As the group heads back to the Indigo Stadium, they all struggle to focus on the match against Ash and Max because of what happened between Brock and Holly. Ash, Pikachu, Dawn, and Piplup remember Brock feeling sad when Holly left after they lost the Hearthome City Tag Team Battle tournament, but he was nowhere as devastated as he is now. Serena walks sadly, not only because Brock and Holly are apart, but because she feels like she lost a good friend whom she could relate to when it comes to having special feelings for someone. By the time they all reach the building, Max feels reluctant to go inside.

"I don't know if I can battle while feeling sorry for Brock," he confesses.

"I know how you feel," Misty says. "Even though I've been so angry at him for making promises to both Holly and Lucy, even I could tell how sincere he was to make it up to them. But I never would have thought he would lose his special someone before he could even confess his true feelings."

"Cilan and I haven't known him for very long, but I think we know him enough to pity him," Iris says.

"Axew," Axew agrees from Iris' hair.

"Yeah, same for us," Bonnie says, pointing at herself and Clemont.

Ash turns to his friends with a frown. Even though he still doesn't understand Brock and Holly's feelings, he knows that they care about each other a lot. He wishes there was something he could do to cheer Brock up, but it seems clear he can do nothing but give his longtime friend some time while Timothy and Coovers try their best to comfort him. He then turns to Serena, who is visibly down about what has happened and then to Max. He thinks hard for a moment until he decides to speak.

"Well, you know what?" he says. "I think we should give this battle our all in honor of Brock and Holly's memory."

"Huh?" everyone says.

"Think about it, guys," he says. "There's nothing we can do to bring Holly back or cheer Brock up, but I know both of them would want us all to stay happy and keep going. It's like Brock said, we need to give it everything we've got, and he knows Holly would want us to do the same. Besides, Holly, Timothy, Max, and I all promised to give everything we've got on our semifinal battles. Holly and Timothy kept up their end of that promise, so we need to smile on and do the same. So whether we're battling or cheering for each other, let's honor Brock and Holly by giving it our all until the very end. What do you say?"

For a minute, no one says anything. Then, Serena smiles and chuckles with her mouth closed.

"There you go again, Ash. Trying to cheer everyone up," she says.

Misty scoffs in amusement and says, "Well, I guess we shouldn't expect any less."

"Agreed," Clemont says with a smile.

"Well, if it's what Brock and Holly would have wanted, then I'll cheer for both of you," Dawn says to Ash and Max.

"Piplup," Pilpup says with a smile

"We'll cheer Ash on with a smile," Cilan says with Iris nodding.

"Cheer for Ash, all you like. I'm going to keep supporting my little brother out in the field," May states proudly.

Max hesitates before he smiles at Ash and says, "Well, I've wanted to have a full-on Pokemon battle with you long before I turned old enough to have my first Pokemon. This is my chance to do that, so I'm going to give it everything I've got."

"Awesome, that's what I want to hear," Ash says with a toothy grin.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu says cheerfully.

Serena smiles fondly at Ash, appreciative of his effort to cheer up the group. She gazes at the raven-haired boy, knowing that his positive attitude is one of the reasons why she wishes she can keep traveling with him. But everyone's moment is interrupted when an attendant runs toward them in a state of panic.

"Max! Ash! There you are!" he exclaims. "It's been more than ten minutes, and you need to get to the battlefield now!"

Ash and Max's eyes widen when they realize the situation and quickly turn to each other.

"See you soon on the battlefield?" Max asks.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Ash says with a smirk before the two of them shake hands.

As Max runs to the left side of the field with May following him, Bonnie glances at the young boy with glasses before she suddenly tugs Serena's coat.

"Hey, Serena, can I have my turn to sit next to you while cheering for Ash, please?" She asks.

"Sure, Bonnie," Serena immediately says with a smile.

"Huh? Why do you want your turn now, Bonnie?" Clemont asks, confused.

Bonnie looks away from her big brother, feeling slightly timid.

"I just want to cheer for both Ash and Max up close," she says.

Clemont looks at his sister oblivious to what is on her mind. After a moment, he smiles and says, "Okay then. Have fun."

"Thanks, big brother!" Bonnie calls out.

"Alright, let's get going, you two," Ash says.

"Right," Serena and Bonnie say as the three of them run toward the right of the stadium with Pikachu on Ash's back and the attendant following behind.

As they run down the call, the attendant informs the announcer through his walkie-talkie that the contestants are coming. Before they reach the end of the hall, however, Ash stops running, and everyone else stops, confused.

"What's the matter, Ash?" Bonnie asks.

"Yes, you need to get going now!" The attendant says in a state of panic.

Ash stays silent for a moment before he turns his hands into fists and turns to Serena and Bonnie with a soft smile.

"It just occurred to me," he says. "Not only am I going against Max, but if I win this, I will make it to the finals in a Pokemon league for the second time in a row."

Serena stares at Ash with her mouth slightly open before she gives the boy she cares about an encouraging smile.

"You're going to make it to the finals, Ash," she claims. "And this time, you're going to win."

"I know I will," Ash says confidently. "And I want you to be there to see it all, Serena."

Serena looks at Ash, confused again as he turns around and enters the stage. Bonnie grins at her honey blonde friend, amused.

"And once again, Ash leaves you with your cheeks turning red," she teases.

Serena snaps out of is and shakes away her blush before smirking at Bonnie.

"Are you sure you want to talk to me about blushing?" she asks. "Cause I get the feeling you were pretty bashful yourself a minute ago. Is there something you want to tell me about Max?"

Bonnie's eyes widen, and her pupils shrink as she looks in horror as if Serena had turned into the most frightening monster imaginable. Serena chuckles with her mouth closed before she walks to the end of the hall, and Bonnie shakes away her petrified state before following her. By the time the two are seated on the bench behind Ash with Bonnie taking out Dedenne to watch with her, the crowd is already cheering in excitement as Max is standing from the other side with May sitting on the bench behind him.

"Welcome back, folks!" the announcer shouts. "It's time for the second semifinal battle of the Indigo League Conference!"

The crowd cheers again. Ash, Serena, Bonnie, Max, and May can see Misty, Dawn, Piplup Iris, Axew, Cilan, and Clemont cheering at the front of the stands.

"Who will be the winner in this match and move on to face Timothy from Pallet Town at the final round?!" The announcer asks. "Will it be second time competitor, Ash, who is also from Pallet Town, or will it be newcomer, Max from Petalburg City?! I'm on pins and needles, so let's find out now!"

The crowd cheers a third time as the referee steps in on the sidelines and raises both of his flags.

"This is a full battle between Ash and Max!" he announces. "The battle will be over when all six Pokemon from either side are unable to continue. If anyone calls back their Pokemon, that Pokemon will be out of the match! Are the contestants ready?"

"Ready!" Max replies.

"I am so ready!" Ash declares.

"Then battle begin!" the referee shouts.

Max takes out his first Pokeball and throws it shouting, "Go, Pinsir!"

"Pidgeot, I choose you!" Ash shouts, throwing his own Pokeball.

Pinsir and Pidgeot come out with Pidegot flying in the air and Pinsir glaring at its opponent while putting its pincers together to show that it's ready to crush the bird Pokemon.

"Hey, Ash! Let's have a battle none of use will forget no matter who wins!" Max calls out.

"Believe me, I plan to!" Ash says with a grin before pointing at Pinsir. "Pidgeot, use Double Edge!"

Pidgeot generates a greenish energy surrounding it and flies toward Pinsir, making Max smirk.

"Pinsir, wait for the right moment and use X-Scissor!" Max commands.

Pinsir nods, and its claws going light blue with a light blue 'X' like energy with a magenta outline appearing in front of its claws. The Pokemon waits until Pidgeot is close enough until it falls forward, slamming into the bird Pokemon.

"Now, use Stealth Rock while it's still close enough!" Max shouts.

Pinsir summons several glowing rocks that rise up and fly toward Pinsir's target. The rocks hit Pidgeot, and it cries in agony as it backs away from its opponent with some scratches on its body.

"Oh, no!" Ash says worriedly.

"Pidgeot got hit with Stealth Rock?" Bonnie says in alarm. "But that means Ash's Pokemon will take damage every time he switches them out."

"I know," Serena says, concerned. "I hope Ash can pull through with his Pokemon at a disadvantage like that."

Bonnie frowns before she looks at Max with a hit of a smile on her face.

"I gotta admit, while X-Scissor is not very effective against Pidgeot, it was a clever way to distract it before using Stealth Rock," she says.

"De, ne, ne, ne," Dedenne says.

"Hey, who's side are you on?" Serena rebukes.

"Hey, I said I'm rooting for both of them," Bonnie says. "I may have known Ash for a long time, but I have this feeling with Max. You of all people should understand that."

Serena glares at her friend with a disapproving pout.

"Okay, Pidgeot, let's fight back with Whirlwind!" Ash commands.

Pidgeot flaps its wings, and a strong gust of wind is created from them. Pinsir struggles to stand its ground before it loses its footing and falls down on its back.

"Now, use Quick Attack!" Ash shouts.

Pidgeot zooms toward Pinsir at great speed and slams into Pinsir. The stag beetle Pokemon cries out as it gets sent back a couple of feet before it stands up with a couple of scratches.

"Nice work, Ash!" Max compliments. "That was a good way to use Whirlwind and Quick Attack!"

"Yeah, and using X-Scissor at the right time so you could use Stealth Rock was really smart!" Ash admits. "Looks like you've really taken a lot of ideas from watching me battle!"

"I sure have, but I've come up with a few strategies of my own," Max states. "Pinsir, use Swagger!"

Pinsir crosses his arms and glares menacingly at Pidgeot while its body is surrounded and red aura. Pidgeot is briefly surrounded in a red glow before it looks around in complete confusion.

"Oh, no!" Ash exclaims.

"I don't understand," Serena says. "What just happened?"

Bonnie scratches her chin and says, "If I remember correctly from Clemont explaining a few Pokemon moves to me, Swagger is a move that makes the opponent stronger but at the price of making it completely confused."

Serena's eyes widen with this information.

"If that's true, then Pidgeot needs to snap out of it," she says before turning to Pidgeot and calling out, "Come on, Pidgeot! Pull yourself together! You can do it!"

Ash hears Serena calling out to Pidgeot and turns to his Pokemon.

"Serena's right, Pidgeot! Snap out of it!" He shouts.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu calls out.

But Pidgeot is so confused that it flies in a goofy way. Before long, it crashes into the ground, and Max smirks, seeing his chance.

"Now, Pinsir, use Thrash!" He shouts.

Pinsir runs toward Pidgeot and starts beating it repeatedly. Pidgeot just looks around and flails helplessly like a Magikarp out of water as its opponent beats it senseless.

"Pidgeot, drive Pinsir back!" Ash cries out. "Use Whirlwind!"

Pidgeot barley hears Ash amidst the confusion and starts flapping its wings repeatedly. The actions create a whirlwind powerful enough to send Pinsir several feet away from the bird Pokemon. Ash sighs in relief until he sees Pidgeot struggling to get up with its mind still in a daze.

"Pinsir, use Thrash again!" Max shouts.

Pinsir stands up and charges at Pidgeot again.

"Pidgeot, use Hurricane!" Ash calls out.

Pidgeot just keeps standing in a silly manner as if it's lost its mind. Ash grinds his teeth and shouts at his Pokemon at the top of his lungs.

"Pidgeot, use Hurricane now!" He screams.

Once again, the raven-haired boy's words barely comes through to Pidgeot. It flaps its wings repeatedly until it creates a large tornado. Pinsir tries to stop charging and run away from the tornado, but the wind is so strong that it pulls the stag beetle Pokemon in and sends it spinning until it reaches the top of the tornado and is sent flying into the air until it crashes into the ground. The referee looks carefully at Pinsir until he sees that it has swirly eyes.

"Pinsir is unable to battle! Pidgeot wins!" He declares.

The crowd goes wild, and both Ash and Serena sigh in relief until the two of them and Pikachu and Bonnie realize that Pidgeot is still confused. The four of them grow uneasy with the bird Pokemon's state while Max returns Pinsir.

"You did great, Pinsir," Max says to Pinsir inside its Pokeball before taking out another one. "Go, Arcanine!"

Arcanine comes out of its Pokeball and roars loudly at the confused Pidgeot.

"Arcanine, use Bite!" Max commands.

"Pidgeot, fly up and dodge it!" Ash shouts.

But despite his cries, Pidgeot just walks around aimlessly while Arcanine runs to it and bites down on Pidgeot with its mouth. Pidgeot cries out and wails loudly, and Ash clenches his teeth.

"Pidgeot, use Hurricane again!" He shouts.

But Pidgeot just keeps flailing in confusion while its body is still in Arcanine"s mouth.

"Come on, Pidgeot!" Serena cries out desperately.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu shouts.

The bird Pokemon just stays confused while it cries out in pain.

"Pidgeot, you can do this!" Ash shouts. "Use Hurricane now!"

At that moment, Pidgeot shakes its head and snaps out of confusion. It starts flapping its wings again, eventually creating another tornado. The tornado pulls Arcanine in, and its eyes widen as it finally lets go of Pidgeot, who flies away. Arcanine runs as fast as it can to avoid the tornado, but like Pinser, it's only a matter of time before it's causing inside and sent crashing into the ground. Pidgeot lets out a triumphant cry as Arcanine slowly gets up.

"Nice job, Pidgeot!" Ash calls out. "Now, use Quick Attack!"

"Block it with Protect, Arcanine!" Max shouts.

Arcanine standstill and a green force field appears all over his body. Pidgeot charges at Arcanine, but it slams into the force field and flies in a daze.

"Now, finish it with Heat Wave!" Max orders.

Arcanine opens its mouth, and a white flame is created inside it. It then releases a round, orange flame that directly hits Pidgeot and sends it crashing into the ground with swirly eyes.

"Pidgeot is unable to battle! Arcanine wins!" The referee shouts.

"Alright! Way to go, Max!" May cheers from her bench.

Serena frowns sadly while Bonnie and Dedenne quietly cheer so that their honey blonde friend won't notice. Ash returns Pidgeot and gives its Pokeball a fond look before he takes out another.

"Buizel, I choose you!" He shouts, throwing the ball.

Buizel comes out and is looking ready for battle, but then several spikey rocks appear from the ground and hits it, giving it a few scratches.

"That's right. Stealth Rock," Ash says before his look of unease turns into a smirk. "No problem! Buizel, use Aqua Jet!"

Buizel surrounds its body and shoots itself like a rocket toward Arcanine.

"Use Protect and then Bite!" Max instructs.

Once again, Arcanine creates a green forcefield, and Buizel runs into it. Arcanine quickly makes its force field disappear, and it bites down on Buizel hard with its mouth. Buizel squeals in pain before Ash gives it another order.

"Buizel, use Ice Punch multiple times to free yourself!" Ash shouts.

Buizel's fists turn light blue, and a stream of energy of the same color spins around them. It then starts hitting Arcanine multiple times on the muzzle, and despite the attack not being very effective against the fire type, the constant punches are enough to make it open its mouth, freeing Buizel.

"Now, use Water Gun!" Ash shouts.

Buizel quickly shoots a stream of water from its mouth and hits Arcanine. The canine-like Pokemon howls in plain, but it stands its ground.

"Arcanine, use Fire Blast!" Max shouts.

"Dodge and use Water Gun!" Ash shouts.

Arcanine uses Fire Blast, but Buizel jumps away and shoots another stream of water from its mouth.

"Use Protect!" Max orders.

Arcanine summons another force field just in time to block Buizel's attack. Ash looks at Arcanine, thinking of how he can hit it when it's using Protect.

"Alright, Arcanine, use Heat Wave again!" Max orders.

"Why is he using fire attacks when it's not very effective against a water Pokemon?" Bonnie asks.

"I guess it's because those are the only offensive moves he has besides Bite," Serena speculates. "And judging by how Heat Wave took out Pidgeot, it possibly will still pack a punch if Buizel gets hit."

Ash frowns, wanting to think of something better to do than just telling Buizel to dodge until it hits him.

"Buizel, use Sonic Boom now!" He shouts.

Arcanine opens its mouth, creating another white fire inside. But then Buizel's two tails glow white, and it flips around, sending a large white shockwave that hits Arcanine before it can release its attack.

"Now, use Aqua Jet!" Ash commands.

"Use Protect, Arcanine!" Max shouts.

Once again, Buizel surrounds itself in water and shoots itself like a rocket. Arcanine is so distracted from the Sonic Boom that it doesn't focus on what's happening on time to protect itself before Buizel hits it hard. Max's Pokemon howls in agony as it's sent several feet away and falls down to the ground on its side unconscious.

"Arcanine is unable to battle! Buizel wins!" the referee declares.

Serena and the crowd cheer while Bonnie and Dedenne only half cheer while at the same time feeling sorry for Max. The young boy with glasses frowns sadly as he returns Arcanine back into its Pokeball before turning to Ash.

"I see what you did!" he calls out. "You took advantage of Arcanine being disoriented after getting hit the same way it used Protect to disorient Pidgeot and Buizel, didn't you, Ash?!"

"Sure did," Ash says proudly.

"Well, that was a clever idea, but it'll take more than that to knock me down," Max claims while taking out another Pokeball. "Go, Rhydon!"

Rhydon comes out if it's Pokeball and stomps on the ground to try to intimidate Buizel. From the stands, Dawn looks at Rhydon, confused, and turns to Clemont.

"Why did he choose, Rhydon?" She questions. "Isn't It very weak against water type moves just like Arcanine?"

"Yes, it's very weak to water attacks since it's both a ground and rock type, but Buizel is also capable of being damaged by rock and ground attacks," Clemont points out. "I get the feeling that Max has a strategy to make sure Buizel takes damage more than his Rhydon."

"So that makes it possible for Buizel to lose to Rhydon if Max's plan works," Iris stands, understanding what Clemont is saying.

"Indeed," Cilan agrees. "Still a risky move, to say the very least."

"Well, we're just gonna have to watch and find out," Misty says.

Back in the battlefield, Ash smirks at Rhydon, thinking it's going to be an easy win.

"Alright, Buizel, use Aqua Jet!" he shouts.

Buizel shoots itself with its body surrounded by water again, but Max grins, figuring Ash would use that move first.

"Take it down with Rock Throw, Rhydon!" he orders.

With a mighty roar, Rhydon summons several large rocks out of thin air and throws them then at Buizel. The sea weasel Pokemon moves its body back and forth to dodge the rocks while still heading towards its opponent, but eventually, one rock hits it and sends it crashing to the ground.

"Now, use Earthquake!" Max shouts.

Rhydon stomps its feet, and the ground shakes, causing shockwaves heading toward Buizel. The shockwaves hit Buizel, and it shouts in pain while it's sent back a few feet.

"Buizel, are you okay?" Ash calla out.

Buizel slowly gets up with several more scratches all over its body. It takes a moment before it stands up on its hind legs and smirks, showing that it can still fight.

Max smirks back at Buizel and says, "Good to see Buizel's okay! I'd hate to have taken it down right away!"

"So do I!" Ash calls out. "It'll take a lot more than that to take down my Pokemon!"

"That's what I'm counting on!" Max says. "Rhydon, use Stone Edge!"

Rhydon stomps on the ground, and light blue pillars appear on the ground and head toward Buizel.

"Dodge it!" Ash commands.

"Ha! That was a mistake!" Max says with a grin. "Rhydon, Horn Drill!"

Buizel jumps away from the pillars heading toward it, but as soon as it has moved away, it sees Rhydon charging toward it with its horn spinning. Before Ash can react, Rhydon rams into Buizel with its horn, and the sea weasel Pokemon is once again sent back a couple of feet. Ash, Pikachu, and Serena are worried about Buizel until it once again slowly gets up on its back legs, still looking ready for more battling.

"Way to go, Buizel!" Ash cheers.

"Pika!" Pikachu calls out.

"Bui, Bui," Buizel replies, giving its trainer a smirk and a wink.

Max smiles before turning to Rhydon.

"Won't be long now, Rhydon!" He calls out. "Use Stone Edge followed by Horn Drill again!"

"Dodge it again, Buizel!" Ash shouts.

Blue pillars appear from the ground and head toward Buizel. It jumps away, but it soon sees Rhydon charging toward it with its horn spinning again.

"Now, use Water Gun!" Ash commands.

Buizel smirks and shoots a stream of water from its mouth. The attack hits Rhydon, causing it to stop charging and try to block the attack with its hands.

"Now, while using Water Gun, charge and use Ice Punch multiple times!" Ash instructs.

Buizel keeps shooting water at its opponent to keep it distracted while it walks over to it. As soon as it's close enough, Buizel stops using Water Gun and uses Ice Punch repeatedly. Rhydon grunts with every punch as its ground-and-rock-type body grow weaker.

"Rhydon, fight back!" Max shouts. "Take a step back and use Horn Drill!"

Rhydon opens its eyes and takes a step back right as Buizel is about to throw another punch, causing it to miss. The drill Pokemon then lowers its head and hits Buizel with its spinning horn. Buizel flies into the air and crashes into the ground with several serious scratches all over its body.

"Now, finish it with Earthquake!" Max shouts.

Ash grows worried and shouts to Buizel, "Quick! Get up and use Aqua Jet to dodge it!"

This time, Buizel is struggling to stay on all fours, much less stand up on its back legs. Rhydon lifts its foot to cause the ground to shake again, and Buizel grinds its teeth, determined to stop it. At the last second, water appears all over its body, and Buizel shoots itself in a straight line heading toward its opponent just as Rhydon stomped on the ground, causing it to shake.

"Rhydon, use Rock Throw to stop it, quick!" Max shouts.

Rhydon realizes that its opponent is heading toward it. The drill Pokemon quickly summons rocks again in an attempt to knock Buizel down again, but the sea weasel Pokemon dodges every single one of them. Finally, Buizel rams right into Rhydon, causing it to fall down, but as soon as Buizel steps back, one of the large rocks falls on top of it. The referee walks into the field to properly check to see both Pokemon unconscious.

"Both Rhydon and Buizel are unable to continue!" He announces, raising both of his flags. "It's a draw!"

The crowd goes wild, excited that it's a draw. Ash and Max return their Pokemon while Serena frowns sadly.

"Darn, Buizel was so close," she says before turning to Bonnie with a smug look. "Still, it took down two of your crush's Pokemon, so clearly, I made the right decision with have Ash choose Buizel."

Bonnie gives Serena a childish pout and says, "Don't get too cocky. Max could catch up with your crush."

Meanwhile, Max takes out another Pokeball and throws it shouting, "Gallade, let's go!"

The opens to reveal Gallade and Ash smirks while holding his own Pokeball.

"Scraggy, I choose you!" He shouts.

Scraggy comes out of its Pokeball, pulling up the loose skin that resembles trousers and glaring menacingly at Gallade. Its moment is quickly interrupted, however, when several glowing rocks appear from the ground and hit it, creating a couple of scratches on its body.

"Ah, so Ash choose Scraggy because it's a dark type," Dawn says with a smile.

"That sounds like a good advantage against Gallade," Misty says optimistically.

"Not exactly," Clemont says seriously. "You see, both Pokemon are fighting types on top of Gallade and Scraggy being a psychic and Dark-type, respectively. But while Gallade is resistant to fighting attacks, Scraggy is weak to fighting type moves because it's a dark type. So on top of already taking damage from Stealth Rock, it's just as much of a disadvantage as Gallade is with dark type moves."

"Actually, it's only Scraggy who is at a disadvantage," Iris says.

"What do you mean?" Dawn asks.

Cilan turns to the ground and says, "If I recall correctly, the moves Scraggy knows are Leer, Headbutt, High Jump Kick, and Focus Blast. So half of its moves are fighting types, and the other half are normal type."

"What?!" Misty explains before she sighs and facepalms. "That Ash. Doesn't always think things through."

"Yeah, what a kid," Iris agrees.

But Axew looks at Scraggy worriedly and jumps out of Iris' hair and lands on the railings shouting, "Axew, Axew, Axew!"

Dawn, Misty, and Clermont look at the little Pokemon confused before turning to Iris.

"What's up with Axew?" Dawn asks.

"Oh, Axew and Scraggy became good friends around the time Cilan and I were traveling with Ash," Iris explains. "It clearly is rooting for Scraggy, hoping it will beat Gallade.

"I hope so because this is a concerning disadvantage," Clemont says before smiling. "But then again, Ash doesn't always rely on typing."

Back in the battlefield, Max and Ash smirk at each other before Max makes the first move.

"Go, Gallade, Brick Break!" He commands.

Gallade's right arm turns white, and it charges at Scraggy. Ash waits for the right moment before he makes his move.

"Dodge and use Leer!" He shouts.

Scraggy jumps out of the way right before Gallade punches at it. Then Scraggy glares at Gallade with an intimidating look on its face. Gallade is startled and backs away as a blue glow briefly appears on its body.

"Alright, Scraggy, use Headbutt!" Ash shouts.

"Dodge it using Teleport!" Max shouts.

Scraggy pounces at Gallade head first, but before it could hit, Gallade's body turns white, and it disappears out of thin air. Scraggy lands on the ground and looks around for its opponent only to see Gallade reappear on the other side of the field.

"Augh, it still knows Teleport," Ash grumbles.

"Oh, it's worse than that, Ash," Max says with a snug look. "Gallade, use Teleport multiple times, followed by Brick Break!"

With a grin, Gallade teleports to various spots all over the field. Scraggy looks around in panic, trying to find its opponent until Gallade appears right behind it.

"Scraggy, look out!" Ash calls out.

"Pika!" Pikachu shouts.

Scraggy turns around only to see Gallade's glowing hand punch it in the face. The little shedding Pokemon screams as it's sent crashing into a wall.

"Scraggy!" Ash yells.

Scraggy groans weakly and lies on the ground with many scratches and bruises on its body. But despite the pain that it's in, its stubborn side refuses to stay down. It slowly gets up, pulls its trousers-like skin, and looks at Gallade with a determined face. Max smiles at Scraggy's conviction, glad it's not down yet and turns to Gallade.

"Gallade, finish it with Close Combat!" He shouts.

"Dodge it and use Leer again, followed by Headbutt!" Ash commands.

Gallade charges at Scraggy with its fists ready to clobber the smaller, Pokemon, but Scraggy moves away at the last second and gives another intimidating glare before ramming Gallade with its head. Gallade takes a few steps back.

"Alright, now use Focus Blast!" Ash shouts.

"Dodge using Teleport and then use Close Combat!" Max orders.

Scraggy puts its hands together and creates a light blue orb of energy in between them before it jumps high into the air and raises its hands above its head. The orb grows larger before it throws it at Gallade only to see the blade Pokemon disappear. Scraggy looks for its opponent, but Gallade quickly appears behind, and with its eyes glowing red, starts punching it violently. The fierce beating goes on for a while before Gallade finishes it with a hard kick, sending Scraggy zooming toward another wall. The shedding Pokemon crashes into the wall, and it falls down unconscious.

"Scraggy is unable to continue! Gallade wins!" The referee declares.

Ash frowns and returns Scraggy into its Pokeball. Pikachu and Serena look at him sadly while Bonnie quietly cheers with Dedenne again. Max smiles from his side of the field while May loudly cheers for her brother again. Back in the stands, Misty, Clemont, Dawn, Piplup, Iris, and Cilan reluctantly frown while Axew lowers its head sadly.

"I was hoping Scraggy would win," Dawn says.

"I don't see how it could," Cilan says honestly. "With it having no dark type moves and Gallade constantly using Teleport, it was just a matter of time."

"But that doesn't mean it didn't do anything against Gallade, right?" Iris questions. "I mean, Scraggy did use Leer twice."

"That's true," Clemont says. "I think Ash was trying to use Leer enough times so that Headbutt or any of its fighting moves could be more effective than they originally would have been. Obviously, it didn't work for Scraggy completely, but maybe Gallade losing that much of its defense would be a good advantage for Ash's next Pokemon. Either way, I hope things work out somehow."

Misty frowns and looks down at Ash worriedly. The focused look on his face as he thinks about his next Pokemon reminds her of the times she spent together with him before she realized she gained feelings for him. She smiles slightly, thinking about those days until she glances at Serena. The honey blonde girl looks at the raven-haired boy worriedly while she once again has her hand on her precious, blue ribbon. Misty frowns, knowing that Serena still clenching on to her feelings for the same boy while doing her best to cheer for him. Misty sighs sadly, clearly wishing things could have been a little different between her and Ash.

"So do I, Clemont," she says quietly. "More than anything."