Serena gave Ash a big hug when he reached the group waiting for him. As difficult as the battle had been thus far, he was still performing like a top quality trainer and she couldn't be happier. She also gave Pikachu a congratulatory pat on the head, quite impressed with his performance as well.

"Sawyer's really come a long way," Ash acknowledged, taking a deep breath and looking towards the battlefield, where the grass field was lowering. "He's drawn me into a few of his traps."

"You've come a long way as well, Ash," Clemont pointed out. "Look at Goodra. He was just a little Goomy when you met him, but now he's capable of defeating a powerful Slaking."

"Yeah," Serena said, nodding in agreement. "And seeing Noivern go head to head with a Salamence, win or lose, that's pretty amazing since he was just a baby Noibat not even that long ago."

"And Pikachu," May added, "is way stronger. It didn't matter how many times Sawyer used King's Shield." She leaned forward, an interested look in her eyes. "Wasn't that electric circle the move Pikachu used in that contest back in Kanto?"

"Yeah," Ash answered, nodding. "I don't know why it came to me, but it seemed like a good idea so I went with it."

"Worked pretty well," Gary pointed out.

They talked a few more minutes and then Serena noticed the next field was coming up. It looked like they were going to be battling it out on the rock field. The announcer called for everyone to return to their seats and Ash gave his friends a quick wave, winked at Serena, and then set off back to his platform.

Another couple of minutes later, and Serena was in her seat. She saw the referee settle in his spot on the sidelines and both Ash and Sawyer pull out their next pokeballs. The final stretch was about to begin.

"Welcome back to the second half of the quarterfinal matchup between Ash and Sawyer," the announcer greeted. "Now, as the score stands, Ash still has four Pokemon, while Sawyer is down to his last three. Let's see if the young trainer from Hoenn can get this battle tied up."

The crowd cheered and then waited in silent anticipation for the two trainers to call out their Pokemon. Two flashes of light later, and the choices were visible. Sawyer once again had Salamence out, and Ash had selected Talonflame. Serena wasn't sure what to think, but knew she needed to have faith in Ash's choice. He knew what he was doing.

The referee made the call and the battle was all set to resume. Without any orders, both Talonflame and Salamence whipped into the air, obviously intent on showing one another who was the better aerial fighter. Both Ash and Sawyer seemed perfectly willing to go with it, too.

"Start things off with Steel Wing!" Ash yelled quickly.

"Dragon Claw!" came Sawyer's counter order.

Talonflame flapped his wings hard, and then launched forward, his wings quickly shining with a silvery gleam. Salamence moved at the same time, green, glowing claws extending out in front of him. They clashed together in an instant, bringing their attacks forward with full power. Once the first Steel Wing hit the first Dragon Claw, there was a shower of sparks that shot into the faces of the clashing Pokemon. Neither cared, though, and they only decided to bring forward their second strikes. With another shower of sparks and neither Pokemon proving stronger, they flew apart, before turning and glaring at one another, ready to continue on their trainers' orders.

Ash was quick to move. "Talonflame, speed things up with Flame Charge!"

"Hit back with Dragon Rush!" Sawyer ordered.

Before charging forward, both Pokemon prepared their attacks, bracing themselves. Salamence enveloped himself in a blue light, roared and then launched forward. Meanwhile, Talonflame engulfed himself in flames, spun around once to build up some speed, and then whipped ahead, ready to fight. The dragon and bird collided in an instant, the light around Salamence and the flames around Talonflame, immediately disappearing. Then, Talonflame screeched in pain, and staggered back, winded by the collision.

"Quick!" Sawyer yelled. "Thunder Fang!"

"Dodge with Flame Charge!" Ash ordered quickly.

A moment later, and Salamence was chasing after Talonflame, jaws crackling with electricity. The flames around Talonflame's body were apparently no deterrent to the dragon, who seemed quite willing to sink his electric jaws into the fire-bird's feathers. However, Salamence appeared unable to keep up, and was only falling further and further behind Talonflame.

Ash knew they couldn't keep the chase up forever, though. Talonflame was picking up speed from his continuous Flame Charge, but to win, they needed to land attacks, not flee them. "Dive towards the ground!" Ash yelled, deciding he could draw Salamence down, before having Talonflame shoot into the air and then counterstrike.

Sawyer was clearly watching closely, but he seemed willing to have Salamence continue the chase. Talonflame seemed to draw the enemy dragon type in, and then he quickly made the dive to the ground, Salamence in pursuit. Once they were about two thirds of the way down, Ash was sure it was going to work, but then he saw Sawyer smirk. "Flamethrower!" the green haired trainer yelled.

The flames shot down with impressive speed and crashed into Talonflame. It didn't matter if it was a move with little effect, as it did exactly what Sawyer wanted. It crashed Talonflame to the ground, leaving him vulnerable to Salamence's next move.

"Thunder Fang!" Sawyer yelled once more, punching the air as Ash often did. The powerful dragon whipped down with an extra boost of speed, his jaws crackling with electricity again. He quickly reached Talonflame and bit into the poor bird, causing it to screech in pain as electricity coursed through his body.

Ash narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. No...he wasn't letting Salamence take this match. Talonflame was winning this no matter what. "You can do this, Talonflame," Ash encouraged. "Hit Salamence with the best Steel Wing you've got!"

From Ash's position, it was easy to see as the previously writhing Talonflame instantly calmed from his trainer's call. He straightened out, eyes widening with furious determination. Then, his wing glowed brightly and he slashed it upward with all the force he could muster. The power within the fire-bird's strike was almost unbelievable. The Steel Wing struck Salamence in the side and sent him soaring through the air and then he crashed into a rock which subsequently exploded.

"Now get in there with Flame Charge!" Ash ordered quickly. Then, a quick nod from Talonflame, and the determined flier was rocketing towards a dazed Salamence, body shooting out wildly powerful flames. He struck the dragon with full force once again, knocking Salamence further away. "Now fly up high and let's wrap this up. Brave Bird!"

Sawyer wasn't going to give up on this fight just yet, though. "Counter with Dragon Rush!"

Talonflame shot into the sky with incredible speed, barely visible as he flew. Salamence had only just managed to get up and brace himself for the next attack, when Talonflame reached his preferred height, and then aimed down, a blue light around his body. Once Talonflame began to charge down, Salamence clearly knew it had to get moving. He braced himself again, and then shot up, a blue light enveloping his body. Then, the two fliers were rocketing towards each other, in what everyone could see was the last move of this battle. Finally, they crashed together at full force. They strained against each other for a brief second, and then one of them was able to break through, driving the full force of their body into the other. Then, a body went crashing to the ground, landing with a crunch in the stones beneath.

"Salamence is unable to battle. Talonflame is the winner!" a surprised sounding referee announced.

Ash wasn't surprised at all. He knew Talonflame had that power in him, and was proud to know that all these people watching could see it. "Great job, Talonflame," Ash told his flying type as he landed in front of his trainer, breathing a bit heavily, but obviously intent on continuing to battle.

"Talon-talonflame," the fire-bird said in answer, likely a pleased acknowledgement of his trainer's praise.

Ash smiled and then looked ahead at Sawyer, as the announcer called out praises for Talonflame. The green haired trainer looked deep in thought but then quickly pulled out his next pokeball. Ash wasn't surprised when it wasn't Sceptile, knowing Sawyer was keeping his best for last. The fifth Pokemon was a good choice, though. A blue shrimp-like Pokemon with a massive pincer on its right side.

"I'm not worried with Clawitzer, here," Sawyer informed Ash. "He's ready to deal with anything you have."

Ash didn't say anything, waiting for the match to resume, before he gave his answer. Finally, the referee called for things to start up again, and Ash called his order. "Flame Charge!" he yelled. The speed that Talonflame took off with was too quick for Sawyer to react. The fireball that was Talonflame hit Clawitzer in a second, and was soaring into the sky a moment later in preparation for his next attack.

"Heal Pulse, quick!" Sawyer shouted. His Clawitzer quickly aimed its large pincer down and then a pink light emanated from it. The shrimp Pokemon, which had looked a little shaken up by the Flame Charge, instantly looked better, healed by the move.

"If you're going to heal yourself, we won't give you a chance," Ash assured Sawyer. "Talonflame, Flame Charge again!"

Sawyer was much quicker to react to this one, though, quickly making an order before Talonflame got moving. "Water Pulse!" he shouted.

Talonflame once again launched towards Clawitzer, bathed in flames. However, this time, despite his speed, his opponent was ready. Just before being able to strike Clawitzer with another powerful Flame Charge, the shrimp Pokemon whipped its mega launcher pincer out, and a massive sphere of water shot out. It struck Talonflame hard and the flames were quickly extinguished with a hiss, and smoke billowed off of the fire bird's wings as he landed hard on the ground a few feet back.

"Ice Beam!" Sawyer ordered quickly, obviously trying to take advantage of a back to back attack opportunity. And unfortunately it worked. The jet of icy energy quickly shot outward and struck the winded Talonflame, who fell back once more from the attack, ice covering his wings. However, it quickly melted off, evaporating in a burst of steam, because of Talonflame's Flame Body.

"Talonflame, get in the air. You have the advantage up there," Ash quickly told the flying/fire type. A quick nod later, and Talonflame was fleeing to the sky, getting some distance between him and Clawitzer.

"That won't work," Sawyer said confidently. "Clawitzer, full power Water Pulse." Ash could only watch in stunned silence as the massive orb of water formed in Clawitzer's pincer, and then it was launched upward. It rocketed up with incredible speed and struck Talonflame hard, throwing the fire-bird to the side. "Now use Ice Beam!"

"Shield yourself with Steel Wing!" Ash shouted in response.

As Clawitzer once again sent up a powerful jet of icy energy from his massive pincer, Talonflame spread his wings and then crossed them in front of himself. They shone brightly for a moment and then a silvery gleam passed over them. The icy energy quickly struck, and for a few moments it blasted into Talonflame's wings. The fire-bird held strong, though, and then finally the attack ended and he uncrossed his wings, panting from the exertion.

The brief rest opportunity Talonflame was trying to take, though, proved to be his downfall. "Dragon Pulse!" Sawyer shouted, without hesitation. Once again, Clawitzer aimed his pincer and then fired his attack. Ash and Talonflame could only watch as the attack struck whipped towards the fire-bird and then struck him. He fell to the ground like a stone.

"Talonflame is unable to battle. Clawitzer is the winner!" the referee shouted, waving his flag to the shrimp Pokemon. Ash narrowed his eyes. Now it was time to really test Sawyer. He was down to his strongest three Pokemon and Sawyer was in for a really tough challenge.

"Goodra, I choose you!" came Ash's yell, as he threw out his next pokeball.

Serena was happy with the choice, but then Clemont made a worrisome groan. When some of the group looked at him, he explained why. "Goodra is weak against dragon and ice attacks. We already know that Clawitzer can use two of those. I don't really know why Ash would choose him. Pikachu would've made much more sense. And, obviously, Greninja."

"Big brother, you can be pretty dumb sometimes," Bonnie muttered, watching the field. "Pikachu's attack power is lowered and Greninja needs to be at full power for Sceptile. Goodra easily beat Slaking so why wouldn't Ash go with him?"

Serena burst out laughing at Bonnie's explanation. Anyone who heard that, would've probably assumed it was an experienced trainer speaking, not a little girl. Clemont's face was priceless as well, obviously not expecting his sister to be able to rationalize Ash's choice like that.

After another few moments, a noise from the battlefield signalled the match was starting up again. Ash had just ordered Goodra to use Dragon Pulse, and Sawyer had called for Clawitzer to counter with its own. The two dragon shaped blasts swept forward and then crashed together in the middle of the field, creating a huge explosion that ripped into the ground and brought rocks and dirt spraying up around where the attacks had met.

"Not bad," Serena admitted, "but I bet Goodra can do a lot better than that. Clawitzer can't keep up with him."

"Yeah," Clemont agreed, apparently back to being optimistic, "I think Ash and Goodra were just testing Clawitzer's strength."

And apparently Ash was testing even further, now, ordering the next attack. "Goodra, use Ice Beam!"

"Clawitzer, you too!" Sawyer shouted.

Again, both Pokemon fired off their attacks, but this time it was their jets of icy energy. They collided in midair, just as the Dragon Pulses had, but this time there was no explosion. Instead, the two Ice Beams formed a sphere of ice as they clashed, and once the attacks ended, the ice crashed to the ground and shattered.

Serena knew it at that moment, that the true battle between these two Pokemon was now going to begin. She saw both Ash and Sawyer tense up, almost mimicking their Pokemon who were bracing for the next attack. Each side was eager to continue and Serena was eager to see it.

"Ice Beam on the ground!" Sawyer yelled. "Slide on it to get in close."

"Dragon Pulse!" Ash shouted quickly, obviously not willing to stand by as Sawyer and Clawitzer put a plan in motion to attack Goodra more conveniently. It was a little odd, actually, seeing Sawyer trying to put Ash in a close combat fight. With Goodra, Ash clearly preferred the distance.

While Clawitzer aimed its huge pincer at the ground and started hitting it with Ice Beam, Goodra wasted no time in attacking. The powerful dragon type quickly aimed and then unleashed the massive blast of energy that whipped towards Clawitzer. The shrimp Pokemon was hit hard by the blast but it managed to quickly grab the ground with its pincers, briefly stopping its Ice Beam, and stopped itself from getting launched away. It seemed to take a few deep breaths after the attack, and then it set to work on its Ice Beam again, the path already starting to form.

"Keep it up, Goodra," Ash encouraged. Serena could tell he didn't like that Clawitzer's and Sawyer's plan was beginning to take shape. "Hit the ground with Dragon Pulse!"

"Move forward and counter with your own!" Sawyer shouted in response.

Just as Goodra lifted his head up to charge up his attack, Clawitzer quickly zipped forward on the part of the ice path he'd created. It wasn't complete, but he'd managed to get closer to Goodra, and that was definitely not what Ash wanted, especially if the ice gave Clawitzer more speed. When Goodra fired down with Dragon Pulse, Clawitzer was quickly able to counter. However, this time Goodra's was clearly more powerful, and the resulting shock wave blasted Clawitzer back a few feet.

Serena could see that Goodra was clearly the stronger one, but Sawyer seemed to have the speed advantage here. It was all a question of whether or not Ash could counter Sawyer's strategy or not, and if he could land some more attacks.

"Isn't Goodra amazing, Dedenne?" Serena heard Bonnie ask her little hamster-like Pokemon. "Remember when he used to be scared of you?"

"Ne-ne!" Dedenne answered, as Goodra struck Clawitzer with an Ice Beam, freezing part of its pincer.

Sawyer quickly ordered a Heal Pulse, but Ash was having none of it, ordering another Dragon Pulse which knocked Clawitzer back, the shrimp Pokemon looking further exhausted. Serena wondered if there was much left to go in this battle.

Then, it seemed as though Sawyer decided to get set on another plan. "Clawitzer, get behind the rocks. Keep hitting Goodra with Ice Beam. Make sure to hit low to the ground."

The rocks throughout the field then became target practice for Goodra, although with some dangerous return fire. The rocks were shattering into pieces all over the field. A continuous barrage of Dragon Pulses, Ice Beams and even the use of his tail when Clawitzer tried to get close, all ripped apart the field. Unfortunately, Clawitzer was rarely getting hit, as he was continuously hitting the ground, and Goodra a few times, with Ice Beam attacks. Pretty soon, there were quite a few patches of ice on the field, making the movements of the shrimp Pokemon much swifter.

And then, things became very dangerous for Goodra, as an Ice Beam struck him in the chest and he staggered back, wincing in pain, allowing Clawitzer to get in close. Sawyer quickly took advantage of his opportunity. Despite Sawyer being a friend, Serena couldn't help but feel frustrated as he made his next order. "Hit Goodra with Dragon Pulse and Ice Beam. Keep it up until you win. Use the ice to avoid him."

"No..." Serena whispered, clutching her ribbon as the first Dragon Pulse hit, causing a whine of pain from Goodra.

Ash wasn't backing down, though. Serena was surprised, even though Ash's actions probably shouldn't be surprising her anymore, as she looked at him and saw him calm as ever. "Goodra, stay calm. We can win this with one hit. Bide!"

Serena focused hard on Goodra immediately, as the dragon type glowed and a white light surrounded him. It was a risky move, considering he was being hit with super effective moves quite consistently. However, if he was truly the stronger Pokemon and if Ash was truly the better trainer, both things Serena was confident about, it would work.

It was painful to even watch as Goodra winced at each attack. However, the light around him glowed ever brighter each time. A Dragon Pulse hit, causing a little whine from Goodra, but making the light around him grow. Then, an Ice Beam hit, and his body glowed even brighter. Finally, just as a Dragon Pulse was forming in Clawitzer's pincer, Goodra was glowing so brightly, Serena was sure the power he held would've been capable of beating anything in his path.

"Let it rip!" Ash yelled, all the emotion of the battle coming out in his voice.

"Gooooooo," Goodra hummed, as he made the final preparation to strike, turning and focusing on Clawitzer. Somehow, he managed to hit the ice with his tail and the shrimp Pokemon fell from the crack. Then, Goodra unleashed. "DRAAAAA!"

The only thing that could be seen was an enormous, bright, white light. It was as if twenty Pokemon were mega evolving right in front of Serena's eyes. She wanted to see what was happening, but it was too bright, and she had to shield her eyes. Finally, the light cleared, and Serena looked at the field. All she saw was Goodra, standing in front of a long, wide track in the dirt, as if a huge path had been cleared by about ten tractors. Clawitzer was nowhere to be found.

It took a few moments for everyone to realize where the shrimp Pokemon was. The reason he'd been hard to spot, was that he'd been launched out of the arena. Sawyer had spotted him quite quickly, actually, possibly because he'd nearly been struck by his Pokemon as it had sailed past him. Clawitzer was at the end of the hallway behind Sawyer, embedded into a wall. Sawyer would later mention it was next to a picture of Goodra.

It was obviously easy for the referee to make this call. "Clawitzer is unable to battle. Goodra is the winner!"

"Wow," Serena heard Iris say dreamily. "I don't think even I could train a dragon type to have that much power. Ash isn't a kid anymore. He has to be best trainer here. No one can beat that. There's just no way.

Serena smiled as she looked down at the field and saw Ash giving a thumbs up to Goodra. As good as he was, he wasn't flaunting it. He was just moving on like any other battle. She couldn't help but believe in what Iris said, too. No one could beat that kind of power that Goodra had just shown. Well, there was at least one Pokemon that might be able to. Unfortunately for Sawyer, though...that was his next opponent.

Ash heard some groans of disappointment from the crowd as he recalled Goodra. He understood it, though. After seeing that power, who wouldn't want to see more? The thing that Ash knew, though, was that he was about to unleash even more power than that. Not to mention, Sawyer's final Pokemon was capable of quite a lot as well.

As Ash held Greninja's pokeball in his hand, he saw Sawyer looking at what was obviously Sceptile's pokeball. Both trainers had known this point was coming. Really, ever since Ash and Sawyer had met, this was meant to come. Throughout all their battles, Greninja and Sceptile had improved their powers each time. And now, both were capable of taking it to an entirely new level. They hated each other in the heat of battle, but respected one another outside of it. Now, it was time to see who would emerge the victor on the biggest stage.

"Greninja, I choose you!" Ash yelled, throwing out the pokeball with full force, Sawyer throwing his at the same time. A couple of seconds later, and the two rival Pokemon were staring each other down, ready to begin.

"Sceptile was just a Treecko when we first met, Ash," Sawyer said, watching the two glaring Pokemon. "Now, he's strong enough to beat whatever you've got." He held up his notebook in front of him, and Ash saw the key stone dangling from it. The green haired trainer grabbed ahold of it and shouted, "Sceptile, mega evolve!" It wasn't as bright as the light from Goodra's attack, but the light still forced Ash to shield his eyes. When it finally stopped, he looked up to see the powerful enemy Pokemon that was Mega Sceptile, taller and bulkier and more colourful than his original form.

Ash knew he and Greninja needed to respond in kind. Whether they lacked the complete form or not, they needed to power up as much as possible. He held up his fist in front of his face and Greninja mimicked his movement. Ash couldn't see it, but the frog-ninja's eyes glowed red, as the two pulled their fists down, Ash yelling, "We'll be much stronger!" Instantly, a wild torrent of water shot up around Greninja, spraying the ground around him. Ash could just see the red and black fins on his Pokemon's head, signalling part of his transformation.

"Amazing!" the announcer shouted. "We have Mega Sceptile for Sawyer and...uh...Mega Greninja for Ash. This is sure to be one of the best battles of the tournament thus far."

Ash nodded, agreeing with that statement. He could feel it that this battle would take all that he had. Greninja could feel it. The two of them were ready to fight. Ready to fight as one.

"Let the battle between Sceptile snd Greninja begin!" the referee shouted, waving both flags upwards.

"Night Slash!" Ash yelled immediately.

"Dragon Claw!" Sawyer countered.

The crowd probably only saw a green and blue blur as Sceptile and Greninja shot towards each other. In seconds, they were slashing out with their attacks. The purple sword of light from Greninja struck Sceptile's glowing green claw and a shock wave rippled outward, knocking Ash's hat up a bit and also shaking the ground beneath the two Pokemon. They strained against each other a few moments, and then leaped backwards.

Ash smiled. That was quite the way to set the tone of the battle. But there was no point in making it slow. Unlike with Goodra, when using Greninja, speed was a must. "Aerial Ace!"

"Leaf Blade!" Sawyer shouted quickly, holding up his arms as though he were the one performing the attack.

Greninja backed up a few paces and then ran forward, kicking up dirt, which was swirled up in his water torrent for a second, before shooting out behind him. His legs glowed in a white light, just visible through the water, as he closed the gap between him and Sceptile, and then he leaped forward, kicking out at the enemy Pokemon.

Sceptile was ready, though, the leaves on his arms glowing bright green and stretching out, before he thrust them forward to block his enemy. Greninja smashed into the Leaf Blade with full speed, another powerful shock wave shooting out, this time reaching the crowd, which gasped at the power.

And this was where the true battle began. In an instant, Greninja was kicking and punching at Sceptile, arms and legs glowing white, Aerial Ace in full effect. Sceptile wasn't going to let himself be hit though, and was perhaps just as eager to land a strike, lashing out with Leaf Blade and dodging and parrying to defend.

The speed and power of both Pokemon was on full display. When Sceptile would try to slash out at Greninja with a quick Leaf Blade, the frog-ninja would duck quickly, leaving only a few drops of water from his torrent. Then, Greninja would slide under one of Sceptile's arms and strike out with his fist, only to get blocked by another Leaf Blade.

Ash and Sawyer didn't stop in their orders, either. In close combat, both had powerful attacks that were easy to use in close and with speed. Greninja's Night Slash and Sceptile's Dragon Claw met multiple times, each time shooting out purple and green sparks which together shone brightly in the sunlight.

As order after order came, neither Pokemon slowed down or became tired. In fact, Greninja and Sceptile only seemed to get more and more pumped up. They were only getting stronger and faster. The exhilaration of the battle was fuelling them to only make it better.

Ash could feel his own blood pumping through his veins as Greninja's was doing. His heart was racing. His eyes darted around, following the battle before his eyes, but also the battle he, himself as Greninja, was fighting. He felt the satisfaction as his blade of purple light slashed across Sceptile's chest. He felt the pain as a Leaf Blade struck his gut. The joy in landing an attack and the pain of being hit by one only made the battle better for Ash.

Sawyer couldn't let the enjoyment of close combat last forever, though. He waited until Sceptile landed a Leaf Blade on Greninja's shoulder, and then quickly made an order. "Leaf Storm!" he yelled, punching the air.

With Greninja staggering back from the Leaf Blade, and Sceptile's swift movement, there was no opportunity to dodge. The reptilian grass type turned and lifted his leafy tail up and immediately the swirling storm of leaves and green wind shot out. It slammed into Greninja, pulled him into the storm, and then Sceptile aimed the attack upwards, holding Greninja up in the air.

"Keep ahold of him and keep slamming him to the ground!" Sawyer yelled.

The pain of the leaves striking Greninja's body from within the storm was quickly felt by Ash. The water torrent didn't protect him from any of it. To Ash, it felt as though hundreds of burning knives were rushing around him and burning and cutting into him. It was excruciatingly painful. He winced at almost every cut from the leaves, knowing he was getting nervous glances from Pikachu and probably Serena and his friends in the stands.

Any thought of his concerned friends immediately left his mind in the next moment, though. Sceptile, on the order from Sawyer, slammed his tail to the ground, and the storm of leaves holding Greninja quickly followed. Ash would've screamed in pain, but it actually hurt so much he wasn't able to find his voice to yell. It was like all the bones in his body were being used as baseball bats and the baseballs were rocks. The brief relief of being lifted into the air again was quickly ended, as once again he was slammed to the ground.

It continued on for what seemed like hours to Ash and Greninja. Ash honestly had no idea how long, but the pain made it an eternity. The Leaf Storm was bad enough, with the slicing and burning leaves, but the smashing into the rocky ground was even worse, making Ash's bones shake and, in his paranoid state he thought, crack.

Finally, Sceptile finished with one last slam, and then tossed Greninja away. The frog-ninja rolled along the ground, the water torrent around him noticeably weaker, and for the first time in the battle, Ash felt the exhaustion truly kick in. Combined with the excruciating pain, all Ash felt like doing was taking a nap. He could feel his eyes drooping. He could feel his body telling him no more. It was over. Greninja couldn't keep up. Sceptile was too strong.

"Gren...ninja..." Ash closed his eyes briefly and then opened them again. He was staring at the dirt, seeing it through the water rushing in front of him. He sat up a bit, looking in the direction of his enemy, Sceptile. The reptilian grass type was looking triumphant, obviously thinking it had won. "Ninja!"

Ash blinked and he was seeing through his own eyes again, although flashes of Greninja's vision were appearing in his mind. He felt Greninja's emotions as well. Pure determination. Determination that was only surpassed in the battles against Lysandre and Giovanni. Greninja wanted this. He wanted it badly.

"I wanna win too, Greninja," Ash assured his powerhouse Pokemon. "And we will. I know we will."

Again, Ash saw through Greninja's eyes and he felt as though Greninja was perhaps seeing through his own. It was a feeling he couldn't explain. He felt like he was Ash in one moment. He was Greninja in the next. Greninja's thoughts, vision and emotions were both foreign from his body, but his very own at the same time, same with his thoughts, vision and emotions. Ash was Greninja and Greninja was Ash.

Suddenly, the torrent around them rushed quicker and started to rise and expand. Greninja had his arms spread out, letting the power rush into him. Ash did the same, embracing how the new rush of strength made the pain disappear from his body. Then, the torrent exploded all around the field, causing water to rain down on Ash, Pikachu, Greninja, Sceptile, Sawyer, and even the startled referee. Ash both felt and could see the water shuriken shoot out on Greninja's back. It was complete. Their form was back, and it was time to really show Sceptile how strong they were.

"Aerial Ace!" Ash yelled, punching the air and then kicking outward in sync with Greninja's movements.

"Leaf Storm, quick!" Sawyer shouted, his panicked voice proving he could sense the extreme power emanating from Ash and Greninja.

Ash actually held back, or rather Greninja held back, wanting to truly test the power they had. He stretched out his body as the swirling leaves and green wind shot towards him and then enveloped him. There was a light burn, but to Ash and Greninja it was nothing like before. It was weak to them. Weaker than the power they had. Perhaps Sceptile was strong, but they were stronger. As Ash had said, they would become so.

Greninja clenched his fists and tensed up his legs, and he ran forward. The wind and leaves of Leaf Storm strained against him but it was a meaningless obstacle. Greninja was too strong. And suddenly he was running through it at full speed, as though it wasn't there. He could see a stunned Sceptile up ahead, and so he leaped up, kicking outwards towards the enemy. With a satisfying thud, his foot drove into the reptilian grass type's head, and his opponent crashed hard to the ground, thrown up a few feet by the Aerial Ace. Greninja landed, waiting for Sceptile to rise, wanting to properly fight the rest of the battle, not wanting to strike the opponent while he was down.

Sawyer wasn't done with his quick thinking, though, despite the surprise of Ash and Greninja's power up. "Frenzy Plant!" he yelled.

Ash's eyes widened, and then he looked down through Greninja's eyes. A thick branch then shot out out of the ground, in unison with Sceptile's tail, as the enemy Pokemon stood up. It struck Greninja's chest and seemed to grab ahold of him. It pulled him up high into the sky and then let go, shooting him into the air.

Ash clutched his chest, feeling the bruise which he knew he was getting on his own body. It was a wakeup call, though, and he was happy to get it. He and Greninja couldn't get cocky like that. They'd been getting drunk on their rush of power. They needed to be smarter than that, though. Strategy was just as important.

Ash focused hard and felt his senses link up with Greninja. He didn't know if it would work, but he decided to try it. He focused on the shuriken on their back and then manoeuvred their body downward. It worked perfectly. The shuriken stretched out, and suddenly Greninja was using it like wings, to glide down towards the ground, straight for Sceptile.

This wasn't the only part of Ash's plan, though. As Greninja sped towards the ground, the water shuriken guiding his descent, he narrowed his eyes and focused on Sceptile, desperately wanting to land the next strike. "Get ready!" Ash yelled, knowing Greninja knew what he meant.

Sawyer obviously had a plan as well, as Ash noticed him smirk in apparent triumph. "Use Frenzy Plant again!" he ordered. "Send Greninja back up!"

Sceptile straightened up once again and raised his tail. As before, the massive branch shot out of the ground and rose up in the sky, heading straight for Greninja. It moved fast, very fast. It would've been a sure hit on most other Pokemon, and very powerful, too. However, Ash and Greninja were too strong and they were ready.

"Night Slash!" Ash yelled, both hearing his voice from his own hears and from Greninja's. "Cut right through it!" He moved just like Greninja, pulling an invisible sword from his hip, just as the frog-ninja Pokemon pulled the purple sword of light from his. Then, the two them held up their swords and descended faster, heading straight for the incoming branch.

Ash and Greninja slashed out as soon as the branch reached them. The opposing attack was again no match for their power. They sliced through it like it wasn't even there. Their Night Slash attack could have been pure fire and the branch of Frenzy Plant was soft, melting butter. They easily ripped through it and landed on the ground softy, standing up straight as the branch crumbled next to them.

"Double Team!" Ash yelled next. And then, he and Greninja were running, all across the field. Ash could both feel and see the images of himself as Greninja bursting forth and spreading around the field. There were dozens, no there were more than a hundred. There were so many that Sceptile was almost lost in the flood of them all. Ash and Greninja could sense their opponent, though. They could see through the eyes of any of their copies. "Water Shuriken!" came Ash's voice again.

"Leaf Storm!" Sawyer countered. "Mow them down!"

As Sceptile turned, lifted his tail, and started firing out the blast of leaves and green wind, Greninja and the copies all pulled their shurikens from their backs. They twirled them through the air, held them forward and pulled them back. Ash could feel them charging up with even more power. Sceptile was managing to destroy some copies, and Ash felt a bit of pain as each went down, but he wasn't moving nearly fast enough, and the copies weren't going down easy. His task was a failure, and now Ash and Greninja's attack was almost ready.

Ash closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again. The copies of Greninja all started shooting towards him, causing his Water Shuriken to grow larger each time they made contact. He started to pull back, the massive shuriken almost weightless in his hands. Then, it was only him, holding up his massive, watery weapon in the air, and Sceptile send his storm of leaves straight at him. Ash shook his head, knowing it was pointless. He then thrust down with his arms, just as Greninja did.

The attacks met immediately, but the Leaf Storm had no chance. It was immediately pushed back and evaporated, allowing a clear path for the giant Water Shuriken. The massive, watery ninja star shot forth. It was a huge, speeding weapon of unbelievable power. It smashed into Sceptile at full force. It exploded outward on contact, spraying out with water, wind and smoke. Once again, the field was rained, and the crowd got a healthy dose too, the wind blowing the water heavily into people's faces.

Once the smoke cleared, Ash and Greninja looked forward to see their enemy. Sceptile was down, struggling with all his might to get up. After a few moments he managed to do so, but Ash knew, the end was near.

"What an incredible display of power by Greninja," a stunned announcer shouted. "And great determination by Sceptile to stand. This one is a tough one, folks."

Sawyer nodded at the last words and then took a deep breath before his next order. "Sceptile, Leaf Blade and Dragon Claw back to back!" Sceptile screeched in answer, and then one of his arms glowed green in preparation for Leaf Blade, the other for Dragon Claw.

"So this is how we finish," Ash said quietly. "Fine. Greninja, Night Slash!" Greninja, of course, knew exactly what Ash wanted. He crossed his arms and held both webbed hands at his hips, and then pulled upwards, unsheathing two purple swords of light. Then, he ran forward to engage with Sceptile.

The first clash was Leaf Blade against Night Slash. The two attacks crashed together, emitting a loud, vibrating buzz that shook across the arena, causing many members of the crowd to clutch their ears and wince. Then, each Pokemon slashed out with their next attack, colliding Dragon Claw and another Night Slash, once again, shaking the very air in the stadium with the colliding attacks.

Then, just like at the beginning of the battle, they were once again rapidly exchanging blows. Sceptile's determination was barely allowing him to keep up with Greninja's increased speed. It became a hard fought battle for both. However, bit by bit, Greninja's speed was too overwhelming. A Dragon Claw hit the frog-ninja in the side, and as Ash winced, he felt himself and Greninja speed up. He stabbed forward and struck Sceptile in the stomach. Then he slashed sideways and hit the reptilian grass type in the side. After a couple more exchange of blows, Ash and Greninja had taken control.

It was a barrage of Night Slash attacks. Swipe after swipe of Greninja's sword met with Sceptile. Each time, the opposing Pokemon would wince or stagger back. He was struck in the jaw by an upswing. Another slash hit the grass type in the chest. Finally, Greninja stabbed forward and struck Sceptile in the gut, leaping back as the enemy fell backwards.

"Now let's finish this!" Ash yelled, holding his fist up in front of him. "Aerial Ace!" he shouted, pulling his fist back and punching forward while kicking out in another copy of Greninja's movements.

Ash and Greninja were then whipping around the field, feeling like the air itself. They were building up speed for the ultimate attack. They kept an eye on Sceptile, who had barely managed to get to his feet and was slumping forward a little. Ash heard a command from Sawyer, but he knew their was no point, as Sceptile was too tired to act. Greninja launched forward, an almost invisible bullet streaking towards Sceptile. His leg flashed in a bright, white light and then he leaped up, kicking out with all his might.

The thud he heard as his foot made contact with Sceptile's jaw was the one of the most satisfying feelings ever. As Greninja, Ash landed and then spun around, watching his rival crash to the ground, shaking the earth beneath him as he landed. He was reverted back to his original form before his head hit the ground. Greninja then looked towards his trainer and the two of them felt each other's satisfaction, joy and excitement. They'd won.

"Sceptile is unable to battle. Greninja is the winner!" the referee shouted. "This means Ash moves on to the semifinal round!"

"Yeah!" Ash yelled, leaping onto the field, Pikachu close behind him. When he and Greninja reached each other, Greninja was back in his original form. They high fived and then smiled at each other. Ash was exhausted and knew Greninja probably was as well. He knew, though, that both of them had loved every moment of that battle. It had been one of the best ones ever.

"Congratulations Ash," came Sawyer's voice from behind Greninja.

"Thanks," Ash said, stepping next to Greninja and holding his hand out to Sawyer. "And Sawyer, you fought really well. You've come a long way."

Sawyer smiled, nodded and shook Ash's hand. "It was really fun to battle you, Ash. I thought it was gonna be closer, but you kind of took over at the end."

"It was close," Ash assured his friend. "Sawyer, that was one of the hardest battles I've ever had."

"Really?" Sawyer asked, eyes lighting up.

"Yeah," Ash said, nodding. "And you know what, it'd be really awesome to battle again some time."

"Yeah," Sawyer agreed. "Deal." He looked at Greninja and then back at Ash. "You have to win the Kalos League now, Ash. You're too strong to not win."

Ash nodded. "We're ready for anything in our way." He looked up to the video screen which was showing Ash's picture in one of the slots for the final four. It was the farthest he'd been since Sinnoh, and he only wanted to go further.