Timothy and Ezria returned Knightblade and Doublade to their Pokéballs, they exited the Energy Plant and took the elevator back to the lobby. When they went outside, the sky was covered in stars. Ezria took Timothy's arm and rested her head on his shoulder, admiring the stars as they walked to the Pokémon Center. They entered the center and went up the stairs and down the hall to their room. Ezria opened the door and turned on the lights as she went in to find Coovers and Gwen's beds empty.
"Hey, where are the others? Shouldn't they be back at this hour?" Ezria asked.
"They probably went out to see the sights Hammerlocke has to offer," Timothy said.
"Well, Hammerlocke isn't Wyndon, but it's still a magnificent part of Galar, so that makes sense," Ezria said, smirking. "Are you going to bed too?"
"Uh, no, I think I'm going to take a walk outside. Explore the city myself," Timothy replied.
Ezria's smirk turned into a heartfelt smile, and she said, "Alright. Don't get lost."
"You can count on me," Timothy said. "Good night, Ezria."
"Good night, my dear Timothy," Ezria said.
Timothy chuckled nervously as he closed the door in front of him. He stood in front of the door with his hand still on the handle and loudly sighed with his eyes closed to let out his relief. After taking a moment to collect himself, Timothy walked down the hall toward the stairway and knocked on the door to Coovers' secret room. He waited a couple of seconds before the door opened, Coovers grabbed Timothy by his vest and pulled him inside. Coovers locked the door behind them, then gave Timothy a headlock and a noogie, cackling.
"Timbo, you did it! You got the proof to back up Professor Magnolia's claims!" Coovers exclaimed.
Timothy freed himself from Coovers' headlock only for Electchu to happily jump into his arms with a "Raichu." He nearly lost his balance before he smiled and hugged his partner back. Timothy looked past Coovers to see Venarge still lying unconscious on the bed with sparks appearing on his body. Gwen and Winnie were sitting on the other bed again. Winnie smiled cutely like a child, but when Gwen looked at Timothy, she gave him a weak smile. Timothy felt a pinch in his heart, realizing she might be thinking about Ezria kissing him. He put the matter in the back of his mind and turned back to Coovers.
"So, does Looker know we have the evidence?" Timothy asked.
"I uploaded the footage to my Rotom Phone and sent it to Looker while you were trying to convince Ezria. He looked through it with the higher-ups, and they've begun making arrest warrants for Chairman Rose, Venarge, and Ezria. Since Ezria didn't say if Oleana is a part of the operation, she'll be taken in for questioning along with anyone who works at Macro Cosmos who might also be a part of their operation. But the important thing is the chairman's going down. Without the head of the Seviper, their scheme is out of commission."
"What about Eternatus?" Timothy asked. "How will we safely keep it from destroying everything once we get it out of the core?"
Coovers hesitated and said, "That is something we will have to discuss with Looker and Professor Magnolia."
"And what will we do with Venarge now that he has an arrest warrant?" Timothy asked.
"Well, before he ended our call to start writing the warrants, I made up a story of Venarge attacking Gwen, Electchu, Winnie, and me, and that's why he's being held here. As we speak, Looker is writing a brief warrant for Venarge's arrest, albeit just for the 'attack,' and sending it to the Hammerlocke police. Once they get it, I secretly bring Venarge to them as soon as Looker calls me back. To keep the chairman clueless, the police are instructed to keep Venarge's arrest private. They're not told why or who they are keeping it from. Only that he's connected to a special International Police case, and strategically, it's best that no one knows they have him right now. Looker says the other warrants should be written and approved within two days. Maybe less. As soon he does, he will fly to Galar, and then we're all coming together with the local police to nab Chairman Rose once and for all."
"And what do we do until then?" Timothy asked.
"Until then, we behave around the chairman and Ezria like normal, so they are kept unaware, and you focus on training your Pokémon for the Championship Cup," Coovers said.
"That's it?" Timothy asked.
"That is it," Coovers announced proudly. "You played your part. Now, the bad guys are going down, and you get to compete in the Galar League just like you wanted."
Timothy took a moment to process what Coovers was saying and asked, "So, the bottom line is we did it. We've completed the mission."
"We sure did, Timbo," Coovers said with a cheeky grin. "We had our little hiccups, but ultimately my brilliant plan worked. Go on. Admit it. Who's the most clever officer in the International Police?"
Timothy rolled his eyes and shook his head, smirking as he answered, "You are, Coovers."
"Too right, I am," Coovers boasted. "I can't wait to see Professor Magnolia's face when she learns about this and regrets doubting me. I might even get her blessing to marry Sonia when we're ready."
"I doubt she'll take it that far, but she will appreciate all we've done for sure," Timothy said.
Coovers nodded vigorously just as his Rotom Phone vibrated and said, "You have a call from Looker. You have a call from Looker." He put on a professional face and answered the phone, talking to Looker with a severe voice. Timothy waited a couple of minutes until Coovers said, "Yes, sir," and hung up the phone. The Unovian man paused for a moment before his giddy smile returned, and he looked back at Timothy.
"Do you mind if I borrow Shockwave?" He asked. "I think levitating Venarge to the station with Psychic would be more efficient than one of my Pokémon carrying him."
"Sure," Timothy said.
He took out Shockwave's Pokéball and held it out until the Embrace Pokémon came out of its container.
"Shockwave, use Psychic on Venarge and follow Coovers to the police station," Timothy instructed.
Shockwave nodded and levitated Venarge with its eyes glowing blue while Coovers grabbed Venarge's Rotom Phone and Pokéballs. Coovers opened the door, and Shockwave went into the hall with Venarge before Coovers went out and closed the door behind them. Timothy and Electchu smiled at each other, giddy that they had finished the mission and they could focus on the Championship Cup. But as soon as Timothy turned to Gwen and Winnie, his smile faded. Gwen still struggled to smile, looking as though she ignored Timothy and Coovers' conversation. They looked away from each other, making Electchu and Winnie feel awkward.
"Con-congratulations for qualifying for the Championship Cup. I didn't get a chance to say it earlier," Gwen said.
"Thank you," Timothy said.
The room grew silent again, with neither trainer knowing what to say next. After half a minute, Gwen stood up and said, "I think I'll turn in for the night."
"Okay," Timothy said awkwardly.
Gwen and Winnie walked to the door with Gwen looking away from Timothy with her head down. Timothy shut his eyes, and his hands turned into fists as he mentally kicked himself in the head. He felt Electchu poke his leg with his tail, and it rebuked him in its language for not doing something.
Timothy turned his head to see Gwen reach for the door handle, and his heart ached. In terms of completing the mission, she had no reason to be upset, so Timothy was sure Gwen was down because Ezria kissed him. It was a stretch in his eyes to think that was what was eating Gwen since that would imply she had feelings for him, but still, he hoped. Timothy still had something to discuss with the woman he liked privately, and if there was the slightest chance that confessing his feelings might cheer her up, he had to take it.
"Gwen?"
Gwen turned to Timothy just as she opened the door. Timothy scratched the back of his head nervously, and he said, "I think I'm going for a walk before going to bed. Would you like to join me? Just the two of us?"
Gwen's eyes widened slightly, taken aback by the question. Winnie tugged her jeans to gain her attention and gave an encouraging smile. Gwen hesitated, making Timothy uneasy, until she decided to roll the dice and give Timothy a genuine smile.
"You know what? A walk would be nice," Gwen said. "Though, could you change to your regular clothes first?"
"Sure, I can do that," Timothy said. "Meet you outside in front of the Pokémon Center in about five minutes?"
"Sounds good," Gwen said. "Why don't I take Electchu and Winnie to our room, and I'll meet you outside?"
"That works. See you in five," Timothy said.
"Okay then," Gwen said.
With that, Winnie and Electchu followed Gwen out of the room. Timothy breathed a loud sigh of relief and shook his fist into the air. He grabbed his regular clothes he left on the desk and changed into them in the bathroom before heading to the other room. He quietly went in to see Ezria sleeping soundly while Winnie was getting ready to sleep on Gwen's bed, and Electchu was standing on Timothy's bed, waiting for him. Timothy placed his suit on his bed and pet Electchu on the head.
"Wish me luck, pal," he whispered.
"Raichu," Electchu whispered with a smirk and a wink.
Timothy exited the room, quietly closing the door behind him, and headed to the staircase to the ground floor. As he walked to the front entrance, he saw Gwen outside waiting for him with her back facing the sliding doors. Timothy took a deep breath to prepare himself before he went outside, and Gwen turned to him, hearing the doors open.
"Hey," Timothy said.
"Hey," Gwen replied. "So, where do you want to go?"
"Honestly, I was thinking we would just go wherever," Timothy said. "Walk around without having a plan that has to do with the Gym Challenge or Coovers' mission for once."
Gwen smiled warmly and said, "I love that idea. Let's go."
Timothy smiled back, and together they walked down the street. It was so late the lampposts were the only things lighting the city. Timothy and Gwen looked up at the sky to see the moon and hundreds of stars shining brightly. Timothy and Gwen looked at each other, still smiling as though they silently agreed on how beautiful the sky looked, until they realized what they were doing and bashfully looked away. They continued to walk in silence for a few more seconds until Timothy cleared his throat.
"So… the chairman is about to be put behind bars," he said.
"Yeah, I guess he is," Gwen said.
"How do you feel about that? That we are officially preventing people and Pokémon from going through anything like what you experienced?" Timothy asked.
Gwen continued to walk, looking away from Timothy for several seconds before looking at him again.
"I don't feel that way yet. Not until he's behind bars and we figure out what we're going to do about Eternatus," she said. "Still, we got the proof, and the secret is out to the proper authorities. I can take it easy knowing we at least have that."
"Yeah, I'm gonna love competing in Pokémon Battles without the mindset that the fate of a whole region relies on me winning," Timothy said. "I've technically done that once before by participating in the Battle Frontier to get the Gieldanstone. I hope I don't need to do something like this a third time."
"I understand how you feel," Gwen said. "But I appreciate everything you've done, Timothy."
"I'm glad to hear it, Gwen," Timothy said.
They fell silent again as they continued to walk. Timothy felt his hands shake as he realized he couldn't think of anything else to say to make small talk. It was clear that he had to stop beating around the bush. He stopped walking, making Gwen stop walking as he mustered the courage.
"So, remember when I said there's this thing I wanted to discuss with you in private?" Timothy asked timidly.
"Yeah," Gwen said.
Timothy scratched his head and said, "The thing is, ever since the day we met, I just...I don't know how to describe it. I've been drawn towards you. Do you know what I mean?"
"Uh, sure?" Gwen answered hesitantly.
"It's been eating at me the longer we've been traveling," Timothy said. "The more we spend time together, the more I've grown to…adore you. You're very smart, talented, passionate about your dream, compassionate to people and Pokémon, even to the man who caused you so much pain. The list goes on."
Gwen blushed with a shimmer of hope in her opal eyes.
"Is that so?" She asked.,
"Yeah, it's so," Timothy answered bashfully. He felt his entire face heat up as he continued. "And you're very be...beu...b-b-b-bitterfull."
Gwen's blush disappeared.
"I'm really bitter?" She asked.
"N-no, no. That's not what I'm saying," Timothy said, waving his hands defensively. "I meant to say that you're very be...bet...but...beut...beut...beaut...Beautifly."
Gwen tilted her head.
"I'm very Beautifly?" She asked. "Timothy, you're not making any sense."
"I'm saying you're very beautiful!" Timothy spat out.
Timothy's eyes widened, and he covered his mouth, shocked and embarrassed that he had yelled at Gwen. Gwen, however, looked at him stunned with her cheeks beet red. Silence overtook the two of them as Gwen debated on whether she heard Timothy correctly.
"Do you really mean that?" She asked.
"I do. I never viewed anyone as beautiful a day in my life, but after I met you…well, what can I say except you are as beautiful as you are kind and passionate," Timothy said.
Gwen's heart fluttered, and she began to smile until she remembered what she saw at the Energy Plant through the camera.
"So, you think I'm beautiful, but not Ezria, even after you kissed her?" She asked.
"I didn't kiss her. She kissed me," Timothy stated. "I wish I could change things so she didn't steal my first kiss. Honest to goodness, I felt nothing. I hate that I've had to put up with Ezria's pursuits for so long that I ultimately had to wait until tonight to have the chance to tell you how I feel."
"So, what you're saying is you've been wanting to say something all this time but held it off because of the mission?" Gwen asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes. That's why I said I wanted to tell you something after we got the proof," Timothy said.
Gwen gave Timothy a skeptical look and said, "You really are something, Mr. Durbin. You are so devoted to saving the world that you pick now to tell me how you feel. I think you've had plenty of times to say something whenever Ezria wasn't around."
"Well, yeah, but it's not like I didn't try to spend time at least together," Timothy said. "Dinner at Joses and Tatiana's and then seeing the mural? That was taking advantage while Coovers was occupied."
"So, you used that as a kind of date when I didn't look at it that way?" Gwen asked. "For a guy who can be very clever in Pokémon battles, you're kind of a doofus, Timothy."
"And you, Gwen, constantly amaze me with your drawings, compassion, and loving Pokémon so much that you understand their language," Timothy said. "Honestly, if there can only be one reason for me to stay in Galar, much less visit even if I win the Championship Cup and beat Leon, then that reason would be you. I want to be there when you draw touching moments between Pokémon like the Noibat, help people like Ned, and solve the mystery behind the Darkest Day. That's how much I like you."
"You don't mean that," Gwen accused, her mind on Venarge's words. "You dream of winning all of the Pokémon Leagues and beating all of the regional Champions. That's what matters the most to you. Nothing else. If you're even half the trainer I know you are, you would have your eyes on your dreams and nothing else."
"Of course, I have my eyes on my dreams. That's why I'm looking at you right now," Timothy said.
Once again, Timothy's eyes widened with his cheeks heating up. Gwen's face turned maroon, taken aback once again. Awkward silence overtook the two of them as Gwen thought of how to respond until her cheeks went from maroon to barn red.
"Kiss me," she said.
"W-w-what?" Timothy asked, his cheeks turning redder.
"If I mean as much to you as your lifelong dream, then kiss me right now!" Gwen shouted with her eyes shut, and her hands turned into fists.
Timothy's cheeks turned red as Gwen's, and his hands began to shake again. Gwen stood still, waiting, her eyes shut and her hands into fists. The man in the "H.A.K." shirt gulped and slowly walked over to his crush as though he was trying to pet a wild Pokémon that could attack any moment. He put his hands on Gwen's shoulders, making her squirm as she braced herself before Timothy closed his eyes, tilted his head, leaned in, and lightly pressed his lips against hers.
The kiss lasted for a few seconds before Timothy moved his head back. He and Gwen opened their eyes and stared at each other in looks of awe. They leaned their heads toward each other simultaneously for a passionate kiss. Gwen put her arms on Timothy's shoulders while he caressed her cheek. When they parted, they rested their heads against each other with Timothy's green eyes lost in Gwen's opal eyes, happy they had finally expressed their feelings for each other.
"You know, that eyes on my dreams thing was a little corny," Gwen said.
"But it worked," Timothy said.
"Eh, you're just lucky I like you too," Gwen said.
"Considering how I'm new to these feelings, I'll take it," Timothy said.
The two of them chuckled before they leaned in for another kiss. When they parted, they stared at each other again until Gwen cleared her throat with an uneasy look.
"So, not to ruin the mood, but how will we make this work?" She asked. "My lifelong dream is here in Galar, and yours is… everywhere,"
"Admittedly, I haven't thought that far," Timothy confessed. "But hey, I'm not going away real soon. The Championship Cup should last a while, and with Venarge and Ezria in jail the competition might be less fierce. I'll just win the tournament and face Leon. Maybe if I'm lucky, I can challenge him as many times as I want like I can with the Hoenn Elite Four. That should give us time to figure things out."
Gwen grinned and nodded as she said, "Tons. We'll have to keep this a secret while we're still around Ezria, though."
"Oooo. Yeah, we should hold off telling Coovers, too," Timothy said.
"Why's that?" Gwen asked.
"He's had his hopes up for us since before I developed feelings for you, and he's gonna go ballistic when he finds out. I'd like to hold that off for a while," Timothy explained. "Plus, he'll probably demand that we all go on a double date with Sonia. Maybe a triple date with our friends, Brock and Holly."
Gwen looked up in thought before she nodded and said, "Good call. I guess this means only Electchu and Winnie can..."
Gwen stopped in mid-sentence as she and Timothy saw a red light from the corner of their eyes. They looked down to see Timothy's Dynamax Band glowing, and Timothy lifted his hand up to his face. No Galar Particles were coming out. It was as though the Dynamax Band was glowing as a feature of an electronic toy. Timothy and Gwen looked at each other, puzzled until the ground began to shake.
*BOOM*
Gwen yelped, and Timothy jumped in front of her defensively as a gigantic red beam burst out from the ground fifteen yards away from them. Three more beams burst out from underground. One coming from Hammerlocke Stadium. Another a mile up north in the city. A third one casting from in the Wild Area by the city gates. The beams shot all the way up in the sky and exploded into tiny beams like flares. The smaller beams fell in different directions like meteorites. Timothy and Gwen watched in horror before turning their heads to Hammerlocke Stadium's direction.
*Two minutes earlier*
Alarms went off, and red lights blinked as Chairman Rose and Oleana got out of the elevator. The chairman walked with his left hand in his pants pocket with a smile while his loyal secretary followed behind. He had ordered his scientists to test absorbing Galar Particles from Eternatus shortly after Ezria showed Timothy the Energy Plant and waited in his hotel room with Oleana until he received an emergency call. Chairman Rose had a hint of joy in his green eyes as he anticipated what was happening in the Energy Plant. Deep inside, he felt like a child wondering what kind of treat he was getting from a grandparent or some sort of distant relative visiting.
Oleana, however, had an annoyed expression as she walked. Despite calling Venarge several times in the past few hours, she hadn't heard a word from him. Oleana wondered if her stiff-necked nephew ignored her orders to follow Coovers and Gwen to train his Pokémon, or if something had happened to him. Either way, she was peeved that there was trouble in the Energy Plant again.
Chairman Rose and Oleana walked to the massive door at the end of the hall, and the door slid up. They went in to find half a dozen scientists panicking as they gathered data around the core.
"What's the problem here?" Oleana asked.
"The core went into overload just as it was beginning to absorb Galar Particles," a scientist said.
"Isn't that what this hanger is for?" Oleana asked.
The scientist hesitated as though his job depended on how he answered.
"You see, the energy has breached the energy walls," he said.
"Escaping again?" Oleana asked.
Suddenly, the large light bulbs changed from yellow to purple, and the core glowed light purple. Oleana and the scientists watched in shock as Galar Particles crept out of the core from underneath. The energy spread as it went higher into the air until it burst through the hanger roof in different directions. Oleana's frown deepened, and she turned to the scientist with a glare.
"Reinforce the hanger immediately," she commanded.
"Yes, ma'am," the scientist said.
But as the science team hurried to make repairs, Chairman Rose gazed at the core, pleased. He imagined Eternatus fighting back as Galar Particles were extracted from its body.
"It's truly limitless energy made real. Stupendous," he said.
"Mr. Chairman, we should leave the hanger for your safety," Oleana said.
"There's no need to fear, Oleana. Eternatus' power may escape, but it's not strong enough to break out of the core," Rose said. "Besides, we're prepared for what happens if any Pokémon Dynamax. And, now that Timothy has agreed to work for me, we have four skilled trainers to help."
"Except I've been trying to get in contact with Venarge, and he hasn't been answering my calls," Oleana said.
"Don't worry, Oleana. Venarge won't hesitate to come when we need him to battle Dynamax Pokémon. His determination to prove how strong he is won't allow him to do that," the chairman said. "In the meantime, let us take advantage that Ezria and Timothy are still in Hammerlocke. If any Pokémon are found Dynamaxing anywhere in the Galar region, send them to deal with it at once."
"Yes, sir," Oleana said.
With that, Rose continued to gaze at the core, which continued to glow. He ignored the sounds of alarms blaring and scientists panicking as though there was no one in the hangar but him. His smile grew, and he stretched his hand toward the core.
"The future of Galar is within my grasp."