TEAM: Twigs (Rillaboom) & Zap (Toxtricity), Spike (Drednaw) & Tilda (Vileplume), Hook (Galarian Slowpoke) & Cress (Vikavolt)

Flare's POV

I woke up in a room coated with luxury. That bed was sooooft, it was like it was made of Dubwool wool. It probably was. I knew Hammerlocke was royally sophisticated, but their hotels were modern and had the luxury to prove it. I almost didn't want to get out of bed, but I couldn't just waste the pep in my step.

After rolling off of the borderline bouncy mattress and fixing and freshening myself up, I grabbed my empty Pokéballs and made way to where I last saw everyone.

"Okay team, I'm up now, so now we can-"

I expected to see a bit more commotion by this side of the room, but I was pleasantly surprised. They were all nestled up on or near the couch, out like a light while the TV was still on. I couldn't really blame them, it's been a while since we got to sleep in a place with an actual room with an actual bed with actual air conditioning.

I chuckled at the sight, feeling a bit jealous at how cozy they all looked. As I did, I glanced at the clock. It looked like there was just enough room to squeeze myself in between Twigs and Zap, so I let myself in. With the remote in my hand I figured I'd put on a movie or two while I waited. It'd be a while before breakfast, and there were some movies I wanted to catch up on. The whole Gym Challenger discount didn't exactly cover a room this luxurious, so it was a good thing Spike still had some pearls we could sell, if only to have a couch this big.

When the time for breakfast actually came, we luckily managed to pull enough funds to get each of us hearty meals at the hotel's canteen. We even got a big table where all of us could sit.

"I'm all for home cooking, but this is something else." Twigs looked up from her berry salad. "Spike, hope you don't mind gathering some more pearls next time."

"If it means getting to indulge in meals like this?" My Drednaw chuckled. "My pleasure."

I was pretty sure this was the first time I got to eat a meal like this together with my Pokémon. A meal actually at a table. While it did feel awkward being the only one using utensils (or in Hook's case, actually holding them), I liked having them around. We even got to talk about how movie night went, to which I proudly declared that I caught up on their binge when they weren't looking. As an Aguav Berry was being levitated across the table, I figured I'd take another bite of my Liechi sausage and actually focus on my meal before it could go cold.

That was when I heard some ringing from my phone in my pocket.

"Oh no!" Tilda cried out, wide eyed at me as she dropped her napkin. "Are those the room service people again? Did they think I broke the telly?"

I knew that definitely wasn't the case, but as I pulled my phone out, I still gave her a confused look.

Cress rolled her eyes. "We were watching a scary film yesterday and she got so spooked that she leapt and punched the screen," she explained. "Well, 'punch' is a bit generous, it was more like a really weak slap. Zap wasn't even scared." My Toxtricity nodded at her comment, still stuck with a mouthful of food.

"Ooookay." I slowly lifted the phone to my ear. "Don't worry Tilda, if there was a problem, I'm sure it wasn't your fault."

"Flare, dear, good morning! I hope you've been eating well!" My mom's voice chimed as I answered the call. "Now, I know you have your Box Link set to send items and Pokéballs home, but I still want to ask about some things. I was expecting to greet some of the new Pokémon you caught, but instead I was met with… piles and piles of Raihan memorabilia."

Never mind. I blinked in surprise, glancing at my Vileplume. Good thing I wasn't on speakerphone, otherwise she would've heard.

"O-Oh, that?" I hastily tried to come up with something to tell my mom. "Well, I, me and my team, we were just in Hammerlocke, and I just figured I'd stop by the gift shop by the museum, but I bought so much and it didn't fit in my bag, so-"

"Darling, I know when you're nervous. Don't worry, I won't judge you for your… suddenly overwhelming interest in him." At least she sounded convinced, so I was partially relieved. "I'll be sure to handle all these figures and posters carefully. Would you like me to keep them in your room for you?"

"S-Sure." I winced at the thought but I still spoke. It was embarrassing, but it couldn't possibly be any worse than admitting that my Pokémon splurged my allowance, right?

"You sound awfully flustered, dear." The genuine worry in my mom's voice helped lift a bit of that tension at least. "I just found this situation amusing, is all. I didn't expect to suddenly be greeted with all this merch about someone I once knew from my Gym Challenge."

That last bit caught my attention. Right, her Gym Challenge. If she knew Leon, then it'd make sense she'd know Raihan too. I decided to grab my chance for answers while I could. "You know, you never told me much about your Gym Challenge. Opal told me she still remembered you."

"Oh, she does?" She sounded pleasantly surprised at that. "Hmm, it has occurred to me that I never told you much about me or your father. I just thought that stuff wouldn't be-"

"- that interesting enough to bring up, right?" I was used to that excuse by now. "Come on mom, I have five badges now. I wanna hear about it. I barely even know anything about the rest of your Pokémon, or about dad's Pokémon even." And considering how many questions I had about things, I really didn't want to be left in the dark anymore. "But Opal told me you and dad dropped out, and I never knew about this. My team told me how strong your Indeedee was back at Bridge Field, what happened?"

"Oh." There was a moment of silence over the line. I could hear my own breathing in that second of hesitation. "Opal told you about that. Okay. You deserve to hear some of the truth then."

I relaxed a bit, letting her continue.

"I made it very far in the Gym Challenge. I was blessed with a lot back then, like getting to meet your father. I had my own powerful team, and got all eight badges from that league's year. And just like my Indeedee, the rest of my Pokémon are out pursuing their own volunteer Poké Jobs since they're not really under a trainer anymore. But if the need calls for it, I can always get in touch with them. Maybe you'll run into them like you did with Levin."

I took a moment to process all that. Okay, so that's what the situation is with her Pokémon. Come to think of it, I've never seen Banana battle. Maybe he was unexpectedly strong too? That thought aside, that part about the eight badges seemed off to me. "Wait, Opal told me you dropped out before Wyndon. Did something happen? And what about dad?"

Mom hesitated again. I raised my eyebrow as I waited. "It's true that your father and I both stopped before we could reach the Wyndon Stadium. Something just… came up." She paused again, which I really found unusual. "I'm sorry, Flare. I can't tell you."

I could feel my brow furrowing. "Why not? Is it something I wouldn't understand?"

"It's not that, I promise. I know you're a smart girl, Flare. I just… I need you to know that this is something you'll eventually have to discover yourself. You'll learn about it in time, don't worry."

I was really skeptical, but even over the phone, I could hear the sincere smile on the other side. But my opportunity for answers was starting to slip away from my grasp, and I only intended to hold on tight. I spoke with sheer conviction. "Mom, please. There's already been a lot going on, with the Dynamax Storm and even all the mystery about my time in the Slumbering Weald. I just want to be sure of something for once."

She paused once again before speaking a little quieter. "Okay, dear. I suppose I've been cruel to withhold such information from you for so long. There is a complete story behind what happened to your father and me, but the entire thing is quite lengthy."

"I'm sure I have time," I immediately replied.

"Alright… As you might know, I met your father on that very Gym Challenge, and we met many others who would become Gym Leaders after that." She stopped to sigh. "But things were different for me and Vincent. We had just gotten our eighth Gym Badges, and we were on our way to board the train to Wyndon. However… something happened."

I pursed my lip. She left it on a vague note again, and I felt a bit sour about that. "What really happened? Was it bad?"

"No, actually, I'd argue that it helped bring us closer." She spoke with a hint of sentimentality in her voice. "I-It's not what it looks like, I swear it. Well… what I will tell you is that he got caught up in-"

There was a sudden crackle and static, a sound that erupted from the speaker and into my ears, wincing as I almost dropped my phone. By the time I realized what just happened, there was silence on the other end of the call. "Hello?" No response. Got caught up in what?

I was back to being clueless, worrying over what just happened, until I heard several groans and gasps from other people in the canteen. I looked back at my phone, frantically tapping on it to see if it could still connect to anything.

Did… the cell service go down? I looked around me, seeing the lamps and ceiling lights that were lit up this morning. It's not a power outage or anything, so what gives?

Commotion suddenly erupted around the place, people were getting up from their tables and flocking to the nearest help desk for answers. I stayed put amidst the sounds of footsteps, looking towards my Pokémon who seemed confused about everything.

Tilda looked genuinely dejected. "Did… did I do that?"

Even amidst the sudden commotion, I managed a reassuring smile for her. "No, no, it's just… something else must've happened." I looked back at my phone to see that, yep, something definitely happened and I couldn't connect to anything. And I had to be at a hotel as it happened, too. This definitely couldn't be a coincidence, right?

Zap looked around. "Electwisty."

"Sounds about right." Cress buzzed for a bit as her eyes flitted about. "Something definitely… electrical happened. Is that why everyone looks so bothered all of a sudden?"

"You'd be surprised." I sighed at my phone's inability to connect online. Guess that's a problem too. Still, I tried to stay optimistic, hopeful. "Let's just get our fill of food so we can head out." I definitely needed to keep my head up and my stomach full at a time like this.

Caught up in what? The last things my mom said still swam in my mind. I tried to stay focused on my food. Last thing I needed was to get muddled up in more questions I couldn't answer. I had to eat my Liechi meal. Liechi Berry substitutes cooked and seasoned in various breakfast-shaped foods. I haven't had much Liechi back home other than the occasional family barbecues at Hop's house. It was then that I wondered if my dad were at any of those grills.

I quietly shook my head. Gotta stay focused, focus on my Gym Challenge. It won't do me any good worrying about what I don't know. Maybe this will all blow over, and then my mom can tell me all the answers I need. I pounded my fist down on my open palm as I tried to keep myself focused. I'd better do what I can in the meantime.

After I finished my breakfast, I rounded my team up and returned them to their Pokéballs so I could get checked out of the hotel. As I left the pristine glass doors, I stepped back out on the streets of Hammerlocke. It was silent, like I was cut off from the prior commotion, but I knew I was cut off from the rest of the world as well, at least for the time being.

Yet, as I tried to get back to my usual pace, I realized something. Come to think of it, didn't the regional power outage happen right before the Dynamax Storm?

And now that I knew what a disaster like that meant, another thought arose. I hope whatever that storm was doesn't spread to other parts of Galar. I wouldn't wish what happened there to happen anywhere else.

With how much I was thinking of my mom, I was afraid of what would happen if disasters like that reached Postwick. If anything like that happened, I just had to hope Banana was as strong as I'd guess he'd be. He likely would be. Sheep too. I could trust my mom, even if she did hide a lot of secrets from me, she was still a dependable person.

Maybe one day I'll learn about everything like she said…

I nodded to myself, spurring a bit of faith in myself and in her too. This was my mom, after all. If I really wasn't ready to handle the truth right now, then I guess I'd just have to get all the badges and see for myself in Wyndon, perhaps.

Author's POV

Flare's footsteps blazed across the ground just as the pounding sun did. With no way to get in contact with anyone, that meant she had to make this leg of the journey by herself and with her Pokémon. Not that it was much different than what she originally had in mind, anyway.

Passing the eastern exit bridge of Hammerlocke, she paused for a bit at a grassy fork in the road. She found herself lucky she had a picture of the Galar region map saved on her phone. "Okay, the way to the Circhester is to the north…"

She knew that the city of Circhester was on the snowier side of the region, but what she didn't expect was the route leading to it to be almost desert-like in weather. It seemed like a bizarre series of ruins she had to make her way around before proceeding onward. It didn't help that the overgrown orange grass made it difficult to trek through.

"Hey, Hook!" She called, lifting her arm above in hopes that he'd see. "Wait up, I think I got a pebble stuck in my shoe!"

"This'll take but a second!" The Slowpoke who had pressed ahead on his own accord glanced back before facing his foe. "This poopy Pawniard will be down for the count in no time flat!"

In response, the blade-headed wild Pokémon ahead of him only grew angrier. He rushed towards the Slowpoke, lifting his razor sharp blades high. "I told you, that is not my name!"

Hook brushed the response aside and yawned.

The Pawniard grew ever angrier at the display, rearing back his arm with deadly intent. "Such insolence! I told you! My name isn't Poopy! My name is-"

His overwhelming anger was immediately extinguished by drowsiness and he stopped in his tracks. The Pawniard skidded to a stop in front of Hook, sleeping soundly.

"Okay, I'm here!" Flare popped out of the grass in front of Hook, taking a moment to shake it off of her hair and jumper. "What'd I miss?"

"Your catch for this route." With a pleased look on his face, the Slowpoke simply levitated an Ultra Ball out of Flare's bag and caught the Pawniard himself before handing it to her.

"Okay then…" She took a second to stare at the ball in her hands. "There were actually some little marching guys I saw up ahead that I would've liked to befriend, but I can work with this." She carefully tucked the Ultra Ball into her satchel. "Though since communication services seem to be down everywhere, I'm going to have to wait until that's back up before my Box Link starts working again."

Hook rolled his eyes. "Ah yes, humans and your… telly visions." He scoffed as if recalling a memory. "I always wondered how your kind would ever manage without the luxuries you glue yourselves to. Was there nothing better you could do in your free time?"

Flare looked ahead to the different ascending levels of this makeshift labyrinth, where trainers seemed to be waiting for someone to battle. She raised an eyebrow as she wondered if there were more here than in the other routes. "No, apparently."

With all the tall grass, jutting pieces of ruin, and the lines of marching Pokémon everywhere, Flare figured partaking in some trainer battles would be an engaging break from the exploring. That, and she thought she might as well level up her team some more in preparation for whatever the next Gym had in store. She couldn't exactly look it up herself, so better safe than sorry.

Flare was in the middle of a healing break, spraying some of her Pokéballs with healing potions, when she spotted a familiar head of purple hair prowling nearby. "Hold on…" She had to do a double take at what she assumed was another trainer looking for a battle.

"Hop…?" There was no mistaking the faded blue hue of that jacket. With what just happened that morning, Flare was just about ready to leap at him for a hug. But as she got closer, she started to have second thoughts.

"Gah!" Hop immediately jerked his head in surprise, turning around as he clutched at his heaving chest. His panicked eyes jittered until they landed on a confused Flare. His breathing slowed down to a calm after that. "Flare?"

Flare stood on edge when she saw how obviously on edge Hop seemed as well. His hunched posture didn't convey the carefree stride he once held, and his once widened golden eyes carried strain. "Hop, what's wrong?" She frowned with concern.

"Wrong? Me? Nothin's wrong, mate!" Hop quickly spoke, holding his hands behind his head as he attempted to display his familiar smile. "I'm in hip top Hoppip shape!"

Flare wasn't convinced. "It's tip top hip Hop shape, Hop." She shook her head with a sigh. "Come on, you should know I know you plenty better than anyone. Your hair's a disheveled mess and you look like you haven't slept."

"Does it?" Hop briefly glanced at the noticeable strands on his head before groaning and hurriedly running his hands over them. "I'm real fine, really."

"Hop." Flare's brow furrowed as she assumed a sterner tone.

Hop stood, perplexed. It was like words were attempting to spill from his mouth, but he held them back. His hasty hands reached into his bag and pulled out a Pokéball. "Battle me first."

"Huh?"

"I just wanna show you that nothing's wrong. Battle me." Hop's tone was firm, even if his grip was shaky. He looked around himself to reassure that the space around them was big enough for it. "Won't let you pass otherwise."

Flare was confused. "Can't I just…?" She attempted to walk past him, but Hop quickly sidestepped to get in her way. She stepped to the side, and so did he. They pivoted back and forth for a few times before Flare finally gave in with a sigh.

At the state he was in, Flare was confident she could outrun Hop, which was really saying something. However, even if he seemed reluctant to say what was up, she didn't intend on leaving him be. "If I have to then…" As she pulled out a Pokéball of her own, she took another look at how shattered Hop looked and thought to her team to take it easy.

"Tilda!"

"Willow!"

The two large plant-like Pokémon emerged, the Vileplume's peppy stare meeting the haunting gaze of the Trevenant's single eye.

Flare was ready to call out a command, but a sudden realization had Tilda squeal in surprise.

The Vileplume hopped up and down as she excitedly pointed at Willow. "Ghost! Finally, I've been dying to meet a cool ghost and today's the day-"

A downward claw swipe at Tilda's petals quickly turned that excitement into annoyance. "Hey, that was quite rude!" After wincing, she swung her flowered head at the Trevenant with a blow that knocked it back. With the large flower still pointing forward, a buildup of poison culminated at the center before launching as a burst of energy.

"Dodge it!" Hop yelled. But the Venoshock had already coated the knocked out Trevenant. "Oh." He hummed in slight frustration, slapping the sides of his face in an attempt to focus as he pulled out another Pokéball.

While Flare was off to a good start in the battle, she didn't feel too good about it. She let Hop send out his Pincurchin and make the first move.

"Okay!" Hop pointed his arm forward. "Ribbon, use… use Spark!"

The little Electric type leapt at Tilda with surprising speed. Though, despite the rushing electricity, the attack harmlessly bounced off of Tilda.

"That tickled!" Tilda quickly shrugged it off before looking at Flare for permission to attack. After receiving the reluctant command, then came the Giga Drain.

Hop watched with stunned eyes as the attack was enough to wear his Pincurchin down immediately. His tired frown lingered as he dug through his bag for his next Pokémon, pinching the bridge of his nose as he did so.

Flare just felt sorry at the sad display. It was clear that Hop was still down and out, what with him using Pokémon that even he didn't seem too confident in. And knowing him, that was really saying something. He had mentioned how carefully he wanted to make his dream team, but Flare knew this wasn't it.

Still, even if she could tell Hop was feeling out of it, she hoped seeing this through would make him come to his senses. She swapped Tilda out for Spike as Hop sent out his next Pokémon, a Heatmor.

"Alright, Flames! Use…" Hop hesitated. "Use the… the fire… the…"

Flare just found it painful to watch. As did Spike. "Razor Shell?" The Drednaw asked.

"Razor Shell."

"... the lash thing? That must be it, the fire-" Hop was interrupted when a small wave splashed onto him. A wave that was caused by the sliding Razor Shell attack that instantly knocked out his Heatmor. "Urgh!" He grunted again, this time with evident irritation. He slapped the sides of his face once more, perking up with assertive determination. "I'm not done in yet! I'm goin' all out with this last one! Get 'em, Bellows!"

Flare noticed the way Hop wound up his arm before tossing his Pokéball. She thought it was a good sign, up until she saw the towering foe in front of them. "That's… that's a Snorlax. A big one." The sheer size of it intimidated her. Judging from how docile Banana was, she never would've thought his evolution would be this formidable.

Spike was just as uneasy as he looked up, though he attempted to hide that with a remark. "And I thought Hook was a big guy. I hope he didn't hear that."

"Heavy Slam!"

The looming figure of the Snorlax quickly became a looming shadow as it leapt high up for a crushing fall. Flare wasn't sure what move to use, how she could get her Drednaw to dodge with how quick the attack was coming. Spike took a quick breath as he came up with something. He glanced back at Flare in an attempt to reassure her. "It's okay, I got thi-"

The ground in front of Flare was immediately flattened with the Snorlax's attack. Flare couldn't hear the sound of impact over how sudden everything felt. She could only stare in shock at the area where her Drednaw once was. As quickly as the Snorlax arrived, it leapt back to its spot on the field, revealing the large crater-shaped hole it left. And inside that hole was… another hole?

Flare had to look down when she felt something stirring beneath. A light trembling crept in the ground, like it was headed somewhere. Hop felt it too, as did his Snorlax.

Then, right as it grew in intensity to audible rumbling, the ground in front of Hop's Snorlax burst into a cloud of flying dirt and rubble. The dust that spread quickly hovered upwards to orbit around a large shell that had just leapt out of the ground. Said shell proceeded to descend towards the Snorlax for a forceful earthy blow. The attack hit Snorlax square on the head, knocking it to the ground with a crash as the shell bounced off to land safely. After shaking the debris off, Spike poked his head and limbs out to stand back up.

"You know, I take back everything bad I said about Hook." Spike couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "Now I really owe him one for helping me learn Dig."

Flare let out a relieved sigh as well, taking a moment to hug her Drednaw for his quick thinking, though afterwards she had to brush off the dust that clung to her. After recalling Spike, she heard Hop do the same with his Snorlax and looked towards him.

Hop kept his head low. "All that training and battling… but I still buggered it up and managed to lose again." He slapped his hand to his forehead. "What am I doing wrong…?"

Flare could notice the heaving breath returning with his agitation and was quick to rush to his side. "Hop… what happened?"

"What happened?" Hop spoke in disbelief. He was hunched over, so he had to look up at her. "Mate, I lost, that's what happened!"

Flare's frown was stern. Now that she was closer she could properly see the bags beneath his eyes. At that moment she just let all her worry pour out. "I'm not talking about the battle. I'm talking about you. Where've you been? What happened to your Pokémon? Where's Buddy? When's the last time you got some bloody sleep?"

That got Hop to widen his eyes. Flare wasn't usually a 'bloody' person unless she was really riled up, and he knew that about her better than anyone. And although he was really tired, that served as a wake up call to take a proper look at himself.

Hop looked down at his hands, slowly unclenching his fists as he calmed down. "I… I guess I have run myself ragged trying my hardest to catch up in the Gym Challenge." He paused for a second, lost in thought as if he was trying to recall it. "I trained up in the Isle of Armor, really trained up. I wasn't sure what Pokémon would work, so I just ended up training up everything I caught."

Flare raised an eyebrow at that. "But didn't you only have three Pokémon just now?"

"Well…" Hop scratched the back of his head with a pained look. "When I tried to battle you just now, I didn't exactly have all my Pokémon healed up. Guess I wasn't thinking right when I just decided to battle you while I was still training."

"I could tell." Flare couldn't help but admit with a sigh, though she still stayed near him.

"B-But it wasn't all bad!" Hop hastily tried to reassure her with his familiar grin. "Just today, I managed to get Gym Badges from Stow-on-Side and Ballonlea! Two badges in one day, that's gotta be a record of sorts. Though, I had to wait right outside the doors to get it all done soon as the sun came up."

"As soon as the…" Flare wanted to gasp, but not because she was impressed. "Hop, you've been sleep and breakfast deprived?!" She was used to him being over the top when they were little but this was something else.

The sudden volume in Flare's objection made Hop wince slightly. "I-" But before he could try to defend himself, the groan of his stomach gave everything away. He just looked down in shame. "I suppose you're right. Doing things this way, wearing myself ragged, using a team I haven't properly bonded with… feels kinda wrong." Though as he mulled over it he shook his head. "But… is going back to my old team the right answer? What if that's wrong too?"

Flare was still deathly worried, but she gave his pitied look some well deserved sympathy. She was only like this because she cared so much about him. "Go with what feels right for you, what gets you fired up and ready to go, not what wears you out." She nodded at him with a warm smile. "You seemed to train your Snorlax well. He might be a part of that dream team you love talking about. What about Buddy? I was there when he leapt out of that Flying Taxi cab and landed in your arms. You promised him you'd reach the Pokémon League together, didn't you?"

Hop had a fond smile. "I did… didn't I? I must be a real pothead since I still ended up taking him out of the team. I owe him a big apology once I get him back through my Box Link. Though I'm not sure who else would be just right for my dream team. Guess I'll just try swapping out more of my Pokémon next chance I get."

"Uh…" Flare grabbed his sleeve before he could reach into his bag. She sucked in a pained breath before informing him. "A lot of communication services are down. Including connections to the Pokémon Box Link."

Hop's stare froze. "You mean… I can't get my team back anymore? Like Buddy, or Knightley, or… or…" He spoke quickly, though as he looked back at Flare, he managed to calm down.

Flare stroked his back, reaching beneath his jacket to do so in an attempt to comfort him and slow his breathing again. "I'm sure it'll get back up and running sooner or later." She tried to reassure him the best she could, even if she was still unsure herself. "Besides, judging from your reaction, I guess you already know what Pokémon you'd like to keep close to you."

That took Hop by surprise. "Bloody 'ell, you're right!" The realization left a smile on his face. "I guess I was still feeling lost since the big incident. But now that you're here I can tell my head just isn't screwed on properly right now," he admitted sheepishly.

"In that case…" Flare slammed her fist on her palm with blazing confidence. "I'll stick with you on the way to Circhester to keep you out of trouble. If you're not screwed properly, then I'll just have to screw you right!"

Hop was utterly stunned at that comment, red in the face. "Y-You mean the part about my head not being screwed on right, right?"

Flare stared at him, confused at his suddenly nervous reaction. "Yeah, of course that's what I meant." She had no idea what he was thinking about, though after a second she figured she had a good idea. "Oh, I didn't mean it literally. I don't think I have the strength to actually pull your head off."

"R-Right, that." Hop slapped the sides of his face to snap out of it and focus. "I'm sure I'll be back and at 'em in no time after some good rest and some good meals." His smile was back and so was his enthusiasm. "Maybe I can do what Lee says he does when he feels lost. Find Charizard!"

Flare was glad, seeing that semblance of the Hop she knew despite his evident exhaustion, but she still couldn't help but correct him. "I think he meant something else when he told you that." Though her gaze trailed for a moment as she thought about it. "Although that might still work here. Just stick to what keeps you on the right track." She let herself recall her own motivations. "Like… a helping hand, or some supportive friends."

"Or a guiding flame," Hop eagerly spoke. "Like Lee's Charizard!"

"Well…" Flare was sure he was still missing the point, but he answered with such admirable enthusiasm that she thought it'd be cruel to tell him that. "Sure. Whatever you think feels right. A guiding flame." She hoped having him along would help guide her to Circhester at least. With how lost she felt yet again, she felt as if she needed a Charizard of her very own.

"Righto." Hop smiled, staring right at her while she was busy looking for the path ahead. His voice softened as he felt at ease. "A guiding flame."

Flare's POV

… And I'm still lost.

I was winded. Not because I had to run after Hop or anything; with how disheveled he was he couldn't really sprint off. With everything that happened, I hoped being with him would make getting through here a leisurely walk. But at this rate I lost count of how many blades of tall grass got stuck in my hair. We spent an embarrassingly long time trying to get through this place, but it didn't seem like we were getting anywhere.

We even tried splitting up through a fork in the path and seeing if that would work. But when we ended up running into each other where we started, we just sighed. At the very least, getting lost here gave us plenty of time to catch up, which I definitely appreciated.

"... So that Bede bloke's had a change of heart, is that it?" Hop crossed his arms with a skeptical frown. "What's the catch? Did you have to beat him silly to get an apology?"

Not… intentionally? I didn't know for sure if the battle I had with him contributed to that, so I just awkwardly chuckled. "He's good now, really. I mean, he's been through a lot and all, so cut him some slack, would you? He told me to say sorry on his behalf and everything."

"Mmm…" Hop looked like he was thinking it over, but the return of his smile was telling. "Okay, okay, but only because you told me to. I can't really hold a grudge, anyway." He grinned and nodded, his expression still radiant despite his exhaustion. "Maybe one day we could all get together for some smoothies like you mentioned, mate! We definitely gotta let Marnie in on this too."

"Oh, absolutely." I caught on to his enthusiasm, and I couldn't hide my smile at the thought of the four of us enjoying a nice moment like that together. "Some smoothies would be nice right about now, actually…" I took a moment to wipe some sweat from my forehead. "Why's this place have that desert climate, anyway? I thought this was the path to the city of winter, why's it gotta be so hot here?"

"Oh, I read up on all this, actually." Hop quickly perked up with intrigue. "This place has got quite the history behind it and all. I initially looked into this place because it's the native habitat for Falinks but there's so much more."

I raised an eyebrow. "It does?" I recognized how fast he responded, alongside the glint in his eye when he recognized something he knew. So I let him continue.

"So, this place was one of the sites affected by the Darkest Day disaster, alright?" His tone picked up in excitement, as did his mannerisms, which was an amusing if unfitting contrast considering what he just brought up. "A whole bunch of meteors and stuff were pelted against Galar and Dynamax energy was everywhere. And this spot at Route 8, these ruins, were in the way of the meteor that became Circhester's Power Spot!" He made a punching motion as if to give me a clearer image. "Right now we're walking through these ancient ruins that got totaled so long ago! The freshly exposed Dynamax energy messed with the weather here, which is why the weather here is still all wonky."

That explanation opened my eyes, literally. "I… never would've figured." As we walked, I ended up kicking a pebble, and my eyes followed it. To think I've possibly disturbed ancient territory just by doing that… "Guess they kept this place preserved for us to go through if they haven't cleaned anything up." Grass included.

"Got that right." Hop nodded in affirmation. "I just wanted to study up on this stuff ever since Sonia showed me that hill on Turffield. I find this stuff mighty fascinating, that I do."

I nodded at him, sharing the sentiment. I did always consider him the smarter one of the two of us, and I liked hearing his take on this Darkest Day stuff too. "If you've been indulging in this stuff then you should've seen what Sonia uncovered recently." Considering the wolves could potentially be related to what we saw in the Slumbering Weald, I was really looking forward to what he had to say about that.

"Right, right, Sonia." Hop scratched his head with a dejected look. "I had gotten quite a bit of messages from her recently but I was too busy to check any of 'em out. And with the state of everything right now, I dunno when I'll get the chance to." He sighed for a second, but he didn't stay down for long before his grin returned. "At least I read up real good about all this stuff while I could. It's like a comfort thing for me, you know. On the plus side, this place is so well preserved I could just go off of the ancient map layout I memorized." He put his hands behind his head with a proud smirk. "The path ahead is over there, by the way."

It's what.

"Over… there?" I looked back and forth between his pointing thumb and the thick column of grass protruding nearby. I had to clarify to make sure I was getting this right. "Here? The path out? The exit?"

Hop nodded, with that trademark carefree smile, as if we haven't spent what felt like hours in this sweltering heat going in circles. I just stood there and blinked.

Still in disbelief, I trudged my way through the thick grass, eventually stepping over to the other side. As I did, I looked down to see the dry path heading north, up and away from the ruins we were just stuck in.

"Well would you look at that!" I stared behind me to see Hop stepping out through the tall orange grass as well. He still had that grin on his face as he gave me a pat on the head before proceeding onward. "Had a hunch my hunch was right. Guess there's no time to waste then, mate!"

My jaw hung as I watched Hop walk ahead with a carefree stride. He even did that headpat thing he always did when he wanted to playfully acknowledge how he was taller than me. He knew that was something that always irked me.

As if to clean his prints off, I quickly combed through my hair before stomping off after him. "N-Now just hold on a sec! You mean to tell me you knew the way out the whole time?!"

The ascending path sloped up at an awkward angle for me to jog, and with the way Hop's legs were longer than mine, I had to go the extra mile to keep up. He looked almost proud about that fact with the way he responded to my pout with a mischievous grin. "Maaaaybe." Though he also knew that I spent enough time with him to know when he'd do that guilty shrug. "You can't really blame me for wanting to spend some extra time with my best mate, right?"

I sighed with an eye roll, though I couldn't help but chuckle at his compliment. "Alright, maybe I can't." Considering I grew up with this goofball, I suppose I was used to his hijinks by now. "But I'll still blame you anyway."

Now that I was close enough to bring my pace back to a brisk walk, I nudged Hop's shoulder with mine. He caught on and smirked, nudging me back. We kept on doing this as we walked up the path, all in good fun of course. While we tried not to head off the beaten path, we were still goofing off getting the beating on each other.

Of course, Hop was taller and naturally stronger than me, so I had to get creative if I wanted to get the upper hand. "Hop, look!" I pointed over his shoulder, looking as shocked as I could. "There's a Charizard in the sky!"

"Huh? Where?"

And right when his back was turned to me, I seized my chance and shoved him with all my might. Of course, even if I did give him my mightiest push, he only budged slightly.

I was used to this result growing up, but still. So… all of those Gyms chucking Dynamax Pokéballs was for nothing?

"Just like old times, eh?" Hop laughed it off and turned back with a smirk. "Oh, it's on like Pokémon!"

Just like old times.

Hop and I both erupted into fits of laughter as we made our way up the path. Least that assured the stroll to Circhester wouldn't be boring. It helped that it kept us moving, because eventually the wintry side of Galar started creeping in and things got cold. We had to walk closer together once we noticed the change in weather.

As we walked over the stone bridge where the city of Circhester began, Hop cast me a concerned glance. "Do you want me to lend you my coat? I think that jumper of yours might be too thin, Flare."

I clutched my sleeves, trying to hide my shiver. "My jumper is just fine." Well, it is wearing a bit thin, but still. I appreciated the concern at least. "Besides, that would just leave you uncoated and unrested in this winter weather. I couldn't do that to you." I chuckled. "In your state I'm surprised you didn't end up knocking yourself out from exhaustion on the way here."

Hop seemed proud of that, giving me a grin. "Guess being with you kept me recharged. But the second I touch a bed I might just be out like a Snorlax."

"Hope this place has a hotel, then." I looked around, blowing out a sigh only to end up seeing my own breath. "I think I'm due for another shower because at this rate I think I'm starting to smell like you." And not in the good way like the scent of grass and dew and clean Wooloo.

We walked along the streets of Circhester, seeing if there was a hotel of sorts. The brick laden paths gave me the old timey feel of Hammerlocke, though it seemed cozier in the snowy sense. Seeing the people out with their winter coats and walking their Snom left me wanting for a warm room to get wrapped up in again. There was even steam coming out of the fountains near the center of the city. At least, I thought they were fountains. Were they fountains, lakes, or… something else?

I made a mental note about how nice it'd be to tour this place, maybe to save for later. In the meantime, after narrowly being coaxed in getting some frozen desserts, we found ourselves at a place.

"Hotel Ionia." I read the sign in front of the grand hotel near central Circhester. "That's one letter away from Sonia."

"Was just thinking the same thing." Hop grinned. "Let's hope this connection stuff goes back online so I can catch up on all your discoveries, eh? Maybe get a souvenir or two while I'm here."

As long as it's not Gym Leader memorabilia. I sheepishly brushed the memory away. "Sure."

I pulled my phone out for a second just to see if anything changed. Still no connection. Which meant still no way to get in touch with my mom, and that meant no answers either. But as I walked through those hotel doors with Hop, I realized I didn't feel as upset about that. I wasn't as lost, because even if I didn't have answers, I still had something I felt that guided me. Guided me all the way to Circhester before I even knew it.

Plus, there was always hope. And there was always Hop.