Another day had passed.
At last, the long-awaited semifinals were about to begin!
There were two major contenders for the championship.
The first—Alain, who since the beginning of the Kalos League Lumiose Conference had only used two Pokémon to sweep his way through every round!
"And now, the two most anticipated Trainers today—Alain and Ash! Every time Ash steps onto the battlefield, he surprises us by bringing out completely different Pokémon. What kind of exciting choices will he make for this full battle?!"
The commentator's voice rang with fiery enthusiasm.
Then he quickly shifted tone:
"Of course, while Alain and Ash are the favorites for the title, let's not forget—both Remo and Sawyer have fought their way here without losing a single match! In Pokémon battles, you can never take anything for granted. An upset victory is always possible!"
The commentator's passionate narration whipped the crowd into a frenzy.
"I'm sure everyone can't wait any longer, so let's get started! First up—Ash versus Sawyer! Their battlefield for this match will be…the Forest Field!"
Ash and Sawyer both stepped onto the stage.
"I wonder if Sawyer has come up with some strategy to counter Ash this time."
Serena was now seated with Delia.
That arrangement had been orchestrated by Anabel and Sabrina. Both had comforted Serena these past two days, and Delia, after spending time with her, had come to genuinely like the girl's gentle and kind personality.
Hearing Serena's concern, Delia spoke with full confidence in her son:
"Don't worry, Ash would never let us down."
"Exactly," Misty and May chimed in. "Serena, you've traveled with him for so long—you know just how strong he's become."
Over these days, both Misty and May had also come to appreciate Serena's kindness and warmth. All they could do was sigh at Ash's luck—he truly was surrounded by amazing girls who loved and supported him.
Serena nodded softly.
Meanwhile, Ash and Sawyer faced each other from opposite ends of the battlefield.
"Ash, I've always followed in your footsteps. Today, my dream has come true—I finally stand here at the Lumiose Conference, facing you as a rival. It's an honor. Please, allow me and my Pokémon partners to show you how much we've grown!"
Sawyer's eyes burned with admiration. To him, Ash was both the goal and the guiding star he'd been chasing all this time.
"Alright, Sawyer—I won't hold back."
"Pikachu!"
Ash and Pikachu's determined gazes fell on Sawyer. To go easy on someone who viewed him as their ultimate rival would be disrespectful.
"Go, Hawlucha!"
"Ha-Lucha!"
Without hesitation, Ash sent out Hawlucha as his lead, just like in the original battle.
Seeing Hawlucha, Sawyer gave a firm nod. As expected of Ash—he was prepared. Sawyer had studied Hawlucha thoroughly, especially Ash's Hawlucha. He knew it grew stronger only through fierce, heated battles. And Sawyer had just the strategy to counter it.
"Come out, Slaking!"
Slaking!
A pure Normal-type—instantly at a disadvantage against Hawlucha's Fighting-type moves.
"The first Pokémon Ash chooses is Hawlucha! But Sawyer counters with Slaking, whose typing is clearly unfavorable! What kind of battle are we about to witness?!"
Both the audience and commentator shared the same confusion.
The battle began!
"Lucha! Cha!"
Hawlucha had been prepared for this. Just like in the original storyline, it had asked Serena the night before to make it a special cloak…
Ash chuckled helplessly. Maybe this was what made Hawlucha unique—its dramatic flair.
Cloaked and striking a flashy pose, Talonflame tugged its cape back with style, ready to charge into battle like a hero from a storybook.
"Come on, Talonflame—attack me!"
Sawyer's eyes gleamed with expectation. He had researched Hawlucha's habits carefully. Especially Ash's Hawlucha, which only grew stronger when pushed in battle.
That was why he chose Slaking. The "Lazy Pokémon" could attack once, then loaf around the next turn—it seemed like a weakness. But against Hawlucha, Sawyer believed this was the perfect answer.
And then Ash's next words made Sawyer's mind shatter.
"Hawlucha, this is practically a free win! Use Bulk Up right here!"
"Cha!"
Hawlucha nodded eagerly. Sure, it thrived on heated battles—but this was the League. Crushing an opponent cleanly was just as satisfying.
Its body glowed with a fierce red aura—its Attack and Defense both rose!
Sawyer: "???"
Wait, what?! This wasn't how it was supposed to go!
Why was Hawlucha powering up on the spot instead of charging in?!
This wasn't the strategy he'd planned for at all!
I'm done for…
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T/N:
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