So I have to say, I am surprised by how many people managed to guess some elements of this Ash v Trip battle. Pleased too. I actually had the whole battle planned a while back, but based on reviews, this is sure to be favorite. I know its one of my favorites.

Also, 220 followers? WOOOO! Thank you all for the support, I can't believe it!

Now presenting, Ash vs Trip, the Smackdown of the Century!

"Pidgeot, I choose you!"

Pidgeot flared her wings and gave a loud, triumphant shriek. The sun glistened off her golden brown feathers and as the feathers of her crest caught the sun, they seemed to glow like living fire. Trip blinked, taken aback, then regained his composure.

Ash ignored his opponent utterly, taking joy in seeing Pidgeot again. He remembered the day he let her go so clearly, with a promise to return. And now he'd fulfilled that promise. Getting back to Kanto hadn't been easy, sure, but it was worth it. Professor Oak had pulled a lot of favors to charter two special flights for him. That had left him with barely a day in Kanto to search out Pidgeot.

He'd found her not at all far from where he'd left her. He hadn't even needed to explain anything, she gladly returned to him. From there, it was another harried rush to catch the flight back to Unova. Now, after all this time, he would see her battle again. And prove to Trip once and for all that he was wrong.

"Ready Pidgeot?" he called, a child-like joy in his tone. She shrieked in acknowledgment.

Trip snorted. "Doesn't make a difference to me. Serperior and I will win this."

Ash just grinned. Right now, nothing else in the world mattered. Just him and Pidgeot, together again.

The referee raised his hands. "Battle begin!"

"Quick Attack!" Ash called.

Almost the instant the words left his mouth, Trip called his command. "Dodge!"

Pidgeot became nothing but a white streak. Serperior never even had the chance to move. Pidgeot slammed into it, sending it tumbling haphazardly across the battlefield.

Trip gasped, visibly shocked at the display of speed. "Get up Serperior," he snapped. Serperior recovered, regaining itself and taking up a defensive stance. "Energy Ball!"

Serperior summoned a large orb of swirling grass-energy and shot it at Pidgeot.

"Dodge and use Aerial Ace!" Ash called. Pidgeot turned into a blur, flitting through the air. Instead of dodging Energy Ball, however, she rammed through it, slicing it clean in half and striking Serperior with her razor sharp beak. Serperior wailed in pain, slithering quickly away from Pidgeot, who hovered high in the sky with a predatory gaze.

Trip grit his teeth. "Fly around all you want! We're not losing this to some pathetic bird from the boonies. Serperior, bring it down with Frenzy Plant!"

"Dodge and use Quick Attack!" Ash cried. Pidgeot became a silvery blur once more as several vines erupted from the battlefield, all writhing to strike her. She weaved expertly through them, spiraling and looping through the air with a keen skill borne of years of defending her flock against intruders. One vine managed to catch her in the side, but she shook off the attack and rammed herself into Serperior again.

This time, however, Trip was ready. "Wrap!" Serperior reacted in an instant, snapping upwards and managing to coil itself around one of Pidgeot's talons. She shrieked as Serperior wrapped itself tighter, pulling her back to the earth. She flinched, then fixed a gaze of pure fury on Serperior. Ash actually saw the snake-pokemon flinch from the harshness of the gaze.

In that moment, Ash knew exactly what Pidgeot was thinking. No better time to try at her new attack than now. "Hurricane!" he called triumphantly. Pidgeot actually smiled. A loud shriek pierced the air. Her wings still free, she beat them fiercely. A second later, a huge gale was summoned around Serperior and it was yanked into the sky. With absolute ease, Pidgeot tore herself free reared back and whipped her wings forwards, letting loose two massive crescent-like blades. Serperior was struck twice. The winds died down a few moments later Serperior was dropped unceremoniously onto the battlefield, out cold.

Trip frowned and returned Serperior to its pokeball. "Hmph. You may have defeated Serperior, but you won't have such an easy time with my next pokemon! Go Vanilluxe!"

Ash smirked. "We got this, right Pidgeot?" he called. She shrieked an affirmative, seemingly unfazed by the presence of the ice-type.

Trip, however, seemed supremely confident. "You got lucky against Serperior. But you won't do so great defeating an ice-type."

The comment barely registered to Ash. In the skies overhead, Pidgeot dipped and swooped through the sky, displaying her impressive agility.

"Battle begin!"

Wasting no time, Trip shouted his next command. "Icicle Spear! Knock it out of the sky."

Vanilluxe emitted an odd howl, summoning several wickedly sharp needles of ice. Tilting its head upwards, it fired them with machine-like speed towards Pidgeot.

"Dodge it," Ash called. Pidgeot slipped easily into a complex aerial dance, weaving and twisting around the icicles. Two managed to strike blows, but they were glancing at best. "Now Pidgeot, Steel Wing!"

Pulling off a tight loop, she shot down towards the earth like a rocket, skimming across the battlefield and kicking up a cloud of dust behind her.

"Ice Beam!" Came Trip's frantic reply. Vanilluxe barely had time to form the beginnings of the attack before Pidgeot rammed it with her wings, sending the cone-shaped pokemon somersaulting backward. She pulled up and swerved back to Ash's side of the battlefield, eyeing the dazed Vanilluxe with absolute delight.

A deep scowl formed on Trip's face. "Vanilluxe, Blizzard!" The temperature on the battlefield dropped a couple degrees as a massive cone of wind howled towards Pidgeot. She shot upwards to dodge, but Trip must have anticipated, because a second later, Vanilluxe managed to get off a second Blizzard attack above Pidgeot, sending her reeling. Tiny ice crystals formed on her wingtips and her crest.

Vanilluxe let up, panting from exertion, while Trip beamed. "How'd you like a taste of our ice-attacks?"

"Not bad!" Ash called back. "But it'll take more than that to stop us, right Pidgeot?" Landing, Pidgeot glanced back at him and shrieked in acknowledgment. "Use Quick Attack!" Spreading her wings, Pidgeot launched herself forwards, striking a solid blow that sent Vanilluxe spinning. "Again!" Ash cried.

Once more, Pidgeot looped around and dove at Vanilluxe. Then Trip surprised him. "Icicle Spear and keep spinning." With a cry of acknowledgment, Vanilluxe began spinning faster, spewing several daggers of ice. Pidgeot jerked back, though not quite fast enough to avoid getting stuck in the chest by one.

Ash frowned slightly, then grinned again. "Not bad, Trip!" Getting close would be a bit of a challenge now. He glanced up at Pidgeot, who had moved back a safe distance. "Quick Attack, one more time!" he shouted. Pidgeot shrieked in affirmation and slipped into a white blur. At a command from Trip, Vanilluxe wasted no time spinning and firing several more Icicle projectiles at her. Which was exactly what Ash hoped for.

"Grab them!" Twisting mid-air, Pidgeot snatched two icicles, one in each talon and spiraled away.

Trip's face contorted in frustration. "Ice Beam!" With surprising swiftness, Vanilluxe switched immediately to Ice Beam, firing the blue energy at Pidgeot.

"Now, block it!" Ash cried, smiling. Pidgeot held up the two icicles in an 'x' formation, diverting the worst of the attack. On top of that, getting hit with ice actually made the two spears even larger.

"What will you do now? You can't dodge forever," Trip called. "And you can't get too close or I'll freeze you."

"Oh yeah? Pidgeot, up in the air with Quick Attack." In a rush of wind, Pidgeot flew high into the sky, so high she was a mere dot in the sky. "Do it!" Ash said confidently. Even after all this time, he and Pidgeot still understood each other. In the air, Pidgeot shot downwards, her speed enhanced with Quick Attack. A long distance away from Vanilluxe, she flicked her talons, hurling the two huge icicle spears downwards with frightful force.

Vanilluxe hardly saw it coming. The two spears crashed down on its body, knocking it to the ground and stunning it.

"Steel Wing." A half-second after the icicle's impact, Pidgeot followed her wings shining with energy. When the dust cleared, the outcome was evident.

"Vanilluxe is unable to battle! Pidgeot is the winner."

Trip's jaw dropped and he gaped at the sight of his ice-type, unconscious. With a small frown, he returned Vanilluxe. For a second, he hesitated, then selected his third pokeball. He smiled to himself briefly before hiding the expression behind one of indifference. "Go, Conkeldurr!"

A giant, hulking brute of a pokemon emerged with a growl. It carried two huge stone pillars with it picked up with ease and slammed into the earth. Ash scanned it with his Pokedex, though he already had a strong suspicion that Trip had evolved his Gurdurr. The reading from the Pokedex confirmed his hypothesis. "Wow Trip, your Gurdurr evolved! That's awesome."

The only response from the other boy was an eye roll. "Only you would see that your opponent is stronger and think its 'awesome'."

Ash shrugged off the comment. "Hey Pidgeot," he called. "I know you're excited, but I want to give someone else a chance to battle." Pidgeot nodded in understanding and flew down to land next to Ash.

A visible look of surprise crossed Trip's face. "What are you doing? Why would you recall your Pidgeot when you have the advantage?"

Ash just chuckled. "I wanted to give one of my other friends a chance to battle. He really wanted to." Reaching back, he took out his second pokeball and released the pokemon within. Bulbasaur emerged with a growl of delight, narrowing his eyes when he saw his opponent.

"Hah!" Trip guwaffed. "A Bulbasaur? You didn't even evolve it."

"Bulbasaur wanted to evolve when he's ready," Ash replied simply.

There was no more time to talk, as the referee called the battle a moment later. "Battle begin!

"Okay Bulbasaur, let's try Leech Seed," Bulbasaur grunted in understanding, narrowing his eyes in determination. Angling his bulb forward, he wasted no time launching a barrage of tiny seeds that landed all around Conkeldurr. They sprouted instantly, thin vines wrapping around Conkeldurr's feet.

The massive muscular pokemon grunted and stepped forward, tearing itself free, though several more small vines sprouted again, worming towards it. "Bulk up!" Trip shouted, gesturing to his pokemon. Planting its two pillars into the ground, it flexed its muscles, causing them to bulge and glow with energy.

At nearly the same moment, Ash called his next command. "Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!" Bulbasaur hurled a swirling storm of razor sharp leaves at Conkeldurr. They slammed into its tough hide, making it flinch slightly. It seemed to shake off the damage fairly easily, however, causing Ash to frown. This thing was definitely tough. Clearly it was Trip's backup plan.

"Now, Strength!" Conkeldurr growled, lifting its two pillars easily as sticks. In a surprising display of speed, it rushed forwards, pillars poised to attack.

"Dodge," Ash cried. Bulbasaur darted to the side, but Conkeldurr moved as well, swinging its pillars in a wide arc. They smacked into Bulbasaur, sending him tumbling across the battlefield. He managed to catch himself and land upright, grunting in displeasure while Conkeldurr eyed him with a triumphant smirk. Leech Seed's tiny vines latched onto its feet, draining a small amount of energy, causing Bulbasaur to glow slightly. Ash grinned at the sight, while Trip seemed unimpressed.

"Leech Seed won't stop us. Conkeldurr, Strength, again!"

Well, if Trip was going to try for a power assault, he wouldn't let up either. "Vine Whip!" Rushing forwards, Bulbasaur summoned dual vines, lashing out at Conkeldurr, battering its chest and arms. Conkeldurr lashed out with a powerful one-two strike, the second blow managed to glance off Bulbasaur, causing him to stagger.

"Stone Edge!" Came Trip's command. Conkeldurr shifted, lumbering backward, at the same moment lifting its two pillars and slamming them into the earth. A rush of spiked rocks surged towards Bulbasaur, who still had his vines extended.

"Dodge!" Ash snapped. He grinned with delight as Bulbasaur propelled himself expertly backward with his vines, deftly avoiding the surging line of stone. As the last one erupted from the ground, Bulbasaur wrapped his vines around it, swung himself in an arc, and threw himself towards a shocked Conkeldurr. "Razor Leaf." Even as Ash gave the command, Bulbasaur sensed his intentions, already shooting out the barrage of leaves. They struck Conkeldurr soundly, this time doing real damage. It winced visibly and cringed, fixing a furious glare on its opponent. Again, the tiny vines of leech seed sprouted up and latched onto Conkeldurr, sapping a tiny amount of its strength.

"Rock Tomb," Trip said, still confident. With a stamp of its pillars, a multitude of rocks appeared above Bulbasaur, then dropped down.

"Destroy those with Razor Leaf!" Ash cried frantically. Bulbasaur frantically started hurling the leaves, but even as they destroyed a few of the oncoming rocks, more seemed to appear, raining down on his pokemon. "Vine Whip! Shield yourself!"

Just as the rocks crashed down, Bulbasaur threw up a desperate shield of vines over his body. They slammed on top of him, briefly burying him under rubble. Dust shrouded the area. A tense silence over the stadium as the whole crowd seemed to hold its breath.

Rocks exploded outwards, sending up a cloud of dust. As it cleared, Ash saw Bulbasaur, vines arched over his body in a protective shield. He was breathing heavily but still facing Conkeldurr triumphantly. He appeared battered, sure, but far from spent. "Great job, buddy," he called. Bulbasaur gave a happy rumble, then refocused on his opponent.

A small frown crossed Trip's face. "Very well. Let's end this. Bulk Up." As Conkeldurr began charging the technique, inspiration struck Ash.

"Bulbasaur, get ready to use Solar Beam." With a nod, the grass-type planted himself, his bulb beginning to glow as it charged energy.

"Now, Strength!"

Ash grimaced inwardly. Bulbasaur still needed more time to charge- Conkeldurr surged forwards, pillars raised high in the air. Bulbasaur's eyes widened. Then Conkeldurr brought its two pillars slamming down on Bulbasaur. The two blows cratered Bulbasaur into the battlefield. Growling, Conkeldurr raised the pillars again, bringing them crashing down in a brutal followup.

"Bulbasaur!" Ash cried. Dust had covered the battlefield from the force of the impacts, shielding the pokemon from view.

Smirking, clearly pleased, Conkeldurr took a step back. Confidence radiated from Trip as he relaxed and grinned across the battlefield. Ash clenched his fists and peered deeper into the cloud of dust. He knew that it wasn't over yet, he could feel it.

Slowly, the dust settled, revealing a crater several feet deep. As Ash watched, the dirt and rubble shifted. Two vines emerged over the top of the crater, and Bulbasaur pulled himself out, then shook himself, sending small pebbles flying. Ash grinned from ear to ear as Bulbasaur smirked back at Conkeldurr and growled, clearly indicating he was ready for more.

Conkeldurr, for its part, seemed shocked, gaping awkwardly at the tiny grass-type, as if unable to believe how such a small pokemon was still standing. It's expression mirrored its trainer, who seemed equally perplexed and frustrated.

In that moment, Ash felt surprisingly calm. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt Bulbasaur could win this fight. Would win. Trip didn't know how far he'd gone with Bulbasaur. The trials they'd fought. The challenges they'd faced. Trip assumed he already knew everything about pokemon and battling. Which pokemon were the best. Which region was the best. A huge, wild grin spread across Ash's face and he stood up a little straighter. It was time to show Trip how trainers from the boonies fought.

"Alright Bulbasaur, get in close!" Bulbasaur rushed forwards.

Conkeldurr raised his pillars in anticipation. "Strength! Finish it!" Conkeldurr tried to bring its two pillars down on Bulbasaur again, but this time the starter was ready. With a deft vine-whip, he shoved himself backward, just out of reach. Just as he landed, the same vines shot out, snatching the two massive concrete pillars from Conkeldurr's grasp.

In a single, swift motion, Bulbasaur raised the two pillars high and brought them crashing down on Conkeldurr's head. His vines lashed furiously as he battered the shocked Conkeldurr once, twice, three times, then four. With a cry of triumph, he tossed the two pillars aside. They crashed to the ground, rolling to the far sides of the stadium.

Conkeldurr stood in the middle of the stadium, dazed. "Finish it!" Ash shouted triumphantly. "Solar Beam!"

The attack was charged with a few moments.

"Dodge!" Trip shouted. Conkeldurr shifted and blinked, then seemed to realize the trouble it was in. Unfortunately, it was far too late. A bright beam of energy shot from Bulbasaur's bulb, striking Conkeldurr directly in the chest and knocking it to the ground.

Across the field, Trip stared, dumbfounded, at his fainted pokemon. The referee raised his flag.

"Conkeldurr is unable to battle! Contestant Ash Ketchum is the winner! He will be moving on to the finals."

Grinning Ash couldn't resist calling out to Trip, "Hey Trip, how's that for the boonies?"

xXx

Still grinning madly from his win, Ash trotted out of the stadium with a bounce in his step. He'd won! And not just won, but he'd really shown how amazing his Kanto pokemon were. Best of all, this meant he'd made it to the finals. That meant he was... he did an arduous mental calculation. Top 8! He gave a low whistle to himself. Top 8 in all of Unova... The next three rounds would be 6 on 6 battles if he remembered Cilan's explanations right.

Halfway to the Pokemon Center, he saw someone approach out of the corner of his eye. Turning to face the figure, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey Trip," he said. Admittedly, he was surprised to see his 'rival'. What on earth could Trip want? He didn't seem to be the compliment giving type.

Trip stared at him for several moments before speaking. "I need to know something." His tone seemed forceful, but not condescending as it usually was.

"What's that?" Ash asked.

"Who was your third pokemon?"

Ash blinked. "Huh?"

Trip seemed to grow more agitated, though his frustration, for once, seemed directed elsewhere than Ash. "Other than Pidgeot and Bulbasaur, who else did you bring to the match?"

At that, Ash chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't actually bring anyone else, honestly. I was going to let Pidgeot do all the battles, but Bulbasaur really wanted a chance to battle again too."

"You're saying you only brought two pokemon?" Trip demanded. "To a three on three match?"

"Sure did! I didn't need anyone else."

Trip gaped, then shut his mouth. "How could you know?!" He cried.

Ash simply shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I just know my pokemon really good. I believe in them no matter what, you know?"

Blinking, Trip could only stare at Ash, pure confusion written on his face. He slowly shook his head, a frown tugging at his lips. "You're crazy," he said finally. Frowning and still shaking his head, he turned and walked away.

Ash shrugged, then resumed his trek to the pokemon center. His friends had agreed to meet him there, and he was eager to rejoin with them, as well as Pikachu.

xXx

Healing his pokemon turned out to be a quick affair, and before Ash knew it, Nurse Joy had given him back his pokeballs. He turned around to look for any sign of his companions and spotted them walking through the doors of the center.

Pikachu broke away from them, scampering up to him and jumping into his arms. Ash laughed happily, scratching Pikachu's head and hugging him. Pikachu let out a series of congratulatory squeaks, nuzzling into him.

"Ash that was incredible!" Iris gushed, racing over to him.

Cilan's eyes shone with pure delight as he approached. "Indeed! That was truly a battle to be savored!"

"It was pretty fun." Ash admitted, grinning from the praise. "Thanks guys!"

"I didn't know you had Pidgeot, Ash!" Iris added. "It was beautiful! And super strong! You took down that Vanilluxe so easily," Even as she spoke the name of the ice-type, she shivered. Ash resisted a smile at the sight, even after her win against Georgia, some of her fear still remained.

"Yeah, I've got a lot of great flying types," Ash admitted. Now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure he'd caught a bird in every region... At this point, it was practically a tradition.

"And your Bulbasaur is like a Master Chef!" Cilan cried. "He truly brought a new and sensational flavor to the battle."

"Thanks! All my pokemon are pretty awesome," Ash admitted. "Especially Bulbasaur. He's been with me a really long time." Just then a rumbling noise sounded from somewhere. It took him another good two seconds to realize the sound came from his own belly. He chuckled awkwardly. "Man, I am hungry though. I barely had a chance to eat..."

"Well let's go now then," Cilan suggested. "I know a delicious place we can get some food at."

At that moment, nothing sounded better to Ash than food. "Sounds awesome! Let's go!"

xXx

A short time later, Ash was wolfing down a huge pile of food they'd bought from a local cafe. Pikachu sat on the table with him, raiding the ketchup bottle on the table, while Cilan and Iris sat across, eating their food at a much more sedate pace. Iris, naturally, had opted to simply order a plate of raw berries, while both Ash and Cilan had ordered local dishes.

Halfway through his meal, the announcement system dinged. Ash immediately looked up, eyes fixating on a nearby TV. The matchups for the finals were about to be announced.

Freddie ran across the usual announcements, congratulating trainers who had made it this far, then explaining how the finals would consist of full battles. A few moments later, the matchups appeared on the TV screens. Ash scanned the faces, taking stock of who had made it this far.

With a note of surprise, Ash saw he was up against Cameron. That would be fun for sure. Tobias, AJ and Virgil had all made it, and were all battling other trainers he didn't recognize. He glanced down at Pikachu, who had finished off his ketchup and had flopped down contentedly on the table. "Hey, Pikachu, ready for a battle tomorrow?"

Pikachu shot upright with a cry of eagerness, all tiredness forgotten. Ash chuckled and patted his head. "No matter what, I promise you'll be the first pokemon I use. 'Kay?" Pikachu smirked and nodded, his eyes glowing with determination and his cheek pouches sparking.

"So do you have any plans for the rest of your team, Ash?" Cilan asked. "I'm sure your Pidgeot would be an excellent match for Cameron's Riolu."

"Nah," Ash said easily. "She would, but I promised she could go back home to keep an eye on her flock. Besides, I really want to battle more with some of the pokemon I caught in Unova. They worked hard and its only fair to give them a chance."

Cilan nodded in understanding. "I wouldn't expect anything else from you." He said as he smiled knowingly. He stood up, picking up his plate of finished food. "Now, I think this calls for a celebration. I'm going to get us one of their famous Vertress Cakes for desert. I'll be right back!" Cilan strode swiftly away.

Ash's eyes lit up in anticipation at the thought of dessert. Then he glanced over to see Iris regarding him with a curious look. "What?" he asked, confused.

She shook her head and grinned cheerfully. "Ash Ketchum, you are full of surprises."

"Huh?"

"First you bring back a super strong Charizard, and now it turns out you have a bunch of really cool pokemon from all over? And you even have a dragon! Not to mention an amazing Pidgeot." She shook her head, still wearing her friendly grin. "I always thought you were... well you know, a kid." She chuckled. "But you're actually kinda cool."

Ash's eyes widened and Pikachu cocked his head, as if unable to believe his ears. A light smile grew on Ash's face at the unexpected compliment. "Thanks Iris. And you know, you've really learned a lot. I mean, you went from an Axew who could barely use an attack to a Haxorus!"

"Heyyy," Iris grumbled, putting on a fake pouting face. "Axew was always strong. He just had... hidden strength." She smirked and planted her hands on her hips.

"Yeah sure, whatever you say Iris," he teased. "It was so hidden it kept blowing up in his face all the time."

She crossed her arms and scowled. Then she broke out into a laugh, and Ash laughed as well. Their laughter finally petered out as Cilan approached, carrying a sizable and beautifully decorated cake. "Well, I'm glad you two are getting along." He set the cake on the table, and both Ash and Iris leaned forwards in anticipation.

In a few swift motions, Cilan produced a knife and neatly sliced the cake. Just as Ash was about to dig in, Cilan held up his hand. "Before you eat, there's one more thing to do." He flashed a huge smile, did a dramatic pose and cried out, "It's evaluation time!"

Iris and Ash simultaneously rolled their eyes and took a slice of cake, even as Cilan continued to ramble, utterly oblivious to the fact that two trainers had already begun eating. As Ash polished off his piece, sliding half to Pikachu, he sat back feeling satisfied. Not just from the food, but his company too. He had made it to the finals of the Unova League, with some of his best friends by his side. And he was confident he could win the next match. After that, he would be one step closer to becoming a Pokemon Master.

Bit of a long A/N ahead:

I bet everyone enjoyed that! I did. Writing it was downright cathartic, honestly. Pidgeot returning, Bulbasaur showing off... Was it fanservice? Did I maybe exaggerate Trip's rudeness? Yes, yes I did. Fanservice is fun. Beatdowns are fun.

The icing on the cake for me was Ash only bringing TWO pokemon. Insult to injury. Honestly though, Trip deserved it. I hate how Ash seemed to only BARELY beat him in the show, even with Pikachu. It made NO sense. And Ash was so incompetent too... Anyways

I'll move on to addressing some reviews.

I am pleased to see how hype everyone was for the Trip curbstomp.

To the guest reviewer: You somehow perfectly guessed my plan to use Bulbasaur against Conkeldurr, so congrats to you! And you guessed me using only two pokemon as well, so double good job.

As for the other points about Trip, yeah, definitely worst rival. Ash never should have lost, even depowered. He's too smart. I mean, he placed top 4 in Sinnoh for Arceus sake! On a side note, I jokingly say Zekrom brain-fried Ash in the beginning, lol.

The four move point seems to be a hot topic. I really enjoyed hearing everyone's thoughts and various views on the matter. :D

I agree that wouldn't be hard at all to relearn an old move. Say for instance, if you wanted to teach Pikachu Thunder or something. If they've already learned it, relearning wouldn't be hard theoretically.

I also suppose it could have to do with having mastery over a move, maintaining more than 4 at a time is perhaps too difficult? Needless to say, it makes for a fascinating discussion, though I'd have to move that discussion elsewhere, since this is hardly the best format. I have an account on a site called lakevalor, Flyg0n72 over there. But yeah, I do think the anime ought to clarify. I have a whole spiel on the topic, and a lot of lore based reasons in my head that I simply dont have the time to address in this story. Perhaps one day, in another story.

That said, we have Ash v Cameron coming up! That's one rematch that excites and scares me. From here on out, we have full 6 on 6 battles, which are incredibly hard to write. Still debating how I'm going to handle that... They can be quite tedious.

Well, that covers it! As always, thank you for your input everyone, and continue to leave your kind and thoughtful reviews! I read them all, and love them!