The Endorsement Letters
After the trip to the Wild Area, meeting the Musketeers, and making a new friend in Keldeo, Ash and company return to Motostoke, for the start of the Gym Challenge the next day.
As they exited the Pokémon Center, Ash noticed something peculiar at the top.
"Look, they're installing solar panels on the Pokémon Center," he pointed to a group of workers and their Pokemon, who were about to lift a large solar panel into the roof of the building.
Goh, Chloe, Keldeo, and Bea all turned.
"Mm, the region's been experiencing frequent blackouts recently," answered Bea. "The mayor of Motostoke decided to install solar panels on important facilities in the city."
"Blackouts?"
"Yes. Apparently, Galar is running out of coal, so Chairman Rose has limited the capacity of his power plants and is looking for other sources of power as alternatives."
"I saw that one the news two days ago. How long do you think it will still last?" asked Chloe.
"I don't know."
"So, you're using solar panels?" said Goh.
"Motostoke is, as well as Stow-on-Side, my hometown," replied the Gym leader. "As for the others, as far as I know, Turffield is setting up wind turbines for power, Hulbury is buying wave energy converters, Ballonlea is harvesting dream energy, Circhester has a geothermal power plant under construction, Spikemuth is tapping into a natural gas deposit near their town, and Hammerlocke is drafting plans for a nuclear reactor."
"Dream energy?" asked Ash, intrigued. It sounded like what Professor Fennel was studying, back in Unova.
Bea shook her head. "Don't ask me, Opal was the one who introduced the idea."
The four of them neared Motostoke stadium, and soon conversation shifted to other topics.
They arrived at Motostoke stadium, where a large crowd of challengers had already lined up for registration.
"Whoa, there's so many gym challengers," said Ash. It was only nine in the morning, but already the queue had reached outside the door.
News stations have also positioned themselves outside the door, talking to random trainers and passersby about the opening of the Gym Challenge. They were interviewing Hop, who was enthusiastically telling them he was going to be the next Champion. A second later, Gloria came by and grabbed him by the shoulder, dragging him back in line.
Ash turned to his companions. "Uh, this might take a while, why don't you guys head on over to the hotel and I'll meet you later?"
Bea chuckled. "How about we go see the stadium instead? I want to talk to Kabu about something."
"You want to go with them Pikachu?"
The yellow mouse shook his head, balancing himself on Ash's shoulder. "Pika-Pikachu."
Bea led the other two and their Pokémon through the large crowd of trainers, scowling at a number of reporters trying to get her attention, and through a back door.
Meanwhile, Ash took the endorsement letter Lance sent him and joined the queue.
Two hours later, Bea, Goh, and Chloe returned. Ash was still just three-fourths of the way through, but he was joined by Victor who had already finished.
"Still not done, Ash?" asked Goh. Scorbunny jumped off his shoulder and greeted Victor's Scorbunny and Pikachu.
The person in question shook his head.
"Hey, guys," said Victor. "Hop and Gloria are just about finished. We'll wait for Ash, it shouldn't be too long now, then go grab lunch."
"Victor, did they say anything about you being endorsed by the Champion?" asked Bea.
The teenager shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. Well, thankfully Hop and Gloria are taking the brunt of it."
He pointed to the front, where Hop and Gloria were once again hounded by reporters. Gloria looked like she wanted nothing more than to punch the nearest reporter in the face. Hop, meanwhile, was being exaggeratingly dramatic.
"Blimey, if that was what being famous is like, I think I'm fine just like this," he said, shaking his head.
Bea and Ash nodded their heads in understanding.
"I know what you feel," remarked Ash. He turned to Pikachu. "You know buddy, I think Professor Oak is doing something about the media for me. I've been to some conferences before and I don't think I've been hounded by reporters that bad."
He looked over at Hop and Gloria. "I mean, I've given interviews before, but they basically interrogating them!"
"Pikachu."
"The press conference on the Battle Dome was a one-time thing."
"Pika!"
"Yeah, we should thank the Professor when we get home. What souvenir do you think he'd like?"
"Pika-Pikachu!"
Victor was just about to ask about the Battle Dome when Gloria stalked off towards them while the reporters were distracted by Hop.
"I cannot walk to the pastry shop without a fan or a paparazzi stopping me," said Bea, nodding in sympathy. "It would be nice, I think, to have less fame."
"Aye," said Gloria as she shambled over. "Those bugger reporters left nothing untouched, like why the bloody hell would you want to know what I had for breakfast?"
"What did you have for breakfast?" asked Victor.
Gloria whapped him in the head.
"Ow!"
Soon enough it was Ash's turn on the counter.
"Name please," said the League clerk.
"Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town," said Ash.
The clerk searched up his name. It sounded familiar, but she paid it no mind. "Alright, looks like you're officially registered as a trainer, do you have your endorsement letter?"
"Here." Ash handed the clerk a rather bulky envelope.
The clerk opened it, and inside were eight letters.
'Eight recommendations?' thought the clerk, annoyed. It was not for the first time she wished that the League switched to digital endorsements. 'It's not uncommon for trainers to have two or three endorsements, especially for those that came from the minor league, but eight?'
She shook her head. The trainer in front of her was still waiting for her expectantly.
She opened the first letter. She skimmed the body since they all contained more or less the same content, skipping directly to the one who signed the letter.
There, in bright blue ink and bearing an official seal, was the name and signature of—
"Champion Lance?"
"Hm?" said Ash.
"One of your endorsers was Champion Lance of Kanto and Johto?"
"One of?"
"Yes, you have eight endorsements here, and one of them is from Champion Lance."
The nearby reporters perked up. Another challenger endorsed by a Champion?
"I did get a recommendation from Lance," replied Ash. "But I didn't know about the other ones. I think Lance asked other trainers for them."
Furrowing her brow, the League clerk opened the other letters. Ash leaned over the counter to see.
An endorsement from the Masked Royal. That was the famous wrestler in Alola, right? A very strong trainer in his own right. It was also an open secret that his real identity was Professor Kukui. He had an exhibition match a few months ago where he used Tapu Koko against the winner of the Manalo Conference, who was…
The clerk's eyes flicked to the the trainer in front of her but shook her head, going back to the letters.
An endorsement from Pyramid King Brandon. Impressing a Frontier Brain is difficult, this trainer must have— he beat him? This kid beat a Frontier Brain?
An endorsement from Champion Steven. He has endorsements from two Champions?
An endorsement from Former Champion Wallace. Wallace too?
An endorsement from Champion Cynthia. What?
An endorsement from Champion Alder. Who the hell was this kid?!
An endorsement from Champion Diantha. NEARLY ALL OF THE CHAMPIONS?!
The clerk hadn't realized she had been shouting when she saw half of the stadium staring at her.
Ash had a bemused smile on his face.
"Hey, uh," he started in a whisper. "Is there anything else I need to do?"
The clerk stared at him for several seconds before she registered what he said. "Oh, uh, just pick your jersey number and come back here tomorrow for your gym uniform." She handed him a band. "This is your Challenger's Band. There are hotels around the Galar region that will give you free accommodation if you present it to them. In this city, it's Budew Drop Inn. It's also your proof of identification as a Gym Challenger. You'll need to wear it any time you're doing a Gym Challenge. Now, what number would you like for your jersey?"
"025," said Ash. The clerk inputted it into his profile. Ash affixed the Challenge Band to his left arm. "Thanks," he said. He started to make his way back to Go and the others, but was soon cornered by a gang of reporters.
Chloe gave Ash a bottle of water when he returned. Ash nodded to her gratefully before downing the entire bottle is one gulp.
They were joined by a girl in punk clothing that Victor had met earlier. She was looking at Ash curiously.
"Man, that interview was brutal," remarked Goh.
"Pwah! Yeah, it was only thanks to Pikachu that they backed away," said Ash, patting his partner on the head. The yellow mouse rubbed his hand affectionately, releasing a few sparks in the process.
"Bloody 'ell, mate, you never told us you were a Champion!" said Hop. "How are we supposed to win against you?"
Ash smiled. "They told me I'm just the acting Regional Champion for Alola, you know? It's not that impressive. And you'd be surprised, I know a lot of trainers personally who managed to make it far, or even win, their first League competition. Like Alain, the one who won the Lumiose Conference."
"Not impressive he says. This coming from the person who defeated one of Alola's gods," remarked Goh, shaking his head but smiling.
"Oh yeah, that one was really fun, right Pikachu?"
"Pika!"
"Hop, Leon also won his first Gym Challenge, beating Raihan and Sonia to claim the title." Bea reminded them. "Don't dismiss yourselves just yet."
"But that's Leon!"
"Hop, didn't you say you were going to become the next Champion?" said Chloe. Eevee barked an agreement under her.
"But…"
"Hey, remember our battle back at Professor Magnolia's house?" asked Ash.
"Yeah?"
"That was a good battle. Just keep doing what you did and you'll do great. Pikachu said your Grookey is going to become very powerful one day, and he hasn't been wrong yet!"
Pikachu raised a paw in agreement. Hop's Grookey replied with its own.
Hop looked at his Pokemon and sighed. "Well, if that's how you feel, then let's give our best!"
"Grookey!"
"Do you best too too, Victor and Gloria," said Bea. Then, she looked at Ash and nodded. "Ash, I've decided, I'm also going to take part in the Gym Challenge."
The air around them became still.
"Really?!" Exclaimed the three rookie trainers.
"Cool!" Said Ash.
"Yeah, that was one of the reasons we took so long to tour the stadium," said Goh.
"She talked to Kabu about the rules for gym leaders entering," added Chloe.
"Aren' gym leaders already slotted fer the Champion Cup?" asked the girl in punk clothes.
Everyone turned to her.
"Oh, right," said Victor. "Guys, this is Marnie, I met her at the cafeteria. She talked to me earlier about wanting to meet Ash, I hope you don't mind."
"No, nice to meet you Marnie," replied Bea. Ash and the others nodded too. "Allister is the one handling Stow-on-Side this season, so that leaves me free but also means I'm not immediately part of the Champion Cup. Right now I'm just Pokemon Trainer Bea, instead of Gym Leader Bea. Leon originally just asked me to show Ash around, but hearing of his skill, I also want to a chance to battle him."
"That goes double for me!" said Ash. "I'm always eager to face off against a Gym Leader!" He looked at Bea with a competitive smile, and Bea returned the sentiment with her own.
Hop elbowed Victor with a mischievous grin, who smirked along with him. Chloe and Gloria rolled their eyes.
"Leon told the gym leaders to bring out their best for you, Ash," said Bea. She thought for a second. "And for me too, I suppose."
"The challenge is what makes battles fun, I wouldn't have it any other way," replied the raven-haired trainer.
"Pika!"
"Did you just say that Gym Leader Bea is entering the Gym Challenge?" A voice near them said.
It was a group of reporters who overheard them.
"Crap, let's get out of here," said Goh as they made a hasty exit, with reporters and fans following them like Houndooms.
Lance read the letter Ash emailed to him, thanking him for endorsing him for the Galar League. He smirked as he remembered the sinister grins the other Champions had as they gave him their own endorsement letters.
His smile lasted until Ash asked for tips in avoiding the media.
"We just made his life harder, didn't we?" He asked his Dragonite, who nodded sagely, as he got up and made a few phone calls to several TV Stations.
I'm using a g-rated version of the Scottish Trainer meme as a template for Gloria's personality.
Headcanon: Regional Champions are an appointed position rather than simply won through battle. This is because besides defending their title, they are also expected to act as representatives and ambassadors for the region. And help with local law enforcement if a Legendary causes trouble. Trainers who win the conference, beat the Regional Champion, and become inducted into the Hall of Fame are called Champions, but they won't replace the Regional Champion. They'll be on a shortlist of Regional Champion candidates, however.
Anyway, I think this is the moment everyone's been waiting for, I hope it was good enough.
Thanks for reading!