//------------------------------//
// Mega Evolution vs Gigantamax 
// Story: My Little Pokémon: Grander World 
// by Amarvax 
//------------------------------//

Galar. Stow-on-Side. Afternoon.

The battle between Ash and Bea in this Pokemon World Championships Ultra Class Battle would continue. So far, neither have lost a Pokemon in this fierce battle but with the presence of Champion Leon spectating, their fiery spirits would eventually lead to one of them losing a Pokemon and emerging as the victor in this 3v3 Ultra Class match. Only one shall be the victor.

"Use Strength!" Continuing the battle, Machamp and Lucario would approach each other with Ash and Bea shouting out commands.

"Reversal!" Immediately, Lucario and Machamp entered an up-close confrontation with Lucario attempting to use all the damage he's suffered in this battle into strength, only for Machamp to grab his shoulders with her lower two arms. But Lucario wouldn't let himself be trapped by Machamp yet again.

"Lu...Ca!" Lucario channelled the power of Reversal as the orange aura of the attack would flare around his body. The energy then moved from his paws to his legs since his arms were being restrained. With this, Lucario would smash his feet into Machamp's stomach and chest with the power of Reversal, running up her before then striking her chin.

"C-Cha!" Machamp cried out as Lucario found a way to break free once more, knowing how dangerous those four arms of the Super Power Pokemon were. Thus, he used the one thing Machamp couldn't reach when holding the Aura Pokemon. His legs. It was truly a Reversal. In return, the power of Reversal affected Machamp greatly due to how much damage Lucario had taken in this battle.

"Oh! It lands! Lucario put its strength into its legs to counter having its arms restrained! An amazing reversal!" The announcer bellowed as the crowd went wild due to Lucario's method of breaking free. 

"Return, Lucario!" Suddenly, Ash would return Lucario, opting for a switch-in while Machamp was still shaking her head from that Reversal Run-Up. Lucario had done some excellent work in this battle, taking massive punishment and still managing to retaliate. But for now, he needed to conserve his strength and let his friends get in on the action. "Sirfetch'd! Let's go!" 

"Sirfetch'd!" And the third Pokemon of this 3v3 ended up being Sirfetch'd. For his entrance, Sirfetch'd swung his leek, sweeping the dust off the arena floor before aiming it at Machamp.

"Huh. I thought he'd pick Dragonite or even Gengar for this." Goh uttered. "But he went with Sirfetch'd?"

"Ash never takes the easy way out though." Rainbow Dash added.

"That's right. He's facing her head-on. Ash wants to beat her with Fighting-Types even if he only has two. That's just the kind of trainer he is." said Korrina.

"I'm loving this. Usually one of them would be down about now and they've yet to use Mega Evolution or Dynamax. What do you think, Champion Leon?" The announcer asked.

"Hang on. I'm enjoying this battle from the very bottom of my heart right now. Let's just sit back and watch what happens next."

"Alright! Use Fury Cutter, Sirfetch'd!"

"Sir! Sir...!" Approaching the Superpower Pokemon, Sirfetch'd's leek sword was enveloped in a light green energy, ready to swing consistently at Machamp with a gradual increase in power.

"Bullet Punch!"

"Machamp!" Right before Sirfetch'd could get close, Machamp threw out rapid-fire strikes with her arms as they left behind afterimages from the speed they were moving at. However, Sirfetch'd was prepared, holding his shield out to block the incoming strikes. He postponed his Fury Cutter, blocking the Bullet Punch with his leek shield, waiting for the right time to strike. "Champ-Champ-Champ-Champ!"

"Sir!" And Sirfetch'd certainly did find an opening. After having his shield block all of Machamp's strikes which were pushing him, he found a window to take advantage of. Sirfetch'd would thrust his leek repeatedly as it would clash with Machamp's fists. Soon, a high-speed clash would ensue with Bullet Punch and Fury Cutter going up against each other.

This fierce up-close altercation made everyone see only grey and green afterimages from how fast these attacks were going and it looked like Sirfetch'd and Machamp were equal in this instance. However, Sirfetch'd had an advantage. Fury Cutter's effect was kicking in. With each strike, Sirfetch'd's leek gained more and more power, pushing back against Machamp's fists. With this power increase with every strike, the Wild Duck Pokemon won the clash of strength, striking the Superpower Pokemon's chest. 

"C-Champ!" Machamp cried out as she was pushed back by the leek, sliding on the arena floor.

"Yeah! They overpowered Machamp!" Applejack cheered. "I thought that was impossible!"

"That Fury Cutter along with Sirfetch'd's swordsmanship makes up for that power gap!" Rarity put her hooves together in excitement at this development. Sirfetch'd already managed to impress everyone, gaining the advantage with his perfect mix of offence and defence.

"Come back to me, Machamp." Bea would then return Machamp, deciding that now was the best time to swap Pokemon. With the next Poke Ball in her hand, she would launch it upwards. "Go, Hawlucha!"

"Hawlucha!" Hawlucha had returned, ready for another round.

"Use Flying Press!"

"Haw...Lu!" Going for its signature move, Hawlucha took flight, advancing towards the Wild Duck Pokemon. It was then outlined in white energy, ready to crash into its fellow Fighting-Type. However, this was where Sirfetch'd was ready. 

"Sir!" Right when Hawlucha came close, the Wild Duck Pokemon swung his leek in a split-second, interrupting the Flying Press. 

"Lucha!" Hawlucha was then pushed back by Sirfetch'd's split-second slash. Flying Press failed to get in for heavy damage as Hawlucha would recover by landing on its feet.

"Night Slash!"

"Sir!" The Wild Duck Pokemon leapt into the air as his leek becomes surrounded in light blue streaks of energy, building up power with it before then lunging at Hawlucha.

"Leap into the air, Hawlucha!"

"Hawlu!" However, Hawlucha would use its powerful legs to leap into the air, evading Sirfetch'd's powerful leek swing. The leek only hit the ground, causing dust to rise.

"Throw your shield! Brutal Swing!"

"Fetch'd!" With a glimmer in his eye, Sirfetch'd would swivel, ready to strike once more. However, instead of just swinging his leek sword which was enveloped in a red aura, Sirfetch'd would throw his leek shield, which was also covered in the red energy. The shield was launched, spinning rapidly through air, prompting Bea, Hawlucha, Leon and everyone else to look in awe.

"Oho! It tossed the shield with a swing! What an inspired Brutal Swing!" The announcer cried out as the leek shield would almost strike Hawlucha in the air. Hawlucha narrowly evaded it, performing a backflip in the air as the shield would fly off in the distance.

"Sky Attack, Hawlucha!"

"Lucha!" Hawlucha built up a divine-like aura around its body, preparing for a powerful strike that was sure to leave a devastating number of Sirfetch'd. After all, this was one of, if not, the strongest Flying-Type move out there, with Brave-bird being a common rival to it.

"Launch upwards! Night Slash!"

"Sir!" The shield came back to Sirfetch'd like a boomerang as the Wild Duck Pokemon already gathered the white energy from Night Slash onto his leek. However, by Ash's command, Sirfetch'd would suddenly launch himself with his sword, stabbing it into the ground and using it as a way to gain some amazing height and airtime that he couldn't do with his normal jump. The Fighting-Type would approach from above while Hawlucha had finished building up Sky Attack, clearing the dust around it.

Sirfetch'd would thrust the sword downwards with impressive power, summing sparks of lightning from the amount of force that was put behind it. Meanwhile, Hawlucha would ascend, approaching Sirfetch'd directly. Night Slash and Sky Attack connected, causing a blue explosion to occur in the air along with mighty wing pressures. It was a fierce collision as only one Pokemon fell out of it. And that Pokemon was Sirfetch'd, who dropped to the ground.

"S-Sirfetch'd..." Sirfetch'd groaned while on the ground as the Rotom Drone flew over to check up on his status.

"Sirfetch'd is unable to battle! Hawlucha wins!" said the Rotom Drone The one who lost a Pokemon first was Ash, giving Bea an advantage here. The knockout blow from Sky Attack gave her that edge.

"Return." Ash would return Sirfetch'd before looking at the Poke Ball. "Thanks, buddy. You did your best, now rest up. So...it's time for you to get back in there, Pikachu. You're up."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu was the next choice in this battle, returning to throw down and take Sirfetch'd's place.

"Come on, Pikachu! If anyone can take a Pokemon down, it's you!" Twilight exclaimed with a determined grimace on her face after Ash lost his first Pokemon.

"Sky Attack!"

"Lucha!" Once again, Hawlucha would try and use Sky Attack, summoning that bright aura once more by building up a huge amount of energy.

"Use Thunderbolt!"

"Pika!" With a slap on his face, Pikachu would also build some energy, summoning 100,000 volts around his body. In a flash, Thunderbolt was unleashed, flying out at high speeds. However, Hawlucha would leap over it with Sky Attack with impressive speed once more, making the Thunderbolt miss. "Pika?!"

"Ah!" Ash gasped before thinking quickly on his feet. "Iron Tail!"

"Chu...Pika!" Pikachu understood Ash clearly. There was a trick with Iron Tail that would perfectly here. Pikachu would suddenly stab his tail into the ground. Hawlucha descended, ready to crash into the Mouse Pokemon, unaware of what he was actually planning. 

"Quick Attack!" 

"Pika...Pika-Pika-Pika!" Once more, Pikachu would combine some moves with each other. And it was a strategy that has worked for him and Pikachu ever since their earlier days. Pikachu utilized the hyper-fast energy of Quick Attack around his body while his tail was stuck to the ground. Powerful Ultrasonic Vibrations were emerging because of this, making Pikachu's body shake violently. These vibrations involved shockwaves and wind pressures so fierce that Pikachu gained an aura of sound.

"H-Haw!" Hawlucha still managed to crash into Pikachu, but there was a catch. The moment it came into contact with the Mouse Pokemon, it was the one who went flying, bewildered and perplexed by what just happened. Pikachu only got on all fours, not flying back at all but still receiving damage.

"What?!" Bea roared in shock and amazement.

"In a stunning turn of events, Pikachu shook off the Sky Attack that finished Sirfetch'd off!" The announcer exclaimed.

"W-What did he just do?" Rarity questioned as she and her friends were all confused by what Ash and Pikachu just pulled off.

"Ultrasonic Vibrations. He used Quick Attack's speed while his tail was in the ground. That way, he took less damage from Sky Attack and dealt even more damage in return." Twilight answered.

"You astonish me. Trainer of Lucario." Bea said. "Are you always using moves like these?"

"I just come up with stuff when I'm battling someone!" Ash laughed. "My head heats up and explodes with ideas! It practically goes boom! Ya know what I mean?" Ash raised his arms, expressing his wild imagination and how he uses that in a battle to really amaze his opponents.

"Without any planning?" Bea closed her eyes, respecting Ash's way of battling. "You impress me with these improvised tactics. But your Pikachu impresses me even more by pulling them off. I can see why Nessa is so determined to try and defeat you. Unfortunately, it shall be me that defeats you here and now and this victory will certainly grant me great insights. Hawlucha! High Jump Kick!"

"Hawlu!" Hawlucha came in at full force, running off the ground, leaving sparks from the sheer power and speed it was moving at, preparing for a rather hefty and staggering High Jump Kick.

"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaa...Chuuu!" However, by staying in one spot, Pikachu's whole body would be enveloped in a golden aura. With all of his might, he zapped Hawlucha with Thunderbolt at a close distance, managing to outspeed the Wrestling Pokemon this time with how instant the attack was.

"Cha...Chaaaaaaaa!" Hawlucha screamed after receiving the fierce Thunderbolt which occupied its entire body. A super-effective blow once it hits its mark, bringing out a powerful outburst as the Fighting-Flying-Type dropped to the ground, sliding on it. And it stayed there for a while, prompting the Rotomdrone to fly over. "Hawlucha..." Hawlucha had fainted.

"Hawlucha is unable to battle! Pikachu wins!"

"Yeahaha! We did it, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed with joy.

"Pika!"

"Yes!" Twilight thrust her hooves into the air as all of her friends cheered. Ash tied it up already as he and Bea were now down to two Pokemon each.

"Return to me, Hawlucha," Bea recalled her Hawlucha, already having the next Poke Ball out, launching it. "Grapploct! I need your help!"

"Grapploct!"

"Pikachu. Can you keep going?" Ash asked his tried and true partner if he could keep this up some more.

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, choosing to stay in this. Grapploct was a tough wall to overcome as proven by Ash and Bea's last two battles. But one thing was for sure. The way to defeat this Pokemon was by wearing it down. Pikachu would have to do just that as he was also hoping to defeat the Tantrum Pokemon. And at the start of this battle, he already did so for a bit.

"Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Starting off strong was a Quick Attack, allowing Pikachu to move at blinding speeds.

"Octolock!" 

"Grapp!" Grapploct prepared to grab Pikachu, only for Pikachu's speed to win it out, smashing into Grapploct's head. A direct hit from Pikachu's Quick Attack, but that was only used to Grapploct's advantage. The Tantrum Pokemon opened its eyes, using its tentacles to grab Pikachu who was above him after he pulled off Quick Attack. "Loct!"

"Pika?!" Pikachu was now trapped within Grapploct's mighty tentacles.

"Not again!" Goh grimaced. "How come it always manages to catch its opponents so easily!?"

"You won't get out so easily this time!" Bea narrowed his eyes with intensity.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaa...Chuuu!"That wouldn't stop Pikachu from trying. Lightning began flaring from his red sacs, attempting to burst out, only for Grapploct to tighten his grip some more. By doing so, the Thunderbolt fizzled out, unable to exit Pikachu's body.

"Grapploct's grip is too strong it seems! Thunderbolt can't be released!" The announcer shouted.

"Pikachu can't do much against this like how Lucario had to deal with it when he was a Lucario. That Octolock is an ugly move to deal with." Rainbow Dash commented.

"No good, huh? Pikachu! Struggling won't work! Relax all your muscles and give in to Grapploct!" Ash opted for a calmer approach. A similar approach that Lucario used when he battled Grapploct for a second time.

"Pika? PIka..." Pikachu would do just that, recalling what Lucario pulled off once.

"That won't work! Close Combat!" However, Bea was already expecting this ever since their previous battle.

"Loct!" The Tantrum Pokemon suddenly threw Pikachu into the air, surprising him. Pikachu gasped while in the air, unable to relax his muscles this way as Grapploct interrupted him before that could ever happen.

"P-Pika?!"

"Grapp! Loct-Loct-Loct!" With Pikachu descending, Grapploct would start unleashing a barrage of high-speed and powerful strikes at the Mouse Pokemon, knocking him across the arena with each strike. These fierce strikes were then finished with one more hit that sent Pikachu flying.

"PIkaa...!" Pikachu would roll on the ground like a ball, attempting to recover on his feet. Alas, he failed to do so with how fast he was rolling back. Thus, Pikachu would fall over with his eyes closed.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! Grapploct wins!" With the Rotom Drone making the call, Ash was now down to just one Pokemon. His Lucario.

"Darn. Bea saw right through it ever since their last battle." Fluttershy pouted. "He could've broken through that way."

"At least he wore him down," said Goh. "All that's left is Lucario but he's taken a lot of punishment previously."

"You did great. Thanks." Ash went over to pick up Pikachu, gently placing his partner down to rest, away from the arena. "Yeah. Bea really is strong. But..." Ash would then look over at the booth where Leon was. "We're gonna win this!" Looking at Leon gave Ash the spirit to try and win this, just so that he could face Leon one day. "Lucario! I choose you!"

"Lucario!" Back into the fray was Lucario. His final Pokemon.

"I won't settle for a draw again, Grapploct. Be careful." Bea said to Grapploct knowing how much of a threat Lucario was.

"If this drags on, Lucario won't have any strength left to face Machamp." Ash thought to himself before narrowing his eyes. "We'll finish this in one blow!" Ash was determined to finish Grapploct off as soon as possible as the two Fighting-Types were slowly walking up to each other.

"It's a staring match between the two sides." said the Commentator. "Which one will make the first move?!"

"Liquidation!"

"Grapploct!" Grapploct went first, lunging in with sharp water blades on each of its tentacles while Lucario just stood there. However, it was a matter of patience. In his paw, he had a spark of Aura appear as Ash found an opportunity.

"Aura Sphere!" With all of his might, he clenched his fist, synergizing with Lucario in this instance.

"Luca!" From that same paw on the right, Lucario's Aura Sphere appeared. He threw it with just one arm as this Aura Sphere had greater power than the previous ones, crashing into the blades with its wide size. A violent clash occurred, sending blue lightning from the collision.

"G-Grapp...!" Grapploct put its all into this attack trying to pierce through the azure-coloured sphere with its water blades.

"Rrrr...! Caaaa!" But Lucario overpowered it, enlarging the Aura. The Aura Sphere obliterated the Liquidation, smashing into Grapploct's chest. The Tantrum Pokemon gasped as it was rocketed into the air by the attack. It was like a shooting star had struck its body from how dazzling this Aura appeared, even making an azure shockwave in the shape of a ring.

"Grapploct..." Grapploct had fainted as Lucario avenged Pikachu, finishing this battle in just one strike.

"Grapploct is unable to battle! Lucario wins!"

"Just one hit?! Amazing!" Pinkie Pie bellowed as a thunderous cheer resounded across the arena. Ash had now tied things up once more.

"He finally beat Grapploct! It's just Lucario and Machamp now! You've got this, Ash!" Applejack roared.

"Rio!" Delta Riolu would cheer alongside her, giving all of his support to his Sinnohan Variant.

"This is the last stretch then." said Twilight. "That breathtaking exchange was something else but it all comes down to this. And I think Mega Evolution and Dynamax will decide it. And the future of the Ataxia too."

"I give you my thanks, Grapploct." Bea returned her Grapploct. At this point, she knew that it was coming down to the wire with how quickly Ash equalized things. He seemed to be an expert in always catching up to his opponents. "It's time to dig in our heels! I'll give this everything I've got! So, I ask for your aid, Machamp!"

"Machamp!" Machamp was sent out as her final Pokemon. It was now a final confrontation between Fighting-Types.

"It all comes down to this!" The announcer bellowed. "Both Lucario and Machamp have taken heavy damage so far, so any staggering hit could do either one in."

"Hm." Ash then held his arm up, suddenly showing his Mega Stone within his glove. Lucario would look back as Ash was waiting for Lucario's input. It was all a matter of what Lucario thought.

"Rrr." And with a nod, Lucario approved. Now was the time to finally use it. Mega Evolution was imminent. And Bea had a similar thought, suddenly returning her Machamp. The time for Dynamax was also imminent since this was the final stretch. A smile met Bea's face as her hand tightened on the Poke Ball.

"I can't recall the last time a battle made me so excited." Bea was enjoying herself. Truly. It seemed that Ash was the only one who managed to make her feel this exciting rush of a battle. The way he was on par with her, keeping up with her every move. That kind of battle is what she thrived for, what most Fighting-Type specialists thrive for. A fair battle with both trainers on par with each other. 

She thought back to her battle with Korrina, Red and other trainers. She was either too stoic to truly enjoy the battle with how easily she defeated them like with Korrina or even too gutted when she was the one being absolutely destroyed like how she battled Red once.

But with Ash, it was in the middle. And that is what she loved. "Fine then! Let's destroy everything!" Excited and finally deciding to use everything she had, her Dynamax Band would glow, enveloping the Poke Ball in its light. "Ash! Your skill is truly worthy of respect! Machamp! Gigantamax!"

With the skies above turning purple, the Dynamax energy would appear once more, forming a dark cloud. Purple lightning would crash into the ground as emerging from it was a super-sized Machamp who kept growing and growing, taking on a slightly new form. And with overwhelming power and ferocity, the Gigantamaxed form of Machamp had arrived.

"MACHAMP!" With a roar so strong it made a mini-tornado, the full power of Bea's Machamp had been unleashed as Ash was deemed worthy of such a power.

"Prepare yourself, Ketchum!" At last, she called him by his name. Well, his last name at least as she put on a fighting pose. And syncing with Bea, Machamp would pull off that same pose, causing an earthquake in the process.

"It's been a while since we've seen that...Why does Bea's look somehow bigger than Big Mac's..." Applejack gulped at the sheer size of this form. Everyone was in awe at this juggernaut of a Pokemon which was already outrageously strong in her normal form.

"Oh, I'm always ready! Let's go, Lucario!" Showing no fear in the face of this Titanic Enemy, Ash tapped into the Key Stone.

"Luca!"

"The bond between us..." By tapping into the stone, the Infinity Energy would begin pouring out. "Let's finish this! Mega Evolve!"

"Lucaaaaa!" Lucario found himself encased in a beautiful azure light as the Lucarionite would show itself, leaving his body and appearing in front of him. His roar was so powerful it caused an echo that overpowered the crashing thunder above as the two energies from the stones clashed with each other.

Enveloping in a majestic Aura, Lucario undertook a transformation while letting his power absolutely explode. It felt like something massive, even bigger than Gigantamax Machamp was approaching. And dispersing the energy and emerging from it was none other than Mega Lucario.



And the second he appeared, his Aura went flying everywhere, completely larger than what it originally was. It was as if a tornado or hurricane or Aura had entered the arena, threatening to destroy everything around it. The waves even went far enough to reach Machamp, who looked unphased by this.

"There it is! Mega Lucario!" The announcer and everyone else went wild after the appearance of this Mega-Evolved Aura Pokemon. "It's Mega Evolution vs Gigantamax!"

"I can feel it..." Ash felt the change. The moment he used Mega Evolution, something within him felt different. The energy from Mega Evolution connected with his Aura, specifically the Ataxia. Ash's hands trembled as he then clenched them, putting on a wide grin. "Oh yeah! I can finally cut loose without worrying about anything! Thanks, Bertha! Now, Lucario! Aura Sphere!"

"Lu...CA!" Lucario raised his hands, suddenly creating a gigantic Aura Sphere larger than anything he had made so far. His Aura was exploding with such ferocity that he could gather this much power in an instant.

"Max Steelspike!"

"CHAMP!" Gigantamax Machamp struck the ground with an equal amount of force, creating a series of jagged grey spikes that extended forward, approaching the Aura Pokemon.

"RRR!" Lucario would then launch the super-sized Aura Sphere as it crashed against the steel, summoning a violent blue explosion as they equalized. The powers of Gigantamax and Mega Evolution collided in a truly destructive way, making the barriers of the stadium react, attempting to protect everyone. 

"Geez!" Twilight and her friends all had their manes flow from the force that came this way. Even with the barrier, it could still be felt from here. "C-Can Ash tone it down a bit!"

"It's a bit too late for that!" Korrina held onto her helmet from this pressure. "He can feel it! The Ataxia isn't burdening him anymore. Now he can go all out as much as he wants!"

"Force Palm, let's go!"

"CA!" Lucario would suddenly leap through the smoke that came from this destructive explosion, appearing in the air close to Gigantamax Machamp.

"Max Strike!"

"MACHAMP!" Immediately, Gigantamax Machamp stomped the ground with one of her feet, creating glowing cracks on the ground underneath Lucario. A burst of energy then erupts from the cracks, enveloping Lucario's body before he could get a hit in.

"RRR?!" Lucario snarled after having this gigantic energy hammer into his body from below. With the attack landing, Lucario flew back.

"Lucario! Keep going with Force Palm!" Ash's Aura would pulse out of him as he was really using everything he had now that he could no longer feel the drawback of Ataxia within him.

"LUCA!" While in the air, Lucario recovered, pulling off a backflip before then leaping back into the air, going for another Force Palm. This time, without anything to stop him. Lucario still took on the offensive even after the Max Strike. He challenged the power of Force Palm, however, it did not appear in its usual orange energy.

This time, the energy was azure, much like Aura. His power was exploding so much that his raw Aura was showing in his attacks now as he thrust his arm forward. Machamp quickly put her arms up to block the attack, only to then receive a pulse of Aura so titanic that it was almost as big as her. Everyone was amazed by the gigantic Aura Pulse that managed to push the gigantic Machamp bach. She still managed to endure the hit.

"I-Is that even Force Palm anymore?!" Rainbow Dash was flabbergasted, putting her hooves over her head at the sight of this development. They all knew Mega Evolution would boost Lucario greatly but they never expected it to be at this level.

"You're not the only ones who can increase their power! Machamp! Increase all of your Dynamax Power!"

"MAAAA....!" Suddenly, Machamp began charging up all four of her glowing fists, building up all the energy she could to try and overpower Lucario.

"Here it comes, Lucario! Get ready!"

"Lu!"

"I'll use Karate along with my partner's move, acting as one!" Bea shouted, pulling off a pose that would soon prompt Machamp to do the same. "G-Max Chi Strike!"

"MAAAA....!" After building up enough power, Each of Gigantamax Machamp's fists becomes surrounded in an orange fist-shaped energy as she then thrust them forward. Afterwards, Machamp's muscles expanded in size as she was going attempting to pinpoint and hit the Lucario's weak spots more easily. Lucario stood tall in the face of this overwhelming attack, fearless while some were quaking at it. 

"That move's the entire reason Bea and Machamp have been on a roll!" Korrina exclaimed.

"That looks like it'll hurt no matter what! Get out of there, Lucario!" Pinkie Pie yelled, fearing that this attack might be too much for Lucario. Many agreed as it was truly overwhelming, bringing wind pressures in every direction.

"Rrrr!" However, Lucario would simply block it instead. The ground beneath him would crack with chunks of the arena floor flying up thanks to the sheer power of this G-Max attack.

"Hold on, Lucario!" Ash shouted as Lucario was hanging in there, blocking with all of his might while the arena was being obliterated by Machamp's full power. 

The sparks of energy would fly everywhere, tearing the ground apart and going along with the thunder that was booming above. It felt like the entire Gym and Stow-on-Side were on the verge of destruction. Soon, everyone squinted their eyes as a blinding light enveloped the entire arena with the echoes of Lucario and Machamp's cries going through. 

Lo and behold, Lucario blocked it successfully. None of his weak spots had been struck. "He withstood the attack? I don't believe it..." A stunned Bea spoke before putting on a smile.

"Jump, Lucario!"

"Luca!" After blocking the attack, Lucario would enter the skies once more. And with this mighty leap, he landed right on Machamp's massive fist since she was still pulling off the pose for G-Max Chi Strike, amazed that Lucario took it without a scratch on him. Lucario swiftly ran up Machamp's massive body, targeting her face. Machamp would raise one of her arms, trying to hit Lucario off. "Ca!" However, Lucario would lunge off her arm, evading the slap that was coming.

"Aura Sphere!"

"RRR!" With a fierce dash, Lucario summoned an Aura Sphere right in front of Machamp's massive face, increasing its size once more. With all his might, Lucario would then lob the sphere as it smashed into the Superpower Pokemon's head. With that collision, the sphere blew up, knocking Machamp back.

It didn't just knock her back, the explosion made her fall slowly to the ground. With his own pure power, Lucario managed to push down a giant, causing a tremendous earthquake that was held back by the barriers. Usually, Dynamaxed Pokemon can only make this possible but that wasn't the case for this battle. And with this, all three opportunities with Gigantamax had been used. Time was up as the energy would start leaving Machamp's body.

"C-Champ?" Machamp, completely bewildered, was back to her normal form, but not out of the battle just yet.

"Splendid! He took down that giant!" Rarity said with joy in her heart.

"It's not over yet though," said Korrina. "This is where things get scary."

"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked as her friends all looked back at the battle, wondering just what Korrina meant by that. They would soon see for themselves once Machamp got back up rather quickly despite that powerful knockdown.

"Machamp!" Suddenly, Machamp had the energy of G-Max Chi-Strike in her fists.

"No way! It carried back the enhanced power of that enhanced power into its normal size?! That can happen?!" A stunned Twilight shouted.

"Rush in, Lucario!"

"LU!" Lucario would run in. And with each step, he unleashed a pulse of Aura which would soon engulf his whole body.

"Right now, Machamp can strike critical points with unmatched accuracy!" Bea explained.

"Champ!" Machamp's pupils suddenly shrunk when eyeing down Lucario. With this gathered energy, she eyed down the Aura Pokemon, searching for his weak points once more. And with this boost, there was a chance she would land a successful hit this time.

"Bullet Punch!"

"Machamp! Machamp!" Machamp threw her fists as fast as she could, targeting Lucario's weak points. Over 1,000 Punches were thrown at blinding speeds, backing up Machamp's Pokedex entry for everyone to see. However, even with this ludicrous speed, Lucario would lunge in with all of his Aura exploding from his body.

"Lucario!" Ash then synced up with Lucario to the point where they had the same movements. He held onto his right arm with all his might, prompting Lucario to do the same. All of the Aura from his body would gather into one point, allowing Ash to go beyond what was previously holding him back. "Force Palm! GO!"

"LUCA!" Lucario and Ash both thrust their arms forward, clashing with the fierce fists of the Superpower Pokemon. An air-splitting clash ensued, sending hundreds of sparks flowing from the collision. Lucario's Aura acted as a shield while his Force Palm attempted to break through. Machamp gasped as she could see the visage of Ash appearing with Lucario. It was as if she was battling both of them at the same time.

It was unbelievable that she was feeling this much pressure. Without the boundaries of Delayed Aura Ataxia, everything that Ash was holding back ever since he passed out, all the strength he had to conserve could finally be unleashed. And it shows just how much he was keeping back for the well-being of himself and his friends' concerns. Machamp was the one who felt all of that strength as Lucario's paw was beginning to push through. A white light would emerge from his paw, different from the azure aura he was letting out. The light would then fly out, striking each of Machamp's fists

"Oh! It's Steel Beam!" Leon recognized this attack. In this burst of strength, Lucario had learned Steel Beam, completely overpowering the Superpower Pokemon. The attack then struck Machamp's chest after breaking through all of those attacks. 

The attack erupted to such a level that it blew a hole in the Gym, ignoring the barriers completely but thankfully, it missed the crowd. It was a truly devasting blow. The crowd was left in awe by what they just witnessed. Some of them felt their lives flash before their eyes with how destructive this battle turned out. 

"L-Lu...!" Lucario growled, landing on his feet after that fierce clash.

"M-Machamp...?" Machamp tried to get back up, looking over at Lucario. The Aura Pokemon snarled, ready for more action if Machamp was willing. "Machamp..." But she wasn't. Machamp used up all of her strength, falling flat on her face to the ruined ground. She had fainted.

"Machamp is unable to battle! Lucario wins! Thus, the victor of this Ultra Class Battle is Challenger Ash!" From the words of the Rotom Drone, it had been decided. The fierce battle was over and it was truly awe-inspiring for everyone. From start to finish this battle was a ride and it had an explosive end to it. Literally.

"Hah..." Ash sighed before falling on his knee. "W-We won...We won. And I don't feel that hurt at all!" With a smile meeting his face, Delayed Aura Ataxia was not felt for a moment. Ash felt like himself once more. Granted, he was tired but that was just natural after the intense battle he just had. "Alright! You rock, Lucario!"

"Rrr." Afterwards, Lucario would revert to his original state as that was the end of Mega Evolution. It left him winded, making his body wobbly as Ash quickly rushed to his side. He then caught Lucario before he could fall over.

"Are you alright, Lucario?!"

"Luca." Lucario would be fine. A bit bewildered but fine.

"You guys are awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with all of Ash's friends and the crowd cheering and applauding this battle.

"Not a sign of Ataxia in sight! You love to see it!" Pinkie Pie was glad that Ataxia wasn't present at all. Just like what Bertha, Ilene and Gurkinn said. Mega Evolution was the key.

"Based on this battle's results, the Pokemon World Championships Rankings will be updated." said the Rotom Drone.

"Challenger Ash emerges victorious over Challenger Bea and shall now rise to the 36th spot in the Ultra Class!" The announcer announced, revealing Ash's ranking on screen. He received a massive ranking boost because of this battle and it was indeed worth it.

"He actually beat Bea?" Korrina spoke with amazement while the rest of her friends were celebrating, jumping and hugging each other for Ash's stunning victory. "Just how strong are you gonna get, Ash?"

"Machamp. That was a good battle." Bea helped Machamp up. "You have my gratitude."

Then, Leon would join in with the applause that resounded across the arena, truly loving this battle. "Man. I wish I could've seen more." He loved it so much that he wished to see more of it. He even wished he wasn't slightly late so that he could've witnessed the very beginning.



Nightfall.

Eventually, nightfall would come and everyone would've gone home except for Ash and his friends, who were outside of the Gym. Ash and Pokemon had their Pokemon healed up already.

"Ash! You seriously don't feel it anymore?!" Pinkie Pie asked, bringing up Delayed Aura Ataxia.

"Not a sign of Ataxia anywhere. I'm better than ever." Ash nodded. "You won't see me passing out anymore, that's for sure."

"That was pretty explosive though. I didn't think you were keeping that much Aura in you. You could've destroyed the arena and the barriers, you know?" Twilight uttered.

"My bad. I was so psyched with what I was feeling, that's all. Plus Leon was watching so I had to give it my all and get fired up like that. But I wish he stayed around a bit longer."

"Ash." Bea walked up to him. "During our bout today, I realized my heart was dancing. You're the best opponent I've ever had the respect to battle with. And for that...I wish you the best of luck in the future battles of this tournament." She held her fist out.

"Yeah." Following that, Ash would reply, giving a fist bump to Bea.

"I won't be throwing in the towel though. Someday, let's battle again, Ash. Even if you are out of my reach." Bea requested.

"You got it. Come by to SugarCube Corner and I'll be waiting for another chance to throw down with you."

"Mhm. But I still wish to eat that cake of yours again. It was just as wonderful as this battle. And I wish I didn't have to travel such a distance to Equestria now."

"No need to worry. I'll promise this. We'll try and find a way to bring back those gateways for everyone. Count on it."

"Pikachu!"

Ash and Bea's Ultra Classh Battle came to a close with Ash emerging as the victor. And in return, Delayed Aura Ataxia had been nullified at last. But the path of Champion Leon remains a long one with many more fierce opponents down the road waiting for him.

As the journey continues.


Chapter 96 End.