reborn from the Ashes

Ash's heart pounded in his chest, every fibre of his being focused on the battle at hand. "Snorlax, let's end this! Use Hyper Beam one more time!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the thundering stadium.

Snorlax roared, gathering a massive amount of energy in its mouth. The air around it crackled with power as it prepared to unleash the devastating attack. The crowd watched with bated breath, their excitement palpable.

Rex's eyes narrowed, "Mewtwo, Mirror Coat!"

The beam of light finally erupted from Snorlax, barrelling towards Mewtwo with unrelenting force, leaving a deep wound on the battlefield in its wake. The collision was blinding, the sheer intensity of the attack causing the ground to tremble.

But Mewtwo stood firm, its eyes glowing with a fierce determination. The Mirror Coat activated, reflecting the Hyper Beam's energy back at Snorlax. The stadium erupted into gasps and cheers as the reflected attack hurtled towards Snorlax with equal force.

"Snorlax, block it with Protect!" Ash yelled, his voice cutting through the chaos.

Snorlax's eyes glowed as it summoned a shimmering barrier just in time. The reflected Hyper Beam struck the barrier with a thunderous impact, creating a shockwave that sent ripples through the battlefield. The crowd was on their feet, the tension in the air electrifying.

"Snorlax, counter with Earthquake!" Ash commanded.

Snorlax slammed its massive fists into the ground, sending powerful tremors across the battlefield. The ground cracked and heaved, the shockwaves racing towards Mewtwo with incredible speed.

"Mewtwo, up!"

Mewtwo's eyes glowed with a brilliant blue light as it lifted itself above the trembling ground, evading the Earthquake with ease. The crowd roared in approval.

"Snorlax, Giga Impact!" Ash clenched his fist in front of his face.

Snorlax roared, its body glowing with a fierce light as it charged towards Mewtwo with unstoppable force. The ground shook with each step, the massive Pokémon hurtling towards its opponent like a freight train.

"Mewtwo, stop it with Psychic!" Rex countered. 'let's jump to 10% power this time' he sent telepathically.

Mewtwo raised its hand and expelled a wave of psychic energy as Snorlax approached. Instantly, the large Pokémon froze in in mid-air, a wave of gasps from the audience washing over the battlefield.

"How is this possible?" James exclaimed, now on his feet.

"Snorlax, break free and use Ice Punch!" Ash shouted, his voice filled with determination.

Snorlax struggled against the psychic hold, its massive muscles straining as it fought to break free. It was no use, Mewtwo rose into the sky and looked down at Snorlax, before flicking his wrist derisively, smashing the massive beast into the translucent barrier right in front of Ash.

"Finish it, Aura sphere!" Rex commanded.

Mewtwo raised its hand above its head, an enormous ball of energy materialised in a single second. Its size dwarfed even Snorlax as it grew larger and larger. Winds picked up as it began to spin, before Mewtwo casually dropped it.

The world darkened for a moment as the Aura Sphere, like a falling sun, slammed into Snorlax.

The stadium was silent, the tension palpable as the dust from the explosion settled. Snorlax lay motionless, embedded in the shattered remains of the battlefield. The referee raised a flag. "Snorlax is unable to battle! Mewtwo is the winner!"

The crowd erupted into a mix of cheers and gasps, the sheer power of Mewtwo leaving them in awe. James's voice cut through the noise. "Incredible! With two moves, Ash is now down to his last Pokémon!"

Ash took a deep breath, recalling Snorlax. "You did great, Snorlax. Rest now." He looked across the battlefield at Rex, determination burning in his eyes. "This isn't over yet. Go, Venusaur!"

Ash hurled the Pokéball into the air, and in a flash of light, Venusaur emerged, its massive form landing heavily on the battlefield. The crowd roared with excitement, the anticipation building to a fever pitch.

"And Ash sends out Venusaur! This battle is finally reaching its apex!" James exclaimed; his voice filled with enthusiasm. "Can Venusaur turn the tide against Mewtwo's overwhelming power and force Rex to reveal more of his mysterious team?"

Venusaur roared, its eyes locking onto Mewtwo with a fierce intensity. Rex's expression remained calm, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Venusaur, Solar Beam!" Ash commanded.

Venusaur's plant bulb began to glow, absorbing sunlight at an incredible rate. The crowd watched with bated breath as the energy built up. But before it could unleash the attack, Mewtwo was already on the move.

"Mewtwo, Teleport-Shadow Ball!" Rex called out.

In an instant, Mewtwo vanished, reappearing behind Venusaur. A ball of dark energy formed in its hands, launching towards Venusaur with unerring accuracy. The attack struck with devastating force, causing Venusaur to stagger.

"Venusaur, use Sludge Bomb!" Ash shouted, his voice filled with determination.

Venusaur managed to steady itself, launching a barrage of toxic sludge towards Mewtwo. But Mewtwo effortlessly dodged the attack, its speed and agility unmatched.

The crowd was on the edge of their seats, the intensity of the battle leaving them breathless. "Mewtwo is toying with Venusaur! This is unbelievable!" James exclaimed, his voice filled with awe.

"Venusaur, use Frenzy Plant!" Ash commanded, desperation creeping into his voice.

Venusaur's eyes glowed with a fierce light as massive, thorny roots erupted from the ground, racing towards Mewtwo. But with a simple flick of its wrist, Mewtwo stopped the attack in its tracks, the roots hanging motionless in the air.

Rex chuckled, his eyes gleaming with confidence. "Mewtwo, end this. Use Psychic."

Mewtwo's eyes glowed with an intense blue light, and a wave of psychic energy enveloped Venusaur. The massive Pokémon was lifted into the air, helpless against Mewtwo's overwhelming power. With a flick of its wrist, Mewtwo sent Venusaur crashing to the ground, the impact shaking the entire stadium.

The crowd erupted into deafening cheers, the stadium shaking with the force of their excitement. "And there it is, folks! Mewtwo's power is unmatched! Venusaur is unable to battle!" James shouted, his voice barely audible over the roaring crowd.

Ash stood across the battlefield, his face a mix of disappointment and respect. He took a deep breath and recalled Venusaur to its Pokéball, his expression softening as he spoke to his fallen Pokémon. "You did great, buddy."

The two trainers locked eyes for a moment and approached, meeting in the middle. Rex extended his hand out to the Pellet town trainer, whose progress had shocked him. Ash took it solemnly, his expression downcast.

Rex smiled softly, his other hand clasping the boy's shoulder and pulling him closer into a side hug. "You see those people?" he said, pointing at the undulating audience, their applause washing over them. "They have watched an amazing battle today. One they are not likely to forget." Ash followed his finger and looked into the stands.

He could hear people screaming out his name, voices that had been drowned out by adrenaline and focus. It all came rushing in, and he felt overwhelmed. Rex chuckled, and slapped Ash's back, causing the boy to stumble forward.

"You have pushed me more than anyone else has so far. You should be proud of your achievement. I'm sure that if it had been anyone but me, you would have won." He eyed Ash pointedly, "Including Gary." Ash's eyes widened at the mention of his rival.

Rex waved at the crowd, causing them to go even more wild. "You are an exceptional trainer. I look forward to meeting you on the battlefield again." He said, finally moving away and heading towards his exit.

Ash yelled at his opponents retreating back with grim determination, "I will come after you, and I will beat you. You can count on that!"

Rex stopped for a moment, a brilliant smile on his face as he gave the boy a thumbs up, before finally exiting.