"Persian, Giga Impact!" Giovanni ordered his classy cat Pokémon to attack his opponent's final choice.

The normal type began to charge its opponent, as a sphere of purple energy encased its body. The Pokémon collided with a Nidoking that was opposite it. The two continued as if Persian had hit nothing, slamming into the wall with full force causing a minor explosion. From the dust, out came Giovanni's cat strutting, as it left the carnage of the battle behind. When the dust finally settled, Nidoking was unconscious.

"Nidoking is unable to battle! Persian wins and the match goes to Sakaki, of Mt. Coronet!" the ref shouted out.

The crowds cheered, as the match had finally come to an end. The match was 3-2, with Giovanni claiming victory. He smirked and waved as his eyes went through the crowd until they found their target. His smile grew as his eyes met with Ash's, who, he knew, would be watching the match. He chuckled when he saw the trainer flinch, as their gazes met. He was taking pride in intimidating his young rival.

He knows I'm just toying with these fools. I have more to show, come the later rounds, you better be ready, Ketchum. His thoughts died down as his platform began to descend.

---

Ash could only look down at what he saw, with astonishment, written across his face. He's holding back. He's toying with his opponents as if he was playing with his food.

Ash could feel someone, shaking him out of his concentration. He looked to his shoulder and saw a paw. He followed it to its owner.

"Master, calm down." Lucario began. "Like you said: 'one round at a time.'"

"Come on, Lucario, you saw what I saw."

"Pika," Pikachu shouted out in frustration. "Pikachu pi pika pi. Pipi Pikachu pi!"

"He's right. He hasn't faced anything yet. We have trained for five years, for this moment. We'll get him." Lucario said with a gentle smile on his face.

"Thank you, Lucario. Come on, we better head to our platform. Our match starts in about ten minutes," Ash said as he turned to head down to the corridors of the stadium.

As the three companions made their way down the stairs, they passed Giovanni once more. He saw, who was descending the stairs and moved, in front of them, to stop their movement.

"Can I help you, Sakaki?" Ash spat at the figure that so rudely cut him off.

"Yes, I just wanted to make sure that you saw my little demonstration," Giovanni said with a dark, playful tone.

"All I saw was a trainer who was outclassed and his opponent playing with him, to entertain the crowd," Ash responded openly.

"Hey, what is battling without having a little fun?" Giovanni chuckled.

"Showing off is a fool's glory," Ash said.

"My true glory will show itself in due time," Giovanni said as he continued to chuckle.

"Keep laughing, Sakaki," Ash shot back severely. "We'll see who's laughing at the end of this tournament!"

"Oh Aaron, always the serious one," Giovanni responded. "You know, there are only three real contenders for the title. Those three are you, me, and your friend, Trevor. The other six rounds are just for mere show. We'll have our battle, and when we do, I will finally finish you off. Something I should have done back in Kalos."

"Careful, Sakaki," Ash spoke with determination in his voice. "Pride always comes before the fall."

"And I will be there to see you hit rock bottom, boy," Giovanni responded as he brushed past, Ash. As they passed, he bumped Ash's shoulder with his, causing the trainer to move back.

Ash stood still, trying to contain the emotions that were stirring up inside of him.

Why does he always get to me? How does he always know what to say, to immediate me? Ash questioned himself.

He stood there, clenched fists and gritted teeth until the footsteps of his foe began to die away. When he could no longer hear them. he let out a breath and let his body relax. He knew that he couldn't do anything about the emotions that were housed in him. Well, almost nothing. His eyes opened to reveal a fire, which began to burn deeply within him. Fueled by determination, rage, and frustration, his eyes found their way to the platform. He decided to focus his energy into his battle, as he didn't play his song on the ocarina before the match.

"You guys, ready?" Ash asked as he looked at his two Pokémon.

"I was born ready, Master!" Lucario grunted with enthusiasm.

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted.

"Good, let's go ensure our meeting with Max tomorrow," Ash said with a smile, as he made his way onto the platform.

---

Up in the elite suite, stood the champions and the group of Ash's old friends. They watched fixedly, as they had done so, three days before opening night. Idle chatter and small talk could be heard throughout the group, but Max and Bonnie looked on in anticipation of the last matchup for today.

"You know that the winner, of this battle, will be your opponent tomorrow, right Max?" Bonnie asked as she turned to her friend, who sat next to her, arms crossed and eyes gazing on the battlefield below.

"Yeah, why do you think I stuck around after my match?" Max responded to Bonnie's question. "I couldn't find much information on Aaron, except for the few rounds, of the Mt. Silver tournament, and the first round of this tournament. There's no data on him. Basically, the videotape, from the Mt. Silver tournament, is completely useless."

"How so?" Bonnie asked, puzzled by her peer's remark.

Max was well known for watching videos of his opponents and researching them with absolute detail. It was rare for any trainer, coming to a battle, with a strategy or combination that Max didn't know about. It gave him a real advantage over his competition.

"You see, over the past two tournaments, Aaron had only used six Pokémon, and only two have been repeated," Max explained as he turned to Bonnie. "His Pikachu and Lucario are the only ones that he has used more than once, but seeing how he doesn't keep them in their Pokéballs, everyone would know about them. He isn't really giving away any secrets by using those two."

"You really think that he's got more powerful Pokémon up his sleeve?" Bonnie asked with a concerned look on her face. She was beginning to worry about this mysterious trainer too. After all, if Max loses in the next round, then it would mean that she could possibly be Aaron's opponent in the next round. An honor that she didn't really want.

"Hey now, you two need to calm down." they turned to Dawn, who sat next to Max during their conversation. "No need to worry! I bet this guy isn't all that tough."

"That's easy for you to say, Dawn," Max said with a nervous smile on his face.

"She's right. Everyone has got a weakness and tendency. All you have to do is find it." Misty decided to break into the conversation as well. "You know that better than anyone, Max."

"Yeah, but this guy doesn't seem to have any flaws. In his battles, he hasn't made a mistake, at all! He's like the perfect battler ever!" Max explained.

Trevor decided to enter the conversation as well. "Max, you can't just say that he's a perfect battler because you only have seen him battled a few times already. Besides, not everyone is perfect. Take my last match, for example, I only lost one of my Pokémon because I miscalculated the amount of damage that my Umbreon took from its previous battle, before getting knocked out in the next round."

Max listened to Trevor's explanation and responded. "Well, yeah, but you still won that match by using your Sceptile and Charizard. Besides, what does that have to do with Aaron's battling techniques?"

"I'm just saying that no one is completely perfect in battling. Even the champions, despite them being expert battlers, have flaws in their battling strategies." Trevor stated as he points over to the champions.

"He's right, Max," Wallace said as he enters into the conversation as well. "We all have had flaws in our battling techniques. As we learned about these flaws, we would figure out ways to fix them, before using them again in battle."

"I guess so," Max stated. "But still..."

He's interrupted by Misty as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey! Right now, you letting Aaron win the battle before it even starts. Don't let him get to you. Just observe while you're watching his battle. Speaking of which, shut up and pay attention now! It's about to start."

---

Ash was ready to let his next opponent have it. He was prepared for this round. He was pulling out a friend that he hadn't used in a long time. He could feel its excitement and enthusiasm, pouring out of the Pokéball, which he was holding in his right hand.

"He seems fired up and ready to go," Lucario commented as he sensed the aura the Pokéball was giving off.

"Yeah. He had been waiting for another chance at fighting in a tournament, like this," Ash stated with a smile. "He's a fighter at heart. You know that."

Opposite of Ash, stood his opponent, named Rex. An older trainer from Kanto, who had made a name for himself throughout Johto and Kanto as a skillful battler. Rex was a towering figure, standing 6'5 with short black hair and a light complexion. He wore a blue muscle shirt that showed the muscular tone of his body. He added black sweatpants and black shoes to add to the look of a prizefighter, who just got out from a workout. Like himself, his Pokémon was known as 'Bruisers'.

"Well little man, you ready for a fight?" Rex asked his masked opponent.

Ash responded with silence. Pikachu, on the other hand, had a response to the question, aimed at his master. The electric mouse Pokémon jumped from his perch, on Ash's shoulder, to the ground. He let out a yawn, before curling up at his master's feet. He appeared to be uninterested by the ensuing battle.

Rex saw this and became angry at Pikachu's gesture. Who does this guy think he is? How dare he blow me off and act like he isn't even interested in this battle! he thought as he looked on at Ash, who also looked uninterested in the battle as well.

"That's it! No more games! Iris may not have been able to beat you, but she didn't have the kind of power that I do!" Rex shouted as he pointed to himself. "Time to take you down a peg!"

He threw his Pokéball, into the air, revealing a steel and rock type Pokémon, named Aggron.

The Pokémon stood nearly 7 feet tall and was covered in what appears to be steel plated armor. Horns jutted out from its helmet-like head that was above its steel face. The rest of its body was a darker grey, except silver color rings, one on each arm and leg with silver claws on its limps. The Pokémon roared and assumed a battle stance while waiting for his opponent.

Ash silently threw his ball, into the air, to reveal a monkey-like Pokémon that shouted and beat its chest. When finally released, it was amped for the battle to start. Ash hadn't used it since the Lily of the Valley Conference. It was so excited to finally face another opponent. Infernape's flame burst up as it let out another shout.

The Pokémon stood of two legs, white fir covering its legs and upper body, ending at the shoulders. On its chest, shoulders, knees, and hands were yellow plates like objects, which had swirls on them. Its ears, muzzle, thighs, and tail were all a medium brown color. The mane that topped its head was a fire that emanated from the Pokémon, as it expresses its power.

The intensity of the Pokémon's flame was matched by the burning determination and confidence that his trainer was feeling, inside of him. Ash's eyes made their way, through the crowd, before finding their way into the elite box. He scanned his friends and champions, before finally seeing his blue-eyed beauty. He saw her lips turn from a worried expression into a wide grin. He always saw that worried expression on her face, in one form or another. She always displayed more stress than Ash before his battles, but she still had an effect that calms him down and re-focusing his energy towards the battle. She was his inspiration, ever since their reunion in Kalos.

He turned back to his opponent's Aggron as the match began.

"Aggron, use Metal Sound!" Rex cried.

His Pokémon let out a roar that created visible sound waves, throughout the stadium. The crowd covered their ears, as the pain of the high-pitched screech hit their eardrums.

On the battlefield, Infernape was feeling the effects of the attack as well.

"Gotcha now punk! Aggron, now use Iron Head!"

Aggron began to glow white. The outline of the Pokémon could be seen as painted silver inside the white aura. It launched itself towards its opponent.

"Infernape, use Mach Punch straight up, then follow it up with another!" Ash commanded his Pokémon.

The flame Pokémon's fist began to glow white before releasing an uppercut, sending the steel and rock type flying in the air. In the blink of an eye, Infernape vanished, before reappearing behind Aggron.

"We won't fall for that! Aggron, Metal Claw, right behind you!" Rex shouted.

Aggron swung his body around as his claws began to glow white. When the two attacks collided, both Pokémon were sent flying back before landing, without taking damage, on the ground.

"I have to give it to you, Rex. You've really done your research." Ash yelled to his opponent.

"I saw your battle with Iris. You like to set up your more powerful attacks with weaker ones," Rex explained as a grin crossed his face. "Like a real prizefighter, softening up his opponent with a few jabs, before bringing on the haymaker."

"Then, maybe we should bring the haymaker out first!" Ash responded. "Infernape, use Flare Blitz!"

Infernape surrounded himself with a blue flame before charging towards his opponent.

"Aggron, Hyper Beam!" Rex shouted his counter.

Aggron fired a furious beam of energy towards Infernape.

"Spin, Infernape!"

Rex looked on in shock, as he witnessed Infernape, throwing him toward the oncoming attack, tucking his arms into his body, while straightening his legs and him beginning to spin around the Hyper Beam. He got to Aggron and lowered his shoulder into the iron armor Pokémon, sending it flying towards the wall. Aggron hit the ground. As it attempted to get up, flames consumed its body, causing a scream of agony, before falling to the ground, unable to battle anymore.

Rex groaned out of frustration before returning his fallen Pokémon to its Pokéball. He reached down and unhooked his next selection.

"Twenty-five years ago I started my journey," Rex began. "I was a small punk, back then, but my starter and I made a promise, to each other; that someday, we'd be strong and reach the top. I think you'll see that we had kept that promise." Rex revealed a big turtle like Pokémon as his next choice.

The Pokémon showed blue arms, legs, tail and head out of its shell. The underbelly of the shell was a tan color while the top was a dark brown. Connecting the two halves of the shell was a white strip. From the top of the shell, where the shoulders of the Pokémon were underneath, came a pair of cannons.

"Allow me to introduce my partner, Blastoise!" Rex shouted with pride.

"Infernape, get up close, and use Close Combat!" Ash made his move.

Infernape ran towards the shellfish Pokémon as jets of water pumped out of the two cannons atop the water Pokémon's back. Infernape jump, rolled, twisted and turned his way through the barrage of water attacks until he came under the chin of his opponent. Unable to maneuver its cannons into place, to fire an attack, Blastoise stood defenseless as Infernape let loose a barrage of punches, kicks, and knees to the water Pokémon.

Rex was quick on his feet when thinking of his next move.

"Blastoise, Rapid Spin, then into a Hydro Pump!"

Obeying its master, the Pokémon vanished into its shell before spinning rapidly. As it spun, jets of water came from the holes where his limps were normally located. The attack hit home as the flame Pokémon was sent flying across the battlefield.

"You don't think after all these years, we haven't noticed our one weak spot, Aaron? We kept that little one-two punch in our back pocket, for whenever a trainer gets a little too cocky." Rex bragged with his arms folded across his chest.

Ash looked on as his fire and fighting type Pokémon struggled to get up. It made its way to a standing position, but it still felt a little dazed from the trip that Blastoise had so rudely sent him on. Infernape regained its footing and readied itself, for the next attack.

Hang in there, champ, for a bit longer. We're almost there. Ash thought as he turned back to his opponent.

"Infernape, use Dig!"

The monkey-like Pokémon obeyed its trainer by diving towards the ground, widely flailing at the floor of the stadium as it burrowed deep beneath the battlefield.

"Bad move there, punk!" Rex shouted. "Blastoise, get over to the hole and use Hydro Pump!"

The shellfish Pokémon began making its way over to where Infernape had descended, but it was too late. As it was a few steps away from the hole, the ground underneath shook and a fist appeared, connecting under the chin once again.

"Close Combat!" Ash shouted.

Infernape again landed a flurry of attacks before being sent into the wall of the stadium by the same combination, which had dealt immense damage earlier.

"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" Rex gave a laugh as he watched Infernape struggling to get up. "I like that about you, Aaron, you don't hold back, but it looks like your Infernape is on his last leg."

Ash turned to see his fire and fighting type, and what Rex had just said, was no doubt true. Infernape was badly injured, but not out. Ash smirked as he turned back to the battlefield.

"You should have finished us off when you had the chance, Rex!" Ash shouted to his opponent.

Rex looked curiously at Ash. "What does that suppose-"

He was shocked at what he saw. The battered and beaten Pokémon, who could barely stand up, was now beginning to glow a deep red color.

"You see Rex," Ash began. "When Infernape is pushed to his limit, that is when he's at his best!"

Almost on cue, Infernape let out a battle cry as it stood up and threw its arms back. Its main burst with energy as the fire exploded into the air, causing a blinding light throughout the stadium. The flame escaped the top of the stadium and could be seen miles away.

Rex looked on before a smile appeared on his face. "It looks like the real battle is just starting, Aaron."

"So it seems," Ash stated agreeing with his opponent.

"Hydro Pump, Blastoise!" Rex commanded.

"Use Dig to dodge, Infernape," Ash countered the incoming Hydro Pump.

Infernape barely managed to get underground, avoiding the attack. Rex and Blastoise searched the floor of the arena, monitoring for any sign of where the flame Pokémon could be.

"Stay calm, man. That little monkey has got to be around here, somewhere." Rex conversed with his trusted partner.

The shellfish Pokémon grunted in response, as it scoured the area for signs of movement.

"Infernape, use Fire Spin and entrap Blastoise!" Ash yelled.

The stadium fell into an eerie silence, waiting for the command to be fulfilled. Blastoise let out a scream before a pillar of fire engulfed it. The pillar moved skywards, causing hot winds to soar through the air. Blastoise was trapped inside.

"Now Infernape, use Flamethrower!"

Out of the ground, came the monkey-like Pokémon, still glowing bright red. The fire and fighting type let out a torrent of flames aimed at the bottom middle of the pillar. The flames entered and resulted in cries of agony from its entrapped victim.

"Blastoise, aim your Hydro Pump to the left!" Rex shouted with panic coursing through his voice.

A jet of water made its way out of the pillar, but nowhere near its intended target. The flames quickly closed the minuscule gap that was created by the water. The process continued, with each cry becoming more and more agonizing. Rex finally found his answer.

"Blastoise, Rapid Spin into Hydro Pump!"

The middle of the pillar began to grow in girth before exploding in an array of different hues of blue, orange and red, leaving burn marks on the shellfish Pokémon's body with burn marks. The Pokémon was breathing hard, as it stared at its opponent.

Got to end this now, or I will be down two Pokémon! Rex reasoned. "Blastoise, use Hydro Cannon with maximum power!"

"Infernape use Flare Blitz!" Ash yelled as he punched the air in front of him.

The flame Pokémon emitted a blue aura before throwing itself at its target. Blastoise, meanwhile, gathered all the strength, that it had, as it let out its most powerful water attack.

The two met, causing a wild explosion in the middle of the battlefield. The smoke raced into the crowd that looked on in wonder. Both trainers covered their eyes, from the smoke and chunks of dirt, which were sent flying from the collision.

Ash lowered his arm that covered his eyes when he thought that the dust had finally settled. He saw both Pokémon standing, in the middle of the torn up battlefield, as they're struggling to breathe or even stand. Rex saw the damage that had occurred across the arena and was amazed both Pokémon were still on their feet.

Infernape stood silent. His vision was beginning to shake, but his will didn't waver. Blastoise could feel a burning sensation inside its chest, from the air it had taken in, during its hellish time trapped within the firewall. They stood in silence until Infernape fell to a knee. It placed one hand on the ground and the other on the knee that was still up, maintaining itself. Blastoise gave a smirk to its opponent, before falling backward and hitting the ground. It was clear that Blastoise is unable to battle anymore.

Rex and Ash looked on in silence, for a moment. They were both shocked by their Pokémon's willpower. Rex pulled out Blastoise's Pokéball and returned it to the device.

"You battled well out there, partner. You deserve a good rest. I'm really proud of you." Rex gave his Pokémon a smile, before miniaturizing the device and reaching for his final choice.

Before he could enlarge it, Infernape hit the ground, which means that it was unable to battle. Rex gave a chuckle as he saw a red beam of light hit Infernape and return it to its own Pokéball.

"That was one hell of a battle, Aaron!" He said as a laugh escaped his mouth.

Ash could only look at his Pokéball and return the laugh in full. "Infernape, you did an amazing job out there. You earned a good long rest," he whispered before looking up to Rex. "That was a battle that I will never forget, Rex! It was one for the ages!"

"Agreed. With that being said, let's give these people one final battle that's worthy to be legendary!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Rex!" Ash responded to Rex, who has now gained his respect.

---

Max could feel his heartbeat quicken and his mouth go dry. Rex and Blastoise were a known powerhouse duo, throughout Kanto and Johto, even stretching to Hoenn and beyond. Their power was thought to rival that of the Elite Four, and Aaron, just beat the duo with one Pokémon, with a type disadvantage.

"How did Aaron do that?" Max was finally able to speak what was on his mind.

"He won because of trust."

The group turned to the blonde haired champion, who was seated a few rows back from Max, her eyes firmly set on the two trailers below.

"What do you mean, Cynthia?"

"Infernape trusted its trainer enough to know that the damage, it was taking, was for a purpose," Cynthia began. "Although it was a very risky strategy, the payoffs were huge. By triggering Blaze, Infernape's ability, he increased his Pokémon's power immensely. In order to do that though, Infernape had to completely trust Aaron."

Brock nodded his head and let out a grunt, "For trust like that, Aaron must have a deep relationship with his Pokémon. Aaron may not seem like it, but for a bond to develop in such a way, it really shows he really cares a lot about his Pokémon."

"I hear you, Brock. For his Pokémon to trust Aaron enough, to pull off this risky technique, you can tell that he's a kind person." Trevor said as he agrees with Brock, while also confirming, to the others, that he was wrong about what he told Aaron, a few nights ago, at the restaurant.

Even though Trevor knew that Aaron was really Ash, he had to make sure that he told the others that his original thoughts, on him, were wrong, and now, he sees him as a potential rival in the tournament.

"I could have told you that."

A shy voice could be heard over the group, as their attention shifted from Brock and Trevor to a blushing Serena.

Why did I say that? I thought I was only thinking that! Stupid, stupid, stupid. She scolded herself as she noticed that the attention was now on her.

"What do you mean, Serena?" asked a puzzled Max.

"Well, uh. You see... it's in his eyes. I-I mean, they look harsh, but there's something there," Serena began to turn a deeper red than before, but she continued. "He tries to hide it, but when you look closer, there is a sparkle of happiness and kindness in his vision. It sounds stupid, but it's something I noticed earlier."

Trevor grins as he looked at Serena. She's noticing too. However, I shouldn't be the one that tells her. Ash should be the one that tells her.

May and Dawn looked at each other and squealed. "Ok, Serena, after this battle, we are hooking you up with Aaron!" May yelled.

"Oh yeah, he'll be yours, before you know it!" Dawn chimed in.

Gary looked on the three girls, as they began to talk about the scenario. All they could do was laugh. I knew she would notice him, eventually.

---

Back on the field below, Rex and Ash continued to laugh at the battle, which had just taken place. "Aaron, if I don't end up winning this battle, then I would still consider this a victory for me," Rex began. "To face a fierce opponent, like you, is a prizefighter's dream come true. You don't hold anything back, and I respect that."

"Thank you, Rex," Ash responded. "You honor me with your words. I haven't enjoyed a match, like this, in a long time. Now, what do you say we finish this?"

"After you."

Ash smirked as he gives a gentle kick to Pikachu, who managed to stay asleep throughout the entire contest. The Pokémon began to stir. It turned its head up, to see Ash kneel down. The Pokémon let out a yawn before perking its ears, acknowledging its trainer's words.

"You ready to go, buddy? I need you out there."

"Pi, pika. Pikapi." Pikachu said sleepily as it's getting up and giving its body a good wake up a shake.

Ash smiled underneath his mask, before bending further down, to whisper in his partner's ear. Pikachu let out a chirp, as it jogged its way onto the battlefield and assumed a battle stance, sparks flying from his cheeks.

"Master, what did you say to him?" Lucario questioned.

"Don't worry about it. Right now, enjoy the battle." Ash responded as he messed with the top of Lucario's head. This earned a satisfied grunt from the Aura Pokémon.

"I'm glad that you send out your Pikachu!" Rex called out from across the field. "After the little bugger took a nap at the beginning of our battle, I wanted a chance to defeat it. And now, I got it and I'm not letting up. Go Golem!"

Rex threw his Pokéball, to the middle of the battlefield, to reveal a rock and ground Pokémon. The megaton Pokémon had a body resembling a boulder, with tan arms and legs sticking out of the darker rock that forms its body. Its head was also tan and revealed red eyes. The Pokémon let out a roar as it hit the ground, causing tremors to shake the already destroyed battlefield.

"I'll start!" Rex exclaimed. "Golem, use Earthquake!"

"Pikachu, use Magnet Rise." Ash countered calmly.

As the ground began to shake, a consequence of Golem's stomping feet, Pikachu began to levitate, avoiding damage from the ground type attack, which would have been super effective against Pikachu.

Rex smiled as he saw his plan unfold. "I knew it wouldn't work, but now, Pikachu can't move as well. So he can't avoid this! Golem, use Roll Out!"

The megaton Pokémon jumped into the air, pulling his arms and legs into its body before hitting the ground and rapidly spinning. Golem took off, from his position, while heading towards its opponent, gaining speed as it rolls.

Ash stayed calm as he waited for his next move.

"Pikachu, you know what to do!" was all he had to say.

Pikachu's tail began to glow, as the rolling Pokémon got closer before flipping in the air and bringing its tail down onto the attacking Pokémon. The force of the Iron Tail caused the Pokémon to quit rolling and pop into the air, as it let out a scream of pain. Pikachu did not let up and continued to assail the Pokémon with the attack, after the attack, before landing on the ground. It quickly jumped back into the air, twisting its body, as it lands the final blow. The attack sent Golem flying through the air and crashing into the stadium wall, which causes it to become unconscious.

The crowd was dead silent, as they processed on what just happened. Moments passed until finally, a roar came from their throats at the amazing spectacle that took place before them. Rex closed his eyes and gave a nod as he returned his Pokémon to its Pokéball. He made his way over to his opponent. He knew he had been outclassed today but still found himself full of pride to have lost to such a worthy opponent.

"Well Aaron, I must say, that today, the better trainer won," Rex said as the two met at the center of the battlefield.

"You're a really strong trainer, Rex," Ash said. "That was one hell of a battle, out there. It'll be one to talk about, for years to come. We will defiantly have a rematch, after this tournament." Ash extended his hand out to Rex.

Rex's smile grew brighter as he took Ash's hand and shook it firmly, "It would be my pleasure to battle a man like you again, Aaron. Good luck with the rest of the tournament!"

"Thank you, Rex. I appreciate it." Ash said as he let go of the handshake and made his way to the platform with Pikachu on his shoulder and Lucario at his side.

The platform lowered to the corridor below, with Ash still smiling underneath his mask. Battling is still more fun as I remembered.