Author's Note- Raise your hand if you were surprised by the lack of battling in 'Fierce Fighting at the Kalos League! Gather, All of My Passion!'
*imitates Hermione*
Now raise your hand if you were surprised by UNFEZANT on Alain's team.
*imitates Hermione*
And raise your hand if you can't wait for (the real) XYZ 38!
*imitates Hermione*
In fanfic-related news, I'm going to be expanding this fic to six chapters instead of the original four, as the episode titles for XYZ 40 and 41 show a continuation of the Team Flare arc! I hope you're looking forward to that as much as I am!
Here's part 3, my version of XYZ 38!
Episode 38- Kalos League Victory! Ash's Ultimate Match!
"Come on!"
On the field, Alain paused. No, she can't be here...
He couldn't help but take a look in the direction of the voice. And there she was, the new trainer, almost like a little sister to him, who he had failed to protect. It can't be...
But it was. Mairin was there. New determination surged through him. "Scolipede! Steamroller!" That at least stopped Noivern's Acrobatics.
"I must say, Malva, your plan to motivate our operative was quite successful."
The pink-haired woman smirked. "It was only a matter of lessening the security around the girl. She may have believed that she escaped of her own will and without our notice, but in truth, we predicted it and encouraged her to go."
"Most excellent indeed. Then everything is lined up."
"Boomburst!" The powerful sound waves forced the Megapede away, its ears filled with horrible ringing.
"Double-Edge!" was Alain's counter.
"Again? But that's so risky!" Mairin worried.
"Acrobatics!"
A blue glow, a couple of swooping glides that Hawlucha would have been proud of, and a quick clash of moves followed.
"Use Double Edge again!"
If Mairin was surprised the first time, she was shocked now. What type of Trainer fought like that?
Yet Scolipede obeyed the dangerous command, and Ash's Noivern was unable to get away in time.
"Noivern can no longer battle! Scolipede is the winner!"
But it wasn't a complete victory, because the Pokemon was barely standing.
"Did you get it?" a magenta-Ponyta-tailed woman pestered her accomplice.
"Of course!" the Scratch Cat boasted, holding up something shiny and round. "Dat friend of the twerps was so easy to steal from! His eyes were glued to dat notebook for da whole interview!"
"That Key Stone is our ticket to a promotion!" James reminded them. "Let's call the Boss! Immediately!"
Jessie and Meowth nodded. For once, the trio didn't argue about who would get credit.
A man-the Boss-appeared on their computer screen, immediately seeing the stone. "I see that you have aquired it. Later today, I wil arrive in Lumiose City, and I expect you to be ready. Good work."
XY & Z or Stand Tall follows this new development!
A certain redhead was at the edge of her seat.
"Who's Alain going to choose next?" the green-haired-and recently robbed, though he didn't know that-boy asked, like he had read her mind as he walked up to join the group.
"Sawyer! What took you so long?" Tierno exclaimed.
"First I kind of got lost in the stands...and then there was an interview..." he admitted, sitting down next to Trevor.
On the battlefield, Ash turned his head to look at the partner on his shoulder. "You ready to go, buddy?"
"Pika pika!" he affirmed, jumping back to the ground with electricity crackling at his cheeks.
"Then Pikachu, I choose you!" As he said the familiar words, he recalled his first day as a Trainer in Kanto and how far he and his first Pokemon had come since then. Where would he be if he hadn't overslept? Not here, in the Kalos League finals, with friends watching both in the arena and on TV, that was for sure.
Alain started things off with a "Megahorn!"
"Electro Ball to block that!" Ash quickly ordered. The two powerful attacks met, destroying each other. But while that was happening, his Pokemon was getting into position, anticipating the next move.
"Iron Tail, Pikachu!" At this point, Scolipede just could not dodge. It fell with a loud thud.
After the referee announced this, Alain readied his fifth Poke Ball. "Bisharp! Begin with an Iron Head!" I won't give him any time to think!
The Sword Blade Pokemon started its headfirst charge as soon as it was called out.
"Pikachu! Er...use..." Ash had to come up with something. "Quick Attack to get away!"
Luckily, the speedy electric mouse managed to outmanuver the opponent.
"Night Slash!" The twin blades on Bisharp's arms glowed, and it once again ran at Pikachu.
"Electro Ball!" This collided with the hard metal of the Dark/Steel-type's body, making a hollow clang!
"Don't stop! Night Slash again!"
The eyes of the viewers kept shifting between the two competing Trainers as the rapid-fire moves continued.
"Thunderbolt! Put all you've got into it!"
"Pi...ka!" That was no ordinary bolt. It was at least double the size of Pikachu's normal attack.
Wow...he really listened... Ash thought to himself with a grin.
It was also much faster than a normal bolt. Bisharp had no chance to dodge. The force of the electric move left all the viewers shocked. Yet when the light faded, the Sword Blades Pokemon was still standing.
"Guillotine." Alain commanded coldly. No time for playing around! Instead of the black of Night Slash, the blades became the blue of...something much, much, worse. After using so much energy for the extra-large Thuderbolt, Pikachu couldn't avoid the first slash. Or the second.
Not even Mairin was cheering loudly when the referee proclaimed the electric mouse unable to battle.
"A one-hit knockout move..." Sawyer didn't have to whisper, but he did so anyway.
"Quite a surprising-and dangerous-move from Alain...but I don't think he'll be able to do it twice." Clemont observed.
"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked her brother.
He pushed up his glasses. "Well, Guillotine and other one-hit knockout moves are very hard to hit with and very likely to miss their target. Did you see how slow Bisharp was moving at the end? If Pikachu hadn't just used that supercharged Thunderbolt, he would easily have been able to get away."
"And Ash is using Greninja next! He won't lose to an attack like that!" Serena said confidently.
"If you say so...but I'm still kinda worried..."
"Greninja, I choose you!" Ash called out, sending his first Kalos Pokemon and final Kalos League Pokemon into the battle. We've got to take care of Bisharp fast and not get hurt, 'cause that would put us at a disadvantage against Charizard!
"Water Shuriken!"
"Iron Head!" Alain ordered, so that Greninja's shurikens would bounce right off.
"Switch to Water Pulse!" Suddenly, Greninja fired out a sphere of water and not individual throwing stars.
"Switch to Night Slash!" The Sword Blade Pokemon easily cut it in two.
Diantha and Professor Sycamore were on TV again. "What's going on now?" the Champion wondered. "It's attack after attack...Bisharp quickly blocks all of Greninja's moves..."
"This is truly a battle of two more-than-capable fighters! Ninja against swordsman!" the Professor told the audience as Ash called for more Water Shurikens.
"Don't stop until it hits! And hits again!" The boy from Pallet Town was truly determined to win the League, and he knew that the Electro Ball and Thunderbolt had damaged Bisharp already.
Just as Ash predicted, Alain's Pokemon couldn't knock them all away forever. A single star hit, and he saw an opening. "Aerial Ace!"
That was all Greninja needed to knock Bisharp out of the finals.
"Charizard! Let's finish this off and win the battle!" This was Alain's last Pokemon. But it was also his most powerful. I won't lose!
"Finally! Charizard! You can do it!" Mairin encouraged her friend.
Ash didn't make another move. He knew what Alain was going to do first.
"Key Stone, respond to my heart! Beyond Evolution! Mega Evolve!" The light connecting Trainer and Pokemon, a physical representation of their bond, grew and grew, surrounding Charizard. When the Fire/Dragon emerged, its flame was blue and most of its body had turned black. It was Mega Charizard.
"You ready?" Ash asked his Pokemon with a smile. Greninja nodded. This was what they had been waiting for.
"Double Team!" Copies of the Ninja Pokemon appeared, filling his side of the stadium.
"Not a problem. BLAST BURN!" Finally, Alain was showing some enthusiasm for the battle.
Ash turned pale. "Blast...Burn...?" he repeated, not expecting such a powerful attack so early. "Greninja, g-get out of there!" But it was too late.
Blue flames seemed to swallow Mega Charizard as he punched the ground, sending energy at...all the Greninjas. Nothing seemed to happen at first.
Until a huge fire burst out beneath them. All the copies vanished. When the flames disappeared, one Pokemon was revealed on the ground, battered from the blast.
"Are you all right, Greninja?" Ash cried out, obvious fear filling his voice. With a slight wince, the Pokemon managed to stand up and turn to him. "Gren. Ninja!"
Oh no...he's been hit really badly...Alain's even stronger than I thought! he realized. And-and I have to win! I can't leave her! Not now!
He shook his head to clear it. No use worrying! There's only one thing I can do now!
Let'Z go!
"Greninja! We can still fight!" Ash raised his fist, and the familiar torrent of water flooded over his partner. They were synchronized. One dream, one goal- to win the Kalos League!
In the stands, a certain honey-blonde Performer smiled. This was typical Ash.
The battle burns fiercely around us
"Water Shuriken!" he commanded, making the same sort of throwing motion as his Pokemon. Greninja-well, Ash-Greninja now-reached for some water from the huge star on his back.
"Block that with Dragon Tail!" Alain ordered his Mega Charizard, who turned around and slammed his glowing tail into the fast-approaching attacks. Some, however, did manage to get past it and hit its back.
Let'Z go!
The veil of water was starting to disappear, revealing the interesting combination of Trainer and Pokemon beneath.
"Now!" Ash called out, extending his arm towards the opponent. His Pokemon started even before the trainer said it. "Use Water Pulse!"
We know that a crisis is a chance
The pure, clear blue sphere found its mark, causing the Mega Evolved Pokemon to flinch. But Alain gave it a sharp glare, and Charizard knew what to do. It flew up above Ash-Greninja, letting out a mighty roar.
Here goeZ!
"Aerial Ace!" was Ash's next order. The frog/ninja leapt up to hit the airborne opponent.
"Not so fast! FLAMETHROWER!" It wasn't called Mega for nothing. The black Charizard spat out enough fire to burn up a small house, stopping Greninja in its tracks. Ash tensed up a bit, obviously in pain. Serena gasped. "No...Keep going!"
Time for a Reversal
He heard her. Even though his last Pokemon had taken so much damage, the boy from Pallet Town wasn't done for yet. "W-Water Shuriken! A-and make it big!" he forced out. Ash-Greninja jumped above the Flamethrower's range and threw his whole star-all the water he had. This was no time for holding back!
Because we will never give up until it's over
Steam rose when the wet weapon came into contact with Charizard's fiery body, but despite that, the winner was obvious. The audience erupted with cheers.
"And the victory goes to Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!"
Serena fingered her blue ribbon with the largest smile possible on her face. He had done it! "Way to go, Ash!" she screamed.
Everyone had joined the loud crowd in their excitement over Ash's win. Except for Squishy, who still had an urgent look on its face, and Bonnie, whose eyes were full of tears.
"What's wrong?" Clemont asked her gently.
"After the league, Ash is going back to Kanto! This is the end of our journey! Then I'll hafta wait for years before Dedenne and I can go!"
That hadn't occured to Serena. "It's okay. He won't just take off right away. He'll probably stay here for a while and try to become Champion." she comforted the young girl, though she wasn't completely sure. What if he does go, now that his goal is accomplished?
I'll go with him. Her grip on the ribbon tightened, and her expression hardened.
Clemont exchanged glances with Shauna. This certainly wasn't how he thought the League would end...
"Um...we want to find Ash, right? He'll be exiting the stadium through that stairway, so we should go around to the outside to meet him..." Trevor piped up quietly.
And that was exactly what they did.
Energy was flowing through him! He had won! He'd made it! He was one step closer to being a Pokemon Master! At this moment, he felt like he and his team could do anything!
And then the camera flashes started.
"So, Ash..."
"Now that you've..."
"You were the one who said..."
"At the beginning..."
"After six leagues..."
"The special form..."
"When are you challenging..."
"All I'm gonna do right now is talk to my friends!" He tried to push his way through, but it was nearly impossible.
Until a voice demanded that they "Give him some space!"
Somehow, that worked. In a flash, most of the reporters were gone.
"Now. You're the one who just won against Alain, correct?" He could be useful to us...but the plan is already in motion.
"Yeah..."
"If you will, come by sometime soon. And bring that Greninja of yours." The mysterious red-haired man handed him a business card printed with the words 'Lysandre Laboratories' and a Lumiose City adress in elegant cursive.
"Okay...thanks for helping me out..." Ash wasn't sure what to say, so he continued down the hallway, eventually reaching the final door.
Serena had an arm around Bonnie. Mairin was scanning the crowd for Alain, though her eyes kept on flitting back to the two girls, wondering if they were all right. Clemont, Tierno and Trevor were talking excitedly about the best moments in the battle. Sawyer was scribbling something down.
That left Shauna as the first to see him. "Hey, Serena!" she called out, confusing Ash.
"Why're you calling me Serena?" he wondered aloud.
The Performer looked up. "Ash!" She let go of Bonnie and ran over to him. With a slight blush, she pulled him into a hug, earning herself smirks from two of her friends (though she didn't see that). "Awesome job in the battle!"
"Thanks! But what happened to you and Bonnie? And who's that girl in the cap over there?"
"That's Mairin! She's Alain's friend! And as for Bonnie and I...well...we just didn't want the journey to end, that's all...but don't worry about us! With a win like that, you could definitely go against the Elite Four and Champion!"
"She's right!" Sawyer joined in. "I filled up five pages with the amazing strategies you and Alain used!"
"Really? Wow...though I mostly made things up on the spot..." Ash admitted.
"What things did you plan, then?" Clemont asked.
"Oh, come on, Big Brother! That's not what really matters! Ash, are you leaving us?" The little lemon-blonde finally voiced her concerns.
"Am I...leaving you?" the Lumiose Conference victor echoed. He looked around at all his friends and rivals.
"Of course not! Before I even think about leaving Kalos, I'll battle Diantha and the Elite Four! If I lose, I'll just train up again and win! And if I do become Champion, I'll have to stay here as well! Plus, we still haven't seen all of the region! So it isn't over yet!" he exclaimed.
That statement cheered Bonnie up. "Hey, Clemont! Can I have a taiyaki?"
"Sure! What a quick mood change..." the Gym Leader muttered.
"Mairin! You come too!" the little girl insisted. Then she sent a glare at Shauna, who immediately caught on.
"Don't you two want some as well? I know I do!" she told Tierno and Trevor, who were a bit surprised but agreed. The three of them followed the Lumiose siblings and the new trainer to the stand. Bonnie winked at Serena as she left.
"Taiyaki...not my favorite." Ash remarked.
"There's a food you don't like?" she teased.
"Well...the Magikarp shape...just makes me feel like I'm eating Pokemon..." He shuddered at the thought.
Oh, Bonnie. She was too smart for her own good...and she used those smarts to interfere.
Still, Serena was grateful. Despite Ash's claim earlier, she knew that their travels were almost over. Battling the Elite Four and Champion would take a week at most, and if he did beat them, she was sure that he would quickly tire of his new position and soon move on to the next adventure. Thanks to her lemon-blonde friend, she had this one moment-maybe even the last moment-right now, and she couldn't waste it.
"So...um...I wanted to tell you that..." she hesitated, her cheeks turning slightly pink.
"Tell me what?" he inquired with that smile of his.
"That I..." Can I actually do it?
"...I really meant what I said, you know? Y-you did a really great job in the battle!" No. She couldn't bring herself to say what she really wanted to. There were too many possibilities, none of them good. Or so she thought.
"Well, I couldn't have done it without you...You told me not to give up when I was really nervous! Right before I sent out Goodra! And you said to keep going when that Flamethrower hit!" Ash replied.
"You heard that?"
He was about to answer 'Of course!'.
But suddenly, the ground shook
"What...what was that?" Serena wondered.
A light came on at the top of Prism Tower. And that was the only electric light in all of Lumiose. The City of Light had gone dark.
At the taiyaki stand, Bonnie's eyes widened. What was going on? It was kind of scary...
Her confusion only grew when Squishy hopped out of her bag. She had no choice but to follow it, still clutching her snack.
"Where are you going?" Clemont called out.
"Wherever Squishy's going! I'm not stopping for you!"
"Fine! But I'll come with you!"
"And I'll go as well!" Mairin joined in.
They got no argument. The three chased after the green, unidentifiable Pokemon together.
Author's Note: Ash has done it! He's won the Kalos League in an amazing battle against Alain, taking down Weaville, Metagross, Tyranitar, Scolipede, Bisharp, and Charizard!
But what is this mysterious blackout? What will Giovanni do with Sawyer's Key Stone? What is 'the plan' that is 'already in motion'? And where is Squishy heading?
*Pikachu no Uta plays as ending theme, completely changing the mood*
You'll find out next chapter!
