"We've got Torkoal for Malva and Pikachu for Ash," the announcer called out. "Remember folks, this is the Pikachu that defeated Malva before. Let's see what he can do here."

Ash smirked at those words. He knew exactly what Pikachu could do and he could see just how motivated his best friend was. This battle meant just as much to Pikachu as it did to Ash. It probably only meant more to Houndoom.

"Pikachu's weak," Malva taunted, her own smirk apparent on her face. "And I've removed the stain that was my weak Houndoom."

Ash ignored her and waited for the referee to signal the start of the match. There was a brief moment of hesitation, which Ash realized was because the referee was watching to see if any more insults, at least from Malva's end, were going to continue. Well, the Pokemon League was entertainment after all. And Malva's insults were probably entertaining to some. He finally made the call, though, and the match began.

Ash didn't waste any time. "Pikachu, let's do this. Quick Attack!" The electric mouse shot off like a bullet, kicking up the grass and spraying up dirt from where he'd started. Malva and Torkoal didn't have any time to react, as Pikachu, a white glow around his body, zigzagged through the field, and then slammed his body into Torkoal with full force, before leaping back in preparation for another order from Ash.

Torkoal shook its head, clearly a little winded from the attack, but otherwise seemed to be fine. Malva didn't look too worried about the attack either. Obviously it was just a test to her. Now, it was time for her counter. "Torkoal, use Flame Wheel," she ordered calmly.

Ash wasn't letting Pikachu get hit as easy as that, though. "Pikachu, get ready!" he shouted, not wanting the attack just yet. Pikachu tensed up and lowered his body to the ground, watching Torkoal carefully, as the fire-tortoise withdrew into its shell and started rapidly spinning. First came the smoke, billowing out of the holes. Next, the flames started whipping out, eventually fully engulfing the shell. It flipped on its side and then rapidly started approaching Pikachu. Ash waited for his moment, though. He let Torkoal get halfway to Pikachu and then made his order. "Iron Tail, now!"

"That won't work," Malva called out, sounding amused, although not in a kind way, naturally.

"We'll see," Ash answered back, watching as Pikachu leaped into the air, his tail straightening out behind him. The electric mouse then flipped forward, his tail shining in a silvery light. Just before Torkoal arrived, Pikachu slammed his tail into the ground with all the strength he could muster. With a loud cracking sound, the ground ripped open and a large crack appeared, just in time for Torkoal to run over it, get caught, and get launched into the air from the jarring stop. "Quick, Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered, wanting to ensure they used this opportunity.

"Right yourself and use Lava Plume!" Malva countered, a bit of irritation in her call.

Ash could see right away that there attack wasn't going to work. Or at least, if it did, Pikachu would be hurt. Torkoal emerged from its shell, still in midair, and immediately started shooting out thick, gooey blobs of molten rock from the holes in his shell. They started raining down all over the field, splashing down on the grass and immediately burning parts of the field to ashes. It was kind of like Draco Meteor.

Time to give Malva a surprise, Ash thought. "Pikachu, defend yourself with Counter Shield!" Pikachu didn't stop his Thunderbolt attack, but instead fired it off differently. He hadn't lost the skill at all since Sinnoh. Ash even thought it was a little better, but perhaps it was because the Thunderbolt was that much stronger these days. Pikachu started rapidly spinning around on his back, while his electricity was sent into the air. And, just as the name of the defensive technique implied it would, it formed a shield around the electric mouse, as the electricity was fired off in a circle around him. There were loud buzzes as the pieces of molten rock struck the shield and bounced off, but none of them were able to get through. Torkoal finally landed, and the attack ended.

"What a move by Ash and Pikachu!" the announcer shouted excitedly. "A perfect defensive technique to counter what looked to be a guaranteed strike for Malva."

"Not bad, Ketchum, but your electrical shield won't protect you from this. Torkoal, use Earthquake!" Malva ordered loudly. Ash could tell by her voice, that she was becoming pretty frustrated. She obviously hated the fact that Pikachu seemed to be controlling the pace of this battle.

Things were dangerous at the moment, though. Pikachu couldn't really avoid Earthquake, and that move would be super effective. Well, Ash wasn't going to let it happen. "Pikachu, Quick Attack. You need to get close to Torkoal."

It didn't look good as Torkoal stood up on its hind legs, and then slammed down with its front ones and its feet dug into the ground. Instantly, the ground started to shake lightly. The attack wasn't in full force yet, though, and Pikachu was bolting ahead, his body covered in a white glow. However, despite getting halfway to Torkoal in about a second, the ground started wildly shaking at about the same time, and it only got worse, and quite quickly. Pikachu lost his balance with a shake of the earth, and stumbled, but didn't stop. His Quick Attack wasn't too quick at this point, but he was doing what he could to get close to Torkoal. Ash clenched his fists, seeing Pikachu wincing in pain, doing everthing he could not to get tossed around wildly by the shaking ground. Somehow, despite it being a super effective move on Pikachu, the electric mouse was holding strong.

Malva obviously noticed Pikachu's impressive strength, because she decided to get things moving forward. "Stone Edge, now!" she yelled, and Ash saw her smirk in satisfaction with the order. And it was obvious why she was so confident. Torkoal once again stood up on its hind legs and slammed its front legs down. The ground stopped shaking, but Ash saw it was too late anyways. A stone shot out of the ground just under Pikachu and threw him up into the air, where he shouted out in pain. Then, another came up and struck him right where the previous one threw him. It finished with a third, also driving up out of the ground and striking the electric mouse, just as he was landing from the last one.

"Oh no! Pikachu gets hit by a powerful Stone Edge attack," the announcer called out, and Ash could actually hear the disappointment in their voice. The crowd also made a lot of concerned noises, obviously still rooting for Ash.

"You alright, Pikachu?" Ash asked, seeing his best friend wincing and standing up. The electric mouse winced, but then looked at Ash and gave a determined nod. "Good, well let's get this going quickly. Quick Attack!"

"Counter with another Earthquake!" Malva ordered, a smug expression on her face.

Ash was ready this time, though. Pikachu had already built up enough speed. "Now, Iron Tail on the ground and get some air!" he ordered. The speeding yellow bullet that was Pikachu, immediately shot into the air. He was moving so fast from his Quick Attack, that it was almost impossible to see him slamming his tail to the ground. It was good timing, too, as the earth was just starting to rumble from Torkoal's Earthquake. Pikachu was whipping high into the air, though, perfectly protected from the shaking ground. "Dive towards Torkoal!" Ash yelled quickly.

"Lava Plume to defend yourself!" Malva countered, seeing Ash's plan to get close. Torkoal immediately stopped focusing on its Earthquake attack, and focused on the sky, where Pikachu was speeding towards it. Suddenly, smoke billowed out of the holes of its shell, and once again gooey blobs of molten rock were shooting out of the holes of Torkoal's shell. "Can't use your shield in the air, can you?" Malva taunted.

"I've got something else," Ash said, making sure to stay focused on the battle. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail and do Lava Plume climb in reverse. Lava Plume Decline!" It was perhaps a bizarre way to do it, but Pikachu was ready and willing and it worked flawlessly. His tail glowed in its silvery gleam, and the electric mouse spun past the first piece of molten rock and struck it with his tail, gaining extra speed as he shot towards Torkoal. Then, piece by piece, Pikachu struck the molten rocks as the shot towards him and each one only made his decline faster. Finally, there was nothing between him and Torkoal, but air, and it was time to strike. "Hit it with a full on Iron Tail!" Ash yelled. And Pikachu did just that. Ash could see the satisfaction in Pikachu's body position, as he aimed down, straightened his tail, and then flipped and smashed it into Torkoal's head with a dead on strike, before jumping back and awaiting the next order.

"What a strike for Pikachu! Ash's Pokemon are very well trained, that's for sure. These defensive techniques have Malva in a bind." Ash got the feeling the announcer was almost taunting Malva, which he couldn't help but laugh at.

Obviously Malva didn't find anything amusing, because she quickly made her next order. "Torkoal, Stone Edge right now!" she yelled.

Ash narrowed his eyes. It was time for Pikachu to really take over and land some hits. Maybe they'd done a good job of defending themselves, but the only attacks that had landed, were Quick Attack and Iron Tail. Torkoal needed some shock therapy. "Quick Attack and climb the stones as they come up. You can do it, Pikachu."

With the attack not being at close range this time, when Torkoal slammed its legs into the ground and the stones started shooting out, they weren't able to immediately strike Pikachu. They shot towards the electric mouse in a line, just the way it worked with Pancham's Stone Edge. Pikachu was ready for it this time, though. Just as the stone nearest him started shooting up, he leaped forward with Quick Attack, and he was off. The stones meant nothing as the seemed to continuously rise up, seemingly having a mind of their own and attempting to strike up and hit what was using them as a runway. It didn't matter to Pikachu, though, as he bolted across them, using them as a clear path to Torkoal. Finally, he leaped off and once again, drove his body into the fire-tortoise, causing it to stagger back from the quick strike, just like the beginning of the battle.

"Now, use Thunderbolt, close range!" Ash yelled. There was no way Malva could react to this one, as Pikachu was too close. The electric mouse jumped into the air, charged his cheeks, and then unleashed a massive jet of electricity that slammed into Torkoal with full force. The fire-tortoise was engulfed in the yellow light of the electricity and cried out in pain, as the electricity coursed through its body. "Get on Torkoal's back and let's finish this up," Ash called out, ready to get this battle moving along.

When Pikachu leaped forward, Ash noticed Malva had a plan immediately. It was too late for him to call back the electric mouse, though, as Pikachu was already in the air and about to land on Torkoal's shell. "Flame Wheel. Take Pikachu for a rough ride."

"Thunderbolt, full power!" Ash yelled, determination clear in his voice. He knew Pikachu could do this.

As Torkoal withdrew into its shell, Pikachu charged up his cheeks, ready to unleash the electricity. Both Pokemon were ready to go. Sudeenly, Torkoal's shell rapidly started spinning and Ash saw Pikachu brace himself in preparation for the holding on. Then, just as the flames started coming out, that's when Pikachu unleashed his Thunderbolt. Within a few seconds, Torkoal was spinning around, as its shell alternated between being engulfed by flames and by electricity. It was now a matter of who would fall first. This was the endgame for this battle. Whoever could hold on, was going to win. All that Ash knew, was that he had faith in Pikachu, as he heard his loyal pal screaming out with his, "CHUUU!" Pikachu wasn't giving in and it didn't matter how strong Torkoal was, Pikachu's determination was much more important.

Finally, the spinning stopped, as did both attacks. It was a strange sight for a moment, as both Pokemon stood in the middle of the field, completely still and upright. Torkoal was standing straight, head and limbs out of its shell. Pikachu was also up, on Torkoal's back. However, despite both panting, neither had apparently been able to defeat the other. Then, Pikachu turned and gave Ash a nod and a smile...and Torkoal collapsed underneath him.

"Torkoal is unable to battle. Pikachu is the winner!" the referee shouted with a flag wave towards Ash.

The crowd erupted in a massive cheer. There were chants of "Go Ash Go!" and "Go Pikachu Go!", along with an assortment of other cheers. Ash was pretty sure he even heard the voices of a familiar trio chanting happily for Pikachu. He wasn't sure, but it seemed to be coming from a group of snack vendors. One with blue hair, one with red hair and one short...creature. Thanks Team Rocket, he thought, smiling to himself.

As an irritated Malva recalled Torkoal to its pokeball, Ash signalled for Pikachu to come back. Pikachu had obviously done well, but he had to be pretty tired from that match, and Ash knew he might need the electric mouse later on. "Great job, buddy," Ash congratulated, as Pikachu bounded over and took his place next to his trainer.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu said proudly in answer.

Malva wasted no time in sending out her next Pokemon. "Magmortar, battle time." Out of her pokeball came the big, lumbering fire type, with its oval shaped body covered in flames and two cannons for arms. This was one of the two Pokemon Ash didn't know about, so it was a little harder to prepare for. That was likely why Malva was choosing it now, hoping to throw him off after getting the lead.

"You can't get me off my game, Malva," Ash assured the former Elite Four member. "I'm not losing to you. Ever." He pulled out a pokeball and threw it forward. "Heracross, I choose you!" With a flash of light, the beetle Pokemon emerged and zipped through the air, before landing in front of Ash and bracing himself for battle. He'd taken down a Magmar before, so Ash felt he'd be able to handle Magmortar.

"A Magmortar for Malva and Ash goes with Heracross. An interesting choice for Ash, given the type disadvantage, but he must have something planned, that we can be sure of," the announcer called out.

The referee signalled for the match to begin and if anyone was wondering if the match was heating up, the beginning of this battle showed it was, as Ash and Malva ordered their attacks at the exact same moment. A Fire Punch for Magmortar and a Megahorn for Heracross. Each Pokemon whipped forward, Magmortar's cannon arm becoming engulfed in flames, while Heracross' large horn glowed in a green light. They smashed together with a massive shock wave that immediately sent both Pokemon shooting back.

"Great job, Heracross," Ash said, impressed with his bug type's raw power in being able to take on that Fire Punch head on. "Now let's keep this going. Fury Cutter!"

"Counter with Thunder Punch and Fire Punch!" Malva ordered quickly.

As Heracross kicked off and started speeding towards Magmortar, the bulky fire type held up both of its cannon arms, one becoming engulfed in flames, while the other was engulfed in fire. Heracross didn't back down, though, instead rushing forward with even more speed. His horn glowed in a white light this time and then he slashed forward, just when he got within reach. At the same time, though, Magmortar thrust out with its electricity covered cannon fist and slammed it into the horn, causing both to stagger back from the collision. Heracross then shot forward and slashed out once again, not backing down. Then, once again, Magmortar thrust out with one of his cannon fists, this one covered in fire, and struck the horn back once more.

She's just countering with those punches, Ash thought. We need to deal with those cannons. They'll probably be even worse when they're used for long range attacks. "Heracross, back up and use Hyper Beam!"

"Counter with Fire Blast!" Malva shouted.

Heracross quickly flew back and aimed his head low, an orange and yellow glow coming from his charging Hyper Beam. Meanwhile, Magmortar held out its cannon arms, fire visibly forming within them. Finally, after a few moments, Heracross hovered a few feet higher, straightened up, and unleashed his blast. However, Magmortar wasn't to be outdone, shooting out the five pronged blast of fire in counter. Within a second, the two powerful attacks were colliding and the explosion was enormous, blowing smoke and debris from the ground out in all directions, even shaking up the crowd a little bit.

"Wow, what a show of power from these Pokemon," the announcer said with a cough, apparently having caught a bit of the smoke from wherever he was sitting. "That Heracross can certainly match a fire type power for power."

He sure can, Ash thought, but if the attacks don't land, it doesn't mean much. We need to get her to make those cannons vulnerable.Then, suddenly, an idea came to him. "Heracross, fly up high and then dive down with Fury Cutter!" Heracross didn't hesitate. He quickly kicked off from the ground and shot up into the air, his horn already glowing in a white light. He flew up so high he was barely in sight, and then he shot down, clearly locked on Magmortar's position.

"I knew you'd make a mistake soon," Malva taunted. "Magmortar, use Lava Plume." The hulking fire type quickly looked up high, held up its cannon arms and aimed carefully at Heracross. There was a brief silence as its body seemed to shudder, and then immediately molten rock began shooting up out of the cannons, heading straight for Heracross.

"When are you going to learn, Malva?" Ash asked, perhaps taunting a little bit himself. "I'm not making a mistake. I'm just always a few steps ahead of you. Heracross, hit it all back with Fury Cutter! Aim for Magmortar's cannons!" Malva and Magmortar were too stunned by the order to even do anything about it, although Ash doubted they could have done much. Even if Magmortar had moved his cannons away, Heracross was still sending the Lava Plume attack straight back. First, a few molten rocks struck Magmortar in the face, causing it to stagger back a bit. Then, one finally went into one of the cannons, which were still firing out the original attack, and Ash could hear it get caught against one molten rock that was on its way out. This was where things would get interesting.

Suddenly, there was an explosion in Magmortar's right arm, and it roared in pain and fell back, waving it around rapidly, trying to get the molten rock out. Then, a few more came shooting back from Heracross, again striking Magmortar in the face and causing it to roar in pain again. Finally, it looked into the cannon that had the jam, and seemed to try shooting out another Lava Plume or something. Malva noticed this and tried to shout for Magmortar to stop, but it was too late. The attack exploded out into its face and sent the huge fire type flying into the air. It was just in time for Heracross, too. The bug type struck out one last time with Fury Cutter, and smack Magmortar back to the ground.

"Now, finish with Hyper Beam!" Ash yelled. Heracross was already charging it up, knowing what his trainer was going to order. He turned, his powerful attack already ready to send out. Magmortar, struggling to get up from his own attack, didn't even see it coming. The huge blast of orange and yellow light smashed into the hulking fire type and slammed it into the ground once again and then shot it through the grass field and it landed in a cloud of dust off to the side.

"Magmortar is unable to battle. Heracross is the winner!" the referee shouted, waving the flag to Ash and Heracross.

"Amazing! The type disadvantage means nothing and Heracross downs Magmortar. A great win for him and Ash!" the announcer shouted out.

An even angrier Malva than before, pulled out Magmortar's pokeball and recalled it. She then pulled out another and threw it forward, where a flash revealed a Pokemon that looked like a purple chandelier with candles for the lights. A Chandelure. Ash knew he'd need to be careful of this one. Diantha made it sound pretty tough when she talked about it.

"Heracross, you ok to stay out?" Ash asked his bug type. Heracross turned and nodded quickly, shouting out a confident reply. "Alright, then you're in. Just stay sharp, and we'll be up by three in no time."

The referee signalled for the battle to resume and Malva made the first move. "Flamethrower! Roast that bug, now!"

"Fly back to avoid it and then use Megahorn!" Ash ordered quickly.

Chandelure immediately floated forward and then a jet of flames shot out, heading straight for Heracross. The bug type was too quick, though, and leaped back, before shooting into the sky. The ghost and fire type didn't give up, though and shot out another jet of flames, now chasing Heracross with the fire, desperate to do as Malva ordered, meaning roasting him. However, no matter how much Chandelure tried, Heracross' speed was too much, as he would slide back, cut to the side, swerve over and swerve under to avoid each and every jet of flames that were sent at him. Finally, the bug type got his opportunity for his own attack. He spun around one of the jets of fire and then had a clear line of sight and headed straight for Chandelure. His horn glowed green just before he struck, and then the chandelier Pokemon was sent crashing to the ground, although it quickly floated up, recovering quickly.

"Trick Room!" Malva shouted quickly. Ash looked around in frustration as the walls began to form around the two Pokemon in the field. He knew what this meant. Heracross didn't have a speed advantage anymore. "Now, use Flamethrower again!"

Ash had to try, even if it was doubtful. "Hyper Beam!" The only way to counter was with a powerful long range attack. If they could land it, at least it would be harder for Chandelure, even with a speed advantage in Trick Room.

So, with Trick Room in effect, Chandelure shot into the air, now much faster than before, and aimed towards Heracross, who was tensed in preparation, readying his Hyper Beam. Then, the jet of flames shot out and launched towards Heracross with almost unnatural speed. They struck the bug type full on, and he was launched back and slammed into the ground. He was quickly able to get up, though, albeit with a painful wince. His body language showed something else, though, and Ash smiled, seeing the bug type was ready. The Hyper Beam blasted out and struck Chandelure full on, smashing the chandelier Pokemon hard into the top of its own Trick Room. It shook itself, clearly winded by the attack, but managed to get its bearings.

"Heracross, we can do this. Use Megahorn full power!" Ash ordered, hoping Heracross could recover quick enough, whether Trick Room was in place or not.

"Too late, Ketchum," Malva smirked. "Chandelure, finish this. Flamethrower close range and back to back!" Unfortunately she was right. Heracross was still panting from both the Flamethrower and his own Hyper Beam. He seemed to try to get himself up, his horn briefly flashing green, but Trick Room made Chandelure too fast. A blast of flames quickly fired into Heracross and slammed the bug Pokemon back and into the wall of Trick Room, where he slid down, but still managed to get himself up. The only thing that showed, though, was his refusal to give up, which made Ash proud. The last Flamethrower was rough to watch after seeing that and it sent Heracross sprawling to the ground, where this time, he didn't manage to get up.

"Heracross is unable to battle. Chandelure is the winner!" the referee called, although the disappointment was clear in his voice. Obviously he was pulling for Ash to win this as well.

"Great job, Heracross," Ash said, as he recalled Heracross to his pokeball. He then looked down at Pikachu next to him. If Chandelure won battles with smarts, so could Pikachu. His best pal had a tough battle against Torkoal, but it wasn't like Chandelure was unscathed from the battle with Heracross. "Think you can do it, buddy?" Ash asked.

Pikachu's only answer was running onto the field with a shout of, "Pika!" Ash laughed, seeing that. Of course Pikachu was ready. He loved a good battle as much as Ash.

"And Pikachu's out again. This time to take on Malva's Chandelure. Let's see how this one goes, folks," the referee said, an extra bit of excitement to his voice as he announced Pikachu's return to the battle.

The referee signalled for the battle to begin and Ash went first. "Thunderbolt!" he yelled.

"Still not going to get in your attacks first," Malva called out. "Flamethrower!"

With Trick Room still in effect, Pikachu's great speed was only a disadvantage to him. The time it took to charge up his Thunderbolt seemed to greatly increase, while Malva's Chandelure had a Flamethrower immediately ready to go. It quickly whipped towards Pikachu, and the jet of flames shot out, crashing into the electric mouse and sending him flying back. Luckily, though, Pikachu landed on his feet, and his cheeks were sparking, ready to send out his attack. The electricity shot out and seemed to grab hold of the chandelier Pokemon and it jolted right through.

"You ok, Pikachu?" Ash asked, a little worried about the Flamethrower. Pikachu nodded back, though, clearly determined to keep going. "Great, then I've got an idea. Use Electro-Ball!"

"Very well, use Shadow Ball to counter!" Malva ordered.

Both Pokemon started to charge up their spheres of energy, one of shadows and the other of electricity. Chandelure was moving quicker, though, because of Trick Room. Ash, however, noticed a flicker of the invisible walls, and realized that time seemed to be running out. He just needed to protect Pikachu on this one attack, and then they could really shock Malva with their speed advantage. Suddenly, Chandeulure dove forward, and then the ball of shadowy energy shot towards Pikachu. Just when it looked like it was going to strike, though, it didn't, as Pikachu's Electro-Ball shot back up towards it and the two attacks strained and crackled against each other.

An idea quickly came to Ash and he knew he had to act fast. "Pikachu, hit those attacks with Iron Tail. Send them up towards Chandelure." Pikachu nodded and ran forward, much slower than usual, but still fast enough that he had the momentum to jump up and send out his powerful glowing tail. He slammed it into the clashing spheres of energy and then they shot upwards, spinning around each other.

"Dodge it," Malva ordered calmly.

Just what I wanted, Ash thought happily. The two attacks whipped upwards and then Chandelure easily moved to the side. However, with Trick Room already weak and close to ending, the power of the two energy filled spheres was too much for it. With a loud sound like shattering glass, the invisible walls around Pikachu and Chandelure exploded. And now it was Pikachu's chance. "Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled.

"Flamethrower!" Malva countered.

This time, Pikachu's attack fired off first, In fact, it was fired off with almost unimaginable speed. The jet of electricity shot up and quickly engulfed Chandelure, before the flames could even start. It spun around, seemingly trying to rid itself of the electricity shocking it. Then it starting shaking and flailing around crazily, doing whatever it could to get out. It suddenly shot to the ground, losing all focus from Pikachu's attack.

Ash saw his next opportunity just then. "Hit it with Iron Tail! Back to back!" he ordered. As Chandelure shot towards the ground and then the electricity around its body disappeared, it seemed lulled into a false sense of security for a brief moment. Then, Pikachu leaped up and slammed it to the side with an Iron Tail. Chandelure went spinning sideways, clearly desperately trying to right itself. Then, another Iron Tail came, as Pikachu flipped and then brought the steel tail down from above. Chandelure crashed to the ground, shooting up a dust cloud with the crash.

"Use Flamethrower! Don't let that rat beat you!" Malva shouted

"Spin while using Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.

As Chandelure charged up the flames from below, Pikachu seemed to use his Iron Tail in the air to slice into the air and shoot himself forward. As he closed the gap, Chandelure managed to fire off its Flamethrower and it quickly approached Pikachu. However, the electric mouse was ready. He quickly started spinning his body and the swirling flames only seemed to help him, as he spun around the jet of fire.

"Now finish with Electro-Ball!" Ash yelled, punching the air in front of him. Pikachu then passed the flames, just above Chandelure, and struck out his tail. He charged up the sphere of electricity in his tail, flipped, and then slammed it down. With a big explosion, Chandelure was once again sent flying through the air, and then landed with a thud in front of Malva.

"Chandelure is unable to battle. Pikachu is the winner!" the referee shouted.

"And Ash and Pikachu take the three to one lead, heading into the intermission," the announcer yelled. "Get ready, folks, because once we return, I think this one's going to heat up even further.

As the crowd shuffled around, heading off to get snacks and stretch their legs, Ash took a deep breath. He had the lead, sure, but he was pretty wiped out so far. He knew things were only going to get harder, too. Especially now that he'd used his most loyal Pokemon twice already. Speaking of which, Pikachu was just scurrying up onto his shoulder at that moment. "You did great, Pikachu," Ash told him. "Way to show Malva how strong you are."

"Pi-pikachu!" Pikachu said happily, smiling.

Ash smiled back and started to walk over to where his friends were waiting for him. He took one glance back towards the field and saw Malva was just standing and waiting in her battle spot. He could've sworn there was literally a dark cloud over her head, but it was just her fury that made her look that way. He had a chill go down his spine seeing that. She was nothappy. He shook his head and turned his attention back to his friends, who he quickly approached.

"Ash! You're doing so well!" Serena shouted happily, hugging him. "Pikachu, you did great, too. Great job out there."

"Wow, Ash," Brock said, sounding particularly impressed. "To see you going head to head with a former Elite Four member is amazing already. But...you're really controlling things out there."

"You are not the same kid I fished out of that lake way back," Misty said quietly, shaking her head in amazement.

Ash smiled and looked at Pikachu. "I'm giving my Pokemon the credit for this one. Pikachu, especially. You're really on a roll, buddy. Great job."

"She'll be a lot tougher in the next half, though," Brock warned.

"Yeah, Ash," Clemont agreed. "Remember, these are Elite Four level Pokemon you're facing. Three of those aren't going to be easy, whether you've managed it in the first half or not."

"I'll be fine," Ash assured the group. He placed his hand on a pokeball on his belt. I've got someone who knows what it takes to beat Malva. He's ready to go when I need him."Malva's going up against some tough Pokemon as well."