A/N: Happy belated Ash Ketchum Day! Four years later, and not only is he the Champion of Alola but the World Champ!

Chapter 90: A Journey of Mega Proportions

A few days after Goh and Chloe's mission, Professor Cerise had a mission of his own for them: to learn all they could about Mega Evolution. So the quartet got on the next plane to Lumiose City so they could speak to Professor Sycamore.

"Ah, Kalos! Brings back memories, huh buddy?"

"Pika!"

"Do you think we'll run into Clemont and Bonnie?"

Ash shook his head.

"I don't think so. Bonnie started her journey a few weeks ago, and Clemont's visiting Korrina."

"Bummer, I was looking forward to meeting them."

Before long, the quartet found the Professor's lab and knocked. The man himself opened the door, greeting them with wide arms.

"Ah, Ash, bonjour! And who are your friends?"

"I'm Lillie, and this is Goh and Chloe."

"Bonjour!"

"Come in, please! Make yourself at home."

Professor Sycamore led them all into the lab, showing them around. The three newcomers were surprised by how welcoming and lively it felt. It almost felt more like a home than a lab.

"Wow, this place is amazing!"

"Merci, Lillie. I like to provide my employees and guests with a comfortable environment. Now, you came to ask me some questions?"

"Yeah! My dad, Professor Cerise, wanted us to learn all about Mega Evolution!"

Professor Sycamore chuckled.

"Ah yes, I remember him! Of course, I'd be happy to share my information."

He then walked over to a table, picking up a Mega ring and a Garchompite.

"To think, there's another stage of evolution only certain species can obtain. It just goes to show that as long as your bond with your Pokemon is strong, your potential is limitless!"

But before he could continue, a girl dressed in clothes that made her look like a Chespin came running in.

"Professor Sycamore, we need to go! Alain's match is starting soon, we need to go!"

The Professor slapped his forehead in exasperation.

"Sacre Bleu! How could I forget!"

"Mairin, how are things?"

The girl stopped panicking for a second to recognize Ash.

"Ash, long time no see! Congrats on winning in Alola."

"Thanks! How's Chespie?"

"She's great! She's upstairs resting right now. Who are your friends?"

After quick introductions, Mairin returned her focus to the matter that brought her into the conversation.

"We've got to go! Alain's match is about to start, and I want to get good seats!"

"Yes, of course. Ash, when Professor Cerise told me you were coming, I bought tickets for you and your friends if you want to come with and watch."

"Of course! I haven't seen Alain in ages! What about you guys?"

Everyone else agreed as well.

"By the way, what's the occasion for anyway?"

"He's battling to make it into the Masters Eight of the World Coronation Series!"

This made Ash's jaw drop.

"What?!"


10 minutes later, the group of six found their seats and sat down. Professor Sycamore had managed to get front row seats, and while they waited for the battle to start the Professor explained everything.

"After the reconstruction finished, Alain wanted to get stronger to one day face you in a real battle. So he went out, found another Mega Ring and Key stone, and set out on a new journey. When saw one of your World Coronation Series battles, he just had to join as well, and before we knew it he was climbing the ranks like crazy."

"Wow, all that because of me?"

"You really inspired him."

Ash chuckled, but his smile fell when he saw Lillie's frown.

"Ash, you were in Kalos before you went to Alola, right?"

"Yes?"

"Did you have anything to do with the Team Flare incident Illima told me about?"

"Maybe?"

"Ash…"

Ash sighed. He couldn't keep secrets from her.

"Ok, I kind of…saved the region from utter destruction. And the world."

Lillie sighed, and shook her head.

"Ash Ketchum, I swear if you do something like that again…"

"Oh, you know you love me!"

Lillie smiled, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"And don't you forget it."

"I would never.

Before anything more could be said, the lights in the stadium dimmed and the announcer began his speech.

"Hello folks, and welcome to another exciting World Coronation Series match! We have a very special surprise for you today: a special promotion battle to enter The Masters Eight!"

The crowd cheered wildly.

"In order to enter the Masters Eight, the top ranked trainer in the Ultra Class must defeat the lowest ranked member of the Masters Eight! Today, we have the winner of the most recent Lumiose Conference, and a up and coming researcher of all things Mega Evolution, Alain!"

The crowd cheered, no one more enthusiastically for Mairin.

"Woo, you go Alain!"

"He's currently ranked 9th in the world rankings, but does he have what it takes to go to the top? In order to find out, he'll need to beat number eight! He's a member of the Kalos Elite 4, the master of all things aquatic, Siebold!"

Once the two competitors had met and shook hands, the referee began the rules.

"This will be a 3-on-3 battle, no time limit! Each competitor may switch out their Pokemon as often as they like! In addition, each competitor is allowed one use of Mega Evolution, a Z-Move, or Dynamax per battle! Are you ready?"

Alain and Siebold nodded, taking their positions,

"3…2…1…GO!"

"Go, Barbaricle!"

"Chesnaught, I choose you! Use Needle Arm!"

"Stone Edge, Babaricle!"

Chesnaught thrust his arm forward, launching needles out like rockets one after the other. Barbaricle stood firm, summoning large pillars of rock to block them before launching them all at Chesnaught.

"Chesnaught, use Hammer Arm!"

Chesnaught roared, charging through all of the rock pillars before reaching his opponent, smashing his arms right in the Water and Rock Type.

"Throw him off you with Skull Bash!"

Barbaricle rammed his head right into Chesnaught's, making the Grass/Fighting type reel back in pain, ceasing his attacks.

"Now use Rock Blast!'

While Chesnaught tried to recover his senses, Barbaracle launched several small boulders right at him, forcing him back before he could regain his footing.

"Razor Shell, Barbaricle!"

"Chesnaught, shake it off and use Vine Whip!"

Barbaricle roared, taking a scallop shell and charging…

Only for his arm to be ensnared by Chesnaught's vine, stopping him dead in his tracks. He tried to break free, but Chesnaught held firm.

"Now reel him in and use Wood Hammer!"

With one hard yank, Barbaricle was launched towards Chesnaught, throwing him off his feet. Before Barbaricle could react, a huge wood hammer hit him in the face, knocking him out.

"Barbaricle is unable to battle! The round goes to Chesnaught!"


"Yes! Way to go, Alain!"

Ash chuckled at Mairin's excitement.

"Man, Alain sure has been training hard, huh buddy?"

"Pika Pikachu!"

"He sure has! And he'll win!"

Professor Sycamore chuckled, and shook his head.

"Don't be too certain, Mairin. After all, it was Siebold who first defeated Alain's Charizard."

This got Ash's attention.

"He defeated Alain? Man, now I wish I was battling him."


Despite being down a Pokemon, Siebold remained calm as he returned Barbaricle to its Pokeball.

"Good work, Barbaricle, get some rest. Go, Starmie!"

Alain grimaced when he saw his next opponent.

"Chesnaught, do you want to stay in?"

Chesnaught turned to his trainer and flashed a thumbs up.

"Alright, then use Pin Missile!"

"Rapid Spin to dodge!"

Starmie flipped on its side and began spinning wildly, skillfully dodging every missile launched at him. Realizing that being offensive wasn't working, Alain knew he had to change tactics.

"Spiky Shield, Chesnaught!"

Quilladin braced himself for impact, summoning a wall of spikes around him just as Starmie hit him. Not only did he not take any damage, but Starmie took the damage in his place.

"Psybeam, Starmie!"

"Seed Bomb, Chesnaught!"

Starmie fired off a point-blank beam of Psychic energy, launching Chesnaught back but not before Chesnaught launched an explosive ball of green energy at it, sending them both flying away.

"Stop yourself with Rollout, Chesnaught, then use it as an attack!"

Chesnaught curled up into a ball and began spinning, slowing him down before he launched himself at Starmie once more.

"Psycho Cut, Starmie!"

Starmie began launching slices of psychic energy at Chesnaught, trying to stop him from reaching him. Although he was slowed down, Chesnaught still kept going, ramming right into Starmie and sending it spinning away.

"Hydro Pump, Starmie!"

Recovering quickly, Starmie dug its points into the ground, steadying itself as it launched a huge blast of water from its face, hitting Chesnaught dead center and sending him flying straight towards a wall.

"Use Psychic!"

As Chesnaught flew, a purple aura enveloped him, throwing him into the wall even faster and harder. When the dust settled, he was down for the count.

"Chesnaught is unable to battle, Starmie wins!"

Alain sighed, returning his Chesnaught solemnly.

"You did well Chesnaught, get some rest. Go, Malamar!"

"Starmie, use Icy Wind!"

"Payback, Malamar!"

Malamar floated right over the ice cold blast before striking Starmie with one of her tentacles, sending the genderless Pokemon spiraling for a moment.

"Night Slash, Malamar!"

While Starmie was spinning uncontrollably, Malamar launched blades of dark energy, launching Starmie back even further.

"Now use Foul Play!

Starmie finally stopped spinning, only to be grabbed by Malamar's tentacles, struggling to break free, but Malamar held firm.

"Now finish it off with Throat Chop!"

With two of her free tentacles, Malamar sliced Starmie's gem, finishing their brief bout off.

"Starmie is unable to battle! Malamar is the winner!"


Ash whistled, both impressed and a little unnerved by how fast the round had gone.

"Man, Alain isn't taking any chances. This isn't like him."

"Do you think Malamar is controlling him? Because I saw a movie once where a bunch of Malamar came from outer space and took over people's minds to make their invasion easier, and then the army…"

"Oh my god, I remember that movie! You and I saw it on opening day because your father was friends with the director! It was the worst thing I ever saw!"

"I know, right? We spent the whole time making fun of it, it was the best!"

Everyone just stared at Goh and Chloe, who just laughed nervously.

"But, uh, that's probably not the case."

"Don't worry, no one's being controlled by anyone. Alain knows what's coming next, and wants to make sure his Pokemon are as strong as possible."


Siebold smirked as he returned Starmie to its Pokeball.

"You did well Starmie, take a rest."

Before taking out his next Pokemon, he turned to his opponent.

"You know what's coming next, don't you?"

Alain smirked, his blood pumping.

"Bring it!"

"Very well. Go, Blastoise!"

Alain's eyes narrowed.

"Now use Rain Dance!"

Blastoise began stomping the ground, summoning a rain storm to cascade down on the stadium.

"Malamar, use Brutal Swing!"

"Water Gun, Blastoise!"

Blastoise lowered his cannons and started firing, but Malamar expertly dodged it, using her tentacles to swing around the attacks. One did manage to strike her, but she still managed to reach Blastoise, using one of her tentacles to slap him hard across the face.

"Psybeam, Malamar!"

"Hydro Pump, Blastoise!"

Blastoise growled, firing a point blank jet of water from his canons. Malamar took the hit, but not before firing a beam of psychic energy, sending them both flying back.

"Dark Pulse!"

"Muddy Water!"

Malamar launched a small wave of dark energy from her mouth, but the only thing that managed to hit was a pillar of dirty water before Blastoise sent it crashing down on her, knocking her out.

"Malamar is unable to battle! Blastoise is the winner!"


The group in the stands was shocked.

"Wow, that Blastoise is strong! That round only lasted a minute!"

"You don't become a member of the Elite 4 without being able to hold your own in a fight. If Alain wants the win, then Siebold will make him fight for it."

But Mairin wasn't worried.

"Go Alain! You can do it!"


"Great job, Malamar. Your efforts won't be in vain."

He then pulled out his last Pokeball, hesitating before sending him out.

"This is our chance, partner. Let's do it! Charizard, I choose you!"

Alain's ace roared as he emerged, eager to redeem his earlier loss. Siebold grinned, taking out his Mega Ring.

"Ready for Round 2?"
Alain smirked, raising his own Mega Ring.

"Bring it! Charizard…"

"Blastoise…"

"MEGA EVOLVE!"

The two Pokemon roared as the energy flowed into them, changing their forms as the powered up.


Up in the stands, Ash felt a pulse coming from a certain Pokeball. Before he could take it out, Lucario let himself out, having felt the strong energy coming from the battle. The moment he was free, his eyes locked on the great battle below.

"Impressed, Lucario?"

Lucario didn't answer. His focus was solely on the impressive transformation the two Pokemon had undergone.


"Charizard, use Dragon Dance!"

"Hydro Pump, Blastoise!"

Blastoise fired massive bursts of water, one after the other, from each of his cannons at Charizard. Charizard was not deterred by this, expertly dodging all of the attacks.

"Fire Spin!"

"Whirlpool, Blastoise!"

Fire and Water surrounded their opposing sides, causing their targets to wince in pain.

"Dragon Claw, Charizard!"

"Hydro Pump, and keep it going!"

Blastoise started firing off his attacks once more, this time managing to get in plenty of hits on his target. Even with his Dragon Typing, the blasts of water were starting to wear him down, but he refused to let Alain down, swiping Blastoise hard across the shell with his claw.

"Now use Surf, Blastoise!"

Recovering quickly, Blastoise turned his cannons to the ground and fired straight onto the ground, creating a huge tidal wave that threatened to crash down on Charizard.

"Dragon Rush, then Thunder Punch!"

With a tremendous roar, Charizard burst forward in a rush of blue energy, his left fist charged with electricity as he reached his target. Blastoise grunted, and directed his geyser downward. The two met in a brilliant explosion, covering the whole stadium in smoke. As the smoke settled, it revealed Blastoise out cold, and Charizard triumphant.

"Blastoise is unable to battle, Charizard wins, which means Alain is the winner!"

"And there you have it, folks! After a hard fought battle, Alain and his Pokemon emerge victorious and move into the Masters Eight!"

Siebold smiled kindly as he returned Blastoise to his Pokeball.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Blastoise. You fought valliantly."

He then walked over toward Alain and shook his hand.

"You and Charizard have gotten stronger since we last fought. I look forward to seeing you compete in the tournament."

"Thank you, Siebold. Charizard and I will make you proud."


Up in the stands Mairin was crying tears of joy.

"Yes! I knew he could do it, I knew it!"

Ash chuckled, then turned to Lucario.

"What do you think, buddy?"

Lucario grinned, so impressed by the power that he wanted to obtain it himself, something that Ash sensed.

"Wow, you're really that impressed, huh? Well, we'll see about finding us a Mega Ring and a Key Stone, then!"

"Lucario!"