The day after his gym battle, Ash and his friends were once again returning to the area near the Fleurrh City Gym. Instead of the gym itself, however, they had been directed to a building two doors down from the gym entrance. Stepping inside, they were greeted with a large open lobby, with several couches, some attractive foliage, and the elevator to the gym that they had learned of yesterday.

Piling into the elevator, they traveled up to the fourth floor, then down a long hallway of apartments, until they located unit 416. Ash reached out hesitantly, awkwardly, before knocking firmly on the door, three times.

The group could hear what sounded like muffled cursing and approaching footsteps, before the door unlocked itself and opened. Athena was standing on the other side, in a plain white T-shirt with no jacket, her skirt, and pants. Her long, black hair fell loosely behind her, not tied up in its usual over-the-shoulder ponytail, and she held a foamy toothbrush in her hand.

"Hey. Hi. Um," she began. "I'll be just…" She paused for a moment, contemplating, as her eyes hovered over everyone in the group. "You know what, just come inside. Have a seat. I'll be a few minutes."

She held the door open for the group, who shuffled quietly into a large, open living room and kitchen combination. Athena closed the door and gestured toward a large sofa, wordlessly inviting them to sit, before she rushed off to her bedroom. Brock's face was red as his eyes followed the beautiful woman down the hallway, while Ash, Serena and Iris stared awkwardly at the couch.

"Should we just meet you in the gym?" Iris asked toward the retreating Gym Leader.

"Elevator doesn't go there without my key card at this hour," the woman explained. "Just hold on." She shut the door behind her, and silence overtook the apartment for a moment.

"You think she forgot about us?" Serena wondered aloud.

"She definitely forgot about us." Iris sighed and took a seat on the couch, sinking into its soft cushions. Serena followed suit, making a surprised but pleased noise at how soft the couch was.

As Ash pondered taking a seat as well, he heard the front door opening a second time. Everyone turned and watched as Darius poked his head into his sister's apartment, and Ash felt himself tense up reflexively. His rival's eyes homed in on the group of four near the sofa, and he paused as his brain put the pieces together.

"She forgot, didn't she?" he asked.

"Probably," Serena replied. Ash stayed quiet, studying his rival as he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. Darius moved with his usual nonchalance, as though today was just another day for him. He didn't show any of the nerves that Ash had been feeling, that Ash had hoped Darius would be feeling. Clearly, the older boy didn't see him as much of a threat. Ash would have to change that.

Darius started to slide his hands into his pockets as he walked further inside, but stopped himself as he spotted something on the far wall. He walked over to a wire bookshelf and picked up a small photograph in a black wooden frame, his eyebrows screwed up in concern as he studied it. Ash tried to get a look at the picture, but Darius was blocking his view.

Athena threw her bedroom door open, shoving her left arm into her jacket sleeve as she rushed into the kitchen. She gave her brother a passing glance as she opened a cabinet, grabbing an insulated coffee mug and an energy bar. "Good, you're here."

"'Thena." Darius held out the photograph for her to see. "This picture? Really?"

She turned back to him for a moment, sighing as soon as she saw the photograph. "I know, I know." She returned her focus to her coffee, placing her mug in the machine. "But it's the only picture I have of Mom."

"I have a few," he replied, setting the picture back down. "I'll send them your way."

"Thanks. I'll get rid of that one once I get yours." She unwrapped her energy bar and took a bite, as freshly-brewed coffee began to slowly pour into her mug. Darius stepped over to the kitchen and opened a cabinet, scanning the shelves for something to eat.

Ash gazed at the photograph for a few moments until his curiosity got the better of him, and he stood up and walked over for a closer look. The picture was clearly a family portrait, depicting a family of four posing together, all of them with black hair. The father was a tall, fit, muscular man whose jaw was covered in stubble, while the mother was a thin, frail-looking woman who was over a foot shorter than her husband. Standing in front of the married couple were what appeared to be two young boys, looking to be around seven and twelve years old, by Ash's estimate. The younger boy bore a passing resemblance to Darius, but Ash wasn't sure about the other. Pikachu, sitting on Ash's shoulder, leaned in closer as well, as if he could help solve the mystery.

As Ash puzzled over the picture, wondering what was so wrong with it, he could hear Serena coming up behind him to take her own look. She let out a light gasp. "Wait, is that Rucker?" She turned back to face the two siblings in the kitchen. "Your father was Rucker?!"

"He sure was," Athena answered with little enthusiasm, as if she'd heard this question a thousand times.

"Rucker?" Ash asked the room in general. "Who is he?"

"Ash!" Serena whirled around to face him, incredulous. "You don't know who Rucker is?!"

"Hey, easy!" Ash held up his hands, almost in self-defense. "I'm not from here, remember?"

"No! No excuses!" Serena pointed at him accusingly with her index finger. "If you're going to be the Kalos League champion, you need to know who he is."

"Okay, okay," Ash relented. "So who is he?"

"He was one of the greatest trainers ever to challenge the Kalos League," Darius jumped in."He dominated every challenger who came his way. Nobody stood a chance against him."

"He was League Champion five years in a row," Athena continued. "After that, he set his sights on Diantha. He wanted to be the official Champion of the entire region. He challenged her several times. Came close once or twice."

"Wow," Iris said. "But he didn't make it, obviously."

"No." Darius shook his head. "He probably would have, though."

"Would have?" Ash raised an eyebrow. "What happe-oof!" He grunted as Serena's elbow dug lightly into his side, cutting him off. He looked back at her, surprised to see her glaring at him, and he realized he may have just asked the wrong question.

The room was awkwardly silent for a few moments, with only the sound of coffee pouring into Athena's mug breaking the stillness. Soon, even that sound dried up, and Athena reached out and claimed the mug before adding some sugar into her drink. She stirred it up and took a sip, satisfied, then turned and walked to the door. "Alright, let's head down."

Everyone followed Athena and Darius out into the hallway, and they proceeded to the elevator. Ash and Serena brought up the rear, which gave him the opportunity to lean in and speak softly into her ear.

"What happened to Rucker?" he asked.

"He passed away a few years ago," she answered. "Heart attack, I think."

"Oh…" He turned his focus back to the siblings at the front of the pack. "Man… that must have been terrible, losing their dad like that."

"I think they lost their mom, too," she said. "Remember what they said about pictures of her?"

"Oh, right… so, they're orphans?"

"It seems like it," she answered. "Poor guys. I don't know what I would do if I lost my mom."

"Yeah… me either." Ash's eyes settled on Darius as his brain processed this new information. He could feel a hint of pity starting to form for the older boy, though it was still overwhelmed by anger and irritation. That was no excuse for mistreating his Pokémon.

One elevator ride later, the group found themselves in the gym lobby, which was even darker than it usually was. Athena felt her way over to a switch on the wall and flipped it, and the lights turned on, for what little effect they had. The trainers were now properly lit up, and the murals and room boundaries were visible, but the walls and floor still absorbed effectively all light.

Athena led everyone onto the battlefield, with Ash and his friends moving to one side, and Darius to the other by himself. Darius stepped into the trainer's box on the far end of the field, while Ash stepped into the other, with Pikachu hopping off of his shoulder and onto the ground. The Gym Leader stood on the side, picking up two flags that were left on the ground from the previous day.

"Alright, then," Darius called out. "A full six-on-six, right?"

"Right," Ash confirmed hastily, not thinking about the Pokémon he currently had on hand.

"Wrong," Athena interjected. "I still have a gym to open, and I'm not going to delay it because of you two and your grudge match. This will be a three-on-three." Her brother shot her a dirty look, and she glared right back at him. "You're the one who wanted to do this here, Darius. My gym, my rules."

Darius rolled his eyes, but didn't put up a fight. "Alright, fine." Ash nodded as well, as Athena raised her flags.

"This will be a three-on-three match!" she declared. "The match will be over when all Pokémon on one side are unable to battle! A Pokémon cannot be switched out until it has been battling for at least two minutes, unless the opposing Pokémon has just been defeated! If this happens, the winning trainer must switch their Pokémon before their opponent's next Pokémon has been chosen! Neither trainer may interrupt an evolution or Mega Evolution in progress!"

Ash gripped his first Poké Ball tightly in his fingers, able to feel his pulse pounding against the metal contraption, as he half-listened to the explanation. He was laser-focused on the trainer across from him, if only to distract himself from the cold sweat on the back of his neck. He hated the feeling he got when Darius looked at him, as if the older boy was observing a small, annoying child. He was imposing enough as it was.

Athena looked to her left and right, at each trainer. "Both trainers, release your first Pokémon onto the battlefield on the count of three! One… two… three!"

Ash and Darius flung their first Poké Balls onto the battlefield at the same time. After the bursts of red energy emerged, Mienfoo was on the battlefield, staring up at a tall, steel-plated, obsidian-covered, dinosaur-like Pokémon with several horns on his face. Off to the side of the battlefield, near the wall, Serena pulled out her Pokédex for more information.

"Aggron, the Iron Armor Pokémon," the device announced. "This beast claims an entire mountain as its territory. Its horns are strong and sharp enough to pierce through thick steel plates."

"That's lucky for Ash," Brock commented. "Aggron are very weak to Fighting-type moves. This is a good matchup."

"Yeah… but Mienfoo is kind of weak to… well, everything," Serena said. "It won't take many hits from a Pokémon that strong to take her out."

"You're right about that," Iris concurred. "Let's hope she doesn't get hit."

Athena raised both of her flags, one in each direction. "Both trainers are ready! Battle… begin!"

Ash wasted no time. "Mienfoo, get in close!" His Pokémon rushed forward with her trademark agility, her eyes scanning her opponent's armor for any weak points.

"Get her with Metal Claw!" Darius ordered. Aggron growled and bared razor-sharp claws on his right hand, swinging down at the advancing Mienfoo. Her eyes glowed blue with Detect, and she carefully studied the hand as it swung down, studied the plated armor for its gaps and joints, as she prepared to evade. She effortlessly dodged the Metal Claw as it scraped against the battlefield, turning on her heel and slamming her fist into a nearly-invisible joint in Aggron's wrist.

Aggron roared in pain, not used to taking such pointed damage from other Pokémon, let alone something so small. He spun around and swung his long, obsidian tail at his foe, but Mienfoo backflipped and leaped over it with ease. As soon as she landed, she lunged forward and slammed her Force Palm into another well-hidden crevice, this one in Aggron's left ankle. Aggron roared and buckled, falling to one knee, as Mienfoo quickly backed away.

"You're doing great, Mienfoo!" Ash called out, adrenaline coursing through him. "Keep chipping away at Aggron's defenses!"

Mienfoo did exactly as she was told. As Aggron tried to attack his opponent with his claws, his tail, and the occasional Rock Slide, Mienfoo effortlessly dodged his slow, lumbering assaults, receiving little more than the occasional nick from a flying rock. Meanwhile, she continued slamming her fists and feet into the miniscule gaps in Aggron's armor, into the joints where two plates met and his protection was weaker. As small as she was, her super-effective type advantage was slowly wearing her larger opponent down.

Ash was grinning wide as he watched his Pokémon run circles around her foe, and he glanced across the battlefield to see Darius's reaction. To his annoyance, Darius seemed entirely unbothered by the fact that his Pokémon was being practically manhandled. Did anything faze this boy?

Ash shook his head and returned his focus to the battle. It was time to do some serious damage. "Mienfoo, go for the head! Force Palm!"

As Mienfoo dodged another Iron Claw attack, she leaped onto Aggron's arm, then sprung off of it toward his face. Her eyes flew over Aggron's head, searching for another weak point, before she decided to go with the direct approach. She thrust her glowing Force Palm forward with all her strength, hitting Aggron directly in the jaw. Aggron's head snapped backward violently, pulling on his neck with its massive weight.

Mienfoo started to fall back to the ground, but her fall was interrupted by Aggron's claws grabbing her firmly from either side. She squirmed and tried to kick and wriggle herself free, but Aggron's powerful arms were keeping her held firmly in place, with no hope of escape.

Darius's voice was energized as he called out to his Pokémon. "Use Iron Head!"

Mienfoo panicked and redoubled her efforts to escape, to no avail. The metallic plate on Aggron's skull began glowing white, and his eyes bore viciously into her as he flung his giant, heavy skull into hers.

Nearly everyone in the room looked away from the impact, but none of them were able to block out the sickening crunch of Aggron's skull colliding with Mienfoo's. Ash turned back after a moment, only to see Aggron releasing Mienfoo's motionless body and letting it fall to the ground, where she landed in a crumpled heap. His blood ran cold at the sight.

"Oh, Arceus…" Serena half-whispered, covering her mouth with one hand. "That was… horrific."

"No kidding," Iris agreed, sounding similarly shaken. "One shot was all he needed… no wonder Darius was so calm."

Down below, Ash continued to stare at his fallen Pokémon, feeling as if Aggron had hit him instead and knocked all the air out of him. He was shaken out of his reverie at the sound of Athena's voice.

"Mienfoo is unable to battle!" she announced. "Aggron is the winner!"

Ash quickly reached for his Poké Ball and returned Mienfoo to it. "I'm sorry, Mienfoo," he whispered to the device, as he held it close in both hands. "You did a great job. I'll get you healed up as soon as I can, I promise."

He attached the Poké Ball to his hip, trying to clear his mind and think about which of his Pokémon could take on Aggron. His thoughts were interrupted when the steel-plated Pokémon transformed into a cloud of red energy, as Darius returned him to his Poké Ball.

"You took far too much damage before grabbing her," he spoke sternly to the ball. "Embarrassing. You'll be making up for this with training later." He retrieved another Poké Ball and threw it onto the battlefield, summoning a familiar, bipedal, purple Pokémon.

"Ceruledge…" Ash muttered to himself, recalling the Pokémon he had seen defeat Athena two days prior. Ceruledge scraped the blades on his arms together, clearly itching for a fight, staring at Ash as if he would butcher the trainer himself.

"Darius has made his switch!" Athena turned to look toward Ash. "You have thirty seconds to choose your next Pokémon!"

Ash forced himself to take a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he tried to steady his mind. As gruesome as that last attack was, Ash was still doing well. Yes, he had lost the first bout, but it had been close with all the damage Mienfoo was able to do. He needed to be more careful, but if he played his cards right, he could still walk away with-

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a Poké Ball opening itself, and he looked down to see Houndour emerging onto the battlefield, growling loudly. Ash panicked and ran out onto the battlefield, waving his hands. "Wait! No! He's not- Houndour isn't-"

Ash paused as he realized the growling had stopped. He looked down at the dog-like Pokémon to see Houndour cowering on the floor, lying down submissively and whimpering at the sight of Ceruledge.

He gasped and kneeled down next to the Pokémon, rubbing his back. "Houndour, what's wrong? It's alright. You don't have to fight him…" Houndour didn't appear to be pacified, trying his best to back away while still lying on his belly. Ash continued to try and soothe him, pushing away how stunned he was. Houndour had always been eager to pit himself against large, powerful opponents, yet he was cowering at the mere sight of this new Pokémon.

Darius snorted. "That Houndour doesn't exactly seem ready for battle, Ash."

"No! He's not my choice!" Ash insisted. "He released himself!"

"Well…" Athena began. "Technically, the rules say that once one of your Pokémon is released onto the battlefield, that Pokémon is locked in. You have to battle with them. And a Pokémon releasing itself counts."

Ash's eyes widened. "But-"

"It's fine," Darius interrupted mercifully. "I don't care. Take your mulligan. But make your second choice quickly."

Ash sighed in relief, whispering more comforting words to Houndour before returning the creature to its Poké Ball. He stood and walked back to his challenger's box, and he locked eyes with the Pokémon who was still there.

"Pikachu, I choose you," he said. "You've got this. Get out there and show him what an ace looks like!"

Pikachu grinned and sprinted onto the battlefield on all fours, staring down Ceruledge with as much of an intimidating look as he could muster. He was going to get revenge for Mienfoo. Ceruledge stared back, a cold fury simmering in his eyes, as Athena called for the match to resume.

"Fire Blast!" Darius ordered. Ceruledge inhaled deeply and spat out a large, five-pointed plume of flame in Pikachu's direction.

"Dodge and use Thunderbolt!" Ash countered. Pikachu sidestepped the incoming attack with ease, then fired off a large bolt of electricity at his opponent.

"Block it!" Darius yelled. Ceruledge focused and tensed his muscles, and Ash could feel the temperature in the room suddenly spike. A shimmering aura of heat surrounded Ceruledge's body, and as the Thunderbolt closed in, it withered and shrank, before it struck its target as little more than a pinprick.

"Wh-" Ash nearly shouted in surprise before cutting himself off, though he heard some shocked exclamations from his right. He'd seen something like this before, during his very first journey through Kanto. The Fire-type Gym Leader, Blaine, had showcased a similar technique with his Magmar. "Air Lens" was what he had called it. It seemed that Darius had been doing some deep research.

Before Ash could react, Ceruledge sank into the floor, swallowed up by his shadow in the blink of an eye. Pikachu jumped and searched the battlefield, his senses on high alert, but could not spot his opponent reemerging behind him. A swing of Ceruledge's blade sent Pikachu flying across the battlefield.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out, as his Pokémon quickly rolled back onto his feet. He looked sore, but not meaningfully injured, and was clearly still ready to go. Ash sighed in relief, but steeled himself as Ceruledge charged in again, both blades raised.

From nearby, Ash's friends watched as Pikachu met the swords with his Iron Tail, and an impromptu sword fight ensued. Blade clashed repeatedly with tail, as Ceruledge slowly pushed a defensive Pikachu around the battlefield. In between swings, Ceruledge shot Flamethrower attacks at his foe, who was only able to dodge about half of them. As fast as Pikachu was, he was still being nicked by the occasional sword swipes, and being lightly scorched by Ceruledge's flames. Pikachu retaliated with Thunderbolts where he could, and while his attacks were weaker than they should have been, they were at least able to connect and do a bit of damage.

Unfortunately for Pikachu, he only had one tail to match the two swords of his opponent, and it wasn't long before he was overwhelmed. As he blocked one of Ceruledge's blades for the umpteenth time, the other one struck true and dealt Pikachu some serious damage. As he rolled across the battlefield, he scrambled to stop his slide, claws digging into the ground.

Ash watched as Ceruledge ran forward, swords dragging behind him on the ground, and saw an opportunity. "Pikachu, Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu growled with the effort of forcing himself forward, but in an instant he was racing toward Ceruledge, wreathing his body in an electrical charge. Before Ceruledge could stop him, Pikachu leaped into the air and slammed into his foe's stomach, with the quickest Volt Tackle he had ever conjured up.

Ceruledge grunted and gasped, and had to prop himself up with one of his swords to stop himself from toppling over. Ash grinned, clenching his fist excitedly, as he planned his next-

"Bitter Blade!"

Bright purple flames surrounded Ceruledge's right sword, which slashed painfully against Pikachu's body. Pikachu cried out as he rolled along the ground, while Ceruledge pushed himself back to his feet. His body glowed lightly as the Bitter Blade healed much of the damage he had taken throughout their short battle, leaving him nearly unscathed.

As Pikachu pushed himself to his sore feet, he looked forward and found a flame-shrouded, Ceruledge-shaped missile rushing toward him. A head-on Flare Blitz would certainly end this battle.

"Pikachu, Thunder Wave!" Ash called out. Pikachu focused and tensed his muscles, electricity crackling around his body, before turning and sweeping his tail toward Ceruledge. From such a close range, the Thunder Wave had no trouble hitting its target, and now it was Ceruledge's body that was wracked with electricity. He had been successfully paralyzed.

It didn't seem to matter. Ceruledge roared in pain, his flames only growing larger, as he used all of his strength to force his way through the paralysis. Pikachu was too shocked to evade the oncoming attack, and he took the Flare Blitz head-on, sending him flying one more time. He landed on his back on the far end of the arena, where he stayed, unmoving. Ceruledge collapsed to his knees, the flames falling away, as he caught his breath.

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" Athena declared, her tone impartial and businesslike. "Ceruledge is the winner! Ash is down to his final Pokémon!"

Ash swallowed, his throat feeling tight. That bout hadn't been close at all. The spectators at Darius's gym battle had been right. Ceruledge really was a monster.

He walked slowly onto the field to reclaim his partner, lifting Pikachu up and cradling him in his arms. "Sorry, buddy," he spoke gently, his voice lacking energy. "You were great. It was just a tough opponent." He continued to hold Pikachu as he stood in the challenger's box, looking down at his partner and waiting for him to regain consciousness.

"I'll hold him, Ash," Serena offered, walking up to the trainer's box. She was walking gingerly on her injured leg, but she wasn't struggling to move as she had been the previous days. Ash thanked her quietly, handing over Pikachu, and she held the Pokémon gently against her chest as she walked backward toward Iris and Brock. Ash turned back to the battlefield, watching as Darius returned Ceruledge as well.

"Good-" Darius began, before cutting himself off. He thought to himself for a moment. "Keep your guard up as you charge your opponent." He clipped the ball back onto his belt and grabbed another, staring across the battlefield at Ash. Darius didn't say a word, but he didn't need to. The look in his eyes - an unimpressed, smug, I-told-you-so look - said everything for him.

Ash gritted his teeth, infuriated and ashamed, as he grabbed his final Poké Ball. He knew who his final choice would be, but he waited for Darius to send his Pokémon out anyway. There was no reason to give his opponent more information than necessary. Winning the battle was a distant dream now, but Ash still wanted to do the best he could and hopefully avoid a shutout. He wanted to leave the gym with some of his dignity intact.

Darius shrugged and tossed his final Poké Ball lazily onto the battlefield, releasing a familiar blue-and-orange Pokémon with black fins. Swampert appeared larger and more menacing than he had in Lumiose City, when he had helped pacify a badly injured Alomomola. There was no gentleness in his muscular frame, no mercy found in his face. On the battlefield, Swampert was a stone-cold killer, like all of Darius's Pokémon.

Ash gripped his Poké Ball tightly before hurling it onto the battlefield, releasing Absol. The two Pokémon stared each other down, sizing each other up. Swampert was noticeably larger, but Absol refused to let himself be intimidated. He would give his all for his trainer, as he always did.

"Both Absol and Swampert are ready!" Athena announced, flags raised. "The battle will resume… now!"

"Swampert, use Mud Shot!" Darius immediately commanded. Swampert opened his mouth and spat out a large glob of mud nearly the size of his head, which sped across the battlefield like a rocket. Absol had no time to dodge, and could only close his eyes as the Mud Shot hit him square in the face. He did his best to shake the mud off, as Swampert ran in for his next attack.

"Night Slash!" Ash commanded, and Absol immediately opened his eyes to face the oncoming Swampert. He swung his glowing horn down into Swampert's shoulder, eliciting little more than a grunt from the Water-type Pokémon. Swampert retaliated by swinging his Hammer Arm underhand into Absol's stomach, knocking the air out of him and causing Absol to collapse to his knees.

Somehow, despite being briefly incapacitated, Absol was able to push himself up and away from Swampert's follow-up attack, a Mud Slap. He leaped backward to create distance, catching his breath. After only two attacks, Absol was already showing clear signs of damage.

"How is Ash struggling this much?" Serena wondered, just loud enough for Iris and Brock to hear. "He was doing better against Diantha than against Darius, and she's the Champion."

"Well, Diantha handicapped herself, remember?" Brock reminded her. "She refused to switch out her Pokémon, even when she was at a massive disadvantage. Pikachu definitely benefited from that."

"And even then, it took Ash two and a half Pokémon to stop Aurorus," Iris added. "So he didn't really do that much better."

"Mmph…" Serena grunted, not pleased with this answer. "Still, it wasn't this… demoralizing." Her companions didn't respond, unable to disagree.

On the battlefield, Ash was already able to see the writing on the wall. Swampert was stronger than Absol, and while Absol was faster overall, he wasn't able to dodge at the level that Mienfoo could. At the rate things were going, Absol was going to go down just like his other two Pokémon. It was time to kick things up a notch.

"Get ready, Absol!" he declared, holding up his hand that bore his Mega Glove. Absol turned back to face his trainer, his face turning resolute as he saw the Key Stone, and gave a short nod. Ash grasped the stone tightly, and both the stone and Absol began to glow. Seconds later, the regal form of Mega Absol graced the battlefield, and the Pokémon stared down both Swampert and Darius, fire in his eyes.

"Shadow Ball!" Ash ordered. Absol charged up an energy ball almost instantly, and fired it across the battlefield with as much speed as Swampert's Mud Shot.

"Dodge it!" Darius exclaimed, sounding a little caught off guard. Swampert tried to dodge, but the Shadow Ball burst against his side, and the Water-type cried out in pain. As he tried to regain his bearings, Absol was already on top of him with a Slash attack, and the battle began in earnest.

Swampert and Absol clashed repeatedly, trading blows with each other. As Swampert attacked with Water Gun and Rock Smash, Absol would dodge, block and counter with Night Slash and Shadow Ball. As Ash and Darius called out one attack after another, and the two combatants hammered each other relentlessly, it became clear that one Pokémon was taking control of the battle. Mega Absol was moving faster and hitting harder, forcing Swampert to go on the defensive more often. Absol's determination was overwhelming Swampert's ferocity.

Nearly everyone in the gym was watching the battle with nervous excitement. Serena held Pikachu tightly against her as she watched, while Iris was wringing her hands, and Brock subconsciously leaned in closer for a better look. Even Athena was watching intently, her flags hanging loosely from her hands as she watched Absol push Swampert around the battlefield. The one exception was Darius, whose expression showed little more than annoyance as the battle continued. Ash put Darius's indifference out of his mind, staying focused entirely on the battle. He badly wanted to have at least this victory over his opponent.

After another ruthless Slash attack, Swampert was struggling to get back onto his feet, his body battered and worn out. Absol was exhausted, breathing hard from the exertion of the battle, but his eyes flared as he ran forward, seeing his opportunity to seal the deal and end things.

"Enough of this," Darius muttered, grasping his left sleeve with his right hand and pulling it up. "You're just wasting all of our time, Swampert. Time to put an end to this."

Ash's eyes flicked over to him, and he froze as he saw the bracelet around Darius's wrist, and the rainbow stone embedded within it. He felt the color drain from his face as Darius grasped the Key Stone in his hand, and his Swampert began to Mega Evolve.

Swampert's top half swelled massively in size, as his arm and chest muscles grew fourfold. The fins on his hand stretched down his muscular back, and even the orange whiskers on his cheeks grew longer and sharper. When the light faded, a massive, hulking brute of a Pokémon stood on the field, practically weighed down by his massive chest and arms. Mega Swampert looked as if he could knock out anyone with a single punch. Mega Absol paled in comparison, feeling like an insect in the shadow of the monster before him.

"Earthquake!" Darius commanded. Swampert raised his massive arms, then slammed his fists into the ground with enough force to shake the entire gym. Everyone in the room pitched and wobbled as the floor shook underneath them, and the floor of the battlefield itself splintered and cracked. Absol was thrown about helplessly by the assault, his body battered by the jagged boulders now jutting out of the ground. As the Earthquake finally subsided, Absol struggled to gain his footing again, groaning in pain.

Darius snorted, unimpressed by Absol's weak showing. "Finish it! Hydro Pump!"

"Dodge it!" Ash cried out, to no avail. Absol had no time to react before a massive Hydro Pump, the size of his entire body, knocked him off his feet and practically flooded part of the battlefield. When the waters of the Hydro Pump receded, Absol was lying weakly on his side, still Mega Evolved but motionless all the same. Several seconds later, he still hadn't moved a muscle.

Ash slumped, feeling his energy leaving his body as his heart settled into his stomach. His body felt cold, even as his face burned with shame, and the silence of the gym rang loudly in his ears. Of all the ways he had imagined this battle going for him, he had never expected-

"Swampert, Hammer Arm!"

Ash's attention snapped back to Swampert. "What?!" His eyes widened in disbelief as Swampert charged once again, holding a gargantuan arm over his head as he advanced on Absol. Acting entirely on instinct, Ash ran onto the battlefield and stood in front of his fallen Pokémon, holding his arms out to his sides.

"What are you-?! Swampert, stop!" a flustered Darius shouted. Swampert lowered his arm and desperately tried to slow himself, but he was too massive and moving too fast to come to a complete stop. Swampert's giant shoulder rammed into Ash, who was barely able to block with his arms before being knocked back. He flew backward ten feet, sailing over his fallen Absol, before landing painfully on the ground.

"Ash!" Serena shrieked, running over as quickly as she could. "Are you alright?!" She kneeled next to him, gently grasping his arm and helping him to sit up. Behind her, Iris, Brock, Athena and Darius all ran up to Ash as well, shocked and fearful. All of them ignored the light of Absol's de-evolution, as he returned to his normal form.

"Ugh… yeah, I'm okay," Ash insisted, rubbing his sore arms. "It wasn't that bad."

"What were you doing?" Darius spoke up, a mix of concern and frustration on his face. "You jumped in front of a charging Mega-Evolved Pokémon? What is the matter with you?!"

"What's the matter with me?!" Ash glared up at the older boy. "What were you doing?! Absol was already down! The battle was over!"

"The battle isn't over until the referee says it's over," Darius retorted, without missing a beat. "I'm not going to wait around and give my opponent a chance to recover. That's no way to win." He glanced over at his sister, who had abandoned her flags on the ground. "Speaking of which…"

"Oh, for Pete's sake." Athena rolled her eyes. "The battle is over. You won. Are you happy?" She watched as Iris and Brock gently pulled Ash to his feet, and Serena brushed some pitch-black dirt off of his back.

"Good." Darius returned Swampert to his Poké Ball, then leaned in and spoke to the ball. "You should not have needed Mega Evolution to win. We've got a lot to work on." He attached the ball to his belt.

"Brock was right," Ash said as he glared up at his opponent. "You really need to learn when to stop."

"I don't stop until I've won," Darius responded. "It's foolish to think anything else." His eyes quickly swept over Ash. "So, you're alright?"

"I'm fine," Ash grumbled, still rubbing one of his arms. "No thanks to you." He grabbed Absol's Poké Ball and returned the unconscious Pokémon.

"Whatever." Darius rolled his eyes. "Well, if you're fine, then there's just one more thing to discuss."

Ash raised one eyebrow. "What's that?" He cocked his head curiously, as Darius folded his arms and looked straight into Ash's eyes.

"I want my Houndour back."

Ash blinked several times, not sure he heard Darius correctly, before the weight of his words settled in. "Your… what…?"

"You heard me," Darius replied sternly. "The Houndour that released himself earlier. He's mine. And I want him back."

"Wait, that's your Houndour?" Athena asked, as surprised as everyone else.

"He's not yours!" Iris shot back. "What are you talking about?"

"Of course he is," Darius replied calmly. "Check the trainer ID on the Poké Ball. You'll see that it's mine."

"We got that Houndour from the Battle Chateau, after the whole Team Rocket thing," Brock elaborated. "There was no trainer to pick him up."

Darius nodded. "I left that party early. It was full of a bunch of stuck-up, rich jerks. Not really my thing." His arms unfolded and fell to his sides. "I grabbed my Poké Balls and left for Lumiose City, but when I got there, I discovered they had given me an empty Poké Ball instead of Houndour. I called the Chateau as soon as I found out, and they told me you had him."

"So you knew all this time?" Serena jumped in, her voice rising. "You knew where Houndour was for months, and you didn't even try to get him back? Why? How could you?!"

"I was curious," he answered, unfazed by Serena's anger. "I'd been having trouble with him ever since I got him. He wasn't up to par with the rest of my team and he wasn't getting better." He turned his attention to Ash. "And when we met again at the aquarium, I started thinking about what you said to me about how you treat your Pokémon. I was curious to see if you could do a better job of raising and training him than I could." His eyes narrowed. "Clearly, you haven't. As we all just saw."

"That's…" Ash mumbled, as he tried to weather the hurricane in his mind. This was wrong. It was unfair. Darius couldn't do this. "That's not…!"

"Don't try to tell us you cared about Houndour!" Iris stepped forward, enraged and much more coherent than Ash was. "You never bothered to call and check up on him! You let everyone think he was just abandoned, including him! What kind of trainer does that to his own Pokémon?! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"He was being taken care of and watched over by an experienced trainer," Darius replied. "I knew he was fine."

"He was lonely without you!" Serena insisted. "And he was thriving with Ash! He was behaving better and making friends!"

Darius paused at this, but only for a moment. "I'm not interested in his social life. I don't need him to be the life of the party. I need him to be a fighter."

He turned to face the two girls directly. "And it doesn't really matter what you think, anyway. The law is on my side. Houndour is my Pokémon, and you have no right to keep him from me." He turned back to Ash. "Now, are you going to return him, or will I have to report you to the League for stealing another trainer's Pokémon?"

Every head in the room turned to face Ash. His hands were nearly shaking, his knees weak. Every atom in his body was screaming at him to refuse. He could shake his head and keep the ball for himself. He could run. He could spare Houndour the indignity of training under a selfish, cruel jerk like Darius. Maybe it would be worth the damage to his reputation, or his eventual banning from the Kalos League. Even if he had his trainer's license revoked, and he could no longer legally care for any of his Pokémon, maybe he could hide out somewhere remote and keep his team. Maybe he could live in the mountains, living off the land and hiding from civilization and the authorities. Maybe he could…

Ash let out a long, trembling breath as he stepped forward, pulling Houndour's Poké Ball from his belt. He looked into Darius's eyes, summoning as much anger and hatred as he could muster, as he placed the device into the older boy's hand. As Ash stepped back, the ball made a small chime, turned into a ball of red energy and teleported away, as Darius exceeded his six-Pokémon limit.

"Good." Darius slid his hands into his pockets. "I guess we're done here. I'll help you clean up, 'Thena." He turned and walked away, toward what appeared to be the door to a storage room.

Ash didn't bother to watch him go. He immediately turned away and started making his way to the gym exit. His steps were heavy and plodding, his back slumped.

"Ash?" Serena spoke. "You're going to just let him-"

"I told you," he responded weakly, his face pointed toward the ground. "He's not my Pokémon." He walked up the stairs to the lobby, unable to hear the sound of his friends following him, or of Pikachu stirring in Serena's arms.