Chapter 7: Rage

Wow, don't I feel embarrassed, the last time I updated was two years ago!

Geeze, I gotta be more focused than this, sorry guys!

Ash woke with a large yawn just as the sun began to set across the sky. And a short time later, everyone else began to stir as well.

Once everyone was awake, they began to unload their packs and set up for a late night breakfast. And by the time everything was ready, the sun had finally fallen and all that was left to do was wait for their friend to wake up from his stone slumber.

It didn't take long before cracks started to appear along the shell, and they made sure to stand back when he finally burst to life with a loud growl, his back to Ash and the others.

"Hey Goliath, did you have a good sleep?" Ash asked in a cheerful voice, walking up to him.

But Goliath didn't turn; he gave no inkling to have even heard him. He just stood there, his wings partially spread and his tail lashing from side to side.

"Goliath?" Ash said in mild confusion, walking closer to him.

"Ash!" He looked back to his friends at the urgent whisper. All of them had stayed put, looking at Goliath with nervous expressions. They could sense that something was wrong.

"I think you move away…" May told him.

But the young man didn't listen and he took another step towards the large gargoyle. "Goliath, are you okay?" Ash questioned hesitantly, reaching out a hand to touch his arm.

But just before his fingers even touched, the gargoyle whipped around, his wings displayed in the air threateningly and his eyes glowing a pale white.

"WHERE ARE YOU?!" Goliath bellowed with a voice that was as loud as thunder.

Ash gave a cry as he backed away from him, tripping over his feet in the process.

Goliath acted like he didn't even see the children that just stared at him with nervousness and fear. But before any of them could even attempt to talk to him again, the lavender gargoyle gave a terrifying roar and took off towards the woods.

"Goliath, wait!" Ash cried, finally finding his voice as he got to his feet and followed after him with Brock, May and Max close behind.

They tried to catch up with Goliath, or at least keep him in sight, but he was much faster than they were and they soon lost him.

"Wh-where did he go?" Max asked, trying to catch his breath as they looked around.

Within seconds, they heard a loud roar, followed by the loud boom of something heavy crashing. "This way!" Brock stated as they all ran towards the noise.

They ran through the trees until they eventually came to a small clearing, gasping in shock when they saw the state it was in. Large trees had been uprooted and were lying in huge, jagged splinters on the ground. And standing right in the middle of it was Goliath, his eyes glowing a frightening white with an enraged look on his face.

"Come, you villainess dogs!" he yelled into the woods. "Face me!"

He suddenly grabbed hold of a nearby boulder, his claws digging deep into the solid rock as though it were soft putty and with a growl, tore it from the ground and holding it high over his head.

"Come out and Fight! Cowards! MURDERERS!"

He threw the boulder into the woods with enough force that it snapped a few trees right through the middle. Pokémon that had made their nests in those trees and around the area scattered, trying to get as far away from whatever was destroying their homes.

Ash and the others gave horrified gasps, if this kept up, a Pokémon would end up getting hurt. "Goliath!" Ash cried, "Calm down!"

His cry was only answered with another enraged roar before ripping a large tree out of the earth and hurling it into other trees and foliage ahead of him. More startled cries from Pokémon that rested where the tree crash fled away in fear.

But others, as Ash could see, weren't as quick as they others and lay on the ground badly injured.

"You think we are the monsters?" Goliath suddenly yelled, racing over to another tree and viciously digging his claws deep into the trunk. "It is YOU who are the true monsters!"

"I will find, I will make you pay! Even if I have to tear this whole forest apart!"

Gritting his teeth, Ash ran at him, ignoring Brock and May's cries for him to come back. He had to do something before his friend did something he would regret. And just when Goliath was about to uproot the tree he had, Ash jumped at his right arm and wrapped both his own little ones around Goliaths large wrist.

"Stop it Goliath!"

At his touch, Goliath whirled on Ash, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and hoisting off his feet and into the air above his own head as far as his reach could go.

"G-Goliath, stop!" Ash rasped; trying to pull up his head to relive some of the pressure on his throat from the gargoyles' knuckles. "It's me, Ash!"

But he felt a cold stab of fear when the gargoyle bared his teeth at him, growling; it was as though Goliath didn't even recognize him. He just glared at Ash with those eyes that were glowing with a savage white light, eyes that looked like he wanted to rip him apart.

"PIKACHU!" Ash finally called.

The little mouse Pokémon gave a nod running up right until he was directly behind Goliaths heel, it's red cheeks sparking angrily with electricity. "Pikaaa…"

"Chuuuuu!

The Gargoyle let out a roar of pain as he was engulfed within a thunder attack, and in his blind fury, he swung his free arm around to fight off whatever was attacking him. But eventually, he grew tired and sank to a knee with a weak groan.

And once Pikachu was sure that Goliath no longer posed a threat, it stopped its attack, watching Goliath carefully in case he went into another rage as he still had Ash in his grip.

Ash felt fine, he'd long since gotten used to Pikachu's thunder attacks; but Goliath, however, felt as though he'd been trampled over by a herd of cattle. He placed a hand on top of his aching head, and shook it.

Why did he hurt all over? What happened?

"Goliath?"

A hesitant voice made him open his eyes and he glanced down to see Ash looking up at him, his brown eyes were wide with…fear?

Looking further, he saw his grip on the collar of the boys' shirt. He was puzzled at first, but then it all came flooding back to him, making him gasp with horror.

"Ash!" Goliath exclaimed, immediately withdrawing his hand from Ash and taking large strides away from him. "I am- I did not mean to-"

He gave a groan as his head started swimming, and again he fell to his knees, cradling his forehead in a hand.

"Forgive me, please, I wasn't of sound mind," Goliath finally said.

"…what happened?" Ash asked after a few moments. "Why did you…do all this?" He looked around that the devastated clearing.

Goliath said nothing as looked around at the destruction he caused in his frenzy, taking it all in before he finally answered him.

"As you know, turning to stone during the day is our form of sleep…." The gargoyle explained. "And in some cases, we are able to dream."

"What I witnessed…." He pause, looking at his hands, "It left me mad, without a sense of self, and I could not decipher dream from reality once I had finally awoken."

"Did you have a nightmare?" Max asked, making Goliath look down in surprise at how close he'd come to him.

"I believe it was more than that," He said, he face slowly falling, "It was… a memory of my past..."

"What happened?" Max asked again, his eyes filled with worry for him.

At first, Goliath felt that he couldn't answered, he just kept his gaze with Max for a moment, but then he turned away, bowing his head and staring at the ground with a forlorn expression, "I am…"

"…Alone."

Well, I hope you guys liked the chapter, I'll try to have more up soon:)