"What Pokémon are you going to use, Ash?" Espeon asked, as they sat on a couch waiting for the time to step on the platform.

"Oh, he said he wanted to take on Max's Pokémon all by himself." Ash replied, holding up a Luxury Ball.

"He's angry at what Max did to you, isn't he?" Lucario enquired.

Ash nodded, just as a female voice announced it was time for launch. They stepped on the platform, and as usual, the glass closed in from around them, before the platform lifted them into the battlefield, which was a neutral battlefield this time.

"The battle between Trainer Max and Champion Ash would commence in a neutral battlefield." Ken announced, as both the competitors were launched in the battlefield.

"Trainers, please send out your Pokémon!"

"Scpetile, I choose you!" Max sent out the Forest Pokémon.

'This must be his starter.' Ash thought, remembering Max said if he were May, he'd choose Treecko instead of Torchic.

"Your Pokemon looks strong, Max, but I'm afraid the battle would be won by me." Ash said calmly, as he took out the Luxury Ball with a gleam in his eye.

"He is one of my most powerful Pokémon Ash. I can win this battle.

"We'll see." Ash said softly. While it sounded gentle, the PAL Elites (except Pakura) shivered in fear because that was the very same tone Pakura would use before viciously attacking an opponent

"Lend me your aura...." Ash said, as he threw the Luxury Ball. The Ball opened, and Max gaped in shock as the Pokémon that materialized was small, white, humanoid Pokémon. It has short, stubby legs and comparatively longer arms. There are flaps on the underside of its arms, which give the impression of long sleeves. Its eyes had small, blue triangular markings underneath. On its head is a large, yellow structure with three points extending outward: one from the top and one on either side. On each point is a blue tag, known as a "wish tag".

"Y-You must have poached Jirachi!" Max shouted upon recognizing that this Jirachi was the same one that he helped reawaken during the week of the thousand-year comet as his partner and friend. Max thought Jirachi saw him as his best friend, so why is he under Ash ownership?

"And Jirachi chose to come with me." Ash replied calmly.

"No, he didn't! He wouldn't follow someone like you!" Max accused.

"Yes I did I joined him...!" Jirachi said, glaring at Max.

"But why? If you wanted a trainer, you could've gone to me!" Max protested. And that way, he would've had a Legendary in his team, and he would have won a league

"He is my new best friend now, Max!" Jirachi turned away. "I'm ashamed to be friends with you."

"Both Trainers ready?" Evan asked.

"No, not until Ash-" he said the name in venom, "-returns Jirachi to me!"

"Evan, just continue with the match." Ash interrupted. "I don't want to waste any time, and there are still people who want to battle today."

"Wait!" Max started, but Evan nodded and said, "Let the battle begin!"

"Jirachi, start things off with Trick Room!" Ash commanded. He knew Sceptile is faster than Jirachi (based on max speed), so he decided to use Trick Room to reverse their speed. Max didn't do anything, still dumbstruck on the fact that Jirachi is under Champion Red's ownership.

"Now, use Flash Cannon!" Ash commanded.

Max didn't say anything, thinking Jirachi would hesitate, but instead, it shot a powerful and fast Flash Cannon towards Sceptile.

"Sceptile, use Detect, hurry!" Max yelled at the last second. Sceptile's eyes glowed light blue and it narrowly dodged the Flash Cannon.

'Hmm...Jirachi was too far from Sceptile at the time of use, if not, it would've hit even if he used Detect.' Ash thought. "Alright, use Shadow Ball!"

"Dodge it, Sceptile!" Max countered.

As Sceptile dodged the Shadow Ball by jumping, Ash said, "Use Aerial Ace!" Since Sceptile was mid-air when Ash commanded Jirachi to use Aerial Ace, it hit Sceptile, sending him to the ground, but he got up.

"Use Swift!" Ash commanded.

"Sceptile, use Leaf Blade to take on the Swift!" Max yelled. The four leaves on Sceptile's wrists glowed light green and formed into two, and Sceptile began hitting the Swift Stars back at Jirachi.

"Jirachi, use Toxic!" Ash took advantage of the distraction to fire a Toxic at Sceptile. Jirachi spat a purple liquid at Sceptile, and when it hit, Sceptile is glowing purple, indicating a poisoned status.

"Sceptile!" Max shouted in concern.

"Use Zen Headbutt!" Ash said, and Jirachi struck Sceptile with its head, making Sceptile flinch.

"Sceptile, use Mega Drain!" Max commanded.

"Psychic to stop him in his tracks!" Ash said to Jirachi. Jirachi nodded, and unleashed a powerful Psychic and lifted Sceptile in the air.

"Finish it. Throw him in the air, and use Signal Beam, followed by Ice Punch!" Jirachi threw Sceptile in the air, opened his third eye located on his stomach, and fired a rainbow coloured beam at a falling Sceptile.

After Scpetile fell to the ground, Jirachi didn't give him a chance to recover, and punched his stomach, creating a huge crater around the spot where Sceptile was punched on the ground. Everyone was surprised at the sheer strength shown by Jirachi just by one Ice Punch. When the smoke cleared, it was shown Sceptile was down with swirls in his eyes.

"Sceptile is unable to battle! Trainer Max, please send out your next Pokémon!"

"You can do better than that, can't you?" Ash asked.

Max glared at him, as he returned his Scpetile, and took out another Pokéball.

"Breloom, I choose you!" He sent out the Mushroom Pokémon.

"You know you're at a disadvantage, right?" Ash raised his eyebrows.

"Shut up." Max advised him. "I can win even at a disadvantage."

"Champion Ash, are you switching?" Evan asked.

Ash shook his head. "I'll stick with Jirachi until the end or when it faints."

"Breloom, use Stun Spore!" Max commanded.

"Blow it away with Icy Wind!" Ash countered. Both the Stun Spore and Icy Wind clashed, only to be quickly overpowered by Icy Wind, and both attacks hit Breloom, slowing him down and paralyzing him.

"And it looks like Champion Ash Icy Wind easily overpowered Stun Spore, and Breloom is now damaged by both attacks! Breloom is now paralyzed and slowed down from both attacks! Can Trainer Max get out of this pinch?" Ken wondered.

Max glared at Ash, and commanded Breloom to use Drain Punch, and Ash asked Jirachi to use Fire Punch. What Max didn't notice was Jirachi activated Fire Punch on both hands so when their respective moves connected, Jirachi took advantage of the momentarily distraction to use the other hand to punch Breloom, who was sent flying.

Breloom got up, but Max looked hesitant to call out a move.

"Out of moves?" Ash asked.

"Not yet!" Max yelled. "Breloom, use Hyper Beam!"

"I'm impressed that your Breloom knows Hyper Beam, Max." Ash said. "But, you'll need more than that to take Jirachi down. Jirachi, Shadow Ball!" The Hyper Beam hit the Shadow Ball, which exploded and it formed a purple wall between the two Pokémon, obscuring each other from view.

"Use Swift!" Ash commanded. To Breloom, the Swift stars suddenly appeared out of nowhere through the purple wall, and it hit him effectively.

"Don't let it recover! Use Aerial Ace!"

Jirachi then used Aerial Ace, which rammed Breloom against the wall, and dust clouds appeared, covering both Pokémon. When it cleared, Breloom was shown with swirls in his eyes.

"Breloom is unable to battle! Trainer Max, please send out your final Pokémon!"

Max returned Breloom and there was a lot of hate in his eyes as he sent out his Gallade.

"Gallade, I choose you!" Max hollered.

"It looks like Gallade is your strongest Pokémon." Ash scanned Gallade and checked the friendship meter using his CommuniDex. Much to his disappointment and amusement, the result he got was quite low. "But it looks like your bonds are not deep enough to have a Mega Evolution."

"Gallade can Mega Evolve?" Max's eyes lit up.

"Yes." Ash held up a Galladite for him to see. It was similar to a Gardevoirite, but with a lighter red and lighter green.

"Give it to me! I want to try it!" Max demanded.

"And why should I give it to you just because you want it? You aren't my superior, you know." Ash replied calmly, as he placed the Galladite in his pocket. "Anyway, your bond with Gallade is only average, so you can't activate Mega Evolution even if you wanted to."

"Yes we can!" Max insisted. "You're just sore because you don't own a Gallade like me."

"It takes more than just a Key Stone and a Mega Stone to Mega Evolve your Pokémon. It takes a deep bond as well."

"Your lying my bond with my pokemon is good."

"Fine." Ash doesn't want to hear Max whining anymore. "Just this once, I'll lend you a Key Stone and the Galladite to Mega Evolve in this battle, if you would just shut up. Although I doubt you can activate it." Ash folded his arms. Max immediately nodded, and held his hands out for the two items.

Ash hesitated, as he thought of the consequences that may happen. "But I need to warn you..." Before he could finish his sentence, Max impatiently took the two items from his hands.

"He didn't even let me finish." Ash said.

"Just leave him be, Ash. Anyway, he suffers in the end, not you." Lucario replied.

"Max, it isn't..." Ash started, but it was too late.

Max grinned, and after he handed the Galladite to his Gallade he said, "Gallade, Mega Evolve!" The Mega Evolution lights appeared, and Gallade Mega Evolved. Mega Gallade had red plates on its arms, and the helmet and cape-like protrusions that appeared on its head and back gave it a knightly appearance.

"Alright!" Max cheered. His friends were shocked thinking Max actually proved Ash wrong. Ash took back his Mega Glove from Max, much to his displeasure, and Ash reminded him he'd lend him just this once. Max reluctantly nodded, as he did keep his promise.

"Are both sides ready?" Evan asked, as both of them nodded. "Alright, then, battle begin!"

"Alright, Gallade, use Psycho Cut!" Max commanded. Gallade did, and Ash asked Jirachi to dodge. Jirachi did, and the Psycho cut hit the battlefield, and small explosions occurred where Psycho Cut hit.

"Wow, Mega Gallade's even more powerful!" Max commented. "Alright, use Leaf Blade!"

"Counter with Dazzling Gleam!" Ash countered. The Dazzling Gleam caused Mega Gallade to take damage and distract him. "Now, use Aerial Ace!" Jirachi's Aerial Ace was strong enough to send Mega Gallade flying towards the wall, but Mega Gallade used one of his blades to prevent himself from hitting the wall.

"Great reflexes too! Good job, Gallade!" Max encouraged. "Now, use Focus Blast!" However, Gallade didn't do a thing.

"Gallade, what's wrong?" Max asked, worried when Gallade didn't make a move after a minute.

That was when Ash noticed that Mega Gallade's red eyes were glowing.

"Uh oh. That's not good." Lucario said, as he took a step back.

"Yeah, it looks like Gallade's being manipulated by the power." Espeon added.

Mega Gallade charged towards Jirachi, about to use Close Combat.

"Jirachi, use Psychic!" Jirachi obeyed, and used Psychic to throw Mega Gallade against the wall. Mega Gallade got up, and upon seeing Espeon, teleported behind Ash, and activated Leaf Blade. Ash jumped, as the Leaf Blade narrowly missed his shoulder. Espeon was pissed now and launch psybeam which Gallade

"Gallade, what are you doing?" Max shouted.

But Mega Gallade was no longer listening, as it started to attack Lucario with Earthquake for also was defending Ash with Aura Sphere.

"And it looks like Mega Gallade is on a rampage! How is this situation going to end?" Ken wondered.

"Champion Ash, do you want to get help?" Evan asked.

"No, this is still a battle. I'll handle it myself." Ash replied. Evan nodded, and continued the battle.

"What's going on?" Jude yelled. "What's happening?"

"I don't know!" Rosaline replied. "This never happened with us."

"Is this what would happen if a Pokémon Mega Evolved with low bonds with the Trainer?" Phillip wondered, looking down at the rampaging Mega Gallade.

"..." Pakura stayed quiet knowing her boyfriend Ash will be fine.

"Oh My God..." Cynthia was worried for Ash as Jirachi started to attack Mega Gallade so he'll turn his attention to him. Sure enough, Gallade started attacking Jirachi.

"Why don't you say something?" Lance asked Pakura.

Pakura shrugged. "For what? I expected it. Pokémon who couldn't cope with the sudden increase of power during Mega Evolution becomes like that, which is why a deep bond with Pokémon is required. It's so that the Pokémon would be able to hear the owner's voice to help calm it down. Otherwise, the Pokémon would just see everyone as enemies."

"What? Why didn't you say anything?" Jasmine yelped.

"Max was the one who snatched the things out of his hands before he could finish the warning. So I think he deserves it. Besides, Ashy isn't the one suffering, so why worry?"

"Well, fair point." Phillip said, settling back on his seat to watch the show.

"Phillip!" Rosaline was appalled Phillip would take her side.

"It's true. Ash did try, but Max didn't listen. So that should teach him a lesson." Phillip replied.

'Wow, I like his assertive side. It looks like he can be assertive if he really want to be.' Jasmine thought.

"Jirachi, Energy Ball!" Ash commanded, and Jirachi shot an Energy Ball at Mega Gallade. Mega Gallade simply used Leaf Blade to slice it in half, and shot a Signal Beam at Jirachi, much to Max's dismay, since Mega Gallade was disobeying him.

"Counter with Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled.

"Gallade, dodge it!" Max attempted to command Gallade, but Gallade simply held up Signal beam, and both clashed in the middle.

"Use Shadow Ball!" Ash said, and Jirachi charged a Shadow Ball, and the Thunderbolt helped electrify it, increasing the power. Jirachi shot the powered up Shadow Ball at Mega Gallade.

"Gallade, you've got to dodge! Hurry!" Max yelled desperately. However, it was futile, and Mega Gallade was damaged badly by the electric-infused Shadow Ball.

"Thunder Wave!" Ash instructed, and Jirachi paralyzed Mega Gallade.

Mega Gallade started using Close Combat immediately, much to Max's horror.

"Jirachi, dodge them all!" Jirachi agilely dodged the barrage of punches and kicks. Soon, the paralysis took its toll and Mega Gallade groaned in agony, and saw Ash, Espeon and Lucario, and assumed they were enemies as well. He then shot a Shadow Ball at the three of them. However, Jirachi got in the way, and used Protect.

Suddenly, Mega Gallade then let out a pained scream, and turned back to normal, falling to his knees, before hitting the ground. Ash retrieved the Galladite with teleportation, and silently placed the Galladite back into his pocket.

"Gallade is unable to battle! Jirachi wins! And thus, the winner is Champion Ash!"

"What happened, Gallade?" Max wailed. "You were doing so well!"

"Gallade couldn't cope with the sheer and sudden increase of power in Mega Evolution, and ends up getting manipulated by the said power. That is why it's not advised to use it when you don't have a deep bond with Pokémon."

"You Asshole! You must have tampered with it didn't you?" Max accused. "Isn't it enough you used Jirachi? Do you have to make Gallade suffer too?" Ash heard Max's friends gasping at him as well, while the rest of the audience stayed silent, wondering what he would say to counter Max's accusations.

"Not even I can tamper with items that has a power of their own." Ash replied. "I did try to warn you, but you snatched the stones away and Mega Evolved Gallade before I can even tell you. As for Jirachi, Jirachi clearly said that he chose to come with me. I think everyone can witness to that."

"I agree." A somewhat familiar voice among the audience said. Ash turned to see Savannah, a member (and probably leader) of the Mothers for Pokémon, a group that idolized Pokémon Trainers and Coordinators. Apparently, they came here since this is a gathering for famous Trainers and Coordinators, and those two are their obsessions. And judging by the looks they are giving him, he was probably one of their current admirations.

"Me too." A little boy said, and slowly, the audience began to express their agreement with Ash's statement, humiliating Max.

He nodded to Evan, who went to call the paramedics for Gallade. Max watched in distress as the paramedics rushed Gallade to the Pokémon Center

----------------------------

"I do have the type advantage here." Malva said smoothly, smiling somewhat coldly.

"Well done, you've finally learned the Pokémon type matchups." Pakura said sarcastically, which ticked Malva off somewhat.

"You're so amusing....I just want to burn you up with my passion." Malva replied smoothly.

"Bring it on." Pakura gave her a death glare, which made Malva slightly frightened, as her glare promised pain, death and the thirst for blood. Who knew such as person existed?

"Trainers, please send out your first Pokémon." Evan ordered.

"Talonflame, go!" Malva threw her Pokéball and it opened to reveal the Scorching Pokémon."

"Let's go, Vanilluxe!" Pakura sent out her Snowstorm Pokémon.

"Let the battle begin!" Evan declared.

"Talonflame, start things off with Flame Charge!" Malva commanded. Talonflame covered herself in a coat of flames before flying towards Vanilluxe.

"Vanilluxe, dodge and use Hail." Pakura countered. Vanilluxe gracefully dodged the attack, and it started to rain hail on the battlefield, and Talonflame started to take damage from the Hail.

"Ice Shard." Pakura ordered. Vanilluxe fired multiple shards of ice at Talonflame, who only had time to turn around before she was hit by the move.

"Flamethrower!" Malva ordered. Much to her surprise, some of the ice shards did not melt, and it hit Talonflame, causing her to yelp. What was more, Talonflame started taking more damage from Hail.

"Flare Blitz, go!" Mavla decided to use one of the more powerful Fire-type moves.

"Ice Beam." Pakura countered. Both the moves clashed, and to everyone's surprise, the Ice Beam successfully froze the Flare Blitz, and subsequently, Talonflame. However, Talonflame managed to break out due to the Flare Blitz, though the said move was now deactivated.

"What power." Malva commented, looking at the Vanilluxe. "What fun this would be. Talonflame, Flamethrower!"

"Dodge." Pakura commanded, though it was a second late as Vanilluxe got hit by the Flamethrower. It was fine though, as Vanilluxe glowed light green and a little of her health was restored.

"Ice Body." Malva remarked, watching Vanilluxe. "No wonder she called for Hail." Just then, it stopped hailing.

"Now, use Fire Blast!" Malva took this chance to attack.

"Mirror Coat." Pakura countered. Vanilluxe used the move to deflect the move back to Talonflame, who quickly dodged the attack, though she still sustained some damage on her left wing.

"Steel Wing!" Malva called out, and Vanilluxe was hit by the super-effective move, though she did not seem fazed. She simply shook her head and got back into battle stance.

'Her next move is most likely a status move. I have to prevent that.' Pakura thought. "Use Taunt." This successfully prevented Talonflame from using status moves, which frustrated Malva as she was about to use Bulk Up.

"Toxic." Pakura said, and before Malva could react, her Talonflame was now badly poisoned.

"Talonflame, use Acrobatics!"

"Double Team." Pakura commanded. Talonflame became confused by the multiple copies of Vanilluxe, and Malva said, "Just attack them all!"

"That's what I was waiting for." Pakura gave a strange smile, and as the copies were dissipated by Talonflame, Vanilluxe appeared behind Talonflame. At the same time, Talonflame had her health chipped away thanks to Toxic.

"Hurry, use Flame Charge!" Malva ordered.

"Rain Dance." Pakura countered, and Sylveon automatically used Protect on her and the others as it started to rain on the battlefield. However, Vanilluxe was still hit by the Flame Charge, which also increased Talonflame's speed. Talonflame shuddered as the poison was sapping at her energy.

"Now, Water Pulse." Pakura smirked, and Malva was surprised that Vanilluxe knew Water Pulse. The Water Pulse hit Talonflame in the face, and she was shot backwards.

"Talonflame, use Brave Bird!" Malva shouted, and surprisingly, Pakura let the Brave Bird hit. Talonflame, however, was damaged by the recoil and the Toxic.

"Now, finish it with Avalanche." Pakura instructed, before Malva could react. At that moment, she realized why Pakura allowed Vanilluxe to be hit. A dark cloud appeared above Talonflame, and chunks of clear ice rained down from the cloud and continuously stuck Talonflame. Talonflame fell onto the ice battlefield with swirls in her eyes.

"Talonflame is unable to battle. Elite Malva, please send out your next Pokémon." Evan announced.

Malva sent out her female Pyroar, while Pakura chose to stick to Vanilluxe. Once again, when the battle started, she started off with Hail, mainly because she wanted to make use of Ice Body to restore Vanilluxe's health while battling.

"Pyroar, use Hyper Voice." Malva commanded. The Hyper Voice seemed more powerful than usual, which made Pakura realize that Malva's Pyroar's Ability was Rivalry. Before she could react, Malva called for Pyroar to use Roar, which forced Vanilluxe back in her Pokéball, and dragged out her Castform, which was in Snowy form.

'Oh well, this just gives me an advantage.' Pakura shook her head. "Castform, Ice Beam." Castform fired the Ice Beam, which Pyroar dodged, but one of her forelegs got frozen. Pyroar skidded on the ice battlefield, trying to keep her balance.

"We'll just have to do something about the ice." Malva said. "Flamethrower!"

"Hydro Pump." Pakura countered. The Hydro Pump effectively extinguished the Flamethrower, and Pakura called for a Thunder Wave, which paralyzed Pyroar.

"Incinerate!" Malva ordered, and Pyroar's body turned white, and she charged towards Castform.

"Shadow Ball." Pakura called out. The audience was puzzled, as Pyroar was a Normal-type and hence, immune to Ghost-type moves. This led them to ask themselves what was Pakura thinking? Their question was answered when the Shadow Ball hit just in front of Pyroar, slowing her down, enough for Castform to attack with Blizzard.

"Fire Blast!" Malva commanded. Pakura told Castform to redirect it with Thunderbolt, and the Fire Blast hit the ground, melting some of the ice on the battlefield.

"Disable." Pakura ordered, and Malva was frustrated as Pyroar could no longer use Fire Blast.

"Flame Charge!" Malva instructed, and Pyroar started to use Flame Charge to try and increase her speed. She was slowed down by her paralysis, however.

"Not a bright idea Malva has here, using Flame Charge directly on the battlefield." Jude commented as he watched Castform dodge the Flame Charge over and over again. "I mean I can understand Talonflame, since it can fly, but Pyroar?"

"Agreed." Siebold was watching his fellow Elite battling Pakura. "Malva overlooked one crucial thing. Well, she isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. She has good intuition, true, but it looks like she is outsmarted this time."

"What are you two talking about?" Lucian asked the two.

"It's an Ice battlefield, Lucian." Bertha answered. "Tell me, what form does ice take when it's melted by fire?"

"Water...uh oh." Caitlin realized what was going on.

"It looks like she just proved herself to be one of the smartest battlers here." Volkner commented. "She's definitely more than just a pretty face."

'Well, duh. Otherwise, she wouldn't be our Leader.' Ash thought, as he watched the ice battlefield turn into a water battlefield. 'Paku must have deliberately asked Castform to keep dodging.' He watched as Pyroar managed to his Castform, sending it backwards. Pyroar was about to chase after it, but realized that she was standing on a patch of ice surrounded by water.

"Oh, no!" Malva realized her careless move caused Pyroar to be surrounded by water, and being part Fire-type, she would naturally hate the water.

"Noticed too late." Pakura sighed. "Castform, use Headbutt." Castform headbutted Pyroar into the water, and Pyroar was revealed to be able to swim.

"You sure have tricks in your sleeve, Elite Malva." Pakura commented.

"Same goes for you." Malva replied. "Pyroar, use..."

"Thunder." Pakura cut her off. The water increased Thunder's power, and Pyroar screamed as she was electrocuted. When Thunder ended, Pyroar was shown with swirls in her eyes.

"Pyroar is unable to battle. Elite Malva, please send in your last Pokémon." As he spoke, the damaged ice battlefield went downwards, to be replaced with a fresh new ice battlefield.

"Houndoom, go!" She sent her Dark Pokémon as her final one, and Pakura took note of the Houmdoomite it was wearing. Pakura chose to stick with Castform this time, which has turned back to Normal form.

"Let the battle begin!" Evan announced.

"Start things off with Hail." Pakura decided to make the first move. The Hail successfully turned Castform into Snowy form, which is the Ice-type.

Malva took out her necklace containing her Key Stone, and said, "Blaze up, Houndoom! Mega Evolve!" The Houndoomite reacted to her Mega Necklace, and Houndoom Mega Evolved into Mega Houndoom.

'A Mega Evolved Pokémon with a type advantage is going to be troublesome.' Pakura thought.

"So, my fellow Elite. What would you do?" Malva asked.

Despite Castform being tired from the last battle with her Pyroar, Castform was able to wear Houndoom out with the super-effective Water-type moves despite it still being an Ice-type thanks to Hail. Just then, the Hail stopped, but Pakura commanded Castform to start it again in order for it to remain an Ice-type.

"Houndoom, use Dark Pulse!" Malva commanded.

"Incinerate." Pakura countered. The ball of fire was enough to stop Dark Pulse, and Pakura then took this chance to attack with a Thunderbolt, which electrocuted Mega Houndoom.

"Feint Attack!" Mega Houndoom disappeared, and Castform looked around, until it appeared behind it and attacked it from behind with a well-aimed Flamethrower. As Castform is currently an Ice-type, it was super effective.

"Castform. Are you alright?" Pakura asked calmly, and Castform nodded. However, Pakura narrowed her eyes as she realized Castform was now inflicted with a Burn status.

'I will have to end the match as quickly as possible.' Pakura thought. "Castform, Hurricane."

"Inferno!" Malva countered. The attacks clashed, allowing Pakura to command Castform to use Future Sight, followed by Disable, leaving Houndoom unable to use the powerful move again.

"Try this. Overheat!" Malva pointed to Castform.

"I shall meet you head on. Use Double Team, and follow it up with Scald." Pakura was not going to back down on a challenge.

Castform absorbed its clones to make Scald stronger, and used it to meet the strong Overheat head on. The attacks clashed, and everyone was trying to see through the thick smoke. Only Pakura was standing in the smoke unfazed as she looked forward with an impassive expression.

When the smoke cleared, the Future Sight chose this moment to strike, and light blue lightning bolts appear from the ceiling and hit Mega Houndoom. Malva looked surprised at that attack as she did not realize Pakura had called for a Future Sight. The move did its trick, and Mega Houndoom fell on the ground, and the Mega Evolution wore off.

"Houndoom is unable to battle. Castform wins. The winner is Elite Pakura!" Evan announced.

Philip Battle

"Froslass is unable to battle. Raichu wins. Elite Glacia, please send out your last Pokémon."

"Abomasnow, I choose you!" Glacia sent out the Frost Tree Pokémon. As soon as Abomasnow appeared in the battlefield, a brief blizzard occurred, covering the grass field with snow.

"Huh, it looks like her Abomasnow's Ability is Snow Warning." Ash commented.

"Indeed. I wonder what Phillip would do?" Cynthia replied.

"Raichu, return for now!" He returned Raichu back to her Pokéball. 'Hmm, should I send out Empoleon again, or a new Pokémon? I never really seen an Abomasnow in battle because Pakura doesn't own one. Oh well.'

"Phillip, will you use me for this one?" Emolga asked. Dedenne blinked up at Phillip for his answer.

"Not today, Emolga. I'll use you next time." Phillip replied, petting Emolga on the head, at the same time taking out another Pokéball.

"Alright." Emolga nodded, though she sounded a little disappointed.

"Metagross, I need your help!" He sent out his Iron Leg Pokémon.

"Now...Mega Evolution, commence!" Metagross' Mega Stone was reacting to Phillip's Mega Stickpin, and Metagross Mega Evolved into Mega Metagross.

This Mega Evolution interested a certain Steel-type Champion, namely Steven Stone, as he never knew until now that his main Pokémon, Metagross had the potential to Mega Evolve. He wondered if he should ask one of them for a Key Stone and a Mega Stone for his Metagross.

Just then, the door opened, and Jasmine came in, looking happier.

"What did I miss?" Jasmine asked, sitting at the front row with the PAL Elites.

"Phillip took down Glacia's Beartic with his Empoleon in the first round, and her Froslass with his Raichu. Her fatal mistake was to use Attract, as Phillip's Raichu is female." Ash explained to Jasmine. "They are now beginning Round 3."

Glacia wondered how she could counter Phillip's ability to command Pokémon without saying anything and what she should do about it.

"Both Trainers ready?" Glacia and Phillip nodded. "Alright then, battle begin!"

"You may have the first move." Phillip offered.

Glacia smiled. "Wrong move. Abomasnow, Earthquake!"

'Ground-type moves are super effective. Clever, but.....' Phillip thought. 'Metagross, Magnet Rise!' Mega Metagross' body became surrounded in yellow and it rose off the ground, effectively avoiding Earthquake.

'Now, Gyro Ball!' Phillip inwardly commanded. Mega Metagross slammed into Abomasnow, sending it skidding backwards.

"Shadow Ball!" Glacia countered. Mega Metagross was hit by Shadow Ball, but it simply shook its head and got back to battle stance.

'Flash Cannon!' Phillip countered mentally, and Mega Metagross shot a powerful one at Abomasnow.

"Dodge, and use Bulldoze."

'Use Magnet Rise one more time, and counter with Sludge Bomb!' Phillip nodded to his Pokémon. Mega Metagross managed to avoid the Ground-type move by using Magnet Rise, and from where it was floating, it shot a Sludge Bomb with Abomasnow. Luckily for Phillip, the Sludge Bomb managed to poison Abomasnow.

"Abomasnow, Grass Whistle!" Glacia commanded. Despite the poison spreading, it managed to use the move, causing Mega Metagross to fall asleep, deactivating Magnet Rise.

'Metagross, Sleep Talk, hurry!' Sleep Talk turned out to be Psychic, and while sleeping Mega Metagross threw Abomasnow against the wall. Abomosnow got up, glowing purple, signifying the poison status. At the same time, Mega Metagross woke up.

"No way..." Glacia gasped. "How did it wake up so fast?"

Phillip smiled. "When a Pokémon is affectionate with a Trainer, a Pokémon would do anything to show their best side to their Trainer, including fighting off status conditions. In this case, my Metagross shook itself awake so I wouldn't worry about it. Isn't it right, Metagross?"

"That's right, Phillip." Metagross replied happily.

"Amazing...the friendship between the PAL Elites and their Pokémon is so deep...no wonder they stand out among us, and you can command without saying anything." Glacia muttered. "But, I'm not giving up just yet! Finish it with Sheer Cold!"

'Use Psychic one more time to send it back!' Phillip thought, and Mega Mategross obeyed. Phillip told Mega Metagross to use Aerial Ace, which finished off Abomasnow.

"Abomasnow is unable to battle! Mega Metagross wins! Which means, the winner is Elite Phillip!" Evan announced.

"Alright, Phillip won!" Rosaline cheered.

"Well, Phillip did have a huge advantage even without his mental command when he sent out Metagross. After all, Abomasnow has like, 7 weaknesses, since it's Ice/Grass?" Jude tried to remember.

Ash then felt Akeno presence outside, a girl dressed in an adorable light pink trench coat, covering the actual outfit she was wearing, and was also wearing sunglasses stepped outside the airport with her luggage, black hair flowing in the wind.

"Its time." Akeno said

Few hour passed

The scoreboard indicated that, Akeno hadn't lost any Pokémon after losing two of them in her team, while Rosaline was down to her last Pokémon, which is a Cresselia. It is also revealed Akeno currently had her Tsareena out.

When Pakura looked at Rosaline's accusatory expression, it was clear she felt that the Z-Moves that Akeno has access to were unfair, though Ash overruled it as he was aware of her being able to use them and according to their regional Tournament Guide, it's a legitimate thing to use in battle. Ash also dryly pointed out that Akeno didn't use her Mega Evolution once during the battle. Furthermore, the Z-Moves had only been used by her once before in the battle while she used Mega Evolution three times, so she shouldn't have a sense of entitlement.

"Tsareena, Trop Kick!" Akeno commanded. Tsareena jumped over Cresselia, and kicked her with such force rose petals and leaves could be seen emitting from the kick itself. Cresselia was sent backwards, but managed to recover her stance.

'Hmm that's a move I can use in my Pokémon Contests or Showcase.' Pakura noted the beautiful yet powerful move, watching Rosaline command Cresselia to use Aurora Beam, only for Akeno to counter it with High Jump Kick. The move combined with Tsareena's glowing leg, making the final move rather colorful as Tsareena gave Cresselia a kick, leaving a rainbow trail behind. Akeno smiled, as she did a series of poses with her Pokémon, surrounding Tsareena with Z-Power.

"It's almost over." Ash whispered, looking at Rosaline's Cresselia, taking a sip of his water bottle as he looked up at the screen above that is displaying the scoreboard of their Pokémon. "There is no way Cresselia can withstand the Z-Move, especially if the type she is using is strong against Psychic types."

"Savage Spin-Out!" Akeno pointed. Tsareena bound Cresselia with full force with threads of silk that she had spat out. Tsareena then threw Cresselia in the air and slammed her onto the ground hard, and sent her back in the air. During that time, Tsareena viciously cut the cocoon she wrapped Cresselia in, damaging her in the process.

Sure enough, like Ash said, the Z-Move ended the match, for Tsareena was seen standing over a fainted Cresselia in triumph.

"That was a savage move." Phillip put a hand over his mouth, as Jude announced Akeno as the winner of the match, hence succeeding in dethroning Rosaline as the Elite member.

"That decides it." Ash closed his eyes. "Jude, Phillip, you are to battle Akeno and see what rank she gets. Call me if she manages to defeat Phillip."

"Very well." Jude and Phillip said in unison.

"After the battles are done or if she loses to one of you, I want you to go and pack Rosaline's things from her Battle Tower room and her room in the Elite Plateau and send them back to her parents' house. Also give Akeno Rosaline's Key Stone and CommuniDex. Akeno, you'll be residing in Rosaline's room until the Pokémon World Tournament is over. After that we will make the living arrangements for you in our Elite Plateau." Ash said to her.

"As you wish." Akeno curtseyed.

"Hey, what about me?" Rosaline protested.

"What about you?" Pakura scoffed. "Seems to me that losing your position is your problem, not ours."

"That's enough. Akeno?" Ash addressed his new Elite member.

"Yes, Ash?" Akeno said

"Teleport Rosaline back to her hospital room and put her soul back. I will be informing the Hunter's Association of her forfeiting her place in the tournament later tonight. " Ash said smirking

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

I never knew they had such a place in here!" Mairin was admiring the food court where she was having lunch with Alain. Alain decided to accompany Mairin to go window shopping as an exchange for her helping him out with his training, considering he was one of the participants for the Pokémon World Championships. She had always wanted to take a look around at what PAL Region sold in their shopping malls, and who was he to refuse her?

Alain was hoping to land a battle with one of the PAL Elites at one point, as he loved a good challenge and an opponent who enjoys their battles as much as he does.

"The food in most of the PAL Region is pretty good." Alain told her. "According to Champion Steven, the Cheesy Onion Noodle Soup is pretty good."

Mairin nodded, as she slurped on the noodles Alain bought her. "Hey! You're right!" Mairin exclaimed. "Oh wait. How much do I owe you?" Mairin started to look in her pockets for her coin purse, but Alain stopped her.

"It's ok." Alain said. "It's my treat."

"Oh, wow! Someone's being generous today." Mairin grinned.

"And there's a TV provided all over for entertainment purposes." Alain nodded towards the TV screen just on the wall next to them, which was currently turned to last year's PokéPageant competition. "Makes for a good excuse when conversations become awkward."

"Alain!" Mairin shouted, but Alain laughed.

"Come on, let's just eat." Mairin huffed, as they settled down on their noodles. As they ate, Mairin took a look at the programme they were currently airing, which was some prize ceremony for the winner of a competition that resembled a Pokémon Contest. Suddenly, they cut to the main newscaster once more.

"And due to the fact that this year's PokéPageants are cancelled in lieu of the Pokémon World Championship and the Interregional Pokémon Contest, whoever wins the Interregional Contest would not only get the Special Ribbon intended as the Grand Prize, he or she would also get the chance to compete for the title of PokéPageant King or Queen with the current Queen, Pakura Ameyuri."

"Huh, Ash didn't mention that Princess Pakura is..." Alain started, when he heard the last sentence.

"Alain?" they heard, interrupting Alain. He turned around and saw Ash with his Pikachu and Lucario.

'It's Champion Ash.' Alain thought. 'Please, don't humiliate me in front of Mairin.' Alain knew he also had knowledge of what happened during Kalos, and he hoped Ash wouldn't tell the truth to Mairin, who only knew half the story.

"Speak of the devil..." Alain said to Mairin, before forcing a smile. "Hello, Champion Ash."

"I didn't expect to run into you here." Ash commented.

"Yeah, me neither." Alain shrugged. "Oh, this is my friend, Mairin."

"Hi!" Mairin greeted enthusiastically, as she shook Ash's hand.

"Hello." Ash nodded. "Cute friend you have here, Alain."

"Thanks!" Mairin giggled. "So what are you doing here?"

"I'm here with Paku. We got to get some supplies." He said. "It's been really busy lately, with the research of the dragon duo third dragon prince."

"Oh Arceus!" Mairin looked positively excited. "As in the Legendary Dragon Duo?"

Just then, an Eevee came running up to Alain and Mairin's table. It yipped at them adorably.

"Hello, little one." Mairin started petting it. Eevee purred again and hugged Mairin.

"It's an Eevee." Alain murmured. "Looks like it's a baby Pokémon, judging by its size."

"Oh, she's nearby." Ash remarked. Alain did not know what he meant until he heard a voice say, "Now, Eevee, what did I say about approaching strangers?" Eevee hopped off Mairin's arms and ran up to an approaching Pakura, who was carrying a few plastic bags, climbing up her back and resting on her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek.

"Well, it looks like I'll have to tell you some other time." Ash replied, as he watched Pakura shake her head with exasperation. "But until then stay away from challenging any dragon trainer." Ash gave a smile, as he exited the food court, gesturing for Pakura to follow him. Pakura gave Alain an unreadable look, before obeying Ash.

"You're shivering." Mairin touched Alain, concern evident in her face. "Is something wrong, Alain?"

Alain knew that Mairin has to know the full story. What Pakura did to instil this kind of fear in him that lasted for almost six years and counting, the reason behind Alain's fear towards her. Ash's warning was also ringing in his head.

"After all, there is a reason why this region is known as the most dangerous one."

The way Ash said it so casually unnerved Alain. He almost wanted to send Mairin away, but she won't buy any of his excuses, not when he had given her so many in the past. Pushing her away also hurt her, something he learnt the hard way. By Ash's tone, he suspected that there is more to the Dragon Duo than what the public knows so far, especially their disappearance.

"No, nothing." Alain smiled. "I'm trembling with excitement at the thought of battling the Dragon Duo."

'''''''''''''''''''

Ash sense and attack from behind. He turned to dodge it, and looked around and up, only to see Rosaline hovering above him.

"Hmm...I thought the only person I'd have to attack is Pakura." Rosaline commented.

"Rosaline..." Ash was expecting to run into Rosaline, but this doesn't make it any less irritating that she just barged into his mission like this. He noted something was different about Rosaline, however. It was like she had become more powerful, only Ash suspected it might be through unconventional means, maybe a ritual or whatever.

There was no way Rosaline would grow in power within a short amount of time, considering she hates training in general and even blew them off for her social life.

"Let's not beat around the bush." Rosaline sneered. "Pakura's somewhere here. Maybe even nearby us. Tell me...where is your lovely girlfriend?"

Ash also didn't like being reminded that Rosaline was only here because she wanted power. Just like that white-haired demon, only much worse. It was a good thing Pakura concealed her aura so Rosaline couldn't track her, because otherwise Rosaline would have gone after her by now.

"Didn't you hear? She's not in this dimension anymore. Went home after she got what she came for." Ash said sarcastically.

Rosaline gritted her teeth. "Liar!" She roared and jumped down to the ground, ready to take down the Champion that stood before her. "I don't need psychic powers to make you tell the truth!"

Ash glared, and teleported them to the rooftop of Temen-ni-gru to fight.

"What do you hope to achieve coming here?" Ash asked Rosaline, readying his Multi-Action Azione Sabre.

"I just want back what I had." Rosaline said, sadness in her tone that Ash did not buy. "You guys took away what I had earned for myself!"

"You stole the Phoenix powers for yourself and caused the host to be in a comatose state, you failed to beat Jude or even Pakura and blamed it all on type advantages or them being too strong." Ash scoffed at her. "You weren't even a Hunter when you applied, and all you saw was the political power, and thought you were above the rules by begging for another chance although you squandered two of them! I thought you'd be remorseful at this or be thankful for what you have, but no, you became bolder and decide to take advantage of us, especially Jude and want more power because you're so used to getting your way and was never told no! You're nothing but a spoilt, arrogant and egomaniacal child!"

"Don't call me a child! I'm not a child!" Rosaline screamed, shooting herself towards Ash, and pushing him against a demon statue, double-edged two-handed sword in hand. Ash pushed back with his katana, and used telekinesis to push Rosaline fully away. Rosaline somersaulted quite a distance away.

As Ash clashed with Rosaline, he said, "You stain PAL honor! We're to lead the region for the people, not for ourselves."

"People are ungrateful! We need to put them in their place!" Rosaline retorted, as Ash blocked her next strike.

"We become rulers because people believe in us!" Ash replied. "None of the other rulers would want someone like you taking that title and ruining what they worked for."

"No wonder both of you never measure up to them." Rosaline mocked, as she leaped in the air and swings downward toward Ash, who blocked the overhead attack. "She was a bad influence on you." She tried to electrocute Ash, but Ash got out of the way in time.

Ash manipulated the demon statues and fired them at Rosaline at rapid speed. The youthful former Elite ran and dodged until she used fire blasts in the shape of balls to destroy the statues before altering the earth to form lava spikes at the Champion, who jumped away.

"You said I was good for her." Ash shrugged, blasting Rosaline back with a telekinetic blast, which she repelled with fire, causing smoke to cover the battlefield.

"I was wrong. May would have set you straight." Rosaline answered, attacking a silhouette of Ash that she saw. She smiled when she seemed to have taken off the head, only for the head to explode on her, making her take significant damage.

However, Rosaline did not seem to be fazed. Ash suspected it was because of the "new powers" she had gained from whatever she did.

"How could you betray everyone who cares about you like that? Your family?" Ash was angry, as Rosaline leapt forward with a flaming fist which he blocked, and punched her, sending her back. He shot ice projectiles from his sabre, but Rosaline merely melted it by shooting a large flame ball at it, and avoiding the ones she failed to melt completely by ducking. "You turned into a monster just for power."

After hearing the Champion's words, Rosaline looked at Ash straight in the eyes with an angry glare and stood her ground, showing no regret over what she had done in her quest to power.

"Look who's talking. You don't know how good you have it, do you?" Rosaline asked angrily, as she struggled to form a giant fire sword. Meanwhile, Ash calmly formed a giant crystal sword that was slightly bigger and taller than Rosaline's.

"All my life, I've been nothing but a freak. To my family, to those kids in Hearthome City. Now, even the place I loved to be in. I have never been the best in anything, I literally had nothing that puts me in a favourable position with anyone else." Both of them clashed, and their clash created a massive shockwave that shook the tower, with the combatants below also feeling the tremors.

"But now, I have finally found a way to get something to be the best, something that makes me have the chance to be the very best. You think I want to lose my position that easily? You'd do the same thing if you were in my shoes. The same thing could have happened to you when your mother was killed if she didn't find you!" Rosaline breathed fire from her mouth at Ash, who blocked with a crystal shield.

"This is no excuse." Ash shook his head, summoning a loose ring of vertical glyphs around himself and Rosaline, then used the one behind him to launch herself to another glyph. He jumped from glyph to glyph, where each glyph he visited formed projectile of a different element and then launched it at Rosaline, who was unable to keep up with the attacks coming from all sides and could only use telekinesis to try and slow Ash down.

"I don't know how hard you have it, but it's nowhere near as bad as the other Elites. Do you have any idea of how you have been behaving for years? All you're wanting is your own way and you think of yourself; what kind of message are you going to send to the people? No wonder they didn't choose you! No wonder Paku didn't let you be behind her in terms of ranking despite your pleas saying you have an advantage over Phillip!" Ash said, kicking Rosaline at the back.

"Like I told you, I don't want to be that soft kid anymore!" Rosaline yelled, getting up again. "You don't know how hard it is to be a person like me! I was born with psychic powers, but I can't control it. I didn't have a high place in society! I was someone who is weak and can't properly protect herself! I have no other choice but to do what I can to make my life better!"

"Is that worth sacrificing people's lives, stealing what's not yours?" Ash hissed.

Rosaline nodded with conviction. That was all Ash needed, to teleport and deliver a vicious kick to her head, knocking her down. Rosaline was about to retaliate with a kick as well, but telekinesis suddenly halted her attack and trapped both sword and user, much to Rosaline's shock.

Ash then threw her to the ground and said, "You made it clear you have already made up your mind. Then, all I would do is to stop you, and prevent you from ruining PAL any further."

"You think you can do that?" Rosaline asked with an arrogant smirk as she dusted herself off, still looking relatively undamaged. "I'm not the same anymore. I doubt that even you'll last long with what I did just to have power. After I've killed you, I'll kill Pakura and then get the full Phoenix powers. I got just the thing." With that, she activated her Special Ability, and rushed forward to clash blades with Ash.

Ash attacked back, but Rosaline's aura knocked his weapon aside, and he dodged a kick from Rosaline by jumping back and summoning his weapon back to his hand. This made Ash realize Rosaline's Special Ability must have something to do with amplifying her aura to the point she was able to take direct hits from her opponents without even flinching. No wonder she didn't worry too much about defense.

'Hmm, there should be a side effect to the ritual.' Ash thought. 'Maybe if I bank on it, I don't need a lot to defeat her.'

Rosaline suddenly charged towards Ash, swinging her sword downwards with all of her might. Ash sidestepped to avoid the attack, but saw that the power from the strike was so great that it left a large gash on the ground and even split the demonic statue behind him.

Rosaline blinked at what she had done, and laughed. "See, Ash? What I did was worth it. This is my new power. Combined with my Special Ability, you really think you can beat me?"

"I don't think I can beat you, Rosaline. I know I can." Ash answered calmly, deciding to gauge her power with his new Pactum Card, which was in Armor Form.

He found himself wearing a gladiator-style armor that was mainly composed of gold plates. The upper half of the armor consisted of a breastplate, gauntlets with sharp claw-like fingers and pauldrons, the right one with wing-like decorations that was red, white and black in colour. The lower part of the armor consisted of faulds and gold leg armor. Below the armor, Ash seemed to be wearing a red dragon hide shirt, which covers the areas of skin the armor didn't. Ash's head was also adorned by a winged helmet. He found himself carrying a scythe.

Ash slammed the bottom of the scythe down and rising up from the floor, his summon appeared; a white Dialga. It roared, ready to battle alongside its master. Ash nodded to his summon to support him, as he charged towards Rosaline, as did she, swinging with as much strength as she could. Rosaline grinned as she took on the Thunderbolts head-on without being fazed.

That was enough of a distraction, however, as Ash struck upwards with his scythe, getting the better of his opponent, before blasting her away with telekinesis, knowing he can't really damage her due to her current status.

Dialga tripped Rosaline when she tried to get up, and fired a series of icy wind filled with small snowballs at Rosaline, who held up one arm to block so that she could see. Rosaline then absorbed a stream of fire the summoned Dialga fired at her, allowing her to power up her fire abilities.

"Thanks for the energy!" Rosaline waved, punching a nearby statue, blowing it up and sending the debris raining on Ash. Ash simply formed a glowing blue disk and threw it like a boomerang, effectively slicing them in half. Rosaline quickly flew towards Ash for a kick, only for Ash to catch it, and swung her around to hit another statue. The debris rained down on Rosaline as well thanks to Ash's Accident Causation, but Rosaline simply brushed it off.

'However, while she is more powerful, she still lacked the experience in using them. She's still acting like an excited child with a new toy. She is beginning to get tired, even if she doesn't know it.' Ash thought.

Sure enough, Rosaline was getting really tired from their fight. She was starting to sweat and breathe heavily. Rosaline probably hadn't realized her own situation yet, as she was still too caught up in having obtained more power.

Rosaline blasted the summoned Dialga with a fire slash, making it vanish into mist. What she did not know, however, was Ash had cancelled the summon right before this, making Rosaline think her attack was that powerful.

Ash then used this distraction to use Time Dilation to increase his speed to get up to Rosaline to stab her just as Rosaline charged up a telekinetic fire blast towards Ash. Rosaline unleashed her attack, enveloping both of them in the explosion. Ash was unharmed thanks to his armor.

In the aftermath of the explosion, Rosaline charged at the Champion again. However, after taking a single step, the artist suddenly fell face first to the ground, her Aura and subsequently, her Special Ability broken.

Rosaline tried her best to get up, but her body was in extreme pain and wouldn't move like she wanted it to. All she could do was turn on her back while panting and letting out agonizing groans.

"I knew it." Ash said, walking up to her, noting whatever pain she was feeling is probably bearable to Pakura or she could even outright ignore it. He inwardly smiled at the thought that he had a strong wife. "I expected this to happen sooner or later. What else did you expect?"

''What...are...you...talking...about?" Rosaline managed to ask in a strained voice.

"Think about it, Rosaline." Ash shook his head at her naivety. "The ritual giving you a sudden boost in power, which was something that went over your actual limits. You didn't rest after the ritual and came here after to fight."

"I used...Normal...Dust to use...Recover." Rosaline pointed out painfully.

"Not the same." Ash answered. "It only takes away the pain, not dissipate the damage, so you still need to rest. Because you didn't, your body isn't fully used to it yet, so all your attacks put a lot of strain on your body. You've used up more aura than usual too because of this, so it's only natural you would be drained." Ash did not mention how he purposely prolonged the fight when he could have ended it in one shot.

"What...are you...going to do...to me?" Rosaline asked, panting.

"I'm going to make sure you'll never be a problem for us again." Ash answered coldly.

"W-Wait, please!" Rosaline pleaded, but Ash wasn't listening as he used telekinesis to throw her up, and lands a devastating scythe attack on her face, slashing her and sending her over the edge of the rooftop.

"How could you?" Rosaline said, looking up at Ash, who threw a knife at her, embedding it in her chest. Rosaline coughed out blood, giving Ash a look of betrayal. Ash simply looked back at her with an impassive expression.

Many years ago, he would have pitied her, considering he knew how it feels like to be betrayed. Now, however, all he knew was that she had no place in his region and that he wasn't sorry of the path he chose. After all, that path has Paku.

Ash noticed an orange glow bursting out of Rosaline's body and travelling somewhere, presumably to find Pakura as she held most of the portion of the Phoenix power.

His eyes unconsciously glowed, and Rosaline's body slowly started to turn to stone and the said body fell down towards the ground, fading from view.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

akeno is now replaced rosaline so make it akeno main character