Manalo Stadium.
"Lucario is unable to battle! Rowlet wins!"
"He won!"
Ji Qiu's shout set the whole stadium ablaze.
"With an incredible Brave Bird, Rowlet broke through Lucario's defenses and secured this crucial point!"
"That leaves Gladion with just one Pokémon!"
With Lucario unable to battle, the match reached its climax.
Professor Oak applauded vigorously.
"Go for it, Ash!"
Ash was just one battle away from becoming Alola's first Champion.
Ash breathed a sigh of relief and immediately looked up at Rowlet in the sky.
"Rowlet, are you okay?"
Rowlet shook its head. Though it was a little out of breath, its eyes remained bright, showing that it could still fight.
"Trulululu!"
Gladion recalled the unconscious Lucario into its ball.
Respect and tenderness filled his murmur.
"Thank you, Lucario. You fought to the very end."
Before long, all of Gladion's emotions seemed to settle.
Then Gladion took the last Poké Ball from his waist.
"This is the end, Ash."
Gladion's voice was calm, yet it held the tension of a volcano on the verge of eruption.
"This is the resolve my partner and I share-to seek every truth and answer!"
"Go, my final partner-Lycanroc!"
Li Wei nearly covered his face.
[My future brother-in-law is still such an edgelord...]
With a flash of red light, a wolf's howl brimming with primal ferocity shook the stadium and rang through the heavens!
"Awoooo-"
Standing on two legs, with savage scarlet eyes, it looked like darkness incarnate.
Lycanroc (Midnight Form) took the field!
Although Li Wei found it melodramatic, plenty of spectators loved this sort of thing.
After all, his future brother-in-law was quite handsome.
"Come back, Rowlet. This last battle..."
Ash's gaze clashed fiercely with Gladion's across the field, as though sparks were flying.
"Has to end with Lycanroc!"
The Poké Ball's red