Though Chloe was a book-smart academic type, she quickly got a taste for the thrill of Pokémon battles.
With Misdreavus's Shadow Ball, her very first real fight ended in victory!
Her first win.
She immediately took out a Poké Ball and captured the Darmanitan she had just defeated.
This was her first time defeating and catching a Pokémon through battle.
The Darmanitan held special meaning for her.
With the fight settled, Ash and Chloe pressed deeper into the ruins.
On the way, they met a supposed member of the Ruins Expedition Team.
But the man didn't stop them—
and so they entered the inner halls.
Inside, Chloe accidentally stepped on the tail of a Sandile.
The little croc burst from the sand, fangs bared—
But the moment it turned its head, it saw Ash's Krookodile.
One glare.
Sandile froze, then collapsed on its belly.
"Big boss—please don't eat me!!"
Krookodile, magnanimous as ever, simply grabbed it by the tail and flung it out of the ruins.
Deeper in, the halls grew thick with traps and mechanisms.
With Ash's "genius," he somehow managed to trigger every single one of them.
Even Chloe had to admit—this kind of luck wasn't something ordinary people could achieve.
And yet, despite setting off every trap, they still reached the innermost chamber.
There, they ran into the same explorer they had met at the desert's edge.
According to her, this was the very heart of the ruins—
where the legendary giant was said to rest.
Inside, they found… two Cofagrigus.
Ash immediately noticed their strange state.
Someone was trapped inside!
Pikachu's Thunderbolt freed the victims—
but the giant was still nowhere to be seen.
Until Ash's "trap Aura" activated again.
He stepped on a hidden switch, and the floor of the central chamber shifted.
With the others' help, every trap mechanism clicked into place—
and the sigil at the chamber's heart lit up.
A massive orb emerged.
The orb cracked apart—
and the legendary giant revealed itself.
A Golurk.
But not the usual 2-meter-tall kind—
this one stood a towering five meters, dwarfing everything around it.
The instant the seal broke, the Golurk went berserk, attacking indiscriminately.
"Chloe," Ash asked seriously, "our mission was to investigate this giant, right?"
Caught off guard, Chloe blinked, then nodded firmly.
Ash's eyes lit up.
"Then it's decided! I'll catch this Golurk and take it back!"
If the goal was research—
why not just bring the subject along?
Big brain move.
As if it had understood his words, Golurk's wild attacks stopped—
and it turned, focusing all its fury on Ash alone.
"You're so eager, huh? That must mean you want to come home with me!" Ash grinned.
He glanced at Pikachu and Krookodile beside him.
"It's saying it wants to join us."
"Pika…" Pikachu sweat-dropped.
You sure about that?
But Krookodile nodded confidently.
"This is exactly how I used to act—attacking Trainers is just another way of saying I love you."
Too bad its feelings had already been seen through.
Golurk's massive fist came crashing down—
but Krookodile stood firm.
Its claws gleamed with draconic energy.
Dragon Claw clashed with the giant's punch.
The entire ruin shook from the impact!
"Maybe we should… run?" the explorer muttered nervously.
But seeing Ash blazing with battle spirit, she and Chloe both realized:
There was no stopping him now.
[Jessie: Meowth says that Krookodile's inner monologue is priceless—it actually thinks Golurk is attacking because it wants to go home with Ash.]
[Caitlin: Oh, I get it! This is Ash's way of making friends—beat them up first, then say 'You're coming with me!']
…That counts as "friendship"?
Are we sure it's not kidnapping??
[Lillie: That Golurk looks terrifying… Ash, can you really handle it?]
[Ash (comment): You can doubt me, but never my partners! This kind of opponent—we'll crush it, easy!]
[Cynthia: Such confidence… Ash, I admire you more and more.]
[Lance: Ahem! For the record, Ash is from Kanto. He won't be going to Sinnoh. Cynthia, give up already.]
[Cynthia: That's not your decision, Lance—it's Ash's.]
[Serena: Ash! Come to Kalos! I'll always be by your side as you grow stronger!]
At some point, the Champions and Elites had started treating Ash as one of their own.
A future champion in the making—
a treasure no region could afford to lose.
[Ash: Uh… but my home is in Pallet Town!]
Back in the ruins—
Golurk's typing was Ground/Ghost.
Normal, Fighting, and Electric attacks were useless.
But Dark moves were doubly effective.
Ash didn't know that yet—
he had never seen this Pokémon before.
So of course—he charged in headfirst!
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Krookodile, Dragon Claw!"
Chloe joined in too:
"Yamper, Spark! Stantler, Confuse Ray! Misdreavus, Shadow Ball!"
Even her newly-caught Darmanitan joined with Overheat.
A barrage of attacks lit up the chamber.
Through the fire and lightning, Krookodile charged forward, claws glowing.
One crushing strike—
and the massive Golurk was sent crashing to the floor.
Dust settled.
Krookodile stood tall, back straight, radiating dominance.
"Shaaa~"
Words are useless. A broken bone is the best teacher. Either climb into the Poké Ball yourself… or I'll break you and drag you home.
The ruins shook with Golurk's fall.
The nearby explorers sprinted away, panic in their eyes.
"Are those kids gonna be okay?!"
"You don't get it—that boy in the hat, I've seen him before! Don't be fooled by his age—he's a Champion!"
"Lucario: What?! For real?!"
"I saw it with my own eyes in Alola—he became Champion there… by defeating a god!"
The words sent shock through everyone present.
[Lusamine: So, even people outside Alola know about that battle?]
[Cynthia: Fascinating. Seems that match shook more than just us.]
[Lance: Wait—could that mean another world also has a live broadcast of Ash's feats?]
[Bruno: Some people become Champions at 15. Others are nearly 30 and still just Elites.]
[Aaron: …Harsh.]
[Lorelei: Exactly. Even if you gave Lance five more years, he'd still just be a "Flying-type Elite Four."]
[Aaron: See, Bruno? That's how you roast properly.]
[Lance: …Just wait until I'm Champion. I'll wipe the floor with you all.]
[Ash: But… isn't Lance a Dragon Master? Dragonite is amazing!]
[Lorelei: Don't be fooled. Dragonite is part Flying-type, isn't it?]
[Ash: Huh… you're right. Wait—have I been disrespectful calling him a Dragon Master instead of Flying Master??]
[Lorelei: Once or twice is fine. But next time you meet Lance, definitely call him the Flying-type Elite.]
The chat went silent.
Only Lorelei could roast Lance so thoroughly.
After all—Ice quadruple-counters Dragon.
[Diantha: Alright, enough teasing. He's still a kid—don't confuse him.]
Lance fumed, fists trembling.
I need to catch more Dragon-types… otherwise this "Flying Master" title is going to stick forever!
…But Flying-types were really strong.
Maybe another Salamence wouldn't hurt.
Back in the ruins—
"Sand Tomb, Krookodile!"
Ash seized the moment, binding Golurk in a vortex of quicksand.
Against such a giant foe, immobilization was the key.
Golurk struggled—
but every attack was sloppy, its energy burning wildly.
Ash quickly pieced its typing together from the battle:
Ghost + Ground.
"Pikachu, Iron Tail! Thunderbolt won't work here."
"Pika!!"
Pikachu's tail gleamed as it slammed into Golurk's chest—
right on the glowing seal.
The impact shattered it.
The yellow glow turned crimson.
Golurk roared, entering a berserk frenzy.
Black energy flooded the ruins, twisting the air.
Ash didn't hesitate.
He threw out two more Poké Balls—
sending in Dragonite and Raboot.
"All of us—go!!"
Every Pokémon attacked together, but the berserk Golurk shrugged them off.
Even with Sand Tomb holding it down, its sheer bulk was overwhelming.
Golurk's HP bar was just too thick.
Ash's eyes flashed.
"Krookodile—use Foul Play!"
The Dark move turned Golurk's own overwhelming strength against it.
The moment Golurk's fist struck Krookodile, black energy burst out, rebounding the force into Golurk itself.
The giant staggered—
then froze in place.
"Success!" Chloe gasped.
So this was the judgment of the Alola Champion.
Ash had already spotted the key.
He picked up the bronze bar Pikachu had knocked loose earlier.
It was a sealing bolt, designed to suppress Golurk's fury.
He leapt onto its chest, aiming the bolt back into place.
But before he could—Golurk stirred again.
"Shaaa!!"
"Pika!!"
Krookodile and Pikachu shouted warnings—
"Shut up!" Ash growled.
And with one punch, he slammed his fist straight into Golurk's face.
BOOM!!
The ruins rang with the impact.
Krookodile and Pikachu exchanged awkward glances.
How had they forgotten?
Their Trainer was ridiculous.
He had just punched a Ghost-type—
and it had worked.
Completely against the laws of typing.
[Mustard: Incredible! Forget martial prodigy—Martial Arts itself was created for Ash! To strike a Ghost-type barehanded… he's the chosen one!]
[Bea: Impossible! How can a punch work on a Golurk?!]
[Professor Oak: Ahem. Don't worry about the details—it's… a Pallet Town tradition.]
[Bruno: Ash! Come train in martial arts! The next Kanto Elite Four will definitely have a spot for you!]
[Ash: Huh? What's strange? It looked tough, so of course I punched it!]
[Korrina: THAT'S NOT NORMAL!!]
Fighting-type specialists were excited.
But Ghost-type Trainers were panicking.
If Ash had just rewritten the laws of typing…
if Fighting could hit Ghosts—
their entire competitive ranking would collapse overnight.
Pray this was just Ash's unique weirdness.
With Golurk re-sealed and captured, Ash prepared to bring it back to Professor Cerise.
The mission was complete.
Not only had they collected data—
they had secured the giant itself.
And Chloe, too, had grown in ways she never expected.
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