With just a few exchanged words,
Ash and Sonia already pieced together most of the truth—
and their deduction was frighteningly accurate.
But they still couldn't confirm who the real mastermind was.
After getting the information she needed in Turffield,
Sonia prepared to return to Wedgehurst to continue her research.
Chloe, however, chose not to keep following Ash to suppress the Dynamax outbreaks.
Instead, she decided to return with Sonia.
As Professor Cerise's daughter, Chloe had talent in research—
and more importantly…
She didn't want to drag Ash down.
In battles involving Dynamaxed Pokémon,
she couldn't help at all.
If she couldn't help, she shouldn't hinder.
Doing what she could do was already the best support she could give Ash.
After saying goodbye to Ash,
Chloe climbed into Sonia's car.
On the road, Sonia glanced at her once—
and instantly saw through her expression.
"You like Ash, don't you?"
That one sentence made Chloe turn bright red.
Her fingers tangled together nervously—
Sonia chuckled softly.
Such innocent love.
Just like she once had with Leon.
Sonia then shared her past with Leon—
including the days when she guided the inexperienced Leon in battles,
and why she ultimately chose to walk the path of a researcher instead.
"I didn't have Leon's talent as a trainer.
So becoming a researcher was the only way I could keep up.
If you don't want Ash to leave you behind…
you have to work hard, and stand at the same height as him."
Sonia said it lightly,
but the way her hands tightened around the steering wheel
betrayed the weight behind her words.
The path of a researcher was not an easy one.
"Mm! I understand!"
Chloe looked forward again—
her eyes filled with determination.
The path ahead would be rough,
but quitting had never crossed her mind.
Even if she couldn't stand beside Ash now…
she believed she would, one day.
Seeing this,
Sonia finally revealed her "auntie smile."
[Lance: People grow stronger for many reasons. Love is the most common. A fourteen-year-old already having this resolve… impressive.
Though some older women grow stronger for love yet never receive love in return.]
[Lorelei: LANCE! Are you trying to die?!]
[Caitlin: Uuu… I want a love worth working hard for too~]
[Raihan: Ahahaha! Leon—Sonia trained you when you were a newbie? That's hilarious!]
[Sonia: I'll have you know I was the top student at Motostoke Battle Elementary!]
[Raihan: Meaning Leon wasn't good enough and needed Big Sis Sonia's tutoring to stay afloat~]
[Leon: …Hold on. Why does this feel so wrong?!]
Scene—
After parting with Chloe,
Ash checked his Rotom Phone for nearby Dynamax outbreaks.
A rampaging Gigantamax Coalossal was detected near the mines.
Without hesitation, Ash flew toward the location on Charizard.
At the same time—
Gary was already there.
He commanded Umbreon and Blastoise to attack the G-Max Coalossal.
Gary hadn't traveled to other regions for a long time,
and he wasn't familiar with Dynamax at all.
Let alone Gigantamax.
Even strong Pokémon struggled to dent a G-Max opponent's enhanced durability.
"This thing is way too tanky!"
Gary gritted his teeth.
Gigantamax wasn't just a simple form change—
it was like Mega Evolution and Z-Moves combined.
It came with special moves and massively increased stamina.
No wonder Galar had the saying:
A Dynamax Pokémon can only be defeated by another Dynamax Pokémon.
If not for the strict regional restrictions,
Galar would easily be the strongest league.
Of course—
if you had strength like Leon, that was another story entirely.
Right now, Gary could only barely hold Coalossal back.
"Blastoise! Don't let it advance—Hydro Cannon, full power!"
Luckily, Gary was strong enough to keep things under control.
Just then—
Two Charizards soared rapidly toward the area.
"Charizard! Rock Tomb!"
"Charizard! Air Slash!"
Two voices rang out from opposite sides.
Gary looked up—
and saw two Charizards attacking Coalossal simultaneously.
Even a Gigantamax Pokémon couldn't withstand the combined assault of
three champion-tier Pokémon.
Coalossal collapsed—
and its G-Max form unraveled.
But—
No one came to comfort it.
Instead, the miners threw rocks at it angrily.
All because Coalossal had damaged the mines while rampaging.
Despite the insults and attacks,
Coalossal didn't resist.
It remembered everything—
and believed the destruction was its own fault.
So it quietly endured.
Ash landed just in time to see this scene.
He immediately jumped off Charizard and stood in front of Coalossal.
"STOP! Don't hurt it anymore!
Coalossal is a victim too—why treat it like this?!
Isn't it your partner?!"
Ash glared at the miners, furious.
He couldn't understand how they could treat a partner this way.
Gary walked up from behind.
"Coalossal didn't do any of this willingly.
Blaming it for everything—
that's unfair."
"To deny everything it's done for you because of one incident…
you don't deserve to be its partners."
Gary's words cut deep.
These people had lived with Coalossal for years—
yet showed none of the loyalty Coalossal showed them.
The miners fell silent.
Coalossal had saved their lives many times.
Yet they repaid it with cruelty.
Most miners didn't know how to apologize.
A few still glared angrily.
Coalossal… felt cold for the first time.
"Coalossal—
if you're willing,
you can become my partner.
I would never treat you like they did."
Gary said sincerely—
and shot a disdainful glare at the miners.
Coalossal froze, stunned.
Gary repeated gently:
"Will you come with me?"
He held out a Poké Ball.
In the video, the towering two-meter Pokémon trembled—
tears streaming down its face.
(A faithful partner treated this way… the original miners were truly disappointing.)
Human hearts were complicated.
Most could not maintain pure goodness over time.
Their stress had built up for years,
and Coalossal's rampage became the fuse.
The fault wasn't Coalossal's—
but they chose the one who couldn't fight back.
Without Ash and Gary,
Coalossal might have lost all trust in humans.
Now, it felt warmth again.
"Coalossal, trust Gary," Ash added.
"He's annoying sometimes—
but he always keeps his word!"
[Mustard: …What an embarrassment to Galar.]
[Drayden: Bonds between Pokémon and humans must be mutual.
Coalossal wouldn't have been happy there anyway—Gary is a far better choice.]
[Leon: We really owe Ash and Gary.
They didn't hesitate for even one second.
They truly love Pokémon.]
[Diantha: They're so alike… both love Pokémon from the bottom of their hearts.]
[Professor Kukui: To shield a Pokémon with your own body—that's why Ash earns such deep trust.]
[Professor Birch: This is how true bonds are formed.]
Ash would protect Pokémon without a second thought.
Gary would step up and speak harsh truths without fear.
They were, in essence, the same kind of person.
No wonder they were chosen as the Sword and Shield Heroes.
Their hearts had never changed—
even as they grew older.
Scene—
The mine incident concluded with Gary successfully catching Coalossal.
There, they unexpectedly met Chairman Rose.
He thanked Ash and Gary sincerely.
But his words made many viewers uneasy.
Particularly the phrase:
"Change is necessary for progress."
A suspicious hint.
Ash and Gary didn't stay long.
Rose invited them to dinner in Motostoke after everything was resolved.
The two continued dealing with Dynamax events until nightfall.
Only after resolving most of the outbreaks
did they regroup with Chloe in Wedgehurst.
"Ash! Don't think winning this time means anything!
Next time I'll beat you for sure!"
Gary couldn't accept that he handled fewer Dynamax Pokémon.
"Hah! Too bad—I won this round!"
"Hmph!" Both of them!
Chloe sighed helplessly.
At the Magnolia Laboratory,
Sonia became furious after hearing what happened with the miners.
They tarnished Galar's image.
She apologized on Galar's behalf,
and even gave Gary a Dynamax Band to make up for it.
—
The Next Day
After a new discovery,
Sonia brought the trio to Stow-on-Side.
There lay murals related to the Sword & Shield Heroes.
But shortly after they arrived,
the same black-clad thugs from yesterday attacked again.
They chose the wrong targets.
Ash and Gary easily defeated them.
However—
the mural was destroyed in the battle.
But behind the broken mural…
the truth was revealed.
The Sword and Shield Hero wasn't one person—
It was two.
Carved before the statue were two Pokémon:
One holding a sword.
One holding a shield.
Ash and Gary immediately recognized them—
the same Pokémon they had seen in the Slumbering Weald.
As if resonating,
the rusted sword and shield in their hands glowed red and blue—
then the light sank into their bodies.
Before they could react,
Sonia received a call from Professor Magnolia.
Professor Magnolia revealed—
Chairman Rose was the mastermind.
All the mysterious G-Max energy
originated from Motostoke.
Everyone set off at once.
Galar – Motostoke
Leon had already suspected Rose back at the mines.
Through his own investigation,
he found the true source:
A secret underground facility beneath Motostoke.
All uncontrolled Dynamax energy originated from this factory.
"Rose! What exactly are you trying to do?!"
Leon couldn't understand.
Why would a man who dedicated himself to Galar's prosperity
do something that threatened its collapse?
Rose raised Leon.
Rose created the Dynamax battle system.
He BUILT Galar's glory.
So why destroy it?
Leon finally arrived at the underground factory—
But the guards still blocked him.
"Sorry. Without Chairman Rose's authorization,
we cannot let even the Champion inside."
Leon: "…"
"Leon! Everything is Rose's doing!"
A familiar voice called from afar.
Leon turned—
and saw Ash and the others rushing toward him.
The one shouting was, of course, his childhood friend Sonia.
"Leon! Don't waste time talking to them—
just break in!!"
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