"Ride to Canterlot" is the eightieth chapter of the Pokémon Eclipse story, and is the tenth chapter of the Poni Arc.
Plot[]
With the Pillars' train still bound for Canterlot through the more mountainous landscape, Ember manages to reach it and wake everyone onboard, warning them of Capillary's betrayal. Sam, Alice, Dexio, Celaeno, Ember, Skystar, Somnambula, and Flash Magnus climb atop the trains' cars while the rest spread out inside of them. Sam sends out his Aegislash while Alice and Dexio both send out their Raichus, the latter covering the train in a Light Screen.
In Canterlot, Cocoon prepares her aerial forces to attack while the rest of her army spreads throughout the city. Upon spotting the Pillars' train, Cocoon orders the first wave out. Flying under the cover of the dead of night, they plan to take the train out by surprise, only for Alice's Raichu to illuminate the area with a Thunderbolt and reveal them coming. Due to Dexio's Raichu's Light Screen, the changelings' magical attacks are dissipated, and upon passing through it to land on the train in disguise, their magic is disabled, giving the Pillars and their companions a massive advantage as they easily hold back the changeling forces. Cocoon orders the second and third waves to disperse and attack with full force.
The changelings begin to work around the Light Screen, converging into tight groups to withstand the Raichus' Psychic attacks or blasting at the cliff walls above to try and destroy the train with a rockslide, which Dexio's Metagross thwarts. The changelings then blast a concentrated magic attack at the rock wall right in front of the speeding train, causing it to crash into debris which makes its driver Boyle, a member of Celaeno's crew, hit his head and fall on the acceleration lever, knocking him unconscious. With an outer turn coming up and the train picking up speed, Sam tries to make his way to the engine to slow them down before it can fly off the rails. The changelings manage to knock him off the train, sending him plunging down towards the ground far below. Sam's Archen dives down to him, evolving into an Archeops along the way before managing to catch Sam and carry him up to the engine with Metagross's help. Sam slows the train and pulls the brakes before they reach the turn, and with the efforts of the other Equestrians and Pokémon, they barely manage to keep the train on the tracks.
With the train nearing a tunnel that would take them straight to Canterlot, the changelings blast away a fifty-foot portion of the track between the train and the tunnel as well as cause another landslide. Metagross holds off the landslide while Starswirl, Mistmane, Stygian, and Fizzlepop use their magic to carry the train over to the other side. After their Archeops and Noivern are defeated, Sam and Alice call out their Absol and Gyarados, Mega Evolving them into Mega Absol and Mega Gyarados. Before the train reaches the tunnel, Sam and Alice ride their Pokémon over to confront the remaining changelings, forcing them to retreat. In Canterlot, Cocoon watches in awe as her forces are easily defeated before she is informed of the completion of the repairs of the Storm King's statue. Making her way back into the palace, she orders the rest of her army to try and keep them out as long as possible upon their arrival.
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|---|---|
| The Memory Armada | The Eye of the Hurricane |