JN112: Difference between revisions

[[File:Ash Goh Chloe.png|thumb|left|250px|Ash, Goh, and Chloe in Alola]]

Following {{an|Lillie}}'s [[JN111|family reunion]] at the [[Crown Tundra]], {{Ash}}, [[Goh]], and [[Chloe]] have joined the [[Aether Foundation|Aether]] family on a journey back to [[Alola]], with Chloe being excited to visit the [[region]] for the first time. They arrive on [[Melemele Island]], where {{an|Mallow}}'s family has organized a big feast to celebrate [[Mohn]]'s homecoming. Lillie is overjoyed to meet {{ashcl|her classmates}} again, while [[Hobbes]], {{an|Faba}}, and [[Wicke]] are shedding tears for seeing Mohn return home safe and sound. While everyone and their Pokémon feast, [[Chloe's Eevee]] meets {{an|Lana}}'s {{p|Eevee}}, [[Sandy]], and they quickly befriend each other. Chloe goes over to Lana to talk about Sandy, telling her how she and her Eevee have met many of [[Eeveelution|Eevee's evolutions]], but are still unsure which of them she should choose. Lana tells Chloe that there's also one more possible path to consider: not [[Evolution|evolving]] Eevee at all, similar to how [[Ash's Pikachu]] has chosen not to evolve. Meanwhile, Goh notices the absence of {{an|Kiawe}}, which is explained to be due to him having gone off to {{pkmn|training|train}} at [[Wela Volcano Park|Wela Volcano]] as soon as he had heard that Ash was coming back to Alola. Ash's classmates also reveal that they watched his [[World Coronation Series]] [[JN109|entrance battle]] against [[Raihan]], since he's the [[Alola League]] {{pkmn|Champion}}. While the conversation continues, {{an|Gladion}} wanders into the nearby woods to do some training of his own.

Once the feast is over, Ash, Goh, and Chloe gather at {{an|Professor Kukui}}'s house, where they learn that there's going to be a [[Battle Royal]] at the [[Battle Royal Dome]] the next day. While Kukui wants to keep Ash's opponents a secret, he does reveal that he is one of them. Ash asks if Kukui if he'll be appearing as the Masked Royal, but while Kukui briefly agrees to put on his costume, he makes it clear that he'll be facing Ash as himself, since Ash is the Alola League Champion and therefore the star of the show. Eager for what's to come, Ash invites his Pokémon to do some training.

With the ring of a bell, the Battle Royal is underway. Ash and Pikachu immediately find themselves under a relentless assault as all of his opponents target Pikachu with their attacks, an example of how in a Battle Royal, anyone can target anybody. A second volley of attacks is launched at Pikachu in the form of Lillie's {{m|Meteor Beam}}, Marowak's {{m|Flare Blitz}}, and Incineroar's {{m|Darkest Lariat}}, but Pikachu manages to evade them all by using {{m|Quick Attack}}, utilizing his great {{stat|Speed}} to his advantage. A third wave of attacks is likewise evaded, with Pikachu even managing to knock Incineroar off-balance with {{m|Iron Tail}}. Kukui notes that Ash has gotten stronger, but Kiawe and Gladion assure that so have they. Pikachu counters the next barrage with a {{m|Thunderbolt}}, following up with an {{m|Electroweb}}. While Incineroar briefly gets trapped in it due to {{m|Blast Burn}}'s [[recharge]] period, it quickly escapes from it with a {{m|Throat Chop}}, meeting Pikachu's flurry of Iron Tails with its own rapid-fire attacks, until they're forced apart by Lillie's Meteor Beam.

For the first time in the match, Kiawe targets someone else than Ash, having Marowak attack Lillie with {{m|Shadow Bone}} while swearing to be the one to defeat Ash. Gladion responds with the same vow and has Lillie attack Marowak with {{m|Venoshock}}. Marowak avoids the attack and strikes back with {{m|Iron Head}}, taking Gladion's [[Ultra Beast]] out of the fight. Despite this loss, though, Mohn and {{an|Lusamine}} are still proud of their son as they watch him from the audience. Kiawe then turns his attention back to Ash and declares that he'll be going all out, starting to perform his [[Z-Move]] poses with Marowak. As Marowak's {{m|Inferno Overdrive}} goes off, Ash has Pikachu use Thunderbolt to propel himself upwards, successfully evading the Z-Move. At that moment, Kukui and Incineroar reenter the fray with another Darkest Lariat, which hits both Pikachu and Marowak, taking the latter out of the match.