Love in the Time of Turmoil

Chapter 19: A Generator

The climax begins now! This is something Viroro and I have been very looking forward to, so we hope you'll enjoy and give us all of your thoughts. Time for Chapter 19!

Chapter 19

A Generator

The howling of the storm tore at Ash's eardrums. There was no rain, the energy funneling out from the ground and blowing away all of the rain that had greeted them at Spikemuth. In its stead were the familiar dark clouds of a Dynamax event, tinging the air red, black and purple. A tortured cry was on the air, too similar to the event that had taken place at Motostoke, those of Pokémon growing against their will.

He groaned, coughing as he tried to push up from the ground. It felt like there was a pressure exerted upon all of them, keeping them pinned, all of the gathered group scattered to different parts of the wrecked Spikemuth. The first thing Ash finally noticed was Pikachu.

"Pika...pi..." Pikachu's strained call for him urged Ash to put feeling back into his legs. He pushed off, diving for his friend and rolling away. Just as he managed it, the floor split open, another stream of Galar Particles suddenly spearing upwards. They needed to get out of here fast.

"Hang on, buddy," Ash said, letting Pikachu climb up his shoulder, both trying to block out the howling of the storm. Ash turned, seeing Astrid crawling up from her knees. Near to her was Gordie, shielding Bonnie's body with his own, while the Yell grunts had dogpiled to protect Marnie and Piers from the raging Power Spot. All it left was... "Gloria..."

"Kapika!" Pikachu called, leaping down from Ash's shoulder. The powerful wind buffeted them, each straining to take a step forward to the stirring girl and her Raboot. In a minute of time, he managed to reach them, pulling up. She coughed, and opened her eyes.

"No way...Spikemuth's..." Gloria scrambled back, hitting against Ash's chest. The two locked eyes, and Ash saw something familiar in there, something he didn't want to see: a fire burning. Just as he was used to doing, all of her adventures had begun to flick a switch, and he was afraid she wouldn't be able to turn it off. "We have to do something! Raboot!"

"Calm down," Ash said, gripping the girl's shoulder tight. Gloria cast wild eyes upon him, but he tried to impart his instruction through his gaze. "If we panic right now, so will everyone else."

"I'm not panicking. I just..."

"It's...it's gone..." That was Marnie's voice, the pile of Yell grunts rolling away to reveal her on her knees, staring at the destruction of the town around her. It surely wasn't a pretty sight. The roof was broken off, only jagged chunks remaining, while many buildings had caved in. Instead of dilapidated, it now looked ruined, and with every continued pulse of the Power Spot, more and more was being damaged. This wasn't helped by the vast number of Pokémon growing, causing Marnie to slip into further despair. "Spikemuth's finished..."

"Don't talk like that!" Gloria insisted, finally dragging herself fully to her feet. "We will save it! I'll save it, if I have to!"

Ash didn't like the way she phrased that, eager to involve herself in something he started to fear was getting away from him, but there was no room to argue. They were still stuck in the middle of Spikemuth as it fell away, with Pokémon Dynamaxing all around them. The worst of it was Butterfree, growing large and beginning to thrash, outside of Astrid's control. She tried to clasp at her Dynamax Band, but it was doing no good, the device rendered inert.

"I always said it was dangerous...but this is too much..." Piers's lament reached all of their ears as he stood, and finally everyone was able to bunch together, their backs placed against one another as they took stock of their situation. The ground trembled, stomping Pokémon converging on the square and the source of the great power. Those that were not enlarged fled. "I shouldn't have had that battle. I'm down until Obstagoon can recover."