When I choose these chapter names, sometimes they're names that just fit an obvious aspect. Other times they have multiple meanings to them. This is one of those latter ones. Have fun figuring out which it refers to. Chapter 21!

Chapter 21

An Inferiority

Ringing.

Nothing but shrill ringing.

Gloria couldn't hear anything else. Not the disappointment of the crowd, or those associated with the disapproving looks from her cheer section. All of it was silence, but for the high-pitched noise that drowned out all others.

Her eyes were looking down at Corvisquire's fainted form, the burns upon his feathers made plain. He was wounded, but Gloria couldn't bring herself to move from that spot.

She had lost.

It all seemed like a horrible nightmare.

There was no way it could have happened, not after the road to get here, not after all the effort her Pokémon put in. Yet the shining result on the screens throughout the stadium displayed only Kabu's face, the Gym Leader walking away from the match victorious once again.

The worst part was that Kabu was not soaking in any of the adoration from his victory. That was something she did recognize. The older man instead wore a thin frown as the light of recalling Centiskorch finally made its way back into Gloria's vision. As it did, the sound of the crowd came rushing forth, and in that second, she felt like collapsing.

Instead of Corvisquire, she saw Rookidee, and the Gym Leader that stood over them, chastising them for folly. In front of the crowd, Gloria bit her lip, choking back the tears that threatened to spill over, turning them solely into numbness.

She only wished she wasn't feeling anything at all.

Gerry was saying something, presumably remarking on the end of the match, but Gloria blocked it out. She couldn't listen. Didn't need that failure rubbed in her face. It was already beyond obvious what everyone was saying, the same whispers that had followed her since their first time in Motostoke.

With a shaky hand, Gloria finally reached for Corvisquire's ball and returned him. The action completed, her arm flopped limply at her side, and her hair slipped in front of her eyes, making a curtain between her and the rest of the world. At her feet, Raboot groaned, his own injuries a stark reminder of what she had failed to manage, and of Kabu's cutting words.

You are not a Gym Challenger.

Damn it…Gloria's tears were imminent, and she reached up, biting so hard her lip began to bleed. She wiped them away, and when Gloria looked up, she managed to find her companions in the crowd. Marnie was holding Morpeko, the latter looking downcast at the loss, while Serena was clutching near her chest. Astrid appeared sympathetic, though to Gloria's eyes it was crossing over the line to pity.

Then there was Ash.

She couldn't read him. Was he disappointed? Unsurprised? Upset? For a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, he seemed remarkably expressionless.

Gloria found her fist clenching at the sight of him, her whole body shaking, threatening to crush Corvisquire's Poké Ball. Believe in your Pokémon…go with the flow…what a joke.

"You can grow, and still have much more to learn." Kabu's voice was right next to her ear, even if she hadn't registered his presence. "You've learned, but the road to being a Champion is not so easy.

"Feel free to challenge me again anytime."

That was the final cut on her already bruised pride, and her clenched hands released. The Poké Ball dropped into the dirt, rolling along to Raboot's side while Kabu walked off the field. The stadium was emptying faster than she could have thought, or would have ever wanted. At the same time, it left her alone, just her thoughts, staring down at her feet. She felt so alone, and so very small.

Gloria from Postwick, good for nothing.

Second-string.

Your head is underwater.

You are no Gym Challenger.

"Gloria." At Serena's voice, a sweet one that made Gloria feel nauseous inside, the lights in the stadium began to shut down, some workers coming in to clean the field. "Let's get your Pokémon to Nurse Joy."

She wasn't sure if she acquiesced, or if her feet had moved of her own accord. She did know she hadn't even changed out of her uniform, and when any sense of reality had returned to her, walking back into the blinding sun outside the stadium's walls, she saw Raboot being carried in Astrid's arms.

Guilt mixed in with the other storm of emotions, and the whispers that followed her were like needles. Nobody had ever expected her to win in the first place, and all of that brashness and bravado that had taken her this far was crumbling. Gloria wanted to curl into a ball and forget about the world, but her fugue carried her on, with her feet stumbling onto the lift that brought them to Motostoke's lower level.

The whispers felt even harsher and more discordant there.

"Did she really think she stood a chance like that?"

"Kabu's the real deal. Any Challenger worth their salt really needs to be able to take him down." Gloria's knees nearly buckled under the weight of their words, but a hand held her up. Ash didn't say anything, and Pikachu was as silent as his trainer, but they both kept her standing and pushed her forward. There was a silent message in there, but not one she wanted to hear.

The quintet finished their journey to the red-roofed Pokémon Center, the place nearly dead inside but for a few trainers who had been watching the match on television. They recognized her the second she stepped in, their small pockets and cliques turning to one another at their object of derision. The only one not making fun of her or her losses was Nurse Joy, running out with her pair of Indeedee.

"Oh, their burns are in a bad way. Kabu must have gone overboard again," the nurse said, and Gloria finally realized the condition her partners were in. Astrid handed Raboot over to Nurse Joy, the rabbit groaning as he was placed upon a stretcher. Trembling and feeling like a failure for not checking her Pokémon over, Gloria gave Chewtle and Corvisquire to the nurse.

"Will they…will they be okay?"

"Don't fret. We'll have them tip-top in no time." The comforting hand went to her shoulder, but Gloria barely felt it, nodding her head on autopilot. Once removed, Gloria heard only the clacking of the gurney as Nurse Joy and her assistants disappeared to the back. Unable to continue standing, Gloria found a nearby seat and collapsed upon it.

Worry, guilt, self-loathing and shame mixed into one horrific cocktail inside her mind. Anger began to worm itself in there, a feeling emphasized when she looked up and saw that the television was showing another commercial from another of Leon's sponsors.

Even they had already moved on from her footnote of a battle.

"App?" Applin's short, sweet cry alerted Gloria to the fact the fourth member of her team was out of her Poké Ball, nudging against her. She didn't have the heart to respond, or to say things. After the promise she had made the apple, there was no way she felt like she could keep it now. That part was hurting her the most, wherever she was hurting.

"Gloria, take a shower. Freshen up." Astrid's stern voice was like a lash, and Gloria refused to hear the kindness underneath it. "Your Pokémon will be in treatment for a time yet, and you need to clear your head."

"I…I guess…" She still refused to move, at least until Astrid groaned with frustration and picked her up under her arms. With a spin, she pointed Gloria towards the showers and marched her over there, shoving her inside with her bag and change of clothes. Gloria had a feeling the blonde was standing just outside, prepared to shove her back in if she didn't do as she was told.

It made her feel like a child, and she supposed that she was being treated as exactly what she was: a child who was in over her head.

Gloria's fists slammed against the wall, sliding down it with minor friction, a choked sob squeezing out when she could no longer hold it back. She didn't want to think anymore, or be here. Not even the water of the shower could wash away the emptiness she felt inside. Holding back the tears as best as she could, Gloria pounded her fist on the shower wall once again, as if beating it until her knuckles bled would make her feel any better.

It didn't, and when she was dressed and returning to the Center lobby, she found it even sparser than it had been. The conversing trainers were gone, leaving only her companions. Serena and Marnie were at a table, slowly eating a lunch long gone cold, while Astrid held to the feisty Applin. Only Ash appeared to be alone, leaning against a wall with his hat tipped over his head. Gloria didn't want to face him. She walked over to Pikachu and Morpeko, the two watching the interior of the Center as Nurse Joy did her work, the light still on overhead, indicating the ongoing treatment.

"Kapika?" Gloria didn't know what to say, or if her mouth could even work, so she reached up and pet Pikachu. He didn't coo, his eyes shimmering with worry for her while she choked back her emotions.

The light finally went off.

Nurse Joy emerged from the doors, carrying both of Gloria's Poké Balls, while the female Indeedee held to Raboot, his body bandaged from the injuries. Gloria couldn't look at him, didn't want to see how her best friend regarded her from their failure to attain victory. She wordlessly took the two Poké Balls and stowed them away. Only an utterance of thanks came out, and Gloria turned away, searching for that corner where she could just be alone, far away from the others that were clearly watching her and her current state of mental wellbeing.

She found it, slumping in a chair and staring up at the television that had already moved on, some talk show playing from Wyndon. Raboot pulled up next to her, but he also said nothing. They simply sat in each other's company, afraid to speak to the other. The silence of the Center was absolutely deafening, and it brought into sharp relief the sounds of the television.

"Next up on Galar Today, we have another interview with our Champion, Leon: an exclusive where he talks about the current Gym Challenge, and his next scheduled exhibition match with Raihan." The audience's applause in the recorded interview was an auditory assault on her ears. The ringing was coming back, drowning out the noise, but not the image of Leon, smiling and waving to the crowd that loved him.

The Champion.

The Winner.

Leon had never been here, had never lost. He was that perfect paragon, and his effortless strides and geniality only made him more telegenic.

She could never be him.

"Oh, I'm quite excited. Many trainers are already clearing the first leg of their challenge. Well, those that haven't dropped out, at least," Leon said with a laugh that was both genuine and well-meaning. Gloria's hands bunched up her dress, tearing into the fabric.

"And what about Raihan? You're sitting at a 30-0 win streak with him since your first days as a trainer. Do you feel any pressure, knowing you'll be facing the second-strongest trainer once again?"

"Raihan's an excellent trainer and mate," Leon told the reporter, turning his hat up so more of his confident face was revealed on the screen. The ringing grew louder and louder. "We've always tussled, and our matches always prove to be sellouts. But I can't say I'm too worried. I look forward to seeing how much stronger he's become every time, and whether my own workouts have matched that. We're…"

Leon's voice faded into the ringing, Gloria's breath the only audible thing inside her head. His lips were moving, laughing, even teaching by example the way a Champion should be. His mere presence on the screen, his talk about Charizard and the strategies of some of his greatest battles. They were all indelibly seared into her mind, having watched over and over and over.

And then there was him.

"Gloria." His voice ended the ringing, and Gloria looked up to see Ash standing over her, smiling. She hated it. Hated everything about a smile that conveyed nothing, and words that did nothing. "It's okay to lose. Just gotta figure out a strategy for next time. I might have an idea or-"

"So now you wanna help?" Her fist splayed out, stretching the wrinkles she left in her clothes. "It takes me falling flat on my face, embarrassing myself in front of everyone for you to finally have some idea of how to help?!"

"You didn't fall on your-"

"Shut up!" Gloria shouted, her voice erupting in a screech. Applin squeaked in fear, and Astrid stood with her. Marnie had dropped her spoon, all eyes moving to Gloria as she trembled in her seat. "You keep…keep acting like you wanna help me, but you don't ever do anything. Oh, sure, you say those platitudes like 'do your best' or 'I know you got this', but when it comes down to it, you haven't helped me at all!"

Ash took a step back, his face contorted in confusion and unable to come up with the words to say in the moment. "Gloria, if that's what you took from it, I mean…I did try to help."

"Help?!" she screamed, her bottled up emotions emerging in a flood. She slammed to her feet, balling her fists again. "You didn't help me at all! Believe in your Pokémon. Go with the flow. It was all a load of crap! None of it did a damn thing!"

"Gloria, calm down!" Astrid yelled, but Gloria was past the point. Her emotions were overwhelming, needing someplace to go, and before she knew it, she was right in front of Ash, the man a head taller than her. With a strangled cry, her fist hit him in the chest.

"That's all you've done this whole time! Talk about vague feelings or some advice you could get from a self-help book! None of it did any good against Kabu! None of it! None of it!" She hit against his chest a few more times, but Ash stood there and took it. The only indication he was mildly annoyed was his frown, etching deeper. "You gave all these words, but I put in all the work! Why are you so bloody useless?!"

She shoved him away from her, and his feet threatened to tumble him over. Pikachu called for him, running to his side, but everyone else was watching Gloria. She was heaving, her breath catching more than a few times as her winded nostrils caught up to her. Still, Ash was refusing to say anything, and it made her want to grab him by his jacket and shake him. At the very least, her words tumbled out in a scream.

"Say something!"

Ash didn't. Not at first. He lowered his hat, covering his eyes until Gloria felt her rage begin to peak again. "So that's it? Getting an endorsement wasn't good enough? Sorry I didn't live up to your expectations. I'm not perfect."

"Not perfect…? Sometimes I wonder how the hell you became a trainer at all!" Gloria spat. She knew her mouth was out of control, the same thing that led her to being here in the first place, but she couldn't stop. It just kept pouring out, the need to unload on something, anything, and he had been there for it all. "You couldn't beat a Dynamax on your own! Couldn't teach me anything useful! You're just a nobody, and I don't know why I ever thought you could help me!"

"Guess that makes two of us." Ash's words, clearly said in a fit of annoyance, made Gloria see red. She closed the distance, grabbing his jacket, wanting to strike him again and again for all the good it would do with the gnawing in her chest. "Maybe you did put in the work, but I did try to teach you. I tried to help you when you got in over your head. I tried to battle with you when you wanted it. What more did you want from me?"

"I wanted Leon, not some two-bit trainer with a made-up title who couldn't even find something if a map was right in front of his face!"

"Well, I'm not Leon, and if you don't want my help then maybe you shouldn't have asked for it or pretended to accept it." Ash took hold of her tiny arms, removing him from her grasp upon him.

"Maybe you're right! I never should have asked for an endorsement from some stupid League janitor in the first place, after all!"

"Gloria!" It was Serena's voice that put an end to her tirade. The pregnant woman looked truly furious, standing from the table with eyes that glared daggers. It was the angriest she had ever seen her, and made Gloria realize what she had just yelled. The only thing to make that clearer was the hurt expression on Ash's face.

None of it, however, was enough to break Gloria's pride.

Without thought or response, Gloria turned away and ran, right out of the Pokémon Center for the exit from Motostoke. She didn't want to see them anymore, or hear them. She just wanted to run, far away from the jeers and the admonitions. Far away from anybody who would just remind her of what a nothing she was.

In no time, her feet reached the steps leading down to the Wild Area, the only place she could think of to be alone. Two, three steps at a time were skipped, Gloria brushing past someone who called her name, but went unidentified. She hit the grass and kept running, right past some glowing spots, and the largest lake in the region. Tears began to fall while she ran, transforming from rage to embarrassment until, after a time, her legs could take no more, and Gloria collapsed on the ground.

She couldn't hold back anymore, and the tears came out, streaming down her face to a soft patter upon the grass. With what little strength she felt she had left, Gloria pounded the grass, wracked with sobs.

"Useless…useless! I'm so bloody useless!" She struck so hard, some of the grass gave way to dirt, and Gloria tried to regain the breath she had lost. Each breath brought with it a shiver, leaving her exhales rattled. "I thought I could get somewhere, or be someone…be the next Leon…But I'm not. I'm just…just a girl who hasn't grown an inch."

"Rab rab. Raboot!"

"App!" The unexpected cry was met with a bursting of light, Chewtle and Corvisquire appearing before her, while the two that had run after her arrived from behind, panting with exhaustion.

"Chew! Chewtle chew chew!" Chewtle bumped against her, her tiny horn poking at her skin. Corvisquire also tapped her with his beak, before his larger wings opened wide and tried to envelop her in a silent hug. That action alone made her feel like crying.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry I failed all of you and have been such a bad trainer. That we couldn't beat Kabu, that I lost my cool, or tried to treat all of you…" Gloria hiccupped, unable to form the words, but her Pokémon simply held her close. They didn't say a word, but their closeness indicated just one thing, a thing she didn't feel she deserved.

Mindful of the burns and bandages, Gloria accepted the hug nevertheless, pulling all four of her precious partners in, apologizing to them over and over. She didn't stop until the tears had stopped falling, and the air had grown colder. A snowfall was imminent, and Gloria wiped the snot from her nose with her cardigan.

"There you are! Ya ran so fast, I wasn't sure I could find you!"

"Peko!" Morpeko's wild energy in tackling Raboot was enough for Gloria to know who had chased her down, and when Gloria stood, she could see Marnie and the concern scrawled across her face, along with the many wild Pokémon that ran out of her way.

"You had me worried, runnin' off like that," her rival said, a hand over her heart. Whether it was representative of her worry or just being out of breath, Gloria didn't know, and Marnie spoke again soon enough to put it out of her mind. "You…you doin' okay?"

It was a loaded question, one that could easily be lied about. But Marnie looked genuinely concerned, and having run this far out here, she knew the girl deserved an honest answer. "No."

"I didn't think so…" Marnie stepped closer, her eyes drawn to the lake and the first fall of snow. She covered her eyes, peering across the way to something closer to the center of the lake, perhaps the center of the southern Wild Area itself. Gloria watched, too, spotting a shock of pink, but when Marnie spoke, it became irrelevant. "Y'know, I find it incredibly hard to smile. I'm just an incredibly serious person. My brother's always said so. But yer the kinda girl who just lets her heart out."

"Fat lot of good it does me." Gloria kicked at the grass, her eyes transfixed on the cloudy sky and the snow that was falling. Marnie stuck her tongue out to catch the snowflakes, giggling a little when one hit her eye. "We're supposed to grow during these things but I'm just…stuck in traction, and then I said those things and…"

"I think we all hit a rut. Heck, seein' you battle Kabu tells me I need to do more trainin', too." Marnie scratched at her cheek, and when she turned to Gloria, tried to wear the most brilliant smile she could muster. "And I think you've grown quite a lot. Makes me happy to call ya my rival."

Gloria snorted, but found the smile come back to her face, grateful for Marnie's words.

It was a smile that faded quick.

The ground rumbled, and the skies grew dark with ominous clouds. Their Pokémon reacted, crying out to some change in the atmosphere, and Gloria glanced across the lake, where a red and purple glow began to shine before a beam burst into the air, washing the Wild Area in its sickening light.

Around the girls, wild Pokémon began to glow, and to their horror, grow.

The cup had spilled over.

"Pikapi, Kapika pikachu?"

Ash wasn't sure if Pikachu was consoling him, chastising him or simply being there as his perennial partner. All he knew was that there was genuine concern for Gloria in his partner's voice, and with a sigh, he leaned back, his head knocking against the brick of the Pokémon Center's exterior.

"I don't know, Pikachu." Feeling flustered, Ash removed his hat from his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "I thought maybe I had this whole thing down but…I just made Gloria mad at me. Though she didn't have to put it like that…"

"Chuuuuu…" Ash slammed his head back, barely even feeling the bruise forming from his action. He was too tired for that, having already run after Gloria when Raboot and Applin dashed out, only to find the girl had long disappeared from sight.

It left them with so much left to say, and Ash having no idea how to say it.

"Guess I'm bad at this mentor thing. Thought maybe I'd be good at it if I didn't go hitting her with golf clubs, but Kahili's probably not the gold standard of mentors." Ash and Pikachu shuddered at the mention of that. Eight years out and still Ash could feel the bruises and remember the crack of dawn awakenings that had probably led to a broken bone or two. "I just don't know how to fix it…"

"That's because you're not thinking like she is." Serena's labored voice interceded on his thoughts, and Ash saw his wife come out of the Center, rubbing at her belly as she joined him. "You're thinking like a trainer who's grown up, not someone who just started their adventure. Reflect on how you were at the start, and that's Gloria's mindset. You two are very alike, in both the good and bad ways."

Ash twisted his lips, his foot beginning to tap at what Serena was saying. Somewhere in his head, he understood fully what she was saying, but he couldn't quite wrap his head around it. "Maybe you're right, but she didn't need to call me useless."

"Oh, Ash, I doubt she meant it." Serena reached down to take his hand and squeeze it. He was starting to feel like their roles from yesterday were reversed, and he began to expect a lecture incoming. "She just lost, hard. You know what that's like, but I think it's different here. Their Champion is someone who's never lost."

"Yeah, which is impossible…"

"But it's true. That's what Gloria's grown up watching. Holding in this truth that anyone can set out the door at ten and take on the world without losing for a second. She's not like you or me, who learned what loss meant very early on," Serena said. Her voice was firm, but Ash could hear the words that Serena was trying to impart to him, and his face slipped into one of agony. She didn't even need to say what he'd done wrong for him to know it. "So, to her, this loss is more than just a minor setback. It knocked her straight off the path, and she wanted someone to blame."

"Which was me…and I just yelled at her. Great." Ash finished ruffling his own hair, placing his hat back upon it. "I'm just not cut out for this thing. Makes me wonder if I really will be a good dad at all…"

"It's not like we're perfect from the beginning, Ash."

Perfect…Now that Serena had said it aloud, he realized that was the harsh lesson Gloria was learning. One he hadn't helped prepare her for, despite the obvious struggles before his eyes. She hadn't wanted to listen to what he could impart, that was true, but he had been unable to see what she actually needed from him. He let out a low chuckle. "Yeah, guess I should've taught her more. But she had no reason to call me useless!"

"Pikapi!"

"If you want to talk about useless," Astrid said, coming from the riverfront section of the city with a scowl, "I can't find her anywhere. Even Absol can't sniff her out. If Gloria is around, it's not in the city."

"Marnie and Raboot went after her, so I'm sure she'll be fine," Serena said, looking more exhausted the more she stood.

"Not if she went to the only area left," Ash remarked, pointing forward. The adults looked past the high walls of Motostoke, to where the Wild Area spread out before them. It was the only logical place for where Gloria could have run off to, and he didn't like the idea of her being out there, even with Marnie to help. The Dynamax Greedent alone was enough to convince him of that.

A sudden flash of light at his waist indicated a Poké Ball opening, and from within, Greninja appeared. His body was tensed, his eyes drawn to the Wild Area before looking to his feet. "Nin."

"Sol!" Absol shouted, and before Astrid could ask what was going on, he howled loudly, the sound echoing across Motostoke. Ash looked to Astrid, watching as her face was painted red. The city rumbled.

"What's that?!" Serena asked, pointing forth with panic in her voice. It wasn't like her, and Ash presumed it was her state, but the alarm with which his wife had spoken was enough to direct him straight towards the Wild Area, and the horror that was manifesting overhead.

A red beam split the sky, dark clouds roiling overhead and stretching on towards Motostoke. The city shook, Serena nearly falling over before Ash caught her. With terrified eyes, Ash watched as more beams shot to the sky, swirling with a screeching energy like the sound of the dead. Quickly, he began to understand why Greninja was staring at their feet, the energy pulsing underneath the ground. People further in the city began to scream at the sight, doubly so when the city shook yet again.

Sirens went off throughout, Ash taking a step forward. He couldn't see beyond the wall, but a shadow was rising, the red light bathing Motostoke in such a way it made his stomach turn. That feeling doubled when the voice of what Ash presumed to be an Officer Jenny came over the announcement system.

"This is an announcement from the Motostoke Police," she said, calm and informed. "Multiple Dynamaxed Pokémon have been seen outside Motostoke. Please, do not leave the city, and evacuate to the upper level for your safety. This is only for your precaution." The instructions repeated.

Ash, however, was terrified for one reason alone, which he shared with Astrid. "Gloria."

"Go," Serena said, refusing to let them hesitate. "I'll do what I can from here, but in my condition…"

"Stay safe." Ash wasted no time, his instincts taking over. He quickly kissed Serena, and he, Pikachu and Greninja were off. Astrid and Absol were right behind them. They dashed for the southern exit from Motostoke, against those people who were calmly evacuating to where Officer Jenny was directing them. It made it easier to squeeze through, not having to deal with the panic at all, and soon they could see the officer and her fellow policemen, a Boltund at her side.

"Please proceed calmly. Gym Leader Kabu is on his way and the situation will be remedied shortly."

"I'm here." The well-known voice of Kabu had come jogging out of a side street ahead of Ash and Astrid, acknowledging the officer with a salute. "I was already on the lower level. Do we have a count? And has anyone reached out to Macro Cosmos?"

"Currently unavailable for contact," Jenny said, looking tired at the principle of it all. "Now, of all times."

"Don't worry. If there are Power Spots acting up, then I can at least Gigantamax to hold them off," Kabu said, clapping Jenny on the shoulder with a curt nod. "Motostoke's walls have never been threatened by giant Pokémon before, and they will not now."

"Let us help," Ash said, his feet refusing to stop. Kabu nearly got whiplash as the two young adults blew past him, and Ash heard Officer Jenny blowing her whistle with force.

"Stop, it's dangerous out there!"

"Danger's just another afternoon for us!" Astrid shouted back. Kabu recognized them, and Ash figured he would manage to explain the situation to the policewoman. They had no time to waste, jumping forward to the stairs and bounding down them with all speed, only to stop before they even reached the bottom. "Not the sight I wanted to see…"

It was a mass group of titans, far as the eye could see. The red light spilled across the Wild Area, coating it with gigantic Pokémon, each with the clouds that signified Dynamax. Not all the Pokémon were affected, some wild ones running away in the sight of their friends that had grown huge. Nests were stampeded over, trees were toppled, and the lakes were displaced. One such giant Gyarados was emerging, a beam of concentrated energy forming at its open mouth. Further along the wall to Motostoke was a Dynamaxed Pangoro, beating at the brick and steel which caused the city to shake.

Most, however, were simply panicked, unaccustomed to their sudden new size. A few called after their smaller friends, but found their bodies unwieldy. Other subsets suddenly began to clash over the boundaries of their territories being blurred, or simply in a show of strength or aggression. Yet more were gathering on a spot, deeper into the Wild Area, an unearthly green glow lighting up the dark red storm.

Ash grit his teeth. "Do you see Gloria?"

"I can't see anything in this mess. Look out!" A tree came flying out of nowhere, and Astrid pointed to it. Absol leapt up, his horn glowing purple before he slashed through it, the two halves of the tree trunk rolling on the sides of the stairs. Behind them, Kabu was jogging down. A stomping indicated that the one who had tossed the tree, a pitching Machoke, was ambling right for them, and the adults formed ranks, including Kabu. "Where do we start looking for her?"

"Are you talking about Gloria?" That voice had come from the side, showing Hop as he rolled along the ground to avoid a Liepard's giant foot from squishing him and his Wooloo. Thwackey was riding atop Wooloo, holding his stick defensively to protect Hop. Taking the chance, Ash broke from their group to grab Hop and pull him back, shoving him into the center and out of danger.

"Did you see her, Hop?" Ash asked. The Gyarados finally fired, and the trio of adults turned. Absol sent a Dark Pulse racing out, while Pikachu's searing Thunderbolt joined it, soon mixing with Arcanine's Flamethrower. The triple attack clashed with the Max Geyser, finally breaking through it to strike against the Gyarados and send it flying back into the lake.

"Yeah, she ran past, some girl chasing after her. I didn't get the chance to-"

"Where?!" Ash and Astrid demanded. Hop pointed to the right, where the red light was still strong, many Dynamaxed Pokémon roaming and snow falling down. He couldn't see her. "Greninja."

"Ninja." Astrid gave Ash and Greninja some space as they raised their arms. Water swirled around Greninja's form, and Ash could see through his eyes as the liquid shuriken formed upon his back. Kabu quirked an eyebrow, while Hop fell backwards, stunned at the appearance. Soon as it had finished, Greninja crouched and leapt up, gaining air above the sea of Dynamaxed Pokémon. His eyes flitted about, causing Ash to turn his head to keep up until, finally, his sight zeroed in upon the pair of girls, deep in the thick of Pokémon.

"Found them."

"Oi, mate!" Hop shouted. His cry had Wooloo roll forward, dropping Thwackey as the Machoke aimed a powerful, orange-glowing fist for their clustered group. Wooloo was no match, his fluffy form sent flying back to crack against Motostoke's wall.

"Water Shuriken!" Ash shouted. Greninja dropped, swiping his shuriken out and holding it forward in time for the fist to finish crashing into him. Ash could feel his shoulders ache, but Greninja held tight. Kabu stepped forward, his Poké Ball raised and returning Arcanine. His Dynamax Band shined brightly, the Poké Ball beginning to grow larger.

"Slash!" It was a speeding bullet, thrown from the top of a looming shape. Not quite as large as the giant Pokémon, but wide all the same. The Pokémon came slashing through with a bright blue blade, cutting straight through Machoke and embedding itself into the ground. Cracks spread out, sundering the very earth as the Machoke exploded and shrunk, part of the red glow disappearing. Kabu's Poké Ball returned to normal size.

In the middle of the smoke, and pulling back out, was an Aegislash.

"Come now, Ash, is this really such a struggle for you?"

"Alastair!" Ash shouted, waving aside the smoke to see Alastair standing atop his Mega Aerodactyl, his Aegislash returning to his side. "Is this your doing?"

"On the contrary," the man said, his one-eyed gaze surveying the traumatized land before him. "There is something wrong with this land, and I am to correct it. I'll sever the power at the center. What will you do?"

Aegislash returned to his hand, and with it held tightly, Alastair pointed to the largest gathering of Pokémon yet, a glowing one in the center. The more Ash looked, the more he identified it as a Butterfree. The storm raged overhead, growing with intensity and anger. Astrid stepped forward.

"He's right. Get Gloria, protect Motostoke. Ash, can you do that?" She didn't wait for his confirmation. She just clasped her earring. "Absol, Mega Evolve!"

With a shrill cry on the wind in reaction to Absol's blooming light, and another flying shape passing from the city, the battle to protect Motostoke had begun.

Author's Note: A doozy of a chapter, if I do say so, myself. One of the threads we had pulled through the entire story has been that of the rocky relationship that is Ash and Gloria. Because Ash isn't a perfect mentor, but at the same time, Gloria wasn't really willing to see what he was teaching her. It was meant to culminate in this moment, where she snaps, belittles him, and ultimately seems to reject him. Of course, that's only half the story, given she and Marnie are now into the fire that is what the other thread has been building towards. With multiple forces on the scene and Gloria in peril, the (very short) climax of this book is here! Because yes, two chapters remain, which means next is the entire climax of this book. Here's hoping!

Viroro: And here we are, with the fallout of Gloria's second loss to Kabu. In many ways, this was a natural result of elements we seeded throughout the book, between Gloria's need to prove herself to her slowly snippier reaction to Ash seemingly not giving her the help she needed. It was an extremely important moment for their relationship and it was important for us to portray it well, as this is a breaking point in many ways. But of course, the resolution of this situation will have to wait, because some very important events are about to take place.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that you'll keep looking forward to what's to come!

Before we hop off, another round of thanks: BringerOfSnow for favoriting; and the usual heaps of gratitude to FantasyLover88, StoutShako42Refined, The Greatest Hokage, MythGirl Writes, Battlefieldfan, Tenzalucard123, UltimateCCC, ChE clarinetist, XDiamondX90, potat lasaro, Fury, Ander Arias, ahmedpikamaster, oomoepoo, Captainsquid12, AmourshippingCanon and 1 guest for reviewing.

As we near the end, I hope you continue to enjoy, so please Review and,

Dare to Be Silly.