The Final Battle: The Ash-Greninja Assault (Part 5)
After the fall of Giratina, Giovanni and Tobias found themselves to be rather frustrated with their opponents. Things only got worse for them after Greninja's Battle Bond Ability kicked in. Cloaked in a vortex of water, with Alexa's (poisoned) Milotic at its side, the two Pokemon stared down Giovanni's lone Nidoking.
"Tobias, I suggest you send out your next Pokemon," Giovanni said, growing impatient. "You failed to use Giratina to its full potential and suffered because of it. I hope that it shouldn't happen again."
"Yes sir," Tobias said, hesitantly gripping his next ball. "Magmortar, Incinerate them!" The Sinnoh Evolution of Magmar landed on the field with a thud. With a round belly and fiery pattern on its body, Magmortar locked its two arm cannons on its opponents. Attempting to make the first strike, Alexa's Shiny Milotic shot across the field with its tailfin cloaked in water, However, as it attempted to swing through, a pain in its stomach caused it to contract its body, nullifying the attack. The poison coursing through its veins made it too much to take action, leaving the Pokemon wide open for an attack from Magmortar.
"Greninja, Water Shuriken!" Ash shouted. Sprinting over to its ally, Milotic, and removed the large star of water from its back. Spinning the weapon above its head, the four pointed star grew in size. Just as Magmortar fired off its attack, Greninja drove its star into the ground, creating a temporary shield. Magmortar's dual stream of fire made contact with Greninja's star, unable to hit its opponents on the other side.
'Can you fight?' The Ash-Greninja said, leaning down beside its partner.
'I will,' Milotic said, raising its head. Standing approximately 20 yards away was Giovanni's Nidoking, swaying side to side with confusion from its Outrage.
'There's our opening!' Alexa thought to herself. "Milotic, use Aqua Tail!" At this command, Milotic shot forwards at its new target.
The Nidoking stood hunched over, not moving a muscle, as Milotic snaked its way across the golden field. Whipping its body around, Milotic's blue and yellow tail swirled with water as it struck into Nidoking's chest. Digging its heels into the ground, Nidoking did not move very far.
"Thunder Punch." The purple beast let out a shriek as it swung its right arm upwards, catching Milotic in the face with an electric fist. "Thrash!" The Rocket Leader called next.
"No! Milotic!" Alexa cried out, watching her Pokemon get drilled in the face by another punch..
"Thrash," Giovanni stated. Nidoking obeyed its master, going in once more without being confused. Grabbing Milotic by its tail, the Nidoking cracked the Hoenn Pokemon's body against the ground like a whip, before delivering a pummeling to the Pokemon with its clawed hands. "Thrash!" Giovanni roared, as his Poison/Ground type continued its assault. By the time Milotic hit the ground, it was already unconscious from the onslaught of powerful attacks. Giovanni just wanted to continue inflicting pain to the Pokemon.
"Stop it!" Alexa screamed, watching her unconscious Pokemon getting beaten on. As Nidoking let out a roar, Giovanni took notice of the girl and raised his hand. Taking notice of its trainer's signal, Nidoking halted its attack, as it let out a low growl. Uneasy from the altercation, Alexa jutted out her arm, recalling her fainted Pokemon. "You're a monster…"
"And that just goes to show looks will get you nowhere," Giovanni said in regards to the teen's Shiny Pokemon. "Now, girl. Who shall fall to Nidoking next?" The horned Pokemon made a menacing glare, showing its teeth to the girl.
Alexa hesitated, thinking of who to switch to next. Suddenly, Ash stepped in front of her with his eyes radiating blue with Aura. "Hey Giovanni, I think you've talked enough shit to my little sister!" Ash shouted across the field. Turning his face towards Alexa he smiled and said, "You take cannon-arms over there. We'll handle this."
"Thanks Ash," Alexa said with a smile of her own. "In that case, I know exactly who I'm choosing. Incineroar! Back for Round 2!"
Tossing the ball onto the field Alexa's Alolan Starter broke free, taking a low stance. Glaring at the opposing Magmortar, it shot its retractable claws out of its fingertips and gave a toothy grin.
"Megahorn!" Giovanni shouted, as his Nidoking took on a large green horn from its head and began its charge.
"Greninja, Ice Beam!" Standing in place, the Ash-Greninja rose up to one leg, placing several fingers up over its face. From in front of it, a light blue beam of frost shot across the field hitting the chest of the oncoming Nidoking. Slowly forming around the charging Pokemon's body was a block of ice, which eventually slowed it to a halt inches before hitting Greninja.
"Nidoking, break through!" Giovanni stated. His Pokemon, whose head was exposed, let out a furious roar as it attempted to flex its arms. Greninja's ice, however, was too thick to escape. "What?!" Giovanni said as his eyes widened.
"Great work, Greninja! Now Cut!" The Battle-Bonded Pokemon leapt high into the air, twirling its body around. When it came down on its immobilized opponent, it sliced across the left side of its face with blinding speed and a flurry of strikes with its blade.
"Use Flamethrower, Magmortar!" Tobais shouted. Firing in the direction of Nidoking and Greninja, Tobias's Magmortar locked its right arm cannon, and began charging its attack.
"Get in there with Darkest Lariat!" Alexa shouted, sticking out a hand. At her command, Incineroar rushed forwards in a black tornado of energy, intercepting the oncoming attack. Dissipating the move, Incineroar came out the end flexing as the remnants of flame were extinguished.
Incineroar turned to Greninja, as the frog Pokemon nodded its head to the feline Pokemon. Incineroar returned the gesture, reaching out a large clawed hand to its partner. Tagging Incineroar's hand, the two Pokemon rushed across the field towards their respective targets.
Greninja leaped high into the air, flipping forwards as it did. Forming a fresh katana out of water as the Pokemon was airborne, Greninja extended its blade as it passed over Nidoking, making contact with the skin atop the trapped Pokemon's head. In the blink of an eye, Greninja swung its weapon even faster, making many more precision slashes onto its opponent's head, all while maintaining an upside down position.
Incineroar charged head on against Magmortar, who had its two cylindrical arms locked and ready to fire. Incineroar leaped high into the air, before rocketing downwards onto its opponent in a stream of fire. Moments before the collision, Incineroar threw its arms back to ensure Magmortar would be pressed underneath its torso for maximum damage. Rolling off of its opponent, Incineroar sprang back up to two legs, hopping back and forth, awaiting for its opponent to get back up.
"Low Kick!" Tobias exclaimed.
"Flamethrower!" Alexa responded.
Popping back up to its feet, Magmortar launched its body weight at Incineroar with a baseball slide, aiming for the Alolan Pokemon's ankles. Leaping over the Pokemon, Incineroar came down on its grounded opponent driving its two feet into the Sinnoh Pokemon's chest. Forcing the air out of its opponent's body with the double-footed Coup de Grâce, Incineroar soon flexed its newly developed arms and hit the grounded Pokemon with a Flamethrower from its blazing belt.
'Oooh I'm lovin' this new bod!' The Heel Pokemon snarled. 'Incineroar was right! My instincts are coming naturally!'
"You're doing great, Incineroar!" Alexa shouted. 'And I thought Electivire had an ego…'
"Magmortar, use Fire Blast," Tobias shouted.
"Mag…" The weakened Pokemon said. Raising one arm-cannon up, the grounded Sinnoh Pokemon sent a flaming Kanji out across the field towards Incineroar. Dropping onto its back, Alexa's Incineroar evaded the attack, watching the blazing symbol continue on overhead. As Incineroar bounced back up to its feet, it witnessed the attack continue onwards, hitting Giovanni's Nidoking who had been encased in Greninja's ice. As it began to thaw into a pool of water, Incineroar's eyes widened as it realized it was not the only target of the attack.
"Excellent!" Giovanni exclaimed. Letting out a shriek, the imprisoned Nidoking broke free from its melting prison by flexing its arms, and entered a rage. Charging head on at the Greninja in front of it while forming a Megahorn, Greninja made a sprint in the direction of Incineroar, shooting past the Alolan Starter. In pursuit, now locked onto Incineroar, was the rampant Nidoking.
'Ah, no, I don't want him here!' Incineroar shouted as it sprinted away from the stampeding Nidoking as well, making a run in the direction of Greninja.
"Now Greninja!" Ash shouted. "Water Shuriken!" Leaping high into the air and rotating around, the Ash-Greninja revealed four water Shurikens between its webbed fingers. Throwing the stars forwards, the projectiles split, evading Incineroar, before coming together again to strike the enemy Nidoking.
"Flamethrower!" Tobias exclaimed.
"Use Darkest Lariat!"
From its sprint, Inincroar leapt forwards once again hitting the ground like a spinning tornado. Just as Tobias's Magmortar began to blow its attack on Incineroar, the wrestler Pokemon tore through the stream of fire, traveling through it up to the Pokemon's body. Breaking out from its own move, Incineroar was shown to have its arm cocked backwards, cloaked in dark energy. Shooting its fist forwards, Magmortar's face briefly caved in on itself, before it was sent flying backwards by the Sucker Punch. Incineroar trudged over and drove a foot into the grounded Pokemon's abdomen, throwing its clawed hands in the air, shouting: 'And that's another one for the books!'
"Oh yeah, Incineroar!" The teen exclaimed, pulling out its Pokeball, as it had taken out another one of Tobias's Pokemon. "Now you get back in here and rest up!" Mid-celebration, Incineroar was returned to its ball in a red beam of light, as Alexa clipped it back to her belt and swapped party members. "Vigoroth! You're up!" The white and red Pokemon entered the field standing upright, baring its teeth while at Giovanni and Tobias.
"A Vigoroth?" Tobias exclaimed, pulling out his next Master Ball. "You shall come to find that you are rather outmatched." Tossing the Master Ball high into the air, Tobias's next Legendary took off like a fighter jet over the Immortal Battlefield. Speeding over the rectangular battlefield, the Legendary came to a halt above its Master. With twinkling gold stars around it, the teal-colored Interdimensional Latios revealed itself.
"Hey Ash," Alexa said, pointing at the Legendary. "You got one of those in blue, don't you?"
"Yeah, but he's not quite that fast!"
"Ever since Ketchum set my old allies free after our battle, my Master was kind enough to lend me some replacements! Ones that far outmatch those that left me!" Tobias shouted. "Dragon Pulse!"
The Shiny Latios rocketed forwards towards the Ash-Greninja below, performing a corkscrew on the way down. Appearing in front of the Kalos Starter, the Hoenn Legend fired a multicolored beam of energy striking Greninja in the chest. Greninja fell forwards onto its knees with its arms crossed over its chest, right in the path of an oncoming Megahorn with a Nidoking attached.
"Oh no you don't! Vigoroth, use Return!"
Running on four legs, Alexa's wily sloth Pokemon intercepted the Nidoking with a glowing fist to the face before it could hit Ash's downed Greninja. 'Gotcha!' From its punch erupted a white explosion, which caused the Nidoking to veer off course and crash on the ground.
"Greninja, return!" Ash exclaimed, seeing his opening. The kneeling Ash-Greninja returned to its ball, which Ash clipped back to his belt. "Charizard, may the Aura Guide you!"
Ash's orange dragon burst from its ball and sped across the field. 'Need a lift?' It said, as Alexa's Vigoroth instinctively jumped in the air onto the starter's back. Together, the two Pokemon found themselves in pursuit of Tobias's Latios in an aerial chase.
"Flamethrower!" The two Ketchum siblings shouted in unison, side by side with each other.
Charizard blew the first Flamethrower, sending a stream of fire towards the speeding Legendary ahead. While Latios veered off to evade Charizard's attack, Vigoroth saw its opening to swell its chest and blow a Flamethrower of its own, striking the Hoenn Legendary just as it maneuvered out of the way of one Flamethrower, into the path of another.
Stunned in the air for a moment, the teal Latios regained its focus. "Luster Purge!" It's trainer shouted, throwing a hand into the air. Opening its mouth, a giant orb of vibrant light began to form, which rocketed towards its two opponents. Leaping forwards, off the back of Charizard, with two Metal Claws formed on each hand, Vigoroth broke through the attack, causing a bright explosion to envelop in the air. One that sent Vigoroth falling back down to the battlefield below with a thud. Rocketing through the remnants of the attack, Charizard was now finally able to catch up to the speedy Legendary Pokemon.
"What!?" Tobias angrily shouted, as his Legendary Pokemon was now locked in the grip of Ash's Charizard's arms.
"Lex!" Ash said, spinning towards his sister, as the injured Vigoroth began to push itself up off the field.
"Vig-o-roth!" The Hoenn Pokemon shouted in a growl, not wanting to let their chance go to waste.
"Vig and I got you in there! Now finish the job!" Alexa exclaimed.
"Right!" Ash shouted, soon giving a grin. "Give 'em the old Charizard Special!"
With a nod followed by a Fire Fang to the opponent's neck, Charizard flapped its wings as it carried its opponent up towards the Unown ceiling. Releasing its fangs, and blowing hot fire onto its own wings, Charizard began carrying Latios in the rapid, circular motion of a Seismic Toss. As the Legendary in its grip grew dizzier and dizzier, Charizard dropped the Shiny Latios, which began its descent to the ground. On the way down Charizard took a nosedive and struck the Legendary with a Blazing Wing, before grabbing Latios's small arm and whipping it into the ground below. Latios hit the ground hard, extremely exhausted following the onslaught of moves. Charizard landed on the ground above the unconscious Latios, throwing its head back and letting out a roar. Flaring its nostrils, it locked eyes with Giovanni who simply grinned at the starter.
"Well if it isn't one of my old mind slaves!" Giovanni said to Ash's Pokemon. "Had you shown that kind of ferocity before, perhaps you would have never become my puppet for that brief time… or perhaps I'd be using you to fight that worthless punk you call a trainer."
Charizard let out a roar as it moved away from its fainted opponent, and darted towards Giovanni, opening its maw. Suddenly, jutting up from the ground in front of its Master was a wall of rock, brought on by Giovanni's Nidoking, who was standing off behind Charizard. Rocketing forwards with a clubbing hand enveloped in electricity, the Poison/Ground type socked Charizard in the face, before grabbing its tail and whipping it into the rock-wall it had manifested. After getting hit with the blow, Charizard's body soon grew rigid with paralysis, and laid prone to Nidoking. As the purple beast towered over Ash's Pokemon, its right fist glowed purple with a Poison Jab, ready to deal a final strike.
"Metal Claw!" Alexa shouted, from her brother's side. Vigoroth charged head on, leaping forwards with its left claw glowing silver, intercepting Nidoking's attack. Vigoroth gritted its teeth while pushing back against the stronger foe.
"Now Tobias," Giovanni said calmly.
Giovanni's grey haired servant nodded, throwing his final Master Ball onto the field. Erupting from the ball was a torrent of darkness as a Darkrai hovered high into the air. Different from Ash's, this Mythical had a darker Aura to it and a sharper, red maw. The horror jolted across the field, as Nidoking retreated backwards, catching Vigoroth and Charizard in a wave of dark energy.
"Oh no!" Alexa exclaimed, eyeing the Nightmare of Sinnoh. "He's got one too!?"
"Well since my last one aligned with that scum," Tobias said, pointing out Ash. "I had to get a better one. Darkrai, use Dark Void!"
The Pitch-Black Pokemon hovered higher into the air, with its clawed arms hunched forwards. Then, raising a single clawed hand, it formed a lone black orb. Lowering its arm, it fired its attack in the direction of Vigoroth, who made an attempt to evade, but was caught in the speeding blast, being put into a deep slumber. With its free hand, the enemy Darkrai manifested another pitch-black orb, firing it off at Ash's Charizard from the ground. Attempting to drag its paralyzed body away, Charizard was unable to escape Darkrai's attack, falling asleep in the process like Vigoroth did before it.
"And now use Dream Eater!" Tobias exclaimed, throwing his head back, bursting into a fit of laughter. The pitch-black horror jutted its two hands outwards, cloaking the two slumbering Pokemon in a faint, purple glow. As it did, both of its prey began to writhe in agony. As the two sleeping Pokemon contorted in pain, each let out a cry as yellow orbs of light left their bodies, entering Darkrai's hands. When the different-dimension Mythical ceased its attack, both of the Ketchum siblings' Pokemon were drained of their energy; both left unconscious.
"And just like that, Ash's first Pokemon has fainted in this battle!" Giovanni exclaimed, throwing his hands out to either side, mocking the trainer. "And it was your ever loyal Charizard! Shame. I guess he will be lucky enough to avoid my Mewtwo's destruction… once I decide to use him that is."
"Ergh- Charizard return!" Ash exclaimed, recalling his downed Pokemon. "I don't care what he says. You did great."
"Return Vigoroth!" Alexa called out, recalling her fainted sloth Pokemon. 'We still have a long way to go… but we'll just have to get stronger together… That is- if we can get lucky enough to win this battle…'