"Victor and Gloria arrive in Hammerlocke, where Bede challenges Victor to a five on five Pokémon Battle, proving himself to be a difficult opponent. With Victor and his Pokémon pushed to their limits, they managed to overcome Bede, who Opal decided will replace her at Ballonlea Gym Leader. Now, Victor and Gloria are ready to continue onward."

"Boltund VS Perrserker"

Victor and Gloria are walking across the bridge on Route 7, with Gloria stretching her arms.

"It feels good to be traveling again," Gloria says, as she lowers her arms. "Although I heard it get pretty cold up north…" Gloria looks over to Victor, who is looking slightly down. "Victor, are you with me?"

"Oh," Victor looks over to her, before giving a small smile. "Sorry, I guess I was thinking about my battle with Bede."

"Gave you a lot to think about?" Gloria asks.

"Yeah, something like that," Victor says, before he looks up, when he suddenly sees a Vespiquen flying by. "Is that…?"

"Vespi! Vespi!" Vespiquen flies, as a Boltund watches it on the bridge.

"Bolt! Bolt!"

"It's a Vespiquen and a Boltund?!" Gloria realizes.

Gloria's Rotom Phone flies up, "Vespiquen, the Beehive Pokémon, Vespiquen that give off more pheromones have large swarms of Combee attendants."

Victor's Rotom Phone flies up, "Boltund, the Dog Pokémon, This Pokémon generates electricity and channels it into its legs to keep them going strong. Boltund can run nonstop for three full days."

A woman, Mila, raises a hand, "Alright, Vespiquen, let's show them what's what with Fell Stinger!"

"It's a Trainer battle," Victor lowers his Rotom Phone.

"Victor, look!" Gloria calls out, as she looks ahead.

On the other side of the bridge, Hop holds an arm to the side, "Boltund, dodge and use Charge!"

"Vespi!" Vespiquen flies forward, as a glowing needle appears at the bottom of its lower section. "Vespi!"

"Bolt!" Boltund jumps to the side, as Vespiquen flies past it. Boltund skids to a stop, before it's body surges with electricity. "Bolt!"

"Vespiquen, quick, use Power Gem!" Mila calls out.

"Not so fast, Boltund, Wild Charge!" Hop instructs.

"Bolt!" Boltund, surrounded by electricity, charges ahead and slams into Vespiquen. "Bolt!"

"Vespi!"

"Vespiquen!" Mila calls out.

Vespiquen falls onto the ground, with its eyes swirling, "Vespi…"

"Alright, we did it, Boltund!" Hop raises an arm.

"Bolt!" Boltund jumps up, happily.

Vespiquen turns into red energy and flies into Mila's Poké Ball, which she then looks at, "Good job, Vespiquen." She looks ahead at Hop, "Congratulations on the victory, young man."

"Thanks," Hop smiles, as he wraps an arm around Boltund's neck.

Mila turns and starts to walk away, as Victor and Gloria approach.

"Long time, no see," Gloria says.

"Gloria, Victor, great to see you two," Hop says, as he stands next to his Pokémon.

"See you got a new Pokémon," Victor says.

"Yeah, I just caught Boltund and we are already a good team," Hop says, as he looks at Boltund, before looking back at his friends. "And I can't wait till I can introduce it to Sonia's Yamper."

At the same time, on the side of the bridge behind Hop and Boltund, a wild Perrserker watches them from within a brush, "Perrser…"

Shortly, across the bridge, Victor and Hop are setting out a collapsible table, as Gloria is going through her backpack, with their Pokémon running around.

"You beat Bede in a full Pokémon battle?" Hop says.

"It was actually a five on five battle," Victor explains.

"Still, he might've lost his endorsement but Bede's a tough opponent for just a one on one battle," Hop says, before he turns away.

"It might have been my most important battle…" Victor whispers, as Gloria stands up and looks over to him.

Sirfetch'd looks away from the Trainers and notices a bunch of bushes rustling, "Sir fetch…?"

"Bolt! Bolt!" Boltund happily runs around with Toxel on its back, as Pikach and Thwackey running with it.

"Toxe! Toxe!" Toxel happily says, before it falls off and lands on Pikachu.

Toxel, Pikachu, and Thwackey start laughing.

Boltund smiles, before it looks to the side, "Bolt…"

Sirfetch'd looks closely to the bush, "Sir fetch…" Suddenly, it sees a pair of eyes in the bush. "Sir fetch?!"

Then the Perrserker bursts out of the bush, swiping its claws, with Sirfetch'd deflecting with its leek, "Perrser!"

Everyone, Trainer and Pokémon, look to the side, startled.

A cabbie is crossing the bridge, when he hears the noise, "What's that?"

"It's a Perrserker!" Gloria realizes.

Gloria's Rotom Phone flies up, "Perrserker, the Viking Pokémon, After many battles, it evolved dangerous claws that come together to form daggers when extended."

"Sir fetch!" Sirfetch'd holds out its leek.

"Perrser!" Perrserker charges past Sirfetch'd.

"Sir fetch?!" Sirfetch'd calls out, before turning. "Sir fetch!"

"Perrser!" Perrserker charges straight at Boltund.

"Bolt!"

"Perrser!" Perrserker brings its claws together on one paw, before they glow silver and it strikes forward.

"Bolt!" Boltund bites onto the glowing claws, and pulls back, throwing Perrserker to the side.

"Perrser!" Perrserker lands and charges forward.

"It's attacking Boltund," Victor realizes.

"Not my Pokémon," Hop says, before he holds out a hand. "Boltund, use Nuzzle!"

"Bolt!" Boltund surges with electricity before charging ahead, as Perrserker blocks with its glowing silver head.

"Or use Wild Charge, that's good too…" Hop starts to lower his hand, before holding it out again. "Okay, use Charge before the next attack!"

Boltund charges ahead, snapping its jaw at the dodging Perrserker, "Perrser!"

"That is… Bite…" Hop starts to lower his hand. "Why is Boltund ignoring my instructions…"

"Sir Fetch! Sir Fetch!" Sirfetch'd swings its leek wildly.

"Whoa there!" Gloria stops in front of Sirfetch'd with her arms spread. "You are not getting into this battle!"

"But this battle should stop," Victor says, before he looks over to his Pokémon. "Silicobra, use Bulldoze to break them up."

"Sili?" Silicobra looks up at its Trainer, before nodding its head. "Sili!"

"Perrser!"

"Bolt!"

Perrserker and Boltund charge at each other.

"Sili!" Silicobra swings around its tail, before slamming it down on the ground, shaking the ground.

Perrserker and Boltund jump up, with Perrserker's head glowing silver and Boltund surging with electricity before they collide.

Gloria stands up and turns away from her Sirfetch'd, looking up, "Nothing is stopping them."

"Perhaps this will."

Victor turns to see the cabbie stand several feet away.

"Go, Rufflet!" The cabbie throws a Poké Ball. "Use Whirlwind!"

The Poké Ball opens and shoots out red energy, which forms Rufflet, before it starts to flap its wings, "Ruff! Let! Ruff!"

A large gust of wind hits Boltund and Perrserker.

"Bolt!" Boltund calls out, before it's glow red, turns into energy and flies back into Hop's Poké Ball.

"Perrser!" Perrserker runs back through the bushes.

"That's one way to settle the problem," Gloria says.

"I don't think the problem settled," Victor says, as he and Gloria look over to their friend.

Hop looks at the Poké Ball in his hand, "Why would Boltund ignore me like that…?"

Shortly later, Victor and Gloria bow in front of the cabbie.

"Thanks for your help," Gloria says.

The cabbie smiles, "Don't mention it, kids. By the way, my name is Bruce, and this is my friend, Rufflet."

"Ruff! Let!" Rufflet happily announces.

Victor's Rotom Phone flies up, "Rufflet, the Eaglet Pokémon, If it spies a strong Pokémon, Rufflet can't resist challenging it to a battle. Buf if Rufflet loses, it starts bawling."

"Knigh!" Corviknight smiles.

Victor lowers his Rotom Phone, as he looks at Corviknight, before looking back ahead, "Sorry, but do you train Corviknight for the taxi service?"

"True, but Rufflet is my personal Pokémon," Bruce starts. "Today's my day off and I was planning on spending it with Rufflet to relax some. But then I came across your little problem…"

Victor, Gloria, and Bruce look over to Hop, who is seated on the ground, looking at the Poké Ball in his hand, with Thwackey and Wooloo next to him.

"Boltund, why did you ignore me…?" Hop wonders.

"Thwack," Thwackey says, as it and Wooloo look at each other, worryingly.

Bruce walks over to Hop, "Don't take it personally, kid, you probably caught the Boltund I've heard of."

"What do you mean?" Hop asks.

"Well, I could be wrong, but I heard of a wild Boltund and a wild Perrserker that often fought over territory," Bruce holds a hand to his chin.

"So if you're right, Bruce," Gloria says, as she and Victor walk over. "Than Perrserker might want to settle things with Boltund."

Hop looks at his Poké Ball, "Settle things…"

"Like I said, I could be wrong," Bruce says.

Hop stands up and holds out his Poké Ball, "Come out, Boltund!"

The Poké Ball opens and shoots out red energy, which forms Boltund, "Bolt!"

"Boltund, that Perrserker you fought, is it your rival?" Victor asks.

"Bolt! Bolt!" Boltund calls out, nodding its head.

Hop grins and bumps a fist, "Then I will help you beat your rival!"

Victor crosses his arms, as he looks down.

Hop holds out an arm, "Thwackey, Double Hit! Boltund, dodge!"

"Thwack!" Thwackey swings one of its sticks, with Boltund dodges.

"Bolt!" Boltund jumps back to dodge another stick swing.

Off to the side, Victor, Gloria, Bruce, and the other Pokémon, with Rufflet in Bruce's arms, watch them.

Gloria looks over to Victor, who is looking down, "Anything on your mind?"

Victor glances at his friend, before looking back at Boltund, as it charges, "I'm just wondering if rivalry is the only reason Boltund and Perrserker battle."

"What do you mean?" Gloria asks.

"I keep on thinking about my battle with Bede," Victor starts. "We fought, and since we were both Gym Challengers, I guessed we were rivals. But even though I won and Bede's no longer a Gym Challenger, I don't feel as if our rivalry ended or anything really changed…"

Victor watches as Thwackey dodges Boltund's electricity charged slam, before striking with its stick, "Even if Boltund manages to beat Perrserker, will anything change…"

At the same time, Perrserker watches from behind a large tree, "Perrser…"

Gloria, on one knee, closes up her backpack, before standing and turns to Victor placing his backpack on his back.

"If we're gonna go to Circhester, we should leave right away," Gloria says to her friend.

Victor nods his head.

Bruce walks over, holding his Rufflet, and feeding a berry to it.

"Oh yeah!" Hop pumps his fists, next to his Pokémon. "I'm so ready for our next Gym battle!"

"Thwack!"

"Bolt!"

"Woo!"

"Bolt?!" Boltund looks to the side.

"Perrser!" Perrserker suddenly jumps out of a bush, with silver glowing claws.

"Bolt!" Boltund, surging with electricity, slams its head against Perrserker's claws, knocking it back.

"Perrser!" Perrserker lands, as Boltund turns to it.

"Alright, we're ready for you," Hop turns to face the Pokémon.

"Here we go again," Gloria sighs. "Sirfetch'd, don't even think about getting into this battle."

Gloria looks over to see Sirfetch'd had its leek lowered, while watching the other two Pokémon.

Gloria smiles, "Did Sirfetch'd heard what Bruce and Victor said about them?"

"Okay, Boltund, use Charge!" Hop instructs.

"Bolt!" Boltund's body surges with electricity.

"Perrser!" Perrserker holds out its claws, which gives off a slight glow.

"I think that's Hone Claws," Victor realizes.

"That won't stop us!" Hop holds out a hand. "Boltund, Wild Charge!"

"Bolt!" Boltund's body surges with electricity as it charges forward.

"Perrser!" Perrserker charges ahead, as one pair of its claws glow silver, before strikes ahead with the two colliding.

"Good, now use Nuzzle!" Hop calls out.

"Bolt!" Boltund suddenly snaps its mouth at Perrserker, who jumps back, with its head glowing silver, before jumping ahead, slamming against Boltund.

"What?! That's Bite!" Hop rubs his hair, before holding out a hand. "Okay, fine, then get back and use Charge!"

"Bolt!" Boltund snaps its mouth at Perrserker.

"Perrser!" Perrserker dodges and swipes with its glowing silver claws.

Boltund dodges as the two continue to exchange attacks and dodging.

"Aw man! Boltund's not listening to me again," Hop lowers his head.

Victor approaches, "It's possible that this battle is a lot more personal than a simple rivalry."

Hop looks over to his friend, "You think?"

"Whatever this could be, it might be something they have to handle on their own," Victor says.

Hop looks ahead, "But what could it be…?"

A Galarian Meowth is climbing across a tree branch, trying to reach a berry hanging from it, before it slips and falls off. Meowth then lands into some bushes.

Meowth comes out of the bushes, with some scratches on its arm, which it is trying to rub, "Meowt…"

At that moment, a Yamper walks over to the Meowth, as it nervously looks at the Pokémon. Yamper then starts to lick Meowth's wound, with Meowth smiling.

Yamper charges into the side of a tree, with a berry hanging from a branch falling down next to it.

"Yamp!" Yamper looks over to Meowth behind it.

"Meowt!" Meowth jumps up and scratches at another berry, cutting it loose from the branch.

Yamper rolls over its berry to Meowth, who then hands its berry to Yamper. Yamper takes the offered berry by its mouth, as Meowth picks up the other berry. The two start to eat.

Yamper and Meowth huddle together inside in a cave, with a rainstorm raging outside, before they start to fall asleep.

Yamper glows before it grows in size and its neck extends, before it's glowing ceases, "Bolt!"

Meowth happily appaludes, "Meowt! Meowt!"

Boltund runs up a steep hill, with Meowth having trouble keeping pace as it breathes heavily.

Meowth is knocked back, before looking up to see three Thievul in front of it, "Meowt…"

The three Thievul then charge forward, "Vul!"

Suddenly, Boltund slams against the three Thievul, knocking them back.

Boltund lands in front of the injured Meowth, "Bolt! Bolt!"

"Vul! Vul!" The Thievul spin around and run away.

Boltund turns to see Meowth walking away, "Bolt…"

"Meowt!" Meowth angrily says, as it walks away.

Boltund tilts its head, "Bolt?"

"Bolt!" Boltund calls out, as electricity outlines it and it slams its body against a tree, with a couple berries falling out of it.

Boltund picks up a couple berries with its mouth and walks over to Meowth, before dropping the berries in front of it, "Bolt."

Meowth glances at Boltund for a moment, before angrily kicks the berries away, "Meowt!"

"Bolt! Bolt!"

"Meowt! Meowt!"

Boltund and Meowth stare at each other.

"Vul!" Thievul slams a paw against Meowth, knocking it back.

"Meowt!" Meowth lands hard on the ground, before slowly getting up, with Boltund arriving.

"Bolt!"

"Meowt!" Meowth yells, holds back its arm, before looking over its shoulder. "Meowt! Meowt!"

"Bolt?"

"Vul!" Three Thievul charge forward, with dark claws glowing on their paws.

"Meowt!" one by one Meowth is striked by each of the Thievul.

"Bolt…" Boltund continues to watch.

"Meowt…" Meowth slowly returns to its feet. "Meowt… Meowt!"

Suddenly, Meowth glows as it grows larger, before it stops glowing. "Perrser!"

"Vul!" The three Thievul charges ahead with dark claws glowing on their paws.

"Perrser!" Perrserker holds out two pairs of claws, which glows silver, before it jumps ahead. "Perrser!"

Perrserker strikes two of the Thievul, before continuing forward, with its head glowing silver, and slams its head against the third Thievul.

"Vul!" The Thievul are forced back, before they turn and run away.

Perrserker lands and breathes heavily, as Boltund watches.

"Perrser! Perrser!"

"Bolt! Bolt!"

Perrserker and Boltund continue to yell at each other, as Perrserker clenches its paw.

"Perrser!" Perrserker charges ahead, with a glowing silver claw.

"Bolt!" Boltund jumps back, before charges ahead, with an electrified outline.

Boltund slams Perrserker, knocking it back and against a tree, "Perrserk!"

Boltund watches as Perrserker slowly get up, "Bolt…"

Boltund starts to approach.

"Perrser!"

Boltund stops and watches as Perrserker turns away and starts running, "Bolt!"

Perrserker runs through bushes, eventually disappearing.

Perrserker is knocked back, as it and Boltund start to breathe heavily, with the Trainers and the other Pokémon continuing to watch.

"They are getting tired," Gloria realizes. "At this rate, it's almost over."

"It's not just that," Bruce says. "Notice Perrserker's hands..."

Victor sees Perrserker's paws are giving a slight glow, "It's learning a new move!"

"Perrser!" Perrserker charges ahead, before starting to strike with its claws repeatedly.

"It learned Fury Swipes!" Victor realizes.

"Boltund!" Hop calls out.

Perrserker, with its claws striking repeatedly, is approaching Boltund, as it watches it.

"Bolt!" Boltund lowers its head and turns slightly, dodging Perrserker's striking claws, before nuzzling its head against Perrserker, blasting it with electricity.

"Perrser!" Perrserke is knocked back, with its eyes swirling.

"Alright, Boltund!" Hop pumps a fist into the air, before running over. "You did it…!"

Hop stops when he notices Boltund is watching Perrserker, who is crying.

"Bolt…"

"Perrser!" Perrserker looks ahead, with tears in its eyes. "Perrser! Perrser! Perrser!"

"Bolt! Bolt!" Boltund happily runs around with Toxel on its back, as Pikach and Thwackey running with it.

"Toxe! Toxe!" Toxel happily says, before it falls off and lands on Pikachu.

Toxel, Pikachu, and Thwackey start laughing.

Boltund smiles.

"Perrser! Perrser! Perrser!" Perrserker continues to cry as it yells. "Perrser…!"

Boltund walks over to Perrserker, slightly nuzzles its head, "Bolt. Bolt."

"Perrser…" Perrserker looks up at Boltund, with tears in its eyes.

"Bolt, Bolt," Boltund seats next to it.

Victor, Gloria, Bruce, and the other Pokémon are watching, smiling and happy.

"Perrserk…" Perrserker, still with tears in its eyes, starts to smile. "Perrserk."

Hop holds his hands behind his head, "I don't know what just happened, but everything seems to be okay now."

"I think it was just a misunderstanding between friends," Victor says.

"I believed so, too," Bruce agrees.

Boltund and Perrserker smile.

Shortly later, Victor and Gloria walk over to a tree.

"It's about time we move onto Route 8," Gloria says, before she and Victor turn.

"Are you coming, Hop?" Victor asks.

"I think I'm gonna stay around for a little bit longer," Hop says. "Do some training and give Boltund time to say goodbye to Perrserker."

"Then we'll see you later," Gloria says.

"At the Galar League," Hop says.

"Right," Victor nods his head.

"Take care, kids," Bruce adds.

Within a few moments, Victor and Gloria walk away, as Hop and Bruce wave goodbye.

"Some friends might grow apart, but in their hearts they can still remain friends, a lesson our heroes will never forget as they continue to Circhester. What could be next for our heroes?"

Bruce is walking through the route, before coming to a stop and looks up slightly, "Mmhm, should've I told those youngsters what I heard about Route 8 lately…" He waves a hand and continues to walk, "Nah, they'll be fine."

Coming out of a small hole in a rocky wall is a Falinks, as it looks to the side.

"Find out, as the journey continues…"