Well the rule where Ash can’t win a league is broken since he won the Alola League.

Hello again, The sometimes a huggable mudkip has returned.

So this chapter is better written less things to correct. I must also admit I did like the biology lesson from Brock , very enjoyable. The random storm is spooky as well. But the thing I think is most foreshadowing is Tobias have I a mystery conversation with an unknown figure. We also have a name for that character who attacked the girls. Malice yes a very scary name indeed. Although he does seem to have a fear for fire and when connecting the dots it’s obvious he’s the one Tobias wants to kill. Poor Lorenzo though maybe if he had used any other type of pokemon he wouldn’t have been punched quite so hard.
That’s all for now but I will be back

Hello Rem, It is I everybody’s favourite Mudkip/Groudon Thomas. So I have just reread the first chapter and I must say the plot is going very strong I definitely enjoyed it. I also took the liberty of attacking it with a spell/grammar checker which I’ll send you shortly. But overall very enjoyable I love how Latias is portrayed in this and I can’t wait to see what happens in ch2. Well I say that I know what’s going to happen but I look forward to re-finding out what happens.

Hello, again!

The chapter title is actually When fate comes knocking. Roll Credits! *Ding*

Anyway, I’ve made it! At long last, I’m in the very last chapter of your story! Let’s see what you’ve got! Last we left, apparently fate itself had whisked Latias and Ash away into the unknown. So, let’s see what this is all about.

Fate is a pretty tough and complex entity, is it not? Also, I have to admit, I really like the style in which you are writing this chapter. This sort of same-time but different-perspective conversation going on between Fate, Ash and Latias is actually pretty cool and well done. It’s easy to follow and not confusing in the slightest, yet it gives these mysterious vibes extremely well.

Ooooh, let me tell you that those are two very specific alternate universe descriptions that you’ve got here, Syrup-Waffle. The first one I’m almost 99.9% sure is Dragonfall. A Fanfic that I will be reading shortly now that I’ve finished this story. The other one is pretty obviously my own story, the A New Chance Series. I must say, thank you for the shout-out and the reference! It was pretty nice to read! So, ANC confirmed as a side-AU of WFCK? Hm? Hehehehe! Thanks for this shout-out, it was pretty awesome to read.

Wow, damn. Wait, is the universe really going to fall apart because Ash won a League? Damn, those are some pretty bad and pretty dire consequences. However, part of me thinks this may not be true, since we’ve been shown before that Fate has lost and the universe didn’t fall apart. But, Ash winning a League is a pretty serious transgression.

Well, yeah, it’s pretty sad that the only way to preserve the integrity of the universe is to have you lose, Ash. That sucks, but if there is no other way, then you should do it. I do have to insert a comment here. Is it really that bad? Let’s be honest, the tournament is just a tournament. Eh. Look at what you have obtained through this ordeal as it is: The love of your life. Let’s be honest, love is more important than success in this regard. So, is it really that stingy that you can’t win? Latias is worth far more than the trophy, and in the end, now that you have her, you have found true happiness. In the end, even if you don’t win, you won Latias. Who is far more valuable than any tournament will ever be.

Ooooh, so it was all a ruse! Hahaha, damn Fate, you are cheeky. That was actually a pretty tough test. I do love how this confirms the whole central argument of Fate vs Love. And, in the end, that Ash and Latias have defeated Fate through the power of love. And thus, it’s official! Ash has won the Sinnoh League!

The celebrations are pretty awesome and catchy, and I have to say, the detail of Ash flying on Latias’ back so he could high-five the crowd is actually pretty awesome and I liked it. It’s actually pretty good!

Oh, wow. I love how last review I complained that it was odd that Latios (Latias’ brother) has so far gone unmentioned throughout the entire story. But, in the end, he gets a very lovely Lion King-esque mention at the end and I have to say, I absolutely loved it. It was magical, fantastic, and a pretty awesome way to give him his only showing in the story.

That little girl segment at the end was very intriguing. So, who is she? The fact she has a burned Froslass plush makes me think that she’s Malice and Solace’s daughter. So, they birthed Hope? And thus, their daughter also played a role in defeating Mayhem? Damn, gotta admit. It’s really awesome how this fanfic did a full circle on so many of its characters, themes and its plot. Malice and his family were truly the ones who laid the entire foundation for Tobias/Mayhem to be defeated in the end. So, that wraps up the story’s point so well: Hope and Love defeating Fate.

You know, for all the trouble he caused, Malice actually did so much for the greater good and he succeeded in paving the road for Mayhem’s defeat. You know what? I wish him well. Rest in Peace, Malice/Thomas. As well as you, Julia/Solace/Froslass, and you, little Hope. Rest in peace, all 3 of you. Know that you have been avenged and Mayhem has paid for what he did to you.

Speaking of Mayhem, going by my question in a previous review about what exactly were Mayhem’s Legendaries. What’s going to become of them now that Mayhem has died/ceased existing?

And with that, the story’s over! I must say, this story was a blast! I loved reading it! I still think you should one day come back to it and give it a touch up now that you have vastly improved in your writing, Syrup-Waffle, because it’s every bit worth it.

Reading your Author Notes. Yeah, I wholeheartedly agree. This Fanfic’s premise, plot and concept is actually extremely unique. And I really loved it. You built a really awesome the storyline. Many of its elements will get praise from me, but the one that stood out the most to me, which will not surprise you because I have said so before in my reviews: It’s Malice/Thomas, Tobias/Mayhem and Ash. Their trifecta worked splendidly, and you did an amazing job at knitting the plot and those 3 characters together in a terrific manner that made it all work so well. They were very compelling and drove the story really well.

I also greatly enjoy how well you tied the events of real life and the Pokémon franchise to the 4 Guardians of Fate. That’s actually a very clever parallel that you’ve created and I think it’s another thing that serves to give this story so much of its unique charm.

Thank you for the shout out in your author notes, because guess what? I have indeed read it now. And have given you a huge review in every chapter. I hope you have loved them! Thank you for writing this, and it was a huge pleasure to read through it.

And with this, my commentary for your story is officially over. I wish you all the well in the world and congratulations for finishing this amazing story, Syrup-Waffle!

Your Friend,
Arcy.

Hello, again!

So, last time we left of, it’s Latias against everything Tobias has left. Namely: a Victini, and unknown Legendary as of the start of the chapter and a Latios. Damn, the Latios is going to probably be a pretty painful fight for Latias, since, well, she’s very touchy on the Latios subject I presume. Her brother’s death wasn’t too long ago and she may still be hurt about it. By the way, I just noticed. Latios wasn’t ever brought up in this story. I mean, his failure to save Latios was probably one of Ash’s biggest failures, so it’s probably something that would have been brought up. Perhaps a comment would have been nice? Anyway! Still, let’s see if the power of love can defeat the power of fate.

Huh, why’s Ash so nervous all of a sudden? And why is Latias so nervous all of a sudden too? I mean, there’s only one real straightforward way now. Send Latias out to the field and hope she ca the rest of Tobias’ team. Which, at the moment, seems pretty impossible. Even with her hidden surprise of Mega Evolution. At least, it’s to note, she completely walls Victini. So that one’s gonna be relatively easy. Now let’s hope that Tobias’ unnamed Legendary is one she has a good matchup with as well. However, it does make me question why Ash called a Timeout since there seems to be no reason to.

Actually, that’s a pretty good point. Latias and Ash are clearly very worked up about something and that something is… apparently not related to Tobias. You know, that’s actually probably pretty terrifying for Tobias. Imagine you’re a powerful enforcer of one of the most potent forcers of the universe (Fate itself) and someone who is fighting you directly isn’t afraid of you but something else entirely? Yeah, either you’re doing your job really badly or something very suspicious is up. Something is actually seriously wrong with Tobias. Huh.

I’m very confused right now. What… are Ash and Latias up to? Why are they so worked up all of a sudden? Is this because of something being wrong with Latias’ Mega Evolution? Or is this related to their ace in some manner and they’re nervous it’ll work? Gosh, they’re really badly worked up and I’m getting worked up too because I have no idea what is going on.

“Fate is not set in stone.” Referencing the quote that I mentioned in my earlier review. If its not set in stone, then is it really fate? Still, yeah, yeah, I get it. That’s actually a pretty powerful message. Is fate truly set in stone? One never knows.

Wait, why’s Ash asking for a microphone? Are trainers even allowed to give speeches in the stadium in the middle of matches? Well, he does have a twenty-minute timeout that he can consume however he likes. Anyway, let’s see what he’s up to. I mean, even if he exposed Tobias’ identity as a force of nature in front of the thousands of people watching, I heavily doubt they’d believe him. Tobias would probably have a credibility advantage in that regard. Also, I love how Ash starts speaking with “Ladies, Gentlemen, Tobias.” I got a kick out of how he completely excludes Tobias as something else, like he’s soft-mocking him for not being entirely human and thus not including him in the honorifics.

Wait, what? What!? WHAT!? Is he seriously going to do what I think he’s about to do? Oh no, Oh no no no no no. Ash, you’re… what the hell!? Are you going to expose yourself and Latias to the world? How is that going to help you!? I… I don’t even know any more. Okay, I’ll admit that I was definitely caught off-guard by this. I’ve only just read Ash’s first question but it’s now extremely obvious what he’s gonna do and yeah now I can see why he and Latias were so worked up earlier.

Still, why? What sort of advantage over Tobias could they get by exposing themselves and their relationship? I mean, they’re essentially opening a pandora’s box of questions, controversy and potentially criminal sanctions by doing so entirely on themselves while leaving Tobias relatively unaffected.

Actually, let me think this through for a few moments. I mean, I’ve already identified that a central theme of this story is how Love can defeat Fate as an equally powerful universal force, but I’m not entirely sure I’m seeing how this will give them an advantage over Fate and its core enforcer. Unless maybe this is playing to the other unaccounted enforcer of fate? That’d be Benevolence. And, Benevolence has to be benevolent, right? Still. I’m trying to figure out Ash and Latias’ game plan here. The only other thing I’m thinking is that maybe, maybe, somehow, revealing themselves would cancel/eradicate Tobias’ purpose? Kind of like how Malice died once he had no purpose left and he was repeatedly telling Tobias that he lost. If they can cancel Tobias’ purpose by changing their fate, would that mean they can win and Tobias’ presence here would stop serving purpose? Yeah, I’m probably massively overthinking this.

Yep, he did. He just exposed himself to the world, and with what a clear display that leaves basically 0 room for questions. I do love how Tobias was completely in denial over it and how he got completely owned in the process. Nope, Tobias, this is not a Bluff and you are indeed lying to yourself if you tell yourself it is. It’s real and it’s happening. Also, noting how nervous Bianca, Brock and Dawn were. I think Ash and Latias could have told them their plan to get some input from it. Could have been useful, very useful. Also, I do have to notice in the added reactions that Cynthia is grinning. Did she have an inkling of this?

Anyway, I have to pay special attention to one specific line from the omniscient narration of Ash’s feelings, how Latias was the reason no even fate was set in stone. So, I guess this confirms my theory or assumption that one of the central themes of this story is how Love can conquer Fate. After all, all the serious blows fate has suffered in this story have all derived from Love. I guess this means that Latias will in fact defeat Tobias’ remaining Pokémon and confirm Love as the superior universal force over Fate.

Also, have I told you that I have a slight suspicion that you like to write kisses? This is like the third or fourth intimate kiss you’ve written between them on top of countless smaller ones. Reminds me a lot of Dance Dance Revolution in that regard, hehe. Also, the fact they did it in the stadium was extremely gutsy on their part. Like I said, I’m not sure if that was the best decision since now… well, they’re going to probably face a lot of very annoying scrutiny and problems for years to come because of controversy. You know how much controversy fuels life and media. This isn’t gonna be fun for them. Though, I do love how this included a marriage proposal. That was adorable to read, not gonna lie. It included marriage! I do also have to note how Ash’s a marriage made Tobias/Mayhem be described as a “a dying animal desperate to survive.” So I guess the love declaration is vastly weakening him in some manner. So, this was their ace? Pretty powerful.

Yeah, Tobias has completely lost his composure, clearly. Damn. Ash and Latias’ declaration really did a number on him. Well, Tobias. If Pokémon and Human Relationships aren’t illegal, just heavily frowned upon, according to the author’s description of the topic on the matter… then I don’t think Ash can be disqualified. Sure, he’s going to have to deal with a gigantic amount of controversy nipping at his butt for the rest of his life, but it’s not entirely illegal and as such not grounds for him to be disqualified. Also, Tobias, you should have just reported Ash for barging into your room, lol. You had an easy way to get him kicked out of the tournament and thus fulfil your purpose and you completely blew it. Now you’re getting destroyed royally.

Thank you for providing some voice of reason, Bianca. It’s very much appreciated! Also, I’m very much stupefied that Paul of all people seconded her. That was very much out of the blue and caught me off guard. Damn, Paul’s gone through a full 180, hasn’t he? Anyway, they do have a point, which I referenced in my earlier paragraph. The battle must go on. This is the grand finals, after all! Also, damn, Tobias is completely rekt. Yeah, such is the power of love. Fate, has lost.

Oooh, and Latias triggers her Mega Evolution! The time to fight has come! What are you going to do about it, Tobias? Yikes, there goes Victini. Clean one hit knock out. Yeah, Tobias is completely out of his game right now. It seems Ash and Latias’ love and marriage declaration worked like a charm and had its intended effect. Tobias is completely destabilized now. Also, I’m going to throw my guess out there that the voice who Tobias is hearing in his head is either his boss (Basically, Fate itself) or the fourth guardian of Fate, Benevolence. Let’s see if I’m right. Also, the voice that keeps chanting “Fate is not set in stone” to Ash and Latias, my guess will also be applied here. It’s either Benevolence or Fate itself.

And, Tobias’ fifth Pokémon is a Virizion. Yeah, that sucks. Virizion gets completely walled by Latias. Like Victini, that’s an extremely bad type matchup. Here’s where I’m going to reprimand you, Tobias. You knew Ash had Latias and that Latias was Ash’s final and strongest Pokémon. The fact you saved two Pokémon with horrendous matchups against her for the endgame was definitely on you, Tobias. That was a complete and total screw up on your part. You could have easily deployed either Victini or Virizion earlier in the fight and instead saved Articuno for Latias. Of course, not that it’d matter in the end with him being so destabilized, but, it’s still a glaring flaw in his plans.

Okay, that’s actually a really interesting twist. Really makes me heavily question Malice’s game plan from the very start. So, perhaps, in the end, Malice actually got his revenge on Mayhem. In the end, Malice won. If Malice was in truth the grandmaster in this sequence of events, then oh damn did he set up Mayhem for defeat hard. In the end, I guess Malice was right. Tobias lost. Indeed, Tobias lost. Tobias had lost even before the fight had started. Also, I’m pretty sure I’ve commented on this before, but I think the whole concept of fate and its four guardians, as well as the duo of Tobias/Mayhem and Thomas/Malice, has been perhaps one of the most outstanding parts of this story and I have really loved reading every bit of it.

Hm, I have to admit, while I was pretty sad you completely skipped Latias vs Virizion, I think the way you wrote Latios vs Latias was actually pretty interesting. Basically, an offscreen beatdown from Tobias’ broken POV. That approach was pretty good and I really liked it! I think it was very well done! However, I do think it could be even better. For most of the story, Latios has been shown to be kind of like Tobias’ second in command. So, I think he should have probably had a slightly bigger role, perhaps talking to Latias or trying harder to snap Tobias out of it. Perhaps you could gloss some extra detail on it rather than show him as such an afternote, and I think it’d totally come out as an even more awesome scene than it already is. Regardless of my suggestion, I repeat: I really liked it.

Also, serious question. So, Tobias’ team here is Darkrai, Latios, Articuno, Raikou, Virizion and Victini. Curiously, what are they? Are they really Legendaries or are they fake Legendaries created by Fate to serve him? How do they work under Mayhem? Or, how did that working relationship start? Did Fate give him those Legendaries or are they real Legendaries that knowingly work for Fate? Questions!

Ash has won! Congratulations, kiddo! You have defeated your fate and have become the champion! Big time congratulations! Oh wait, what’s going on? Huh, it seems like Ash’s winning if the Sinnoh League has caused a glitch in life. Lol. Oh no! Life has bricked! Life has suffered a Blue Screen of Death! Also, damn, so apparently this is fate itself? Oh no. Really curious where this is going! Only one chapter left! Must read on!

Hello, again!

Tobias, let’s be real, you’ve so far used a Darkrai and Articuno. I don’t think there was ever any play time regarding you to begin with. I do like how even though he appears to be perfectly calm, he’s actually pretty pissed off. Ash and Latias are totally doing a number on him and are totally getting under his skin. Also, something that Latias did mention last chapter that I didn’t comment on. It’s good that Tobias has wasted two Pokémon with a very positive matchup to Latias early on. Those are two good Pokémon to get out of the way. And, Tobias’ third Pokémon is… Raikou! Pretty cool!

So, Ash sends out Sceptile to fight Tobias’ Raikou. Pretty good option to resists electric-type attacks. Also, I gotta note that Ash brought a really powerful lineup to this battle. Snorlax, Charizard, Latias (Obviously) and now Sceptile? It’s like he just grabbed his six strongest and decided to roll with that. Wow.

Fun fact: The attack is actually called Leaf Blade, not Leaf Sword xD Though, I gotta admit Leaf Sword sounds pretty boss. Though, Zacian may have something to say about sword-wielding Pokémon because, well, Zacian is supposed to be the top sword-wielding Pokémon. Anyway! Off to Raikou vs Sceptile we go! I wonder what kind of wacky strategy Ash is going to use to beat Raikou and further throw Tobias off.

I really like how even though Tobias’ counter strategy worked and he got Sceptile good, he still finds respect for him by the fact that Raikou was visibly stunned by the sheer power behind that Leaf Blade attack. Though, yeah, Raikou and Tobias have completely control of this now that Sceptile is paralyzed. Sometimes, gotta remember Tobias is mostly a gentleman and not an evil person. Or, evil force of the universe. Whichever way you want to describe him.

Oh no! Raikou has Hidden Power Ice? Yikes! That’s a big surprise. Yeah, Tobias knows what he’s doing. You have to get that fabled Bolt-Beam coverage, am I right? And, yeah, sadly that’s a clean knock out. Wow. This means Raikou’s Hidden Power was a One Hit KO, since Sceptile up to this point had only taken a non-damaging Thunder Wave? Hidden Power isn’t a hard hitting coverage move, so this Raikou is pretty strong.

Tobias clapping for Pikachu is either hypocritical or a very respectful thing, depending through which lens you want to view it. Hypocritical because he was the one who caused his hospitalization, and thus it’d be interpreted ore as mocking or just going with the flow of the crowd. However, if it’s respectful it could be an acknowledgement to Pikachu’s strength, since Pikachu prevailed against the attempt on his life and he’s ready to fight and keep going so fast. Even for a force of the universe like Mayhem, that has to be very impressive. Which, even if Tobias didn’t intend for that effect to be apparent in his action, it would probably impress him. Anyway, Ash’s plan is now fighting electricity with electricity, let’s see how that works out for him.

Sad Pikachu vs Raikou was mostly skimmed over, since I thought this could have made a pretty epic battle. Especially due to the personal vendetta that Pikachu has on Tobias. Anyway, it’s great to see Pikachu has claimed revenge and has defeated Tobias’ Raikou. And, in a very badass manner, too. That was awesome. Your decryptions at the end on Pikachu’s reactions and everything that was going on around him were pretty amazing too, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. Good job on that!

Ash’s decision to forfeit Pikachu was really sound and mature. I approve of it, and do follow Cynthia’s train of thought. That was well done by Ash. And, it’s also really nice to see that even Mayhem/Tobias is starting to be doubtful, and maybe even respectful. It’s to note that as much as Ash has been irritating him, Ash still isn’t his enemy. Ultimately, Tobias is just doing his job.

Tobias has 3 Pokémon left, Latios and two unknown Legendaries. Ash is sadly down to just Charizard and Latias. This is going to be tough. Very tough. Because… Tobias’ next Pokémon is Victini? Alright, this one I’m not sure if I expected it or didn’t expect it. I mean, with all of Tobias’ comments about how he always wins, a Victini is a surprisingly fitting Pokémon for him to have. After all, the victory star Pokémon for the always-winning trainer is a match made in heaven.

Bolt Strike!? Victini! That’s an event-only move! Oh gosh, Ash you better not let Charizard get hit with that because if he is, then it’s over. It’s so very much over. Damn insanely powerful electric attack. Lol. Thankfully, it’s in the name what type Bolt Strike is, so it’s kind of obvious Charizard shouldn’t want anything to do with it. And yeah, he was hit, and this was pretty much a straight and guaranteed one hit KO. There’s absolutely no surprise there.

Also, this means Latias must knock out three of Tobias’ Legendaries if she’s to give Ash the win. Damn, that’s a pretty steep hill to climb. However, this is where the power of love will definitely shine through at its strongest, and bring that universal showdown of love versus fate that I’ve been talking about in my latest series of reviews.

Hm, you know, Ash did bring up a pretty good point in his omniscient narration. What did they have to lose? Actually, yeah. They don’t have anything to lose right now. Tobias doesn’t want to kill them or anything, he just wants Ash to never win. If they lose to Tobias right now, then they can just prepare again and better for next year and try again. With Latias, Ash is so powerful that he’d be guaranteed to win a league without Tobias’ intervention, so that means Tobias would have to go to each league that Ash gets into time and time again. And eventually they could maybe pull through. After all, the more practice they have on Tobias, the better. Anyway, I’m very curious what this “ace” they’re talking about is, unless it’s just Latias’ Mega Evolution and I’m just reading it wrong. Anyway, onto next chapter we go!

Hello, again!

Yep, indeed it’s finally time. The grand final of the Sinnoh League is here! Ash vs Tobias, Love vs Fate. Which powerful universal force shall emerge victorious? Time to find out! Also, I do find it amusing that to all people witnessing this fight it’s just “Ash vs Tobias” yet to them it’s a battle between two universal forces. Talk about hidden high stakes. Also, I’m going to throw out my prediction: The final clash of the battle is going to be between Tobias’ Latios and Ash’s Latias.

Pikachu is here, at last! Man, this has been perhaps the only odd detail of this story. Pikachu has literally been out of it since the start due to Malice’s poisoning of him. Ash and Pikachu are like a combo package, they come together and there isn’t one without the other. So, the fact Pikachu has been out of commission for the entirety of the story and is only now returning for the climax is pretty odd. Haha, not in a bad way, mind you. It’s just the quirks and twists of how storytelling works.

Lovely last moment scene between Ash, Pikachu and Latias. For they are about to face their greatest challenge so far. One final kiss, and off to face none other than Fate/Mayhem. That is going to be a really tough battle and yeah, Ash is right. A Mega Evolution surprise isn’t going to be enough to change the outcome. But, on the bright side, this does play to Ash’s strengths. Because, thinking outside the box is his specialty.

By the way, that quick line of “Fate is not set in stone” reminded me of a pretty interesting line from a Deleted Scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Davy Jones tells Will Turner “Your Fate is to be married to this ship,” (Meaning the Flying Dutchman), Will responds with, “I choose my own Fate.” And it’s Davy Jones’ next reply that’s really good: “Then it wouldn’t be fate, would it?” Yeah. That’s such a solid exchange that I’m sad was left out of the movie and now only exists in a deleted scene. But I felt it’d be cool to bring up now because it fits the setting. Makes you wonder on Ash’s chances to change fate and defeat Mayhem. After all, if you can change fate, is it really fate?

Little comment: Would it be really okay for Cynthia to cheer for Ash? You mentioned that even Cynthia was cheering for Ash. Which, I don’t know, would probably look bad publicly for her? I mean, I think it’d be the best interest for Champions to remain entirely neutral and professional throughout the entire competition to avoid comments of potential insider favoritism. Just random thought.

I think Ash and Latias have a pretty solid reason for expecting Tobias to not change his strategy or battle plan. I mean, if you look at this from the perspective of Tobias, he probably thinks something along the lines of: “I will win, if anyone has to adapt it’s them to me, not the other way around.” And, as such, he’s going to stick to his tried and trusted plan.

Snorlax is a pretty good option to use against Darkrai. I mean, as long as Tobias’ Darkrai doesn’t know Focus Blast then Ash should be on pretty good track. Snorlax is an expert sleeper and knows Sleep Talk. He should do good. Also, slight error: You claimed Dream Eater would have no effect on Snorlax. Uh, Dream Eater is a Psychic-type move, not a ghost-type. It will have perfect, normal effects on Snorlax. It’s dark-types it doesn’t affect.

That… actually kinda sucks for Darkrai and Tobias. Imagine being stuck under a freaking sleeping Snorlax and having to wait for it to wake up before being able to do anything? Also, I hope it doesn’t take too long because then this is going to be one really boring fight to witness, lol. I mean, you just wrote “Eventually” but… how long was eventually? Even if it was just ten minutes, that was probably ten very boring minutes for the audience. What an awesome Grand final we have here, don’t we?

Holy Crap! Self-Destruct!? That’s… actually really smart. That’s a pretty smart and explosive way for Ash to defeat Tobias, to be honest. Woah. For a moment I legit thought Ash’s strategy was going to be to have Snorlax sit on top of Darkrai until everyone got bored or Darkrai stopped moving and died from asphyxiation, but that actually worked out really well in the end. And, it was a clean and awesome move, too. Well done! I liked it.

Also, I gotta notice that second part of Ash and Latias’ strategy and it’s actually really solid. Defeating Darkrai in such a stupid and ridiculous manner is certainly a great way to destabilize Tobias, and, the more destabilized and out of it he is, the more chances there are to defeat him. They need to keep him off focus for as long as possible.

So, Tobias has an Articuno. I guess this means you really are going the full six-Legendary route for him, hm? I have a few questions but I’ll ask them once you’ve revealed the entirety of Tobias’ team, since right now we only know 3 members. Also, I like how you avoided reprising the Charizard vs Articuno battle from the anime and instead went for Infernape.

That was a pretty dominant display by Tobias’ Articuno, and with that, Infernape is out of the battle. Man, you don’t like Ash’s Infernape, do you, Syrup-Waffle? You completely stole his starring role from Ash and Paul’s match and now only had him be destroyed by Tobias’ Articuno. Poor guy, he didn’t get a chance to prove Paul wrong with a strong display here. Oh well. Also, I totally agree with the bystanders. Don’t get overconfident, Ash. Mayhem won’t lose just because you got off to a good start.

HAHAHA, wow! Tobias completely owned Ash. That… was a pretty boss way to tell Ash to shut up. Yeah, I can see a rule like this existing in the tournaments to prevent overzealous or trolling trainers to chat way too much to annoy opposing trainers. Plus, there’s trainers who probably just want the battle to be chill and silent and don’t want to hear their opponent endlessly yapping. Yeah, it makes sense and I completely approve of it.

For a moment I was really worried, getting hit directly by a Sheer Cold is no joke, but thankfully, Charizard managed to stop Articuno on her tracks with that. Personally, I think Articuno could have tanked a Flamethrower and Seismic Toss (Remember, Articuno are very defensive), but you probably don’t want to overextend on your battles after what happened in your Ash vs Joey finale. So, that’s fair.

I do enjoy how Ash and Latias are starting to crawl under Tobias’ skin even after Tobias requested to the referee for Ash to not speak to him. As powerful as Mayhem is and as powerful as fate is, turns out it’s not set in stone and one can challenge it, which is what Ash is doing right now. So far, they’re even with two knockouts and Charizard didn’t take any additional damage. So, Ash is ins a pretty strong situation. Let’s see if it continues!

Hello, again!

Latias, kissing someone mid-flight is pretty awesome and all, but be careful while doing it. You may want to pay attention where you’re going. I mean, you relied on your psychic senses to not get caught by Tobias and we all know how that turned out for you. So maybe don’t stress it too far by flying blindly.

Huh, they’re going Bowling? That’s pretty interesting. Neither Ash nor Latias really strike me as people that know how to play Bowling but I can buy it. I do distinctly remember that you once told me how much you loved bowling, so I can easily see why you’d write this in. Hey, if it works it works, plus it’s a nice calm scene to do before the inevitable clash that will come in the coming chapters with the battles against Tobias/Mayhem and fate itself. Now, let’s see how good they are. I honestly have no clue who’s gonna win.

Ooh, I actually like the design you went for with the bowling alley and the bowling balls. The fact they are decorated after real Poké Balls actually makes it really clever, especially as rarer designs mean heavier balls. I like that detail because it totally sounds like something that’d be done in the Pokémon world.

Hahahaha! I love how Ash got a strike on the first throw and left Latias completely flabbergasted. She was really cocky on her spare and boom! Ash completely owned her with a strike. That was nuts. Oh wait, he’s actually gone to Bowling tournaments? I guess he has to do something on his free months in between leagues that are generally skipped over in the anime. Damn, Latias, you’re in trouble now.

Wow, Ash is totally destroying her. That moment when you challenge someone at something and that someone turns out to be a highly competent person at whatever you are challenging them to. Yeah, Latias got her confidence handed back to her on a platter. Still, it’s rather cute to see Ash teaching her how to do Bowling. It’s a pretty adorable and lovely scene. Fluffy.

Yep, I knew that was coming. Latias was totally gonna pull a cheeky maneuver with her psychic powers. You know, playing any kind of game, be it tabletop, board or the like, against a psychic person, is probably really hard because they can subtly influence it to ensure their victory and there’s nothing much that you can do about it. Like, if they are careful and not obvious about it there’s chances you may not even realize it’s happening to begin with.

Unsurprisingly, Latias won because she psychically cheated her way to victory. Yep, turns out that you can’t out skill your way to a victory against a Psychic user because, well, Psychic. Oh well, Ash, at least you tried! Well played!

This was a pretty short and cute chapter, definitely a ‘calm before the storm’ type of thing since I’m sure the climax with Tobias is coming up next chapter. Oh boy, I can’t wait!

Hello, again!

Alright, just reading right into the intro… man, you really have to feel bad for Ash right now. Honestly, I can’t fathom any way to place myself in his shoes right now. Like, what are you, as a person, supposed to even think when you were just told by one of the forces of the universe that your fate is to never succeed and forever live in failure? And that said force of the universe will go out of its way to make sure that happens? Like, yikes, that’s downright soul-crushing. It’s something really harrowing. Poor Ash, I feel really bad for him and I hope he can find a way to lift himself out of this deep hole Tobias flung him into with his words alone.

I guess this is where the fanfic’s title comes from, right? When Fate Comes Knocking, as in, Fate itself came Knocking on Ash’s front door, looking for blood? That’s the impression I get. Which, if that’s the case, that’s a pretty clever way to use your title and I like it. I love how the true magnitude of the title only becomes apparent to the reader on chapter 26/31.

And of course! What else would be the recovery for Ash but Latias herself? Yeah, she has her work cut out for her and she will definitely have to step in to cheer him up from those pretty soul-crushing revelations. Also, I just realized, didn’t Tobias/Mayhem comment that Ash and Latias weren’t meant to reunite after the event of movie 5? Yet here they are and now in a fully official relationship, I guess that means that technically they have already defeated fate? The fact they are together now is just a clear defiance of fate. And, thus, if they did it once, whose to say they can’t do it again? Which means even with the full power of fate, they may just be able to win.

However, I’m noticing a pattern on this: Solace and Malice went rogue on fate and prevented their fading from existence via the power of love. Now, Ash and Latias have reunited once again through the power of love, even when they weren’t fated to. So, is this why Tobias hates love so much? Because love has proven to be a consistent defeat for fate? That’d definitely explain a lot.

Latias’ love confession was extremely endearing to read, Syrup-Waffle. I have to say, it was very nicely written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s adorable to see such a beautiful consummation of love that’s fully bloomed on. She’s so loving and supportive, isn’t she? She’s the magical girlfriend anyone would ever dream of. And, she is right in some way. They have defeated fate once already; they can do it again! As I stated in my earlier paragraph, the fact they are together proves Tobias wrong.

Also, see, Syrup-Waffle? Now this is the appropriate time to write fluff and confessions and lovey-dovey antics. Not in the middle of a high stakes battle like you did in the final of Joey and Ash’s league fight. It comes out a lot better, a lot more natural and a lot more enjoyable. Also, this is the benefits and wonders of kissing a psychic person. You can keep talking while you kiss. That’s always pretty handy isn’t it?

And thus, with Latias’ official declaration of true love, she has issued the universe a powerful challenge. Because, turns out, Love is also one of the greatest forces of the universe. So, this means the basic premise of this fic’s climax is going to be Fate vs Love, and which universal force turns out to be superior? That’s a pretty interesting and powerful concept that you’re building here, Syrup-Waffle. And, so far, I’ve been greatly enjoying it! Good job on this story!

Oh hey, Cynthia. Huh, pretty strange for Latias to seek Cynthia out. What’s Latias planning? I mean, even if Tobias is Shady AF and is only in the league to prevent Ash from winning, it’s not like ratting him out to Cynthia will change anything and it’s not like he has committed a crime. I heavily doubt anyone would take a “he’s an enforcer of a force of the universe!” argument seriously, even from the Champion. And, Cynthia has a point, it’s not like you can train yourself to champion-level overnight.

Oh wait, Latias is gonna borrow a Mega Stone for the grand final? Oh damn! That makes a lot of sense now! So that’s why she wanted to see Cynthia! And man, this is going to turn the tables hard on Tobias. I wonder if he’s going to be ready for it. I’m pretty sure even a Mega Evolution won’t

“I promised him we would do something fun tonight” Oooohohohoho Latias. I see what you did there.

And this concludes the chapter! Man, this fic has been quite the ride so far. I’m almost done with it, just 4 more chapters to go. Pretty eager to see how this entire thing will conclude! Onwards to the next chapter I go!

Hello, again!

So, they’re right outside of Tobias’ room? Hm, I don’t know, Latias. You sound awfully confident there. Remember that you are still not the most experienced Legendary out there and Tobias is known to have a dark-type Pokémon that would be immune to all your psychic trickery. Plus, he has a Latios that is most likely more experienced and powerful than you are at Lati things. So, you better be extremely careful about this. Plus, it’s fairly obvious Tobias is something supernatural and thus may not entirely play by the rules of nature that you’re accustomed to. I’m almost 100% sure Tobias is going to catch them red-handed with this. Mark my words.

Tobias keeps a diary? Alright, I can buy that. No idea why, but if he’s a lonely and mysterious person there could be a good reason why he keeps one. Also, Latin? Latin exists in the Pokémon World? Hm, I can buy that too. Seems legit enough, as Latin is one of the root languages where modern languages stem from. So, reading on… huh, very interesting riddle-phrase you got there. I’m pretty sure that if someone puts enough thought and insight into the phrase that you wrote, there’s a pretty powerful and hidden meaning that will tie it wonderfully into the story. Sadly, I absolutely suck at riddles and prophesies and thus I won’t be that someone. But, I’m pretty sure I’ll find out eventually. I gotta note that the prophecy verse includes Malice’s name in it. Which, is interesting and is probably important.

Oh, hey Tobias. How are you? How have you been? Pretty sure this is a “This isn’t what it looks like” moment for Ash and Latias. But, oh well. See, Latias? I literally warned you in my opening paragraph. I was 100% sure Tobias was gonna catch them and yep, there’s Tobias alright. Thanks for explaining what that phrase meant, Tobias. So, according to him, fate can’t exist without solace, benevolence, mayhem and malice? Okay. I’m honestly not entirely sure what this means. Anyway, yeah, Tobias caught them just like I predicted. Let’s see how these two react to it.

Yeah, Tobias is actually right. This is a pretty serious transgression that is most likely penalized in league codes. It really just takes one phone call for Tobias to get Ash disqualified from the tournament at this point. Also, I love how polite and unimpressed he is in all this matter. It’s like he expected this to happen.

Oh, wait. Tobias actually informed Police about Lorenzo and didn’t just leave him abandoned at the cave? Yeah, I take back what I said in my earlier review. I was wrong. That was pretty nice of him, even. Also, Latias, you’re acting a bit irrationally. As shady AF as Tobias is, he technically hasn’t done anything to you or Ash personally. And, if anything, he saved Lorenzo. So, even if you are angry and wary, you are blowing this way out of proportion. Tobias has actually behaved like a gentleman so far, which is also unsurprising. I’m fairly curious what his real endgame is. Also, Latias, he’s offering to spill everything. So, really, take the offer and get all the information you can out of him.

Alright. I’m actually following this very carefully and am extremely hooked. So, let’s see. Malice and Tobias are basically guardians of fate created by Arceus to ensure that life follows the rules of fate? That’s… actually a pretty interesting and unique concept that I find myself liking a whole lot. Fate is indeed powerful and I don’t think I’ve seen it used like this in a story before. This is extremely interesting! I love it! I also have to note something: In Latias’ reading of Tobias’ dairy, she mentioned that 4 things lead to fate: solace, benevolence, mayhem and malice. Malice is apparently one of them. Which means Tobias has to be either Solace, Benevolence or Mayhem? And, this also means Tobias and Malice have 2 other brothers/sisters? Wow. I wonder who they are! Personally, I’m going to bet that Tobias is mayhem. I’m not sure, but it seems the most fitting out of the three remaining options. Also, this explains really well why Malice was so damn powerful and troublesome to deal with.

So, there’s another of the guardians! Solace! So, Malice’s wife, Julia, was actually Solace all along. Man, I really love how this plot is falling together right now. Everything’s building up like a really neat and intricate jigsaw and I’m loving it! You crafted the plotline of this story really well, and I have to give you a lot of praise for that, Syrup-Waffle. You did a fantastic job in all of this. This story’s plotline is awesome and I still hold true to the assessment I made in an earlier review, that this fanfic is 100% worth it to come back to it and give it a touch up. Anyway. That actually makes sense, how it’s all working together.

So, Solace and Malice went rogue, and I’m pretty sure this pissed Tobias majorly. Alright, so, Tobias was angry and potentially jealous about Solace and Malice’s falling in love on top of it being his job to put an end to them? That makes sense, seeing as it seems that to him love is a forbidden thing. Considering his outburst when Latias pressed on with it, yeah, he was most likely extremely jealous that Malice got to experience love when he didn’t. Also, this clears up a lot of what Malice said on the previous chapter.

Oooh, I got it right! Tobias is indeed mayhem! That means only Benevolence is unaccounted for. Curiously, what/who/where is Benevolence? Also, darn. So, Ash is fated to never, ever, win a tournament? Yikes. And Tobias is basically fate’s enforcer to make sure that happens and that everything runs according to fate? Oh damn. Ash is going to have it really rough if he wants to win the League because he’s basically going to be fighting one of the forces of the universe. RIP. Curiously, where to Latios and Darkrai fit in all of this? Are they aides who are just helping out?

Alright, so the chapter’s done! Man, this is pretty amazing! This chapter has left pretty much the entirety of the plot laid bare and man I have to see I love it! It’s pretty complex and well built in all its points and I think you did a very fantastic job with it. It was really awesome to see how the entire thing fell together as Tobias was explaining it. I’m almost done here, and can’t wait to see if Ash will defeat Fate, or if Fate will prove to be too powerful.

Hello, again!

Alright, so right away this chapter’s title seems extremely promising. Because, there are a lot of underlying questions about this fanfic that have so far been very overshadowed and thrown into the sideways by Ash and Joey’s match. Especially those questions regarding Tobias and Malice. And, it seems pretty clear by this chapter’s title that it will shed some light on them so I’m very eager!

Indeed, Brock! I wholeheartedly agree! Ash has finally made the finals of a Pokémon League and with a pretty stunning fashion this time around! The way he completely reversed Joey’s game plan and turned the tables on him was pretty masterful. And, my criticism of your skips aside, Syrup, I do think you built the structure of the battle pretty soundly. The grand final of the Sinnoh League will definitely be very intriguing because no other than Tobias stands in his way.

I had forgotten Bianca’s last name in this FanFic was Vernice. I forgot, was there any special reason for that or is it just a play on Venice? Also, yay! Lorenzo is fine! Honestly, I was wondering what happened with him after Tobias and Malice’s encounter. Tobias and Malice had a pretty rough moment with each other with a bound Lorenzo right behind them. I mean, I heavily doubted Tobias would hurt him since Tobias had no interest in Lorenzo but I was wondering if he would set him free. Apparently not (man, what a dick) but at least Lorenzo safe and sound.

Hey, story time with Lorenzo. This is actually going to be pretty good. Lorenzo was witness to basically the entirety of Malice and Tobias’ conversation, so he’s actually bound to have seen and heard everything. I’m actually curious how everyone else is going to react to his revelations.

Okay, the first underlying thing that’s leaving me very curious is the fact Lorenzo is describing Tobias as “something” rather than “someone” which… is odd. It really sheds a lot of mystery on what exactly Lorenzo’s perception of the whole thing was. And, of course, just what exactly Tobias and Malice are.

Yeah, I don’t think you’ve explained exactly why Tobias is after Ash. I mean, other than that brief segment where it was maybe hinted at that Tobias’ Latios wanted Latias to be his mate, there isn’t really that much information to go by. Like, there isn’t a clear purpose for Tobias to target Ash. But, I’m sure it’ll be revealed in due time.

Huh, alright, alright. Time out, time out. So, in this flashback segment with Tobias and Malice. First of all, I have to notice that Malice almost did a story title drop on his line of “Only for my real nature to knock on my door, like fate” and… why? I’m fairly intrigued. Could it mean that Tobias and Malice have some hidden relationship to this story’s title?

Trying to break down this segment further: The fact Malice notes that “Tobias is nothing” and that he “has his revenge” could probably imply a situation of “I have nothing and therefor neither have you”? It’s a possibility. Like, now that Malice is gone there is nothing left for Tobias to be or to do. The fact Malice and Froslass disintegrated into ash upon their deaths leaves a ton of questions on what they are, though. I’m… very curious. Wow, so far this chapter gave me more questions than answers, lol.

Wait, they plan on dropping by to give Tobias a visit? Oh boy! This is gonna be good. Must go on to next chapter!

Hello, again!

Okay, right off the bat, I’m immediately going to loudly complain about the fact that you skipped Goodra vs Lapras. You promised me, Syrup! You promised! You promised this fic wouldn’t have skipped battles! Why would you skip the infinite awesomeness that Lapras vs Goodra could be? It’s Ash’s Lapras! And it’s a Goodra! It’s a pure win-win in my book! Plus, you already skipped Lapras vs Jolteon, so that means you already skipped a battle featuring Lapras. This is now the second time you skip a fight with her. I’m not sure, but skipping two fights featuring the same member of Ash’s team may have been excessive. This means we didn’t get much of a chance to see Lapras other than her brief fight vs Typhlosion.

Anyway, seems that Goodra has pretty much off-screen defeated Lapras. That means Ash finally lost his first Pokémon in the battle, lol. Funny, considering that he has technically another 3 perfectly active members that are basically pre-defeated thanks to Joey’s cheeky use of Stealth Rock. Let’s see who Ash’s final Pokémon is, since we already know the final member is Latias.

Wait, Ash is going to use Latias right away? Huh, that’s interesting. I guess this means that his final Pokémon really is Charizard and he doesn’t want to risk an extremely painful Stealth Rock activation on him? I guess I can see why that’d make sense. No point in bringing him in to get half of his health crushed away. Though, he still has to be careful, because Goodra are insane special tanks and Latias isn’t the hardest hitter either.

Latias, you’re in a very crucial battle right now. You should really focus on the battle right now instead of trying to embarrass Ash in front of a stadium full of people xD That’s just a little tip. You don’t want to get Ice Punched in the cheek for lowering your guard again, right? Also, I’m pretty sure the stadium’s cameras are totally going to be catching her sultry looks, fake-moans and pants/tongue lolling which will probably lead to lots of very awkward questions for Ash from reporters and the press.

Oh hey! Finally, a Pokémon from Joey that isn’t an asshole! Yeah, his Goodra was actually really polite and pleasant to read, I’m going to admit. What Latias did with Ash in presence of Joey’s Pokémon could have easily warranted a barrage of teases and insults from someone like Jolteon but Goodra actually took it really good natured and that was kind of lovely to see. Goodra’s teases were fairly good natured and positive, and they were nice to read alright.

You just skipped another battle! Why did you skip Latias vs Goodra? This one could have been just as interesting! Hm, giving this a little bit of thought: If you ask me, it seems that you got tired of writing the battle and just wanted it to end already? I mean, I don’t think there’s a coincidence that you started writing every battle and then, towards the end (when the battles are supposed to be more tense and proportionally growing in importance) you started skipping them. This tells me that you lost your drive on them, maybe? Kinda like a “Let’s get this finally over with so I can move on” moment? It’s just a theory. In that case, I think it would have been better to do it the other way around. Skip less important starting battles and write the more important ending battles. For example, I’d have preferred Pidgeot vs Jolteon to be skipped (Since we already got Pidgeot v Raticate) so that we could have Goodra vs Lapras in full.

Lol, Latias, do you really have to bring up sexual teases at every turn and time you address Ash? I mean, this is a pretty important and serious setting we’re at right now. Now is definitely not the time for this. She’s very much acting like an immature and obnoxious teenager in that regard. I mean, she has all the time in the world in the following days. Even if they are speaking telepathically and thus their actual conversation is hidden… their body language and actions will definitely speak volumes and it’ll be easy for keen-eyed viewers to catch on. I mean, she’s graphically licking a necklace while looking at Ash. That is extremely obvious and is being caught on cameras around the world. They are, after all, inside a stadium with thousands of people in the middle of a battle that is being broadcast worldwide. Latias should definitely be more careful if she actually intends for this to stay private and not cause Ash troubles.

Also, pretty nice for Joey to patiently wait until they were done before sending out Tyranitar xD Man, Joey sure is very considerate, isn’t he? Anyway! Time for what’s probably the last battle between Ash and Joey! Okay, Tyranitar’s personality surprised me right from the get go. This is a Tyranitar we’re talking about. One of the most powerful and menacing non-Legendary Pokémon in the world. It’s a beast whose forced people to redesign maps for millennia… and here she is being basically a kind and sweetheart tease. Lol. She kind of reminds me of Joey’s Raticate to be honest. Big scary ugly monster with a surprisingly sweet personality. I like a lot.

Huh, why would invisibility not work on Tyranitar? I mean, Latias’ invisibility is based entirety on the refraction of Light on feathers, it’s not an ability related to anything Psychic. Plus, Tyranitar has no kind of augmented sensorial capabilities, as such I doubt that she can track Latias if she turns invisible. Just my thoughts on the matter.

And another battle skip. Okay, I’m going to actually reprimand you here. While it’s possible to forgive skipping Jolteon vs Lapras, Lapras vs Goodra and Goodra vs Latias (Yeah, you literally skipped everything dealing with Joey’s Goodra and didn’t allow him to show off anything), you should have written the entirety of Tyranitar vs Latias in full. Remember that you’ve been hyping this battle since the start of Ash vs Joey, with the whole “Joey’s hard counter to Latias” thing that’s been continuously brought up since the training chapter. You’ve been hyping this battle up for the last six chapters, so it’s kind of anticlimactic that when it finally gets here you decide to skip most of it.

If you ask me, I think my theory still holds true. Let me guess, at this point you were sick and tired of writing battles and just wanted to get over with it? Things must have gotten really bad if you took that route. I don’t blame you if that was your decision. However, if you suspected you were going to do that, then I personally think that you shouldn’t have spent so much time hyping up Joey’s Latias-counter game plan in the first place. I was looking forward to this for the past six chapters only to find out it’s gonna be skipped xD

I mean, think about it: Joey’s last two Pokémon have had more screen time commenting on Ash and Latias’ relationship than they have had actually battling Ash’s Pokémon. And, don’t forget that Latias herself has spent more time on-screen teasing and behaving improperly towards Ash than she has actually battling. Which, doesn’t look that good considering it’s supposed to be the Semi-finals of the Sinnoh Conference and this is supposed to be the climax of a 7-chapter long arc.

Ah, so this is where that “Latiass” joke comes from? Now I get it, lol. Honestly, I had forgotten this joke existed and that it had originated from this story. This is a pretty good and pretty fresh reminder and now I actually see where it came from!

Well, approaching the end of the chapter I’m pretty unsurprised that basically all of Latias vs Tyranitar was skipped. However, I’m pretty shocked with Ash’s final game plan. I do admit that I completely fell for it. I was pretty much on-board the train that Ash’s last Pokémon was in fact his Charizard. I mean, I wasn’t too wrong since I actually mentioned Primeape several times in my earlier reviews, but I honestly thought Charizard being in the battle would have been a complete guarantee. Oh lol. Ash basically fooled Youngster Joey from the very beginning. There wasn’t anything he could do in the first place. That was a pretty good and very smart play by Ash. Leaving Primeape alone to the end knowing of Joey’s Tyranitar? That was actually genius!

I have to give it out to you, you actually fooled me there. So pretty good job in the way you wrote it to lead us all to believe that Ash’s last Pokémon was Charizard and not Primeape. Suddenly, what seemed like a possibly hopeless situation for Ash turned into a completely hopeless situation for Joey. Man, what a complete reversal.

And this concludes my review! Sorry for not being so positive this time around, but I gotta state my thoughts as I have then, man. I’ll be seeing you around next chapter!

Hello, again!

Wow, these chapters are really short. You weren’t lying when you said so. Lol. Anyway, I’m pretty interested by the fact the arc following the battle will be definitely shedding some light onto what Tobias and Malice actually are, according to your opening Author Notes. And, if Malice is actually dead or not. Anyway! Off we go into chapter 22 of this lovely story! I like your title and am very eagerly awaiting to see Lapras in action!

Lol. So, it seems Joey’s Pokémon really like their trash talk, don’t they? Not even a few seconds of Lapras being in, Typhlosion is already getting in on it. At least, all of Ash’s Pokémon have taken the cool approach to it. So, Typhlosion vs Lapras. Hm. Granted, Lapras isn’t actually a super-safe counter to Typhlosion because the ice-typing gives her a fire neutrality. Plus, we just learned that Typhlosion has Focus Blast, a move that would hit her super-effectively. Plus, she isn’t very mobile so dodging isn’t an option.

Huh, I take back what I said about Lapras being stuck and not being mobile. I had honestly forgotten about Surf and its numerous applications. Lapras be like: “Okay, there’s no water on the field? Fine! I’ll just make my own water!” Boom! Incoming tidal wave! Yeah, Typhlosion has no way out for this one. That’s a big gg coming right there. She actually surprised me big time with this. You go, girl!

Typhlosion survived the Surf? Man, he’s tough. Big respect to him and—OH NO! A Body Slam from a Lapras!? Yikes! Lapras are really big, bulky and most likely really heavy Pokémon. I mean, they’re practically whales! That’s gotta hurt a ton. Like, hurt a ton really badly. I don’t envy Typhlosion right there. What a way to go out. Ouch. Also, Lol. I loved Lapras’ cheeky line at the end. Amusingly, she did hold true to her word. She literally squashed him.

Yeah, Joey. That’s exactly what I pointed out in my previous review. Sure, Ash has all 6 of his Pokémon left right now. But 3 of them (Tauros, Butterfree and Pidgeot) are basically out. One strong sweeper can probably clean them up one after the other, and thus there isn’t much Ash can do if he has to rely on them. You’re still very much in it. Still pretty curious what his fabled Latias counter is.

Jolteon, you’re a jerk. Chill, man. There’s no need to behave like that. Well, he’s probably happy he got sent out against another advantageous matchup. But, considering what happened the last time he was in one, there’s absolutely no guarantees that’s gonna work on in his favor. But, damn. He’s starting to get on my nerves. He’s such a brat. Also, I have to admit I got a laugh out of Lapras pointing out that Pidgeot had defeated Raticate and Jolteon’s reaction to it.

Wait, what!? Did you just skip the Jolteon vs Lapras match? You’re a liar, Syrup! You promised me this fic wouldn’t skip any battles! Why? This battle could have been really entertaining because it’d have been a largely stationary big Pokémon versus a super-fast and nimble Pokémon! I was pumped for it, plus we’d have gotten to see more Lapras in action. More Lapras is always a good thing! I better get a good explanation for this! You have betrayed me!

Anyway, still feeling pretty sad about the skipped battle, we go on to Joey’s second-to-last Pokémon and it’s a… Tyranitar! Oh boy. That’s a powerful Pokémon alright. Also, pretty interesting that Tyranitar is his Latias counter, seeing as Tyranitar in the games has always been an extremely solid answer to Latias and Latios given the insane special bulk and high attack that they possess. Well, that’s definitely a good counter. I was wrong in my assessment in my previous reviews that the Latias counter would either be a Steel or Ice-type Pokémon. I can now see why the Latias counter could have been effective against Pidgeot too.

Joey, you’re a douche. Yeah, let’s setup Stealth Rock in the second-to-last part of the battle. Yeah, that’s a winning tactic right there. Well done. Lol. That slight damage on Latias is gonna turn the tide of the battle, I’m sure. What’s the point of setting up Stealth Rock so late?

Wait, what? He just sent out Tyranitar to setup Stealth Rock… and that’s it? Okay, I’m finding this a bit ludicrous. Unless… huh, maybe. This could actually be a smart play? Well, if Ash switches Lapras out, that’d be 4 of Ash’s Pokémon that would be exhausted and almost knocked out. 3 of them have a weakness to Stealth Rock, those being Pidgeot, Lapras and Butterfree. I think it’s safe to say that a Stealth Rock activation will most likely knock them out. Plus, Taurus is extremely weak so he too could probably be knocked out by it. So maybe using Stealth Rock this late in the fight does have its merits. That means Ash’s team is basically out even if they technically aren’t out. Huh. I concede my point here, well done, Joey. That was a really smart play.

Lol, I love how I made my entire analysis right here, and then I read on and the next few lines in the chapter are basically characters repeating my exact same analysis. That’s pretty funny. However, Brock did bring up a point I didn’t consider in my analysis. If Ash’s final Pokémon is indeed Charizard he’s in big trouble because Charizard will take an obscene amount of damage from a Stealth Rock activation. Yikes.

Oh hey, Joey’s last Pokémon is Goodra! Have I told you before how much I love Goodra? It’s lowkey one of my favorite dragon-type Pokémon. Also, Goodra, in a rough pinch, can actually serve as a pretty good backup counter to Latias. Goodra are insane tanks on the special side. She’s gonna be able to take Latias’ blows like a champion if the need comes to it. So, Joey’s final two Pokémon are Goodra and Tyranitar. That’s two pretty powerful Pokémon that Ash will definitely have issues overcoming. If his Last Pokémon is Charizard, he’s going to be in for some trouble because Goodra can probably wall Charizard all day with the insane special bulk.

Huh, that was a pretty odd segment at the end regarding Ash reflecting on Latias. I mean, it felt just a bit out of place considering the battle and the stakes we’re going through right now, plus the fact Goodra triggers it is rather odd as well. However, this segment does confirm that Ash and Latias had a lot of fun on the night prior to the battle with Joey. It confirms it pretty hard, lol. Ash and Latias, you two are totally teenagers. Lol.

And, this wraps up the chapter! Man, I was finally able to form up a ton of commentary in a review xD Even if this chapter is pretty tiny like the previous ones, this review is bigger than the ones before it, so I feel good about that. Next chapter is the very last chapter of the battle against Joey, so pretty eager to see how the whole thing ends! See ya then!

Hello, again!

Alright! So, Ash is leading up 2-0 right now, if I recall. Pidgeot and Butterfree have scored two knockouts but are basically out or about to be about. Joey has lost his ace, Raticate, and a Conkeldurr. Pretty interesting state of the battle so far. Ash has it all to win if you ask me. So, let’s carry on and see what the rest of Youngster Joey’s team is!

A Typhlosion? Alright. That’s a pretty good pick for a Pokémon to give him. I did catch from the announcer in an earlier chapter that Youngster Joey is from New Bark Town. So, I presume this Typhlosion was obtained in some relation with the starters that professor Elm gives out to trainers that start their journey on Johto? It’s a maybe.

Now, let’s see what Ash sends out! And… it’s… Tauros? Alright, that caught me a bit by surprise. But the fact Ash has sent out Tauros pretty much confirms that Ash is going full OG mode on this battle. I presume the remaining 3 members from his team are going to be Latias (Obviously) and the other 2 are going to be 2 of Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Primeape, Lapras and Charizard. It’s just my guess, since I just remembered that in an earlier chapter it was stated that Pikachu would only be clear for recovery until the Grand Finals and even that was a big maybe.

Rock Climb. Really? I have to say, it’s perhaps one of the most absurdly designed and stupid moves in all of Pokémon. I mean, look at what it entails: It rises your opponent above a massive pillar of rock for you to charge towards him. Okay, this is a terrible idea because we all know the power of having the high ground. So, by giving your opponent the high ground you are immediately putting yourself at a disadvantage in terms that they have a clear shot at you and you are slowing down the momentum of your attack by having to climb a steep slope. Ugh, this attack is so poorly designed it hurts me to see it. But, oh well. It’s Pokémon. Anything can work in the end pretty much.

Using Eruption to force an opponent into a defensive position is admittedly a pretty clever tactic due to how chaotic and wide-range Eruption is. I mean, it pretty much is guaranteed to cover the entire battlefield so dodging that is going to be tough and will probably entail a lot of moving around and sidestepping. And, in the end, it fulfilled its role in preventing Taurus from shooting that Earthquake attack. Also… Focus Blast!? Typhlosion has Focus Blast!? Okay, you’re in some serious danger if that thing hits, Taurus! Be careful, Ash!

Yeah, I agree with Brock’s assessment. That was actually pretty clever from Joey. Rather than lead with Focus Miss right away since it has a penchant for, well, missing… he actually held that off until he could get an easy and clear shot at Ash’s Taurus that would near-guarantee a hit. That was pretty good forward thinking by Joey. He’s certainly backing up his claim to fame.

Oh, Ash recalled Taurus at the very last second? That was smart because at least he preservers him. I mean, Ash is still technically leading by two knockouts, but his position isn’t as powerful as it seems because all of Butterfree, Pidgeot and Taurus are heavily damaged. A strong sweeper from Joey can easily clean them all up.

Hey! It’s Lapras! Oh, I’m so happy! I love Lapras! Perhaps my favorite water-type Pokémon without a doubt and it’s amazing to see Ash’s Lapras once more. Though, fighting this may be awkward for her considering that this battlefield doesn’t have any water on it, so she’ll largely be relegated to being a stationary turret. But, that’s probably good enough if she can tank and effectively fire back. And, I was right on my guess for Ash’s team, too.

Let’s see next chapter how she fares!

Hello, again!

Clash of Titans is a title that is most fitting for what we’re about to see this chapter. Pidgeot vs Raticate! And, once again, I have to comment: It’s hilarious that said Clash of Titans ongoing in the semifinals of a tournament in the Sinnoh region is in fact made up of Kanto’s two most common Pokémon species. That is a pretty hilarious thing. Anyway, very eager to read on!

Wait, Flame Orb? Huh. So, this Raticate has the Guts ability? Gotcha. Still, pretty odd to see held items on anime-centric battles. I mean, questions: Where was he holding the orb? I can’t imagine he’d just be walking while holding it on his paws. Why doesn’t the rest of his team use items? Why doesn’t Ash and everyone else use items? All the questions this creates! Anyway, eh, it’s canon Pokémon things that the anime just never addresses so I can buy it pretty comfortably.

Oh wow, that Sucker Punch was brutal. I mean, it freaking knocked Pidgeot out of the sky. Ouch. However, yeah, it was obvious that it wasn’t going to be enough to keep Pidgeot down. That Façade, however, would have been. That attack is obscenely powerful when boosted by a Status and Guts, so yeah, better keep it as far away from Pidgeot as you can, Ash. And watch out for those crazy fast Sucker Punches.

Raticate just literally powered his way through a heat wave and landed a clean full power Façade on Pidgeot. Yikes. Oh. Damn. That was insane. Yeah, Joey’s Raticate is OP. That was pretty intense. Also! A bit of a side comment. When your MC was calling the attack out, he said “Ash’s flying and normal-type.” Well, just gotta point out that doesn’t sound like something anyone would say. Such kind of descriptive changes are fine for prose but not really for character speech, since anyone would just say “Ash’s Pidgeot” and that’s it. Just heads up!

Also, I have to say, I really love how polite and respectful Raticate is when addressing Pidgeot. That’s a pretty refreshing change from the huge brat that was Jolteon. Normally, I don’t really think anyone would expect an ugly rat like Raticate to be any form of polite. But hey, here it is, a polite rat. Lol. It’s clear there’s deep respect going between these two and that’s nice. I also wonder if they’re both acknowledging the fact their species probably feud pretty often back on Kanto.

That does it! Raticate has gone down! Congratulations on the solid Win, Pidgeot! That was really insane! Perhaps my only minor complaint is that I feel this battle, considering it was Joey’s famed ace, could have been a little longer. It seems like Raticate and Pidgeot did each other just a bit too fast. But hey, if it works it works. I liked it a lot. Glad to see Pidgeot actually claimed full victory and it wasn’t just a double knock out. Ash is now 2-0 up. However, realistically, both Butterfree and Pidgeot are extremely damaged so neither are in much position to hold up significant resistance.

Also, another thing that surprised me is that Joey’s ace is out at the second chapter of the six-chapter long battle. Wow, talk about fast. However, I get the feeling that it’s Joey’s famed Latias counter which is deemed to get all the spot light here. I’m pretty curious who it is! Let’s see what Joey’s next Pokémon is gonna be! Welp, I guess I’ll have to fight out in the next chapter xD And Joey seems to have a lot of faith on his Latias counter.

Nice little monologue with Cynthia at the end. She did a pretty job in foreshadowing that Ash’s final opponent is going to be Tobias. Yeah, he has swept the entire tournament with just his Darkrai. Gotta find hard to win that one, Ash. But, first, finish off Joey for good!