A short musical theme played and the logo of the Hoenn League spun across the screen, finally stopping in the middle of the image.

"Good morning, Hoenn! I'm league reporter Gabby coming to you live from Ever Grande City," a perky female voice said as the Hoenn logo slowly spun in the middle of the screen. A moment later the broadcast cut to a young and striking brunette woman standing slightly to the left of the screen. To the right of the screen, a confident looking young man was standing, arms crossed and teeth showing as he grinned hungrily into the camera. The youth was fair skinned and possessed short-cut dark violet hair. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt and had brown, multi-pocketed, open-front vest hanging loosely on his torso. His black shorts ran down to his knees and his shoes were stylish, white sneakers with violet highlights.

"I'm here with Eddy Dash, the winner of last year's Ever Grande Conference," Gabby continued in a friendly voice.

Eddy inclined his head toward the camera and smirked. "Thanks Gab," he said in a conceited sounding voice.

"Thousands of people all across Hoenn are wondering what's next for you Eddy," the reporter continued. "Are you planning to defend your title, or are bigger things on the horizon for you?"

Eddy let out a low and smug sounding chuckle. "Well, Gab, after I swept the Hoenn league last year I've been looking for some new challenges. I've searched high and low, and let me tell you, it's hard to find someone who's willing to battle me."

Max rolled his eyes and let out a disgusted groan. He still couldn't believe this Eddy character had won the Hoenn league last year. Aside from being vain, conceited and snobbish, he had no respect for other trainers and the hard work they put in. Max turned away from the television and pushed his earbuds in so he could listen to the video he'd been looking at on his tablet.

His favorite science channel had just uploaded something new and he'd been enjoying it before the morning league news had come on. He hit play on the video and the yellow haired, glasses wearing young man from Kalos resumed describing the experiment.

"Now, the magnetic upside-down train car to double railroad capacity, just like the name suggests, could possibly double the number of trains that could run on a single stretch of track."

The young man wore a set of sky blue overalls and was flanked by a very cool robot named Clembot. He spoke in a very friendly voice and always liked giving in-depth technical explanations, just like Max enjoyed.

"You see," the scientist continued. "If we can install rail lines suspended above the ground, my rail cars could use magnetism to attach themselves to the underside of the train track, seemingly defying gravity."

He demonstrated by taking a very small mockup of the rail car and attaching it to a small piece of train track suspended in the air.

"Just imagine. Right now we can only have one train on the track at a time. With this, you could have two trains on the track, at the same time. That's twice as much cargo being hauled; twice as many passengers traveling."

Max nodded as the yellow haired man continued with his explanation. It seemed like a good idea. More trains on the same amount of track would definitely improve things.

The scientist pushed his glasses up on his nose and smiled enthusiastically. "Now, with the assistance of my partner, Clembot, I will demonstrate the concept with this prototype!"

"All ready sir!" the robot responded.

With a subtle chuckle, the man made a motion with his arm. "Now, Clembot, engage the magnetic coupling device!"

Clembot threw a lever and the larger prototype train car began to hum and vibrate. A second later, the car suddenly shot upward and attached itself to the rails above it with a loud metal 'clang.'

The scientist grinned eagerly. "Imagine hundreds of trains just like this one! There are so many other possibilities with this technology. The future is now, thanks to science!"

As he spoke the words, smoke suddenly started to pour out of the train car and an unpleasant electric buzzing sound filled the air.

"Uh oh!" Clembot said in a concerned voice.

The scientist looked apprehensive. "What's the problem Clembot?!" he asked quickly.

"It seems the magnavolt capacitor is overloading. There is too much cross phasing in the field strength!"

The yellow haired man spun around and stared, frantically working with a panel of knobs, buttons and dials. "Quick, we need to reverse the polarity!"

"I'm a robot, not an electrician, sir!" the machine replied quickly.

The train car suddenly started to make a loud screeching sound and a moment later there was a loud explosion and the room filled with black smoke. The air cleared quickly revealing the prototype had been destroyed and Clembot and the scientist, now covered in soot, were sitting on the floor with their backs against the large control panel.

The camera shifted slightly as someone out of sight adjusted it.

"Well, looks like it went boom again!" the squeaky voice of a young girl said in an unsurprised tone. "I guess that's all for today. Be sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed this video and want to see more."

The video then ended and Max chuckled briefly. The scientist from Kalos was truly brilliant. Maybe someday one of his inventions wouldn't explode on him. He started to scroll through some of the older videos on the channel when suddenly someone rapidly and forcefully tapped on his left shoulder.

Max looked up and saw the extremely excited expression of his older sister staring back at him. Her eyes were bright and her mouth was open in a huge smile. She pointed intently at the television showing the Hoenn league news.

Max pulled out his earbuds so he could hear what was going on. Gabby was still in the process of interviewing Eddy.

"So, you're serious about wanting to challenge Ash Ketchum, the world's greatest Pokémon trainer?" Gabby asked, sounding a little skeptical.

Eddy gave a smug sigh. "Definitely! I think he's about the only one who could give me a real challenge. Even though he's been laying low in Pallet Town the past few years, I'm sure he's still got some fight in him."

Gabby gave a small nod to Eddy. "Do you think he'll accept your challenge? Ash has been away from the league scene for a while. Some have speculated that's he's retired from battling."

Eddy grinned and pulled out his phone. "Why don't we find out right now," he said in a sly manner.

He tapped on the phone and then held up the device so all could see that he was about to dial Ash Ketchum. Eddy tapped the call button and the phone began to ring.

Eddy looked confident as the seconds passed. "What is it with these former monarchs anyway," he said in a condescending tone. "Leon goes to Alola and drops off the face of the earth and Ash is hiding out in the middle of nowhere? You'd think they'd want to show off all that battling skill they have."

After four rings there was the sound of the call being answered. Before anyone spoke, the cry of a Rhyhorn echoed in the background.

"Uh, hello?" Ash said guardedly.

Eddy grinned and spoke confidently. "Ash Ketchum, I'm Eddy Dash and I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

"Eddy, who?" Ash replied.

Eddy froze for a brief moment as the answer hadn't been what he'd expected. "Eddy Dash!" he repeated, sounding a little annoyed. "Winner of the Hoenn League! Champion Pokemon trainer!"

"Uh, just a second…." Ash answered, sounding distracted. The Rhyhorn cried out again and Ash's voice faintly came over the phone as he pulled his head away from the device. "Hey now, it's okay. Just let her take care of it."

Eddy looked very nonplussed. "Look, I challenge you to a battle in Ever Grande City, four days from now! We'll see who's the best Pokémon trainer!"

"Is this a prank?" Ash said suddenly in a skeptical tone.

Eddy's eyes went wide with offence. "No this isn't a prank! I'm Eddy Dash, the famous Pokémon trainer!"

"Who's that Ash?" a faint female voice came over the phone.

The sounds coming through the phone shifted as Ash held the phone away from his head. However, the distance wasn't enough to completely keep the phone from hearing what was being said.

"It's some guy saying he's the Hoenn champion. He wants to battle me," Ash said.

"That sounds great!" the female voice said happily. "It's been so long since you've had an official battle!"

Eddy glared at the phone. "Hey! I'm still here!" he groused.

"Yeah, but we've got a lot of work to do here," Ash replied.

"Don't worry about that," the girl replied. "We'll just ask the neighbors. They'll be glad to help out; especially if it means seeing you beat another champion."

"I don't think so buddy! I'm gonna win," Eddy retorted.

"Hmmmm," Ash said, thinking it over. A moment later the sound of the phone shifted again as Ash brought the device back up to his ear.

"Okay….. Eddy," Ash said. "You're on!" Ash replied in an enthusiastic voice.

Eddy's face was red from embarrassment and frustration. "Yeah, okay, great!" he sputtered. "Four days from now! Ever Grande City! Be there!"

Max turned back to look at May. Her expression had changed to one of focus and determination. Her gazed drifted downward so she was looking at her hands.

Max smiled. "I guess I know where you'll be in four days," he said with mild amusement.

May clinched her hands into fists and nodded enthusiastically. It had been a very long time since she'd seen Ash. A lot had happened since then and she felt both eager and nervous about reuniting with him.

Four days later Ash stood in a luxury box overlooking the battlefield in Ever Grande City.

"Really, I think it's fine," Ash said in a dismissive tone.

Serena made a kind tisking' sound, and continuing fussing with the front of Ash's shirt. "You're an undefeated Monarch Ash. You need to at least somewhat look the part."

Ash felt really silly about the outfit that Serena had put together for him. He was wearing his traditional t-shirt and pants combination; however Serena had given it a little extra flair. His shirt was mostly blue with white highlights but she'd added a small bit of purple around his collar to represent the monarch cloak and also some subtle gold designs to represent the various leagues Ash had competed in. The Alola symbol was larger and more extravagant than the others to symbolize his victory there.

Ash glanced at the clock just as Serena finished her work. She gave a small tug on his collar to straighten it and looked deep into his eyes.

"Okay, champion, you're ready to go," she said in a low yet loving tone.

Ash chuckled and returned the stare. He started to lean toward Serena but she immediately pulled away from him, smiling as she did so.

"Save it for after you win!" she said teasingly.

Ash chuckled again. "What if I lose?"

Serena changed her expression so it was playfully, sad. "We'll then, I'll just have to comfort and console you" she said slowly. Her voice then became seductive and syrupy. "all… the way….. home…"

Ash's eyes suddenly lit up as ideas of what Serena might be thinking of ran through his head.

Serena chuckled at Ash's reaction and her expression immediately became happy again. "But you're not gonna lose, so you don't need to worry about it."

Ash blinked and gave a tentative smile. "It's been a long time since I did this Serena. I don't know…."

Serena smirked and shook her head. "Never did I ever think the day would come where I'd have more confidence in your battling ability than you would." She leaned forward so her nose was nearly touching his and spoke in whisper. "You're the world's greatest Pokémon trainer. You were born to win Pokémon battles."

She and Ash shared a smile and gazed into each other's eyes.

"Now, go out there and wipe the floor with him!" Serena deadpanned.

Ash chuckled, glanced out the window at the battlefield and then back at Serena. "Thanks Serena!" he said appreciatively. They stared at each other for another few seconds then Ash turned walked into the neighboring room. All six of his Pokémon were there, milling about and conversing. Pikachu, Charizard, Sceptile, Lucario, Talonflame and Noivern. All of them turned and greeted Ash and Serena as they entered the room.

"Hey guys!" Ash said, smiling as they gathered round.

One-by-one, each of his Pokémon walked up and communicated with Ash. Ash spoke words of determination and inspiration. The battle had something of a melancholy feel to it though. There was nothing on the line. This was purely a battle for the sake of battling. Ash still loved Pokémon battles, but his enjoyment of working on the Pokémon reserve and feelings for Serena had taken up much of the space in his heart that used to be filled with the joy of competition. This fight simply didn't have the same spark his previous matches had inspired.

Lucario placed his paw on Ash's shoulder and Ash reciprocated the gesture. The two of them shared a determined stare and then Lucario stepped aside for Sceptile. The aura Pokémon stepped over to where Serena was standing and offered her a respectful nod of acknowledgment.

Serena directed a subtle smile back at Lucario and nodded as well. Ever since the two of them had merged auras and Serena's intensity had pushed Lucario to mega evolve, they'd been friends. Serena considered it a great honor as Lucario didn't make friends easily.

The two of them looked at Ash and watched as he spoke to Charizard.

Serena pursed her lips and then spoke in a quiet voice. "No matter what happens, just do your best." She said the words to Ash, just as much as to Lucario.

Lucario nodded and grunted.

On the wall above them a television was playing prebattle news and interviews. At this moment, the screen displayed Eddy Dash speaking to some off-screen reporter.

"Am I worried?" Eddy sneered. "Of course I'm not worried! Ash is the one who needs to be worried."

Upon hearing this, Serena and Lucario both raised an eyebrow.

"Ash has been rusting away in Pallet Town for the past three years. I doubt if he remembers most of the stuff you need for battling."

Serena let out a small, indignant exclamation and Lucario growled whilst glaring at the screen.

"Battling isn't like riding a bike. You don't just keep being good. You have to practice, and Ash hasn't been practicing."

"Why that little!" Serena hissed under her breath.

"After I finish beating this washed up champion, I'm heading off to the battle frontier. I hear they're supposed to be tough."

The screen switched back to a reporter talking about the battle. Serena glanced at Ash and saw that he hadn't seen or heard what Eddy had said. She was glad, the last thing he needed was to get distracted by a bunch of insults.

Serena turned her attention back to herself. Her blood was boiling at all the unkind things Eddy had said. In addition to Ash being such a wonderful young man, he was still an excellent battler. He occasionally took on traveling trainers who popped into Pallet Town to face off against the legend himself. There were also a pair of young boys and a girl living in Pallet Town who were all aspiring to become trainers. Ash sometimes did mock battles with them to give them some early experience.

Serena's thoughts were interrupted as she heard Lucario was still growling. She glanced over at the Pokémon and saw its teeth and paws were clinched and its face was scrunched up in anger. It clearly hadn't appreciated Eddy's words about Ash. Lucario glanced up and caught Serena's eye. Ash's Pokémon took a step toward her and they shared a determined stare. They both loved Ash in their own ways and weren't about to let anyone badmouth him and get away with it.

"Okay, everyone, let's go!" Ash said.

The Pokémon began lining up in front of Ash and he started recalling them into their Pokéballs.

Lucario reached up and placed a paw on Serena's shoulder. Instantly, Serena felt a tiny wisp of emotion flit through her mind; a reassurance from Lucario that it was going to take care of business regarding Eddy.

Serena smiled and placed a hand on Lucario's shoulder. She didn't know how auras worked, but she filled herself with feelings of gratitude and encouragement, hoping the message would reach Lucario. The aura Pokémon smiled slyly, grunted and nodded at Serena. She supposed it had felt her feelings.

Lucario trotted over to Ash and was whisked away into its Pokéball. With all of his partners but Pikachu stowed away, Ash glanced at Serena and sent her a nervous smile. Serena playfully rolled her eyes and warmly smiled back at him. She then took a few steps toward him and folded her arms.

"You are going to try your best….. right?" Serena said in a chiding tone.

Ash chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. It's all just a little different now. That's all."

Serena took another step toward Ash and looked him straight in the eye. "Good," she said sternly. "Cause I was a little worried when you didn't bring your Mega Gauntlet along. You're not battling at full strength."

Ash shrugged. "Eh, Eddy doesn't have Mega Evolution or a Z-move. I don't think it'd be fair if I used one and he couldn't respond."

Serena shifted her mouth slightly and looked amused. "Battling with one arm tied behind your back. Just don't tell Eddy."

Ash giggled and looked into Serena's beautiful blue eyes.

"How about a good luck kiss?" he said with a smile.

Serena pursed her lips and looked at Ash with a twinkle in her eye. She then nodded toward the elevator. "How about you get going," she said dryly.

Ash chuckled and walked backward to the elevator, keeping his gaze fixed on Serena the entire time. He stepped inside, with Pikachu at his heels, and kept staring at Serena as the doors began to close.

"Maybe I should lose. I like the idea of you comforting me," he said teasingly.

Serena shook her head. "Don't you dare," she replied in a low, playful voice.

Ash laughed, the doors of the elevator fully shut and Serena was left alone in the luxury box.

Serena let out a small sigh and walked to the large bank of windows overlooking the battlefield below. She scanned the stadium and slowly rocked on her heels, waiting for the competition to begin.

Ash stood quietly in the darkened tunnel which led to the battlefield. It was something he'd done numerous times, but this felt very different from what he'd experienced before. Before he'd settled down in Pallet Town, he'd lived for Pokémon battles. Ever since he'd turned ten, he'd spend his life working to become stronger and more skilled at battles. He'd reached the top; he'd defeated Leon and become world champion; he'd achieved everything he'd ever wanted. And then, just as he'd been unsure of what to do next, the stars had aligned and he'd found himself living in Pallet Town, working alongside Serena, and enjoying life just as much as when he'd been battling.

Ash smiled subtly as he mused over the clash that awaited him. He didn't have anything to prove. This was purely an exhibition match, something to do for fun. He simply didn't feel the burning fire of competitive desire inside him. He had his life and he had Serena, maybe it was time for some other up-and-coming trainers to move past him. He certainly wouldn't mind.

Ash heard Pikachu softly call out. He glanced down to his left and saw his faithful companion standing at the ready.

"It's been a while, hasn't it," Ash quipped.

Pikachu nodded and voiced his agreement.

Ash looked out at the sunlit battlefield and squinted against the slight glare shining into the dark tunnel. It was time for one more battle.

"Let's go," Ash said, striding forward toward the tunnel opening.

Pikachu stayed at his heels and a few seconds later they emerged into the sunlight and heard the roar of the crowd. Ash glanced around, surprised the stadium was so packed. He'd seen a large number of people earlier when he'd been getting ready but it seemed that the crown had almost doubled in size since then.

"It's time for what we've all been waiting for. Champion Dash, against the legend, Ash Ketchum!"

Ash looked up at the stadium's PA system and chuckled. It seemed someone was offering live commentary for the crowd. This was a much bigger deal than he'd anticipated.

Ash glanced across the stadium and saw Eddy was already prepared. The violet-haired young man was holding a Pokéball and looked eager to get things started. Ash walked up to his spot on the battlefield and glanced at the referee.

The referee, a grey-haired man wearing an officiating outfit of the Hoenn league, saw both competitors were ready and raised his hands.

"This will be a full six on six battle. The battle will continue until all of one trainer's Pokémon are unable to battle. There will be one use allowed of Mega Evolution or Z-move." He paused a moment and then spoke again. "On my command, send out your first Pokémon."

Ash took out Talonflame's Pokéball and tapped it so it was full-sized. He felt calm and at peace. No matter how this battle turned out, he knew he'd be returning to a wonderful home and a girl he cared for very much.

The referee lowered his arms with a dramatic flourish and Eddy and Ash threw their Pokéballs.

Ash's Pokéball snapped open and Talonflame flashed into existence. The red and white feathered bird cried out and flapped its wings, hovering in place on Ash's side of the battlefield.

Eddy's Pokéball opened and a white flash exploded onto the ground. The light dissipated and a Weavile stood in a pose, looking ready for battle.

"It's Talonflame and Weavile. A battle of speed right out of the gate!"

"Battle begin!" the referee called out in a loud voice.

Serena stared out at the battlefield from the window of the luxury box. She felt utterly confident in Ash's ability and assured of his victory. She watched the battle as one would read a novel when the ending was already known. She didn't know what would happen along the way to Ash's victory, she just knew that she would soon be giving him the congratulatory speech she'd been rehearsing the past few days. She also planned to give him a very, very passionate kiss of congratulations. Her lips tingled in anticipation and she gave them a playful lick with the tip of her tongue. She took in a deep breath and let it out in a happy sigh. She really loved watching Ash battle.

Eddy grinned hungrily and made a sharp gesture with his right arm. "Let's get this rolling Weavile, Swords Dance!"

The dark type Pokémon let out a confident battle cry and flourished its claws. It channeled its energy into its extremely sharp digits, causing them to become even more devastating weapons.

A small smile pulled at Ash's lips and he looked at Talonflame. "Use Flame Charge!" he said simply.

Talonflame reacted and surged forward. The bird let out a screech and its body burst into flames. It accelerated across the battlefield and bore down on its stationary ice type opponent. A devastating collision was about to take place.

Eddy and Weavile gritted their teeth. "Okay, Weavile, like we trained," he said intensely.

"That's gonna hurt! Fire melts ice."

A moment before Talonflame hit home, Weavile popped an Occa Berry into its mouth and bit down on it. The power of the spicy fruit took hold and a second later, the flaming, shrieking bird from Kalos slammed into stationary Pokémon, causing a large explosion.

"Oh, like usual, Eddy has a trick up his sleeve."

"Now, Ice Punch!" Eddy shouted.

From within the smoke cloud, both Pokémon called out, Weavile in aggression and Talonflame from distress. A moment later, the two Pokémon emerged from the cloud, Talonflame being driven backwards by a flurry of icy punches from Eddy's Pokémon.

"Weavile launches a devastating counterattack!"

Ash raised an eyebrow. "That's a neat trick," he commented flatly. "A pretty big gamble."

"PIKA!" Pikachu exclaimed.

Ash blinked and realized that he wasn't just a spectator. "Right," he said with an embarrassed shake of the head. "Talonflame use Steel Wing to block those punches and then counterattack!"

Talonflame followed the command and charged its wings until they were glowing. It then used them as shields to protect itself against the onslaught from Weavile.

"Talonflame is not going quietly."

"That's fine!" Eddy growled. "Switch to Aerial Ace!"

The Weavile performed a back flip and jumped away from Talonflame. A moment later, the dark type sped forward and struck Ash's Pokémon with a blindingly fast attack. Talonflame took several hits and tried to use its glowing wings as both a shield and a weapon. Weavile's attacks continued to land without fail however and Ash's Pokémon was starting to show signs of weakening.

Ash frowned. "Can't keep this up," he said unhappily. "Fly up high and use Razor Wind!"

Talonflame obeyed, flapped its wings and soared into the air. Weavile was unable to follow and stood on the ground, glaring up at the bird. A moment later, Talonflame rapidly beat its wings and sent a flurry of powerful, compact wind strikes directly at its opponent.

Eddy clenched a fist. "Use Night Slash to cut through them!" he shouted

Weavile readied its claws and they turned a shade of deep purple. A moment later the creature unleashed a series of rapid slashes, cutting apart the Razor Wind attacks Talonflame had sent its way.

"How long can they keep this up?!"

Eddy grinned and spoke to himself in a conniving voice. "Come on, just give me one opening?!"

The exchange kept up for several intense seconds. Talonflame continued launching Razor Wind attacks and Weavile kept cutting them down. It was a test of endurance and Ash's Pokémon was the one to flinch first. Talonflame had already taken several big hits and it missed out on one of the attack sequences, leaving Eddy and Weavile the opening they'd wanted.

"Now Weavile!" Eddy shouted.

The dark type was already in motion. It used the gap in the attacks to dash forward and bound into the air. It then accelerated into another Aerial Ace attack and zeroed in on the flying bird.

"Get out of there with Flame Charge!" Ash shouted.

Talonflame may have been flagging, but it still had plenty of fight left. The bird ignited and sped out of the way of Weavile's attack.

"Circle around and hit it with Brave Bird!" Ash commanded.

Talonflame made a sharp U-turn in the air and streaked toward the mid-air Weavile. The flames coming off the bird turned blue and the flying creature unleashed a powerful battle cry.

"End it here with Night Slash!" Eddy shouted.

Weavile reared back to deliver a blow but Talonflame was just a nanosecond quicker. It slammed into Eddy's unprepared Pokémon, causing a huge explosion in the air.

"Ouch! Did either Pokémon make it through that collision?"

Eddy and Ash stared into the smoke cloud, waiting to see what had resulted from the exchange. Talonflame glided out of the smoke, obviously hurt, but still flying. A moment later, Weavile unceremonious fell to the ground and let out a groan. Eddy's Pokémon didn't move and the referee called out the decision.

"Weavile is unable to battle!"

"It looks like Ash hasn't lost a step. That was a solid first battle."

Eddy gritted his teeth and held up Weavile's Pokéball. "That was close," he growled, recalling his Pokémon. "One more hit and that would have gone the other way."

Ash watched as Talonflame circled above. The flying Pokémon was clearly hampered by injury. "Are you okay, Talonflame?" Ash called out.

Talonflame screeched out a cry of readiness which caused Ash to hesitate. The smart move was to recall Talonflame and send out someone else. However, if Talonflame wanted to keep fighting, who was he to deny his Pokémon the chance to battle. It had been a long time since any of them had been in an official tournament. He wanted to offer them a chance to give their all.

"Okay, we'll keep going," Ash said, sounding confident.

Eddy sneered. "Big mistake," he muttered. He retrieved another Pokéball from within his vest and tossed it onto the field. "Let's get this back on track," he growled.

The Pokéball snapped open and the white light flashed out into the air just above the ground. A moment later, the glow resolved into a Mismagius.

"Eddy goes with Mismagius. It looks like Ash is sticking with Talonflame."

Ash looked at the new opponent with a little puzzlement. "Mismagius, huh! I wonder what he's planning?"

Eddy stared across the battlefield at Ash. "Take your best shot, Ash!" he said in a taunting voice.

Pikachu voiced indignation at Eddy's comment but Ash just grinned. "Okay, Talonflame, let's go!"

Ash's Pokémon cried out and began to line up for an attack on Mismagius.

"Use Flame Charge," Ash called out.

Talonflame streaked across the sky, leaving a trail of orange/red flame in its wake. It vectored toward Eddy's Pokémon, aiming to deliver a powerful attack.

Eddy chuckled. "Now, Mismagius, Thunder Wave!"

The ghost type let out an ethereal call and bobbed in the air. Electricity then sparked around it and shot toward Talonflame in a series of yellow glowing rings. The flaming bird took the attack and flailed in midair, its body tensing up from paralysis.

"That bird is trapped as sure as if it was in a cage."

"Now, use Hex!" Eddy shouted.

The Mismagius' eyes glowed red and purple and Talonflame was suddenly surrounded by a glowing purple haze. Ash's Pokémon was violently thrashed around for a few seconds before the haze dissipated and Talonflame fell to the earth.

The referee eyed the unconscious Pokémon and then raised his arm. "Talonflame is unable to battle!"

"How many times did we see that Hex-Wave combo during Eddy's run to the championship? Not many Pokémon come through that one."

Ash looked unhappy. "Well, that didn't work," he said quietly. He raised his Pokéball and recalled his Pokémon. "Sorry Talonflame, you did your best," he said once the flying type was safely inside its Pokéball.

Ash looked across the field at Mismagius and hummed for a moment. He then smiled subtly and retrieved another Pokéball. "Charizard, let's go!"

Ash's old friend emerged from its Pokéball, bellowed a roar, breathed fire into the air and then glared across the field at its opponent.

"The Kanto special, Charizard!"

Eddy grinned and fiddled with the collapsed Pokéball of Mismagius in his right hand. "Now we get serious," he said in a low voice.

Ash nodded and made a gesture with his right arm. "Charizard, start flying and use Flamethrower!"

The fire type obeyed and took to the air with a roar and a huge flap of its powerful wings. It began circling Mismagius counterclockwise and unleashed a Flamethrower attack on it.

"Use Psychic!" Eddy responded.

Mismagius' eyes glowed blue and suddenly the stream of fire coming its way turned aside and passed by harmlessly.

Ash gritted his teeth. "Gonna be one of those fights, huh!" he said in an annoyed tone. "Okay, Charizard, use Wing Attack!"

"Ash looks frustrated. He can join the dozens of other trainers who faced Mismagius and lost. This is one underhanded opponent."

Charizard turned sharply and dove toward Mismagius. Its wings began to glow as the flying beast prepared for a damaging collision.

Eddy scoffed at the sight. "Didn't learn, did you," he sneered. "Use Thunder Wave!"

Mismagius powered up another attack and sent a volley of glowing rings at the diving Charizard.

"Is Ash about to get Hex-Waved again?!"

Ash made an enthusiastic gesture with his arms. "Now, spin and use Dragon Breath to protect yourself!"

Charizard did just that and began to spin rapidly as it continued its dive. The fire type launched a Dragon Breath attack and surrounded its spinning form with the blazing green-hued energy. A moment later the Thunder Wave volley hit Charizard but was absorbed and deflected by its improvised shield.

Eddy growled in dismay as Charizard bore down on his Pokémon. The dragon-like monster roared and slammed its wings into Eddy's Mismagius.

"A brilliant counter! Eddy wasn't ready for that."

"We're not done, Shadow Ball!" Eddy called out.

Mismagius shook off the attack and quickly charged up a sphere of dark purple energy. It launched the attack at Charizard who was still swooping away from its successful strike. The sphere hit the flying beast, causing an explosion and eliciting a furious roar from Ash's Pokémon.

"Come back around and hit it with Flamethrower!" Ash commanded.

Charizard complied and circled toward Mismagius. It flew low to the ground and unleashed a torrent of flame at its opponent.

"Use Psychic again!" Eddy shouted.

For the second time the ghost type used its mental abilities to turn aside the fire attack.

"Keep up the Flamethrower!" Ash said forcefully.

Charizard did so and continued bearing down on Eddy's Pokémon, breathing a steady stream of blazing fire. Mismagius struggled to keep the fire at bay. It maneuvered and juked, but as Charizard flew directly overhead, the flames finally engulfed the ghost, causing it to cry out in agony.

"Charizard using brute force to solve the puzzle here."

Eddy let out a frustrated exclamation. "Put it on the ground with Psychic!" he ordered.

Mismagius recovered from the hit and its eyes glowed blue yet again. This time it directed its focus on Charizard itself. Ash's Pokémon suddenly stopped in mid air and flailed before being slammed down into the ground.

"Finally," Eddy groused. "Use Thunder Wave!"

Ash looked intensely at Charizard. "Get up and use Dragon Breath!"

Both Pokémon launched their attacks simultaneously and they violently collided in mid air between the two combatants. Charizard's torrent of green flame burned through Mismagius' glowing electric rings and continued on, engulfing the ghost.

"That Thunder Wave never stood a chance. Champion Dash is in trouble now!"

"OH! COME ON!" Eddy complained.

"Finish it with Wing Attack!" Ash shouted.

Charizard roared and took to the air again. Before Mismagius could regain its bearings, the fire type slammed its powerful wings into the beleaguered ghost, sending it tumbling across the battlefield.

The referee gave Eddy's Pokémon several seconds to recover. When the dark purple hued Pokémon remained prone on the battlefield, the grey-haired man made the call. "Mismagius is unable to battle!"

"And it looks like Mismagius has given up the ghost."

Ash nodded in satisfaction and Charizard bellowed in victory. The creature launched a burst of flame into the air in celebration. Ash chuckled at the display and looked up and over his shoulder at the luxury box where Serena was observing the match. He could see her standing behind the full-length window, but he couldn't make out her expression. He could imagine how she was reacting though and it made him feel warm inside. It was a lot of fun having his girlfriend cheering for him!

A look of frustration hung on Eddy's face as he recalled his Pokémon. "All right, no more Mr. nice guy," he growled. He retrieved his next Pokéball and tossed it onto the field.

The Pokéball snapped open and the white light quickly expanded into a large shape on the dirt of the battlefield. The light faded and a Salamence roared, boldly announcing its presence. Charizard stared down the rival beast and roared as well. Both of them were determined to win.

"Eddy has sent out one of his big guns. We all remember that finals match where Salamence literarily flew circles around the opposition."

"Take to the sky!" Eddy commanded.

Salamence obeyed and shot up into the air, quickly gaining speed.

"Follow it up there, Charizard!" Ash shouted.

Ash's Pokémon flapped its wings and took off. It couldn't hope to match Salamence's speed however, and it lagged behind its competitor's movements.

Eddy waited until he thought the positioning was correct and then called out a command. "Use Air Slash!"

Salamence wheeled around and its wings began to glow. A moment later the dragon beat its wings and sent a series of glowing, white, saw-like discs flying toward Charizard.

"Dodge and use Dragon Breath!" Ash shouted.

Charizard performed a corkscrew, avoiding Salamence's attack, and then launched a large plume of green fire back at its opponent.

"A clash of dragons here, folks. What a sight."

"Get out of the way and use Air Slash!" Eddy reacted.

Salamence followed orders and used its superior speed to move out of the way of Charizard's attack. It then launched another barrage of air-formed saws at Ash's Pokémon.

"Dodge again!" Ash shouted.

The battle continued like this for several intense exchanges. Charizard or Salamence would launch an attack and the other would dodge out of the way. The Pokémon were evenly matched enough that neither of them could gain the upper hand.

"We've seen this fight before, folks. Salamence is completely at home in the sky."

Ash frowned at the situation. "Gotta change something up," he said to himself. A moment later, he clinched a fist and sent a determined look toward Charizard. "Charge straight in and use Slash!"

Charizard changed its movements and dove straight toward Salamence.

"Okay, here we go!" Eddy commented. "Use Air Slash!"

Salamence launched yet another barrage of glowing discs, however this time Charizard didn't evade.

Ash's Pokémon absorbed hit after hit as it barreled toward Salamence. A lesser Pokémon would have flinched under the assault, but Charizard was too experienced and determined. Eddy and Salamence were shocked as Charizard came within arm's reach, roared loudly and swiped at the dragon.

"Charizard doesn't care about damage. It's going straight in."

For a few seconds, the tables were turned and Salamence was on the receiving end of hit after hit. Charizard slashed with its claws and battered its opponent in the air.

Eddy fumed. "Use Outrage!"

Salamence roared, its eyes glowed red and it viciously slammed into Charizard, attacking with its wings, tail and claws. Charizard fought back and both monsters exchanged brutal hits.

"They're matching each other blow for blow."

"Use Dragon Breath!" Ash shouted.

Charizard grabbed hold of its raging opponent and unleashed a point-blank attack straight into Salamence's chest. Despite the devastating damage, Salamence wasn't slowed. It whipped its tail around and slammed Charizard down toward the ground. The collision caused both Pokémon to fall out of the sky and crash to the battlefield below.

Eddy and Ash waited for the smoke to clear. When it did, Charizard and Salamence were still standing. Both of them were battered and breathing hard. Salamence growled and thrashed its head. Its rage had concluded, and the dragon was now thoroughly confused.

Eddy raised his Pokéball and recalled Salamence. "Okay, time to finish this up!" he said. He reached into his vest and retrieved another of his Pokémon. "Let's make some noise!" he said, throwing the device forward.

The Pokéball opened, the white light dissipated and an Exploud growled and stomped in anticipation of the coming fight.

"Eddy swaps out for Exploud!"

Eddy pointed at Charizard. "Use Hyper Voice!"

The Exploud slammed its fists together and then let loose a mighty bellow that rocketed across the battlefield, knocking up dust and debris.

Charizard was staggered under the impact but held fast.

"Get in the air and use Flamethrower!" Ash shouted.

Charizard did so and took to the sky, leaving the intense, sound-based attack behind. Ash's Pokémon swooped up and then dove downward on the new opponent.

Eddy waited until Charizard opened its maw and unleashed its attack before he issued his command. "Hydro Pump!" the champion of Hoenn called out.

Exploud closed and then opened its mouth. It then sent out a massive torrent of water directly at Charizard. The water attack cut through the Flamethrower and slammed into the oncoming fire Pokémon. Charizard cried out in distress and was thrown backwards by the impact.

"Ouch! And that is what you call super effect. I doubt Charizard is getting up from that one."

"OH NO, Charizard!" Ash cried out.

Ash's Pokémon crashed to the ground and tumbled a few times. To his credit, the fire type groaned and attempted to get up before finally collapsing to the battlefield.

"Charizard is unable to battle!" the referee called out.

Ash's shoulders slumped a little. "Sorry Charizard," he mumbled, recalling his friend. He held the Pokéball in his hand for a moment before he stowed it and retrieved his next choice.

"Lucario, let's go!"

Serena watched as Lucario emerged from its Pokéball. She smiled and folded her hands together over her heart. "Go get em!" she said softly, happy that the aura Pokémon would get a chance to defend Ash's honor.

The white light faded from around Lucario and the Pokémon immediately dropped into a combat pose. It stared across the battlefield, glared at its opponent and let out a loud battle cry. The Exploud hesitated an instant as it sensed there was something personal in this fight for Ash's Pokémon.

For Lucario, the fight was personal. Eddy had insulted Ash, the individual the Pokémon considered to be its father. Additionally, Serena, the one who had become its adoptive mother, was counting on it to settle the score. Lucario wasn't about to lose this fight.

Lucario clinched its paws into fists and let out a menacing growl, letting the Exploud know exactly what was coming.

"Ash sends out Lucario. This Pokémon was on the team which secured the World Pokémon Championship."

"Charge forward and use double team!" Ash called out.

Lucario dashed forward and activated its ability. Within a second, a dozen images of the aura Pokémon were also charging toward Eddy's side of the battlefield.

Eddy swept his arm horizontally. "Use Hyper Voice and blast them all!" he shouted.

Exploud followed the command and raked the field with its deafening attack. Many of the images disappeared and a huge cloud of dust was kicked up, obscuring most of the battlefield.

"Now, use Aura Sphere!" Ash commanded.

Lucario leapt up, out of the dust cloud and straight at Exploud. The fighting type soared through the air and began charging an Aura Sphere, letting out an intense cry as it did so.

Eddy grinned. "Great, now just wait…" he said, sounding confidant.

Lucario continued traveling toward Exploud and continued charging the Aura Sphere. Eddy waited and waited for Ash's Pokémon to throw the ball of aura energy. Too late, he realized Lucario had no intention of doing so.

A look of dismay crossed the Exploud's face a moment before Lucario reared back, let out a furious roar and brought the Aura Sphere down in a brutal, two-handed, overhead swing. The attack smashed into Exploud's head and both Pokémon were engulfed in an explosion of smoke and dust.

Eddy cried out in shock and Ash cringed at the power of the impact. The smoke cleared, revealing Lucario, who was crouched in an elegant landing pose, and Exploud, who was flat on its back, unconscious.

Ash looked perplexed. "Well…. I guess that's one way to do it," he said, sounding a little dumbfounded.

"Exploud is unable to battle," the referee called out.

"It looks like Exploud never saw that one coming. It gets taken down in one hit by Lucario!"

Eddy ground his teeth as he recalled Exploud. "What kind of attack was that?" he muttered. "Who uses Aura Sphere like that?" He retrieved another Pokéball from his vest and tossed it onto the field. "GO!" he shouted emphatically.

Eddy's newest Pokémon resolved on the field. A Grumpig, looking sneaky and underhanded like most of them did.

"Eddy sends out Grumpig."

Ash eyed the new opponent. "Grumpig…. psychic type huh," he said to himself. He glanced over at Pikachu and his best buddy gave him a nod. Ash smiled and held up Lucario's Pokéball. "Lucario-"

The aura Pokémon was currently sizing up Eddy's newest choice. As soon as Ash raised the red/white device, the fighting type grunted sharply and held up a paw behind itself to stop its trainer, its gaze remaining fixed on Grumpig. Lucario still wanted to fight.

"It looks like Lucario still wants to stay on the field."

Ash cocked his head to the side and gave a wry smile. "Still wanna go huh?" he said.

Lucario nodded, but didn't look away from Grumpig.

Ash stowed the Pokéball. "Okay, let's keep going."

Lucario shifted its stance and prepared for battle. Eddy and Grumpig, however, didn't make a move.

"This again," Ash breathed. He considered his options. "Use Aura Sphere!" he said.

It wasn't the correct choice of moves, but Ash wanted to see what Eddy was planning. Lucario charged the attack and hurled it at Grumpig.

"Use Protect!" Eddy responded.

Grumpig growled, its eyes briefly glowed and a green shield of energy appeared in front of it. The Aura Sphere exploded harmlessly on the barrier.

"Now, use Trick Room!" Eddy said.

"Trick Room! Everything's gone topsy-turvy!"

Ash frowned as Grumpig's psychic power twisted space around the arena, transforming the battlefield into a grid-like cube. "I figured it'd be something like this," he grumbled.

Lucario looked around and growled in frustration. On any normal day it was one of the fastest Pokémon around. Now however, the tables had been turned.

Eddy grinned fiercely. "Future sight, then Psychic!"

Grumpig snorted and a opened something which looked like a portal. It fired a beam of blue energy through the portal before it closed and then turned its focus to Lucario.

Ash made a forceful gesture with his right arm. "Get in close and use Bullet Punch!"

Lucario charged forward, but the usually speedy Pokémon looked like it was running in place. Ash's Pokémon moved its legs faster and faster but the Trick Room simply refused to let it cover the ground between it and Grumpig at anything more than a pedestrian pace.

A moment later, Grumpig's eyes glowed again and suddenly Lucario was lifted off the ground by an invisible psychic force. Lucario grunted and was then slammed down into the ground and then lifted back up into the air. A portal abruptly opened and Ash knew what was about to happen.

"Quick, use Double Team!"

Lucario sent out the duplicates; however it was unable to move out of the way and took the force of the Future sight attack. The aura Pokémon was thrown to the ground again and struggled to regain its footing.

"A double whammy from Grumpig! This Pokémon is bad news folks. Ash may have made a mistake keeping Lucario in."

Serena winced at the sight of Lucario being tossed around. She held a hand over her heart and spoke quietly. "Stay strong! You can do it!"

Lucario shook its head and glared at its opponent. The fighting type had no real way to attack Eddy's Pokémon. There was no way it could get close enough for Bullet Punch and Aura Sphere would just get deflected by Protect. There was one possibility though. When the Future Sight portal had opened Lucario had briefly been able to sense what was happening with its aura vision. Maybe, if the timing was perfect…..

Eddy laughed and issued his next command. "Shake em up with Psychic!"

Grumpig obeyed and its eyes glowed blue.

"Get moving and use Double Team!" Ash shouted.

It was all but impossible for Lucario to get moving but more than a dozen duplicates of the aura Pokémon appeared around the field. The Psychic attack zeroed in on several of the fake Lucario, but mercifully, the real one was spared.

Eddy grumbled. "Fine, use Future Sight," he said with a sneer.

Grumpig leered at Lucario's seeming helplessness and opened a portal to the future. An instant later, an Aura Sphere came flying out of the portal and slammed into Grumpig.

Eddy's mouth fell open. "What!... HOW!?"

Grumpig reeled from the unexpected attack. The trick room faded and Lucario grinned in satisfaction. It crossed the field in an instant and began delivering some much desired payback with Bullet Punch.

"I'm not sure what I'm seeing here folks?!"

Ash was equally dumbfounded by what had just happened and he stood transfixed as Lucario went on the offensive.

Mid-way through the beat down, Lucario suddenly stopped its assault and charged an Aura Sphere. A fraction of a second later, a portal opened nearby and Lucario fired the Aura Sphere into it.

"It looks like Lucario mounted an attack in the past by using the Future Sight portal. It's like Future Sight, but in reverse."

Ash smiled in amusement. "That's pretty cool."

Eddy fumed. "That can't be legal!"

Lucario resumed the beat down but Grumpig had somewhat recovered its bearings.

"Quick, use Psychic and push it away!" Eddy shouted.

The beleaguered pig squealed and sent out a psychic shockwave that sent Lucario tumbling. The fighting type was undeterred and bounded to its feet and charged back at its target.

"Use Protect," Eddy commanded.

A green shield materialized in front of the Psychic type and Lucario began beating on it with Bullet Punch. As it pounded away, Lucario glared through the shield, directing a fierce look at Grumpig, making it clear to the other Pokémon that it would bash its way right through the shield if it had to. Grumpig looked distressed and started to sweat.

"Use Future Sight," Eddy said, stress tingeing his voice.

Grumpig opened a portal and Lucario dove out of it, delivering roundhouse punch to the psychic type's jaw as it did so. For a brief moment, the present Lucario, still in front of the shield but now sporting a toothy grin, continued relentlessly punching the shield. Meanwhile, the future Lucario was behind the shield and was relentlessly punching Grumpig.

"This is completely crazy folks!"

Everyone, Ash, Eddy, the referee and the crowd simply gaped at what was happening.

The shield faded and the future Lucario kept up the attack. A moment later, a portal opened and the present Lucario leapt through it and disappeared.

"Grumpig….. do something," Eddy sputtered.

There was little Grumpig could do. Lucario was a punching machine fueled by anger and determination. It drove the psychic type back until it slammed into the stadium wall leaving a Grumpig shaped indentation in the surface.

Lucario finally stopped the attack and stood, breathing hard and staring at its opponent. Grumpig let out a whimper, fell forward out of the indentation and collapsed onto the ground.

There was dead silence in the area for several seconds as no one had ever witnessed such a sight.

"Grumpig is unable to battle," the referee finally called out.

"Lucario, with a comeback for the ages! I've never seen a battle like this! That is one determined Pokémon."

"Of all the…. I can't believe this….." Eddy muttered to himself as he recalled Grumpig. He angrily retrieved a Pokéball and tossed it out on the field. Salamence emerged, looking somewhat rested, but still clearly damaged from earlier in the battle.

Lucario gritted its teeth and stood ready to battle.

Ash smiled slightly. "Still wanna keep battling huh?"

Lucario nodded and growled at Salamence. The large dragon stomped its front legs, meeting the challenge.

"Lucario is still continuing."

Ash thought for a moment. This wasn't a good matchup. Salamence had speed and flight in its favor. They'd have to be careful.

"Okay, start off with Aura Sphere," Ash commanded.

Lucario charged a blue sphere of energy and sent it at Eddy's Pokémon.

"Start flying and use Air Slash!" Eddy growled.

Salamence flapped its wings and moved out of the way of the Aura Sphere. The Pokémon flew upward, charged its wings and launched a volley of glowing, air-forged blades at Lucario.

"Dodge and hide in the dust cloud!" Ash shouted.

Lucario dashed out of way and the blades slammed into the ground, kicking up a large amount of dirt. The Aura Pokémon then reversed its movement and rushed back inside the cloud.

Eddy's face twisted up in frustration. "Great," he spat. "We're gonna have to do this up-close. Stone Edge!"

Salamence dived to the ground and slammed into the earth. Immediately, a line of pillars of blue rock erupted from the earth and tore through the middle of the dust cloud. The attack resolved, and nothing happened.

"Looks like that attack missed."

"Use your wings and blow the dust away!" Eddy called out.

Salamence reared back and prepared to flap its wings.

"Use Double Team and charge!" Ash ordered.

As Salamence flapped its wings and the dust began to clear, a dozen Lucario charged out of the cloud, aiming for the blue-skinned dragon.

"Outrage, quick!" Eddy shouted.

Salamence roared and swept its tail through most of the images. The real Lucario jumped high, over the tail sweep, and brought its fists down, striking the back of the dragon.

"Lucario gets up close. That's a bold move there. We'll see if it works out."

Eddy's Pokémon roared again and started thrashing, trying to strike its opponent. Lucario dodged, jumped and punched. Landing hits and avoiding getting hit.

"NO, NO!" Eddy shouted. "Use Fire Fang!"

With everything that was going on, Salamence was barely in possession of its senses. Nonetheless, it managed to get a bead on Ash's Pokémon and lashed out at it with a flaming bite.

Lucario managed to dodge one of the snapping attacks, but the second one hit home, and the aura Pokémon was locked in the flaming maw of the very angry dragon. Lucario cried out in pain and distress and Salamence whipped its head downward, slamming the fighting type into the ground before biting down on it again.

"Lucario's in trouble!"

"Hang in there, Lucario!" Ash shouted. "Use Bullet Punch!"

Refusing to panic, Lucario channeled energy into its paws and began striking at the face of Salamence. The dragon didn't appreciate this and tried to bite down again. Lucario took the opportunity to land several punches inside the beast's mouth and when Eddy's Pokémon tried to chomp down, Lucario braced itself in between its jaws, holding the creature's mouth open with its paws and feet.

"FIRE FANG! END THIS!" Eddy screamed.

Salamence tried with all its might to overcome Lucario, but the aura Pokémon held fast and refused to yield. As the intensity mounted, Lucario let out an ear piercing cry of effort as it focused all its strength into one final blow. Ash's Pokémon cocked back its right arm, which suddenly began to glow a bright orange, and then delivered a devastating Reversal attack straight down Salamence's gullet.

"Look away kids!"

Salamence's body briefly glowed orange and then there was a massive explosion, engulfing both Pokémon. Ash and Eddy looked on, wondering what had happened. The dust cleared and Salamence was lying on its stomach, passed out. Lucario was down on one knee, holding its side and looking much worse for wear. The aura Pokémon still stood though, and so the referee made the call.

"Salamence is unable to battle!"

"Lucario's not giving any quarter today!"

Serena wiped a couple tears from her eyes and took a shaky breath.

"You sure know how to make it exciting!" she commented, eyeing Lucario with admiration. "Great job, now take a rest!"

Ash smiled and shook his head. He looked toward Lucario and the two of them shared a respectful stare.

"You really wanted to win, didn't you," Ash said softly.

Lucario gave a small nod and murmured its agreement.

Eddy, meanwhile, was fuming as he recalled Salamence. "This wasn't how it was supposed to go!" he grumbled. "Why won't you just go down!" he said to Lucario with a little more volume. "You think you're clever with all those tricks?!"

Lucario's ears perked up and Ash's Pokémon growled at the opposing trainer. It rose to its feet and turned to face Eddy.

Ash raised Lucario's Pokéball but the fighting type yet again raised an arm and indicated that it wanted to keep fighting.

Serena folded her hands and nervously rested her chin on her interlaced fingers.

"You don't need to keep going. You've stood up for Ash. You've made us proud," she whispered.

She watched as Ash looked shocked and surprised. He then nodded to Lucario and stowed away the Pokeball.

Serena sighed, closed her eyes and uttered a quick prayer. "Please be safe! Don't get hurt!" she said. Sending Lucario all the encouragement she could.

"I can't believe this. Lucario is going to continue. How is it still standing?"

"You got to be kidding me!" Eddy muttered as Lucario stood waiting for his next Pokémon. "Fine! We're gonna need a big comeback. Let's go!"

Eddy tossed the Pokéball and the white light issued forth, resolving into a Swampert. The blue-skinned water type made a few confident cries and stared down its battered opponent.

"It's finally time for Swampert. Eddy's best Pokémon."

Ash took a breath and calmed himself. He didn't see how Lucario could win this but he was going to give it everything he had. He believed in his Pokémon.

Eddy reached into one of his vest's pockets and retrieved a small sphere. "I'd really hoped to be facing Pikachu when I did this, but oh well!" A moment later, he held the sphere in the air and energy began to shoot out from the object and from Swampert, joining together in the space between them.

"It's time for one more epic win, Swampert! Mega Evolve!"

Swampert was bathed in the golden energy and began to grow in size. Its arms became bigger and its body more rotund. By the time the energy dissipated, the water type looked like a brutal bruiser, designed to take hits and dish them out.

"That's a Mega Evolution. It looks like Eddy has picked up a new trick. Will it be enough to turn things around though?"

Ash frowned and felt a little stupid. He hadn't brought his mega gauntlet because he'd been under the assumption that Eddy didn't have any special gimmicks. Now, he'd have to deal with a Mega Pokémon without being able to match it. He knew the rest of his team could do it, but Lucario…..

"Hey," Ash whispered. "Do you still wanna go?"

Lucario didn't even glance back. It merely grunted a reply, keeping its gaze focused on Swampert.

Ash furrowed his brow and set his face. "Okay, let's do this!" he said with determination.

Lucario possessed the will to fight, but not the strength. The battle with Salamence had taken everything it had. Now, as it faced down the bulbous water type, it was taking most of its energy just to remain standing.

Lucario closed its eyes and calmed its mind. Through its aura vision it could see its opponent. It could see Eddy, Ash and Serena. It could see how much its parents wanted it to succeed.

Lucario could faintly hear in its mind Serena wishing it well and sending it strength. It also could see how much Ash wanted it to succeed. How Ash was going to be there for every second of the battle, giving everything he had.

As Lucario took all this in, it could feel the strength and support flowing into its body from its mother and father. Lucario grabbed hold of this strength and made it a part of itself. It felt its body being to strengthen and its energy to return. It would not fail its parents. It simply refused to do so!

As Eddy prepared to call out a move, Lucario suddenly began to cry out. A moment later, its body was engulfed by golden energy as the aura Pokémon underwent the same process Swampert had a minute earlier.

"That's not possible!" Eddy shouted, as the energy faded and Lucario's Mega Evolution stood ready for battle.

"Amazing! We just witnessed a spontaneous Mega Evolution! Is there anything this Lucario can't do!"

Ash smiled and laughed. "You really wanna win, don't you," he said with humor.

Lucario nodded and dropped into a combat stance.

Eddy gritted his teeth and pointed at Lucario. "Okay, let's knock this guy down and get after the rest. Hammer Arm!"

Swampert leapt forward and began bounding across the battlefield on all fours.

"Use Aura Sphere!" Ash commanded.

Lucario charged a sphere and fired it at the oncoming Pokémon. Swampert took the hit and didn't even flinch. Eddy's Pokémon reared back with its right arm, which began to glow, and swung at Lucario.

"Dodge!" Ash shouted.

Lucario quickly moved to the side. The Aura Pokémon was far from full strength, but it could still fight.

"Use Bullet Punch!" Ash said.

"Use Liquidation!" Eddy responded.

Lucario's paws glowed white and Swampert's fists were engulfed with energized water. The two Mega Pokémon began swinging at each other; Swampert's raw power clashing with Lucario's skill and speed.

"Such speed, such power! Both these Pokémon are at the top of their game."

Lucario landed almost every strike it sent, however the damage was relatively minor. Swampert swung wildly and with devastation power, however none of its blows could touch the aura Pokémon. Again and again, Lucario twisted, juked, dodged and ducked out of the way of the water type's meaty fists.

"Use Sludge Wave!" Eddy suddenly called out.

Ash found the choice of move surprising. In addition to being a fighting type Lucario was also a steel type. A poison move like Sludge Wave would have no effect whatsoever.

"Lucario, be careful!" Ash called out.

Lucario landed a few final blows and Swampert raised its arms. The aura Pokémon back flipped away from its opponent as Swampert slammed its fists into the ground, sending a huge wave of purple liquid out in all directions. Lucario simply crossed its arms to protect its face and let the poisonous water wash over it. The attack did nothing to Ash's Pokémon and it scanned the battlefield looking for Swampert. Eddy's Pokémon was nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd it go?"

A moment later, Lucario felt a tremor in the ground and sensed Swampert was underneath its feet. The water type exploded out of the ground, sending Lucario flying upwards. Swampert swung its fist around and delivered a devastating Hammer Arm attack to Ash's Pokémon.

Lucario slammed into the ground and tumbled once. It jumped back to its feet but staggered momentarily. It couldn't take another hit like that.

"Keep it up!" Eddy commanded.

Swampert dove downward and dug back into the earth, disappearing from sight.

"Swampert is using its signature hit and run tactics."

"Get ready Lucario!" Ash shouted. "Use your aura vision!"

Lucario did just that and gazed through the earth. It could clearly see Swampert quickly tunneling into position beneath it. Ash's Pokémon knew it only had enough strength for a couple more exchanges. The battle had to end now.

Swampert began to surge upward through the ground and Lucario planted both its paws on the surface of the battlefield. The fighting type then started channeling its aura energy down into the ground, building a massive amount of it right in Swampert's path. Just as Eddy's Pokémon was about to surface, Lucario detonated the energy.

The ground exploded. Lucario leapt away and Swampert was launched into the air with a cry of surprise and dismay. The aura Pokémon didn't hesitate and jumped upward to engage its opponent. It struck at the creature from underneath, driving it higher into the air.

"I'm not sure what move Lucario used there."

"Fight back Swampert!" Eddy shouted.

Swampert tried to punch Lucario but the smaller Pokémon proved too agile. Lucario flipped around and moved above Swampert. It then unleashed another vicious barrage of Bullet Punches, driving Swampert down toward the ground. Lucario kept up the attack until both Pokémon were rapidly plummeting toward the ground. Lucario then leapt upward, charged an Aura Sphere and fired it down at its opponent.

Swampert's back slammed into the ground at the same time as the Aura Sphere smashed into its front. A huge cloud of dust was kicked up and Lucario landed in a crouch some distance away. The dust settled and Swampert lay, unmoving, in a crater in the middle of the battlefield. The Mega Evolution faded from the water type and the stadium became very quiet.

"Swampert is unable to battle!" the referee called out. "The victory goes to Ash!"

Serena let out a tense and excited laugh and then quickly took a gasping breath. She hadn't taken a breath during the entirety of the final exchange and now her lungs demanded fresh air. She took in several deep, slow breaths, a broad smile slowly spreading across her face. Lucario had done it! Ash had done it!

She leaned against the window, feeling warm and sweet emotions start to bubble up inside her.

"Oh, Ash!" she whispered to herself. "I knew you could do it!"

The Mega Evolution energy dissipated from Lucario and the aura Pokémon reverted back to its normal appearance. Ash and Pikachu dashed across the battlefield, both of them grinning from ear to ear.

"You did it Lucario!" Ash shouted.

Lucario allowed itself a small grin and turned to face Ash. Even that tiny motion was too much for the exhausted Pokémon and its legs began to collapse out from under it. Lucario went down on one knee and the fighting type let out a pained moan.

Ash reached his Pokémon and laid a hand on Lucario's shoulder.

"You okay?" Ash asked softly.

Lucario nodded heavily and managed a subtle smile.

Ash smiled and nodded in return. The two of them shared a respectful stare and then Ash heard a commotion some distance behind him. The trainer from Kanto looked over his shoulder and saw there were about twenty reporters making their way across the field, no doubt intent on interviewing the 'world's greatest Pokémon trainer.'

"Oh boy," Ash sighed.

Lucario groaned and Ash turned back to his Pokémon. The extremely stoic warrior had no interest in the media spotlight and felt somewhat self-conscious about its exhausted state. Ash gave Lucario a sympathetic smile and raised its Pokéball. Lucario nodded in thanks and was whisked away inside its Pokéball where it could begin to rest.

Ash turned to face the approaching mob of reporters and camera men. One of the advantages of living in Pallet Town was the lack of media. He definitely hadn't missed this aspect of being world champion.

Twenty-five minutes later, Ash emerged from the elevator and stepped into the luxury box. Pikachu bounded into the center of the room and Ash wasted no time in sending out his other five friends. Pikachu, Talonflame, Charizard, Sceptile, Noivern and Lucario all smiled and celebrated their success. There was plenty of congratulations, some good natured ribbing and lots of laughter and enjoyment.

Much of the praise was directed toward Lucario, which made the aura Pokémon very uncomfortable. Sensing an opportunity, the other Pokémon raised the stoic creature up on their shoulders and began carrying a protesting Lucario around like the victor it was.

This went on for several minutes until Pikachu nudged Ash and pointed toward the doorway which led to the room overlooking the battlefield. Serena was standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe in a relaxed fashion and looking at Ash with beautiful blue eyes full of love, respect, admiration and longing.

Ash and his Pokémon exchanged glances and his six friends all urged him to go reunite with his girlfriend. The tone of their encouragement made Ash blush. They could all tell from Serena's expression what was in store for Ash, and they weren't shy teasing him about it.

Ash took several steps toward the doorway and smiled sheepishly at Serena. The girl from Kalos waited until Ash was within arm's reach and then leaned away from the doorframe so she was upright. She kept her gaze focused on Ash but she took several slow steps backwards. Her lips formed into a playful and mischievous smile as she turned to the side and took several more steps backwards, leading Ash behind the wall so they were out of sight of the neighboring room.

She finally stopped walking and Ash stepped so there was just a short distance separating them. They stared at each other for several seconds and then Serena spoke in a soft whisper.

"I told you you could do it," she said flatly.

Ash chuckled and shook his head slightly.

Serena smiled and waited a moment before she continued. "You're still the greatest Pokémon trainer in the world," she said, her voice now a bit more serious.

Ash pressed his lips together, but said nothing.

"You're still so strong and brave," Serena said, beginning to recite her planned victory speech. "You love Pokémon and you love battling."

Ash couldn't help but grin and Serena saw the same twinkle in his eye that she'd fallen so deeply in love with way back when they'd traveled together in Kalos. Serena felt butterflies fill her stomach and her heart begin to perform flip-flops inside her chest.

"You may not be traveling the world anymore…." she began, hesitating as her blood ran hot with desire and her head filled with wonderful emotions and sensual thoughts. Serena felt her prepared speech start to disintegrate. "but….. you're still… doing amazing things everyday… and getting so much stronger."

Ash smiled broadly and shifted awkwardly on his feet. Serena saw his lips twitch slightly and she felt hers tingle in response. She really wanted to feel Ash's lips press against hers.

"You're every bit the Pokémon master today….. as you were… three years ago…." Serena said, struggling to put words together. "You can take on… any task….. and any…"

Serena's voice trailed off as she was completely captivated by the wonderful man she loved so much.

"Ah, forget it!" she said in a resigned mumble.

She stepped forward and leaned her head toward Ash. Ash mirrored the motion and both of them closed their eyes a moment before their lips met. Ash wrapped his arms around Serena's torso and drew her close. Serena responded by draping her arms over Ash's shoulders and gently clasping her hands behind his neck.

They moved their mouths in synch with each other and their lips made several wet 'smack' sounds as they passionately kissed. Ash's overwhelming victory had aroused strong feelings inside both of them which caused this meeting of their lips to be especially pleasurable. Their mouths opened ever so slightly and their tongues gently teased each other. Ash and Serena knew that the luxury box wasn't a setting where they could let their feelings run wild, and so, after several very enjoyable seconds, they pulled away from each other and opened their eyes.

They took a couple breaths and then Serena whispered. "Congratulations, Ash!"

Ash smiled but didn't have any words. They leaned close, shared one last sweet kiss and then pulled apart. They held hands and walked to the bank of full-length windows overlooking the battlefield. The stadium had completely emptied. Only the staff remained, cleaning and putting things back to rights.

Serena leaned against Ash and they enjoyed a quiet moment together.

"You're still the world's greatest Pokémon trainer, Ash," Serena spoke softly after a minute had passed.

Ash smiled wryly and shrugged. "Thanks to Lucario," he said idly.

Serena glanced over at Ash. "What do you mean?"

Ash sighed. "Sure I won, but my heart wasn't really in that battle."

Serena frowned slightly. "It sure seemed like you and Lucario were in synch."

Now it was Ash's turn to frown. "Lucario was doing half of that stuff on its own. I only gave a few commands."

Serena wrapped her arms around Ash left arm and squeezed gently. "You and Lucario are an amazing team. It's like you can read each other's thoughts. You don't always have to give commands. Give yourself some credit Ash."

Ash sighed again. "Maybe, I don't know." Silence hung in the air for several seconds until Ash spoke again. "I guess the battle just wasn't a whole lot of fun. It was like I was just going through the motions, not really fighting for anything."

Serena thought for a moment, trying to come up with something inspirational. "Well, if that's you fighting uninspired, just wait until you get fired up!" she said playfully.

Ash chuckled and looked over at Serena. "Honestly, I just want to get back to Pallet Town and break ground on the new house. That's what I'm fired up about right now."

Serena leaned her head against Ash's shoulder. A few weeks ago Ash had finalized the plans for the house he was going to build. Since then, he'd been extremely excited about the project and eager to get started. "You've still got to get that excavator started first, right?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, but I think I'm getting close, I've just gotta replace-"

The exchange was suddenly interrupted by someone loudly clapping their hands several times behind them. Ash and Serena turned and took in the sight of who had entered the luxury box.

Ash's eyes widened in surprise and he gasped slightly. She was a little taller and looked a little older. Her brown hair was now pulled back behind her head in an elegant loop instead of draping down over her ears. She wasn't wearing her fanny pack, but she was still wearing her signature bandana atop her head, only now it was a dark pink with white highlights. She was wearing an ivory colored shirt with rose colored aspects and gold edging. Her shorts were dark blue and her shoes white and gold.

"MAY!" Ash shouted joyfully.

"Angel!" Serena breathed in surprise, speaking simultaneously as Ash.

Ash and Serena looked at each other, surprised that the other had recognized their friend.

"Wait, you know her?!" they said at the same time.

Ash abruptly turned back toward May as she began to dash toward him, her mouth open in a beaming smile and arms held wide ready to embrace him. Ash laughed, half in surprise and half in embarrassment as May crashed into him and wrapped her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug.

"Oh!" Serena exclaimed, surprised by the massive outpouring of emotion from May.

Ash chuckled and hugged May back. The girl from Hoenn briefly nuzzled against Ash's shoulder and then pulled back, placing her hands on Ash's shoulders and looking him in the eye. Happiness, joy and nervousness were all evident on her face. Her eyes glistened with tears.

Serena wasn't quite sure what to think and she said the first thing that popped into her head. "So, you know May?!"

Ash smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yeah, I met her when I arrived in Hoenn. We traveled together for a while."

Serena slightly shook her head and smiled ironically. "Of course you have, you've met everyone in the entire world at least once," she said with a laugh.

Ash briefly looked May over, happy to see his longtime friend after so long. "Aw, May, it's so good to see you!" he said energetically. "How have you been? How are you doing with Pokémon contests?"

At this, May's face fell slightly. She opened her mouth and took her hands off of Ash's shoulders. She hesitated however, and Serena took the moment to lean forward slightly, interjecting herself into the exchange.

"Um, Ash," Serena said tentatively, catching May's eye. There's something you need to know.

Ash cocked his head slightly from puzzlement. "Uh, what?" he replied.

Serena tensely pressed her lips together and glanced at May. "Is it okay if I-" she barely whispered, gesturing at May and then at Ash.

May solemnly nodded and took a step back from Ash.

Serena turned to face Ash and took a deep breath. When she spoke, her voice was gentle and somber. "You see Ash…. May can't speak!"

Ash blinked several times as his brain tried to wrap itself around Serena's words. "What!" he finally exclaimed. He stood dumbstruck for a second and then looked at his friend from Hoenn. "May!" he said, searching for any kind of explanation.

May's face became sad and she raised her right hand up to her neck, gently clasping her fingers around her throat. She slowly shook her head, silently confirming what Serena had said a moment before. She no longer possessed the ability to speak.

Ash looked devastated. He visibly sagged and his legs briefly wobbled.

"What! How?! What- what happened?!"

May's expression changed to one of extreme sympathy. She reached out with her right arm and gently placed her hand on Ash's shoulder. She gave him a reassuring squeeze and a small smile. Ash was still in shock and couldn't respond. May waited several seconds until her longtime friend regained some composure. She then stepped back and turned toward Serena. She made several quick signs with her hands and Serena's eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, sure," Serena replied, agreeing with what May had asked of her. "I'm a little rusty, but yeah, I can translate."

May nodded and Serena turned toward Ash.

"See Ash, you know her as May but I know her by her stage name, Silent Angel."

Ash looked intrigued but didn't say anything.

Serena and May exchanged glances and Serena continued.

"I met her a little while after I arrived in Hoenn. I was so amazed by what she could do and we became friends. I learned some sign language so she could easily communicate with me. She's why I've experimented with using hand gestures to control Pokémon instead of traditional commands. I got the idea from her."

May's eyes widened slightly and she sent Serena an appreciative look.

Serena chuckled and continued. "I've only ever known her like this," her voice softened. "after her injury….."

Ash glanced between May and Serena, his gaze pleading for answers.

May performed a small gesture with her hands, indicating that Serena should explain things. Serena nodded and took a breath.

"A few years ago, May was in Slateport City for a contest. That evening, she was walking through the city when an apartment building caught fire. It was a really terrible fire and there were a lot of people trapped inside."

Serena smiled and gestured toward May. "May and Blaziken went into the building and started rescuing people. They saved dozens of lives but at one point May got trapped by some collapsing debris and passed out. Blaziken got her out, but she was badly burned and really hurt. Apparently, during all that, she'd breathed in something that damaged her vocal cords."

Serena's eyes teared up as she said this. She took a breath to steady herself and continued, her voice now just a whisper. "She hasn't been able to speak since then."

May nodded in appreciation and reached over to lay a hand on Serena's shoulder.

Ash struggled to form a sentence. "So, you can't speak at all?!" he managed, sounding utterly disheartened.

May nodded and then turned to Serena. She made a series of signs, smiling as she did so.

Serena looked at Ash once May had finished communicating. "She wants to let you know that she's doing really well and she's happy."

May signed again and Serena translated.

"She's at peace with what happened to her and she hopes you won't worry about her."

Ash's lips trembled slightly and Serena could see he was struggling to hold back emotions.

May looked toward Ash, put on a kind expression and signed again.

Serena flinched slightly as she saw what May communicated. "She says she knows this is really hard for you and she really appreciates how much you care for her."

Serena blinked and began to wonder if Ash and May had been more than just friends. They seemed extremely close and May's actions toward Ash were very forward and personal. An uneasy feeling started to form inside Serena's stomach.

"You're worried about ME!?" Ash said, his tone bordering on incredulity. "May, you're the one who's…." Ash's voice trailed off.

May signed again. "I'm fine Ash, and I'm really proud of how you won the World Pokémon Championship."

Ash just shook his head in a dismissive fashion. "It wasn't a big deal-"

May sharply slapped his arm and scowled at him briefly before reverting back to her happy face.

Ash just stared back at her, admiration and disbelief present on his face.

May signed and Serena translated. "I know you already had one battle today, but I want to face the world champion too."

Ash's eyes lit up in a way that Serena hadn't seen in a long time.

"You wanna battle?!" Ash said, sounding very surprised.

May nodded and looked very eager.

Ash struggled with his thoughts for a few seconds. "Well, I'd love to, but… like you said, I already had a big battle today."

May shook her head and held up three fingers. Ash immediately understood.

"Oh, you want a three-on-three battle," he said, a smile starting to spread across his face.

May nodded, smiling as well.

Ash looked enthused but suddenly he hesitated. "Uh, can you….. battle?" he asked delicately.

May simply smiled and looked fired up.

Serena leaned forward and caught Ash's eye. "Ash," she said, her voice filled with awe. "She's amazing."

Ash looked between May and Serena and then smiled broadly. "Okay, let's go!"

The three friends and Pikachu rode the elevator down to the ground level and made their way to the battlefield. As they walked, Ash quizzed May about some of her contests and Serena did her best to translate and recall the couple of times they'd competed in the same event. At one point, Serena badly messed up an interpretation, which caused May to break out in silent laughter. The girl from Hoenn held her sides and gasped for air as she laughed, but she didn't vocalize any sounds. It was a funny yet sad scene, that drove home just how much May had lost and how much she'd overcome.

When they finally reached the battlefield, the stadium was all but deserted. There were still a few staff members putting things right, but they were essentially alone.

Ash walked over to one of the workers and spoke up. "Hey, Hi!" he said in a friendly tone, getting the man's attention.

The man turned around and looked shocked. The last person he'd expected to see was the world's greatest Pokémon trainer.

"Uh…. hello, Mr. Ketchum! What can I do for you!?" the man responded sharply, his voice filled with awe and respect.

Ash looked embarrassed. "Uh, well, I was just wondering if me and my friend here could have a battle real quick?"

The man looked at May and Serena and his eyes grew even wider. He recognized both girls as former contest champions of Hoenn.

"Uhhh…. Yes, yes, sure, anything you want, Mr. Ketchum!" he said, fumbling over his own words. He pulled a handheld radio off his belt and spoke into it. "Clear the battlefield and activate the safety measures! Ash Ketchum is going to have another battle!"

Ash's face was turning red at this point and he watched as the remaining staff members scrambled to clear out. The protective shields which safeguarded the crowd hummed to life and most of the stadium staff huddled together in small groups around the structure, eager to see what would happen.

May retrieved something that looked like a bracer and began strapping it to her left forearm.

"So, what are the rules?" Ash asked, looking eager.

May smirked and made a gesture toward Serena.

Serena chuckled. "She says anything goes, same as always."

Ash grinned. "Sounds good!"

May looked toward Serena and made a request.

Serena looked pleased. "Oh, you want me to be the referee?" she replied, looking toward Ash.

"Fine by me," Ash replied.

Serena smiled. "Okay, this should be fun!"

May looked toward Ash and they shared an intense stare. The girl from Hoenn then walked across the battlefield and took her position. She briefly glanced around the area and for a moment looked disappointed. The look left her in an instant though, and she retrieved a Pokéball from one of her short's pockets.

Ash retrieved his own Pokéball and the two old friends faced-off as they had numerous times in the past. Several long seconds passed and they glanced at Serena.

Serena started. "Oh! Right!" She dashed to the side of the arena and tried to mimic the motion a referee made. "Send out your first Pokémon!"

Ash and May tossed their Pokéballs and a moment later Noivern and Beautifly appeared.

Ash grinned and nodded as he recalled countless memories of May's Pokémon. May gazed at Ash's Pokémon, who she'd never seen before and sent him an approving look. Noivern looked strong to her eye.

Serena hesitated a moment and glanced at Ash. Ash chuckled and gave Serena a small nod.

"Battle begin!" Serena shouted.

Ash hesitated a moment, wondering how in the world May was going to command her Pokémon. His opponent pulled a small thin metal rod from inside the bracer and held it in her right hand. She then made a sweeping motion with her left hand and Beautifly suddenly surged forward.

"Okay!" Ash said, a little surprised. "Noivern, use Acrobatics!"

Noivern reacted and charged to meet Beautifly. Both flying types sped toward each other. Noivern twisted and prepared to slash at Beautify with its wings. A few moments before impact, Beautifly suddenly beat its wings and accelerated into an Aerial Ace attack, catching Noivern off guard.

"Huh!" Ash gasped as he watched Noivern take the surprise hit. Had Beautifly acted on its own? He looked toward Serena.

Serena smiled. "She uses hand motions to issue commands Ash," she said, admiration creeping into her voice. "Well, that and a few other things," she added mysteriously.

Ash looked contemplative. "Hmm," he hummed. This battle was suddenly much more interesting. "Okay, use Acrobatics again!"

Noivern chased after Beautifly and prepared to attack again. Suddenly a trio of sharp metal clinks rang out and Beautifly abruptly turned around in midair. Ash glanced at May and saw that she'd used the small metal rod to strike some metallic surfaces attached to the bracer. He wondered for a moment why she'd done that and then Beautifly's wings glowed silver and the bug type unleashed a Silver Wind attack at Noivern.

Ash's Pokémon wasn't terribly affected by the attack, however its flying was. It struggled to stay on line toward its target and Beautifly was able to escape unscathed.

Ash glanced at May and raised an eyebrow. She saw this and responded with a wink and a smile. A move that Serena fully took note of.

"Okay, let's try Boomburst!" Ash commanded.

Noivern powered up and launched the earsplitting sonic attack at May's Pokémon. Just before the attack hit, May performed a series of swiping motions with her hands. Ash could only wonder what was about to happen. Beautifly was briefly caught in the damaging sound waves, but it quickly used Aerial Ace to dive out of danger and then came up on Noivern from underneath.

"Use Dragon Claw!" Ash shouted.

Noivern tried to follow the command but was too slow. Beautifly landed the attack and soared away without issue. As it did so, it spun in the bright sunlight, leaving a shower of shimmering dust behind it. Even in a non-contest battle, May's attacks were beautiful and elegant.

"Follow after it and avoid Silver Wind!" Ash said.

Noivern flapped its wings and gave chase. The two flying types chased each other around the airspace until Noivern started to get close. May made a gesture and struck the bracer.

Beautifly suddenly turned around and Noivern prepared to dodge. Instead, the bug type's eyes glowed blue and Noivern suddenly stopped in midair.

"Oh no!" Ash groaned.

Noivern flailed for a moment and then was thrown downward by the Psychic attack. It crashed to the ground but got up quickly.

Ash thought fast. May smiled and struck the bracer a couple of times. Beautifly began to swoop in but Ash had no idea what was coming.

"Use Boomburst on the ground!" Ash called out.

Noivern complied and launched its attack into the dirt of the stadium. A huge cloud of dust was kicked up, engulfing Beautifly and Noivern. May rapidly struck the bracer and Ash shouted his next command.

"Use your echolocation and Acrobatics!"

Neither trainer could see what was going on. Beautifly and Noivern cried out and there was the sound of flapping wings and vicious collisions. Several brutal exchanges took place and then there was the sound of a Pokémon hitting the ground.

The dust cleared and Beautifly was lying unmoving on the ground. Noivern was landed a short distance away, a bit worse for wear.

There was a longer than usual pause and then Serena remembered she was the referee.

"Uh, Beautifly is unable to battle!" she called out.

Ash looked a little guilty. "Sorry…." he said sheepishly.

May slightly cocked her head to the side and gave him a curious expression. She then made a few signs and Serena translated.

"Uh, she said, don't worry, I'm going easy on you."

Ash's eyes went wide and May began silently laughing.

Serena looked uncertain and a bit embarrassed. "I think she was kidding," she added.

May clutched at her sides as she continued to silently laugh. Once she recovered, she made a few more signs and looked at Ash with kind eyes.

Serena hesitated to deliver this translation and her voice wavered slightly. "She said, I've really missed battling with you Ash. I'd forgotten how much fun it was."

A satisfied smile formed on Ash's face and May recalled her Pokémon.

Serena swallowed a lump in her throat. Although she'd conveyed the gist of May's message, she'd left out how the girl from Hoenn had added in some affectionate flair to her gestures. Serena was starting to feel very uneasy. What sort of history did Ash and May have? How long had they traveled together?

May stowed Beautifly's Pokéball and then tossed out her next choice. The white light burst out of the device and resolved into Glaceon.

Ash looked at Noivern and then at his new opponent. "Okay, Noivern, let's go!"

Noivern let out a battle cry and took to the air.

"Use Supersonic!"

Noivern began sweeping the disorienting sound waves across the battlefield, toward Glaceon.

May performed a flourish and a sweep with her hands. Without warning, Glaceon rapidly bounded forward and into the air. Its tail began to glow silver and just before it landed on the ground, it fired an Ice Beam onto the ground in front of it. The attack caused the ground to become covered in ice and Glaceon curled its tail underneath itself and landed atop it. May's Pokémon continued firing Ice Beam in front of itself while standing atop its charged iron tail. It rapidly skated across the newly created ice, using its tail in the same way a surfer uses a board to glide across the water.

"That's a new one," Ash said, sounding impressed.

Noivern tried to guide the Supersonic attack into Glaceon as it skated across the battlefield. May's Pokémon adeptly turned and dodged the attacks and remained unharmed.

May struck the bracer a couple of times and made a gesture but Glaceon didn't do anything.

"Okay, use Boomburst! Blow the ice away!"

The moment Noivern began to windup for Boomburst, Glaceon suddenly skated toward the dragon type and used its momentum to launch itself into the air. May's Pokémon fired an Ice Beam attack and struck Noivern. Before Ash or his Pokémon could react, Glaceon somersaulted in mid air and swung its tail downward, slamming Noivern down toward the ground.

The giant bat crashed to earth and didn't move.

"Noivern is unable to battle!" Serena shouted, feeling a little guilty at calling a knock out on one of Ash's Pokémon.

May clapped her hands and jumped up and down excitedly. Glaceon looked back at her and voiced its appreciation. May smiled and nodded in reply.

Ash looked a little surprised, but certainly not disappointed. He recalled Noivern and pulled out his next Pokéball. "This should bring back some memories," Ash said to himself, grinning as he did so. He threw the Pokéball and Sceptile emerged onto the battlefield.

May's eyes immediately lit up upon seeing the Pokémon she'd watched grow up and evolve. She expressed herself with an open mouth smile and hands folded over her heart. Glaceon said a friendly greeting and Sceptile acknowledged them both with a respectful bow.

Serena couldn't help but smile. It was emotional seeing so many old friends reunite, especially under the circumstances.

Ash smiled broadly and then directed an intense look at May. "You ready?"

May nodded and both of them prepared to resume the battle.

Ash made a forceful gesture. "Start off with Bullet Seed!"

Sceptile growled and unleashed a barrage of yellow seeds toward Glaceon. May performed a sweeping gesture and her Pokémon again charged its tail and began skating across the ice. A lot of the battlefield was covered with ice at this point and there was plenty of room for Glaceon to maneuver.

"Two can play at this game," Ash said. "Sceptile, start skating after Glaceon!"

Ash's Pokémon followed the command and jumped onto the ice. It began using its clawed feet to skim across the ice, chasing after its opponent.

May smiled, swung her arm in a slashing motion and struck the bracer once.

Glaceon swung around and charged a Shadow Ball attack. May's Pokémon abruptly launched itself into the air and fired the sphere of purple energy at Sceptile.

"Cut it in half with Leaf Blade!" Ash called out.

Sceptile charged its bladed arms and swung a powerful sword like blade of glowing green energy at the oncoming sphere. It neatly sliced the Shadow Ball in half, causing the two parts to veer off to either side and slam into the ground. A moment later, Glaceon descended, swinging its charged tail around at Sceptile.

"Block it with Leaf Blade!"

Sceptile struggled but managed to swing one of its green blades into the path of Glaceon's Iron Tail attack. The two blows met violently and both Pokémon were thrown backward by the impact.

Glaceon landed neatly on the ice while Sceptile skidded and struggled to stay upright.

May quickly struck the bracer twice and Glaceon fired an Ice Beam.

"Get out of there!" Ash shouted.

Sceptile tried to scamper away, its claws scraping on the ice and throwing up chunks of the frozen material. It avoided the Ice Beam, but only by the narrowest of margins.

Ash gritted his teeth. "I guess this isn't going to work," he said bitterly. "Use Leaf Storm on the ice!"

Sceptile leapt into the air and let out a loud cry. It summoned a huge cloud of glowing green leaves around itself and then launched them at the entire battlefield. The attack rained down and shattered the ice covering the field. Glaceon dodged and jumped, managing to evade the storm with little damage.

The dust settled and Sceptile landed, ready for action.

"Now we can get this going!" Ash said fiercely. "Use Leaf Blade!"

Sceptile rushed across the battlefield and charged its blades. May struck the bracer several times and Glaceon began juking out of the way of the attacks.

"Keep it up!" Ash shouted.

Sceptile slashed repeatedly at Glaceon. The grass type was simply faster than its opponent and finally landed a solid hit, eliciting a cry of pain from the ice type.

May performed a gesture and struck the bracer. A moment later Glaceon jumped backward and charged a Shadow Ball.

"Cut it down!" Ash shouted.

Sceptile continued with the Leaf Blade assault and sliced through the sphere of energy the moment Glaceon launched it. May's Pokémon then swung its body around and tried to land an Iron Tail attack. Sceptile was far too quick and first blocked the Iron Tail with its right blade and the slammed Glaceon into the air with a vicious uppercut from its left blade. May's Pokémon tumbled end-over-end, flying upward over the battlefield.

"Finish it up with Solar Beam!" Ash cried out enthusiastically.

Sceptile began to take in energy from the sun and slowly the yellow spheres on its back began to glow.

May gestured and crossed her arms over her torso.

Sceptile cried out and unleashed a massive and powerful beam of white light from its open mouth. A moment later Glaceon also cried out and its body was suddenly coated in a semitransparent glowing orange energy. The Solar Beam hit home and engulfed Glaceon. There was a large explosion and then a moment later an even bigger beam of energy shot back toward Sceptile.

Ash, Sceptile and Serena barely had time to gasp before a massive explosion sent the grass type flying across the battlefield. Sceptile slammed into a wall of the stadium and fell to the ground unconscious.

For several seconds, Serena simply stood with her mouth agape, dumbfounded by what had happened. Ash had been outmaneuvered.

"Uh…. Sceptile is unable to battle," Serena managed.

Ash looked reflective for a moment and then turned his gaze toward May. "Nice move," he said, his tone full of respective.

May beamed and bounced on her heels. Glaceon looked back toward her and she gave the Pokemon a congratulatory gesture. Glaceon mewed a happy reply and paced back toward May's side of the battlefield.

Ash recalled Sceptile and looked at Pikachu. "Looks like it's up to you."

Pikachu let out a determined cry and nodded. He jumped out onto the battlefield and stood ready to face Glaceon.

May sent Pikachu a big smile and for a moment, the two of them weren't opponents but old friends exchanging pleasantries.

Ash grinned and laughed. He then shifted his stance and stood ready for the battle. Serena couldn't help but notice that he looked much more animated than when he'd been fighting Eddy.

"Okay, Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu shouted and sped forward toward Glaceon.

May struck the bracer and Glaceon swung an Iron Tail at the oncoming electric type.

May's Pokémon did everything right, Pikachu was simply more experienced in battling and far quicker. Ash's Pokémon leapt into the air at the last second, rolled to avoid Glaceon's tail and slammed into the ice type's midsection.

"Yes!" Ash exclaimed. "Now Electroweb!"

Pikachu skidded to a stop and whipped its tail around. A web of yellow electricity flew toward Glaceon and wrapped around the blue skinned Pokémon, causing it to cry out.

May struck the bracer three times and performed a sweeping gesture with both her arms.

Glaceon surrounded itself with glowing orange energy and a moment later the Electroweb exploded outward.

Ash grinned fiercely. "Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu loudly cried out, sparks flew and the electric type unleashed its signature move, a bright yellow bolt of energy which made the air sizzle with frightful power.

Glaceon had no chance to evade and took the full force of the attack. May's Pokémon staggered and shook its head.

Ash made a forceful gesture. "Iron Tail, let's go!"

Pikachu dashed forward and its tail began to glow bright silver.

May struck the bracer twice and Glaceon fired an Ice Beam at Pikachu. The electric type at first avoided the attack, but as it drew closer to its opponent it could no longer do so. Pikachu leapt into the air and swung its tail around, using it as a shield against the icy attack.

Both Pokémon loudly cried out as they exerted maximum effort, Glaceon, putting all its energy into the Ice Beam, and Pikachu, holding fast and slicing its way through the incoming attack. In the end, Pikachu won the exchange, and slammed its tail into Glaceon's forehead. There was a violent collision and May's Pokémon was sent tumbling across the battlefield where it remained motionless.

"Glaceon is unable to battle!" Serena shouted a bit louder than she'd intended. Her heart was pounding from the stress of seeing Ash battling with his last Pokémon.

Ash looked at Pikachu and nodded in approval. He then looked toward May and saw she was smiling. This was just like old times.

May recalled Glaceon and stowed its Pokéball away. She then pulled out her final choice and tapped the device to enlarge it. She held the Pokéball in her hand, closed her eyes and tilted her head forward slightly, pressing the ball against her forehead in a moment of reflection and preparation.

Ash smiled subtly. He instinctively knew what was coming and he was looking forward to it.

May's eyes snapped open and with a flourish of her arm, she threw the Pokéball forward onto the battlefield. Blaziken appeared and Ash and Pikachu nodded in greeting. They were all old acquaintances and they briefly paused to take in the moment.

Ash and May then locked eyes with each other and May pulled a Pokéblock case from a pocket of her shorts.

Ash grinned. "Here we go!" he said, his voice heavy with anticipation.

May smiled and slid a small door on the Pokéblock case aside. From the distance he was at Ash couldn't see the Key Stone contained inside, but he could see the effect. Brilliant energy shot from the stone and joined with energy from Blaziken. May's Pokémon didn't grow in size, but rather became more intense and powerful in its appearance.

Both trainers stood still for a moment and then they issued their commands. May struck the bracer a couple of times and Ash called out Thunderbolt.

Pikachu was the faster of the two combatants, but not by much. It unleashed a devastating bolt of energy but Blaziken managed to use its powerful legs to jump out of the way. May's Pokémon then took several long, fast strides toward Pikachu and launched itself into a flaming kick.

"Dodge it!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu did so and twisted out of the way of the blow.

"Electroweb then Quick Attack!" Ash called out.

Pikachu complied and flicked a web of electricity at Blaziken.

May performed a couple of fast gestures just as the electric webbing wrapped around her Pokemon. Blaziken kicked off of the ground and twisted its body so it spun rapidly. The rapid movement caused the Electroweb to disintegrate, freeing the fire type.

Pikachu came charging in a moment later, but Blaziken was now able to defend itself. It directed a series of powerful kicks at Ash's Pokémon which forced Pikachu to become evasive. The two of them struck and dodged at each other for several intense seconds. Pikachu landed several hits but eventually Blaziken managed to slam a kick into the electric type, sending it flying.

Serena gasped and folded her hands over her heart. She hadn't seen Ash truly pressed in a battle for years.

"Thunderbolt again!" Ash called out.

Pikachu landed on the ground and fired another bolt of electricity.

May issued her command and Blaziken suddenly surged forward. The Pokémon performed a short hop and slammed its feet into the ground, kicking up a huge wall of dirt, blocking the Thunderbolt attack.

"Bulldoze, huh!" Ash commented. "Good one."

May issued another command and Blaziken leapt into the air. The tall and lean Pokémon reared back and sent a huge plume of flame toward Pikachu as it unleashed an Overheat attack.

"Quick Attack! Get out of there!"

Pikachu accelerated and rapidly dashed across the ground. It managed to avoid most of the huge fireball, but still got a little singed.

"All right!" Ash said, sounding very excited. "Now this is a battle!"

May smiled and nodded. A moment later she issued another command.

Blaziken reared back and fired another Overheat.

"Use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu cried out and directed a large bolt of electricity into the oncoming wall of fire. The collision of attacks lit up the stadium and made the ground vibrate.

Serena had seen May compete in contests several times. Her style was always elegant yet powerful and she maintained an aura of calm around herself when she performed. Now, however, the young woman going toe-to-toe with Ash Ketchum didn't resemble that calm and graceful performer at all. Her posture was fierce and her gaze intense. In fact, as Serena looked on, Ash and May seemed to be very similar in appearance, like they were mirrors of each other. The girl from Kalos was captivated by the sight of two equally determined trainers locked in a battle of wills.

The two attacks dissipated in a fiery explosion leaving Blaziken and Pikachu staring each other down.

"Electroweb!"

Pikachu launched another web of electricity but a quick response from May caused Blaziken to perform a double kick and shatter the incoming attack. Blaziken then accelerated forward and began directing kicks at Pikachu.

It was all Serena could do to keep from yelping in fright and concern as the two Pokémon exchanged blows. Pikachu took both standard kicks and flaming ones. Blaziken meanwhile received blows from Quick Attack and eventually a Thunderbolt. Time seemed to have no meaning as the intense exchanges continued. Ash and May were locked in a struggle and neither of them intended to lose.

Eventually, after one more fierce collision, Pikachu and Blaziken staggered backward from each other, clearly exhausted but still determined to win.

"This is it Pikachu! GO FOR IT!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu summoned up what strength it had remaining and the air around it crackled with electricity.

On the other side of the battlefield, May inserted two finger of her right hand into her mouth and a high-pitched, earsplitting whistle filled the air. Blaziken ignited itself and prepared to charge forward.

Serena held her breath and the two Pokémon surged toward each other.

The moment before the collision was filled with noise and action. Pikachu let out a battle cry and leapt into the air. Electricity surrounded Ash's best buddy, arcing off of the ground and snapping in the air. Blaziken roared with determination and power. The Pokémon's eyes glowed and skin burned. It was surrounded by a raging inferno and it jumped into the air to meet Ash's Pokémon.

The two incredibly powerful creatures slammed into each other and the very air of the stadium seemed to vibrate with energy. Serena hadn't seen anything like this since the final battle of the Master's Eight, when Pikachu had gone up against Leon's Charizard. She had to squint against the blinding light put off by the meeting of fire and lightning.

Finally all the noise and energy came to a head, Pikachu and Blaziken's cries, Ash's shouting, May's whistle and the rumble of the attacks. A huge detonation went off in the middle of the stadium and Serena had to put her arms up to shield her face.

The intense noise dissipated and the dust began to clear. The only sound in Serena's ears was the rapid beating of her heart and the tense breaths she was drawing.

Pikachu and Blaziken came into sight. Pikachu was on all fours and struggling to remain standing. Blaziken stood tall and looked on. The two Pokémon stared each other down and then Blaziken closed its eyes and fell forward onto its face. The Mega Evolution energy faded from May's Pokémon. The battle was over.

It took Serena a moment to realize that Ash had won. After that, it took her another moment to remember she was the referee.

"Uh, BLAZIKEN IS UNABLE TO BATTLE!" Serena shouted, feeling immense relief. She then felt a little embarrassed and said in a more normal tone. "The victory goes to Ash!"

Ash and May exchanged glanced and May smiled. Both of them walked out onto the battlefield to attend to their Pokémon.

Ash picked up Pikachu and cradled him in his arms. "Hey, that was a pretty good one huh?" he said with a smile.

Pikachu nodded and looked like he could fall asleep in Ash's arms.

Ash looked toward May and saw she was kneeling next to Blaziken. Her Pokémon had sat up and she was gently running her fingers through its fur, smiling as she did so. She made a few signs and Blaziken nodded in reply. She then pulled out a Pokéball and whisked her friend away.

Ash and Serena moved toward May and the three friends spent a moment smiling and exchanging respectful looks. It had been a great battle.

"Well, you definitely can still battle," Ash said with a wry smile.

May beamed, folded her hands together and did a cute, girlish pose of appreciation.

Ash chuckled, but then his expression became much more serious. He took a few steps toward May so she was within arm's reach.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he said with some concern. "I know it's got to be really hard."

May's expression became one of appreciation. Her eyes shimmered with emotion and she laid a hand on Ash's shoulder.

Serena started to feel a knot form in her stomach. She hadn't felt anything like this since Miette had teased her way back in Kalos. Ash had thankfully been oblivious to Miette's overtures. Serena didn't know what her boyfriend's history with May was though. She didn't know if she should be worried or how much.

May looked toward Serena and was about to sign something when the smooth and slightly aloof sounding voice of a young man cut through the air.

"She's fine Ash," Drew stated.

All three of them whirled around to see the new arrival. Like May, Drew looked a little older, but other than that, everything was the same, same clothes, same hair, same slightly arrogant smirk.

Serena looked puzzled, Ash looked pleased, and May looked overjoyed.

"She nearly beat you, didn't she?" Drew deadpanned.

Ash chuckled and nodded in agreement.

May took a couple of quick steps toward Drew and looked at him with eager eyes. She signed, asking where he'd been. Drew raised his hands to reply to May but then glanced at Serena and Ash.

"I was way out in the Sinnoh wilderness," he said smartly. "It took me two days just to get back to a city. I'm lucky I made it here to see you two's battle."

Serena shifted uncomfortably. "So I guess you all know each other," she said. Feeling a little left out.

Ash smiled. "Yeah, this is Drew. May and him used to compete against each other way back in the day." Ash looked at Drew. "Are you still doing Pokémon contests?"

Drew nodded and looked confident. "Of course," he replied. He sent a sidelong glance at May. "I'm still competing against her too," he said with a bit of humor.

May playfully kicked at Drew's foot and sent him an endearing look.

While Ash had once been completely oblivious to relationships, this was no longer the case. His years spent with Serena had taught him how the sexes interacted when they were interested in each other and he couldn't ignore what he saw between May and Drew.

"Hey, are you two… uh…. friends?" Ash asked awkwardly.

May silently giggled and Drew blushed ever-so-slightly.

"I guess you could say that," Drew said in an almost dismissive fashion. He looked at May and she gave him a nod.

"I guess it all started back when May got hurt. We'd just competed in a contest." He glanced over at May. "She'd just beaten me," he said with a grin.

May smiled and looked happy.

"Anyway, I heard about what happened on the news and then found out that May had been hurt. I went over to the hospital to see if I could help her and we ended up spending some time together."

May leaned toward Drew and rested her head on his shoulder, smiling as she did so.

Drew chuckled. "I helped her learn sign language and we traveled together for a while. We became really good friends."

At this, May slid her hands behind Drew's neck and interlaced her fingers. She then let herself pivot sideways on her heels across Drew's body so most of her weight was being supported by him. Drew had to awkwardly readjust his stance to keep from falling over while May looked up at him with a loving expression.

Drew chuckled, feeling a little embarrassed. "I guess, eventually, we became a little more than friends."

Ash smiled broadly and Serena felt relieved. It seemed May wasn't interested in Ash, at least not now.

Ash spent a moment looking at May and then at Drew. "I'm really glad you're doing okay, May," he said, his voice heavy with emotion.

May moved so she was standing upright again and sent Ash a big smile.

Ash slowly nodded his head, looking thoughtful as he did so. "I really wish we could spend more time together, but Serena and I have to get going."

May looked a little disappointed but she quickly nodded and expressed happiness. She signed and Serena translated.

"She says she's really glad she got to battle you. You're way stronger than you were back in Hoenn," Serena said.

Ash nodded. "Thanks," he said sincerely.

The four of them stared at each other and then Ash looked at Drew. "Hey, Drew," Ash began, his voice heavy with seriousness.

"Yeah," Drew replied, meeting his gaze.

Ash paused a moment and then continued. "Take good care of her, okay!"

A very subtle smile formed on Drew's face. He nodded in agreement and opened his mouth to reply. "Sure! I will."

The four of them exchanged stares again and then Ash prepared to go. "Well, I can't wait until I get to see you two again," he said, sounding happy and wistful at the same time.

May nodded and Drew agreed. Serena bid May a happy farewell and wished Drew good luck. Ash and Serena then turned to go and started to walk away. They got a couple of steps when May suddenly clapped her hands to get their attention.

Ash and Serena turned around and May performed several flourishing signs, first indicating herself and then ending with her hands formed into the shape of a heart.

Serena felt like a dagger had just been stabbed through her heart. Her lips trembled and she struggled to speak.

"Sh- she… just said….."

Ash smiled and nodded, gazing at May, his eyes shimmering with emotion. "I know what she said," he said confidently. He hesitated a moment and then replied, "I love you too May!"

Another dagger stabbed through Serena's heart. Ash still hadn't confessed to loving her after all this time. She knew it was just a matter of time, but why had he so freely said the words to May?!

May beamed and Drew smiled. They waved goodbye and Ash and Serena turned to go again. Serena struggled to keep her emotions contained. She took several deep breaths, reminded herself that Ash was hers and only hers, and then followed her boyfriend toward the tunnel in the side of the stadium wall.

Ash looked over his shoulder and waved at May and Drew one last time before they disappeared out of sight. He then turned and continued with Serena into the tunnel. Ash didn't say anything and Serena felt a bit of concern for him. She was always in tune with Ash's feelings and she could tell something was very wrong.

After a few dozen steps, Ash's gait slowed and his shoulders sagged. He took a couple of steps to the side and leaned against the wall of the tunnel. He had his face turned away from Serena but she could tell from his posture and movements that he was trying very hard to not cry. She simply stepped next to him and gently placed her right hand on his left shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

Ash wiped at his face and sniffed back some tears. "I just need a minute," he croaked, his voice gravelly with emotion.

Serena nodded solemnly. "Take all the time you need," she said softly.

Ash took a few deep breaths and slowly brought his emotions under control. He wiped at his eyes one final time and then turned back toward Serena. He stood silently for a few seconds and then spoke in a pain filled tone.

"She really can't talk," he said.

Serena saw Ash start to tear up again and instinctively moved forward. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his. There was nothing romantic about her action, it was purely an act of love and kindness.

Ash hugged Serena back and the two of them stood in the tunnel for several minutes, gently embracing each other. Eventually, Ash straightened up and signaled for them to get going. Serena kept a hold of his hand and smiled at him as they walked. By the time they reached the ferry to Kanto, Ash's mood had improved somewhat.

Ash and Serena found an unoccupied area on the ferry and sat down in a couple of seats. Ash sat next to the window and stared out at the ocean. Meanwhile, Serena kept a hold of his right hand and waited. This was a time to be patient, not to push things. Pikachu briefly snuggled against Ash and then made himself scarce. He sensed that his buddy needed to be alone with Serena.

Once the ferry was underway, Ash cleared his throat and spoke.

"She was really amazing with all those gimmicks," he said, his voice tight with emotion. "It's got to take a lot of training for her and her Pokémon to learn all that."

"Mmm, Hmmm," Serena hummed.

Ash thought for a moment. "Is she able to get by when she doesn't have an interpreter?" he asked.

Serena blinked and thought back. "Uh, yeah. She can be really feisty!" she laughed a little. "When I first met her, she did all kinds of things. She wrote notes, she made silly gestures, it was sort of funny, but I understood what she was saying."

Ash nodded solemnly. "Good," he replied. He thought for several long moments and then spoke again. "I'm glad Drew is with her. He's a good guy. He'll take care of her."

The subtle fears which had crept into Serena's mind surfaced again and she wondered if Ash and May had once possessed feelings for each other.

Ash abruptly chuckled. "You know, they couldn't stand each other at first. Drew was always teasing and taunting May and she would get all angry and start shouting at him." Ash's expression became reflective. "It's funny how things work out."

Serena smiled and laid a kind hand on his shoulder.

Ash smiled back at Serena and then his expression brightened. "Say, you've never heard her speak, have you?"

Serena shook her head in response.

Ash shifted and pulled out his phone. "Let me see if I can find it," he said, tapping at the device. A minute later he leaned toward Serena and held up the phone. "This was right after the Wallace Cup. May had just lost to Dawn, someone else I traveled with for a while."

Serena looked at the video and saw a slightly younger looking May. She had her hair gathered to either side of her head and draped over her ears. She was wearing a beautifully elegant outfit which showed off her trim midsection. The top and bottom of the outfit were an appealing orange color overlaid with gold patterns. She had a large, veil-like light pink skirt attached to the bottom half of the outfit. Atop her head was something Serena could only describe as a half-veil. It draped down over her back, but left her front complete open. It was an amazing design and gave Serena some ideas of her own for future outfits.

"Was this loss a disappointment?" an off-screen reporter asked.

May smiled, shook her head, and then spoke.

"No. Not at all!" she said in a cheery voice. "All my Pokémon did great and we nearly won."

Serena flinched slightly. It was jarring for her to hear and see May speaking. It was something she'd never experienced.

"Are you surprised that you lost to a rookie coordinator," a different reporter asked.

May shrugged. "Maybe a little, but I shouldn't be surprised. Dawn's been traveling with one of the best Pokémon trainers around. It looks like she's picked up a few things."

Ash smiled in an amused fashion and nodded as May said this.

"What's next for you?" a reporter asked.

May didn't hesitate. "I'm going back to Johto. I've still got plenty to do there. After that, who knows?"

Serena leaned close to Ash. "She has a beautiful voice," she said softly.

"Yeah, she does," Ash said, his voice cracking from emotion.

The video went on for a couple more minutes and then Ash set his phone aside. He stared into space for a moment and then spoke.

"I'm really glad she's still doing contests. She's a really good coordinator."

Serena nodded but did say anything.

A small grin spread across Ash's face as he remembered things. "You know, at first she was going to challenge gyms like me. She didn't really like that though, and she ended up competing in contests."

Serena nodded again and this time softly hummed in agreement.

Ash chuckled and held up his hands like he was framing a picture with his thumbs and pointer fingers.

"Everywhere we went she would hold up her hands like this and pretend she was shooting a documentary or something like that. She would talk about how the scene looked or what was going on." Ash lowered his hands. "She really loved traveling. She loved going to new places and meeting new people."

Ash's face suddenly fell and he looked like he was on the verge of crying. He struggled to hold back tears as he spoke. "And now she can't talk to anyone anymore….. She can't ask people questions, or joke… or even laugh."

Ash took a couple long slow breaths to keep from crying. Serena felt herself starting to tear up a bit at how emotional Ash was.

"You were really close to her," Serena said gently.

Ash simply nodded in reply. He couldn't speak at the moment.

Serena felt her fears surface again. She felt a little guilty for worrying like this. Ash was the most loyal person she'd ever encountered. She wasn't concerned that he might suddenly become interested in some other girl, but she was still very curious what sort of relationship had existed between Ash and May.

Serena took a breath and spoke in the most kind and empathetic fashion she could. "Did you have feelings for her?"

Ash blinked and looked up. He shifted in his chair and seemed to be struggling with words. "Umm…" he began. "I guess….." his voice was still choked with tears. "I guess…. I've always thought of her as…. a sister."

Serena felt more shame than relief. She really shouldn't have doubted Ash at all. "A sister?" she asked.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, I didn't have any siblings growing up. Before I went to Hoenn, everyone I'd traveled with was more experienced than me. They were always helping me out and teaching me. When I met May, she didn't know anything about Pokémon. She didn't even like Pokémon at first."

Serena was a bit surprised. "She didn't like Pokémon!" she commented.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, she saw me helping Pikachu and it changed her attitude."

Serena couldn't imagine May not liking Pokémon. "Wow!" she breathed.

"Mmm, hmm," Ash replied. "She started traveling with me and suddenly it was like I had a little sister. I could teach her and help her out. We were really alike and we got along great." Ash laughed abruptly. "When we weren't arguing that is."

Serena's eyes were tearing up. She leaned against Ash's shoulder and spoke in a whisper. "That's why you care about her so much. She's your little sister and you were watching out for her."

Ash choked back a sob and nodded. "I wish she'd told me what happened sooner. I could have helped."

Serena turned her head toward Ash and softly kissed him on the cheek. "Don't blame yourself," she whispered into his ear.

Ash was quiet for a time. When he spoke again, his voice had an edge of concern to it.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" he asked. "I can't imagine how hard everything is for her."

Serena took a breath and gathered her thoughts. "I got to spend some time with her when I was in Hoenn, Ash," she began in a quiet voice. "She's really strong and determined. Even with everything that's happened to her, I can't ever remember seeing her sad or upset. I think she's really inspirational, actually."

"Hmmmm," Ash replied. He thought and then asked another question. "But… do you think she'll be able to….. live?" Ash struggled to put words together. "I mean, she can't talk to people… she can't…"

Ash started to lose his voice and stopped talking. Serena wrapped her left arm around his shoulders and held him close.

"Every time someone faces an obstacle in life they have two choices," she began in a quiet voice. "They can either climb over it or give up and quit." She took a deep breath and nuzzled against Ash's cheek. "May's climbed over a lot of big obstacles and she's a lot stronger because of it." She paused a moment before continuing. "I'd say she's going to be just fine, Ash."

Ash nodded. "I sure hope so," he said, his voice cracking.

Neither of them said anything for a long time. Serena gently held Ash and rested her head in the crook of his neck. The slow rocking of the ferry and sound of the waves made them feel relaxed. Serena comforted and consoled Ash all the way home and when they reached the docks south of Pallet Town he was in much better spirits. They traveled back to the Pokémon reserve and arrived just a little before midnight. They were tired after the long day and shared a short goodbye kiss before they headed off to their respective homes.

After Ash and Serena had left the stadium, May and Drew had spent some time seeing the sights in Ever Grande City before they'd headed to a restaurant to enjoy a nice dinner together. The two of them worked together in perfect synch. May could perform most tasks on her own and communicate with others, but Drew instinctively knew when to step in and either translate for May or offer clarification.

When the two of them finally sat down at the table, they were feeling very close and romance was definitely in the air. They hadn't seen each other for nearly two months and they had plenty to catch up on.

May signed in a quick and artful fashion, inserting some flirtation into her 'words' as she communicated with Drew. Drew smiled and signed back in response, refraining from speaking even though he was fully capable of doing so. Drew preferred to communicate with May like this. It made him feel closer to her and it was good practice.

They continued silently 'talking' throughout the evening. They shared what they'd been doing recently and reminisced about past events. Their food arrived and they enjoyed the meal. They continued to linger at the restaurant and their 'conversation' slowly grew more and more steamy and sensual.

Both of them were blushing slightly and smiling subtly as they watched the other express affection and appreciation.

Drew had told Ash and Serena that he and May were together, however, he'd not told them the extent of their relationship and how deep it was.

Their relationship had been forged in the harsh crucible of sorrow and pain that had followed May's horrible injury. Drew had stayed with May during the initial days of her recovery at the hospital and had provided her critical encouragement. Once May was strong enough, her parents had taken her home and Drew had gone his own way.

May had stayed at home for a month, and she'd quickly grown extremely frustrated. Her parents waited on her hand-and-foot and worked to do everything for her. They treated her almost like a helpless, invalid and May had soon had enough. She struck out on her own, determined to forge her own path and figure things out.

Unfortunately, things were not easy at all. May had no experience living without a voice and she found any task requiring her to interact with another person to be extremely hard and frustrating. Even communicating with her Pokémon was difficult and soon May was on the verge of despair, fearing that her life had been irreparably destroyed. In desperation, she reached out to Drew, hoping that he could provide some help as he'd done before.

She'd considered reaching out to Ash, but she'd known that her friend from Kanto would have dropped everything he was doing and moved heaven and earth to help her. She didn't want to burden Ash with caring for her condition and so she'd refrained from telling him what had happened.

Drew arrived and the two of them began traveling around Hoenn. Sometimes they had a specific destination in mind and other times they simply wandered in the wilderness, taking the days one at a time. Both of them started learning sign language, and they spent many hours together, looking up gestures and practicing.

As the weeks passed, May came to immensely respect and appreciate Drew. He seemed to possess infinite patience in dealing with her condition. He was always there for her, whether she felt like celebrating a success or breaking down after a frustrating failure. Many times, when May was feeling especially low, she would rest her head on his shoulder and silently cry while Drew held her and whispered encouraging words to her. In this way, May slowly came to realize that Drew deeply loved her and would do anything for her. As this realization dawned on May, she found that she also had come to care deeply for Drew.

May continued to slowly improve and adapt to her new situation. Progress was hard to come by however and May's mood often turned extremely dark and depressed. She would often find herself tormented by horrible thoughts and the prospect of a bleak future. During one such night, when she'd found herself unable to sleep, she'd crawled from her sleeping bag and in desperation for any sort of positive feeling, she'd joined Drew in his sleeping bag.

May had done this fully expecting that it would result in them being intimate. She hadn't cared however, as a matter of survival she needed to feel some sort of positive emotion. Her condition made her feel utterly isolated and she desperately wanted to feel close to someone, if only for a little while.

To May's surprise however, after Drew worked through the initial shock and awkwardness of her arrival, he made no romantic moves whatsoever. Instead, he held her close and whispered kind and encouraging words to her until she'd finally fallen asleep.

As the two of them got ready the next day, May found it hard to believe that they'd shared a sleeping bag and hadn't even made out, much less had sex. It was an astounding revelation, that Drew loved her more than sex itself. It made May feel humbled and grateful and also cemented inside her mind that she intensely loved this young man.

The two of them continued traveling together but May's mood didn't improve. She still didn't see a future for herself. All her old hopes and dreams seemed unreachable and she began to sink into depression. A few more weeks passed and May joined Drew in his sleeping bag on two more separate occasions. Each time, Drew was a gentleman and didn't make any sort of move to be intimate with her. May found this simply amazing and her feelings for Drew only continued to grow.

Eventually, during another terrible night for May, she'd again crawled into Drew's sleeping bag and he'd attended to her just as he had in the past. He held her close, nuzzled against her cheek and whispered kind words into her ear. As she listened, May's heart felt like it could burst from how much she appreciated Drew. It was not an exaggeration to say that his kindness had kept her alive during the past months. May wished so much that she could tell Drew how much she cared for him, but there was no way she could sign inside the confines of the sleeping bag. Instead, she did the one thing possible to express her affection. She passionately kissed Drew on the lips.

Drew's feelings for May had steadily grown stronger and stronger as they'd traveled together. Before May had contacted him for assistance, he'd already had a very high opinion of his longtime rival. As they traveled together and he saw her constantly fighting and struggling just to be able to communicate again, his respect for her had grown immensely. He wasn't sure when his feelings for May had turned to love, but one day he'd stared into her eyes and realized that he wanted to be more than just friends with her.

Then one night, May had crawled into his sleeping bag and Drew had faced a choice. He'd been able to tell May's reasons for joining him were based in desperation and not romantic desire, thus, he'd decided that he wouldn't take advantage of his best friend. Despite how much he'd wanted to shower affection on her, he'd kept his feelings in check.

Now, as May pressed her lips against his, everything changed. Drew instantly kissed her back and the intense feelings that both of them had been keeping suppressed, burst into a fiery conflagration of romantic impulse.

May rolled on top of Drew and Drew rolled on top of May. Their ability to maneuver was severely restricted by the sleeping bag but they did their best. Kisses and touches were exchanged and their passions quickly reached a fever pitch. Permission was asked and given, clothing moved aside and the two of them became one.

For May, the experience was about far more than sex. Ever since her injury she'd feared that she might never be able to have the life she'd always dreamed of. She'd worried that no man would ever want to be her partner, and that she'd be destined to wander the paths of life completely alone, with no husband or children to call her own. Now, as she experienced Drew's passion, she realized that she wouldn't be alone for the rest of her life. She could finally see a light at the end of the very dark tunnel she'd been traveling through. She finally had hope.

Several minutes later, as Drew laid atop May, both of them breathing heavily as they recovered from their exertion, May slipped her arms out of the sleeping bag and expressed her love and gratitude to Drew. Drew smiled and held May close. He whispered promises of undying love into her ear and the two of them drifted off to a wonderful sleep; a sleep, where for the first time in months, May was not tormented by nightmares.

The next few days were a new experience for both of them. May felt invigorated and approached life with a new optimism. Drew continued to help her however he could and was pleased to see May, at long last, smile happily.

There was also some nervous tension as both of them waited to see if their union had resulted in new life taking root inside May. When things proceeded normally, they felt relieved and they also agreed that while they had immensely enjoyed being intimate, they would save that special act until much later in their relationship.

Now, nearly four years later, May and Drew exited the restaurant, hand-in-hand, and slowly walked to the hotel where May was staying. They looked up at the starry sky and enjoyed the cool spring breeze. Drew planned to begin the trip back to Sinnoh tonight and both of them felt a little sad that they only had a little time left to be together.

They traveled inside the hotel and soon were standing in front of the door to May's room. They silently said goodbye and shared how much they would miss each other. They each flirted and blushed at the other's steamy comments. They then shared a small kiss and Drew turned to go.

The day had been full of old memories for May. Meeting and battling Ash had brought back thoughts of her old life, back when she could speak. She reflected on how immature she'd been back then. Not appreciating the simple things in life and wasting so much time with pointless annoyances. She'd learned to enjoy each day and make the most of everything which came her way. Now, as Drew took a step away from her, she made a decision.

May reached out and grabbed hold of the front of Drew's shirt with both her hands. Drew looked at her with a little surprise and then a smoldering smile spread across his face. May slowly stepped backwards, gently pulling Drew into her room. Four years had been a long enough wait.

May shut and locked the door. The two of them took hold of each other and began exchanging small affections as one would enjoy a delicious appetizer before the main course. They slowly wandered around the room, their hands gently caressing and their lips softly touching. Once their feelings were sufficiently aroused, they set their clothing aside, crawled under the soft sheets of the bed and for the second time, the two of them became one.

Unlike their first union, this time they were slow and methodical. Whereas their first time had almost been a fight for survival, this time they savored every touch and cherished every movement. Rather than battling hard against fear and depression, now they were showering each other with endearing love and tender affection. For a long time, both of them had wondered how their next intimate encounter would go and if it would be as enjoyable as their first. Now, as they each experienced incredible and indescribable sensations, their fears and worries melted away as the bonfire of their love grew searing hot. The intensity of their actions steadily grew, until at last, with one final sensual flourish, they concluded their passionate work and rested their tired selves against each other.

As they basked in the soft, warm ecstasy that lingered from their union, they shared small, sweet kisses and Drew softly whispered wonderful things to May. May responded with tiny inclinations of her head, small movements of her mouth and minor changes in the expressions of her eyes. She and Drew had spent so much time together that he'd learned to know what she was saying even without her signing it. They renewed their commitment to each other and promised that one day they would make love, not as boyfriend and girlfriend, but as husband and wife.

They both began to fall asleep and as consciousness left May she felt reassured that her future was secure. She wondered if this amazing evening would sustain them until their wedding night, whenever that would be. She didn't know what future challenges she would have to overcome or hardships she would endure, but what she did know for sure was that the young man laying next to her would be at her side every step of the way.