Chapter 85 - 44 - One of Ash's Rivals

After that nostalgic battle, Ash went out to buy some food and drinks while his group take a little rest in their rooms, so they could recharge their energy. But in the same time, one of Ash's rivals from Ash's past was resting after arriving from Unova. That rival was a bit mean, unlike most of Ash's rivals like Alain.

By 11:05 a.m., Ash came back from a store with a paper bag of groceries and entered the second floor of the Pokémon Center with his Pikachu.

"I think they're now hungry when we arrive there," Ash said to Pikachu in positivity. His Pikachu then responded happily, as if to say "Yup!" But, while walking towards his and Serena's room, one of his rivals from his past, Trip, suddenly came out of his room, and about to go out, only to stumble towards Ash and Pikachu. Of course in response, Ash stopped walking and looked at him seriously, as if they were rivals.

"Ash..." Trip greeted him with cold.

"Trip..." Ash greeted him back. They then produced a spark of rivalry as Pikachu looked surprised by it and Ash hold his groceries firmly in his arm.

This continues for a while, until Rico come out of his room, asking, "What is going on here? What's all that-" his sentence was cut off when he saw Ash and Trip rivaling to each other. Perplexed and Puzzled by this, Rico pointed his finger towards them and asked, "What's going on here?" Breaking the spark, Ash handed him the groceries and answered seriously, "This is Trip. He's my rival from the Unova region. We had been rivals for a long time." And as Rico froze in confusion, Iris and Serena came out of their rooms, asking what is the noise, only to be surprised by Ash's encounter with Trip.

"Trip?" Iris asked Trip, as if she knows him very well. "What are you doing here?"

"Ash, what are you doing?" Serena asked Ash.

"Are you pitching with a stranger?" she continued. Snapping out, Rico responded in surprise, "They were both rivals for a long time."

"Rivals?" Serena retorted.

"Yes, they were," Iris, who had snapped out and turned to her approval-like attitude, replied as she crossed her arms. Her Axew then responded with agreement. The spark of rivalry lasted for a minute, and then they break it in snapping out, but with serious attitudes.

"Ash, let's have a battle," Trip seriously told him. "Let's see how strong you are."

"Heh, I am now," Ash replied with full confidence, "with new Pokémon you never know."

Later at the forest outside of Viridian City, in the fields, Ash and Trip have a Pokémon battle. Their Pokémon are: Greninja and Serperior; it's a one-on-one battle, with Ash's group watching them from under a tree, except Iris and Axew are on tree branch for a better view.

"You're going to lose, Ash," Trip said to Ash in style. His Serperior then responded with seriousness.

"Try it, Trip, I had trained up for a long time," Ash responded in style. His Greninja then responded seriously.

"Oh, man, this gonna be awesome," Rico thought in expectation.

"I hoped Ash will win," Serena thought in concern.

"I think Ash will win," Iris thought, "after all, his Pokémon are strong and powerful."

Then, as the sun rises to the center of the day, the battle had began.

"Serperior, use Solar Beam!" Trip commanded Serperior in serious coolness. Serperior then use Solar Beam, absorbing sunlight, and then fire it as a beam towards Greninja.

"Dodge it, Greninja!" Ash commanded Greninja quickly. Greninja then dodged Serperior's attack in ninja speed, shocking Trip.

"What?" Trip commented in shock. "It's so fast?"

"Yes, Greninja is a Ninja Pokémon," Ash explosion about his Pokémon in coolness. This causes Trip to growl a bit in stress, thinking that Ash was stronger than him.

"Oh, yeah, Ash, you think?" he retorted seriously. "Serperior, use Dragon Tail!" Serperior then used Dragon Tail, its tail glows light blue and it hits Greninja with it. But Greninja dodged it immediately with effect.

"You think your Water-type will defeat me?" Trip retorted in style. "Bring it!"

"But, there's one thing you didn't know," Ash replied in style.

"What?" Trip retorted. Then, Ash shewed him his power with Greninja; Ash and Greninja both connected, and the swirling water covers Greninja to complete the form, and the swirling water form a big shuriken in its back, completing the form. Both it and Ash had the same stance, with no imperfections and 100 percent accurate. This stuns both sides.

"What the...?" Trip commented in shock. "That's different from a normal Greninja!" Serperior then responded with shock.

"What in the son of the Blaziken is that?" Rico asked in shock and surprise.

"Wow, that's new!" Iris added a comment in surprise. Her Axew then responded with surprise. But Serena look at the scene normally and in positivity, crossing her arms.

"That's Ash-Greninja," she explained. "A trainer form that combines the bond between Pokémon and Trainer into one. It's quite powerful and requires a lot of bond to do this." But Trip didn't care if Ash-Greninja was stronger than him, retorting instead, "Heh, I don't care about that. I'm stronger than you." Then to Serperior seriously, "Serperior, use Solar Beam, again!" Serperior then used Solar Beam, absorbing sunlight and then fire it as a beam towards Ash-Greninja. But, due to the bond, Ash and Greninja dodged it simultaneously and quickly, stunning Trip.

"What? In the same time?" he commented in shock.

"Yes," Serena answered his question, "due to their bond, they moved in the same time."

"Woah, that's amazing," Iris made a comment in amazed-stunning.

"If me and Lucario had a very strong bond," Rico made a wish in mind, "then I would unlock that awesome form."

Back at the battle, Ash commanded Greninja, "Greninja, use Aerial Ace!" Greninja then used Aerial Ace, its arms and legs glow light-blue and it hits Serperior with them, striking Serperior with great power.

"Aerial Ace?" Trip retorted in shock. "A Flying-type move?"

"Yes, that's right, Trip," Ash responded with style. This irritates the rival, commanding Serperior, "Serperior, use Dragon Tail, again!" Rising up from Greninja's attacks, Serperior quickly used Dragon Tail, glowing its tail light blue and it strikes Greninja with it, inflicting it pain, so as Ash, due to connection and bond. In pain, Ash-Greninja almost collapsed to the ground, alerting their friends.

"What?" Rico asked in shock. "Ash's in pain!"

"Why is this?" Iris added in stunning.

"There is an effect on doing the trainer-Pokémon form," Serena seriously explained about it.

"What is it?" Rico and Iris replied in question in paying attention to her.

"When your connected Pokémon got hurt," Serena goes on in explanation, "you will be experiencing the same pain as its." Due to her warning, Rico turned his focus towards the battle, changing the perspective of doing the trainer form in his mind. But, Ash-Greninja got up in standing, even in pain, with Ash saying to Trip, "Oh, that move is strong, but mine will." Then to Greninja, "Greninja, again, use Aerial Ace!" Greninja then used Aerial Ace, its arms and legs glow light-blue and it hits Serperior with them, striking it effectively with advantage. Serperior was weakened to the ground in so much pain.

"Serperior, no..." Trip commented in stunned alert. While Trip is about to command a move, Ash commanded Greninja immediately, "Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" Greninja then jumped high and used Water Shuriken forming a shuriken of water in its hand. It then tosses the shuriken at Serperior, striking it with power, even it is a disadvantage. The attack had ultimately defeated Serperior. Greninja then landed back to the ground in action and reverted back to its original form. Serperior was defeated with fainting and Ash won the battle, as indicated by the ringing of Rico's little bell.

"Wow, Ash won," Serena commented in positive amazement.

"I can't believe a Water-type would beat a Grass-type," Iris added in amazement. Her Axew then responded with amazement. Calling his Serperior back without any contempt, Trip seriously commented, "You win this time, Ash, but the next time, I will." He then put Serperior's Poké Ball in his Pokébelt, turned around, and walked away back to the city.

"Wow, you won, Ash," Rico said to Ash in positive amazement.

"Yup, I really proved him," Ash replied brightly.