ash and Mallow 2

Oh right," Kukui said, pressing a button on his phone. A small panel opened on the side of the phone. "This should allow you to directly download the information."

"On it," Rotom Dex said, placing a glowing arm on the port. "Download complete," it said, displaying a map.

"Good, it worked. Now before you go, Hobbes is waiting at your cabin with Beast Balls and other supplies. Good luck, Ultra Guardians," Lusamine said.

"Ultroger!" The teenagers said running to meet Hobbes.

Xxx Island Champion's Return xxX

"Follow me," Rotom Dex said to the group of colorfully dressed teenagers. Each of them was on their personal Ride Pokemon flying towards a wooded area away from the main plateau. As they approached, the group heard ravenous munching near a grouping of trees before one of them fell down.

"It can't be," Ash said hesitantly as Pikachu tensed on his shoulder. "Garchomp, bring me down now." Ash's Pokemon flew down towards the fallen trees.

"Ash, what is it?" Lillie asked guiding her Altaria after him.

"Trouble, and if I'm correct on which Ultra Beast this is, big trouble," Ash said reaching the ground, silently returning Garchomp.

"But most of the Ultra Beasts that we encountered were fairly cooperative after we got them back to the Ultra Wormhole. What's the problem?" Sophocles asked as everyone else jumped off their Ride Pokemon and returned them.

"Shh, stay down," Ash shushed everyone as they hid behind a few of the broken trees. Ash peeked over the wreckage before turning back, his face pensive.

"Ash, what's wrong? You've been really tense since the mission started. You can tell us," Lillie said, stepping up to her boyfriend.

"Alright," Ash said. "Do you remember when I suddenly came to school shouting about going to a different world?"

"Vaguely," Kiawe said. "I thought that you just hit your head." Everyone else nodded their heads in agreement.

"I can see why, but what I said is true. I'll explain everything later, but right now we are dealing with the Ultra Beast called Guzzlord, a Dark and Dragon type. It has a never-ending hunger and can eat your attacks. We're going to have to go full throttle because all this thing cares about is its next meal," Ash said.

"Is it really that big a problem? We've faced several Ultra Beasts before and actually defeated a couple of them in combat," Mallow asked.

"This thing is responsible for destroying my Melemele island," a male voice said from behind them. The group turned behind them to find Z standing on a tree branch with a humanoid yellow Pokemon beside him.

"Zeraora!/Pika!" Ash and Pikachu shouted. Zeraora smirked before he tossed a berry to Pikachu.

"Wait, if Zeraora is here then…Dia!" Ash asked, pointing at the cloaked man.

"It's good to see you, Ash. I wish it were under better circumstances though," Dia said pulling down his hood. "As much as I want to catch up, we have a bigger problem to deal with. You said you were part of a task force that dealt with Ultra Beasts, but all I see is a bunch of little kids," he said getting tick marks to form on everyone's heads, excluding Ash and Pikachu.

"Hey, we're not just…" Kiawe started before a hand slammed over his mouth.

"Shh. I know you're angry, but we have a bigger issue to deal with, so whatever issues that anyone has with anyone, can be dealt with after we deal with Guzzlord," Ash whisper-shouted stepping between the two males.

"I've never seen Ash act like this. Lillie, Lana can you explain what's causing my brother to act like this?" Mallow asked as she watched Dia and Ash start to look over a piece of paper to the bewilderment of the group.

"Ash has gotten like this several times while traveling," Lana said quietly. "He just suddenly changes personalities and becomes super serious. The most memorable time this has happened, we had to stop a bunch of poachers from attacking a giant Dragonite."

"What!" Sophocles shouted before covering his mouth seeing Dia's and Ash's angry faces. "Please tell me this is one of your fibs?"

"Nope. For once, I'm not lying about a crazy event. Ash has put on his serious face. We need to focus on what's about to happen or we might get hurt," Lana said seriously.

"I'm glad one of you is thinking straight," Dia said, startling the group. "Good. Now, Ash and I have come up with a basic plan to deal with Guzzlord, but first we need to go over some of what we know about it."

"Hold on, why should we trust you?" Kiawe asked.

"Because I'm the most experienced person when it comes to fighting Guzzlord," Dia explained calmly. "I wasn't kidding when I said that one destroyed the Melemele Island of my world. Guzzlord is an extremely powerful Ultra Beast with an even greater defense. It was able to take both Zeraora's and Pikachu's Gigavolt Havoc with minimal damage." Dia said to the surprise of the Ultra Guardians.

"The best way to defeat it would be to push it back through the Ultra Wormhole it came from which is thankfully on the ground and nearby. Thankfully, while Guzzlord is extremely durable, it's slow," Dia continued showing the paper was a partially drawn map. "The Ultra Wormhole is located around here," he said pointing to a spot on the map.

"We just have to guide it back. It sounds easy, but from what you've said, it's going to be much more difficult than it seems," Kiawe said thoughtfully.

"It's not going to be easy," Ash suddenly chimed in, getting looks from everyone. "But we have a plan."

Xxx Island Champion's Return xxX

"Pikachu, thunderbolt!" Ash said. Pikachu shouted its name before blasting it with a bolt of lightning.

"Zeraora, Plasma Fist!" Dia shouted. Zeraora slammed its paws into the ground sending a wave of electricity striking Guzzlord.

"Guzzlord!" It shouted turning around and firing waves of sludge at the two Pokemon. Pikachu and Zeraora dodged the attacks before they started to run into the forest. Guzzlord roared before chasing after them.

"Do you think this is still a good idea?" Dia asked as they ran away from the rampaging Ultra Beast.

"Eh, it worked for us last time didn't it?" Ash said as Pikachu blocked an attack with Iron Tail.

"True. At least this time, we have back up," Dia said as he dodged a stray poison blob.

"Heads up. You're about to hit the drop point," Sophocles said above the tree line riding Metang who absorbed any stray poison attacks.

"Got it. Get ready, Pikachu. It's about to get real," Ash said jumping over a fallen branch and looking around the area. "There!" He shouted suddenly dropping downward with Dia and Zeraora following him. The four were sliding down a frozen hill at high speeds. "Good work, Lillie, Snowy, and Altaria!" Ash shouted to the Alolan Vulpix and her trainer sitting on the stationary Altaria.

"Good luck, Ash! Everything is ready at the bottom!" Lillie shouted.

"Got it, thanks," Ash said looking toward the bottom. Kiawe and Lana were standing at the bottom with Turtanator and Primarina ready standing on opposite sides of a still open Ultra Wormhole. Mallow stood further back with Tsareena ready to pounce. As Ash and Dia reached the bottom, Ash jumped towards Lana while Dia and Zeraora jumped towards Kiawe. Meanwhile, Guzzlord finally reached the top of the hill and slipped on the patches of ice tumbling down towards the Wormhole.

"Everyone get ready. When it reaches the bottom, we need to immobilize it. If you have an Ice type attack, freeze it in place!" Dia shouted, releasing a Blastoise. "Blastoise, release a Blizzard attack on my signal!"

"Primarina, soak Guzzlord with Sparkling Aria! Let's make it easier for them to freeze them!" Lana said. Her Primarina started singing, forming a bubble of water above her nose before pushing it towards Guzzlord. The bubble broke when it collided with Guzzlord soaking it in water.

"Do it now!" Dia said. Blastoise launched a flurry of snow at the stunned Guzzlord.

"Araquanid, use Ice Beam!" Ash said, releasing his water spider.

"Dragonair, use Ice Beam, too!" Lana said. The two Pokemon formed a beam of icy energy that impacted the flailing Ultra Beast and froze it in a block of ice.

"All right, we got it!" Ash said. "Let's push it in the portal."

"Turtonator, you're up!" Kiawe said.

"Metang, help him out," Sophocles said as he and Lillie flew towards the group.

"Turton," Turtonator grunted slowly pushing the frozen Pokemon towards the portal with Metang's help. Cracks started to form around the cube as the duo approached the wormhole.

"Just a little bit more," Dia said as more cracks formed.

"Push harder Turtonator!" Kiawe shouted.

"Incineroar, I need your assistance!" Ash said releasing the Heel Pokemon. "Incineroar, I need you to push Guzzlord into the Ultra Wormhole!"

"Incineroar!" He grunted pushing the block with all his might speeding its movement as the cracks started to grow wider.

"Use Bulk Up!" Ash said. Incineroar roared as his muscles expanded before pushing even harder. The three Pokemon were able to push the block a few feet away from the edge before Guzzlord finally broke free, sending the three Pokemon flying towards their trainers. Turtanator and Metang slid against the ground while Incineroar managed to land on his feet with minimum injury.

"Turtanator!/Metang!" Kiawe and Sophocles yelled.

"It doesn't even have a scratch on it!" Lillie shouted.

"Pikachu, Electroweb!" Ash commanded. Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder and launched an electric ball at Guzzlord. The ball split into a web that trapped Guzzlord in place.

"Mallow now!" Dia shouted.

"Tsareena, use Bloom Doom!" Mallow said, raising her hands in the air as Tsareena jumped in front of Guzzlord.

"Tsareena!" She yelled as a large green orb formed around her drawing energy from the surrounding forest. A giant energy beam blasted from the orb driving Guzzlord towards the Ultra Wormhole. Guzzlord dug its hands into the ground stopping its movement right before the Wormhole.

"It's not enough. We need one more push!" Sophocles screamed.

"Everybody move out of the way!" Ash yelled as he and Pikachu began to do a series of synchronized poses. His friends scrambled out of the way as Ash ended his dance with his arms in a z-shape. "Use Gigavolt Havoc!" Ash said, pumping his fist forward.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted punching a ball of electricity several times its size towards Guzzlord slamming into it.

"Guzz!" Guzzlord roared as it was pushed into the Ultra Wormhole. Everyone was silent as the Wormhole destabilized and closed.

"We did it!" Ash shouted, jumping in the air. "It's an ultra success!"

"Yeah!" Everyone shouted. Sophocles fell to the ground holding his stomach.

"That was just too much. I didn't even really do anything, and I'm exhausted," Sophocles complained falling to his back. Togedemaru hopped over to her trainer's stomach and laid down on it too. A rumbling sound came out of nowhere, startling everyone. They all turned to the source of the sound only to find Ash holding his stomach.

"I guess all the excitement got me hungry," Ash said sheepishly. Dia looked at Ash before he suddenly started to laugh.

"It's good to see you haven't changed," Dia said, calming down. "But you bring up a good point. It's been a bit of a day, so let's get something to eat, my treat."

"Alright!" Ash and Sophocles shouted.

"You're probably going to regret that," Kiawe said. "Ash eats as much as a Snorlax and he has his Snorlax with him, too."

"It's not a problem. Professor Burnet recently got a recipe for some food specifically for Snorlax and Munchlax. I just need to pick some up before we eat," Ash said.

"Well then, feel free to invite them too. You spoke highly about them, and I want to ask them about better ways to deal with Ultra Beasts. See what they did differently so what happened to my Melemele doesn't happen again," Dia said fiddling with his hat as Zeraora patted his back comfortingly.

"Alright, I'll get Papa Kukui and Mama Burnet and we can all eat!" Ash said excitedly, calling out his Garchomp. "Let's go, Garchomp!" He said flying out of the forest.

"Ash wait for us!" Lana and Lillie shouted calling out their individual ride Pokemon and flying after him.

"You think after all this time Ash would have changed, but nope. You tell him there's going to be food and he just rushes off," Mallow said rubbing her forehead with her hand.

"Come on Mallow!" Sophocles said as he hovered overhead with Metang. Dia and Zeraora were standing on it. Kiawe was flying next to them on his Charizard. The two boys waved at her before taking off after their friends.

"Seriously!" Mallow yelled as she called out Flygon and flew after them.

Xxx Island Champion's Return xxX

"Welcome everyone to the first semifinal match!" The announcer said to the cheering crowd. "This will be a full double battle between two rising stars of the Pokemon World. On the right side, we have a trainer that made it to the top 8 of her home region, Johto! Give it up for the Electabuzz's biggest fan, Casey from New Bark Town!"

"I'm fighting for the honor of the Electabuzzes!" Casey shouted, waving a flag with an Electabuzz on it.

"On the left side from Melemele Island of the Alola Region, he's been dominating the competition with his powerful Pokemon, Ash Ketchum!" The announcer shouted to the joy of the viewer and Ash's family and friends.

"Go Ash!" Lana, Lillie, Sophocles and Kiawe shouted.

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu shouted from Lillie's shoulder.

"Marowak," Kiawe's Marowak shouted, starting to dance.

"Let's have a good battle," Ash said, walking out for some reason also carrying a flag, but this time with a Magikarp on it.

"Hey, what's with that terrible flag?" Casey shouted angrily.

"Hmm, this?" Ash said, waving his flag. "I read your trainer's page and found out that you were a huge Electubuzz fan. Well, Oluolu is a graduate from Melemele's Pokemon School, so I figured I would show my support for my favorite Pokebase team."

"It looks like Ash wants to make this a battle between Pokebase teams. It's the Magikarps vs. the Electabuzz. This looks like this will be a fun battle." The announcer shouted.

"This will be a 6 vs. 6 Double Battle. Substitutions, and Mega Evolution are allowed. Trainers send out your Pokemon!" The referee shouted.

"Let's show our pride for the Electabuzzes. Go Meganium and Beedrill," Casey said, throwing two Pokeballs. A large dinosaur like Pokemon with a flower around its neck and a giant bee with large stingers for hands materialized on the field.

"Squirtle, Bulbasaur, I need your assistance!" Ash shouted as a turtle wearing sunglasses and a small saurian with a bulb on its back materialized on the other side.

"Why is Ash's Squirtle wearing sunglasses?" Kiawe asked.

"That's because Squirtle is the leader of a vicious Pokemon gang called the Squirtle Squad who were plotting to take over the world. It was only through an epic battle that Ash was able to gain Squirtle's respect and stop its plan," Lana said seriously.

"Really!" Sophocles, Mallow and Kiawe shouted.

"Just kidding," Lana said, sticking her tongue out. The three all fell flat on their face hearing this.

"Tell us the real story," Mallow squeaked out.

"Well, Squirtle was the actual leader of a group of Squirtle's that called themselves, but the worst that they did was play pranks on a nearby town. When Ash caught his Squirtle, the remaining ones formed a firefighting squad called the Squirtle Squad," Lillie said.

"There's more," Sophocles said looking over his computer. "Apparently, the Squirtle Squad has been reaching out to all abandoned Pokemon throughout Kanto. They are quickly growing into the largest and most effective emergency response team in the region."

"I've talked to Mother about something like that for the more restless Pokemon at Aether Paradise. She thinks it would be a great idea," Lillie said.

"Maybe I should do something similar back home on the ranch," Kiawe considered.

"Be quiet the match is starting," Mallow shouted.

"Battle begin!" The referee said.

"This will be easy. Do you know how many trainers used those Pokemon on my journey? They're not even fully evolved," Casey said dismissively causing Squirtle and Bulbasaur to growl. "Meganium use Body Slam on Bulbasaur. Beedrill use Twineedle on Squirtle!" The two Pokemon started dashing towards Ash's Pokemon with Beedrill being notably faster than Meganium. Beedrill's stingers glowed blue before it started to stab at Squirtle. Meganium jumped high into the air before descending towards Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip into Sludge Bomb. Squirtle, Hydro Pump," Ash commanded. Bulbasaur extended his vines and used them to jump away from the descending dinosaur causing it to slam into the ground. He started firing balls of sludge at the dazed grass-type. Squirtle, meanwhile, started withdrawing into his shell and bounced off the attacking Beedrill's stinger. He spun in the air and released a large stream of water from the holes in his shell slamming into Beedrill and drenching its wings causing it to fall onto the ground immobile.

"Skull Bash," Ash said. Squirtle focused the stream of water under him launching him into the air. He popped his head out of his shell which started to glow white before he fell into Beedrill.

"Meganium, stop Squirtle with Vine Whip!" Casey shouted desperately. Meganium sent out her vines towards the descending turtle.

"Don't let it, Bulbasaur. Use Magical Leaf," Ash said. Bulbasaur launched a large amount of multicolored leaves at Meganium's vines striking them. She flinched but managed to redirect Squirtle away from her immobile teammate. Squirtle landed headfirst dazing it.

"While he's down, Meganium use Razor Leaf! Beedrill keep Bulbasaur occupied with Twineedle," Casey yelled. Meganium twirled her head and launched dozens of leaves at Squirtle while Beedrill started launching energy needles at Bulbasaur.

"Squirtle get out of there with Rapid Spin then Aura Sphere! Bulbasaur deflect the needles with Razor Leaf. Then follow up with Sludge Bomb," Ash said. Squirtle shook the cobwebs out of his head before he withdrew into his shell and spun into the air, managing to dodge most of Meganium's attack. He popped out and cupped hands together forming a ball of energy before launching it at the dinosaur. It struck Meganium causing her to be launched back.

Meanwhile, Bulbasaur launched his own leaves at the needles deflecting a few but was ultimately struck by the majority of the attack. He kept his ground and launched a few balls of poison at the bee striking it back out of the air.

"Meganium, Beedrill, no!" Casey shouted at her two Pokemon. The two managed to get up and stared defiantly at their opponents. All four Pokemon were panting as they awaited their trainers next command.

"Alright you two, let's finish this. Squirtle Surf! Bulbasaur use your vines to stay afloat, like we practiced. Begin charging Solar Beam," Ash said. Squirtle summoned a large wave of water underneath him and Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur set vines underneath his feet using him to surf the wave as a glow started to form at his bulb.

"How's Bulbasaur surfing?" Mallow asked.

"That's something that Ash has been working on. He got inspired when he saw Sandy surfing on Primarina's Surf. Bulbasaur uses his vines as something similar to a board to keep him above the wave. He calls the maneuver Surfasaur," Lana explained to her exasperated friends.

"I don't think that is what he calls it," Mallow mumbled.

"What!" Casey screamed frantically. "Beedrill fly above the wave. Meganium try to dodge it." Beedrill flew above the wave managing to dodge the attack, but Meganium wasn't so lucky. She was hit by the full force of the attack and was pushed into the stadium wall.

"Meganium, get up!" Casey yelled at her Pokemon before turning towards Ash. "You're going to pay for that! Beedrill hit Bulbasaur with an Electro Web! Don't let the Solar Beam fire." Beedrill thrust its stingers forward launching an electric web at Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, get out of there!" Ash shouted. Before it reached the Kanto Starter, it was pushed out of the way by Squirtle who took the full force of the attack, shocking it greatly. "Squirtle, hang in there and use Hydro Pump on Meganium before it can recover. Bulbasaur, unleash Solar Beam." Squirtle managed to launch a massive torrent of water at Casey's downed starter pushing it back into the wall where it fell to the ground with swirls in its eyes. Squirtle managed a smirk before it fell face down. Meanwhile, Bulbasaur launched a beam of light at Beedrill knocking it out of the air in a cloud of smoke.

"Meganium, Squirtle, and Beedrill are unable to battle. Trainers send out your next Pokemon," the referee said.

"Squirtle return. You did amazing. Take a nice rest," Ash said before taking out a new Pokeball. "Go Charizard!"

"Meganium, Beedrill return. You guys did great," Casey said to her two Pokemon as they returned. She tossed another pair of Pokeballs. "Rapidash, Ampharos, help me out!" A horse with a fiery mane and a yellow and black bipedal sheep appeared on Casey's side. "Rapidash use Flare Blitz on Bulbasaur. Ampharos Thunder Punch." The two Pokemon rushed towards their opponents as fire enveloped Rapidash's body and electricity formed around Ampharos' arms.

"Bulbasaur ground Ampharos. Charizard Steel Wing," Ash said. Bulbasaur jumped in front of the charging sheep and after stabbing a vine into the ground, he wrapped another vine around Ampharos' charged arm sending electricity into the ground. He followed up by launching several seeds at the trapped sheep wrapping him in roots. Charizard flew towards Rapidash with the wings glowing silver. He struck the legs of the charging horse causing it to be launched in the air. Unfortunately, Rapidash was sent flying into Bulbasaur making it so the flaming horse struck Bulbasaur causing it to fly into the wall.

"Ash is playing really smart out there," Professor Kukui said.

"How so, Professor?" Mallow asked.

"He purposefully uses moves that either negate the opponent's attacks or using moves in a way that stops them from building momentum. He's been in control for most of the matches he's been inm and this is the first time that his strategy really backfired on him. When did he pick that skill up?" Kukui asked.

"He started doing it shortly after he finished training with Kahuna Nanu. It's gotten us out of a few tough trials like when we fought that giant Onix. I still hate Bruno for just watching us fight it and catching it after we weakened it," Lana said.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle. Trainer Ash, send out your next Pokemon," the referee stated.

"You did a great job. Thank you," Ash said, returning the grass dinosaur before pulling out a new one. "Snorlax for the Magikarps!" The large bear appeared on the field yawning.

"You just had to bring out your Snorlax!" Casey yelled waving her flag. "Just like the Magikarps, always relying on Snorlax to pull you out of a tough situation. Not like the Electubuzzes where everyone pulls their own weight."

"You're kidding me. I've seen the Electabuzzes play, and they rely far too much on their Electabuzz pitcher," Ash shot back smirking.

"Yeah Ash. You tell her who the better team is!" Kiawe screamed leaning over the railing before being pulled back by Mallow and Lana.

"How dare you say that! Rapidash Giga Impact! Ampharos Thunder!" Casey yelled. Rapidash charged towards Snorlax, a white aura flowing around it. Ampharos bagan to charge electricity around itself.

"Snorlax meet Rapidash with your own Giga Impact! Charizard Flamethrower," Ash said swinging his flag. Snorlax rushed forward with speed matching that of Rapidash, a greater aura forming around him. When the two clashed, a brief struggle between the two before Snorlax overpowered Rapidash sending it flying. Charizard fired a blue beam from his mouth blocking the massive bolt of lightning causing a cloud of smoke to form.

"High Horsepower, Snorlax. Charizard, Slash," Ash said. The two charged into the smoke with their respective attacks forming around them.

"Get out of there!" Casey yelled. Her two Pokemon jumped out of the smoke. They were quickly followed by Snorlax and Charizard. Charizard slashed his opponents' legs causing them to halt in place allowing Snorlax to slam into them and crush them under his great bulk. When Snorlax got off of them, their eyes were swirly.

"Rapidash and Ampharos are unable to battle. Trainer Casey, send out your final two Pokemon," the referee said. Casey wordlessly returned her two Pokemon before pulling out her final two Pokeballs.

"Magmar, Electabuzz, you're up to bat!" Casey yelled, pitching the balls. With a thud, two bipedal Pokemon appeared facing against Ash. "Alright you two, we have an uphill battle ahead of us. This jerk decided that the Magikarps are better than the Electubuzzes!" Casey shouted. Her two new Pokemon roared in defiance. "Ice Punch on Snorlax. Smog on Charizard!" A blue glow formed around the charging Electabuzz's fist. Magmar took a deep breath before releasing a large cloud of purple smoke at Charizard.

"Looks like we're in the final inning. Let's show them we're not someone to take lightly!" Ash said. Charizard and Snorlax pounded their chests. "Snorlax use your own Ice Punch. Charizard, Air Slash followed by Flamethrower." In a clash of ice, Snorlax's and Electubuzz's punches met, reaching a stalemate but sending Electubuzz sliding back. Meanwhile, Charizard flapped his wings launching a blade of wind at the cloud creating a vacuum that sent it back towards Magmar.

"Magmar dodge!" Casey shouted. Magmar was able to dodge the wind blade, but the smoke managed to reach him. It started coughing and was unable to react as Charizard's Flamethrower covered him. The poisonous gas was ignited creating an explosion that sent Magmar into Electabuzz.

"Now's our chance. Straight from Oluolu," Ash said crossing his arms, his Z-ring glowing. "Passion and sweat. Tears and guts. Feel the Burn," Ash said as he and Snorlax did a series of poses.

"No…" Casey mumbled. "Anything but that."

"Run Snorlax. Use Pulverizing Pancake. Go!" Snorlax rocketed forward at speeds to fast for the eye to follow. Just as he was about to run into the dazed Magmar and Electabuzz, he jumped high into the air.

"Thunderbolt! Flamethrower! Do anything!" Casey yelled, waving her arms frantically. The two Pokemon tried to fire off an attack, but they were too late. Snorlax crashed into the two downed Pokemon and created a giant explosion. "Electabuzz, Magmar, no!" Casey shouted. As the explosion cleared, the flattened bodies of Electabuzz and Magmar floated down.

"Electabuzz and Magmar are unable to battle! Trainer Casey is out of usable Pokemon. Ash Ketchum from Melemele Island is the winner!" The referee said.

"Alright!" Ash shouted as Snorlax and Charizard walked over to their trainer. Snorlax picked up his trainer and began to hug him. "I'm glad that you are happy for the win, but I do need to breathe." Ash managed to wheeze out. Snorlax set Ash down gently.

"Charizard," Charizard said, sending a blast of smoke over Ash. It cleared showing Ash covered in soot.

"What was that for?" Ash demanded wiping his face.

"Char," Charizard said pointing at the Ash's Z-ring.

"Hey, I told you before the battle that Snorlax would be the one using the Z-move! Why are you so mad?" Ash shouted at his Pokemon.

"Charizard," he huffed, crossing his arms before letting out another puff of smoke at Ash.

"Don't give me that!" Ash said jumping away. "Return, you two. We'll talk later."

"Trouble in paradise?" Casey asked her opponent.

"Sorry about that," Ash said. "Charizard loves to show off, and he loves to use a Z-move any chance he has."

"Well, I wanted to thank you for the battle," Casey said, extending her hand. "Despite your choice in Pokebase teams, this was a great battle."

"I'm glad you had fun," Ash said. "You've given me the biggest challenge so far."

"Yeah right," Casey said flatly. "That's only because besides your Snorlax, all the Pokemon you used were only caught recently. I read your profile. You mainly used your Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charizard, so don't pretend."

"I mean yeah, they are only recently caught. However, they deserved to battle in the league especially with all the hard work they did to get me here. I did have two of my strongest Pokemon if you managed to beat Charizard or Snorlax," Ash said.

"Seriously, I barely was able to take out two of your Pokemon! I don't think I would have been able to fight the rest," Casey said.

"You're saying you would have given up," Ash teased.

"Heck no! Just you wait. The next time we battle, I'm going to destroy you!" Casey shouted before storming off.

"What a strange girl," Ash mumbled as he left to meet his friends.

Xxx Island Champion's Return xxX

"Congratulations, Ash!" Professor Kukui shouted, slapping Ash's back. The group was back at the cabin celebrating Ash's semifinal victory.

"Thanks, Papa Kukui, but don't celebrate too much. I still have to fight Dia, and he spent months fighting Guzzlord. He's really strong, and the only Pokemon I know he has is Zeraora which Pikachu could never beat," Ash said.

"Pika!" Pikachu indignantly squeaked.

"I know, I know. We've gotten a lot stronger, but I can only imagine that Dia has too. We cannot hold back," Ash said patting Pikachu's head.

"You know, I don't think we ever got the full story about how you met Dia," Kiawe said thoughtfully.

"That's right. Tell us more," Rotom Dex pushed.

"That's because you guys didn't believe me when I said," Ash commented.

"Come on, Ash. Don't make me call your mom," Lana threatened pulling up a cell phone.

"Hey, that's mine," Kukui shouted, snatching the phone from his former student.

"There's no need for that, Lana. It all started when Tapu Koko approached us shortly after Nebby appeared," Ash said as he began his tale.

Xxx Island Champion's Return xxX

Welcome everyone to the final battle of the Indigo League! It's a beautiful sunny day for the end of this exciting tournament!" The announcer shouted to the cheering crowd. "Let's give our two finalists a warm welcome. He's an up and coming trainer. Here's Ash Ketchum from Melemele Island!" Ash walked onto the field with Pikachu on his shoulder.

"I do hope you win!" Lillie shouted as Snowy rested in her arms.

"Kick his butt, Ash!" Lana shouted.

"We're rooting for you!" Mallow yelled.

"What are you three wearing?" Sophocles asked.

"Ash, Ash, you can do it!" Kukui, Burnet, and Kiawe all yelled waving fans with headbands wrapped tightly around their heads.

"From Melemele Island, he's a mysterious trainer that has beaten every opponent with a single Pokemon. Give it up for Dia!" Dia walked calmly into the field with Zeraora walking slowly behind him.

"Well Ash, it looks like we'll finally have our battle," Dia said shaking the younger trainer's hand.

"I'm really looking forward to it. I've gotten a lot stronger since the last time we've met," Ash said grinning. The two trainers went back to their sides.

"This will be a six-on-six battle. Substitutions, Z-moves and Mega Evolutions are permitted. Trainers, release your Pokemon," the referee said.

"Blastoise, front and center," Dia said, releasing his large water turtle. On its forehead was a band with a stone embedded in it.

"Garchomp, I need your assistance!" Ash said as his dragon materialized. A band was wrapped around its chest.

"Battle begin!" The referee shouted.

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump!" Dia shouted. Blastoise lowered his body and launched two massive spouts on its back.

"Garchomp, Sandstorm!" Ash commanded snapping his finger. A whirlwind of sand formed around Garchomp blocking the water and obscuring the battlefield. When the sand died down, Garchomp was gone.

"Stay vigilant, Blastoise. It can come up from anywhere," Dia warned. There was a slight rumbling as Garchomp burst from the ground to the left of Blastoise, its claws glowing light blue. "Iron Defense, now." Blastoise retreated into its shell right before Garchomp slashed it causing the claw to barely scratch it. "Ice Beam." Blastoise popped its head out a ball of ice blue energy forming.

"Block it," Ash called out. Garchomp brought its wings in front of the beam negating most of the damage but allowing one of the wings to be encased in ice. Garchomp jumped back to the other side of the field watching Blastoise.

"Hey Ash! Let's make this more interesting," Dia said bringing up a badge with a keystone embedded in it.

"Let's do this," Ash said, twisting his Z-ring to reveal the keystone embedded in it.

"Garchomp!/Blastoise!" Ash and Dia yelled pressing their fingers to their keystones. "Mega Evolve!" Streams of light connected trainer and Pokemon as Garchomp and Blastoise transformed.

"Dragon Rush/Dragon Pulse!" Ash and Dia shouted simultaneously. Blastoise started charging a massive purple energy dragon, but before it could launch it, Garchomp plowed into it covered in a raging aura. The force of attack caused Blastoise to be pushed back, but it grit its teeth and launched its attack. The Dragon Pulse slammed into Garchomp causing a cloud of dust to form around it.

"Garchomp, do it," Ash mumbled, snapping his fingers again. The dust picked up as a sandstorm formed around the two trainers.

"Why does Ash keep snapping his fingers?" Sophocles asked.

"That's another strategy Ash and I have been doing. Since some of our Pokemon's moves make it hard for them to hear us, we started using various sounds to give a command," Lillie said.

"How does that work?" Mallow asked.

"Well certain sounds are either more recognizable or travel better through different material," Kukui said. "It certainly is a great Assist for your Pokemon to know that their trainer is still looking out for them."

"It also helps because your opponent isn't able to guess what you are planning," Burnet said.

"Iron Defense," Dia yelled. Though unseen by the crowd, Garchomp burrowed behind the withdrawn Blastoise striking it with glowing claws multiple times.

Up in the stands, Sophocles scratched his head

"Fire Blast into its shell," Ash commanded. Garchomp ceased its barrage to release a blast of fire into the head of Blastoise's shell.

"Blastoise!" Dia shouted. Blastoise popped out of its shell looking a little burned but not all the worse for wear. It appeared that way before a small wave of fire appeared briefly around its body. "Its burned. I have to finish this fast. Blastoise, Aura Sphere, rapid fire." Multiple spheres of blue energy formed from Blastoise's cannons that blasted towards Garchomp.

"Dragon Rush!" Ash barked. Garchomp rushed towards Blastoise once more, slowing slightly but otherwise plowed through the attacks towards Blastoise.

"Blastoise Ice Beam!" Dia yelled. Blastoise began forming the attack, but the attack dissipated as a wave of flames formed around them. Seeing the opening, Garchomp blitz forward hitting the turtle at full force. Blastoise slid backwards before it charged and launched the attack. It hit the winded Garchomp freezing it in place.

"Garchomp! Fire Blast!" Ash said. Garchomp started to build up the attack, melting the ice around its head.

"Don't let it finish. Hydro Pump!" Dia said. Blastoise fired three massive streams of water towards the partially frozen dragon meeting the fire blast creating a cloud of steam. "Aura Sphere!" Three spheres were launched into the cloud homing into Garchomp.

"Thank you, Dia," Ash said, smirking just before the orbs hit the still frozen Garchomp. "Sandstorm!" Ash said. The ice broke right at the point of impact with the attack as sand formed underneath the shell protecting Garchomp. "Iron Head." Garchomp flew towards Blastoise, its head forming an iron shell.

"Dark Pulse!" Dia shouted. Blastoise fired multiple beams of black rings towards the charging Pokemon. The two attacks met creating a power struggle.

"Dragon Rush!" Ash yelled. The familiar aura formed around Garchomp allowing it to begin to cut through the attack.

"Blastoise full power!" Dia screamed. Blastoise's attack increased in size, halting Garchomp though doing no damage thanks to the Dragon Rush.

"Garchomp, I know you can do it!" Ash encouraged. Suddenly, Garchomp's attack tripled in size and in an instant, Garchomp crashed into Blastoise creating a giant explosion.

"Garchomp!/Blastoise!" The two trainers yelled. They anxiously waited with bated breath as the smoke cleared. Standing on one knee was Garchomp while Blastoise stumbled though it managed to stand panting heavily.

"Dragon Pulse!" Dia said. Blastoise began to charge his attack before firing it.

"Garchomp, get out of there!" Ash shouted. Garchomp began to move, but his leg seized causing him to fall back on one knee. "Garchomp!" Ash yelled as the attack blasted into Garchomp. Garchomp fell onto its face reverting into its normal form.

"Garchomp is unable to battle. Trainer Ash, send in your next Pokemon!" The referee shouted.

"Blastoise, are you still able to go?" Dia asked. Blastoise nodded though it stumbled as a fresh wave of embers flew over it.

"You did a good job, Garchomp. He was just a little stronger than you," Ash said, returning the dragon before pulling another Pokeball out. "Melmetal, it's time to shine!" Ash said, releasing his Pokemon. A giant metal figure with several hex nuts formed on the field.

"Mel!" It shouted flexing.

"I'm glad to see you have more spirited Pokemon, but don't think that this is going to do you any favors," Dia said. "Blastoise, Hydro Pump." Blastoise blasted a high-powered stream of water towards the flexing metal giant.

"Double Iron Bash!" Ash said. Melmetal started to spin rapidly becoming a blur as it met the attack head on. The rapid spinning dispersed the water allowing Melmetal to stretch his arms forward to bash Blastoise sending it flying back towards the wall. The impact broke some parts of it as Blastoise became embedded into it. It fell out and reverted to its normal form in a dead faint.

"

"Blastoise is unable to battle! Trainer send out your next Pokemon!" The announcer said.

"That Pokemon is ridiculously strong," Dia said as he silently returned Blastoise. "Thank you for your hard work. Blissey, I need your help." A pink egg shaped Pokemon appeared on the field wearing a nurse's hat. It looked around helplessly.

"Blissey?" She asked looking at Dia.

"Sorry, Blissey, but I need you for a battle," Dia said.

"Bliss," she huffed.

"I know, I know. I'll let you look over everyone after the battle, but I really need you right now," Dia pleaded.

"Blissey," she said seemingly satisfied before taking off her hat. As she put it into her egg pouch, her expression suddenly became more serious.

"I'm suddenly not feeling quite so confident in this battle," Ash mumbled to himself.

"Pika," Pikachu whispered to Ash.

"I'll send you out there if you don't watch yourself," Ash bit back causing Pikachu to wave his arms at his trainer.

"Blissey, let's start off with an Egg Bomb," Dia said. Blissey pulled out an egg and threw it at Melmetal who twisted out of the way. Behind it, the egg created a small explosion.

"Double Iron Bash!" Ash commanded. Melmetal continued to spin before launching his arms forward towards Blissey.

"Catch it," Dia said. Blissey brought her short arms up and caught the attacking limbs.

"What!" Ash yelled as Melmetal was pulled towards Blissey. "This is Incineroar all over again." He said putting a hand to his forehead before focusing on the battle.

"Hyper Beam!" Dia yelled. An orange ball formed above Blissey's head. It launched forward slamming into Melmetal causing its head to be pushed backward and Blissey to release its hold on Melmetal.

"Superpower," Ash said. Melmetal's right hex nut glowed orange as it brought its hand down towards Blissey. Blissey was unable to dodge it resulting in a large crater forming underneath the exhausted Pokemon.

"Focus Punch!" Dia shouted. With speed betraying her size, Blissey shot from underneath Melmetal's hand and struck Melmetal's head with a glowing fist. Melmetal recoiled from the attack stumbling backward a few paces away. "Keep it up. Dazzling Gleam!" A pink sphere of energy formed around Blissey as she rocketed towards Melmetal.

"Iron Defense!" Ash said. Melmetal hardened its body catching the attacking Pokemon in its chest. "Now, Flash Cannon!" Ash shouted. A silver beam was blasted from Melmetal's head nut sending Blissey flying back.

"Heal Pulse!" Dia said. Blissey released a wave of green psychic energy at its feet healing some of the bruises and scratches. "Now Egg Bomb!" Blissey threw the egg at Melmetal's feet.

"Stop it. Use Thunder Punch!" Ash yelled. Melmetal began to stretch its left hex nut covered in electricity, but the egg bomb struck the ground causing it to fall over.

"Excellent work, Blissey! Now return," Dia said, returning the nurse Pokemon. "Houndoom, come out!" A devilish dog Pokemon appeared on the battlefield. "While it's still down, Inferno!" Houndoom unleashed a massive stream of blue flames covering the downed Pokemon.

"Melmetal, you've got to get up! Use Double Iron Bash!" Ash shouted. From the flames, two hex nuts flew out and smashed into Houndoom. Melmetal retracted its arm standing confidently before a wave of flames formed around its head causing it to flinch. "It got burned."

"Houndoom, are you okay?" Dia asked. Houndoom nodded before it growled at the swaying Melmetal flames licking at its jaw. "It looks like it can't take much more. Flamethrower!" A much smaller stream of flames was blasted from Houndoom's mouth.

"Power through it with Ice Punch," Ash said. Frost formed around its hex nuts as Melmetal slingshot its arm towards the fire canceling the attack and sending it towards Houndoom.

"Dodge and then Dark Pulse," Dia said. Houndoom jumped onto the hex nut and began charging the attack. When the arm retreated towards Melmetal, Houndoom released a beam of dark circles point blank at Melmetal's face. Melmetal fell backwards with its singular eye shaped like an x.

"Melmetal is unable to battle. Trainer, send out your next Pokemon," the referee shouted.

"Thanks for your hard work, Melmetal. Take a nice long rest," Ash said, returning the Pokemon. "Lycanroc, I need your assistant." His orange wolf formed onto the battlefield howling.

"Let's start this out," Ash said. "Accelerock!" In a burst of speed, Lycanroc shot forward towards Houndoom.

"Catch it with Crunch," Dia said. Houndoom managed to barely dodge the attack before it snapped its jaws around Lycanroc's ear.

"Shake it off," Ash said. Lycanroc began to run around shaking his head, but Houndoom held on tight.

"Flamethrower, then release," Dia said. Flames formed around Houndoom's mouth as it released its jaw. At the same time, a stream of flames covered Lycanroc.

"Lycanroc! Are you ok?" Ash asked, getting a nod from the wolf as its eyes turned red. "Good, now let's turn this around. Stone Edge." Lycanroc growled before it slammed his paws on the ground. Pillars of stone broke out of the ground underneath Houndoom sending it into the air. "Now, use Accelerock!" Lycanroc jumped after the airborne Houndoom, a small aura forming around it.

"Houndoom, Dark Pulse." Houndoom managed to right itself midair before blasting a ray of dark rings at the charging Lycanroc. The ray struck Lycanroc causing it to fall out of the air. "Solar Beam!" Houndoom began to absorb the sun's rays as a green light formed in its mouth.

"Snarl," Ash said. Lycanroc snarled releasing multiple dark waves of energy at the stationary opponent. The attack hit Houndoom causing it to flinch, but it continued to charge the attack.

"Release Solar Beam," Dia stated. Houndoom released a bright green light at Lycanroc.

"Dodge, then Stone Edge," Ash said. Lycanroc dashed forward sliding under the beam before slamming its paws into the ground creating a row of stone pillars that slammed into Houndoom. Unfortunately, the Solar Beam managed to strike Lycanroc's front leg. Houndoom fell to the ground unconscious while Lycanroc breathed heavily amongst the rubble of its attacks.

"Houndoom is unable to battle. Trainer send out your next Pokemon," the referee said.

"Thanks, Houndoom," Dia said, returning the Pokemon. "Passimian, come out." A lemur formed on the field holding a coconut. A red glow appeared around Passimian linking it to Houndoom's Pokeball.

"Lycanroc return. I'm going to need you for later," Ash said. "Incineroar, it's showtime!"

"Incineroar!" It roared flexing its muscles.

"Incineroar, let's start this off with Fire Blast," Ash said. From Incineroar's belt, a flaming symbol of fire formed and launched towards Passimian.

"Take it, then Rock Slide," Dia said.

"Say what now?" Ash asked. As the attack reached the lemur Pokemon, a red aura appeared around Passimian absorbing the attack. It then jumped into the air summoning dozens of large rocks that fell towards Incineroar.

"Destroy it with Darkest Lariat," Ash countered. Incineroar ignited its hands and began to spin rapidly towards the attacks. When it met the Rock Slide, its attack began to shred through it, allowing it to approach the descending Passimian. "Now use Revenge." Incineroar finished tearing through the attack before swiping a glowing arm at Passimian.

"Counter with Drain Punch!" A green orb formed around Passimian's tail which it sent towards the offending limb. The two attacks clashed briefly before Incineroar overpowered Passimian, sending it backwards.

"Looks like Incineroar is stronger. Though I have to know, how did Passimian stop Incineroar's Fire Blast?" Ash asked.

"It's because of Passimian's ability, Receiver," Dia explained. "When an ally faints and Passimian takes its place, Passimian receives the fainted Pokemon's ability. Houndoom has Flash Fire, so all fire attacks you would do are useless."

"Good to know," Ash said, pulling out Incineroar's Pokeball. "Sorry Incineroar, but this is a bad matchup for you. Return." Incineroar gave a thumbs up as he returned to his Pokeball. "Rowlet, it's your turn." In a flash, a small green owl appeared above the lemur Pokemon cooing gently. It was wearing a cloak that made it resemble a Decidueye.

"I'm always surprised by the Pokemon you have," Dia said, placing a hand against his head. "First you have two mythical Pokemon, then a one-of-a-kind Lycanroc, and now you have a Rowlet dressed as a Decidueye. Seriously, if I ever want to meet some unique Pokemon, I'm hanging around you."

"Lana likes to call Rowlet, Decidulet," Ash said, causing Rowlet to puff up its chest. "And all of my Pokemon are unique. But they all have the same thing in common. When it's time to fight, we fight. Leaf Blade!" Rowlet swooped down, its wings both glowing a light green.

"Fling, then Acrobatics," Dia said. Passimian flung its ball towards the descending bird before jumping above Rowlet glowing a sky blue. Rowlet deflected the ball high above it.

"Phantom Force," Ash said. A portal formed in front of Rowlet who quickly flew into it avoiding Passimian. The lemur landed gracefully looking around for its opponent.

"Get ready," Dia warned. Passimian tensed its body before it noticed its descending ball. It jumped after it. "Passimian, no!"

"Now," Ash screamed. Just as Passimian caught its ball, a portal formed behind it. Rowlet rocketed out of it, a golden aura formed around it. It slammed into Passimian launching the stunned primate towards the ground. It crashed into the ground creating a cloud of dust.

"Passimian!" Dia yelled. "Rock Slide!" From the dust, Passimian screeched. Boulders began to fall above Rowlet.

"Above you, Rowlet," Ash yelled. Rowlet narrowly avoided the falling rocks before an especially large one formed right above it. "Feather dance." A veil of feathers appeared around Rowlet cushioning the blow from the rock and allowing it to move out of the way. "That was too close."

"Acrobatics!" Passimian appeared above Rowlet, the blue aura around it before striking its wing.

"Rowlet!" Ash called at the flailing bird.

"Follow through with Drain Punch!" Dia called out. Passimian dove towards Rowlet, the attack forming around its fist.

"Use Sucker Punch!" Ash said. Rowlet managed to right its descent before it shot up towards Passimian. As the two approach each other, Rowlet suddenly gained a burst of speed before striking the lemur's gut with its claw. Passimian cried out but managed to strike Rowlet before it fell backwards to the ground. It landed in a heap unconscious.

"Passimian is unable to battle. Trainer send out your next Pokemon," the referee said.

"Thanks for your help, Passimian," Dia said. "Come out, Golem." A mustached rock with a railgun landed on the field.

"Ooh, an Alolan Golem," Ash said. "This will be fun." Rowlet cooed as it circled around the battlefield.

"Start this off with Stone Edge," Dia said. Golem punched the ground and pillars of stones formed around Rowlet trapping it in a circle of stone.

"Get out of there!" Ash yelled. Rowlet began to fly above the rocks.

"Use Thunder Punch," Dia said. Golem punched a pillar with a sparking fist sending an electric charge throughout the stone pillar. The electricity flowed towards Rowlet striking it midflight. "Now follow through with Heavy Slam." Golem jumped high above the stone pillars; a silver aura formed around its body as it began to descend into the prison.

"Rowlet, Feather Dance!" Ash yelled. A few seconds passed before the pillars broke apart creating a field of dust and broken rocks. "Rowlet!" From the center of the rubble, Golem got off of a flattened Rowlet.

"Rowlet is unable to battle. Trainer send out your next Pokemon!" The referee shouted.

"Return Rowlet," Ash said softly. "Thanks for trying. You did great. Lycanroc, I need your assistance." Once more, Lycanroc appeared on the field flinching slightly when it landed.

"Return Golem, I'm going to need you later," Dia said. "Blissey, I need your help." The egg-shaped Pokemon appeared looking ready for battle.

"Start things off with Snarl," Ash said. Lycanroc released dark waves of sound energy from its mouth.

"Power through it with Dazzling Gleam," Dia countered. A multicolored sphere of energy formed around Blissey as it charged towards Lycanroc dispersing any attacks that met it halfway. It rammed into Lycanroc sending it stumbling backwards.

"Counter," Ash replied. Lycanroc's front spike glowed green as it slashed at Blissey's stomach.

"Hang in there and use Hyper Beam," Dia said. Blissey began to form the ball of energy at its mouth.

"Stone Edge," Ash called out. Lycanroc slammed its front paw into the ground creating a single pillar that grew into Blissey's attack creating a large explosion that threw both Pokemon towards their respective trainers, knocked out.

"Lycanroc and Blissey are unable to battle. Trainers send out your next Pokemon," the referee said.

"Thanks, Blissey," Dia said. "Golem, come back out."

"I'm sorry, Lycanroc," Ash said. "Incineroar, it's showtime."

The two Pokemon appeared staring at each other.

"Rock Blast," Dia said. From Golem's railgun, it began launching rocks towards Incineroar.

"Bulk Up!" Ash shouted. Incineroar's upper muscles once more expanded as the rocks bounced harmlessly off its chest. It caught two of the rocks and threw them at Golem's feet causing it to lose its balance and stop attacking. "Now Revenge!" Incineroar started running towards Golem fists glowing orange.

"Meet it with Thunder Punch!" Dia countered. An electric aura formed around Golem's fist as it lumbered towards Incinerator. The two punched each other. Golem struck Incineroar's stomach first while Incineroar struck Golem's face. The attacks sent Golem sliding backwards a few feet. "Earthquake!" Golem brought its foot into the air.

"Jump!" Ash exclaimed. Right before Golem slammed its foot into the air, Incineroar jumped high into the air. The ground began to shake causing Ash and Dia to stumble on the field.

"Stone Edge!" Dia commanded as he regained his footing. Golem punched the ground causing several jagged stone pillars to form under Incineroar.

"Jump off of it and use Darkest Lariat!" As Incineroar descended, it grabbed onto the top of one of the pillars and stood on the tip of it. It prepared itself before it jumped towards Golem and began spinning rapidly.

"That's something you don't see every day," Dia said as the spinning pokemon drilled itself into Golem sending it sliding back. Incineroar jumped backwards as Golem tried to grab its legs. "Hit it with a Double Edge." Before Incineroar landed, Golem sprinted forward at speeds that betrayed its size, an electric aura of power forming around it.

"Incineroar, you gotta get out of the way," Ash yelled. As the bearded Pokemon approached Incineroar, it moved out of the way experiencing a slight electric charge from the attack. "Now, Revenge!" Incineroar blitz towards its now stationary opponent arms glowing.

"Double Edge, behind you!" Dia shouted. Golem's aura reformed around itself as it started to move towards its charging opponent.

"Switch to Darkest Lariat," Ash countered. Incineroar began to spin rapidly, its fists covered in flames. The two attacks clashed briefly before Golem started to overpower Incineroar pushing it back. "Now add a Fire Blast!" A tornado of flame formed around Incineroar pushing against Golem before creating an explosion between them knocking them onto their backs.

"Golem/Incineroar!" The two trainers yelled. The two Pokemon struggled to get up staring at each other. Incineroar was covered with scratches and some sparks were present on its left leg. Golem meanwhile had several cracks in its armor, and its beard was drooping.

"Golem," it said before it fell forward.

"Incineroar!" Incineroar roared posing to the crowd.

"Golem is unable to battle. Trainer, send in your final Pokemon," the referee said.

"Thanks Golem," Dia said. "Zeraora, it's your time to shine." Zeraora smirked before it leaped into the field.

"Incineroar, don't hold back. Zeraora is strong enough to stand up to Ultra Beasts. Go all out," Ash said.

"Incineroar!" It shouted flexing its muscles.

"Close Combat!" Dia shouted. Zeraora blitzed forwards and began to attack Incineroar with a series of punches and kicks.

"Bulk Up!" Incineroar's upper muscles grew as Zeraora threw a powerful hook at its chest stopping it in its tracks. "Revenge."

"Get out of there!" Dia shouted. Zeraora tried to jump back, but it was stopped by Incineroar grabbing its outstretched arm. Incineroar struck Zeraora's chest with a glowing fist. Incineroar repeated this several times. "Counter with Plasma Fists!" With its arms being engulfed in electricity, Zeraora caught Incineroar's attack before breaking free of Incineroar's grip. It thrust its sparking palms into Incineroar's chest and released a massive amount of electricity causing a blinding light to engulf the stadium.

"Incineroar!" It screamed as the electricity filled its system.

"Hold on and fight back using Fire Blast!" Ash yelled over the scream. Incineroar slowly moved its hands around Zeraora's wrists as a fiery aura formed around it.

"Pull back!" Dia shouted. Zeraora yanked its arms away from Incineroar and jumped away as an enormous blast of fire brushed past its legs. Incineroar fell on one knee panting. "Finish it off with Slash." In a burst of speed, Zeraora rushed towards the downed Pokemon with its claws glowing.

"Fire Fang!" Ash yelled. Incineroar took the slash on its chest and bit down with flaming jaws on Zeraora's paw. Zeraora howled as its fist became engulfed in flame.

"Discharge!" Dia commanded. Zeraora planted its other fist in Incineroar's chest before discharging a large amount of electricity into Incineroar.

"Incineroar!" It screamed as it fell to its knees. It managed one to look at Zeraora and gave a small nod before falling face forward into the ground.

"Zera," Zeraora nodded at its former opponent as it shook its left arm.

"Incineroar is unable to battle. Trainer, send in your final Pokemon," the referee shouted.

"Thanks for everything, Incineroar. Next time, you'll beat him," Ash said softly. He turned to his partner. "You ready for this, Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked, jumping off Ash's shoulder and onto the field.

"Well, it looks like Ash has a big advantage," Kiawe said.

"I don't know about that," Kukui pondered, stroking his chin. "While Pikachu is undoubtedly Ash's strongest Pokemon, Zeraora is definitely Dia's, and I would say that Zeraora is stronger."

"Have a little faith, Kukui. Ash has gotten this far. He's got this," Burnet said.

"Plus, Pikachu has gotten a lot stronger. Whenever Pikachu fought, he dominated the battle," Lana said.

"Win this Ash! We're all rooting for you!" Kiawe shouted.

"Go Ash!" Mallow, Lillie, Sophocles, and Lana cheered.

"You hear that, Pikachu? Everyone's rooting for us," Ash reminded his partner, turning his cap around. "Let's give them something to really root for! We're going home with that trophy."

"Pikachu," Pikachu squeaked confidently.

"We're not just going to hand it over to you. You still have to beat Zeraora, and he's raring to go!" Dia called out from across the field.

"Zera," Zeraora said, slamming a hand into its palm.

"We'll see. Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash said. In a burst of speed, Pikachu rushed towards Zeraora.

"Dodge and then Fire Punch," Dia said. As Pikachu approached, Zeraora shifted its body out of the way letting Pikachu push past it before punching a flaming fist towards the prone Pokemon. Before it connected, Pikachu pivoted off the ground and jumped over Zeraora's head.

"Brick Break," Ash yelled. Pikachu chopped a glowing tail down onto Zeraora's head.

"Grab it and use Discharge," Dia called out. Zeraora snatched Pikachu and released a stream of electricity into the trapped electric rodent. Pikachu squealed as the electricity overrode his natural immunity. "Now Close Combat." Zeraora released Pikachu and readied its fist.

"Iron Tail," Ash countered. Pikachu swung his tail down, sending him under Zeraora's fist before he dug underground.

"Be careful, Zeraora! When Pikachu appears, use Fire Punch," Dia said. Zeraora started looking around for Pikachu. Suddenly, Pikachu blasted out of the earth and struck Zeraora with an Iron Tail before jumping underground. "Plasma Fist down the hole!" Zeraora slammed its fist on the edge of the hole sending a wave of electricity down it.

"Pikachu, get out of there!" Ash called out. Almost immediately, Pikachu jumped out of the ground as electricity followed after it.

"Slash," Dia said. In the blink of an eye, Zeraora was behind Pikachu swinging a glowing claw at Pikachu.

"Brick Break!" Ash countered. Pikachu met the attack with its glowing tail before it was sent flying backwards. Pikachu skidded to a halt as the two Pokemon stared defiantly at each other.

"Discharge!/Electroweb!" The two trainers yelled simultaneously. Zeraora surrounded itself in a yellow aura before letting loose electric energy all around him while Pikachu jumped into the air, creating an electric orb on his tail before flinging it at Zeraora. The orb expanded into an electric web that wrapped around the electricity Zeraora released and then exploded creating a cloud of smoke.

"Quick Attack!" Ash yelled. Pikachu darted in the cloud, a white trail following his movements.

"Be ready with a Fire Punch," Dia said. Flames wrapped Zeraora's paws, as it got into a ready stance. It was not ready for when the ground underneath its feet gave out and sent it waist deep into the earth. "Zeraora, get out of there!" Zeraora began to try to pull its body out of the whole

"Iron Tail," Ash called out. From the smoke, Pikachu ran out with a shining tail and struck the trapped Zeraora several times with it.

"Use Plasma Fists!" Dia ordered. Still being attacked, Zeraora slammed its paws onto the ground sending a stream of electricity around it. The force of the attack lifted Zeraora around the ground and knocked Pikachu out of the air. "Follow up with Close Combat!" Zeraora rushed towards the dazed Pokemon and started to land several punches and kicks on him before finally kicking him towards Ash. Its eyes never leaving its opponent as its chest heaved up and down.

"Pikachu, are you alright?" Ash asked. Pikachu got up, shaking his head.

"Pika!" Pikachu cheered, sending a thumbs up. Pikachu was breathing heavily, glaring at Zeraora.

"Zeraora, let's finish this," Dia said displaying his Z-ring on his wrist.

"Zera," Zeraora nodded.

"It's time for a Z-move, Pikachu!" Ash said, tossing his hat to Pikachu. On his wrist, his Electrium-Z shone before morphing to have a Pikachu tail on it.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu said, putting the hat on.

"Built by our promise to protect the Alola Region, our strength rises to strike our opponents down with the force of a Thunderbolt," Dia said as he and Zeraora did a series of poses before ending with their arms crossed like a lightning bolt. A yellow aura flowed from Dia to Zeraora. "Use Gigavolt Havoc!" A colossal ball of blue electricity formed at Zeraora's fist before it was launched towards Pikachu.

"Let's show them what our full power looks like!" Ash shouted, crossing his arms. His Z-Power Ring glowed a golden light.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu shouted, adjusting his hat. He jumped up towards Ash and fist bumped with Ash before slapping his tail against Ash's hand. Pikachu landed in front of Ash, before they both slid their left foot outward and punched forward with their right limb. The same yellow aura flew from Ash into Pikachu.

"Larger than any thunderbolt. The strength of our bond will overpower all that stands in our way!" Ash announced. Above Pikachu, a storm cloud formed. Lightning flew from the cloud, enveloping Pikachu in an electric aura. "Pikachu, use 10,000,000 Volt Thunderbolt!"

"Pika Pika Pika," Pikachu built up as it ran towards the ball. "Pika CHUUUUUUU!" Seven orbs of multicolored lights were launched from Pikachu and clashed with Zeraora's Z-move. There was a brief power struggle, before Pikachu's Z-move began to push it back.

"We're not giving up! Go for it, Zeraora!" Dia shouted confidently.

"Zera Ora!" It grunted as it sent electricity into the ball. It doubled, then tripled in size and began to push back against Pikachu's attack.

"We're not giving up! Pikachu, use your full power!" Ash yelled.

"Pika Chuuuu!" Pikachu screamed as power rushed out his body. The seven orbs absorbed the blue orbs, each growing to twice their size, and slammed into Zeraora. Zeraora flew back into the wall, embedding itself several inches into it.

"Zeraora!" Dia shouted. Zeraora fell out of the wall, knocked out.

"Zeraora is unable to battle. Dia is out of usable Pokemon. Ash Ketchum is the winner of the Indigo League!" The referee shouted.

"We did it, Pikachu!" Ash cheered.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted as he jumped onto Ash's shoulder.

"I got you," Dia said. He hoisted Zeraora's arm over his shoulder and lifted him off the ground.

"Dia!" Ash called out, approaching his former opponent. "That was a great battle. It's been awhile since we had to fight so hard."

"Thanks Ash. You've certainly grown from the last time I saw you," Dia complimented, holding out his hand. "If I'm ever able to come back, let's have another battle."

"I'm looking forward to it," Ash said, shaking Dia's hand happily.

"Zer Zeraora," Zeraora grunted.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu squeaked.

Xxx Island Champion's Return xxX

"Ash, now that you won the Indigo League, what's your plan now?" Kiawe asked. The awards ceremony went off without any issues. Now, the group was heading back to the cabin to pack up before they would head back home to Alola.

"I think I'm going to take a break," Ash said thoughtfully. "I've missed everyone back in Alola, and I want to catch up with them. I also want to spend some time with all my Pokemon and train them."

"What about the Elite Four? Can't you challenge it now that you won the league?" Mallow asked.

"I could, but I'm not going to do so," Ash said, petting Pikachu.

"But you won the league! Isn't it the entire point of competing in the league?" Sophocles asked, waving his arms.

"For one thing, I battled with Agitha of the Elite Four. We put up a fight, but she is still a league above us," Ash said, getting a nod from Lana and Pikachu.

"I'm glad you're not letting a loss against Agitha get you down," Kukui started, pressing a hand on Ash's head. "But what other reasons do you have."

"I'm trying to decide where I'm going next. I don't know if I want to travel to another region like Hoenn or I could try the Kanto Battle Frontier," Ash pondered.

"There's something else bothering you, isn't it?" Burnet asked gently.

"I've been thinking about the Alola League and the qualifiers. Getting all the badges to be allowed to compete in the Indigo League was a great challenge, and I feel like I learned a lot while I traveled through Kanto. If we did something similar in Alola, it would be a great way to teach any challengers about Alola," Ash said.

"That sounds like a great idea," Kukui proudly stated. "But I think that we can wait until we get back home before we discuss this. We should probably talk to the Kahunas, as well."

"Yeah, let's go home!" Ash cheered, running ahead.

"Uh, Ash…" Mallow started. Kukui and Burnet looked at each other amused, while Lana and Lillie held in giggles. A few seconds later, Ash ran back.

"How are we getting to Alola?" Ash asked. Kiawe and Sophocles face faulted.

"Seriously, Ash!" Kiawe asked. "We're taking Lillie's family's plane. We talked about it last night."

"Excuse me!" Ash said indignantly. "I've had a lot of stress these past few days. Is it really that surprising I forgot something?"

"Speaking of surprises, Ash, we have something to tell you," Burnet said.

"What is it, Mama Burnet?" Ash asked.

"Well, you're going to be a big brother," Burnet said.

"That's great!" Ash said. A few moments later…

"WAIT, WHAT!" Everyone yelled.