Hoenn. Dewford Town. Day.
Back over at Dewford Town, Spike and Brawly's battle had continued for a while, with the two of them not stopping. As promised, they were battling non-stop, barely taking a break. They fought through the Gym and even went outside to continue the fight, the two of them showing no signs of stopping. Flying through the walls of the gym was Flygon, who had just fainted.
"Axew...!" Axew ran up to him, checking on his friend who was now exhausted. That meant Brawly won the first part of this battle. "Axew." Axew would then look at Brawly, watching as he and Heracross looked at each other.
"Alright. What next? What are you gonna throw at me, Spike?" Brawly questioned. "I'll be ready for whatever you have coming next." He grinned, keeping his guard up as he and Heracross awaited Spike's next Pokemon. "And remember. No breaks."
"Right, right!" Spike would quickly return Flygon, swapping him out for his next Pokemon. "You did great, Flygon. Now, go Druddigon!" Spike would throw a Poke Ball into the air, releasing Druddigon.
"Drud!" Druddigon would roar, eager to battle as he landed on the ground.
"Go! Druddigon!" Spike cheered. "Use Stone Edge!" Spike called.
"Druddigon!" Druddigon roared, slamming his fist against the floor and causing a series of large rocks to emerge from the floor. These rocks would be launched towards Heracross, all of them heading right for the Bug-Type Pokemon.
"Heracross, Aerial Ace!" Brawly commanded. Heracross would charge forward, using his speed to evade the rocks. Heracross would be able to jump over them and get in close to Druddigon, striking his chest with a physical blow. However, Druddigon managed to withstand it, holding his ground.
"Druddigon!" Druddigon growled, grabbing onto Heracross' arm and pushing him away.
"Now, use Metal Claw!" Spike ordered. Druddigon's hands would glow with a metallic shine before he slashed at Heracross, hitting him directly in the chest.
"Hera...!" Heracross stumbled back, taking a hit.
"Not bad. But we aren't stopping. Close Combat!" Brawly shouted. Heracross rushed forward, getting right up in Druddigon's face once more.
"Druddigon! Use Metal Claw!"
"Drudd!" Druddigon would clash with Heracross, attempting to push him back. The two of them would grab onto each other, trying to overpower one another. While Heracross was a Pokemon known for having amazing strength, Spike's Druddigon was no slouch, managing to match his physical strength. The two of them would push against one another, not letting up as they would both try to knock the other down. The ground beneath them would crack a bit due to the force of their clash.
"Druddigon!" Spike cheered, watching as his Pokemon fought valiantly against Heracross. "Keep it up!"
"Heracross! Don't let up! Use your speed!" Brawly yelled. Heracross would start moving around more, flapping his wings and evading Druddigon's attempts to grab him while still attacking. Heracross' speed was a force to be reckoned with, almost being as great as his strength. He would rush past Druddigon, going for a swift strike on his body.
"Druddigon!" Druddigon grunted, feeling the blow before getting ready to counterattack. Druddigon would grab onto Heracross, slamming his claw against his head, stunning him for a bit. Druddigon would then kick him, forcing the Bug-Type Pokemon to stumble back. Druddigon would take this chance to charge forward, going for a direct blow with his head.
"Heracross!" Brawly shouted. Heracross would move out of the way, dodging Druddigon's attack before rushing back in from the other side, but Druddigon would catch his fist. Druddigon would use his other hand to grab onto Heracross' other fist, keeping him in place.
"Now's our chance! Use Flamethrower, Druddigon!" Spike called.
"Druddigon!" Druddigon opened his mouth and unleashed a powerful blast of flames, sending it right at Heracross. The flames engulfed Heracross, burning him. This would also send him back, causing his body to crash against a large boulder, pushing it away. Heracross was now struggling to stand after being burned by flames.
"Heracross..." Heracross had fainted, falling to his knees and then on his face. The battle was over and it was tied now.
"We did it! Alright, Druddigon!" Spike exclaimed. Druddigon celebrated their victory, looking a bit winded though. "Take a seat, Druddigon. You deserve it." Spike grinned, returning Druddigon to his Poke Ball, saving him for later. Now, he'd have to decide between his next Pokemon while Brawly did the same thing.
"That's what I like to see, Spike! Let's go at it some more! I hope you're not feeling tired!" Brawly held his next Poke Ball out.
"Not at all! In fact...I feel way better!" Spike grinned. "Pokemon Battling always brightens my day and gets me in a good!" He giggled, making Brawly chuckle as the two of them would throw their Poke Balls at the same time.
The Poke Balls would connect against each other, unleashing the Pokemon from outside. In this case, it was Goodra and Medicham who would be sent out into the battle. From there, the battle would continue. The two of them would back away from one another before the battle would really start.
Goodra and Medicham would have this stare-down, the two of them not wanting to make the first move. And seeing as the two were ready, the battle would begin.
Watching this battle nearby was Rayquaza, who would raise his head from the cart. He was a bit curious since there wasn't much for him to do right now. This battle gave him something to watch, something to enjoy. His curiosity would pique as he watched Spike in action, seeing how this Baby Dragon was faring against Brawly.
It was rather impressive, to say the least, not quite masterful, but he could tell that he was going to get a lot better over time just by sensing his style. Thus, Rayquaza would continue to watch, while resting to recover more of his strength.
Equestria. Canterlot.
In the meantime, over at Canterlot, the secret hideout was no longer a secret. Nightmare Rarity's forces figured it out, meaning the next threat in the alliance would be able to know where it was. Thus, it was disbanded, reverting to the Canterlot Mines. Naturally, a new hideout would have to be made elsewhere.
All the furniture and everything else surrounding them were brought down, completely demolished, with all their things taken back in one piece. It looked far less majestic and magical, but at least any future enemies won't have to find them there.
As the hideout was being taken down, over at the castle, Celestia was currently standing before a group of ponies. Specifically, the ponies from Nightmare Rarity's Universe 5 who were once turned into decorations, now freed and walking once more
"And now that you've been freed, I can now send you back. Back to your rightful universe. It'll take a while for you to get yourselves back to how things were considering how much Nightmare Rarity has changed." Celestia said to them all. "Will any of you be alright with it?"
They all nodded, making it known that they would manage and try to rebuild it all the same. The residents of Universes 5 all looked around, making their way out of the castle, moving through the gateway that had been set up. One by one, they would all pass through the gateway, returning to their own universe and time.
It wasn't just them. Celestia would also face the three Sweetie Belles from different universes and the many versions of Rarity from other universes as well. Now that they were freed, they too could return to their own universe to which they were free to choose. Some would prefer to stay in this new and exciting universe.
With the help of Celestia, every universe's Sweetie Belle and Rarity would travel back to their respective universe and rightfully so. They were forever grateful to her. With all of them passing through the portal, they were gone. And now it was time for her to deal with something else.
"Alright...Now that that's done with. Just one more thing to do for today. The Golurk have helped us a lot, but even they won't be enough for those larger threats out there. They're great guards, but we'll need extra support. More Pokemon to help defend us.
Celestia decided to get more Pokemon than just Golurk for her guard. She wanted to make sure she was more than ready for another large attack, which wasn't out of the ordinary since this world was constantly getting attacked by forces that originated here or from other universes. One could never be ready enough. That's what Celesta believed.
The guards will no longer just stick to the Golurk. They would have more Pokemon on their side. Celestia decided to gather them all for a meeting, looking to bring everyone up to speed. The guards all arrived at the Canterlot Gardens to speak with her regarding this.
"I've called you all here to inform you of the changes around here." Celestia began. "From this point on, you won't be having just the Golurk as your partners who helped defend us all during Nightmare Rarity's attack and even before that. You will all be given new Pokemon who can help you on and off duty. This time, it can be a vast selection of them. Not just one species. I will have you all set out rather soon, supplying you with as many Poke Balls as possible."
Many Poke Balls had already been gathered, all empty with no Pokemon inside them as of yet. Each of them were handed out to each member of the guard, giving them the opportunity to choose the Pokemon they wanted.
"As I mentioned, it will all be your choice. What Pokemon you choose to become allies with is completely up to you. I would also prefer if you were as quick as possible. There is no telling when the next attack may be. It could be when you are all out there searching for your Pokemon. So for today, set out and catch a Pokemon in our forests, mountains, lakes and so on and when you all have your Pokemon partners, come back immediately."
"As you wish, your Majesty!"
With the Royal Guard having been notified, they would all head off, going through the city to make their way to the mountains, wanting to cover more ground in this large forest nearby. From there, they would dive in and find Pokemon they'll want as their partner.
"This will go well. Anything to guarantee the safety of our world. We'll be more than ready for the next threat. I just know it." Celestia smiled while wathcing them all fly off. "That'll be all from today. Tomorrow, I'll continue from there by speaking with Pegalysium."
"Voir. Gardevoir." Passion suddenly spoke up, pointing out something to Celestia. She noticed how Celestia was seemingly avoiding Luna's request. Celestia wasn't taking a rest as Luna wanted.
"It's fine, Passion. It's just a set of preparations. I promise you, I'm not overdoing it." Celestia smiled at her partner. "I'll take it easy, but I just want to keep everyone safe for the future. You understand, right?"
"Garde." Passion understood very well. The Embrace Pokemon nodded, but she wanted to make sure Celestia wasn't pushing herself at all.
"Let's do just that right now. How about we enjoy a cake together? I'll have Alcremie prepare the cream for us. We'll make your favourite while we're at it."
"Gardevoir!" Passion would very much love that, her eyes lighting up. Much like how Celestia's favourite flavour was Vanilla, Passion had her personal favourite.
After all this time, the two of them haven't had a chance to take a relaxing break all that much. It seemed as though something always needed to be done. Even now, as they took a break and did something that could be relaxing, Celestia was focused on the future. All she could think about was how she had to be prepared for anything. And she knew her sister felt the same way.
Speaking of which, with Luna, she was currently in her room, lying flat on her face and on the bed. She was still recovering from last night even with her wounds healed. The comfort of her bed drew her in, feeling like one massive hug. A massive smile formed on her face, fully immersing herself in the bed.
Her ears perked up when a knock was heard. She groaned, rolling over and getting off the bed, heading over to answer the door. She opened it up to see Darkrai, hovering there.
"Oh, Darkrai? Is something wrong?"
"N-Nothing is wrong..." Darkrai uttered with a stutter, a small sweatdrop appearing on his face. He then jittered a bit once he heard a cry nearby.
"Cresselia!" It was the cry of Cresselia moving through the halls, coming his way. Now that Cresselia was Luna's Pokemon, she would get to experience living in a castle for the first time. She's only done it when entering other's dreams to help them but now she was in the real deal. And the second she came close, Darkrai would quickly hover forward, standing behind Luna.
"Oh? Is something the matter, you two?" Luna asked, a brow raised as she looked at Cresselia while the Lunar Pokemon flew by her head, peering at Darkrai.
Darkrai grumbled, attempting to keep his distance as he hovered backwards. Darkrai was certainly acting strange. He can be rather distant due to his nature, but he's never this distant, especially with his reactions. That is until Luna remembered something. "Hold on...I remember now. Darkrai, you're afraid of Cresselia!"
"You don't have to shout it...even if it's true. I don't fear her! I'm just weary..." Darkrai crossed his arms, obviously making an excuse.
"Ah, Darkrai. What's there to worry about?" Luna slid over, nudging him. "Nothing to worry about Cresselia. You two are known as the Lunar Duo, so it's only natural that your cooperation will be amazing when needed. Cresselia and you will make a great team so you don't have to be afraid of her."
"Mmmrgh...!" Darkrai grumbled while Cresselia made jolly cry. Luna chuckled, knowing that these two would have an interesting relationship down the road. She already knew that Darkrai would have trouble getting used to being around her so much.
It turns out, Darkrai did indeed fear something after all. Creesselia herself. And from this point on, all three of them are going to be guarding the Dream Realm together, keeping it safe from any nightmares. For Luna, her friend group has grown once more.
Hoenn. Dewford Town. Afternoon.
Back at Dewford Town, the Sun was now starting to set over the sea, giving the water an orange hue as the beautiful rays of the setting sun reflected off the water. All this fighting and training had worn Spike out, giving him a massive headache and making his legs go numb. He couldn't feel them.
"Oh, man..." He fell back, letting himself go limp as he sighed heavily. "Man...that's a workout...but it sure was fun too...!" Spike laughed before the sounds of someone clapping caught his attention.
He turned his head to see Brawly, standing there and clapping his hands together. The Gym Leader walked up to him, still clapping. "Well, well, well. I'll admit. You had me worried there for a moment. We could continue from here, but let's stop. I keep forgetting we've all got limits. I get way too into it sometimes. Let's call it a day."
"Thanks...!" Spike was still in shock by the whole thing, feeling like he'd passed out for a second there. "I-I didn't think I'd be able to battle for that long."
"No problem, man. Let's meet back here tomorrow. And then, you can set off back to Lilycove's Waters to have Rayquaza patch up that hole for us. I mean, if no one does, who knows how out of control it's gonna get?"
"Uh-huh..." Spike was slowly closing his eyes as his body began to relax, getting all the sleep it could need. Brawly chuckled, deciding to carry the small Dragon-Type into the Gym so that he could rest.
"You did great today, Spike. Keep it up and you'll get to where you need to be. I'll be cheering for ya!" Right as Brawly was carrying him to his Gym, he would spot a familiar figure standing at the entrance. Present there was Roxanne.
"What? Roxanne, what're you doing here?" Brawly questioned, seeing his old friend there.
"Looks like you were being caught up in battling again. You didn't get the news at all, did you?" Roxanne questioned, her hands on her hips as she leaned forward.
"Nope. Sorry, but what's wrong?"
"That hole in the Sea? The Dragon Matter was recently spotted coming out of it and it's moving across Hoenn. Right now, we're ordered to evacuate our respective places and make sure that no one gets caught in the crossfire. I've already had to leave Rustboro City so I came here to make sure you weren't too occupied with anything. You could've been caught by the Dragon Matter without even noticing."
"Sorry about that." Brawly laughed sheepishly. "But where are we going though? Are you saying everyone in Hoenn's being evacuated?"
"Not everyone. Even though it's moving randomly, they said that it's mainly keeping to the coast. Thus, we're gonna have to keep out of the ocean, heading inland. Once it leaves, we're all allowed to come back. This should be over with within a day. The safest place to be right now is in Mauville and Slateport. Oh and Sootopolis City."
"Aw, but I was planning on a crazy training session tomorrow. And is all my stuff gonna be destroyed or something?" Brawly pouted.
"Well, so far it hasn't caused any damage like it usually does. But I can't say it for sure. There's a chance our homes may or may not be damaged. But just in case, grab all the stuff you need."
"Alright...But all my Gym Stuff too..."
"You've already caused some damage to it." Roxanne pointed out, pointing her thumb at the wall. "Even before the Dragon Matter showed up. I think your Gym will be fine."
Brawly would sigh before walking off, getting ready to grab as many things as he could before departing. As for Rayquaza, he raised his head, already sensing the presence of the Dragon Matter from afar. Rayquaza could tell where it was even from such a great distance.
But there was something different about it. Rayquaza couldn't tell, but the Dragon Matter had something about it change as of recently. It was still destructive, but it felt like there was more to it now. It made him uneasy and gave him another reason to patch that hole up as soon as possible.
As the journey continues.
Chapter 485 End.