There's something about writing for Pokémon that manages to increase my wordcount. This would be considered long in my original stuff. Oh well, Chapter 18 time!

Chapter 18

A Trigger

"Raboot, Bounce! Chewtle, let's focus on long range with Water Gun!"

"Sobble, avoid the Water Shuriken!"

The sounds of training echoed across the bluffs, the sound of Galar's eastern waters rising with the surf. Raboot jumped high into the air, to a height that almost made Rookidee envious, and as he soared back down, Chewtle was firing her Water Gun, each attack grazing Gloria's steadfast Fire type. He was close, and to the side of them, Sobble could be seen flipping out of the way of the ninja stars.

"Okay, Chewtle, take it head on!"

"Chew!" Raboot's foot crashed into Chewtle's head, but her solid stance prevented her from taking too much damage, a fact that made Gloria smile. She clapped, too, proud of the progress from both of her partners. Raboot's speed and strength, and Chewtle's resilience; though they had both fallen against Nessa, she knew they would be ones to rely on for the upcoming rematch with Kabu. Rookidee on the other hand, was preening, clearly confident in himself off his victory, and staring at Applin, who remained stock still whenever the bird's gaze would find her. Gloria wasn't sure if it was from fear or some attempt to seem strong.

"All right, Sobble, let's wrap up and try some Water Pulse! Greninja, show him how it's done!"

"Gren!"

"Sahb!" The pair of Water types brought the attention to them, each taking a similar stance to one another. While Greninja didn't form any sort of Water Pulse, his stance produced the watery shuriken that he was known for. Sobble, on the other hand, was starting to bring together the liquid orb, only for it to burst in his hold, splashing upon him and turning his body invisible. "Sobble sahb!"

"Hey, it's okay! Sobble, calm down." Ash located Sobble in seconds, the Pokémon sniffling while his trainer rubbed the top of the lizard's head. "You have a start. We just gotta keep going with it."

"Sobble?" Ash grinned at Sobble and Gloria heard Chewtle call for her friend, encouraging him to take the stance and try again, invisibility fading. Sobble wasn't the only one emboldened.

"See, Yamper? It's just about keeping it going," Serena said, patting her dog on head as he yipped. Pikachu and Sandshrew were at his side, the trio looking like big brothers to the dog with too much excitable energy. "Right. So, you have no problem keeping the energy going, so what we need to do is find a safe outlet for that energy. You have plenty of fur, so let's work on trying to ground it. Pikachu, could you help out?"

"Pika!" Pikachu's tail flattened, sticking itself into the ground while Yamper watched, his tongue wagging out. Sparks flew from Pikachu's cheeks, but Gloria watched as they were channeled into his tail and down to the ground. Yamper barked, narrowing his tiny eyes as his own static was funneled into his fur and his paws, aiming towards the dirt.

It was only minorly successful, and Serena backed away as the electricity burst out, shocking both Pikachu and Sandshrew. "Well, it's a start. Like I said, we keep working."

"We keep working, too!" Gloria said, facing her team with an air of importance. Rookidee fluttered down, landing atop Chewtle with pride. "Our goal is simple: revenge against Kabu! We'll keep working until we make it!"

"App!" The sharp cry of Gloria's little apple made her look further down, the Grass type rolling against her feet as the green petals looked up. "Lin lin app!"

"You wanna be ready for Kabu, too, huh? Guess it's time we train up!"

"You keep training and we'll get nowhere," Astrid's voice called, distracting all three of them. She was sitting back in her chair, picking through some magazines she had swiped in Hulbury, and looking bored with the proceedings. Or she just wanted to get a move on. Gloria couldn't say for sure, but she had to admit that the woman had a point. "So, either set up camp here or we get moving."

"Get moving," Gloria and Ash said at the same time, and occurrence that drew a laugh from Serena. She picked Yamper up from the ground, breathing heavily, and sat down in her chair. Gloria quickly joined them, grabbing her phone and scrolling along the map. It didn't take long to locate the branched path with shining eyes. "Or we can do both. Look! Galar Mine Number Two!"

"Number Two...?" Ash questioned. Sobble jumped atop his head, while Pikachu was on the table, all of them staring at the map and trying to make sense of it. "There's more than one?"

"Yeah. The second one was opened more recently and is probably the more active of the two."

"First one was plenty active to me," Astrid muttered, flicking across another page that seemed to showcase Galarian fashion. "What's your plan here, Gloria?"

"Well, the mine is known to be a home to a lot of Rock, Ground and Water types. Perfect for Applin to train in!"

"Ah, Sobble, too!" Ash said, reaching up to find that Sobble had disappeared. His hand was patting the air, showing that Sobble's embarrassment was behind his vanishment. "Sounds like a good idea, but...Serena, are you up for that?"

"I'm not that done with traveling yet," Serena snapped at her husband, taking a sip of tea while she was at it. Astrid snickered, while Ash looked embarrassed. Pikachu shook his head at his trainer's expense. "It sounds like a plan. As long as we don't run into Alastair again..."

There had been that name again. Alastair.

The mood at the table grew more somber, the thought of the events in the previous mine flooding back. It almost made Gloria reconsider the tougher route, until Astrid spoke up.

"We'll deal with it if he is. I want to see more of these operations, and with Macro Cosmos being so involved with Dynamax, I'm curious if there's more on these Wishing Stars there."

"Astrid, is that because...?" Astrid's sharp glare silenced Ash from asking a question that Gloria felt would just confuse her. He defended himself with his hands. "All right. Another mine, it is. Everyone, let's get ready to go!"

Ash's call was all they needed, the Pokémon returned to their Poké Balls save for Pikachu, Raboot and Applin, while Gloria and Ash dismantled the table and chairs. In no time at all, they were back on the road and approaching the mine, its darkened halls glowing blue like a strange contrast to the previous one. Even more different was the lack of a guard outside, prompting Gloria to check her phone.

"Well, that's one less thing to worry about. Looks like the company's mining facilities are off-road from the trainer's path. We should be free to go!" Gloria took charge, feeling more confident in leading them than ever as they dove into the second mine.

The difference was stark and universal.

Where the first mine had been the color of earth, with the loud sounds of banging and crashing, with railway carts wending their way through, this one looked surprisingly untouched. Instead of earth, the walls were made of a shimmering crystal that lit the cavern passages with a brightness Gloria didn't expect. Pools of water could also be seen, glittering and reflecting the crystal, with the pitter-patter of droplets indicating a greater moisture in the cave. The only sign of human interference within the space were some signs pointing the way to the mining operations, an emergency exit, a worker's entrance by the coast, and ultimately the trainer's path that their group hoped to take.

"Interesting...I wonder what these crystals are from...?" Astrid mused when they were deep enough into the cave to take in the ambience. She leaned forward, touching one, and it sent a weird shrieking sound resonating through the mines. "What do they mine here?"

"Got me," Gloria admitted, putting her hands behind her head and striding forward without a care in the world. Applin bounced on her head, both keeping a lookout for any foes they could face as part of their training on the way back to Motostoke. "I know Macro Cosmos opened the mine to search for 'alternative energy sources' or something."

"Chairman Rose's idea?" Ash asked. He was in step with Gloria, searching for more opponents as they located the path forward, stepping on it tentatively. It wound itself around a pool, a Gastrodon munching on something within its depths. Applin squeaked, clearly too afraid to face that, and the group continued on.

"Sure, probably. Though most people know that his personal assistant carries a lot of weight and tends to run things whenever he's busy."

"That Oleana woman, huh...?" Astrid sounded suspicious, but all Gloria could offer her was a shrug. "What alternative energy sources are these?"

"I don't know. Do I look like a researcher, Astrid?"

"Fair enough. You're too much of a dumbass to know that kind of stuff."

"I am not a dumbass!" Gloria said, stamping her foot down, only for it to give a little beneath her. The squishiness of the ground was unexpected, and she looked down to see she had stepped on a Poké Ball. Right next to it was a face.

"Gloria!" Ash called out, lunging for her and grabbing her arm. He pulled, yanking her away before giant jaws snapped up from the ground, right where she had been seconds ago. They made a crunching noise which sent a shiver down Gloria's spine before Raboot attacked, his feet beating into the Pokémon and making it run off, burrowing beneath the ground. "Be more careful. No use getting your leg chewed off."

"I...I was fine."

"Sure, you were," Astrid said, walking past with a roll of her eyes. "You keep going like that and you're gonna crash and burn. Don't get cocky because you won in Hulbury."

"I'm not cocky. Just psyching myself up." She didn't want to admit the point that Astrid had. Nearly falling into a trap so obvious was not one of her better moments, and the blonde knew it. Letting out a short breath, Gloria felt Serena's hand on her shoulder, reassuring her, and it allowed the teen to screw her head back on straight. "Right. Applin, let's find you a training partner."

"App." Applin was sounding more reassured despite the scare. Raboot was less so, eyeing his trainer with his hands in his fur, watching their surroundings. Gloria emulated him, her hands shoved in her cardigan as she stomped past Astrid, once more playing with the crystals that lined the cavern. She didn't like the sound, shaking with each tonal note, but all of that faded away when a little shape flitted in front of her.

Within moments, Gloria had taken her phone out, Rotom informing her that the flat Bug Pokémon before her was a Wimpod. "Perfect. Applin, let's train!"

"Appapp!" Applin rolled off Gloria's head, looking fierce. The Wimpod stopped in its movements, slowly turning to face the apple that was glaring at it. Gloria did a quick scan, wondering what to call from her newest Pokémon first, only to try and stop her jaw from falling.

One...move...? She would have screamed it aloud, but the shock was too much, and worse yet, she knew she only had herself to blame for the lack of knowledge on her Pokémon. It was starting to become no wonder that Applin wanted to become stronger, with just one move at her disposal, and not even a Grass type at that. Gloria picked her jaw up and reined herself in. She would have to make the most of it. "All right, Applin! Astonish!"

"Lin!" Applin launched herself forward, her face growing scary and her eyes glowing as red as her skin. Wimpod was frozen in place, unable to move before Applin struck it from the fright.

That was about as far as it got. With a small click, Wimpod whipped around, striking Applin in the face and skittering off back into the cave. Applin rolled back upright, her leaves curling and her tail shrinking in sadness. Gloria leaned down. "Don't feel bad. You got 'im so good he ran away."

"Don't lie to her..." Astrid remarked, receiving a quick shushing from Serena. It didn't matter, the damage done as Applin's external features nearly sunk back inside her protective apple. Gloria wasn't sure how to address the problem. It wasn't as though she could just call for another move, and there was no reason to go chasing after the Wimpod.

"Los...Shell...los...shellos..." The echoes of another Pokémon arriving caused Gloria to perk up. To the side, Raboot leaned against a rock, keeping one eye open on the training of his teammate. Applin looked to him and he nodded, causing the apple to tense for a fight again.

"That's the spirit!" Gloria said, pumping her fists. The adults stood back to give her room, while trainer and Pokémon watched and waited as the blue colored Shellos slowly inched into view, oblivious of them for a few seconds. Gloria waited, not wanting to attack out of the blue, but Applin was too eager, rolling forth with her scary face and red eyes. The Shellos shrieked right before Applin struck it...

...only for a muddy stream of water to strike Applin and send her flying back with a scream. Worse yet, Shellos was angry.

"Sobble, I choose you, let's work out that Water Pulse!"

Gloria caught Applin, now covered in mud and dazed, while Sobble emerged from Ash's Pokémon. He was nervous, that much was obvious, but his trainer standing behind him gave him courage, one that Gloria was surprised to witness. The Shellos hadn't stopped firing its bursts of mud, and it nearly struck Raboot, who leapt away. It made the Water type oblivious to Sobble, who formed the water between his tiny hands. This time, it wasn't bursting, and he flung it forward to strike on Shellos, ending the assault and drenching it.

"Shell!" Shellos retaliated with a swift, and furious, Water Gun.

"Match it!"

"Sahb!" Sobble remained rooted, and from his mouth fired a jet of water that matched the Shellos and broke through. Ash made another quick command, sending Sobble forward to strike on Shellos's head with a Pound. That was the last straw, and with a sharp cry the Sea Slug Pokémon went the way of Wimpod and disappeared.

"Awesome job, Sobble! We've nearly got Water Pulse down!" Ash said, crouching before the little one and tapping his hand against Sobble's. The lizard looked overjoyed at the praise, one shared by Pikachu. Raboot looked impressed, too.

Gloria, however, felt horrible, and she fell on her butt, holding Applin up. "Guess we botched it, huh? You sure you don't know any other moves?"

"Applin..." She was certainly downcast at that, and Gloria placed her on the ground, pondering what to do. The adults certainly weren't offering any help, unless one counted Ash, now approaching her.

"A Pokémon isn't the sum of its moves, Gloria," he said, kneeling down to her level. "It's the trainer's job to bring out the best of even a limited moveset. That's how we help them grow. Like, once, I raised the supposed weakest little dragon who only knew Bide, to a powerhouse that got me to the finals of a League."

"I'm starting to think Applin might have your little dragon beat for weakest," Gloria said with a sigh, taking her phone out again. She brought up Applin's entry on her Pokédex, flicking through to see what moves she could learn as she was, only to come up disappointed. "Agh, none of these are helpful! Half of them are enemy depend-agh!"

"Lin! App applin!" Gloria rubbed her face, ignoring Astrid's coldhearted chuckling. Her Pokémon sounded furious, and it took Gloria a second to realize that she had been struck by her. Gloria blinked, looking down, and she could swear that she saw a frown on the little one's face.

"I'm not meanin' anything by it, Applin. Just saying, you don't have a lot of tricks to work with right now!" Applin didn't care, and she launched herself again to strike Gloria upon the face one more time. Only, when she landed, she didn't remain in place. Rather, she rolled away, deeper along the path in the mines and out of sight. "Wait, Applin!"

"Raboo!" Raboot called, but both of their cries were in vain. Applin was long rolling out of sight. Gloria didn't need to look to feel the disapproving stares of the adults, nor to understand where she had screwed up.

Me and my big mouth...Gloria pounded the ground with a fist and scrambled to stand. There was no way she was letting her precious Pokémon roll on to danger without her. "Damn it."

Gloria sprang to her feet, Raboot right at her side and on the same wavelength. Applin couldn't have gotten too far ahead, and with that thought in mind, they raced forward, hoping to catch up to the Grass type. The stomping footsteps indicated she was far from alone, but she didn't want to look at them, let alone face them. The crushing disappointment of her own actions was enough to weigh on her.

Running down the crystalline corridor, Gloria took the turns as sharply as she could, nearly skidding into a lake. She course corrected quickly enough, jumping over the rather conspicuous Poké Ball that indicated the presence of a Stunfisk just beneath the surface. Not bothering to apologize, Gloria and Raboot ran on before reaching a branching path. They stopped for a second before Raboot tapped her leg, his ears raised and listening.

"Bu," he said, pointing down one path and then making a circle. The meaning was obvious.

"Doesn't matter, then." Her muttering was met with a nod from Raboot, and they took the righthand path, charging down it with full speed. As it wrapped around the crystalline walls, Gloria began to see someone up ahead, jogging with a towel around his neck, ignorant to her racing at him. "Excuse me, coming through!"

"Hm?" The man turned, but he was a blur to Gloria as she and Raboot ran through. Ash was clearly behind, though, because he spoke to the man.

"Sorry, in a rush."

"Oh, are you-?" Ash didn't stop to let the man finish his question, and Gloria saw Pikachu come dashing through to take the lead. A quick glance behind told Gloria that Ash was catching up, Sobble bounding along with his own speed. Not only that, but the man they had passed had increased his jogging speed to try and catch up with the group, his features now becoming more identifiable.

"What're you rushing for, miss?"

"Lost my Applin," Gloria said, barely paying attention. "She's trying to prove herself and I'm-"

"Rushing straight into the fire without regard for the flames again?" The smoother voice, and the salt and pepper hair, made Gloria screech to a stop. Ash rammed into her, and the pair toppled over atop Raboot and Pikachu. Sobble managed to stop himself, leaping out of harm's way. Despite being buried beneath, Gloria looked up and couldn't stop the grimace from rising, especially when the old, weathered hand reached for her.

"K-Kabu..." Gloria wasn't sure if to take the hand, flashing back to her defeat. Raboot shuddered as well, especially when Kabu regarded him. It didn't matter, for he bent down and gripped her by the forearm, pulling her up. "I-I..."

"It's good to see you again, girl." Unlike during the match, Kabu appeared kindly now, the wrinkles upon his face stretching with a smile before he turned to Ash. "And you are Ash Ketchum. A pleasure."

"You know me...?"

"Pikapika?"

"I'd be remiss to not know someone as well-known as yourself from my home region," Kabu said, extending a hand to the man and eagerly shaking it. Ash looked pleased with himself, but Gloria was stuck between worry for Applin and whether to say even a single word with Kabu nearby. "So, an Applin, was it? I thought I saw one roll by in the middle of my routine training and thought it odd."

Gloria found her voice. "Which wa-?"

A sudden shudder caused the three to stumble, their Pokémon holding to each other for support, except for Sobble, who jumped atop Ash's face with a cry and disappeared. "Ah! Sobble, calm down!"

"Is it another Dynamax?" Gloria shouted, truly believing they had run into the exact same situation as the last mine. Or she did, until the grating, mechanical noise sounded out, running down the passageways, followed by a short shriek. One that Gloria recognized.

"Applin!" Gloria didn't care if she was running into the fire, or that Ash and Kabu yelled for her. All she knew was that Applin's scream was one of danger, and she and Raboot were going to rescue her. The grating sound didn't stop, and neither did the pair, turning a corner and running towards the brighter room from which voices were emanating. The sound of the machinery was reduced to a bare minimum hum.

"What are you stopping for, Meowth?!" was another shriek, familiar and unwanted.

"What does it look like, Jess, I'm already gettin' some Wishin' Stars!" another voice responded. "Dis whole cave is full of 'em."

"You think that and the noise will be enough?"
"Who cares, James? I'm tired of being in this musty old cave!" Gloria's eyes narrowed. She knew who they were, that dangerous trio of Jessie, James and Meowth. Her speed increased, jumping right into the room and looking far across it to where the trio stood, a large drill held in the Meowth's hands, a pile of what looked like Wishing Stars at his feet. The worst part, however, was that Jessie had her foot atop the round, red form of Applin. "And what's this weird little apple doing here? Time to hit the road, you dumb piece of fruit."

"Let her go!" Gloria didn't stop, charging ahead like a Tauros for where Jessie was. The magenta-haired woman turned, blinking, just as Gloria tackled her. With a shout, her foot was removed from Applin, and Raboot dove, grabbing the Grass type. Though she didn't deserve it, Applin squeaked, happy to see her as the girl climbed back up.

"Ah, it's her!" James and Meowth expressed. "Twerpette 2.0!"

"Are we sure she's not some other version?" Jessie snapped, looking enraged at the fact she had been tackled. "Like a Brute Version or something?"

"I'm not a computer program! What are you doing here?"

"You should prepare for trouble if that's what you ask!" Jessie said, letting loose a loud cackle that reverberated off the walls.

"And make it double, we'll tell you of our task!" James said, leaping back, as though he expected to get tackled himself. The ruckus behind Gloria said that Ash and Kabu had arrived, just in time for the trio to begin reciting...something.

"To protect the world from starry devastation!"

"To unite all people within this Galarian nation!"

"To denounce the evils of gathering rocks!"

"To extend our reach to these wishing star blocks!"

"Jessie!" the woman proclaimed, only for Gloria to yawn.

"And Ja-"

"Haven't you guys recited this before?" Gloria snapped, freezing the three in mid-movement and mid-motto. "I asked what you're doing here, not for you to recite a poem."
"Gloria, just...just let them finish..." Ash said with a sigh. The already astounded trio turned their eyes to him, shaking as they tried to hold their position. "It's their thing."

"Yes, no one interrupts us in the middle of a motto!" James shouted, shaking his fist. Gloria pulled Applin tight, and with a shrug, permitted them to finish. They picked up precisely where they left off. "I'm James!"

"The former Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of a Dynamax light!"

"Surrender now or prepare for a gigantic fight!"

"Dat's right!"

"Wobbuffet!" The trio posed, and held it for a good few seconds. Gloria snorted.

"Good, now I can take you villains out!"

"Now, wait just a second!" Jessie screeched, her foot stomping the ground. "Do kids have no manners these days? What happened to protocol and villainous etiquette?! You have to at least give us a chance to commit a crime!"

"You look plenty like Applin-nappers to me!"
"Appapplin!"

"Team Rocket? Wasn't that that now defunct crime syndicate from Kanto?" Kabu asked, the wrinkles on his face becoming stern lines. "I wasn't aware factions of them still existed."

"That's right, chum!" James declared, tossing a Poké Ball up and down. Gloria and her Pokémon readied themselves for the fight, but Ash and Pikachu remained nonchalant, the latter even going as far as facepalming. "We might be running low on cash, but we still have plans to hatch!"

"Dats right, all dese Wishing Stars will be ours to snatch."

"Wobb wobba!"

"Oh, come on, guys. We all know you're not crooks anymore," Ash said with a sigh. "What's all this about? What are you really doing here?"
"Are you blind, Ash?" Gloria asked, pointing at the trio of villains that were starting to chuckle amongst themselves. They were even doing evil laughs at this point! "They're clearly here for mining Wishing Stars!"

"Well, no sign said we couldn't!" James said, tutting his finger back and forth.

"So, there's nothing you can do about it," Jessie concluded.

"I can kick your arses and make you tell me!" Gloria said, pointing forward. Just as she had been before, Applin proved herself eager, and Gloria froze. How was she going to fight with the limited moveset, even with Raboot to help out? The question was irrelevant at the footsteps behind announcing Serena and Astrid's arrival, along with Jessie waving the issue away with a sneer.

"It's something your little twerp brains couldn't handle. Meowth, keep drilling! Seviper, let's keep them busy!"

"You, too! Join the party, Cramorant!"

"Crama!" The squawk of the odd-looking bird was followed by an odder moment, as the blue bird with the giant beak emerged from his Poké Ball, and enclosed his beak around James's head, attempting to swallow his trainer whole. The look of revulsion on Jessie and Meowth's face said it all.

"Pikachu..."
"One of those, huh...?" Ash sounded entertained, in a way, but Gloria was far from it.

"No, Cramorant, not me. Get them!" James removed Cramorant from his head, pointing him back towards Gloria. Applin rolled out in front, hopping up and down in defense. "Water Gun!"

"Roll out of the way, Applin!" Gloria shouted. The waterfowl's beak opened wide, spitting its shot of water for Applin. She rolled to the side, her swift movements enabling her to dodge and begin rolling right for the bird. "We may not have a lot of moves, but we'll still beat you crooks! Astonish!"

"Crama?" The bird was curious, twitching his head this way and that as Applin rolled right for him, bounding up with her scary face and red glowing eyes. The bird's feathers ruffled, and Gloria was encouraged for the hit.

Well, she was encouraged until Cramorant opened his beak up with the intention of swallowing.

"Ah, Raboot!" Raboot nodded, not needing the specific order to dash in. He didn't make an attack, and in fact had no time to. All he could manage to do was leap for Applin and grab her before she was gorged upon. It left him wide open for Seviper's swinging, purple tail that struck the pair and tossed them back to Gloria's feet. Even the most novice trainer could have told that both were poisoned. The sounds of the drill echoed through the mine again.

"Sahhb! Sobble sahhb!" Ash's newest addition leapt forward at the sight of his poisoned friends, something that Kabu took note of. Behind him, the two women were watching, Braixen and Absol out of their Poké Balls but hanging back.

"What's this lizard doing challenging us? Head back home, tiny. Seviper!" Jessie was too lazy to even bother with a specific order, and Seviper didn't appear to mind. The purple tail came singing outward, coated in the purple poison, while Cramorant squawked and, to Gloria's surprise, dove for the ground of the mine like it was water.

"Sobble, jump!" Ash called. The order was snappy, and Sobble acted in an instant, showcasing the skills he had been working on. With a determined expression, he leapt, avoiding the tail. "Now, Pound!"

"Sahhb!" Sobble fell, his hands glowing white. Cramorant was right underneath him, beak inviting the lizard to drop right in, but neither Pokémon nor trainer had any intention of that. Sobble altered his trajectory just slightly, and brought his Pound attack crashing into Cramorant's neck. The bird cried out, emerging from the ground and flapping around with pain before bumping into Seviper.

"Sevai!" the snake hissed at it, clearly more than a little angered at its teammate's poor coordination. When Cramorant didn't stop, Seviper lunged for it, looking like a battle of who could swallow who first.

"Don't fight each other!" James shouted as the two began to tussle. "Fight them!"

"I don't want to fight you guys at all," Ash said, sliding his foot forward, "but if you guys are gonna keep up this charade, we'll have to blast you off! Water Pulse!"

"Sobble!" The water lizard summoned his sphere of water, and Gloria watched, amazed at how quickly Sobble had managed to master the move under Ash's command. With a little effort, he tossed it, impacting straight upon Seviper's head, an action that enraged it. The red eyes turned upon Sobble, making him freeze and shake.

Or, Gloria began to realize, it was the mine itself that was shaking.

"What's dat?" Meowth asked, his drill grinding to a halt. Gloria grabbed both of her partners, suffering under the effects of the poison, and tried to quell the vibrations of their bodies. A sharp red light traveled up the walls, and some more crystals emerged where Meowth had been drilling. He fell back, atop Wobbuffet, and the machine slipped from his hold, falling atop his mined Wishing Stars and cracking them to pieces. A sharp scream passed through the mine for a second, and all went silent. The shaking stopped.

"Uh, Meowth...what was that?" Jessie asked, her voice fearful instead of indignant.

"Don't ask me, Jess." He looked more affected than most, but with no answers to explain why he did. It made him jumpy when Kabu stepped forward, feet grinding the gravel, looking furious.

"I thought those Team Yell punks were troublemakers...but you three take it to the next level." His curt voice made Cramorant and Seviper stop fighting, putting Jessie and James's eyes upon him. "Have you no respect for nature?"

"Nature exists to be plundered, chum!" James's words did nothing to change Kabu's stance, and Gloria wasn't sure they were ever intended to.

"Look at you, trainers of such skill, and for what ends? You squander your immense talent."

"Look, go home, grandpa!" Jessie shouted, but at this point, Kabu was ignoring them. Or parts of them. He seemed to not care for their excuses when he tossed his Poké Ball high, and from it emerged the slithering form of his ace. One that Gloria had seen face countless opponents without falling: Centiskorch. "What, are we supposed to be afraid of a bug?"

"Uh...I don't tink we should antagonize him," Meowth stammered out. Wobbuffet held fast to him, the duo watching as Centiskorch's body blazed with fire, glowing amber with its heat that even Gloria could feel. Astrid and Serena were the same, covering their faces as though it could block the extreme rise in temperatures.

"Fire Lash!" Kabu's demeanor proved to be almost opposite of his battle with her, his voice full of passion and his movements kinetic. The stoic Gym Leader with a lesson to teach had melted away to reveal the hotblooded man inside. Gloria was fascinated.

Centiskorch skittered along the ground, his segmented body creeping as from it came multiple whips of fire. Before Cramorant or Seviper could do a thing, they were lassoed by the whips, tossed over to where the rest of the former Team Rocket was. Those four were quick to join their Pokémon, snapped up by further lashes that bound them all together, burning into them.

"Get out of this mine, and return when you've learned some respect! Fire Spin!"

"Sk-k-k-ka!" The clicking felt ominous to even Gloria, and much more to the now hugging and quivering group of criminals and their Pokémon at whom the attack was aimed. Centiskorch bellowed, and fire raced out along the ground until it struck, and then erupted in a pillar of flame so heated, it blasted straight through the roof of the mines, flinging Jessie, James and Meowth with it, high into the stratosphere.

Gloria only faintly heard them say they were still blasting off, but her mind was on more important matters, like the Pokémon poisoned in her arms.

"Here." Gloria looked up to see Serena there, offering a pair of Pecha Berries with a smile. She took them gratefully and fed them to the pair. As they munched down, Gloria saw Kabu return Centiskorch, running a hand through his hair. And Ash picked Sobble up, still shaking.

"You did a great job, Sobble, but if you're gonna pick a fight, make sure you can follow through with it, okay?" Sobble looked downcast, as though failing his trainer, and it served as a sharp reminder to Gloria of how she had failed Applin. The only balm on the situation was that the apple was looking better. "Hey now, don't be upset. You did great. I just don't want you jumping into a situation you're not ready for and getting majorly hurt because of it. We'll just keep training harder!"

"Pika pikachu!"

"Sahh sobble!" Sobble nodded, soaking in the praise and consternation all at once. It made Gloria look down, holding Applin between both hands. Her leaves blinked at her, and Gloria frowned, resisting the urge to continue beating herself up.

"I'm sorry, Applin. I'm not very good with you, am I?" Applin blinked again and then nodded. It twisted the knife a little further; she didn't need to agree. Gloria sighed. "Sorry...I opened my big fat mouth and I hurt you. I didn't mean to..."

"App?" Gloria held Applin up to eye level.

"You're not weak. We just have to work on your versatility." She realized it sounded more like an insult than any sort of compliment, but Applin remained intent on listening. So was everyone else, including Kabu, the older man watching the pair in their tender moment. "I promise you, Applin, I will make you the strongest apple in the world by the time we reach the Champion Cup. If you'll have me?"

There was a pause, a moment of consideration that was drawn out agony to Gloria. Then Applin jumped up and bonked her affectionately on the head. "Lin!"

Gloria felt joy bubble up, and she held Applin tight in a hug, grateful to have been reunited with her Pokémon. Raboot nodded, looking much better as well, but he halted in position as Kabu approached and kneeled.

"A learning lesson for trainer and Pokémon both," he said, reaching out to stroke Applin's shell with kindness. Gloria wasn't sure what to say; she had only seen him as the wall that had stopped her cold, yet in the last few minutes alone, Kabu had shown many sides, including the smile that he flashed towards Gloria. "You've grown since you charged me head on. I'm glad."

"Well, I...I couldn't just..."

It wasn't insulting, but Kabu lifted his hand to pat Gloria atop the head. He stood. "I look forward to see you show that growth in a battle. I'll keep a slot open for you when you're ready. Take care. Mr. Ketchum."

"Oh, yeah. Bye..." Ash barely had the time to get words out before Kabu was jogging away, towards the perceived exit from the mine. Gloria watched him go, unable to formulate words, herself. Astrid took immediate advantage of that.

"Well, that's the first time I've ever seen you speechless, hothead." Gloria didn't think to retort.

She just held Applin close, watching Kabu jog away, that lofty, immediate goal just before her. The adults began to catch up, but she and her Pokémon kept observing as Kabu's form faded into the light. They would battle soon, and this time, she promised, she would win.

The surface of the lake was calm, a few aquatic Pokémon resting lazily upon it. The sun was dipping towards nighttime, making the lake appear as though it were burning, though none of its residents minded. On the shores, some Pokémon were returning to their homes, another peaceful day over.

Until something made a big splash in the center of the lake that sent the waters spilling over the sides and the Pokémon scrambling.

It took a few moments, but from where the lake was impacted, something surfaced, seaweed attached to their hair, all of their limbs entangled in one big mess. "Get off!"

"You get off, first!"

"Wobba wobb!"

"Vipa!"

"No, Cramorant, stop eating my head!" The cries frightened away whatever Pokémon were left, the thrashing present in the lake scaring away even the staunchest of defenders. It took a few minutes, but eventually, the ruckus died down, allowing Team Rocket and their Pokémon to float back up to the surface, wistfully drifting. "Well, if blasting off like that isn't nostalgic...reminds me of when we first fought the twerps..."

"I'm just wonder what happened to us," Jessie snapped, sounding even more disgruntled than usual. "We're getting beaten by a teenager!"

"Where have you been da last ten years, Jess?"

"And technically it was that Gym Leader what beat us," James felt the need to point out. Once he had, they emitted a collective sigh. After a moment, the blue-haired man turned his head. "It is nice to be taken seriously again, though."

"She certainly has some sort of spunky streak."

"Swam." The deep voice of agreement took them by surprise, and James tilted his head backwards to see a dark shape rising from the depths of the lake. He screamed, and so did the others, embracing each other in fright before large hands encircled themselves around the group. It hoisted them out of the waters, stomping towards the dirt banks of the lake and dropping them there, each exhausted. "Swahm swahm."

"Keh heh, good job, Swampert." A bright light flashed, indicating the Swampert returning to its base form, lighting up the dusk of the lake. James glanced up to see the man that had clearly rescued them, sitting atop a rock as he gorged on potato chips, his lithe figure a contrast to that of his bulky Swampert. "So, how'd the mission go?"

"You know full well how it went!" Jessie snapped, springing to her feet and recalling Seviper. "You saw us blast off and did nothing about it!"

"Indeed. But I did calculate your possible trajectory. Good to know I was spot on." The man popped yet another chip in his mouth before stowing the bag away and dusting his hands off. "I wouldn't call it a failure, though."

"But we didn't get any of dose Wishing Stars..."

"Or flush out that Alastair chap..." James added on. He brought himself to a stand, too, now fully taking in the thin form of Y's righthand man, Cedric. The man was playing around on a tablet similar to Y's, as though they were in constant communication...which, of course, explained why the trio was endlessly busy these days.

"Perhaps not in the mines," Cedric said before bringing a chart up and showing it to the four. Wobbuffet nearly collapsed all of them as he tried to look. To Jessie, it was clear gibberish, and it wasn't much better to James. All he saw was a spike of sorts. "Whatever you three did caused some sort of effect, right across the Wild Area. That is where Y said he spotted Alastair. Perhaps not as intended, but we brought him out all the same."

"So dat means..."

"Motostoke?" James asked. Cedric laughed his familiar "keh heh", stowing away the phone and preparing to take the lead.

"Yes. Something is bound to happen soon. I can feel it. Best be prepared. Come." He turned away, Swampert following, and the two began to disappear into the coming night. The quartet watched a moment, and then their bodies slumped.

"I tink I liked him betta when he was fat..." Meowth grumbled, his stomach agreeing. "...and our enemy."

"I'm just tired of getting bossed around and blasted off," Jessie said. James didn't have the energy to even agree with them. It was just more orders, more missions, and more tasks, something all the complaining in the world wasn't changing.

After all, they still trudged off towards Motostoke with a sigh, wondering if anything had really changed at all.

Author's Note: A little bit more transitional, but a very important chapter. Stuff with Applin shows she's not a heavy hitter just yet, but we have the contrast with Ash and Sobble. TRio returning was also me wanting to make it a bit different of a battle. That said, they weren't just dumped here. There was an extreme, overarching plot purpose this time, so I hope you didn't just write it off, as the final scene of the chapter reveals. But really, this was more build to bring us towards Motostoke.

Also, who expected to see the prime universe's version of Cedric, keh heh?

Viroro: And with this, another chapter of Gloria and the group's adventures ended! This was very much an episode meant to put the spotlight on the 'weakest' members of the team, and Applin in particular. We really hope you enjoyed this first proper look into what Gloria's newest Pokémon is like, and especially the hurdles she will have to overcome. Beyond that, we also had the return of Kabu to the story, some more worldbuilding about Galar's locales, and of course another return of Team Rocket! Likely the last for a long while, so don't worry about this turning into a persistent trend. While perhaps not the most earthshaking chapter in progression, it still setup a number of important threads and carried forward just as many, so the end result will hopefully have been entertaining.

Very interested to hear your thoughts, and that you'll keep looking forward to what's to come!

We reach Motostoke again next time, so until then, please Review and,

Dare to Be Silly.