Ash stood calmly, waiting. By his side Espeon was sat proudly. He was in the tunnel underneath the main stadium, waiting for his name to be announced. After he had left Dawn the night before he had returned to his home and considered the battle for the following day. If it was to be a public relations exercise, it was one that he had to be very careful with. His hat was still in place, wedged firmly onto his head. Despite having his name revealed, Ash had no intention of becoming more open to the public, especially not today. Today was about reminding them who led them, who the Pokémon Master was. A man who was not to be trifled with. A man who stood far above anybody else in terms of strength. The man who could lead the world. His clothing supported this. Gone was the jacket, instead he wore a close fitting shirt that highlighted his muscular form. For the first time in a long time in public, Ash radiated pure power.
A buzzer sounded and Espeon withdrew, slinking away. She was not in his official team for this match, but Ash did not expect to need more than one Pokémon. He fingered the first Pokéball on his belt and smiled. Aggron had waited a long time for his public debut. It was about time that he got it.
The buzzer sounded a second time and the door in front of Ash opened. The announcer's voice reached him as he stepped forwards.
"And going up against the two iconic trainers of Hoenn is the Pokémon Master, Champion Ash Ketchum!"
Ash did not react as he heard his name announced. It was somewhat amusing how the two names that he had were so commonly combined by the media. Nobody found it quite right to put a normal name to him after so long of being untouchable at the top.
Ash moved forwards as the door finished opening, striding out onto the field. Already waiting for him in the middle were Steven and Wallace. Both smiled as he approached.
"Good luck Champion." Steven said before glancing around. "It is certainly gratifying to know how many people want to watch you thrash us."
Ash ably hid the laugh that threatened to emerge as he shook hands.
"Thank you" he said. "And best of luck to you both as well."
Wallace inclined his head without saying anything as the three trainers turned and headed for their respective trainer's boxes. As they got there, Ash reached for a Pokéball and released Aggron onto the field with a huge roar. Steven and Wallace exchanged glances before reaching for their own Pokéballs.
Mellanie slipped into her seat next to Dawn in the Pokémon League's box. Zane had asked her to assist on the analysis for the battle and she had promised to appear on his show that night but for now she wanted to watch Ash battle. She rarely got the chance but always tried to learn as much as possible from it. She glanced at Dawn to find the usually unflappable coordinator looking worried.
"Are you alright?" Mellanie asked.
"Yes." Dawn said. "I'm just worried about Ash. I can't believe that he is fighting now."
Mellanie looked away. "So he told you."
Dawn nodded.
"Interesting." Mellanie mused. "Did he ask for advice?"
"Yes." Dawn said.
"What did you say?"
"I told him for his image he should fight." Dawn admitted. "I just never thought Ash would care more about his public image than his family."
Mellanie didn't say anything. The Ash she knew would almost always put his public image first. It was the image that enabled him to live his life as he wanted, as opposed to under the microscope of the public eye. It was the same decision he had made five years earlier when Cynthia was captured by Team Rocket. He had gone after her when circumstances permitted, instead of dropping everything to rescue her. It was an attitude that was very hard to understand. Although Mellanie knew that Ash would always rescue somebody in that situation. He just wouldn't necessarily do it immediately.
Aggron appeared on the field below with an echoing roar causing Dawn to lean forwards.
"Aggron? Against Wallace who uses Water-Pokémon? Why?"
Mellanie shrugged. "Aggron has never been in a public fight. Maybe he wanted to give him the chance."
Dawn nodded thoughtfully. "Will he win?"
Mellanie didn't even glance at the coordinator. "Of course. He always wins."
Dawn smiled. The confidence of the teenager was amusing, even if it was completely justified. Suddenly something occurred to Dawn.
"Mellanie, where's Sam?"
To Dawn's amusement a look of anger flashed across Mellanie's face.
"I don't know, and I don't care." She said. "He's probably off with Emily again."
Dawn turned away to hide her smile. It was obvious to everybody that Mellanie and Sam should end up together. Or everybody except Mellanie and Sam by the looks of it. She chose to say nothing as Steven and Wallace released their own Pokémon.
"Wailord, you're up." Wallace said quietly. As the huge Pokémon appeared there were gasps in the crowd. Wailord was not a common Pokémon of Wallace's to use, but despite his size he could be extremely graceful. A few eyes flicked to Ash but he was utterly motionless.
"And I'll use Skarmory." Steven said, his Pokémon appearing in the sky before settling next to Wailord. Both men looked across the field at the Pokémon Master, waiting for his first strike.
Aggron considered his two opponents before stamping down on the ground hard. As the Earthquake attack surged forwards, Skarmory leapt into the sky. Wailord fired a small jet of water down at the ground, causing his massive body to lift off and levitate above the attack.
Under his hat, Ash smiled. Aggron knew about Wailord and had wanted to see how fast the huge Pokémon was when it came to moving around. Dodging was something that Aggron had been working on recently and despite his bulk Wailord was one of the best proponents of it. Not in this fight though. Ash knew that Aggron would be determined to make a point. Only one member of the team had better endurance than Aggron. Aggron would be willing to scrap his way to victory. It was a style of fighting at a complete antithesis of Wallace's and even Ash's usual style. It would be interesting to see how they reacted to the surprise.
"Skarmory, use Steel Wing." Steven called. Skarmory swooped down towards Aggron who threw an arm up, deflecting the attack. The distraction was enough to give Wailord a chance to settle back on the ground however. Aggron growled and tilted his head upwards. A Flash Cannon attack raced out towards Skarmory who was only just able to dodge.
"Wailord, Hydro Pump." Wallace said calmly. As Aggron tried to track Skarmory through the sky, Wailord sent a torrent of water racing towards him. Aggron growled again, and redirected his Flash Cannon to collide with the Hydro Pump. The two attacks dissipated as Skarmory descended to remain near to Wailord. Wallace was gazing intently at Aggron, calculating the power that he had as well as the response time on his attacks.
"Skarmory, Swift." Steven barked. Skarmory unleashed a barrage of stars towards Aggron who crossed his arms to try and block them as Wallace took the chance to strike at an occupied Aggron.
"Water Gun. Fast." Wallace called. Wailord fired a powerful burst of water that raced towards Aggron. The attack hit, colliding with some of the stars from Skarmory's Swift, causing the two to explode in front of Aggron.
Cheers rang out around the stadium as the crowd saw Steven and Wallace make the first impact against Ash. The prospect of the Pokémon Master struggling against two of their own was enough to get the crowd on their feet. As the smoke started to clear, the noise died out. Aggron could be seen stood perfectly still, from the patch of ground that he had not moved from since the battle started. There was not a single mark on him, despite the combination attack that he had received. Behind him, his face hidden underneath his hat, Ash smiled.
"My turn." He murmured, before raising his voice. "Aggron, Earthquake."
Once again Skarmory leapt into the sky before heading for Aggron to attack from closer range. Wailord used another burst of water to manoeuver himself above the attack.
"Hyper Beam." Ash said calmly. Before anybody else could give another command, almost before Steven and Wallace had even registered that Ash had given a second instruction, Aggron had struck. With incredible speed an orange beam fired, leaving Wailord no chance to dodge. It smashed into the Float Whale Pokémon, causing him to wail in pain.
"Skarmory, distract Aggron." Steven shouted as Wailord thrashed about. Skarmory descended at high speed and Aggron glanced up as his Thunder attack finished. Faster than the eye could follow Aggron's arm shot out and seized Skarmory by the neck before his attack could hit Aggron. Steven blanched as Aggron gazed down at his victim.
"End this round." Ash said quietly.
Aggron nodded and drew his arm back before hurling Skarmory away. The Armor Bird Pokémon crashed into Wailord who was struggling to recover from the last attack from Aggron. Before either Pokémon could get back into a position to fight, Aggron unleashed another powerful Hyper Beam attack that smashed into the pair of them. As the attack fizzled out, Steven and Wallace looked out forlornly at the field which had both of their Pokémon stretched out on it, clearly knocked out.
"Incredible turn-around! Having taken hits from both of his opponents, Aggron displays dazzling speed to take out both Wailord and Skarmory in a ruthless double strike!"
Steven recalled Skarmory before turning to Wallace.
"Well that answers that one."
Wallace chuckled slightly as he recalled his Wailord. "I know. Aggron is just as fast as the rest of his Pokémon. How does he do it?"
Steven shrugged. "I have no idea."
Wallace reached down and drew another Pokéball off his belt. "Time for plan B?"
Steven nodded. "Yep. I distract, you attack."
Wallace smiled as he threw his Pokéball. "Good luck."
"Interesting." Ash said under his breath as the Pokémon appeared. Aggron out a bellowing roar as he realised who Steven had chosen to face him. "Easy Aggron." Ash murmured. "We both know you're stronger."
"And it looks like an Aggron match-up. Steven's own Aggron looks set to try to take on Champions! Perhaps Wallace's Tentacruel will be able to make some impact as the two Aggron's battle it out?"
"And he will lose." Ash added quietly. "Badly."
"Aggron, use Flash Cannon." Steven ordered.
"Tentacruel, Hydro Pump."
The two attacks raced forwards but Ash's Aggron didn't even move. He let the two attacks smash into his chest, looking down at them dismissively. As they cleared he stood tall, not a mark on him.
"Uh oh." Steven muttered before ordering more loudly. "Aggron, close in and make him focus on you."
As Steven's Aggron charged forwards Tentacruel fired another attack that Ash's Aggron almost dismissively batted aside with one arm. He then stepped forwards and swung his arm at Steven's Aggron. Steven's Pokémon couldn't adjust quickly enough and found himself skidding backwards from the attack. He tried to recover but Ash's Aggron smashed him with Metal Claw again.
"Aggron, Iron Defence!" Steven shouted as a third attack came crashing down on his Pokémon. His Aggron tried to retreat, using his shell to protect himself but the onslaught was relentless. Ash's Aggron ducked underneath yet another attack from Tentacruel before getting inside Aggron's guard.
"Aggron, get out of there!" Steven shouted, fearing for what was coming next. His Aggron tried to back away but found himself caught in an iron grip from his opponent. Steven's Aggron found his defence prised open, his arms forced wider and wider by his stronger opponent who didn't seem to even notice the barrage of attacks that Tentacruel was firing at him, directed by Wallace. Ash's Aggron lifted his opponent off the ground and twisted, throwing him through the air. It was quickly followed up by another Hyper Beam that sent Steven's Aggron spinning through the air to crash into a wall.
"Tentacruel, use Sludge Wave!" Wallace shouted instantly, knowing that his partners Pokémon was out of the fight. Tentacruel unleashed a wave of toxic sludge that towered over Aggron. As it crashed down, Aggron tucked his head underneath his arms, curling his body up to present a wall of armour to the attack. He came out of it roaring and fired a Flash Cannon at Tentacruel who had to dive out of the way.
Steven recalled his defeated Aggron before immediately sending out Armaldo.
"Armaldo, keep your distance from Aggron." Steven warned. "If he catches you, it'll hurt."
"Tentacruel, barrage Hydro Pump." Wallace barked.
Tentacruel started firing short but ferocious blasts of water, enough to make Aggron glare at him as they found their mark. He fired another Flash Cannon at Tentacruel who slipped to one side before attacking once more.
"Armaldo, do the same with Water Gun." Steven ordered.
Aggron found himself subjected to constant barrages of attacks, enough to make advancing forwards difficult. He tried to advance on Armaldo but as he got close the Plate Pokémon moved away, able to move much faster as he wasn't being attacked. Aggron roared in frustration as he was slowly driven back, his attempts to respond with Flash Cannon off target as his opponents dodged before resuming their own attacks.
Up in the stands Mellanie whistled in admiration. Dawn glanced across.
"They are quite good you know" she said.
"I know." Mellanie answered. "But to block Aggron so completely is still impressive. I guess it shows why they are two of the top trainers in Hoenn."
"Indeed." Dawn said. "When I trained with Wallace some years ago it was an interesting experience. He was very insightful. The second best trainer I've ever had."
"Who was the first?" Mellanie asked, drawing her attention away from the battle below her to focus on her companion.
Dawn smiled. "Ash. He has spent the week training with me. It hate to say it but he could probably thrash me in contests as well as Pokémon Battles."
Mellanie grinned. "You get used to that after a while. Whenever you think you've got an edge, he'll show you how he wasn't really trying before and go up a level."
"Must be hard to train against."
Mellanie shook her head. "Not in the slightest. He'll point out every mistake and weakness to help you improve." She glanced back down at the field where Aggron was still exchanging strikes without success. "In fact, I suspect we're about to see another knock-out."
"On Aggron?" Dawn asked in disbelief.
"No, from Aggron."
"But, he's been driven back…" Dawn started, before the voice of the Pokémon Master echoed throughout the stadium, cutting her off.
"Aggron, Metal Sound into Iron Head on Armaldo." Ash ordered. Aggron scraped his claws down his armour, letting out a horrific noise. Many in the crowd recoiled at the sound while Tentacruel and Armaldo slowed their attacks, distracted by the noise. It was all the time Aggron needed. He surged forwards, head down and glowing. Before Steven or Wallace could call out another instruction Aggron had closed down on Armaldo, his head pushing straight through the Water Gun aimed at him while Tentacruel's Hydro Pump flashed just behind Aggron. Aggron smashed his head into Armaldo, the power of the attack sending the Plate Pokémon flying. As Armaldo crashed down once again Steven reached for his Pokéball. He knew the power of Aggron's attacks by now, and Armaldo had gone the way of his two teammates. Knocked out.
Wallace glanced across at his partner as he called out a dodge instruction to Tentacruel. Now Aggron only had one target, Tentacruel was being run ragged by the Aggron who wasn't waiting for Steven to release his next Pokémon.
"Tentacruel, Sludge Wave into Hydro Pump." Wallace called. Aggron was hit by a towering wave of sludge which he broke through with ease before the follow up strike smashed into his chest. Aggron glared at it before pressing forwards, through the attack.
"Tentacruel, move!" Wallace shouted, a touch of fear coming into his voice as Aggron slowly and deliberately closed the gap on his Pokémon. Tentacruel tried to slip away but Aggron strode ever closer, the gap down to less than ten metres.
"Cradily, come on out and use Grass Knot!" Steven called.
Wallace flashed a smile of gratitude at his partner as Cradily appeared and immediately attacked, causing grass to wrap around Aggron's feet. Aggron glared down and ripped his foot away before the attack could knock him off balance, but Tentacruel had taken the opportunity to get further away.
Aggron switched target, moving towards Cradily who immediately started to scamper away while Tentacruel fired an attack at Aggron's back. Aggron let out a roar of frustration and spun, firing a Hyper Beam that sent Tentacruel diving away once again before he turned his attention back to Cradily.
"Cradily, Giga Drain." Steven barked.
Energy beams shot away from Cradily, wrapping around Aggron. As the attack started to draw Aggron's energy, he let out an even louder roar.
"Tentacruel, get in front of Cradily!" Wallace shouted suddenly, spotting the danger.
As Tenacruel shot forwards, Aggron unleashed the most powerful Hyper Beam yet. It smashed into Tentacruel as he arrived just in time, sending him flying past Cradily who was caught by a flailing tentacle. As Tentacruel slid along the ground, knocked out, Aggron surged forwards, catching Cradily out.
"Cradily, use…" Steven started but it was too late. With Aggron towering over him, Cradily didn't have a chance. Aggron smashed his way through Cradily's desperate attempt to get an attack out, before lifting the Barnacle Pokémon bodily off the ground. A fist was pulled back before pummelling Cradily into the ground. Aggron then turned and stomped back to his starting mark, leaving two battered Pokémon behind him. Steven and Wallace reached out, recalling their Pokémon in shock. Aggron had smashed their teams apart. There was virtually no cheering from the crowd now. The sheer brutality of Aggron's attacks was shocking them.
"With Champion taking out six of his opponents twelve Pokémon, there will be a short intermission." The announcer's voice rang out over the stunned stadium. "And by the looks of it, Steven and Wallace need it. This has been one of the most destructive fights I can remember watching, and ladies and gentlemen I have seen a lot of Champions' fights."
Ash held out his hand and recalled Aggron wordlessly, turning and striding away, leaving a stadium full of stunned people behind him.
"This… is brutal." Dawn said. "The second part of that first half… Aggron looks set on ripping Steven and Wallace apart."
Mellanie nodded, slightly sadly. "Aggron has always been one of the more aggressive Pokémon. This isn't overly surprising."
Dawn looked down into the stadium where Steven and Wallace were trudging away. "They look shell-shocked." Dawn said. "I don't think they knew what they were getting into."
"I doubt they did." Mellanie said. "Few have ever seen him battle at his strongest."
"Is he doing so now?" Dawn asked.
Mellanie shook her head. "No. He's…" her voice trailed off as she saw Sam and Emily arrive in the box. They looked around at the stunned stadium before seeing Dawn and Mellanie. Sam waved cheerily and headed over towards them.
"Hey guys." He said. "How's the battle going?"
"Nice of you to show up." Mellanie said shortly. Sam looked slightly taken aback at her hostile tone but recovered with a grin.
"Well we both knew the outcome, so I thought I'd get some more training in. I assume that Champion is winning?"
"He is." Dawn confirmed. "But something is wrong. His battling… I've never seen Ash fight like this."
"You haven't known who he is for thirteen years." Sam pointed out.
"And yet I've started to get to know him again." Dawn said quietly. "And I don't believe that he would do this. Aggron isn't just beating Steven and Wallace, he is pulverising them. If I'd known that this was what he would be like, I'd have tried to get him to miss the fight."
"Why would he miss the fight?" Emily asked.
"Because…" Dawn started, before stopping herself. "Not important. What is important is that he is doing his public image a lot of damage here."
"Is he?" Mellanie asked, drawn into the conversation despite herself. "He wanted to prove how powerful he is. For all of Aggron's brutality, this is a stunning display of power. People will be talking about how Aggron steamrolled two of the strongest trainers in Hoenn."
"Maybe…" Dawn said, but she didn't seem convinced.
"You're missing something else." Mellanie said. "Aggron has taken a lot of hits, but barely noticed. If I know Ash that is likely to be symbolic. You can hit him, but you can't hurt him."
Dawn smiled. "You might be right. I hope you are."
"She probably is." Sam said with a laugh. "You get used to her being right all the time. It is incredibly frustrating."
Dawn laughed. "I'm sure it is. Now, Sam I believe you need to introduce me. Who is this?"
As Sam introduced Dawn to Emily who was delighted to meet somebody as famous as Dawn, Mellanie tuned the conversation out. She wasn't interested in hearing anything about Emily. She gazed down at the field where some work was being done to repair the damage that Aggron had done to it. She was reminded of the last time she had trained against Ash, several weeks ago. Aggron had obliterated Totodile. It was the first time that Mellanie had realised the pressure he was under, and had led to her asking to become his partner. He had agreed, taking her on dangerous missions and explaining more to her than he had ever before. Until it had gotten personal. In the aftermath of the attack on Mystery Island Mellanie had found Ash more distant. And now he wasn't planning on taking her with him to rescue his mother. All the progress she had made felt like it was being undone. Ash was pushing her away once again. To have been at the Hoenn League without telling her was a sign of it. Coupled with Sam and his new girlfriend, Mellanie had found herself feeling more alone than she had for a long time. Suddenly she didn't want to be in the box. She knew where she would go to watch the fight. She stood up, drawing looks from Dawn, Sam and Emily.
"Are you going somewhere Mel?" Sam asked.
Mellanie looked at him for a long moment. "Yes. I promised Zane that I'd assist in his analysis. And since you've not upheld your end of our deal with him, I'm having to cover for you as well. I'll go and watch the second half with him."
And with that, Mellanie was gone.
"Something is very wrong." Steven said quietly.
"You don't say." Wallace said sarcastically. "I'm not even sure Aggron has noticed the hits we've landed. How do we beat this guy?"
"Not that." Steven said. "I knew we'd lose. And truth be told, I suspected it would be this bad. All of Champions' Pokémon hit ludicrously hard and Aggron is no exception. If he gets a clean shot, he'll knock your Pokémon out."
"Then what is it?"
"Aggron fought like a Pokémon possessed. I've known Champion for five years and I've never known him to condone such brutal battling. Whatever point he is trying to make, I hope it doesn't leave our teams scarred."
Wallace grinned. "My team knew what they were getting into. We didn't expect to win this fight and we're getting slaughtered. They are trying things and learning from it, in the hope that it makes them better."
Steven smiled slightly. "That's probably the right attitude. But I still want to know why he is battling so aggressively."
"To prove a point?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's simple." Wallace said. "Champion is politically under a lot of pressure from the accusations headed his way. It is probably why he agreed to this fight, which will bring us more revenue than any other fight in the tournament. He could have used his Charizard and beaten us, but Charizard is too clean. Aggron is showing that he is willing to scrap. This is not a man who will give up easily."
Steven nodded slowly. Wallace was surprisingly close for somebody who didn't know the full story of recent events. He didn't know about the kidnapping of Professor Oak, or the kidnapping of Ash's mother. Or that the fight that Ash was involved in had been going on for months. Yet his words were most likely accurate. Ash needed something to show the world that he wasn't finished. Steven was just getting slaughtered so that he could have it.
"Then let's show we are willing to scrap as well." Steven said suddenly.
"Err… Not sure that's a good idea." Wallace said. "If you want to try and duke it out with something that hit likes a freight train, I'm pulling my Pokémon out now."
Despite himself Steven laughed, the sound echoing around the trainer's room. "Not in a sense of get close. Make it as hard as possible for Aggron to reach us. No matter what he does, keep your Pokémon moving. Strike and move and see how long we last."
Wallace nodded. "That sounds like a better plan. And hey, I doubt he can rip through us as fast second time around."
"There is that." Steven said before extending his hand. "Good luck old friend."
"And to you." Wallace said as a buzzer sounded above their head. "Hopefully we'll at least make Aggron look tired."
Ash gazed down at the Pokéball in his hand. He had told Aggron that he had a free reign, but the Pokémon had been more aggressive than Ash had expected. The buzzer sounded loud above his head.
"Win this fight." Ash said quietly. "Make the world remember how powerful we are. Just don't make them think that we are monsters."
Ash rose smoothly and strode back out onto the field. Across from him Steven and Wallace were already waiting for him, Pokéballs in their hands. Ash inclined his head and released Aggron, the Iron Armour Pokémon roaring as he reappeared on the battlefield.
Wallace and Steven threw their Pokéballs in unison, causing Ludicolo and Claydol to appear. The referee stepped forwards flags raised.
"Begin!"
Aggron immediately fired a Flash Cannon at Claydol who lurched to one side.
"Ludicolo, Hydro Pump." Wallace ordered. The attack crashed in Aggron who roared again and fired his own attack back. Ludicolo danced away before Claydol fired a Psybeam that caught Aggron again.
As the battle progressed Ash watched with an eyebrow raised. Wallace and Steven had learned fast. The strategy that they had started to use earlier with Tentacruel and Armaldo had clearly been discussed during the break. Aggron was at his best closer in and neither Claydol nor Ludicolo would let him close. As another attack found its mark on Aggron's chest Ash heard his Pokémon roar. Aggron was getting frustrated, but also beginning to be hurt by the attacks. It would be a long time before he showed it, meaning that Ash had time to think. As a strategy, having one Pokémon attack and one defend was very simple yet very effective. Ash himself had taught trainers how taking a hit could give their Pokémon a chance to strike back. Yet now he found that taking a hit meant dodging an attack while the other Pokémon returned the strike. It was an interesting adaptation of the technique.
"Ludicolo, keep it up." Wallace said as his Pokémon danced away from another attack. Aggron had clearly decided to absorb as many hits as possible, not being able to move away from the onslaught. He had initially tried to close the gap on Ludicolo but Wallace had steered his Pokémon away from danger while Steven had Claydol keep up his attacks. Aggron's lack of maneuverability was causing him problems. Both Ludicolo and Claydol were just quicker.
Eventually Ash came to a decision.
"Aggron, Iron Defence into Rock Polish." Ash said quietly, too quietly for anybody but Aggron to hear. Aggron dropped into a defensive posture and his armour started to glisten.
"Ludicolo, Ice Beam, trap him in place." Wallace ordered, seeing Aggron's change in strategy. Ludicolo advanced slightly closer, pouring power into the attack which started to freeze Aggron's feet in place.
"Again." Ash murmured.
Aggron nodded, his armour glistening once again.
"Trap him." Wallace said to Steven as Ludicolo's attack passed Aggron's knees, turning the embattled Pokémon into an ice block.
Steven nodded. "Claydol, Rock Tomb around Aggron. Trap him as he freezes."
"Don't stop." Ash said. Aggron's eyes flicked to where his trainer was stood as he obeyed the command, despite the ice that now encased more than half his body. Rocks started to pile up around him, trapping him further. Ash stood waiting as his two opponents finally finished their attacks. Where Aggron had stood was a towering pile of rocks. Inside the entire stadium had seen Ludicolo completely freeze Aggron. The Carefree Pokémon looked like the effort had taken a fair bit out of him, but it had worked.
"Aggron is…" the referee started into the silence that had filled the stadium before he caught the gaze of the Pokémon Master who shook his head. "But…" the referee tried again, but Ash was now ignoring him, completely focused on his Pokémon once again.
"Champion, do you concede this round?" Steven called from across the field.
Ash seemed to consider the question. "No." He said eventually.
"Your Pokémon is frozen and trapped in a pile of rocks." Wallace pointed out. "Aggron surely cannot recover from this."
Ash turned his head slightly to focus his gaze onto Wallace. "Is that what you think?"
"Yes." Wallace answered. "This round is over."
Ash inclined his head. "I couldn't agree more. Aggron, Brutal Swing."
There was a crashing, shattering noise. Aggron surged out of his prison, moving incredibly fast. Before Ludicolo had a chance to react, Aggron was upon him, his arm sending the Carefree Pokémon flying. The momentum from the swing sent Aggron wheeling towards Claydol. Claydol's eyes widened in shock as Aggron reached him, causing him to hesitate for a moment. A moment too long as Aggron's swing smashed Claydol into the ground. Aggron slipped away, moving to stand in front of his trainer. His armour shone in the weak sunlight as the crowd hushed. In less than two seconds from being trapped inside an ice and rocky prison, Aggron had flattened two more Pokémon. Ash looked across the field at his two opponents.
"Good effort. But we can take far worse hits than that" he muttered under his breath, too quiet to be heard.
Steven and Wallace looked at each other in shock. Aggron didn't even look hurt.
"How did that just happen?" Steven said quietly. "I mean, I'm guessing Rock Polish for the speed but how fast is he now?"
"Too fast." Wallace said. "Trying to keep our distance just got much harder. How much can Metagross take?"
Steven shrugged as he recalled Claydol. "A lot of punishment. But Aggron's attacks are too powerful. None of my Pokémon can stand up to them."
"Mine neither." Wallace said. "I'm not sure how long we can make this fight last."
"Trainers, please release your next Pokémon" came the call from the referee. Steven shrugged as he pulled his final Pokéball off his belt.
"Here goes nothing." He muttered. Next to him Wallace snorted with laughter as he drew out his fourth Pokémon.
As Metagross and Walrein appeared, Aggron looked up. He sized up his two opponents before glancing back at his trainer.
"Only Walrein." Ash said quietly. "Metagross needs to endure."
Aggron nodded before glancing at the referee, willing him to start the fight.
"What? Oh right." The referee said hurriedly before raising his flags. "Begin!"
"Walrein, use…" Wallace started but it was already too late. Aggron raced forwards, crossing the field in less than a second. Walrein tried to fire an attack but Aggron's charge took him straight through the Ice Break Pokémon. The momentum of the hit sent Walrein skidding backwards, off balance.
"Metagross, Psychic to give Walrein time!" Steven barked, seeing the danger that Wallace was totally unable to deal with. Metagross' eyes glowed blue and Aggron glowed with psychic power. Aggron's charge slowed down as Walrein came to a halt a few metres away. Before Walrein could react, Aggron tilted his head back and fired a Hyper Beam down at him. As smoke rolled away from Walrein, Wallace groaned. The Pokéball returned to his hand as he recalled his beaten Pokémon.
"And Aggron takes another brutally powerful victory! Walrein barely had a chance to get going as Champion's Pokémon steamrolls yet another opponent!"
"He's incredible" Emily gushed from her seat next to Sam in the stands. "Even better live than he was on TV. How is he so powerful?"
Sam grinned. "Years of incredibly intense training."
"But you've been training hard this week as well." Emily pointed out.
Sam laughed. "Nothing on him. It's not that I'm not in his league, we're not even in the same sport the gulf is so big."
"You're not the only one." Dawn chipped in. "I'm not sure Wallace and Steven quite knew what they were getting into when they agreed to this fight. Since he sped up, Aggron is virtually unbeatable."
"Let a Pokémon who's already extremely powerful remove their biggest weakness and you're in trouble. Sam said. "They had some success because Aggron was slow. Not anymore."
"Are they at the same standard as Lance?" Emily asked.
Sam shrugged. "I assume they are similar. I could probably beat them if the battle went my way, but it would be very close. Not like this massacre."
Silence fell in the box as they surveyed the field. Wallace had just sent out his fifth Pokémon, Swampert who was already being beaten around by Aggron. Metagross got in the way of an attack and Aggron had swatted Steven's iconic Pokémon away, before charging forwards again, causing Swampert to have to dive out of the way. As Aggron fired a series of Flash Cannon's in quick succession, backing Swampert into a corner, Dawn spoke again.
"This is utter dominance." She said quietly, almost in awe. "I… I remember when he fought Misty five years ago. He destroyed her, but this is even worse."
"He's gotten better." Sam said. "He's spent another five years improving. Nobody in the world can lay a finger on him now."
Dawn nodded slowly. "I can well believe that."
"Swampert, Surf!" Wallace shouted. His composure was almost completely gone as Aggron chased his Pokémon around the field. Metagross was just doing enough to help him out when Aggron got close but Steven's Pokémon was struggling. Helping typically ended up with Metagross being smashed away while Swampert barely escaped. As Swampert rode the wave of water that was surging forwards Metagross shot up to avoid it. Aggron stepped straight into it, his claw plucking Swampert from the middle of his own attack. The water washed over Aggron with him barely seeming to notice as he launched Swampert through the air. A Flash Cannon connected with the Mud Fish Pokémon, sending him crashing into a wall and ending his contribution to the battle. Aggron turned and regarded Metagross with a stern gaze as Metagross slowly returned to float in front of his trainer.
Wallace slowly raised his hand recalling Swampert. He reached for his final Pokéball, a sense of inevitability about it as he released his Milotic. He could never recall a single fight in which he had been so completely battered, his team ripped into pieces. The fact that he had been in a 2v1 fight only made it worse. He glanced at Steven.
"I'm out of ideas. Is this how Cynthia felt when he fought her?"
Steven let out a sigh. "I have no idea. I never wanted to ask her about her worst defeat. But he is relentless."
"I know." Wallace said heavily. "It hasn't even been a dominance of skill. He hasn't needed to. It has just been relentless brutal, crushing us under the weight of that Aggron."
Steven smiled slightly. "Very poetic."
"Have we even hurt it yet?" Wallace asked.
Together they turned to look at Aggron who still didn't seem to have a single mark of battle on him.
"I'm not sure." Steven admitted. "Alright, let's get this over with."
"Milotic, Hydro Pump!" Wallace ordered.
"Metagross, Psychic."
Milotic fired a huge torrent of water at Aggron who simply put a claw in front of him, redirecting the attack. Suddenly the water changed direction, only to be caught by Aggron's over claw. His eyes had never left Metagross, despite the precision with which he was blocking attacks.
"Water Pulse." Wallace called.
Pulses of water shot away from Milotic but Aggron completely ignored them, instead firing a Flash Cannon at Metagross that sent him surging into the air to try to dodge it.
"How can he completely ignore attacks like that?" Wallace snapped at Steven. "They should be having some kind of impact."
"Milotic, dodge!" Steven shouted to try to help out his distracted colleague. Wallace looked back to see his Pokémon gracefully slip to the side of a Flash Cannon attack. As soon as he had looked away, Aggron had fired his strike.
"Stay focused." Steven warned. "Metagross, Bullet Punch."
Metagross flashed forwards, connecting with Aggron before retreating fast. Aggron glared at him before glancing back at his trainer who was still not giving a command. Aggron groaned in frustration, firing another Flash Cannon that Metagross was able to slip away from.
"Milotic, use…" Wallace started before Aggron fired another attack at his Pokémon. Milotic dodged easily again, showing her trademark grace that gave Wallace an idea. "Milotic, use Attract" he called.
Milotic slowed before winking at Aggron who found his gaze drawn to her. With Aggron entranced a small heart flew away from the Tender Pokémon, catching Aggron squarely in the chest. He took a step forwards uncertainly, before stopping. Milotic slipped away again, causing a look of longing to appear on Aggron's face. As the crowd realised what had just happened a few laughs broke out along with cheers for Wallace who turned to Steven.
"Right, that's the time we need. Aggron won't attack."
Aggron had taken another step forwards, trying to reach Milotic who was now teasing him, coming closer and moving further away. Aggron growled slightly before stopping as Milotic hissed at him. She drew closer and he reached a claw out tenderly, a huge difference from every other time that he had struck throughout the fight. The ferocity in his eyes faded, to be replaced by a tender look that was alien to the features of such an aggressive Pokémon.
Steven looked across the field to where Ash stood, his hat still covering his face. Through the shadow, Steven could swear that he could see flashes of amusement as Milotic slipped away from Aggron once more, causing a look of hurt to appear on Aggron's face.
"Aggron looks like he won't fight anymore, taken in by Milotic's beauty!" the announcer shouted gleefully. "How does the Pokémon Master respond to this?"
"Enough." Ash said calmly. He wasn't shouting yet his voice seemed to carry to all parts of the stadium. "Aggron, Brutal Swing into Hyper Beam."
Before Steven or Wallace could react, the longing vanished from Aggron's face. He swung an arm at Milotic, sending the Tender Pokémon flying, before Aggron's swing carried him straight into Metagross. As his two opponents collided from their respective hits, Aggron fired a Hyper Beam at them. It found its mark, causing smoke to roll away from the two Pokémon, engulfing Aggron as well. As it began to clear, Aggron was to be seen kneeling down next to Milotic, cradling her head in his arms. Both Milotic and Metagross were clearly knocked out.
As the stadium watched, Aggron gently laid Milotic's head back on the ground before rising smoothly. He bowed slightly to Steven and Wallace before returning to stand in front of his trainer. Ash wordlessly recalled his Pokémon before striding forwards. Steven and Wallace recalled their own, beaten Pokémon before meeting him in the middle of the field.
"That was a good fight." Ash said as he shook their hands. "I'm impressed with some of your strategies. However it takes an awful lot to hurt Aggron. He is a bit of a scrapper."
"No kidding." Wallace said. "Thank you Champion. I've learned a lot from that fight."
Ash inclined his head before turning on his heel and striding away from the field, leaving Steven and Wallace to stand in the spotlight of a Hoenn crowd that had just seen two of their greatest heroes comprehensively destroyed.
A/N
Firstly, apologies for this taking so long. It has actually been ready to be released for a few days but since I was then away on a work trip I would not have had a chance to write a follow up. Hopefully the next chapter will be out next week. This chapter also didn't flow as much as I'd hoped, hence why it took so long to write it in the first place. However, we got there in the end. Steven and Wallace going the same way as everybody else – completely flattened. And Aggron has a bit of a different style to Ash's other Pokémon so that was fun.
However, while I was struggling with the flow of this one, I did finally get around to writing a couple of one-shots in the years between Sinnoh and The Lost Master. They will be going up today or tomorrow, along with a few notes in there as to how I'll be continuing along there. Feel free to investigate, although remember that Ash hasn't transformed from kid to powerful trainer yet. If you want to find them, they'll be on my profile.
A fair few people have been asking whether Ash reconnecting with Dawn will lead to an AshxDawn pairing. I'm trying to decide how much to reveal, so for now I won't answer that one. There is a plan for this story going forwards (I'm not just making it up as I go along!) and there is plenty yet to come from Ash so I won't rule anything out yet, but I'm also not saying that it will happen.
Anyway, I should be able to get the next chapter out next Friday. Until then.
Iama2p