Ash's POV:

My mind went numb. I felt like 20 firetrucks had hit me and I tried to shield my ears from the wails of Raichu who was writhing in pain...blood spewing from his tail stump. From my watery and bloodshot eyes, I looked at the weak grin on Ashlyn's face.

"I told you, brother! THIS..IS...WAR!!", she motioned gritting her teeth. I didn't bother about the rules and went to cradle my starter who fisted my shirt whimpering in pain. But I couldn't do ANYTHING to soothe him.

"I told you that he was done battling", I told her in a shaky voice and she turned her attention towards Beartic. Before I could blink my eye, he smote me with his fist and I was sent flying to my side and fell on my right knee rather hard.

The yells of my friends and family turned deaf to my ears and Raichu managed to stand up, tears of pain still streaming down his face.

"RAIICHIIIIII!!!!", he yelled and conjured a massive lightning bolt. The next second, he shot it towards Beartic who was shivering from the sudden shock.

"Focus Punch", I said weakly and his fists began to glow.

"Superpower"

But Raichu made contact with Beartic's cheeks and finished it off with a double hit to its forehead, and the large Ice type Pokemon dropped down to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"Beartic is unable to continue! Raichu is the winner!", the referee started.

"SOMEBODY HELP!! MEDIC!!", I yelled running towards Raichu and I grabbed his tail ensuring that I don't touch the severed portion.

"I can't allow that. I'm really sorry", he announced from behind me, and I could say that I haven't sworn at a person like that in my entire life.

"You know what? FINE!!", May said and grabbed Raichu from me along with his tail and ran outside, but she was stopped by a few grunts.

"Ta...Take him to the dispensary in the lower unutilized dormitory, and plug him to a 220 Volt supply! Please hurry!", I begged of her and she tore her way through the grunts to the lower side.

"I forfeit!", I announced and Ashlyn clicked her tongue shaking her finger.

"You aren't allowed to forfeit. You have to battle with all of your Pokemon!", the referee told me glaring at me, and at that moment, I caught him by the back of his neck and his nose made contact with my knee. While he was groaning in pain, I was lost. From the confident battler who had won 7 Leagues and had fought 7 Champions, I had suddenly turned into an amateur. I wasn't able to remember a single move or a single combination.

"Sceptile, I choose YOU!!"

"Gardevoir, I choose YOU!!"

"Use Leaf Blade!!"

"Future Sight!!"

Gardevoir dodged it with ease and my Mega-Sceptile just glared at her, but without my order, he swat her with his thick tail sending her crashing through a broken wall.

"Tear that lizard apart!! Combine Future Sight with Psychic!!"

"Defense is your best weapon! Attack from range! Use Bullet Seed!!"

Bullet Seed sent Gardevoir packing back. Future Sight was useless as Bullet Seed was an unpredictable move. Psychic however, damaged Sceptile. He was sent smashing towards me, but we together managed to reduce the impact of the attack, and a second later, he was back to face Gardevoir.

"Frenzy Plant!!"

"Enough of mock play!! Psychic!!"

Gardevoir yelled out a guttural scream and lifted Sceptile. My heart began to race. Ashlyn showed me the number two and brought her hand down. Sceptile had dislodged into a sharp part of the debris of the broken walls and his greenish blue blood began to flow freely from his abdomen.

"SCEPTILE!!", I yelled but Sceptile just groaned in pain placing his hands on his abdomen hoping that the heavy bleeding would stop.

It was a miracle that I didn't faint on the spot. Ashlyn meanwhile was chuckling devilishly and brought her hand down again. That instant, Gardevoir began to use Psychic.

"Solar Beam!!"

The Solar Beam struck Gardevoir just before her Psychic took effect, and she was scorched by the powerful move. Then, she fell to the ground unable to move. I heard Ashlyn groan but I wasn't in the mood to see her face.

I didn't even bother to hear the referee say his usual stuff and rushed to Sceptile. He was in an equally horrible state as Raichu and I began to panic.

"I got him, Ash! I know what to do! I'll keep him in line of direct sunlight! I'll send May as soon as possible", Gary told me and snatched Sceptile's Pokeball from me. I don't know how he took Sceptile to the dormitory as I had sunken down to my knees, allowing all the built up tears to flow once more.

"Please! I implore you! Don't hurt my Pokemon!", I begged Ashlyn but she just rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers signalling me to get up.

"Aggron, I choose YOU!!"

"Tyranitar, I choose YOU!!"

"Start off with Metal Sound!! Keep it away from you!"

"Dark Pulse followed by Stone Edge!!"

The attacks cancelled one another and our Pokemon just glared at each other.

"Rock Tomb followed by Heavy Slam!!"

"Sandstorm!!"

Aggron had the upper hand in this round and the combination took a huge toll on the energy of Tyranitar.

"Get a grip, Tyranitar!! Smack Down!!"

"Heavy Slam again!! Follow it with Metal Sound!!"

This was the biggest blunder I had ever committed. The attacks cancelled each other again, but Tyranitar grabbed Aggron's horns when he was using Metal Sound, and once again, Ashlyn brought her hand down.

Tyranitar placed his left foot on Aggron's head and pulled back, SNAPPING his horns, spilling his metallic blood along with it, and each yell of Aggron just kept ripping my heart. I had lead my best Pokemon to their possible deaths. But I had no other choice. On the basis of Ashlyn's malice, only the strongest ones can HOPE to survive.

"Kill that thing with Rock Tomb!!"

"Hit them back with Iron Tail!!"

Miraculously, Aggron fought back his pain and hit all the rocks back to Tyranitar who collapsed due to the 50 or so rocks who hit it. The referee began to blabber again and Drew pulled Aggron's Pokeball from my belt and ran towards the dispensary giving me a nod.

"I'll stop the bleeding until you come! I've also got his horns! I've worked with Pokemon researchers and I know what to do!", he shouted while running towards the dormitory.

May had come back and gave me a nod signalling that she had plugged Raichu to the electric support.

"Lucario, I choose YOU!!"

"A Mega-Lucario? Not bad! Togekiss, I choose YOU!!"

"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!"

"Just dodge it with Fly!"

The Aura Sphere just missed Togekiss and I mentally groaned. But to my surprise, it came back like a boomerang and hit Togekiss square in its face.

"Get a grip, Togekiss! Use Dazzling Gleam!!"

"Charge yourself and hit with Close Combat!!"

Togekiss was still dizzy from the Aura Sphere and took the attack immediately, even before Ashlyn could give it an order.

"Bone Rush!!"

Lucario formed a bone and smashed it down on Togekiss the very next second causing the Fairy and Flying type to drop down on the ground with only an ounce of energy remaining.

"Finish it off with Close Combat!!"

"I have to sacrifice you, Togekiss! Use Dazzling Gleam!!", Ashlyn ordered and brought her hand down causing my heartbeat to go uneven. What had she planned this time?

Togekiss took the attack, but the insane brightness of Dazzling Gleam had a blinding effect. Togekiss had fainted, but Lucario was walking around aimlessly, screaming in pain, robbed of the gift of sight, with his hands forward and tears streaming down his face. Togekiss had also fallen on his right foot causing him to limp, worsening his condition.

"Lucario, follow my voice!", I pleaded and he limped towards me hoping that he'd find me. I rushed towards him and he wrapped his arms around my waist closing his eyes as tightly as possible. I had NEVER seen him this vulnerable or weak before, and this added to the pain I was already suffering from.

"Dawn?", I asked and before I turned she had already taken Lucario from my embrace and supported him.

"I've got him! I don't know anything about aura, but I'll have his leg fixed", she told me solemnly and I nodded my head.

"Who's the next victim?", Ashlyn asked me mockingly, and my hands began to tremble on their own.

"Charizard, I choose YOU!!"

"Articuno, I choose YOU!!"

"Blast Burn!!"

"Hurricane and Blizzard together!!"

The combination had slightly overpowered Charizard and he began to shiver slightly. But within a second, he waved it off.

"Use Inferno!!"

"Counter that with Ice Shard!!"

Inferno had BADLY wounded Articuno as Charizard didn't stop his attack even after Articuno had begun to take damage. But, I had committed another minor fault - letting my guard down.

"Use Dragon Tail!!"

"Use Ice Beam on THAT spot!"

Which spot though? My question was immediately answered when Articuno swerved through the Dragon Tail and used Ice Beam on the tip of Charizard's tail...his source of life.

Charizard's eyes began to droop, his movements began to falter and the flame on his tail slowly began to fade along with my happiness. He gave me one final grin, and collapsed unable to move.

"KILL IT!"

"CHARIZARD PLEASE MOVE!!", I begged of him, and by some miracle, his eyes fluttered open and he growled loudly slapping Articuno's chest with Dragon Tail and used Blast Burn on its downed form causing it to collapse with burn marks. The very next second, Charizard fell down and I sucked him into his Pokeball in a jiffy, and tossed it to Serena.

"Keep him in a place which is very hot! Surround him with fire. The fire on the tip of his tail MUST NOT DIE!", I told her and she nodded her head.

"I'll keep him in the boiler room along with some small bonfires", she told me and left.

"So, Greninja, I guess? Chesnaught, I choose YOU!!"

"Greninja, I choose YOU!!"

"Start off with Hammer Arm!!"

"Dodge that with Double Team and use Night Slash!!"

Chesnaught was beat by my combo and I HAD to build up on the advantage.

"Follow it up with Aerial Ace and Water Shuriken!!"

"Bulk Up!!"

Even though Bulk Up was supposed to reduce the damage taken, Chesnaught was sent crashing into the ground and it created a large dent.

"GRENINJA!! Stronger....TOGETHER!! Use Water Shuriken and confuse it with Double Team!!"

"Listen closely! Find the real one!!", she desperately yelled but I had trained Greninja to mask his identity. Chesnaught was on its final legs due to the rapid combos I had used.

"FINISH IT OFF WITH AERIAL ACE!!"

"Hammer Arm!"

Greninja charged towards Chesnaught, victory was in sight, but luck favoured my sister.

While running, Greninja had accidentally stepped into a crease and twisted his ankle. As if to rub salt into my wounds, the Hammer Arm struck Greninja's head and he was sent scurrying across the floor, and he hit his head again on a rock.

The world was turning around on its own! I heard the cries of my friends, but I was too dizzy to even ask Greninja to do so something.

"NOW!!!!", I heard a voice go on inside my head and I saw Chesnaught jump on Greninja's knees, and the two of us yelled in pain. I felt the connection between us break signalling that he couldn't take anymore, but he had given his heart and would for me, just like all of my Pokemon who had battled for me.

I crawled to the centre of the field and cradled the limp form of whatever remained of my Kalosian Ace. His legs were twisted in awkward angles and he had cut our connection a second before Chesnaught had done the damage so that I wouldn't receive the full blow of the attack. He just sent me a trembling thumbs up hoping that I'd feel better. The whole crowd began to boo and shout insults at me.

The referee announced that Ashlyn was the winner, and I saw that condescending grin which I began to loathe. Suddenly, that morphed into an angered scowl and she threw two battle knives within the blink of an eye which landed a foot away from me, and I looked up to see her.

"I told you, didn't I? Long hail the Pride of Pallet Town!", she motioned sarcastically and left, and a wave of darkness began to take over.