Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise; you know the drill

Feedback: Always appreciated

AN: The final clash as Cyrus gets what's coming to him and Ash taps a few new/old talents; hope you like it.

Temporal War

With Cyrus stunned into silent confusion, Ash was left to stare at his outstretched hands, his mind suddenly flashing back to those strange few days he'd spent with Lucario trying to rescue Pikachu from the Tree of Beginning, the power of that place awakening his own previously unknown talent to sense the life-energy of people and Pokemon around him.

He'd never really had the time or inclination to explore his apparent awareness of Aura the way he probably should have, even after that incident with the lost Riolu and meeting Riley on Iron Island, but he knew that it was still there…

Sensing life…

From what he remembered of his time in Rota and his trip to the Tree of Life, the ability to sense aura had been described to him as the ability to sense life, so maybe that awareness was why he'd been feeling so strange during the battle earlier? Maybe some part of him was reacting to the presence of all those fake Pokemon Cyrus had created, with his aura abilities making him recognise that they weren't 'real' on a deeper level than what other people were normally aware of…

"Aura?" Cyrus repeated, glaring at Ash as he adjusted his stained coat, as though Ash had somehow insulted him by throwing this new curveball into the situation. "What was… that?"

"Something I don't do very often, and that you never knew I was capable of," Ash responded, smiling as he flexed his shoulders and shifted into a combat stance he'd seen in a film, Greninja mimicking it beside him as Pikachu stood in front of him and Charizard positioned himself behind his trainer. "The aura is with me, Cyrus… so let's try this again, shall we?"

Ash had been able to tolerate even Paul at his worst and still hope the other trainer could be better, but after everything he'd set out to do, Cyrus deserved nothing but Ash's contempt even before his latest revelation. Ash wasn't sure how these abilities had suddenly been triggered like this, but if it would give him an edge in this fight, he was going to hit Cyrus with everything he had.

"Enough!" Cyrus yelled, spreading his arms wide and summoning a new army of glowing Pokemon. A quick glance was enough for Ash to confirm that the new 'army' consisted mainly of the Pokemon Cyrus had already created for the rest of Team Galactic, including a range of Honchkrow, Crobat, Weavile, Houndoom, Toxicroak, Electrode, Skuntank, Forteress, and Camerupt, along with a few of their pre-evolutions (he guessed that his enemy hadn't included illusionary Gyarados due to its sheer size not being an asset in this situation). Ash only had a moment to take in the scale of the new wave before they were all charging towards him, leaving Ash to lash out with another burst of Aura as Pikachu, Charizard and Greninja leapt into action. Ash noted that Charizard let out a surprisingly loud roar before the battle began, but put that aside in favour of focusing on the current conflict as his three Pokemon charged into the veritable army before them.

How do I-?

"Clear the field, Ash Ketchum; precise combat can wait."

As the 'vision' of Lucario faded, Ash didn't know where that had come from, but his own experience of working with Lucario at the Tree of Beginning was enough to convince him to accept its words and focus on the battle at hand. He made a brief attempt to raise his hands and summon an Aura Sphere, but that only resulted in a few bursts of blue light, so Ash decided that it wasn't worth trying to pull that off right now, and an attempt to recall what Maylene, Cameron or Korinna had ordered Lucario to use in a fight didn't turn up any memory of something he could use-

A loud roar of rage from off to the side prompted Ash to spin around in time to see a pair of Houndoom charging towards him, each one with larger horns and a thick 'collar' that made Ash think of bone. Lost for better ideas, Ash raised his hands and launched the same random 'wave' of Aura energy that he'd used earlier. As the attacking Pokemon vanished before they could reach him, Ash allowed himself a brief smile of relief before he turned his attention to the other attacking illusions, but a quick assessment of the fight made it clear that his new ability wouldn't be that much use. Even if he could be sure doing this wouldn't wear him down later on, he didn't know how many illusions he could 'erase' on his own with those larger bursts, and he didn't want to accidentally put Pikachu, Charizard or Greninja in danger if they suddenly found themselves off-guard when their latest opponent vanished.

His three Pokemon were holding their own, but there was obviously only so much that three Pokemon could do against the numbers Cyrus was unleashing against them, even if Pikachu, Charizard and Greninja were three of his strongest. The Pokemon didn't seem as powerful as the real Team Galactic's forces had been during his confrontations with them back in Sinnoh, but their sheer numbers were enough to keep Ash's Pokemon off-balance. Pikachu had to be careful about launching attacks against their enemies in case he hit Charizard or Greninja by accident, and Greninja had to take similar care to avoid striking Charizard, and even his original powerhouse could only do so much against these numbers. He had faith that they would do their best, but that wouldn't last for long if he couldn't turn the tide back in his favour.

Stuck for anything else he could do, Ash leapt into the fight alongside Pikachu, Charizard and Greninja, trying to avoid the worst of the opposing force's attacks while delivering a few punches or kicks to anything nearby. He soon found that he could essentially 'erase' what he hit if he concentrated on the punch or kick while he was hitting the enemy Pokemon, but it always left him feeling tired for a moment or two after the punch, so he had to focus on hitting where he could do the most damage and then keep moving.

"You pick up some new tricks and think you can stop me?" Cyrus yelled, now standing on top of a Camerupt to give himself a better view of the battle. "You are a foolish child-!"

"And you're a nutcase who decided he had the right to destroy the universe!" Ash countered, knocking a Weavile down with a kick to its head. "If you have any questions about why someone would be against that, you're even crazier than I thought you were!"

"My new world is necessary-!"

"Then why do you have to do all this to get there?" Ash retorted. "Do you even have a plan for what you'd do once you had that new world? I mean, I can appreciate that you probably had a hard life-"

"I have seen the harshness of reality and made a rational choice-!"

"You're talking about killing everyone else; that's not rational!" Ash retorted, narrowly avoiding a diving Honchkrow. "You just want to-"

Ash's words were cut short when a Toxicroak grabbed him by the throat and pinned him to the ground, leaving him gasping for air as Cyrus jumped off the Camerupt and walked over to stand above him.

"You see the world through your blinkered view and assume that your faith is sufficient to get you and those you know through life, but I have seen more of the world than you and your childish associates could ever understand." Cyrus glared down at Ash as Toxicroak adjusted its position to hold down Ash's arms with its other arm and one foot. "There is nothing in this life beyond what meaning other seek to impose on it, foolish boy; I will see this world purged to reflect the true lack of meaning in this bleak existence-"

Cyrus's rant was suddenly interrupted as a loud screech filled the air, the semi-visible sound waves striking with such force that both Toxicroak and Cyrus were sent flying away from Ash.

"What-?" Ash looked back, before confusion was replaced by a broad grin. "Noivern!"

The large bat-like Pokemon let out a loud screech as it flew over the battlefield, its eyes glowing red as it swept the enemy Pokemon with Boomburst. Hawlucha, Talonflame and Heracross were just behind the large purple bat-dragon, each diving in to attack one of Cyrus's Toxicroak with their wings before moving on to other targets, while Cyndaquil led Goodra into the fray. As Snorlax leapt onto the field with a surprising display of speed before crash-landing on top of a group of Electrode, Ash guessed that the younger Pikachu had stayed with Noctowl, Bayleef and his friends to help in the ongoing battle against the rest of Team Galactic, but he had to focus on the battle at hand rather than worry about that.

"Pikachu?" Pikachu called out as it dived back into the thick of the battle, but Ash didn't have time to ask what that was about as Cyrus charged towards him. Raising his arms, Ash grabbed Cyrus's outstretched fist and hauled the older man over his shoulder, following it up by kicking him in the side. When Cyrus struck a nearby tree, Ash almost winced at the sight, but reminded himself that he was facing a villain and turned back around to eliminate a group of Electrode before they could trigger Self-Destruct as they charged towards Charizard and Greninja. As his original two powerhouses rejoined the thick of the battle, they continued to reaffirm Ash's faith in them as Greninja's Water Shuriken took down a small herd of Camerupt even as Charizard burnt a group of illusionary Toxicroak into non-existence.

Demonstrating its usual surprising agility when riled, Snorlax stomped firmly into the battlefield, swinging its fists to knock down charging Camerupt with its Ice Punches. Hawlucha unleashed a series of Flying Presses against the Honchkrow in the air while Talonflame joined Charizard in keeping the Forteress at bay with a mix of Flame Charge and Flamethrower. Cyndaquil soon found itself fighting off a group of Weavile while Goodra focused its efforts on the Skuntank. Heracross and Greninja soon established themselves as an effective team against the Houndoom, while Pikachu vaulted into the air to launch the occasional Thunderbolt at the assembled Crobat.

"Pika-!" Ash began, before Cyrus was suddenly right in front of him, the man's eyes wide with a cold rage that was the most emotion Ash had ever seen on his face even when the older man was pretending to be an innocent party. Ash lashed out with an Aura-charged punch, but whether he didn't have time to focus or Cyrus was just able to focus his own powers better, the blow didn't do much damage, leaving Cyrus to grab his arm and hurl him towards the nearby shrine, the stone structure still undamaged despite the battle waging around it.

"You dare to defy me!" Cyrus roared in outrage, hands reaching for Ash's throat. "I will achieve my destiny-!"

"Your destiny?" Ash spat back into Cyrus's face, reaching up to try and keep Cyrus's hands from reaching his throat as he moved briskly away from the shrine, desperately avoiding a Flamethrower from Cyndaquil that struck a pair of Fortress and a Weavile. "The Lake Pokemon came to me, Dawn and Brock; don't you think if any of the Legendaries approved of your idea they'd have appeared to anyone in your organisation?"

"This world does not know what it needs; I give us the world we all deserve-!"

"And what gives you the right to decide that?" Ash retorted as Talonflame used Flame Charge to knock down a pair of Skuntank. "Life is about facing challenges and overcoming them; I might start fresh with each new region, but that's not the same thing as… wiping the slate clean like that!"

"I have seen the truth of the world-!"

"Through your own blinkered eyes; you just want the world to be as bad as you say it is so you've got a reason to destroy it!" Ash protested, as Hawlucha and Heracross took up position back-to-back and began to attack their surrounding opponents. "You're just a petty idiot who can't accept-"

"I am the only one who sees the world as it is!" Cyrus yelled, as a hard shove sent Ash staggering back towards the shrine behind him. As soon as Ash's fingers made contact with the stone, he suddenly felt another boost of energy, as though everything he'd been tapping so far was just a light trickle and something had unlocked the necessary tap even further.

"Go past your limits, Ash Ketchum," he heard Lucario's voice echoing in his head once again, almost sounding as though it was coming from the shrine behind him. "You have already achieved the impossible with one; for this moment, in this place, all must be possible."

Ash could never explain how he knew that what he was about to do would be possible, but as soon as Lucario spoke, he knew what he had to do. As Cyrus charged towards him again, Ash positioned himself against the shrine and kicked upwards to force the insane leader of Team Galactic back, before he leaned back to tighten his grip on the stone structure behind him.

If he'd misunderstood Lucario's message, he was going to look very stupid when this didn't work, but if he was right, this was going to have some very dramatic results…

"Charizard! Heracross!" he called over at two of his team's traditional powerhouses, each of whom had yet to reach their greatest potential but would prove themselves time and again in the future. "Get over here; it's time to go Mega!"

Even if neither of his Pokemon knew what he meant, Ash was touched to see no hesitation from the dragon or the beetle as they flew away from their current opponents to take up a position closer to their trainer. Cyrus scrambled to his feet with a roar of defiance, but he was too late to stop Ash from taking up a position right against the shrine, leaning against the small stone structure before he thrust his hands towards his two powerhouses. Charizard roared in triumph as Heracross let out a loud screech, which was followed by the two Pokemon transforming into the Mega evolved forms he'd seen in Kalos, Charizard becoming a large black dragon with blue flames while Heracross's arms bulked up and his horn shifted to a large single point fixed on the back of his head.

"NO!" Cyrus yelled in outrage, looking at the newly-transformed Pokemon in outrage as he tried to get back to his feet, even as his pained expression made it clear he was still in pain from Ash's last blow.

"Mega Evolution; you've got to love it," Ash smiled in satisfaction, carefully leaning against the shrine to hide his sudden exhaustion as Charizard and Heracross joined Greninja and Pikachu, the three enhanced forms and the starter clearly ready for his next command. "Charizard, Flamethrower! Heracross, Mega Horn! Greninja, Water Shuriken! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Just as Ash had hoped, Mega Evolution augmented Charizard and Heracross's abilities to the same extent as Greninja became stronger after he transformed, while Pikachu remained his team's traditional powerhouse. The three elemental attacks tore through Cyrus's forces, the illusionary Pokemon vanishing or being thrown aside, while Heracross cut a wave of power through the army before the large blue bug grabbed Cyrus by the throat and pinned him against a suitably sized tree.

Ash didn't even have to issue the order before his other Pokemon leapt into action, tackling any of Cyrus's Pokemon that remained conscious after that last assault. Reflecting his usual blend of raw power and rapid movement, his team had soon essentially destroyed every last illusionary Pokemon Cyrus had attempted to unleash against him, until his enemy's only remaining Pokemon were Dialga and Palkia. As Ash turned his attention to his team's last two opponents, Greninja launched two massive Water Shuriken that sent both of the fake Legendary Pokemon up into the air before Charizard and Pikachu blasted them each with Dragonbreath and Thunderbolt, disintegrating Cyrus's last line of defence before Ash's three transformed Pokemon reverted to their natural states.

"NO!" Cyrus screamed in rage, only to find himself gasping for air as Heracross tightened his grip on the man's throat, the normally friendly Bug-type glaring at Cyrus in contempt even after returning to his regular state.

"It's over, Cyrus," Ash said, giving Heracross a brief nod while fighting to stay on his feet; if he gave away just how tired he was after that unconventional form of Mega Evolution, Cyrus might take advantage of the opportunity to try and attack him directly. Understanding his trainer's meaning, Heracross released his grip on Cyrus's neck and then he delivered a quick punch to the man's face, leaving the man lying on the ground with a broken nose.

As Cyrus fell to the ground, Ash smiled in satisfaction before he sank down to his knees, struck by a sudden sense of fatigue and exhaustion as though he'd just run out of energy himself. Hawlucha and Heracross hurried over to catch him before he fell to the ground completely, but he still needed to place his hands on their shoulders for a few moments before he felt like he'd regained enough strength to try and stand up again.

"Thanks…" he said, smiling tentatively at his friends as his two part-Fighting types gave him extra support to get back to his feet.

"Well…" he looked around the battle-tarnished clearing before his gaze settled on his expanded team, all ten of his Pokemon looking at him with expectant optimism. "That was… I mean, it was…"

Giving up on his efforts to find something to say, Ash finally chose to run forward and give Charizard a hug as Pikachu and Cyndaquil leapt up to join the embrace, followed by Snorlax stepping up behind Charizard while Goodra came up from behind. As Ash let out a victorious laugh, Greninja and Heracross moved in from the sides while Hawlucha, Talonflame and Noivern flew down to envelop the group in their arms.

We did it, Ash thought to himself, a broad smile on his face as he looked between his various Pokemon. We stopped Cyrus…

"Congratulations, Ash Ketchum," Lucario's voice echoed in his head. "You have prevailed, and harnessed your powers of Aura as well as any could expect."

…Lucario? Ash thought tentatively in response. How are-?

"Time is a mysterious thing, Ash Ketchum," Lucario responded. "I will explain more later…"

Ash wasn't sure how Lucario intended to clear up that particular question, but faced with the joy of his latest victory, it was easy enough not to worry about that in favour of celebrating the fact that he'd won his most difficult battle to date.

"…Come on," he said, looking around at his team with a relieved smile as he stepped back and jerked a thumb at Cyrus. "Let's get this git back to the rest of the group."