Author's Note: So this is the def the story that has gotten the most "please continues", and I never intend to stop any of my stories I promise. It's just major depression is a bitch that's all I got, but now I've got time and motivation to write. This chapter will just be finishing the battle. Character stuff starts next chapter, also let me know if this style for writing battles is preferred to what I was doing previously, this might feel like a cliffhanger but I just wanted to still have action in the next chapter before I dove into character development

Chapter 3: Fair Play

With a somewhat shaky hand Tobias pulled out a third pokeball as the excitement of the crowd calmed down. "Fly, Drifblim!" he called as the ballooning ghost type took the field.

Ash's next pokemon soon joined it on the field, "Let's go, Gliscor!"

Ash knew a flying pokemon would be needed as the legendary battles had destroyed most of the ground cover and points pokemon like Pikachu could use to jump off and gain altitude; plus he had not used Gliscor in the battle with Paul. It was with some amusement that he noted the Drifblim looking around the arena in seeming confusion, the pokemon probably was surprised to be sent out.

The ballon was so surprised it missed Tobias's first command of a Shadow Ball and Ash immediately took advantage of the distraction, "Stone Edge before it collects itself, Gliscor!"

Sticking his tongue out Gliscor's eyes began to glow as two blue rings came into existence around his body before coalescing into white energy shards that faded into stone fragments that shot out at high speeds towards the still stunned Drifblim.

"Damnit, dodge!" The ballon pokemon barely moved in time but managed to avoid part of the attack taking only a glancing blow that none the less sent it spinning due to the super-effective nature of the move.

The next few minutes were a flurry of commands from both sides. Shadow Balls were fired and blocked by Steel Wings, Gliscor used his superior speed to dodge around Astonish, and a Fire Fang was in turn dodged by Drifblim fading out of existence temporarily by using Phantom Force.

The stalemate was finally broken when Ash had Gliscor plow through an Ominous Wind with Giga Impact and then strike the surprised Drifblim with a Steel Wing.

A strange feeling of hyper-focus overcame Ash, the battle synced into greater clarity and the Giga Impact's light phased slightly blue.

The momentum the Giga Impact imparted onto the Steel Wing was either much greater than either trainer imagined, or the Drifblim was just that out of practice battling because the strike knocked the balloon ghost right out.

It wasn't just the trainers that were surprised. Gliscor was frozen with a look of confusion that switched to disdain, a look that Ash was not used to seeing on the eager and happy pokemon's face.

The crowd had no cheers, only murmuring, and the announcers did not have anything good to say either.

The next battle had Ash wondering how Tobias had even managed to catch Darkrai in the first place, Latios could be explained away as being young. Floatzel took out his Wishcash very quickly with an Ice Punch and Aqua Jet combination.

The next, and second to last, pokemon disabused Ash of that notion, the last two were just out of practice, Tobias's Drapion was a monster of a pokemon.

The average Drapion stood at around four feet, due to being low to the ground, and weighed in at around one hundred and thirty-five pounds.

This Drapion must have been at least five feet tall and the armor plating seemed even thicker and heavier, probably putting the pokemon's weight closer to two hundred pounds.

Floatzel still wanted to fight though, and Ash let him.

The match was just as one-sided as the previous two matches had been. Only this time in favor of Tobias.

Sonicbooms ricocheted off of the armor. Water Pulses just flowed on off as well. And while Floatzel danced around Cross Poisons and Fell Stingers with his speed and Aqua Jets he just couldn't make an impact.

That's when Tobias started fighting smart. He had the Drapion spread Toxic Spikes through the arena and through the water like mines to limit Floatzel's range of movement. Attacks began to land and a Thunder Fang almost finished off Floatzel. The sea weasel pokemon managed to block the next two attacks, a Cross Poison and a Night Slash, with his Counter Shield combination but the final Fell Stinger broke through and knocked him out, along with increasing Drapion's strength.

Sending Gliscor back out actually managed to drain a lot of the Drapion's stamina. The flying scorpion was able to avoid the Poison Spikes and land Steel Wings that were actually felt through the armor.

While Gliscor was a ground type pokemon Ash was really regretting that he had never taught Gliscor any ground-type moves other than the Sand Attack it learned naturally right then. An Earthquake could go a long way towards damaging Drapion, unfortunately while the spikes were up he could not send out Torterra to finish it off.

Seeing that Gliscor wasn't going to be able to do a lot of damage to Drapion Ash switched gears, he had Gliscor lead the ground scorpion on a chase, having him dodge at the last second so that Drapion's attacks destroyed or cleared away some of the spikes. After enough had been cleared that Torterra could fit into the arena Ash had Gliscor use Steel Wing and Giga Impact to clear a bunch more away before returning his flying type and sending out his land tortoise.

"This Drapion has now gone through two of Ash's pokemon, though his Gliscor was not knocked out! Can this behemoth of a Torterra we saw before finish the job?" The announcers were excited again, as was the roaring crowd.

Torterra was able to get off an Earthquake that split the earth, swallowed up the remaining spikes, and jostled and slammed Drapion around.

That was all the time Torterra got to attack at a difference however, soon the massive Drapion was in close quarters attacking with X-scissors and Fire Fangs to try and take its opponent out quickly. Ash's Torterra was stronger than that, he fought back with a painful Crunch and shifted to take many of the attacks on his thick armored shell. After another exchange of blows the Drapion was finally knocked back by a mutually painful Wood Hammer.

Drapion landed twenty feet across the arena and struggled to its feet looking much worse for wear. Scuffs and scratches littered its armor and the giant scorpion was wincing in pain.

"And a vicious Wood Hammer gets Tobias's Drapion back at a distance! But watch out ladies and gentlemen, the match isn't over!"

The two titans stood panting with the distance between them, each sizing the other up.

There was too much space between the two combatants which allowed Torterra to get off a final Earthquake to finish the job as the Drapion tried to close the gap.

"And it looks like Tobias is down to his last pokemon! While Ash has only lost one! However with almost all of Ash's remaining pokemon worn down this last pokemon could shake up this match!"

Ash snorted to himself, if he was willing to call Lugia back in that was hardly true, but he had only asked Lugia in as a favor to deal with Darkrai.

The Empoleon that appeared next concerned Ash just as much as the Drapion had. Ash knew after working with Dawn the potential that that evolution line could have, and both Charizard and Torterra were tired. With a sigh he returned Torterra and debated with himself whether to send out Charizard first or start out with Pikachu.

In the end he sent out Pikachu. His oldest partner could out speed the penguin as well as keep his distance and paralyze it.

"And here is Ash's signature pokemon! The shockingly powerful, Pikachu! Can this mouse take on the emperor penguin?"

In response Ash grabbed the front of his cap and pulled it around so the hat was on backwards, "You've got this Pikachu!"

The playful rodent tossed up a v for victory with two of its fingers and turned to face his opponent, cheeks crackling with electric power.