TEAM: Spike (Drednaw) & Tilda (Vileplume), Hook (Galarian Slowpoke) & Cress (Charjabug), Twigs (Thwackey)

Flare's POV

Hmm…

The terrain of Route 6 was much different than what I was used to, but it wasn't anything too out of the ordinary. I remembered crossing this kind of dry, somewhat sandy ground from my last trek in the Wild Area. It was still mostly more path to walk so all was well. At least the dusty parts were only ankle high, so it didn't bother most of us.

Cress once again needed to rest atop Hook's head for this. At least Spike was enjoying himself, excitedly stepping rhythmically from one heavy step to the next as if he was trying to skip again. The sand wasn't really bothering me all too much, even if I didn't want to get my dad's prized shoes too dirty. I had to shield my eyes from the pounding sunlight blazing down on me as I tried to analyze something on my phone.

The sudden miracle of shade came all too suddenly, and I looked up to see Tilda floating above me, slowly spinning as she happily flailed her limbs about.

"Weeeeeee."

I giggled at the amusing sight and looked down to find the culprit, ending up meeting Cress' gaze atop his head instead. "He just thought you needed a bit of help. Don't worry, Tilda agreed to this."

I looked up and smiled as Tilda continued quietly "weee"-ing to herself. "If you say so."

At least my team seemed to understand that I was occupied with something. I went back to holding my phone with one hand and picking out Pokémon cookies with the other. Back and forth I went from squinting at the cookie to the creature shaped figures from the tapestry.

Nope, doesn't look like it. I sighed, tossing the Obstagoon cookie into my mouth. Any other dog-looking Pokémon I know? I put a hand to my chin as I thought about it some more. What about Boltund?

I reached my left hand back into the biscuit box in hopes of finding a Boltund-shaped one, but I ended up just grabbing air and scratching the box. I looked down to see Twigs yanking it away from me.

"Sorry 'bout that, lassie." My Thwackey chewed a bit before gulping something down. "I was still hungry."

Despite my lack of results, I found myself smiling at her. "It's alright."

Twigs' cheeky grin dropped for a bit as she curiously stared up at me. "What's been up with you recently? Ever since we left you've kept your eyes off the road and kept mutterin' about dogs. Only time you stopped was when you accidentally bumped into that Yamask. With the way you've been staring at cookies and not eating 'em is reminding me of all the times me and Therese had to watch Chloe take pictures of chicken nuggets."

"Don't worry Twigs, I'm not some social media person or anything." I smiled at the amusing thought. "That's Raihan's thing. I'm just trying to figure this tapestry out. Do these figures remind you of anything?" I handed my phone to her.

She squinted at it, pouting. "They look like puddles."

"Come on, Twigs." I pointed at their little heads. "Don't you see the little ears? I was thinking they're some sort of dog Pokémon, maybe one from long ago."

Twigs still gave me a confused stare as her eyebrows furrowed. "Not following 'ere, Flare. Doesn't look like any dog I've seen."

"Guess I'm stumped in that regard then…" I sighed again and put my phone away. Why would I even think they were dogs, anyway? It was as Twigs said, all that was really there were just a pair of puddles with ears. A pair of weird dogs we've supposedly never seen before.

My eyes widened for a second. Wait a minute. Pair of dogs we've never seen before. Or wolves. My mind dug back through memories murky and hazy, tracing all the way back to when I first got Twigs. Chasing Sheep into that foggy Slumbering Weald. It couldn't be… could it?

My gaze drifted elsewhere as I entertained the thought. Even if Sheep supposedly never ran into the forest in the first place, my mom did say she remembered something growling in there. If that were the case, then why didn't it seem like anyone else saw this?

"Hmmm…" I ended up groaning in my attempt to sound like I was thinking. It's not like I was a professor or anything, so I definitely wasn't gonna make any breakthroughs. Not on my own, at least.

And then Tilda suddenly fell on my head, making us both yell in surprise as we both stumbled to the ground in confusion. In my disoriented state, I struggled a bit to get up, but Twigs was there to help me back to my feet. Zap helped too, which didn't do much, but it made me smile nonetheless. As I dusted myself off, I noticed Hook decided to lag behind us, glaring ahead.

Spike nudged me with his horn. "We've got company."

As I looked ahead it was immediately apparent what they were talking about. The weird fanatics dressed in black and pink were back, stomping and blaring as usual. Though weirdly enough, it was only these Team Yell guys' appearance that was loud this time. They were surrounding this sleepy Pokémon and were surprisingly trying to blow their horns as quietly as they could, even seeming to hold back as they stomped the ground.

One of the punk ladies in the group noticed me and quickly pointed. "Lookie here, lads." She spoke in a hushed yell that ended up sounding raspy. "There be a trainer afoot." She started spinning her towel at me as if trying to ward me away.

"Oi." One of the mohawked guys glared my way and blew his horn. No noise came out. "Don't go stomping 'round here. We're here to make sure this cute 'lil Silicobra gets some shut eye, alright?"

I stepped forward a little bit to see the sleeping Pokémon that these guys were all huddled around. I wondered if the irony wasn't lost on these guys. At least the boombox guy wasn't here.

They seemed to get defensive as I stepped closer. "Easy, guys." I spoke quietly. "I don't mean no trouble. I'm just here to make it to the next Gym Stadium."

"Watch out lads." One of them froze in a shocked stance, eyeing my wrist. "She's got a Dynamax Band. That stuff is dangerous."

They all seemed to get defensive at that, crowding even closer around the coiled Silicobra. I blinked in surprise.

That was until one Team Yell grunt nudged past the group. "Are you lot blind? It's her, Marnie's friend!"

Everyone else seemed astonished at the realization, but at the very least they seemed to drop their tension at that.

Oh boy.

I rolled my eyes as they started their usual cheer of "Marnie's frieeeend", though I still found myself smiling a bit at the attention. At least they were still trying to keep their voices hushed.

I awkwardly tried to tiptoe past them. "I'll just be going now if you guys don't mind."

I didn't make it that far before they suddenly moved in a herd to gather in front of me. They all promptly stopped their celebration to quickly shake their heads in an eruption of denial. "That wouldn't sit well with us, lassie. You see, the problem with those dangerous red flashes we've been talkin' about have started to appear on the news too! Marnie wouldn't let us guard her, so at least let us make sure you're safe!"

Twigs swiveled up so she could peek over my shoulder. "Sorry you chavs, she already has her own group keeping her company."

I watched as the rest of my Pokémon stood in front of me like they were my bodyguards or something. Except Hook, who still seemed insistent on trailing behind. Still, when that Team Yell grunt mentioned dangerous red flashes, I recalled hearing them mention the same thing back on Route 5.

"Wait." I put two and two together. "Did you guys know about the Dynamaxing incidents?"

"Yeah, yeah!" One of them piped up excitedly. "We saw the dangerous flashy dinosaur stuff happen out in the open long before the news got to it in the Wild Area!"

One of the others smacked him across the head with a towel. "She said Dynamax, you twit. The only dinosaur stuff here is with the loon up ahead toying with the wack machine."

So they weren't just being crazy on Route 5… I ultimately decided that I could let these Team Yell guys hang around me for a little while. They had info. Though, I noticed Hook still looked uneasy around them so I allowed him and everyone else back into their Pokéballs. I already got my catch for the route anyway, and it didn't seem like having an oddball Pokémon group tagging behind me at all times would make climbing these weird ladders any easier. Never would've expected ladders on a route like this.

It did feel a bit weird being surrounded by a ragtag group of hooligans intent on being more committed to acting as bodyguards than my team was. They even offered to try some totem pole formation thing to help me reach the upper part of this route. Guess this was what Marnie felt like. Of course, I took the ladder instead.

I waited a bit to let them all catch their breath as they broke formation and climbed up themselves. I still had to grill them for info. "You guys said something about seeing the Dynamax incidents, right?" Yikes, even their breathing was loud.

"That we did…" One tired grunt gave me a thumbs up. "Saw it in person. Two shady blokes. Sprinkled some magic dust on some wild Pokémon and they went… you know, wild."

Another nodded. "It even grew real large for a few seconds. Only for a little bit, not nearly as long as the ones that the news covered. It was really big though."

That part had me stumped for a bit. This really wasn't the first time this happened. And some 'shady blokes' were causing this. Unfortunately, that was all they knew. I couldn't get any other answers about who they were or where this could happen next.

As I sighed in mild disappointment, all I was left with regarding this matter was worry. Worry about what could happen, and who it would affect. Be it me or anyone else.

At the very least, these Team Yell guys were very open to other kinds of conversation. One attempt at small talk later, we suddenly found ourselves discussing the cutest Pokémon and why Stunky is underrated. I even learned one of these trainers had a major liking to snake Pokémon in particular. We even talked about… other things too.

"Lads back at Spikemuth are already working on getting the Marnie hype around, making merch and all." A Team Yell grunt outstretched her Marnie towel, making sure to show her full picture in all of its glory. "We're planning on using her wonderful image for other things too. Maybe a towel like this but pillow sized."

I blinked at the thought. "That's… weird." I wanted one. It was then that I saw some of the guys up ahead trying and failing to karate chop nearby wild Diglett blocking the path. It was amusing to see them miss the ducking Pokémon, but I started to wonder. "You guys really are trying to be bodyguards and helping me out. This isn't against the rules or anything, right?"

"Hm?" The one up ahead looked at me. "Oh don't worry, this isn't illegal or nothing. We know how Gym Challenge rules work. For no particular reason, yeah."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Yeah."

The others started to nod at that weirdly conspicuous last statement. Until a Dugtrio appeared and headbutted the guy from below. We all had a good chuckle as he doubled over.

The more we talked, the more these guys fell out of their defensive formation and just tried to stay in step with me through the route. We were just a group of trainers making do and talking about things. Even if most topics somehow managed to circle back to gushing about Marnie. At least I still had that in common with everyone. At the same time, I couldn't help but wonder. Why doesn't Marnie seem to like these Team Yell guys all too much?

As soon as I saw the giant triple Diglett monument landmark, I knew I was nearing the end of the route. I looked up at the grand structure and recalled seeing it on brochures, likely to set the mood for the desert town that was dead ahead. It took a bit of convincing, maybe a bit of yelling, but I got the Team Yell group to leave me be for the time being so I could properly continue my Gym Challenge. Maybe it's because they're clingy.

I let out a sigh and looked at my Thwackey. "Thanks, Twigs."

She looked up at me and nodded proudly. "Anytime, lass."

The two of us then stepped foot right to the next town, Stow-on-Side. A desert town that felt like no other, opening right away with the outdoor market stalls and even a musician crouched somewhere playing a sort of flute for the crowd. I looked at the sign that stood near the Pokémon Center.

"A town in the mountains that has flourished around an ancient mural."

"Ancient mural, huh?" I muttered to myself. "Maybe I'll check that out later."

I knew the next Gym would be in this town, but I felt I could slow down and think some more before trying to take it on immediately. I made sure to get everyone healed up first and did some thinking around the nearby market.

"Oi, lass." Twigs tugged on my sleeve. "This Maractus got me to buy this weird pile of gunk. Said it was an offer I couldn't refuse. No idea what it does, though."

I sheepishly smiled at the realization that I had to pay for someone falling for a marketing ploy. "I'll pay for it in a sec." I cautiously took the Black Sludge and made sure to put it in a plastic bag before putting it in my own bag. "Maybe we should do a bit more training. I noticed you haven't done as much battling as the others recently. You sat out of battles in the last route."

"Oh, th-that." Twigs briefly looked somewhere else as she sheepishly scratched her head.

I caught her unease. I nodded in understanding. "Maybe you'd feel better after battling with a new partner. I could call mom and withdraw a new Pokémon to fight alongside you."

Twigs gave me a sad smile. "I'll think about it, lass. I'm not sure how to feel about a new battle partner, anyway. I dinnae know who I'd even feel fine with."

The sight of something purple moving ahead of us caught our sight. I blinked and realized Zap let himself out of his Luxury Ball while we weren't looking.

Twigs was already breaking into a sprint. "He's learned to walk and is making a run for it! I got him!" She ran ahead to where Zap was headed, towards the town plaza where a group of kids were playing with a Bronzong. Looked like Zap had the same idea, judging from Twigs' yelling in the distance. "Oi, no! That thing is not a hat!"

And there they go. Sightseeing didn't sound so bad all of a sudden. Stow-on-Side did look a lot different to the other towns I was used to. Still just as bustling as everywhere else, though. After a rather difficult negotiation with a market Maractus, I allowed myself some time to enjoy the unfamiliar but still appealing scenery. I've never been in a desert town before, so this was nice, even if it was a bit hotter in this part of the region. Seeing all the people out and about with their Pokémon made me wonder if I should bring out Hook and Tilda again for some shelter. I also wondered if any of the people around me were fellow Gym Challengers.

I eyed a stall that seemed to be displaying a batch of exotic fruits. My smile faded. He would've loved this. My thoughts about Gym Challengers got me thinking if anyone got out of that mess unscathed. I could only hope so. I was still on this path to get more Gym Badges, but I doubt my spirit burned as brightly as those who weren't as discouraged. Several names came to mind.

"Flaaaaare."

Something bleated my name. I immediately recognized the voice and looked nearby to see the large horned wooly figure of Buddy trotting towards me. I still had to get used to how he was a Dubwool now.

"Hey there, Buddy." I patted his head and noticed his worried stare. "What's wrong?"

"It's Hop."

Hop. The possibility that something could've gone horribly wrong snapped me back to my senses. Buddy was already bounding away, and I followed.

Author's POV

As was the case with Hammerlocke, Stow-on-Side was also known for its unique aesthetic that differed from most of the other towns. Ballonlea shared that too. Though like Ballonlea and unlike Hammerlocke, Stow-on-Side's Gym exterior used the same traditional stadium design that most of the other Gyms in Galar used. The mountainous sandy orange look of the town seemed just right to match the Gym's color scheme. While the Motostoke Gym's hues of orange were more vibrant to match the burning Fire type, Stow-on-Side's oranges were more consistent and worked well for the rugged Fighting type.

The path to the stadium were a series of stone staircases Flare and Buddy had to climb. It wasn't much longer until they found the distinct purple head of hair they were looking for.

"Hop!" Flare panted as she slowed down.

Hop seemed startled at the mention, suddenly tearing his eyes from the stadium he was looking up towards.

"Oh, hey Flare." He mustered an awkward laugh as he met her worried eyes. "Why the long face?"

"Why the long wait?" Flare's stare wavered, conflicted. "I heard everything about what happened on the news, and then Leon told me you weren't answering his calls so I was worried something happened to you, so…"

She sighed. Between running up there and spilling her worries out, she was left with little air to speak. As Flare caught her breath and looked up at Hop, she wasn't sure whether to shove or hug him. While she was taking in the fact that he was actually here in the flesh, she noticed that she wasn't the only one who was tired.

"Hop," Flare spoke softly. She saw the exhaustion in his eyes and the way he tried to keep up his smile. "Are you okay?"

Hop let out a nervous breath as he chuckled. "More or less. It's a long story."

Flare took him by the hand and hauled him to a nearby bench, sitting him down next to her. "I got time."

Hop sighed, sucked in a breath through his teeth, and spoke. "I lost to Bede."

Flare's stare widened as she blinked. "Did he do this to you?"

"No, no!" Hop was quick to shake his head, keeping a hand on Flare's shoulder to calm her down. "Well… maybe he did kick me down a bit by saying how I was dragging Lee's name through the mud… among other things. But don't get me wrong—I can take a loss! Battling means you've got to lose sometimes."

Flare simmered down and gave him a look of sympathy. She nodded at Hop, waiting for him to continue.

Hop gulped, recalling the memory. "Since I lost again, I figured I might as well do a bit more training, you know? Switch my team around, try something new, the works. So I went back to the Wild Area to train, and…" He trailed off, his stare fixated at nothing in particular in the distance.

Flare pursed her lip in a frown, expression shifting to that of shocked disbelief as she pieced it together. The friend who was seen at Watchtower Ruins. She looked to Buddy, whose sorrowful eyes were enough to confirm this.

"Hop." Flare placed a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him out of his trance. She gave him a sympathetic smile. "It's okay. I lost someone too."

"Huh?" Hop immediately whipped his gaze to face her. His eyes widened with sudden concern and he didn't hesitate to pull his arms around her in an embrace. "You were there too? Mate, you should've called me! I know I couldn't bring myself to face Lee but if I knew you were in danger I would've answered in a heartbeat! I'm just glad you still have one in the first place!"

Flare found herself with a warm smile as she leaned against the fuzzy part of Hop's coat. As she returned the gesture, she managed to hear his own racing pulse. "Glad you're still here too, erm, mate." She never could speak it as naturally as he did.

Several tears later, the two resigned themselves to taking a break on the bench, just letting time go by and taking it easy. They made do with enjoying the scenery and continuing to comfort each other regarding recent events. Hop eventually came back with snacks, much to Flare's protest, until they came to an agreement that they'd split the payment for it.

"Did they have to cost this much?" Flare eyed the candy bar that was barely bigger than her palm.

"Exotic snacks from another region." Hop spoke in between chews. "They're supposed to be all the rage these days. Least that's what that guy's Maractus told me."

After the two begrudgingly eventually came to the conclusion that they were ripped off, which took a while because Hop was stubbornly optimistic, they took to playing I-Spy to pass the time. It didn't take long for Flare to regret that idea because Hop had the advantage in both height and the ability to pick out details. She soon gave up on 'blind pink thing' which led to Hop pointing out the Hatenna tumbling about atop a roof out of her view. Even back in Postwick Hop always went for the cheap shot roof Pokémon. Flare promptly gave him the shove she was saving.

Still, Flare was glad to see Hop's familiar face again, back with his familiar energy. Not long afterwards, he was able to get back on his feet and come up with the decision to do a bit of training together. Mainly to help clear his head before taking on the Gym. Hop had a particular special training spot in mind and was quick to phone up his Flying Taxi.

As they waited for Hop's ride, Flare couldn't help but note how vague he was being about this training area. "Hop, where exactly are we going again?"

"I can't say! It'd ruin the surprise!" Hop replied with his usual energy, trademark smile, and pumped fists. "But I know you're gonna like it there! I wanna see the look on your face!"

While that didn't exactly answer Flare's question, she still found herself satisfied to see Hop up and running again. Though that energy didn't last long as he ended up dozing off shortly after they both got in the cab.

Flare didn't mind. She could see how he wasn't lucky enough to have slept since the incident. She clung to his sleeve and gently stroked it in hopes of at least letting him rest with comforting dreams. After that happened, she felt he deserved as much.