When Nurse Joy was satisfied that Ash had 'educated' Jayce enough about the consequences of his actions in pushing a pokémon further than they could truly go, she cut him off, saying, "Alright. Now, please proceed onto the third match."

"Alright," Ash said. He thought, 'Hmm…it seemed like Lana felt something when I was healing Poliwrath before. I wonder…' he grinned and said, "I'll give you one warning, Jayce, Lana," looking from one twin to the other. "Type means less than nothing to this pokémon."

Jayce and Lana said, "Wha…" as Ash drew a pokéball.

Ash flung the pokéball out, over the field, saying, "I choose you, Lucario!" As Lucario appeared on the field, May bit her lower lip, concerned that Ash was starting to take the match a little too seriously. "Now," Ash said in a dramatic tone, "Lucario," reaching his right hand forward, his eyes glowing blue. Lucario nodded and closed her eyes as her aura sensors rose up.

Lucario let out a loud, "Lu-caAAAAAA!" as it reached its aura out and merged it with Ash's. As this was going on, Lana fell to her knees, seeing the mass amounts of blue energies flowing between Ash and Lucario. She hugged her arms around herself as an immense fear settled in.

Jayce, looking to his sister when he heard a noise coming from her direction, exclaimed, "Lana! What's wrong?" rushing to her side.

"Th-th-tha…it…it's…impossible!"

"What? What's impossible?"

"What do you mean, 'what's impossible'? Can't you see it?"

"See it? See what? What are you talking about?" Jayce asked, unable to see the mixing energies.

Ash announced, "Lucario, Mega Evolve!" and Lucario was surrounded by a blue light that quickly shattered, revealing Lucario had done what should have been impossible, and managed to mega evolve with neither key nor mega stone." What confused Lana even more was that Ash's hair and eyebrows were now yellow with blue tips. On top of that, the locks hanging in front of his face now red.

Lana said, "It's…not possible!"

"Again?!" Jayce exclaimed. "What isn't possible this time?"

"We can't beat Lucario."

"Don't be absurd! May said it herself, didn't she? Anybody can be beaten," Jayce said, hoping that the words of his sister's idol would break her out of whatever funk she had managed to get herself worked into.

"You don't understand! Lucario…it's…not about strength, speed or power! It's…it's…it can't be defeated!"

Jayce thought, 'What the hell!? Nothing's strange about it at all, well, other than it Mega Evolving without the required stones being present that is. Even so, it's not…' all of a sudden, Jayce clutched his head and groaned in pain.

From his side of the field, Ash blinked and thought, 'This presence…it's…! But that's impossible! I subdued him years ago. How can he be back!? And where?' and his eyes started to flick around the stadium, searching for the source, wanting to believe that it was a coincidence that Jayce's headache chose that point to make itself known to him.

In a double-tone, Jayce said, "If you're not going to help, then I'll just have to do it myself! I choose Gallade!" and threw the pokéball onto the field. When Gallade took the field, it felt something very off about his trainer and turned to look at him and saw his sclera darkening. Gallade extended his arm towards his trainer and his eyes glowed green as he reached into his trainer's mind and suppressed whatever it was that was trying to take over his trainer's mind.

Ash, seeing Gallade's actions, imperceptibly bit his lower lip and thought, 'It's gone! Did Gallade just…if that was coming from Jayce, then…' Ash looked at Lana.

Lana, bristling with rage, slowly stood up, not looking up from the ground. But, despite her anger, her thoughts were completely clear. 'Alright. In that video I saw, the Lucario that he used was able to use Water Pulse, Blaze Kick and Shadow Claw, so despite the fact that both of Chandelure's types are advantageous against a pokémon like Lucario, it wouldn't really do that much. So…' Lana reached for the brim of her hat and turned it the other way around, shocking Ash, and causing May's eyes to transform into fire as she glared at Ash's back. Lana announced, "I choose you, Scrafty!" throwing a pokéball out, onto the field.

Jayce exclaimed, "Hu-uhh?! Scrafty?! Why?" and then, in a stage whisper, said, "I thought that the plan was to use Chandelure and Gallade to augment each other's attacks."

"It was the plan, yes."

"But not anymore?"

"No. the first battle proved beyond any doubt that that is not a viable battle strategy to use against Ash, even when we should have had an advantage. Lucario, is even worse."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know how I know, but I just know that when it comes to his Lucario, strategy is irrelevant. It'll just shrug it off and keep on coming."

"You talk as if it's some kind of monster in the night."

"That's a rather good way to put it, actually," Lana admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"If we want to survive this battle, we'll need to throw everything that we have at it, and more. Come to think of it, this battle format suits the symbol that he gives out very well."

"What do you mean?"

"The Symbol that is handed out by the Battle Theatre, is the Adaptability Symbol. If the trainer is unable to adapt to the varying situations, then there is no hope for victory.

As Lana discussed the changing strategy with Jayce, Ash thought, 'Oh? This is interesting. She's completely abandoned their previously conceived strategy this time, has she? And gone with a Scrafty of all pokémon.' He smiled. 'This is certainly going to be a different battle to either of the previous rounds. I wonder if…' in a loud voice, he said, "Can I ask you both a question?"

"Sure," Jayce said, not really caring.

Lana, did. She replied, "It depends on what it is."

"Why did you choose to take the path of a coordinator?"

"Why?" Jayce asked.

"I'm just curious about it. that's all."

"Well, if we're being honest about it, for me, it's more just for the experience," Lana said, to which Ash raised an intrigued eyebrow.

Jayce grunted, having always taken issue with his sister's reasoning. "It's to hone my skills as a trainer," Jayce said. He thought, 'And so I can bring Lana to her senses.'

Ash, looking at Lana said, "I'd like to talk to you about that after this round, if that's alright?"

"Sure, I guess," Lana shrugged.

Ash turned to Jayce and thought, 'He was telling the truth when he said that it was to hone his skills, but he left something out of it. It wasn't a total fabrication, but still…' he sighed and said, "Alright. This time I'll give you the first move."

Jayce said, "Fine, Gallade, use Shadow Sneak!"

Gallade sunk into its shadow, which quickly rushed across the field. As it did, Ash said, "Lucario, wait until it starts to appear and use Feint." Lucario nodded.

After Ash finished giving his order, Lana said, "Scrafty, use Dark Pulse!" seconds later, spiralling dark rings appeared in front of Scrafty's before they shot out in a beam. It was aimed in such a way that it would inflict a glancing blow if it stayed where it was, so that, if it did move, the beam wouldn't hit Gallade. However, the order came too late.

As the rings neared Lucario, Gallade appeared out of the shadow, aiming a punch at Lucario, but it did as it had been ordered and appeared behind Gallade almost immediately. When it was, Ash said, "Use Aura Sphere!" Lucario gathered up a large amount of aura instantaneously and fired it at Gallade's back, sending it into Scrafty's Dark Pulse.

Gallade, being part fighting type, took only a regular amount of damage from the Dark Pulse as Lana looked at Jayce apologetically, saying, "Sorry about that!"

"It wasn't your fault," Jayce replied.

"I know. But even so… I aimed it so that it would avoid Gallade!"

Jayce said, "It doesn't matter. Gallade, use Psycho Cut!"

Ash merely said, "Lucario, Bone Rush." After receiving the order, Lucario generated a glowing blue bone between its hands and batted the psychic blades that were coming from Gallade aside as it advanced.

As it did, Jayce quietly said, "Lana, I've got an idea. Can you lure it in?"

Lana said, "It better be better than your last one," and said, "Scrafty, use Thunder Punch!"

Ash said, "Lucario, use Drain Punch!" causing Lucario to rush in, its arm surrounded by swirling blue energy.

When it was about halfway, Jayce said, "Now, Gallade, use Psychic!" Gallade extended its arm towards Lucario, its eyes glowing green. A green aura appeared around Lucario and it raised into the air.

Ash thought 'Psychic? Hasn't he learned anything yet? Ah well…'

Jayce said, "Now, send it from the ring!"

Ash thought, 'Well, it's certainly more novel than usual, however…' He said, "Lucario, use Psychic," as Lucario began to move towards the edge of the field at a decent rate.

As Jayce exclaimed, "What?! There's no way! Lucario can't…!" but cut himself short when he saw Lucario be surrounded by a red aura as its eyes glowed the same colour, stopping immediately, hovering in the air.

Jayce exclaimed, "But how?! Gallade is a…"

Ash said, "Jayce. Lucario is a fighting type and I am a frontier brain. Is it really that unthinkable that I would come up with a way to deal with Psychic attacks."

"Well…yeah, sure. But Gallade's a psychic type, so any psychic type attack should be far and away stronger than something that some fighting type should be able to generate."

Lucario lowered itself to the ground and ash said, "Lucario, use Feint, into Drain Punch!"

Jayce said, "Gallade, focus and use Psychic!" but it did nothing and, when Lucario reappeared in front of Gallade, to his shock, Jayce saw that Lucario was still surrounded by the red aura just before she punched Gallade, her fist becoming surrounded by spiraling green and yellow energy that sucked the life points away from Gallade before sending it flying out of the field, knocking into the wall behind Jayce with swirls in its eyes.

Nurse Joy said, "Gallade is unable to battle! Jayce will return it to its pokéball and move to the seat behind the trainer box." Jayce looked at Gallade's prone form and growled angrily but did as he was told.

As he did, Lana quietly said, "Jayce…" looking at her brother as he walked to the seat.

She looked back at Ash, thinking, 'So, I was right then. With the ability to use Psychic to manipulate its body, and make use of another attack at the same time, It's no wonder that type advantages are useless against Lucario. However, my Scrafty doesn't know even a single Dark Type move other than Dark Pulse. Maybe I could draw Lucario in by using that repeatedly. Although, like he said, he is a Frontier Brain, so he'll probably see right through it. Even then though, if I'm remembering right, Lucario in its base state is far faster than Scrafty anyway, given what it's done so far, that has only increased. Also, Scrafty's defence probably won't hold up either, given what it did to Gallade.' She sighed and said, "I give up," to the shock of everyone in the audience.

Jayce, was angry. He demanded, "What are you doing, Lana?! How can you…?"

"Are you serious, Jayce!?" Lana exclaimed.

"Of course! How can you just sit there and give up after what he did?"

"Jayce, Scrafty's defence is good, there is no doubt about that. But," Lana pointed at Lucario, "that monstrosity's attack and speed are far too great to be able to take the fight to it!"

Ash said, "Congratulations Lana."

Jayce demanded, "Why are you congratulating her? She just gave up like some weakling newbie!"

Ash sighed and said, "Jayce, fighting a losing battle is very different to fighting an unwinnable one. What your sister just did was the mark of a true trainer. She analysed the situation with a calm mind and made the correct decision, putting the wellbeing her pokémon before her desire for victory."

Nurse Joy said, "With the withdrawal of Lana from the match, the victor is the Frontier Brain, Ash Ketchum."

Ash started walking towards the centre of the field.