Distance over Time

by johnny3gud

Serena was always content to wait, but when she receives an opportunity for a new start, she finds that life isn't so patient. Separated from Ash, she isn't sure what's more daunting - losing him, or making things right again. Either way, one thing is certain - she will find out exactly what absence does to the heart. Part three of The Camera Eye series.

15. Only a Matter of Time

Chapter Fifteen – Only a Matter of Time

Serena shivered as snowflakes swirled in the wind. Her short, shallow breaths evaporated in the damp, frigid air. After losing track of it for a while, she felt her heartbeat again. With every passing second, it accelerated. In the courtyard below, Pikachu's cheeks crackled with electricity.

As if on cue, Monsieur Pierre raised his hand. From his perch on the mansion's front steps, he resembled a general ordering an army to attack. A moment later, the limousine's doors opened again. A dozen security guards emerged from inside, all wielding Poké Balls.

To Serena's surprise, the guards ignored Ash. Instead, they formed a perimeter around everyone else. Encircled, Korrina, Clemont, Lillie, and Bonnie all huddled together in the center, their backs facing each other. Clemont and Korrina both reached for Poké Balls of their own.

"What is the meaning of this?" said Clemont. "We were invited onto the premises!"

"We're the good guys!" said Bonnie.

Monsieur Pierre tucked his arms behind his back again and bowed his head.

"Forgive me, but it is my duty to ensure that none of you interfere with Madame Diantha's battle," he said. "Brutish as these measures may be, they seemed like a necessary precaution. We are well aware of your group's impulsiveness in regard to battle."

"If you want a battle, you've got one!" said Korrina. "Lucario, go!"

Korrina tossed her Poké Ball into the air, and Lucario burst out of it. He landed in between Korrina and the guards nearest to her. Immediately, he dropped into a battle stance.

"Mademoiselle, please, I implore you to reconsider your recklessness," said Pierre. "These guards will not attack unless attacked first. There is no need for any unnecessary violence."

"Do you really think we're going to just stand here and watch?" said Korrina.

"No, I do not, hence the precaution," said Pierre. "I had hoped, however, that perhaps some of the more level-headed members of your group would feel inclined to listen to reason."

Korrina looked at Clemont. Clemont's grip on his Poké Ball tightened.

"In light of new evidence, I think the time to abandon reason has long since come," he said. "Go, Luxray!"

Behind Clemont and Korrina, Bonnie stared down a guard with Dedenne poking out of her bag. Beside her, Lillie held her lone Poké Ball in both hands.

"Clefairy, we need your help!" said Lillie. Her attempt at throwing the ball resulted in it falling to the ground only a few feet in front of her. Clefairy emerged from the ball and looked up at her. "I don't know if we can do this, but we'll both do our best, okay?"

Korrina and Lucario both entered a meditation pose. There was a rush of energy, and Lucario became sheathed in a sphere of polychromatic light. A few seconds later, he appeared again, transformed.

"Go!"

On the opposite side of the courtyard, Ash stood facing halfway away from Diantha. Seemingly torn between Diantha and everyone else, he watched the ensuing melee with apparent horror.

"Your concern for your friends is touching, Ash," said Diantha. "Unfortunately, they brought this upon themselves."

Ash turned back to face Diantha. Behind him, the paving stones in front of the mansion rippled with electricity from Luxray's Electric Terrain, and Lucario leaped into the sky while charging an Aura Sphere.

"They didn't do anything wrong!" said Ash.

"The security camera footage is going to show that they attacked first, despite being warned," said Diantha.

Ash looked up toward the nearest wall of the mansion. Seemingly reading his mind, Pikachu sent a short sharp bolt of electricity flying toward the wall. There was metallic crack, following by the tinkling of broken glass.

Diantha tilted her head. Her voice dripped with disappointment.

"That was only one of many, you know," she said. "Now, you're going to have property damage on your list of charges, too."

Ash clenched his fists and grit his teeth. Across the battlefield, Goodra gazed down at Pikachu. Pikachu straightened up and returned Goodra's stare.

"We didn't do any of the stuff that Palermo said we did!" said Ash. "She made it all up!"

"There is far too much evidence at hand for this to all be made up," said Diantha.

"She lied to you!"

"I know Palermo far better than any of you do, and she is not a liar," said Diantha. "I've worked with her since before you were born, and never even once has she done anything that would have led me to believe my trust in her was misplaced."

"You- ...you really don't know about any of this?"

"About what?" said Diantha. "I know quite a lot about what you and your friends have been doing with Aria, if that's what you mean. Palermo was gracious enough to ask me for my help, but had I known sooner she wouldn't have had to ask at all! I'm more than willing to use my abilities to put an end to this affair."

Ash placed a hand on the back of his neck. His face strained in disbelief.

"Diantha, please!" he said. "You've gotta listen to me!"

"I've listened to enough already," said Diantha. "It is my responsibility as the champion of Kalos to do all within my power to ensure the safety of the region and its people. On behalf of the people of Kalos, I am here to protect their queen."

Up above, Palermo smirked.

"How right she is," she said.

Serena looked at Aria. Aria had her arms tightly folded, her eyes focused on the imminent battle below.

"Does Diantha really not know?" said Serena.

"No," said Aria. Without looking at Serena, she shook her head. "Palermo knew better than to try to control someone who could beat her. Diantha has no idea."

"But... how couldn't she?" said Serena.

"Strict control and coercion of everyone who could possibly tell her," said Aria. "I've never been alone in the same room as her. Palermo has always been there, too, on purpose."

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, my dear," said Palermo. Looking satisfied, she glanced over at the two of them. "A terribly overused cliché, I know, but sound advice nonetheless."

Below, Diantha unfolded her arms.

"This is it," she said. "I will give you and your friends one last opportunity to stand down and turn yourselves over. If you refuse, you will leave me no choice but to stop you by force. You may be a champion in your own right, but I assure you that if you face me in battle, you will not win."

Pikachu's cheeks sparked again. Ash turned around his hat.

"I am not giving up."

"So be it," said Diantha. She raised an open hand toward Ash. "Goodra, Dragon Pulse!"

"Thunderbolt!"

Serena squinted and tried to watch the attacks for only an instant before wincing and looking away. It was like the battle with Siebold all over again. The light from Goodra's Dragon Pulse was so intense that it hurt her eyes. She didn't know how to describe its color. She wasn't certain if color was a concept that applied to it. It was vaguely purple, perhaps, at least at first glance. As the beam lingered as a spot in her vision even after she shut her eyes, it also seemed to be various shades of blue, steely gray, and maybe even green. Mostly, it was so bright that it all seemed white.

Energy crackled as the two attacks collided, each stopping the other.

"Quick Attack!"

"Power Whip!"

Pikachu streaked across the battlefield at a blinding speed. Atop Goodra's head, her antennae glowed purple. Rather than try to dodge, she reared her head back.

The collision came like the crack of a whip. The sound made Serena flinch. Goodra swung her head forward and intercepted Pikachu, lashing him with her antennae. Pikachu ricocheted off and spun back to the ground, then took off in a flash again. This time, he circled around Goodra's backside.

"Electro Ball!"

"Dragon Pulse!"

Pikachu leaped into the air, rolled over, and flung a crackling sphere of electricity off the end of his tail. Goodra turned around and met the attack with one of her own. Again, Serena was forced to look away. This time, the collision resulted in a small explosion. The blast sent a shockwave of energy across the courtyard, rustling the hedges and the trees.

For a moment, it interrupted the battle taking place in the background. The melee resumed when Korrina reached for a second Poké Ball. Her Machoke emerged from it, and she called another attack.

The shock from the blast faded, and Pikachu landed on all fours.

"Quick Attack into Iron Tail!"

Without wasting a moment, Pikachu took off again. Almost invisible as he propelled himself forward, he seemed to snap back into reality as he shifted from one attack into the next. He jumped, and the blur of his blinding motion faded. His tail gleamed like steel as he held it high, prepared to strike.

Diantha held up her hand as if to issue a command, but she said nothing. Pikachu came rocketing down from above. Like Diantha, Goodra did nothing but watch.

"Dragon Tail!"

Diantha's command came only a split-second before impact. Goodra's reaction time seemed impossibly fast, but Serena was sure it was because Goodra had anticipated it. Goodra shifted her position, placing her tail squarely in Pikachu's path. For a mere instant, it looked like Pikachu's attack landed. There was the briefest moment of hard contact, enough to make Serena hold her breath.

Then, Goodra moved with Pikachu. The Iron Tail never truly landed at all. Goodra intercepted Pikachu's tail with her own. The momentum transferred from one body to another. Unable to stop himself, Pikachu was caught. Goodra swung fully around and then flung Pikachu back in Ash's direction, ejecting him from the battlefield. Pikachu came to a stop only when he collided with one of the hedges, becoming wedged within its gnarled, tangled branches.

Serena held her breath in earnest. Goodra did not appear to be fatigued in the slightest. For a few seconds, the hedge rustled as Pikachu struggled inside it. Then, he popped out of it, shaking the leaves and sticks from his fur.

"Good work, but take a rest for now, buddy," said Ash. "Let's try someone else."

"I'm well aware that stubbornness is one of your trademarks in battle, but I did not expect a trainer of your caliber to be forced to switch out of a matchup so disadvantageous," said Diantha. "Why would you even attempt to fight on my terms when I set things so thoroughly in my favor?"

"You never know unless you try," said Ash.

Diantha tilted her head.

"Your determination is admirable, at least."

"I told you, I'm not giving up!"

"If you don't send out another Pokémon, I'm going to think that you are giving up."

Ash reached for his belt. He thought for a moment, then chose a ball. He threw it.

"Melmetal, I choose you!"

The Pokémon that emerged from the ball was unlike anything Serena had ever seen. It looked like an assortment of loose parts from Meyer's shop held together by a blob of liquid metal. Its nominal head was a six-sided nut with an eyeball floating in the center. Its joints, assuming it had any, were all made of similar nuts. It made a sound similar to a train coming to a stop when it landed on the ground. The paving stones sunk beneath its feet. When it pulled itself up to its full height, it became clear to Serena how massive it was. It stood several feet taller than Ash.

"Well, I admit, you're full of surprises," said Diantha. "I've traveled all over the world, but I've never seen this Pokémon before."

Ash rubbed the underside of his nose with his finger. It was cold enough to believe that he was merely wiping it, but Serena was certain he was concealing a smirk.

"Melmetal gets that a lot," said Ash.

"It seems like a safe assumption that it's a steel type, at least," said Diantha. "Let's go with that. Get ready, Goodra!"

Goodra straightened up her posture. Determined, she turned her head upward to meet Melmetal's single, beady eye.

"Melmetal, Thunder Punch!"

Diantha hesitated for a second. Melmetal began to move, lumbering across the battlefield toward Goodra. The ground shook with every plodding step.

"Power Whip!"

Melmetal raised an arm. The gigantic nut that Serena supposed constituted its fist sparked. It swung. Goodra reared her head back and then lashed with her glowing antennae, meeting the attack.

The crack of the whip came again, but this time with a different result. Goodra reeled, then stumbled back several steps. As she steadied herself, Melmetal began his slow advance.

"Dragon Pulse!"

Goodra reared her head back again. This time, she fired a blinding beam of energy from her mouth when she brought her head forward.

"Acid Armor!"

Serena struggled to understand what happened next, but at least she knew she wasn't alone in her confusion. For a second, she thought that Goodra had blasted a hole all the way through Melmetal. She expected Melmetal to keel over, mortally wounded. Instead, she found herself at a loss for words to describe what she saw.

Melmetal's shape had changed. The blast had indeed gone through its target, but not exactly on purpose. Melmetal's body wobbled, and for a moment seemed to vaporize as everything reconfigured. Where there had once been a thick blob of liquid metal, there was now nothing more than a hole. Serena blinked in astonishment. Melmetal had reshaped its body around the attack.

"That's... a creative use of Acid Armor," said Diantha. "I'm not sure that's what I would call that move, though."

Ash shrugged.

"Eh, it's what Melmetal does when I say to do it, and that's good enough," he said.

"It's spectacular, actually," said Diantha, her eyebrows raised.

Once again, Melmetal's body wobbled like a blob of gelatin, then vaporized. When it fully rematerialized, it was back in its original configuration.

Diantha pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Goodra, that's enough for now. Return."

Goodra vanished back into her ball. Diantha swapped the ball for another and threw it. A Pokémon appeared that Serena was all too familiar with, albeit from a very different context.

It was a Gourgeist. Unlike the one she had seen Jessie use so many times, this Gourgeist was very, very large. Every bit as tall as Melmetal, Gourgeist's orange, glowing eyes flickered in the evening light.

Ash gawked.

"Wow that's big!" he said.

Gourgeist gave Ash an offended look.

"I recommend you watch what you say," said Diantha. "Gourgeist is rather sensitive about her size."

"I'm... sorry?" said Ash.

Gourgeist huffed.

"If you want to apologize, it will have to be more convincing than that," said Diantha. "Now, Gourgeist, Leech Seed!"

Gourgeist inhaled, then spat out a barrage of seeds that all shot at Melmetal. Given Melmetal's glacial speed, there was no hope of evading the attack. The seeds all sank into its liquid body.

"Double Iron Bash!"

Serena had never heard of such a move, but the concept sounded straightforward enough. Melmetal closed in and raised both arms, ready to strike with both in succession.

"Shadow Sneak."

Melmetal swung a fist in what would surely have been a crushing blow, if only its target had still been there. In the blink of an eye, Gourgeist's form transposed from one plane into another, shifting from standing solidly in front of Melmetal to lurking beneath Melmetal in its shadow. Then, as Melmetal stood there frozen and confused, Gourgeist popped back out of the shadow from behind.

"Behind you!" said Ash.

"Trick or Treat!" said Diantha.

Even from up on the roof, Serena could see how badly Ash scrunched up his face in confusion.

"Huh?"

Melmetal turned its head around just in time for Gourgeist to cackle and then vanish into a cloud of purple smoke. A moment later, dark energy bubbled up from the shadow beneath Melmetal. Otherworldly laughter echoed all around as Melmetal was engulfed. Its metallic body became transparent again, but not in the same way as before. From its feet to its head, Melmetal transformed into nothing more than a purple shadow.

Then, as the hideous laughter reached the peak of its crescendo, Melmetal snapped back to normal, and Gourgeist snapped back into reality out of nowhere. Standing in front of Melmetal again, she wore a devious grin.

"What was that?" said Ash.

Diantha did not answer his question. She issued another command.

"Phantom Force!"

Gourgeist vanished into a faint cloud of shadowy smoke, then disappeared completely.

"Acid Armor!"

Melmetal's body wobbled once again. This time, the entire liquid portion of its body turned transparent.

Not fully, though. Rather than the clear, tenuous vapor left behind before, a ghostly shadow took its place.

Gourgeist reappeared out of nowhere, as if creeping up from Melmetal's shadow into its shadowy body. Melmetal went rigid with shock, and then a moment later the two bodies were ejected from one another. Gourgeist landed comfortably on the ground. Melmetal staggered backward and then toppled over.

"What?!" said Ash. "I-"

Melmetal groaned. The sound scraped the insides of Serena's ears like the piercing reverberation of a steel beam being bent to its breaking point. The ground shuddered as Melmetal rose to one knee.

Just as it seemed like Melmetal would get back on its feet, its body crackled with green energy. Serena recognized it, and she knew Ash did as well. Leech Seed activated. Ash hurried to reach for Melmetal's ball.

"Melmetal, return!"

Melmetal vanished back into its Poké Ball, and Ash threw another.

"Decidueye, go!"

Serena tightened her arms around herself. It was ghost versus ghost.

"An interesting choice," said Diantha.

"Spirit Shackle!"

Decidueye raised an arm. As if it were part of his wing, he pulled back a taut vine like the string of a bow. A ghostly arrow appeared in it. He took aim, then fired.

The arrow shot across the battlefield. Just as she had thought when Goodra's Dragon Pulse hit Melmetal, Serena thought for a moment that she had witnessed a mortal strike. The arrow shot clean through Gourgeist. Gourgeist shrieked and reeled backward. The arrow lodged itself into the ground between the paving stones, smoldering with shadowy energy.

Gourgeist stood again. The arrow flashed. A chain appeared, binding the two of them together, anchoring her to the ground. Then, a moment later, the arrow and the chain vanished like they had never been there at all.

"That won't work on a ghost type Pokémon!" said Diantha. "Gourgeist, Shadow Sneak!"

"Sucker Punch!"

For the briefest of moments, Gourgeist transposed herself into the shadows again. What followed defied all physical sense. Decidueye faded from sight. An instant later, he reappeared within his own shadow. His fist flared with dark energy, and he drove it into Gourgeist's face. Gourgeist was launched out of the shadow and back into the physical plane. She rolled over on the ground several times before coming to a stop, motionless.

"I see," said Diantha. "Return."

Diantha returned Gourgeist to her ball, then swapped the ball with another.

"Clever," said Diantha. "I wouldn't have expected you to anticipate my reaction like that."

"I'm not dumb, you know," said Ash.

"I never said you were," said Diantha. "I do think you're hasty and misguided, though."

"Misguided?"

"We shouldn't have to have this battle at all," said Diantha.

"Yeah, I know!" said Ash. "I told you, me and my friends didn't do anything wrong! Palermo lied to you!"

Diantha shook her head, then tossed her next Poké Ball into the air.

"Aurorus, go!"

Aurorus emerged from the ball. Her arrival was met with a gust of icy wind. The frilly sails on her back tossed about in the frigid air.

In the momentary lull, Serena looked and saw the battle with the guards still ongoing. Korrina and Clemont were both controlling two Pokémon at once, Korrina with Lucario and Machoke, and Clemont with Luxray and Heliolisk. A few of the guards had already been eliminated, their unconscious Pokémon strewn about on the ground. While Korrina and Clemont battled multiple guards at once, Bonnie and Lillie both teamed up on one guard. Dedenne nuzzled against the back of a Raticate's neck while Clefairy repeatedly slapped it in the face from the front.

Serena returned her attention to Ash when another gust of wind kicked up. This one was different than all the previous ones. It carried snowflakes. Not flurries. Full, genuine snowflakes. Down below, she saw Ash massage his own arms as if trying not to shiver. She was certain it wasn't her imagination that it had suddenly become colder.

Aurorus lifted her head up toward the sky and let out a joyful cry. Decidueye pulled his hood tighter over his head.

"Ancient Power!"

"Leaf Blade!"

There was a rumbling sound, and the paving stones around Aurorus lifted into the air. Decidueye jumped, and the stones shot at him. Decidueye's wings glowed green. Flickering in and out of sight, he hopped between each stone, slashing them apart.

"Now, down! Leaf Blade again!"

From directly above Aurorus, Decidueye reappeared, then dropped toward the ground in a dive bomb. Aurorus craned her neck upward.

"Barrier!"

Aurorus exhaled. From her mouth, a sheet of ice condensed from a cloud of vapor. Decidueye crashed into it, and the ice shattered. He bounced off from the impact, then landed roughly on the ground. He was quick to his feet. Aurorus turned to face him.

"Freeze Dry!"

"Dodge!"

Aurorus exhaled again. This time, she did not emit a cloud of vapor, but instead a gust of icy wind. Decidueye dropped to the ground, then vanished.

And then reappeared, quite unintentionally.

A solid block of ice rooted one of his feet to the ground.

"Again!" said Diantha.

There wasn't enough time to react. Before Decidueye could move out of the way, he was rendered unable to move at all. Aurorus struck with Freeze Dry again, this time directly. A few seconds later, Decidueye was frozen in place like a statue, completely encased in ice.

"Decidueye!"

Decidueye did not respond in any way at all. There was no way for him to do so. Dumbstruck, Ash hesitated with his mouth hanging open for several awkward seconds before returning Decidueye to his ball.

"Thank you for not forcing me to finish that one off," said Diantha. "I don't like being forced to cause unnecessary harm."

"Oh yeah?" said Ash, exchanging Decidueye's ball for another. "Then how about you stop fighting and listen to me!"

Diantha made an exasperated noise and rubbed her forehead.

"Ash, really? Do you really think I'm going to believe your story if you keep repeating it? I told you, I've seen the evidence! I have no reason to doubt Palermo and every reason to believe her. I've caught you and your friends in the act here tonight, and you expect me to believe an obvious lie?"

"I'm not lying!"

"I can't even begin to express how disappointed I am in you. The least you could do is own up to your actions and maintain some dignity, but you're trying to keep up a lie when the truth has already been revealed! You can't fight the truth and expect to win!"

"I am telling the truth! We didn't kidnap Aria! She ran away from Palermo on her own!"

"Do you hear yourself? Think about what you're saying. Why in the world would the Kalos Queen run away on her own and leave behind everything to live like a fugitive?"

"Because Palermo tricked her! She tricked you, too!"

"Palermo did no such thing."

"She started all of this because she wanted to trick Serena, too!"

"Trick her for what purpose?"

Ash grimaced. He threw his next Poké Ball.

Serena recognized the Pokémon that appeared. It was the same kind of Pokémon that Professor Kukui had used as his partner in the wrestling ring.

"Your lack of response doesn't help your case," said Diantha.

"Incineroar, Cross Chop!"

Incineroar charged at Aurorus, his arms crossed in an X shape and ready to deliver a crushing blow. Aurorus froze, seemingly in fear. For a moment, Serena expected to see Incineroar end the encounter in a single hit.

Before he could strike, Aurorus dematerialized. With surprising speed, Diantha returned Aurorus to her ball. Incineroar skidded to a halt where his would-be target had been moments before.

"You should learn to pick your battles," said Diantha. "It doesn't matter how stubborn you are, or how strong you are. There are some you can't win."

Diantha exchanged one Poké Ball for another. She threw the new ball high into the air. Another very familiar Pokémon emerged from it.

Diantha's Hawlucha spread his wings, then glided over the battlefield, carried by the gusty air. Incineroar clenched his fists and glared up at him.

"Swords Dance," said Diantha.

Pirouetting in the air, Hawlucha spun around. Slowly at first, he spun more rapidly until he looked like a glowing top, steadily rising higher. Incineroar watched from below.

"Sky Attack!"

Hawlucha abruptly snapped to a halt in midair. Glowing like the midday sun, he spread his wings and prepared to dive.

Down below, Incineroar slackened his stance.

"Now, like we practiced!" said Ash.

The light surrounding Hawlucha changed into a gleaming, brilliant gold. Roaring with energy, he plummeted toward the ground, on a collision course with Incineroar.

Incineroar did not move.

Ash did.

"Lycanroc, Counter!"

Wielding two Poké Balls at once, Ash made a lightning-fast exchange. Incineroar vanished. In his place appeared a Pokémon that stood on four legs, with streaming fur of golden brown, white, and black. With amazing agility, it leaped into the air. For just a moment, Serena caught a glimpse of its piercing eyes.

Then, Lycanroc caught Hawlucha by the neck with his teeth. With a twist of his body, Lycanroc rolled Hawlucha over in the air. On top, Lycanroc rode Hawlucha down to the ground. At the last second, he let go.

The ground shook. Serena winced from the force of the impact. Lycanroc jumped clear. Hawlucha was left embedded in the ground, wedged into his own personal crater, motionless.

Diantha was speechless. Lycanroc turned to face her. In the pause that followed, he held his head up to the sky and howled.

"I know how to pick my battles," said Ash.

From the corner of her eye, Serena saw Palermo's brow tighten.

Diantha returned Hawlucha to his ball. She replaced it with another.

"I suppose that's my well-deserved comeuppance for underestimating you," said Diantha. "I apologize for disrespecting your abilities."

"If you wanna apologize, then listen to me!" said Ash.

"Please, stop," said Diantha. "We've been over this more than enough. It's embarrassing that you continue to insist upon it, frankly."

"Diantha, please!"

"No. This is not a battle of words. Even if it were, you would not be able to win it. You won't win a contest of strength against me, either."

Diantha threw her next Poké Ball.

"I dislike having to use something as unbecoming as brute force, but I will use it when given no other choice."

Serena had no doubt that Diantha had picked up that philosophy from Palermo.

The ball opened, and a towering, fearsome Pokémon appeared from it, all scales and claws and spikes and teeth, with a head like a solid boulder and jaws that could crush steel.

Tyrantrum stood over Lycanroc. Lycanroc growled.

Tyrantrum roared.

Serena covered her ears. Even with all the impacts and explosions, it was easily the loudest sound in the battle so far. Lycanroc seized up with fright, and then spontaneously dematerialized. As a beam of light, he shot back into his ball.

Ash seemed unsure what to make of it for a second, but he threw another ball. Incineroar reappeared.

The two Pokémon locked eyes and leered at each other from their respective sides of the battlefield. Serena shivered. Even without Pikachu firing Thunderbolts, she felt electricity in the air.

Although, she realized that perhaps it was because Luxray was busy spamming Discharge against the guards in the background.

"Head Smash!"

"Dodge!"

Incineroar hit the ground and rolled out of the way just as Tyrantrum sent his gargantuan head crashing down on the spot. The ground rumbled again as Incineroar leaped back up to his feet. When Tyrantrum extracted his head from the ground, there was a deep crater left behind.

"Cross Chop!"

"Dragon Claw!"

Incineroar charged, arms crossed. He swung. Despite the disparity in arm length, Tyrantrum caught the attack with glowing claws.

"Crunch!"

Right away, Serena knew it had been a ruse to get Incineroar into position. Tyrantrum opened his massive jaws and threatened to devour Incineroar whole.

"Flare Blitz!"

It was just like what Pikachu had done to Siebold's Gyarados. Why bother avoiding getting eaten when you can attack a vulnerable spot from within? The flames around Incineroar's belt flared, and then his whole body rippled with fire. He jumped up into Tyrantrum's waiting jaws.

Upon impact, Tyrantrum gagged, released Incineroar, and went reeling backward. The difference this time was that instead of a devastating blow, Incineroar's attack was mostly resisted. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

"Head Smash!"

"Darkest Lariat!"

As soon as Tyrantrum was on his feet again, he charged. As he reared his head back to strike, Incineroar charged in as well. Spinning, Incineroar caught Tyrantrum in the chest with an outstretched arm and clotheslined him to the ground. Tyrantrum's attack never landed.

"Cross Chop!"

"Crunch!"

On his back, Tyrantrum was exposed. Incineroar closed in for a decisive blow, but Tyrantrum kicked upward and intercepted Incineroar's strike with his teeth.

A struggle ensued. After a few seconds of going nowhere, the two of them broke away from each other. Standing at a distance, the two stared each other down. Tyrantrum dug at the ground with his foot, eager to charge.

"Tyrantrum, Thrash!"

Tyrantrum growled and lowered his head. With a ferocity unlike anything Serena had seen before, he charged.

Ash did not give a command. Instead, Incineroar braced himself, and he acted entirely on his own.

Tyrantrum spun a moment before impact, swinging his tail for a brutal blow. Upon impact, the sound reverberated inside Serena's stomach like the beat from a drum. She winced, but only in fear of what would happen, not what actually happened.

Incineroar caught Tyrantrum's tail. Growling as he struggled, the paving stones beneath his feet sank deeper into the ground from the force of the blow. For a moment, the two of them were deadlocked. Then, Incinceroar's feet began to slide backward. Before he completely lost control, he ducked and rolled out of the way. Tyrantrum landed with a crash where Incineroar had stood a moment before. In the blink of an eye, both of them were back on their feet, and the chase resumed.

Tyrantrum swung his head. Incineroar jumped above it and dodged, then planted his feet on top of Tyrantrum's head and jumped again, landing behind him. Tyrantrum whipped around to strike with his tail again, and once more Incineroar blocked it. As Incineroar weathered the blow, Tyrantrum turned and went for a decisive strike with his teeth. Incineroar responded by surging forward and planting an elbow solidly into the underside of Tyrantrum's jaw.

Tyrantrum reeled back. Incineroar charged and struck again, this time burying a knee in Tyrantrum's stomach. Again, Tyrantrum staggered. Incineroar leaped. He laced the fingers on both of his hands together, joining them to form one giant fist. With both hands held high over his head, he brought them crashing down on Tyrantrum's head. Tyrantrum let out a strangled cry and fell to the ground.

Incineroar landed. Tyrantrum shook himself back to his feet, then roared again. Incineroar dropped into a ready stance. With one hand, he beckoned Tyrantrum to him. Tyrantrum obliged.

Tyrantrum charged. The flames on Incineroar's belt flared. The two of them met each other halfway and tried to exchange simultaneous blows, Incineroar with a flaming kick and Tyrantrum with his tail. Both only glanced off their targets, then flew past each other. They turned and charged again. Tyrantrum raised his head to bring it crashing down on Incineroar. Incineroar dropped to the ground and slid between Tyrantrum's legs, passing under him. Tyrantrum's strike shook the ground, leaving yet another crater in the courtyard.

From behind, Incineroar sprung up and prepared to strike. While Tyrantrum recovered from embedding his head in the ground once again, Incineroar delivered a solid kick to his side, sending him flying a short distance, tearing up paving stones as he skidded to a halt upon landing.

He did not stay down for long. A moment later, Tyrantrum thrashed about as if trying to shake off the blow, then jumped back to his feet. He growled, glaring menacingly at Incineroar. Incineroar stood before him, ready for more.

Up above, the look in Tyrantrum's eyes made Serena's stomach knot itself. She had never seen anything so mindlessly vicious. The longer it continued, the less it seemed like Tyrantrum was mentally there, and the more like he was losing himself to raw, primal instinct.

The two charged at each other again. This time, several percussive hits echoed all around and inside Serena's chest as the two exchanged hits. Tyrantrum swung his tail. Incineroar blocked, then tried to flip Tyrantrum over. Tyrantrum overpowered Incineroar and went for another strike with his head. Incineroar sidestepped him and swung with a flaming fist. He connected with the side of Tyrantrum's head and sent him staggering.

"Incineroar, Cross Chop!"

Incineroar jumped and crossed his arms in an X-shape again, ready to pounce and deliver the finishing blow. Tyrantrum struggled to recollect himself below, breathing heavily from the massive exertion. His eyes were completely glazed over and out of focus. He took a few wobbly, aimless steps.

"Head Smash!"

Diantha's command triggered something within Tyrantrum. Serena saw it, the fleeting moment of recognition in the midst of his blind rage.

Incineroar reached the peak of his jump, passing over the top of the arc. The laws of physics took hold. His final trajectory was certain. There was no way to divert his course. Beneath him, his distracted, bewildered opponent found one final second of sense. It was all Tyrantrum needed.

Tyrantrum planted his feet and whipped around. At what would have been the moment Incineroar made impact, Tyrantrum sidestepped and made impact instead. With a dense, meaty thud, he landed a crushing hit with his head to Ininceroar's side. Incineroar was sent flying. The mansion shook beneath Serena's feet as Incineroar crashed into the solid stone wall. He slumped to the ground in a heap.

"Incineroar!"

Ash made a motion as if he intended to run over to Incineroar's side, but he stopped before he was ever able to start. Tyrantrum turned to face him. Unsteady on his feet, Tyrantrum's eyes were vacant. He gurgled a low growl at Ash.

Serena's entire body tightened. She could hear Tyrantrum's hunger.

"Tyrantrum, that's enough! Return!"

Diantha held out a Poké Ball. A beam of light shot from it, and an instant later, Tyrantrum vanished. There was a momentary pause, and she lowered her arm.

"Is Incineroar okay?" she said.

Ash looked startled for a moment, as though unable to determine what to make of the turn of events. After a moment of hesitation, he took off and ran over to Incineroar's side.

In the relative silence, Serena looked over the area of the courtyard near the front door again. Both Bonnie and Lillie appeared to have been eliminated from the battle, the two of them both holding Dedenne and Clefairy in their arms and standing behind Clemont and Korrina for protection. The majority of the guards were down, though. Only five of the twelve remained. Clemont fought two at once with Luxray and Heliolisk. Korrina and Lucario fought the other three at the same time, holding them all off while her Machoke was down on one knee.

Beneath where Serena stood on the rooftop, Ash dropped down on one knee next to Incineroar. He reached for Incineroar's wrist. Serena swallowed and steeled herself, reminded all too well of when Korrina had done the same thing with Lucario. She knew what Ash was doing. He was checking for a pulse.

A few incredibly long seconds later, Ash looked up at Diantha.

"He's hurt really bad, but he's still... you know."

"Good," said Diantha. Looking much like Lillie so often did, she folded her hands in front of herself and bowed her head. "I apologize. I regret resorting to such tactics. I only did so because I felt it was necessary."

Ash returned Incineroar to his Poké Ball and then stood.

"You can just stop, you know," he said.

Diantha looked back up at Ash. Ash clipped Incineroar's ball back onto his belt.

"Are you saying you intend to forfeit the battle?" said Diantha.

"What? No way!" said Ash.

"Then please stop insisting that this isn't necessary," said Diantha. "Please stop trying to perpetuate a lie. It's more disappointing every time you attempt it."

"Will you please just listen to me?" said Ash. "I know it doesn't look like it, but I'm not lying to you!"

"I wish I could believe that," said Diantha. "I don't want what Palermo told me to be true, but I can't ignore the evidence."

"She lied about the evidence!" said Ash.

"I've seen it with my own eyes!" said Diantha. "Everything Palermo told me makes sense. She has undeniable proof. The only part of it I don't understand is why you would involve yourself in something so horrible. Why would you resort to something like this? I thought I knew you better than this!"

"I didn't do it!" said Ash. "My friends didn't do it, either! They were trying to help Aria!"

"How does keeping her locked away for months constitute helping her?"

"She was trying to hide!"

"From what?"

"From Palermo!"

Diantha scoffed.

"Ash! You can't seriously expect me to believe this!"

Palermo grinned.

"Oh, how quaint," she said, seemingly to no one in particular. Serena glanced in her direction. "Who does he expect her to believe? Her lifelong mentor and colleague who helped start her career, or the upstart young trainer who accuses her mentor of foul play? Truly, a mystery."

"You've gotta believe me!" said Ash. "I'm not making this up!"

"It's so ridiculous that it's impossible for me to assume anything other than it being a lie," said Diantha. "It astonishes me that this is the excuse you continue to insist upon. You and your friends couldn't come up with anything better than this?"

"We didn't come up with anything!" said Ash. "I'm telling the truth!"

Diantha shook her head.

"Please don't force me to continue this," she said. "I don't want to cause even more harm. I shouldn't have to in the first place."

"You don't have to!" said Ash. "Just listen to me, please!"

Diantha did not respond. Instead, she shook her head and tossed another ball onto the battlefield. Goodra emerged from it.

Ash grimaced. He ran back to his side of the field, and he threw another ball of his own.

"Lycanroc, go!"

"Dragon Pulse!"

"Dodge!"

What surprised Serena more than Lycanroc's speed was that she was surprised by it at all. It was so typical of Ash's Pokémon. Lycanroc was halfway across the battlefield when the Dragon Pulse passed through where its target was supposed to have been.

"Stone Edge!"

"Power Whip!"

Lycanroc kicked the ground with his front legs. The paving stones in front of him ripped themselves up from the ground and rocketed at Goodra. In response, Goodra's antennae glowed. As the attack reached her, she whipped them around, swatting the stones away. They scattered all around.

"Bite!"

"Dragon Tail!"

"Dodge!"

Lycanroc was already upon Goodra when Ash changed the order. Abandoning the strike, Lycanroc instead rolled over in midair, passing mere inches over Goodra's tail as she swung. He landed behind her.

"Stone Edge!"

A barrage of paving stones shot up from the ground in front of Lycanroc again. Once more, they failed to hit their target. This time, it was because their target wasn't there. Goodra vanished into her ball, and Diantha threw another.

"Tyrantrum, Dragon Claw!"

Diantha's throw of the ball was pinpoint accurate, much more so than Serena ever would have expected. Tyrantrum burst free with a roar exactly where Goodra had stood only a second before, practically on top of Lycanroc. His claws glowing with energy, he swiped. Lycanroc was swept off his feet and went flying a short distance. To Serena's relief, he landed on his feet and steadied himself.

The confusion in Tyrantrum's eyes was gone. Still, he appeared to be run ragged with fatigue. His breaths were heavy as he stared down Lycanroc. Lycanroc bared his fangs in return.

"Head Smash!"

"Accelerock!"

Tyrantrum reared his head up to strike. A moment later, he stopped. There was a pause, and he fell over backward. In between, Lycanroc vanished. When he reappeared, he was behind Tyrantrum. It was just like Greninja's Aerial Ace.

Serena bit her lip. She didn't breathe. Tyrantrum didn't move.

Diantha held out a ball and returned Tyrantrum to it. She threw another, and Goodra reappeared.

In the few more moments before she drew breath again, Serena felt her heart racing in her throat as she did the math in her head. Ash was ahead. Diantha had only taken out two of his Pokémon, but he had taken out three of hers. He had lost Decidueye and Incineroar. She had lost Gourgeist, Hawlucha, and Tyrantrum.

It was possible. He had a chance.

"Power Whip!"

"Accelerock!"

Lycanroc's attack landed before Goodra was prepared to strike. She reeled back a few steps from the blow as Lycanroc charged her, vanished, and reappeared behind her. When she spun around and swung, Lycanroc was already gone.

"Stone Edge!"

Lycanroc reappeared again behind Goodra and kicked at the ground. Another wave of paving stones ripped themselves up from the ground and launched themselves at her.

"Counter!"

"Huh?"

Goodra's tail glowed, this time orange instead of violet. As Lycanroc's attack reached her, she jumped and spun in the air. Making a full rotation, she swept Lycanroc's attack out of the air with her tail. She flung it back at him.

Lycanroc either had no time to dodge or was too surprised to see his own tactics used against him to react. The Stone Edge was returned to him, much more powerful than before. He braced himself, then disappeared into the hail of supercharged stones as they pelted him. Mud and chips of stone went flying in all directions. Serena winced.

When the attack ceased a second later, Lycanroc lay collapsed amid several small craters. He did not move.

"Surprised?" said Diantha.

Ash did not even nod. He said nothing as he returned Lycanroc to his ball.

"I suppose I really am beginning to get old," said Diantha. "You're so young that you probably aren't aware of it, but years ago when I first became champion, a common criticism of my battle style was what critics deemed to be an over-reliance on using my opponents' own moves against them."

Ash clipped Lycanroc's ball back onto his belt and unclipped another.

"It's refreshing to be able to do that again against an opponent who doesn't expect it of me," said Diantha. "Granted, you did it first in this particular battle. I know you understand how effective it is when timed and executed properly. I don't expect it to work again. Still, I've found over the years that forcing my opponents to respect the possibility of having their attack countered is often just as effective as countering it in the first place. Attempting to circumvent it often leads to suboptimal strategy."

Diantha held a hand to her chest for a moment. Serena wasn't sure from her distance, but she thought it looked like Diantha was embarrassed.

"I digress, though!" said Diantha. "Please, excuse me. I know you also understand just how much fun it can be to battle a powerful opponent."

"Yeah, I do."

"Despite my title, I don't have many opportunities to do something like this," said Diantha. "My position is mostly administrative, unfortunately. It's terribly inappropriate of me given the circumstances, but I confess that I'm enjoying this more than I should."

Ash threw his next Poké Ball. Melmetal came out of it and landed on the battlefield.

"This would be a lot more fun if you took me seriously," said Ash.

"Are you implying that I'm not taking this battle seriously?"

Serena tightened her fists. Her stomach knotted itself again. What if Diantha wasn't battling seriously?

"I don't mean the battle!" said Ash. "I mean all the things I've said!"

"Ash, I-"

"Do you trust me at all?!"

Ash's question interrupted Diantha and led to a few seconds of silence. Ash spoke again.

"You saw what I did against Team Flare! You were there! Do you really think I would do the kind of stuff that Palermo says I did?"

Diantha folded her arms.

"No, I don't," she said. "It's shocking to me. It defies everything I thought I knew about you and your friends. Unfortunately, I know for a fact that the evidence I was shown came from a trustworthy source. I have no choice but to accept it. The truth is the truth, no matter how much I don't want it to be true."

"It's not the truth! Palermo lied!"

"I have been the champion of Kalos for longer than you have been alive, and I knew Palermo for that long before I was ever the champion. I know her better than you know anyone."

"She can still lie to you!"

"Enough of this!" said Diantha. She reached for two Poké Balls. "It's time, Gardevoir!"

Diantha exchanged Goodra for Gardevoir. Serena felt a chill creep down all of her limbs as Gardevoir materialized on the battlefield with her head bowed. As she looked up at Melmetal, she seemed to shimmer in the frigid air, emanating a subtle light that made the snowflakes glitter as they fell from the sky.

A pendant hung from Gardevoir's neck. Serena knew exactly what it was.

Diantha raised a hand to give a command. Ash gave one first.

"Double Iron Bash!"

"Shadow Ball."

Mirroring Diantha's posture, Gardevoir raised one hand toward Melmetal and took half a step forward. Melmetal's giant fists glinted in the light. The ground rumbled as it plodded forward, raising its fists for a powerful blow. Gardevoir did not move. She did not even mega evolve. She made no apparent effort to defend herself at all.

Instead, just as Melmetal was about to deliver what surely would have been a decisive, crushing hit, everything went unnaturally quiet. There was a split-second of deafening silence. At the same time, everything surrounding Melmetal and Gardevoir was cast simultaneously in intense light and deep shadow, as if somehow visible only in black and white.

Gardevoir shot a ball of dark energy from her palm. It seemed to Serena like it happened in slow motion. The ball passed directly through Melmetal, but it wasn't because Melmetal morphed its body around it. Melmetal toppled over backward, and the color returned.

Gardevoir lowered her hand. Melmetal was out cold.

"What?" said Ash. His jaw hung loose, his shock plainly visible even from Serena's distance.

"You can thank Gourgeist for that," said Diantha. "I may have never seen a Pokémon like Melmetal before, but I do know that it is weak to ghost type attacks, because Gourgeist made it part ghost. That was her trick. Or her treat, from my point of view."

Astonished, Ash didn't say anything. He merely stared for several seconds before returning Melmetal to its ball. Serena cursed herself for counting too early. Ash's advantage was gone. She had jinxed it. Ash only had Pikachu and Greninja now.

Then again, Ash was down to Pikachu and Greninja. The battle was far from over.

Ash looked at Pikachu, who stood beside him. The two exchanged a glance.

"Ready, buddy?"

Pikachu replied in the affirmative and ran back onto the battlefield.

Neither Gardevoir nor Diantha moved. Ash pumped his fist.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Once again moving much faster than Serena expected she could, Diantha made an exchange, wielding two Poké Balls at once. Gardevoir vanished. Goodra took her place. The Thunderbolt hit her directly. She shook it off like a minor annoyance.

"Quick Attack!"

"Power Whip!

"Dodge!"

Pikachu dashed like a white, electric blur. One instant, he stood in front of Ash. The next, in front of Goodra. Goodra swung with her antennae. Pikachu wasn't there. He was gone, already in the air.

"Iron Tail!"

"Dragon Tail!"

Pikachu brought his metallic tail crashing down, and Goodra intercepted. Tail to tail, the two of them were locked in a brief power struggle.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Dragon Pulse!"

Pikachu's cheeks sparked. Already in contact with his target, he sent the Thunderbolt out of his tail and directly into Goodra's. Goodra was already charging a blast in her mouth, but she let out a cry from the shock. By the time she shook it off, Pikachu was already gone, racing away. She fired the Dragon Pulse, and she chased Pikachu with a beam of brilliant energy.

Pikachu cut a sharp turn in front of one of the statues that decorated the courtyard. Goodra's blast hit it, and the statue went toppling off its pedestal, landing with a shattering crash. Serena heard Palermo grumble to herself.

"Electro Ball!"

"Power Whip!"

Pikachu spun in the air and flung the crackling ball at Goodra. Goodra swatted it away. The ball sent a shower of sparks in all directions as it scattered on the ground.

"Quick Attack!"

Diantha did not call a move. She waited. It became clear to Serena why when Pikachu pulled back from striking at the last second.

Diantha had anticipated Ash avoiding having his attack countered.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Dragon Tail!"

At point-blank range, Pikachu fired another blistering arc of electricity at Goodra. Once again, Goodra was deterred only briefly. She pushed through it, swung her tail, and sent Pikachu flying away for the second time in the battle.

This time, Pikachu did not land in the hedges. He flipped over in the air and landed on his feet, albeit roughly, several feet behind Ash. He breathed heavily. Ash reached for another ball.

"You take a break, buddy," he said. "Greninja, go!"

Ash threw the ball high into the air. Greninja burst from it, his shadowy form silhouetted against the silvery sky. Before he landed or even began to fall, Ash called a command.

"Water Shuriken!"

"Dragon Pulse!"

"Aerial Ace!"

Greninja pulled a flurry of shuriken from what seemed like nowhere and sent them showering down on Goodra. Goodra responded by trying to blast them away, but Serena knew it was pointless. She had seen it so many times. It was only a distraction.

Greninja blinked out of existence, and a moment later reappeared behind Goodra. He was already preparing his next attack as Goodra began to spin around to see him. Ash didn't even need to call the move, but he did anyway.

"Night Slash!"

Greninja swiped. A streak of dark energy lingered in the path of his attack for a moment, then vanished as Goodra staggered backward.

Serena blinked, her face slack. It seemed Greninja had finally upgraded from Cut.

"Aerial Ace!"

Greninja charged, vanished, and reappeared before Goodra could reorient herself. When Greninja came back into sight, Goodra was already down. Dazed, she did not get up. His back to her, Greninja only turned around when Diantha returned Goodra to her ball.

"So," said Diantha, replacing Goodra's ball with another. "It has come to this."

Diantha threw the ball. Gardevoir reappeared on the battlefield. She and Greninja locked eyes.

"I can't say I'm particularly surprised," said Diantha. "The potential you two possessed was obvious the last time we faced each other."

"We've gotten a lot better since then."

"Good. You wouldn't stand a chance otherwise."

"I hope you've gotten better, because you won't stand a chance against us, either!"

Diantha gave Ash a measured look.

"I understand what it feels like to be in your shoes," said Diantha. "Much like you and Greninja, Gardevoir and I found ourselves in possession of extraordinary power at a young age. We achieved mega evolution when I was younger than you are now. As I'm sure you and Greninja have experienced, it's very easy to be confident in your own strength when you achieve such a feat while so young, because your raw power is so often more than enough on its own."

Diantha folded her arms. She continued.

"Despite Gardevoir and I mastering mega evolution and easily defeating all of the gym leaders of Kalos before I was a teenager, it took us ten more years to become champions. I learned the hard way that I was not the only extraordinary trainer in the world. In order for me to break through and reach the top, I had to learn a very important lesson. A lesson that Palermo helped teach me, in fact. It doesn't matter how strong you've become. You will find someone stronger than you eventually. It's only a matter of time. There is always a greater power."

Serena shuddered. A short distance away, Palermo grinned with malevolent pride.

"I don't know who is the strongest trainer in the world, but I know it is not me," said Diantha. "For more than fifteen years, I have defended my title against trainers who all had good reason to believe themselves to be the very best. Not one of them was, and yet I battled all of them as if they were. I made it to where I am because I learned to take nothing for granted, not my own power, and certainly not the power of my opponents. You would do well to do the same."

"I made it this far by never giving up!" said Ash. "I'm not gonna stop believing in my Pokémon and myself now!"

Diantha touched her hand to the pendant that hung from her own neck. Gardevoir's pendant glinted in tandem.

"Perhaps you are the greatest trainer in the world," said Diantha. "I have defeated an entire generation of trainers who all could have been the greatest."

Diantha bowed her head, and there was an explosion of light in all the colors of the rainbow. Gardevoir vanished inside a sphere of radiant energy. Chaotic wind rushed all around. Snowflakes melted from the burst of heat. As if breaking free from a shell, the energy surrounding Gardevoir shattered like glass and then dissipated into nothingness, like it was never there at all. Gardevoir emerged from the light transformed, her dress billowing in the wind.

Rather than respond, Ash and Greninja both bowed their heads as well. The familiar torrent of water followed. Greninja burst out of it, transformed as well. He and Gardevoir faced each other on opposite sides of the battlefield, both completely still.

"We will make you believe," said Ash.

"Foolish," Palermo muttered.

Silent, almost forlorn, Diantha raised a hand.

"Gardevoir, Moonblast."

Gardevoir raised her hands and formed a shimmering ball of silvery energy between them. She fired. Greninja vanished. The blast passed through the empty space where he had stood an instant before. It scattered on the ground like a splattered can of paint, the glow lingering for a few seconds before fading from sight.

Greninja reappeared behind Gardevoir.

"Night Slash!"

"Thunderbolt!"

"What?!"

Gardevoir's reaction time was instantaneous. As Greninja raised one arm to strike, Gardevoir snapped around at an impossible speed. Holding her palms facing each other in front of her chest, electricity crackled between them. Greninja had no time to escape before she fired.

There was a crack of thunder and a blinding flash. Greninja staggered away backward, smoking. Ash collapsed to all fours.

Palermo laughed.

"Oh, would you look at him!" she said. "Why, I think he's never been so shocked in his life!"

Serena felt heat flare from Delphox behind her. She turned to look and saw Delphox torn between watching the battle below and maintaining her standoff with Florges. Delphox had her teeth bared. Tiny puffs of flame leaked from the spaces between them. Florges narrowed her eyes at Delphox.

"Now now, I'd encourage you to make sure your eager friend stays out of this," said Palermo. "Should your Delphox enter the fray, I assure you I will have Florges strike her down swiftly and without mercy."

Delphox did not move. Serena grit her own teeth. Anger boiled inside her. Though she said nothing, she clenched her fists so hard they shook.

Down on all fours, Ash gasped for breath. Pikachu ran up next to him and tugged at his sleeve. Ash looked up. Out on the battlefield, Greninja slipped into the shadows and vanished, then reappeared on Ash's side of the field again. The damage that had been done to him was obvious, no matter how much he tried to hide it. He had taken a point-blank, full-power hit. Even though it had not come from an electric type Pokémon, it was still devastating.

Ash rose to one knee, then stopped.

"Ash!"

All around, both on the battlefield and above, heads turned in surprise. It was Clemont. Together with Korrina, Bonnie, and Lillie, he ran toward Ash. A pile of defeated guards and their Pokémon lay behind them.

Korrina ran ahead and stopped just behind Ash, with Lucario next to her.

"We're here to help!" she said.

Anger flared on Palermo's face.

"Pierre!" she shouted. "Stop them at once!"

All around, heads turned again, this time up toward the roof.

"It's Serena!" Bonnie said, pointing at her.

"And Aria!" said Lillie. "She's with her!"

"And Palermo," Korrina said, clenching both her fists and her brow.

Ash turned back to look at everyone.

"Guys, stay out of this," he said. "It's too dangerous."

"Nonsense!" said Clemont. "You can't possibly expect us to allow you to face Diantha and her Mega Gardevoir alone!"

Clemont moved to take a step forward. As he did, Monsieur Pierre snapped his fingers. Klefki vibrated, jingling its keys like mad. A glassy barrier of energy shot up between Ash and the others, separating them from him.

Her teeth bared, Korrina glared at Monsieur Pierre.

"Are we gonna have to take you out, too?" she said.

"I encourage you not to do so, mademoiselle," said Pierre. "I assure you that attempting it is not in your best interest."

Diantha raised her voice and called out to everyone.

"Both Ash and Pierre are correct," she said. "Please, do not interfere in this. You all are already in more than enough trouble without getting involved in a battle that is far too dangerous for all of you."

"Diantha!" said Clemont. "I understand that you have little reason to hold my word in high regard after the events surrounding my gym and my relationship with Korrina, but I implore you to listen to me! Palermo has deceived you! We are here to save Aria from Palermo, not to abduct her!"

"Not you, too," said Diantha. Her shoulders slumped. Her voice dripped with disappointment. "How can you of all people try to insist upon such an absurd lie when I've been shown evidence to the contrary?"

"Because it's the truth!" said Korrina.

Diantha touched her hand to her forehead. Frustration flared on her face. She shook her head.

"I can't believe this," she said. "This is insane. All of you have lost your minds."

"We're telling the truth!" said Ash. He rose to his feet again. "I don't know how, but we'll find a way to prove it to you!"

Diantha closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head again.

"Gardevoir, Moonblast."

"Greninja, Water Pulse!"

Though it was powerful in its own right, Serena knew that Greninja's Water Pulse was nothing compared to Gardevoir's Moonblast. The Water Pulse served as little more than a diversion to slow the Moonblast and force it off its intended course. Greninja disappeared in the blink of an eye and reappeared on the adjacent side of the battlefield, on Gardevoir's left.

"Water Shuriken!"

"Psychic."

Serena thought for a split-second that Diantha had made the same blunder she had made when battling Ash and Greninja with Delphox. Greninja was naturally immune to psychic attacks.

His Water Shuriken, however, were not. Gardevoir held up a palm, and both her hand and her eyes flashed indigo. The Water Shuriken all snapped to a stop as if embedding themselves in an invisible wall in midair. Once stopped, they lost their form and trickled to the ground as nothing more than raindrops.

"Aerial Ace!"

Greninja was already gone by the time his attack had been neutralized. Serena bit down on her lip as she saw Gardevoir take a hit from something invisible, staggering back a few steps. Aerial Ace made contact. The trouble was what would happen next now that Greninja was once again in close quarters. Serena held her breath.

"Night Slash!"

Greninja's hand glowed with dark energy as he prepared to swipe. He leaped into the air, ready to strike from above.

"Moonblast."

Looking directly up at Greninja, Gardevoir raised her hands over her head and charged the blast between them. She fired.

"Vanish!"

Gardevoir's attack did not hit its target. It did not hit anything at all. It rocketed away into the sky, disappearing into the low clouds.

Greninja was gone. There was no sign of him anywhere, not a single trace of movement or suspicious sound. Serena's bite on her own lip tightened. If it was the same technique she thought it was, this was not the first time she had seen Ash and Greninja use it. If that was the case, she knew where Greninja was.

Diantha, however, did not seem to know.

"Find him."

Gardevoir's eyes glowed electric blue, and her entire body was sheathed in a thin veil of light. Her feet left the ground. As she rose into the air, her body crackled with electricity, more intense with each passing second.

Serena watched the shadow beneath Gardevoir becoming fainter as she rose higher into the air. When she was almost level with the roof, she stopped. Then, she stretched both arms out at her sides, her palms facing outward. With an eerie cry, she fired.

A sphere of psychically-guided electricity pulsed out from Gardevoir's body as she discharged herself, bathing the entire area in sparks. As the blast reached the ground, everything seemed to happen at once.

"Water Pulse!"

It made just as little physical sense as every other time Serena had seen it. Greninja stepped out of Gardevoir's shadow as if stepping back into sight from around the corner of a building. The instant he reappeared, he fired. The Water Pulse cut a hole through Gardevoir's attack. Greninja jumped up through it.

"Water Shuriken!"

This time, Greninja detached the giant shuriken from his back. Before Gardevoir could make any sense of what was happening or even look down, Greninja took aim and threw it.

A moment later, it connected. Gardevoir grunted in pain, struck solidly from below. Her concentration broken, she began to fall from the sky. Greninja was still on his way up toward her.

"Night Slash!"

"Moonblast!"

There was no time for Gardevoir to prepare her attack. Greninja intercepted her and slashed, leaving behind a black, vacant trail as though he had cut directly into the void. Gardevoir went hurtling down, destined for a violent collision with the ground.

The moment she was due to crash, a wave of psychic energy deafened all sounds and made the ground rumble. On her back, her arms spread out as if trying to float in water, Gardevoir had snapped to a halt mere inches above the ground. Her eyes and body glowing, she levitated while Greninja towered overhead, streaking down toward her from the sky with his giant shuriken drawn again.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Aerial Ace!"

Gardevoir released her psychic hold on herself. She fell the remaining few inches to the ground and landed on her back. As she did, she brought her hands together and condensed electricity between them. Pulling her knees up, she sat halfway up and fired, letting out a cry as she did.

Greninja disappeared again. The blast of electricity shot off into the sky without hitting its mark. Greninja did not strike, but he reappeared behind Gardevoir. From a seated position, Gardevoir spun her head and looked over her shoulder to see him. Supporting herself with one hand as she leaned back, she shot another bolt of electricity at him with the other.

Greninja blocked the attack, using his giant shuriken as a shield. The two attacks vaporized on contact. Greninja vanished again. When he reappeared, he was on the opposite side of the battlefield. Gardevoir was flung a short distance as she was struck again, landing roughly on all fours.

Serena had to force herself to breathe. In the corner of her vision, she saw Palermo's face tighten.

Unfortunately, Serena realized she was not the only one with breathing difficulties. On the far side of the battlefield, Greninja stood halfway hunched over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Much nearer, Ash made the same pose. When he spoke, he sounded as out of breath as he looked.

"We can do this. Hang in there..."

Greninja looked at Ash. While the two of them caught their breath, Gardevoir rose to her feet. Although clearly damaged, she did not appear fatigued. When she drew herself up to her full height, she did so with the same grace and poise as before the battle began. Completely calm, she momentarily closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they glowed as she hovered a few inches above the ground.

Serena saw the tightness in Palermo's face fade.

"I'll give him credit," said Palermo. "Hey may be a fool, but he's a powerful fool."

Serena gave Palermo a sideways glare.

"He's stronger than you can imagine."

"Ha! I sincerely doubt that, my dear," said Palermo.

Anger welled up in Serena's throat. Her response came louder than before.

"He's the strongest trainer in the world!"

"For half a battle, perhaps," said Palermo. "His tactics require too much exertion. His team lacks endurance because of it. Any reasonably experienced trainer can see that."

Gardevoir rose higher into the air. Greninja remained on the ground, looking up at her as he continued to struggle to catch his breath.

Palermo shook her head, a smile on her lips.

"You must think I lack imagination, dear."

Another ethereal hush came over the battlefield. All around, there was motion. The paving stones torn from the ground by the battle thus far shook, then rose into the air one by one. Then, previously undisturbed stones joined the others, ripping themselves up from the ground. Slowly, they took shape around Gardevoir, orbiting her in a sphere.

"I'm impressed," said Diantha. "You two truly have become powerful. You are not yet powerful enough to defeat us, though."

One of the stones removed itself from its orbit around Gardevoir and shot down at Greninja. Greninja rolled out of the way, the stone shattering on contact with the ground. Ash grimaced as he stood up to his full height again.

"Don't do this!" he said.

Diantha shook her head.

"You leave me no choice."

"Greninja, get ready! Water Shuriken!"

Another paving stone shot down at Greninja. Dozens more followed it. Greninja conjured a fistful of shuriken in each hand. Then, he jumped out of the way of the first stone and fired.

A hailstorm ensued. Amidst the flurry of stones, Greninja jumped from one to the other, firing his shuriken at the ones he couldn't reach. Water, dust, and shards of stone showered down onto the ground below. Some stones were cut clean in two. Others cracked. Some exploded. Many others merely shattered on the ground. Caught in the crossfire and unable to escape it, both Ash and Pikachu shielded themselves and covered their eyes while chips of stone and chunks of dirt kicked up in front of them.

Dashing through the storm at a maddening pace, Greninja closed in on Gardevoir, drawing ever closer. Her supply of stones dwindled. He was almost there.

He shot down the final stone. The giant shuriken on his back glowed. He pulled it off and held it high, ready to strike. There was nothing but air between him and his target.

Gardevoir extended both arms to her sides. Her body crackled. She shot out another spherical pulse of electricity.

Greninja fell. Knocked back, his shuriken was blown away. It embedded itself in the ground upon landing. Greninja tumbled through the air, crackling with sparks. He landed roughly on his back, bouncing once before coming to a stop. Ash dropped down to all fours, gritting his teeth in pain.

With one fist clenched, Greninja pushed himself back up onto his knees with his other hand. He looked up. He froze.

High overhead, Gardevoir held a massive Moonblast between her hands.

"That's it! Machoke, Brick Break!"

Ash turned his head. As he did, Korrina's Machoke charged the barrier Klefki had created. With an echoing kiai, he delivered a sharp, piercing blow with the side of his hand. Like glass, the barrier shattered.

"We're coming to help!" said Clemont. "Get ready, Luxray!"

Luxray ran up beside Ash and Pikachu. With his teeth bared, he growled. Lucario was right behind him.

"Guys, don't-"

"Stay out of this!"

Palermo shouted down at them from above, her face lined with anger. Her eyes shifted, and she spoke again.

"Pierre, what are you doing?"

Monsieur Pierre bowed his head.

"I cannot stop them, madame."

Korrina ran up beside Lucario with both fists clenched. Glaring up at Palermo, she pointed at her.

"This is it, Lucario! This is our chance! It's time to stop her once and for all!"

Lucario howled.

"Florges! Stop them!"

The rooftop shook. Both Serena and Palermo turned around to look. Florges and Delphox were locked in a power struggle, each of them holding back the other. Indigo light and pulses of psychic energy radiated off of them in waves. Serena could have sworn that she could hear it. All she truly heard was Delphox's growl as she shook from the exertion.

"Aromatisse, Flash Cannon!"

Serena did not even have enough time to gasp. Beside her, Aria sprang to life and threw a Poké Ball high into the air off the roof. It burst open, and Aromatisse materialized, already charging the blast. A second later, she fired.

At Gardevoir.

Blindsided, Gardevoir was shot down to the ground. The Moonblast she held slipped from her fingers and then vanished into the air like mist on the wind. Horrified, Diantha turned to look up at the roof, aghast.

"Aria!"

"Diantha, stop this!" said Aria. "Ash and his friends are telling the truth!"

A tremendous pulse of psychic energy rolled over the rooftop. For a moment, Serena thought she might faint. With her eyes glowing brighter than ever before, Florges swept one hand aside. She swept Delphox away, flinging her halfway across the roof. With a sweep of her other hand, Florges pulled Aromatisse out of the sky and sent her crashing back down on the roof. Aria turned to run to Aromatisse, but she froze when Palermo spoke again.

"Silence!" said Palermo. She turned her attention to Diantha. "Don't listen to her! Aria is delusional from her time in captivity!"

"Aria, I'm here to help you!" said Diantha. "Please, don't interfere in this! I'm not your enemy!"

Aria seemed momentarily torn. She returned Aromatisse to her ball and then ran back over to the edge of the roof.

"Ash isn't lying!" she said. "Palermo is my enemy!"

Diantha looked dumbfounded. Her eyes shifted back and forth between Aria and Palermo, and then to the battlefield again. On the ground, Gardevoir rose to her feet.

On the opposite side of the field, both Ash and Greninja stood tall. With his feet shoulder-width apart, Ash reached into his pocket and removed something from it.

He slipped it around his wrist.

"This is it, Greninja. We've gotta do it. It's the only way."

Serena's mouth hung open as she watched. For the first time since she left Alola, she saw it again, the dance like the waves of the sea.

As Ash struck the final pose, the gem on his wrist glowed a brilliant sapphire. So did Greninja's eyes.

Then came the roar. From nowhere, a deafening torrent of water erupted beneath Greninja. Whirling wildly, it spun like a rope coiling around him until he was visible no more, hidden inside the vortex.

Diantha backed up several steps. Like a tornado of water, the vortex towered high above, at least twice as tall as the mansion itself.

"Gardevoir! Moonblast! Full power!"

Gardevoir held her hands above her head. Almost immediately, Serena had to look away. The ball of energy that formed between Gardevoir's hands was as bright as the sun and was wider than she was tall. It seared Serena's eyes to so much as glance at it. Thin shadows danced all around as the light from it flickered.

The vortex surrounding Greninja intensified. It scoured the ground, tearing up clumps of bare earth.

"Almost there, Greninja!" said Ash. "Just a little more! Get ready!"

Diantha stepped forward and extended her hand.

"Fire!"

For a moment, Serena's heart stopped. As she cowered from the burning light with her eyes hidden behind her arm, she knew in her heart that this was it. No matter how strong he had become, there was no way Greninja could endure such a powerful blast. The battle was over.

Except it wasn't.

"Klefki, Light Screen!"

There was a jingle, followed by a flash. Serena uncovered her eyes and saw the remnants of Gardevoir's attack scattering in all directions. Klefki hovered in the middle of the battlefield, between Gardevoir and Greninja.

"What in the world?!"

Incensed, Palermo took a step forward, nearing the edge of the roof. Anger lined her face.

Down below, Monsieur Pierre stepped forward from behind Clemont, Korrina, and the others. He bowed.

"Forgive me, madame, but in the interest of the Kalos Queen I must end this charade."

Palermo clenched her teeth. She quivered with fury.

"Pierre! You scoundrel!"

Monsieur Pierre faced Diantha. Diantha stared at him, wide-eyed and slaw-jawed, stunned.

"Madame Diantha, I beg of you to heed the words of Master Ash and his friends, for they are telling the truth."

Diantha stood there frozen. She did not even blink, let alone speak. No one did.

Until Ash did.

"Greninja, Hydro Vortex!"

A glint of light came from deep within the center of the vortex. Then, the vortex moved. Ripping up the ground beneath it as it advanced, it raced across the battlefield toward Gardevoir. Despite the fear in her eyes, Gardevoir stood her ground. She put up a psychic barrier and braced herself for impact.

Then, she disappeared into the torrent.

Seconds passed. The vortex roared like a waterfall, drowning out all other sounds. It grew more intense with each passing moment until it no longer looked like a spinning waterspout, but instead a solid blue cone of energy standing on its apex. At the final moment, as the attack reached the peak of its power, the vortex became transparent. For an instant, Serena saw Greninja in the center with his eyes shut and head bowed, completely calm. Gardevoir whirled around inside at a frightening speed, caught in the deluge and unable to stop.

And then, it all stopped. The vortex snapped to a halt, and the water scattered in all directions and vanished into thin air. Gardevoir was ejected, landing violently on the ground below. Greninja was frozen in midair, still in his meditative pose.

As Gardevoir skidded to a halt in front of Diantha's feet, Serena's eyes widened. Gardevoir's transformation had faded. She was back in her normal form.

Diantha knelt down and placed a hand on Gardevoir's shoulder. Gardevoir did not move.

Greninja dropped to the ground. Though he landed on his feet, he was quick to drop to his hands and knees. Behind him, Ash's knees gave out and he toppled over, landing on his backside. Propping himself up with his hands, he sat upright.

While Greninja crouched on all fours and labored for breath, his transformation also faded.

"We did it..."

Greninja looked back at Ash. Ash was only able to force the words out between heavy breaths. He wore a weary smile on his face. He looked as exhausted as Serena had ever seen him. She expected to hear him laugh, but she doubted he had the energy for it. At the moment, it looked like sitting up was a strain for him.

Beside Ash, Pikachu looked between him, Greninja, and Diantha. On the far side of the battlefield, Diantha held a hand to Gardevoir's cheek, then returned her to her ball. She stood again.

Greninja slumped over on his side, completely spent. Without a command, Pikachu ran out onto the battlefield, placing himself in front of Greninja.

Diantha held another Poké Ball. Serena struggled to do the math, her head swimming with nerves and adrenaline. Pikachu was Ash's only Pokémon left. She was certain Diantha only had one left, too, but she could not remember which one.

Her train of thought was interrupted.

"You wretched boy!"

Furious, Palermo stood at the very edge of the roof with her fists clenched at her sides, glowering down at everyone below. As though she were lost, Diantha's eyes darted between the roof and the ground, unable to determine where to look. Eventually, her eyes settled on Palermo. She called up to her.

"Please tell me this isn't happening," said Diantha. "This can't be real. There must be some kind of mistake."

Tight-fisted and tight-lipped, Palermo glared down at Diantha, but said nothing. Monsieur Pierre took a step forward onto the battlefield.

"Madame Diantha, there is much to explain, but by my honor I swear to you that Master Ash and his friends have told you nothing but the truth, strange although it seems."

Ash let out a single huff of laughter, a tired smile on his face.

"Told ya."

Her mouthing hanging open in disbelief, Diantha looked up at Palermo again. She shook her head.

"No... I-"

"What are you doing?!" shouted Palermo. "The battle isn't over! Finish him!"

Diantha hesitated.

"I..."

"The boy can't even stand! Finish the fight while you still can!"

Diantha shook her head again. There was something else in her eyes beside her disbelief. Perhaps it was horror. Perhaps it was fear. Serena couldn't tell.

"No," said Diantha, her voice quiet but firm. "I won't."

"Then if you won't, I will!"

Florges shot several feet up into the air behind Palermo, shining deep indigo. From her hands, she emitted a pulse of psychic energy that made Serena's stomach turn from its sheer force. She wasn't certain if it was her vision that distorted, or if the air actually distorted from the raw power.

Either way, the end result was the same. On the ground below, everyone behind Ash was knocked over, blown back and thrown several feet, people and Pokémon included. Lucario was the first to his feet, ready to jump into action.

"Moonblast!"

Her hands held high above her head, Florges conjured her own brilliant sphere of silvery energy. Before anyone was ready, before anyone was on their feet again or could call an attack, Florges fired.

Serena's heart stopped.

Florges hadn't fired at Lucario. She hadn't fired at a Pokémon at all.

She had fired at Ash.

Cast in the stark light, Serena saw Ash's face slacken as he looked up at the blast rocketing toward him. He was defenseless. There was no escape.

From the other side of the field, Diantha threw her final Poké Ball. Again, Serena was amazed by the speed and accuracy of the throw. With a low sidearm motion, Diantha placed the trajectory of the ball directly in front of Ash. It seemed to begin the process of opening before it reached him.

"Aurorus, Mirror Coat!"

Like a chance alignment of the planets, everything coincided. Aurorus fully materialized. Before she even had her feet on the ground in front of Ash, she was preparing her counterattack. She exhaled, and a perfect sheet of thin, glassy ice condensed from her breath in the air. The shine of the Moonblast glinted off of it, the reflection momentarily blinding Serena.

The blast touched the mirror. Serena expected to see it splash off of it, or to pass through it entirely. Instead, the light intensified. The mirror shattered, and the blast bounced back.

Aria grabbed her wrist.

"Get down!"

As Aria pulled her down, Serena saw Delphox snatch her wand up from the ground and struggle to her feet, then lunge toward the two of them. With an arm held in front of herself in an attempt to shield herself, Palermo hurried to back away from the edge. Florges tried to fly around in front of Palermo to intercept the blast, but it was too late.

There was a deafening explosion. The reflected Moonblast struck the façade of the mansion precisely below where Palermo's feet had been mere moments before. Stone and steel cracked and tore, blown away by the impact. A hail of boulders and shrapnel shot in all directions as Serena felt the roof give out underneath her.

What happened next happened too quickly for her to comprehend. She covered her head. She saw Florges trying to hold it all back, and Delphox flying toward her, and Palermo falling into the gaping hole left beneath them.

Then, she saw nothing at all.

When her vision returned several seconds later, the first thing she felt was the unique, peculiar feeling of not being able to piece together how she had ended up where she was. She felt solid ground beneath her. Not concrete or stone, but bare dirt. She was in the courtyard, on her hands and knees. She heard heavy breathing beside her and looked in that direction to find Aria also on her knees, slowly rising to sit up as she uncovered her head. She looked every bit as confused as Serena felt.

Serena heard a rougher, more ragged breath from her opposite side. She turned her head and saw Delphox crouching there, short of breath and supporting herself with her wand as though it were a cane. The two of them met eyes. Delphox sank to the ground in a seated position.

A rumbling sound came from the mansion. Serena looked up, and her jaw dropped. She scrambled to sit upright on her knees. Where she had stood only seconds before was now replaced by a massive hole. The mansion looked like it had been bombed. Rubble was strewn all around the courtyard. Smoke billowed from the hole as fire welled up within it.

Serena looked back at Delphox.

"Did... you do this?" she said, pointing to herself and Aria.

Delphox held Serena's gaze for a moment. She gave Serena a single nod.

Stunned, Serena said nothing for a while. Then, she placed her hand on Delphox's head, between her ears. She dug her fingers into her fur. Delphox froze. Astonished, her eyes widened.

Likewise, Serena froze when she realized she heard footsteps come to a stop in front of her. She looked up.

Monsieur Pierre stood before her. He offered her his hand.

"Forgive me, mademoiselle, but there remains much to be done."