Pokemon Fan Fiction / Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ The Unwanted Acquaintances ❯ Road to the Elite Four ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Recap: After winning the Rain Badge in Sootopolis City, Rayquaza took Ash and friends to Mossdeep City. But not long afterwards, Ash fell victim to Damien's Scyther again. Ash's remaining Pokemon then came out of their Poke Balls. One look at the injured trainer caused Charizard to go berserk with rage. He was so infuriated, that he learned Overheat in his anger. He and Rayquaza sent Damien blasting through the air. Several days later, Ash had recovered, and was ready to face Tate and Liza. In a thrilling battle of wits, Ash came out the victor.
( ) following Pokemon talk is the translation
( ) alone is Charizard talking
Bold words is Rayquaza talking
(' is Pokemon thoughts
' is human thoughts

&n bsp; Chapter 9: Road to the Elite Four

Ash and friends are on their way to Evergrande City after Ash received his eighth and final badge from Mossdeep City. It was a two-on-two battle of wits, Lunatone and Solrock vs. Sceptile and Charizard. Lunatone and Solrock worked well together, but the teamwork of Sceptile and Charizard proved to be stronger.

"I'll always remember that battle Ash. That was probably the greatest battle I've ever seen so far," Max said.

"That was definitely one of the best that I have seen," Brock said.

"Thanks guys," Ash said.

('I wish I would've been able to watch the battle') Latias thought as she continued following them.

About an hour later, Ash and friends could see a Pokemon Center next to the entrance of a cave. They could also see a huge waterfall.

"Is this Evergrande City?" Ash asked.

"Although it doesn't look like much, yes it is. As you can see, flying is the easiest way here. Otherwise you'll have to climb the waterfall with a Pokemon who knows Waterfall. Most of the city is just past the exit of Victory Road," Rayquaza said.

"That's one big waterfall," May said.

"Pika (You said it)," Pikachu said.

"Is Victory Road through that cave?" Ash asked.

"It sure is," Rayquaza responded before landing just outside the Pokemon Center.

Ash and friends got off before Ash returned Rayquaza. Then they went inside the Pokemon Center. Brock went into flirt mode the second he laid eyes on Nurse Joy, but Max broke it up.

"May I help you?" Nurse Joy asked.

"I'd like to have my Pokemon checked please," Ash said, handing over Rayquaza's ball.

Nurse Joy performed the checkup. She was awestruck upon seeing that the Pokemon was the legendary Rayquaza, but it didn't catch her off guard like the Nurse Joy in Mossdeep. That was because the Nurse Joy in Mossdeep told the Nurse Joys in the Hoenn about Ash having Rayquaza as well as Zapdos. Nurse Joy came out five minutes later.

"I can see why legendary Pokemon are legendary. Rayquaza has quite a bit of endurance because he's just fine," Nurse Joy said.

"Great," Ash said, taking the Poke Ball back from Nurse Joy. He then went over to the videophone. He then dialed Professor Oak's number. "Hi Professor," he said upon seeing Professor Oak's face on the screen.

"Hello Ash. How have things been going?" Professor Oak said.

"Well I'm at Evergrande City," Ash said.

"Oh! So you have a chance of facing the Elite Four," Professor Oak said.

"Yes I do. Can you send over Bayleef, Totodile, Cyndaquil, and Phanpy? I would love for them to get some more battle experience," Ash said.

"All right," Professor Oak said.

Several minutes later, the transfer was complete.

"Thanks Professor," Ash said.

"You're welcome. Good luck," Professor Oak said.

"Thanks," Ash said before hanging up. Then he released his transferred Pokemon. "Oooof!" he said seconds later upon being slammed to the ground gently. "It's good to see you too Bayleef," he added.

"Bay (Yay)!" Bayleef said. She helped Ash up a few minuts later.

"Wow," May said upon seeing the Pokemon Ash caught or acquired in Phanpy's case in the Johto region.

"Come with me. There's some other Pokemon that I would like you to meet," Ash said before heading outside, his Pokemon following. Once outside, he let out his other Pokemon.

Bayleef, Totodile, Cyndaquil and Phanpy gasped in awe upon seeing Sceptile, Swellow, Rayquaza and Zapdos. Then the Pokemon introduced themselves to each other. Cyndaquil was awestruck upon seeing Charizard. He walked over and nuzzled Charizard's leg.

"It looks like you have a fan Charizard," Ash said smiling.

(It appears I do) Charizard said.

An hour later, Ash returned his Pokemon except for Pikachu. Then he and his friends prepared to enter the cave. Before they could enter the cave though, a familiar screech reached their ears.

"Will Aerodactyl just give up?" Ash asked before releasing Charizard again.

Charizard saw Aerodactyl coming and stood protectively in front of Ash. ('This ugly bird is getting to be a real pain in the neck') he thought.

Aerodactyl was upon them several minutes later. It circled around them. Charizard made sure to keep his eye on Aerodactyl, knowing that letting his guard down for an instant could give Aerodactyl the advantage. Aerodactyl came from behind Ash.

(Oh no you don't!) Charizard said before firing a Dragonbreath attack.

Pikachu chipped in as well with a well-placed Thunderbolt. The attacks hit home, sending Aerodactyl flying for a few moments. But Aerodactyl was able to recover from the dual attack and came back again. It then fired off an Air Cutter attack. Charizard quickly tackled Ash to the ground. He felt the brief gusts of wind as the attack literally blew past. When he no longer felt any wind, he stood back up and helped Ash up. Charizard and Pikachu were about to get some help battling Aerodactyl. Sensing that something was off, Sceptile, Bulbasaur and Bayleef released themselves from their Poke Balls.

"Bay bay bay (Let's Razor Leaf it)," Bayleef said.

"Scept (Let's do it)," Sceptile said.

"Bulbasaur (You know Razor Leaf)?" Bulbasaur asked in shock.

"Scept. Sceptile scept tile sceptile scept tile (Yes. I learned it from watching and working with Brock's Lombre when I was a Grovyle)," Sceptile responded.

Then Bayleef, Bulbasaur and Sceptile fired a barrage of razor sharp leaves at Aerodactyl.

"Bay bay bay bay (Leave Ash alone you ugmo)," Bayleef said as she fired her attack.

Aerodactyl used Air Cutter on the volley of leaves coming at it. The Air Cutter took out a portion of the leaves. But a good number of leaves were still coming. The remaining leaves struck Aerodactyl, striking every inch of its body. Aerodactyl fell from the sky but was somehow able to recover.

By this point, Charizard, Sceptile, Bayleef, Bulbasaur and Pikachu have formed a circle around Ash. That way, Aerodactyl had a very small chance of being able to attempt anything sneaky. Then Rayquaza immerged from his Poke Ball. He circled his body around the Pokemon circle; further dimming Aerodactyl's chances of doing something sneaky.

"You just don't learn do you? Leave us alone!" Rayquaza said.

Then Zapdos immerged from his Poke Ball. He flew up to face off against Aerodactyl. /Yeah, stop bothering us/

Aerodactyl fired a Hyper Beam at Zapdos. Zapdos easily dodged the Hyper Beam. He then retaliated with Zap Cannon. The attack came too fast for Aerodactyl to be able to dodge. Aerodactyl cried in pain upon feeling the powerful attack. It was seriously weakened and fled with its remaining strength.

"Goodbye and good riddance," Ash said.

"Pika (Amen)," Pikachu said.

"Bay (Yeah)," Bayleef agreed.

"Thank you, all of you," Ash said.

"Sceptile (Don't mention it)," Sceptile said.

Ash then returned his Pokemon. He went back inside the Pokemon Center. He wanted his Pokemon to be at full steam. He got his Pokemon back ten minutes later and was ready to travel down Victory Road. He and his friends then entered the cave. It was dark, but not enough to hinder them. Only a few minutes later, Ash confronted a trainer.

"My name is Jacob. I have heard of you Ash. Congratulations on making it this far," the trainer said.

"Thank you," Ash said.

"Now the other trainers here and I will see just how far you can go. This will be a one-on-one battle. Go Hariyama!" Jacob said.

"Let's go Bayleef," Ash said, releasing his Pokemon.

"Bay (Ready)," Bayleef said.

"Use Arm Thrust Hariyama," Jacob said.

Hariyama came at Bayleef, ready to pound her senseless.

"Use Vine Whip to keep it at bay," Ash said.

Bayleef nodded and lashed out her vines. She made contact with Hariyama, but Hariyama was able to stay upright.

"It will take more than that. Vital Throw!" Jacob said.

Hariyama was able to pick up Bayleef. It lifted her over its head, ready to slam her into the ground.

"Hurry! Use Sweet Scent!" Ash said.

Bayleef gave off a pleasant smell. Hariyama was disoriented, giving Bayleef time to use Razor Leaf. Hariyama was forced to put Bayleef down. Bayleef then put distance between herself and Hariyama again.

"Use Rock Smash!" Jacob said.

Hariyama pounded the ground with its fist. A barage of rocks came hurtling towards Bayleef.

"Not all of them will hit you. Use Vine Whips on the ones that come towards you," Ash said.

Bayleef nodded. Through a lot of concentration, she was able to keep the rocks that came at her from striking her.

"Impressive," Jacob said. "Let's finish this with Seismic Toss," he added.

Hariyama charged towards Bayleef.

"Use Vine Whip to jump. Then use Body Slam," Ash countered.

Bayleef used her vines to jump over the charging Hariyama. Hariyama paused, looking up at Bayleef. Bayleef then came down for the Body Slam. Hariyama couldn't get out of the way and was soon pinned under Bayleef. Hariyama soon fainteed and Bayleef got off it.

"Well done Bayleef," Ash said.

"Bay (Thanks)," Bayleef said.

"Hariyama return," Jacob said. "That was a good battle Ash. Not too many have gotten past Hariyama and me. Good luck facing the other trainers," he added.

"Thanks Jacob," Ash said, returning Bayleef. Then he and his friends moved on.

Five minutes later, they confronted a female trainer.

"So you got past Jacob. Now it's my turn to face you. I'm Debbi and I challenge you to a one-on-one Pokemon battle. Donphan go!" the trainer said.

"Donphan, don (Another battle, good)," Donphan said.

Then Phanpy came out of his ball. He wanted to watch.

"You want to watch Phanpy?" Ash asked.

"Phanpy (Yes)," Phanpy said nodding.

"All right," Ash said. 'Because Donphan is Phanpy's evolved form, maybe Phanpy can learn some things from watching this battle,' he secretly added.

"I remember when you were curious like that when you were a Phanpy Donphan," Debbie said.

"Don (Yeah)," Donphan said.

"I have faith in you Bulbasaur," Ash then said, releasing the said Pokemon.

"Bulba (I'll do my best)," Bulbasaur said.

"A Bulbasaur? This should be easy. Let's make this quick Donphan. Use Rollout," Debbie said.

Donphan curled in on itself and rolled towards Bulbasaur.

"Use Vine Whip to avoid it," Ash said.

"Bulba (Right)," Bulbasaur said, using his vines to spring over the rolling Donphan.

Donphan turned and came back towards Bulbasaur. Like the first time, Bulbasaur sprung over Donphan.

"Donphan, use Earthquake!" Debbie said.

Donphan repeatedly pounded the ground, sending seismic waves racing through the ground. Bulbasaur came donw only to get caught up in the attack. Bulbasaur was knocked for a loop. Soon, the seismic waves subsided, allowing Bulbasaur to get up.

"You all right Bulbasaur?" Ash asked.

"Bulba (Yeah)," Bulbasaur responded. He was still a little groggy and shook his head to clear it.

"Use Rollout while its disoriented," Debbie said.

Donphan rolled towards Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur was still groggy from the Earthquake attack and was struck directly. Bulbasaur was knocked off his feet. He landed on the ground hard but was able to stagger to his feet.

"We've got it now Donphan. One more Rollout should finish it off," Debbie said.

"Don (Right)," Donphan said before rolling towards Bulbasaur.

"Jump with Vine Whip," Ash said.

Bulbasaur was able to do so.

"Use Earthquake again," Debbie said.

"Quick Bulbasaur! Wrap Donphan in your Vine Whip!" Ash said.

Bulbasaur lashed his vines at Donphan. Donphan couldn't give off the Earthquake. Bulbasaur came down. But there was one thing that Donphan had going for it, size.

"Size matters in this case. Pull Bulbasaur to you Donphan," Debbie said.

Donphan began stepping back. Bulbasaur tried to keep still but size was definitely a factor here. He was at Donphan's mercy now. To make sure that Bulbasaur couldn't get away, Donphan had used Rollout to a certain extent. Bulbasaur appeared to be helpless at this point.

"Try a Razor Leaf," Ash said.

Bulbasaur fired off a barrage of leaves at Donphan.

"Reverse Rollout!" Debbie said.

Donphan curled up on itself before rolling away to avoid the Razor Leaf, freeing Bulbasaur as well. Bulbasaur retracted his vines.

"That was a close one," Max said.

"Yeah," Brock agreed.

"Use Dig Donphan!" Debbie said.

Donphan dug a hole into the ground.

"Charge up for a Solarbeam!" Ash said.

Bulbasaur began charging up (A/N: I know that Pokemon who use Solarbeam in the series are out in the sun, but I think that it shouldn't matter if the Pokemon is out in the sun or inside someplace. So I decided to to this from a Pokemon game for Game Boy standard in which it doesn't matter whether a Pokemon is outside or inside). Donphan surfaced right under Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur went flying into the air. While in the air, he was able to point his bulb towards Donphan. He then fired away.

"Quick, use Dig to escape!" Debbie said.

But the attack came too fast for Donphan to react. The Solarbeam made a direct hit.

"Donphan (That hurts)!" Donphan cried, fainting soon after.

Bulbasaur then came down on his feet.

"That was a great recover..." Ash started to say when he saw the bulb on Bulbasaur's back glowing.

"Look at that," May said in awe.

"Bulbasaur is getting ready to evolve," Brock said.

Soon, Bulbasaur's entire body glowed. He then began to grow. The bulb on his back opened up to reveal a closed up flower. Then the glow died down to reveal Ivysaur.

"Ivysaur saur (That was a tough battle)," Ivysaur said.

"Wow. You decided to evolve," Ash said.

"Ivy (Yeah)," Ivysaur said.

"Watching a Pokemon evolve never gets old," Debbie said smiling. She had returned her Donphan several seconds after it fainted.

"No it doesn't," Max agreed.

"Well, good luck Ash," Debbie said.

"Thanks Debbie," Ash said before returning Ivysaur and Phanpy. Then he and his friends moved on.

Ten minutes later, another trainer spotted them. He walked over to them. "You're a pretty impressive trainer Ash," he said.

"Thanks," Ash said.

"My name is Rob. Most of the Pokemon I train with are unevolved. But they are very strong. I have proven to a lot of trainers that big things can come in small packages," the trainer said. "Let's make this a doubles match," he added.

"That's fine with me," Ash said.

"Bellsprout, Nosepass, go!" Rob said, releasing the said Pokemon.

"Cyndaquil, Totodile, I choose you!" Ash said, lighting up his back.

"Cyndaquil (I'm ready)," Cyndaquil said, lighting up his back.

"Toto (Let's play)," Totodile added, doing a back flip.

Wanting to see what Cyndaquil could do, Charizard came out of his Poke Ball to watch the battle.

"It looks like Charizard wants to watch the battle," Ash said.

"I don't have any problem with that. Use Rock Tomb Nosepass. Bellsprout, use Razor Leaf," Rob said.

"Cyndaquil, burn the leaves with your Flamethrower but be wary of the falling boulders. That last part goes for you too Totodile," Ash said.

"Cynda (Right)," Cyndaquil said before using Flamethrower to burn the leaves to a crisp. He dodged the falling boulders while burning the leaves.

Totodile simply danced out of the falling boulders' path, making the Rock Tomb attack look like a game of dodge the boulder.

"Now use Water Gun," Ash said.

Totodile fired a Water Gun at Nosepass.

"Use Harden," Rob said.

Nosepass hardened itself. The Water Gun made contact, doing little damage to the hardened Nosepass.

"Now use Thunderbolt," Rob said.

Nosepass's nose glowed yellow. It then fired a Thunderbolt at Totodile. Totodile was barely able to dodge the Thunderbolt, only to be knocked for a loop in Bellsprout's Vine Whip. Totodile slowly got back up.

"Use Rockslide on Cyndaquil Nosepass. Bellsprout, use Razor Leaf on Totodile," Rob said.

Nosepass/Bellsprout (Okay)," Nosepass and Bellsprout said before unleashing the said attack.

"Use Agility Cyndaquil," Ash said.

Cyndaquil complied but it wasn't much help. He was just barely able to dodge all the rocks coming at him. Meanwhile, Totodile was trying his hardest to evade the leaves coming at him. Some of them managed to strike him. He finally stopped and used Water Gun in hopes of diverting the leaves.

The strategy worked as the Water Gun powered through the leaves. Bellsprout was soon struck. It was knocked to the ground but quickly got back up. Then Totodile used Water Gun on Nosepass. Nosepass briefly stopped its attack to harden itself before continuing the attack on Cyndaquil. Cyndaquil was now starting to retire.

"It's getting tired now Nosepass. Use Rock Tomb to finish it off," Rob said.

Nosepass stopped the Rockslide attack and caused a small cave in again. Cyndaquil was too tired to dodge the attack.
"Cyndaquil!" Ash cried in concern.

"Cyndaquil quil (I won't give up)," Cyndaquil said determinedly. He found the strength to get out of the boulders' path. Then he started to glow.

"Cyndaquil," Ash said in awe.

"It's evolving," Max said in awe.

('It looks like things are about to take an interesting turn') Charizard thought smiling.

The little fire mouse then began to grow a little. His body then elongated a little. Soon, the glow died down to reveal a Quilava.

"Quilava (It's not over)!" Quilava said before lighting the fires on his head and behind. Then he revealed a surprise. He charged towards Bellsprout. He then curled up on himself and began rolling towards Bellsprout.

But this was not a Rollout attack. This was a Flame Wheel attack. The attack hit home, sending Bellsprout flying.

"Whoa! What attack was that?" Ash said.

"That was a Flame Wheel," Brock responded.

Bellsprout was able to get back up.

"Use Solarbeam on Totodile Bellsprout," Rob said.

"Use Scratch Totodile," Ash said.

Totodile complied and scratched Bellsprout. Bellsprout staggered back but was able to fire off the Solarbeam. Totodile was too close to Bellsprout when the attack was fired and couldn't get completely out of the way. A portion of the attack hit him, sending him flying. He landed hard on the ground. It looked like he was down for the count.

"It looks like Totodile is out," Max said in worry.

But Totodile was not out yet. He staggered back up to his feet.

"Use Razor Leaf Bellsprout!" Rob said.

Bellsprout fired off a barrage of leaves. Totodile staggered out of the way.

"Totodile is tougher than he looks," May said.

"Yeah, but he can't last much longer," Brock said.

"We have Totodile where we want it Bellsprout. Use..." Rob started to say when he saw Totodile glowing.

"Totodile is evolving too," Ash said in awe.

(Whoa, two evolutions in one battle! This is getting good) Charizard said.

"Pikachu (You said it)," Pikachu said in awe.

Soon, the glow died down to reveal a fiercer looking Pokemon.

"Croconaw croc (This fight is far from over)!" Croconaw said.

"Water Gun on Nosepass Croconaw!" Ash said.

Croconaw fired the Water Gun.

"Harden!" Rob said.

Nosepass used Harden. This time though, the Harden was no help. Nosepass cried in pain as the now more powerful Water Gun struck it dead center.

"One more time Croconaw," Ash said.

Croconaw complied. Now that Harden would not help any longer, Nosepass succumbed to the Water Gun's pressure. It soon fainted.

"Looks like the tables have turned in Ash's favor now," May said.

"Yeah," Brock said.

"Quilava, use Ember!" Ash said.

Quilava complied. Bellsprout tried to avoid the small seed-like flames. It couldn't completely dodge though and ended up getting burned. Quilava then finished the job with Flamethrower. Bellsprout was down for the count.

"Nice job guys," Ash said.

Croconaw danced around in celebration. Apparently, he had not lost his happy-go-lucky attitude.

"That was a battle for my record book Ash. Never before have I seen two Pokemon evolve during a battle," Rob said.

"Thanks Rob. You almost had us though," Ash said.

"Lava (Yeah)," Quilava said.

"Croconaw (Tell me about it)," Croconaw added.

(Nice battling you two) Charizard said.

"Lava (Thanks)," Quilava said. ('This has turned into the best moment of my life. I really impressed my idol') he secretly added.

Ash returned Quilava and Croconaw. Then he and his friends moved on. Half an hour later, they decided to rest. An hour later, they continued on once more. Five minutes later, they confronted two trainers.

"You're halfway down Victory Road. Congratulations on that," the female trainer said.

"You're a very impressive trainer," the male trainer said.

"Now we battle. This will be a four-on-four battle," both trainers said.

"That's fine with me," Ash said.

"I'm Christie," the female trainer said.

"And I'm Tom," the male trainer said.

"And now it's battle start," both trainers said.

"Pelipper, Golem, go!" Christie said.

"Let's win this one Sealeo, Starmie!" Tom said.

"Pikachu, Croconaw, Bayleef, Ivysaur, you're up!" Ash said, releasing the latter three Pokemon.

Pikachu then took his position next to them. "Pika (Let's do this)," Pikachu said.

"Ivy (Yeah)," Ivysaur agreed.

"Golem, use Rollout on Pikachu. Pelipper, use Wing Attack on Ivysaur," Christie said.

"Sealeo, Ice Beam on Bayleef. Starmie, Swift on Croconaw," Tom said.

Golem rolled towards Pikachu.

"Dodge with your Agility Pikachu," Ash said.

Pikachu used Agility to easily get out of Golem's path. Golem turned and came at Pikachu again. But Pikachu was able to swiftly move.

"Gather some momentum then use Iron Tail!" Ash said.

Pikachu used his agility to gather momentum. On Golem's next pass, Pikachu jumped over and used Iron Tail as he came down. The gathered momentum was enough to force Golem out of its rollout. Golem had also seen stars for several moments before getting back up.

"Ivysaur, keep Pelipper at bay with your Razor Leaf. croconaw, counter the Swift with your Water Gun. Bayleef, jump over the beam before it reaches you," Ash said.

Ivysaur unleashed dozens upon dozens of leaves. Pelipper flew up to avoid the attack, also losing its focus to perform the Wing Attack. Croconaw and Starmie fired off their attacks at the same time. Although the Water Gun was able to negate some of the Swift, Croconaw was struck with the portion of the Swift that made it past the Water Gun. Bayleef had just jumped over the Ice Beam Sealeo fired. Pelipper had managed to get a good hit in on Ivysaur. Ivysaur was knocked down but managed to get back up.

"Pika (You okay)?" Pikachu asked.

"Ivy. Ivysaur ivy (Yeah. It's going to take more than that)," Ivysaur responded.

"Ivysaur, take out Starmie with Solarbeam!" Ash said.

('Maybe I can learn how to do it') Bayleef thought, watching intently.

"Starmie, use Psychic to render Ivysaur helpless," Tom said.

Starmie complied and lifted Ivysaur into the air.

"Now slam it to the ground!" Tom said.

Starmie did so. Ivysaur staggered back up.

"One more time Starmie," Tom said.

Starmie lifted Ivysaur with Psychic once more.

"Ice Ball on Bayleef Sealeo," Tom then said.
"Pelipper, Hydro Pump on Pikachu. Golem, Rock Throw on Croconaw," Christie added.

Bayleef managed to dodge the small ball of ice. She then closed her eyes in concentration. The others saw solar energy beginning to gather around the leaves on her neck.

"Quick Sealeo, use Ice Ball again!" Tom said.

Sealeo fired another Ice Ball. This time, the ball was a bit bigger.

Bayleef dodged the attack again. Then she was ready to fire the Solarbeam. "Bay (Take this)!" she said, firing the attack.

The beam was a wide one. Starmie paused for a split second. That split seconds was all that was needed for the Solarbeam to directly strike it. Starmie cried in pain and released Ivysaur. Unfortunately, Ivysaur was still in the air. But Bayleef was able to catch him.

"Saur (Thanks)," Ivysaur said.

"Bay (You're welcome)," Bayleef said.

Starmie was able to stagger back up. The others could see that it was getting tired.

"Use Swift again starmie," Tom said.

Starmie fired off the attack again. Croconaw charged through the attack. He was soon right in front of Starmie.

"Finish if off with Bite Croconaw," Ash said.

Croconaw bit down on Starmie. Starmie cried in pain. The Bite attack did its job, fainting Starmie.

"Starmie return!" Tom said.

Golem barely avoided being hit by the Solarbeam itself. It then used Rock Throw. Ivysaur and Bayleef got in front of Croconaw and used their Vine Whips to keep the rocks away.

"Nice defense you two," Ash said.

Pikachu dodged the Hydro Pump.

"Use Thunderbolt Pikachu!" Ash said.

Pikachu fired off the Thunderbolt. Pelipper was hit and fell to the ground. It was able to get back up and take flight again.

"Use Supersonic!" Christie said.

"Dodge the Supersonic!" Ash countered.

Pelipper sent sonic waves towards Pikachu. Pikachu dodged the waves, not wanting to become confused. Then Pikachu retaliated with another Thunderbolt. Pelipper was struck again and fell to the ground once again. This time, it had difficulty getting back up. It was barely able to get up and fly into the air.

One more attack should do Pelipper in," Max said.

"Yeah. It's barely hanging on," Brock added.

"Sealeo, use Ice Ball again!" Tom said.

Sealeo fired a bigger ball of ice, striking Bayleef directly.

"Bay bay (That's cold)," Bayleef said upon feeling partly frozen.

"One more Ice Ball Sealeo," Tom said.

Sealeo fired an Ice Beam that was much bigger now. Bayleef was frozen in place and had no way of dodging this one. Ivysaur charged for a Solarbeam. He saw that the ball was coming a lot slower now and hoped to fully charge in time. Several minutes later, he was ready.

"Ivysaur (This ball is melted)!" Ivysaur said before firing the Solarbeam.

The Solarbeam completely melted the Ice Ball. Not only that, but since Ivysaur was close to Bayleef, the heat from the Solarbeam was also enough to melt the ice trapping her. The attack didn't stop with melting the Ice Ball though. It kept going and made impact with Sealeo. A portion of the attack also hit Pelipper. Pelipper fell hard to the ground again but didn't get back up. Although a portion of the Solarbeam hit, it was enough to faint Pelipper.

"You did the best you could Pelipper," Christie said upon returning it.

Sealeo was able to get back up after being hit. The Solarbeam had lost intensity when melting the large Ice Ball.

"Sealeo (I can still fight)," Sealeo said.

"Use Aurora Beam," Tom said.

Sealeo fired the beam at Ivysaur. Ivysaur sprung over it with his Vine Whip.

"Golem, use Rollout again!" Christie said.

"Golem (All right)," Golem said before rolling towards Pikachu again.

Pikachu used Agility again to keep out of Golem's way. But keeping out of Golem's way was starting to tire Pikachu out. Golem had eventually struck Pikachu directly. Pikachu went flying, but Ivysaur caught him before he hit the ground.

"Pikachu pika pi (Did someone get the license number of that truck)?" Pikachu asked, clearly disoriented.
Golem came at the group with another Rollout. Croconaw tried to stop it with Water Gun. But Golem kept coming. Bayleef and Ivysaur lashed out with their vines.

"Lem (Ouch)!" Golem cried in pain. It was sent flying backwards about ten feet. It staggered back to its feet. It was panting a little now.

"Let's end this battle. Use Blizzard on Bayleef and Ivysaur Sealeo," Tom said.

"Use Earthquake Golem!" Christie said.

Golem jumped up and came down hard. The ground started to shake. Pikachu, Bayleef and Ivysaur were able to jump over the attack. But Croconaw was struck directly.

"Croconaw (I've had enough)," Croconaw said before fainting.

Pikachu, Bayleef and Ivysaur came back down. They saw Croconaw down for the count. Ash then returned Croconaw. But Sealeo was also reeling from the Earthquake attack.

"You were great Croconaw," Ash said. "Pikachu, use Thunder. Bayleef, Ivysaur, combine your Solarbeam attacks," he added.

"Earthquake affects all Pokemon expect the one who uses it. Your Golem ended up doing damage to Sealeo as well," Tom said.

"Whoops. Sorry about that," Christie said blushing in embarrassment.

Pikachu rain towards Sealeo. Sealeo was too disoriented after the Earthquake attack to do anything. Pikachu charged up and struck Sealeo directly.

"Sealeo (That really stings)!" Sealeo cred in pain.

The attack soon fizzled out. Sealeo was down for the count.

"Sealeo is out," Brock said.

Ivysaur and Bayleef had completely charged and fired their Solarbeam attacks at Golem. The attacks combined into one large beam. Golem had no way to get out of the way in time and was struck directly. Golem cried out in pain and fainted soon afterwards.

"Ivy...ivy...saur (That...was...tough)," Ivysaur said panting.

"Bay...bay...bay (Tell...me...about...it)," Bayleef said. "Bay (Huh)?" she then asked upon feeling strange.

"Whoa, it looks like today is evolution day for your Pokemon Ash," May said in awe.

"It sure does," Ash said in awe.

The light soon died down revealing the new Pokemon. She had what looked like antennae on her head. A fully bloomed flower was around her neck.

"Mega (I feel great)," Meganium said.

"Wow!" Christie was able to say.

"She said it. Not only did you give us the challenge of our lives, but we also got to witness a Pokemon evolution," Tom said.

"You just might have what it takes to challenge the Elite Four," Christie said.

"Thanks," Ash said before giving his Pokemon Hyper Potions. He returned them. He released Croconaw.

Croconaw was now awake but still weak. Ash gave him a Hyper Potion, helping him feel much better. Then Ash returned Croconaw before he and his friends moved on. They didn't encounter another trainer till about half an hour later.

"You're almost in the clear. But many have failed to beat me. My name is Elise and I challenge you to a three-Pokemon battle," the trainer said.

"I accept your challenge," Ash said.

"Go Gloom!" Elise said, releasing her Pokemon.

"Phanpy, you're up!" Ash said.

"Phanpy, phan (Yay, it's my turn)!" Phanpy said.

"Use Petal Dance!" Elise said.

Gloom released dozens of small pinkish leaves at Phanpy. Phanpy quickly dug to avoid them.

"It looks like Phanpy learned from watching Donphan," Max said.

"Yeah and I bet that that was something Ash hoped for," Brock said.

Phanpy resurfaced under Gloom. Gloom went flying into the air. It came back down an was able to get back up.

"Give off your stench Gloom," Elise said.

Gloom gave off its foul odor.

"Use Rollout. Maybe that can protect your nose," Ash said.

"Phanpy (Okay)," Phanpy said before rolling towards Gloom.

As Ash hoped, Gloom's smell didn't appear to affect a rolling Phanpy. Phanpy struck Gloom directly, sending it flying again. Gloom was able to get back up.

"Use Razor Leaf," Elise said.

Gloom fired dozens of leaves at Phanpy. Phanpy couldn't get out of this attack's path and was struck directly. He went flying and smashed to the ground. He slowly got back up.

"Use Dynamic Punch!" Elise said.

Gloom charged for Phanpy. Before Ash or Phanpy could react, Gloom punched Phanpy very hard. Phanpy went flying once again. He landed harder on the ground. He was barely able to get up this time.

"We've got it now Gloom. Use Solarbeam to finish it off," Elise said.

Gloom charged up for the Solarbeam. Several moments later, it fired away. Phanpy couldn't get out of the way and was struck directly. When the smoke cleared, Phanpy appeared to be out.

"Good work Gloom," Elise said. "Now who will your..." she started to ask when she saw Phanpy glowing.

"It looks like it's not over just yet," Ash said smiling.

The aura died down several minutes later to reveal a larger elephant with armor lining its trunk and spine. The elephant Pokemon then stood back up, looking completely re-energized.

"Donphan don phan don (I'm not throwing in the towel just yet)," Donphan said.

"Donphan, use Rollout!" Ash said.

"Don (Roger)," Donphan said. He curled up on himself and charged for Gloom.

"Gloom, get out of the way!" Elise said.

Gloom managed to avoid Donphan with only a few seconds to spare. But Donphan turned on a dime and came right back at Gloom. Gloom wasn't expecting the return and was struck directly. Gloom was knocked off its feet. But Donphan was not about to let it recover. He jumped up, pounding the ground upon coming down. The Earthquake attack did it. Gloom fainted instantly.

"Nice job Donphan. Watching my battle against Debbie proved to help you," Ash said.

"Donphan (It sure did)," Donphan said.

"Gloom return!" Elise said. "That was really something Ash. But this battle isn't over just yet. Swampert go!" she added, releasing her Pokemon.

"Rollout Donphan!" Ash said.

Donphan rolled towards Swampert.

"Hydro Pump Swampert!" Elise countered.

Swampert fired a huge stream of water. Donphan was forced back from the intense pressure of the Hydro Pump. He was forced up against a wall not too far away. Swampert then stopped the Hydro Pump. Donphan struggled but was able to get up.

"Now finish it off with Ice Beam!" Elise said.

Swampert complied and froze Donphan solid. Donphan was able to break free. But he fainted soon afterwards.

"Donphan return. You did great," Ash said, returning his Pokemon. "Meganium, I choose you!" he added.

"Mega (Ready)," Meganium said.

"Ice Beam again Swampert," Elise said.

"Swampert (All right)," Swampert said before firing off the beam.

Meganium dodged with secons to spare.

"Razor Leaf!" Ash said.

"Dig to avoid it," Elise countered.

Meganium fired off dozens of leaves. Swampert dug underground.

"Concentrate Meganium. Use Body Slam as soon as it surfaces," Ash said.

Meganium closed her eyes in concentration. When she felt Swampert starting to surface underneath her, she used her Vine Whip to jump. Swampert surfaced soon after.

"Swampert (What)?" Swampert asked.

Meganium then came down hard on Swampert. Swampert tried to shake Meganium off, but the issue of weight went in Meganium's favor. The pressure soon got the best of Swampert and it fainted. Meganium then got off.

"Mega (Yeah)!" Meganium said.

"Great job Meganium," Ash said.

"You're very good Ash," Elise said, returning Swampert. "But let's see how you'll fare against my last Pokemon. Go Macargo!" she said, releasing the fiery snail Pokemon.

"Macargo (This Pokemon is toast)," Macargo said.

Megainum was quite nervous upon looking at Macargo.

"Do you want to sit this one out Meganium?" Ash asked upon seeing how nervous she was.

"Mega (Yes)," Meganium responded nodding.

"Well return then," Ash said, returning Meganium. "Let's do this Croconaw!" he added, releasing Croconaw.

Croconaw was ready to do battle. "Croco (Let's)," he said.

"use Rock Throw Macargo!" Elise said.

Macargo hurled a barrage of rocks at Croconaw. Croconaw opened his mouth and released a powerful stream of water. This was not a Water Gun attack though. The attack easily powered through the rocks and straight for Macargo.

"Whoa. Croconaw learned how to do Hydro Pump," May said.

Macargo heated itself up. When the Hydro Pump made impact, some of it evaporated into steam. Macargo grunted in pain, as some of the Hydro Pump was able to make contact with it.

"Macargo use Overheat!" Elise said.

Macargo's body glowed an eerie red. Seconds later, it fired the super hot attack.

"Cool that off with Hydro Pump," Ash countered.

Croconaw fired another Hydro Pump. This time, Macargo won out. The Overheat powered through the Hydro Pump. Croconaw was struck directly. Not only that, but he was also burned. The battle looked back in Macargo's favor now.

"It's burned Macargo. Let's wear it down more with Rockslide!" Elise said.

Macargo caused some of the rocky wall to slide towards Croconaw. Croconaw was able to move out of the way.&nbps; But the burn was starting to take its toll on him. He felt his strength sapping away. He knew that he wouldn't be able to continue much longer. Ash also knew that Croconaw couldn't continue much longer.

"We need to end this battle. Use Hydro Pump," Ash said.
"Use Overheat again Macargo," Elise said.

Croconaw and Macargo fired their attacks. This time, Croconaw won out. Although weakened from the burn he sustained, Croconaw held out against the weakened Overheat attack. The Hydro Pump drove straight into Macargo. Macargo cried in pain upon feeling the powerful water attack impact it. Because Macargo was both a fire and rock-type Pokemon, the watery attack did quadruple damage. Macargo soon fainted.

"Nice work Croconaw," Ash said.

"Croc (Thanks)," Croconaw said weakly.

"Here Ash, give this to Croconaw," Brock said, handing a small bottle to Ash.

"What is it?" Ash asked.

"It's a Full Heal. I found it in between some rocks ten minutes ago," Brock responded.

Ash didn't say anything more. He gave the Full Heal to Croconaw. Soon, Croconaw was healed of his burn.

"Croconaw (That's much better)," Croconaw said.

Then Ash gave Croconaw a Hyper Potion. Croconaw felt his strength returning and then some. He felt so much stronger that he began to glow. Ash and the others watched in awe as Croconaw began to evolve. First, Croconaw started growing. Soon, the aura died down to reveal a large alligator that resembled its unevolved form of Totodile to a certain extent. But this Pokemon was much fiercer looking.

"Gator (How do I look)?" Feraligatr asked.

"Whoa! What an awesome turn of events," Elise said.

"I know. This was a pretty tough battle. You almost had us. I can see why not too many trainers have been able to get past you," Ash said.

"Gator (Yeah)," Feraligatr agreed.

"Thanks. I believe you have what it takes to challenge the Elite Four. Good Luck," Elise said.

"Thanks," Ash said before returning Feraligatr and moving on.

About ten minutes later, he and his friends confronted another trainer.

"You're pretty good to have made it this far," the trainer said.

"Thank you," Ash said.

"Now it's my turn to face you. I'm Samantha and this will be a one-on-one battle. I choose you Medicham," the trainer said.

"Medicham (Let's battle)!" Medicham said.

"Quilava go!" Ash said, releasing his fiery Pokemon.

"Quilava (Let's get down)," Quilava said.

"Medicham, Thunderpunch!" Samantha said.

Medicham came at Quilava, its fist crackling with electrical energy.

"Use Flame Wheel to ward it off," Ash said.

Quilava curled in on himself and rolled towards Medicham. Medicham quickly teleported out of the way with only seconds to spare.

"Dynamic Punch!" Samantha said.

Medicham charged for Quilava. Quilava had uncurled himself, giving Medicham the opportunity to strike. Medicham gave Quilava a huge blow to the side of his body. Quilava was knocked skyward. He came down hard but was able to get up.

"Now Medicham, use Confusion!" Samantha said.

"Medicham (This battle is over)," Medicham said, lifting Quilava into the air and slamming him back down.

Quilava staggered back to his feet.

"Psybeam Medicham!" Samantha said.

Medicham fired off the attack.

"Quilava, try to avoid it with Agility," Ash said.

Quilava was able to dodge the attack.

"Now use Flamethrower," Ash said.

Quilava complied and shot out a stream of fire towards Medicham.

"Send the Flamethrower right back at it with Confusion," Samantha said.

Medicham did so. Quilava wasn't affected too much fortunately.

"Qui...lava (I'm getting...worn out)," Quilava said panting.

"Quilava looks just about done it Medicham. Use Dynamic Punch again!" Samantha said.

Medicham came at Quilava and punched him hard. Quilava was knocked off his feet again. Quilava used his remaining strength to get back up.

"Qui...lava qui...lava (I...won't...quit...yet)," Quilava said. He knew that he would be down for the count if Medicham got another hit on him.

"One more hit will do it Medicham. Use Focus Punch!" Samantha said.

Medicham used Focus Energy first. Then Medicham came at Quilava, fist glowing. Quilava was able to rear up and light the fire on its head just as Medicham would've dealt him the final blow. Medicham jumped back upon feeling the fire make contact with its fist.

"Medicham (It burns)!" Medicham cried in pain.

"That was good thinking Quilava. Now let's show them that we can win this battle," Ash said encouragingly.

Quilava reached deep down into himself. His eyes snapped open upon finding a hidden strength that he didn't know he had. He then began to glow red. But this wasn't the precursor to an Overheat attack.

"Quilava?" Ash asked in awe.

"What is that?" May asked.

"It's Blaze," Brock responded.

"What's Blaze?" Max asked.

"It's a special ability that Cyndaquil and Quilava have that increases the power of their fire attacks when they become exhausted in battle," Brock responded.

But Quilava wasn't finished with just showing off his special ability. In tapping into his hidden strength, he soon began to glow in a white aura as well.

"Now Quilava is evolving too," Ash said in awe.

Quilava began to grow. When the aura died down, a Pokemon that stood at a little over 5'6" was in Quilava's place. The Pokemon's neck then lit up. The effects of Blaze had worn off now that he was re-energized.

"Typhlosion typh (Things just heated up)!" Typhlosion said.

"Awesome," Ash said.

Typhlosion looked back and gave Ash a thumbs' up before facing Medicham again.

"Let's get rocking Typhlosion. Use Flame Wheel," Ash said.

Typhlosion charged for Medicham. This time, Medicham had just about no time to react because Typhlosion came at it much faster. Medicham cried in pain upon feeling the flames of the Flame Wheel.

"Use Psychic Medicham!" Samantha said.

Medicham lifted Typhlosion with its psychic power.

"Typhlosion, try to face Medicham," Ash said.

Typhlosion struggled hard, but he was able to face Medicham.

"Now use Flamethrower!" Ash said.

Typhlosion fired the stream of fire at Medicham. Medicham panicked and quickly used Teleport. Typhlosion fell to the ground but was able to land on all fours.

"We need to finish this now Medicham.&nbps; Use Meditate and follow up with Dynamic Punch," Samantha said.

Medicham began to meditate. Typhlosion had an idea. He charged for Medicham.

"What's Typhlosion doing?" Max asked.

"He has an idea. Let's see what he does," Ash responded.

Typhlosion's fist glowed orange. Before Medicham came out of meditation, Typhlosion gave it a wallop of a punch.

"Medicham (Aaaahhhh)!" Medicham cried upon feeling the Firepunch attack. It fainted upon slamming hard on the ground.

"Wow! It fainted upon slamming hard on the ground.

"Wow! Typhlosion learned Firepunch completely on his own!" May said.

"Medicham, I'm proud of you. You did your very best," Samantha said, returning her fainted Pokemon. Then she looked at Ash and Typhlosion. "That was the best battle I have ever fought besides the Elite Four. I know that you can give them a run for their money," she added.

"Thanks Samantha," Ash said before giving Typhlosion a Hyper Potion and returning it. Then he and his friends moved on.

About fifteen minutes later, they saw the exit. They were just about to exit.

"Wait! You still have one more battle," a voice said.

Ash and friends turned to see a young boy walking towards them.

"I'm Wally and I want to battle you. I have heard a lot about you Ash and hoped to be able to battle you one day. Now I'll get my chance," the boy said.

"All right. Let's do it. How many Pokemon?" Ash said.

"Let's make it two-on-two," Wally said.

"Fine by me. You choose first," Ash said.

"All right. Go Delcatty!" Wally said, releasing his Pokemon.

"Ivysaur go!" Ash said.

"Ivy (Ready)," Ivysaur said.

"Use Assist Delcatty!" Wally said.

Delcatty's Assist turned out to be an Ember attack.

"Dodge it Ivysaur!" Ash said.

Ivysaur quickly used his vines to spring over the attack.

"Now use Razor Leaf!" Ash said.

Ivysaur released his leaves towards Delcatty.

Use Assist again. Hopefully, the result will be something that can blow those leaves away," Wally said.

Delcatty used Assist. But the result was the worst thing that could've possibly happened. Delcatty was using Splash. Needless to say, the razor-sharp leaves had very little difficulty striking their target. Delcatty fell to the ground but got back up.

"Now we know what we're up against Delcatty. Use Blizzard!" Wally said.

Delcatty complied and sent a fierce wind of ice and snow towards Ivysaur. Ivysaur laid flat on the ground. The icy attack missed him by only several inches.

"That was close Ivysaur," Ash said.

"Ivysaur (Tell me about it)," Ivysaur said before getting back up.

"Use Doubleslap!" Wally said.

Delcatty charged towards Ivysaur.

"Hit it back with Vine Whip!" Ash said.

Ivysaur lashed out his vines and knocked Delcatty back.

"Try Assist again," Wally said.

This time, the Assist resulted in a very cold attack that could knock Ivysaur out upon impact.

"Ash, it's a Sheer Cold attack. Ivysaur is as good as fainted if the attack makes impact," Brock warned.

"Ivysaur, don't let that attack hit you!" Ash said.

Ivysaur maneuvered out of the Sheer Cold's path with only seconds to spare. "Ivysaur, saur ivy (Whoa, what an attack)," he said.

"Follow up with Blizzard," Wally said.

Delcatty used Blizzard. This time, Ivysaur had no chance of dodging. He was knocked off his feet. Some of his body had actually become frozen. But slamming to the ground broke the ice that had formed. Ivysaur staggered back up.

"Ivysaur (That wasn't fun)," Ivysaur said.

"You all right Ivysaur?" Ash said.

"Ivy (Yes)," Ivysaurs responded.

"Assist again," Wally said.

Delcatty complied. This time, the Assist resulted in Delcatty glowing an eerie red. It soon fired an Overheat attack. The attack came fast and struck Ivysaur quicker than he or Ash could react.

"Ivy, ivy, ivy (Hot, hot, hot)!" Ivysaur cried in pain upon feeling the fire. He was knocked off his feet again. He very slowly got back up. "Ivysaur (I'm not out yet)," he added. He saw Delcatty right in front of him now.

"Use Doubleslap," Wally said.

Delcatty began to slap Ivysaur senseless.

"Use Razor Leaf Ivysaur. Try to get it away from you," Ash said.

But Ivysaur couldn't concentrate due to Delcatty's merciless assault. Ivysaur ended up being knocked off his feet again. Thinking that Ivysaur was out, Delcatty went over next to its trainer again.

"Nice work Delcatty," Wally said.

"It's not over yet," Ash said.

"And why's..." Wally started to ask when he saw Ivysaur glowing. How is this possible?" he asked in disbelief.

"When a battle is on the line, anything can be possible," Ash responded.

Ivysaur then began to grow. The flower on his back started opening up. Soon, the glow died down to reveal a Venosaur.

"Venosaur (The battle ends now)," Venosaur said.

"Charge up for a Solarbeam Venosaur," Ash said.

"Venosaur (I'm on it)," Venosaur said, gathering energy.

"Blizzard Delcatty!" Wally said.

Delcatty fired the attack. but this time the result was different. The solar energy Venosaur gathered actually protected him from Delcatty's attack.

"Use Assist!" Wally said, starting to panic now.

Delcatty complied. The result was a Gust attack, but it wasn't strong enough to blow Venosaur away. Soon, Venosaur was ready to fire.

"Fire away!" Ash said.

"Veno (Take this)!" Venosaur said, firing the beam from the large flower on his back.

The beam rocketed towards Delcatty, making impact seconds afterward. When the smoke cloud it generated cleared, Delcatty was down and out.

"You did great Delcatty," Wally said, returning the fainted Pokemon. You're pretty good Ash. But my next Pokemon is also my strongest. Let's win this Gardevoir!" he added, releasing the said Pokemon.

"Gardevoir (Let's finish this)!" Gardevoir said.

"It's beautiful," May said upon seeing the psychic Pokemon.

"It looks very strong as well," Max added.

"Vine Whip Venosaur!" Ash said.

Venosaur lashed out with eight vines.

"Psychic!" Wally countered.

Gardevoir used the attack to redirect the vines right back at Venosaur. Venosaur was knocked off his feet upon feeling the psychic-induced recoil.

"Use Psychic again!" Wally said.

Gardevoir used its powers to lift Venosaur high into the air. Then it slammed Venosaur to the ground. It repeated the action three more times for good measure. This time, Venosaur was down for the count.

"You did great Venosaur," Ash said, returning his fallen Pokemon. "Let's go Feraligatr," he added, releasing the said Pokemon.

"Gator (All right)," Feraligatr said.

"Psybeam Gardevoir!" Wally said.

Gardevoir complied.

"Dodge that attack," Ash said.

Feraligatr danced out of the attack's path. But now, he kind of shook the ground a little. Gardevoir was haivng a little difficulty standing up. Ash took note of this.

'Feraligatr is actually close to performing an Earthquake attack,' Ash thought.

"Stop it with Psychic," Wally said.

"Gard (Okay)," Gardevoir said. It used its powers to stop Feraligatr from dancing around. But it didn't use enough power to completely immobilize him, which would prove to be a huge mistake.

"Hydro Pump Feraligatr!" Ash said, seeing Feraligatr twitch every several seconds.

Feraligatr inhaled deeply and was able to give off the attack. The attack came at Gardevoir pretty fast. So fast in fact that it couldn't react in time and as struck directly. Soon, Feraligatr no longer felt the Psychic attack. Gardevoir staggered back to its feet.

"Shadow Ball Gardevoir," Wally said.

Gardevoir launched a Shadow Ball at Feraligatr.

"Try to send it right back," Ash said.

Feraligatr swung his large tail and hit the Shadow Ball like it was a baseball. Wally and Gardevoir stood in shock at what Feraligatr did. Gardevoir was so shocked that it didn't seem to realize that it had a Shadow Ball coming right at it. The reflected attack hit home causing Gardevoir to cry in pain.

"That was a great move," Max said.

"Yeah. Although a psychic Pokemon can perform Ghost-type moves, it's also weak to them," Brock said.

"You can do it Gardevoir. Use Psywave," Wally said.

Gardevoir fired a wave of psychic energy towards Feraligatr.

"Try to get as close to Gardevoir as possible while dodging the Psywave," Ash said.

Feraligatr nodded and got close to the ground. He then crawled his way past the Psywave attack. He was looking up at it the entire time so he'd know when to get up. He had gotten up right in front of Gardevoir. Gardevoir screamed in surprise.

"Now Feraligatr. Use Crunch!" Ash said.

Feraligatr bit down very hard on Gardevoir's shoulder. Gardevoir cried out in pain.

"Gardevoir, try to get away!" Wally said in panic.

But Feraligatr's grip was solid as stone. Gardevoir couldn't get away. Soon, Feraligatr let go. Gardevoir had fainted. Feraligatr then danced around in celebration. In dancing, he had jumped up and pounded the ground hard, knocking everyone off his/her feet. He blushed in embarrassment immediately afterwards.

"Gator (Sorry)," Feraligatr said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"That's okay Feraligatr. You actually just learned the Earthquake attack," Ash said as he and the others got up.

"Gardevoir, you did your best," Wally said, returning Gardevoir. Then he faced Ash. "I see why everyone has said how great a trainer you are. You're very good," he added smiling.

"Thanks Wally," Ash said.

"Well good luck facing the Elite Four. I hope you come out victorious," Wally then said.

"Thanks," Ash said before returning Feraligatr. Then he and his friends moved on and were sono out of Victory Road.

"Well Ash, here we are," May said.

Yeah. Let's go to the Pokemon Center," Ash said.

The others nodded and headed to the Pokemon Center. Ash had his Pokemon healed and revitalized.

"So are you going to try your skills against the Elite Four today?" Nurse Joy asked.

"No, not today. Victory Road was quite a challenge and I want to rest up," Ash responded.

"I understand. As for your friends, they'll have to stay here. Only trainers who have collected all eight badges can enter," Nurse Joy said.

"We understand Nurse Joy," Max said as the others nodded.

Unknown to everyone, Latias was also inside the Pokemon Center. She had followed Ash and friends down Victory Road and saw all the battles and Pokemon evolutions. ('Ash is really good. Maybe he can defeat the Eltie Four. I really hope he does') she thought.

And that's another wrap. This is the longest chapter that I've ever written so far. I said that this would be very beneficial for Ash's Pokemon and now you've seen just how beneficial it was. Preview for Chapter 10: Heart of A Champion: The biggest test of Ash's training skills has arrived. The only thing standing between Ash and the title of Pokemon Leauge Champion is the Elite Four. Will he pass the test with flying colors or flunk miserably? Stay tuned to find out.