Hey there! I've had this idea for a short story for quite some time now, and recently I've finally decided it's probably about time, you know, I actually write it. Since my last story ended, I kinda haven't really had any ideas on what to write, so I figured I might as well do this short story while I try to figure out my next 'longer' project. I'm not planning on making this very long, probably no longer than 3-4 chapters, so with that being said, I hope you enjoy it! (Still don't have a schedule for updates, but I'll try my best for it not take too long for a new chapters)
A Life Changing Battle
Wyndon. The most popular city in the entirety of the Galar Region, and the second most populous city in the world. It was never really a surprise to see many people or Pokemon around in the area. From its bustling urban streets to its welcoming tourist attractions, no matter the hour of day or day of the week, Wyndon was always crowded beyond belief.
Which is why it was even stranger to see that the typically buzzing streets of the big city were currently about as quiet and deserted as a graveyard.
Two Rookidees were currently flying above the skies of the popular city, also surprised to hear the normally overly loud streets of the city sound more like a local suburb. A few humans were walking and chatting here and there, but even they seemed quite off, almost as if everybody was distracted by some sort of event.
An explosion towards the north of the giant city quickly gained the attention of the two Rookidees, who swiftly decided to investigate the origins of the sounds. The noise seemed to come from the ever-so popular Wyndon Stadium.
As the Pokemon flew closer and closer to the big stadium, loud cheers and screams could be heard from a distance, alongside more and more explosions, slightly worrying one of the Rookidees. The other tiny bird Pokemon tried its best to console its friend, but as bigger and bigger gray and red clouds started appearing above the battle arena, it too started getting a feeling of uneasiness.
Nevertheless, the two birds bravely shook off their fears, determined to figure out the mystery behind the silent streets and the giant explosions, and kept flying towards the stadium.
As they arrived at the popular location, perched at the very top of the stadium, the two birds were forced to cover their ears with their miniature wings, as the sounds of screaming and cheering humans were practically deafening.
"Rooki, Rooki!" Chirped one of the Rookidees in surprise, pointing one of its wings down at the stadium, as it remarked the fact that it seemed everybody in the entire city of Wyndon and then some had crammed themselves in the stadium, mostly sitting in the stands surrounding the massive battlefield.
Through the clouds and the smoke, the pair of tiny bird Pokemon noticed two humans alongside a Pokemon each at both extremes of the massive battlefield, where it seemed everybody's eyes were glued to.
On their right, the two Rookidees first noticed a trainer with purple hair wearing what looked like a sports uniform commanding an absolutely massive Gigantamax Charizard, measuring well over twenty meters tall, standing in front of it's trainer menacingly, to the point of sending shivers down the two Rookidees' backs. The giant flames on the dragon's back and at the tip of the dragon's tail raised the temperature of the entirety of the stadium severely, probably to the point where just being near them would be enough to scorch most Pokemon in an instance. The Rookidees, still perched up at the top of Wyndon Stadium, wondered just who on earth would be brave, or dumb, enough to challenge such a powerful looking titan.
Curious, the pair of birds glanced at the other side of the field to see who opposed the gigantic Flame Pokemon. If the two birds had to guess, they expected the Charizard's opponent to be an equally strong looking monstrosity, somewhat similar in height and weight to the G-Max Charizard. A terrifying G-Max Blastoise with multiple big turrets on its shell perhaps, or maybe a giant G-Max Venausaur with an overwhelmingly big flower on its back. Those seemed like fitting opponents, probably what most people would expect, including the two Rookidees.
But, to the absolute shock of the two birds, a shock probably strong enough to make them both faint, its opponent was but a mere tiny electric mouse, probably around fifty times smaller than the Charizard, backed up by a skinny raven haired teenager wearing a casual red cap.
"Let's see you deal with this!" Declared the purple haired trainer with confidence and slight cockiness, his words being heard all over the stadium thanks to a microphone. "Max Rockfall!"
The G-Max Charizard roared so loud the two Rookidees perched atop Wyndon Stadium were sent flying into the distance, as the Flame Pokemon made a giant stone slab rise up from the ground.
"... AND LEON COMMANDS A MAX ROCKFALL! HOW WILL ASH DEAL WITH THIS!?" Suddenly exclaimed the commentator for the match through his own microphone, sitting in a booth that was overlooking the entire stadium.
On the opposing side of battlefield, Ash gritted his teeth, a look of seriousness on his face, before glancing towards his partner Pikachu. The Pokemon looked back at its trainer, nodding as if he was trying to tell him something. Ash seemed to get the message, and quickly gazed back at the Max Rockfall.
As the giant stone slab keeps growing bigger and bigger, Ash thought about his options. Pikachu had taken quite the beating already, as he had to defeat Leon's Dragapult in a tough matchup before he could face off against Charizard. Despite that, he knew it was not the time to doubt himself or Pikachu, not in a situation like this…
In a certain area in the stands…
"AH! I CAN'T LOOK, I CAN'T LOOK, I CAN'T LOOK!" A familiar blue haired girl wearing a beanie panicked, as she covered her eyes in nervousness.
"Calm down Dawn!" Shouted a brown haired girl with two Ponytails, trying her best to calm her friend down. "You're making everybody else nervous too!" She said, noting the tenseness between the entire group of people around them.
"May's right!" A third girl by the name of Serena, sitting beside the two other girls, suddenly added. "Ash will be fine! He and Pikachu can… no, will come up with something!"
"After all he's been through just to get here, I know he'll pull through! He always does!" A black haired researcher by the name of Goh added on as well, sitting just behind the three girls.
Everybody seemingly calmed down at Goh's words, knowing he was right. Ash had worked tooth and nail to get here, the coveted Masters 8 finals, and he wasn't going to let up right at the final stretch.
Indeed, after a long and fierce tournament, everything now all came down to this very moment for the Alola Champion, the final battle. After just barely making it into the Masters 8 in the first place by defeating Rahain in the final promotion match of the season, Ash had successfully secured a spot in the tournament consisting of the eight best trainers in the entire world. Coming in as the massive underdog of the season, not much was expected from the up and coming trainer from Kanto, especially from his first ever season in the Pokemon World Coronation Series, though what actually transpired in the tournament was nothing short of unbelievable.
After just narrowly defeating Steven, the Hoenn Champion, in the quarterfinals and seemingly defying all possible odds by defeating the Sinnoh Champion Cynthia in the semifinals, Ash had done what was widely considered as impossible and booked a spot in the Masters 8 tournament finals, a final which would decide the best Pokemon trainer in the world.
His opponent? None other than the Monarch and undefeated Champion of Galar, Leon, widely considered as the best Pokemon trainer of this generation. But none of that mattered now, as currently a single matchup stood between him and becoming the very best, like no one ever was…
Throughout the tournament, all of Ash's old companions and friends had come to Wyndon Stadium to cheer for their good friend, but the intensity and tenseness of the final had gotten to just about everyone, though in their own special ways...
Misty, Brock, Max, Kiawe, Lana and Gladion for their part had mostly kept quiet during the entirety of the battle, eyes solely focused on the battle happening in front of them, deciding to watch and pray silently, hiding their doubts and nervousness from everyone else.
Dawn, Lillie, Mallow, Serena, Sophocles, Bonnie, Goh on the other hand, were practically shaking with nervousness, finding it hard to hide their passion and desire for Ash to win, and they were the main cause of the chaos between everyone that was happening all throughout the final battle.
And finally, Tracey, May, Iris, Cilan, Clemont and Chloe were some kind of mix in between. They weren't as loud and expressive with their emotions as some of the others, but they definitely didn't keep quiet, as they mainly focused on analyzing the battle, but also cheered the best they could for their dear friend.
The finals of the tournament were a full six-on-six battle, where the winner would claim the title of Monarch, and be considered as the best Pokemon trainer in the world. After a long and tiresome battle, it had all come down to Ash's last Pokemon, his trusty Pikachu, versus Leon's ace and also last Pokemon, his all mighty Charizard. Neither trainer had used their one and only battle mechanic allowed for the match, so Leon decided to give it all he had and Gigantamaxed his Charizard right after sending him out.
To the surprise of just about everyone, despite also not having used his own battle mechanic yet, Ash decided to keep Pikachu as he was. No Gigantamax, no Z-Move. Well, not yet anyways…
It was definitely a risk, quite a big one at that considering the circumstances, but anybody who had seen Ash battle knew that no matter the stakes, he always did something that most would consider, well… strange.
"I-I…I still think Ash could have the advantage here." Clemont suddenly said, breaking the silence.
"What do you mean?" Max asked the scientist, confused.
Clemont explained further. "Ash still hasn't used his battle mechanic, and Leon has already used up a turn of Dynamax, which Ash and Pikachu thankfully managed to deal with without too much trouble, so if he could just last two more Max Moves…"
"He'd be in a great spot to win it all!" Lillie exclaimed upon realizing what Clemont was trying to suggest.
"That's the problem though. He would be, not will be. We've all seen just how powerful Leon's Gigantamax Charizard is, and he still has two Max Moves left, having taken barely any damage at all. On top of that, Pikachu is already quite tired from Leon's last Pokemon, Dragapult, so if he gets hit even just once by a Max Move or simply gets too exhausted, it's all over…" Brock argued, to which nobody responded immediately, realizing he brought up a good point.
"T-That doesn't matter!" Bonnie suddenly spoke up after a while. "Ash has been backed in a corner before! He practically always is!" The little girl said, trying to raise the morale.
Everybody smiled at the young blonde haired girl's words, silently agreeing, before resuming their loud and excessive cheers. Despite how differently everybody was visibly reacting, one single thought was always in the back of everyone's minds. After all, considering they had all made the journey to Galar just to support their friend, they all wished the same thing…
They wished for their friend to make a huge leap towards his dream.
'Go for it Ash! We believe in you!...' Resounded in their minds.
Back on the battlefield…
Ash, still with the same seriousness on his face, temporarily closed his eyes. 'Okay Ash, Just two more turns of Gigantamax left… Need to deal with this Max Rockfall first…' He thought to himself. 'Come on!… Think! Think!'
After a little while, the massive stone wall of Max Rockfall had reached full height, and now stood menacingly above Pikachu. After one final roar, Charizard made the giant stone slab of the Max Move slowly descend onto the Mouse Pokemon. Leon had a smirk on his face, confident the Max Move covered the entire field, leaving no room for the frail Pikachu to dodge.
Ash opened his eyes only to see the Max Rockfall slowly start its descent onto Pikachu. The Pokemon hadn't taken his eyes off the move for a second, fully trusting his trainer to come up with something despite its fatigued state. Ash grinned, happy to know his partner and best friend always was right with him.
Ash suddenly threw his hand forwards. "Electro Web on the ground! Run around it with Quick Attack!"
The tiny electric type cried in affirmation, before quickly building up a net of electricity on his tail and launching it straight on the ground in front of him. Pikachu then dashed off in an instant, building up speed around the Electro Web.
Leon narrowed his eyes at the sight of Pikachu preparing something. He had seen enough of Ash's battles to know the raven haired trainer had definitely come up with something. "... Just what are you planning now?…" He said in a low voice.
"...WHAT'S THIS? LOOKS LIKE ASH IS COOKING UP SOMETHING! HERE COMES HIS UNPREDICTABLE BATTLE STYLE THAT WE HAVE SEEN SO MUCH OF IN THIS TOURNAMENT!" The commentator in the special booth of the stadium shouted through his microphone.
Ash's face distorted into some sort of embarrassed smile and chuckled to himself after hearing the words of the commentator and Leon's mumbled words. '... I think they're trusting me too much… I haven't even fully figured something out yet…'
Truth be told, Ash hadn't actually come up with an exact plan to deal with the Max Rockfall. But he did have some sort of an idea…
Ash obviously knew Pikachu was in no position to dodge the attack, he had faced enough Max Rockfalls to know they usually cover the entire field, which left no room to evade the move. His only real option was to meet the giant stone slab head on, but with Pikachu's damaged state, it didn't seem likely his Pokemon could withstand it. But he thought that… maybe, just maybe…
He could pierce straight through it.
"Keep running Pikachu, build up as much speed as you can!" Commanded Ash, as Pikachu kept on sprinting as the stone slab slowly descended from its massive height onto the little mouse. Once the time was just right, Ash made his move.
"Jump and bounce off the Max Rockfall!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu, still with the momentum from Quick Attack, leaped towards the giant stone slab. Thanks to his built up speed, Pikachu closed the distance between him and the move in no time. The electric type then bounced himself off the wall, launching him straight back to where he came from with a lot of speed.
Leon, despite being quite confused as to what his opponent was doing, kept his eyes narrowed on Ash and Pikachu. There was never a moment to count them out of a battle…
"Land on the Electro Web, use it as a Slingshot!"
At Ash's words, Pikachu redirected his trajectory to land in the middle of the Electro Web. The electric net swiftly caught the Pokemon, and, after reeling up quite a bit, sling-shotted Pikachu at a speed barely noticeable to the human eye.
Time seemed to slow down for Ash. His loyal Pokemon and best friend was now on a crash course straight for the powerful rock type move standing menacingly in front of Gigantamax Charizard, with no escape in sight, and still no concrete way to deal with it, but at this point, he had run out of time, he had to go for it.
Ash thought harder. He knew if he could just go through the Max Rockfall, it was almost a guaranteed hit. Looking at Pikachu's moveset, Iron Tail seemed to be his only viable way out of this situation, but a normal Iron Tail was most certainly not strong enough to cut through the giant slab. 'Man… if only Iron Tail just had a bit more force Pikachu could…'
…And that's when it all clicked.
Ash's eyes widened, and time resumed. He knew what he needed to do. "Quick Pikachu! Spin and use Iron Tail. Drill straight through the wall!" The young trainer proudly declared.
"WHAT!?" Leon shouted in surprise, clearly not expecting he'd do that of all things.
"IS HE CRAZY!?" The commentator of the match couldn't help but exclaim. Alongside just about everyone else in the stadium. Well, apart from…
With Ash's friends in the stands…
"Yeah no… he's definitely crazy…" Simultaneously replied everybody nearby, with a deadpan expression. They had all seen enough of Ash to know he was definitely planning to drill straight through a Max Move with nothing but a weakened Pikachu's Iron Tail.
Back on the battlefield…
"Do it Pikachu!" Ash shouted, hoping and praying his plan would work.
Pikachu let out a mighty cry, not questioning for even one second the legitimacy of his trainer's plan, and his tail turned to steel, preparing an Iron Tail. Still racing towards the Max Rockfall at alarming speed, Pikachu turned around 180 degrees so his tail would meet the slab first and started spinning rapidly just like a drill.
The electric mouse felt quite the sting as his tail connected head on with the solid rock wall and sparks of friction started frantically appearing, as the colliding force from the drill-like Iron Tail and the Max Rockfall let out a deafening sound. Pikachu had miraculously managed to keep the slab in place, but, even whilst spinning, he couldn't quite pierce totally through the wall, and the pain from holding a giant rock wall in place was quickly starting to affect him.
"P-PIKA P-PIKA!..." The little mouse screamed as it kept trying to drill through the wall with not much success…
"GO FOR IT PIKACHU!" Ash cheered on with all his might. He desperately needed this to work, but he knew Pikachu couldn't last much longer.
"T-There's no way…" Leon mumbled, not believing the electric type had actually held a Max Move completely immobile. Was that little mouse really about to drill through a solid rock wall!?
With Ash's friends in the stands…
"Come on… Come on…" Silently prayed most of Ash's female companions, huddled up together, crossing their fingers and biting their nails nervously.
The group were almost entirely silent as time ticked on, with Pikachu making no progress whatsoever, and the pain he was feeling was very visible on his face. Even the rest of the crowd in the stadium fell quite silent, all not knowing the outcome of this situation.
Though, that quickly changed when two young kids broke the deadly silence in the stadium
"YOU CAN DO IT PIKACHU!" Suddenly screamed Max and Bonnie, trying to vocalize their support as much as they could. "DON'T GIVE UP!"
The sudden screams from the stands caused everyone nearby to quickly snap their heads towards the two kids, as they were the only noise heard apart from the still colliding Iron Tail and Max Rockfall. Looks of determination were then shared between Ash's friends as they quickly caught on to the two young kids' intentions to vocalize their support as much as possible.
"DON'T LET UP PIKACHU!"
"WE KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!"
"KEEP ON SPINNING!"
Swiftly shouted May, Mallow and Iris respectively as they also added their own support. The others decided it was about time to get the crowd on their side as much as possible, and started a chant.
"Pikachu! Pikachu! Pikachu!" They chanted on and on, as Pikachu kept fighting his battle against the Max Rockfall.
Soon enough, others in the crowd started noticing what the group of people were doing and joined in. "Pikachu! Pikachu! Pikachu! Pikachu!" More and more people kept on cheering.
"OH MY! IT SEEMS LIKE THE ENTIRE STADIUM IS SCREAMING OUT PIKACHU'S NAME. IT SEEMS EVERYBODY HERE WANTS THE SAME OUTCOME! GO PIKACHU, GO!" The commentator commented, noticing the whole stadium started to be filled with chants for Ash's Pikachu.
Eventually, thanks to the rapidly increasing number of people noticing the chants of the others and the words from the commentator, almost the entire stadium could now be heard chanting the electric type Pokemon's name. It seemed like Ash's friends' plan worked.
"Pikachu! Pikachu! Pikachu! Pikachu! Pikachu!" Resonated throughout the entire stadium in unison, as everybody now cheered on the tiny Mouse Pokemon.
Back on the battlefield…
'Come on Pikachu… Just a little more…' Ash said to himself, eyes narrowed fully focused on the battle in front of him. Pikachu was getting really tired at this point and he didn't know if he could keep going for much longer. Things weren't looking great…
Ash temporarily snapped out of his concentrated state when he started to hear the crowd suddenly get louder and louder. He briefly looked away from Pikachu and his eyes widened when he noticed practically the entire crowd cheering for Pikachu. He hadn't really paid much attention to the crowd since he was too focused on the battle at hand, but it was truly a sight to behold, and seeing the stadium all around him supporting his Pokemon, quickly revitalized his spirits.
Ash grinned as his eyes returned to Pikachu, still struggling to drill through the Max Rockfall. "PIKACHU!" Ash screamed, trying to get his Pokemon's attention.
Pikachu, still very much struggling, slowly looked at Ash behind him. The trainer simply pointed around him, and after a moment of confusion, Pikachu noticed the crowd chanting his name, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"HEAR THAT PIKACHU? EVERYBODY'S ROOTING FOR YOU!" Ash was forced to scream so his Pokemon could hear him over the deafening chants of the crowd. "WOULDN'T WANT TO LET THEM DOWN NOW WOULD YOU?"
Pikachu, still a little shocked at all the cheers coming from everywhere in the stadium, grinned and let out a cry of affirmation. He quickly refocused his attention onto the battle and put all the energy he had into spinning faster and faster, the crowd seemingly feeding him power.
Leon, who had stayed silent for a while, simply couldn't believe his eyes. In a matter of seconds, the entire crowd started supporting Ash and Pikachu and, as if like magic, Pikachu started spinning faster and faster, slowly digging deeper and deeper into the Max Rockfall.
Leon shook his head, a smile plastered on his face. "Only you Ash… Only you…"
"PIKA P-PIKA PIKA…" Pikachu kept on shouting, trying his very best to drill through the wall. He was slowly making more and more progress, as cracks in the Max Rockfall started appearing, but the pain from holding the Max Rockfall was starting to get practically unbearable
Ash, noticing his partner Pokemon being pushed almost to his limit, gave one last shout of support. "GO FOR IT PIKACHU! I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!"
"P-PIKA… P-PIKA…" Pikachu, knowing at this point it was all or nothing, gave one last final push, and put all the energy he had left into spinning and using Iron Tail. "PIKACHU~"
With one final cry, Pikachu started spinning almost as fast as an actual drill and, miraculously, after originally seemingly impossible, a crack sound was heard and Pikachu broke all the way through the Max Rockfall. The giant wall swiftly collapsed onto the floor soon after, dust flying all over the battlefield, with Pikachu having successfully made it to the other side.
"ALRIGHT!" Ash practically jumped in ecstasy. Pikachu had actually done it!
"I C-CAN'T BELIEVE IT! PIKACHU ACTUALLY DRILLED THROUGH THE MAX ROCKFALL! WHAT CAN THIS LITTLE MOUSE NOT DO!?" The commentator screamed on the edge of his seat, barely believing what was happening in front of his own eyes.
"GO FOR THE HIT PIKACHU!" Ash commanded, knowing Pikachu had a free shot at Gigantamax Charizard.
"PIKA PIKACHU!" Pikachu screamed still airborne, as he kept on spinning whilst using Iron Tail. Eventually, Pikachu's tail collided head on with the giant Charizard, and despite being not very effective, the move made the giant stagger back due to the added force of Pikachu's rapidly rotating Iron Tail.
The electric mouse swiftly landed on all fours in the center of the battlefield after successfully landing his hit, looking exhausted, yet determined. Ash and Pikachu grinned in unison.
One Max Move down, one to go.
With Ash's friends in the stands…
As the crowd erupted into cheers loud enough to make your ears bleed, the loudest of cheers were not surprisingly among Ash's friends.
"OH MY ARCEUS! HE DID! PIKACHU ACTUALLY DID IT!" Dawn practically squealed, jumping up and down like crazy. "GUYS, PIKACHU ACTUALLY DID IT!"
"I C-CAN BARELY BELIEVE IT!" Chloe chimed in with the same ecstasy. "PIKACHU IS SO AWESOME!"
"NOW IS ASH'S CHANCE! HE COULD A-ACTUALLY DO THIS!" Sophocles said in a panic, barely keeping himself together.
"GO FOR IT ASH!" The entire group screamed.
Back on the battlefield…
Ash, knowing he couldn't let this opportunity go by, quickly left his excitement behind and focused back on the battle. The momentum was now on his side, and he was fully planning on taking advantage of it.
"Get up close Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, once again throwing his hand in front of him. Pikachu did what he was told and rushed once more towards Leon's Pokemon. "Use a flurry of Iron Tails on its legs!"
"Stomp on the ground!" Leon suddenly exclaimed, back to seriousness. Whilst he was beyond impressed by just how determined Ash and Pikachu were to win, he had a title to defend after all, and he wasn't planning on giving it up any time soon.
Charizard gave a loud roar before stomping his right foot on the ground, causing a makeshift earthquake. Pikachu wasn't expecting this and eventually lost his footing before he got the chance to land his move. Thankfully, he managed to readjust himself midair and plant his tail on the ground so he would have a rather soft landing, right behind Charizard.
Pikachu took off once more for the opposing Pokemon. This time he got there fast enough to land a few Iron Tails, and caused Charizard to lose its balance more than once, dealing not a lot of damage on its own, but as he kept attacking the Flame Pokemon's legs, the damage was slowly racking up, with Leon not being able to do much against it due to Charizards size.
After a good while of constant hits, Ash started to get a little worried by Leon's lack of a response. 'Why is he just letting me attack!?' Ash thought to himself. 'Leon's not the type to just let the damage rack up…''
As Pikachu retreated back to Ash after finishing his flurry of Iron Tails, Ash glanced towards his opponent and saw him still calm and silent. He sensed something was wrong. Was Leon really about to just let him have another free attack?
At this point, Ash felt his Z-Power Ring on his left wrist pulsate, almost teasing him into using his famous Pikashunium Z. 'If he is just going to let me attack, then maybe…'
Ash raised his wrist in front of him slightly, a look of seriousness on his face, the reflection of the shiny Z-Crystal practically shining through the massive Dynamax clouds above the stadium.
"LOOKS LIKE ASH MIGHT BE PREPARING HIS RENOWNED Z-MOVE, THIS COULD BE DISASTROUS FOR LEON IF HE DOESN'T ACT QUICKLY!"
Pikachu let out a cry of surprise after hearing the commentators' words and looked back at Ash momentarily, slightly taken aback at the fact his trainer had prepared his Z-Ring.
Ash took another look at Leon and saw him still with the same expression as earlier, further putting him in doubt. 'Should I really just… go for it now?...'
The Pallet Town trainer started becoming really uneasy. He knew that, logically speaking, the smartest move at the moment was to just use his Z-Move. Considering how fatigued Pikachu was, really his last hope was to use it now, almost guaranteeing the fact Leon's Charizard would survive the hit, and then hope Pikachu can defeat Charizard normally. Ash knew that, despite dealing good damage with Iron Tails, he was still very much at a huge disadvantage considering the state of his Pokemon compared to Leon's, and using his Z-Move was possibly his only chance left to turn the tides…
Ash glanced at Pikachu once more, the Pokemon now having his eyes completely focused on his opponent. The electric mouse's breathing could easily be heard, as he continuously fought through all the pain and fatigue he was feeling to stay in the battle. Ash frowned. 'But… If I can just last one more Dynamax turn and deal just a little more damage, I know we can finish it with our Z-Move… I know it! B-But there's no way Pikachu can last-'
"Pikapi!" Pikachu suddenly snapped, turning his head to face his trainer, surprising him. The Pokemon didn't utter a single word, and simply kept staring at Ash intently, almost as if he knew the conflict he was debating in his mind. The pair stared at each other for a while, with everything around them becoming nothing but a distant and foggy mess of cheers and screams, as the duo of trainer and Pokemon had a silent conversation.
They both knew how big this moment was. Their actions from here until the end of the battle would be critical, and one mistake could make them lose maybe their one and only chance at becoming the world's best Pokemon trainer. All the efforts of Lucario, Dragonite, Gengar, Sirfetch'd and Dracovish throughout the entire World Coronation Series could all have been for nothing, simply if they made the wrong decision right here, right now. Ash might never get the opportunity to battle Leon and take his crown again, and he knew that very well.
"PIKA-PIKAPI!" Suddenly shouted the tiny mouse again, taking Ash by surprise as Pikachu stared at Ash dead in the eyes. Despite still not saying anything vocally, Ash quickly realized what Pikachu wanted.
He didn't want to use their Z-Move now, he wanted to outlast the giant opposing him.
Upon making his realization, Ash abruptly chuckled and grinned. Of course, Pikachu was just like him after all...
He wanted to defy the odds once more, and win this battle with their special move later.
"Think you can last a little longer buddy?" The trainer asked, despite already knowing his Pokemon's answer.
Pikachu, regardless of looking not at all ready to last much longer, knew he wanted to finish the battle with his and his trainer's own move, so despite his horrible state, he smirked and turned around, ready to give it all he had.
"Right… We're going to win this battle our way…" Ash practically whispered.
This would be the final big gamble of the battle, ultimately deciding the match as a whole. Either Pikachu outlasts Gigantamax Charizard and weakens him enough in the process to ensure the win with Pikashunium Z once Charizard returns to normal, or, the more likely outcome, Pikachu goes down before having the chance to do just that. Despite almost certainly costing him the entire tournament if things went even slightly wrong, he was going to do what always did…
Trust his dear Pokemon till the very end.
"Run Pikachu!" Ash suddenly ordered as Pikachu took off for Charizard, with the aim to start dealing as much damage as possible.
The commentator gave a surprised look upon seeing Ash lower his wrist, deciding not to use his Z-Move. "OH MY, IT SEEMS LIKE ASH OPTS OUT OF USING HIS Z-MOVE, ASH IS TAKING QUITE THE RISK HERE! CAN PIKACHU REALLY LAST THAT MUCH LONGER?"
With Ash's friends in the stands…
"W-What!? B-But I thought Ash had the perfect opportunity to use his Z-Move!" A confused May couldn't help but exclaim.
"Y-Yeah me too…" Tracey added, knowing just how powerful his and Pikachu's Z-Move was, and finding it strange he'd opt out of it, especially with how weakened Pikachu was.
As some of the people in the group started discussing why Ash would not use his Z-Move, Ash's Alola friends kept quiet, until abruptly…
"I think Ash is doing the right thing." Lana suddenly spoke up, gaining the attention of everyone around her.
"Lana's right." Kiawe added, now switching the attention to him. "He knows Pikashunium Z is the most powerful move in his arsenal, and he wants to wait out Leon's Gigantamax before using it, so when Ash does use it, that will for sure decide the battle."
"I think I understand…" Cilan said. "In other words, if Ash uses it now, there's a higher chance of Leon either matching it with a Max Move or simply having enough stamina to endure it…"
"... But if Ash uses it when Charizard returns to normal and has taken a little more damage, the battle is almost guaranteed his…" Misty added on to what Cilan said.
"B-But come on! Just look at Pikachu!" Iris suddenly shouted. "T-There's no way he can last one more turn of Dynamax right!? He practically looks like he's about to collapse any minute!"
Nobody responded to Iris's remark, mainly because they knew she was right.
Back on the battlefield…
As Pikachu approached Charizard, Ash gave more specific orders. "Climb up its body Pikachu!"
"Stomp on the ground again!" Leon commanded his giant Pokemon once more.
"Jump!" Ash quickly said in reply. He wasn't falling for that one again.
Right before Charizard stomped its feet on the ground, Pikachu leapt into the air, avoiding the mini earthquake, and swiftly landed right back on the battlefield before continuing on running.
"Swipe your tail Charizard!" Leon then ordered, hoping to catch the little mouse by surprise.
G-Max Charizard let out a roar as it quickly swiped its tail across the ground, trying to send Pikachu off course. Ash was ready though.
"Use it as a platform! Then keep running up its back!" The Pallet Town native countered.
With impeccable timing, Pikachu waited for the perfect moment to launch himself off the ground once again and land cleanly on the dragon's tail. The electric type had to balance himself out as Charizard's tail kept sweeping across the battlefield for a few more moments, but thankfully, Pikachu readjusted himself quickly, and then used Quick Attack to start climbing up the giant's back.
"LEON IS TRYING EVERYTHING TO STOP PIKACHU, BUT ASH AND PIKACHU ARE REPLYING WELL!" The commentator acknowledged, noting how flawlessly the young teenager and his Pokemon were countering everything Leon and Charizard were throwing at them.
Leon narrowed his eyes. If he was honest, he too was surprised Ash didn't use his Z-Move just earlier. Pikachu was practically running on his last legs, and he still had one turn of Dynamax left.
'... I know you like risks, Ash, but this one goes too far…' Leon thought to himself. He was taken aback by Ash multiple times throughout this tournament, and even in just this final matchup, Ash got out of a lot of situations in which Leon was almost certain any other trainer would have been doomed.
But at the same time, Ash was asking a lot from his Pokemon, pushing their abilities to barely believable feats, and Leon was going to finally show the young trainer that battling this carelessly doesn't always work out.
Ash, looking completely focused and more determined than ever, continued giving orders to Pikachu. "Go all the way up its head!" The tiny mouse Pokemon continued making its way all the way to the top of G-Max Charizard, slowly but surely approaching the Flame Pokemon's head.
Leon narrowed his eyes, eyeing Pikachu closely. "Stay calm Charizard!" He said. Leon knew he just had to wait for the right moment to catch Pikachu and Ash off guard, and when he did, the battle was his.
Pikachu huffed and puffed until he eventually reached the top of Charizard's head, the Pokemon towering over the battlefield. Ash decided to just go for as much damage as possible. "Thunderbolt! Go for it!"
"Pika…" The electric mouse still atop of the Gigantamax Pokemon built up electricity in his cheeks and unleashed a discharge of energy, electrocuting Charizard, the fire type roaring in pain from the super effective. "...CHU!"
"AND PIKACHU UNLEASHES A POWERFUL THUNDERBOLT FROM ON TOP OF CHARIZARD! WHAT WILL LEON'S RESPONSE BE?"
Leon's facial expression didn't change whatsoever, despite his Pokemon still receiving damage from the continuous Thunderbolt. "Don't budge Charizard!" He ordered.
Despite the damage he was receiving, G-Max Charizard followed its orders and stayed put, letting Pikachu freely rack up the damage.
Ash frowned upon hearing Leon's command. 'What is Leon doing…?' He knew his opponent had some sort of plan, but he was stumped as to what it actually was. Ash shook himself, realizing Leon was messing with his head. 'Right… Forget about Leon… Just focus on damage…' He reminded himself.
"Keep going Pikachu!"
"PIKA~" Ash's Pokemon cried, as he kept on using Thunderbolt, discharging more and more energy, and subsequently dealing more and more damage.
"PIKACHU'S THUNDERBOLT RAINS ON, CHARIZARD SURELY MUST BE FEELING THE EFFECTS BY NOW!" The commentator mentioned that Charizard could visibly be seen struggling against the discharge of electricity by the little mouse at the top of his head.
"STAY PUT CHARIZARD!" The undefeated Champion ordered again, his Pokemon following the orders loyally.
Ash's eyes visibly widened at Leon's words. Despite his best attempts at leaving the doubts in his mind, he couldn't shake off the feeling of nervousness and anxiety from the fact Leon still hadn't moved. His heartbeat was speeding up, and his palms were starting to get sweaty. 'What on earth is he planning!?'
Fortunately yet unfortunately for Ash, he wouldn't have to wait much longer for Leon to finally make his move.
"NOW! SLAP YOUR TAIL ON THE GROUND AND FLAP YOUR WINGS! AS HARD AS YOU CAN!" The Monarch suddenly ordered.
Immediately, Charizard started frantically slapping his long tail on the ground and flapping his giant wings of fire aggressively, both of which causing Pikachu to let out a yelp of surprise and abruptly stop using his move, as Charizard's sudden movements made Pikachu struggle to stay still on top of Charizard's head.
"P-PIKA… P-PIKACHU!" The Pokemon screamed in a panic, as he frantically tried to keep his balance on Charizard.
"PIKACHU!" Ash screamed in worry. He needed to do something fast, or else Pikachu would fall off. "QUICK! ELECTRO WEB ON ITS TAIL, KEEP IT STILL!"
"P-PIKA…" Pikachu tried its best to build up electricity on its tail, trying to ready an Electro Web, but found himself incapable of doing so. Charizard's frantic movements mixed with how fatigued he was meant Pikachu didn't have enough stamina to build up electricity, especially after the long Thunderbolt assault he had just done.
"P-PIKACHU!" Ash screamed once more, seeing his partner struggle to launch his move.
Leon smirked. Looks like the little mouse finally tired out…
"SHAKE YOUR HEAD CHARIZARD! LAUNCH PIKACHU OFF!" Upon hearing his trainer's command, Charizard shook his head from left to right rapidly. Despite his best efforts, Pikachu was simply too tired to do anything, and was eventually launched off Charizard's head and sent flying through the air.
"AND PIKACHU IS OFF, ASH'S POKEMON IS TOO TIRED TO DO ANYTHING! LEON HAS SUDDENLY TAKEN BACK CONTROL OF THE BATTLE!"
Ash couldn't believe how stupid he was. Of course Leon had a plan, it's Leon! The Monarch had purposefully let him get greedy and made Pikachu tire himself out, making the Pokemon unable to counter Leon's surprise attack. 'I-I should've known!… How could I let my guard down so easily!?'
"Got too greedy too fast Ash…" Leon from across the battlefield said, noticing the trainer in shock. "I'm sorry Ash… but this battle's mine!"
Leon then, launching his arm forwards commandingly, ordered Charizard to attack the now defenseless Pikachu. "Now… Charizard, slash with your claws! End this now!"
"Q-Quick! Block it!" Shouted Ash in a panic.
Pikachu, still flying uncontrollably through the air, tried his best to readjust himself and use Iron Tail to block the incoming attack from Charizard. Just as the giant fire type was about to slash the electric mouse, Pikachu quickly brought its tail up in an attempt to match it, but it was no use.
Due to the fatigue, Pikachu failed to block the move and easily got overpowered, and subsequently got launched across the battlefield.
"P-PIKACHU!..." Ash screamed in horror seeing his Pokemon shoot across the stadium lifelessly. The little mouse got knocked so far back he hit the back of the stadium wall, with a sound that made Ash flinch.
Leon closed his eyes upon seeing Ash's Pokemon get overpowered by his own, and whispered to himself. "It's over Ash…"
"AND LEON LANDS THE HIT! I THINK THIS IS THE END FOLKS, AS ASH'S PIKACHU WAS SIMPLY TOO TIRED TO DO ANYTHING AND EASILY GOT OVERPOWERED, WITH LEON NOT EVEN NEEDING TO USE THE LAST TURN OF GIGANTAMAX…" The commentator announced, seeing Pikachu be sent crashing into the wall, surely ending the battle.
Ash was seemingly frozen in place, not being able to move a muscle, as he stared at the explosion in the wall, where Pikachu had collided. "...P-Pikachu… N-No…"
He didn't want to believe it, it horrified him, but as the referee, riding on his Aegislash, slowly approached the scene of the explosion to inspect the huge pile of rubble caused by Pikachu crash landing into the wall, Ash slowly started to consider a thought that terrified him.
'...D-Did… Did I… just lose?...'