Equestria. Near Manehattan. The Darkened Citadel.
Back in reality, the brawl inside the Darkened Citadel continued. The Golurk and the Nightmare Monsters were moving across the Darkened Citadel, various attacks flying all over the place as it mostly took place in the hallways.
The Wonderbolts Pokemon were flying around the Darkened Citadel, unleashing attacks against it. The Darkened Citadel would launch Nightmare Beams at them, trying to shoot them down. But the Wonderbolts Pokemon avoided them, continuing to attack the fortress.
"Let's keep this up! Our Pokemon are handling the fortress just fine!" Spitfire cheered as her Flygon unleashed Dragon Breaths from its mouth, striking the citadel. The other Wonderbolt's Pokemon unleashed more attacks at it as well. The Golurk were keeping the Nightmare Monsters busy as well.
However, Silent Fur wasn't worried. She sat on her seat, overlooking the battlefield. She gazed down, smirking to herself. "Hm...They may be doing damage, but it won't be enough. I have something that will surely defeat them all~."
Silent Fur would stand up, raising her five tails. All of them would glow brightly, signalling that she was about to unleash a powerful move. The Nightmare Monsters around her witnessed this, backing up.
"Everyone! Back away!" They all backed away from the Golurk and Wonderbolts' Pokemon. Silent Fur smirked before slamming all five tails against the ground below. A bright light would emerge from them, filling the Darkened Citadel with its radiance.
"Is it gonna explode or something?!" Soarin grimaced.
"No clue! But whatever it is, we won't let it stop us! Flygon! Respond with Flamethrower!" Spitfire ordered as Flygon unleashed a stream of fire from its mouth. All of the other Wonderbolt's Pokemon followed suit, unleashing their attacks together.
At the same time, the Darkened Citadel unleashed its attack. From below, bright Nightmare Energy would emerge from it. It was in the shape of a crescent moon as Silent Fur was grinning wickedly. The crescent moon would be unleashed, shooting across the area.
It would slash through the Wonderbolt's Pokemon attacks, heading straight for them. "Huh?!" Spitfire shouted. The crescent moon cleaved through all their attacks as if they were butter, overpowering all of them. They narrowly dodged it, all collectively flying out of the way just in time. Spitfire had a bit of her mane grazed by the attack as it missed her.
"Woah! That was close!" Soarin observed as the crescent moon Nightmare Beam kept going. The Golurk tried phasing through it, but were hit by it as it tore through them, injuring them. Their bodies were durable, but they still took heavy damage from this attack.
"Gol...Golurk!" They cried out before falling to the ground below, damaged greatly. The Wonderbolts Pokemon managed to avoid getting hit by this attack, stunned by how powerful it was.
"That thing was so fast!" Fleetfoot bellowed while recovering. The Wonderbolts Pokemon would retreat from the Darkened Citadel as the Nightmare Monsters chuckled amongst themselves.
Spitfire grimaced a bit before noticing an opening in the Citadel, caused by the battle inside and the attacks from the outside. There was enough room for them to enter through. "Aha!" Spitfire called out to them as her Flygon flew towards it. She was about to take advantage of this opening to enter the fortress.
The other Wonderbolts Pokemon followed suite as Silent Fur raised her tails again, preparing to repeat the same attack. The Nightmare Monsters got out of the way as Silent Fur slammed her tails against the ground again, unleashing the crescent moon Nightmare Beam once more.
But just in the nick of time, the Wonderbolts managed to enter through the opening, avoiding Silent Fur's attack. They were finally in the Darkened Citadel itself as the Golurk were trying to recover from Silent Fur's attack.
"Alright! We're inside!" Spitfire celebrated. So did the other Wonderbolts with some of them having sighs of relief. They were getting somewhere and entering enemy territory was a great step-up, especially since they plan to go to their Universe rather soon once they deal with all of this.
"Do you really think you ponies and Pokemon are safe inside here?" Silent Fur questioned while sitting on her throne. "You may have entered the fortress, but you will never be safe here. This place is our home. And we Nightmare Monsters are always one step ahead."
Getting a better look at this citadel, the interior of it was certainly familiar. When looking at it, it was clear that elements from Ponyville's buildings were taken to make this. Much like Nightmare Rarity's palace and Oculus Gloom's base, it was all just a corrupted version of Ponyville, enveloped by the nightmares.
"Alright, you all." Spitfire faced her team. "Let's try breaking it from the inside now. Blast it apart!" Spitfire ordered as the Wonderbolts Pokemon nodded. They were about to attack the interior of this Darkened Citadel itself to break it from the inside.
They flew onwards with their Pokemon, who would start unleashing attacks at the walls of this Darkened Citadel. They were on the move with their Pokemon letting their attacks fly everywhere, attempting to break this fortress down.
Naturally, they would come across some Nightmare Monsters who attempted to fight them. The Wonderbolts Pokemon and Golurk would fight back while Spitfire and her teammates aimed to break this place down from the inside.
"Flygon, use Earthquake!" Spitfire ordered as Flygon stomped its feet against the floor. Following that, a massive earthquake would erupt in here. It would spread throughout the entire Darkened Citadel itself, causing it to tremble.
"Now's our chance! Corviknight! Steel Wing!" Soarin ordered as Corviknight flew towards the wall, slashing it with its wings. Fire Streak's Talonflame would follow suit with Flame Charge as it flew at full speed towards the wall, punching it with flaming fists.
High Winds' Charizard would unleash Flamethrowers at the same spot, blasting it multiple times. At the same time, Thunder Wave's Jolteon would use Swift towards the same spot, shooting stars at it. The Golurk helped as well, unleashing punches against the same spot.
All of them were working together to bring this fortress down. And they were succeeding as cracks were beginning to appear. Silent Fur narrowed her eyes as the damage being done to the fortress couldn't be ignored. The Wonderbolts, with the combined might of the Golurk, could tear this place down if more time goes on.
The Wonderbolts passed by some of the Golurk that were battling against the Nightmare Monsters, continuing on their way and even supporting some of them with their Pokemon.
From the corner, one of the more larger Nightmare Monsters was appearing from the shadows. This monster was larger than the rest but still managing to fit in the fortress. Spitfire gasped, looking to the side as she witnessed a Nightmare Monster that appeared to be a massive mouth with teeth and a lack of eyes.
Its body was wide with no arms and legs whatsoever, being completely limbless. The Nightmare Monster had rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth and a tongue. It towered over the Wonderbolts Pokemon and Golurk alike as they gazed up at it.
This monstrous creature opened its mouth wide as two pairs of wings emerged from behind it. "Oh gosh..." Spitfire uttered while backing away. This Nightmare Monster was unlike anything else they've seen so far as it's large size intimidated them all.
"W-What is that thing?!" High Winds questioned.
"Gross!" Fleetfoot exclaimed. The Golurk were stunned by this one as well, disgusted by its appearance. The Nightmare Monster howled with a haunting voice before moving towards its prey. It would slither towards them, opening its mouth wide.
"Eugh!" Spitfire grimaced. "Flygon, Flamethrower!" Spitfire ordered as her Flygon unleashed a stream of fire from its mouth. However, the Monster would end biting into this attack, swallowing it whole.
"?!" Spitfire leaned back, stunned. Afterwards, the Nightmare Monster would unleash an attack from its mouth. It was none other than Flygon's Flamethrower as it had alternated it somehow. Spitfire and the others narrowly avoided this attack as Flygon backed up.
"H-How did it do that?!" Soarin questioned. The Golurk were shocked by this as well.
"Did it copy Flygon's Flamethrower?!" Fleetfoot shouted.
"So gross!" High Winds grimaced.
After unleashing the attack, the Monster would slither towards them once more, attempting to consume them whole. Spitfire and her teammates ordered their Pokemon to fly away while the Golurk phased through this monster, avoiding its attack.
The Nightmare Monster continued on its rampage, consuming everything in sight. It had the ability to mimic attacks, turning them into its own. This was a Nightmare Monster unlike any other. Silent Fur smirked from up above while gazing at the battle.
"Go forth, my pet. Consume all those who dare disturb us~." Silent Fur commanded as her pet Nightmare Monster obeyed. Spitfire and her teammates attempted to attack it from afar, firing beams from their Pokemon. However, the Nightmare Monster would devour these attacks once more, spitting them back out in the form of a beam.
"F-Fly!" Flygon cried out as it was struck by the beam, crashing down to the ground below. Spitfire and the others had to avoid this attack as well before checking up on their Pokemon.
"Flygon! Are you alright?!" Spitfire asked while landing near it. Flygon had fainted, unable to continue battling at this rate. Spitfire recalled Flygon into its Poke Ball before facing her teammates. The Nightmare Monster was continuing on its rampage, consuming everything in sight.
"That thing has a mouth of steel!" Soarin shouted. "It's able to swallow anything that hits it!"
"Yeah, but I bet it can't deal with direct attacks!" Spitfire exclaimed, holding out another Poke Ball. "Go! Gallade! Use Psycho Cut!" Spitfire released her Gallade as it appeared from a burst of light. Gallade dashed forwards towards the Nightmare Monster with blades of psychic energy surrounding his hands.
"Gal!" He would leap up towards the Nightmare Monster who opened its mouth wide. Gallade swung his blades downwards, striking the side of its body. The Nightmare Monster attempted to bite down on Gallade, only for the Psychic-Fighting-Type to narrowly avoid its clamp.
Gallade continued slashing it from the outside, delivering Psycho Cuts nonstop. "Now! Corviknight! Brave Bird!" Soarin ordered as his Corviknight emerged from a burst of light. Corviknight charged up a blue aura of energy around itself before flying towards the Nightmare Monster.
Corviknight crashed into it, dealing heavy damage to this monster. "Charizard! Steel Wing!" High Winds ordered as her Charizard emerged from a burst of light. Charizard unleashed steel wings from its back before flying towards this Nightmare Monster. Direct attacks did seem to be the best approach to dealing with this monster, but they weren't sure if they were dealing enough damage to it.
The Nightmare Monster retaliated by swinging its tongue at the Pokemon before biting down on Corviknight. "?!" Soarin gasped as Corviknight was caught by this Nightmare Monster. "Corviknight!" Soarin shouted while it was consumed by this monster.
"Corvi!" Corviknight cried out before it was swallowed whole. Soarin grimaced as he couldn't believe that just happened. He was concerned for his Pokemon inside of this Nightmare Monster as Silent Fur laughed. "Let go of him!"
"Quick Gallade! Use Close Combat!" Spitfire ordered as Gallade leaped up to this Nightmare Monster. Heavy and swift slashes were dealt to its body as Gallade kept striking it. Spitfire narrowed her eyes while Gallade was fighting off this Nightmare Monster, trying to free Corviknight from its grasp.
These heavy hits from Gallade proved to make the monster stagger a bit, releasing Corviknight from its mouth. Soarin breathed a sigh of relief while Gallade jumped away, landing next to Spitfire. Corviknight, however, felt the strange susbtance from the monster around its steel body, making it shudder.
"Return, for now, Corviknight." Soarin returned Corviknight into its Poke Ball before glaring at the Nightmare Monster. He was furious that it ate his Pokemon like that. But it was coming after them next as it slithered towards them. The Golurk were attempting to assist them by attacking it from the outside.
"Gallade! Use Psycho Cut!" Spitfire ordered as Gallade leaped up, preparing to slash it once more. The Nightmare Monster opened its mouth wide, ready to consume Gallade. At the same time, the Golurk were using Phantom Force to phase through this monster, damaging it from the inside.
This Nightmare Monster unleashed Flamethrowers from its mouth, aiming them at the Golurk. Some of them narrowly avoided this attack while others took damage from it. The Golurk that phased through the Nightmare Monster were struggling to break free from its body. The Nightmare Monster would start glowing all of a sudden, preparing an even greater Flamethrower attack.
Gallade was about to deliver Psycho Cuts to it once more, unaware of what was coming. Spitfire gasped upon realizing what was about to happen. "Gallade! Get away!" Spitfire ordered as Gallade stopped in his tracks. The Nightmare Monster unleashed a crimson stream of flames down to the floor instead of Gallade, engulfing it in a sea of fire.
Everyone gasped at this sight as the flames approached them all. Spitfire ordered Gallade to use Protect as the Psychic-Fighting Type would summon a barrier around them all. The impact of the Flames was tremendous while burning against the barrier. Gallade struggled to maintain this barrier as Spitfire gritted her teeth.
"We're barely hanging on! Keep it up, Gallade!" Spitfire encouraged her Pokemon who was doing his best to keep this shield active. The Nightmare Monster continued unleashing this attack as everyone was trapped inside the barrier.
Silent Fur smirked from up above while gazing at them all. "No matter how strong they may be, they're no match for my pets. I've raised them well~." Silent Fur stated.
"Gallade?! Where are you?!" Spitfire called out while coughing. The Nightmare Monster actually took damage from that, feeling winded. But it didn't take as much damage as Gallade, who was kneeling on the floor. Gallade's barrier had taken most of the damage as Gallade was on his knees, panting.
"Gallade!" Spitfire ran over to her Pokemon, helping him up. The monster was also beginning to get back, slowly making a recovery. It was willing to continue its rampage.
"Some of you! Stick around and deal with this thing! Others, follow us!" Spitfire ordered as some of the Wonderbolts would stick around to stop this monster. The Golurk remained to deal with this monster as Spitfire, Soarin and Fleetfoot would flee from here.
"You all handle this one! We'll catch up!" Spitfire ordered as her group would advance, leaving the other group to handle this Nightmare Monster.
Silent Fur narrowed her eyes, watching them advance. So far, the Wonderbolts have proven to be very stubborn, refusing to fall to any of these Nightmare Monsters. She needed to think of a better strategy to stop them. Because so far, they've found a way to press on.
"They're rather troubling..."
The Dream Realm. Hyperdream.
In the Dream Realm, Crag had drawn power from Arceus's Dream, gaining some extra strength from it. He cackled, feeling the divine power from it as he prepared to face off against the Lunas himself. All of them were wary of Crag as he grinned.
"Hm...The Power of Arceus. Even just a bit of it already feels wonderful. You Lunas are quite lucky that I am alone." Crag warned them.
"You fiend! Release his dream!" Current Luna ordered as they all prepared to fight Crag. The Nightmare Dragon cackled before charging up a powerful Nightmare Breath in his mouth. He unleashed it towards them as a divine energy could be seen around it too. It was a corrupted version of Arceus's Light, covered in Nightmare Energy.
The current Luna put up a shield to block this attack as Crag laughed. The impact of the beam hitting the shield was staggering as Crag was pushing harder, wanting to break through. Luna struggled to keep this shield up as the Lunas assisted her, adding their magic to hers.
Their shields expanded, however the beam was still pressurring them. Crag was laughing hysterically, knowing that they wouldn't last long against this attack. "Your shields will break soon enough! And I shall claim this Hyperdream as my own!"
"Curses...!" Current Luna grunted. Crag was increasing the power of this attack as it became brighter, shining across the Dream Realm. The Lunas all did their best to resist this attack but they were on the verge of breaking. Some of them were still weak after that spell they used earlier, so it made things harder for them.
Crag was enjoying every second of this as the Lunas were losing against his power. The Nightmare Dragon laughed before pressing forward, unleashing more power onto them all.
"I-I can't...!" One Luna cried out, beginning to lose control over her powers. Her connection to the Hyperdream was starting to fade as she fell to the ground. Another Luna would follow her example as she collapsed to the ground. The others were struggling to hang on as Crag laughed.
"Ha! Already, two of you have fallen! Just how pathetic are all of you?!" Crag taunted them while pushing more Nightmare Energy into the beam. The Lunas tried their best to resist this attack but more of them started collapsing. The light from the beam shined brightly as Crag laughed, knowing he was winning.
"Ngh...!" Current Luna grunted while struggling to maintain this shield. Crag laughed as it was only a matter of time until he breaks through. The Lunas were falling left and right as Crag laughed. Soon enough, it was the current Luna who remained, losing her shield as she ducked to narrowly avoided the beam. Crag chuckled, gazing at the lone Luna.
"Ah...This power is splendid!" Crag relished in this power as he kept drawing on it even more. The chains he put around Arceus's Dream would start multiplying, immediately flying over to more dream bubbles nearby. Crag would begin draining these dreams as well, obtaining more power from it.
More and more dreams were being chained up by Crag as he laughed. The Lunas all gazed around, horrified by this. Crag would start absorbing the dreams that were chained up by him, gaining more power from it. Luna had to think fast, otherwise Crag would be too strong to stop.
"Luna!" Bellowing nearby was none other than Darkrai, who was seen carrying Rarity. "Are you alright!"
"Darkrai! Rarity!!" Luna called out as Darkrai flew over to her.
"This place...This is the Dream Realm?" Rarity gawked as this was her first time getting a good look at the Dream Realm in its entirety. She was in awe by it all as Darkrai landed next to the current Luna.
"What happened here?!" Darkrai questioned. "Everything's disorganized unlike anything I've seen before!"
"That Dragon's drawing power from Arceus's Dream! He's becoming more and more powerful by the second! And I fear he might become too strong to stop!" Luna explained as Crag was absorbing more dreams. Darkrai noticed this, widening his eyes. "My control over the Hyperdream isn't as absolute as it was before. Not with these Nightmare Monsters running around..."
"Then allow me to take over." Darkrai volunteered. Luna widened her eyes, staring at Darkrai. "You need time to recover, correct? So let me take over while you do so. Go into their dreams and gather more help while I handle this one."
"B-By yourself! Darkrai, are you sure?!" Luna questioned.
"I'm sure. After all, your plan is to have everyone gather in one dream, isn't it? You won't accomplish it at this rate. Go on ahead, Luna."
"But...I want to find Ash's dream. I just can't with all of this mess." Luna closed her eyes. "If I could only find it..."
"Then search. Search while I keep him busy. Have Rarity assist you. Darkrai would drop Rarity, causing her to float in this dreamy space. "This battle will be taken over by me." Darkrai declared as Crag eyed the Pitch Black Pokemon down. Crag laughed before facing Darkrai.
"By yourself? A bold fellow." Crag taunted. "It's going to be your demise." Darkrai narrowed his eyes while Luna and Rarity would fly off to find Ash's dream. Crag laughed before charging up another Nightmare Breath in his mouth. "I'll give you credit for trying though! Allow me to finish you off quickly!"
Crag would unleash this beam towards Darkrai who would fly forward, knowing that he was immune to Nightmare Energy attacks. Darkrai would fly straight towards this attack, prepared to clash against it.
"Darkrai!" Rarity called out as Luna brought her along, searching for Ash's dream. Crag laughed before unleashing this beam against Darkrai, determined to take him out. However, Darkrai would simply fly through it, taking no damage as he was perfectly fine. Crag widened his eyes, shocked to see that Darkrai wasn't harmed at all.
"What's this?!" Crag was actually surprised as Darkrai would then slash his claws at the Nightmare Monster's face, landing a direct hit.
"From this point on, you Nightmares won't even taste a bit of victory!" Darkrai declared while unleashing Nightmare Shards towards Crag. The Nightmare Monster grunted, flying back as Darkrai went on the offensive. The Pitch Black Pokemon would fly around Crag, unleashing waves of Dark Pulses towards him.
Crag countered by unleashing a massive wave of Nightmare Flames towards Darkrai. The two of them were unleashing attacks at each other as they flew around one another. They clashed against one another as their attacks would create explosions, causing shockwaves throughout the Hyperdream itself.
Luna and Rarity distanced themselves from that battle, hoping not to get caught in it. Luna narrowed her eyes, thinking about Darkrai's words. If she wanted to gather everyone together in one dream bubble, she needed to find Ash's dream and fill it up with as many dreamers as possible. But that was easier said than done since the Nightmare Monsters made many of the Dream Bubbles foggy while also scattering them.
"How are we even going to find Ash's Dream in any of this?" Rarity questioned, seeing this as a massive mess. "Oh, it's so disorganized!"
"We'll find him." Luna was confident. "Because I believe that Ash will know what to do. He always does. Once he sees those Nightmare Monsters invading his dream, he'll undoubtedly know where to go next." Luna explained before closing her eyes. "Ash...Wherever you are...Please...Show us the way..."
Ash's Dream.
Speaking of Ash's Dream, he was currently in the middle of a battle, encountering the Nightmare Monsters himself. Sharing a dream with him were his Pokemon as Pikachu, Lucario and Gengar were assisting Ash while the dream civillians stayed back, watching this fight unfold.
Ash and Pikachu were atop a flame cloud while facing a Nightmare Monster that resembled a Shadow Ball. This one was a floating shadow ball with glowing red eyes and horns. It hovered towards Ash and Pikachu as they stood their ground. Lucario and Gengar were dealing with the other Nightmare Monsters as well.
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed before leaping up, preparing to strike this Nightmare Monster with Iron Tail. The Shadow Ball Nightmare Monster opened its mouth wide before unleashing a stream of dark energy towards Pikachu. Ash widened his eyes as Pikachu narrowly avoided this attack.
"Watch out, buddy!" Ash called out as Pikachu landed ontop of the cloud once more. The Shadow Ball Nightmare Monster hovered towards them as Ash and Pikachu both glared at it. "Alright, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered as Pikachu charged up electricity in his cheeks.
"Pika...Chuuuuu!" Pikachu unleashed a massive bolt of electricity packing a total of 100,000 volts, but as a dream variant, even more, towards the Shadow Ball Nightmare Monster. The monster was sent flying, crashing against the cloud below as Ash cheered. The dream civillians watched in awe as Ash and Pikachu fought off this Nightmare Monster.
"Gengar!" Gengar fired ghostly flames from its mouth towards the Nightmare Monster resembling a Slime. This Nightmare Monster would melt as Gengar smirked before noticing another Nightmare Monster resembling a giant eyeball. The Eyeball Nightmare Monster would launch beams from its pupil, forcing Gengar to dodge them.
"Curses! Why's he so strong?!" One of the Nightmare Monsters questioned while Gengar laughed. Lucario would use Force Palm to strike down another Nightmare Monster resembling a Ghost. The Ghost Nightmare Monster cried out as it was sent tumbling across the ground.
"Alright, Gengar!" Ash grinned. "Dazzling Gleam! Full Force!" Ash ordered as Gengar nodded. The Ghost-Type would charge up fairy energy in its body before unleashing a blinding ray of light towards all of the Nightmare Monsters here. All of them cried out as the Dazzling Gleam struck them all, the light being one of their greatest weaknesses.
"Time for the finisher!" Ash clenched his fists as in this instance, he was actually gaining control of his own Dream, being able to do whatever he wants within it. He pointed to the sky, his eyes flaring to life as the Sun in the sky would shine brighter than ever before. The Nightmare Monsters all cried out as the rays of light struck their bodies.
Just like that, all of them had fainted once the solar light reached its apex. They laid there in various positions, completely bewildered. "W-What...was that...?" One of them questioned before passing out.
"Alright. You said you guys were with someone called the Veiled Mistress? Who's that?" Ash questioned while approaching them, crossing his arms. "And what's the big idea showing up here to cause all this trouble?"
"T-That would be our glorious Queen. Nightmare Rarity." One of them answered, intimidated by Ash. Pikachu hopped down to them as well, glaring at them.
"Nightmare Rarity, huh? Figures..." Ash then looked up at the azure skies. "That means something's happening with everyone's dreams. I'm probably not the only one getting attacked here. That right?"
"Rrr...!" Lucario growled at the Nightmare Monsters, demanding that they answer Ash. And the way Lucario looked at them struck fear into these monsters.
"Yes!" One of them gulped. "We've infiltrated many Dreamers' Dreams, intending to conquer them!"
"And take over all of existence with our Queen!" Another one stated as Ash narrowed his eyes.
"So that means out there in the Dream Realm...A lot of people are facing Nightmare Monsters." Ash said to himself. "Which means I need to wake up, don't I? But I just can't at the moment."
"Pika." Pikachu noticed this as well. He couldn't force himself awake and neither could Gengar or Lucario. They were trapped in Ash's Dream for now, but it didn't have to be this way.
"Alright." Ash put his hands together. "If that's the case, then Luna's out there doing her best, isn't she? Along with Darkrai. If I can't wake up right now and there's a whole bunch of dreams being attacked, I'd better help out."
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible!" One of the Nightmare Monsters bellowed. "We've blocked off your dream by making it foggy. All dreams have been obscured and we've even scrambled them. Our High-ranking Commander Crag is out there at this moment, no doubt, succeeding in the mission. You can't possibly hope to stop all of this."
"Watch me." Ash smirked before facing his Pokemon. "Alright, guys. We're gonna get Luna's attention. Let's shine like crazy!" Ash ordered as all of his Pokemon nodded. Pikachu grinned while hopping atop Ash's shoulder.
"Pikaaa!" Pikachu exclaimed. "Chaaaaa!" Pikachu started charging up electricity in his cheeks, letting loose bolts of lightning across this dream. Gengar would use Dazzling Gleam to the fullest extent, creating blinding rays of Fairy-Type energy. Lucario would exert his Aura, launching waves of blue energy towards the sky.
The dream civilians gasped upon witnessing this as Ash was grinning. "Keep it up, everyone!" Ash encouraged them as his Pokemon continued unleashing these bright attacks into the sky. The Nightmare Monsters hissed at this sight, unable to handle all of the light that was being focused in one spot.
Ash would even advance the brightness of the Sun even further, making it shine brighter and brighter. The Nightmare Monsters all cried out as they were overwhelmed by Ash's Pokemon. Ash's Dream was getting brighter than ever as Ash was emitting his own aura, shining brightly as well.
Outside this Dream, when searching for Ash's Dream, Luna and Rarity would spot a powerful light coming from one of the bubbles. Luna narrowed her eyes before recognizing Ash's aura. It was coming from there as Luna smirked.
"There it is! Ash's Dream!" Luna beamed. "And it appears he's already noticed what's happening." Luna flew towards that Dream Bubble as Rarity followed her. Ash's Dream was glowing brighter than ever as Ash kept influencing it to shine like crazy. He was intending to get Luna's attention with this as it proved to be working.
"This Dream...It's so bright!" Rarity exclaimed while shielding her eyes. Luna narrowed her eyes before heading straight for Ash's Dream. The two of them squinted while approaching Ash's Dream, amazed by how bright it was.
"I think Ash noticed what's going on. We're close!" Luna stated as she headed straight for that bubble. Ash's Dream was shining like crazy as the Nightmare Monsters inside were struggling to remain conscious. Together, Luna and Rarity moved through the bubble, entering Ash's Dream.
Upon arriving, they witnessed Ash and his Pokemon shining like crazy while the Nightmare Monsters were unconscious. Ash's Dream was so bright that they had trouble seeing. Rarity tried looking around before covering her eyes, the radiance overwhelming her.
"Ash!" Luna and Rarity collectively shouted. Ash and his Pokemon ceased their attacks, noticing the two mares.
"Luna! Rarity!" Ash beamed. "Worked like a charm!"
"Thank goodness!" Rarity breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ash! It's horrible!" Luna would gallop over to Ash, coming to a screeching halt. She took deep breaths, trying to catch her breath since she was still exhausted from using so much earlier. "The...Hyperdream...!
"It's alright, Luna. You're fine in here. Dream big." Ash said, informing her that she could dream to restore her stamina. After all, Ash had conquered his dreams since he defeated the Nightmare Monsters here. Right now, this was the freest dream out there. Luna took deep breaths before calming herself down.
"Alright...I'm fine. Listen Ash. The Hyperdream has been invaded by Nightmare Monsters. They've scattered around every Dream Bubble in this Hyperdream while claiming dreams as their own. Right now, there are so many of them that it would be impossible to reach them all, not to mention they have scrambled so many of the dreams here." Luna explained before gazing up at the sky. "But...We managed to find yours. Thank goodness..."
"Princess Luna figures that if we use your Dream and bring everyone else inside of it, we can all gather in one place and overpower the Nightmare Energy everywhere else." Rarity added on. "After all, your dreams are some of the strongest out there."
"Really? You came to my dream first? What about everyone else?" Ash asked.
"I chose yours because you dream big, Ash." Luna smiled. "I trust it and it certainly will have enough space to make it work. I can imagine that these monsters failed to stop you since you had great control over your dream. The Stronger the Dream, the harder it will be for them to take control."
"Hm, hm. I gotcha." Ash nodded. "So we just gotta gather everyone else here? No problem. Do you think you could move my dream to everyone else?"
"I can try." Luna took a deep breath. "I'm already in this one, so I can freely restore my magic without worrying about any setbacks. I'll use my magic to try and reconnect the bubbles and move your dream around. It will be exhausting, but I must do it. For everyone's sake." Luna stated before raising her horn.
Her eyes would glow while performing this spell. She was trying to reconnect all of the dream bubbles here and move Ash's Dream to them. And this time, she didn't have to worry about expending herself. Luna quickly noticed that because she was in a dream, she could use as much energy as she wanted.
From Ash's bubble, a massive string of light would form from Luna's horn. It shot up into the sky, connecting to the various Dream Bubbles nearby. Luna would attempt to connect Ash's Dream to everyone else's as she used as much magic as she could. The string would multiply, reaching as many dreams as it could as they would light up once they connected with Ash's.
From a distance, Darkrai and Crag noticed these strings of light shooting up into the dreamy sky. "What in the world?!" Crag questioned while Darkrai nodded.
"Seems Luna's taking action. Very smart of her. With these strings, she can connect everyone else to Ash's Dream." Darkrai explained. "Right now, they're moving Ash's Dream to everyone else's. Even with all of these scrambled dreams, Luna will find a way to unite them all."
String by string went by, lighting up all of these dreams. And it was only a matter of time until everyone inside of these respective dreams felt it. Luna was growing winded as she was linking dreams together, knowing she just needed to hold on for a little bit longer. Ash, Pikachu, Gengar, and Lucario stood by, watching this happen.
Twilight felt it in her own dream as she widened her eyes, noticing these strings of light. "Wait...Is that...?" Twilight wondered before gazing up at the sky. The individuals who had their dreams connected by the string were at random, but the number of dreams that Luna connected were numerous.
In Rainbow Dash's dream, she was facing off against Nightmare Monsters but would soon feel the connection. In Fluttershy's dream, the same applied as well as Applejack's dream. Ash's friends would all feel and see the light across their dream bubbles as Luna kept connecting dreams together.
Luna then managed to draw them all in, causing the bubbles to speed up as they were approaching this single dream bubble. They all entered Ash's bubble, being absorbed into it which in turn, caused it to grow in size. Each time a bubble entered, Ash's Dream would grow bigger as Luna continued on her spell.
With great power, the bubbles that Luna managed to connect in the Hyperdream was entering Ash's Dream as they became one. She eventually lowered her head, ending the spell as there were some dreams out of her reach due to how scrambled they were. But most of them had been gathered as Ash's Dream expanded.
The dream civilians around them widened their eyes while gazing up at the sky. The stars above shined brightly as Luna panted before gazing at Ash. "Everyone...is here..." Luna announced as Ash, Pikachu, Gengar, and Lucario gazed around, witnessing this.
"Awesome!" Ash cheered. "Way to go, Luna!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu applauded.
"Ow...What happened?" Rainbow Dash held her head. "Oh man...My head feels like it got struck by lightning."
"Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy! Applejack!" Ash beamed while running over to them. They were all on the floor, recovering as Ash helped them up. "You guys alright?!"
"Ash? I think so." Applejack answered while getting up. "Did somethin' just happen?"
Twilight and Pinkie Pie showed up next along with many familiar faces. A good chunk of Ash's friends had arrived here as Ash looked around.
"W-What?" A confused Dawn sat up, rubbing her head. "Where am I? How did I get here?"
"Uh...?" May had also shown up, her eyes spinning a bit. Present here were many of Ash's friends he's met across different regions as well as those he's met in Equestria and beyond.
"Ash? What's going on?" Goh asked while walking over to Ash. Chloe followed suite as she looked around. "Where are we?"
Gathered here were many Gym Leaders mainly. The familiar faces of Brock and Misty were present as well alongside Gym Leaders such as Roark, Gardenia, Brawly, Brycen, Roxanne, Volkner and Roxie.
"Hah?!" Mallow bellowed once she realized she was not in her dream anymore. She and Lana had also shown up here. "H-Huh?! Where am I?!"
"Man. That's a lot. But this is great." Ash grinned. "Do you think this will be enough, Luna?"
"It has to be. This many dreamers combined together...I just know this will be enough to overcome the Nightmare Energy out there." Luna stated as all of the dream civilians gathered around Ash. Ash and Pikachu gazed around at all of them before grinning.
"Okay then." Ash adjusted his hat while facing everyone else. "Hey guys! Sorry to interrupt your dreams! But there's just one thing we gotta do so we can sleep peacefully from now on." He would then look at Luna, letting her handle things. She would be the one to address them all as she stepped up, facing all these Dreamers.
"Attention, everyone!" Luna called out, gaining their attention. The dream civilians would face Luna as she nodded. "I'm sure you're all wondering what's happening. I know because it's only natural for you all to feel that way. So let me explain everything that's happening." Luna stated as everyone listened.
Absolutely everything from start to finish will be explained. And from this point on, Luna was expecting their assistance. But she wouldn't have to fear any apprehension. Not with so many of Ash's friends here. If there's one consistent thing about all the folks he's met here and there, it's that they're always willing to help a friend out. But they just had to know the situation they were in at the moment.
As the journey continues.
Chapter 471 End.