"On their way to Hammerlocke, Victor and Gloria get lost in a thick fog, where they meet Princesses Dianelle and Togepi from another kingdom, as the evil Baron Duke seeks them out. Our heroes helped out their new friends, and now they resume their adventures."

"The Next Stage"

Victor and Gloria are walking through the Stony Wilderness, as they start to hear something far off.

"What's that?" Gloria asks.

"It almost sounds like… battling…" Victor realizes.

Victor and Gloria hurry ahead and turn the corner around a large boulder to find Hop and Grookey as they are facing off against Bede and Hattrem.

"Hop and… Bede?" Gloria realizes.

"Did Bede's Hatenna evolved?" Victor wonders.

Victor's Rotom Phone flies up and floats in front of him, "Hattrem, the Serene Pokémon, Using the braids on its head, it pummels foes to get them to quiet down. One blow from those braids would knock out a professional boxer."

"Alright, Grookey, use Razor Leaf!" Hop calls out.

Grookey breathes heavily, before it brings its stick down on the ground, before a series of sharp leaves fly out of its head, "Key!"

"Waste of time… Hattrem, gets in close and uses Dazzling Gleam," Bede instructs.

"Rem, Rem," Hattrem spins around, back and forth, dodging the sharp leaves, before finally getting close to Grookey. "Rem!"

Hattrem spreads its arms, as a bright flash emerges, knocking Grookey back, "Key."

"Now let's end this farce of a battle," Bede starts. "Hattrem, Psybeam."

"Rem, Rem!" Hattrem spins back around, before a ray is blasted from her hands, hitting Grookey.

"Key!" Grookey is knocked across the ground, leaving Grookey laying on the ground, with its eyes whirling.

"Grookey," Hop knees down to his Pokémon and picks it up.

"Key…"

"It's okay, Grookey, you did your best," Hop says. "We'll beat them next time."

Bede holds up a Poké Ball, as a red beam shoots into it, before looking at them, "Don't lie, you never stood a chance against me."

At that moment, Victor and Gloria walk over.

"You don't have to be so rude, Bede," Gloria says.

"You're not even a Gym Challenger, so I have no need for your opinion," Bede says, with Gloria scoffs.

Two red beams shoot down and form Scorbunny and Sobble as they approach Grookey in Hop's arms.

"Scor, Scor," Scorbunny smiles.

"Sobbl, Sobbl," Sobble gently pats a hand on Grookey's arm.

"Key, key…" Grookey smiles slightly.

"So, you guys saw the battle..." Hop smiles, but is blushing. "I have to admit, I wasn't in my top form…"

"It's okay, Hop," Gloria says.

"Yeah, everyone loses sometimes," Victor adds.

"You would know," Bede pockets his Poké Ball.

"Do you have to be rude all the time?" Gloria asks.

"I don't have time to deal with you pampering a loser," Bede says, as he starts to turn.

Suddenly, Victor notices in Bede's hand is a Wishing Star.

Bede places the Wishing Star into his bag and turns to see Victor and Gloria approaching him.

"What is Bede doing with Wishing Stars?" Victor wonders, as Bede walks away.

"Don't let Bede bother you," Gloria says.

"I won't," Hop stands up, with Grookey in his hands, and puts on a huge smile.

"Hum, right…" Gloria says, as she glances to Victor.

"I got to say," the three and their Pokémon turn to see a woman approaching them in overalls. "That was a magnificent battle."

"Thanks, but I lost…" Hop looks down slightly.

"Key?" Grookey looks up at its Trainer.

"Still, I can tell, even from a distance, that you had done a good job of raising your Grookey," the woman responds.

"You really think so?" Hop asks.

"Indeed, and I should know, I'm a Pokémon Breeder. My name is Chloe."

"My name is Gloria, and this is my partner Sobble."

"Sobbl."

"I'm Hop… and this is my partner Grookey."

"Key."

Victor looks from Hop, then back to Chloe, "And I'm Victor, and this is my partner Scorbunny."

"Scor."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet all of you," Chloe smiles.

"Excuse me, Ms. Chloe…" Victor starts.

"Now, now, you can just call me Chloe."

"Right, well, if you're a Pokémon Breeder, does that mean you are raising multiple Pokémon?" Victor asks.

"Yes, it does, in fact, I'm currently raising three Pokémon, that I believe you all will be interested in," Chloe says.

Chloe then holds out and throws three Poké Balls, "Come on out, everyone!"

The three Poké Balls open and shoot out three red beams.

The first red beam forms Raboot, "Ra… boot."

The second red beam forms Drizzile, "Drizz."

The third red beam forms Thwackey, "Thwa."

Victor's Rotom Phone flies up, "Raboot, the Rabbit Pokémon, It kicks berries right off the branches of trees and then juggles them with its feet, practicing its footwork."

Gloria's Rotom Phone flies up, "Drizzile, the Water Lizard Pokémon, A clever combatant, this Pokémon battles using water balloons created with moisture secreted from its palms."

Hop's Rotom Phone flies up, "Thwackey, the Beat Pokémon, The faster a Thwackey can beat out a rhythm with its two sticks, the more respect it wins from its peers."

"They're the evolved forms of our Pokémon," Victor realizes.

"Key, key," Grookey approaches Thwackey.

"Thwa," Thwackey pulls out its two sticks and slams them both on the ground.

"Key, key," Grookey pulls out its stick and slams it twice on the ground.

"Thwa, Thwa," Thwackey starts drumming its sticks on the ground, as Grookey does the same.

"S-S-Sobbl," Sobble nervously approaches Drizzile.

"Drizz," Drizzile flips its hair to the side.

"Scor," Scorbuny quickly looks around Raboot, with huge eyes.

"Ra-boot," Raboot shrugs it shoulders.

"Scor," Scorbunny mimics it.

Victor is watching Scorbunny with a smile, before he notices Hop is looking down, like he's lost in thought.

"Hop has always seemed so happy and full of energy, but…" Victor thinks.

Later that night, four tents are next to each other, as Victor comes out of one of them and sees Hop seating on the ground a couple feet away, staring at the night sky.

Victor sits next to his friend, "Hey, Hop, how're you doing?"

"Fine… I'm just thinking…" Hop says, without looking away from the sky.

"Listen, Hop, I think I know how you're feeling," Victor starts. "When I lost to Milo in Turffield, I felt terrible. Like my entire dream of competing in the Galar League fell apart in one instance."

"I have to admit," Hop starts to look down. "I do feel kinda bad about losing to Bede, but that mostly because of how the battle got started." He straightened. "I came across him, and I was like 'Hey, you're Bede, wanna battle?' And he was like, 'I'm too important blah, blah, blah, sure I'll beat you.'"

Hop lowers his shoulders some, "Although he probably didn't actually say that."

Victor smiles, "I can believe it, though."

"Yeah, well, excuse me, I'll go to bed now," Hop says, as he gets up.

Victor turns in his seat to watch as Hop walks to the tents. Victor turns back and looks up at the night sky, seeing a falling star.

The next morning, Chloe is outside her tent, stretching her arms over her head, when she notices Hop is seating several feet away with Grookey.

Chloe walks over to the pair, "Hey, there, Hop, how you doing on this wonderful morning.

Hop sighs, "I'm not actually sure…"

"Key?"

Chloe looks at Hop, as Victor and Gloria walk over.

"Excuse me, Chloe, but we're wondering if we could ask you something?" Gloria says.

"Sure thing," Chloe responds with a smile.

"We were wondering if we could battle with you, using our Pokémon against your evolved ones," Vector requests.

"I'm all for it," Chloe smiles.

"Key! Key!" Grookey excitedly gets up.

Hop looks at his Pokémon, smiles, and then back up at the others, "Yeah, it'll be fun."

"Great," Victor and Gloria smile.

"I hope Victor's plan to cheer up Hop will work."

"I hope my plan to cheer up Hop will work."

"Go, Sobble!" Gloria throws a Poké Ball, which opens and shoots out red energy.

"Sobbl."

"Let's get going, Drizzile!" Chole throws a Poké Ball, which opens and shoots out red energy.

"Drizz."

"Okay, Sobble, let's start out with Water Gun!" Gloria calls out.

"Sobbl," Sobble shoots out a stream of water from its mouth.

"Drizz," Drizzile starts dodging, flipping and twirling, left to right, avoiding the streams of water that shoot pass it.

"I don't believe how agile it is," Gloria says. "Okay, then Sobble, get in close."

"Sobbl," Sobble runs ahead and approaching Drizzile.

"Trying for a close range attack, not a bad idea," Chloe says.

"Sobble, Water Pulse!"

"You too, Drizzile, Water Pulse!"

Sobble waves around its arms, bringing them together. At the same time, Drizzile waves around its arms, bringing them together. They then pushing them ahead, shooting pulsing blasts of water from their hands

The pulsing blasts of water collide, before Sobble's blast is blown apart, with the remaining blast hits Sobble, knocking it back, "Sobbl!"

"Again, Drizzile, Water Pulse!"

Drizzile waves around its arms, bringing them together, before pushing them ahead, shooting a pulsing blast of water from its hands, hitting Sobble and sending it flying backward, "Sobbl."

Sobble lands on the ground, with its eyes whirling.

"Sobble," Gloria runs over to her Pokémon, picking it up.

Drizzile brushes it hair to the side, "Drizz."

"Go, Scorbuny!" Victor throws a Poké Ball, which opens and shoots out red energy.

"Scor."

"Let's get going, Raboot," Chloe throws a Poké Ball, which opens and shoots out red energy.

"Ra-boot."

"Alright, Scorbunny, get around it and attack with Ember!" Victor calls out.

"Scor!" Scorbunny starts running around Raboot.

"You have to be faster than that," Chloe says. "Raboot, dodge!"

Scorbunny runs to behind Raboot, before shooting a series of small fireballs, "Scor!"

"Ra-boot," Raboot speeds to the side, dodging the fireballs.

"Scor?"

"Scorbunny, keep going, try and get closer," Victor instructs.

"Scor!" Scorbunny starts chasing Raboot around the area. "Scor! Scor!"

"I'm impressed how fast your Scorbunny is, you obviously raise it well," Chloe says. "But sometimes fast can be too fast."

"Scor!" Scorbunny continues running forward.

"Ra…" Raboot comes to a stop. "Boot."

"Now, Raboot, Double Kick!"

"Ra-boot," Raboot jumps up slightly, kicks the approaching Scorbunny, before it spins around and kicks it again, sending Scorbunny flying backward.

"Scor…" Scorbunny gets back up, as an angry expression fills its face.

"Scorbunny?" Victor questions.

"Scor!" Scorbunny jumps up, starts to spin around with a foot out but goes pass Raboot and slams on the ground behind it. "Scor…"

"Ra…" Raboot looks over its shoulder. "Boot?"

"So Scorbunny's trying to learn Double Kick, but its balance seems to be off, you might want to work on that," Chloe suggests.

"Hum, thanks," Victor says.

"Glad to help, now Raboot, let go with Flame Wheel!" Chloe instructs.

"Ra-boot," Raboot starts running, as its body becomes covered in flames, before slamming its body against Scorbunny. "Ra-boot!"

Scorbunny slams hard on the ground, with its eyes whirling, "Scor…"

As Victor picks up Scorbunny, Gloria looks over to him and thinks, "This might have been a bad idea…"

"Go, Grookey!" Hop throws a Poké Ball, which opens and shoots out red energy.

"Key!"

"Let's get going, Thwackey!" Chloe throws a Poké Ball, which opens and shoots out red energy.

"Thwa!"

"Grookey, Branch Poke!"

"You too, Thwackey, Counter Branch Poke with Branch Poke!"

"Key!" Grookey removes its stick.

"Thwa!" Thwackey removes both of its sticks.

Both Pokémon stab forward with their sticks, with Grookey's stick keeps on colliding with each of Thwackey's sticks, one after another.

"Thwa!"

Thwackey stabs forward one of its sticks, colliding with Grookey's stick and pushes it back, causing Grookey to lose its balance, "Key!"

"Thwa!" Thwackey stabs forward with its other stick, hitting Grookey, sending it flying backward.

"It's stronger than Grookey…" Hop says. "There's got to be… maybe…"

"Key."

Grookey starts to get up, when Hop notices the boulder to the right of Thwackey.

"That might work, Grookey, run to Thwackey!" Hop instructs.

"Key," Grookey starts running ahead.

"Now, now, what could be going through your head?" Chloe crosses her arms.

"Thwa," Thwackey readies its two sticks.

"That's only one way to find out, Thwackey, Branch Poke!" Chloe instructs.

"Thwa!" Thwackey starts to stab forward with one stick.

"Grookey, now, jump!" Hop calls out.

"Key!" Grookey jumps up, dodging Thwackey's stick. "Key!"

Grookey jumps off the nearby boulder.

"Now, Razor Leaf!"

"Key!" Grookey, now in midair behind Thwackey, swings its stick before strikes it down, as sharp leaves shoot out from its head. "Key!"

The sharp leaves shoot down at Thwackey, hitting it, as the bombardment causes Thwackey to be covered in dust and broken leaves.

Grookey lands and watches as the dust dissipates, revealing Thwackey, with only a couple scratches, as it flips one stick in its hand, "Thwa."

"Barely any damage?" Hop's surprised.

"Okay, Thwackey, it's our turn, Double Hit!" Chloe instructs.

"Thwa!" Thwackey rushes up to Grookey, brings down one stick, striking Grookey, before striking to the side with the other stick, sending Grookey finding backward. "Thwa!"

"Key…" Grookey lands on the ground, with its eyes whirling.

"Grookey," Hop picks up his Pokémon, looking at it, sadly. "I guess I still got a lot to learn…"

"Key…"

"Of course you do," Chloe approaches them, as Victor, Scorbunny, Gloria, and Sobble also approach them. "We all still got a lot to learn, including me. We all just need to learn and grow stronger. And we will never stop improving.

"She's right," Gloria adds.

"I know I have improved a lot and I still have a way to go," Victor says.

"And I'm confident you will grow stronger with your Pokémon, Hop," Chloe says.

"Grow stronger…" Hop looks down at Grookey in his arms.

"Key," Grookey smiles.

Hop returns the smile.

Later on, Chloe waves goodbye to Victor, Gloria, and Hop, as she walks away from the three friends.

"Take care," Chloe says, before she turns away.

The three friends continue to wave, before Gloria lowers her arm and looks to Hop, "So, Hop, why don't you come with me and Victor to Hammerlocke?"

"Actually, I think I will stay in the Wild Area and train some," Hop answers. "I want to grow stronger."

Victor and Gloria look to each other.

"Okay, Hop, that's great," Victor starts. "Just take care."

"You too, both of you," Hop smiles.

After a few moments, Victor and Gloria are walking away, as Hop walks in the opposite direction.

Gloria notices Victor is looking down, "Victor, everything's okay?"

"I realized…" Victor says. "Hop never called himself the next League Champion."

"That's right…" Gloria starts. "But I'm sure he's fine."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right," Victor says.

"Life is filled with its ups and downs. Including failures. But as our heroes continue to learn, as long as they don't give up, they will grow stronger. What else will they learn?"

Not too far away, Bede stands on a hill, overlooking the Wild Area, and holding a Wishing Star.

"Find out, as the journey continues…"