The Battle at the Tree of Beginning: May and Samiya

In a bright flash of light, several enlarged premier balls went airborne, as Giovanni's Dynamax forces were now being called upon. Enlarging onto the field were two Dynamax Rhyperiors, one G-Max Kingler, two G-Max Garbodors and finally Five Gigantamax Machamps. Each Kaiju-sized Pokemon towered above those battling down below, but were now eye level to Ash and May.

Turning around and observing the new forces Team Rocket called in, Ash watched his companions of the Ultra Guardians break off and split up to keep a goliath busy.

"Alright guys, let's get down there!" May exclaimed, locking onto the G-Max Kingler within the lake. Flying downwards, the group of Ash, May, Altaria, Charizard and Darkrai made way to the enormous crab Pokemon. However, on the ground below, the pursuing Scizor had reawoken, setting its sights on a new set of targets.

"Darkrai, you work on freezing its legs. May and I will go in on the-'' Ash shouted, going over his battle plan, before an unexpected Night Slash crashed into May's Altaria on Ash's right hand side. While Altaria was conscious, the force of the attack was enough to send May off her Dragon/Flying Pokemon, and plummet to the lake below. Before Ash could command his Charizard into a nose dive to go retrieve her, the enemy Scizor darted forwards, catching Charizard in the throat with its left pincer. Glancing down, Ash watched as May fell into the center of the lake below, with their target Gigantamax Kingler coming through the water column towards her. Before it could crush her however, Darkrai sped downwards, freezing the Crab Pokemon's large front right leg, followed by the left, with an Ice Beam.

Returning his Charizard to its Pokeball (freeing it from Scizor,) Ash began his fall to the lake below, before a pink orb of light forming in the center caught his eye upon his descent down. Pulling out a new Pokeball in midair, Ash called out his Teammate Aerodactyl, who took Ash upon in back and shot across the lake's surface before he could fall in. Soon after, however, the enemy Scizor took chase after the trainer once again. Flying away on the back of the high-speed fossil Pokemon, Ash turned back to witness an explosion of water erupt from the center of the lake, hitting the Bug/Steel pursuer right out of mid-air.

"MAY!" Ash shouted, upon seeing the eruption of the water column, which for some odd reason was not retreating back into the lake below. Instead, it was growing higher and higher.

Suddenly, a pink orb about 10 feet in diameter rose from the lake, entering the water column. Upon entering, the towering column of water soon began to take a humanoid shape. Now standing up to the height of it's enlarged opponent, the being formed two fists on either side, and two long tentacles with an orb on the end from the tops of its head. The being of water swung it's right fist forwards, delivering a punch to the Gigantamax Pokemon.

"What the?!" Ash exclaimed with wide eyes. Soon enough, he noticed two being encased within the pink glow at the heart of the fighter. "Is that- May and Manaphy?!"

"May, get in here! It's the Phantom's!" A ten year old Ash said, lowering the young coordinator into the airtight pod, with the newly hatched Manaphy in her arms. After laying her down, the trainer took his Pikachu off his shoulder and placed him in as well. "Pikachu- You take care of the two of them." Ash said, after taking the long, blue Sea Crown Crystal into his arms. This response earned a shocked expression from the inhabitants of the pod. Slinging the crystal over his shoulder, and latching the door shut with one hand, May could only peer out the small looking glass as Ash ran off into the flooding Sea Temple.

As water soon began to rush into the room and over her pod, May laid there with clasped hands, wishing for Ash to be safe as he dared the perils of the flooding Temple. Placing one of its head tentacles to May's chest, Manaphy placed another to the pod's door, sending May's message throughout the ocean water. With May's strength along with Manaphy's powers, Ash was able to find the strength to return the final Sea Crown crystal, making him the King of the Sea for a brief time.

This memory resonated in the coordinator's head, as May sank into the darkening depths of the lake head first, feeling bubbles of air slowly escape from her mouth. As the bubbles traveled upwards, May could see the sunlight trickling down, and the figures fighting on the other side of the surface. Although she hadn't found the strength to swim upwards yet, as she had just fallen from about 50 feet up. Glancing back downwards, she watched as her white bandana (which came off her head ) drifted along a current, into the depths of the lake's center.

'Gotta get back up there-' She thought to herself, as more bubbles escaped her mouth. 'Gotta be strong- for Ash. For Manaphy...' As her eyelids grew heavy, a pink glow soon began to radiate in the darkness below. Suddenly, the dazed coordinator saw faint, blurred movement in the depths below. Swimming upwards from the depths below, holding the trainer's white bandana between its two flippers was the small, light blue Mythical Pokemon Manaphy. The child May had not seen since before their strike on the Rocket Castle. Seeing the sight of Manaphy had been enough to make May widen her eyes, as she swam to an upright position.

Now fully holding the remainder of her breath, May closed her eyes, happily taking Manaphy into her hands once more. Touching heads with the Pokemon, Manaphy placed its two tentacles on either side of May's head. As their tips glowed a bright pink, Manaphy allowed May to catch her breath, even while underwater. Forming a bright pink orb of shimmering energy, May and Manaphy's eyes glowed bright yellow together, as they soon began rushing upwards towards the surface.

Raising up higher and higher into the sky, within the column of water was May and Manaphy, both facing forwards towards the enemy G-Max Kingler. As May and Manaphy jutted their arms/fins outwards within the heart of the gargantuan surge of water, a set of arms, along with a tentacled head (resembling Manaphy's) came into being. As May and Manaphy swung their arms forward in unison, the vessel which they inhabited drove a fist into the large Crab Pokemon.

As Ash flew away from the scene on the back of his Aerodactyl, his Pokegear began ringing which he immediately picked up.

'DUDE, IS THAT YOUR FUCKING FIANCE IN THAT THING?' The voice of Ritchie on the other end said.

"Yeah, it is," Ash said into the device watching the Mother and Pokemon delivered a Max Knuckle-worthy strike to the G-Max Pokemon. "G-Max Pokemon are now on the field. Get your asses out here for Phase 3!"

'Right!' Ritchie shouted as he clicked off his device.

To Ash's left side, approximately half a mile down, erupted a bright green flash of light from within the treeline. Breaking from the tops of the trees was a large white premier ball, releasing a bright red Gyarados that began exponentially growing in size. Bursting from the treetops, in the arms of his Dragonite was Lance, who was carried up to and dropped off at the head of his Dynamaxed Gyarados.

"Gyarados!" Lance valiantly shouted, jutting his arm outwards, targeting one of the G-Max Machamps empty of Ultra Guardians. "Use Max Wyrmwind!" A purple glow took over the red serpent's Dynamaxed body, as the manifestation of a dragon rocketed forwards. Crossing both sets of arms to defend itself, the Gigantamax Machamp braced itself for impact. Gyarados's strike overpowered the foe, causing it to go up in a purple explosion of energy.

"GREAT SHOT, LANCE!" Ash exclaimed, flying up the Tree once again from the back of his Aerodactyl. Observing the field below, Ash watched as the members of Team Rocket replenished their fainting Dynamaxed forces. Now emerging onto the field was a G-Max Blastoise to replace the Kingler within the lake, along with a G-Max Charizard- one that Ash assumed to be Giovanni's. With Gladion and Lana now making their way to engage that Dynamaxed foe, its G-Max Wildfire was enough to hold them back for the time being. As portions of the battlefield began to catch fire, the G-Max Fire-Type let out a mighty roar that shook everyone on the field to their core.

'The Inferno…' Aerodactyl said, flying with Ash atop his back. 'Ash… That's the Charizard that took my home from me. I'm one hundred percent sure now-'

"Look out!" Ash said, rearing back on Aerodactyl, bringing it to a stop in the air. As they did, an enormous barrage of G-Max Cannonades were fired at Ash and the fossil type. Taking a nose dive down, Aerodactyl dodged the oncoming jets of water using its speed to its advantage. Firing off an orange Hyper Beam from its mouth, Aerodactyl's attack struck the back shell of the G-Max Blastoise, yielding very little damage.

However, when the vessel containing May and Manaphy took a step onto the dry land to combat the enemy Blastoise, their method of fighting proved to be more effective. Shoving the G-Max Pokemon into the thick base of the Tree of Beginning, the Pokemon retaliated by whirling around, firing off another Cannonade assault. Crossing their arms, May and Manaphy's vessel followed suit, taking on the attack. However, rather than taking a large amount of damage, the duo absorbed the oncoming attack, using the excess water to develop two long tentacle-like arms. As the pair swung their fighter's arm forwards, the right arm wrapped around the G-Max Blastoise's neck, before a following tug brought it crashing to the ground.

"Oh man," Ash said with wide eyes, as him and his Aerodactyl soared downwards to try and aid in the fight. "She's really handling herself out there!"

Soon, the pink orb within the vessel radiated, as a pink glow radiated from Ash's chest. He could only assume that this was Manaphy's Heart Swap Ability, allowing for communication. 'Ash,' The combined voices of May and Manaphy said within the Guardian's mind. 'We can handle this fight down here. You get up to the Pyramid for Phase 3.'

Ash starred, watching the towering being of water spin back around, delivering another punch to the G-Max Blastoise. "Alright. I love you guys. I'll see you at the end of this!"

Pulling out his Pokegear once more, and dialing in another member of his forces, Ash and Aerodactyl made their ascent towards the Black Battle Pyramid high above the ongoing battle. "Alex, I've got sight of Giovanni's Gigantamax Charizard, but I can't sense his presence on the field. Either way, I think you're on."

'Sounds good Ash!' Professor Alex Peters said. 'I'll make sure to put on one hell of a show!'

"Meet you back up at the Battle Pyramid!"