"Alright the rematch battle between Brendan of Littleroot Town and Tate and Liza of the Mosdeep City gym will now begin. This will be a double battle with each side using four Pokemon. Only the challengers may switch Pokemon at any time." Tate and Liza's father said.

"Wait, four Pokemon, and challengers?" Brendan asked.

"We thought." Tate said.

"We'd switch it up." Liza continued.

"So everyone will get two Pokemon." Tate added.

"And you get a teammate." Liza finished.

Brendan looked back at his friends, Wally was never great at battles right after waking up, and he didn't want to get on Flannery's angry side again. That left Ash, who well… who knows if he'd even be up for it.

"What do you say Ashton, ready to see just how much closer I am in power to you?" Brendan asked.

"Oh it's like that." Ash said, walking up. "Okay, I'll show you how we Coordinators battle."

"Alight trainers at your ready! Battle begin!"

"Claydol I choose you!" Tate called out.

"Xatu lets go!" Liza called.

"Come on out Swellow!" Brendan commanded.

"Milotic, the stage is ours!" Ash said.

"Claydol use Ancient Power!"

"Xatu use Future Sight!"

"Swellow use Quick Attack!"

"Milotic use Dragon Breath!"

Flames shot across the battle field from Milotic towards Xatu as Swellow spun around them, narrowly avoiding Claydol's attack before striking it.

"Claydol use Hyper Beam!"

"Xatu use Aerial Ace!"

"Swellow use Quick Attack!"

"Milotic use Water Pulse!"

Swellow swooped out of the way of Claydol's attack as it went right for Milotic, blasting her off of the ground. Xatu rushed right for Swellow as the two collided with each other.

"Milotic are you okay?" Ash asked, as the water type curled back up. "Alright. Use Dragon Breath!"

"Claydol use Psychic!"

"Xatu use Psychic!"

"Swellow use Double Team!"

Both Pokemon were suspended in the air, causing all of Swellow's clone energy to stack on top of her, one after another, until Swellow was glowing with energy.

"Milotic return!" Ash called out seeing the future sight coming right for them, as Pikachu ran out.

The psychic energy dispersed just as Future Sight was about to hit, causing Swellow to rocket forward into Xatu, knocking the psychic and flying type out.

"I don't think that was Quick Attack." Wally said.

"Xatu is unable to battle." Tate and Liza's father said.

"Alright come on out Lunatone." Liza called out. "Use Ice Beam!"

"Pikachu use Shock Wave and Iron Tail off of Lunatone!"

"Swellow use… Sky Attack!" Brendan said, looking up the newly learned move on his Pokenav.

"Claydol use Earthquake!"

Pikachu sped across the battlefield, being tossed into the air from the shaking earth, completely overshooting his target and ending up on the diorama of Saturn. Meanwhile, Swellow was engulfed in a bright glow as she avoided the beam shot from Liza's Lunatone.

"Lunatone use Calm Mind!"

"Claydol use Hyper Beam!"

"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"

"Swellow strike them now!"

Swellow crashed into Swellow in a burst of light as both began to descend as Pikachu had to hop off of Saturn and onto Jupiter to avoid Lunatone's attack.

"Both Swellow and Claydol are unable to battle." Tate and Liza's father declared.

"Solrock come on out."

"Brendan, I don't mean to make your decisions, but Pikachu is a sitting Psyduck up there." Ash commented as Pikachu held onto the cable that held Jupiter up for dear life.

"Umm, uhh." Brendan said, looking at his Pokeballs. "Shiftry let's go!"

"Solrock use Sunny Day!"

"Lunatone use Calm Mind!"

"Shiftry rescue Pikachu!"

Shiftry took the opportunity to rescue Pikachu as his trainer ordered, rather than strike his foes.

"You okay buddy?" Ash asked.

"Pi." Pikachu said, clearly exhausted.

"Alright, take a break." Ash said. "Milotic come back out!"

"Solrock use Solar Beam!"

"Lunatone use Ice Beam!"

"Shiftry use Bullet Seed!"

"Milotic use Dragon Breath!"

Shiftry moved across the battlefield in a blur before ending up behind Lunatone as he sent the rock type spinning, while Milotic's flames kept the Solar Beam from dealing too much damage.

"Lunatone use Psychic!"

"Solrock use Flamethrower!"

"Shiftry use Razor Wind!"

"Milotic use Water Pulse!"

Milotic was lifted into the air and spun around as her Water Pulse did little to nothing, whilst Shiftry's fans whipped up a strong wind, causing several objects to knock into Solrock and Lunatone.

"Ash, I need you to trust me on this." Brendan said.

"Why?" Ash asked.

"I need Pikachu back out, here's the plan." Brendan said, whispering into Ash's ear.

"Okay, let's do it." Ash said. "Milotic return!" Ash called out, switching Pikachu in again already.

"Shiftry grab Pikachu, and throw him!" Brendan called out.

"Lunatone use Ice Beam!"

"Solrock use Flamethrower!"

Pikachu was launched forward, barely fitting between the two elemental attacks as Shifty was bombarded by them.

"Now Pikachu use Thunderbolt!" Ash called out.

Pikachu landed between the two psychic type, touching each just long enough to let off the Thunderbolt on himself, the electricity flowing to each of his opponents, knocking them all out in the process.

"Solrock, Lunatone, and Pikachu are unable to battle, the winners are Shiftry and Milotic." Tate and Liza's father declared.

"Alright!" Brendan cheered as Ash ran to pick up Pikachu.

"You did great Pikachu." Ash said with a smile. "I guess it really has been too long since our last gym, huh." Ash chuckled.

"Pi." Pikachu said weakly.

"Is Pikachu alright?" Wally asked. "He isn't, you know."

"Wally!" Flannery scolded, elbowing him.

"What, after what we found out, I wanted to make sure." Wally commented.

"Its okay." Ash said calmly. "Pikachu is fine, just beat up."

"Ash, Brendan." Tate said.

"On behalf of the Mossdeep City gym." Liza said.

"We present you both with these." Tate said, as both held out a hand.

"The Mind Badge, both of you have earned it." Liza said.

"Well Ash, you finally got over your fear, how do you feel?" Flannery asked.

"Like I'd rather stick to contests from here on out." Ash sighed, sitting down with a laugh. "I forgot just how crazy these get."

"I hear that." Brendan said. "But don't think your job is done, you promised to help me get all the way to the Hoenn League."

"Yeah, as long as I don't have to actually help again next time." Ash said with a laugh.

Authors note

Ash saying he'd rather stay with contests isn't him giving up on his dream of being a Pokemon Master. He got over his fears, but in his time in Hoenn has found a new passion with contests as we even saw with Darkrai's dream world that even with Charizard, he was still a coordinator, this is what he wants to do on his journey now, but he's no longer afraid of bigger battles.