[Ash: Idiot Gary! I don't get it, but do YOU? At least I can make the right choice at the right time! You? You can't even win a Champion title!]
[Brock: Lies are not blades—only truth can cut like a knife. Ash, your attack stat just got buffed!]
[Diantha: Remarkable… to make the right decision in such a short time. Ash, I'm beginning to admire you a little.]
[Serena: Quick, Champion Diantha! Invite Ash to Kalos! With strength like this, he could totally inherit your title one day!]
Diantha sipped the tea her assistant handed her.
Strength? That wasn't the main point.
Kalos was never about sheer power.
What Kalos had—what no other region could replace—was the key to Mega Evolution.
The Key Stone.
As long as Kalos held it, their league would never fade into irrelevance.
But what really caught Diantha's eye… was Ash's Pokémon.
Pikachu's acting skills? She approved!
With Pikachu's help, movie productions could save a fortune.
Should I listen to this little girl Serena's suggestion…?
Inviting Ash to Kalos was basically a no-lose business deal.
Decision made!
[Diantha: Ash, how about joining the Kalos League?]
[lance: Lucario: What?]
[Lance: Not again!]
The broadcast had barely started, but Lance could already feel it—
This Alola Champion wasn't as simple as he had thought.
After that so-called "playful" Alola League, Ash's real brilliance was shining through in this current battle.
Meaning—
Ash's true strength might not be far off from his own.
A genuine Champion.
Which meant Ash's importance… went without saying.
Poaching attempts must be stopped at all costs!
The glory of Kanto would be preserved by him, Lance, the Dragon-type master!
In this moment, his cape fluttered dramatically, glowing with Champion pride!
On the battlefield—
Under the force of Brave Bird's clash, Empoleon had fallen behind.
If not for its steel wings resisting, it would have been blasted straight out of the arena.
Even so, the impact knocked Empoleon onto its back.
Rowlet seized the chance to climb higher into the air.
From the battle so far, Rowlet understood his role clearly:
He was fragile.
He could not afford to fall into the enemy's range.
"Hydro Cannon!"
At Professor Kukui's command, Empoleon staggered back to its feet, opened its beak, and unleashed a raging torrent!
Like a blue beam of light, the water surged straight toward Rowlet.
The little owl, still fluttering lazily, suddenly felt a cold draft on his back.
He turned his head—
And froze.
Hydro Cannon was already point-blank!
How could he possibly dodge this?!
"Rowlet! Just like last time—use the Feather Dance!"
Ash's calm voice cut through the crisis.
Rowlet!
Rowlet's eyes lit with cunning.
His body blurred—
And what remained was only a shell of scattered feathers!
Feather Dance—masquerading as a Substitute!
It perfectly absorbed Hydro Cannon's blast.
The audience gasped.
What kind of Feather Dance does that?! Are you sure this isn't some ability like Disguise?!
Yet again—
Another of Ash's "illegal" Pokémon.
Empoleon panted hard on the ground.
Repeated failures to land a hit had shaken its spirit.
Professor Kukui made a decisive call.
He recalled Empoleon back to its Poké Ball.
And sent out—
Braviary!
If a penguin couldn't hit an owl in the sky, then he'd use a falcon to hunt it down.
Aerial combat—bird versus bird!
Professor Kukui was confident this time.
Rowlet had lost his only advantage.
Victory was his!
"Rowlet, take to the skies!" Ash commanded immediately.
Professor Kukui smirked knowingly.
Another Brave Bird? Not happening!
"Braviary, Rock Slide—lock down its position!"
Sharp eyes, massive wings—
Unlike Empoleon, Braviary was a true aerial predator.
Rocks materialized around him, shooting like missiles.
Rowlet's speed couldn't compare.
Even the falling rocks outpaced him!
He could only dodge clumsily, struggling to gain altitude.
The sky was no longer his safe haven.
"Rowlet, dive down!" Ash shouted.
The owl tucked his wings and plunged, slipping past Braviary's Rock Slide.
Now the two were finally on the same level.
Braviary's gaze burned with bloodline superiority.
Rowlet almost stumbled midair from the sheer intimidation.
Rowlet…
The hawk laughed mockingly.
But Rowlet wasn't raised to be timid.
His eyes flared with resolve.
"Rowlet, Seed Bomb—go!"
Ash clenched his fist, pointing at Braviary.
Professor Kukui smirked.
"The same trick twice won't work on me! Braviary, Superpower!"
Golden energy wrapped Braviary's talons.
He swooped down, intercepting the glowing seed Rowlet had fired.
WHAM!
The seed—an Everstone—was kicked back like a soccer ball.
Then Braviary shot forward like an arrow toward Rowlet.
Rowlet panicked.
He'd never seen such a fierce charge.
But priorities were priorities.
First—recover the Everstone!
Before the audience's stunned eyes, Rowlet veered midair and swallowed the stone back down.
Braviary: ???
Can you at least respect your opponent? We're in the middle of a battle!!
In that absurd maneuver, Rowlet narrowly avoided disaster.
But Braviary couldn't stop his momentum.
He crashed into the ground with a resounding BOOM, carving a crater into the arena floor.
[Kiawe: Rowlet, you absolute legend! Dodging like that—Professor Professor Kukui, are you even trying?]
[Professor Professor Kukui: That was an accident! Pure accident! Who could've predicted THIS?!]
[Ash: That's battle intuition! I told you—Rowlet's a genius!]
[Drake: Genius indeed… even I wouldn't have thought of dodging that way.]
The crowd buzzed.
Luck? Maybe.
But if not luck—then Rowlet's instincts were terrifying.
On the battlefield—
Braviary staggered up from the crater, glaring furiously at Rowlet.
"Braviary, stay sharp! Use the Steel Wing!"
Professor Kukui's command snapped like a whip.
Braviary's wings gleamed silver as he launched skyward again, body streamlined into a razor-edged spear.
This time, his speed hit the limit.
Rowlet's reactions couldn't keep up.
Panic flickered in his eyes.
Ash's voice rang again.
"Don't panic! Brave Bird—one more time!"
When in doubt—Brave Bird it out!
Rowlet's body ignited in golden flame.
He dove straight down like a cannonball.
"We'll meet you head-on! Brave Bird!" Professor Kukui roared.
"Braviary!""
Braviary's cry split the skies.
He ascended, cloaked in the same golden blaze—but edged with brighter silver light from Steel Wing.
The crowd fell silent.
Two meteors—one tiny owl, one mighty hawk—streaked toward each other.
Clash of the century.
Brave Bird vs Brave Bird + Steel Wing!
The collision erupted in smoke and dust, filling the stadium.
Two golden flares glowed faintly within.
"Don't give up, Rowlet! Hang in there!"
"The outcome's already decided. Victory is mine." Professor Kukui adjusted his glasses, for certain.
Final forms versus base forms.
Overwhelming strength against fragile beginnings.
Luck could not bridge this gap.
As the smoke cleared—
A small green body shot out, flung across the field.
Ash leapt, catching Rowlet in his arms.
The little owl raised a trembling wing, giving his trainer a thumbs-up.
Then promptly… passed out.
"You did great, Rowlet. The rest is up to your teammates."
Ash stroked him gently, returning him to his Poké Ball.
Facing two powerful foes in a row, Rowlet had exceeded everyone's expectations.
The audience melted at his final expression.
[Mallow: Rowlet is too cute! That last look almost killed me!]
[Alain: Honestly, it looked less like fainting and more like falling asleep…]
[Diantha: True… today's kids sure can nap anywhere.]
If Rowlet had evolved into Decidueye, his strength would've skyrocketed.
From "lucky fighter" to "real powerhouse."
What a pity.
On the battlefield—
No time to dwell on Rowlet's exit.
Ash threw out his next Poké Ball.
The arena shook as a towering figure appeared—
Melmetal!
A colossal steel titan, its body a blend of liquid metal and massive bolts.
Every movement flowed with both raw power and surprising agility.
The moment it entered, the crowd erupted like a tidal wave.
What was happening?
Why were the Alolan spectators so hyped over this strange-looking Pokémon?
Viewers outside Alola were completely lost—like hungry scavengers in a melon patch, surrounded by juicy gossip but not knowing where to bite.
[Aaron: Can someone explain what's so special about this Pokémon? Why is the Alola crowd freaking out? Is it just me?]
[Bertha: If you don't understand, don't speak.]
[Aaron: Oh? So YOU know?]
[Bertha: Of course not. But at least I didn't speak up.]
[Aaron: …You!!]
[Cynthia: I'll explain. Melmetal is a Mythical Pokémon—some even call it a legendary god.]
The chat exploded.
Another god?!
[Professor Rowan: In ancient myths, the "one-eyed giant" was actually descriptions of Gigantamax Melmetal.]
[Professor Professor Kukui: Melmetal was revered for its power to produce iron. It is a true Mythical—worshiped as a god!]
Which meant…
The Pokémon Ash had just summoned—
Was a god.
People who had dismissed Ash's team as a "baby squad" were now speechless.
This wasn't a Kidoie lineup at all.
It was a wolf in sheep's clothing!
On the battlefield—
Braviary faltered.
The moment Melmetal appeared, its proud eyes wavered with fear.
Even he could feel it—
This was no ordinary opponent.
"Braviary, Air Slash!"
Professor Kukui's voice cut through his hesitation.
He had the advantage.
One down already, momentum on his side.
Besides, Melmetal had only recently evolved.
Surely its control wasn't perfect yet.
Braviary flapped his wings, launching blade after blade of compressed air.
But Melmetal didn't even flinch.
To him, those slashes were meaningless.
He simply raised his massive arms—
and shattered them like glass.
The might of a Mythical Pokémon—
Even newly evolved, it was overwhelming.
Professor Kukui gritted his teeth.
"Braviary, take to the skies! Use—"
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