Chapter 26: The Semi-Finals
Ash had never been happier in his life. He was so proud of his Pokemon for making it this far, his friends were behind him all the way, but most importantly, there was somebody standing next to him in all this. It was a weird feeling. He had so many supporters in the past, dozens of people who stood behind him, cheering him on. But with Serena, he felt like she wasn't standing behind him, but standing next to him.
Ash gave his two Pokeballs to Nurse Joy along with Pikachu. They would be sent to Pokemon Center right away for him to pick up. After shaking hands with Cindy one last time, Ash emerged from the Trainer's Lounge into the arms of a familiar face.
"Oh! Serena hey!" Ash said as he almost lost his balance. As he returned Serena's embrace, Ash saw everyone else. Bonnie was giggling as usual when she saw Ash and Serena together. Clemont and Sawyer were standing back, but Ash could see how happy they were.
"You were so amazing Ash. I knew you would win." Serena said as she pulled back a little so she could see into Ash's eyes.
"Yeah, we never doubted you for a minute!" Sawyer said, but Bonnie looked up at him with a smile.
"Uh huh sure, is that why you were holding your breath the entire time?" Bonnie said with a smirk on her face.
"Wha? I w-was just concentrating. I may be out of the tournament but I can still learn from Ash." Sawyer replied, flustered. As he said that, they heard a rumble coming from Ash.
"Well, if there's one thing I learned from Ash, is that battles make him hungry." Serena said. The group laughed and went on their way to the Pokemon Center.
While Bonnie was the usual energetic one of the group, Sawyer hadn't stopped talking about Ash's last battle. While they rest of the group ate, Sawyer told them what they had just seen an hour ago. Ash was busy with his food, gulping it down like a human Snorlax. Ash almost choked when Serena nudged him in the ribs to slow down. He looked over at Serena. She was smiling, something that Ash was not going to get tired of any time soon. He swallowed what was left of the food in his mouth and apologized for his rude table manners.
"Pika Pi!"
The group turned around and saw Nurse Joy with Ash's Pokemon. Pikachu had jumped up on the table and placed himself on Ash's shoulders.
"Hey buddy. Feeling better?" Ash asked Pikachu. The little Pokemon nodded, and then jumped on Serena's shoulders and started playing with her.
"Your Charizard and Noivern are all better Ash." Nurse Joy said as she returned the Pokeballs.
"Thank you Nurse Joy." Ash replied. The group said their thanks as Nurse Joy went on her way.
"And that will do it! Arthur is the winner!"
The group looked over at the closest screen. It showed the aftermath of the last preliminary round. A man, named Arthur had beaten his opponent 3-1. Ash saw Arthur's Pokemon; A Scizor.
"And with that, the preliminary rounds are over! The semi-finals will begin tomorrow at Kalos Stadium. The match ups for tomorrow are: Duran vs Arthur, and Morrison vs Ash!" The announcer declared.
"Hmm, so my opponent is Morrison, huh." Ash said. He was ready for the semi-finals to start. He had only been this far once before, but Ash was planning on going even farther.
"Let me see..." Sawyer said. He pulled out his notebook and started flipping through the pages. The group looked on, wondering what Sawyer was looking for.
"Ah there we go. During the tournament, I've been keeping track of everyone's Pokemon. Morrison here has used 6 Pokemon thus far." Sawyer said as he pointed to one of the pages.
"Oh wow. That's really smart Sawyer." Clemont said as he looked over Sawyer's shoulders.
"Well he has several powerful attacking Pokemon. One of them is a Bisharp. But he also has a Poliwrath, a Braviary, a Weavile, An Arcanine, and probably his most powerful Pokemon, a Gengar." Sawyer said as he listed off Morrison's known Pokemon.
"This Morrison sounds pretty tough..." Serena said. She had every confidence in Ash, but if this Morrison was also in the semi-finals then surely he would be tough to beat.
"I know what my team is going to be." Ash stated. The others looked at Ash, wondering what Pokemon Ash would choose.
After cleaning up, Ash went over to the phone and called Professor Oak. He made a couple of changes and met the rest of the group back at the front of the Pokemon Center. For the rest of the day, the group stayed at one of the practice arenas. Ash and Sawyer went through a light training session but Ash only used Pikachu, Greninja, and Sceptile.
Ash was standing in the main stadium. He was on one side of the battlefield with a Pokeball in his hand. The arena floor was illuminated by the stadium lights but the stands were shrouded in darkness. He looked across and there was Diantha. Her Gardevior was on the other side as well. It had mega evolved and showed no signs of damage.
"Will the challenger call forth their last Pokemon?"
Ash looked over and saw a shadowy figure off to the side. Ash looked back down at his Pokeball. This was it...everything that he worked for up to this point all came down to this moment.
"Ash?"
Ash stopped just before he threw his Pokeball. He turned and saw Serena walk into the light behind him.
"What are you doing here?" Ash asked. He looked around, wondering how Serena was able to get on the battlefield.
"I believe in you Ash." Serena said as she stood in front of Ash. She grabbed both of Ash's hands and lifted them between their chests. She then kissed Ash's forehead...
"Ash?"
Ash looked around, it was Serena that said that, but the Serena in front of him didn't say anything.
"Ash? Wake up sleepy head!"
Ash opened his eyes and saw Serena leaning over him. He felt a warmness on his forehead where Serena had just kissed him. Seeing Ash wake up, Serena gave him a smile and sat back up. Ash sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Hey Serena, why are you up so early?" Ash asked. He looked and saw Pikachu on Serena's shoulders.
"No reason." She said with a smile. Pikachu jumped off of Serena and landed on Ash's lap.
"Uh huh..." Ash answered back. Light was flickering through the blinds as the sun was just rising. The first semi-final would start at 10am, with the second match would be held at 2pm. Ash heard noise coming from the kitchen. Clemont must have been getting breakfast ready.
"What is it Ash?" Serena asked. Ash looked back, smiling at Serena.
"Nothing, just glad you're here with me." Ash said. He was surprised at the sudden redness in Serena's cheeks. He couldn't help himself smile some more at how beautiful Serena was. As they both went for the door, Serena went into the bathroom instead. As he said hi to Clemont and Bonnie, he saw Serena step outside of her door. Ash thought it strange that she didn't just use his door.
The start of the semi-finals was the same as any other round. The only difference was the referee stating that this match would be a full 6v6 match. Though he was the trainer that defeated Sawyer, the group rooted for Duran. It was an impressive match, but eventually Duran had defeated all of Arthur's Pokemon except one, and Duran still had 3 of his.
Arthur sent out his Scizor as his final Pokemon. Ash looked over at Duran and saw the man smiling. It wasn't much, but Ash could tell. Duran returned his Gallade and called out his Ninetales. Even without taking in Duran's skill and the power of his other Pokemon, everyone knew that Arthur was done for.
Sure enough, it only took a minute but the overwhelming barrage of fire attacks had eventually scored a direct hit on Scizor, knocking it out. The crowd applauded both trainers for a great match as they shook hands.
"Now it's my turn..." Ash said, his hands clenched.
The next three went by a little too quick for Ash's taste. Before he knew it, he was in the Green Trainer Lounge. A simple hallway and door was all that separated Ash from the arena floor. Unlike the other smaller stadiums, the two trainers weren't in the same room before the match, but in their own on separate ends of the stadium. As the clock struck 2pm, an official came in.
"Are you ready Mr. Ketchum?" She asked.
Ash nodded and got up. He joined the official as she stood next to the double door. Ash could hear, and even feel the crowd as they waited for the second semi-final match to start. The official held a radio to her ear. After a second she nodded and opened the door and motioned for Ash to go.
"There he is!" Serena shouted. The crowd roared as the two competitors walked out onto the arena floor. Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Sawyer were in the front row, in one of Ash's corners of the stadium. Much to their surprise Duran had joined them not 5 minutes ago. They graciously offered him a seat.
Ash had walked to the center of the arena along with his opponent, Morrison. They were joined by the referee who stated the rules once again. The two shook hands and went to their own sides. At the signal of the referee, both Ash and Morrison threw out their first Pokemon.
"C'mon out Talonflame!" Ash said as fire bird Pokemon soared into the air. Ash looked over to the other side of the arena and saw that Morrison had opened up with his Poliwrath.
"It has been determined that Ash will have the first move." The referee stated.
While Poliwrath may be Water type, it's also Fighting. So it's an even match right now.
"Alright Talonflame use Tailwind!" Ash said. Soon Talonflame had summoned a strong wind that whirled around the stadium. Poliwrath stood it's ground, but Talonflame was soaring around with new found speed.
"Your Talonflame may have increased speed, but only in the direction of the wind. Poliwrath use Hydro Pump!" Morrison called out. Poliwrath sent out a powerful water stream at Talonflame. It dodged it, but only just. Ash was wondering why Talonflame wasn't dodging it as well as it should, but then he saw.
Poliwrath was shooting just ahead of Talonflame so that it would have to slow down, but because of the strong tailwind it was using more energy to just slow down. Soon Talonflame would tire and be left open for an attack.
"Duck under and use Brave Bird!" Ash shouted. Poliwrath fired another Hydro Pump, but instead of slowing down to dodge it, Talonflame speed up and dived under the attack. Talonflame dropped just mere feet from the arena floor and zoomed toward Poliwrath engulfed in blue flames. Poliwrath, while still firing the Hydro pump, turned and fired right at Talonflame. The Hydro Pump hit Talonflame dead on.
While normally, a powerful Water move like Hydro Pump would have stopped Talonflame, the sheer velocity of Talonflame thanks to Tailwind, made Talonflame push right through, striking Poliwrath with a super effective Brave Bird attack. Talonflame flew back up as Poliwrath was knocked back.
"That was quite the power play Ash, but did you ask too much from your Pokemon?" Morrison asked. Ash looked up at Talonflame. The combination of Hydro Pump and the recoil damage from Brave Bird left Talonflame battered and bruised. Ash knew that Talonflame wouldn't be able to take another hit, let alone its own Brave Bird attack.
But there is another way to get in close...
"My Talonflame can take it." Ash answered back.
"Hmm, maybe. So I'll make sure it can't hit Poliwrath like that again. Use Scald!" Morrison shouted. Poliwrath shot another powerful water stream at Talonflame. While Scald was less powerful, that meant Poliwrath could aim it more effectively thus making it harder for Talonflame to dodge. Once or twice, Talonflame was barely hit by the boiling water.
"Just wait for your opening Talonflame!" Ash told his Pokemon. Ash trusted his Talonflame to use the Tailwind to its advantage. As it spun back around, it took a quick dive and again ignited in blue flames as it went in for another Brave Bird.
"Take aim Poliwrath and...Hydro Pump!" Morrison commanded.
"Acrobatics!" Ash responded. Morrison gasped, surprised at the sudden change in attack. As Poliwrath fired its Hydro Pump, Talonflame had stopped glowing blue, and dodged the incoming Water attack with incredible agility. Before Poliwrath could adjust, Talonflame had attacked Poliwrath with several super effective blows. As Talonflame struck Poliwrath for the final time, it knocked Poliwrath forward, making it land face down, fainted.
"Poliwrath is unable to battle, Talonflame is the winner." The referee announced. The crowd applauded the skillful movement from Talonflame. Morrison returned his Pokemon and without hesitation threw out his next Pokemon.
"Let's go Bisharp!" Morrison called out, revealing his next Pokemon.
Now why would he send out a Steel type against Talonflame? I can't risk anything, Talonflame doesn't look so good.
"Return Talonflame." Ash said as he recalled his Pokemon. "You did great Talonflame, but I'm going to need you later in the match." Ash grabbed another Pokeball and sent out his second Pokemon.
"Alright let's go Hawlucha!" Ash said as his Fighting Pokemon landed on the arena floor. Morrison was surprised, like Sawyer he had taken notes on Ash's Pokemon that he had used. Morrison wondered what other Pokemon Ash could be hiding.
"Bisharp, use Swords Dance!" Morrison called out. Bisharp was then surrounded by a glowing energy as it raised its attack power.
"Hawlucha, use Karate Chop quick!" Ash responded. He wasn't going to let Bisharp power up. Hawlucha rushed in and delivered a powerful strike to Bisharp, knocking it back.
"Good job Hawlucha, now go in with Flying Press!" Ash said, trying to keep the pressure up. Bisharp picked itself up and looked up as Hawlucha was coming in for another attack. As Ash was beginning to think that Hawlucha was going to land another super effective attack, Bisharp had dodged, making Hawlucha slam into the ground.
"Shadow Claw!"
Before Hawlucha could get up, Bisharp moved with great speed and struck Hawlucha in the back with it's powered up attack. Hawlucha was used to a physical fight like this, and quickly recovered.
"Look out Hawlucha, it's much faster now!" Ash called out to his Pokemon. Truth is, he didn't know how fast this Bisharp could be, but he couldn't let it get it any stronger.
"Shadow Claw, again!" Morrison shouted. Bisharp then ran at Hawlucha with its arms now surrounded with a dark aura.
"Go in with a Karate Chop" Ash told Hawlucha. The two Pokemon then started either dodging or trading blows with the other, neither backing down. While Bisharp had the greater attack power, the super effectiveness of Hawlucha's attacks evened the playing field. Morrison knew if Hawlucha got another good hit in, his Bisharp would be in trouble.
"Now us Poison Jab!" Morrison commanded. Bisharp then blocked Hawlucha's next attack with one arm, while the other turned bright purple as Bisharp uppercutted Hawlucha with a Poison Jab. Hawlucha was launched in the air, but thanks to its wings, was able to recover mid-air.
"Come back down with a Hi Jump Kick!" Ash said, again going off instinct and without hesitation. Morrison and Bisharp were surprised that Hawlucha could recover that quickly.
"Use Shadow Claw to block!" Morrison said. It was too late to dodge. Bisharp caught Hawlucha's attack, and the two were stuck at a stand still.
"Vault over and use Karate Chop!" Ash told Hawlucha. The wrestler Pokemon then somersaulted effortlessly over Bisharp. Before Bisharp could turn, Hawlucha landed a Karate Chop to the back of Bisharp's head knocking it flat on its face, fainted.
"Bisharp is unable to battle, Hawlucha is the winner." The referee announced.
"He did it!" Serena shouted as she leapt to her feet. The crowd again applauded at the acrobatic skills from Ash's Pokemon, but none were louder than Serena.
"Yes he did. It's amazing how quick Ash can decide what to do in the heat of battle, but it's not over yet." Clemont said.
Sure, but Ash is up by two Pokemon." Sawyer said. Clemont shook his head. He knew this battle was just getting started.
"Yes, but both Talonflame and Hawlucha are hurt from their battles." Clemont told everyone. Usually they would say that Clemont was just being paranoid, but being that Ash was in the semi-finals, anything could happen. Morrison had recalled his Bisharp and sent out his next Pokemon, Arcanine.
"You ready Hawlucha?" Ash asked his Pokemon.
"Lucha!" It responded. Hawlucha was ready to go all the way. It faced Arcanine with a determined look. It wasn't going to back down.
"Alright, run up and use Flying Press!" Ash said. Hawlucha jumped high into the air and zoomed down toward Arcanine.
"Use Will-O-Wisp" Morrison said calmly. Ash tried to call of Hawlucha's attack, but the Wisp struck Hawlucha, making it miss its attack. Arcanine circled around, awaiting Morrison's next command while Hawlucha struggled to get up with its burn.
"Use Flare Blitz" Morrison called out. Arcanine ran towards Hawlucha as it turned into a fiery comet.
"Dodge it quick!" Ash shouted. Hawlucha jumped high into the air, even with its burns. Arcanine didn't slow down, instead it jumped as well catching Ash and Hawlucha by surprise. Arcanine slammed into Hawlucha, sending it flying. Hawlucha landed next to Ash, fainted.
"Hawlucha is unable to battle, Arcanine is the winner." The referee stated. Ash returned Hawlucha, thanking it for a great performance.
"Arcanine is quick and powerful. I have a Pokemon like that, but with a type advantage. C'mon out Greninja!" Ash said as he called on his third Pokemon. Greninja appeared, standing upright and crossing its arms.
"Alright Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" Ash called out. Greninja leaped into the air and fired two shurikens. Arcanine fired a Flamethrower and evaporated Greninja's attack.
"Double Team!" Ash had said it, but it looked like Greninja had already started to multiply. Soon there were twenty Greninja's around the arena. Morrison nodded his head.
"Ah yes, we've seen this move before. Arcanine use Extreme Speed!" Morrison said. Arcanine then sprinted to the first Greninja, and then the second, and soon everyone couldn't keep up with Arcanine's speed. Thanks to his connection with Greninja, Ash was able to track Arcanine's movements so he was ready when Arcanine came zooming toward the real Greninja.
"Now!" Ash shouted. In a blink of an eye Greninja pulled out a sword of light as it used Cut to stop Arcanine's advance. There was an explosion, but soon both Arcanine and Greninja appeared out of it. Arcanine was still going, pushing Greninja back as it used Cut to block. Arcanine pushed Greninja all the way to the wall before Greninja could stop Arcanine's momentum.
"Good, now Flamethrower!" Morrison shouted from across the arena.
Get out of there!
Arcanine fired a Flamethrower, incinerating the wall in front of it. The crowd gasped as Greninja was engulfed in the flames.
"Hmmph, even as a Water type, a Flamethrower at that range is going to do some damage." Morrison commented. Arcanine jumped back from the wall, ready for any possible counter attack, but what came next surprised everyone.
As the flames died down, Greninja was nowhere to be found.
"Water Shuriken!" Ash shouted.
"Ah! Above you!" Morrison cried out. He had seen Greninja disappear like this before in Ash's earlier rounds. However, Morrison was too late to warn his Arcanine. As it was falling, Greninja had fired a dozen shurikens in under 3 seconds. The overwhelming surprise attack was too much for Arcanine. After the barrage, the crowd saw Arcanine lying down, fainted.
"Arcanine is unable to battle, Greninja is the winner."
Morrison had trouble with Greninja after that. He sent out his Braviary next, and even with the advantage of flight, the agility of Greninja negated that advantage and Braviary soon fainted, after a final Aerial Ace knocked it out of the sky.
Weavile fared better, even landing an Ice Beam and a Night Slash attack on Greninja. However, both Greninja and Weavile's style of attack were too similar and Greninja's superior speed and power overcame Weavile as it broke through Weavile's Night Slash with its Cut attack, finally fainting Morrison's fifth Pokemon.
"See Clemont, nothing to worry about." Serena said. The worry had left the group as Ash was just one Pokemon away from the finals. Clemont nodded, but was still staring at Ash and Greninja.
"They've become so powerful." Clemont commented. The group agreed, they were surprised Greninja was still standing. The last attack from Weavile should have ended the duel, but Greninja pushed through.
"I guess we can thank Sawyer and his Sceptile for that." Bonnie replied. Sawyer shook his head.
"Thanks, but I think it was Ash's battles with Alain. Remember when you guys told me how Alain and his Charizard completely overpowered Greninja?" Sawyer said. The group nodded, it was hard for them to witness it. They hadn't realized until after the battle, but that was Greninja's first lost since it evolved.
However, fate would have it that they would meet Alain again just before they reached Snowbelle city. And that time, Ash and Greninja perfected their strange new form and proved to be more than a match against Alain and his Mega Charizard. However, the battle was stopped when Alain got some mysterious message. He said it was about his friend, and that it was urgent. Since then, they hadn't heard from him again.
Back on the battlefield, Ash was wondering if Greninja could continue.
You've done amazing Greninja, but Morrison would have kept his most powerful Pokemon for last.
Greninja! Ninja! Gren, Greninja!
We can try your new form, but I don't want to reveal it unless we really have to.
Ninja...
Morrison on the other side was feeling the opposite.
I didn't want to reveal my Pokemon's true potential, but I guess I have no other choice.
"I'm counting on you Gengar!" Morrison shouted as he called upon his final Pokemon. What Ash saw made him and Greninja take a step back. Upon Gengar's forehead was a Mega Stone.
"Gengar can Mega Evolve?!" Ash said. Morrison laughed, "Ha I guess you know about Mega Evolution. Yes my Gengar can Mega Evolve, let me show you..."
Morrison reached into his jacket and pulled out what looked like a pocket watch. However when he opened it, instead of a clock it was a Keystone.
"Respond to my heart and avenge your friends! Gengar Mega Evolve!" Morrison cried out. Gengar was lost in a bright purple light. Ash lost sight of Gengar as the light grew stronger until finally it exploded. Ash looked to see Mega Gengar, but all he could see was this dark shadow where Gengar was.
"Is...that Mega Gengar?" Ash said, but no sooner then had he said that, the shadow began to move. From out of the shadow a shape started to appear. It was Mega Gengar, slowing rising from the ground until it was fully visible save for its hands and legs which seemed stuck in the ground. On Mega Gengar's forehead was a yellow circle, exactly where the Mega Stone had been.
You're too weak Greninja. You won't last much longer even in your new form. Take a rest, I might need you again.
Greninja...
"Greninja return." Ash said as he recalled his Pokemon. "But what Pokemon can I use against a Mega Gengar. I guess I should see what it can do first. C'mon out Talonflame!" Ash decided to use Talonflame, hoping its speed would be enough to see Morrison's strategy. Ash didn't have much time to think of a plan as Morrison took the offensive.
"Shadow Ball!" Morrison said. Mega Gengar fired a massive Shadow Ball, almost twice as large as Talonflame. Ash barely had enough time to tell Talonflame to dodge. As Ash was about to counter attack, the Shadow Ball exploded in mid air, causing the Ash to catch his footing as the resulting shockwave nearly toppled him. Morrison didn't wait, he had no intention of letting Ash recover.
"Now finish this with Sludge Wave!"
Ash couldn't do anything, he watched as Mega Gengar summoned a wave of sludge from its shadow. Talonflame tried to dodge, but the attack was overwhelming. Talonflame crashed into the ground covered in the sludge, fainted.
Ash returned Talonflame. While Talonflame had fainted without an attack, Ash had found Mega Gengar's weakness.
It's super powerful, but it seems anchored to that spot on the ground.
Ash grabbed his next Pokeball and threw it. As the Pokemon landed, the ground shook. Ash had called upon his Snorlax. The crowd gasped as the massive Pokemon appeared, even Morrison was surprised at Ash's choice. As the referee announced the battle to commence, it was Ash that took the initiative.
"Snorlax Ice Beam!" Ash called out.
"Sludge Wave!" Morrison responded. The two attacks collided, Snorlax's Ice Beam had frozen Mega Genger's Sludge Wave leaving a giant purple wave of sludge in the middle of the arena.
"Shadow Ball! Use it against the Sludge Wave!" Morrison called out. Mega Gengar fired another massive Shadow Ball. It slammed against the frozen Sludge Wave, shattering it. The fragments flew right at Snorlax.
"Defend yourself Snorlax!" Ash cried out. Thanks to Snorlax being in front of Ash, none of the fragments flew at him or Pikachu. Over a dozen pieces flew high and into the crowd, but Mega Gengar stopped them before they reached the stands. Snorlax shrugged off the fragments as they bounced off it.
"Good job Snorlax, use Thunder Punch!" Ash said. He had to go on the offensive. Snorlax charged Mega Gengar as its fist sparked with electricity. Mega Gengar smiled and retreated into the ground, dodging Snorlax's attack. All that was left was Mega Gengar's shadow. It moved from under Snorlax and back towards Morrison where it reappeared from the ground in front of its trainer.
How can I attack Mega Gengar if it can just go into the ground and...THAT'S IT!
"Snorlax use Ice Beam!" Ash called out.
"Shadow Ball!" Morrison responded. Before Mega Gengar could fire its attack, Ash called out another move.
"And now go in with a Thunder Punch!" Ash shouted. Snorlax stopped its Ice Beam early and charged with another Thunder Punch, disregarding the Shadow Ball that headed right for it. Morrison knew what would happen. He had used Shadow Ball to counter Ice Beam, but not to attack Snorlax directly. Due to being a Normal type Pokemon, A Shadow Ball wouldn't affect it, even one as powerful as his Mega Gengar's Shadow Ball.
"Dodge it." Morrison said to his Pokemon as the Shadow Ball phased through Snorlax. Again, Mega Gengar disappeared into its shadow and moved away as Snorlax attacked. Ash was ready this time.
"Now's your chance! Earthquake!" Ash shouted. Morrison gasped, how could he have been caught off guard like this. Snorlax turned toward Mega Gengar's shadow as it moved away. With incredible power, Snorlax jumped and slammed into the ground shaking the very stadium with its mega ton Earthquake attack. Everyone braced themselves as the ground shook violently.
As the ground settled, Mega Gengar reappeared from its shadow. It looked dizzy, but soon shook it off. It wasn't very happy to say the least from Ash's point of view.
"Alright that's enough of that. Use Hypnosis!" Morrison said. Mega Gengar then locked eyes with Snorlax who was unable to look away as Mega Gengar forced it asleep. Snorlax fell over on its back, sound asleep. Morrison smiled, not only was this battle about to be over, but he was going to heal his Pokemon first.
"And now Dream Eater." Morrison commanded. A faint, even more ghostly version of Mega Gengar appeared and went toward Snorlax. Ash wasn't going to wait for Mega Gengar to eat Snorlax's dreams.
"Snorlax use Sleep Talk!" Ash called out. Both Morrison and Mega Gengar's Dream Eater paused. Snorlax popped back on its feet and fired an Ice Beam. It went right through the Dream Eater and slammed into Mega Gengar who couldn't move. The Dream Eater then took its chance and disappeared into Snorlax.
Snorlax started to thrash around as the Dream Eater started to drain its energy through its dreams. After a while, the Dream Eater jumped out and returned to Mega Gengar, healing it. Snorlax woke up, and it was in a rage.
"Ok Snorlax go in with a Thunder Punch!" Ash told his Pokemon.
"Dodge it" Morrison called out. Once again Mega Gengar disappeared into its shadow. However before Ash could tell Snorlax to use another Earthquake, Morrison had no intention of waiting.
"Use Sludge Wave!"
As Mega Gengar's shadow moved under Snorlax a massive wave of sludge came out, even lifting Snorlax into the air due to the force of the attack. After being launched into the air, Snorlax tipped over and fell back down. Everyone in the stadium braced themselves for the shockwave, even Mega Gengar.
Snorlax slammed into the ground, causing an involuntary Earthquake attack. The stadium shook once again, Ash and Morrison both stumbled but stayed on their feet. As the cloud of dust settled, Snorlax was on the its back, fainted.
"Snorlax is unable to battle, Gengar is the winner." The referee stated as they stood back up. Ash returned Snorlax to its Pokeball.
"You did amazing Snorlax, you weakened Mega Gengar quite a bit, we'll take it from here." He said as he placed the Pokeball back on his belt.
"Alright Pikachu, you ready?" Ash said as he knelt down. Pikachu nodded its head. It was ready to test its strength against another Mega evolved Pokemon. It ran onto the battlefield, electricity sparking from its cheeks.
"Alright Pikachu, Electro Ball" Ash said. Morrison had seen Pikachu in action before. It was very fast and very powerful.
"Counter with Shadow Ball" Morrison reaponded. Due to the quick attack of Pikachu, Mega Gengar wasn't able to power up its Shadow Ball enough, so when the two attacks collided they destroyed each other.
"Close in and use Iron Tail" Ash called out but before Pikachu could reach Mega Gengar, Morrison called his own attack.
"Use Sludge Wave, stop that Pikachu" Morrison shouted. Pikachu slid to a stop as Mega Gengar unleashed a large purple wave. Ash had a second to save Pikachu. He looked over at Pikachu, its tail was still glowing white.
"Ah! Pikachu use your Iron Tail to surf the wave!" Ash cried out. Pikachu started running back and once the Sludge Wave reached Pikachu, it jumped up and balanced itself on its tail, surfing the wave. Soon Pikachu reached the top of the wave, the Iron Tail, a Steel type move made it so Pikachu's tail was unaffected by the Poison move.
Morrison was getting frustrated. His Mega Gengar was far more powerful, but now he had be thwarted twice now by Ash's quick thinking. The Sludge Wave died down and Pikachu landed back on the ground unharmed. The crowd applauded at the acrobatic skill of Pikachu.
"Good job Pikachu, now use Thunderbolt" Ash said. Pikachu jumped up and fired a Thunderbolt, Mega Gengar didn't retaliate, taking the full force of the Thunderbolt. Morrison didn't care, he was waiting for the opening he now saw.
"Counter with Shadow Ball" Morrison said calmly. Mega Gengar shrugged off the Thunderbolt and fired a full force Shadow Ball at Pikachu who was still falling, unable to dodge. The Shadow Ball slammed into Pikachu launching it across the battlefield, even past Ash. Morrison smiled, he had only two Pokemon left to beat, and he remembered that Ash's Greninja was already hurt from before.
"Pika...chu"
Morrison looked over, not believing his eyes. Pikachu had gotten up and now was running back onto the battlefield.
How could a Pikachu shrug off my Mega Gengar's Shadow Ball when it can take down much tougher opponents in a single hit?!
"You ok Pikachu?" Ash asked softly as Pikachu stopped in front of him. Pikachu let off a spark of electricity, telling Ash it wasn't going to back down. Ash looked over at Mega Gengar. The attacks from Snorlax and Pikachu had done some good damage, and Ash believed that Mega Gengar was also tiring out too. Every single one of its attacks had been full power and Ash didn't care if it was a Mega evolution, it couldn't keep doing it forever.
"Alright, use Electro Ball!" Ash said, resuming the fight.
"Shadow Ball!" Morrison countered. Mega Gengar fired a full force Shadow Ball that collided and overpowered Pikachu's Electro Ball. Ash knew this would happen.
"Dodge it and use another Electro Ball!" Ash said. Pikachu jumped to the side and fired off another ball of energy. Mega Gengar responded with another Shadow Ball that overpowered the Electro Ball. Pikachu, again dodged the attack.
"Once more, Electro Ball" Ash shouted.
The crowd was wondering what Ash's plan was. Pikachu couldn't overcome Mega Gengar's power. But then they understood as the third volley of Shadow and Electro balls collided. There was another explosion but this time the Electro Ball won and hit Mega Gengar.
The crowd gasped at the sudden change of events. Morrison had no idea how this happened.
"How is this possible?!" Morrison shouted across the arena. Ash smiled, he had found Mega Gengar's weakness.
"Your Mega Gengar just ran out of power. It kept on attacking with all its power. And even in its Mega Evolution form, it couldn't keep on firing such powerful attacks." Ash answered back.
"Even so, we still have to try. Gengar, use Sludge Wave!" Morrison said. Mega Gengar summoned another wave of sludge, but like Ash had said, it was significantly less powerful then the previous one.
"Alright Pikachu, use Iron Tail to surf to the top" Ash told Pikachu. The electric mouse easily made its way up the wave launching into the air above Mega Gengar.
"Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted. Pikachu fired a strong bolt of lightning at Mega Gengar tried to retreat into its shadow but it was too slow due to fatigue. The Thunderbolt hit Mega Gengar, but it still could battle.
"Gengar, use Hypnosis!" Morrison shouted. He planned to regenerate Mega Gengar's power. Ash had other intentions.
"Use Quick Attack, don't let Gengar track you!" Ash responded. Pikachu started to run around Mega Gengar, who was unable to keep up.
"Get behind it and use Electro Ball!" Ash shouted. Pikachu kept up its pace but on its tail grew a ball of energy. Mega Gengar still couldn't keep up so it never saw Pikachu fire its Electro Ball. It continued to turn until the Electro Ball smacked into it.
As the dust settled, Pikachu stopped in front of Ash, completely exhausted but still standing. Ash looked over at Mega Gengar, it was laying down on the ground as it changed back into its normal staten fainted. The crowd stayed silent, stunned at what had happened.
"Gengar is unable to battle, therefore Ash is the winner." The referee announced.
Both Pikachu and Ash slumped to the ground as the stadium rocked from the applause. After a bit, Ash got up and went to Pikachu, picking the tired Pokemon in his arms.
"You did so good Pikachu." He said simply. Pikachu licked Ash's face with affection. Morrison, who had recalled his Gengar had walked across the battlefield.
"I don't know how you do it, but you beat me fair and square. Congratulations and good luck in the finals." Morrison said as he shook Ash's hand.
In the Trainer's Lounge, both Ash and Morrison gave their Pokeballs to Nurse Joy including Pikachu. Ash insisted on staying with Pikachu but Nurse Joy assured him that Pikachu would be fine. It was only when Pikachu motioned to Ash that it was fine did Ash give up.
Upon his exit of the Lounge he was bombarded with reporters and cameramen. All of them wanting to know about how Ash felt about his victory. Morrison had left earlier and brought some reporters to him, but the majority stayed for Ash. While nervous at the sudden attention and apparent fame, Ash sheepishly answered his questions with humility which the reporters loved.
"Oh such a nice young man..."
"You don't find trainers like you very often..."
"Do you have anyone special in your life?"
That last part caught Ash off guard. He quickly shook his head and told the media that he wouldn't answer any more questions. He was going to the Pokemon Center to check on his Pokemon. Upon his request, the reporters and cameramen made way for Ash to go.
Ash met Serena and everyone else at the Pokemon Center. Ash had requested that so they wouldn't be swarmed by the media as well. While Serena had wanted to meet Ash right away, she waited at the Pokemon Center. However, once Ash entered the Pokemon Center, all bets were off. She rushed him and tackled him. Ash saw her coming and prepared himself. As she hugged him, Ash buried his face in her hair.
Ash had made it to a Pokemon League Final. This was the farthest he had ever been in a tournament. That alone would have made him the happiest person in the world, but having Serena there with him now made everything so much better.
After allowing Ash to breath, Serena let go of Ash as everyone else took their turn in congratulating him. Clemont shook his hand, but pulled Ash in for a brotherly hug. Bonnie was dancing with Dedenne singing her little song. Finally Sawyer came up. At first Ash was thinking Sawyer was going to pick his brains with more questions, but Sawyer didn't.
"I don't know how you do it Ash. I don't think I can ever be like you." Sawyer said. He reached out his arm in a handshake, which Ash accepted.
"Just give it time Sawyer. Soon you'll be just as good as me, maybe even better." Ash replied with a smile.
"It was a good match."
Ash turned to the voice that had just spoken. It was Duran, he had kept his distance until now. He came up to the group and stood in front of Ash.
"Oh...thank you. You ready for an amazing match tomorrow?" Ash asked. Duran smiled and nodded his head.
"I don't want anything less than your best." Duran replied.
"Likewise..."
The two shook hands and Duran left. Tomorrow would be the biggest match of Ash's life. If he won tomorrow, he would be the winner and earn the right to challenge the Elite Four, and if he won against them...challenge Diantha.
Author's note: Sorry about the late upload today. Sadly I have some bad news as well. I won't be able to continue to upload the next chapters daily. I will be taking a break from uploading until I finish the story. Think of this as the mid-season finale. Yes, you heard right. There's more to the rest of this story than just the Tournament. The latest I will continue uploading is April 18th, so keep a watch for my next upload. Once I start, I should be done or just about done with the story. Thank you everyone for your support. I didn't think this would get as much attention or as much support as you guys and gals have given it. Thank you.