Author's Note:

Here we are with Chapter 36, and the conclusion of the Sycamore Mega Tournament. I hope you're ready for lots of battling, because this chapter has plenty of it. So let's get to it.

Chapter 36: Sycamore's Mega Tournament – Part 3

Watching Clemont and Dawn as each made their way towards their places on the battlefield, Serena felt her nervousness increasing by the second. Sure, she'd made it far in this tournament, and she knew that she and Absol had earned their place, but to have all this lead to a battle with Ash...she wasn't really sure how to feel about that. Seeing Clemont and Dawn out on the field, both looking fairly confident and ready to battle, Serena felt almost like she wasn't worthy of this chance.

Of course, looking over at Ash, who leaned forward excitedly, Rowlet and Pikachu upon each shoulder, he was definitely not worried about any of that. He could barely stop talking about how excited he was to battle Serena and Absol, and then see who could give the winner of Clemont and Dawn's match a good battle for the final. Serena didn't know why Ash was so excited to battle her. She supposed that leading up to it being a reality, she had been excited about the prospect. It was just that now with the battle approaching, and approaching quickly, she really wasn't sure what she'd be able to do against him.

She shook her head, clenching her fists as she thought of Absol, and how hard he'd been working. Not only had he worked to put himself in a position to compete in this tournament in the first place, but he'd given it his all to get them this far. They were becoming a true team, and their battle with Julie in particular had really shown that to be the case. She just wanted to show that to Ash, and to all her friends.

"Looks like Dawn and Clemont are ready to go," Shauna said suddenly, stirring Serena away from her thoughts. "I wonder if Spewpa will be able to keep up after that battle with Chimchar. And I wonder if it'll lose any of its speed."

Serena nodded, thinking the same thing as she looked at the feisty bug type standing...or possibly sitting, in front of Dawn. It definitely didn't look like it would be as mobile as it had been throughout the tournament. Dawn would likely have to rely on its String Shot attack to slow Turtwig down for her best chance, and Serena doubted Clemont would make that easy.

As the referee stepped forward to call out the conditions for the match, Serena and the others focused on the field, ready to see which of their friends would be making it to the finals. Whoever did make it, Serena was sure it would be a tough challenge for her or Ash. Clemont and Dawn had proven they were well above the level of many of the trainers competing, and they only seemed to be getting better and better. And it definitely looked like they were ready to get this match started, as both called an attack as soon as the call came for the battle to begin.

"Leech Seed!" Clemont yelled, clearly hoping to quickly take advantage of Spewpa's limited mobility with its newly evolved state.

"String Shot!" Dawn countered, a long range attack her best move at this stage.

Both Pokemon sent out their attacks quickly, Turtwig lowering his head and firing the seed as Spewpa unleashed the long rope of web to counter it. Dawn's move proved to be effective in its goal, hitting the seed and sending it flying back, before falling to the ground, covered in webs. She was quick to follow up, though, ordering another String Shot in Turtwig's direction, clearly hoping to keep Clemont on the defensive until she could get a proper attack in.

"Twig!" Serena was surprised at the speed of the attack, Turtwig, stumbling backwards as the webs struck him on the side while he tried to turn away. She quickly looked at Clemont, wondering if Dawn might actually be able to hold him back long enough to guide Spewpa through the match.

Clemont was too clever, though, and, as if he'd planned on the String Shot hitting Turtwig, he took full advantage of it. "Turtwig, pull Spewpa towards you as hard as you can!" he yelled, many people in the crowd around them surprised at the sudden order.

"TurrrTWIG!" Turtwig cried out, grabbing some of the webs in his mouth and pulling back as hard as he could, causing Spewpa to suddenly get lifted off the ground, before another pull sent her flying towards Turtwig. The Tiny Leaf Pokemon wasn't done just yet, though, biting the string of webs and breaking it apart just as Spewpa was approaching him, sending the bug type skidding awkwardly along the ground as she hit it.

"Tackle!" Clemont yelled, taking full advantage of the vulnerable Spewpa. Turtwig shot forward, aiming his head down as he approached Spewpa, ready to hit it with all the force he could muster.

"Harden!" Dawn shouted quickly, just as Turtwig was nearing Spewpa. Then, just as the grass type was about to strike, Spewpa's body glowed in a white light briefly, before Turtwig's attack landed. Serena couldn't help but wince as Spewpa was sent skidding away, but she was definitely surprised as the bug type managed to position itself upright fairly quickly, hardly looking hurt by the direct strike.

"Nice move," Ash commented, looking over at Clemont as the inventor seemed to be taking a deep breath. "Spewpa can raise its defence with Harden, so that Tackle wasn't nearly as powerful as it could've been."

"Can Clemont still win?" Bonnie asked worriedly, looking disappointed, as she had clearly been thinking that Clemont was on his way to an easy victory.

"Oh yeah," Ash said confidently. "He still has a chance for sure. Spewpa will still take some damage, and Clemont can probably figure out something else as well."

Serena turned her attention back to the field, watching Clemont again, wondering just what he could do to keep the pressure on Dawn. Ash seemed to see things three steps ahead of everyone else in their group watching. If she couldn't see it either, how could she expect to show him how much she'd improved with Absol? How could she give him the battle he was looking for?

"Turtwig, use another Tackle attack!" Clemont finally called out, ready to take the offensive again, as Spewpa watched the grass type begin to charge towards her.

"Use Harden again, and get ready!" Dawn ordered, looking like she had a plan as well.

Turtwig once again lowered his head as he charged, looking very determined as he approached his opponent. Spewpa looked ready as well, narrowing her eyes as the grass type neared her, her body briefly glowing once more from Harden. Then, the collision came, Turtwig striking the bug type with all the force he could muster, keeping the charge going as he attempted to push Spewpa back as far as possible, the Scatterdust Pokemon's raised defence keeping it standing strong, although Serena could still see it straining.

This seemed to be just what Dawn wanted, though, and Serena raised her eyebrows as she noticed the Coordinator's eyes light up as she smiled. "Spewpa! Bug Bite, now!"

"Spewww!" The crowd cheered as Spewpa suddenly lunged forward, biting into Turtwig's shoulder as the grass type suddenly came to a stop, crying out from the sudden attack.

"A clever move by Dawn, as Spewpa lands a super effective attack on Turtwig!" Sycamore called out to the crowd, as they cheered once more, watching closely to see what Clemont's counter would be.

It came quickly, the inventor looking surprisingly confident. "Turtwig, now's your chance! Leech Seed!" he yelled, pointing ahead as he made the order.

"Twiiig!" Turtwig cried out, narrowing his eyes as he fought through one last bite from Spewpa, before lowering his head a little more, the seed emerging as he aimed it at Spewpa. Serena noticed Dawn clenching her fists, seeing no way to counter as the seed fired out, striking the bug type in its centre and exploding into vines around its whole body as Turtwig leaped back. Suddenly, the vines seemed to glow green as Spewpa cried out, the attack sapping some of her energy, as Turtwig stood a little taller, gaining it as his own.

Once again, the crowd cheered, this time in support of Clemont as he once again seemed to have the edge, Turtwig looking ready to finish the match as he stood in front of him. Serena was starting to feel nervous already, knowing that this match coming to a close meant that she and Ash were up next. She still wasn't sure if she'd be able to match what he, or even Dawn and Clemont, seemed to be capable of.

She took a deep breath, watching Dawn as the Coordinator narrowed her eyes, looking like she knew the direction this battle was going. However, Serena was surprised to see her still looking so confident, and ready to battle. Don't give up till it's over, she thought, realizing Dawn was clearly willing to take this to the end. She couldn't help but smile at that. If Dawn could keep fighting a match she looked to be losing, Serena could bring herself to battle her best against Ash.

"Spewpa, don't give up! String Shot, quickly!"

"Spewww!" Spewpa shouted, firing out the string of webs as Turtwig, jumped back. The grass type was unable to dodge, though, seeming a little too confident and moving just slow enough to be struck by the sticky webs, stumbling a bit as they struck his chest.

"Now, use Harden, and then bring it into Tackle by pulling on those webs!" Dawn ordered, sounding like she knew this was her best and only chance.

Spewpa did all that was asked of it, putting everything into it as it pulled on the String Shot, sending itself flying forward as its body glowed from Harden. Then, just as it approached Turtwig, it aimed itself so it was flying straight as an arrow, before crashing hard into Turtwig, the grass type, stumbling backwards, shaking its head from the attack.

Unfortunately for Dawn, the Leech Seed kicked in again, causing Spewpa to fall over as its energy was sapped again, Turtwig, managing to rise to his feet quickly from the sudden energy boost. Serena could see that Clemont knew the match was his.

"Turtwig, finish this off with Bite!" he yelled.

"Twiiig!" Turtwig cried, lunging forward, opening his jaws wide, and clamping them down on the bug type in front of him. Spewpa cried out from the pain, but a moment later, it was all over as Turtwig jumped back, watching as Spewpa seemed to try to rise back up, before ultimately falling back down, unable to continue.

As the referee made the call, the crowd cheered loudly while both Dawn and Clemont ran forward towards their Pokemon, Turtwig making an attempt at eating Clemont's glasses as they fell off. Serena took a deep breath as she watched the two trainers with their Pokemon, both looking proud of their effort. It hadn't been as close as Dawn's match with Tierno, but Serena was impressed with how the Coordinator had managed to use everything Spewpa was capable of to give Clemont a challenge. And as Ash stood up next to her, Serena knew she needed to be ready to do the same, no matter how nervous she was.

"Ready to battle, Serena?" he asked her, holding out a fist as Serena stood as well. "No matter who wins, let's both just give it our all, okay?"

Serena smiled, ignoring the giggles she heard from Shauna, and even Bonnie, as she reached out with her own fist, connecting it with Ash's. "Absol and I are ready." She looked up to Ash's shoulder, as Pikachu hopped down to join Riolu, who looked a little nervous to see his two trainers about to head off. Rowlet was looking towards the field, watching Clemont's Turtwig celebrate its victory, ready to move on to the finals. Serena knew he was going to be a tough opponent, and just how motivated he was. However, she was motivated too. She and Absol would give it everything they had.

"Serena's going to be a tough opponent, Rowlet, so let's make sure to stay sharp and not let our guard down," Ash told his grass type as they headed to their place on the battlefield. "We've come this far, so let's get all the way to the finals, and then we can battle Clemont and Turtwig as well!"

"Kooo!" Rowlet hooted happily, flapping his wings and flying in front of Ash, doing a couple of flips through midair, before flying out and landing in front of where Ash went to stand for the battle. Both of them were clearly ready to go, and Ash knew they needed to be. Serena had seemed a little nervous once they'd found out they'd be battling each other, but as he looked across to her as Absol emerged in front of her, he knew she was ready to give it her all.

A noise caught his attention, as Professor Sycamore announced the matchup to the crowd, informing everyone that this would bring the tournament into its final stage, with the winner taking on Clemont for the Key Stone. Ash could see Hawlucha and Noctowl, standing with Riolu, Hawlucha calling out to Rowlet as though giving him some last minute coaching. Ash smiled, knowing that Rowlet would make sure to make them all proud, and he was sure Absol would put in a good performance as well.

With that, he looked to his right, seeing the referee stepping forward as Sycamore stopped talking, Absol and Rowlet tensing up, knowing their battle was set to begin. "This will be a one on one semifinal battle with Ash and Rowlet facing off against Serena and Absol! The winner will be declared when the opposing Pokemon is unable to battle. Are you ready?" Ash and Serena nodded, smiling at one another as the referee raised his arm. "Then let the battle begin!"

Ash was surprised as Serena was quick to make the first move, immediately putting him on the defensive. "Absol, Dark Pulse!"

"Dodge it!" Ash quickly ordered, Rowlet way ahead of him as he shot into the air, just barely avoiding the dark energy as it struck the ground he'd been standing on, exploding into a cloud of dust. Nice move, Serena, but you'll need to do more than that. "Now it's our move! Get in there with Tackle!"

"Kooo!" Rowlet cried out, flapping his wings once more and shooting down towards Absol, who looked up with narrowed eyes, ready for Serena's order.

"Detect!" Serena ordered, looking a little flustered, but clearly doing her best to think quickly. "Then use Psycho Cut!"

"Sol!" The Disaster Pokemon executed it perfectly, eyes glowing as he watched Rowlet approach, the owl quickly extending his legs as he prepared his Tackle attack. Then, just as the grass type was about to strike, Absol slid to the left, Rowlet whiffing completely and driving his feet into the ground where Absol had been a moment earlier. With Rowlet in a vulnerable position, it was easy for Absol to send his next attack crashing into the Grass Quill Pokemon, the Psycho Cut exploding against him and sending him flying back, skidding along the ground, before he managed to right himself, flapping his wings to get himself back into the air.

Sycamore and the crowd were definitely pleased, the latter cheering as the former commented on the move. "An impressive move by Serena and Absol, using that Detect to good use once more to draw her opponent in close to give Absol an easy target."

Ash narrowed his eyes, looking towards Rowlet as the owl looked back, knowing they had to be more careful about trying that again. We'll need a little more strategy if Absol's going to use Detect to counter our moves. "Rowlet, hide yourself with Leafage!"

"Hooo!" The Grass Quill Pokemon seemed to quickly understand what Ash was getting at, flapping his wings quickly and generating the glowing leaves in front of him, before sending them swirling outwards to block Absol's view of him.

"Absol, use Detect again!" Serena called out, looking a little less confident as she saw the Leafage attack expand between Rowlet and Absol, suddenly engulfing both Pokemon within it.

"I don't think so, Serena!" Ash shouted, pointing ahead. "Rowlet, use Peck!"

He could just see it through the green mist generated by Leafage, as Absol's eyes flashed briefly, looking up as he seemed to think an attack was approaching, only to jump back as a few extra leaves battered the ground where he'd been standing. A moment later, Ash could see a dark shadow to Absol's right, only for it to disappear among the leaves within a few seconds as the Disaster Pokemon sent out a Psycho Cut in an attempt to intercept it. Then, finally, as Absol was again distracted by leaves battering the ground behind him, Rowlet swooped down in front of him, charging straight at the dark type with his glowing, white beak, before crashing into him full force and sending him flying back, the Leafage attack dying down as he hit the ground, rolling over a couple times before righting himself.

"Ah, very clever! Ash hides Rowlet in the shadow of leaves in order to get around Detect and hit Absol with a direct Peck attack," Sycamore informed the crowd, while Ash heard Hawlucha, calling out what he assumed to be praise for the superb flying Rowlet seemed to be doing so far. Noctowl even hooted a couple of times, while Riolu, understandably, seemed to be cheering for both sides.

"I won't give up, Ash," Serena called out, taking a deep breath as she looked across at him. "I want this to be the best battle possible."

Ash smiled back, knowing he wanted nothing more than for the two of them to put everything they had into this battle. Like he had told Serena that night on the roof, he had wanted to battle her, and now that he had the chance, he was already enjoying it. She and Absol were a tough team, and this battle was only just getting started.

"Rowlet, use Peck!" Ash yelled, ready to get the battle going again.

Serena was ready, though, and this time, she seemed willing to battle Rowlet head on, obviously not willing to risk Detect again so soon. "Absol, counter with Double Edge!"

Rowlet seemed even more motivated by that, flapping his wings hard and circling back around to fly out in front of Ash, diving down, before pulling up and charging straight towards Absol, beak glowing brightly as he flew. Meanwhile, Absol had locked onto his target as well, narrowing his eyes as he watched Rowlet, before breaking out into a run, not looking like his legs were holding him back at all as they kicked hard off the ground.

"Kooo!"

"Sol!"

They struck each other with full force, a shock wave shooting out across the stadium, causing both trainers, the referee and Professor Sycamore to stumble, while the crowd gasped as a gust of wind hit the first few rows. The show of power brought a huge smile to Ash's face as both Pokemon were propelled backwards, Absol digging his feet in to stop himself from sliding too far, while Rowlet flapped his wings hard to hover in front of Ash. Absol winced a bit from the recoil, but both Pokemon looked ready to continue. This tournament had started out with relatively inexperienced Pokemon, but already, that was beginning to change. No beginner Pokemon could produce that kind of power.

"All right!" Ash yelled, pumping his fist as the cheers grew louder. "Nice one, Rowlet! You too, Absol!"

"Sol?" The dark type looked a little surprised at the praise, but eventually nodded, smiling back, before looking back towards Serena, who definitely seemed to be picking up some extra confidence, looking like she was really getting into this battle.

"You haven't seen anything yet, Ash!" Serena shouted, pointing ahead as Absol braced himself. "Psycho Cut!"

"All right, Rowlet, you use...whoa!" Ash's jaw dropped as Absol sent his pink, crescent-shaped attack out, flying towards Rowlet. The Grass Quill Pokemon seemed to be straining, flapping his wings ferociously, before suddenly, a purple, smokey substance was propelled forward. Rowlet flapped his wings even harder, sending the attack out with all the force he could muster, the ghostly energy colliding with the Psycho Cut, the two attacks exploding against each other as the Psycho Cut rained down in pink dust among the wisps of ghostly energy.

"And Rowlet has just learned Ominous Wind!" Professor Sycamore informed the crowd excitedly. "This is definitely good news for Ash, and evidence of how well he's trained his Rowlet."

"Awesome, Rowlet!" Ash exclaimed, jumping and pumping his fist in excitement. He thought it was a little strange that Rowlet had ghost type attack like that, but he didn't really care too much, as long as they could use it. "All right then, let's use Ominous Wind again!"

"Koooo!" Rowlet cried out loudly, flapping his wings rapidly once more. Serena and Absol could only watch in surprise as the purple, smokey wind was quickly generated once again, before being propelled towards Absol at full speed. The dark type tried to brace himself, but the attack was too powerful, lifting him off his feet and sending him flying through the air, before crashing down hard in front of Serena.

Ash was a little worried they'd overdone it for a moment, but was glad to see Absol quickly get up, although it was panting heavily. His eyes then moved over to Rowlet, surprised to see the owl Pokemon glow briefly, before flapping his wings with extra force. He seemed to be extra energized for some reason. Luckily, Professor Sycamore seemed to have the answer.

"Well, it seems like Ominous Wind's secondary effect has kicked in, giving Rowlet a tremendous boost in power!" the Professor informed the crowd, who gasped as Rowlet, flew up higher, looking ready to get into the next stage of the battle.

Wow, that's a useful attack, Ash thought, looking across at Serena, glad to see that she looked perfectly willing to keep the battle going, smiling encouragingly at Absol as he looked back at her, before staring up challengingly at Rowlet. She won't give up till it's over, he realized, the memory of the summer camp hitting him.

"Absol, use Psycho Cut, and keep it up!" Serena ordered, watching Rowlet up above as he waited for Ash's next command.

Ash narrowed his eyes, watching as the crescent-shaped attack was fired up, Rowlet dodging the first one easily with his speed boost, before swooping past the second one. "All right, Rowlet, use that speed and let's hit 'em with another Peck attack!"

"Hooo!" Rowlet hooted, tucking in his wings and narrowing his eyes as he went into a dive. He clearly felt a confidence boost from the increased strength he'd received from Ominous Wind, driving straight through a couple of Psycho Cut attacks, each time a shower of pink sparkles shooting out behind him.

When he saw Serena smiling, though, Ash knew she'd managed to bring him into a trap of her own. "Wait for it, Absol...now! Dark Pulse!"

Ash's eyes widened, watching Rowlet, now closing in on Absol, crashing through one last Psycho Cut, and too committed to be able to get away. The owl Pokemon seemed to understand just what was happening, Absol's jaws opening quickly as his dive continued, his speed too much to allow him to change course.

The dark, swirling energy rocketed straight up, slamming right into the Grass Quill Pokemon as he cried out in surprise. Ash gritted his teeth, seeing the cloud of smoke shoot up from the explosion, and wincing as Rowlet's body was sent flying out, gravity bringing him back to the ground with a thud. The crowd cheered loudly, a few people chanting Serena's name as she and Absol did their own little cheer at their successful attack.

As Rowlet managed to get to his feet, Ash couldn't help but feel happy for Serena and Absol pulling off the powerful counterattack. Serena really had managed something special with Absol in bringing him this far. Not only had he been nursed back to health with her help, but he was already battling well alongside her. It wasn't just impressive, it was inspiring. By watching these two battle together, and by battling them with Rowlet, Ash knew that their future had no limits. Really, by battling them, he knew that any trainer and Pokemon who worked as hard as them, and trusted one another as well as they did, could become a great team in no matter what goal they wished to achieve.

That didn't mean that he and Rowlet were going to lose, though. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He was even more motivated to win. "Rowlet, let's show them just how strong we are!" he yelled, catching sight of Hala in the crowd behind Sycamore, looking overjoyed at the battle he was watching. "Let's start things off with Leafage!"

"Kooo!" Rowlet hooted loudly, flapping his wings and flying higher into the air, before sending out the glowing green leaves, a cloud of them forming around him and Absol.

Serena didn't panic, though, seeming to have figured out some kind of counter to deal with this attack after the previous one. "Absol, get on your back and spin using Dark Pulse! Just like Pancham taught you!"

"Sol!"

Ash narrowed his eyes, surprised to see the dark energy swirling around where Absol was, seemingly blocking any attack with a tornado. That didn't matter, though, as Ash had a perfect backup plan. "All right, Rowlet, we can still do this! Use Ominous Wind and let's really show our strength!"

"Kooo!" Rowlet agreed, shooting up higher into the sky, above the swirling leaves. He and Ash exchanged one more look, before both nodded. The owl flapped his wings as hard as he could, the smokey wind shooting outwards immediately, crashing against the swirling leaves, and then pushing forward until reaching Absol's Dark Pulse. The "Counter Shield" looked powerful, and the two attacks seemed to strain against each other, a crackling sound being heard as the Ominous Wind clashed with the dark energy of dark pulse amid the swirling leaves of Leafage, purple, black and green sparks shooting outwards.

Finally, neither attack seemed able to outdo the other. Time seemed to freeze for a moment, before the two attacks exploded outward, black and purple smoke shooting out across the field, causing both Ash and Serena to shield their eyes. The crowd could be heard both gasping and coughing as the explosion of smoke reached them, the power of the two Pokemon evident once again.

Ash's eyes widened as he looked out to the field once again as the smoke began to clear, seeing both Rowlet and Absol panting, Rowlet now on the ground once again as he tried to catch his breath. The colliding attacks had clearly done some damage to both of them. However, Ash knew that victory was within reach. He was sure Serena was confident too, but he knew Rowlet could do it.

"Rowlet, let's finish this! Use Peck with everything you've got!" he yelled, punching forward as Rowlet cried out in answer, flapping his wings hard to get back into the air.

"Absol, you can do this, too!" Serena called out encouragingly, smiling brightly. "Double Edge!

"Kooo!"

"Sooolll!"

Once again, both Pokemon launched themselves forwards, Absol breaking out into a run, head aimed low and ready to strike, while Rowlet flapped his wings hard and flew in a straight line to meet the dark type head on, his beak glowing white. Ash could feel the tension in the air and the excitement of the crowd. It was like things were moving in slow motion, and he couldn't hear anything as he watched the two Pokemon approach one another.

Then, once again, they collided with a massive shock wave of energy that buffeted the crowd and caused Ash to shield his face once again. He looked up again, though, desperate to see the result, squinting as he watched the two Pokemon strain against each other. He could see just how determined both of them were.

"Keep it going, Rowlet!" Ash urged, knowing Rowlet just needed a little more of a boost.

"Kooooooo!" The owl tensed up at that, flapping his wings hard as he gave one last push against Absol, his beak glowing even brighter against the dark type's horn. Then, Absol slid back a little, surprised by the extra show of force, Rowlet's beak managing to just slide down from the horn as he gave another flap of his wings. His beak drove into Absol's shoulder, sending the Disaster Pokemon flying back as he finally overwhelmed it.

And as Absol landed in front of Serena, Rowlet lowering himself to the ground, panting hard, Ash, and everyone in the crowd, knew it was over. His eyes immediately met Serena's, and he saw her smiling back at him. There was no way that she was happy that she'd lost, but he could see that she was happy to have given it everything she had. She had given him a great battle. That was all he could have ever asked for.

"Wow, you guys really had a great battle," Shauna said, handing Serena and Ash each a bottle of water after returning from the vendor. "People were really going crazy. I didn't know you had that in you, Serena."

Serena felt her cheeks heat up as she glanced at Ash, the raven-haired trainer smiling widely, clearly still buzzing with excitement from the battle they'd had, along with the one that would be happening a few minutes from now, with Clemont. "I guess battling Ash brought something out in Absol and I," she admitted, smiling at the tired dark type, who was digging into his lunch, eating alongside Pikachu, Riolu and Hawlucha.

"I think you brought something out in me," Ash said, surprising her a little. "I haven't been that fired up since the Kalos League. That was a lot of fun!"

"You probably just wanted to impress Serena, didn't you, Ash?" Bonnie muttered, giggling a little as she and Shauna exchanged an amused look, while Serena immediately avoided Ash's gaze. Although, he didn't seem to get quite understand.

"What's so funny?" he finally asked, glaring at Bonnie.

Before the little devil of a girl could answer, though, Serena was distracted as a large shadow came across their little group. She and the others quickly looked behind her, noticing Hala having come up to them, the Alolan looking just as excited as Ash about the battles.

"Alola!" he said happily, smiling at the group, while they all looked at him in confusion.

"Um...Kalos?" Ash asked, clearly unsure of what his response was supposed to be. Serena was just as confused, supposing his answer was the best she could've come up with as well.

Hala quickly shook his head, though, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly as he laughed. "Oh, sorry...in Alola, that's how we greet one another. I forgot where I was for a moment."

"Doesn't that get confusing?" Bonnie asked, looking up at the big man, curiosity in her eyes. "We don't greet each other here by saying, 'Kalos', whenever we see each other."

Hala laughed loudly once again upon hearing that, smiling down at Bonnie. "Indeed, it is a bit confusing, isn't it? Well, I suppose it works well enough in Alola, but I should probably stick with just a simple 'hello' while I'm here." He then looked at Serena and Ash, the excitement showing on his face again. "That was an excellent battle the two of you had. I was very impressed. You two clearly understand your Pokemon very well, and I can tell how much they care for you." He then smiled, bending down a bit and smirking at Ash. "I could sense a bit of emotion between the trainers, too."

"Huh?" Ash asked, while everyone minus the frozen Serena groaned in exasperation.

"Never mind that then," Hala quickly said, laughing it off. "Up next is your battle with Clemont, correct? Him and his Turtwig?"

"Yeah!" Ash said, pumping his fist excitedly. "Rowlet and Turtwig even have a little rivalry going, so it should be an awesome battle!"

"Kooo," Rowlet hooted in agreement from Ash's shoulder.

"That Ominous Wind attack should be a big boost for you," Serena pointed out, thinking of how hard it had been for her and Absol to deal with. "Clemont will have a tough time trapping you in the same way he managed to get Dawn in their battle."

"Mmm." They both looked at the Alola native, wondering what he seemed to be thinking of as he tapped his chin thoughtfully. It seemed like Ash was just about to ask when suddenly, a commotion could be heard from a crowd near the far end of the stadium, right where Professor Sycamore seemed to be heading out towards the field, holding something in his hand, that sparkled in the sunlight.

"What's th-" Ash's question was immediately cut off as an explosion just behind Sycamore sent the Pokemon Researcher soaring forwards, off his feet and into the ground a few feet away, the item in his hand falling in front of him. A moment later, an Inkay suddenly swooped forward, grabbing the item, before darting back, as a balloon quickly started expanding from where the explosion had struck. Serena tensed up, immediately seeing the balloon take the shape of a Meowth's head.

"Is that...?" she started to ask, just as the trio, along with their Wobbuffet, emerged, James holding what they had taken from Professor Sycamore.

"Team Rocket!" Ash hissed, their exchange confusing Hala a little bit. "They got Sycamore's Key Stone!"

"Hey!" Serena turned around quickly, noticing the rest of their friends coming up to them, Marie in the lead, looking up furiously and pointing. "Isn't that Julie?!"

Serena's eyes went back to the balloon, seeing James studying the Key Stone in his hands, while Meowth looked at it fondly. However, next to Meowth, instead of Jessie, it was, in fact, Julie. Serena's eyes widened with realization as the woman looked down at the group, locking her eyes on Serena and Ash.

"Prepare for trouble, it was just a disguise!" With that, Jessie seemed to rip off the clothes that hid her as Julie, revealing her regular outfit, as James continued the motto.

"And make it double, it was in front of your eyes!"

"To protect the world, from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"What a clever motto," Hala murmured, looking up curiously at the group in the balloon. "Did they come up with all of that on their own?"

Serena and the others looked at the Alolan for a moment, none of them sure if he was serious or not, but in the end, they just decided to ignore it. "Absol, get ready!" Serena called out to her dark type, watching as he quickly leaped out in front of them as they rushed out onto the field, Ash's Hawlucha quickly joining him.

"Give back that Key Stone!" Ash yelled, looking up angrily. "That's not yours!"

"I beg to differ!" Jessie said, cackling away. "By rights, it is mine! That twerpette cheated in our battle!"

"You shouldn't even be competing!" Marie yelled up angrily, her Fletchling out in front of her. "Who did you trick into taking their spot!"

"Some silly little girl, much like you," Jessie laughed out again. "You twerps and twerpettes are all so gullible."

"Who are these people?" Hala asked, pulling out a pokeball, looking up curiously once more. "They remind me of some people back home."

"They're pretty much just Pokemon thieves," Ash told him angrily, looking around as the crowds started to gather around the field, people looking up, some of the teachers that were there telling them to stay back. Serena could see Sycamore standing up now, looking up in frustration at Team Rocket, James still studying the Key Stone.

"Ash, do you think Rowlet could catch that Key Stone if they dropped it?" Hala asked suddenly, opening up his pokeball, the light flashing to reveal a strange, white crab-like Pokemon, with yellow hair on its head, white fur around its body, and two massive arms. "My Crabominable and I can take care of the rest."

"Um...sure," Ash answered, exchanging a confused look with Serena. Rowlet, get ready," he said, looking up at the owl Pokemon as it nodded confidently.

"Don't you try anything!" Jessie yelled down, her Gourgeist appearing in front of the balloon, Inkay floating up in front of it. Serena could tell she was a little nervous about Hala as he stepped forward.

"Crabominable!" the man suddenly shouted. "Together!"

"Crabawww!" the Pokemon, Crabominable, shouted out.

Serena hadn't noticed how loud things had been until that moment, with people having been shouting and making a huge commotion over what was going on above them. In that moment, everyone seemed to go deathly silent, stunned as they watched Hala act. The Alolan spread his arms wide, as did his Crabominable, a light suddenly shining brightly on the strange bracelet around the man's wrist, before he crossed his arms in front of himself and then quickly pulled one back, punching outward with the other. He repeated this motion again and again, Crabominable moving in perfect sync, the light from the item on Hala's bracelet shining brighter and brighter as it enveloped both trainer and Pokemon.

Serena and Ash both took a step back suddenly, gasping as Hala gave one last powerful punch, Crabominable once again mimicking him, the light around him brighter than ever. "ALL OUT PUMMELLING!" Hala shouted loudly, sounding more fierce than an angry Salamence. They all looked up, noticing Team Rocket looking just as stunned, if not more, watching in fear as Crabominable suddenly sent a barrage of orange, glowing fists of light flying towards them.

"What...is that?" Ash breathed out, watching with wide eyes as Team Rocket's Pokemon were easily slammed back into the balloon, Inkay hitting James hard in the middle of the chest, the Key Stone immediately falling out of his grip and out of the balloon. "Rowlet, go!" Ash hissed, luckily not too entranced by Hala's attack, the owl shooting up quickly as they watched the strange fists continue to batter at Team Rocket.

"What's happening?!" Serena heard Jessie scream, as their balloon exploded above them, their carrier left hovering midair for a moment.

"I think we know!" James shouted back in fear, clutching his Inkay as the final fist struck them all at once.

"We're blasting off again!" they all shouted, their group flying away into the sky.

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone on the field, and those in the stands stared up at the place where Team Rocket had been a moment before, while Rowlet snatched the falling Key Stone out of the air, bringing it back down to drop it in Sycamore's hand, before flying back to Ash's shoulder. Everyone's eyes then seemed to go to Hala, watching as the man took a few deep breaths, looking pretty tired out from whatever that attack was. Finally, though, the silence ended, a loud cheer erupting from the crowd.

"Wow, Hala, that was awesome!" Ash yelled, running up to the man. "What was that?! You've gotta tell me! Can I learn that?"

Hala rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "Uhh...well, I suppose so. Although, I think you should maybe focus on your battle, first."

"Right," Professor Sycamore's voice broke in. "Now that we've got the Key Stone back, how about we get things started?"

Serena almost laughed, seeing the conflict in Ash's eyes, knowing he wanted to know all about Hala's strange attack, but also wanting to battle. Of course, when he noticed Clemont and Turtwig looking back at him, it was clear he was ready to finish the tournament off. "All right! Clemont, I hope you're ready!"

"We've been ready since round one!" Clemont assured him, Turtwig nodding confidently beside him.

Serena could definitely see that this was going to be a great battle.

"Are you ready for this, Turtwig?" Clemont asked, looking in front of him as his grass type started to walk out in front of him, staring down Ash's Rowlet as it drifted out in front of Ash. "This will definitely be our toughest battle yet."

"Twig! Tur tur twig!" Turtwig nodded, looking back and giving Clemont a surprisingly serious look. "Twig!"

Clemont smiled at that, looking across at Ash, who seemed to be giving Rowlet some kind of pep talk as well. The inventor knew that this would be a very tough battle to fight, but he knew he needed to stay confident, just like Korrina had told him. He wasn't going to go into it thinking he was going to lose. He expected to win, so he would give it all he had to do so, knowing Ash expected the exact same thing.

They seemed to wait an extra couple of minutes for the referee to get ready, some of the crowd still displaced from the incident with Team Rocket. However, things were eventually cleared up, and everyone seemed to be in their seats when the referee finally emerged, Professor Sycamore standing behind him as he held up the Key Stone, announcing that the winner of the battle would be receiving it as their prize.

Clemont had to admit, seeing it in Sycamore's hands in that moment, it was very exciting to know that it could be his if he could just win this one battle. He shook his head, though, looking out towards Turtwig, knowing that the most important thing was working together with his grass type, sure that it would turn out well no matter what the result was.

"Ash! Clemont!" the referee then yelled, getting their attention. "This will be a one on one battle to decide the victor of this tournament! Ash and Rowlet versus Clemont and Turtwig! The winner will be decided when the opposing Pokemon is unable to battle! Are you ready!"

"Yeah!" Ash yelled confidently, Rowlet hooting in agreement.

"Yes!" Clemont answered next, giving a thumbs up to Ash, Turtwig nodding in front of him.

"All right!" the referee yelled, raising his arm. "Then let the battle begin!"

"Tackle!" both trainers yelled immediately, their Pokemon launching themselves forward as quickly as possible, Turtwig barrelling forward with his head bowed low, while Rowlet had his legs aimed out, ready for impact.

"Kooo!"

"Twig!"

They collided with nearly as much force as Rowlet and Absol had met with earlier, wind shooting out from the impact and seemingly shaking the first few rows of the stadium. Clemont even had to quickly readjust his glasses, while Ash had to hold tightly onto his hat. They both smiled as their Pokemon leaped back from one another, knowing that this was just the beginning.

"All right, Rowlet, keep it up! Use Peck!" Ash shouted, pointing ahead quickly, obviously hoping to keep the intensity up.

"Kooo!" Rowlet hooted, flapping his wings hard and shooting forward quickly, beak glowing white. He reached Turtwig quickly, slamming his beak hard into his fellow grass type's shoulder, the Tiny Leaf Pokemon crying out in pain.

Clemont wasn't giving in that easily, though, knowing he had an opportunity for a quick counterattack. "Turtwig, Bite!" Rowlet could see that he was vulnerable, but there was no chance for him to retreat, Turtwig quickly jumping up and clamping his jaws onto the owl's wing, this time getting a cry of pain from Rowlet, before throwing the owl back.

"A fierce exchange of attacks, and it looks like neither side is going to budge!" Sycamore called out to the crowd, who cheered loudly, sounding even more excited, especially after the show Hala put on against Team Rocket.

"Let's keep it up, Rowlet!" Ash yelled. "Ominous Wind!"

"Razor Leaf!" Clemont countered.

"Kooo!" Rowlet immediately flew a little higher into the air, before suddenly flapping his wings ferociously, while Turtwig jumped back, concentrating hard as he swung his head around. A moment later, a smokey, purple wind began shooting towards Turtwig, as the Tiny Leaf Pokemon responded with a barge of razor sharp leaves. Ultimately, Rowlet's attack proved too much, the Ominous Wind pushing back the Razor Leaf and striking Turtwig hard, sending the grass type rolling along the ground.

Luckily, it seemed like Rowlet didn't get the boost he'd received when using Ominous Wind against Serena, but Clemont could see that it didn't matter much, as Turtwig was in a vulnerable position. "Peck, now!" Ash ordered, taking full advantage of his opportunity.

"Twig?" Turtwig looked up, managing to get to his feet just as Rowlet was charging towards him. Unfortunately, it was too late, the Tiny Leaf Pokemon being struck hard once again by the super effective attack and being knocked backwards once again.

"Quick, use Leech Seed!" Clemont ordered, knowing they needed to find some way to even this match out before it was too late.

"Turrrtwig!" Turtwig cried out loudly, firing out the seed as he fell back, sending it right into Rowlet's chest as the owl fell to the ground, the vines wrapping themselves around him, glowing green as they sapped his energy, causing Turtwig to rise quickly, embracing the energy boost.

"Now, Tackle!" Clemont yelled, knowing they had the edge now, feeling a hint of satisfaction at hearing the crowd cheer for his successful counterattack. He smiled, watching as Turtwig charged forth with all his might, slamming hard into Rowlet as once again, the Leech Seed started to sap his energy, the vines glowing green as he sailed through the air, before crashing hard to the ground in front of Ash.

Ash didn't seem to be backing down, though, smiling as he looked across at Clemont, looking even more energized by the battle after their fierce start. "Come on, Rowlet!" he encouraged, his eyes flashing with his confidence "Break out of those vines and get back in there with Tackle!"

"Turtwig, go!" Clemont yelled, knowing he needed to act quickly. "You use Tackle, too!" Of course, he could see Rowlet straining, and knew that they wouldn't be able to land another easy attack.

"Kooo!" Rowlet hooted, the vines exploding into pieces around him as he spread his wings. Narrowing his eyes as he saw Turtwig charging towards him, he quickly flapped his wings, propelling himself forwards, legs outstretched to meet the opposing grass type head on.

Once again, the two grass types met with explosive force, shaking the field around them and causing the crowd to cheer and gasp at the power of the Pokemon. Clemont and Ash both stared on, clenching their fists as they watched their Pokemon strain against one another, the tension high as the crowd's cheers grew silent. However, in that moment, things only grew even more tense, as suddenly, a bright light began to shine at the centre of the field.

It was like nothing Clemont had ever seen before, his eyes widening as he saw not one, but two Pokemon, shining brightly, their bodies glowing and expanding with the light of evolution, still locked in combat from their attacks. The crowd once again went wild, including Ash's Hawlucha who seemed to be encouraging Rowlet to hold on.

Finally, the light dimmed down, revealing the two Pokemon, both larger than they were previously, each being shoved back by the other as they took a moment to rest, each looking like they were stunned by their new forms as they looked down at their bodies, and back towards their trainers.

"Unbelievable!" Sycamore exclaimed, the crowd going wild at what they'd just witnessed. "Not just one, but two evolutions in one battle, as both Pokemon are giving it their all to earn their trainers the victory! Clemont's Turtwig has evolved into Grotle, while Ash's Rowlet has evolved into Dartrix! I've never seen anything like this!"

Clemont couldn't have been happier, seeing his new Pokemon, looking quite a bit larger than before, but looking very ready to battle. It now appeared that he had a golden shell along his back, a couple of bushes growing out of them, along with a tail extending out of his back. It almost looked like the shell formed a kind of helmet on his head. He clearly looked strong, but Clemont knew he probably had a little less speed than before, so he would need to be cautious.

Meanwhile, on Ash's side of the field, Dartrix definitely didn't look like he'd be fitting into Ash's backpack anymore, no longer a cute little Rowlet. Although, Clemont was sure he could hear Bonnie still calling it cute from the stands. The feathers around his head were a darker shade of brown now, while its wings were larger and mostly white. Two...leaves also seemed to be coming out of the top of its head, looking almost like they were getting in the way as the owl had to push them aside, as though pushing aside a strand of hair. Clemont knew he had to be careful, though, knowing that if Dartrix was even just a little bit stronger, he would be very tough to beat.

"Well, I guess we'd better get this battle going again!" Ash said, Clemont nodding in agreement. "All right then, Dartrix! Show me what you've got!"

"You too, Grotle!" Clemont urged.

"Daroooo!"

"Grotle!"

With that, Dartrix flapped his wings hard, launching himself towards Grotle, who seemed to be bracing himself for impact. The Blade Quill Pokemon quickly held up his wing as he approached, Clemont noticing as it began to glow a bright green. Then, he slammed it down, driving it hard into Grotle's back. The Grove Pokemon cried out in pain, but he wasn't giving in just yet, green light suddenly shining from his shell as Dartrix suddenly cried out in pain, the light around his wing dimming and his body seizing up. He quickly disengaged, flying up as he retreated to hover in front of Ash once more, both Pokemon panting as they glared at one another.

"It looks like their evolutions have given these two a couple of new moves. Dartrix has learned Leaf Blade, while Grotle has learned Mega Drain!" Sycamore informed the crowd. "We'll have to see which trainer can make better use out of their new moves."

"Well, we'll use an old one for now!" Ash shouted, pumping his fist. "Dartrix, use Ominous Wind!"

"Grotle, get ready!" Clemont shouted, knowing they just needed to tough this one out, with Grotle being slower now, and then make their move after.

"Darooo!" Dartrix cried out, flapping his wings hard as the smokey wind was quickly generated. It looked even stronger than before, the crowd cheering at Dartrix's increased strength. Then, a moment later, it shot forth, crashing hard against Grotle as he cried out in pain, sounding like he was holding on as best he could to not be carried away by the wind. Clemont smiled proudly when he saw the wind die down, though, seeing that Grotle had managed to hold his position. However, it seemed that Dartrix was glowing, the secondary effect of Ominous Wind giving him his power boost.

"We can still win this, Grotle!" Clemont shouted, adjusting his glasses. "Razor Leaf!"

"GroooTLE!" Grotle roared, taking both Ash and Dartrix by surprise as he fired off the razor sharp leaves, sending them spinning rapidly towards Dartrix, who was battered relentlessly by them, staggering back and crying out from the attack.

"Hang in there, Dartrix!" Ash shouted encouragingly, his fierce call seeming to give Dartrix the motivation he needed to hold his position. "We can do this! Get in there with Leaf Blade!"

"Counter with Bite!" Clemont shouted, sensing this battle was drawing to a close.

"Hoooo!" Dartrix hooted, flapping his wings to get himself higher into the air, before diving down towards Grotle and extending one wing outward as it began to glow a bright green. Then, just as he swung it outward, Grotle opened his jaws wide, before closing them hard on Dartrix's wing, wincing a bit from the impact, but appearing to cause more pain to Dartrix as it hooted in pain.

"Hang in there, Dartrix!" Ash shouted, smiling, his look surprising Clemont a little. The inventor realized his mistake too late, though, seeing that Grotle was open to an easy attack now. "Use Peck! Full power!"

"Darooo!" Dartrix cried out, his beak glowing white as he pulled his head back. Clemont could only watch in stunned silence as the owl crashed his beak into Grotle's head, the Grove Pokemon crying out in pain as he staggered back, releasing his hold on Dartrix immediately.

"And now, let's finish this, Dartrix!" Ash yelled, the Blade Quill Pokemon flying back a few feet, apparently knowing Ash's next order already. "Ominous Wind!"

"Hoooo!"

The entire stadium seemed to go quiet as they watched Dartrix spread his wings, the purple smoke appearing to drift off them as he started to flap them ferociously. Then, a moment later, the gust exploded outwards, the vulnerable Grotle in no position to fight against it this time, the attack lifting his heavy body into the air and sending him flying back, crashing hard into the ground behind Clemont, leaving him there, unmoving.

The referee seemed to wait a moment, his arm twitching as he watched Grotle. The Grove Pokemon even seemed to stir a little, making the crowd gasp, thinking the match might continue. However, Clemont knew it was over, the inventor smiling in resignation as the referee finally raised his arm, pointing to Ash and Dartrix.

"Grotle is unable to battle!" he shouted, Ash and Dartrix looking surprised, but the former smiling widely as a loud, "Pikapi!" was heard, his Pokemon already running towards him. "Dartrix is the winner! The match, and the tournament, goes to Ash!"

"YAAAHHH!" The crowd roared their approval, cheering as Ash was mobbed by Pikachu, Dartrix, Hawlucha, Noctowl and Riolu, Greninja even popping out of his pokeball to nod his approval.

Clemont watched them a moment, smiling to himself, not feeling the least bit disappointed. Sure, he had wanted to win, and as he saw Sycamore pulling out the Key Stone, he knew it would've been cool to have it, but he couldn't have been more proud of the progress he'd made here. He turned around, seeing Grotle lumbering towards him, the grass type looking upset as he reached Clemont.

"Hey Grotle, you did absolutely amazing out there," Clemont told his Pokemon, kneeling down and hugging him. "Thank you for all your hard work."

"Grotle?" Grotle asked, looking surprised at the praise.

"Yeah, and you know what?" Clemont said, pulling something out of his pocket. He'd made sure to save some of his lunch, a sandwich from one of the snack vendors, to give it to Turtwig, or Grotle now, after the match. "This is for you."

"Grotle!" Grotle exclaimed happily, snapping up the sandwich, wrapper and all, and eating it in one bite. "Grot grotle!"

"NO! Don't eat the wrapper!" Clemont shouted, eyes widening as Grotle burped.

"Hey Clemont!" The inventor quickly turned around, noticing Ash and Dartrix approaching him, both looking as tired as Clemont, and he supposed Grotle, felt. "That was a great battle! Looks like Turtwig, I mean Grotle, has really grown a lot. And I don't just mean from the evolution!"

"Yeah!" Clemont agreed, smiling as he pet his grass type. "And Dartrix was great too. You guys really deserved the win."

"Thanks," Ash said, smiling as he high-fived Dartrix, the grass type quickly reaching up to move the leaves out of his eyes. "We should really battle again soon, Clemont. Maybe Grotle will evolve into Torterra next time!"

Clemont was about to answer, but in that moment, Professor Sycamore started to speak, the researcher quickly calling them over as he addressed the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he called out, gesturing to Ash as he and Clemont came to a stop next to him. "I would like to congratulate everyone who competed and made this tournament as amazing as it could have possibly been. These two trainers are evidence of how much all of you have grown, many of you growing leaps and bounds before my eyes in this tournament. To see two Pokemon evolve in order to give their trainers the best chance of winning, it just shows how far we can all come when it comes to our relationship with Pokemon. Ash, Clemont, Dartrix and Grotle, thank you for giving us a great final battle."

The crowd cheered loudly again at that, while Ash exchanged an awkward smile with Clemont. "Really didn't expect it to turn out like this," he whispered, rubbing his neck in embarrassment, while Pikachu scrambled up onto his shoulder, nuzzling him happily and getting another cheer out of the crowd.

"Now," Professor Sycamore called out, holding the Key Stone in his hands, "as I mentioned prior to the tournament, I was looking to see the bonds between trainer and Pokemon come to light as they fought side by side to win this tournament. The winner today, has shown even more than I had hoped to see. All those competing have shown a great deal of progress.

"However, only one Key Stone can be rewarded, and I can't think of a more deserving winner. Ash," he said, looking towards the raven-haired trainer as he stepped up next to Sycamore, "I present to you this Key Stone. Congratulations on winning the Sycamore Mega Tournament!"

Author's Note:

"Rigged!" "Rigged for Serena!" "Serena's going to win for sure!" "Why even bother because Serena's obviously going to win!" "No point, Serena's winning!" "Rigged, rigged, rigged!"

So...Ash won, huh? Are y'all surprised about that? Glad it could be a surprise for those of you who were convinced Serena would win. I tried to set it up so you could see any of Ash, Serena or Clemont winning, so hopefully it all worked out in the end. And of course, this will have significance later on.

As for the battles, obviously Clemont vs Dawn was less significant, and more about setting up Clemont as a threat for the final. I hope Ash vs Serena was good. It was tough, as I wanted to kind of make it so Ash was figuring a few things out about Serena during the battle, rather than making it about him trying to win. Also, originally, Rowlet was going to learn something else, but given the fact that Ominous Wind was sooooo much better, I went with that. And of course, I hope the evolutions worked out well in the final battle. I was back and forth a million times about evolving those two, but eventually decided they needed it. Also, I apologize if you hate that I ignored levels in the moves they learned upon evolution, but I thought they made for a better battle.

And I hope Hala's Z-Move show was okay. That was Team Rocket's main purpose for being involved here...to be blown off by a Z-Move. Of course...they won't forget what that was, and neither will Ash and company.

Hope you enjoyed, and see you next time.