"Victor has won seven Gym Badges so far, and while our heroes have faced challenges and dangers, they are set to arrive at Hammerlocke. Where Victor will battle for his eighth Gym Badge and a chance to enter the Galar League's Champion Cup!"

"Prelude to Finality"

The front door to a Pokémon Center opens, with Victor and Gloria exiting, as Victor blocks the sunlight with his hand.

"So how do you feel?" Gloria asks.

"Honestly," Victor starts, before he looks at her. "I'm both excited… and terrified."

Gloria smiles, "You'll be fine."

"Thanks," Victor nods his head, before looking at the Hammerlocke Stadium. "Now, let's go."

Victor and Gloria enter the Hammerlocke Stadium's lobby, to find Sonia off to the side, talking on her Rotom Phone.

"No, I can't wait, this is too important a matter to discuss to wait," Sonia says, before music starts to play from the Rotom Phone. She sighs, frustrated, before lowering her Rotom Phone.

Victor and Gloria walk over to her.

"Everything's okay, Sonia?" Victor asks.

"Hi, Victor, Gloria, I'm just trying to contact Chairman Rose about the Energy Plant," Sonia looks at her Rotom Phone.

"What Energy Plant?" Gloria asks.

"The Energy Plant is below Hammerlocke Stadium," Sonia points down. "Energy is absorbed from the tower, which is changed into electricity in the underground power plant, and then delivered to people throughout Galar. And it's runned by Rose's company Macro Cosmo."

"Okay, but why are you trying to contact Chairman Rose about it?" Gloria asks.

"I detected a strong energy source coming from the Energy Plant," Sonia explains. "I want to discuss it with him, but Rose's stonewalling me."

Leon and a female Gym Trainer are approaching them.

"You shouldn't let Rose ruffle your feathers," Leon says. "He'll listen to you."

"If only I have your optimism, Leon," Sonia says.

"Excuse me, I'm Aria, a Hammerlocke Gym Trainer," the Gym Trainer says. "I will take Victor to his Gym Mission."

"But I hadn't registered yet," Victor says.

"I took the liberty to register for you," Leon explains.

"Let's go," Aria says to Victor.

"Good luck," Gloria says.

Victor nods his head, before starts to follow Aria.

On Hammerlocke Stadium's tower summit, Chairman Rose is watching the distance, when Oleana approaches.

"Sonia has been trying to contact you about the Energy Plant," Oleana says.

Rose turns his head slightly to see her, "Whatever she could want pales in comparison to what I'm doing." He looks back at the distance. "The time had finally comes to save the Galar region "

Gloria, Inteleon, Sirfetch'd, Orbeetle, and Impidimp are seated among the audience in the Hammerlocke Stadium.

"It's too bad Sonia and Leon couldn't watch, but they really want to look for Rose," Gloria says.

"Intel," Inteleon says to its Trainer.

"Right, we're gonna cheer on Victor and the others," Gloria smiles.

At the center of the arena, Dan stands, while raising a hand, "The Gym Mission will now begin. Gym Challenger Victor will faces a double battle against Gym Trainer Aria, at the Hammerlocke Vault."

"The Hammerlocke Vault?" Gloria responds, surprised.

Victor and Aria are in the Hammerlocke Vault, as small Max Barrier generators pop out of the wall, forming a Max Barrier around them.

"The Hammerlocke Vault features the story of the Galar region's legendary king," Dan continues through speakers. "Which remains an important part of our past. As such, it is the important place to feature a battle where the future of the Galar region's League Champion might be decided."

Aria throws two Poké Balls, "Go, Abomasnow! Hakamo-o!"

"Aboma!"

"Haka! Haka!"

"Okay, Victor, choose your two Pokémon," Aria tells him.

"Okay, think about this for a moment, an Ice-type and a Dragon-type… My best chance might be…" Victor thinks, while tightening his hold on a Poké Ball, before throwing two Poké Balls. "Go, Cinderace!" Corviknight!"

"Cinder Ace!"

"Knigh! Knigh!"

"Let the Gym Mission begin!" Dan says through the speaker.

"Abomasnow, Blizzard!" Aria holds out a hand.

"Aboma!" Abomasnow calls out, as snow blows past it.

"Cinderace, quick, use Flame Charge!" Victor instructs.

"Cinder Ace!" Cinderace is covered in flames, before charges ahead.

"Using Flame Charge to keep warm is clever, but Cinderace isn't your only Pokémon," Aria says. "Hakamo-o, Autotomize!"

"Haka! Haka!" Hakamo-o glows, before the glow breaks off into energy.

"Now, Close Combat!" Aria adds.

"Haka! Haka!" Hakamo-o charges ahead to Corviknight, before swipes it with an arm, then punches it with the other hand and then swipes it again.

"Knigh! Knigh!"

"Autotomize must've increased Hakamo-o's Speed," Victor realizes. "Corviknight, back off and use Drill Peck!"

"Knigh!" Corviknight flaps its wings to get back, but ice had formed on them, with the ice cracks slightly.

"What? Don't tell me that's ice from Blizzard?" Victor realizes. "Corviknight!"

"Hakamo-o, Dragon Claw!" Aria instructs.

"Haka!" Hakamo-o's claw glows, as it charges. "Haka!"

Hakamo-o strikes at Corviknight, knocking it back, "Knigh!"

"Corviknight," Victor says.

"And once again, you forgot you are battling with two Pokémon," Aria says. "Abomasnow, Ice Punch!"

"Cinderace!" Victor turns slightly.

"Aboma!" Abomasnow's fist is covered in glowing ice energy before it punches.

"Cinder Ace!" Cinderace tries to block with its arms, but gets punched back. "Cinder Ace!"

"Sir Fetch."

"Victor had battled Team Yell two on two a lot of times," Gloria says. "But this is different. And a lot more difficult."

"Haka! Haka!" Hakamo-o's claw glows before it strikes with it.

"Corviknight, counter with Steel Wing!" Victor calls out.

"Knigh!" Corviknight's wing glows silver, before swings with it, slamming against Hakamo-o's claw, with the two eventually forced apart.

"Cinderace, help Corviknight, use Pyro Ball!" Victor instructs.

"Cinder Ace!" Cinderace turns, bounces a pebble on its knee, before kicking it, covering it in fire. "Cinder Ace."

"Not so fast, Abomasnow, Icy Wind!" Aria instructs.

"Aboma!" Abomasnow holds out its hands, with a cold wind blowing past it.

The cold wind hits the flaming pebble, freezing it solid, with the attack falling onto the ground.

"Cinderace, attack Abomasnow with Ember!" Victor instructs.

"Cinder Ace!" Cinderace spins around and shoots small fireballs from its mouth.

"Hakamo-o, block with Iron Defense!" Aria calls out.

"Haka! Haka!" Hakamo-o stands next to Abomasnow, with its arms crossed and its body turning silver, as the small fireballs hit it.

"Not only are they strong on their own, but they are more than capable of defending each other," Victor realizes, before noticing the frozen Pyro Ball on the ground. Victor quickly looks ahead, "Corviknight, grabs the frozen attack with Pluck!"

"…Knigh!" Corviknight spreads its wings, as some of the ice breaks off, before it flies ahead and grabs the frozen Pyro Ball with its beak. "Knigh!"

"Hakamo-o, intercept with Close Combat!" Aria instructs.

"Haka! Haka!" Hakamo-o charges ahead.

"Corviknight, throw it! Cinderace, use Double Kick!" Victor calls out.

"Knigh!" Corviknight throws the frozen attack, just before Hakamo-o swipes at it with an arm.

"Cinder!" Cinderace spins around and kicks the frozen attack, with the ice breaking off and a large fireball sent flying. "Ace!"

The fireball slams against Hakamo-o's back, "Haka!"

"Now, Drill Peck!" Victor instructs.

"Knigh!" Corviknight calls out, before starts to spin ahead, breaking off the remaining ice, and slams against Hakamo-o.

"Haka!" Hakamo-o is sent flying backward and lands hard, with its eyes swirling. "Haka…"

Aria claps, "Congratulates, but this is far from over. Abomasnow, Sheer Cold!"

"Aboma!" Abomasnow starts to blow a large blast of cold air.

The blast of cold air flies toward Cinderace, who looks on, terrified, when suddenly Corviknight flies out in front of it.

"Knigh!" Corviknight calls out, as it is blasted by the cold air, before it falls down with its eyes whirling. "Knigh…"

"Cinder Ace!" Cinderace knees down next to Corviknight.

"Corviknight, are you okay?" Victor runs over to his Pokémon

"Sheer Cold is a one-hit knockout," Aria crosses her arms. "There's no defense against it."

"Knigh…" Corviknight looks up at its Trainer.

"Thank you, Corviknight," Victor holds up a Poké Ball, with Corviknight turning into red energy and flying back into it. He then looked at Cinderace. "Are you up for this?"

"Cinder Ace!" Cinderace nods it head.

"Then, Abomasnow, use Icy Wind!" Aria holds out an arm.

"Aboma!" Abomasnow holds out an arm, as a freezing wind shoots past it.

"Cinderace, dodge with Flame Charge!" Victor calls out.

"Cinder Ace!" Cinderace is surrounded by flames, before starts running, avoiding the freezing wind.

"Blizzard, and follow it up with Sheer Cold!" Aria instructs.

"Aboma!" Abomasnow calls out, as a blizzard shoots past it before it starts shooting a blast of cold air from its mouth.

"Cinderace, back to back Pyro Ball!" Victor calls out.

"Cinder Ace! Cinder Ace!" Cinderace jumps and spins, kicks a pebble, turning it into a fireball, dodging a blast of cold air, before jumping and spins to dodge another, kicking a second pebble, launching a fireball. "Cinder Ace! Cinder Ace!" Cinderace jumps up over a cold air blast, spins around and kicks a third pebble, before flips to the side and kicks a fourth pebble.

Each of the fireballs fly through the blizzard filled air and freezes solid, falling to the ground, except for the last one, managing to hit Abomasnow in the chest.

"Aboma!" Abomasnow stops the cold air blast.

"Now our chance, Cinderace, Double Kick!" Victor calls out.

"Cinder Ace!" Cinderace runs ahead, before sweeps a leg across the floor, knocking up the three frozen fireballs, before spins and kicks them, shattering the ice and launching the three fireballs.

Each of the fireballs hit Abomasnow, blasting it, with Abomasnow falling onto its back, with its eyes swirling, "Aboma…"

Dan raises a hand, "Victor has passed the Gym Mission!"

"Alright!" Gloria calls out, as all her Pokémon cheer.

Aria approaches Victor and Cinderace, "Congratulations. Your creativity and determination award you a hard fought victory. But it was your trust in each other, and Corviknight's trust in Cinderace that allowed you to win."

"Cinder Ace," Cinderace smiles.

"We're a good team," Victor says.

"That's true," Aria agrees. "And I wish you the best of luck with your Gym Battle. But be warned, it will be the hardest challenge you have faced yet."

Victor and Cinderace nod their heads.

In the Hammerlocke Stadium lobby, Leon approaches Sonia, who seemed annoyed.

"Any luck finding Chairman Rose?" Leon asks.

"I was told he left, but I was near the entrance and I hadn't seen anyone," Sonia says. "Something is definitely going on here."

Rose exits an elevator and into the large chamber of the Energy Plant.

Rose smiles, "And now, for the future of the Galar region to begin."

In the Hammerlocke Stadium's arena, Victor and Raihan stand several feet apart, with Dan on the side.

"Now the Gym Battle between Victor and Raihan will begin!" Dan announces. "A double battle with the usage of four total Pokémon from either Trainers.

Raihan throws two Poké Balls, "Go, Gigalith! Flygon!"

"Giga!"

"Fl-gon!"

"I hope you're ready for this," Raihan places a hand on his hip.

"I think I am, but… what Pokémon should I use?," Victor tightens his hold on a Poké Ball.

"Finally, Victor had begun his final Gym Battle in the Galar League. But will he be able to defeat Raihan? And what of Chairman Rose?"

"Find out, as the journey continues…"