoke, gazing at the pink pony before her. "Are you...Pinkie Pie?"
"Yep. And you're May, right?" Suddenly, Pinkie spoke May's name despite meeting her for the very first time.
"H-How did you know I was coming here?!" May exclaimed. "And how do you know who I am?"
"Easy...I'm Psychic!" Pinkie winked before laughing. "Nah, I'm just joking. Ash showed me a picture when he travelled across Hoenn. I remember it!"
"Oh." May chuckled.
"So, what's the matter? Need something to eat? Cause that's easy. Just tell me what you want and I'll give it to ya. How about a cake? Ooh, maybe some ice cream. I've got some fresh ones right in the fridge."
"Ice Cream?" May's eyes lit up. Her immense love for food was kicking in. But she would quickly snap back to her senses, even though this entire place was making her hungry. "No, I'm not here for food. I was wondering if you could have one of your Slurpuff track Ash down for me? I really need to talk to him. He's not even picking up his Xtransceiver.
"That's it? Oh, that 's easy too! Sure, we'll find him." Pinkie was confident. "All my Slurpuff know what Ash smells like! We've been friends with him for so long, we don't even need an item or anything to find him."
"Really?! Oh thank you, Pinkie Pie!"
"It's nothing. We'll get it done in no time. SLURPSSSSSS!" Pinkie Pie yelled out their names and from the stairs, all 6 of her Slurpuffs came running down. They were all cute, but May was more focused on finding Ash. "Alright, team. You know what we have to do as always."
"Slurpuff-Slurpuff?" They all tilted their heads, curiously.
"We have a request from May here and I want you all to go and find Ash. Easy enough. You six can find him without needing a piece of hair, some clothes or whatever."
"Slurpuff! Slurpuff!" The six nodded.
"So uh...What do you need him for anyway?" Pinkie Pie asked as she was about to receive the context from May herself and would be blown away without a doubt. May would explain it as fast as she could to the Earth Pony, who was caught off guard by what she had heard.
Outside, the Slurpuffs were sniffing, trying to get a good scent of Ash. One of the Slurpuffs began running, sniffing the ground. He would stop and sniff the air. Another one would follow and then another. They moved across Ponyville during the night, passing its many buildings such as Town Hall, Twilight's Castle, and others.
They would head outside of Ponyville, entering the rest of Equestria while May, Pinkie Pie and the Changelings were right behind them. "A sickness of love? No way..." Pinkie Pie said after being caught up to speed. "That's just a bummer! She should be allowed to love whoever she wants, even if she's a Queen."
"Hmph. Typical of a pony to look at it in that way." Mellifera scoffed. "Your talks and virtues of Friendship make you blind to the consequences. That's the problem."
"Hmph!" Pinkie would puff her cheeks, crossing her hooves. "Show's what you know, granny."
"What if it doesn't work?" May asked. You said the former queen only temporarily got rid of it instead of completely. She even went to stay with him for the rest of her life to calm it down. That's how far the illness took her. If it can't be cured, then the best thing we can do is-"
"Out of the question." Mellifera shut it down before May could even finish. "We'll see what will happen once we find Ash Ketchum. But until then, there is no point in thinking about that. If it is truly incurable, she'll have to do what the former Queen did. Become Ash's wife."
"W-W-Wife?!" May's entire face turned red. Her body began shaking, her arms moving up and down.
"Yes. As you know, the Queen can't have a King, so she'd be his wife. And if it is true, that might just be her only chance. That is the last resort. For now, we can try and cure it the other way."
"Yeah, I'm sure she won't have to do that." May chuckled nervously, her cheeks still blushing.
"...Wait isn't that just the same thing?" But Pinkie Pie wasn't seeing any difference.
The Slurpuffs were still sniffing, making their way out of Equestria. The night was still young as they were searching the area, passing through different biomes. They were making their way through the mountains and forests, searching every corner. Many locations that Ash and his friends have already visited multiple times and now May was going through them herself.
Suddenly, Chrysalis's body would start glowing, emitting a magical aura around her. Everyone looked at the Changeling, shocked by the sudden light. A beam shot up into the sky, reaching all the way up there.
"What was that?!" Pinkie Pie's eyes widened once she saw the pink beam ascend.
"Oh no! The first major Love Effect of the illness is making its appearance!" Mellifera gasped. "Curses!
"Love Effect?" Pinkie and May both said at the same time.
"Indeed! When a Changeling begins to have romantic feelings for someone, their magic starts to become unstable and as a result, can cause these magical effects to happen. I believe the first is when they emit a strong aura and release a beam into the sky. This is a warning."
"Warning?" Thorax gulped.
"It means that their love is beginning to spread to others. If this effect continues, she will eventually affect everyone, turning them into her subjects. They will be forced to fall in love with Ash Ketchum, no matter what."
"Is-Is that why it's called the Amora Scourge?! Cause it can affect people?" Pinkie bit her hoof rapidly.
"Indeed. As the Changeling Queen, she is able to have a hive, but it's not just the hive that matters. If she is able to have a King and they are not her subjects, she will be able to have a bigger hive, one that is far stronger and far more powerful than anything we've seen."
"Wait a minute. That doesn't make sense. Isn't having a King forbidden?" May was struggling to understand it a bit.
"You are correct. It is forbidden. The former Changeling Queen of three generations ago did it, and look at what happened. But the reason for that is because of the size. The bigger the Hive, the greater the danger. The more she can take advantage of others, the bigger her advantage. She can control them to do anything. And the bigger her power, the stronger her illness. It is a cycle. Of course...this also means others will fall in love with Ash now. If it goes too far, Changelings will not be the only ones. Ponies will become her subjects and the Amora Scourge will spread even faster. The larger the hive, the more her illness gets worse."
"Oh, well, that doesn't seem too bad." Pinkie Pie shrugged her shoulders. "We can deal with a bit of romance, no biggie."
"Not when it affects all of Equestria," Mellifera responded.
"Wh-What?!" May's eyes widened. "Equestria?! Are you saying she can affect everyone?!"
"Indeed. And it won't stop there. It will immediately transcend Equestria and affect other lands. And after that, your regions will be next. Then, the whole world. If this goes any further, Ash Ketchum will not only be Chrysalis's husband, but also the King of the entire world."
That's some magic...!" May was starting to freak out, her face paling. "But Ash can't be a King, can he?"
"He's the King of the Sea and very soon, he might be the King of World.. Then again, I suppose that would make you a Queen."
"Oh, gosh. I don't want that." May shook her head rapidly.
"Well, I don't feel a thing at all. Are you sure it's happening?" Pinkie Pie was curious, looking up at the sky.
"You might not notice it just yet. This is the first time ever since the far former Changeling Queen. Now, hurry before it gets worse and becomes a Love Storm. That will be far worse.
They continued on their way, passing by many mountains. In the mountains, the Slurpuffs kept going, sniffing the ground while treading this rough terrain. One of the Slurpuffs raised their head, catching a certain smell. They were close to Ash and he would stop.
"Did you find something, boy?" Pinkie Pie questioned. The Slurpuff barked in response, raising its paws up and down.
"Slurpuff!" He began to run, leading the way. Pinkie Pie followed along with the Changelings and May. The Slurpuffs ran faster and faster, moving from mountain to mountain. Up ahead, they saw a familiar figure walking away.
"There!"
"That's him! It's Ash!" May pointed, seeing him walk away. "Ash, wait up!" She cried out but he was much farther than she thought. His figure disappeared as he went down the mountain.
"He's heading into the woods. Let's hurry." Mellifera urged them on. They would all make their way down, trying to catch up with him. The mountains played tricks on their eyes, making them think he was closer than he should but, but they still had some ways to go before they could reach him.
Just then, Ash would start running with Pikachu all of a sudden. This caused them to speed up and it didn't help that Ash was surprisingly fast. Fast enough to keep up with someone like Pikachu. He was already ahead, moving away from them.
"Oh no. I can't lose him!" May gasped. "Stop Ash!"
They tried keeping up as fast as they could, scaling a hill as they made their way through the forest. They had to keep their pace, not wanting to lose him. It was already bad enough that they lost him once, they didn't want to do it a second time. Moving through the many bushes and passing the trees, they saw how some of the Pokemon living here were active, even though they should be asleep at this time outside of the many Nocturnal Pokemon.
Currently, they were all moving in the same direction, rushing as fast as they could towards Ash. They had no idea what they were doing or why, but it was a strange sight, seeing them all act this way. They would move through the bushes and trees, seeing a trail of footprints and paw prints left behind.
"The magic has already started affecting them." Mellifera observed when seeing all of these Pokemon moving in the same direction. "The Love Effects will keep increasing until it's the Love Storm. We have no time to lose."
It was difficult for them to move in a clear path with so many Pokemon around. This forest was absolutely packed, not a single space to move around. They had no choice but to push through and go straight, following the Pokemon.
Some of the bigger Pokemon made this even harder, either from their large size of the fact that they could shake the ground itself. It was a race for Ash Ketchum at this point and right now, May's group were starting to fall behind.
"Ash, wait!" May called out once again, trying to catch his attention. But alas, it was no use. They were all far behind and Ash had no idea what was going on. Up ahead was a tall and steep hill that Ash and Pikachu would immediately scale with ease. This prompted the nearby Pokemon to do the same once they approached it.
"Oh, no you don't. I'm not letting you get away." May refused to fall behind. She began to run up the hill, using her hands and feet to climb. She was not the only one doing so. Mellifera and Pinkie Pie were both climbing, the other Slurpuffs helping.
"P-Please...Ash." Chrysalis managed to speak, still looking at the Moon.
Just then, it only got worse as other Pokemon from different locations started approaching behind May's group. They looked behind to see a swarm of Combee followed by their Vespiquen, all coming their way. They were flying as fast as they could, their sights set on Ash.
"What?! Is it already spreading?!" Mellifera gasped. The two Combees that were holding her up were panicking, fearing for their Queen. The Combee and Vespiquen were so focused on Ash that they immediately swarmed May's group while passing them, causing a commotion.
"What the?!" May was shocked, her eyes darting from left to right. The swarm was flying above her, pushing the group back and down. It was not their fault and they were not attacking but just trying to pass through. May's group was severely held back while the Changelings shielded their Queen from any harm.
They kept Chrysalis safe while they all fell back, coming to a halt. The other Pokemon in the distance would then pass by, some almost stepping on them. Once they were all gone into the distance, May grunted, raising her head. She stood back up, gazing at the Pokemon as they continued their chase.
"No...Ash!" May shouted. Time was of the essence right now as they had no idea how long Chrysalis could hold out. They had to keep going, even if it meant being behind so many Pokemon.
Manehattan.
Eventually, they found themselves arriving at Manehattan of all places. They were making their way through the many roads, trying to find Ash. It was late at night and there were few people around, most of them being Pokemon.
"Manehattan? What's Ash doing here?" May asked herself. The Slurpuff sniffed the floor, catching his scent. With a quick bark, the Slurpuff led the way, moving through the streets and going through the alleyways.
Thankfully, they were able to spot Ash in the distance yet again. Once more, he was still walking but he finally came to a halt once The the familiar face of Coco Pommel approached him. The Fashion Designer had a bright smile on her face upon approaching Ash, grabbing his attention compared to everyone else who he was unable to spot as of yet.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "Great that Coco stopped him! We'll be able to grab him and we can all get out of here."
"So, um...Ash...I was wondering if you had any plans tonight." She twiddled her hooves, blushing hard. "I don't usually ask this to anyone, actually."
"Oh no...Is she...?" May gasped once she heard the conversation. "It's already spreading this far?!"
Right before she could get her answer, three more ponies were approaching Ash. But the second they got close, Coco, who was usually so sweet and calm, started giving a death glare. The other ponies were intimidated by the fashion designer's gaze and quickly backed away, leaving Ash alone and not advancing any further.
"That's new." Pinkie Pie blinked. "Did she always have that glare? Reminds me of a Fluttershy a bit."
"The Love Effect is strong in this one. It's causing her to act differently. That means the second effect is starting to emerge. Jealousy. That's the second Love Effect."Mellifera narrowed her eyes.
"Jealousy? What's gonna happen next?" May gulped.
"Once the first two Love Effects start kicking in, it'll only get worse from there. Get that girl away from Ash at once!" Mellifera ordered the Slurpuffs.
"Slurpuff!" The Slurpuffs all nodded in unison, leading the way. They ran towards the two, but before they could reach Ash, a giant Swampert had come out of nowhere, standing right in their path. But instinctively, being so defensive of Ash, Coco suddenly took out her Poke Ball, summoning her Glaceon.
"Glaceon, use Ice Beam!"
"Glaceon!" Glaceon immediately obeyed, firing a beam of ice.
"Slurpuff, protect yourself!" The Slurpuffs were caught off guard by the attack and barely managed to evade it. "What's with her?! She's a nice girl! Why is she acting like this?!"
"Her love is causing her to act like that. We need to get Ash away from her as soon as possible. She'll start attacking anyone that comes near him."
"Oh, no. Chrysalis's magic is even affecting Pokemon." May looked back, seeing the Pokemon coming their way. They were all staring at Ash with a loving expression and were about to rush towards him.
"Huh...?" Ash recognized those familiar voices, turning his head to spot May, Chrysalis, Thorax and Mellifera. "May? You're here too? What's going on here?"
"Ash! Come here!" May bellowed.
"Huh? Wait, I need to speak to Ash!" Coco demanded, raising her voice.
"Get out of the way, kid!" Mellifera barked, causing Coco to flinch. Her shout more intimidating than her new glare.
"Glaceon, block them! Ice Beam!" The fashionista commanded her Pokemon with a new type of intensity in her voice. Were it not for the magic, she would never act like this.
"Glaceon!" However, in a twist, Glaceon turned the Ice Beam on her instead, freezing her on the spot. "What the-?!"
"Huh?! Glaceon, why?!" Ash gasped at the sight before him.
"It's only natural! Trainers and Pokemon will even turn on each other if the Love Effect kicks in. They'll do whatever it takes to protect him. Even turn against their own Trainer. And the same will happen to the rest."
Ash would eventually notice the number of Pokemon approaching him. He thought they were all gathering in one spot but in reality, they were all gathering around him. He saw the looks in their eyes, seeing hearts form on them which was a dead giveaway as to what this was.
"Oh man...It's just like the Sweet Scent mess all over again!" Ash grimaced at this rather overwhelming sight before rushing off with Pikachu. The swarm was hot on his tail.
"Ash!" May exclaimed.
"Wait! Don't leave, Ash!" Coco would soon join the race along with other ponies and Pokemon from Manehattan.
"Ash, you're my everything!" A mare named Sassy Saddles was also chasing after him, her eyes wide.
"No way?! You too, Saddles?!" Ash grimaced. So many familiar faces were all gathered, chasing after him with nothing else on their mind but him. It really was like the Sweet Scent scenario but much, much worse. Unlike that one which was just the Pokemon being around him because of his scent, this was an actual illness. A magic-induced sickness that was spreading through the entire region, possibly the world.
Ash managed to find himself a spot to hide as the group kept chasing him. He hid in a dark corner, hoping they wouldn't see him. He took a moment to breathe with Pikachu, but little did he know, his hiding spot was compromised. Some ponies were already lurking in the dark, revealing themselves once the Moonlight shined on them.
"Found you!" One of the ponies exclaimed, revealing their presence. Ash grimaced yet again, swiftly evading an incoming hug from the pony. He dodged the other two before continuing on his way with Pikachu, leaving the two mares in a pile.
Ash made his escape, moving through the alleyways as fast as he could. There were plenty of turns and obstacles here but it was the best way to make sure they couldn't catch him, his movements speeding up constantly. Clearly, Manehattan wasn't the place to be right now as Ash would continue on his way, but that would only mean that May's group would be distant once more.
Dodge Junction.
Ash found himself away from Manehattan and instead over at Dodge Junction this time, running quite the distance. So far, he had lost them all and Dodge Junction was rather quiet at the moment with many of its residents fast asleep. It looked like he was in the clear.
"Man..." Ash sighed. "What was that all about? Did they fall under a spell or something?" Wondering, he and Pikachu would sit down for a moment after going quite the distance, taking a short break. Things fell silent here for them as Dodge Junction looked to be completely safe at the moment with no signs of any one trying to chase him.
"Pika.."
Geez...So much for having a peaceful moment. Guess it's gonna be delayed, huh?" Ash chuckled a bit. "We're still not too far from where we need to be, Pikachu. If I wanna stop a third awakening, I gotta strengthen my soul. This one place is said to really help with that and I wanna be there. For everyone's safety..." He clenched his fist as the reason for his wandering was revealed.
Wanting to avoid another moment like the first or second awakening, Ash was trying to train his soul to the best of its abilities, hopefully keeping Prisma from making a third comeback. Pikachu was obviously with him all the way, not wanting his best friend to go through such a thing. To see Ash be so aggressive in battle was just haunting to look at after all.
But right as he was ready to go, some vines suddenly latched onto his body from behind.
"Huh? Now what?! He tried breaking free, but he was quickly yanked back, his entire body being dragged back. So much for resting a bit and gaining some peace.
"Pika-chu?!" Pikachu was caught off guard by this sudden turn of events. Turning around, he saw that Cherry Jubilee and her Liligant were awake at this time, both looking at Ash.
"Ash, I was thinking we could spend a romantic night together. How's about making this old mare happy, huh?"
"Lili!" Liligant agreed.
"You too?! Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" The Electric Mouse jumped into action, slicing Liligant's vines apart with his hardened tail. With a quick jump, the two would retreat, jumping off the top of a nearby barn. "Gotta get out of here."
"Liligant, use Petal Blizzard!"
"Liligant!" Liligant immediately began attacking, showering the two with a barrage of petals that went upwards, attempting to knock them off the barn's roof.
"Thunderbolt!"
"Pika...Chuuu!" Pikachu retaliated with 100,000 volts, causing the petals to fly everywhere. As the two fell, they would land on a nearby roof, immediately keeping their momentum up. Ash took a deep breath, his heart beating fast. But before he could react, more ponies and Pokemon were approaching, some from Dodge Junction as the magic had woken them up.
"There he is! Don't let him escape!" One of them called out. Ash and Pikachu were on the run yet again as the entire town was now in hot pursuit.
Ash kept running and running, hearing many voices in the distance with many figures chasing him down. And it wasn't like the Pokemon and ponies from before had given up. They were also going the distance just to find him.
All the while, above him, the skies were beginning to turn pink.
The Crystal Empire.
Elsewhere, away from the chaos, the Crystal Empire had yet to fall under this expansive magic. All were asleep peacefully much like Dodge Junction was not too long ago. They were unbothered and in their most comfortable positions while the guards stayed up to defend the empire.
The same goes for Shining Armor, Cadence and the two Flurry Hearts. This family looked absolutely peaceful, not a single one of them being bothered. And that was how it should be and always be during this time aside. Alas, this night was very different from the rest.
Just then, in a flash, Cadence opened her eyes, her body reacting to something. As the Princess of Love, she immediately recognized a strong essence of love in the atmosphere as the magic of Chrysalis already reached the Crystal Empire.
"Something is wrong. Something is very wrong."
As the journey continues.
Chapter 449 End.