As the Lumiose Conference raged on, many hard battles were fought and won. Scrafty had won Max another victory, now he and Tierno had moved into the quarterfinals. So, have many others, like Astrid who her Mega Absol had won against an Amoonguss, Sawyer whose Slaking had defeated a Medicham, and Remo who won with his Mega Garchomp against a Hydreigon. Now, those two need to be watched out.

"So, it had been decided," Diantha said, as we all were lounging in the VIP box. "For the premiere of our movie, you and Elite Four Larry will have an exhibition match."

"Well, more than an exhibition match, I will be facing off against the strongest Flying Master for my flying mastery," Ash corrected her. "But he has agreed to allow it to be televised to promote the movie."

"Good," Diantha smiled, eager. "I can't wait!"

"Neither can we," I snorted. "Quite literaly, Charizard and Pidgeot are running the team to the ground with all of their training."

"One would believe that with the last couple of missions they've had it would be enough," Ash sighed. "But no! They don't even bat an eye when meeting Legendaries or Mythical pokemon. I've ruined them!"

"Sorry again for jinxing you," Clemont apologized, flinching when Gary turned to glare at him at the reminder of whose fault it was.

"That's right! You guys met Hoopa!" Diantha exclaimed. "How was the battle? A difficult one?"

"More like difficult to watch," I winced at the memory, knowing that everything I was saying will be translated by Gardevoir. "I've never seen Ash go all out like that. Poor Hoopa was crying and apologizing in Baraz and Meray's arms afterwards, swearing to Arceus to never use their rings for personal gain again. And don't have me started with Cabinet Minister Alva and his plans with Magearna. Ash and Volcanion had him begging for mercy afterwards. Poor fella..."

"He deserved it!" Ash pouted, crossing his arms over his chest like a child. "Let's stop getting distracted! This is an important battle for Max! Let's focus!"

That's right, at the moment, Max and Astrid are in the middle of a battle. This was a battle for the position in the semifinals.

Mega Gallade lunged forward with lightning speed, his graceful movements belying his immense strength. Mega Absol reacted swiftly, dodging Mega Gallade's initial strike with a graceful leap. Undeterred, Mega Gallade pressed on, executing a series of calculated moves. He utilized Dazzling Gleam, unleashing a devastating fairy attack that crashed into Mega Absol with remarkable force. Absol staggered, but he quickly regained his composure, retaliating with a fierce Night Slash that sliced through the air.

The battle intensified, with Mega Gallade and Mega Absol exchanging blows in a flurry of precision and power. Mega Gallade's Close Combat showcased his mastery of fighting techniques, each strike landing with pinpoint accuracy. Mega Absol countered with his own barrage of swift and relentless attacks, his Razor Wind cutting through the air with deadly precision.

The crowd watched in awe as the battle continued to unfold, the clash of blades and the crackle of energy filling the stadium. Mega Gallade's strength and speed seemed unmatched as he skillfully evaded Mega Absol's attacks while delivering powerful blows of its own. The audience held their breath, captivated by the fierce contest taking place before them. Mega Absol, sensing the urgency of the situation, called upon his Dark-type powers. He unleashed a devastating Night Slash that cut through Mega Gallade's defenses, causing him to stagger momentarily. But Mega Gallade refused to back down. With unwavering determination, he summoned his inner strength and retaliated with a stunningly precise Focus Blast.

The clash between the two Mega-evolved pokemon reached its climax. Mega Gallade, fueled by his trainer's unwavering belief, channeled his energy into a powerful move. With a resounding cry, he unleashed a magnificent Close Combat that shook the battlefield, overwhelming Mega Absol with an onslaught of devastating blows.

The audience erupted in cheers as Mega Gallade's final strike landed, and Mega Absol was unable to rise, snapping out of his Mega Evoltuion. Max and his Gallade stood triumphant, their victory well-earned. As the dust settled and the crowd continued to cheer, Max and his Mega Gallade shared a moment of mutual respect. They had overcome a formidable challenge and proved their strength to the world.

"Max has won!" Bonnie cheered. "He made it to the Top 4!"

"He did," Riley smiled proudly. "Made it further than last time."

"He will win it all!" Bonnie stated with confidence. "What happened to the other matches?"

"Well, Tierno, Sawyer, and Remo have also qualified," Champion Diantha informed us, as she checked her tablet. "There will be no female trainers on the Top 4... that's quite a pity."

"Your trainer seems to be feeling down," I commented, from where I was snuggling Blackie.

"She hates the fact that there are more male trainers entering the Lumiose Conference each year," Gardevoir replied. "Most female trainers end up doing Pokemon Showcases. Congratulations, by the way, your friend was crowned as queen, wasn't she?"

"She was," Blackie purred. "Serena did a good job and Gary is very proud of her."

"We love a good performance as much as the next actor," Gardevoir continued. "But still, we would like to have more female gym trainers in Kalos. Now with Alain entering the Elite Four, the number of female masters in the Kalos League is decreasing."

"You can't force it either," I spoke up. "I still recall how bad May was at it when we first started, she loathed the idea of gym battling... well, loath is a strong word and she was mostly scared of pokemon than anything else. But the moment she saw a Pokemon Contest for the first time, her eyes sparkled with so much joy. It was love at first sight... which also guided her to her other first love, Drew. They are now a couple, like finally! Can you believe how long they took to get togethe?! Luckily, Paul and Dawn were smarter than that."

"Don't mind him, my mate is a matchmaker at heart," Blackie drawled, as Gardevoir turn her startled look towards me.

"Well, it's not like any of you... wait? Is that cheering?" I turned towards the glass window. "The semifinals have started?!"

"Yes, Tierno and Sawyer have been battling for a while," Gardevoir answered nonchally. "They are both three pokemon down, and have three more."

"Why did no one tell me?! I wanted to watch them battle!" I whined.

"Because it was not Max's battle... I thought you would not be interested... was I wrong?" Gardevoir looked so confused that I almost pitied her.

Almost. She still did not tell me about the semifinals starting!

"My mate is a battle hungry junkie," Blackie deadpanned. "Any battle, is a battle he wants to see."

Both of them continued to chat, but I did not pay them any attention. My whole focus was on the battle raging on in the battlefield. My excitement mounting with each passing moment. Sawyer's Aegislash and Tierno's Ludicolo had already clashed, showcasing their unique abilities and moves. I marveled at Ludicolo's dance steps, perfectly synchronized with his trainer, while Aegislash demonstrated his strength with Swords Dance, boosting his Attack power. The rain poured down heavily, adding an element of intensity to the battle. Ludicolo's Hydro Pump crashed into Aegislash, taking advantage of the rain's boost to his Water-type attacks. However, Aegislash retaliated with King's Shield, transforming into his defensive Shield form to withstand Ludicolo's onslaught.

I observed the strategy unfold as Aegislash used Sacred Sword to cut through Ludicolo's Hydro Pump, dealing a devastating blow. Tierno recalled Ludicolo, expressing gratitude for his hard work. The next pokemon to enter the fray was Tierno's Raichu, eager to continue the fight. Aegislash's King's Shield blocked Raichu's opening Charge Beam, but Raichu cleverly evaded his follow-up Slash by burrowing into the ground with Dig. I felt a surge of excitement as Raichu emerged from the earth, catching Aegislash off guard and landing a powerful attack, ultimately knocking him out.

Sawyer sent out his Slurpuff to face Tierno's Raichu. Slurpuff managed to successfully Attract Raichu, leaving her vulnerable to an Energy Ball. Tierno decided to switch tactics and recalled Raichu, replacing her with the formidable Blastoise. Sawyer's attempts to use Attract again were futile, as Blastoise shrugged it off, being a male pokemon. Blastoise retaliated with a powerful Hydro Cannon, knocking out Slurpuff and earning cheers from the crowd. Sawyer now had only one pokemon, while Tierno still had two. The tides had turned.

The battle reached its climactic moment as Sawyer's Sceptile faced off against Tierno's Blastoise. I could feel the tension in the air, my heart racing. Sceptile intercepted Blastoise's Ice Beam with a skillful Leaf Storm, showcasing his agility and power. Blastoise attempted another Hydro Cannon, but Sceptile evaded it effortlessly, launching a precise Leaf Blade in return. The field erupted with excitement as the two powerful pokemon clashed, their strength and determination on full display. Tierno's Blastoise charged forward with Skull Bash, but Sawyer's Sceptile intercepted it with a dazzling Frenzy Plant. Vines emerged from the battlefield, hurling Blastoise into the air. I held his breath as Blastoise summoned thunderclouds with Rain Dance, a final effort before being knocked out.

With only one pokemon left, Tierno called upon his Raichu again. Sawyer was quick to unveiling his Key Stone to Mega Evolve Sceptile. The stadium erupted in awe as Sceptile transformed into his Mega form. My excitement grew, knowing the immense power and capabilities that Mega Evolution unleashed. Tierno's Raichu attempted a Thunder attack, but to everyone's surprise, Mega Sceptile's Ability, now Lightning Rod, rendered the Thunder useless. I watched intently as Mega Sceptile charged forward with Dragon Claw, slicing through Raichu's Focus Blast with ease. The blow landed, rendering Raichu unconscious and securing the victory for Sawyer. The battle had been intense, with both trainers showcasing their skills and strategies.

I couldn't help but be in awe at how much the battle had escalated. I might be used to harder battles than this, but these are rookie trainers going all out. It was an inspiring scene. The Lumiose Conference was a true testament to the strength and growth of trainers and their pokemon.