Chapter 53: The Energetic Gym Leader, Korrina!
"Mm... Ah! This is such a beautiful weather! It feels so nice out!" Serena commented happily as she stretched her arms out.
After the group visited the Kalos Battle Park as Hikaru suggested that they should go, the group and the Sinnoh Champion were making their way to the towns and routes that would get them close to Shalour City, and where Ash and Yuki would have their third Kalos Gym Badge.
"You've got a point... It feels like something new is going to happen the more we keep walking in this nice time and weather." Yuki said, as he smiled at the weather being peaceful, with no signs of bad weather, like rain or fog.
"Best thing to do on a place like this is run!" Ash recommended as Hikaru walked besides his old friend, giving the Kanto Trainer an amused expression.
"You mean that's the best thing for you and Pikachu, since you two were always excited for your upcoming Gym Battles when we traveled together back at Sinnoh." Hikaru reminded, earning a grin and a nod from the Kanto Trainer.
"Yep! And with that being said... Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash called out to his Electric Type partner.
"Pika Pika!"
Both Ash and Pikachu began to run ahead of the others, with Yuki widening his eyes at the sudden run. Clemont sighed while Serena watched in surprise, too.
"Ash! What are you doing!?" Serena called out before she watched Yuki and Hikaru run after Ash, too. Bonnie giggled before she desired to join the run, too. Serena joined the little girl, regaining her smile while Clemont struggled to catch up, as he groaned for being forced to run.
But as the group was running together, both Ash and Yuki heard something coming up from behind them, with a voice calling out to them!
"I found some Trainers!" A girl called out. The boys stopped to see a roller skating girl skidding to a stop right in front of them! By the time the others caught up, they were surprised to see this girl appearing out of nowhere.
But for Hikaru, he blinked and frowned. Infernape came up next to him and turned to his human brother.
"You know this girl, bro?" Infernape asked, before Hikaru shook his head.
"No... But I feel like I should know her... Bright personality, huh..." Hikaru said, as he recalled the words of someone that gave him the Mega Ring and the Key Stone as gifts for arriving at the Kalos region and for meeting this person personally.
"And who are you?" Yuki asked, while Clemont adjusted his glasses.
"Can we help you with something?" Clemont asked, causing the girl to smirk confidently and give a bright response.
"Number 99 and 100! And... that's gonna be you two!" The girl said brightly, before she gestured to both Yuki and Ash.
"Number 99? What are you talking about?" Ash asked, bewildered by the sudden title.
"And Number 100? What's this all about?" Yuki asked with a sweat drop. Both Pikachu and Hawlucha were unsure of how to respond to the girl as they frowned with how the girl was gesturing towards their human partners.
"Well, what do you two think!? I'm talking about the two of you and I having a Pokémon battle!" The girl called out, allowing Clemont to realize a point.
"So, you're a Trainer, too?" Clemont asked, allowing the girl to respond immediately.
"Yeah! That's right! Korrina's my name! My partner's over there!" Korrina explained before she pointed to a familiar Pokémon behind the group. Everyone turned to see a Lucario running towards Korrina! Both Ash and Hikaru recognized this Pokémon as Ash was about to ask.
"Hey, is that...?" Ash started to ask before Hikaru answered.
"Yeah... A Lucario." Hikaru said simply before the group watched Lucario leaping high above them before it joined up with his Trainer. At seeing the Aura Pokémon, Hikaru tensed, as if he figured about something from this girl.
"Her bright personality and her partner being a Lucario... I guess this is what the Guru meant..." Hikaru said, causing Infernape to look back at his human partner before he turned to see the girl and Lucario together.
"You mean... that girl, Korrina, is...?" Infernape started to ask, until Hikaru nodded to him.
[Pokémon: XY Volt 2 Opening (English Subbed)]
(Mega Evolution Pokémon launches their attacks into different directions)
Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying
Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark
Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting
Steel, Psychic, Fairy
(Many Mega Stones appear together)
Now then, another adventure lies ahead; don't hesitate:
(A Pokéball is thrown up in the air until Ash catches it, as Yuki stands by his side)
(Clemont, Serena, and Bonnie push the two, continuing the group's journey)
Shine like a shooting star even in the darkness
(Team Rocket spies on the group before they nearly get caught, thanks to Wobbuffet)
Now then, I'll work up my determination and go, to surpass my yesterday self
On our way there's sure to be
(The group was walking until Serena noticed a movie poster with Diantha as the star)
(No one notices Diantha walking past them in disguise with Gardevoir at her side)
(Korrina and Lucario relaxes on a tree together)
Something super exciting and dangerous!
(Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor appear with Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander)
I will definitely become proud of myself one day
(The scene splits into two, showing Yuki on one side, while Ash on the other)
(Ash watches the moon in the sky as Pikachu, Fletchinder, Froakie, and Hawlucha run over to him)
(Yuki lies on the grass frowning, until his Pokémon all come to his view with smiles on their faces, causing him to smile as well)
That's what you taught me, and indeed, that's why I'm fighting
(Serena bonds with Fennekin as she gets ready to groom her starter)
(Dedenne nuzzles Bonnie's cheek as they smile together)
(Clemont works on an invention, assisted by Bunnelby while Chespin accidentally hurts himself)
I fill my heart with the power of my grand dreams,
Likewise, someone will surely soon call your name
(Ash faces Diantha, who Mega Evolves Gardevoir to begin the battle)
(Pikachu fights Mega Gardevoir as the battle rages on)
When the wind laughs through the trees of the green forest
The yellow flowers open
(Yuki faces Korrina, who uses Mega Lucario against Hawlucha)
(Mega Lucario strikes while Hawlucha dodges to use Flying Press)
Dragon, Ghost, Ground, Flying
Poison, Bug, Water, Electric, Rock, Grass, Dark
Ice, Normal, Fire, Fighting
Steel, Psychic, Fairy
(Mable and Mawile watches the flower petals fly in the air)
(Gurkinn and his Mega Lucario watches on opposite sides as the Tower of Mastery appears)
(Hikaru and Infernape merges their spirits together for Infernape to become Spirit-Infernape)
(Diantha and Gardevoir both open their eyes to show their Mega Stone and Key Stone match)
The yellow flowers open
(Korrina and Lucario joins the group and Hikaru)
[Opening Ends]
With Korrina introducing herself and her partner Lucario, the group was awed at the sight of the two together while Yuki and Hikaru remained unfazed. The Hawlucha Boy took out his Kalos Pokédex to scan the Aura Pokémon, despite the fact that he already knew what the Aura Pokémon was.
"Lucario, the Aura Pokémon and the evolved form of Riolu. Lucario reads the thoughts of others and anticipates their movements by sensing their Auras." Yuki's Pokédex buzzed as Ash smirked, impressed with how Korrina's Lucario looked.
"Another tough opponent...!" Ash commented, while Pikachu called out in agreement.
"Pika!" Pikachu called out while Bonnie was in awe.
"Wow! So cool! She has a Lucario just like you, Hikaru!" Bonnie exclaimed, causing Hikaru to give a sheepish nod and smile.
"She sure does... And this Lucario looks strong too, by the looks of it." Hikaru admitted as the group watched the Trainer and her Pokémon high-five one another before Korrina cried out her excitement and determination to win the battles she was going to have today.
"This is perfect! We're in top form today! Yeah!" Korrina called out as she made circles with her left arm in determination while her Lucario shared her excitement.
"So, we're on!? We're having a battle, right? Here and now?" Korrina asked before she and Lucario gazed at both Ash and Yuki. The Hawlucha Boy sweat dropped at the two while Ash was excited to have a tough battle.
"Right! I wanted to do some training before I challenge the Shalour Gym, anyway!" Ash said with a grin.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu called out in agreement.
"Same here... My Pokémon and I do need some workout so we can prepare for our next battle..." Yuki admitted while Hawlucha folded his arms with a nod.
"Haw..." Hawlucha said in affirmation. This amused the energetic Trainer and her Aura Pokémon as they looked at each other with smiles on their faces.
"What do you know? The Shalour Gym! Are the rest of you Trainers, too? Are you gonna challenge the Shalour Gym?" Korrina asked, as she turned to the others, including Hikaru. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all blinked in surprise before they quickly denied that they were Trainers training for Gym Battles.
"Mm... We're not challenging any Gyms on this trip!" Serena said politely.
"But as far as being Trainers, you guessed right!" Clemont added. The introduction soon began with Serena going first.
"Hi. I'm Serena!" Serena said before Bonnie went up.
"Hi there! I'm Bonnie! This is Dedenne! And this is my brother!" Bonnie explained as she made a triple introduction including herself, Dedenne, and Clemont.
"My name is Clemont. It's nice to meet you!" Clemont added, before Ash and Yuki introduced themselves.
"My name is Ash! Great to meet you! And this is my partner, Pikachu!" Ash said, before he allowed Pikachu to climb up onto his shoulder to make his introduction.
"Pika Pikachu!"
"I'm Yuki. And this is my partner, Hawlucha." Yuki explained before he allowed his Wrestling Pokémon to introduce himself.
"Hawlucha Haw."
Hikaru was the last to introduce himself as he cleared his throat before introducing himself and Infernape.
"My name's Hikaru. And this is my best friend, Infernape." Hikaru explained, while Infernape gave a silent nod and a smile. Korrina nodded to the group before she led everyone to where there would be a field that would give them the space to have a great Pokémon battle.
Later...
Ash was the first to go up, as Korrina labeled him as "Number 99". Korrina quickly chose Lucario as her battling partner while Ash chose Pikachu! The two Pokémon glared at each other, preparing for battle.
Korrina: Lucario VS Ash: Pikachu
"Okay, Ash! Let's go! Make the first move!" Korrina called out, allowing Ash to make the first strike. The Kanto Trainer nodded before he called out his first attack.
"You got it! Let's do this, buddy! Quick Attack!" Ash shouted out. Pikachu wasted no time charging at Lucario while Korrina countered with a stronger move!
"Lucario, stop them!" Korrina said simply. The Aura Pokémon dashed towards the attack as he took it! Yuki frowned before he scratched the back of his head, confused with the initiative attack Ash was doing.
"Well, that was unwise of Ash... He knows that a Normal Type move like Quick Attack shouldn't do much on a Steel Type like Lucario, so why...?" Yuki asked before Hikaru made the answer.
"I believe he was just playing around with the first attack, before he starts to fight seriously. That's how he always was when he fought with Trainers like Korrina over there. On serious times like Gym Battles, it's more serious." Hikaru explained sternly.
Yuki nodded at the response as he began to understand a little when Ash called out a different attack!
"Iron Tail, let's go!" Ash called out. At the order, the Steel Type move was aimed at Lucario, which Korrina noticed before she made a defensive call.
"Quick, block it!" Korrina called out. Using his strong arms to block the attack, Lucario didn't flinch when the Iron Tail made a hit before he knocked Pikachu away! Ash blinked in surprise, while the others watched in amazement.
"It deflected it!" Bonnie pointed out in surprise.
"I'm getting the feeling that Korrina's Lucario is capable of much more! Beating it won't be easy!" Clemont commented, as Serena tried to encourage Ash to win.
"Come on, Ash and Pikachu! You can do it!" Serena shouted out. Hearing Serena's call, the Kanto Trainer remained positive as he assured to his partner that they could keep the match going on.
"Let's keep up the pressure, Pikachu! We'll be fine!" Ash called out.
"Pi! Pika Pika!" Pikachu shouted out, before another move was called out.
"Now, use Iron Tail!" Ash called out, ordering the Electric Type to strike again with the Steel Type move! Pikachu did so, charging at the Aura Pokémon again until Korrina called for an evasive maneuver this time!
"Dodge it, Lucario!" Korrina called out, allowing her Aura Pokémon to evade the Steel Type attack twice before she began to call for an offensive strategy.
"Now, use Swords Dance!" Korrina shouted out. At the order, Lucario focused his energy, summoning the swords to increase his attack power by a lot!
"This doesn't look good... Now Lucario's physical attacks will be even stronger!" Yuki said while Korrina jumped up and down in excitement.
"Ha! Okay, Lucario! Bone Rush!" Korrina called out, before Lucario summoned up a bone to make a harsh hit! The long, glowing bone soon became a weapon for Lucario to use as he made a quick dash before he slammed Pikachu away!
Pikachu yelled in pain before he was knocked back, shocking Ash as he watched in disbelief.
"Ah! No way!" Ash gasped.
"Pikachu!? Oh no!" Bonnie shouted in worry.
"Um, Hikaru? Bone Rush is a Ground Type move, right?" Serena asked, allowing the young Champion to nod and confirm her worries.
"That's right. And because it's a Ground Type move, it dealt Pikachu some major damage since he's an Electric Type, with more damage being dealt because of Lucario's Swords Dance move boosting its attacks..." Hikaru added seriously.
"This doesn't look good for Pikachu already. What do you think of this, Hikaru?" Infernape asked, before Hikaru responded.
"I don't think Ash is ready to take on the Shalour Gym, especially with the way Korrina is battling him right now..." Hikaru said silently, enough to let only Infernape hear. The Flame Pokémon frowned before he watched his Electric Type friend struggle to stand up!
"All right! Now that's what I call a hit! Okay, let's keep up the pressure with another Bone Rush!" Korrina shouted out excitedly. Her partner wasted no time getting ready to strike before he dashed towards Pikachu as Ash tried to get his partner to stand fast!
"Pikachu, get up now!" Ash pleaded loudly. But due to the critical damage the Mouse Pokémon had taken from the first Bone Rush, Pikachu was finding it hard to recover and move from Lucario's close attack range!
The Bone Rush made a critical hit once again, much to Ash's shock as he watched his Electric Type get smashed into the air!
"Ah!"
"Attack one more time!" Korrina shouted out. At her call, Lucario smashed the Mouse Pokémon up in the air again, much to Ash's dismay as he watched his partner get knocked into the air the second time!
"Pikachu, no!" Ash cried out in dismay. Everyone watched as Pikachu began to fall again in defeat, until Lucario stopped the Bone Rush attack, before switching to a different move, which was a Power-Up-Punch!
As Lucario struck Pikachu again, both Clemont and Hikaru blinked as Korrina cheered for the hard hit!
"Awesome! There it is! The Power-Up-Punch!" Korrina exclaimed as she pumped her fist into the air. Pikachu finally landed on the ground in defeat, as Ash ran over to his Electric Type partner in worry.
Winner: Korrina
"Pikachu! Are you okay!?" Ash asked as he held his wounded partner into his arms. The others ran over to check up on the Electric Type as the Mouse Pokémon groaned, feeling a bit beaten up by the multiple hits and frustrated with the fact that he lost.
Korrina and Lucario walked over, with Korrina grinning at her victory.
"Well, alright, Ash! It looks like we won! Here's a Sitrus Berry!" Korrina pointed out before she offered a Berry that could tend to Pikachu's spirits a little. Accepting it with thanks, the Kanto Trainer offered it to his Mouse Pokémon.
"Huh... Thanks a lot. This will make you feel better, Pikachu." Ash said before he let Pikachu bite onto the health restoring berry. As Pikachu tried to eat the berry, Korrina evaluated on how well they could do if they were to challenge the Shalour Gym.
"That Pikachu of yours is pretty strong! But, you're not gonna be able to beat the Shalour Gym!" Korrina said bluntly, surprising everyone except Hikaru. Serena frowned before she asked for the reason Korrina speaks like that.
"How can you be so sure?" Serena asked. The energetic Trainer and Lucario looked at each other before she began to explain.
"You see..." Korrina started to say until Hikaru interrupted her.
"It's because she's the Gym Leader of the Shalour Gym." Hikaru explained suddenly, shocking everyone while leaving Korrina a bit surprised at the boy's knowledge of her.
"What!? No way!" Ash exclaimed in surprise.
"You're the Shalour City Gym Leader!?" Clemont exclaimed in surprise.
"Wow... No wonder you're so strong!" Bonnie said in amazement.
"Yeah... I guess that explains why Lucario looked so tough to beat, even with Pikachu landing a few attacks on it..." Yuki said, remembering how Lucario was able to handle Pikachu's attacks perfectly without a flinch.
"That's right... And with this, that makes 99 wins! One more to go!" Korrina exclaimed, as she grinned at her Aura Pokémon. Lucario grunted with a grin, as if he was agreeing with what Korrina was saying until something interrupted their celebration.
A growling noise came a bit close and loud, catching the group by surprise while Korrina and Lucario both turned red together in embarrassment. They looked at their stomachs while Korrina gave a sheepish smile for her sudden hunger.
"Nothing's more embarrassing than a growling tummy! But we really can't help it all, since Pokémon battles take a whole lot of energy!"
"Arr rar!"
Both Lucario and Korrina expressed their embarrassment before Ash understood how they felt, since he was feeling a bit empty inside, too.
"I know what you mean! I'm kind of feeling hungry, too!" Ash admitted, while Pikachu sheepishly smiled, as he felt hungry from the harsh battling he had to do.
"Pikachu..."
Hikaru raised an eyebrow at his Kanto friend before a smile crept up to his face.
"This is you, alright... You being hungry at most times." Hikaru said while shaking his head while Ash gave him a pout.
"What's that supposed to mean!?" Ash grumbled, causing the others to laugh at the expression Ash was making. Clemont cleared his throat before he volunteered to make lunch for everyone, and their Pokémon.
"All right. So why don't we all have a little lunch?" Clemont suggested, which Ash and Korrina immediately agreed on.
"Yes, please!" Both Ash and Korrina shouted out together. At realizing that they both responded at the same time, the two chuckled together while Yuki, Serena, and Bonnie all watched with sweat drops before they chuckled at the sight.
Soon, the group and Korrina were enjoying the lunch that Clemont has made for them, leaving the Fighting Type user amazed as she took a sandwich for her to eat.
"I can't believe Clemont made all of this!" Korrina exclaimed before she chewed on the sandwich before swallowing it.
"Mm! Delicious! Your cooking is number one!" Korrina said bluntly, causing Clemont to smile at the compliment before he took it gratefully.
"I appreciate the compliment! Thank you!" Clemont chuckled as Serena turned to see Hawlucha, Pikachu, Dedenne, and Lucario tasting the PokéPuff that she made for them to enjoy.
"How are the PokéPuffs? I used Pecha Berries to make the topping!" Serena asked, only to get positive responses from the four Pokémon! Even Lucario seemed to enjoy the sweet food to a lot. The Aura Pokémon made a small grunting, which sounded like a compliment for Korrina.
"It looks like Lucario loves them!" Korrina exclaimed, causing Serena to feel happy and relieved.
"Really? I'm so glad!" Serena said, before Yuki noticed someone missing.
"Um... Where's Infernape, Hikaru?" Yuki asked, allowing the young Champion to answer with a small smile.
"He's next to us, enjoying the Poffins that I made for him!" Hikaru explained, before he looked to his right to see his Flame Pokémon enjoying the snack his human brother made for him. Bonnie and Serena looked at the food in curiosity with Serena asking first.
"What are Poffins?" Serena asked, causing Hikaru to explain.
"A Poffin is a type of Pokémon snack that Pokémon would like, similar to PokéPuffs, but in a different method and style. They're snacks made from Berries, given to Pokémon so they could be healthy and look good at the same time." Hikaru explained.
"Be healthy and look good? What for?" Yuki asked, allowing Hikaru to answer again.
"Oh, that's right... Pokémon Contests aren't popular in the Kalos region, huh? Well, that's what the Poffins are for. To make a Pokémon look good in a Pokémon Contest." Hikaru explained, causing more questions to rise.
"Pokémon Contest?" Serena said in curiosity.
"Right! They're really popular in the Hoenn region, Sinnoh, Johto, and even in Kanto, too! The Trainers who enter the Contest gets to show how skilled their Pokémon can be by showing their moves with style!" Ash explained.
"Wow..." was all Serena could say as she was eager to hear more. Even Clemont and Bonnie looked eager to listen to this while Yuki and Korrina just watched to hear what Ash and Hikaru had to say about the competitions.
"He's right... The Trainers who participate in Pokémon Contests are called Coordinators. They participate in these events to win Ribbons. It's similar to a Gym Badge, but Pokémon Contests are a bit limited unlike how Gym Battles go." Hikaru explained, as Serena smiled.
"That sounds fun... I wish I could see how a Pokémon Contest would go." Serena said, having thoughts about becoming a Coordinator someday.
"I don't think you'll find a chance to participate in one in Kalos, Serena... This is the first time the five of us are hearing about this, remember?" Yuki asked, causing the Vaniville girl to pout before she sat back down while folding her arms.
"Pokémon Contests, huh... That does sound fun. But for me and Lucario, it's just battling for the two of us! And besides, I even have my duty as the Shalour City Gym Leader, too!" Korrina said before she reached for another sandwich.
It was at that moment when Bonnie noticed something familiar on Korrina's left glove.
"Huh? Korrina, what's that thing?" Bonnie asked, causing everyone else to turn to the Fighting Type user.
"Hm? Oh! It's a Key Stone!" Korrina explained before she showed it to the little girl. This surprised both Ash and Yuki as they now recognized the Key Stone that was attached to Korrina's left glove.
"A Key Stone?" Ash repeated in surprise.
"I thought so! It looks just like the one Diantha and Hikaru has!" Bonnie exclaimed happily.
"Diantha? Wow! You met the Champion!?" Korrina exclaimed, earning a nod from the Hawlucha Boy.
"Yeah... She had a Key Stone like you did, along with her Gardevoir having a Gardevoirite. I remember that she used it to show how strong her bond was with her Gardevoir..." Yuki explained before he recalled the time when the Kalos Champion made her Gardevoir Mega Evolve into Mega Gardevoir.
"Yuki's right. We saw Diantha use her Key Stone with Gardevoir for its Mega Evolution! The same going for Hikaru using his Key Stone to Mega Evolve his Lucario!" Clemont explained, surprising the Fighting Type user as she turned to the young Champion with a shocked expression.
"What!? No way! YOU can Mega Evolve, too!?" Korrina explained, causing Hikaru to look up at her before he nodded with a small smile on his face.
"That's right. My Lucario has a Lucarionite which lets him Mega Evolve." Hikaru explained briefly before he continued to eat one of the sandwiches. The Shalour Gym Leader gazed at the young Champion in disbelief while her Lucario looks at Hikaru with interest.
The Aura Pokémon was able to sense a very strong aura coming from the boy, along with his Flame Pokémon's aura, too. At feeling this coming from the two, the Aura Pokémon gave a smile, understanding that if he were to fight those two, then it would be a very tough battle, unlike the other battles he had before.
"Korrina, can your Lucario Mega Evolve, too?" Clemont asked, catching Korrina's attention before she shook her head in denial.
"Nope... You see, Lucario doesn't have a Mega Stone yet, like your friend does here." Korrina admitted sheepishly, which the others responded in surprise.
"Oh... No Mega Stone?" Serena asked as Yuki sighed.
"And just when we thought we ran into another Mega Evolution user..." Yuki sighed in disappointment. Hawlucha looked up at his human partner before he sighed, too. The Wrestling Pokémon could understand how Yuki felt, since Hawlucha himself was looking forward to battle a Mega Evolved Pokémon.
"So... You just have the Key Stone right now?" Ash asked with a frown.
"Yep! My grandfather gave it to me! Didn't he give you that Key Stone, too?" Korrina answered before she turned to Hikaru with the same question.
"That's right. I believe when you say your grandfather, you mean the Mega Evolution Guru?" Hikaru asked, earning a nod from the Fighting Type user.
"Yep! That's who I'm talking about!" Korrina answered brightly, causing Yuki to turn to the Sinnoh Champion.
"So Hikaru already met the person that's called the Mega Evolution Guru? I think I heard a little about the Mega Evolution Guru... how the Guru's ancestors were the first ones to be able to use Mega Evolution..." Yuki thought before Korrina explained the same thing.
"Oh yeah! The first person to Mega Evolve a Lucario was one of my ancestors! Isn't that wild?" Korrina asked excitedly.
"Wait... That's just what I was thinking!" Yuki thought before a sweat drop came dropping down from his face.
"One of your ancestors?" Bonnie repeated in awe.
"Yep! It's part of the tradition at the Shalour City Gym to have a Gym Leader there with Pokémon that can Mega Evolve!" Korrina explained. A small memory came to the young Gym Leader's mind, as she recalled the time when she received her Key Stone from the Guru.
Flashback
Inside a tower with a Mega Lucario statue, an old man, who was known to be the Mega Evolution Guru, was speaking with Korrina, who had Lucario at her side.
"Now, listen well... In order for Lucario to Mega Evolve, you'll need a Key Stone... as well as a Mega Stone." The Guru explained as he gave Korrina the Mega Glove for her to wear, allowing the young Gym Leader to gaze at her newly gained Key Stone.
"So I just need to go to Geosenge Town to get a Mega Stone!" Korrina said energetically before she raised her Mega Glove a bit high into the air, where she could see it above her.
"Mega Evolution is an evolution that transcends all other evolution! It goes without saying that you need both a Mega Stone and a Key Stone! But what is more important, is the bond of trust between you and your Pokémon." The Guru said seriously.
"Yep, yep, yep! We need a strong bond! I get it! I get it! Lucario and I will get strong together!" Korrina said before she pumped her fist up in the air. She turned, before saying farewell to the Guru, who was also known to be her grandfather.
"Okay, Grandfather! We're leaving!" Korrina called out before she and Lucario left the tower, where the two began their training journey together.
Flashback End
"We decided we needed 100 victories in a row before we went to Geosenge Town! That's what Lucario and I have been doing!" Korrina explained, while her Lucario nodded in affirmation.
"So, when you were challenging me, you were going for victory number 99?" Ash asked in disbelief, as he came to a realization that he was one of the 100 Trainers that Korrina was going to beat to achieve her goal.
"Who records their victories like that...?" Yuki said with a sweat drop while Serena watched Korrina in disbelief.
"But having 99 victories in a row? I know you're a Gym Leader and everything, but that sounds a little hard to believe!" Serena said sheepishly. The Fighting Type user giggled, understanding how Serena felt before she revealed the evidence of her straight victories.
"Oh, I got proof! See this?" Korrina asked before she took an old book. Revealing it, there were several pages of Pokémon footprints, which Serena noticed.
"They're... footprints?" Serena asked in surprise. Ash and Bonnie rushed over to look and see what footprints there were while Clemont, Yuki, and Hikaru watched from the other side.
"Wow! They're from the Pokémon you battled against?" Bonnie asked in amazement.
"Yep! I asked them to stamp their paws!" Korrina said with a giggle, before she flipped a page to show one of the footprints.
"Here's a print from a Pangoro, whose Trainer's name is Kramer! And this one, is from a Krookodile with the Trainer named Seth, and...ah... AH!" Korrina started to explain before she let out a gasp in realization.
"What's the matter?" Bonnie asked in concern.
"I forgot to ask Pikachu to stamp its paw!" Korrina exclaimed. With that said, she quickly grabbed a ketchup bottle before she ran over to the Electric Type. She put some ketchup onto the Mouse Pokémon's paw before she urged Pikachu to place his paw on an empty page.
"Now don't mind me..." Korrina said sheepishly while the others watched in surprise. Serena, Yuki, and Hikaru didn't find this amusing as the Vaniville girl frowned at the Gym Leader using ketchup as a paint for a paw print.
"That's ketchup..." Serena said, while Clemont watched sheepishly. Korrina didn't seem to mind as she nodded her head several times in satisfaction.
"Mm hm! Mm hm! Mm hm! This is perfect!" Korrina said, before Pikachu licked at the ketchup on his paw. The Electric Type gave a happy 'Cha' cry, as if he liked the taste of the ketchup.
Later...
After the group was finished having their lunch together, Korrina turned to the Hawlucha Boy, as she remembered that he was to be her final opponent, so that she could achieve her 100 straight victories.
"One more Trainer left! And that Trainer is going to be you! Yuki!" Korrina cried out. Her sudden declaration caught the Hawlucha Boy off guard before he turned to the Fighting Type user.
"So I'm your final opponent for your 100 straight victories, huh... All right, then. I accept your challenge, Korrina." Yuki said seriously before he glanced at Hawlucha. Knowing the look, Hawlucha nodded before he stood with his human partner.
"They're battling already even when they had lunch? Talk about getting straight to the point..." Serena said with a frown. Hikaru just watched with Infernape at his side, as the Hawlucha Boy was ready to ace the Shalour City Gym Leader and her partner.
"This I have to see!"
"Pika Pika!"
Both Ash and Pikachu ran next to Hikaru, as they were eager to see how the battle would go. Even Bonnie joined in, followed by Clemont and Serena.
"You can do it, Yuki! Hawlucha! Fight, fight, fight!"
"Dedenne!"
Both Bonnie and Dedenne cheered for the two, as Lucario got in front of Korrina while Hawlucha got in front of Yuki.
Korrina: Lucario VS Yuki: Hawlucha
"Okay, Yuki! You make the first move!" Korrina called out.
"It'll be our pleasure! Hawlucha, dash for a Karate Chop!" Yuki shouted out.
Wasting no time, the Wrestling Pokémon dashed to where his strong opponent was! Lucario was ready as he braced himself for the attack before he took the hit with his two sturdy paws! The two Fighting Types glared at each other before Lucario deflected the Karate Chop attack.
"It deflected it! Just like with Pikachu's Iron Tail attack!" Bonnie pointed out in amazement.
"Focus Blast, let's go!" Yuki called out.
Jumping in the air, the Wrestling Pokémon focused his energy before he created a ball of energy before he threw it to where Lucario was!
"Dodge it, Lucario! Then, use Swords Dance!" Korrina called out.
Using his quick speed to evade the Focus Blast attack, Lucario concentrated on raising his attack power, only to let Yuki take this chance to strike.
"You're wide open if you do that... Now, Hawlucha! Use Aerial Ace!" Yuki cried out.
The order surprised Lucario as he watched Hawlucha fly towards him with a Flying Type attack! The focus from the Swords Dance was interrupted, causing the attack power boost to not occur as Korrina blinked.
"Counter that move, Lucario! Use Bone Rush!" Korrina called out.
Evading Aerial Ace like with Focus Blast, the Aura Pokémon formed a large bone before he dashed to where Hawlucha was! As the Aura Pokémon was attempting to make a strike, Yuki found another way to counter the hard attack.
"Not this time! Block it with Karate Chop! Back to back!" Yuki yelled, allowing Hawlucha to block the Ground Type attack with his Fighting Type attack! At first, the Aura Pokémon blinked in surprise before he tried to strike with Bone Rush multiple times.
However, Lucario found it hard to hit when Hawlucha blocked the Bone Rush strikes with his Karate Chop attack, which prevented any damage from occurring.
"Whoa, that's fast. Hawlucha is going at the same speed as Lucario! How does that happen?" Korrina asked in amazement. Yuki just smiled, seeing how well the battle was going for both him and Hawlucha before he shouted out a different move.
"Your attacks may be hard and brutal, but it can't do anything when Hawlucha blocks it with a stronger move! Now, use Aerial Ace!" Yuki shouted out. Hearing the order, the Wrestling Pokémon dodged a Bone Rush before he slashed Lucario with the Flying Type attack!
This attack caused Lucario to wince a little before Hawlucha pushed him back, forcing the Aura Pokémon to skid back.
"A hit!" Ash said in awe.
"Pika..." Even Pikachu was amazed with how well Hawlucha was doing while Korrina on the other hand, was amused with how well her opponent was fighting back.
"You're not bad! I guess this is where the real battle starts to get going! Lucario, use Metal Sound!" Korrina shouted out. Leaping back several times, Lucario used his claws to make a loud sound to stun Hawlucha, forcing the Wrestling Pokémon to yell in surprise and cover his ears.
"Oh man! Hawlucha!"
"Pika!"
Ash and Pikachu expressed their worries for the Wrestling Pokémon as Hikaru recognized the move that Lucario was using right now.
"Using Metal Sound... That's not going to be good for Hawlucha since Metal Sound lowers the opponent's Special Defense while stunning them at the same time." Hikaru pointed out while Infernape just watched carefully.
"Argh! That's loud! Hawlucha, make some distance! Use Focus Blast!" Yuki grunted as he felt the Metal Sound loud and clear, too.
Shaking his head to focus back on the battle, Hawlucha flew into the air before he launched another Focus Blast attack! But Korrina was ready for this one as she called to Lucario to strike back.
"Deflect it with Bone Rush, Lucario! It's time to play ball!" Korrina called out. Amused with her words, Lucario summoned up the bone before he got ready to strike at the Focus Blast, acting like this was a game of baseball!
Then, with the right timing, the Bone Rush made the hit, hitting the Focus Blast right back at Hawlucha, who widened his eyes in surprise to see his attack get deflected in a creative way.
"What is this, baseball? Hawlucha, deflect the Focus Blast with Karate Chop!" Yuki called out. Using his Fighting Type move, the Wrestling Pokémon deflected his own deflected attack to send it right back at Lucario, who sent the Focus Blast back with Bone Rush again!
Everyone watched to see this match turning into some sort of a tennis match! The Focus Blast was hit back to back by Lucario's Bone Rush attack and Hawlucha's Karate Chop attack. Hikaru found this amusing as he gave a little chuckle.
"First, it's baseball and now it's a tennis match... What else is next? Dodgeball?" Hikaru suggested, earning a snicker from Infernape, who found that funny. Eventually, the tennis game ended with Korrina calling the next move.
"This game has to end now! Lucario, dodge it! Then, use Swords Dance!" Korrina shouted out.
Finally dodging the Focus Blast that was hit several times, the Aura Pokémon focused his energy to make his attack power stronger while Yuki focused on striking back while the enemy's guard was down.
"Let's make this work! Hawlucha, Karate Chop again! Back to back!" Yuki called out. Like he once attempted to do, Hawlucha flew towards Lucario, who managed to complete the power boost this time!
"Great! It worked this time! Now, Lucario! Power-Up-Punch!" Korrina called out.
Raising his fist and focusing his energy onto it, the Aura Pokémon gave a hard punch onto Hawlucha, who lost his focus on the Karate Chop attacks!
"CHA!" Hawlucha yelled in pain before he landed on the ground.
"No way! Hawlucha, are you okay!?" Yuki called out in shock. Understanding his human partner's concern, Hawlucha let out a grunt before he shook his head a little to shake off the damage. Once he did so, the Wrestling Pokémon glared at the Aura Pokémon, who was ready for more action.
"That was a hard blow... But I'm sure that we can do better! Hawlucha, it's payback time! Show them your Flying Press!" Yuki shouted out.
Having no hesitation to hold back, Hawlucha flew high into the air, surprising Korrina and Lucario for a moment before he dove down to slam Lucario hard! The Aura Pokémon grunted in pain as he skidded back, while Korrina called for another move!
"That was hard, too! Lucario, Power-Up-Punch!" Korrina called back.
The fist gained the energy again as Lucario charged at Hawlucha while the Hawlucha Boy was ready.
"He's coming at you again... Aerial Ace!" Yuki shouted back.
Waiting for Lucario to get close, the Wrestling Pokémon managed to dodge in time before he slashed Lucario again with the Flying Type attack! Korrina gasped while the others except Hikaru watched in amazement.
"That was a close hit! Hawlucha took a risky move just now!" Clemont pointed out.
"Yeah... but it worked out pretty well! Even Lucario must've felt that hit!" Ash reminded in amazement.
Korrina watched her Lucario recover from the hit he had taken before she gazed at Yuki, who still looked raring to go.
"I honestly didn't think a Trainer like Yuki would corner us like this even with Lucario's speed and power. I guess this means we have to go all out for real! He dealt Lucario some serious damage enough!" Korrina thought seriously as Yuki thought differently.
"That was a risky gamble, but it was well worth it. Lucario must be feeling the little damages he had taken from Hawlucha's attacks. So if we make this count with the battle going on, then there's a good chance that we could win this battle! I just know it!" Yuki thought brightly.
"Now, Lucario! Show them your true power!"
"Hawlucha, you use Flying Press!"
The two orders were shouted out at the same time, allowing both Fighting Types to charge at each other with everything they've got! Hawlucha flew up into the air again to land a hard attack while Lucario focused his energy onto his fist, even when Korrina didn't call out a move specifically!
Soon, the two fighters were ready as they approached each other quick! Soon, the two attacks made a hit on each other! The Flying Press slammed Lucario away, but not before the Power-Up-Punch hit Hawlucha's chest, hard.
Both Fighting Types winced at the pain they were dealt with before they were both sent back to their Trainers! Yuki and Korrina both gasped at this as they watched their Fighting Type partners get knocked out from each others' attacks.
As they landed, dust rose up, causing everyone to cover their eyes to prevent themselves from getting blinded.
"So who won!?" Bonnie shrieked out as she held onto Dedenne to prevent the Electric-Fairy Type from being blown away.
"I don't know! I can't see!" Serena shouted out while Hikaru looked, remaining unfazed with how the battle was going until the dust started to clear away. By the time everyone opened their eyes again, they all saw surprising results with their eyes.
Both Hawlucha and Lucario were knocked out! They were both unconscious from the final attacks they hit each other with, shocking both Trainers as they ran over to their defeated Pokémon.
"It's... a tie!?" Ash yelped in shock.
"Pika..." Pikachu breathed out as the Mouse Pokémon didn't expect this result.
DRAW
"Oh no! Lucario, are you alright?" Korrina asked in concern. She held her partner in her arms, as Lucario slowly awoke to see his Trainer staring at him in concern.
"Rarr..." Lucario grunted, before he smiled weakly in satisfaction.
"Hawlucha, how are you feeling?" Yuki asked softly before he held his Wrestling Pokémon in his arms. For Hawlucha, the Wrestling Pokémon slowly opened his eyes before he gave a reassuring smile to his human partner before he gave a weak glance towards the Aura Pokémon.
The two Fighting Types smirked at each other, as they seemed to have accepted each other as tough rivals. Ash was the first to notice as he smiled at the two.
"Hey, Yuki? Korrina? I think Lucario and Hawlucha accepted each other as rivals!" Ash pointed out, causing Yuki to turn to his partner in question.
"Hawlucha, is that true? You found Lucario as your new rival?" Yuki asked, earning a nod from the Wrestling Pokémon.
"I'm guessing it's the same for you, Lucario?" Korrina asked with a giggle. Her Aura Pokémon responded the same as Hawlucha did as Serena sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness... I thought it was going to get more intense..." Serena breathed out in relief.
"Well, at least no one lost the battle..." Clemont added sheepishly.
"That's right... That means our winning streak goal hasn't been cut off yet! When you're done resting, Lucario... you want to battle again?" Korrina asked excitedly. Lucario nodded to her with a grunt, as he was also excited about accomplishing their goal for their 100 winning streaks.
Since they didn't actually lose to Yuki, their winning streak didn't seem like it was interrupted with as Yuki helped the Wrestling Pokémon up.
"I guess this means you have to search for your 101th opponent if you want to achieve your goal..." Yuki said bluntly as Korrina nodded to him in agreement.
"Yep, that's right! Is my final opponent going to be Serena? Or will it be Clemont? Oh! Maybe even Hikaru, since he has a Key Stone like I do!" Korrina asked before she glanced at the Vaniville girl, the Lumiose Gym Leader, and the young Sinnoh Champion.
Noticing Korrina glance at him, the young Champion frowned at her bright attitude despite of the trouble she had with her battle against Yuki.
"I can't believe she's still so energetic like that even when she didn't win the battle. Despite her powerful reputation as a Trainer, she doesn't look like she could even master Mega Evolution, especially with the way she's acting in battle..." Hikaru thought sternly.
The Champion remembered with how Korrina battled against both Ash and Korrina. The first time was when Lucario used Power-Up-Punch without her command, which Korrina didn't seem to be bothered with.
And the second time was when Korrina called for a finishing attack while battling against Yuki. And what Hikaru noticed, was that she didn't call out a specific move to end the battle. All she told Lucario was to attack hard, which caused Lucario to respond with another Power-Up-Punch.
"Is she really supposed to be a Gym Leader? She's more like on a sugar rush to me. From what I know, Gym Leaders don't let their Pokémon attack randomly when the Leader doesn't say a specific order. There's something wrong with this..." Hikaru thought again seriously.
"I'm guessing you know what's wrong too, huh, bro?" Infernape asked, as he faced his human brother. Hikaru nodded back, before he watched Korrina tend to Lucario's wounds from her recent battle while Yuki tended to Hawlucha's wounds, with Clemont and Serena's help.
"Yeah... And it's something that Korrina doesn't seem to be aware of herself." Hikaru spoke seriously, but silent enough to only let Infernape hear.
To be continued...
Yuki's Team:
Hawlucha: (M): (Flying Press, Aerial Ace, Karate Chop, Focus Blast)
Heracross: (M): (Swords Dance, Protect, Brick Break, Megahorn)
Bulbasaur: (F): (Razor Leaf, Tackle, Vine Whip, Leech Seed)
Tyrunt: (M): (Bite, Rock Polish, AncientPower, Bide)
Litleo: (F): (Ember, Headbutt, Take Down, Tackle)
Buizel: (M): (Water Gun, Scald, Double Team, Iron Tail)
With Prof. Sycamore:
Amaura: (F): (Icy Wind, Rock Throw, Take Down, Mist)
Next chapters:
Chapter 54: The Battle to Prove the Determination!
Chapter 55: The Search for the Lucarionite
Chapter 56: The Test to Achieve Mega Power!
Chapter 57: Mega Problem to Mega Conflict!
Chapter 58: The Truth to the Berserk Aura
Next chapter preview:
Hikaru: Are you really the Shalour Gym Leader as you say you are...?
Korrina: Of course I am! Why? What's the problem with me being one?
Hikaru: It's not that... Your bond with Lucario just doesn't seem that perfect, that's all.
Korrina: What's that supposed to mean!? I've been with my Lucario longer than you have with yours!
Hikaru: Yes, but you both lack one thing... One thing that could be fatal for the two of you.
Korrina: I don't need to lectured by some outsider! Battle me, so that I can prove you wrong!
Events that occurred:
- The group and Hikaru meets Korrina and Lucario
- Korrina challenges Ash and Yuki to a battle
- Ash loses to Korrina while Yuki has a draw with her
