Pokemon: Radical Redux

Chapter 608: Ash vs Brendan - 2

Brendan stared at Slaking for a moment, then looked over at Magcargo, "Well...that’s definitely different."

Slaking continued beating its chest, looking around at the crowd as if it was enjoying the attention.

Brendan smiled, "Alright, Magcargo, [Lava Plume]!"

Magcargo opened the vents on its shell, releasing a massive wave of burning lava and flames that spread across the battlefield.

Ash snapped his fingers, "Slaking, [Hammer Arm]."

The giant Pokémon looked over lazily and stepped forward before starting its sprint, something everyone watching didn’t even know Slaking could do. Usually, they recognized Slaking as lazy, barely even wanting to get up, but this one was moving fast.

It was Slaking’s ability at work, but of course, like always, there was a limit to how long he could keep it up. Unfortunately, from the last time he used Slaking, he had only stockpiled so much extra energy, but that would be enough for this at least.

And even if he ran out, Slaking was still a monster even without Huge Power.

So with one massive swing, its arm cut through the flames, creating a path straight toward Magcargo and breaking the ground beneath it like it had used Earthquake.

The Hammer Arm slammed directly into Magcargo’s shell, and the impact created a shockwave that blasted dust and rocks across the battlefield, forcing the crowd to shield their eyes.

For a moment, Magcargo disappeared beneath the dust. Then slowly, the smoke cleared, and Magcargo was still there. Its shell was cracked slightly, and it was struggling, but it had managed to tank the hit.

Brendan smiled, "That’s why you’re great, Magcargo!"

"Not bad. But can you keep taking hits like that?" Ash smiled slightly as he snapped his finger.

Slaking pulled its arm back, rolling its shoulder as it stared down Magcargo.

Brendan pointed forward, "Magcargo, [Ancient Power]!"

Magcargo’s body glowed as ancient stones formed around it, floating in the air before launching toward Slaking.

"Slaking, [Brick Break]!"

Slaking raised its arm as it charged forward, smashing through the incoming rocks one after another, and he didn’t stop to loaf around.

But Brendan didn’t stop.

"Now! [Flamethrower]!"

Magcargo opened its mouth and fired a concentrated stream of flames. Slaking had no time to stop, and the flames engulfed the giant Pokémon.

But as Magcargo continued firing, a huge hand shot through the flames and grabbed Magcargo’s mouth, forcing it closed.

Slaking was still standing there, huffing.

"Wait, what?!" Brendan said quickly in shock.

Then Slaking raised Magcargo and slammed the snail into the ground hard before throwing it back up. Then, with his other hand, he started winding up a punch.

"Now it’s our turn! [Focus Punch]!" Ash commanded.

As Magcargo helplessly fell, Slaking sent a punch forward, connecting directly against Magcargo and sending the snail flying backward into the battlefield.

Magcargo crashed down hard, creating a crater, and when the dust settled, it was out cold.

But Magcargo didn’t go down without doing anything.

Before Slaking could pound his fist into the ground, he looked at his hand and saw it had been burned.

Both Ash and Brendan saw that, and Brendan realized that was his chance.

He returned Magcargo and threw out Claydol.

A flash of light filled the battlefield as the Ancient Pokémon appeared, floating above the cracked ground. Its many eyes opened, scanning Slaking carefully.

Slaking looked up at Claydol, then looked back at his own burned hand. He shook it once, annoyed, before cracking his knuckles and staring back at the floating Pokémon.

Brendan smiled slightly, "Alright, Claydol, ready for this? You know that plan."

Ash smirked, "Alright, you want that? Then let’s see if you can do it. [Facade]."

Now that Slaking was burned, there was literally no point in not using [Facade]. He was burned, and it was STAB. Plus, Claydol resisted Fighting-type moves, so there was no point in using one of those.

The giant Pokémon immediately moved forward, much faster than anyone expected from a Slaking. When he got close, he raised his fist, charging it up.

"Claydol, [Reflect]!" Brendan quickly called.

Three barriers appeared in front of Slaking’s fist. When it came down, the first one shattered and the second one cracked, but they were still standing.

Brendan sighed in relief. He really didn’t know if that was going to work, so he smiled and shot his hand forward.

"Claydol, [Stealth Rock]!"

Claydol’s eyes glowed as small stones began forming around the battlefield, floating in the air before spreading out and hiding themselves.

At the same time, Slaking took some chip damage from the burn, but he quickly shook it off and kept going.

"Slaking, [Facade] again," Ash commanded.

Slaking ran forward and punched down, breaking the remaining two screens in a single hit. But Claydol managed to fly backward, barely staying safe.

Brendan smiled, "Now, [Power Split]!"

Claydol’s eyes glowed, and in front of everyone, an orb came out of both it and Slaking. They floated upward toward the center of the battlefield and combined before splitting into two equal orbs, which then returned to the two Pokémon.

Since Slaking was much stronger than Claydol, Slaking was the one who lost most of his power.

In fact, if they did the math, Slaking had around 160 physical attack while Claydol only had around 70. Adding them together and dividing meant they were both brought down to around 115.

That was still more than 100, but you had to remember Slaking had Huge Power, meaning any power gained or lost was doubled.

Not to mention the burn that was still slowly draining him.

But Slaking kept going anyway. Ash really didn’t have much of a choice.

Ash pointed forward, "Slaking, [Facade]!"

Slaking charged again, "Claydol, [Reflect]!"

The barrier appeared again just before Slaking reached Claydol. However, this time, Slaking’s fist didn’t shatter it immediately.

Brendan smiled at that, "Claydol, [Psychic]!"

Claydol’s eyes flashed blue, and the moment Slaking broke through the barrier, psychic energy surrounded its body, freezing him in place.

Ash’s eyes narrowed, "Slaking, keep moving!"

The giant Pokémon growled, trying to push against the psychic force. For a moment, it looked like Claydol was actually struggling to hold him.

Slaking was trying to break free through pure brute strength.

Brendan’s eyes widened slightly. Even weakened, even burned, and even after having its strength split, Slaking was still absurdly powerful.

"Don’t let go! Throw it!"

Claydol spun its body, using Psychic to lift Slaking off the ground before launching it across the battlefield.

Slaking crashed into the stone, creating a crater as dust covered the arena.

But then a massive hand pushed through the rubble, and Slaking slowly stood back up.

Ash smiled, "That’s my boy,"

Brendan laughed nervously, "Seriously? You’re still going?"

Slaking beat its chest once, getting into a sumo stance.

Brendan looked at Claydol, "Alright then we need to finish this before it gets another hit. [Earth Power]!"

The ground beneath Slaking began shaking, large pillars of earth erupted upward, rushing toward the Normal-type Pokémon.

"Slaking, [Hammer Arm]!"

Slaking swung its arm downward, the force of the strike shattered the first pillar instantly, then the second, and the third. But the final pillar caught him off guard, striking him from below and launching him upward.

"Now! [Psychic]!" Brendan called out.

Claydol’s eyes glowed again. The floating Pokémon grabbed Slaking midair, stopping its fall.

Brendan pointed to the ground, "Send it down!"

Claydol slammed Slaking into the battlefield, using the big monkey like a hammer. The impact created another crater, and the entire stadium shook.

Brendan held his breath, hoping that did it, but nope. Slaking pulled himself out yet again, and he beat his chest once more.

Ash smiled and pointed forward, "Slaking, [Facade]!"

Slaking pushed itself up and charged.

Brendan’s eyes widened, "Again?! Claydol, [Protect]!"

A green barrier appeared around Claydol, and Slaking’s fist crashed into it. The first hit blocked the attack, but then Slaking hit again, and again, and again. One after another, the barrier began cracking, and this was with the [Reflect] shields still reducing the damage.

Then, with one more hit, he shattered the shields and slammed Claydol into the ground. Claydol was hit hard and managed to get away only after using a quick [Dig], reappearing over next to Brendan.

Brendan took a breath and looked over at Claydol, seeing the way its flying was slowing down. He gave a sad sigh, "Alright, looks like we need to do that. You sure about it?"

But Claydol let out a high-pitched sound and flew forward, making Brendan stand up straight, "Alright, let’s do this, [Rapid Spin]!"

Claydol spun like a top and took off, getting right up to Slaking and tackling the big monkey, but he tanked it, then grappled it.

Then Brendan smiled and copied Ash’s move, snapping his fingers, "[Toxic]!"

Ash heard it and was going to call out for Slaking to throw Claydol away, but it was too late. Claydol’s head turned 180 degrees and fired a blast of purple sludge right at Slaking’s face, meaning he got poisoned.

Ash clicked his tongue, but that just meant he had to hurry up, "[Facade] again!"

Slaking raised his hand and slapped down, sending Claydol into the ground hard and making the field shake. But when Slaking was about to go for the finishing blow

Brendan let out another breath, "Sorry about this, [Explosion]."

Claydol began glowing, and in an instant, a large explosion covered the field in black smoke. Everyone looked on in awe, and when the smoke cleared, Slaking was still standing. He was on one knee, breathing heavily, but even after all that, Brendan wasn’t able to knock him out.

Brendan raised his hand and pointed at that thing with his right hand, "Dude, what do you feed that thing? Nails with no milk?" he said, while in his left hand he returned Claydol to its ball.

"I just trained real hard," Ash said, chuckling, but while Slaking could keep going, Ash quickly returned him to his ball. You see, if it was anything other than poison, then he would keep him in, but anyone familiar with competitive Pokémon knows how bad Toxic is. Still, it was nice to have him in the back for one last trump card just in case.

So he switched to his second-to-last Pokémon, while Brendan did the same. Then they both threw them out.

"Exploud!"

"Gardevoir!"

Both Pokémon landed on the field, standing up and staring at each other.

And let’s not even mention the fact that Ash’s Gardevoir was shiny. This whole thing was a treat for all the shiny hunters in the crowd: three shiny Pokémon in one battle. What a treat.

But nevertheless, they had to keep going. The battle was about to reach its climax, and they couldn’t stop the momentum now.

"Exploud, [Hyper Voice]!"

"Gardevoir, [Psychic]!"

Exploud opened its mouth and released a massive wave of sound that shook the battlefield, and at the same time, Gardevoir’s eyes glowed blue as psychic energy spread out in front of it.

The two attacks collided, and while the psychic energy pushed against the sound waves, the [Hyper Voice] managed to push back against Gardevoir.

Ash noticed and hummed, "Alright, Gardevoir, [Calm Mind]!"

Gardevoir glanced behind her and nodded, closing her eyes and crossing her arms in an X shape as she quickly started meditating.

Brendan’s eyes widened slightly, "Don’t let them finish, Exploud, [Boomburst]!"

Exploud opened its mouth, and an enormous beam of energy began charging before he fired it out in one giant blast of air.

But at the last second, Gardevoir’s eyes opened, and Ash called out, "[Teleport]!"

Gardevoir vanished from the spot she was in before, and the massive attack tore across the battlefield, leaving a giant crater behind, but Gardevoir reappeared behind Exploud.

Ash smirked, then pointed, "Now, Gardevoir, [Moonblast]!"

A massive sphere of Fairy energy formed between Gardevoir’s hands before launching toward Exploud.

But Brendan reacted quickly and called out, "[Boomburst] behind you!"

Exploud quickly jumped and fired a [Boomburst], not even questioning Brendan for a second. The Moonblast collided with the Boomburst, creating another massive explosion.

Both Pokémon were pushed backward. Exploud slid across the battlefield, while Gardevoir was forced back several feet.

Brendan smiled, "Not bad, right?"

Ash nodded, "Not bad at all."

Then Ash snapped his fingers, "Gardevoir, [Psychic]!"

Gardevoir’s eyes glowed, and Exploud was lifted off the ground before it could react, but this time Brendan didn’t seem worried.

"Exploud, [Hyper Voice]!" he commanded.

Exploud turned its body while floating in the air, facing away from Gardevoir, but then it let out a shout and was sent flying. He was using his sound attacks to propel himself through the air, and when he got close to Gardevoir, Brendan spoke again.

"Now, [Crunch]!"

Exploud spun, and as Gardevoir tried to move, Exploud’s jaw bit down on her wrist, making Gardevoir cry out in pain.

"Gardevoir!" Ash called out, "Get him off you with another [Psychic]!"

Gardevoir immediately tried using [Psychic] to pry Exploud’s mouth open, but since it had Dark-type energy protecting it, it was harder, and Brendan took advantage of that.

"Now, [Shadow Ball]!"

While Exploud was holding Gardevoir, he charged an orb of darkness in his mouth, which immediately hit her point blank, causing an explosion and sending Gardevoir flying backward and spinning across the ground before she slowly struggled to get back up.

Brendan clenched his fist, "Exploud, don’t give her a chance! Finish this! [Boomburst]!"

Exploud opened its mouth, and the entire battlefield began shaking as an enormous amount of sound energy gathered inside the Normal-type’s mouth.

Then Exploud fired, and a massive wave of sound exploded outward, tearing across the field and getting dangerously close to Gardevoir.

But at the very last second, Ash whistled, "[Teleport]!"

Gardevoir vanished, avoiding the blast and reappearing next to Ash, still standing on her feet.

Ash smirked at Brendan’s shocked face as he pointed forward, "Gardevoir, [Psychic]!"

A wave of psychic energy exploded outward. Exploud tried to brace itself, but it was no use. It was really hard to brute force your way out of getting grabbed by [Psychic].

Exploud was lifted into the air, but Brendan still tried calling out, "Exploud, [Hyper Voice]!"

Exploud tried firing the attack while being held, but Gardevoir didn’t let it finish this time. She had learned her lesson from last time.

Ash raised his hand, "Slam him down."

Gardevoir swung her arm, and Exploud was thrown across the field, crashing into the ground and rolling several times before stopping. He stubbornly pushed himself back up.

And Brendan was just as stubborn. He pointed forward, "Exploud, [Crunch]!"

Exploud charged forward, its jaws glowing with Dark-type energy again.

Ash immediately reacted, "Gardevoir, [Moonblast]!"

A sphere of Fairy energy formed in Gardevoir’s hands, and she fired it forward, hitting Exploud right in the mouth. Exploud tried biting down on it to eat it, but it really didn’t work. It only made the attack hurt him more, but still, he didn’t stop his charge.

But Brendan saw that, and he felt a drop of sweat form on his head helplessly, "Try [Boomburst] instead."

Exploud stopped and decided to obey. He opened his mouth and immediately fired off another blast of sound.

Gardevoir could have teleported away, but she was still worried about Ash getting hit, even though he was protected by the built-in forcefield of the field. She decided to raise her hands and create a [Protect] barrier instead.

The attack hit and crashed against her. While it also hurt her and made it hard to hear, she refused to go down, even when she started getting pushed back.

But when it finally stopped, she lowered the barrier and saw that Exploud was breathing heavily and would take him a second to recover.

Ash also noticed and smiled, pointing forward, "Alright, Gardevoir, you want to do that? Then let’s show them how it’s really done. Gardevoir, [Boomburst]!"

Gardevoir extended her arms, then let out a soft cry that turned into a giant soundwave that fired toward Exploud.

And no, Exploud didn’t have Soundproof. Brendan never bothered to try and get one with that ability. He preferred taking the time to get one with its Hidden Ability, Scrappy.

The blast hit Exploud, and while he tried to push back against it, he was blown off his feet and sent flying backward, slamming into the ground with spirals in his eyes. He was unable to battle.

Meaning, as Brendan returned him to his ball and grabbed the next one, this was Brendan’s last Pokémon. He looked at the ball, and he could feel his heart beating in his chest. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

He smirked and spun the ball, "Alright, Ash, this is it. You better not think I’m going down easy!"

He threw the ball out, and at the same time, he pulled his sleeve back, revealing his Mega Bracelet. As the ball hit the ground, out came Swampert.

Swampert beat its chest, and Brendan smiled. Its eyes began glowing again.

This time, Ash noticed it, since he was paying attention after the first time, but he didn’t get a chance to say anything before Brendan pressed the Keystone.

"Swampert, [Mega Evolve]!"

Swampert erupted into light. Its body grew larger, and its arms began expanding with muscle. Then, when the light faded, there he was: Mega Swampert.

Ash clicked his tongue softly but shook it off. Not yet. He needed to get more information.

So Brendan took the first move, "Swampert, [Ice Punch]!"

Swampert launched forward, its fist covered in ice as it charged toward Gardevoir.

Ash immediately reacted, "Gardevoir, [Teleport]!"

Gardevoir vanished just before the punch connected. Swampert’s fist slammed into the ground, creating a shockwave that sent pieces of stone flying.

But Brendan was already prepared, "Turn around!"

Swampert twisted instantly, and Gardevoir appeared behind it.

Ash pointed forward, "[Moonblast]!"

A massive sphere of Fairy energy formed between Gardevoir’s hands and fired directly toward Swampert, but Swampert raised its hand and blocked the hit.

Brendan smiled, "Oh yeah, now we’re feeling it. [Liquidation]!"

Swampert rushed forward as his fists were covered in water, creating boxing gloves.

"Gardevoir, [Protect]!" Ash commanded.

The barrier appeared, and Swampert’s punch collided with it. The shield shook once, and cracks appeared, then with one more push, the barrier shattered, and Gardevoir was hit directly, sending her flying backward across the battlefield.

She flipped through the air, barely catching herself with Psychic before hitting the ground. But Swampert was already running after her.

Brendan smiled, "[Hammer Arm]!"

Swampert caught up and managed to grab Gardevoir’s foot, then before she could teleport away, he swung her around and slammed her into the ground like she was a hammer.

That big hit, along with everything else, finally knocked her out, leaving her flat on the ground with spirals in her eyes.

Ash returned her to her Poké Ball and already had the last one in his other hand, "You did great. Now leave the rest to us," he muttered.

He looked up at Brendan and smirked. If that’s how he wanted to play, it was about time he evened the odds.

"Sceptile, let’s finish this."

He threw out the ball, and from it Sceptile jumped out and posed.

Ash smirked as he pulled out his Keystone, "Alright, Brendan, let’s finish this with a bang! Mega Evolve!" Ash clasped his hand around the Keystone, and Sceptile ignited with bright light.

Sceptile grew bigger, his tail sprouted, and his back spikes grew, finally becoming Mega Sceptile. And since Brendan was using what Groudon left behind, there was no reason Ash should hold back, so Ash let out his Resonance as his own eyes glowed red and he spread it to Sceptile.

Now this was an even battle, especially since both of them had mutations. You didn’t forget, did you? And of course, Swampert had one too.

—

Sceptile ♂

Ronin - All cutting moves use both Physical and Special Attack combined.

Swampert ♂

Thick Hide - Gain resistance to Grass-type moves and cannot be critically hit.

—

They were kind of parallels of each other in a way, but that didn’t mean this was going anywhere other than a fight.

Brendan pointed forward, "Swampert, [Hammer Arm]!"

Ash moved at the same time, "Sceptile, [Leaf Blade]!"

The two Pokémon exploded forward.

Swampert’s massive fist became coated in Fighting-type energy as he charged, while Sceptile’s arm blades glowed bright green and extended.

The two Pokémon collided in the center of the battlefield. Swampert’s massive fist came down with incredible force, while Sceptile crossed its glowing [Leaf Blades] in front of itself, meeting the attack head-on.

The impact created a shockwave that pushed both Pokémon backward. Swampert dug its feet into the ground, barely moving, while Sceptile slid back several feet, carving lines into the stone with its feet.

But Sceptile quickly recovered, spinning one of its blades before lowering its stance.

Ash smiled, "Not bad."

Brendan grinned back, "Same to you."

Swampert rushed forward again.

"Swampert, [Ice Punch]!"

His fist became covered in a thick layer of ice as it swung toward Sceptile.

Ash pointed forward, "Sceptile, [Detect]!"

Sceptile’s eyes flashed, and at the last second, it twisted its body sideways, letting the punch pass inches away from its face.

Then Ash continued, "[Leaf Blade]!"

The blade on its arm glowed brighter as it slashed across Swampert’s chest. The hit forced Swampert backward, but the Mega Evolution allowed it to endure the attack.

Brendan nodded, "Good. But you’re gonna have to hit harder than that! [Liquidation]!"

Water surrounded both of Swampert’s fists again as it charged forward.

Ash snapped, "Sceptile, [Agility]!"

Sceptile disappeared just as Swampert swung, making him hit nothing but the ground again. Then Sceptile appeared behind him.

"[Slash]!" Ash called out.

Sceptile’s blade cut across Swampert’s back, leaving a mark and forcing it forward.

Before Swampert could turn around, Sceptile had already moved again.

"[Leaf Blade]!" Ash continued.

Another slash, then another. Sceptile was running around, slashing at Swampert’s back again and again.

Brendan noticed what he was doing as his eyes tried tracking Sceptile, then his eyes glowed brighter, "[Earthquake]!"

Swampert punched the ground, causing a shockwave to shoot out around them. The stone beneath Sceptile cracked apart, forcing it to jump into the air to avoid the attack.

But Brendan was expecting that.

"Now, [Ice Punch]!"

Swampert jumped upward, pulling his fist back as it became covered in bright blue ice.

Ash reacted instantly, "Sceptile, [Detect]!"

Sceptile’s eyes shined as he quickly twisted away in midair, barely avoiding the punch.

But Brendan expected that.

"[Hammer Arm]!"

Swampert changed the direction of the swing, catching Sceptile with the back of its arm. The impact sent Sceptile flying across the battlefield. Sceptile flipped through the air, landed on one hand, and spun back onto his feet.

Brendan smiled, "There we go! That’s what I wanted to see!"

Ash grinned, "Same here."

The two Pokémon stared each other down. Both were Mega Evolutions. Both had abilities that changed the way they fought. Neither one was willing to give an inch.

Again, they called out at the same time, mirroring each other.

"Swampert, [Ice Punch]!"

"Sceptile, [Leaf Blade]!"

Swampert charged forward, its massive fist becoming coated in ice, while Sceptile rushed in with both blades glowing bright green.

The two attacks collided. This time, neither Pokémon was pushed back. They both dug their feet into the ground and crashed against the other.

The battlefield shook as Swampert and Sceptile locked together, pushing against each other’s strength.

Brendan narrowed his eyes, "Come on, Swampert!"

Ash smiled, "Don’t let him push you around!"

Sceptile’s eyes glowed faintly red as Ash’s Resonance flowed through it. Its blades started glowing brighter, the energy from its mutation combining with the power of Mega Evolution.

With a sudden burst of strength, Sceptile twisted its body and redirected Swampert’s fist, causing the massive Pokémon to stumble forward.

"Now! [Leaf Blade]!"

Sceptile spun, both blades cutting across Swampert’s side.

Brendan quickly called out, "[Earthquake]!"

The entire battlefield erupted. Cracks spread across the stone as powerful waves of energy traveled outward.

"Sceptile, jump!" Ash commanded.

Sceptile leaped into the air, avoiding the first wave.

But Brendan was already waiting, "Now! [Ice Punch]!"

I mean, hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Ice moves do 4× damage to him, so Brendan would be dumb not to spam it.

That is, if Ash let him land it, "Sceptile, [Agility]!"

Sceptile disappeared in a blur, and Swampert’s punch missed again, smashing through empty air.

Sceptile appeared on the ground, charging up another [Leaf Blade] while Swampert turned and raised his fist for another [Ice Punch]. Then both threw their attacks, clashing with each other and causing a gust of wind to shoot out.

And as they began clashing, Brendan smiled and closed his eyes as he began remembering, "Ash, thank you..."

—

Growing up, Brendan, as Professor Birch’s son, loved Pokémon as much as his dad. He loved taking care of them, training them, and learning more about them.

But because of that, he was also alone growing up. None of the other children in Littleroot Town wanted to play with him because they thought he was the "untouchable" kind of person, and that he would reject them.

But Brendan never saw himself as some superior person just because his dad was a Professor. All he wanted to do was have fun and make friends, but he couldn’t. So he grew up alone, spending his time helping his dad with his research.

It was during this time that he kept his neutral face, where he just tried to get things done. After all, what was the point in trying to smile when he didn’t have any friends to smile with? All he wanted was to have a friend, friends who could match him.

When he was old enough and started his journey, he didn’t seem excited at first, but at least when he got Mudkip, he finally started smiling again, and that was enough for Birch.

And Brendan did have fun. He battled the Gym Leaders and got a few badges, always keeping his smile. And hey, maybe he could say that some of them became friends with him, but again, most of them weren’t the same age as him, and they had their own jobs as Gym Leaders, so they couldn’t hang out either.

So while he could have finished all 8 badges that year, he decided to stop and go back home. Then he started helping his dad with research. He was already thinking of becoming a researcher after everything anyway, so he might as well start it now.

But that’s when he decided to go out to Route 103 that day. He didn’t have to go; the research wasn’t urgent, but he did. And that day, while he was counting Zigzagoon, a certain girl with a bandana shaped like bunny ears crashed into him, May.

Then when they were attacked by a Salamence, there Ash appeared, and for once, Brendan met someone his age that could not only match him but surpass him.

Then that same day, Ash smiled and encouraged Brendan to compete against him, and he said they were friends. His first friend.

Then May, then Wally, then Brock, then everyone. It all started on that day, and it all started thanks to Ash.

Thanks to him, he learned to have fun. He got to be silly, he got to laugh with everyone, and he got to feel the joy of battling. He also saved the world along the way, and all of this happened because of the day he met them.

And for that, he had to thank Ash.

—

"For being my friend," Brendan finished with a smile, slowly opening his eyes.

And once he said that, his heart calmed, and his spirit did too. The chaotic fighting spirit surrounding him that he got from Groudon calmed down.

Swampert lost that power boost too, but he calmed himself and closed his eyes, just as Sceptile broke through and slashed down in an X motion across Swampert’s chest.

Swampert let out a grunt, then slowly fell backward and landed on the ground with a thud. He fell out of Mega form, and he was knocked out.

For a moment, the entire stadium was silent. The dust slowly drifted away from where Swampert had fallen, and the referee quickly went to check on him.

Sceptile stood across from it, breathing heavily. Its blades were still extended, but even it was clearly exhausted after everything it had just gone through, finally falling to one knee but still staying up.

The referee’s flag shot into the air, "Swampert is unable to battle! The winner is...ASH KETCHUM!"

For a second, nobody reacted. Then the stadium exploded. The crowd erupted into cheers louder than before. After all the battles, all the incredible moments, all the back-and-forth between the two of them, the Ever Grande Stadium was shaking from the noise.

Ash stood there for a moment, looking at Sceptile, then he smiled, "You did it, buddy."

Sceptile looked back at him, then gave a confident grin before walking over and bumping fists with Ash.

Ash laughed, "Yeah, yeah, don’t get too proud. I think you’re showing some emotion there~"

Sceptile crossed its arms and looked away, pretending it wasn’t happy, but he still had to Aura farm even here, even as he fell out of Mega form. Ash just shook his head and returned Sceptile to his ball.

Meanwhile, Brendan slowly walked over to Swampert. The giant Pokémon was breathing heavily, but it still smiled when Brendan approached.

Brendan crouched down, "You were amazing."

Swampert smiled slightly before Brendan returned him to his Poké Ball.

Then Brendan stood back up and looked across the battlefield at Ash.

He walked up and laughed, "Man...that was incredible."

He raised his fist out for a fist bump, "Great battle. Let’s do it again sometime."

Ash smiled and returned the fist bump right there in the center of the destroyed field, "I’d love to. Any time, anywhere."

And the crowd ate it up, snapping pictures. It was finally over.