And Tetsuya's lineup is: Sceptile, Shiftry, Hariyama, Donphan, Meowth, Metagross.
The battle was extremely intense, and at the last moment, Ash was only left with a weakened Slaking and Pikachu, while Tetsuya still had a Meowth wearing boots.
That Meowth was incredibly strong and defeated Pikachu with Fury Swipes, forcing Ash to send out the weakened Slaking.
Perhaps it was Ash's fighting spirit and unwavering determination that inspired Slaking, or perhaps it just didn't want to lose the match.
During the battle, Slaking unexpectedly stood up and unleashed its full strength. After a fierce fight, it finally used Body Slam to defeat Meowth and successfully advanced to the top four.
In the semifinals, Ash also narrowly won, but in the final, he lost to a Trainer with a Gengar.
Looking at the screen showing the fallen Pikachu, Naoki felt regret:
"Tsk, such a pity, otherwise Ash could have won the championship this year."
But being the runner-up is already quite an achievement. If Ash can use the same lineup in next year's Lily of the Valley Conference in the Sinnoh Region, he might achieve even better results.
However, Ash still maintains the habit of capturing new Pokemon and training them whenever he arrives in a new region...
Moreover, with black horses frequently emerging in the Lily of the Valley Conference, Ash's Pokemon, trained for less than a year, would have no chance against Tobias with Legendary Beasts.
If it were him, he would probably bring out his strongest Pokemon to battle.
Pikachu, Charizard, Sceptile...
It's just a shame that Greninja and Infernape hadn't joined at this time.
But maybe that's just Ash?
*
Year 200 of the League, November 20, winter.
In the coldest months of winter, all is silent.
Wild Pokemon hibernate, staying indoors, except for some Ice Type Pokemon, others are hardly active outside.
Due to the difficulty of finding food in winter, they try to minimize energy consumption, relying on stored energy to get through the cold winter.
And on such a day.
Groudon and Kyogre, slumbering on the World Tree, awoke.
Due to the abundance of Natural Energy, these two Super Ancient Pokemon reverted to their original forms, transforming into Primal Reversion Form.
Sensing the peak power within them, Groudon and Kyogre brimmed with confidence; one marched out of the volcano, and the other surfaced from the sea, howling to the sky, each wanting to teach the other a lesson.
Thus, Groudon left its volcanic habitat, and Kyogre quickly moved towards Groudon, sensing its presence.
However, when they arrived at the "meeting" point, they saw Naoki waiting there with Rayquaza, Mewtwo, Koraidon, Ho-oh, Giratina, and Calyrex.
Groudon:!!!
Kyogre:!!!
Looking at the two arch-enemies below, Naoki felt his determination harden, his fists clenched!
"Want to fight, huh?" Naoki grinned, a hint of a cruel smile on his face.
Groudon and Kyogre glanced at the terrifying presence behind him, instinctively taking a step back.
The Dragonites on Dragonite Island were drawn by the scene, curiously surrounding and becoming spectators.
"Remember what I said before? If you fight, you'll be expelled. It seems you didn't take my words to heart!" Naoki said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.