The sun was shining brightly, with an airplane flying over the beautiful Hoenn region. Ash and Goh were asleep, but Chloe couldn't help but look gleefully at the land below her. She then looked down at Eevee.
"Eevee, let's make sure to have as much fun as possible!" She tells her partner.
Eevee smiles happily at her trainer. "Eevui!"
As the sun continued to rise, the plane landed smoothly at the Ever Grande airport. The door to the airplane opens, and the trio steps out, all smiling and all.
Ash couldn't help but shout, "Alright!!"
Chloe recoiled a bit at the sound of Ash's booming voice. "I know you're excited, but that was right in my ear."
Goh lightly laughed. "That's Ash for you."
"Sorry, Chloe. I'm just so excited to fight Winona again!" Ash said excitingly.
Chloe smiled at the ecstatic boy. "It's fine. Speaking of, what team are you using?"
Goh grew curious as well. "Yeah. I know you're carrying Lucario on you. Who will your final Pokémon be?"
Ash grabbed two Pokeballs from his grey backpack, before throwing them and sending out Dragonite and Lucario.
"I decided to go with Dragonite! And, a little trump card!" He raised his left arm, showing the Z-Ring on his wrist. It had a blue-colored crystal in it, with the symbol of wings.
"That's your Z-Ring, right? It's different from the yellow crystal I saw in it the other day." Chloe commented.
Ash chuckled. "Yeah! This one is a Flyinium Z!"
"Oh, let me guess! That can let you do a Flying Type Z-Move!?" Goh hypothesized.
"I thought that was obvious." Chloe thought.
"Yep! Dragonite and I have been practicing a lot, even before our battle with Winona. So, we're going to show the results of our training!" Ash says confidently.
Chloe couldn't help but smile. "I'm sure you'll do great!" She said, holding out her fist
Ash looked at it for a second, before smiling and returning the fist bump.
"You know, it's only been about one day, but you guys have grown a stronger bond!" Goh noted.
Chloe lightly smirked. "You think so?"
"Well, of course! Chloe is really easy to talk to!" Ash said excitingly.
"Eevui!" Eevee cooed happily, agreeing with Ash's compliment.
Chloe blushed a little bit as she scratched the back of her head. "T-Thanks, Ash." She replied a little flustered.
"Oh and I'm not?" Goh joked with a smirk.
Ash smiled and giggled. "It's not that. She just seems to be very understanding and can understand people in an instant! The best way I can describe it!"
Chloe was a little surprised to hear these compliments about her. She then gave a huge smile.
"Thank you, Ash. That means a lot!"
Goh looked at his Rotom Phone and gasped. "Ash! It's almost time for your match! Let's get going!" He spoke quickly.
Ash and Chloe nod, as the three begin running toward the Ever Grande Stadium!
"Welcome to the Pokémon World Coronation Series!" The stadium announcer announces. "Today, we have an extra interesting Ultra Class battle!"
As this was happening, Chloe and Goh walked along the staircases and found their seats, before sitting down.
Goh was geeking out. "This is so exciting! This is Ash's first Ultra Class battle!"
Chloe grinned brightly. "I'm feeling excited too!" She says gleefully. "Eevee! Let's cheer for Ash as loud as possible!"
Eevee looks up at Chloe, before smiling and cooing happily. "Eevui!"
"Today we have two very special opponents!" The announcer said.
At that very moment, two platforms rose from the ground. On the left, at least from Chloe and Goh's perceptive, was Winona.
"We first have one of the strongest Hoenn Gym Leaders, Contestant Winona!" After that was said, the crowd cheered.
"So, that's Winona," Goh spoke softly.
"I don't know how, but she gives off the vibe of a tough opponent." Chloe comments.
Goh nodded in agreement. But, their attention was turned when the announcer spoke once more.
"And finally, the one who has been climbing through the ranks of the World Coronation Series at a record pace and is the Alola Region's Champion, Contestant Ash Ketchum!" The announcer shouts.
As Ash and Pikachu rose from the ground, the crowd was even louder for him, but even more so, Chloe's jaw was dropped.
"D-Did the announcer just say...?" Chloe asked, still shocked.
"Yeah! Did you not know?" Goh asked her.
Chloe gave a judgmental look. "Does it look like I knew?!"
Ash looked at the other side of the battlefield, seeing Winona.
"Hey! Winona!" He shouted. "Pika!" Pikachu shouted too.
The woman looked on, seeing the young boy before smirking.
"Ash! It's been a while! You know, you've made a name for yourself in the World Coronation Series!" She said.
Ash grinned as he scratched the back of his head.
"I'm just aiming for my dream to be a Pokémon Master! And when I beat Leon, I think that's when I'll reach that dream!" Ash speaks confidently.
Winona smiled. "That's good. Let's do our very best, Champion of Alola!"
The Rotom Drone flies around the battlefield, before ending up in the middle.
"This is an official Pokémon World Coronation Series Match! Each side will use Three Pokémon, in a Single Battle Style!" The Rotom Drone said.
"Trainers, send out your Pokémon at one time! Three, Two, One!"
Winona and Ash close their eyes, as they grab their Pokeballs. They then throw them with all their might.
"Lucario! I choose you!" Ash shouts.
"Skarmory! It's time to fly!" Winona shouts.
Both Pokeballs opened, releasing the part Steel Types. Skarmory and Lucario stared each other down with an intense feel for the battle.
"Oh? I've never seen that Pokémon before." Goh says, as he then scans it with his Rotom Phone.
"Skarmory. The Armor Bird Pokémon. Steel and Flying Type. Its sturdy wings look heavy, but its bones are hollow and light, allowing it to fly freely in the sky." The Rotom Phone says.
"You got this, Ash! You can win!" Chloe cheers from the stands.
"Battle, Start!" The Rotom Drone announces.
"Lucario! Aura Sphere!" Ash commands.
Lucario cups her paws together, with a ball of dark blue energy forms around them.
"Skarmory! Use Autotomize!" Winona calls out.
Skarmory spins around, a wave of orange energy shooting upwards around its body before it then disappears.
Ash throws his fist forward. "Let's go!"
Lucario squints her eyes, as she then throws the ball of energy at the Armor Bird Pokemon.
Winona spins, before placing her right palm on the ground, and her left arm high behind herself.
"Fly and avoid it!"
Skarmory takes off at blistering speeds due to Autotomize's effect of raising speed. It attempts to spin and dodge as much as possible, however, the Aura Sphere just wouldn't let up.
"Flying away seemingly won't work. Attack it head-on with Steel Wing!" She shouts.
"Skar!" Skarmory cooed as its wings gained a steel coating.
It then turns and flies toward the sphere of aura energy, clashing its left-wing against it. After a little struggle, it was flung back towards the ground, causing a mini-explosion.
"And in a magnificent show in speed, Skarmory has canceled out Lucario's attack!" The announcer said.
Ash throws his right arm forward, his hand clutched into a fist. "Don't let up! Use Metal Crash!"
"Luuu..." Lucario raises her hands in the air, as a large ball of steel is generated.
"CAR!!" She roars as she throws the large ball of iron at Skarmory.
"SKAR!!" Skarmory was immediately caught off guard and hit by the oncoming special attack.
Chloe looked rather shocked. She had never seen a move like that before. "Woah! That's such an insane attack!"
However, Goh looked very skeptical. "Yeah... But I've never seen that kind of move before."
"What an intense move!! I've never seen anything like it!!" The announcer exclaimed.
Winona was looking on in confusion. Seemed like she had never seen it either.
"You like that? At some point I thought, instead of trying to learn already existing moves, we could go further! So, we created our very own move!" Ash said as he made movements in sync with Lucario.
Winona smirked. "As expected from you of all people, Ash. But, we won't give up yet! Use Brave Bird!"
Skarmory flies through and out of the smoke left from the Metal Crash then is surrounded by a blue aura as it speeds off toward Lucario.
"Lucario! Block it!" Ash commands.
Lucario puts her arms up, as the Armor Bird Pokemon crashes against her. She tries her best to keep up the defensive but eventually is overpowered and sent tumbling over. However, she regains her composure and is rather quickly back on her feet.
"Lucario's defense was good, but not enough to stop that powerful Brave Bird!" The announcer says excitingly.
Skarmory flies up but recoils due to Brave Bird's recoil damage. This gives Ash an opening.
"Lucario! Copycat!"
Lucario's eyes glow blue, as she analyses Skarmory's last Brave Bird. She then puts all her paws on the ground, before taking to the sky, a blue aura surrounding her.
Winona spins before putting her left leg in front of her right and putting her arms up behind her pack in a sort of flying pose.
"Skarmory! Dodge it!"
Skarmory flies around at high speeds, but Lucario is surprisingly close behind it. Lucario uses all her might, but eventually speeds up enough to land a blow on Skarmory, knocking it to the ground. But, this didn't come without consequence, as Lucario had taken recoil from using the flying type move.
"Skarmory, keep up the pressure with Double Team!" Winona commands.
"Skar!" Skarmory flies in place, as multiple illusions surround Ash's Lucario.
Ash clenches his left fist. "Lucario! Aura Sphere!"
Lucario creates yet another ball of energy with her paws, as she looks at all the illusions. She looks at Ash and the two nod at each other. She then turns around quickly and throws it at one of the many Skarmory, hitting the real one.
"Skar!!" Skarmory winced in pain as it crashes against the stadium wall.
"What an impressive detection from Lucario! This Aura Pokémon isn't one you want to mess with!" The announcer said.
"Must be because of that aura thing that Ash was talking about," Chloe says, recalling what Ash told her the day before.
"Ash probably knew which of the illusions was real and told Lucario through the aura to not give it away to Winona," Goh replied.
Winona suddenly pulls out a Pokeball.
"Skarmory. Return." She said, as red energy absorbs the Armor Bird Pokémon and back into its Pokeball. She then grabs another one.
"Altaria! Let's take flight!" She shouts as she throws it.
Blue energy releases, as the fluffy dragon bird materializes from its ball, chirping happily.
"Altaria?" Chloe said as she pulled out her Rotom Phone and scanned it.
"Altaria. The Humming Pokémon. Dragon and Flying Type. On sunny days, it flies freely through the sky and blends into the clouds. It sings in a beautiful soprano." Her Rotom Phone said.
"Wow... There are a lot of Pokémon in this world aren't there?" Chloe said audibly.
Goh turns to her with a smile. "Yep! Ash should know. He's been all over the world."
Ash throws his fists up in the air, with a massive grin.
"Lucario! Aura Sphere!" He called out.
"Altaria! Dragon Breath!" Winona shouts.
The two Pokémon begin to charge up their moves, as they stare each other down in the process.
"Lu... CARIO!" Lucario fires off her Aura Sphere.
"All! Altaria!" And Altaria shoots her Dragon Breath.
The blue orb of energy and the purple breath with the manifestation of a dragon clash heavily, sending massive shock waves across the battlefield. It even causes some of the audience members to cover their faces, including Goh and Chloe.
"That's some power!" Goh comments.
Chloe smiled. "Yeah! But honestly, it makes the battle really exciting!"
The attacks finally give out and cause a massive explosion, sending black smoke throughout most of the arena.
Winona smirks. "Altaria, while the smoke is here! Use Earthquake!"
Altaria spins and flies at the, smashing her wings against it. She then sends a large crack toward Lucario, which struck the Aura Pokémon and sent her in the air.
"Keep up the pressure! Land and use Reversal!" Ash tells her.
Lucario nodded, as she skids across the ground, and her aura bursts. The orange energy she gave off completely dissipated the smoke, as she speeds across the arena and is right in front of Altaria.
"Altaria! Moonblast!" Winona shouts in worry.
Altaria charges up a blast full of moonlight, as Lucario then forms a ball of orange energy in her right paw. She thrusts it down at Altaria's head before the Humming Pokemon fires off the Fairy Type move. Both Pokémon took the hits and were sent flying back to their side of the arena.
"Altaria!" Winona shouts.
"Lucario!" Ash shouts.
The smoke around each Pokémon clears, as Altaria and Lucario rise, although Lucario has taken more damage. Ash grabs her Pokeball and presses it, returning her to rest up.
"Return, for now, Lucario. You did well!" Ash said.
"Contestant Ash has returned Lucario! Who will his next choice be?" The announcer wondered.
The boy then looks to his left shoulder, looking at his partner Pokémon.
"You ready, buddy?" He asked Pikachu.
Pikachu smirked. "Pikachu!"
"Pikachu! I choose you!" Ash shouts.
As he did, Ash stuck out his right arm as Pikachu ran across his shoulders and arm, before jumping off and getting a stance for battle. Just then the announcer speaks.
"It seems Ash has chosen Pikachu! How will this battle go?"
Ash throws his right arm forward before pulling it back and turning his hand into a fist.
"Pikachu! Iron Tail!"
"Pika!" Pikachu jumps into the air, and his tail is quickly surrounded by bits of steel and iron.
"Altaria! Moonblast!" Winona commands.
Altaria once again creates a ball of moonlight, before firing it at the Electric Mouse Pokémon.
"Chu~! Pika!" Pikachu swings his iron-coated tail, clashing it against the energy blast. But eventually, Pikachu comes out on top and hits the attack right back against Altaria, landing a super-effective blow.
"And Pikachu comes out on top! Altaria must be feeling that one!" The announcer shouts.
"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouts.
Pikachu jumps into the air as he is surrounded by electricity. He then unleashes all that power on Altaria, landing a devastating shock. As Altaria tries to regain composure, Winona smirks.
"I commend your strength, Ash. And your ability to train your Pokémon! But, I won't give up easily."
"Use Attract!"
"Eevui?" Eevee wondered.
"Attract?" Chloe said confused.
Altaria spins majestically, as she is then surrounded by hearts and winks at Pikachu. The hearts then surround Pikachu and circle in on him.
"... Piikaa!!" Pikachu says happily, as he then has hearts for eyes.
"A-Ah! Pikachu!" Ash said, trying to call out to his buddy.
Winona spins and points toward the Electric Mouse.
"Altaria! Use Earthquake!"
Altaria flies high into the air, before flying down towards the arena floor. And just like before, she slams her wings against the ground and sends a massive crack.
"Pikachu! Return to me!" Ash shouts.
But Pikachu was just acting all lovey-dovey, as he is then hit by the Ground Type move, taking a lot of damage.
"Now! Dragon Breath!" Winona shouts.
Altaria charges up the purple energy in her beak, as she then fires the manifested look of a dragon at Pikachu, smashing it against him.
"Tch, Dragonite! I choose you!" Ash says.
He throws the Pokeball and sends out the Dragon Pokémon, as Ash runs up and grabs Pikachu.
"It seems Ash had to switch out Pikachu earlier than expected! He has revealed his final Pokémon, Dragonite!" The announcer says.
"So... Attract puts a Pokémon in some sort of trance?" Chloe asks Goh.
"Yeah. If the Pokémon is the opposite gender as the Pokémon using the move, it will make them infatuated with the user." Goh explains.
Chloe looks down at Ash but gains a confident look.
"Even if this is a setback, I'm sure Ash can still win!"
Goh smirks as he throws his fist into the air, before lowering it back down.
"Of course! He's Ash after all!"
Ash bent down and pet his loving partner Pokemon.
"Sorry buddy," Ash said. "You won't be able to do much when you're in this trance."
He then stands up firm and looks at Dragonite.
"Dragonite, we got this! Use Dragon Dance!"
Dragonite spun around and flapped her wings, as a gust of wind surrounded her before an orange aura showered upwards.
"Altaria! Use Moonblast!" Winona calls out.
Altaria flies toward Dragonite, as it forms a ball of pink moonlight in its beak.
Ash puts his hands around his mouth, as he calls out to Dragonite.
"Dragonite! Dodge and use Dragon Claw!"
Dragonite speeds around, as Altaria shoots the ball of moonlight. She dodges, it before forming large green claws on her hands, before slashing them at Altaria and sending her to the ground.
"Dragon Dance! While it's down!" Ash commands.
As Dragonite once again attempts to use Dragon Dance, Altaria recovers sooner than Ash expected. Winona spins and directs her arm at Dragonite.
"Dragon Breath!"
Altaria shoots a large breath of dragon energy from her beak, which once again turns into a figure of a dragon. And as Dragonite completes her Dragon Dance, the attack crashes against her and sends her flying back.
"Don't let up! Use Ice Beam!" Ash shouts.
Dragonite opens her mouth, as a ball of ice-cold light appears. Winona is quick to react, however.
"Dodge it! Then use Attract!" She commands.
Altaria flies around at a record pace as Dragonite shoots the beam. She dodges the icy move, as she then spins and winks, before sending hearts around Dragonite. However, they break in half and Dragonite just looks confused.
"The attract didn't do anything! This must mean Contestant Ash's Dragonite has the same gender!" The announcer shouted.
"Heh! Dragonite! Use Dragon Claw!" Ash says.
Dragonite produces large sharp green claws from her hands, as she slashes at Altaria and lands a Super-Effective hit. Altaria falls to the ground and is severely damaged, even having a hard time standing.
"Tch... Altaria! Return!" Winona shouts.
Altaria is absorbed by the red energy as she is returned to her Pokeball. Winona grabs another Pokeball, before throwing it and sending out her Skarmory once more.
"Alright!" Goh shouts. "Ash got some great hits in!"
Chloe was processing the battle happening. She was impressed. She was already impressed enough with his battle with Articuno, but a three versus three like this?
"Skarmory again, huh? Sorry Dragonite, do you mind if I return you? I bet Lucario wants to settle the score." Ash asks her.
Dragonite smiled, as she nods. Ash presses the Pokeball and retrieves the Dragon Pokémon, before grabbing another Pokeball.
"Lucario! Let's settle this!" Ash shouts.
The Pokeball was thrown and the Aura Pokémon jumped out, before roaring. She was ready to battle once more.
"Skarmory! Double Team!" Winona commands.
Ash responds quickly. "Lucario! Copycat!"
The two Pokémon charge at one another, as multiple illusions of themselves, appear around the battlefield. Skarmory's and Lucario's were flying everywhere, attempting to attack one another, but only disappearing.
"Lucario! Aura Sphere!" Ash commands.
As Lucario cupped her paws together, a big dark blue ball of energy formed, before firing it at the Armor Bird Pokemon.
"Steel Wing! Hit it back!" Winona tells it.
Skarmory's wings are surrounded by iron, as it flies toward the fighting type special move. It clashes it against the attack, sending it back toward Lucario, who jumps and dodges it.
Ash moved his right arm across him, before pressing his left palm against the arm.
"Now! Use Reversal!"
Winona was sweating, as she desperately called out her next move.
"Use Brave Bird!"
Skarmory is wrapped in a blue aura, while Lucario is wrapped in an orange one. The former charges at the Aura Pokémon, while the latter forms a large orange orb in her hand. She thrusts it forward, as Skarmory crashes against it. The clash was so big, that it sent blue and orange shockwaves across the arena.
"It's a huge clash of Reversal and Brave Bird! You'll never see battles like this anywhere else folks!" The announcer says.
"Come on..." Chloe spoke under her breath.
"Eevui..." Eevee was worried.
Ash and Winona had to cover their faces respectively, even Pikachu, who had finally recovered from the Attract, had to hide behind Ash.
The two Pokemon struggled, as both of their attacks landed on each other, sending the two flying across the battlefield and into the stadium walls on either side.
The Rotom Drone flew over to check the aftermath of both attacks As the smoke cleared, Lucario got up but did stumble a bit. Skarmory on the other hand was seen with swirls for eyes.
"Skarmory is unable to battle! Lucario is the winner!" The Rotom Drone sad, announcing the fainting.
"And the first Pokémon is down! Contestant Ash is up by one!" The announcer said.
Ash smiled happily and threw his fist in the air. "Amazingly done, Lucario!"
Lucario smiled, as she stood and prepared for the next opponent.
"Yes!! Ash is ahead!" Goh yelled in excitement.
Chloe smiled, as she stood up. "Keep it up, Ash! You can win this! We believe in you!" She shouted.
"Eevui!" Eevee also joined in the shouts of encouragement.
Ash looked up towards the stands and smiled. "I promise you guys I will!" He replied.
Winona smiled as she pressed the Pokeball and returned Skarmory. She then looked at it.
"You did great Skarmory." She said, before grabbing her next ball and throwing it.
She finally reveals her last Pokémon, which is Pelipper. And as it is sent out, it begins to rain.
"It looks like Winona's last Pokémon has been revealed and it is Pelipper! And its ability Drizzle has activated!" The announcer said.
Chloe takes out her Rotom Phone and scans the newly introduced Pokémon.
"Pelipper. The Water Bird Pokémon. Water and Flying Type. It skims the tops of waves as it flies. When it spots prey, it uses its large beak to scoop up the victim with water. It protects its eggs in its beak." Her Rotom Phone said.
Lucario stances and gets ready to battle. And Ash is quick to make the first move.
"Lucario! Metal Crash!"
Lucario lifts her paws into the air, forming a large ball of iron above her, before throwing it down at Pelipper.
"Pelipper! Use Protect!" Winona calls out.
Pelipper gains a serious expression, as he spreads his wings and forms a protective barrier around them. The ball of iron crashes against the Protect, before being completely destroyed.
Winona then spins and raises her left arm in the air.
"Hydro Pump!"
Pelipper opens his beak wide, as a large amount of water fills his mouth, before shooting it toward Lucario. The Aura Pokémon puts her arms up, as she attempts to block the attack.
"Keep up the pressure with Air Slash!" Winona commands.
Pelipper then flaps his wings rapidly, as large slashes of air are sent toward Lucario.
"Dodge and use Aura Sphere!" Ash shouts.
Lucario jumps around and dodges, but is then hit once, before being rapidly damaged by the rest. She then attempts to charge her Aura Sphere, but then stumbles.
"Lucario didn't use her Aura Sphere!" Chloe said.
"She's arguably been fighting the most in this battle. The damage she's taken in her previous battles has probably gotten to her." Goh hypothesized.
Ash realizes this and takes out her Pokeball.
"Lucario, you've been doing great. But I think it's time you rest." Ash said
Lucario, although had regret in her eyes, nodded in agreement. She was then returned to her Pokeball.
"It seems Contestant Ash made the safe move and switched out Lucario." The announcer said.
Ash puts the Pokeball away, as he smiles and bends down to be on slight eye level with his partner Pokemon.
"Let's go at it again, Pikachu!" Ash says.
Pikachu smirks as he instantly jumps back onto the battlefield.
"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash calls out.
"Pika~! CHUUU!!" Pikachu jumps into the air, charging up electricity, as he then unleashed it on the Pelipper.
"Protect!" Winona quickly called out.
Pelipper puts up the protective barrier, as he tanks the Thunderbolt.
"Speed down using Quick Attack!" Ash commands.
As Pikachu unleashed that Thunderbolt, he charged up more energy in his body and used any remaining from his last attack to speed down with a powerful Quick Attack. He crashed against the Pelipper, sending him toward the ground!
"Pelipper, hang in there! Use Roost!" Winona says.
Pelipper slowly gets up, he then flaps his wings. Multiple feathers surround it, as some of his energy was then replenished.
Ash threw his left fist up like an uppercut. "Keep up the pressure with Iron Tail!"
Pikachu begins to encase his tail in iron, before jumping and swinging it, once again hitting it away.
"Right there! Use Hydro Pump!" Winona shouts.
Pelipper generates water from its beak, before shooting the large pump at Pikachu, who was sent flying back, then falling over.
"You okay, buddy?" Ash asks.
Pikachu stands up and nods. "Pika! Pikachu!"
Ash smirks. "Great! Now, use Poison Shock!"
Pikachu smirks, as a purple aura surrounds him. He then unleashes what seems to be purple electricity, which not only damages Pelipper but also leaves a poison effect on him.
"What is this?! Another unexpected move by Contestant Ash?!" The announcer shouted surprised.
"Another one of your moves you've developed?" Winona asked.
Ash smiled. "Yep! I learned Pikachu could learn the move, Toxic. So, we tried to use that and Thunderbolt two together and this is what we came up with! Although, it is a little less powerful and accurate than Thunderbolt."
"Heh. Pelipper! Use Air Slash!" Winona calls out.
Pelipper flaps his wings, as he sends multiple slashes of air at Pikachu.
"Dodge using Quick Attack!" Ash shouts.
Pikachu took off at high speeds, as he sidesteps and rolls from side to side, dodging each attack.
"Now! Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu then jumped into the air. "Pika~! CHUUU!!" He then charged up a lot of electricity, before unleashing it on Pelipper.
Winona quickly calls out, "Use Protect!"
Pelipper flaps his wings and produces a barrier, blocking the super-effective move. But this is what Ash wanted.
"Pikachu! Come back!" Ash said, as Pikachu then ran back. He then grabbed a Pokeball.
"Lucario! I choose you!"
He threw the capsule, as it opens and releases the Aura Pokémon, who looks better after resting a bit more.
"I won't try to keep you out long. I only need you for this. Use Metal Crash!" Ash shouts.
Lucario puts her paws up and created a large ball of iron. As she does, Winona calls out another move.
"Pelipper! Use Roost!"
Pelipper flaps his wings as feathers surround him once more, before being healed.
"Go!" Ash shouts.
Lucario throws his paws down, sending the ball of steel toward Pelipper. It crashed against the Water Bird Pokémon, although Winona looked confident. That is until the smoke cleared and Pelipper was severely injured. It could barely stand, let alone fly.
"Huh?!" Winona audibly gasped. "But, it shouldn't have done that much damage!"
"Return, Lucario! Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash said as Lucario returned to her Pokeball and Pikachu jumps back in.
"Let's finish this with Thunderbolt!" Ash commands.
"Use Protect!" Winona shouts.
Pikachu jumps in the air and charges himself with electrical energy. Pelipper attempts to flap his wings but does it very slowly. Too slow to even produce the move. Pikachu unleashes the electric energy and shocks Pelipper, causing it to fall for good with swirls of eyes.
"Pelipper is unable to battle! The winner is Pikachu!" The Rotom Drone announces.
"Yes! Ash is up by two! Only one more Pokémon to go!" Goh shouts excitingly.
However, Chloe just stared. Goh looked at her, a little concerned.
"You okay, Chloe?" He asked.
Chloe shook her head and looked at Goh. She then smiled. "Yeah. I'm honestly just surprised at how strong Ash is."
Goh laughed a little. "Yeah. He certainly isn't a pushover!"
"I'm wondering... Could I be that strong?" Chloe wondered.
Winona returned Pelipper, as she puts the Pokeball away. She, however, smiles as the rain stops.
"This is what I expected from you, Ash! I'm glad you have lived up to my expectations!" She told him.
Ash grinned, as he pets his Pikachu. "We're glad! We want to prove our status and climb the ranks!"
"If I may ask, that damage was a lot more than I expected. Is there any reason for that?" Winona asked.
Ash nodded. "Yeah! It's Metal Crash's secondary effect. If our opponent has any sort of damaging status condition like poison, then it will do double the damage!"
Winona smiled, as she finally sent back out her Altaria.
"I will say, you are quite clever. I never expected to use this during the World Coronation Series. But, it seems I have no choice." She said.
She then rolled up her sleeve, which reveals a Mega Ring! And a Key Stone to boot.
"A-Ah! That's a Key Stone!" Goh exclaims.
"Now that I remember... I think I did hear Ash mention that it can—" Chloe said, before being cut off by the amazement of the light shining from the Key Stone.
Winona pressed it, as the light disperses and leaked toward Altaria, whose Mega Stone was revealed in her fur. Light leaks from it, as the two leaking trails, connect.
"Altaria! Mega Evolve!!" Winona exclaimed.
Ash couldn't help but smirk. The Mega Evolution... The battle as a whole... was exciting! He knows he's strong, but that doesn't matter to him at this moment. All that matters is the thrill of the battle. This moment keeps up, even the Mega Evolution completes.
"It's incredible!! Contestant Winona has just Mega Evolved her Altaria!!" The announcer roars in excitement.
"Well, Ash. What do you think?" Winona asks.
"What do I think?" He replies.
Ash thrusts his fists into the air as he then speaks once more.
"I think... I think I'm having a lot of fun!!" He shouts.
Winona smiles. "Then, let's give it our all!"
Ash smirks, as he extends his arm out.
"Let's do this, Pikachu! Iron Tail!"
Pikachu nods, as he encased his tail in iron while jumping.
"Sorry, Ash. You probably should've switched out. You're weak to our attract." Winona comments.
But Ash continues to grin. "Into the ground, Pikachu!"
"Chu... PIKA!" Pikachu swings his tail, as it sticks to the ground, him sticking right up.
Winona looked a little confused. And so did Chloe and Goh.
"What does Ash got planned?" Goh asked himself.
Chloe tried to think of what Ash is trying to do. She thought over what moves Pikachu had.
"... Ah! Is he...?" Chloe said audibly.
Goh looked toward her. "What is it?"
"I don't know what you have planned, but it won't work. Use Attract!" Winona says.
Mega Altaria once again spins magnificently, as she winks and causes hearts to appear. They then fly towards Pikachu.
"Pikachu! Use Quick Attack while in that state!" Ash commands.
"Piii... KA!!" Pikachu shouts as he begins to vibrate rapidly. He vibrates faster and faster, creating large vibrates in the air. They're so powerful, that they knock away the hearts of attraction.
"Ultrasonic vibrations?" Goh asked Chloe.
She nodded in response. "Yeah. In that state, Pikachu's tail is in the ground without any other free movement. That means the power of his Quick Attack is condensed in that one spot. And it eventually leaks out, causing the vibrations to occur."
Goh looked impressed. "How did you calculate that?" He asked.
Chloe smiled. "Our science class had a similar experiment, remember?"
Goh thought for a moment, before snapping his fingers.
"Oh yeah! I do now!" He said before giggling.
"You need to pay attention in our classes more." Chloe thought to herself, before paying attention back to the battle.
"Heh. That was a nice move. However, you can't move properly now." Winona comments.
"Altaria... Earthquake!"
Mega Altaria flies into the air, before swooping back down and smashing her wings against the ground. She then sends a crack, which causes tremors and hits Pikachu for super-effective damage.
"PIKA!!" Pikachu exclaims in pain.
"Don't let up! Moonblast!" Winona shouts.
As Altaria showers her beak with moonlight, Ash quickly reacts.
"Pikachu! Use Poison Shock!" Ash shouts.
Pikachu regains composure, as he was surrounded by a purple aura. As Altaria finally fires her Moonblast, Pikachu fires his Poison Shock. The two attacks clashed, although not as intense as one might think. However, it came to a standstill as both attacks died out and caused an explosion.
"Dragon Breath!" Winona shouts.
Mega Altaria charges in and fires a dragon-figured beam of energy at Pikachu, hitting him and knocking him to the ground.
"Pikachu!" Ash shouts.
Pikachu struggles but eventually does get back up on his feet. Although Ash was in the lead, the downside is that his Pokémon have used up a large amount of strength by taking on so many battles.
"Attract!" Winona shouts.
"Pikachu! Iron Tail in the ground!" Ash commands.
As Altaria does her flirtatious dance, Pikachu encased his tail in iron and put it into the ground once more.
"Use Quick Attack!"
Pikachu vibrated once more, as the hearts were heading his way. But, Winona decided to do something else.
"While the Attract is going! Use Moonblast on those ultrasonic waves!" Winona commanded.
Mega Altaria charges up the ball of moonlight, before firing it. It clashes against the wave of ultrasonic vibrations, before causing a huge explosion.
"Did it work?" Goh asked.
As Pikachu jumped out from the ground, the hearts quickly surrounded him, putting him in that familiar trance.
"Oh no! Pikachu! Return!" Ash shouts.
However, Pikachu was too far gone. He was even more in love with Altaria's Mega Evolution state. This was the chance Winona needed.
"Altaria! Dragon Breath!"
Mega Altaria fired the beam of dragon energy at Pikachu, slamming it against him.
"Finish this with Earthquake!" Winona commands.
Mega Altaria slams her wings into the ground and causes a line of cracks and multiple tremors, which hit Pikachu head-on. Pikachu fell over, his eyes showing signs of being unconscious.
"Pikachu is unable to battle! Mega Altaria wins!" The Rotom Drone announces.
Goh and Chloe were just completely amazed that Pikachu was the first to be taken out, although, at the same time, they understood.
"What's Ash going to do now?" Chloe thought to herself.
"Eevui..." Eevee was very upset that Pikachu lost.
Ash walked over and picked up his buddy. Pikachu woke up and looked up at Ash, looking very disappointed in himself.
"Hey, don't be sad. You did amazing. You just used up too much energy, that's all." Ash assured him.
Pikachu smiled, as he lightly nuzzled Ash's cheek. The two walk back over to their side of the battlefield, with Ash putting Pikachu down on the ground.
"I could use Dragonite right now, but I have to make sure that Altaria can go down for good." Ash thinks.
He grabs one of his Pokeballs and prepares to throw it.
"Lucario! One last hurrah!"
The Pokeball was thrown, as Lucario appeared once again. She raised her paw in the air and ruffed, but did pant a bit afterward.
"Lucario looks like she's on her last ropes." Chloe comments.
"No doubt in my mind. She has arguably done most of the battling in this battle. Let's just hope she has enough to bring out a victory." Goh says.
Ash throws his right fist forward. "Lucario! Metal Crash!"
Lucario raised her paws into the air, yet again creating small pieces of iron, forming them into a huge ball of steel.
"Altaria! Moonblast!" Winona calls out.
As Lucario throws down the Metal Crash, Mega Altaria generates the pink moonlight ball, before firing it toward the oncoming attack. The two moves clashed, neither side letting up.
"Lucario! Jump above and use Aura Sphere!" Ash commanded.
Lucario used all of her strength to jump up, before forming an Aura Sphere in her paws. She then fired it, clashing it against the Metal Crash and giving it the force it needs to overpower that Moonblast and crash against Mega Altaria.
"Altaria! End this with Earthquake!" Winona shouts.
"Lucario! Dodge and use Aura Sphere!" Ash commands.
Mega Altaria takes to the sky as Lucario jumps into the air. However as she tries to use Aura Sphere, she flinches from how much damage she has taken all battle.
"Ah! Lucario!"
Mega Altaria swoops down and smashes her wings against the ground, sending multiple cracks and tremors at the Aura Pokémon. Lucario is sent into the air, as the attack collided with her. She fell, finally fainting.
"Lucario is unable to battle!" The Rotom Drone says. "Mega Altaria is the winner!"
Ash quietly walks over and helps up Lucario. The Aura Pokémon looks at him, a little saddened. But, Ash just smiles.
"You did amazingly, Lucario. You deserve to rest." Ash said.
Lucario smiles, as she is then returned to her Pokeball.
"Ash..." Chloe spoke softly. "What are you going to do?"
"Don't worry, Chloe!" Goh said gleefully.
"Ah!" Chloe turned in surprise.
Goh cupped his left hand into a fist. "Ash's Dragonite still has plenty of energy left in her! She'll win this!"
Chloe stared at Goh for a minute, before staring back at Ash. She then rose from her seat.
"Ash!" She shouts, which catches Ash's attention.
"You still got this! You can pull through!"
"Eevui!" Eevee shouts in encouragement.
"Ash! Show the world what you're made of!" Goh joined in.
Ash looks at Goh, before looking at Chloe. He gained a huge grin on his face, as he grabs his last Pokeball.
"You're right!" He says. He then used his free hand to turn his cap backward.
"Dragonite, I choose you!" He throws the Pokeball, sending out the Dragon Pokémon one last time.
Mega Altaria and Dragonite stare each other down, as they wait for one of the trainers to make the first move.
"This is the finale! Pay attention people! You don't want to miss it!" The announcer shouted.
"Dragonite! Hurricane!" Ash commands.
Dragonite flies up, as she rapidly flaps her wings. A large swirl of wind appears as it is sent towards the Mega Altaria.
"We can counter that! Altaria! Dragon Breath!" Winona exclaimed.
Mega Altaria flies up, as she fires a large dragon figure of purple energy from her mouth. The two attacks collide, and there is then a huge explosion.
"Dragon Dance!" Ash shouts.
Dragonite spins and flaps her wings, as she is washed over with orange light.
"Moonblast!" Winona says.
Mega Altaria flies up high, as she charges up the Moonblast, aiming it for Dragonite
"Use Ice Beam!" Ash commands.
Dragonite charges up her Ice Beam and fires it before Mega Altaria could finish her Moonblast. The hit dealt massive damage.
"We won't let up! Dragon Breath!" Winona shouts.
Mega Altaria flies around Dragonite while charging up the Dragon Breath, before instantly firing it from behind, knocking her to the ground.
Ash throws his right fist forward. "Don't let up! Hurricane!"
Dragonite flaps her wings once more, as she creates a large whirlwind of air, creating a large Hurricane.
"Fly around it!" Winona commands.
Mega Altaria gracefully flies about, ignoring the Hurricane.
"Now use Moonblast!"
The graceful Dragon and Fairy-type creates a large ball of moonlight, before firing it against the Dragon Pokémon, knocking her back once more.
"This isn't looking good!" Chloe said.
"Come on Ash! Think of something!" Goh said.
Ash was quick thinking. "... Ah! Dragonite! Hurricane, again!"
Dragonite does it one more time, flapping her wings and creating a tall stream of air.
Ash smirks as he clutches his left hand into a fist.
"Now... Fly into it!"
Chloe and Goh's eyes widened. "Huh?!"
Dragonite nodded, having her complete trust in Ash. She flies up and enters from the very top. She calls out to her trainer once she is inside.
"Now! Use Dragon Dance!" Ash commands.
Dragonite spins and flaps her wings, as that same orange light flows over her. Her attack and speed were even more powerful. However, that wasn't the only effect. The flapping of her wings, combine with her growth in power, pushed all sides of the Hurricane, extending it outward like a rubber band.
"The Hurricane is being extended outward?!" The announcer questions.
"Is that even possible?!" Goh exclaimed
Chloe didn't say a word until smiling. "It's Ash after all, right? He can find a way to make anything work!"
Winona starts to sweat. "Altaria! Use Moonblast! Cancel it out!"
Mega Altaria charges the Fairy-Type attack, and she then fired it. It clashed against the expanding Hurricane, but instead of canceling out the attack, the attack took it for a ride. Both attacks crashed against the mighty Mega Evolved Pokémon, causing it to crash into the stadium wall.
Dragonite proceeded to land but did stumble a bit. But, she looked at her trainer proudly. "Dragon!" She roared.
"I think it's time we end this, right?" Ash asks her, receiving a nod from her.
He took a deep breath, as he looked down at his Z-Ring. He then put his wrists in a cross position, activating the Flyinium Z.
"Ah!" Winona gasps in shock.
"He's going do it! He's using the Flyinium Z!" Goh said.
"Come on, Ash! I believe in you!" Chloe shouts.
"Eevui!" Eevee roars in encouragement.
"This is..." Ash said as he and Dragonite made a flapping motion, before charging back their right arms, then throwing their left arms into the air, with the Z-Power pouring into Dragonite.
"Our Full-Power!" Ash shouts.
"Dragonite~!!" Dragonite roars.
"Use Supersonic Skystrike!!"
Dragonite is surrounded by a blue aura, as she flies high into the sky. Once she gets enough height, she flies down at breakneck speeds and crashes against Mega Altaria, who had just finally regained her composure. And with that, a huge explosion occurred.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Everyone waited in anticipation...
"..."
"..."
"..."
The smoke cleared, with Dragonite standing on her two legs. Mega Altaria was on the ground. She slowly stood back up, looking at Dragonite. However, she then fell over once more. Her eyes had finally closed as she fell unconscious and downgraded back to her base state.
"Altaria is unable to battle! The winner is Dragonite! And that means the winner of the entire battle is, Contestant Ash Ketchum!" The Rotom Drone announces.
And with that, the entire crowd cheered loudly.
"AMAZING!! Champion Ash Ketchum has just defeated Gym Leader Winona!!" The announcer exclaims.
"Yes!!" Ash shouts, as he and Pikachu run over and hug Dragonite. "We did it, Dragonite!!"
Dragonite almost teared up, as she gave a massive hug back to her trainer.
"YES!! Awesome job, Ash!!" Goh shouted from the stands.
Chloe stood up, looking down at Ash once more. "Great job, Ash!!" She shouted.
Ash looked up at his two friends and smiled brightly.
"The World Coronation Series rankings have changed!" The Rotom Drone said.
"Contestant Winona depletes down to Rank 87, while Contestant Ash has risen to Rank 64, taking Winona's place!"
The battle had ended, as Ash and Winona met once more in the stadium lobby.
"You did amazing Ash. You've done well in training your Pokémon." Winona said proudly.
Ash smiled brightly. "Thank you, Winona!"
The Flying-Type Gym Leader extends out her hand to the young boy. "May we battle again one day!"
Ash looks at her hand, before instantly grabbing and shaking it. "I hope the same!"
The group waves goodbye to Winona, as she flies off on her newly healed Altaria. Ash then turns to Chloe and Goh.
"So? What did you guys think?" He asked them.
"IT WAS AMAZING!!" Goh shouted excitingly. "You had the upper hand at the beginning, but then things started dipping! But you eventually pulled through! Nothing less out of a battle like yours!"
Chloe smiled as she responded. "It was incredible! I've never seen a battle quite like that one before! And the Z-Move too, it was quite entertaining!" She said.
Ash scratched the back of his head. "Thank you, guys. I tried my best!" He said.
"Ash Ketchum! Your Pokémon are all fully healed!" Nurse Joy said.
Ash smiled, as he ran over to thank the nurse and collect his Pokémon.
As Goh watched Ash, he peered over at Chloe. She seemed a little too silent.
"Is something wrong?" He asked.
Chloe looked over at him. "Oh! It's nothing. Just, something I'm thinking about."
Goh tilted his head in confusion. "You know you can talk to me, right?" He assured her.
Chloe smiled. "Don't worry, I know. It's not a big deal. If I need help, I'll talk to you. I promise."
This was enough to ease Goh, as Ash came running back over.
"Alright! It's getting pretty late, so how about we set up camp?" Ash suggests. "Pika! Pika!" Pikachu agrees with his trainer.
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea," Chloe replies.
"Sounds nice to me!" Goh responds.
Ash smiles as he then grabs both his friend's hands. "Let's get going then!"
Goh and Chloe sigh, but smile as they are pulled out of the stadium by Ash.
The afternoon turned to evening, as the blue skies became orange. The trio was sitting by a table, with a comfortable tent nearby. If tents could be rated like hotels, it'd be five stars. They were eating the lunch they brought with them.
Ash took a bite out of his sandwich, as he looks at Goh.
"So? While we're in Hoenn, what Pokémon are you gonna catch?" He asked curiously.
Goh thought for a moment. "Well, I don't exactly plan it out. I just kind of see a Pokémon and go for it!"
"However, there doesn't seem to be any out at the moment. I'll try my luck tomorrow!"
Ash then looks straight ahead at Chloe and Eevee.
"How about you, Chloe? What are you going to do?" He asked.
Chloe locked eyes with Ash, as she processed what he said. She had AN idea but was reluctant to say it.
"I don't know. Maybe I'll just sightsee with Eevee." She responds.
Ash looked a little confused, as he looks at Goh, who shrugs.
The evening passed, as the sun went down. The sky was black with the twinkle of stars. Ash, Pikachu, and Goh were resting in the tent. However, Chloe was outside with Eevee.
"... Eevui?" Eevee looks to her trainer, who seemed to be deep in thought.
"Beautiful out, isn't it?" A voice said.
Chloe jumps up and turns out of fear, only to calm down when she realizes it's Ash.
She smiled. "Yeah. The night sky sure is beautiful."
Ash sat down next to her, putting his arms behind his head. "Hey, Chloe. What's bothering you?"
Chloe looked at Ash. She wanted to argue back, but it would probably only delay the inevitable.
"I'm guessing Goh talked to you?" She asked.
Ash chuckled. "Nah. I'm just good at sensing how others are feeling."
Chloe smiled at Ash's comment, before getting a rather sad expression.
"It's just, your battle today. You were so strong. Well, of course. You're a Champion, as I just found out." She said.
"Oh yeah. I guess I did forget to mention that." Ash commented.
Chloe continued. "You and Dragonite were so trusting with one another. She flew into that Hurricane without a second thought."
"Chloe..." Ash spoke softly.
"I'm just scared that... what if I can't be strong enough for Eevee?" Chloe asked.
Ash puts his hand on Chloe's left shoulder, causing the girl to turn to him.
"Chloe... Trust me when I say, that you'll always be strong enough for Eevee. Your meeting actually kind of reminds me of the first time Pikachu and I met." Ash says.
This piqued Chloe's interest. "Really?"
Ash continued. "Yeah. You and her protected each other no matter what. And I and Pikachu did the same when we started our journey."
Chloe's eyes glinted in the moon's light. "Ash..."
Ash extended his hand in the air in front of the moon, and he turned it into a fist.
"You need to realize Chloe. It's not about one side being strong for the other side. It's about working together and trusting in one another."
Chloe tilted her head. "Isn't that the same thing?" She asked.
Ash shook his head. "The way I see it, one side being strong for the other puts pressure on themselves. It's not balanced out. But, both working together and trusting one another. That combined effort lifts that weight off their shoulders! That's the proper balance! At least, that's how I see it." He explained.
Chloe looked down at Eevee while Ash was talking. The two met eye to eye, realizing what Ash meant.
"Back when Team Rocket attacked. When I battled with Eevee, I felt so in sync. We trusted each other and worked together equally at that moment."
Ash looks at her, as Chloe stands up.
"I think... I think I get what you mean, Ash." She said, looking down at him.
"And that's why I wanted to ask... Could you help me understand battling more?"
This caught Ash off guard a bit. Not like he was offended, but Chloe never seemed like the battling type, unless necessary.
"Oh? Why's that?" He asked.
Chloe looked a little nervous, but got her act together and continued to talk.
"That battle today was amazing. Seeing you and your team work together so effortlessly, was inspiring. I thought that learning more about battles could help me and Eevee grow closer." She explained.
Ash looked at her with a sparkle in his eyes. He instantly gets up and grabs her hands.
"That would be awesome! I promise to help as much as I can!" He said gleefully.
Chloe looked Ash eye to eye. Her heart felt like it was sinking but in a good way. She then grinned brightly.
"Thank you, Ash." She said softly.
The two trainers then yawned. "I guess it's time to head to bed," Ash said.
Chloe nodded in agreement, as they and Eevee walked inside the tent and tucked into their sleeping bags.
"Hey, Chloe." Ash whispered.
"If you ever need anything, you can always talk to me. We're friends after all. We look out for one another."
Ash then proceeded to put his fist toward Chloe, who looked at it for a few seconds. The girl quietly giggled.
"Of course, Ash. I promise you." She said, as she returned the fist bump.