Author's Note:

The playoffs are here, folks! The playoffs are here! Well...the ceremonies anyway. But, I think they'll be fun, too, so let's get to it!

Chapter 64: The IPL Playoffs!

Ash fell over, panting from exhaustion as Greninja did the same in front of him, the Ninja Pokemon reverting back to his original form. Across the training field, Clemont and Luxray were breathing heavily as well, the electric type just now managing to get to his feet after Greninja's Night Slash finisher. As good as that had been, though, Ash was still disappointed he couldn't get the Z-Bond Shuriken to work again. Without the Z-Crystal, it was still slipping up.

"It's...still...getting closer...isn't it...Greninja?" Ash asked, looking up to his water type as he turned around, panting as well.

"Ninja!" he answered, holding up a fist.

It was true, Ash realized, grinning as he let go of the frustration. For a moment, the connection had been so...pure. It was like something he could usually only ever feel with Pikachu, but with this, the Mega Evolution energy and the Z-Power had almost seemed to pulse with their connected feelings. While they were taking a step back compared to not having the Z-Crystal, the successful use of it had definitely given them an idea of how they needed to approach things.

"Are you guys okay?" Clemont called out a moment later, kneeling next to Luxray as he checked on the Gleam Eyes Pokemon. "I was a little worried we were going to destroy the field..."

"Yeah, I think we're fine," Ash said, standing up and glancing at some of the other fields, seeing some trainers looking over nervously at him and Clemont. He supposed this was part of the reason Hala and Kukui had asked to first attempt the use of the Z-Crystal out on the main battlefield. "Maybe it's a good thing that move didn't work," he murmured, chuckling uneasily.

"I don't think people mind, Ash," Flint called out from the sidelines, standing next to Trevor and Agatha. He sounded pretty sure, but he did cast a couple nervous glances over to where Fantina and the Performance Team were practicing, seeing Fantina looking over a little irritably. It did appear that Ash and Clemont's battle had interrupted one of Shauna's routines a bit.

"We should've tried to use the main battlefield once more before Professor Sycamore started getting all the ceremony nonsense set up," Agatha muttered, looking irritable about being back at the usual training facilities after their recent sessions on the larger field.

Ash couldn't help but feel excited at the mention of the opening ceremonies for the IPL Playoffs, though. With Lumiose as the host, it was going to be quite the event, and much of the city would be showing up, along with the fans and students from the other schools. Ash was most excited to see Diantha, though, wanting to promise the Kalos Champion that she'd be seeing him winning this competition.

I hope she'll agree to battle me again if we do win, he thought, clenching his fists in nervous excitement. He could see Pikachu looking at him with a knowing look, his partner Pokemon clearly excited about the challenging battles ahead as well.

"Speaking of the ceremonies," Agatha said, bringing Ash's attention back to her, "are you three prepared for what is expected of you?"

"We don't have to do much that the other teams don't have to," Trevor pointed out. "We're just meeting them as they arrive and then we'll be announced at the ceremonies, right?"

"It all sounds very simple when you put it that way," Agatha said, tapping her cane impatiently, "but it's not the same as being there. Remember, you need to carry yourselves in a professional manner. You're not just students competing in a four team points race now. You are representing Lumiose University and Lumiose City as a whole. You'll need to look as strong as Diantha herself tonight."

"The playoffs don't begin with the first battle, guys," Flint added, sounding a little more serious as well as he straightened up next to Agatha. "They already started!"

Ash grinned, pumping his fist in excitement as he looked at his teammates. "That just gets me more psyched up!"

Clemont smiled as well, adjusting his glasses as he looked back to Agatha and Flint. "It's just like a gym battle. The challenge begins before the trainers take the battlefield. Once the challenger decides to battle the leader, it's begun!"

"Exactly!" Flint said, looking as though he liked that answer. "So you can be sure the other teams will be more than ready to take you guys on. Remember, we're up against teams with records as good as ours or better now. All you have to think about is how good the teams were that aren't even making it here for this thing to know how tough it'll be."

"Korrina's team didn't even make it..." Clemont said, nodding as he looked down thoughtfully.

"And Astrid's," Trevor added, fingering his Key Stone nervously.

"You might've thought trainers like those two would make their teams definite contenders," Agatha told them. "We can't expect an easy ride with these schools whether they've got gym leaders, league contenders or whoever else on their teams. We've seen the quality of trainer that comes out of these schools and the training that's expected of them."

Flint nodded in agreement, his eyes looking as fiery as his Infernape's Flare Blitz. "So tonight, we're sending our opponents a message. We're here to win! We've battled our way here, so we're gonna keep battling to the top!"

"Whether it's Anton and Laverre, or whoever else, it doesn't matter," Agatha said, hitting her cane on the ground to emphasize her point. "We'll take on each of them as though it's our last battle, and we're down to our last Pokemon."

"The Kalos League is in the past now. This is the new Lumiose Conference. University style!" Trevor said proudly, putting his hand forward, Agatha and Flint joining in with a grin.

"Gym Leader or not, this is a challenge I can't refuse!" Clemont added, putting his hand forward as well.

Ash smiled at the others, instantly putting his hand in as well, Pikachu heading to the end of his arm and adding his paw, too. A moment later, Greninja and Luxray joined as well. "We'll show them all our power!" Ash told his team. "And we won't give up till the very end!"

Clemont was quite pleased with the training session as he and the rest of the Battle Team headed out of the training facilities, each waving a quick goodbye to the Performance Team who were all still continuing their session. As tough as his practice match with Ash had been, he knew it was good to keep the intensity up, especially heading into the first playoff matches. With Flint and Agatha's pep talk, that had been even more apparent.

"Well, I've gotta go and meet up with Professor Sycamore and the others," Ash said as the group made their way outside. "Hala and Professor Kukui will want an update on the move, and Professor Sycamore wants to talk about what Dawn and I have to do at the ceremonies."

"Guess we'll meet up before the ceremonies then?" Trevor asked, Ash nodding in response. "Cool, well I wanted to get some pictures of the stadium before it's too crowded, so I'll see you guys later, too."

Clemont waved goodbye to the two of them as they took off, laughing to himself as Ash seemingly teleported in the direction of Professor Sycamore's lab. He was always off so quickly that Pikachu sometimes looked slow in comparison. Or maybe I'm just slow, Clemont thought after a moment, shrugging as he turned in the direction of Prism Tower.

With his friends busy, and a bit of time to kill before the opening ceremonies, Clemont figured it would be a good chance to check on the gym, Clembot and some of his other inventions. He was already keeping a close eye on what he'd prepared in case of Raphael and his hunters attacking, but he decided it would be good to check on that as well. He supposed Elekid and Grotle would probably like a chance to have a short training session with Clembot as well, considering Luxray, Bunnelby and Chespin had been given most of the work earlier.

It was a few minutes of walking before Clemont had a better view of Prism Tower up ahead. As he was walking, though, the Pokemon Centre was on the way, and he noticed a familiar face exiting it. He was so surprised by who it was, that he stopped in his tracks immediately, blinking and staring open mouthed at the person walking out.

"Clemont!" Korrina cried out happily, spotting him almost right away and running up to him.

"K-Korrina?" He was so surprised he barely reacted as Korrina hugged him tightly, before she stepped back, chuckling as she looked at his reddening face. "What...what are you doing here?" Clemont then asked, shaking his head a little to recover as he looked at her.

Korrina gave him a mocking pout at that. "Well just because you guys knocked us out doesn't mean I can't come to see the playoffs."

Clemont rubbed his neck nervously at that, glancing away. "Ah...well...I..."

"Don't worry, Clemont! It was fair and square, I'm just kidding!" Korrina laughed, patting his shoulder before moving to his side. She seemed to guess where he'd been heading, and the two of them continued walking towards the gym together.

"It...it is good to see you," Clemont managed to say after a few moments of awkward silence. At least, it was awkward for him. Korrina was simply smiling as she waited for him to talk. "So...you're here to check out the battles? I guess it is pretty big, isn't it? Even Diantha is going to be here. And if you're interested in performing and contests, Aria and Wallace will be here, too. And I guess you can prepare for next year's IPL, too. Lots of teams will be competing. And-"

"Clemont!" Korrina said quickly, wrapping an arm around him and making his entire face feel like it was being hit by Trevor's Charizard with a Mega Evolved Flamethrower with Kukui's Incineroar's Z-Move on top of it. "You know why I'm here!"

"Um...well, if Raphael..." Clemont fidgeted uncomfortably, his eyes shifting down to Korrina's arm around him. "I guess-"

"I'm here for you!" Korrina interrupted, giving him a strange look, although he wasn't too sure what it was about. He wondered if Ash would know, considering Serena gave him those kinds of looks a lot and he seemed pretty content.

Clemont paused, looking around awkwardly. He noticed a couple of people looking over to him and Korrina as they walked, smiling as though they knew what was going on. "Um...that's...nice." He adjusted his glasses, nervously looking over to Korrina and seeing her smirking at him. "Just...me?"

Korrina looked a little surprised at that, and Clemont realized he was a little surprised himself. He realized part of him was hoping that was the case. He looked away as Korrina started to answer. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

"Well, I want to support all of you guys," Korrina said slowly. She removed her arm from around Clemont and he had an odd feeling he'd screwed something up. A moment later, however, he felt Korrina taking his hand. "But I want to cheer for my favourite gym leader most of all!"

Clemont laughed at that, managing to look back at her, and comfortably held her hand in his own as they neared Prism Tower. "Favourite?"

"Well I can't be my own favourite," Korrina joked, nudging Clemont playfully.

Clemont nodded, letting his rapidly beating heart calm down a bit as they reached the courtyard out front of Prism Tower. As they walked towards the high tower, Korrina looking up admiringly, he took advantage of a bit of a surge in confidence. "Maybe my favourite gym leader would like to see some of my inventions. We could even start building a KorrinaBot if you want!"

"I might need one to visit Lumiose City more often!"

And with that, the two gym leaders headed into Prism Tower, hand in hand.

Once Dawn and Tierno had finished a mock contest battle, Fantina gathered up the group and gave them a quick pep talk, telling them that they needed to be ready to show the other teams they meant business at the opening ceremonies. Serena was pretty sure she had seen Flint and Agatha doing the same with the Battle Team before they had finished up, and she could see that Fantina was just as fired up as they had seemed to be. She couldn't help but feel even more strongly about her desire to give Lumiose City, the people of Kalos and even her opponents a performance to remember after the pep talk, though. It was certainly exciting to be so close to the opening ceremonies.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Shauna said, as the team headed outside, she and Tierno on their way back to the dorms to get ready, while Serena and Dawn would be heading to Professor Sycamore's lab. Serena was planning to speak to Lusamine about the Aether Foundation while Ash and Dawn were prepped for their role in the ceremonies as captains.

"It's like combining a Pokemon League, a Grand Festival and a Masterclass Showcase all in one," Dawn pointed out, eyes shining with excitement. "I can't wait to show Wallace what we're made of!"

"Aria's going to be so amazed by how much we've improved, won't she Serena?" Shauna added, looking to her with determination. "I bet she'll be nervous about the next Masterclass after this."

"Maybe," Serena said, a little nervous at the thought. She was wondering if Palermo would be there as well, assuming that she would be if Aria was. Since she had convinced Serena to go to Lumiose University, she would definitely be interested in her progress...and what she planned to do next.

"Maybe even Diantha's going to want us to be in a movie or something," Tierno then said, appearing to be thinking out loud to himself.

Shauna giggled at the idea, although Serena could see the gears turning in her head, clearly thinking of it. "We don't have time for movies. We've still got a lot of work to do."

"Well, we won't really get to do much training after this," Dawn pointed out, looking back at the doors of the training facilities, where a poster for the playoffs was taped up. "Tomorrow...well, tonight, the playoffs are on. We can't let up until it's over!"

The group murmured their agreement at that, each looking confidently to one another, before finally Shauna decided to head back to get ready, while Tierno said he would do the same. With their departure, Serena and Dawn then set off, heading in the direction of Professor Sycamore's lab. As they walked, Dawn seemed to sense a bit of the unease Serena was feeling.

"Still worrying about Palermo?" she asked, looking sympathetically to Serena as they crossed the street. Serena had told her about her nervousness already.

"I...I'm not really sure," Serena admitted. "I'm sure Palermo will be happy with the progress I've made here. We've had our struggles, but I've still learned a lot. And if I can get Absol's Mega Evolution to work...well..."

"That would certainly be helpful!" Dawn finished, laughing as Serena smiled. "Do you think she'll be upset with Lusamine and Hala asking about...Alola?"

Serena shrugged. "I don't know." She sighed as she looked over in the direction of Prism Tower, seeing it high above the rest of the buildings. "She might actually think it's a good idea. I guess...it's just that I'm not sure about what I'm going to do about it yet. It feels like I need to choose so quickly, even though Lusamine and Hala haven't pressured me."

Dawn nodded, smiling sadly as she looked ahead. "I know how you feel. I feel...I've felt like that a few times before. When these playoffs are over, and when the semester is done, it's going to feel almost like the end of a journey. Being at school is different, but...it's also still kind of the same. Part of you wants to do something more and move on, and part of you wants to keep working at what you're doing."

Serena frowned, wondering if she was missing something. It did sound as though Dawn had a fairly good idea of what was going on in her head, though. "It was a lot simpler when we'd made the decision to come here and had an idea of what we were going to do, wasn't it?" Serena said jokingly, remembering wondering what to do before Palermo had suggested the school, and then registering with the IPL in mind along with Shauna, and then meeting all her new friends and meeting Ash again. Perhaps simple wasn't the right word for it, but her path had been clear enough. Now there just seemed to be more roads ahead.

"Whatever we do, there's no need to worry," Dawn assured her with a grin. "We just have to keep working hard for the playoffs ahead, and maybe our paths will be clearer after that. We want to make our decisions with a championship behind us, don't we?!"

Serena nodded, finding that agreeable enough. "Sounds good to me!"

The two high fived at that, and the rest of the way to Sycamore's lab was spent excitedly talking about the potential IPL Playoff scenarios ahead. Serena could sense Dawn was excited about the format, which definitely made things far more interesting, although also more intimidating. If they weren't at the very top of their game, they would be eliminated quickly, with no chance to show everything they could do.

However, as Fantina had pointed out, the ceremonies would be a chance to show the other teams they were ready to compete at the highest level. When they arrived at the lab, Professor Sycamore certainly seemed ready to get Ash and Dawn set for their part in that. As Serena and Dawn stepped through the door, he rushed over to them immediately.

"Marvelous! Dawn! Ash has just finished meeting with Hala and Professor Kukui so I can discuss what you two will be doing at the ceremonies. Please come with me." He started to lead a surprised Dawn down a hallway where his assistant quickly moved out of the way, before he glanced back at Serena. "Lusamine will be out in a moment, Serena."

Serena gave a quick, awkward wave to him and Dawn, before the two disappeared. She was going to just stand and wait for Lusamine, but a moment later, she noticed a white hat in a chair around the corner, and she walked around to see Lillie sitting quietly with her Vulpix. She appeared to be reading a newspaper, although she had noticed Serena arriving and turned to greet her.

"Serena!" she said happily. "How was your training session? Sorry I couldn't come. I was visiting some of the other classes around here with my mother. We're doing some research for the...performing program in Alola." She looked embarrassed at that, but Serena didn't mind.

"That's great! There are lots of things we do here that I bet people in Alola would love," Serena said, sitting down next to Lillie and glancing at the newspaper she'd been reading. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was about.

Lillie looked apologetic once more, but she picked the newspaper back up, looking at Serena determinedly. "These...hunters. They're the ones who hurt your Absol, right? These are the ones that have been around Kalos?"

Serena nodded. "They've been sneaky. It's been almost impossible to catch any sign of them. The only ones that have been caught are the guys Ash and Korrina defeated. One here, and one in Shalour City."

"Well," Lillie said, sounding oddly happy as held out the newspaper. "You can add to that total now. Five were found tied up outside a police station near Laverre City. It seems their memories are...not all there, though."

Serena stared at the newspaper in shock, reading part of the article. "That's...what could this mean?" It seemed like good news. It had to be good news. Someone must've found these hunters doing something horrible and defeated them and delivered them to the police. But...it didn't add up. Why deliver them anonymously? What happened to their memories? How did they get five of them there? Why were there no other signs of conflict?

Something was wrong about this, and Serena was sure they hadn't heard the last about it. Her concerns about Palermo and Lusamine seemed very minor as she thought of what else could be coming.

Ash and Dawn stood proudly at the head of the group, the rest of the team behind them, while Professor Sycamore and the coaches were to the side. Marie, Meyer, Bonnie and Korrina were there as well, Korrina apparently having arrived earlier. Ash could see Bonnie excitedly asking her questions while Clemont kept looking over at them nervously, Meyer chuckling to himself the whole time.

Behind them, the main battlefield was opened up, the stands filled up with students and fans from not only Lumiose, but the other schools as well. Ash had wondered why they weren't doing the ceremonies in the Kalos League stadium, where the battles were actually meant to be held, but apparently there was still some last minute work being done there. Clemont, for some odd reason, had seemed aware of it, but when Ash had asked him about it, all he had done was chuckle to himself and adjust his glasses, muttering about the future and science.

Ash had expected the opening ceremonies to be somewhat like the openings to the various Pokemon Leagues he'd participated in, but the more he waited, the more he realized that this might top it. Obviously a Pokemon League was a huge deal, and the highest level for trainers not among the Champions and Elite Fours of the various regions, but this wasn't just for battlers. This was still a huge deal for them, but contest enthusiasts and performance lovers were clearly extremely excited as well. With it being in Lumiose City, too, plenty more people had gathered.

So, when the first arrival out front of the stadium was a car with the Diantha, Wallace, Aria, Monsieur Pierre and President Goodshow of the Pokemon League, Ash was almost as excited as he'd been before his first ever Pokemon League. He, Dawn and Professor Sycamore stepped forward as the high profile group emerged from the car, Professor Sycamore being the first to greet them.

"It's marvelous to see you all! Lumiose University welcomes you!" he said, grinning as he gestured to the gathered students and the field behind them. "We hope our students and their opponents will be able to show you the great future ahead for Pokemon trainers in the world of battles, contests and performances!"

"We're glad to be here, Professor!" President Goodshow said, sounding almost giddy with excitement as well. His eyes landed on Ash a moment later and he quickly moved forward to shake hands. "Ah! Ash! I'd heard you would be here! I should've known you would be, with the intense battles we're expecting here."

Ash grinned at that, looking to Pikachu who's cheeks sparked with excitement as he looked down to Goodshow. "The IPL's been really challenging so far!" Ash told him, his mind playing through some of the tough matches they'd had already. "It should be really fun to fight our way through the playoffs!"

"I suppose you'll be battling with a little extra motivation after the Kalos League! I expect to see a good bunch of matches!" Ash assured him he would, and then Goodshow looked to Dawn, shaking her hand as well. "And you must be the captain of the Lumiose Performance Team, Dawn?"

"Yep!" Dawn told him, proudly looking back to the rest of the team. "We're ready to show you some intense battles, too. With some flashy moves to go with them."

"That should be very exciting to see!" With that, Goodshow moved on to greet the rest of the team, while Diantha came forward to greet Ash and Dawn.

The Kalos Champion looked amused as Ash couldn't help but give her a challenging look. He couldn't help it of course. He desperately wanted another chance to battle her. "Well Ash," she said, shaking hands with him and Dawn, "I'm guessing you have a challenge for me?"

Ash laughed at that, but he still nodded, pumping his fist confidently. "If you don't mind, I'd like to have a battle when the playoffs are over. If we can win the championship, will you accept?"

Diantha's eyes flashed with a hint of excitement at the challenge. "I think that can be arranged..." She glanced back to where her assistant was standing, appearing to make a call and then leaned forward to whisper the next part. "Just keep it a secret for now. Make sure to win!"

The next to come forward was Wallace. While Ash did know him somewhat, the now famous Top Coordinator and Dawn had much more to talk about. He seemed very interested in her most recent trip to the Indigo Grand Festival, and also about her mother, who Ash knew was also a former Top Coordinator.

"I hear she'll be teaching at Jubilife University next year," he said, giving Dawn a knowing look. "I'm sure all of Sinnoh will be signing up just to take her classes."

"Yeah," Dawn said, giving Ash an awkward glance, before returning her gaze to Wallace. "She's definitely looking forward to it."

As Aria and Pierre moved forward, Ash glanced back to see Wallace now talking with Serena, who seemed nervous about who had just exited the car. As Ash glanced back, he realized it was Palermo, the woman who had told Serena about Lumiose University. She moved forward with Aria and Pierre, but stayed back a bit, apparently not having much to say.

Ash was a little surprised as Aria and Pierre greeted him excitedly, not expecting them to know him. Apparently they'd followed the Kalos League closely, though. "It's great to meet you!" Aria told him as Pierre greeted Dawn. "I was rooting for you and your Greninja the whole time. That transformation you guys pulled off was inspiring to watch. I've even implemented some of Greninja's movements into a couple of performance routines."

"R-Really?" Ash stammered, looking surprised as Aria greeted Dawn as well. "What could you have used from me?"

"It's like Serena said, Ash," Dawn told him, laughing at his surprised look, "you can draw people in with your battling. It's why you guys made such a great team for Reggie's class!"

"Serena thinks like a Kalos Queen," Aria said, eyes darting to her fellow performer behind Ash. "Well, I'd better go say hello!"

Palermo, Diantha's assistant and one of Goodshow's staff members silently followed after that, along with someone who Sycamore mentioned would be the announcer. Once they had all finished meeting with the rest of the team and headed out to the battlefield, Ash could hear the roars of the crowd. Shortly after, the announcer's voice could be heard. He certainly seemed to have the energy to make this an exciting event, and Ash was more fired up as he began, just as the first bus with the first arriving team pulled up.

"Hello out there Pokemon fans, from Lumiose, Kalos and around the world! I'm your announcer Robby Cole!" The crowd roared in approval at the beginning of the ceremonies and Ash knew they'd been waiting anxiously for this moment. He had as well. "Oh baby! It's time to get started!"

With that, the announcer, Robby Cole, began to introduce the others with him, letting Monsieur Pierre join in on the talking as they appeared to be partnering up for this part. As they talked, Ash and Dawn turned back to face the newly arriving students. It appeared they were arriving from Kiloude University, and like Lumiose and Laverre, both their battling and performing teams had made it.

As the students and their coaches exited, Ash grinned as he recognized the Battle Team captain, the first to come forward once the coaches greeted Sycamore and the Lumiose coaches. "Calem, it's good to see you again!"

"Yeah, you too," the Kiloude battler said, smiling back as he shook Ash's hand, eyes darting behind him as he noticed Serena. "I heard from Abe that you and Serena were successful with the mission?" he said, looking back to Ash.

Ash nodded, grinning back in Serena's direction. She simply gave an awkward wave, before Ash turned back to Calem. "Serena's got the Absolite. She's still working on mastering Mega Evolution, but she'll get there!"

"She's been training every day," Dawn added, greeting Calem as well, before the Kiloude Performance Team captain came forward to greet her as well.

"That's good," Calem said, glancing back to Ash with a grin. "I'd like to see it when she can get it to work. Abe seemed to think it would be something special."

As the Kiloude team finished their greeting, they headed out towards the battlefield, the crowd cheering for them as they did so. Ash could hear Robby and Pierre announcing the team members, along with what they'd done in getting to the playoffs. It certainly sounded like they would be a tough matchup, both for the battling teams and the performing teams. Of course, that meant Ash wanted to take them on as soon as possible.

After that, it was a long string of greetings. Most schools had just one team representing them, whether it was their Battle Team or Performance Team, but the teams that showed up appeared to have some tough challengers. Ash and his friends even knew a few.

When Santalune University's Battle Team pulled in, Ash didn't know any of the students, but he instantly recognized their coach, who was taking advantage of the moment to snap a picture. He hadn't expected Viola, the Santalune City Gym Leader, to be there, but he was glad to know that her students would likely be very well prepared with her being there. She appeared just as intrigued to meet Ash there, along with a couple fellow gym leaders in Clemont and Korrina. Trevor seemed to interest her the most, though, the two of them even comparing pictures a moment, before she and Santalune had to head to the field to continue the introductions.

Anistar University's Performance Team's arrival came with a not so friendly greeting from their captain, a girl named Amelia, who appeared quite confident in herself. She didn't seem to think much of Ash, Dawn or anyone there, really. She seemed to recognize Serena and Shauna, but only walked past them as she headed to the field. Serena and Shauna had then mentioned she was a fairly successful performer, but quite self absorbed.

Cyllage College also brought a familiar face to Ash, their Battle Team being coached by yet another gym leader in Grant, the Cyllage Gym Leader, and rock type trainer. He was quite friendly in greeting Ash, but a couple of his students were a little hostile, two girls that were apparently sisters glaring daggers at the group in front of them. When they smiled in greeting a moment later, though, Ash wasn't sure if it was just their way of looking confident in the face of their opponents or something else.

A couple other schools had some performers Serena and Shauna were familiar with as well, including a girl with a Scraggy competing for Glorio University, and a girl with a Mightyena competing for Snowbelle University. It didn't appear as though there were coordinators Dawn was familiar with for any of the schools, but they knew that didn't mean they weren't skilled, considering the final bus now approaching held a couple of very talented coordinators in Jimmy and Casey.

As the bus for Laverre University stopped in front of them, Ash couldn't help but narrow his eyes, seeing Raphael at the front of it, Valerie a little behind him. If he tries anything, we won't let him off easy, Ash thought, clenching his fists. He took a deep breath to calm himself, though, as Dawn gave him a nervous glance. He knew he couldn't react strangely now, in case Raphael could figure out they were on to him.

"Welcome back to Lumiose University," Professor Sycamore said to the coaches as they led their students forward. "We're looking forward to seeing your teams battle and perform here once more."

Raphael didn't say anything, simply walking forward and waiting for the team, while Valerie murmured a thanks to Sycamore, before greeting Ash and the others. Then, it was time for Anton and Gabby to move forward, the former appearing as though he wanted to follow Raphael's lead. Fortunately, he had the sense to stick to the ceremonial rules.

"Ready to settle the score, Anton?" Ash asked, briefly shaking Anton's stiff hand. "I'm gonna win the next time!"

Anton just stared back through the sunglasses he always wore. "We'll see. We've yet to have a proper conclusion to one of our battles. I'd like the next one to end properly."

Ash didn't know how to answer that, realizing that Anton was including their first battle in that statement. The battle where I passed out, he thought, frowning as Anton moved ahead. He could see the Laverre battle captain giving the rest of the team a quick nod before heading over to join Raphael and wait.

"Sorry about him," Gabby then said, bringing Ash's attention to her. "Long bus ride. I think he's tired." She looked fairly excited as she listened to crowd a moment, her feet tapping a little bit as she stood in front of Ash and Dawn. "We're in for a wild playoffs, aren't we?"

"Sure looks and sounds like it," Dawn said in agreement, smiling as she glanced back towards the battlefield. "Hopefully we can take you guys on in the finals and end things with a bang!"

"That's the plan!" Gabby replied with a laugh, before heading over to greet Serena, while the rest of the Laverre students came forward.

As Ash greeted the rest of the Laverre students, he felt his heart racing as he realized the next step of the ceremonies was about to begin. He could sense Pikachu excitedly tensing up as well, cheeks sparking a little as they finally finished, watching as the Laverre teams headed forward, their names and highlights being announced.

"Remember everyone," Agatha said as Sycamore called for everyone to get in position, "keep your heads up and look proud. You're here for a reason, and it's not just because your school is hosting. You earned your spot. You're going to go out there and show everyone you're ready to win."

"We're not here to win as Ash, or Dawn, or Serena, or Clemont, Shauna, Tierno or Trevor," Flint added, locking eyes with each as he said their name. "We're here to win as a team!"

"We're here to win as the Lumiose Luxrays!" Ash yelled, raising his fist in the air, the others following suit. "We won't give up till it's over! Let's go show these guys we're not going down easy!"

And with that, they heard Robby Cole announcing their entrance. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he roared, the crowd cheering so loudly he had to yell through the speakers. "Please welcome your host team! It's Lumiose University, or as they're known in the IPL, the LUMIOSE LUXRAYS!"

"YAHHH!"

Ash was almost tempted to cover his ears from the excited yelling of the crowd. As he and Dawn led the way forward, he could see the other teams gathered up ahead, out in front of the stage that had been set up where the announcers, along with Diantha, Wallace and Aria were with Goodshow. He could see that they were all watching he and his friends, looking on challengingly. Even the friendly trainers from the initial greetings looked somewhat intimidating at the moment. He wasn't troubled by it, though, just continuing to smile confidently as he walked forward. This was just part of the challenge.

"Led by zer captain, Dawn of Twinleaf Town in ze Sinnoh region," Pierre then announced, a spotlight suddenly shining on Dawn and the other Performance Team members, "ze Lumiose Performance Team fought zer way back from an early deficit in ze standings and stormed zer way to ze IPL Playoffs. Dawn and first time Coordinator Tierno each took ze lead in contest battles, while Masterclass performers Shauna and Serena led ze way with zer stunning performances."

"And on the battlefield, Ash of Pallet Town led the Lumiose Battle Team back from an early deficit in the standings as well," Robby added, the crowd cheering louder now. "He, along with fellow Kalos League competitor Trevor, and Lumiose City's very own Gym Leader, Clemont, managed to dig in their heels and refuse to let crucial points slip away, narrowly slipping into the IPL Playoffs in their final showdown against fellow playoff team, Laverre University! Oh baby, it looks like that'll be an interesting rivalry to watch!"

They continued to add a few more details as Ash and his friends took their place among the rest of the teams. As they waited, Ash listened in interest as Robby and Pierre described some of the specific matchups that the various teams had to get them into the playoffs. It certainly sounded as though Lumiose wasn't the only team to have had a close call. Of course, that only made Ash realize how much the other teams would want this as well. Heading into the playoffs having to have fought this hard for it made it all the more important to him, and he knew it would be that way for the other teams that had been in the same position.

Once the announcers had finished their recaps of the various teams' seasons and the key matchups they had fought, attention then turned to President Goodshow as he stepped forward. As he did so, the screen on stage lit up, showing two different brackets, which Ash assumed would be the different ones for the battling teams and the performing teams. However, that wasn't the only thing people were interested in, as two torches were also being carried to either side of the stage, while a large bowl was placed at centre stage. Ash knew immediately what they were for, although Goodshow didn't mention anything about it at first.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the Pokemon League President called out, the crowd slowly going quieter as he spoke. "As you can see, this looks as though it might be one of the most exciting Interschool Pokemon Leagues in a generation. These are some of the finest young students around, and they've worked extremely hard to get here."

"YAHHH!" the crowd cheered in answer. Ash looked back in surprise, feeling as though he'd heard Bonnie and Korrina cheering louder than anyone from where they were now seated.

"And, of course," Goodshow went on, "what makes this so exciting, is that at the end of these playoffs, after all the hard fought battles and performances, we'll have two teams standing above the rest. A Champion of the IPL Battle Conference and a Champion of the IPL Performance Conference." He paused as the crowd cheered again, although they quieted down fairly quickly, clearly eager for the rest of the information to come. "Of course, the road there will be fascinating to follow! And while the road to this point has been fascinating as well, it only gets tougher from here. So first, we'll look at what the Performance Teams must do if they are to emerge as our winners!"

"Here we go..." Dawn said quietly, looking up with clenched fists. They'd already been informed of the rules beforehand, but Ash understood why she looked so excited. It was official now.

Goodshow turned towards the screen as the one bracket was highlighted, showing eight spots at the bottom, followed by six in the next section, two after that, and one at the top for the winner. "The first stage of the IPL Performance Conference will be a very challenging one, even if only two teams will be eliminated from it. Each team will need to compete in a Theme Performance as they have done in each match up until now, but after that, there will also be an additional Appeals round, as seen in contests in other regions. Following that, there will be a Freestyle Performance, again as seen in previous matches. These events will be judged with a score out of ten, and the average of the three scores will be given to their respective teams. The six highest scores will move on."

"Only two teams are eliminated," Tierno said excitedly. "This'll be a piece of cake!"

"That doesn't make it easy," Shauna told him, looking determined. "One mistake and we could be one of those two teams. Everyone will be at the top of their game to make sure they don't end up at the bottom."

Ash nodded in agreement, seeing Tierno do so as well before everyone looked back up to Goodshow, who was now continuing. "Once we are down to the final six teams, we will split them into two pools of three. At this point, a round robin will be held in each pool, where each team will battle in a one against one contest battle. Three points will be awarded for a victory, and one for a draw. The team with the most points in each pool will move on to the finals."

Ash could see Serena focusing on Goodshow carefully now, and he couldn't help but see her eyes move to Gabby briefly. The Laverre performer seemed to be thinking the same as Serena, whatever it was, because she looked back as well, smirking before Goodshow continued.

"The finals of the IPL Performance Conference will be a double contest battle," Goodshow then said, the crowd murmuring excitedly at his words. "The winner will earn their school the title of IPL Performance Champions!"

As the crowd and the students excitedly murmured about that, Ash looked to Pikachu excitedly, knowing the battle rules were about to be discussed as well. He was excited about the Performance Team setup as well, but the more he waited, the more he wanted to get started. He couldn't wait to go through what it would take to win the battle rounds.

"As for the IPL Battle Conference," Goodshow then called out, the crowd going quiet once more, "it will run much like a regular bracket. We will begin with the eight qualifying teams, then move to four and then to the final two. What trainers will need to be aware of, is how this differs to the regular season IPL battles."

Ash looked to Trevor and Clemont as the crowd got loud again. He could see them looking up at Goodshow, eyes wide with excitement. With the new rules, they had to show even more teamwork then before. Especially if they made it to the end.

"With the playoff battles," Goodshow then said, the crowd now listening in near silence, "each team will now act as though it is a single trainer. This means that in order to win, each Pokemon used by one team will need to be defeated. For rounds one and two, each team will use three Pokemon, one for each member of the team."

Ash couldn't help but think of the interesting scenarios this could lead to. He didn't think it would matter too much if he, Clemont and Trevor could just win all their battles, of course. However, it would definitely be a game changing rule once the finals came around.

"As for the finals," Goodshow then went on, as though sensing the thoughts Ash was having. "The final match will give each team the use of six Pokemon, just as though it were a full battle. If a team chooses, one of their trainers may use up to four of their Pokemon in the battle. The only requirement is that each member of the team battles with at least one Pokemon. As with the previous two rounds, all Pokemon on one side need to be defeated. Once one team defeats all the opposing Pokemon, they will become...the IPL Battle Conference Champions!"

Once more, the crowd roared in excitement, the excitement clear among everyone there. Even some of the opposing students gathered around were cheering. With the path now clear in front of everyone, it was now just a matter of battling and performing. If each team could execute their strategies, they could be the ones earning the championship title.

The ceremonies weren't done yet, however, and as Goodshow moved to stand at the centre of the stage, in front of the large bowl, he looked out at the crowd, the torch bearers at either end of the stage stepping down a small set of stairs and turning to face the students. Ash and Dawn began to walk forward.

"We still have one thing left to do before we start the IPL Playoffs!" Goodshow then called out. "To honour these young trainers and their Pokemon, we must light the official torch of the IPL Playoffs with the flame of Ho-oh! Please welcome, once again, the captains of our host team! Ash and Dawn!"

As Goodshow called out his name, Ash reached the stage, Dawn doing so at the other end as well. He smiled as he took the torch from the torch bearer, and then made his way up onto the stage. At the other end, he could see Dawn holding hers up high above her head, and he did the same, making it visible to everyone watching.

Slowly, the two of them approached, Goodshow calling for them to do so. As they each reached the centre of the stage, they turned to face the unlit torch in front. Ash could almost feel the desire of the flames of the torch he held wanting to reach out to it. The power of Ho-oh, he realized with a smile.

"Ash," Goodshow then said, looking to him, before turning to Dawn, "and Dawn. If you would please light the torch!"

"Together!" Dawn said, looking across to Ash, before looking out to where their team stood, watching them proudly and cheering.

Ash nodded, glancing to Pikachu who smiled back excitedly. "Let's do this!"

And, in one smooth motion, both trainers dipped their flames into the bowl, the power of Ho-oh erupting in front of them almost immediately. Ash, Dawn and Goodshow had to step back a few feet, each looking on in awe as the crowd cheered loudly. Then, Goodshow raised his microphone up one more time.

"Ladies and gentlement," he said, voice shaking with excitement, "let the IPL Playoffs begin!"

Author's Note:

Let the IPL Playoffs begin! Yeah! Who's excited? I know I am. It's pretty much action till the end now. The playoffs will be packed full of performances and battles, and then...other stuff is going on, too. I hope you enjoy what's coming.

As for the first scenes. A bit of fluff I suppose. I wanted a bit of a pep talk moment from the coaches, though, and make it clear the playoffs are a big deal. Clemont and Korrina...well, very fluffy, but you know...good fluff. And Clemont might have some key inventions he's shown Korrina now. And obviously a couple things going on with the Serena scene, with her future and with the hunter news. More to come on that of course.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Just a quick note on the announcer Robby Cole...he's based on legendary hockey broadcaster here in Canada, haha. I just couldn't resist. So...yeah. See you next time!