Author's Note:

Lumiose University Part 2 is here...except for Wattpad where it just continues onto chapter 43, although you guys can still look at it as part 2 of course. Hope everyone enjoyed part 1 (if you're here and didn't know there was a part 1...there is, so feel free to check it out to better understand this one). I'm hoping this one is where things really get going and things go into high gear. Lots to come, so get ready, and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 43: Sam Oak and Sam Oak

"All right, Infernape use Mach Punch, and Hawlucha, counter with High Jump Kick!"

The explosive force from the impact between two of the most competitive Pokemon one could imagine almost seemed to shake the very earth. At least, for those watching it felt that way. The surrounding Pokemon, both wild and not, watched in awe as the two fighters strained against one another, their trainer urging them on with a cheer of excitement alongside his loyal Pikachu, the Mouse Pokemon's cheeks sparking with electricity.

Finally, the two Pokemon broke apart, the wrestling hawk Pokemon and the fiery ape each dropping to a knee as they panted, exhausted from their training session. The surrounding Pokemon all cheered, amazed by the fight the two had put on, before their trainer stepped up, smiling widely. Next to him, his little Riolu appeared, running up to Hawlucha to enthusiastically mimic his actions from the battle.

"That was a great battle you guys!" Ash Ketchum finally called out, looking at his two Pokemon with pride. "I haven't seen either of you battle like that since your last league battles. You guys have really come a long way since then."

"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu said in agreement, nodding his head as hopped up on Ash's shoulder. He appeared to be hoping he would be part of the next training battle, although Ash had already put him up against Sceptile earlier, and he was pretty sure Pikachu wouldn't be quite recovered just yet. Sceptile was also putting on a bit of a tough act, but Ash could see he was still breathing pretty heavily, their final Leaf Storm and Thunderbolt clash having wiped them both out.

Ash took a quick glance at the field he'd been training on all day, realizing the workout he and his Pokemon had had so far. He couldn't help but wince as he noticed the torn up grass, craters and scorch marks all over the place. "Professor Oak isn't going to be happy about this, is he?" he asked Pikachu, looking nervously towards the Pokemon Researcher's lab. "He's probably hoping our winter break ends sooner," he added, chuckling. "But hey, at least we're training hard so we're ready for school, right buddy?"

"Pika," Pikachu nodded, apparently agreeing.

The thought of Lumiose University brought a smile to Ash's face as he thought of all that had happened in the first semester. Sure, he'd had his rough moments, but it had been pretty fun so far. He'd had some great battles, not only in his classes, but also with the Interschool Pokemon League, which was some of the highest level of battling out there, not far off gym and league battles and tougher in some cases. He'd also added a couple of awesome new Pokemon to his team, in Dartrix and Riolu, with the former already looking like a very capable battler, while Riolu definitely had the eagerness to learn.

And then there were the friends Ash had made. There was Dawn, of course, who he had met here in Kanto before he'd gone to Lumiose University. She was hoping to become a Top Cooridnator one day, and she looked like she could do it, too, having earned the captaincy on the Lumiose Luxray's Performance Team for the IPL. Ash was impressed with how far she had come since they'd met, as she appeared to be taking on the leadership role well, helping their friend Tierno grow into a pretty good Coordinator himself, the dancing enthusiast strongly influenced by her. Marie, her roommate, also appeared to be learning quite a bit from her, the relative of the many Nurse Joys seeking to learn as much about Pokemon training as possible.

The thought of roommates made of think of Clemont as well, the Gym Leader of the Lumiose City Gym, and an incredible inventor. He was a little unsure of himself at times, but Ash admired the confidence his friend seemed to gain as he learned more, and it really showed in his work with his Grotle he had received as a Turtwig in their Levels and Experience class, as well as how much he had helped Shauna in their team effort to raise their Skitty for Reggie's Breeding class. Shauna, a Performer, was definitely full of energy, and she and Clemont did a great job together. Trevor, their photography loving friend, had been impressed as well, taking tons of pictures, claiming Skitty was quite unique, even though he said that about most of their Pokemon when taking pictures.

And then there was Serena. Ash didn't even realize he was bringing his hand up to his cheek as he thought of the honey blonde Performer. She was a pretty remarkable person, and he'd come to admire her a great deal, watching her grow from an already skilled Performer when they had first met, to a champion in the making, capable of bringing out the best in the most unlikely of places. She and Ash had helped Riolu grow into a healthy young Pokemon, but where Ash had been most impressed was Serena's work with Absol.

His fists clenched as he thought of those hunters, wondering just where they might be, and where they might go next. They had done terrible things to Pokemon, and they still had no idea how many Pokemon had been hurt, and how long they'd been active. What they did know, was that Absol had been one of the hurt Pokemon, and Ash was almost sure he'd seen a miracle in what Serena had accomplished with the Disaster Pokemon.

Absol had been in the Pokemon Centre for a long time after Ash and Serena had rescued him from a hunter that had been trying to sell the injured Pokemon in the city. And while Nurse Joy and Marie had been extremely helpful in taking him down the path of recovery, Ash was sure that without Serena, Absol would still be in a very dark place. A Pokemon that had no reason to trust humans, and a Pokemon that appeared as though it may never recover from physical and mental injuries alike, was now becoming an important member of Serena's team.

It made Ash feel somewhat guilty as he looked towards his backpack, which still held the box with his blue ribbon that he'd won when he'd visited Coumarine City on his first trip through Kalos, along with the prize he'd earned for defeating Serena and Absol on the way to winning Professor Sycamore's tournament at school. My Key Stone, he thought, looking around at his Pokemon, some of them moving off for various sparring sessions, and a few others still looking at him. He wondered which of them he might be able to use it with, his eyes going to Charizard and Sceptile first, but part of him felt that it wasn't right for him to have it, given that the tournament had been meant to show the development of a strong bond, and as strong as his was with Dartrix, who he'd won with, Serena and Absol had come so far.

They weren't really the only ones, either, Ash thinking of the whole group of friends once more, smiling as he remembered how they'd all come with him to see him off. He'd been sure to get some pictures for Trevor of his Pokemon, and he'd encouraged Riolu and Hawlucha to train with some of the dance moves Tierno had taught them in one of their training sessions. Dartrix was also training hard, ready for his next match with Clemont and Grotle. All of his Pokemon were working hard, ready to be called upon if needed so that Ash could be there for his friends for both the IPL and anything else.

His hand went to his cheek again, thinking of that goodbye at the airport. He still didn't understand it, and he was sure he was missing something, but he couldn't shake the warm feeling he still felt from that final moment with Serena. It hadn't been distracting him too much from his training sessions, but he did find himself staring into space during meals, making his mother wonder what was wrong. He could only ever mutter an answer about thinking about his friends, and wondering how they were doing, but he felt his face heating up each time, and his mother appeared to find it very amusing, as though she understood something he didn't.

"You talk about Serena quite a bit, you know?" Delia had said last night during dinner, during one of Ash's moments of spacing out. "Anything you want to tell me?"

Ash still had no idea what that was about, but he'd told his mother more about his friend, asking if she'd remembered anything about that summer camp he'd gone to way back. She did mention that he'd played a lot with a girl, and he'd explained that it was probably Serena. That only got more amused looks from his mother, though, for whatever reason.

Ash jumped a bit, staring around in confusion at his Pokemon as he heard his mother's voice for real this time. When she called his name for a second time, he turned around, seeing her approaching his group of Pokemon from the direction of Professor Oak's lab, where she was helping to prepare lunch. "Ash! Look what you've done to the field!" she said in shock, staring around in exasperation. Her look softened, however, when Pikachu ran up to her, running up to her shoulder. "You're going to have to apologize to Professor Oak and do something about this."

"Uh...yeah, I guess," Ash said, feeling guilty as he looked at his mess again. Hopefully Bulbasaur could help him out with that, along with the other grass types. "Is lunch ready?" he suddenly asked, looking back at his mother, his stomach growling loudly as he realized how hungry he was.

Delia couldn't help but smile at that, gesturing for Ash to come. "Yes, lunch is ready. Food is out for all of the Pokemon as well."

"Awesome!" Ash said, looking to his Pokemon excitedly. "Let's go eat, guys!"

They gave a cheer of their various cries and began to move along with Ash, before his mother quickly stopped them, having one more thing to add. "Ash, there's one more thing. Professor Oak has visitors here today..." She looked a little more serious this time, which made Ash a little worried and confused about what this could be about.

"Visitors?"

"Yes...from the Alola region."

"Jessie, James and Meowth, reporting to HQ! For the glory of Team Rocket!"

Meowth always felt a little nervous whenever they came here, but as they'd returned to Kanto, following the twerp and his Pikachu here, the trio had decided that it would be necessary to make a report. They'd been in Kalos for a long time now, and quite a bit had happened, so it was definitely worth it to update the boss. And, as Jessie had put it, if there was a special mission to be carried out in Kalos, they would be the top ones for the job, and the reward that would come with it.

"As long as that witch Cassidy isn't there, we'll be fine," Jessie had said, before they'd left Pallet Town, where they'd been considering trying to steal the twerp's entire collection, before realizing that it was a bit ambitious to try at the time.

Being at the Team Rocket headquarters, however, was always a little more intimidating than when planning the visit. Various grunts were running around, busily carrying out their tasks, while a few scientists ran their experiments in the labs. It never failed to make Meowth just a little uneasy, and he knew it was somewhat the same for his companions, even if Jessie was good at hiding it. Of course, none of them could hide their uneasiness as they headed towards the elevator that would take them up to meet the boss.

"Jessie, James and Meowth," the guard said as they reached the elevator. "I hope you three have good news from Kalos. Haven't been slacking off, have you? No chasing little kids around, I hope."

"Dats none of your business," Meowth growled, showing off his claws. He knew he wasn't the most intimidating of Pokemon, but at least his claws were sharp, and this guard knew not to start anything, having his nice little position guarding the boss' elevator. "Now let us up to make our report."

"Yes sir," the guard muttered, opening the door and clicking the button to send them up.

"Nice one, Meowth," James told him as they entered. "Finally some well deserved respect!"

"It was my good looks that made him let us through," Jessie said indignantly. "We all know it." Meowth and James simply ignored that.

When they reached the top, the elevator opened up, and Meowth led the way out. The trio made their way towards the desk where Giovanni's assistant, Matori, was waiting, typing away on something on her computer. "You three," she muttered, not even looking up at them as they stopped in front of her. "Who let you up?"

"We're here with an important update on our Kalos mission for the boss," Jessie announced proudly, James and Meowth nodding in agreement. "You would be wise to let us pass."

"I don't think so," Matori responded, sounding distracted with whatever she was doing. "You're of little use to the boss. I doubt he even remembers you exist."

Meowth winced, knowing this would set Jessie off. He could see that James thought so too, the blue haired man quickly grabbing hold of their companion before she could lunge forward. "Let's not start a fight right outside the boss' office!" he hissed in her ear.

"I'll start a fight wherever I would like, thank you very mu-" Jessie was nearly screaming before a voice from a speaker on Matori's desk interrupted her.

"Let them in, Matori."

Matori seemed irritated by that, shooting the trio a vicious glare before looking down. "Yes sir," she said, before waving them past. "Go on, it's through here," she added, pointing to the door."

Meowth and James nodded, walking forward while Jessie continued to fume. "Of course it's through there! Where else would it be?!"

Fortunately James pulled Jessie through the doorway as Matori made a quick remark about Jessie needing basic instructions just to open the door. Meowth was almost tempted to laugh, but knew he'd live to regret that once they were done here. Of course, he wasn't sure how this next interaction would go, and any laughter he may have been about to release could have been stopped immediately as he looked at the intimidating man at the desk in front of them.

Giovanni always liked his office dark, it seemed, and Meowth had to admit, it made him much more intimidating, which was probably the point. Not that he, Jessie and James wouldn't be nervous in a bright room with the man. His purring Persian wasn't exactly a pleasant sight, either, looking at them with its menacing eyes as it circled the desk, before returning to Giovanni's side for him to pet it.

"This had better be important," Giovanni snapped, leaning back in his chair and looking menacingly at his subordinates. "I have little time for nonsense, and I don't want to hear anymore about that Ketchum boy's Pikachu you've been chasing for Arceus knows how long."

"Sir," Jessie said, taking the lead as she knelt down, James and Meowth following suit. Meowth was definitely glad she had recovered quickly from her encounter with Matori, as she was probably the best at talking to Giovanni. "We're here to update you on our mission to Kalos, and to provide important information on what we hope to accomplish in the coming months."

Giovanni took a deep breath, sounding like he was holding back his rage. Clearly his patience was thin, but he seemed curious enough to know what was going on in the other region, and nodded for Jessie to continue. "Go on then. What is your update?"

Jessie nodded as well, looking to Meowth and James before returning her gaze to the Team Rocket boss. "As you know, we've been in Kalos for over a year now, at first tracking that twerp and his Pikachu. We understand you have little interest in us continuing this quest for now, but the twerp has led us to discovering important things about Kalos."

Meowth was impressed with Jessie's talking, seeing Giovanni looking a little interested. "What important things? I am aware of this Mega Evolution, and of the boy's Greninja and its strange abilities. We are working on a plan to acquire them both. That is a mission that will require time."

Jessie paused a moment, looking a little nervous as she glanced at her companions again. Meowth nodded for her to continue, though, and she did. "Yes, sir, I am sure that you will devise a perfect strategy to get what you desire." She took a deep breath, and then went on. "While in Kalos, we've discovered the Pokemon universities there, and the one in Lumiose City is run by the Mega Evolution research expert, Professor Sycamore. At a tournament he held, he provided the winner with a Key Stone which is required in Mega Evolution, along with the Pokemon's Mega Stone. The twerp won."

Giovanni leaned forward at this, clearly much more interested. "The Ketchum boy has this Key Stone?"

Jessie nodded, looking pleased to have Giovanni's attention. "He does, sir. And not only that, but while the tournament was going on, a man from the Alola region visited. He attacked us with a special move that seemed to require a special stone of some sort as well. It appears to have similar powers."

"Interesting," Giovanni murmured, rubbing his chin and looking up in thought. "The Alola region...I may have to send a group there to investigate."

"We would be honoured to go for you, sir," James blurted out, getting an angry look from both Jessie and Meowth. They knew that Giovanni usually never gave them a task they asked for like that. However, he seemed pleased with their update thus far, and nodded.

"Very well, although I only want you there briefly for now. Go to this Alola region and gather whatever information on these special moves that you can. See if it has anything to do with Mega Evolution." He paused for a moment as he leaned over and whispered a quick command into a microphone. "Provide me with an update on any information you gather, whether it be in regards to this or Pokemon in the area, along with any problems we may encounter if we move in."

The trio nodded excitedly, all very pleased to be getting what appeared to be such an important mission. Meowth had one question however, and quickly asked it. "Sir, you said you wanted us der briefly. What else did ya want us ta do?"

"You'll need to return to Kalos and watch this university. If that man from the Alola region went there, it has to be due to Mega Evolution, or possibly due to the boy's Greninja. I want to know of any updates with either of those things." Giovanni glanced up as Matori's voice was heard, informing him that someone was there. He called for them to enter and continued while a man holding a tray with eight pokeballs came in. "If you get the opportunity, I want you to acquire me a Key Stone. A Mega Stone as well if possible, but the Key Stone is the priority. You'll need to be armed well if you're going to succeed, so I've called for a couple of your old Pokemon to be returned to you."

Meowth opened his mouth in surprise as the man with the tray handed Jessie and James each four pokeballs. "Seviper and Yanmega?" Jessie asked, looking up. "And Woobat and Frillish as well?"

James looked ecstatic. "Mime Jr. and Carnivine! And Yamask and Amoongus! Boss, we gave you-"

"These Pokemon are of no use to me, but they may provide you with what you need to succeed in your mission," Giovanni muttered, waving away the man that delivered the Pokemon. "At the very least you are familiar with them. Now, do you know what you need to do?"

"Yes sir!" the trio shouted out, all feeling quite good about the meeting.

"Very well. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, sir," each of them said in turn.

And, as they left, Giovanni added one last thing that filled each of them with pride. "Good work."

Before Ash went inside to the lab, he quickly made sure his Pokemon had their food, which Tracey had helped to organize. Then, he'd gone to the bathroom to quickly clean up, his mother telling him he wouldn't be eating until he had gotten rid of all the dirt and grass stains. Pikachu had also been ordered to clean up, as he'd be joining in on the lunch with Professor Oak and his guests of course.

When he was finally done, Ash headed towards Professor Oak's kitchen, hearing the laughter of those in the room. He wondered who the guests might be, remembering his mother mentioning they were from the Alola region. If that was the case, could one of them be Hala? He doubted it, not remembering Hala saying he'd be visiting Professor Oak during the break. But then...who were they? He supposed he was about to find out.

"...and that's when Agatha used her Gengar. I had no idea what to do next, so I-"

The voice stopped as Ash walked into the room, and he immediately felt four sets of eyes on him. Two were Professor Oak's and his mother's, but the other two were...well...one of the other two was different. It was a man with a lab coat that was unbuttoned to reveal his bare chest, and he almost looked like he was ready to go to the beach, wearing shorts and looking a little tanned. The other, meanwhile, looked almost exactly like Professor Oak, just with longer hair, tanned skin, and a shirt with some kind of water Pokemon on it, while also wearing shorts.

"Ah...and this must be the man himself! Ash Ketchum!" the man with the lab coat announced excitedly, standing up from his seat and stepping towards Ash, shaking his hand. "Hala told me quite a bit about you, Ash. It's a great honour to meet you."

"I...uh...hi," Ash stammered, unsure what to say exactly, not knowing who this man was.

"Oh, sorry," the man laughed, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm Professor Kukui, and I'm a researcher in the Alola region. And my friend here, is Sam Oak!"

"Sam Oak?" Ash asked, looking surprised as he looked at the man, before glancing to Professor Oak. "But..."

"Well, I'm actually Samson Oak, while my cousin who you know is Samuel Oak. People are often confused, but I do look better," the Alolan Oak said, chuckling as he got up to shake Ash's hand as well. "Now don't be a Slowpoke and have a seat, Ash. We've been looking forward to meeting you."

Delia quickly put Ash's plate in front of him, while Professor Oak explained what was going on. "You see, Ash, Professor Kukui and my cousin are two of the most prominent researchers in the Alola region. I haven't had as much of a chance to work with Samson as I'd like, but he's here to look at some of the Kanto Pokemon here as some of them are actually known to appear quite differently in the Alola region."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, eating some of his food while Kukui greeted Pikachu. "Like...Pokemon that are here look different in Alola? So Pikachu isn't the same there?"

Samson Oak shook his head. "Not all of them are different. Pikachu is actually very much the same, although...his evolution is a different story."

"Raichu looks different?" Ash asked, eyes wide with excitement. He remembered seeing some different looking Pokemon when he'd gone to the Orange Islands, but this sounded even more unique.

"Oh yes, and in fact, its type changes as well. Imagine a Raichu that can use Psychic attacks, along with electrical ones." Samson laughed as Ash looked at Pikachu excitedly.

"That would be so cool to see. I'd love to battle one!" he almost shouted, his mother quickly placing a hand on his arm to let him know to settle down. "So...you're trying to compare the Pokemon then?" Ash then asked, wondering what they would be able to find. "What is it you're hoping to find?"

"Well, I'm not too sure yet, but I would like to see how they developed so differently. That involves looking at the climate and environment, and other species they've interacted with. Many factors like that." Samson then looked to his cousin. "I do hope you haven't forgotten your promise, Samuel."

Professor Oak laughed, shaking his head. "Of course not, Samson. The Vulpix egg is here for you. It should hatch when you are home again."

"Vulpix? Does that mean Alola has a different kind of Vulpix?" Ash asked, not realizing how many questions he was asking, as he was so curious about these regional variants.

"Sure does," Kukui said, leaning back in his chair, having already finished his meal. "One of my students at Melemele University, Lillie, has one of her own that we're hoping to compare to. It's an ice and fairy type in the Alola region. Very powerful."

Ash didn't miss the mention of this Melemele University, assuming it was probably quite similar to Lumiose University. What interested him more, however, was Kukui mentioning how powerful the Pokemon was. He remembered his conversation with Hala, wondering if these Pokemon could use Z-Moves. "Can these Pokemon use Z-Moves?" he asked, leaning forward curiously while Pikachu hopped down to eat his food, an ear pricked up to listen.

"Oh sure, I believe most Pokemon can use them, if raised well and if they share a strong bond with their trainer," Kukui answered, looking intrigued by Ash asking this question. "I take it Hala gave you a little lesson on those, didn't he?"

Ash wasn't surprised Kukui knew Hala, nodding as he thought of the man's offer that he never got back to him on. "I was supposed to give him an answer about visiting Alola. I just got so busy with the IPL at school and-"

"Nothing to worry about!" Kukui interrupted, laughing as he clapped Ash on the back. "Hala knew you were gonna be busy and that Samson and I were coming here. The offer still stands if you want to come back with us. You can train with Hala, and even sit in on some classes. Might even be able to transfer schools if you want. Lots to do in Alola, and I'm sure you'd make plenty of friends. You're actually already talked about quite a bit there!"

"I am?" Ash asked, feeling a little awkward about that. He heard his mom saying something about him being a wonderful, popular boy, but ignored that as he looked to Kukui, who nodded with a laugh. "Is it because of Greninja?"

Kukui nodded, fiddling with something around his waist before continuing. "We've heard quite a lot about it, and Hala hasn't stopped since getting back from Kalos." He paused, smirking a little. "I do have to ask, though...is the hype true? Maybe I'll need to test things out myself."

Ash knew a challenge when he heard one, and he was standing before anyone could react. "You wanna have a battle?" he asked excitedly, Pikachu immediately scurrying up to his shoulder, ready to go if needed.

Kukui laughed, clearly admiring the eagerness to accept. "I would. How does a two on two sound?"

"Sounds awesome!" Ash said, smirking. "But be ready. I was runner up at the Kalos League. I'm tough to beat."

"I'm sure you are!"

Delia and the two Sam Oaks weren't really in a position to stop the two, and Ash had a suspicion that they'd already known it was going to be proposed, so before they all knew it, they were outside on the field, right where Ash had been training earlier. His Pokemon were mostly gathered around, with Pikachu and Riolu at Ash's side. Professor Oak and Delia were behind him, while Kukui was across from him, and Samson Oak was standing as the referee.

"All right, Ash. Mind if I choose first?" Kukui called out, pulling out a pokeball. Ash nodded, perfectly fine with it, and excited to see what the Alolan researcher called out. "Okay then, Incineroar, let's go!"

Ash immediately pulled out his PokeDex as he saw the flaming two-legged feline Pokemon emerged. His PokeDex quickly confirmed his suspicions that it was the evolved form of Torracat, and Ash could see that it was probably going to be tough to beat. It was extremely muscular, with huge claws and very sharp looking teeth. Its body was mostly red with black stripes, and around its waist was what appeared to be a belt of fire.

"Well, I'll need a strong Pokemon to match that!" Ash said excitedly, looking towards his assembled group. "Maybe..."

His choice was made for him, as out of the sky came one of his fiercest fighters, and one that loved a good fire fight. "Rawwwr!" Charizard roared as he landed in front of Ash, shaking the ground a bit as he did so, shooting flames from his mouth as he stared down his opponent.

"You wanna battle, Charizard?" Ash asked, laughing as his fierce fire type nodded. "Well all right then, I choose you, Charizard! It'll be fire against fire!"

Kukui looked impressed as he looked at the Flame Pokemon, nodding his approval. "That looks like a well trained and powerful Charizard, Ash. I can see where your reputation comes from."

Ash smiled with pride, while Charizard snorted out a puff of smoke, looking a little smug. "You haven't seen anything yet! Charizard has beaten some tough opponents, and he's only gotten stronger as time's gone on!"

Both trainers waited in anticipation as they looked to Samson Oak, their Pokemon tensed up in preparation to attack. Finally, Samson waved his harm and yelled, "Let the battle begin!" and both were released. However, Ash got a little surprise as Kukui was a little quicker with his order.

"Throat Chop, let's go!"

"Flamethrower!" was Ash's response, the raven-haired trainer watching closely to see just how powerful his opponent was. Unfortunately for Charizard, he seem very powerful.

Incineroar roared loudly, charging forward as his legs kicked up dirt behind him, reaching Charizard as the fire lizard inhaled in preparation for his Flamethrower. "Raaaarrrr!" the Heel Pokemon growled, crossing his muscular arms in front of himself before seemingly slicing them across Charizard's throat.

Ash's eyes widened as he saw one of his most powerful fighters flung back with such force. Charizard landed hard on his back, seeming to roar but with no sound coming out as he clutched at his throat. All that remained of his attempted Flamethrower were a few puffs of smoke escaping from his jaws. Ash had never seen anything like that.

"Sorry about that," Kukui said, looking guilty as Charizard rolled over, panting, but staggering to his feet. He still looked like he was in pretty serious pain, but Ash knew he desperately wanted to respond, just for pride. "I get pretty into it to start a battle."

Ash wasn't sure how to respond, still looking nervously at Charizard as the Flame Pokemon panted. He wasn't surprised to see the small smile from his loyal Pokemon, though. Charizard did love a challenge, and this was a big one. "Charizard wouldn't have it any other way," Ash finally said to Kukui. "All right, Charizard, let's get this battle going! Seismic Toss!"

Charizard nodded, clearly still unable to roar, and he took off at full speed with a flap of his wings. Incineroar didn't even move, standing still as the fiery lizard rushed towards him. Ash was pretty sure Kukui had a plan, but he had no idea what, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to land this attack, so he watched on in anticipation as Charizard reached Incineroar and grabbed hold of him, before kicking off into the sky.

As sore as his throat must've been from Incineroar's attack, Charizard was not going to be denied a roar as he started flying in a loop up in the sky, going faster and faster each time. Ash had won a few battles with Charizard using this as his finisher, and even though it was just the start of this one, perhaps he could save them some trouble from what appeared to be a pesky opponent.

When he'd looped through the air a few times, Charizard suddenly rushed towards the ground once more, and Ash could see he was putting everything he had into making this as perfect a Seismic Toss as possible. With another roar, he took Incineroar by the arms and threw him hard into the ground as he made it to within a few feet of the grass below him and then darted upwards. He flapped his wings and then quickly circled back to land in front of Ash, waiting for the dust cloud around Incineroar to dissipate.

"Not bad, Ash," Kukui said, nodding as a shape started to become visible through the dust. "But to beat Incineroar, you'll need more than one strong attack."

Ash and Charizard almost seemed to mimic one another, each of them staring at their opponent with their jaws dropped. Incineroar was up, smiling menacingly, and looking like he barely had a scratch on him. Ash couldn't help but think that Charizard had actually gotten the worst of the attack, the Flame Pokemon breathing heavily after the exertion.

"No way..." Ash muttered, looking down to Pikachu who also looked dumbfounded.

"Now, how about I finish things up? Incineroar, Darkest Lariat!" Kukui ordered, punching the air as he became more animated with his excitement.

"Raaarrr!" Incineroar cried out, fangs bared as he smiled, before he darted forward, his massive arms spinning rapidly. He reached Charizard in an instant, his attack battering into the Flame Pokemon's chest, causing him to cry out as he stumbled back a few steps, trying to stay upright before collapsing into the dirt just in front of Ash. Incineroar leaped back, while Samson made the call.

"Charizard is unable to battle! Incineroar is the winner!"

"Charizard!" Ash quickly rushed forward, eyes wide with concern for his Pokemon as he knelt next to it. He was quickly filled with relief, however, as his Flame Pokemon weakly opened his eyes, looking up at his trainer. "You okay, pal?" Ash asked, knowing that Charizard hated losing more than anything, but hoping that his fierce fighter would accept it for now, in the interest of recovery. Fortunately, he seemed to, smiling weakly at his trainer as he slowly raised his head, looking to Kukui and Incineroar and giving them a small nod, before laying it down again.

"Bulba bulbasaur!" Ash glanced up at the sound of his grass type, seeing him approaching with a pokeball held by a Vine Whip. Ash quickly thanked him, glad that Bulbasaur was on top of everything here at the lab, and he took the pokeball, recalling Charizard into it.

"Thanks for your help, Charizard. You were awesome. You'll get 'em next time." Ash felt a slight shake from the pokeball, before it went still, and he clipped it to his belt before returning to his battle position. Pikachu looked up hopefully at him, but Ash gave him an apologetic look before looking to Kukui. "I bet you'd like to see Greninja, right Professor?"

"If you don't mind," the Alolan researcher said, smiling as he and Incineroar looked on in excitement.

Ash didn't mind at all. He figured this was the perfect opponent to use his full power against, and Greninja would certainly help with that. "All right then, Greninja, I choose you!" he shouted, pointing ahead.

For a moment, nothing happened, and the two Oaks and Delia appeared to think Greninja wasn't there, but then, a moment later, Ash felt his Ninja Pokemon's presence. "Ninjaaa!" Greninja yelled loudly, appearing over Ash's head in a flip, before landing straight in front of him, holding his webbed hands in front of his face.

"We'll have to be careful, Greninja," Ash warned, tensing up, knowing his body needed to be ready as well. "Incineroar might even be stronger than Alain's Mega Charizard."

For some Pokemon, that may have been intimidating, but Ash felt great pride in the Ninja Pokemon as it only seemed to embolden him. He and Ash were ready to take the next step forward on their journey in finding out just how far their power could go. They weren't going to let a tough opponent get in the way of that. "Gren!

"Let's do this!" Ash shouted, bringing his fist up to his face and pulling it back. "Much much stronger!"

The two of them shouted out, feeling the power rush within them as a massive torrent of water erupted around Greninja. Ash could feel it through his Ninja Pokemon and embraced the feeling of the water hitting his skin as he felt the connection grow stronger, Greninja's features changing to match his own, and a giant shuriken of water appearing on his back. As the transformation completed, the torrent exploded in a shower of water that sprayed around Greninja, and Ash could sense the excitement of not only Kukui, but the others as well.

"Oh my, Ash, you've certainly made progress with Greninja, haven't you?" Professor Oak said, sounding stunned as he looked on. "Well done, my boy!"

"Oh isn't that so pretty! He even looks a bit like Ash!" Delia added, making Ash chuckle a bit in embarrassment.

"Fascinating," Samson murmured, exchanging a look with Kukui. "I've never seen anything like it."

Kukui almost seemed at a loss for words before finally speaking up. "I've seen the videos of your Kalos League battles, but...wow, this sure is something seeing it in person." He then nodded to Samson, smirking as he looked back to Ash. "Now let's see what the battling is like."

Ash smiled back as Greninja readied himself, and this time, when Samson called for the match to start, they got the first move in. "Greninja, Night Slash!"

"Gren!" the Ninja Pokemon shouted, unsheathing the watery blade, rushing forward as a purple mist began to cover it. Kukui seemed cautious, but unwilling to take the full attack head on like he had with Charizard, and quickly ordered a Bulk Up, Incineroar's muscles flexing and appearing to grow just before Greninja's blade struck across his chest.

"Raaarrr!" the Heel Pokemon cried out, staggering back, but otherwise looking all right. Ash wasn't sure if it had been more successful than Charizard's attack, but he was glad to have gotten an early hit in.

Kukui appeared to decide he should go on the offensive, though, and Ash knew he needed to focus even harder if he was going to get another good hit in. "Incineroar, keep him on his heels with Flamethrower!"

Incineroar gave a piercing roar, and unleashed a scorching Flamethrower that ripped into the ground, heading straight for Greninja. Ash wasn't going to make it that easy for Kukui, though, quickly calling for a dodge, feeling it in himself as Greninja jumped, his feet light as he darted out of the way, getting into the air.

This seemed to provide the opening Kukui was looking for, however, and he quickly called his next attack, pumping his fist as the battle started to speed up. "Throat Chop! Get in there!"

"Dodge with Double Team!" Ash countered quickly, desperate to avoid that powerful attack this time, definitely not wanting another one of his Pokemon to feel that.

"Gren!" Greninja confirmed, spreading his arms wide as he appeared to split into dozens of copies, each in different positions. Incineroar went for where the original had been at first, but as he sliced into it with his Throat Chop, the copy simply disappeared.

Kukui smirked as he looked around, nodding in approval at Ash's quick thinking. "Nice move, Ash, but we've got a backup! Flamethrower! Full power!"

"Raaarrr!" Incineroar cried out, taking a deep breath and then unleashing his scorching attack. It seemed to rip through all the copies, destroying each of them as Incineroar circled in midair. However, when he finished, he hovered for a brief second, seeing no sign of his opponent.

"Aerial Ace!" Ash shouted, feeling the rush of anticipation from his Pokemon as he appeared above Incineroar, his webbed foot glowing white as he struck down.

"I don't think so, Ash! Darkest Lariat!"

Ash winced, remembering the speed with which Incineroar had attack Charizard with that attack, and watched on as Greninja met it with Aerial Ace. It appeared to be a decent match at first, Greninja using all the speed he could muster as he lashed out with each of his limbs glowing white with power, but ultimately, Incineroar's flailing arms were too quick, and too powerful, making their way through and striking Greninja in the chest, sending him flying towards Ash.

"Ahh," Ash gasped in pain, clutching his chest and dropping to a knee as Greninja did so. This seemed to make Kukui and Samson do a double take, each looking both concerned and awed by this, but Ash and Greninja recovered quick enough, forcing Kukui to focus on the match once more. "Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

"NiiiinnnJA!" Greninja shouted, leaping high into the air as he grabbed the shuriken on his back and then spun around, throwing it forward with all his might. It rushed towards Incineroar at full speed, impacting with him hard, exploding against him creating a splash of water and cloud of steam as he staggered back.

"Hang in there, Incineroar!" Kukui encouraged. "Use Throat Chop once more!"

"Water Shuriken, one more time!" Ash countered, reaching to his own back as Greninja did so, grabbing hold of the newly formed shuriken. "Block it!"

"Gren!" Greninja shouted as he quickly held his shuriken up, just in time to block Incineroar's Throat Chop, the Heel Pokemon's arms slashing into the water attack, straining momentarily, and then causing it to burst apart. Ash gasped from the strain, watching as Greninja staggered back, defenceless as Incineroar rushed forward.

"Darkest Lariat!"

"Night Slash!"

Claws met blades as both Pokemon put everything into their attacks, a blur between them as Incineroar's arms whirled in front of him and Greninja's purple blades came up in defence, rushing to block the attack. Ultimately, Greninja just didn't have enough space to use his attack, one of Incineroar's attacks coming up to strike the Ninja Pokemon's shoulder, forcing him to drop a blade as Ash winced. With the extra space, Incineroar took over, battering Greninja's chest relentlessly before sending him flying backwards.

He landed hard in front of Ash, both of them gasping for air as they clutched at their chests, and winced as they rolled their shoulders. This was definitely no regular opponent they were up against, and they needed something to help them get through this. Ash could feel another wind coming as he and Greninja locked eyes, and each took a deep breath, a warmth coming to their bodies as they looked to their opponents in determination.

Ash didn't even notice Kukui's stunned look as he felt the rush of power overtaking him and Greninja. "Let's do this Greninja! All our power! Water Shuriken!"

"Ninjaaa!" Greninja cried out, his shuriken expanding on his back as he leaped into the air, stretching out as he embraced his rise in strength.

"Incineroar! Let's go! Malicious Moonsault!" Kukui cried out.

Ash's vision wasn't quite right. It was like seeing through a watery window as he looked ahead, feeling Greninja readying his attack, his arm raised as his shuriken spun overhead. In front of him, however, Kukui seemed to be doing some sort of strange movement, similar to what Hala had done at Sycamore's tournament to get rid of Team Rocket. And as he did so, Incineroar mimicked his movements, a yellow aura appearing around both.

Then, finally, as Greninja cried out along with Ash, their attack sent forward, Incineroar rushed at Greninja, body engulfed in flames that were brighter and hotter than Ash had ever seen. He barreled through Greninja's attack, roaring as loud as he could, before striking the Ninja Pokemon with all his might. Ash yelled in pain as he and Greninja fell back, their connection breaking as Greninja struck the ground, fainting immediately.

"Greninja is unable to battle! Professor Kukui and Incineroar are the winners!" Samson called out, Ash wincing as he tried to sit up to get a look at Greninja, who, fortunately, was stirring a little.

"Greninja, you okay?" Ash called out weakly, slowly crawling forward to his Pokemon, before finally reaching him.

"Gr...gren," Greninja whispered weakly, reaching out a webbed hand to his trainer to let him know he was okay.

Ash smiled, glad to see his Pokemon was fine, before he looked up to Kukui and a gasping Incineroar, the two looking ecstatic about the battle they'd just had. "Wow Ash! That was definitely something!" the Alolan researcher said excitedly. "You and Greninja...that is something special you've got there."

Ash laughed nervously, not sure what to say. He was a little upset their special attack hadn't worked again, but he had felt pretty good for the most part. He was sure they were making progress. "Yeah, it's pretty awesome. Greninja sure is great. I just..."

"You want to know more, right?"

Ash was quiet for a moment, but he had to admit, if he could figure out more, even just a little...who knew what they could accomplish. It wasn't just for him, it was for Greninja, and in a way, it was for his friends who were relying on him for his help, whether it be in the IPL, or against the people who sought to hurt Pokemon.

"What should I pack for Alola?"

Author's Note:

Ohhh boy! Ash falls rather convincingly to Professor Kukui, but we all know Kukui is pretty tough (most should know anyways). I love Charizard, so that was tough to hurt him, but I did want Incineroar being worthy of Ash-Greninja before going all out and I didn't want him tired out. As for Greninja losing, his shuriken has failed once again, dammit! But perhaps answers will come...in Alola.

And Team Rocket had some interesting stuff going on. They've got some old Pokemon back, and Giovanni's got our favourite trio on an important mission. Let's both hope and not hope they do well.

Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you next time, when we find out what our favourite girl Serena is up to.