The next day, Ezria woke up promptly at nine and set up a campfire and the table again to make breakfast while the rest of the group was still asleep. When Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen woke up to the smell of hot oatmeal with minced berries. Coovers's mouth was watering at the smell, but Ezria forced him to wait, making sure that she and Timothy got their helpings first. Coovers pouted as he reluctantly helped Gwen set up food for everyone's Pokémon. By the time they were done, Timothy had finished his oatmeal, and Ezria took his bowl to put more in, despite Timothy saying he didn't want any more.
After breakfast, Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, Ezria, Electchu, and Winnie rode until one-thirty in the afternoon, when Hammerlocke was in view. Ezria stopped the group a mile away from the city to change into her disguise. She put on her trench coat and her hat, but her red rose eyes widened just as she was about to put on her sunglasses.
"Oh, my goodness!" Ezria said before turning to Timothy. "Timothy, you need a disguise too."
Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen looked at each other, and Timothy asked, "Why?"
"Some of my fans kept you from leaving Hammerlocke because of what I said in my interview, right? I bet more of them will want to challenge you to World Coronation battles."
"I doubt they'll be able to when Timbo's in the Great Class, and they are probably not even close to it," Coovers said with a smirk.
"Yeah, and can't you just put them in their place since they worship you?" Gwen asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I would love to, but that might make things worse," Ezria said. "If I reveal that I'm traveling with you, people will go ballistic, and it will be all because of my interview. We don't want any unwanted attention when passing by on our way to Circhester, do we?"
Coovers and Gwen thought about it before Coovers turned to Timothy and said, "She makes a valid point. Maybe we should have thought of that a while ago."
"Hmmm. I guess you're right," Timothy said. "We should sneak our way to the nearest clothing store and make a disguise for me."
"No, we shouldn't risk it. The nearest store is almost right by Hammerlocke Stadium. That's the center of the city," Ezria said. "Why don't you guys stop here for lunch? I'll go over there and find the perfect disguise for you."
"Oh, you don't need to do that, Ezria," Timothy said half-sarcastically.
"Nonsense. I'm a professional," Ezria said with a wave of her hand. "In fact, I should also restock on supplies, so we have that covered. Oh, and we should also silence our phones. We don't want them announcing there's a challenger nearby every time we pass by a World Coronation Series competitor going from one side of the city to another."
"Now that we agree on," Timothy said.
"Good," Ezria said with a pleased smile. "Now, feel free to rest and train your Pokémon after lunch. I'll be back."
Without another word, Ezria put on her sunglasses, got back on her bike, and continued riding to the city. She looked back to make sure Timothy and his friends were doing what they were told before she crossed the bridge into the city. Ezria rode down several blocks before turning into a narrow alley. She looked back to make sure she was far enough into the city before she transformed her bicycle back into a phone.
"I hope he's close enough that I can do this," Ezria said to herself. "Rotom, call Uncle Rose."
Ezria stepped into a café, carrying several grocery bags and a large teal and gray shopping bag from Hammerlocke Boutique. Only a couple of tables were occupied, for the lunch rush was over. At the counter was a thin man close to his forties with long, light yellow hair tied to a ponytail and a mungo jerry beard wiping the counter. A Milcery was floating next to the cash register, watching the man clean. Ezria looked at the man in amusement as she approached the counter, catching the man's attention.
"Welcome to the Battle Café. How can I help you?" He asked.
Ezria smirked and lowered her sunglasses to reveal her rose-red eyes.
"Hello, Gunther. It's been too long," she said with a wink.
The man froze in shock, instantly recognizing Ezria's eyes. He stammered as he got lost in her gaze, feeling like a little boy stunned to see a pretty girl notice him. Ezria giggled with her mouth closed, which gave Gunther goosebumps. He wanted to scream her name in joy, but he knew she valued secrecy whenever visiting Hammerlocke.
"Y-y-you're…I mean… Yes, it's been too long," Gunther stuttered. "I, uh, forgot that your eyes are so pretty. I'm so sorry, Ms. Markenel."
"That's alright, Gunther, dear. I have forgotten how your hair burns brighter than the sun," Ezria said. "How you haven't caught the attention of a nice lady is beyond me."
Gunther's face turned red as he gave her a dopey smile. Gunther desperately wanted Ezria to give him a chance like the rest of the men in Galar, but she knew he would never be brave enough to say how he felt, unlike men like Bard, Mojo, Stan, and Kibau. His extreme shyness made him the only male fan she never had to worry about. Gunther's Milcery nudged his arm, snapping him out of his gaze, and he cleared his throat.
"Anyway, he hasn't arrived yet, but your table is ready," he said. "Shall I prepare the usual for you?"
"Please and thank you, dearest," Ezria said.
Gunther chuckled bashfully at being called "dearest." He led Ezria to a table far from the counter by the restrooms, where there were no windows around. Gunther pulled up a chair for Ezria, and she curtsied before she put down her bags and sat down. Gunther went back to the counter to prepare for her order while Ezria took out her phone. She spent her time waiting, watching videos of Timothy's battles against Kabu and Opal. She wished she thought of asking a League Staff member working in Stow-on-Side Stadium to record his battle with Bea as well, feeling like a piece of the story was missing.
Eventually, the bell above the front door rang, and Ezria looked up from her phone to see Chairman Rose entering the cafe in his disguise. Oleana was seen standing outside through the window walls making business calls. Ezria smiled as she stood up to hug the chairman and kiss his cheek.
"Thank you so much for coming on such short notice, Uncle," she said.
"You don't need to thank me, Ezria. I'll always make time for you," Chairman Rose said with a bright smile. "Besides, I just had a lunch meeting with some executives at Wyndon, so flying here for tea and Mago Berry cheesecake right after sounds perfect. Just don't tell your Aunt Oleana. You know how she gets about my weight."
"My lips are sealed," Ezria said, lowering her sunglasses again to give the chairman a wink.
The chairman's smile grew, pleased to have the raspberry-haired woman's word. They sat down just as Gunther came over with a tray and placed two cups of tea, a plate of shortcake, and a slice of cheesecake on the table. Ezria and Chairman Rose thanked Gunther before returning to the counter and taking a bite of their respective treats. Rose let out a loud "Mmmmm" with his eyes closed, and Ezria sighed in bliss.
"Out of this world," Chairman Rose said.
"Gunther does make the best sweets out of all the other Battle Cafés," Ezria said. "I think the last time I was here was during a business trip when I was still representing Markenel Power Plant."
"Indeed? To think it's only been less than three months since you and Venarge left to work for me," Rose said.
Ezria's smile faded slightly, and she played with her shortcake with her fork with a fond look, resting her hand with her hand.
"Honestly, Uncle, it feels a lot longer than that," she said. "The more I get to live out my dream, the more I feel like myself to the point that sitting on a desk filling up paperwork for my mom and dad feels like another life altogether."
"I can only imagine," Chairman Rose said. "I bet Venarge feels the same way."
"Heh, sure he is if you don't include him losing to Kabu and Opal," Ezria said with a smirk.
The chairman let out a hearty chuckle and said, "I did warn him that our Gym Leaders are strong in their own way. I heard that he and Timothy got their Fairy Badges the day after you did."
"Yes, they did. In fact, I'm traveling to Circhester with Timothy and his friends," Ezria announced happily. "We have even agreed to travel together throughout the rest of the Gym Challenge."
"You are? I would very much like to see Timothy," Rose said.
"They're out in the outskirts of town eating lunch," Ezria said before lifting up her shopping bag to show it to Rose. "Timothy had gained a little too much attention from some unwanted people, so I went out ahead to get him a disguise so we can smoothly go through the city. I got him a hoodie, sunglasses, and a neck mask."
"Ah, how thoughtful of you, Ezria," Rose said. "Maybe if I have enough time, I can see Timothy when you give him his disguise."
Ezria winced and looked away, playing with her food again.
"Actually, Uncle Rose, I don't want them to know I'm meeting you," she confesses.
The chairman's smile disappeared, looking hurt and confused. Before he could ask why Ezria was keeping their meeting a secret, he heard the sound of something rumbling. As though on instinct, he took his and Ezria's treats off the table just before the ground suddenly began to shake. Customers and their Pokémon panicked, with plates and cups shaking off the tables and breaking. Gunther's eyes widened, and he cried, "Not again…" as he scooped up Milcery and ducked underneath the counter for cover. Oleana nearly dropped her phone as she and several bystanders outside struggled to keep their balance. Ezria watched in alarm before she picked up her and Rose's cups just as they were about to fall off the table.
After twenty seconds, the shaking stopped as quickly as it happened, and everyone stood in place for a moment before they eased up. Gunther came out from under the counter and grabbed a broom and a bucket of cleaning equipment to clean the broken dishes, spilled treats, and coffee. Rose smiled and put the shortcake and cheesecake down before he took his tea from Ezria's hand. He took a sip before he noticed his and Ezria's forks fell on the floor.
"Gunther, could you get us some new forks, please?" He asked.
"Uh, yes, at once, sir," Gunther replied while wiping tea and cake off the floor. "Milcery, would you be so kind?"
"Milcery," Milcery chirped with a smile.
The shorter of the Cream Pokémon floated to the back of the counter and grabbed two clean forks. It brought it over to Rose and Ezria's table, and the chairman petted Milcery as he took the forks from its little arm. Milcery took the forks on the floor and floated away. The chairman returned to eating his cheesecake with his new fork, but Ezria stared at Rose, astounded to see him so calm.
"What on Earth was that?!" She shouted.
"That was Eternatus trying to break out again," Rose said before taking another bite.
"Again?!" Ezria shouted.
"Don't worry about it, my dear. The fact that the shaking stopped means Eternatus has given up." the chairman said with a smile. "We just need to reinforce the core's shell again. That's all. Your aunt is probably making a call for that to happen right now."
Ezria blinked and looked past the chairman to see Oleana making another call and yelling at the person on the other line.
"Are you sure it's that simple? You don't think it might break free?" Ezria asked.
Rose chuckled with his mouth closed and said, "My dear Ezria. My team has prepared for something like this. We'll reinforce the core, if not the entire hanger if we have to. A little more money and time is nothing compared to what may happen in a thousand years. You know that."
Ezria opened her mouth to protest again, but she stopped and said, "You're right. You must learn from this before the team begins to extract Galar Particles from Eternatus."
"Exactly," Rose said. "When the Energy Plant is fully operational, people and Pokémon will forget these little quakes ever happened. Besides, if any energy breaches the hanger walls, I'm counting on you, Venarge, and Leon to deal with it and, if necessary, capture Eternatus if it escapes."
Ezria gave the chairman a nod before he went back to his cake. She used her new fork to cut a piece of her shortcake and lifted it up to take a bite, but before she put it in her mouth, she froze and remembered her objective. She put her fork down and bit her lip as she looked back at Chairman Rose enjoying another bite of his cheesecake with his eyes closed. Her heart raced, and she took deep breaths as she mustered the courage to make her move.
"Actually, Uncle, my job does have to do with why I wanted to meet you." Ezria began. "I have a big favor to ask of you."
Chairman Rose opened his eyes and tilted his head in curiosity as he asked, "Oh?"
"You see, while I was in Glimwood Tangle, Timothy and I found some time away from his friends, and we got to know each other more. I told him about wanting to be a trainer and not being able to because of my parents. When Timothy asked me what Venarge and I are doing for you, I told him it was a secret, and he was sad that I was keeping him from knowing everything about me. I told him about wanting to be a Trainer and not being able to because of my parents. So, I promised to show him what we have planned after we win all of our badges."
Chairman Rose was silent for a moment before he said, "I see. So, you want my approval to take him to see the Energy Plant and tell him about our operation?"
"Y-yes." Ezria said.
Chairman Rose disapproved and said, "I don't like that you are asking permission to let an outsider into our secret project. It's bad enough I need my men to keep an eye on Professor Magnolia to make sure my old partner isn't planning anything to stop us. I would think you would know better than to risk it because of your personal feelings."
"I know, and if it were anyone else, it would never enter my mind, but Timothy is special," Ezria said.
Chairman Rose's frown deepened, and he said, "He may be a hero of the world, and I support your pursuit to get together with him, but that doesn't instantly mean you can let him in our most private facility just to please him."
Ezria's heart sank. Her mind imagined telling Timothy that she couldn't fulfill her promise.
"I'm sorry, Timothy. I still can't tell you what I'm doing for Uncle Rose."
"Oh, I see. So, you lied to me. You never wanted to tell me what gave you the chance to live out your dream." Ezria imagined Timothy saying with a cold voice.
"No, that's not true. I tried to get Uncle Rose's permission, but he said no."
"Clearly, you didn't try hard enough. I worked hard to complete the Gym Challenge, excited to learn this special thing about you, and this is what I get? And here I thought you were someone I could trust with my life. Maybe my heart."
"B-but you can trust me. This was completely beyond my control. Please, forgive me. I can't bear the thought of you hating me."
"Too late. I don't give second chances. After I beat Leon at the Championship Cup, I don't ever want to see you or step foot in Galar ever again."
Ezria's heart ached as though a hundred knives pierced it. Even if it was all in her head, the thought of Timothy cutting all ties with her was terrifying. She looked down at the table, desperately trying to think of something to turn the conversation in her favor, until finally, her face lit up.
"Actually, Uncle Rose, I'm not asking this because of my feelings for him," she claimed. "I'm asking because I believe he will want to join our cause."
"Oh? And what makes you so sure?" Chairman Rose asked.
"I've seen Timothy battle. He sacrificed his Lucario, Odyssey, to Opal's Gigantamax Alcremie so that he was prepared to crush her with ease using Knightblade." Ezria asked. "And last night, he told me the story of how he led the fight against Team Rocket and captured Arceus. He forged a calvary of trainers and Pokémon to burst through enemy forces to get to Arceus, he made his Pokémon fight until they either fainted or lost all of their energy to defeat the Pokémon of the Team Rocket member who guarded Arceus. When that person used Timothy's own Psychic type Pokémon, Shockwave, as a shield, he ordered Odyssey to attack it as a distraction to throw his Master Ball to capture Arceus and win the battle."
"Really?" The chairman asked, surprised. "I suppose one has to be that determined if you have to save the world."
"Exactly," Ezria said. "If he went that many lengths to save the entire world, I don't doubt he would be more than willing to do whatever it takes to protect Galar whether we ask him or not. But, if we tell him before you begin extracting Galar Particles, he will be prepared just like Venarge and me in case anything goes wrong. The fact that he has the Master Ball makes him an ace in the hole should Eternatus ever escape."
Chairman Rose scratched his chin in thought, smiled, and said, "Yes, that makes sense. Timothy would be a valuable asset for Macro Cosmos's interests. I might even offer to sponsor him if it ensures we will join you and Venarge."
"Actually, Uncle, I don't think that will be necessary because we already have something that would benefit him when he says yes," Ezria said.
"Oh? And what would that be?" Rose asked.
"Me, of course," Ezria replied, smirking.
Chairman Rose raised his eyebrow again in amusement and said, "My dear child, do you mean to tell me that you two are together already?"
"No, but the seeds have been planted," Ezria said. "The night we went through the mine after we had lunch at Hulbury, I overheard Timothy being defensive about his feelings for me when Electchu was nagging him over it, and he really wanted to know everything about me when we were in the forest."
Ezria rested her head with her hand and looked at the ceiling with a blissful smile.
"You should have seen how invested Timothy was, Uncle Rose. When I told him my life story, he looked at me as a person and not something to woo and possess," she said. "He may have referred to me as a friend, but all it takes is a little time together before he dedicates his life to making me happy. If that doesn't make him the perfect man, I don't know what does."
Rose smiled and said, "Indeed. I wouldn't want it any other way than for someone to treat you with the respect you deserve, dear Ezria. And you are both strong trainers who will fight for the greater good which makes the two of you a perfect match."
Ezria's smile stretches to the sides of her face, and she looks back at the chairman, still resting her head on her hand.
"Yes, and I think that will seal the deal between Timothy and me," she said. "If you let me show him the Energy Plant, he will surely realize that I am as passionate about protecting the future as he was when he destroyed Team Rocket, and, when he does, he will accept that I am the only woman for him. Timothy's search for romance, thanks to his little friends, will be over before it begins. We will be together as my knight and his queen."
The chairman and his minion fell silent once Ezria finished making her case. Rose looked down in thought again, leaving Ezria in suspense. After a moment, Chairman Rose smiled and pointed his finger at Ezria.
"I'm going to be in Hammerlocke again at the end of the Gym Challenge," he said. "If both you and Timothy show me your rings with all of your badges, I will personally give you access to the Energy Plant. Understood?"
Ezria's eyes light up from underneath her shades. She got off her seat and walked around the table to pull Rose into a spine-crushing hug. The chairman chuckled as Ezria rested her head on his shoulder.
"Oh, thank you so much, Uncle Rose!" She squealed. "You don't know how much this means to me!"
"Think nothing about it, my child," Chairman Rose chortled. "Though, I hope you realize this means I will be counting on you more than ever to complete your mission and to keep it a secret. Only Timothy is allowed to know. His friends are to be left completely in the dark. Is that clear?"
"Crystal," Ezria replied. "You will not regret this, Uncle. I swear it."
"I will hold you to that,'' Chairman Rose said.
With the deal struck, Ezria sat back down, and they finished the rest of their tea and sweets. They left the Battle Café with Rose leaving a generous tip on the table and Ezria grabbing her shopping bags and blowing a kiss at Gunther to tease the bashful, older man. They walked up the street to Hammerlocke Stadium with Ezria's arm around the Chairman's being in character with their disguises when Ezria's Rotom Phone started vibrating.
"You have a call from My Gallant Knight. You have a call from My Gallant Knight," Rotom said.
Ezria reddened with a sheepish grin, and Chairman Rose chuckled with his mouth closed while Oleana raised her eyebrow.
"That wouldn't be the name you created for Timothy as your contact, would it, Ezria?" Oleana asked.
"It...might be," Ezria confessed. "Please excuse me."
Ezria walked a couple of feet away from the chairman and her aunt before she answered her phone.
"Hello?"
"Ezria, where are you?" Timothy asked. "We finished lunch fifteen minutes ago."
"Sorry, Timothy. I stopped for lunch after shopping," Ezria replied. "I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Okay. Hurry up. We're on our bikes and ready to go," Timothy said.
"Post haste, Sweetest," Ezria said.
She hung up the phone before she could hear Timothy groaning in annoyance. She walked back to Rose and Oleana and said, "That was Timothy. He and his friends are waiting for me."
"Then you better get over there and give Timothy his disguise," Rose said.
"Right," Ezria said before she hugged the chairman. "See you later, Uncle."
Chairman Rose smiled and hugged Ezria back before she proceeded to hug Oleana. Oleana patted Ezria's head, focused on her phone as her niece hugged her. Ezria broke the hug, turned her Rotom Phone into a bicycle, and rode away. She waved to Rose and Oleana, and the chairman waved back until she was out of sight. The chairman sighed with a smile before he turned to his devoted secretary.
"Do you have a helicopter ready to take us to our meeting in Motostoke?" He asked.
"Ordered shortly before you two exited the café, sir," Oleana said. "It's going to meet us at the top of the stadium."
"Excellent," Rose said. "I assume you also called the Energy Plant?"
"Yes, sir. They're reinforcing the core as we speak," Oleana said.
"Good. Hopefully, that will prevent further quakes," the chairman said. "In the meantime, let's hope for the best for all our remaining gym challengers. Especially Venarge, Ezria, and Timothy."
Oleana raised her eyebrow and said, "You have been thinking a lot about Gym Challenger number seven ever since his claims proved legit. Do you think he will win the Galar League and defeat Leon?"
"Who knows for sure?" The chairman replied. "Timothy is ahead of the remaining competition with Venarge and Ezria. That further proves he's not a trainer to underestimate. Still, I don't think it matters any more than it does with whether or not Venarge or Ezria will win. What might be more important is him possibly working for me."
Oleana's mouth curved down slightly, but the rest of her face was still calm and composed.
"Excuse me, Mr. Chairman, but I don't believe you have expressed interest in hiring Gym Challenger number seven before," she said.
"I haven't. Ezria made a good suggestion to recruit her special man at the café," Rose explained. "When they both complete the Gym Challenge, Ezria will convince Timothy to protect Galar with her and Venarge."
"Do you think it's wise to risk the secrecy of your project on Ezria's emotions, however reasonable her logic maybe?" Oleana questioned.
The chairman smiled, still looking where he last saw Ezria before turning to Oleana.
"You and your family are very dear to me, Oleana. I can't express how grateful I am for the support you, Ezria, and Venarge have given me," he said. "I admit Ezria's request is risky, but I chose to trust that what one of my most loyal and beloved employees wants is beneficial to ensure we minimize possible sacrifices. And besides, if Timothy is against my dream, we will make sure he can't say anything anymore than Professor Magnolia. I won't let anyone stop us from obtaining Eternatus's unlimited power. Not even the savior of the world and the love of Ezria's life."
Oleana was silent for a moment before she bowed her head with her eyes closed, and said, "Understood, Mr. Chairman."
With that, Chairman Rose and Oleana went inside Hammerlocke Stadium and went up the stairs to a landing zone at the top, where a helicopter was preparing to land. As they waited, Chairman Rose looked down the ledge just in time to see Ezria riding her bicycle toward the other side of the city, followed by Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, Electchu, and Winnie. The chairman smiled in amusement as he watched Timothy riding behind him in his new disguise with Electchu on his back.
"Ezria Durbin: Galar's Champion, Monarch of the World Coronation Series, Head Protector of Galar, and wife to Timothy Durbin: Savior of the World, and fellow Protector of Galar. A power couple like no other."
Rose said to himself before chuckling with his mouth closed.
"Seems like Galar's future turns brighter by the day."
Author's note
So, as some of you might have figured out, the owner of the Battle Café, Gunther, is named after the F.R.I.E.N.D.S. character, who had a crush on one of the main characters, Rachel, and the way Ezria described his hair is how Rachel described Gunther's hair in their last scene together. However, I want to clarify that this wasn't planned initially. When writing this chapter, I had in mind that the owner of the Hammerlocke Battle Café was this shy older man that Ezria was comfortable with because he could never make a move, but I didn't have a name for him. I took a break to check my notifications on Facebook when I was on the first paragraph of Ezria and Chairman Rose in the cafe, only to discover on the news reel that the actor who played Gunther in F.R.I.E.N.D.S, James Michael Tyler, had passed away earlier that day after a battle with prostate cancer. I try to bring as few pop culture references as possible with The Road to our Destiny series to the point that I'm thinking of editing out some references from the first book, but the character I had envisioned was so similar to Gunther that it only made sense to name the character after him. So, I wanted to make this clear after reading this chapter.
Anyway, as always, thank you for reading, the Lord be with you all, and I'll see you in the next chapter.
In memory of our dear Central Perk manager
James Michael Tyler
(1962-2021)