Ash stood at the head of his group, staring up at the Snowbelle Gym in front of him. Sycamore had just dropped them off before heading to an appointment he had with a researcher in town.
Ash took a deep breath. This was it. His last chance to win his eighth gym badge to enter the Kalos League. He didn't care about Diantha's free pass. He'd worked too hard to travel around Kalos and earn the first seven badges. Not to mention, he had a score to settle with Wulfric.
"Ash, are you ok?" A hand rested softly on his shoulder and he turned to see Serena looking at him in concern. Clearly she knew he was remembering the last visit to the gym. Not only had it been a blow to his quest for badges, but it had also been a strain on their relationship.
Ash didn't bother with a fake confident smile. He actually was pretty nervous. Wulfric had completely overwhelmed him last time. It didn't matter that he'd been distracted with what was happening with Serena. He'd been outclassed.
Obviously he'd regained his battling form soon after and had even emerged much stronger for a while. However, Ash had lost, at least for now, the abilities he had possessed both from the Sundial and his natural aura gift.
Serena coughed loudly, apparently to get Ash's attention. He quickly shook his head to clear his mind. Nervousness wasn't going to hold him back. He needed to do this. And with Serena with him, along with Clemont, Bonnie and his Pokemon, nothing was going to stop him. This was one step towards finally accomplishing his dream. One step towards a life in Kalos with Serena.
"Let's go show Wulfric how ready I am," Ash said, and he narrowed his eyes and marched forward.
When he entered the gym, Ash was almost expecting it. Wulfric was standing right in front of the door to the battlefield. "Welcome back," the Snowbelle Gym leader said. "I've been expecting you."
"I hope you're ready," Ash said confidently. "This time it's you that needs to worry about how prepared you are."
Wulfric laughed. "Interesting. Well, how about we get started?"
Ash nodded and followed Wulfric through the doors to the battlefield. Just before entering, he looked back and locked eyes with Serena. He didn't need any words. Her reassuring smile gave him whatever confidence he may have been lacking. He then turned and entered through the door.
Once Ash and Wulfric took their places on opposite ends of the ice field, they each pulled out their first pokeball, eager to get things started. However, they were interrupted as the referee scrambled to explain the rules.
"This will be a three on three battle, between Ash, the challenger, and Wulfric, the Snowbelle gym leader. Only the challenger may substitute Pokemon. Once all Pokemon for one trainer are unable to battle, the other will be declared the winner. Do you agree?" Ash and Wulfric both nodded their agreement. "Then let the battle begin!"
Wulfric quickly threw out his first pokeball and revealed his Cryogonal, once again as his first choice. Before Ash threw out his pokeball, he took one more look towards Serena, who was now sitting in the stands with Bonnie and Clemont. This was for her. He looked back towards Wulfric and his Cryogonal. Time for some revenge.
"Talonflame, I choose you!" Ash yelled, and his faithful fire and flying type emerged, spinning through the air with some impressive flying, before landing in front of his trainer.
"I'll be interested to see if Talonflame can put up a better fight this time," Wulfric said. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Cryogonal, use hail." Immediately, the cold temperature in the gym became colder, and the hard bits of ice began to fall. Wulfric had been quick to give himself the advantage.
"Not bad," Ash muttered, "but we can take that. Talonflame, let's heat things up! Flame charge!" An already fast attack, somehow seemed faster. Ash noticed Wulfric's shock as the fiery body of Talonflame was crashing into Cryogonal only an instant after Ash's order. "Now, steel wing!" Ash yelled. Talonflame didn't hesitate at all. Cryogonal, already staggering back from the flame charge, was struck once more by Talonflame's silver-coloured wing and was knocked hard to the ground, where it slid away on the ice.
Wulfric smiled and laughed. "Yes! This is the kind of battle I want! Excellent!" He definitely looked pumped up. "Ice beam!"
"Flame charge! Right through it." Ash countered, wondering why Wulfric would use a move that Talonflame could easily counter. Then, as Talonflame rushed forward, engulfed in flames, Ash figured it out. It was a trap. "Fly up!" Ash was going to need to get Serena to make Talonflame some pokepuffs later, because the fire-bird was really in top form today. He launched upwards, still engulfed in his flames, and easily avoided the ice beam. More importantly though, he didn't get too close to Cryogonal. Ash knew what Wulfric had been planning. He'd wanted to draw Talonflame in close, likely for his confuse ray attack. Talonflame stopped his flame charge and hovered, high in the air. Ash saw him wince from the hail, but other than that, he was fine.
"Quick thinking, Ash," Wulfric admitted with a frown. "However, don't think this battle is over just yet. I have more. Cryogonal, flash cannon."
As Cryogonal started to glow, with lights whipping towards him, Ash knew he needed to think fast. He couldn't really avoid the hit. He knew Cryogonal could likely land it. Talonflame would have to power through. "Alright Talonflame, let's show them how much stronger we are! Brave bird, full power!"
Talonflame nodded, flapped his wings hard and launched further upward, covering his body in a white and blue light. Then, he twisted rapidly, and surged downward, straight towards Cryogonal, who was just about to launch his attack. For a brief moment, Ash was sure Talonflame's speed might allow him to strike before Cryogonal could attack, but unfortunately, the snowflake-Pokemon was definitely able to unleash.
The blast of energy shot forth from Cryogonal as Talonflame was just a couple feet away. Ash could barely see what was happening. He could only see the blue glow from brave bird in the midst of the smoke that had blasted outwards from the colliding attacks. Then, in that moment, Talonflame screeched out a loud and and furious battle cry and the blue light became larger and brighter. There was a crashing sound and Cryogonal was suddenly flying through the air and then crashing into the ice field. It looked like it was going to try to get up for a moment, but then it collapsed.
"Cryogonal is unable to battle. Talonflame is the winner!" Ash pumped his fist happily as Talonflame flew over and landed in front of him. He was wincing from the recoil and also at a shot of hail, but otherwise he looked ready to continue. Ash looked up at Serena who smiled happily at him, knowing the importance of that victory. Oh...and Bonnie and Clemont were happy too, he realized. That was also good.
"Well done," Wulfric admitted, returning Cryogonal to its pokeball and then pulling out another. "You'll have a hard time with this, though." He threw out his next pokeball and a massive four-legged Pokemon made of ice, emerged on the field. An Avalugg. The referee signalled to continue, and Wulfric made the first move. "Stone edge!"
"Flame charge!" Ash countered. "Use your speed to get past it."
Stage two of the battle was on.
XXXXX
Serena was so proud of Ash. He was so focused and his reactions were as quick as ever. Wulfric probably couldn't even recognize him from their last match. Obviously she still had a hint of worry in her, but that could never be helped. First of all, the way Ash battled, it was always nerve wracking, even though it was exciting. And, of course, it was only natural for her to worry about him when he was fighting for something he was so passionate about.
She took a deep breath and returned her focus to the match below. Avalugg had jumped up on his stubby hind legs and then he'd slammed down with his front ones. Stones immediately started shooting up from the ground, making a line straight for Talonflame.
The fire-bird wasn't going to sit and take it, though. He quickly followed Ash's command and engulfed himself in flames and charged forward. He swooped over one stone, spun left on another and then continued to zig zag through them until he was heading straight for Avalugg.
"Keep it going," Ash encouraged, "and strike hard!" Talonflame seemed to double his speed at Ash's words and in an instant, he'd slammed hard into Avalugg.
"Ice fang!" Wulfric ordered quickly.
"Steel wing!" Ash countered. "Back to back."
With Avalugg off balance from the flame charge, Talonflame was able to strike first. He whipped back one wing and it glowed in a silvery light. He then swung forward and smashed it into Avalugg's side. Avalugg winced at the pain, but Serena just noticed that his jaws were opening, his teeth covered in ice, just as Talonflame went in for the second strike. Just when the steel wing went forward, Avalugg's jaws closed on it and Talonflame was trapped.
Then, Serena noticed something strange. As the hail fell, causing even more damage to poor Talonflame, it landed on Avalugg strangely. His body seemed to glow as the hail fell on him.
"What's that?" Serena asked, assuming Clemont would know.
She was right, because he answered immediately. "Avalugg's ability is ice body. It heals itself when the hail falls on it," he explained.
Serena narrowed her eyes. That wasn't good. That meant the damage Talonflame had done, was quickly being erased. Not to mention the fact that he was trapped. "Come on, Ash," she whispered, "think of something."
He didn't exactly show it, but Ash must have been doing just that. He looked worried, as one would expect, but he wasn't panicking. Although, he didn't panic in life threatening situations, so why would he panic here?
"Avalugg, let's finish this. Gyro ball!" Wulfric yelled, looking pleased with the control he had in this battle.
"Come on Talonflame," Ash encouraged, "you can get out!"
Serena felt such pity for the determined bird. He thrashed about wildly, but just couldn't manage to free himself. Then, Avalugg started spinning. For the first few spins, Serena could see the red shape of Talonflame, but then it just became a blur as Avalugg spun faster and faster.
For a few moments, although it seemed like an eternity, Avalugg continued to spin. Then, finally, he let go of Talonflame, and the fire-bird was launched back and slammed into the wall and slumped down.
The referee raised his arm. "Talonflame is unable-"
"Talon...flame!" Serena's eyes widened as Talonflame shot up and into the air, somehow looking more determined than before. He'd taken a good beating, that was clear, but he was definitely up and ready to go.
"Great job, Talonflame!" Ash yelled happily.
Wulfric looked stunned. "Incredible..." he muttered, staring in awe at his opponent. Avalugg looked just as surprised.
Ash didn't wait to let Wulfric regain his composure. "Alright, let's do this, Talonflame. Build up some speed with flame charge!"
As Talonflame began flying around, engulfed in flames, Clemont made a noise like he was worried. "What is it, Clemont?" Bonnie asked him.
"Well, flame charge builds up Talonflame's speed, as we know. Obviously that's good in most cases, but that may be what Wulfric wants," Clemont began. He looked at Wulfric and Serena followed his gaze. The gym leader was eyeing Talonflame cautiously, bur he didn't seem worried as the fire-bird noticeably increased his speed. "See," Clemont continued, "gyro ball is a move that does more damage when the opponent has more speed than the user. The faster Talonflame is, the worse it will be if he gets caught up in gyro ball again."
"Ash has a plan," Bonnie suddenly said. Serena and Clemont both looked at her in surprise. When did she become an expert? She pointed. "Look!"
Serena looked down to Ash. He usually had a determined look while battling, but now, he seemed more focused. He was eyeing Talonflame carefully, clearly thinking of something. Bonnie was right. He definitely had some kind of scheme worked up in his mind.
"Steel wing!" Ash suddenly ordered. "Stay low and don't get too close."
"What?" Serena muttered quietly. "How is he supposed to use steel wing if he doesn't get close?"
Clemont and Bonnie didn't have an answer, so they just watched, waiting to see what was on Ash's mind. Talonflame stopped his flame charge and then dipped down and flew forward, staying low to the ground. Hail struck him once, but other than that, the fire-bird's speed was unhindered as he shot forward, his wing glowing in preparation for his strike.
Wulfric narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing?" he muttered. He shook his head, as if deciding it didn't matter. "Gyro ball," he commanded.
Immediately, Avalugg started spinning rapidly, once again becoming a blur. As Talonflame approached, Serena could tell what Avalugg would do, just before he did it. He launched forward, heading straight for Talonflame.
"Now!" Ash yelled, raising his fist into the air. Then, Talonflame tilted to the side and shoved his wing down. There was a loud crack and scraping sound as his steel wing attack cut into the ice. He twisted and turned, narrowly avoiding Avalugg. The ice Pokemon turned around as Talonflame cut away, but all of a sudden he whipped into the air, spun a few times and the landed, rolling forward awkwardly. "Finish with brave bird!" Talonflame shot up and whipped high into the air. Then, using both the speed built up from his flame charges and the downward momentum, he shot down towards Avalugg, bathed in his blue and white light. Avalugg had no opportunity to dodge. Talonflame struck him with incredible force and he was launched back. He rolled over onto his back and didn't move.
The referee waited a moment and then raised his hand. "Avalugg is unable to battle. Talonflame is the winner!"
"Yay! Go Talonflame!" Bonnie yelled happily, clapping her hands.
"That's Ash for you," Clemont said with a laugh. "That was really clever to cut the ice like that. It really messed up Avalugg's movement and gave Talonflame the perfect opportunity to land that finishing blow."
Serena smiled. Ash didn't need to rely on any special powers. Ash just needed to be Ash. That was more than enough to win battles and it was more than enough for her.
XXXXX
One more to go. Ash clenched his fists, feeling excitement course through him. As Wulfric recalled his Avalugg, Ash could feel himself tensing up. Winning this one meant entering the Kalos League. He looked at Talonflame. He was panting heavily, obviously pretty tired. The fire-bird had done an amazing job. He'd really proven himself so far today.
"Do you want a rest, Talonflame?" Ash asked, reaching for his pokeball.
"Flame!" Talonflame yelled, shaking his head. He was determined to keep going. Ash couldn't blame him. Could you really mess with this momentum?
"Alright then," Ash said, nodding. "We'll sweep it. Three for three."
Talonflame nodded. "Talon-talonflame!" He then turned and glared at Wulfric, who was about to throw out his next pokeball.
Wulfric smiled, holding his pokeball. "Very impressive, Ash," he said. "Your mind was clouded when you came here last. You didn't seem to be in sync with your Pokemon. Now, I can see how strong your bond is. Your Talonflame shares your great battling spirit." He then narrowed his eyes. "However, my last Pokemon shares my own battling spirit." He threw it out and the frost snow Pokemon, Abomasnow, emerged. "Are you ready for this?"
Ash smirked. "I've never been more ready." He pointed. "Start strong, Talonflame! Flame charge!"
"Wood hammer!" Wulfric countered.
Talonflame was launching forward in an instant, his body engulfed in flames. Meanwhile, Abomasnow was pulling his arm back, a green light shining along it. Talonflame just about landed his strike, however Abomasnow showed his own impressive speed. He slammed his green arm forward, quick as lightning, and with thud, Talonflame was launched back and he rolled along the ice and landed in front of Ash, not moving.
"Talonflame is unable to battle. Abomasnow is the winner!" the referee shouted.
Ash recalled Talonflame to his pokeball and looked at it in his hand. "You were amazing, Talonflame. Don't worry, that Abomasnow is going down."
"He was determined, yes, but perhaps it was unwise to allow him to fight after two consecutive battles," Wulfric said, watching Ash carefully.
Ash narrowed his eyes. "Talonflame wanted to continue. He'd rather go down fighting, than give in to exhaustion. I won't force my Pokemon to stop if they don't want to. Like you said, they trust me. Well, that trust goes both ways."
"Pika!" Pikachu happily agreed from his spot next to Ash.
Wulfric was silent for a moment and then nodded and smiled. "Very well. How about we continue the battle then? Show me what else you have!"
Ash plucked a pokeball from his belt and held it up. "You got it! I'll show you some of my best!" He threw out is pokeball. "Greninja, I choose you!" The light of the pokeball flashed and the frog-ninja Pokemon emerged. The referee signalled for the battle to continue and Ash didn't wait a second. "Night slash!"
"Wood hammer!" Wulfric countered.
Greninja leaped forward with his, as usual, impressive speed. He pulled out two swords of purple light, pulled one back and then lunged forward with it. Abomasnow was ready, though. He smashed down with his green arm and the two attacks crashed together.
It was clear that neither Pokemon was going to give an inch as they strained to push their attacks through. However, Greninja had been prepared for it. He pulled back his extra sword of light and then leaped up, dropping his other one, causing Abomasnow to lose his balance and fall forward. Then, Greninja held his second sword with both hands and swung it down, smashing it against Abomasnow's back.
"Aerial ace!" Ash ordered quickly. Greninja must have known what Ash was thinking, because it appeared as though he leaped high up just before the order was given. Then, his feet glowed in a white light and he launched back down. He slammed his feet hard into Abomasnow's back, just as the latter had tried to get up. "One more time!" Ash yelled.
However, in that moment, a blast of hail shot into Greninja and forced him to hesitate. That was all Abomasnow and Wulfric needed. "Ice shard!" Wulfric yelled quickly. Abomasnow immediately raised his arms and chunks of ice shot forward towards Greninja. It wasn't a super effective hit, but it was enough to get some distance from Greninja. Obviously with the frog-ninja Pokemon's speed, close combat wouldn't work for Wulfric.
"You ok, Greninja?" Ash asked, as Greninja slid back along the ice towards him.
"Ninja!" Greninja nodded, doing a confident fist pump.
"It seems Abomasnow and I need to get more serious," Wulfric said with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked. Did they have a secret move or something. Then, with a laugh, Wulfric picked up the pendant that was around his neck. He clicked it open and what he meant was immediately clear. "A key stone..."
Wulfric nodded. "I only use this in very serious battles. Few trainers have been able to force me to use it." He pressed his key stone and it started to glow. "Abomasnow, mega evolve!"
Then, the now familiar bright light erupted out of the stone. Just before shutting his eyes, Ash saw light shine from the mega stone hidden in Abomasnow's chest fur. Finally, after a few moments, the light dimmed, and Ash was able to look upon his now much stronger opponent.
Mega Abomasnow was huge. It towered over Greninja. Its fur had gone wild and kind of looked like hundreds of white ribbons coming out of his body. It also looked like there were two massive chunks of ice extending from his back. His fists looked like thorny plants. Definitely an accurate representation of what Wulfric had called "more serious".
Ash and Greninja looked at each other and nodded. Whether it worked or not, they had to at least try. Ash closed his eyes and focused. He immediately knew he wasn't accessing that world of aura, because the only darkness he saw was the back of his eyelids. However, he did seem to feel something. His heartbeat started to speed up. His breathing grew quicker. He started feeling more energized. He opened his eyes excitedly. However, only a disappointed looking Greninja was staring back.
Wulfric obviously had no clue what was going on. "Are you alright, Ketchum?"
Ash nodded quickly, slightly embarrassed. "I'm fine." He looked at Greninja again. "Don't worry. You're strong enough to win this. Maybe we can't combine our power in our special way, but we can still work together normally."
Greninja stared back a moment, looking a bit doubtful. Perhaps he was a bit spooked by facing this massive creature without his own secret weapon. Then, there was a flash of light up above and Ash and Greninja looked up to see Delphox standing next to Serena.
"We're right here, Greninja!" Serena yelled. "Don't give up till it's over!"
"Del-delphox!" Delphox agreed.
Greninja nodded and turned to Ash. "Ninja!" He held up a fist in a show of confidence in strength.
"Good," Ash said, "now let's win that eighth badge."
Wulfric, having been patient through all that, apparently got the point that the battle was back on. He made the first move. "Energy ball!"
"Water shuriken!" Ash countered.
The sphere of green energy shot forward with impressive speed. However, Greninja's speed was an easy match. He launched two quick watery ninja stars. One slammed into the energy ball and the two attacks exploded on impact. The second was perfectly timed, avoiding the explosion and catching Abomasnow just as he'd let up after his attack. He staggered back, but it wasn't a particularly effective strike.
Ash narrowed his eyes. They needed to avoid being hit. One strike from Abomasnow could cause a lot of damage. "Double team!"
"Ice shard!" Wulfric ordered.
As Greninja quickly began to multiply, Abomasnow started shooting chunks of ice all around him. The massive snow Pokemon couldn't keep up, though. As fast as he struck down Greninja's copies, others would quickly appear in their place.
"Water shuriken!" Ash shouted. All the Greninjas immediately pulled back their arms and started firing off the watery ninja stars. Abomasnow tried dodging, but had no idea which one was right. Then, he was struck hard in the side by the real one and stumbled sideways. "Night slash, quick!"
"Wood hammer! Wulfric ordered.
All the Greninjas shot forward, pulling out their swords of purple light. However, Ash immediately realized that Abomasnow had found the real one, likely due to the water shuriken attack. It was too late now, though. Greninja needed to power through on this one.
Abomasnow swung his massive fist back and it glowed bright green. He then thrust it forward and Ash could tell it was with phenomenal force. Then, he noticed something. Abomasnow's size was an advantage, but also a disadvantage to him. The same for the ice field.
"Slide under him!" Ash ordered. Even though Abomasnow had seemed to pinpoint the correct Greninja, the multiple copies sliding by his legs seemed to mess with his concentration. Suddenly, the copies disappeared and the real Greninja was easily sliding under the massive form of Abomasnow. As he slid, he took a quick slash upwards, actually throwing Abomasnow a few inches into the air with the strike. Then, when he'd finished his slide, he slashed out again. However, this time Abomasnow was able to get his green fist up just in time to block.
The two Pokemon strained against each other. Somehow Greninja was holding his own here. Although, Ash knew that the mega evolved Pokemon would likely be able to force his attack through at some point.
Then Ash smiled. He could use Abomasnow's size and power to his advantage again. "Full power, Greninja! Push forward just a little more." Amazingly, the frog-ninja Pokemon was able to do just that. Abomasnow's arm moved back a little. Then, it's face became angry and Ash knew he needed to act. "Now let go!" Greninja knew exactly what Ash had wanted. He leaped upward, dropping his purple sword of light which disappeared instantly. And, in that moment, Abomasnow had thrust forward with all his might and he'd embedded his arm into the ice. "Water shuriken on his arm!"
Wulfric seemed to understand the plan immediately. "No!" he shouted. "Break free! Quick!"
It was useless, though. Abomasnow's extreme power had caused him to strike into the ice with so much force that he couldn't get out quick enough. Not only that, but Greninja was now making it even harder. The watery ninja stars were bombarding the place where Abomasnow's fist was embedded. The freezing was instant. With the hail, ice field and already cold temperature, the water froze around the arm and the whole. Abomasnow was stuck.
All Ash had to do was finish things off. "Aerial ace!" Greninja moved so swiftly, it was like he'd teleported. He appeared in the air above Abomasnow and then launched down smacking into him with a couple of kicks. Then, it was a barrage of kicks. The frog-ninja Pokemon didn't let up until he'd almost exhausted himself. However, somehow Abomasnow hadn't gone down.
"Come on," Wulfric shouted, "break free! Wood hammer."
Greninja was about to rush forward once again, but winced as hail buffeted him. That was when Ash noticed the ice around Abomasnow crack. He wasn't using his free arm for wood hammer, he was using the one in the ice. He was hoping to combine the ice with the attack for more power.
"I don't think so!" Ash yelled. "Greninja, finish this! Night slash back to back!"
Greninja nodded and launched forward. He pulled out two purple swords of light and held them at the ready, behind him. Then, he leaped up, brought one sword up high, and slashed down. Then, with a massive crack, Abomasnow's fist, the green light glowing through a huge chunk of ice, came up and crashed against Greninja's attack.
The ice immediately shattered and the purple sword smashed into the wood hammer. Their power was once again even. However, as powerful as Abomasnow was, the effort in pulling out his fist was too much, along with the barrage of aerial ace attacks while trapped.
Greninja shifted just a little and his attack slid past and he slashed Abomasnow's arm with the first sword. Then, he twisted in midair, doing a rapid spin, and slashed upwards, striking his second purple sword into Abomasnow's jaw.
There was a moment where things stood still. Everything seemed to go silent. Greninja held his sword out and stared down his opponent. Abomasnow stared back, a mixture of anger and shock on his face. Then, the massive Pokemon dropped and didn't move, reverting back to his original form.
The referee held up his arm. "Abomasnow is unable to battle. Greninja is the winner! That means the match goes to the challenger, Ash from Pallet Town!"
XXXXX
Serena and Delphox were running through the doors of the stands and back through the doors of the battlefield within seconds. When they emerged, Ash and Greninja and all of Ash's other Pokemon were waiting for them. Serena grabbed Ash in a big hug and Delphox did the same with Greninja.
"You did it!" Serena almost shouted. "You're going to the Kalos League!"
Ash shook his head. "Not just me. We all are."
Serena rolled her eyes and laughed. This was Ash's accomplishment, but of course he wanted to share it. "You were amazing!" She looked over to Greninja and Delphox and then at Talonflame. "You were both awesome as well."
"Ash! That was so cool!" They turned and saw Bonnie running through the door. Clemont was surprisingly not far behind, although he was panting heavily. "It was like you and Greninja were still using Ash-Greninja even though you weren't."
Ash shrugged. "I think it'll come. We were close."
"Ash, you never stop surprising me," Clemont said. "That was really incredible."
Suddenly there was a laugh behind and everyone turned to see Wulfric. "What a battle!" he shouted, "Amazing job, Ketchum!"
"Thanks," Ash said. "You were good, too."
Wulfric shrugged. "I have a lot to learn if I'm ever going to be at your level, Ketchum. Few trainers beat my gym. Fewer beat my Mega Abomasnow. And hardly any can beat me three to one. Absolutely incredible."
Serena smiled, feeling extremely proud of Ash, but of course he was going to be humble. "I guess I got a bit lucky. Talonflame was really set to go. And having Greninja was a big help. And I didn't hold them back this time."
"The bonds you have with your Pokemon," Wulfric said, "are incredible." He then looked at Serena, Bonnie and Clemont. "And you three...I can tell that your support has aided Ash."
"They're the best," Ash agreed.
Wulfric nodded and then took something that the referee was handing him. "Well Ash, as proof of your victory over the Snowbelle Gym, it is my honour to present you with the ice badge." He held out his hand, showing off the snowflake shaped badge.
Ash carefully took it and stared at it a moment. Then, he turned to his Pokemon and held it up in his signature pose. "Yeah! We got the ice badge!" They all jumped up happily, including Goodra, who caused the ground to shake when he landed. When they finished celebrating, Ash turned back to Wulfric. "Thanks for a great battle, Wulfric. Let's have another one someday."
Wulfric nodded. "It'll be an honour to battle with the Kalos Champion." Ash did a little laugh, but Serena noticed that Wulfric didn't actually look like he was joking. The way he'd said that was fairly serious. "I wish you the best of luck, Ash."
"Thanks," Ash said. He then looked at Serena. "Although, I'm already pretty lucky."