A surprise last time, but how will it pan out? Let's just get on with it in Chapter 8!
Chapter 8
A Challenge
As she stood within the confines of the trainer box, right at the edge of the massive battlefield, Gloria still couldn't believe it.
She was truly standing opposite of Kabu, one of Galar's oldest and most respected Gym Leaders, about to face him for the right to earn a Gym Badge. To prove herself for everyone to see.
Gloria felt her body tense, the weight of everyone's looks bearing down on her as she kept hearing the whispers of the Gym Challengers behind her, but not even that could dampen her enthusiasm. She was where she belonged, a trainer in the stadium and ready to win. Scorbunny shared her same energy, warming himself up with some stretching and hopping in place, raring to go.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the first battle of this year's Gym Challenge is upon us!" a new voice shouted, echoing from the box at the top of the stadium. "I'm Gerry, here in Motostoke Stadium to commentate this impending match! How will this newly minted challenger do against one of Galar's finest? Only one way to find out, folks!"
The booming voice led the crowd to shout cheers in their direction, everyone looking forward to the kind of show they would deliver. The Rotom Drone zoomed all over the place, catching the best angles to broadcast over the scoreboard. The Chairman and the Champion had left the field, probably headed for somewhere else to watch the battle from, but that detail felt insignificant in the moment.
Gloria steadied her breath as the referee stepped at the edge of the battlefield, both arms raised.
"The three-on-three battle between the Gym Challenger Gloria from Postwick and the Gym Leader Kabu is about to begin. Only the challenger will be allowed to switch their Pokémon, and the winner will be declared once one side is unable to fight any longer!"
Hearing that, Gloria locked her gaze with the more seasoned man on the other side, and even with the distance between them, she could still feel the man's inquisitive stare primed on her, trying to glean how bright her inner fire was burning.
"You have been offered a chance to lead Galar's Gym Challengers with your boldness. Show us what you can do, little girl," the man declared, his lips twitching up ever so slightly.
She grinned back at him. "I'm no 'little girl'. I'm Gloria, and I'll show everyone in the Galar region what I'm made of!"
"That is the intensity I'm looking for! Now, let us face each other, for all the region to see!" The man grabbed a Poké Ball, holding it high with both hands. "Go, Arcanine!"
He tossed the Poké Ball, and out came a large, majestic, orange and cream-colored dog. It stood on guard as soon as it materialized, just as Kabu leaned further on his knees, as if ready to sprint on his own; a sign of how into the battle he was going to be.
The girl didn't have any fancy throws to show, as she instead turned to her trusty partner. "Scorbunny, your turn!"
"Nibbah!" Pumping his fists, the Rabbit Pokémon leapt into action, staring at his fellow Fire-type with no regard to how much bigger it was. The crowd raised in volume, though the comments of her fellow Challengers became of little import. All eyes were on the pair below.
"And it's fire against fire for our first run! Will Challenger Gloria manage to outsmart Kabu at the type he specializes in?"
As far as Gloria was concerned, that question was as rhetorical as it could get. They would triumph, no matter what.
Staring once again at the Gym Leader and his Pokémon, she pointed forward decisively. The noise of the crowd cut out in her mind, leaving only her words. "Let's start things in style! Scorbunny, Quick Attack!"
Scorbunny sprinted forward, only growing faster with each step as he got ready to slam into his opponent. Arcanine stood, making no movement in the face of the impending collision.
Kabu's counter came as swift as the rabbit's pace. "Extreme Speed."
Just as Scorbunny lunged to strike, Arcanine sprinted twice as fast away from him, leaving the Rabbit Pokémon to find nothing to hit as the larger Fire type put a sizable distance between them, halting in place again. Gloria was surprised, but hardly deterred as she scowled at the opposing Pokémon.
"Ember!" she shouted, bringing a fist close to her chest.
From his position, Scorbunny inhaled and fired a round of flames in Arcanine's direction, Gloria hoping for the attacks to reach it faster than Scorbunny would. Arcanine blurred into Extreme Speed once more, shifting position just enough to dodge the burst of fire completely.
"You're fast on the uptake, but our own speed has been honed by years of battles. You won't be able to match it so easily." Kabu's comment didn't feel like a boast. Rather, it was like the calculated assessment of a much more experienced fighter. Gloria clenched her fists as they dropped to her side, recognizing his point, yet not letting it get to her. No matter the comments of those watching from the side, the match was still to be decided.
"We'll see about that!" she claimed, eyes narrowed as she scanned the battlefield. "Scorbunny, leap with Double Kick, then Quick Attack!"
Her partner Pokémon caught on to her idea immediately, slamming his foot down powerfully and riding the shockwave with a jump, leaping higher and faster than before as he sprinted into a Quick Attack. He landed swiftly on the ground with the remaining foot, blurring at much higher speed inches away from Arcanine.
"Ingenious. But not enough." Kabu pointed skyward, looking like a blazing flame. "Arcanine, Extreme Speed!"
No matter how fast Scorbunny had gotten, a second was all it took for Arcanine to rush away to safety, the smaller Fire type's strategy nullified in an instant. Gloria scowled at Kabu's Pokémon, and instantly switched gears.
"Ember! Everywhere you can aim!" Scorbunny nodded, inhaling air and exhaling flames with the speed of a machine gun. Bursts of flames flew all over, not caring if Arcanine was present where they struck.
"Bun! Bun! Bun!" he cried with each Ember, twirling on himself to cover the full radius around him. The crowd gasped, a smattering of claps echoing, but far from applause.
Arcanine shifted into Extreme Speed once more, dancing through the flames with trained expertise, not a single one of them hitting. Even as Scorbunny started to pursue it, Arcanine continued to be just out of reach, as if it could read exactly where the attacks would come from.
"Looks like our challenger is going for an all-out offensive! Unfortunately for her, Kabu's Arcanine will take much more than that to be brought down!"
The announcer's boast was a sharp hit to Gloria's pride, the Postwick girl swallowing as she continued to follow the game of tag between her and Kabu's still unharmed Pokémon. No matter how much effort or varied strategies she could come up with, one single move was all it took for Arcanine to set enough distance to remain safe, barely putting any effort into doing so. Meanwhile, Scorbunny's pace began to slow. The difference between both Pokémon was night and day, and Gloria could feel her frustration rise with each missed attack.
And through it all, the whispers from her fellow Gym Challengers behind her reached her ears.
"Man, Kabu is so cool..."
"Told you it wasn't worth facing him now."
"Second-string isn't going to last more than two more minutes."
Her balled fists shook, barely restraining the impulse to punch down the rude rivals behind her before resolving to ignore them. She would show them what she and Scorbunny could do, no matter what.
"Keep attacking, Scorbunny! You have to hit!" she shouted. Her partner Pokémon nodded back to her, emboldened by the order to fire more and more bursts of flame, lighter on his feet as he kept pursuing the much faster Arcanine.
That still wasn't enough for any of the attacks to hit their intended target, and Kabu's Pokémon continued to deftly dodge every single one. Yet, Gloria kept observing the larger Fire type, carefully noticing its movements, trying to make sense of them. It was definitely well-trained, not a single action wasted despite Scorbunny's relentless flurry of Embers, always just one step further away. She looked, hoping to find something, anything she could use to turn the tables.
And then, she saw it. Arcanine wasn't dodging in a random pattern, but rather circling all around the battlefield, forcing Scorbunny on a wild chase. She grinned, the path she was looking for now clear.
And as Arcanine came closer to its next sharp turn, she seized the moment. "Now! Turn around!"
In spite of the sudden cry, Scorbunny swerved just in time to the opposite direction. Mere seconds later, Arcanine stopped right ahead of the Rabbit Pokémon, much closer than it had been until then. Gloria's lips curled upward, and Scorbunny prepared to charge with Quick Attack.
Their triumph proved short lived, however, as Kabu relayed his next command. "Flamethrower."
Arcanine unleashed a large tongue of fire from his maw, far more impressive than any of Scorbunny's Embers. Scorbunny abruptly stopped his assault as he ducked away with a "Nibbah!", the just gained advantage negated in an instant.
Kabu swept his hand in the air, seizing the moment for himself. "And now, Extreme Speed!"
Gloria winced as Arcanine charged forward at high velocity, yet still wasn't deterred. "Quick Atta-"
Her order came too late, Arcanine ramming at full force on the smaller frame of the defenseless Scorbunny.
"SCORBUN!" the Rabbit Pokémon screamed, the impact sending him flying all the way to the edge of the battlefield.
Gloria froze in place, no words escaping as she followed her friend's trajectory, landing in a pained heap a few feet away from her. Just one hit, and the bruise on his fur was already too large not to notice. The trainer swallowed.
"N-nibbah..." Slowly, the white bunny pulled himself back up on shaky legs, scowling towards the large and powerful dog Pokémon across the stadium's field, still as unharmed as ever. Gloria and her partner wore matching scowls at how the tables turned so quickly.
Meanwhile, Kabu remained stoic, betraying no emotions. "Being passionate is well and good, but you're letting your impatience dictate your movements. You're far too easy to read."
It was a simple statement, yet it still made Gloria's blood boil, a desire to counter the man's claim at the forefront of her mind.
"Try to read this, then!" Gloria snarled out. "Scorbunny, Double Kick! Make it hurt!"
Even with his still aching body, Scorbunny was quick to take charge once again, leaping forward and charging his feet to strike down on his opponent. Unlike before, Arcanine didn't blur into Extreme Speed to avoid the hit, and Gloria braced herself for the Gym Leader's counter.
"Move to the left, then Flamethrower!" As soon as Kabu's order arrived, Arcanine stepped out of the way just in time to dodge the first powerful kick, and opened his maw to unleash another torrent of flames.
"Jump back and Ember!" Scorbunny relied on his remaining Double Kick to jump higher than he normally could, dodging the unleashed fire and gaining a vantage point from which to fire his own round of flaming hits. Not as powerful, perhaps, but Gloria believed they would at least reach their target.
"Extreme Speed!"
Arcanine's flaming assault was instantly revoked, the large Fire type jumping to the air with its increased speed, straight for Scorbunny. Gloria paled as her bunny was unable to dodge anywhere, Kabu's Pokémon once again ramming into him and sending him crashing to the floor, creating a spiderweb of cracks on impact. Gloria dug her nails into her skin as she observed Scorbunny stand up again in spite of his pain.
Yet, that wasn't even the harshest thing.
"You're predictable. This kind of strategy won't get you far," Kabu said as Arcanine landed with elegance. His claim was followed by the loud murmur of the crowd surrounding them, growing into an uncomfortable droning sound.
Gloria felt smaller than she had ever been, listening to the incomprehensible judgement of the people around her, be they the public, the Gym Challengers, or even the wordless one of the Gym Leader she was facing against. Kabu was dominating the battle, and she was only putting on a mediocre showing of skills, hardly what one would expect from a Gym Challenger.
This wasn't all she could do. It wasn't what she wanted to show everyone, yet it was the indelible impression everyone would have of her.
A frown formed on her face, all her suppressed emotions bubbling up on the surface. She wouldn't stand for this. She would prove herself strong, no matter what!
"Oh, shut up! You're the one who's just using the same move over and over!" she snapped out, finding it the only way to relieve the tension torturing her. Gloria pointed forward towards Kabu, uncaring of the gulf of experience between them. "Stop toying with us. Treat us seriously! We're Gym Challengers, not little kids!"
"Nibbah scornibbah!" Scorbunny shouted as well, trainer and Pokémon tired of being handled with kid gloves. It was a bold claim, but one that managed to silence the public around them. Whether for admiration or indignation, Gloria neither knew nor cared.
Upon that remark, Kabu remained silent, considering her words. Gloria expected to be told off, that she was biting more than she could chew, or that she wouldn't stand a chance to his power, just another wall to break through. She didn't expect the man to share a nod with his Arcanine and palm the Fire type's Poké Ball once more, staring through Gloria. Only then did her confidence falter.
"If you want to be treated as a Gym Challenger, then I'll show you what one has to contend with." He aimed the Poké Ball forward without a second thought. "Arcanine, it's time! Let's show them our true power!"
His active Pokémon allowed himself to be recalled, and everyone knew what was to follow as the Gym Leader's Dynamax Band shined with red energy, turning his Poké Ball three times its size. He grabbed it with both hands and launched it forward with an intense glare, the gigantified Poké Ball opening up and freeing Arcanine from its confines once again.
"What a shocking turn of events! Looks like Kabu is ready to kick this match up a notch! It's time for Dynamax, everyone!" At the shout, the crowd rose in an apprehensive cheer, unsure what the move would mean for the match.
But the announcer's claim almost went unnoticed by Gloria, as she and Scorbunny watched Arcanine's body grow to colossal size. In no time, it dominated its half of the battlefield like an insurmountable mountain. Ominous clouds formed atop its head and the Pokémon craned down, observing them both as though they were lowly specks. The move began to elicit a round of applause and cheers from the audience, but in the moment, Gloria could only see her already difficult fight becoming a thousand times worse.
And through all of this, Gloria could still feel Kabu's own stare boring onto her. "We'll see if you can live up to your bluster, little girl."
Staring at the titanic Arcanine looming over her and Scorbunny, Gloria could feel her confidence shake, her hand instinctively scratching her bare wrist, a grim reminder of what she lacked. The deck was stacked against her, and she knew it. Yet, she still pulled off a grin, trying to keep her act together. This was the opportunity she needed!
"I've already defeated a Dynamaxed Pokémon. This is nothing!" she boasted fearlessly, stretching her palm forward. "Scorbunny, keep on your toes! Quick Attack and Double Kick!"
Scorbunny darted as fast as his legs could allow him, racing for the Dynamaxed Arcanine and ready to strike with the same maneuver that helped ending Greedent. With their difference in size, she was certain they could find a different advantage.
Kabu immediately put that belief to the test. "Arcanine, Max Flare!"
With a quickness surprising for its size, Arcanine aimed downward and blasted a large torrent of fire, much larger than any Flamethrower. Far too large to dodge anywhere, there was nothing the white bunny could do as the flames burned over him.
"NIBBAAAAH!" The pained scream of her first partner was like a knife in the gut for Gloria, only able to watch as Scorbunny was hit by the full extent of Arcanine's Max Move.
"Scorbunny!" she screamed, as if it could change anything. Scorbunny didn't hear her through the flames, the Max Flare consuming him until it was finally spent, leaving a heavily scorched and barely standing Rabbit Pokémon behind.
A second later he fell, no fight left in him.
The referee made his call with finality. "Scorbunny is unable to battle!"
The crowd roared with applause for Arcanine's swift and decisive victory, but Gloria was numb to it, her attention only going to her partner, moving to grab him away from the field as fast as she could.
"Not even a few seconds in, and Arcanine has shown us what Dynamax is capable of! What will our plucky challenger do now?"
To the announcer's rhetorical question, Gloria didn't know, too worried for her friend to still think about the battle. Seeing him still conscious enough reassured her greatly, even if the smell of burnt fur and his heavily damaged state made Gloria pause. Scorbunny noticed it as they went back for the trainer box, touching his trainer's face to try and reassure her. She smiled back to him, patting his head.
"You did great, mate." With that praise, she set her friend down by her side, and grabbed another Poké Ball. She only had two more Pokémon to try and get through Arcanine, and she knew exactly who to rely on. "Chewtle, let's go!"
The device hit the ground and freed her trusty turtle from its confines. The turtle scowled at her titanic opponent without any fear, pressing her feet and ready to charge at a moment's notice.
"A wise choice, going for a Water type against Kabu's Fire type! But will type matchups grant victory to our scrappy girl?"
Gloria didn't waste time to try and work on it. "Go for a Headbu-"
"Max Flare."
What hopes she had of being able to make it were dashed as soon as the blast of fire rained down on Chewtle. They engulfed her, just the same as Scorbunny. Gloria's face paled, worry creeping inside her, until she saw Chewtle still trying to make it through the flames, moving forward slowly but surely.
Gloria was taken aback, wondering if it was the type resistance at play or just Chewtle, herself, too stubborn to be stopped. Regardless of the reason, Gloria punched onward, showing her support. "Keep going! You can make it!"
"Chew...Chewtle chew!" Through the flames of the Max Flare, the turtle inched forward, no matter the searing pain she was withstanding, head held down to try and headbutt the Dynamaxed Arcanine. The stream of fire kept howling, searing through her and pushing her back. Yet for a moment, Gloria wanted to hope Chewtle would actually manage to overcome the attack that had defeated Scorbunny.
Chewtle couldn't make it. The final jet of flames struck, and she was blasted backwards.
"Cheeeeew!" she yelled, flying all the way to the edge of the battlefield, perilously close to Gloria. In spite of her bravery, she slumped down in defeat not a second after.
"Chewtle is unable to battle!"
"And in spite of admirable courage, Chewtle falls as well! Things aren't looking good for Gloria!"
Gloria bit her lip, feeling the announcer's comment more harshly than he intended, the audience chanting Kabu's name louder than she would've liked. The old man seemed completely unmoved by it all, his and Arcanine's stares bearing down on them, their superiority evident.
She swallowed, holding her turtle's Poké Ball and aiming it at her.
"Chewtle, return." As the red beam hit her Water type and recalled her safely inside the device, Gloria glanced over her remaining Poké Ball, her expression turning sour. Her breath came out in a rattle. "Only one left..."
One Pokémon to bet everything on. One chance to turn things around. One time to show everyone what she was capable of. Realizing all that, Gloria's hands shook, the sheer challenge of it all feeling much heavier all of a sudden.
"Nibbah?" She could feel a paw touching her leg, and she noticed Scorbunny looking at her with apprehension, hoping to give his trainer even just a bit of courage. Seeing that, Gloria managed to force a smile, petting her partner's head.
"It's okay. We can still win. We have to." She took a deep breath, staring through Kabu on the other end of the battlefield. She grabbed her final Poké Ball decisively and tossed it. "Rookidee, it's your turn!"
"Rook rookokoko!" her trusty Flying type declared, materializing in an airborne state quite a way from the Dynamaxed Arcanine.
Gloria swallowed, their opponent seeming much larger than it had been until then. She tightened her fists. "Keep yourself at a distance, and use Hone Claws!"
Rookidee seemed almost surprised by the order, but still obediently followed. He flew higher, out of range from the giant opponent before starting to build up his power.
Gloria pulled off a reassured smile, while her heart thumped madly. "Yes, like that! Great!"
"The challenger is cooking up something! Will this be the turnaround she needs to make it through?"
It has to be, Gloria thought to herself, tuning out the constant chatter of the audience all around her, not wanting to check any of them out. All she had to do was build up enough power to defeat Arcanine quickly, and then everything would be right.
All the while, she could feel Kabu's severe stare on her, scanning her intentions, and deducing what she and Rookidee were up to. She could feel a shiver down her spine as she saw the man crack a bemused smile.
"Being cautious is a natural reaction when things get rough, but retreating like this to store power will lead you nowhere." His expression turned harsher once more, uttering a single command once more. "Arcanine, Max Flare."
Seeing Arcanine ready to fire the torrent of flames for the third time, urgency drove Gloria forward in a hurry. "Fly higher!"
Rookidee obeyed and tucked his wings to his body as he darted skyward, away from the range of the incoming attack. Now that he was safe, Gloria allowed herself to take a breath. They could keep stockpiling power and get ready for a real offense now. They'd gained the advantage they needed.
Kabu's short reply proved the girl how wrong she was. "Radial blast."
It took but a moment for Gloria to freeze, utterly speechless as Arcanine aimed skyward and fired the same Max Move that defeated Scorbunny and Chewtle, spreading around in a wave of heat rather than a singular blast of fire. She would've been impressed if the sight of Rookidee trapped within the flames didn't horrify her.
"ROOOOOOOK!" her loyal bird screamed, making Gloria wince. She mentally begged her companion to resist, to survive the hit and keep fighting. This couldn't be the end. It just couldn't.
But as the attack dissipated into the air, Rookidee wasn't able to stay airborne. His body gave in, crashing down on the battlefield faster than Gloria realized it. And there he stood, completely motionless, his whole body as scorched as his teammates'.
Gloria's heart sunk.
And then the referee twisted the knife further. "Rookidee is unable to battle! The winner of the match is the Gym Leader Kabu!"
The expected, deafening roar of applause that followed the confirmation only made Gloria fall silent, staring vacantly at her defeated Flying type. Some last gasp of desperation inside her hoped for him to move, to show that they still had some fight in them. Nothing of the sort happened, and Arcanine returned to its usual size. Kabu recalled him wordlessly, raising a hand to acknowledge the crowd's strong support.
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, was another masterful showing of why Kabu is one of the region's finest Gym Leaders! This is the level of performance that we can expect from this year's Gym Challenge!" Gerry's words led to the approval for the Gym Leader's crushing victory to grow even louder than it already was.
Yet that wasn't what Gloria was thinking about. She walked to grab her knocked out Rookidee, holding him tightly around her hands, ignoring Scorbunny following by her side. What she couldn't ignore, however, was the stare of the people in the stadium not lost to the excitement, the low droning sound of whispers and comments at her expense.
None of that hurt as hard as her fellow rivals doing so behind her back, however, comments and sneers overlapping with one another, hitting her like daggers.
"She had it coming. Only a fool would've accepted such a fight. Looks like we know who the second-string is." The mocking, self-assured tone of the blond jerk hammered down on whatever shreds of confidence she had left, even more than the quiet stare Kabu was giving her. All it did was serve to remind her of how she had just played with a fire she couldn't handle.
"You showed admirable drive in accepting my challenge, but an inner fire burning bright is not the lone factor to bring victory. You've got a long road ahead before your flame will be able to burn any obstacle on your path." The words of the Gym Leader were as stern as they had been until then, a hint of harshness that didn't escape Gloria. "I hope you'll be tempered into a truly strong Challenger, and look forward to face you on this battlefield once more."
Gloria didn't reply as she recalled Rookidee, the older man's words sticking to her as she failed to tune out the murmurs in the stadium. They were all judging her, dismissing her, and worst of all…
…they were right to do so.
Her lip quivered, and she turned around and walked off the battlefield, shoving any other challenger out of the way. She thought she saw someone try and reach for her, but she ignored them and everyone else on her path. Before she realized it, she was back in the locker room, her bottled up emotions flowing into her shaking fists. She pulled her nose up, fighting back tears.
"Nibbah..." Feeling the gentle paw touching her leg, she managed to find the strength to smile again, petting her friend. No words were needed among them, and she immediately changed herself back into her usual travel clothes. With blank eyes, she shoved her Gym uniform as far into the bag as possible before slamming the locker shut, her heart still racing.
"Hey, Gloria, you okay?" The familiar voice made her flinch, turning around to see Hop looking back at her, the way he was panting making clear how fast he had rushed to get there. She acknowledged him, but said nothing as she put her bag on. Undeterred, he got closer. "Shame for how the battle turned out. Kabu is hot stuff, literally."
"For sure..." She adjusted the shoulder straps of her bag absentmindedly, not even looking back at her friend. "I'm alright, though. Fun battle."
"Mate..."
"Really, it's okay. I gotta reunite with Ash and the others." She gave him a wave, with a smile that almost felt sincere. "See ya through the Challenge."
Hop looked like he had more to say, but the way Gloria left the changing room put an abrupt end to their conversation, the girl having no need for her friend's platitudes. She was grateful for the effort, but the only thing she needed was to get out of there as quickly as possible. It didn't take long for her to reach the lobby, head swirling with confused thoughts.
"Kapika!" the high-pitched squeak snapped her out of her fugue, allowing her to notice Ash, Serena and Astrid already present. Scorbunny, exhausted as he was, quickly replied to the electric mouse with glee, while Gloria looked back at her traveling companions.
"Heh, well, sure made an entrance, right?" she tried to laugh off with a confidence that wasn't there, hoping that would be enough. Ash immediately saw through it.
"You tried your best. That's what matters." The man didn't smile, but she could still feel a hint of understanding in his voice. Gloria couldn't help but wonder if he had similar experiences at the start of his career.
The thought wasn't as comforting as she'd hoped, though, her lips twitching.
Astrid stepped in, looking much less kind than Ash did. "Sometimes your best isn't enough. You shouldn't sugarcoat things too much for the hotshot here."
The comment felt like a sharp knife in a still aching wound, leading Gloria to bite her lip. No good retort came to her, however, even as Ash glared back at Astrid's comment.
Serena realized the growing situation, and the pregnant woman stepped between the three trainers. "I think we can keep talking in the Pokémon Center, don't you think? Gloria's Pokémon need some rest."
Everyone found themselves in agreement, and Gloria was grateful that Ash's wife had put her foot down. Without delay, said woman led them out of the building, into the slowly setting sun of the early evening. All Gloria could do was try and fail to keep her mind off her crushing defeat.
It didn't do much good, feeling the stares on the back of her neck as she and the others wended their way through Motostoke, to the nearest Center, drenched in orange and red. Like Kabu's fire. Noticing that, the stares made her less comfortable than what would have been Ash and Astrid's argument, a feeling made double when she handed her Pokémon to Nurse Joy, receiving assurances of healing. Even she felt judgmental.
Nevertheless, Gloria found a place to wait, hoping to keep the eyes off her.
Once in place, she tapped her foot absentmindedly, letting her gaze wander around the building as she waited for her Pokémon's treatment to finish. The Center was scarcely populated, with only a few trainers seated on the several rows of tables in the building's main room, discussing with each other. Above them, a television screen was showing a report about the upcoming Gym Challenge, discussing expected Gym Leader roadmaps and all sorts of details that she wasn't interested in. She clenched her fists on the table, trying to ignore the probing stares that clearly recognized her, bringing her attention to her companions.
She wished she hadn't, as she met Ash's inquisitive gaze. "So, how did the battle feel?"
"Fine, I guess. I dunno." She sighed, wishing to have anything better to say, her mind still lost in Motostoke Stadium.
"Kapika..." Gloria had no idea what Pikachu was saying, but she could tell he and everyone else were clearly hoping to talk about it. She wished they weren't, and she wished they would just move on like they should have.
She exhaled, trying to keep her mind off it, her eyes wandering over the automatic door of the Pokémon Center in an attempt to focus on something, anything, else.
Said something seemed to pass by the windows, making Gloria freeze in place. Moments later, the doors to the Center opened and a tall figure made its way inside. Many more trainers reacted.
"No way! No way!"
"It's Leon!"
The sharp cry of an excited fanboy was all it took for everyone else to turn at once, staring in utter surprise at the winning smile of the Galar Champion as he stepped foot inside. Not even a second later, everyone in the immediate surroundings clustered around their idol, ensuring he couldn't move even a step further. The entire entranceway of the Center became glutted with fans and calls for autographs, though Gloria almost buried her head.
It was just like the sounds in the Stadium. Her fist clenched.
"Hey, hey, there! Calm down, I've got time for all of you!" The Champion laughed with nonchalance, making his way through his fanbase slowly and with clear experience from these sorts of situations. Gloria would've almost found it amusing in any other situation but, relaxing her fist, her mind was more focused on the other pressing question his presence brought up.
Ash seemed to be of the same mind, scratching the back of his head and leaning to the side for a better look. "What's Leon doing here?"
"Probably gotta heal his Pokémon?" Astrid shrugged, hardly convinced herself.
"But he didn't fight during the Ceremony." Serena touched her chin, contemplative.
Gloria remained silent, wondering why, herself. She, too, tried to come to an answer, but failed to do so. Through her rumination, Leon finally managed to leave his adoring fans behind with a promise to give them attention later, and he scanned the area in search of something. Once his eyes found Gloria and her companions, however, the Champion beamed once more, approaching with a hand raised.
"Well, hey now! Thought you'd be here."
Ash raised a hand back in salute. "Nice to see you again, Leon."
"Likewise, Ash. I hoped to hit you up right after the Entrance Ceremony, but my schedule didn't allow for that." Leon nodded with his words, and gave a respectful look to both Serena and Astrid before turning to Gloria. She sat up a little straighter. "I'm glad I found you here. Would've been a shame otherwise."
"You were looking for me?" Gloria quirked an eyebrow, her worries momentarily pushed aside by the surprise. And the doubt. To her continued surprise, however, Leon nodded.
"There's someone that wanted to talk with you, after your match with Kabu. Great one, by the way." She fought hard to hold back the grimace forming on her face, not even Leon's genial tone making the memories any sweeter. She sighed, focusing on the Champion's words and looking around his frame for a hint of who he'd spoken of.
"So, uh…who exactly wants to see me?"
"Oh, you won't believe it." Leon winked to her, his attention then shifting towards the automatic doors as they parted again. "But it looks he's coming in right now."
Gloria and the rest of their entourage turned to the doors as well, unified in wondering who exactly would be interested in the Postwick girl, especially after her fresh debacle. The answer was quite surprising as the somewhat portly man, finely dressed in a grey suit, made his entrance, accompanied by just as much fervor in the crowd.
"C-Chairman Rose?!" Gloria's whispered question could barely be heard among the raucous cries of the gathered Galarians, literally throwing themselves around the man with only slightly less glee than they gave Leon. The man was genial, waving at everyone or making the swiftest of autograph as he made his way through with just as much trained expertise as Leon. Hardly missing a beat, he made a beeline straight for the table Gloria and the others sat at, joining Leon at his side.
"Here she is, our young upstart! Laurie, was it?" Without warning, he grabbed Gloria's hand and shook it firmly, an overjoyed smile splitting his face.
"Uhm, Gloria, actually…" The girl felt uneasy correcting the League Chairman, especially when the man appeared to frown at his mistake. That was but a passing moment before his grin lit up his expression again.
"Right, Gloria! My bad. Meet so many people, yet their names fall out like rainstorm on a Lotad." He let go of Gloria's hand as quickly as he grabbed it, his eyes never leaving the Gym Challenger's form as his excitement continued to overflow. The grin on his face grew wider. "That battle was exactly what the entrance ceremony needed. A brilliant way to set the stakes for the Gym Challenge! Exactly what I would expect from a person endorsed by none other than Ash Ketchum."
Even if the girl could tell that the Chairman meant his compliment, she couldn't bring herself to say anything in response, silently hoping for the topic to shift to something else. At least, she moved her eyes to look at anything else, including Ash's quizzical look and the just as fascinated one of the two women. Fortunately for her, the Pokémon Master didn't waste time to face Leon. "You organized this, Leon?"
The Champion confirmed it with a sheepish smile. "Sonia told me that you were endorsing Gloria here and the Chairman wanted to personally meet with her, so I thought having your meeting here in the Pokémon Center for both of you would be a good idea. Sorry if it's not the most planned meeting, but the stars aligned like that."
"It's all right, works for me. Thanks for remembering!"
"You're welcome, mate," Leon replied with a thumbs up. The murmurs of the gathered onlookers a short distance away caught the Champion's attention soon after, and only then Gloria realized that they had been trying to eavesdrop on their conversation. That made Gloria all the more embarrassed. "Well, looks like the crowd is asking for me. I'll see you later! Good luck in your future matches, Gloria!"
Without even waiting for the girl's reply, the Champion of the Galar region turned away and rejoined his adoring fans. The majority of them had pulled out notepads and Rotom Phones in an effort to get some personal memories from the meeting with their idol. Gloria observed silently as Leon deftly dealt with every single fan, honoring their requests with the brightest attitude she had ever seen of him, leading them outside the Pokémon Center, into the bright sunset, and leaving them all alone. Rose clasped his hands in appreciation as he let out a pleased chuckle.
"And so, our Champion goes to entertain the crowd that loves him. Truly the most deserving trainer to stand at the top of Galar's pyramid." His attention went back to Gloria once more, his joyful demeanor unchanged. "That's why I have to thank you. Your guts, your desire to prove yourself! Exactly what I look forward to seeing in the trainers of our beloved Galar. This is the kind of spirit I want the world to see!"
"T-thank you, Mr. Chairman. You're too kind." She bashfully accepted the compliments, averting her gaze from the man, the joy she expected to feel severely dampened by the circumstances.
"I'm just saying things as they are. It's trainers like you that will let our region be worth remembering in the annals of the League." Thankfully for Gloria, Rose shifted his focus towards Ash right after, his already jovial demeanor turning increasingly sunnier. "And in regards to that, it's a pleasure to make the acquaintance of the Pokémon Master himself. As you probably know, I'm Rose, the man in charge of the Macro Cosmos conglomerate and the Galar League."
The businessman extended his hand towards Ash, and Gloria's sponsor gave it a firm shake, matching Rose's enthusiasm with a smile of his own.
"Glad to meet you, finally. Though it seems you already know who I am."
"How could I not know the League Liaison? A person of your caliber is most worthy of praise!"
"I'm just a trainer like every other, really. If I wasn't here on League business, I'd probably try to compete in the championship, myself!" He laughed off his claim, before clearing his throat to try to appear more serious. "But well, I'm here to keep an eye on things and all that. I want to see how the rest of it pans out."
"I reckon that the Entrance Ceremony was to your liking."
"Sure was! You made the Galar League sound like the best thing ever." Astrid seemed to nod in agreement while Serena absentmindedly began stroking Pikachu's tail as she listened.
Rose, however, brought a chair over to sit across from Ash. His attitude and body language became much more subdued as he shifted back into what Gloria assumed was his businessman persona. "I'm pleased to hear that. Galar has always been on the lower end of the League hierarchy, more or less on par with something like the Orange League. It has been one of my major goals ever since I became Chairman to make my beloved region part of the centerpiece of the League, and in such a changing time for the organization, I find that aim more important than ever."
From the man's words alone, Gloria could feel his drive and passion for what he did. She knew how important Chairman Rose was for the Galar region, but now more than ever she could see just how dedicated he was to his dream to make his home flourish on the global stage. Ash looked similarly impressed, listening carefully to the man's words.
"Can't say you're leaving anything to be desired, especially with battles between giant Pokémon in just as big stadiums..." Astrid remarked, catching a glimpse of Motostoke Stadium from the Pokémon Center's window.
Rose appeared amused by that comment, adjusting his large lock of hair. "Why, thank you, it was my idea to implement Dynamax in Gym battles. I like to think it paid off."
"Was it difficult to do?" Ash asked, his curiosity evident.
"It was fairly costly and required plenty of logistical preparation. You can't just Dynamax anywhere, after all; there needs to be a certain concentration of Galar particles that are absorbed by the Pokémon. You can recognize them by that telltale crimson color."
Serena rubbed her chin, suddenly contemplative. "So that's what those pillars of light from the Wild Area were..."
"Exactly. We call the area where Galar particles concentrate 'Power Spots', and we made sure to build the majority of Galarian stadiums over particularly bountiful ones."
"Must've taken a lot of work..."
"Plenty, indeed. There's still much we don't know about Power Spots and Dynamaxing even with Professor Magnolia's breakthroughs in the field. At this point, Macro Cosmos's R&D branch is constantly working to improve our understanding of it, and still there are mysteries."
"Your efforts are definitely working," Ash said, sitting back in his seat. "Just from this ceremony, the atmosphere is on a completely different level than any League I've been part of."
"Hopefully that means you're going to put in a good word for me to the rest of the League!" Rose laughed off his own remark, but the way he spoke made fairly clear how desired his request was. Gloria wasn't sure Ash caught it, and nor did she much care, even as he agreed with a nod.
"It made a great first impression, for sure." Ash folded his arms, even as his smile didn't fade. "But my time as a trainer taught me that the best way to learn about a region is to travel around and see for myself what it has to offer. It's what I plan to do for the Gym Challenge, get a good look of how every Gym works."
Rose seemed to expect that reply, nodding sagely at the plan. "I appreciate the thorough approach. Myself and Macro Cosmos made sure to make this year's Gym Challenge one the world will never forget."
"Bzzt! Bzzt! Incoming call! Incoming call!"
The sharp, unmistakable sound of a Rotom Phone interrupted the conversation as everyone glanced around for its source. Gloria's face flushed with embarrassment as she took out her device, finding with relief that the call wasn't coming from it. She really didn't need a second reason for people to stare at her.
The question of whose phone it was was quickly answered as Chairman Rose brought out his own, an embarrassed frown on the man's face.
"My apologies, it's mine." The Chairman accepted it, returning to his composed businessman self. "Hello? Hm, yes...Yes, it makes sense. Thank you very much, Oleana."
He concluded the call as fast as it started, letting out a brief sigh as he faced Ash once more. "I'm sorry, but it appears I have to cut this meeting short. There's a contract that requires my attention in the Galar Mine. I hope I'll have the pleasure to meet you again in your journey, Mr. Ketchum."
"Same here."
Rose smiled at the pleasant response, rising back from his seat in good spirits. "In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy everything our beautiful Galar region has to offer. I look forward to hearing all stories! And of course, your own great challenge, Glinda! Have a safe trip!"
Not even offering a handshake or the opportunity to correct her name, the Chairman of the Galar Pokémon League departed as fast as he arrived, sparing only a quick glance before leaving the quartet of trainers alone. Seeing the man paying even less attention to Gloria than before made the girl grimace, the whole encounter making her match against Kabu feel like even more of a footnote. She sighed and shook her head, glimpsing the conversation the adults were starting to have.
"He seems quite the busy man," Serena remarked, contemplating the automatic doors as they closed once more. Pikachu cooed as she stopped petting and jumped back to Ash.
Said trainer shrugged. "Comes with the territory of being in charge of an entire League, I guess."
"Pika, Pikapi."
"You Galarians love being active go-getters, don't you?" Astrid leaned a bit closer to Gloria, a glint of playful curiosity in her eyes as she scanned over the Gym Challenger.
"I guess..." It was Gloria's turn to shrug, hardly sure of herself.
The discussion was brought to a quick halt as a brief, five-note chime resounded in the room, heralding the arrival of Nurse Joy and her two assistants, purple ram-like Pokémon known as Indeedee. Both wore nurse hats that matched the one of their grey-clad trainer. The male one, looking much sterner, was pushing around a stretcher upon which three very familiar Pokémon sat, all beaming towards their trainer.
"Gloria, your Pokémon have healed," the Nurse declared, letting both of her Pokémon bring the stretcher closer.
"Indee."
"Deedee!" the female Indeedee cried with a kind smile, both her and her Pokémon colleague stepping back to allow Gloria a better look.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," she said, removing herself from her chair to get closer to her team as the medical equipment moved on to give the girl space. Neither of them wasted any time to show themselves off.
"Nibbah nibbah!"
"Rookokoko!"
"Chew..."
All three still showed a few scratches from their battle and a quite wounded pride to match. However, seeing them all able to stand, mostly uninjured, was all that mattered in the immediate, making Gloria's burden feel just a bit lighter.
"Glad to see you alright, guys." She rubbed each one's head, a brief grin of appreciation on her lips.
"So, spitfire, what's your plan now?"
Gloria tilted her head at Astrid's question, swallowing. In the side of her view she noticed Serena standing. "What do you mean?"
"The Gym Challenge has begun, right? Don't you have to look for which Gym to tackle first."
"Astrid's right. You gotta work hard and show the Gym Leaders of Galar what you're made of!"
In the face of what had happened, Ash's wide smile felt less like an encouragement and more of a further sign of what had happened. She wouldn't have to prove anything if she hadn't lost so badly.
"Right..." Gloria tried to put her mind on where to go next, but any attempt to move forward in her mind only dragged her back, reaching no solution. She swallowed.
"If I may, I have a small suggestion." Serena grabbed a small map among several brochures, coming back over and laying it down on the table to point at an adjacent location to the left of Motostoke. "Why not go for Turffield's? It's the closest Gym from here, after all."
Gloria rubbed her chin, considering the idea. Turffield was Gym Leader Milo's purview, a gentle soul known for being one of the easiest Gym Leaders in Galar. It sounded like an appropriate challenge, and yet...it felt wrong, settling on an easier objective. Cowardly, even.
Her train of thought was not helped by the whispers she could hear several tables away, talking to themselves about the events that had transpired at her own table, no doubt. She couldn't hear them, but her mind was more than eager to fill the blanks, feeling judged and mocked with nary a word. It didn't help that her companions and Pokémon watched her in wait for her response.
She could feel her heart race, her mind going a thousand different directions at once. Without warning, she whipped around, dusting off her clothes and heading out without warning, startling her Pokémon.
"Gloria?" she could hear Serena ask, worry apparent.
"Sorry, I need to get some air," was her blunt reply, not even bothering to turn around as the doors closed behind her. She was glad to see that Leon and his admirers were nowhere to be found, leaving no one to see the girl as she wandered off from the Pokémon Center into the deepening dusk.
She didn't keep track of where she was going, letting her feet do the work as she kept her mind off everything, only wanting to go where no one would be around. At any turn she could see some curious glances turning her direction, far too many people aware of just who she was as they whispered. How could they not, after all? She had been on live television for Galar's most watched event not even a few hours before.
Everyone knew.
She wanted to scream, tell them to shut up and leave, but she restrained herself, running through various side paths and roads less taken until she found herself in the middle of a small park, identified by a sign as Fountain Square, and letting herself fall to her knees. There were still a few people around her, sitting on benches or playing around the fountain, watching her at her lowest moment, but she was too tired to chase them off. In her defeated state, tears formed in the corner of her eyes.
In her mind, she was still in Motostoke Stadium, all her team defeated, the severe gaze of Kabu boring into her, reminding her of what she was. Weak, defenseless, and unable to ever matter.
Gloria from Postwick, good for nothing.
"Nibbah!"
The familiar cry pulled Gloria out of her thoughts, turning around to see her trio of Pokémon charging for her, clearly fatigued after pursuing her throughout Motostoke. Without a further cry, the three Pokémon tackled their trainer into a hug, looking like a shadowy blur under the slowly star-filled sky. A single glance allowed her to see just how worried all three were, even the usually composed Rookidee, and she choked on her tears. They nuzzled into their trainer, and feeling their warmth, Gloria gave in and grabbed them all into a hug, finally letting go and crying over them.
"You deserved better, I...I made you fail so hard...I'm sorry..."
She tightened her hug, her voice collapsing into sobs, letting all of her frustrations go. They were her partners, the Pokémon that choose to follow her on that road, and all she did was lead them to a devastating defeat. Of all the realizations about herself, that may have been one of the worst.
Gloria continued to cling to her Pokémon, uncaring of whoever would see her at that point, if anyone could in that now lamplit park. Instead, she just let go of everything she had bottled in. She didn't know for how long that went on, but in the moment, it felt like an eternity.
At least, until a single word pierced through her pain.
"Gloria."
Even through her clouded, reddened eyes, Gloria could make out the distinct figure of Ash Ketchum, looking over her with Pikachu on his shoulder. He was towering over her, yet he didn't feel mocking, or apprehensive. If anything, it felt...warm, somehow. Though she supposed it could have been the lamps framing him in the empty square.
Gloria sniffled and rubbed her tears away with her cardigan's sleeve, pulling up her nose. "Why are you here?"
"I could tell you weren't in the best of moods. The defeat still stings, right?"
With her wounds torn back open, Gloria's lip quivered, unable to restrain her answer any longer. She let go of her Pokémon friends, and balled her fists in built-up rage.
"I waited years for this battle. Years! It was my big chance, and then, and then..." She dug her nails in her palms, a distressed frown on her face. "You heard Rose. I was just a way to show how cool Kabu was. I'm nowhere near Leon's level."
Ash let out a sigh, and Gloria's shame grew just a bit stronger. She expected him to mock her, to tell her she had no chance to make it. To just say things as they were.
She didn't expect him to give her a warm smile, sympathizing with her. She hated it.
"I don't know what Leon's popularity made you think, but there's nothing wrong with losing. Every trainer finds a setback at some point, I've seen it for myself. The true measure of a trainer comes in how they overcome it."
"Then I must be a very lousy one." She opened her palms, observing them and refusing to look Ash in the eyes. "Maybe this isn't my road to walk. Should've taken the hint from Hop forgetting the endorsement..."
"Who says you have to walk it alone, though?"
It was a simple question, one that took Gloria by surprise. She locked her gaze with Ash's, the man still smiling with genuine desire to connect with her. His and Pikachu's matching grins turned bolder as he patted his chest.
"I have my wealth of experience. I could give you some pointers, ideas, stuff like that to make you grow stronger. Help you be the best trainer you can be."
"You're kidding, right?"
"My journey started pretty poorly, too. You have talent, for sure, and I want to help you bring it out." The man chuckled as he held his hand forward. "That's what a sponsor should do, right?"
Gloria stared at the man's hand in disbelief. It sounded good; way too good. Why was he giving her this opportunity? Did he really see that potential in her, or was he just pitying her? She couldn't tell.
And yet, he sounded sincere, helpful, like he truly wanted to teach her how to be better. A small ray of hope piercing the doubt she was feeling about herself. Sure, he was no Leon, but whatever a Pokémon Master was, this was still a League big shot offering to help her out.
After a small personal deliberation, she chose to seize that hope and clasped Ash's hand with a smile of her own. For that moment, the negative emotions diminished, bringing good humor back to her voice. "Well...I…I guess we could give it a shot. Let's see what you got, Pokémon Master."
With a heave, Ash brought Gloria up to his height and back on her feet, his smile growing wider, happier. She couldn't help but feel her confidence grow back a bit.
"This is a road we'll walk together," Ash declared, "and at the end of it, you'll be the best trainer you can be."
She gave a watery grin back, her voice trembling but growing more stable. "I'm gonna count on it!"
Together, both Pokémon Trainers tightened their grips, reinforcing their promise. Gloria could catch a glimpse of Scorbunny and the others on the side, looking relieved that their trainer was back on her feet.
"You never waste a chance to look cool, do you, Ash?" another familiar voice chimed in, and to her surprise, Gloria noticed Astrid and Serena arrive from a nearby side path.
The man looked sheepish at that remark, and as the implications sunk in Gloria's cheeks turned red. "Wait, you were listening all along?"
"Can you blame us? We were worried for you."
Astrid nodded along with Serena's comment as she folded her arms. "You really made way too big a deal of this stuff. Your Gym Challenge just started, no?"
The Kalosian trainer's remark gave Gloria pause, thinking about that simple statement. It was a simple observation, yet it carried an important truth with it. Kabu still hurt, but even with that setback, she still had a long road ahead of her. The realization made her smile, turning to watch all of her Pokémon. Scorbunny was grinning back at her, Chewtle snapped her jaws at the air, and Rookidee was staring at her intrigued, his wings spread out. They were all primed for battle, ready to join her on her path.
"Right. We're just getting started!" She pumped her fists, looking at all three of her teammates and ignoring anyone left in the plaza. "We're going to show we're the best trainers Galar will ever see! We'll kick everyone's arses, get stronger, and show Kabu who's boss the next time we face him! Are you with me?"
"Nibbah!"
"Rookoko!"
"Chew!"
The answer was expected, but that didn't make Gloria any less happy, laughing with renewed vim alongside her team. It allowed her to face her traveling companions once more, and she noticed how the whole exchange led Serena to glance over to her husband.
"You're always good at inspiring others, Ash."
"You know you're just as good at that."
Ash placed his hands on his hips, observing his wife in some unspoken prompt. The pregnant woman seemed to understand, as she pulled a business card Gloria found extremely familiar, reading it over.
Remembering the meeting with Serena's fan of not even a few hours before, Gloria connected the dots. "So, you giving it a thought or something?"
"It's an interesting idea, and there's always merit in trying new things...I'll definitely be thinking about it."
"That's great!" Ash told her, he and Pikachu showing their support.
Already uninterested in the topic at hand, Gloria showed everyone her back as she shifted to the leftmost route visible from Fountain Square, heading outside the city and for Route Three, on the path to her next goal.
"So, are we gonna get to Turffield or not?" she asked, already scampering that way without even waiting. She was stopped quickly by Ash's hand touching her shoulder and preventing her from going further ahead.
"I think we can wait until tomorrow for that. Take a day to train up a bit now that you saw your weak points. Plus it's kinda nighttime."
Ash struck a chord inside the girl, leading her to think about it. She gave a sheepish grin. "You might have a point...And I guess there's a couple moves I can start working on, ahead of the battle."
"I'll make sure to help with that."
"What are we waiting for, then? Let's get to it!"
"You realize you'll wake everyone up, right?" Gloria ignored Astrid, spinning on heels and aiming for the row of battlefields lit up across the street.
Ash and the others obliged her request, joining her in her progression. Halfway across, Gloria and her Pokémon looked up, sparing a glance of Kabu's Gym Stadium in the distance.
They had no intention of forgetting the battle they had just fought. Regardless of her renewed drive, it was still a blemish she had to make up for. Heading for Turffield and beyond wasn't giving up, it was just a way to ensure she could improve before her next attempt. Gloria nodded.
Next time, she and her friends would win for sure.
Author's Note: Quite a bit this chapter, though I personally won't have much to say. I'll save that all for next time. Instead, I think you've gotten a good look at how Galar works at the moment and should hopefully be ready for the true main thrust of the adventure to begin! Leaving the rest to Viroro!
Viroro: And with this, Gloria's technical first Gym battle ended in a complete loss for her. While the outcome was probably easy to predict, this was a very important moment that will define the course of the story going forward, and I hope the reason we choose this reaction will lead to interesting developments going forward. Epicocity and I like to consider this the proper closure of the first arc of the story, setting up the important building blocks for the story and officially setting up Ash to take a proper mentor role towards Gloria beyond the sponsor one he has held so far. While this episode marks the end of my initial run of chapters of Traveling, I'm still going to provide a few chapters throughout the rest of the trilogy, with Epicocity's skilled hand tackling the remainder of the chapters. There's a lot more to still see for Gloria's journey through Galar, and we hope you'll enjoy it all as we keep guiding you through it.
Hope you all had fun with this chapter, and that you'll look forward for what's to come!
Of course, before we depart, some people to thank: Pyrozel for favoriting; and a huge thanks to Fury, FantasyLover88, Mezamun, Tenzalucard123, GalarianMike, MythGril Writes, UltimateCCC, oomoepoo, aliensinnoh, Captainsquid12, ChE clarinetist, Ander Arias, StacheKing, Cottonmouth25, potat lasaro and AmourshippingCanon for reviewing.
Until Sunday, where my own chapters begin, please do Review and,
Dare to Be Silly!