Holy crap, eighty something reviews! You guys effin rule :'D Writing everyday after work and school has been totally worth it! I feel like a Disney character that's about to break out in song. :D

(Sniff) it means I'm reaching my quota for a-hundred reviews, I'm almost there.

Anyway, I'd like to thank all you reviewers and hope for your continued support! :)

CHAPTER VIII: Santalune showdown!

Alt. title (s) would be: Time for a true display of skills!

Last time: " I'll be looking forward to our battle tomorrow!"

"Ahaha. Same here! Fair warning though, even if I'm using a reserve team, we'll be coming at you a hundred-and-ten percent! I'm not one to hold back!"

And now:

One Serena Yvonne then let out a small happy hum as she gently brushed her long blonde hair while admiring herself in the mirror. "…twenty-nine, aaand thirty! Perfect!"

The honey colored blonde then blinked once she heard the familiar cries of her starter Pokemon. Turning her head around, she also noted how the small fox was giving her own version of the puppy-dog look to her.

Plastering a concerned look on her face, the young female trainer was quick to kneel down and meet the fire type's gaze. "What's the matter Fennekin? Is something wrong?"

Said Pokemon then let out another small whine as she began gesturing to the nearby wall-clock of their rented room with the use of her snout.

A metaphorical light-bulb then appeared over Serena's head as she noted the current time and quickly realized what her starter Pokemon was trying to say. "Oh it's eight-thirty already! Sorry about that Fennekin, I didn't realize! Don't worry, I promise we'll head down to the cafeteria right away. Just give me a few seconds to get my stuff ready, alright?"

Seeing the much smaller fox nod happily in response, the honey colored blonde absentmindedly petted the top of her head before she proceeded to grab her pink bag from the nearby coffee table.

"Alright, that's that! Let's go get some grub Fennekin!"

"Fen!"

Once she was done locking up, Serena immediately took notice of the door that was right across her own room and couldn't help but smile softly as her thoughts slowly shifted to a certain raven haired youth. 'I'm glad that after all this time, he's still the same old Ash I remember. The same kind hearted boy who always looked out for me…'

The old memory of their fateful reunion then briefly played over inside her head as a strange feeling of comfort began to spread all over her body…

"Okay Totodile, like we trained for! Use Hydro pump!"

"To-to! Dileeee!"

Blinking at the familiar exuberant cry, the blonde was quick to find the source by going to a nearby window.

The young female trainer then smiled in a bemused manner as she saw her old childhood friend down on the Pokemon center's training field. Beside the raven haired youth was his dancing Totodile. 'Well what'ya know. Speak of the devil, there he is right now.'

Cupping both her hands together near her mouth, Serena was quick to make her presence known with an excited grin on her face. "Hey Ash! Ash, over here!"

Said young man then beamed happily once he figured out it was the honey colored blonde's voice that was calling out to him. "Oh cool! Serena, you're awake! You gotta check this out! Totodile finally learned Hydro Pump!" The pride of Pallet town then grinned towards the Johto native as he made sure to give him the signal. "You up for a demonstration, buddy?"

The blue reptile then thumped his chest in a confident manner before he shifted his sights on another giant boulder and narrowed his eyes in complete focus.

Totodile then proceeded to take a deep breath before he unleashed a powerful jet of water that managed to put his old Water gun attack to shame. It was even strong enough to eventually shatter the much larger target in a matter of seconds.

Both Serena and Fennekin couldn't help but gasp in awe at the incredible feat while Ash simply gave his Pokemon a subtle thumbs up. "Heh. Good job Totodile, that was awesome! What'ya think, Serena? Pretty cool, right?"

Letting out a small whistle of approval, said honey colored blonde couldn't help but agree as she felt happy for her friend's chances of winning get better and better in her opinion. "That's great Ash! Viola and her squad won't know what hit her."

Ash then grinned in excitement as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Ahehe. Thanks Serena, that means a lot!" The raven haired youth's expression then shifted as he sent the female trainer a more concerned look. "I…Uh hope we didn't bother you too much with our training. Me and Totodile were just really excited for our battle later."

Sending the raven haired youth a reassuring smile, Serena was quick to put his fears to rest. "Hehe. No worries Ash, I was already up awhile ago anyway. I was actually on my way to the cafeteria, wanna join me?"

The male trainer's brown eyes then practically sparkled at the mere opportunity of eating and he couldn't help the small bit of drool that escaped his mouth afterwards. "Heck yeah! I'm starving! I can't wait to dig in to their big stack of flapjacks! I am so there!"

Serena then giggled a bit before she gave a quick wave to the raven haired youth below. "Alright then, I'll see you downstairs!"

'Yup. The more things change, the more they definitely stay the same.'

-(scene change)-

A certain young man then smirked as he gazed at the entrance of a giant greenhouse. Nearby, was a sign that clearly stated 'Santalune city gym'. "Alright, it's finally time for my first Kalos gym battle! This is gonna be awesome!"

Beside him, a small yellow rodent mimicked his trainer's expression as he crossed both his arms in a confident manner as well.

As for their companion, Serena couldn't help but silently gulp as she stared at the imposing building once more. The blonde then felt herself shiver a bit as she tried to fight back the goosebumps. "I can't believe you're that excited Ash. Maybe it's the way you and Viola talked yesterday but I'm really getting a different feeling from the gym today…"

The female trainer then bit her lip as she made sure to follow her old friend through the front doors. 'Even the flowers don't seem as bright and full of life when you compared them to yesterday's…'

In response, Ash simply sent the honey colored blonde a reassuring grin. "I guess I'm just used to the whole pressure thing when it comes to gym battles. Trust me Serena, me and my squad can handle whatever Viola dishes out to us!"

Sighing a bit in relief, said female trainer mimicked the raven haired youth's expression and grinned as well. "Well that's a relief to hear…," Quickly realizing something, the blonde then flushed a bit as she guiltily turned her head away. "A-And I'm sorry. I didn't meant what I said to come off as completely hopeless. I really do believe in you Ash."

Smiling softly, Ash then gently placed a reassuring hand on the honey colored blonde's shoulder. "Ahehe No worries Serena, I understand. You were just looking out for me like when we were still kids at Pallet town."

Serena then felt a little bit better as she decided to meet the raven haired youth's comforting gaze once more. "Thanks Ash, I'm glad that there's no hard feelings between us."

The Pallet town trainer then gave the blonde before him a cheery thumbs up, complete with his signature grin. "Like I said before Serena, you're a good friend of mine and what kind of friend would I be if don't try to reach out and understand? After all, if its one thing that I've learned throughout my journey's, is that bonds aren't something you can break that easily."

The pride of Pallet town didn't seem to notice how his female companion stopped a bit in order to stare at his back with a strange look on her face.

It was a mix between pride and a little bit of…envy.

It was then that Serena knew that her earlier assessment of the raven haired youth was completely wrong. 'He's changed…He's still the same Ash but there's something different about him as well,' The honey colored blonde then smiled softly as she noted how broad his shoulder's were. Shoulder's that belonged to a young man and not a young boy. 'He's more…mature now I guess. The same confidence and kindness when we were kids is still there but it feels like there's more conviction to it than before…'

"Someday, I want to stand at the same place where you are too…" She softly whispered.

"Hm? Did you say something Serena?"

Grinning cheekily a bit, said blonde just simply stuck her tongue out in response. "Ahehe. It's top secret Ash~"

Stopping in his tracks for a few moments, the raven haired youth then felt his curiosity got the better of him as he crossed his arms in disbelief towards the female trainer. "Aw c'mon Serena, that's not fair. Now you've gone and made me more curious!"

Shaking her head as a sign of no, the honey colored blonde just opted to quickly walk further down the hallway while shooting another impish grin to her old friend. "Better luck next time Ash. After all, it wouldn't be much of a secret if I just told you, right?"

Ash then simply shook his head in a bemused manner before he decided to pick up the pace as well.

The Pallet town trainer then turned his attention over to his starter Pokemon who was briskly walking on all fours by his side. "Sometimes, girls really confuse me buddy."

"Pi-Pikachu..."

"Hey, I'm not that dense!"

The small electric type then proceeded to give his trainer a half-lidded stare to show his skepticism on the subject at hand.

Ash then felt his one eye twitch as he saw his starter Pokemon went ahead and followed his old childhood friend's lead. "Hey Pikachu, get back here! I'm telling you, I'm not that dense! C'mon buddy, I'm serious here!"

-(scene change)-

A certain sandy colored blonde then smirked as she saw her opponent finally made his entrance on the opposite side of the battlefield. "It's good to see you Ash. I know you already know my name but for formalities sake, let me reintroduce myself. I'm the Santalune city gym leader-slash-professional photographer, Viola at your service!"

Eager to rise up to the opposition, the pride of Pallet town was quick to return the blonde's greeting with his very own. "Alright then! My name is Ash Ketchum from Pallet town and I'm here to win!"

Viola then grinned in excitement before she proceeded to grab a spare Pokeball from her belt and held it towards the raven haired youth's direction. "Heh, you can certainly try Ash!," The much older blonde then hurled the red and white sphere high into the air with great zeal. ", But I'm not gonna make it easy for ya! Let's show 'em what we got Scyther!"

On the sidelines, Serena whimpered a bit once she accidentally locked eyes with the mantis-like Pokemon. 'That is one scary bug type…' The honey colored blonde then proceeded to subconsciously pull out her own Pokedex.

"Scyther, the mantis Pokemon(BUG/FLYING). Its claws are sharp as swords, and it is a powerful flyer. This Pokemon is rarely seen by humans and almost never captured. It's signature moves are Swords dance and Slash."

Meanwhile, Ash nodded to his own Pokedex before he unclipped his own Pokeball with a determined grin etched on his face. "A Scyther huh? It's been awhile since I've faced one of those, let's do this Bulbasaur!"

Once the seed Pokemon fully materialized, the small grass type then smirked back at the much larger 'mon as the green mantis tried to intimidate him by brandishing the two wicked blades that were acting as his opponent's arms.

The giant monitor on the sidelines then automatically lit up once both combatants were ready and rearing to go. Underneath Ash and Viola's pictures were three Pokeballs that signified their entire party.

"This is a gym battle between Santalune gym leader-Viola and the challenger-Ash! This will be a three-on-three single battle. Only the challenger is allowed to substitute his or her Pokemon. Trainers…Begin!"

And with that, Viola was quick to take the lead with a wave of her hand. "Let's close the gap Scyther! Use Agility!"

With quick footwork, the mantis like Pokemon took off at great speeds towards his target. To the untrained eye, the bug type was nothing but a green blur.

Unfortunately for them, Ash's Bulbasaur may be rusty but he was still one of the few members of his trainer's squad that were specifically trained to counter speedy opponents.

"Fight back with your Sweet scent Bulbasaur! Let 'em have it!"

The seed Pokemon then proceeded to unleash a thick pink smoke from his giant bulb that was enough to conceal everything on his side of the field.

Seeing the obstacle, Viola and her Pokemon's smirk widened even further as they continued their charge regardless of the field's current state. "That's not gonna be enough to stop us Ash! Scyther, show them your Slash attack!"

Ash's brown eyes then widened a bit as he saw how the mantis like Pokemon was cleaving through the smoke with fast and precise strikes. The Pallet town trainer also noted that with every slash, the bug type was also producing a strong enough air current that prevented the surrounding smoke to reach his senses.

With a flourish of his right hand, the raven haired youth was quick to make his counterattack. "On my signal Bulbasaur, use your Vine whip! We're going with that maneuver!"

Viola then quirked her one eyebrow in interest as she took note on how on earth would a simple vine whip would help her opponent out of his current situation. 'He can't be serious can he…? Just what does he have under his sleeve?'

The sandy colored blonde then felt herself grin once she saw her Pokemon cleared the rest of the smoke and finally locked eyes with his target. 'Whatever it is, there's no way he's dodging Scyther's next attack!' Pumping her fist in excitement, the much older trainer was quick to pick up the pace. "You've got this Scyther! Turn that Slash into your X-Scissor!"

"Now Bulbasaur! Vine whip!"

To everyone's shock except for Ash, the much smaller seed Pokemon then used both his vine whips to slam the ground hard. The aftershock was actually strong enough to propel the grass type high into the air.

As for Viola, the blonde could only blanch a bit at the improbable maneuver. 'Okay I didn't see that one coming…'

Grinning excitedly, Ash was quick to lead the charge this time with a wave of his right hand. "Now strike 'em down with Razor leaf!"

Bulbasaur was quick to mirror his trainer's expression before he proceeded to unleash wave after wave of razor sharp leaves from his giant bulb.

In response, Scyther simply narrowed his eyes in determination before he met the attack head on with his blades glowing with unrestrained power. What followed was breathtaking in its own way as the mantis like Pokemon was able to cut every single one of them into two.

The raven haired youth then clicked his tongue in slight disappointment but was nonetheless deterred. Steeling himself, the Pallet town trainer was quick to make his next move in retaliation. "Alright then, try a takedown attack Bulbasaur!"

With a slight smirk on her face, Viola wasn't about to give up either. "Nice try Ash but this time, I know exactly what you're trying to pull! Scyther, use Double team!"

Back on the battlefield, just as Bulbasaur was about to land his attack from up above. Scyther, the more faster between the two, was able to outmaneuver the attack in the nick of time.

The Seed Pokemon then widened his grin even further once he saw the subtle nod of approval from his trainer.

With a loud cry that was signature to his species, the Kanto grass type then summoned one of his signature vine whips and proceeded to swing them in a wide arc that managed to dissolve every single one of Scyther's clones before it finally landed a direct hit

Letting out a cry of pain from the unexpected attack, Scyther then narrowed his eyes in anger as he slowly swished around a loose fang in his mouth before he finally spat it out to the ground below.

The mantis like Pokemon then hissed towards Bulbasaur's direction as he brandished his blade-arms in a threatening manner once more.

In response, the seed Pokemon simply smirked back and used one of his vines in a 'come at me' motion.

-(scene change)-

Back on the sidelines, a certain honey colored blonde could only look on in awe at the fast paced battle before her. 'Whoaaa…Ash is…Ash is amazing! I knew he was a good trainer from winning the league alone but seeing him battle up close is something else!'

Serena also noted with every command that the raven haired youth issued, she could practically feel the sheer confidence behind every word spoken.

The blonde couldn't help but smile softly once more as she remembered her previous thoughts. 'He really has come a long way from the boy I knew…the sheer belief in his dreams now is nothing compared to when we were kids.'

The rookie trainer then clenched her fists on the railing as a strange feeling started to work its way through her chest. She felt…determined.

"I don't want to be just left behind. I…I wanna become a better trainer…no a better person too. I want to stay by his side as an equal and not just as another tag-along…"

-(scene change)-

Viola then narrowed her eyes at the slight bruise on her Pokemon's cheek and was quick to retaliate back. "Don't let up now Scyther! Close in again with your Slash attack!"

Pumping his one fist in excitement, Ash wasn't about to just stand idly by and immediately initiated his own counterattack back. "Then we better not give them that chance Bulbasaur! Keep 'em away with Vine whip!"

What followed was another amazing feat as the small Kanto grass type was trading blows with the much larger Pokemon.

Scyther's blades and Bulbasaur's vine whips were currently at a stalemate. With every vine that the mantis like Pokemon managed to cut off, another would simply just take its place.

The bug type then gritted his teeth as he felt his fatigue grew even further when he noted in utter disbelief that he was losing the trade of blows to a mere grass type of all things.

It was only a matter of time before he slipped up and slipped up he did. Both Viola and her Pokemon could only gasp when Bulbasaur managed to wrap his vines around the bug type's forearms.

Grinning in excitement, the Pallet town trainer was quick to put the golden opportunity before him to use. "You know what to do Bulbasaur! Let's give Viola's Scyther one heck of a ride!"

Before the sandy colored blonde could even call out to her Pokemon, Ash's Bulbasaur managed to lift up the marginally larger bug type into the air before he proceeded to swing his opponent around like a rag doll and ended it by slamming him onto the ground.

The following impact was even strong enough to create a small crater and it wasn't long before the mantis like Pokemon fell unconscious.

"Scyther is unable to battle! The winner is Bulbasaur! Gym leader Viola, please send out your next Pokemon for battle!"

Viola then let out a low sigh as she recalled her fallen bug type, the sandy colored blonde then smiled softly as she gently whispered to the red and white sphere. "You did a good job out there Scyther. Rest easy for now."

The much older blonde then gave her opponent a slight smirk as she plucked another spare Pokeball from her belt. "I gotta say Ash, that's one heck of a Bulbasaur you've got there but let's see how you handle my next choice!" And with that, Viola was quick to show off her next Pokemon. "Let's go Heracross!"

The beetle like Pokemon then materialized on the field before it unleashed a proud warrior like cry, unique to its species.

Ash then grinned as he recognized the familiar Johto native before he silently swapped out Bulbasaur for his next choice. 'Switching from speed to power huh?' "Then it's all on you Totodile! Let's do this!"

The small blue reptile then did his signature dance before he finally settled into a more proper fighting stance once he heard his opponent gave him a loud snort, as if mocking him.

Narrowing his eyes, the water type simply stuck his tongue out in response while making a rude gesture towards the marginally larger bug type.

-(scene change)-

On the sidelines, a large bead of sweat then rolled down the back of Serena's head as she stared at the spectacle before her. "Totodile really does have a knack for getting into trouble huh?"

Once more, the honey colored blonde then subconsciously pulled out her own Pokedex and pointed it towards the beetle like Pokemon.

"Heracross, the single horn Pokemon (BUG/FIGHTING). Usually gentle and docile, Heracross possesses great strength and power. Their favorite food is the fresh sap of leafy trees. It's signature moves include various horn attacks and its unique fighting prowess such as Arm thrust and Brick break."

Serena then felt herself sweat a bit as she accidentally locked eyes with Heracross. "Geez and the powerhouses just keep on coming. Viola wasn't kidding when she said she was going all out for today's match."

The much younger blonde then blinked in utter shock when one of her Pokeballs from the inside of her bag, opened itself and released her starter Pokemon right beside her. "Fennekin? What's wrong? Are you hungry or something?"

The small fire type then began to gesture towards the battlefield with the use of her snout and Serena couldn't help but giggle a bit once she finally figured out what her Pokemon was trying to say. "Oh I get it, you want to help cheer on Ash and Totodile with me?"

A happy cry was her response and the honey colored blonde smiled brightly in return before she proceeded to cup both her hands near her mouth. "Go Ash! Go Totodile, you guys can do it!"

"Fen! Fennekin!"

-(scene change)-

Back on the battlefield, Ash and Totodile returned the gesture with a slight grin on both their faces before they returned their focus towards Viola and her own Pokemon. "You hear that buddy? Let's do our best! Are you with me?"

In response, the Johto native simply sent him a familiar thumbs up that somewhat mimicked his own.

"Trainer Ash has sent out Totodile! Gym leader Viola has sent out Heracross! The battle will resume in three, two, one…GO!"

With a wave of his hand, the raven haired youth was quick to lead the charge this time. "Let's start things off with a Water gun attack, Totodile!"

Taking a deep breath, the small blue reptile then unleashed his signature attack towards a smirking Heracross, much to their confusion.

Mimicking her Pokemon's expression, Viola was quick to unveil her own counterattack. "Nice try Ash but I think it's time we show you how strong bug types really are! Heracross, use Arm thrust!"

Then much to Ash's shock, the blue beetle Pokemon then started to rapidly punch the stream of water until Totodile was forced to finally relinquish his own attack out of exhaustion. 'No way! Talk about power! She wasn't kidding!'

The sandy colored blonde then crossed her arms as she sent the Kanto native an impish grin. "Well, what'ya say Ash? Impressed?"

Adjusting the rim of his cap, Ash was quick to return his opponent's expression with his very own excited grin. "Okay then, if you want power then we'll give you power! Totodile, use Hydro pump!"

Narrowing his eyes in focus for a few moments, the small blue reptile then unleashed a stronger version of his previous water gun attack.

Seeing the opposition, Viola simply pumped her one fist in excitement as she unveiled her next plan of attack. "Then we'll gladly kick it up a notch as well! Heracross, use Close combat!"

The beetle like Pokemon then lighted all four of his limbs in a whitish aura before he proceeded to punch and kick the powerful stream of water until the same process repeated all over again.

Ash then gritted his teeth in frustration before a metaphorical light bulb then appeared over his head and the raven haired youth slowly smirked as he ironed out the new plan forming inside his mind. 'It just might work. It's time we use that strength against her!'

With a dramatic wave of his right hand, the pride of pallet town resumed his charge once more. "I think it's time we turned the tables around! Totodile, close in with your Slash attack! I wanna see you loose it out there, ya hear me?! Go wild!"

Viola's green eyes then widened in shock as she watched her opponent charge towards their direction in a reckless manner. 'He can't be serious! Does he really think that he can match my Heracross' fighting prowess with just a Totodile?! Heck, I'm not a water type expert but those kinds of Pokemon aren't exactly famous for direct melee combat…'

The sandy colored blonde then shook her head for a few moments before she finally decided to just meet the Pallet town trainer's charge head on. "I don't know what you're trying to pull here Ash but we're not just gonna stand by either! Heracross, use Close combat!"

What followed next was amazing in its own way, whereas the first match was a battle of skill and precision, Totodile and Heracross was a contest of strength and power. The amazing part was that the blue reptile was doing his best in keeping up with the beetle like Pokemon's heavy blows.

It was only when both Pokemon landed their final strike that Viola finally noticed that there was something wrong with the water type's eyes. They were actually glowing an eerie red color…

The much older blonde's eyes then widened in disbelief as she recalled the raven haired youth's previous command. "Of course! You had your Totodile use Rage! All this time, you were using Heracross' own strength against him!"

Ash then simply smirked in response as he nodded his head in confirmation. "Yup, you caught me Viola! And from the looks of it, we're one good hit away from winning this! Let's end this Totodile, use Hydro pump!"

Letting out a slight gasp, Viola was quick to try one last gambit for her Pokemon's sake. "Don't give them that chance Heracross! Use Close combat!"

Summoning all his remaining will power, the beetle like Pokemon then roared to the heavens before he tried to push back the opposing attack despite his weary state. With each strike, he was getting closer and closer to Totodile's side of the field.

As for the blue reptile, he clenched both his claws tight as he tried to pour more power into his attack but was unfortunately drawing a blank.

The water type then closed his eyes in frustration and silently cursed himself inside his mind as he felt his resolve falter…

"C'mon pal, I know you're stronger than this! You can do it!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

The Johto native then opened his eyes once more as he recognized the voice of his trainer-slash-master and fellow comrade cheering him on.

"Yeah Totodile, we believe in you! You can win this!"

"Fen-Fennekin!"

Time seemingly slowed down as said reptile noticed from the corner of his field of vision were Fennekin and her own trainer as well. Both of them were cheering their hardest.

A strange feeling then started to work its way through his chest, it was odd to say the least.

He was always the comedy relief or the guy who usually takes it easy. It was even evident with his track record of battles alone, not a lot of victories there…

So why was he still trying when he could just give up and battle again for another day?

With a start, the Johto native finally realized he was actually frustrated. He was frustrated of losing most of the time, he was frustrated of being weak and he was frustrated of always being left behind all the time…

The memory of his fellow comrades who were fighting their hardest in the Sinnoh league suddenly came to the front of his mind before a familiar fire began to gleam in his eyes.

He didn't even seem to notice a familiar glow that slowly encased his entire form as he was too busy strengthening his current attack…

-(scene change)-

Serena felt her jaw drop at the somewhat familiar sight as she gazed at Totodile's previous tiny form. "No way! Is he…"

-(scene change)-

"He's evolving!" Gaped Viola.

Ash then beamed proudly towards his newly evolved water type as he subconsciously pulled out his Pokedex once the lightshow finally died down.

"Croconaw, the big jaw Pokemon, and the evolved form of Totodile (WATER). It open its mouth wide and attacks, and if it loses its teeth, they regrow quickly."

Snapping his Pokedex shut, the raven haired youth then gave the blue reptile his signature thumbs up. "You rule Totodi-I mean Croconaw! Now let's end this buddy! You got this!"

In response, the red tips of the reptile's spikes glowed with unrestrained power before he doubled the size and strength of his Hydro pump attack and before Heracross knew it, he was immediately overwhelmed and it wasn't long before he finally blacked out.

"Heracross is unable to battle! The winner is Croconaw! Gym leader Viola, please send out your remaining Pokemon for battle!"

Letting out a few ragged breaths, the blue reptile then blinked in shock before he proceeded to look over his new form in utter fascination.

"Way to go Croconaw! I knew you could do it!"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

With a jolt, the Johto native then grinned brightly once he turned his head towards his trainer and fellow teammate. Without any hesitation, the big jaw Pokemon was quick to meet them with an enthusiastic hug of his own.

Both Ash and Pikachu were more than glad to return their comrade's gesture as the water type seemed more happier than usual from his come-from-behind win. "Ahehe. Yeah buddy, we saw you out there. There was never any doubt that we knew you could win!"

"Pikachu!"

Croconaw seemed to tear up a bit and the same feeling of frustration from before was replaced with something else. It was…satisfaction and new sense of pride.

He finally took the first step in standing tall alongside his fellow comrades as they journey on the road to becoming legends.

The blue reptile then clenched his fists in a determined fashion as he briefly shifted his attention towards the blue sky up above.

'Yup. That doesn't sound too bad…Legends huh? I'd like that. I'd like that a lot…'

-(scene change)-

On Viola's side of the field, the sandy colored blonde then smiled softly as she stared at the trio's interaction with each other. 'He's really something else. If I didn't know any better, the way he interacts with his Pokemon, would've made me thought he was just another rookie. A lot of other veteran trainers tend to forget that and they become a different person entirely…'

The much older female then started clapping her hands as she silently recalled her fallen Pokemon. "That was a great battle Ash, I can see why you've earned your title as this year's Sinnoh league champ!" Viola then smirked as she unclipped her last Pokeball and held it towards the raven haired youth's direction. "But this battle is far from over! Let's go Masquerain, I'm counting on you!"

Once the gym leader's final Pokemon materialized, Ash was quick to pull out his Pokedex again.

"Masquerain, the eyeball Pokemon (BUG/FLYING). Masquerain is the evolved form of Surskit. Its feelers, which resembles eyeballs, help to throw off opponents. It is able to hover in the sky like a helicopter."

Nodding at the new piece of info, the pride of Pallet town then silently recalled Croconaw back to his lureball for a well deserved rest before he nodded towards to his starter Pokemon with an excited grin on his face. "I think it's time we ended things with a bang, what'ya say Pikachu? You up for it?"

"Pi-Pikachu!"

The small rodent was more than glad to return his trainer's nod and he immediately darted off to the battlefield with great haste. Once he got into position, the Kanto native then sent his opponent a fearsome grin that was rare to his species.

"Trainer Ash has sent out Pikachu! Gym leader Viola has sent out Masquerain! The battle will resume in three, two, one…GO!"

With a wave of her right hand, Viola was quick to lead the charge this time. "Alright Masquerain, let's start things off with your Hydro pump attack!"

The Hoenn native then focused all his energy at the tip of his feelers before he unleashed a giant stream of water that was on par with Croconaw's own version of the attack.

Seeing the incoming opposition, Ash simply smirked as he crossed his arms in a confident manner. "Let's meet them head on Pikachu! Use agility!"

Viola felt her one eyebrow raise at the unusual tactic once more. 'What's he planning now?' Gritting her teeth, the sandy colored blonde was quick to focus back on the matter at hand. "Don't lose sight of them Masquerain! Keep up the attack!"

Snapping his fingers all of a sudden, the pride of Pallet town was quick to unveil his next move in response. "Now Pikachu! Spin!"

"What…?!"

The sandy colored blonde then felt her jaw drop when the Kanto Pokemon, gracefully outmaneuvered her Masquerain's Hydro pump by literally spinning in midair while firing a fully charged thunderbolt at the same time.

Viola then winced once she saw her Pokemon's current state. Judging from all the static electricity that sparked all over his body, the bug type was seriously paralyzed at the moment.

Pumping his fist in excitement, Ash wasn't done yet and was quick to make his next move. "Way to go buddy! Let's make it two-for-two! Try another Thunderbolt!"

Gritting her teeth, the much older female immediately retaliated with her own countermeasure. "Not so fast Ash! Masquerain, use Protect!"

Like its pre-evolved form yesterday, the Hoenn native was quick to summon his own version of a protective green barrier in response.

Viola then breathed out a sigh of relief once she saw the electric attack was completely nullified, judging from the explosion that followed, it was a pretty good call or else the match would've been all over already.

The sandy colored blonde then narrowed her eyes in determination as she steeled herself for her next move. "Cover the field with Blizzard, Masquerain!"

Ash then clicked his tongue in annoyance as he tried to shield himself from the harsh cold. "A stronger version of Surskit's ice beam huh? Pikachu, wait for my signal! For now, use Iron tail to anchor yourself to the ground!"

Said rodent then gritted his teeth as he did his best in enduring the cold blustering winds. Thankfully, it wasn't long and once the electric type opened his black eyes, the entire field was covered in ice.

The Kanto electric type then snorted a bit and looked to his trainer for approval on what to do next.

Grinning slightly, Ash gave his starter Pokemon a subtle nod in response.

As for Viola, the much older female didn't seem to notice the gesture and just decided to make her next move post haste. "He's got nowhere to go now Masquerain! Use Signal beam!"

The bug type then proceeded to fire a multi-colored beam from the tip of its feeler like antenna's towards his seemingly helpless opponent.

"Now buddy! It's go time!"

Pikachu then simply took off like a rocket by actually dropping down to his stomach and sliding on the ice at incredible speeds.

Viola felt her jaw drop once more as she stared at the raven haired youth's newest improbable maneuver. "W-What?! No way! Masquerain, keep firing those signal beams! There's no way he can dodge that well while on the ice!"

The sandy colored blonde then blanched when she was forced to eat her own words when she saw the electric type proceeded to prove her wrong by using his Iron tail attack as an anchor to make sharp and fast turns.

"What?!"

Ash then smirked as he crossed his arms once more. "Alright Pikachu, let's end this! Slide underneath Masquerain!"

Not fully recovered yet, Viola wasn't able to properly react in time to the raven haired youth's plan. "Wait…what?! Masquerain, get out of there!"

The Pallet town trainer then pumped his one fist in excitement as he made sure not to miss the golden opportunity before him. "Too late Viola! Pikachu, use Iron tail to jump yourself into the air!"

Said electric type then proceeded to slam the ground below him with the use of his hardened tail, the following aftershock was strong enough to propel the rodent into the air and much to Viola's shock, the yellow rodent then grabbed ahold of Masquerain's smaller body.

The sandy colored blonde then gasped in horror as she realized the raven haired youth's plan. 'No! Now we can't even use protect at this distance! He's way too close!'

With a dramatic wave of his hand, the pride of Pallet town was quick to give his final command. "Light 'em up with Thunder, Pikachu!"

What followed was an impressive sight as the roof of the greenhouse was shattered by a huge column of light, thanks to the awe-inspiring Thunder attack that followed.

After the dust cleared, a defeated Masquerain lied on the ground, completely knocked out while a victorious Pikachu stood triumphant with a proud grin on his yellow face.

"Masquerain is unable to battle! Gym leader Viola has run out of usable Pokemon! The winner of this gym battle is trainer-Ash Ketchum of Pallet town!"

CHAPTER VIII: END

To be continued in: New friends and…old rivals?!

Aaand cut! That's another chapter down, hope you guys enjoyed it and let me know through the reviews :)

Anyway I'm sorry that it took so long but like I said in the previous chapter, college already started up and I'm a little busy with my current schedule. Not to mention I also have a job and it's a wonder I still make time for writing.

But hey, like I mentioned before, totally worth it thanks to you reviewers.

Well that's about it, here are some of the usual notes before I clock out.

a.)I want to explain the alt title a little bit and that my goal was to show that Ash still retained a lot of his previous skill from his past journey's. (e.g. using Bulbasaur's vine whip to wipe out illusionary clones, Pikachu maneuvering on ice and finally that spin tactic from Sinnoh)

Yes this is a jab against canon since the anime just opted to reboot Ash every season so it looks like that he has amnesia. Since this is a fanfic, I will be ignoring that particular anime plot device.

b.)I want to reassure everyone again that Ash will not be God-like. This chapter was just to showcase his experience as a trainer, future fights will definitely get harder and harder.

There's a reason why I called this story 'Break the limits'.

Ash, Serena, and even their Pokemon will be put to the test by the many challenges they'll face on their journey.

c.)Just want to say that I will not accept OC trainers. Sorry guys, too be honest, I see no reason to add oc's when the Pokemon universe has a vast amount of characters I could just call upon. Whether they be anime, manga, and game verse. The sky's the limit so why bother with oc's?