Giovanni looked on, as Ash released his next choice. The ground shook, as a large, blue alligator-like Pokémon landed on the ground. The Pokémon stood tall with three red spikes, coming from its head, middle of its back, and the end of its large tail. The bottom part, of its jaw, was a tan color that was matched by a V-shaped tanned area on its stomach. It showed large white claws on both its hands and feet, along with its jaws. Much to the surprise of the audience, it began to hop from one leg to the other, while crying out happily, as it did a dance.

"Feraligatr, let's begin!" The short statement was all Ash had to make, for the whimsical look to be quickly replaced with seriousness.

The big jaw Pokémon suddenly took a battling stance, before letting out a roar.

"Trevenant, use Wood Hammer!" Giovanni started the attack.

The ghost and grass type rushed forward with a green glowing arm.

Ash and Feraligatr waited patiently, for the slow-moving Pokémon. Ash waited, as the Pokémon was in mid-swing to call his counter.

"Protect into Ice Beam, Feraligatr!" he shouted with force.

Feraligatr let out a roar, before placing both hands, in front of its body, while encasing itself in a yellow shield.

The attack hit, but bounced off, causing the elder tree Pokémon to lose its balance. Feraligatr broke the barrier when it saw its opportunity, and released a beam of light blue and fired it towards the opponent. The attack hit, causing a cry a pain to come out from the Kalos Pokémon's mouth. Trevenant skidded across the battlefield, before coming to a stop. It grimaced, as it pulled itself off the floor of the stadium.

"Shadow Ball!" Giovanni pushed forward.

"Hydro Pump!" Ash countered.

The two attacks collided in midair, causing the mist to be sprayed everywhere. Ash and Giovanni watched the mist, for any possible attack, coming from their opponent.

Ash went on the offensive. "Feraligatr, use Hydro Pump again!"

Feraligatr arched its head back, before throwing it forward towards a shadowy object hidden in the mist. The stream of water busted through the mist, as a cry came out from the attack, indicating that it hit its mark.

Giovanni snarled again, as he saw the mist that hasn't yet settled. "Trevenant, use Phantom Force!"

"Protect, then use Ice Beam again!" Ash responded.

Again, a shield formed around the Johto starter.

Suddenly, Trevenant appeared next to Feraligatr with a dark energy in its hand. Ash and Feraligatr stood in shock, as the ghost and grass type shot its arm forward while connecting the attack with Feraligatr's ribs and sending the Pokémon skidding across the ground.

Giovanni could now see the surprised look on his opponent's face. He began to laugh, which caused Ash's gaze to shift from his reeling Pokémon to him. His brows furrowed, as he took in the sight of Giovanni laughing.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Aaron, but Phantom Force isn't affected by Protect," Giovanni said amused. "Your plan to stay behind your little defense won't work."

Ash began to feel his heartbeat increase at what the man said. His eyebrows shot up, as his mind began to race. What do I do now?

"Wood Hammer, Trevenant!" Giovanni commanded.

"Feraligatr, Protect!"

Giovanni smiled, as he saw his Pokémon closing in on its target. "Quick! Change to Phantom Force!"

The previous attack was stopped, while in mid-swing, before the ghost and grass type vanished, but only to reappear again beside Feraligatr.

Ash growled, as his Pokémon let out a cry, before being sent skidding across the battlefield. Feraligatr pushed himself up off the ground while grimacing with every small action it took. Ash gritted his teeth, as he saw Giovanni again using the same combination.

Suddenly, an idea came to Ash's head.

"Feraligatr, Protect again!" Ash commanded his water type.

Giovanni smirked, as he watched the shield go up. "Finish it with Phantom Force!"

Once again, the Kalos Pokémon vanished. Giovanni's smirk then turned to a shocked expression, as soon as he heard Ash's next command.

"Maintain Protect, while spinning and using Ice Beam!" Ash shouted.

Feraligatr nodded and began to fire the beam of ice, just as Trevenant appeared within the barrier. The ghost and grass type cried out in pain, as the attack hit home, causing the Pokémon to crash into the inside wall of the shield.

Giovanni and Ash both looked on, as the half-shaped dome became a swirling force of ice and wind. Suddenly, a large crack appeared in the shield, that ran across the surface, before exploding, while causing the icy winds to blow across the battlefield, in a beautiful array of different blue and yellow hues.

Ash didn't waste any time in calling out his next attack. "Hydro Pump, then follow it up with Crunch!"

Suddenly, from the blue and yellow cloud, came Trevenant. The Pokémon cascaded into the wall, followed by the big jaw Pokémon with its teeth glowing. The Johto starter grabbed the reeling Pokémon, by the wrist, causing a faint scream of pain, before swinging the Pokémon, above his head, and smashing the Elder Tree Pokémon into the ground.

Feraligatr put a foot on Trevenant's neck, as a jet of water shot up, from its tail, in a spiral fashion. Its breathing was heavy and multiple scratch marks could be seen on its body; but underneath, its foot laid an unconscious Kalos Pokémon.

Feraligatr again hopped on one foot and then another, in celebration, once his opponent had vanished in a beam of red light. It was happy that it managed to win the difficult fight.

---

"Wow, that was beautiful," May muttered through her astonishment. "I'll have to remember that for an appeal round."

"Not if I use it first!" Dawn blurted out, with a smile on her face.

In the front row, Serena sat in her chair, as she began to stomp the floor, excitedly, with her feet. She allowed the excitement to overwhelm her. She wanted to jump and run out onto the battlefield, even though she knew that the fight was still going on.

Come on, Ash! Keep going! You're almost there!

---

Giovanni, wordlessly, tossed his Pokéball back onto the battlefield, to reveal his Poliwrath once again. Ash grunted in frustration, as Feraligatr seemed to be in worse shape than the water and fighting type. Feraligatr demeanor again turned from one of playful innocence to that of a hardened veteran, as he eyed his next opponent.

"Poliwrath, use Focus Punch!" Giovanni commanded. Poliwrath's fist began to glow white before he rushed towards Feraligatr.

Ash didn't hesitate, before responding.

"Superpower into Aqua Tail!"

Feraligatr began to glow blue, before raising a foot up and smashing it into the ground. A giant rock came up from the ground. Feraligatr punched the rock at his opponent.

Poliwrath reared back and punched the rock, destroying it. The rubble was a distraction, as Poliwrath was then smashed by the powerful water attack. Poliwrath managed to stabilize itself and throw his body back at Feraligatr, with a still glowing hand. Much to Feraligatr's surprise, he was struck in the stomach and sent flying into the stadium wall, which began to crumble.

Feraligatr threw off the rubble, as he managed to stand right back up. He grimaced, as it became obvious that he had taken damage from the altercation. Suddenly, he vanished back into his device, which Ash held in his hand.

Giovanni again growled. "Stop substituting and stand and fight like a man, Aaron!"

Ash brushed off the comment, as he replaced Feraligatr's Pokéball for a different choice.

"Worry about your own strategy, Sakaki, while I'll worry about mine!" Ash threw his next choice in the air, to reveal Sceptile once again.

"I see that you still have that stubborn streak in you," Giovanni remarked.

"Some habits die hard." Ash smiled. "Sceptile, use Leaf Storm!"

Sceptile encased himself in a tornado of leaves, before sending the attack towards the Tadpole Pokémon.

"Use Ice Beam!" Giovanni countered.

Poliwrath let the light blue beam go against the powerful grass attack. The attack went through the leaves, causing a mist of green and blue to cover the battlefield.

"Now, Leaf Blade, Sceptile!" Ash exclaimed.

Sceptile cried out and dashed through the mist of green and blue, as he charged towards his opponent. He closed in, as his leaf appendages began to glow green. He pulled back and threw his arm forward, targeting the back of the Kanto Pokémon. Before the attack could land, the appendage was grabbed by Giovanni's Pokémon.

"You'll never learn, Aaron!" Giovanni spat. " Poliwrath, use Seismic Toss!"

Similar to what happened earlier, the fighting and water type leaped into the air and threw Sceptile to the ground.

"Now, Focus Punch!"

Poliwrath began to fall, as his fists began to glow white.

"Sceptile! Get up and launch another Leaf Storm!" Ash pleaded.

Sceptile managed to open his eyes and unleash the attack, straight into the air, at the incoming attacker. Poliwrath was struck with several leaves, as it began to fall. The Tadpole Pokémon came crashing to the ground, just a few yards away from Sceptile.

Both Pokémon groaned as they pulled themselves up from the ground. Sceptile winced, as he fell to his knee, while Poliwrath grimaced and grabbed the arm that had hit the ground hard.

I've got to end this now! But how?! He'll just catch every attack that we send at him, from up close!

Ash took a quick glance and noticed the glowing yellow seeds on Sceptile's back, and then, he smiled. Well, it's worth a shot!

"Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!" Ash shouted.

Again, Sceptile's appendages glowed green. He rushed straight towards his opponent, while throwing all he had into the attack, but only for it to be caught again.

"Now, throw the other arm!" Ash countered.

Sceptile responded by hurling his second glowing arm, but only for that to also be caught.

"So stubborn!" Giovanni stated as he laughed at his opponent's persistent personality.

"And you're so easy to fool!"

Giovanni's laughter stopped, as the words ran through his mind. He quickly looked at his Pokémon and realized what Ash had planned, but it was too late.

"Alright, Sceptile! Solar Beam!" Ash shouted.

A bright white ball appeared, in the forest Pokémon's mouth, before firing a large beam of blinding white light. Ash and Giovanni had to cover their eyes, from the bright ray, as the wind kicked up dust and small rocks, from the wreckage that was on the battlefield.

Poliwrath cried out in pain, before vanishing in the white light. The beam struck the stadium wall, causing a massive explosion. Onlookers were yelling, in panic, at the massive explosion that took out the wall. The wall, which the attack had hit, was reduced to rubble.

When the rubble began to move, Ash and Sceptile looked on in horror. Poliwrath pushed a rock, from atop its position, and slowly stood itself up. Poliwrath was breathing heavy. It slowly took a step out of the rubble, but cried in pain and hit the ground, with swirls in its eyes.

Ash and Sceptile let out a small sigh of relief. Sceptile looked back and smiled at his trainer, before vanishing in a red beam of light.

"Great job, Sceptile," Ash said, with a small smile on his face.

Ash's smile vanished, as he turned back to see Giovanni, glaring at him. He matched the glare, as the platforms, that they were on, began to lower. Before they lowered, he could see Giovanni, as he began to shake in anger, which caused the masked trainer to smirk.

---

Lance felt a cold stare, coming from behind him, that sent chills up his spine. He turned to see Sabrina, standing there, with her arms crossed.

"You seemed pleased," she said coldly.

"Yes, but it isn't over yet," Lance replied with hesitation in his voice.

"You don't think that he can do it?" she asked while looking surprised at the Kanto and Johto champion's response.

Lance shook his head, before looking her back in the eyes. "He's a strong trainer and that was shown out there, in the first half of the battle, but he still has a long way to go," Lance stated. "With that said, it's not a bad idea to always have a backup plan."

"So that's why the Elite Four are hiding in the stands," Sabrina said with a smirk.

Lance chuckled a bit. "How long did you know?"

"Well, besides Agatha, they aren't necessarily the subtlest group of trainers out there," Sabrina answered. "They were easily spotted in the crowd, along with your G-Men."

Lance took his eyes off of Sabrina, when he heard cheers, coming from the front of the suite. There stood Serena, who was yelling her heart out to her beloved one below.

"Let's just hope, for everyone's sake, that he'll be able to put an end to this, once and for all," Lance responded.

"You mean, for her sake?" Sabrina stated while pointing out to the cheering performer.

"Yes, for her sake; and unbeknownst to the others, it's for their own sakes as well." Lance's tone turned somber. "They've all missed him so much. You can tell, whenever they speak of him."

---

Ash sat, in the middle of his locker room, with a smile on his face.

"I must say, not a bad start to the Finals."

"Pika pipi Pikachu chu pi, Pikapi," Pikachu responded somberly.

"Very true," Ash answered, with more reserved.

"We're up 5-3, Master!" Lucario nearly shouted. "We're in the driver's seat. All we have to do now is put him out of his misery!"

Ash let out a sigh, as he stood up from his chair.

"Lucario," Ash began to communicate with the Aura Pokémon, through the aura. "you'll soon find out that numbers don't mean anything, in a Finals' battle. This thing is still up in the air."

---

Giovanni let out a roar, as he threw a fold-up chair, across the room, into the wall. He then yelled out again, as he balled his hands into fists and threw them into the lockers while leaving a dent upon where they impacted.

"That fucking punk thinks he can just show me up like that and get away with it?!" Giovanni yelled out. "Well, he has got another thing coming to him! We'll show him what true power is all about!"

Sitting in the middle of the room, while curled up in a ball, was Persian. She lifted her head and stretched when she heard the loud clangs. She purred, as she brushed up against Giovanni, in an attempt to ease his rage.

Giovanni smirked, as he took in his classy cat Pokémon. He scratched her head, which earned a purr from the normal type. He began to let loose a maniacal laugh.

"He called me a coward," Giovanni proclaimed, with a sense of disturbing creepiness in his smirk. "but we'll show him who's the real coward here. It's time to raise the stakes up a bit." He laughed again, while Persian purred with content.