"Latios." Gary said quietly. "So Tobias brings out his second known legendary."

"I didn't expect 'Champion' to lose a Pokémon…" Misty said. "How strong is Rayquaza?"

"He is legendary." Gary answered. "So very."

"But Darkrai was beaten…"

"Yes. But if Altaria is one of 'Champions' weakest, and she didn't really get a strong hit on Rayquaza, who definitely got a few solid ones in on her, then her losing isn't surprising. Particular when you compare the power of her attacks to Sceptile's…"

"She may not be in prime fighting shape, but that Altaria was beautiful…" Brock said wistfully. "I wonder what he feeds her…"

Gary laughed. "Brock, all of his Pokémon are beautiful. Just look at the shine on Espeon's coat."

"I know, but still." Brock said. "That Altaria was something else. They are rare Pokémon as it is, and to see one in such good shape…" He trailed off as they turned their attention back to the field.

"It looks like a Psychic battle folks!" The announcer called. "Espeon takes on Latios. Another debut for one of 'Champions' Pokémon, against Latios, the second Pokémon that Tobias used when he won the Sinnoh League all those years ago. There appears to be a grudge between these two given their glares. Espeon in particular looks angry."

"Latios, Luster Purge." Tobias ordered with a smile. Latios lifted into the air before firing a purple beam at Espeon.

"Espeon, Psychic." Ash said coldly. Espeon's eyes glowed and Latios let out a cry of surprise. The Luster Purge began to arc around towards the Eon Pokémon who was struggling in mid-air but was unable to move out of the way. At the last moment Latios was able to escape from Espeon's grip and the Luster Purge shot passed. On the field Ash raised an eyebrow before looking pointedly at his Pokémon, who didn't respond. Suddenly the attack reversed direction behind Latios and crashed into the Pokémon. Latios growled in response before firing another Luster Purge. Espeon didn't even bother redirecting this one. A shield appeared in front of her and the attack simply dissolved against it.

"Latios, use Giga Impact!" Tobias called, an edge creeping into his voice once again. Latios threw himself forwards, glowing. Espeon just watched him come with an almost bored look in her eyes.

"Espeon, time to put some training into practice." Ash said. "Psychic again."

Espeon's eyes glowed and for a moment nothing happened. Then there was a loud crack and a large chunk of the ground shot up and crashed into Latios. The Eon Pokémon's attack stopped and then he reversed and was thrown into the ground before being lifted slightly into the air again.

"Toxic." Ash ordered. A series of purple bolts shot into the sky and hit Latios before he had a chance to dodge. He screamed in pain before slowly sinking back to the ground.

"Latios, get back into the air!" Tobias shouted, alarm evident in his voice. Before Latios could move however, Ash struck again.

"Espeon, Psychic to hold it in place, then Future Sight."

Espeon's eyes glowed again and Latios froze. There was a glint in Espeon's eyes and then nothing. Suddenly Latios glowed purple and let out a cry of pain.

Tobias' eyes narrowed as Latios struggled against Espeon's hold. His Pokémon was really struggling and hadn't made any impact since the battle began.

"Espeon, Shadow Ball."

As the attack crashed into Latios, he was still held in place by Espeon's Psychic, which he was fighting against. He glowed purple again, and this time the cry of pain was even louder.

"Latios, get away from that Pokémon, NOW." Tobias shouted, his composure completely gone again. Across the field Ash struck again without remorse.

"Espeon, Hyper Beam." He ordered.

As the golden beam crashed into Latios, another attack appeared behind the Eon Pokémon and crashed into him. There was a dual scream of pain from the legendary as it flew across the field until it finally hit the ground and skidded to a halt. As Latios slowly lifted into the air again, clearly at the end of its tether, Tobias held out a Pokéball.

"Latios, return." As his Pokémon returned to its ball, he glared across the field at his opponent. One victory and he had clearly underestimated the Pokémon Master. The voices in his head that had been getting progressively worse throughout the battle had vanished towards the end of his fight against Altaria, but were back once again. As he replaced Latios' Pokéball he muttered to himself.

"Leave me alone. I can beat him. I always win. I can't lose."

Across the field Espeon sat quietly, her gaze fixed on Tobias. Behind her Ash stood silent again, his eyes also not leaving his opponent. Tobias started to feel edgy underneath their gaze as he considered which Pokémon to switch to.

"Stop it." Tobias snapped.

"I'm not doing anything Tobias." Ash said calmly. "Now choose a Pokémon."

"Wow. Just wow." Cynthia whispered. Espeon had just destroyed a legendary Pokémon without even seeming to try.

"Please tell me Espeon is 'Champion's' strongest." Lance said. "Latios didn't stand a chance. I don't see how anybody could."

"I just wonder how long Tobias can stay in this." Steven said. "And that's saying something given that he's got a team of legendary Pokémon."

"Speaking of Tobias, what is he doing?" Lance asked.

All three of them focused on the trainer below who seemed to be having an argument with himself, before he fell to his knees again.

"He looks like he is struggling… 'Champion' might be pushing him too far." Cynthia said.

"How many Pokémon has he lost?" Lance asked. "I thought it was just the one? Why is he struggling so much?"

"I don't know." Cynthia said quietly. "But I think we need to be ready to move soon. 'Champion' looks like he wants this to end."

Tobias glared around before throwing a Pokéball into the air. Rayquaza appeared once again with a roar, glaring down at Espeon and Ash. Espeon glared straight back while Ash focused his gaze onto Tobias.

"You should give up." Ash said to his opponent. "Surely you know by now you can't defeat me?"

"I will always win." Tobias barked. "Always. You cannot defeat me 'Champion'."

Ash just shrugged before turning to Espeon. "Rayquaza is weak. Charizard got a good hit in and Altaria nearly fought him into the ground. You can do this one easily."

Espeon nodded, before leaping forwards. Rayquaza shot into the sky and another battle began.

Gary whistled in admiration as Espeon diverted an attack of Rayquaza's back into the sky before catching her opponent with a Psybeam. Misty glanced at him.

"What?" She asked.

"Espeon. When she redirects attacks she makes sure nobody can be hit by them. Her care and precision is impressive."

"Jealous?" Misty asked teasingly.

"I gave up battling at this level a long time ago." Gary said with a smile. "But yes, I am jealous of a Pokémon with that level of ability. She would be invaluable in aiding research."

"You and your research." Misty smiled, while poking her boyfriend. "Got a new idea for when you take over the lab?"

Gary chuckled. "I've had ideas for a long time, Red. I've just been waiting now. Waiting for Gramps to decide it was time."

Misty gave him a narrow look. "Did he know?"

Before Gary could answer Brock gasped and grabbed Gary's arm pointing into the sky. Gary was about to ask what the problem was but the words died in his throat. All that came out was a slightly strangled "No way…"

Rayquaza was in the sky, firing successive Hyper Beams down at Espeon. He didn't seem to need to pause after each one, but none were reaching Espeon. She was sat calmly facing up to her opponent while behind her Ash was watching. Each Hyper Beam was being redirected into the sky, but was not dissipating. Espeon flicked her tail as she concentrated, turning Rayquaza's attacks into a complex web that began to close in on the Sky High Pokémon. Too late, Tobias tried to intervene.

"Rayquaza, stop attacking!" he shouted.

Espeon's eyes flashed and the golden web turned into a net. Rayquaza froze as he realized that he was incapable of moving without colliding with his own attacks. He looked down at the field and his eyes met Ash's, the fear evident there. Ash nodded slowly then turned to Tobias.

"I'll give you one chance. Withdraw Rayquaza from the battle or Espeon will knock him out." Ash called.

Tobias was caught in two minds, but Rayquaza's gaze was turned on him. The fear in his Pokémon's eyes was evident. He turned back to Ash who took a step forwards.

"Withdraw it Tobias. It's not worth killing your Pokémon to try to win."

Tobias glared at him, before turning to the referee. "I… I…"

"Tobias, if you let this attack hit Rayquaza, your Pokémon will be grievously wounded." Ash barked. "Such an action would cause me to question your temperament as a Pokémon trainer. I know you are not a violent man by your usual nature, or one who would want your Pokémon to be hurt that badly. Do the right thing and concede."

Tobias looked unsure, before he spoke again more firmly, his voice ringing out around the stadium.

"I withdraw Rayquaza. He will take no further part in this battle."

The golden net surrounding Rayquaza began to dissipate, giving the Sky High Pokémon a chance to come down to land. Tobias glanced up at the scoreboard. Two Pokémon down, another nearly beaten and the Pokémon Master was only 1 down. He gritted his teeth, beating Espeon was not going to be easy. He briefly considered Uxie but having seen Latios thrashed, decided another Psychic Pokémon wasn't worth trying.

He glanced back at the field, before holding out a Pokéball.

"Rayquaza, return."

The red beam from his Pokéball missed as Rayquaza roared and shot into the sky, before flying down at Espeon. Tobias tried to recall it again, but missed once again.

"Espeon, Psychic followed by Hyper Beam." Ash ordered.

Rayquaza suddenly froze in mid-air before a golden beam formed in front of Espeon. It shot at Rayquaza who couldn't move to dodge. As it hit, there was an explosion, and Rayquaza fell. As the Pokémon hit the ground, Tobias felt a searing pain in his head and screamed.

"Well that answers one question." Steven said. "Tobias is losing control."

Lance nodded, but didn't say anything. He was gazing at the fallen form of Rayquaza.

"Lance, are you alright?" Steven asked.

"He took out Rayquaza like it was no effort at all…" Lance said quietly. "Espeon just obliterated him. Rayquaza is a legendary dragon. He is meant to be virtually unbeatable. How does he do it?"

Steven nodded. "I've given up trying to work that out." He said. "I've just accepted that 'Champion' is beyond us. I don't know how he does it, and frankly I'm passed caring. I'm just glad he's on our side."

Cynthia and Lance turned back to the field, nodding. It was true, trying to understand how 'Champion' was so good was impossible, Steven's stance made a lot of sense. Although the idea of leaving such a riddle unsolved bugged Cynthia. She reflected that she had found out things about him simply by being near him and not trying. If she stayed long enough she might find out things.

Then a thought from earlier struck her. She might have accidentally stumbled upon his name. Ash Ketchum. She turned the name around in her mind, while she watched him down on the field. The defeat against Tobias had been his last appearance in a major tournament. Last documented appearance she mentally corrected herself. He clearly had been in more since. And so many years away from civilization had clearly changed him. He had fulfilled the potential that she had seen in him, but even so it was strange. She remembered the tournament in which Tobias had triumphed. The looks of defeat that each of his opponents had worn as he destroyed them. Except for one boy. Ash hadn't looked beaten at any point, he just kept trying. It was a memory that she cherished; her last memory of one of the more promising trainers she had seen.

Cynthia shook her head slightly, clearing her thoughts. She had a job to do here, making sure that the spectators were safe. She could discuss her suspicions with Lance and Steven later.

Ash stood watching his opponent's prone form. A Pokémon attacking like Rayquaza had could have been grounds to end the battle. However, given that he was in the battle if the referee did not call a halt, it would require something spectacular for him to be able to do so. He didn't like the way that every single one of his moves was so public at the moment. It meant that doing anything was far harder than it should be. His preferred way of working, hiding in the background and creating maximum effect with minimum effort was no longer possible. After this battle he hoped it would be. The only downside of being Pokémon Master was the public side of it. Years ago he would have loved it, now he had changed.

Ash focused on Tobias again. The trainer was stirring, and the referee was edging closer to him to make sure that he was alright. Ash kept his face neutral, watching. Another victory and he hoped that it might be over.

"Are you able to continue Tobias?"

The referee's voice focused Tobias' attention and brought him back to reality. He was lying on the ground. Across the field, Espeon and Ash were stood watching him. He reached for his belt, felt for a Pokéball and threw it onto the field.

"I can continue." He said, his voice barely reaching the referee. "I will win this."

As the Pokémon materialized on the field, Espeon's voice found Ash.

"Well I wondered when we would see this one."

Silence reigned around the ground, so complete that the wind that had just picked up could be heard whistling. Even the announcer was speechless as he stared down at the Pokémon that Tobias had released. Half the stadium didn't even know what it was. The Pokémon was blue, with a purple mane that flowed in the wind. White streamer tails twisted in the air around her. The announcer looked down at his notes before finally speaking.

"Tobias reveals yet another legendary Pokémon. This one appears to be one of the elusive sacred beasts of Johto. This is the first confirmed sighting of Suicune for nearly eighty years. How on earth did Tobias manage to track down this Pokémon?"

"Yes, how indeed." Lance murmured. "I've spent years searching for a sighting of one of these elusive beasts, with no success. And even with Uxie, finding one of them would be extraordinarily difficult."

Down on the field Ash didn't seem fazed by the appearance of Suicune.

"It's interesting that Suicune gets a bigger reception than Rayquaza did." He muttered. Espeon smiled slightly.

"It's because Rayquaza is a great deal more famous. Suicune is so mysterious." Espeon said knowledgeably.

"So you know everything now do you?" Ash said under his breath. Espeon flicked her tail and cast a gaze back at her trainer which seemed to say "Of course".

Across the field Tobias was lost in his own world. Suicune looked back at her trainer, before an apparent snarl appeared on her face.

"Oh great. Suicune is angry." Ash said. "Espeon, you going to be alright with her?"

The growl that came from Espeon made Ash laugh. "Good."

The referee was still looking at Tobias.

"Are you sure you're okay to continue?" he asked. The trainer pushed himself upright before glaring at the referee. "I'm going to continue, I'm going to win, and nothing is going to stop me." He snarled. Across the field Ash shook his head.

"You know, it's a good thing you can't beat me." He called. "You would make a terrible Pokémon Master, Tobias. Anger and reliance on sheer power will get you nowhere."

"And vanishing for years in a sulk will?" Tobias retorted as he slowly forced himself to his feet "You cannot lecture me, 'Champion'."

Ash nodded slightly. "You're correct. I cannot. What I can do however, is beat you. Espeon, Psybeam."

Espeon fired a multi-coloured beam but Suicune leapt out of the way and fired a Hydro Pump back. The gem on Espeon's forehead glowed and the Hydro Pump hit a wall and dispersed. Suicune growled and leapt forwards, her tails flowing around her. As she came crashing down on Espeon, the Sun Pokémon went for the easy option. She rolled out of the way, the first time she had moved since coming out. Suicune fired another attack, which Espeon redirected, before leaping forwards again, teeth bared. Espeon dived away again, before flicking a glance back to her trainer. He was refusing to give an order, simply staring across the field at Tobias.

Suicune covered part of the field with ice before trying to direct Espeon towards it. As Espeon redirected a Hydro Pump, used a Psybeam to block another, and then used Psychic to toss Suicune away from her. She glared at Ash before deciding to take control of the fight.

As Suicune landed, she immediately tried to charge again, but this time Espeon struck back. A flash of light temporarily blinded Suicune, before Espeon's eyes glinted. As Suicune recovered, Espeon struck again. A Psychic attack lifted Suicune into the air. As the Water-Type struggled, another Psybeam shot at Suicune. Before it hit, it was met by an Ice Beam that caused an explosion. Each Pokémon landed back on its respective side of the field. Suicune immediately fired another Hydro Pump, but Espeon dodged again. Another Hydro Pump was met by Espeon's Psybeam again, before an attack appeared behind Suicune landing the most direct hit either of the two managed. Tobias groaned in pain, and the referee looked at him in concern.

Ash however wasn't looking at his opponent. For the first time his eyes had left Tobias and gone to Suicune. The Pokémon was rampaging. Espeon was struggling to stay ahead of Suicune as attacks were fired almost constantly. The Sun Pokémon was redirecting some of them, dodging others and using her own attacks to stop yet more.

"Espeon, use Psychic to throw Suicune away." Ask barked. The gem on Espeon's head glowed and Suicune lifted off the ground, but a fired attack forced Espeon to dart out of the way, dropping Suicune.

"Psybeam." As Suicune fired an Ice Beam at Espeon, her Psybeam collided, creating another explosion. Suicune leapt straight through the middle of the smoke, nearly catching Espeon by surprise, but she was able to dive out of the way. Ash grunted slightly, Suicune on a rampage was hard to stop.

"Espeon, try using Swift." Ash ordered. As the stars shot from around Espeon Suicune used Blizzard to stop them then blasted another torrent of water that Espeon redirected with another Psychic attack. Before Ash could give another order, Suicune fired another Hydro Pump at Espeon who darted out of the way, before firing her own attack back. Suicune's attack kept going however, and hit the wall at the edge of the battlefield. Ash watched in surprise as a huge crack appeared in the wall and parts of it looked like they were about to fall away as the water dripped off.

Across the field the referee had abandoned his position and dashed across to Tobias who was on the ground again. The referee gestured for help, but Tobias shook his head. Neither of them could be heard over the noise of the battle between Suicune and Espeon, but the message between the two men was clear. The referee was trying to persuade Tobias to end the battle, but Tobias was not going to back down. He eventually forced himself to his feet and stared down the referee who backed away before returning to his place by the side. Tobias turned his attention back to the battlefield as Espeon continued to follow her trainer's instructions to extricate herself from corner after corner, trying to find a response to the barrage of attacks from Suicune.

"Something has really angered Suicune." Brock commented. "I wonder what it is. That Pokémon looks out of control."

Gary didn't say anything, but he was watching worried as Suicune's attacks continued to damage parts of the stadium. He started to finger a Pokéball without even realizing what he was doing. Alongside him Misty was looking around. She had been warned by Cynthia that if anything happened she was to assist with the evacuation of the stadium. She had assumed that the warning which had been sent to all Gym leaders was simply a precaution after they were taken by surprise by the attack of Team Rocket. She didn't expect to actually be needed. Given how Suicune was looking, she felt that she might be needed after all.

"Can't Tobias control it?" Brock asked. "And how can 'Champion' let the battle continue if he can't?"

"I'm not sure ending this is easy." Gary said quietly. "How do you stop a rampaging legendary Pokémon? Because I haven't got a clue. He has to beat it, and then discuss whether the battle should continue. Whatever is affecting Tobias and Suicune could be endangering people. Including us."

There was silence between them before Misty spoke suddenly.

"Yes, but we have been in worse. The people here haven't. If anything goes wrong they need us to help evacuate. Like Cynthia asked us."

"You think something will? Worse than this?" Gary asked. When Misty nodded he sighed. "I fear you're right. Let's just hope that 'Champion' knows what he is doing, there can't be another disaster so close to the last one."

"Espeon, this is going to be difficult, but you know how to stop Suicune. Use the arena." Ash called. Espeon flicked her tail and her eyes glowed along with her gem. A shockwave of force spread throughout the stadium, pressing the spectators in the first two dozen rows hard into their seats. Suicune was firing an Aurora Beam which was dispersed by the power of the shockwave while she was sent flying backwards by the force and skidded along the ground. Espeon growled at the exertion as the ground around Suicune started to move. Suicune roared in anger, but her feet were stuck underneath the rocks that Espeon was moving. As Suicune tried to attack, Espeon sent another wave of force that caused the entire battlefield to turn rubble.

The audience gaped as Suicune was buried by the flying rocks, while Espeon stood on the only part of the battlefield that wasn't destroyed. Silence fell across the arena. Many of the spectators looking around began to realize how much damage the battle had done to the arena; they had been so captivated by the ferocious contest between Espeon and Suicune. As Espeon finally stopped her attack, she sat back on her haunches and panted. It had taken a lot out of her, but Suicune was beaten.

"Wow." Cynthia said. She was stood up, hands clutching the edge of the box. She hadn't even noticed that she was out of her seat, she had been so engrossed in the battle between Suicune and Espeon. Alongside her Lance and Steven had both risen up as well, all staring down at the arena. Suicune was gone and a layer of dust was covering the field.

Ash strode out into the devastated battlefield, stopping in the centre. Tobias was watching in silence as his opponent turned to face the stadium. When he spoke, his voice rang out, loud enough for everybody to hear.

"When the announcement for the ban on legendary Pokémon was announced, there were complaints. People saying that such a law didn't matter. That using legendary Pokémon didn't matter. Look around you. The damage here is reflective of what a legendary Pokémon can do."

Ash paused for a moment, to let his words sink in. He spread his arms out to encompass the scene before the audience. The battlefield was utterly ruined, the referee was cowering by the edge of the battlefield, marks of damage were evident on all of the walls, and the wall behind where Ash had been standing looked ready to collapse while there wasn't a section without a crack or worse.

"Suicune is just one legendary Pokémon. Tobias intended to release six today. If another went on rampage, I would not be able to guarantee the safety of anybody within the stadium. His inability to control his Pokémon forces me to act in the best interests of the general public and end this battle now. Given that Suicune is still out of her Pokéball, and potentially not knocked out yet, I must also request that all spectators begin to exit the stadium. My Pokémon will ensure your safety against any more of Tobias' Pokémon. Stewards assisted by other members of the Pokémon League will direct your exit. Please follow their directions, their number one priority is your safety."

There was a ripple of surprise through the stadium as people suddenly realized that they should be moving, before all immediately trying to do so. Stewards moved forwards to direct them and the stadium began to slowly empty.

Behind Ash, Tobias slowly climbed back to his feet. Fury was etched across his face as he glared at the Pokémon Master. He limped over to where Suicune was buried underneath rocks. Ash spun around.

"Step away from there Tobias." Ash warned, his voice carrying a menacing edge. "I cannot let you risk the lives of these people. Suicune is fine, just buried. I will dig her out when the stadium is empty."

"You would deny me the chance to look after my Pokémon?" Tobias asked, his voice laced with anger. "After denying me the chance to fight for your crown? You will hold your title through cowardice now?"

Tobias blinked as he found Ash stood in front of him. The Pokémon Master seemed to tower over Tobias who shrank back slightly.

"Your Pokémon is alive." Ash said quietly, although the volume did nothing to dissipate the power of his words. "She is not quite knocked out, but close. Once the stadium has been emptied, I will lift the rocks and treat her. You should be happy with that. Calling me a coward after you hid behind the power of legendary Pokémon? Claiming that I denied you the chance to fight when I knew that such a battle had the potential to cause damage like this and worse? It seems to me that you need to take a long look at yourself Tobias."

Ash turned and strode away. Up in the stadium it was rapidly emptying, with well over half the spectators already out of the main arena. Ash nodded in satisfaction as he watched the progress. The stadium had been well designed, and having people directed meant that it could be emptied extraordinarily fast. Something that was only now becoming apparent why it might have been needed as a design feature. Espeon padded over to him and he knelt down next to her, scratching behind her ears.

"You did a good job today." Ash said to her. "Impressive battling. Charizard should be careful, you could take his place."

Espeon mewed happily before rubbing against his leg then turning back to where Suicune was buried. Ash walked away to the referee who was still shaking.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

The man looked up in surprise. He tried to form words, failed, took a deep breath and tried again. "A little shaken sir."

Ash nodded. "If you would like to retire to a preparation room to recover, I think your no longer needed out here."

The man was nodding before Ash was finished. "Yes please sir. Thank you."

Ash watched him walk away, heading for the way out. As the referee exited the battlefield, Cynthia, Lance and Steven walked out onto the field. A quick glance into the stands told Ash that they were now virtually empty. Most of the people in them were now the Gym Leaders waiting for any further instructions. Ash strode towards the region leaders, but before he could reach them he felt something behind him. He spun on his heel to see Tobias holding two Pokéballs. But it wasn't that which worried Ash. In front of him, having clearly just come from the two Pokéballs were two Pokémon.

One was reddish-brown, dotted with spots. Its orange eyes were boring straight at Ash, while its legs were stretched out to help it gain height for an attack. A mask covered its face, while parts of its body seemed wrong, almost melted out of shape. Alongside it was a smaller Pokémon, with its eyes shut tight. A gem was right at the centre of its forehead, with two more at the end of each of its tails. Ash's heart sank. Tobias' final two Pokémon, Heatran and Uxie. As he watched, knowing that he was in serious trouble, Tobias called out a single instruction.

"Attack!"

Time seemed to slow for Ash. Heatran opened its mouth, and the inside started glowing. A huge torrent of fire shot out, straight at Ash who didn't move. Mentally he accepted he could never hope to withstand these attacks for long, and gritted his teeth to meet his fate. Uxie sent a golden beam straight at him which mixed with the torrent of fire. There was an explosion, but Ash didn't move. He felt nothing. No pain, no drain on his energy, nothing. Putting a hand to his ear he realized he could barely hear anything. His vision was clouded by the smoke, he couldn't hear, and he was in shock.

As his hearing started to come back, Ash heard the roars of Pokémon battling, a series of explosions then a loud crash. The smoke cleared to show him a line of his Pokémon, but no sign of Uxie or Heatran. Charizard leapt at him, wrapping his wings around him while Meganium snaked her vines through the spaces around Charizard's wings to wrap them around him. Espeon pushed her head through the huddle to get close to her trainer. Snorlax and Aggron were towering over the whole group while even Sceptile stood near to Ash. Cynthia, Lance and Steven stood in shock, expressions of fear and awe on their faces. As his Pokémon gave him space, Ash looked around. Uxie and Heatran were embedded in the stadium wall, both thoroughly knocked out. Ash looked at his Pokémon who all met his eye. They had let themselves out of their Pokéballs to protect him, and protect him they had. Ash looked around the battlefield and found that the pile of rubble that held Suicune was gone. The Pokémon was stretched out near another wall, clearly knocked out.

"Thank you." Ash said sincerely, before moving out of their embrace and turning to Tobias who was stretched out on the ground, out cold.

Ash shook his head, before looking back at his Pokémon. "I need…"

"Ash." The word spoken into Ash's mind caused him to freeze. The voice of Mewtwo caused him to forget whatever he was going to say.

"It is starting. Legendary Pokémon are starting to arrive. Whatever just happened was the tipping point."

Ash looked up as he heard a roar in the sky. Three legendary birds appeared, Moltres, Articuno and Zapdos. Next to them, on top of the stadium stood Raikou and Entei. As he watched yet more legendary Pokémon appeared, while some of them started to leap down towards the battlefield.

Cynthia grabbed Lance and Steven before turning and running for the edge of the battlefield, for the safety of the stadium. As Lance struggled she simply shouted at him and kept running. The Pokémon Master had told her to stay away from the fighting and that was what she was going to do. Her priority was the safety of others.

Next to Ash there was a flash and Mewtwo and Mew appeared. Silently Ash released the rest of his Pokémon, until all fourteen surrounded him. And as a group – him, his Pokémon, Mewtwo and Mew – they watched all the legendary Pokémon in the world arrive and stare them down across the ruined battlefield. And they all looked furious.

A/N

Well, rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. (Seriously, skimming reviews as I write this, and there are far too many reviewers asking whether I've died or not! My personal favourite was somebody who literally just said "I'm pretty sure you died")

Anyway, I'm sure you're all just about ready to kill me for vanishing on you again. Sorry about that. But I bring good tidings! My other half has decided to take an interest in my writing. She has since caught up, and is very eager to know what happens next. So she'll be pushing very hard for me to write a bit faster (I am not above pestering, bribing and very literal arm twisting! – Other Half). So it shouldn't be too long between chapters now! Although she is also proof-reading them, so while the grammar should be improved, there may be a slight delay from her end. (As well as the occasional comment in the authors notes.

In addition to my inability to frequently update, people are worried that I've abandoned this. I have not. I will finish it, have no fear. It hopefully won't take too long either! (Although I can't promise that…)

Now, as per, a few answers.

Zhajn; The 4 move rule doesn't actually seem to apply in anime. I'm never entirely sure because Pokémon don't ever seem to forget moves, they just stop using them, so it is unclear. But as to your question, I've just scrapped it. Seemed silly to me.

To others: I've said it before, this is the world at the end of Sinnoh. So NO MEGA EVOLUTIONS. Sorry for caps, but I want the message to get across.

Death to Original Naming: Ash is not the Champion of Sinnoh. Cynthia is. I thought I'd put this in an earlier chapter, but I'll put it here. There is a hierarchy, with the Pokémon Master at the top, then the four (3 due to Lance having two regions) regional champions, then their elite fours, then the gym leaders. Ash is the Pokémon Master. Cynthia simply took both roles for a while.

I think this is it, with the just one last thing for me to do; set the deadline for the next chapter. I'll try to have it out by next Friday, and definitely over that weekend. I've got a couple of emptier weeks ahead of me, and I want to get this finished. (Because while it's been a blast, I don't want to have to vanish on you all again!)

Once again, sorry for vanishing for so long!

Iama2p