"Victor and Gloria finally arrive at Turffield, where Victor manages to complete his first Gym Mission. But facing the Gym Leader Milo proves to be a difficult hurdle for Victor, as his own nerves of battling in front of a large crowd hold him back, causing him a huge defeat. Will Victor be able to recover from his loss?"
"Say It Ain't So, Victor"
A stadium full of shadows covered audiences are booing, with Victor stands in the middle of the arena, looking around at the crowd. Victor then looks ahead to see Scorbunny and Rookidee in the distance, with their backs to him.
"Scorbunny! Rookidee!" Victor reaches out, but his Pokémon disappears in the darkness.
Victor then spins around to see a giant Milo and Gossifluer standing over him. Victor takes a couple steps back, before he slips off the edge of the ground, falling miles down into the darkness.
Victor sits up, with a slight loud, as he finds himself seated on a bench in a Pokémon Center's lobby, as Gloria approaches him with two bottles of Fresh Water.
"Victor, are you okay?" Gloria asks.
"Yeah, just had a bad dream," Victor answers, before accepting a bottle of Fresh Water. "Didn't mean to fall asleep."
"It's alright, you had a busy day," Gloria responds, as she twists the cap on her bottle, before stopping. "...How are you feeling?"
Victor starts to take a slip of the water, but stops himself and looks down at his bottle, "I'm… not really sure."
At that moment, they hear a familiar jingle, causing the two friends to look at the main counter at the back of the lobby.
The nurse places a tray holding two Poké Balls onto the counter, with Victor and Gloria standing in front of the counter, with the nurse smiling, "Thank you for waiting! We've restored your Pokémon to full health."
"Thank you very much," Victor takes the two Poké Balls off the tray and looks at them.
"Are you gonna let them out?" Gloria asks.
"Maybe later…" Victor says, before he pockets the Poké Balls.
"Well, what do we have here?"
Victor and Gloria turn to see Sonia had entered the Pokémon Center, with Yamper running past her, "Yamp! Yamp!"
"Hi, Sonia, and how are you doing, Yamper?" Gloria knees down and pets Yamper.
"Yamp! Yamp!"
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you two are here," Sonia walks up to the two Trainers. "So Victor, have you had your Gym Battle, yet?"
"Hum, yeah, but it didn't go too well," Victor responds.
"I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm sure you'll do better next time," Sonia says.
"Yeah…" Victor looks down, as Gloria stands back up and looks over to him.
"So… Sonia, why are you here?" Gloria asks.
"I'm continuing my research on the Darkest Day, and I heard there's some interesting geoglyph that could be related to it," Sonia answers. "That when I saw you two through the Pokémon Center's windows. Or should I say, Yamper saw you too and nearly drags me over to get my attention.
"Yamp!" Yamper plants itself next to Sonia, happily.
"Hey, Sonia, do you mind if we join you to see this geoglyph?" Gloria asks, causing Victor to look over to her.
"Yeah, sure, if you want to…" Sonia responds, surprised.
At the marketplace, a young girl is looking at a basket full of berries, when she notices Sonia, Victor, Gloria, and Yamper walking past the marketplace.
"Wait, is that…?" the girl wonders.
Sonia, Victor, Gloria, and Yamper reach a long fence, as Sonia says, "And there it is."
The group look ahead at a large hill which shows a drawing marked into the ground of a giant figure, surrounded by smaller figures, including a swirling mass in front of it as what appeared to be lightning bolts coming from the swirling mass.
"Wow," Gloria starts, before she looks at Sonia. "And this has something to do with the Darkness Day?"
"Well, a part of the geoglyph had faded over the years, but it does appear to depict a giant Pokémon running amok," Sonia says, before she crosses her arms. "Which seems to go along with the theory that on the Darkest Day, Dynamaxed Pokémon ran wild."
"Kinda terrifying," Gloria says.
"Yeah…"
Gloria looks over to Victor, who looks over at the geoglyph, but appears depressed, "Victor…"
"Yamp!"
"I admit I don't know you too well, Victor," Sonia starts as she puts her hands on her hips. "But I never saw anyone this down before."
Gloria sighs, and looks over to Sonia, "He's taking his loss kinda hard…"
"If you don't mind, I think I'll go for a walk," Victor says, before he starts to walk away.
Gloria reaches out to Victor, but stops herself, and sighs.
Meanwhile, several feet away, the little girl comes to a stop as she watches Victor walking away.
At the edge of Route 4, Victor seats down on the ground, with his knees at his chest. He looks at the blades of grass as they are blown side to side by the wind. After a couple seconds, Victor brings his knees down and holds up his Poké Balls, before tossing them, shooting out red energy which forms Scorbunny and Rookidee.
"Scor!"
"Dee!"
"Scorbunny, Rookidee… I'm so sorry," Victor brings his head down. "I failed you both. I was a lousy Trainer. And it got you two hurt and cost us a Gym Battle. I'm sorry."
Scorbunny and Rookidee look at each other.
"I know it!"
Victor turned to see the little girl several feet behind him.
"Hum, may I help you?" Victor asks.
The girl runs over, looking at the Pokémon, "Scorbunny, and Rookidee." She then looks at their Trainer. "And you're Victor, right?"
"Right…" Victor starts, a little bit nervous. "And you're…"
"Oh, right, I forgot my manners," the girl smiles. "I'm Mia, and I'm a huge fan."
"A fan of… what?" Victor asks.
Mia giggles, "I'm a fan of yours, silly."
"Me?" Victor asks, becoming more confused by the moment.
"Yeah, I saw you at the Turffield Stadium, and you were amazing!" Mia excitedly says.
"Oh, Mia, I lost my Gym Battle…" Victor says.
"But your Gym Mission, with those Wooloo, you were so gentle and nice, most Trainers just hurried those Pokémon, but you treated them really, really good," Mia explains.
Victor stands back up, "Thanks, Mia, but it didn't change that I messed up my Gym Battle."
"My mom always said that when you mess up or fail at something, you can always try again," Mia says.
Victor rubs the back of his head, "If only it was that simple… but I also failed my Pokémon… I promised them we're going to the Galar League, and I got them hurt in our first Gym Battle."
Mia looks over to Scorbunny and Rookidee, "They don't look hurt." Mia starts to pat the top of Rookidee's head. "Aren't you?"
"Deeeee," Rookidee happily responds to the patting, as Scorbunny watches with a smile.
Scorbunny then hops onto Victor's shoulder, "Scor."
"You guys aren't relentful, that I made us lose?" Victor asks.
"Scor," Scorbunny shakes its head.
"Dee," Rookidee flies away from Mia and hovers in front of Victor. "Dee, Dee!"
"See, your Pokémon aren't hurt, and they want to try again," Mia says.
"Dee, Dee!"
"Scor!"
"That's great," Victor smiles, before looking down. "But I'm not sure I will be able to handle battling in front of a large crowd."
"I once have to do a presentation in front of my entire class," Mia starts, as she bumps her arms. "And I was really nervous, so you know what I did? I imagined my entire class in some pajamas."
"Pajamas?" Victor wonders, as he imagines Milo in a full body pajama covered in leaf-like symbols and wearing a green nightcap, before he sweat drops. "I'm not sure that would help."
"You don't think so? I'm sorry," Mia says, as Rookidee lands next to her.
"Besides my real problem is everyone in the audience watching, I can't imagine them all in their pajamas…" Victor says.
"Scor…" Scorbunny looks over to its Trainer.
"Then just pretend they are not there," Mia suggests.
"What?" Victor asks.
"If your problem is people watching, then just pretend that no one are watching," Mia says. "If you pretend no one is there, then it should be easier, right?"
"Pretend no one are watching…?" Victor says to himself.
Victor and Mia, with Rookidee flying around them and Scorbunny on Victor's shoulder, are walking up the hill, when they hear Jean yelling, "Who imagined we'll see you here!"
Further ahead, Jean and Paul are in front of Gloria, Sonia, and Yamper.
"Yeah, the Trainer without an endorsement!" Paul yells.
"Where's your friend?! Nursing his wounds?!" Jean adds.
"His loss was a colossal failure!" Paul shouts.
Victor looks down slightly, before Mia holds onto his hand, and smiles at him, with Victor returning the smile.
"Unlike the wonderful Marnie!" Jean holds up her Rotom Phone, which shows a video clip of Marnie, in her gym uniform, hugging her Morpeko.
"She beat Milo, hands down!" Paul adds.
"No one can match Marnie, so they shouldn't try!" Jean yells.
"Will you stop yelling everything!" Gloria yells, before she notices Sonia and Yamper looking at her, surprised.
"Yamp?"
Gloria then rubs the back of her head, as she sweat drops. "Sorry about that, they activated me…"
"Glad to hear Marnie's doing fine."
Gloria and Sonia look ahead to see Victor and Mia, with Scorbunny and Rookidee, approaching them.
"Victor… how are you doing?" Gloria asks.
"Better, actually…" Victor answers.
"Well you shouldn't!" Paul yells.
"Yeah, you lost so bad to Milo you should just quit!" Jean yells.
"Just because someone lost once, don't mean they should just give up," Mia says.
"And who's this?!" Paul asks.
"Is she your sister, or something?!" Jean adds.
"No, I'm Mia, Victor's biggest fan," Mia responds, while Victor rubbing the back of his head, embarrasses.
Paul and Jean just stare at Mia, for a couple seconds, before they throw back their heads, laughing.
"This loser doesn't deserve any fans!" Paul shouts.
"This loser should just go home!" Jean yells.
"In fact, we'll show how much he should quit!" Paul holds up a Poké Ball.
"By showing him how much of a loser he is!" Jean holds up a Poké Ball.
Both Paul and Jean throw their Poké Balls, which open and shoot out red energies, forming Zigzagoon and Nickit.
"Zigza!"
"Kit!"
"Victor's got nothing to prove to you too!" Gloria asks.
"I agreed, but Gloria, you can't really complain about their yelling when you are yelling, too," Sonia says.
Gloria sighs, "It's contagion."
"Scor!" Scorbunny jumps off Victor's shoulder and lands in front of him.
"Dee!" Rookidee hovers next to Scorbunny.
"You two want to battle them?" Victor asks.
"Scor!"
"Dee!"
"Yes, they do," Mia jumps slightly in place.
Victor exhales, "Okay, then, let's do this."
"You're acting like you can win! Zigzagoon, Headbutt!" Paul yells.
"When you can do nothing but lose! Nickit, Snarl!" Jean shouts.
"Kit! Kit! Kit! Kit!" Nickit yells repeatedly, with soundwaves flying off.
"Zigza!" Zigzagoon charges ahead, with its head down.
"Scorbunny, Rookidee, dodge!" Victor instructs.
"Scor!" Scorbunny jumps up in one direction.
"Dee!" Rookidee flies in the opposite direction, as Zigzagoon's attack misses.
"You can't avoid us all day! Zigzagoon, after Scorbunny!" Paul shouts.
"We'll get you eventually! Nickit, keep an eye on Rookidee!" Jean yells.
Scorbunny lands on top of the fence and starts to run across it, while Zigzagoon jumps onto the fence and gives chase.
"Scorbunny, attack with Ember," Victor instructs.
Scorbunny jumps slightly, turns and starts to fire a series of fireballs from its mouth, "Scor!"
"Zigzagoon, counter with Pin Missile!" Paul commands.
"Zigza!" Zigzagoon holds up its back, as a barrage of thin needles shoot from its back.
Both attacks hit in midair, creating a small explosion.
"Rookidee, use Hone Claws," Victor instructs.
"Dee!" Rookidee stretches out its claws, as they shine for a moment.
"Kit! Kit!" Nickit tries to jump repeatedly at Rookidee, but can't reach it.
"You think you can keep your Pokémon out of reach?!" Jean yells.
"You can't keep them out of our reach!" Paul adds. "Zigzagoon!"
As the smoke from the explosion fades, Zigzagoon jumps off the fence, "Zigza."
"Scor," Scorbunny watches Zigzagoon.
"Knock down Rookidee with Pin Missile!" Paul calls out.
"Zigza!" Zigzagoon holds up its back, as a barrage of thin needles shoot from its back.
"Dee! Dee!" Rookidee flies left to right, trying to dodge the barrage of needles, when one needle clips its wing, with Rookidee barely able to remain flying. "Dee!"
"Scor!" Scorbunny jumps off the fence and runs forward.
"No heroics for you! Nickit, Assurance!" Jean yells.
"Kit!" Nickit jumps up and slams its paws down on Scorbunny.
"Scor!" Scorbunny calls out.
"Dee!" Rookidee barely dodges a barrage of needles, as it flaps its wings and pushes itself backward.
"Scorbunny! Rookidee!" Victor yells. "I got to do something, or we're gonna lose… no… I can't think like that… if I do…"
Victor holds Scorbunny close in the Turffield Stadium.
"It'll be just like before…"
"There got to be something we can do…" Victor looks up at Rookidee, who keeps on dodging the needles. "I have to believe in my Pokémon… no, I do believe in my Pokémon!" "Rookidee, you can do it! Break through the Pin Needle, I know you can!"
"Do you really think that will do anything?!" Paul yells, as Rookidee, still dodging, watches the oncoming needles, as they reflect in its eyes. "You and your Pokémon are going to lose! And no prep talk gonna change that!"
"Dee…" Rookidee continues to watch the oncoming needles, as its beaks start to glow slowly, before its beaks glow completely. "Dee!" Striking with its beaks three times, Rookidee knocks aside a set of oncoming needles.
"Say what?!" Paul reacts.
"Rookidee just learned Fury Attack," Sonia realizes.
"Wow, what's the chance it would learn Fury Attack now?" Gloria asks.
"It might not be such a coincidence," Sonia crosses her arms. "It was watching Pin Needle, from seeing the attack speed and ferocity, it might've learned Fury Attack in response…"
"...To counter Pin Needle…" Victor finishes the thought, before looking up at Rookidee, happily. "Here's our chance, Rookidee! Are you ready?"
"Dee," Rookidee nods its head.
"Alright, Rookidee, fly straight down at Zigzagoon!" Victor instructs.
"That was just a fluke! Zigzagoon, take it down with Pin Missile!" Paul yells.
"Zigza!" Zigzagoon starts shooting a barrage of needles from its back.
"Rookidee, knocks them away with Fury Attack!" Victor calls out.
"Dee!" Rookidee continues to fly down, as it beaks glow and strikes with them left and right, knocking away oncoming needles.
Rookidee flies down low, and uses its beak to knock Zigzagoon, "Zigza!"
"Doesn't matter! We still got your Scorbunny!" Jean shouts.
"No you don't, Scorbunny, use Ember!" Victor instructs.
Scorbunny, who is behind Nickit, pushes itself up and starts to shoot a series of small fireballs from its mouth, "Scor!"
"Kit!" Nickit is knocked back by the fireballs.
Zigzagoon and Nickit are knocked back to back, before they look ahead, terrified, as Rookidee and Scorbunny grin at them.
"Now, Rookidee, Fury Attack, Scorbunny, Tackle!" Victor calls out.
Rookidee, with its beaks glowing, and Scorbunny charge forward, flying or leaping past Zigzagoon and Nickit. Rookidee and Scorbunny come to a stop on opposite sides of their opponents, as they all don't move, before Zigzagoon and Nickit finally collapse with whirls in their eyes.
"Alright, we did it!" Victor bumps a fist in the air, as Scorbunny and Rookidee jump in the air with him.
"Scor!"
"Dee!"
"This doesn't change anything!" Paul picks up Zigzagoon.
"Yeah, you're still a loser who should quit!" Jean picks up Nickit.
Paul and Jean, with their Pokémon in hands, run away, with Sonia, Gloria, and Yamper watching them.
"And like that, the headache I had is now miraculously gone," Gloria jokes.
"Yamp!"
"That was an amazing battle," Mia says to Victor, who rubs the back of his head.
"I have to agree."
Victor turns to see Milo is approaching him, "M-Milo! You saw that battle?"
"I did, I finished all my Gym Battles for the day, so I decided to go for a walk, and I'm glad I did," Milo starts. "Your battle was full of energy and heart."
"Thank you, sir," Victor bows slightly.
Milo smiles, "I told you, just call me Milo." Milo places a hand to his chin. "Anyway, I was thinking, I have an open spot first thing in the morning. So if you're ready for a rematch, I would love to battle you again."
"A rematch…" Victor says.
"Do it, I'm sure you will be amazing again," Mia says.
"A Gym Leader's schedule could be pretty busy, so you might not have a lot of chances at a rematch," Sonia says.
"I say you go for it," Gloria adds.
Victor looks down at Scorbunny and Rookidee, who both smile.
"Scor!"
"Dee!"
Victor smiles and nods, before facing Milo, "I'll be honored to battle you again tomorrow."
"Great, then it settles," Milo says, before he starts to turn away. "Look forward to seeing you giving it your all."
Milo walks away.
"My all, right…" Victor says to himself, before Scorbunny jumps onto his shoulder and Rookidee flies up to eye level. "Right, let's give it our all."
"Scor!"
"Dee!"
Mia, Sonia, Gloria, and Yamper start to surround Victor and his Pokémon.
"With renewed vigor and the support of his friends, Pokémon, and a young fan, Victor feels he's ready for a rematch against Milo. But is he truly ready for the challenge that lies ahead?"
"Find out, as the journey continues…"