Chapter 4: Kalos League Conversation


The sign was just up ahead. Ash darted for it - "Welcome to Lumiose City", it read. He stopped outside the checkpoint between Lumiose and Route 16 in an attempt to regain his breath.

"Wow... we made it..." He panted. "The Lumiose Conference, the place where the Kalos League will be held!"

He was followed by Serena, who had struggled to keep up. "I can... tell you're excited... But could you... not at least... wait for us?" she berated him between her gulps of air. Ash looked confused, and then saw in the distance, Bonnie and Clemont, the latter of which was collapsed on his knees, gasping. Ash jogged back to them.

"Oh man, i'm really sorry!" he apologised.

Clemont shook his head, and spat, which made Bonnie rear back in revulsion. "Don't... worry about it. It's finally time for the League, I completely understand." he said, after he got his breath back.

Ash nodded, and they entered the city, his nerves making him slightly jumpy and restless.

Pikachu's ears pricked up out of the blue. "Pikapi?" he said.

Ash turned to his partner. "What is it buddy?" he asked.

Pikachu's cheeks sparked suddenly. "Pika pikachu!" he cried, gesturing for them to follow. Pikachu rushed off, with Ash and the others in pursuit. What they saw was... Surprising, to say the least.

"Wow!" Ash remarked. "Its a group of Pikachu!"

He was right - and Pikachu had just received and followed a friendly static message from one of them. He went over to greet them.

"Pikapika?"

"Pika! Pi, pikachu!"

Ash slowly walked over. "Ash! Serena! Clemont! Bonnie!" a voice exclaimed. Ash turned around - it was Jean!

"Jean! Long time no see!" Serena said. Ash remembered - the girl who's grandfather was the movie director and Pikachu enthusiast. That meant, Ash guessed, that this group was hers and Frank's pokemon.

"So Jean!" Clemont started. "What're you doing all the way here in Lumiose?"

She pushed her index fingers together. "Well, I have two reasons. You see, these little Pikachu really admire your Pikachu, Ash." She explained. Pikachu scratched his head, flattered. "They wanted to watch his battle in person, but because grandfather is too busy taking care of the manor, he couldn't come, but he said he'll definitely be watching."

Ash grinned. "Wow, that's awesome!" then he tilted his head. "Oh, what about your second reason?"

Jean suddenly looked quite sheepish. "Well, urm, the main reason, is... Do you all remember Pikachu Popstar?"

The four nodded, Serena's face in particular brightening. "Yeah!" she mentioned. "She was the one in that lovely dress! I could tell she liked to perform, because she seemed to do quite a nice little dance whenever she could, it was really fun to watch!"

The aforementioned Pikachu in the pink dress, named 'Popstar', climbed onto Jeans shoulder playfully, but she was watching Serena with shining, admiring eyes.

Jean laughed nervously. "Wow, Serena, it's great that you'd say that, because actually, she's a big fan of you."

Serena looked taken aback. "Who, me?"

She nodded. "Yeah, Grandfather showed us the Master Class and Popstar was completely struck by it. She binge watched all of your performances on PokeVision."

Serena put a hand over her chest. "That's so sweet of her!"

Jean was playing with her hands. "So yeah, uh, what I'm trying to ask is... If it isn't too much trouble... She wants to come with you!" Jean said, bowing as she said the last sentence.

Serena didn't seem disdainful in the slightest - instead she felt excited. "You really mean it? Popstar, is this true?"

The pink-clad Pikachu nodded profusely, and rolled onto its stomach in front of Serena, as if pleading.

Serena knelt down, patting Popstar on the head. "Oh, sweetie, if that's what you want, I would love you on our team!"

The Pokémon looked up at Serena, her eyes sparkling. "Pikachuuu!" she squeaked with delight. Serena pulled out three Pokeballs from her dress, and chucked them into the air. Braixen, Pancham and Sylveon appeared next to Serena. Popstar was starstruck - her three idols that were originally on a stage were now in front of her, greeting her politely.

"Hey you three!" Serena beamed at them. "This little Pikachu wanted to come with us! Whaddaya say?"

The three of them looked delighted. They turned to each other, and then to the Pikachu.

Sylveon stepped forward, a ribbon from her mane extending to stroke the astonished yellow mouse.

"Sylvy, Sylveon!"

"Cha~!" Popstar cried, eyes radiating with admiration.

"Well, here you go then, Popstar!" Serena grinned. She pulled out a free Pokeball and Popstar tapped it happily, being absorbed in a rush of red light. the ball didnt shake once before clicking, showing that the Pikachu-Popstar had been caught.

"Yippee!" Squealed Serena, holding the ball in the air. "I've just caught a Pikachu!"

Ash came over to her, his fists balled up and by his face, which happened to have an awed expression on it. "Serena, congratulations! That's incredible, really!"

Jean began to move away. "Thank you so much Serena, I'm sure she'll do well. Anyway, best of luck in the Pokémon League Ash, we'll be cheering you on from the gallery!" and she left, surrounded by the Pikachu. Children stared and pointed excitedly at them as they walked.

"And now!" Ash grinned. "It's time... To head to the Lumiose Conference!"

Serena put away her newly-filled Pokeball, and turned to Ash. "Yeah!"

Then he frowned. "So, uh, do you know where it is?"

Serena stopped, and then gasped. "Oh right!"

Clemont pushed his glass forward and smirked. "Don't worry, just follow me!" The others complied, and headed to a huge building in the midst of some trees.

"There it is!" Ash yelled. "The Kalos League! And i'm winning it this time!"

Suddenly, a woman with pink hair approached Ash. "Excuse me! Are you taking part in the Kalos League Tournament?" She asked.

"Yeah!" Ash replied.

"That's great! May I ask for a quick interview?"

Ash looked confused, but nodded. "Sure."

She smiled sweetly. "Thank you!" Then a film crew, who looked strangely familiar, started filming Ash.

"Nice to meet you! My name is Malva. And you are?"

"I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town, in the Kanto region!" He answered. Overhead, there were screens broadcasting what he was saying.

"So what are you competing for?" She questioned.

Ash blinked. "Well, to win, of course! I'm gonna go through, battle after battle, to the finals, and then win it and become the champion!" He answered, grinning.

"That's a wonderful answer!" She smiled. "Best of luck to you, Ash Ketchum!" She said, before walking off.

Clemont stepped in front of Ash. "Ash, you gotta hurry and sign in, or you won't be able to compete!" he hurried. Ash's eyes widened, and they ran towards the entrance.

As they were running, a boy with an orange mohawk moved into their way. "So! You're the kid competing in the League, huh?" He snarled.

Ash nodded, suspicion evident in his expression. "Alright then," the boy continued, "Seeing as you think you're gonna win, let's battle! Go, Furfrou!"

A Furfrou appeared. It's fur was braided with orange hair over its forehead, similar to its trainer.

"You're on!" Ash grinned, pulling out a Pokeball. He went to throw it, but his arm was grabbed by Serena.

"Ash, no! We don't have time for this! You need to register, now!" She insisted, before dragging Ash with her.

Ash sighed, and followed her. "Sorry about this. Maybe next time." He explained to the trainer.

After some explaining, and several sighs of relief, Ash was fully signed up for the tournament, and waiting for the placings to begin.

"Whew!" Ash sighed. "We made it in time!"

Serena couldn't agree more. "What a relief..."

"Ash! Serena!" Came a voice from behind them. They spun around.

"Trevor, Tierno! Long time no see!" Ash replied, upon sighting his friends whom he had developed a friendly rivalry with. "I'm guessing you two are competing, then!"

"Thats right!" Tierno said excitedly. Except then his eyes immediately jumped to Serena. "And Serena! I am very happy to see you again!" He smiled, only to receive a hesitant, and slightly unnerved smile back.

"Uh, thank you?" She replied while staring at the door, in the hopes that Shauna would appear out of the blue and stop Tierno, and this awkward situation. Even Ash unconsciously cringed watching.

However, as he was about to continue, a voice came out of the room's speakers, interrupting his train of thought. "The battle's for round one have been decided!" It announced.

A screen on the wall in that room lit up and showed a list of all the battles - specifically, two trainer's icons and a number next to them, to represent the order of the matches.

"Wow! I'm in the first match!" Trevor declared.

Ash looked up. He was correct, Trevor was indeed first on the list - and his opponent was someone Ash recognised. Alain. Ash remembered him as the boy with the insanely strong Mega Charizard X, who was doing research on Mega Evolution and whom he befriended after helping him learn about the Ash-Greninja phenomenon.

Ash looked back at Trevor. "You'd better be careful. You're facing Alain, and he's... Well, he's really good. He's beaten me multiple times."

Trevor looked surprised, but his expression didn't waver. "I reckon I'll be okay - I have a secret weapon, after all!"

Ash's eyes lit up. "Secret weapon?! Can you tell me?"

Trevor sighed. "I can't! It wouldn't be a secret otherwise!"

His face fell. "Oh, right. That's fine then." He turned back to the board, to see when his battle was. He didn't have trouble finding it - It was right below Trevor - the second match of the first round. Ash looked at who his opponent was, and then scanned the room. He locked eyes with his foe, and they shared a friendly smile before they both turned around again.

"Well, I'd better head off to my battle right away!" Trevor said, making to leave. "I'll see you guys later!"

The six of them waved, and each wished "Good luck!" to him.

Soon, they all (bar Trevor) had made their way into the stadium's seats, and waited as the crowds poured into the gallery and as the tension raised.

Bonnie looked wide-eyed at the substantial number of people who had come to watch. "There must be thousands!" She said aloud.

Clemont nodded. "Pokémon Leagues are the biggest global events in history. In fact, compared to regions such as Hoenn and Sinnoh, Kalos is actually a bit smaller in population." He stated.

Serena was too busy taking in the atmosphere to join in their conversation. It felt nothing like her showcases - the air was tense rather than comforting, It was also way larger and much more in the open.

"I'm really nervous for Trevor's sake!" Shauna sighed. "After all, when it comes to performances, you have all the practice that you did, but in this it seems like no matter how much training you do, you've got no real way of knowing your opponent until the battle itself..."

Tierno waved his hand. "Nah, thats where the challenge is! You've gotta be able to adapt on the fly, just like dancing! Besides, if Trevor plays things smart then he'll have a chance!"


A voice seemed to fill the air. "The first battle of the first round in this year's Kalos League is about to begin! We have Trevor the Photographer, versus Alain, who's set out to research everything about Mega Evolution!"

As if on cue, Trevor appeared on one side, and Alain on the other, followed by a huge round of applause above them.

"For each match, a different battlefield will be selected at random to keep each match unique from the last! For our first round, it shall be a rocky battlefield!"

The land in front of Trevor and Alain sank slowly into the floor, and was replaced by a different floor - just like how it was mentioned, the field had a river in the center leading up to a rocky hill.

The two competitors walked slowly to the center, until they stood face to face. They shook hands and returned to their spaces, their expression determined.

A referee also walked to the middle edge to deliver the rules. "Each trainer may use three Pokémon for this battle, and they will be out when all three are unable to continue! Are you both ready?"

Trevor and Alain simultaneously readied the Pokémon they were going to start off with.

"You may begin!"

"Let's go!" Trevor called. "Charizard!"

He threw the Pokeball into the arena, and it unleashed a bright red light, shaping into a massive creature, to reveal an orange dragonlike Pokemon with a pair of wings and a flame lit on the end of its tail. On its tail it wore a band that had a bright orange gemstone within it.

Ash's eyes brightened. "Wow!" He exclaimed. "Trevor's Charmeleon musta evolved into Charizard!"

Meanwhile, Alain unconsciously smiled. "Charizard, come out!" He threw his own Pokeball, and another Charizard appeared, facing off against Trevor's.

The commentator from before sounded ecstatic when he spoke. "Wow! Both trainers are starting out with Charizard! This seems to be shaping up to be an interesting first match!"

The two dragons faced off with one another. "Guess we're going first then!" Trevor concluded. "Charizard, use Fire Spin!"

A jet of roaring flame spiralled towards its opponent. "Charizard, dodge it!" Alain commanded.

Alain's Charizard soared into the air, and set its sights on Trevor's. "Now you use Flamethrower!"

It breathed its own flame back at Trevor's Charizard. "Use Dragon Claw on it!" Trevor yelled.

His Charizard's claws started to glow a pale green colour, which attacked the flamethrower, splitting it until it was rendered useless. Meanwhile Alain's Charizard, after its attack, descended to the rocky floor.

Trevor grabbed his camera. "Alright Charizard, there's no need to hold back! Are you ready?" He called out to his Pokemon, who looked back at him and nodded, snorting a meager fire.

Trevor moved his finger towards the capture button on his camera, which had been replaced by a key stone - Which Ash recognised as the same object as what Professor Sycamore, Diantha and Alain had - the peculiar gem that allowed Pokemon to mega evolve.

He tapped the stone with his nail. "Mega evolve!" He shouted. The stone shone brilliantly, and shot out a ray of light, one after the other, which connected with the gem on his Charizard's tail. Charizard became wrapped in light, and it began to transform. When it reappeared from the light, it looked slightly different - A third horn had spiked out from its head and its wings more jagged.

Alain's face gave away his astonishment. "Let us do the same!" He yelled. "Respond to my heart, and go beyond evolution... Mega evolve!" He tapped the key stone on his wristband, which had the exact effect as Trevor's. Charizard glowed, and amidst the glow its scales turned from orange to black and a blue flame emanated from its mouth.

"What an event!" The commentator cried. "This battle has turned into a 1 on 1, mega Charizard fight! A battle this incredible is sure to keep us all on the edge of our seats!"

Trevor gritted his teeth. "Alright Charizard, heatwave, let's go!"

Charizard roared, releasing a rampaging fire towards the dark Charizard. "Block it with water, quickly!" Alain shouted. His Charizard struck the river it stood next to, sending up a pillar of water that stopped and deadened the heatwave.

"Keep up the pressure, Charizard! Dragon Tail!" Trevor yelled. Charizard flew towards it's black counterpart and aimed its tail, which had started to glow, at it.

Alain's eyes darted up. "To the right, now!" He called. His Charizard responded by moving in that direction, dodging its enemy's attack.

"Fire Spin!" Trevor yelled.

"Flamethrower!" Alain yelled.

The two attacks sauntered towards each other, and collided hugely, shrouding the colosseum in smoke. Nothing was visible anymore.

Trevor's eyes moved back and forth as he waited for an opportunity. He exhaled sharply, disappointed. "Charizard, get out of that cloud!" He commanded. His Charizard hesitated, and then lifted into the air, appearing from the smoke.

Alain on the other side grinned. "Okay Charizard, now's our chance! Wait for it..."

His eyes watched the opposing Charizard in wait, as it slowly cruised above the cloud.

"Now! Flamethrower!" Alain ordered. All of a sudden, a stream of blue flame punched out of the cloud, striking the orange Charizard and sending it reeling back to the ground.

"Charizard, no!" Trevor cried. His Charizard had taken serious damage, but it managed to get back to its feet, ready to continue.


Ash was intensely watching the battle, when his pocket buzzed. He pulled out a small receiver. Each competitor in the Kalos League was given a small receiver, and if they buzzed, they needed to head to the lobby immediately to be allowed entry to their next battle.

He put the receiver away and turned to his right, where his friends sat next to him. "Alright, I gotta leave for my battle now! I'll see you all later!" He told them.

"Good luck!" They all responded. Ash got up, and headed out of the gallery and down the empty hallway, where the battle was being shown on a screen. He glanced at it and continued running, but skidded to a halt. A boy with a mohawk had stepped in his way. The boy from before.

"Well well." He snarled. "It's you again. Now we can battle!"

Ash shook his head firmly. "Sorry, i got a league battle to head to."

"What's the matter, running away again?" He taunted.

Ash growled, his hand reaching to his Pokeballs, but he stopped himself. "Last time, if Serena hadn't been there, i wouldn'tve been able to compete. I can't throw that now, for the same reason." He thought to himself.

"Again, sorry, but i've got a battle I need to head to." He repeated. "Now please move out of my way."

"No!" The boy hissed. His expression was ugly and contorted, and he had dark marks under his eyes, indicating a lack of sleep. "If you aren't budgin' for me, I ain't for you then!"

Ash fumed. "Why aren't you worried about your own battle, huh?!" He snapped. Suddenly the boy stiffened, and didn't reply.

He suddenly realised what was going on. "Are you even competing?!" he demanded. The boy looked down, biting his lip.

Ash growled. "If you're gonna act all tough when you aren't battling yourself, whether you didn't get all eight badges or just didn't make it in time, you have no right to try and stop me." He told him harshly. "Now move out of my way."

The boy stood their, facing away from Ash. He clenched his fists, then stomped to the side, and walked past him. Ash shrugged to himself, and left through the door the boy had previously blocked and went through it.

"Ash Ketchum?" A woman asked him when he had made it to the lobby.

"Yeah, thats me, sorry i'm late." He responded, scratching his head.

The woman nodded. "That's alright. Just follow me, i'll show you to the match."


Back in the battlefield, Trevor was with his last Pokemon, as was Alain.

"Florges!" Trevor yelled. "Use Moonblast!"

The flower Pokemon leapt up, and waved an incantation at the sky. A ball of pink dust appeared, and the Florges threw it at its opponent.

"Hit it back with Meteor Mash!" Alain called.

His Metagross crossed its arms and pounced towards the Moonblast, dicing it instantly. The debris was sent flying towards the falling Florges, who was unable to do anything except take the blow. It crashed onto the ground, unconscious.

"No!" Trevor screamed.

"Florges is unable to battle! That means Metagross is the winner, and the first round goes to Alain!" The referee announced. The screen above the stadium flashed with Alain's face icon, along with the words 'WINNER' by it.

Trevor and recalled his Pokemon. "You did amazing, Florges. Take a good rest." He sighed as he gazed at the screen. "We really lost, huh?" He felt disappointed, but no resentment. After all, it was a fair bout, and he at least put up a good fight. Trevor and Alain turned around and walked away, until they were both out of the colosseum.

"After a brilliant battle," the commentator declared, "the next match is about to begin, between Titus, and Ash Ketchum!"

Surprisingly, when Ash's name was mentioned, the audience let out a giant cheer. "Now Ash of course is competing in this league, a well respected name after his participations in the leagues of some other regions prior to this year's Lumiose Conference!"

The three who had been travelling with Ash was not expecting to have heard that, now of all places. "Wow, really?!" Bonnie shouted.

Clemont's face was also shocked. "I guess so... That's really something, after all, the League does carry a lot of weight to its name."

"I wonder why he's never told us anything about it though?" Serena pondered aloud. She had no time to question though, as Ash appeared onto the stadium, as well as another boy with short brown hair and a thick blue coat.

"Now it's time to change the pitch! This time, it'll be a grass field!"

The referee entered the pitch again. "Same rules as before!" He stated. "Each trainer may use three Pokémon, and they will be out when all three are unable to continue!"

Ash nodded, and the boy, Titus, did also. "If you're both ready," The referee said, backing off the battlefield, "You may begin!"

Titus pulled out a Pokeball, and threw it. "Altaria, come on out!"

Ash grinned widely. "Altaria, huh? Well then..." He gripped a Pokeball, and brought it to his chest. "Greninja, I choose you!"

He threw the ball, and his faithful frog Pokemon appeared from it. "Alright Greninja," Ash smiled. "Let's win this, together!"


And that is the end of Chapter 4! Hope you all enjoyed it. Seeing as the Kalos League battles in the anime were, in my opinion, kind of lackluster, I've decided I'll try and add a little more to it, as I demonstrated above.

Reviews:

You wrote Weavile is the winner instead of Metagross

Yep, my bad, I've fixed that now XD I really don't know how did that.

Thank you all for reading, and I'll see you next chapter!

P.S. OH NO, I'VE JUST NOTICED THAT MY PFP WAS THE FANFIC THUMBNAIL. no wonder it was so unpopular. So I scrolled through some nice amour pictures on twitter and rolled with it. sorry!!