On the road to Hulbury! What awaits Gloria and the gang? Let's find out in Chapter 13!

Chapter 13

A Yell

"So, this is a Galar Gym Badge, huh?" At Astrid's words, Gloria looked up to see the woman holding the ring containing her Grass Badge. For a moment, she believed it impossible, but on a quick search of her figure, discovered the case was nowhere to be seen. "Not like any I'm used to."

"Hey, give it back!" Gloria lunged for it, only to miss before Astrid tossed it back towards her. The incomplete medallion was juggled in her hands before she secured it, the box thrown next. This one almost hit her in the face. "Next time, why don't you ask before you put your grubby little paws all over it?"

"Just wanted a look is all," Astrid said. Something about her voice told Gloria that the woman was just teasing, and Ash and Serena were certainly no help, the former feeding Pikachu an apple while the latter had been contemplative since they had camped out the night before. "I'm still amazed you managed to win it."

"I'm still amazed you haven't found a way to shut your mouth." Scorbunny raised a fist, agreeing with his trainer. Astrid took amusement in that, whistling loudly as she took point on their group. It gave Gloria just enough time to stow the case back in her bag, and for Ash and Serena to catch up with her.

"She's just giving you a hard time," Ash said, though it did little to assuage Gloria's newfound grumpiness. The triumphant feeling of the day before was replaced with the arduous road ahead to Hulbury. No matter how often she checked the map on her phone, it felt like they were making minor strides at best.

"I wish she wouldn't. I thought you guys were supposed to be adults."

"Adults, kids, what's it matter?" Ash asked, raising his hand to pet Pikachu. His partner cooed with a soft "chaaaaa". "We're all trainers here. That's how Astrid sees you, at least."

"Somehow, I doubt that…" Gloria's muttering trailed off, her eyes affixed to the blonde's back. Ever since she'd triumphed over Milo, Astrid had been particularly interested in things, not the least of which was her Dynamax Band. She was starting to think she'd need to sleep with her items. Hoping to distract herself, Gloria turned her attention to the only person of their group that hadn't spoken all morning. "What about you, Serena? You see me as a trainer?"

"Of course," was the swift, and utterly generic, response. "You're a wonderful trainer. Why?"

"Oh, nothing…" Gloria tossed her hands behind her head, Scorbunny nestling atop her beret. They fell to silence, and Gloria found the itch for action coming back to her. Looking around on their path westward, she could see some wild Pokémon in the forests and grass. The light smoke on a downhill path showed a different campsite, but nothing seemed worthy of her time. So, she chose to try and kill it with conversation. "So, who's excited to get to Hulbury?"

"Would be if we knew more about it," Astrid called back. She stopped at the top of the nearby hill, peering down below and shaking her head. If Gloria hadn't known better, she would have thought the woman was looking for strong opponents to fight.

"Oh, good point!" Gloria said, bringing up the information on her Rotom Phone within seconds. "Looks like a seaborne town. Healthy marketplace. Ugh…and a fashion show."

"Not a fan?" Serena asked, her voice sounding more invested than it had minutes ago. From the hill, Astrid retreated back to their group, sighing. She and Ash seemed to start having a silent conversation, but Gloria preferred the one started with Serena as the two somehow surpassed the others to take point.

"I mean, I'm into all the fashions in Postwick and Wedgehurst, but you make me choose between a dress or a battle, and I'll go all out in a battle!" To emphasize it, she and Scorbunny were in sync, punching forward. Serena didn't laugh this time, drawing closer to Gloria. Her swelled belly bumped the girl a little, but she paid it no mind; the journey must have been difficult enough in her position, and to help out, she raised her phone just a little.

"A modeling show, it looks like. Is that very popular in Galar?"

"A little?" Gloria tapped across the screen, searching for the limited information she could get on the road to reveal a copy of a popular magazine. "For the most part, Galar Monthly is the big magazine in the region, mostly covering Gym Leader popularity rankings, but sometimes you get the big spreads on the fashion shows and the like. One time, I remember Leon posing for one of them. Was the biggest seller yet!"

"Who's the most popular Gym Leader?" Ash asked, himself now taking an investment in the conversation. Gloria wracked her brain, trying to remember the last time she'd read the magazine.

"I know Raihan is way up there, and Gordie is surprisingly popular, too. Otherwise, Nessa definitely ranks…oh!" More tapping followed, and Gloria found the image she was searching for, holding it to Serena's face while she walked backwards. "Nessa's the reason for the popularity of the fashion industry. What she models becomes real popular in seconds. Helps being a Gym Leader."

"So, there are even Gym Leaders into fashion…hmm…"

Ash watched his wife a second, herself transfixed by the image of the lithe, dark-skinned young woman on the phone's screen. "You figured something out, didn't you, Serena?"

"Mm, just an idea." She stopped a moment, a hand on her belly while she caught her breath. Gloria stopped her movements, worried for the health of the woman and putting aside any thoughts of getting to Hulbury quickly. Instead, she decided to look around for a place to set up for a lunch break. "I haven't been very proactive about making up my mind, but I still want to see if there's a way for Performing to take root in such a battle competitive culture. If a Gym Leader is into at least one aspect that goes into it, maybe Hulbury would be a good place to start."

"Then that makes it a place we all want to get to!" Gloria announced. Spotting a nearby tree, the girl closed the distance and with swift movements, climbed to the top to peer out for where they were going. It didn't give her that much height, but was enough to spot a little path off the side of the road to a group of trees. She even thought she could see Hulbury in the distance, and the Wild Area stretching to the north, but some darker shapes close to the path were what distracted her most. Her hands soon slipped on the bark, and Gloria started to fall back down. Her hands milled around, grabbing to a branch before she fell, her eyes filled with red for a moment. A small, surprised squeak echoed, and Gloria blinked, swearing she could see eyes on some little green leaves before she let go and landed on her feet. "Found a place!"

With a dust off, Gloria spun and started her march for where she'd seen the path, no one daring to object to her until they reached the small copse of trees. Each knew what to do, quickly setting their table and calling out their Pokémon while Gloria got to quick work on making lunch for the group, only with Rookidee fanning the flames this time.

It wasn't much, but she felt as though she was repaying them for their support thus far, a nice moment of peace between the travelers on the road.

A peace that was shattered with a sharp, cacophonic horn.

"What was that?!" Ash asked, standing up from the table. Pikachu was startled from his snack, almost falling off, and Gloria nearly dropped her ladle in the pot to stare in the direction of the noise. The continuous noise of the horns made it fairly easy to discern their location, and the more she thought about it, the more Gloria realized it was where she had seen the dark, gathering shapes.

Worse yet, was that they got louder, and soon, there was a louder noise, complete with the sight of dust and dirt being thrown into the air.

"Pikachu, let's go!"

"Scorbunny, you, too! Rookidee, Chewtle, watch the pot!"

"Hey, both of you-"

On the same wavelength, Ash and Gloria both ignored Astrid, racing out of the clearing fast as they could. Clearing the threshold of it, some berries littered the road, one of them trying to roll down the path. Gloria and Scorbunny leapt over it, careful not to tread anything underfoot. Unlike in the mines, no quakes were to follow, allowing Gloria to keep pace with Ash as they turned down the road and sprinted a short distance.

They nearly stumbled into a human and Pokémon blockade.

"Please, I'm just trying to get to Turffield!"

"Do ye have a gate pass?" one of the blockade said. The closer Gloria got, the more she realized that the only reason they looked like a blockade was because of their matching uniforms: all black with pink symbols and decorations. The symbol looked familiar, but Gloria couldn't place it. Nor did she recognize the young boy on the other side, clutching to what looked like a poor Swirlix.

"Th-there's no gate! You just attacked me!"

"No, mate, we challenged ye to a battle and ye lost," the man responded, nodding with full support. The boy looked to believe otherwise.

"But we're forgivin'. Do ye know the password?" This time the question came from a female, with striped pink hair. The others around them snickered, as if knowing the boy couldn't come up with the response, their Pokémon joining in. Each of them were holding banners or horns, and Gloria was about to decide enough was enough.

"O-open sesame…?"

"Bzzt! Wrong!" the leader of the group said, his belly jiggling when he leaned towards the boy and blew his horn in his face. "Ye call yerself a Gym Challenger when ye don't even know that."

"I told you I just want to get to-"

"No one's gettin' through to Turffield or Hulbury or up me own arse," the female grunt snapped back. "Ye best turn around, little fella!"

"Hey, you!" Gloria shouted, done waiting around. She and Scorbunny ran at the group, a number of them blowing their horns in warning while others hid behind them. Seizing his chance, the boy ran forward, holding his Swirlix tight until the leader of the group stuck his leg out, tripping him. The boy fell to Gloria's feet and she could see his precious Pokémon was roughed up. From the way the Pokémon on the ground were looking, it was no doubt the fault of these hooligans. "Did you attack this Challenger?"

"What's it matter to ya?"

"Is that a Zigzagoon?" Ash's question drew a facepalm from Gloria, hardly believing the man could be so oblivious at a time like this. Pikachu was, unfortunately, just as serious. Both trainer and Pokémon flicked their eyes around, between the companions and the downed trainer. He eventually focused back on the striped racoon on the ground. "It looks so different…"

"Is it a Zigzagoon?" the lead woman said, clucking her tongue. "What does it look like? A bloomin' Caterpie? Of course, it's a bloody Zigzagoon!"

"Oi, mate, don't that girl look familiar?" another grunt said, sidling up to the leader. He was tweedier, his fingers twiddling together as his beady eyes looked manic beneath his black makeup.

"Yeah…yeah, I think I seen her what beat that grass chap in Turffield. You a Gym Challenger, mate?"

"I'm not your mate, but I'll give you a good thrashing if you want it," Gloria shouted. She and Scorbunny got into a defensive stance, while the fox at the leader's feet hissed a bit, daring them to take them on.

"Oi, you hecklin' us?" Their lack of self-awareness became immediately astounding. "Ain't no Gym Challengers gettin' past the great Team Yell. Not until our lady is the bestest Champion in Galar."

"Long live Lady Marnie!"

"Oi, shut it!" The banners were brought down, the one that had yelled it looking sheepish at the admonishment.

It was those words, however, that stirred something in Ash, making him step forward and Pikachu's cheeks to spark. "A team, huh? I've had more than enough of 'teams' like you."

"Eh? You wanna throw down?"

"Gladly," Ash and Gloria said at once. The Zigzagoon and the Pokémon that Gloria realized was a Nickit had their furs and claws raised, while Pikachu and Scorbunny prepared for their own battle. The boy on the ground scrambled, hoping to get as far away as possible before battle against the ruffians of Team Yell could begin. Gloria was the first to command. "Scorbunny, use-"

"Hey, what did I tell ya guys?! Stop harassin' other Gym Challengers!" The voice froze Gloria, but the effect it had on the ruffians of Team Yell was even greater. Where once there were a bunch of rowdy bad guys ready for a battle were now a group of simpering teens and adults, whipping out banners and horns.

"Marnie, Marnie, you're the best!"

"Go, Marnie!"

"Uh…" Gloria looked over to Ash, he and Pikachu just as dumbfounded at the sudden change in demeanor. Unable to process it, Gloria searched for the reason, finding that the members of Team Yell were bowing down to someone who had just climbed up from a downward sloping path. She was dressed in black, with a light pink dress beneath the coat that was a completely different shade from those of the team she was addressing. At her side was a black and yellow hamster, who Pikachu looked at with a tilted head.

"Honestly, I leave you lot for five minutes to go lookin' for some Pokémon and yer back to doin' stuff like stoppin' fellow Challengers!" the girl snapped, hands on her hips.

"Pekopeko," her companion Pokémon said, just as stern. The folks from Team Yell appeared even more frightened of that one.

"But Marnie," the wiry grunt began with a whine, "we only want ya to be the best."

"I can't prove myself as the best if you're gettin' rid of all the rivals along the way!" That appeared to cow them, making each of the Yell grunts look as though they'd been hit with the blunt hammer of truth. "Now, get along already. Stop blockin' the path."

"Peh-ko!" The hamster's sharp point made them all jump up.

"Aye, aye, Captain Marnie!" the lead grunt shouted, making the girl sigh. "Half of you lot get on to Turffield to prepare for our lady's arrival. The rest of you, with me to Hulbury! We'll spread the news of our great Champion Marnie, there!"

"That's not what I-"

"Long live Champion Marnie!"

"Bestest trainer in the Galar Region!"

Like that, they were gone, blowing their horns all the way in both directions. Neither Gloria nor Ash knew how to respond, feeling as though some kind of tornado had blown through and left them all breathless. In their stupor, the girl clearly named Marnie approached.

"Sorry about them. They're just an overzealous group of my fans, but they can get a bit annoyin'. Sorry if they caused you any trouble."

"No trouble at all," Ash said, interjecting before Gloria could wrap her head around it. For his confusion, he was quick to recover, making Gloria wonder if he'd even truly been dumbstruck at all. "They were just loud and obnoxious, right?"

"They tripped him," Gloria pointed out, only to receive Ash's arm draped across her shoulders.

"True, but you had that handled, and I knew you could take 'em without my help. I just didn't like hearing them call themselves a team. Usually means more organized and nefar…uh, whatever the word is for bad-meaning."

"Very intelligent, Ash," Gloria said with an eyeroll. "Wait a sec…is that why you were focused on the Zigzagoon?!"

"Well, yeah. New Pokémon, new situation. Just like when we all fought that Greedent together. I like running in, too, but sometimes we gotta make sure we're not doing more harm than good."

"Oh, wise words, Mr. Pokémon Master," she shot back, unsure if to believe Ash's sage advice. She somehow doubted he was as quick at analysis as all that, and he wasn't about to argue back. Doubly so when Marnie made a sharp "ah!" noise and placed her fist in her palm.

"Oh, now I remember you! The Kabu girl!"

"Ugh, is that all anyone remembers me for…?" Gloria turned away from Ash and back to Marnie, only to find that the girl had closed the distance to take her hands. She started to smile, and Gloria was taken aback by it, only to find it gone a few seconds later.

"I thought it was brilliant, actually," she said to Gloria, shaking her hands with gusto. "Really got me fired up for the Gym Challenge! Seein' you take on a giant like Kabu with nothin' but grit was inspirin'."

"Wish everyone else could think so…"

"Ah, they're just jealous."

"And I'm hungry. How about we return to camp? You up for some lunch, Marnie?" Gloria was still recovering from Marnie's admitted (if strange) admiration, but shook her stupor enough to remember the curry she had cooking.

"Ah, that's right! I left Rookidee and Chewtle in charge!" Gloria spun around, Scorbunny hopping back up as they planned to race for camp, only to pause mid-step to address Marnie. "But yeah, why don't you join us? I'm Gloria."

"Really?" Marnie asked, bringing a hand up to clear some loose hairs from her eyes. She looked down to her partner, patting his stomach with a "peko", before she nodded, the ribbons in her hair bouncing. "All right. Not everyday I get to sit with a fellow rival."

"Excellent!" Gloria continued her movement, following the simple path back to the clearing where the curry had finished cooking. Serena was busy looking some things over with a frown, but Astrid had the larger presence, standing between Rookidee and Chewtle. Her voice was raised, as well.

"Gloria expected the both of you to behave yourselves, but instead of watching her curry as asked, you decided to antagonize each other, and for what?" The blonde's shouts made Gloria speed up, forgetting all about her curry. "Because Chewtle isn't as fast as you? Grow up."

"Rooko!" Rookidee replied, turning his beak up at her. Astrid looked ready to grab the bird, but Gloria slid in.

"What happened here now?"

"Your Pokémon decided to start mocking each other. I think Rookidee is on a bit of an ego trip." Gloria bent down to both their levels, Scorbunny opting to take control of the curry while she addressed the rest of her team. The closer she got, the more noticeable the scuff marks in the dirt were.

"This true?" Rookidee refused to face her, while Chewtle was downcast. They'd occasionally cast displeased looks at one another, but neither provided an answer. "You guys, we got enough people making fun of us. Don't go doing that to each other, okay? And don't make Astrid discipline you either." She leaned in, lowering to a whisper. "She's scary enough as it is."

"What was that?"

"Oh, who's this?" Serena's far kinder question overrode Astrid, to whom Gloria sent a cheeky grin.

"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Marnie, and this is Morpeko" the girl answered, bowing politely. Morpeko raised his hand and then wandered away, drawn by the smell of curry. His trainer let him, and Marnie came a little closer to Serena. "C-can I feel?"

"Oh, of course." Gloria patted her partners on the head, looking over to see that Marnie had put a hand on Serena's pregnant belly, looking absolutely astounded by the very concept of it. She supposed, in some way, it was astounding. They had already been traveling for a week, so Serena's state had naturally ingrained itself into Gloria, but she didn't realize just how uncommon it likely was to everyone else.

"Wh-when is the baby due?" Marnie stammered out, blushing a little when she removed her hand.

"Oh, not for a couple months yet," Serena answered, sitting back down. Ash took a seat next to her, grinning to himself about the topic, but allowing Serena to field the questions from the black-haired girl. Astrid, too, sat, keeping an eye on Chewtle and Rookidee, who didn't seem to want to speak to each other. "It's a joy, though I have to find a way to work around things."

"Work around things…?"

"Serena's a Performer," Ash offered, but it made Marnie more confused than before, tilting her head as her hair traveled with her.

"She does routines and dance and stuff…I think?" Gloria said, still not entirely aware of the specifics, despite her travels.

"Well, not much recently. Being pregnant makes it hard to give examples to anyone interested. Might make things difficult in Hulbury."

"Is that where all of you are headed?" Realizing that Marnie was still standing, Gloria quickly hopped over to pull a chair for her before returning to the curry and starting to serve it up to everyone, person and Pokémon alike.

"Yeah, I won the badge in Turffield and am heading for Hulbury next. Sounds like Serena has her own plans there." Proud of her achievement, Gloria rushed to put the plates down, making sure to push Rookidee and Chewtle together. Once she had, she plopped into the seat next to Marnie and pulled out her badge case, showing the Grass Badge that sat within. "Managed to win it from Milo. How 'bout you?"

Her response was obvious, Marnie digging in her bag to pull out her own badge case. When she opened it, a very different badge was revealed inside. "The Water Badge."

"How come they look like they form a shape?" Astrid asked, her spoon sticking out of her mouth. Absol was resting next to her, separate from the other Pokémon that had split off into their own little groups. Marnie's Morpeko had joined Pikachu and Yamper, eating with great joy.

"They do," the girls voiced simultaneously. At hearing each other's voices, the girls looked across to each other and shared in a sudden laugh. Astrid had nothing further to say to the pair at their answer and went back to her lunch, peering over all the Pokémon and making sure they were behaving, from Gloria's rowdy two down to Sobble munching away next to Greninja. Marnie turned in her chair, placing her bag down and addressing Gloria. "So, what was the Turffield Gym like?"

"Ah, it was brilliant!" Gloria said, turning herself so that she could see Marnie clearly. She placed her beret on the table, her food forgotten. "Milo was pretty defensive, but we found a way to work around him, and when Scorbunny Dynamaxed, he was massive!"

"Nibbah ni!" Scorbunny shouted, jumping upon hearing his name. Sobble jerked, but a kindly tap from Greninja allowed him to resume a stoic stance.

"Nessa's almost the opposite. She almost gave us a good thrashin'," Marnie informed. Gloria hung on the girl's every word, eager to get as much information about her upcoming Gym battle as she possibly could. "Very attack oriented and all. And her Dynamaxin' was somethin' else."

"Did you Dynamax your Morpeko?" Gloria asked, glancing over to the hamster only to find him gone. She blinked, looking around, but unable to find him. In the end, she settled for pointing out the Dynamax Band on Marnie's wrist. "I only noticed you had it. Find a Wishing Star?"

"Ah, no, I got it when I signed up for the Gym Challenge."

"Oh, so you didn't need to wait for Sonia after all," Ash pointed out, butting his way in the conversation. He was already finished with his food, but the gurgle from his stomach communicated that he was far from full. "Shame. Probably could've given Kabu a harder time."

"People need to let that go!" Gloria prevented herself from tossing her head against the table, getting increasingly tired of people bringing Kabu up. She really didn't need it from Ash, of all people. He was supposed to be training her! It got worse when Marnie giggled from under her sleeve. "Oh, not you, too."

"I'm sorry, it's just…you two look like you have a good relationship."

"Yeah, looks like, but he's just my sponsor for the Challenge."

"Ouch," Astrid said with a sly expression. Ash didn't take offense to it, kicking back in his chair. Or he did until Serena gave him a stern look. Unlike Astrid, he complied with his wife.

"That said," Gloria continued, clearing her throat with a cough. Part of her really didn't like Astrid making it out to be a slight against Ash's character. "With Ash sponsoring me, I feel like I have to live up to the expectations that sets."

"Agree with ya there." Marnie turned back to her food, slowly resuming her consumption of it. "My brother is the same. He thinks I'll become a much better trainer than he is, or that I already am. Puts a lot of pressure on. But he means well…They all do."

"You mean those Team Yell guys?"

"Mmhmm. They really think I'll make somethin' of myself, and I don't wanna let them down. That's why I plan to become Galar's next Champion, with Morpeko."

"Yeah, well, me and Scorbunny will get there first!"

"Peko?" The sudden, and very near, voice of Morpeko startled Gloria. He was on the table, and seemed to have eaten through her bowl of curry, holding his own up.

"Morpeko! I know how hungry ya get, but don't eat Gloria's food without askin'!"

"Morpek…" Unlike his demeanor with Team Yell, Morpeko did seem downcast at Marnie's chastisement. Gloria stared at her empty bowl, surprised at how fast the little one had vacuumed it up. She had nearly forgotten about her own food, anyway.

"Oh, it's fine, we have more."

"Peko!" He was overjoyed at that, and moreso when Gloria grabbed his bowl and ladled some more food into it. Her eyes strayed to Rookidee and Chewtle, both pointedly refusing to speak with each other. What had even happened while she'd been away? There was no use in questioning it now and she returned with the bowl to find Marnie holding tight to her Pokémon. He quickly wriggled out of her hold at the chance for more food.

"You and your Morpeko seem close," Serena pointed out. "First Pokémon?"

"How can ya tell?" Marnie asked, dropping her spoon in her bowl. In response, Pikachu and Scorbunny leapt on the table while Braixen came closer, as well. The answer was obvious, and one that Ash took the responsibility to answer.

"It's always easy to spot that first bond between trainer and Pokémon. There's a closeness, and a dream that they made together. Like when me and Pikachu promised to be Pokémon Masters together…even though he tried to shock me and leave me in the dust."

"Pikapi…" Pikachu whined, not liking his more unruly days.

Scorbunny made no such sounds, hopping up and rubbing his nose before he and Gloria could bump fists. Her next words were directed at Marnie with a grin. "It's true. Me and Scorbunny have been together for years, and that's why we decided we'd aim for the top together."

"Guess it's the same for me. Morpeko was a gift from my brother, and one of my strongest," Marnie said, petting Morpeko on the head as he finished the rest of the curry off, patting his stomach in satisfaction. "We both had our eyes on the same thing. Guess the rest of the challengers are thinkin' the same."

A road to the top. To Leon.

Yes, Gloria figured, all of the challengers were on the same wavelength, holding fast to the same dream of glory that waited on the path ahead. Marnie was no different from Gloria. Fans or no, they were both just girls with their intention of getting stronger. A kindred soul that made Gloria slam her hands on the table with a grin.

"How about you and me have a battle then, Marnie?"

"A battle…?" She looked to consider it, but appeared to leave the decision up to the very content Morpeko. It turned out that curry wasn't the only thing he was hungry for, flipping on his feet with a disarming smile. "Guess it would be a good way to test ourselves. We're supposed to be rivals 'n' all."

"Yes! Ash, can you referee?"

"Sure. One-on-one good for you?" Neither girl had an objection to it.

Given the size of the clearing, much of their makeshift camp had to quickly be broken down, leaving only the table on one side. The Pokémon all formed the borders of the battlefield, with Ash's closest to the forest, and the smaller members on the opposite side, surrounding Ash as he readied himself to referee. Both girls being on the same page, they chose their very first Pokémon, Scorbunny hopping on to the field while Morpeko scampered up. A breeze blew through, rustling the trees, including the one right behind Gloria as she readied. Ash was just as excited to see the battle, because he gave no usual preamble and sent his arm falling down, giving a call to begin.

"Scorbunny, Quick Attack!" Gloria said with a grin, taking advantage to start. Marnie's eyes widened, but she chuckled after, as if she should have expected it. Scorbunny blitzed, becoming a blur that slammed into Morpeko. He tumbled backwards, landing on all fours.

"Aura Wheel," Marnie said, forming a fist and holding it to her chest.

"Pekopekopekope-KO!" Morpeko began to dash, soon tumbling into the form of a wheel that shot sparks onto the dirt battlefield. On the side Yamper was yipping and skipping with joy, letting his own electricity get the better of him before Pikachu calmed him down, Sandshrew consoling the dog. Meanwhile, Morpeko sped up with his Aura Wheel, driving into Scorbunny. The electricity showered the pair, and Scorbunny's feet dug clefts into the dirt.

"Double Kick!" Scorbunny, despite his body convulsing from the hamster rotating into his chest, brought one of his feet flying upwards to kick Morpeko. He was forced to disengage, flying through the air. Scorbunny jumped to meet him, and with another kick, sent him flying down.

"Alright, Morpeko, Spark!" Morpeko barely made a sound. One second he was there, and the next he was an electric bullet that slammed into Scorbunny.

"Ember!"
"Bullet Seed!" The excitement of a battle was coursing through Gloria's veins again, both her and Marnie's Pokémon firing projectiles, one of flame and one of grass. It was obvious whose attacks would win out, the seeds lit aflame and falling to the dirt. They smoldered, soon becoming a light smoke that covered the entire battlefield.

"Oh, you're good, Marnie, reducing visibility like that…"

"Right back at ya," Marnie said in good faith. An imperceptible smile was on her face, and Gloria could see she was enjoying it, even if she wasn't truly saying so. It made her eager to step the battle up a notch. "Let's make this faster, then. Morpeko, time to get angry!"

"Peko!" Morpeko said, still shrouded within the smoke. Scorbunny prepared himself, more electricity sparking from within the cloud. Only now it was black instead of yellow, an ominous sign of what was to come. "Pekopekopeko morpek!"

There was a screeching sound, like that of a car's tires rubbing against the road. The smoke began to disappear, blown away by the swift rotations of Morpeko's movement, and as it did, Gloria could see that Marnie's Pokémon had changed. Gone was the yellow and black furred glutton, replaced with a very dark, purple and black creature wearing nothing but a scowl. Once the screeching stopped, it raced forward.

"Scorbunny, Flame Charge! Meet it head on!"

"Scorbun!" Scorbunny's body was wreathed in flames to match the oncoming storm of darkness, and he dashed. The two clashed in the middle of the field, sending a wind billowing over them.

"Yeah, you can do it, Gloria!" Ash cheered. Marnie laughed, finding his reaction cute from her expression, while Gloria felt emboldened. On the sidelines, Chewtle was cheering hard, too, her invigoration standing out as her eyes lit up. Gloria thought she was watching her teammate, but when Scorbunny's flames flickered, allowing Morpeko to spin to the side, she could see her turtle following Marnie's partner instead.

Morpeko switched directions, coming from Scorbunny's back. "Jump!"

"Bun!" Scorbunny kicked up, just barely missing getting hit. He landed when Morpeko was on the other side.

"Okay, Morpeko, let's change back and hit 'em with some more electricity!" Marnie's command was well-founded, but on the other hand, while Morpeko's body was sparking, his form wasn't changing. Marnie sighed. "Guess it still needs some workin'…"

"Morpek!" Morpeko's feet spun, his electricity attempting to transform into the wheel from before, but merely mixing the lightning with the dark energy. Scorbunny wasn't fast enough, and Morpeko slammed into him, sending him flying back towards Gloria. She dodged out of the way, her Rabbit Pokémon sticking his foot against the tree. He used it as a springboard to bounce for Morpeko, shaking the entire structure of the tree.

"Nice recovery!" Gloria shouted, pumping her fist into the air. "Use Flame Charge ag-"

Bonk.

Gloria's command was cut off, something hitting her head with enough force to leave a bruise. The cheering Pokémon went silent, and Scorbunny came to a sudden stop, he and Morpeko crashing into one another but no longer fighting. Marnie appeared to have seen what happened, running onto the field and grabbing the scowling Morpeko, holding him tight to prevent him from fighting further. "You okay, Gloria?"

"Just peachy…" Gloria reached up, rubbing the sizeable lump and looking for the offending object that had struck her. Even with her dazed and starry vision, it wasn't hard to find, because it was a big apple that was rolling about on the ground. At first, she thought she was hallucinating, especially when the green leaves atop it unfurled, revealing a familiar pair of eyes. "What're you?"

"App! App!" The squeaking was a bit adorable, and the way the eyes lit up and its little green tail in the back twitched on the ground suggested it was extremely happy to see Gloria. She couldn't figure out why for the life of her. Scorbunny, recovered from his crash into Morpeko, padded across the field, leaning over the creature.

"Nibbah?" The apple turned, its eyes looking up. Then, it screeched.

"Liiiiiiin!" With surprising speed, the leaves tucked in and the apple rolled away into the trees without delay, only its scream heard on the wind. Gloria hadn't even had a chance to call for it.

"Must've been an Applin." Marnie was the one to say it, and when Gloria looked up, she saw the girl standing over her, a helpful handkerchief in hand. At the same time, Sandshrew had approached, creating some ice for Gloria to press to her head. Yamper paid close attention to that.

"An Applin?" Gloria asked once her head was lessening its throbbing, enough to take out her phone and look up the information.

"Applin, the Apple Core Pokémon. It spends its entire life inside an apple. It hides from its natural enemies, bird Pokémon, by pretending it's just an apple and nothing more."

"That must've been why it was hiding in a tree," Astrid shouted across the field, startling some other bird Pokémon.

"I think it liked how strong you were," Marnie admitted. She held a hand out, and Gloria took it, suddenly realizing that Marnie was the same exact girl that had helped her up back in Motostoke, though neither said a thing about it. When their hands retracted, Marnie took her handkerchief back, stowing it in her bag.

"Did it?" Gloria massaged her bruise, trying to see if the Applin was still resting in the trees somewhere, but found no sign of it. She emitted a low chuckle. "If it was looking for strength, you and Morpeko were the ones showing it."

"I'd say we're about even. Me 'n' Morpeko still got a lot to work on," Marnie said, clutching her angry hamster tighter. He seemed to finally sense that his trainer was calming him, and his scowl dropped away, replaced with the smiling form once again. "Still, I had a lot of fun. We should do this ag-"

"Phone call. Phone call. Miss Marnie has a phone call." Their exchange of compliments was overridden by the screeching voice of Marnie's phone, one she clearly found annoying when she dug the pink Rotom Phone out of her bag and answered the call.

"Oi, Miss Marnie, we rented out some flying Pokémon from the woods to get over to Turffield, but there's a bunch o' Gym Challengers here. Want us to rough 'em up for you?" Gloria recognized the voice, and both she and Ash found their heads shaking. Astrid and Serena merely looked confused.

"You lot'll do no such thing!" Marnie screamed at the phone, though Gloria wasn't sure it did any good. "Ugh, just stop. I'm on my way to Turffield."

"Aye, aye!" The call ended as soon as it began. Marnie sighed while Morpeko climbed to her shoulder, sharing his trainer's expression.

"Sorry, Gloria, but it's lookin' like I gotta deal with them. You don't mind?"

"Not at all." Neither needed to think in order to reach out and shake the other's hand. "Good luck against Milo."

"And you against Nessa. Maybe we'll cross paths again in Motostoke."

"That'd be awesome," Ash said. He invaded their space, throwing arms around the two girls and grinning. "Nothing like more fun rivals to fire each other up and spur you on. Look, even Chewtle seems excited."

"Chew chewtle!" Chewtle cried out, racing for Gloria and knocking against her legs. Ash's observation was correct and Gloria beamed at her friend.

"She looks like she wants to go faster," Astrid remarked, coming over to join the group. So did Serena, though she was slower than the others, along with stopping to pick up Yamper, his eyes still watching Sandshrew with awe. "I think we can help with that. Hotshot'll be an even more worthy opponent when next you meet, Marnie. Though it was good to meet you here."

"Likewise. It's nice to meet new friends, and a rival aimin' for the same spot." Marnie looked moved to tears, but saved her last words for Serena, clasping her hands near her chest with a heartwarming smile. "I hope your baby is born well."

"I'm sure they're happy from your well-wishes," Serena said, nodding to the girl. Marnie looked very pleased to hear that, and Gloria sought to address her one more time, only for her phone to ring obnoxiously once more.

"Alright, I'm comin'!" she screamed into the phone the second she picked it up. The kindly girl was replaced with someone beyond annoyance as she stomped away from the campsite, yelling into her phone. Marnie only stopped once. "Later, Gloria. Let's battle again."

"Sure. We'll finish it next time!" Gloria waved back, and then Marnie was off on her path to Turffield. It reminded Gloria of where she needed to get going. "Right, then. Back on the road, everyone?"

A large cry of agreement came from the Pokémon, each of the trainers calling them back and breaking down camp, their feet setting back down on the path to Hulbury. Feet beating the path forward, Gloria grabbed Chewtle, holding her high. She wanted to go fast. Deserved it, even. And with her battle against Marnie, she had an idea of how to make it happen. Maybe.

Either way, there was no doubt she'd beat Nessa for sure.

Author's Note: Enter Marnie! She's a cinnamon roll, isn't she? At least, that was the definite vibe I was going for with this chapter, just her general sweetness and the very quick friendship she strikes up with Gloria. If anyone has ready my original work on Royal Road, you'll know I've had more than enough practice with writing these kinds of friendships, ha ha (though that one was more vitriolic). Also, was a lot of fun writing Team Yell, and introduce some other fun little aspects, like Chewtle and Rookidee having it out with each other. It'll have a part to play, so I hope you enjoyed!

Viroro: And with this chapter, Marnie's officially debuts alongside Team Yell! They were both pretty fun to introduce to the story after the small teases in the entrance ceremony. We wanted to provide Gloria with a rivalry that was built differently than Hop and Bede, and with how popular and well-liked Marnie is we really hope to have done well. Next chapter will see me back at the helm for a brief bit, and I hope you'll enjoy what's to come next!

Before we hop off, some people to thank as usual: Icantue and Alacris7 for following; and a big thanks to MythGirl Writes, Cottonmouth25, Mezamun, Fury, potat lasaro, TheEnigmatic97, ChE clarinetist, Tenzalucard123, FantasyLover88, XDiamondX90, Ander Arias, UltimateCCC, ahmedpikamaster, KnightDay19, Captainsquid12 and AmourshippingCanon for reviewing.

Until next chapter, please Review and,

Dare to Be Silly.