Ashley Mallory

## Ashley the Grey, The Last Cinerastican

**Ashley Mallory** is a Rider and supporting character that appears in in *Monster Hunter Stories Ultimate.*

## Description

Ashely Mallory is a youth of average height and light stature with long, black, stringy hair, pale, ashen skin, large, red eyes, and dark spots under their eyes, indicating exhaustion. They wear a tattered light grey tunic with a white sweater underneath it, a tattered grey cloak over their shoulders, dark grey trousers, light black leather gloves with belts around the wrists, light black boots lined with grey fur, and metallic knee and shoulder guards. Around their waist is a large belt that holds a pair of pouches for holding items. Their gender is determined based on the player's, with male players experiencing a male Ashley and female players experiencing a female one, though both genders largely look the same, possessing an androgynous appearance overall. Their default expression is a fearful and tense look, but if the player is on good terms with them, they will take on a more confident and relaxed expression instead.

Over the course of the story, Ashley will repeatedly change their equipment, allowing them to keep up with the player, and will eventually settle on white-tinted Nergigante armour and Bercrinox weapons. However, if the player is on poor terms with them, they will instead don whatever gear the player was wearing during their final clash, wanting to prove themselves as the superior Rider between them.

## Personality

Ashley Mallory is a friendly, supportive, and seemingly cheerful individual in spite of their timid and somewhat awkward demeanour, wanting to help other novice Riders like themselves become better at what they do and promoting the idea of cooperation between fledgling Riders despite having their own desire to solve the Elder Anomaly, but deep down, they are marked by an inferiority complex, particularly towards the player character, feeling inadequate and lacking confidence in their own abilities due to being shown up time after time by others like the player and arriving to important locations after they do, and much of their cheeriness is due to a fear that the player will not accept them at all if they act negatively, something they will reveal if the player was kind enough.

Traumatized by the loss of their beloved town and everyone in it from an attack from the omnicidal crime lord Nilgorai, who only spared Ashely out of a belief that they were too worthless to even consider killing or enslaving, their greatest fear is being alone and forgotten, with them being desperate for acknowledgment and respect and berating themselves for seemingly never being good enough for anyone, and over time, they begin to see the player as their best friend due to them being willing to accept them as a teammate, even developing feelings for them over time if the player expresses interest in them due to their kindness. However, this friendship can become a twisted form of idolatry if the player neglects or mistreats them, with them becoming increasingly resentful and determined to defeat the player to prove themselves worthy of their attention and prove how much they've grown, turning against them late into the story in a desperate attempt to prove their worth; if the player was kind to them and helped them find closure by having them fight Nilgorai, this battle instead becomes a friendly duel for Ashley to try and prove their worth to the player. If the player enlisted them to take down Angra Hylel, they will let go of any remaining feelings of inadequacy due to developing a newfound sense of confidence after having helped slay the source of the Elder Anomaly. While timid around most people, they will become unusually angry and calm if confronted by Conquerors of the Void, Nilgorai in particular, being incensed by what they did to their town and wanting them destroyed by any means.

## Background

Born and raised in Cinerasticus, a lost town located near the forests of the Boreal Reef that was known for the many ash trees that surrounded it and the significance they played in its culture and customs, Ashely lived a happy life as the child of a farmer and a blacksmith, assisting their parents with herding domesticated Anteka and Popo, crafting weaponry for the hunters that lived within the region, and working with leather, fur, and Anteka antlers to make clothing and intricate carvings to sell to travelling Hunters and Riders who were curious about the culture and customs of the townsfolk. However, Ashley's greatest dream was to become a Rider, being enamored by the tales of heroism and valor from Riders and how their bonds with Monsties allowed them to overcome any obstacle, and while they were too young to be a Rider at the time, they would study them profusely when not working with equipment or domesticated monsters, buying books on Rider codes and conduct from traders and studying the properties of all kinds of weapons, with them having a special appreciation for Non-Elemental ones due to their consistent damage output, though they were also noted to lack confidence in their own abilities, feeling as if they would never be up to the task due to their frail, bony build and timidity around monsters and people alike. Taking notice of this lack of confidence, the chieftain, a Rider himself, opted to train Ashley despite them not being old enough to be a Rider yet, having them ride domesticated Popo and Anteka around the forests due to them being placid enough to work with children, hit training dummies resembling monsters with sticks and hunks of iron, watch as the chieftain took down monsters himself, and practice the Rite of Kinship by having them wear a false Kinship Stone made of bone, ash tree wood, and leather and raise it up high. While practice was rough at first due to Ashley's frailty and lack of confidence, they eventually eased up and became increasingly confident and proud, nailing the training as it went on, and both their parents and the chieftain were beaming in pride, praising the child and telling them that they would be an excellent Rider one day. However, this joy would not last for long.

One fateful day, an infamous death cult consisting of poachers, human traffickers, slavers, torturers, and mass murderers known as the Conquerors of the Void invaded the forests near the Boreal Reef and attempted to manipulate and threaten the civilians of Cinerasticus into selling their own kin to them in the pursuit of profit, but their offers were coldly and bluntly rejected at every turn, as the villagers' loyalty and kinship towards each other was too strong to waver; suffering wounded pride, the Conquerors seemingly left without a fight, only to return late at night when everyone was asleep to carry out revenge, firebombing the village and pursuing fleeing villagers so they could cut them down or cram them into stuffed carriages headed towards their slave markets. While the residents attempted to fight back, they were helpless against the full might of the depraved Riders, who ganged up on and cut bloody swaths through their warriors before beating and torturing the defenseless civilians into submission, regardless of age or gender. Nilgorai, the leader of the Conquerors and a hulking beast of a woman who towered over everyone else, soon made her way towards Ashley's domain and mercilessly cut her way through their parents as they made a vain effort to protect their child, and proceeded to grab the child after cornering them; disappointed in what she saw, she told them that she wouldn't kill or enslave them due to finding them too pathetic to even consider killing or trafficking, but would "just" beat them with an inch of their life as compensation for having her time wasted, then proceeded to brutalize them by repeatedly slamming them into the floor of their house and kicking them with a steel-toed boot, mocking them for their weakness and fear all the while. Fortunately, a sizable group of warriors from the arctic village of Perliforden had arrived to provide backup before any more damage could be done, having been alerted by the firebombing and coming to the aid of the chieftain and the remaining warriors, and with their combined efforts, they slew many of the Conquerors and forced Nilgorai and her remaining troops to retreat; sadly, the damage done was too costly for it to even be considered a victory.

Thanks to the actions of the Conquerors of the Void, Cinerasticus had burned down and was lost forever, and despite the efforts of Perliforden's doctors, the chieftain and his warriors succumbed to grave injuries they sustained from defending their people and home from Nilgorai and the Conquerors after being escorted to Perliforden, leaving Ashley as the last known Cinerastican and giving them a lifetime of physical and emotional trauma. Wanting to fulfill the last wish of the chieftain, which was to avenge his people and ensure that the child he watched over would grow and overcome the events that transpired, the leaders of Perliforden, a Troverian couple known as Ulf and Ylva, chose to adopt the youth as one of their own and raise them back to health. promising them that the death cult would be gone for good one day and that Nilgorai's head would be planted on a pike, allowing them to finally find closure. Over the course of 6 years, Ashley's injuries healed up almost completely, and Ulf and Ylva offered to train them in the art of Monster Riding, with Ashley spending two years of training with them to ensure that they were completely ready to head out and be a Rider, and while stern towards them whenever they made a mistake, they made sure to engage in positive reinforcement; unfortunately, despite their best efforts, Ashley often compared themself negatively to other Riders within the village and resented themself for not being as strong as them. Upon Ashley turning 18, Ulf and Ylva awarded them with their very own Kinship Stone, a gift they received from the Supreme Six long ago, and told them that it was time to go out on their own and see the world for themselves, and they ventured out towards a series of hills and forests in the south of Ijotria, being informed that it would be an excellent area for beginners to build up their skills before moving on to other areas. And during their journey, they would encounter a soon-to-be legendary Rider who would either serve to be their best friend, or their greatest rival.

## Abilities

Ashley Mallory is a balanced Rider overall, utilizing a wide selection of weapons instead of specializing in one particular type, though they prefer to rely on Non-Elemental damage and Monsties, and starts out with an Iron Sword and Shield along with Velocidrome, Pukei-Pukei, and Arzuros for Monsties when the player first encounters them. With every encounter, they swap out their equipment sets and Monsties with stronger ones, much like the player, though they still prefer to utilize Non-Elemental damage due to its consistent output, eventually settling for powerful Monsties like Nergigante, Seregios, and Odogaron. If the player was too neglectful or cruel to them in their playthrough, they will don the exact same equipment as them, even if it doesn't rely on pure Non-Elemental damage, to try and prove their worth to them, and the final story encounter will have them at a maxed-out level, regardless of their intentions.

## Tropes that Apply to Them

* Ambiguously Gay: It's not clear what their sexuality is, but if the player built up a good relationship with them and was consistently positive towards them, they will build up a crush towards the player character, wanting to have more than just friendship due to how much they look up to them. It's up to the player to decide if they want to reciprocate their feelings or not.
* Ambiguous Gender: They have an androgynous design that can make it hard to determine their gender at first, and other characters often refer to them with neutral pronouns because of it. They're confirmed to either be male or female depending on what gender the player chose.
* The Alcoholic: Being frequently shown up by the player causes them to turn to alcoholism late into the storyline, with them frequenting taverns more often in attempts to numb their own feelings of inadequacy and insecurity.
* Always Someone Better: The player is this to them, always besting them in Rider Battles, getting to important locations before they do, and receiving all the recognition for major milestones in the story, and being constantly shown up causes them to develop resentment towards the player and become increasingly desperate to be recognized and acknowledged, with them even considering betrayal if the player didn't bring them to the fight against Nilgorai, wanting to prove that they're the best and worthy of the player's respect by bringing down the one who killed the source of the Elder Anomaly.
* Berserk Button: They despise the Conquerors of the Void and especially Nilgorai for what they did to their lost town and their friends and family, and even mentioning them is enough to make them lose their normally friendly and cheery attitude. They'll also turn against the player right away if they took up the Oblivion Route, cutting off all ties with them for joining the death cult.
* Bittersweet Ending:
	+ For Ashley, if they turned against the player and won their final battle prior to the clash against Angra Hylel. It's sad that Ashley became so broken up by their constant losses and shortcomings brought on by the player that they turned against someone they considered their best friend and possibly their crush, but winning the fight allows them to let go of all the bitterness they built up, returning to their cheery, friendly selves after recovering their lost pride, apologizing for letting their inferiority complex get the better of them, and asking to rekindle the friendship they lost, an offer the player can either accept or reject.
	+ Additionally, if they were chosen to fight Angra Hylel as part of the "The Ultimate Sacrifice" or "Forlorn Hope" endings, they slowly succumb to Wasting following the battle, but go out with no regrets and are widely remembered and celebrated for their sacrifice.
* Boring, but Practical: They won't be dealing extra damage to any monsters due to their reliance on pure Non-Elemental damage, but their consistent damage output compensates for it.
* Crutch Character: As the first Battle Buddy in *Monster Hunter Stories Ultimate*, Ashley can be a large boon to have around, but will fall off over time due to their reliance on an Iron Sword and Shield, weak Non-Elemental Monsties, and gear that doesn't defend them against Elemental attacks. They seem to be aware of this status, however, as subsequent encounters have them upgrading their weapons and Monsties in an effort to keep up with the player.
* Dark and Troubled Past: They lost their entire town to the Conquerors of the Void at a young age, were forced to watch as it all happened, and were left to die alone and afraid by the death cult.
* Downer Ending: If the player chooses to have Ashley killed off after their final storyline fight, they will curse themselves for their failures as they're left to die alone, and their fear of being forgotten largely becomes a reality, with very few characters outside of the Perlifordin residents remembering them by after they die and the lost town of Cinerasticus losing its last remaining resident.
* Driven by Envy: Their primary reason for opposing the player later on is envy over how the player received all the recognition for major milestones in the game and periodically proved themself to be the better Rider.
* Dying Alone: This is one of their greatest fears, which is part of why they're so keen on joining the player and desperate for their approval, and the player has the option of inflicting this on them after their last storyline fight if they're not on good terms, mortally wounding them with a carving knife and leaving them to slowly bleed out.
* Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: They look sickly with their stringy, black hair and pale, ashen skin, and while not evil, they can be volatile depending on your choices.
* Friendly Rival: They start out as this, competing with the player to try and show their worth to the player and cheering them on in spite of their competition, though it becomes less friendly as the story goes along, especially if the player was cruel regarding their issues with their inferiority complex.
* Harmful to Minors: Ashley was only 10 years-old when Nilgorai and the Conquerors of the Void invaded and destroyed their village while all they could do was watch in agony.
* Inferiority-Superiority Complex: They struggle with one, feeling inadequate due to being consistently shown up by the player and being desperate to prove that they're worthy of respect and recognition, even being willing to turn against the player in a vain attempt to become the best Rider around if the player didn't bring them along for the fight against Nilgorai. The player has the option of insulting them for it, being indifferent, or trying to cheer them on as positive reinforcement, which affects their dialogue and the circumstances of them fighting the player, and Nilgorai will tear into them for it if they're present during the fight with her in an effort to demoralize them.
* I Just Want To Be Special: Their primary motivation is to solve the Elder Anomaly and make a name for themselves as a legendary Rider.
* My Greatest Second Chance: They wish to take down the Conquerors of the Void so they can avenge their lost town and make the death cult pay for their crimes, lamenting how they were unable to prevent it to the point where Nilgorai didn't even consider them worth killing. The player can potentially help them achieve it by bringing them to fight Nilgorai, greatly boosting the relationship values between them and automatically changing the tone of their last story battle to a friendly duel instead of a for-keeps fight brought on by feelings of inadequacy.
* Nice Guy: Or Girl. They're pretty friendly and cooperative when they first meet you, and even as their inferiority complex gets worse throughout the game, they insist that it is nothing personal between you two and that they still consider you a friend; the only time they truly get rude is if the player was consistently mean to them or joined the Conquerors of the Void.
* Noble Demon: Even if they turn against the player, they still act polite unless the player was consistently rude to them, and unless they joined the Conquerors of the Void, they will heal them and their Monsties before their final story clash, believing that there's no pride in besting a weakened opponent.
* Non-Elemental: They and their Monsties specialize in Non-Elemental damage.
* Pre-Final Boss: They're fought prior to the battle against Angra Hylel, either challenging them to a friendly duel to showcase how much they grew as a Rider (if on good terms) or turning against them in a desperate effort to prove their worth to them and make a name for themselves (if on neutral or bad terms), using endgame Monsties along with the gear the player currently uses.
* Sole Survivor: Ashley is the only survivor of the Cinerasticus attack, with all the others being trafficked and killed by Nilgorai and the Conquerors of the Void.
* Speech Impediment: They stutter and stammer when they talk, which is especially noticeable when they're nervous or scared, and it's described as having been inherited from their mother, who talked in a similar manner before her death. They're self-conscious about it and don't respond well to comments directed towards it, as the player can find out through "rude" or "hostile" dialogue options.
* Stepford Smiler: Type A. They try to be positive around the player because they want to be their friend and are afraid of driving them away, but this cheerful attitude serves to hide their feelings of inadequacy and desperation to be recognized. They can become genuinely cheerful if the player gave them enough positive reinforcement and took them to bring down Nilgorai or Angra Hylel, though.
* Tranquil Fury: While normally timid and emotional, they will become unusually calm if faced against Nilgorai or individual Conquerors of the Void or if the player takes the Oblivion Route, speaking in a cool, collected tone while expressing seething rage towards the group and individuals that ruined their livelihood and murdered everyone they held dear.
* Took a Level in Cynicism: They start off friendly and cheerful towards the player, being happy to cooperate with them and cheering them on despite their own desires, but as the story goes along, they become increasingly bitter about the player continuously besting them, getting to important locations before them, and getting all the recognition for major milestones, losing faith in their own abilities and becoming desperate to prove themself to the player and others, to the point where they'll consider betrayal in a vain effort to be recognized. This shift in personality can be reversed by building up a good enough relationship with them, allowing them to join the battles against Nilgorai and Angra Hylel, or allowing them to win the last story fight prior to facing Angra Hylel.
* Weak, but Skilled: Downplayed and later averted; Ashley has slightly lower Attack and Defense than the player does, but compensates by being just as skilled as they are with all types of weapons, and later catches up to or even exceeds them in terms of stat spread thanks to extensive training.

## Notes and Trivia

* Ashley Mallory was designed with the purpose of giving the player a complex friend and rival whose responses to the player would be of the dynamic variety.
* Ashely Mallory's name was chosen to reflect their focus on pale colours and their misfortunes throughout and before the events of *Monster Hunter Stories Ultimate*.