Hey guys, I'm finally back with a new chapter for this story! Once again I'm extremely sorry for the very long wait, but I was extremely busy with college this semester and didn't have much to do any writing, and to be honest I haven't had a ton of motivation to do much writing recently. I also started working again recently and that has taken up a lot of my time. But I managed to get all my other stories updated, so I was able to focus on this one right now. This chapter will pick up where the previous one left off and will have Ash competing in the Indigo Plateau, so I hope you're all looking forward to that. I'll try to do the first preliminary battle in this chapter, then in the next the one, I can focus on Ash's battle against Rosa and his championship battle against Lance.

P.S. Going forward I'll have a new order of sorts when it comes to updating my stories. I'll still post multiple chapters for my Fairy Tail and Akame ga Kill fics, but instead of three, I think I'll bump it down to two, for now. Instead of posting three chapters in a row, I'll substitute the missing third chapter with an update for either my Batman or Spider-man stories. So going forward my update order will be: Pokemon (Betrayal Brings out the Best x1 chapter), Fairy Tail (Natsu Dragneel the Dual Dragon Slayer x2 chapters), Batman (It's Still Possible to Turn Your Life Around x1 chapter), Akame ga Kill (Killing Your Dark Future x2 chapters), and Spider-man (Spider-man: Love Across Dimensions x1 chapter). Then the order will reset and we'll start from the beginning again. I know some of you will be disappointed not to get three chapters in a row for those two stories, but with this new order it should be easier for me to work on all my stories, so I hope you all understand.

P.P.S. The recent announcement that Pokemon Sword and Shield won't be including every Pokemon, even through transferring, has killed almost all the excitement I had for the game. Knowing that I won't be able to bring my favorite Pokemon that I've raised and captured over the years to Galar with me has nearly diminished all hype for me. I'll still probably pick the game up eventually, but if I do buy the game it's going to be used so GameFreak doesn't get a penny from me because I will no longer support their continued laziness and poor management of the Pokemon franchise. Unless they reverse this decision I'm no longer looking forward to these games, especially since it's been stated that going forward we can expect all future mainline games to not include every Pokemon. This is simply an awful decision in my opinion and is going to forever tarnish future entries in the series for me. You know GameFreak seriously fucked up when I'm more excited for Pokemon Masters, a damn mobile game, than the new mainline game in the series. And it kills me to say all this because Pokemon is one of my most favorite series of all time. But this one awful decision has simply pilled on top of all the bad decisions GameFreak has made over the years and has ruined all the excitement I have for the future of this franchise.

Well, that's all I wanted to say, so let's get to the fic!

"Speech"

"Thoughts"

Pokemon Attack

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any of its characters.

(One Week Later: Indio Plateau)

"Well everything is taken care of, I'm all registered and ready to go!" Ash exclaimed with a toothy grin, walking up to the rest of his group, with Pikachu resting on his head. "They'll announce the starting matchups at the opening ceremony tomorrow at noon."

"Sounds great. So where are we staying?" Cilan asked as he slipped the brochure he was reading back into his backpack. "It's gonna be kinda hard to find accommodations for all of us."

"Don't worry, that's all taken care of." Ash replied with a smirk, tossing keys to Cilan and a few of his girls. "I asked around and found that there were a few extra rooms available in the hotel where the trainers are staying at, so we'll all be able to stay together. But there are only two single beds in each room, so we're gonna have to pair up and bunk together." Ash saw that his girls were eyeing each and instantly knew what they were thinking. He decided to quickly step in before any arguments could break out. "Sorry girls, but I'll be rooming with Cilan while we're here, so don't bother worrying about who'll be staying with me." The raven-haired trainer chuckled when he felt Burgundy's eyes burning a hole through his head. "I hope you don't mind Burgundy."

"It's fine, I don't mind..." Burgundy said with a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest. "But you'll owe me one."

"Sure, sure..." Ash said with a chuckle, stretching out his arms and sighing in exhaustion. "Well it's getting late and it's been a long trip here, so we should probably get some rest."

"Good idea, I'm whipped..." Dawn said in a tired tone as she suppressed a yawn. "We've been walking all day and it will be awesome to sleep in an actual bed after camping outside the past few days."

"Oh Arceus, a hot shower sounds amazing right now, I'm sick of bathing in lakes and streams." May added, leaning against Dawn, both girls eager to get to their rooms. Grabbing one of the sets of keys, May lead the bluenette towards the hotel. "I'll bunk up with Dawn, goodnight everyone."

"They've got the right idea, we should all head to our rooms." Cilan said with a smile before he kissed Burgundy on the cheek, causing her to blush slightly. Holding up the keys he had been given, Cilan followed after May and Dawn. "Alright Ash, let's go to our room."

"Sounds like a plan..." Ash said, turning towards the remaining members of his group. "I'll let the rest of you decide who you'll share a room with. See you all in the morning."

"Goodnight Ash!" The rest of the group said before they tried to figure out who'd they be splitting their rooms with.

Several hours later, night had fallen upon the Indigo Plateau and most people were asleep, except for Ash. The raven-haired trainer lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He was simply too excited about the upcoming tournament and couldn't fall asleep. Strategies and team compositions flashed through Ash's mind, as he brainstormed possible outcomes and situations in his upcoming battles. Pausing his thoughts for a moment, Ash turned to gaze at the clock on the nightstand beside his bed. He groaned softly when he saw that it was almost three-thirty in the morning. After staring at the ceiling for several more moments, Ash quietly got out of his bed and slipped on his coat and shoes, deciding to go for a walk and get some fresh air. However, when Ash opened the door to the room, he felt something tug at his pant leg. Looking down, Ash smiled when he saw Pikachu staring up at him.

"It's fine Pikachu, I'm just going out for a bit to stretch my legs. You can come too, buddy." Ash whispered with a smile, making a quick gesture with his head. Moments later, Pikachu hopped up onto Ash's shoulder, before yawning softly and nuzzling against the raven-haired trainer's cheek. Reaching up, Ash gently stroked Pikachu's head. "Sorry I woke you up Pikachu, try to get back to sleep. I just need to walk around a for a while."

Softly closing the door behind him, Ash exited the hotel and began to aimlessly walk around the tournament grounds, doing his best to clear his head and tire himself out. It didn't take long for Pikachu to fall back asleep, resting his head against Ash's neck. After almost thirty minutes, Ash decided to take a break, sitting down on a bench. Releasing a light sigh, Ash leaned his head back and stared up at the night sky. The quiet night and cool air seemed to be doing the trick, and Ash soon found himself becoming very tired. Soon Ash's eyelids began to droop and he found it quite difficult to stay awake. However, just before Ash could drift off to sleep, he heard someone speak up behind him.

"Ash? Is that you?" The raven-haired trainer immediately perked up when he heard a familiar feminine voice. Leaning his head back once again, Ash's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Serena smiling back at him. "It is you! I knew it was when I saw Pikachu on your shoulder!"

"S-Serena?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise as he stood up off the bench and walked over to his former traveling companion. Since it had been a few years since he had last seen her, Ash took a moment to take in Serena's appearance. She had grown out her blonde hair, letting it reach down to the small of her back. Her figure had also filled out quite nicely, with great curves and breasts that rivaled May and Cynthia's. Realizing he had been staring for too long, Ash tore his eyes away from Serena and slowly shook his head. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Calem is competing in the tournament." Serena replied, her smile widening as she closed the distance and pulled Ash in for a tight hug. "It's so good to see you, Ash! It's been such a long time!"

"I-It's great to see you too, Serena." Ash said in a surprised tone before he returned Serena's embrace, a smile spreading across his face as well. When Serena ended their hug, Ash gestured towards the bench he had been sitting on. "Want to sit down? We can catch up."

"Sure, that sounds lovely." Serena replied with a sweet smile, following Ash and sitting down on the bench next to him.

"So...why are you up so late?" Ash asked as he glanced at Serena out of the corner of his eye. "It's almost four in the morning, you should be in bed."

"HA! I could ask you the same thing." Serena said with a chuckle, staring up at the star-filled sky. Releasing a light sigh, Serena took off her pink hat and placed it on her lap. "I just felt a little restless and it was a nice night, so I decided to go for a little walk. How about you?"

"The same thing really, I was excited about tomorrow and couldn't stop thinking of strategies and a million other things...I just couldn't fall asleep. So, I figured I'd go for a walk, clear my head and hopefully tire myself out." Ash explained as he noticed Pikachu start to stir on his shoulder. "Sorry about that buddy, I didn't mean to wake you up." Pikachu immediately perked up when he noticed someone else was sitting besides Ash. Turning his head, Pikachu was surprised to see Serena waving at him. "Hey buddy, look who's here."

"It's so good to see you again Pikachu!" Serena exclaimed with a bright smile as the Mouse Pokemon leaped off Ash's shoulder and into her arms. Giggling happily, Serena hugged Pikachu tightly, the small yellow Pokemon excited to see her again. "You're as cute as ever!"

"How have you been, Serena? It's been a while since I took on the Kalos League and last saw you." Ash asked as he watched Pikachu move onto Serena's shoulder and lie down, his eyes closing once again. "You look great by the way."

"Thanks, Ash, that's means a lot." Serena said, a slight blush spreading across her face as she brushed some hair out of her face. "I've been great by the way, Calem has been good too. He's gotten pretty far in every tournament he's been in and I've started to dabble in Pokemon Contests. When we were in Hoenn I competed in its contest circuit for the first time..." Serena chuckled for a moment before a smirk spread across her face. "Speaking of Calem, he's been doing great but not nearly as well as you have. Congratulations Ash, you've been doing an amazing job in all your battles."

"Thanks, Serena...so I guess that means you've been keeping tabs on me..." Ash said as he locked eyes with Serena.

"You could say that...I know how important your dream is to you and I wanted to see you succeed." Serena said, pausing for a brief moment as she stared down at her lap, tightening her grip on her hat. "To be honest that's not the only thing I've been keeping tabs on..." Ash quirked an eyebrow when he heard this, noticing that Serena's face was now flushed red. "I...can't help but notice...the number of female companions you have in your group..." Ash's eyes widened slightly as he began to understand what Serena was talking about. "Then there were the...kisses...with Cynthia and Hilda...in front of all those people too..." Releasing a light sigh, Serena looked up at Ash and chuckled lightly. "I know I shouldn't...but I can't help but feeling a little jealous seeing all those girls with you, Ash."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with that. You had feelings for me for a long time before you moved on, so, understandably, you'd have some lingering emotions." Ash said with a smile as he scooted a little closer to Serena. "Is everything going alright with you and Calem? You two seemed pretty happy the last time I saw you."

"Oh no, don't get me wrong, I do love Calem and everything is going great between us!" Serena exclaimed instantly, waving her hands dismissively. "It's just...like you said...even if I've moved on...I think I'll always have some lingering feelings for you, Ash. You were my first real love after all. I hope that won't make things weird between us."

"Of course not, Serena." Ash said with a grin as he stood up off the bench and offered Serena his had. When Serena took hold of his hand, Ash helped her up off the bench. "You're my friend and I won't let something like this affect our relationship."

"Thanks, Ash, I'd hate if I felt awkward being around you," Serena said with a small smile, putting her pink hat back on and giving Pikachu back to Ash. "Well I should be getting back, I need to try and get some sleep. Hopefully, I'll see you and your group again tomorrow, I'd love to meet everyone."

"Here, if you want to meet up with my group and watch the battles..." Ash said as he took out his wallet. A few moments later, he pulled out a pair of tickets and showed them to Serena. "Everyone in my group will be sitting in this group of seats. So if you want, you can stop by and watch the tournament with them."

"That sounds like a great idea, I'll see you guys tomorrow then." Serena said, giving Pikachu one last pat on the head before heading back to her hotel room.

"Alright buddy, we should head back to." Ash said with a smile before he stifled a yawn and began to make his way back towards his room.

(11:30 a.m. the Next Day: Indigo Plateau's Main Battlefield)

"There sure are a lot of people here..." Ash thought, gazing at the dozens of trainers standing around him in the center of the field, not recognizing any of the faces. No matter how times competed in these events, the massive crowds of cheering people and amount of trainers present never ceased to amaze him. Scanning through the stands, Ash smiled when he spotted his group, with Serena sitting amongst them. His blonde former traveling companion was energetically talking to with May and Dawn, the three of them likely swapping stories of the contests they had competed in. The raven-haired trainer was pulled from his sightseeing when an announcement rang out over the stadium's intercoms.

"If you'd all turn your attention to the main screen, we will now be displaying the matchups for the first round of battles! Each of these battles will have three-on-three elimination rules, with the winner advancing to the next round! Those of you who lose your battles will be removed from the tournament, but are free to stay the remainder of the time and the rest of the battles or enjoy the various amenities provided on the grounds! The first battles will start in thirty minutes, so please find who your opponents are and report to your designated battlefields fifteen minutes before the battle starts!"

"Here we go..." Ash thought as he stared up at the massive screen displaying the first round matches up. He scanned through the dozens of pictures, looking for his own. However, he stopped for a moment when he saw Rosa's picture among the numerous different trainers. The raven-haired trainer smiled as he remembered his encounter with Rosa several weeks earlier. "Good for her, hopefully, I really hope I get the chance to battle her in this tournament." Looking for his placement once again, Ash soon found his picture and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw who he had to battle. Releasing a light sigh, a confident smirk soon spread across Ash's face as he adjusted his cap. "Damn, that's some bad luck in the very first round. Guess he'll be going home early."

After seeing where and when his battle was, Ash began to make his way out of the main stadium. Since Ash's battle wasn't one of the first ones, he decided to join the rest of his group and watch some of the other trainers. However, he stopped when he spotted Rosa standing by herself on the sidelines, looking slightly confused as she stared at what appeared to be a map. A smile forming on his face, Ash waved and jogged towards the brunette.

"Hey, Rosa!" Ash called out, causing the brunette's head to snap up in surprise. "Nice to you here!"

"A-Ash!" Rosa exclaimed as she quickly put the map away, a slight blush spreading across her face. "I saw your picture on the board, but I didn't think I'd run into you so soon."

"Well I saw you standing over here and I figured I'd say hi!" Ash said with a toothy grin, before patting Rosa on the shoulder. "Congratulations on making it this far, I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks, Ash, that means a lot coming from an amazing trainer like you..." Rosa muttered as she began to fidget slightly. "I was actually hoping I'd see you here."

"That's right! We have to make sure we battle each other in this tournament!" Ash exclaimed in an enthusiastic tone, giving Rosa a thumbs up. "I'm really excited to see you battle, Rosa!"

"That's not exactly what I was talking about..." Rosa thought with a small smile as she chuckled at Ash's cheerful demeanor, her blush darkening slightly. "I hope we get to battle too, Ash. I'd consider it an honor to go against someone as strong as you."

"Heh, now you're making me blush..." Ash laughed, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "When's your first battle start, Rosa?"

"In about an hour, I was going to get something to eat first then head to waiting area..." Rosa replied as she stared down at her feet, twiddling her thumbs for a moment. "I'm actually really nervous. The truth is, even though I've been a trainer for a few years now, this is my first time being in a tournament like this. I've taken on a bunch of gyms and participated in a few smaller tournaments, but this is my first time in one so large."

"Don't worry Rosa, I'm sure you'll do great!" Ash exclaimed with a bright smile, resting a comforting hand on Rosa's shoulder. "Don't worry about anything else going on around you, focus only on the battle. And if it makes you feel any better, I'll be cheering you on during your first battle. My battle is actually the last one today so it doesn't start for a couple of hours, so I'll be able to watch yours."

"That actually does make me feel a little better." Rosa said as she raised her head and smiled at the raven-haired trainer. "Since you'll be watching, I have to do my best now!"

"That's the spirit!" Ash cheered, pumping his fist into the air. "We'll both do great, I just know it!"

(Three Hours Later: Indigo Plateau Secondary Battlefield)

"I was seriously surprised when I saw I was battling you in the first round." Ash said with a smirk as he stared at his opponent across the battlefield. "Who'd have thought we'd battle against each other so soon, Calem."

"For real, I wanted to battle against you, but not this soon..." Calem said with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess I'm jumping right into hard mode in this tournament."

"Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're Serena's boyfriend." Ash added in a playful tone as he enlarged the Pokeball in his hand. "I'm going full throttle from the very start."

"I wouldn't want it any other way." Calem said, grabbing a Pokeball off his belt and enlarging it. "I've always wanted to battle you in a tournament like this, Ash."

Up in the stands, the rest of Ash's group watched on in anticipation, along with Serena who joined them as well. Serena looked slightly nervous as she fidgeted in her seat. She had a feeling Ash and Calem would face each other at some point during the tournament, but she had no idea it would be this soon. Despite knowing how good a trainer Calem was, Serena didn't like his odds going up against someone like Ash and she couldn't help but worry about her boyfriend's chances. However, Serena was pulled from her thoughts when she felt someone tap her arm. Looking up, Serena was surprised to a woman she had never seen before smiling at her.

"Is this spot taken?" The woman asked as she gestured towards the seat besides Serena. "If you don't mind, I'd love to sit there."

"Oh! Sure go right ahead!" Serena said with a smile of her own, patting the seat in question. "No one was sitting there, so you're free to take it!"

"Awesome!" The woman said in an excited tone as she sat down next to Serena. "I've been looking forward to watching this battle all day!"

"Man, she sure is excited...seems like she's here to watch Ash battle..." Serena thought, taking in the mysterious woman's appearance as she settled into her seat. The woman was dark-skinned, slightly darker than Iris' skin tone. She had dark blue hair that reached down to the small of her back, with several lighter aqua blue streaks mixed in as well. Her eyes were also a stunning shade of light blue as well, almost as if Serena were staring into the ocean. However, Serena was slightly surprised by the woman's rather...brazen apparel. She sported a skin-tight tank top, which was white, orange, and dark blue in color, that revealed her stomach and midriff. Her short shorts were similar in color and equally as revealing, exposing most of her legs and thighs. Gazing down, Serena saw that she was wearing white sandals with light blue straps. Serena was also quite surprised to see that the woman's sandals also appeared to feature small orange and blue life preservers around her ankles. The woman also wore several accessories, such as glove with several shades of blue on her right hand, a beige and blue band around her upper arm, a string of blue and yellow beads around her waist, and gold hoop earrings. "Whoever this girl is...she is really beautiful."

"Ah, I'm so sorry!" The girl suddenly exclaimed as she shot out of her seat and extended her hand towards Serena. "I totally forgot to introduce myself! My name is Nessa!"

"Uh, nice to meet you, Nessa..." Serena said with a chuckle, shaking her outstretched hand. "I'm Serena."

"Nice to meet you, Serena!" Nessa said with a smile as she sat back down in her seat. "Sorry if I seem a little overexcited, I've just been really looking forward to watching this battle. You see I'm actually on vacation in Kanto right now and as I traveled around I've been hearing tons of stories and rumors about this Ash Ketchum guy. Apparently, he's a super-strong trainer and is even the champion of four different leagues. An amazing trainer like that, I need to see them battle first hand."

"So you're a trainer then, Nessa?" Serena asked, causing the dark-skinned woman to hum for a moment as she stroked her chin and thought of an answer.

"I guess you could say that..." Nessa replied as she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm actually aiming to become a gym leader back in my home region."

"Oh, which region are you from then? Hoenn? Sinnoh? Kalos or Unova maybe?" Serena prodded, leaning a bit closer to Nessa and resting her chin on her fist. "I kinda had a feeling you weren't from Kanto."

"None of those actually..." Nessa said as she shook her head, causing Serena to quirk an eyebrow in intrigue. "I'm from the Galar region."

"Galar region?" Serena parroted in a surprised tone, staring at Nessa in confusion. "I've never heard of that region before."

"I'm not really surprised, Galar has been pretty secluded for a long time..." Nessa explained as she gazed intently at the battlefield, her eyes fixated on Ash. "Galar has only recently started to open contact up with the other regions. We're actually trying to get our own league started there because battling is a super popular pastime."

"Huh, that's interesting..." Serena muttered, turning her attention back to the battlefield. "Well, I hope everything works out and you can get a league started in Galar."

"Thanks, I hope so too..." Nessa said with a smile as she brushed a few locks of blue hair out of her eyes. "Now we should pay attention to the battle, looks like they're about to start."

"Alright everyone, I hope you're all excited to see an amazing battle! This is surely a battle many of you have been anticipating all day!" The announcer's enthusiastic voice bellowed over the intercoms. "Ash Ketchum is the rising star in the Pokemon world right now, and has been taking the leagues by storm! Will Calem be able to put a stop to his incredible pace!? Let's watch and see!"

"This will be the first-round battle between Ash and Calem! It will be a three-on-three elimination battle, with the loser being removed from the tournament! Now, are both trainers ready to battle?!" The official called out, causing both Ash and Calem to nod their heads. "Then trainers, please bring out your first Pokemon!"

"Alright, come on out, Meowstic!" Calem exclaimed as he cocked his arm back and tossed out his Pokeball. A split second later, the Constraint Pokemon appeared on the battlefield in a flash of white light. "Let's see what you've got Ash!"

"Let's do this Calem! Greninja, I choose you!" Ash called out, briefly spinning the Pokeball on the tip of his index finger before tossing it out. Ash's Pokeball opened mid-air, releasing the Ninja Pokemon in a stream of light. Doing two quick front flips, Greninja landed on the battlefield in front of Meowstic. "I'm going all out right from the start Calem!"

"Oh wow, that's a water-type I've never seen before." Nessa said in an excited tone as she pulled out what appeared to be a Pokedex and scanned Greninja. Her eyes seemed to light up as she scanned through the information on the screen. "I wonder if Ash will let me check out some of his water-type Pokemon out after his battle."

"I'm gonna assume you're a trainer that specializes in water-types..." Serena said with a chuckle, causing Nessa to nod her head.

"If I get the chance to open my own gym, it's gonna be one that focuses on water-types..." Nessa explained as she revealed the various Pokeballs on her belt. Serena couldn't help but notice that several of them were Net and Dive Balls. "All the Pokemon I've got on me right now are water-types."

"Well if you love water-types then you're in for a real treat." Serena said with a smile, before turning her attention back to the battlefield. "Ash's Greninja is crazy strong, just wait and see."

"Meowstic vs. Greninja, let the battle begin!" The official exclaimed as he gave a sweeping wave with a flag, signaling for the battle to start.

"I'll let you have the first attack, Calem." Ash said with a confident grin, causing Calem to frown in annoyance.

"Now don't start getting cocky, Ash! Meowstic use Energy Ball!" The Constraint Pokemon nodded, before gathering a ball of green, glowing energy between its hands. Once Energy Ball had grown to sufficient size, Meowstic fired it at Greninja.

"Alright Greninja, rush forward at full speed and use Water Shuriken!" The Ninja Pokemon launched forward at an incredible speed, several throwing stars made of water materializing in its hands. In the blink of an eye, Greninja threw the Water Shuriken with extreme speed and precision, each of them hitting Meowstic's Energy Ball in rapid succession. The two attacks collided in the center of the battlefield, creating a large explosion that filled the arena with thick white smoke. "Now Greninja, use Night Slash!"

Calem's eyes widened in surprise when Greninja suddenly burst of the plumes of smoke, a blade of black energy pulsating off its right arm. Meowstic attempted to dodge the attack but was unable to avoid Greninja's lightning-fast movements. Greninja slashed clean through Meowstic, landing gracefully behind the Constraint Pokemon. For several moments nothing seemed to happen, all was silent on the battlefield as everyone watched in bated breath. Then, to everyone's surprise, Meowstic suddenly collapsed to the ground. Several people in stadium gasped as the official walked closer to get a better look at the down Pokemon.

"Meowstic is unable to battle! The winner is Greninja!" The entire stadium burst out into thunderous applause and cheers at the ruling, none of them surprised by the power of Ash's Pokemon. "Calem, please bring out your next Pokemon!

"Unbelievable folks! I knew Ash's Pokemon were strong, but I was not expecting a one-hit KO in the first round!" The announcer boomed, which further fired up the crowd and caused them to cheer even louder. "What amazing feats will we see next!? Will Calem be able to recover from this initial setback?! Let's watch and see!"

"Oh Calem, you gave it your best shot, just keep it up..." Serena muttered in a sympathetic tone, clasping her hands in her lap as she stared at her lover. "You need to keep giving it your all."

"Man, you weren't kidding..." Nessa said in awe as she stared at the battlefield, her eyes fixated on Ash and his Greninja. "Ash's Greninja really is amazing. I never thought it'd be so strong...and it's so fast too...I've never seen a water-type Pokemon like it before."

"Good job Meowstic, you tried your best." Calem said with a light sigh, returning Meowstic to its Pokeball before grabbing another one off his belt. Enlarging the Pokeball, Calem tossed it into the air. "Alright Chesnaught, come on out!" With a loud crash, the Spiny Armor Pokemon landed on the field in front of Greninja, both Pokemon staring each other down. "You got lucky last round, Ash, this one will be different!"

"Oh my! Looks like we've got a battle between the final evolutions of two of Kalos' starters!" The announcer exclaimed which caused a flurry of cheers and applause within the stands. "Chesnaught has the type advantage being a grass and fighting-type Pokemon! Will Ash be able to overcome this and come out on top!?"

"Chesnaught vs. Greninja, let the battle begin!" The official exclaimed as he gave another sweeping wave with his flag, signaling for the next round to start.

"Greninja, get in close and use Ice Punch!" The Ninja Pokemon suddenly dashed forward, with light blue ice energy swirling off its right hand. In a matter of seconds, Greninja had closed the distance and was less than twenty feet away from the Spiny Armor Pokemon.

"Chestnaught, block it with Spiky Shield!" The Spiny Armor Pokemon dropped to the ground and folded itself into a ball. A barrier of green energy had surrounded Chesnaught's entire body, with over a dozen razor-sharp spikes protruding out of it.

"Greninja, stop and use Haze!" On a dime, Greninja stopped about a foot away from Chesnaught. Inhaling deeply, the Ninja Pokemon released a long stream of thick, black smoke from its mouth. The ink-like smoke was impossible to see through and covered most of the battlefield.

"Chesnaught, rapidly spin in place with Gyro Ball and get rid of this smoke!" Rolling itself into a ball again, Chesnaught's body began to faintly glow as it began to roll in place at an incredible speed. The smoke that had filled the battlefield soon began to swirl around Chesnaught, before dissipating completely. However, Calem was shocked when he saw that Greninja was nowhere to be found. "What the!? Where did Greninja go?!"

"Greninja, use Aerial Ace!" Calem's eyes widened in surprise when he looked up and spotted Greninja high up in the air above Chesnaught. A small smirk suddenly spread across Ash's face. "You were too focused on removing Haze and didn't notice Greninja leap out of the smoke." The Ninja Pokemon nosedived straight towards Chesnaught, a faint white hue coating its entire body. Greninja was descending too fast for Chesnaught to effectively dodge or use a defensive move, so the Spiny Armor decided to tank the damage and braced itself. Raising both its arms, Chestnaught grunted in pain as Greninja slashed through its body with Aerial Ace, the flying-type move was doubly super-effective against a grass and fighting-type like Chesnaught. Collapsing down onto one knee, Chesnaught panted heavily as it fought to stay conscious, sweat dripping off its brow.

"Chesnaught!? Are you okay?! Can you still battle?!" The Spiny Armor Pokemon glanced back at its trainer, before standing back up with a pained grunt. Letting out a mighty roar, Chesnaught punched its fists together several times and stood tall once again. "Heh, looks like you're still ready to go! I know Ash's Greninja has Protean as its ability, so use Stone Edge Chesnaught!"

"Greninja, use Double Team!" Forming a quick hand sign, dozens of clones materialized and surrounded the Ninja Pokemon, the clones quickly began to spread out and completely encircle Chesnaught. The numerous targets confused Chesnaught and made it difficult to focus on which one was the real Greninja.

"Don't get confused Chesnaught, just take out all the fakes! Unleash a full barrage!" Obeying its trainer's order, Chesnaught spun around and fired off a continuous stream of razor-sharp rocks, making quick work of the copies.

"You just keep letting your guard down, Calem." Ash said with a slight smirk, the real Greninja revealing itself and leaping onto Chesnaught's back. "Greninja, Finish this with Extrasensory!"

"Quick Chesnaught, throw it off!" Calem exclaimed frantically, but it was too late. The Ninja Pokemon grabbed ahold of Chesnaught's head, its hands and eyes glowing with psychic energy. The Spiny Armor Pokemon's entire body suddenly went stiff, before it began to tremble uncontrollably. After several more seconds, Greninja hopped off Chesnaught and the Spiny Armor Pokemon collapsed to the ground moments later. Once again a hush fell over the entire crowd as the official approached Chesnaught's unmoving form. After a few moments of observation, the official stepped back and made his call.

"Chesnaught is unable to battle! The winner is Greninja!" The official proclaimed, causing the stadium to erupt into a flurry of cheers. "Calem, please bring out your final Pokemon!"

"I've never seen such creative and incredible battling before folks! Ash has taken out another one of Calem's Pokemon and his Greninja hasn't been hit once yet! Things are starting to look grim for Calem!" The announcer exclaimed in an enthusiastic tone, his voice barely heard over the roaring crowds. "What will his final Pokemon be?! Will he be able to pull off an amazing comeback, or will his run in the Kanto League be cut short here!?"

"Come on Calem, you're getting flustered out there. You need to focus and think clearly." Serena muttered, biting her nail before she released a light sigh. "I knew his chances against Ash weren't great but you can't let the pressure get to you. Battling against Ash must be intimidating but you have to keep giving it your all."

"Simply incredible..." Nessa thought with a smile as she rested her head on her fist and continued to stare intently at Ash and Greninja. "Where does he come up with these strategies...how did he get his Pokemon so strong? If I want to be a truly great water-type trainer and become a gym leader someday, then I have to meet with him and learn his secrets."

"Great job Chesnaught, you were awesome out there." Calem said with a smile, returning the Spiny Armor Pokemon and grabbing the final Pokeball off his belt. "Alright, it's all down to this..." Enlarging the Pokeball, Calem tossed it into the air. "Absol, come on out!" In a brilliant flash of white light, the Disaster Pokemon landed gracefully onto the field.

"Absol vs. Greninja, let the battle begin!" The official called out, once again signaling for the round to start.

"Alright Ash, let's see how you handle this!" Calem exclaimed with a grin as he pulled down his sleeve and revealed the Mega Ring on his wrist. After pressing the Key Stone, Absol was bathed in blinding pink light. When the light had died down, Absol's appearance had changed drastically. The most notable change was the length and shape of Absol's fur. The Disaster Pokemon's fur was longer overall, and the increased energy coursing through its body made the fur at the back of its mane stand on end so that it appeared to have wings. The spikes on its heels and elbows also grew larger, and the fur in these areas becomes longer as well. Its sickle-shaped horn had widened, while an additional, smaller horn appeared on the opposite side of its head. Its tail now had a more saw-like shape and the oval marking on its forehead was now a rounded triangle.

"There it is folks! Calem has just Mega Evolved his Absol! That should really spice this battle up! Will Ash be able to take down this powered-up Pokemon?! Let's watch and see!" The announcer proclaimed, causing a fresh wave of cheers from the crowd.

"Greninja, get in close and use Power-Up Punch!" With its fist glowing bright white with energy, Greninja rocketed towards the Disaster Pokemon.

"Absol, use Sucker Punch!" The Disaster Pokemon's entire body became cloaked in a black aura before it seemingly disappeared, appearing in front of Greninja a split second later. With no time to react, Greninja was hit by the attack and was sent crashing into the ground.

"Oh, my folks! This is the first time Ash's Greninja has been hit this entire match! Will this mark a turning point for Calem?!" The announcer exclaimed, which fired up the crowd once again, some of them rooting for Calem now.

"Keep up the pressure Absol, use Psycho Cut!" Rearing its head back, Absol's horn began to glow faintly.

"Greninja, use Water Pulse on the ground the use Camouflage!" In a split second, Greninja formed a pulsating ball of water in its hand before slamming it into the ground. The ball of water exploded outwards, briefly bathing the entire battlefield. Absol had quickly retreated and avoided being damaged by the attack, but this allowed Greninja the chance to escape, its entire body turning translucent. "Great job Greninja, now follow it up with Low Kick!" Seemingly out of thin air, Greninja appeared behind Absol. Before the Disaster Pokemon could even realize what was happening its legs were swept out and it collapsed to the ground. "Now finish this with a Power-Up Punch and Hydro Pump combo!"

Greninja picked up Absol, who had been briefly stunned by the previous attack, and sent the Disaster Pokemon flying high into the air with a super-effective punch. Then the Ninja Pokemon unleashed a torrent of water from its mouth, hitting Absol and causing it to climb even higher into the sky. Once Greninja had finished its attack, Absol began to rapidly descend, before crashing into the ground. When the dust finally settled, Absol lay unmoving in the center of the battlefield. The official didn't even need to get closer to make his call.

"Absol is unable to battle, the winner is Greninja! Since all of Calem's Pokemon are unable to battle, the winner is Ash Ketchum!" The official proclaimed, waving his flags to signal that the battle was over. The crowd instantly erupted into deafening cheers and applause at the ruling.

"That's it, everyone! Ash advances to the second round with a swift and decisive victory! Both trainers showed us an amazing battle today, so let's give them all another round of applause!" The announcer yelled in an enthusiastic tone, which stirred another round of furious applause and cheers from the entire crowd.

"Great job Absol, you gave it your all." Calem said with a small smile as he returned his Pokemon and clipped the Pokeball back onto his belt. Releasing a light sigh, Calem made his way across the battlefield towards where Ash was. "That was some seriously impressive battling Ash. I thought I'd do a little better, but you completely wiped the floor with me."

"Hey, don't be too hard on yourself, Calem." Ash said with a toothy grin, reaching out a giving Calem's had a firm shake. "Just keep training and you'll get stronger for sure, I definitely see some great potential in you."

"Thanks Ash, we'll have to battle again once I've trained up." Calem said with a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Of course, name the time and place, I'll battle you any time." Ash said, before leaning in closer and wrapping an arm around Calem's shoulder, whispering into his ear. "Although take my advice here man, take a little break from battling." Calem look confused by this, but before he could protest Ash continued. "I'm not saying stop entirely, just take a month or two off. Recharge your batteries and most importantly spend some time with Serena." Calem's eyes widened slightly when he heard this, catching on to what Ash was saying. "Help her out with her contests and just be with her, I'm sure she'll love it."

"Huh...I guess I have been focusing too much on battling and training lately..." Calem muttered as he stared down at the ground for a few moments.

"Come on buddy, let's go meet up with everyone." Ash said with a smile, leading Calem towards the stadium's exit. "You can talk to Serena and work out your plans."

(Five Minutes Later: Outside the Stadium)

"Oh Calem, you were so great out there." Serena said in a sweet tone as she pulled her boyfriend in for a tight hug. "You really gave it your all."

"Thanks Serena, that means a lot..." Calem said with a smile, before leaning forward and giving Serena a brief kiss. "When we get back to our room, I have something important I need to talk to you about."

"Oh...of course..." Serena said with a smile of her own before she suddenly gasped. "Oh my Arceus, I almost forgot!" Serena dashed over to where Nessa was and pulled over towards the rest of the group. "Ash, I have someone here who really wanted to meet you!"

"Who's this, Serena?" Ash asked, staring at the beautiful newcomer in surprise. "You said she wanted to see me?"

"Yes!" Nessa said as she reached out and enthusiastically shook Ash's hand. "My name is Nessa and I was seriously impressed with your battle earlier, especially with how well trained your Greninja was."

"Oh thanks, Greninja and I trained really hard." Ash said with a chuckle, scratching his cheek as his face tinted red in embarrassment. "We've been through a lot together."

"I can tell...I was actually hoping I could get a look at your Greninja up close..." Nessa said as she clasped her hands behind her back.

"Sure thing!" Ash said with a smile, unclipping Greninja's Pokeball off his belt. "I'm sure Greninja would love to meet a fan."

"Before you do that!" Nessa suddenly exclaimed as she grabbed ahold of Ash's wrist, stopping him from releasing Greninja. "You see, I'm training to become a gym leader back in my home region...one that specializes in water-type Pokemon. Your battle today with Greninja was one of the most impressive displays I've seen with a water-type Pokemon...Serena and your other friends also told me that you have other really strong water-type Pokemon...I still need to get stronger before I can become a gym leader...so I was wondering..." Ash quirked an eyebrow when he saw that Nessa's face was now burning bright red. "Would you make me your student and teach me how to train strong water-type Pokemon!?"

"Huh?" Ash said in a dumbfounded tone, everyone else present staring at both trainers in shock.

And done! A nice juicy little cliffhanger leading into the next chapter. Speaking of the next chapter, it will pick up where this one left off and will deal with the aftermath of Nessa's request, and will also have Ash's battle against Rosa and Lance. I don't know when I'll have the next chapter done, but just be patient and it will be out eventually. Remember to follow/favorite if you enjoyed, PLEASE REVIEW (I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK!), check out my other stories and profile if you haven't already, and PM me any ideas you might have for any of my stories. So until next time, I'm outta here!