Pikachu leapt high, spinning midair as its Iron Tail swung down hard toward Venusaur below.
But—
Seeing this attack, a sly smile tugged at Professor Professor Kukui's lips.
"Ash, you're still too green! Venusaur, wrap Pikachu up!"
Lucario: What??
What kind of strange command was that?
The audience was baffled—until the moment Pikachu began falling.
Venusaur suddenly lifted its body, and its massive bud opened wide—
as if with a will of its own.
In an instant, Pikachu was swallowed into the flower.
Ash: ???
Even Ash, known for his unorthodox tactics, was dumbfounded.
He had never imagined Venusaur's flower could be used this way.
Then again—
his Bulbasaur had never evolved, so how would he know?
"Ash, this round's mine!" Professor Kukui adjusted his glasses, eyes gleaming.
"Venusaur, use Solar Beam!"
"Venaaaar!"
[Gary: Holy crap! You can use Venusaur's flower like that? Are Alolans all inventors or something?!]
[Cynthia: Honestly, Professor Kukui becoming a professor feels like a waste. If he had pursued a trainer's career, champion level at minimum.]
[Diantha: With that kind of imagination, even my movie scripts wouldn't dare to go this far!]
[Ash (comment): Amazing! Bulbasaur, maybe we should evolve after all—I really wanna learn this move!]
[Aaron: I'm speechless. What's with you professors? Did you all quit battling only because you had no rivals left? Oak was already unbeatable in his youth, but now Professor Kukui too?]
[Denji: Aaron, maybe if you trained harder, you wouldn't be the lowest-ranked among the Sinnoh Elite Four.]
[Aaron: ???]
The banter ran wild, but on the battlefield, things were deadly serious.
If Professor Kukui lost this match, he'd be down to his final Pokémon.
And Ash still had enough strength left to press the advantage.
Eliminating Pikachu here was Professor Kukui's last chance at turning the tide.
In the arena—
Solar Beam wasn't instant.
Venusaur's bud glowed with golden light, absorbing sunlight.
Inside the bud, Pikachu was shown struggling.
It had clamped its little paws over its nose.
Venusaur wasn't just storing sunlight—it was flooding the flower with pollen.
And not ordinary pollen.
Sleep Powder.
Even with quick defense, some of it slipped into Pikachu's lungs.
"Pika…"
Pikachu shook its head furiously, trying not to give in.
It couldn't fall asleep here—not now, after fighting for its chance to shine.
But drowsiness weighed heavy.
Solar Beam finished charging.
Golden light exploded from the bud, blasting Pikachu outward like a geyser.
The force sent Pikachu tumbling, but the searing impact jolted it awake again.
Bruised, battered—but still able to fight.
"Pikachu!!"
Landing hard, Pikachu pointed its paw at Professor Kukui with a defiant cry.
Professor Kukui shrugged.
"Sorry, Pikachu. It's a battle—I can't hold back."
"Venusaur, Vine Whip!"
Two massive vines lashed out, thicker and stronger than before.
Crack—smash!
They slammed Pikachu midair, spinning it like a top until it crashed near Ash's feet.
[Brock: Here it is! Pikachu's acting skills!]
[Diantha: Adorable… I just wanna pinch its cheeks!]
[Sophocles: Whoa! Venusaur's amazing! No wonder Professor Kukui is the Masked Royal!]
The kids at the Alola Trainer School were buzzing.
To them, Professor Kukui wasn't just a professor—he was their idol.
The Masked Royal, larger-than-life, battling before the whole world.
For the moment, even Ash's charm couldn't outweigh Professor Kukui's legend.
Back on the field—
Ash rubbed his forehead, exasperated.
Pikachu's staggering, dizzy act was too over the top.
Even Ash could tell it was pretending this time.
"Pikachu, come back for now."
At once, Pikachu perked up, darting three quick steps onto Ash's shoulder.
"Pikaaa~"
It nuzzled Ash's cheek playfully.
Ash sighed, words dying in his throat.
Pikachu let out a breath of relief.
At least it had appeared in the battle.
Even if it had only played support, that was enough.
Better than sitting out the entire fight!
Like a certain pro gamer once said: Top 16 is still better than staying at home.
Satisfied, Pikachu curled proudly on Ash's shoulder, leaving the rest to its teammates.
Ash studied the field.
Three Pokémon left: Pikachu (resting), Naganadel, and Incineroar.
Venusaur still stood firm across from him.
Ash made his choice.
"Incineroar, I choose you!"
Boom!
Incineroar landed on the field, roaring with renewed vigor.
It had rested, its strength partly restored—
and its flames burned hotter than ever.
"Incineroar, let's finish this in one go! Use Flamethrower!"
"Venusaur, counter with Sludge Bomb!" Professor Kukui commanded without hesitation.
Venusaur hurled globes of toxic sludge forward.
But Incineroar only grinned wide.
Flames roared around its waist.
With a mighty punch, it launched them forward—
Flamethrower!
The blazing kanji-shaped fire engulfed the incoming sludge, evaporating the moisture instantly.
The dried clumps fell uselessly to the grass.
And the fire kept advancing.
"Frenzy Plant!" Professor Kukui shouted desperately.
Roots erupted from the ground, racing to meet the flames.
Grass and fire clashed, balancing for an instant—
until Incineroar charged through, cloaked in its own fire.
One flaming punch.
Bam!
Straight to Venusaur's head.
Venusaur collapsed, overwhelmed.
The Frenzy Plant withered away.
The battle was decided.
Professor Kukui exhaled with a rueful smile.
"Well done, Ash."
He recalled Venusaur, acknowledging the loss.
Now—only one Pokémon remained.
"This is it, Ash. Our final battle."
Ash grinned, heart pounding.
"Yeah! Let's give it everything we've got!"
Professor Kukui raised his last Poké Ball, throwing it high—
But before it could even open—
BAM!
A figure streaked down, knocking the Poké Ball aside.
The entire stadium fell silent.
Then—an eruption of voices.
"Tapu Koko! It's Tapu Koko!!"
"The Island Guardian's here!"
"Is it here to stop the match?!"
Confusion rippled through the crowd.
Why had Tapu Koko appeared now?
Why had it struck away Professor Kukui's Poké Ball?
Even Professor Kukui himself was taken aback.
[Professor Kukui: So this is how Tapu Koko shows up. I was wondering when I supposedly caught it—guess I never did.]
[Professor Burnet: Dear, even if you are the Masked Royal, don't dream about catching an Island Guardian.]
[Kiawe: So cool! Is Tapu Koko here to stop the battle?!]
[Lana: Idiot! Didn't you read the broadcast? Tapu Koko is here to fight—for Professor Professor Kukui!]
[Hau: Ohhh right… guess I panicked.]
[Brandon: Why is its entrance so dramatic?! Even more stylish than my Regi trio!]
[Serena: That god feels so strong… way stronger than Ash's Melmetal!]
[Cynthia: Of course. Tapu Koko is a true deity, a god with divine authority. Melmetal is a mythical Pokémon, but not a god in that sense.]
[Professor Oak: Exactly. Gods differ in rank. The highest are those with dominion. Next are gods with divine offices. Last are mythical beings like Melmetal.]
With their explanations, the audience understood—
Ash was now about to face a true divine being.
Could he really win?
At first, many thought Ash would inevitably lose.
Now, they weren't so sure.
Even in defeat, he had already proven himself.
His strategies, his spirit, his growth—he was worthy of the title "Champion."
But if Ash could overcome even a god…
then his strength would rival the greatest champions in the world.
The decisive climax was about to begin.
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