"Victor and Gloria had left Motostoke, but they ran into trouble early on, as neither had much experience cooking. But their new friend, Kaga, gave them a crash course, as well as teaching Paul and Jean of Team Yell a lesson. Now our heroes journey to the Galar League continues."
"Mine, Mine, Mine"
Victor and Gloria look ahead, with Gloria's Rotom Phone floats in front of them.
"Are you sure this is the right way?" Victor asks.
"It's what the map on my Rotom Phone said," Gloria responds, as she grabs her Rotom Phone out of the way.
"I just never imagined the path to Turffield including a mine," Victor says, as the two friends look at the entrance to a large mine.
Gloria pockets her Rotom Phone, looking over to Victor, "Well, ready to go?"
"Yeah," Victor nods his head, before the two Trainers start to enter the mine.
Shortly later, Victor and Gloria are walking through the mine, lighted by hanging lamps and crystals embedded in the walls, with Victor glancing at the cart tracks they are walking over.
"You sure it's okay we're going through here, could we get in someone's way?" Victor asks.
"I told you it's the only path to Turffield," Gloria spins around, and starts walking backward as she faces her friend. "So people, especially Gym Challengers, probably come through here everyday. Besides, we hadn't heard or seen anything, so there's no one here anyway."
Gloria spins back around, when suddenly several Woobat flies toward, causing Gloria to scream and ducks down as the Woobat flies pass her, with Victor sidestepping them.
As the Woobat disappears down the mine, Gloria stands back up and sighs, "Then again, I could be wrong…"
Victor smiles, when he starts to hear a weird rolling noise, causing him to look ahead, "What's that noise?"
Gloria looks in the same direction, as the rolling noise seems to get louder in the darkness, "It must be a minecart."
The two Trainers continue to watch the darkness, as a shape starts to form, with Victor saying, "I don't think that's a minecart…"
As they continue to watch, coming out the darkness is a Carkol, riding the cart tracks, rapidly, "Kol! Kol!"
"No not a minecart!" Gloria yells, as both look on, frightful.
The two trainers start to run in the opposite direction, with the Carkol several feet behind them, "Kol! Kol!"
Victor's Rotom Phone flies up and stays in the air in front of its owner, as he continues to run, "Carkol, the Coal Pokémon, by rapidly rolling its legs, it can travel at over 18 mph. The temperature of the flames it breathes exceeds 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit."
"That is not useful information right now!" Gloria yells, midrun, as she looks over to Victor and his Rotom Phone.
Victor grabs the Rotom Phone out of the air, while still running, "Gloria, Carkol is a Rock and Fire type."
Gloria spins around, as she swings and throws a Poké Ball, "Right, Sobble, use Water Gun!"
"Sobbl!" Sobble appears from red energy and then fires a water stream from its mouth, hitting Carkol, which doesn't stop and keeps on going. "Sobbl…" Sobble, keeps on shoot the water stream, looks on with a scared expression and a sweat drop.
In a moment's flash, Gloria runs ahead with Sobble, who had stopped its attack, in her arms, with Carkol behind them, "It build up too momentum to be stopped!"
Victor, midrun, looks ahead to notice another path leading to the right, a second set of tracks split off from the first down that path, "That our chance!"
Without stopping, Victor and Gloria, with Sobble in Gloria's arms, run down the second path, stopping with both Trainers breathing deeply as they catch their breaths.
"Kol! Kol!" Carkol lends to the right, as its right legs roll continuing while moving over to the second set of tracks, before landing its left legs on the tracks, without stopping or slowing. "Kol! Kol!'
Victor and Gloria, holding Sobble, continue running down the mine.
"It just changed tracks!" Gloria yells.
After running for several more minutes, Victor notices another split, leading to the left, "There's another split."
"What the point, Carkol will just change tracks again," Gloria says.
"Sobbl," Sobble points ahead, causing the Trainers, still running, to look ahead to a mine worker.
"Don't stop, keep on running straight!" the worker instructs, before he throws a Poké Ball. "Go, Rolycoly, use Rapid Spin!"
The Poké Ball opens, shoots out red energy which forms Rolycoly, "Coly!"
Rolcoly spins around rapidly, flies through the air and slams into the side of Carkol, pushing the Pokémon onto the left tracks, causing it to ride down the left path.
Rolycoly lands on the ground, as Victor and Gloria fall to their knees, trying to catch their breaths, with Sobble hops onto the ground and turns to face its Trainer.
"Sobbl."
"I-I'm fine, Sobble," Gloria says, before she looks up to the worker. "Thanks to…?"
The worker smiles, "My name is Russel, and this is my partner, Rolycoly."
"Coly!"
Victor's Rotom Phone flies up and floats in front of him, "Rolycoly, the Coal Pokémon, most of its body has the same composition as coal. Fittingly, this Pokémon was first discovered in coal mines about 400 years ago."
"Wait," Gloria looks over to Victor and his Rotom Phone. "Isn't Rolycoly the pre-evolved form of Carkol?"
Russel pulls back his hardhat, "Yeah, and that's where the problem came from."
Victor and Gloria look from Russel and to each other.
Russel is leading Victor and Gloria through the mine.
"So, Russel, you're the only worker here?" Gloria asks.
"Not always," Russel starts. "You see, when my group first came here to maintain the mine and search for new precious stones…"
A group of mine workers, including Russel, are inside the mine, in front of a large group of Rolycoly, "We found a large group of wild Rolycoly."
Each of the mine workers threw a Poké Ball, "We saw them as hard workers and very suitable for our jobs, so we each caught one."
A single Rolycoly watches as the mine workers walk away, talking among themselves, "After we're done, we went straight to work. And besides hearing some Pokémon battles, we didn't have any troubles."
Carkol rides down the cart tracks, causing the mine workers to run away, "Until Carkol start riding around on the tracks, chasing anyone it comes across."
Russel continues to lead Victor and Gloria through the mine.
"The others already left to help out in Mine No. 2, but I stay behind to try and find a way to stop Carkol," Russel continues. "But the situation continues, hey, earlier, Carkol chased couple loud Trainers wearing odd clothes straight out of the mine."
"Loud trainers, huh? I wonder who that could've been," Gloria says, with a sweat drop, as she imagines Jean and Paul being chased through the mine by Carkol.
"And you have no idea why Carkol is acting like this?" Victor asks.
"No, but it's making this mine very unsafe," Russel says. "At this rate, we might have to close the mine from any travelers."
"But would that interfere in the Gym Challenge?" Victor asks.
"Any Gym Challengers that would let that stop them aren't worthy of being Trainers," Bede says, as he approaches the group.
"Bede, are you on the way to Turffield?" Victor asks.
"Obvious," Bede responds.
"You all Gym Challengers?" Russel asks.
"Not her," Bede says, causing Gloria to scowl at him.
"Then maybe you can help me to calm down Carkol," Russel suggests.
"Hm, not my problem," Bede says, before he starts to walk past them.
"But even if they don't close down the mine, people could still get hurt," Victor says.
Bede stops shortly after Victor, "That is none of my concern. The only thing that matters is rising to the top of the Galar League and proving the Chairman's faith in me."
Bede then continues to walk away, as the other three watch him.
Gloria crosses her arms, "What a jerk."
Russel places a hand on his hardhat, "I guess it's too much to ask others for help."
"No it not," Victor turns to face Russel. "We'll help you."
"You will?" Russel asks, with Gloria smiles.
Victor then looked at Gloria, "I'm sorry…"
"Don't apologize, I would've done the same thing," Gloria says. "Now, the first step would be to find Carkol."
At that moment, a loud noise is heard coming toward the group, with them looking in the direction of the noise.
"Somehow, I don't think finding Carkol will be a problem," Russel says.
"Kol! Kol!" Carkol comes riding down the tracks, causing the three to start running in the opposite direction.
"Okay, what's the plan, Russel?" Gloria asks, midrun.
"I don't actually have a plan," Russel answers, midrun.
"Now you tell us," Gloria responds.
"Maybe if we slow it down," Victor holds up two Poké Balls.
"Right," Gloria holds up two Poké Balls.
Victor throws both Poké Balls, "Rookidee, grabs onto the back of Carkol and pulls it back! Scorbunny, push it back with Ember!"
Gloria throws both Poké Balls, "Sobble, let's try Water Gun, again! Dottler, helps with Confusion!"
Russel throws a Poké Ball, "Rolycoly, you too, use Rapid Spin!"
"Dee!" Rookidee flies behind Carkol, grabbing it, and starts to flap its wings furious.
"Scor!" Scorbunny starts to fire a series of small fireballs.
"Sobbl!" Sobble shoots a stream of water from its mouth.
"Dot-er!" small orbs shoot from Dottler's body.
"Coly!" Rolycoly spins rapidly through the air.
The fireballs and water stream hit the moving Carkol continuously, as the small orbs hit it, causing Carkol's body to glow slightly, and Rolycoly slams at Carkol, hitting it in one spot without stopping spinning. After a few seconds, Carkol stops moving.
"Hey, it's working," Gloria realizes, as she, Victor, and Russel stop running.
"Kol! Kol!" Carkol starts to move again, speeding up in the process.
Victor, Gloria, and Russel resume running, with Scorbunny, Sobble, Dottler, and Rolycoly jump out of Carkol's way and Rookidee throw off Carkol's back.
"It's worth a try," Russel says, midrun.
"Is it just me, or is Carkol faster?" Victor asks, midrun.
At that moment, Gloria's Rotom Phone flies up and floats at her, as she continues to run, "Carkol's Steam Engine ability is activated when it is hit by a Fire or Water type attack, increasing its speed."
Gloria, without slowing or stopping, grabs her Rotom Phone out of the air, "Now you tell us!"
The five Pokémon are trying to catch up to the speeding Carkol and their running Trainers. As Rolycoly reaches the side of Carkol, it notices the smaller Pokémon, before jumping off the tracks and toward Rolycoly.
"Scor!" Scorbunny quickly jumps, grabs Rolycoly, and pushes it, with itself, out of the way as Carkol slams into the mine's wall.
Victor slides to a stop, as he looks at what happened, "Carkol just attack Rolycoly."
"What, but Carkol never attacked anyone before, just ride the tracks," Russel says, as he and Gloria walk up to Victor.
"Well, something had changed," Gloria says.
"Kol!" Carkol, off the tracks, charges toward Scorbunny and Rolycoly.
"Dottler, quick, use Reflect!" Gloria instructs.
"Dot-er!" Dottler slides in front of Scorbunny and Rolycoly, as a large thin screen appears, blocking Carkol, before it backs off.
Victor looks ahead, "It doesn't attack until it seen Rolycoly… and it appeared after all the mine workers caught their Rolycoly… Wait, that's it!"
"What is it?" Gloria asks.
"I think Carkol is jealous," Victor says.
"Jealous?" Russel asks.
"Yeah, it rides around the mine's tracks after all of the workers' Rolycoly were caught, and now, it's attacking your Rolycoly," Victor explains.
"It makes sense," Gloria agrees.
"Is that it?" Russel asks.
"Kol… Kol…" Carkol stares at Rolycoly, as Victor and Gloria's Pokémon stand with it.
"Coly… coly…" Rolycoly rolls past Scorbunny. "Coly, coly… coly."
"Kol…" Carkol angrily looks Rolycoly.
"I remember now," Russel starts.
A Rolycoly watches as Russel and another mine worker are walking through the mine, "There was another Rolycoly…"
"What about that one?" Russel asks.
"It's too small, besides we each already have a Rolycoly, so let's get back to work," the other worker says.
"That must be it," Victor adds. "You said you heard Pokémon battling, that probably was the small Rolycoly battling other wild Pokémon…"
The Rolycoly slams its body against a Woobat.
The Rolycoly drops itself onto a Diglett.
The Rolycoly slams its body against a Drillbur.
The Rolcoly's body glows before it grows and reshapes, as the glow fades, and it becomes Carkol.
"Until it finally evolved into Carkol," Victor finishes.
"So riding along the tracks is some sort of rebellion against those who rejected and abandoned it?" Gloria asks.
"Look like it," Victor adds.
"Coly, coly," the Rolycoly rolls ahead slightly.
"Nobody meant to abandon you," Russel says. "It just so much was going on, you just… kinda fell by the wayside."
"Kol…" Carkol grumbles, before it's rolls ahead.
"Scor!" Scorbunny jumps past Rolycoly, but gets knocked to the side by the charging Carkol.
"Scorbunny!" Victor yells.
Rolycoly rolls to the side, avoiding Carkol, who stops and turns and rolls pass at it.
"Could it been Carkol wants to battle Rolycoly?" Gloria suggests.
"That might be it," Victor adds, as he knees next to Scorbunny, who stands up, and Rookidee lands next to them.
"Okay, then, want to battle, Rolycoly?" Russel asks.
"Coly!"
"Right, let's start with Rock Polish, Rolycoly!" Russel calls out.
"Coly!" Rolycoly's body glows, as its body sparkles.
"Kol!" Carkol yells in place, before it charges ahead, as its body starts to get covered in flames.
Victor stands back up, "Carkol is using Flame Charge."
"Rolycoly, dodge," Russel instructs.
"Coly!" Rolycoly rolls ahead, then rolls past Carkol, who charges past it.
"Good, now, Rolycoly keep on using Rock Polish as you dodge!" Russel yells.
"Coly! Coly!" Rolycoly continues to roll around, as its body glows and sparkles.
"Kol! Kol!" Carkol continues to roll around, as its body is covered in flames.
Victor and Gloria, with their Pokémon, watch as Rolycoly and Carkol roll around, missing each other as they both get faster and faster.
"What exactly is going on?" Gloria asks.
"Both Rock Polish and Flame Charge increase their users' Speed," Victor explains.
"So this entire battle will depend on whoever hit the other first?" Gloria looks to Victor.
"Not necessary," Victor starts. "Rock Polish is a non-damaging attack, while Flame Charge does provide damage. Even if Rolycoly attacked first, then it might not do much damage, and leave itself open to Carkol's attack. And even if Flame Charge is at a Type disadvantage, it could still do a lot of damage against Rolycoly."
"I never realized about it before, but Victor seems very knowledgeable about Pokémon battles," Gloria looks from Victor and back to the battle. "I just hope he's wrong this time."
Rolycoly and Carkol continue to race around, barely missing each other as they speed up.
"Little bit more… just a little bit more…" Russel says to himself.
"Coly! Coly!" Rolycoly continues to move, as its body stops glowing.
"Rolycoly stop speeding up?" Gloria realizes.
"Rolycoly must've reached its top speed," Victor adds.
"Now, Rolycoly, without stopping, use Rapi…" Russel starts.
"Kol!" Carkol, still charging and surrounded by flames, slams against a wall, shaking the mine's tunnel slightly, before slams against another wall.
"What is it doing, now?" Russel asks.
"I don't think it's doing this on purpose," Victor responds.
"Carkol is moving so fast, it can't control its turns anymore," Gloria adds.
Carkol slams against another wall, shaking the tunnel, and causing a large crack to emerge under it, before both of its right feet get caught in the crack, with Carkol finally stopping as the flames dissipate.
"It caught!" Gloria yells.
"With its weight and the damage done, Carkol could fall through the ground," Russel puts a hand to his chin, as the cracks beneath Carkol is worsening.
Scorbunny, Rookidee, Sobble, and Dottler start to move ahead, but Gloria knees down and holds out a hand, with the Pokémon stopping, "Wait, it too dangerous, you will just get hurt too."
"She's right," Russel says, as Gloria and the four Pokémon look over to him. "We got this. Rolycoly, use Rapid Spin, bounces off the wall and push Carkol away!"
"Coly!" Rolycoly charges ahead, before hopping off the ground and spinning around rapidly.
Rolycoly, while spinning, bounces off the nearby wall, and into Carkol's side, pushing it away, as the cracks break apart into a small hole. Carkol comes to a stop in the center of the tunnel and looks down at Rolycoly, as it lands in front of it, then turns to face the larger Pokémon.
"Coly!" Rolycoly happily says.
"Kol…" Carkol looks ahead, as the small hole in the ground, before looking over to the Trainers and other Pokémon. Carkol looks down, sadden, and starts to walk away.
"Coly!" Rolycoly moves in front of Carkol.
"Carkol, you didn't mean to hurt anyone, you were just upset," Russel says, as he approaches the two Pokémon.
"Kol…"
"I'm sorry," Russel walks in front of Carkol and knees down to it. "You were alone and you just lashed out?"
"Kol…" Carkol nods its head.
"Well, you are not alone anymore," Russel says.
"Coy!" Rolycoly happily says.
"Kol?"
"How about you join me, and with you and Rolycoly, we can keep this mine safe and find any precious stones it could have?" Russel asks.
After a short pause, Carkol smiles and nods its head, "Kol!"
"Well, that was unexpected," Gloria says, as she holds Sobble in her arms with Dottler on her shoulder.
"Sometimes the best solution is to simply talk out the problem," Victor responds, as Scorbunny hops onto his shoulder with Rookidee flies up next to them.
Russel places a hand on Carkol's head and stands back up to face the two young Trainers, while also looking past them, "The exit to the mine is that way. I wish we could see you out, but we really should see to the damages to the mine."
"Kol," Carkol blushes slightly.
"That's fine, we can find our way out," Gloria says, as she and Victor smile.
Further within the mine, Bede picks up a Wishing Star, a strange, purple roundish object with red highlights, as he smiles, "Just what the Chairman requires."
"I'm glad everything worked out," Victor is heard saying, as Bede places the Wishing Star into his bag and turns to see Victor and Gloria approaching him.
"Still wasting time," Bede says.
"Are you still here?" Gloria asks. "I thought you won't let anything slow you down during your Gym Challenge?"
"I will reach the top of the Galar League," Bede says, before he starts to wave his hand. "But I also have other duties that are more important than helping out some nobody with an unruly Pokémon."
"How can you talk like that?" Victor starts. "Helping people isn't necessary, but it's still something that everybody should do."
Bede clenches a fist, "Helping someone who doesn't matter will get you nowhere." He then holds up a Poké Ball. "And I will prove it here and now, because while you help people, I work to get stronger."
Bede throws the Poké Ball, which opens and shoots out red energy, which forms Hatenna, "Enna."
Victor holds up his Rotom Phone, "Hatenna, the Calm Pokémon, via the protrusion on its head, it senses other creatures' emotions. If you don't have a calm disposition, it will never warm up to you."
"Sometimes, the only solution is to battle," Gloria says.
"Right," Victor pockets his Rotom Phone and then holds up a Poké Ball, before throwing it. "Go, Scorbunny!"
"Scor!" Scorbunny appears from red energy.
"This shouldn't take long," Bede crosses his arms.
"Don't count on it, Scorbunny, Growl!" Victor calls out.
"Scor!" Scorbunny shouts.
"Too basic, Hatenna, counter with Round," Bede instructs.
"Enna, Enna, Enna," Hatenna starts to sing, crowding out Scorbunny's shouting, before it starts to shiver and holds down its ears.
"Bede's countering Growl with a singing attack," Gloria realizes.
"Scorbunny, block out the singing and jump up!" Victor instructs.
"Scor!" Scorbunny holds down its ears and jumps up.
"Is that the best you can do?" Bede starts. "Hatenna, use Disarming Voice."
"Scorbunny, Ember!"
"Scor!" Scorbunny, still holding down its ears, starts shooting a series of fireballs down.
"Enna," Hatenna jumps up, avoiding the fireballs. "Enna, Enna, Enna!" Now, straight in front of Scorbunny, Hatenna starts singing a loud song, knocking Scorbunny back by the shockwaves.
"Scor!" Scorbunny is slammed hard against a wall, releasing its ears.
"Scorbunny!" Victor calls out.
"Now, let's end this with Confusion," Bede uncrosses his arms, holding out one hand.
"Enna!" Hatenna's body glows brightly, before small orbs shoot from it and hits Scorbunny, before it finishes falling to the ground.
"Scorbunny!" Victor runs over to his Pokémon, before seeing Scorbunny lying on the ground, with its eyes whirling. Victor picks his Pokémon up in his arms, "Scorbunny…"
Bede holds up a Poké Ball, which shoots out a red beam, turning Hatenna into red energy before it falls back into the opening and then closing Poké Ball, "After your appearance at the opening ceremony, I thought you were pathetic. But now…" Bede starts to turn away. "I see you're worse than pathetic."
Victor stands up, with Scorbunny in his arms, as Gloria walks over to him and they watch Bede walking away.
"Are you two okay?" Gloria asks.
"Yeah, I think Scorbunny'll be fine, it just needs to rest for a bit," Victor says, looking at his Pokémon in his arms.
"What about you?" Gloria asks.
"I'm fine, really, I am," Victor looks at Gloria, with a small smile, before looking ahead, at the departing Bede.
"After managing to help with a problem between Trainer and Pokémon, Victor clashes ideals with Bede, who seemingly proves himself to be the superior Trainer. After this, what could be next for our heroes?"
"Find out, as the journey continues..."