It was half-past 7 in the evening, and after several hours of driving, Sonia began to tire. She began to sway back and forth as she drove until Timothy and Coovers convinced her to stop for the night. Thus, they found an open spot in the grass to camp for the night, much to the relief of Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, Electchu, and Winnie. Coovers started a fire to cook dinner for the group while Electchu and Winnie played, and Timothy and Gwen set up the table, though Gwen was still distant emotionally, much to Timothy's concern. Sonia stood next to Coovers, pouting like a child as she watched him cook.
"I wish I had thought of taking cooking equipment with me when I left home. I would like to cook for you guys," she said.
"And you are very sweet for wanting to do that, my dear Sonia," Coovers said, giving the peach-haired woman a dreamy look. "But as much as I adore your cooking, I have more experience in cooking outdoors. Besides, we should thank you somehow for taking us to Hammerlocke."
Sonia continued to pout for a few more seconds before she smiled and said, "Well, I can't argue with that, and your stew does look good."
"Why, thank you," Coovers said with his face lit up. "I promise you'll never have such a tasty stew in all of your travels."
Sonia chuckled at Coovers's enthusiasm, which set his heart aflutter.
"Speaking of travels, Sonia, you still haven't told us yet what you're doing out here," Timothy said.
"Oh yeah. I haven't, have I?" Sonia said with a chuckle. "It just so happens that my Gran asked me to figure out the mystery behind the Darkest Day."
At this, Gwen immediately turned to Sonia; her distant demeanor turned into a glare.
"She did what?" She growled.
"Oh, yeah. That means you're not the only one investing anymore, doesn't it, Gwen?" Sonia said with a mocking smile.
"Sonia, that's wonderful news!" Coovers exclaimed, standing up. "You're finally pursuing your dream!"
"Yup, yup," Sonia said with a cute smile.
"Wait. So both of you want to uncover the mystery," Timothy asked.
"Gwen wants to uncover it too?" Coovers asked.
"That's right, we do," Sonia said. She continued with a competitive smirk, "And I'm going to discover it before you do."
"Oh, please, don't make me laugh," Gwen rebuked. "I've been researching the legend for years. What do you know about? Do you honestly think that a man with a sword and the shield held off heaven knows how many Dynamax Pokémon?"
"Just because it sounds silly doesn't mean it can't be true," Sonia argued. "Besides, I don't hear you coming up with any other possibilities."
"And you think you'll find out right away after staying at your grandmother's all your life?" Gwen challenged.
"Why not? I don't hear you making any progress," Sonia said.
"Alright, alright, let's settle down," Timothy said, standing between the two women.
But Gwen glared daggers at Sonia, not listening to Timothy. By this point, Electchu and Winnie have stopped playing. Gwen walked past Timothy until she was inches away from Sonia and pointed her finger at her.
"Get this through your head, Sonia, I've been trying to solve this mystery all my life, and I'm not going to let a lazy bum like you figure it out before me!" She barked.
Sonia gasped, and her anger grew as she shouted, "And what? You're going to solve it by yelling at innocent Pokémon? Is that what your mom would have wanted?"
The moment the words left Sonia's mouth, her eyes widened, and she backed away with her hand covering her mouth. Gwen stared at Sonia for a moment before she looked away, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu looked between the two women, confused, while Winnie rushed to its partner's side.
"I'm...I'm sorry," Sonia said. "I didn't mean-"
"No, you're right," Gwen said, her voice cracking. "She wouldn't have wanted me to act that way."
Sonia took a step toward Gwen and stretched her hand out, but Gwen turned around and began walking away, making her flinch.
"Where are you going?" Coovers asked.
"I'm sorry, guys. I just need to be alone right now," Gwen said, walking away without looking at anyone. "Winnie, stay here and keep playing with Electchu."
"Teddi," Winnie protested as it tried to follow Gwen.
"Winnie, stay," Gwen ordered, holding her finger up.
Winnie whimpered and hung its head as Gwen walked away. Sonia kept her hand stretched out but retracted it after a few seconds, accepting that the deed was done. Timothy furrowed his brow as he watched Gwen walk away and debated with himself for a moment before he walked after her.
"Timothy, she said she wants to be alone," Coovers said.
"Yeah, well, I don't feel like letting her be alone," Timothy said without looking at Coovers. "Electchu, keep playing with Eddie."
"Rai?" Electchu asked.
The group watched Gwen and Timothy until they were both out of sight. Sonia kept her gaze on where she last saw Gwen for several seconds before she sat down next to the fireplace with her heart full of guilt. Coovers looked at his crush with a sad look and sat down next to her.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Not really," Sonia answered.
They fell silent while Electchu and Winnie continued to stare at where their partners left like pets waiting for their owners to come home. Sonia sighed glumly and looked down at the ground while Coovers thought of how to cheer her up.
"I know you didn't mean it," he said.
"How do you know?" Sonia asked. "You probably don't even know what I was talking about."
"No, but you regret saying that, and that's good enough for me," Coovers said. "She did insult you first, so it's only natural you would be so angry."
"I guess," Sonia said.
Again, silence filled the air apart from the sound of the fire burning through wood and Coovers's stew bubbling. He stood up to stir his stew before sitting down next to Sonia. After several seconds, he placed his hand over her shoulder. Again, silence filled the air apart from the sound of the fire burning through wood and Coovers's stew bubbling.
"I'm sure Gwen knows you didn't mean it either," Coovers said with a small smile. "Just give her a little time, and the two of you will make up."
Sonia remained silent for a moment before she turned her head to Coovers again and said with a smile, "Thanks, Coovers."
"Anytime," Coovers said.
The two of them became silent a third time as they stared into each other's eyes. After a minute, the two of them realized what they were doing. Coovers took his hand off Sonia's shoulder, and they looked away with their cheeks heating up.
"So," Coovers began before he cleared his throat. "Your grandma finally let you pursue your dream, huh?"
Sonia turned her head back to Coovers, smiling again as she said, "Yeah, she did."
"You must be pretty happy." Coovers said as he smiled while still looking away from Sonia.
"Yeah, I sure am,'' Sonia said. Her smile grew, and she scooted closer to Coovers, turning his cheeks pink again. "Actually, I have you to thank."
"You do?" Coovers asked.
"Gran told me that you suggested she give me a chance," Sonia said.
"She did?" Coovers asked.
Sonia nodded.
"That's really sweet of you to do that for me," she said with a sweet smile.
Coovers tinted again and he looked away, saying, "Well, you know, you told me about how you want to prove yourself, and how you really want to find out about the Darkest Day, so-"
Coovers's voice died in his throat as he felt Sonia's arms around him. He froze in place with his cheeks turning beet red for several seconds until Sonia let go, and he turned his head to see her bashfully look away with a smile, and her cheeks also turned red.
"I mean it. Thank you," Sonia said, still looking away from Coovers.
Coovers let out incoherent words that made Sonia giggle, then he collected himself and cleared his throat.
"So, do you know where you're gonna start looking?" He asked.
"I've got a couple of places to go east from Hammerlocke," Sonia said. "I don't know what to expect, but I hope I find something."
"I'm sure you will," Coovers said, turning his head back to Sonia. "Though now that I think about it, why were you driving through the Wild Area? Isn't there a road you can use between Wedgehurst and Hammerlocke?"
Sonia chuckled nervously and played with her ponytail, still looking away.
"There is, but I kind of drove off the road to investigate on Dragapult when I saw it from a distance," she answered. "I thought that might have been a good idea for my research. Probably not the safest way to try to learn about Dynamaxing."
"Probably not," Coovers said. "Did you learn anything while we fought Dragapult, though?"
"Not much," Sonia answered. "Dragapult wasn't itself when it was in its Dynamaxed form, and it was willing to attack us as well as the Pokémon. That proves that Pokémon without Trainers can rampage when they're Dynamaxed, just like in the legend, and I bet Gwen would agree with that. That said, there's not much to go by."
"Well, you gotta start somewhere," Coovers said. "Heck, you could argue that you got to experience what it was like for people and Pokémon to be attacked by Dynamax Pokémon during the Darkest Day."
"I guess I did," Sonia said, still playing with her ponytail as she looked at Coovers again. "Speaking of which, thank you for saving me back there."
"You're very welcome," Coovers said with a smile.
Sonia smiled back before she looked away and said, "You know, between convincing Gran to give me a chance and saving my life, I feel I should repay you somehow."
"Oh, you don't need to do that," Coovers said.
"But, I want to," Sonia said. "There has to be some way I can repay you. I insist that you come up with something."
Coovers raised his eyebrow and smirked, realizing his opportunity with his crush. He scratched his chin, thinking very carefully while Sonia was left in suspense. After a minute, Coovers snapped his fingers and turned his head to Sonia again.
"Alright, if you insist, then how about you go to dinner with me sometime," he said. "I doubt we'll get a chance because of Gwen and her precious schedule, but the next time we see each other, you'll let me take you out to dinner."
Sonia stared at Coovers for a moment, surprised by his decision, then she smiled and said, "You know what? Dinner would be great."
"Really?" Coovers asked with hope in his voice.
"Yeah, I haven't gone out to dinner with anyone apart from my Gran, so dinner with you sounds fun," Sonia said.
Coover's heart raced as he said with a big smile plastered on his face, "Wonderful! It's a deal then."
"It's a deal," Sonia agreed.
Once again, Coovers and Sonia stared at each other, Coovers's eyes transfixed with Sonia's ones. The moment was broken when Coovers heard his stew bubbling again, and he looked away from Sonia to stir it. But as Coovers stirred, he smiled brightly and covered his mouth to hide an excited giggle, not noticing Sonia watching him.
But, Electchu and Winnie still looked where Timothy and Gwen were last seen.
Timothy followed Gwen further into the Wild Area for the past several minutes. He kept himself at a distance so she couldn't hear him walking behind her. Whether she was going to find a place to sit or just walk the entire time, he did not know, but he was determined to speak to her either way.
Finally, Gwen went up a small hill and sat down beside a tree at the top. She hugged her legs and heaved a sigh as she stared at the night sky. Timothy pursed his lips, trying to think of the best way to talk to her before walking over to her. Gwen turned her head at the sound of Timothy walking up the hill and furrowed her brow.
"I said I want to be alone." she said.
"I know, but after careful consideration, I decided that you shouldn't be." Timothy said.
Gwen's frown deepened, and she asked, "Who are you to decide whether or not I should be by myself?"
"Someone concerned about you," Timothy answered.
"Well, don't be. I can handle my problems myself," Gwen said, looking away from Timothy.
"No offense, Gwen, but you haven't been showing you can handle your problems over the past few days," Timothy said. "If anything, I'm more worried the more I see you be uncomfortable around Chairman Rose or how you behaved during and after the battle against Dragapult. Call me obstinate, but I think you should tell me what's troubling you."
Gwen turned back to Timothy with a suspicious glare.
"Are you saying I'm a problem to the mission?" She asked.
"I'm saying I'm worried about you as your friend," Timothy answered. "Please, Gwen, don't shut me out. Tell me what's bothering you."
Gwen continued to glare at Timothy, still skeptical of his intentions. She looked away again and patted a spot on the ground next to her. Timothy smiled and sat down next to Gwen, still hugging her legs. She was silent for half a minute, leaving Timothy in suspense until she finally spoke.
"The truth is I yelled at Dragapult because seeing it so happy after the battle made me think of when Chairman Rose and Ezria acted like the Drednaw Gigantamaxing never happened," she said. "Even so, Sonia's right that my mother wouldn't want me to behave that way to a Pokémon even if I'm guiding you and Coovers through the Gym Challenge for her."
"Why are you helping us specifically for your mom?" Timothy asked.
"Because my mom is the reason Chairman Rose has Eternatus."
Timothy's eyes widened as he stared at Gwen, taken aback. Gwen turned his head to him, and the edge of her mouth curled up slightly before she looked at the sky again.
"I guess I should elaborate," she said. "My mom was originally from the Johto region. When she turned ten, my grandmother gave her a Teddiursa to be her Pokemon partner. She nicknamed it Edwin after the main character in her favorite radio show, The Chronicles of Edwin the Teddiursa."
"So, your mom had a Teddiursa named Edwin while you have Winnie?" Timothy asked.
"No. Edwin and Winnie are the same Pokémon. Edwin is Winnie's official nickname," Gwen answered.
"How can it have more than one nickname?" Timothy asked.
Gwen turned to Timothy with a small smile and said, "Sonia and I became more comfortable calling it by our own nicknames out of its real nickname. My mom, Professor Magnolia, and our family friends called it Edwin, but Sonia took the first half of the name and called it Eddie, while I nicknamed it after the second half."
"I see. So, technically you were telling the truth when you introduced Winnie as Eddie to the chairman." Timothy said.
"Technically," Gwen said. "My mom traveled around the world with Winnie until they came to Galar. She met Professor Magnolia while she was investigating something concerning a pack of Mudbray and Mudsdale: Mudbray's evolved form. Mom decided to help Professor Magnolia with her project when she was struggling with it. Impressed with how helpful my mom was for her research, the professor asked if my mom would be interested in continuing to assist her. After thinking about it with Winnie, my mom accepted her offer. She grew to like it so much that she decided to pursue a career as a researcher. She married my dad and had me not long after getting her doctrine."
"Is your dad a researcher too?" Timothy asked.
"He was," Gwen said. "He inspired my mom to do research on the Darkest Day."
"Ah, so your parents are your inspiration for researching the legend, too," Timothy said.
"No, just my mom," Gwen said. "My dad passed away not long after I was born, so it was just my mom and me."
"Oh, sorry," Timothy said.
"It's okay," Gwen said. "Anyway, after my dad passed, my mom and I stayed with Professor Magnolia and Sonia until my mom decided I was old enough to travel with her while she tried to uncover the mysteries behind the Darkest Day. Along the way, my mom taught me how to battle and capture Pokémon with Winnie, and I used her teachings to catch Spoink, Noctowl, Cufant, Mudbray, and Drifloon."
"Your mom let you use her Pokémon to catch your own?" Timothy asked.
"Technically, my mom and I were both Winnie's partners," Gwen said. "I grew so close to it growing up that it has been as much my Pokémon as it was my mom's. In fact, I learned to understand Winnie's language the more we traveled together, and as the years went by, I learned to do that with the rest of my team and eventually all Pokémon."
"That's similar to how I'm able to understand Electchu, though I can't say I've thought of trying to do that with any other Pokémon," Timothy said. "To tell you the truth, Gwen, I'm a little jealous that you can do that."
Gwen smirked at Timothy with a teasing look before her face turned serious again.
"As time went on, we looked at everything that had to do with the Darkest Day more times than I can count, but we made no progress in solving the mystery," she said. "Eventually, we were running low on money, and my mom and I were considering going back to Wedgehurst and getting jobs to fund our next journey. But just as we were getting ready to return, Professor Magnolia called my mom with an incredible job offer at Macro Cosmos. Chairman Rose was forming a special team to search for Eternatus, and Professor Magnolia suggested that my mom and I be a part of it since she was his partner. We didn't like that we still had to put our dream on hold, but the pay was good, and we had a chance to enhance our careers by working for a major corporation. We worked with our team for the next few years to find out where Eternatus could be."
"And eventually, your mom found it." Timothy said.
Gwen nodded.
"She detected massive readings of Galar Particles in the mountains north of Hammerlocke. When our team leader sent the readings over to Chairman Rose, he ordered us to investigate with a couple dozen of his agents," she said. "We traveled on foot for three days until we finally found Eternatus flying through the mountain pass. The chairman's agents spit up to ambush Eternatus and no sooner did their Pokémon attack then Eternatus went on a rampage. It fought back with such destructive power that me, my mom, and our team tried to run away."
"Tried?" Timothy asked.
Gwen lowered her head with tears coming down as she continued.
"Eternatus unleashed its attacks wherever it saw people and Pokémon. The chairman's agents and their Pokémon started to run away with us while still attacking Eternatus to try and take it down. I followed my mom as fast as I could with Winnie in my arms until we were at a river. Before we could try to cross, Eternatus burst through a mountain and fired a massive beam at us. I moved away, using my body to protect Winnie, but when the dust settled…"
Gwen shut her eyes, trying to fight the tears.
"When the dust settled, Eternatus flew by, and there was a crater where I last saw my mom. Winnie and I looked all over the area, desperate to find her hiding underneath a rock or floating down the river, but it was only a matter of time before we accepted what we already knew happened."
Gwen turned her head away from Timothy to hide the tears running down her face. Timothy stretched out his hand to put it on Gwen's shoulder but then retracted it, figuring it wouldn't be appropriate. He waited until Gwen wiped away the tears and faced forward again with a sniffle.
"Eventually, the rest of the team found us and tried to find my mom despite what I told them. When we reunited with Chairman Rose's agents, they had captured Eternatus and had it secretly brought to the Energy Plant. It was a time of celebration for the people of Macro Cosmos, but for Winnie and me, we mourned losing the person who was our whole world. Professor Magnolia held my mom's memorial a few days later. Most of the people and Pokémon who came were Sonia, our fellow team members, our close friends, and my Pokémon. Professor Magnolia invited Chairman Rose, but he had a business trip he didn't want to hold off. He tried to make up for it by sending so many bouquets that nearly covered the plaque above my mom's picture that said, 'Dr. Lettie Marnie Weaver.' I couldn't believe he thought flowers were enough to make up for not personally paying respects to the person who found the Pokémon he was looking for."
"So, what did you do?" Timothy asked.
"What else? I quit the team," Gwen answered. "I did my part, and I got paid with compensation for my loss. There was nothing left but to use that money to continue trying to discover the truth behind the Darkest Day. Pursuing the dream I shared with my mom is all I have left. Or at least it was until Professor Magnolia figured out the chairman's true plans and contacted the International Police."
Timothy's eyes widened, and he said, "So, stopping the chairman is personal for you."
Gwen nodded again.
"No one should experience what I've gone through," she said. "The idea of Eternatus causing Pokémon to Dynamax and rampage in towns and cities just for the sake of Chairman Rose's twisted dream terrifies me. I don't know what I would have done if your friends weren't there to stop Drednaw. What's worse is I legally can't tell anyone about Eternatus."
"Why not?" Timothy asked.
"My mom and I signed an agreement to keep the project a secret," Gwen answered. "It didn't seem as important as getting the money and continuing our research, but now I want nothing more than to testify to the International Police to back Professor Magnolia. The only reason I'm telling you is because I trust you won't say anything."
Timothy nodded before he realized something and said, "When we were at the chairman's private box, he said you looked familiar."
"That's because I look like my mom," Gwen explained. "Apart from inheriting my dad's eyes, I resemble my mom almost completely. The chairman has never met me officially. He met my mom when she was interviewed for the job and came to congratulate her on her findings before we went to capture Eternatus. He even took a picture of himself with the research team before we went into the mountains, but he didn't meet me personally. I guess he saw my mom enough times to see the resemblance even if he can't put together who I look like."
"But, it's enough for you to be uncomfortable around him since he's the reason your mother is gone," Timothy said.
"Yes," Gwen said.
"Alright, I can get that, but how does this connect with what happened with Dragapult?" Timothy asked.
Gwen flinched at hearing the Pokémon's name, and she stared at the grass with her face full of guilt.
"When Dragapult attacked us with Max Phantasm, I thought that we were going to go just like my mom," she said. "I know now that Dragapult wasn't itself, but seeing it be so cheerful after it tried to destroy us made me so angry. All I could think about was the chairman being so happy and friendly when he's endangering countless lives. It's like I saw Chairman Rose instead of an innocent Pokémon."
She tightened her hold on her legs.
"I love Pokémon. I always have. My Pokémon are my family, and it broke my heart when Team Rocket took Spoink away from me. If I'm ever angry with a Pokémon, it's only to discipline them like with Stunfisk and your Gengar. I worry about what they will go through if any of them hurt someone or worse because Eternatus Dynamaxes them and causes them to rampage. And yet, I yelled at poor Dragapult like it was the chairman. I made it burst into tears while looking at it like it's the Pokémon who took my mom from me. It's probably still tormented by the guilt that I made it feel."
Gwen buried her head with her legs.
"I've never been so ashamed in all my life."
Once again, Timothy stretched out his hand to comfort Gwen but pulled back, thinking it was still not appropriate. He pursed his lips and lowered his head as he felt there was nothing he could do to help. But then he lifted his head up as he got an idea.
"If it helps, I know what it's like to take your anger out at someone over something they have nothing to do with," Timothy said with a smile.
Gwen looked up to frown skeptically at Timothy.
"You don't strike me as someone who would do something like that, Timothy," she said.
"Well, that's kind of you to say that Gwen, but I have," Timothy said. "In fact, what I did was worse."
"How?" Gwen challenged.
Timothy smirked at how Gwen was immediately interested and said, "Well, you gave me your life's story to put things in your perspective, and it just so happens I'm gonna have to give you most of mine to explain what I did."
Gwen gave Timothy a pout, skeptical of his claim. Timothy continued to smirk until it was his turn to look away and reflect on his past.
"Ever since I was little, I dreamed of being a Pokémon Trainer, who captured many Pokémon and became strong enough to win every single Pokémon League and defeat every regional Champion there is," he began. "Unfortunately, another kid a year older than me lived in Pallet Town named Trent Lane. He had the same dream, but he also believed he would accomplish that dream without trying. He verbally harassed me growing up, trying to make me give up on my dream and threatening to take away my Pokémon if I ever became a trainer."
"Take away your Pokémon?" Gwen asked, unamused.
"I know it sounds silly, but I'm talking about being verbally bullied as far back as preschool. Even when our teachers and our parents tried to get him to stop, he continued to get me down," Timothy explained. "When Trent turned ten and left Pallet Town after getting his first Pokémon from Professor Oak, I was more uplifted about pursuing my dream with my family to support me. The next year, my dad gave me a Pikachu for my tenth birthday that I nicknamed Electchu, and I started on my journey through the Kanto region to collect Gym Badges."
"But you eventually saw Trent again," Gwen said.
"Sadly, yes," Timothy said. "I was on my way to Pewter City to collect my first badge when Trent blocked my path and forced me to battle him, saying that he'll take my Pokémon if I lose. He almost succeeded before his Charmeleon was defeated by Poliwrath, who was a Poliwag at the time. The rest of his team wasn't trained at all, so they went down like flies. Needless to say, Trent was livid, and on top of that, I later found out from my friend, Brock, that he was banned from competing in Gym Battles because he was disrespectful to his Pokémon and Gym Leaders. He also harassed trainers coming into the city until I beat him."
"Hold on. Was Trent the guy you were talking about when Venarge was keeping Ned from going to Turffield?" Gwen asked.
"Sure was," Timothy replied.
"I can see where that day would inspire you to humiliate Venarge," Gwen said.
"Actually, dealing with Trent didn't stop there," Timothy said. "He wanted payback for losing against me, so he went ahead of me to ambush me again on the way to my next Gym Battle and the Gym Battle after that. After a while, I decided to stay in the city or town I had just won a badge from until my Pokémon were powerful enough to be ready for the next time I had to face Trent. He cruelly overtrained his Pokémon, but without having a bond with them, he was no match for me, Electchu, Poliwrath, or any of my other Pokémon. It looked like there was nothing to worry about until around the time I was on my way to my final Gym Battle."
"Did Trent beat you in a Pokémon battle?" Gwen asked.
"No, he joined Team Rocket," Timothy answered.
"What?!" Gwen screamed. "How could he take it that far?"
"How could he not?" Timothy answered. "Team Rocket heard about him and took a liking to him. He agreed to join them on the condition that they helped him finally take my Pokémon. So, after getting my eighth badge from the last Gym Leader, Giovanni, who I didn't know until later was the leader of Team Rocket, Trent and a couple of grunts ambushed me. My Pokémon were too weak to fight back after the Gym Battle, so they overpowered them. They tied me up, beat me, and threw me into the street while Trent took Electchu and my other Pokémon."
"That's horrible," Gwen said. "How did you get them back?"
Timothy's frown deepened, and he paused before answering.
"It was hours before someone found me and freed me, so Trent and the grunts were long gone by then. I reported everything to the police, but they couldn't do anything without a trace," he said. "With no one else to help, I took six of my other Pokemon from Professor Oak and went looking for Trent. Among those Pokémon was my Arcanine, Fenrir, who could detect the scent of Electchu, and Poliwrath, who had become a Poliwhirl at that point because it was familiar with them. Fenrir found their scent and tracked them to a Team Rocket hideout where they were conducting experiments on Electchu, Poliwhirl, and several other Pokémon with Trent assisting them."
"What kind of experiments?" Gwen asked.
"They were trying to force Pokémon that can only evolve by using evolution stones to evolve without them," Timothy said.
"But that's impossible," Gwen said.
"That didn't stop Team Rocket's head scientist, Dr. Zager, from trying." Timothy said. "Eevee, Nidorino, Clefairy, Poliwhirl, Electchu, any Pokemon native to Kanto that needs an evolution stone to evolve were being tortured. When I got there, they were torturing Electchu, so as soon as I told Officer Jenny that I found the hideout via communicator, I sneaked in to save it and the other Pokémon, using my Butterfree to knock out the guards with Sleep Powder. By the time I was in the room where they were holding the Pokémon, the Viridian City Police Force came and surrounded the building. Zager, Trent, and the rest of the science team were in disarray, giving me the advantage to have Butterfree use Sleep Powder again. But before Butterfree could get Trent, he took it down with his Charmeleon, which led to another battle."
"I'm guessing you won?" Gwen asked with a small smile.
"I did, but Trent refused to accept defeat," Timothy said. "He activated a self-destruct sequence, causing explosions all over the building. The police freed the Pokémon in cages, including Poliwrath, while I grabbed Electchu and the rest of my Pokémon into their Pokéballs. But before I could escape, Trent grabbed me from behind in a headlock, attempting to take us both out in the exploding building. Electchu used Iron Tail to free me from Trent's hold, breaking his arm, and we ran out of the building before the building came down."
"Wait, does that mean Trent…?" Gwen asked.
"No. He and the science team were secretly rescued by Team Rocket," Timothy said. "But for a long time, I thought he was gone for good."
"How did you learn that he survived?" Gwen asked.
Timothy turned his head to Gwen and said, "That's a story for another time. The point was even though I thought Trent was gone, the fear and the pain he caused emotionally and physically didn't go away. Electchu and Poliwrath were so tormented that they stayed with my family for a few years while I continued Pokémon training. This is where we get to how I relate to what you did."
Gwen furrowed her brow in disappointment, invested in where Timothy was going regarding Trent. Timothy was quiet again for half a minute before starting his second story.
"Three years after rescuing my Pokémon, I went to Unova to collect Gym Badges and compete in the Pokémon League for the first time," he began. "I was passing through a town on my way to my fourth Gym Battle, where Coovers, his mom, and his little sister, Laura, were asking trainers for help. A Pokémon poacher kidnapped Laura's Snubbull, and they wanted trainers to hunt him down and rescue it."
"That's horrible," Gwen said. "So, this is how you meet Coovers?"
"Yup," Timothy answered. "His mom told me what happened, and Laura was on her knees, begging me to help them. Seeing her like that made me remember the day Team Rocket took my Pokémon. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to make the poacher pay for causing misery to a child roughly the same age I was that day in Viridian City."
"So, you agreed to find him so you could hurt him," Gwen said. "Did Coovers or his sister have any idea?"
"Coovers could tell from how I was acting, bless his heart," Timothy said. "He demanded that he and Laura come with me to find the poacher. It took some convincing, but I agreed, provided Coovers got himself a Pokémon and some Pokéballs so he could build a team to protect his sister. I hated that I couldn't look for the poacher myself, but after teaching Coovers everything I know, he proved to be more capable than I expected concerning catching and training Pokémon."
"Did you guys take down the poacher together? "Gwen asked.
Timothy's smile disappeared.
"Yeah, we made it just in the nick of time. He was just getting ready to sell Snubbull to the highest bidder," he said. "Coovers wanted us to contact the nearest police station before doing anything, but I convinced him that the two of us should attack him while Laura sneaked in and freed Snubbull and the other Pokémon."
Timothy lowered his head in shame.
"We took out his Pokémon, and he tried to run away, but at that moment, I wanted more than just seeing him running off like the thieving coward he was. I ordered Titus to attack him with Flamethrower. It reluctantly complied, hitting the poacher in the back, causing him to fall on his front with burned marks on his outfit."
Timothy watched Gwen cover her mouth with wide open eyes, making him flinch. Timothy shut his eyes and sighed through his nose before he continued.
"I wanted Titus to attack him again, but before I could, Coovers had his Dewott take my Pokémon out with Water Gun. I was so livid. I ran toward the poacher to beat him, but Coovers held me back. With nothing else to do, I yelled at the poacher for everything he did until I was in tears. After that, Coovers contacted the police, they arrested the poacher, Laura got Snubbull back, and the other kidnapped Pokémon were brought back to their homes in the wild."
The hill was quiet after Timothy's confession, apart from the sound of wind softly blowing against the grass. Gwen was still staring at Timothy in shock, with no idea of what to say to his story. After half a minute, Timothy turned back at Gwen.
"That's what happens when you keep your negative feelings bottled up for so long," he said. "When I wasn't at home where my family loves me, I kept to myself. I treated my Pokémon with care, and I was nice to the Gym Leaders I faced in all that time, but I never tried to be friends with other trainers, much less want anyone as a rival. That time to yourself, your Pokémon excluded, can turn your pain into anger and hate, and it's only a matter of time before you snap under the right circumstances. You let out your anger by yelling at poor Dragapult? I let out my anger by having my Pokémon attack a defenseless man. Even when justice was served, it didn't make me feel any better."
"Then what did?" Gwen asked.
"Opening up to Coovers and Laura for a start," Timothy answered. "The night after we caught the poacher, I apologized and told them everything about Trent and Team Rocket. They forgave me and stayed with me through the rest of my journey. Coovers, Laura, and Snubbull were my first friends apart from my Pokémon, and I'm grateful for it."
Gwen smiled at how Timothy finished his story for a moment before her frown returned, and she asked, "Did you ever feel comfortable having a rival again?"
Timothy looked at Gwen with a comforting smile and said, "Yeah, when I met Ash. He showed me how fun it can be to have rivals who are also your friends. I don't think it's too far off to say that Ash brings out the best in people and Pokémon, whether he means to or not. The time Ash and I would bump into each other throughout the Battle Frontier, competing in the Indigo League, and taking down Team Rocket has helped me change for the better. Not to mention, I became more comfortable around others as his friends became my friends. Serena, Pikachu, Brock, Holly, Dawn, Piplup, May, Max; I'm a better person thanks to all of them."
Gwen looked away in hesitation for a moment and asked, "Do you think I might be able to look at it that way with Sonia?"
"I don't see why not," Timothy said. "She has been your friend long before she has been your rival, right?"
Gwen smirked and said, "I think it depends on your idea of a friend, but yeah."
"There you go," Timothy said. "Though, for the record, I'm rooting for you all the way."
Gwen's smirk turned into a heartfelt smile, and she said, "You mean that?"
"From the bottom of my heart," Timothy said. "Plus, Sonia has Coovers to support her because he worships the ground she walks on, so you should have someone apart from Winnie to have your back."
Gwen snickered and said, "Yeah, that goof has it bad for her, doesn't he? I'm glad Sonia's not giving him an inch."
"Oh, my gosh, he would lose his marbles if she did," Timothy chortled. "Can you imagine her bashfully asking him out while playing with her hair?"
The two of them burst out laughing with Timothy's head pulled back and Gwen's hand on his shoulder as she wrapped her arm around her gut. Back at camp, Coovers was still stirring the stew, and Sonia was playing a game on her phone before they sneezed simultaneously. When they stopped, Gwen sighed and gave Timothy another heartfelt smile.
"Thank you for listening, Timothy, and thanks for saving my life."
"Anytime," Timothy said, smiling back. "I guess that technically makes us even, doesn't it."
"Yeah, I guess it does," Gwen said. "Now that I think about it, I never thanked you for saving Spoink from Team Rocket. Have I?"
"Don't worry about it. As someone who also loves Pokémon, seeing you continue to be together with your Pokémon is all the thanks I need," Timothy said.
Timothy and Gwen stared at each other with Timothy glued to Gwen's opal eyes. He then realized what he was doing and looked away while clearing his throat.
"We better get back. Coovers probably has dinner ready by now," he said.
But before he pushed himself up, Gwen immediately placed her hand on top of his as though it was a reflex. Timothy's cheeks turned red as he turned his head to see Gwen giving him a pleading look.
"Can we stay here a little longer, please?" She asked.
Timothy felt goosebumps all over his body and his face heating up more. His mouth hung open for several seconds before he collected himself and nodded with a smile. Gwen gave him a smile that made his heart skip a beat and scooted closer before she looked up at the sky again. Timothy's smile stretched to the sides of his face at the sight of Gwen so serene. He then noticed her hand still on top of his, and his face turned beet red, but he ignored it as he joined Gwen in admiring the bright moon and countless stars shining above them.
For the first time in his life, the man in the "H.A.K." shirt experienced a moment without his Pokemon that he never wanted to end.