The first semifinal match of the Alola Pokémon League was a heated battle between Ash and Gladion. In the end, Ash emerged victorious after Lycanroc's successful upset, the pair then acknowledging each other as rivals with the promise of a future rematch. In the second match of the Semifinals, it's Sarah vs. Guzma in a Master Triangle Battle. However, in an act of selfless bravery and trust, Masquerain and Scizor willingly sacrificed themselves for Golisopod, eliminating themselves, Kaji, and Star from the match and ending the Master Triangle Battle. Guzma is still furious with Golisopod as their battle with Sarah and Silvally moves into its second half as a sudden death match!
Picking up where the last episode left off, Guzma and Sarah were about to begin their sudden death match with Silvally (now an Electric Type thanks to his Electric Type Memory Drive) and Golisopod as the only Pokémon left standing between them.
Everybody in the audience including Acerola and Mimikins, Hau, Gladion and his Pokémon, and the heroes were worried. Not even the little princess' entire family along with Lusamine, Burnet, Wicke, Mohn, and Faba couldn't hold back their worry for Sarah as they wondered how the battle would turn out now.
"Golisopod, we're backed up against a wall now with the loss of Scizor and Masquerain. With them down and out, you're the only one left standing between us and victory road. Don't disappoint me again, understand?" Guzma frowned at Golisopod.
"…..Yes, Boss," the determined Hard Scale Pokémon answered (keeping his promise to Scizor and Masquerain) while Hala looked on from his spot with Olivia and Hapu, looking gravely concerned for Guzma and his nature.
With Silvally and Sarah, they braced themselves for what was to come; now that Kaji and Star are out and they have a lead about Guzma's nature as a Pokémon trainer, they'll have to do everything they can to help him and see their match through to the end.
(Theme Song: Pokémon League Arc - Moon Pride (Sailor Moon Crystal ft. Momorio Clover Z))
MOON PRIDE! Anata no chikara na naritai (I want to be your strength)
The opening begins with an overview of Sarah, her friends, Asha, and Race standing together with their Partner Pokémon in the midst of a floral field and the full moon before the camera pans forward and passes Sarah upward before the main titles appear in a flurry of light, electricity, and snow.
POKEMON SUN & MOON: Pokémon League Blues!
Nine lights (red, gold, yellow, green, blue, white, crimson, cyan, and an orange/yellow/violet mix) flew around the main titles before passing by and the final light showed Asha, Race, Ash, Kiawe, Lillie, Lana, Mallow, and Sophocles standing in a circle with their backs to each other and looking out on the horizon (with the Alola girls having a tear fall from their eyes, the boys looking determined as they glared hard, Race looks contempt yet determined as a flash of lightning streaks by him, and Asha looks out to her right worriedly and with heartache)
Namida wa hono wo tsutai (Tears roll down my face)
Hitomo wa akaku moeru (My eyes are burning red hot)
Inazuma no yo ni hageshiku (Being just as violent as lightning)
Dareka ga ai wo sakeru (Someone cries out for love)
We then quickly pan over to Sarah as she holds her hands in a prayer position with her eyes closed as if she's in some sort of slumber before she eventually wakes up and the camera pans to the moon in a blissful space of wonder.
Tatoe Don'na (No matter what) Kurayami Demo (Dark it is)
Hitori janai yo ne? (You're not alone, you know?) Watashitachi Wo (We're together)
Terasa Moonlight (Shining in moonlight) (AH)
Sarah is then shown in Ula'Ula's Malie City on a rainy day (while in a hand-painted/CGI background and holding an umbrella over her head) where she turns and suddenly sees a person that looks like Dia with a Shiny Zeraora at a tree while holding an umbrella over his head and reading a book before they took notice of her. The little princess gave a brief yet nostalgic sigh before she was joined by Blitz and Curly and then her boyfriend, sister, and friends as they got together and cheered, throwing their umbrellas up in the air.
On'nankoko ni mo yuzurenu kyoji ga aru (Girls, don't give away your self-respect)
Sore wa ouji-sama ni unmei nagazu (Don't throw away your destiny for a prince)
Mizukara Tatakau Ishi (Fight for yourself)
Soon, Sarah's friends and Asha along with their Partner Pokémon start to fight against other trainers in the Alola League's elimination and quarter rounds as they climb their way to the Top 16 spots for the official tournament. Sarah and Race stand together as their Pokémon fight before they face each other and they order Blitz and Robbie to go at each other and see who's the better trainer and Pokémon between them.
Shiny Make-Up! Kagayaku yo hoshizora wo atsumete (Keep shining as you collect the starry sky)
Tada mamorareru dake no kayowai sonzai ja nai wa (We aren't weak girls who need man's protection)
In the midst of the competition, Team Skull appears to crush the competition and win in their own right with the most prominent of its members showing themselves as follows: Tupp, Zipp, Rapp, Plumeria, and Guzma (the main head of Team Skull preparing to compete himself). Kukui, Lusamine, Wicke, Faba, Burnet, Doug, Delilah, David, and Doug are shown together as they nod to wish everybody participating in the Alola League good luck and we even get a glimpse at an unknown Pokemon appearing from an Ultra Wormhole. Sarah reappears and draws Cosmic Grace before she holds it out and its light shines for all of Alola to see.
Shiny Make-Up! Tatakau yo hoshizora wo matotte (I will fight in the starry sky)
Atarashii densetsu ga ima koko kara hajimaru (A new legend begins from here)
La la, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
The opening ends with quick shots of the main group of nine as they and their Pokémon reappear together and do poses, ready to face the Alola League head-on and have fun no matter who wins or loses the entire tournament.
(Pokémon League Arc Opening Ends)
"Well, what happened earlier may not have been the victory Sarah or Guzma wanted but this match is turning out to be the most intense by far with Kaji, Star, Masquerain, and Scizor out of the competition after the latter two made the ultimate sacrifice for Golisopod, leaving only him and Silvally standing. How will he counter Silvally's attacks as we get into a sudden death battle between them?" Caster commentated.
"Hmph, things may not have gone as I planned but regardless, I'm still gonna win. Your last Pokémon is looking worn out, Princess, so it won't be much of a problem. You know how this will end since I'm gonna double down on ya this time, why don't you do the honorable thing and go home?" Guzma sneered, causing Sarah to narrow her eyes as her suspicions were coming into play.
"Would I run away from a battle half-done unlike you? Do you want me to run home crying when you're the big baby between us? You like me to crack, don't you?" she questioned suspiciously, causing Guzma to become unnerved as she didn't flinch at him and his threats. "From what you're telling me, this kind of tactic worked with you before after you ran away from Hala and Kukui that day; winning through intimidation and not through skill nor with your heart."
"What was that?! No matter how hard you try to push us, you can't even handle beat! Weaklings and insolent fools like you should stay out of my way!"
"Are you so sure about that?"
"Yo! Yo! Team Skull always steals the show! Yo, yo, yo! Undefeated, yo! Guzma, win it all and make it so!" Tupp and Team Skull cheered.
"Undefeated, huh?" Plumeria muttered, still worried for Guzma after seeing him lose it over Masquerain and Scizor's sacrifice.
This drew Tupp's attention as he turned to her and asked, "Huh? Hey, what'd you say, Big Sis?"
"Nothing..."
"I never run away from a fight unless I have to but you, I never thought I'd see you as a coward if you're trying to weasel your way out again, Guzma. Come on, let's fight."
"So, you don't run away, huh? Well, then... I'll show you, we'll see who's a coward, very soon... Golisopod, use Poison Jab!" Guzma sneered again, having Golisopod charge forward to use Poison Jab on Silvally.
"Use Shadow Claw!" Sarah countered, having her Synthetic Pokémon use his Dark Type attack on the Hard Scale Pokémon after meeting him in the middle of the field before he pushed him back hard.
"Throat Chop, Golisopod!"
"Crush Claw, Silvally!"
The two Pokémon lunged at each other again and clashed with their chosen attacks just as the Team Skull Leader and the little princess issued their next orders as they looked for any openings in each other's Pokémon.
"Silvally, use Air Slash!"
Silvally then tried to use Air Slash at point-blank range after forcing Golisopod back with his Crush Claw attack but as he was still fueled by the courage and second wind he gained from Masquerain and Scizor's sacrifice, Golisopod smirked as he raised his arms to block the Flying Type move.
"You see, what did I tell ya, Princess? Now, Golisopod, finish this with Throat Chop!" Guzma smirked as his partner prepared to take Silvally out with Throat Chop.
"Nighty-night, Frankenstien!" Golisopod smirked as he made his move and charged forward with Throat Chop ready.
"Not so fast, Golisopod! Ability, activate - Lightning Spear!" Sarah roared, bringing out and activating another Move Card as Silvally sparked with electricity (with his head scales briefly glowing in rainbow colors).
Then, Silvally roared and lunged forward before he rammed his opponent hard in the stomach, causing Golisopod to lurch forward in pain just as he was lifted into the air and forced back into the ground via a shaft of lightning.
"WHAT!?" screamed Guzma in angered shock while Nanu and the other Kahunas looked impressed with the versatility of Sarah's Move Cards.
"Incredible! With one Lightning Spear from Silvally, Golisopod is down again! How is Guzma going to take this little setback now?"
"Damn it, another Move Card?! Just how many of those wretched pieces of paper does the brat have on her?" Guzma seethed with fury as he sneered in his mind in complete denial, "Come on, Guzma! Stop moaning! I am strong, I'm stronger than everybody in Alola! That's the truth...…. I've never been defeated and I'll prove it to that damn Kukui as I trash his league, right here, right now!"
He then looked over to his former teacher and former friend, nothing Kukui coming down from his original spot to stand next to Hala. The two of them were frowning as they had to come to a difficult conclusion despite the promise Sarah made to them regarding her battle with him days prior.
"He hasn't changed one bit after all this time," Hala admitted.
"Yeah..." Kukui nodded in agreement.
"It's such a shame, though... I admit, his attitude before is unorthodox but I did once like his youthful energy and he had a lot of talent. I actually thought he'd be able to understand what it truly means to be a Pokemon trainer here in Alola. But, still... He failed to realize something that's very important; a lesson that we all have to learn at one point in our lives. And, if he could just see that and grow more from it, he would've been a great trainer...…"
"Go, Guzma!"
"The wounded world is ready to crash! Time to clean the house and take out the trash! Break it down, stir it up, tear it down, mix it up! Solid steel, break the seal! Do the deal, make it real! Yo, yo, yo! Guzma makes it so!"
"You're gonna win this!" Tupp, Team Skull, and Rapp cheered, still holding out for Guzma to win the match and beat Sarah.
With Plumeria, however, she continued to look worried as she prayed for Guzma, "Guzma, you might not realize it but you're what gives these kids hope. There are tons of people who run away after losing some sort of conflict, not knowing what to do with their lives. Optimism doesn't come naturally to some here but you gave them a place where they could be themselves."
Silvally let out a huff after he landed on the ground, ready to continue fighting as Golisopod staggered onto his feet undeterred. The Hard Scale Pokémon may have taken a lot of damage from his Lightning Spear but he was now feeling an adrenaline rush from the battle and he was going to make the most of it for Guzma and his friends until he dropped no matter what the Synthetic Pokémon and Sarah did to get one over him.
"Ugh... He-he-he-he-he, you're not bad, kid. You don't know when to quit," he smirked.
"I could say the same about you," Silvally snarked back.
"You ready for more, buddy?" Sarah called out to him.
"You bet!"
Sarah nodded and she turned back at Guzma as he growled in annoyance and snapped at her, "Would you stop wasting my time and just give this thing up, already?!"
"What are you talking about, Guzma? Do you seriously think I'd quit while we're in the middle of a battle here? If I had given up and walked away from my life, I wouldn't have been able to destroy Team Eclipse with my family and friends and I wouldn't have been able to find my parents and bring them and the rest of my real family back! I'm not a quitter and I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of throwing in the towel in your favor!"
Guzma flinched for a minute as he now looked conflicted, frantically musing in his mind as he tried to control his anger and fear, "What's with this kid? The princess isn't cracking like I hoped! How can this be, why am I letting her of all people get to me?!"
The Team Skull leader didn't know what to think as Sarah also asked him, "Guzma, answer me this, why do you and your Pokémon battle?"
"...…..To win, of course. I did come to trash the league and crush the competition so I can win it all and prove that I'm the strongest trainer of all, you know."
"Is that all you can come up with? Or are you trying to hide your darkest secret from me, the fact that you hate to lose while taking your losses out on everybody else as a result?"
"What? That's the reason I've been known as 'The Undefeated' my whole life, nobody's been able to match me because of my superior strength and I'm gonna show you why I'm the strongest of them all, surpassing even the likes of you! And, what about you? Why do you and your Pokémon battle, do you merely do it for the attention or to prattle around your so-called ideals of justice for all and your damn hero talk as Kukui always had done?!"
Sarah shook her head as she told him, "No, my Pokémon and I battle because I love them; the thrills, the excitement, the adventures, everything about being a Pokémon trainer and having a Pokémon always gets me so excited. Ever since I was a little girl after getting Blitz when he was an egg, I loved Pokémon and anything to do with them. Everything about them is lots of fun; the many different Pokémon that are discovered and have yet to be found in our world, the mechanics that go into taking care of them to make sure they're in perfect health and top fighting form, the challenges we faced against many opponents who are just as strong or stronger than us, the lessons we learned to do our best and be better, the bonds between us and the friends we make along the way, the bond between myself and my Pokémon as if we share one heart, one mind, one body, one spirit, one soul...…"
Guzma was silent as the little princess continued to try and reason with him and understand why he hates losing above all else, "I don't know exactly what went down between you, Hala, and Prof. Kukui to make you like this but your lashing out at Golisopod has helped me see that you've endured a lot of hardship from losing and you didn't know how to handle it. Because of that, you want to take out your anger and aggression built up from all of your losses on everybody else by picking fights you know you can win and bailing out on opponents stronger than you. That's why I'm not gonna stand by and let you and Team Skull take it all away from me and everybody else!"
Guzma was growing more and more furious the most Sarah spoke to him but he smirked again and sneered at her, trying to come up with an excuse, "Heh! Don't make me laugh! You would seriously risk everything you love about Pokémon and being a Pokémon trainer just for a bunch of meaningless crap like that? When you and your Pokémon battle, what's the point in continuing when you can't even win it all? Winning's the only thing that's important to me and I'm the whole who deserves to stand at the top as the STRONGEST TRAINER IN ALL OF ALOLA!"
"...….You know, I pity you, Guzma," Sarah sighed, feeling sorry for the Team Skull leader as he let out a shocked yet angered gasp.
"I feel sorry for you now that I know where your hatred for losing has gotten you and the same can be said for Team Skull. If you all think that's what winning and being a Pokémon trainer is all about, then I feel sorry for you all. Battling you and other trainers here in the Pokémon League helped me to remember one thing; it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you and your Pokémon play the game and do the best you can through real friendship and family bonds. It's also about the challenges, the growth, the heart of it all; everything that molds us into the trainers and teams we are now... The love, joys, and sorrows that come with every battle, nothing can compete with that. But, winning... It's a shallow feeling that shows us that winning is nothing if not fickle. But, the best part about it all is fun; I was looking forward to battling with you in the back of my mind but I couldn't help but pity you the minute I saw the kind of man you are."
"Shut up! You're talking absolute shit, you brat! We're battling right now!" Guzma raged, feeling insulted.
"No, I'm not battling you; I'm battling a big baby who wants to quit while he still can when he knows he's losing! You haven't made a single move since we started without justifying it through your bond with Golisopod as he can tell!"
This triggered a nerve in Guzma as he couldn't hold back his anger at Sarah ripping him a new one for being such a coward and he sought to put an end to her (in his eyes) mockery of him as he raged, "Golisopod, Pin Missile!"
"Gotcha, Boss! Pin Time!" Golisopod grinned as he grew more determined to fight after hearing Sarah's entire speech to his master, firing Pin Missile into the air in hopes of hitting Silvally with one of his missiles.
"Ability, activate - Critical Block!" Sarah countered, bringing out another Move Card as everybody gasped to see three velociraptors (Vlad, Randy, and Gaten being the velociraptors in question) appearing in Spirit Form and blocking the Hard Scale Pokémon's Pin Missile attack before they returned to their card.
"Your defense won't take us down," Guzma smirked maliciously.
"I wouldn't bet on it, Guzma. Silvally!"
To Guzma's shock and surprise, Silvally appeared from the dust cloud without warning and tripped up an equally surprised Golisopod before Sarah issued her next attack, "Use Thunderbolt and shock him hard!"
"Hey/Sayonara, Bug Face!" Golispod and Silvally bantered, the Synthetic Pokémon smirking as he unleashed a Thunderbolt and electrocuted the Hard Scale Pokémon after hitting him on his stomach.
"DAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Golisopod screamed as he tumbled to the ground after Silvally got past his defense with his earlier Thunderbolt.
"Ooooh! And, just when you thought things couldn't get more heated between Sarah and Guzma after that passionate 1-0-1 with psychological warfare, Silvally strikes Golisopod hard with a Thunderbolt to the gut! Looks like Guzma's powerhouse wasn't able to defend against it after he was tripped up! But, it's all guerilla warfare at this point so anything goes!"
"Whoa! Did you see that?!"
"That's amazing!"
"They took out Golisopod's defense!" gasped Ash, Mallow, and Kiawe in astonishment.
"How can this be, how come I'm the one struggling?!" Guzma seethed to himself.
"Good job, Silvally! Just keep going like that and this one's all ours!" Sarah encouraged Silvally as he returned to her side while sporting more bruises from the damage he took during their sudden death match with Golisopod and Guzma.
"Both Golisopod and Silvally had taken a lot of damage during their sudden death match but who's going to crack first and who's going to be the one to bump their partner up to the Finals?"
"This is tense!"
"Golisopod and Silvally were going at each other all the way."
"It's hard to tell who's going to win since they're now evenly matched, especially since there was a change that occurred in Golisopod since this sudden death match started," remarked Zenna, Astrid, and Fishlegs in amazement.
"But, Sarah and Silvally can still win if they use a Z-Move of their choice! This one's in the bag if they can pull it off!" Rotom-Dex noted.
"Now's your chance, Sarah!"
"Go for it!" Sophocles and Lana cheered, obviously rooting for Sarah and Silvally to win and Guzma and Golisopod to lose.
Now, Team Skull was looking more worried for Guzma as they saw how he and Golisopod were losing ground and their leader was slowly losing it as the battle dragged on.
"Uh, Big Sis, guys...? Gu-Guzma's gonna be okay, right?" quizzed Tupp as Plumeria remained silent, seeing how furious Guzma was now with how the battle was going for him and how close he's come to snapping on the spot.
"What's going on here? How can this be? There's no way, I can't stand it... The way she stares me down like that, I hate it! I HATE IT!" Guzma growled as he thought back to his days as Hala's student.
(Flashback)
"Braviary, use Brave Bird!"
It was during a battle exercise between a young Kukui and Guzma as the Valiant Pokémon triumphed over Golisopod with Brave Bird much to Guzma's shock and disappointment as his face darkened.
"That'll be all for today. You're getting much better, you'll get even better when you and Golisopod can work more in sync!"
Kukui was only commending his fellow student's growth as a trainer with that comment but unbeknownst to him, all it did was leave Guzma in more anger and despair over his loss.
In his youth, true to Hala's words, Guzma never learned to understand how to use Z-Moves and Z-Rings properly which led to him disavowing them entirely with the promise he made to get stronger on his own. But, he was also bitter and furious for losing numerous battle exercises to Kukui, always coming off as second best despite his continued efforts and Kukui's constant commending him on his progress as a Pokémon trainer.
His latest loss against Kukui was the straw that broke the camel's back as he later pounded the ground in fury while he and Golisopod are in the woods, unable to figure out why he was unable to beat his fellow student during their battle exercises.
"Why can't I...? Why can't I beat him!?" he ranted as Golisopod stayed silent, unsure of what to say to comfort his trainer during his darkest hour.
Finally, it all came to a head between him and Kukuil; on that fateful day, the two of them were at Hala's house as it rained, the future Team Skull Leader angrily making his proclamation to Kukui to become stronger on his own and dumping his former teacher and friend so he wouldn't have to suffer losing to the future Alolan Professor ever again.
"Guzma! What are you saying?!" Young Kukui balked in horror.
"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about, Kukui! I can't stand that fake 'hero' act you keep pulling up and that 'justice for all' crap you're always prattling on about! It's all worthless! Who cares about Alola's 'natural world'?!" Young Guzma spat.
"Guzma!" Young Kukui begged as he reached out to him to try and calm him down only for his former student to slap his hand away furiously and run out on them, leaving him and Hala (who had been watching the entire exchange) feeling incredibly guilty for what had happened to him. "Guzma!"
(End Flashback)
"They all rubbed me the wrong way, Kukui, the Kanto brat with the Pikachu...… But, the princess, she's the worst... She's got some nerve prattling that trash as Kukui had done all this time; she's so much like him, especially when I look into her eyes. Those same eyes that stared me down every time I lost a battle against that traitor. Kukui was always on the side of his 'justice for all' shit... If I have to lose against her again, I'd rather use them...Use both her and Kukui to destroy the Pokémon League and there's nothing they can do to stop me!"
"Guzma?"
"Man! I wonder what's wrong?" Tupp and Zipp pondered, now scared for Guzma as they saw how stressed he was becoming.
Of course, Plumeria knew the truth as she recalled a moment back when she and the rest of Team Skull were still living in Po Town when Tupp, Zipp, Rapp, and their friends started to idolize their leader and they began to fully embrace the idea that Team Skull is unrivaled to the other trainers living in Alola.
"I know exactly what Guzma was thinking and I'm sure the princess realized it, too: he's afraid to lose," she thought.
(Flashback)
"Guzma, that was awesome! You were so cool today, like always!"
"As long as you stay undefeated and nobody dares to challenge you again, Team Skull has no enemies to take them down! Right, Guzma?" Tupp and Zipp praised as Guzma drank his soda in his hands and threw the can away, the can landing near Plumeria as she watched everything.
(End Flashback)
"He stays undefeated because he only takes on battles he knows he can win; battles against weak trainers who he and his partner can stomp onto the ground easily while passing up on stronger challengers with an excuse he has waiting in the wing. Guzma and Golisopod are always like that and I'm sure he knows, too. He hides in the shadows so he doesn't get hurt; he keeps running away from stronger trainers who want to take potshots at him. But, how long does he want to live like this?"
"Uh, Big Sis, you okay?" Tupp asked, noticing her strange behavior again.
"Ugh, stop being so annoying," Plumeria denied, doing her best to ignore him.
Guzma seethed as he was left at an impasse until Nanu spoke up (getting Plumeria and Tupp's attention as they turned back to the battle at hand), "Well, Guzma, Golisopod... You still want to have a go at the kiddo?"
"Why do you care?" Guzma sighed in annoyance, rolling his eyes.
"You know now how well the kid's able to handle herself in the face of adversity, her battling style proves that. The question is, can you and Golisopod do the same?"
Guzma didn't know what to say but Sarah decided to give him a nudge in the right direction as she told Nanu, "Excuse me, Nanu? I think it's best if Guzma is given a little demonstration of what he needs to do if we're to finish this battle as intended."
Nanu blinked before he noticed her Z-Power Ring, giving her a knowing smirk and nod as he allowed her to show Guzma her and Silvally's true power as she switched out her Dragonium Z for her Electrium Z and prepared to use a Z-Move.
"Guzma, you may not want to fight us at our full strength given what you're going through but we're going to show you why running away could only get you so far and why you need to believe in your Pokémon in times like this! Silvally, it's Morphin' Time!" Sarah announced to the Team Skull leader, shocking the team and Guzma in question as they saw her activating her Z-Power Ring (deciding to use Gigavolt Havoc since Silvally is now an Electric Type thanks to his Electric Memory Drive).
"Yeah! Let's power up, Mother!" Silvally nodded, bracing himself as Sarah performed the poses for Gigavolt Havoc and transferred her Z-Power to him while everybody else watched on in shocked amazement.
"Roar of thunder, hear my cry! Let the storm rage on and carve a path to tomorrow from a raging battle-torn warzone!" Sarah recited as Golisopod realized what was going on and braced himself for the attack.
"What's going on?" puzzled Guzma, unsure of what Sarah and Golisopod could be doing.
"Now, Guzma, Golisopod! Feel the true might of me and my Synthetic Pokémon, the result of an unbreakable bond between humans and Pokémon that have gone through so many trials and tribulations to become the best they can be! This is the power you've turned your back on after you betrayed Hala and Kukui since you didn't know how to respond to losing so many battles against my teacher! Everything I said to you has meaning and it's all why I have to win this battle because Pokémon mean a lot more to me than you could ever understand! THEY'RE NOT JUST TOYS OR TOOLS FOR ME TO PLAY AROUND WITH AS LONG AS THEY'RE SENTIENT BEINGS WITH HEARTS, MINDS, BODIES, AND SPIRITS OF THEIR OWN!"
As soon as the princess made that proclamation to their leader after she looked Guzma dead in the eye, that was Tupp, Zipp, Rapp, and their friends freaked out and screamed for their leader while Plumeria looked on in awe and admiration at what she was doing. Even the heroes couldn't help but look on in total shock and awe as they heard every last word she said to him as she and Silvally prepared to fire Gigavolt Havoc and supposedly end the match.
"Shut Golisopod down now, Silvally! Use Gigavolt Havoc!"
"CHARGE IT, SET 'EM UP, AND KNOCK 'EM DOWN!"
Sarah and Silvally shot Gigavolt Havoc at full blast as Golisopod braced himself, remembering Scizor and Masquerain's sacrifice and the promise he made to them as soon as he and the Synthetic Pokémon started battling 1-on-1.
"Masquerain, Scizor... I promise you, I'll keep going! I'll fight on until either Silvally or I drop! For Boss' sake, for you, and all of Team Skull, I will not lose to him! I WILL NOT LOSE TO THE PRINCESS!" he vowed with determination as he held his ground.
"THERE IT IS; THE ELECTRIC TYPE Z-MOVE KNOWN AS GIGAVOLT HAVOC AS IT MAKES ITS MOVE!" Caster screamed excitedly as Gigavolt Havoc made its mark.
Golisopod grunted as he withstood Gigavolt Havoc with all of his might while Guzma looked on in shock and astonishment as he saw his partner no longer running away. He couldn't understand what he was thinking and he was still shocked when the dust settled and everybody saw the Hard Scale Pokémon still standing after taking virtually no damage from the powerful Electric Type Z-Move.
The heroes all gasped in astonishment at the turnabout as Rotom-Dex spluttered, "What just happened?!"
"Golisopod withstood Gigavolt Havoc!"
"And, he did so out of sheer force of will despite his Type disadvantage! Amazing!" Mallow and Fishlegs blinked in surprise.
Sarah and Silvally blinked as they watched Golisopod relax from his previous defensive position and braced himself to continue fighting, causing them to smile as they realized that the real battle between them and the Water/Poison Type and his master was just beginning.
"Ah, so... You do have some fight in you, kid. About time," Silvally smirked.
Sarah nodded as she spoke again to Guzma, "Do you see it now, Guzma? That Gigavolt Havoc was the result of the ray of light my friends and family had illuminated onto me as they risked their own lives for my sake while enemies such as Evox and Team Eclipse were still at large; it helped me let go of all fear and doubt and allowed me to draw upon a hidden power I had time and time again that allowed me to become the trainer I am now. The will to live and fight for those you love is stronger than anything as long as I have something truly worth fighting for."
She then looked at Golisopod as she continued, "Your partner, Golisopod, realized that the moment you lashed out at him and when Scizor and Masquerain sacrificed themselves to allow him to keep fighting. Do you still plan on running away, do you truly want him to break his promise to them after such a noble act? Will throwing in the towel really make a difference if it meant dishonoring them so callously?"
"Boss..." Golisopod began.
"Golisopod," Guzma blinked, still astonished as his partner turned to him with a determined look.
"Let's go, we still have a battle to finish."
"You, you can still battle?"
"Yes, all the way. I want us to keep going until either we or the princess and her Silvally fall, that's the promise I made to Scizor and Masquerain."
At that moment, the Team Skull leader realized what he was saying (despite not understanding Pokemon Speak) as he replied, "I get it; you're not running away, not ever again..."
Golisopod simply nodded, "Yeah."
It was a that moment he thought back to everything that had happened; ever since he betrayed Hala and Kukui after running away from them that fateful day years ago, he didn't look back once as he started Team Skull and made a name for himself despite having only battled weak trainers and turned away from stronger challengers throughout his entire life. Then, came the reunion between him and Kukui following the news that he was going to create the Alola League; he thought it was a waste of time and money since he declared himself the strongest and would destroy his former friend's dream no matter what it takes (emphasized when he nonchalantly kicking a Third Place trophy he had won away from him and turning his back on it as he laid down on his couch back in his old home at Po Town at some point before the reunion).
(Flashback)
"Why can't I...? Why can't I beat him?! I can't stand that fake "hero" act and all that "justice for all" garbage you're always talking about!" "As expected from the undefeated Guzma!"
"And, once I become champion, you'll never have another competition again!"
"So, you're going to run away once again? The same way you ran from the Kahunas and the Island Challenge?"
(End Flashback)
Finally, it all became too much for Guzma as he thus came to terms with his own cowardice and screamed out to the world, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, GUZMA!?"
There was silence. Sarah and Silvally along with Nanu held their ground while Hala and Kukui watched with concern, all of them and a determined Golisopod waiting and watching with bated breath to see Guzma make his next move.
At last, Guzma gave a genuine yet determined as he called out, "Fine by me, I'll do this until the very end with you, partner! Pin Missile!"
"Way to go, Boss! YEAH!" smirked Golisopod as he fired Pin Missile, pouring his renewed heart and soul into the attack with their new lease on battling.
Sarah smirked as she realized she had finally gotten through to Guzma while issuing her next order to Silvally, "Yeah, that's it! Okay, Silvally, now the real fun can begin! Use Quick Attack plus Dragon Claw!"
"OH, YEAH! Let's do this thing!" Silvally screamed with excitement, the adrenaline rush from Golisopod and Guzma being contagious as he charged at the Hard Scale Pokémon and dodged Pin Missile before he came at him with Dragon Claw. "You're mine now, Goldilocks!"
"Liquidation!"
"Here I am, Scales!" Golisopod continued to smirk as he and Silvally clashed with Liquidation and Dragon Claw amidst an explosion.
"Use Poison Jab/Iron Head!"
With Guzma's newfound battling forte, the atmosphere between him and Sarah began to change as they were starting to enjoy themselves. Even Silvally and Golisopod couldn't help but have fun as they fought against each other as best they could, colliding once more with Iron Head and Poison Jab before they pushed each other back with renewed vigor.
"This is incredible! Sheer offense and defense at every turn and neither Silvally nor Golisopod are backing down! What a battle this is turning out to be!"
"You're strong, Princess, but we all know there's no way we can lose! This battle will be all ours! Let's show them what we're made of, Golisopod!"
"Right behind ya, Boss!" Guzma and Golisopod smirked, the latter sharing a thumbs-up as he intended to keep his promise to Masquerain and Scizor.
"That's what I want to see, Guzma! And, I agree with you on that; this will be the last fight we'll have together and whether one of us wins or loses, we'll have no hard feelings towards each other," Sarah nodded.
"Same here," nodded Silvally.
"The only thing left to do is..."
"…..Give it all we got," Guzma and Sarah thought, deciding to go out with a bang with one final confrontation between Golisopod and Silvally as they were both on their last legs.
"One more time, Silvally! Finish this with Reversal!"
"Use Liquidation, full power!"
"Heads up!"
"Back at 'cha!"
The two Pokémon kept smirking at each other as they lunged at each other for the final blow and let out their final battle cries, Silvally encasing his front claws in an orange aura that supercharged his attack force (which happens whenever he's low on health) and Golisopod pouring all of his strength into his Liquidation attack before they struck each other hard and fast. Once they had finished, they ended up on opposite sides of the field; it was now a standoff as the entire audience including Team Skull, Sarah, her family and friends, Nanu, and Guzma watched with bated breath, waiting to see who would fall first.
At last, after Silvally slowly knelt on his back right knee, Golisopod collapsed to the ground as he groaned in defeat (but not without having a big smile on his face from his lingering elation with the battle he, his master, Silvally, and Sarah just had).
"Golisopod is unable to battle! The winner of this match is Sarah!" Nanu declared as the entire crowd went silent for a moment before they erupted into a giant chorus of cheers and whistles for both her and Guzma.
The Pokémon, mythicals, and dragons on the heroes' side all cheered loudly as they could hardly believe it.
"They won!"
"What power and perseverance!"
"Alright!"
"You did it, Sarah!" Lillie, Mallow, Kiawe, and Ash cheered.
"And, Rotoscope and I got it all recorded for posterity!" Rotom-Dex buzzed brightly.
"Gentle-ladies and Germas, the final chapter of Guzma vs. Alola has come to a smashing ending!" Rotoscope added gleefully as an exhausted but proud Silvally limped over to his human mother and she hugged him.
"There you have it; Sarah repeats, Sarah repeats! Our resident princess has defeated Guzma and will move on to the Semifinals! This is a battle of the ages as both trainers and their remaining Pokémon have given it their all and we finally saw Alola's resident bully in a new light! Let's hear it one more time for our contestants for our second match of the Semifinals: Sarah and Guzma!"
"I'm very proud of you, Silvally. You stood your ground," she smiled warmly before she noticed Guzma who was silent before he smiled in satisfaction and went over to Golisopod, wiping his head and picking up his partner as he woke up.
"Good job, partner. Let's go," he told him.
"….Boss?"
Guzma just returned him to his Pokeball and with that, he left but not before a proud Hala got up from his seat and applauded for him along with the audience. All the while, Gladion, his Silvally, and his Umbreon smiled warmly at the sight while Team Skull was left silent and in awe over what had happened and Guzma and Golisopod's defeat.
Even Kukui couldn't help but smile and he called out to his former friend, "Guzma... See ya in the next league."
Guzma looked at him for a moment before he remained silent and left but in doing so, Kukui couldn't help but notice a tiny hint of a smile on his face which told him that Sarah's battle with the Team Skull Leader had changed him for the better.
"Now, the only contestants left are Ash and Sarah as we will soon segway into the Finals! Between Ash Ketchum who's a heated and aggressive Pokémon Trainer and Princess Sarah Tomoe who's calm as a cucumber and bold in her battling, only one of them can be our true Alola Pokemon League Champion! And, after that, it'll be the champion vs. the Masked Royal in our upcoming exhibition battle!"
With Team Skull, after he left the stadium, Tupp, Rapp, Zipp, their friends, and Plumeria went to meet him to try and figure out what to say to him. None of them, however, knew what they wanted to say to him as they didn't want to make his loss any harder on him than it already had been.
But, as they joined him, he grumbled, "I'm sorry... As you can see, the Undefeated Guzma is no more. I'm not asking you to stay with me after what happened so please, go and do what you want...…"
Silence fell amongst the entire group but as he prepared to leave, Tupp, Rapp, and Zipp spoke up and their words were something that even he didn't see coming, "No, Guzma... We're in total awe, you were on fire!"
"He's right, Guzma! I had no idea you and Golisopod could battle so well like that!"
"You were amazing out there! I haven't had this much fun watching a Pokémon battle in a long time until now!"
"Huh? Wh-what are you saying?" Guzma blinked, surprised.
Plumeria smiled warmly as she joined him and replied, "It seems to me they got pretty worked up from watching you battle the princess. Your tail end of the match sparked a flame in them that allowed them to open their eyes to a brand new you."
"Hmm?"
"Come on, Guzma! We wanna be able to have intense battles like the one you and the princess just had!"
"It would be awesome if you could give us some battle pointers!"
"I wanna learn how to be part of a real battle so my Pokémon and I can fight just like you and Golisopod!"
The other grunts couldn't help but agree as they expressed their admiration for his and Golisopod's battle with Sarah and Silvally, "Yeah, me too!"
"You were awesome!"
"I do, too!"
"Come on, Boss!"
"Yeah! What do you say?"
"You're still the best in our eyes!"
"We totally respect you and your team from what we've seen!"
"You're the greatest!"
Plumeria smirked at the stoic and silent Guzma as she confirmed to him, "They want to keep following you, maybe even more than before."
Although he wouldn't admit it outright, Guzma couldn't help but feel touched by his followers and friends wanting to stay with him. Even Plumeria confirmed that she would rather be with him given everything he went through and how she was the only one who could understand him and what he was going through. Without another word, he walked off with a lot to think about and a newly-opened mind.
"Hey! Wait for us, Guzma! Come on, guys, let's go!" Tupp called, urging his friends to follow Guzma while Plumeria joined him.
"Maybe it's time Team Skull took our next big step forward into a brighter future, you know? Of course, I'll always be following you. You okay with that?"
That was all that Guzma needed to hear and as he and his team left, he smiled as he jumped up in elation and his team followed happily. It was clear that Team Skull's newfound future was looking brighter than ever with their renewed outlook on Pokémon and Pokémon battles and throughout his entire battle with her, they all had Sarah and her family to thank for their new lease on life.
Evening came and Melemele Nurse Joy and her sisters had just finished treating Star, Kaji, and Silvally as they brought them over to Sarah and her family and friends from the medical hall.
"I've got wonderful news, Princess! Your Pokemon are all fully healed and feeling better than ever!" she grinned as the Aura, Synthetic, and Flame Pokémon joined her.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Sarah smiled as she rubbed Silvally's head scales and Kaji and Star nuzzled her happily.
"That was the most exciting battle I've ever seen, sweetheart."
"You and your Pokémon were all amazing! And, may I say, I was shocked when you finally got through to that horrid Guzma!" Doug and Delilah praised as they joined their daughter.
"Thanks, Mom, Dad. I had to; I realized that he hated losing like many of us do and he was taking his losses out on everybody else so Silvaly and I had no choice but to go pretty hard on the guy and Golisopod."
"With a little help from Kaji and I, I may add!" interjected Star, pouting indignantly.
"Yeah, Mom! What are we, chopped liver and Spoink?" agreed Kaji, sounding indignant as he smirked with his arms crossed while getting a sheepish chuckle from their human mother.
"Here are you, fellas! Bon Appetit~!" grinned Audino as she and Guardeon's daughters arrived with three loaded bowls of Pokémon food for Kaji, Star, and Silvally, prompting the three of them to eat right away.
"Hey, Sarah, congrats on your victory. You and your Pokémon were nuts out there," grinned Hiccup.
"I'll say; you turned this match around along with Guzma in a big way. I never thought we'd hear that moron break down and have fun with you after Golisopod endured Gigavolt Havoc like that," smirked Astrid.
"Golisopod had great defense on him but I'm sure something more was driving him to endure that and make it a close call at the end of it," Fishlegs nodded ecstatically.
"And, now that you pwned Guzma's ass, you're on your way to the Finals!"
"I sure wish I could be part of the Finals, too, just by watching you battle like that!" Snotlout and Sophocles grinned.
"You did Guzma and Team Skull a whole lot of good with that battle and your usage of psychological warfare, kid," chuckled Terrakion, getting Sarah's attention as she turned to the Swords of Justice.
"Even if they may not admit it out in the open, I'm sure they're very grateful to you for opening their eyes and helping Guzma overcome his greatest weakness that allowed him to battle at his fullest. Thanks to you, he now knows that losing is an important part of being a trainer. Because of you, he and Golisopod along with Masquerain and Scizor found strength they never knew they had that nearly turned the battle in their favor and they have you to thank for that," added Cobalion proudly.
"I am in agreement."
"And, your compassion and fiery spirit got you in the Finals because of it," Virizion and Keldeo concurred.
"...Thanks, Masters, Keldeo," Sarah smiled, giving them a nod.
"You go out and win it for all of us, okay?"
"Battle hard!"
"Go for the win!"
"We'll all be cheering for you."
"Make us proud, Island Girl," grinned Asha, Mallow, Lana, Kiawe, and Race.
"Hey! What am I, Chopped Slowpoke's Tail?" grumbled Ash, making everybody laugh at him while Meltan came out of Ash's hat (who also laughed at his trainer's expense over everybody's favoritism).
"It looks like everybody's pumped up for tomorrow! Hey, hold on... Ash, where's Rowlet?" Rotom-Dex buzzed as he approached the Kanto trainer before they found his Arrow Quill Pokémon on a nearby wall post, sleeping as usual (getting an exasperated sigh from the Living Pokedex).
"Sarah, Ash, I can hardly wait to see you two battle in the Finals! Give it everything you got and no matter who wins or loses, just remember to have fun!" Lillie smiled brightly at Ash and her best friend.
"Thanks a lot, Lillie!"
"You got it," Ash and Sarah smiled back as the latter and the Ice Type student shared a hug.
Meanwhile, at the repaired battlefield, Kukui was looking around as he was also bubbling with excitement for the match between Ash and Sarah.
"It's finally time, I'm so looking forward to this: Ash vs. Sarah!" he grinned, knowing that their battle was a Pokémon League match to die for.
Underwater, a wild Krabby looked surprised as it quickly walked away. The reason it did so was because a giant horde of Meltan was swimming up towards Manalo Stadium (supposedly having heard the cry made by Ash's Meltan) but why they would be coming here, only the Hex Nut Pokémon owned by the Kanto trainer knows.
The Alola Pokemon League Finals will soon be upon us after such a heartfelt battle of truths and psychological warfare in the Semifinals! Ash vs. Sarah, who will emerge victorious at the end of it all? We'll soon find out as the journey continues!