Timothy's leg was feeling better when everyone woke up the following day, but it still hurt to move it. Thus, as Gwen planned, everyone rode their bikes slower as Timothy struggled to ride his bike with his leg aching. On the third day of traveling since leaving Hulbury, he was riding his bike at a regular pace, and Gwen made the ride longer every day to make up for lost time, much to the misery of Timothy and Coovers, and the irritation of Ezria.
Ezria continued to be beside Timothy while they rode their Rotom Bikes. She claimed that it was just to look out for him while his leg was in pain, but when it was well enough for Gwen to take off the bandage, Ezria continued to be beside him, believing that the two of them were connecting as they traveled. Timothy avoided eye contact and gave plain answers as he and Ezria talked on their bikes, but as far as she was concerned, he was feeling shy with Electchu on his back. No matter what Timothy did, Ezria loved traveling alongside him. She always volunteered to make meals for the group, hoping to impress Timothy with her cooking skills. When everyone was asleep, she left the door to her tent slightly open, so she could see him while he slept beside Electchu until she fell asleep.
By the time the group made their way back to Motostoke on the fourth day, it was close to midnight. They spent the night in a four-person bedroom at the Bedew Inn close to Motostoke Stadium, with Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu sleeping on beds opposite to Gwen, Ezria, and Winnie's. Gwen set an alarm on her Rotom Phone for nine in the morning before she got under the covers with Winnie.
The next day, Gwen's phone went off, and Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, and Ezria took turns taking a shower. When it was Ezria's turn, she told the others to go ahead and grab breakfast, so the rest of the group went downstairs to eat at the cafeteria. Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, Electchu, and Winnie were halfway through their meal when they saw Ezria come in wearing a gray trench coat that covered her dress, black sunglasses, and a black hat with the Marco Cosmos symbol on it. She looked around the cafeteria as she filled up a tray with fruit and a breakfast burrito before sitting next to Timothy.
"What's with the getup, Ezria?" Coovers asked. "You trying to avoid attention with your fellow Gym Challengers or something?"
"As a matter of fact, I am," Ezria said, not looking at Coovers as she ate. "I always wear a disguise in a big city like Motostoke because most of my fans live here, including my male admirers."
"Yeah, Rose did say you prefer to avoid that kind of attention," Timothy said. "Do you already have a private box reserved before your battle?"
"I sure do. Made the call after I had my shower," Ezria said before turning to Timothy. "You're more than welcome to join me, Timothy. We can watch both of our matches again. There might be enough time to arrange it so your match is right after mine."
"Er, that's nice of you to offer, Ezria, but I prefer to be in the waiting room with our other challengers, clueless of what Pokémon the Gym Leader has," Timothy said. "Besides, Ned's probably gonna be there, and I'd like to wish him luck."
Ezria gave a pout that made Gwen struggle not to laugh as she ate opposite from Timothy.
"I understand. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be there for your friend," Ezria said reluctantly. "Besides, Ned might need all the support he can get with this Gym Leader."
Timothy looked at Ezria disapprovingly and said, "I hope you're not being condescending again, Ezria."
Ezria's eyes widened from underneath her shades, and she waved the hand that was not holding her burrito defensively.
"No, no, nothing like that. Honest," she said. "It's just that Kabu is a difficult Gym Leader for many Gym Challengers. Most of them give up every year after failing to beat him in battle. Motostoke Stadium has it scheduled to open for the next three days so that trainers can battle Kabu again until they either win or give up. So, when I say your friend will need all the luck he can get, it's because getting a badge from this particular Gym Leader might be very difficult for him."
"Is he that difficult despite only being the third Gym Leader?" Coovers asked.
"He sure is," Ezria said. "I have every confidence in my Pokémon, Venarge will most likely win wherever he is, and I have no doubt someone as experienced with competing in Pokémon Leagues as Timothy will triumph over Kabu. With everyone else, however, we can only hope for the best."
Timothy continued to look at Ezria skeptically, making her worry that he wouldn't believe her. Then he thought about it and said, "Well, looking back, I do remember hearing of people only getting a couple of Gym Badges at best when traveling to collect Gym Badges in other regions, so I guess it's no different here in Galar."
Ezria mentally sighed in relief and said, "Yes. Exactly. Plus, it's commonly known that the rest of the Gym Challenge is where the event lives up to its name."
"I will hold you to that," Timothy said before turning to Gwen. "Speaking of which, where is the Gym Battle after this?"
Ezria's eyes widened, and her mouth hung open, shocked that Timothy didn't ask her. Gwen covered her mouth to hide a smirk before she shook it off.
"It's in a town in the mountains called Stow-on-Side, and that's where the Fighting type and Ghost type Gym Leaders are," Gwen said. "We're going to take a train to Hammerlocke and then ride west to get there."
"Good deal," Coovers said before he muttered to himself, "Stow-on-Side? Who came up with that?"
Ezria glowered at Gwen, bitter that Timothy turned to the other woman for questions regarding the Gym Challenge. Then, she shook it off and looked back at Timothy with a flirtatious smile.
"By the way, Timothy, the next season of the World Coronation Series starts tomorrow," she said. "Do you still plan to compete?"
"Of course. I don't want the Gym Challenge to be the only way my Pokémon and I grow stronger," Timothy said.
"Are you hoping to win and become Monarch?" Ezria asked.
Timothy opened his mouth to answer, but then he stopped and thought about it.
"You know, I haven't given it much thought," he said.
"You haven't given it much thought?" Ezria asked with a skeptical look. "That doesn't sound like someone who wants to participate in such a big competition."
"Well, my focus is just using it to win a lot of battles for the sake of my dream," Timothy said. "But, if I get the chance to win the whole thing, I will give it everything I got. Make no mistake about that."
"That's better," Ezria said with a smile.
"So, Ezria, are you hoping to continue traveling with us?" Coovers asked.
Timothy and Gwen looked at their companion, surprised. Electchu and Winnie, who were eating bowls of Pokémon food on the floor next to the dining table, turned their heads to look at Ezria, curious about her answer. The raspberry-haired woman's eyes lit up, and she opened her mouth, all too ready to say yes, until Gwen cleared her throat.
"I don't think that would be necessary," she said. "After all, she only traveled with us to safely guide us through the mine, and I sincerely doubt we will need to worry about a place so potentially dangerous in the future. Besides, if you stay to watch Timothy's battles throughout the rest of the Gym Challenge and during the World Coronation Series, you might be completely prepared for how to face him at the tournament, which would be unfair."
Once again, Ezria gave Gwen a dark look. Timothy's lips curled up for a moment before he forced a sad look on his face and turned to Ezria.
"She's got a point, Ezria," Timothy said. "After all, you were suspicious of me being completely prepared for facing you next time by knowing who all of your Pokémon are. Now that I think about it, that makes one more reason why I shouldn't watch your battle with Kabu, and maybe you shouldn't watch my battle either."
Ezria looked at Timothy, astounded that he would agree with Gwen. She opened her mouth to protest, but after a few seconds, she accepted defeat.
"You're right, Timothy. We should be as clueless as possible until the Championship Cup," she said. "I'll leave my private box during your battle."
"Promise?" Timothy asked, holding out his pinky.
Ezria winced, hoping Timothy wasn't going to be persistent. Gwen smirked at Ezria's reaction, knowing that a pinkie promise is a promise made by people who are only friends. It was obvious that Timothy intentionally asked for that kind of promise to say that he only thought of Ezria as a friend.
After several seconds of hesitation, Ezria reluctantly wrapped her pinkie around Timothy's, and Timothy smiled before he let go and went back to his breakfast. Coovers watched the moment between Ezria and Timothy, puzzled, and then looked at Gwen, who went back to her meal satisfied. Coovers scratched the back of his head and went back to eating his eggs, deciding to bring it up later.
After breakfast, Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, Ezria, Electchu, and Winnie exited Bedew Inn and walked to Motostoke Stadium, where people and Pokémon were in line for tickets. Coovers, Gwen, and Winnie left to get tickets at the end of one of the lines, while Timothy, Ezria, and Electchu went inside. They walked over to the center of the lobby on the other side, where a few Gym Challengers were already in line. Timothy went to the back of the line while Ezria walked ahead to the front of the line, taking off her hat and sunglasses.
The men in front of Timothy immediately began calling out to her and declared words of affection, but she ignored them while showing her ID to the staff member scheduling battles at the end of the line. The staff member let Ezria in, and she turned to Timothy.
"Good luck." she mouthed out with a sweet smile before entering.
Timothy rolled his eyes, but his annoyance turned into unease as all of the guys in front of him glared in jealousy. It took until the staff member told everyone to move the line along to make them look away from Timothy.
After a couple of minutes, Timothy and Electchu made it to the end of the line and reserved a battle for 11:20. He and Electchu then went down the hall, and Timothy went into the men's dressing room to change into his uniform before they went into the waiting room. Several Gym Challengers were sitting in chairs and benches like before, waiting for their matches, while the first battle was already beginning. Timothy and Electchu found empty spots on a bench to sit down, and Timothy took out his Rotom Phone to play a game while he waited.
But while Timothy was playing, he had an uncomfortable feeling that he was being gazed at from behind. Electchu poked his arm to catch his attention and pointed behind him. Timothy turned his head to see some men looking daggers at him from their seats. Some of them were clenching their teeth. Timothy grew uneasy as he looked away and leaned into Electchu's ear.
"Great, not only does Ezria have a thing for me, but now her fans know it," he whispered.
"Raichu. Chu Rai Raichu," Electchu said with its ears hanging low.
Timothy turned his head to his longtime friend and said, "So, you figured it out too, huh?"
"Rai Rai Raichu?" Electchu said. "Rai Rai Rai Raichu."
"Yeah, she's not exactly subtle about it," Timothy said.
"Rai Rai Rai Raichu?" Electchu asked.
Timothy frowned and said, "I don't know, Electchu. It's not that I dislike Ezria or anything, but I don't think of her that way, and even if I was, it's not a good idea to pursue something when we're using her to get to the chairman."
"Rai Rai Raichu Chu Rai Rai Raichu."
Timothy's frown deepened.
"I hope Coovers doesn't suggest that. Pretending to like her back should be a last resort," he said. "Bad enough he's insistent that I try to pursue something with Gwen."
"Rai Rai Rai Raichu Chu Raichu."
"Ugh. Good point. Things might get ugly between Ned and me if he learns his crush is crushing on me," Timothy said. He grew silent again for another moment. "You know what? Let's just ignore her fans and keep our minds on the Gym Battle."
"Raichu," Electchu agreed.
With that, Timothy returned to his game, and Electchu watched, but they could still feel Gym Challengers staring at them from behind. As time passed, more challengers entered the waiting room after scheduling their battles. The challengers that came early with Timothy began whispering to the other challengers about Ezria showing interest in him. The more challengers glared at Timothy, the harder it was to ignore them. As time went on, challengers returned from their battles, most downcast or frustrated because they lost.
Finally, there was a ding, and a staff member said through the speakers, "Number seven, Timothy, please proceed to the field for your battle. Number seven, Timothy." Timothy sighed, and he put away his phone before he and Electchu stood up from their seats. As they walked down the hall to the field, Timothy looked back to find his fellow Gym Challengers still glaring at him, and he rolled his eyes. Timothy and Electchu stopped walking at the end of the hall and waited until they heard the announcer shout as they entered the field.
"Ladies and gentlemen, for the next challenger facing Kabu, let's give it up for number seven, Timothy!"
Like before, the audience cheered as Timothy and Electchu entered the field, waving as they walked to their spot. They looked to the other side, where Kabu was looking at Timothy with a raised eyebrow.
"So, you are the one that is said to have freed all the Psychic type Pokémon from that crime organization?" Kabu asked.
Timothy and Electchu looked at him confused, and the former asked, "How did you hear about that?"
"Word of your unusual letter of endorsement has spread among the League Staff here in Motostoke Stadium," Kabu answered. "Frankly, I'm not convinced even if Lance has confirmed everything said in your letter. You don't strike me as the heroic type."
"Yeah, well, it's not like I had a choice of what type I was supposed to be back then," Timothy said. "But, whether you believe me or not, you will find me not as easy to take down as those punks you have faced before me.
Kabu raised his eyebrow again and said, "So, you are more the prideful type. Well, you may boast as much as you like, but in the end, the match is decided by which side is able to unleash their true potential."
"On that, I agree," Timothy said.
With their conversation over, a referee flew over to the field on a platform attached to his Aegislash.
"This is a three-on-three battle between Kabu, the Gym Leader, and number 7, Timothy, the Gym Challenger," he shouted. CThe battle will be over when all three Pokémon from either side are unable to continue, and only the challenger can substitute Pokémon. Are the contestants ready?"
"Ready," Kabu said.
"Ready," Timothy replied.
"Then let the battle begin!" The referee shouted.
The crowd applauded once again. Timothy and Kabu took out their Pokéballs and threw them into the air. The containers opened to reveal Poliwrath, who cracked its knuckles and a Ninetails growling at its opponent.
"Poliwrath, use Hydro Pump!" Timothy shouted.
"Dodge, using Quick Attack, Ninetales!" Kabu shouted.
Ninetales jumped into action, racing toward Poliwrath and avoiding a stream of water coming out of the Tadpole Pokémon's belly. It rammed into Poliwrath's stomach, and Poliwrath stepped back several feet, massaging its gut.
"Now, use Ember!" Kabu commanded.
"Poliwrath, use Hydro Pump on Ninetales's attack! Don't let up!" Timothy shouted.
Ninetales shot a blast of fire from its mouth, and Poliwrath used Hydro Pump again. The stream of water burst through the ball of fire, and it hit Ninetales, making the Fox Pokemon scream in agony. Poliwrath continued its attack mercilessly until its opponent's body couldn't take it anymore, and Ninetales fell on the grass, limp.
"Ninetales is unable to battle! Poliwrath wins!" The referee announced.
The crowd applauded as Kabu returned Ninetales to its Pokéball. Timothy smirked and turned to Electchu.
"With his Pokémon going down in one hit, I hope he has more up his sleeve than that," he said.
Electchu frowned and said, "Raichu Rai Rai Raichu Chi Rai Raichu."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I shouldn't get carried away," Timothy said with a wave of his hand. "I'm just saying I'm hoping for more from a Gym Leader of Kabu's reputation."
Electchu gave its partner a disapproving look, unconvinced that Timothy really heard it. Kabu took out another Pokéball and threw it, shouting, "Arcanine, let's go." His second Pokémon came out with a growl as it glared daggers at Poliwrath.
"Poliwrath, let's make this one quick too!" Timothy shouted. "Use Surf"
"Arcanine, go around Poliwrath's attack using Agility and then attack with Bite!" Kabu instructed.
Poliwrath raised its hand, and a wall of water emerged from the ground, heading toward its opponent. Just like Ninetales, Arcanine raced with inhuman speed and ran around the wall of water just before it crashed on top of it. The Legendary Pokemon then zoomed toward an unsuspecting Poliwrath and bit its arm. Poliwrath yelled in pain, trying to free its arm from Arcanine's jaws.
"Poliwrath, break yourself free using Dynamic Punch!" Timothy shouted.
Poliwrath stopped struggling, and its free fist glowed white. It repeatedly punched Arcanine in the face until Arcanine let go of its arm and backed away.
"Arcanine, use Will-O-Wisp!" Kabu shouted.
"Stop it with Bubble Beam!" Timothy shouted.
Arcanine opened its mouth, and a blue fireball came out while Poliwrath unleashed a beam of bubbles from its stomach. The attacks collided with each other and exploded, creating a cloud of smoke.
"Now, use Flame Wheel!" Kabu shouted.
Timothy furrowed his brow and called out, "Poliwrath, be careful. Arcanine might appear from -"
Before Timothy could finish his sentence, Arcanine appeared from the smoke with its whole body enveloped in flames and tackled Poliwrath. Poliwrath fell on its back with its body covered in burns. It laid on the ground for a moment before it stood up, fighting the pain.
"Now, use Flame Wheel one more time!" Kabu shouted.
Timothy furrowed his brow as the smoke cleared to reveal Arcanine charging at his Pokemon, enveloped in flames again. He brainstormed a way to counter the attack until he got an idea that made him smirk.
"Poliwrath, counter that Flame Wheel with Hydro Pump!" He commanded.
Poliwrath unleashed another stream of water from its chest, hitting Arcanine, creating steam with the water and putting out the fire surrounding its body until it covered Timothy's side of the field with steam. Arcanine stopped running and groaned as it took damage while looking to find its opponent.
"Now, use Surf!" Timothy shouted.
"Arcanine, watch out!" Kabu called out.
But with the steam covering its vision, Arcanine didn't know where to look until the wave of water was only a couple of feet away. Kabu's heart sank at the sound of water crashing onto its Pokemon and Arcanine howling in pain. Arcanine was lying on its side with swirly eyes when the steam cleared.
"Arcanine is unable to battle! Poliwrath wins!" The referee declared.
The audience cheered again, and Kabu returned Arcanine to its Pokéball. He gave his Pokéball a sad smile before he put it away while smirking at Timothy.
"Well done. You used my strategy against me." he said.
"Actually, I have used smoke or steam to leave Pokémon open for mine to attack, so I wouldn't call it your strategy," Timothy said. "That said, Arcanine put up a pretty good fight."
"I agree, but I may yet find a path to victory," Kabu said as he took out his final Pokéball. "Centiskorch, let's go!"
He threw his Pokéball into the air, and from it came a red and orange, flat, centipede-like Pokemon. Timothy, Electchu, and Poliwrath stared at their opponent, befuddled, before Timothy took out his Rotom Phone.
"What the heck is that thing?" Timothy asked as he scanned Kabu's partner.
"Centiskorch. The Radiator Pokémon. A Fire and Bug type," Rotom answered. "When it heats up, its body temperature reaches about 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. It lashes its body like a whip and launches itself at enemies."
"Sounds powerful," Timothy said before he smirked at Centiskorch while putting away his phone. "But once again, being a duel-type doesn't make it any less weak to our attacks."
"Don't count on it. This is where our fire burns the brightest through Centiskorch's Gigantamax form," Kabu said.
The Gym Leader returned Centiskorch, and within seconds, his Pokéball glowed red and grew to half his size. He tossed it into the air with one arm, and Centiskorch grew to half the size of the stadium. Its segments and legs increased up to a hundred legs. The underside of its body turned yellow with light-yellow circles inside each section of its body. The flames from its head and telson were larger and longer and had a lighter part at the center, similar to an "X".
"So, he Gigantamaxes his last Pokémon. That might explain why he's so hard to defeat," Timothy said before he looked at Poliwrath with a grin. "That just made this battle more interesting. Don't you agree, Poliwrath?"
"Wrath!" Poliwrath shouted, flexing its muscles.
Timothy's grin widened as he took out Poliwrath Pokéball and returned it. The Galar Particles came out of his Dynamax Band, went into the Pokéball, and the Pokéball grew. Timothy threw the ball, and Poliwrath burst out Dynamaxed. It cracked its knuckles as it roared, "Wrath!"
"I see your Poliwrath is as confident as you are," Kabu commented. "Let's see where that confidence takes you. Centiskorch, use Max Strike!"
"Poliwrath, use Max Geyer!" Timothy shouted.
Gigantamax Centiskorch struck its tail into the ground, sending sparks of energy across the battlefield and towards Dynamax Poliwrath, who launched a massive stream of water from its stomach. The Water type max move hit Gigantamax Centiskorch as rain started pouring in the stadium, but at the same time, the ground underneath Dynamax Poliwrath exploded, making it struggle to keep its balance.
"Now, use G-Max Centiferno!" Kabu commanded.
"Counter using Max Geyser again!" Timothy shouted.
Gigantamax Centiskorch coiled up with its body glowing bright yellow, and a massive fireball formed before its body and launched towards its opponent. Dynamax Poliwrath unleashed another giant stream of water, but the G-Max Move destroyed it instantly. Dynamax Poliwrath's eyes widened before the fireball hit, exploding on impact. Timothy and Electchu covered their eyes from the explosion, and when the smoke cleared, they found their friend covered in more burns.
"I don't believe it. Centiskorch's G-Max Move is so powerful that it destroyed Max Geyser?!" Timothy shouted.
"That's right, Timothy. That's the power of Gigantamax burning bright," Kabu said. "Now, Centiskorch, use G-Max Centiferno again."
Timothy's heart sank as it hit him that Poliwrath could lose despite the type advantage. Then he felt Electchu tug his pants, and he looked down at his partner.
"Raichu! Chu Rai Rai Rai Raichu!" Electchu said hurriedly.
Timothy stared at his partner for a moment before he huffed and said, "I guess it's worth a try. "Poliwrath, run around the field to avoid Centiskorch's attack, and then use Max Geyser!"
With a loud "Wrath," Dynamax Poliwrath ran over to the side of the field, shaking the ground as it ran. Gigantamax Centiskorch's body was coiled up, and it fired another massive ball where Poliwrath was standing, only for it to hit the ground and explode. Gigantamax Centiskorch looked for Poliwrath, and found it just as Poliwrath was using Max Geyser. The massive stream hit Gigantamax Centiskorch, and it fell down, screaming in pain. The Radiator Pokémon raised its head and held it up for a few seconds before it passed out. With a flash, Kabu's partner reverted to its regular form with swirly eyes.
"Centiskorch is unable to battle!" The referee declared. "Poliwrath is the winner, so victory goes to challenger number seven, Timothy!"
The audience screamed and cheered while Poliwrath shrank back to its normal size. Timothy sighed in relief before he and Electchu ran over to meet Poliwrath. The Tadpole Pokémon had its hands on its burns, still aching from the G-Max move.
"Nice work, Poliwrath," Timothy said as he patted Poliwrath on the back. He then took out his Pokeball and said, "We'll get you healed up as soon as I get the badge."
"Poliwrath," Poliwrath replied before it went back into its Pokéball.
Kabu returned Centiskorch and whispered a word of thanks to his partner. Then, he put away his Pokéball and walked over to Timothy and Electchu with a smile of respect.
"Timothy, I commend you," he said. "I'm often regarded as the first real roadblock of the Gym Challenge, and yet you defeated me with your first Pokémon."
"I can see how you're the first real roadblock," Timothy said. "Your Arcanine put up a good fight, and Centiskorch's Gigantamaxed power is incredible."
"Thank you, though I am surprised that you told Poliwrath to move to the side to avoid Centiskorch's attack," Kabu said.
"Well, I wasn't sure Poliwrath would be able to dodge, but Electchu told me to give it a try," Timothy said. "The way it looked at it, the worst-case scenario was Centiskorch would revert to normal after beating Poliwrath, and my next Pokémon would take it out since it took a lot of damage from Max Geyser.
"Raichu," Electchu said, nodding.
Kabu looked back between Timothy and Electchu, then said with a smirk, "You can understand what your partner is saying? What a rare gift. Clearly, you have formed a fantastic team between you and your Pokémon." He reached into his pocket and took out a gold and red badge. "Allow me to reward you with the Fire Badge as proof that you've defeated me."
"Thank you, Kabu," Timothy said as he took the badge.
Timothy took out the ring containing his badges and attached the Fire Badge to it. He raised the ring into the air, and the audience roared in applause. Timothy, Electchu, and Kabu waited until the applause died down before the two men shook hands and exited the field on opposite sides, with Electchu following Timothy.
But unknown to Timothy, a League Staff member was in a private box, recording everything on the field with his Rotom Phone. He stopped recording and exited the room, where Ezria was leaning her back against the wall by the door with her arms crossed. She turned her head to face the staff member with an impatient look.
"Is it over?" She asked.
"Yes, ma'am, it is," the League Staff member answered. "He won with just one Pokemon."
"Of course, he did. Timothy is not like my pathetic fans. A Gigantamax Pokémon like Kabu's Centiskorch won't stop him," Ezria said, smirking proudly. "Did you record the entire battle like I asked?"
"I did. Sending it to you now," the League Staff member answered.
With his Rotom Phone still out, he hit the share button on the recorded video and had it sent to Ezria's phone. Ezria waited until she heard a ding and took out her phone to open the text. She began playing the video up to when Timothy and Kabu took out Poliwrath and Ninetales, respectively, then she paused it.
"Fantastic," Ezria said. "Thank you for your help."
"Of course, Ms. Ezria," the League Staff member replied. "Though, if I may ask, is this necessary?"
"Of course it is. Timothy and his friends will most likely be leaving for Hammerlocke as soon as his Pokémon are healed, and who knows when we will see each other again?" Ezria answered. "I hate not seeing him for a long while, so I'd like to have the recording of his latest victory at least. I'm sure my knight-to-be would eventually understand that that's more than enough cause to use a loophole on my promise just a little bit if he found out. What Timothy doesn't know won't hurt him."
The League Staff member gave Ezria a concerned look and said, "You really have it bad for this guy."
"That's how romance goes, buddy boy," Ezria answered. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'd like to catch Timothy and his friends before they leave."
The League Staff member nodded, and Ezria walked down the hall to the nearest elevator. As Ezria took one down to the ground floor, she went back to watching the video. When Ezria got to the part where Poliwrath took down Ninetales, she smiled and sighed blissfully.
"There may not have been a lot of challengers that have challenged Kabu so far, but so many have struggled to take down his first Pokémon much less face Centiskorch. This alone proves how Timothy is superior to all the other men," Ezria said to herself. "If the two of us are lucky, maybe none of my fans will make it past Kabu. Either way, there will be nothing for me to be concerned about apart from us finding time alone from Coovers and especially Gwen."
She sighed again and hugged her phone.
"Oh, my dear knight, why does she keep trying to keep us apart?" She asked. "If only she weren't around, we would be traveling together throughout the rest of the Gym Challenge. I suppose we should be thankful that we will have the rest of our lives together after this."
Ezria smiled as she thought of marrying Timothy. As the elevator stopped on the ground floor and the door opened, Ezria rushed out and made her way to the main lobby. By the time she arrived, Timothy was back in his regular clothes, and Coovers was giving him a congratulations noogie. Gwen rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile while Electchu and Winnie stood beside her. Ezria's heart skipped a beat, thrilled that she made it just in time, and lowered her upper body to sneak behind Timothy. The man in the "H.A.K." freed himself from Coovers's headlock and gained a moment of respite before he felt two arms wrap around him from behind and pull him tightly toward Ezria.
"Congratulations, Timothy!" Ezria praised. "I didn't see it as promised, but I heard from one of the staff members that you won!"
Coovers, Electchu, and Winnie were taken aback by Ezria's sudden appearance while Gwen furrowed her brow. Timothy mentally groaned, wishing Ezria would stop displaying her affection for him, and he reluctantly patted one of her arms to hide it.
"Thanks, Ezria," he said.
Ezria's smile grew, and she tightened her hold on Timothy with her chin resting on his shoulder for a moment before she let go. Timothy massaged his sides as he backed away from Ezria until he stood beside his friends. Gwen continued to give Ezria a sour look, which amused Ezria until the researcher cleared her throat.
"Well, it's nice of you to take the time to express your commendation, Ezria, but I'm afraid we must be on our way," Gwen said.
"Aw, are you sure?" Ezria asked with a pout. "Can't you stay for my battle?"
"You know we agreed not to do that. Besides, I looked up trains leaving for Hammerlocke, and the next one is an hour away," Gwen said. "We should head to the nearest Pokémon Center to have Poliwrath healed up before we go."
"She's right, Ezria. Poliwrath got burned pretty badly, and I don't want to wait until we get to Hammerlocke for it to be treated," Timothy said.
Ezria's pout turned sour from Timothy siding with Gwen again. She then forced another smile and said, "That's too bad. I hate that we have to part ways already."
"Hey, don't worry about it, Ezria. We're gonna see each other again," Coovers said with a toothy grin. "I speak for all of us when I say we all believe you're going to beat Kabu no problem, so it will not be long before we bump into each other again later in the Gym Challenge. Right, guys?"
Timothy and Gwen stopped themselves from glaring at Coovers for encouraging Ezria. Ezra's cheerful smile reappeared, uplifted by Coovers's words, and she said, "You're right, Coovers. After all, I did say I have every confidence in my Pokémon, so Kabu doesn't stand a chance. That said, I'm going to miss traveling with all of you. It's been a treat."
"Why thank you, Ezria," Coovers said. "I hope we'll get a chance to travel together again."
Coovers looked at Gwen and then at Timothy, expecting them to play along. The two of them hesitated until they accepted it was for the sake of the mission and forced themselves to give Ezria encouraging smiles.
"I agree. It would be delightful if you traveled with us again," Gwen lied.
"Nothing would please me more," Timothy said.
Ezria beamed at Timothy's words, and she rushed over to hug him again. Timothy mentally groaned again, while Coovers smiled and Gwen scoffed. Ezria then took out her Rotom Phone and moved to Timothy's side while holding up her phone to take a selfie. Timothy only had a moment to force another smile before Ezria took a picture of them and then checked to make sure it turned out alright.
"Perfect," she said before turning to Timothy. "Now, I have something to look at until we meet again."
"Great," Timothy lied.
Gwen looked daggers at Ezria and took Timothy by the hand.
"Okay, now that we have that out of the way, let's get going. Time's a-wastin," she said.
"Yes, you're right, Gwen," Ezria sighed. "Safe travels, everyone."
"Thanks, Ezria," Coovers said.
With that, Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, Electchu, and Winnie headed to the exit, waving at Ezria as they walked. As soon as they exited the stadium, Timothy sighed, relieved to finally part ways with Chairman Rose's minion. He silently wished he would gain the chairman's trust and get the proof to nab him without ever seeing the woman who obsessed over him again.
Then suddenly, he felt Gwen let go of his hand, and he turned his head to see her looking away timidly. Timothy looked at his hand, and it hit him that Gwen was still holding his hand the entire time. He turned his head in the opposite direction from Gwen as his cheeks started to heat up. But after a moment, he glanced back at Gwen, who was still looking away, and the right side of his mouth curled up.