"If Pikachu can get this one, Ash is in really good shape," Clemont muttered, not exactly sounding very confident. Serena could tell that everyone watching was pretty tense and nervous, now that the final stretch of the battle was on.

"Yeah," Brock agreed, his voice slightly more upbeat, "both Pikachu and Greninja will have the advantage over Charizard."

Serena didn't say anything, but she knew they were just saying that. Obviously Greninja with his powers had a decent enough chance, but she was worried about Pikachu. If the electric mouse fell to Bisharp, even with Greninja likely being capable of an easy win over the steel type, going up against Charizard with even one hit already landed on him would be tough. There was no room for error.

She brought her attention back to the field and noticed Pikachu staying low to the ground. He was preparing to move as soon as the battle resumed. Bisharp was no different. Both Pokemon knew how crucial this part of the battle was. Neither wanted to leave their trainer with one remaining Pokemon. Finally, the referee raised a flag and then moved it down, signalling the battle to resume.

"Quick Attack!" Ash yelled instantly.

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted, kicking off hard and shooting towards Bisharp. As was often the case, Ash was making good use of Pikachu's speed. The electric mouse was on Bisharp too quickly for the sword blade Pokemon or its trainer to react. His body struck Bisharp in the head, causing it to stumble backwards.

Just like with Tyranitar, Ash was ready with the followup order. "Iron Tail!" Pikachu responded immediately, twisting his body around and stretching out his tail. He swung it upwards and struck Bisharp hard in the jaw, making a metallic clanging sound. The steel type was lifted off its feet and it spun through the air, before crashing to the ground.

However, just as it had been fast in recovering from Goodra's Bide earlier, Bisharp quickly hopped to its feet. "Metal Sound quick!" Alain ordered. Then, just as it landed, Bisharp clapped its blade-like arms together and the loud metallic ringing sound split through the air. Serena saw Pikachu grab his ears and take a few steps back. He looked more angry than anything, obviously knowing his defence power had been lowered.

"It doesn't matter Pikachu," Ash called out. "We'll win no matter what." Pikachu nodded, not bothering to look back and lowered himself to the ground again in preparation to attack. "Thunderbolt, let's go!"

Serena was shocked, somehow, at how fast Pikachu moved. He darted around Bisharp so quickly, it was nearly impossible for anyone to catch sight of him. Then, the yell of the electric mouse was heard. "Piii-kaaa-chuuu!" He leaped up into the air in that moment, going just over the stunned Bisharp's head. The electricity shot down and Bisharp jerked its body painfully and fell to its knees.

"Iron Tail again!" Ash ordered, punching the air in triumph. Serena could see how confident he was, his eyes lit up as he focused on his battling partner.

"Kachu!" Pikachu shouted, flipping over and slamming his tail once again into Bisharp, striking the steel type hard in the back. It went hard to the ground, face hitting the grass.

"And one more!" Ash yelled. Serena thought he was overdoing it a moment, but then saw Bisharp somehow starting to stand.

This was where Alain made his move, though. "Fury Cutter!" Then, just as Pikachu landed on the ground behind Bisharp and jumped of for another Iron Tail, the steel type twisted around, slashing out with one of its blade-like arms. The attack quickly made contact with Pikachu's swinging tail and they hit together with a loud, ringing clanging sound. Bisharp wasn't done, though. It immediately pulled back, causing Pikachu to fall forward, having expected a struggle. Then, Bisharp swung forward again with its blade and struck Pikachu as he fell. The electric mouse went flying into the air and the steel type leaped up after him. With one more swing, Pikachu was sent crashing to the ground, skidding along painfully.

Serena winced, almost as though it was her feeling the pain. She hated seeing Pikachu get hit like that. She'd grown so close to the electric mouse, perhaps more so than any of Ash's other Pokemon, even Greninja. "Come on, Pikachu," she whispered to herself, clutching her ribbon as she watched Ash's loyal partner struggle to his feet.

Ash was watching just as closely, not exactly looking worried, but more so angry. He looked like he wanted to make sure this battle was wrapped up soon. "You can keep battling, right buddy?" he asked his fierce and loyal Pokemon.

"Pika!" Pikachu announced firmly, getting a large cheer from the crowd. He'd become quite the fan favourite along with his trainer, actually being the only undefeated Pokemon along with Greninja and Alain's Charizard to appear in multiple matches. His performances had been admirable the whole way through and he wasn't going to stop now. Serena held her ribbon tightly. Win this, Pikachu.

"Good, then let's heat things up. Electro-Ball!" Ash looked like he was about to leap onto the field and fight Bisharp himself, he was getting so into things. Serena almost enjoyed watching his enjoyment of the battle and Pikachu's spirit, just as much as the excitement of the battle.

Pikachu was up in the air in an instant, stretching out his tail behind him, and quickly charging the electric sphere at the tip. He did his chant as it started to grow larger and larger, crackling wildly at the end of his tail. Finally, he flung it forward and yelled, "CHUPI!"

"Fury Cutter, quick!" Alain ordered. Bisharp was quick to move as the electrical sphere launched towards it. It slashed outwards with one of its arms and stopped the attack in midair, just before shooting it back to the ground with one last shove. Then, it lurched forward, swinging out at Pikachu once more, desperate to finish him off.

Serena could tell this was where things would really heat up. Ash was ready with an order immediately. "Iron Tail! Keep using it to defend and attack."

Then, the rapid exchange of blows began. Bisharp's speed was definitely impressive, as it forced Pikachu to be on the defensive early on. It hacked and slashed rapidly, making the electric mouse dart side to side, just to avoid being hit, rather than being able to counter attack. Finally, though, Bisharp's blade dug into the grass on one swipe, allowing Pikachu just enough time to leap into the air with an Iron Tail. Bisharp barely managed to counter with Fury Cutter in time, just managing to bring up the blade that had been embedded into the ground.

Once the attacks hit once, they started hitting more and more. Each strike emitted a loud clang like two swords clashing. Both Pokemon were desperate to win, striking out with all their power each time. Serena could see Pikachu's scrunched up face, and even Bisharp seemed tensed up and desperate to win. Each attack was a message to the opponent that neither would back down. Each attack was more powerful than the last.

Serena watched both Pokemon closely, waiting to see if she could spot any kind of weakness. She knew she wasn't exactly in a position to tell Ash, but she knew that if she noticed it, he'd notice it and likely much earlier than her. And suddenly she did see one. When Bisharp swung forward with one overhand slash, Pikachu's tail struck it from below and they locked together briefly. They exchanged a few more blows, each Pokemon looking more and more tired as they continued, but also more and more determined. Finally, Serena saw Bisharp doing another one of those slashes. Maybe Ash could use...

"Electro-Ball, now!" he suddenly yelled. Then, just in that moment, Pikachu's tail was locked against Bisharp's blade, the Iron Tail attack straining against Fury Cutter. Serena noticed Pikachu's smile as the electricity started to form rapidly at the tip of his tail. Bisharp even glanced up nervously at the electric mouse, seemingly knowing what was about to happen.

"CHUPI!" Pikachu finally yelled. A massive explosion tossed the two Pokemon apart and caused smoke to billow up into the air from where they separated. Pikachu landed softly on his feet, standing proudly in front of Ash. Meanwhile Bisharp rolled along the ground like a rag doll. Serena's eyes widened as it somehow managed to move a bit. She couldn't believe it. After Goodra's Bide and Pikachu's close range Electro-Ball, it was going to get upagain? But then, it's head snapped back and it dropped to the ground again, not moving.

The referee held up the flag towards Ash and Pikachu. "Bisharp is unable to battle. Pikachu is the winner!"

"YES!" Professor Oak yelled, jumping up and throwing his arms into the air. "That's the Pikachu I know!" Serena, along with the rest of the group, stared at the old Pokemon professor in shock, not expecting him to be this emotionally invested. It did make sense, though. He'd been the one to set Ash and Pikachu off on their journey, so he had good reason to be proud of the two.

"Let's not celebrate yet," Gary warned quietly.

Serena noticed the younger of the Oaks looking closely at the field. Alain was recalling Bisharp to his pokeball and pulling out his last one. His sixth and final Pokemon. He held it in his hand for a moment, looking up and staring at Ash. Serena saw Ash meeting the gaze straight on. It wasn't hostility or anything like that, but more so a couple of trainers looking forward to the conclusion of a close battle. Now, it was time for the one trainer to send out his partner Pokemon to go up against Ash's.

Alain threw out the pokeball, and the light flashed brightly, before the Pokemon inside was revealed. It roared loudly as its feet hit the ground with a thud. Its wings spread wide and it stared at the little yellow mouse Pokemon in front of it. Charizard looked fresh and ready to battle.

Ash was tempted to call back Pikachu and send Greninja out right away, but from the way Pikachu was standing, the electric mouse had no intention of backing down from the toughest fight of his life. He knew Pikachu wanted to be the one to win the league for him. He knew his partner Pokemon had always wanted that. He wasn't going to deny the electric mouse the chance. Even if it was slim, Pikachu had beaten the odds before, and no one deserved this opportunity more than him.

"Let's win this, buddy," Ash said seriously.

"Pika!" Pikachu affirmed, turning and giving a fist pump.

"With Alain down to his final Pokemon," the announcer called out, "this match is drawing closer to its conclusion. However, let's not forget that Charizard is by far the strongest Pokemon Alain has, and its mega evolution has caused every single one of his opponents to fall. Even Ash's tough Pikachu will be in tough to beat him."

Ash ignored this and just watched the referee, ready to start this battle off the way he'd started the others. Pikachu's speed was his go to move, no matter how predictable. He doubted Alain could counter it. He saw the referee slowly raise the flag, and then, when the flag went down, Ash got right to it.

"Quick Attack!" he yelled, narrowing his eyes and watching Charizard closely. It seemed to work, as Alain was apparently too slow, once again, to order a counter attack. Pikachu darted towards Charizard like a bullet and barrelled into the fire-lizard's chest, causing it to roar loudly in pain.

Alain was ready to make an order now, though. "Dragon Claw!"

"Iron Tail, quick!" Ash shouted, sensing that Pikachu was in danger, being so close. Charizard was pretty fast, despite its large size. It lurched back, leaving Pikachu hovering in the air a moment, and then lunged forward with a glowing green claw. Pikachu was too fast to let himself get hit that easy, though. He quickly twisted his body and lashed out with his glowing tail. It struck hard against Charizard's claw, and green and yellow sparks shot outwards from the clashing attacks. "Now, push off and use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled, seeing a chance to land a super effective hit.

Pikachu strained his tail against Charizard's Dragon Claw, and pushed off hard. He used the momentum to shoot off into the air, putting himself in perfect position for his next attack. Ash quickly called for him to use the Thunderbolt, and Pikachu aimed and charged his cheeks. "Piii-kaaa-chuuu!" he quickly yelled, the jet of electricity shooting down quickly.

"Deflect with Dragon Claw!" Alain yelled. The fire-lizard put his claws up quickly, getting them in position just in time for Pikachu's attack to slam into them. Ash knew Pikachu was too strong, though and was proved right as Charizard's block couldn't hold and then the electricity powered through coursing through the fire-lizard's body. He roared in pain and staggered back, finally getting relief as Pikachu dropped to the ground.

"Awesome job, Pikachu," Ash praised his partner Pokemon. "We've got this."

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted, echoing the confidence Ash felt.

"I don't think so, Ash," Alain said seriously. Ash's concentration broke when his opponent said that, and he turned his gaze to Alain, who was pulling back his sleeve to reveal his key stone. "It's time to really test Pikachu's strength." He pressed his fingers to they stone and held up his wrist. "Charizard, respond to my heart. Surpass evolution. MEGA EVOLVE!"

Pikachu and Ash both took a nervous step backwards. The last time they'd gone up against Mega Charizard, Greninja and Ash had been thrown off of a building, only to be saved by his own Charizard and Infernape. The first fight wasn't too great, either. Ash squinted as the lights began to shoot out from the key stone and mega stone. He felt his eyes stinging, but he didn't want to look away. He could see the light cover Charizard's body, and the fire-lizard growing larger. As the light dimmed, and the image of the powered up Pokemon grew clearer, Ash could see the black and blue body, with blue flames shooting out from its nostrils.

"Get ready, Pikachu," he warned, voice calmer than he thought it would be. Pikachu nodded and tensed up, ready to move.

"Blast Burn!" Alain yelled.

Ash could feel the ground starting to shake. He gritted his teeth as Charizard launched himself into the air, making a quick counterattack impossible. Suddenly, cracks started forming in the ground, smoke and flames shooting upwards. Pikachu was staring around wildly, desperate to find a way out of this. When the molten rocks started to shoot up out of the ground, Ash felt the sweat drip down his neck, both from worry for Pikachu and heat from the attack. Within seconds, the rocks and flames were rapidly shooting up, Pikachu darting around the field to avoid them. Then, Ash saw his chance.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail and go into Blast Burn Climb!" he yelled, just as the electric mouse avoided a jet of flames from a crack in the ground beneath him.

"Pika!" Pikachu shouted with a nod. His tail then quickly stretched out, and he kicked off the ground hard. He soared into the air and then slammed his tail into one if the rising molten rocks. It exploded on impact and he shot further into the air. Pikachu moved so quickly, and so gracefully, Ash knew that if he ever needed to do a performance with Serena again, Pikachu would be his first choice. His determination made his aim and his movement flawless. He rose up into the air with the soaring molten rocks like a bullet, zigzagging through the heated maze above him. Then, he finally reached the top, coming almost face to face with Charizard.

Luckily, both Alain and Charizard were too stunned by Pikachu getting through their finishing move, and were too slow to act. Ash wasn't going to take his time, though. "Iron Tail on the rocks. Hit then into Charizard!"

"Chuuu-PIKA!" Pikachu roared out, twisting his body around so quickly he looked like a mini, yellow tornado. The Iron Tail was moving so fast and it struck with such power, that it barrelled through two rocks and sent dozens of rock shards firing towards Charizard. The fire-lizard winced and staggered back, roaring from the pain.

Ash knew they needed to keep it up. Pikachu was starting to drop to the ground, but they couldn't let Charizard have a moment of rest. The attacks needed to come fast and hard, and Pikachu could do that better than most. "Keep using Iron Tail!" he yelled.

"Dragon Claw, quick!" Alain countered.

And as Pikachu descended, falling with the remains of the steaming and smoking rocks from Blast Burn, Charizard stuck with him. Both of them lashed out with their attacks in a rapid exchange of blows. They continuously struck each other, sparks showering the ground beneath them. Finally, Pikachu managed to knock aside one of Charizard's glowing green claws, and then struck upwards, hitting him in the jaw. It was a good hit, but Ash immediately noticed that it had put Pikachu in a tough spot.

"Grab the tail!" Alain shouted, eyes narrowed as he looked up. Ash's heart started beating faster as he saw Charizard quickly snap his jaws forward and grab Pikachu's tail in them. Pikachu cried out in pain as his tail was bit into.

"Don't panic, Pikachu," Ash encouraged. "Electro-Ball, full power!"

"Not this time, Ash," Alain said quickly. "Flamethrower!"

Ash clenched his fists as he watched. He could see Charizard's eyes widening as the flames grew within his mouth, but there was also a bright, yellow light, as Pikachu's Electro-Ball also expanded. "Pika-pika-pika..." Pikachu started to chant, as Charizard's mouth started to open at the back, blue flames starting to spill out of his mouth. "Pika-pika-pika..." came more of the chant, the Electro-Ball visibly becoming hard for Charizard to hold in his jaws. "CHUPI!" Pikachu finally roared.

At the same moment the Electro-Ball exploded, Charizard's Flamethrower burst forth, the blue flames clashing with the exploding electrical sphere. Sparks of electricity and flames went in all directions and smoke enveloped the field. The blast of wind shook the stadium, causing the crowd to gasp, almost in fear from the show of power. Ash squinted, not knowing the result of the explosion. He knew Charizard was fine, as he heard a roar, and then saw the black and blue fire-lizard emerge from the smoke with a flap of his wings. He was winded, but clearly still had a great deal of energy left Then, finally, the rest of the smoke cleared, and Pikachu was revealed, barely on his feet, but somehow standing.

"Pikachu, great job," Ash praised his fierce fighter. "I knew you could-"

Pikachu turned his head towards Ash, his eyes cloudy. He had a sad, exhausted smile on his face. He blinked once, slowly, and then when his eyes opened again, they quickly closed. He fell to the ground, and didn't get up again.

"PIKACHU!" Ash yelled in concern, leaping onto the field and running towards his partner Pokemon, ignoring the referee who was declaring Charizard the victor and ignoring the announcer who praised Charizard's power. He picked up the electric mouse in arms and held him up. "Pikachu, are you ok?" Pikachu didn't move, he was completely knocked out. His light breathing was the only thing that made Ash know he wasn't too badly hurt. "Pikachu, please."

"Chaaa..." came the light squeak from the electric mouse's mouth. His eyes barely opened, but he managed to look at Ash and give the weakest of smiles.

Ash narrowed his eyes and nodded, as Pikachu passed out again. He walked slowly back to his platform, pulled off his jacket and placed it on the ground, before gently wrapping up Pikachu within it. He turned and pulled off a pokeball from his belt and watched Alain, who was looking at him carefully. "This is it," Ash whispered to himself. "It's my last chance. My last chance to win this battle. I'm not going to lose. I've come to close. I've come too far." He looked at the pokeball in his hands. We started this league together, Greninja. We lit that torch together. Now, we're going to end it together. He gripped the pokeball tightly, pulled it back, and then threw it forward with all the energy he had. "Greninja, I choose you!"

Serena wiped a couple of tears off of her face. Seeing Pikachu knocked out like that had been awful to watch. She hated that he was too wiped out to even watch. Seeing him wrapped up in Ash's jacket, so still like that, was heartbreaking. He'd fought so well and so hard. She clenched her fists and held one up to her ribbon. Ash had to win, now. He had to beat Alain. Pikachu had shown that Charizard wasn't flawless. There was no way Greninja would lose. There's no way that he'll lose.

"Greninja won't lose," Sawyer said confidently, from his place next to Clemont a few seats down. "If he can beat Sceptile with the type disadvantage, he can beat Alain when it's himwith the type advantage." Serena didn't say anything, but she thought Sawyer was being a bit too confident in his Sceptile's strength. It was definitely strong, but it wasn't in the same league as Alain's Charizard. Definitely not.

She looked towards the field and saw Greninja bracing himself, ready to fight, his legs spread out wide, and his webbed hands low to the ground. As soon as the signal went to fight, he'd be ready to do whatever was asked of him. Charizard looked just as ready, wings spread wide and feet wide apart. Both Pokemon wanted this. It was a rivalry that had shown Ash just how much he needed to work on his bond with Greninja. It had shown just how much power they could achieve. Finally, the referee held up his flag, and then waved it down.

"Aerial Ace!" Ash yelled, his voice full of emotion, showing just how much he wanted to win. The frog-ninja kicked off the ground right away, zooming towards Charizard with his feet stretched out in front of him, glowing white.

"Counter it with Thunder Punch!" Alain shouted back, just as emotionally charged as Ash. Charizard acted just as swiftly as Greninja, jumping back and then pulling back his fist. It crackled with electricity, just before he threw it out with full force.

The two Pokemon struck each other with all the power that they had and a shock wave of wind and energy exploded outwards, going far beyond any that had occurred throughout the tournament thus far. It was as though a Noivern Boomburst was shooting out in all directions. A sound like a sonic boom rang through the air. Serena had to just close her eyes and hold her head down, the blowing wind almost too much for her. And she wasn't the only one, the crowd around the entire stadium was gasping and murmuring in both excitement and fear, amazed at the strength of these two Pokemon.

Finally, Serena was able to look up, and she saw that both Pokemon had leaped away from each other. She stared at Greninja and saw him tense up and look back at Ash. They locked eyes for a few moments, and then nodded in unison. Greninja turned quickly, held up a fist, just as his trainer did. "Grenina," Ash called out, "we'll get much, much stronger!" They pulled down their fists in unison, yelling out at the rush of power they both felt. Serena could even feel it from her place in the stands, as wind rushed around both Ash and Greninja.

Suddenly, a massive torrent of water shot up around Greninja, reaching high into the sky. It spun wildly, twisting so fast, Serena was actually a little worried about Greninja. But then, she watched as Ash held up two fists, spread his arms out wide, shouting from the rush of adrenaline. The torrent exploded, showering the field and spraying the crowd with water. Serena had to quickly wipe her face, as the spray put water in her eyes. She quickly looked back at the field, and saw Ash and Greninja standing like mirror images of each other. Their right legs were forward, their left legs were back. They each had their right fist held up, while their left was at their side. Greninja's body seemed to exude power, the giant shuriken on his back glowing brightly. The red fin in the middle of his head seemed to almost be lit up. Serena had only ever seen him look this powerful when he'd fought against the brainwashed Mewtwo in the Battle of Lumiose City.

"Wow, it looks like these two Pokemon are ready to go all out!" the announcer shouted excitedly. "And with Greninja now using his mysterious form, we can expect this battle to heat up even more."

"Let's get this going again," Ash said confidently, bringing his fist out to his side, just as Greninja did. Both of them put their hands to their hips and then pulled upwards, a purple sword of light forming from Greninja's. "Night Slash!" Ash yelled.

"Dragon Claw!" Alain countered, his eyes darting between Ash and Greninja. Serena couldn't blame him. They were perfectly in sync. It was as pure a connection as they had had during the battles with Team Flare and Team Rocket.

She decided to ignore that, though, and watch the match. She doubted she'd have the opportunity to see anything like this for awhile. Both Pokemon launched forward, Greninja's feet moving so fast they were just a blur, and Charizard using one flap of his wings to gain momentum for his own charge. Greninja held his sword at his side, while Charizard braced himself with his glowing green claw. Finally, the gap closed, and they each slashed outwards. Yet again, the arena shook with raw power of the colliding attacks, and purple and green sparks fired off of the attacks, shining brightly in the sky. They strained their attacks against each other, neither giving an inch, until finally, they both pushed once more, and each slid back a few feet.

"Aerial Ace, let's go!" Ash yelled, raising up his leg, just as Greninja did, just before the frog-ninja leaped forward.

"Keep using Dragon Claw!" Alain shouted quickly, his quick order barely keeping pace. Serena could tell that that was the key to Ash winning. With him being in sync with Greninja, it would be extremely difficult for Alain and Charizard to keep up with their quick orders and movements.

Charizard was keeping pace so far, though. He roared, and lashed out with his glowing green claw, just as Greninja kicked out with his glowing white foot. Another gust of wind blew out ward from the colliding attacks. Neither side stopped there, though. Within seconds it was a barrage of kicks and punches from Greninja, as he and Ash put all their energy and focus into beating back Charizard's attacks. Charizard kept pace, though, swinging out with both claws, blocking almost every single kick and punch. Eventually Greninja was too quick, though, and his barrage of attacks broke through Charizard's defences. A kick knocked away a Dragon Claw, and then he was quickly able to dart in and land a punch on Charizard's jaw. As soon as he landed the one strike, he didn't let up.

It punch after punch and kick after kick, as Ash and Greninja lashed out, the one striking air, while the other hit the black and blue beast in front of him. Charizard couldn't even roar or move to stop the attacks. Serena could see the determination in both Ash and Greninja. Neither wanted to let up. Neither wanted to give Charizard an inch. However, as powerful as they were, everyone needed a breather at some point, and the barrage of attacks couldn't continue. Greninja aimed one last swift kick to the head, and then leaped back, before crouching down and breathing heavily, Ash again mirroring the action. Charizard was panting too, though, and his exhaustion was more from the pain. Somehow he still seemed to have a great deal of energy, though, as he roared loudly and spread his wings. He flapped them hard and then shot into their air. Now he and Alain would use the sky to their advantage.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" Alain ordered, now able to take the offensive.

"Double Team, quick!" Ash ordered, standing up quickly, just as Greninja did. They both spread out their arms, and then Greninja immediately started multiplying, just as Charizard's flames burst towards the ground. It hit one of the copies, but within seconds, there were possibly close to a hundred of them, and there would be no way for Charizard to spot the real one. Serena was amazed at how each image of Greninja moved with the same movements as Ash.

"Fine, then we'll take all of them out at once. Charizard, use Blast Burn!" Alain ordered, whipping his hand through the air as though he was sweeping away the field of Greninjas. Charizard immediately flapped his wings and flew high into the air, roaring loudly, as flames burst outwards from his nostrils. Serena could feel the stadium starting to shake from the attack already.

"I don't think so," Ash shouted confidently. "Jump as high as you can. Get into the air." And just like that, Ash bent his knees and leaped. He obviously didn't go very high, but Greninja, and his copies, all shot into the air, quickly gaining on Charizard and swiftly moving away from the molten rocks and fire which were starting to shoot up from the ground.

"Flamethrower! Mow them all down!" Alain quickly ordered, and Serena saw him smiling, as though he'd expected Ash's jumping move.

"Counter with Water Shuriken!" Ash yelled, reaching behind his back, just as all the Greninjas did, grabbing their shurikens.

Suddenly, all of the copies started converging on one point, moving so fast they were a blur. Each time one of them hit that point, they'd disappear, but the Greninja that was there, the real one, would hold his shuriken higher, as it grew larger and larger. Finally, just as Charizard unleashed his blast of flames, the real Greninja remained, his Water Shuriken attack ready to go. He flung it forward with all his might, his trainer looking like he was throwing an invisible football. The blue flames and the massive watery ninja star exploded against each other, smoke and steam shooting outward, knocking both Pokemon back.

That was when Serena saw that Greninja was in trouble. Her friends gasped in worry around her, while she just grabbed at the ribbon on her chest. As Greninja was blown back from the colliding Flamethrower and Water Shuriken, he was struck by one of the molten rocks from Blast Burn. She winced as she heard both the frog-ninja Pokemon and Ash yell out in pain. Within seconds, he was getting struck over and over again, falling through the heated maze of the molten rocks and shooting flames. Every collision with a burning rock and every lick of the scorching flames was horrible to watch. Serena desperately wanted to go out there and call for it all to stop. She could see Ash wincing and clutching his chest, back, leg and head at each hit. Finally, Greninja crashed to the ground, as the attack settled, rocks crashing down all around him.

Ash and Greninja were both down and barely moving. Serena's eyes widened in panic as she stared at the referee, seeing him starting to raise his flag. Luckily, in that moment, Ash raised a knee, and so did Greninja. It took a couple of moments, but the two were finally able to lift themselves up. They were panting heavily. That had been a nasty attack, and it had clearly done a number on both Greninja and his trainer. They were already becoming exhausted, and who knew how much more Ash could take. If what happened at Serena's showcase happened again, she would be devastated. It was lucky that Ash recovered from that, so if it happened again, there were no guarantees.

Alain didn't seem to care about any of that. Perhaps he was so focused on winning, that he didn't even notice that Ash was in so much pain. Whatever it was, he wasn't hesitating with his next order. "Thunder Punch!" he yelled, punching the air as though he was the one doing it.

"Ash!" Serena shouted in concern, standing up immediately, eyes wide as she watched Charizard descend quickly towards Greninja, his fist pulled back and crackling with electricity. Ash and Greninja could only stand and watch as the fire-lizard rushed towards them. The gap finally closed, he pulled his fist back more, he landed and then he flung his fist upwards, hitting Greninja hard in the chest and launching him straight up into the air.

As Greninja was thrown up in the air, Serena saw Ash's head wildly jerk back. Then, as the frog-ninja Pokemon fell back to the ground, Ash's legs buckled underneath him. Both Greninja and his trainer fell to the ground. Serena felt her heart pounding in her chest and heard ringing in her ears. She needed to get out there. She needed to run to him. She could hear her friends murmuring in worry as well. Ash's mom and Professor Oak seemed to be just as emotional as her.

Without even realizing it, Serena was moving away from her seat and running down the steps towards the railing that separated the fans from the field. She needed to get out there. She needed to get to Ash. She reached the railing in a few seconds and was about to jump over it, and then something grabbed her from behind. She turned her head angrily, and was surprised to see Jessie holding one of her arms, while James had the other. Meowth was also there, holding on to one of her legs. They were all dressed in their vendor uniforms, even Meowth. "Let me go!" she yelled.

"Hold on twerpette," Jessie said firmly. "Look, it's not over yet." She pointed with her free hand, and Serena followed, seeing that amazingly enough, Ash and Greninja weren't down for the count. Charizard was holding back, looking a little cautious, clearly a little surprised at their resilience. "The twerp isn't going to lose that easily. Pikachu took this one too far for him to lose now."

"Yeah," James agreed. "The twerp and Greninja better win this one for Pikachu."

"It's not ok if the twerp blasts off again," Meowth growled.

Serena couldn't help but laugh at the support from Team Rocket, or "Good Team Rocket" as she had now decided to call them. They actually really wanted Ash to win. Was it some kind of attachment they had for him, after years of chasing him and Pikachu around? Whatever it was, she though it was kind of sweet. However, she still wanted to show Ash how much she supported him. He needed a spark. She turned around and looked at him, seeing him struggling to stand. "Ash!" she yelled, and he immediately looked up, locking eyes with her. "Don't give up till it's over, alright?"

Don't give up till it's over. Of course she'd say that, Ash thought, smiling. And naturally, Serena's words gave him just the spark he needed to stand, and Greninja stood with him. He looked towards Alain, surprised to see his opponent watching him hesitantly. Maybe he'd expected Ash and Greninja to be down and out after his attacks. Well, apparently Alain didn't know Ash that well. He looked over to Serena and gave her a thumbs up. "It's not over," he said confidently. He could see the Team Rocket trio smiling and nodding happily in agreement, but he was only happy himself when he saw Serena smile. When he turned back to the battle, he narrowed his eyes. It's definitely not over.

Apparently Alain had decided he needed to strike again, as he looked up towards Charizard and narrowed his eyes. "Flamethrower, now!" he yelled.

Ash instinctively reached around his back, just as Greninja did, the frog-ninja grabbing his water shuriken. "Go! Water Shuriken!" Ash yelled, throwing out, just as Greninja did.

"Ninja!" Greninja yelled, putting everything into it, just as Ash had. The shuriken spiralled through the air so fast, that Charizard's flames were barely able to get out in time. The attacks clashed just a few feet away from Charizard and as they exploded on impact, shooting out steam and smoke, Charizard got the blow back, spinning away through the air, before righting himself just in front of Alain.

"Double Team, now!" Ash ordered quickly. Their advantage was keeping up the pace. With their renewed energy from Serena's words, that was easy.

"Gren! Gren! Gren!" came the echoing voices of dozens of Greninjas as they multiplied around the field. Ash saw Charizard staring wildly around, seeing they were all moving too fast for him to be able to do the same move as last time.

"It doesn't matter," Alain said confidently. "Flamethrower!"

Charizard roared loudly, took a deep breath, and then immediately started shooting out the blue flames from his jaws. They spread rapidly around the field. Taking out multiple Greninja copies with each shot. Ash didn't panic, though. Greninja was too fast. "Aerial Ace, let's go!" he shouted, just as Charizard took down a trio of Greninjas to his left, leaving only four groups of three remaining.

With another roar, Charizard aimed a blast at another group, just as all the Greninjas rushed forward. He took it out, the blue flames evaporating them completely. He then seemed to wait, as all the copies, and presumably the real Greninja, ran towards him. He waited until they were one large group, and then fired off a massive jet of flames. The flames completely enveloped the group running towards him...but when the attack ended, nothing was there.

"Now!" Ash kicked out with his leg, just as Greninja did. He saw Charizard turning around in surprise as Greninja appeared behind him, slamming his glowing white leg into the fire-lizard. Charizard went crashing to the ground from the impact, skidding along for a few feet, before jumping back up again. "Night Slash!" Ash quickly ordered, knowing he needed to keep the attacks going.

"Dragon Claw!" Alain countered quickly.

"Gren!" Greninja shouted, as he landed and crossed his arms and put them at his hips. He started running full speed towards Charizard, uncrossing his arms and pulling upwards, two swords of purple light appearing in his webbed hands. He leaped forward, just as Charizard did. There was a brief moment of silence, and then the purple swords were clashing with the glowing green claws. Each exchange of attacks seemed to shake the air, a vibrating buzzing sound emitting from the clash of sword and claw. Sparks of purple and green were flying all around the two Pokemon as the twisted and turned and jumped and flew, trying to gain whatever leverage they could.

Finally, Greninja managed to break through, slicing sideways and knocking Charizard's claw away, before managing to jab forward with his second sword. Charizard roared in pain, staggering back a couple of steps. However, the fire-lizard recovered quickly, lunging forward and slicing upwards with his claw, striking Greninja hard in the chest and knocking the frog-ninja on his back. Ash gasped in pain, but he bit it back and lent his strength to Greninja, guiding his Pokemon to its feet.

"This battle is heating up big time, folks," the announcer shouted. "These are no doubt the strongest Pokemon of the tournament and they're battling it out until they reach their breaking point."

Our breaking point isn't even close, Ash thought to himself. "Let's keep this up. Leap back and use rapid fire Water Shuriken!"

"Fly up and keep using Dragon Claw!" Alain ordered.

"Gren!" Greninja shouted, leaping back as Charizard flapped his wings and shot into the air, his claws still glowing green. "Ninja!" Greninja shouted again, grabbing the water shuriken off of his back and firing it up towards Charizard. Ash smiled in satisfaction as the fire-lizard slashed out with both glowing claws, managing to break the attack, but clearly struggling to do so.

Within seconds, Greninja was rapidly running around the field, forming smaller watery ninja stars in his webbed hands and firing them up, while also occasionally throwing the large one from his back whenever it reformed. Charizard desperately flew up and around the attacks, doing whatever he could to dodge, and deflect. Ash started to become a little frustrated, when attack after attack was slashed apart, or dodged. He needed to land one, and then he could really take advantage.

Focus, Greninja. Focus, Ash encouraged, not knowing if he was telling himself or the Pokemon to focus. He was truly feeling in sync with the frog-ninja Pokemon. His vision was flashing between his own, of Greninja firing off attacks towards Charizard, and back to Greninja's vision, of his own hands reaching back and throwing up the watery ninja stars.

When his vision went into Greninja's, Ash could feel the frog-ninja focusing harder. Well, maybe it was Greninja, or maybe it was Ash. Maybe, it wasn't even as simple as that. They were one, so one's actions were the other's actions and one's emotions were the other's emotions. He suddenly stopped his barrage of Water Shuriken attacks, and looked up towards the flying Charizard.

Ash instantly saw an opportunity. "Aim high and fire away!" he ordered quickly. Greninja quickly crouched low, reaching around and plucking the water shuriken from his back. He held it in his webbed hands, carefully watching Charizard. Finally, his body tensed up, and he threw upwards with all his might. It shot upwards, spinning rapidly, and Charizard brought both his claws out quickly, slashing forward. The attacks collided and Ash instantly saw the shuriken breaking, unable to slip through Charizard's defences. But the distraction had been enough. "Aerial Ace!"

"Greeennn..." Greninja shouted, kicking off hard and shooting up into the air, his leg outstretched and glowing white. Charizard didn't see him coming in time, too distracted by defending himself from the Water Shuriken. He tried to quickly twist around and slash towards the incoming Greninja, but wasn't nearly fast enough. "NINJA!" Greninja yelled, slamming his foot into Charizard's side, and then using the momentum to rise up further.

"Water Shuriken, now!" Ash yelled. He and Greninja quickly reached their arms around their backs and then Greninja grabbed the shuriken. He thrust down with all his might, still rising up from the kick on Charizard. The shuriken spun towards the wincing Charizard, and then exploded in a shower of water over the black and blue beast. Charizard was launched to the ground, slamming hard into the now roughly beaten up field, shooting up a cloud of dust.

Alain clearly had faith in his partner, though, instantly making an order, despite nobody seeing what was happening in the dust cloud. "Thunder Punch!" His faith was rewarded, too, as the black and blue fire-lizard shot into the air, wincing, but still determined. His fist pulled back, crackling with electricity. Ash and Greninja were too stunned to defend. The electric fist made full contact with Greninja's stomach, and he was launched high into the air. "Let's wrap this up!" Alain yelled. "Blast Burn!"

When Ash heard that order, feeling the pain in his gut from the Thunder Punch, and feeling the wind whistle in his ears as Greninja was launched into the air, his journey with Greninja came to his mind all at once. He could see Froakie, leaping in front of Pikachu to save the electric mouse from his own Electro-Ball. He also saw it from Froakie's view, seeing himself carrying Froakie in his arms, running towards Professor Sycamore's lab. There was the scene on top of Prism Tower, Froakie watching Ash willingly sacrificing himself to save Pikachu. Then there was Froakie desperately trying to save Pikachu and Sanpei's Greninja, evolving into Frogadier to do so. Once again, it was Frogadier's view, watching Ash jumping over the lava of a volcano, desperate to save the falling Talonflame, only saved by Frogadier and his frubbles. After that, there was Frogadier, fighting alongside both Ash and Talonflame, desperately fighting against Olympia's Meowstic duo, and emerging the victors. And then again, Frogadier, saving Pikachu and Sanpei's Greninja, evolving into Greninja himself and then merging with Ash for the first time. There were the images of them merging, against Sawyer, against Alain, against Monsieur Pierre and Aria, against Team Flare. It had all come to this. Don't give up till it's over.

"Double Team!" Ash yelled, opening his eyes, just as Greninja did. He could see and feel the ground shaking, the smoke and fire already leaking out of the ground. Greninja started to rapidly multiply, straightening himself out, still rising from the momentum of Charizard's Thunder Punch. Within seconds, there was probably about a hundred Greninjas all hovering up high in the air. Ash's eyes started watering, feeling the heat from the Blast Burn, seeing the fire, smoke and molten rocks rising higher into the air and picking up speed. "Together, Greninja! WATER SHURIKEN!" Ash roared.

"Grrreeennn!" Greninja shouted, ripping the shuriken off of his back, the copies all doing the same. They all started spinning them above themselves, before the copies started to converge on one spot. His body seemed to be glowing, whether it was from the rising flames, or from their own raw power, Ash didn't know. Either way, Greninja was lit up and looked extremely intimidating. Finally, the real Greninja emerged from the copies, the shuriken above him spinning like a disc, larger than ever before. As the fire and molten rocks rushed towards the frog-ninja Pokemon, the red fin on his head glowed brightly and in response the rapidly spinning disc above him started to glow as well. It began glowing in an orange, fiery light, no longer looking like a disc of water, but of fire. "NINJA!" Grenina roared, throwing it with all the power he and Ash had.

The fiery water shuriken rushed towards the incoming molten rocks and fire. If there was any doubt of the power of these two Pokemon before, it was proven here. Ash watched the scene above him, seeing it in slow motion, knowing that once they hit each other, the entire arena was going to feel it. For a brief moment, not a sound was heard, except for the ringing in Ash's ears. Then, Blast Burn hit Water Shuriken, and one of the largest explosions Ash had ever seen or felt occurred right there. The first thing Ash noticed was the heat. He was glad he wasn't wearing his jacket, because the heat hit him full blast, instantly drenching his body in sweat. The crowd was shouting and gasping almost in fear, possibly thinking the entire arena was going to blow up. Ash was almost sure of it himself. He almost lost his footing, with the ground shaking so wildly. Wind ripped through the stadium, and Ash had no opportunity to grab his hat as it blew off of his head, as he had to concentrate on standing. He couldn't even see where it had gone, as the lights of the explosion and the smoke was blocking his vision. Ash suddenly reached his mind out to Greninja, feeling as though their connection was loosening. He instantly felt exhaustion come over him, and fell to his knees. Don't give up, he told himself.

It took a couple of minutes for everything to clear up. The smoke was still higher up in the stadium, shooting up into the sky, and also on the field. The field no longer had any grass on it, now just a charcoal covered pit. Ash winced from the pain he felt and did his best to focus on the two shapes that were in the middle of that pit, and the trainer on the other side.

Ash was a little surprised to see Alain was also on his knees, apparently having been knocked down from the violent shaking and gusts of wind from the colliding attacks. He was quickly on his feet, though, and his eyes widened as he looked at the field in front of him. Ash followed his gaze, and his jaw dropped as well.

Both Charizard and Greninja were on the field, standing opposite each other and in front of their trainers. Neither of them were down. They looked completely exhausted. They were panting heavily, looking like they were going to collapse at any moment. Ash could feel Greninja's pain and exhaustion, and knew Charizard was likely no different. He somehow knew that no more attacks would be used. It was only a matter of time before one of the Pokemon fell.

Suddenly, in unison, Charizard and Greninja dropped to their knees. They were both shaking, desperate to keep standing. Neither of them could keep this up any longer, but their pure determination kept them up. It couldn't last, though. One was going to drop. Or... Ash clenched his jaw as Greninja fell a bit more, his webbed hand hitting the ground below him. Charizard did a similar movement, his wing being the thing holding him up. Then, finally, both Pokemon dropped, and Ash fell with them.

It was peaceful, just lying there. He didn't need to worry about anything. Whether he was Ash or Greninja, he was just at peace where he was. It was so relaxing in that moment. The pain was gone temporarily. He was able to let the exhaustion wash over him and rest. He didn't need to stand up. It was over. He had fallen, but that was ok. Why put the energy into standing up? He could give up, right here and right now, and just move on afterwards. Give up? Ash suddenly asked himself, his mind starting to clear up immediately. I don't do that.

Don't give up till it's over! Ash heard in his mind. Wait...no it wasn't in his mind. He started to open his eyes, light hitting his eyes immediately. "Don't give up till it's over!" came the familiar voice.

Ash's eyes immediately shot open and he looked at a face above him. It was a yellow face, with red spots on its cheeks. It had long, pointy ears, with black tips. It looked exhausted, but it was smiling down at Ash. Somewhat smiling. In its mouth was Ash's hat, so it couldn't properly smile. But Ash could still sense its excitement. He smiled back, glad to see that Pikachu was alright.

Ash reached out and took the hat from Pikachu's mouth and put it on his head. "Time to win this thing, right buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, giving a fist pump.

Ash nodded back and slowly sat up, still feeling exhausted, but knowing that Pikachu, Serena and all of his friends and even family were there, he felt extra strength rise up within him. He looked towards the field, and saw that Greninja was in the same position as him. At the other end of the field, was Charizard, still on the ground, a light glow around him. Ash ignored that, though, and forced himself to his knees. "We don't give up. Never." With one final push, Ash and Greninja stood up, looking confidently towards their opponent.

That's when Ash realized what the glow around Charizard's body had been. The fire-lizard was no longer the larger, black and blue behemoth it had been only a few moments before. No, it was in its regular form, still down, and definitely not moving. Ash felt goosebumps all along his arms. There was only one thing that this could mean.

A movement to his right caught his attention, and Ash turned his head to see the referee raising a flag towards him. "Charizard is unable to battle." Ash's jaw dropped, barely believing what he was hearing. He could actually barely hear it, considering the crowd was screaming and cheering wildly. He could only imagine what the referee was saying, as he spoke the next words. "Greninja is the winner! This means, the Champion of the Kalos League, is Ash from Pallet Town!"