Chapter 14: Mega Showdown! For Dreams!
"Ladies and gentlemen, the battle between Goh from Vermilion City and Leaf from Cerulean City is about to begin!" Hibana shouted as the two trainers faced each other from the battlefield.
"This is it," Goh thought as he glanced at Leaf. "I get to battle Leaf again." He was feeling nervous about the battle, and he knew not to underestimate her. Even though he closely watched her battles throughout the tournament, he was still unsure of his plans, and he was afraid of losing again.
On the other hand, Leaf appeared calm, and she was thinking about Goh and the Pokémon he used so far. Sobble was Goh's weakest Pokémon, but the Water Lizard Pokémon was tricky to hit. Cinderace was fast and nimble, and Aerodactyl was a powerful and reckless Pokémon. His bonds with Cinderace and Sobble were rather strong, but they weren't as strong as his connection with Aerodactyl.
"Please send out your Pokémon," the referee declared, bringing Goh and Leaf back to reality from their thoughts.
"Cinderace! Go!" Goh yelled as he tossed Cinderace's Pokéball onto the battlefield.
Leaf grabbed one of her Pokéballs and shouted, "Swellow! I need you!"
Both Pokémon showed up on the field, and they glared at each other as they waited for their trainers' commands.
"Begin the battle!" the referee proclaimed, and the scoreboard in the middle of the stadium updated with pictures of Goh and Leaf's Pokémon.
"Cinderace! Double Kick!" Goh ordered as he thrusted his left hand forward. Cinderace leapt into the air as he extended his foot outward toward the Swallow Pokémon.
Puzzled, Leaf wondered why Goh would want to use a Fighting type move on a Flying type Pokémon, but she swiftly commanded, "Quick Guard!" Swellow became enveloped in a bright red light as it protected itself from Cinderace's attack.
Cinderace bounced off Swellow, dealing no damage to the Pokémon, but Goh was prepared as Quick Guard disappeared. Before Cinderace could deal a second kick to Swellow, he exclaimed, "Switch to Blaze Kick!"
Heeding Goh's orders, Cinderace grunted, "Cinder" as his foot caught on fire. Then, he slammed into the shocked Swallow Pokémon, causing Swellow to fly backward in pain.
"What a start! Goh lands the first hit after tricking Leaf and Swellow!" Hibana announced as Cinderace returned to the floor.
"Interesting," Leaf mumbled as she looked at her Swellow. She contemplated for a second before issuing, "Swellow, use Double Team!"
Swellow then multiplied itself into many fake copies as it flew in a circle to confuse Goh and Cinderace. Looking up, Goh warned, "Be ready, Cinderace!" as Swellow began to stop and soar in the air.
"Alright! Use Aerial Ace!" Leaf shouted, and Swellow charged toward Cinderace with great speed, causing the Striker Pokémon to panic as the Pokémon came closer and closer,
"Only one of them is real!" Goh reminded as he pointed upward. "Pick a direction and dodge!" Cinderace nodded and dodged to the right, passing through a fake image of Swellow. However, Swellow readjusted its direction and collided with Cinderace before he could dodge again.
"What!?" Goh yelled, surprised that Swellow managed to hit Cinderace.
"Aerial Ace never misses. Don't you know that?" Leaf asked with a taunting expression. Hearing this, Goh cursed himself for forgetting. His Beedrill and Heracross knew Aerial Ace, and he couldn't believe that he had forgotten about the move.
"Cinder," Cinderace groaned from the attack. He didn't expect Swellow to be that fast.
"Don't worry!" Goh encouraged as Cinderace recovered from the shock. "Use Pyro Ball!"
"Brave Bird!" Leaf exclaimed, and Swellow glowed orange as it soared toward Cinderace. Cinderace launched the flaming pebble he was kicking, and the ball of fire crashed into the charging Swellow. However, Swellow broke through the flames and collided with Cinderace, sending the Striker Pokémon tumbling backward.
"Cinderace!" Cinderace spoke as he got up. Swellow also received damage from the Pyro Ball and the aftereffects of the Brave Bird, but the Swallow Pokémon still appeared to be fine.
"This isn't good," Goh pondered, looking at Swellow. "Cinderace is at a disadvantage from the ground. I need to change my strategy." Goh then pulled out Cinderace's Pokéball and recalled his trusty Pokémon. Next, he summoned another Pokéball and threw it into the air.
"Aerodactyl! Go!" Goh shouted, and Aerodactyl emerged with a large roar as he opened his mouth.
"Goh recalls Cinderace and chooses Aerodactyl as his next Pokémon!" Hibana declared as the board updated with the switch. "Both Pokémon are now in the sky, and the battle is heating up!"
"Double Team!" Leaf announced, and Swellow multiplied itself and flew around to disorient the Fossil Pokémon.
"Blast them all away with Rock Slide!" Goh yelled as he pointed at the copies of Swellow. Large boulders appeared near Aerodactyl, and the Fossil Pokémon tossed the rocks at the Swellows, causing the clones to disappear. The real Swellow managed to dodge one of the rocks, and it prepared to make its next move once all of the copies were gone.
"Aerial Ace!" Leaf proclaimed, and Swellow charged toward Aerodactyl as white streaks surrounded its body. Smiling, Goh waited and carefully watched as Swellow continued its path toward Aerodactyl. He knew dodging was futile, and he would have to counter the Aerial Ace with an attack. Once Swellow was dangerously close enough, he issued, "Iron Head!"
Aerodactyl's forehead glowed silver, and the Fossil Pokémon roared as he slammed into Swellow with the Steel-type attack. Swellow strained against the Iron Head attack, and it ultimately gave in and stumbled backward as it moaned in pain.
"Swellow!" Leaf cried out, and Swellow quickly stopped itself before it crashed onto the ground. Despite the attack, Swellow was still flying, but the injuries on its bodies were starting to affect the Pokémon.
"Aerodactyl, Dragon Breath!" Goh ordered, and Aerodactyl released a purple stream of energy at Swellow.
"Boost your speed with Brave Bird and dodge it," Leaf commanded as Swellow surrounded itself with orange and began to soar toward Aerodactyl.
"Charge up a Hyper Beam and wait for my command!" Goh proclaimed as he pointed at Swellow who successfully avoided the Dragon Breath. Swellow continued flying and collided head on with Aerodactyl, but Aerodactyl obeyed Goh's order and continued collecting energy in his mouth.
"Now!" Goh shouted while Swellow began to receive recoil damage from Brave Bird. The Pokémon was extremely close to Aerodactyl, and the Fossil Pokémon released the beam of energy straight at the Swallow Pokémon's head. The beam sent Swellow flying, and the Pokémon tumbled into one of the stadium's walls before crashing onto the floor.
"Swell," Swellow muttered as spirals formed on its eyes. Leaf looked at her fallen Pokémon and mumbled something to herself that Goh couldn't hear.
"Swellow is unable to battle!" the referee declared, and the audience cheered as Leaf recalled Swellow.
"Goh knocked out one of Leaf's Pokémon!" Chloe squealed happily for her friend. "He might win this!"
"Maybe," Ash commented as he looked at Leaf returning Swellow and grabbing another Pokéball. "Cinderace and Aerodactyl are both injured, while Leaf has two Pokémon that haven't battled before."
Before summing her next Pokémon, Leaf carefully glanced at Aerodactyl and pondered, "I underestimated Aerodactyl's strength, but the Pokémon can't go on like this forever. I need to weaken it first." Putting her thoughts aside, she tossed the Pokéball onto the field, and Drednaw appeared.
"Drednaw," Goh said as he remembered dealing with a rogue Dynamax Drednaw in Galar with Ash. He knew that the Bite Pokémon was a Water type, making Cinderace a bad choice to fight it. Wisely, Goh decided to save Aerodactyl for later and returned the Fossil Pokémon before summoning a different Pokémon.
"Sobble! Go!" Goh yelled as the Water Lizard Pokémon appeared in front of Drednaw.
"Goh switches Aerodactyl with Sobble!" Hibana eagerly spoke. "This is a showdown between two Water-type Pokémon. The shy Sobble versus the dreadful Drednaw! Who will prevail?"
"Hide yourself with Water Gun!" Goh commanded, and he watched as Sobble shot out a stream of Water Gun toward the sky. The water trickled downward, and Sobble instantly disappeared from sight.
"I knew that you'll use that trick," Leaf triumphally proclaimed with a grin on her face. "Drednaw, use Sandstorm!"
"Drednaw," Drednaw slowly muttered as the Pokémon summoned a powerful Sandstorm onto the battlefield. Sand began to fall as the sandstorm grew in intensity, and Sobble was no longer invisible as the sand stuck onto his body.
"Sobble!" Sobble cried out, realizing that Drednaw could now see him.
"Perfect! Use Jaw Lock!" Leaf commanded, and Drednaw lunged toward Sobble and bit the Water Lizard Pokémon with its ferocious teeth. Sobble struggled to escape from the attack, but Drednaw still continued biting on Sobble.
"Sobble! Use U-Turn!" Goh ordered, and Sobble slapped Drednaw with one of his fins, hoping to escape to the safety of his Pokéball. However, nothing happened, and Drednaw merely grunted from the attack and continued restraining Sobble with its jaw.
"Why isn't it working?" Goh questioned as Sobble continued to struggle against Drednaw.
"Jaw Lock prevents the user and the target from switching out until either of them faints. The effect goes away if either of the Pokémon leaves the field," Goh's Rotom Phone suddenly answered.
"What?" Goh exclaimed as he was shocked to discover an attack like that existed. Leaf had outplayed him, and she created the perfect plan to counter Sobble's hit-and-run strategy.
"Sob!" Sobble squealed as he continued to struggle. He was trapped and afraid. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free of Drednaw's Jaw Lock.
"This is bad," Ash stated as he looked at the struggling Sobble. "This is just like Grapploct's Octolock." He remembered how he panicked when Grapploct prevented Lucario from moving and how he badly lost against Bea. Goh was suffering the same thing, and he was worried for his friend.
"What will Goh do?" Chloe asked as she continued to watch the battle unfold.
"Release Sobble and use Headbutt!" Leaf ordered as Drednaw stopped biting and tossed Sobble onto the ground.
"Get out of there!" Goh quickly yelled, but Sobble was too slow. Drednaw slammed into Sobble, and the Water Lizard Pokémon tumbled onto the ground from the attack.
"Jaw Lock again," Leaf calmly spoke, and Drednaw bit on Sobble who let out another cry from the pain.
"The attacks must have hurt Sobble and made him slower," Goh anxiously thought as Sobble struggled again. "How can I win this? How can I beat her?" But he couldn't find an answer to his question and could only watch when Leaf told Drednaw to use Headbutt again.
Drednaw slammed into Sobble after releasing him, and Sobble crashed onto the ground. He tried to get up, but he stammered forward and collapsed onto the ground due to exhaustion and pain.
"Finish this with Jaw Lock," Leaf ordered once more, and Drednaw opened its mouth and bit on Sobble.
"Sobble!" Goh cried out, and Sobble squealed one more time before he fainted. Drednaw released the knocked out Sobble, and Goh rushed forward to his fallen Pokémon as the referee declared the results of the battle.
"I can't believe that Goh lost," Chloe muttered as she watched Goh apologize to Sobble. "He and Sobble were looking forward to becoming stronger."
Ash was silent, but there was a frown on his face. Leaf was much stronger than he previously thought, and she was a tough opponent to beat. "Come on, Goh," he thought. "You can do it."
"I'm sorry, Sobble," Goh grimaced as he recalled the Water Lizard Pokémon. He failed Sobble, and he didn't do anything as Drednaw relentlessly attack his Pokémon. Leaf's Drednaw was dangerous, and Goh observed the ongoing Sandstorm and the slowly moving Drednaw.
Deciding what Pokémon to use next, Goh yelled, "Cinderace! Go!" as he tossed Cinderace's Pokéball onto the field.
"Cinderace!" Cinderace proclaimed as he stood in front of Drednaw. He was surprised to see him fighting a Water-type Pokémon, but he trusted Goh's judgment.
"Why is Goh using Cinderace?" Chloe questioned. "Drednaw has the advantage."
"It must be because of the sandstorm," Ash responded as he looked at the sand. "Aerodactyl would have had trouble flying and seeing. Cinderace is faster, so Goh should be alright if Drednaw doesn't hit Cinderace."
"We'll make the first move!" Leaf proclaimed as she pointed at Cinderace. "Use Hydro Pump!"
"Dodge it!" Goh commanded, thrusting his left hand to the side.
Drednaw opened its mouth and released a powerful stream of water toward Cinderace. Immediately, Cinderace dodged out of the way and landed nearby. The sand made it hard to move, but Cinderace was still faster than the heavy and sluggish Drednaw.
"Good," Goh exclaimed with a grin. "Now, use Quick Attack!"
Cinderace charged toward Drednaw and slammed into it, but Leaf was expecting the attack. "Jaw Lock! Bite on its hand!" she swiftly commanded, and Drednaw bit its powerful jaw onto Cinderace's right hand.
"Cinder!" Cinderace winced from the pain. Drednaw's jaw was powerful, and its teeth were sharp.
"Ignore it!" Goh shouted as Cinderace struggled to pull his hand free. "Use your feet! Double Kick!"
"Hydro Pump!" Leaf shot back, and both trainers looked carefully at their Pokémon as the attacks executed. Cinderace turned to the side and kicked Drednaw with all of his might twice. The Fighting type move was super-effective, and Drednaw moaned as it fell onto the floor. But it continued charging Hydro Pump and blasted it at Cinderace after opening its mouth.
Cinderace tumbled backward from the super-effective Water-type attack and crashed onto the floor. Goh and Leaf held their breathes as they watched their Pokémon. The sandstorm started to disappear, and the referee glanced at both Pokémon.
"Drednaw and Cinder—" the referee started to say, but Cinderace's groan interrupted him. The Striker Pokémon got up and panted. The attack dealt a lot of damage to him, but he was still able to battle.
"Cinderace!" Goh happily cried out, seeing how dedicated his Pokémon was. Seeing that Cinderace was alright, the referee glanced back at Drednaw and declared, "Drednaw is unable to battle!"
"Alright!" Ash cheered as Leaf returned Drednaw. "Goh has two Pokémon, while Leaf has one. Cinderace has the advantage against Venusaur! If Goh really does a plan to deal with Venusaur's Poison Powder, he might be able to win this!"
Chloe nodded and watched as Leaf called Venusaur onto the field. Things were looking good for Goh, but Leaf was not an easy opponent to beat.
"Cinderace. Are you ready?" Goh asked his Pokémon as both of them watched Venusaur. Ever since their loss, both of them have been eager for a rematch, and this was their chance to prove to Leaf how strong they were.
"Cinder," Cinderace replied as he nodded. He remembered what Venusaur's moves were, and he and Goh prepared themselves for what was coming next.
"Use Earthquake," Leaf stated, and the ground beneath Cinderace shook as the attack began.
"Cinderace! Double Kick!" Goh shouted, and Cinderace jumped into the air as cracks formed in the floor. The Striker Pokémon soared toward Venusaur, but Leaf wasn't discouraged from the attack. She guessed what Goh's strategy was, and she was glad that she was prepared.
"Use Frenzy Plant," she calmly spoke, and Goh's eyes lit up in surprise as brown roots shot out of the ground and slammed into Cinderace.
"Cinder?" Cinderace asked before he tumbled onto the ground. He groaned as he got up. He and Goh were expecting Leaf to use Razor Leaf, but he was shocked to find that Venusaur learned a new move.
"Get up, Cinderace! Use Pyro Ball!" Goh shouted after he recovered from the shock. Venusaur couldn't move due to Frenzy Plant, and Cinderace sent a flaming ball toward the Seed Pokémon without any resistance. Venusaur grunted as it felt the pain from the super effective move.
Smirking, Leaf spoke, "Let's see if you and Cinderace have improved since last time. Use Poison Powder!"
Venusaur emitted a purple powder of poison, and it floated in the air toward Cinderace.
"Cinderace!" Goh cried out as he watched Cinderace became poisoned from the cloud of poison. He knew that Cinderace was already injured from his battles against Swellow and Drednaw, and Cinderace began to pant even harder.
"Cinder," Cinderace groaned as he tried fighting the poison. He lost many battles because of being poisoned, and he wouldn't lose again.
"Looks like things are the same," Leaf spoke as she observed Cinderace's condition. "Your bond with him still isn't strong."
"You're wrong," Goh shot back, glaring at Leaf. "Cinderace and I have been together for a long time. He helped me catch many of my Pokémon, and we have always depended on each other. Even though we had our differences and arguments, we mended them. We faced many troubles, and we always overcame them!" As Goh said those words, he reflected over his moments with Cinderace. They caught many Bug-type Pokémon in Kanto, created their own version of Ember, overcame Flygon in a raging sandstorm, battled against Kiawe in Alola, almost caught Zapdos in a raid battle, and defeated Milotic during the Darkest Day.
"Why though? Why catch that many Pokémon?" Leaf asked as she carefully watched Cinderace and Goh. She couldn't help but wonder what motivated them. They were interesting, and she never met anyone like them.
"Catching Pokémon is one step closer to my goal of catching Mew," Goh explained as he raised his fist in the air. "Mew contains the genes of all Pokémon, and I need to understand all Pokémon if I want Mew. The best way to learn about a Pokémon is to catch it."
"Mew?" Leaf curiously repeated. She recalled that Mew was a powerful Mythical Pokémon that had the ability to become any Pokémon it wanted to. She wondered why Goh wanted Mew so badly. He did mention the Pokémon when they first battled, but she hadn't seriously considered the idea of catching a Mythical Pokémon.
"Mew is my goal, and I will bond together with my Pokémon in order to achieve it," Goh continued speaking as he remembered Leaf's criticisms. "We will become stronger together, and I will catch Mew. It's my reality, my future, and I can hold that future in the palm of my hand!"
"Saying is one thing, but doing it is another thing." Leaf coolly responded. "Can you prove that your bond with Cinderace is strong? As well with the rest of your Pokémon?"
"I can!" Goh shot back as he thrust his hand forward. "Cinderace, let's show her how we're going to beat her! Use Blaze Kick!"
"Cinder," Cinderace proclaimed as he began running, but he wasn't moving. He was still inside the cloud of powder, and his feet were moving as flames erupted underneath.
"What's he doing?" Leaf pondered as the flames soared higher and higher. Goh wasn't attacking, and it made her worried. Soon, the flames completely engulfed Cinderace, and the powder disappeared.
"Cinder!" Cinderace stated. The poison was gone, and he was ready to fight back. The flames also boosted his energy, and he felt a little better.
"We burned away the cloud of poison," Goh explained as he pointed toward Venusaur. "I did some research, and it turns out that Flame Charge can burn away poison. So, we created our own version of Flame Charge! Now, use Pyro Ball and aim straight at Venusaur!"
"Solar Beam," Leaf ordered, and Venusaur groaned as it began collecting energy for the powerful attack.
"Go!" Goh shouted, and Cinderace launching the flaming ball straight at Venusaur. The ball collided with Venusaur, and a smoke cloud formed from the impact. Goh and Cinderace stared into the smoke cloud, trying to locate Venusaur, but they couldn't see anything.
Suddenly, a bright blue light emitted from inside of the cloud, and another light appeared. It was yellow, and the light burst through the smoke cloud and crashed into Cinderace.
"Cinderace!" Goh cried out. Venusaur successfully executed the Solar Beam attack, and Cinderace was lying on the floor with spirals in his eyes.
"How?" he inquired as he turned back toward the other side of the battlefield. Venusaur was still standing, but the Seed Pokémon looked different. It looked bigger, and the flower on its back had more petals and was higher than before.
"Mega Evolution," he muttered to himself as the referee declared that Cinderace was knocked out. He hoped that the Pyro Ball would have eliminated Venusaur, but Leaf must have Mega Evolved Venusaur after the attack.
He recalled Cinderace and thanked his Pokémon for the battle. Cinderace might have lost against Venusaur, but Goh still had one Pokémon left. Knowing that this battle was the most important one, he tossed the Pokéball into the air and announced, "Aerodactyl! Go!"
"Aero!" Aerodactyl roared as he exited the Pokéball. He glanced at Venusaur and back at Goh. Noticing the glint in Aerodactyl's eye, Goh nodded and said, "It's time Aerodactyl." Goh touched the Key Stone at his bracelet, and he felt a powerful aura of energy radiated from it.
"Aerodactyl!" he yelled as the Aerodactylite on Aerodactyl glowed as well. "Mega Evolve!"
Aerodactyl glowed blue as the transformation happened, and Goh carefully observed the phenomena as dark, jagged rocks formed on Aerodactyl's body. Once it was over, Goh saw that Aerodactyl was larger and that many of his weak spots were covered by rocks.
"This is Mega Aerodactyl," Goh spoke with awe as he looked at his newly transformed Pokémon. He couldn't believe it, and Aerodactyl appeared to be overjoyed as well. They finally Mega Evolved, and Goh couldn't wait to test out Aerodactyl's power.
"Alright, Aerodactyl!" Goh ordered as he pointed at Leaf's Mega Venusaur. "Use Rock Slide!"
"Aerodact!" Aerodactyl started to roar as he summoned a group of rocks in the air. He swung the rocks toward Venusaur, and Venusaur grunted in pain as it received damage from the rocks.
"Prepare for Solar Beam," Leaf commanded, and Venusaur began collecting energy as it prepared for the powerful attack.
"Aerodactyl, use Dragon Breath!" Goh exclaimed, but Aerodactyl didn't listen and instead charged toward Venusaur. Aerodactyl's forehead glowed as he used Iron Head, and he crashed into the Seed Pokémon multiple times.
"Aerodactyl, stop it!" Goh cried out as Aerodactyl relentlessly attacked Venusaur, but the Fossil Pokémon ignored Goh and continued attacking.
"What's going on?" Chloe asked as Aerodactyl let out a snarl. "There's something wrong with his eyes." Aerodactyl's eyes were red, and the Fossil Pokémon looked like he was under pain as he lunged at Venusaur.
"He's losing control," Ash spoke as he stood up to get a better look. Aerodactyl was struggling to control Mega Evolution, and Ash remembered that Korrina's Lucario also had the same problem. "This isn't good," he continued speaking as he glanced at the battlefield.
Venusaur endured all of Aerodactyl's attacks and released a Solar Beam straight at the Fossil Pokémon's face. Aerodactyl tumbled backwards from the attack, but he got up and roared once more.
"What's going on?" Goh thought as he watched Aerodactyl's rampage. This was different than the other times that Aerodactyl wouldn't listen. He was out of control, and he wouldn't stop attacking Venusaur.
"Poison Powder," Leaf calmly spoke as Venusaur released a cloud of poison. Unlike Goh, she was calm about the situation, and she decided to use Aerodactyl's out of control behavior to her advantage. As Aerodactyl breathed in the poison, he screeched and shook his head as the poison started to take effect.
"Get out of here!" Goh shouted, hoping that Aerodactyl would listen, but Aerodactyl ignored Goh's words and tried to continue attacking. The Fossil Pokémon was having trouble seeing as his vision began to blur.
"Finish this with Frenzy Plant," Leaf spoke with a frown. The ground shook, and tree roots shot out of the ground and slammed into the weak Mega Aerodactyl. Aerodactyl cried as he crashed onto the floor.
"Aerodactyl!" Goh yelled as he rushed forward at the crater on the battlefield. Aerodactyl glowed before reverting back to his original form, and Goh knew that the battle was over. He lost, and Leaf won.
Goh was sitting inside a Pokémon Center with Chloe, patiently waiting for Nurse Joy's results. He was worried about Aerodactyl and couldn't believe that he had lost. He didn't understand why Aerodactyl wouldn't listen to him, and he was upset that he didn't do anything.
"Goh, it isn't your fault," Chloe said, trying to reassure her friend. "Ash said that a Pokémon losing control of Mega Evolution is normal. It can sometimes happen if a bond between a Pokémon and its trainer isn't strong enough."
"So, Leaf was right," Goh bitterly replied as he looked at the ground. "My bond with Aerodactyl wasn't strong enough, and we lost because of that." He also thought of Sobble's defeat and how he only watched as Sobble struggled against Drednaw's Jaw Lock.
Chloe didn't say anything, but she glanced up at the screen and saw that Ash and Leaf were preparing for their battle. Leaf had already healed her Pokémon, and Ash was walking toward the battlefield.
"Pika," Pikachu anxiously said. He was worried about Goh, and he hoped that his friend was alright.
"Don't worry, Pikachu," Ash responded as he stopped at the battlefield's edge. "Goh will be okay. Chloe is there to help him."
"Trainers, send out your Pokémon," the referee declared, and Ash grabbed a Pokéball as Leaf grabbed one as well.
"Drednaw! I need you!" Leaf spoke as Drednaw appeared on the battlefield.
"Farfetch'd! I choose you!" Ash shouted, and Farfetch'd grunted as he glared at the Bite Pokémon.
"Begin the battle!" the referee stated, and the board updated with images of Drednaw and Farfetch'd.
"Sandstorm!" Leaf ordered, and Ash watched as a sandstorm picked up on the battlefield.
"Far," Farfetch'd muttered as he wanted for his trainer's command. He dealt with sandstorms before, and he wasn't afraid of Drednaw.
"Charge forward with Brick Break!" Ash commanded, and Farfetch'd lunged forward as his leek glowed red. Farfetch'd's leek hit Drednaw, and the Bite Pokémon groaned in pain as it received the damage.
"Jaw Lock," Leaf cried out, and Drednaw closed its mouth on a part of Farfetch'd's leek. Farfetch'd tried to pull the leek out, but Drednaw's jaw was too strong.
"Ignore the leek for now! Focus Energy!" Ash commanded as a smile formed on his face. He had a plan, and he was confident that he could knock out Drednaw soon.
Farfetch'd glanced at Ash and glowed as he executed Focus Energy. His leek was important to him, but his trainer showed him that he could still battle if he didn't have his leek.
"Now, grab onto the leek and use Brutal Swing!" Ash shouted as he watched Farfetch'd's leek began to glow. Farfetch'd held his leek and strained with all of his might to swing it. Drednaw was heavy, but he pushed himself and roared. Eventually, Drednaw moved, and Farfetch'd swung the Bite Pokémon in a circle as it held on.
"Good!" Ash praised as Farfetch'd continuing swinging. "Slam Drednaw onto the ground!"
"Drednaw, release the leek!" Leaf yelled as Farfetch'd prepared to slam Drednaw. Drednaw was dizzy from all the swinging, but it managed to let go before Farfetch'd slammed his leek.
The Bite Pokémon tumbled onto the ground, moaning as it tried to get up. It had trouble seeing, and it saw many Farfetch'd's as it tried to recover from the dizziness. The sand reduced the damage from the fall, but Drednaw was still slightly injured.
"Brick Break!" Ash cried out, thrusting his right arm forward. Farfetch'd charged toward Drednaw and hit the Bite Pokémon with the super-effective Fighting-type move. Drednaw stumbled backward before falling onto the ground. Its eyes were in spirals, and the sandstorm vanished.
"Drednaw is unable to battle!" the referee stated, and Leaf recalled the Bite Pokémon.
"Amazing! Farfetch'd easily defeats Drednaw without much struggle!" Hibana announced. "What Pokémon will Leaf choose next?"
"I can't believe Farfetch'd defeated Drednaw that quick," Chloe spoke as she looked at the screen. "Ash used Jaw Lock against Leaf and put her in a disadvantage."
"Yeah," Goh sighed as he watched the battle as well. It hurt seeing Ash triumph over Drednaw after he struggled to beat it.
"Swellow! I need you!" Leaf shouted as she tossed Swellow's Pokéball. The Swallow Pokémon appeared and threateningly hovered over the field.
Farfetch'd glared at the Swellow and gestured toward Swellow to make a move. "You want to continue battling," Ash noted as he looked at the Wild Duck Pokémon. "Alright! Use Focus Energy!"
"Double Team" Leaf shot back, and Swellow copied itself many times as it flew around the field. She was going to play careful, and she knew that Farfetch'd was sometimes reckless.
After Farfetch'd executed the attack, Ash looked up and said, "Farfetch'd, jump up and use Fury Cutter!" Farfetch'd's leek shimmered green, and Farfetch'd jumped up and hit the copies of Swellow with his leek as the fake ones disappeared from contact.
"Brave Bird while it's distracted!" Leaf commanded, and the rest of the Swellows became enveloped in an orange light as they charged toward Farfetch'd.
"Brutal Swing!" Ash shouted, and Farfetch'd swung his leek in a circle as the copies descended on the Wild Duck Pokémon. The fake ones vanished, and Farfetch'd slammed into the real one, sending Swallow flying backward.
"Follow it up with Brick Break!" Ash ordered as he pointed at Swellow.
"Quick Guard!" Leaf commanded as Swellow protected itself with a barrier.
Farfetch'd collided the barrier with his leek, but the attack dealt no damage to the Swallow Pokémon. Hastily, Leaf shouted, "Use Aerial Ace!" Before Farfetch'd could react, Swellow flew toward Farfetch'd and crashed into the Wild Duck Pokémon.
"Farr," Farfetch'd groaned as he got up. It was hard to see Swellow when it used Aerial Ace.
Ash glanced at Swellow again and knew that Farfetch'd was at a disadvantage. Swellow was fast, and it had control over the air. But all of Swellow's attacks relied on physical contact with Farfetch'd, and Ash had to be prepared when it struck next.
"Farfetch'd! Watch closely at Swellow's movements!" Ash ordered, and Farfetch'd set his gaze on Swellow as the Swallow Pokémon floated in the air.
"Looking at us won't beat us! Swallow, use Aerial Ace again!" Leaf shouted, and white streaks surrounded Swellow as the Pokémon soared toward Farfetch'd. Farfetch'd really wanted to swing his leek to attack the incoming Swellow, but he listened to Ash and carefully looked at Swellow. The Pokémon was coming closer and closer, and he waited for it to be within range.
Ash was also carefully looking at Swellow, and he patiently waited for the right opportunity as well. Once he saw that Swellow was close enough, he yelled, "Brick Break!" Farfetch'd also realized the moment and swung his leek straight at Swellow. The attack stopped Swellow's Aerial Ace, and both Pokémon strained against the other.
"Unbelievable! Farfetch'd stopped Swellow's Aerial Ace right in its tracks!" Hibana proclaimed as everyone looked at the struggle. "Who will win this fierce battle?"
"Swellow, switch to Brave Bird!" Leaf cried out, and orange light started to surround Swellow as Farfetch'd was pushed back from the attack.
"Farfetch'd!" Ash exclaimed as he saw Farfetch'd's struggle. The orange light became brighter and brighter, and the Wild Duck Pokémon attempted to shield his eyes from the light. Eventually, the Brave Bird overpowered the exhausted Farfetch'd, and he was flung backward.
"Farr," Farfetch'd groaned as he laid on the ground. He was knocked out, and Ash recalled him.
"Thanks, Farfetch'd," Ash spoke before he pulled out another Pokéball. Swellow was also damaged from Brave Bird, and he still had two unused Pokémon. Tossing the Pokéball in the air, he yelled, "Gengar! I choose you!"
"Gen!" Gengar laughed as he appeared on the battlefield. He was looking forward to this battle.
Leaf glanced at Gengar and quickly ordered, "Confuse it with Double Team!" Swellow copied itself as it flew around in circles, but Ash was prepared for the strategy.
"Gengar, use Psychic!" Ash ordered as he thrusted his fist forward. Gengar's eyes glowed as pink outlines appeared on the Swellows, stopping them from moving. The fake ones instantly disappeared, while the real one remained floating in the air.
"Throw Swellow onto the ground!" Ash called as he saw the Swellow struggle against Gengar. Gengar's eyes glowed again as he swung Swellow toward the ground. Swellow crashed with a groan, but it managed to get up and panted as it soared in the air.
"It can still battle," Ash stated as he looked at the injured Swellow.
"Good, Swellow!" Leaf praised, glancing at the Swallow Pokémon. "Now, use Aerial Ace!"
"Ice Punch!" Ash ordered, and one of Gengar's fist became surrounded with an icy blue aura. Gengar slammed the Ice-type move at the incoming Swellow, and both Pokémon clashed with each other as they strained against the other. However, Ice was super effective against Flying, and Gengar's Ice Punch collided with Swellow's body, and the Pokémon was sent crashing into the ground once more. This time, it didn't move, and there were spirals in its eyes.
"Swellow is unable to battle!" the referee proclaimed, and cheers could be heard in the audience. Leaf was down to only one Pokémon, while Ash had two.
"Ash can win this," Goh quietly spoke as he looked at the screen. "Earthquake and Poison Powder are useless against Gengar. Leaf can only use Frenzy Plant and Solar Beam. Gengar also knows Ice Punch, which is super effective against Grass types."
"Venusaur can Mega Evolve though, and Leaf probably knows what situation she is in," Chloe responded as she watched the screen as well. They were still waiting for Nurse Joy to tell them about Aerodactyl, and they continued looking at Ash's battle.
"Venusaur! I need you!" Leaf exclaimed as she summoned her Pokémon. Battling Ash was harder than she thought, but she wasn't planning on giving up.
"Gengar," Gengar chuckled as he made faces toward Venusaur. This was going to be an easy battle for him.
"Let's win this, Gengar!" Ash declared as he pointed at the Seed Pokémon. "Shadow Ball!"
"Block it with Frenzy Plant!" Leaf commanded as roots erupted from the ground. The Shadow Ball harmlessly struck into the barrier of roots, and Ash knew that this was an opportunity.
"Ice Punch!" he proclaimed as he pointed at Venusaur, but Leaf touched the Key Stone on her bracelet. They Key Stone glowed, and the Mega Stone on Venusaur reacted as the Seed Pokémon began to transform. Once it was over, Ash and Gengar saw that Venusaur Mega Evolved and that it looked much stronger.
"Gen?" Gengar asked as he hovered in the air, but he quickly flew toward the Seed Pokémon and landed a super effective attack. To his surprise, the move didn't do much damage as he expected, and Ash also noticed this.
Seeing the confusion on Ash's face, Leaf remarked with a grin, "Mega Venusaur has the ability Thick Fat, which reduces the damage from Fire-type or Ice-type moves. Now that Gengar is close enough, use Earthquake!"
The ground trembled beneath Gengar, and rocks from the ground were sent flying into the air.
"Dodge them!" Ash ordered, but some of the rocks had already slammed into Gengar. The Ghost-type Pokémon was sent tumbling in the air as he received damage from the rocks.
"Gengar," Gengar slowly moaned as he got up from the ground, but he didn't get a chance to fully recover when Leaf yelled, "Frenzy Plant!"
Once again, roots emerged from the ground, but they were much larger and quicker than before. The tree roots repeatedly slammed into Gengar, and Ash could do nothing but watch as Gengar took damage. When the attack was over, Gengar groaned one more time before falling onto the ground.
"Gengar! No!" Ash yelled when he realized that Gengar had fainted.
"Gengar is unable to battle!" the judge exclaimed, and the scoreboard updated as Ash recalled the Shadow Pokémon.
"Both sides now have one Pokémon. Whoever wins this will be crowned as the winner of the Slateport Tournament!" Hibana said while she held her microphone. "Who will it be?"
"Ash only has Lucario left," Chloe remarked from her seat. "I can't believe that she managed to use Earthquake to deal damage."
Before Goh could respond, he saw that Nurse Joy was approaching him, and he got up. "Is Aerodactyl alright?" he anxiously asked, and Nurse Joy's nod reassured him.
"He is alright, and you may come and see him if you like," Nurse Joy spoke, and Goh and Chloe followed after the nurse as the battle between Ash and Leaf continued elsewhere.
"Lucario! I choose you!" Ash shouted as he tossed Lucario's Pokéball.
The Aura Pokémon growled, "Lucario" as he looked at the Mega Venusaur in front of him.
"Lucario," Ash began speaking as he adjusted the hat on his head. "Let's show them how strong you are."
"Luca," Lucario replied as he remembered seeing Korrina's Lucario Mega Evolve. Since that day, he was looking forward to becoming as strong as Korrina's Lucario, and the day had finally arrived.
"Alright," Ash yelled as a smile formed on his face. "Lucario! Mega Evolve!"
"Lucario!" Lucario roared as the transformation took place. He became larger, and he felt stronger as his appearance changed. He roared once more once the transformation was complete. He was ready to battle.
"This is the final battle! Mega Venusaur versus Mega Lucario!" Hibana cried out while everyone was watching the two Mega Evolved Pokémon. "Only one will succeed! The battle is getting more interesting!"
"Earthquake, Venusaur!" Leaf commanded as she pointed at Lucario. The ground shook, and cracks formed as Venusaur executed the Ground-type attack.
"Lucario!" Ash yelled while the cracks headed toward Lucario. "Use Double Team and run!"
Lucario copied itself and ran as the cracks continued to appear. Some of the copies disappeared as the ground became more and more unstable, but Lucario continued moving.
"Poison Powder," Leaf spoke as Lucario was running closer and closer toward her Venusaur. A posion cloud was released, and it headed toward Lucario
"Blast it away with Force Palm!" Ash ordered, and Lucario raised one of his fists as he released a powerful shock wave. The wave dissipated the Poison Powder, and Lucario continued charging.
"Stop it with Frenzy Plant!" Leaf shot back as she watched Lucario. Roots shot out of the ground and slammed into Lucario, sending the Aura Pokémon into the sky.
"Lucario!" Ash shouted as he cupped his hands over his mouth. "Use the roots! Run on them!"
"What?" Leaf exclaimed. Lucario landed on one of the roots and ran on them as he approached Venusaur again.
"Great!" Ash encouraged as he thrust his right hand toward Venusaur. "Use Reversal!"
A gold aura surrounded Lucario's right fist, and the Aura Pokémon slammed into Venusaur's body with it, causing Venusaur to wince in pain as it was forced to slide backward.
"Solar Beam!" Leaf exclaimed, and Lucario looked up to see that Venusaur was charging up the extremely powerful move.
"Lucario! Let's show them what we got!" Ash shouted, grinning. "Jump back and prepare your Aura Sphere! Let's win this!"
"Luca!" Lucario said as he widened the distance between him and Venusaur. He thrust his hands forward as a blue orb formed between them.
"Wait for it," Ash gently spoke as he glanced at Venusaur. The Seed Pokémon continued charging up the attack, while the orb in Lucario's hands became larger and larger.
"Venusaur," Venusaur finally mumbled, and it released the Solar Beam toward Lucario.
"Now!" Ash proclaimed, pointing at Venusaur. "Throw it!"
"Lucario!" Lucario exclaimed as he threw the Aura Sphere with all of his might. The sphere collided and crashed with the Solar Beam, preventing the Solar Beam from moving.
Ash and Leaf both stared at the two attacks, wondering which one will defeat the other. Both moves were powerful, and one of them will determine the fate of the battle.
"Goh, look! They're still battling!" Chloe shouted as she gestured Goh to come forward. She saw the Aura Sphere and Solar Beam in the air, and it appeared that the two moves were equally powerful.
"They're giving it their all," Goh muttered as he watched Ash and Leaf's expression. He could see the tension and anxiety in their eyes.
"It's time to end this stalemate," Ash suddenly announced. "Lucario, close your eyes and focus on the Aura. Channel your strength to the Aura Sphere!"
"That's not possible," Leaf retorted, but Lucario obeyed and closed his eyes to feel the Aura. He could sense the Aura emitting from everything. Some of the Aura was weak, but the Aura coming from the Aura Sphere was strong. Once he found it, he strained as he channeled his strength to it. He could feel the sphere become stronger, and he could feel the smile of Ash's face.
"Lucario!" Lucario thundered before opening his eyes again. The Aura Sphere then broke through the Solar Beam and soared toward the shocked Venusaur. The attack collided into the Seed Pokémon, creating a massive smoke cloud.
"Venusaur!" Leaf screamed, but she already knew the results. Once the smoke was gone, Venusaur was back to its regular form, and it was knocked out.
"Venusaur is unable to battle! The winners are Ash and Lucario!" the referee declared after observing the fallen Venusaur.
"We won!" Ash exclaimed as he jumped into the air.
"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu happily shouted as he and Ash rushed toward Lucario.
"What an epic battle! Lucario overcame Venusaur, making Ash the winner of this year's Slateport Tournament!" Hibana proclaimed as the audience started to cheer.
"Congrats, Ash," Goh spoke to his friend. "That was a great battle!"
"Thanks!" Ash joyfully responded with a grin. "Farfetch'd, Gengar, and Lucario all worked hard. Now, we are one step closer to battling Leon!"
"That battle wasn't a Pokémon World Championships battle," Chloe responded as she stood near the boys. "How is this even related to Leon?"
"Every time I battle, I bond with my Pokémon. Each battle is important to me and my Pokémon, and we also learn something from it," Ash spoke as he raised his fist in the air. "I believe in them, and they believe in me!"
"I can see that," a voice interrupted, and the trio turned to face Leaf who was standing nearby. "That was a good battle, Ash," she acknowledged before turning to face Goh.
"Leaf," Goh solemnly said, expecting her to say something about his defeat.
Leaf opened her mouth and spoke, "I was impressed by Cinderace's battling. It's clear that you two have been through a lot, but you and Aerodactyl still need to master Mega Evolution." She walked away, leaving a flabbergasted Goh behind. Before she left through the door, she turned back and said, "Your Sobble is interesting, but he could be much stronger if he evolves."
"She was impressed by Cinderace," Goh repeated as he watched Leaf leave the Pokémon Center.
Ash placed his hand on Goh's right shoulder. "Looks like you got her respect," he said as he thought of the rivals he encountered in the past. "If you master Mega Evolution, then she would be even more impressed."
Goh nodded at Ash's words. "Aerodactyl and I will get stronger," he announced as he clenched his left hand into a fist. "Next time, we meet things will be different. Sobble and Cinderace will also get stronger!"
"If you two are done talking, let's go tell my father about today," Chloe chimed in. "We still have a job to do, so don't forget about our task."
"That's right!" Ash chuckled as he placed his right hand behind his head. "We need to go to the Sky Pillar!"
"The journey is a long one," Goh stated as he looked at his Rotom Phone. "But that'll give me enough time to bond with Aerodactyl more! We'll stay in the Pokémon Center tonight, and we'll leave in the morning."
Ash wins the Slateport Tournament, while Goh continues his struggle to master Mega Evolution. Both of them are actively working for their dreams as they continue their journey to the Sky Pillar. Mastering Mega Evolution is not an easy task, and Goh will be challenged.
Will Ash have something similar to the Bond Phenomenon when Lucario Mega Evolve?
No. The Bond Phenomenon is special, and it can only be found between Ash and his Greninja.
Will Ash and Goh will get some respective Mega Stones to their Pokémon in the future? (For Ash: Glaltite, Sceptilite, Heracronite, Charizardite X/Y, Garchompite, Gengarite, and for Goh: Pinsirite, Gyaradosite, Heracronite, Beedrilite, Scizorite)
Also, in Alola arc, will Goh gonna partake in the Island Challenge to prove himself worthy to use Z-Moves after he mastered the art of Mega Evolution to strengthen his bonds more on his Pokémon? Will he gonna be recognized by a Tapu and will help him in the future at some point?
I don't have any plans for Ash to get more Mega Stones, but Goh might try to collect some if he can. Goh will fight in the Island Challenge, and Ash will be there to help him along the way. Tapu Koko might be interested in Ash's new friend.
Really enjoyed the this chapter. The battle choreography was very good my only nitpick with was that hyper beam shouldn't have been able to hit Banette due to it being a ghost type. I also liked that your more focus on Goh's battles fathers than Ash's as I felt this tournament was more about Goh rather then Ash and plus we don't get to see Goh battle that much in the show proper.
Thanks for pointing that out. I'll need to fix the battle in the near future.
Ash x Chloe is something that is rarely seen as the show makes it lean more towards Goh x Chloe. I think a Ash and Chloe pairing would make for a new experience for Ash shippers as there are close to none, but hey its not my story just suggesting. Good chapter and story overall so far, looking forward to the next chapter. Another thing real quick is with the show bringing back Gary, I think it would be cool in this fic if he becomes Ash's companion with Goh and Chloe as he is a researcher and Ash's Best bro since they were kids like Goh is with Chloe. That way Ash isn't always the Third man out in those scenarios.
I don't plan on adding shipping to the story, but Gary will make an appearance and have a big impact on Ash. He is also a researcher and Ash's first rival. Ash's win at the Alolan League also has an impact on Gary.
Since Chloe is going to consider entering Contests, will there be any returning Coordinators and Performers like May, Drew, Dawn, Serena and Shauna?
Yes. Important Coordinators and Performers will make an appearance in the story.
This is truly interesting to read; please update soon
Will Ash tell gou and chloe about him being a Champion? It'll be hilarious to read their expressions most especially you'd
This might be too late but HAPPY NEW YEAR
Goh and Chloe will discover that Ash is a Champion soon, but it won't be Ash who tells them. They would be shocked, and it would reinforce Goh's belief that Ash is "mysterious."