Sorry, had to celebrate my mom's birthday yesterday, but here it is now
---
Ash and Wally walked out of the stadium. They had an intermission for everyone to rest before the finals started, so they managed to walk out and get some time to regroup.
And speaking of that, as they got out, Brendan appeared behind them and grabbed them both around the neck, laughing, "You guys were insane!"
Ash immediately struggled, "Brendan! Let go!"
Wally laughed awkwardly, trying to breathe, "Brendan...I appreciate the excitement, but this hurts."
Brendan finally let go, and both of them immediately stepped away while rubbing their necks, "Sorry, sorry!" Brendan laughed, "I just couldn't help it. That battle was amazing!"
Wally rubbed his neck and smiled, "You really haven't changed."
"Of course not!" Brendan said proudly, "Why would I?"
The three boys laughed together, then Ash looked around, "By the way, where is Solidad?"
Brendan put his hands behind his head, "She said she couldn't stay since she lost. She had to prepare for when she goes over to Kanto to do stuff." He shrugged, "But she said she would be watching the broadcast."
"Huh." Ash scratched his chin, then he looked over at Wally, "Then it looks like you automatically got 3rd place, Wall."
"W-wait, really?" Wally blinked in surprise, "But, I, well—"
"Come on, you're great, Wally!" Brendan gave a thumbs up, "And hey, even though you lost and I'm gonna battle Ash, how about we have a battle afterward?"
Wally smiled slightly, looking down at his Poké Balls, and he sighed, "Alright."
Brendan's grin widened, "Awesome!"
Ash crossed his arms with a smile, "You two really just can't stop battling, can you?"
"Nope!" Brendan answered immediately with a smile. It wasn't that he was a battle junkie, it was more that since he helped Professor Birch with all that research stuff, he could finally let go and hang out with people his own age. That's why he kept his smile.
Wally laughed softly, "I guess not."
Brendan suddenly looked at Ash with a competitive grin, "Speaking of battles..."
Ash raised an eyebrow, "What?"
Brendan pointed toward the stadium behind them, "You better give it your all too. If I'm gonna beat you, I want it to be at your full strength."
Ash gave him a lopsided smile and a chuckle, "Sure, you want me to give it my all, you got it. But are you sure you'll even win?"
He smirked, "I'll just have to show you. After all, I'm not the same trainer I was when you saved me months ago. I've gotten much stronger."
"Alright, I'll just have to test that," Ash said as he held his hand out, and Brendan returned the fist bump.
—
The stadium was louder than ever before. Every seat was packed, banners waved in the air, and the roar of the crowd thundered like an earthquake.
Ash stood on one side, cracking his neck, while on the other, Brendan adjusted his white hat with a smirk.
The referee then spoke up, "Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your patience, but now it is time for the battle you have all been waiting for! It's Ash vs. Brendan, the final of this year's Ever Grande Conference!"
As Ash and Brendan grabbed their first Poké Balls, people were watching closely. Up in the stands, their friends cheered; the Gym Leaders, Norman, Caroline, May, Max, Wally, and Brock were all sitting and watching intently.
On TV, people across the regions were tuning in to watch the finals.
The referee raised his flags, "This is a six-on-six battle! When one trainer is out of usable Pokémon, the other will be declared the winner! Trainers, send out your first Pokémon!"
"Go, Milotic!"
"Swellow, let's go!"
Two flashes of light exploded across the battlefield.
Ash's Milotic appeared first, and across from it, Brendan's Swellow burst into the air, spreading its wings.
The crowd immediately reacted.
Brendan smiled nostalgically, "Hey, it's a Milotic, just like Master Wallace and Juan have." He gave a whistle, "Too bad I know how to beat them too. Swellow, [Double Team]!"
Swellow disappeared into multiple copies, filling the sky with dozens of illusions.
Ash watched carefully, his eyes moving between each one then he saw one, "Milotic, [Aqua Ring]."
A ring of water surrounded Milotic's body, slowly restoring its energy.
Brendan smiled, "Setting up already? Alright then, Swellow, [Aerial Ace]!"
All the copies moved at once, but the real Swellow vanished, flying straight toward Milotic.
Ash smiled slightly, "Milotic, [Detect]."
Milotic's eyes glowed as it moved gracefully to the side at the last possible moment, causing Swellow to miss by inches.
Brendan smiled and pointed forward, "Now, [Steel Wing]!"
Swellow's wings began glowing silver as it dove toward Milotic.
"[Aqua Tail]!" Ash commanded.
Milotic spun gracefully, its tail surrounded by a powerful stream of water as it swung upward. The two attacks collided in the center of the battlefield. The impact sent a shockwave outward, but neither Pokémon backed down. Swellow was pushed back slightly, but it immediately regained control in the air.
"Again! [Quick Attack]!"
Swellow disappeared in a flash, moving too quickly for most of the crowd to follow.
Ash watched carefully, "Milotic, [Dragon Pulse]!"
Milotic opened its mouth and fired a powerful stream of dragon energy. Swellow twisted through the air, barely avoiding the attack, but the blast forced it lower toward the battlefield.
Brendan smiled, "That's what I wanted. [Brave Bird]!"
Swellow's entire body became surrounded in blue energy as it shot forward at incredible speed.
Ash's eyes narrowed, "Milotic, [Ice Beam]!"
The Ice Beam struck Swellow's wing, slowing it slightly, but it pushed through and continued forward.
"Now!" Brendan shouted.
Swellow slammed into Milotic with a powerful [Brave Bird]. The impact sent Milotic sliding backward across the battlefield, carving a trail into the stone, but she used her tail to steady herself.
Ash looked toward Milotic, but it slowly lifted its head again, "Good job," Ash said with a smile, "Now let's show them what you've got."
Milotic rose back up, swiping its tail and huffing.
Brendan grinned, "That's more like it."
Ash pointed forward, "Milotic, [Hydro Pump]!"
A massive torrent of water erupted toward Swellow.
"Swellow, dodge!"
Swellow flew upward, avoiding the attack, but Ash was already prepared.
"Now, [Ice Beam]!"
Milotic fired another freezing beam into the air. Swellow attempted to dodge again, but the Ice Beam clipped its wing, freezing part of it and throwing off its movement.
Brendan reacted quickly, "Swellow, use [Aerial Ace]!"
Swellow pushed through the ice, forcing itself forward with a burst of speed. Milotic prepared to defend, but Swellow vanished.
"Now!" Brendan called.
Swellow appeared behind Milotic and struck with its wings.
Milotic was knocked forward, but before it could fall, Ash gave another command, "Milotic, [Recover]!"
Milotic's body began glowing with a soft blue light as energy surrounded it, repairing the damage it had taken.
But Brendan quickly continued, "Swellow, [Steel Wing]!"
Swellow's wings glowed silver once again as it dove toward Milotic.
"Milotic, [Aqua Tail]!"
Milotic swung its tail upward, meeting Swellow head-on. The collision sent both Pokémon backward, but Swellow used its momentum to fly back into the air while Milotic landed smoothly.
Brendan immediately followed up, "Swellow, [Quick Attack]!"
Swellow became a blur, moving around Milotic from every direction.
Ash watched carefully, tracking its movements.
"Milotic, [Twister]!"
Milotic whipped its body around, creating a spiraling tornado of wind and water that spread across the battlefield.
The attack disrupted the air around Swellow, forcing it out of its speed and making its movement predictable.
"There!" Ash pointed, "Now, [Ice Beam]!"
Milotic fired a freezing beam directly toward Swellow.
Brendan reacted instantly, "Swellow, [Detect]!"
Swellow's eyes flashed as it narrowly avoided the Ice Beam, twisting around the attack.
But Ash expected it, "[Hydro Pump]!"
The water attack fired directly into the path Swellow had moved into. Swellow had no time to dodge. The massive blast hit it directly, sending it crashing across the battlefield.
Brendan clenched his fist, "Come on, Swellow!"
Swellow pushed itself up, shaking off the damage.
Ash smiled slightly, "Still going?"
Brendan grinned, "Of course! Swellow, [Brave Bird]!"
Swellow once again surrounded itself in blue energy, charging forward with everything it had left.
Ash looked at Milotic, "[Dragon Pulse]!"
Milotic fired the attack directly as Swellow approached.
The two attacks collided, creating a massive explosion of energy in the center of the battlefield, causing a blast of smoke to shoot out and send both Pokémon sliding backward.
Swellow was hovering in the air, and Milotic was still standing, but breathing heavily from taking the impact.
Both Pokémon stared at each other, then Ash and Brendan called out at the same time.
"One more!"
"Finish this!"
"Swellow, [Aerial Ace]!"
"Milotic, [Aqua Tail]!"
Swellow disappeared into a blur, Milotic spun with its tail becoming surrounded by water, and as Swellow came in, Milotic slammed her tail downward. They both hit each other at the same time.
For a moment, neither of them moved, but then Milotic let out a cough and fell first onto the ground with spirals in her eyes while Swellow let out a screech.
Brendan snapped, "Ha! Told ya, I have weeks of fighting Milotic experience. You can't beat me with one!" He said, raising his nose to the sky.
Ash meanwhile returned Milotic to her ball and twirled it in his hand, "Don't worry about it, you did great." Then he switched out Poké Balls.
"Alright then, try this one. Aggron!" Ash threw out the ball, and it opened in the air. From it, Aggron crashed down onto the field, letting out a roar as he got ready to fight.
Brendan took the first move, "Swellow, [Double Team]!"
Swellow vanished once again, making dozens of copies that filled the sky.
Ash watched carefully, looking over each one, then his eyes locked onto one, "Aggron, [Rock Tomb]."
Aggron lifted both arms before slamming them down. The field shook as massive chunks of stone erupted from the ground, forming pillars all around the arena.
The Swellow copies scattered, trying to avoid the rising rocks.
"There!" Ash pointed at the one that moved differently, "Aggron, [Stone Edge]!"
Sharp stones erupted from the ground and shot toward the real Swellow.
Brendan's eyes widened, "Swellow, dodge!"
Swellow twisted through the air, barely avoiding the attack as the rocks passed by.
But Brendan smiled, "Now! [Steel Wing]!"
Swellow used the momentum from dodging and dove straight toward Aggron, its wings glowing silver.
Ash didn't panic, "Aggron, [Iron Defense]."
Aggron's entire body shined as its armor hardened, and Swellow struck directly against Aggron's side. The impact sounded like a bell ringing, but Aggron barely moved.
Brendan blinked owlishly, "Ah...tanky, huh?" Brendan shook his head and pointed forward, "Then I'll just hit harder. Swellow, [Brave Bird]!"
Swellow's entire body became surrounded by blue fire as it shot forward.
Ash smirked and snapped his fingers, "Aggron, [Protect]!"
A green barrier appeared just before Swellow hit. The collision caused the barrier to shake violently.
"Now!" Ash shouted, "Aggron, [Thunder Punch]!"
With one hand, Aggron grabbed Swellow by the back of the neck, and the other started charging with electricity. Swellow tried to struggle, but it was no use. Aggron hit the bird directly with the electrified punch, shocking it and leaving it twitching before it fell unconscious.
Yeah, turns out not all Swellow are like Ash's, who are so stubborn that they can overpower electricity. A normal Swellow actually gets knocked out.
Brendan smiled as he returned Swellow, "Alright then, I can respect that, but let's see how you handle this." He grabbed another ball and threw it out, "Breloom, let's go!"
A flash of light filled the battlefield as Breloom landed, bouncing slightly on its feet before staring down Aggron.
Brendan smiled, "Alright, Breloom, let's show them what we can do! [Mach Punch]!"
Breloom shot forward, pulling back its fist before launching it forward, sending his arm stretching toward Aggron.
"Aggron, [Iron Defense]," Ash commanded.
Aggron raised his arm and made it glow silver, using it to block. As the hit came, it rang out with a loud metallic clang. Breloom's eyes widened slightly as it tried to pull its arm back.
Ash smiled, "Now, [Iron Head]!"
Aggron quickly grabbed Breloom's extended arm before it could pull it back and tugged Breloom right toward him. As Breloom flew toward him, Aggron raised his head, making it glow silver, and delivered a powerful headbutt directly into Breloom's mushroom head.
Breloom was sent sliding back, but it flipped through the air before landing on its feet. It immediately shook its head, recovering quickly.
"Oof, alright then, let's try something else." Brendan shot his hand out, "Breloom, [Mach Punch] rapid fire!"
Breloom pulled its fists back, then launched a barrage of punches one after another from a safe distance. This time, he was more careful, trying to make sure that Aggron couldn't grab his arm.
Aggron stood there, crossing his arms and tanking the incoming hits, getting pushed back slightly, but he didn't go down.
Then Brendan pointed forward, "Keep moving! [Drain Punch]!"
Breloom started moving and rushed in from the side, its fist glowing with green energy as it struck Aggron's side.
But as it came in, Ash and Aggron smirked, "Now, [Rock Slide]!"
Aggron slammed both fists into the ground. Large rocks broke apart from the battlefield and rained down toward Breloom.
"Breloom, dodge!" Brendan shouted.
Breloom moved instantly, punching the falling rocks apart one after another, using the destroyed pieces as stepping stones to move closer.
"[Stone Edge]," Ash continued.
Aggron stomped this time, causing pillars of stone to come out of the ground and shoot after Breloom. Breloom dodged the first two, but the third hit and sent Breloom crashing into the ground. However, he quickly got back up.
"Breloom, [Sky Uppercut]!" Brendan called.
Breloom shot upward from the dust cloud, its fist glowing as it aimed directly underneath Aggron's chin. The attack connected, making Aggron's head shoot upward, but he quickly recovered and gritted his teeth.
"[Brutal Swing]!" Ash commanded.
Aggron grabbed Breloom by the back of the head and lifted the smaller Pokémon up before slamming it into the ground. Then he started running, dragging Breloom through the stone before throwing Breloom back and slamming it into one of the rocks.
"Breloom! Are you okay?" Brendan asked.
Breloom nodded, giving a thumbs up back.
Brendan smiled, then looked forward, "Alright then, [Rock Throw]."
But Breloom wasn't using the move [Rock Throw]. Instead, he shot his stretchy arms behind him, and they wrapped around the large rock he crashed into. Then, using his foothold in the ground, he lifted the giant rock and threw it directly at Aggron.
Ash whistled, "Aggron, [Rock Smash]!" Ash commanded immediately.
Aggron raised his head and ran at the rock, slamming into it with his horns and breaking the stone in half. But as it opened, it revealed that Breloom was right behind the rock, winding up his fist.
"[Focus Punch]!" Brendan called out.
Breloom brought his fist forward and hit Aggron straight across the face with incredible strength. The impact was so powerful that the ground cracked underneath them, and finally, Aggron was sent flying backward, slamming into one of the rocks he had raised, breaking it and burying him under the rubble.
The referee quickly went over to check and determined that, yes, Aggron was unable to battle.
Brendan and Breloom both jumped, pumping their fists, "Oh yeah, that's how you do it!"
"Breloom!" his Breloom said, jumping from one foot to the other before the pain caught up and he had to stop jumping, but he still gave Brendan a thumbs up.
Ash meanwhile returned Aggron to his ball, and he smiled, pulling out his next one, "Okay then, let's do this. Metagross, your turn!"
As the ball fell onto the ground, everyone saw Ash's shiny Metagross slam its big hands together and stare Breloom down.
Breloom looked at Metagross, then over at Brendan, and gestured with his hands back and forth, like he was asking, "Are you serious right now?"
"Hey, you got this, right?" Brendan said, giving him two thumbs up.
Breloom looked like he wanted to demand his thumbs up back, but he still had to fight.
Brendan pointed forward, "Breloom, [Mach Punch]!"
Breloom shot forward instantly, its fist blurring as it aimed directly for Metagross.
Ash didn't move, "Metagross, [Psychic]."
Metagross's eyes glowed blue. Breloom suddenly froze midair as psychic energy surrounded its body. Metagross lifted Breloom upward effortlessly, then slammed it down onto the battlefield.
The impact cracked the stone beneath Breloom, but the Grass/Fighting-type Pokémon immediately pushed itself back up.
"That's it! Keep going!" Brendan cheered.
Breloom shook off the damage, then rushed forward again.
"Breloom, [Seed Bomb]!"
Breloom fired several glowing seeds toward Metagross.
Ash quickly responded, "Metagross, [Meteor Mash]!"
Metagross's arm became coated in silver energy as it swung forward, destroying the incoming Seed Bombs one after another as it moved closer.
But Brendan smiled, "Now! [Spore]!"
As the smoke from the destroyed attacks covered the battlefield, Breloom released a cloud of spores directly at Metagross, hitting it at the last second before it started falling asleep.
Brendan pointed forward, "Now's our chance, [Drain Punch]!"
Breloom rushed forward, its fist glowing green as it struck Metagross directly in the center, over and over again, slowly recovering some of its HP.
But after three punches, Metagross finally stirred and opened its eyes. It quickly moved away with [Agility], appearing behind Breloom.
"Now, [Zen Headbutt]!" Ash commanded quickly.
Metagross's entire body glowed with psychic energy as it crashed downward, hitting Breloom in the back and sending it to the ground. However, thanks to the HP it had stolen, Breloom was still standing.
The crowd was completely invested now. After everything that had happened so far, everyone knew this battle was living up to the expectations of a Championship Match.
"Metagross, [Psychic]!" Ash commanded.
Metagross's eyes glowed blue once again. Breloom tried to move, but the psychic energy caught it before it could react, lifting it off the ground.
"Breloom, can you get out of it?!" Brendan shouted.
Breloom gritted its teeth and struggled against the psychic force, but Metagross was too powerful. It slammed Breloom back into the battlefield, creating another crater beneath it.
"Now, [Meteor Mash]!"
Metagross shot forward, its arm glowing silver as it prepared to strike.
"Breloom, [Mach Punch]!" Brendan called.
Breloom pushed itself up and launched forward, its fist glowing as it met Metagross halfway. The two attacks collided, but then Metagross slowly pushed forward, overpowering Breloom's fist and forcing it backward, sending Breloom flying.
But Breloom caught itself and stood back up. As for the "broken" fist, you have to remember, Brelooms have stretchy arms, and their hands move like rubber, so literally nothing was broken. He simply pulled it back into place.
Brendan didn't even blink. He just tried thinking, "Okay...we need to change things up. Breloom, [Seed Bomb]!"
Breloom fired several glowing seeds toward Metagross.
Ash immediately responded, "Metagross, [Bullet Punch]!"
Metagross's arms blurred as it moved at incredible speed, destroying each Seed Bomb before they could reach it, creating smoke from the small explosions.
"Now! [Sky Uppercut]!" Brendan continued.
Breloom jumped upward from behind the smoke, its fist glowing with Fighting-type energy as it struck Metagross underneath. The hit forced Metagross upward slightly.
Brendan smiled, "That's it!"
But Ash simply smiled back, "Not bad, but not good enough. [Zen Headbutt]!"
Metagross crashed forward, its entire body surrounded by psychic energy. Breloom barely raised his hands up to try and block the hit, but he was still sent flying across the battlefield.
Breloom rolled several times before stopping.
Brendan clenched his fist, "Breloom!"
The Pokémon slowly stood back up, breathing heavily. He was starting to reach his limit and was even beginning to slow down.
Ash raised his hand and snapped his fingers, "Metagross, finish this with [Meteor Mash]!"
Metagross flew forward again.
Brendan bit his lip and called out, "Breloom, [Mach Punch]!"
Just like last time, as Metagross's massive fist came down, Breloom punched upward, clashing fists with it. And like before, Breloom started getting pushed back slowly, his arm shaking. He wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer.
But then Brendan, in a moment where everything seemed hopeless, called out, "Breloom, let's give it all we've got!"
In that moment, something happened. Brendan's eyes shined red, but no one could tell the difference since Brendan already had red eyes.
Except for Ash. He didn't see his eyes change either, but he sensed Brendan's fighting spirit shift for a moment, becoming supercharged before that energy transferred over to Breloom. Ash could only sense it because of his Aura
Breloom's eyes shined red for a moment, then suddenly Breloom started pushing Metagross's fist back. With a powerful push, he sent Metagross's fist upward, and with the other, he struck Metagross directly on the X-shaped mark on its head.
Metagross hovered backward, then shook off the hit, glaring at Breloom. Meanwhile, Breloom jumped from foot to foot, raising his fists and getting back into position. This wasn't over yet.
As for what that was, Ash had an idea. That power that May kept from Kyogre, it looked like Brendan kept a variation of it from Groudon. But, based on what he saw, Brendan couldn't control it at all, then again May couldn't really control it either even with training so, can't really blame him
And technically, since Brendan did that, Ash could start using his own abilities to get himself a boost. But then again, as he had said before, 'where is your love of the fight?' So he kept going normally...for now.
Both trainers pointed forward.
"Metagross, [Meteor Mash]!"
"Breloom, [Mach Punch]!"
The two Pokémon rushed forward at the same time. Metagross's massive fist glowed silver as it swung downward, while Breloom's fist blurred forward with incredible speed.
The attacks collided, and the impact created a shockwave that pushed both Pokémon backward. Metagross dug its legs into the ground, while Breloom slid backward before catching itself with its stretchy arms.
"Again!" Brendan shouted.
"Don't slow down!" Ash called.
Breloom rushed forward again, throwing a barrage of punches.
"Metagross, [Bullet Punch]!"
Metagross's arms moved faster than the eye could follow, meeting every punch with one of its own. The battlefield became a blur of silver and green as the two Pokémon exchanged dozens of attacks, hitting each other over and over again.
Brendan watched carefully, "Breloom, jump!"
Breloom suddenly launched itself upward, using its own stretchy arms to pull itself higher.
Ash's eyes narrowed, "Metagross, [Psychic]!"
Metagross's eyes glowed blue, attempting to catch Breloom before it could attack. It caught Breloom and slammed the mushroom Pokémon into the ground hard, but while Breloom should have been knocked out, he wasn't. He jumped back up and immediately ran toward Metagross.
Metagross tried to punch, but Breloom slid under it, and Brendan called out, "[Sky Uppercut]!"
Breloom shot upward, its fist glowing with Fighting-type energy, hitting Metagross underneath its body and making it fly upward.
Ash reacted instantly, "Metagross, [Zen Headbutt]!"
Metagross recovered, twisting in the air before shooting right back down and hitting Breloom, sending it flying backward.
Breloom managed to catch itself and wiped the side of its mouth while glaring at Metagross, who floated slowly above the battlefield and glared right back at Breloom.
"One more push," Brendan muttered.
Breloom nodded.
Ash smiled, "Metagross, let's finish this the right way."
Metagross floated upward, its eyes glowing.
Both Ash and Brendan raised their hands, pointing forward.
"Metagross, [Meteor Mash]!"
"Breloom, [Focus Punch]!"
Metagross accelerated forward as its fist started glowing brighter than before, while Breloom pulled back its arm, charging the hit as much as it could.
Then, at the last possible second, when Metagross was close, Breloom struck. The two attacks collided, causing the ground underneath them to crack even further, and the remaining stones around them to fall over and break apart.
After that final clash, both Pokémon were sent flying backward and crashed into the ground on their backs.
Both of them tried to get back up. Metagross managed to rise first, but only for a moment before both Pokémon collapsed, unconscious.
The referee quickly ran up and looked at both of them before raising both flags.
"Double knockout! Both trainers, bring out your next Pokémon!"
Ash recalled Metagross, "You did great."
Brendan smiled as he grabbed his next Poké Ball, "That was incredible."
They placed the balls back on their belts and prepared their next Pokémon.
Brendan laughed, "I don't know what happened, but this is getting more fun. I don't even want it to end!"
Ash smiled, "Right back at ya, but that's not why we're here, are we? So let's keep this party going."
"Couldn't have said it better myself!"
They both threw out their next Poké Balls, "Magcargo, let's go!"
A flash of light appeared as the Lava Snail Pokémon emerged, its shell glowing with heat as it entered the battlefield.
Then, with Ash, his Poké Ball opened and he spoke, "Alright...Slaking, you're up!"
The ball opened, and from it, a giant shiny Slaking jumped out, slamming its massive body onto the ground. It looked around the stadium, sighed, then stood up and started beating its chest loudly, seemingly full of energy.
Ash may have been losing right now, but that was about to change.