New Viridian City's stadium was packed to the gills with spectators to the point where almost no one could move without bumping into someone or their Pokemon.
Fortunately for Ash's close friends and his other Pokemon not taking part in the battle, they sat in a private box on the upper-right end. Misty, Brock, Lucy with Jasmine, Tracy, both Oaks, Kukui, Burnet, Lei, Ash's Alolan friends, Clemont, Shauna, Bonnie, Tierno, Trevor, Iris, Cilian, Goh, Chloe, Gary, Leaf, Max, Sawyer, Zoey, Barry, Dawn, Zach, May, and a boy Ash's age beside her.
The young man had fair skin, brown eyes covered by glasses, and brown hair covered by a white hat.
"Ashamed my dad couldn't be here. He always spoke highly of Ash." The young man said while May rested her head against his shoulder.
"Professor Birch is a busy man, Brendan. But I'm sure he's watching from Hoenn." Brendan was May's boyfriend and Professor Birch's son. He'd recently taken Drake's spot on the Hoenn Elite 4 and was slated to face Steven Stone at the end of the year.
Misty and Brock sweatdropped immensely while they stared at Felix and his Lucario, who sat nearby.
"So you're Ash's dad?" Misty asked.
"Hai." Felix said.
"And you've been gone all this time." Misty gave him a stern look, but Brock appeared more sympathetic.
"He came back." Brock said, thinking of his own father's return.
"And he'll be staying this time." Felix sweatdropped as Delia wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"Isn't that right, dear?" The iron in Delia's voice made Felix turn slightly pale.
"Hai."
His Lucario chuckled with the others while Oak stared down at the battlefield.
"After all this time, two of my students face off against each other for the crown."
Gary and Leaf watched with similar interest.
"Are you doing ok, Gary?" Leaf asked.
"Hai, I'm fine. I'm ok with just being Champion of Johto. It gives me something to work towards." Gary said optimistically.
Recently, he'd been defeated by a challenger who now held the title of Kanto Champion. However, only two days prior, Gary secured his position as Johto Champion by defeating Harrison at Mt. Silver, forcing Harrison to retain a position in the new Johto Elite 4 instead of Champion.
Gary glanced over at another Private Box nearby, where the new Kanto Champion sat alongside the Kanto Elite 4, except Misty, Steven Stone, his Elite 4, except Brendan, Cynthia, her and Daniel's son, and the Sinnoh Elite 4 except Zach, Diantha, and her Elite 4, Leon, Iris's Elite 4, Alain, Mairin, and the Kalos Elite 4.
Among the Kalos Elite, 4 was Korrina, who'd replaced Drasna recently. However, Korrina didn't sit with Alain and the other top Kalos trainers. Instead, she sat beside the new Kanto Champion and rested her head on his shoulder.
"One day." Gary said with an eager smile as he looked at the other champions.
It wasn't just Elite 4 and Champions who joined the audience. Gym Leaders, Frontier Brains, and other top trainers from around the world gathered to see the battle to end all battles.
Paul sat on the west side of the stadium with Tyson and Ritchie on the other side. Trip and Cameron watched from the east side and Morrison two rows above them.
Hau and Tobias sitting together a few rows down from a private box.
Below them, Ash stood in a corridor leading to the battlefield with Pikachu on his shoulder. They stared out at the doorway, which concentrated the sound from thousands of cheering fans towards them.
Neither said a word and remained in place even as the minutes dragged on. Finally, a warm hand rested on Ash's free shoulder, and they turned to Serena, who stood beside them.
"They're waiting for you." She giggled.
"Well, I'd hate to delay the show." He chuckled back with Pikachu.
Serena slowly wrapped both arms around his shoulders, and they exchanged passionate expressions.
"Whatever happens, Ash, go for broke out there! You inspired me to follow my dreams, now do the same for yourself!" Ash smiled back and pulled Serena in closer.
"I'm glad you're here, Serena." He then pressed his lips against Serena's and the two remained locked in a passionate kiss for quite a while. When Ash attempted to head off, Serena refused to let him go and continued the kiss for another few moments.
Finally, the two pulled back at the same time and smiled back at each other one more time.
"Pika, let's go!"
"Pika!!!" Ash and Pikachu walked onto the battlefield before countless spectators both in the stadium and worldwide via broadcast.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Today we see the match of the century as Alolan Champion Ash Ketchum challenged Pokemon Kaiser Daniel Rian for the crown once more! Now presenting the challenger, Champion Ash Ketchum!!!"
"Ash!!!!!" Delia and the others cried with explosive enthusiasm as he entered.
"Now presenting your reigning Pokemon Kaiser, Daniel Rian!!" Cynthia now led a large portion of the audience in thunderous applause as Daniel approached. Both trainers met in the battlefield's center and shook hands.
"Five long years of training, time to see if I was right."
Ash smiled back confidently.
"We're ready for another shot."
"Pika!"
Daniel looked up at Ash's box with a sincere expression.
"I'm glad you and Felix reconciled."
Ash exhaled deeply but smiled back up at the box.
"Me too."
"Ash, I won't lie. Part of the reason I wanted to train you and watch your career was out of a sense of obligation. The entire time Felix trained us, I had no idea you even existed. But upon learning the truth, I felt guilty, like I stole him from you."
"You didn't steal him from me, Daniel. What happened happened. Nothing can change that. But he's back in my life now. That's all that matters. You showed us what we're truly capable of, and now it's our turn to see what you're truly capable of!!!"
Daniel smiled back with a fiery passion.
"That's exactly what I hoped for! It's time to see if I'm still worthy of the crown!"
The two locked hands one more time before returning to their corner of the battlefield.
"The battle between Champion Ash Ketchum and Kaiser Daniel Rian will now begin! Each trainer will be allowed six Pokemon! Let the match begin!!!"
Serena had returned to the private box and sat beside the others.
"Ash, do your best."
xxx(Play the original Pokemon theme until xxx)
"Here we go!!!!! I choose you, Torterra!!!!!" The stadium shook when his colossal Torterra came out and landed.
"Terra!!!!!!" Torterra's roar similarly shook many to their core, but not Ash.
"Torterra, well, we don't have much of a choice then, do we?"
"Pika." Pikachu said while shaking his head. Ash took out a Pokeball and held it to his face for a moment.
"I choose you, Infernape!"
"Ape!!!! Infernape landed in front of Ash and furiously pounded his chest while intense flames shot out behind him.
"The battle starts with Kaiser Daniel's Torterra versus Champion Ash's Infernape!!!"
"Torterra vs. Infernape, just like last time." Brock muttered.
"It won't turn out like last time!" Serena cried.
Daniel and Torterra looked quite pleased over Ash's choice of Pokemon.
"Infernape, it's only right, I suppose. Torterra, Earthquake!" Daniel shouted as his and Torterra's eyes flashed blue together.
"Infernape, use Bulldoze!!!!" Ash roared, his and Infernape's eyes similarly glowing blue together.
"Ape!!!!"
"Terra!!!" Infernape slammed his foot into the ground at the same time Torterra's front feet hit.
Both attacks together shook the entire stadium to its core and all those inside.
"Ahh!!!!" Clemont yelped, bracing himself in fear that the entire structure might collapse. Many lesser stadiums might've done just that, but the New Viridian City Stadium was made with state-of-the-art technology and engineering.
"Look!!" May cried as she pointed to Infernape, who looked unaffected by Earthquake.
"Ahh, I see overall Torterra's Earthquake was far more powerful, but its impact is spread across the entire battlefield." Brendan said, looking very impressed.
"Which means Infernape only had to cancel out the seismic waves directly in front of him. Brilliant!" Brock shouted.
"Torterra, Stone Edge!!!"
"Terra!!" Daniel wasted no time, and his continental Pokemon unleashed a two-pronged attack via stone edge.
"Flame Wheel, keep moving!"
"Ape!" Infernape covered himself in fire and then rolled across the battlefield faster than a champion Rapidash, narrowly avoiding a barrage of razor-sharp rocks flying towards him.
"Fire Blast!" Ash's aura connection to Infernape meant he didn't need to tell him where precisely to attack.
Infernape instantly knew and blasted a symbol-shaped fire-blast straight at Torterra's front right leg. However, at that precise moment, the second prong of stone edge occurred, and spiked rocks burst from the ground, shielding Torterra.
Ash and Infernape grit their teeth for a moment but then smiled, remembering who precisely they faced.
"You think I'm going to let that happen?" Daniel laughed as Torterra continued his Stone Edge from above and below.
Infernape continued using Flame Wheel but found his path increasingly narrow as more rocks burst up from the ground.
"Infernape, jump onto the rocks!!!"
"Ape!" Infernape burst from his flame wheel and began acrobatically leaping from rock to rock even as flying Stone edge ripped through them like paper.
"Keep moving, Infernape!!" Dawn cried. She and the others sat on the edge of their seats with just how close the flying spiked rocks came to hitting Infernape.
Only Serena and Felix remained somewhat calm and composed, at least until Delia tightened her grip around him.
"Infernape, Fire Blast!"
Infernape leaped up and over the incoming flying rocks, and Daniel soon realized he was too high for an earthbound stone edge to shield Torterra.
"Ape!!"
"Terra!" Infernape's maneuvering got him close enough to Torterra so that the continental Pokemon couldn't evade or change moves in time. Instead, he could only blast back with Stone Edge.
Ash and Infernape braced themselves as four of the spiked rocks flew through Fire Blast and hit their mark.
"Ape!!"
"Ahh, Infernape!!!!" Delia screamed, nearly strangling Felix in her grip.
"Wait, look!" Zach shouted back.
While the Stone Edge went through, the four rocks only made four small holes, with the rest of the symbol continuing on into Torterra's front right leg.
"Terra!!!!" Like five years ago, Infernape's attack did real damage, and Torterra struggled to keep weight on his leg.
Daniel felt it too, he and Torterra gasping while Cynthia held her and Daniel's son tighter.
"Incredible! Both Pokemon take a hit!" The audience roared with approval even as Infernape and Torterra reeled from the blows.
"Infernape, good hit!"
"Pika!" Ash didn't need to ask if Infernape was ok. Their connection told him that and more. Five years ago, Stone Edge would've knocked Infernape out right there right then, but all of Daniel's training brought Infernape's enduring up alongside his power.
Daniel and Torterra surprised many by smiling with fiery enthusiasm.
"It's been so long since we felt a move do real damage like that. It's exciting!"
"Terra!!!" Despite enduring a super-effective attack, Torterra almost looked more invigorated than before and eager to continue against an opponent who provided a real threat.
"Let's keep it up, Infernape! Another Flame Wheel!"
"Pika chu!!!"
"Ape!" Infernape began speeding around Torterra, who watched his movements closely, aided by Daniel's sight. The Kaiser didn't even consider using any grass moves since Infernape was finally at Torterra's power level. Meaning even Leaf Storm and Frenzy Plant would instantly burn up upon contact with him.
"Stone edge and Headlong Rush!!!"
"Terra!!!!!" Torterra strategically sent up dozens of spiked rocks into Infernape's path, then shook the stadium as he began his pursuit.
"Keep moving, Infernape!"
"Pika!" Even if Flame-Wheel was super effective against Torterra, Ash knew Infernape couldn't overpower the far larger Pokemon in a head-on clash, even with an injured leg.
"Terra!" Torterra began smashing through his own rocks without slowing down whatsoever. With Infernape's path increasingly narrowing, Torterra started to close the distance between them.
"Climb the rocks!"
Just like before, Ash's supporters and the audience as a whole found themselves anxiously watching Infernape leaping from stone to stone, yet it only delayed the inevitable.
Serena pressed her hands together but remained firm as she saw Infernape reach the last rock.
"Come on!"
"Now, Fire Blast!!"
Infernape propelled himself to the side rather than forward and only just managed to avoid Torterra. In doing so, he flew past the continental Pokemon's side and unleashed a Fire Blast into his back right leg within inches of each other.
"Terr!!!"
"Headlong Rush!" Neither Ash nor anyone else had time to celebrate as Torterra pivoted off his good legs and smashed into Infernape like a freight train.
"Infernape!!!"
"Pika!!!"
The audience let out an uproar, including Cynthia, while Ash's supporters yelped, grunted, or sighed.
"That's not good." May muttered.
"Ahhh, he's done for!!" Goh cried.
"Not yet!!" Serena's voice carried over the others as she pointed to Infernape, who looked shaken to his core but still conscious, even as Torterra continued carrying him.
"It looks like Ash's Infernape is still in this!"
"Hyper Beam!" Daniel wasted no time, and Torterra flung Infernape into the air before him.
"Fire Blast!" Infernape didn't bother trying to hit Torterra in the face, for he and Ash both knew it wouldn't overpower Hyperbeam. Instead, he blasted the air directly above him with fire, confusing many.
That was until they saw Infernape shoot straight down from the blowback, just avoiding Torterra's Hyper Beam.
"Now!!!!" Infernape didn't even hit the ground before he curled back up into Flame Wheel and crashed straight into Torterra's right side.
"Terra!!!" Torterra's injured right legs forced him to shift his weight to the left. In doing so, it created the opening Ash was waiting for, and Infernape's impact flipped the continental Pokemon up and exposed his stomach.
"Overheat!!!" Infernape's eyes glowed blue like Ash's, and flames exploded out from behind him.
"Ape!!!!!" Infernape's explosive inferno hit Torterra at point-blank range, engulfing him entirely.
Daniel couldn't speak. He simply gazed in awe while feeling Torterra's pain.
The audience had to cover their eyes, but when the smoke cleared, they saw infernape panting over an unconscious Torterra.
"Torterra is unable to battle!" The ref shouted, sounding almost bewildered.
Serena cheered before anyone else in the crowd could, and soon Ash's supporters led most of the audience in overwhelming applause.
Paul stared at Infernape with particular intensity but said nothing.
"He actually did it! He beat one of Daniel's Pokemon!!!" Clemont bellowed.
"Ha! That's our Alolan Champion!!!!" Kiawe roared.
"That's right! You have the lead now, Ash, don't blow it!!!" Misty added.
Ash, Pikachu, and Infernape tried to take it all in.
They'd done it. They'd actually defeated one of Daniel's Pokemon.
"Infernape!! We did it. We got him!"
"Ape!!!" Infernape pounded his chest with a sense of pride and exuberation.
"Pika!!!"
Meanwhile, Daniel helped Torterra back onto his feet.
"It's been so long, hasn't it."
"Terra." Torterra nodded. He hadn't suffered a knockout in a long time and couldn't remember the last occasion where a single Pokemon did so, aside from other members of his team. However, after years of training Ash's Pokemon, he'd expected that such a possibility could occur and actually looked forward to it.
Nor was Torterra alone. Daniel hadn't been behind a Pokemon like this in ages and felt a rush of adrenaline.
"Torterra return. Rest well, my friend."
Daniel stood back up and readied his next Pokeball.
"This was exactly what I hoped for, a true challenge! Now the real battle begins. I choose you, Aggron!!"
"Gron!!!!!" Aggron shook the stadium when he landed and roared.
"Kaiser Daniel has sent in his thrashing Aggron!! Champion Ash will have his work cut out for him!"
Ash, Pikachu, and Infernape braced themselves. All three knew quite well that Aggron had certainly earned that title.
"Infernape, you've already done more than enough-" Ash started.
"Ape!!" Infernape vehemently shook his head before squiring up to face Aggron down.
"Alright, we'll press on!!"
"Pika!" Serena and the others remained confident, though cautiously so.
As much as Ash wanted to use Dig due to its extremely effective damage against Aggron in particular, he knew that Daniel's Aggron possessed Earthquake and that a single blow would knock Infernape out.
"Flame Wheel!!!"
"Ape!!" Infernape tried to speed around Aggron as he had Torterra. However, things proved different this time.
Daniel and Aggron's eyes glowed blue together, and within moments, the colossal steel Pokemon charged after Infernape.
Countless spectators gasped at the enormous Pokemon's sheer speed and agility. Aggron moved faster than Torterra and soon closed the distance with Infernape.
"How can he move so fast!?" Chloe muttered in disbelief.
"The right training." Felix answered. He smiled proudly at Aggron and Daniel, more out of reflex. After all, he'd spent years training them both. However, Felix's smile instantly faded when Delia shot him a look.
"Are you rooting for Daniel?"
"No!!! I-" Felix considered his next words carefully, and Lucario sighed.
"Fire Blast!"
"Dragon Claw, Water Pulse!!!"
Infernape blasted three symbol-shaped fiery infernos at Aggron, who slashed them each apart without flinching even when they made contact.
"Gron!" Aggron blasted the ground with a watery pulse that spread in every direction. Misty covered her mouth in awe when she saw the Water Pulse come out larger than a Surf attack.
"Dig!"
"Dig!?" Ash's companions cried out in disbelief.
"Why would he do that!? Did he forget about Earthquake!?" Gary yelped.
"Ash!!" Misty snarled.
Serena, however, clasped her hands together and remained calm. Positive Ash had a plan.
Aggron and Daniel looked similarly taken back by this but showed no hesitation.
"Earthquake and Dragon Claw!!!"
"Gron!!!" Ash and Pikachu grit their teeth when they saw Aggron's foot hit the ground before he used the motion to propel himself forward. The Kaiser smiled with a nod when he saw Infernape burst out of the ground only moments after using Dig. Rather than using it to strike Aggron, he remained underground just long enough to burrow safely behind Water Pulse.
Earthquake collapsed his tunnel, but luckily, Infernape emerged mid-air, avoiding it. Unfortunately, Aggron was only several feet away from him.
"Mach Punch!!!" Ash and Infernape's eyes glowed blue together, while Daniel and Aggron's did the same.
Whatever relief Ash's companions and the audience felt for Infernape avoiding Water Pulse instantly vanished when he and Aggron began a ferocious melee. Both Pokemon furiously attempted to slash or punch each other, only to find their blows dodged or parried.
Daniel and Ash both seemingly mirrored their Pokemon's moves, or perhaps it was the other way around.
"Come on! Come on!!!" May and the others knew that Mach Punch would have a devastating impact on Aggron if it landed. However, just when Infernape seemed to come in for the kill, he found both his wrists locked in place by Aggron's iron grip.
"Gron." Aggron growled, moving his face closer to Infernape's, who growled back defiantly.
"Iron tail!"
"Gron!!!!!!!!!" Aggron threw Infernape into the air and then flipped himself up in the same motion, slamming the fire ape into the ground so hard it almost felt like another Earthquake.
"Infernape!"
"Pika chu!!!"
"Infernape is unable to battle!" Most of the audience let loose overwhelming applause while Ash's supporters sighed.
"Well, it was bound to happen." Dawn muttered.
"Ash still has this! Come on!" Goh shouted.
"Right, he's only just gotten started!" Gary added.
"Infernape, return. I couldn't be prouder of you, Infernape. Don't worry. We'll take it from here. I knew this would be the match of our lives, Daniel!"
"Indeed. This is the real battle I've been looking for, Ash. Don't let up now!"
"We won't. I choose you, Sceptile!!!" Sawyer grew particularly excited when he saw Ash's grass Pokemon emerge from his Pokeball and take a fighting stance.
"Champion Ash has chosen his Sceptile!!"
"Sceptile, this should be interesting!" May shouted while Brendan adjusted his glasses.
"It should."
"Ohh, are they going to Mega Evolve them!?" Bonnie asked.
"I don't think so." Serena answered, noticing that neither even gestured to one of their keystones.
"Sceptile, huh. Now we're talking."
"Leaf Storm and Leaf Blade!!!"
"Tile!" Sceptile unleashed a hurricane of sharp leaves that left virtually the entire stadium blinded to the action.
"Ahhh! I can't see the fight!!!"
"Come on!"
Aggron and Sceptile's eyes both flashed blue, allowing their trainers to see what happened. Despite Leaf Storm's overwhelming power, Aggron barely felt any damage at all. His bigger concern was Sceptile, who moved through his storm like a serpent waiting to strike.
"Nice try. Fire Punch!!!"
"Aggron!!!!"
"Jump!!" Aggron punched the ground and sent a wave of fiery destruction in every direction, engulfing the entire leaf storm within moments.
"Look out!!!!!" Delia screamed, the others similarly holding their breaths.
"Come on." Serena muttered.
"Look!!!" Sawyer cried out in joy when he saw Sceptile acrobatically leaping over the fiery wave, just managing to avoid the flames. He then came down straight for Aggron, his arm blades out.
"Here we go!!!" Aggron and Sceptile's fierce clash now began. The former using Fire Punch and the latter Leaf Blade.
However, unlike Infernape's Mach Punch, Leaf Blade moved faster and more precisely. Moreso than Aggron after years of intense training alongside him.
"Pika!!" Pikachu cried in delight when he saw Sceptile evade the fiery blows and then land three precise slashes across Aggron's inner arms and stomach.
"Gron!!!" Aggron grunted.
"Leaf Blade!"
"Dragon Claw, Iron Tail!" Sceptile now found himself steadily pushed back when Aggron's renewed feral assault came faster than before.
"It's neck and neck folks! Neither can gain the advantage!!!"
"You've got this Aggron." Cynthia muttered.
"Come on Sceptile!" Leon cried.
The various champions were split, with Cynthia, Steven, and Kanto's new Champion rooting for Daniel and Leon joining Iris, Gary, and Alain supporting Ash.
"Now!!!" Sceptile weaved outward, coming out on Aggron's side before slashing his left leg twice.
"Gron!" Aggron grunted.
"Focus Punch!!!!"
Ash's supporters caught their breath when they saw Sceptile gather all the focus he needed virtually instantly.
"He's gonna do it!!!" Misty laughed.
Serena and the others nearly joined in but were instantly silenced.
Ash, Pikachu, and Sceptile's eyes widened when they saw Aggron holding Sceptile's wrist in place via dragon claw.
Daniel and his Steel Pokemon grinned before shaking their heads together. With flashing blue eyes, Aggron hit Sceptile dead in the center of his chest with a Fire Punch that sent him flying across the battlefield right in front of Ash.
"Hah!!!!" Cynthia laughed while bringing her son up to kiss his cheek.
"Ahhhh!!!?" Delia almost collapsed into Felix's arms along with the others.
"So close." Brock muttered.
"He's not done yet." Serena said.
"Huh?!"
Ash's eyes flashed blue, and the audience gasped as Sceptile flipped himself up and back onto his feet.
"Tile!!!"
"Unbelievable!!!!!"
"Alright, Ash!!!!!"
Sceptile panted slightly and held his chest where Fire Punch hit.
Daniel and Aggron looked less surprised. He'd also trained them to endure even super-effective moves.
"Good, that would've been anti-climactic. Earthquake!"
"Quick Attack!" Sceptile was upon Aggron before his foot could even hit the ground, which was Daniel's intention. Force Sceptile to engage him in close-quarters fighting.
"Dragon Claw, Fire Punch!!" Ash saw Aggron's right claw lit ablaze while his left glowed in a dragon aura.
"Tricky." Gary said in admiration.
Sceptile similarly found himself struggling against Aggron. Dragon Claw moved faster but could be parried, while Fire Punch had to be dodged, making coordination between both arm blades difficult.
Ash similarly grit his teeth when an idea floated into his head, one he didn't particularly like, especially after Sceptile took a Fire Punch.
"Tile!" Sceptile shouted at Ash via their aura connection, assuring him he could take it.
Ash and Pikachu exhaled before nodding.
"Focus Punch!" Sceptile threw himself into Dragon Claw, grunting as the move raked across his side. However, in doing so, he was able to move far enough inside Aggron's other arm to slash it without hitting fire.
Daniel's eyes widened but too late, for Sceptile unleashed Focus Punch via uppercut directly to Aggron's jaw just as Ash and Sceptile's eyes glowed blue together.
"Tile!!"
A collective gasp overtook the entire stadium as Aggron stumbled for a moment, then collapsed onto his back with swirled eyes.
"Aggron is unable to battle!!"
Seeing Ash overcome another of Daniel's Pokemon sent the audience into a frenzy, his supporters in particular.
"Incredible." Brendan said.
"Yes, very much so." Oak added. He, Samson, Kukui, and Bernet had been taking notes just like Sawyer, each hoping to learn as much as they could with such a legendary battle.
Serena slowly exhaled and smiled confidently.
"He's winning! He's actually winning!" Bonnie squealed in glee.
"Sceptile, that was beyond courageous!"
"Pika!!"
"Tile!" Sceptile took out a stick and placed it in his mouth with a proud expression.
"Aggron return. Looks like all that training did pay off. I feel a fire inside me, Ash. Don't let it die down just yet! I choose you, Tyrantrum!!!!" When Tyrantrum hit the ground, he caused dozens to fall out of their seats.
"Graw!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The fossil Pokemon's roar shattered glass and made many more fall over.
"Tyrantrum, alright, we can do this! Leaf Storm!!!"
"Tile!!!" Sceptile unleashed another hurricane of leaves, covering the entire battlefield. Unfortunately, much like Aggron, Tyrantrum suffered little real damage from the leaves and brushed them off.
"Dragon claw!!!" Ash cried.
"Dragon Tail!"
Sceptile sped forward with glowing claws while Tyrantrum swept most of the leaves with his tail. The fossil Pokemon saw Sceptile coming and brought his tail back around, blocking the Dragon Claw's initial strike, but Sceptile pushed himself up and around for another blow.
"Crunch!!!"
Sceptile, Ash, and Pikachu all saw it at the same time. Tyrantrum's crushing jaws snapped around Sceptile's body and clamped down like nothing else on Earth.
Ash and Pikachu struggled to stay upright after feeling what Sceptile did via their aura bond, and the audience went silent in dread.
Tyrantrum tossed Sceptile onto the ground in front of Ash. His eyes swirled.
"Sceptile is unable to battle!" This reignited the audience's fire, and they roared in approval, or rather most did.
Ash's supporters remained silent but hopeful.
"Sceptile return, that was some of your best fighting Sceptile. Remember that."
"Well, folks, it's all tied up again!"
"You haven't disappointed so far, Ash. Who's next?"
Ash and Pikachu both smiled before nodding to each other.
"We'll show you. I choose you, Greninja!!!!" Serena almost sprung from her seat upon seeing the water ninja emerge and take a fighting stance in front of Ash.
"Champion Ash has chosen his Greninja!!!"
"Come on! Mega Evolve him!!!!"
"It's not Mega Evolution!" Someone else shouted.
Daniel and Tyrantrm both smirked slightly with intrigue.
"I hope you weren't thinking of holding back on us."
"On you? We want to win! Let's go, Greninja!!"
"Gre!" Ash and Greninja held their hands out while their eyes similarly glowed blue. All watched in awe and wonder as trainer and Pokemon synchronized their aura, resulting in Greninja's transformation into Ash-Greninja.
"There he is!!!!" Clemont cried.
Serena looked upon Ash-Greninja's perfected form with particular wonder.
"Go Greninja!" She cried.
"Now we're talking!! Tyrantrum, use Stone Edge!"
"Water Shuriken!!" Ash-Greninja let loose a barrage of watery blades that began slicing through the incoming spiked rocks before bursting apart themselves.
"Crunch!!!" Tyrantrum charged through the opening and came within inches of snapping his jaws around Ash-Greninja, but the water ninja leaped backward via side-flip.
"Double Hydro-Pump!"
"Dragon Tail!" Ash-Greninja made a dozen copies of himself, which surrounded Tyrantrum and unleashed a tidal wave all around him. However, Tyrantrum spun his tail around, enveloping all twelve Hydro-Pumps in a single swing.
"Night Slash!" The real Ash-Greninja slashed at Tyrantrum's tail, blocking its impact and using the force to propel himself back onto his feet.
"Double Team!"
"Earthquake!!" Twelve copies of Ash-Greninja charged at Tyantrum from different directions, only for Tyantrum to bring down half the audience when his foot hit the ground.
"Water Shuriken!"
Every copy of Ash-Greninja shattered, but the real one hurled a massive water shuriken into the air before riding it like a surfboard.
Tyrantrum couldn't react to Ash-Greninja's speed, and he moved directly under the fossil Pokemon.
"Night Slash!!!"
"Pika!!!"
Ash-Greninja slashes across the inside of his legs causing Tyrantrum to grunt.
"Dragon Tail!" Tyrantrum came back around and nearly caught Ash-Greninja.
"Night Slash!!!" Ash-Greninja tried to propel himself away like before, but the angle of attack sent him into the air.
"Crunch!!!"
"Graww!!!!" Tyrantrum came in, jaws wide open ready to ensnare Ash-Greninja.
"Ash do something!!!!" Kiawe screamed.
Serena, however, remained calm, particularly when she saw a confident smile on Ash's face.
"Hydro Pump!!!" Ash and Ash-Greninja's eyes flashed blue together as the water ninja blasted Hydro Pump straight into Tyrantrum's mouth.
"Grawww!!!" Tyrantrum choked on the water and stumbled backward, shaking the stadium as he did so.
"Night Slash!!" Ash-Greninja came down and slashed Tyranturm's face before landing on top of his head.
"Graww!!!!" Tyrantrum snarled in defiance.
"Hydro Pump!!!"
Ash-Greninja blasted Tyrantrum at point-blank range, causing the fossil Pokemon to collapse onto his stomach.
"Tyrantrum is unable to battle!"
The audience and Ash's supporters lost themselves when they saw Tyrantrum go down.
"Awww, Greninja is so awesome!!!!!"
"I've never seen anything like him!"
"Hmmmm, to think he hasn't shown us how to do that." Misty pouted.
"It's not that simple." Felix said.
"Tyrantrum return. You and Greninja have finally reached your true potential with bond evolution, and I'm quite proud of you both. Which is why this next battle will be particularly interesting. I choose you, Feraligatr!!!"
The big jaw Pokemon landed hard in front of Daniel and snapped his mouth shut with such force it reverberated across the stadium.
"Kaiser Daniel has sent out his Feraligatr!"
"Yes! A water Pokemon showdown!!" Misty cried.
However, Serena, Ash, Pikachu, and Ash Greninja quickly recognized that something was coming.
Daniel and Feraligatr's aura became steadily intertwined while both smiled widely.
"I taught you so much over the last five years, Ash. But this is something I learned from you!!" Ash and Pikachu almost jumped when they saw Daniel and Feraligatr throw their hands up together.
The entire audience watched in disbelief, but none more so than Ash's supporters.
"No way!!!" Alain shouted.
"It can't be!" Serena muttered.
A veil of water enveloped Feraligatr until he emerged with similar physical enhancements as Ash-Greninja.
"Gatr!!!" Daniel-Feraligatr roared.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this will be one for the history books!"
"Daniel learned bond too!!?" Sawyer yelped.
"Are you really that surprised? It's Daniel Rian we're talking about, and he spent five years with Ash. If anyone could've replicated such a phenomenon." Brock said.
"Ash, Greninja, remember this is your technique!!!" Serena shouted.
After the initial shock, Ash and Ash-Greninja looked pumped for the next face-off.
"Greninja, what do you say?"
"Gre!!!!" Ash-Greninja eagerly returned to his fighting stance while Daniel-Feraligatr did the same.
"Let's go!" Ash and Daniel's eyes glowed blue alongside their respective Pokemon before throwing a punch forward.
"Night Slash!"
"Dragon Claw!!!" Ash-Greninja and Daniel-Feraligatr almost glided across the battlefield and exchanged their blows like a pair of master swordsmen performing their art.
"Double Team and Water Shuriken!"
"Surf and Ice Fang!" Ash-Greninja backflipped into the air and began riding a large water shuriken while barraging Daniel-Feraligatr alongside his copies.
In response, Daniel-Feraligatr projected a tidal wave beneath him but moved it like a serpent under his control, crashing through each copy while opening his jaws wide to freeze each incoming shuriken.
"Hydro Pump!"
"Pika!" Ash-Greninja flipped himself around and then propelled off the water shuriken moments before Daniel-Feraligatr shattered it. From there, he blasted Daniel-Feraligatr with a Hydro pump as a means to propel himself down.
"Hydro Cannon!!!"
Ash, Pikachu, and Ash-Greninja trembled when they saw Daniel-Feraligatr's thunderous water blast shoot out like an artillery piece.
"Dodge it!!!" It was only by his enhanced form, bond with Ash, and intense training with Daniel that Ash-Greninja landed and acrobatically leaped away just in time to avoid the Hydro Cannon, which hit the ground like a crashing meteor, knocking down hundreds of spectators.
"Ahhh, Greninja!!!" Bonnie wailed.
"Look, he avoided it!" Clemont shouted, pointing to Ash-Greninja, who gaped at the crater left where Hydro-Cannon hit.
"Dragon Claw!!!" Despite using Hydro-Cannon, Daniel-Feraligatr came right back for Ash-Greninja.
"Night Slash!!!" Once more, both Pokemon unleashed a fury of blows against each other with unmatched precision. Ash's companions and countless others in the crowd anxiously watched the melee unfold.
"Come on." Serena clasped both hands together tightly.
"Crunch!!!" Daniel-Feraligatr held both of Ash-Greninja's blades in place, then lunched forward to snap his colossal jaws around him.
"Ahhh! Greninja!!!" Delia shrieked while Oak and the others caught their breath. Serena nearly did the same, but after looking back at Ash, she noticed him smiling with Pikachu.
"Let's go, Greninja!!!"
"Pika!!!" Trainer and Pokemon glowed blue with aura as the watery veil returned around Ash-Greninja.
"What?!" Daniel and Daniel-Feraligatr looked similarly confused before the rest of the audience.
Ash-Greninja moved with the veil as if he too were made of water, emerging behind Daniel-Feraligatr before slicing him with two Night Slashes.
"Ahhh!!!!" The audience lit up once again, but Daniel and Daniel-Feraligatr remained firm.
"Ice Fang!"
"Gatr!" Daniel-Feraligatr instantly dealt with this new tactic, snapping his icy fangs around the veil, which froze nearly immediately. However, Ash-Greninja burst out from inside in a split second, coming behind Daniel-Feraligatr again to Slash him.
"Power-Up Punch!!!"
"Super Power!!"
Daniel-Feraligatr turned around, both arms raised, but it was too late. Ash-Greninja slammed both fists into his face one after the other, dealing immense damage and boosting his attack power.
Daniel seized up for a moment while Cynthia and countless others gasped.
"Daniel!!!" Ash, Pikachu, and Ash-Greninja looked similarly concerned for him, but the Kaiser quickly recovered.
"Ahhh, so that's what it feels like. Interesting." Daniel's momentary lapse distracted most of the audience and the ref from Feraligatr, who now lay on the ground unconscious.
"Ahhh! Feraligatr is unable to battle!!!"
Shauna and Bonnie both embraced Serena, while Delia did the same to Felix.
The audience looked more confused than anything else, for Ash and beaten yet another of Daniel's Pokemon.
"I don't believe it. He's brought Daniel down to two Pokemon!!!!" Steven yelped.
"That's it, Ash! You've got him! You've got him!!!" Gary laughed.
"He's still got four Pokemon left, and Daniel only has two! This is unbelievable!!!!" Dawn cried.
Brendan and Zach looked no less astounded.
"Greninja, I'm so proud of you."
Ash-Greninja smiled tenderly back at his trainer and gave him a thumbs-up before Daniel returned Feraligatr.
"Looks like we still have a lot of work to do on this new form. Don't worry about it, Feraligatr. Well, Ash, you've pushed me into a corner. Even I'm surprised at just how well you're performing."
"Greninja and I could go all day!"
"Gre!"
"Pika!"
Daniel smiled and took out his fifth Pokeball.
"I choose you, Lucario!!!" Korrina squealed louder than anyone else when she saw the blind red-furred aura Pokemon emerge and take a fighting stance.
"Grouu!!!"
"Kaiser Daniel has chosen Lucario as his fifth Pokemon!!!"
"Time for the real fun to begin!!!" Ash and the others watched in awe as Daniel touched one of his keystones and Lucario Mega Evolved.
"Grouuu!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Mega Lucario!!!!!!" Korrina shouted above the announcer.
"Hah, he's no match for Greninja!!!" Goh shouted, remembering when Ash's Greninja first went up against his Lucario.
Serena, however, like Ash, remained cautious. Pikachu and Ash-Greninja similarly watched Mega Lucario very carefully, particularly after his and Daniel's eyes both flashed blue together.
Ash knew double-team was pointless as Lucario would see the true Ash-Greninja via his aura.
"Water Shuriken and Hydro Pump!"
"Gre!" Ash-Greninja hurled six massive watery shurikens with a colossal jet of water in the center.
"Aura Sphere." Daniel and Mega Lucario moved in perfect unison, striking together with glowing aura in their hands as Lucario smashed apart each incoming shuriken with his fists or feet. After finishing the last one, he unleashed his collected aura into a single sphere that tore through the incoming Hydro Pump.
"Dodge it!!!" Ash-Greninja barely avoided the Aura Sphere and continued forward towards Mega Lucario with lightning-fast movements.
"Power-Up-Punch!!!"
Ash-Greninja came upon Mega Lucario with nearly continuous blows from every direction, all of which the Aura Pokemon either dodged or blocked.
"It's neck and neck, ladies and gentlemen, with-"
"Focus Punch!" After knocking two more blows aside, Mega Lucario landed a single explosive blow into Ash-Greninja's chest with the power of a racing train engine.
Ash cried out in agony after enduring the blow with him.
"Ash!!!" Serena cried, fearing he might collapse as he had years earlier. Many watched very carefully as Ash regained himself and stood tall.
Daniel similarly breathed a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Greninja, who lay on his back with swirled eyes.
"Greninja is unable to battle!!!"
"That does it, folks! Champion Ash's Greninja finally goes down!!!" The audience got pumped up into a fury when they saw Mega Lucario standing over Greninja before offering him a hand up.
"Gre."
"Grouuu."
"Greninja." Ash said as he helped Greinja to his feet.
"Greninja, I couldn't be more proud of you."
"Pika, Pikachu."
"Gre." Greninja nodded with no disappointment.
"Awww, Greninja." Bonnie muttered.
"Don't worry, Ash still has three Pokemon left." May assured her.
"Greninja return, alright, it's time for another shot at him! I choose you, Lucario!"
"Grouu!!!!" Lucario came out and narrowed his eyes at Daniel's, remembering well their last face-off.
"Excellent, but what are you waiting for?"
"Nothing!" Ash and Lucario's eyes glowed blue together before the Alolan Champion touched his left keystone.
"Let's go, Mega Lucario!!!"
"Grouuu!!!" A colorful sphere enveloped Lucario until he too emerged in his Mega form.
"And there you have it, folks, a battle between Mega Lucarios!!!"
"Lucario, do your best!!!" Serena shouted with the others.
Cynthia watched with particular interest, considering she'd hoped her Lucario could match Daniel's, only to lose to Ash's.
Both Mega Lucario stared each other down in a tense standoff while their trainers did the same.
"Aura Sphere!!!" Ash and Daniel cried in unison, their eyes flashing blue.
"Grouu!!!"
"Grouuu!!!!" Both Mega Lucario channeled their aura while Ash and Daniel did the same, mirroring the movements. Serena's eyes almost glistened when she saw an aura sphere form in Ash's hands just like Lucario's, only smaller.
"My boy." Felix almost choked up seeing this, and Daniel also channeled his own aura sphere. Both Mega Lucario had conjured Aura Spheres the size of Golems, then threw them forward like a punch.
The collision sounded almost like a crack of thunder, causing many audience members to cover their ears. Serena almost felt her hat fly off and quickly caught it while Bonnie held on tightly to a small green Pokemon in her pouch beside Dedenne.
"Hang on, Puni-Chan!" She cried.
Despite this, Serena, Sawyer, and Gary noticed both Mega Lucario charging through the concussive energy unleashing more Aura spheres. They successfully dodged or knocked away these attacks before coming within feet of each other.
"Close Combat!!!!" Ash and Daniel cried in unison.
The two Mega Lucarios' clash seemed too fast for reality. Unlike their last duel, Ash's Lucario kept pace with Daniel's, dodging and parrying the blind Lucario's relentless attacks. However, he did so with immense difficulty, drawing upon his full strength and every bit of training he'd received.
Yet, even as Serena's heart raced, she and the others noticed Daniel's Mega Lucario looked quite the same. He, too, appeared visibly strained and giving everything he had to keep up with his student.
Neither Mega Lucario landed a blow despite their lightning-fast movements, which Ash and Daniel mirrored. Even after several minutes, Ash and Daniel's Mega Lucarios showed no sign of fatigue or slowing down.
"How long can they keep this up?" Chloe said while sweatdropping.
"I don't think Serena minds." Leaf giggled while gesturing to Serena, who was blushing intensely while watching Ash similarly keep up his fighting moves even as sweat tricked down his and Daniel's brows.
"Focus Punch!!!!!" Both Mega Lucario's unleashed their attacks at the exact same time, but only one made an impact, hitting less than a fraction of a moment before the other could.
The audience watched with tense anticipation before finally, Ash's Lucario fell onto his back and reverted to base form with swirled eyes.
"Champion Ash's Lucario is unable to battle!!!"
Ash's supporters went silent, but the rest of the audience let loose their applause.
"That's daddy!" Cynthia beamed as she kissed her and Daniel's son again.
Ash and Pikachu exhaled deeply but remained optimistic as they went out and helped Lucario up.
"Lucario, it's ok." Ash said as Lucario kept his head low after being defeated by Daniel's Lucario once again.
"Grouuu." The blind Mega Lucario smiled while offering his former student a hand. He assured Ash's Lucario that it took everything he had to overcome him, and the sincerity in his voice convinced the younger Lucario.
"Grouu." Ash's Lucario bumped fists with Daniel's before Ash returned him to his Pokeball.
"Well, folks, it seems Kaiser Daniel has just evened things out again, and his Mega Lucario is showing no signs of slowing down!!!"
"That Lucario is unstoppable!!!" Trevor yelped.
"Don't say that!!!!" May shouted, making him yelp louder.
Dawn noticed Zach's Lucario had come out to watch the match and almost trembled after watching the brawl.
"Zach, do you really think Ash can overcome that Lucario?" She asked nervously while Zach carefully looked over Daniel's Lucario.
"I'm not sure. I've never quite seen a Lucario like Daniel's. But if it's true that Ash was trained by Daniel. Then he knows a lot about that Lucario too."
Ash exhaled again and turned to Pikachu on his shoulder.
"Pikachu, are you ready?"
"Pika!!!!!!!!" Pikachu flexed while sparking his cheeks, making Ash smile confidently.
"Then let's go!!! I choose you, Pikachu!!!"
Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder and faced Mega Lucario down.
The audience gasped while Ash's companions all sat up.
"Champion Ash has chosen his Pikachu!!!!"
"Pikachu." Serena, Clemont, Bonnie Iris, Cilian, Goh, Chloe, Gary, Dawn, May, Max, Tracy, Brock, Misty, Delia, and Oak muttered.
Daniel and his Mega Lucario both nodded with eager smiles.
"There he is. I was wondering when you'd send out Pikachu. Answer me this, Ash, you told me that the reason you have Pikachu is that you overslept on the day your journey began. If you hadn't, which Pokemon would you have picked as your starter?"
Pikachu didn't turn around to gauge Ash, for he already knew his partner's answer even without their aura connection.
"That doesn't matter, Daniel. I wouldn't change anything."
Oak, Felix, and Daniel all nodded proudly while many of Ash's companions went to tears.
"Are you crying?" Shauna asked Misty, who frantically seized Rudy by the shirt and used it to wipe away her tears.
"I'm not crying!!!!!" She protested. Serena, however, had no shame and used her hand to wipe the tears away.
"I thought so. Aura Sphere!!!!"
"Grouuu!!!" Rather than a colossal Aura Sphere, Mega Lucario let loose a dozen Geodude-sized spheres with twelve successive punches and kicks that Daniel mirrored.
"Agility and Iron tail!!!" Pikachu moved with lightning speed and all but one of the Arura Spheres, slashing through the final one with his steel tail. Much of the audience wondered why he didn't just dodge it like the others but got their answer when Mega Lucario surged forward, matching Pikachu's speed.
"Focus Punch!" Pikachu used Iron tail on Mega Lucario's fist, not overpowering it but propelling himself safely away.
"Close Combat!!!!" Mega Lucario gave Pikachu no time to recover after pivoting off his foot and launching another relentless assault on the electric mouse.
"Agility and Iron Tail!"
"Pika! Pika! Pika!" Pikachu moved faster than teleport but had supplemented his evades with Iron Tail against Mega Lucario's hurricane of punches and kicks. A single one of these blows would've knocked out even a champion's psychic type Pokemon, and Pikachu struggled to get away from Mega Lucario's relentless assault.
"Focus Punch!!!"
Mega Lucario didn't aim for Pikachu but instead struck the ground. Ash saw this a fraction of a second before it happened.
"Iron Tail!!!" Pikachu performed a backflip and similarly hit the ground. When Mega Lucario's fist made contact with the ground, it created an artificial Earthquake that nearly matched Torterra's, causing dozens to fall out of their seats.
Pikachu's iron tail on the ground prevented some of the seismic waves from hitting but couldn't prevent himself from being thrown off balance.
"Focus Punch!"
"Dodge it!!!" Ash sweat with a look of panic as Pikachu avoided the instant super-move by the edge of his fur.
"Aura Sphere!!!"
"Pika!!!" Pikachu wailed in pain when the blue sphere hit and hurled him across the battlefield like a herd of rampaging Rhyperior.
"Pikachu!!!" Delia seized Felix again as the others screamed in terror, with only Serena remaining firm alongside Ash.
"Chu!!!" Pikachu grunted slightly but landed on his feet in front of Daniel, who slowly nodded.
"Pikachu endures the move!!!!"
"Ahhh." Misty and the others exhaled deeply, but only for a moment.
"Close Combat!" Mega Lucario charged straight back in for Pikachu, who remained in place.
"Focus Punch!!!" Pikachu waited for the precise moment, then sped forward at the exact moment he needed to.
Daniel and Mega Lucario cried out together when Pikachu hit the inside of both of his legs with Focus Punch, breaking Mega Lucario's stance and then landing behind him.
"Thunder!!!!!" Ash and Pikachu's eyes flashed blue together.
"Pika chu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" A Pikachu's cheeks sparked, and he unleashed a titanic bolt of thunder straight into Mega Lucario that temporarily blinded the entire audience.
"Ahhh!!" Goh and the others covered their eyes until the white light faded, revealing Daniel's Lucario on the ground in his base form, eyes swirled.
"Lucario is unable to battle!!!"
"Pikachu, you did it!"
"Pika!!!" Pikachu raced into Ash's arms while the audience let loose.
"Hah! I wasn't afraid for a moment." Misty said even as her body shook.
"Right." May giggled.
Serena beamed brightly but remained cautious, as did the others.
The audience as a whole waited in anxious anticipation as Daniel returned Lucario to his Pokeball. The countless murmurs and shouts about Ash driving Daniel to his sixth and final Pokemon.
"It's down to Charizard."
"Daniel's Charizard."
Pikachu jumped back down and felt his heart race with Ash's as they waited for Daniel to send out his final Pokemon. The Kaiser stared at his Pokeball for a long time and smiled tenderly.
"I choose you, Charizard!!!!" Pikachu and Ash saw him emerge. The strongest Pokemon in the world flew out of his Pokeball and remained just above the ground.
"Grauuu!!!"
"He's here, ladies and gentlemen! Kaiser Daniel's Charizard!!!"
Leon and Alain's Charizards both peered closer with pure excitement on their faces while Cynthia exhaled with an assured look.
"This is as far as it goes." The other champions nodded, and even those who supported Ash wavered upon seeing Charizard.
Ash and Pikachu both readied themselves but remained confident.
"Daniel, I knew you wouldn't bring him out until the end."
"I didn't bring him out until the end because I wanted to give you a chance!" Daniel almost laughed.
"Hai, which is why I saved Pikachu for this moment!!!!" Daniel and the audience saw Ash reveal his Z-Ring and the Electrium-Z inside.
"His Z-Move!!!" Gary cried.
Daniel and his Charizard didn't visibly react, even when Ash and Pikachu began making the necessary motions together along with glowing blue eyes.
The audience caught their breath when Pikachu unleashed Gigavolt Havoc with the power of an unstoppable thunderstorm directed into a single attack, moving straight at Charizard.
"Is this it!?"
"Could he actually do it!!?"
"No way!!!"
Ash, Pikachu, and his companions anxiously waited for the Z-Move to hit.
"Dragon Claw." The Kaiser's Charizard slashed once, slicing clean through Gigavolt Havoc even in base form. The Z-Move exploded harmlessly around Charizard before he flew in after the electric mouse.
"Agility-"
Pikachu moved away, yet to no avail. Charizard's second hand slashed him.
"Pikachu!!!!!!!!!!"
Serena gasped when she saw Charizard hit Pikachu without holding back. An explosive whiplash sound followed, and many cried in terror upon seeing Pikachu skid across the ground like a skipping stone before Ash dove forward and caught him.
"Pikachu!!!"
"Pika." Pikachu moaned, his eyes swirled and body trembling.
"Pikachu is unable to battle!!!"
"Pikachu!!!" Serena cried with the others.
"Syl!!!" Sylveon yelped in similar terror.
Daniel and his Charizard both paused for a moment in concern before seeing Pikachu shake himself awake.
"He's ok!" Brock exclaimed, the others breathing a heavy sigh of relief.
"Pikachu, well done. You got us to the final matchup." Ash set Pikachu on his shoulder before slowly taking out the final Pokeball.
"It all comes down to this. Whatever happens, I know we'll have done our best." Ash raised his head to Daniel.
"I choose you, Charizard!!!!"
"Grauuuu!!!" Charizard shook the ground when he came out and landed before Ash.
"Grauuu!!!!" Charline burst out of her Pokeball behind Serena, her eyes turning to hearts while Serena and the others giggled.
"Champion Ash has chosen Charizard as his final Pokemon!"
The crowd erupted into fiery enthusiasm upon seeing it would come down to a Charizard showdown.
"Charizard, that's Ash's most powerful Pokemon, isn't he." Iris said.
"More powerful than Greninja?" Bonnie almost scoffed, not knowing Charizard as personally as she did Greninja. But even Serena seemed to nod at this from her brief time with Charizard.
"He is, but it's more than you realize." Misty said, earning slightly confused expressions from most of the others, save Iris and Cilian, who both knew the story.
Brock took a deep breath.
"Ash and Charizard have a troubled history. Back during our first journey with Ash in Kanto, he got him as a Charmander, but as soon as he evolved into Charmeleon, he stopped listening to Ash."
"Stopped listening?" May asked in utter bewilderment.
Misty sighed deeply and nodded.
"It only got worse when he evolved into Charizard. By then, he was not only ignoring Ash but going off on his own when he so desired. During Ash's first Pokemon league, he lost because Charizard refused to battle."
"Refused to battle!!?" The others shouted in disbelief.
"Wait a minute. I remember him obeying Ash just fine when he battled Drake." Rudy said, sounding very confused.
"That was after Charizard suffered a near-death experience, and Ash spent all night trying to revive him." Brock added, making Serena gasp.
"I like to think that when Charizard laid there that night, he thought about how he and Ash first met." Misty said with a tender smile down at Charizard. Felix sighed with a feeling of guilt, knowing had he been there, he could've easily remedied the situation just when it started.
"How they first met?" Goh asked.
Brock nodded, looking slightly angry.
"The thing is, Ash wasn't his first trainer."
"Not his first trainer?" Serena muttered.
"His original trainer thought Charmander was too weak, so he abandoned him in the woods just before a rainstorm." The others gasped.
"Charmander almost died that night, alone, tired, and afraid, surrounded by attacking Spearow. That's when we showed up." Misty said.
"Charmander was thrown out by his first trainer, but Ash took him on, just like Infernape." Dawn said.
Serena now understood why this particular matchup meant so much. The small Charmander was considered too weak to be useful, who later betrayed the very person who'd saved him, now stood against the most powerful Pokemon in the world, his trainer's only chance of winning.
Daniel and his Charizard also knew about Ash's history with Charizard, which only fired them up.
"Ash, I won't lie. Deep down, I really wanted our battle to reach this exact point. Your Charizard versus mine, student versus teacher." Daniel and his Charizard shared a deep glance with each other.
"Charizard is my partner. He's been at my side from the very beginning. Through all the hardships, heartbreaks, victories, and losses, we pressed on together until we became the greatest in the world. Now we stand before the only one to truly challenge us, the one who will truly test our strength and bond."
Ash and Charizard did much the same, both thinking back to the good times and bad. Yet through it all, their fiery bond glowed brighter now than it ever had before. Charizard imagined himself back in the Indigo Stadium years ago, refusing to battle Sparky when he could've easily defeated him, costing Ash and the rest of their team the Indigo League.
Yet even without any verbal cues, Charizard's bond with Ash reminded him that this was the past, that he was a different Pokemon now, just like Ash was a different trainer.
"Charizard, let's go!!!!!!!" Ash and Daniel shouted in unison while their Charizards let out roars like cracking thunder.
"Dragon Claw!!!" Both trainers and Charizards' eyes flashes blue before racing forward, claws glowing.
"Brace yourselves!" Gary shouted as Leaf held onto him tightly.
Serena and the others guessed what he meant, each holding onto their chairs or each other in anticipation of the impact.
Finally, the two Dragon Claws met and sent out a repulse of concussive energy that shook the stadium to its foundation. Unfortunately, the two Charizards continued their exchange with relentless fury, and each blow caused the audience to vibrate.
"Ahhh! I'm getting a headache!!!" Shauna moaned while clinging onto Clemont with all her might, turning the gym leader bright red.
Ash and Daniel performed air strokes alongside their Pokemon. However, unlike Greninja or either Lucario, the two Charizards didn't try to dodge the incoming blows, only counter them. As a result, both suffered at least two hits during the exchange but kept up their assault regardless.
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Dragon Rush!!!" Daniel's Charizard lashed forward again with his claws while also blasting forward. Ash's Charizard, however, countered by flying straight up with Dragon Rush, knowing a direct attack wouldn't overpower Dragon Claw and Pulse.
When both attacks hit the ground it left a crater taking up almost half the battlefield, and similarly caused much of the audience to hear a ringing in their ears.
"Ahhhh!!! He's too powerful!!!!" Bonnie shrieked while Dedenne, Puni, and the others similarly cringed.
Felix, however, only looked slightly bothered, much to Delia's chagrin.
"Blast Burn!"
"Grauuu!!!" Charizard let loose a concussive pulse of fire which echoed as it flew down towards Daniel's Charizard, gathering strength.
The Kaiser saw where Ash's Charizard was and nodded in understanding.
"To the sky then, Blast Burn!!!"
"Grauuu!!!!"
"Oh no!!!!" Misty yelped as she dove behind a seat.
Only Serena, Alain, Blue, and Felix remained up but quickly reconsidered that choice when both Blast Burns collided, causing the entire stadium to erupt in a fiery volcanic explosion.
Alain's Charizard beamed in awe when he looked through the fires and saw both Charizards riding through the flames, using them to increase their speed.
"Dragon Rush!"
"Dragon Tail!"
Ash's Charizard flew straight at Daniel's while covered in dragon energy, only for the slightly larger Charizard to knock him down with a punishing Dragon Tail, concussive bursts reverberating as he did so.
"Dragon Claw!"
"Steel Wing!" Despite the bone-rattling impact, Charizard recovered and knocked away the incoming Dragon Claw strikes with his metal wings.
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Grauu!!!" Ash's Charizard now answered with a Dragon Pulse, which hit Daniel's Charizard like a howitzer artillery piece and sent explosive waves in every direction, knocking dozens from their seats.
Daniel and his Charizard both grunted together upon feeling the sheer power of this attack.
"Dragon Rush!!!"
"Heat Wave!!!"
"Grauuu!!!!" Daniel's Charizard blasted Ash's with a fiery wind that filled him with a burning agony and stopped most of their momentum.
"Dragon Rush!!" Now Daniel's Charizard countered with his own Dragon Rush, which easily overpowered his opponent's after enduring Heat Wave. However, Ash's Charizard put up enough fight only to get knocked back a few feet.
"Blast Burn, wings out!!!"
"Grauuu!!!" Charizard blasted his opponent and, as Ash instructed, aimed his wings out to catch the explosive wind. In doing so, he flew back harmlessly, emerging just over Ash while Daniel's Charizard shook off the attack with an impressed expression, matching his trainer's.
"Look at them go!!!" Gary laughed.
"Grauuu!!!" Charline beamed while clasping her claws together.
"This could be the greatest Pokemon Battle in the history of professional matches!" The announcer cried.
"Wait for it, wait for it." Alain trembled in awe as Ash, Daniel, and their Charizards all smiled with fiery enthusiasm.
"Now! Let's go!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ash and Daniel touched their second keystones at the same time and felt the mega synchronization between themselves and Charizard.
"Grauuu!!!"
"Grauuu!!!!!!" Two Mega Charizard Zs emerged looking nearly identical. However, Ash's Charizard Z distinguished himself slightly by his slightly bluish-green tail flame as opposed to Daniel's Charizard Z's emerald green flames.
"Daniel's Mega Charizard Z versus Ash's Mega Charizard Z!!!!!! I do believe, why yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have just wet my pants!" The announcer shouted.
"It all comes down to this, let's go for broke!!!" Ash cried.
"Grauuu!!" Serena beamed and wiped a single tear away from her eye.
"Go Charizard!!!"
"Grauu!!" Ash's other supporters joined in fervently, as did the entire crowd, each one taking a side.
"Dragon Claw!" The Charizard Zs clash put their precious melee to shame, as each impact caused pieces of wall to break apart and chairs to collapse with spectators still in them.
"Maintenance crew!!!!" A stadium manager cried. Within moments twenty or so workers with Machoke and Gurdurr raced into the pathways where they began repairing the damage within moments.
"We came prepared." The manager said while sweatdropping.
"Dragon Tail!"
"Steel Wing!" Ash's Charizard tried to block the incoming tail blows, but the Charizardite Z powered up their dragon-type moves above all others. Thus he could only block them and not parry them into an opening.
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Dragon Rush!" Ash's Charizard Z flew down at an angle, avoiding Dragon Pulse by millimeters. From there, he flew straight up into Daniel's Charizard Z from below and hit him with a full-powered Dragon Rush.
"Grauu!!!" The Pokemon king grunted but quickly recovered.
"Dragon Pulse!"
"Dragon Tail!" Ash's Charizard Z very nearly blasted his opponent only to get knocked backward by a swifter Dragon Tail.
"Dragon Pulse!!!"
"Grauuu!!!!" Daniel's Charizard Z now sent Ash's into a backward tumble with an explosive Dragon Pulse.
"Ash!!!" May and the others cried in terror. However, Serena and Felix both remained firm.
Ash similarly tightened his fist as he and Pikachu looked up at Charizard Z, who struggled to regain control.
Daniel and his Charizard Z nodded together.
"Dragon Rush!!!!"
"Grauuu!!!!" Daniel's Charizard Z went in for the finisher, the audience knowing well that once he made impact, it was over. Ash's Charizard Z had only just recovered and shook his head with less than a moment to see the other Charizard Z coming in.
"Dragon Claw!" He heard the command via aura first, and Daniel's Charizard made contact.
"Ahhh!!" Delia buried her face in Felix's chest while Ash's supporters collapsed.
"It's over." Misty stuttered.
"It's over." Leon sighed.
"Well he certainly gave Daniel a better run for his money than any of us have." Steven admitted.
Gary sighed.
"I suppose that's that-" Gary froze when he saw Serena still hadn't given up.
"Serena, what are you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The entire audience shrieked together, and even Daniel looked frightened when they saw the exploding dragon energy dissipate, revealing Daniel's Charizard Z barely being held in place by Ash's Charizard Z's dragon claw.
"Grau!!!?" The slightly larger Charizard Z almost yelped while staring into the fiery eyes of his student, who grunted and trembled, using every bit of his strength to hold the Charizard King in place.
"Seismic Toss!!!"
The entire stadium went silent in awe when they saw Ash's Charizard Z drag his master up with unbelievable difficulty but did so all the same. Gary trembled as he watched Ash's Charizard Z make three circles in the air before throwing his opponent straight down.
Ash held a hand out, and together as his and Charizard Z's eyes glowed blue together, he cried.
"Dragon Rush!!!!!!!!!"
"Pika chu!!!!"
"Grauuu!!!!!" Charizard Z covered himself in more dragon energy than ever before, and upon making contact, the power behind his move nearly shattered the entire stadium.
Even Daniel had to cover his eyes and seized up when he felt the blow via his aura connection to Charizard Z.
"Charizard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Cynthia had never heard her husband scream like that before. In fact, no one other than Felix had, and only he knew what it meant.
Ash, Pikachu, and Charizard Z all panted heavily, struggling to remain on their feet as the dust cleared, revealing Ash's Charizard Z barely on his feet in the crater.
"Grauu, grauuu." Charizard Z stumbled, looking like he might collapse at any moment.
"Grauuu." Just then, his heart sank when he, Ash, and Pikachu saw Daniel's Charizard Z slowly rise to his feet, also breathing heavily.
"All that, all that, and it wasn't enough." Brock trembled.
Despite this, Ash, Pikachu, and Charizard Z regained their composure and stood ready to battle.
"We won't ever give up! Not until the end-" Ash couldn't even finish when he saw Daniel's Charizard revert back to his base form.
xxx
"Nani?"
"Grauu." The King Charizard collapsed onto his back and groaned with swirled eyes.
Silence overtook the entire stadium as the audience there and worldwide failed to comprehend what had just happened. The ref himself stuttered out unintelligible sounds before reality kicked in.
"Kkkkaiser Daniel's Charizard is, is unable to battle. The winner is Champion Ash!"
Ash and Pikachu went still and numb to the world around them. Both saw themselves over eleven years earlier on the edge of Route one just after their journey began. Both lay on the ground, exhausted and injured but together, while a glittering bird flew overhead, a rainbow trailing behind him.
From there, Ash pictured himself catching each of his Pokemon, the countless gym battles, all of his friends, the hardships, good times, tragedy, joy, and everything in between.
This was it; everything they'd ever worked for now lay before them. A single tear ran down Ash's face and hit the ground.
Once the initial shock wore off, an uproar worldwide shook every corner of the Earth where the match was televised.
Yet none of this compared to Ash's Charizard, who breathed out a sea of fire before flying straight towards his trainer, tears streaming down his face as he did so.
Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder just before the colossal fire-lizard pounced upon him and began passionately licking his face. Pikachu raced over at the same time Lucario, Sceptile, Greninja, and Infernape came out of their Pokeballs.
"Tile!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Gre!!!!!"
"Ape!!!!"
"Grouuu!!!!!!"
"Pika!!!!" All six embraced Ash as they'd never done before while the audience's uproar continued to shake the stadium.
Daniel exhaled slowly but nodded as he approached Charizard and helped him up.
"Grauuu." Daniel's Charizard finally got back to his feet and looked back out at their former students alongside the rest of the Kaiser's team. They remained silent, which unsettled Cynthia and the other Champions, who couldn't believe their eyes.
"Did, did he actually do it? Am I dreaming?" Leon muttered before Steven threw a cup of water into his face.
"No, I'm not dreaming."
Cynthia trembled until she saw a smile form on her husband's face.
Ash's supporters outshined the rest of the audience by far, with Misty, May, Dawn, Goh, Brock, Clemont, Bonnie, and the others almost dancing around in their seats alongside Delia.
Felix and Serena, by contrast, merely wiped tears from their eyes.
"Grauuu!!!!" Charline cried, wanting nothing more than to fly down to Charizard. However, she was beaten to the punch as Ash's Dragonite zoomed past her and seized him away from the others in a tight embrace.
"Nite!!!!" One of the entryways shook as the rest of Ash's Pokemon stampeded onto the battlefield before joining in.
Ash couldn't stop laughing as his Pokemon took turns, almost passing him around along with those who took part in the battle.
Paul could only nod with a begrudging smile when he noticed a person in front of him trembling. This individual had thick blue hair with sunglasses over his forehead.
"It, it can't be. My Charmander-"
"Your Charmander?" Paul said, making the trainer jump.
"I, I-"
"If that's true, why is he with Ash?" The trainer stuttered.
"I, he, he was so weak." Paul exhaled deeply as he stared out at Infernape.
"You have a lot to learn about Pokemon and their value." Paul said before he got up and left the trainer.
Oak couldn't help but chuckle while sitting back beside his cousin and Kukui.
"I knew that boy would go places from the day I met him." Kukui chuckled.
"Hai, he had a rough start, but so did Daniel." Oak said with utter pride for his student.
Back on the battlefield, Ash finally passed through the last of his Pokemon when they saw Daniel approaching with his team.
Ash wasn't sure what to say and almost shook as he reached them. However, to his surprise, Daniel reached out and embraced him.
"Eh?"
"Ash, you've done what no one has been able to do in years. Make me feel like a real Pokemon trainer again. Make me truly work to improve again. Thank you."
Ash wiped another tear from his eye and nodded.
"Daniel, arigatōgozaimashita, for everything."
"We showed you the way. You and your team got there yourselves."
Charizard growled at Ash's Charizard, telling him much the same alongside the rest of Daniel's team.
"You've beaten me today. But in doing so, have given us a new height to reach for, Kaiser!!!"
"Kaiser?" Ash muttered, only then realizing what this truly meant.
Daniel eagerly turned back to the crowd and pulled Ash forward while his Charizard did the same with Ash's.
"We give you your new Pokemon Kaiser and Pokemon King, Ash Ketchum, and his Charizard!!!!" A fresh explosion of applause overtook the stadium as television reporters furiously raced on the battlefield, several battling each other for a chance to interview the new Pokemon Kaiser.
"Ash! Ash!!!" Several particularly unsettling-looking reporters nearly got a hold of him, only to get hurled backward when Bayleef slammed herself into the nearest one and whipped the others back with her vines.
"Bay!!!" She cried.
"Out of my way, I'm gonna be the first to interview the new Kaiser-" A reporter roared as she forced her way forward only to see Ash's Dragonite staring back at her.
"Eh?"
"Nite!!!" Dragonite's eyes turned to hearts before flying straight for her.
"Wait! No no no no! Ahhh!!!!"
Ash and the rest of his Pokemon sweatdropped when they saw the army of reporters battling to interview him.
"Welcome to your new life, Kaiser." Daniel chuckled while placing a hand on Ash's shoulder.
Finally, a more reasonable one reached Ash and offered him her microphone.
"Champion, excuse me, Kaiser Ash! Please give us some words on this historic victory!!!!!"
Ash hesitated, still looking a bit uncomfortable, particularly with so many people watching him.
"Well, I couldn't have done it without Daniel's training. Plus, it was my Pokemon who put the real hard work in-" Ash's Pokemon seemed to cut him off, slightly upset over his modesty.
"Grauu!"
"Pika!"
"Ape!"
"Gre!"
"Tile!"
"Grouu!!!" Each demanding Ash take proper credit for their victory.
"This was a journey that took me over ten years. It wasn't just Daniel but all my friends who helped me reach where I am today." Ash pointed out to his section with Misty proudly standing up as the cameras now zoomed in on them.
"That's right! Misty of the Kanto Elite Four is responsible for the second Pokemon Kaiser!" She boasted full of pride, making the others sweatdrop.
Clemont trembled when he saw himself on the worldwide broadcast before Bonnie sternly held him in place.
"Geez, pull yourself together, big brother."
"It seems the new Kaiser does have many notable friends! Yes, that is Misty of the Kanto Elite Four and another from Sinnoh! Oh my, Johto Champion Gary and Unova Champion Iris are also present! Plus, the renowned coordinators May and Dawn! Ahh, what's this? Kalos Queen Serena is also present!!!"
Many grew particularly interested when they saw Serena, given the rumors circulating about her and Ash. Serena, however, didn't care and let out a few more tears as she smiled down tenderly at Ash.
When the new Kaiser stared back at her, a new series of emotions flooded his heart.
"Serena." He said quietly before giving an incredibly determined smile.
"Serena!!!" He cried, seizing the microphone.
"Serena, I've finally become the Pokemon Kaiser, which means I need to keep up my end of the promise!!!"
Serena turned bright red and started trembling.
"Promise." She muttered.
"Wait, he couldn't mean what I think he does." Clemont stuttered, all those in who'd been there that day, each giving a different reaction.
"Ohhh, is he really gonna do it!!!?" May giggled while covering his mouth.
"No way, not on international television!" Goh yelped.
"You guys are all forgetting. This is Ash we're talking about." Misty giggled in anticipation.
"Huh? What are they talking about?" Delia asked a trembling Felix. Oak, Burnet, and Kukui looked equally confused.
"Serena, will you marry me!!!!?"
"Ehhhh!!!!!!!!!?" Serena trembled as she'd never done before, all the while, those around her cried out in shock or delight.
"He really did it!" Clemont squealed while Bonnie held her beaming face.
"It's so romantic!!!!"
"Oh, Ash, you're all grown up." Brock teared up.
"Marry!!!? What did he just say!!!!?" Delia screamed in utter disbelief.
"Did he just propose!?"
"Kaiser Ash just proposed to Kalos Queen Serena!"
"Ha! I knew those rumors about them were true!!"
"Uhhh, ladies and gentlemen, this already turbulent day has taken another unexpected turn. Yes, I have wet my pants again."
Daniel and the champions laughed like crazy.
"That's what I love about you, Ash. You're not afraid to be bold."
"That's our new Kaiser." Cynthia chuckled alongside the others. Ash's Pokemon, even Bayleef, cried out in approval for his proposal.
"Serena, Serena, say something!" Shauna shook her friend back to life after she'd seemingly fainted.
"Eh?"
"Ash just proposed to you!" Dawn giggled.
Serena regained her senses and brought both hands over her heart before standing up.
"Ash! Did you really need to ask!? Of course, I will!!!!!!!!!"
"Grauuu!!!" Charline couldn't wait anymore, and with May, Misty, and Dawn's help, she pushed Serena onto her back alongside Sylveon before flying down at top speed.
"Grauuu!" Charline almost knocked Ash's Charizard onto his side upon reaching him and took advantage of his exhausted state to vigorously nuzzle/lick him.
At the same time, Sylveon came down and similarly nuzzled Pikachu. However, before this, Charline dropped Serena off, nearly tossing her right into Ash's arms.
From there, neither spoke a word. They simply embraced and shared a passionate kiss before the roaring crowds.