Chapter 4: Road to The Kaiser


"Absol, use Mega Horn!"

"Blastoise, Iron Defense!" A Mega evolved Absol dashed across the Indigo Stadium's battlefield so fast he almost appeared to fly with his wing-shaped manes and came straight for a Mega Blastoise.

Mega Blastoise's smile widened into utter confidence, and he covered himself in a layer of steel.

"Sol!" Mega Absol stabbed his horn into Mega Blastoise multiple times, but the steel coated water pokemon knocked each blow aside with his now iron arms. After another failed attempt, Mega Absol felt Mega Blastoise seize his horn in a fierce grip.

"Sol!"

"Oh no!"

"Now, Hydro Pump!"

"Blastoise!" Mega Blastoise threw Mega Absol up and unleashed an artillery barrage of water into his opponent.

"Absol!" The dark Pokemon landed in front of his trainer, reverted to normal form, and unconscious.

"Absol is unable to battle!" The ref announced while raising one of her flags.

"That settles it, ladies and gentlemen, a knockout blow to Kalos Battle Mansion Chatelaine Astrid by your Kanto Champion, Gary Oak!"

The crowd erupted into applause as Gary joined his Mega Blastoise to raise their fists.

"And that's how it's done!"

"Blastoise!" Back in the audience, a young woman, Gary's age, with long brown hair and matching eyes, sat near the front row. Leaf sighed and shook her head a little but still smiled warmly and applauded Gary with the others.

Astrid took a deep breath and returned her Absol.

"We did everything we could." The blonde Kalos trainer saw Gary extend his hand, and she begrudgingly shook it.

"Looks like you're as strong as they say, Gary. Maybe I should've started with a member of your Elite Four."

"My Elite Four are top tier! Don't even try to sell them short!" Gary half-laughed, half boasted.

That's right!" Misty shouted while sitting with Koga, Morty, and Jasmine, who all gave varying reactions, though each clearly agreed with Gary's statement regarding them.

"Nowhere's better than Kanto! I dedicate my win here to my home region and everyone here!" Gary's words enticed the crowd that much more, but the Kanto Champion looked back at Leaf in particular and winked, causing her to blush uncontrollably.

"Eevee." Leaf's Eevee giggled.

"Mr. Oak, I can take Blastoise for you." A Nurse Joy said as she approached him with a mobile healing kit, surprisingly him a little.

"Thanks, but he wasn't hurt in the battle. This could've waited." Gary said while returning Blastoise and handing him off to Nurse Joy.

"Well, we thought you might want to use Blastoise again in your next battle." This caught Gary slightly off-guard.

"Another one? I thought Astrid was my final battle for the day."

"There was a last-minute entry pushed through. There, all better." Nurse Joy handed Blastoise's pokeball back.

"Who pushed them through?"

"Daniel Rian."

Gary's heart raced.

"Daniel Rian wants to battle me?"

"No, he merely insisted that this contender gets to battle you."

Gary smiled again.

"Alright, I'll take them on whoever they are!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, we've just learned of a new challenger for Kanto Champion Gary Oak! You're in for a special treat tonight, a battle between two regional champions! Put your hands together for Alolan Champion, Ash Ketchum!"

Gary's eyes widened slightly, and he almost didn't hear the audience's uproar. Instead, the Kanto Champion focused all his senses and attention on the new trainer walking through the entryway towards him.

"Ash!?" Misty almost yelped while the other Elite Four members peered closer with interest. Finally, they saw him, now tall and muscular with an athletic build. Ash entered the Indigo Stadium with Pikachu on his shoulder.

Misty and Gary hadn't seen Ash in person for over five years, only catching him on TV whenever he appeared to defend his title in Alola. Other than that, he disappeared off the map entirely.

"Where have you been?" Misty sighed, slightly annoyed with her old friend, who she'd considered almost a brother.

"There he is!" Misty nearly jumped upon hearing the familiar voice and turned around to see none other than Delia Ketchum racing towards a few empty seats in the Elite 4 Box with Professor Oak close behind.

"Mrs. Ketchum! You knew Ash was coming here!?"

"I just found out this morning!"

"It was quite something. Ash called her this morning, explaining Daniel arranged for him to battle Gary, and we drove up here as fast as we could."

"We aren't late, are we!?"

Misty looked back behind Delia and saw two more familiar faces enter the box. Brock had sweat running down his face as he led a heavily pregnant Pike Queen Lucy in.

"Broke, please, not so fast." Lucy groaned while holding her swollen stomach.

"Ahhh! Sorry, Lucy!" Brock frantically placed a few special cushions down on a seat and very carefully sat her down beside Misty.

"Hey Misty."

"Lucy, good to see you too. You're practically glowing."

"Well, Jr. here will be coming soon."

"I can't believe Ash has finally come home after all these years!" Brock shouted as he and the others all turned back to him.

"I know! He hides away for half a decade and only shows his face when he has too." Misty growled while crossing her arms and glaring at Ash.

"I'm just glad he came home." Delia said.

"I've heard rumors he's been training with Daniel Rian. Supposedly people in Kalos and Unova claim they saw them together."

"Daniel Rian." Misty's rage subsided into awe.

Ash reached Gary, whose shock faded into genuine anticipation.

"Gary." Ash extended his hand out, and Gary eagerly shook it.

"So the elusive Alolan Champion finally comes home. I wondered where you've disappeared to for the last five years when not defending your title. Some say you've been training with Daniel Rian. Could this be true?"

Ash and Gary's smiles grew more intense.

"I've been training hard with my pokemon, and we've had a trainer." Ash's response gave Gary his answer.

"Well, I'm glad you came here. Even becoming Kanto Champion felt a little hallow since I never truly proved myself against you to do it. Now, I finally get the chance."

Ash and Gary took their positions on the edge of the battlefield.

"The battle between Kanto Champion Gary Oak and Alolan Champion Ash Ketchum will now commence! Each trainer is allowed six Pokemon, and both challengers can substitute! Trainers, choose your Pokemon!"

"Time to see what training with Daniel Rian can do! But we're not afraid. Let's go, Electivire!"

The hulking electric Pokemon came out and flexed his muscular arms to a cheering crowd.

"Ready?" Ash asked.

"Pika!"

(xxx Pokemon unbeatable on repeat)

Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder and faced down Electivire.

"Champion Gary Oak has chosen Electivire and Champion Ash Ketchum his Pikachu!"

"Gary, I've been looking forward to this for a long time too. But I'm afraid this is only the beginning of something much bigger!"

"Really, what's that!?"

"My road to the Kaiser!"

Gary narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Electivire, use Screech!"

"Agility!"

Gary's Electivire let loose a piercing cry that would've sharply lowered Pikachu's defense had it made contact, but the electric mouse moved across the field with a speed that almost made it look like he used Teleport instead of Agility.

"Probably should've seen that coming, no matter. Electivire shake things up with Bulldoze!"

"Vire!" Electivire slammed his foot into the dirt with enough force to crack the stadium's foundation.

"Ohhh, how will he get out of this one?" Misty asked with more interest than concern.

"He'll find a way." Brock assured her.

"Iron Tail!"

"Pika!" Pikachu used Iron Tail on the ground with such force that it counteracted the incoming seismic waves coming toward him.

"Incredible folks! Champion Ash has an answer for each of Champion Gary's moves!"

"You always were resourceful, but so are we! Electivire use swift and Thunderbolt!" Electivire filled the battlefield with a sea of shuriken stars and then electrocuted them, creasing an electric field around Pikachu.

"Iron tail and Agility!"

"Pika, Pika, Pika!" Pikachu increased his speed again and lashed out with Iron Tail. However, years of intense training with Daniel made such movements feel like nothing, and he effortlessly shattered the electrified stars, dispelling their charges too.

"Look at him, go!" Brock shouted in disbelief.

"Indeed, just last week, I saw Electivire's swift bring a fully-grown Nidoking to his knees." Oak said, placing a hand on his chin.

"They've gotten so strong!" Delia beamed.

"Hmm, I expected nothing less, Ash. But unfortunately for you, we've got a counter to Iron Tail! Fire Punch!"

"Vire!" Electivire slammed both fists together, igniting them.

"Agility!" Electivire lunged toward Pikachu and unleashed a barrage of fiery punches that could've shattered rocks. Unfortunately for Pikachu, Iron Tail wouldn't work against a fire-type move and could only dodge the incoming attacks.

"Vire!" Electivire moved surprisingly fast despite his immense size and displayed incredible stamina, not slowing even the slightest bit after several dozen strikes.

"Pika!" Pikachu continued evading with even greater agility than Electivire, though he felt the Fire Punches' heat and left countless audience members on the edge of their seats.

"Ash, you better not let him hit Pikachu!" Misty roared, especially when she saw how calm and in control Ash appeared, mistaking it for cockiness.

Lucy, however, made no such error and sat up as much as her pregnant stomach would allow.

"Electroball!"

"Catch it!"

"Pika chu!"

When Pikachu backflipped again, he used the momentum to hurl a sphere of electricity right into Electivire.

"Vire!" Electivire reacted instantly and caught the Electroball in his fiery paws. While the flames and Electivire's type helped mitigate some of the damage, Gary saw his pokemon grunt slightly from the sheer power of Pikachu's electroball.

"Hmp, your pokemon never did care for type matchups!" Gary laughed.

"Quick thinking on your part too." Ash said in genuine praise. Given how close Pikachu was, dodging electroball or using a more effective defense wouldn't have worked. Thus Gary did make the best of his situation.

"Thunder!"

"Iron Tail!"

"Pika chu!" Pikachu sparked his cheeks and called down his mighty bolt of lightning from the sky with the sound of an explosive artillery round.

Despite this, Gary and Electivire showed no fear, and the electric Pokemon swung up with his now metal tail and absorbed Thunder. However, Electivire almost grunted upon landing, struggling to contain the explosive power in his tail.

"Incredible! Champion Gary's Electivire has completely absorbed Thunder!"

"Ahhh Ash, come on!" Misty pressed both hands into her face, but Brock didn't share her concern, especially when he saw Ash and Pikachu's expressions.

"Great work, Electivire, now send it back with some extra love!"

"Vire!" Electivire filled his tail with additional power via Thunderbolt and then by swinging his iron tail, sent the enhanced bolt straight at Pikachu.

"Iron tail!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu leaped up and, without flinching, lashed out with his tail, perfectly absorbing the incoming electricity.

"Woah!" Misty yelped.

"I knew he had a plan!" Delia cried.

"Pikachu, electroball!" Pikachu sent the collected energy back with an electroball added, and Electivire felt sweat pour down his face.

"You can do it, Electivire! Iron tail!"

"Vire!" Electivire caught the ever-growing electrical charge, but it took everything he had to contain the bursting power.

"Oh boy, it looks ready to burst." Morty peered closer with the others in immense interest.

"Add thunderbolt, then send it back!"

"Vire!" Electivire looked incredibly relieved to expel the electricity, but Pikachu showed no hesitation.

"Iron tail!"

"Again! Ahhh, how long are they going to keep this up?" Misty groaned, sounding exhausted.

"No longer." Oak said while pointing to Gary, who grinned widely.

"Absorb this, ready Electivire!" Gary threw his hand out and revealed a Z-Ring.

"Oh no!" Misty yelped.

"A Z-move!" Brock added.

Electivire and Gary made the same pose, and within moments, their Electrium Z took effect, allowing Electivire to bring forth Gigavolt Havoc via thunderbolt.

"A Z-Move, ladies, and gentlemen! This may prove too much for Champion Ash's Pikachu!"

"Ahh, Ash do something!" Misty barked.

Yet despite all this, Ash merely smiled back confidently.

"Finally, Pikachu, electroball, and Focus Punch!"

"Chu!" Pikachu hurled all of the collected electricity plus another electroball straight into the approaching Gigavolt Havoc, then began gathering his focus.

Gary and Electivire's mouths dropped in disbelief when they saw the combined electricity make contact and utterly destroy Gigavolt Havoc. The resulting flash of light practically blinded all in the stadium and made many more gasp.

"Focus Punch!" Electivire regained his sight just in time to see Pikachu leaping straight for his face.

"Fire Punch!"

Electivire tried to counter Pikachu, but the electric mouse hit him dead center in his face first.

"Electivire!" The larger electric Pokemon stumbled for a moment, then collapsed flat on his back with swirled eyes.

"Electivire is unable to battle!" An uproar of excited applause overtook the stadium as Pikachu landed.

"That's more like it!" Misty shouted.

"Electivire return, don't even worry about it, Electivire."


"Time to shine like the star you are, go Garchomp!" Iris cried while hurling a Pokeball forward.

"Garrrrr!"

Ash stood across from Iris in the Vertress Stadium battlefield.

"Unova Champion Iris has chosen Garchomp for her next pokemon!"

"Infernape, you've done enough. Return for now." Ash returned his still conscious Infernape, who'd just defeated Iris's Excadrill.

"I'll admit you may have the lead, Ash, but this is where we turn things around. Garchomp here beat Shauntal's entire team just last week." Iris proclaimed.

"Garrrr!"

"Is that so? Well then, I know who to challenge him with. I choose you, Garchomp!"

"Graaaa!" Ash's Garchomp roared even louder than Iris's and shook the ground upon landing.

"Just like that, Alolan Champion Ash replies with his own Garchomp!"

"Woah! Garchomp vs. Garchomp!" Bianca cried while sitting in a private box with Cilan, Stephan, and Delia.

"Awww, Ash, now we're talking!" Iris beamed at the sight of another Garchomp, particularly when she saw how Ash's was bigger than hers.

"Let's go! Sand Tomb!"

"Garrr!" Iris's Garchomp whipped up a thick tornado of coarse sand around Ash's Garchomp.

"Now, add Dragonbreath!"

"Garrrr" Iris's Garchomp breathed a thick force of dragon energy into the tornado, which now closed in on its prisoner.

"Dig!"

Ash's Garchomp burrowed his way underground, completely avoiding the incoming tornado.

"And Champion Ash's Garchomp masterfully evades."

"For now, I was hoping you'd do that, Ash. Bulldoze!"

"Dragon Claw!"

"Eh!?" Iris's Garchomp nearly slammed the ground with his foot, but just as the pads hovered an inch from the ground, Ash's Garchomp burst up and slashed his opponent with the super-effective move.

"Garchomp! Dragon claw!" Iris kept her cool despite the quick turnaround, and Garchomp recovered.

"Garr!" Iris's Garchomp surged forward and began a fierce melee against Ash's Garchomp, both dragons going at each other like master swordsmen in a duel.

"Garrr!"

"Graaaa!" The crowd grew tense in anticipation while watching both Garchomp slug it out. Iris, Ash, and Pikachu, by contrast, merely watched with confidence at their respective Garchomp.

"Keep it up, Garchomp! I know you can do it!"

Ash, however, merely took a deep breath.

"Huh?" Iris thought she saw his eyes flash blue for a moment while Garchomp's did the same.

"Just like we trained, Garchomp!"

"Pika!"

"Graaa!" Ash's Garchomp renewed his assault, channeling his years of training with Daniel and Pokemon. The dragon's overwhelming skill and strength now came out unrestrained.

"Graaaaa!" Ash's Garchomp knocked Iris's Garchomp's claws aside and delivered a punishing slash across his chest, hurling the smaller dragon backward.

"And Champion Iris's Garchomp takes a hard blow!"

"Garchomp!"

"Garr!" Iris's Pokemon stood back up and panted heavily, the lingering impact from Ash's Garchomp weighing down on him.

"I knew you would make us work for it, Ash, but I won't stop until I become a Dragon Master!" Iris reached up for her crown, and upon closer inspection, Ash realized one of its jewels was, in fact, a keystone.

A well-concealed piece of garchompite around her Garchomps neck glowed then enveloped him in a colorful sphere.

"Garrr!" Mega Garchomp shook the stands with his roar upon emerging from his mega evolution.

"Ohh, she just made it interesting." Stephan said.

"How do you like that, Ash!" Iris and her Mega Garchomp then gave crestfallen expressions when they saw Ash breathe a sigh of relief.

"Ehhh!? You're relieved!?"

"Garr!" Mega Garchomp thrashed about, clearly offended by this.

"You see, if you hadn't Mega Evolved him, I couldn't do this without feeling guilty." Ash revealed his mega evolution rings and touched the right keystone inside.

Iris, her Garchomp, and the audience all watched in awe as a piece of garchompite hidden in a ring on one of Garchomp's right claws glowed.

"Grraaaa!" Ash's Mega Garchomp nearly knocked a few spectators over when he emerged from the colorful sphere.

"Well, folks, you're getting your money's worth today! A Mega Garchomp showdown!"

"Ohh Ash." Cilan shook his head with a big smile.

"I should've known." Iris's fiery determination grew, though in good spirit.

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush!"

"Dragon Pulse!" Iris's Mega Garchomp flew straight for Ash's with a veil of Dragon energy around him. In response, Ash's Mega Garchomp blasted him with a torrent of pure dragon power.

"Fight through him! You can do it!" Despite Iris's support, her Mega Garchomp faulted and flew backward, barely catching himself.

"So much power, it looks like we'll need to get creative! Garchomp, use Sand Tomb!"

"Garrrr!"

Ash and his Mega Garchomp observed three incoming sand tornados carefully.

"He's not using Dig again?" Bianca asked.

"No, Iris clearly wants him too."

"Garchomp, use Dragon Pulse!"

"Graaa!" Mega Garchomp blasted his way through the center tornado, earning a wide smile from Iris.

"Outrage!"

"Draco Meteor!" Iris's Mega Garchomp channeled a barrage of Dragon energy, but at the last moment, Ash's Mega Garchomp flew down at a sharp angle until he was directly under Iris's.

"Eh?"

"Graa!" Ash's Mega Garchomp blasted his opponent with a single burst of energy that quickly exploded into a shower of meteors, carrying Mega Garchomp high into the air.

"Garchomp!"

Within moments, he landed in front of Iris, unconscious, and reverted to normal form.

"Champion Iris's Garchomp is unable to battle!"

The audience let out booming applause as Ash's Mega Garchomp landed in front of him.

"Hmmmm, to think you never brought him along with us." Iris pouted, though in a non-serious manner while returning Garchomp.

"How was I supposed to know I'd find an aspiring dragon master in Unova?" Ash laughed.

"Not an aspiring master, 'the' aspiring master!"


"Let's give our audience a show they'll never forget. Go, Metagross!"

Steven Stone hurled his next Pokeball forward, releasing the colossal shiny Metagross inside. Ash stood adjacent to Steven in the Evergrande City Stadium.

"Gross."

"And Hoenn Champion Steven Stone lets out his ace Metagross!"

"Metagross, now we're talking. That's enough for now, Torkoal." Ash returned his fire tortoise, who'd just overcome Steven's Claydol.

"I choose you, Sceptile!"

"Tile!" Sceptile performed a front flip and landed in front of Ash, fist down on the ground.

"Alolan Champion Ash brings out his Sceptile!"

"Woah, look how big Sceptile's gotten!" Max cried. He sat on the edge of his seat in a private box with a Treecko on his shoulder. Beside him rested May, Sawyer, and Delia.

"Metagross use Flash Cannon."

"Agility and Leaf Blade!"

"Gross." Metagross let loose one Flash Cannon after another, and each one almost left a crater in the ground upon impact. However, despite his size, Sceptile moved like an acrobat, dodging and evading one Flash Cannon after the other.

That was until he pivoted and leaped directly towards Metagross, using his arm blades to slice clean through the white energy beam.

"Woah! Did he cut apart Flash Cannon?" May almost gasped, though in hindsight, she should've expected nothing less from Ash.

"Iron Defense." Metagross coated himself in more iron, but even with this and his natural strength against Grass-Type moves, Steven saw his Metagross shiver when Leafblade made impact.

"I never knew his Sceptile was so strong." Sawyer said in awe as he and his Sceptile watched them.

"Meteor Mash!"

"Iron Tail!"

"Tile!" Sceptile kicked off Metagross and then parried the incoming blows with his tail.

"It's a fierce matchup folks! Metagross has the advantage in his type, but Sceptile's giving him a run for his money!"

"Keep it up, Sceptile!" May, Sawyer, and Max cried.

Both Pokemon now faced each other down again, earning competitive smiles from Steven and Ash.

"I heard the rumors Daniel took you in as his pupil. Tell me, is there any truth to them?"

"I'm here to battle you, Steven. But if you really want to know, yes."

Steven nodded.

"Perfect. If I overcome you, he'll undoubtedly accept my challenge!" Steven touched a keystone on the lapel of his jacket, and within moments, his Metagross underwent Mega Evolution.

"Gross!"

"And Hoenn Champion Steven takes it to the next level with Mega Evolution!"

Ash and Sceptile didn't immediately react, and Steven patiently waited.

"Come on, don't hold back on me."

Ash smiled again with Sceptile.

"If you insist. Let's go, Sceptile!"

"Tile!" Ash touched his keystone and watched Sceptile take his Mega Evolved form.

"Awww, Mega Evolution is so cool! One day you'll Mega Evolve too, Treecko!" Max declared.

"Tree!"

"Ice Punch!"

"Iron Tail!" Mega Sceptile backflipped away from Mega Metagross's first two arms, then knocked the other two back with his metal tail. This continued for a minute or two, and Mega Metagross let loose a series of Ice Punches, which Mega Sceptile dodged or blocked with Iron Tail.

After another successful parry, Mega Sceptile landed a punishing Iron Tail across Metagross's face.

"Gross!"

"Double Team!"

A dozen copies of Mega Sceptile appeared around Mega Metagross.

"Bullet punch, quickly!" Mega Metagross smashed each one at top speed, desperately hoping to find the real one.

"Focus Blast!"

The real Mega Sceptile surged forward and unleashed his concentrated fighting power into Mega Metagross's side, flipping him over.

"Metagross!" Metagross's eyes swirled, and he reverted to his normal form.

"Metagross is unable to battle!"

"Ha! I knew Mega Sceptile had it!" Max proclaimed.

"Right, that's why you were shaking." May teased, making Max turn slightly pale.

"I wasn't shaking."

"Metagross return. So, you have become too much for me, Ash. I doubt I'd stand a chance against Daniel, and I'm starting to wonder if I'll overcome Professor Birch's son."

"Don't tell me you're giving up now, Steven. You're a champion!" Ash didn't use a mocking tone but an inspiring one.

"Pika!"

"Tile!"

Steven smiled back and nodded.

"Yes, you're right. We can only keep trying out best!" Steven reached for his next Pokeball.


"If you think you're the only one who's gotten stronger since our last battle, then you're sadly mistaken! Charizard, let's burn 'em to a crisp!" Leon brought his Charizard back out of his shining Pokeball, now in gigantamax'd form.

Ash stood in the exact same spot in Wyndon Stadium he had five years earlier and, once more, faced down Leon.

"Grauuu!" Leon's gigantamax'd Charizard sent shockwaves across the stadium when he landed and quickly let out a thunderous roar.

"And Galar Champion Leon gigantamaxes his Charizard! But will this turn things around for him!?"

Ash's Charizard stood in front of him and huffed out slightly as he looked up at Leon's gigatamax'd Pokemon. By this point, he'd suffered a harsh beating from Ash's Charizard and was on the ropes.

"We won't stop until Charizard is the strongest in the world! If yours has trained under Daniel's, then once we win, he'll have no choice but to face us!"

"Steven said something similar. I suppose we'll find out! Ready Charizard!?"

"Pika!"

"Grauuu!" Ash touched his keystone and watched a colorful sphere form around Charizard.

Inside a private box, Goh sat with Chloe and Delia with great anticipation.

"Ohh, this is it! Ash has never revealed what form his Mega Charizard takes! Only Daniel Rian knows!" Goh cried with his arms raised.

"And Serena." Chloe giggled, making Goh sweatdrop a little.

"Her too."

While Ash had used his Charizard in numerous battles defending his title as Alolan Champion, he'd never Mega Evolved him in an official match before.

Leon, his Charizard, and the audience all patiently waited for what felt like an eternity, though in reality, it was only a matter of moments. Then, finally, Charizard emerged as Mega Charizard Z.

"Grauu!" Charizard Z's roar somehow surpassed even the gigatamax'd Charizard's.

"And Alolan Champion Ash has leveled the playing field by Mega Evolving his Charizard!"

Leon, however, looked completely fired up.

"Yes, Z! The same as Daniel's, just like I was hoping for!"

"You seem anxious to face Daniel despite how our last battle ended."

"Pika!"

Leon couldn't help but laugh.

"True enough, my apologies! You're absolutely right, I'm battling you right now, and we still have a score to settle! Charizard, use Max Lightning!"

The gigantamax'd pokemon unleashed a colossal bolt of electricity into the air, which soon grew into a series of storm clouds covering the entire battlefield.

"Charizard, use Inferno!" Charizard Z's tail flame nearly burst, and he flew as fast as Pikachu ran, evading two of the lightning bolts and then blasting a third apart with a small ocean of fire.

This continued as Charizard Z evaded more lightning bolts and blasted two more apart, using Inferno as easily as a regular Charizard would Flamethrower.

"Such power. Looks like we'll need to try something different. Charizard Max Airstream!"

"Grauu!" Leon's Charizard slammed his fiery wings together and brought forth an enormous wind tunnel straight for Charizard Z.

"Ride the wind, Charizard, and use Dragon Pulse!"

Charizard Z gave the audience quite a show as he glided through the incoming cyclone perfectly and then emerged directly over the gigantamax'd Charizard.

"Grauuu!" Charizard Z blasted an incredible torrent of pure dragon energy directly into Leon's Charizard. Despite his titanic size, the Charizard stumbled backward, shaking the entire stadium with each step.

"Come on, Charizard! We can do this! Max Knuckle!"

Gigantamax'd Charizard snarled and nearly sent out shockwaves when he hurled both fists hurdling towards Charizard Z.

"Dragon Claw!"

Charizard Z flew in fearlessly, leaving the audience in awe as he flew in, claws glowing with a green aura.

"No way!" Goh muttered. Only Delia and Leon saw Ash's eyes flash blue for a moment, Charizard Z's too. When the Charizards made contact, Leon's felt his Max attacks thrown back with such power that he struggled to keep his fists balled from the pain.

"Look at them go!" Chloe gasped.

"I know!" Delia beamed.

Despite his Charizard moving back again, Leon remained determined.

"It all comes down to this, G-Max Wildfire!"

"Blast Burn!" The audience could only watch in awe as gigantamax'd Charizard channeled his most powerful move and opened his jaws to unleash the fiery attack. However, Charizard Z acted. First, his tail flame erupted as he flew in and let loose a concussive barrage of fire that hit G-Max Wildfire and exploded like a volcano would, covering the entire battlefield in black soot.

"Charizard!" Leon wailed. When the ash finally cleared, he saw his partner on his stomach, pitch black with swirled eyes.

"Grauuu." Leon's Charizard moaned, now back in his base form.

"Galar Champion Leon's Charizard is unable to battle!" Goh and Chloe led the audience in a similar eruption of applause.

Ash readied himself to commend Charizard Z when he flew down and practically knocked him over.

"Grauuu!" Charizard Z exclaimed while licking Ash's face, knowing that by defeating Leon's Charizard, there was only one left to truly prove himself against.

However, Ash and Pikachu soon thought about another Charizard other than Leon's or Daniel's, one they'd had to face soon, but he wouldn't be his Charizard's opponent.

Leon took a deep breath and returned his partner.

"You did everything you could, Charizard, and I'm proud of you." Leon looked back at Ash.

"I should've known your Charizard would prove so formidable."


"You've become so strong, but we're not backing down now!" Alain proclaimed while standing across from Ash in the Lumiose Stadium, precisely where both young men stood years earlier. Interestingly enough, they wielded the same Pokemon, with Alain's Charizard before him and Ash's Greninja in front of him.

"Keep it up, Ash!" Bonnie exclaimed, full of enthusiasm as she saw with Clemont, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, Mairin, Diantha, Sycamore, and Delia

"If Ash and Greninja keep this up, they're going to win!" Trevor cried.

"Don't forget, Alain hasn't pulled out his trump card yet." Clemont reminded them. Diantha nodded.

"Don't underestimate Alain. That was my mistake."

Alain no longer wore his old outfit but instead had a caped jacket with a black crown on his head.

"Dark King Alain, Champion of Kalos, doesn't look phased even with Alolan Champion Ash's Greninja pushing him back into a corner.

"Charizard, we beat them before. We can do it again!"

"Grauuu!"

"Give us everything you have, Alain. Otherwise, victory is meaningless!"

"Pika!"

"Gre!"

Alain and his Charizard smiled widely.

"You asked for it! Let's go, Mega Evolution!" Alain touched his keystone, and within moments, Charizard emerged as Mega Charizard X.

"Grauu!"

"And the Dark King's true paladin has revealed himself!"

Ash and Greninja didn't flinch, nor did their previous battle with Alain in that very stadium even enter their minds.

"I know you've trained with Daniel Rian and his Charizard. He chose you and your Charizard over us." Alain almost sounded resentful for a brief moment, though he hid it well with a growing smile.

"Once we win here, he'll take us as his students!"

"Grauuu!" Charizard X roared, looking even larger and fiercer than he had years earlier.

"Finally, now the real battle begins!" Ash cried while raising his fist.

"Pika!"

"Oui! Come on then! We won't settle for anything less than your best!"

"Graauu!"

Ash and Greninja didn't need to say a word or even look at each other. Both took a deep breath, and their eyes flashed blue together, and both raised their right hand together in a fist.

"Ahhh! Here he comes!" Bonnie cried with bursting excitement.

Clemont and the others felt much the same and sat on the edge of their seats as a veil of water enveloped him for an extremely long few moments.

"Let's go!"

The veil burst apart, revealing a transformed Ash-Greninja.

"And Champion Ash reveals his own trump card!"

"Ash-Greninja!" Bonnie screamed alongside countless audience members. However, as Clemont and Sycamore peered closer, they noticed he didn't look quite the same from the last time they'd seen him.

"Hold on." Clemont adjusted his glasses.

Alain and Charizard X looked equally astounded. Ash-Greninja's eyes, posture, and head coloration all mirrored what they had years earlier. However, this time there were more changes.

For one, Ash-Greninja looked almost a foot taller with greater muscle, not quite like a Machamp, but more athletic. Additionally, parts of his skin around the arms, legs, and chest hardened into a pseudo armor, giving Ash-Greninja an almost samurai appearance more so than his previous ninja one. Even the glowing water shuriken on his back now moved to his waist and resembled swords more than shurikens.

"Woah! He looks different." Tierno muttered.

"He's so cool!" Trevor nearly dropped his camera and frantically took as many pictures as possible.

"Indeed, how interesting." Diantha had hoped to glimpse Ash-Greninja when she faced Ash in Alola late the previous year, but alas, Ash hadn't used him. Yet seeing him now was well worth the wait.

Alain quickly regained his composure and smiled.

"Now we're talking! Charizard thunder punch!"

"Grauuu!" Charizard X flew even faster than he had years earlier, his claws surging with electricity.

"Double Team and Water Shuriken!" Ash-Greninja held his hand up and generated two copies of himself. All three leaped up over ten feet into the air before hurling a barrage of shuriken-shaped water bursts.

"Steel wing, aim for the right Greninja!"

"Grauu!" Charizard X coated his wings in metal and used them as an effective shield against most of the incoming shurikens, destroying the rest with Thunder Punch as he closed on the rightmost Greninja.

"No way!" Tierno yelped when he saw the other two Greninja vanish.

"He knew that was the real Greninja!? How?" Shauna asked.

"Don't forget how skilled Alain and his Charizard are." Clemont reminded the others.

"Indeed, he and Charizard already beat Ash and Greninja before, not to mention Diantha." Sycamore added, earning a nod from Diantha. Losing her position as Champion to Alain two years earlier hadn't been easy for her. It was in that very stadium that Alain's Charizard X soundly defeated her Mega Gardevoir. Still, she respected him immensely and moved on with her life and acting career.

"Dark King Alain's Charizard picks the right Greninja!" The announcer shouted.

Charizard X held both fists out, ready to hit Ash-Greninja with Thunder Punch. However, the trainer and Pokemon remained unafraid.

"Hydro Pump!"

"Steel Wing!" Charizard X barely covered himself from the cannon-like water jet, halting him in mid-air. The recoil similarly brought Ash-Greninja safely back to the ground.

"Dragon Pulse!" Charizard X flew up higher and discharged a series of Dragon Pulses which came down almost like a makeshift Draco Meteor, causing the arena to tremble.

Despite this, Ash-Greninja sped across the field, masterfully evading each explosion.

"Hydro Pump!"

"Thunder Punch!" Charizard X very narrowly avoided Ash-Greninja's Hydro Pump and shot straight for him like a heat-seeking missile.

"Night Slash!"

Ash-Greninja drew the watery blades around his arms like a pair of swords which soon blackened with a dark aura.

"Grauuu!"

"Here it comes, folks! The Clash!"

Bonnie held Dedenne tightly, and Shauna similarly grabbed Clemont's hand, causing him to turn bright red and shake.

Diantha and Sycamore similarly watched closely as Tierno and Trevor bit their fingernails.

Charizard X thrust both fists out, only for Ash-Greninja to slash him twice across the arms and then across the stomach, moving far too fast for Thunder Punch and similarly knocking the blows aside.

"Grauu!" Charizard X grunted. Ash-Greninja's moves not only proved swift but heavy too. Alain noticed this and instantly took action.

"Dragon Claw!"

"Grauuu!" Charizard X quickly shifted moves and successfully began parrying Ash-Greninja's Night Slashes, though with great difficulty.

"And Dark King Alain evens things out again!"

"I don't get it. Why did he switch to Dragon Claw? Thunder Punch is more effective." Shauna wondered.

"True, but Dragon Claw is also faster. Alain saw Ash-Greninja's Night Slash moves too swiftly for him to land a blow with Thunder Punch and corrected." Diantha said, sounding impressed.

"It's just like last time." Tierno muttered.

"No, it's not, look!" Clemont noticed sweat forming on Charizard X's head and neck and harsh endeavor as he struggled to keep up with Ash-Greninja as he hadn't in their last battle.

"Dragon Rush!"

"Dark Pulse!"

"Grauuu!" Had Ash-Greninja been in his base form, Charizard X would've hit him with the full force of Dragon Rush. Instead, Ash-Greninja acrobatically leaped over him and thrust both hands forward, hitting him with Dark Pulse.

"Grauuuu!"

"Charizard!" Alain cried.

"Ahhh, Alain, don't give up!" Mairin cried from her seat with Chespin in her lap.

"And Dark King Alain is pushed back into a corner against Alolan Champion Ash's very unique Greninja!" The audience found itself split, with some cheering louder for Ash and the others frightened for Alain.

It now became perfectly clear to Alain and his Charizard that the Ash-Greninja they'd defeated years ago was only an incomplete form of something much more. The Ash-Greninja before them reached his true potential and perfected their bond.

"I was afraid of this, Ash. I always wondered what more your Greninja had in store for us if we ever battled again. I wonder now if this came more from you or Daniel's training. Probably a little of both. But Charizard and I also have an unbreakable bond! Once we train with Daniel, we'll master that bond like you have, and Charizard will someday overcome Daniel's!"

"Grauu!" Charizard X stood tall and breathed blue fire into the air, backing up Alain's words with a fiery passion.

Ash and Pikachu smiled back.

"I'd love for my Charizard to face yours one day. But this fight is Greninja's!"

"Pika!"

Alain tightened his fist and took a deep breath.

"It all comes down to this, let's go for broke, Charizard, Blast Burn!"

"Grauuu!"

Ash and Ash-Greninja remembered that move, the one that knocked them out of the Lumiose Conference. Even so, they didn't falter.

"Ready?"

"Gre."

"Hydro Pump and Water Shuriken!"

Ash-Greninja hurled six Water Shurikens into the approaching Blast Burn, slowing it down but not stopping it. This occurred when Ash-Greninja hit the concussive blast with Hydro Pump, detonating the explosion halfway between both Pokemon.

"Night Slash!"

"Dragon Claw!" Charizard X readied himself but only saw the flash of Ash-Greninja as he emerged from over the explosion.

Ash-Greninja performed a single cross slash and landed behind Charizard X, sheathing his blades as a samurai would.

"Charizard." Alain muttered, his face almost going pale.

Charizard X collapsed onto his stomach, reverting to a normal Charizard with swirled eyes.

"Charizard is unable to battle!"

An explosion of applause overcame the audience, Delia and Ash's friends in particular.

"He did it! They did it!"

"Greninja-" Ash started, but Ash-Greninja was already upon him, wrapping both arms around his trainer tightly. No one but Pikachu saw the single tear escape Ash-Greninja's eye.

Alain snapped out of his trance and slowly approached Charizard.

"Are you ok?"

"Grauu." Alain helped his partner up and provided some comfort.

"We did all we could. I'm proud of you." Charizard looked immensely disappointed, at least until he saw Ash and Ash-Greninja over them, offering their hands.

With a renewed smile, the trainer and Pokemon took them.

"I was afraid this might happen if we ever battled again. It looks like our ambitions for Daniel will have to wait."

"You're still the Dark King, Alain. Don't forget that."

"Oui, and I won't forget this battle either, Ash. The next time we meet, things will be different. That's a promise."

Ash smiled back with Pikachu and Ash-Greninja.

"We can't wait."


"If you think you're beating me today, Ash, you'll have to wait a lot longer!" Cynthia cried while hurling her sixth and final Pokeball forward.

"Grouu!" Her Lucario roared with both paws raised.

"And Sinnoh Champion Cynthia has chosen Lucario as her final Pokemon!"

"Lucario, perfect! Torterra return!" Ash's Torterra looked slightly relieved he wouldn't have to fight Lucario, having just won a hard-fought victory over Cynthia's Garchomp. Ash and Pikachu stared at Ash's next Pokeball, both standing across from Cynthia in the Lily of the Valley Stadium in Sinnoh.

"This is it, one more battle, let's go for broke. I choose you, Lucario!"

"Grouuu!" Ash's Lucario came out to roaring applause and took a fighting stance opposing Cynthia's Lucario. Both fighting Pokemon gave each other spirited but fiercely competitive looks that mirrored their trainers.

"It all comes down to this, ladies and gentlemen! Sinnoh Champion Cynthia's Lucario vs. Alolan Champion Ash's Lucario!"

"Come on, Ash, this is it!" Dawn cried at the top of her lungs. She stood out of her seat beside Delia and Barry in a private Box.

"I can't believe how far he's come!" Delia beamed with her hands clasped together.

"Don't let up now, Ash!" Barry added.

Unknown to Ash, another figure from his past watched from a secluded seat. Paul kept his arms crossed, and eyes narrowed as he watched Ash face Cynthia.

"Ash, don't think you've got the advantage here. You're not the only one who's trained with Daniel."

Cynthia took a deep breath, and Ash watched her eyes glow blue at the same time her Lucario's did.

"Perfect, then this will be the ultimate test!"

"Grouuu!" Ash and Lucario's eyes flashed blue. Both trainers took a fighting stance which their Lucarios mirrored.

"Let's go!" Ash and Cynthia cried in unison.

Both Lucario raced towards each other with similar running patterns.

"Power-Up Punch!"

Ash and Cynthia both let loose what the audience could only describe as shadow fighting, each striking the air with what looked like fierce martial arts. However, this was nothing, as the two Lucario mirrored their respective trainer perfectly and began an intense match, striking and blocking the other's blow.

"This is extreme, ladies and gentlemen!" The audience remained on the edge of their seats, watching the Lucarios go at each other like legendary martial artists, neither able to land a precise blow.

"Aura Sphere!"

"Grouuu!" Lucario and Lucario both launched their attacks at the same time, perfectly canceling the other out.

"Geeze, they're evenly matched." Barry groaned.

"No, they're not." Delia said.

"Extreme speed!"

"Aura Sphere!" Ash's counter caught Cynthia and the audience off-guard.

"Grouu!" Ash and Lucario thrust their hands down when Cynthia's Lucario came inches from him.

"Look!" Dawn saw a burst of aura hit the ground in front of Lucario, knocking Cynthia's off-balance.

"Power-up Punch!"

"Grouu!" The momentary distraction was all Lucario needed, and he delivered a crushing punch to his opponent's face, mirroring a striking motion Ash made.

"And Champion Ash lands a direct hit!"

"Hah! Plus, with that, his attack will rise too!" Barry laughed.

Cynthia nodded with respect.

"Well then, no point delaying it any longer, shall we?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Ash and Cynthia both touched their keystones at the same time.

Ash and Cynthia's Lucario cried out in pure excitement when colorful spheres enveloped them, and moments later, they emerged as Mega Lucario.

"Grouuu!"

"Grouuu!"

"This has truly become a show, folks, Mega Lucario vs. Mega Lucario!"

"Come on then. We're waiting." Cynthia jested.

"You asked for it. Leg's go, Close Combat!"

"Close Combat!" A clash of Mega Lucarios shook the stadium to the core, both striking with speed and power unseen by most of the audience. Just like before, their trainers performed the same motions as if fighting each other, and neither Mega Lucario landed a decisive blow.

"Aura Sphere!" Once more, the moves canceled each other out, or so Cynthia thought at first. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the way Ash's Lucario used his intentionally pushed him back a few feet.

"Focus Punch!"

"You think I'll fall into that trap? Aura Sphere!" Cynthia's Mega Lucario unleashed not one but three concentrated aura spheres at Ash's Mega Lucario.

"Now!"

"Pika!"

"Grouuu!" The world seemed to slow down around Cynthia and her Mega Lucario when they saw Ash's Mega Lucario hurl himself forward and punch through all three aura spheres with one fist and then perform an uppercut with the other. He'd prepared a Focus punch in both paws.

Mega Lucario didn't even have time to evade and took the crushing blow straight to the jaw.

"Lucario!" Cynthia's Lucario hit the ground hard in front of her, forced back into his base form with swirled eyes.

"Sinnoh Champion Cynthia's Lucario is unable to battle. The winner is Alolan Champion Ash!"

Like an erupting volcano, the stadium went off in applause that could've been heard for miles. Dawn and Barry both lost control and hugged Delia together out of pure reflex, not that she minded.

"Ohh, I'm so proud of him." Delia teared up.

"We did it, Lucario, we did it!"

"Pika!"

"Grouuu!" Mega Lucario raced over and almost knocked Ash onto the ground as he leaped into his arms.

Cynthia exhaled but forced a smile as she returned her Lucario.

"Well done, Lucario."

Ash, Pikachu, and Mega Lucario approached her.

"Cynthia, that was awesome!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I don't see why not. This is a landmark day, first Gary, then Iris, Steven, Leon, Alain, and now me."

It only then hit Ash that she was right.

"All of the Regional Champions."

Cynthia nodded.

"That leaves just one opponent left." Both looked up at another private box where Daniel sat beside his Team, a baby boy with his eyes and Cynthia's blonde hair in the Kaiser's lap.

Ash's eyes met Daniel's, and Pikachu saw true angst in his trainer's eyes for the first time in years.

"Daniel." Ash muttered.


Miles away, in Jubilife city, the match was broadcast on tv screens across the city, including one inside the Contest Hall. Standing there among the other coordinators rested none other than Serena, who held both hands over her heart.

"Ash." She muttered the realization that he too was in Sinnoh, only now dawning on her after such a heart-pounding match. The young woman looked back at the doorway with a conflicted expression.

"Performer Serena, you're up!" A contest hall employee shouted.

Serena didn't move for a moment.

"Oui." She sighed, following him down the hall, but not without giving a final longing gaze back at the television.


Author's note

Ash has now faced down every regional champion and won, leaving only one challenger left

Again, I owe several ideas like Alain being the new Kalos Champion and his title of Dark King to Road to Master by SungYeah

As I said before, don't expect Serena to play a minor role here. Also just to be clear if it wasn't in the last chapter, 5 years have passed since Ash last faced Daniel

So until next time,

Please review, comment, suggest, or ask(VIA PM)