Okay, let's get out of Circhester and finally make our way to Spikemuth, eh? It's only been about 50 chapters of buildup! Got a longer one for y'all today, and I'm also VERY proud of the number of levels this chapter title has. But you'll see what I mean. Enjoy the chapter!


"You sure I can stay here for a few days?" Sonia asked.

"I mean, I don't think I can cover your meals now that I'm heading out, but the rooms are booked, so why let it go to waste?" I replied with a shrug.

"You're my new favorite Dixon," she replied eagerly.

"What?" Victor asked, crunching his brow up in a frown.

"Hell yeah, Victor, get bent!" I chanted, while Hop laughed and Marnie and Nessa shared an eye roll together. We were all at the Southeast entrance of Circhester, where Sonia insisted on seeing us all off as we headed south towards Spikemuth for the four of us to get our next (and in Marnie's case, last) badge. Silvery white clouds covered the sky, and little flakes of snow fell lazily down, dusting our heads with a bit of frost before melting away entirely. A perfect day for a hike out of the mountains. Sonia said her final goodbyes, including a reluctant goodbye with Nessa, who had been reminding her all morning that she did have a commitment with her gym. The four of us left the two young women playfully arguing about how much time Nessa really needed before heading back to Hulbury, and before long, the sights, sounds, and smells of Circhester were behind us, obscured behind hills, snowdrifts, and coniferous trees.

While Spikemuth was about the same distance from Circhester that Hammerlocke was, Marnie had informed us that the journey could easily be completed in a day; she had done so many times with her brother when the two were younger. And as we made our way down through the mountain paths, I could start to see why. There were much fewer wild Pokémon around, and the paths were long and well-worn. We saw many hikers all over the place, though none wanted to participate in any pickup battles. Apparently, our performances against Melony had made enough of an impression. Personally, I was happy for a day not spent training or battling, but Marnie was intent on getting some one-on-one time in with Sneasel. I obliged, and Sneasel ended up making the trek with us. After our pickup battle with Marnie, she seemed a bit more comfortable with me, though she did tend to cower whenever she missed a move or didn't follow a command perfectly.

"What's her deal?" Victor asked. I shook my head and continued trying to convince the small weasel that I was her friend and not her enemy. Marnie pulled him and Hop aside, explaining our suspicions about where Sneasel originally came from.

After a long morning, we found that the pathway was starting to level out again, and we saw ourselves once again on the Eastern Coast of Galar, overlooking a large bay. But it was still fairly cold, and we could see huge chunks of ice floating in the water. We could see an occasional flock of Eiscue hopping in and out of the water, as well as the giant bobbing orbs that were Wailmer. Victor began to hope we would see a Wailord as well, but Marnie quickly shot his hopes down.

"You really think a Wailord can fit in a bay this tiny and crowded with ice?" she asked flatly. "Be reasonable, then. Here, do you see the other end of the bay?"

We all looked to the direction she was pointing, and just faintly, we saw a dock, which led to a steep and winding path, which in turn leveled out around another walled city. However, unlike Hammerlocke or Motostoke, this one did not have near the grandeur or charm; instead, what buildings we could see seemed to lean on each other as if exhausted from simply existing. The wall was not one solid color of brick either but seemed to be made of all types of stone and steel, ultimately coming together in a murky and uneven greyish black tone. There were a couple people milling about on the pathway between the dock and the city, but it seemed to have little more life than a graveyard.

"Spikemuth!" Hop said. Marnie nodded, looking to me expectantly.

"You were right," I said with an impressed nod. "That was quick."

Marnie's expression changed, as if she were debating the quality of my answer, before nodding in turn. "Yeah, mad easy," she said as nonchalantly as she could.

"Bit of a ways around the bay though, don't you think?" Victor asked.

"Tha's what the ferry's for," Marnie said, gesturing just a little bit lower, to a dock just down the path, where a large white ferry was slowly making its way to the edge. There were quite a bit of people milling about, waiting to board, and an even larger amount of people crowded around the edges of a wide deck. "They call it the 'battleship,'" Marnie continued. "Ain't much, but there's always some battles to be had there. Cut my teeth on there when I first got Morpeko here." Morpeko gave a happy squeak of agreement from her spot on Marnie's left shoulder.

"I can get behind that!" Hop said, his eyes lighting up. Before any of us could say another word, he was sprinting down the hill, lugging his traveling kit behind him wildly.

Victor sighed. "I'm glad he's been doin' better, but I did not miss this energy," he sighed, but after hiking up his own pack, he started to trot down after him. Marnie and I followed, though she had no interest in running toward the ship.


By the time the ferry had docked, the four of us were already in line to board amidst the crowd of excited trainers. I saw some faces I recognized from the gym challenge, as well as some trainers who looked much older and experienced, but all of them looked ready either to battle or to watch anyone else battle.

"Well, look who decided to show up, then!" A gruff voice yelled as we neared the front of the line. Marnie grimaced as the man pushed aside a couple younger trainers to get a better look at her. He was tall and grimy faced, with sunken eyes and a long mohawk that seemed to be missing the required hair gel. It tumbled down the left of his head and lay messily against his ear, chin, and shoulder, looking a bit like a pale and raggedy red towel. Though his facial features suggested he was approaching forty years of age, his eyes and body language suggested that he had not yet hit twenty-five. He looked strangely familiar somehow, and when he turned to look at Hop, Victor and me, he looked at us like were old friends as well. "And as I live an' breathe," he chortled, "if it ain't Gloria Dixon and her pals. Big fan of your work, you lot."

"Cheers, Dave," Marnie grumbled.

"Oh, don't mind her," Dave laughed, slapping her on the shoulder with a meaty hand. "She's always got that 'not like the other girls' mentality, but as I'm sure you know, put a nice bird in front of her and she's the one who starts singin'!" He clapped her on the back again and gave me a wink. I blushed and the two of us shuffled past him.

"You two have your first official battle yet?" Dave shouted after us. "'Fraid I must insist. After all, we battle on this ship and it ain't every day we get the top two trainers in the league at the same time!"

"Why not?" I asked, looking over at Marnie. She gave another weighted sigh, but by now I could tell when she was putting up the act. She had to have been waiting for a time to have an official battle with me just as I was, and when she nodded, everyone within earshot began cheering, eager for our battle to begin.

"Right," Dave said. "You lot make yourselves comfortable, whiles I check everyone else in. Go ahead and set your terms; you can start the battle on the top deck once we're ready to set sail."


Twenty minutes later, Dave and some other shipmates had pulled up the loading plank and hoisted the anchor. The boat bobbed ever so slightly; it was large enough that only larger waves could really throw anyone into seasickness. Marnie and I had quickly made our way to the center of the top deck, where a thick wooden and well-polished floor had been lacerated with slash marks, scorch marks, and all other sorts of battle-related wear and tear. We set aside three of our Pokéballs, intending to battle in a standard 3-on-3 match. We had already accepted the terms and our Rotom phones were whirring about, ready to go when Dave strolled up.

"Awright," he said. "We do have a few house rules. I'm sure you know 'em, Marn, but I gotta say 'em anyways." He cleared his throat and turned to me. "First off, no ground-type moves and nothin' that goes below decks. Shouldn't have to say this, but we don't really want any holes in the boat. Second, your Pokémon are allowed to change the weather and the terrain; the deck is equipped for that, but limit to one change per battle. First change stays until the battle's over. We're not as well equipped as those fancy gym fields. Third, please keep all moves within the lines of the field. We don't have much space and I don't want to send more people to the hospital 'cos your fire types can't aim a fireball. An' fourth, have fun." He smiled and stepped back to the edge. As he did, he opened his arms up wide, and everyone else on the deck moved outside the lines of the battle area too, their idle chatting turning dead silent. Marnie and I stood facing each other in the center.

"You think you're gonna win this one, huh?" she said confidently, with a smirk that looked suspiciously like Bede's.

"You won't know what hit you," I grinned.

She laughed. "Your hubris is one of your cutest features," she taunted.

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Let me know when I can show you some better ones." She instantly turned pink, and I winked before taking a step close, so I was right next to her. "Yeah, I know your weaknesses too," I whispered, being sure to linger just a hair longer next to her ear before turning around.

"Right, I'll get you for that," Marnie said, her voice fluttering just a little bit. Her breath lingered in my ear as well, sending a shiver down my spine. We then turned and walked to our respective ends of the floor.

"When the horn blows, toss out your first Pokéball!" Dave yelled. I clutched my first Pokéball tightly. I knew that Bewear would be able to take down anything Marnie had in her arsenal. Marnie turned at her end, spinning one of hers on her index finger. Morpeko stood behind her, on Victor's head. I truly wouldn't know who was on her team this time around. There was a loud and low blast of air that reverberated throughout the ship. The horn. The ship lurched forward in the icy water, and after quickly steadying ourselves, we threw out our Pokéballs.

Bewear popped out of his ball and roared. The crowd around us matched his enthusiasm and roared as well, some of them imitating his big lumbering arms. At the other end of the pitch, Marnie's first Pokémon materialized, and it was one I hadn't recognized before. It was an elegant creature, standing daintily on its four legs and eyeing Bewear closely. It flicked its violet tail and crouched down on its yellow front paws and let out a cry as well. While Bewear's cry was loud and impressive, this purple furred feline's meow was quieter but grizzled, nearly haunted. "That's her Liepard!" I heard whisper from behind me.

I grinned. I knew she'd pick a dark type. "Hammer Arm!" I cried. Bewear rushed forward, ready to attack.

"Fake out," Marnie said sternly. Liepard bolted forward with tremendous speed, taking Bewear by surprise and halting him. He braced himself for impact, but the Liepard lightly bounced off of him, causing him to stumble backwards in shock but not so much in pain.

"Hammer Arm!" I cried for the second time. "Don't let it get into your head!"

"Torment!" Marnie shouted.

Liepard's eyes lit up in an unsettling glow, causing Bewear to stumble again and lose his nerve, missing his second window of attack. Clearly this wasn't working. I had to try a new tactic. "Revenge!" I growled. "Let it come to you this time!"

Marnie smiled. "Hone your claws!"

As Bewear waited for Liepard to strike, Liepard just chose not to, instead choosing to graze her claws against the wood like a Litten would to a fine couch. It seemed to have no interest in attacking Bewear, so Bewear once again decided to take the initiative and charge anyway. This time, he finally managed to connect to Liepard, who just barely managed to move to the side to escape the brunt of the blow, but it looked pretty hurt no less.

"Hammer Arm again!" I cried, and Bewear sprang into action, but Marnie simply smiled again.

"Sucker Punch," she said, and like lightning, Liepard was in front of Bewear and pouncing. It wasn't a punch, necessarily, but a devastating swipe of its claws right across Bewear's face. Bewear swung wide again but missed entirely.

"Watch those claws and use Hammer Arm!" I cried desperately, but Bewear halted again as he looked into Liepard's eyes. Something about that Torment attack had completely shut him down somehow!

Marnie took advantage of the break in action. "Night Slash!" She called out. Liepard again sprang into action, swiping once again at Bewear with what seemed to be an inky black aura leaking out of its claws. Bewear stumbled back and toppled; this attack may have been one he'd been able to take, but after Marnie's constant assault and series of quick blows and disruptions, he didn't stand a chance.

"Impressive," I admitted, returning Bewear and grabbing my second Pokéball. "Never battled one of those before!"

"I've never seen one that good," Hop marveled from behind me.

"Blimey, whose side are you on?" I joked. He blushed a bit but laughed it off as I threw out my second Pokéball.

"Interesting choice," Marnie said as Sneasel popped out and landed on the ground. "Didn't think you'd be ready to debut her just yet."

Sneasel looked around warily, shrinking back as she took in all the crowd cheering for us. She looked at me and I looked back with the warmest smile I could. "I believe in you!" I cried. Sneasel cocked her head curiously, but slowly turned back to face her opponent. "Now let's see," I said. "You want to try a Fake Out yourself?"

"Sneasel don't learn—" Marnie started, but Sneasel burst forward, and as if Liepard had taught her the move herself, Sneasel perfectly executed the technique, sending Liepard wandering back in surprise.

"Nice!" I cheered. "Keep on the offensive! Ice Shard!"

"Right," Marnie grumbled. "Sucker Punch!"

Liepard moved just a hair faster than Sneasel, as I had suspected it would, but Sneasel also seemed to be familiar with this tactic as well, and while the hit still connected and pushed her up into the air, she righted herself with a backflip and flung the ice shard directly at Purrloin, striking it almost immediately after it left Sneasel's hand.

"Night Slash!" Marnie roared.

"Slash!" I called out. This time, Sneasel moved faster without any issue, making her attack just as Liepard was raising her claw. The hit struck true and Liepard was knocked back to Marnie, crumpling upon landing on the deck.

"Sneasel, you were amazing!" I shouted as Marnie recalled Liepard. Sneasel looked back at me and cocked its head again, as if confused at being praised. I felt a sting in my chest. "Don't worry," I added quickly. "You're going to do even better next time!" Sneasel nodded, and I even saw her crack a bit of that mischievous smile she made when she was stealing all our food.

"Alright, Scrafty, let's clean up then," Marnie said coolly. I stepped back nervously as Scrafty appeared, hiking up the loose skin around its waist and cracking its tiny knuckles. That thing was hard enough to deal with as a Scraggy, but now that it had evolved, I knew I would need to have someone who could be a bit more reliable.

"Not a great matchup here, Sneasel! Return!" I called, reaching for Sneasel's Pokéball and swapping it out for my third and final replacement.

"Work up," Marnie said, with her classic bored expression, and Scrafty responded from hopping side to side and running its arms in circles. I didn't know what it was doing exactly, but it seemed like whoever I sent out was in for a world of hurt if I was too close.

Fortunately, I knew someone who would be able to stay away if need be. "Go, Vibrava!" I called. "Dragon Breath!"

"Brick Break!" Marnie yelled.

Vibrava appeared, hovering a few feet off the ground, and Scrafty charged at him. Vibrava zipped to the side and breathed out the blue fire of his dragon breath, but Scrafty quickly turned direction and kept running forward, even though the fire was beating down its body. Soon it was close enough, and though I yelled for it to dodge, Scrafty brought its arms down hard on Vibrava's head, sending it straight into the ground with a crack.

"Vibrava, get out the way!" I yelled, and Vibrava agreed, as Marnie ordered a Crunch attack that just barely missed. "Stay as far away as you can and keep using your Dragon Breath!" Vibrava obeyed and made sure to keep away as best as he could, blowing bursts of flame as often as he could. Unfortunately, none of it seemed to be doing much damage at all. I grimaced. The only way to really take this thing down would be to hit it with a physical move.

Then it seemed that I was about to catch a break. As Vibrava let out another bout of dragon breath, Scrafty suddenly seized up. The crowd around us cheered violently and I found myself joining in – the effects of the Dragon Breath had paralyzed him!"

"Now's our chance!" I yelled. "Go in for a Dragon Tail!" Vibrava nodded, then zipped up in the air so he could smack Scrafty with all the power he had. I glanced down to see how Scrafty was doing only to find that it had completely hopped out of its baggy outer skin and was limberly hopping from foot to foot again, waiting for Vibrava to get in close. My eyes darted up to see Marnie, who gave me a sultry wink as Vibrava began to fly downward.

"Brick Break!" she called out, and just before Vibrava brought his tail to Scrafty, Scrafty instead brought its arm down in another powerful chop, slamming Vibrava into the floor again. This time, he did not get up.

The crowd cheered; I groaned. Things were starting to look dire. I returned Vibrava to his Pokéball with a sigh and congratulated him. It wasn't his fault Scrafty could just shed his skin and do away with paralysis, but it was a rough break, nonetheless. "Alright, Sneasel, let's do it again!" I cried, sending Sneasel back out, though I had an inkling it was already over for me.

"Brick Break," Marnie ordered.

"Fake Out!" I replied. Sneasel was infinitely faster than Scrafty, and managed to successfully stop his attack entirely, but I knew that trick wouldn't work twice. I had to hit him with everything I had and hope it would be enough. "Slash!" I cried.

"Brick Break, Marnie ordered again. I could tell in her voice that she knew how this would end. I hoped Sneasel didn't think that I also knew. She managed to get a good hit in, but in making an attack, she put herself at risk for that powerful Brick Break. I was already walking back to the center of the pitch when Scrafty knocked her out with a single, powerful blow.

The audience roared in approval, and though I was sad at the loss, watching Marnie come closer and exchange her hard battle face for a more sympathetic smile, I was already feeling better. We met next to our Pokémon, and she pulled me into a hug and gave me a quick kiss, which only made the fans go wilder.

"Not bad for usin' your B Team," she said. "I was really hopin' to knock your Cinderace down a peg or two."

"It's not gonna happen again," I warned, and then I leaned down to Sneasel, gently rousing her with an Oran berry. She awoke and greedily swiped the berry from my hand before once again hissing at me. "Right, got it," I sighed, and backed up a couple steps to give her some space. For good measure, I set her Pokéball down next to her and nodded to it, showing her she could go in on her own terms. Sneasel eyed me suspiciously, but ultimately seemed content with it.

"Whoa, bit of a sore loser, eh?" Dave grunted as he sauntered to the center of the deck by us. Sneasel finished her berry and bolted, not even looking at her Pokéball, or at Dave.

"Sneasel!" I shouted, jumping back up to my feet.

Dave laughed. "Something I said?"

"Now ain't a good time, Dave," Marnie sneered as I returned Sneasel's Pokéball to my belt and gave chase. I watched as the small red ear dove into the crowd right between Hop and Victor, who looked far too surprised to realize what was going on.

"Thanks loads, you two," I snapped, pushing my way between them.

"What? Oh! Right!" Hop shouted, and in my peripherals, I saw them both start running in separate directions, hoping that at least one of us could corner Sneasel before she did too much damage to anyone or herself.

Fortunately, I was able to keep eyes on her, and though she was fast, weaving through the crowd of trainers and Pokémon proved difficult for her, and once she finally made it through the crowd, her exhaustion from the battle started to catch up with her. Still, she ran, across the rest of the top deck, and down a set of stairs to the deck just below, where finally, she got herself trapped between a me and a corner. She juked left to try and escape, but Hop had appeared alongside Corvisquire, flanking her and blocking her only other possible escape route.

"Sneasel," I said firmly but calmly, "please get back in the ball. We can go find some berries for you and we can take a rest, just please stop running." Sneasel's eyes darted between us as we slowly closed in, before materializing and throwing several sharp icy spikes at us. The ones aimed at Hop and me were a little too close for comfort, but the one aimed at Corvisquire struck true and the bird tumbled to the ground.

"What the hell?" Hop gasped, turning to look at his Pokémon. Sneasel took the opportunity and rushed right past Hop, barely slipping between Hop's outstretched fingers.

"Sneasel, please!" I cried, holding up her Pokéball, but Sneasel had already turned a corner and disappeared. I groaned and hoofed it after her just as I heard a crash and a struggle from just around the same corner. I sped around it to see that Victor had arrived as well, and Sneasel was dangling by the scruff of her neck in Arcanine's jaw. She waved her sharp claws violently, but they only managed to trim the edges of Arcanine's fluffy mane. Upon seeing the jig was up, she finally drooped her arms to the side and looked at me mournfully.

"Arcanine, drop her," I said.

"Gloria, she's just gonna run again," Victor chided.

"She might," I sighed, "but do it anyway." I turned my attention to Sneasel. "A good trainer needs to trust their Pokémon," I said slowly. "An' I want us to trust each other, okay? Please don't run from me."

Sneasel turned her eyes away from me. I frowned but looked at Victor expectantly. "Alright," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Drop her, Arcanine."

Arcanine lowered its head and gingerly set Sneasel back down on the floor. Victor braced himself, but I didn't move at all. Fortunately, neither did Sneasel. Instead, she turned to look at me. There was anger and confusion in her eyes, but there was also just a simple, instinctual fear that overpowered any other emotion she seemed to be feeling.

"Sneasel," I began slowly, pulling out her Pokéball again. Sneasel winced and I brought my hands back up and out, away from my belt. "Alright, fair enough. Let's talk it out, I'll sit down. Join me." I sat down slowly. Sneasel did not sit, but she turned to me and folded her arms defiantly. My eyes flicked to Victor. "Recall Arcanine."

"Gloria."

"Victor." Victor sighed again and did as I asked. Once Arcanine was scooped back up into its Pokéball, Sneasel looked around, almost as if she planned to run again, but she stayed still. "Okay," I said. "Just hear me out, okay, Sneasel? I dunno what happened to your last trainer, but I know you had one and it seems like it ended badly."

Sneasel blinked, as if shocked that Marnie and I were able to deduce this, but then narrowed her eyes again, as if telling me to tread lightly. "Can I bring your Pokéball out? I promise you don't have to go in yet. I just want to talk a bit. Is that okay?" Sneasel nodded, and I pulled her ball off my belt and slowly rolled it so that it stopped at her feet. She looked between it and me shrewishly, and then sat down, cross legged, next to it.

"Great," I said with a smile. I heard Hop and Marnie round the corner behind me and mutter some things to each other, but I put them both out of my mind and focused on Sneasel. "I've seen you battle, and you're something else, let me tell you," I continued. "An' Marnie over here tells me you've learned some great moves that other Sneasel can't hack. You stealing all our food might have been a blessing for us."

"Speak for yourself," Hop muttered quietly.

"Ignore that prick," I said calmly. Sneasel snickered but quickly flattened her facial expression. "No, it's okay, you can laugh at Hop, we all do!" I encouraged. Sneasel remained stone-faced but did loosen her shoulders just a bit. She stared deep into my eyes, trying to figure out my game, much like the way Marnie did when we first met. "Sneasel, I think you're feisty, and spunky, and a perfect fit for my team, even if you don't seem to be much of a team player right now. You don't have to come along with me; in fact, if you don't want to, I can take you back up to your home outside Circhester and you can be free again. Your choice."

Sneasel looked down at the Pokéball in front of her, weighing her options. "If I may put my finger on the scale," I added, "I know it's a lot to ask for you to trust me. Like I said, I don't know who your last trainer was but judging from how wary you are of me and my friends, I doubt you ended on great terms. My team can vouch for me though; I treat them all with the love and respect that any Pokémon deserves, and I'd do the same for you."

Sneasel stood up and looked at me, then Victor, then Hop, and then finally Marnie. My friends awkwardly smiled at her, and then glanced at me nervously. Sneasel then looked down at the Pokéball and grasped it in her claws, examining it closely. She gave a huff of confidence and slowly walked to me. Once she was close enough, she held the Pokéball out to me. I slowly raised my hand, palm upwards, and she dropped it in my hands. She looked at me with an intense glare, and then her eyes softened. Finally, she turned the ball so she could reach the small button at the clasp, tapped it, and let herself be recalled into the Pokéball.

I exhaled and brought it close to my heart. "It won't be easy for us, but we'll make it work. I know I'll be able to earn your trust," I whispered before standing back up and glancing around at my friends. "Guess she will be a permanent member after all," I said weakly.

"Wow, Gloria, you plan on saving any of that sweetness for your dear old brother?" Victor asked dryly. He clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"Piss off, I'm fresh out," I said, shaking his hand off and then giving him a hard hug. Hop joined in and I turned our three bodies so that I was facing Marnie. She was looking at me with fascination and respect and…something else. "C'mon then, I know you want in on this," I joked.

"I…I dunno what you're talkin' 'bout," she said.

"Nah, you can't avoid the group hug this time!" Hop cried, extending an arm.

"Yeah, we know you're a big softie like us, now," Victor jeered, and with an exaggerated roll of her eyes, Marnie walked into the hug and spread her arms around all of us. She brought her face directly to mine and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. The four of us stayed in the hug for a moment, until another burst from the horn above deck went off.

"C'mon, there's more battles to be had!" Hop cried, and without another word, he rushed up the stairs to find a battle of his own.


The rest of the ferry ride was like a dream. There were pickup battles left and right, and milling about with other trainers allowed us all to trade stories, TMs, and battle strategies. I did a couple more 1-on-1 battles, as did Marnie, but we stayed off to the side, knowing that our teams would need to be fighting fit for whenever we got a chance to face this mystery man, Piers, and his team of Dark Type Pokémon. Sneasel and I got to spend some quality time together as well, and ever so slowly, I could see the edges of her mental walls start to erode away. It would be a long journey for us, but we were on the right path. Every time Marnie saw us bond, she looked at me in that strange way again. I couldn't explain it, but it made my heart beat just a little harder each time I saw her give it.

After a few hours, we finally hit the dock at the other end of the bay and slowly, everyone filed out of the ferry and into the dock under the shadow of Spikemuth. The sun was setting and as it dipped behind the buildings of the city, it cast an oppressive and scary shadow over us. "Well, here's home," Marnie said nervously, glancing at the three of us to gauge our reactions to it.

It was certainly something. Most of the buildings were completely devoid of the majesty of other big cities in Galar like Hammerlocke or Motostoke, and I could see plenty of boarded up windows and cracked glass. Graffiti covered the walls, making incomprehensible messages in vibrant shades of spray-painted colors. Despite it all, it was strangely mesmerizing, as if the whole city was alive. At least I hoped it was just from the vibes; Mum had always seemed to think it was from Durant infestations or the packs of Zigzagoon that roamed the streets.

"Let's…go to the Pokémon Center then," Hop said, choosing to not give any response at all. Marnie clocked it and frowned. She stalked forward, towards a group that was forming at the front of the city gates.

"Bonehead," I murmured, whacking the back of Hop's head as I followed her. I caught up with her and grabbed her hand. She looked back in surprise, and then quickly hid a grateful smile that was forming on her face before leading me through the crowd.

The crowd itself was full of confused people, and the closer we got to the front, the angrier they seemed to be getting. Annoyed grunts of "what's the hold up?" slowly turned to "What the hell is this?" and "Are you kidding me?" I could see a few remaining trainers in the challenge griping about something, but I couldn't figure it out until Marnie stopped suddenly, just shy of the front of the group. I looked over her shoulder and saw that the decrepit wall that surrounded the city had been closed at the gates. A thick metal rolling door was firmly attached to the ground; no one was getting in or out. And standing at the top of the wall were a group of familiar looking punks, looking proud of themselves as they watched all of us grumble with no way of getting into the city.

"You've gotta be shitting me," Marnie grumbled. She tucked her head low, hiding behind her leather-clad shoulders.

"Oi! You can't just lock out anyone who wants to get into the city!" a gym challenger yelled from just to the right of us.

"Sorry, mate, it looks like we did though!" One of the Team Yell grunts shouted from atop the gate. "Funny, that."

"No one's gettin' in for their Dark badge!" a second one shouted. "Not 'til our Marnie gets hers! You lot all had your chance!"

"Yeah, just be patient!" a third added with a sneer. "It's not like you shite trainers would be able to beat Piers anyway!"

"Well why don't you let us prove that theory!" the challenger yelled back, accompanied with a fresh round of jeers from the crowd.

Marnie sunk lower to the ground and turned to me. Her face was bright red. "Those bloody idiots, after all I've done to…I'll take care of this, Gloria." She let go of my hand and stood tall, as if going to confront them head on, before looking at me in that funny way again. "Actually," she said. "There's a more fun way to handle this. I know a secret entrance. Follow me."

"Should I get the boys?" I asked.

"No," she said quickly. "Jus' you an' me." And she slipped through the crowd to the south of the wall. I glanced around at the crowd. Victor and Hop were nowhere to be found anyway, so I followed her, weaving through the crowd.


Get it? The ship has battles, the ship of this fic is battling, battleships...look it was very fun to me when I came up with it, be nice :(

Really glad I chose to spread out the latter bits of this story because it let me get a lot more characterization of Sneasel and gives this fic a new flavor it hasn't had yet before. I hope you're enjoying reading it because I'm enjoying writing it. But it's time to get our heroes into Spikemuth, so I gotta get to writing the next chapter. See you next week!

NEXT WEEK: SPIKEMUTH