Well, this chapter starts with a big time skip. I have skipped straight to the day before the Semi-Finals. The reason for that is, as I have made Ash competent in this story, the group stages (including the battle against Sawyer, a rookie) would be piss easy for him. And I have to complete the story by 12th June (before my holidays end), so I have done it.

On to the chapter, I am extremely sorry about that (Infernape description) and (Houndoom description) thing last chapter. I forgot to edit it in before publishing it. Sorry!

THE SEMI FINALS!

Ash was waiting in the conference room of the stadium, awaiting the matchups for the semi-finals, to be held the next day. Only seven people were gathered. He was with Aria and Bonnie, Alain was with Mairin, Tobias and the fourth semi-finalist – a guy named Severus – were standing alone. Some other people were there, like the maintenance staff, some waiters and the like.

It was safe to say that the best Trainers were assembled in the room. Ash, Alain and Tobias had got into the semi finals without losing a single Pokemon respectively. Severus, on the other hand, had narrowly scraped past Astrid – who had a Mega Absol – with a brilliant piece of strategy with his Haxorus.

Ash went over his matches in his head. He had used Greninja, Pikachu to defeat his opponents, who mostly stood no chance against his two most powerful Pokemon from Kalos. The only one who got close to defeat one of his Pokemon was Sawyer, with his Mega Sceptile. Ash had to admit, Sawyer was extremely good for a rookie trainer, but of course you had to have experience to get the best out of your Pokemon. Ash had learnt that the hard way.

Of course, Alain and Tobias didn't have it too difficult either. Darkrai was enough for Tobias to mow through his opponents, while Alain used Metagross and his Charizard to win his matches. Ash knew that he would have to make a few calls if he was put up against Tobias in the Final, which was likely to happen due to the groupings.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Sycamore stepped up onto the stage.

"Well, here we are. Only 4 trainers left in this League, so congratulations to all of you guys. But, we are down to the business end of the League. The semi finals and the finals shall be full six-on-six battles. Mega Evolution limit remains at one, that includes your Bond with Greninja, Ash. The semi-finals will take place tomorrow, and the finals will take place after a 3 day gap. I hope you remember there will be a dance between the two." Sycamore paused to look at the reactions.

"Looks like nobody except Alain has got their date yet.." Sycamore sighed, "Anyways, moving on. You have done extremely well to reach the semi finals, now good luck for the remainder, as this will be our last meeting. Light up the screen, Jameson!"

Four Pokeball symbols soon appeared on the screen, and began spinning around crazily before coming to a rest. Sycamore pressed a button to overturn them, revealing...

"Bloody hell! Why me?!" Severus shouted out. Ash looked at him before looking at the matchups. He chuckled a bit, that reaction was worse than his when he found out he had to battle Tobias in the semi finals.

Sycamore let the information sink in before continuing, "So there you have it. Ash vs. Alain in SF1 and Tobias vs Severus in SF2. The winners will of course face off in the finals. Good luck."

Tobias walked out as soon as he had got all the information. Alain, however, walked up to him with Mairin by his side.

"So, Ash, we'll finally get to face each other again." Alain commented.

"Yep, and this time, be prepared to be defeated!" Ash replied confidently, with Pikachu also pumping his fist into the air.

"We'll see about that. Charizard has been waiting for this, and I'm sure Greninja has been too. See you later.", and he walked off before letting Ash reply.

Ash looked in the direction Alain disappeared in with a determined gaze. Alain might've defeated him in all their previous battles, but he was going to turn the tide and return the favour.


The next day,

SEMI FINAL 1

Ash vs. Alain

"HELLO! Welcome to the first Semi Final of this year's Kalos League! We have got two heroes of Kalos duelling it out in this one, with Alain going up against Ash. Both of them have defeated all their opponents convincingly, with neither losing a single Pokemon until now. But we're sure that'll change. Both have captivated us with their immense power, quick thinking and deadly strategies. Now, a huge round of applause to welcome our battlers!"

As the commentator finished his speech, he walked out into the stadium, as did Alain. Thunderous shouts, claps, and cheers greeted them as they walked towards their positions. Clearly, there was no favourite for this match, and both trainers were very dear to the people of Kalos, having protected them from Team Flare.

The referee took his position on the Sand battlefield. Ash had had only a single battle on it, but he knew that fast movements would be restricted on the sand.

"This will be a six-on-six battle. After either side loses three Pokemon, there will be a five minute gap and a change of field. Mega Evolution is limited to one, including the Bond Phenomenon. Are both trainers ready?"

Alain and Ash both nodded, eyes locked on each other and a Pokeball in their hands.

"Let the first semi final, BEGIN!"

"Let's go, Tyranitar!" Alain said, calling out his huge dinosaur-like green Pokemon. The Armour Pokemon landed on the battlefield with a thud and let out a loud roar, letting the world know of its strength.

Tyranitar can't move fast so it won't be affected by the sand, so I'll use this, Ash though, throwing a Pokeball.

Out emerged a mostly black and purple draconic Pokemon with enormous ears, two black wings with purple linings and two small claws. Ash's Noivern let out a loud screech before coming to a halt in the air.

"And both have gone for Pokemon who would be at a lesser disadvantage due to the sand! Logical thinking from both here, but Noivern's at a disadvantage. Can he overcome the mighty Tyranitar?"

"Use Stone Edge!" Alain called out.

"Fly high up to dodge it!" Ash ordered.

Tyranitar let out a roar and slammed its right fist onto the ground. Stone pillars of increasing height began emerging from the ground, one after the other, towards Noivern. Noivern had to fly very high to dodge the last few very tall pillars.

"Now use Dragon Pulse on them!" Ash said.

Noivern inhaled and let out a large beam of bluish purple energy towards the first few rocks, which made contact and exploded the rocks to pieces. The splinters of rock made contact with Tyranitar, not dealing damage, but momentarily distracting him.

Ash found an opportunity, and quickly put his advantage to use

"Quick! Use Gust" Ash shouted.

Noivern began flapping its wings, creating huge currents of air. It picked up the loose sand and created a mock sandstorm on the battlefield, reducing visibility to nothing.

Ash smirked, "Now, locate him using your ears and use Giga Impact!"

Alain's eyes widened at the ploy. If that Giga Impact hit, Tyranitar would be done for. "Tyranitar, use Stone Edge to surround yourself!" he called out in panic.

As Noivern located Tyranitar using his ears, he covered himself in the purple glow of tGiga Impact and charged towards his blinded opponent. Tyranitar could be heard using Stone Edge.

BOOOM!

A huge explosion rang out through the stadium, sending shockwaves everywhere. Ash had to hold his cap and Pikachu to prevent them from being blown away. As the dust cleared, an unconscious green heap was seen, and a tired purple-black Pokemon was flying weakly above it.

The referee looked at the two Pokemon and called out the result, "Tyranitar is unable to battle. Noivern wins!"

"And just like that, Tyranitar goes down! Alain loses his first Pokemon in this League, and in humiliating fashion. Ash and Noivern led him on, pushed him into a corner and used the terrifying Giga Impact to seal the deal. Poor Tyranitar couldn't even use a move other than Stone Edge. Now, who will Alain bring out?"

Alain returned his Tyranitar, thanking him for his hard work and pulled out his next Pokemon.

"Bisharp! Time to battle!"

The referee looked towards Ash, who confirmed, "I'll be staying with Noivern for now."

The referee nodded and stated, "Noivern vs. Bisharp! Begin!"

Alain smirked, "You'll regret this, Bisharp use Thunder Wave!"

Ash shouted out, "Dodge it, Noivern!"

As the beam of electricity came towards him, Noivern tried to dodge, but was too tired to do so. The Giga Impact had taken a lot of his energy. The beam hit him straight on, and he fell to the ground, paralysed. Sparks emerged from him, confirming the status.

"Noivern! No!" Ash shouted out, worried for his young Dragon Type.

"Get closer and then use Focus Blast!" Alain commanded, not letting Ash get a breather.

Bisharp ran towards Noivern, got into position, and fired a pale yellow ball of energy towards Noivern, who was unable to do anything. The Focus Blast hit him, and he fell down, unconscious.

The referee waited for a moment before confirming the outcome, "Noivern is unable to battle. Bisharp wins!"

"And Noivern goes down! He was too tired to dodge the Thunder Wave, and once he was paralysed, there was nothing he could do, really. Swift work by Bisharp. That Thunder Wave will prove to be a thorn in Ash's side, to be honest."

Ash recalled Noivern, "Thank you for your hard work, Noivern. Get a good rest." He took out his next Pokeball, calling it out.

"Hawlucha, I choose you!"

Out came Ash's proud fighting/flying type, the former Forest Champion. He soon began striking poses for the crowd, who cheered the proud fighting type.

"Hawlucha vs. Bisharp, BEGIN!"

"Use Metal Claw!" Alain called out.

"Use Brick Break!" Ash retorted.

Bisharp and Hawlucha both began running towards each other. Well, for Hawlucha, it was more jump and try to fly. Hawlucha's arm glowed white while Bisharp's arms glowed with a metallic cover. They both brought their arms down on each other. They fought to gain the upper hand, each trying to overpower the other. But, ultimately, after a weary struggle, Metal Claw overpowered Brick Break and Hawlucha was sent flying.

"Now, use Thunder Wave!" Alain commanded with a smirk, getting his effective plan back onto the field.

"Dodge it!" Ash called out.

As the beam of electricity headed towards Hawlucha, he jumped out of the way just in time. But, that quick movement left him disbalanced, and he fell down onto the ground awkwardly.

"Guillotine!" Alain shouted.

Ash gasped as Bisharp ran towards Hawlucha, teal coloured swords of energy forming on both his hands. Ash knew very well that if it hit, Hawlucha would be out, no matter how healthy he was. He looked towards Hawlucha, who was just standing up. His right knee was shaking, and Ash knew the battle was over.

Guillotine made contact with Hawlucha, knocking him out immediately. Hawlucha fell down onto the floor with a thud.

The referee called out, "Hawlucha is unable to battle! Bisharp wins!"

"And Bisharp brings down yet another one! The moves on Bisharp are proving to be lethal for Ash here, as his Hawlucha gets defeated by a powerful Thunder Wave/Guillotine combination. Has Ash run out of steam, or has he got anything left to fight Alain? He definitely needs Greninja for Alain's Charizard."

Ash returned Hawlucha to his ball, and said to him, "Sorry Hawlucha. I didn't react quick enough to his Guillotine. Take a nice, long rest now."

He took out his next Pokeball and threw it, revealing his Talonflame, which screeched loudly and flapped its wings before coming to a halt above Ash, its wings wide with pride.

The referee started the battle, "Bisharp vs. Talonflame, BEGIN!"

"Use Thunder Wave!" Alain ordered Bisharp, which let out the beam of electricity towards Talonflame.

"Dodge with Flame Charge and keep using it!" Ash commanded.

Talonflame was covered in flames as he sped off, dodging the Thunder Wave completely. However, he didn't stop the Flame Charge, and thus got faster and faster.

"Now hit him!" ,Talonflame flew towards Bisharp at speeds he was unable to follow, and slammed into its chest to send him flying.

"Metal Claw!" Alain shouted. Bisharp quickly corrected himself and started running towards Talonflame with his claws glowing with a metallic sheen.

"Use Gust!" Ash retorted. Talonflame turned towards Bisharp and flapped its wings with increasing speed, sending strong winds towards Bisharp, which both slowed him down and kicked up a mini-sandstorm.

"Now, Flamethrower!"

"Focus Blast!"

The orange stream of flames and the pale yellow ball of energy headed towards each other and collided, creating shockwaves which kicked up sand all around the battlefield. Ash and Alain had to shield their eyes to prevent sand from getting in.

"Steel Wing!"

"Guillotine!"

Ash and Alain both commanded their Pokemon, having faith in their strength and capabilities. Suddenly, a loud explosion and two thud sounds were heard. Ash, Alain, the referee and the others waited for the sand to clear to see the outcome. When it finally did, Talonflame and Bisharp were both seen lying on the ground, unconscious.

The referee waited for any signs of movement from the fallen duo before announcing the result, "Talonflame and Bisharp are both unable to battle. This round ends in a draw. Since Ash has lost 3 of his Pokemon, there will be a field change and a five minute break for the battlers."

"Bisharp has been defeated, but it took Ash two fresh Pokemon to do so. It will be a tough job for his other Pokemon if he is to win this, but don't count him out yet. This certainly has been an interesting first half, which has ended with Alain losing Tyranitar and Bisharp, while Ash has lost Noivern, Hawlucha and Talonflame. Now, there will be a five minutes break."

Ash and Alain nodded to each other and set off for their respective waiting rooms, while the battlefield went into the ground with a rumbling sound.


In his room, Ash sat down on the sofa with a sigh, and head in his hands. Pikachu looked up at him, worried for his trainer. He had seen Ash become like this a couple of times in Kalos, and it took a toll on his battling skills.

"Hey, Ash." A soft voice came from the door. Ash looked up to see Aria standing there, a smile on her face, which soon disappeared when she saw Ash's condition.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

Ash nodded, "I'm fine. I just don't know what to do now...I'm down by one Pokemon, and he still has Metagross and Charizard. I don't know if I can defeat him to be honest."

Aria, uncharacteristically, told him in a sharp voice, "Don't you think that, mister. You have come all this way, and only these two battles remain between you and your quest for winning a League. You will not let this small disadvantage defeat you!"

Ash looked up at her is surprise, while she continued, "You were the one who taught me and Bonnie to never give up until it's truly over. So what are you sulking here for? You should give your all and if you lose, you lose. I'm sure your Pokemon feel the same, right Pikachu?" she asked the yellow mouse, which responded with a firm "Pika!".

Ash looked at them, and bumped his head on his hands, surprising Aria and Pikachu. He stood up, and said, "You're right."

"What?" The comment had caught Aria off-guard.

"I shouldn't give up till it's over. It won't be fair to my Pokemon. I know that I can beat Alain if I battle well, right Pikachu?" Ash asked his starter with a smile. Pikachu smiled and jumped up on Ash's shoulder, nuzzling his cheek, clearly happy to see his trainer up and about again.

Ash looked towards Aria, as the bell rang signalling Ash to get ready, "Aria, thank you for that...speech."

Aria blushed and replied, "Oh it's nothing, just my daily job as a Performer." She added a wink for good measure.

This time it was Ash who blushed as he made his way towards the battlefield. Aria said, "Go get him, champion."

Ash smiled and replied, "Don't worry, I will, queen."


"Welcome back to the first semi-final of this Kalos League. The five minute break is over, and there is a new field. Which means that, no more interruptions until a finalist is decided! Let us recap what happened in the first half. Alain lost Tyranitar to Ash's Noivern, and then used Bisharp to defeat Noivern, and Hawlucha, before finally failing down in a draw against Talonflame. Now, Alain has four Pokemon remaining, while Ash has three. This match isn't over yet, but how will it finish?"

The new field was a flat tarmac pitch with no obstructions anywhere. If he remembered the leaflet correctly, this field provided an insane amount of grip for the Pokemon. The referee took his spot and called out, "This semi-final will continue now. Select your Pokemon!"

Ash and Alain both picked their Pokeballs and got ready. But it was only Alain who threw his ball, as Ash simply held his one out in front and said, "Pikachu, I choose you!". His faithful yellow electric mouse jumped from his shoulder straight to the battlefield, and sparked his cheeks to show that it was ready to take on his opponent.

Alain had chosen a Weavile, which snarled at Pikachu.

"Weavile vs. Pikachu, begin!"

"Weavile, use Ice Beam!" Alain commanded immediately.

"Dodge and then Quick Attack!" Ash shouted to his starter.

Weavile unleashed the blue beam of ice towards Pikachu, who simply disappeared with a white trail. He appeared here and there on the battlefield, making Weavile follow him around. Unfortunately, the speed of Pikachu coupled with the grip of the tarmac made it impossible for Weavile to hit Pikachu.

Pikachu spotted Weavile losing concentration for a moment, and then, in a blink of the eye slammed into him at full speed.

"Electroweb!" Ash shouted out.

Pikachu flipped around, jumped into the air and let out a ball of electricity towards Weavile, which then split into a net, effectively trapping Weavile in.

Alain panicked at the sight. He knew how powerful Ash's Pikachu was, and you definitely wouldn't want to have a trapped Pokemon in front of him. "Break it with Night Slash!"

"Thunderbolt!"

When Weavile looked up after breaking out of the Electroweb with his Night Slash, he saw a sight no Pokemon wanted to see. There Pikachu was, getting ready to fire its Thunderbolt, which he soon did. Weavile had no chance to dodge the attack and was hit by the electricity, making him fall onto the ground with sparks emerging from his body. Weavile was down.

The referee took the scene in before announcing, "Weavile is unable to battle, Pikachu wins!"

"And Ash is right back in it! He finally let loose his trusty yellow mouse, which made quick work of Weavile and is now getting some well-deserved pats from his trainer. We have seen what this little Pikachu can do in battles, so what has Alain got for him?"

Alain returned Weavile and pulled out another Pokemon, which was revealed to be a Unfezant.

"I'll be keeping Pikachu in." Ash informed the referee, who nodded and announced, "Unfezant vs. Pikachu, begin!"

"Use Steel Wing!" Alain shouted, once again taking the initiative.

"Dodge with Quick Attack, but keep weaving around!" Ash shouted. Alain looked at him curiously. Surely his Pikachu wouldn't be able to keep up the speed of his Unfezant?

He was thus shocked to see Pikachu weaving left and right and left and right, helped by the tarmac, without losing a bit of his speed. Poor Unfezant couldn't get close to attack with his metallic wings.

"Use Drill PecK!" Alain shouted.

Unfezant's wings returned back to their normal colour, and his beak enlarged, before chasing after Pikachu once again.

"Confuse him and then Iron tail on his back!" Ash commanded Pikachu, who once again disappeared and reappeared just beside Unfezant. Pikachu then jumped up with his increased speed, as his tail glowed silver, and did a front flip to land his tail on Unfezant's back. Unfezant screeched out in pain and fell down on to the ground, completely disbalanced.

"Now, Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted. Pikachu made a perfect landing and began charging up the electricity. As Unfezant got up and made to flap his wings, he got a perfect view of the incoming Thunderbolt. He was unable to do anything as the electricity hit him, and he too fell down, looking more like a roasted Turkey than a Pokemon.

Alain stood there with his mouth open, shocked at the display of power. He had just lost two Pokemon to Ash's Pikachu, without even getting a hit on him. The referee was similarly amazed at the turn of events, as he announced, "Unfezant in unable to battle, Pikachu wins!"

"And that mouse strikes yet again. His speed proved to be too much for Unfezant, as he was brought down by a powerful Iron Tail before being electrocuted into oblivion by the Thunderbolt. And just like that, Alain has lost his second Pokemon in a row and is now a Pokemon down! But we all know which Pokemon he has left for last, and this should be a spectacular end to this battle."

Alain called out his next Pokemon, "Metagross, I need your help!"

The referee looked towards Ash, who nodded, and announced, "Pikachu vs. Metagross, begin!"

"Quick Attack!" Ash commanded, taking the first move for once, knowing that Metagross was not a Pokemon to be fooled around with.

"Meteor Mash!" Alain told his Pokemon.

As Pikachu disappeared in a white trail, Metagross smashed its four legs together and got covered by a blue glow as he sped off towards Pikachu. They both chased each other around the field until Metagross used a tighter turn and slammed into Pikachu, sending him flying back. Fortunately, he landed on his feet, and was ready for more.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Flash Cannon!"

Both Pokemon took time to charge up the attacks and unleashed them at each other. Surprisingly, they both missed each other, resulting in Pikachu getting hit by Flash Cannon and Metagross getting hit by Thunderbolt. Both had the wind knocked out of them, but they got up, panting and tired.

"Metal Claw!"

"Iron Tail!"

The two steel type attacks made contact mid-air, with both equally matched in power. After about 5 seconds of stalemate, Pikachu pulled back and jumped off to a safe distance.

"Use Psychic on Pikachu! Lift him up!" Alain ordered.

"Quickly, full power Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.

Metagross' eyes glowed blue as he prepared to take control over Ash's Pikachu, but before he could properly concentrate, Pikachu unleashed a devastating Thunderbolt, much like the one he used on Unfezant. Metagross, with his concentration on the Psychic, was unable to defend and he too fell down, defeated. However, by this time, Pikachu was panting hard and was visibly tired.

"Metagross is unable to battle! Pikachu wins! Alain, send out your final Pokemon." The referee announced.

"And he's done it. The little electric mouse strikes big! He single handedly took down three of Alain's Pokemon, including the formidable Metagross! With his effort, Ash has gone from being a Pokemon down at the break to being two Pokemon up! Surely Alain has to use everything he's got with Charizard to defeat Pikachu, Greninja and an unknown Pokemon."

Alain returned Metagross with a sigh, and then took out his last Pokeball. "Charizard, let's battle!"

Out emerged a large orange dragon-like Pokemon, which let out a huge roar, sending chills down everyone's back. He flapped his wings, took flight and did a round of the battlefield before coming to a halt in front of Alain.

"Charizard vs. Pikachu, Begin!"

"We'll need everything, Charizard." Alain said, tapping his Keystone, "Respond to my heart, beyond evolution, Mega Evolve!"

The bright lights once again enveloped Charizard, transforming him from a orange colour dragon to a black and blue dragon which looked physically stronger. He gave out another roar, signifying it's intent.

"Flamethrower!"

"Thunderbolt!"

As Charizard let out it's enormous stream of black and blue flames, Pikachu let loose a Thunderbolt. However, he was slow to release it and the Flamethrower quickly overpowered it, hitting Pikachu and knocking him out of the battle.

The referee made the announcement, "Pikachu is unable to battle. Charizard wins!"

"Pikachu did it's job in that battle, to be honest. He took down three Pokemon, but was too tired to resist the powerful flamethrower from Alain's Charizard. Who will Ash choose now, as he still has two Pokemon remaining."

Ash walked up to Pikachu, took him in his arms and congratulated him on his battle, to which Pikachu responded with a small smile. He set down Pikachu beside him and asked the referee, "Can we substitute Pokemon within a round?"

The referee looked at him and nodded, making Ash sure of his plan. He smiled deviliously, the plan wasn't the fairest one, but he had to use every bit of advantage he got. "Goodra, I choose you!" He shouted, selecting his large and friendly Pseudo Legendary Dragon Type. He told Goodra, "Goodra, I promise to use you in the final. Will you help me with my plan?"

Goodra looked at him, confused. But, he smiled and nodded. He knew that if he helped Ash win the battle without battling himself, it was a win for the team. And Pokemon Battles were a team sport, and team work was important. Ash smiled back at him and said, "Thank you, Goodra."

The referee announced, "Charizard vs. Goodra, Begin!"

"Goodra, use Rain Dance!" Ash commanded at once, not letting Alain get a move in before him.

Goodra called out towards the sky, causing dark rain clouds to gather over the battlefield and make it rain. Goodra smiled happily, he really enjoyed the rain, as it restored its energy.

"Thanks Goodra. Now return." Ash said, while pointing his Pokeball towards Goodra, who was sucked back into the ball.

"Now what is Ash thinking here? Goodras are no doubt powerful, but Ash has returned it after only a single move. He promised him a spot in the final, though, so he must be pretty sure that his plan would work. Let's see who he chooses."

Ash took out his next Pokeball and called out his signature Pokemon, Greninja, causing a gasp of realisation from most of the stadium.

"I can't believe it! This young man has shown himself to be a master at plans yet again. He used Goodra for Rain Dance, which not only limits Charizard's power, but increases Greninja's power too. A double strike by Ash here and surely this match is out of Alain's hand now!"

"Charizard vs. Greninja, begin!"

"Let's use our full power, right NOW!" Ash yelled. A column of water surrounded Greninja and then broke off to form a large water shuriken on its back. It had become a darker blue and looked a lot like Ash in the heavy rain.

"Water Shuriken!"

"Flamethrower!"

The two attacks headed towards each other, but the powered up Water Shuriken easily cut through the down-on-power Flamethrower, making direct contact with Charizard and hurting him.

"Charizard! Dragon Claw!"

"Night Slash!"

Greninja and Charizard sped off towards each other. Charizard's claws glowed green and extended as Greninja formed a purple sword of dark energy in his hand. They slashed their attacks at each other, continuously. Some hit, some miss. But overall, they both got in about the same number of hits, and retreated back to their ends for their next command.

"Blast Burn!"

"Water Shuriken! Plant it on the ground!"

Charizard got enveloped in blue energy as he slammed his fists onto the ground, making melted pieces of tarmac fly towards Greninja. Greninja, on the other hand, pulled off his Shuriken and slammed it into the ground. The force created a crack on the tarmac and water went through it, colliding with the Blast Burn and cancelling it.

"Shadow Ball!"

"Thunder Punch!"

Greninja released the dark ball of energy towards Charizard, who covered his fists in electricity and slammed it into the ball, exploding it. He then charged towards Greninja, fists crackling with electricity.

"Block with Night Slash!"

Greninja formed the purple sword and held it in from of him, keeping Charizard at bay, for a while.

"Use Water Shuriken with your left hand!" Ash shouted.

Greninja used his left hand to pull the water shuriken off his back and slash it across Charizard's face, making him fall down onto the ground. He struggled to get up, and Ash took the chance.

"Finish this! Water Shuriken!" Ash yelled.

Greninja jumped off the ground to create some distance between him and Charizard, and then swung the Shuriken off his back and held it over his head. Ash and Greninja concentrated, and felt that sliver of power hanging around in them. Greninja grabbed it and powered up his Shuriken, which changed colour to pink.

Crap, that must've turned into a fairy type, Alain though in panic, before shouting out his last hope, "Use Flamethrower at max power!"

Charizard inhaled and let out the familiar blue flames towards Greninja, which were much larger than before, just as Greninja threw the Fairy Shuriken at him. However, Charizard's efforts were in vain, as the Shuriken cut through the Flamethrower as if it was nothing and hit Charizard at full force. There was no way Charizard could have survived that powerful super effective move at that stage.

The dust settled to reveal a normal coloured Charizard lying on the ground with swirls in its eyes. He was unconscious, which meant...

"Charizard is unable to battle! Greninja wins! Ash progresses to the Finals!" The referee announced in a single breath.

Ash let out a huge breath, as he and Greninja ended their connection and sat down on the floor, tired. The battle had taken a lot out of them both, and Ash smiled to see Pikachu and Greninja walk up to him slowly but surely. He had done it, he had qualified for his first ever Pokemon League final!

"What a match! Ash overcame a deficit at the interval to defeat Alain with one Pokemon still fresh. He will surely be in with a great shot at the League win! Now, we wait to see who his opponent will be. Thank you for joining us, but don't leave, as we still have one battle remaining."

After some handshakes and congratulations with Alain, the referee and the battlefield curators, Ash walked off into the stadium.


He turned a corner to be attacked by a blue blur.

"Ash, you did it! You are in the final!" Aria squealed while hugging him. Ash smiled and took her up and swung her around, before setting her down.

"Thank you, Aria." He said.

Aria looked surprised, "Why?"

"If you hadn't given me the motivation, it might not have turned out this way. So thank you!" He said, making Aria blush and smile.

Remembering the party he had to attend now, he decided to use his alone time with Aria now to ask her a very important question...

"Hey, Aria?" He asked, getting her attention from Pikachu.

"Uhhhh...Do you...Do you want to be my date for the party?" Ash blurted out, and turned red in embarrassment. He definitely could've asked it better.

Aria looked at him with wide eyes, and asked, "Seriously?"

Ash nodded, and blushed before saying, "Yeah, I mean, I have to take a date now that I'm in the final. And I would rather have you than some random girl from the dance."

Aria blushed and looked at the floor, before looking up at Ash again and replying with a wide smile, "Of course I will!"

Ash smiled and said, "Thank you. Now, let's go to Nurse Joy and Bonnie, my Pokemon need to be healed, and I need to make a few phone calls."

They walked off together, with Pikachu in between them. However, neither of them noticed a little girl who had been spying on them. She smiled.

Step 1: Complete. she thought as she followed them.


In the evening

"We'll be there by tomorrow morning. Don't you worry, Ash." A voice came from the phone.

Ash smiled and replied, "Thank you, it really means a lot to me. Have a safe trip."

The person on the phone smiled and replied, "Thanks Ash. Bye"

Aria walked over to him as he put down the phone. He turned around to see her, and smiled, "Hey, Aria. What are you doing here?"

She asked him back, "Who were you calling?"

"I called Professor Oak to exchange some of my Pokemon. Can't go into a battle against Tobias without my best team, can I?" He smirked.

"But who was the person on the screen? That didn't look like Professor Oak." Aria questioned.

Ash smiled again, "Oh, her! That's a surprise. All I can say is that one of my Pokemon will be coming with her."

Aria nodded and looked at Ash, before asking, "Do you think you'll be fine in the finals?"

Ash nodded, "Of course I'll be fine. How can I not be, with my Pokemon and the friends I have? Oh, that reminds me. One of my oldest travelling companions is coming tomorrow."

Aria smiled and went with him to their three-bed room, where Bonnie was already fast asleep.

I hope he asks me out, though.

Phew that's the end of Chapter 7. The longest chapter in this story by far, with 5700 words. Thank you for reading and as always, leave reviews.

How was the battle? I got tired after Metagross vs. Pikachu and decided to give Ash some brains in order to end the match. Also, the reason I went for Ash vs. Alain SF was that I want to keep Tobias' Pokemon a secret, and he certainly couldn't have beaten Alain with only his Darkrai.

Can you guess who the two unnamed people were?

Thank you for reading.

Goodbye