Song- Glory 3usi9

Characters- Maxie and the player character mostly, although some others get mentioned

Interactions- Implied Redorbshipping, could be viewed as platonic

Warnings- None

This is another song I think is really nice. I like it a lot.

As I said before, I generally avoid referencing the player in any specific terms, and this continues here. It made this one more challenging to write, but I wanted to make a character who readers could imagine as whoever they want, so it was worthwhile.

All in all, it had been a long struggle, and even the hardiest of hearts felt fatigued. Perhaps it was because of that that the trainer was trying so hard to lift everyone up.

The new day that dawned beyond the fear and the frantic rushing that had characterised the meteor incident was full of hope. The stolen Key Stones had been recovered, the meteor shower had gone off without a hitch, and everyone had been reassured once again. Furthermore, truths had been spoken and many of those involved in the calamity had grown far closer.

All in all, much like the incident with Groudon, things had been set right, and the world was back to normal with hardly a scratch on it. If anything, it was better.

But despite it all, Maxie remained engrossed in his own guilt.

The young trainer despaired at seeing his sadness, and wished to do something about it.

It hadn't been the time or the place at the Cave of Origin, and no words had flowed regardless. But now, if only the right ones could be chosen, perhaps the man could be brought out of his slump. That was what the trainer hoped.

If nothing else, he couldn't continue down the path he was on- only self-destruction lay in that direction. There had to be a way to lift his spirits, and show him that all he had done had been worth something. That his life up until this point hadn't been in vain.

That trainer struggled to think of what to do. Every contest appearance, every battle, they only continued to mull over things to say or ways to cheer the man up. After so long, finally something of an idea was formed. But all courage left the young trainer when it came to actually delivering their words. Team Magma's base was intimidating, its grunts and admins particularly unapproachable, and Maxie himself was aloof enough that any attempts to speak openly about such emotive things died on the trainer's lips before they could bring them up. There had to be another way.

The rest of the region wasn't this hard to reach. Most people were moved by contest performances or masterful displays of strength. Even Steven could be made to understand through the art of battle.

The difficulty didn't make the trainer give up. If anything, they wanted to help Maxie even more. He had also been an important person in their journey. Even if it seemed bizarre to some, the trainer had grown to care for the man and had been deeply worried at the signs of his crushed spirit. It was something that looked entirely foreign on the usually purposeful man, and the young person was determined to bring an end to that.

After more pondering, a plan began to come to the trainer. If simply saying the words directly was too difficult, they would have to be transmitted in some other way. A way that still allowed the meaning to get through.

Maxie had been more than a little surprised when someone slipped a CD under the door to his room that day. At first, he had almost disregarded the object, but soon curiosity grew and he found himself picking it up to examine it. A card had been slipped into the case, and he began to read the message inscribed as he loaded the disc cautiously into a computer.

The message that had been left for him was inexplicably heart-warming. And then the voice came through on the speakers, delivering its words of hope and of admiration, of fear and appreciation. Everything that that child- no, that trainer- had ever wanted to say. Proof that they still thought of him, still worried about him. That somebody outside the closed circle of Team Magma cared.

Maxie got to his feet as the recording ended, feeling a rejuvenation within his very being. He had been sitting on his laurels, focusing on his mistakes, while he should have been working towards the revitalisation of their team. The entirety of Team Magma depended on him and he couldn't let them down. He had to stand tall for them. And that meant not just sitting around, but actually acting.

He walked towards the door, determined to find the young trainer and to thank them. When he looked around at the rest of the team, he saw energised people prepared to make the world a better place. As he moved through the hallways, he noticed Tabitha and Courtney were hard at work, directing its members as they truly turned over a new leaf.

When he finally made it to the outside of the base, he found that the trainer had been waiting for him all along, with a gentle smile and infinite patience.

He was grateful for it.