Pokémon Plot-Scorbunnies

by Mixedfan8643

This'll be a series of random stories (all set in my Pokémon fanfic universe) featuring Ruby and her sisters either on new adventures or battling against familiar characters from the Pokémon franchise be they fan-favourites, other Champions in the series or even the main kid himself, Ash Ketchum. Will only be updated occasionally. Hope you enjoy these side-stories.

1. Plot Scorbunny 1: Ruby vs Ash Part 1

Plot-Scorbunny 1: Ruby vs. Ash Part 1

It was another day, another Champion title battle for Ruby Silverlock, the current Champion of Galar. Ever since becoming Champion of Galar, she naturally had a lot of trainers hoping to take her title and defeat her in a Pokémon battle. So far, none had come close to winning against her, except for one of her own sisters. Emerald had battled her to a draw, which was the closest Ruby had ever come to losing. And yet here she was, a queen still on her throne with the entire audience cheering for their Champion. This next challenger would be here with the hopes of being the one to finally defeat her. But this was no ordinary challenger. This was an opponent Ruby had been looking forward to battling for a long time.

As she took up her position in the centre of the pitch, she saw her opponent approaching her from the other side to take up his own position. Her opponent was a boy, ten years old in age with a lean figure, brown eyes and black hair. He was clad in the usual Gym Challenger uniforms that all Galarian trainers wore when taking on the Gym Challenge, but he'd kept on one of his biggest trademarks, a red and white cap with a green symbol in the centre. This trainer hardly went anywhere without a cap on his head. He'd come all the way from Pallet Town in the far off region of Kanto. And his name…was Ash Ketchum.

Ruby eyed up Ash as he took up his position and stretched to prepare himself for the battle ahead. As usual, he had his trusty Pikachu perched on his shoulder. Pikachu had been Ash's first Pokémon and he never went anywhere without him. He always travelled outside of his Pokéball beside Ash, be it riding on him or walking beside him. Ruby thought Ash was very good looking for his age and imagined that he must be popular with many girls. He apparently travelled with many different girls from region to region so that led credence to her theory. But Ruby was most interested in Ash's skills as a trainer. His reputation preceded him with many impressive feats under his belt. He'd conquered the Orange Islands League, won the Battle Frontier over in the Hoenn League and had recently become the first ever Champion of the newly created Alola League. Even when he didn't win, he still boasted impressive results from finishing in the top four in the Sinnoh League and finishing as a runner-up in the Kalos League. Ruby couldn't wait to battle a trainer with this kind of record. He had to be somebody worth battling with that kind of reputation! She noticed that Ash looked hyped up to be here, showing no signs of anxiety at all. From what she knew, Ash was the kind of guy who always radiated confidence and it was clear for her to see.

"And so we meet at last." Ruby said keenly, "I've heard much about you, Ash. You have quite a list of achievements that the Pokémon community loves to talk about. Even here in Galar, you have people that look up to you. Needless to say, I've been very excited about the possibility of battling you."

"Oh you better believe that I'm excited to battle you too!" Ash declared, his fists clenched with enthusiasm, "I'm so psyched that I can hardly breathe! Pikachu and I are gonna give it our all, right buddy?" he said, looking over to his starter Pokémon.

"Pika-chu!" Pikachu replied jovially.

"With that kind of enthusiasm, I think the audience is in for something special!" Ruby chuckled, "You may be a skilled trainer, Ash, but don't think I'll be an easy match. You're going to see why I'm the Champion of Galar."

"Give us everything you've got, Ruby! We can handle it!" Ash declared, "We won't lose!"

"Neither will I." Ruby purred, "As my predecessor once said: Let's have a Champion time!"

She drew her hand across her chest and threw it aside, holding two fingers up and winking at the audience to hype them up. There was a huge crowd in Wyndon Stadium today with many people keen to watch a battle between their Champion and a fan-favourite trainer like Ash. Ruby's sisters, Emerald and Sapphire, were in the audience too along with her boyfriend, Hop. They were ecstatic to get a chance to watch this battle between their Champion and a legendary trainer like Ash.

"Oh I'm so excited that I can hardly breathe!" Emerald exclaimed, "Our sister's actually battling against THE Ash Ketchum! I hoped we'd see this happen and here we are!"

"My girl's gonna win this, but I bet Ash is gonna make her work for it." Hop declared, "That guy has his reputation for a reason..."

"He is the trainer who manages to win battles with a mere Pikachu so he's not one to be underestimated." Sapphire agreed, "With his credentials, I think we're in for the most exciting battle of our lives..."

Ash himself had a couple of friends in the audience too, these being fellow Kanto Gym Leaders Misty from Cerulean City and Brock from Pewter City. They'd been his first travelling companions and remained two of his closest friends since.

"I almost can't believe that Ash is really here, about to face the Champion of Galar!" Misty exclaimed, "I bet Ruby will be a tough opponent."

"She will, but Ash will give her a battle to remember." Brock declared, "Nobody gives a battle like Ash does."

The two friends watched Ash as he and Ruby waited for the signal to go. The announcer's voice boomed out over the speakers as he introduced the contestants to the audience.

"From Pallet Town in the Kanto region: Ash Ketchum. From Postwick Town: our current champion…Ruby Silverlock!"

There were cheers all round for both Ash and Ruby. Ash turned to Pikachu.

"This is it buddy. Get ready for the battle of a lifetime!" he said eagerly.

"Pika!" Pikachu replied, jumping down from his shoulder.

Both trainers stood by as silence befell the stadium. Ruby folded her arms and closed her eyes to get into her zone, something she always did to prepare herself for the battle ahead. Nobody dared to make a noise as if worried they'd disturb the trainers. Then the announcer gave the signal.

"Three…two…one…BEGIN!" he barked.

"Alright! Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash declared.

Pikachu bounded forward and took his place on the pitch, his cheeks sparkling with electricity. Ruby was hardly surprised that Ash was using Pikachu first. Why not start with his first Pokémon? She threw off Leon's cape that she always wore in her Championship battles and whipped out her first Pokéball.

"Lancelot, you're up first!" she yelled, throwing the ball.

Ash found himself looking at a Pokémon he didn't recognize. While he'd met the Bisharp line on his travels, he'd never met a Kingambit before. The shogun-style Pokémon sat on his chair-like hair with his armour glinting in the sunlight. The large sword on his head gave Ash cause for concern. It looked like he could slice through solid steel with that blade! Even Pikachu looked almost scared to take Lancelot on.

"Whoa, what's that Pokémon?" asked Ash, "It looks a lot like Bisharp but…different!"

"That's because Bisharp has a surprise evolution that can only be unlocked in the Paldea region." Ruby explained, "Bisharp need to defeat three other Bisharp holding a Leader's Crest in order to trigger this evolution, hence why it can only be done in Paldea. I had a holiday in Paldea the other month and was able to evolve Lancelot into this awesome Kingambit as you can see. And believe me, if you thought Bisharp were strong? Kingambit are even STRONGER!"

"That'll just make this battle even more awesome!" Ash declared, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu obeyed, leaping up into the air and tensing his body up and firing a huge bolt of lightning towards Lancelot. The Kingambit remained seated and took the blow. As a half-Steel type, Electric attacks didn't do much to him. As Pikachu landed back on the ground, he gasped as Lancelot sat where he was with no obvious sign of pain on him despite the power of that Thunderbolt. Ash tensed up nervously. He could already see that Ruby was going to be no easy opponent to face. Ruby clenched her fists and made her first move.

"Give him a Mean Look, Lancelot!" Ruby ordered.

Lancelot glowered at Pikachu, his eyes glowing a sinister blood red colour. Pikachu shivered uncomfortably. It was as if hell itself was staring right at him. Ash winced. He'd battled against Pokémon that use Mean Look before and he remembered all too well what it did. Thanks to this move, Pikachu wouldn't be able to switch for another Pokémon. Ash had no choice but to use Pikachu for the battle. This would be tough, but he was determined to show Ruby that he would be no pushover.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to stick with you, buddy!" Ash declared, "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu's tail coated itself in metal and glowed white. With a battle hardened cry, Pikachu scampered towards Lancelot as fast as his legs would carry him. Lancelot finally stood up, folding his overly long hair away for he no longer needed to sit on it and he balled his fists. He gave off a wicked grin as he braced himself. This was going to be a fun fight! Pikachu jumped into the air and spun around repeatedly, his Iron Tail flashing brightly and becoming a white blur as he circled around.

"Use Iron Head!" Ruby ordered.

Lancelot's head glowed white and he jumped towards Pikachu, aiming headfirst towards its approaching Iron Tail. Both attacks collided, the Iron Tail and Iron Head slamming straight into each other with so much force that the audience could feel it in their seats. Misty and Brock recoiled at the sheer power on display. Pikachu and Lancelot landed on opposite sides of the arena, skidding to a half and spinning around to face each other. Pikachu shook his head and cried out as he scampered back towards Lancelot. Ash ordered him to use Iron Tail again. The Electric Mouse Pokémon jumped up and aimed his tail directly towards Lancelot. The Kingambit just held up an arm and blocked the attack with his armoured gauntlet. Pikachu refused to give up and began swinging his steel-coated tail repeatedly while Lancelot parried every shot. The whole fight was starting to look more like a sword fight in an epic medieval fantasy movie with Pikachu's tail and Lancelot's bare hands as the weapons. Pikachu's tail slammed against Lancelot's gold-coloured arms, generating sparks from the impact. Lancelot barely even flinched from the impact and swatted the electric rodent aside. Then the Shogun Pokémon caught Pikachu off-guard with a surprising Psycho Cut attack. Lancelot swiped at his opponent with his arm and hit Pikachu with a blade of psychic energy. Ruby had taught him this move as a means to counter the Fighting-types he was doubly weak against. Pikachu hit the ground and skidded to a halt painfully on his side.

"Pikachu! Can you fight on, buddy?!" Ash called to him.

Pikachu nodded and picked himself up. Lancelot lumbered towards Pikachu, moving surprisingly quickly for a Pokémon of his species. But Pikachu was still much faster, easily able to dodge as Lancelot tried to use Iron Head on him. He missed completely and Pikachu struck him from behind with Quick Attack. Lancelot staggered but the Kingambit stayed on his feet and swiped at Pikachu with Psycho Cut. This time, Pikachu was able to parry it with Iron Tail. The psychic blade was swatted away into the sky where it dissipated into nothing. Pikachu then hit Lancelot with Thunderbolt before the Shogun Pokémon could make another move. Lancelot winced but like before, the Thunderbolt barely even slowed him down or caused him any real pain. It was still the only attack Pikachu had that could cause any real damage to him. Lancelot shook off the attack and retaliated by using his signature move, Kowtow Cleave. Lancelot got down on his hands and knees and bowed to Pikachu. Pikachu hesitated, wondering what his opponent was up to at first…and then cried out as a huge blade of dark energy sliced into him. Pikachu was knocked down and just as he got back up again, Lancelot suddenly charged into him with another Iron Head attack. The electric mouse barely even cried out as the Dark/Steel Pokémon slammed head first into his back. Pikachu hurled through the air and crashed into a nearby wall. He felt as if someone had hit him with a sledgehammer. Ash cried out in worry. Was Pikachu done for? The audience gasped, clearly thinking this was Lancelot's fight to win.

Pikachu strained to get back up and he clutched his back as it still flared with pain from Lancelot's ambush. Lancelot approached him, a cold look in his eye and the sun glinting off of his sharp head blade. While Ash looked worried, Ruby watched with her arms folded and a confident smile on her face. She was enjoying herself and was keen to see what Ash would try next.

"We've got them on the ropes. Use Kowtow Cleave again!" Ruby ordered.

Lancelot bowed down again, sending the blade of energy scything towards Pikachu. Pikachu tried to dodge but it was impossible for him to do so. Kowtow Cleave was a move that NEVER missed. Pikachu cried out in pain as he was hit again by Kowtow Cleave. Ash began to sweat with anxiety. He could see this battle was going very badly for him! He had to make a comeback and fast or else Pikachu was done for! If only he could switch him for another Pokémon! He thought for a moment. Suppose he could immobilize the Kingambit for a minute? He ordered Pikachu to use Electroweb, hoping that would slow Lancelot down. The electrified web whooshed towards Lancelot and clung to him, sticking to him fast and making him unable to move for the moment. Lancelot was able to break free of it easily due to the many sharp blades he had on his body. He cut through the web but Pikachu exploited his momentary distraction by blasting him with Thunderbolt again. Lancelot winced as he was electrocuted again. This plus the damage from Electroweb earlier was starting to take its toll on him. Ash then ordered Pikachu to use another Quick Attack, instructing him to aim for Lancelot's feet. Pikachu sped towards the Shogun Pokémon and tripped him up with his speedy manoeuvre. The Dark/Steel Pokémon crashed down onto his side. Ruby whistled in amazement.

"No wonder this boy has such a reputation. That Pikachu of his just never gives up!" she murmured, "And neither will we! Use Iron Head!" she ordered.

Lancelot stood up again and charged towards Pikachu with Iron Head. Pikachu saw him coming and he used Quick Attack again, not to attack Lancelot but to jump over him. Lancelot wasn't deterred for long for he dug his hand into the ground, performed a U-turn and came after Pikachu. Pikachu fought back by using Iron Tail. Both tail and head slammed against each other, creating a terrific clanging sound that echoed all around the stadium. Pikachu and Lancelot kept the clash up, head-butting and tail-whipping each other repeatedly with neither side giving each other an inch. But then the clash of two powerful Pokémon came to an end as Ruby ordered Lancelot to catch Pikachu's tail with his hands. His metal coated hands clasped together, seizing Pikachu's tail and holding it firm. Ash and Pikachu both gasped in horror as Pikachu now found himself unable to move. While Lancelot held Pikachu, he swung his head down with another Kowtow Cleave. The giant blade on his head struck Pikachu and knocked him down onto the ground. To add insult to injury, Lancelot then proceeded to drive his foot up into Pikachu's gut and kick him into the air. The plucky little Pikachu hurled through the air and crashed down onto the ground, rolling to a wince inducing stop. He lay where he was, panting heavily and straining to get back up. Lancelot approached, clashing his arms together like a pair of swords and making sparks fly as he did so. Pikachu grunted as he pushed himself up. His arms and legs wobbled furiously as the mere act of standing up started to feel too much for him.

"Get up!" Lancelot snarled, "Go on. Get. UP!"

"I doubt he can after all that, mate." Ruby said grimly, "Looks like this might be it…"

Ash felt Ruby was right. Pikachu wasn't looking as if he could carry on the fight for much longer. Lancelot stopped walking and stood by in respect to give his opponent time to get up. All eyes were on Pikachu as he pushed himself up and panted heavily. Misty and Brock felt as worried as Ash did. Was it all over? Pikachu looked about ready to give up and take the fall. He panted a few more times…but he remained standing. He turned to Ash and called to him as if to say "I'm still in this! Don't worry!" Ash grinned.

"I can always count on you to be amazing, buddy!" he cried happily, "OK buddy, let's wrap this up!"

"Pika!" Pikachu concurred.

"Good, I was worried this fight was gonna end on a low note." Lancelot purred eagerly.

"At ease Lancelot, we're not fighting to the death here." Ruby warned him, "Use another Kowtow Cleave!"

Lancelot raised his head blade up high and swung it down as he bowed towards Pikachu again. But Ash was ready for him this time. Instead of trying to dodge, he ordered Pikachu to use Electroweb. Lancelot's attack landed and sent Pikachu reeling back but after that, the electric mouse was able to carry out his trainer's command. He formed the electric web and sent it hurling towards Lancelot while his head was still down. The web landed on top of him, gluing his head down to the ground and making him unable to stand back up. He tried to use the blade to cut himself free but Pikachu hit him with Thunderbolt while he was currently immobilized. Lancelot yelled in anguish as he was electrocuted. After that, Pikachu used another Thunderbolt before Lancelot could cut himself free. Ash knew he had to land as many attacks as possible before the Kingambit could cut open the Electroweb. After being electrocuted again, Lancelot was left weakened from the attacks and couldn't find the strength to try cutting the web again. Ash saw his chance and ordered Pikachu to use Iron Tail to finish him off. Pikachu scampered quickly towards Lancelot and swung his iron-coated tail straight into his face. Lancelot reeled back. The blow was so hard it tore the web in two and threw Lancelot aside. He staggered furiously and Pikachu bent down on all fours, watching him to see what would happen next. Lancelot swayed on his feet for a moment, shooting one last glare at his opponent.

"Ungh…you've been a truly worthy opponent. Well done." he complimented.

And then he fainted. Ruby gasped as her Kingambit collapsed onto the ground. That made everyone gasp. They wouldn't have guessed Pikachu would win after that tussle but he did and Ash had scored the first win of the battle!

"Kingambit is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!" the announcer barked.

"No way, Ash got the first win?!" Emerald exclaimed, her eyes so wide they nearly popped out of their sockets.

"Lancelot totally had this fight and Pikachu still won!" Sapphire cried incredulously, "I knew Ash's Pikachu was tough but damn!"

"It sure is, but Ash practically wore it ragged just trying to beat Lancelot." Hop observed, "I doubt it has much energy left to fight much longer."

The twins nodded agreeably. The match had been quite exhausting for Pikachu and Lancelot had almost beaten him. The rest of Ruby's team would have no issue dealing with him. Meanwhile, Ash's own companions were voicing their amazement at this first win.

"Wow, I can't believe it! Pikachu won!" Misty exclaimed in amazement.

"That Kingambit of Ruby's was one tough opponent." Brock observed, "Trust Ash to somehow pull off a win against all odds! But will this battle cost him later on…?"

Misty shared Brock's pessimism. Despite winning, it had taken Ash all this effort just to beat ONE of Ruby's Pokémon. Who knew how much effort it would take to beat the rest of her team! Lancelot was far from the only strong Pokémon she had to offer! The audience could also see that Pikachu was already exhausted from this battle. He was Ash's signature ace Pokémon and already he looked as if he needed a Pokémon Centre. Not a good start for him at all, even if he was the one with a win. Ruby returned Lancelot.

"That was an amazing battle Lancelot. You deserve a good rest mate." Ruby said kindly.

As for Ash, he recalled Pikachu now Mean Look was no longer in effect. Pikachu ran up behind Ash's legs and lay down to rest.

"You rest up buddy. You deserve it." Ash said kindly, "Hey Ruby! That's one strong Kingambit! You really had us on the ropes there!"

"I know! I thought I was gonna win this one in the end but nope, you did!" Ruby acknowledged, "You're already living up to your reputation and I've only seen one Pokémon so far! But I warn you Ash, Lancelot's only a taster of what I have to offer."

Ash nodded in acknowledgement. He could believe it. Ruby IS the Champion of Galar after all! Who knew what else she could do…

"Now Raven, you're up next!" Ruby cried, throwing her next Pokéball.

The Pokéball opened up and released its occupant. Ash's eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and humour as he saw that his next opponent was a Gengar. What was funnier still was that this Gengar had a face that Gengar rarely ever wore. Compared to most examples of the species, Raven had a blunt, emotionless glare on her face with her mouth so straight it could've been drawn with a ruler. Why was this Gengar such a sourpuss? Ash considered his options before sending out his next Pokémon.

So Ruby has a Gengar of her own. I best not send mine out as Ghost-types are super-effective against each other. Maybe I could try weakening it first and THEN send my Gengar out to finish the job… he thought.

"Alright, Dracovish, I choose you!" Ash cried, throwing his next Pokéball.

The Dragon/Water type Pokémon materialized onto the field with a battle cry of anticipation. Ruby raised an eyebrow with interest. She of course knew what Dracovish was as it was a native Pokémon to Galar. It was the kind of Pokémon resurrected from fossils, but things had gone wrong with its resurrection as it looked like someone took the head of a fish and stuck it on the end of a dinosaur's tail. It had large jaws, fins for swimming and clumpy dinosaur legs and feet. It truly looked bizarre, even by Pokémon standards.

"I must say, I didn't see that coming." Ruby mused, "I don't fight many trainers who use Dracovish, mainly because very few want to even own one with how weird it looks."

"If there's one thing you gotta know about me, it's that I value EVERY Pokémon no matter what they are!" Ash declared hotly, "Dracovish maybe strange, but that doesn't make it any less powerful!"

"Given you trained it, I believe you." Ruby complimented, "I'm sure we're in for another tough match here. But Raven has a handy weapon against Dragon-types…use Dazzling Gleam!" she ordered.

Raven closed her eyes and began chanting as a colourful light surrounded her. Ash recoiled. Raven looked like an ancient magician cooking up a powerful spell and unfortunately for him, Dracovish was in for a world of pain!

"Azarath, Metrion…ZINTHOS!" she called as she launched her attack.

The Dazzling Gleam spread out towards Dracovish and momentarily blinded the draconian fish creature. Dracovish cried out in pain as the fairy magic sapped away some of its health. The Fossil Pokémon staggered for a moment but remained standing. It shook off the pain and bared its teeth. Ash smiled excitedly. Looks like Raven wasn't going to win that easily!

"Now it's our turn! Use Fisheous Rend!" Ash commanded.

The dinosaur/fish hybrid sprinted towards Raven, its powerful dinosaur legs effortlessly carrying it towards its opponent. Ruby was impressed to see how fast her opponent could actually run. Dracovish opened its large jaws, the lower jaw glowing blue as a result of using its attack. It lunged towards Raven and tried to bite her but the Ghost/Poison Pokémon effortlessly dodged the attack. Dracovish yelped in surprise and waved its fins around frantically as it tried to stop its charge. Raven hovered behind Dracovish and hit it again with Dazzling Gleam. Dracovish wailed in pain from the attack. It felt as if someone was throwing acid directly onto its back. It winced in anguish and tried to shake off the pain but Ruby was in no mood to let Dracovish recover. While it was still reeling from the attack, Ruby ordered Raven to throw a Shadow Ball at it. The Dragon/Water Pokémon had no time at all to act and was subsequently blasted in the face by Raven's ectoplasmic attack. Ash could only watch in dismay as Dracovish stumbled backwards and wince in anguish. Raven was too fast and strong for Dracovish to handle! How could he turn this match around?

"We'll try matching her speed for speed!" Ash declared, "Use Dragon Rush!"

Dracovish seemed to regain new energy for it surrounded itself in blue energy that seemed to carry the full power of the legendary dragons of myth and stampeded towards Raven. Once again, it moved surprisingly quickly for a Pokémon of its build with each step it took shooting it closer and closer towards Raven. Raven was so taken aback by the sudden rush of her opponent that she was too slow to react and Dracovish ploughed straight into her with the force of a speeding car. Raven was thankful that she was a Ghost Pokémon, otherwise her bones and muscles might've really felt that impact! Ruby gasped in astonishment. Raven hit the ground heavily and skidded to a halt, kicking up mounds of dirt and grass as she did so. Dracovish panted, that Dragon Rush having taken a lot out of it. It was nevertheless pleased with itself for landing such a powerful blow.

"Great shot Dracovish! Now use Water Gun!" Ash commanded.

Dracovish opened its jaws wide and fired a geyser of water from deep in the back of its throat. Raven was still lying on the ground as the Water Gun whooshed towards her but she wasn't worried. Instead of trying to jump or fly out of the way, she phased through the terrain and disappeared into the shadows, leaving the Water Gun to just hit the dirt mound where she had been. At first, Ash thought he'd successfully hit Raven but both he and Dracovish did a double take when they realized the sour-faced Gengar had disappeared. Ash cursed himself for not expecting it. His own Gengar would do the same thing too so this wasn't surprising to see that Raven had done the same thing. Dracovish looked around wildly for any sign of Raven. It glanced left and right frantically…but didn't think to look behind itself as Raven emerged from its shadow like something out of a child's nightmare. Ash saw her, his brown eyes widening in shock.

"Dracovish, quick! Behind you!" he exclaimed.

"Dazzling Gleam again, NOW!" Ruby shouted.

Dracovish turned around just in time to get a face full of fairy lights once more. The Fossil Pokémon was thrown off its feet by the sudden ambush and it crashed down onto its back. The Alolan Champion gasped in horror as his Pokémon was knocked down by the attack. Dracovish had been too slow and now it seemed to be out of the match. Raven looked ready to keep on fighting while Dracovish remained on the ground. It didn't even make an attempt to stand back up again, emitting low groans of despair for it no longer had any strength left to fight.

"Dracovish is unable to battle! Gengar is the winner!" barked the announcer.

That got the crowd cheering again. Both opponents were one Pokémon lighter each! The match was looking to be more even than they thought. Brock shook his head grimly.

"I knew it was too early for Ash to be celebrating." he muttered, "With a Champion like Ruby, they spring back as quickly as they're knocked down."

"Ruby's Gengar is one tough opponent." Misty observed, "And so fast! It's almost like she's everywhere at once! How can Ash hope to match that?"

"He'll figure something out. You know how unpredictable Ash can be." the Pewter City Gym Leader said cryptically.

The twins and Hop were considerably more excitable over the result.

"Yay! Go Ruby!" Emerald hollered.

"I knew Raven would be too much for that Dracovish!" Hop cried, "What a win!"

"Let's see what Ash will do next." Sapphire said eagerly, "I'm curious what Pokémon he has next after this..."

Ash returned his Dracovish and looked down at its Pokéball with a kind smile.

"You fought amazingly out there. Your hard work won't go to waste." he promised.

Pikachu nodded in agreement. Whoever Ash sent out next would likely finish what Dracovish started in this match. He looked to his trainer as he chose his next Pokémon. He would've been glad to fight on himself but he was sure Ash would choose someone even better.

"Now it's time we fought Ghost-to-Ghost Ruby! Meet MY Gengar!" the Pallet Town kid exclaimed.

His own Gengar appeared on the field with a mischievous grin on his face and emitting an impish chuckle as if something somehow amused him. Raven's face didn't change as she found herself facing another Gengar.

"Oh no. Another Gengar. I'm so scared." she mumbled with disinterest.

"So you have your own Gengar too, huh?" Ruby acknowledged, "This should be fun. Who has the stronger Gengar? Let's find out!"

Both opponents made the most logical decision they could: order both their ghostly creatures to use Shadow Ball on each other. Gengar and Raven launched their ectoplasmic energy balls at each other but neither one hit its target. They crashed into each other, creating huge clouds of smoke that momentarily blinded both opponents. They managed to clear up their vision and they attacked again with a Shadow Ball each. The same thing happened. Ash could see that Raven was matching Gengar blow for blow and that he'd need to create an opening of some kind. But what? Then he realized. He could catch Raven off-guard and THEN use Shadow Ball!

"I hope this works…" the young trainer murmured, "Gengar, use Will-O-Wisp!"

Gengar clapped his hands together and conjured up a circle of flaming wisps that danced around him as if he was performing some kind of fire dance show for the audience. The spinning flames were hypnotic to watch and the audience oohed with interest. Brock and Misty leaned forward in their seats with anticipation. Would Ash's attack work? It seemed unlikely for Ruby had a confident smile on her face as if she'd been expecting such a move.

"Counter it with Focus Blast!" she yelled.

Raven formed an energy sphere between her hands and began chanting, the sphere growing in size as it did so. Ash was puzzled. Surely a Champion like Ruby knew that Fighting attacks didn't work on Ghost-types? But Ruby wasn't aiming to hurt Gengar. Gengar launched the flaming wisps towards Raven but neither one even got close to her. Raven threw her Focus Blast attack and the huge ball of energy obliterated the wisps, stopping them from getting anywhere near and rendering Gengar's attack useless. The Focus Blast continued on its path forward, harmlessly phasing through Gengar for Ghost-types were immune to Fighting attacks. It hit the ground behind Gengar, the force of the blast catching him off-guard and knocking him aside. Ruby seized her chance and ordered Raven to blast Gengar with Shadow Ball while he was distracted. Gengar cried out as Raven's attack hit and he was knocked down to the ground by the onslaught. Ash and Pikachu yelled in worry and the crowd gasped, expecting yet another win for Ruby. But despite the clean shot, Raven hadn't managed to take Gengar out. He was still conscious and very much in the fight. He picked himself and grinned mockingly as if to say, "Is that all you got?! I can take much worse than this!".

"Alright! You're still in the fight! Great work Gengar!" Ash complimented.

"Gen-gar!" Gengar replied.

"Your Pokémon sure don't go down easily." Ruby observed, "I'd love to participate in your training regime one day as it seems to be working well for your Pokémon."

"I'm all about taking a beating and carrying on fighting!" Ash cried hotly, "I gotta say, it was pretty awesome the way you countered Gengar's Will-O-Wisp. Raven must've trained hard to pull that off!"

"It took a lot of trial and error, I can confirm." Ruby replied, "It's my little ace-up-my-sleeve whenever anyone uses Will-O-Wisp. I try to get my Pokémon to counter it with whatever attacks they can fire like Focus Blast or anything like that. It's easier for my Special Attacks but not so for the Physical Attackers. Still, your little Will-O-Wisp trick won't work on Raven as she'll keep countering with Focus Blast, mate!"

Emerald and Sapphire grinned in acknowledgement. They'd watched Ruby train Raven to master that defensive tactic and had seen her execute it well in other matches. They knew better than anyone what their sister could do.

"So we won't try again." Ash declared, "Not unless we can find a way around your counter attack."

He was about to order Gengar to make another move until suddenly, Ruby whipped out Raven's Pokéball and returned her. The audience blinked in confusion. The Champion was switching out now? What was she planning this time? Ash braced himself for whatever Ruby was going to throw at him next. With the Champion of Galar, he couldn't afford to let his guard down.

"Matilda, you're up next!" Ruby shouted, launching her next Pokémon into battle.

Ash saw that his next opponent would be a Gigalith. The audience murmured with interest. Ruby didn't often use Matilda the Gigalith in her battles, usually preferring to catch people off-guard by bringing her out precisely because people didn't expect her too. The four-legged rock creature roared with excitement, keen to get into the action. Ash knew what he was up against. During his travels through Unova, he'd caught a Roggenrola and evolved it to a Boldore but had yet to evolve it all the way to a Gigalith.

So Ruby's got a Gigalith. I wonder what that's capable of… he thought.

"Use Stealth Rock!" Ruby commanded.

Matilda tensed her body up and fired a bunch of rocks from her body that set themselves up on Ash's side of the field. Gengar covered himself in worry that he'd get hit but the rocks didn't do anything to him. They just settled down into the soil and stayed there. Ash clenched his fists anxiously. So Ruby was aiming to whittle his Pokémon's health down with Stealth Rock doing damage on entry! This Champion really didn't leave anything to chance!

"What can I say? It's Matilda's go-to-starting move." Ruby purred, "Very few trainers are prepared for this sort of thing and it helps me out immensely. Now Matilda, use Earthquake!"

"Oh no, it knows Earthquake?!" Ash exclaimed in horror.

That was extremely bad for Gengar as he had a weakness to Ground attacks thanks to his half-Poison typing. Matilda raised her forelimbs up high and crashed them down onto the ground, creating a huge fissure of energy that punched through the stadium towards Gengar. Thinking fast, Ash ordered Gengar to fly up out of the way to avoid the blast. Gengar began to rise up but once again, Ruby had been expecting that move.

"Oh no you don't! Matilda, stop him escaping with Rock Blast!" the silver-haired girl yelled.

Matilda opened her mouth and launched a rock from the pit of her stomach directly at Gengar. The rock hit Gengar and knocked him back down to the ground in the path of her earlier Earthquake attack. The powerful Ground attack slammed heavily into Gengar and sent him spiralling through the air. He crashed down onto the ground and rolled to a stop. Matilda pawed at the ground like a bull ready to charge. She was feeling very good about herself and was confident this match was her's. Ruby shook her head with disdain.

"Did you really think I wouldn't see that coming considering I own a Gengar too?" she snorted, "I do that all the time with Raven whenever anyone uses Earthquake on her so obviously I knew you'd do the same thing. I get Matilda to Rock Blast anyone trying to fly out the way of Earthquake and she NEVER misses her mark."

"You're not only strong, you're smart too!" Ash complimented, "You really know your stuff, Ruby!"

"I haven't been holding onto my title for as long as I have by just relying on brute force, Ash." Ruby said with a chuckle, "I've come to rely much more on strategy over time to keep ahead of the game and as such, I'm still undefeated. But you're the kind of guy where even a well-thought strategy doesn't stop you so I imagine you'll come up with something unexpected and make a big comeback."

"That's me in a nutshell!" Ash agreed, "And my comeback starts now!"

He returned his Gengar, deciding it would be best to save him for later instead of risking him fainting now by carrying on the fight.

"You're just the one I need for this fight!" Ash declared, "Lucario, I choose you!"

His ever faithful Aura Pokémon materialized onto the field and gave off a bark of anticipation. Lucario was one of Ash's most reliable partners and had won him many battles in the past, especially as Ash had found a Key Stone and was able to Mega Evolve him whenever necessary. The Fighting/Steel Pokémon balled his paws and spread his feet apart, centre of gravity balanced and ready to spring into action. But his entrance was cut short when Matilda's Stealth Rocks began to slice into him like jagged missiles launching all around him. As a Fighting/Steel type, Lucario didn't take much damage from the rocks and shrugged them off as if to say "Heh, that tickled". Ruby began to get excited.

"Sweet, you have a Lucario!" she said eagerly, "I've always loved watching them in action. They always seem to have that cool edge to them when they fight. You're not the first to use a Lucario against me, nor will you be the last I'm sure. But I know that this fight is gonna be awesome!"

"You bet it is Ruby!" Ash concurred, "Lucario, use Aura Sphere!"

Lucario held his paws together and formed a sphere of energy between them. It was like Focus Blast but less powerful and much smaller in size. Ruby knew that it was still an attack to worry about as Matilda was weak to Fighting attacks. She ordered Matilda to use Earthquake to try and put a stop to the Aura Pokémon's attack. Matilda slammed her forelegs on the ground and sent the huge Earthquake tearing through the ground towards Lucario. But Lucario was too fast and was able to throw the Aura Sphere just before the Earthquake could hit him. Both attacks hit their targets and Lucario was thrown aside while Matilda skidded backwards from the impact. They were stunned for the moment and the audience watched to see if any of the Pokémon could move again. Lucario was the first to recover, leaping to his feet and barking with fury. Ash punched the air excitedly and ordered Lucario to attack again with Bullet Punch. The dog-like Pokémon sprinted towards Matilda just as she was recovering and he unleashed a flurry of punches at the four-legged rock creature. Matilda grunted with each blow that hit her. Steel attacks were super-effective against Rock-types as well. Lucario threw each punch with enough force to shatter stones, making Matilda cry out with every blow she received. Ruby ordered Matilda to use Rock Blast. With Lucario at such a close range, Matilda couldn't miss. The Gigalith opened her mouth and blasted Lucario in the face with a huge rock. Lucario reeled backwards, his senses thrown off by the blow to the head he'd received. The arena seemed to be dancing in front of his eyes and Matilda seemed to be multiplying somehow.

Now he was stunned, Ruby ordered Matilda to use Body Press. The Gigalith launched herself into the air, making the audience gasp incredulously as this huge, heavy Rock Pokémon effortlessly jumped up off the ground. How was something that weighty able to jump so high?! Brock and Misty were equally as shocked. Ash ordered Lucario to dodge but he was still reeling from the earlier Rock Blast to the face so he didn't hear Ash's command. He cried out as Matilda crashed down on top of him, flattening him into the ground and making the audience wince as they could feel Lucario's pain. Matilda stood back so she could let Lucario get back up. The blue and black jackal Pokémon peeled himself out of the imprint he'd left in the dirt and shook himself off. He'd taken a lot of damage from that Body Press due to his Fighting weakness and Body Press using a Pokémon's Defence stats to inflict damage. Gigalith were very bulky Pokémon so whenever they used Body Press, it was guaranteed to hurt a lot. Despite this, Lucario didn't seem in any mood to give up. Ash was equally as determined. He looked to the Key Stone on his glove. Should he Mega Evolve Lucario? He was tempted to do so, but he decided not to. Ruby hadn't even brought her ace out yet and would likely Gigantamax it. He'd need to save his power-ups for then.

"Mega Evolution will have to wait." Ash declared, "We can win this without it! Use Aura Sphere again!"

Lucario did so, forming the energy sphere in his paws and throwing it directly at Matilda. This time, Ruby was ready for him. She ordered Matilda to Rock Blast the Aura Sphere to stop it getting to her. Matilda fired multiple rocks at the Aura Sphere. The first few were obliterated instantly by the energy ball but gradually, it started to get weaker after every rock it destroyed. Matilda fired one last rock and it broke apart the Aura Sphere. But Ash had done that to distract Matilda. Lucario threw himself at the powerful Rock Pokémon and whaled on her again with Bullet Punch. Matilda was caught so off-guard that she barely had time to cry out as Lucario punched her repeatedly. Matilda tried to use Rock Blast again but Ash expected that so he ordered Lucario to use Double Team to avoid it. The Aura Pokémon created multiple shadow clones of himself and Matilda hit one of them, missing the real one entirely. The shadow clones ran around Matilda, confusing her and leaving her wondering which one was the real Lucario. Ruby was unfazed, ordering her Gigalith to use Earthquake to flatten them all. Matilda did so, the powerful tremor ploughing through the Lucario clones and wiping them all out. But the real one was nowhere near the Earthquake! Ruby gasped in shock as she saw the real Lucario had jumped up behind Matilda with another Aura Sphere between his paws. Lucario growled loudly as he threw the sphere. Matilda looked up just in time to get blasted in the face by Aura Sphere. Lucario landed on the ground and Matilda keeled over forwards. She fainted on the ground while Lucario stood tall and triumphant, flexing his muscles.

"Gigalith is unable to battle! Lucario is the winner!" boomed the announcer.

The audience was in disbelief. Their Champion was down TWO Pokémon already while Ash had only lost one?! He was clearly a Champion himself just like Ruby! His reputation clearly preceded him! Misty and Brock cheered for their friend, glad to see he was now currently leading.

"Alright! Ash won again!" Misty cried, "He and that Lucario are one slick, hard-hitting pair!"

"I thought that Gigalith had Lucario done with that Body Press but Ash once again pulls off a surprise upset." Brock observed, "I bet even Ruby didn't expect another win like that!"

Emerald, Sapphire and Hop were equally as impressed.

"That's a strong Lucario!" Hop cried, "Matilda's a tough cookie but Lucario kept it up and was able to win in the end!"

"No kidding." Sapphire concurred, "Lucario are notoriously strong Pokémon and I'm not surprised Ash's fits the bill too."

"Ruby can still win this! Ash hasn't won by a long shot!" Emerald declared, "You can win Ruby, I know you can!" she squealed, hoping her sister could hear her.

Ash and Lucario were basking in their glory too, fist-bumping each other in celebration. Pikachu cheered for the duo. It seemed despite Ruby's best efforts, Ash was in a comfortable spot for now. But the fight was far from over. Ruby still had four Pokémon left with three of them still fresh and having not seen battle yet. Ash on the other hand had five Pokémon left but half his team had already been run ragged by Lancelot, Raven and Matilda's efforts. Despite technically holding the lead, Ash was more or less still on an even level with Ruby. The Galar Champion returned Matilda and congratulated her on a well fought match, then drew out her next Pokémon.

"People say you're good Ash, but their descriptions don't do you justice." she acknowledged, "You're BETTER than people say you are!"

"Thanks Ruby!" Ash said appreciatively, "And you're very strong too! My Pokémon are getting quite a work out!"

"Likewise. And this workout's far from over." Ruby said cryptically, "Return to the field Raven!"

She threw the ball and brought Raven back into the fight. The grim-faced Gengar floated before Lucario, looking as uninterested as ever. Ash could see Ruby's plan from a mile away. She'd deliberately chosen Raven because Ghost-types were immune to Fighting attacks! Of course, Lucario could use Bullet Punch to still do damage but he had no other attacks to use while Raven could easily use her entire move set on him. She also knew Focus Blast, which would be trouble for Lucario. Ash wanted to keep on the fight but he decided that in the end, it was better to play it smart. He returned Lucario and brought his own Gengar back into play. Hopefully this time, he'd get luckier and be able to do some damage to Raven. It wasn't a good start as Gengar was bombarded by the Stealth Rock set up by Matilda on entry. Ash winced. Great! More damage piled on before the fight even started! Ruby smiled, amused to see Gengar back on the field again.

"Heh. Gengar, vs. Gengar Round 2 I guess." Ruby chuckled, "Fine by me. Use Thunderbolt!"

Raven aimed at Gengar and zapped him with Thunderbolt. Gengar winced as he was electrocuted but he took the hit as best he could and shook it off. Ash retaliated by ordering Gengar to use Dazzling Gleam. Gengar waved his hands and created a dazzling aura of fairy lights that left Raven reeling back from how bright it was. It did very little damage as Fairy attacks weren't effective against Poison-types, but it did the job in stunning Raven long enough for Gengar to use Shadow Ball on her. At long last, he'd managed to score a direct hit! Raven cried out as the Shadow Ball hit her and knocked her down onto the ground. While Raven was down, Gengar used Will-O-Wisp next. Ash was certain that Raven couldn't use Focus Blast to stop it this time. Gengar conjured up the flaming wisps and then launched them directly at Raven. Raven stood back up just in time for the wisps to bombard her. Ruby cursed to herself. She was too slow to react and now Raven was burned! But Raven used Special Attacks so thankfully Will-O-Wisp wouldn't weaken her. Raven grimaced as the burn took effect. Gengar laughed tauntingly at his opponent but that laughter very quickly turned to pain as Raven used Thunderbolt a second time. She scored a direct hit and this time, Ruby got the result she was waiting for. After being electrocuted, Gengar grimaced as electricity danced around his body. He was now paralyzed as a result of Thunderbolt! Both Gengars were suffering from status conditions now, making the match more even than ever.

"Argh! Just when we burn Raven, she paralyzes Gengar!" Ash grunted, "That Ruby's not letting us one up her that easily!"

Pikachu nodded sadly in agreement. Would Gengar be alright now he was paralyzed? Ash was about to find out but just before he could give a single command, Ruby returned Raven for the second time. The audience groaned in annoyance. Were they EVER going to see who the stronger Gengar was in this fight?! It seemed there was never going to be a definitive answer at this rate. Ruby selected her fourth Pokémon.

"Galvatron, you're up next!" she cried, throwing the ball.

Ash gasped as he saw that Ruby's next Pokémon was the all-powerful pseudo legendary Pokémon, Metagross. Ruby had caught Galvatron during her adventures in the Crown Tundra and he'd very quickly become one of Ruby's most powerful Pokémon despite not owning it as long as her other Pokémon. Galvatron stood before its opponent, its four legs spread apart and its metallic body glistening in the sunlight. Ash began to feel nervous. He'd had plenty of battles against Metagross in the past and despite winning them all, he wasn't so sure about this one. After all, this was a CHAMPION trainer's Metagross. Galvatron was going to be stronger than any Metagross he'd ever fought before…

---

And so we have our first Plot-Scorbunny. Ruby is up against the ten year old legend himself, Ash Ketchum, and so far Ash seems to have a slim lead. Ruby may be down two Pokémon while Ash has only lost one, but three of his Pokémon have already been worn ragged by their battles while Ruby has four Pokémon still fresh to use and now she has Galvatron the Metagross on the field, the tides are gonna turn VERY quickly for Ash...

Trivia: Ash's team is his Pokémon Journeys team (no duh).

And as you can see, Lancelot the Bisharp is no longer a Bisharp but is now a Kingambit. After Kingambit was unveiled in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, it only made sense that Lancelot had to take the next step and become a Kingambit. There may be a Plot-Scorbunny showing how this happened in the future...

Oh and before you ask, yes, Kingambit CAN learn Mean Look but only through breeding, hence how Lancelot used it here. Rather than through breeding, I like to imagine Ruby was able to teach it to Lancelot through other means.