By the time Ash's Pokemon are healed up, and he makes the switches with Professor Oak that he planned to do, Clemont is half done with creating the inventions Ash requested. So, Ash finds an open area to begin basic training until his friend competes his inventions. The two of them find a place further from the Pokemon Center where they can work on Ash's plan in secret. With the inventions Clemont created, Ash gives Primeape and Pikachu special training for the big day. Clemont doesn't understand the purpose of what Ash and his Pokemon are doing with his inventions, but upon Ash's request, he decides to trust his raven-haired friend and agree to keep it a secret from everyone else.
Unfortunately, like many of Clemont's inventions, it was only a matter of time before Clemont's inventions start to malfunction and eventually blow up. Clemont is devastated that his newest inventions are destroyed, and Ash is bummed that his Pokemon can't continue their special training.
Regardless, Ash decides to keep a positive attitude, believing that Primeape and Pikachu are ready to do what he has planned for his match against Timothy. So after cheering up Clemont, the raven-haired boy continues training with all six of his Pokemon until they are worn out from training. Luckily, by the time the two trainers come back to the Pokemon Center to put Ash's Pokemon in Nurse Joy's care, the rest of the group have started eating dinner. Ash doesn't hesitate to start gorging himself with food much to everyone else's expectations. After everyone was done, Serena gives everyone the cookies she made with Bonnie and Dawn.
But while she keeps a smile on her face as she serve the treats to her friends, a part of her is still feeling down about what happens after the league. As happy as she is that Ash has made it to the finals once again, the fact that the league will be over in less than a day fills her heart with dread. Even though she plans to express how she feels about Ash before going their separate ways, she still wishes she can stay by his side. Ash is once again the only person who notices the sadness in her eyes and tries to cheer her up by praising her constantly for the sweets she made. But despite his caring efforts, his compliments only do so much to make the honey blonde girl happy while still feeling sad. Knowing this, Ash comes back to the conclusion that the only way he makes her truly happy is by winning the league.
But as he thinks about it, an idea comes into his mind. He starts to consider what Alain said about cheering Mairin up by winning the Kalos League, and it occurs to Ash that as touching as Alain's efforts were, he never implied that he told Mairin that he won the league for her specifically. The more he thinks about it, the more he realizes that he can't just win the league as his best attempt to make Serena truly happy with her unaware. Serena herself has to know that he's doing it all for her; that he wants to cheer her up and express his gratitude for everything she has done to give him the most heartening support he's ever had from any of his friends. In the end, he knows exactly what he has to do to really make an impact on what his friend is going to witness during his battle against Timothy.
The next day, Ash picks up his Pokemon and does some additional training to refresh everything he has planned against his rival. After a couple of hours, everyone starts making their way to Indigo Stadium to make sure Ash is there before the battle begins promptly at noon.
"I can't wait to watch the final battle!" Bonnie says cheerfully.
"De ne ne," Dedenne says.
"Neither can I," Max agrees.
"To tell you the truth, I feel both excited and nervous," Iris says. "Ash has grown to be so strong since our journey in Unova, but Timothy's pretty powerful too."
"Indeed, but that's what's going to make this battle so exciting," Cilan says. "Two strong trainers giving everything they've got is a real treat to enjoy."
"Yeah, but I hope things go better for Ash," Dawn says, concerned. "He's lost two battles against Timothy, and I really hope it won't be a repeat of those battles.
"Me too," May agrees.
"Piplup," Piplup chirps.
Misty turns to Ash, worried, and says, "Ash, I really hope you have a strategy for your final battle."
Ash turns to Misty and gives her a toothy grin.
"Don't you worry, Misty," he reassures. "I've seen most of his Pokemon in battle enough times that I have a good idea of what I need to do. Right, Pikachu?"
"Pikachu," Pikachu says cheerfully on Ash's shoulder.
Misty gives Ash a small smile, hoping the guy she cares for is right. Before long, the entire group makes it to the stadium, and Ash turns to all of his friends. They give him supportive smiles before Serena asks him a question.
"So, who are you going to choose to cheer for you from behind with me?" she asks.
Ash thinks about it for a moment before he smiles.
"Well, since the three of us have stuck together nearly throughout the whole journey, I think it's fitting that Brock should be cheering with you," he says, turning to Brock. "What do you say, Brock?"
Despite still feeling down for losing Holly, Brock gives his friend a sincere smile and says, "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Ash smiles, and the two of them nod at each other. The rest of them smile before Clemont clears his throat.
"Well, we better get going," he says. "We want to get good seats for this big match."
"I agree," Misty says with everyone else nodding.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Cilan asks before turning to Ash. "Ash, I wish you the best of luck."
"So do I," May says,
"Me too," Dawn says.
"Piplup," Piplup chirps.
"We all do," Misty says with a soft smile.
"Thank you guys," Ash says, giving everyone a thumbs up before they all head out, leaving Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and Brock alone.
"Well, we better get going too," Brock suggests.
"Actually, you two go on ahead," Ash says.
"Huh? What for?" Serena asks.
"I want to have a little talk with my Pokemon before we go in," Ash explains.
Brock and Serena smile before they turn around and go inside. Ash waits until they are far enough before he takes out five Pokeballs.
"Come out, everyone!" he shouts, throwing them all into the air.
The balls open to reveal Garchomp, Pidgeot, Primeape, Gigalith, and Charizard, with all of them looking intently at Ash. Pikachu stays on Ash's shoulder while the raven-haired boy clears his throat.
"Okay, everyone, this is it. The moment we've been waiting for is finally here," he announces.
All of the Pokemon cheer happily with Charizard, in particular, letting out a stream of fire in the air.
"So I only have two things to say to you," Ash says. "First, let's finally win a Pokemon league together as a team, and finally, let's also give it all we got to cheer up Serena in the process. Understood?"
All six of his Pokemon nod.
"Good," Ash says, satisfied. "Now, let's win a Pokemon League!"
All of the Pokemon cheer again before he returns, Garchomp, Pidgeot, Primeape, Gigalith, and Charizard to their Pokeballs. After putting the Pokeballs back on his belt, he turns to Pikachu with a happy grin.
"We're going to win this time, buddy. I can feel it," he says confidently. "Let's give it everything we've got. No holding back."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaims in agreement.
With that, Ash goes inside and starts walking down the hall leading to the battlefield.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the stadium, Timothy, Electchu, and Coovers are walking to the other entrance that leads to the battlefield. They stop walking right before they enter, and Coovers suddenly headlocks Timothy and gives him a noogie.
"This is it, buddy," he says excitedly. "You're going to win this and then face Kanto's Elite Four, beat Lance again, and then you'll be one step closer to achieving your ultimate goal."
Timothy frees himself from Coovers' grasp and collects himself before responding.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Coovers," he says. "First thing is first. I gotta battle Ash."
"Aw, that's no problem. You've beaten him twice," Coovers says confidently.
"That's true, but I should still focus on that before even daydream about the Elite Four and Lance."
Coovers raises an eyebrow and asks, "Where's the prideful Timothy I know?"
Timothy smirks before he says, "Let's just say, I've been overconfident during the final round of a league enough times to know how devastating it is to lose a battle you think you're going to win no problem. I can be prideful to my heart's content when I'm against lesser trainers or when supposedly strong opponents aren't as difficult as most of the Frontier Brains, but I can't afford to be overconfident when it's the most important battle of a Pokemon league. Besides, Ash has taken advantage of my arrogant side once already when his Boldore defeated Blitzwing. I don't want to give him the chance to use my weakness against me like that again. The fact that his Sceptile defeated Gengar without using my arrogance against me leaves room for caution too. Right, Electchu?"
"Raichu," Electchu answers, nodding.
"Hmmm, that's true," Coovers says. "Plus, for all of his lack of victories against you, I've seen that kid enough times in battle to say that he's a cunning trainer if nothing else."
"He certainly is that," Timothy agrees. "And that's all the more reason to be careful if I want to make sure that boy doesn't get in the way of taking one step closer to my dream."
Coovers and Electchu nod in agreement. After a moment of silence, Coovers clears his throat.
"Anyway, let's get inside. Victory awaits," he says.
Timothy hesitates for a moment and says, "You know what? You go on ahead. I think I want to have a talk with my team first."
Coovers is surprised for a moment before he gives his friend a toothy grin and a thumbs up. The black-haired man from Unova runs ahead inside while Timothy takes out his other five Pokeballs and tosses them into the air. The balls open, and Gengar, Blitzwing, Odyssey, Shockwave, and Poliwrath appear.
"This is it, guys," Timothy begins. "All we need to do is win one more battle, and we win another league."
All of the Pokemon, including Electchu, express this excitement loudly.
"But like I just said to Coovers, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Timothy advises. "If we want to get closer to our goal, we need to earn it plain and simple. No mistakes, no redos. We either finally win the Indigo League, or we try again another time. Understand?"
His Pokemon nod without hesitation. The man in the "H.A.K." shirt nods in approval before he frowns slightly.
"I know I said this already when we won the Johto League, but I really wish Grandma Judy could still be around to see this if we win," he says softly. "It really is a shame that she never got to see me win at least one Pokemon league before she passed away,"
The Pokemon look at their trainer sadly, feeling the same way. After a moment, Timothy shakes off the grief on his face and smirks at his team.
"She did, however, often say she's proud of me no matter what," he says. "But what the heck? I say we believe she's with us in spirit and make her even more proud anyway. Who's with me?"
The Pokemon cheer in agreement with Electchu, Poliwrath, Odyssey, and Shockwave, shaking their fists in the air while Blitzwing spreading its wings and lets out a loud caw and Genger laughing maniacally in excitement. Timothy nods in approval before returning most of his team and turning to Electchu.
"Let's do this, Electchu," he says.
"Rai," Electchu says, nodding again.
Ash slowly walks down the hall with Pikachu still on his shoulder. He stops when he's a few feet away from entering the field, closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath. His mind goes to everything he's gone through just to feel ready to compete in the league again and what he's been through to get this far. With his hands turning into balls of fists, he smirks before he opens his eyes and runs to the field.
The crowd is already cheering as Ash and Pikachu enter their side of the field while Timothy and Electchu enter from their side. Brock and Serena sit on the bench behind Ash and Pikachu with smiles on their faces while Coovers sits behind Timothy and Electchu with a confident grin. Misty, May, Max, Dawn, Piplup, Clemont, Bonnie, Iris, Axew, and Cilan cheer from the front row once again as the announcer speaks.
"Welcome, folks, to the moment we've all been waiting for!" he exclaims. "It's time for the final match between Ash Ketchum and Timothy Durbin from Pallet Town! Will the winner of this year's Johto League claim another grand victory, or will it be the underdog's time to shine?! There's only one way to find out, so let's get ready for a great battle!"
The crowd roars while the referee steps in from the sidelines.
"This will be a full battle between Ash and Timothy!" he declares. "The battle will be over when all Pokemon from either side cannot continue! Furthermore, if you call back your Pokemon, they will be out of the match! Are the contestants ready?"
"Ready!" Timothy responds.
But instead of saying "ready," Ash replies, "Actually, I want to say something first if that's okay."
The cheering stops, and everyone looks at Ash, confused. The referee is befuddled with Ash's unusual response before he awkwardly gestures Ash to go ahead.
"What is he doing?" May asks quietly from the stands.
"I don't know," Max responds quietly.
With all of the attention on Ash, the raven-haired boy smiles and clears his throat.
"I want to say that I'm happy to make it this far," he begins. "The first time I lost a Pokemon league in this very stadium was one of the most devastating moments of my life. Since then, I've worked harder and almost won the Kalos League. But when my opponent, Timothy, challenged me to face him here in the Indigo League, I accepted but felt uneasy about competing in a league a second time until I was encouraged to travel through the region again and show how much I've grown. The truth is I would never have gone this far if it wasn't for the one person who has been encouraging my Pokemon and me through my journey: Serena!"
Serena's eyes widen, and her pupils shrink in shock. Her entire face heats up, turning beet red as all eyes are suddenly on her. She lets out a high-pitched squeak as she stares at Ash, who just smiles at her.
"Whether in Kalos or here in Kanto, Serena has always been there to support me however she can," Ash continues. "And because of that, I've overcome many challenges that I've had to face since the day we saw each other for the first time in years. I've been doing my best to return the favor by supporting her own dream, whether it's with Pokemon showcases or Pokemon contests, but I know my encouragement doesn't hold a candle to the way she's been there for me."
Serena covers her face with her hat, completely embarrassed. She wishes Ash would just stop what he's doing and start the battle just to keep everyone's eyes off her.
"And do you know something else? I think she has the most heartwarming smile I've ever seen," Ash declares.
At that moment, Serena stops being embarrassed and stares at Ash in a daze while removing her hat from her face.
"The thing is, it's been a while since she smiled the way I've seen her smile before," Ash continues. "I've been trying to figure out what could be keeping her from being the happy Serena I know but to no avail, and I miss that about her."
At this point, Serena doesn't care that everyone is looking at her. She stares at Ash, feeling touched with what he's saying.
"So since she's been so devoted to cheering me on, I believe the best way to show my appreciation is to not only aim to win the Indigo League for myself and my Pokemon but for her," Ash explains before he points at Serena. "So win or lose, this battle's for you, Serena!"
Serena is still blushing hard, but her mind is too focused on Ash's kind words to care. She doesn't know where all of this is coming from or why, but she is mesmerized by the way Ash publicly praises her without hesitation. Brock crosses his arms and smirks at his honey blonde friend while Timothy, Electchu, and Coovers look at each other dumbfounded. Up on the stands, Bonnie is keeping herself from squealing for joy while Clemont, Iris, Axew, Cilan, May, and Max are flabbergasted, and Dawn looks at Serena with a smug look.
But out of all of them, Misty cannot believe what Ash has done. Even if it wasn't a confession of any special feelings, deep inside, it feels like it might as well have been for someone like him. Her heart breaks by the way Ash gives Serena a toothy grin while it's clear in Serena's eyes that his declaration touched her heart. To her, it feels like Ash has given her rival a sense of hope that he never once gave to her. It takes all of her strength to control her feelings so no one can suspect a thing.
After a couple of minutes of silence, Serena puts her hat back on and smiles at Ash.
"Okay, then. If you really feel that way, then give me and everyone else a battle we will never forget," she says.
Ash nods and says, "I will. That's a promise. Right, Pikachu?"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu says cheerfully.
On the other side of the field, Timothy looks at the way Serena is smiling at Ash as he turns back to face his opponent. The man in the "H.A.K." shirt is dumbfounded with what exactly happened between her, and the boy she deeply cares for that would suddenly make Ash say all of those things. He decides to shake it off while the referee clears his throat.
"Alright, now are both contestants ready?" he asks.
"I'm ready!" Timothy replies.
"You bet I'm ready!" Ash shouts proudly.
"Then let the battle begin!" the referee shouts.
"Finally," Timothy says quietly before he takes out a Pokeball. "Gengar, let's go!"
"Garchomp, I choose you!" Ash shouts.
The two Pokemon come out ready for battle. Ash gives Serena a quick glance to make sure she's smiling on before making the first call.
"Let's not waste any time, Garchomp!" He shouts. "Use Dragon Rush!"
"Dodge by flattening yourself," Timothy orders. "Then use Shadow Ball and Lick right behind it!"
Garchomp's appendages glow blue, and it releases energy shaped like a dragon covering its body before charging at Gengar. But Gengar grins mischievously and flattens its body, phasing through the ground underneath Garchomp. The mach Pokemon passes its opponent and stops to look around just as Gengar emerges from the ground and prepares a Shadow Ball.
"Garchomp, look out!" Ash shouts.
But the warning comes too late. Gengar throws the Shadow Ball, and it hits Garchomp from behind. As soon as Garchomp falls down upon impact, Gengar extends its tongue and licks its opponent. The mischievous Pokemon watches with a grin as Grachomp get up and faces Gengar with a glare until yellow sparks appear all over its body, and it gets down on one knee.
"Oh, no!" Ash exclaims.
"Garchomp's been paralyzed!" Brock shouts.
"Yes! Nice work, Gengar. We got it on the first try!" Timothy cheers. "Now, let's keep it up with Dark Pulse while it's distracted!"
Gengar grins and fires a beam of purple circles from its hands back hits Garchomp making it howl in agony.
"Okay, now, let's use Sucker Punch!" Tonight commands.
"Stop it by using Dragon Rush again quick!" Ash shouts.
Dark energy flows all over Gengar's fist, and it charges at Garchomp, but the dragon-and-ground-type Pokemon quickly recovers from the previous attacks and charges at Gengar again with the blue energy shaped like a dragon surrounding his body. Garchomp rams into Gengar and sends the ghost-and-poison-type Pokemon flying before it crashes to the ground several feet away.
"Now, use Dragon Rush once more!" Ash shouts.
"Gengar, flatten yourself again!" Timothy commands.
It takes a moment before Gengar comes to and sees it charging at it with Dragon Rush again. It quickly flattens its body and phased into the ground again, causing Garchomp to miss again.
"Quick, don't give it a chance to attack!" Ash commands. "Use Dig!"
Timothy grins as Garchomp prepares to use Dig. But suddenly, yellow sparks appear all over its body again, and it gets on one knee.
Timothy sighs in relief and orders, "Gengar, use Sucker Punch!"
Gengar appears from the ground right underneath Garchomp and uppercuts it with Sucker Punch, making Garchomp take a couple of steps back.
"Now use Shadow Ball, followed by Dark Pulse on the double!" Timothy orders.
Gengar quickly throws a black and purple ball at Garchomp, immediately followed by a beam of purple circles. Both attacks hit Garchomp, and it pants heavily with scratches all over its body.
"Yeah, that's the way to do it," Timothy says, turning to Electchu. "And the best part is it would not have mattered since Gengar knows Levitate. Looks like Ash doesn't know Dig won't work."
"Raichu," Electchu agrees.
Ash grinds his teeth, frustrated that Garchomp is taking more damage than Gengar.
"Darn, I hoped Garchomp's paralysis wouldn't get in the way," he says before turning to Pikachu with an optimistic smile. "But judging by the way Timothy was acting when I told Garchomp to use Dig, he thinks we don't know about Gengar's ability to levitate thanks to Holly's battle with Agatha. Let's keep it that way while we still have a chance to take him and Gengar by surprise."
"Pikachu," Pikachu says with a smile.
Ash nods to his partner before he faces the field and commands, "Alright, Garchomp, use Draco Meteor!"
Garchomp lifts its head and fires a large orb in the air. The orb explodes, and countless orbs fall toward the field.
"Gengar, destroy those meteorites with Dark Pulse!" Timothy orders.
Gengar looks up and uses Dark Pulse to destroy all the orbs coming down toward it
Ash smiles as he sees his chance.
"Now, use Dig!" He shouts.
Timothy and Gengar are so focused on the orbs that they don't hear Ash's command or notice Garchomp digging underground. Coovers, however, sees the mach Pokemon digging.
"Timothy!" He shouts
"What?!" Timothy asks.
"Garchomp is underground!" Coovers exclaims.
Timothy turns back the field to see a hole in the ground. He smirks, still thinking thinking he has an advantage against his young rival.
"Gengar, levitate!" He shouts.
"Garchomp, use Dragon Rush!" Ash shouts.
Before Gengar can levitate, Garchomp comes out of the ground right behind it and rams with its Dragon-type attack against Gengar. The shadow Pokemon screams as it is sent rolling to the other side of the field. It moans in agony while lying on it's back with scratches all over its body. Timothy grows worried for his Pokemon before Gengar slowly gets up and glares at its opponent.
"Alright, use Dig again!" Ash commands.
Garchomp prepares to use Dig again until yellow sparks appear on its body and gets down on one knee.
"Not again," Serena says.
Timothy sighs in relief and commands, "Gengar, use Dark Pulse and keep using it until Garchomp is down!"
Gengar grins again as it creates another beam of purple circles out of its hands. The beam hits Garchomp and Ash's Pokemon groans in pain as the beam keeps coming out of Gengar's hands, making the mach Pokemon grow weaker by the second. Ash grinds his teeth and glares at what is happening until he gets another idea.
"Garchomp, fight through the pain, and use Draco Meteor again!" He barks.
Garchomp's eyes snap open, and it stands tall despite the Dark Pulse still constantly hitting it, and it fires another orb. Once again, the orb breaks into thousands of tiny orbs, and Timothy notices them. He frowns, knowing that Ash's using the attack to drive Gengar away from constantly using Dark Pulse against his Pokemon, but he sees no other choice what to do whatever he can to keep Gengar from getting hit again.
"Gengar, dodge the orbs!" He commands.
Gengar stops using Dark Pulse and starts dancing around the field like a little child to avoid the orbs that explode as soon as they reach the ground. The shadow Pokemon keeps this up until one orb lands right behind it and knocks it off its feet and falling down on its front in pain
"Now, use Dragon Rush!" Ash shouts.
"Dodge it quick!" Timothy yells.
Once again, Garchomp charges at Gengar with its body covered in blue energy shaped like a dragon. Before Gengar can completely stand up, Ash's Pokemon rams right into it, and it is sent rolling several feet away.
"Now, Dig!" Ash commands.
Timothy mentally prays that Garchomp's paralysis would prevent it from using the ground type move again, but unfortunately, the mach Pokemon digs another hole in the ground.
"Gengar, levitate as high into the air as you can!" Timothy instructs.
Ash grins, knowing that his rival is falling into his trap.
"Garchomp, use Draco Meteor!" he shouts.
Timothy looks at Ash in confusion while Gengar levitates high into the air. Suddenly, Garchomp emerges from the ground below with a ball of orange energy in front of its mouth and fires it at its opponent. Timothy and Gengar fail to realize what is happening until the ball hits the shadow Pokemon from under it, sending it higher into the air before it slams into the ground with a loud thud.
"Alright!" Ash says excitedly. "Now, let's finish this with Dragon Rush!"
"Gengar, get up and move away!" Timothy cries out.
But he calls out to his Pokemon in vain. Gengar slowly gets up before Garchomp rams into it, sending Gargar zooming through the air. The shadow Pokemon screams before it crashes into a wall and falls to the ground with swirly eyes.
"Gengar is unable to battle! Garchomp wins!" The referee declares.
The crowd cheers with all of Ash's friends expressing their excitement. Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu frown sadly before Timothy returns Gengar to its Pokeball.
"Alright! Ash is one Pokemon ahead!" Serena cheers.
"He sure is," Brock says with a smirk before he frowns in concern. "But I worry about how long Garchomp can keep up."
Serena stops cheering and turns to Brock, confused before turning to Garchomp. Sure enough, the mach Pokemon already has many scratches all over its body, and sparks are still appearing over its body on occasion. Ash and Pikachu see the state that their friend is in too and wish Ash can switch it out for another Pokemon. On the other side of the field, Timothy takes a deep breath and puts Gengar's defeat in the back of his mind before taking out another Pokeball.
"Let's go, Blitzwing!" He shouts, throwing the ball.
His Braviary appears out of its Pokeball and lets out a loud caw at Garchomp. Ash forces a smirk on his face despite how weak his Pokemon is before he makes his next call.
"Garchomp, use Draco Meteor!" He shouts.
"I don't think so!" Timothy says determinedly. "Blitzwing, stop it with Brave Bird!"
Blitzwing flies straight toward Garchomp with red fire surrounding its body. The fire turns blue, and it slams into Garchomp before it could fire another orb out of its mouth, taking a little damage in the process. Garchomp falls down on its back and stays down for a moment before it eventually gets up.
"Now, use Brave Bird again!" Timothy commands.
Blitzwing slams into Garchomp again from behind, taking another small amount of damage. Ash grinds his teeth again as his Pokemon barely manages to stand up.
"Garchomp, use Draco Meteor now!" Ash shouts.
"Blitzwing, fly up until you're above where the orb will explode and then use Brave Bird one more time!" Timothy shouts.
Garchomp collects all the energy that it can to fire another orb in the air, but Blitzwing flies up high enough that it's above the orb when it breaks into smaller orbs. Once all the small orbs land on the ground and explode, Blitzwing surrounds itself in fire again and flies down toward its opponent - slamming Garchomp into the ground one last time, knocking it out.
"Garchomp is unable to battle! Blitzwing wins!" The referee announces.
The crowd cheers again, and Timothy, Electchu, and Coovers smile, glad that Ash's first Pokemon is down. The gang is silent while Brock and Serena frown from the bench behind Ash. The raven-haired boy returns Garchomp back into its Pokeball and gives the ball a sad smile.
"You were great, Garchomp. Thanks," he says before putting away and taking out another Pokeball. "Pidgeot, I choose you!"
He throws the ball, and it opens to reveal Pidgeot coming out and flying in the air.
"Wow, Pidgeot against Blitzwing," Serena says. "This should be an interesting match up even with Blitzwing taking some damage from using Brave Bird."
"Mmm-hmmm," Brock agrees.
"Blitzwing, use Crush Claw!" Timothy commands.
"Dodge it using Quick Attack!" Ash shouts.
Blitzwing flies toward Pidgeot at great speed with its claws glowing white, but Pidgeot barely avoids the attack with Quick Attack before hitting its opponent from under it. Blitzwing grunts in pain, but stays in the air, barely hurt at all.
"Blitzwing, use Aerial Ace!" Timothy shouts.
"Pidgeot, use Double-Edge!"
Pidgeot surrounds self in and greenish energy and flies toward Blitzwing. The Valiant Pokemon, on the other hand, flies toward its opponent before flapping its wings once and charging at it with great speed. The two Pokemon collide, but because of its superior speed, Blitzwing's attack overcomes Pidgeot. Pidgeot cries in pain as it starts to fall to the ground before quickly coming to and regaining altitude.
"Alright, let's make this harder for them," Timothy says determinedly. "Blitzwing, use Brave Bird!"
Ash frowns at the sound of Timothy ordering his Pokemon to use Brave Bird against Pidgeot. He mentally hopes his special training with one of Clemont's inventions.
"Pidgeot, use Hurricane!" He shouts.
Blitzwing charges with blue fire surrounding its body again, but Pidgeot's wings glow blue, and it flaps them to create a powerful gust of wind. The fierce wind flies up to the sky, and Blitzwing flies into it before it could adjust its course. It tries to zoom through the tornado with its speed, but the wind is more powerful. The Braviary is sent spinning around the wind until it crashes into the ground with a hard thud.
"Blitzwing!" Timothy cries out worriedly.
Ash smirks, glad Timothy missed most of his battle with Max and so didn't know that Pidgeot knows Hurricane.
"Don't hold back, Pidgeot!" Ash orders. "Use Quick Attack followed by Double-Edge!"
Pidgeot flies toward Blitzwing at great speed and rams into it. Before the valiant Pokemon can recover, greenish energy surrounds Pidgeot again, and it slams at Blitzwing.
"Now, use Double-Edge multiple times!" Ash shouts.
Pidgeot rams into Blitzwing repeatedly, still giving its opponent no chance to recover while taking some damage in the process. Timothy frowns, thinking carefully to stop Pidgeot quickly.
"Blitzwing, spread your wings while using Steel Wing now!" He yells.
Blitzwing is still struggling to react to Pidgeot's constant attacks, but it hears its trainer cleary enough that it spreads its wings, and they glow white. Pidgeot charges at its opponent again, only to run into one of Blitzwing's wings of metal and backs away in a daze giving Blitzwing a chance to recover.
"Now knock it back using Steel Wing again!" Timothy orders
Blitzwing's wings continue to glow white, and it flies toward Ash's Pokemon. Pidgeot is still in a daze when Blitzwing flies toward it and hits it with both wings. The bird Pokemon howls again and it crashes into the ground. Pidgeot gets up and flies up in the air to face Blitzwing before Ash makes his next move.
"Pidgeot, use Quick Attack!" He shouts.
"Blitzwing, wait for the right move and then dodge and use Steel Wing!" Timothy instructs.
Pidgeot flies quickly toward Timothy's Pokemon, but the Braviary waits patiently until its opponent is close enough. At the last minute, Blitzwing moves away from Pidgeot, and hits it again with Steel Wing, sending it high into the air.
"Now it's our turn," Timothy says with a grin. "Use Aerial Ace followed by Crush Claw!"
Blitzwing charges at Pidgeot and rams into it fiercely. As soon as it does, its claws glow white, and it crushes its claws down on Pidgeot's body. Pidgeot screams in torment before Blitzwing lets go, and it falls into the ground and plummets with a loud crash.
"Pidgeot!" Ash shouts.
The dust clears, and Pidgeot is groaning before it slowly gets up and flies up into the air again.
"Pidgeot, I need you to stay strong!" Ash shouts. "We're close to beating Blitzwing! Just hang on, okay?!"
"Pidgeot!" Pidgeot replies with a nod.
Timothy keeps on grinning, also having the same idea with how close his Pokemon is to taking down Ash's.
"Blitzwing, use Steel Wing again!" he commands.
"Dodge it using Quick Attack and then use Hurricane quick!" Ash orders.
Blitzwing charges at Pidgeot, but the bird Pokemon barely dodges Blitzwing's attack and creates another power gust of wind. With Blitzwing so close to where Pidgeot creates the powerful gust, it is immediately sucked in and sent spinning around and is sent flying into the air and crashing into the ground.
"Now, finish it with Double-Edge!" Ash shouts.
With green energy surrounding its body once more, Pidgeot charges at its opponent once again. Before Timothy can say anything to Blitzwing, the bird Pokemon rams into the valiant Pokemon and sends it rolling a few feet away before it lies down on its back unconscious.
"Blitzwing is unable to battle, Pidgeot wins!" The referee declares.
The crowd cheers as Timothy frowns sadly and returns Blitzwing back into its Pokeball. The group shouts in joy up on the stands, and Serena stands up, cheering for Ash and Pidgeot.
"Alright!" She cheers loudly. "That's two of Timothy's Pokemon down!"
"Yeah, but Pidgeot's probably not going to last much longer, leastways not after taking so much damage from using Double-Edge so much," Brock says seriously. "So far it's taken everything Ash's Pokemon has to defeat any of Timothy's. I'm worried about how much his luck is going to hold out at this point."
Serena frowns, feeling discouraged. Timothy, meanwhile, takes out another Pokeball and throws it eagerly.
"Odyssey, let's do this!" He shouts.
Timothy's faithful Lucario comes out of its container and takes a fighting stance, ready to battle. Ash keeps a confident smirk as he makes the next call.
"Pidgeot, use Quick Attack!" He shouts.
"Knock it back with Extreme speed!" Timothy commands.
Pidgeot and Odyssey charge at each other with inhuman speed. The two Pokemon ram at each other, and Odyssey knocks Pidgeot back with its greater speed. The bird Pokemon tumbles to the ground once again and tries to get up.
"Now, use Aura Sphere!" Timothy shouts.
Odyssey smirks as he creates a blue ball of energy between its hands before firing it at Pidgeot. The attack slams into Ash's Pokemon, and it makes a final cry before it lays down on it's back with swirly eyes.
"Pidgeot is unable to continue! Odyssey wins!" The referee declares.
Ash and his friends frown as he returns Pidgeot. He gives the Pokeball a sad smile before taking out another one.
"Primeape, I choose you!" He shouts, throwing the Pokeball.
Primeape comes out of its Pokeball and immediately sees Odyssey. The vein in the pig monkey Pokemon's forehead grows as it bangs its fists together to try to intimidate is rival. Just like before, though, Odyssey just gives Ash's Pokemon a smug look, amused that Primeape is still eager to beat it. Back in the stands, Clemont frowns and says, "I hope all the training Ash used for my first invention pays off."
Everyone overhears him, and Bonnie asks, "What do you mean?"
Clemont whimpers, realizing he was speaking out loud and sputters, "I-I-I-I can't say yet."
Bonnie pouts childishly while Misty, May, Max, Dawn, Piplup, Iris, Axew, and Cilan look at him in confusion before turning back to look at the field.
Back in the field, Timothy smiles as he turns to Ash.
"Primeape really has it bad for getting payback, huh?!" He calls out.
"Yup, and we're ready for both of you this time!" Ash claims.
"Let's find out," Timothy says before turning to Odyssey. "Use Extreme Speed, followed by Strength!"
Odyssey surrounds itself with white aura and charges at Primeape. Before Ash has an opportunity to make a call, Odyssey rams into Primeape and with its body suddenly surrounded by red aura and tosses its opponent into the air. Primeape crashes the ground before it quickly gets up, acting as if Odyssey's attacks didn't do a thing at all.
"Now, use Aura Sphere!" Timothy shouts.
"Primeape, get ready to cut it down with Karate Chop!" Ash orders.
Odyssey creates another ball of energy and throws it at its opponent. Primeape raises its hand and waits for Ash to make the call when the Aura Sphere is close enough.
"Now!" Ash shouts
Primeape karate chops right as the Aura Sphere is about to hit it. The pig monkey Pokemon's hand cuts the ball in half like a knife against a soft piece of fruit. The two halves of the ball fly past opposite sides of Primeape and crash into the wall exploding. Timothy, Electchu, Coovers, and Odyssey stare with their mouths open until the man in the "H.A.K." shirt smirks at Ash.
"Impressive!" he calls out plainly.
"Thanks, but we're just getting started!" Ash claims.
"So are we!" Timothy counters. "Odyssey, use Bone Rush!"
Ash's smirk turns into a grin and shouts, "Primeape, use Thrash like we practiced!"
The two Pokemon charge at each other, and Primeape starts punching and kicking at Odyssey ferociously. The aura Pokemon blocks all of Primeape's attacks easily with its bone made of energy. Back in the stands, Clemont stares at the two Pokemon looking very focused. The others notice what he's doing and look at him curiously.
"What is it, Clemont?" May asks. "Does this have to do with an invention you made for Ash?"
"It looks that way," Clemont answers, thinking it's okay to tell the secret. "He asked me to make a robot that was holding some kind of duel weapon like the way Odyssey uses its Bone Rush. The way Ash was training Primeape, he specifically instructed Primeape to attack the center of the dual weapon. I asked him why and he just said it's a surprise."
The rest of the group looks at him curiously before they turn back to the battle. They look closely to see that some of Primeape's punches and kicks are aimed right at the center of Odyssey's bone. Neither Odyssey or Timothy notice, but Ash is smirking, confident with where this is going.
"Odyssey, batter up and then use Strength!" Timothy instructs.
"Primeape, use Karate Chop to block, then use Thrust again!" Ash instructs back.
Odyssey holds its bone like a bat and swings it at Primeape, but Ash's Pokemon does a karate chop upward to block the attack. The pig monkey Pokemon then starts to punch and kick at its opponent again, and the Lucario is forced to hold its bone like a dual weapon to protect itself. Unknown to Odyssey or Timothy, Ash is smirking again, and Primeape is grinning excitedly under its whitish, shaggy fur. It goes back to punching on the center of the bone, taking advantage that its rival is on the defensive. With Primeape constantly attacking, cracks begin to appear in the middle of the bone. The pig monkey Pokemon keeps hitting the bone again and again until finally, the bone breaks in two and falls out of Odyssey's hands. The Lucario stares at its broken bone in shock before its train of thought is interrupted by Primeape successfully punch and kick it, still using Thrash.
"Finally!" Ash exclaims.
"What?!" Timothy shouts.
"Wow, so that's what your invention was for," Bonnie says from the stands.
"Looks like it," Clemont agrees.
Serena and Brock look surprised as Ash's Pokemon beats its opponent.
"What happened?" Serena asks.
"Primeape broke Odyssey's bone in half," Brock answers. "But how?"
Ash and Pikachu smirk before the raven-haired boy shouts, "Primeape, use Mega Kick!"
Primeape jumps into the air and kicks Odyssey, sending it back several feet. Timothy, Electchu, and Coovers stare at their friend in shock with scratches all over its body while Brock calls out to Ash.
"Ash, how did you know to do that?" he asks.
"Simple," Ash answers. "The last time Primeape and Odyssey faced each other, I noticed Odyssey's bone taking some damage. So with Clemont's help with one of his inventions, I trained Primeape to get stronger so that it could eventually break the bone and catch Timothy and Odyssey off guard."
Serena and Brock blink, processing the information before they smile.
"That's just like you, Ash. Always thinking of creative ways to overcome that situation," Brock says.
"Yeah, you are a really amazing person, Ash," Serena says.
Suddenly, the honey blonde girl's eyes widen, and she blushes again, realizing what she just said. Ash smiles, happy for the compliment before turning back to the field just in time to see Odyssey getting up. The Lucario glares at Primeape, angry that it found a weakness in one of its moves while the pig monkey Pokemon bumps its fists again, showing that it's ready for more. Timothy also glares at Primeape, realizing that it's not going to be as easy to beat as before. His hands turn into balls of fists, and he makes the next call.
"Odyssey, use Aura Sphere followed by Extreme Speed!" he commands.
"Primeape, use Karate Chop to cut that Aura Sphere again, then quickly dodge Odyssey!" Ash instructs.
Odyssey creates another ball of energy and fires it at Primeape. The pig monkey Pokemon cuts the blue ball in half, but before it can dodge, Odyssey is already there, ramming it. Primeape rolls over on the ground a couple of times before slowly gets up.
"Okay, Odyssey, now use Strength while it's getting up," Timothy commands.
Odyssey charges at Primeape with its body surrounded in red aura and gets ready to toss its opponent.
"Primeape, dodge, and use Karate Chop!" Ash shouts.
Primeape turns to Odyssey and realizes what is happening just in time to move away. Odyssey stops running and turns to face Primeape only for the latter to karate chop it on its side, making Timothy's heart sink.
"Now, use Thrash again!" Ash shouts.
Without hesitation, Primeape starts violently punch and kicking Odyssey again. It isn't long before the aura Pokemon is on one knee and panting heavily while Primeape is ecstatic to see its rival finally so frail.
"Now end this with Seismic Toss!" Ash shouts.
"Odyssey, get out of there with Extreme Speed, quick!" Timothy yells.
But try as Odyssey might, it's body doesn't have the energy to move away. Primeape grabs Odyssey's leg, and the pig monkey Pokemon jumps up and throws it to the ground. The Lucario lies on the ground unconscious, and Primeape steps on it with one foot while beating its chest.
"Prrrriiiiiiimmmmeeee!" It roars.
"Odyssey is out of the match!" The referee declares. "Primeape wins!"
The crowd cheers again with Brock and Serena standing up to cheer.
"Alright, Primeape!" Brock shouts.
"Way to go!" Serena cheers.
"Nice job, Primeape!" Ash praises. "And this is why you're the champion!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu cheers.
"Primeape!" Primeape shouts as it turns to face Ash with a pleased grin under its whitish fur.
Timothy sighs heavily as he sadly returns Odyssey to its Pokeball. Electchu and Coovers look at their friend concerned, knowing that half of his Pokemon is already beaten.
"What are you going to do?" Coovers asks worriedly.
Timothy turns his hands into balls of fists again, and he glares at the blissful Primeape.
"The first thing I'm going to do is even things out again," he answers. "And I know just the way to put that monkey in its place."
He takes out another Pokeball and immediately throws it shouting, "Shockwave, let's go!"
The ball opens to reveal Shockwave gracefully entering the field. Primeape turns to its new opponent and bangs its fists together, showing that it's ready for more.
"Okay, Primeape, let's start things up with Thrash!" Ash shouts.
Primeape runs toward Shockwave, all too eager to take down another opponent, but on the other side of the field, Timothy is smirking again.
"Shockwave, I only have one thing to say!" He calls out. "That Primeape took down Odyssey."
The Gardevoir turns to its trainer with a look of disbelief before it turns into a look of fury. Without another word needed to be said, Shockwave turns to Primeape with its eyes glowing blue and lifts it up into the air. The embrace Pokemon then waves its arm back and forth, causing Primeape to ram right into a wall from one side to the other repeatedly. Ash and his friend are shocked by Shockwave is being relentless without Timothy saying an order. Even Coovers is dumbfounded as he turns to Timothy and Electchu, who are smirking mischievously.
"What's with Shockwave throwing a fit like that?!" He exclaims.
"Oh, let's just say having two of your Pokemon having a close bond like Odyssey and Shockwave does has its perks," Timothy replies plainly. "I.e., neither one likes it if someone beats the other in battle."
"Raichu," Electchu agrees with a nod.
Shockwave then stops throwing Primeape like a ragdoll and drops it on the ground. Ash is stunned at what had just happened before he shakes his head.
"Primeape, use Karate Chop!" He shouts.
Primeape charges at Shockwave, but before it even comes close, Shockwave releases a beam of pink-purple hearts at its opponent. The hearts hit Primeape, and it cries out in agony as Shockwave keeps using the attack. Eventually, the fairy attack becomes too much for Primeape's body that it gets down on one knee, struggling to keep it together. Shockwave then creates an orb of pink energy in front of its hands.
"Primeape, watch out!" Ash cries out. "It's going to use Moonblast!"
But try as Primeape might, it can barely move a muscle. Shockwave fires a beam from its orb of energy, and its opponent can do nothing but watch. The orb hits the pig monkey Pokemon and explodes on contact, creating a large explosion. Ash watches in horror as the spot where his Pokemon was is covered in smoke.
"Primeape, no!"