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

Spike's POV

What a wondrous winter wonderland this place was.

I never thought I'd find myself this close to northern Galar, let alone within it. All I've heard of it was word of mouth, or more specifically what the little birdies have told me. Word on the wind, perhaps. Though the word was obvious that the wind here was on the chilly side. And as I lumbered through the chilly brick roads of the wondrous city of Circhester, I wondered if I was in the middle of one of those holiday specials. The air seemed merry enough for it, what with Flare letting us all walk around while she waited in line to register for the Gym.

As I thought about the others, I wondered how they were faring with this weather, because I knew none of us had ever properly experienced the air of northern Galar before. Twigs did mention once how she visited this city called Wyndon while she was stuck with this guy called Leon, but she was elsewhere at the moment. Out going window shopping by those toy stores with Zap. As if this place didn't give me enough winter holiday vibes. Wonder if that makes Hook the grumpy guy from that one movie.

While thoughts about warm fireplaces crossed my mind, I made my way over to some steaming body of water by the central area. It looked like some kind of lake or hot spring of sorts, or so I thought. It was warm, definitely, but I had to get a real good look at it because I didn't know what it was.

I tilted my head at the oddly built circular watery indent in the ground. "Is this a lake, a fountain, or something else?"

"I'm with you, Spike." Tilda was also with me, accompanying me more like, though that much should've been obvious. Her scrutinizing eyes were steeled ahead. "I've been staring real hard at it and it's still got me mighty flummoxed."

Flummoxed, eh? I chuckled at that, impressed at the sudden flavor in her voice. "Who are you and what have you done with Tilda? Never thought I'd see you use a word with the letter X in it."

She crossed her arms and turned away from me. "Well, Spike, I am extremely offended!" Though in this weather, my Vileplume friend couldn't keep up her cold exterior before looking back at me as if awaiting my approval. "Actually, I was just being sarcastic, since I just learned what that is." And there came the familiar eager smile. "Did I do it right?"

"Could've fooled me." I thought back to Ballonlea. Ever since we visited that town, I noticed Tilda found some new ways to keep herself occupied. "I take it you've been nose deep in those books you managed to borrow, huh?"

"Silly Spike. I don't have a nose!" She looked oddly excited about that fact. Maybe she was just excited about knowing it more than anything. "But even without that, I've still got myself a hankering to sniff out mysteries in these cool novels." Wordplay, that was new. "There's this really cool one I'm reading called the Mystery Room!"

"Mystery Room, eh?" I raised an eyebrow, still wondering where she was going with this. "What's so mysterious about it?"

"It's not actually a major plot device or anything, just a cool name referencing where the main duo solve their mysteries. And they lay a ton of wicked mysteries to solve, really baked up some wicked twists too." Her eager stare was still there despite the way she spoke like someone else entirely. "I gots more mystery books if you're interested. I'd show you some of them but they're hidden away in my Pokéball right now."

I took a second to blink, still perplexed. "Storing them there? I didn't know you could bring your books into your Pokéball to store and read."

She nodded excitedly, the way she did when she was eager to tell me something. "I read up on how we can shrink down and blip into our Pokéballs at will and it's mighty fascinating stuff! I'm surprised you didn't know about this item policy considering all the pearls you store with you."

Hm. "Got me there." The words tasted weird as soon as they left my mouth. I never thought the day would come. Tilda had genuinely outsmarted me. I was impressed, ready to break out into laughter even.

Tilda was quick to giggle. "By gum, I know that look. You know that I know you real good by now, Spike. You oughta be super gobsmacked I got you to say that." She insistently nudged me a few times. "Am I right? Am I riiiiight?"

I rolled my eyes at her.

Tilda cast a smirk over me. "Don't act so aloof, Spikey."

S-Spikey?

That froze me, or in the case of this weather, warmed me up. And that smug look meant she knew it. I was used to the way she knocked on my shell but never in a way that pushed my buttons like this. I breathed a chuckle and shook my head. Trust the Grass type to break through my shell.

"Alright, Miss Smarty Pants." I let a hint of my admiration show through my smile, though I quickly continued before she could claim that she doesn't have pants. "So you got invested in some good books. I'll admit it, I'm impressed."

"Yes! Vin-di-cation!" She pumped her arms into the air at each syllable, clearly thrilled. "Well, you don't have to act like I know everything . Earlier Cress asked me if I knew summat about Pokémon Evolution but I didn't know a lot 'bout what she was asking in particular. Still, you could say I'm real chuffed about this stuff. Can't wait to impress Twigs with the new me! I gots some good storytime books we could read with Zap, too!"

Heh. I hope that 'we' means that I get to come along. When Tilda offered to walk with me, I was wondering why she was unusually excited, especially in the cold. She stayed silent, but it was clear she was bursting at the seams to tell me something. Of course, the only one who ended up feeling unraveled was me.

Still, I couldn't deny I felt proud seeing how far Tilda had come. A part of me was worried if she changed a bit too suddenly, but seeing her celebratory frolic eased my mind.

"Ooh, lookie here!" Her attention was immediately overridden when she took a moment to stare at the falling snow. She let a speck fall on her hand. "Spike, Spike! Here's summat I bet you didn't know! Did you know that every snowflake has a unique pattern on it?"

"I didn't know that." I actually knew a little bit from hearing about it, but who was I to deny her ability to gush?

And gush she did. All about the intricate details about attractive snowflakes, and even about snowflakes capable of expressing attraction. Told me plenty about those special snowflakes, even caught some out of the air to show me them.

While it did feel bizarre hearing Tilda using these bigger words, and properly at that, the feeling of hearing her speak about things like this still felt familiar. That certainty, that zeal, still felt very Tilda.

Perhaps it took the way she said "summat extraordinary" for me to realize how I got so attached to someone as eccentric as her. I liked to consider myself the laid-back type, which didn't exactly bode well for the attention I received back in the day, but I found Tilda endearing. A bit clingy, sure, but she never meant any harm. Definitely on the excitable side, but I grew to like the way she approached everything with a smile. Finding something special in even the smallest of things. And if anything about her were still obvious that day, it was that she was still so eager to see things, to learn things.

I used to have the misconception that Tilda wasn't the brightest. Now, I would disagree. When it came to being a light in the darkness, bringing the comforting warmth, a radiance only matched by the sun, there's only one name that came to mind.

"Ee, that smile is new!" She leaned down to block my view once again, which snapped me out of my daydreaming. "What's got you so chuffed?"

"Oh, nothing much." I kept my calm and played it cool. "Just thinking about how nice a day it is."

"Well, you're not wrong." She took a moment to take in the sights once more. We were still touring around Circhester, where the cold was the right kind of cozy. "Proper weather to get some battling done, don't you think!" There was that pumped attitude again, that eager look of hers.

I chuckled at the pleasantly familiar sight. It did help that I needed to be reminded we'd be due for some battling soon. "Agreed."

We both didn't need to say anything more about that thought, already coming to an agreement almost instantly. It was back to Flare with us.

Hope that line gets shorter.

Author's POV

The lobby in Circhester Stadium saw much activity that day, both from trainers and people who just wanted to leech off of the data from the building's emergency power. With most of the region's communication services down, several Gym Challengers found themselves flocking to the Gyms just for the sake of having something to do. Of course, the lack of preparation didn't help their odds at getting that badge. Flare almost felt bad as she watched another dejected trainer walk out of the lobby empty handed. She stood in the line of waiting trainers, wearing the uniform just like they were as if she was blending in. It didn't seem like anyone emerged victorious as far as she knew. But she was determined she would be the one to make a difference.

Flare glanced at her phone, briefly wondering if she was the only one making use of the stadium's emergency power like this. That being catching up on some well needed research about who she'd have to battle.

As if the dusty brown aesthetic wasn't enough, Flare knew the next Gym Leader to battle would be Gym Leader Gordie. In a hurry to study, she scrolled through all the articles she could find, trying to learn as much as she could before her turn.

"Rock type user. Flashy and stylish. Kind of a heartthrob with his fans. One of which is… Gym Leader Melony?" She stifled a chuckle upon reading that amusing fact. "A rising star who dislikes losing. That's going to be a problem." She continued to psyche herself up, already getting pumped at the thought of victory. She would've preferred if Hop was there to help with advice, but he was still busy napping away in his hotel room.

"We're here!"

Flare looked to see Tilda skipping through the sliding doors, with Spike lumbering not too far behind. The two Pokémon weaved their way past the various other people in the lobby to catch up to her.

Tilda hurriedly apologized to a Darumaka she almost tripped over. "Oh, sorry 'bout that!" Still, her eager stride didn't slow down as she made her way to her trainer. "Flare! I saw summat extraordinary outside! A Snom!"

Flare just chuckled. "They are kind of everywhere around here." She was mainly surprised to hear Tilda's accent clearly like that.

"Just because there's plenty of them doesn't mean they're any less special." Tilda nodded assertively. "Still extraordinary."

The trainer shifted in place once more as she felt the line move a step forward. The desk was within view now. In just moments it would be her turn to register, and then after that it'd be her turn to challenge the Gym Mission. A quick breath at the thought of the undertaking ahead led Flare to glance at her phone once more. At that point she was confident she had all the answers to fighting Gordie, but she couldn't help but remember the answers she was still waiting for.

Flare quickly shook her head. Even if she could try calling her mother again, Postwick might not have access to communications yet. That and she figured the doubt could continue messing with her focus. She was here for a badge. Her aim needed to stay true, to stay certain.

Flare nodded as she reminded herself of why she was here. If she let herself mull over questions she wasn't prepared for, she might end up as disheveled as Hop was. And she was really hoping she wouldn't have to take her third shower that day.

"Never mind."

Upon stepping into the grand space that occupied the Gym Mission, Flare immediately realized she underestimated how strong the sandstorms were. It made things hard to see, which especially irritated her with how the sand clung to her uniform.

"And I thought I was done with the deserts…" Flare muttered, still wanting to shield her eyes because even her glasses weren't enough. She would've used her hands, but they were full.

"There's nowt I can see!" Tilda shrieked, covering her eyes with her hands.

From what Flare could barely see of the room ahead, it seemed like a vast desert expanse, rocks and such jutting out and all. It seemed like she was supposed to navigate her way forward, but given the bizarre device she was handed before being escorted inside, she figured it'd be easier said than done.

"No idea what you guys are complaining about, this weather is pretty fine." Although she couldn't see him, Flare heard the lighthearted remark of Spike nearby, alongside his carefree footsteps. He was unbothered by the sand in his face and walked without a worry in the world. "Besides, I'm pretty sure you're just supposed to wa-"

His voice was suddenly cut off by the sound of something collapsing, as well as his surprised cry as his voice seemed to disappear into the ground.

Flare froze, wondering why Spike suddenly went silent. Fortunately, not a second later, she heard a sort of thump nearby, as if Spike was dropped next to her.

"Never mind…" Spike spoke in a subdued and disappointed tone. His shell rocked as he shook the sand off of it. "Maybe you should lead the way since you have that… thing."

Spike's mention of it led Flare to look down at the device, or rather, devices she was holding. A pair of handles meant to be held in each hand, both with peculiar metal rods pointing forward. Flare could feel a gentle hum beneath her grip. "I was wondering why these things looked so familiar… I think I remember finding a pair of these in the attic, probably handed down to my parents. The Gym staff who lent me this said it's supposed to help me detect collapsible ground… however that works."

Spike chuckled. "If there's anything I still don't get, it's how I magically got teleported back here after falling. That's a technological marvel if I've ever seen one. Or a sneaky Psychic type."

Tilda attempted to climb onto Spike's shell, which she struggled with because both her hands were still covering her eyes. Still, she perked up with a smile at what she heard Flare say. "Oh, I ought to know quite a bit about what you're talking about! Must be that device other regions use for treasure hunting," the Vileplume spoke matter-of-factly. "Does this by detecting things in the ground. Think it's called a Dowsing Machine!"

"Huh." Spike glanced up at her. "Aren't those called showers?"

"It's Dowsing, not dousing."

"Oh."

"I think I got the hang of this, actually." Flare was a few steps ahead, still holding the grips of the metal rods which started to intensely buzz rather than hum. She pivoted on the sand and faced to her right, and the rods calmed down. "Just follow me, Spike. Don't worry, I'll be sure to call on you if something needs dousing."

It took one step, then the next. Flare tried to keep her posture and footsteps balanced as she blindly stepped through the sand. She hesitated, stopped, and changed directions whenever the rumbling of the Dowsing Machine called for it. Her sense of touch on the device's grip was all she could rely on. The sooner she got used to the movements she would have to do, the more she thought about how long this course was. More like a maze, she realized, with all the turns she was making, presumably around rocks and what seemed to be pits. Still, she didn't end up stumbling down a hole like Spike did, so she figured she was doing something right. Or maybe she was going too slow, as she suddenly realized she was taking maybe two steps a minute.

"Can you hear me?" A voice suddenly spoke out from several distant loudspeakers, almost making Flare drop the Dowsing Machine. "Actually, don't answer that. I won't be able to hear you over the sandstorm. It might get a bit harder to see now, so just… continue trusting your senses."

Risking a sigh of relief, Flare got over the surprise of hearing Gordie's voice out of nowhere and continued pressing onwards. Or rather backwards, sidewards, and then onwards. Still, even if it was shocking to hear the Gym Leader trying to speak with her, let alone the thought of him observing her from somewhere, she was thankful for the encouragement. The maze of the encroaching desert was calling to her with its relentless gusts of sand, but Flare wasn't planning on slowing down.

Plus, it helped that Gordie kept encouraging her as she went on. "That's it, that's the ticket."

"Take a deep breath and focus. Actually that's a bad idea in this weather, don't do that."

"Tsk, tsk! No rubbing your eyes!"

"You have to carry on, not knowing what lies before you. No hesitation. Your only choice is forward."

"Don't let yourself slip up now. Not this close to the end."

Step, step, step, rumble. Step, rumble. Step, step, rumble. Flare had gotten used to the rhythm of it all at that point. She shut her eyes, knowing sight was irrelevant and she could just focus on moving around based on what she could feel. The hesitation in her step was gone, it was as if she knew the function of pitfall avoidance by heart. Her pace grew quicker, her reactions faster, and the sandstorm that threatened to push her back became a breeze that she effortlessly passed by. Finally, instead of sand, her shoes met the flat stadium floor.

"You did… wonderfully." Gordie's voice sounded almost genuinely proud. "Just wonderfully. Now, Gym Challenger. Join me on the pitch."

As the sound of Gordie's voice came to a silence, so did the wind that carried it. That being the sandstorm that came to a halt and signified Flare's completion of the course.

Flare let out a sigh, feeling a bit more gusto in that gesture than she expected. "I actually did it." She glanced behind her to see just how many potholes she managed to avoid, only to stare in shock at the trenches and pits ridden throughout the sand. "Was… was I crossing a desert or a minefield?"

Spike sighed nearby. "I would've said something, but I didn't want to surprise you like that Gym Leader guy did."

"There, there." Tilda hopped off of Spike's back, offering a comforting pat near Flare's waist and dusting off some sand in the process. "If you're tense, do you need me to use Aromatherapy before we head off? It's real healthy for you!"

Flare smiled at Tilda's earnest offer. "Sure." Though before she could even respond, Tilda went ahead and used it anyway. Flare took a long sniff and took in the scent of freshly bloomed flowers. She calmed down and put the metal rods back in her satchel, dusting it off as she did. "I'll definitely need a dousing machine after this," she admitted with another sigh before heading up the stairs to the stadium.

Flare's POV

That sandstorm was… something else.

I would've liked to spend more being proud of how I actually managed to get through that course properly, but I was too busy coughing up sand. If I had known it'd be this bad, I'd have bought some goggles, maybe an umbrella, something at least.

Well, at least I don't have to worry about bad weather for the time being. That's another Gym Leader's specialty.

I stared down the familiar corridor leading to the pitch, where I could faintly make out Gordie waiting for me. Rock types had plenty of weaknesses, but I wasn't going to go easy on a Gym Leader because of that. Of course, that meant using Spike and Tilda for a Gym again, but I couldn't help it when they had just the coverage I needed.

I looked back at my Vileplume and Drednaw as they followed me ahead. "Ready to rock, you guys?"

Spike nodded with what looked like a smirk. "Took the words straight out of my mouth."

Tilda pumped her fists. Well, more like her nubs. "Ee-up, I've been practicing my Giga Drain plenty for this!"

With a confident nod of my own, I returned them into their Pokéballs and made my way closer to the field. As I entered the rocky brown pitch, I wondered why the sound of the cheering crowd seemed louder than the last time I remembered it. Then again, Gordie was there, cool pose and cool blue shades and all, so I wasn't really surprised. I've been intimidated by broader and kinder guys like Milo before, so I tried not to slow down on my way to meet him.

"Hey there. The name's Gordie," he greeted me casually, giving me a two fingered wave as he did. "I'm the hard-rock crusher, not the other way around, because apparently another Rock type Gym Leader patented that first. I admit I feel a bit bad for doing this to someone who has come this far, but… I'm going to use this match to show the crowd that my Rock types are unbeatable!" There was a powerful confidence in his voice that wasn't there over the loudspeakers. "So let's give the people a match they won't forget, and-"

I was shaking in my shoes, psyching myself for the battle that would come, until something suddenly started ringing. It took me an embarrassed moment to realize it was coming from my pocket. I was hasty and fumbling as I took out my phone and read my mom's name on it.

At least the cell service is back now… but now's a bad time! I quickly declined the call and put my phone back with an awkward chuckle. I was even more embarrassed to see Gordie's confused stare. "S-Sorry, that was just… my mom just…"

"Oh no worries, I completely get it." The steely confidence from his voice before had calmed down and he gave me an understanding nod. "My ma's also been… a bit much, for better or worse. Plus with what happened, today's been a long day. My Gym Trainers couldn't even take their posts all day because of how rough standing in the sandstorm that long is."

Explains the lack of battles on the way here… Still, I widened my eyes a bit, pleasantly surprised to see Gordie speaking casually again. I tried to keep up my own casual smile, which was a bit tough to do in the face of someone great like him. "It's no big deal. Shouldn't you… finish your cool pre-battle line?"

"Meh. The moment's gone now." He shrugged. "The cameras aren't even rolling since I've had to say it way too many times today. We can cut to the chase and get battling now."

Oookay then.

Awkward introductions aside, I made my way to my spot on the far end of the field, looking back to see Gordie on his. And there he stood, I could see it on the large stadium monitor, with his smirk, his shades, and his Ultra Ball grip. He was large in presence and stance, and I almost wanted to join the crowd with the way they cheered for his iconic pose.

Maybe I should come up with my own cool battle pose…

I tried to mimic the way he held his Pokéball with the one I was holding, but right as I tried that, the announcer gave us the all clear to start battling. No time to mess around now- was that a backflip?!

Even though I saw Gordie's signature flip on TV all the time, I knew now was a bad time to be distracted. I sent out Tilda as he sent out his Pokémon. The multi-armed Barbaracle stood on the far end of the pitch. An easy Giga Drain would do it in, so-

"Let's crush 'em hard right off the bat!" Gordie called out immediately. "Shell Smash!"

There was a glowing reddish aura that engulfed the Barbaracle, and it quickly broke free with a mad dash towards Tilda.

"Let's break that endurance!" Gordie just kept going. "Rock Tomb!"

The Barbaracle's claws slashed at the ground, sending sharp pieces of debris in Tilda's direction. I had to come up with something quick.

"Meet it head on!" I just needed to get Tilda closer.

She had to take on pieces of rock above and ahead of her, using her petals as a makeshift shield. I could tell it was starting to wear her down, but we just needed to get one direct hit. This wasn't the first time I needed her to endure something, so I was confident she could make it through the rocks, and…

"Giga Drain!"

At that point, being in claw range of that Barbaracle felt like a huge risk, but Tilda was right where she needed to be. I saw her cast her green energy out of her hands, swinging her large flower ahead to headbutt the Barbaracle away.

That should be Barbaracle down…

As if in response, Tilda looked back at me with a wave, seeming like she was giving me a thumbs up if she could. She was rejuvenated, and the Barbaracle wasn't getting back up.

"Good as new!" I could hear her calling out to me.

"Tch!" I could hear Gordie's scoff from across the field. "So you've smashed what's already been shell smashed. Try this on for size!" His voice was powerful and extravagant, as if to hype up the crowd. And it worked, because they went wild as he sent out his Shuckle.

A turtle for a turtle. I called Tilda back to my side as I sent Spike out onto the field.

It is part Bug, so… "Rock Tomb!" Not to mention it was smaller and not as rugged looking as Spike, so I was confident he had this in the bag.

Spike reared up and stomped the ground, sending lurching rock pillars surging like a wave towards the Shuckle.

"Tsk, tsk!" I could see Gordie shaking his head from across the field. "The best offense is a good defense. Here's our Rock Tomb!"

A circle of jutting pointed rocks emerged around the Shuckle, acting as some sort of barrier. At least, that's what it seemed like with how it blocked off Spike's attack with ease. The circle of spiky rocks then shattered, sending more pieces of sharp rock at us.

With the amount of debris flying our way, I had to flinch, as did Spike. At the very least, he didn't seem very scratched up by the attack.

There has to be a way we can break through that Shuckle… maybe Razor Shell would work?

"Let me try something." Spike looked back at me. "Trust me on this one."

I was a bit surprised to hear him speak up, but I let him go on. "I'm all ears."

"This'll be quick." I heard him chuckle. "Just let the dousing machine do his thing."

He really likes that word, huh?

I watched as Spike reared back for another stomp, expecting another surge of rocks to burst forth. But as he slammed the ground, instead of rocks, a wave of water burst forth. It tore through the ground like a vicious shockwave, immediately crumbling the Shuckle's attempt at another Rock Tomb barrier. And like a wave, it engulfed the Shuckle, sweeping it up and knocking it away.

I widened my eyes, still in disbelief at the new move that Spike just annihilated the Shuckle with. Was that… Liquidation?

Spike looked back at me with a proud nod. "Washed 'em away with that one!"

A glance at the monitor showed that Gordie was surprised too. Well, I couldn't see his eyes because of his shades, but his gaping silence said it all.

"Hey, I'm supposed to be using the cool one liners here!" Gordie looked a bit riled up, what with the way he hastily tried to readjust his shades. "You wanna liquidate my Pokémon?! I'll liquidate your Pokémon! A-And your company's assets!"

… what?

I didn't really have time to understand what he just said, or much time to worry about my great grandpa, until Gordie sent out his Stonjourner. A walking rock? Guess I'll have to send in the walking flower. I called Spike back out for Tilda, knowing she was healed up after that Giga Drain. I was really lucky to have just the right pair of Pokémon equipped to deal with Rock types of either defenses.

Okay, Giga Drain should do it again-

"Oh no, you don't! Rock Tomb!"

Tilda couldn't even get closer before she was suddenly surrounded by a circle of rocks. She was a sitting duck.

"Let's bring in the magma early! Heat Crash!"

Wait, no! The horror hit me as soon as I felt the heat from the other side of the stadium. I was already sweating in a panic and frantically hoped Tilda's Giga Drain would work before the Stonjourner could do anything, but she was still out of range!

There's gotta be something I can do, maybe-

But despite being a giant rock with giant rock legs, the Stonjourner was deceptively quick and leapt into the air fully ablaze. And like a meteor, it plummeted even quicker towards Tilda.

I had to yell in desperation. "Come on, Giga Drain!"

I could see the green energy she was casting towards it, but it was hard to make out through the blazing streaks of orange that coursed through the air. And then came the crushing impact.

I froze, but Spike was quick to bolt ahead. I couldn't tell what happened. I had no idea if either attack followed through. All I had time to process was the sound of a crash and the dust that kicked up where Tilda once was. All I could hear was my breathing, and my silent hopes for Tilda. She couldn't be… right?

I tried to get a better look at the aftermath, but all I saw was a pile of rocky debris. the pile was alongside the collapsed pieces of Stonjourner, but that was it. Until I saw it stirring. The large rocky leg pillar things started to move, which I thought was it getting up, until I saw the arm pushing it aside. Then the flower emerged.

"Whew!" Tilda emerged from the pile with her head held high. "Good as new!"

Oh thank goodness. I let out my breath in relief. Spike stopped in a moment of relief as well, though I told him to stay there since I planned on using him next anyways.

"Crumbled, huh…" I watched as Gordie recalled his Stonjourner and pulled out one more Ultra Ball. His expression was unreadable. "But I'm not completely crumbling to dust just yet. We can still battle! You may have the high ground, but all it takes is one pitfall to send everything crashing down! Now… where shall I start digging?"

That was an iconic line of his, and hearing it live gave me chills. I had to get my head back in the game. It was convenient that Spike was already on the field as I called Tilda back.

I pointed forward to make my comeback. "No, I'll liquidate your assets!" … Okay that was too late and it sounded way cooler in my head.

I felt the heat across the field once more as I saw Gordie's Coalossal take the field. The lumbering coal beast radiated intense heat right just by being there. And when I saw Gordie recalling it into a larger Pokéball, I braced myself as I did the same. Here's to hoping I can still keep up with the heat.

"Like a giant mountain boulder!" There came Gordie's one liner. "Hiyah! Gigantamax!"

"Like a… really big turtle!" I tried. "Giga… uh, Dynamax!"

I saw Gordie push up his shades as he did his throw and I did the same with my glasses. The two giants landed, and I braced myself as I already felt the even hotter blazing air from the presence of the titan Coalossal.

I had to freeze—or melt—in awe at the looming volcano creature. He… he wasn't wrong about the mountain part.

And Gordie was still quick on the draw. "Size means strength!" His voice boomed over the sweltering heat. "Savor this pain! G-Max Vocalith!"

As if the looming rock giant wasn't enough, then came the looming rock pillar that radiated just as much unbearable heat.

I had Spike attempt the same maneuver, hoping a Max Rockfall of his own would stop the attack. He summoned his own larger than life monolith, and then both columns collided into each other.

I had to shield my eyes as the impact kicked up a sandstorm breeze that stormed around the entire field. I tried my hardest to see what happened, but the fact that I could still feel heat wasn't a good sign. It was then that I saw where the glowing hot pieces of rock from the attack ended up, lodged into the ground around Spike's feet.

"Rrgh…" I heard him groaning as he tried to stomp around it. "This is just like that Fire type Gym…"

I squinted through the sandstorm, and just like the orange pebbles on the ground, I saw a familiar orange glow dead ahead. And it was only getting bigger and hotter.

"It's time to cool off the same way, then!" I pointed straight ahead. "Max Geyser!"

My Drednaw seemed to catch on and readied his blast of water. It erupted in full force, just as Gordie's follow up attack did. I managed to get a good look at the giant monitor and saw the live feed showing my Max Geyser and Gordie's Max Flare meeting in an intense impact. Then came the steam.

I held my breath and waited. It was hard to see with the steam and the lingering sand and especially the way my glasses started to fog up. I tried cleaning them on the spot but my uniform was still sandy so it didn't work much. I didn't know what happened, that was, until I heard the announcer's voice.

"What an outcome, folks! The fire was doused! The volcano has crumbled! Challenger Flare has done it again!"

Whew… I wiped the sweat from my brow just as I felt the falling drizzle of water pass me by. The steam cleared and the crowd cheered as the rush of battle started to fade. With the skies clear again, I saw Tilda rushing from my side to congratulate Spike. I chuckled at her familiar energy, even if I just realized she was using words I've never heard her say before.

I walked over to the center of the pitch, where Gordie was waiting. He seemed winded, his chest heaving as he tried to keep his head high.

"I just want to climb into a hole… Well, I guess it'd be more like falling into one. But I digress." His smirk of a grin was there, but it was hard to read his look with how he kept pressing his shades up. "That was… impressive. Just impressive, Gym Challenger. Rules are rules. The Rock Badge is yours."

Knowing Gordie, it was hard to say if he was really upset about it or not with the way he spoke. But when I accepted his handshake, it wasn't as forceful as I expected it to be. It was kinda like Milo's, firm but in a welcoming supportive way. Like the way his casual voice sounded supportive over the loudspeakers. Still, out of instinct, I tried to give him a reassuring smile as he handed me my badge.

"Exit's that way, by the way." He pointed over his shoulder to the other corridor. He must've noticed me still staring, because it didn't take long for him to go back to his casual tone. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'm not that sore as the media plays it out to be. Rock types may have a lot of weaknesses, but that didn't stop me from getting to where I am today."

My smile grew. Considering I'm good friends with someone with a fanbase, it always felt good to hear someone like that speaking from the heart. "It's been an honour, Gordie."

"Come on, no need to be so formal, really." I got a better look at his eyes from the way his smile grew flustered. "I just need to train harder for next time, that's all. Maybe I'll get my break later since region-wide communication seems to be back online."

Oh, right.

After Gordie sent me off with another two fingered wave, I joined back up with Spike and Tilda and made my way to the exit corridor. As I did, I chanced a glance back at my phone, which still had the missed call notification from my mom. The closed off corridor blocked off most of the sounds of cheering from the stadium crowd I left behind, leaving me with my thoughts.

Do I…?

I was hesitant to call her back. To be fair, I just got my newest Gym Badge and was desperately wishing for a shower and a moment to unwind.

Maybe later.

I was in more of a hurry than usual when I ran out of the stadium building, so much so that I didn't bother trying to round up my team around Circhester. And because of my haste, I underestimated just how cold it was out here. I was still wearing my uniform, which was still sandy and a bit soaked, so the sudden chill that got my arms and legs caught me off guard.

I'd kill for that warm shower right about now.

I plodded my way over down the main street to where Hotel Ionia was and got ready to push through those doors, but because I rain in too quickly, my glasses fogged up and-

"Oh Flare, I- gah!"

I caught the view of golden eyes for a split second before running into him. Hop didn't budge, but suddenly stumbling into him made me lose my footing. My sneakers slipped on the polished hotel floor and I started to fall backward. Except I didn't.

Huh?

Hop chuckled. "And I thought I was the hasty one." His hand was clasped around mine, stopping me from falling. He pulled me back up, allowing me a better look at that radiant grin of his.

I chuckled back, feeling grateful for the catch but also felt the need to shove him for his snicker. "Come off it, you." I took my hand back and did just that.

My attempt at a shove didn't do much, but he still looked visibly shaken as I struck his chest. He looked away for a second like he was thinking of something. "Bear with me for a second, mate. I was out like a light earlier, but that gave me some proper time to get my head straight. And my team too, I'm… real confident with the lot I put together." I stayed and listened as he seemed to fumble over his words. "So what I'm saying is, before I go out and do anything, I'd like to battle you again. Properly this time." His excitable smile returned as he brought those words out.

"Oh!" I was happy for him, I really was, but I didn't expect to be asked to battle at a time like this. "I'd love to, Hop. Just give me a sec to prepare and all." I looked down at my tee and shorts just in case he hadn't noticed the state I was in. "I kinda need to clean up my act too. I'll take a shower real quick and be right with you."

"O-Oh, gotcha! I'd best leave you to it!" He lifted his hand to scratch the back of his head, awkwardly looking away. His face was probably red out of embarrassment, and he was just so eager too. "Catch you outside then. I'd want my rival to be at her best for this. And all."

The confidence in his voice was flaring back up, as did mine. I saw him off with a ready nod as he stepped back outside. As he left, I made my way to the elevator, still shivering a bit from how air conditioned this place was. And in this weather, no less.

Still, I looked back at the entrance doors one more time as the elevator prepared to bring me up. Hop really did look like he was going back to his familiar lively self, which I was really happy with. If anything it made me more inclined to look forward to the battle we were going to have.

But I still hoped I didn't let him down by postponing his eager request. I knew what he was like when he was embarrassed, but this time it seemed… different somehow. I wondered if it was because I was a badge ahead, if there was a chance he was still under the weather, or… something else. It wasn't like Hop to stumble over himself at the thought of something he gets so excited over.

I wonder what's up with him…