A promised kept Ash's Johto journey

by mgunnels3

What if Ash kept his promise to return? What if he actually managed to make peace with his past mistake with a pokemon and flock? What if he didn't leave Charizard in the Charizific valley? Join Ash and friends as they embark on a journey through Johto as if it originally had intended to if Ash made his promise to Pidgeot Smart and Calmer Ash.

78. Chapter 78: Whirl Cup Semifinals

Greetings, everyone. Mgunnels3 here, and welcome back to A Promise Kept Ash's Kanto Journey. Sorry for the wait for this chapter. These last few months have been busy on my end, and my birthday was in early September. That aside, let's get the Semifinals going. Shall we also? I hope you enjoyed the little break chapter-wise from the tournament's last chapter. Also, more reviews and feedback would be excellent.

Chapter 78: The Whirl Cup Semifinals

"Human Speech"

"Pokemon Speech"

'Thoughts'

'Telepathy'

It was the next day of the Whirl Cup, the day of the highly coveted Semifinals, as everyone was ready for this part of the tournament. While many had their own idea of who would be in the finals, that being Ash and Misty for most present, many others suspected at least one of the Brothers, Regi or Paul, would make it there. Only one way to find out...

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, it has been a long Whirl Cup Tournament, and things have been interesting in terms of outcomes, but now we are down to the final four trainers. Things should be interesting, and how things will be in terms of battles today, so let's get these semifinals going, shall we?" the announcer said as many trainers who had competed and been eliminated were in the audience. Misty and Brock are watching from the audience as Misty waits for her match against Paul, a match she knows will be tough. Still, she would not let her nerves prevent her from having fun and rooting for her friend.

All the while, many of the Pokemon back at the lab were watching the tournament, also ready to see who was going to move on to the next round. Houndoom, Growlithe, and Umbreon watched with the other Pokemon, while Pidgeot, Charizard, Dragonair, and their allies were training elsewhere. Still, only a short distance from the group just in case something big happened.

"Now, will our contestants for the first battle of today come out to the battlefield, and we can commence this battle?" the announcer said as Ash and Reggie made their way to the battlefield. Ash, like Misty, knew that this battle wouldn't be easy but had to be on his guard, given that he was facing Paul's older brother. He barely tied against Paul a while ago and wondered if he could at least pull a win against Reggie, but he'd certainly give it one hell of a try.

"The first trainer has made his way through the tournament so far and has been doing well to be the favorite to win the tournament. Will his streak make it to the finals? From Pallet Town, give it up for Ash Ketchum," the announcer said as Ash made it to the battlefield's platform. Little did Ash know it, but someone was watching him from afar on the stadium's lighting. Sparks ignited with anticipation in the air.

"The next trainer, like Ash, has made his way as well this far and is known to be a powerful opponent throughout the tournament, one of the trainers who would be labeled as the wildcard winner of the tournament. From Veilstone City, Reggie!" the announcer said as he made his way to the battlefield platform.

"Now that the competitors have been introduced, this will be a 3v3 battle, as shown by both competitors throughout the competition. So now let out your first Pokemon, and we shall begin," the ref said as both Ash and Reggie pulled out their Pokemon.

"Ash, just because you bested my little brother doesn't mean that I won't go easy on you today, so prepare for a tough battle, Bibarel; come on out!" Reggie sent out the first Pokemon, which was a beaver-looking Pokemon that was both a Water and a Normal type.

"Alright, Lanturn, come on out, do your best." Ash sent out his first Pokemon, who was ready to fight against Bibarel.

"Bibarel vs. Lanturn let this battle begin," the ref announced as both Ash and Reggie were ready to get this match going.

"Lanturn used Thunderbolt," Ash ordered his Pokemon, who charged up and launched an electric attack on the Water/Normal Beaver Pokemon.

"Super Fang now, Bibarel, counter it." Reggie ordered his Pokemon, who hardened his teeth. Rather than use them to attack, the Pokemon knew its trainer's thought process and prepared its teeth to meet the electric attack head-on. It remarkably deflected the Thunderbolt without issue, causing an explosion that surprised Ash and Lanturn.

"Now Stealth Rock., Reggie commanded his Pokemon, who now slammed his fist into the platform and launched a bunch of rocks into the battlefield. Ash wondered what was going on as none of them hit Lanturn.

"Ash, be careful about how many times you swap out your Pokemon, as that move will do massive damage to them when they are sent out," Brock said to Ash, who was surprised by this.

Reggie smiled while Paul, who was watching, smirked at this tactic his brother had often used against him so well throughout the years.

"Now, the gloves are off, Ash; you are up against a trainer who has a lot more experience than you have as a trainer. You may have gotten lucky during the competition, but against me, I won't show mercy as a trainer. Now Superpower," Reggie commanded his Pokemon, who snarled as it powered up and charged at Lanturn with a great, almost lethal intent. You would not want to be on the receiving end of this attack, let alone this vicious looking one.

"Lanturn, quick. Use Psybeam now!" Ash commanded his water/electric type, firing the psychic attack towards Bibarel, who was charging at her. It hit only what looked to be a bullseye, only to see what was actually hit, which looked like a clone being hit. It was a Substitute. He had been played. Now, what do you do when Bibarel could attack from anywhere...

"Uh, oh! Lanturn. Spin while using the Hydro Pump now." Ash commanded her, who fired her attack into the air and spun around, creating a makeshift dome that shielded her, knowing that Bibarel would appear somewhere near her only to get hit by the Superpower, sending her back, however, not as far or as hard as it had been meant to.

'Dang. Ash sure has a knack for thinking on his feet like no trainer I've ever faced before.' Reggie pondered.

Ash was surprised by how fast Bibarel was and how it pulled off that substitute like that, but he knew that he couldn't risk swapping out another Pokemon in case he had to go back to Lanturn again. Hurting as she may be, thankfully, she was still standing and willing to battle. Still, he had to figure out what to do, but I didn't. That moment of hesitation, Reggie took charge.

"Well, if you aren't going to do anything, I'll continue. Use Super Fang Bibarel," Reggie commanded his Pokemon, which was about to chew on Lanturn's antenna. Ash needed to act fast.

"Lanturn, use Confuse Ray," Ash commanded her, who managed to use the move as her antenna glowed just as Bibarel bit it, much to Lanturn's dismay, but received the full concussive energy blast coming out of said antenna and got hit by the Confuse Ray and was very confused as Reggie was surprised.

"Now, Hydro Pump, get it off you," Ash commanded Lanturn, who blasted Bibarel off her with great force. Gallons of compressed water hit Bibarel, sending it reeling back on the field.

"Guess it was too much to think she was weak to finish off. The worst part is that Superpower lowers stats, so it makes it harder for Bibarel to defend itself." Reggie knew that Superpower was a gamble as it lowers Attacks and Defense stats.

The panting Bibarel looked ragged and soaked, and though it was hit with a Special Attack move, the force with which it hit Bibarel was very much physical. But with a passion to not let Reggie down, it remained confused. Her will to fight for her trainer was adamant, wanting to continue and win more than anything. So they would risk it all here and now one more time.

"We can't let this get to us. Use Bibarel, snap out of it, and use Superpower one more time." Reggie commanded his Pokemon, only to see that the risk would not pay off as the confusion was making it harder for it to hear Reggie's commands. Ash did not waste the opportunity to strike.

"Lanturn, use Thunderbolt; end this," Ash commanded her. She sent a thunderbolt towards Bibarel, who, because it was already soaked from the Hydro Pump, felt every ounce of voltage shocking it, doing massive damage to it and knocking it out.

"Bibarel is unable to battle; Lanturn wins," the ref announced as Reggie returned Bibarel to its ball. Ash sighed, knowing that this was only just beginning, as Lanturn was panting heavily. Clearly, Reggie was not gonna go without a fight. Neither would he.

"Not bad, Ash, but this is only the beginning. Break her. Empoleon. Come on out!" Reggie said, sending out his next Pokemon, a metallic Penguin Pokemon with a trident in its beak.

Ash knew Lanturn couldn't last long, so he had to try and end this quickly.

"Lanturn, use Thunderbolt," Ash commanded her, who used the last remnants of her power and fired an electric attack toward Empoleon.

"Protect, now Empoleon," Reggie commanded his Pokemon, who put up a barrier to protect itself from the Electric attack.

"Now use Surf," Reggie commanded his Pokemon, who slammed its flippers into the water battlefield and sent a tidal wave towards Lanturn.

"Hydro Pump, stop it now," Ash commanded Lanturn, who tried to blast the Surf attack but discovered that it was a trap as Empoleon emerged from behind it.

"Uh oh," Ash and Lanturn said almost in unison.

"Knock off, Empoleon." Reggie commanded his Pokemon, who slammed his flipper right into Lanturn's side before she could react, sending her to the platform. Ash was about to return her to her ball as she struggled to get up.

"Oh no, you don't use Brine. End this battle," Reggie commanded his Pokemon, who launched a powerful water attack that did enough to knock her out.

"Lanturn is unable to battle Empoleon wins." the ref announced as Ash returned Lanturn to her ball.

"Man, that was fast," Ash said as he saw how proud Empoleon was when it won that battle. Reggie chuckled at this.

Misty, on the other hand, knew what was going on.

"That's what Reggie is planning, wearing down Ash's Pokemon and then using moves that can do massive damage," Misty said as Brock and Pikachu turned to her.

"Ash needs to get this match under his control because Reggie is reading him like a book. Brine isn't the type of move that Ash should run rampant against because it will do double damage when Ash's Pokemon is severely weak. The starter Pokemon he's up against, Reggie, isn't going to be holding back," Misty said.

"You really know a lot about this Pokemon, huh, Misty?" Brock said to Misty, who nodded half-heartedly.

"Only about how prideful they can be and how they are compared to other starters that came before it. Empoleon prides itself in battle and wins. They aren't the type to just go easy on their opponents. Bibarel was the decoy who set up Stealth Rocks. Whether or not Reggie was planning on Bibarel going down like that is a mystery." Misty said as she looked out on the battlefield. Ash needed to take this seriously now more than ever.

'Come on, Ash. You can do this. You're always quick to turn things around.' Misty thought.

"Alright, Slowbro, come on out." Ash sent out his next Pokemon, who was the one who helped him win his battle against Prima back in the early parts of the tournament.

Just as Slowbro touched the platform, the Stealth Rocks triggered, lifted in the air, and slammed into Slowbro, dealing some damage. Ash was surprised by how the Stealth Rocks worked like that.

"Slowbro, are you alright?" Ash asked his Pokemon as the smoke cleared. He was damaged, but not to the point of getting knocked out.

'I'm fine, Ash. A cheap shot like that won't take me down like that.' Slowbro said to Ash through their telepathic connection as he turned to Reggie

"Don't worry about it knocking your Pokemon out if they haven't battled yet, Ash. You just have to worry about the ones you return to their balls if you decide to recall them." Reggie said to Ash.

Ash wasn't as familiar with what Reggie meant by that, nor was he as knowledgeable about Empoleon as Misty was. At this point, he felt he was going into this battle blind. For now, he would trust himself and Slowbro.

"Slowbro, use Future Sight and then Water Pulse." Ash commanded his Pokemon, who prepared a Future Sight, and then a pulsating blast of water was directed towards Empoleon.

"Counter that with Hydro Cannon now, Empoleon!" Reggie commanded his Pokemon, who fired a powerful torrent of water towards the Water Pulse that was inbound, causing an explosion. Reggie knew that while Water Pulse didn't necessarily do much damage, its chance of confusion was not to be overlooked, and given the trouble it caused with Bibarel earlier, he wasn't gonna let Empoleon fall to the same fate.

"Now, Knock-off." Reggie commanded his Pokemon, who charged in at Slowbro as he did against Lanturn earlier. Ash figured that had to be a move that was strong against Slowbro.

'Let's do something about that.' Ash thought.

"Stop it with Psychic Slowbro!" Ash commanded his Pokemon, which used its Psychic energy to hit Empoleon. While Slowbro's Psychic capabilities were strong, it was barely making a dent in Empoleon's armor for some reason. It managed to break free and slammed its flippers into Slowbro, sending him crashing into the water.

"Slowbro!" Ash said as Slowbro surfaced, wondering what hit him.

Ash sighed and wondered what happened, as Slowbro's powers are stronger than a normal Slowbro's, given that he's the descendant of the one who stopped the drought in Azalea Town. Reggie laughed.

"What's so funny, Reggie?

"I'm sorry, Ash, but here I thought you had done your homework about some of the water types taking part in this tournament, but it seems like I'm mistaken." Reggie said as Empoleon puffed out his chest as Reggie continued.

"You see, Ash, Empoleon isn't just the water starter of mine and Paul's home region, but very few attacks could deal the necessary damage to take Empoleon down, the reason is the fact that they're also a Steel type.

And this type of thing that your Slowbro did is what they thrive for a challenge willing to go head-on against their opponents; they're not immune to Psychic damage, but they can resist its mighty power and push through as you just saw." Reggie said as Ash and Slowbro groaned.

"Oh, don't get me wrong about your Slowbro. He's strong, stronger than most I've seen before, not to mention they are supposed to be tanky. Well, I hate to break it to you, but the other reason that Psychic attack barely did a dent was that Empoleon are known to be tanky in the special defense side," Reggie finished. Ash knew he should've looked further into other Pokemon before he started his battle with Reggie.

"Anyway, that's enough of that. Time to end this. Use Hydro Cannon now!" Reggie commanded his Pokemon, thinking he had dealt enough to cause a win against Ash's Slowbro.

Ash knew he had to stall. To recover Slowbro, but more importantly...

"Counter with Focus Blast!" Ash commanded Slowbro, who launched a ball of fighting-type energy at the Hydro Cannon, disrupting it from hitting and dispersing its powerful torrent of water outward, and pushed straight at Empoleon, which hit with great force, dealing with some really good damage caused. He could not let up.

"Now, Water Pulse." Ash commanded Slowbro, who launched a water ball and blasted it while recovering from the Focus blast attack.

Empoleon endured the onslaught of both attacks and, though slightly damaged, stood firm though on uneasy footing and barely stood, as they noticed that so too was Slowbro, who was panting heavily.

'Ugh, that Slowbro was something that is not what I was expecting to give my team this much trouble, let alone be used in this battle.' Reggie thought as he noticed something.

Future Sight hadn't fully triggered yet. That was a cause for concern, as the longer it took to hit, the more powerful the incoming attack would be.

'Either Slowbro has some forgotten lost power that's going to be unleashed like no other Future Sight anyone has seen in some time, or it's skilled enough to be able to manipulate the attack into being timed at its whim. We can't let it reach us before we win this match.' Reggie thought and then clenched his fists as he hadn't had this big of a battle since before he started to retire to be a breeder. And that was against Frontier Brain level trainers. Truly, Ash was a talent to keep an eye on.

'We're going to have to save that Future Sight for either when the time is right or for Reggie's last Pokemon.' Ash thought.

That was the plan between Slowbro and himself when they were discussing the game plan against Reggie.

Knowing they're psychic link would relay the message he said non-verbally: "You agreed to participate in this battle again, Slowbro, and now we must end this soon."

Ash could feel it. Almost as if Ash could tell that Reggie was catching on to his strategy for his team, and Ash, too, clenched his fists. This determination gave Slowbro strength as he prepared for what would likely be his last stand.

"Slowbro Focus Blast now!" Ash commanded his Pokemon, who fired the fighting type, to move towards Empoleon.

"Seems like this is the end indeed, Giga Impact, Empoleon!" Reggie orders Empoleon, who is covered up in powerful energy, to charge at Slowbro.

Ash knew that now was the time to strike the Future sight, and Slowbro knew it as well, as the Focus Blast bounced off of the Giga Impact, still doing damage, but it was still coming towards and landing a blow on Slowbro.

Just as Empoleon landed a blow on Slowbro, the full power of Slowbro's Future Sight landed on top of Empoleon, causing a massive explosion. Leaving behind a great accumulation of smoke from which Slowbro was sent flying out off as it hit the wall hard from the sheer force of the normal type attack and was knocked out.

Ash was surprised by how powerful that attack was.

As the smoke cleared, Empoleon was down and out, and Reggie was also surprised. It was a double knockout.

"Slowbro and Empoleon are both unable to battle, so the match is tied, with both sides having one Pokemon left." the ref announced.

"Well, Ash, this has been a very entertaining battle so far. I can see why you not only bested my brother but also tied with him, as well." Reggie said to Ash, who nodded as Reggie pulled out his last Pokeball, holding his last Pokemon.

"But this is the end for you, Golduck. Come on out." Reggie sent out his last Pokemon, which was indeed a Golduck. It looked like it had been through a lot of battles and had been on the team the longest of Reggie's team.

"Alright, Wartortle, come on out." Ash said, sending out his last Pokemon.

Just as Wartortle came out, the Stealth Rocks triggered and slammed right into him. Luckily, his defenses were strong enough to survive it, but the damage was still shown.

While this was going on back at Professor Oak's lab, Charizard's group returned to see Ash sending Wartortle out. However, both Ivysaur and Charizard noticed that something was definitely different about him, whether it be the way his shell looked different from before or something else.

"Seems like Wartortle is close to evolving don't you think Ivysaur?" Charizard said to Ivysaur, who nodded.

"We've known him long enough and could tell that this tournament was going to be the one to evolve him fully one day. I just didn't expect it to really happen." Ivysaur said to Charizard who crossed his claws and nodded.

"Seems like this is our way of moving past our abandoned Pokemon lives three years ago and are stronger with Ash." Ivysaur stated.

Charizard nodded in agreement with Ivysaur, as it seemed like the whole Kanto group was already showing that they were ready to move on when this journey was over. Something they would need to discuss soon with their trainer and more importantly, friend.

We return to the Whirl Islands as Ash and Wartortle are ready to square off against Reggie. Reggie, on the other hand, was a bit disappointed that Ash was using Wartortle against him. He could tell that Wartortle was very different from his last appearance in the tournament, though he had seen enough of him to know how to counter Ash's water starter.

"Well, I guess it can't be avoided. Golduck, use Hydro Pump." Reggie ordered his Pokemon, which blasted a torrent of water out of its beak towards Wartortle.

"Withdraw! and then Rapid Spin out of there." Ash said as Wartortle did as told and barely got out.

However, the instant Wartortle used Rapid Spin, it was destroying the Stealth Rocks. Ash realized that this was going on and cursed himself internally, wishing he could have done that sooner, but it was too late to look back on that.

"Skull Bash, now Wartortle." Ash commanded his starter, who charged in at Golduck. Reggie knew that this strategy was coming, given that he used it twice in the tournament.

"Psychic now, Golduck, and then Hidden Power!" Reggie commanded his Pokemon, who stopped Wartortle just before it could reach him and then launched bulbs of energy toward Wartortle, which looked green, showing it was a grass-type attack.

The Hidden Power hits Wartortle, doing some good damage to him before he is sent back to the platform near Ash. Worries as he was, Ash was happy to see standing up/ as Wartortle isn't going to let this get to him.

"Ice Beam, now Wartortle." Ash commanded his Pokemon and launched a beam of ice toward Golduck.

"Cross Chop now, Golduck." Reggie ordered Golduck, who slammed his flippers right into the Ice Beam attack. While the attack did some damage to Golduck, it wasn't that big of an effect.

Golduck charged in at Wartortle as the Ice beam dissipated. Ash knew he had to do something fast.

"Hydro Pump, now Wartortle!" Ash commanded his Pokemon, who used this move, and blasted Golduck just before it could reach Ash with very strong determination to win for Ash.

"Well, Ash, I must say your Wartortle is very stubborn, just like you are, but you're going to need to be better than this if you want to win, and I will say that this match will end really soon." Reggie said to Ash and Wartortle, who weren't backing down. Reggie noticed and sighed.

"Well, I'll give you this: you are willing to battle. You deserve my best move; I'll do that for you, Hyper Beam, now, Golduck!" Reggie commanded his Pokemon, whose gem was glowing and gathering energy with astounding speed, no surprise given its battle prowess before releasing the gathered energy, and blasted a massive beam of powerful energy towards Wartortle.

"We can't change direction; there's no way we're dodging this, so let's fight head-on. Wartortle. Use Hydro Pump!" Ash commanded his Pokemon, which, just as quickly as Hyper Beam was released, blasted a massive water blast toward the incoming Hyper Beam from its mouth.

The two moves clashed in a stalemate before the tide turned, and it seemed as though Golduck was winning, as Wartortle tried his hardest to keep the attack going.

Was this it? Was this the Pinnacle of his power? No. Not with everything on the line. He would not let himself or his trainer down. He had to unleash himself, and so he did...

Soon, Wartortle was starting to glow during this power struggle. Ash smirked, knowing this was going to happen at some point in this battle. Many of Ash's Pokemon back at the ranch were watching and amazed to see Ash's first water Pokemon evolving to the fullest extent of his species.

Where Wartortle was now stood a Blastoise, who? With great passion, it let out a battle cry that significantly showed its will to win. The power behind Hydro Pump grew more power as it managed to overpower the Hyper Beam by blasting it back with its two brand new water cannons, which pushed back Golduck with enough force to show this battle was far from over.

Reggie was taken back as Golduck fell in the water after what happened just now, as he could tell as an experienced breeder that Wartortle would evolve sooner or later from all the battles it's been in during this tournament, but to have enough power to overtake his Golduck like that. That. That was a surprise.

"This match is far from over, Ash, Golduck Hydro Pump!" Reggie commanded his Pokemon, who jumped out of the water onto the platform once more and used Hydro Pump, blasting it towards Blastoise.

'Even with two cannons, his hydro pump is still as powerful as one use, so if we can push back, we should be able to overpower it and clench the win.' Reggie thought.

'If only Ash wouldn't be this dang good. ' At this, Reggie smirked. He was having more fun than he'd care to admit.

"Blastoise, use Hydro Pump, as well." Ash commanded his Pokemon, whose two cannons aimed at the incoming Hydro Pump, and both behemoth forces of water clashed. However, what came out wasn't a simple Hydro Pump but something stronger, a Hydro Cannon, which was something that Reggie was surprised to find out.

The Hydro cannon overpowered the Hydro Pump and blasted Golduck straight into the wall, making a massive dent in the wall. Even if you were on the receiving end of that attack, you knew that you wouldn't come out standing for a while, showing why Blastoise's Hydro Cannons can deal massive damage even through the strongest metals.

'Wow,' Ash thought.

'Well...I guess that's the end for me.' Reggie processed it as Golduck was on the wall and fell into the water, eyes swirling.

He was out.

"Golduck is unable to battle; Blastoise wins. Moving on to the finals of the Whirl Cup is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town." The ref announced as Ash was shown in the finals bracket of the tournament.

Now, the battle between Misty and Paul would determine who would face Ash.

Ash ran over to Blastoise and embraced him, even though he was still panting. He was happy that he had won the battle. But more importantly, his Pokemon gave it his all. He never pushed his Pokemon to evolve for his sake. He wanted them to do it for themselves and their own happiness. To see Blastoise before him meant a lot to him, but he knew it meant so much more to Blastoise himself. They'd have their moment to discuss this new change later.

"You did great, Blastoise. You earned some rest. I'm so proud of you." Ash said to Blastoise, who nodded in response and stated.

"We knew that sooner or later, I would evolve. Both evolving and learning Hydro Cannon are the fruits of being with you as my trainer, and I couldn't thank you or ask for anything else."

Blastoise said to Ash, who smiled and nodded as he saw Reggie return Golduck to his ball. He turned to Ash, smiled, and nodded as he walked towards Ash and extended his hand out, showing his respect towards Ash as Ash returned the favor. Their handshake was firm and showed the admiration both trainers had. They would make sure if they ever battled again, they wouldn't fall short of the standard of battle they brought out of each other on this day.

As Reggie walked away, all he could think was.

'Scott is gonna have a fun time keeping up with this one.'

As Ash returned Blastoise to his ball and headed back into the stadium. Whoever was watching in the lighting area vanished right after Ash left.

"There will be a half-hour intermission as our final Semifinalists prepare for our last match of the day. That battle will be between Misty and Paul. Both have what it takes to make the Finals. We'll see who earns the coveted spot real soon," the announcer said.

Misty sighed, knowing that Paul wasn't going to make things easy for her. That meant neither would she. She was to win this. She had to.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, many of the Pokemon who were rooting for Ash were celebrating, while Charizard and Ivysaur were happy that Wartortle finally evolved fully. They would greet their brethren with open arms when he returned to the Ranch.

"Now, it's only you, Ivysaur, that hasn't evolved fully among all of us, or are you fine with staying in this form?" Charizard said to Ivysaur that that was a good question, but he shook his head, not saying no but unsure.

"Not sure, Charizard. I'm happy as an Ivysaur, and it makes it easier for me to move around here at the lab, but I'll think about that answer one day when I feel like I'm ready to fully evolve." Ivysaur said to Charizard, who nodded, though he could tell it took a lot for Ivysaur to evolve back at the grass tournament. If he did evolve once more, it'd be for no one else's sake but his own. That was enough.

Meanwhile, back at the Whirl Cup, Reggie was heading back to the stands when he saw his brother Paul.

"I believe you battled a lot better than I would have back there, Reggie. While you lost there, you are showing why you are my influence as a trainer." Paul said to Reggie, who nodded. Knowing the weight of that statement, though he may disagree with his attitude at times, Paul's talents were bar none and may surpass his own one day and though Paul may treat trainers and his Pokemon differently from others, some won't be surprised to see him to bear the title of Champion one day.

Reggie, even with a change in profession, though disagreements have been had over the wasted potential of his talents in favor of breeding, still respects him. The matter of winning or losing against someone like Ash wasn't going to change that, but it did show him that underestimating your opponent was not going to be his downfall, as Reggie noticed something different in Paul.

"So you're thinking about using that against Misty? Or are you planning on saving it for Ash as you originally planned, Paul?"

Reggie said to Paul, who looked away as Reggie continued.

"Given that this is one of Ash's friends and someone who knows a lot about water types, I would've busted it out to test the waters, but that is just me. After all, I gave that to you when I found out about that beast of a Pokemon you have and all, bro, but remember that it is your choice if you use it or not." Reggie said as Paul nodded and walked off. His brother's words rang true. This would be his choice. If push came to shove, he would not hold back. Not if it meant making it to the Finals.

"I'll be rooting for you, as always. Best of luck, Paul." Reggie said as Paul made his way to the battlefield.

We now head back to the battlefield, as Ash has made his way back to the stands. Sighing from that battle, he is now ready to watch Misty's own.

He hoped that he could face Misty in the Finals, but he knew Paul would be challenging her at every step to do so; after all, based on their last battle, he barely won and tied against him.

"You did well out there, Ash." Brock said to Ash, who smiled at Brock.

"Thanks, Brock. I'm sure that Blastoise and the others will need a break in the tournament. They're back at the Pokemon Center recovering during the break." Ash said to Brock, who nodded and stated.

"So, Slowbro wanted to battle again, and yet we can still understand our Pokemon even after he was knocked out?" Brock said to Ash, who looked down. He knew this could come up and had to find the right words.

"I knew that we would need some extra power against Reggie, and Slowbro wanted to take part in this one after seeing him battle throughout the tournament.

As for the still understanding of our Pokemon after it was knocked out..."

Ash rubbed his chin and continued.

"I guess the best way to explain that is that Slowbro's power has made it so we need less and less of his interactions to understand our Pokemon. He's been with us for weeks now, and we know his power can persist outside of being in its ball. I think we're just adept to have Slowbro's power that it can last long after it's been knocked out or even have that skill for the rest of our lives without having Slowbro as a middle Mon of sorts. "

Brock was the one taken back by the sound logic in Ash's thinking. Clearly, Slowbro had been more powerful than even they realized. Brock's inner thoughts were interrupted as Ash continued.

"I just wish we did some more research on his Pokemon beforehand." Ash said to Brock

"You could never have known about what else Reggie had hidden up his sleeve, given that he's been a trainer for a long time.

Nor should we expect anything from anyone now. Anyone who's made it this far has an ace they've been waiting to use at the right time. Paul is likely to have one himself." Brock said as Ash nodded. Whether he'd use that ace against Misty or himself if he made it to Finals was yet to be seen, but it was coming. He could feel it.

"Right now, let's root for Misty. She's also nervous about this battle against Paul, so we should think positively." Brock finished, hoping the tense atmosphere from the conversation would sway towards Misty, and Ash nodded as they turned to the battlefield.

"Now that the intermission is over, we can start the last battle of the Whirl Cup Semifinals. So will our competitors come out, and we can begin this match?" the announcer said, as Misty and Paul made their way to the battlefield.

"Now that both competitors are out, we need to remind both sides that this will still b fight, with both sides allowed to swap at any time. Now, will both trainers let out their first Pokemon, and we will begin the match?" the ref announced as both Misty and Paul pulled out their Pokeballs.

Ash noticed something was different about Paul the instant he pulled out a Pokeball, as Brock did, but he wasn't sure what it was. Brock had a feeling Misty was in for a heck of a fight.

"Starmie, come on out." Misty sent out her first Pokemon as her trusted main water-type Pokemon was sent out.

"Hyah" Starmie cried out as she stood ready for battle.

"Gastrodon, standby for battle." Paul sent out his first Pokemon, a slug-like Pokemon. This was a new Pokemon that Misty wasn't very familiar with, but she knew that she wouldn't be an easy fight and would need to be prepared for anything.

"The selected Pokemon, Gastrodon vs. Starmie, are locked in; let this battle begin!" the ref announced.

"Starmie, Water Pulse now." Misty commanded her Pokemon, who launched a powerful water ball at Gastrodon.

"Curse than Waterfall, Gastrodon." Paul commanded his Pokemon, who glowed in power and slammed his legs into the water, sending a massive waterfall towards Starmie. The attack destroyed the Water Pulse along with any chance of its confusion effect activating.

"Starmie, use Thunderbolt to counter it." Misty commanded her Pokemon as Starmie launched its attack at the Waterfall. The attack broke through and landed what looked to be a blow on Gastrodon. However, something felt wrong as it shook it off, catching Misty, Brock, and Ash off guard as Misty finally caught on to what Gastrodon was typing.

"Let me guess it's part ground, Paul?" Misty said to Paul, who humphed. To any experienced Trainer, that statement should have been obvious.

"I'll forgive the ignorance, given that this is the first time you've seen him in battle. But I won't be too informative about my Pokemon during this battle, Misty.

You are going to have to figure it out yourself." Paul said, knowing that Misty usually gets some advice or mention about something from Ash and Brock from the sidelines.

"But... if you want to know, yes, it is part one, and now to show what it is capable of. Use Earthquake." Paul commanded his Pokemon, who slammed its legs into the platform floating in the water, causing a shockwave throughout the battlefield, even shaking Starmie. Who many though assume because it often floats wouldn't be hurt by the move, actually was. Misty knew better than to let Starmie get too injured when she could do more later on. She had to switch now.

"Starmie return." Misty returned Starmie to it's ball as the Earthquake effect wraps up.

'We need to get up close and personal if we want to get past Gastrodon's defenses and gain some ground against Paul. And I have the Pokemon to do just that...' Misty thought as she pulled out a Pokeball.

"Azumaril, come on out." Misty tossed her Pokeball to send out her newly evolved Azumaril, who was ready to battle.

'I see, she's going up close and personal with my Gastrodon. I'll give her this. She's definitely showing why she made it this far. Even with a predictable strategy like that, but I'll make it harder for her to get to my Gastrodon.' Paul thought.

"Azumarill, let's start things off with Water Gun." Misty commanded her Azumarill to try to catch Gastrodon off guard and try to get its guard down, only for Gastrodon to take the water attack, but something was wrong, and Paul and Reggie smirked. "What's so funny?"

"Humph, you're like Ash, pathetic and not doing your research," Paul said. Misty glared, not wanting to fall for his intimidation tactics, as Paul sighed. Despite not wanting to spell things out, it seemed he'd have to.

"It's called Storm Drain, an ability that he has to absorb water-type moves. It eliminates their damage effect and instead boasts my Gastrodon's power by raising its special Attack. You probably were better off with Starmie against him."

Paul finished as he hated explaining stuff to his opponent when they were pretty obvious or knew about the Pokemon. Especially from a "Water Specialist" who ran a Gym. Oh, he had done his research on her.

"That's why Paul used it first to wear out the water type moves out of Misty." Ash said to Brock.

"I was thinking that, as well, they are like minded siblings and they aren't the type to give any room to their opponents and take advantage of this." Brock said to Ash, who nodded as they both looked out at the battlefield.

They had no choice but to let Misty fight this battle without much say in it; this was her battle.

"Well, then, let's show the power of it, Muddy Water now, Gastrodon." Paul commanded his Pokemon, who jumped into the water, causing massive mud to spread throughout the battlefield combining with the water as it was coming towards Azumarill.

"Bounce, get out of there, Azumarill." Misty commanded her Pokemon, who jumped off the platform just before the Muddy Water could reach her, almost hitting Misty in the way.

Azumarill was heading up in the air above most of the stadium. Concerned that the attack almost hit her trainer, she was gonna come back down, but Misty's command changed that.

"Azumarill, use Super Power and Iron Tail." Misty commanded her Pokemon, who now pivoted mid-air and charged down at Gastrodon.

'That can't be good.' Paul thought.

"Use Curse and Waterfall to counter it." Paul commanded his Pokemon, who boasted its power and defenses, and then slammed its legs into the water again. It was bracing for the impact of what Azumarill was going to do but also putting all the power into its own Waterfall that it could as it shot out towards Azumarill.

The Waterfall attack was heading towards the now charging Azumarill as it barely managed to spin and get out of the way. Using the momentum of the spin, it slammed right into the Gastrodon with great force more than it usually would have as a normal Azumarill, causing a massive blast on impact and creating a cloud of smoke and dust.

Gastrodon and Azumarill were sent flying to the platforms opposite each other and rose up looking like they were both worse for wear, panting heavily. The Superpower did some damage to Azumarill's power and defenses, as Gastrodon looked like it had been hit by a truck.

'Ugh, of course, she would use its Huge Power ability into its move set, but I'm prepared for this.' Paul thought.

"Recover now, Gastrodon." Paul commanded his Pokemon. He was thankful he had a Pokemon with such high health, to begin with, or else that combo Misty pulled off would've taken Gastrodon out. He had to Recover to keep his strategy intact for now.

"Oh, no, you don't. I know you're tired, but I need you to use Double Edge now, Azumarill, before it can fully recover." Misty commanded her Pokemon, who, not wanting to disappoint her trainer, charged in quickly as it reached Gastrodon, who was about to start its healing.

Paul and Gastrodon were surprised by that. Azumarill slammed her body right into Gastrodon, sending it into the water hard. Gastrodon was knocked out, while Azumarill was left panting heavily and flinching as the side effects of recoil damage from using that move were taking their toll.

"Gastrodon is unable to battle; Azumarill wins." the ref announced as Paul returned his Pokemon to its ball.

"Not bad, Misty. I'll give you this: You know what you are doing with that Azumarill, but you made one mistake when you used that move, and I'll show you what real speed and power are about." Paul said, pulling out a Pokeball.

"Sharpedo, standby for battle." Paul sent out his second Pokemon, as Misty had a feeling that he would bring out a powerful battler next.

Paul had been using it and his Gyarados mostly throughout the tournament and knew that it was fast. Just what he needed right now.

"Strike swiftly. Use Aqua Jet, now, Sharpedo." Paul commanded his Pokemon, who charged in quickly at Azumarill.

"Superpower now, Azumarill." Misty commanded her Pokemon, who was about to use its attack, only for her to stumble while doing so. She was severely hurt from the Double Edge attack as Sharpedo slammed into Azumarill.

Azumarill managed to barely stand on the platform near Misty, panting heavily, only for her at Misty with a frown. She'd reached her limit. She couldn't hold herself back, and she fainted.

This didn't surprise everyone, as Sharpedos have a nasty reputation, even worse than Tentacruel's, for their scales.

"Azumarill is unable to battle. Sharpedo wins." the ref announced as Misty returned Azumarill to her ball.

"Thanks, girl. Am so proud of what you did." Misty affirmed Azumarill before we go over to the stands and hear.

"Man, I heard about Sharpedo being known for having really bad skin even when touched, but I thought those were stories." Ash said to Brock, who nodded and added.

"Every trainer is warned about them when it comes to the seas. Not many have have survived an onslaught from them after seen it's species in action. It seems like Paul can use it to his advantage in his attacks, not to mention taking full advantage of both Superpower and Double Edge's side effects." Brock said to Ash, who nodded.

'Come on, Misty. You can do this. Don't let Paul get under your skin,' Ash thought as we cut back to Misty on the battlefield as she pulled out her next Pokeball.

"Starmie, come on out." Misty sent out her next Pokemon, as she would match speed with speed.

"Thunderbolt now, Starmie." Misty commanded her Pokemon, who launched a stream of electricity towards Sharpedo.

"Counter with Dark Pulse." Paul commanded his Pokemon, who sent a massive blast of dark energy out of its mouth towards the Thunderbolt, causing an explosion.

"Now use, Aqua Jet." Paul commanded his Pokemon.

"Psychic, stop it, Starmie." Misty commanded, not realizing that the Aqua Jet was a trap. She fell for it. Hook, line, and sinker.

Dark Pulse, the move Paul used earlier, was used specifically on Sharpedo itself, and tho it took some damage from her earlier Thunderbolt, the explosion seemed to mask what Paul's true intent was as it did nothing on Sharpedo to the naked eye. In reality, it seems to have coated its skin in Dark energy to bolster its natural immunity to Psychic. Paul figured it out through countless battles before this one. Trainers with Pokemon with the move Psychic as Starmie had would use more often as an offensive and defensive manner. He was prepared for both with his last move.

"Oh, no I forgot that it's part Dark type." Misty realized her mistake, though it wasn't really her fault, given that she has never fought one in battle.

"And that mistake will cost you dearly. Crunch now, Sharpedo." Paul commanded his Pokemon, which slammed its fangs into Starmie with ferocious tenacity, hurling Starmie around before sending the Water type crashing to the wall with a massive dent in its gem from both Crunch and the Rough Skin ability. The call was clear as day. Starmie was out.

"Starmie is unable to battle. Sharpedo wins." the ref announced as Misty returned Starmie to its ball, feeling awful about her role in Starmie's defeat.

"Sorry, Starmie. I should've went for Thunderbolt again and not Psychic there but that was out of pure reaction there. You didn't deserve to get knocked out like that." Misty said to Starmie in its ball as this whole battle was getting to Misty more than usual in the tournament as Paul spoke out.

"I'll give you this Misty. That mistake wasn't your fault. Most trainers would've done that out of instinct. I know from experience." Paul said to Misty, who looked at him as if the sight before wasn't shocking as is. Here, he wasn't acting all high and mighty to Misty but actually encouraging her.

"Look, I may be harsh on others, but I can see you are battling a lot better than most trainers I've faced here, heck in general. If you are willing to push forward and see this through to the end, you earned my respect, at least part of it.

I can see how you, like others, may think that walking away because of your short comings or mistakes makes you no different from anyone else here, looking not to embarrass yourself or fight till the end because you fear you'll make another mistake. Just know that if you do, you're not worth my time because if anyone has to push themselves like no other in this tournament, it's you. A Water Type Specialist and Cerulean City Gym Leader."

Misty looked taken aback for a moment.

"Yeah, I did my research, so what's it going to be? Are you gonna give me the battle I deserve, or will I watch flee from the opportunity to win because things didn't go as perfectly as you once planned?" Paul said in a respectful tone, trying not to get a forfeit on Misty but rather light a fire inside of her. He wanted her absolute best. He wanted no doubt when he crushed her that she didn't hold back. He wouldn't cherish the win if he wasn't pushed to the limit. Whether that limit made him use that one thing he was saving for later was yet to be seen, but he wouldn't hesitate to use it if Misty brought her A game.

Misty closed her eyes. Paul was right. She was a Sensational Sister. Sure, she'd made mistakes. She would learn from those. This was her moment. She had one last shot. At the disadvantage of Sharpedo in front of her and a yet-to-be-determined Pokemon lying in wait, Misty knew it was time to risk it all and calmed down, knowing her choice was made for her as she pulled out her ball.

"Get ready to face the wrath of the seas. You're about to find out why I am a cut above most Water Specialists out there, including my own sisters. Go..."

As the Pokeball opens, the stadium trembles from the roar that echoes through the battlefield after Misty winds up revealing her Gyarados. This truly was the wrath of the seas. Known to sink even the most sturdy of sea vessels, Gyarados were no easy Pokemon to tame, even if you treated them with from their time as a Magikarp. Their evolution changed them in ways unknown to where they would attack their own trainers if left unchecked. Misty's Gyarados held no such air of pure, unadulterated rage but rather a calm and menacing aura. Battle-tested for sure. A true ace among Misty's team. She would not let her trainer down.

Paul is truly impressed that she took what he said to heart and knows that this is only the beginning. Now, let's see what comes of this new vigor from Misty.

"Good, a fighter to the end. But we'll see how far you'll last. Dark Pulse now." Paul commanded his Pokemon, who launched a stream of Dark Energy towards Gyarados. A quick and steady Misty reacted in kind.

"Thunderbolt, counter it." Misty commanded her Pokemon, which launched an electric attack with more power behind the move than most instances, and there was a reason why.

It looked like Gyarados was listening to what Paul said to Misty whilst inside its ball, and boy, was she not happy at Paul questioning its trainer's grit.

The Thunderbolt attack overpowered the Dark Pulse. Sharpedo was hit by the Thunderbolt hard before Paul could respond. Paralyzing it. Much to Paul's annoyance but Misty's happiness before she interjects.

"Gyarados, Hyper Beam, end this envoy of terror." Misty commanded her Pokemon, which happily fired a massive beam toward Sharpedo faster than it could respond, even if it wasn't already paralyzed. The beam blasted Sharpedo out of the water and onto the platform, knocking it out. Now they were even. One Pokemon each. Time to see who wants the win more.

"Sharpedo is unable to battle Gyarados wins." the ref announced as Paul returned Sharpedo to its ball without a word but a stern nod. Sharpedo did well. He had a moment to think as Misty sighed, almost in relief that it was now an even playing field. But Paul interrupted that calm.

"This battle is far from over. I am not gonna make this any easier for you than you did for me. You have a beast that won't be easy to take down..."

Paul said as he released his final Pokemon for this battle and continued.

"...but I'm counting on you to do so, Gyarados. Let's end this match and show her the true definition of your moniker. Be my wrath and conquer the seas."

As the waters in the battlefield became violent and waves crashed against the platform, Misty looked to her Gyarados, who turned to her and nodded, showing the same feeling of respect for her adversary as Paul called out his own Gyarados.

"Now, let's see how you will handle my first capture in my own journey. Gyarados, show no mercy." Paul said to his own Gyarados. Its cry sent shivers down pretty much everyone's spine.

It was obvious who was who, given the gender differences between them, as it was made clear that Misty's Gyarados was female and Paul's was male. The color of their whiskers indicated that.

As Paul's command to show no mercy lingered in the air, it was then that Ash, Misty, and Brock noticed something else different about Paul's Gyarados; something around his neck had caught their eyes, and Paul continued.

"I will say this, Misty. I had planned on saving this until my rematch against Ash, but given that you are who you are, you deserve a sneak peek at what my Gyarados and I have planned for yours."

It was then he looked to the stands and locked eyes with Ash, speaking directly to him.

"I hope you're watching Ash because this is the fruit of my journey with Gyarados." Paul said as he revealed he had something on his arm, which everyone was surprised by but curious about. Only a select few in the world had this particular item. Now, Paul was amongst those ranks. The item? A Keystone.

Paul pressed a button on his wristband, and suddenly, a glow developed in Paul's Gyarados. There, a thunderous bellow followed. Many wondered what was happening but did not have to wait long to find out.

Now, Gyarados was now very different. What stood before the audience was a Mega Gyarados.

Mega Gyarados are bulkier and more compact than normal Gyarados; they also have much harder scales that act as a type of armor of sorts to protect them. However, their denser bodies render them unable to fight well above the water's surface, as only aquatic mediums can support their weights. They can jet water from the orifices on their sides, however, to glide over water for short periods of time. They can reach Mach speeds with this maneuver, with enough force to cut a ship cleanly in two. Their large fins help them swim with surprising dexterity.

Mega Gyarados are also far more vicious than their normal forms, gaining Dark-typings because of this; they prefer to obliterate foes with brute force whenever possible. It is said that Mega Evolution causes their brains to enter their "rampaging" states until they revert back to their normal forms.

Something Paul had to train for many years since discovering Mega Evolution to make sure his own Gyarados could endure the process. He did not take Mega Evolution lightly, nor should any Trainer, so to use it here and now against an opponent like Misty means he was not holding back. Not one bit. Nor would he when he won here today and faced Ash in the Finals. He would not be denied. Not today.

The sight before her was truly astonishing and something Misty had seen before when she was younger. As some close to her may know, she had a fear of Gyarados prior to capturing her own and facing those fears. However, it was a Gyarados much like this one that Paul had that ignited that fear. Could she face her fears again and win today?

Brock, in the stands, recognized what was going on.

"So it does exist." Brock said as Ash and Pikachu turned to him.

"I had only heard stories about this type of tactic Trainers used to push certain Pokemon past their final known and studied forms of evolution.

Lost in history for some time this, what was told me to be named Mega Evolution was thought to be a myth, but recently, there's been a resurgence of what are called Mega Stones that certain Pokemon resonate. To achieve this has seemingly come back, though scarcely, so much so that if you heard someone used Mega Evolution outside of a medium that could validate the claim, people would not believe the act actually happened. To see it here and now is..."

Brock trailed off as Ash registered the information given. Was this true? A form of evolution so rare it was thought to be almost non-existent? Brock then continued.

Both Ash and Gyarados could see that Misty was showing her fear. The reason as to why she is afraid of Gyarados before her once more. As Ash was about to speak up and encourage Misty, he stopped himself as Gyarados was the one to beat him to the punch.

"Misty! Please, snap out of it. Mega or not, he's still a Gyarados." Gyarados said to Misty, who took in her Gyarados' words and perked up. She then continued.

"I'm not scared of facing this...brute, and remember I'm battling for you, not just the team, because we agreed to work together and get you through your fear of my line, Misty. Don't let Paul undo so much of what we've accomplished. We will win or go down swinging. I'm ready. Are you?" Gyarados said to Misty, who sighed. That's the second time she had to be talked into giving her all, this time from her own Pokemon. Truly, with everything on the line, there's nothing to lose. She took a deep breath, calmed down, and nodded, ready for the battle.

"Right, we are a team and won't let Paul or anyone get to us." Misty said to Gyarados, who nodded and smiled before turning to Paul's Gyarados with more determination than ever. This was not going to be easy, but they would give it their all.

'I don't know anything about what the Mega Evolution is capable of doing for his Gyarados. But Gyarados has a point. It's still a Gyarados, and we can't let its appearance get to us.' Misty thought.

The ref looked at the battlefield and made the final clash official. "Let the best competitor win. Begin!"

With that, Misty took the initiative and struck first.

"Gyarados use Thunderbolt." Misty commanded her Pokemon, who fired a stream of electricity straight at Gyarados.

'Oh no, you don't,' Paul thought.

"Protect and then use Dragon Pulse." Paul commanded his Pokemon, who pulled up an energy shield around himself and proceeded to fire a stream of Dragon energy towards Gyarados.

'Gotta fight fire with fire.' Misty quickly reacted.

"Hyper Beam now, Gyarados." Misty commanded her Pokemon, only for the Dragon Pulse to hit Gyarados first before she could use the move to deal some damage.

"Gyarados!" Misty called out, only for her Gyarados to launch a Hyper Beam straight at Paul's Gyarados after taking her due damage. This was effective as now Paul's Gyarados went through some battle damage of his own.

Paul was not happy at this turn of events.

"Okay, time is over, Misty. Lash out now." Paul commanded his Pokemon, who was covered in a dark aura, and slammed its body into Misty's Gyarados as Lash Out was a move that allowed the user to thrust its body into its opponent with vicious force to vent its frustration toward the target, dealing massive damage to Misty's Gyarados as Misty and everyone is surprised by this.

"One of the many benefits of Mega Evolution is the fact that it pushes the Pokemon's best stat to the absolute best potential. In Gyarados' case, that'd be his Attack. So you basically got hit with the equivalent force of two Gyarados combined, and be thankful that you didn't use a move that lowered my Gyarados' stat beforehand. A great secondary effect of Lash Out is that if the user's stats were lowered during the previous turn, the power of this move is doubled. It would've been your end here." Paul finished that statement with great pride.

Misty was shocked by this side of Paul as she wasn't expecting this move and battle altogether to be harder than she thought. She was cornered, but that was Paul's mistake now. As when you corner your opponent they have to do what it takes s to push back.

Misty saw her Gyarados was panting heavily as she survived the attack barely. And that was barely as the fruits of her training with Gyarados showed as thankfully, through the years, they've added Iron amongst other vitamins to her diet, and this, in turn, raised her Defense and ability to take harder and harder hits like Lash Out such as Play Rough. Still, with the added strength of this Mega Evolution, this was no normal Lash, and they would've lost had Misty's Gyarados not been trained as well as it had.

Misty knew that "that" move would help in this situation but knew that she needed to time it right. She gave her Gyarados a knowing look that made sure she knew where she was going and nodded. Devastated as she was. They had a plan. Time to execute it.

"Thunderbolt, now." Misty commanded her Pokemon, who launched the attack again as Paul smirked.

"Here we go again. Protect now, Gyarados." Paul commanded his Pokemon, and he knew that it would only take one more use of Dragon Pulse again once the barrier went down to win. Just as it was about to do so...

"Endeavor, now Gyarados, just as the Protect ends." Misty commanded her Pokemon as Paul was surprised.

"Did she say Endeavor?!" Paul said, not realizing that he fell straight into her hands there as Misty's Gyarados slammed its tail straight into his Pokemon hard, dealing massive amounts of damage to the point that Paul's Gyarados' health was now equal to that of where Misty's Pokemon was now.

'Dang it!/YES!'

Both Paul and Misty thought in unison as they knew that this last attack meant whatever they did next would be the last attack of the match from the looks of it.

"Well played, Waterflower. Though it won't be enough. Dragon Pulse, End this." Paul commanded his Pokemon, who fired its energy of Dragon towards Gyarados.

"I won't back down. End this with Hyper Beam." Misty commanded her Pokemon, who fired the beam of light towards the Dragon Pulse.

Both Pokemon, at their wit's end, gave their all as the two attacks clashed with each other. It would be a tie only for Misty's Gyarados to overpower the Dragon Pulse attack, which headed straight toward Paul's Pokemon and blasted his Pokemon hard, causing an explosion that left a massive cloud of smoke behind to envelop the battlefield as Paul and Misty were surprised.

As was everyone else watching, including Ash. Everyone was on the edge.

The smoke cleared as Paul's Gyarados was still standing barely. Paul smirked, and Misty was surprised as both Pokemon were panting heavily. They both had so little left. Could they continue?

Only for Paul Gyarados to revert to its normal self as it used up all its Mega-enhanced energy and finally passed out. And with that...

"Paul's Gyarados is unable to battle. Misty's Gyarados wins! Moving on, the Finals is Misty Waterflower from Cerulean City." the ref announced. Misty sighed heavily in relief as her Gyarados almost fainted herself from exhaustion if Paul hadn't fainted first. She would've followed suit only a short time after.

"You battled well out there, Gyarados; take a nice long rest. You deserve it." Misty said to her Pokemon, who nodded faintly as she returned her to her ball.

Misty now looked across the field as she saw Paul return his Gyarados to his ball as well before he glared to Misty as Misty was wondering what was going on.

"Well done. You did better than I thought you would, Misty; I can see why you are labeled as a Gym Leader and working to be the best water-type trainer in the world." Paul said to Misty, who nodded as Paul continued.

"Don't lose to anyone other than Ash here 'cause I want a rematch against you. Maybe one day, you'll be able to go past the Gym Leader status and even work up to using Mega Evolution as well.

Until then, best of luck." Paul said as he walked off as. Misty took what Paul said to heart and headed back to the Pokemon Center.

"There will be a day off for both trainers tomorrow to have their Pokemon rest and the battlefield to calm down from that battle, ladies and gentlemen. See you in two days at noon." the announcer said as Ash sighed, knowing that he would be up against Misty after all that.

Meanwhile, back at the Pokemon center, Misty got her Pokemon healed and saw both Paul and Reggie were seemingly about to leave.

"So you two are leaving, huh?" Misty said as both Brock and Ash caught up with her. The two brothers nodded.

"We have no other business being here, and the Hoenn League is about to start pretty soon for me, so I'll be taking a flight with Reggie back to Olivine City." Paul said to Misty and the others.

"Keep what I said in mind, Misty, 'cause you are stronger than you think. You need to keep your fear at bay and not let it cloud your judgment. The next time we meet, I want to battle both of you again. Who knows, you two might be better than what was shown today. Until then, take care." Paul said as he walked off, and Reggie sighed.

"Same old Paul. He's straight to the point and then leaves when he is done with everything." Reggie said as the group turned to him.

"I will say this you battled well against Paul given that this is the first time he used that in a public battle ever since I gave him that Keystone and Mega Stone. He's had many occasions to test it to get Gyarados acclimated with the transformation and many sparring sessions with me and others in private to really have the control he had in battle. Through our research, Mega Gyarados suffer from extreme rage when Mega Evolve more so than naturally, and that's saying something considering how angry Gyarados as a species can be. So truly, you should be proud of your win. You accomplished something very few can.

But Paul is correct; you are stronger than what I've seen if...you start believing in yourself a lot more. I hope to see more of your development, speaking to both Ash and Misty, in my journey. Now, I'll bid you all farewell as I'm heading back to Veilstone.

Paul probably will be looking for new ways to train his Pokemon. I highly doubt he'll release some of them and spoil the fun cause of how well you all battled today. See you around, you three."

Reggie said as he left while Ash and the others said their goodbyes as well.

Ash and Misty knew that they would need to prepare a strategy against each other and plan a team to battle against each other. But no matter who wins, it's a win for the group.

With the Semifinals now over, Ash and Misty are ready to square off against each other. What will both trainers have in store for each other? As the journey continues.

Later that night, back on the fourth island.

The Pokemon who was watching Ash battling was perched on a nearby rock and looked like it was meditating, thinking about what he saw today in Ash's battle. He heard something coming his way in the water, and he sighed.

"You can come out, Lugia. You're lucky that you're the only one of the waters of these islands that I don't use thunderbolt on if they snuck on me like that. Even though you know, I hate being snuck up on that," the Pokemon said to the one who was in the water when it came up, and it was indeed the Lugia who helped Ash with his Charizard.

"You didn't think that I didn't see you watching Ash's battle today, Zapdos. I'm surprised you were interested in watching these battles given your hatred for humans." Lugia said to the said Pokemon, who indeed happens to be a Zapdos, who grumbled slightly and spoke out.

"I wanted to see firsthand how the human who Arceus chose to be his Chosen One would battle. Not to mention, your mate back at the Orange Islands would trust him." Zapdos said to Lugia, who was curious about this and spoke up.

"So the rumors about you are true. You are searching for a trainer of your own. I had a feeling this would happen one day." Lugia said to Zapdos, who glared at her as she continued.

"So what do you think about him, Zapdos? Is he worthy?" Lugia asked as Zapdos shook his head.

"Not at the moment. He's not ready. He only won cause he got lucky with that evolution, and that's it. I'm still questioning why he's the one who was chosen to have Ho-oh's Rainbow Wing, not to mention be the one to own most of her guardians' descendants?" Zapdos said to Lugia, who wasn't aware that Ash owned the Rainbow Wing.

She knew that Ash owned some of her guardian's decendants, but she lets it go as one thing was on her mind.

"Why are you here, Zapdos? If I remember correctly, both my mate and Ho-oh made it clear to the rest of the legendaries after what transpired at the Orange Islands that no one would invade anyone's territory without permission from the legendary of that area.

You're lucky that you are a family friend and someone I call my son's guardian. Give me a good reason why you are here, or I'll contact Ho-oh herself to get answers." Lugia demanded as Zapdos sighed. Having not wanted to elaborate on the why of its presence in the area, its hopes were crushed. It didn't want trouble from Ho-oH or worse, Arceus for not revealing the reason to Lugia.

"I came here with permission from Ho-oH, Lugia, so no worries. Though apologies for not letting you know earlier. I'm here to check on you and your son. Not to mention, see this Ash as well." Zapdos said to Lugia, who was listening as Zapdos continued.

"I'm sure you heard that Team Rocket was seen somewhere on the islands, and I'm sure that they are after both you and your son. I'm here to ensure they don't get to you and your son, Silver.

So, I don't appreciate that you are questioning me about my methods here, Lugia. You know I wouldn't be here without good reason.

Need I remind you, even with three moves, I can hold my own against you. I'm hoping it never comes to that, but if it has to come down to being captured by Team Rocket and forced to act for them, turning you against us, I'd do what I'd have to, to save you or anyone we care for." Zapdos said, trying not to threaten her but also convey the intensity of the situation. Lugia sighed, understanding, and let it go not wanting to pursue the issue further.

Zapdos broke the silence and continued a bit more.

"Also, I'm the only legendary outside of you in the area, and I'm sure that the others couldn't fight you even in an unfair fight against you, so I'm here." Zapdos finished as Lugia, decided it was time she spoke up.

"I see. You are lucky that you are being let go for almost "threatening" me there, Zapdos, cause you are someone who I trust. I take that you will be watching the final match in the tournament in 2 days while you choose to scout the islands?" Lugia asked Zapdos, who sneered.

"Like I have a choice in that matter, Lugia, but it doesn't mean it won't change my mind about Ash for now. If your son wants to see me, that's fine. Just give me a heads-up before he shows up. Until then, I want some time to myself. It's good talking to you again." Zapdos said to Lugia, who nodded.

Lugia had known Zapdos long enough to know that Zapdos wasn't very keen on being around humans, even more so with those like Team Rocket, especially with what many legendaries having been warned about them.

"Alright, Zapdos. I'll leave you alone. See you soon after that final match. Until then, keep your mind open about Ash.

Soon enough, he might be the one to change your mind and give you hope a human is worthy of you." Lugia said as she dove back into the water. Zapdos sighed as he looked at the third island and glared.

'Him as a trainer for me? What a joke! He's only caught my interest cause Ho-oh has shown herself to him not to mention someone I know is in good graces with him.' Zapdos thought as he continued.

'What's so special about him in the first place? Why is he The Chosen One? Why is Ho-oh interested in him and wants me, of all legendaries, to keep an eye on him while I'm here?' Zapdos shook his head. This was an annoyance, for sure.

'You better be worth my time, Ash. Cause you're the one human many Legendaries are talking about lately, and yet I see nothing to make you worthy of my time so far...yet. Perhaps you'll prove me wrong one day. ' Zapdos finished his thought as he went back to sleep.

Stay Tuned.

Done and done. Whew, it took a LONG time to finish this chapter, not to mention how long it is. Sorry about that, folks, as both me and my beta reader wanted to cover both battles in this chapter, and I wanted to introduce Zapdos early into the story. Well, not early, but you get the picture. Before I wrap up, this story and my Kanto story will be getting a showing on YouTube pretty soon by StoryReader 2.0, who asked, and I approve, so expect that soon enough when he gets the chance. Now that out of the way, the next chapter will be the end of the Whirl Cup, and after that, we'll be taking a break from Ash and Co for a few things with his Pokemon and a few loose ends before we enter the Lugia 2-3 parter. Until then, I will see you next time as I head back to Journeys and Kanto.