Ash's Story (Part 6: Unova)

Chapter 83: Rival Force

The morning of the Top 16 felt sharper than the rounds before it.

By now, the Unova League was no longer only a stadium full of names and lights. It had started removing people from the bracket, one battle at a time. Trip had already left. Bianca and Rosa were watching from the stands instead of preparing in the competitor area. Every match now carried the weight of another road ending.

Stephan waited across the preparation hall with his arms folded and a grin that looked impossible to shake.

He saw me looking and lifted one fist. "Man, am I ready to rock, Ash. Today, I am not holding anything back!"

I smiled, feeling the same fire rise inside me. "I would not want you to."

Stephan's confidence was loud, but it was never empty. Ever since I met him, he had battled with a direct force that made every clash feel honest. He complained when people said his name wrong, he trained hard, and he trusted his Pokémon with everything he had.

That made him dangerous in this battle.

Golly stood near the entrance with her usual controlled focus. "Stephan's style favors pressure, direct commitment, and punishing hesitation. Do not mistake volume for lack of planning."

Cilan nodded with dramatic seriousness. "A bold flavor can still have layered seasoning. Stephan's battle style is spicy, heavy, and surprisingly precise."

Iris grinned from the side. "That means Ash had better not just yell louder than him."

Alice stepped closer and brushed her fingers against mine. "You already know Stephan will hit hard. Save your strength for the part he thinks he has solved."

I thought of Krookodile's Poké Ball and the plan I had been carrying since I saw the bracket. "That is exactly what I am going to do."

Pikachu stayed on my shoulder today, not because he wanted to battle, but because he wanted to feel the match with me. His ears twitched toward the arena entrance.

Pikachu's meaning came warm and steady. "This rival charges forward. Meet him, then turn."

I touched his head. "Right. We do not only push. We choose when to return."

The announcer called us to the field.

The crowd roared as Stephan and I stepped into the Top 16 battlefield. The stadium felt bigger now, not because the walls had changed, but because every person watching knew the battles had become serious. The winner would enter the quarterfinals. The loser would carry the League home as a lesson instead of a trophy.

The referee raised both flags. "The Top 16 battle between Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and Stephan will now begin. Each Trainer may use three Pokémon. Substitutions are allowed."

Stephan spun his first Poké Ball in his hand. "Man, am I ready to rock! Liepard, go!"

Liepard landed with a sleek stretch, eyes shining with tricky confidence.

I already had my first answer ready. "Krookodile, I choose you!"

Krookodile appeared with a heavy stomp, lowering his sunglasses as if the whole stadium had been waiting for him. He grinned at Liepard, but the grin had focus behind it.

Krookodile's meaning came rough and eager. "Fast cat. Sharp claws. Bite the trick."

"Then we start strong," I said. "Dragon Claw!"

Stephan answered immediately. "Liepard, Shadow Claw!"

Krookodile charged forward with green draconic energy around his claws. Liepard moved like a dark streak, shadow gathering around its own claws. The attacks collided in the center of the field, sending a burst of dust and sparks outward.