Serena led Ash by the hand through the streets of Couriway Town, an excited grin on both their faces. Ash was craning his neck to look ahead of him, hoping to get a glimpse of his destination as soon as possible. He had wanted his birthday gift to be a complete surprise, but he was too excited to stop himself from trying to figure out exactly what it was.
Pikachu clung to his shoulder as he always did, while Iris and Brock followed behind them. Madison brought up the rear, noticeably limping but still keeping pace. As soon as they had reached Couriway Town, they had sought out the local hospital so that Madison could receive proper treatment for her twisted ankle. She was discharged an hour later, with a rigid ankle brace and a renewed sense of optimism. So long as she took it easy for the next few weeks, she was cleared to start walking again for short periods of time, which meant that she would be able to participate in the Couriway Town Showcase in a few days. She was excited to start practicing her Performance Battle with Barrett, as she had a lot of new changes in the routine she needed to rehearse.
She and the others made their way downtown, to an intersection where they were supposed to meet up with the young boy again. Once they rounded the last corner, they spotted him standing and waiting on the sidewalk, whistling with his hands in his pockets. Madison smiled and waved as she called out to him. "Barrett! Hey!"
His eyes lit up at the sound of her voice, and he was beaming as he turned to face them, waving back. His smile turned to an expression of horror as he saw Madison limping alongside her friends. His eyes snapped down to her ankle, where the brace was on full display. He ran over to her as fast as he could, in a panic.
"Madison! What happened?! Are you alright?!" he exclaimed, the questions firing rapidly out of his mouth. He rested his hands on her shoulders as he looked her over for other signs of injury.
"I'm okay, really!" she insisted. "I had a fall last week and twisted my ankle, but it's been getting better. The doctor said I can walk on it now."
"Are you sure?" Her calming words barely seemed to penetrate his skull. "Does it hurt a lot? Do you need help walking?"
"Barrett, I'm fine!" She reached up and lifted his hands from her shoulders. "It's sweet of you to worry, but it's all taken care of. Trust me."
"So you're still okay to perform?" he asked, his eyes on hers as his hands dropped to his sides.
"Yep! We're still on," she reassured him. He nodded and exhaled, taking a small step back. Serena held back a grin as she watched the two of them, tickled pink by Barrett's concern.
"Well, I'm glad you're okay." Barrett looked up and around at the older trainers around her. "So why are we all meeting here?"
"We're all here to celebrate Ash's birthday!" Serena announced cheerfully. "We set up something special for him."
"Here?" Barrett turned toward the building next to him. "We're celebrating his birthday on a battlefield?" Madison immediately smacked him on the back of his head with her palm, causing him to wince in pain. "Ow!"
"It was supposed to be a surprise!" Madison barked at him. Behind her, Iris let out a deflated sigh, and Brock chuckled lightly.
"Sorry, I didn't know!" Barrett protested, holding the back of his head.
"It's okay, really!" Ash insisted, waving his hands in front of him. "I figured it was probably something like that. It's still going to be great!"
"You're going to love it, Ash." Serena smiled wide as she walked toward the door. "I think this is a battle you're going to remember for a long time."
"I can't wait!" Ash could already feel adrenaline pumping through him as he followed after her, and the four remaining travelers walked in after him.
As they entered the building and walked onto the expansive Pokémon battlefield, Ash looked around the room curiously for any sign of what big twist was waiting for him. The arena was empty, save for them, and there were no special decorations on the walls or anything of that sort. It wasn't immediately clear what made this battle special.
"So who am I battling?" He turned back to face Serena. "One of you guys?" She grinned wide and shook her head, but didn't answer. Ash turned to meet the eyes of Brock, then Iris, but they both shook their heads as well. They were both wearing mischievous smiles, and Iris was nearly as excited as Serena had been. Barrett was just as confused as Ash, being completely in the dark. Madison, on the other hand, was practically vibrating, looking like she was about to explode.
"If it's not you guys-" Ash began, before he was quieted by the sound of a door opening. Everyone turned to the back corner of the room, where a woman had emerged from one of the doors and was walking toward the group. The mysterious woman was wearing a long black coat, a matching bowler hat, a pair of dark sunglasses, and an eager smile.
"It's been a while, Ash," she spoke, in a voice that tugged at Ash's memory. "It's good to see you again." She reached up and removed her sunglasses, revealing a pair of blue eyes that he instantly recognized. He and Barrett gasped in unison.
"Diantha?!" Ash exclaimed, gawking at the reigning Kalos Champion, whom he had met several times in the past. "What are… wait…" Realization dawned on him, and his face lit up like a thousand-watt bulb. "Diantha, am I going to battle you?!"
"That's right," she confirmed, grinning at the unrestrained joy on the boy's face. "I'm looking forward to seeing how you've improved."
"This…" Ash was briefly overcome, trying to find words to express his elation. "This is… amazing!" He turned back toward his friends. "How did you all do this?!"
"It was pretty much all Serena," Iris admitted, unable to keep herself from smiling. "She's the one who put this together."
"I was calling around, trying to find people who would be willing to battle," Serena explained. "I was thinking of Elite Four members, past League winners, you know… but early on, Palermo helped me get in touch with Diantha. I didn't think she would be able to battle, but after a few days she called me back and said she'd be happy to." Brock and Madison nodded in agreement, while Barrett stared in amazement at Diantha, his eyes bugging out of his head.
"The timing worked out perfectly for me," Diantha added, folding up her sunglasses and placing them in her coat pocket. "Filming for my next movie has wrapped up, and the Champion's League is going to be underway soon. Both my Pokémon and I need to get back into fighting shape." She grinned down at Ash, barely having to look down to meet his eyes, as he was starting to grow close to her in height. "And who better to practice against than a promising young trainer like yourself?"
"It's an honor to be your sparring partner!" a starry-eyed Ash replied, full of confidence. "Thank you so much, Diantha!"
"It's my pleasure, Ash," Diantha responded. "I still remember your battles from the Kalos League five years ago. That battlefield burned with passion and energy from you and your Pokémon." Her eyes flicked over to meet Pikachu's, who was nearly as excited as his trainer. "I want you to show me that passion again, right here."
"You bet!" Ash clenched his fist in front of himself. "I'll give you the best battle you've ever had!"
Diantha laughed lightly. "That's a tall order, but I like your enthusiasm." She slipped her coat off, revealing the flowing white outfit that she was usually seen in. "What sort of battle are you looking for? Single or double? How many Pokémon?"
Ash looked down for a moment, mulling over his options. His instinct was to ask for a full six-on-six battle, but he knew Amaura was not remotely ready to battle a champion, and after a moment of thought, he decided Growlithe wasn't either. Secretly, he wished that he had been given the opportunity to change out his team before arriving, but he wasn't going to ruin the moment by saying this in front of Serena. He also wanted to be respectful of Diantha's time, knowing how busy she usually was.
"How about a four-on-four?" he suggested. "Single battle."
"Sounds good to me." Diantha nodded and slid her coat off, revealing her white champion outfit underneath, which slowly puffed out once it was no longer being held down. "I'll send out the first Pokémon. I want to see how you respond."
"Great!" Ash nodded and reached down to his belt, retrieving one of the Poké Balls attached to it. He then grabbed his pack from off of his back, reaching in and pulling a Poké Ball out of an ice-filled container. One moment later, Amaura and Growlithe materialized next to him, and the both looked around curiously at their surroundings. Neither of them recognized what an official battlefield looked like, nor the woman standing across from Ash.
"Growlithe, Amaura, I want the two of you to watch this battle, alright?" Ash knelt down next to them, and their attention snapped to him. "Sit with the others and watch us battle against Diantha. See if you can learn something, okay?" Growlithe barked affirmatively, turning and walking over to Serena, wandering between and around her legs affectionately. Serena laughed and knelt down to pet the Puppy Pokémon before walking toward the stands with Iris, Madison and Barrett.
Amaura followed behind them, eager to learn more about battling, but stopped and turned at the sound of another Pokémon being released into the room. Everyone looked toward the far end of the battlefield, where Diantha had released a massive, blue, long-necked Pokémon that looked like a larger, more regal version of Amaura. Ash's eyebrows raised, while his Pokémon beside him gasped.
"Whoa! Diantha, you have an Aurorus?"
Diantha nodded. "That's right. I've had him for nearly ten years, now. He was revived from a fossil I was given." She watched as Amaura ran over toward Aurorus as fast as his legs could carry him. "I assume your Amaura was the same?"
"Yeah, he was," Ash confirmed, watching with everyone else as Amaura started speaking rapidly and excitedly to his evolved counterpart. "I won the fossil in a tournament a couple of weeks ago. We're working on getting him into battling shape." Aurorus let out a low rumble of a laugh, leaning down and rubbing noses with the awestruck Amaura, who was as happy as he could be.
The moment was interrupted by the sound of another Pokémon being released from its Poké Ball. Houndour had once again chosen to release himself, sensing a large opponent that he wanted to battle against in order to prove himself. He barked loudly and ran toward Aurorus with a snarl, but a glare from the nearly nine-foot-tall Pokémon stopped Houndour in his tracks. There was an air of authority in Aurorus's eyes, a commanding presence that made Houndour realize he may have bitten off more than he could chew.
"Sorry, Houndour, but not this time." Ash walked over to the conflicted Pokémon and gently pet him on the head, receiving a low but non-threatening growl in return. "You can watch with Amaura and Growlithe if you want." After a moment's consideration, Houndour let out a low woof and turned toward the stands where the others had gathered. He sat down next to Growlithe, who yipped happily and nuzzled the side of his head. Amaura joined them moments later, his eyes still glued to Aurorus.
Brock stood on the side of the battlefield, taking the place of the referee, and began to announce the rules. "This will be a four-on-four battle between Ash and Diantha! The match will end when all of the Pokémon from one or both trainers are unable to battle! A Pokémon cannot be switched out unless it has been battling for at least two minutes!"
"I won't be switching out my Pokémon," Diantha declared, folding her arms. "That should make this a bit more interesting."
"Understood." Brock nodded as he turned toward Diantha, having trouble meeting her eyes. His voice sounded stiff and beset with nerves. "Diantha has already sent out her first Pokémon!" He turned back toward the other end of the battlefield. "Ash, please send out your first Pokémon as well!"
Ash reached down to his belt and grabbed one of his Poké Balls, already having chosen who he would be starting with. He hurled the ball onto the battlefield as hard as he could, endless energy coursing through him. "Snivy, I choose you!"
The Grass Snake Pokémon emerged onto the battlefield, immediately sizing up her gigantic opponent with a serious expression on her face. She turned to look at the walls, seeing sunlight streaming in through several large windows, and her expression changed to a confident smirk.
"Both trainers are ready!" Brock declared. "The battle will begin… now!"
Ash was eager to snatch the first move for himself. "Snivy, attack with Leaf Storm, and start building up energy for a Solar Beam!" The latter attack would take a while to build up, especially if Ash wanted it to be a powerful one, and he would need to get Snivy started on it early.
Snivy extended her arms outward, and a swarm of leaves appeared and swirled around her body, quickly growing in speed and size. She thrust her arms forward a moment, sending the Leaf Storm toward her opponent. She expected Aurorus to move out of the way, but the large Pokémon held his ground.
"Stop those with Powder Snow!" Diantha commanded. Aurorus exhaled a dense, snowy fog from his mouth, which both froze the leaves and blew them away from his body. All of them fell to the ground uselessly, and their target remained unscathed. Snivy made a "hmph" noise, clearly displeased that she hadn't even scratched him.
"Now, use Blizzard!" Diantha continued, casting her arm out in front of herself. Aurorus complied immediately, taking in a deep breath and exhaling a massive gust of freezing air and snow, one that made the previous Powder Snow look like a light breeze. Everyone in the room could feel the temperature drop, as the freezing air swirled all about the battlefield. Even after Aurorus stopped exhaling, the icy blizzard continued to churn, in a show of Aurorus's masterful control over ice.
Snivy began shivering at the extreme cold surrounding her, wincing every time an ice particle scraped against her skin and left a minuscule cut. Ash grimaced at the sight, and so did the observers in the stands.
"That's not how Ash wants to start this battle," Iris muttered, holding herself as she shivered from the cold. "On top of all that damage, Snivy's going to be slower than usual, now."
"And it's not slowing down, either," Serena noticed. "It's still going. How long does it last?"
"I guess that's how good a champion's Pokémon is," Barrett suggested, staring at Diantha in awe, which he had been doing ever since she revealed herself.
In the arena, Ash could see his time being whittled down. He was going to have to do a lot of damage a lot faster, or else Snivy would turn into a popsicle before she could even fire off her Solar Beam.
"Get in close and attack with Leaf Blade!" he shouted. Snivy nodded and dashed forward, at a slower pace than normal due to the ongoing Blizzard.
"Stop her with Rock Slide!" Diantha countered. Aurorus rumbled affirmatively, and a thick ring of glowing rocks appeared all around his body. The rocks flew forward toward Snivy like an avalanche, poised to do some serious damage.
"Dodge and pull yourself in close!" Ash commanded. Snivy extended her vines and pushed them against the floor, launching herself into the air and out of harm's way. She then wrapped her vines around her opponent's neck, pulling herself in before Aurorus could move out of the way. As she approached, her tail glowed a bright green, and she let out a battle cry as she swung it against her foe's torso. Aurorus let out a pained grunt, but otherwise showed little reaction.
"Again! Keep hitting him!" Ash encouraged.
"Use Rock Slide again!" was Diantha's reply. Both Pokémon obeyed their trainers, and Snivy went in for another Leaf Blade, while another ring of rocks flew toward her. She managed to dodge once again, delivering a third and fourth blow to Aurorus's body and neck. For all the attacking she was doing, however, Aurorus barely seemed to be affected. His stamina must have been off the charts.
"We need to do some more damage!" Ash called out. "Aim for the head!" Snivy smirked, liking the sound of that, and she wrapped her vines around the top of her opponent's neck. She whipped upward, dodging another Rock Slide, and slammed her Leaf Blade into Aurorus's jaw. The Pokémon cried out in pain, his head snapping back for a moment.
"Aurora Beam!" Diantha ordered. Aurorus zeroed in on his opponent, opening his mouth and shooting an icy beam of rainbow energy directly at her. The beam hit Snivy square in the chest, knocking her to the ground and back into the blizzard. Ash watched as she struggled to her feet, holding the spot where she had been hit. She looked as if she had run a marathon, and the battle had barely started.
Ash looked across the battlefield at Aurorus, who was still standing in the exact spot he had been since he was released from his Poké Ball. Ash had been waiting for a good opportunity to use Grass Knot, which would have done a great deal of damage to such a large Pokémon, but it wouldn't do any good if Aurorus wasn't moving. He looked back toward Snivy, who was glowing a faint golden color from the Solar Beam energy she had collected. At this rate, she would be knocked out before she got a chance to fire it. They had to speed up the process, and one of her new techniques would be the key.
"Use your vines and gather some energy with Giga Drain!" he called out.
Snivy nodded and extended her vines once again, wrapping them tightly around Aurorus's neck. The vines began to glow with a bright green color, and Aurorus roared as he felt his energy being sucked away through the vines. Snivy started to glow more brightly herself, as energy for her Solar Beam filled her body. Ash was vigilantly watching both Aurorus and Diantha, ready to respond to whatever they tried. Snivy could probably dodge a Rock Slide while keeping her grip, he mused. Aurora Beam would be tougher, but she could-
"Pull her in and headbutt her!" Diantha ordered.
Ash briefly panicked, flustered, as Aurorus threw his head backward, pulling on Snivy's vines and sending her flying directly toward him. Neither she nor Ash had time to reach before Aurorus thrust his head forward again, colliding painfully with the helpless Snivy.
She cried out in pain as she flew halfway across the battlefield, tumbling to an inelegant stop. She groaned as she used her vines to force herself back to her feet, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. She turned back toward her trainer and gave him a short nod, her body glowing more brightly than before. She may not have had all the power she wanted, but she had enough. She was ready.
"Do it now!" Ash commanded, not hesitating. "Use Solar Beam!" Snivy turned back toward her foe, her chest heaving as she held her hands out in front of her. A ball of golden energy formed between her hands, rapidly growing to an impressive and dangerous size. She let out a weak cry as the energy was unleashed as a Solar Beam, aimed directly at Aurorus's massive bulk.
"Light Screen!" Diantha shouted, just before the Solar Beam fired. Aurorus's eyes glowed white, and a barely-visible, transparent shield of energy appeared in the air in front of him. The Solar Beam collided with the Light Screen, and most of the energy exploded against it in a burst of golden light. A much smaller, weaker version of the beam managed to get through, striking Aurorus at the base of his neck. He roared in pain, but still stood his ground as he had the entire battle.
Both Ash and Snivy gawked in disbelief, along with everyone else in the room. Their one chance at doing serious damage to Aurorus had gone up in smoke, and now Snivy was on her last legs, while Aurorus was still standing like a brick wall. Diantha decided to take the initiative and put her out of her misery.
"Ancient Power, Aurorus!" Her Pokémon rumbled, and the ground soon followed suit, as a large boulder ripped itself out of the battlefield and flung itself toward Snivy.
"Dodge it!" Ash commanded in a panic, but it was too late. Snivy was unable to extend her vines in time, and she was soon crushed by a flying boulder several times her size. The rock continued on, flying out of the battlefield and smashing into the wall of the arena, while Snivy was unceremoniously dumped onto the ground outside of the boundaries of the battlefield. Nobody needed to take a closer look to see the condition she was in.
"Snivy is unable to battle!" Brock declared, raising an arm in Diantha's direction. "The first bout goes to Aurorus!"
Ash sighed in disappointment as he recalled Snivy, whispering words of praise to her Poké Ball before attaching it to his hip. He was already down one Pokémon, and Aurorus barely looked affected. They had gotten a solid shot in with Snivy's Leaf Blade, and some additional damage on top of that, but he hadn't even needed to move in order to take down his opponent. Aurorus was the definition of a tank, even without Light Screen. The only real positive from the fight was that they had managed to run out the clock on Blizzard, which had finally receded.
Over in the stands, Madison was no more optimistic. "Geez, that was… one-sided. How is Ash supposed to win this battle now?"
"I don't think he ever had a chance of winning," Iris answered. "I mean, she's the champion of Kalos for a reason. She's stronger than a lot of other champions. She's up there with trainers like Cynthia."
"Yeah, I didn't think he could really win, either," Serena admitted. "But still… this is a pretty brutal way to start."
They all watched Ash as he deliberated over his next choice, his hand resting on top of one Poké Ball, then another. He eventually grabbed one and tossed it out, releasing his Absol right next to him. Ash leaned in and spoke something to Absol that nobody else could hear - some sort of secret strategy, they assumed.
Once Brock signaled for the battle to resume, Ash jumped in once again with the first move. "Absol, use Double Team, then Shadow Ball!"
Absol grunted and began to multiply, with more and more copies of himself filling the battlefield. Soon, two dozen Absol all opened their mouths at once, each of them forming a Shadow Ball. The attacks all fired off simultaneously, making their way toward Aurorus. It was difficult for anyone to tell which was the real attack.
"Dodge, Aurorus!" Diantha commanded. "Charge through them and take out the real one!"
For the first time in the battle so far, Aurorus moved. He leaped to the side, and most of the Shadow Balls shot right past him. The real attack still carved effortlessly through the Light Screen, thanks to its type resistance, and exploded against Aurorus's shoulder. Diantha's Pokémon did little more than grunt in response, before lumbering forward and charging through the army of Absol clones.
"Get moving, Absol!" Ash's voice rang out. "You're faster than he is! Keep the pressure on with more Shadow Balls!"
The Absols did as they were told, running around the arena and firing off one group of Shadow Balls after another. Aurorus chased them around the battlefield, sweeping through them with Aurora Beams and eliminating two to three Absols at a time. He continued to be pelted with the occasional Shadow Ball, but it wasn't clear how much damage was being done.
Eventually, Aurorus eliminated the last of the clones with another Aurora Beam, and only one Absol remained. Before Ash could issue another command, the fossil Pokémon pivoted and swung its long tail across the battlefield, slamming it directly into Absol and sending him flying. As the Dark-type landed on his stomach, he cried out in pain as he was hit by an Aurora Beam.
"Absol! No!" Ash watched nervously as Absol got back to his feet, glaring at his opponent with a gleam in his eye. Once he was standing, Ash turned his attention to Brock, looking at his right hand. Brock had previously been extending his index and middle fingers, officially signaling that Ash could not switch out Absol yet. His hand was now relaxed. Ash was free to make his switch whenever he wanted.
Ash swiftly reached for Absol's Poké Ball, holding it in front of him and pressing the button. "Absol, return!" His Pokémon was converted to a batch of red energy and sucked back into the device, which Ash placed back onto his belt. He grabbed another one and tossed it out onto the battlefield. "Mienfoo, it's your turn!"
Mienfoo glanced downward as soon as she emerged, instantly recognizing that she was on a battlefield. She looked across the field for her opponent, eyes widening as she saw the massive Aurorus glaring angrily at her, dwarfing her in size.
"We're battling against the champion of Kalos," Ash spoke, as Mienfoo turned around to listen. "This is one of the toughest battles we'll ever face. Give it all you've got and don't hold back!" Mienfoo smirked and turned back toward Aurorus, excited to test her skills against such a powerful foe. Aurorus seemed agitated, almost angry, at the sight of his new opponent.
"Both Pokémon are ready!" Brock declared. "The battle will resume… now!"
Diantha was the first to call out a command this time. "Aurorus, use Reflect!" she ordered. To nearly everyone's surprise, Aurorus did not obey her command, choosing to growl threateningly at Mienfoo instead, with a low rumble that reverberated through the floor.
Diantha let a smirk cross her face, immediately picking up on what had happened. "Clever boy…" she muttered to herself, under her breath. This battle had just become more interesting.
"What just happened?" Up in the stands, Madison was much more confused. "Why isn't Aurorus listening to her?"
"Wow," Iris responded, surprised and a little awed. "It looks like Absol used Taunt on Aurorus. Now he's too enraged to do anything but attack."
"Really?" Serena glanced over at Iris from beside her. "How did a champion-level Pokémon let itself be taunted?"
"It's because Taunt is a move that uses Dark-type energy, and Absol is a Dark-type Pokémon," Iris explained. "When a Dark-type uses Taunt, it's basically impossible to fight it." She leaned forward, resting her folded arms on her thighs. "Now the question is, how long will it take for Aurorus to go back to normal?"
Down in the arena, Diantha was not interested in waiting for her Pokémon to go back to normal. Aurorus was extremely weak to Fighting-type attacks, and if this Mienfoo was as strong as Ash's other Pokémon, there was a chance she would be down one Pokémon in the next few minutes.
"Use Icy Wind!" she called out. "Slow Mienfoo down!" Aurorus took in a deep breath and expelled a blast of icy air as thick as fog, in Mienfoo's direction.
"Dodge it!" Ash countered. "You're faster than him! Get in close and do some damage!"
Mienfoo leaped to her right, dodging the Icy Wind with ease. As she landed again, she dug the claws on her left paw into the ground and used her momentum to pivot back toward her foe. Before Aurorus could launch another attack, she jumped into the air and grabbed onto one of the two sails that ran down Aurorus's neck. She clambered up the sail, toward his head, as he growled and tried to buck her off.
"Freeze the air around you!" Diantha's voice called out. Aurorus once again refused to obey, focused more on dislodging Mienfoo from his back. She held back a sigh, frustrated at the broad effect Taunt was still having on her Pokémon.
"Great job!" Ash praised. "Hit him in the head with Close Combat!" Mienfoo did as she was told, wrapping her short legs around Aurorus's throat and pummeling him repeatedly in the back of the head with her fists. He cried out in pain, bucking his head wildly to try and shake her loose.
"Whip her off with your tail!" Diantha commanded, already concerned with how this battle was going. Aurorus leaned his head as far backward as he could, as his tail came up to smack Mienfoo away.
"Use Detect!" Ash countered, though it was hardly necessary. Even as the words were leaving his mouth, Mienfoo's eyes were already glowing blue. She dodged at the last second by spinning around Aurorus's neck, her legs still clamped around his throat. Once the two were face-to-face, she reared her hand back and slammed a glowing Force Palm into his jaw. The force of the attack snapped his head back, and her legs came loose, sending her back toward the ground. She pivoted in midair and landed daintily on her feet, while Aurorus needed a moment to come back to his senses.
Iris let out a low whistle up in the stands, as Diantha ordered Aurorus to freeze the battlefield. "That was a lot of damage in… not a lot of time. And right to the head, too."
"Do you think Mienfoo can win?" Barrett asked, not tearing his eyes away from the action. He watched as Aurorus used his icy breath to freeze the ground underneath himself, and Diantha breathed a small sigh of relief.
"At the start of this, I would have said no," she answered. "But if she can avoid getting hit, and keeps dealing damage like that, maybe?"
"I'm just glad those two are working together," Serena chimed in, as Mienfoo easily dodged an Aurora Beam, using her claws to gain traction on the icy surface. "It looks like Ash and Mienfoo have patched things up since she was caught."
In the arena, the normally unflappable Diantha was growing bothered by the difficulty Aurorus was having. In a normal battle, she would have switched her Pokémon out for someone smaller and faster, but she had already promised not to do so. She would simply have to deal with an uneven matchup.
"Slow her down with Rock Slide, all over the arena!" she called out. Instantly, a small mountain of rocks formed around Aurorus and barreled toward Mienfoo. She dodged them easily, clambering over the rocks to pull herself closer to her foe. Unfortunately, the extra time taken to climb over the rocks was slowing her down just enough to make her vulnerable.
"Quick, dodge!" Ash called out, as he saw an attack coming her way. Mienfoo pivoted right away and tried to dodge, but was still struck in her left shoulder by an Aurora Beam. She stumbled down the oncoming rocks for a moment, but recovered quickly and resumed her climb. She dodged one more Aurora Beam before slamming a glowing Force Palm into Aurorus's sternum, eliciting a pained cough from him.
Diantha watched the battle unfold with a hint of a frown on her face. Mienfoo was shockingly fast, just enough to be an ideal counter for a powerful but slow Pokémon like Aurorus. That speed of hers had to be taken down a peg.
"Use Blizzard again!" she ordered. She had hoped she could conserve Aurorus's energy for his next opponent, but at this rate there wouldn't be another opponent.
Aurorus swiftly inhaled and let out another enormous gust of freezing air, which swept across the battlefield and lingered just as it had before. Mienfoo tried to dodge, but was soon surrounded by the cold air that seemed to seep deep into her bones. Her muscles felt tighter, less limber, less able. She could already tell she wouldn't be able to move like she had before.
Ash furrowed his brow, able to see his brief moment of advantage disappearing. Mienfoo was about to really be put to the test. "Get closer, but be careful! Try to get on top of him again!"
Mienfoo rushed forward, zigging and zagging as best she could to make herself a more difficult target to hit. She dashed past Aurorus's left shoulder, looking for the best angle to leap onto his body again.
"Disrupt the floor!" Diantha commanded cryptically. Aurorus grunted and focused, watching as the ferret Pokémon approached. One moment later, the icy floor of the battlefield turned jagged and craggy, as he exerted his cryokinetic abilities. Mienfoo stumbled, thrown off-balance for the first time in this battle.
"Get away!" Ash ordered, his voice panicked, but it was too late. As Mienfoo scrambled back to her feet, she was hit point-blank in the chest with a powerful Aurora Beam that sent her sliding back across the arena. Ash gasped, worried, but soon recovered as an idea came to him.
"Quick, use Reversal!"
As Mienfoo slid across the ice, the claws on her feet dug into the ice below her, stopping her momentum. Bright orange energy swelled around her, as she instantly turned her damage into attack power. She exploded forward into the air, slamming her glowing orange fist into Aurorus's throat. Aurorus's eyes bulged as he coughed and hacked, needing a moment to regain his breath.
Mienfoo took the moment of reprieve to limp away from Aurorus, her breathing harsh and ragged. Even after all the work she and Ash had done to improve her poor defense, one direct attack from a Pokémon as strong as Aurorus was enough to put her on her last legs. Looking across the battlefield again, she was at least proud to see that her opponent was also in poor shape. Her direct assault on his most vital spots had done more damage than Aurorus and Diantha had bargained for.
"Finish her off!" Diantha ordered. "Ancient Power!" A large, glowing chunk of earth rose out of the battlefield, threatening to bring this matchup to a quick end.
Ash clenched his fist, not interested in going down with a fight. "Use High Jump Kick! Aim for his head!"
Mienfoo took a deep breath, summoning all of the strength she had. Just as Aurorus flung his Ancient Power attack at her, she launched herself forward and upward, her knee jutting outward. She managed to dodge the incoming attack by mere centimeters, and her knee slammed directly into Aurorus's jaw with incredible, super-effective strength. The force of the attack was so powerful, and so precisely targeted, that the impact could be heard throughout the arena as a sickening crack. Ash could hear Serena's distinctive gasp from the stands.
Aurorus's head snapped back violently, and his rear legs immediately gave out, his back half collapsing to the ground. His forelegs trembled as they tried to hold up his weight, but they soon collapsed as well. Aurorus's head slowly fell back down and slammed into the frozen arena, cracking much of the ice around him. Brock ran to the side of the arena to get a better look at Aurorus's face, grimacing slightly before raising his arm toward Ash.
"Aurorus is unable to battle!" he declared, sounding pleasantly surprised. "Mienfoo is the winner!"
"Yes!" Serena cheered loudly, clapping her hands before cupping them to her mouth. "Great job, Ash! Great job, Mienfoo!" Iris and Madison offered their own cheers as well, while Barrett sat in silence, dumbfounded that the Kalos Champion could have lost even one of her Pokémon.
"That was awesome, Mienfoo!" Ash called out. "That was a super-strong Pokémon you just took down! You're a fighter right to the end!" Mienfoo grinned, feeling warmth flooding her chest and her cheeks as she took in his praise. She could barely stand up straight or catch her breath, but she wasn't about to retreat into her Poké Ball after hearing that.
Diantha kept an inscrutable smile on her face as she pulled out Aurorus's Poké Ball. "You did a good job, Aurorus," she offered as she returned her Pokémon. "That was a tough matchup against a skilled opponent." She reattached the ball to her belt before looking across the battlefield at Ash.
"Excellent work, both of you," she praised. "Aurorus isn't an easy Pokémon to take down. Your use of strategy and type advantages was impressive." She reached down and retrieved another Poké Ball from her collection. "Let's see how far you can go."
Her second Pokémon emerged on the battlefield, a bird-like creature with vivid red and green plumage accenting its white torso. The coloration extended to its head, forming what looked like a luchador mask over its face. Ash grinned, recognizing the Pokémon, while up in the stands, Madison pulled out her Pokédex and aimed it at the new arrival.
"Hawlucha, the Wrestling Pokémon," the device announced. "Possessing an artistic way of executing its moves, Hawlucha takes great pride in their elegance."
Ash studied Hawlucha for a moment before returning his focus to his own Pokémon. "Mienfoo, do you want to rest?" She shook her head without hesitation. With all the damage she had taken, she wouldn't last long against any champion-level opponent, even with whatever rest she could gather in her Poké Ball. She would rather go down swinging right now. Ash nodded and gave a thumbs-up to Brock, who signaled for the match to continue.
"Hawlucha, use Wing Attack!" Diantha ordered. Ash and Mienfoo steeled themselves, watching as Hawlucha spread his wings before taking off like a rocket.
If Aurorus was a tank, Hawlucha was a bullet. In the blink of an eye, he had covered nearly half the battlefield, his wings glowing a bright blue. Ash barely had time to issue a command.
"Detect and Close Combat!" he shouted. Mienfoo's eyes glowed blue as she analyzed her foe's speed and direction, and she bent backward just as Hawlucha swung one of his wings at her. She was barely able to dodge, and retaliated with two solid punches from Close Combat before Hawlucha flew past.
"Don't let up!" Diantha commanded. "Use Aerial Ace!" Hawlucha flew around the battlefield in a wide arc, before turning and zooming toward Mienfoo again, at an almost untrackable speed.
"Same thing as before!" Ash responded. Mienfoo tried using Detect a second time, but the glowing in her eyes flickered and faded as the move failed. She tried to dodge manually to no avail, and Hawlucha slammed his entire body into her torso. She flew backward and bounced along the ground before rolling to a stop, completely unconscious.
"Mienfoo is unable to battle!" Brock dutifully reported. "Hawlucha is the winner!"
Ash nodded grimly as he returned Mienfoo to her Poké Ball, wishing that he could have taken a bit more out of Hawlucha. Diantha was only down one Pokémon at this point, while Ash had lost close to two and a half, given the damage Aurorus had delivered to Absol. For the sake of his own pride, he wanted to take down more than one of Diantha's Pokémon before this match was over. It was time to send in his ace.
He turned his head to the right, toward the Pikachu sitting on his shoulder. "Pikachu, it's all you. Show him what speed really is!" Pikachu cheered and leaped onto the battlefield, filled with energy and ready to show Diantha his full potential; Diantha smiled wide, ready to see it. Once again, the type advantage lay with Ash, who needed every edge he could get in this uphill battle.
"Pikachu and Hawlucha are both ready!" Brock announced, raising both arms. "Battle… begin!"
Ash was speaking up as soon as Brock was finished. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu swiftly emitted a powerful bolt of electricity from his body, which arced toward Hawlucha on the far end of the battlefield.
"Block it with Feather Dance!" Diantha responded. Her Hawlucha thrust his wings out in front of himself, throwing out a thick cloud of loose feathers that lingered in the air. The Thunderbolt connected with the feathers, which absorbed the majority of the blow as they were burned to a crisp. Hawlucha still received a shock from the attack, but it was far weaker than it would have been otherwise.
"Keep your distance and use Hone Claws!" Diantha continued. Hawlucha took off and began flying around the edge of the battlefield, scraping his talons together. They began to glow orange, and soon his entire body followed suit, as his strength and accuracy increased significantly.
Ash watched Hawlucha fly, impressed but unintimidated. He looked back at his Pikachu. "You're faster than that, Pikachu! Use Agility, then hit him with a Quick Attack!"
Pikachu dashed off like a bolt of lightning, his speed rapidly increasing as his body glowed white. He zoomed across the battlefield, matching and exceeding Hawlucha's speed as he homed in on the flying Pokémon. Once Pikachu was close enough, he zipped forward with a Quick Attack and tackled Hawlucha, sending the Pokémon tumbling to the ground. He recovered quickly, and was up in the air again after only a moment.
Diantha adopted a confident smirk. "Now, use Encore!"
Before Ash realized what was happening, Hawlucha had formed a white ball of energy in between his outstretched wings, and he flung it at the unsuspecting Pikachu. The energy ball was absorbed into Pikachu's body, and he began to sparkle with a white light. His eyes became slightly unfocused, a confused expression on his face.
Ash stared in shock for a moment, as the effects of Hawlucha's attack sank in. He'd been duped. Diantha had set up a ruse, and he had fallen for it without a second thought. Now he could only watch as Pikachu charged after Hawlucha with another lightning-fast Quick Attack.
Serena watched the two Pokémon race in circles, as Pikachu clipped Hawlucha's wing with another tackle. She leaned in closer to Iris. "What does Encore do?"
"It forces Pikachu to keep using his last attack," Iris answered. "Now he's going to keep using Quick Attack over and over for a little while."
"Why is that bad, though?" Madison asked. "His Quick Attack is really good."
"But it's not an Electric-type attack," Barrett responded, eager to show off his knowledge as a trainer. "Hawlucha's weak to those, but it's not weak to Quick Attack." Madison nodded in understanding, watching with the others as Pikachu used one Quick Attack after another, occasionally making contact with part of Hawlucha's body.
After a couple of minutes and more than a dozen Quick Attacks, the sparkling glow of Encore faded, and Pikachu came to a stop close to his trainer. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, feeling sweat drip down his cheeks. Using so much speed in such a short time had done a number on his stamina. This had been the true aim of Encore: to tire Pikachu out.
Diantha grinned as she saw her opportunity. "Now, hit him with Aerial Ace!" Hawlucha grunted and swooped around the arena, lining himself up for a blindingly fast strike.
"Pikachu, hit him with Electroweb!" Ash commanded. Despite his exhaustion, Pikachu immediately spun around, and formed a ball of electricity on his tail in a mere instant. Diantha watched in shock as Pikachu flung the electricity at the oncoming foe, which spread out into a wide Electroweb that wrapped itself around Hawlucha's body and delivered a nasty shock.
As Hawlucha crashed to the ground, Pikachu followed up with a powerful Thunderbolt by Ash's command, damaging him even further. The bird Pokémon managed to free himself after a moment and fly off, but he was clearly hurting from those few attacks. Hawlucha was skilled, but he had nowhere near the stamina of Aurorus, and multiple super-effective attacks from an opponent as strong as Pikachu had taken their toll. Both combatants looked as if they had run a marathon.
Diantha grinned in amusement. "Well, I'm impressed. I didn't think Pikachu would be able to react after that. His strength and stamina are commendable."
"Pikachu's been my partner ever since I became a trainer!" Ash exclaimed in response. "He always gives it everything he's got! Taking him down won't be so easy!"
"Well, I look forward to the challenge." Diantha returned her attention to the battle. "Hawlucha, attack with Swift!"
Hawlucha spread his wings wide, and a large collection of yellow stars appeared in front of his chest in the blink of an eye. He clapped his wings together, and the stars flew forward toward their target. Ash watched them approach, knowing better than to try and dodge an attack that would never miss.
"Take care of those with Iron Tail!" Pikachu scrunched up his face as he focused, his tail turning hard as iron after only a moment. He leaped into the air and spun around, swinging his tail at the oncoming stars and destroying nearly all of them. One or two still made it through, but the damage done was minimal - and as they were about to learn, the real threat was yet to come.
Diantha's eye gleamed as she issued her next command. "Now! Rock Tomb!"
Hawlucha cast his wings out in front of himself, just as Pikachu was coming back down to the ground. A cone of solid rock shot up out of the battlefield, snagging Pikachu around his waist and holding him firmly in place. He gasped for air as the rocks squeezed his chest tightly.
"What?!" an incredulous Ash exclaimed. "Since when can Hawlucha even learn Rock Tomb?!"
Diantha covered her mouth with her hand as she let out a short laugh. "You'd be surprised what your own Pokémon can be capable of, if you try." She lowered her hand again, turning back to Hawlucha. "Use Swift again!"
"Pikachu, stop them with Thunderbolt!" Ash countered. Pikachu began charging up electricity as he always did, but when he moved to shoot it out as a Thunderbolt, he found himself stuck. The muscles he normally used to shoot out a Thunderbolt were being squeezed and constricted by the rocks around his torso, preventing him from firing off his signature attack. Both he and Ash watched helplessly as he was battered mercilessly by the Swift attack.
"Try to break free with Iron Tail!" His Pikachu nodded and formed an Iron Tail once again, swinging his hidden lower body to try and destroy the rocks. Unfortunately, due to his limited mobility, he was unable to gain the leverage he needed to do any damage. His tail whacked uselessly against the rocks, doing nothing to free him from his cage. Seconds later, he was battered by another Swift attack, then another.
"No! Pikachu!" Ash gritted his teeth, trying to focus and think of some way to free Pikachu from his prison before he was knocked out. Pikachu was now breathing heavily, weary and sore from the repeated barrage. Diantha, meanwhile, was not interested in giving Ash the chance he was looking for.
"Take him out with Flying Press!" she ordered. Her Pokémon took off into the air once again, flying high above the arena. His body glowed orange with attack energy, before he dove down at his captive opponent.
Ash watched Hawlucha approach, his mind running through all the moves Pikachu knew. As his time ran low, he shouted out a combination he wasn't fully sure of. It had worked in the past for other purposes, but would it work here?
"PIkachu, use Electro Ball and Iron Tail together!"
If Pikachu was confused by the command, he didn't show it. Keeping his eyes on Hawlucha, he formed an Electro Ball on the end of his tail as quickly as he could, before swinging and slamming it against the rocks. The hard edge of his tail dug into the ball of electricity, straining it until it burst like a water balloon. The electric blast was powerful enough to shatter several of the rocks holding him in place, and he dropped down to the ground on all fours.
With Hawlucha approaching, Ash didn't waste a second. "Volt Tackle!"
Pikachu charged himself up with electricity in the blink of an eye, before running forward and leaping upward toward a very surprised Hawlucha. Their bodies smashed into each other, their heads bashing together painfully. Hawlucha's body convulsed at the enormous surge of electricity that shot through him, and he quickly lost control of his flight. Pikachu was driven into the ground, the air knocked right out of him, by the momentum Hawlucha had built up during his Flying Press. Hawlucha rolled across the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust as he tumbled.
Everyone in the room watched to see which of the two Pokémon would rise first, or rise at all. Hawlucha rolled over and got to one knee, pushing himself unsteadily to his feet and trying to keep his balance. The combination of the impact and the electric shock proved to be too much, however, and he tipped over onto his back, down for the count. Pikachu simply didn't rise at all, much to Ash's dismay.
After watching both Pokémon for a few seconds, Brock announced his verdict. "Both Pokémon are unable to battle! This bout is a draw!"
Ash let out a deep sigh, feeling a mixture of pride and disappointment. He walked out onto the battlefield and knelt down next to Pikachu, lifting his partner into his arms. "You did great, Pikachu. I should have seen some of her tricks coming. Then maybe you could have lasted a bit longer out there." He walked back to his side of the battlefield, as Diantha returned Hawlucha to his Poké Ball.
"I wouldn't be disappointed if I were you, Ash," Diantha advised, attaching Hawlucha's Poké Ball to her belt. "Your Pikachu took out a champion-level Hawlucha nearly by himself. Even with the type advantage, that's something to be proud of."
Ash turned back to her and smiled, as Pikachu stirred in his arms. "Thanks a lot, Diantha." He looked down at his Pokémon partner, who blinked back up at him. "You hear that, Pikachu? You're strong enough to take down a champion's Pokémon!" Pikachu gave him a tired smile, happy that his trainer was proud of him. Ash returned to his box and set Pikachu down next to him, sitting upright.
"Ash, you've already shown your fourth Pokémon, so you'll have to send him back out," Brock advised. He turned to his other side. "Champion Diantha, please choose your third Pokémon."
Ash politely sent his Absol out again as a reminder, though it was not one that Diantha needed. She kept her indecipherable smile on her face as she sent out her third Pokémon. Ash's eyes lit up as he took in the tall, humanoid, green-and-white Pokémon standing on the battlefield. Even though he was certain he would be defeated, he couldn't help but be excited at the prospect of battling Diantha's ace Pokémon, Gardevoir.
As the two Pokémon sized each other up, Ash looked across the battlefield at Diantha, meeting her eyes. She reached down to the charm she wore around her neck, which bore a Key Stone in the center, and raised her eyebrows at him. He grinned from ear to ear, able to pick up on the question she was wordlessly asking, and nodded in agreement. His excitement started to reach a fever pitch.
Brock raised his arms once more. "Both of you, get ready to battle… now!"
"Gardevior, let's do it!" Diantha touched two of her fingers to the Key Stone around her neck, which began radiating a rainbow light. Gardevoir's own Mega Stone, which also hung from a necklace around her neck, started glowing as well, and soon Gardevoir herself followed suit. The red horn protruding from her chest split into two, while the flowing, green, skirt-like material that covered her thin legs turned a pure white, growing outward until it resembled a ballroom gown. As the light faded, the newly-transformed Mega Gardevoir exuded beauty, grace and elegance.
As the onlookers in the stands marveled at Mega Gardevoir's appearance, Ash raised his right hand close to his left. "Absol, we're going to Mega Evolve to battle her. Are you ready?" Absol took a deep breath before letting out an affirmative grunt, keeping his eyes forward. Ash took a deep breath as well, before grabbing his Key Stone firmly in his hand. Rainbow light emanated from both the Key Stone and Absol's Mega Stone, as Absol grew and transformed into his now-familiar Mega form.
Once the light had faded, Ash took a step closer, standing at the edge of the battle box as he looked over his Pokémon. "How are you feeling, Absol? Are you alright?" Absol turned back to him and gave him a resolute nod. He was sore and injured from his brief battle with Aurorus, but his heart was as strong as ever. He wouldn't falter a second time.
"What is Ash doing?" Barrett asked, as he watched the exchange. "Is something wrong with Absol?"
"No, nothing's wrong," Serena explained. "But the last time Absol Mega evolved, he had kind of a bad reaction to it. Good on Ash for checking up on him."
"And look, Diantha's just watching," Barrett pointed out. "She's waiting for Absol to be ready before she attacks. That's really cool of her." Madison and Serena readily agreed. Iris, seated on Serena's other side, proceeded to look down at her shoes.
As soon as Ash had confirmed that Absol was ready to battle, Diantha made her first move. "Gardevoir, Thunderbolt!" In no time at all, a bolt of electricity burst into existence in front of Gardevoir, shooting out toward its target. Ash and Absol had almost no time to react.
"Dodge it!" Ash shouted. Absol leaped away immediately, barely managing to dodge the Thunderbolt's impact; he could feel his fur standing on end, from the strength of the electric attack. As soon as he landed, however, he was bowled over by an incoming Will-O-Wisp attack. As he pushed himself back to his feet, he winced and whimpered at the serious burn that had been left on his side, his glowing red skin exposed.
"You can do this, Absol!" Ash reassured his Pokémon, as well as himself. "Shadow Ball, rapid fire!"
Absol opened his mouth and formed a Shadow Ball as quickly as he could, firing it at his foe. Gardevoir didn't move a muscle as the attack approached, keeping her eyes locked on her opponent instead. At the last second, right before the attack connected, Gardevoir simply phased out of existence, reappearing a few feet away with Teleport. Undeterred, Absol continued shooting out Shadow Balls, one after another, hoping that any of them might connect. Gardevoir teleported away from each one without a second thought, never once looking tired or unfocused.
Eventually, Ash leaned in closer, lowering his voice so only Absol could hear. "Once she gets close, go in with Quick Attack and a wide Night Slash. She never teleports that far away." Absol grunted before resuming his Shadow Ball barrage, slowly walking forward. Gardevoir continued teleporting, only moving a few feet at a time and never backing away.
Soon, after well over a dozen Shadow Balls, Absol found himself only a few feet away from her. Sensing an opportunity, Absol dashed forward using Quick Attack, his right forepaw glowing with dark energy. He winced at the pain from his burn, but he tried his best to put it out of his mind.
"Reflect!" Diantha's voice rang out. Gardevoir thrust her hands out in front of her, and a translucent shield popped into existence roughly a foot in front of her. Absol's paw slashed at the shield, and the Pokémon hiding behind it, and his paw was stopped cold. Unlike most Reflect shields Ash had seen, this one didn't bend, or crack, or show any reaction whatsoever. It was as if he had just tried to claw through a solid concrete wall.
Neither Ash nor Absol had time to marvel at this powerful Reflect before Diantha's next command came. "Dazzling Gleam!"
A tiny pinprick of light appeared in front of Gardevoir and exploded into a supernova. Only Diantha and Gardevoir had time to look away; everyone else in the room, including the onlookers and the referee, winced and turned their heads away from a light that was even brighter than the sun. Absol cried out in pain and looked away, instinctively backing off as he closed his eyes tight, trying to will his vision back. He hadn't come close to recovering when Diantha gave her next command.
"Now, use Moonblast!"
Ash's heart dropped as he saw Gardevoir extending her arms, forming a large, pink ball of some sort of wind-like energy. With Absol still blinded, there was little useful guidance he could give him now. "Absol, run to your left!"
Absol dutifully did as he was told, trying to outrun an attack he couldn't see, but it was to no avail. Gardevoir's Moonblast shot forward like a cannonball, crossing the field in a fraction of a second and exploding against Absol's side. The Dark-type howled as he was thrown across the field, landing painfully in a lump near one of the far corners. Ash held his breath as he watched Absol stir, groaning in pain as he struggled back to his feet. His fur was ragged all over, thinning at the point where the Moonblast had hit him, and his head and wings were sagging.
Ash exhaled in relief as his Absol finally stood. Once his Pokémon was on his feet, he issued one more command. "Absol, use Payback!"
Absol growled and focused with all of his might, trying to force the damage energy to the surface of his body. As he started to glow with energy, he nearly jumped as Gardevoir manifested into existence directly in front of him. He could only watch as she leaned in, closed her eyes, and gave him a gentle peck on his muzzle. Both Pokémon glowed yellow, as Gardevoir's Draining Kiss stole all of the energy that Absol had planned to unleash, and then some. Gardevoir stood fully and looked down toward Absol, who gave her a despondent, defeated look before collapsing to the ground. His body began to glow once again, as he reverted to his normal, unevolved form.
Brock barely had to inspect Absol before he raised his arm in Diantha's direction. "Absol is unable to battle! Gardevoir wins the bout, and Champion Diantha has won the match!"
Ash let out a sigh, but despite his disappointment at the lopsided battle, he was able to easily find his smile. He walked over to his Absol and knelt down beside him, stroking his mane. "You did great, Absol. We couldn't have beaten Aurorus without your help. Get some rest, okay?" He returned Absol to his Poké Ball, as Diantha walked across the battlefield over to him.
"That was a good battle, Ash," she commended. "You've got some very strong Pokémon on your team. Your Pikachu and Mienfoo are especially impressive." Beside her, Gardevoir was glowing as she reverted to her normal form.
"Thanks, Diantha." Ash stood back up and looked back at her, as his friends left the stands and walked onto the battlefield. "They weren't nearly as strong as yours, though. Snivy and Absol are strong, too, but they could barely do anything against your Pokémon."
"Well, it wasn't their strength that was the problem, truth be told."
"Huh?" Ash cocked his head. "What do you mean?"
Diantha smirked and folded her arms. "How honest do you want me to be, Ash?"
"Be totally honest, please!" he pleaded. "I want to hear all the advice you have to give! If I'm doing something wrong, I want to know!" Around him, all of his friends were standing by and listening in, wanting to hear what tips Diantha had to offer. Iris and Barrett, in particular, were very invested in learning the secrets of a champion.
"That's a good attitude to have," Diantha chuckled. "Alright, then. The problem isn't that your Pokémon aren't strong enough. The problem is that you let me control the flow of the battle, from beginning to end. You spent most of your time attacking and reacting to what my Pokémon did. Meanwhile, my Pokémon were manipulating the battlefield, or manipulating your Pokémon. Nearly the entire battle was fought on my terms. You'll never win against a strong opponent if you let them put you on the back foot."
Ash listened carefully, feeling somewhat embarrassed at how his battling style was being dissected and criticized, but he tried not to let it show. Diantha noticed his disappointment anyway, but continued on.
"By far, the best thing you did in that battle was having your Absol use Taunt. That move stole away many of Aurorus's best tools for dealing with battlers like Mienfoo. You forced me to fight on your terms instead of mine. You played up your advantages while taking away mine. If you had been battling like that from the get-go… well, I still would have won, but it would have been much closer."
She lowered her arms and rested her hands on her hips. "Still, your Pokémon did an impressive job of fighting back. I didn't expect Mienfoo or Pikachu to have that last bit of fight in them. They're strong, and they've got stamina, and that helped push them through when they otherwise would have lost. But that's only going to take you so far. At the top level of Pokémon battling, almost all Pokémon are as strong as every other Pokémon. It's strategy and careful planning that wins the day. Keep that in mind, and it will pay dividends when you make it to the Lumiose Conference."
Ash nodded repeatedly, deeply grateful. "I won't forget that, I promise. Thank you so much, Diantha. Your advice is some of the best I've gotten." He grinned, his fist clenching involuntarily. "And this battle was so fun! This is one of the best presents I've ever had."
"I'm happy to do it, Ash," Diantha replied. "I've never forgotten everything you did during the Crisis five years ago. All of Kalos is in your debt. This was the least I could do." She grinned back at him. "And you're right, it was fun."
"I really appreciate it, too," Serena chimed in, stepping forward. "I never thought a trainer of your caliber would get back to me about this. I figured the most we could ask for was a battle with a former League Champion."
"Good luck in the Champion's League!" Madison jumped in, eager to get a word in with one of the trainers she idolized. "I know you'll defend your title again!"
Diantha turned toward the young girl and smiled. "Thank you… Madison, right? Good luck in your upcoming Showcases, too."
Madison gasped. "You… how do you know my name?" She looked up to Serena for an explanation, but the older girl was just as surprised.
"I saw a video of your winning performance," Diantha explained. "I like to keep up with the showcase season. It's a nice change of pace from battling, and all you young girls are so talented." Madison's eyes were wide as saucers, her heart doing flips at the thought of the Kalos Champion knowing who she was. She watched as Diantha offered good luck to Serena as well, feeling as if she was floating.
"Diantha!" Barrett jumped in, nearly shouting in excitement. "It's an honor to meet you! Could you sign my Pokédex, please?"
Diantha laughed. "Yes, of course." She produced a marker from somewhere, taking Barrett's Pokédex from him and signing her name on top, being careful to avoid the glass display. As she handed it back, she turned to face Madison once again. "Is there anything you'd like me to sign for you?"
Adoption papers, Madison briefly thought.
"Could you sign my makeup bag, pretty please?" she said, quickly producing the bag from her pack. Diantha gave the bag her signature as well, pocketing the marker as Iris chimed in to introduce herself.
Five minutes later, everyone had finally exchanged greetings and goodbyes, and Diantha excused herself, citing a prior engagement that she needed to meet. She returned to the far end of the battlefield, donning her jacket and hat. Ash knelt down and scooped his Pikachu up into his arms, praising him for a battle well fought, before Serena's voice captured her attention.
"So, Ash, are you ready to keep celebrating your birthday?" she asked.
"Keep celebrating?" He turned to her with wide eyes. "You mean there's more?!"
Serena giggled. "It's nothing as special as this, really. We were just going to get some desserts at a nice pastry shop downtown, after we go to the Pokémon Center." Diantha paused for a moment, eyebrows raising, and she turned back toward the group of trainers.
"That sounds great!" Ash answered. "After that battle, I've worked up an appetite!"
Iris rolled her eyes. "You can work up an appetite just thinking about battling, Ash." The others laughed and agreed, and the six of them started collectively making their way toward the front door of the arena.
"Pardon me." All of them turned around at the sound of Diantha's voice, surprised to see her approaching. "You said you were going to a pastry shop?"
"Yeah?" Ash responded curiously. "Why do you ask?"
Diantha smiled back at him. "Well, to be honest, I've worked up a bit of an appetite as well." She slid her sunglasses onto her face. "I think my meeting can wait another twenty minutes or so."
Everyone around her cheered and welcomed her eagerly into their group, and all of them walked outside together, as Serena led them further into Couriway Town.
Author's Note: Ash is not nearly as overpowered in this story as he was in Journeys.