We have plans for Piers. We just couldn't fit them in here.
Reaching Circhester Bay, Victor and Gloria looked for a boat. What they found was a lot of ice and snow and Team Yell bothering a Drednaw and a man that looked vaguely familiar.
"I just want to watch the Gym challenge," the man protested. "What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing," said the female Team Yell grunt. "Unless you're cheering for someone other than Marnie!"
"But I actually met Victor!" the man protested. "I want to see him succeed!"
"And that's why we can't let you – or him – cross that water!"
Victor clenched his teeth and took a step forward. Gloria held out a hand to stop him. "I've got this," she promised. "I still need to have my team all reach their final forms, after all."
Victor stood back, mentally preparing to step in if she needed him. Gloria, as if she didn't know this, walked up to the grunts and gave them a big, innocent smile.
"Am I allowed to pass through?" she asked sweetly, as if she didn't know the answer.
"Not a chance," said the male grunt. "You're travelling with Victor. We can't let anyone pass until they drop out of the challenge and support Marnie!"
"You're a load of fun," Gloria huffed, before picking up a Pokeball. "Why don't we battle for it, then?"
"You?" The female grunt looked back at Victor, who was standing there with his hands in his pockets, watching like he hadn't stopped all their attempts to make him drop out before. "Might as well. Once you're gone, he'll have to waste time escorting you to the Pokémon Center."
Gloria tossed the ball, releasing Dishwasher. A Dark-type to face other Dark-types wouldn't be too much of a difficulty.
And if it was, Ace knew U-Turn and Fairy-type Harry could control his chaotic urges for the trainer he respected. It wouldn't hurt to annoy them.
Gloria defeating the Team Yell grunt's Pokémon left them shaking, though for some reason they cheered for her when Dishwasher became an Obstagoon, confusing the Pokémon. It made sense, in a way – they weren't cheering for her, but for her new Dark-type, and had no reason to stand against her other than that she had decided to cheer for Victor and Hop.
Still, when they said that they were going to ride the Drednaw to Spikemuth, Victor and Gloria both stared in shock and confusion. The wild Drednaw, fortunately, hurried off as fast as a tortoise could go.
"That happened," said Victor once he'd found his voice, and the man chuckled.
"It did," he agreed. "Now let's agree to never speak of it again."
"Speak of what?" Gloria asked, and he nodded.
"Precisely. Thank you." He removed a device from his pocket, and looked over at her. "I don't suppose you've gotten enough money for a bicycle since we last met?"
"I got enough for a shovel!"
"Not quite, then," he said, and he held it out to Victor. "That's an upgraded version of the Rotom device I gave you last time we met. It should help you pass the water routes to Spikemuth. Just send your Rotom back to take your friend once you get there."
"Rotom wouldn't go," Victor said honestly.
Gloria smiled brightly. "Don't worry, gentlemen," she said, a dark tone in her voice that did not match her expression. "I've got a plan."
If Rotom had not been inhabiting a cell phone, it would have gulped. Instead, it attempted to flee, but Dishwasher caught it in one hand.
And since he knew Gloria so well, he knew that she was going to make it pay for the theft. "Buckle up," he told the small ghost, his own expression mirroring his trainer's. "You're in for a ride."
Gloria's plan, like so many of her others, was just as brilliant as it was stupid.
She hooked Victor's bike up to a large chunk of ice using her shovel and an Escape Rope she'd found in a cave, and had Hattie give it a bit of a psychic boost to help it support their weight. Victor was to ride the bike, and Rotom had been threatened into using the new technology.
Surprising everybody, it worked. Hattie once had to drop the ice to battle a particularly angry Grapploct, triggering her own evolution, but she and Gloria didn't sink too much and she picked right back up, both of them ignoring their chilly feet.
Rotom had a few objections, however.
"Gloria?" it asked, voice strained. "Are you paddling?"
"No," Gloria answered at once. "You stole from me. I'm not helping you."
"Fair enough," Rotom grumbled, and changed complaints. "Victor? Are you pedaling?"
"Um…" Victor looked at his feet, resting on the handlebars. "Yes."
Rotom seemed to sense the lie, and continued trudging along, mumbling death threats that they both knew would never come to pass. After all, they each had a team of strong Pokémon, and type advantages. Rotom had no chance.
They finally reached land, after what was not the first attempt at doing so. Victor took a moment to catch himself a Clobbopus, since he liked what Grapploct looked like but didn't want to anger it any more than it already was, and then they started off to Spikemuth.
Naturally, Spikemuth was blocked off to challengers by a bunch of Team Yell grunts.
"Are you serious?" Victor complained, and one of the grunts stuck out her tongue.
"Who cares," Gloria piped in. "These people aren't malicious, just nuisances."
"No one passes except Marnie," the female grunt insisted. "Besides, the Gym Leader's bored. Now he can do whatever he pleases!"
"Is he bored because he doesn't have challengers?" Victor demanded, and the grunts all fell silent, dumbfounded expressions on their faces.
There was also, Victor noticed, a soft laugh from behind a bush. He turned, and immediately recognized who it was.
"You make a good point, Victor," said Marnie. "Come on, then. I'll show you the other way in."
He didn't even hesitate, following her at once into a dark alley. Gloria took only a moment to laugh at the stupidity of following a vampire into a secluded area, but she followed as well, reasoning that if Marnie was a vampire, she could take out the competition herself.
Victor: Dash (Cinderace) Corviknight, Drednaw, Excadrill, Axew, Clobbopus
Gloria: Ace (Inteleon) Dishwasher (Obstagoon) Rogue (Thievul) Hattie (Hattrem) Harry (Morgrem) Stabitha (Pawniard)