"Infernape, Flamethrower!"

"Heracross, dodge, and use Fury Attack!"

It is the fourth and final round of the preliminaries in the Indigo League, and Ash is going against a girl named Debbie at the grass field. With Ash already in the lead by taking down Debbie's Sandshrew and Lickitung with his trusty Infernape, he's close to winning the competition. But Debbie turns out to have saved her best Pokemon for last as it turns out her final Pokemon, Heracross, can mega evolve. As soon as her final Pokemon was taken out of its Pokeball, Debbie didn't hesitate to touch the keystone on her bracelet, and Heracross transformed into Mega Heracross. With its attacks stronger than it would have been without mega evolving, Mega Heracross proves to be more than a match for Infernape despite the type advantage going in the flame Pokemon's favor.

Infernape fires a giant stream of flame from its mouth, but Mega Heracross flies away from the line of fire and repeatedly hits Infername with its horns. Infernape grinds its teeth in pain but stays strong.

"Infernape, use Dig!" Ash calls out.

Infernape jumps and digs underground. Debbie smirks and turns to her Pokemon.

"Herecross, just stay high in the air and use Aerial Ace when it comes out!" she instructs.

Mega Heracross uses its wings to go higher up in the air. It waits patiently until Infernape emerges from the ground to attack it only to be a couple feet away from arms reach. Mega Heracross then ingulfs itself in light and rams into Infernape with its horn. Infernape screeches as it plummets to the ground in front of Ash with a thud.

"Infernape!" Ash shouts.

Behind the raven-haired boy is Serena and Clemont sitting on a bench and watching the match. Both of them are worried that Infernape is down for the count.

"Oh, I hope Infernape can get up," Serena says worriedly.

"It's hard to say," Clemont says. "A flying type move like Aerial Ace is super effective on its own since Infernape is part fighting type. But with Heracross in its mega evolved form, I don't know if Infernape is going to stand up."

Serena's fear grows after hearing Clemont explain the situation. Even though Ash still has two Pokemon left, she still worries about the well being of his Pokemon. She places her hand on her ribbon and watches as Infernape struggles to get up. Unbeknownst to her, Ash notices how worried she is and frowns in frustration.

"Infernape, you can do it!" He shouts. "We need to make this a perfect match!"

"Pikachu?" Pikachu asks.

"In...fer...nape?" Infernape asks while still struggling to stay conscious.

Ash kneels down on the green platform he's standing her on and speaks to his Pokemon secretly.

"You see, I"m still trying to cheer Serena up," He whispers. "I know she's happy when I win, but she's always acting down almost as soon as the battle is over. It's clear that her loss against May brought her down, and I really want her to smile more. I hope to make her happy again by winning the league, but maybe winning a perfect match even against a mega evolved Pokemon like Heracross will make her happier than usual. It's a long shot, but I really want to try."

Pikachu is surprised at his partner's devotion to cheer up his friend before it smiles in support. Infernape looks up to its trainer and sees the determination deep in Ash's eyes. Feeling influenced, Infernape grinds its teeth and slowly gets up. It uses the platform for suppose until it completely stands up and grins at Ash.

"So, are you with me?" Ash asks with a smile.

"Infernape!" Infernape screams.

Suddenly, Infernape's eyes glow red, it's head glows bright orange, and the flame on its head grows massive in size. Ash and Pikachu smile brightly as the flame Pokemon makes another battle stance in determination.

"Alright, looks like we activated Blaze," Ash says.

Debbie raises an eyebrow curiously before she shakes her head.

"I don't know what Blaze is, but it's not going to stop us," she claims. "Heracross, use Aerial Ace one more time!"

Mega Heracross engulfs in light again and charges at Infernape. The monkey-like Pokemon waits patiently for Ash to make a call as its opponent becomes closer.

"Steady...steady..." Ash says calmly before he shouts, "Now, use Flamethrower!"

Infernape takes a deep breath and fires it at Mega Heracross. The single horn Pokemon is too close to its opponent to stop and dodge and so it gets hit hard by the fire attack. It falls to the ground with burn marks all over its body and groans weakly.

"Heracross!" Debbie screams.

"Now, let's finish this!" Ash shouts. "Use Fire Blitz on the double!"

Infernapes screeches again like a manic and charges at Mega Heracross with its body surrounded in light blue fire. Mega Heracross can do nothing but watch as Infernape slams into it with great force. Once the deed is done, the flame Pokemon gets down on one knee and struggles to stay up with red sparks appearing over its body while its opponent crashes into the ground in front of Debbie. Heracross returns to its normal form with its body limp, and the referee raises the green flag.

"Heracross is unable to battle!" He declares. "Ash is the winner!"

The crowd cheers, and Ash, Pikachu, and Infernape jump up and down excitedly. Clemont joins in the cheering while Serena lets out a big sigh of relief and smiles happily.

"Nice work, Infernape!" Ash praises while taking out a Pokeball. "Now, get a good rest. You deserve it!"

Infernape grins and nods at its trainer before being sent back into its Pokeball.

"What a great match for Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" The announcer says. "And with that, he will move on past the preliminaries and on to the final rounds!"

The audience cheers again, and Ash and Pikachu walk over to Clemont and Serena.

"Well done, on winning a perfect match, Ash," Clemont compliments.

"Thanks, Clemont," Ash says before turning to Serena. "Serena, did you enjoy the match?"

Serena is taken aback by Ash's question for a moment before she regains her smile and speaks honestly.

"Yes, I did," She says. "I'm happy that you went through the whole battle together with Infernape. Plus, you get to move on to the final rounds now."

"Yep, I sure do," Ash says with a toothy grin. "And I can't wait for my next battle. I wish I could have it right now."

Serena can't help but giggle at Ash's enthusiasm. Ash keeps smiling at her until he decides to head back to the exit with Pikachu on his shoulder with Serena and Clemont following him. As they walk down the hall, however, Serena's face falls, and she looks down sadly. Despite Ash's best efforts, his cheerful demeanor and accomplishment only makes Serena's heartache more over how she will miss him dearly if the two of them part ways. Ash glances at her when she thinks no one is looking and frowns as well.

"Darn, Pikachu," he whispers quietly. "I thought I really cheered her up this time. I want to make her really happy, but it seems like my efforts are just making it worse somehow. I don't know how, but...I just have this feeling."

"Pika," Pikachu says sadly.

Ash puts his hands in his pockets and looks at the ground with a determined face as he walks.

"I guess that just comes to show that I have to win the entire league no matter what," he says quietly. "No matter what it takes, I'm going to win the whole thing not just for you and all of my other Pokemon and me, but for Serena. I don't care who I'm up against. If I have to win the whole thing to see her smile again, then I'm going to do it."

"Pika," Pikachu says with a smile.

**************************************************************************************

Before long, Misty, Bonnie, Dawn, Piplup, Cilan, Iris, and Axew meet up with Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and Clemont and together, they all head back to the Pokemon Center so that Infernape can heal up. After dropping off Infernape's Pokeball to Nurse Joy, the group heads back to the registration office to find out who Ash is going to face next.

"So, remind me again how it's determined who you face in the first of the final rounds?" Iris asks. "All I remember is that it's a little different than the preliminaries."

"Well, the registration office will have a couple of tubs installed with groups of Magikarp inside," Misty explains. "Basically, each Magikarp will have a letter and a number on it, and the attendants instruct you to catch one of the Magikarp. Whoever has the same letter and number that you have is the person you're going up against in the fifth round."

"I see," Iris says. "Do they do that for the rest of the competition until the final round or something?"

"Uh, maybe," Misty says, unsure. "To be honest, we never got to find out since Ash lost the fifth round because Charizard refused to fight."

Iris smirks and turns to Ash smugly.

"Yeah, I guess he would get caught in a situation like that. What a kid," she says.

Ash, Serena, Bonnie, and Dawn glare at the girl with the purple hair while Misty chuckles.

"Now there I agree with you," Misty says with a grin. "Sometimes, it feels like he never really matures."

"Hey, knock it off, you too," Ash rebukes.

"Never," Iris says plainly, ignoring him.

The raven-haired boy groans in annoyance as the group enters the registration office again. Just as Misty said, there are a few tubs filled with Magikarp, and a couple of trainers are already catching some of the Magikarp and finding out who they are up against. As they look around, they see Max and May leaving one of the desks and walking in their direction.

"Hey, May, Max!" Ash calls out.

The two siblings notice their friends and walk over to them with May saying, "Hey, you guys."

"Did you win your fourth battle, Max?" Ash asks.

"Yup, and I just learned I'll be up against a guy named Ron tomorrow night," Max announces. "How did your match go?"

"It went great," Ash boasts. "I did a perfect match."

"That's what I like to hear."

Everyone turns to see Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu walking over to them with the man in the "H.A.K." shirt smirking at Ash before they give each other a fist bump.

"Won your fourth battle, too, Timothy?" Ash asks.

"You know it," Timothy answers. "I just finished it, and now I'm checking who I'm up against next."

"Awesome, so am I," Ash says. "Maybe we'll face each other in this upcoming round."

"Heh, I honestly hope not," Timothy says. "We've technically already had a three on three battle twice already, and I want us to face each other again with a full battle."

"That makes sense," Ash says with a cheerful smile. "We'll give it everything we've got with our entire teams that way."

"Exactly," Timothy confirms. "Plus, the Indigo League doesn't allow substitutions after the preliminaries, making it all the more difficult for both of us."

"Sounds like you want to face each other again really badly," Cilan comments.

"They sure do," Dawn confirms. "I've seen the tension grow between them."

"Me too," Coovers says.

"Raichu," Electchu says, nodding.

Serena silently nods in agreement. But while Ash and Timothy are talking, she sees Holly glumly entering the building and runs over to her.

"Holly!" She calls out as she catches up.

May, Misty, Iris, Dawn, and Bonnie notice Serena running to Holly and run over to the two of them with Piplup and Axew following while the guys continue talking. Holly gives the girls a friendly smile before Bonnie asks the question that's all in their mind.

"Please don't tell me you lost your fourth match!" she pleads.

Holly chuckles at Bonnie for a brief moment before the bluntly says, "Don't worry, I won my match."

The girls smile in relief before they look at Holly, confused.

"So, why are you so down?" May asks.

Holly looks down on the ground and glumly says, "Because it's Lucy's turn."

The girls realize the situation and frown sadly with Holly. For the last couple of days, Brock has devotedly been going back and forth between spending time with Holly and spending time with Lucy. For the most part, Holly gets to see him the most when they have a couple of meals together before it would be time for Brock to focus on making restitution to Lucy. While everyone else is still upset with Brock, they respect Holly's decision to give him a chance. Misty sighs in annoyance, still ticked off at her long-time friend.

"I still can't believe you agreed to this," she says bluntly. "I don't get why you or Lucy are giving him a chance. Shouldn't you still be mad at him for what happened?"

"Of course, I'm mad at him. How could I not be mad at him?" Holly replies. "But I can't deny how genuine he is with trying to make it up to me. I don't know how to explain it, but I guess it's like the man I've been traveling with since Neon City is still there, and part of me still wants to be with him. I can't bring myself to forgive him, but maybe I can help him fix his problem before Lucy does."

"You make it sound like you're trying to win him back when it should be the other way around," Dawn says.

"Piplup," Piplup says.

Holly groans and says, "Maybe I am trying to win him back, maybe it's just him trying to win that woman or me back, maybe it's none of the above. I really don't know. The whole thing is just so complicated. I guess in the end, all I know is a part of me aches when Lucy is with him. I hate what he did, but I feel like I'm losing a piece of myself when he turns around and focuses on her. I don't know what to do."

"Sounds like you should put your foot down and demand that you take him back or something," Bonnie says with a determined grin.

Holly chuckles at Bonnie's enthusiasm before she frowns sadly.

"I'm afraid relationships aren't as easy as you are lead to believe, Bonnie," she says calmly.

Bonnie pouts childishly, wishing her older friend could fix things as easily as she would like.

"Well, you should put that behind you for now," Iris suggests. "Why don't we see who you're up against in the next round, Okay?"

"Good idea," May says. "Maybe finding out who you're battling and looking up what Pokemon they have will clear your head."

Holly smiles slightly and nods.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she says. "That is what I am here for anyway."

"There you go," Misty encourages. "Come on, let's get a fishing rod for you."

Holly nods while the girls lead her to the nearest registration desk. Meanwhile, the guys finish their conversation and head to the nearest tub where Timothy and Coovers notice Holly robotically fishing for Magikarp with the girls surrounding her.

"Looks like Holly made it past the preliminaries too," Coovers says.

"Sure does," Timothy agrees. "Though it looks like she's down in the dumps."

Ash and Pikachu grow uneasy while Max, Clemont, and Cilan look at each other, thinking about what to say.

"Yeah, things are...not great between her and Brock," Clemont says. "It's probably best that you don't know too much for the sake of their privacy."

"Indeed. Holly has been going through enough with everyone in our group asking her what's going on," Cilan says.

"Understood," Timothy says. "We won't dive into it."

Coovers and Electchu nod in agreement, and Cilan, Max, and Clemont smile, appreciative of the two men and Raichu respecting their friend's privacy. Ash, on the other hand, makes it to the registration desk and decides to change the subject.

"Hey, let's not worry about the drama going on, you guys," Ash says. "We need to find out who Timothy and I are up against, so let's focus on that while we're respecting Holly's privacy,"

"Pikachu," Pikachu says.

"Good idea," Coovers says.

Cilan, Max, and Clemont nod in agreement, and the six of them walk over to the nearest registration desk.

"Hi, the two of us are here to find out who we're competing against next," Timothy says, pointing at himself and Ash.

"Certainly," the attendant says with a smile before taking out three fishing rods. "Just start fishing in the tub closest to you,"

"Great. Thanks," Ash says as he and Timothy take a rod.

Coovers, Cilan, Pikachu, Max, Electchu, and Clemont wait in anticipation as Ash and Timothy cast their rods in the water. They wait patiently for a few seconds before Timothy's rod twitches, and he instantly pulls it out with a Magikarp.

"I have E-4," Timothy says.

The attendant nods and types on her computer until Timothy's picture appears with a scrawny, blond man with glasses standing next to it.

"Timothy, you are going against Cody later in the evening. Good luck," the attendant says.

"Thanks," Timothy says before turning to Ash."Have you got a bite yet, Ash?".

"No, I haven't yet," Ash says, frustrated. "Strange, I got one right away last time. You'd think that I would -"

Suddenly, Ash feels something pulling his rod and and he quickly pulls out another Magikarp.

"Finally," he says before looking at the letter and number on the Magikarp's side. "Looks like I got B-3."

The attendant types on her keyboard again, and only Ash's picture appears.

"Huh, it looks like no one has also caught a Magikarp with the same letter and number yet, Ash," she says. "Hopefully, you should find out soon."

"Aw, but I want to find out now," Ash whines.

"Hey, Ash!"

All six guys and Pikachu and Electchu turn around to find Ritchie and Sparky running over to them. Pikachu happily hops off Ash's shoulder to say hi to Sparky and Ash high fives Ritchie while holding on to the fishing rod with once hand.

"So, you made it past the preliminaries?" Ash asks.

"You bet," Ritchie answers. "I took down all three of my opponent's Pokemon with just one Pokemon."

"Awesome. So did I." Ash says.

"Cool," Ritchie says before turning to Max and Timothy. "Looks like we all made it past the preliminaries."

"Yep,' Max confirms with Timothy nodding. "And we all know who we're facing except for Ash."

"Yeah, my opponent hasn't been discovered yet," Ash says, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, I hope you get to find out soon," Ritchie says. "Anyway, I better find out who I'm against."

The attendant overhears Ritchie and gives him a fishing rod with a smile. While he puts the rod in the water, Holly, Serena, Misty, May, Dawn, Piplup, and Iris walk over to join the guys with Holly feeling slightly better through the girl's support. Ash and the other guys apart from Ritchie smile softly at the auburn-haired woman despite Timothy and Coovers not knowing what the situation specifically is.

"So, who are you up against, Holly?" Cilan asks.

"A woman named Katrina," Holly answers.

"Ah, I think I've seen her battle at the rock field before Timothy's battle there," Coovers says. "Friendly tip: she seems to favor electric and fire types."

"Thank you, Coovers," Holly says kindly. "I think I have a good idea of how to handle that."

"Whoa!" Ritchie exclaims. "I got a bite!"

Everyone turns to Ritchie as he pulls out a Magikarp. Ash's eyes widen as he sees the letter and number on the Magikarp's side. The attendant types on a keyboard and both Ash and Ritchie's pictures appear on the screen above her.

"Alright, you got B-3, and that means you will have your next battle against Ash," the attendant says. "Best of luck to you both."

Ritchie and Sparky stare at the screen in shock. They turn to Ash and Pikachu, who are already looking at the two of them surprised. Serena, Holly, and Misty are also looking shocked while everyone is just slightly taken aback.

"So you're up against each other," Clemont states, unaware of what exactly is going on. "Well, I guess we were going to have some of you facing each other at some point."

"It's not just that, Clemont," Serena says. "Ash and Ritchie have faced each other in the Indigo League before during the same round."

Clemont, Bonnie, Max, May, Dawn, Piplup, Iris, Axew. Cilan, Timothy, Electchu, and Coovers look at Serena in surprise.

"So Ritchie was the person Ash lost to because his Charizard refused to obey him?" Iris asks.

"That's right," Misty answers. "And now they're facing each other in the same round again."

Everyone stares at Ash and Richie, speechless. It takes a moment before Cilan clears his throat.

"Well, that's an unusual set of circumstances," he says awkwardly.

"No kidding," May says.

"You said it," Dawn says.

"Piplup," Piplup says.

Bonnie, on the other hand, just proudly says, "Who cares how crazy it might be? Ash is going to win, no matter what!"

Ash, Cilan, Iris, Misty, Dawn, and May chuckle at Bonnie's enthusiasm while Max just smiles fondly at her. Even Serena and Holly lightly chuckle with their mouth closed despite being low in spirits. Timothy and Coovers snicker before the latter speaks.

"Well, he and I have our promise to face each other during this tournament, so he better," Timothy says.

Ash nods and turns to Ritchie with a smirk.

"I'm planning to win the entire tournament no matter what, so I won't lose to you," he states.

Ritchie smirks back and says, "That's what I want to hear from you, Ash. Let's make this a battle we will never forget."

"You got it," Ash says as he firmly shakes hands with his good friend.

****************************************

Throughout the rest of the day, Ash has been training his Pokemon, as usual, to prepare for his upcoming match. Holly spent the night having dinner with Brock much to her joy but was soon in low spirits again when Brock ended up having breakfast the next day with Lucy.

Soon after, the final three-on-three battles begin with Holly going against her opponent, Katrina. Brock stays by her side on the bench behind her platform, and his support and his advice give her the strength she needs to defeat all three of her opponent's Pokemon. Holly was so happy that she spontaneously gave Brock a tight hug before he had to leave to spend time with Lucy again. Though Holly and the girls found it strange that she still acts so happy to be around Brock despite what he's done, she can't help but miss feeling the tan-skinned man around her arms. After a couple of battles, Max has his fifth match and defeats all three of his opponents, Ron's Pokemon with just Sceptile. After that, Timothy goes against his opponent, Cody, and also wins with another perfect match. But much to the despair of Misty and Serena, Giselle wins her match after Timothy's without trying.

But as the matches go on, Ash's thoughts are fixed on his upcoming match with Richie. Deep down, he sees his upcoming battle as not just a mere match between a good friend of his or his desire to win as just a means to achieve his goal to make Serena happy, but as some sort of rite of passage. In his mind's eye, his chance to face Richie again in the same round in the tournament as before might be the biggest chance he needs to prove how much he has grown since the first time he competed in the Indigo League.

Finally, the battle before Ash and Ritchie's begins and Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Dawn, and Piplup leave the stands to get ready for the match. Misty, May, Max, Clemont, Bonnie, Iris, Axew, Cilan, Timothy, Electchu, Coovers, and even Holly and Brock are there together to wish Ash good luck before he, Serena, Pikachu, Dawn, and Piplup leave. Together, he walks downstairs and heads to the hall that leads to the battlefield with Pikachu, Serena, Dawn, and Piplup following behind. As they walk down the hall, Serena and Dawn feel the tension rising as Ash walks ahead of them with eagerness all over his face. Even though he hasn't said anything to them, they can tell that this match means a lot to him.

Finally, they stop when they were a few yards away from the entrance to the battlefield and wait patiently as the battle before Ash and Ritchie's comes to a close with a girl's Steelix crushing the guy's Fetaligator. The referee makes the call, and the audience cheers while the guy sadly returns his Pokemon exits the field and walks past Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Dawn, and Piplup with his head down and his hair covering his devastated face. Ash intently watches him sadly walk away until the guy is out of sight and turns to Serena and Dawn.

"That's just like me when I lost to Ritchie last time," he says.

Dawn frowns and says, "Don't worry about how it went before. Remember, you made it to the semifinals at the Sinnoh League and the finals at the Kalos League. You're much stronger than before, and you're going to win this no problem. Right, Serena?"

"Right," Serena says with a weak smile. "Just remember what I've been reminding you throughout our journey."

Ash notices the lack of energy Serena still has, and he frowns until her words come into his mind.

"Don't give up until it's over," he says in realization. "That's it."

Dawn and Serena look at Ash confused.

"What's it, Ash?" Dawn asks.

But Ash just gives her a toothy grin and says, "Let's just say I have the motivation I need for more than just this match and leave it there."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Serena asks.

But then the announcer is heard introducing the next battle outside, and Ash just smirks.

"Sorry, I got a battle to win!" He says in a singing voice as he and Pikachu run into the field.

"Ash!" Serena calls out, but he's already on the battlefield. She pouts and turns to Dawn who is scratching her head.

"Where did that come from?" She asks. "You just told him your motto to motivate him for the match, right?"

Serena nods.

"So, what's this about him being motivated for something else?" Dawn asks.

"I don't know," Serena answers.

Dawn pouts before she rolls her eyes and says, "Well, that is Ash for you. You just don't know what he's up to sometimes."

"Piplup," Piplup says in agreement.

Serena smiles slightly again and nods.

"Come on," She says. "Let's get seated already."

Dawn nods, and together the two of them and Piplup enter the field and sit on the bench behind Ash. On the other side of the field is Ritchie and Sparky, both smirking at Ash and Pikachu. The referee walks to the sidelines and raises both his flags.

"This will be a three-on-three battle between Ritchie and Ash!" He declares. "The battle will be over when all three Pokemon from either side are unable to battle, and no substitutions are allowed! Let the battle begin!"

Ritchie's smirk grows as he shouts, "Alright, Sparky, let's go!"

"Pika!" Sparks shouts as it jumps into the field.

"So he's already starting with Sparky, eh?" Ash says before turning to Pikachu. "Let's go, buddy!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed as it also hops into the field.

Ritchie grins, happy that both he and Ash are starting out with their partners.

"Ash, let's give this fight our full power, okay?" he calls out.

"Oh, don't worry. I intend to give it full power and then some," Ash says determinedly. "Pikachu, let's start off with Quick Attack!"

"Sparky, dodge using Agility!" Ritchie shouts.

Both mouse Pokemon run at amazing speed, but when Pikachu gets close enough and tries to tackle Sparky, Ritchie's Pikachu just jumps out of the way.

"Now, Sparky, use Electro Ball!" Ritchie commands.

"You use Electro Ball, too, Pikachu!" Ash orders.

Both Pikachu throw Electro Ball at each other while Sparky is still in the air. The two moves collide and cover the field in smoke.

"Now use Iron Tail!" Ash shouts.

Sparky lands on the ground but is taken aback when Pikachu jumps toward it with its tail made of iron. Pikachu swings its tail at Sparky, and Ritchie's mouse Pokemon is sent flying and nearly slams into a wall. Ritchie stares in shock before he smirks at Ash.

"Nice job!" he compliments. "You've trained Pikachu so that it can see through smoke. I gotta admit I didn't see that coming."

"You've seen nothing yet!" Ash shouts. "Pikachu, Electro Ball again!"

"Sparky, dodge using Agility, and then use Thunder!" Ritchie instructs.

Pikachu throws another Electro Ball, but Sparky uses its speed to dodge the attack. The Pikachu with the messy top hair then builds a lot of electricity and releases it on its friend. Pikachu squeals in pain and barely stays standing with several scratches with its body.

"Yikes, how can Thunder do so much even though they are both electric types?" Serena asks in alarm.

"Most likely because Thunder is one of the most powerful electric attacks there is," Dawn points out. "Pikachu may have taken half of the damage, but that still was a lot."

"Now, use Electro Ball again!" Ritchie shouts.

"Knock it back with Iron Tail!" Ash commands.

Sparky jumps and flings another Electro Ball in the air. Pikachu's tail turns into iron and spins, knocking the Electro Ball back towards Sparky, who is still in mid-air and hitting it. Ritchie's Pikachu is sent flying into the air and crashing into the ground. It slowly gets up with several scratches all over its body, as well.

"Alright then, Sparky, use Thunder again!" Ritchie orders.

"Dodge it with Quick Attack followed by Iron Tail!" Ash instructs.

Sparky uses Thunder again, but Pikachu dodges it and rams into its opponent. Sparky only starts to react to the attack before Pikachu swats it with Iron Tail. Ritchie grows worried for his partner and becomes desperate to take Pikachu down.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouts.

"Sparky, use Thunder now!" Ritchie yells.

Both Pokemon store up electricity in their cheeks before they release their respective attacks. Both Thunderbolt and Thunder hit their targets with Pikachu and Sparky giving it everything they have. The process goes on until they both run out of electricity. The mouse Pokemon stare at each other, panting heavily as they struggle to stay standing. Ash and Ritchie grind their teeth, hoping that their respective Pokemon will pull through. After half a minute, Pikachu and Sparky slowly close their eyes and fall down on their backs, fainted.

"Both Pokemon are down for the count!" The referee declares, raising both flags. "It's a draw!"

The crowd cheers, excited by the twist of events while Serena and Dawn frown.

"Poor Pikachu," Serena says. "Looks like using Thunder twice was powerful enough to defeat it."

"Yeah, and I guess Pikachu landed enough hits with Iron Tail, Electro Ball, and Quick Attack that Sparky was weak enough to be taken down by Thunderbolt," Dawn days observantly.

"Piplup," Piplup says.

Ritchie returns Sparky to its Pokeball while Ash runs over to Pikachu and picks it up with both hands.

"You did great, buddy. Get a good rest," Ash says with a smile.

"Pi...ka," Pikachu replies weakly.

Ash walks back to his side of the field and holds out Pikachu towards Serena, asking, "Serena, can you look after Pikachu?"

"Of course," Serena says kindly as she takes Pikachu and holds it like a baby.

Ash smiles appreciatively at Serena before he turns around and goes back to his spot while looking at Richie at a distance.

"Well, Ritchie, it looks like our battle is at an interesting start!" He calls out.

"You said it!" Ritchie replies, smirking as he takes out a Pokeball. "But I'm not going to tie with you this time! Wraps, come on out!"

He throws the Pokeball into the air, and his trusty Tentacruel comes out of its Pokeball glaring at Ash.

"Wraps, huh?" Ash says, amused while taking out his own Pokeball. "Well, I know exactly how to handle that! Servine, I choose you!"

Ash throws his Pokeball at the field, and Servine comes out. Ritchie looks at Ash's Pokemon and is completely stunned.

"What in the world is that Pokemon?" He asks before taking out his Pokedex.

"Identity unknown," it says.

Ritchie frowns, realizing that his Pokedex is out of date. He puts it away and looks closely at Servine, hoping to get an idea of what his Pokemon is up against.

"If I had to guess, Ash, you're trying to take Wraps down with what looks like a grass type," Ritchie says. "If that's so, I hope you're not thinking it's going to be easy just because you have a type advantage!"

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Ash replies. "Now, Servine, use Vine Whip!"

"Just as I thought," Ritchie whispers to himself before he shouts, "Wraps, block it with Barrier!"

Wraps create a barrier in front of it, and the two vines coming from Servine's neck hit the Barrier with no effect.

"Now, use Bubble Beam!" Ritchie commands.

"Counter with Leaf Tornado!" Ash shouts.

Wraps shoots countless bubbles at Servine, but the grass snake Pokemon creates a tornado full of leaves and send it heading toward its opponent. The tornado easily destroys the Bubble Beam and captures Wraps. The Tentacruel roars in panic as the tornado separates in the air, moves back in an upside position, and floats up into the air. It then crashes into the ground with Wraps lying down, moaning in agony with scratches surrounding its body.

"Wraps!" Ritchie calls out. "Are you okay?"

Wraps groans before it gets up on its tentacles and gives its trainer an assuring nod.

Ritchie smiles and shouts, "Okay, let's show them what we're made of!"

"I don't so!" Ash shouts. "Servine, use Leaf Blade!"

The leaf at the end if Servine's tail glows light green, and it runs toward Wraps. Ritchie grins, knowing what to do.

"That was a mistake, Ash!" He calls out. "Wraps, dodge, and use Wrap right away!"

The Tentacruel jumps away just as Servine is about to slash at it with its tail. The next thing Servine knows, several gray tentacles wrap around its body and squeeze it hard. The grass snake Pokemon screams as Tentacruel keeps it trapped.

"Quick, Servine, use Attract!" Ash shouts.

Servine stops squirming and winks at Wraps. A pink heart appears and hits Wraps, but it has no effect on the Tentacruel. Ash gasps in shock while Ritchie chuckles.

"Did I forget to mention that Wraps is a girl?" He mocks. "Ah, well. Wraps, use Poison Jab!"

Wraps takes out one of its tentacles that starts to glow purple, and it starts hitting Servine with it. Servine's grass type body grows weaker as its opponent repeatedly smacks it with its tentacle while it constantly squeezes it with its other tentacles. Ash grinds his teeth angrily until he gets an idea.

"Servine, use Vine Whip until you are freed!" He shouts.

Servine stops squirming, and two vines come out of its neck. One vine stops the tentacle using Poison Jab while the other starts smacking Wraps violently like a real whip. The Tentacruel, groans, and lets go of Servine, making Ash grin.

"Now, use Leaf Blade!" He shouts.

Once again, the leaf on Servine's tail glows light green, and it jumps and does a flip before slashing at Wraps' face. Wraps howls as it steps back, feeling weaker from the attack

"Okay, let's end this!" Ash orders. "Use Leaf Tornado one more time!"

"Wraps, use Barrier quick!" Ritchie shouts.

Servine summons another tornado, and the tornado sucks the Tentacruel into its center, and Wraps is sent spinning in the air panicking as the leaf tornado gets higher and higher. Richie watches in fear as the tornado crashes into the ground, and his Pokemon lies on the ground with swirly eyes.

"Wraps is unable to battle! Servine wins!" The referee announces while raises his green flag.

"Alright! Way to go, Servine!" Ash cheers.

"Servine," Servine replied weakly, during to stay up.

Back in the stands, Misty, Clemont, Bonnie, Iris, Axew, Cilan, Brock, Holly, Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu are cheering for Ash. But as they cheer, Brock and Holly notice Servine struggling to stay up. The auburn-haired woman frowns as she turns to Brock.

"Brock, if I remember correctly, poison attacks are strong against grass attacks, aren't they?" She asks.

Brock nods seriously.

"That's right," he says. "And given the way Servine was repeatedly hit with Poison Jab, I'm afraid it's not going to last much longer. It looks likely that it will go down, leaving both sides with just one Pokemon left."

Holly frowns, concerned for Ash before she turns her head to look at the field. Meanwhile, Ritchie is thinking hard about which Pokemon to choose as his last one in the match - worried about which Pokemon Ash will use if his last Pokemon takes out Servine. After a moment, he bites his lip and takes out one of his Pokeballs.

"It's all down to you," he whispered, be throws the ball, shouting, "Go, Zippo!"

The ball opens, and his Charizard comes out. Zippo glares menacingly at Servine who's morality sinks at the sight of the fire and flying type Pokemon.

"Don't be afraid, Servine!" Ash calls out, knowing how Servine is feeling. "Let's see if you can immobilize Zippo with Attract!"

Servine takes a deep breath to stay focused before it bravely looks at Zippo and gives it a wink. A couple of pink hearts appear and head toward the Charizard, but Ritchie has other plans.

"Zippo, destroy those hearts with Fire Spin!" He commands.

Zippo sneers before it opens its mouth, and an orb of flames comes out. The flames easily destroys the pink hearts before they mercilessly hit Servine. The grass Pokemon cries out in agony as it is knocked off its feet and plummets to the ground. Ash's eyes widen as he looks at his Pokemon burned and limp and the referee raises his red flag.

"Servine is unable to battle! Zippo is the winner!" He declares.

The crowd cheers as Ash sadly returns His Pokemon back into its Pokeball. Dawn, Piplup, and Serena frown sadly as the honey blonde girl still cradles Pikachu. Misty and Brock and the others look at Ash concerned as they wait for their raven-haired friend to choose his final Pokemon.

Ash's hands turn to balls a fist and shut his eyes, thinking very hard about his decision. He fights the urge to grow worried, with only one Pokemon left to defeat his friend. He considers water Pokemon like Oshawott or Buizel, but he decides against it and takes out one particular Pokeball.

"Charizard, I choose you!" Ash shouts.

The ball opens, and with a flash, Charizard comes out. All of Ash's friends stare in disbelief, taken aback that of all the Pokemon he could choose, it is the same Pokemon as Ritchie's.

"What in the world is Ash thinking?" Iris asks.

"I agree," Coovers says. "Why would he choose Charizard when he has Pokemon that can easily take down Ritchie's Pokemon?"

The others nod in agreement except for Misty and Brock. The two of them to look at each other seriously and nod.

"Because he wants to show that he's worthy of going forward," Misty says.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asks.

"Is it because he lost last time because Charizard refused to fight?" Cilan asks.

"Yes, it is," Brock says. "He and Charizard's bond has grown stronger since the last time he competed in the Indigo League, and he wants to prove how much stronger he is since then."

"Well, if that's the case, then I hope he can pull through," Timothy says.

Meanwhile, Zippo and Charizard stare at each other. Zippo remembers the way it was humiliated when it last faced Ash's Pokemon as a Charmander and Charizard knows that it has a chance for redemption for what it did to its trainer that it has since regained its bond with. Ash and Ritchie, on the other hand, smirk at each other, knowing that the best of their battle is soon to come. Suddenly, Charizard and Zippo roar loudly. They shoot fire from their mouths and beat their chests like ancient warriors trying to intimidate the other before facing each other in a duel. Ash and Ritchie point at the other's Pokemon, eager to triumph against the other.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Ash yells.

"Zippo, use Flamethrower as well!" Ritchie shouts.

Without hesitation, both Pokemon release large streams of fire from their mouths. The two flamethrowers collide, causing the attacks to explode in a ball of fire. The ground shakes, alarming the crowd, but Ash and Richie keep staring at each other unfazed.

"Charizard, use Slash!" Ash commands.

"Use Slash too now!" Ritchie screams.

Both Charizard and Zippo's claws grow longer and glow white before they charge at each other. They clash their claws repeatedly as if they are swords, trying to get an opening against the other. The process goes on until Zippo ducks its head, avoiding a swipe from Charizard, giving it the opening to uppercut slash its opponent. Charizard takes a step back while Zippo gets ready to strike with its claws again.

"Charizard, counter with Wing Attack!" Ash commands.

Charizard dodges Zippo's Slash attack and, with its wings glowing white, hits its opponent in the gut with its left wing. Zippo gets down on one knee, feeling the air get knocked right out of it before Charizard smacks it in the face with its other wing.

"Zippo, get up and use Fire Spin!" Ritchie shouts.

"Block it with Flamethrower!" Ash commands.

Zippo gets up before it, and Charizard fire their respective attacks and they clash together. The two flame Pokemon keep using their respective attacks until Charizard's Flamethrower overpowers Zippo's Fire Spin and ultimately hits Ritchie's Pokemon.

"Yay, Charizard!" Bonnie cheers.

"It's too early to be cheering, Bonnie," Clemont says calmly. "Flamethrower is not very effective against another fire Pokemon like Zippo."

"Clemont's right," Brock says. "Charizard only landed a hit because Flamethrower is more powerful than Fire Spin. But even then, that's not saying much."

"Agreed," Cilan says. "I also wonder if they both have a trick up their sleeve. After all, we've only seen three out of four attacks from both sides."

"That's a valid point, Cilan," Timothy says. "Perhaps they both have another move that's not a fire type. I hope Ash does because if not, then constantly using Slash might be the best bet he has against Ritchie."

Back in the field, Charizard and Zippo are panting, with a couple of scratches on their bodies. Ash and Ritchie, however, are still smirking as if they want this fight to keep going for as long as it can. But deep down, they both know that their flame Pokemon can't keep this up forever, and they need to do whatever it takes to win the round.

"Alright, let's kick things up a notch," Ritchie says. "Zippo, use Dragon Claw!"

Zippo's hands become surrounded in light green, claw-shaped energy and then charges at Charizard, ready to strike.

"Charizard, counter it with Dragon Tail!" Ash shouts.

A light blue glow spreads until Charizard's whole tail is light blue. Charizard spins around and uses its tail to block the claws on Zippo's right hand. But just as soon as Charizard blocks it, Zippo swipes with its left claws, slashing Charizard's back. Ash's Pokemon howls in pain and plummets to the ground.

"Charizard!" Ash cries out.

Serena and Dawn immediately stand up from their seats, worried about Charizard with Serena's hand on her ribbon while still holding Pikachu in her left arm. Charizard whimpers as it struggles to stay up. The referee waits patiently to see whether on not Ash's Pokemon is going to faint. Ritchie and Zippo also wait out of respect, hoping that the battle isn't over. Ash glances at Serena and sees how agitated she is over whether or not he will win. Ash frowns, not wanting her to worry and turns to Charizard.

"Charizard, get up!" He barks. "You can't give up now! Not when we are this close! You can do this, Charizard! We have to make it to the finals no matter what it takes! So get up now!"

Charizard moans and slowly lifts its head to look at Ash, but as it does, it gives a confused look on its face. Charizard sees determination in Ash's eyes, but it can tell that he wants to win for another reason besides simply wanting to become the champion of the Pokemon League. What Ash's reason is, the flame Pokemon cannot tell for not even Ash himself truly knows why else he wants to keep going. All that seems clear to Charizard is that Ash is after something far more precious than proving he is the best, and he's counting on it to give it to him.

The peculiar look on Ash's eyes motives Charizard despite how little it understands what is on its trainer's mind. It clenches its teeth and pushes itself up until it's able to stand on both feet. Ash smiles happily while Dawn, Piplup, and Serena sigh in relief. Charizard turns to Zippo and takes a large breath, letting out a thunderous roar while firing a large steam of fire into the air. Zippo grins, eager to battle its opponent a little longer while Ritchie smirks.

"Nice work, Ash!" he compliments. "It's clear that you and your Charizard have come a long way since the last time we've battled!"

"Thanks. I'm glad you noticed!" Ash says.

Ritchie nods before he gives a competitive smirk.

"Now, let's keep this battle going!" He says. "Zippo, use Dragon Claw once more!"

Zippo charges at Charizard again with large, green claws on both hands, and Ash thinks carefully until he gets an idea.

"Charizard, block both sets of claws with your wings using Wing Attack!" He orders.

Charizard's wings glow white and moves them in front of itself, just as Zippo is about to strike. Ritchie's Pokemon swipes with both sets of claws again, but they are blocked by both of Charizard's wings.

"Zippo, use Dragon Claw multiple times!" Ritchie shouts.

"Charizard, keep blocking!" Ash commands.

Zippo starts swiping at Charizard ferociously with its large claws while Charizard stands its ground with its wings still glowing white. As the process keeps going, Brock frowns and crosses his arms, looking at Richie skeptically.

"I hope he's not planning to keep using Dragon Claw until it eventually disarms Charizard," he says.

"I agree," Timothy says.

"So do I," Coovers says, nodding.

Holly looks at all three men confused before she turns to Brock and asks, "Why is that?"

"Well, you see, Dragon Claw is very powerful, but it requires a lot of stamina," Brock explains. "Wing Attack, on the other hand, is not especially powerful, but it requires less energy because of it. On top of that, Charizard is only using half of its attack since it's not using its wings to strike at its opponent."

Holly stares at Brock, intrigued.

"So between the two of them, Zippo is getting weaker because it's using more of its energy?" She asks.

"Basically," Coovers answers. "It will probably tire before it has any chance to break Charizard's defense at this point."

"Exactly," Timothy says. "If Ritchie doesn't do anything soon to break Charizard's defenses, then he may have unintentionally brought the match to Ash's favor."

Back in the field, Ash watches closely as his friend keeps defending itself. He thinks carefully of what to do next in case Ritchie comes up with a way to overpower Charizard. But while he is thinking, he notices something is off with Zippo. Its attacks are weak, slow, and sloppy. It takes a moment before Ash realizes that it's running out of energy, and he gets an idea.

"Charizard, knock Zippo's claws back and hit it on the head with your wings!" He instructs.

Charizard grins, liking the raven-haired boy's idea. Zippo swipes at it with both of its claws, only for them to be blocked again before Charizard's wings suddenly fling open, knocking Zippo's arms back. Before Zippo has a moment to react, Charizard smacks it in the head with both of its wings. Ritchie's eyes widen as his Pokemon stands in a daze.

"Alright, use Dragon Tail now!" Ash shouts.

Charizard's tail glows light blue, and it spins around and hits Zippo in the stomach.

"Zippo, fight back with Dragon Claw!' He shouts.

"Dodge it and use Slash multiple times!" Ash commands.

Zippo charges with its green claws again, but with its energy nearly depleted, Charizard easily flies away to avoid the attack before flanking its opponent and uses Slash multiple times. Ritchie watches helplessly as his Charizard grows weaker with Ash's Pokemon scratching its body left and right. By the time it's done, Zippo is panting heavily and hanging its head low.

"Alright, it looks like it's weak enough to finish it off like this!" Ash shouts. "Use Flamethrower at full power!"

Charizard grins before it takes a huge breath and releases a large stream of fire. Zippo just stands there as the attack hits it hard in the chest. It cries out in pain while Charizard lets it all out. Once Charizard is finished, Zippo stays still for a moment before its eyes grow heavy, and it plummets to the ground with a thud.

"Zippo is unable to battle!" The referee announces, raising his green flag. "Charizard is the winner. Thus, victory goes to Ash!"

The crowd goes wild, and Misty, Brock, Holly, May, Max, Iris, Axew, Cilan, Clemont, Bonnie, Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu stand up from their seats and cheer loudly. Serena and Dawn get up from their seat and happily applauded. Pikachu smiles weakly, still being carried by Serena while Piplup happily dances on the bench. Ash shakes his fist into the air before running to Charizard and giving it a big hug!

"Great job, Charizard!" He shouts. "We did it!"

Charizard smiles, glad that its trainer is happy. Ritchie, meanwhile, covers his sad face with his hat while returning Zippo to its Pokeball. He sighs heavily before he brings himself to put up a smile and walks over to his friend.

"Great battle, Ash," he compliments. "It's clear from between our last battle and this one that you've become so much stronger and cunning since our last match in the Indigo League."

"Thanks, Ritchie," Ash says. "So, what are you going to do now?"

Ritchie shrugs and says, "I think I'm going to go home now. I want to rest and think about where to go next."

"In that case, let's have another battle the next time we see each other," Ash says, offering his hand.

Ritchie smiles, trying to fight the tears in his eyes as he shakes Ash's hand.

"I'd like that, Ash," he says. "I'd like that a lot."

***************************************************************

Everyone in the group is cheering for Ash for his victory as he, Serena, and Dawn sit down next to them in the stands with Pikachu lying down on Ash's lap and Piplup sitting on Dawn's lap. As they watch the last battle of the day, Ash glances at Serena. The honey blonde girl appears to still have a small smile on her face because of his victory, but deep in her eyes, she looks sad. Ash frowns at this before he picks up Pikachu to the yellow mouse Pokemon can face him.

"Hey, Pikachu, I don't know if you noticed, but Serena looks a little better," he says quietly. "I think it's because I told her about my loss against Ritchie, and she's a little happy that I finally beat him."

"Pika," Pikachu says silently, still a little worn out from the match.

Ash nods and says, "It still looks like I have a long way to make her completely happy, but that's okay. Do you know why?"

"Pikachu," Pikachu says, shaking its head.

"Because she reminded me not to give up until the end," Ash explains. "And not only did I need that for my battle with Ritchie, but I need to remember that for trying to cheer her up. So after you and the others are healed, we're going to train even harder to make sure we keep winning until Serena is purely happy. You with me?"

Pikachu smiles softly and licks Ash as a way of saying yes. The raven-haired boy grins and hugs his partner carefully.

"Thanks, buddy," he says before secretly turning to Serena and quietly says, "Don't you worry, Serena. I'm going to cheer you up no matter what it takes."