My Little Pokémon: Grander World

by Amarvax

The Night is Won?

Equestria. The Crystal Empire.

Away from most of the conflict, Radiant Hope found herself inside the castle. The castle had certainly seen better days but it was in a better state than the rest of the empire. The worst it received were holes that have been made by the Sableye. The castle was too big for the Sableye to rapidly destroy, thankfully, leaving it stable even in its condition.

Currently, she was searching for the missing guards of the Crystal Empire. This involved the pony Flash Sentry who was suddenly absent from all of this. Extra help was needed. Not just for all the controlled Pokemon outside but also for the Black Crusade. The Crystal Empire's A-Game was required for this.

She trotted along the castle, searching for the missing Crystal Empire guards. And joining her was Shining Armor, who was prepared to give orders to these missing guards once they Are found.

"If they're missing, then there's one possibility when it comes to the Dread League. Most likely, they used a concealment spell. But this one involves using the shadows themselves." Radiant Hope explained.

"The Shadows? Does that mean that they're covered in shadows or something?"

"It's more like they've sunk into the shadows, your majesty." Radiant Hope stopped to face him. "They sink into the shadows as if it were quicksand or a sinkhole and then those shadows blend in with the environment, concealing themselves."

"Oooh...So you think that's it then?"

"It has to be. They took your wife and kids for one major reason since they're alicorns. But they wouldn't have any reason to take the guards and there's only half of them out there." Radiant continued. "All we need to do is find out what it blended with. It could be any of these shadows."

The walls were a big contender since they gave off their own shadows along with other things within the castle. Furniture could also work but it was all a matter of finding the right spot. "And how do we do that exactly?"

"I've been working on a spell that allows me to reveal concealed shadows. Like so." Radiant Hope closed her eyes, focusing all of her magic on the tip of her horn. Afterwards, the magic would unleash a bright pulse that crawled all over the area. This pulse would continuously pulsate, focusing on the shadows.

Nothing was found but that was when Radiant Hope started trotting that this was meant to cover everything. Not just one area. Radiant Hope would search for the right shadows, seeing which one was affected by Vampiric Magic. Shining Armor would follow behind her to see just how this magic would work and where the guards would pop out of. The castle was large, so they would be here for a while. Shining Armor already requested that the rest of the Crystal Empire's citizens should go out and help Ash's group take back the empire. And a part of him wished to be out there right now doing the same thing.

Radiant Hope focused closely on the shadows with her eyes closed, calmly walking through the castle to see if she could sense something amiss. Currently, she was only on the first floor and there was nothing here that was off. Then, it was off to the second floor and beyond.

---

Minutes passed and Radiant Hope's pulsating light was still trying to find something odd. It would be rather awkward if nothing of notice was here at all. On the bright side, at least the castle was quieter, no longer under attack thanks to how the events have been developing.

Radiant Hope and Shining Armor found themselves on the highest floor of the castle which immediately prompted her to stop. She sensed something at last. "What do you sense? Are they here?" Shining Armor asked. "This was apparently the room where my family was previously seen before being taken away. All that's left is food and drinks."

"Hold on...Give it a second..." Radiant Hope paused as the light from her horn would then tackle the shadows that could be found right next to the room where Shining Armor's family originally was. The same room where the two alicorns passed out and where Baby Flurry Heart managed to escape in time before she was potentially captured as well.

And once the magic came in contact with this room, Radiant Hope found what she was looking for. Her eyes opened as the pulse then revealed the mysterious shadows. The shadows had been revealed, no longer concealed thanks to the light as they were completely out of place, originally blending in with the corners of the walls.

Now, they just appeared as one big circle that did not connect to anything. And now that she found the mysterious shadow, Radiant Hope's magic would scrape it away, erasing traces of the Shadow Concealment and revealing who was truly hidden within it.

Indeed, it was Flash Sentry and the other missing Crystal Empire guards. Shining Armor gasped as the rest of his guards had been revealed, no longer missing, but were still unconscious.

"Amazing! You found them!" Shining Armor rushed over to them. Radiant Hope sighed, finally finishing the spell now that it's served its purpose. When Shining Armor approached the guards, he saw that they were all unconscious, much like Cadence and Flurry Heart. After all, they were all tricked by something truly delicious which knocked them out. "They're unconscious? Them too? Flash! All of you! Wake up!"

And unfortunately, even with the sounds going off in the distance along with Shining Armor's voice, they would not wake up. They were truly down for the count and the only thing that could wake them up was the Lich Queen, unfortunately. But there was no way that was ever happening. Flash Sentry and the other guards might be stuck in this state forever unless something was done.

"They won't wake up like that." Radiant Hope shook her head before using her magic to grab the food that was responsible for this. "Probably, they ate out of these and passed out afterwards. They've been with magic that makes them unconscious for as long as possible."

"Is that what happened to my family as well?" Shining Armor questioned. "They were unconscious too when I saw them leave."

"They'd want them like that since alicorns are so important. But there's no need to worry. There's a way to wake them up too." Thankfully, Radiant Hope had the answer even for this, bringing relief to Shining Armor.

"Oh...I'm so glad you're here. You sure do know a lot about the Dread League. Like...a lot." Shining Armor couldn't help but be impressed. "Have you always been so well-versed in them?"

"I never focused on them in the beginning. In fact, I kinda came across them when I was learning about the Umbrum. I wanted to learn more about Sombra's species so that I could help him. And that's when I came across the Dread League and vampires. They're very closely related to the Umbrum. There are some ties there."

"There are?"

"As for the guards, I can wake them up going wake them up with a spell that comes from Magehold. You don't mind if I do that, your majesty?"

"I'll take anything, honestly. Right now, I need them for Magehold., Ash and everyone else are doing a good job at handling the Golurk and Sableye outside, so I don't have to worry about that for now."

"Alright. The spell I'm using tackles the spirit so...this might hurt just a bit." Radiant Hope narrowed her eyes, focusing specifically on the centre of these guard ponies. Whatever she was about to do was only meant for those from Magehold. But Radiant Hope seemed to have access to it among many other things, making her truly helpful during this wild predicament.

Back outside, Ash and his friends were suddenly supported by the remaining Crystal Empire ponies sent by Shining Armor. And the entrance they made was certainly welcoming. Right before Ash could say anything else, a streak of light passed by him, knocking over one of the Golurk.

With his head turning, he saw that it came from none other than Ms Harshwhinny's Grumpig. It had used Power Gem, sending sparkling gemstones at such speeds they looked like rays of light. Waving at Ash, TWilight and the others was Baby Flurry Heart who was happy to see another familiar and friendly face here. It was making things slightly better for her as she now believed that she would soon see her mother and her other half eventually.

Ash grinned, glad to see some extra support. He would continue his battle as the horde of Sableye was certainly diminishing. Thanks to Ms Harshwhinny's arrival, the last Controlled Golurk had been defeated, leaving only the Sableye. This left them with less work to do but the number of Sableye was not to be scoffed at.

The group continued their battle against the controlled Pokemon, uniting their strength with new allies. And of course, since the Dread League have already attacked here, the Crystal Empire was now visible in the eyes of Rosa Maledicta. She watched it all play out all the way from Magehold.

---

Magehold.

"It's obvious. The Crystal Empire has deflected our attack on it." Rosa Maledicta said. "For the most part. It is quite a wreck, but that will not stop them. And neither will this stop us. The Black Crusade will come for them no matter how many times they try and resist."

Now that she had regained some strength, the Lich Queen took the time to move around freely. And this involved standing on the balcony to watch her subjects prepare for Fantina's Pokemon Contest. The Pokemon Contest was insignificant to her in every way.

So insignificant that she paid no mind to it, not even bothering to check up on those working on it with her watchful eye. This was one instance where the Lich Queen chose not to watch over her subjects. Her attention was on the Black Crusade since that was all that mattered now that it had begun.

And her eyes were even focused on Ponyville. Thanks to Shrivel, Rosa Maledicta could finally gaze upon the town she was born and raised in. She saw how the struggle between Ponyville's residents and the Despair Plant played out and especially how her younger sister Roseluck performed.

Rosa Maledicta saw it all without skipping a detail. She witnessed her sister's Roserade successfully throw a part of the elixir into the Despair Plant's mouth, shutting it down with a powerful sleep affliction. Seeing her sister pull that off and stand strong against a Despair Plant was impressive but did not mean much to Rosa Maledicta. The achievements of her sister meant nothing.

"Do your best, Roseluck. Eventually, you'll be consumed by the Black Crusade like all the rest. Even as my sister, you're completely irrelevant in all of this. Only I matter. The Lich Queen." Once again dismissing her own family, she saw herself as the only important figure ever. And she planned to make that a clear reality. "The first night of the Black Crusade could be going but I will make them all see that the Sun will never rise even morning comes."

---

The Cyrstal Empire.

"Ooough..." At last, Flash Sentry was awake. Along with all the other Crystal Empire guards who were tricked by the delicious delicacies before them. He opened his eyes, feeling a pain in his chest thanks to Radiant Hope's spell. Radiant Hope was the first pony he, gazing into his eyes. "Wha...?"

"Glad you're awake." The next pony to come into his view was his captain and king, Shining Armor.

"Captain...Captain!?!" He quickly had his soldier instincts kick in, prompting him to stand back up with all of his might. The guard propped himself up along with the other guards as they would all salute Shining Armor. They feared that they were sleeping on the job and they had finally been caught by his majesty. "S-Sorry, sir! We don't know what happened! It was so sudden and-"

"It's alright." Thankfully, Shining Armor understood. He understood all too well. "It's not your fault. This whole thing is just one big set-up from the Dread League."

"The Dread League?!" They collectively yelled.

"You have a lot to catch up with. But right now, we need some time to think about what to do next."

"But, her majesties! I saw them pass out in this room and the Sableye, they-" Flash Sentry was ready to spout out what he saw, only to be stopped by Shining Armor.

"You don't need to say much more. We already know. Right now, out there, Ash and everyone else are helping to free those who have been put under the vampire's mind control. You're a bit late to it, but it's alright. I want you all to rest up for a bit and then I'll decide on what to do next. My wife and daughter have been taken away and I want to make sure I have all that I need to free them."

"Oh. Alright." Flash Sentry sighed. "I do feel a bit out of it even when getting back up."

"Well, you don't have to worry about heading out there in a tired state." Radiant Hope commented, looking outside. "It looks like they've sorted out that problem."

"They have?" Flash Sentry and all the guards approached the window that Radiant Hope looked out of. And indeed, she was right. Ash, Twilight and everyone else had succeeded in stopping Sweet Fang's mind control.

Every single Golurk and Sableye that had been overtaken by Sweet Fang's mind control were either free and helped in the battle or had fainted and finally came back to their senses. Either way, the Crystal Empire was a bit of a mess now. Torn buildings that lost some of their crystals either from the Sableye ambushing it or the fierce battle that took place here.

As for the fainted Pokemon, once their senses were brought back to them, they would groan, feeling perplexed and dazed after the sudden beatdown they all received. They could still the effects of certain attacks on them. Either paralysis or even frozen parts of their bodies.

"Phew. That takes care of that." Ash adjusted his hat. "Great work, everyone."

"I wish we could've done it without that much collateral damage," Harshwhinny commented. "But what can you do?"

"That's two problems here at the Crystal Empire that we've sorted out. Now there's just one left," said Twilight, referring to the disappearance of Cadence and the alternate universe Flurry Heart. "But I think we all need some healing. Especially Togekiss."

"Yeah. Say, you guys have a place to heal Pokemon, don't you?" Ash asked, wondering if someone had the equivalent of a Pokemon Center here, if possible.

"After some Trainers finish battling me at my gym or even the Pokemon Contests, they receive healing at the Contest Hall. They heal their Pokemon after their work is done over there." Ms Harshwhinny explained.

"Awesome. We'll get everyone's Pokemon healed up as soon as possible and then it's up to Shining Armor to decide what to do next. I already know what I'm gonna do." Ash pumped his fist, making up his mind.

"You're going straight to Magehold, aren't you?" Twilight already caught on. "That's too risky. Even for you, Ash. Just hold on for a bit until you've got some extra help. A lot of it. Way more than what we have now."

"Everyone. Take your Pokemon to the Contest Hall at once for healing. I took the time to learn about healing Pokemon myself. And that involves the ones that have been defeated." Harshwhinny ordered them. After defeating the Golurk and Sableye, they would help them up just to heal them now that the conflict was over.

The Crystal Empire was the first location to withstand and survive the Black Crusade's attack. Its citizens were still in one piece but the two princesses were still absent.

"Ash, listen. There aren't that many alicorns in the world. The Dread League will want me, Celestia and Luna. Just like how they got Cadence and Flurry Heart. I'm definitely a huge target now and I'm not sure where to go now aside from Magehold where Fantina and Yveltal are."

"Yeah. And I guess you can't say where you wanna go since the Dread League attacked here. The Lich Queen's probably watching us right now, isn't she?"

"We don't have to tell her where we're going. We just need to go to there and that starts by leaving the Crystal Empire." Twilight added. "That much is clear. But wherever I go next, there's a good chance the Dread League will attack it. They're going after the entire world with all of their forces. Minus the Box of 100 Demons though."

"Oh, right! Chrysalis!" Ash gasped. "I gotta make sure she's alright! The same goes for the entire hive. They're gonna want her lifespan too."

"We should be careful though. Even though they don't have the Box of 100 Demons with them, I learned that they have another powerful force assisting them in the Black Crusade."

"Yeah? Who is it?"

"They called it the Pony of Shadows." Twilight revealed the name. "I remember that name. Back then, when me and the girls went to visit the Castle of the Two Sisters, Applejack brought him up. You see...when Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon, traces of her dark magic stayed behind. We've actually somewhat encountered the Pony of Shadows before already. It was from a storybook, but the encounter we had with it back at the castle didn't come from a storybook."

"So you already met the Pony of Shadows way back, huh?"

"Pikachu?"

"Sort of. It was only an outside encounter since its darkness was looming over the castle. I thought it was just a story, but it turns out it's entirely real and is working alongside the Dread League on top of that. And if I'm going by the story that Applejack shared with us, I'm afraid I know who might be a viable target for the Pony of Shadows."

"Luna!" Ash already picked up on it. He immediately thought about Princess Luna and how she could be a major target for the Pony of Shadows.

"Nightmare Moon possesses that same dark magic. It's why the Pony of Shadows loomed over the castle during the night. Most likely, it's also what's within Princess Celestia when Daybreaker was almost unleashed. If it's going for them, it might want to draw out the darkness inside of them."

"That's not gonna happen. There's no way Celestia and Luna will let that happen. Plus, they've got Nightmare Moon as a friend by their side. I don't know how it's gonna draw out that darkness from her at all come to think of it." Ash scratched his hair.

"That's a good point. The Pony of Shadows might not affect Princess Luna at all now that she's made peace with Nightmare Moon. But Princess Celestia is still a target. I'm sure she can handle herself. But right now, it's Chrysalis that I'm the most worried about." Twilight added, thinking about how things could turn out for Chrysalis.

She was already suffering from Rosa Maledicta's curse, leaving her very vulnerable. And she already had to focus on her sister-in-law and niece being captured. But that wasn't all she had to worry about when concerning Chrysalis. The early night had been won for Equestria. Slightly. It was far from over. Not for a moment.

As the journey continues.

Chapter 143 End.