Hello everyone, Crystal her with a brand new chapter. First things first, to the review!

To Isokage, I hope it was worth the wait.

With that said, cue the disclaimer! ...I just realised I forgot to do it last time, even though I said to cue it. XD Anyway...

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Pretty Cure, I only own my OCs. I made this for fun and I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 9: Cure Sapphire

About an hour after Lisia became Cure Ruby, she, Aria and Flora finally arrived in Oreburgh City. It wasn't as big as Jubilife City, but it was still a big city. There were dirt roads and mountains surrounding the city, even some construction vehicles could be seen. Lisia stretched her arms, Victini and the Shiny Shinx copying her. "Finally! Sunlight!" She exclaimed as Flora took a deep breath before frowning.

"I wonder if the others made it to the Pokemon Center?" She wondered as Aria tried to stretch, but winced instead.

"I'm sure they are already there Flora." She told her before hissing in pain. The others turned to her with concern as Flora helped take the jacket off of Aria. Some parts of her skin were really red.

"Oh dear." Flora said as she lightly touched Aria's skin. "We better let Nurse Joy take a look at those burns."

"Looks more like a sunburn to me." Lisia said as she frowned. "Maybe we can use that as the excuse?"

"I guess...Ouch!" Aria touched one of the red spots and winced again.

"Um, let's hurry to the Pokemon Center." Flora said as they started walking. "The sooner the better." They all agreed and started to make their way to the Pokemon Center. Inside, Amber and Riley were waiting for their friends to show up. Holly was in another room with the mythical Pokemon and the Mystery Egg. Nurse Joy was also with her, monitoring the egg as requested. Though she was surprised to see many mythical Pokemon, she didn't make a fuss, even giving them a quick checkup.

Amber and Riley stood up as soon as the trainers and Pokemon came inside. "There you guys are!" Amber exclaimed as she and Riley met the others half way. The two also noticed the red spots on Aria's skin.

"Whoa. What happened?" Riley asked.

"We'll explain later." Lisia told her as Flora looked around.

"Where's Nurse Joy?" She asked them. At that moment, Holly came out with Celebi next to her.

"It's finally happening you guys!" She exclaimed. "Come on, Nurse Joy says it's okay!" Celebi nodded as they quickly went back into the room. The others followed, each of them smiling as they went in. On one of the tables was the egg sitting on some cloth. It was glowing white as it started shaking and cracking. Holly stood near the egg, Magearna beside her as the egg hatched.

"Manaphy!" The Pokemon cried out. The Pokemon was small and blue, a red jewel on its chest with a small yellow dot. It also had blue antennae and two yellow dots above its eyes, making it look like eyelashes. The Pokemon smiled as it looked around.

"So cute!" The girls, minus Nurse Joy, exclaimed as the other Pokemon smiled.

"I don't believe it. It's a Manaphy!" Riley gushed as her eyes sparkled, quickly bringing out her Pokedex and scanning the Pokemon.

Manaphy, the Seafaring Pokemon.

A Water Type.

It is born with a wondrous power that lets it bond with any kind of Pokemon.

Riley put away her Pokedex as Manaphy looked up at Holly. She smiled at the Pokemon as Manaphy smiled back. Nurse Joy smiled as she looked at the monitor.

"I am pleased to announce that Manaphy is a very healthy Pokemon." She told them as Jirachi and Victini landed on the table.

"Hi Manaphy." Jirachi said as Manaphy looked at it. "I'm Jirachi. That's Victini." It said as Victini waved at the baby Pokemon. Manaphy waved back as Jirachi started to introduce everyone else.

"Over there is Mew." Mew giggled as it waved. "Hoopa." Hoopa grinned as he placed his hands behind his hands. "Celebi." Celebi gave a small wave and a smile. "Magearna, she's the one who watched over you as an egg." Magearna gave a small bow as Manaphy smiled before trying to mimic her. "Shinx, he's a shiny Pokemon." Shinx puffed up his chest as Lisia picked him up. "And that's Lisia, his soon to be trainer."

"He will be once he's ready to battle." She said, giving Manaphy a grin.

"Ah yes, the Nurse Joy in Jubilife City said you'd be heading this way." Nurse Joy said as Lisia handed Shinx to her. "I will give him an examination to see how much his health has improved. I also like to give the other mythical Pokemon a checkup as well." Hoopa and Mew looked at each other before nodding. Victini nodded as well as they followed Nurse Joy out of the room. Manaphy looked confused as Celebi sat down beside it.

"That was Nurse Joy, she is the one who helps heal Pokemon." It told it as Manaphy looked at it.

"Mana?" The blue Pokemon turned confused as it looked at the other humans.

"Beside Lisia, there's Aria." Jirachi started again. Aria smiled at Manaphy, though slightly winced in pain. "Flora." Flora gave a smile. "Amber." Amber nodded her head as she waved. "Riley." Riley gave a cheeky grin as her eyes continued to sparkle. "And finally, Holly. She helped take care of you too when you were an egg."

"Hello Manaphy." Holly said softly as Manaphy smiled.

"Mana!" It said before jumping into Holly's arms, giving the girl a hug. The others looked surprise at this, Holly especially. Magearna turned to her as Manaphy then jumped into her arms, giving her a hug too.

"Hello little one." Magearna said as she returned the hug. Manaphy started to go to Jirachi and Celebi, giving them a hug too. It also gave the other girls a hug too, which each of them happily returned. When Manaphy gave Aria a hug, she winced slightly, but smiled none of the less.

"Manaphy sure is friendly." She said as Manaphy hugged Holly again, who this time returned the hug and held it. "Especially towards you Holly."

"I know what you mean." Holly said as Manaphy made a cooing sound. "Maybe it thinks I'm its mother." Aria nodded in agreement before wincing again. Jirachi frowned as it floated over to her, concern filled it as it saw the red spots.

"What wrong?" Jirachi asked. "Why is part of your skin red?"

"Oh, uh, well..." Aria went on to explain what happened in the cave after they got separated. Lisia added some things like how Shinx had found the Earth Plate, how she could understand him and how she was able to sense Aura during the battle. Lisia brought out the Earth Plate and handed it to Amber once they were done explaining. Needless to say they were shocked by what they heard, but we're more concerned about Aria. "Man, I wi-!" Aria stopped as she hissed in pain. Jirachi turned serious as it nodded to Aria. The Pokemon knew what she was trying to say.

"Go ahead and say it." It told her as Aria looked at the star Pokemon. "I might be tired afterwards, but you need to be ready in case another dynamaxing occurs." Aria nodded as she hissed again.

"I wish the pain would stop!" She exclaimed, a bit louder than she expected. Jirachi nodded as its tags glowed for a moment before stopping. The red parts on Aria's skin glowed for a moment as well before fading, the redness gone. Aria relaxed as she observed herself. Jirachi yawned as Aria held out her arms. "Thank you Jirachi." She said softly as Jirachi landed in them, wrapping itself up as it closed its eyes.

"You're welcome." It said before falling asleep. Aria gave it a small smile before handing the Pokemon to Magearna. Flora handed Aria the jacket, which the latter then put on. Then Aria was handed Jirachi again as Manaphy also fell asleep in Holly's arms. They all smiled and stayed quiet, letting the little ones sleep until Nurse Joy would come back with the others.

Meanwhile, Venus had returned and was currently brushing her Vulpix. Her Pokemon was currently resting as Uranus and Neptune walked over to them. "I take it your plan didn't work." Neptune asked as Venus shrugged.

"It might have if a third player didn't come in." Venus said, remembering Cure Ruby. "If she became a Precure, that means the others might awaken too."

"No way that's going to happen!" Uranus exclaimed as she pulled up the video of the battle Dynamax Vulpix had. "Unless they have that jewel, they can't transform."

"Hmph, if only it were that simple." Neptune said as she shook her head. "Unless we want our covers blown, we can't take that chance."

"Then let's get out there already!" Uranus exclaimed as Venus yawned.

"If it's all the same, I think I'll take a break and see if I have any assignments." She said as Vulpix was returned. "Besides, Mercury has to be done with her gym battle by now."

"Indeed I am." They all turned as Mercury walked up to them, no longer in her disguise. "You managed to collect some dark energy I see." Venus nodded as they all looked at a large tube, a quarter of it filled with dark energy. "It seems Pokemon owned by trainers give off more dark energy than wild ones. Just as expected." Mercury had gathered more dark energy with Dynamax Piplup than that wild Starly, but needed that to be tested before her suspicions were confirmed.

"Yeah well, it wasn't easy convincing Vulpix to go through with it." Venus said, remembering what happened earlier that day. Mercury brought out a badge case and opened it, looking at the gym badge inside before closing it.

"They'll be in Oreburgh City for some time, so it should be safe to Dynamax in the city." She said before glaring at Uranus. "As long as there are no witnesses, that is." Uranus rolled her eyes as Neptune stepped forward.

"I'll give it a go then." She said. "After all, I know how to keep things as silent as possible." Neptune gave a wicked grin before vanishing. Mercury sighed as she too vanished, leaving Venus and Uranus alone.

Some time after Nurse Joy brought back Shinx and the rest of the mythical Pokemon, the 6 trainers gave their Pokemon to her as they gathered in the main room. Flora, Amber and Riley were currently deciding who would go challenge the gym first. The mythical Pokemon, except Jirachi and Victini, surrounded Holly as Manaphy continued to sleep in her arms. Jirachi was still sleeping in Aria's arms, who was observing the Earth Plate after Amber handed it to her. Victini was trying to see if Lisia could understand it, the trainer picking up on some of the words, but not all of it. Shinx sat in Lisia's lap, taking a nap after the checkup.

"Okay, so I'll go challenge the gym, then Flora and then Amber." Riley stated as the others nodded. "Great! Once my Pokemon are healed, we're heading straight for the gym!"

"You think you'll be able to win?" Flora asked as Riley nodded.

"With the newest addition to my team, I'll win easily!" She exclaimed as Flora looked confused.

"We caught some Machop north of Oreburgh City after we came to the Pokemon Center." Amber explained as she glanced at Holly. "It was going to be some time before the egg hatches, so we figured we'd go catch some more Pokemon."

"I see." Flora said. She stood as she looked back at the others. "Maybe I'll catch a new Pokemon too."

"I might join you on that Flora." Holly said as she and the others walked over to them. "Who knows, maybe I can practice some new routines for Contests." Aria and Amber nodded in agreement, wanting to go along as well.

"And imagine running into another shiny Pokemon!" Lisia exclaimed as Shinx raised an eyebrow. "Well, once I catch Shinx that is." Shinx nodded as he wagged his tail.

"Looks like we know what we are all doing." Riley stated before turning to the mythical Pokemon. "Except for you guys. Got any plans now that Manaphy is here."

"Victini and I are going to stick with Manaphy while the others go back to the base." Mew told her as the others nodded.

"We need to make sure we have everything needed for the little one." Magearna said as she turned to Holly. "We will leave Manaphy to you until it wakes up." Mew translated for Holly, who nodded as Aria handed Jirachi to Magearna. Hoopa opened one of his rings, letting the others through before Mew teleported itself and Hoopa to their base. Then Mew came out of the ring as it closed, giggling as it floated around Flora. Manaphy let out a yawn as it woke up, then started tearing up before crying.

Holly gently rocked the Pokemon, trying to keep it calm as she went over to her bag. With one hand, she brought out a baby bottle and placed it near Manaphy's mouth. Manaphy stopped crying and started drinking. "Good thing I went ahead and prepared this." She said to herself as the others looked at her in amazement.

"Holly handled that pretty well." Aria said as Lisia smirked.

"No doubt, she's done this before." She told her as she placed her hands on her hips. "When I first met her, she was taking care of Pichu, who hatched a few days before. I bet she did the same with Azurill." Manaphy finished drinking as it smiled at Holly. Holly giggled as cradled Manaphy, she couldn't wait to introduce her Pokemon to Manaphy.

Once their Pokemon were healed, they all left the Pokemon Center. Riley made her way towards the gym as Amber led the others to the spot she and Riley caught their new Pokemon. The area was surrounded by mountains, just like Oreburgh City, but it also had some grass growing in some areas. The shiny Shinx got into a battle stance as Lisia brought out one of her Poké Balls. "Since we're out here, might as well take the chance to have our battle." She said as Shinx nodded in agreement. He was ready, especially since Nurse Joy said he could battle again.

Holly sat down as Manaphy sat in her lap. "Manaphy." It said as the Pokemon looked up at Holly. Manaphy then looked around before spotting another Pokemon, one it hasn't seen before. The Pokemon looked like a small horse with its name on fire. It was a Ponyta, currently eating some grass not far from them. Manaphy turned towards the group and saw another Pokemon that sparkled when it came out of the Poké Ball, Lisia's Totodile. "Phy?" The sea Pokemon wanted to say hello to both Pokemon. One of them was busy as Totodile started battling Shinx.

"Manaphy!" So Manaphy left Holly's lap and started to make its way towards the wild Ponyta. Holly looked confused at the baby mythical Pokemon as she, Mew and Victini watched Manaphy hop away. Aria and Flora noticed as well as Amber continued watching the battle. Flora saw the wild Pokemon and brought out her Pokedex and scanned the Pokemon.

Ponyta, the Fire Horse Pokemon.

A Fire Type.

Its legs grow strong while it chases after its parents. It runs in fields and mountains all day.

Flora put away her Pokedex as Manaphy reached Ponyta, the horse Pokemon looking at the mythical Pokemon curiously. Manaphy smiled as it gave the Pokemon a hug, Ponyta blinking as it tilted its head. Holly stood up and walked over to Manaphy, who's smile grew bigger once it saw her. Mew and Victini followed her as Manaphy let go of Ponyta. "Sorry about that Ponyta." Holly told the Pokemon as she picked up Manaphy. "Manaphy doesn't know about stranger danger yet."

"That doesn't really apply to Pokemon." Mew said. "Unless it involves invading territory, most Pokemon are friendly towards each other."

"Still, not all Pokemon are as friendly as others." Holly pointed out as Manaphy hugged her, which she returned. "And even I think Pokemon enjoy their personal space." Victini nodded in agreement, remembering how Riley got into its personal space when they met. Aria and Flora walked over to them just as Lisia threw a Poké Ball at Shinx. It shook once. Twice. Three times before clicking. Lisia smiled as Totodile did a little dance. She then walked over and picked up the Poké Ball, letting out Shinx. The shiny Pokemon smiled at his new trainer, Totodile giving it a pat on the back.

Lisia blinked as she noticed the others, except Amber, gathered around a Ponyta. "What's up?" She asked as Amber walked up to her. "I thought everyone was watching our battle?"

"They were until Manaphy went over and hugged that wild Ponyta." Amber said. Lisia blinked before letting out a chuckle.

"Manaphy really wants to make friends, doesn't he?" She said before frowning. "Or is Manaphy a she?"

"Let's just stick with calling Manaphy an it until the Pokemon can decide for itself." Amber suggested as Lisia shrugged. While Lisia knew some Pokemon were genderless, to her, calling a Pokemon an 'it' sometimes got old. The two of them walked over to the others, the shiny Pokemon right behind them. Once Manaphy saw them, it immediately jumped out of Holly's arms before hugging Shinx and Totodile.

"Oh Manaphy." Holly said as she picked up the Pokemon. "You really should ask before you hug someone."

"Mana?" The baby Pokemon looked up at the girl, confused on why it would say that. Holly noticed as she shook her head.

"Some people or Pokemon may not like hugs." She explained. Manaphy let out a gasp. How could anyone not like hugs? Ponyta glanced at the two before looking around.

"She acts like mother does." Ponyta said. To those who could hear, this Ponyta had a feminine voice. Flora looked at Ponyta in wonder as she tilted her head.

"Is your mother around?" She asked the Pokemon, who blinked in shock. Flora smiled as she brought up her bracelet. "I can understand you because of this Aura Crystal." Ponyta looked at the pink jewel before shaking her head.

"No. She and the rest of my herd are further ahead." She told her. "I come here often to grass and train against the wild Geodude."

"Why them?" Flora asked.

"I want to be just as strong as my parents." Ponyta explained as she lifted her head high. "They are the leaders of the herd, and I am to succeed them...unless I get captured of course."

"I see." Flora said as she scratched her cheek. "Honestly, I was thinking of catching you. But I understand if you don't want to be captured."

"For a human, you are very understanding." Ponyta told her with a smile. Amber looked at Flora in confusion before turning her head to Aria.

"Did she just start a conversation with a Ponyta?" She asked as Aria giggled.

"Yep!" Aria shook her head in amusement. "I'm surprised how well that Ponyta is taking it."

"Speaking of which!" Lisia said as she knelt down to her Pokemon. "Let's see if I can understand both of you at the same time." Victini joined them as all three of them started talking at once. "Whoa whoa! One at a time you guys!" The others laughed while Ponyta let out a chuckle. This was an interesting group of trainers.

Nearby, Neptune stood on a cliff looking over the group. Behind her was Mercury, who fixated her eyes on the wild Ponyta. "It amazes me how different some Pokemon can be depending on the region." Mercury said as Neptune nodded.

"Indeed, though I much prefer the Galarian Ponyta." She said as Mercury rolled her eyes.

"You say that because you dislike fire types." The violet haired girl frowned as she said that. Neptune shrugged, pushing her green hair back.

"Most everyone has a preferred type." Neptune told her as her wrist began to glow red. "Though I will make an exception for this one." Mercury let out a sigh before vanishing. Neptune aimed at Ponyta before spotting the shiny Totodile. She put a thoughtful look on her face as she looked between the two Pokemon. She could Dynamax either one, but with different results. If she chose Totodile, she would collect more dark energy but would have to resort to using shadow energy to make it obey her. If she chose Ponyta, she would get less dark energy, but the Pokemon would listen to her.

"Such a hard decision." She said to herself. She glanced at Ponyta before nodding. Neptune had made her decision. "Ponyta, Dynamax!" She declared as the red beam shot out from her wrist, striking the wild Pokemon. She watched as Ponyta grew to the size of a giant, the girls beside it scrambling not to get crushed. The sky turned red as Ponyta let out a neigh. Neptune smiled as she focused on the group. They all looked shocked before looking around. "Don't bother wasting your time searching!" She exclaimed, making them all turn to the cliff she was standing on. Though this was her first meeting, she knew who was who thanks to Mercury.

"Who are you?" The one with short brown hair, Aria if she'd recalled, questioned her.

"Don't tell me your friends with Venus!" The one surrounded by shiny Pokemon, Lisia, exclaimed.

"Sisters to be exact." Neptuned told them as she sat down on the cliff. "I am Neptune, and you should be grateful I didn't target your shiny Totodile instead of this wild Ponyta."

"Say what?!" Lisia looked shocked as the shiny Shinx started growling. The others glared at her, Holly bringing Manaphy close to her as the mythical Pokemon looked confused. Neptune frowned, not hard to forget the face of a rival.

"I already know three of you are Pretty Cure." Neptune told them as she eyed Aria, Lisia and the one with pigtails, Flora. "So why don't you show me what you got?" The three girls frowned as Mew and Victini led Holly, Manaphy, and Amber to a safe spot. Lisia returned her Pokemon before bringing out her Aura Crystal. Aria and Flora linked hands as the three of them went through the motions, jewels glowing as they did so.

"Aura Transform! Precure Style!" All three exclaimed as three pillars of light surrounded them. Everyone covered their eyes until the pillar of lights died down.

"The jewel of time, Cure Dia!" Cure Dia declared as she posed, diamond shining as she did so.

"The jewel of space, Cure Pearl!" Cure Pearl declared as she posed, pearls shining as well.

"The jewel of the land, Cure Ruby!" Cure Ruby declared as she posed as well, rubies shining as she did so.

"Together we are Pretty Cure!" The three of them shouted, Cure Ruby joining in this time as they posed.

"Our Precure spirit is fired up!" Cure Ruby declared as she pointed.

"So dark soul who's lost her sight!" Cure Pearl started as she pointed.

"We guardians shall restore your light!" Cure Dia finished as she pointed.

Holly and Amber looked at their friends in awe as Mew and Victini cheered. Manaphy however looked scared and hid its face in Holly's shoulder. The girl noticed it and started rubbing the Pokemon to comfort it. "It's okay Manaphy." She told it in a soothing voice. "They'll turn Ponyta back to normal, you'll see." Manaphy didn't look up as it started to make sniffles. Amber looked worried as she looked up at the Dynamax Ponyta, she didn't want her friends to get hurt or burned.

"Be careful you guys!" She shouted to them, who all nodded to her. Taking a battle stance, Pretty Cure let out a battle cry as they charged.

"Dynamax Ponyta, use Max Strike!" Neptune ordered. Dynamax Ponyta stood on her hind legs before slamming her hooves on the ground. Bright light started to shine from the ground as it cracked. Cure Pearl frowned as she grabbed her friends.

"Pretty Cure Aura Pearl Warp!" She exclaimed as the area around them turned pink. Just as they vanished, a pillar of energy shot up from the ground for a moment before stopping. Neptune was surprised they managed to dodge the attack, and was even more surprised when they appeared in front of the Dynamax Pokemon. With a battle cry, Cure Dia and Cure Pearl punched Dynamax Ponyta on the muzzle, making the Pokemon cry out in pain. Cure Ruby made a quick descent to the ground as her fist glowed.

"Pretty Cure Aura Ruby Crater!" She shouted as she punched the ground, the area around the Dynamax Pokemon cracked before glowing red and breaking. Dynamax Ponyta cried out in alarm as it collapsed. Her eyes shut tight as she felt pain in one of her legs. Pretty Cure landed away from the crater, one pearl pearl and ruby dim as they observed the Pokemon. Cure Dia frowned as she closed her eyes and used Aura Sight, the Aura around the front right leg was blazing unlike the rest of the body. She opened her eyes as she looked at Cure Ruby.

"I think you damaged one of her legs." She told her. Cure Ruby winced when she heard that.

"Uh well, you'll be able to heal it, right?" She asked, Cure Dia and Cure Pearl nodding, making Cure Ruby relax.

"I just hope Ponyta can last long enough for us to do so." Pearl said as she looked at Dynamax Ponyta in concern. The Dynamax Pokemon however was furious, slowly standing up before raising its hind legs and this time slamming her good hoof down. The vibrations from it caused the ground to shake, making Pretty Cure lose their balance. Above them, a giant red fist materialized in the sky before quickly crashing right on top of them.

"Pretty Cure!" Holly and Amber shouted, Mew and Victini looking shocked before flying over to Pretty Cure. The three of them groaned as Dynamax Ponyta jumped out of the crater. Neptune smirked as she recognized the move.

"Hm, so that Ponyta knows a fighting type move." She said to herself. "This must be a rare one indeed, being able to use Max Knuckle. I wonder which move it normally is?" Neptune frowned as she heard crying. Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw it was the baby mythical Pokemon crying. Holly was trying to calm it down, but to no success. She then looked at her friends as they slowly stood up, and then at the Dynamax Pokemon. Dynamax Ponyta had shut its eyes in pain as the right leg was folded. Looking down at Manaphy, she frowned before gently handing the mythical Pokemon to Amber.

"What are you doing?" Amber asked her as Holly brought out the blue Aura Crystal. Manaphy tried to get out of Amber's arms as the Pokemon continued to cry.

"I don't want to see Manaphy cry anymore." Holly said softly before looking up at Dynamax Ponyta. "And I don't want Ponyta to be hurt either." Taking a deep breath, she formed her arms into an X as the blue jewel glowed in her fist. "Aura Transform!" She exclaimed before going through the motions. "Precure Style!" In a flash, a pillar of blue light surrounded Holly as Amber covered her and Manaphy's eyes. Everyone else took notice of the blue pillar before it died down, revealing that Holly had changed.

Her hair was now blue with pink accents, reached to her knees, and had two ponytails that split in two, making it seem like she had four ponytails, held in white ribbons. She wore a blue dress with a white wavy frill at the skirt and sleeves. A blue bow with pink ribbons was tied to the back of her waist, pink lines were also present on her dress. Gloves and boots that reached her elbows and knees were blue with white tips, pink lines connected to a circle were only present on the gloves. The blue Aura Crystal shined as it split into four, two heading for the back of her hands, the others reaching her hair. Opening her eyes, now blue, Holly took a deep breath before posing.

"The jewel of the sea, Cure Sapphire!" She declared as the four sapphires materialized, giving off a bright shine. "This Pretty Cure is like the tides." She said softly before pointing. "So if you dare to cross, this Guardian will be happy to oblige." Cure Sapphire blinked as she realized what she was doing. "Wait, did that even make sense?"

"Sounded fine to me!" Mew exclaimed as Victini nodded in agreement. Manaphy stopped crying and looked at the girl in confusion before smiling. Amber noticed how calm Manaphy had gotten, and she realized she felt calm too. Was it because of Holly, or rather, Cure Sapphire? The other Precure looked at their friend in awe before smiling.

"Awesome!" Ruby exclaimed. "My best friend is a Precure! Just like us!"

"Is that really surprising?" Dia asked her, who only shrugged in response.

"Cure Sapphire." Pearl said softly. Cure Sapphire looked at them, giving them a brief smile before frowning. Facing Dynamax Ponyta, she took a deep breath before letting out a battle cry. Sapphire charged at Dynamax Ponyta, the Pokemon standing on its hind legs ready to attack. The Pretty Cure saw it coming, so she jumped towards it's stomach before spinning and kicking it. The force sent Dynamax Ponyta flying into the crater, landing on her back. Still in the air, she took a deep breath as one of the sapphires started to glow.

"Pretty Cure Aura Sapphire Bubble!" She exclaimed, clasping her hands together before pausing forward, a stream of blue bubbles shot. The bubbles surrounded the Dynamax Ponyta, joining together until there was one giant bubble, trapping the Dynamax Pokemon inside. Cure Sapphire closed her eyes, deciding to use Aura Sight to check something. Though the Dynamax Pokemon was still red, the leg that had been injured wasn't blazing, but was calm. Opening her eyes, she smiled before turning to Cure Dia and Cure Pearl. Giving them a silent nod, the duo understood what she was conveying.

Linking hands, they prepared to use their attack. "Jewels of time and space." Cure Pearl started, pearls gleaming.

"Transcend together into the gleaming light." Cure Dia finished, diamond gleaming as well.

"Pretty Cure Aura Jewel Pulse!" They exclaimed as they thirsted their hands forward, sending the twin beams of light towards the Dynamax Pokemon. The bubble surrounding Ponyta disappeared as she was healed and returned to normal. On the cliff, Neptune frowned as her red eyes locked with Cure Sapphire's blue eyes. They stared at each other until Neptune closed her eyes and stood up. On the outside, she remained calm, but on the inside, she was furious. Taking a step back, she vanished. Sapphire frowned as she looked down, something about Neptune made her feel uneasy.

"Mana! Mana!" She blinked as she turned to Amber, who was holding Manaphy. The baby mythical Pokemon trying to reach her, eyes gleaming as it did so. As she changed back, she ran towards Manaphy as the Pokemon leapt out of Amber's arms and into Holly's.

"Here I am Manaphy." Holly told it. "I'm right here." Amber smiled at the two as the others, who changed back, joined them.

"And that makes four." Aria said as Lisia placed an arm around Holly.

"That attack was awesome Holly!" She told her best friend, who smiled shyly.

"I'm just glad my attack calmed Ponyta down." Holly said, giving Manaphy a hug. "And that Manaphy stopped crying."

"Seems like it stopped crying once you transformed." Amber said before looking at her Aura Crystal. The green jewel sparkled in the sunlight as it hung around her neck. Before she could dive into her thoughts, Amber and the others saw Ponyta running towards them. Flora smiled as the Pokemon stopped beside her.

"That was the most interesting battle I have ever had!" She exclaimed as she let out an excited neigh. "I'm not sure what happened exactly, or why I felt so angry. But it made me feel so alive!" Flora and Aria couldn't help but giggle as the others looked confused.

"Okay, I don't think I got all that." Lisia said, saying what the other girls were thinking. "Uh, did she say the battle was interesting?"

"Yep, she said that." Aria confirmed. "Though Ponyta said she felt angry. Why?"

"Something about the way those bad guys use the Dynamax Phenomenon." Victini said as it crossed its arms.

"Unless they are owned by a trainer, their primal instinct activates during battle." Mew explained as they all frowned. Ponyta frowned when she heard that.

"So this has happened before?" She asked, Flora nodding before holding up 5 fingers. Ponyta looked down before nodding. "Then I want to fight alongside all of you."

"Really?" Flora asked. "But what about your herd?" Ponyta tilted her head as she thought about it.

"I will talk to my parents about this." She told her in a serious tone. "If this is being done by force, something must be done. Though it might take a while to convince them." At that moment, the shiny Shinx came out of his Poké Ball, surprising Lisia as the Pokemon walked over to Ponyta.

"Hey, I can help." Shinx told her as the fire horse Pokemon looked at him. "I was forced to Dynamax too, maybe they'll listen to me if I go with you."

"You sure about that Shinx?" Lisia asked. Shinx turned to her and nodded. Ponyta thought about it for a moment and nodded, happy for the help. "Then I guess I better go with you guys." The Pokemon nodded until Manaphy went over and gave them both hugs.

"Manaphy, you should ask first before doing that!" Holly lightly scolded as Manaphy looked confused. Ponyta smiled before kneeling down, letting Manaphy jump onto her back. Ponyta stood up before turning to the four of them. Amber frowned, knowing who Ponyta wanted to follow, before nodding.

"You girls go with Ponyta, since I'm assuming that's what is happening." Amber told them. "Meanwhile I'll go check and Riley and let her know what's going on. Maybe even take on the gym if there's time. That is, if you don't mind Flora."

"Go ahead Amber." Flora told her as she nodded. "Something tells me this might take a while anyway. I'll challenge the gym tomorrow." Amber nodded before heading back to Oreburgh, the others following Ponyta to her herd. After walking a few steps, Amber stopped and looked back. She bit her lip as she looked at the green Aura Crystal. When the time came, would she be able to become a Pretty Cure? Only time would tell, for now, she needed to focus on winning her first gym badge.

And done! Thank you all so much for reading, review if you can. And I will see you all next time.