TEAM: Twigs (Thwackey) & Crumbs (Skwovet), Spike (Chewtle) & Tilda (Oddish), Hook (Galarian Slowpoke) & Cress (Charjabug)

Author's POV

The challenger queue for Turffield Gym slowed down quite a bit after Flare's battle with Milo. Mentioning a mysterious Eldegoss got Milo very concerned and had him round up his gym trainers, but it seemed none of them were the mysterious trainer with the Boltund and the Eldegoss.

As Flare accompanied Milo, she even got to see the stadium's secret broadcasting room where the footage was being managed. There were scientist folk who were in charge of the Rotom drones and cameramen meant to manage the great footage machine. However, when asked, it seemed like a stroke of bad luck happened that messed with the crew. A flock of stray Wooloo happened to make their way inside and mess with the tech, forcing the crew to cut to commercial and deal with the Wooloo before being able to run the machine again. This sudden interruption just so happened to cause the live footage to miss out on Flare's battle with the mystery trainer.

The mention of Wooloo got Flare thinking. "Weird for Pokémon like them to be getting here of all places."

"Oh, it's normal," Milo replied, his smile only adding to how used to it he felt. "Our Turffield Wooloo are iconic for getting into all sorts of trouble. First time I've heard of a Dubwool leading the mischief, though. One must've evolved."

Alas, while Flare learned a fun tidbit of the Turffield wooly rascals, there was little she learned about the trainer she had been searching for. It didn't help her case when she couldn't even think of a reason for the trainer to disappear and yet lo and behold they were gone without a trace. She got Turffield's own Gym Leader concerned about this and yet ended up with nothing to show. At least it didn't seem like it was anything worth contacting authorities over.

As Flare stepped back into the gym's lobby, which seemed much more lively with waiting trainers and Pokémon alike, she was given a reminder of what she was there for in the first place. Her Charjabug seemed much livelier since her evolution, contrary to the lingering unamused disposition her Slowpoke held.

"I need to get used to this, but I'm still really digging it." Cress spoke, happily squirming on Flare's shoulder. Static routinely crackled throughout the Charjabug's body. Flare smiled, sharing her Pokémon's feeling of accomplishment.

She was met with more smiles when she got back to her team in wait. Twigs was the first to come up to her.

"Saw it all on the telly, lass!" The Thwackey beamed, eyeing both her trainer and her Charjabug friend. "Mighty fine job you did for your first badge!"

With all that's been happening Flare forgot about the Grass Badge kept in her bag. She simply held Cress proudly as if to show her off to her team.

Cress looked down proudly at her teammates. "Sup, you guys!" The Charjabug was set down onto the floor and was met with more adoration up close.

"Golly, now I'm really wondering when it'll be my turn!" Crumbs remarked.

"Hey, I don't wanna be left out of this, either!" Tilda was hopping in place in a gesture of outcry. "I wanna evolve too!"

"Come on, come on, you guys." Flare couldn't help but chuckle at most of her rowdy team. "I'll be sure to train the rest of you up on the way to the next Gym. I just need to get changed back, and…"

"Hey! You're challenger 71, right?" Past the line of waiting Gym Challengers approached a fellow trainer, albeit without the uniform. She wore a yellow shirt and had a short ponytail, and a Blipbug was held in her arms. "I'm a fan!"

The twinkling eyes gave the impression of a clear sense of admiration from both the girl and her Blipbug. One that left Flare very confused, despite being well aware she was still wearing her 71 uniform. "Are you sure you haven't confused me for someone else?"

"You're the girl who beat Milo with a Grubbin earlier, right?" The girl's attention was caught by the Charjabug on the floor and her eyes lit up. She looked at the giddy Blipbug in her arms and back at Flare. "Er, may I?"

Flare looked at Cress, who didn't seem to mind. She nodded at the girl. "Sure!"

The girl let her Blipbug onto the floor, allowing it to excitedly approach Cress. Both trainers watched as their Bug types cautiously crawled closer, then started speaking with each other. At that point the girl took the opportunity to bring out a camera and capture the moment.

She smiled to herself as she saw the picture of the Blipbug and Charjabug being printed out. "Brainy's gonna love this. I actually managed to get a pic of him with his inspiration!"

Cress looked up in surprise. "His what?" Flare seemed curious too.

The girl picked up Brainy, her Blipbug, and looked at Flare. "It was too late for us to join the Gym Challenge, so we just settled with trying to watch the live matches." She chuckled as she looked at her excited Blipbug. "We came here just in the nick of time to see you and your Grubbin win the match and even evolve on the telly! I've never seen Brainy be that excited in forever. Guess it must've been because he's never seen a Bug type battle on TV before."

Brainy nodded happily at the mention. Flare was all smiles at the sight of it, still taking in what just happened. "I didn't think I'd make a fan this early…" she spoke aloud. If anything she figured it'd be Hop who'd have a following first. Even Marnie had a fanbase of her own already.

"I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for any of your other matches! It was a shame some of your challenge feed here got cut to commercial, though." The girl smiled and held up her camera. "Er, I'm Nikki. May I?"

"Uh, sure. I'm Flare." It took a bit too late for Flare to realize what she said sure to until she was momentarily dazed by a flash. Her team behind her was also surprised to get caught in the flash as well.

Twigs stood by Flare's side, keeping her from stumbling over while also starting to lead her away by the sleeve. "We appreciate the attention, Nikki lass, but we got places to be."

Nikki just wore an excited smile on her face as she admired the photo she just took. "Oh! Sorry for stalling. Good luck!"

Flare just sheepishly smiled, slowly waving as Twigs started leading her to the changing rooms. "T-Take care!" She walked a bit more until Nikki was out of earshot. "She was nice."

"That Brainy guy was nice too." Cress spoke up. "Never expected to find anyone who'd idolize me. Feels good."

Hook was grumbling about something to himself, all the while Tilda was excitedly talking about something to Spike.

"I didn't know humans could idolize other humans!" The Oddish was excitedly circling Spike. "I was caught in the flash, right? That means I'll be famous, is that how that works?"

Spike simply raised an eyebrow. "No, but sure." He simply humoured Tilda's excitement.

"I'd imagine having a fan to be a real treat but she brought up something I noticed." Twigs looked up at Flare. "Something happened during that Gym Challenge of yours, lass."

Flare immediately caught on and her gaze drifted away for a second. "Yeah. Something was definitely up."

Flare's POV

By the time I got changed back to my jumper and was walking out the Gym doors, I had already finished telling my team about my mysterious encounter.

"I've just noticed that I managed to beat two Eldegoss back to back. That's pretty mysterious too." Cress added.

"Golly, I was worried when that big screen cut out of nowhere!" Crumbs spoke.

Spike didn't seem too fazed. "If you ask me, it could've just been another fan itching to battle with you. Where there's one, there's more to come, trust me."

"Ooh, yeah!" Tilda eagerly nodded next to him. "Spike's an expert on this Pokémon celebrity stuff, you can trust him on that."

I smiled at their enthusiasm, even if I couldn't help but wonder how he earned that status in the first place.

Twigs was still looking up at me, puzzled. "I dinnae ken anyone like the trainer you mentioned. I'd think I'd remember someone fishy like that suddenly heading out from the lobby. Fishy stuff, lass."

What if the trainer had a Pokémon that can teleport? I was still hoping I at least didn't make myself look crazy back there, talking about a trainer who didn't leave a trace. I looked behind me and saw how the height of the stadium opened up to the sky. Maybe… flew? This is all way too confusing…

"I know what you're thinking, Flare." I looked at Twigs to see that she followed my gaze. "I dinnae think anyone like that would just disappear. Any Pokémon other than the Eldegoss?"

That wasn't a hard question to answer. "There was also a Boltund, but I don't think Boltund can fly. I've seen them run fast, though."

Twigs suddenly blinked, looking elsewhere. "You mean the one coming right this way?!"

I suddenly noticed everyone else sharing her shocked expression and saw where they were looking. A familiar yellow blur amidst the streets of Turffield, heading right at me. I flinched, crying out in surprise, only to see the Boltund skid to a halt in front of me. Twigs also stood in front of me, sticks at the ready, while everyone else hid behind me.

My Thwackey seemed agitated. "Oi, mutt! What's the big idea?!"

The Boltund didn't react, still in a sitting position, tail wagging and all. It just stared at me expectantly. I then noticed that it was holding a letter in its mouth.

I took the envelope in my hands and felt obligated to pet the Boltund. It happily accepted. "Er… good boy."

As I stared at the envelope, the rest of my team started to gather around me, wanting to see. I opened it and read the one sentence on the piece of paper. "'Come to the Isle of Armor.'" I looked to see if anything else was written on it. "That's all. It doesn't even say who it's from. Maybe the Boltund can tell us…" I trailed off. We all looked back to see that the Boltund had disappeared.

"Wow." Spike was the first to remark. "Didn't know they were that fast."

Twigs gazed up at me with a narrowed inquisitive look. "I wouldn't trust it if I were you, lass. If that really was the same Boltund, I don't understand why this all has to be all secret like."

I still wanted to give the benefit of the doubt. "I really hope this isn't something convoluted that I've gotten myself involved with." I felt that there was still something else in the envelope. Something thin but weighty. "But on the other hand, maybe this will turn out good for us."

I took out what looked to be a glistening gold-colored rectangle from inside. I was wondering why it seemed vaguely familiar until I saw 'Isle of Armor Pass' in shining letters.

I blinked at the item of luxury that was suddenly in my hands. "I guess that answers how we're going to get there." I don't know what I did to get something like this for free, but I still couldn't help but stare at it.

Twigs still seemed skeptical. "You sure about this, Flare?"

I held the pass, still in awe at how authentic it is. "The letter doesn't seem like it's professional enough to be an advertisement or gift card. I don't know why else someone would go out of their way for this, but maybe there's only one way to find out."

Twigs seemed to loosen up and shrugged. "Aye, fair enough. I suppose a detour couldn't hurt."

"That settles it!" My voice became triumphant as I looked to the skies, pass in hand. "Team, we're going to the Isle of Armor!"

"The what?!" Stern surprised outcry rang out from behind my team, so much to the point where I almost jumped. I looked to see a not-so-happy Slowpoke walk up to me. "If you're even thinking of giving me back, I won't be having it!"

We all just stared at him in silence. I was pretty sure everyone was just as confused as I was. Giving him back?

I had to break the silence. Maybe he just had the wrong idea. "I don't know what made you think that. We're just going to head to the Isle of Armor for whatever this letter was for."

Then it was Hook who suddenly looked stupefied. He slowly lowered his head, looking away. "Never you mind, then." Hook then went back to hiding behind my group and going silent. Just what was going on in his head?

With no further objections, it seemed I was clear to head off. I noticed that the pass was to be used for a Flying Taxi, so I remembered to call the pilot assigned to me. When he came down, it seemed the passenger car wouldn't exactly fit my whole party, so I withdrew them all except two.

I sat in my seat with my Pokémon as the car started to rock. My pilot was about to take off.

"You just hang in there, kiddo!" My pilot spoke through a little installed intercom. "Cinders here is gonna fly us there in no time!"

And with that we stuck to our seats as we rose to the air. I watched out the window as the streets of Turffield got smaller and smaller beneath us. It was a bit much to see just how high we were, but at least it felt somewhat cozy. The breeze blew in through the faux car windows in our little enclosure. The swaying stopped, meaning it was smooth sailing from here, which made me wonder about how strong the Corviknight was for carrying this carriage so well.

I looked to my side to see Twigs and Crumbs helping themselves to some berry snacking, clearly relaxing on the luxury material these seats were made out of. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"I hope you guys aren't gonna make a mess here." I joked. "Can I have one too, please?"

Crumbs quickly nodded and handed me a surprisingly pristine Oran Berry from his tail. He looked at me and then at his clean white scarf in pride. "I like my berries, but I'm not messy, no sirree!"

I thanked him and took a bite out of the little berry. At that point I was starting to wonder why his berry supply seemed limitless. I would've asked, but at that point my two Pokémon were busy trying to look out the window.

Twigs was gripping the edges of the window as the wind blew through her fur. "I think I can see the Bridge Field Daycare from here! It's… much more wee than I remember!" She motioned for us to come see as well.

"Golly, I wanna see!" Crumbs was trying to jump to Twigs' height, but he was too short for it.

I decided to help Crumbs by picking him up. "Here you go." I held my furry little squirrel by the edge of the window, still holding him just in case. He must've gotten heavier last I remembered.

"Oh golly gee!" He sounded delighted to see the view and have the wind blow through his face. Until he didn't. "Oh… golly gee…"

It was when I felt him shivering that I pulled him back. His eyes were shaking and he was clutching his scarf. I held my poor Pokémon close. "Scared of heights?" I assumed.

Crumbs just looked up at me and shakily nodded. He was all curled up. "I've never been this high up… oh whiskers, I don't think I wanna be a flying squirrel no more…"

"Aye, I've met other Pokémon who were like that." Twigs came up to him and started to pat his head. "Rest in the ball, maybe?" I had the same idea and was ready to recall him if needed.

Crumbs slowly smiled at us and shook his head, uncurling. "I reckon I'll be good now. It's… actually scary seeing how large the world is compared to a lil' critter like me… but I know I'll feel safe with y'all."

I smiled back at him. Twigs did too. In a way, I related to Crumbs. Back then, I really didn't know what was in store for a trainer like me, but I knew moments like these made this all worth it. I tried to think of my Pokémon as my friends, but I couldn't help but feel proud as their trainer.

As Twigs and Crumbs went back to talking about the view, I thought about the rest of my team. I wondered if they were listening from inside their Pokéballs. Whatever the case, friend, trainer, I still had some responsibility over them, and I was okay with that. I managed to get my first Gym Badge already so I had to be doing things right.

I was proud of my team, and I knew there was more we could do from here. I was still willing to give them all a chance. Yes, for as grumpy as he's been lately, even Hook. I still wondered what his outburst was about when he heard we were going here.

He's a member of this team, I wouldn't just give him back. I wondered about it some more. Who did he think I was going to give him to?

Author's POV

"So lad, you really don't know if you had any family?"

"No sirree. I was just a lil' critter trying to get by when y'all came along."

Almost an hour had passed since the Flying Taxi took flight. As the two Pokémon were talking away as Flare watched, a voice suddenly rang in through the intercom. The faint clearing of a throat could be heard.

"Oi oi! Keep all your limbs inside because we're about to land! Hope you're listening, kiddo, awright awright!"

It was then that Flare and Twigs both looked outside the window to see the new land awaiting them below. There wasn't any talk about the island in the files Flare had on her phone. Neither of them knew much of what the Isle of Armor was about, but they were hoping to learn that as well as why they were told to be there.

The Corviknight set the Flying Taxi down onto a lot near what seemed to be a train station. As Flare stepped out, she brought out the rest of her team to take in the sights of this new area. While they were occupied admiring the view, Flare tried giving the Isle of Armor Pass back to the pilot.

He had stepped off of his Corviknight and was feeding it something when Flare approached him. He merely chuckled. "You oughta keep that, kiddo. Those special Flying Taxi passes are infinitely reusable."

"Wow, then…" Flare just stared at her pass in even more wonder. It was then that she remembered why she was there and looked up once more. "By the way, is there any name I can call you by? You already know my name, so…"

"Friendly, are ya?" The man smiled and lowered his pilot hat slightly. "You can simply call me Mr. Pilot, awright?"

Flare nodded, satisfied at the new info, before rejoining her team. A whole coastal island with plains to roam about felt like a whole new Wild Area almost all of them were interested to explore. Of course, there was still an obvious outlier who wasn't too enthusiastic about being there. Hook simply rolled his eyes at every amazed remark everyone else made.

Flare stood in front of her team, getting their attention for a mini briefing of sorts. "Okay, guys. I know it's very tempting to sightsee and stuff, but don't forget why we're here." She took out the envelope from her bag. "Someone sent this to us, and they should be waiting for us here." For a second she thought about how the person could come back to the island when Flare flew there at roughly the same time. And how she was supposed to look for the person when the letter said nothing about who it was sent by. "I wonder where we should start looking."

Spike leaned his head to the side and narrowed his eyes at something in the distance. "There's some sort of building over there. That could work."

Flare turned around to see that there was some sort of building a ways away. She supposed it was definitely a good start. "Looks like a dojo. Guess that's where we're headed."

"Erm, if you'd please…"

The whole team was surprised to hear Hook speak up, sounding uncharacteristically meek. He made his way to Flare.

"Would you mind if I left to roam for the time being? I'd like some time off." He tried to compose himself. "Don't you worry, I don't mean to run off. I'll return soon enough."

Everyone simply looked at Flare, wondering about her response. Their trainer simply smiled and nodded, a tender little smile as always.

"Sure. Though do be careful, okay?"

Hook looked down to sigh with relief. "You needn't worry. I can surely handle myself."

And as most of the team went to see him off, that left Flare with the others to press onward.

As the group got closer to the building they all kept their eyes on different things. Crumbs was scurrying out and about trying the new berries, making sure not to stray too far from the group. Spike looked past the shore of Mareanie and Toxapex and gazed at the water, wondering if it's safe to swim. Twigs kept a watchful eye on everyone while also keeping a lookout on all the wild Pokémon out and about, noticing a surprising amount of Chansey who weren't hostile in the slightest. One even waved at her. As Flare got closer to the building, she noticed that it really was a dojo of sorts, its most defining feature being the sign by the roof resembling a bear Pokémon of sorts. She also noticed a tall woman with brunette locks standing by the entrance.

The lady seemed to notice Flare as well and hung up her phone call. She met Flare with a smile of hospitality.

"Why hello, love! Who might you be? Are you perhaps a newly enrolled dojo student?"

"Oh, no no," Flare sheepishly shook her head. "I was told to come here by… someone." Still sounding unsure, she took out the envelope. "There was an island pass that came with it."

"Hmm…" The lady examined the letter quizzically before handing it back to Flare. "If this really was from someone here, then you'd better take this up with the dojo master." She nodded. "Don't you worry, you and your team can come in. You could say I help own the place. Folks around here call me Honey." She outstretched a friendly hand.

Flare smiled and shook it. "I'm Flare." She felt surprised at how unexpectedly firm Honey's grip was.

Honey motioned for Flare to follow her to the dojo doors. "I hope you all don't mind the faint stench of sweat."

Flare nodded, hoping she wouldn't mind all that much, but as she stepped closer, she couldn't help but think she was being watched. Twigs felt it as well, looking back and forth for an extra bit before following her trainer with everyone else.

Upon entering, Flare was greeted with the sight of many trainers performing fighting drills of some sort. It was unexpected to see that it was the kind that didn't involve using Pokémon.

"Looks like you've figured out the difference between a dojo and a gym." Honey noted the girl's look of surprise. "Welcome to the Master Dojo, Flare. If you would like to talk to the Dojo Master, everyone should be done in just a second."

Flare was led to a bench by the wall, near where a bunch of the training equipment was. The rest of her team joined her, snacking and discussing amongst themselves.

While that was all going on, Flare watched the routine that was going on and wondered which of these trainers sent the letter. They all seemed to be performing several fighting poses she'd expect from those cartoons and movies. All these people looked like they were all different ages, some young and some older. Some were definitely performing these karate type moves better than others. What was the same about them is that they all wore this yellow uniform. Except for who seemed to be the Dojo Master in front, a surprisingly spry old man with wispy grey hair who wore a green coat. On closer inspection his hair was actually just really long eyebrows.

Flare did spot something that seemed familiar to her, but all of a sudden the drill started coming to a close. It was then that they all assumed a stationary form and were dismissed as they all bowed. The group all dispersed to different rooms for what seemed to be break time, just leaving the smiling old man there to himself.

It was then that he noticed Flare and approached her, hands behind his back in a casual manner. "Why hello there, little one! You must be new here. Folks here call me Mustard! Pleased as cheese to meet you!"

"Cheesed, er, pleased to meet you too!" The sudden food wordplay had her flub her words, flustered.

Mustard simply chuckled, pleased. "Nice to see youth like you with a sense of humor. Now, what brings you here?"

"Well…"

As Flare told Mustard about all that just happened recently, she was led to the dining room and its super long table meant to accommodate a lot of people. Her Pokémon were given separate bowls nearby to eat provided berry mixes with the others.

Mustard stroked the hair on his chin thoughtfully. "A Gym Challenger, you say? I do believe they still have those airing on those telly things… And you say someone gave you a letter with the pass?"

Flare nodded and handed Mustard the letter so he could take a look at it. The old man's brow furrowed as he narrowed his eyes.

"I do believe a student of mine saying something about a letter…" Mustard paused. "But I don't recall speaking about it to any of my students here today. In fact, I think I might've forgotten who they were altogether!" He smiled innocently, supposedly pleased at the fact.

Flare just widened her eyes at him. "You… forgot?"

Honey looked over at them from across the table. "Do try to bear with him. He's my darling hubby, but things like this do slip his mind."

The statement and confirmation via affectionate smiles got Flare confused for a second. Either Mustard was surprisingly young, or Honey was surprisingly old. One looked old enough to be her grandpa while the other looked like she was around Judith's age.

The thought only crossed her mind for a second, however. She was more confused on why the person who gave her the letter wasn't there to begin with. If they were present, she was certain they would've confronted her already. She looked to the groups of Pokémon eating together and checked to make sure. No Boltund or Eldegoss unfortunately, but she did get to see Pokémon flocking around Spike while Crumbs was sharing berries with everyone. Still, she sighed.

Mustard noticed this. "You'll find what you're looking for eventually. We all will." His tone and semi-relaxed gaze felt knowing, a hard contrast to his prior grin of ignorance. "While you're here, do help yourself to some Max Soup. Even if you don't plan on enrolling in the dojo, you're still a guest."

Even if it wasn't part of her objective, Flare supposed it was worth a try. She noted the bowl in front of her with reddish soup, similar to the bowls everyone else were already helping themselves to. It didn't look like any of the curry Flare had back home.

She tried a spoon. As Flare swallowed, she noted that it had a flavor she could say was powerful. So powerful, in fact, that she suddenly felt energy welling up within her Dynamax Band. She widened her eyes as she noticed the familiar glow on her wrist matching the reddish look of the soup.

Flare sat stunned for a moment, looking between the soup and her wrist. "This is safe, right? What's happening?"

Honey simply put a hand to her mouth and chuckled. "That's a normal reaction for everyone who's had Max Soup for the first time. It's perfectly safe for humans, and to somewhat of an extent, Pokémon."

"Oh yes!" Mustard nodded. "This island of mine just so happens to be teeming with Dynamax energy, some of it taking form as the Max Mushrooms we use for this soup. If you do plan to feed your Pokémon with it, try not to overindulge. It can enhance the Dynamax performance of certain Pokémon, but keep in mind that too much Dynamax energy could be dangerous."

Flare just cautiously stared at her bowl as she was told this. The bit she heard about too much Dynamax being dangerous had her remember the Darkest Day story for a second. She also remembered how her first gym battle using Cress went smoothly and assumed any potential crisis involving Dynamax was already put under control. Flare went back to enjoying her soup.

A hearty break time was had by all, even if Flare never got to fulfill the reason she was there in the first place. She was still very confused why someone would just give her a free pass and invitation for seemingly no reason. No sign of the trainer, the Eldegoss, Boltund, nothing. It was a fun detour, but not exactly what she came for.

Flare couldn't help but sigh. Which Mustard noticed.

He cast a smile at her. "Even if you're not a trainee at the dojo, you're still welcome to return and train here with your team. You could say the island is like a Pokémon sanctuary of sorts."

Flare smiled at the offer. "That does sound handy for taking on the Gym Challenge."

Mustard nodded, pleased. "The Chansey here are very friendly, open to battling, healing, anything handy. However, we do have caves and forests here with Pokémon to fight if you'd like more of a challenge. Not nearly as friendly, I must add."

Flare found herself pleasantly surprised at how good of a training spot Mustard was making out this island to be. At least the thought of her being welcome there made the trip feel more worth it.

"Before you leave, would you like to have a friendly sparring match?" Mustard smiled, stroking his chin. "I don't often meet Gym Challengers who aren't trainers looking to enroll here."

Flare found herself mildly excited at the thought of a battle. "Sure." She supposed a friendly spar wouldn't hurt.

Mustard's look turned earnest, flashing with excitement for a brief moment. "I was quite hoping you'd say yes. There's a student of mine who's… rather eager to grow stronger."

Mustard knowingly shifted his gaze to a nearby doorway, clearly expecting someone. As if on cue, out came a familiar face, pampered up with her pink hair, poison green uniform, and her white coat and bow. Flare recognized that getup immediately.

"Hiiiiii, Master Mustard! I'm ready for that Double Battle now that I've changed!" Klara eagerly waved. Her eyes widened when she saw the blond trainer nearby. "Oh! I know you! You're!" She repeatedly pointed her finger as she tried to remember a name. "Clare!"

Flare couldn't help but sheepishly chuckle. 'That wasn't even the name I gave, yet she still got my name right somehow.' "It's Flare, actually."

Mustard's smile grew delighted. "Now that we're all here, do follow me to the arena."

The dojo master led both trainers through a pair of doors ahead that opened up to a path outside. There was an open battlefield surrounded by mountains, the large spaciousness similar to that of a gym's stadium.

The similarity only continued when Flare took her place on the field and she felt her Dynamax Band well up with energy.

Mustard took his place on the other side of the field next to Klara. "Let's sit out on the Dynamaxing for now. Since we're just sparring for fun, you don't have to stick for the duo rule, either."

Flare heard what he said and stared at her Pokéballs for a bit. She nodded, knowing well she could switch her Pokémon more freely.

Mustard nodded, pulling an Ultra Ball out of his coat. "It's been a while since my Slowpoke duo got to show their stuff! Now, should I use Sinker or Line first…?"

Klara took out a Pokéball and sighed, pressing against its button in frustration. "Oh, phooey… I can't just use my strongest team against someone with only one badge! Fine, go, Veni-poo!"

Flare watched as her opponents sent out a Galarian Slowpoke and a Venipede. She wasn't so sure who would be best for a Double Battle like this, but she simply sighed. 'No pressure.' she remembered.

She went with her hunch and took out two chosen Pokéballs. Crumbs and Spike were sent out.

Spike eyed his opponent with a determined glint in his eye. "A Slowpoke, eh? Now that's up my alley."

Crumbs looked more excited at the partner by his side. "Golly! I get to fight alongside Spike this time? Now I'm really gonna give it my all!"

Twigs and Tilda were also sent out, but just to watch. The latter was obviously cheering for the Chewtle.

Flare couldn't help but smile at her Pokémon's enthusiasm and focused on the battle. "Okay, you two! Use Bite!"

Spike looked back at her for a brief second, knowingly nodding before rushing ahead. Both Crumbs and Spike aimed their attacks at Mustard's Slowpoke, which surprised Flare. She was intending to have them both attack the same target, but she didn't even verbally command them to do so yet.

She simply assumed her hunch was serving her right. It was the right move training Crumbs and Spike up, considering Twigs was already evolved and Tilda wouldn't do well against a Psychic type. As for Cress…

Flare briefly looked away from the battle to see that her Charjabug was absent. She noticed she was missing for a while, but it wasn't until then that she noticed that Cress still hadn't returned. Neither did Hook.

"Hey, no fair! That's cheating!" Klara called out, snapping Flare out of her thoughts. Spike was standing over a fainted Slowpoke, clearly satisfied, while Crumbs was busy eating a Pecha Berry during his fight with Venipede. Mustard simply wore his carefree smile as Tilda continued cheering.

Flare couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. She went back to focusing on the battle.

Hook's POV

I sighed. There was a lot to think about.

I was back at the blasted island. Somehow, despite all odds, fate had played me cruelly and brought me back here.

My trainer apparently had business to attend to here. Whatever business it was, it seemed to have to do with the blasted dojo. Of course.

Fortunately for me she was nice enough to accept my request to let me stay outside and roam about. I had to admit that she was… maybe a nice person. If only she was nice enough to let me fight and get much stronger…

At the very least, it was comforting knowing she trusted me not to run off out of nowhere. Holding her to that trust would only be the formal thing to do.

Whatever the case I kept myself a fair distance away from the blasted dojo place. I took in the familiar ocean breeze as I found myself by an all too familiar beach shore. At least I could say it was the closest thing to home.

A drop of water landed on my snout. I looked up to be greeted by the darkened sky. The light drizzle of several other raindrops came after. It was as if the sky was ridiculing me for my pathetic situation. To think I was outclassed by… that bug.

I couldn't help but recall how that gym battle left me with conflicted emotions. All I could do was watch as the insect grew in size. I was left to be puny and unused in comparison…

At least the good news was that Cress returned back to tiny bug size once the battle was over. I would've rather not dealt with a perpetually colossal bug being a constant reminder of how little power I had in comparison. However, it didn't help that the insect somehow evolved after the fight.

I recalled our trainer's reaction to Cress' appearance after the battle. She was overjoyed. She was proud. Cress was already receiving praise. Had I been given a chance, perhaps I would've received the praise instead. The thought continued to plague me, how envious I was of that blasted creature…

"Sup."

"Gah!" I cried out, not expecting to find the insolent little cube right beside me. "Blast it all, what are you doing here?!"

Cress appeared perplexed. By then I was better at reading the creature's eyes. "Did you just forget that we're paired up partners or something?"

"No." But I did. It couldn't be blamed with how our battles made me seem less like backup and more like the last choice.

And then the creature's stare went back to that of pride. It appeared I wasn't the only one still thinking about the gym. "Did you see me out there? I did pretty good."

Pretty good? I didn't know if this creature was being humble or trying to insult me. I was literally there when it all happened. "Hmm yes, that was a good show you put on there…" I supposed it'd be best if I tried to humour the green box despite how I felt. Tried to hide the contempt in both my eyes and my tone.

It still seemed the creature was quite proud of itself. "Evolution has made me pretty cool. I think I can zap things now! Those birds won't know what hit 'em! Hear that, birds?!"

The insect seemed much more confident than I remembered it being. It never was the boastful type before. Good for it. Yet, something the box uttered caught my attention. Evolution, was it? The phenomenon that allowed Cress to change appearance and unlock electric capabilities. I stuck my mind to the idea.

I must evolve. I have to. It would be the only way I could prove myself and become truly stronger. I would make it my goal to attain an evolved state. Just so I could perhaps receive the same applause Cress did. Perhaps more, even.

I looked down at the box. The creature still seemed like it was trying to adjust to a new body, squirming about and getting a feel for its shorter pincers. Blasted pincer mouth.

"So this is that island place. It's pretty cool." It seemed to relax itself and matched my stare, looking past the sea.

I cast judgemental gaze down at the bug. Did it really follow me here to strike up small talk? Doubtful. "Do you need me for something?"

"What? Can't I come here to strike up a chat with my chum?" Chum? Preposterous. "But since you insist…" There it was. The creature looked at me expectantly. "You made up your mind yet on if you wanna get me a Galarathingy?"

"Hmm?" It took me a second to recall as it had slipped my mind. Our only other conversation. "Ah, that. Sure." I supposed I had nothing else better to do here.

I brought my snout to the air and tried to track the familiar scent of Galarica. A tree not too far from the shore caught my attention. I walked over to it and placed a paw on its trunk, focusing some psychic energy into the wood. With the aid of my psychic powers, I gave the tree a good shake, rustling its leaves until a small twig fell.

Jackpot. The twig branched out to several orange flower-looking buds that radiated the Galarica scent.

Cress crawled over to observe. "So this is it, huh. Certainly never smelled anything like it before." The creature had a nose?

I took the branch and split it in two, handing one half to the creature. As for my half, I got a good whiff of the Galarica buds before popping them into my mouth.

"Mmm… exquisite." For a moment I felt peace as my tastebuds took in the familiar kick of the spice brought by the dissolving buds.

And then I heard the sound of crunching. I looked over at the insect to see it eating the twig branch-first, chewing through it like a shredder. "You're not supposed to…" I wanted to speak, but didn't want to bother and cut myself short. This bizarre bug could do whatever the heck it wants for all I cared.

It was then that the Galarica buds disappeared through the cube's maw. It was silent for a second before speaking. "It's pretty bitter."

"It's an acquired taste." Not that I expected this inferior being to understand the nuances of what made Galarica such a treat. The bitterness was what gave it that satisfying kick. Of course it'd be that bitter if you ate all the buds at once.

"Never tasted anything like it before." Cress cast its gaze up the tree. "So all you gotta do is shake one of these for food to come down?"

"Mmhmm." I went back to plucking the rest of the buds off my twig. Exquisite.

The bug looked at me curiously. "That Gawhatevers smell sure is something. Though…" It cast its gaze towards the sea. "... are there trees of it on those smaller islands?"

I stopped chewing in surprise. I didn't expect Cress to have grown accustomed to tracking the Galarica scent so quickly. Impressive, I had to admit. "Yes, actually. Though you could just be picking up traces of the elusive cave Galarica."

Cress looked at me with intrigue. "Cave…?"

I plucked the last bud off my twig as I recalled the tale. "Seemingly a myth passed around by us Slowpoke. Somewhere on this island is a cave with ground fertile enough to grow a Galarica tree. They say that tree harbors Galarica Twigs that taste like no other. Its scent is so fervent that us Slowpoke can smell it from almost anywhere on the island."

The box seemed even more interested now. "You ever taste it?"

I shook my head. "Unfortunately, no. That wafted scent only serves as a reminder of what will continue to remain out of my reach."

"What's stopping you?" Must this bug continue to pry?

I made my way back to the shore and cast my gaze ahead. "To get to the cave one would have to cross the waters of this island."

"And?"

I hesitated, embarrassed to admit the fact. "I can't swim." The rain's drizzle only seemed to emphasize the mood. There was also the matter of Sharpedo infested waters which were apparently for 'training reasons'. Stupid old man…

There was a silence between us before Cress spoke. "Oh."

I looked back at the bug. "Go ahead. You're free to mock me for my incapabilities."

"Uh… Hook?" It was then that I noticed Cress looking not at me but ahead of me.

I followed the direction of its gaze to see something in the distance flying towards us.

"Bird!" Cress cried out right as I noticed. Its rather large size from the front view indicated it was a Pelipper.

The hostile bird seemed to be flying at us with the intent of attack. I've seen wild Pelipper around the island before but never had the chance to fight one. No matter.

It was getting closer to us and opened its mouth as if to prepare an attack. I let it get closer, waiting until it hovered over the shore.

… there! I held my paw out and focused psychic energy around the flying enemy. With a swift motion, I sent the Pelipper down into the sand in an instant.

I looked behind me to see Cress still there, though I found myself surprised to see the bug shuddering. I cast it a look. "Was that really necessary to panic over-"

A torrent of water suddenly blasted my side. The high pressure of the impact instantly sent me tumbling at speeds I couldn't even fathom. When I stopped rolling, I was left gasping for air.

I had never felt that much pain before. My vision was hazy. I struggled to get up. And yet, my opponent lay right before me, dislodging itself from the sand and preparing to blast another torrent. Am I… really to be bested right here if all places?

I found myself surprised when Cress dashed to my aid and stood in the way of the attack. It took the torrent head on and managed to stand its ground. "Cress?"

The bug seemed shaken up by the water. "Rrgh… can't have you dying on me now!"

The surprise seemed to have rejuvenated me enough to stand, although shakily. My view cleared to see the Pelipper airborne preparing another blow.

Cress turned to me, sparks emitting from her body. "I could try to hit it, but I can't hit it if it's flying!"

I caught on. I still had enough strength to muster some psychic energy. Once again I stopped the bird in its tracks and shoved its face into the sand. This time, I buried it beak-first so it had more trouble prying itself free.

"That'll work!" I heard Cress call out, the sparks around her body intensifying as she lunged at the Pelipper.

All I could do was watch as Cress ran ahead to do what I assumed was tackle the Pelipper. What is she hoping to achieve with such a simple-

The impact created a flash so blinding I had to flinch. It was as if all the electricity flowing through Cress was unleashed on contact. When the flash cleared, I was greeted with the sight of a weakened Pelipper struggling to fly away, static still jolting through its body. The rain seemed to let up.

Cress came crawling back to me and breathed out a sigh of relief. "I was wondering when something to do with trees would end with a bird encounter. You alright?"

I was still in awe that this small bug was able to save me. "Th-thank you… Cress…" Expressing gratitude was only the formal thing to do.

She appeared pleased. Her mood certainly perked up quickly. "Don't mention it. I had to thank you somehow for that twig thingy."

"Ah… that." The encounter still left me shaken up. I wobbled as I tried to walk. Blasted bird left me at the verge of collapsing with just… one attack…

Cress came up to my side. "That guy really roughed you up. We should really head back so we can get healed."

As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. "Very well then…"

And so the two of us were slowly and painstakingly making our way back to the dojo. I just hoped that whatever business our trainer had there was over with already. She was trying to hide it, but I noticed Cress was severely weakened by the blasted Pelipper's attack.

That encounter left me with a lot to think about. What was that Cress said? How she didn't want to leave me to die? That sensation… was I really that close to being plucked from this mortal coil? To think I was so powerless…

I hid my grimace. I really was weak. What kind of 'destroyer of worlds' was I if it was this easy to put me in my place?

No. I needed to get stronger. I needed to get my chance to prove myself. I had potential. That old man said so. And then when my time came I'd be showered with praise.

He couldn't have been wrong, right?

"I-Incoming!" Cress cried out. There seemed to be wild Pokémon approaching from the grass with less than friendly intentions. I made out a Scyther and Tauros being the closest.

I sighed, showing my irritation at the encounter, but hid my worry. My limbs were quivering pathetically, begging for release, knowing well we were still far from the dojo.

But I wouldn't be going down without a fight.

Flare's POV

Whew…

That battle… really gave my team a run for their money. I tried not to use Twigs since she was already trained up more than everyone else, but that really proved challenging.

I don't know how or why, but the Slowpoke that Mustard used were really fast and kept dodging everything. Outrageously fast for something called a Slowpoke. I had to have both Spike and Crumbs focus on that, which left the Venipede to somehow scatter Toxic Spikes all over the field. I was supposed to tag out Crumbs for a bit so I could have Tilda deal with that, but she insisted on staying in. She didn't do much other than wave her leaves for a bit before being psychically tossed aside.

At least we somehow won. I had to get crafty with having Spike and Crumbs predict where the Slowpoke would dodge so they could land hits. The Venipede was easily dealt with by Crumbs, at least. As was Klara's next Pokémon, who was also a Slowpoke, but one that actually lived up to its name in terms of speed.

That left my team resting in the main dojo area as I sat among them. Mustard and Klara were busy tending to their Pokémon as well, leaving me to my team. I was spraying my Pokémon with Super Potions one by one, but even if they needed some slight healing they were all still really pumped.

Crumbs in particular was really proud of himself. He just sat there with a big goofy grin on his face as I sprayed him. "I was amazing out there, wasn't I? I know I said I'd give it my all, but I didn't think I was that good!"

I just pet him and smiled, making sure to give him some scratches near his scarf. "Everyone did great, but you especially, Crumbs." Spike and Tilda seemed like they got stronger and learned new moves too. Even if Tilda barely did anything.

Twigs came up to my side and started petting Crumbs as well. "You should've let me fight, lass. Been dying to try out fighting some more with my two sticks."

I just let her have some chin scratches as well. "Maybe next time, Twigs."

I took out my phone to scan my team with the Pokédex to see just how strong they were getting. However, before I could do that, it suddenly started ringing.

It startled me for a second before I actually answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey! Flare!" I recognized Hop's excited voice. "Where've you been, mate?"

"Er…" I wasn't sure what to tell him. "Just training."

"You must be training real hard!" He seemed to buy it. "Well, so have I! But when you can, let's meet up at Route 5! I got something cool I bet you'd like!"

Something… cool? "Okay! I'll meet you there!" I needed an excuse to head back to my Gym Challenge, anyway.

"See ya!" And he hung up.

"Route 5, eh?" Twigs looked at me curiously. "I think I remember hearing something about that place…"

I smiled. "All the more reason we should go, then." I returned Twigs and Crumbs into their Pokéballs.

I looked to see Spike walking towards me from another room. "Hey Flare. I saw that the Mustard guy has the same game thingy from the hotel in his room."

I caught on to his idea but sadly smiled at him. "We're actually leaving now, Spike."

He just sighed. "Darn."

Tilda suddenly popped up behind him. "But Flaaaare! I wanna do the thing!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at the Oddish hopping to and fro in front of me. Spike smiled at it too. "Don't mind her, Flare. We can go when you're ready."

I nodded. "Don't worry, you two. Maybe you can stick around and play next time." With that I returned them to their Pokéballs.

I stood up and let out a breath, making my way to the dojo doors. Guess that just leaves Hook and Cress, who are probably somewhere outside…

I opened the doors to be greeted with the sight and sensation of the area's fresh air. Just as I started thinking about where I should start looking, something caught my eye. Just right ahead, the familiar pink of Hook. I knew it wasn't just another wild Slowpoke because he wasn't close to the shore. As I ran closer, I saw the familiar green shape of Cress resting on his head as well.

My stare froze. No… no! Neither of them were moving. They looked battered and beaten. I kept running. Please…

I felt a little bit of hope when I saw Hook slowly stir as I approached.

"Help…" He suddenly collapsed.