Hello everyone, Jay here. I appreciate everyone's continued patience, and I am finally ready to reveal this new chapter to you all. Firstly, I would like to thank HeraldicEntertainment for assisting me as my beta, and I hope that he will help me with some decisions I need to make later on and to get out chapters faster. I appreciate everyone who offered to beta for me, it means more than you think.

Also, I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed in my absence.

And before I forget, let me just make something clear. This story is an AU, aka Alternate Universe, so there will be some things that have been changed from canon. For example, Gary's starter being Eevee, Mewtwo being in the Pokedex, and Staraptor not knowing Close Combat are things that I changed from canon. I hope everyone can understand that.

With that being said, here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy!

Pokemon Moves
"Normal Speech"

'Poke Speech'

'Thoughts'

"Sapphire's Speech"

"Mewtwo's speech"

Last time on Reason:

He hadn't said anything about it, but Ash had noticed how Bulbasaur and Glalie were very hesitant to show any emotion after they had won the match. Deciding now was the time to let it be known, he crouched down to the two. "Hey guys, I know that those battles may not have gone your way, but I promise you that this battle will be anything but the last time I use you guys in battles. I love you both too much to take away the love of battling from you." He grinned when the two perked up slightly at his words. "And trust me, I know that with our training regime, you two will become even better than you already are. It's a promise." He held out his fist, smiling when a vine and spike both made contact with it. "Thanks you guys, now it's almost time for Top 8. I won't let anyone take this opportunity away from me. It's my destiny, and my dream! I will try my hardest, and I will succeed! No matter what!"

"Look out everyone, cause Ash Ketchum is coming your way!"

~~~~~~Reason~~~~~~

Chapter 21: Battle Born

In the wake of his upcoming Top 8 match, Ash decided that having a quick sparring match would get him into the right mindset. He had already gotten his Sinnoh team back, but decided to keep one of the pokemon he had used yesterday for a little bit longer. Seeing as how this pokemon had put on an impressive show during his match versus Nando but did not get to fight for long, he figured that he ought to give him a good challenge before sending him home.

It was early morning, a few hours before he was due to be at the stadium to receive the news of his upcoming opponent. If he was being honest, he felt exhilarated, and the adrenaline pumping through his veins was intoxicating. But he knew he couldn't let it get the best of him. While the feats he has achieved throughout his career have been impressive, he knew deep down that he still had a long way to go. To be in Top 8 was just the beginning of his journey to the top. And he intended to reach all the way to the moon! Slipping on his signature gloves, Ash smiled, raising a clenched fist into the air. 'To be the best in a league simply isn't enough for me. I want to be the best, the best in the world!'

"And we will help you achieve that goal, Ash," Mewtwo said with a rare smile, appearing right in front of the teen's face.

"Ah!" Ash yelped in surprise, tripping over his untied shoes and face faulting in front of the psychic type. "Mewtwo! Ever heard of 'knock before entering?!'" He looked up quickly as he said that, glaring at the legendary standing before him.

"My apologies. I assumed that you were used to my unconventional entrances by now," Mewtwo stated somberly, using a palm glowing with psychic energy to slowly place his trainer onto his feet. Sighing, Ash could only shake his head and chuckle.

"In due time, I hope so."

~~~~~~Reason~~~~~~

Walking out into the forest after gathering his things, Ash let a smirk make its way onto his face as he heard sounds of battle nearby. Many trainers have already been eliminated from the tournament, but a majority of them stuck around to watch and to get more practice for next year's conference. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Ash grabbed two poke balls off of his belt, releasing them quickly into the empty area in front of him. The two capsules ricocheted off of one another, seemingly impatient at getting the battle started, before hitting the ground and opening simultaneously.

The two pokemon stretched out a bit after appearing, getting any kinks and tenseness out of their systems before straightening up into their respective battle stances. Surveying the two, Ash nodded before stepping in front of them, effectively gaining their attention.

"You two are free to start whenever you feel like it," Ash stated with a smile, amused as the two pokemon instantly fled their positions, leaving afterimages in their place. He stepped back cautiously, not wanting to get caught up in the crossfire of the two monsters on the field.

To be completely honest, while he was glad that many of his pokemon from previous journeys were still training on their own and trying their best to improve, the underlying guilt was beginning to eat away at him. He had left them for so long. Thankfully, now that he has Mewtwo's help, he could rectify his mistakes and do things right this time. Staring up at the two pokemon who were currently knocking the living daylights out of each other, he clenched a fist in determination.

~~~~~~Reason~~~~~~

In an instant, the water type crustacean known as Crawdaunt seemed to disappear from existence, before reappearing behind his opponent, Infernape, and delivering a powerful blow to the monkey's gut, sending the pokemon spiraling.

'Crawdaunt used Feint Attack, very crafty.' "Compose yourself and counter with Mach Punch!" Ash commanded as Infernape came soaring in front of him. He had decided to let them brawl it out for a little, before joining the fray. Seeing as how this was a challenge for Crawdaunt, he elected to only give orders to Infernape, that way he could see how Crawdaunt makes choices in battle.

Infernape screeched in response to the order, performing a back flip to land back onto his feet before launching himself fist first into the chest of the opposing water type. Crawdaunt stumbled backwards a bit, stunned, before narrowing his eyes and striking the ground with one of his claws glowing in a bright sheen, causing multiple rocks to protrude from the ground and surround him in a makeshift shield, effectively distancing the fire monkey from him.

Ash could only grin in response to that, pleased with the resourcefulness of his pokemon. "Slide under the rocks and meet him head on with Low Sweep!" The fire type quickly slid across the ground in a low crouched form, effectively ducking under the sharp rocks and getting right in front of his opponent. "Counter Shield into Close Combat!"

Almost like a break dancer, Infernape performed an impressive spin on his back, propelling himself forward and using an uppercut to get the water type into the air, before springing upwards and striking his opponent down with a scissor kick. Now that his opponent was vulnerable, the fire monkey made a quick motion to begin pummeling the aquatic pokemon, getting a few hits in only to be shocked when Crawdaunt suddenly appeared behind him in an ominous flash, decking him in the middle of his spine with a Crabhammer. Growling at being blindsided, Infernape flinched harshly from the pain, before falling onto one knee.

"Craw!" The water type pokemon cried in confidence, flexing his muscles in challenge. Known for having a quick fuse, the fire monkey was up on his feet in a flash, brandishing the cocky crustacean with a short jab to his jaw, landing a direct hit. Gurgling in defiance, Crawdaunt once again vanished from his spot, but Infernape was ready this time. Raising one of his legs outwards up to his chest nearly instantaneously, Infernape clashed with the water type's powerful claw, as both pokemon desperately tried to get an edge on one another. The space around Infernape's leg was suddenly emblazoned with a fiery aura, while Crawdaunt's claw had a sinister looking energy to it in contrast.

Before the battle could get any more serious however, they heard a sharp whistle from behind them. The two faltered for a moment, simultaneously releasing their appendages and staring at their trainer in confusion.

'Wow, he is really fast with his dark type moves. I didn't even see him move from his spot!' Ash marveled, thoroughly impressed. He noticed then how Crawdaunt was breathing heavily, which made sense as he had truly taken a beating from Infernape's heavy blows. Likewise, Infernape was gritting his teeth, visibly in some sort of pain. "I think that's enough for now." The teen smirked when he heard the two grumble in discontent. "That was some great speed you showcased, Crawdaunt! And Infernape, you just keep on improving! I know you both want to keep fighting, but I have to be at the stadium soon to see who my opponent will be for Top 8. So let's call it a draw, shall we?"

The two pokemon took the praise in kind before nodding reluctantly, offering a claw-to-fist-bump of respect to one another. Ash grinned in response, clapping them both on the shoulder before returning the two pokemon simultaneously. He slipped the poke balls onto his belt and headed towards the Pokemon Center, whistling idly as he did so.

"If Crawdaunt is this much of a powerhouse now, I can only imagine how much stronger he can become with our training!" Ash remarked excitedly, entering the center in a hurry.

~~~~~~Reason~~~~~~

After healing his two combatants, Ash found himself seated in the cafeteria, having a last minute meal before his upcoming match. It was completely empty, since all the other trainers were either not in the tournament anymore or simply already at the location of the ceremony. The raven haired teen could only wonder just what he was getting himself into today. Considering that there were only seven possible opponents for him to face, it made him realize that he could potentially be facing one of his friends, or even his rival. To imagine having to battle Paul so early on made his heart rate increase. He himself knew that he had trained his heart out, but who's to say that Paul hasn't done the same? Would his efforts and hardships during training not come to fruition? Shaking his head, Ash gave off a small sigh. 'Getting worked up over possibilities isn't going to help me.'

"You doing alright over here?" A sudden voice called, breaking the boy out of his internal struggles.

Raising his head upwards, revealing his half eaten meal, Ash could only gawk in shock at the person in front of him. Long blonde hair, deep piercing gray eyes, and a pitch black outfit that seemed better fitted for someone in the wintertime, it was no mistake, this was indeed her. One of the bigger obstacles in his way, the one and only, Sinnoh Champion Cynthia.

"C-Cynthia?" Ash stuttered, dumbfounded, "What are you doing here?" The fact that the Sinnoh Champion would be present before him right before the announcing ceremony was some crazy kind of coincidence.

Cynthia merely smiled in response, shrugging her shoulders lazily. "I was getting a last minute meal, just like you seemed to be. Though your food doesn't seem too fresh." She pointed downwards, gesturing to the teen's cold meal, making him sweat drop in response.

"Heh, well I wasn't really all that hungry," Ash replied with a chuckle, before noticing the older woman was still stood in front of him, seemingly hesitant.

"May I?" she asked, getting a quick nod in return as she sat across from him. The two stared at one another for a moment, unsure of what exactly to say, before the blonde cleared her throat. "I have to say, that Latias of yours really surprised me. Not only is she a beauty, but that dragon can pack a punch! I'm tempted to see how my Garchomp fares against her!" He couldn't help but notice that she looked so animated that it belied her age a little bit.

Ash could only smirk at her praise. "Oh trust me, I am more than willing to let that happen! She is itching to get a good battle in. Though I'd prefer it if that happened during an official match." He admitted. To fight her in an exhibition match sounded like an amazing learning experience, but he wanted their first battle to be the real thing.

"Of course! If you want an official battle, you'll have to be contesting for my title. By the way, pardon my asking, but do you happen to have any more legendary pokemon? Or is Latias your only one?" Cynthia asked curiously with a small smile, taking a couple bites of her food.

He thought about his response for a moment, before shaking his head. "I hate to break it to you, but I can't answer that. You'll just have to wait and see." He expected her to be disappointed, but was surprised to see that she seemed visibly pleased by that response.

"Good answer. In my opinion, any trainer who reveals their secrets when it comes to battling is bound to lose. Though, I can't help but wonder what kind of surprises you'll pull out from that trainer's belt of yours." Cynthia took a swig of her orange juice, before setting it down. "To tell you the truth, I always had a problem with that when I was younger. I was too chatty, and when people asked me about how I trained, I said everything I could think of. I didn't realize at the time that doing so would leave me susceptible to getting counter-played very easily by my opponents. Thankfully, I was usually able to get past such things during my battles, but my overt friendliness definitely hurt me in the long run."

"When was that, like, two years ago? 'Cause you definitely don't seem a day over eighteen. Also, of all people, you? The strongest champion? 'Miss Unbeatable?'" Ash replied in a joking tone, though inwardly he was taking in all that she was saying. To think that even the Sinnoh Champion had gone through such troubles was somewhat reassuring.

"Oh, you flatter me," The blonde woman commented bashfully with a wave of her hand, letting out a small giggle. "Though enough about me, I take it that the ceremony is starting soon?"

True to her word, it was indeed time to go, a little late actually. One look at his Pokedex, and Ash was up on his feet, throwing away his partly eaten food and grabbing his gear. His friends and family were already at the arena, considering that he had told them that he was going to do a quick sparring session before the ceremony. To his surprise, he heard the sound of intense chewing, before looking over at Cynthia, whose plate had suddenly become vacant of any sign of food, wiped clean by the blonde haired champion, who was shamelessly scarfing down any remnants of her meal remaining.

"Wow, you're not bad." Ash remarked with a smirk, thinking of his own 'talents', getting a confident grin from the woman in return.

Cynthia rose up and threw away her plate, before also grabbing her things. "Trust me, pokemon training isn't my only strong suit. Maybe if we have the time, we can have an eating contest." She stared deep into his eyes with a passionate gaze, making him wonder if this was how she was in a battle.

Returning her gaze, the teen gave a small nod. "Sure, I don't see why not. But anyways, we should get going!" Ash exclaimed, making his way towards the exit, with Cynthia not too far behind.

The blonde haired woman couldn't help but be slightly disappointed that she hadn't had more time to talk to the raven haired teen, since there was something on her mind that she had been meaning to ask him. However, that could wait for right now.

What the two had failed to notice as they were leaving however, was the flashing of a camera.

~~~~~~Reason~~~~~~

The Lily of the Valley Stadium was filled to the brim with trainers and spectators alike, with each and every person present expressing their excitement and amazement at the grand display of pokemon battling that was just waiting to begin. The Pokemon League President, Charles Goodshow, was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the last of the eight finalists, and surprisingly enough, even the Sinnoh Champion was late.

Goodshow had suspicions that the two might have been caught up in some sort of trouble, considering the events that had happened before with Team Galactic. Or possibly, was it just a case of bad luck? He decided that he would give them five more minutes, before asking for assistance to locate them.

The door to the main hall suddenly burst open, with the two aforementioned trainers hastily making their way inside, giving a small nod to one another before splitting up into their respective positions.

Ash couldn't help but notice the stares he received as he joined up with the other finalists, which made him realize that coming in late, with Cynthia of all people, seemed more than slightly strange. He tried not to think too hard of the implications, but the stares that Dawn and Sapphire seemed to be aiming his way made him a little bit nervous.

"Ash was late….with Cynthia?" Dawn stated slowly, trying to piece the information in her head. To be late was one thing, but to seemingly be late with a beautiful woman like the Sinnoh Champion made her feel somewhat worried.

"Maybe they got caught up in a battle?" Sapphire said with her eyebrow raised, not having a clue either.

"I can only hope so," The blue haired teen replied, before making a fist. "If not, then Ash has got some explaining to do." They both agreed to that, putting their attention back to what was happening on the stage.

The other four people present, Brock, Delia, Professor Oak and Gary, could only look on worriedly, hoping that Ash wasn't about to get himself into some serious woman drama, which he was already quite familiar with.

As Ash made his way to his place, he spotted Bianca and quickly made his way towards her. The two had always been on amicable terms since they had first met, and he was glad for it.

"Just on time!" Bianca exclaimed with a cheeky smile, flicking him on the forehead as she adjusted her glasses.

He smiled back in response, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, I... kinda lost track of time."

"About time you got here Ash!" Barry appeared in a flash, being annoying as usual and bellowing into the teen's ear. "I hope you weren't scared! Trust me, if we face off today, I won't beat you that badly!'

"Stuff it, Barry! Don't get ahead of yourself." Ash retorted with a childish glare, pushing the blonde male away from him.

"You always need to make a dramatic entrance, don't you?" The monotonous, condescending voice of Paul soon made its way into the teen's ears next, as well as the lazy footsteps his rival was so known for. Ash could only grin confidently in response, locking eyes with the stoic purple haired teen. "I hope that Latias of yours wasn't the only trick you had up your sleeve. Mark my words, if we battle today, and you hold back on me even a little bit, you'll seriously regret it."

Ash scoffed, crossing his arms indignantly. "Trust me, you haven't even begun to know what I have in store for you! I just hope that you can keep up." The two trainers soon engaged in a heated glaring contest, with lightning seemingly forming between their lines of vision. Barry could only watch in boyish admiration at the two, while Bianca worriedly wondered how far their glaring session would go.

As he stared down his rival, Ash couldn't help but inwardly sigh in relief, glad that none of his fellow trainers had questioned his sudden arrival with the Sinnoh Champion.

Meanwhile, Cynthia stood onto the main podium where her fellow elite four were waiting, giving off a sheepish grin. The four seemed nonplussed by her sudden arrival, more than likely used to her occasional mishaps.

"Was there trouble, Cynthia?" Bertha questioned, putting a hand on the woman's shoulder.

"Not at all! I just happened to wake up a little... later than I had wanted," Cynthia explained somewhat shyly, thinking about how she had gotten her alarm clock wet with some ice cream she had spilled last night.

"Ice cream accident?" The three males of her elite four asked in unison, hitting the bulls-eye and making a rain cloud suddenly appear above the blonde champion's head.

"How'd you know…." Cynthia stated dryly in a hunched over position as they all laughed at her expense. Straightening herself up, she firmly cleared her throat, facing towards the audience. "Well, I apologize for being late! Now then, Mr. Goodshow, if you wouldn't mind?"

Smiling at the woman, the elderly man gave a gentle nod, making his way to the podium as well. "Not at all! Now that everyone is present, the opening ceremony of the Victory Tournament can now begin!" The crowd roared fiercely in response, deciding to push the thoughts of the previous events out of their minds for the time being.

"Starting off, I would like to present to you the eight gym leaders of the Sinnoh Region!" Goodshow announced, gesturing to the eight trainers stood at a long table behind him.

"Rock Type Gym Leader, Roark of Oreburgh City!" He was a red haired adolescent clad in a standard mining uniform, complete with gray colored gloves, boots, and a shiny red helmet. Roark adjusted his glasses, making his reddish eyes shine, before giving a small wave.

"Grass Type Gym Leader, Gardenia of Eterna City!" Gardenia has half-brown half-black hair, brown eyes, a green cloak with a black x mark that she wore over a black long sleeved shirt which showed off her midriff, as well as brown jean shorts paired with green colored boots. She gave off a peace sign as well as a wink, riling up the crowd in response.

"Fighting Type Gym Leader, Maylene of Veilstone City!" Maylene has short pink hair and eyes, wearing a blue and black tank top, with white pants as well as blue gloves, and tape on her arm and nose. She was noticeably barefoot, which surprisingly didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. She showed the audience an impressive fighting stance with one of her legs shot out high in the air, before faltering as she locked eyes with a certain purple haired trainer. Ash noticed this, his expression turning into a frown as he remembered the previous troubles she had with Paul, deciding to ask her about that later.

"Water Type Gym Leader, Crasher Wake of Pastoria City!" A mountain of a man, Crasher Wake's most defining features were his impressive muscles, as well as the famous mask he wore on his face. Since he was wearing a wrestling outfit, Wake was shirtless, with only blue and orange tights, boots, and arm bands present on his frame. Ever the extrovert, the burly man stomped powerfully onto the ground, before flexing his biceps proudly.

"Ghost Type Gym Leader, Fantina of Hearthome City!" Fantina has long hair which was tied into four buns, a long ball dress, as well as heels which were all the same color; purple. The purple haired woman was never shy of a crowd, considering that she was once a top coordinator, as she made a Cinderella-esque turn, before bowing gracefully to everyone present.

"Steel Type Gym Leader, Byron of Canalave City!" Considering that he was Roark's father, Byron had his son's features, albeit slightly more scruffy with lighter, messier hair and a beard. With a brown cloak replacing the shirt that most miners would wear, the red haired man had a more wise and sagely demeanor compared to his son, as he smirked to the crowd with his signature shovel slung around his shoulder.

"Ice Type Gym Leader, Candice of Snowpoint City!" Candice was a woman who seemed around Ash's age, with black hair that was tied into pigtails with amber eyes. She wore a long sleeved white blouse, with a blue ribbon, as well as a short brown skirt with a blue cardigan wrapped around her waist, and also knee length socks that were blue and white with brown dress shoes. She clenched one of her fists excitedly, feeling the 'ki' go through her veins, before raising a thumbs up to the audience.

"And last but not least, Electric Type Gym Leader, Volkner of Sunyshore City!" A man with hair as electrifying as his type preference, Volkner had spiky blonde hair, blue eyes, a fitting blue and yellow jacket, with dark blue jeans and sneakers. He looked forward, completely unfazed at the crowd, before locking eyes with Ash and nodding curtly, getting a competitive smirk from the teen in return.

"These eight leaders have been your tests on your way to success, and now they are here to see how much you have improved!" Goodshow exclaimed as the gym leaders sat down, before motioning to Ash and the others. "Now, to introduce our eight finalists!" He gestured to the giant screen behind him, as the lights suddenly went out to bring full attention to the enormous projector.

"What's going on?" Ash whispered to Barry and Bianca, who were adjacent to him. The two blondes merely shrugged in response, having no idea what was happening either.

The screen suddenly came to life, showing the very battlefield that everyone was standing on, with two trainers battling on it. The first trainer, who had long red hair and green eyes, was commanding a Feraligatr, while their opponent, whom Ash recognized as Barry, was ordering his pokemon, a Skarmory.

"Feraligatr! End this with Ice Punch!" Barry's opponent called, as the water type Johto starter sprung into action, steadily approaching its opponent with a chilling aura surrounding its fist.

The blonde haired male merely stared on calmly, as the gator pokemon grew closer and closer. When Feraligatr was a couple meters from the flying type, he finally spoke. "Protect!"

"Skarm!" Skarmory hastily created a green force-field in front of her steel covered body, which made her opponent bounce off quickly, suddenly becoming vulnerable. "Now that you have the chance, Drill Peck!"

Inhaling sharply, Skarmory took a running start, pushing off the ground in the middle of her stride and taking flight. Capitalizing on her aerial momentum, the dual steel flying type became a spinning top, colliding with her opponent harshly. The force of the charge launched the water type many meters away before it made its imprint into the stadium wall, having been knocked out cold from the flying type attack.

"Feraligatr is unable to battle! Since the red trainer is out of available pokemon, the winner of this match is the green trainer, Barry of Twinleaf Town!" The referee announced, pointing his flag to the blonde.

#1 Barry-Sinnoh

'That's pretty cool,' Ash marveled to himself, considering that he hadn't seen how his any of his friend's Top 16 matches had ended. He wondered what the numbers next to their names meant, before realizing that this video list was most likely in order by earliest match considering that Barry was the first match of the day yesterday. Before he could ponder any further, the giant screen suddenly went pitch black, before coming back to life and revealing the battles of three more trainers that had won their matches, in quick succession. Considering that Ash did not know any of these trainers being shown and that they didn't seem too impressive, he chose not to focus on them too much.

#2 Chuck- Hoenn

#3 Mikey- Sinnoh

#4 Lena- Johto

However, when number five on the video list rolled along, Ash's eyes were practically glued to the screen.

"Duck underneath the Focus Blast and end this with Icicle Crash!" The purple haired trainer known as Paul uttered his orders to his pokemon, Weavile with no mercy or remorse. The ice type sauntered over in a flash, impressively sliding under the opposing Nidoking who looked forwards with an expression of fear. The poison type's trainer, a boy with a simple baseball cap, looked completely petrified as Weavile completely dominated the bigger pokemon, knocking him straight off of his feet and onto the ground, before laying multiple layers of ice onto his complexion. Weavile grinned almost evilly at his opponent, continuing the assault until Nidoking could take no more.

"Nidoking is unable to battle! The green trainer is out of available pokemon, so the winner of this match is the red trainer, Paul of Veilstone City!"

#5 Paul-Sinnoh

Everyone let out a wince in unison, feeling deep pity for that poor Nidoking. Ash clenched a fist in determination, keen on showing that jerk some true power. He locked eyes once again with the trainer in question, who had distanced himself from the other trainers in true Paul fashion. Paul merely made a small grunt to the attention he was getting, before putting his serious gaze back to the giant screen which switched scenes once more.

"Hang in there a little more Emboar!" A sudden cry of worry echoed throughout the stadium, with the owner of the voice being the Unova native Bianca. Her partner pokemon and starter, Emboar, was barely on his last legs as his opponent, a powerful looking Rhyperior, looked on cockily at his opponent's futile attempt to recover.

"What's the matter, foreigner?" Her opponent, a robust and ugly man taunted with a sneer. "It seems your native pokemon are much weaker than ours, such a shame!" His entire appearance looked shady, with scars littered across his body, as well as multiple piercings and tattoos. The male trainer's pokemon agreed wholeheartedly, crossing his stony arms and looking away in disgust.

"N-No, I can't lose now," The blonde haired teen stuttered out, putting a hand through her hair as she looked at her wounded pokemon in anguish. "I have to keep going, for my pokemon, and for my friends!" She clenched her fists in frustration, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

The unsightly man seemed to enjoy her struggling, dastardly laughing at her expense. "Just give it up! Why don't you accept the fact that you have no chance? It'll save us both time! Then you can take your sorry ass back to-"

"EMBOAR!"

The grotesque bastard was interrupted by a sudden roar, before he flinched at what his dull eyes were currently looking at. Lo and behold, standing before him was Bianca's partner, though he seemed a little bit different. Though Emboar already looked like a rapid beast, the fire type looked even worse than before. With smoke puffing furiously out of his nose, and a fiery aura surrounding his entire body, it was easy to see that Emboar had activated his ability, Blaze. The Pig Pokemon stomped onto the ground, waiting impatiently to get his hands on his opponent.

Pleasantly shocked, the blonde female wiped her tears, before staring into the furious eyes of her pokemon, who was thankfully not out of control like Autumn's Charizard was. Making up her mind, Bianca raised her head up high, as she remembered that she had one more trump card up her sleeve. 'That settles it. This is not the end for me. I will not disappoint you, Ash. I swear it!'

"Emboar, we can do this!" Bianca exclaimed, her face becoming deadly serious. "Let's show our opponent and everyone watching not to underestimate Unova!"

Emboar roared once more, his monstrous energy growing even more as he glared hatefully into the eyes of his opponent.

"Don't bet on it!" The shady male shouted indignantly, as his Rhyperior quickly got into position, pounding his chest in challenge. "End this fool with Rock Slide!" The dual rock and ground type bellowed, sending a horde of sharp stones in the direction of his foe, before becoming confused as his opponent did not move.

"Send those rocks back with Scald!" Bianca ordered with a cold gaze, as the whole stadium and her opponent thought that she was insane.

Her opponent laughed outwardly like a madman, looking completely crazy. "You're delusional! As if your lousy fire type could learn a water type mo-"

"EMBOAR!" The fire type Unova starter defied all odds, firing a severely burning blast of water straight at the stones launched by Rhyperior, which were all sent back to the rock ground type in a frenzy, pelting him fiercely in return.

"WHAT?!" Her opponent exclaimed, not understanding anything of what was going on.

"Again!" The blonde haired female shouted, clenching her fist in a similar fashion to Ash. Not missing a beat, Emboar fired another Scald, this one hitting his opponent directly and making him wince in intense pain as the attack had burned him.

"I hate to break it to you, but you've lost. Scald is a water type move that Emboar can surprisingly learn, and it also has a chance to burn the opponent. Since your pokemon is now burned, his attacking power is now severely weakened, in case you didn't know. The fact that the move is double super effective against your Rhyperior is a plus too," Bianca explained in a know-it-all tone, doing it deliberately to aggravate her opponent. She adjusted her glasses coolly, before shaking her head. "Sorry, but I don't feel any hint of sympathy for an ugly mug like you. Maybe this will teach you to respect 'foreigners' better, asshole."

The 'ugly mug' in question growled in response, holding up one of his massive fists in anger. "Why you little-"

"Finish this once and for all, Emboar! Hammer Arm!" Emboar charged forward, his right arm becoming encased in a bright sheen, before using it as a battering ram and slamming it straight into his opponent's head, knocking the beast onto the ground. Not feeling satisfied, the fire type once again bashed his appendage into the rock type's cranium, effectively leaving him out cold.

"Rhyperior is unable to battle! As the red trainer has no more available pokemon, the winner of this match is the green trainer, Bianca of Nuvema Town!"

After the match had been declared, a group of police officers had soon entered the arena, swiftly putting Bianca's opponent in handcuffs, as he had apparently used a fake id as well as fake badges to enter the tournament. He was even close to attacking Bianca just now in a fit of rage. As if that wasn't bad enough, the man had been convicted of several crimes in the past, and was being hunted down for a while now due to his terrible actions and bad behavior. Thankfully, he was caught before any more harm could have been done to anyone.

#6 Bianca-Unova

Ash and Barry both looked towards the screen with a growl, glad that that criminal had been put to justice and hadn't laid a finger on Bianca. If he had, who knows what would have happened.

The whole audience gave Bianca a standing ovation, compelled by her inspirational battle and fight for justice. The blonde merely smiled shyly, hiding her face away from the crowd. Ash clapped her on the back, grinning brightly at her, as did Barry.

"I'm glad that you dealt with that bastard! Though I'm sorry you've dealt with so much abuse," The raven haired teen admitted, patting his friend's shoulder. "No one deserves that treatment." He thought about how Bianca's first opponent had underestimated her as well, which was his first look at her aggressive battling style.

"Thank you," she said softly, hiding her reddening face even more at his praise.

Barry scoffed, putting a hand on his bicep. "Thankfully that punk didn't have to deal with me! Then who knows how long he'd be in the hospital!" He then put his hands in front of him like a martial artist with a cold-hearted visage, making a good impression of his Hitmonlee.

"Yeah... I don't know about that," Ash and Bianca deadpanned in unison with a sweat drop, making the blonde male deflate. The three teens laughed, before the video screen got their attention again.

The screen showcased on the red side, a young girl with pigtails and a beret, while on the green side, a tall adolescent with long, grayish blue hair that covered one of his light green eyes, similar to Cynthia. He had a mysterious vibe to him, with how he wore a long red cloak over a gray long sleeve shirt and gray pants. And, incredibly enough, considering what the score above the two trainers showed, he had not lost a single pokemon throughout the battle.

The adolescent put a hand through his hair, watching calmly as his opponent's pokemon slowly rose from the last attack it had taken. The man sighed, finding no interest in such an easy battle. He motioned to his pokemon, a Lucario, who looked equally unsatisfied.

"That is quite enough! Lucario, end this battle with Bone Rush!" The man commanded, just wanting to get this match over with. True to his word, the dual steel fighting type swiftly dispatched of his opponent, an Umbreon, with a long cyan colored bone that bashed the eeveelution into unconsciousness without a moment's notice.

"Umbreon!" The girl exclaimed in worry, feeling utterly destroyed as she had failed to even faint one of his pokemon.

"Umbreon is unable to battle! As the red trainer is out of available pokemon, the winner is the green trainer, Tobias of Iron Island!"

#7 Tobias-Sinnoh

There were murmurs echoing throughout the stadium, with many people whispering to one another in the stands about this mysterious trainer that was apparently very well known.

"I heard he hasn't lost a single pokemon in any battle."

"He uses a different pokemon every time he battles, and they all seem equally strong!"

"He's never had a challenging battle. He only needed one pokemon to beat each gym leader!"

Ash was deep in thought about this, having never heard about this man before now. He had thought that Paul or Bianca or Barry would be his greatest challenge, but maybe this Tobias guy was the one he should be really preparing for. But, how can you prepare for a trainer who only needs one pokemon to win? It sounded impossible.

"This guy is some kind of monster," Barry stated in disbelief, turning to Ash. "What kind of freak only needs one pokemon?"

"I only use one pokemon per battle because no one has given me enough of a fight to need to use more," A sharp voice suddenly replied, making all the trainers turn to look at the person in shock, whom was none other than the man they were all talking about.

"O-oh, u-uh," The blonde teen stiffened, not realizing that he had said that remark way too loud. "S-sorry! My mouth goes before my brain sometimes!" He put his shaky hands in front of himself, meaning no harm.

"No problem," Tobias replied in a friendly tone, making Barry sigh in relief, before a chill went down his spine as the older male looked at him with a cold, piercing gaze. "Though I wonder, will you be the one to give me a challenge?"

Barry shrieked like a woman, hiding behind Ash while muttering 'mommy' to himself repeatedly. Ash couldn't help but stare curiously at Tobias, feeling like there was something strange about him. He couldn't really put a finger on it, but it felt somewhat unsettling. He and Bianca shared a look, unsure of how to take this trainer.

Tobias looked back at Ash with an even gaze, feeling a smirk grow onto his face. He had witnessed Ash's Latias battle, and he could feel that this trainer was hiding some truly strong pokemon. There was no doubt in his mind; Ash would be the one to give him a true challenge.

Paul meanwhile kept his distance from what was going on, though deep down he felt like this Tobias person was hiding something. Deciding to remain silent, the purple haired male merely watched from afar.

While the trainers were busy conversing, the projector was showcasing Ash's battle, which was nothing new since most trainers had witnessed it yesterday since it was the last match of the day.

#8 Ash- Kanto

"Alright, everyone! Now that we have introduced everybody, it is time to reveal our match-ups!" Mr. Goodshow cut in, seeing that everyone present had gotten distracted due to Tobias. This interruption worked, riling up the crowd once more and putting the trainers back into a battling mindset.

Chuckling at the renewed enthusiasm, the elderly man made a motion for Cynthia to step onto the main podium, with a small container present in her hands. The trainers looked at the box in curiosity, before realizing what was going on.

"Yes, that's correct, we will have the match-ups be decided by the number you pull from this box! Since there are eight numbers, four trainers will pick a number, and if they pull their own number, they must put it back afterwards and pull again. Trainers, please do not look at the number until all four have pulled. With that being said, do we have any volunteers?"

Immediately, three hands shot up, those being the trio of trainers that Ash had no real interest in. The trainer Mikey went first, pulling a number and keeping it concealed as promised. The next trainer, Lena, chose hers and kept it hidden as well. The third, whose name was Chuck, picked his respective number too. Seeing as how there was still one more number yet to be picked, Goodshow cleared his throat.

"I need one more volunteer, please!" Silence.

…

"Uh, hello?" More silence.

It seemed like a general consensus that no one wanted to volunteer. Tobias merely looked forward with a stoic face, as if making it known that he would absolutely not volunteer. Truth be told, Barry was actually scared that he would pick Tobias and promptly be sent crying to his dad. Bianca on the other hand was still embarrassed from her moment earlier and didn't want to draw any more attention. Meanwhile, Paul just didn't care who his opponent was and like Bianca didn't want the attention. Therefore that left….

"We nominate Ash," The three trainers said in unison, as the teen in question looked at them in annoyance.

"Ah, a fine choice! Ash, if you'd please?" Goodshow said with a cheeky grin, gesturing to Ash who blinked in response.

"Fine, fine," Ash said in defeat, having been beaten 3 to 1. He walked over begrudgingly and chose a number, before walking back to his spot, as Goodshow made a motion to the trainers to open their cards.

"6!" Mikey said as he held up the card, meaning that he was matched up with Bianca. Cynthia opened the box she was holding and found Mikey's number(3), and threw it away.

"1!" Lena was matched with Barry, which made the blonde pump his fist in joy. Lena's number(4) was also thrown away, having been found in the box as well.

"2!" Chuck had pulled his own number, which meant that he had to pull again after Ash pulled.

Suddenly, things began to grow tense, as Ash suddenly realized that the card in his hand had the number of either Paul, Tobias, or himself. If he had pulled his own number, he would need to pull again, which could possibly give him an easier match, or a harder match. But would it really matter in the long run? If he wanted to be the best, he'd have to take any and every challenge at his disposal. Taking a deep breath, Ash slowly opened his card, before he let it drop to the ground.

...

Everyone around him grew concerned, with the audience, the gym leaders, the elite four, the trainers(including Paul) staring at him in confusion.

"...What number did you pull, Ash?" Bianca asked slowly, putting a hand on the stiffened teen's shoulder.

Ash stared calmly at the supportive blonde, inwardly thankful for her concern. He bent down to pick up his card, before opening it and showing it to everyone present, as the audience gasped in shock. Ash himself exhaled, turning towards his next opponent with the most serious expression anyone had ever seen on his face before.

"And our match-ups have been decided!" Mr. Goodshow exclaimed, stopping the silence before it dragged on for too long. "Mikey versus Bianca! Lena versus Barry! Chuck versus Paul! And… Ash versus Tobias!"

The audience erupted into shouts and hollers, with excitement seeming to exude from their very beings at the upcoming match-ups.

"My, my," Tobias stated with a hand on his chin, staring down at his opponent with a wicked grin. "I look forward to our match, Ash!"

Ash merely looked back coldly, before letting a cocky smirk comfortably frame his face. "...Yeah, me too."

~~~~~~Reason~~~~~~

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