A/N: Team Roster: Jackson (Cinderace), Hudson (Mudsdale), Rosa (Bellossom), Theodore (Corviknight), Rouge (Weavile)

Chapter 22 - Proof of Victory

Dolly gave herself a few days to rest. Half of it was for her own sake, and the other half was because once Leon dropped her off at her hotel, he gave her a proper scolding about taking care of herself.

"You're already high-risk, Dolly, you really shouldn't be doing anything else that threatens you or your Pokémon's safety," Leon said as he sternly set his hands on his hips. "It took a lot of persuading to keep you in the Gym Challenge, so you need to make sure you're healthy as can be the next time you battle, okay?"

Dolly nodded glumly and tucked his cape tighter around her shoulders. He breathed out a sigh, then ruffled her hair.

"You're doing a good job though, I'm proud of you for making it this far. You're up against Raihan next, and he's my greatest rival, so rest up and train well for him."

She nodded again, covering her yawn with her hand. He squinted his eyes at her.

"And I thought I told you not to mess around with him? I heard about what happened in Circhester,"

Dolly tried not to yawn again as Leon scolded her for revenge-flirting with Raihan at the Hero's Bath festival. Her eyes drooped and she started leaning to one side, though when Leon paused in his lecture, she shook her head into focus.

"What? I mean, yes, okay," she mumbled.

Leon rolled his eyes and shook his head. He playfully tugged the cape off of her shoulders and slung it back around his own.

"Alright, geez, I'm turning into my mum. Now get to bed," he laughed as he turned her by her head.

After that she waved a goodbye, plodded up the stairs, into her hotel room, and slept for fifteen hours.

Dolly took a few days to do nothing but relax with her Pokémon and explore Hammerlocke. She hadn't taken the time to look around before, and she tried to abide by Leon's request to take some time off. Her Pokémon seemed to appreciate it too, as after a few days, they all had leagues more energy than she had ever seen. Not before having a stern chat with Dolly in the park, however.

With a guilty sigh she had tossed out Hudson, Rouge, and Theodore's Poké Balls. They appeared before her, looking down over their noses at her. Well, snouts and beak. She circled a blade of grass with the tip of her shoe.

"Yes, Lady Dolores?" Theodore huffed as he ruffled his feathers. "Have you come to apologize after so rudely returning us to our Poké Balls?"

"To avoid the earful you knew you were going to get anyway?" Hudson finished. "Better send out Rosa too, she's got opinions."

Dolly's eyes widened.

"No, not Rosa too…" she said as Hudson nodded gravely. "You told her?"

"She already knew."

"Of course she did..." Dolly sighed as she rubbed at her face.

"I'm disappointed in you, my Lady," Theodore said. "We only care about your safety, and the fact that you were gallivanting about with that philandering cretin only put yourself in danger."

"You know Raihan wasn't good for you, and you went along with it anyway. You only hurt your relationships with your Pokémon and your friends."

"Yeah," Rouge nodded. "That guy was a creep, and I told you to stop making bad decisions."

"I know, I'm sorry," Dolly said as she bowed her head. "Thank you for caring about me, and I will work hard to make better choices in the future."

Hudson looked to Theodore and Rouge.

"Anything else from you two? We probably won't get a word in once Rosa starts."

"Thank you for apologizing, my Lady, and you are, of course, forgiven," Theodore said as Hudson and Rouge nodded in agreement. "But please, respect us enough as your partners to heed our warnings in the future."

Dolly nodded again and gave each of them a hug. She fumbled Rosa's Poké Ball out of her bag and let out a sigh. Hudson glanced at it as well.

"Yeah, good luck with that," Hudson said. "She means well, she was really worried about you."

Dolly let out a final sigh as she returned them to their Poké Balls. When she tossed Rosa out, immediately a high-pitched screech shook the air.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! I cannot believe your foolishness! Idiota, corriendo con esa casanova… have you no brain cells?! After all-"

Dolly waited patiently as Rosa's barrage of words and insults landed on her ears. She kicked at the grass as her Bellossom stormed back and forth, and vehemently resisted the urge to check the time.

"-and what of Señor Hop? What did he have to say about your infidelity? And what of your mother? Does she know how devious you have become? If not then I swear-"

Rosa continued, still marching back and forth as her voice carried through the park. Dolly vaguely wondered if she could ask Rosa to keep it down, as people were starting to glance their way. After a few more minutes, Rosa's sentences finally slowed, and she looked up to her Trainer.

"My Dolly, it is because I love you and care about you that I tell you these things. I know I can speak for each of us when I say that."

Dolly nodded, her lower lip quivering, and she leaned down to pick up her Bellossom.

"I love you too, Rosa. I'm sorry for making you worry."

Rosa gave her a pat on the cheek.

"You deserve a man that will treat you with kindness and respect, not one who only cares for your beauty and what you can offer him. When you are choosing among your suitors, just pick the one that is most like Hudson, for he is perfect."

"I'll keep that in mind," Dolly said with a chuckle, and returned Rosa to her Poké Ball.

Later that day in her hotel, her Pokémon each told her they loved her too, and that they hoped she would take better care of herself in the future. Being kind to herself was challenging at first, but Dolly was slowly trying to make it a pattern, thanks to her friends. After morning calisthenics, Jackson asked her to look in the mirror and say three nice things about herself - it was something he and Mateo used to like to do together. He started by standing tall, setting his hands on his hips, and saying he was a leader, he was strong, and he was a good friend. She started with saying she was caring, she was brave, and she was trying hard to be a better person.

As the days went by, the rest of her Pokémon joined in their little morning exercise. Dolly teared up each time one of them offered an affirmation to the other, especially when Theodore told Jackson he was a 'valiant, if not roguish, leader and friend.' She let herself eat, she let herself sleep, and she let herself buy a cute ribbon to tie to her backpack. Even if they were just little steps, she was three little steps closer to loving herself than she was three steps ago.

After she was fully rested, she took advantage of her team's revitalized energy by training hard in the Wild Area. They were excited to battle again, and Dolly vowed to them that she would never take any unnecessary risks ever again. She promised to forfeit whatever match she was in if she needed to, rather than risk her team's safety. If what that vision said was true, then they needed to get through a lot of grinding if she wanted to be confident in their strength for the hurdles ahead.

Through their training, she even managed to catch an Axew, who was shyly gazing at Dolly and her team. Her name was Ophelia, and Dolly gave her a Shell Bell as a token of friendship. Theodore was immediately taken by the quaint, humble, and big-eyed Axew, saying he was grateful Dolly hadn't caught yet another 'ridiculous hooligan.' Dolly had taken to her as well, and picked up the habit of carrying the cute Pokémon in her arms as she traversed the Wild Area.

Dolly was grateful for catching an already high-leveled Pokémon, too. It wasn't like she wanted to try to beat Raihan - or Leon - with a team of five, and thanks to her Curse, she was quickly running out of spots to catch new team members.

It was very easy for her other Pokémon to compliment Ophelia in their morning exercises, and even Rouge offered a grumbled 'yeah, you're cute I guess.' Hudson had then asked if she thought he was cute, then Rosa asked if she thought she was cute, then Jackson asked if she thought he was cute, then Rouge just swore at them all and returned to her Poké Ball.

She spent quite a bit of time with Hop, too, both of them training and talking and exploring Hammerlocke together. She introduced him to Ophelia by saying 'Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?!' and, as she was smiling and sparkling with her darling Axew, he mumbled out a 'Well, she's cute, but not the cutest thing he'd ever seen,' and then when she asked him to explain what he meant, he didn't.

There was a day or two where Hop was absent, though, and seemed to be abhorrently avoiding answering Dolly's texts of why he couldn't hang out with her. Although he continuously affirmed that he wasn't mad at her or avoiding her, her pointed questions of where he was were answered by unrelated memes. When she asked if he was doing something dangerous, he replied with a picture of a Teddiursa snuggling with a Stufful, and when she asked again, he just sent another picture of a sleeping Swablu. When she spied him in the streets of Hammerlocke, she quickly cornered him.

"D-Dolls!" Hop stuttered. He had finally returned after two days and was looking oddly disheveled as he stumbled against the brick fencing behind him. "Fancy seeing you here!"

"Hop," Dolly said as she set her hands on her hips. "Where have you been secretly running off to?"

"Nowhere!" he replied with a guilty grin. "I've, uh, just been around Hammerlocke!"

She squinted her eyes at him.

"Just around Hammerlocke, huh?"

He nodded, though he wasn't making eye contact.

"Oh," Dolly said casually. "Well then you must have seen that parade yesterday, right? The one for Dragon Day?"

Hop forced a grin again.

"Oh, y-yeah, that was brilliant. I love Dragon Day."

"Ha!" Dolly shouted and pointed a finger at him. "There was no parade and Dragon Day isn't for months! Where did you go, and why won't you tell me?!"

"That was a dirty trick!" Hop spat as his face flushed. "Fine… I wanted it to be better than this, but… here."

Hop reached into his pocket then held out his hand. The sun glinted off the gold chain that draped from his fingers, and Dolly's accusatory expression melted.

"You found my necklace?" she breathed.

Hop nodded. When he offered it to her, Dolly's eyes followed the lines of scratches, bruises, and scabs that trailed up his hands, his wrists, his arms. She gasped.

"Hop, what happened?!" she asked as she delicately turned his hands over.

"Oh, I um… I… tripped."

She glanced up at him.

"Into… a bush."

Her brow furrowed.

"...Made of… forks."

"That… doesn't even make sense," Dolly huffed. "Stop lying, what happened?"

She gently held his hands in hers as she felt over his fingers, his knuckles, his palms, surveying his injuries. Nothing was deep or would scar, but there certainly were a lot of them.

"When you said you left it in Spikemuth, I just went to go look for it, is all," Hop said with a shrug, though he still wouldn't look at her. Instead, he watched her hands as she lightly rolled his sleeves higher to investigate his arms. "I-it's nothing Dolls, really."

"Then how did all of this happen?" Dolly asked, raising his hands up to him. "And don't say it was a bunch of forks."

Dolly's fingertips gently followed the line of his forearm, and Hop glanced away as his cheeks tinged darker. He scuffed at the ground as he grumbled a reply.

"There… might have been a Thievul involved…"

"A Thievul had it?"

He nodded.

"A couple Thievuls…"

"A couple?!" Dolly repeated. "Are your Pokémon okay?"

"I, uh, I didn't use my Pokémon…" Hop muttered. He was still watching as she carefully traced the lines of his palm. "I didn't want it to break."

"Oh, Hop," Dolly breathed. "It looks like they bit you and scratched you a thousand times. Is that where these thorns came from?"

"Well, there might've been a Maractus involved, too…"

"A Maractus?" Dolly repeated as her eyebrows pulled together. "Maractus don't live on Route 9."

Instead of answering, Hop lifted the necklace up by one of the attached charms. The tears pricked in Dolly's eyes as she breathed out again.

"You got a Solosis charm, and a Vikavolt too… so that's what was taking you so long, you went all the way to Stow-on-Side..."

Hop nodded again and set the necklace in her hands.

"I told you I would always go back for you."

The wind was slight, and lightly wisped the chain of her necklace as Dolly glanced up at Hop again. She rubbed over the delicate chain, and it glinted in the light of the sun, just as the gold specks in Hop's eyes did. Dolly opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again as something pulled in her heart.

He did… he did all of that for her?

Her eyes flit around his face.

He took all that time, all that energy, all that money, put himself in danger, only to insist that it was nothing? All of that...

...for her?

A breath escaped her lips as something again pulled in her heart. Whatever that something was, it magnified inside of her whenever he so thoughtfully cared for her. And whatever it was, it seemed to make those Butterfree swarm in her stomach.

Her lip quivered, and Dolly decided that everything and anything he had ever done ever that even remotely upset her was forgiven and forgotten in that moment, and then some.

He finally looked into her eyes when she coughed out a sob, and the tears that were cautiously pricking in her eyes tumbled out at mach speed and flooded down her face. She flung herself against him and curled her arms around his waist. Hop stumbled backwards with a 'hurk' and had to brace himself on the railing behind them.

"You did all that for me?" Dolly whimpered. "You're amazing."

"It was no big deal, really," Hop mumbled, though he had the hint of a smile in his voice.

After another squeeze, she stepped back, and gazed up at him again. He had the hint of a smile on his face, too, and she could barely comprehend the care he exuded. Dolly snaked her hand behind his neck, stood on her toes, pulled him down, and gently pressed her lips against his cheek.

"This is the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me," Dolly said softly as she stepped back. "Thank you, Hop."

Hop's face was flaring red. It seemed like he was shaking slightly as he stared at her.

"Hop…?"

"Y-yeah," he squeaked as he jolted into focus. He cleared his throat and forced his voice back to its normal octave. "No problem."

Dolly guiltily bit her lip when Hop cleared his throat again.

"Oh, um, sorry," Dolly said. "I shouldn't have done that."

Hop scratched behind his neck and tried to give a nonchalant shrug.

"No big deal," he said as he waved a hand at her. "Happens, uh, happens all the time. I don't mind that kind of stuff, if it's with you, at least, and-"

Dolly raised her eyebrows, and so did Hop.

"I mean," Hop coughed. "Not that, not that you would do stuff like that again, or that I would, um, not that I would want you to, b-but not that I wouldn't want you to, if you wanted to then I would want you to, too, is all I meant, and, um-"

Dolly stood on her toes, balanced her hand on his chest, and lightly kissed his cheek again. His face was warm under her lips.

"R-right," Hop coughed again as he pulled at his collar. "So, beautiful day for training, don't you think? You wanna go train? Pokémon? With me? Because it's beautiful? I mean because you're beautiful? I-I mean because today's beautiful? Yeah, actually we should really go train, don't you think? Beautiful day for it. Training, I mean."

She bit back another smile.

"Sure Hop, let's go train."

As they made their way out of Hammerlocke, Dolly discreetly glanced to the side to see Hop's fingers grazing over his cheek. He met her eyes and shot his hand back.

They eventually found a decent spot for training out in the Wild Area, and their laughter rang throughout the fields as they bantered and battled for hours. Dolly couldn't believe she had almost discarded such a fun friendship, and she found herself smiling and laughing more than she had in a long time. She could have gone without that part where Hop shoved her into the Lake of Outrage, though. He said it was because there was a Linoone coming after her, but when she peered around, the landscape was Linoone-less, and the only thing she saw was a mischievous Hop who was unsuccessfully trying to hide his smirk. She didn't feel bad when she pulled him in with her, or when that Mantyke slapped him across the face as it shot out of the water.

After an unfortunate amount of splashing and dunking (where the victor was undetermined, as Hop had the upper hand for a while thanks to his height and strength, but Dolly did ask that Mantyke to slap him again), they finally muddled out of the water when their stomachs started to grumble. They set their shoes, socks, and jackets out to dry, they chased down a Watt Trader, bought some snacks, and filled up on bread, instant noodles, and fancy apples. It was also unanimously decided that pungent roots should not be eaten raw.

After their smorgasbord of a meal, Hop and Dolly both flopped onto the grass with a satisfied hum as the sun beat down overhead. Rookidees and Pidoves chirped as the sun warmed the air around them, and the lake calmly lapped at the shore. There was a slight breeze, not enough to billow, but just enough to wisp the blades of grass, just enough to wisp strands of platinum hair, strands of indigo hair, and it didn't take long before both Trainers were napping in the grass of the Wild Area.

Dolly hummed a contented sigh as the breeze tickled her face. She turned in her sleep, flung an arm and a leg over the blankets beside her, and nestled her face into them. These blankets were... oddly dense. Awfully soft and warm, though. Smelled good, too. It was like they were holding her in return, and she smiled again. Her consciousness drifted.

After a while, her senses started to sharpen when the wind wafted around her. The sunlight was still shining down and seemed to whisper in her ear.

"Dolls,"

She sighed again and pulled her blankets closer.

"Dolls, it's getting late, we should go soon."

Her brows furrowed. The sun needed to mind its own business, because she was very comfortable.

"No," she grumbled.

She heard a sigh, then a laugh.

"Come on, we're both like, damp. We should probably change before we catch something."

"I can't catch anything," Dolly mumbled. "Already used all my Poké Balls. You can ask Hop to catch something though. He'd do it for you, he's the best."

"...You think so, huh?"

"Mmhmm," she hummed. When something hesitantly brushed her bangs off her face, Dolly hummed again, and leaned into the touch.

"Are you even awake?"

"Not really..." she said as she yawned again.

There was a slight pause, then the combing wove through her hair, and Dolly practically melted into her oddly dense and warm blankets.

"So you think Hop is the best…?"

Dolly hummed. Her blankets seemed to wrap around her a little more snug.

"...What else do you think?"

Her brows furrowed. What kind of question was that? She thought a lot of things, but mainly about how she just wanted to go back to sleep.

"I think Sunfloras are kind of creepy looking."

"No, I mean about Hop."

Her sentences were hardly coherent as she faded in and out of sleep.

"Do you think he's funny?"

"Mmhmm."

Whatever was curled around her was shifting again, and the next question seemed a little closer to her ear.

"Do you think… he's attractive?"

Her only response was light snoring. Her eyebrows furrowed when she was jostled awake again.

"What?" she grumbled.

"Answer the question."

"My Weavile thinks he has scrawny ankles," Dolly said with a sleepy smile. "And she thinks his hair is dumb."

She vaguely heard a huff.

"What? My hair isn't- Whatever. We need to go, wake up."

She grumbled incoherently again and squeezed her eyes closed.

"The Gengars are going to come out soon."

Her eyes shot open and she whipped her head up.

"Gengars?! Where?!"

When she heard another chuckle, Dolly looked down to see a surprising lack of blankets, but instead a smiling Hop, who was raising an eyebrow at her. She tumbled backwards and out of his arms.

"What're you doing?!" she yelped as the heat flared in her cheeks.

"What am I doing?" Hop replied incredulously. "You were the one that had a death grip on me!"

"...I did?"

"Yes," Hop laughed as he sat up. "As soon as you fell asleep you latched onto me. At first I thought you wanted me to move over, but when I did you just clung to me tighter."

"...Oh, um, sorry." Dolly muttered as she recalled what she was so comfortably curled around. Turns out it wasn't a what, but a who, and that who needed to stop looking at her like that, what with his big eyes and long eyelashes and cheeky grin.

"I didn't mind, actually," Hop said as he scratched behind his neck. "Really it was one of the best naps I've ever had."

When Hop didn't look away, Dolly glanced to the ground, and her cheeks were as pink as the pale sunset above them. She combed through the grass with her fingers, remembering back to how she felt when the same motion combed through her hair. The Butterfree swarmed in her stomach when she realized who must have been doing that, and who must have been holding her so gently.

"...Me too," Dolly said quietly. "I like napping with the sun, er, in the sun, you know?"

Hop nodded. After a moment, he cautiously leaned closer.

"Do you like… napping with-"

"Hey, Hop and Dolly!"

Hop's eyes widened, his brow furrowed, and his shoulders tensed as he glanced behind Dolly. She turned as well to see Raihan waving vigorously at them from over the hill. They both stood and brushed off the grass from their clothes, and when Hop took a step forward, Dolly stepped between him and Raihan. Hop seemed to relax when Dolly discreetly squeezed his hand behind her back.

"Funny running into both of you here," Raihan grinned as he tucked his hands into his sweater pockets. "Beautiful day for training, yeah?"

Hop's jaw tensed, and Dolly glanced between him and Raihan.

"Um, yeah," Dolly said as she rubbed her thumb over Hop's knuckles. Though his fist was clenched, he seemed to soften at her motion.

"Glad you're here though, actually," Raihan continued. "I've been meaning to talk with both of you about how I've acted."

Dolly and Hop glanced at one another, then back up to Raihan. He turned to Dolly first.

"Dolly, I'm really sorry for coming after you like I was some predator," Raihan sighed as he scratched behind his neck. "You truly are a fun and beautiful woman, and I did enjoy our time together, but I shouldn't have taken advantage of you when you were vulnerable. I knew you were shaken after Motostoke, I knew you were angry in Circhester, and I knew you were upset after Spikemuth."

Raihan glanced to the ground, then bowed his head.

"I saw an easy target and I didn't behave like a good and honorable man should have behaved, and I'm working to change. I hope you can forgive me."

Dolly raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, Raihan, of course," Dolly said. "Thanks for apologizing."

Raihan nodded, stood straight, and turned to Hop, who stepped around Dolly and crossed his arms.

"And you, Leon's little- er, Hop…" Raihan started again. "I'm going to be honest for a second. It's been really frustrating losing to Leon in everything… so again I played dirty. I wanted to get at Leon for something he had no control over, but cared about…"

Raihan glanced up and offered Hop a small smile.

"And that was his little brother. I knew he cared about you more than anything, so I sank beneath the mud to get back at him. I knew you cared about Dolly, so I thought that getting her would hurt you, and that would hurt him. So, I'm sorry."

Raihan bowed his head to Hop as well. Hop paused, mulled over the words, then walked up to Raihan. He sized him up, stared him in the eye, and held out his hand. With a toothy grin, Raihan shook it.

"You're a good man, Hop. I can see why Dolly likes you so much."

"Hey!"

"And how she would smile at you whenever you came running up? Yeah, she-"

"Raihan." Dolly whispered threateningly.

He chuckled and set his hands back in his pockets. Then, Dolly squinted to see a faint bruise around his eye, and the line of a red scratch underneath it.

"What happened to your face?"

Raihan shrugged.

"Leon came after me because he saw that video from Circhester. He said he'd kill me if I ever touched you again, then he figured out everything else that happened in the hotel and he clocked me in the face."

Dolly and Hop both raised their eyebrows and Raihan shrugged again.

"Nah, we're fine, I'm fine, he was right, and I deserved it. But anyway, enough about me," Raihan grinned. "I'm off, gotta prepare for our Gym battles. I'll leave you two on your date."

At that, they both flared red.

"Oh, w-we're not,"

"We're just training,"

"Yeah, just training,"

"This isn't a…"

"Yeah, not a date."

"Nope."

"Definitely just training."

"Yes. Definitely. Definitely not a date."

"..."

"Not a date."

Raihan raised an eyebrow.

"So… when you two were snuggling just then… that was… training?"

"Uh."

"W-we weren't-"

"Yes."

"Oh, um, I mean yes. Yes, it was. It's a… a new... technique."

Raihan pursed his lips and nodded.

"Wow," he said. "Leon was right, you two really are something else. Well, I guess I'll leave you to your not-date, then."

And with that he took off, leaving the stuttering and flushed Trainers alone in the Wild Area. After a minute Dolly saw a text from Raihan recommending a restaurant in downtown Hammerlocke for her and Hop's next not-date, and Dolly shoved her phone back in her pocket.

The next few days went by in a flash, as they were filled with nonstop activity. After Raihan texted her again in the Wild Area, Hop was getting suspicious, so Dolly bashfully mentioned how Raihan already got them a reservation at his favorite restaurant. Hop agreed they should check it out, because they wouldn't want to waste a reservation, right? As she prepared for the night, Dolly had to vehemently explain to all of her Pokémon that it was not a date, she wasn't sure if they believed her, especially after Hop brought her flowers when he picked her up. She and Hop had to explain to the waitress at the restaurant that it was not a date, even after Hop paid for their meal (despite Dolly's initial refusal), and Hop may have received another kiss on the cheek for such a fun night. And perhaps another one for the flowers, and perhaps another one for the gold ribbon he bought her at that market they passed by downtown. When Rouge mentioned he was buying her things to get a kiss, Dolly's ensured it was just because he was a good friend. The thought made her a little sweaty for some reason, though.

Although Dolly unsuccessfully hid her smile for the rest of the night, the next morning she also unsuccessfully hid it when Hop texted her good morning, and when he brought her more flowers when they met for breakfast. After their meal, they finally parted, as Dolly wanted no distractions when training for her upcoming battle with Raihan. Not that Hop was distracting, though. He especially wasn't distracting when he leaned towards her whenever she spoke, or how he seemed to hug her for longer than usual, or when he brushed her hair from her cheek and asked her to be safe when he dropped her off at the Wild Area.

During their Wild Area training, Ophelia finally evolved from a Axew, to a Fraxure, to a Haxorus, and Dolly let out a small sigh at the fact that she couldn't carry her cute Axew around anymore. Her team was faring well, though, and they were quickly gaining experience and working well together for the double battle that was soon to come. Her Pokémon finally hit their goal levels, and not with a moment to spare. Dolly's battle with Raihan was that day, and she was more ready than she had ever been.

After a pep talk with her team, Dolly headed into the massive castle that was Hammerlocke Stadium. Although she had been in Hammerlocke for a while, and a few times before, she had never stepped foot into the stadium itself. She stood and took in a breath, taking a moment to appreciate its grandeur.

The atrium was magnificent, and the ceiling was even taller than the stadium in Motostoke. Dark bricks and banners that bore the Dragon Gym insignia decorated the walls as Dolly walked through, and the glowing lanterns above her head cast a warm glow over the room. As her name and image were displayed on one of the screens in the lobby, advertising her match with Raihan, the words from that talk show blared through her mind.

As Dolly stepped into the changing room, she was sure of one thing - she would not continue her 'streak.' No Pokémon would fall due to her carelessness. None of her friends would die at her hand ever again. She was rested this time, she was prepared this time, and she was ready. She pulled on her glove and headed to the pitch of the very last leader of the Gym Challenge.

A tidal wave of noise erupted from the stands and sounded through the arena, and the domed roof seemed to amplify the cries of the crowd. Dolly breathed in with each step, breathed out with each step, and soon Raihan met her in the middle with that familiar crooked grin. Dolly couldn't help but match his expression as the familiar edge of competition oozed into her blood.

"Finally a Challenger made it, though I've got to admit I didn't think it would be you," Raihan said. "Guess I should've expected no less from a Pokémon Trainer that Leon saw promise in,"

Dolly rolled her eyes and set her hands on her hips.

"And you aim to defeat Leon," Raihan continued. "Do you have any idea just how high a hurdle that is? As his greatest rival, I guess that I - Raihan - will have to show you! Gym Leader Raihan doesn't simply control the weather. He also seeks two on two battles! You must be-"

"Why are you talking like that?" Dolly interrupted.

Raihan faltered, his sentence pausing.

"Talking like what?"

"You're referring to yourself in the third person."

"I-well, yeah, it's cool."

"Is it?"

"A-anyway!" Raihan huffed as a slight red stained his cheeks. "You must be prepared for any situation against a foe like him. And-"

"You're doing it again."

"Dolly, you're ruining my Gym Leader monologue!"

Dolly grinned again as Raihan huffed and set his hands on his hips.

"Fine, whatever, you'll be sorry after the great Raihan wipes the floor with you!"

"We'll see about that," Dolly replied as the fire of competition blazed between them.

As she walked to her end of the pitch, she couldn't help but grin. This was it. The final Gym Leader. After all she had been through, there were only a handful of hurdles left before beating Leon, before breaking the Curse.

And those blue eyes were one of them.

Dolly threw out Hudson and Theodore, already having staged a plan of attack for the double battles she knew Raihan was fond of. Although it wouldn't be super effective against his Flygon, Hudson's Earthquake and Theodore's immunity to it would be an effective tactic against a majority of Raihan's team.

Immediately Raihan's Gigalith whirled a sandstorm up into the air. It didn't take long before the entire pitch was coated with sand, with the small particles whipping around them and into Dolly's eyes and into her hair. Although she couldn't see them, she could feel where Hudson and Theodore were - and neither of them were swayed by the sandstorm raging around them. Neither faltered as Hudson shook the Hammerlocke stadium with his critical-hit Earthquake, and Theodore flew high enough to escape the storm altogether. Her Mudsdale stomped against the ground and it shook with each step, and it didn't take long before Raihan's Gigalith was down.

That Flygon wasn't taking as much damage as she had hoped - it was quick, and although Theodore was well-timed in his attacks, he wasn't as nimble as Flygon was. The two Pokémon hurdled through the air, under each other, over each other, all the while clawing and pecking and hurling gusts of wind laced with sand.

Dolly calculated as she watched Theodore in the air and Hudson on the ground. The Sandaconda wasn't much of an issue, though that Flygon was powerful, and Theodore was starting to slow. Every time the sandstorm seemed to falter, Flygon beat its wings against the ground, and the sand whipped around again. The sound of the stadium blurred just as her vision did, and Dolly froze when she heard the crackle of electricity.

Dolly glanced up, and her eyes widened.

Sparks flung from the claws from Flygon, and it hurtled towards Theodore again. Her Corviknight was struggling to flap his wings as the wind and sand whirled around them, and when the Flygon reared its fist, Dolly called Theodore back to his Poké Ball.

The Flygon Thunder-Punched the wall instead, Hudson galloped to it, then Heavy Slammed the Flygon into the wall. Dolly breathed out a sigh of relief - one less of Raihan's Pokémon to worry about. The Sandaconda was down, and Raihan had one Poké Ball left – his infamous Duraludon.

Dolly hurled another Poké Ball behind her, the weight of the Dynamaxed Haxorus formed a crater in the ground, and all of Hammerlocke shook when Ophelia's call bellowed through the air. The two massive Dragon-type Pokémon rampaged around the pitch, shaking the earth with each step. The sandstorm was still raging, though Dolly didn't need to rely on her vision - she knew her Pokémon as well as the blood that beat through her veins.

Steel spikes erupted from the ground from the Duraludon, then shattered like glass as Hudson unleashed another Earthquake. Dolly nearly lost her head when a steel shard whipped through the stadium just as the sandstorm did. Every once in a while, she could see the glint of Raihan's blue eyes through the storm. She couldn't help but grin, because those were the eyes that used to so easily make her stumble. And yet, here she was, blasting forth in a blaze of power, undeterred by anything and anyone. Dolly was sure of herself, she was sure of her Pokémon, and with a final flourish, the Duraludon was down.

Victory.

It was the blue of the sky that was glinting instead as the sand and the steel began to settle onto the earth. The entire pitch was coated, as were the stands and the audience and the Trainers standing across from one another. Dolly and Raihan stepped over the sand and metal and turf of the pitch, meeting in the middle as both panted and wiped the sand and sweat from their brows.

"In the aftermath of a furious battle," Raihan finally said, gazing at the twinkling noon sky above them. "I feel as pure and refreshed as when the sky clears after a storm. What can I possibly say? Calling myself Leon's rival? Seems I'd grown quite conceited for someone who can't even claim the title of Champion. I've been overconfident in myself and in my team. I'll give you what you want, then. The proof of your victory - the Dragon Badge!"

Dolly beamed as Raihan set the small gold Badge into her palm. He shook her hand, then stepped back.

"Great work, Dolly, I can't say I'm surprised you beat me after all that," Raihan said. "I've learned a lot from you - about passion, about humility, and about perseverance. You're not half bad. I'm excited for you to win through the semifinals and take from Leon the title of Galar's hero!"

As the crowd roared, Dolly couldn't help but grin.

"Yeah, I think Galar deserves a new hero who knows how to chew with her mouth closed."

Raihan laughed, offered her a friendly hug, and they made their way off opposite sides of the pitch. The cheers from the crowd were overwhelming as Dolly stepped across the turf, offering a few waves and a slight smile, her heart throbbing as they cheered her name.

She changed, tried to shake off as much of the sand as she could, and made her way back into the stadium atrium. The Gym Trainer who stood at the entrance to the pitch stepped aside for her, smiled, and offered her a congratulations. She gave him a nod and started to turn, she heard her name called, then her eyes grew wide.

"H-Hop, slow dow-hrrrnk!"

Hop launched himself into a hug and his momentum catapulted them onto the ground where they were now lying in an unceremonious heap in the middle of the atrium. Dolly was trying to spit her hair out of her mouth as Hop tore into his sentences at a mile a minute.

"You're done with the Gym Challenge, Dolls! You did it! That match was brilliant, you were brilliant! You're so clever, I could feel that passion from my seat, I don't know how I'm supposed to follow that up, what a great match, and the crowd was cheering for you the entire time! One more match and I'll beat the Gym Challenge too, and-"

Hop babbled at her for a few more seconds, and Dolly couldn't help but smile. Finally, after all the time she spent, after all she suffered, she finally did it. Eight Badges, six Pokémon, and a thousand other hurdles, she was finally closing in on her goal. Hop finally finished enthusing and gave her another hug.

"Normally people say 'congratulations,' but you nearly gave me a concussion, you twit," she laughed. "Don't you need to go? Your match is starting soon."

"I know," Hop said as he pulled back. "I just wanted to tell you what a great job you did. You're so amazing, and using a Flying-type as a partner for a Mudsdale who knows Earthquake decimated half of Raihan's team in no time, I honestly should have been taking notes, and oh man, your Haxorus was absolutely wicked, stomping around and destroying Raihan's Duraludon with that Max Wyrmwind-"

"Hop," she said with a laugh, cutting him off. "Don't start again, or you're going to be late."

He grinned and nodded, though he was still holding onto her waist as they sat on the ground.

"Yes, right. Um, well, I should go then."

"Probably."

"Good job though, Dolls,"

"Thank you,"

"I mean it, that was so fun to watch, and I was on the edge of my seat and-"

"Hop."

"Right."

They both stood, and Dolly shook more sand out of her hair. She glanced up to see Hop watching her, and a light pink stained her cheeks.

"Go!" she huffed, turning him by his shoulders and shoving him towards the locker room.

As he tripped towards the locker room, he gave her another wave, and Dolly set her hand over her pounding heart. She shook the thought out and headed into the stands to watch Hop's match.

It was challenging to acquire a ticket, since they sold out almost immediately. Hop was still one of the most popular Challengers, if not the most popular Challenger, but there was no way Dolly wasn't going to watch this match live. He was fun, entertaining, and good at battling, and it had been a long time since she watched him battle live against someone who wasn't her.

Dolly was grateful for how well-trained the Rotom cameras were because she could barely see Hop, Raihan, or any of their Pokémon as another sandstorm blustered around them. The cameras were following the Pokémon, Dubwool and Rillaboom destroyed Raihan's Gigalith and Flygon, then the image was lost again as Raihan called for a more intense sandstorm from his Sandaconda. The Rotom camera was buffering, and when the image was back, Dolly's eyes widened, and her heart pounded.

Woah.

Um.

...Wow.

She had never seen him look like that before.

Hop was stoic, powerful, with a slight furrow in his brow as he ordered his Pokémon forth. Why was her mouth getting dry? Was it the sandstorm? Probably. Dolly couldn't tear her eyes away from the intensity that Hop exuded there on the screen. And yet, she could barely look at the same time, what with how furiously the Butterfree were flapping in her gut when he had that expression on his face. Was it getting hot in there? Yeesh, Raihan, chill with the Sunny Day. Dolly had to wave the heat off her face.

There was no hint of his impish grin as Hop's Pokémon beat through Raihan's Sandaconda, and she still wasn't sure why she couldn't tear her gaze from Hop's face. Then, Dolly was again grateful for the Rotom camera's skill, because when Hop hurled his Poké Ball behind him to Dynamax, that camera caught an excellent angle.

Dolly had never seen a Dynamaxed Pincurchin before, and the electricity sparked through the stadium as Raihan's Duraludon was defeated again. As the sandstorm settled and the blue sky shone, Hop's friendly countenance was back. Dolly found it challenging to stand when she remembered that stoic expression. Then, as the stands erupted around her, Dolly joined in, and cheered as loud as she could for her friend who just completed the Gym Challenge.

She wove through the people, tore through the stands, and when she made it to the atrium, Dolly launched herself onto him just as Hop had, though she wasn't heavy enough to knock him to the ground. So instead, she held both of his hands and babbled at him for a few minutes on how brilliant his match was. As she spoke, she watched with an odd satisfaction as the light pink stain on his cheeks colored into a dark red as she continued gushing.

"Thanks Dolls," he grinned when she finished enthusing. "That was probably the best battle I've ever had."

"Absolutely brilliant," Dolly said, gripping his hands in hers. "Raihan didn't stand a chance."

Hop started to modestly wave her off, shrugged, then he nodded as that cheeky grin spread over his face.

"Yeah he was toast. I've finally decided how I want to battle. I've changed my form a bit, and I think it's working," Hop said.

Dolly remembered back to his stoic expression, to the power and dominance he exuded, and how he absolutely annihilated Raihan without breaking a sweat. She slowly nodded as she breathed a dazed reply.

"Th-that was… you were… s-so manly. MAINLY," Dolly corrected as she jolted into focus. "Y-you were mainly the best um, the best battler there! Great work."

Hop raised an eyebrow and grinned. He cautiously leaned towards her.

"Manly, huh?" he repeated.

"Right I think it's time to go," she squeaked. "Anyway your Pincurchin was cool."

They left the stadium together, their conversation building up again until they were both talking a mile a minute about Pokémon battles, then, oddly enough, about Wooloo wool, and happened to run into Sonia and Professor Magnolia. After a congratulations from the both, a back and forth about Sonia's research, her success, and Professor Magnolia bequeathing her lab coat to Sonia, Dolly watched Professor Magnolia head out into the city. Then, she and Hop gushed at Sonia, congratulating her, only for her to blush and wave them off. When they kept going, she only rolled her eyes and started pushing them to the train station, telling them they would be late for their train to Wyndon if they kept nattering at her like that. They did end up catching their train - but just barely.