"Delphox use Fireblast!" Serena called out to her starter as a bolt of electricity from Zeraora streaked towards her.
The attacks collided but the electric attack managed to keep going through the Fireblast, connecting with Delphox who was thrown backwards and into the wall of the battlefield behind the Pokémon Centre Ash and Serena were staying at.
As the dust and smoke cleared, Delphox was found to be out cold, swirls in her eyes. "Delphox is unable to battle, Zeraora wins!" A local who asked to ref the match called out.
Serena looked at her starter with some sadness in her eyes but she knew Delphox had improved over the last few months and was much stronger. "Return Delphox, you were amazing. Thank you." She said as her starter returned to her pokéball.
She walked over to where Ash was thanking the local. "Thank you sir." He said.
"It was my pleasure Master Ash." The local said. "It was amazing to be able to see you battle in person even if it was just a practice match with Lady Serena. Both of you are well known throughout the province especially with how far you have made it in the Ransai Challenge in such little time. We are all cheering for you."
With that, the man walked away after bowing and saying goodbye. As the crowd that had gathered dispersed, Ash and Serena gathered their bags from where Pikachu was waiting and walked back into the Pokémon centre to get both Delphox and Zeraora healed.
"Hi Nurse Joy, can you please take care of our Pokémon?" Serena asked the pinkette behind the desk.
"Of course! It would be an honour." Nurse Joy replied as she took the pokeballs.
Ash took Serena's hand and led her to a booth where they sat down to wait after getting some tea from the cafeteria. Serena noticed Ash had a strange troubled look in his eyes.
"Ash, what's troubling you?" She asked softly, a slight look of concern on her face. "You have looked troubled for some time now and it all started after defeating Lord Ujiyasu last month. You know you can tell me anything and I will always do what I can to help you."
Ash looked down at the cup of tea in front of him, deep in thought. He had been feeling a little off after defeating the tenth of 18 lords. Ransie was a beautiful place and he was enjoying every minute of his trip with Serena, but she was right, something was troubling him and he couldn't really put a finger on it.
"Honestly I don't know Serena." He started. "I feel that everyone seems to give me so much more credit than I deserve. Yes I have defeated ten of the challenges so far, but we are just barely over half way through. I'm worried I won't live up to the expectations that everyone has for me. Worse, I'm worried I won't live up to your mothers or yours."
He looked up at Serena, her eyes glistening a little with tears that were forming. "I just want to do the best I can but everyone seems to think I have what it takes to defeat all the Lords and be the first to do so in centuries." He stated with a small undertone of hesitation.
He looked down at his tea once again, thinking of how to articulate his next series of thoughts. "I know I'm the Alola Champion, and that I'm not the same trainer I was when I lost the Kalos League previously. I also know that I am far from the best I can be." He took a sip before continuing on.
"Serena, I feel like I am just going to do what I always do. Get so far then fall flat on my face and come up short again." He said as he looked back up at his girlfriend.
Serena had been silently holding back her tears. Tears of happiness to know that he felt safe to confide in her but also tears of sorrow to know that he was struggling again with how he saw himself.
Serena took his hand in hers and gently squeezed it. "Ash, you are such an amazing trainer. You have come such a long way and to see how far you have come is amazing. Your team respect you, trust you, and always give it their all. Even Zeraora who you haven't had for to long has shown you how much he trusts you and wants to get stronger with you." She said softly. "Everyone you meet and battle against knows how good of a person you are. You can never disappoint me as long as you always try your best. Same goes for my mother and yours."
Serena got up and walked over to Ash, his eyes wide and staring at her as she spoke. "You have to stop doubting yourself. Would MewTwo call you a friend if you weren't a great trainer and person? What of Greninja's Battle Bond? Or Pikachu's power? Lycanroc is also a one of a kind and it's probably because of who you are." She hugged him as she finished, his head resting on her shoulder.
Ash wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, never wanting to let her go. He knew he was making the right choices, but was still scared as to how the trip would end. Before he could say anything a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Ash, you have to stop second guessing yourself and being so hard on yourself. Serena is right, I don't call you friend just because."
Before anything else was said, a bright light appeared in the doorway of the Pokémon Centre. As the light dissipated, the form it took was one that was familiar and welcome. Before them stood the Legendary MewTwo, sporting a smile and a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Ash and Serena stared at the Pokémon with wide eyes, in complete shock as he walked up to them both, bowing his head slightly in acknowledgment.
"It's been a while Ash, Serena. My apologies for the time apart but I had to look into something." MewTwo said. "I have come with a proposition for you."
Ash was the first the recover. "It's good to see you again. I'm curious, what kind of proposition?"
MewTwo motioned for the two teens to sit before he himself sat on a ball of energy he conjured out of the air around them. "It's simple really." He said, looking at Ash. "I wish to join your team if you promise to never give up being yourself and pushing all of us on your team to be better, to achieve the strongest power we can get to."
MewTwo's proposition caused Ash to almost fall over. Serena on the other hand seemed to snap out of her stupor. "You...you want to let Ash catch you?" She asked hesitantly.
MewTwo thought for a moment before producing a very Luxury Ball. "I wish for you to catch me in this." He said. "It is the pokéball that I selected many years ago for the trainer who may one day prove to be deemed worthy enough to catch me."
Ash took the Luxury Ball reverently, almost as if he was in a dream state. He didn't know if this was real or if it was a dream if he was being fun honest. He already had Zeraora but now MewTwo was wanting to join his team as well. He looked up at the Psychic Pokémon.
"Are you sure about this MewTwo?" He asked quietly.
MewTwo had a mischievous glint in his eyes as he nodded. "I am Ash." He said simply. "You have been the only one I would trust to be my trainer for years now."
Ash looked from MewTwo to Serena. "Serena, please pinch me to make sure this isn't a dream." He said quickly.
Before Serena could even move, a bolt of electricity flew towards Ash and hit him with such force that he fell down almost instantaneously. Serena and MewTwo looked back towards where the attack originated and they saw Pikachu and Zeraora both grinning as they high fived.
"Are you guys serious?" Serena asked with a little bit of annoyance in her voice. "You both know that Ash is going to make you train harder, right? And with MewTwo joining the team you better believe you will have to behave more." She said with her hands on her hips.
MewTwo for his part was trying not to laugh as he knew the bolt of combined electricity was on its way but didn't tell Ash. He also knew that it was Pikachu who had picked up Zeraora's pokéball and tossed it off the side of the counter allowing the Mythical Pokémon out.
Pikachu and Zeraora stopped laughing and looked with wide eyes at MewTwo before Pikachu jumped onto the floor and ran up to Ash. Once he arrived, he proceeded to smack his face with his tail to wake him up.
"Pika! Pi Pikachu!" The little mouse squeaked.
Ash stirred and slowly sat up, looking a little confused before laying eyes on Pikachu and then looking over to Zeraora. His eyes narrowed as both Pokémon gulped, clearly not liking the look on their trainers face.
"Pikachu...Zeraora...you both have to train with him." Ash said with a grin. "And not at the same time."
Pikachu seemed to be shaking while Zeraora gulped a second time before tapping his pokeball and being sucked back inside. This caused Pikachu to squeak and run up Serena's arm, hiding behind her head while on her shoulder.
"Don't worry Pikachu, I won't let Ash be to harsh with the training." Serena said as she rubbed behind his ears. "Besides, I think you might have fun training with MewTwo. He definitely will help you get stronger." She finished.
Ash and MewTwo looked at each other before Ash nodded and extended his hand with the Luxury Ball in it towards MewTwo. "Let's do this then." He said with a smile. "Let's get stronger together and help my whole team finally unlock their true power, not only when they are meditating."
MewTwo gave the pokéball a fist bump before he was sucked inside momentarily, reappearing in a flash of light. "Thank you Ash." He said. "If you don't mind I would like to stay out of the pokéball as I have always hated feeling like a prisoner."
Ash smiled, knowing full well that MewTwo felt that way. "I don't mind at all. Just try not to attract to much attention to yourself!" He replied with a chuckle.
Turning back to Serena and Pikachu, Ash noticed how tired she looked. "Hey Serena, why don't we get something to eat quickly before calling it a night?" He suggested. "Tomorrow will be an early start to the day for us all if you want to train with me again."
Serena scratched Pikachu's chin eliciting a coo from the electric mouse. "Sounds good Ash." She replied. "Sleep sounds so good right now that I could go to bed without food."
The last statement caused Ash and Pikachu to look at her like she was crazy as food was important to them both. Serena noticed their looks and laughed.
"I'm just kidding you guys, geez!" She said between her giggles. "Food then bed, sounds perfect to me."
***************************************
"MewTwo use Shadow Ball! Charizard use Dragon Pulse!" Ash yelled out as the two titans faced off from one another.
It was just after sunrise and Ash, Serena and their Pokémon were in a clearing in the forest just out side of town training. Charizard was training with MewTwo while Delphox and Greninja were sitting off to the side resting after their little sparring match earlier.
Lucario, Zeraora, and Pikachu were off sparring against each other in a battle Royal styled match while the rest of Serena's team watched the three power houses send devastating moves against each other with Lucario glowing blue, Zeraora glowing yellow and Pikachu glowing almost white with the power they were emitting.
Back at the battle between Charizard and MewTwo, both were giving it their all. After dodging the Shadow Ball, Charizard sped in for a close ranged Dragon Claw however instead of green, it was glowing an almost ocean blue as a blue glow started to be emitted from the flying type. As the attack gained power, the glow intensified, causing both Ash and Serena to have to look away.
The attack collided with MewTwo, throwing him backwards and creating a huge cloud of dust from the force of the collision. The blue glow intensified even more before dissipating, leaving the area shrouded in dust for a few moments before Charizard flapped his wings and cleared the air.
Ash and Serena were stunned when they looked back. Before them was not the same Charizard but one of deep blue in color with light blue underbelly and wing membranes. The flame on his tail was twice the size of a regular Charizard and it burned white. There was also white flames flickering in its nostrils as it exhaled. Bony plates covered it's shoulders like armour, the same plates were on its knees and arms on its elbow. Charizard exuded so much power that the air shimmered around it.
Ash looked on in amazement before grinning widely. "All right Charizard! You unlocked your Aura Form!" He called out with a wide smile. "Let's see what you can actually do! Use Dragon Claw again followed by Flame Thrower!"
Charizard seemed to disappear from where he was and then pop up behind MewTwo, delivering a Dragon Claw that glowed blue instead of green. The attack hit MewTwo so hard that he was blasted through several large trees before slamming into a cliff wall that was a good 100 yards from where they were training. The damage dealt was enough to knock MewTwo unconscious, resulting in Charizard using his flame thrower skywards in victory, the head being so fierce that it melted a rock that was beside the fire type.
Serena was in shock and awe at the power that was just shown. She turned to see her team standing around her, equally in shock. "Maybe we should start training with Ash and his team harder." She thought. "If Charizard can unlock that ability, my team should as well according to what MewTwo said back in Kalos.
"Alright everyone, we are going to push ourselves harder and further!" Serena said with determination in her voice and on her face as she addressed her team. "We will get to this point as well, I know we will!"
Ash ran over to MewTwo as he stood up shakily, an amused look in his eyes. "Are you ok MewTwo?" Ash asked as he reached the hole that had been created in the cliff face.
"That was unexpected to say the least." The psychic Pokémon said. "If the rest of your team can unlock that power, no one will be able to stand in your way Ash." MewTwo looked up at Charizard. "Now my friend, let's do that again after I heal up and see how long you can keep the Aura flowing!"
With that said, MewTwo tapped his pokeball on Ash's belt and was sucked inside to rest until being treated. Charizard in the mean time reverted back to his regular look, huffing from the strain that was put onto his system with the power that was flowing through him.
"Ash, we should call it a day I think." Serena said walking up to him. "Tomorrow we leave for Viperia to challenge Lord Nene." She finished.
Ash smiled as he took her hand in his, raised it up to his lips and kissed it softly. "This is why I keep you around, always the voice of reason." He said with a playful smirk on his face before pulling the shocked Serena into a hug and kissing her gently. "Come on beautiful, let's get back to the Pokémon Centre. I'm starving and I know your hungry as well. It's going to be an early to bed night tonight that's for sure." He said with a small smile.