A/N - What's up my readers? Yes, I know it's been a while but I haven't had much time to work on this and I wanted to do something special for my readers and since its my 50th chapter! I never thought I would write this much and go on for more than a year. But I know partly it was because of you guys that helped me keep going, even through all the bullshit that happens in life. So, thank you and the surprises and changes that I have made for you all will be shown at the end of the chapter in my ending chapter notes. Before I let you read the next chapter, a few things...
1. Leaving false information in reviews - I don't like it when people lie and give false information. I had one guest leave a review anonymously that he/she knew me personally and that I had told them that I had quit writing. That seriously pissed me off and it was the only time I had ever deleted a review. Whoever wrote that, and this goes for others as well, I didn't like that at all and I will not tolerate it.
2. Me abandoning my story - That will never happen. I will continue working on my story until it is finished. Sometimes, it may take me a while to post up a new chapter but that doesn't mean that I have forgotten about it or that I'm not going to continue. If that day ever comes, I will personally let you all know myself. But, as I said before, that will not happen. I may not be able to promise regularly scheduled updates, but I can promise that I won't leave the story unfinished.
3. Threatening/Blackmailing - Another thing that I didn't appreciate was that several readers threatened to stop reading if I didn't post up soon. Look, I get that you want to know what happens next and you're psyched for the story. Thank you for that. But I will not jeopardize the quality of my story just so I can get a chapter out. I have mentioned it several times before that I will not post until I feel that the chapter is good enough. I want to maintain the quality if not get better with each chapter. So if you can't be patient for that, then I guess it's been nice talking to you.
4. Reviewers who just skim the chapter - Yes, I know my chapters have become long. But that's because of all the information that I need to get out and flesh out what is happening. So if you skim through the chapter, oh well. But don't skim through it and then in your review ask what happened, or that you feel it wasn't enough, or it seemed too short, or whatever. It's not my fault you skim through it and not pick up things.
5. Pokemon guesses for both teams - Thanks for answering the questions. Some of you made some correct guesses. So you'll see who I have in mind for the final battle. I hope you all like it! It took me a long time to get it done right in my eyes.
6. Replies to some reviews;
Guest 1 - Hey buddy. This story has not 'died'. See above.
Guest 2 - Yes, Sarah is an OC that I have created. Any other questions about her?
Guest 3 - Lucario and Gardevoir are having a little mini vacation back at the island.
Guest 4 - Thank you man for the compliments! :)
Jaguars5 - You'll find out in in this chapter if he'll win the tournament.
Sjin - Thanks dude for the praise. You'll see soon who the pregnant girl is.
UnhappyPancake - Dude! It's been a while. Yes, so much pressure for this chapter! lol
Alright. Now with all of that done and out of the way, I hereby present to you the 50th chapter for my story, which was supposed to be the chapter posted for my 1 year anniversary. (Oh well...) I hope you enjoy it and the changes and surprises will be in my ending author notes. Remember to review, fav and follow!
- I DON'T OWN POKEMON -
- WARNING; MATURE CONTENT -
THE BLUE SPIRIT
CHAPTER 50 – THE TOURNAMENT FINALS
A man with grayish blue hair was standing near the edge of a cliff in the evening. Looking out into the distance, he thought about what happened to him that day when he went to visit Ash. How his mind played a trick on him and made him see 'her'. After a couple minutes of silent thinking, he reached into his pocket and took out the photograph again. He looked at the red haired woman that was smiling in the image. Her head was turned slightly to the side but her eyes were looking forward, right at him. Anastasia…
A poke ball attached to his belt opened of its own accord suddenly. The dragon and psychic legendary pokémon appeared with a concerned expression. "Tobias, are you alright?" asked Latios through his telepathy.
Tobias glanced at the dragon. "No," he answered. "When I thought it was her, I became entranced. Without thinking I just started moving towards Natasha…"
"Natasha?" asked Latios.
"The look alike," explained Tobias and Latios had understanding dawn on him. "Anyway, I just moved towards her without even thinking until Ash stepped between us and stopped me. That was when I realized it wasn't her…" Tobias trailed off and looked at the photo again.
Latios could sense the intense feelings of his trainer and friend. "You will see her again one day. You just have to keep on the path."
Tobias put away the photograph and took in a deep breath. He looked at his pokémon and nodded with a slight smile. "Thank you my friend for keeping me on track. Let's rest for tomorrow's match," he advised and the legendary nodded in agreement before he was returned. Tobias made his way back to the cabin he was staying at. As he made his way, his mind was full of thoughts. I will see you again Anastasia. I will not lose. Though I respect him, I won't even let the Aura Guardian stand in my way…
It was late at night and three men were sitting in a jail cell. They were silent, neither one of them making a sound with their heads in their hands. Not once did any of the three speak since the day they were brought to the cell. Nor did any one of the three interact with the other or fall asleep easily until the later hours of the night. All they did was remain quiet and eat their meals whenever it was brought to them. They couldn't believe what happened to them. They couldn't believe how their grand scheme to humiliate and discredit their most despised person didn't go according to plan. They went over every detail in their mind and just couldn't find the reason for their failure. Everything was going according to plan. That is until the girls got involved…
The sounds of sudden walking caught their attention and they raised their heads in surprise. Nobody was around at this hour normally. Each of the men glanced at one another before turning their attention to the cell door when Officer Jenny appeared in front of it. She looked at them for a moment in silence before opening up a poke ball and a Growlithe appeared beside her. "Stand up, face the wall and place your hands on top of your head."
The men let out a sigh before standing up and doing as they were told. Afterwards, she unlocked the door and went inside while her loyal pokémon let out a deep growl as a warning to the men. She handcuffed each of them with their hands behind their back and then made them follow her with the fire dog bringing up the rear. The five walked through the building for a bit until they reached a room. Jenny led them inside and had them sit on the three chairs before removing their handcuffs. She then re-cuffed them onto the table. She and Growlithe left the room right after. The three men glanced at one another again but when the door opened once more, they moved their sight onto it.
A black haired woman entered the room dressed in formal business attire. She moved towards the three and sat down in front of them. She took out a smart phone and placed it on the table. She pressed one of the side buttons before she eyed each man for a few seconds. "My name is Tanya Andrews and I'm here to help you," she told them. Neither of the men said anything and she continued on. "So it's true. I've been told that you haven't spoken to anyone. That will make everything easier in getting you what you want. And I know what you want."
The three looked at one another again before one of them spoke. "Lady," started the dark haired man and she faced him. "You got our attention. So what do we want?" he asked her.
"Revenge," she said without hesitation.
That answer caught them off guard. Glancing at the other two before facing her, the purple haired man asked her a question. "What are you talking about? We don't want revenge."
She raised her eyebrow at them. "Really? Don't worry. No one can hear you because of my phone."
The three eyed the device before looking at her again. "And we're supposed to just believe you?" asked the blue haired man. She gave a look that clearly said that they don't have a choice. They let out sighs and he spoke again. "Alright. Let's say you're right for the sake of conversation. How would you know? And if we wanted that, how will we get that when we're stuck in here?" asked the blue haired man.
Tanya allowed a smirk to form on her face. "Don't worry about that. If you truly do want that, then follow these directions." The black haired woman began explaining what she was going to do for them and what they had to do in return for her. After hearing the details, the three men shared a look before facing her and nodded. "Good. Be ready. And don't worry…" she said as she picked up her device from the table and stood up. "…no one will know about this except for us and my employer." She pressed the side button on the device again before exiting the room.
After Tanya left the three, Office Jenny once again entered the room with her Growlithe. After switching their handcuffs once more, she led them back to their cell and locked it. She returned to the front of the police building where her desk was situated behind a marble counter in the lobby and sat down on the chair behind it. She let out a yawn and glanced at her fire dog. Growlithe was lying down beside her and she smiled at him. She scratched behind his right ear and the pokémon let out content growls.
As she scratched him, she wondered why the prisoners looked a little happier. She also wondered why that lawyer would want to represent them of all people. And she also wondered why Lance would approve of her meeting with them at such a late hour. But she knew better than to question him. But she still couldn't shake off a feeling that something was wrong. This is all too weird, she thought. Sucks how I couldn't listen in on their conversation at least. Stupid equipment not working right. And who in their right mind would want to defend them? With all that evidence against them? And who would want to be on the Guardian's shit list?
That thought made her think of Ash suddenly and all the things she saw him do. From the lake incident, to the stadium attack, the Skull Brothers, what he did during his eight match against Damian and what happened in his latest match against Drax. Her cheeks reddened as her mind brought up flashes of what he's done. After imagining some things, she shook her head. Damn it. If only he was a little older. Or if I was a little younger. She let out a sigh and shook her head. Oh well. No point crying about something that was never yours. But I can't help but have a bad feeling. I just hope nothing awful happens anymore. She finished scratching the fire type and then faced her computer screen. Might as well get some work done.
As Officer Jenny looked over her emails and completed some paperwork at the police station, Tanya was making her way down the street at a brisk pace. As she moved, she kept awareness of her surroundings but in a subtle way. She moved past some streets and then rounded a corner. She continued on for a bit until she reached a small motel at the end of the street. She headed towards a staircase and traveled to the second floor before using the card key she was given to enter a room. She closed the door behind her and the first thing she saw was a man named John sitting on the bed watching some TV. "How'd it go?" he asked her without looking away from the news he was watching.
She smiled smugly and he saw it from the corner of his eyes. "Easier than I thought it would be. They're in," she answered him. She reached up and grabbed the top part of her black hair and pulled it. Her wig came off and she tossed it onto the dresser. She took out the smart phone and placed it on the dresser. "That sure was handy. And so was this," she added after taking out a folded piece of paper. It was the letter that she showed to the police officer to be able to get in. "Sometimes I surprise myself," she gloated over her forged letter.
John turned off the TV, lowered the covers and got into bed. "Well, good job Domino. I'm going to sleep now that's done," he told her. He faced the wall and closed his eyes.
She kept her attention on him for a few seconds before grabbing a pair of shorts and a shirt for her pajamas and entered the bathroom. She quickly changed and exited it. She picked up the phone and sent a quick status report to Giovanni. Afterwards, the deadly woman got into her own bed and closed her eyes. Before she fell asleep, she thought about the incoming attack, John's obsession with Natasha, Natasha's condition and where she's at, the Aura Guardian Ash and everything else. Soon, it will be done. The Aura Guardian will die and so will everyone else. That stupid whore will get another round of punishment from John. And Gio will finally have everything set for him to take over and I will be with him when he does. Domino had an evil smile form on her face as she closed her eyes to sleep.
As the sun began rising hours later, several people had woken up and already doing something in the Indigo Hotel penthouse suite while the rest were just beginning to awaken. One of these was a green haired young man who was lost in thought. Cilan was sitting up in his bed and thinking about everything that had happened yesterday. He had run into Burgundy and Georgia at the mall and decided to spend some time with them. Though Georgia would constantly put some distance from her and the two, for some reason he didn't care. And neither did Burgundy. As he shopped, talked and ate together with her, he couldn't help but feel comfortable with her. And happy. The long hours that he was with her didn't feel forced or awkward or anything bad at all.
Small sounds of movement made him turn his gaze towards his roommate, who was now his ex-girlfriend. Iris fidgeted around in her sleep before stopping and became still once more. Cilan kept his gaze on her for a bit before looking away. He felt some guilt fill him over what he's done recently. When he returned late last night to the hotel, almost everyone had gone to sleep except for a handful. Joanna and Grace were in the living room and his brothers and their girlfriends were in the balcony star gazing.
And one other that was awake was the purple haired girl that was sound asleep in her own bed now.
When he had entered the room, he expected her to be asleep but she wasn't. She was wide awake and sitting up in her bed reading a book with the covers drawn to her waist. She looked at him for a moment when he stepped inside the room. She then placed the book onto the night stand, moved down into the bed as she drew up the covers to her shoulders and turned her back against him. He stayed in his spot for a minute or two before slowly changing into pajamas and got into his bed without a word spoken.
As he remembered that from last night, Cilan felt awful. He didn't like feeling that way and it was starting to eat away at him. He didn't know what was worse. That he didn't tell Iris about Burgundy or that she didn't tell him about Drax. Or the fact that the love they had between them was now gone.
He tilted his head at that thought. Were we really in love? He asked himself. We had good times and cared for each other, sure. But, we never confided in each other. I was never able to inspire her or motivate her. That was when Drax's words echoed in his mind. That it was because of him that she had grown weak. Maybe I am at fault for that. I mean…I did use her in a way in the beginning to get over my failed relationship with…her. He then thought about his past failed relationship. The one where he had his heart broken. But I did also help her too. Doesn't that mean anything? He remembered how Iris went looking for Ash and saying her prayers when she thought he was asleep. He wondered if she ever had any feelings for Ash. If she had ever truly gotten over that or moved on from it. He then thought about how he just ended things with her without a second's thought. Did I truly have feelings for her? Or were they just…fleeting? Did we just stay together because it was…easy? Were we just helping each other…cope? Did we think we were in love and acted like we were when in reality we weren't? He thought about all that for a while until he came to realize some things. He would have to talk to Iris about them all. And there was something else too. Something that surprised him in a good way but it also made him feel horrible for not realizing it sooner. He took in a breath before deciding to get out of bed, get dressed and get started on breakfast to distract himself.
After Cilan left the room, a little while later Iris woke up. She stirred from her sleep and took up a sitting position. She looked around and saw that she was alone since her ex-boyfriend's bed was empty. She looked at it for a second before getting out of bed and heading into the attached bathroom. As Iris took care of her morning routine, she became lost in her thoughts. She thought of how Georgia called her last night and once again told her of Cilan and Burgundy spending time together. It shocked her that he was spending time with her so soon after their break up. But what really astonished her was the fact that she realized that she didn't care about that as much as she thought she would.
Sure, she was angry and had stayed up to see when he would come back. Her plan was to confront him but by the time he finally appeared, she just didn't want to anymore. She didn't want to try to hold on to something that wasn't working anymore. She stopped brushing her teeth mid way and looked herself in the mirror as she realized something. Is that why I'm not that angry with him? Does this mean that…I've come to terms with what this really was? But what was this? Iris finished up brushing her teeth, spit out the toothpaste and washed her mouth with water before letting out a sigh. She thought about the reasons behind them getting together. How she was in such a bad place and that she could tell that he was in a similar predicament as well. Yet neither of them didn't really acknowledge their problems. Or of the secrets that she kept from him and the secrets he kept from her. Grabbing the towel off the hanger after splashing some water on face, she dried her face and looked herself in the mirror once more. She thought heavily for a couple minutes before coming to a decision. We're going to have to talk to one another about what this really was. The purple haired girl left the bathroom, changed out of her pajamas and headed out to join the others who were no doubt gathering in the dining room for breakfast.
In another room, two blunettes were fully awake, out of bed, dressed and were in a hurry. They were busy packing their belongings into their luggage. After what Daisy Waterflower had told them and Giselle yesterday, they had decided that they were being fools after wallowing in their self pity for a long time. Shauna and Lizabeth informed Giselle that they were going to leave first thing in the morning and that shocked the black haired girl. No matter what she said, she couldn't convince her new friends to stay. That they can find a way where everything could work out but only if they tried.
But they wouldn't listen and told her to leave their room. Before she left, they advised her to do the same as them; that if she truly did love Ash, that she would leave him be too. To allow him time to have some good times and happiness before the world goes to shit. After she left with tears building in her eyes, the two blunettes forced themselves to go to sleep so they could wake up earlier than everyone. They didn't want to get caught, especially by Ash because if they saw him again, they didn't know if they could leave without confessing.
That didn't quite go according to plan though since they didn't wake up at their intended time but later on. Realizing they had slept in some, they quickly got out of bed to follow through with their decision. As Shauna finished her packing and zipped up her luggage, Lizabeth was taking out the last of her clothes from the closet. The two quickly finished up their packing and looked at one another. "Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Shauna.
Lizabeth was quiet for a moment. "Yes. There's no other way. Let's hurry up and leave before someone sees us," she replied back. Grabbing their luggage, the blunette girls went towards their room door, opened it and stepped outside into the hall. And immediately bumped into someone who just stepped out of the room next to theirs…
A yellow haired young man was tirelessly working away on his lap top. It was connected via a cable to the smart phone that his friend had given him. Clemont had been working all day yesterday to try and crack the phone's security measures until he decided to take a break and sleep. But he woke up early again to continue on it. He had been successful in getting past the initial defenses without too much of a hassle. But the deeper he got into it, the more complex and difficult it became to get through. But he also knew that he was getting close because the wall he was trying to break through was the toughest yet. And he had a feeling that this was the last defense.
Clemont opened up a program on his lap top and ran it. It detected the smart phone and a series of tests were administered to it. The program he was using was one of his own design. He created it to trouble shoot his Clembot and other highly sophisticated equipment in his gym as well as break through security measures if they had become corrupted or compromised. The tests finished and he read the results. Now figuring out what was going on, he made some mouse clicks here and there along with some typing out computer code and hit the 'Enter' key on his lap top. A progress bar appeared in the middle of his screen as the program began doing its thing.
Finally, thought Clemont while a small smile appeared on his face. He leaned back into his chair and stretched out his fingers before relaxing. I hope this is the last thing to break through. And then we can find out just who the hell those assholes were working for. As he relaxed, he thought about some things. He thought about his sister Bonnie and how she was now in a relationship with Max. Sure, they might be a little young, but he could tell that they fit together. He then thought about the other people in the group. From his better known friends like Ash and Serena to his newly made friends such as Riley, Ilene, Violet, Lily, Daisy, Cress, Chili and the rest. He was glad to have many good friends around him who he could have good times with and trust. But then he thought about something else.
He thought about a certain brunette with green eyes. Thinking about her made his smile grow larger. He heard her laughter in his head, remembering her energetic and spunky attitude. How he felt so comfortable around her and how she was always interested in the things he was working on. And the fact that he would always feel better when around her or after talking to her over the phone. His eyes grew wide suddenly as he came to realize something; I like her…I like Shauna. After that realization though, he didn't become happier. Instead, his smile faded away as he remembered something else. But she's going out with Tierno…I'm too late…damn it! He slammed the side of his fist against the desk out of anger.
"Clemont?" He spun around in his chair at the worried tone of voice and saw his little sister giving him a fearful look. He hadn't noticed her coming into his room at all, so into his thoughts. She had come to get him for breakfast since he wasn't there. "What's wrong?" she asked him fearfully.
Seeing the scared look on her, Clemont took in a breath and let it out slowly. "I'm sorry for scaring you Bonnie. But it's nothing so don't worry," he told her calmly.
Bonnie looked at her brother carefully. She could tell that something was wrong but didn't want to pester him about it. "Alright. Well, breakfast is ready and I came to get you. Let's go," she said.
Clemont glanced at the screen again and saw that the progress bar was still at 1%. Realizing that it was going to take a long time to finish, he faced his sister again and nodded. He stood up and walked over to her. "Thanks sis," he said before the two siblings exited the room together and headed to the dining room.
A raven haired young man was still asleep in his bed. Sleeping with him was three of his girlfriends. After Ash and Leaf came back last night from their date, they saw that everyone had gone to bed. Except for Sarah and Anabel who were waiting for them in his bedroom. After changing into their pajamas, the couple joined the two girls in bed. They talked for a bit and wished each other a good night before falling asleep. Once again, Leaf was sleeping on top of him with Sarah and Anabel snuggled up against his sides.
Ash turned his head slightly but continued sleeping. He was seeing another dream with him back in the pyramid like temple. He looked around and found nothing. Until a blinding white light appeared that made him shield his eyes with his arms. "Why do you keep doing this to me?!" he yelled out.
The angelic voice answered him. "Because you must be ready! You're greatest challenges are still coming! You still need to become stronger and you have yet to make your choice!"
"I will get stronger and I will never choose!" he countered back angrily. "I will save them all! And what did you mean about my beloved? What were you saying about the ones I love?"
Silence greeted him for a minute before the voice replied back. "I will tell you but only if you can answer this; how will you save them all?" asked the voice and the bright light faded away. Sensing that, Ash lowered his arms and opened his eyes slowly. He saw a glowing white sphere in front of him but couldn't make out what was in it. "How will you save them?" repeated the voice and the white sphere pulsed. Ash wasn't able to answer and the voice continued. "How can you make that decision? How can you figure out a way to do that and follow through? How can you do all that when you can't even do what you know you should? That you don't go after the things you want? That you keep saying that you're not good enough?" she asked him. Before Ash could answer, multiple figures appeared around him in white lights before they dimmed away. They revealed his girlfriends and he was surprised to see them there. Before he could respond, more and more figures kept appearing and it was of the other six girls who he believed to have feelings for and them for him as well. "You're girlfriends Misty, May, Dawn, Serena, Leaf, Sarah, Anabel, Cynthia and Sabrina love you and you love them. The other girls Clair, Liza, Giselle, Shauna, Lizabeth and Daisy; you know that they have feelings for you, most likely love you and you know that you are feeling something for them that is leading towards love. And there is still much that you do not know. There is still much that you have not noticed." As Ash looked at each of them, he felt the same stirring feeling inside of him that he always felt whenever he was around his girlfriends. The white sphere spoke again. "And yet you don't do anything. You're still afraid that you're not good enough for whatever reason. And because of that hesitation, because of all those doubts, you will never be able to protect them all. You will never find out the truth. You are holding yourself back because you are not embracing what is true. And until then, you will never truly unlock your potential. Because of that, with the way you are heading down the path, if you want to have any chance at winning in the future against Ragnarok, you're going to have to make sacrifices. You're going to have to make tough decisions. And that is why YOU. MUST. CHOOSE!" A blinding light erupted from the white sphere and engulfed the young man.
Ash snapped his eyes open and stared at the ceiling of his room. It took him a moment to realize he was panting. He took in a deep breath and exhaled it out quietly. Now feeling other bodies next to his, he looked down and gazed onto the three girls who were sleeping with him. He thought about what he was told while his eyes were on them. Whoever or whatever that voice is, its right. I can't keep doing this to myself…to them…I have to face what I'm feeling…I have to face my fears…I have to let them all know what's on my mind. But when? And how? Lost in thought for a while, movement caught his attention and made him move his sight onto Sarah. The blonde girl had awoken and her golden yellow eyes were locked onto his. She smiled at him and he returned it. "Hey, slept well my Faithful Fighter?" he asked her quietly.
The Johto native nodded. "Yes. Better than ever my Inspiration," she answered. She leaned in closer to him and gave him a loving kiss.
When they separated, Ash's head was gently made to turn by a pair of petite hands that had cupped his cheeks. Soon enough, the Salon Maiden's lips were pressed onto his and he sunk into it. "Good morning my Adventurer," whispered Anabel after separating with a large smile.
"Good morning my Frontier Beauty."
"Hey, what about me?" Ash looked at the brunette and saw her straddling him once again. He hadn't noticed her waking up and sitting up during the kissing. "Is my Shining Light keeping me in the dark?" she asked with a pout.
Ash shook his head while Anabel and Sarah grinned at that. "You know that I would never allow that to happen to you. To any of you." That made the three girls smile happily. "But then again, what will my Exotic Flower do for me?" he asked her with a smirk.
She hit him playfully against his chest. "Dork. Of course you would ruin that romantic moment," replied back Leaf as she leaned in closer to him. She gave him a simple but love filled kiss. When finished, she sat up again and the two smiled at one another.
Sarah sat up and leaned against the headboard. "So are you ready for your match today against Tobias?" she asked him.
Ash looked up at her. "Yup," he answered and she smiled. He leaned his head against her side. She placed her right hand on top of his head and gently messaged his head while running her hand through his hair. Ash let out a content sigh from that since that action made him relax and feel good at the same time, enjoying her hand going through his hair and she liked doing it too.
Anabel snuggled against his side more and moved her hand onto his chest with her finger tips tracing his chest scar. "So you have a plan?" she asked him.
"I do," replied Ash, enjoying her touch as well. "I think you'll be amazed," he told them.
"I'm sure we will," commented the purple haired girl as she continued.
Leaf looked at the three in front of her and smiled. She couldn't help but feel so happy. But then she thought something that made her shake her head while chuckling. That drew the attention of them and asked her what's up. "I was just thinking how funny it is that we're all so comfortable with this. How things just worked out for us. And I don't know if anyone else would be alright with it all. I mean, just look at the way you guys are right now. I bet if I was some other girl, I would've gone crazy seeing you two cuddling up against Ash."
The four of them glanced at one another before letting out laughs themselves. Leaf had a point. It was funny how things just worked out between them all. But they weren't going to complain about it. Why would they? They were happy and content. What kind of fools would they be if they didn't appreciate what they have? But then Ash remembered about the dream he just had and how he needed to do something about the girls he has feelings for soon.
Before he could dwell on that that would have caused his girlfriends to ask him what's up, a knock on the door was sounded out before they heard Delia speaking through it. "Hey, breakfast is almost ready. Hurry up and join us."
"We'll be right there," called out Ash. The girls got off the bed and Ash followed suit. He took out some extra clothes for his girlfriends since they were in their nightgowns and handed it to them. As they began to get dressed, Ash headed into the bathroom to use it and wash up. When he emerged from it, he saw them fully dressed. Each of them was wearing black basketball shorts that reached their knees but a different colored short sleeved shirt. Leaf was wearing a green one. Sarah was wearing a yellow one. And Anabel was wearing a purple one. "Looking good," complimented Ash with a grin.
The girls rolled their eyes but couldn't help but smile and feel good from his words. "Yes, we know," said Anabel as she and her two sisters went into the bathroom to wash up themselves.
As the girls used the bathroom, Ash changed into his gray sweats and blue shirt. He then sat on his bed and waited for his girlfriends to come out. While he waited, he thought about the dream he had again until he was sent a mental message from Mewtwo unexpectedly; they're ready.
Feeling happy over what he was told, he smiled. Awesome! Thanks buddy, I owe you.
I know. That makes it three now.
Ash chuckled quietly but thanked him. He had asked Mewtwo for his assistance in getting the gifts he wanted to get for his newer girlfriends. He was able to take care of that in advance for Misty, May, Dawn and Serena because he already knew what to get them and what his pet names are for them. He hadn't had a chance yet to get something for them because of everything that has happened. And because he didn't have a pet name for any of them until recently.
But he sent a mental message to the psychic feline last night after finally figuring out what he wanted to get them. He wondered if the design he picked out for each girl was something that they would like. He thought about that for a bit until the bathroom door opened and the girls stepped out. "Ready to go?" they asked him together.
"Almost," he replied back and stood up. "I need to do something first." The girls tilted their heads as he walked up to them. "Sorry I didn't do this yesterday but I had to wait until I got things right." Utterly confused, the girls glanced at one another and then at Ash. Before they could say anything, three glowing blue spheres appeared between them. The glow faded away to reveal thin long boxes. Their eyes widening, the girls slowly reached for the box that was hovering in front of them. After opening it, each of the girls let out a shocked gasp before taking out the item that was inside of them. His girlfriends pulled out a white gold necklace with a black pendant. But the design on each of them was different.
Leaf's had a bloomed greenish blue diamond flower on the front. When she flipped it over, she saw the inscription on the back which said;
FOR MY EXOTIC FLOWER
LEAF GREEN
Sarah's had yellow diamond boxing gloves that were also held together in a prayer like position. The words on the back of her pendant said the following;
FOR MY FAITHFUL FIGHTER
SARAH WISEMAN
Anabel's had a pink diamond heart which also had the following engraving on the back of it;
FOR MY FRONTIER BEAUTY
ANABEL LILA
The three girls were looking at their gifts with wide eyes and closed mouths. Ash was waiting for a response from them and before he knew it, the girls had tackled him to the ground and held him tightly.
"I love it! Thank you Ash!" said the girls happily over and over.
It took them a while to calm down enough so he could respond back to them. "You're welcome and I'm happy that you like it," replied Ash. The girls each gave him a quick kiss before they got off of him and helped him up. He placed the necklace on each of the three and they admired it in the mirror. Leaf, Anabel and Sarah couldn't help themselves and had large smiles on their faces while feeling absolutely wonderful. They turned around and took turns in kissing him again but this time with much more passion as their thanks. When they finished with that, he asked them if they were ready to go and they said they were. The four of them headed out of the room together and went to the dining room to join the rest who were already eating their morning meals.
When they entered the living room however, Ash told them he was gonna go get Natasha and join them. The girls nodded and went to the dining room while he went towards the red head's room. He knocked on it while saying it was him. Getting no answer he opened the door a little bit and poked his head inside. "Natasha?" he asked but got no response. He stepped inside the room while becoming worried. The bed was made and there was no sign of a struggle whatsoever. He checked the bathroom but again, there was nothing. Fearing that something happened, he quickly made his way out of her room. And bumped right into Lizabeth and Shauna. The three of them lost their balance for a second before quickly finding it again. "Hey, sorry for that. I was just…wait, are you leaving?" he asked them after seeing their luggage with them.
Both Shauna and Lizabeth felt their hearts beating like mad. They didn't know what to do or say, glancing at each other. Thinking quickly to avoid a scene, Lizabeth faced Ash again. "I'm sorry but both of us have to leave. We…ah…have to…go back to work."
Shauna jumped in quickly. "Yea, since we start work again and can't take any more days off," added the blunette fighter. After saying that, both of them passed by Ash while saying their byes.
Seeing them walk away while sensing their emotions all over the place made Ash's heart skip a beat. He could tell something was up and he couldn't have them leave now. Not when he had to talk to them but was now the right time? He pushed that out of his mind for the moment after coming up with an idea. He caught up to them and stood in front of them with his hands raised. "Hold on!" he exclaimed and the two girls stopped. They gave him neutral looks but inside they were feeling a whirlwind of emotions. "You can't go. Not now. I'm just about to face my final match of the tournament and you want to leave now? Can't you stay a little longer? Please?" he asked them.
Shauna and Lizabeth exchanged looks before looking at Ash again. They saw the way he was looking at them with his caring brown eyes. Their wills to leave, to not disturb the short amount of time he has with his girlfriends, bent a bit over it. Taking in a deep breath, Shauna spoke for the both of them. "Alright Ash. We'll stay but only until after your final match. Then we'll have to go," she said and Lizabeth nodded in agreement.
"Okay. And thank you for staying," he told them with a slight smile. Unable to say anything, the two just put their belongings back into their room and went with Ash to the dining room.
When they entered the dining room, Ash was about to ask the others if they had seen Natasha but stopped because of what he saw; Natasha was already there. She was sitting beside May with an empty seat next to her. She looked at him the moment he appeared and kept her eyes on him as he moved closer to her. Shauna and Lizabeth found seats together beside Giselle, who gave a surprised look that they were still here but said nothing. When Ash sat down beside Natasha, he spoke to her. "Hey Natasha. Good to see you getting used to us," he told her happily while grabbing some food. She blushed slightly. Hey Ash. Well, it was because of May I'm here actually. She came to get me since breakfast was ready. He glanced at the brunette and she turned to look at him. "Thanks May."
She smiled and nodded, knowing what he was talking about. "Hey, no problem. And I think Natasha has had enough of you constantly being around her. Give her some space, geez," she joked.
Ash rolled his eyes at the laughing brunette but chuckled. "Yea, whatever you say my Princess," he told her. Natasha glanced at May who winked at her and she smiled back. She turned to face Ash who was wolfing down his food once again. She couldn't help herself and her smile went larger over his actions before returning to her meal. As she ate, she thought about some things. How she felt comfortable around him. How his family and friends accepted her without question even with the horrible way she came into their group. She couldn't believe how everything went but she wasn't going to dwell on that. Instead, she came to a conclusion and decision soon enough though. No May; I can never get tired of him…of Ash. And you and the others seem like decent people. I will tell him of what's coming after his final match of the tournament. That way, he won't be distracted and lose. And I still have time…
While they all ate and spoke with one another, time seemed to be flying by. Joy told everyone of the new pokémon she caught, which was a Vulpix. They congratulated her on the capture and she in turn thanked Richie for helping her catch her very own pokémon. Richie hugged her with one arm and pulled her in closer to him while saying that it was his pleasure. Violet, Lily, Cress and Chili were talking with one another about what they had to do after the tournament and how they were going to keep in touch with each other.
Clair and Liza were unusually quiet, just eating their meals and gave only short answers whenever they were spoken to. Daisy had talked to them yesterday after they returned from their visit with Lance. But the two girls flat out refused to listen to the eldest Waterflower and told her that they were going to tell Ash about how they felt. Even when Daisy told them that she wouldn't let them, they dared her to try and stop them before leaving for their room. Right now though, they were starting to have some doubts over telling Ash after cooling off because of what Daisy had told them.
Speaking of the blonde, she was playing around with her food, barely eating anything. Violet asked her if something was wrong but she merely shook her head and just said she was feeling anxious over the last match. Leaving her be, Violet started speaking with Lily in a low voice about what their sister could actually be going through. Daisy looked around the dining table and took in the sights. That is until she glanced at the raven haired guardian for a second. Instantly her heart beat quickened seeing him smile and she forcefully tore her gaze away from him. Only for it to land onto her baby sister Misty who was looking right at her. Fear erupted inside her and she tried to casually keep looking around a bit to play it off and went back to her food. From the corner of her eyes, she could tell that Misty was still looking at her for a little bit before looking away. Taking in a deep breath, Daisy scolded herself mentally for almost getting caught. Control yourself damn it! She can never find out or it will destroy her. Daisy recommitted to her resolve and finished up her meal to not draw attention.
After some time, Delia happened to glance at the clock and saw that they only had an hour left until the match started. Hey eyes widening, she turned to her son. "Ash, you're going to have to get ready soon for the match."
Ash faced his mother, turning away from Cynthia who he was talking to. He looked at the clock as well. "Oh damn, you're right." He stood up and they all eyed him. "Thanks for breakfast. I'm gonna go get ready," he told them as he began walking away.
"Hold up Ash," said Cynthia as she stood up and he stopped and looked at her. "I wanted to tell you that I have to go too."
"You're not gonna watch my match?" he asked her, feeling a little down.
She shook her head. "No, it's just I have to be with my fellow Champions when you win this match because we have something we need to do for the victor of the tournament. Its tradition," she informed him.
He smiled at her. "Alright. I get it."
She moved to him and gave him a simple but loving kiss in front of everyone. That drew some envious feelings for the six girls who were hiding their feelings. "I know you'll win, but good luck Ash." He thanked her for that and watched her leave the dining room before he too left the dining room after telling them he's going to get ready.
After the two left, the rest began cleaning up so they could get ready themselves. Afterwards, they broke into separate groups and went to their own rooms. Ash's girlfriends entered their room and began talking while changing their clothes. "Who do you think he'll use for the match?" asked May.
"Probably his best," remarked Serena. "Even though all of his pokémon look strong, I think some of them will be more powerful than the others," she reasoned.
"You're probably right. Some of them have been with him longer than the rest. That experience will be important," added Misty.
"Hey, what are you going to wear?" asked Dawn as she tried to pick out something but couldn't. The other three were having problems too since none of the four could decide on what to wear. After checking out some outfits, they came to a decision to wear similar things; black jean shorts that reached the middle of their thighs but with different colored tops just like they did during Serena's date with Ash. Misty decided on a yellow tank top, May went with red, Dawn chose blue and Serena went with pink. As the four started taking off the clothes to wear their shorts, their door was knocked on. "Who is it?" asked Dawn as she zipped her shorts and buttoned it. Sarah's voice was heard from the other side of the door. "Come in," said Dawn while picking up her blue tank top.
Sarah, Anabel, Leaf and Sabrina walked in together. "You four aren't ready yet?" asked Anabel seeing them still putting on clothes.
"Hold your horses," said Serena after putting on her pink tank top and began brushing her hair. "Looks like we all thought similarly," she remarked after she noticed what they were wearing.
The four girls who just entered the room had worn the same kind of outfits as them. Each was wearing the same black jean shorts with a different colored top. They wanted to wear the clothes that they just recently picked out that Ash had bought for them. Sarah was wearing a white tank top, Leaf had a green one, Anabel's was lilac colored and Sabrina's was purple. Speaking of the psychic prodigy, the red head noticed that she had a slightly uncomfortable look on her face. "You alright?" Misty asked Sabrina after putting on her top.
The other girls looked at her and she blushed in embarrassment. "I'm just not used to wearing such revealing clothing," she told them. The girls understood that instantly since they had always seen her wearing outfits that covered most of her body.
"Hey, we get it. But don't worry about it. You look great," said Leaf.
The gym leader smiled at her. "Thank you."
"Hey, no need to thank me," she said while wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "We're here for each other. And that dense head," she finished saying and they all started laughing.
After calming down, the blunette spoke up. "So," started Dawn, getting her sisters' attention. She faced Misty and she tilted her head. "About what you talked to us about yesterday, when do you want to do it?" she asked her.
"After the tournament," she answered and they all agreed with her.
That was when Sabrina got a sudden mental message from Ash; come to my room when you can. That made her jump in her spot, not expecting it all. The girls eyed her with concern. "Sorry, Ash just sent me a mental message and it surprised me," she told them.
"It's alright. I almost dropped the bowl of soup I was holding when he did that to me the first time," revealed Misty and the girls giggled as Sabrina left the room. "By the way nice necklaces," complimented Misty towards the other three.
Sarah, Anabel and Leaf beamed at her, Dawn, Serena and May while grasping the necklaces around their necks. "Thanks," they said together. The seven of them talked a bit more after checking out the gifts that Ash had got for them. They then headed out of the room towards Ash's.
The psychic prodigy made her way to her boyfriend's room. She entered it and saw him sitting on the bed still dressed in his sweats and shirt. "Ash? How come you're not dressed yet? And why did you want me to come to your room?" she asked him.
"Do I need a reason to see my girlfriend?" he asked her with a grin while making his way to her and she smiled sheepishly. "I gotta say Sabrina, you look incredible." She blushed heavily over his words with her heart pounding a little stronger. Before she knew it, he had kissed her while moving his hands onto her thin waist. She reciprocated the kiss and moved her hands around his neck. When they finally separated, he looked into her pink eyes and she looked into his brown ones. "I have something for you," he told her quietly after a moment.
She tilted her head as he moved one of his hands into his pocket and took out a thin rectangular box. He handed it to her and she took it with widened eyes. She opened it and took out what was inside. Just like with his other girlfriends, he had gotten her a white gold necklace with a black pendant on it. On the pendant was a purple diamond Egyptian looking eye. She slowly flipped it over and read the inscription on the back.
FOR MY PSYCHIC WONDER
SABRINA NATSUME
The psychic prodigy was frozen. She didn't know what to do or say. She had never received a gift from anyone but her parents before. And she wasn't the materialistic type of girl and she wasn't expecting him to give her one now after hearing about the dates with her sisters. But she felt intense happiness over what she was given from him. She slowly raised her gaze to his and looked into his eyes for a few seconds. "Ash…thank you!" She hugged him tightly while holding the necklace in her right hand.
"You're welcome Sabrina. I wanted to get you something after we visited your parents. And though that was kind of a date with you and we had some fun…" Sabrina's face went scarlet over that. "…I wanted to get you something. I just didn't have it ready then. I hope you understand," he told her.
"I do," she replied back softly. She raised her head from his shoulder and looked him in the eye before leaning in. She placed her lips onto his and the two shared a passionate kiss.
While they went at it, the room door opened but the two didn't care since they both sensed who came in using their powers. "Well, look at them go," said Serena and the girls shook their heads but were smiling nonetheless. When the two separated, they looked at the girls. "Finally," said the Kalos native as they moved towards the middle of the room.
"Getting jealous are we?" asked Ash with a grin.
She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a mock glare. "Oh you don't want to tease your Angel Ashy." He chuckled at that.
"You should get ready Ash," advised Dawn, making him turn to face her. "You have thirty minutes left."
"Alright. I just wanted to give Sabrina her gift too," he said. The girls noticed the necklace when he took it from the dark haired girl's hand and placed it on her. He connected the ends and let it lie against the bottom of her neck. He smiled at her and her him before he went to his closet to get his outfit. The girls gathered around the prodigy and looked at the gift he got her. "So, should I change in the bathroom since I take it you're not leaving?" The girls turned to face Ash who was holding up his guardian's uniform from the hanger.
"What, are you embarrassed of showing us what we've already seen?" taunted Leaf with a smirk, though she did blush a bit and so did her sisters as each of them thought about what they did with him.
They weren't the only ones though.
Ash couldn't help but blush too as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, not really. It's just…I want to be respectful, you know," he admitted.
The girls smiled at him. They couldn't help but feel happy over his words. Even though they had experienced many things with him and went to the next level, he never wanted to make them feel uncomfortable. "It's okay Ash. If you want us to leave, we'll leave. But we don't mind at all. Actually, we'll enjoy it," said Dawn with a devious smile.
He chuckled at that. "As you wish my Lucky Star." He took off his shirt and sweats, making his girlfriends inhale sharply at the sight of his toned body with just his boxers on. Each of the girls believed that they could never get enough of seeing it, especially feeling it against their own, even with the scars. They also knew that he would never get tired of them either. And they were right.
The girls watched him put on his guardian's attire. First it was his blue pants. Then it was his long sleeved tight black shirt that he tucked into his pants before tightening his belt. He wore his blue vest over the black shirt and then put on his black combat boots. He tied the laces, stood up and picked up his black fingerless gloves. After putting those on his hands, he picked up his blue cloak. He wrapped it around his shoulders and clipped the fastening together around his neck. The last item he reached for was his blue fedora hat. He sat it on top of his head and finally turned to face the girls. "Alright, I'm ready."
"You sure are," remarked Serena.
"No other Guardian looked better," complimented May.
"Got that right. C'mon, let's go," added Dawn.
"You have a tournament to win," said Misty.
Ash nodded at his girlfriends. "Time to do this." The nine of them left the room and entered the living room where most of the group was at. "Hey guys. Are you all ready?" he asked them and several said they were while others merely nodded. "Cool. I'm gonna go check on my pokémon. I'll see you after the match." They wished him good luck and the girls gave him good luck kisses before he looked at everyone, with his gaze lingering on his girlfriends and on the other girls for a split second longer. After that, he gave them a court nod before he teleported to his pokémon.
"We should start heading out," said Delia and they decided that was a good idea since it would take them some time to reach the stadium. Though they still had some time left, they wanted to get good seats. The group of family and friends left the suite and went down the elevator. Once they were all out of the hotel, they made their way towards the stadium. As they did so, several conversations were going on between most of them while some were thinking quietly and the rest were enjoying the scenery that they walked by. They soon reached the stadium with some minutes to spare and once again found several seats near each other. They waited for the match to begin while conversing with one another but a few out of the group were busy talking in low voices and some others were lost in thought. But then Cilan got a call and left the group, telling them he'll be back later. Iris barely glanced at him leaving before returning to continue her talk with her friends.
Giselle had sat down next to Shauna and Lizabeth who turned to look at her. "I thought you were going to leave?" she asked them quietly so only they could hear.
"We were and we were packed and ready to go," started Shauna.
"But then we ran right into Ash and he asked us to say until after the finals match at least," finished Lizabeth.
Giselle nodded in response. "I see. I hope you stay," she told them.
That remark made both blunettes tilt their heads. "Why?" they asked together.
Giselle let out a sigh and spoke to her feet. "Because…I understand what you're going through since I'm in the same boat. And I've come to realize now that if you go now, without ever trying to go for it, then it's going to haunt you for the rest of your life. And I don't want to live my life that way anymore." She looked up at them and locked eyes with the two. "And I know you wouldn't want that either."
Shauna and Lizabeth couldn't believe what they were hearing. "Why are you saying this? Wouldn't it be better for you if we left? Then maybe you'd have a shot," commented Shauna.
"She has a point. Why are you doing this? And did Clair or Liza tell you anything that's making you say these things to us?" asked Lizabeth.
Giselle shook her head. "No, they didn't tell me anything. I don't know where they went yesterday, what they did or anything else. And they didn't tell me to say this. I tried talking to them last night but they just kept quiet. Anyway, I'm saying it because…I feel as if it's right." Both blunettes tilted their heads. "I don't know how to explain it…I don't know how to explain why I don't feel threatened by you having feelings for him as well. Why I want you to be with him too. I just don't know why…but ever since this tournament, I have this feeling that it's supposed to be this way. Even with what Daisy told us, I have this feeling that each of us are supposed to be with him and have each other as sisters and friends. I don't know how or why but I just do." She looked towards the stadium field as the announcer began speaking. "I believe that it was always supposed to be this way…" Both of her friends just stayed quiet and didn't respond back. Instead they just thought about what their new friend told them until the announcer started introducing the battlers.
In other parts of the stadium, other people were waiting for the final match to begin. Some of them were a few of the contestants who were beaten in the earlier rounds of the tournament. Jack Thompson and David Blake were among them, sitting in their own separate group of friends while chit chatting and waiting for match to begin. They didn't want to miss this match since it was supposed to be one of the best finals match in history because of several reasons. One was because of the history between the two combatants and the second was how strong both of them are.
One other was thinking along the same lines as the two but he was sitting by himself in another part of the stands. His cloak was around him and he had the hood over his head, which concealed part of his face. He didn't want anyone to talk to him since he was still in a bad mood because of his defeat in the last round. But he wouldn't go back on his word for he couldn't stain his honor. As Drax waited for the battle to begin, he kept thinking about what he did wrong and what he could've done differently.
Somewhere else in the stands there were two people waiting to see the power of the guardian first hand. Domino and John had arrived earlier on in their disguises. While she was enjoying a hot dog, John was looking around the stadium to see if Natasha would be there. Glancing at him from the corner of her eyes, she smirked at his actions. How pathetic. Ignoring him, she finished her hot dog in time to hear the announcer start the match…
In the VIP room of the stadium, the Champions and President were restlessly waiting for the final match of the tournament to begin. Especially the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia. She couldn't wait to see the battle between Ash and Tobias. She knew that it was going to be the greatest finals match in history for many reasons. She was sitting on the couch right in front of the windows with Diantha next to her. The two were having an intense discussion over what kind of pokémon and strategies that the two would use. The others were behind them and in their own conversations.
Lance was sipping on his drink while standing in the corner and speaking with Goodshow. But his eyes would dart towards the Kalos Champion every now and then. "I think you two will be good together," commented Goodshow quietly after noticing that.
Lance snapped his attention onto him. "Charles…"
He held up his hand to signal him to be quiet. "Lance…I may be old but I'm not blind," he said kindly. He turned to look at Diantha. "She likes you. She has for a long time." He faced Lance again who was now sporting a shocked look on his face. He smiled at the man. "I heard things went swell with your little mission with Diantha." Lance was about to speak when again Goodshow signaled him to be quiet. "I just know. Don't mess this up. Cynthia was never for you. But perhaps she is. And perhaps you are for her. All I ask is to not let your pride get in the way. Otherwise you will end up alone. Trust me," he told the younger man. Goodshow tipped his drink against his before leaving Lance to his thoughts.
The Dragon Champion watched the President of the Pokémon League make his way to his own reserved seat. He then moved his sight to where Diantha was and saw her laughing. He thought about what he was told. He saw the way she talked, the way she held herself, how she did her best to help him whenever he was lost or trying to fix things. He then thought about all the times that she was there for him. Even when he was chasing after Cynthia. I'm such a fool. He shook his head and was about to go join the others when a knock came on the door. He opened it and saw it was the Kanto News reporter Britney Snow. "Hello. Can I help you?" he asked her.
"Hello Lance. I'm here because Steven invited me," she told him quietly.
Lance turned around and found Steven standing beside the bar with Alder next to him. Feeling unusually good all of a sudden, he let a childish grin form on his face. "Hey Steven. You're girlfriend's here!"
Multiple necks snapped as the four champions and the president faced the entrance to the VIP. Britney went crimson red and so did Steven. Cynthia's eyes narrowed a bit but she said nothing. The elegantly dressed champion quickly moved to the two. "Lance…"
The Dragon Champion however didn't let him finish. "Oh don't worry about me. Look after your date," he said with an even wider grin. He walked over to Diantha and Cynthia and sat on the single person couch next to theirs.
Steven shook his head and faced Britney. "Sorry. He's usually not like this," he told her.
"It's alright," she said as she looked at the rest. She noticed Cynthia giving her a rather cold look. "Um, maybe this wasn't a good idea."
Steven tilted his head before looking back and found the reason why she said that. "She won't do anything," he said, a little louder than usual so she could hear. Cynthia narrowed her eyes even more before facing the field. Steven let out a sigh and he turned his gaze back to her. "Don't worry. She's calmed down a bit. If she was still super pissed, you would know it," he said with a half smile.
Britney nodded her head silently. "I guess. But why did you invite me here if she was going to be here? I don't want to cause anything to happen…"
"I know but nothing will happen. And I called you here because I wanted you to come and watch the final match with me. It's supposed to be a great match. So, will you?" he asked her.
She noticed how he was looking at her and that made her cheeks redden a bit. "O-Okay."
"Great! C'mon, we'll sit over there," he said. He grasped her hand gently and led her to the couch that was a little away from the center one that Cynthia and Diantha were sitting on.
The moment the two sat down, the announcer spoke up. "LADIES AND GENTLEMAN," he started, his voice booming out over the stadium speakers. The crowd fell silent and many shared excited glances towards family and friends. "THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY! WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE FINAL MATCH OF THE SPIRIT TOURNAMENT IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!" The people in the stands erupted with cheers and Ash's group was among the loudest. "EVERY SINGLE TRAINER HAS BATTLED THEIR HARDEST TO BECOME THE STRONGEST THERE IS. BUT ONLY ONE CAN REACH THE TOP! WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!" Once again, the stadium became so loud that it caused the VIP windows to shake a bit. "IT'S TIME TO HAVE OUR FINAL TWO TAKE THE FIELD AND SHOW JUST WHO IS THE BEST TRAINER OUT THERE WHO HAS THE MAKINGS OF BECOMING A POKÉMON MASTER! FIRST UP IS THE TRAINER OF LEGENDARIES HAILING FROM PARTS UNKNOWN...TOBIAS TAKUTO!" A black pillar of energy shot up from beneath the ground at the red trainer's box, which caused many in the stadium to shout in fear. The energy pillar faded away to reveal a man with grayish blue hair standing straight up with his legendary pokémon floating in the air beside him. Darkrai let out a powerful wave of dark energy that made cold shivers go down the people's spines. After seeing him appear, the crowd was not frightened anymore and let out cheers for him. Ash's group glanced at one another with impressed looks over his entrance and they weren't the only ones who were. The announcer speaking forced their attention back onto the field however. "AND THE OTHER FINALIST…THE AURA GUARDIAN FROM PALLET TOWN…ASH KETCHUM!"A large light blue glowing sphere of aura energy appeared on the other side of the field. The sphere grew larger and larger as white streaks of electricity sparked around it. Even though the crowd had seen this before in the previous round, they were still awed by it and many were waiting to see the 'eyes'. And their wish was granted soon enough. A pair of dark blue eyes glowed from within before the sphere of aura energy burst open. It sent out a wave of aura energy over the stadium that not only soothed everyone but also energized them all. The people then noticed the Aura Guardian; Ash was standing dressed in his guardian's attire and had his arms crossed as usual. But he was not alone. Pikachu was on his shoulder and both Lucario and Gardevoir were standing beside him again. Wide grins were on each of the three pokémon's faces, with two of them glad to be back. The aura flaring around Ash slowly died down and his eyes returned to their brown color in time to receive the crowd's cheers and shouts.
Both Ash and Tobias walked towards the referee and picked up their microphones. Once attached to their collars, they faced one another. "Good luck Ash. I'm expecting this to be the greatest final match in tournament history," stated Tobias with a smirk.
Ash grinned at him. "Right back at ya." The two shook hands and went to their respective trainer's box where their pokémon were waiting for them.
The referee raised both flags. "This is the final match of the Spirit Tournament. This is a 6 versus 6, 1 on 1 match, with no time limit. Mega evolutions and substitutions are allowed. Begin!"
Tobias didn't even say a word but Darkrai took to the field. "NO SURPRISES THERE! TOBIAS IS STARTING WITH DARKRAI!" Ash's eyes glowed blue and a blue sphere appeared on his side of the field before it faded away to reveal a poke ball. The ball opened and a tall green lizard with a tree like tail appeared. Sceptile placed a twig in his mouth before crossing his arms and eyed his opponent. "ASH HAS CHOSEN SCEPTILE! LOOKS LIKE HISTORY HAS BEEN REPEATED! WE ALL REMEMBER THE LAST TIME THESE TWO FOUGHT! THIS IS SURE TO BE ONE HELL OF A BATTLE!" The crowd was going insane and making so much noise that many had closed their ears.
Two close friends, Burgundy and Georgia, were sitting next to each other and were filled with excitement over the starting match. "This is going to be awesome!" said the purple haired girl, unable to hold in her excitement.
"You said it. I never would have believed that Ash would be this powerful and be in the finals against Tobias," remarked the red haired girl.
"Looks like you two are pumped for the battle."
Both girls turned to face the new arrival and saw a green haired man standing beside them with some snacks and drinks. "CILAN!" exclaimed Burgundy happily. She got up and helped him with the snacks. "Thank you for this and we didn't really want anything."
"Speak for yourself," remarked Georgia as she helped herself to some popcorn.
Burgundy rolled her eyes and looked at Cilan. "Sorry about her," she told him.
Cilan just smiled and sat down next to her. "It's alright. Let's watch the match." She agreed and both of them faced forward. But not before the two moved a little closer together. Georgia noticed that but said nothing. However, a slight grin was spreading on her face.
The crowd was continuing to shout and scream their excitement over the match. But for the four on the field, their attention was only on their opponent. The two pokémon locked eyes with one another and so did their trainers. "You ready for this?" asked Tobias.
"Are you?" countered Ash.
Tobias smirked. "If you're that confident, then we'll start off strong. No mercy will be shown. Just don't take it personal," he finished. Ash nodded in reply and their pokémon got into battle stances. "Dark Void!" Darkrai had his blue eyes glow as he raised his right hand and a black sphere of glowing energy appeared in his palm. From the sphere, multiple orbs of dark energy shot out of it towards the green lizard.
"Protect!" commanded Ash. Sceptile had a protective shield appear around him. Multiple spheres collided against the barrier but none were able to pass through.
"Disable!" ordered Tobias. Darkrai concentrated on the green lizard as his eyes glowed blue. Sceptile was outlined with a blue glow right after his shield went down for a couple seconds before it faded away. "Good! Now once more! Dark Void!" he said with a smirk. The legendary pokémon fired off his signature attack again. Multiple dark spheres went racing towards his opponent.
"BAD LUCK FOR THE GUARDIAN! NOW HIS POKÉMON IS VULNERABLE SINCE HE IS NO LONGER ABLE TO USE THE DEFENSIVE MOVE 'PROTECT'!" Ash's group groaned at that and wondered what he was going to do as they saw the spheres hurtling towards his pokémon.
Ash waited until the very last second before saying his command. "Agility!" said Ash. Sceptile sprinted away from his spot in less than a second, using his incredible speed to dodge the incoming spheres.
Seeing his opponent gracefully avoid the spheres stunned him for a second before he snapped out of it. "That won't save you forever! Keep going Darkrai!" remarked Tobias. Darkrai kept launching his Dark Void spheres all over the place. However, Sceptile was able to evade them all using his speed. Several times there were close calls but no matter how many were fired at him, the green lizard was able to find a way to escape them. His incredible acrobatics were making the crowd go insane from it. Tobias grit his teeth. How in the hell has he become so fast? He's able to dodge them all! I'm going to have to trip him up. "Dark Pulse!" he shouted all of a sudden.
Darkrai quickly powered up the attack and the dark beam of energy was shot at Sceptile. He was barely able to dodge the attack by diving down to the ground but maintained his momentum by going onto all fours before quickly getting back to his feet and dashed towards the pitch black pokémon. "Quick Attack!" Sceptile concentrated and using the speed he had gained already from Agility, he increased his velocity so much that he vanished from sight. He reappeared behind Darkrai and slammed into him with his shoulder, making the black pokémon go sailing forward. "X-Scissor!" Sceptile chased after Darkrai with his arms appendages glowing green.
Seeing his pokémon about to get cut down a size, Tobias became both angry and afraid for his pokémon. "Darkrai! Gather your senses!" The legendary pokémon recovered in the air and stopped himself in time to catch the lizards' attack in mid swing.
"WHAT?!" exclaimed many surprised people from the crowd.
Ash and Sceptile had their eyes widen while Tobias and Darkrai smirked. "Too cocky Ash," remarked the grayish blue haired man. "Shadow Ball!"
"Energy Ball!" countered Ash immediately after, not losing his focus.
Sceptile fired a green sphere of energy from his mouth right as Darkrai blasted him with a dark purplish black sphere of energy from his hand. Both pokémon were struck from point blank range and sent flying back. The two crashed against the ground and skidded some distance before they stopped. But they got back up with ease and were ready for more. Seeing the two pokémon going toe to toe with one another was making the crowd cheer and roar over it. "Wow, what a match and it's barely started," commented Sarah.
Dawn nodded in agreement. "Trust me Sarah. After their match back in Sinnoh, they're only getting warmed up," she revealed. That caused many in the group to become both anxious and excited. Even Natasha was starting to feel her blood pumping from the match.
"You've gotten much stronger Ash," stated Tobias. "I remember Sceptile would've been panting heavily by now after all that."
Ash nodded over the compliment. "Right back at you Tobias. Darkrai seems to have gained much more power since last we battled." The two gave each other respectful looks and so did the pokémon. "But it's time to continue the battle. Screech!" Sceptile let out a loud horrible sound that made Darkrai cover his ears and writhe about. "Leaf Blade!" The grass starter shot forward with his arm's appendages once again glowing but this time a dark green.
"Counter with Shadow Claw!" shouted Tobias but it was no use. The legendary pokémon was still in agony from the high pitched sounds he was tortured with. He could do nothing but watch as his opponent had his pokémon begin to attack his pokémon. He grimaced seeing Darkrai take the powerful cuts and he let out painful cries from it. "No more games! Vanish from sight!"
The powerful legendary faded away into the air and Sceptile's last attack hit the ground, cutting into it. Sceptile straightened out and took up a defensive stance at once while having his eyes dart everywhere. Before Ash could say anything, a dark orb was shot at his grass lizard from behind and Sceptile was barely able to dodge it by flinging itself to the side. More dark orbs were then shot from all over and the Hoenn starter was doing its best to evade them all. Damn it! We need to draw him out! "Leaf Storm!" shouted Ash. His pokémon dodged another dark orb before he summoned a whirlwind of sharp leaves and had them cut through the air around him.
Anguished yells were heard before Darkrai appeared in the air, unable to stay invisible due to the pain of the many cuts he had sustained. "Good job! Now Brick Break!" shouted Ash. Sceptile shot forward with his right arm glowing white.
"Darkrai!" shouted Tobias right when Sceptile was about to deliver the blow. But the legendary couldn't move. Sceptile swung his arm down but what happened next was what he was expecting. Darkrai stopped his attack by catching his arm. A dark orb was then shot out of his free hand and connected against the green pokémon. Sceptile instantly fell asleep and dropped to the ground.
The crowd gasped and many shouted in surprise. Ash's group had shocked expressions appear and many worried what would happen now. "WHAT A TWIST! DARKRAI WAS FAKING HIS OWN INJURY TO DRAW IN HIS OPPONENT!"
Tobias grinned at the raven haired guardian. "I told you Ash! We won't be holding back and we will win!" He expected the raven haired young man to be surprised, upset or even worried. But he wasn't expecting him to grin back. That confused him and his pokémon. "Why are you grinning? Your pokémon is about to be defeated because of Darkrai's special ability or if you return him, it'll be out of the match completely!" Darkrai was having a faint glowing outline around him as his special ability of Nightmare was coming into action. Black glowing streams of dark energy traveled towards the sleeping pokémon to drain his energy.
Ash's grin spread a little before he answered him back. "Tobias, Sceptile and I have been waiting a long time to have a rematch with you and Darkrai. We know how powerful he is and how his Dark Void attack and Nightmare ability is a very dangerous combination. But we have something planned for you…"
"You may have had something planned, but that doesn't matter anymore," replied back Tobias. "There's no way you can do anything right now! Darkrai, finish this!" Darkrai's eyes glowed blue and the dark streams of energy moved faster. Right before they reached the sleeping grass type, Ash let out a whistle. It was a loud, short but sharp whistle. Instantly, Sceptile opened his eyes and stood back up. "WHAT?!" shouted Tobias in shock and many from the crowd had the same reaction as him.
"Fury Cutter!" commanded Ash and Sceptile shot forward with his arm's appendages glowing green once more. He started hacking away at the astonished and shocked defenseless legendary with each connected strike becoming more powerful than the last.
Both Tobias and Darkrai weren't able to snap out of their shock that their opponent woke up from his Dark Void attack. Seeing his pokémon once again become a cutting board, Tobias snapped out of it and gave out a desperate command. "Poison Jab!" he yelled. A fist shot forward out of nowhere covered in purple ooze and connected against the lizard's chest that stopped his assault.
Sceptile took some steps back as he clutched his chest and winced. Some purple sludge was digging into his skin. He had been poisoned from the attack. Ash sensed his pokémon's pain from the aura bond between them. "Can you continue?" he asked and the starter nodded without even looking back at him.
Darkrai took the opportunity to catch his breath some. Seeing him in such a state already made a shiver go down Tobias' spine. He came up with a way to counter my Dark Void and Nightmare combination. By just whistling! He sure has changed. And how powerful has Ash's pokémon become?! He quickly studied both pokémon on the field and noticed some things. To the untrained eye, his pokémon looked like he was fine. But he could tell that he was floating in the air with some difficulty. The cuts he had sustained had taken a lot out of him. But he also noticed that Sceptile's panting was gradually getting heavier. The poison from the last attack was starting to work its magic. Have to finish him soon. I can't mess around anymore! "Double Team!" Darkrai split into a dozen copies and surrounded Sceptile. "Dark Pulse!" The dozen Darkrai fired the attack at once.
"Jump!" shouted Ash. Sceptile barely made it out in time to avoid the attack. Even though only one was the real attack, he had no idea where it was coming from and couldn't take a chance on that. "Leaf Storm!" While still in the air, Sceptile summoned a swirling vortex of sharp leaves and sent it crashing down on top of the dozen copies.
"Get out of there and use Ominous Wind!" yelled Tobias. All the Darkrai's vanished into the shadows and the storm of leaves just collided against the ground. Before the grass type began coming back down towards the Earth, Darkrai appeared in front of him out of thin air. He then aimed at Sceptile and blasted out a repulsive wind from his hands. The grass starter was struck and was sent higher into the air before falling down to the ground that caused a cloud of dust to rise up and covered him. The pitch black pokémon returned to his side of the field.
Darkrai and Tobias waited patiently with their guard up to see the result. A few seconds passed when suddenly green bullet sized seeds was fired from within the dust cloud towards the legendary. Darkrai ducked underneath the Bullet Seed attack and was about to counter with a Dark Pulse. Right before he did though, a small brown seed shot out of the cloud, struck him and became embedded on his skin. It opened and several vines flowed out of it and wrapped around him. It started sapping its strength and Darkrai let out agonizing yells. The dust cleared to show Sceptile panting heavily with one knee on the ground. The poison was spreading throughout his body and was also losing strength fast.
Many from the crowd couldn't believe what was going on. Both pokémon were insanely strong yet to see a regular pokémon giving a legendary a hard time on its own was something else entirely. They were evenly matched. "THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE SEEN TOBIAS'S DARKRAI GET VERY CLOSE TO BE BEATEN BY JUST A SINGLE POKÉMON! BUT IT ALSO LOOKS LIKE SCEPTILE WON'T BE ABLE TO GO ON MUCH LONGER! WHO WILL COME OUT ON TOP?!"
Ash's group was beyond astonished over the incredible battle and it had barely started. "Do you think Ash will win?" asked Bonnie.
"Of course!" answered Max. "Sceptile is one of his strongest!" he said, complimenting the pokémon. He knew how much potential they have and how stubborn they are since he had one of his own.
"Don't be too sure son," remarked Norman, making him and everyone in the group to look at the Petalburg gym leader. "Ash and his pokémon are strong but anything can happen at the last second," he explained.
They nodded and turned back to the match. "Well, we'll see soon enough," commented Caroline.
Tobias was looking at Darkrai with both fear and worry. Never was his first legendary so easily beaten to his last legs and by just one pokémon. "Darkrai!" he called out to his friend. "I know you're hurting but I know you can do it!" The black ghost like legendary gathered energy from his trainer's encouragement and straightened out some. "That's it!"
Ash looked at Darkrai and Tobias. He could sense that the legendary was severely weakened but it still had a lot of fight left in it."Sceptile!" The grass type glanced back at his trainer. "You think you can still go on?" The starter scoffed and stood back up but it took him a couple seconds. Good buddy. But looks like we're going to have to do the other plan earlier than expected. You think you can pull it off still while poisoned? Sceptile communicated back through their aura bond that he could do it. "Alright, Sceptile, time to end this!" stated Ash. That statement caused many in the crowd to widen their eyes and gasp in surprise. "Tobias! We've got another surprise in store for you!"
Tobias raised an eyebrow. "Bring it Ash! Darkrai and I can handle it!" he replied back confidently.
Ash grinned and so did Sceptile. "Oh don't worry we will. Sceptile, you know what to do!" The grass type had a green outline appear around him before he started glowing green.
Tobias instantly recognized the move. "Don't let him finish healing! Stop him with Shadow Balls!" Darkrai fired dozens of dark purple energy balls towards Sceptile. They were just about to hit him when he split into a dozen copies. The copies then dodged them and sprinted forward while still glowing green, shocking everyone. "How?! Damn it! Rapid fire Dark Pulse!" The legendary fired beam after beam at the speedy pokémon but the ones he managed to hit were just copies as they just vanished into thin air.
Before Tobias could try another tactic, one of the Sceptile appeared behind Darkrai suddenly and the green glow was very bright. "Too late! Solar Beam!" shouted Ash.
"SHIT!" exclaimed Tobias. He had been tricked. Sceptile wasn't trying to heal itself with Synthesis. He was gathering energy for the attack.
Darkrai couldn't even attempt to avoid the attack at all when Sceptile fired his attack. A large green beam of energy engulfed the legendary before it exploded and raised a cloud of smoke. A moment later, the smoke cleared and it revealed both pokémon barely conscious and panting heavily. Darkrai had received tremendous damage from that last up close move and the poison was taking its toll on Sceptile. Both Ash and Tobias waited to see what would occur and so did everyone else in the stadium and those watching from home.
After several more seconds, Sceptile slowly stood up. Darkrai followed suite and hovered in the air. Neither would give up so easily. "WHAT WILLS! BOTH POKÉMON ARE FEELING EXCRUCIATING PAIN BUT ARE STILL ABLE TO KEEP GOING! WHAT IS KEEPING THEM UP?!" said the announcer and the crowd roared and cheered over the battlers.
The grayish blue haired man looked at his legendary. He could tell that if they didn't do something quick, then they would lose this round. "Darkrai! Quick Attack!"
"You too!" ordered Ash.
Sceptile and Darkrai shot forward like bullets and slammed into each other with such speed that a shockwave erupted from the force when they collided. Both pokémon were trying to overcome the other. "Shadow Claw!" shouted Tobias all of sudden.
Darkrai attempted to slash at the lizard from close range but then Sceptile blocked him with his arm's appendage. That startled Darkrai and shocked Tobias. "Good job! X- Scissor!" Sceptile grinned at Darkrai before he had his appendages glow green once more before he swiped at the legendary in two crossing diagonal slashes. The legendary was pushed back from the attack and was barely standing. "Finish it! Focus Blast!" Sceptile began focusing his power and Tobias told Darkrai to get out of the way. But it was too late. Sceptile unleashed his power and it struck the legendary, sending him colliding into the stadium wall. The black humanoid pokémon then dropped onto the ground and didn't get back up. Seeing his adversary down for the count, Sceptile straightened out and placed a twig in his mouth. He then glanced at his trainer and gave him a thumbs up. But then he dropped to one knee and began panting heavily from the poison in his system. The next second, he too fell face forward.
"Both Darkrai and Sceptile are unable to battle. Trainers, send out your next pokémon!" said the referee.
Both Ash and Tobias recalled their fainted pokémon as the announcer spoke over the roar of the crowd. "UNBELIEVABLE! BOTH DARKRAI AND SCEPTILE ARE OUT FOR THE COUNT! THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE SEEN THE LEGENDARY GET TAKEN OUT BY A SINGLE POKÉMON! WILL HE BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH LATIOS AS WELL?!"
Tobias clipped Darkrai's ball onto his belt before eying Ash. He's become a lot more calculating and strategic but still unpredictable. That is a powerful combination. I must be more careful from now on. I think he's earned himself a battle with one of the others. He allowed a grin to form on his face as he unclipped a poke ball from his belt. "Well done Ash. You promised an incredible match and you haven't disappointed so far. I think you've earned this." The older man tossed out the ball into the air and bright white light escaped from it.
The pokémon who appeared caused many to gasp and let out startled yells. The pokémon was a quadrupled being with a large sharp hump like back along with two cannons that extended out from it that curved into an oval with the ends meeting one another. It was mostly colored red with blue and yellow markings as well as short but sharp protrusions all over its body. "I introduce to you the fire and water type legendary…the only pokémon of its kind…Volcanion!" stated Tobias and the legendary pokémon had pressurized steam erupt around its body.
"Incredible. That's a fire and water type?!" asked Daisy to no one in particular but several from the group were thinking the same thing.
"How is that possible?" remarked Lily with her eyes wide as she turned to Cress.
"No idea. I would've thought it would be impossible for a fire and water type pokémon to exist since both elements can be so volatile," he replied to her.
"That pokémon sure looks strong," commented Violet in a whisper.
"It is," began Chili, making his girlfriend and the other to look at him. "A fire pokémon's strength can be judged with how much heat it can generate. And we can feel it from here."
They had understanding looks form on their faces. "It doesn't matter how strong that pokemon is. Ash will find a way to beat him," said Misty with conviction as she looked at her sisters and their boyfriends. The five glanced at her and nodded.
But when Daisy looked at her baby sister, the red head locked eyes with her. At that moment, the blonde girl felt her heart skip a beat at the gaze she was given. She then remembered how she looked at her the same way during breakfast. She knows! I don't know how, but she knows! Fear, shame and worry filled the eldest Waterflower all of a sudden but before she could do or say anything, Misty faced the field once more. Daisy kept her gaze on her for a few more seconds before forcing herself to turn back to the field as well.
Ash was astonished to see the legendary. He had only ever heard of its name even with all the studies and research he had done with Mewtwo during his 3 years of training. It looks like there were still many things he didn't know about. Nevertheless, he refocused onto the match and summoned one of his own pokémon to the field through his aura. A poke ball appeared out of nowhere in a blue glow and opened to reveal the powerful dragon and ground type Garchomp. The blue land shark let out a vicious roar that made many shiver from it and took up a battle stance at once. Cynthia eyed the dragon from the VIP room and could tell that his Garchomp was powerful indeed. She began thinking about what a match it would be between her and his dragons against one another. Until she had her attention return to the match when Ash began speaking. "I believe you started off the first round so we'll start this time!" called out Ash and Tobias didn't argue about that. "Garchomp! Earthquake!" The Sinnoh dragon stomped his large foot against the ground and caused a massive tremor to rock the area. Many people had a hard time staying on their chairs and even in the VIP room the champions, reporter and president were feeling it.
Volcanion felt the effects of the attack and it hurt him a fair amount. However, he was able to shrug off most of the damage due to his bulky figure and from his good balance and low center of gravity. After the tremors stopped, the legendary shook his head a bit and let out a roar. That surprised his opponent. "Good job! Counter with Flame Charge!" Volcanion engulfed itself in flames and with surprising velocity, dashed towards the dragon while picking up speed.
Astonished over how quickly it was moving regardless of its irregular shape, Garchomp and Ash didn't react in time. The dragon was smashed into by the legendary and he let out a cry of pain as he was pushed backwards a good distance. Snapping out of his stupor, the raven haired guardian gave out his next command. "Dragon Claw!" Garchomp shot forward and quickly struck back, slashing at the fire and water type several times in less than a few seconds that made the legendary back away. Garchomp once again let out a vicious roar but then snarled loudly at his opponent. He was angry but mostly at himself for not evading the attack, knowing that he could've easily if he was just focused. "Garchomp!" shouted Ash and the dragon glanced back at his trainer. Seeing the serious gaze on his face, the blue land shark quickly calmed down and took in a breath. He nodded back and faced the legendary.
"Wow, he was able to calm down and control Garchomp with just a single look," remarked Clair with wide impressed eyes.
"Didn't you say that being able to do that with dragons is one of the things a true dragon trainer can do?" asked Liza.
Clair nodded. "Well yea, but there are other things too. Then again, he does have Rayquaza on his side. Nothing else to prove honestly at this point. Unlike Drax, Ash is definitely a real Dragon Master."
The others in the group heard the small conversation between the two close friends. Several had feelings of pride surge within them, like Ash's girlfriends and his mother. Others started thinking about that and one of them was the purple haired girl from Unova. Iris was thinking along the same lines as Clair since both of them were dragon trainers and had studied the lore greatly. Clair is right. Ash has truly become one of the greats. The dark skinned girl allowed a small smile to form on her face for the first time in a couple days. She began thinking about him and the adventures they had together, which made her forget about her current problem all together…
"Sandstorm!" ordered Ash. Garchomp summoned a swirling cloud of sand and dust over the entire field and his dragon disappeared into it.
Tobias raised his arms in front of his face to shield his eyes from the sand. "Not bad but not good enough! Steam Eruption!" Volcanion had his two cannons separate from one another and face outwards before quickly launching superheated pressurized steam. The steam was so powerful and hot that it completely washed over the sandstorm and vaporized it, clearing the field. But Garchomp was nowhere to be found. "What the…" Tobias scanned the area with his eyes and so did his pokémon. "Where did he go?!" he asked out loud in frustration.
"Sorry Tobias. But can't spill my secrets now. But you should watch out in 3…2…1…" A blue dragon with a blue outline around him appeared out of thin air right in front of the quadrupled pokémon and slammed against him with incredible force. Volcanion was sent backwards a good distance even with his feet digging into the ground and leaving behind a trail. The legendary panted some from the attack, having receiving a great deal of damage from it.
"How?" asked a stunned Tobias.
Ash grinned before explaining. "Aerial Ace into Dragon Rush."
Understanding dawned on the grayish blue haired man and he nodded. But when he allowed a grin of his own to form on his face, Ash tilted his head. "Very impressive. But don't think you can win with just that. Volcanion isn't a legendary for nothing. You will see the true power of fire and water working together! Flamethrower and Hydro Pump!" commanded Tobias. What happened next stupefied everyone, including the young Aura Guardian. Volcanion again separated his cannons and aimed them at Garchomp before firing both attacks. Not one after the other. But at once. Both fire and water attacks were launched at the same time, one from the right cannon and the other from the left.
Seeing this occur made Ash, along with everyone else, widen their eyes. Seeing the different elemental attacks hurtling towards his pokémon made him instinctively go on the defensive. "Protect!" Garchomp summoned a protective barrier around him at the last second. The flames and torrent of water collided against the shield and the dragon was struggling to keep it up. After the attacks ended, the barrier was dropped and the dragon panted. "That was too close," remarked Ash, while thinking of a way to stop him from using that move again.
But Tobias wouldn't give him the chance. "Again!" he ordered. Scorching flames and pressurized water was blasted from Volcanion's cannons.
"Get into the air!" ordered Ash. His dragon evaded the attacks by flying up into the air, dodging them completely this time. "Now counter with Draco Meteor!" Garchomp charged up the attack and fired a large meteor down onto the grounded legendary.
"Brace yourself!" shouted Tobias and Volcanion got into a defensive position and had a shield appear around him. The large meteor broke apart into multiple pieces and each one slammed against the shield. The legendary was having a hard time keeping it up. When it finally ended, Tobias saw that his pokémon was panting. Damn, that dragon is strong. We need to end this soon or we may have problems later on. "Bring him down!" Volcanion once again started firing his fire and water type attacks at once. Garchomp evaded them in the air. "You can't escape! Keep firing! He'll tire out eventually!" commanded Tobias. Blast after blast of flames and water were shot upwards into the air towards the blue pokémon but none connected. Yet it kept him from countering with any of his own attacks.
Shit, this is not good. Ash watched his dragon dive, dip, duck and dodge the attacks. He had never before seen such speedy dual type attacks. It didn't help either that they were being launched at the same time. "Counter with Dragon Pulses!" Garchomp fired multicolored beams of draconic energy whenever he had the chance. But every single one he launched was intercepted and canceled out from the legendary with his own attacks. "Damn it!"
Tobias started laughing. "You're going to have to do better than that Ash! Volcanion can keep this up all day. Can your Garchomp do the same?" he asked him. His revelation startled everyone in the stadium and they all wondered just what the guardian was going to do.
Lucario, Gardevoir and Pikachu glanced at one another with worried looks. Ash told his dragon to keep avoiding the attacks but to not counter anymore for the moment to conserve energy. As Garchomp did what he was told, Ash refocused onto the red pokémon on the ground, trying to find a weak point. That pokémon is definitely a legendary for a reason. He can use both water and fire type attacks and at once without problem and has incredible endurance. And he's keeping Garchomp at a distance, preventing him from getting close. He watched how the cannons on his back would shoot out both type of attacks from either one. He also saw how the cannons moved on his back. After studying him for a moment, he realized something. The cannons couldn't point directly down. From the way they functioned, he could tell that they had some restricted movements and could only effectively aim at any point at or above its waist. That's it! "Garchomp!" shouted Ash all of a sudden, catching everyone's attention. "Go into the ground!"
Garchomp quickly evaded the last attack that was sent his way and rocketed down towards the ground. He began spinning his body while bringing his claws in front of him. The instant he touched the ground, he drilled into it easily and disappeared underneath the field. The crowd quietly but impatiently waited to see what would happen next while holding in their breath.
But Tobias was not one of them. "Make him get out! Earthquake!" Volcanion rose up onto his hind legs before stomping the ground with both of his front legs. The ground shook tremendously and made many fall off their seats. When it finally stopped, they waited to see if anything would happen for a moment. "I think that…" Sudden rumbling was heard from beneath the ground. "I guess not."
"That's right," added Ash. "Stone Edge!" The ground beneath the fire and water type broke apart and jagged rocks rose up and hit him. Volcanion howled in pain and attempted to move away but before it could, Ash gave his next command. "Dragon Rush!" Garchomp emerged underneath Volcanion while in a blue glow and smashed into his underbelly. The red pokémon let out a horrific yell but that wasn't all. Garchomp used his overwhelming strength to push his large foe into the air, shocking everyone of his incredible feat. "That's it buddy! Now finish this with Superpower Dragon Claws!"
"No!" shouted Tobias. "Use Steam Eruption!" But it was no use. Volcanion tried to target the blue dragon but he couldn't aim his cannons down. And even if he could, Garchomp was directly underneath him while pummeling into his underbelly with devastating blows. There was no way to get a shot at him. Realizing that, Tobias grit his teeth and clenched his hands into fists. Shit, if this continues, Volcanion will be out for the count and he'll still have his Garchomp. I'm sorry Ash but I cannot afford to lose. I have too much riding on this. As if hearing his thoughts, his legendary pokémon glanced at his trainer and gave a slight nod through the pain. Tobias had his heart skip a beat over how his pokémon knew and agreed with him. He didn't waste any time. "Explosion!" Volcanion glowed an intense white immediately.
"Get out of there Garchomp!" yelled Ash while many in the stands screamed and shouted over what was going to happen. The land shark however knew that he couldn't get away completely since he was so close but decided to at least get some distance between them. He delivered one more full powered punch against Volcanion's stomach that made him rise up into the air before Garchomp flew away as fast as he could.
Volcanion let out a loud roar before an intense white energy blast erupted from him. The explosion expanded and soon caught up with the fleeing dragon and engulfed Garchomp who disappeared from sight. Only his howls of pain were heard from inside the blast. Everyone in the stands shielded their eyes from the attack's brightness in the sky. A little while later, the bright light dimmed and the energy sphere faded away until only the two pokémon were visible once more. Both Volcanion and Garchomp fell to the ground and landed with loud thuds and made the ground cave in around their bodies.
The referee lowered both flags and was about to talk when slight movement caught his eye. Very slowly, using every ounce of will and strength he could muster, Garchomp rose to his feet while panting heavily. "Volcanion is unable to battle. Victory goes to Garchomp! Trainer, send out your next pokémon!"
The crowd was silent for a moment before erupting with loud cheers. They couldn't believe that the dragon was able to survive the blast. And neither could Tobias. "THAT'S ANOTHER LEGENDARY POKÉMON DOWN FOR THE COUNT! CAN THE GUARDIAN CONTINUE OR WILL THE BATTLE TURN?"
Tobias returned his Volcanion and thanked him quietly before placing his ball onto his belt. He took out another one and was about to toss it when Ash returned his Garchomp. He watched as the guardian had another pokémon take the field. A blue ninja frog appeared who stood up straight and crossed his arms. Interesting choice. I wonder how this will go. Tobias tossed out his poke ball and a sylph like pokémon appeared with a crystal and rock body. It was colored pink and white mostly. Many people in the stands awed and cooed over the enchanting pokémon. Ash and Greninja were both surprised to see her with Tobias.
"Oh my Mew, how beautiful!" exclaimed Dawn.
"Now that's a contest contender if I ever saw one! Who is that pokémon?" asked May.
"That's Diancie! The legendary fairy and rock pokémon!" revealed Serena. The group had their eyes widened. They couldn't believe that such an eye catching pokémon was a legendary.
"LOOKS LIKE BOTH SIDES HAVE AN ADVANTAGE OVER THEIR OPPONENT! DIANCIE IS A ROCK AND FAIRY TYPE WHILE GRENINJA IS A WATER AND DARK TYPE! WILL THE SPEEDY NINJA OVERTAKE THE LEGENDARY'S DEFENSES?"
Ash started formulating a plan in his head on how to battle Diancie. He knew how powerful her defenses are. Damn, looks like Tobias wasn't kidding about forming an ultimate team. Darkrai and Latios…then Volcanion that I don't have any information on…and now he has Diancie with him. I wonder who the other two will be…wait, now's not the time for that. I'm sorry Diancie, but I'm going to have to battle you if I want to win. Greninja glanced back at him and nodded, agreeing with him before facing the legendary and got into a fighting stance.
Tobias saw them getting ready to battle and he grinned. "Good to see that you're pumped for battle Ash. But I got a surprise for you!" He lifted up his right hand to show off the mega ring he had on his bracelet. Everyone in the stadium and those watching at home were surprised to find out that the legendary pokémon could mega evolve. He touched the mega ring and his fairy was encased in a white bright sphere before it exploded to reveal its mega form. The black rock like crystal that was the bottom half of its body had several crystals form around it and a large round pink diamond was on its head. Two long white ribbon like appendages extended out from the back of its head. "Now her attack power is raised to incredible levels as well! Good luck trying to beat her Ash!" boasted Tobias as Mega Diancie made a graceful twirl and then got into a fighting stance with her eyes locked onto Greninja.
"I told you once before that I like challenges!" remarked Ash and Tobias grinned. "Greninja, Water Shuriken!" The blue frog sprinted forward while water ninja stars appeared in his webbed hands.
That's it, keep coming closer, thought Tobias as the pokémon advanced. Right when Greninja was close enough, he shouted out his command; "Moonblast!" Diancie's eyes glowed pink as she launched the powerful beam of pink energy right at her opponent. Greninja however kept advancing and at the last second, he vanished from sight. The powerful fairy move missed and collided against the stadium wall. "What the hell?! Where'd he go?!" wondered Tobias out loud.
His question was answered when a water shuriken was shot out of nowhere and struck Diancie against her side. The legendary turned to face the direction it came from but then another one hit her from another direction. No matter how quickly she tried to turn, the fairy pokémon couldn't locate her attacker and the water ninja stars were taking its toll. "Keep it up Greninja!" encouraged Ash and his water starter kept going.
Seeing his pokémon become target practice was angering him. He thought that with the mega evolution that Diancie would be able to keep up with the speedy frog. But he was wrong. I need to slow him down. "Dazzling Gleam!" The legendary immediately brought out a bright pink energy blast from within her that shot out in all directions that expanded with incredible speed. It caught Greninja in its wake and made him stop his relentless actions in his tracks. The water frog was blasted backwards and he crashed against the ground hard. "End this with Moonblast!" ordered Tobias to take advantage. Diancie's eyes glowed pink as she once again launched the powerful beam of pink energy at the water type.
"Ice Beam!" countered Ash. The water type shot to his feet and fired an icy blue energy beam towards the oncoming attack.
The two powerful attacks met in the middle of the field and stalemated. Each was trying to overcome the other, struggling to keep it up. "INCREDIBLE! THESE TWO POKÉMON ARE LOCKED IN A POWER STRUGGLE! WHO WILL GIVE WAY FIRST?!" The crowd was stunned at what was happening before letting out roars and cheers.
Tobias was wondering how in the hell his Greninja was able to keep up still. Damn it Ash. I didn't think you'd get this strong to give my legendaries a run for their money. But I can't lose. Looks like I'm going to have to get brutally serious if I'm going to win. I hope you don't take this personally. "Diancie! Time to take control! Diamond Storm!" Diancie concentrated and while maintaining her energy beam, she whipped up a storm of diamonds and launched them at Greninja.
Both pokémon and trainer had their eyes widened in surprise and were unable to react in time. He was bombarded with the incredibly hard and sharp projectiles. Unable to hold up his beam, the blue frog stumbled and Diancie's Moonblast cut through his Ice Beam and slammed against him. Greninja went sailing through the air and then he crashed against the stadium wall but that wasn't all. The storm of diamonds kept coming and pelted him continuously, making him let out agonizing cries while smoke and dust rose up around him. "Get out of there!" yelled Ash with worry but his pokemon was stuck. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the attack ended and the dust cloud faded away. But what it revealed in its wake made many from the stadium to shout in fear. Greninja was kneeling on the floor, panting heavily while looking incredibly hurt with many bleeding cuts and bruises.
Ash's family and friends were beyond worried. And one of them was the red head. Natasha had a sullen look on her face at seeing the water type so hurt and her heart was beating rapidly. She had grown to like the blue frog since he watched over her, was kind and respectful of her. She didn't like seeing him in so much pain. And she definitely didn't want her savoir to lose. C'mon, I know you and Ash can do it!
"How much longer do you think Greninja can hold this up?" asked Bonnie to her friends.
"I don't know. I know Greninja is as stubborn as Ash but it looks like he's really hurt," remarked Clemont.
"Well, don't count him out just yet," interjected Serena, making them look at her. "I'm sure Ash has plan." They nodded in understanding and gave their attention to the battle again.
Ash was looking at his pokémon with worry as he stood back up and eyed his opponent. "Are you alright Greninja?" asked Ash. The water type glanced back at his trainer and locked eyes with him. A few seconds passed as the two communicated through their aura bond. "I see. Are you sure?" Greninja turned his gaze back onto Diancie and made his way back to his side of the field. He winced a little before taking up a battle stance once more. The two were met with astonished gazes by everyone in the stadium. Tobias was about to say something when Ash spoke. "You caught us by surprise Tobias. We underestimated how powerful Diancie can be in her mega form. But now we know better. And we have something for you as well."
Tobias and Diancie tilted their heads. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Ash only gave a vague answer; "You'll see in just a second." Pikachu jumped off his shoulders and Ash placed his hands into a prayer position while Greninja did the same as he straightened out.
Absolutely confused, Tobias was wondering what in the world they were doing. And he wasn't the only one. Almost everyone else in the stadium was at a loss of words except for Serena, Bonnie and Clemont. Before anyone could say anything, what happened next caught their attention. A blue glow appeared around Ash and Greninja before the glow encased them. The glow brightened strongly, making everyone shield their eyes until it faded away. When they could see again, everyone drew in a sharp breath at what they saw. Ash's Greninja had some of his minor wounds healed and he had changed his form after bonding with his trainer. His face had black and red markings, a large water ninja star was on his back and his body became much leaner. Ash and Greninja opened their eyes and everyone saw that their eyes are glowing blue. "Are you ready my friend?" asked Ash, his voice echoing slightly due to their connection.
"I am," responded Greninja with a telepathic voice, making everyone, including Ash's group, become startled. They were not expecting that all. Even the Kalos natives that saw this before were shocked; it looked like Ash and Greninja have reached the next level in this form. The water type got into a fighting stance once more and Ash crossed his arms. "You are a worthy opponent. And though I respect you and view you as an ally and friend, I will not hold back! It is time to reveal my true power!" Greninja vanished from sight after saying that.
"What the hell?! What's going on?!" asked Tobias in shock and worry.
"You'll see soon enough Tobias," replied Ash.
Tobias grit his teeth. "Diancie, stay on guard!" The legendary fairy took up a defensive stance while frantically looking around and so did her trainer. The stadium was eerily quiet, watching with waited breath over what could happen.
A large water shuriken, the size of Diancie herself, came cutting through the air towards her from behind all of a sudden. "Protect!" shouted Tobias in fear. The fairy was able to summon a protective shield in time to prevent getting hurt. But when it hit the shield, it caused a massive crack to appear. Both trainer and pokémon took in a sharp breath over that. "Damn it. That was too close," sighed Tobias. "Diancie, draw him out again! Use Dazzling Gleam!" Diancie had her eyes glow pink and was just about to let loose an all around blast...
But then Greninja appeared right in front of her out of thin air and delivered an incredible uppercut to her jaw, sending her flying into the air. The blue frog vanished from sight again and reappeared in front of the airborne crystal pokémon. He grasped the large water shuriken from his back, split it into two sword like weapons and then he let loose a flurry of devastating strikes onto the pink pokemon that made her cry out in agony from each hit.
Seeing what was happening in the air above the field made Tobias become angry. "Diancie, get away!" he yelled out but it was no use. Greninja finished up his combo with a cross slashing attack with both water swords that made the legendary rocket to the ground with great force. Diancie crashed into the ground, making a crater in its wake. But she was able to get back up with some difficulty and looked up with an angry gaze. Only to see a pressurized torrent of water come down onto her that pushed her into the ground once again while yelling out in agony. "Diancie!" screamed Tobias in fright. The water cleared away to reveal a barely conscious Diancie hovering in the middle of the crater. "Thank Arceus…"
"You should withdraw her," advised Ash after seeing the condition she was in.
Tobias looked at Ash and Greninja, who had returned to his side of the field. He then looked at Diancie who returned his gaze. She shook her head and hovered back to her side of the field but with great difficulty. "I cannot. I respect my pokémon's wishes and she still chooses to fight. I am honored to have such pokémon with me," he responded back.
Ash and Greninja nodded back with respect. "Understood. Let's finish this."
"I agree. Diancie! You know what to do! Trick Room!" ordered Tobias and Diancie had her eyes glow pink once more.
Ash's eyes widened. "Don't let her use it! Quick Attack!" Greninja sprinted forward with such speed that he became a blur to most eyes. He slammed into Diancie and she cried out in agony. But what happened next, caught them off guard.
Using the long white cloth like appendages, Diancie quickly caught Greninja and wrapped him up tightly with them. "I knew you would've rushed in to stop that and we could use that to our advantage." He let a smirk show on his face towards Ash whose eyes narrowed. "Now it's our turn! Diancie, end this with Hyper Beam!" Diancie concentrated her remaining power into a white energy ball in front of her so she could launch it at the trapped pokemon.
"WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT THINGS WOULD TURN OUT LIKE THIS! GRENINJA IS STUCK AND HAS NOWHERE TO GO AND CAN'T DO ANYTHING BUT AWAIT DEFEAT!" said the announcer and the people in the stands were shouting, cheering and screaming, including Ash's group.
Among them, Serena was becoming incredibly worried since she knew what will happen whenever Greninja gets hit or hurt in this form. She stood up and went to the railing while screaming, surprising her friends and family. "ASH! You have to do something! You can't get hurt!" she told him with a very worried tone of voice. Her choice of words confused everyone who heard her.
But they didn't ask about what she meant because their attention was on the battle. "Use Water Shuriken to break free!" He tried to form the aquatic weapon in his webbed hand but couldn't. "Damn it. Use Scald!" He tried to launch the attack from his mouth but Diancie slammed him against the ground, preventing him from doing so before raising him up again.
Ash felt the damage that Greninja was inflicted with and he clutched his chest and started panting. His reaction made everyone in the stadium become startled with Serena letting out a yelp. Glancing back at Ash, Greninja gave him a look that made his trainer worry. "Whatever you're thinking about doing, forget it! You can do it! Break free!" shouted Ash, pushing through the pain he was feeling.
But Greninja merely smirked before sending him a mental message through their connected state. I accept my defeat. He concentrated on their connection in order to break it and quickly did so. Both Ash and Greninja lost the blue glow in their eyes and Greninja returned to his normal form. Immediately afterwards, Diancie launched her Hyper Beam and it engulfed the water starter before it exploded, bringing up smoke. When the smoke cleared, it revealed the unconscious form of the ninja frog. Diancie gently lowered him onto the ground with her appendages and let go of him.
The referee raised the red flag and lowered the green flag. "Greninja is unable to battle. Winner is Diancie!" The crowd made so much noise but it didn't matter to the raven haired guardian.
Ash's family and friends were wondering just what exactly occurred in the field. "Why did Ash look like he was hurt?" asked Violet.
"And why did Greninja revert back before he was defeated?" asked Chili.
Most everyone in the group shrugged but then the Showcase queen answered the question. "Because in this form, even though Greninja gets incredible power from it, rivaling that of a mega evolution, any time he is hit or gets hurt, Ash feels the pain too," explained Serena sadly.
Understanding dawned on them all and they thought about what the water starter did. "The respect and bond between Ash and Greninja must be incredible for them to do that for one another," remarked Cress and the others agreed with his statement.
Natasha was absolutely stunned over what she saw and learned just then; she never heard of a pokémon doing that for a human or a human doing that for a pokémon. But she just witnessed it and heard the reason why. Her admiration, respect and feelings for the young man increased greatly over that. Ash…you truly are one of a kind. Her eyes locked onto the guardian and someone noticed the way she was looking at him…
Back at the field, Ash couldn't believe what his pokémon just did for him. He shook his head before he raised a poke ball and returned Greninja. He looked at the ball afterwards. "Thank you my friend for doing that. We will win this match for you. Take a nice long rest." He clipped the ball onto his belt and took in a long breath. He glanced at Lucario. "Are you ready for your official debut?" he asked him.
Lucario gave an almost feral grin, ecstatic about finally battling. "About time and I am." The aura canine jumped into the air while doing a front flip and landed onto his feet. He raised his head towards the sky and let out a loud battle cry. His howl caused many to have shivers go down their backs. When he finished up, he took up a battle stance and locked his eyes onto his opponent.
"Oh damn, Ash is having Lucario fight now?!" asked Richie with both excitement and anxiousness.
"This is going to get intense," remarked Joy and several agreed with her while murmuring that they hope that Ash and Lucario don't go overboard. But some of the others were confused as to why they were saying that. Yet when they asked about it, they were told that they will see soon enough.
"Diancie," called Tobias and his legendary looked at him. "Can you continue?" he asked and she nodded. "Alright. Let's get ready to battle."
Seeing Tobias not withdraw Diancie, Ash communicated with Lucario through their aura bond. Lucario, we need to finish this fight quickly but I don't want to hurt Diancie too badly. She's already on her last legs but won't give in.
Lucario nodded in response. I understand Master. I will make this short.
"You're move Tobias," offered Ash.
Tobias tilted his head but then smirked. "You're becoming way too cocky for your own good Ash. Diancie, Psychic!" Her eyes glowed pink in response. But before she could do anything, Lucario vanished from sight. "Not this again!" shouted Tobias. "Diancie, use…" He couldn't finish because Lucario reappeared in front of Diancie and unleashed a rapid combination of punches and kicks. Diancie cried out in intense pain but then Lucario finished up with a last punch with his fist covered in a metallic sheen. He struck her in the chest and sent her colliding into the stadium wall. She became stuck from the sheer force behind the attack and Tobias widened his eyes in shock.
"Diancie is no longer able to battle. Lucario wins!" said the referee.
Tobias returned Diancie while the crowd became so loud that he was having trouble hearing himself think. Damn it, I knew I should've recalled her. She was way too tired to continue but I let her go on. I'm sorry Diancie. He turned around and looked at Lucario who didn't even look like he had just used an attack. What power and strength… A shiver went down his spine over the serious gaze he saw on the pokemon. I guess this will be a good match for him. He withdrew a poke ball from his belt. "Ash!" he called out towards him and he caught his attention. "Your Lucario looks very strong. But I don't think even his strength will be enough for my next pokémon! Don't blame me when you're pokémon is as flat as a pancake!" he said before tossing out the ball into the air. A flash of white light and then his next pokémon appeared.
"Oh my Mew…" whispered Delia.
"What in the world is that?!" asked a bewildered Sabrina but nobody answered her, too shocked at seeing the intimidating pokémon that appeared.
The pokémon that appeared was a very tall and very large white humanoid pokémon that took up much of its half of the field. It had yellow and black markings on its body. It had claws for hands and a series of dots for its face. Two columns of colored stones were on both sides of its body. "UNBELIEVABLE! TOBIAS HAS WITH HIM THE LEGENDARY REGIGIGAS, THE TITAN POKÉMON! IT HAS BEEN STATED THAT THIS WAS THE POKÉMON WHO MOVED THE CONTINENTS OF THE WORLD TO THEIR CURRENT PLACES! WITH SUCH INCREDIBLE STRENGHT, WHAT CAN LUCARIO AND ASH DO NOW?!" The crowd was at first stupefied at seeing the white titan but then snapped out of their stupor and made loud noises.
Ash and Lucario looked at Regigigas and wondered just how in the hell did he capture him. Even Pikachu was starting up at the legendary in awe and Gardevoir was beyond worried. Glancing at one another, Ash and Lucario nodded. They couldn't lose focus now. Lucario took up a battle stance and Ash started thinking up of a plan.
Seeing them not backing down surprised Tobias. "I admire your courage Ash. But you have no chance against Regigigas. His strength is second to none! He will pulverize your pokémon!"
Ash shook his head. "That is true that his strength is formidable. But that doesn't mean he's invincible. We'll take him down!" shot Ash confidently.
Tobias shrugged. "Maybe you can do that. You do have some time." Ash titled his head. "You have until my pokémon has his colored stones on him glow. Once all of them are glowing, he will have access to 100% of his strength and his speed will be doubled! When that happens, none will be able to stop him." As he finished speaking, the bottom colored stones on the legendary's body began glowing.
"I see. Then in that case, we won't let him!" countered Ash. "Lucario! Bulk Up and Clam Mind!" The aura canine flexed his muscles, increasing his mass and then took in a deep breath and exhaled, focusing his mind. The second row of stones began glowing now. "Again!" Once again, Lucario did the same thing and increased his physical and mental defenses and abilities even more. The third row of colored stones glowed now and there was one left. "Aura Spheres!" shouted Ash. Lucario shot multiple blue energy spheres and each one exploded against Regigigas when he was struck. Lucario kept going, not stopping and shot many more spheres until a cloud of smoke covered the gigantic pokémon.
After a couple minutes, the smoke cleared and showed Regigigas still standing. But there were multiple bruises on his body. A couple seconds later, the final colored stones began glowing as well. The dots that were his face glowed in addition and a loud mechanical sound that could only be interpreted as a roar was let out from the titan pokémon that made many flinch and cover their ears. "Hahaha! That's it, it's over!" boasted Tobias. "Fire Punch!" With startling speed for his size, Regigigas moved closer and shot his enormous fist that was covered in flames forward.
Lucario barely dodged out of the way but then sprinted forward. "Brick Break!" shouted Ash. Lucario slammed his glowing white fist against Regigigas's side. But Regigigas barely felt it and he swiped at Lucario like he was an annoyance who moved out of the way. "Damn, he's really strong!" commented Ash and Lucario nodded in agreement after taking up a fighting stance once more.
As the aura canine tried to damage the towering behemoth with speedy strikes, the people in the stands were watching with wide eyes over what was going on. "How can Ash win against that?!" asked Clair.
"I don't know but he'll think of something. I hope," remarked Liza quietly.
"He will," commented Leaf and the ones around her looked at her. "If it's one thing I know about Ash, is you can never say he's done until he's done." Her group agreed with her and faced the field again.
In the VIP room, the champions, president and reporter were beyond amazed at the battle so far. Never have they seen such a close match that the odds kept shifting from one side to the other. Britney was so into the match that she hadn't noticed that she had gripped Steven's hand and was holding it tightly. Though Steven did notice that, he didn't say anything about it and just let it be. It didn't hurt that he was enjoying her touch either. Diantha, Lance, Alder and Goodshow were also watching with amazed expressions on their faces, unable to comprehend what was going on.
The last in the room, Cynthia was watching the battle with wide eyes and her heart was hammering. She didn't think Tobias would have so many powerful legendary pokémon with him and that they would be so damn hard to beat. This battle was reminding her of the last tournament that Ash and Tobias were in. How even though Ash was on a roll, he was stopped by Tobias and his legendary pokémon. Please let history not repeat itself, she thought as she watched Ash's Lucario land another strike against his side but then was smacked away by the large pokémon, sending him flying back. As he advanced towards the black and blue pokémon, Cynthia kept watching. I know you and Lucario can do it!
Back on the field, Lucario got up in time to see what his opponent was about to do. He dove underneath Regigigas's flying fast, avoiding another Fire Punch by the skin of his teeth. He quickly got back up and put some distance between the two by going back to stand in his side of the field. Damn it, he's fast, but we can be faster, thought Ash."Lucario, Agility!" Shooting forward, the fighting type increased his speed to such a point that only after images of himself were left. "Aura Sphere!" While maneuvering around the field, Lucario fired more blue energy balls onto the white pokémon. Regigigas grunted over the attacks because of the slight pain he was feeling but it wasn't enough to keep him from countering back. He kept swiping at the evading pokémon but would miss constantly and he was starting to become frustrated.
"Foresight!" shouted Tobias and his pokémon stopped moving and focused its mind. "Good, now Hidden Power!" Regigigas brought forth multiple white spheres of energy around him before shooting them towards a certain spot. The energy spheres crashed against Lucario who just happened to move there at that exact moment. He was blasted off his feet and sent tumbling onto the ground. He rolled a few times before stopping but he quickly got back up onto his feet while panting a bit. But he didn't have time to catch his breath since Regigigas had followed after him and swung down his large fist on top of him to crush and end him.
"LUCARIO!" shouted Ash and Gardevoir, with Pikachu covering his eyes and many in the stands shouted in fright.
Regigigas landed his strike on Lucario and pushed him down into the ground. He stayed like that and didn't move, causing many to wonder why. That is until what they saw happen next. The huge clawed fist was raised but not because of the titan pokémon. Even though the force behind the strike was so powerful that it caused him to be pushed into the ground, Lucario had caught his fist. And now, he was pushing it slowly up while the titan kept trying to smash him back into the ground. "IMPOSSIBLE! LUCARIO HAS CAUGHT REGIGIGAS'S PUNCH AND IS LIFTING IT UP! WHAT INCREDIBLE STRENGTH AND WILL!" The crowd was absolutely shocked over what they were seeing and nobody was making a sound and Tobias was at a loss for words. Even Ash's earlier opponents, Jack, David and Drax were silenced from what they were seeing. Not only that, but Domino and John were watching with astonished looks on their faces, unable to believe what was happening.
Lucario was using every ounce of strength he could summon to keep pushing back and then he took a step forward, causing many in the field to gasp. Regigigas however barely moved back but let out another mechanical sound that sounded like a growl. It was becoming angrier by the second that it couldn't defeat the pipsqueak pokémon. As a result, he applied more pressure onto his small adversary, making him drop to one knee. C'mon Lucario! I know you can do it! You faced harder trials before! You and I at full power are one of the few who can go toe to toe with Mewtwo for Arceus's sake! I know you're stronger than this! You are called the aura pokémon for a reason! Unleash your power! Ash sent those mental messages through their aura bond to try and encourage his friend and pokémon.
Lucario heard what Ash was saying and it resonated with him. He raised his head a bit and slowly stood back up onto his feet. His eyes narrowed before they glowed a bright blue. Lucario focused his energy and with a mighty roar, pushed his opponent back who took a couple steps backwards. "NO WAY! LUCARIO HAS PUSHED BACK THE TITAN POKÉMON! THAT SHOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE!" Nobody could believe what the black and blue jackal just did. Not even Tobias was reacting and Regigigas had its glowing stones flash and flicker, as if to signify that he was confused over what just happened.
Lucario however stayed focus on his opponent. Thank you Master for reminding me of my potential.
Ash let a small smile form on his face. Just repaying the favor buddy. Now let's show them what we're capable of. Lucario agreed to that. He concentrated and the next second, a blue outline glowed around him. Ash started speaking and everyone listened carefully. "You've become very powerful Tobias. And Regigigas is a force to be reckoned with and respected. But there is a reason why Lucario are considered to be one with aura. And this particular one is a special one…"
"How so?" asked Tobias.
"Because Lucario is a master aura user taught by the legendary Mew herself and he is my instructor!" Tobias's jaw dropped and many had the same reaction as him. Taking that as his cue, Lucario had blue flame like energy erupt from him that danced around him. What he just did made everyone in the stadium to murmur and gossip over him. Seeing their reactions, Ash grinned and Lucario took up a battle stance once more. "Lucario! Show them what an Aura Master can do! Advance!" Lucario shot forward, the glowing blue flames around him making him look like a wild blue fireball.
"Regigigas, take him down! You're still the strongest! Crush Claw!" commanded Tobias.
As the two pokémon drew closer to one another, the people in the stadium watched with wide eyes. Use Extreme Speed and Power Up Punch combo! Lucario increased his speed all of a sudden and vanished right when Regigigas was about to catch him. Before the titan could react, a powerful punch was connected against his abdomen, making him let out an agonizing sound. But Lucario was nowhere to be found. Another strike landed against his back, making the colossal pokémon take a step forward. He whipped around angrily with his tree like arm swinging through the air but hit nothing. One more hit was landed against his leg that made him drop to a knee.
"Impossible!" shouted Tobias, seeing his pokémon struggling to get back up. He had sustained heavy damage around his knee and was letting out more frustrated and angry mechanical sounds. "Damn it, use Earthquake!" The titan slammed his clawed fist onto the ground angrily with such force that the entire stadium was shaking. The steel beams and concrete walls groaned from it and their sounds scared the people in the stadium, fearing that it could collapse. Seeing that the attack wasn't making his foe appear, Tobias grit his teeth and ordered Regigigas to stop the attack.
But for some reason, Regigigas wasn't paying attention. He kept making the ground shake and soon enough, cracks were beginning to form along the stadium walls. "Stop! You need to stop now!" shouted Tobias in a panic but his legendary wasn't hearing it. He was becoming consumed in his anger over getting beat from a pokémon a fraction of his size.
Seeing that the titan pokémon was losing it, made Ash decide to end things as soon as possible and sent out his next commands. "Lucario, grab his attention!" Lucario appeared out of nowhere right in front of the legendary and fired a point blank Flash Cannon into his face. Regigigas stopped his attack and roared with pain. The white colossus straightened out and then had its differently colored stones on its body all glow red. Tobias shouted at his pokémon to calm down and to resume the match but it was too late. Regigigas was now stuck in his anger and he began attacking Lucario relentlessly.
Seeing Tobias lose control and Regigigas go mad, Ash remembered something in his research during his three years of training. Certain legendary pokémon had a hidden aspect to themselves, which were dangerous ones. One of which was if some of them became angry, they would lose themselves and go on a rampage. And seeing the legendary become so, Ash realized that the friendly match had now become a deadly battle.
Frightened screams and shouts were heard from the stands as people backed away into the further parts of the stands. But Ash's group did the opposite and moved in closer as they yelled at him to get out of there. The champions in the VIP room were contacting the league officials so they could come in with tranquilizer darts and try to subdue the rampaging legendary. Soon enough, half a dozen officials came in with tranquilizers into the field and aimed at the titan. They began firing at him but the tranquilizers weren't having any of the desired effects.
Instead, it just pissed off the legendary even more. All the titan was seeing now was red and couldn't tell the difference between friend and foe, right or wrong. Regigigas let out loud mechanical sounds and stomped towards the officials while raising his fist. Lucario tried to get his attention by attacking him but it didn't work. The large fist came crashing down with the entire stadium shouting and screaming in fright. The league officials were able to dodge the strike by flinging themselves to the side and Regigigas ended up punching a hole into the ground. He lifted his hand out of the hole and saw the officials on the ground, slowly getting up. He targeted a few of them and swung his fist again at them.
But then a black and blue blur rushed in front of the titan, saving the officials and once again Regigigas punched a hole into the ground. Lucario had saved the officials and took them up into the stands. Angry and frustrated sounds were let out from the titan until a loud shrill scream caught his attention. Turning his body to the other side, he saw a frightened and frozen female official on the ground. He raised his fist and brought it crashing down onto her with screams and shouts heard throughout the stadium.
The girl on the ground could only scream and cover her face with her arms as she closed her eyes. She expected to feel excruciating pain and be pushed into the ground before her life was suddenly over. But as some time went by, she noticed that nothing happened. Opening her eyes and peeking through her hands, what she saw made her take in a sharp breath and her eyes widened.
The Aura Guardian was standing in front of her with his hands raised in front of them. A blue shield was around them and he was holding it up against the titan's relentless attacks. But the shield was having cracks form from it and Ash was doing his best to keep it up. She couldn't believe what she was seeing and neither could anyone watching.
Ash struggled in holding the shield against the enraged legendary. Damn it! I can't keep this up! Lucario, grab his attention! Lucario started firing different attacks at the white titan but he wasn't even feeling them in his rage. Ash could hear his group shouting in fear for him and his hair stood on end. He watched as Lucario tried to get the angered giant's attention onto him. Damn it, we need to stop this before it becomes worse! Mewtwo, can you hear me?!
Ash? What's wrong?
I need my mega ring!
Your ring? What's going on? Do you need me there?
I don't know! I need to stop Regigigas who has gone berserk! But I don't want to hurt him! Lucario should be able to do handle it in his mega form. I need my ring!
I see, very well. If you need me, let me know.
I will. After the mental conversation, a blue glow appeared around Ash's left wrist and the pure white bracelet appeared with a blue stone in it. Seeing the ring on his wrist, he concentrated on his aura and next second, it flared out from him and his shield strengthened. He then unleashed a full powered Aura Pulse. A giant wall of aura energy slammed into the raging titan and pushed him back a few steps, shocking everyone that he was able to do that. The aura canine moved to be between the legendary and his friend. "LUCARIO!" yelled Ash, catching everyone's attention. "UNLEASH YOUR FULL POWER AND STOP HIM!" Not wasting time, he pressed the mega ring and Lucario was covered in a white glowing sphere that blinded Regigigas who threw up his arms in front of him. The white sphere erupted and revealed the aura canine in his mega form. He had grown taller and his muscles became much more pronounced. The metal protrusions on his body became larger, his ears became a little longer and he had brown tufts of fur at the ends of his limbs. Lucario engaged the titan at once and Ash helped the scared Natalie get back up and had her enter the tunnel. She thanked him for saving her as she left with her heart beating madly and he returned his attention onto the battle.
With Lucario able to use his entire full power, he was able to go toe to toe with the colossus. His aura flaring around him as he moved, he slammed into Reigigigas's chest with his shoulder, making the titan stumble backwards. Becoming even angrier, he stomped towards the mega pokémon and swung his tree like arm. But Lucario dodged it and drew in close enough to start pummeling his body with a Close Combat. Regigigas was stopped in his tracks because of the devastating strikes and each hit that Lucario landed made the legendary let out sounds of pain. Regigigas made a sudden strike that connected against Lucario that sent him flying back. But he back flipped in the air and landed on his feet and eyed the advancing legendary. The aura canine shot forward and ducked under his strike and once again began pummeling his torso. He would not let up, knowing that if he gave even an inch, then the rampaging titan might hurt others in his blind anger.
The people in the stands were shouting and screaming, the ones in the VIP room were frozen still, dumbfounded over what was happening. But for the two trainers on the field, their entire attention was on the battle. Tobias was trying to tell his pokémon to stand down throughout the entire time but the legendary was not hearing him. Seeing that there was no stopping his furious legendary, Tobias tried to return his pokémon a few times, but the titan didn't allow himself to be recalled. Absolutely astonished, Tobias froze over what was happening.
Regigigas lifted up his leg suddenly and kneed Lucario, making him stop his assault. He then slammed his large fist against the fighting type to crush him. Lucario caught it again but this time with ease because of him using all of his strength and power together. The colossus tried to push Lucario down but he couldn't. Seeing that it wasn't working, he let out a mechanical growl in fury and flung the aura pokémon high into the air.
"Oh my! He just threw him into the air like a rag doll!" cried Grace.
"He's too powerful! He can't stop him!" yelped Johanna.
"Ash!" shouted out Delia and his girlfriends together in fear.
"Lucario!" screamed Gardevoir in fright.
Seeing Lucario up in the air, Ash quickly formulated a plan to take advantage of their position while keeping aware of what Regigigas was doing. The white titan was powering up a white ball of energy and his eyes widened. "LUCARIO! FINISH THIS! AURA BEAM!" ordered Ash.
Lucario flipped his body in the air and faced the white titan who was on the ground. He brought his paws together and concentrated. A bright blue ball of aura energy formed within his paws and it became brighter and larger. "You are a powerful adversary and your strength is incredible. But you have allowed your anger to consume you. For the sake of us all, I will take you out!" And with that statement, Lucario launched his Aura Beam at Regigigas who was down on the ground below and fired his Hyper Beam in response.
The two beams of energy collided against one another and a power struggle ensued. The intensity of the light from the beams had made most shield their eyes. Both were trying to overpower the other but it looked like they were stalemated. Lucario put in as much energy as he could into the beam but it looked like it wasn't enough. How could he have so much energy?! No wonder he is a legendary! Glancing to the side, he saw Ash, Pikachu and Gardevoir down on the ground. Even high up in the air, he could still make out their facial expressions. And seeing the worried, scared and sullen look on Gardevoir's face made his heart beat quicker. I will not fail! I will take him down! Lucario's eyes glowed an intense blue and the aura around him flared out even more strongly. Somehow, he was able to gather more energy and applied it to his attack. The Aura Beam doubled in size and began pushing back the Hyper Beam. Regigigas had his colored stones flicker rapidly as if to show his surprise. "You have caused enough havoc! I will not let you hurt anyone in your angered state!" roared the aura canine. He summoned more energy and his beam became even larger. With the new power behind it, the Aura Beam cut through the Hyper Beam and slammed into the white colossus.
A large explosion erupted from it and covered the field in smoke. Tobias covered his eyes but Ash kept his sight onto the field. When the smoke finally cleared, it showed the legendary still standing but it had many bruises and cuts on itself. The colors on its stones were flickering but they were still red. Before anyone could say or do anything, a blue sphere rocketed down towards the titan from above and slammed into it with tremendous force. Regigigas was pushed into the ground and an enormous crater formed around its body. The red glows on its stones flickered some more while low mechanical sounds were heard before they finally faded away. The glow in the dots on its face followed suite and the colossus was finally knocked out. Lucario let out a relieved breath as he straightened out and lifted his fist off of his opponent's large chest. "THANK ARCEUS! LUCARIO WAS ABLE TO SUBDUE THE ENRAGED TITAN AND PREVENTED IT FROM GOING ON A RAMPAGE!" The crowd was silent at first because of what had happened. Until they heard the announcer's words finally and erupted in cheers, happy that the enraged legendary was finally subdued.
Lucario reverted back to his normal form and his aura faded away. He staggered back towards Ash who helped him stand while giving him a proud look. "That was incredible buddy. You truly deserve the title of Aura and Combat Master," complimented Ash.
Lucario smirked a bit. "Thank you Master. But one day, that title will pass on to you. And when it does, I will be happy to say it," he replied back.
Before either could say another word, Lucario was taken up into an embrace by Gardevoir. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!" cried the psychic fairy.
Lucario chuckled a bit as he returned the hug. "I'll try not to but can't make any promises." The two separated and looked at Ash. "Master, I'm exhausted. I hate to say, but I cannot continue. If you don't mind, I'd like to rest for a bit."
Ash nodded with a smile. "Of course buddy. Take all the time you need." Lucario thanked him and was helped towards the bench behind them by Gardevoir.
On the other side of the field, Tobias was still in his shocked state, staring at his fallen legendary. He had frozen, wondering why and how he couldn't control his pokémon. "Red trainer, since your pokémon went on a rampage and had almost hurt others, you are hereby disqualified!" said the referee suddenly.
Tobias snapped out of his stupor over that. He glanced at the referee and then at Ash who had a surprised look on his face over what just happened. Unable to process that he lost because of disqualification, he returned Regigigas and turned around to leave without a word spoken. But then someone shouted out his name. "Tobias!" He looked back at Ash. "Hold on a second," he said and Tobias gave him a confused look. Ash faced the referee. "I'd like to continue the battle. Don't disqualify him. This is no way to end this tournament," he requested and he saw that Tobias was giving him a bewildered look. "It's alright. Things happen that you sometimes can't predict or control. But the important thing is that we were able to stop it in the end without things going too crazy. Don't worry about it. Let's continue the match," suggested the raven haired guardian.
Neither Tobias nor most of the people in the stands was able to believe what they just heard. But Ash's group gave him proud and impressed looks over his words. The people in the stands started chanting to continue the battle and the referee was looking around the stadium, not knowing what to do. The screens all around the stadium changed channels suddenly and it showed the President of the Pokémon League. "I couldn't agree more. Let us forget what has happened as everyone is alright. Continue the match and give the people what they want. Referee, if you will please." Seeing that it was out of his hands, the referee agreed to it.
The grayish blue haired man was astounded over what Ash just did. He took in a deep breath before nodding at him. "Thank you Ash. I'm truly sorry for what happened. And you really are a good sportsman when it comes to battles. I don't know what to say…"
"Don't worry about it. Just check with Regigigas later on and find out what happened to make him lose control like that. And if you need help, I'll gladly assist. Let us continue," suggested Ash.
"Alright and thank you." Tobias had his hand hover over his poke ball containing his next pokémon but stopped. He began thinking if he should continue and if he might lose control again. But then an image formed in his mind and it gave him a push. I can't let what happened make me quit now. I need to push on. He grabbed the poke ball and readied it in his hand to throw. "Alright Ash. I bet you've been expecting this one and that you have a plan for him as well. Let's see what you got!" remarked Tobias before tossing a poke ball into the air. The blue and white eon pokémon Latios appeared. "I believe a rematch is in order?" he asked Ash.
Ash glanced at Pikachu who nodded at him. "You sure about this buddy?" he asked his starter.
"Pikapi, pi pika pi pi," replied the electric mouse.
Ash smiled at him. "Alright then." He faced Tobias and Latios. "I hope you're ready Tobias."
"I am. And so is Latios. Though Pikachu is strong beyond all others of his kind, it's still not enough," he remarked as he tried to stay focused on the battle. But the last match up had him losing his nerve a bit.
Ash chuckled and so did Pikachu, making Tobias tilt his head. "Pikachu won't be the one battling. Though he did want a rematch, we decided to do something else this time around." A blue glow appeared on their side of the field and the white and green psychic fairy appeared with her eyes locked onto the eon pokémon. "Gardevoir will be your opponent and let me give you a fair warning; she's been itching for a battle for a long time," said Ash before a grin formed on his face. Gardevoir took up a battle stance with her eyes glowing blue. Her friends smiled in the stands that shewould be getting a shot to show off her power. They wished their friend luck in her mind.
Not expecting that since he was thinking that Ash would have Pikachu compete for a rematch like Sceptile did with Darkrai, Tobias let out a disgruntled breath. Shit! This isn't good! Gardevoir's fairy typing has made all of Latios's dragon moves useless. And psychic type attacks won't do much good either. Damn it. Wait…maybe I should switch out to…no, I can't do that. I can't reveal him too. That will allow Ash to make a plan for both pokémon. I guess I have no choice. I have to win this battle! "Alright then Ash. If that's the case, then we won't hold back! Latios, get ready for battle!" he replied back as he pressed his mega ring. The blue and white dragon hovered a little higher in the air and eyed his opponent before a white energy sphere encased him. It broke apart a moment later and revealed his mega form. Latios was now colored purple and white, his arms had merged with his wings and they were now larger and longer. Latios let out a roar to signify that he was ready.
Gardevoir glanced back at Ash and nodded. Without a word spoken, Ash pressed his mega ring and the fairy was also encased in a large white energy sphere. It exploded to reveal her mega form. She didn't look much different except it appeared that she had a white puffy dress and her arms were covered in what seemed like elbow length gloves. Though the change wasn't much, it somehow accentuated her appearance and many in the stands were unable to stop gazing at her. "Alright Gardevoir, let's show them what you can do! Psyshock!" Gardevoir had her eyes glow blue and multiple pink energy balls the size of bullets appeared around her before they were launched at her opponent.
"Dodge them Latios and counter with Thunderbolt!" The eon pokémon evaded the psychic bullets and countered with a bolt of electricity at the fairy.
Gardevoir however teleported out of the way at the last second and reappeared behind the dragon. "Disarming Voice!" Letting out a charming cry, Latios shook his head from the emotional damage, grunting over it. "Follow up with Shadow Ball!" A dark purple energy ball was launched from her hands but Latios shot away from the attack and it struck the disheveled ground instead.
"Latios is too fast for you. Shadow Claw!" Latios made a sudden u-turn and shot forward like a bullet with his sharp wing blades glowing a dark purple.
"Teleport!" Gardevoir again vanished from sight at the last second and Latios swiped only the air. "So is Gardevoir Tobias. But we're only getting warmed up. Magical Leaf!" Appearing out of thin air in front of Latios, Gardevoir summoned sharp glowing green leaves out of nowhere and they slammed against the eon pokémon who cried out from the cuts he received. It didn't do much damage but the cuts still hurt and they stung badly. "Slow him down more! Thunder Wave!" A series of quick but weak jolts of electricity were shot from her hands that connected against the legendary and caused paralysis.
Tobias was left in shock over what was happening. He couldn't believe that even his Latios was getting wrecked. He was not as focused as he was during the start of the final match. His will and his confidence had been shaken after he lost control over Regigigas. And now, he was watching one of his pokémon get pulverized and outdone because he didn't know what to do and wasn't responding properly anymore. Did I come all this way to just fail? He asked himself as he saw Latios trying to evade the attacks that were launched at him but was having a hard time because of his paralysis and was getting struck every now and then. Why did I lose control? Why am I not on point anymore? Why am I hesitating to make a decision? What is going on with me? Tobias was lost in his thoughts and wasn't really seeing what was happening anymore in front of him.
"Something's not right," said Ash quietly to Lucario who had recovered a little and was now standing next to him. "Tobias isn't battling. He looks lost."
Lucario nodded in agreement. "He is. I can sense him lost in doubt and hesitation. Losing control of Regigigas has shaken him. He is now unsure of what to do anymore. You should break him out of it."
"You're right. Let's help him out. Gardevoir! Hyper Voice!" shouted Ash. Gardevoir let loose an incredible sound wave that was faintly pink colored that slammed against Latios who shouted in intense pain.
Latios agonizing cry snapped Tobias out of his thoughts and he locked his eyes onto his weakened legendary. Damn it, I'm such an idiot! I need to pay attention! What's done is done! I cannot lose! I have too much riding on this! "I'm sorry Latios but I'm back now. Time to take back control! Attract!" ordered Tobias.
"Don't look Gardevoir! Teleport out of the way!" shouted Ash. Gardevoir teleported away from the eon pokémon and reappeared high up in the air. She was floating thanks to her psychic powers. "That was close…"
"What a cheap tactic…" growled Lucario as he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes on Latios.
"Relax Lucario. It's not like she'll actually leave you," whispered Ash and Lucario growled a bit more but said nothing. "I see you won't stray from using tactics like that," stated Ash.
"I have too much riding on this Ash. I can't lose. And if I remember correctly, didn't you have one of your pokémon use that same move?" he asked him.
"I see and that was unavoidable due to my Lopunny's ability," explained Ash.
Tobias nodded. "Alright then. Though you have the upper hand now, that doesn't mean you'll win. Latios, Aerial Ace!" Even though he had been paralyzed somewhat, Latios still vanished using his speed. He reappeared behind Gardevoir and slammed his wing against her back, sending her rocketing to the ground.
"Gardevoir!" shouted Ash and Lucario. Hearing their screaming, she concentrated and was able to will herself to slow down thanks to her psychic powers. She landed softly onto the ground and looked up at the eon pokémon.
Only he wasn't in the air. Her eyes widening, she sensed something behind her and once again she was struck from behind. Latios had used Steel Wing and Gardevoir was sent flying forward. Latios chased after her with his wings still covered in a metallic sheen. He was just about to hit her again when he flinched, his paralysis keeping him from finishing his attack. "Icy Wind!" shouted Ash. Gardevoir whipped around and had chilled air crash against the dragon. Latios roared with pain and his wings became covered with an icy layer, which would hinder his movements even more now.
"No! Latios, Shadow Ball!" The purple dragon launched the dark ball of energy right at Gardevoir who was struck in the chest and it exploded, hurting her greatly. "Now finish with Hyper Beam!" Latios powered up the white ball of energy in front of his mouth, getting it ready to fire. A second later, the powerful beam of energy raced towards his opponent to end the battle.
Gardevoir saw the white light approaching her and she could sense the fear in Ash, Lucario, Pikachu and her friends in the stands. The white beam of energy engulfed her and many screamed and shouted in shock from the stadium. When the attack finished, they thought they would see the fainted fairy. But there was nothing there except for a smoldering dark spot. "No…" whispered Ash while Lucario just stared at the spot in disbelief.
The stadium was silent. Not a single soul was making a sound as they were all stuck in disbelief. Nobody could understand what just happened. Even Latios and Tobias were shocked, not meaning to make that happen. The referee was about to make the call when a sudden Thunderbolt struck Latios that made him shriek in pain. Wondering where the hell it came from, everyone looked around until they saw a glowing pink sphere up in the air.
"Gardevoir!" shouted Ash and Lucario happily.
"She's okay!" exclaimed several from her group of friends.
At the last second, Gardevoir had teleported away from the Hyper Beam using all the will she could summon. She couldn't lose on her first official battle. Not after everything that Ash and Lucario had done for her. Ash had saved her, took her in, healed her and helped her become strong. And Lucario was always there for her as a friend, a protector and now her mate. I cannot lose! This is my chance to prove myself! She raised her right hand towards the sky and bright pink energy ball appeared. Seeing her get ready to attack, Ash and Lucario grinned while Pikachu cheered on his friend. And then, she vanished before reappearing right in front of Latios with the pink ball of energy in front of the dragon.
"Get out of there!" shouted Tobias but it was no use.
Latios was suffering from his wounds and his paralysis didn't help either. The only thing he could do was try to get into a defensive stance right as the Moonblast engulfed him and it exploded. The field was covered in smoke and when it finally cleared, it showed a heavily wounded Latios barely hovering in the air. Before Tobias could say anything, the legendary dragon dropped to the ground and reverted back to his normal form. "Latios is no longer able to battle. The winner is Gardevoir!" said the referee. The stadium erupted in cheers as Gardevoir went flying towards Ash, Lucario and Pikachu. The four shared a hug while congratulating her on her victory.
Tobias returned his fainted dragon and took out his last pokémon's poke ball. He stared at it for a bit as he thought heavily. I can't believe it's come down to this. He's taken out five of my legends. Sceptile and Greninja are out for the count but taking out those two took everything I had. And they may be tired out, but he still has Garchomp, Lucario and Gardevoir. How powerful is Ash? Truly, he has become one of the greats. But I can still turn things around. I have to. For everyone back home. And for her. I have to. I still have my most powerful pokémon. He may have four pokémon left, but three of them are exhausted. I can still do this. Tobias looked up at Ash and saw him waiting for him to continue with Gardevoir in the arena. "Ash Ketchum," started Tobias. He took in a breath before he continued. "I have never before needed to use more than Darkrai and Latios to beat others. Yet you have pushed me and my pokémon to the limit and even stopped a rampaging titan. You have truly become a worthy rival and friend. Also, thank you again for bringing me back into focus. Though I only have one pokémon left, he will bring me victory!" He raised the poke ball and had Ash look at it. "Prepare to meet the most powerful psychic type in the world!" And with that declaration, he tossed out the ball before it opened. It revealed a reddish-orange and green humanoid being with tentacles for arms and legs. It had a crystal like heart in the center of its chest. The space pokémon took up a battle stance at once and eyed the mega pokémon.
Ash was surprised to see Deoxys with Tobias. When he said the most powerful psychic in the world, he thought he would be bluffing. But he wasn't. Well, not exactly because Ash knew that as powerful as Deoxys is or could be, he was still not the most powerful psychic. That title and honor belonged to only one being who is one of his closest friends. "Man, if Mewtwo heard him saying that now…" Ash chuckled quietly and so did the three around him.
But then a mental message was sent to Ash that made him stop. I heard that. I want to face him.
How?
After your last message, I kept watch in case something happened again.
I see. But I can't have you battle Mewtwo. You're not my official pokémon…
A moment of silence followed until the legendary sent him another message. Then capture me.
What?! Ash's eyes widened over what he just heard.
You heard me. Capture me.
But you said you never want to be captured.
I did. And now I'm saying this. Capture me. I want to battle. And this way, I won't have to worry about anyone else trying to capture me.
Are you sure about this Mewtwo?
Yes, I am Ash. You are the only human I fully trust. Do this for me and consider one of the three that you owe me cleared. And if I ever change my mind, you can always break the poke ball.
Seeing no downside to this and wanting to respect his friend's wishes, he agreed. Alright Mewtwo. "Tobias!" shouted Ash, catching his attention. "I have a surprise for you if you can wait." Tobias nodded and Ash thanked him for that. "Gardevoir, come back." The psychic fairy returned to her trainer and reverted back to her normal self. Next second, a large blue sphere appeared next to the trainer and his pokemon, making the crowd gasp in awe over it. A tall, purple bipedal feline emerged out of it and locked eyes with the man.
"Is Mewtwo going to battle?" asked Delia out loud but nobody answered her. Everyone was silent as they watched the intimidating pokémon. A blue glow appeared in Ash's hand and he raised the Master Ball to capture the legendary but he was stopped.
No. Save that just in case, said Mewtwo mentally.
Ash smiled a bit. I don't see any other pokémon deserving this other than you my friend. Who else could possibly deserve the only poke ball of its kind? One that can capture any pokémon without fail? One that is probably meant for only the most powerful and hardest to capture? asked the guardian.
And that is why you must keep it. We don't know what is coming in the future. But I do know it will be a waste to use such an item on a willing pokémon. But I do thank you for the respect and compliments.
Very well then. Their mental conversation ended and Ash had the Master Ball fade away to be replaced with a premier ball. He held it up for Mewtwo to touch it. The purple feline pushed the button with his right hand and the ball opened. It pulled him inside and the ball immediately dinged. Turning to face Tobias and Deoxys now, Ash gripped the premier ball tightly. "Thank you for waiting Tobias. Now, it's time to introduce my newest pokémon. We have been friends for a long time and he just now became my pokémon. Let us see who is the most powerful psychic in the world! The space traveling Deoxys…or the brother of Mew?" Almost everyone in the stands gasped over hearing that the purple feline was the brother of the legendary ancestor pokémon Mew. "Let's find out! Mewtwo! I choose you!" Ash tossed the premier ball into the air.
A flash of white light later, and Mewtwo appeared who instantly went on guard. "Thank you for this. And I have another request; allow me to fight this battle my way. Without your commands or guidance," said the purple feline. Ash agreed to the request.
Deoxys glanced back at Tobias with a look. "You want to fight on your own as well?" he asked and the DNA pokémon nodded. Tobias thought for a bit and decided to do the same since he trusted his pokémon. "Very well then. Good luck." Deoxys faced forward and also got into a battle stance.
The stadium was eerily silent, watching carefully while hardly breathing. A few seconds passed before both psychic legendaries shot forward and slammed into one another. The force behind it caused a shockwave to erupt that traveled over the entire stadium, blowing people off their seats. "AND THE BATTLE HAS CONTINUED! WE HAVE TWO PSYCHIC LEGENDARIES COMPETING NOT ONLY FOR THE TOURNAMENT WIN, BUT FOR THE TITLE OF THE MOST POWERFUL PSYCHIC POKÉMON IN THE WORLD! WE HAVE DEOXYS, THE SPACE POKÉMON AND MEWTWO, THE BROTHER OF MEW! NOT MUCH IS KNOWN ABOUT EITHER OF THEM BUT WE DO KNOW THIS; WE ARE IN FOR A GRAND BATTLE TO CLOSE UP THE TOURNAMENT!" The crowd got out of their stunned silent states and roared over the glorious battle in front of them.
Mewtwo and Deoxys separated from one another and eyed each other. Next second, Mewtwo vanished from sight and Deoxys narrowed his eyes as he tried to sense where he would be. He snapped his sight to the right and had his tentacle arms stretch forward. He caught the purple feline in his grasp when he appeared but lost his grip as he immediately teleported away before reappearing in the air. "Not bad. Catch this!" Mewtwo shot a dark purple energy ball forward that raced towards its target.
At the last second Deoxys vanished from sight and also reappeared in the air. "You're not the only one who can teleport," commented the DNA pokémon.
Mewtwo just smirked however. "Good. I'd rather have a challenge." And with that, Mewtwo shot forward and slammed his ice covered fist into Deoxys's chest. The red pokémon yelped with pain but then immediately countered with a Shadow Ball of his own in point blank range. Mewtwo was sent back a bit but wasn't allowed room to breathe. A barrage of Shadow Balls were launched and each one struck its target. The purple feline grunted in pain before bringing up a purple barrier around him that stopped the onslaught. He then fired an Ice Beam that made Deoxys teleport away. Mewtwo had his eyes glow blue as soon as he sensed Deoxys reappear and the space pokémon was outlined in a purple glow.
Struggling against it, Deoxys tried to escaped but couldn't. He was sent rocketing down to the ground and slammed into it, bringing up a cloud of smoke. The smoke cleared and showed a pissed off Deoxys. "You'll pay for that!" shot Deoxys. He attempted to teleport behind the purple feline but couldn't. Absolutely confused, he didn't know why he couldn't. "What the…"
Mewtwo teleported right in front of Deoxys and delivered a Psycho Cut that sent his opponent crashing into the stadium wall. When the legendary moved off the wall, Mewtwo spoke. "I used Disable on you; you can't teleport anymore until I allow it."
Deoxys had his eyes widened. "No way! No other psychic type or not, has ever been able to do that to me!"
Mewtwo allowed a smirk to form on his face. "Looks like I'm the first."
Growling at him, Deoxys got into a fighting stance. "Oh, don't count me out just yet!" The DNA pokémon started morphing, changing his body structure. It took barely a second but now he was much leaner and skinnier. As soon as he finished, he moved so quickly that he vanished from sight.
Mewtwo's eyes widened at what he saw and before he could react, an electrified punch landed against his cheek that sent him crashing into the ground. A series of lightning fast electric jabs were thrown onto the trapped feline who let out grunts of pain. Though the attacks didn't have much power behind him, they were being shot with such speed that it more than made up for it. Mewtwo wasn't able to block them at all since Deoxys was moving way too fast for him.
Concentrating his power, the purple feline created a barrier around him that prevented him from getting hurt anymore. Deoxys retreated to a safe distance before taking up a battle stance. "How'd you like those knuckle sandwiches?" taunted the red legendary.
Mewtwo narrowed his eyes but didn't respond back. Instead, he tensed up his muscles, increasing his mass greatly. The purple barrier faded away and he too got into a fighting stance. "You call those punches? It felt like a massage to me. Lucario hits much harder than you do," shot Mewtwo.
"You're delusional. But if you want more power, than you got it!" Once again Deoxys changed his form but this time he became slightly larger than his normal form. He had sharp protrusions extend out from his knees and his tentacle arms became slightly thicker with his circular chest plate gone. He shot forward again and began throwing punches that were covered in electricity and flames.
But he couldn't land them. Mewtwo was able to outmaneuver Deoxys in his attack form and prevented him from landing a hit. But he wasn't able to counter back at the moment. Seeing that he wasn't able to land a hit, Deoxys changed forms and was now in his speed form once more. Instantly he gained advantage and landed his strikes against Mewtwo, thinking he had him.
But Mewtwo didn't even bother blocking the attacks now and just let him continue because when he used Bulk Up, he increased his defenses considerably. He was barely feeling them now and it felt like a message to him. Deoxys delivered one final strike before realizing what was happening. He glanced at Mewtwo and saw him smirking, making him become surprised. A blue energy sphere appeared in the feline's hand before it collided against Deoxys and exploded. Panting a bit, Deoxys glanced at Mewtwo in time to see him vanish from sight. He looked up and saw him in the air again but with dozens of small purple energy balls in the air around him that looked like bullets.
Mewtwo launched his Psystrike and the psychic bullets rained down onto the DNA pokémon with tremendous speed. Seeing the attack from him now made everyone who was watching realize that it was Mewtwo who had helped out the guardian during the stadium attack. Doexys changed his form once more but different than the rest. His body, limbs and head became encased in a thick protective layer of skin that made it look like he was in a protective suit. He took up a defensive stance, covering his face and chest with his thick arms and crouched down onto one knee. Mewtwo's attack landed against him and on the ground around his adversary. Countless mini explosions erupted, causing smoke and dust to rise up around the target. After several seconds, his attack finished and the smoke slowly cleared. Deoxys stood up after a moment in time to receive a Focus Punch to his chest.
But Deoxys didn't even feel it in his defensive form. Realizing that, Mewtwo let out a shocked breath and tried to do something else. But Deoxys didn't let him as he grabbed the purple feline with his tentacles. He morphed into his offensive form instantly. "I got you now!" Deoxys followed up with his signature move called Pyscho Boost. A full powered psychic blast exploded from his chest crystal after his statement. Mewtwo was engulfed in a large purple beam of psychic energy before he was blasted back into the stadium wall.
"Mewtwo!" shouted Ash, stunned over what happened. His friends and pokémon were also astonished over what happened.
The psychic feline was embedded in the stadium wall for a second before he snapped back into focus. His eyes glowing blue, he freed himself from his position and levitated in the air on his side of the field. He was panting heavily and was hurt. But he still had more than enough energy to go on. "Impressive. But that won't be enough to beat me and take the title of the world's most powerful psychic!" A blast of telekinetic force erupted from the psychic feline towards Deoxys.
Deoxys changed into this defensive form at once and braced himself. The wave of psychic energy washed over him but did little damage. When it finished, Deoxys was about to counter when dozens and dozens of psychic bullets were shot at him. Bracing himself again, Deoxys took the hits, enduring the attack. "That won't work!" yelled Deoxys while still getting hit. But Mewtwo wasn't listening. He kept having more and more psychic bullets pummel the seemingly impenetrable wall that was Deoxys. People were wondering why on earth would Mewtwo keep attacking when he wasn't making any progress. They thought he had gone crazy, attacking without stopping. But the psychic feline's closest friends knew what he was doing. And they were waiting to see if it would work out in the end. "Is this all you got?!" taunted Deoxys as he kept getting hit. "If this is all you can do, you can never beat me!"
"You're right!" replied back Mewtwo. "Good thing it isn't all I got!" Concentrating his power more, he created hundreds of psychic bullets now and rapidly fired them. Each of his psychic bullets were concentrated onto different parts of Deoxys's body. His back, legs, arms and chest were being targeted while his face was being protected.
Deoxys was starting to feel some pain from the attack because of the nonexistent time between each hit. It felt as if each hit was intensifying the pain. Before he could react, his thick protective covering over his chest cracked from the onslaught and he roared with pain. "Deoxys!" shouted Tobias in worry but it was too late. Realizing now what he was doing, Deoxys felt like a fool for allowing him to continue this way. He rolled to the side suddenly while changing into his speedy form and dodged the rest of the bullets while feeling the pain from the crack. He fired dark purple energy balls at the feline who stopped his attack and evaded them.
Seeing Mewtwo fly down onto the ground, Deoxys shot forward and right when he reached him, instantly changed into his offensive form. The two powerful psychics exchanged rapid blows against one another that caused mini shockwaves from the amount of force behind them. Both delivered one final jab against each other's cheek that made their heads turn. But immediately after, the two legendaries fired point blank Hyper Beams. The resulting collision caused an enormous explosion that brought up a cloud of smoke around them. It took a while for the smoke to finally clear and it revealed both psychics panting heavily but they were still standing.
"I can't believe Mewtwo is getting a run for his money," remarked Lance, remembering how effortlessly the legendary pokémon took down his and the other champion's main pokémon easily.
Diantha nodded in agreement. "I can't believe it either. But then again, they are both legendaries and this is more than just a tournament battle for them; they are fighting for the title of most powerful psychic in the world. That would make both of them go all out," commented the Kalos champion. Agreeing with that, Lance told her she had a point and the continued watching the battle.
"To feel such incredible psychic power, it's overwhelming," whispered Anabel.
Sabrina nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean."
"Deoxys, you alright?" asked Tobias and the red legendary nodded. "Okay. I'm right here if you need me," he offered.
"You hanging in there Mewtwo?" asked Ash and the purple legendary scoffed, making the young guardian chuckle. "Alright, just checking."
The purple pokémon had his eyes glow blue and a purple outline appeared around him. "You are a worthy opponent and I am glad for this battle. I am learning a lot from you and it is making me stronger and wiser. Thank you for this. I hope that we may become friendly rivals even when I defeat you," stated Mewtwo with confidence.
Deoxys grinned back at him. "Right back at you. Just don't be too depressed when I beat you however." Changing into his speed form, Deoxys got ready but felt intense pain from the weakened area on his chest.
Sensing that Mewtwo knew it was only a matter of time. "Then let's see who will be the victor in the end!" He levitated off the ground and flew towards Deoxys while encasing himself in a purple shield.
Deoxys rushed forward at the purple sphere that was Mewtwo, changed into his offensive form at the last second and caught the purple sphere. "Caught you again!" exclaimed Deoxys with a smirk.
His smirk faded away however when Mewtwo gave one in return. "I was counting on it." A blue sphere of energy appeared in his hand before he rocketed to his chest. It connected against the space pokémon's chest and made him let out an agonizing cry from it, which also made him revert back into his normal form. In response, Deoxys slammed the purple sphere that was Mewtwo against the ground, making him let out sounds of pain too and retaliated with a Shadow Ball. Forced to let go of him, Deoxys evaded the attack and Mewtwo flew up into the air. Deoxys followed him and the two psychics faced each other. "It's time to finish this!" stated Mewtwo.
"Agreed!" remarked Deoxys.
The eyes of both legendaries glowed an intense blue and focused on their opponent. Each was trying to subdue the other with their telekinesis. After a little bit of time, Deoxys was losing control and was being lowered forcefully towards the ground. Seeing that he was beginning to feel Mewtwo take advantage, Deoxys changed into his offensive form. Now able to use his entire raw power, he began taking back control and rose back up to the feline's level. Seeing him not go down though and still resisting, Deoxys was in a state of disbelief. There is no way! I shouldn't be having this much trouble in my attack form! No one should be able to resist me when I'm in this state! I will win! Deoxys gathered his energy and concentrated on subduing his opponent and rendering him unconscious.
He slowly began making Mewtwo feel his psychic power and was forcing him to the ground now. Astonished over what was happening, Mewtwo was trying to overcome the overwhelming psychic ability of Deoxys in this state. This cannot be happening! I have no equal when it comes to psychic power! Mewtwo focused his mind and began taking back control slowly. After some time, the purple feline was at the same level as the red humanoid again. I will not lose! I will not give up the title of the most powerful psychic in the world! And I will not let down my closest friend and ally! This is but a stepping stone to our future! I must be strong! The future of the world depends on us! Mewtwo summoned up all of his power and his eyes glowed a very bright blue.
A purple outline appeared around Deoxys who felt the intense psychic power of the purple feline. Utterly astonished over feeling that, he was unable to even make a comment or thought when he was suddenly rocketed toward the ground with incredible force. He slammed against the ground and he let out a soundless gasp from the impact. Frozen in place by the incredible telekinetic power of his opponent, Deoxys couldn't do anything but watch as Mewtwo had a white ball of energy appear in his three digit hands. Not fearing what was coming, Deoxys wanted to have his battle end without fear or regret but with pride that it took a fellow psychic legendary to take him out.
A second later, the powerful white beam of energy was fired from Mewtwo and it connected against its target that caused a large explosion and rocked the stadium. When the smoke cleared from the blast, it revealed the unconscious form of the space pokémon. "Deoxys is unable to battle. Winner of the battle is Mewtwo and the winner of the Spirit Tournament is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" announced the referee as he raised the green flag and lowered the red flag.
Utter silence for a moment as everyone tried to process what just happened. Soon after however, the entire stadium erupted in cheers and shouts with Ash's family and friends among the loudest of them all. They were so happy and proud for him, having finally tasted victory after many years of coming up short near the end.
But no one was as shell shocked as the raven haired guardian who was staring straight ahead of himself yet wasn't really seeing anything. He couldn't believe it. He knew that more important things were waiting for him in the future but this to him was also important. Because not only did it help him realize where he stands but he also achieved one of his life goals. Ash Ketchum had finally won a tournament and it wasn't just any tournament. It was 'the' tournament that involved the best trainers in the world barring the Elite Four, Champions and Master. He had come out on top against them all. All of his hard training, late hours of research and the incredible wills of his pokémon allowed him to finally win.
The purple feline appeared next to the raven haired guardian who finally showed signs of life as he glanced at him. Seeing the smirk on his face made Ash crack a grin in return. "We did it," he told his friend. He looked at Pikachu, Gardevoir and Lucario. "We did it…WE DID IT!" he shouted out in pure joy as he jumped into the air with his fist. His pokémon gathered around him and hugged him, laughing as they did so. His friends and family all had happy smiles on their faces while several had proud tears escape their eyes who were his mother and girlfriends.
Tobias returned his fainted legendary and looked at the celebrating guardian on the other side of the field. I'm sorry everyone. I lost and was unable to keep my promise. I hope they can forgive me for failing them. Especially her. But I have to admit, I am glad that he was the one who beat me because of who he is and what he's done for others. Tobias started making his way to Ash who stopped his celebrating and moved towards him as well. The two reached each other in the middle of the practically destroyed field and shook hands. "That was the most incredible battle I've ever had. Thank you Ash for it and congratulations on your victory," stated Tobias sincerely.
"Thank you Tobias for your kind words. You are the strongest I've ever fought and this is one battle that I will never forget," replied back Ash with respect.
Before either of them could say anything else, the announcer of the tournament began speaking. "EVERYONE, PLEASE REMAIN SEATED AND WILL BOTH TOBIAS AND ASH PLEASE REPORT TO THEIR RESPECTIVE TRAINER'S ROOMS." Saying farewell to each other, Tobias and Ash headed back towards their respective trainer's rooms located in their respective sides of the field. Ash, Gardevoir, Lucario, Pikachu and Mewtwo headed inside. The five of them waited inside the room for about fifteen minutes while enjoying their high off their victory until a knock was heard on the door.
"Come on in!" answered Ash. The door opened and a girl with pink hair dressed in a league uniform appeared. "Oh, hey Natalie," greeted Ash.
Natalie reddened slightly but maintained her composure. "Hello Mr. Ketchum. Congratulations on your victory…"
"Thanks but didn't I tell you to just call me Ash?" reminded the raven haired guardian.
Remembering what happened because of that, Natalie flushed a deep crimson. "O-Of course. Anyway, they are prepared now and waiting for you." Ash titled his head and asked what she meant by that. "You'll see. Just head back out to the field. And I also wanted to say, thank you for saving my life," she told him quietly, blushing a furious red before she looked at her feet..
Ash rose from his seat and moved to her. "Hey." She raised her gaze to his and he placed a hand on her shoulder that made her redden even more and her heart beat increased. "No need to thank me but you're welcome. And thank you. I'll see you around and take care alright?" replied Ash. She nodded at him and smiling a bit at her, he left the room with his pokemon.
Natalie watched him leave the room and when the door closed behind him, she suddenly felt like her legs couldn't support her anymore. She sat down on the bench, hung her head and tried to control herself since she had grown hot from his touch. Oh Ash…you're so amazing… She allowed her thoughts to wonder for a bit, thinking about how he saved her and a few other things until she received a message on her walkie-talkie, asking where she is. Snapping out of her daydream, she replied back saying she was on the way. She let out a sigh and stood up. "Damn it, get a hold of yourself!" she chastised herself. She left the room and went to her office while her mind kept bringing up the aura guardian every now and then.
When Ash stepped onto the field, he was astonished as to how much it changed in a short amount of time. The ruined battlefield was now looking like new and a stage was set in the middle of it with the President of the Pokémon League standing there with several league officials beside him. Ash walked towards the stage. He was so tempted to glance at his loved ones but kept his attention on the stage. After what felt like an eternity, he reached the stage and climbed the steps onto it. He moved closer to Goodshow who immediately raised his hand. Ash took it and shook it firmly before letting go.
"Ladies and gentleman," started President Goodshow, his words heard throughout the stadium thanks to the microphone attached on his shirt. "It is with great pleasure I announce the winner of the Spirit Challenge Tournament. But before I do, allow me to say this as well; the purpose of this tournament was to find the next great Pokémon Master in the making. But I had no idea that it will allow us to find our hero as well." Ash blushed over that and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. His group chuckled over that but also smiled, happy over what was being said. Goodshow pointed at Ash and continued. "This young man has all the attributes and qualities of not just a Pokémon Master or a hero. But as man with a good heart and soul. I have never before been as happy as I am now in announcing the winner of a tournament. Without further ado, I present to you the winner and savior of the Spirit Challenge Tournament…the Aura Guardian, Ash Ketchum!" finished up Goodshow as he handed over the golden trophy over to the raven haired man.
When Ash took it, he looked at it for a couple seconds and raised it above his head, the stadium once again erupted with cheers that caused an enormous smile to form on his face. Mewtwo, Lucario, Gardevoir and Pikachu were looking around the stadium, feeling the euphoria of their victory. Ash looked at his family and friends in the stands and shouted out to them happily and they returned happy shouts back to him. Ash felt like this was one of the happiest days of his life and for the first time in his life, he felt worthy. He felt worthy of all the good in his life.
Far away from the happy moment occurring at the Indigo Plateau stadium, in a deep underground secret facility, someone was feeling intense pride. That someone was inside a large cylindrical container that was submerged in the floor for the time being. It was a man with dark colored hair and he was floating in a green liquid substance that kept him in animated suspension.
Throughout the years, this man that was inside it was never able to gather enough strength or will to fully awaken himself or move his body. He was however, able to communicate mentally to a particular person who he had watched since his beginning days as a trainer as he traveled around the world in his journeys. He was able to do that because of the bond between them. A bond made from his own aura. And he communicated with him whenever he felt that he needed guidance and though he tried his best, sometimes it wasn't enough.
But this time, there was no guidance or advice to be said or anything else. He only felt proud over what the raven haired guardian was able to do. He wanted to go to him and celebrate with him but couldn't. He could have sent him another mental message, congratulating him on his victory but he couldn't do that either because of what he promised him earlier; that he would only return when he was completely lost as to what to do when everything was crumbling around him. The only thing he could do was to feel happy and proud over what he had accomplished. Congratulations on your victory. I am very proud of you and I hope you continue to become stronger. For you will need it to protect everyone that you love and care about. I pray that you will succeed where I have failed. I pray you don't make the same mistakes that I did. But I have hope because if anyone can do it, it's you for you are Ash Ketchum...my blood…my son…
A/N - So what did you think? I hope you enjoyed the battle and I tried to keep it from being one sided and entertaining. Hope I did it well for the tournament final match. Also, I want to say thank you to everyone for all the reviews, favs and follows. Because of that, I have broken past 700 reviews and 300 favs & follows! It means a lot to me that so many enjoy the story and I really do appreciate it. As always, remember to review, fav and follow!
Question 1 - Who was shocked in finding out who the man is in the container?
Question 2 - Were you also surprised about Mewtwo's decision?
Ash's Harem Status
In the Harem - Misty, May, Dawn, Serena, Leaf, Sarah, Anabel, Cynthia and Sabrina
Not in Harem but have feelings for him - Clair, Liza, Giselle, Lizabeth, Shauna (Hoenn), Daisy Waterflower
Changes That Are Being Made
Change #1 - I will now put up updates on my profile instead of on the last chapter of my story. So check that out if you have questions about what's going on regarding when I'm going to post. Feel free to still send me a message about it but please check that out first as it may answer your question.
Change #2 - In addition to that, my profile will now have much more information about what I'm currently doing related to all my stories. So take a look at that in case you have some questions as that may answer them.
Change #3 - I mentioned stories not story, didn't I? hehehe I wanted to let you know that I will now be working on several stories at once and posting them up. So again, if it takes a little longer to get a chapter up, please be patient. And you can always read my other stories which will have the same high standard of quality that you are used to getting from me. (Just don't be judging too harshly! Damn, the pressure! lol) And regarding that...
My Surprises for You All
Surprise #1 - "The Blue Spirit" is nearing the end of its first part. Because of that, I wanted to let you know what is going to happen. There will be a handful more chapters until the end of this, and the transitioning to the war will begin afterwards (Part 2) and then the war itself (Part 3). The transitioning stage will not be as long as the first part. Probably around ten to fifteen chapters or so. The third part of the story will be long, just like the first part. Perhaps longer. I hope you're all ready.
Surprise #2 - The other stories that I have been working on, I have made some progress on them and it is enough to post up some information about them. Here are their titles and you will find summaries for them in my profile as well as status conditions in where I am at for each of these new stories along with my first story.
- 2nd story - "Tale of the Forsaken"
- 3rd story - "Agma Sins"
- 4th story - "The Prince of Rota"
Surprise #3 - You didn't think that was all did you? haha! My last surprise for you is that I have completed the prologue for my 2nd and 3rd stories! I have posted them up already and I hope you like it! The 4th story will have its own prologue as well but not yet.
Again, I would like to thank you all for the loyalty, your comments, support and just keeping in touch. I hope you're all doing well and until next time! Take care of yourselves and Silent is out!