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Chapter Text

Prologue

When Gloria was a little girl, she marched into the Slumbering Weald and, after a search party was formed, came back out with a pokéball clutched in her tiny hands.

When asked where she got it, she said a trainer caught a pokémon for her.

The search party found the trainer deep in the woods, her pokéball belt draped over a branch of the tree she had hung herself on.

Chapter One
The Opportunity of a Lifetime

Gloria only didn't slam the door out of consideration for Hop's mom, who, at this point, probably wished her youngest son had never met the neighbor's girl. She stormed out of the house, her face flushed, her fists clenched, and a part of her wished she had never met the Champion's little brother.

"Don't be stupid, Hop. He's never going to endorse us."

"Stupid," she grumbled. A quick glance behind her revealed that Hop hadn't followed her; he probably assumed she would just go home. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Stupid!" she yelled over her shoulder, and took off at a run in the opposite direction.

Wedgehurst was quiet at this time of night. Gloria had stayed at Hop's place pretty late for dinner. She earned a few concerned looks from passersby–a girl on her own would normally be fine, especially with the pokéball on her belt, but Gloria was clearly upset as she ran through the streets, and she wasn't paying attention to where she was going.

She collided solidly with a warm body. Gloria took a step the wrong way and pain shot through her ankle. She lost her balance and fell.

"Hey!" the woman snapped. She had managed to stay upright–a feat, frankly, given that she was in heels. "Watch where you're–"

She stopped. The woman put a hand to her forehead, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Are you alright?" she said, her voice much calmer.

"Fine," Gloria mumbled. Her ankle still hurt, but she figured it was just a pulled muscle. "Sorry."

She didn't get up right away. The woman frowned. "You're not hurt?" she said.

"I'm fine, okay?" A wave of fresh tears were threatening to spill. "Just leave me alone."

She got to her feet and promptly toppled over when she put weight on her hurt foot.

The woman caught her. "You're hurt," she said flatly. "Do you live nearby?"

Gloria shook her head. "I can get home."

"That's not an answer." The woman sighed. "Where do you live? I'll drive you home."

She scrunched up her face. "No thanks, strange lady."

Did she see the hint of a smile on the woman's face? "I understand the concern. Do you have someone you can call to pick you up, then?"

"My mom doesn't have a car." Gloria sniffed and wiped her nose. "I'll just call her. Give me a minute."

She sat back down on the ground and took out her rotom phone. She had gotten a missed call from her mom already, so she swiped to respond to it.

"Hey, Mom," she said when the other end picked up.

"Gloria, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Gloria said. "I just got upset, that's all."

She could almost hear the sigh from her mother. "I was worried when you didn't answer my first call. You had a fight with Hop?"

"It was just an argument, Mom. We didn't punch each other or anything."

"Still, I worry about the two of you. Where are you now?"

"I'm…"

She hesitated and looked up at the strange woman, who was looking at her own phone and waiting for her to finish.

"I'm in Wedgehurst," she said. "I hurt my ankle running."

Her mother gasped. "Oh, Gloria! Do you need help?"

"Some lady offered to drive me home, but…" She bit her lip. "Can you talk to her? I don't want to go with a stranger, but it's gonna take a while to walk home…"

"Of course, honey. You can hand her the phone."

Gloria held her phone out to the woman, who took it with a nod and spoke into the receiver.

"My name is Oleana," she said. "Your daughter happened to run into me, and I don't want her to have to walk home with a hurt foot… Postwick? That's not too far of a drive. I'll give you my number, that way you can call me if you're worried…"

While the woman–Oleana–gave her information over the call, Gloria rubbed her ankle and winced at the pain. It would feel better in the morning, she told herself. It was just a bad night.

"I'll let your daughter talk again. No, it's no problem. Thank you."

Gloria took back the phone and put it to her ear. "Hi again."

"It's alright, dear," her mom said. "Miss Oleana is going to drive you home, alright? It shouldn't be long, but call me if anything happens."

"Okay, Mom."

"I'm going to go now. I love you, Gloria."

She sighed. "I love you too, Mom."

They both hung up. "My car is parked at the station," Oleana said. "Can you walk?"

"Probably," Gloria said. She got to her feet and wobbled a little. Her ankle hurt, but she could limp, at least. "Yeah, I'm okay."

Oleana nodded. "This way, Gloria."

She managed to limp all the way to the train station and climb in the passenger seat of Oleana's car. "This is fancy," she said, running her hand over the seat. "Do you make a lot of money or something?"

"I am the vice president of Macro Cosmos, yes," Oleana said. She started the engine. "Put your seatbelt on."

She only vaguely knew that company. Gloria did as instructed. "What're you doing in Wedgehurst?" she asked.

"I have an acquaintance in Postwick." Oleana backed the car out and pulled onto the road. "You may know her, she's Champion Leon's mother."

"Oh, Hop's mom?"

"You know his brother?"

"He's…" Gloria looked out the window. "He's probably still my friend. I dunno."

It wasn't far to Postwick. Oleana stopped to let a wooloo cross the road. "You had a fight," she said.

"It was nothing," Gloria said.

"Really?"

All her pent-up frustration came spilling out at once.

"Hop thinks his brother's going to endorse us for the gym challenge next time he visits," Gloria said. "But that's stupid, because he's never going to endorse Hop, let alone me, if he hasn't already! I don't want to wait forever in this boring town while nothing ever happens!"

Her face grew hot. Gloria slumped against the window.

The wooloo had gone, but Oleana still didn't pull forward. "You want to be a gym challenger, then?" she asked.

"Yeah," Gloria said. "I guess it's stupid."

"I don't think anyone in this situation is stupid," Oleana said. "Of course your friend wants someone as important to him as his brother to endorse him, but as champion, Leon has to keep in mind his optics, too. If he endorsed you two, everyone would think it would be only because you're his brother and his brother's best friend, and not for your own merits."

"We could prove them wrong," Gloria mumbled.

"It's not that easy. No matter how good you are, or how hard you work, some people will think you don't deserve what you have."

Gloria sighed, watching her breath fog on the glass. "So I'll never be a gym challenger, I guess," she said.

Oleana didn't speak for a moment. When she did, her words were careful and calculated. "I've never done it," she said, "but I believe I'm qualified to endorse trainers for the gym challenge."

Gloria sat up straight and stared at her. "Really?" she said. "You'd–you'd just do that?"

"No," Oleana said, "I'd have to see how you battled, first. I noticed you already have a pokémon."

She nodded. "Yeah, Koffing."

The car started moving again. "How about this," Oleana said. "I'll speak to the Pokémon League's chairman later tonight, and we'll see how he would feel if I endorsed a promising trainer. If he agrees–and I see no reason why he wouldn't–I'll have him bring the trainer he plans to endorse to have a friendly match with you."

Gloria's heart pounded. "And if I win, you'll endorse me?"

"It's not about if you win. Frankly, I don't expect you to. Bede plans to be a psychic trainer, so he'll have the type advantage against you." Oleana kept her eyes on the road. "You only have to show me your potential. If you do that, I'll endorse you no matter the winner."

She put her hand on Koffing's pokéball and swallowed hard. "Okay," she said. "Okay! I'll do it! Thank you, Miss Oleana!"

They reached Gloria's house. She could see her mom standing outside to meet her. "I'll let your mother know when I'll be back," Oleana said. "I'll see you later, Gloria."

She smiled at her. Gloria smiled back.

Bede sat with his back stiff and straight on the train ride, rolling an unspoken question over on his tongue. The Chairman must have a reason for fetching him before the gym challenge had started… but what was there this early in the morning, in such a small town?

"Sir," he said cautiously, "why are we going to Wedgehurst?"

"Postwick, actually," Chairman Rose said, not looking up from his phone. It was the first time Bede had seen him in over a year, though his appearance hadn't changed much. The same style of gray suit, the same red tie done up in an elaborate knot, the same watch around his wrist. Bede toyed with his own watch, given by Rose as a gift.

"The Champion is from Postwick, right?" Bede said, refraining from a rude remark about the town. "Are we seeing him?"

"Ah, no." Rose put his phone down and looked out the window, watching the scenery go by. "Oleana called me here. She's interested in endorsing a trainer herself."

Bede frowned. "Can she do that?"

"She has the authority to in my book. If she sees potential in someone, I trust her judgement." Rose tapped his fingers on the table. "She asked me if you would have a battle with the girl, and, well, I didn't see why not. I haven't seen you for a while, so I'll get to see how your skills have come along, too."

A prickle of anxiety went down his spine. "So I have to beat her?"

"I don't doubt you will. She only has a koffing, so your hatenna has the type advantage." Rose shrugged. "Oleana said she wants to see how the girl performs, even if she doesn't win, so there's no need to go easy on her."

"Right," said Bede. So he had to win. Bede clutched the fabric of his coat and took a deep breath.

The conductor announced the stop in Wedgehurst. Bede followed Rose off the train and into the station, where Oleana's car was waiting. Bede slid into the backseat, while Rose took the passenger's in front of him.

"Good morning, Oleana," Rose said warmly. "I brought the boy, as requested."

Oleana glanced back at Bede. "Good," she said. "Let me tell Gloria's mother we're on our way."

She sent a text on her phone and started the engine.

"So we'll have another gym challenger from Postwick," Rose said as they drove. "I don't remember if there's been one since Leon."

"I believe there were a few, but none that made it to the final tournament."

"None worth remembering, then."

Bede couldn't understand how some gym challengers gave up before fighting all the gyms; what were the statistics? Was it that half of all challengers dropped out after losing to Kabu, who was only the third leader? He had seen the data, done his best to calculate his chances of success…

It wasn't about luck. Bede had trained all his life for this purpose. He would become champion.

"Do you think your girl will make it that far?"

"I don't know yet," Oleana said. "I have to see her battle."

Rose laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you saw something in her already, otherwise you'd never consider endorsing her. What was it?"

She shook her head. "Nothing, really. She was upset, and she mentioned she wanted to be a gym challenger. I've offered her an opportunity. It's up to her to prove her worth."

The car drove over a rock in the dirt road. Bede's head bumped against the window, just hard enough to hurt. He hissed in pain, but neither person in the front paid him any mind.

"We're here," Oleana said. She pulled the car in front of a small house and turned off the engine. "That's her at the door."

Bede rubbed his head and looked out the window.

Sitting on the steps to the house was a girl. She wore a gray sweater over a pink dress and had brown hair that framed her face. She passed a pokéball between her hands as she waited for them to exit the car.

She was already nervous. Bede smirked. This would be easy.

Oleana got out of the car and went to the house, her heels clacking on the cobblestone. Gloria stood up to meet her. "Hi again, Miss," she said. "Who else is here? I thought it would just be the other trainer."

"The chairman wanted to join us," Oleana said. "I informed your mother already."

The girl craned her neck to see Rose getting out of the passenger's seat. "The league chairman? He's here?"

The door behind her opened. "You arrived faster than I thought!" the woman said with a laugh, stepping down beside the girl. "Guess there were no wooloo in the roads today. It's good to see you, Miss Oleana. Thank you for doing this for my Gloria."

Bede realized he was the last one in the car and, in his haste to get out, nearly hit the chairman with the door. Rose smoothly stepped aside to avoid the collision. "Be more aware of your surroundings, Bede," he said. "You'll need to hone that skill once the Gym Challenge starts."

His face flushed. "Sorry, sir."

He kept by the chairman's side while Rose introduced himself and shook the mother's hand. Bede stood with his back straight and his shoulders stiff, waiting for his next steps.

"What's your name?"

Bede turned to the girl. "Bede," he said. "You're Gloria, right?"

She nodded. "What did you do to get endorsed by the chairman?"

He bristled. "He saw my potential. That's all."

She flinched back. "I was just curious," she said.

Rose patted Bede's shoulder, making him jump. "I gave him his pokémon when he was younger," Rose said. "I gave pokémon to his peers as well, but none of the others had the drive necessary for the gym challenge." He held out a hand to Gloria. "I believe Oleana sees a drive in you, too."

No mention of the orphanage. Bede let out a slow breath.

Gloria accepted the handshake. "Thank you for coming all this way," she said. "I… I really want to be able to do this."

She was nervous. There was no drive in her, Bede thought. He would win their battle easily, and whether or not she was endorsed wasn't his problem.

Rose clapped his hands. "So!" he said. "Where should we have the battle?"

"The road's fine," said Gloria's mom. "There's no reason for anyone to drive this far down, anyway."

Bede looked around. "Where does that go?" he asked, pointing at a closed gate.

Gloria followed his gaze. "That's the Slumbering Weald," she said. "No one goes in there."

"Why not?"

Her mother spoke up when Gloria didn't. "It's easy to get lost, and the pokémon there are very strong," she said. "It's dangerous for anyone but an experienced trainer."

"Maybe when you've completed the gym challenge," Rose said. "The road it is. Are you two ready?"

Bede and Gloria shook hands, as instructed by Rose, and went to opposite sides of the road. Bede took out his pokéball and called out the pokémon inside. "Hatenna, come on out."

Gloria tossed her own pokéball. "Koffing!"

Both pokémon appeared. Hatenna quickly realized she was in a battle and warbled an attack cry. Koffing ignored her and turned around, hovering in the air to bump into Gloria's head. "Hey," said Gloria, pushing him away. "Not now. We're battling."

By the house, Rose was talking to Gloria's mother. "That's not a very common first pokémon," Bede heard him say. "Is there a story behind it?"

"Yes," she said, "but it's a sensitive subject. Let's not talk about it in front of the kids."

Bede focused. "Hatenna," he said, "use confusion."

Gloria pointed forward. "Koffing, smog!"

Hatenna moved first, focusing her psychic abilities and sending telekinetic waves at her opponent. Koffing groaned, but threw himself forward, letting out a thick, dark gas. Hatenna was caught in the midst of it. She started coughing hard, and continued coughing even after the cloud had dissipated.

She was poisoned. Bede grit his teeth. He could still win, he was certain… but would one more confusion attack win the fight, or would Koffing shake it off as easily as the last one, despite the type disadvantage?

"Life dew," he said. Hatenna could heal herself and fight back on the next turn.

"Tackle!" Gloria shouted.

Hatenna summoned a sprinkle of water to wash herself, the droplets healing some of the damage done as they evaporated. Koffing, however, was more than happy to inflict more damage, and he crashed into her from above. Hatenna yelped in pain.

"Confusion!" Bede ordered–but Hatenna didn't obey. She took a step forward, wobbled backwards, and collapsed.

It took a moment to process what had happened. The tackle had negated the damage Hatenna had healed, and with the addition of the poison…

His jaw dropped. He had lost.

Rose laughed.

"Excellent work!" he said, walking forward with Oleana and Gloria's mom. "If I hadn't already committed, I'd want to endorse you myself!"

Bede's hands shook as he recalled Hatenna. "Chairman," he said, turning to him, "I'm sorry–"

Rose waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, no need to apologize. It looks like Gloria here is shaping up to be a good rival for you, isn't she?"

Gloria patted Koffing's head as the pokémon bumped into her again. "I won," she said, looking at Oleana. "Does that mean…?"

Oleana nodded. "Your koffing is strong," she said. "You must have been training it already. With that level of commitment, I'm happy to write an endorsement letter for you."

She smiled. Bede never saw Oleana smile.

Gloria's mother hugged her. "I'm so proud of you and Koffing!" she said. "Let's go inside and rest up. You have a big journey ahead of you!"

Bede followed Rose and Oleana in a daze, barely registering that Gloria's mom handed him a glass of water. He needed to heal Hatenna, and then he needed to get out of there so he could train–Gloria must have won only because Koffing was stronger, not out of any sort of strategy. Bede had to be smarter if he was going to win next time.

She'd be a good rival, huh?

Bede had to be better than her.

Chapter Text

Of course her mom was supportive, but while Oleana and Chairman Rose were talking, she pulled Gloria aside and whispered, "You should say something to Hop."

Gloria shook her head. "He'll just get mad at me."

"You've been friends for a long time. You need to at least talk to him before you go."

"But–"

"No buts," said her mom. "It's the right thing to do."

Gloria bit back a retort. "Fine," she said. "I'll talk to him."

Her mom smiled. "I know it's scary, but this doesn't have to be the end of your friendship. Maybe you can come to an understanding."

What was there to understand? Gloria would get to go on the gym challenge, and she'd be leaving Hop behind. Maybe Leon would endorse him after all, but everyone would know it was only out of pity. Just because he was the champion's little brother.

She didn't say that, though. She just nodded and said, "Okay."

Her mom went to say something to Oleana and the chairman, and Gloria slipped outside and went across the road to Hop's house. With a deep breath, she raised her hand and knocked on the door.

After a few long moments, it was answered.

"Oh," said Hop. "Hey, Gloria."

"Hey," said Gloria. "Look, I'm sorry for blowing up at you yesterday."

Hop shrugged and stretched his hands behind his head. "It's cool," he said, "I get it. I'm probably a little frustrated at Lee too, and you haven't even met him." He smiled. "But hey! Thanks for apologizing, mate."

Gloria managed a smile back. Maybe everything would be alright.

Or maybe not. "I gotta tell you something else," she said, her smile disappearing.

"Sure. What is it?"

She hesitated, turning her gaze down. "I found someone else to endorse me."

Hop took a sharp breath. "What do you mean you found someone else?"

Gloria couldn't look at his face. "Someone offered to give me a chance if I fought another kid in a pokémon battle. I did, and I won, so she's going to endorse me for the gym challenge."

"Since when?" Hop demanded. "How long have you kept this from me?"

"I haven't kept anything from you!" she said, raising her voice. "I met her yesterday, after I ran off."

"So we have one fight and you just run off and–" Hop's voice caught. "I told you, Lee was going to endorse both of us!"

Gloria clenched her fists. "And I told you that was never going to happen!" she said, lifting her head to meet Hop's furious expression. "He's never even met me! You're at least his brother, and he hasn't even endorsed you!"

"So you go with some other stranger?"

Gloria flinched. She didn't have a response.

"I thought–" Hop shook his head. "I wanted to go on the gym challenge with you, Gloria! I thought you wanted that, too!"

"I did want it," Gloria said, "but it never happened!" She looked away again. "I got tired of waiting for something that was never, ever going to happen," she said. "I'm sorry, Hop."

"Okay!" Hop said. "If you're so sorry, then go tell whoever that you don't want her endorsement. That Lee's gonna endorse us both, and we'll start our journey together, like we always wanted to."

Gloria said nothing.

"But you're not going to do that, are you?"

She shook her head.

"Fine," said Hop. "Goodbye, Gloria."

He slammed the door.

Gloria decided she had done what her mother asked of her and went back home.

"Perfect timing!" Chairman Rose said when she entered the front door. "We were just discussing when you should go to Motostoke."

"Okay," said Gloria. She willed her hands to stop shaking, letting them hang limp and open at her sides.

Her mother frowned. "Did everything go alright, dear?"

"It went fine," she said. "So I'm going to Motostoke?"

"Yes," said Oleana. "The gym challenge starts in only a few days, after all. Once I've finished your endorsement letter, we'd like you and Bede to head to Motostoke a little early."

Gloria spotted Bede sitting at the table, a full glass of water in front of him. He wasn't looking at her, all of his attention directed at Chairman Rose.

"When are we leaving?" Bede asked.

"This afternoon, if we have the go-ahead from Gloria and her mother," said Rose. "However, Gloria, it's perfectly fine if you'd like to wait a day before you leave. You have friends in this town you'd like to say goodbye to, correct?"

"It's okay," Gloria said. "I can go today."

Her mom gave her another worried look. Oleana glanced briefly between the two of them, but Rose didn't seem to notice anything was wrong. "Excellent!" he said. "Then I'll have you kids on the two o' clock train. Plenty of time to pack."

Gloria nodded. "I'll get started," she said, and ducked into her room before anyone could object.

There was a knock on the door while she stuffed clothes into a suitable bag. "Gloria, dear, can I come in?"

"Sure," she said.

Her mom slipped inside and closed the door behind her. "You shouldn't force the clothes in like that, they'll get wrinkled."

"Is that what you wanted to talk about?" Gloria said.

"How did your talk go with Hop?"

"It went fine." She grabbed a single sock to shove in the bag. "I don't think we're friends anymore."

"Oh, Gloria…" Her mom knelt on the floor beside her. "It was good that you tried, alright? It must have been a hard conversation. I'm proud of you for doing it."

"Sure," Gloria said. "I need to finish packing."

"Don't take too much, dear. You know you can always come home if you forget anything."

"Okay." She stood up and slung the bag over her shoulders. "What now?"

"Miss Oleana and Chairman Rose were talking about an early lunch before the train. I hope you don't mind that I'm invited." Her mom stood up and glanced at her phone. "If you want something to distract yourself, I could tell them we're ready to go."

"That's fine," Gloria said. "I'm ready."

Her mom hugged her. Gloria leaned into the embrace, but didn't return it.

Chairman Rose took them to a fancy restaurant that gave them a private room upon his request. Gloria didn't know there was someplace this expensive in Wedgehurst. The chairman assured them he would pay for the meal, "To celebrate the new gym challenger," so at least her mom didn't have to worry about that.

She took the seat next to Bede. "Hey," she said.

"What do you want?" he responded, not looking at her.

Gloria frowned. "We're going to be rivals, right? I want to get to know you."

Bede shook his head. "'Rivals' just means we're competing for the same goal. It doesn't mean we have to be friends."

"Wouldn't it be better if we were? I mean, Raihan and–" Don't think about Leon, don't think about Hop. "–and the champion are friends."

He glanced at her. Gloria looked away, embarrassed by her stutter.

"Oh," said the chairman, grabbing Bede's attention. "Are you two getting along? That's good, you'll be seeing a lot of each other."

"We will?" Gloria said. "Why?"

"It's only natural, isn't it?" Rose smiled. "Oleana and I would like to keep in touch with our gym challengers, after all, and it's more efficient if we schedule you together."

"Careful with your scheduling," said Gloria's mom. "My daughter's never been the punctual sort."

She and Rose both laughed. Gloria's face flushed. "I could be!" she insisted, prompting another chuckle.

"It won't be a problem," said Rose. "I've been able to make accommodations for Champion Leon's, ah, nonexistent sense of direction. I'm sure we can work around a lack of punctuality."

Bede let out a quiet "hmph." Gloria decided to look at the menu while the adults chatted.

She kept watching Bede. When the waiter came over, he ordered before she did, and pronounced the unfamiliar items on the menu with ease. Gloria made the last minute decision to not ask for the kids menu and ordered almost at random; if Bede could handle the food here, surely she could, too.

Then again, she didn't know anything about Bede. He wore a pink jacket that obscured most of his body, and an expensive-looking watch that was too big for his wrist. Had he grown up rich? It would make sense.

While they were waiting for their food, she attempted conversation again. "What did your parents think about the gym challenge?" Gloria asked.

Bede's shoulders tensed. "None of your business," he said sharply.

Gloria immediately knew she had overstepped. "Yeah, okay. Sorry, I guess it's a sensitive subject."

"Like your Koffing?"

She gave him a puzzled look. "How do you know about that?"

Their food arrived. Bede picked up his fork and didn't meet her eyes. "Your mother said it during our battle," he said. "There's a story behind it, right?"

"Yeah," Gloria said. "Not a happy one. Is it the same with your parents?"

His hand twitched. "In a sense."

"Then let's forget either of us said anything."

Her food was a kind of fish she hadn't heard of, and Gloria was not a seafood person. She managed to eat half of it before her mom stopped her. "You look miserable, Gloria, don't force yourself."

In contrast, Bede finished his food without issue. Gloria quickly turned away when he caught her watching. Well, she thought, she'd get to know him eventually.

Oleana drove them to the train station, where Gloria hugged her mom and promised she'd visit home as often as she could. "Have a good time, Gloria!" her mom said, squeezing her tight. "Don't feel like you have to visit all the time! But please do visit."

"I will," Gloria said. "I love you, Mom."

When they separated, Oleana approached them. "Here," she said, holding out an envelope. "Your endorsement letter."

Her heartrate picked up. Gloria took the envelope carefully, running a finger over the wax seal, afraid it would become invalid if she merely creased one of the corners. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I'm… I'm really happy."

"Keep training your pokémon," Oleana said. "I want to see you in the championship match."

She smiled. Gloria smiled back. "I'll be there," she said. "I promise."

The chairman made a noise. "Oh, goodness. Before I forget–"

He took out an envelope with the same seal. Bede immediately snapped to attention. "Yes, Mr. Chairman?"

Rose handed him the envelope. "I wrote this ages ago and keep forgetting about it, but you do need it for the registration. Lucky I remembered to bring it." He smiled. "I'll see you at the opening ceremony."

Bede nodded, holding the envelope with a tight grip. Like it would fly away if given the chance. "I won't let you down," he said firmly.

"I'm sure you won't," said Rose. "Come now, Oleana, it's time for them to board."

Bede and Gloria got on the train. Gloria took the other side of Bede's booth and looked out the window, where her mom was waving to her. Oleana raised a hand as well. Gloria waved back, and kept waving as the train started moving, until the platform was out of sight.

Hopefully, Gloria wouldn't try to make conversation with him during the train ride. Bede took out his phone and scrolled through random apps to appear busy.

"Hey," Gloria said.

Bede sighed. "What now?" he said.

She huffed. "Is it so bad that I want to be friends?"

"We're competitors," Bede said. "A friendship would only get in the way."

"We're rivals," Gloria insisted. "That means something different for pokémon trainers, no matter what you say."

"I don't–" Bede took a slow breath. "I don't care about being friends," he said. "Not after you embarrassed me in front of the chairman."

Gloria's eyes widened. "That's the whole reason? 'Cause I beat you?"

His face flushed. Bede looked back at his phone.

He didn't notice Gloria had stood up until she walked around to his side. "I'll make it up to you," she said. "Let's get off at this stop."

Bede shook his head. "We're supposed to go to Motostoke."

"We'll cut through the Wild Area. C'mon, let's go." Gloria crossed her arms. "If you don't want to go, I'll just meet you at registration."

He really should insist they stay on the train, but the idea of Gloria using the free time to train her koffing even stronger pricked at him. He wanted to at least know what she was up to. "Fine," he said, and stood up just before the conductor announced the stop.

The Wild Area was foggy, clouds covering the sky after a recent rain. It would only get colder as the sun went down. Bede would be fine with his jacket, but he noticed Gloria sticking her hands in her pockets.

"We're here," he said as the train pulled away. "What was your plan?"

Gloria smiled at him. "You're a psychic-type specialist, right?" she said. "I'm gonna catch you a pokémon."

"You're going to what?"

"Look! There's one!"

Bede watched incredulously as Gloria charged into the Wild Area, releasing Koffing as she did so. "Smog!" she called out, then paused. "Oh, that's a bunnelby…"

Her koffing chased off the bunnelby, and Gloria went further ahead. Bede ran after her, not wanting to lose her in the fog.

"Don't get lost," he said. "Have you been here before?"

"No," Gloria said, "but it's fine. My phone has a map. Yours does too, right?"

"Of course, all rotom phones–"

"Oh! Natu's psychic! Koffing, tackle!"

The natu took one hit and quit the battle, wobbling away from Gloria's thrown pokéball. "Crap," Gloria said. "Hit it too hard… whatever. C'mon, next one."

Bede frowned. Koffing one-shot it with tackle? He felt less bad about losing, if her koffing was that strong.

He shook his head. "Hatenna," he said, picking up her pokéball, "it's time to train."

While Gloria tossed pokéballs at some other pokémon, Bede set Hatenna on a nearby tyrogue. She defeated it easily and looked back at Bede for commands. "Keep battling," he told her. "We have to get stronger."

It was a few minutes later when he heard Gloria shout. "Yes! Got one!"

Bede looked up. Gloria ran to him, breathing hard, her cheeks pink. "Here!" she said, holding out a pokéball. "It's a ralts!"

He took the pokéball and held it in front of his face. "A ralts?" he said.

"Yeah," said Gloria. "Couldn't get a natu. Ralts are psychic types, right?"

Bede frowned. "They're dual-type with fairy," he said.

"Yeah? Is that a problem?"

"Fairy types are weak to poison," he said. "You got me a pokémon your koffing has an advantage over."

Gloria groaned. "Not on purpose!" she said. "Look, if you don't want her, I can keep trying for a natu, but I'm running out of pokéballs, and–"

He shook his head. "Forget about it," he said. "It's fine, alright? I'm not that upset about losing to you."

She rolled her eyes. "Could've fooled me," she said. "Just keep the pokémon. It's my apology for embarrassing you or whatever."

"Fine."

Gloria took out her phone and peered at the map. "Anyway," she said, "I'm gonna find a pokémon for myself, now. You do whatever, just meet me at the stairs when the sun goes down."

Bede took out his own phone. "Where are you–"

She was already running into the grass again. Bede grumbled wordlessly. He swiftly deposited the ralts in his boxes before chasing after her.

Chapter Text

Gloria was covered in sweat, her clothes were filthy, her leg had a bruise slowly forming and turning a nasty color, and she couldn't keep the grin off her face.

She knelt down beside her new pokémon. "C'mon, buddy," she said as the stunky sniffed her hand. "Take this potion and then you'll be all healed up."

Stunky growled and raised her tail in warning. Gloria retracted her hand. "Koffing," she said to the pokémon bobbing by her side, "can you talk sense into her?"

Bede commented from a safe distance away. "Are you planning to be a poison specialist?"

"Huh?" Gloria glanced back at him. "I mean, I dunno. Just 'cause I have Koffing…"

He frowned. "Stunky is also a poison type," he said. "Dual type with dark. A good choice if you want to defend against psychic types."

"Sure, I guess." She looked back at her stunky, who had been convinced to lower her tail again. "It was just the only one I was able to catch. I'll have to buy more pokéballs later."

"Right," Bede said.

Gloria successfully applied the potion to Stunky's injuries and recalled her. "What," she said, standing up and turning to Bede, "do you think I'm building a team just to beat you? I tried to catch a tyrogue, too."

Bede huffed. "I didn't say that. I am well aware you were throwing your pokéballs at anything that moved."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "And what did you catch?" she said.

He wordlessly tossed out a pokéball. The gothita that emerged did a short twirl before it stopped to stare intently at Gloria.

"Huh!" Gloria said. "I didn't see any of those. Lucky!"

Bede recalled his pokémon again. "It's almost sundown," he said. "We should get to Motostoke."

"Right," said Gloria. She stood up and brushed off her clothes, which didn't make her look any more presentable. "Where are we going?"

"The stadium. We need to register for the gym challenge before we can get a hotel room."

"Right!" Gloria pulled her bag in front of her and peeked inside. There was her endorsement letter, tucked in a side pocket and only mildly scuffed.

"The location should be marked on your map." Bede started up the stairs. "Let's not waste any more time."

Gloria rolled her eyes and followed him.

Upon entering the city, she stopped and stared.

She expected it to be big–you could see that much from the Wild Area–but Gloria was still overwhelmed by how much busier Motostoke was than Postwick or Wedgehurst. She wanted to look at the buildings and colorful shop windows, but Bede marched on ahead of her, and she had to run to catch up.

"There's a few days until the opening ceremony, right?" she asked. "We don't have to rush."

"If you want to wait, go ahead," said Bede. "I'm not waiting."

Gloria wondered if making friends with Bede was worth the effort. But after Hop–

She didn't have the time to dwell on those thoughts, because she had followed Bede onto the lift, and it spun up to take them to the lower level. She stumbled and grabbed the railing for support. "Whoa!"

Bede didn't flinch. Gloria wondered if he had been here before. She knew he was endorsed by the chairman and seemed to be comfortable in any environment–at least the ones she had seen him in. Despite both of them going through the Wild Area, Gloria had gotten filthy while Bede was practically pristine.

The stadium was just ahead. Gloria hurried to keep up.

They got to the door just as a league official blocked their way.

"Stadium's closed, kids," he said. "We're preparing for the opening ceremony."

"I know," Bede said. "I'm here to register for the gym challenge."

"Is that right?" He smiled. "Sorry, but registration doesn't open until tomorrow. You'll have to come back then."

Bede's shoulders tensed. His fists clenched. "But the chairman said–"

Gloria sensed before he opened his mouth that Bede was about to blow up. She quickly intervened. "Obviously he knew the gym challenge wouldn't start for a few days," she said. "Let's make sure he and Miss Oleana got us hotel rooms."

The league official raised his eyebrows. "Were you endorsed by Chairman Rose himself?"

"I was," Bede said. He didn't look any calmer. "Not her."

"Congratulations! The chairman doesn't give his seal of approval often." He turned to Gloria. "What about you?"

"Um," Gloria said. "Miss Oleana endorsed me."

"Really?" He tilted his head. "Has she endorsed anyone before? I didn't think she was able to."

"I'm, um, the first." She didn't know enough about Oleana to know how proud she should be. They had been strangers, after all.

"Well, if the chairman says she can, I can't argue," the official said. "Now both of you, get on to the Budew Drop Inn and get well rested. I'll see you at registration once it opens, and not a moment sooner."

"Okay," Gloria said, and walked out of the building feeling lightheaded.

Outside, Bede had to grab her arm and stop her from walking off. "The hotel's not that way," he said. "You have a map, you know."

Her face felt hot. She felt the weight of the letter in her bag. "Is there something wrong with my endorsement?"

"The chairman gave his approval," Bede said. "It's right that no one can argue with that."

"What if he hadn't?" Gloria said. "Would I just… not be endorsed?"

"Of course. Chairman Rose is the final word."

"But even the chairman can't stop a gym leader from endorsing anyone, right? Or if the champion did?" Gloria shook her head. "What if something goes wrong, and I go back to Postwick, where I don't even have any friends anymore?"

Bede was quiet for a moment. He still held Gloria's arm, though neither of them were moving.

Finally, he spoke.

"You're an idiot," he said. He continued talking before Gloria could get mad at him. "Chairman Rose already said Oleana could endorse you. He trusts Oleana to hold the second highest position in his company, and he wouldn't have done it if she wasn't good enough." He let go of Gloria's arm and tapped a band around his wrist. "She invented the Dynamax bands, you know."

"Really?" said Gloria. "I didn't know that."

Bede huffed. "Well, she did. So stop worrying about it."

"Okay," Gloria said. "Thanks, I guess, except for the part where you called me an idiot."

"You're acting like one."

Gloria slugged his shoulder with slightly more force than was friendly. "Race you to the hotel," she said, and took off running.

She got there first. Gloria couldn't remember the last time she had won a friendly race–but then again, did it count if Bede just walked?

Hop would've said it counted, she thought, and tried not to think about Hop again.

The chairman had reserved a room for each of them, so Bede and Gloria got their keys and went their separate ways. At least he had some time alone.

Bede sat on the bed and let out his pokémon. Hatenna chirped at him and nestled into the blankets, while Gothita looked around and hopped down to investigate the room. He wanted to catch another pokémon for this first leg of his journey, and he knew he could find solosis in the Giant's Cap…

He glanced at his rotom phone. His boxes still had the ralts Gloria caught him.

Well, even if he didn't ask for the ralts, he shouldn't leave her in there forever. Bede summoned the pokéball from his boxes and let the ralts out.

The ralts shook its head and looked around, humming quietly. "You might not get to go out in battle much," Bede told it. "I have other priorities for training. Will that be a problem?"

Ralts didn't seem to care. She carefully climbed down from the bed and wandered the room. Bede let out a slow breath. Good to know that he wouldn't be upsetting her.

…not that he cared that much. Worst case scenario, he would release the ralts back into the wild, even if the thought made his gut twist.

There was a thump from the foot of the bed, followed by an indignant yell. When Bede investigated, Gothita appeared to have tried to climb back up, only to fall. He lifted her up onto the bed, and fetched Ralts so they were all sitting together.

"These are your teammates," he said, looking at Hatenna, "and I want all of you to get along. Got it?"

Ralts cautiously approached Hatenna's blanket nest. Hatenna headbutted her.

"Hey!" While Ralts burst into tears, Bede picked up Hatenna, to her annoyance. "I said get along!"

Hatenna warbled, and Bede felt a prickle of psychic energy against his mind. He wasn't that good at communicating telepathically with his pokémon–yet–but he got the impression that Hatenna didn't consider Ralts part of the team.

"Just because I got her from Gloria doesn't mean–" Bede sighed and put a hand to his forehead, keeping Hatenna on his lap. "You'll get used to her, alright? Just be nice."

He held out a hand to Ralts. She sniffed and stared up at him with watery eyes.

"Hey," Bede said softly, "You're my pokémon. I'm not going to abandon you. Got it?"

Ralts nodded and gently pressed her head into his hand. Bede allowed himself a smile.

Registration day arrived.

The stadium was bustling with gym challengers, league staff, and some over-eager fans. Gloria clutched her endorsement letter to her chest as she made her way through the crowd, keeping her eyes on Bede's pink coat just ahead of her.

The desk was clear of people; Gloria and Bede managed to get to the front of the line. "I'm here to register for the gym challenge," Bede said to the woman at the desk, holding out his endorsement letter.

"Me too," Gloria said quickly, holding out her own.

Bede glared at her. "Wait your turn."

"Oh, it's not a problem," the league official said, taking both letters. "It's not a very long process, I can take these both…"

Gloria stuck her tongue out at Bede while their letters were looked over. He rolled his eyes and didn't look at her.

"You're Chairman Rose and Oleana's chosen trainers, huh?" the woman said, pulling their attention back. "I see you've already got a friendly rivalry going on. Remind me, has Oleana endorsed anyone before?"

"I'm the first," Gloria said.

"That's exciting! I'm sure you'll make her proud." She returned the letters to them. "Your uniforms will be ready tomorrow. Make sure you leave early for the opening ceremony, got it? You don't want to be late."

Gloria held the letter tight again. "Got it," she said.

"Then you're all set!"

As she turned to leave, she the official talking to someone else. "You know, Champion Leon endorsed someone for the first time, too. I guess it's a big year for firsts!"

Gloria froze.

Bede hadn't noticed or didn't care that Gloria stopped; she had lost sight of him by the time she remembered to move. Gloria ducked through the crowd, praying she'd make it through without running into anyone she knew.

Outside, she took off at a run towards the Budew Drop Inn. She would just have to hide in her room all day, that's all. It wasn't like she needed more training, after spending the past few days in the Wild Area. She would stay in her room and get up early for the ceremony, and what she'd do after that–

"I know the legend already, you don't need to go over it all again."

Gloria stopped dead in her tracks.

Hop looked just about the same as he did when she left, plus the addition of a backpack and two additional pokéballs on his belt. He had his back to her, occupied with talking to a woman with ginger hair.

"Humor me," the woman was saying. "Gran's having me study the mysterious pokémon that are supposed to be in the Slumbering Weald. Leon said you saw something in there, right?"

He laughed nervously and stretched his hands behind his head. "Aw, he told you about that? I was just trying to rescue a wooloo, Sonia, I swear…"

The woman–Sonia, presumably–shook her head with a smile. "That's just like you, Hop!"

Gloria wondered if she could sneak by without being seen until another trainer cleared their throat behind her. "Are you going to stand in the entrance all day?"

Gloria spun around in surprise. "Oh," she said, her cheeks flushing. "Sorry."

She stepped out of the way. When she looked back at Hop, he and Sonia were staring at her.

"Huh," Sonia said. "Hop, is this your friend?"

Hop crossed his arms. "Former friend," he said.

Gloria clenched her fists. Fine, then, if that was how he wanted to be.

"I guess Leon endorsed you after all, huh?" she said.

"Yeah," said Hop. "Just like he said he would."

"Well," said Gloria, "at least I didn't get endorsed just for being someone's little brother."

She darted up the stairs to the lobby, ignoring Hop's indignant shout, and ducked into the first open elevator.

Gloria didn't realize she was crying until she got to her room and slammed the door, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Gloria was clearly in a bad mood on the day of the opening ceremony. Bede ran into her as she was coming out of the changing rooms. "Oh," she said, looking down at her feet. "Hey, Bede."

"Gloria," Bede said. His own uniform was tucked carefully under his arm. "Excuse me."

He slipped past her and ducked into the boy's changing room.

All the stalls were full. Bede waited for one to free up, trying not to look at the boys who had, apparently, lost patience and were changing at the benches. Sure, it wasn't like they had to take off their underwear, but Bede still couldn't imagine anyone seeing him like that.

A stall opened. Bede took it and changed quickly.

The uniform left his arms mostly bare. Bede took off the watch the chairman had gifted him and put it in a locker with his jacket. Every time he moved, he felt the air against his shins and forearms, parts of his body he normally had covered, and it made him feel vulnerable. He shivered.

And then he was out again.

Gloria had waited by the door. "You good?" she asked.

It sounded like an accusation to him. "Are you?" Bede snapped back.

She shook her head, then nodded quickly. "I'm fine," she said. "This is what we've all been waiting for, right?"

The gym challenge. Where each of them would have a chance to prove themselves as trainers, but only one of them would make it to the championship match. In practice, plenty of challengers went on to become gym leaders or obtain other jobs with their battling skills–but Bede had no intention of settling for anything less than champion.

Gloria was just another obstacle in the way of his goal.

She stuck her hand out in front of him.

"Good luck, Bede," she said with half a smile. "I hope we both get what we want."

Bede rolled his eyes, but returned the handshake. "Then I hope you don't want to be champion," he said. "Because that's all I want."

Her smile turned into a grin. "I could say the same to you!"

The other gym challengers were filing towards the stadium. Bede and Gloria joined them.

Gloria stood on the stadium grounds and took deep breaths as the crowd cheered. It wasn't for her, she told herself. It was for all the new gym challengers, and the promise of an exciting season.

She saw Bede with his back stiff and straight, staring dead ahead. She saw a girl with black hair and a stoic expression looking at her, and they made eye contact briefly. She saw Hop–and quickly looked the other way.

It was only a moment in the spotlight, but as she walked off the field, Gloria made a promise to herself.

One day, the crowd would be cheering just for her.

Chapter Text

Bede put his jacket back on and fastened the watch around his wrist. Packing away his uniform, he left the changing rooms and waited a few steps outside for Gloria.

This, he thought, would be where they separated. As much as Gloria wanted to be friends, neither of them could be expected to go through the gym challenge at each other's paces. He would wait for her to be polite, and they'd take separate paths to Turffield.

"Bede."

He started. "Oleana!" he said, spinning around to face her. "Does the chairman need me?"

"Not right away," Oleana said. She carried a black jewelry box with her. "He's speaking to the champion at the moment, but he'd like to meet with you and Gloria both once he's done."

Bede nodded, his heart pounding. "Right," he said. Then, "Both of us?"

"Yes." Oleana paused. "Have you seen Gloria?"

"She's in the changing rooms," said Bede. "I think she's avoiding someone."

He hadn't missed how Gloria kept her head down, how she stuck to the outskirts of every crowd, unwilling to mingle. Not that Bede wanted to, either, but with Gloria, it was different.

Oleana nodded. "I see."

"See what?" Bede asked.

She shook her head. "It doesn't pertain to you."

Bede frowned, but didn't argue.

He spotted Chairman Rose on the other side of the room, with the champion. They were apart from the crowd and having a conversation with their heads down, though with both the crowd and the distance, Bede had no hope of overhearing. He tore his eyes away and faced Oleana again. "What does the Chairman need from us?" he asked.

"He'll tell you himself, once Gloria returns." Oleana looked over at the changing room door. "There she is."

Gloria closed the door behind her, her bag held against her chest. When Oleana waved to her, she looked up. "Miss Oleana!" she said, running over. "Is something the matter?"

Oleana smiled. Bede didn't know how Gloria could get real smiles out of her, when she had never smiled at him. "Not at all," she said. "The chairman wants to speak to you two, and I have a gift for you."

"A gift?"

She held out the box. Gloria slung her bag over her shoulder and took it, opening it carefully. Her eyes widened. "A Dynamax band!"

"They were invented by Chairman Rose's company," Oleana said. "I thought it was appropriate for you to have one."

Gloria tilted her head. "Bede said you invented them," she said.

There was another smile. "I was a major contributor to their development, yes."

"Thank you, Miss Oleana." Gloria fastened the band around her wrist. "I'll make good use of it."

Oleana nodded, her smile disappearing. "Let's inform the chairman that the two of you are ready."

She turned and walked quickly towards the chairman and the champion. Bede followed, barely checking to make sure Gloria was behind him.

Chairman Rose and Champion Leon broke off their conversation as Oleana approached. "Good to see the children made it here," Rose said with a smile. "Leon, I don't believe you've met these two–the boy is the challenger I'm endorsing, and the girl is Oleana's first endorsement." To Bede and Gloria, he said, "Why don't you two introduce yourself?"

Bede stepped forward first, eyeing the champion. Leon was taller than Rose, which wasn't that unusual, but to Bede, it felt like he had to crane his neck to meet his eyes. He held out a hand. "I'm Bede," he said. "Nice to meet you, Champion."

Leon grinned at him and returned the handshake with a firm grip. "Good to meet you!" he said. "You know, I was endorsed by Rose way back when, so I know he's got an eye for talent." He released Bede and looked past him. "And you must be Gloria."

Bede glanced at her. Gloria looked down at the ground. "Hi," she said. "I, um…"

"Hey, hey." Leon crossed the distance between them with one long stride and held out his hand. "No hard feelings, alright?"

Gloria hesitated, but returned the handshake.

"Why would there be hard feelings?" Rose asked. "Though I don't mean to pry."

Leon let go of Gloria's hand and shrugged. "Nothing big, my lil' brother just had the idea that I would endorse him and his friend both, y'know?" He smiled. "Oleana got to her first. But seriously, Gloria, no hard feelings–doesn't matter whose name is on the endorsement, as long as you get to do the challenge, right?"

Gloria looked away. "I guess," she said.

Obviously it did matter, Bede thought. Being endorsed by the chairman was the highest honor–Leon endorsing his little brother paled in comparison, even if he was the champion. Gloria was right to seek out endorsement from Oleana, even if she wasn't quite as important as Chairman Rose.

Not that he should say that. Bede kept his mouth shut.

"I won't keep you," Leon said. "The chairman wanted you for something, right?"

"He did," Oleana said, with a pointed look at Rose.

"Right," said Rose. "Thank you for the conversation, Leon, and I'll take your concerns into account. You do have to understand–"

Oleana's tone sharpened. "Chairman."

"–of course, of course." Rose gestured to Bede and Gloria. "This way, gym challengers, we're just borrowing Kabu's office for a moment…"

As they left, Bede glanced at Leon's face. He wasn't smiling anymore.

Kabu's office was sparsely decorated, with only a single promotional poster featuring the gym leader. Bede and Gloria sat in the chairs they were directed to, while Rose sat on the other side of the desk, Oleana standing behind him.

"I'll make this quick," Rose said. "I'm sure you're eager to start on your journey, I'd just like to ask a small favor of you two…"

Bede swallowed. "What is it, sir?"

"You two are familiar with Wishing Stars, correct?"

He said, "Yes," just as Gloria said, "Not really."

Rose raised his arm and tapped the Dynamax band on his wrist. "They're what powers these bands, allowing your pokémon to Dynamax. They're found all over the region, but most commonly underground. Oleana, could you show them a picture?"

Oleana wordlessly took out her rotom phone and held it out to them. The Wishing Star depicted was a misshapen purplish lump with red lines running through it.

Gloria stared at it with wide eyes. "It's pretty," she said.

"I'm glad you think so," said Rose. "Now, the favor I'm asking of you is to collect Wishing Stars for me while you're on your gym challenge."

"Really?" Gloria raised her eyes from the phone. "Why?"

Rose chuckled. "I can't tell you all the details, unfortunately. Be assured that you'll be helping ensure Galar's future for many, many years."

"But–"

"We'll do it," Bede said firmly, stopping Gloria from questioning. "You said they're found underground?"

"Most commonly, yes. You'll have some luck in the Galar mines and in rocky areas of the region." Rose tapped his fingers on the table. "I should be able to meet with you in Hulbury to receive what you've collected up to there, so I'll see you after the second gym, then. Is that everything, Oleana?"

"I believe so," she said.

"Then you two are dismissed," Rose said to Bede and Gloria. "I won't keep you any longer. Good luck, and have fun on your gym challenge!"

Bede nodded. "Yes, Mr. Chairman."

"Okay," said Gloria. She still sounded unsure, but followed Bede out of the room without further questions.

Most of the gym challengers had dispersed, off to their first gym badge. Without the crowd, Gloria and Bede were able to swiftly make their way through the stadium to the exit.

"Turffield, right?" Gloria said.

"Of course," said Bede. "Don't expect us to travel together."

They stepped out into the sunlight. Gloria gave him an odd look. "I mean, sure," she said. "We can take separate paths through the league. I don't care."

Bede huffed. "I thought you might put up more of a fight about it."

"Why? It's not like–"

"Gloria!"

She stopped dead in her tracks.

Bede turned towards the shout, his brow furrowed. The boy had the same brown skin as the champion, a similar hair color, if a slightly darker purple… Leon's little brother, huh?

The boy glared at Gloria. "Battle me," he said.

"What?" she said.

"Battle me!" he insisted. "Prove that you really were good enough to be endorsed, if that's what you think."

Bede watched as Gloria's expression hardened. "Fine," she said. "I will, then."

They stepped out into the road, clear of traffic. Bede decided his travel to Turffield could wait. He leaned against the stadium wall and watched the two gym challengers face each other, Gloria's hand already feeling her pokéball belt.

Gloria picked Stunky's pokéball off her belt. "Go!" she shouted, tossing it out into the road, just as Hop threw his own pokéball.

Stunky immediately turned her backside to her opponent, her tail raised threateningly. Hop's pokéball revealed a small, green primate, who took out a stick and tapped it on the ground, chirping happily.

"This is serious, Grookey," Hop said sternly. "We've got to win this."

The pokémon paused its tapping, then began rhythmically thumping its stick on the ground with more force, its expression unchanged.

Grookey, Gloria thought. She had never seen one in person, but she recognized the name, and she was pretty sure it was a grass type.

Weak to poison, which both Stunky and Koffing were. Maybe she would end up a poison-type specialist.

"Branch poke!" Hop called out.

"Smokescreen," Gloria ordered.

Stunky emitted a thick cloud of black smoke, which surrounded Grookey as it leapt forward. Grookey hesitated, blinking rapidly, but managed to land a solid hit on Stunky with its stick. It retreated from the cloud, still blinking and rubbing its eyes.

Hop grit his teeth. "Taunt!"

Oh, she would be more than happy to use offensive moves. "Acid spray," Gloria said.

Grookey hooted at Stunky, and was rewarded with a spray of toxic fluid on its chest. It shrieked and staggered backwards, pawing at its fur. Stunky squeaked in triumph.

"Branch poke!"

"Acid spray again."

Grookey stumbled back, coated in foul substances, and collapsed. Hop recalled it, his expression stony.

He grabbed his next pokéball. "Wooloo," he said.

Gloria nodded to her own pokémon. "Keep at it, Stunky," she said. "You're doing great!"

Stunky didn't last much longer against Hop's starter; after another acid spray attack, Wooloo knocked it out with a well-placed tackle. Gloria recalled her and took out her last pokéball. "Koffing, go!" she called out.

Koffing bobbed up and down, a grin stretched across his face. Gloria mirrored his expression. "Poison gas," she said.

"Wooloo, tackle!"

Hop's eyes were full of anger and determination, but Gloria wasn't worried about losing. His wooloo had already taken one attack, and Koffing was at full health. Once poison gas hit, Koffing just had to wait until the poison did its job.

After a few moves traded back and forth, Wooloo weakened to the point where it fell on its side and struggled to get up. "That's enough," Hop said, recalling it. "Don't hurt yourself."

He had one pokémon left. Hop threw the pokéball with so much force, Gloria wondered if he was imagining it hitting her head. The rookidee he sent out fought its best, but Koffing made short work of it without having to inflict poison.

She won with two pokémon against Hop's three. Gloria felt a surge of pride.

Koffing went back to Gloria, bumping into her head and letting out a puff of nasty smelling gas. "Ew!" Gloria said with a laugh, pushing him away. "Good battle, huh, Koffing?"

She looked at Hop. He was breathing hard, his face flushed. He opened his mouth, as if trying to say something, then closed it without a word.

Gloria's face fell. "It was a good battle," she said. "Listen, Hop, I–"

"Save it," said Hop. "At least you had fun."

There was no kindness in his words. Gloria took a breath. "I didn't want–"

He stormed away before she could finish, heading towards the pokémon center.

Gloria stared at her feet, ignoring Koffing bumping into her again. She hadn't wanted to embarrass him, she thought–but hadn't he wanted to embarrass her? Prove she wasn't good enough?

Weren't they supposed to be best friends?

"That's who you've been avoiding?"

She looked up as Bede walked towards her. He nodded in the direction Hop had gone. "He wasn't very strong," he said. "I'm surprised he thought he could challenge you."

"He's strong," Gloria protested. "We battled each other all the time."

Bede frowned. "But your koffing is much stronger than any of his pokémon were," he said. "You must have been training on your own, too."

"Well, yeah," Gloria said. "Not like there was anything else to do in Postwick."

She took out her phone and checked the map. She should heal her pokémon before heading to Turffield, but she wasn't about to use the same pokémon center Hop was using. "We're going separate ways, right?" she said. "I'll see you later."

Bede nodded. "I expect to see you at the first gym," he said. "Next time we battle, I won't lose."

Gloria managed a smile. At least someone believed in her.

Chapter Text

Gloria went to the Wild Area before heading to Turffield. Even if she beat Hop with only two pokémon, she figured she should catch a few more. Armed with a fresh supply of pokéballs, she adjusted her bag on her shoulders and started down the stairs from Motostoke.

At the bottom, she heard a click-click of heels on the stairs behind her. She stopped and turned around.

"Gloria," Oleana said, carrying a black briefcase at her side. "I didn't expect you to go this way."

"I need to catch more pokémon," Gloria said. "What are you doing here?"

Oleana paused on the last step. "The chairman asked me to run an errand for him," she said.

"In the Wild Area?"

"Yes," Oleana said. "You may accompany me, if it's convenient. What pokémon are you looking to catch?"

Gloria trailed a few feet behind Oleana as she walked into the Wild Area. "I dunno," she said. "I caught a stunky, and with Koffing that's two poison types, so I was thinking about specializing."

"Not many trainers specialize in poison," Oleana said without looking back. "Most opponents would be unprepared to face you. It could give you the upper hand."

"I mean, maybe…"

"Do you know much about poison types?"

Gloria shrugged. "A little bit, 'cause of Koffing. My mom wasn't sure I should keep him at first, 'cause I was really young when I got him, so she did a bunch of research on poison types and helped me take care of him until I was old enough."

"How young were you?"

"Um, I was really little. I think it was before my birthday, so… I was four."

Oleana glanced back at her. "That is young to have a poison type, especially a koffing."

Gloria looked down at where she was walking. "It was a special case, I guess. It was, um…"

Oleana stopped at an inactive Dynamax den and crouched down next to it. She opened the briefcase and took out a small device with an antenna, pointing it inside. Gloria kept her distance.

"You don't have to tell me," Oleana said as she worked. "Your mother said it was sensitive."

"No, it's fine," Gloria said. "Um, I got lost in the woods–the Slumbering Weald–and a trainer found me. She caught Koffing and gave him to me in case any wild pokémon attacked, so I could get out on my own."

"She didn't go with you?"

Gloria hesitated. "No. She, um… she was there to kill herself. She died."

When Oleana didn't visibly react, Gloria started rambling. "I didn't know how she died, at first, so for a long time I thought she just got sick, and–and that I would get sick too, but when I was older my mom told me the whole story. She lived in Postwick, but her family moved pretty soon after. They didn't want to–"

Oleana stood up. "That must have been hard for you," she said.

"I mean, I was too young to really know…"

"Even so." She turned around, meeting Gloria's eyes. "You're a strong girl."

Gloria managed a small smile.

Oleana picked up her briefcase, the device held in her other hand, and walked to the next Dynamax den. Gloria followed and watched as she repeated the procedure. "I have to take measurements from an occupied den, too," she said. "Have you ever fought in a Dynamax den?"

"Not yet. I didn't have the band."

"Of course." Oleana looked towards the lake, where a pillar of light beamed into the sky. "Would you like to? It would be a good opportunity to catch a pokémon you might not otherwise."

Gloria nodded. "Okay!" she said, and kept close to Oleana's side.

The Dynamax den glowed pink, the air humming with the energy of the pokémon inside. Oleana put the device back in her briefcase. "Looks like a toxel, she said. "Doesn't appear very strong. I think your pokémon can handle it."

Gloria hesitated, her hand on Koffing's pokéball. "Are you sure?"

"I'll step in if I need to," Oleana said. "If you Dynamax right away, I don't think it'll pose a problem."

"Okay," she said. "I–I'm ready, then."

She entered at Oleana's gesture, carefully climbing down into the cavern. She jumped down once she was close enough, landing on her feet and straightening up to face the pokémon before her.

Toxel was a stout, purple pokémon, towering over her and rubbing its eyes, as if it had just woken up. With a wail that shook the cavern, it released sparks of electricity that made Gloria's hair stand on end.

She clutched Koffing's pokéball. "Go!" she shouted, sending him out in front of her.

Her Dynamax band tingled on her wrist. She glanced at it to see it glowing faintly pink.

The toxel growled. Koffing glanced back, waiting for Gloria's command. She gulped. Her pokémon suddenly looked very small.

She heard Oleana's voice behind her. "Your pokémon must be recalled for Dynamaxing to work. Recall Koffing and use the Dynamax band."

Gloria took a breath. "Okay!" she said, and raised the pokéball again. The Toxel tilted its head as Koffing disappeared, not moving to attack.

She could feel the Dynamax band humming on her arm. It barely needed a command to function; just a light tap of Koffing's pokéball, and its energy was absorbed. The pokéball expanded in Gloria's hand. She stumbled, caught herself, and threw it as hard as she could towards the back of the cavern.

Koffing emerged, grew bigger, and bigger–the size of a hot air balloon, Koffing grinned at the toxel and let out a gleeful cry, the pitch distorted by his new size. Gloria grinned, too. The toxel yelped.

She almost didn't hear Oleana speaking to her. "His moves will be different," she said, walking up beside her. "What moves did your Koffing know originally?"

"Um," she said, her grin fading. "Tackle, poison gas–"

The toxel shrieked. Gloria ducked instinctively as it lunged and landed a hard blow on Koffing, the ground cracking with its force. Koffing reeled from the blow, but quickly recovered, looking down at Gloria.

"Max strike," Oleana said. "That's a normal type max move. If your koffing uses tackle, it will turn into that."

Gloria nodded quickly. "Koffing, tackle!"

Koffing struck back with just as much force as he had taken, colliding with the toxel with a solid thud of impact. The den shuddered.

"Good," Oleana said.

Pride surged through her. Gloria found herself grinning again.

Oleana took out her pokédex. "You won't have much luck with poison moves, so max strike will be your only…" She trailed off, looking at the screen. "Your koffing already knows assurance?"

"Huh?" said Gloria. "I guess he leveled up after–"

The toxel hit Koffing again, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"Use it. It becomes a dark type max move."

"Okay! Koffing, assurance!"

Koffing growled. Dark streams of energy erupted from its pores and lashed out at the toxel, striking with a blast that briefly obscured it from view. Toxel was visibly weakened after the attack, swaying back and forth and whining.

"Almost there," said Oleana.

Gloria nodded and called out to Koffing. "Do it again!"

The second strike sent Toxel toppling over. It wailed, its huge form flickering, as if it was trying to shrink.

"Excellent." Oleana smiled. "If you want to catch it, do it now."

Gloria fumbled in her bag for a pokéball and tapped it against her Dynamax band. With both hands to account for its increased size, she raised it above her head and threw it. She shielded her eyes as the ball absorbed the toxel in a flash of light, then held her breath as it twitched, once, twice, again–

The pokéball shrank and clicked. "Yes!" Gloria cheered.

Koffing shrank back to his normal size. She spun around and greeted him as he hovered over to her, bumping into her head. "Careful!" she said with a laugh. "C'mon, I've told you to stay away from the face…"

"Congratulations, Gloria."

She turned to beam at Oleana. "Thank you!" she said. "I couldn't have done it without your help."

Oleana shook her head, still smiling. "I'm sure you would have figured it out. You're a smart girl."

Gloria shrugged, then remembered the pokéball. "Hang on," she said, and ran over to pick it up.

Oleana walked with her. "That would be your third poison type," she said. "Are you still thinking about specializing?"

She looked down at the ball in her hand. "I guess so," she said. "At this point, it'd feel weird to put some other type on my team."

"Whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll excel at it." Oleana looked at her watch. "I have to get going. Will you be in the Wild Area for much longer?"

"For a little bit, yeah," Gloria said. "Thanks again, Miss Oleana."

"It was my pleasure," she said. "Enjoy your gym challenge, Gloria."

After parting ways with Gloria, Bede went through Route Three and to the mine. The trainers on the route posed no challenge to him, and his psychic pokémon easily defeated the teams the workers battled with, most either rock or fighting types. With training out of the way, he sent out Hatenna and began searching for Wishing Stars.

Most of the mine was off limits to the public. Bede told himself it wouldn't be a problem. Surely Chairman Rose didn't expect him to trespass. Besides, Wishing Stars were plentiful, and digging through piles of slag earned him two almost right away. Hatenna levitated the heavier stones out of his way, though she soon began complaining at the psychic strain.

"Think of it as training," Bede said in response to her mental whines. "I know your species is more talented at empathetic abilities, but telekinesis is useful, especially outside of battle."

Hatenna huffed and dropped a large stone back on top of the pile.

Bede groaned. "Do you think I'm having fun?" he snapped. "This is hard work for both of us! Pick it up."

She turned her back to him. Bede shook his head. "Fine," he said, and recalled her.

Gothita was more agreeable. Bede finished with one pile and moved to the next, his hands accumulating dirt and dust. He made sure to take off his watch and tuck it away where it wouldn't get dirty or scratched.

He didn't know how long it had been, but he had a total of six Wishing Stars when he heard a voice behind him. "Hi."

Bede started and spun around. "Gloria!" he said. "What are you doing here?"

Gloria crossed her arms. "Same as you, right?" she said. "We're looking for Wishing Stars, like the chairman asked."

"Well, you're late," said Bede. "I've already gone through everything here. You'll have to look somewhere else."

"Really?" She looked around. "It's a pretty big mine."

"Most of it's off-limits." Bede frowned. "Where were you, anyway?"

"I went to the Wild Area." Gloria took a pokéball off her belt. "Oleana helped me with my first Dynamax battle. I caught a toxel!"

Koffing, a stunky, and a toxel. "Then you're specializing in poison."

"Yeah," she said. "Good news for you, 'cause now you've got a type advantage over me."

Bede rolled his eyes. "I know enough about battling to know a type advantage isn't everything."

"Yeah, yeah. How many Wishing Stars did you find?"

He took a moment to check his bag. "Only six," he said. "They're supposed to be more common than that, but I think the miners already got most of them."

"Well, I've got to find something," said Gloria. "If there's no Wishing Stars here, then I'll have to look somewhere else."

She marched towards a roped-off tunnel. Bede ran after her. "Gloria! The chairman wouldn't ask us to trespass!"

"So?" she said. "What the chairman doesn't know won't hurt him."

Bede didn't have a response fast enough. Gloria ducked under the rope and kept going into the darkness.

After a fierce internal debate, Bede followed.

Gloria used her rotom phone as a flashlight. "The workers have all gone home, I think," she said. "I mean, I don't hear anyone."

"You should still keep your voice down," Bede hissed. "We'll be in big trouble if we're caught."

"You didn't have to come with me."

He rolled his eyes. "And just let you get lost or hurt down here?"

Gloria flashed him a wry smile. "Aw, do you care about me?"

"What? No."

Her smile disappeared. "Wow, you don't have to say it outright."

"I mean–" His face turned red. Hopefully Gloria couldn't see it in the dim light. "I wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt down here. It's not just you."

"Whatever," Gloria said. "Let's keep going."

The tunnel opened up into a wide cavern, Gloria's light reflecting off inactive mining equipment. She headed towards a pile of rocks and dirt and had her phone hover above her while she dug. Bede stayed off to the side, keeping an eye on the tunnel they entered through.

"Yes! Found one!"

He looked back. Gloria held up a Wishing Star, a grin on her face. "Just five more!" she said.

"What do you need five for?" said Bede.

Gloria shrugged. "I want to at least get as many as you did."

Bede frowned. "And you think I won't find any more?" he said, irritation creeping into his voice. "I got a head start."

She looked at him with her eyebrows raised. "Did you want to keep looking? You sounded like you were done."

"Not if you're making it a competition." He took out his own rotom phone and turned on the flashlight. "I'm sure I can find a few more before we go back."

"Then I'll just have to work even harder!"

Gloria stuck her tongue out and went back to digging through the pile. Bede rolled his eyes and went to find his own spot to search.

Judging by her cheers every time she found one, Gloria had four Wishing Stars in the one pile alone. Bede was swiftly getting frustrated as his search turned up none. He looked out at the rest of the cavern, taking note of several tunnels branching off.

With another glance at Gloria, he chose a tunnel and ducked inside.

The roof of the cave was low over his head. Bede moved slowly and cautiously, trying not to hit his head while scanning the walls for Wishing Stars. He managed to find one on the ground, half-covered by loose dirt and gravel. He shook it off and put it with the others he had collected.

"Bede? Where did you go?"

Gloria's voice sounded close. Bede ignored her and went deeper into the tunnel. He just needed a few more Wishing Stars to ensure he had the most to deliver to the chairman, or at least more than–

His foot slipped. Bede yelped and sat down hard, sliding down a slope he hadn't noticed in the darkness. He flailed for a handhold as he fell, but found nothing but loose gravel.

Gloria grabbed his arm.

His momentum pulled her a short ways with him, but she grabbed the solid wall and stayed on her feet. Bede took fast breaths, his legs dangling over a steep drop.

Slowly, Gloria pulled him back to level ground. Bede took a deep breath, crouched on his hands and knees.

"You alright?" Gloria asked.

Bede nodded. "Let's go," he said.

Gloria didn't argue.