Chapter 98: Path to the Finals Part 3

Ash couldn't help but grin as he took out his next Pokeball. Lycanroc hadn't failed him yet, and he knew he wouldn't this time.

"Alright Gladion, no holding back! Go, Lycanroc!"

"Lycanroc vs Sivally, begin!"

"Flash Cannon, Sivally!"

"Block it with Stone Edge, then use Accelrock!"

Lycanroc just barely managed to create a rock wall to shield himself, ducking as the beam disintegrated it before running out and ramming Sivally, causing the legendary Pokemon to reel back in pain.

"Lycanroc, use Rock Tomb!"

"Break out with Hyper Beam!"

Rocks came tumbling down, trapping Sivally in as he charged up his attack. Just as soon as it had formed, it was destroyed, hitting Lycanroc head on. Lycanroc landed at Ash's feet, badly hurt but still hanging in.

"Lycanroc, can you still battle?"

"Roc!"

"Alright then, hit him with one last Accelrock!"

Once more Lycanroc ran forward, rocks beginning to build up around him as Sivally stood there, resting until...

"Surf, now!"

Lycanroc suddenly stopped in his tracks as a huge tidal wave of water shot up, completely preventing him from reaching Sivally. Realizing he was doomed, Lycanroc tried to run away, only to get swept up in the attack crashing down, sweeping him back to Ash's side of the field out cold.

"Lycanroc is unable to battle! The round goes to Sivally!"

Ash knelt down, gently scratching Lycanroc's chin, making the rock type growl happily.

"Good job, old boy. You get some rest. Go, Salamance!"

The mighty Dragon type roared proudly, glaring down his opponent as he flew low above the ground.

"Salamance vs Sivally, begin!"

"Dragon Tail, Salamance!"

"Use Dragon Claw!"

Salamance swooped in, trying to side swipe Sivally, only to be met with Sivally's right claw. For a few good minutes the two clashed, tail vs claw, until they both managed to land an attack on the other, sending them flying apart.

"Use Dragon Breath!"

"Use Protect!"

Sivally created a barrier just in time, protecting himself as the Dragon Breath began pushing him back. He couldn't keep it up much longer, though, and the barrier was starting to break. At last it did, knocking Sivally off his feet, though he climbed back up just as fast.

"Hydro Pump, Salamance!"

"Ice Beam!"

Their two attacks met in mid air, each one struggling to push back the other. At first it was even, but soon Salamance started to wear out. Before long, his attack was being pushed back until it hit him, freezing his wing and making him fall through the air.

"Outrage, Salamance!"

Salamance, snapping out of his wounded daze, broke free of the ice, flying straight at Sivally with intent to finish him off.

"Wait until he gets real close, then use Ice Fang!"

Just as Salamance rammed him, Sivally bit down hard on his wing, causing him to cry out in pain but refusing to surrender. The two stayed in this position for a while, each one putting every ounce of energy into their attacks until Salamance collapsed, too tired to continue.

"Salamance is unable to battle! The round goes to Sivally!"

"Its neck and neck, folks! We will give our competitors a brief 5 minute break, but don't you go anywhere!"

Ash plopped down on the ground, exhausted.

"Man, this is bad. Its just you now, Pikachu. Think you can handle it?"

Pikachu patted his leg, smiling. This made Ash feel better.

"That's the spirit."

Up in the stands, their friends watched with baited breath.

"Man, I thought Ash had it."

"That's the thing about Pokemon battles, Max. They can change in an instant."

"Do...do you guys think he can win?"

Brock patted Lillie's shoulder reassuringly.

"Not a doubt in my mind. He'll think of something."

After 5 minutes had passed, Ash and Gladion were back at it.

"Sivally vs Pikachu, begin!"

"Flame Thrower, Sivally!"

"Volt Tackle, Pikachu!"

Pikachu ran as fast as he could, dodging the fire bursts shot out at him before ramming himself right into Sivally's head, causing the beast to roar in pain.

"X-Scissor, Sivally!"

"Electro Ball!"

Sivally, regaining his composure, tried to Slash Pikachu across the stomach, only to get a jolt of electricity right to his face, blinding him as Pikachu landed on the ground safely.

"Iron Tail!"

Before Sivally could regain his sight, Pikachu dealt a quick, hard smack to his front left leg, causing him to collapse.

"You're asking for it, Ash! Hyper Beam!"

"Sivally, tired of being kicked around, fired off a massive energy blast, sending Pikachu flying towards a near wall. All looked lost, until...

"Pikachu, use Electro Web now!"

Righting his position, Pikachu created a safety web just in time, absorbing enough of the impact for him to land safely, sinking in to it while Sivally picked himself up. Knowing they had only a minute at most, Ash decided to bring out all of the stops.

"Gigavolt Havoc, Pikachu!"

Using the web as a slingshot, Pikachu built up electricity before launching himself, coating himself in a blinding ball of light. Still exhausted from his last attack, Sivally could only watch as the attack landed, shocking him until he collapsed from exhaustion, Pikachu panting heavily as he landed. He wobbled for a minute, looking like he may just join Sivally, but maintained his footing, marking him the winner.

"Sivally is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner, and the battle goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"

"And there you have it, folks! Ash Ketchum moves on to the finals! Let's hear it for our two Semi-Finalists!"

The stadium erupted into a massive cheer, but Ash and Gladion ignored them all. Instead they went up to their partner Pokemon and returned them for a nice rest before facing each other, broad grins on their faces.

"Good job, Ash. Of course, you do realize you have to win now, right?"

"I plan on it, Gladion. Alola League Finals, here I come!"