Hey guys, Mach here again with the next chapter of the Alolan Champion. Wasn't that long of a wait this time, I hope! If you're new, please go right ahead and follow/favorite this story! In addition, I'd really appreciate it if you could leave a review, just tell me what you think about the story, including your criticisms.

Before you head on to the chapter, I'll let you now that I've made some edits to the previous chapter, tweaking them up a bit. Altered the list of Ash's, Dawn's, Brock's, and Serena's Pokémon in Chapter 2, so if that's something you've been paying attention to, my apologies. Added a bit more detail to the previous chapters as well, fleshing them out a bit.

That's all, hope you enjoy this chapter!

"Pikachu, let's start off with Quick Attack!" Ash called out with a smile, getting into the feeling of battling for the first time in a while. Similarly excited, Pikachu let out a battle cry as his body began to glow, illuminated in a brilliant white light. With a start, Pikachu took off towards Lance's Dragonite, racing across the battlefield at an incredible speed.

Lance couldn't help but grin at the sight, thoroughly impressed by Pikachu's speed. And with a quick look at Dragonite, Lance could tell that his own Pokémon was impressed as well. Still, that just meant that Lance would have to give this battle his all, wouldn't he? "Dragonite, quickly! Strike it down with Thunder Punch!"

"Dra!" The orange pseudo-legendary cried, raising its right fist as it became coated in a thick coat of electricity. The power created by the electricity even reached up to the stands, everyone feeling the power of Lance's Dragonite. Still sitting among the traitors, Max couldn't help but scoff. "There's no way that loser will be able to stand up to Dragonite's power. Heh, the Alola region's Elite 4 and Champion are nothing."

"Keep going Pikachu!" Ash said, unfazed by Dragonite's strength, his smile still present on his face. This would be a good chance to test out his fellow Champion's speed, especially compared to his Pikachu. "If Dragonite wants to get us, he'll have to try a lot harder than that!"

"Strike when he gets close, Dragonite!" Lance said as the Electric-type sped towards his Pokémon. Dragonite's attack charged up, it braced itself, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Pikachu only kept going, however, dashing rapidly from side to side as he raced towards Dragonite. Everyone held their breath, as Pikachu closed the distance between the two in an instant, seemingly challenging Dragonite to strike.

"Now!" Lance called, causing Dragonite to strike, the pseudo legendary bringing down its fist on the electric mouse. It was timed extremely well, catching even Pikachu and Ash off guard, as expected of the Johto Champion. Dragonite struck hard, the impact creating a dust cloud that rose up and covered the battlefield, obscuring everyone's view. As the dust began to settle, no one could see Pikachu, only Dragonite was still visible, his fist still pressed against the ground. Confusion arose throughout the audience, especially the members of Alola.

"What? Could this be the end of the battle?" The announcer called from up in his stand, doing his best to see through the dust, much like everyone else. "Has Dragonite struck down Pikachu so early into the match?"

"Hmph, I knew it!" Max cried out triumphantly, as he turned to his friends. Seeing that display was all Max needed to shake himself out of the shock that Ash was still around and kicking. "There's no way that loser could ever become a Champion! Just as I thought, this region's filled with a bunch of washed-up rejects!"

"Yeah, look at how quickly that puny Pikachu stood up to a real Champion's power!" Gary shouted into the stadium, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend, Gary's exuberance annoying her further. Still, his bravado didn't hide the fact that his nerves were still pretty frayed over Ash's return, and Misty saw right through it.

"Take a hint, Gary!" Misty hissed, covering the mouth of her boyfriend, someone who she really didn't feel deserved that title as of now. At least the idiot didn't draw even more attention to them by standing up again. "You wanna get us into even more trouble?"

Iris smirked, her posture relaxing a bit after her previous shock. "Yeah, but man is it satisfying to see Ash and his puny Pokémon get pummeled into the ground like that! Guess that's a power of a Dragon for you?"

"Please," Trip said distastefully as he looked on the sight in disgust. He wasn't worried about Ash's little threat, he had no doubt that he and Serperior would be able to secure a spot in the final 8, much less win the whole competition. "If Ash'd lose that easily, there's no doubt Serperior and I could wipe the floor him, no matter what kind of new Pokémon he's got."

"Guys?" Tracey asked worriedly, the reality of his situation sinking in once he had taken his attention away from his sketch of a suggestive looking Bonnie. "Aren't we going to be thrown in prison?"

"Undoubtedly, unless the desperate flames of once fickle friends would be able to so righteously secure a highly coveted above all else spot in the final-" Cilan began to say, before May cut him off, the brunette breathing heavily in anger.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" She yelled, clutching the PokéBall that held her precious Blaziken, startling her green-haired Coordinator of a boyfriend. "If that bastard wants to play hardball then he'll get it! There's nothing that'll stop me from securing a spot in the final 8!"

"Heh he..." Drew let out, frightened by his enraged lover. He tried to regain his cool, however, although that was easier said than done given the circumstances. Pulling out a rose, and handing it to his girlfriend, he attempted to calm her down somewhat. "Given the fact that there's a battle section, a contest section, and numerous sets of a performance section, securing quarter-final spots shouldn't be too hard, right?"

"Huh, guess one of you bastards has a brain after all," Gladion spoke up, alerting the traitors to his presence once again. "Still, you think your troubles would be over after you make it to the final 8?"

"You!" May screeched, getting out of her seat, Drew's rose forgotten as she took notice of Gladion. Drew and Cilan got up as well, attempting to hold May back. Gladion smirked, which only served to enrage May even more.

"What are you still doing here?" Misty questioned, her eyes narrow, but her voice surprisingly soft. Gladion's eyebrows raised, he was sure that the redhead would be nearly as mad as her brunette friend. Still, he regained his composure, making a mental note of this behavior. "Didn't you head out with Professor Oak and the Jennies?"

"Only to make sure that he would be given into the custody of the Aether Foundation," Gladion answered, taking a bit pleasure in seeing the shocked looks on the faces of the traitors. "Being charged with a crime as severe as the one he committed, a public jail cell would be far too little for him. Seeing as the Aether Foundation is in close relations with the Alolan Pokémon League, we offered to take hold of him when the time came. Plus, there are other reasons we take interest in Professor Samuel Oak."

"That's an abuse of power!" Max said incredulously, eyes widened in shock. "You can't take the law into your own hands!"

"Yeah, that's right!" May said, still seething but having calmed down somewhat. Drew and Cilan cautiously let go of her but didn't sit down just yet, still wary of May's temper. "Who do you think you are?"

"Gladion Aether, keep up will you?" Gladion snarked, causing May's face to turn red in embarrassment. "And isn't it rather hypocritical of you to accuse us of abusing our power when Oak has done the exact same thing?" Hearing no response, Gladion continued. "Regardless, unlike a Pokémon Professor, there isn't much difference between the authority of the Pokémon League of a region and it's police force. Deciding where Oak stays is well within Ash's rights, no matter what you have to say about it."

And with that, Gladion walked away, leaving the traitors in disarray. Absentmindedly, the blonde wiped some dirt off of his white hoodie, most likely from when he tackled Oak. Feeling done with the traitors, for now, Gladion made his way to the sky box, hoping to join the others to watch Ash's battle.

"After all," Gladion said to himself as he smirked, recalling how the traitors had thought Ash was beaten. "The battle's just getting started."

"Oh, my!" Olivia let out, bringing a hand to her mouth once the dust had risen and obscured everything. "This Johto Champion sure is something, huh?" She said, squinting her eyes in an attempt to see Pikachu's state.

"Aw man, if Ash loses I'm gonna fine him for all he's worth!" Barry cried out, waving his hands frantically in the air. Serena began to attempt to calm him down, much to everyone else's amusement.

"Don't worry, Barry, you've seen Ash's and Pikachu's strength for yourself, haven't you?" The honey blonde tried, as her Delphox began giggling at her from a corner of the room. Serena couldn't help but pout back at Delphox before turning her attention back to Barry. It didn't help that Paul and Gladion were so much better than her at calming the blonde down.

"And that's exactly why he can't lose or I'm fining him!" Barry retorted, completely disregarding Serena's point. Shocked at Barry's "logic", Serena couldn't let out much more than a stammer, sweat dropping.

"Ash'll win, ya know?" Hau said, stepping in between Barry and Serena. His ever-present smile put the both of them at ease, the darker-skinned boy placing a hand on Barry's shoulder. "The guy's worked about 5 years for this, there's no way he'd slip now!"

"Hmmm..." Barry said, placing one hand on his chin, thinking on what Hau had just said. Just when Serena thought that Barry would refute Hau's point as he had done to hers, Barry gave Hau a quick nod, a smile on his face. "Yeah, yeah! No way Ash'll lose!"

"Thanks, Hau," Serena whispered gratefully, relieved that Barry that stopped panicking. She knew that both of them cared for Ash in their own ways, even if those ways were nearly completely different from each other. "I owe you one!"

"Hmm, then how about you bake me some of your malasadas as thanks?" Hau suggested, his mouth beginning to water at the thought of having Serena's cooking. "I just can't get enough of those!"

"Well, it's thanks to you and your love of them that I got the idea to try making them myself to impress Ash!" Serena admitted, recalling how smitten with Ash she was during their journey in the Alola region, a smile on her face as she remembered how much fun she had with Ash, Brock, and Dawn. "Too bad he didn't like them very much..." The honey blonde lamented, her smile dropping somewhat.

"But that just means more for me, right?" Hau asked, clasping his hands together in a begging fashion, giving Serena his best puppy dog eyed look. "Please tell me you'll make some!"

"Of course, Hau," Serena said, bringing a hand to her mouth as she giggled at the boy's antics. "Anything for my favorite Grand Kahuna! I'll have them ready for you by the end of the day!"

"Aw yeah!" Hau exclaimed, jumping up and down, his body charged with excitement.

"That Dragonite sure is powerful, isn't it? And its strike was so fast too!" Sawyer mused beside Dawn, the green-haired trainer jotting some notes on the Johto Champion's Pokémon in his notebook. His Sceptile peered into the book, frowning once he saw Sawyer's observations on its speed. Noticing his Pokémon's discomfort at his notes, Sawyer gave his Sceptile a pat on its head, giving him a reassuring smile. "You're plenty fast enough for me! Uh, don't you think so too, Dawn?"

Dawn gave Sawyer and Sceptile a smile, nodding, bailing Steven's apprentice out. "Of course! Trust me when I say this, Sceptile, you've got no reason to worry!"

Seeing Saywer's Sceptile calm down somewhat after hearing her words, Dawn smiled to herself as she listened to the two reconcile. Her eyes were focused on the battlefield below, however, mainly on the object of her affections. Ash Ketchum. It had been a while since she had seen him battle, but her heart was racing from excitement, not anxiety.

He was the Champion of the Alola region, of course, and for good reason. Since the incident 5 years ago, he had been forced to mature both as a trainer and as a person, and while he still kept some of his childish qualities, he was a far cry from the 13-year-old he was back then. Even so, he was still her Ash, determined as ever to reach his goals; even if they had shifted somewhat. It gave Dawn a huge relief to know that there was no need to worry about that.

"Still," Dawn noted in her head, a light blush on her cheeks as she gazed out at the battlefield. "He hasn't just matured through being a trainer..." Her mind couldn't help drifting to how attractive he looked now; his lean muscled body showing under his outfit, his perfectly tanned body, his messy raven black hair framing his boyish face, just thinking about it had Dawn red in the face. And that was before she got to his a-

"So, you all enjoying the battle?" Dawn's thoughts were interrupted by a new voice entering the room, Gladion waltzing through the door in his usual manner. Everyone turned to look at him, Serena most noticeably. Noticing the warmth in her cheeks in that second, Dawn fanned herself frantically, hoping no one had noticed her. Thankfully for the Coordinator, the only one close enough to do so was busy taking notes on the Johto Champion's Dragonite.

"Well, we definitely enjoyed seeing you tackle Professor Oak to the ground," Serena responded to Gladion, drawing Dawn's attention back to her friends, the Performer's honey-blonde hair bouncing as she made her way over to Gladion. She attempted to wrap the blonde in a hug, only for him to back up, much to her disappointment. "Well? Must've been fun, huh?"

Gladion allowed a smirk on his face as he recalled the moment, giving Serena a small nod. "Well, it was definitely satisfying. But for now, let's focus on Ash's battle." The blonde walked up and took a seat next to Dawn, leading to Serena sitting on his other side. Her eyes turning back to the battlefield, Dawn noticed the dust had nearly settled, and Dawn couldn't help but let a smile form on her face at the sight.

"Heh, can't believe anyone could've thought it was over that quickly," Serena chirped, tilting her head against Gladion's shoulder, the blonde seemingly okay with this action much to her delight.

"Agreed," Dawn said, excited to see how Ash would continue this. "After all, when it comes to Ash, there's no need to worry!"

"I knew Pikachu wasn't down yet!" Bonnie cheered, Dedenne bouncing up and down with her. Her Drampa could only look at her and Dedenne with worn down patience, although the Dragon-type could understand their excitement. Bonnie quickly tuned to Paul, pointing a petite finger at his chin. "Told you!"

"I never denied it..." Paul let out, resisting the urge to swat the younger girl's finger away. Her energy was even worse now that she was 13; if that was even possible. She was taller, cockier, AND she had the strength of her Pokémon to back it all up. Truly, Arceus had created a worse monster than Ash. He tried to turn his eyes away from her and to the battlefield, where the current state of the battle was pretty clear.

"Well, you didn't say I was right either!" Bonnie huffed, narrowing her eyes at Paul. Dedenne mimicked her actions as well, much to Paul's chagrin. "You just glared at me like you usually do!"

"Hey now guys," Brock started, holding out his hands in a pacifying manner. "I think we can all agree that everyone here believes in Ash's abilities. Otherwise, we wouldn't be his Elite 4, now would we? Bonnie, Paul?"

The two in question gave either a glare and turned away from each other, like two children bickering. Brock couldn't help but let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his head with his left hand. "Geez you two, you're Elite 4 for Pete's sake. Can you please stop acting like children for one day?" Getting no response, Brock turned his attention to Lillie, noticing her eyes focused on the battle happening right in front of her. "Something on your mind Lillie?"

"Oh!" Lillie let out, apparently having been wrapped up in her thoughts. Her hands had been clasped together against her chest, having been removed from their position when Brock had startled her somewhat. Giving Brock a sheepish smile, Lillie responded. "W-Well, I'm just focusing on the battle, you know?"

Brock gave her an understanding smile, her gestures told it all. "Worried about Ash, huh?"

The blonde hesitantly nodded, busying her hands by rubbing her Ninetales's fur. "Y-Yeah... I know he's worked so hard for this chance to get back at those horrible people, but I can't help worrying about him..."

"I get how you feel," Brock admitted, giving Lillie a nod as he turned his focus to the battlefield. "When he was being mocked by everyone earlier, it took everything in my body to not send Steelix at the crowd right there and then. But this is the way Ash wants to do things, so I'm gonna stand by him, no matter what."

"He's been lucky to have you by his side, Brock..." Lillie said, feeling her heart warm at Brock's words, before perking up and giving her fellow Elite a determined nod. "And now he's got me and Gladion with him as well! We'll- I'll stand by Ash all the way!"

"Heh, glad to hear," Brock said with a smile, putting a hand on Lillie's head, ruffling her hair. "Now let's watch the battle, okay?"

Lillie nodded, allowing her Ninetales to lick her face gently as she turned her head back to the battlefield, the dust from Pikachu and Dragonite's clash finally settling, revealing the results.

The crowd certainly went wild over the sight, Pikachu having used Iron Tail at the last second to block Dragonite's punch. The electric mouse was currently pressed against the ground, however, the orange pseudo-legendary looming over him, its Thunder Punch still pressing down against the Iron Tail. Regardless of their opinions on Ash, many in the crowd began to get excited, raring for an interesting battle.

Lance widened his eyes in surprise, but couldn't help a smile. "So, Pikachu was fast enough to use Iron Tail, huh?" He observed Pikachu's disadvantageous position before continuing. "Unfortunately, it seems that you won't be able to continue for much longer, Ash."

"Heh, we're just getting started!" Ash replied with a smirk. "Pikachu! Use the force of your tail to spring yourself out of there!"

"Don't let him get away, Dragonite!" Lance called, wary of Ash's plan.

Pikachu nodded, giving his opponent a smirk before releasing his move, allowing Dragonite's Thunder Punch to come down. The crowd let out a collective gasp, but Pikachu quickly repositioned himself, the force of the move releasing pushing him back somewhat, taking a step back from Dragonite, the Thunder Punch crashing into the ground. In response, Dragonite quickly readied another Thunder Punch, aiming at Pikachu once more.

"Quick Attack, Pikachu, go under him!" Ash let out with a wave of his arm.

With a nod, Pikachu's body began to glow with a brilliant white light. Dragonite brought its fist down once more, but Pikachu was gone in an instant, disappearing in a flash. Confused, Dragonite halted its attack, looking around for Pikachu.

"Now, Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash said triumphantly, pleased his gambit had paid off.

"Dragonite, behind you! Use Thunder Punch to intercept!" Lance called, able to see Pikachu's position on the battlefield.

Letting out a roar, Dragonite whirled around and spotted Pikachu on the other side of the battlefield, the yellow mouse smirking all the same. Strengthening its Thunder Punch from earlier, Dragonite took flight and charged at Pikachu, zooming across the battlefield. Electricity sparking across his body, Pikachu let out a cry as he unleashed a large blast of lightning, aiming it at the Dragon and Flying-type. The crowd was surprised at the size of it, especially the traitors, and definitely surprised that such an attack could come from such a small Pokémon.

"What an attack!" Lance let out, surprised as well. "Still, I should not expect much else from one who holds the title of Pokémon League Champion... Dragonite, now! Intercept it with Thunder Punch!"

Pushing his fist forward, Dragonite's Thunder Punch came into contact with Pikachu's Thunderbolt, the strength of the move causing Dragonite to plant its feet on the ground to stand against it. Pikachu didn't let up, however, continuing to let loose his electricity. The two attacks clashed once more, both Pokémon holding their ground, their power felt throughout the entire field.

The audience watched with bated breath, neither Pokémon giving an inch in this struggle. "UNBELIEVABLE!" The announcer cried into his microphone from up in his stand. "Champion Ash's Pikachu is standing toe to toe with Champion Lance's Dragonite! Simply INCREDIBLE!" Ash smiled sheepishly at the title the announcer had used; even after 3 years, he would never get being called Champion.

Suddenly, however, Dragonite let out a grimace, the pseudo-legendary beginning to be pushed back. Lance widened his eyes, a small frown on his face. "What? Dragonite can't be letting up!" Almost a split second later, Lance realized what was going on. Dragonite's Thunder Punch was letting up, while Pikachu's Thunderbolt was still going. Lance could only admire the stamina of Ash's Pikachu, yet he wasn't about to lose here. "Dragonite, now! Take to the air!"

Letting out a roar, Dragonite flew higher, leaving Pikachu's Thunderbolt to raze the spot where it once stood. Taking quick action, Lance called out to Dragonite with a wave of his hand. "Now, Dragonite, Dragon Pulse!" Opening its mouth wide, purple energy began to build up, Dragonite releasing it as a devastating beam of energy.

"Pikachu, dodge it with Quick Attack!" Ash responded quickly, his partner responding almost immediately. Body shining with white light, Pikachu moved as fast as he could, avoiding Dragonite's attack. He couldn't escape its impact, however, as once the beam hit the battlefield the ground became torn apart, creating an impact that threw the electric mouse off balance.

Sent sprawling onto the ground, Pikachu managed to regain his balance, just before he flew into a wall, stopping right in front of Ash. Ash let out a relieved sigh, then prepared to put another of his plans into action. "Now Pikachu, Iron Tail on that debris! Catch up to Dragonite!"

Shocked, Lance could only watch as the Electric-type quickly ran towards the debris, its tail taking on harsh, gray, and metallic characteristics before it was used to strike at the debris. Springing upward, Pikachu continued to strike the chunks of the battlefield, quickly gaining distance on the pseudo-legendary. "Dragonite! Dragon Tail, don't let them get close!"

Roaring, Dragonite swung its tail around just as Pikachu neared it, swinging downwards with extreme force. Bracing himself, Pikachu spun around once more, his Iron Tail shining with renewed vigor. The two attacks clashed, Pikachu at equal height with Dragonite, both Pokémon glaring at each other. This time, however, it was a contest of physical strength, one that Dragonite was winning.

Seeing his Pokémon's struggle, Ash racked his brain quickly, coming up with a strategy. "Pikachu, use Dragonite's force against him! Spring yourself upwards with Iron Tail!"

Before Lance could react, Pikachu let out a cheeky smirk as he strengthened his Iron Tail once last time, launching himself into the sky, right above Dragonite. Lance was astounded at how Ash's strategy had worked against Dragonite once more. He had planned to control the battle from the air, and yet Ash had found a way to his attacks against him.

"Now, Pikachu! Give 'em your strongest Thunderbolt!" Ash called out, pumping his fist. A cry of affirmation from his partner, Pikachu quickly charged electricity from his body once more, letting it loose downwards towards Dragonite, the pressure of the attack being launched pushing Dragonite back somewhat.

"Dragon Pulse, Dragonite!" Lance persisted, knowing that Ash had him in a tight spot. "Push the attack back!" The Dragon/Flying-type let out a cry once more, charging energy in its mouth once more. Lance underestimated the speed of Pikachu's attack, however, the blast of electricity coming down on Dragonite quicker than expected.

Struck by the attack, Dragonite could only let out a cry of pain as Pikachu's attack sent it down to the ground, its body hitting the battlefield creating an impact felt in the entire arena. As the sparks of electricity disappeared, the announcer cast his eyes onto the battlefield eyeing to see if Dragonite was unconscious yet, as did nearly everyone else in the audience.

Lance only smirked, much to everyone's surprise. "Heh, your skills and strategies impress me, Ash, and I can't lie that we've taken some serious damage. But Dragonite and I won't be going down that easily! Dragonite, Hurricane!"

"Shoot, Pikachu brace yourself!" Ash cried out, grimacing as Dragonite pulled itself up off the ground with a loud roar, making sure everyone knew that it wasn't down yet. He had hoped to bring Dragonite down with that attack, but now Pikachu was airborne, with no real way to recover. Ash could only hope Pikachu would be able to withstand Dragonite's retaliation and be able to launch a counter-attack.

Spreading its wings, Dragonite turned his head up at Pikachu and roared, letting loose a large gust of wind with simply one flap. The wind reached Pikachu quickly, the Electric mouse taking the brunt of Dragonite's initial attack. "We're not done, yet, Dragonite!" Lance called, making an upwards sweeping motion with his hand. "Stronger, let loose your power!"

Giving a smirk of its own, Dragonite flapped its wings harder, the force of its actions causing the winds of its Hurricane to spin faster and harsher, a whirlwind appearing on the battlefield. As quickly as it appeared, the whirlwind rose up around Dragonite and encircled Pikachu, cutting the Electric mouse with its razor-sharp winds.

With one last flap of Dragonite's wings, the Hurricane dissipated with a burst, sending Pikachu spinning through the air. "Follow up, Dragonite!" Lance called out, bringing his hand down. "Bring Pikachu down with Dragon Tail!" Dragonite quickly took to the skies once more, his speed creating some cracks in the battlefield. Its tail glowing with draconic power once more, it quickly positioned itself above Pikachu, hitting it downwards with Dragon Tail.

Pikachu let out a cry of pain as he hit the ground, but quickly regained his balance, getting onto all fours before Dragonite could reach the battlefield. "Pikachu, we're finishing this now!" Ash cried out, gripping his cap and turning it around.

Still watching from the side, Lillie brought a hand to her mouth, stifling a gasp as she saw that action. In the 5 years that she had known Ash, she had only seen him do that a number of times, and only when he was serious.

After hearing from Brock about how he got that cap, Lillie understood Ash's intent. He wanted to prove his strength to the traitors here, to prove that they were the ones who made a mistake in betraying him. Making a silent plea in her heart, Lillie hoped, for Ash's sake, that he and Pikachu would be able to pull off this win.

"Well then, there's no time to waste!" Lance said, his eyes narrowing. "Dragonite, take this battle to the ground! Thunder Punch and Dragon Tail, mix it up on Pikachu!"

Letting out another roar, Dragonite sped up, crashing onto the battlefield with a Thunder Punch, Pikachu barely being able to dodge it. "Keep dodging, Pikachu!" Ash called, his mind working on a plan. "I've got something in mind, but you need to trust me!" Despite being exhausted, Pikachu nodded, giving Ash a smile that said 'As if I needed a reason to do that!'.

Dragonite reacted quickly, however, getting onto its feet and swinging at Pikachu with a Dragon Tail. Pikachu leapt over it, only for Dragonite to bring its tail back around, the Electric mouse narrowly stepping out of the way once he landed. Unperturbed, Dragonite aimed both its fists at Pikachu, both of them sparking with lightning.

Pikachu let out a cry as he launched himself at Dragonite with an Iron Tail attack, swinging at the first Thunder Punch, knocking Dragonite slightly off balance. The orange dragon let loose another punch, however, nearly catching Pikachu off guard. Reacting as quick as he could, Pikachu positioned his Iron Tail in front of his chest, getting launched back a good distance while taking minimal damage.

Struggling to regain his footing, Pikachu found himself wide open, allowing Dragonite to rush at him with a Dragon Tail, swinging upwards and landing a good hit on Pikachu's face. The Electric mouse stumbled, dazed from the impact of Dragonite's attack. "Pikachu, Quick Attack over here!" Ash called out, his plan set in his mind. "Follow the sound of my voice!"

Ears twitching to make out Ash's voice, Pikachu's body became enveloped in a shining white light once more, rushing to Ash's voice. Racing to his trainer, the Electric mouse narrowly dodged another Thunder Punch from Dragonite. Once in front of Ash, Pikachu shook his head, regaining his senses, his eyes now focusing on the powerful Pokémon in front of him.

"Alright, Pikachu!" Ash called, having finished on his plan, focusing his attention on the battle in front of him. "We're ending it here!"

"As if we'd let you do so!" Lance retorted, outstretching his arm as he called to Dragonite. "Now Dragonite, charge forward with Thunder Punch! Pour all you have into it!"

With a loud cry, Dragonite raced forward, its fist becoming enveloped with lightning once more as it charged at Pikachu. Ash didn't waste a second however, simply grinning and calling out a command for his partner. "Let's give them all we've got too, Pikachu! Gimme your strongest Iron Tail and slam it onto the ground in front of you!"

Letting out a battle cry, Pikachu leapt into the air, coming down spinning with his Iron Tail, slamming the attack onto the ground that separated him and Dragonite. The power of the attack created a few cracks in the battlefield, and sending a wave of impact forward. It caused Dragonite to lose its balance somewhat, the pseudo legendary becoming stunned momentarily. Ash's grin only grew wider, that moment was all he needed to carry out his plan. "Now Pikachu, while he's still stunned! Spring yourself forward and use Volt Tackle!"

"Dragonite, don't let it hit you, block with Thunder Punch!" Lance commanded, his Pokémon attempting to regain its momentum.

The next few crucial moments seemed to happen in slow motion, both Champions knowing that this would decide the battle. His tail still embedded in the ground in front of him, Pikachu used it to push himself forward, his body becoming cloaked in a harsh yellow light. Lightning crackled across his body, building up a large amount of power as Pikachu unleashed his Volt Tackle, streaking across the battlefield as he flew straight at Dragonite. Regaining its balance somewhat, Dragonite brought both its arms up, using two Thunder Punches in an attempt to block Pikachu's attack. Bracing itself, Dragonite glared at Pikachu from behind its fists, almost challenging the little mouse to come at it.

The two attacks clashed almost instantaneously; Pikachu's Volt Tackle against Dragonite's Thunder Punch. The collision of the two created a large flash of energy that rose into the sky, radiating throughout the arena. Everyone watching shielded their eyes from the light, as the two attacks pushed relentlessly against each other, reaching a brief stalemate. Dragonite then began to push back against Pikachu, slowly managing to halt its opponent's attack. "Amazing!" The announcer cried out from his stand, giving voice to the thoughts of the audience. "Even with Pikachu's strength, Lance's Dragonite is still pushing back with its Thunder Punch! Amazing! Incredible!"

"Whoa, that Dragonite's no joke, huh?" Ash let out, certain that Pikachu would've claimed victory there. Still, he took out a black Z-Ring, the Mega Z-Ring that Professor Kukui had given to him when he had become the Alolan Champion. "Well, we've still got something up our sleeve, Pikachu! Let's show them our Z-Power!" Equipping an Electrium Z, Ash performed the dance, finishing with his arms in a lightning bolt like pose. Power began to spark from his own Z-Ring, the energy that emerged surging into Pikachu. Widening his eyes, Lance could only hypothesize that Ash was currently puling off one of Alola's Z-Moves, having never done or seen one in person.

Energized, Pikachu let out a cry, the electricity around crackling harsher as the Electric mouse pulled back his fist, both Z-Power and electricity building up in that area. Ash pulled his own fist back as well, his Mega Z-Ring sparking with more and more power. "Gigavolt..." Both taking a stance, Ash and Pikachu began to push their fists forward, the power sparking from Pikachu's coming to a peak. Just from the power surging from Pikachu's fist alone was enough to push Dragonite back somewhat, the pseudo-legendary struggling to maintain his footing.

"Havok!" "Pika!" Thrusting their fists forward, the lightning built up in Pikachu's fist suddenly shot forward, materializing into the brightest and perhaps strongest electric blast Lance had ever seen. As the sparking power pushed against him, Dragonite made one last attempt to push back, but to no avail. Overtaken by the blast, Dragonite soared across the battle field, the powerful electricity thrusting the pseudo-legendary against the arena wall. A large flash of power burst throughout the arena on the impact, rising up and illuminating the sky.

As the light died down, everyone's eyes were on the arena, looking with bated breath to see if the match was finally over. Both Lance's and Ash's eyes were on Dragonite as well, their anticipation high. The Z-Power dissipated, Dragonite attempted to push himself off of the wall, only to fall flat onto the ground, fainting.

Allright, I'll leave it there for now, thanks so much for reading! I put a lot of effort into this battle, and I really hope it shows, because, as of now, this is the longest chapter of the story yet! Wow, that feels good to say.

As for the poll regarding the pairing for this story, a lot of people have been voting! I'll display the top 5 pairings right now:

1st: Ash x Dawn x Lillie x Serena (Full Harem)

2nd: Ash x Dawn, Lillie x Pual, Serena x Gladion

3rd: Ash x Dawn x Lillie, Serena x Gladion

4th: Ash x Dawn x Lillie, Serena x Paul

5th: Ash x Lillie, Dawn x Gladion, Serena x Paul

Before, I hadn't really set a due date for the poll, so lemme set one now! The poll will be ending on November 5th! So, if you still haven't voted, get your votes in before then!