This chapter take few days after the previous chapters. This is the last day before Ash and Serena leaves Alto Mare.
Misty and Brock had went back to Kanto so they won't appears here.
In Bianca's house:
May was taking care of her newly joined Manaphy, while Max had just woke up. And Ash and Serena was discussing about where they should go next.
Serena: "So, where should we go Ash?"
Ash was taken back: "Wait you don't have anywhere you want to go?"
Serena: "I think the Pokemon Master will have better decision about that."
Ash: "But what about your contest career? I mean, rebuilding the Pokemon Hall tooks times, and Aria might possibility beat you again if you..."
Serena didn't respond
"Ehhh... I'm heading back to Pallet Town. I'm gonna see Professor Oak and stop at my home. Is that fine?"
Hearing that the next location is Ash's homeland, Serena readily agrees!
Ash: Hehe...I don't know if my mom would allows me to bring you back to home-
Hearing that Ash will leave Alto Mare today, Latias gaves her drawing about Ash and Serena to both Ash and Serena.
Latias: Looks like you two fits well with each other.
"Rea...really..?" Serena blushed so hard
"Yes you have strong Affection to Ash just like me, but I think you understand him better" Latias said
"Rea...really?" Serena was blushed as she didn't excepted that her potential love rival would easily let her have Ash "But-but what about you"
"Bianca won't let me to go outside Alto Mare" Latias said
"But isn't you still have few weeks of sick leave left-" Ash said
"Ah yes, I forgot we still not begin the battle with Ash yet" Max reminds that he have the promise that he'll have the battle with Ash
"Ahh you're right! I almost forgot that we made the promise that we'll have a battle when you become trainer! Thanks for remind me!" Ash said
Ash and Max immediately rushed outside the door
"Ash doing Ash things again..." Serena did the Wry Smile as she saw that Ash become battle addict again
At somewhere else
"So Serena, can you referee the battle?" Ash looked at Serena
Seeing that Ash was initiative assigned her as referee, she felts like that Ash was got to know her a little bit even further. But was quickly replaced by the complicated feelings as she wish that Ash might gives this kid a chance instead of Curb Stomps him like. Although Max have quite of Pokemon Knowledge, and most importantly, she's a little bit concerned that his addiction of pokemon battling might makes him forget about her! "Sure!"
Max: "Gallade come on out!" "Gallade!"
Ash: "I've chosen you Pikachu!" "Pikapika!"
"After many years of await, I finally able to have the pokemon battle with the Pokemon Master!" Max was very excited of how he finally got a chance to have the Pokemon battle with his admired Pokemon Master
"Same!" Ash also looks happy as well "But I won't lose, so don't hold back!"
"I won't!" Max pulled out his Galladite "Mega Evolve!" Finished speaking, Gallade had mega evolved to Mega Gallade
Seeing that the two combatants stood still, Serena had came to her senses "Battle begin!" she shouted.
Ash was the first one to make a move like usual. "Pikachu, thunderblot!" "Pikapikapika...chu!"
Pikachu promptly jumped into the air and charged up before unleashing a battle cry along with a powerful bolt of electricity towards Mega Gallade . The electrictiy was about to reach Mega Gallade .
"Now! "Gallade dodge and use Psycho Cut," "Gallade!" Max command the blade pokémon gracefully jump backward to dodge that thunderblot and swings his arms repeatedly and multiple light blue before Pikachu stopped discharging his electricity, which makes Pikachu caught off guard.
Seeing that the energy blade was about to hit Pikachu, Ash called out. "Pikachu use Iron Tail!"
Pikachu was attempt to adjust posture, but it's too late, the energy blade had hit Pikachu!
Serena was surprised that how Max was able to catch up with Ash, thought she's pretty sure that isn't enough to defeat Ash.
Max appears to be in the upper hand, but unknowingly that all what Ash wanted.
Ash: "Pikachu use Quick Attack!" "Pikapikapika...chu!" Pikachu emerages unharmed from the pair of smoke and zipped forward Mega Gallade .
Max: "Gallade use double Team!"
Dozens of Mega Gallade's copies appeared causing the attack to miss its mark.
Max (in thoughts): "Pikachu's only weakness is ground, if I managed to hit it with ground type attack then I could win!"
Max: "Gallade use Bulldoze!"
Dozens of Mega Gallade copies slams its hands on the ground, sending out a series of yellow shockwaves and hits Pikachu directly. Max looked on with pride that he finally land the single hit on Pikachu but his happiness did not last long.
Ash: "Pikachu, spin around and use thunderblot and Electro Ball!" "Pikapikapika...chu!"
Pikachu uses thunderblot while spinning, releasing yellow sparks everywhere or creating an electric whirlpool and bounce off the Bulldoze.
Max looked on in shock. He have no idea how come Pikachu can still standing like nothing after it took the direct hit of bulldoze...or it didn't?
or it didn't?br /
"This tactic..." Serena had some impression of this tactic "Is that the technique that Ash had developed in Sinnoh...?"
(How did Serena knows that? She saw one of the video about Ash's Battle in Sinnoh before the fic starts)
Max: "That's..."
Ash: "This technique is called - Counter Shield! The technique that I developed for both offensive and defensive purposes"
Max was surpised how Ash managed to do something like that on his Pikachu.
Ash: "And here's more! Pikachu use Electroball!" "Pikapikapikapika...Chu!"
Dozens of electroball emerages from counter shield and heading towards each Mega Gallade copies.
Max: "Mega Gallade dodge it!"
All Mega Gallade copies dodges the electroball
Ash: "Now! Pikachu use electroball one more time!"
The electroball hitted one of the Mega Gallade copies, and the remain copies had been vanished!
Max: "Im...impossible! But..how?"
Ash: "All the copies looks like they move exactly at the same time, but there's only one of them moves a little bit early. That's the real one. Pikachu use quick attack!"
The Counter Shield disppears and Pikachu charging to Mega Gallade .
Serena and May can't help but being impressed by those 2 racking one's brain to flex their own strategy, just like how Serena and May had worked so hard to work on the acrobatics on her Pokemon Performance/Coordinator.
"I don't know that he had become that much stronger than before" May said "I thought that the Pokemon can't throw another move while using counter shield?"
"Because that's Ash...He'll always go beyond the impossible no matter what..."
Finished speaking, Serena looks a bit sad.
"Serena, are you alright?" May asked
"Ehhh...nothing...it's fine.." Serena quickly snapped back
At the same time, Serena's Pancham and May's Munchlax poped out from the Pokeball!
"Pancham!" "Munchlax!" (I...feels... a.. .little bit ...hungry..)
"Oh no I forget to feed Munchlax!" May said
"So did my Pancham!" Serena said
Serena pulls out her homemade cookies from her bag "Ta-da!"
Pancham and Munchlax both jumped into the bag and fighting for the cookies.
"Pancham!" (It's mine!)
"Munchlax!" (No it's mine.)
"Pancham!" Pancham throws the Arm Thrust on Munchlax, but Munchlax dodged!
"Pancham calm down!" Serena said
"Munchlax chill!" May said
"Phi!" (You two stop fighting!) Manaphy said
"In that case... Gallade use Focus Blast!" Max countered. Mega Gallade created a sphere and sent it toward the figure that appeared just before its eyes.
"Pikachu use iron tail!" Ash shouted
"I don't think iron tail can counter this Focus Blast!" Max grinned
"I don't need to" Ash said
"What?!" Max horrified
Pikachu swung its own tail to Mega Gallade 's both legs, causing Mega Gallade lose balance and the Sphere disappeared.
"Use Thunderbolt!" Ash called out.
Pikachu fired sizzling bolt of electricity. Mega Gallade let out a desperate cry and then was fried by the powerful attack. A second later, Mega Gallade had fell to the ground, reverted back to base form and unconscious.
"So this is what strongest Pokemon Master capable of..." Max was shocked and awed about how strong Ash is.
"You're not bad either. I'm impressed how you managed to hold your own, I think you're even stronger than your father nowadays" Ash praise. "You future is clearly bright, I can see that someday you'll eventually become the Hoenn Champion in no time."
"Did...did I?" Max looked a little sheepish. "Anyways that's a really fun battle! Thanks for battle!"
"Sure things. let's have a rematch when we meet next time!" Ash handshake with Max.
Meanwhile, the cookie had thrown to Ash's face!
"What the-"
When Ash and Max turned their head, they only saw that Serena, May and Manayphy had been blown away and away by Pancham and Munchlax's heated exchange.
"Serena!" Ash said
"Oh no...those two pokemon are very obsessed with food. And if the battle starts..." Max said
"Pikapika!" "Gallade!" Pikachu and Gallade attempted to stop those two from fighting, only being blown up by Pancham's Stone Edge!
"Pikachu!" Ash said
"Gallade!" Max said
At the same time, Ash's Greninja poped out from his pokeball, he brings back Pikachu and Gallade and throws the water shuriken to stop those two from fighting. Both Pancham and Munchlax runs into their trainer and apologized with each other.
"Thanks Arceus..." Serena and May reliefs
Next day, in the airport:
"So you won't came to Kanto with us, May?" Serena said
"Yes, I have to go back to Hoenn" May looks a little bit sad, because she have to parting with her two best friend (Ash and Serena) again!
"Ash, can we battle again when we meet next time?" Max said
"Sure!" Ash agrees
"So Serena, do you remember the word Ash's motto is to keeps you motivation?" May said
"Don't give up until it's over"
"Yes, and here's one more thing: If you move forward you gain two, if you run you gain one. This is what I learned from the movie called Swordom the Yuri from Mars (the Pokemon Universe version Gundam The Witch of Mercury) in the airplane" May said
"What's that?"
"Well I'll send you the link of the anime, you should tell Ash to watch it as well."
"What's that anime?" Ash asked