"After arriving in Turffield, Victor took on his first Gym Leader, but his stage fright kicked in, leading to a humiliating defeat. Down in the dumps, Victor meets a young fan who inspired him to get back up. Now Victor will have a second chance at his first Gym Badge, but will he be victorious, or will history repeat itself?"
"Rematch! Victor VS Milo"
Appearing on a TV, Lance holds out a Poké Ball, which has red energy shoots out of it, with an announcer yelling, "Once again, Lance is victorious! Keeping his title as League Champion!"
Lance looks at his Poké Ball with a smile, before he raises it high.
"I remember watching League battles on TV for as long as I could remember…"
Victor is seated in a locker room, wearing his Gym uniform, with Scorbunny and Rookidee in front of him, "I always get such a thrill watching them… and imaging me in the Trainers' place. It has always been my dream to compete in a League tournament, and become the Champion…"
Scorbunny and Rookidee look at each other, before looking back at their Trainer.
"But yesterday, I messed up, and for a moment it looked like my dream will never come true…" Victor starts. "I don't know what will happen, but I promise, I will do my best to see my dream through… with you by my side."
"Scor!" Scorbunny smiles.
"Dee!" Rookidee happily raises its wings.
"Glad you both are here with me," Victor smiles.
Mark enters the locker room from a long hallway, "Victor, you're up."
"Right, I'm coming," Victor says, with Mark nodding.
Mark starts to turn but stops himself, "I know I'm supposed to be impartial during Gym matches, but I wish you the best of luck."
"Thanks, Mark," Victor says, before Mark turns and walks back down the hallway.
"Okay…" Victor sighs, before looking over to his Pokémon. "Are you guys ready?"
"Scor!"
"Dee!"
Victor smiles and nods his head.
In the arena, Dan raises a hand, calling out, "The first Gym Battle of the day will now commence. The first Gym Challenger of the day is returning challenger, Victor!"
Victor slowly walks out onto the arena from one side, looking down, as Gloria is watching from her seat, with Sobble and Dottler.
"As least he seems… better then before," Gloria says.
"Due to Victor's performance during his previous Gym Mission, Milo had decided to forgo another Gym Mission today." Dan continues speaking to the audience.
"Alright, Victor, you can do it!" Mia waves from her seat.
Victor quickly glances out the corner of his eyes, as he reaches his spot in the center of the arena.
"And now, our Gym Leader, Milo!" Dan announces, as Milo enters the arena from the other side, with a round of applause and cheering from the crowd.
Victor looks slightly ahead to see Milo approaching, before he imagines Milo in pajamas, causing Victor to quickly look down, "No, I can't do that…"
"Are you okay?" Milo asks, upon reaching his spot.
Victor quickly looks ahead, nervous, "Yes, sir, I mean, Milo, I'm fine…"
"I'm glad, now, let's have a good battle," Milo smiles.
"Right…" Victor responds.
Milo holds up a Poké Ball, "Okay, then I'll go first." Milo throws the Poké Ball. "Go, Gossifleur!"
"Fleur!" Gossifleur calls out.
"Okay… we can do this…" Victor says to himself, as he holds up a Poké Ball, before throwing it. "Go, Rookidee!"
"Dee!"
"Rookidee?" Gloria says. "Could Victor being making the same mistake as last time?"
"Victor appeared to be nervous," Milo realizes. "But him choosing Rookidee doesn't appear to be a mistake… He might have a plan for Gossifleur."
As the Max Barrier finishes materializing around the arena, Dan announces, "Now, let's the battle begins!"
"Rookidee, make sure to avoid Gossifleur's attacks," Victor instructs.
"Dee!" Rookidee, flapping its wings to keep itself in the air, nods its head.
"Okay, then, we will go on the offensive," Milo starts. "Gossifleur, use Rapid Spin!"
Gossifleur spins around rapidly, flying toward Rookidee, who flies around, just barely missing Gossifleur, as it flies past it, before Gossifleur spins back to it, causing Rookidee to try to avoid it.
"Dee, Dee!"
"Fleur!" Gossifleur returns to the ground, without stop spinning, and then flies pass toward Rookidee.
"Dee!" Rookidee flies to the side, but Gossifleur manages to snip its wing, knocking Rookidee to the side. "Dee! Dee!" Rookidee goes into a spiral, before it manages to stable itself as it flaps its wings to keep it in the air.
"Rookidee…" Victor starts, before noticing the crowd in the stadium are cheering, causing him to look at them.
Victor takes a step back, as he sweats slightly, which Milo notices.
"I'm sorry, Victor, but if you want to take on the Pokémon League, then you must be able to overcome your own weakness…" Milo thinks to himself. "Perhaps you weren't ready for this, after all…"
Victor continues to look at the crowd, before he notices that Rookidee is continuing avoiding the spinning Gossifleur. Victor closes his eyes, breathes in deeply, which Milo notices.
"Or could he…?"
After a few more seconds, Victor's eyes open up, "Rookidee, fly high up! Above the stadium!"
"Dee!" Rookidee flaps its wings, flying straight up, as Gossifleur stops spinning, with Rookidee flies all the way to the top of the Max Barrier, high above the stadium.
"Now, Rookidee, use Hone Claws!" Victor calls out.
"Dee!" Rookidee stretches out its claws, which starts to glow.
"I see, he's avoiding the same mistake he made last time…" Milo realizes.
Victor holds up a hand, "Rookidee, use Hone Claws."
"Dee!" Rookidee stretches out its claws, as they shine for a moment.
"Gossifleur, Rapid Spin!" Milo calls out.
"Fleur!" Gossifleur spins around, rapidly, flies toward Rookidee, hitting it hard.
"So he has Rookidee go out of range of my attacks, before taking the time to use Hone Claws," Milo finishes, before smiling. "Not a bad start."
"Now, Rookidee, divebomb straight down at Gossifleur!" Victor instructs.
"Dee!" Rookidee folds its wings in, and then falls straight down at Gossifleur, like a missile.
"But that won't be good enough, Gossifleur, knock it out the sky with Round!" Milo calls out.
"Fleur!" Gossifleur starts singing, sending out soundwaves, but the soundwaves just dissipate as they have no effect on Rookidee.
"What?! But…" Milo starts. "No way, not only dive bombing is increasing Rookidee's speed, but the wind rushing past it is actually blocking out Gossifleur's singing, negating Round?!"
"Now, Rookidee, use Fury Attack!" Victor calls out.
"Dee!" still dive bombing, Rookidee's beak glows as it forces it forward.
"Gossifleur, quick, counter with Rapid Spin!" Milo instructs.
"Fleur!" Gossifleur starts spinning, as Rookidee's beak hits it, knocking Rookidee back.
"Dee!" Rookidee is forced back before flying back ahead, strikes at the spinning Gossifleur, as the two Pokémon move around each other, striking at their opponent, either with a beak or spinning attack.
"Sobbl…" Sobble says, as it sits on Gloria's lap, watching the two Pokémon exchanging their attacks, with Victor and Milo watching.
"They're at a stalemate…" Gloria realizes. "Both of them are looking for an opening."
Finally, Gossifleur stops spinning, as it breathes heavily, "Fleur…"
"Here's our chance, Rookidee, close range Fury Attack!" Victor calls out.
"Dee!" Rookidee flies straight ahead, with its beak glowing.
"Gossifleur, Magical Leaf!" Milo yells.
"Fleur!" glowing leaves start to appear and surround Gossifleur, as Rookidee is within inches of Gossifleur, before the leaves fly ahead, knocking Rookidee back.
"Dee!" Rookidee is knocked hard onto the ground. Rookidee starts to get up and then collapses, with whirls in its eyes.
"Rookidee is unable to battle!" Dan announces, with the crowd cheering in response.
Milo sighs, "That was close." He looks over to Gossifleur, who is breathing heavily, with some marks on its body. "We had taken a lot of damage, if Rookidee had held on a few more minutes, then Gossifleur might've lost."
Victor picks up Rookidee in his arms, "You did great, now get some rest." Victor holds up a Poké Ball, which shoots a red beam at Rookidee, turning it into red energy and flies into the Poké Ball.
Victor pockets the Poké Ball then looks ahead at Milo, "Okay… we can still do this…"
Victor throws another Poké Ball, "Go, Scorbunny!"
"Scor!"
"Alright, Scorbunny, let's finish what Rookidee started," Victor says.
"Scor!" Scorbunny bumps its fists.
"Alright, ready, Victor?" Milo asks.
"Yes, sir, hum, Milo," Victor responds.
"Then let's get things started, Gossifleur, uses Round!" Milo calls out.
"Fleur, Fleur," Gossifleur starts singing.
"Okay, Scorbunny, start jumping off the barrier and don't stop," Victor instructs.
"Scor!" Scorbunny jumps up, off the Max Barrier, then off the ground, and back off the barrier, with it starts to bounce back and forward across the arena.
"Fleur?" Gossifleur stops singing, as it backs up slightly, watching the bouncing Scorbunny.
Milo smiles, "I see what you're planning, Victor. But Scorbunny can't achieve the same speed jumping that Rookidee managed while flying."
"But we're not done yet, Scorbunny, use Ember!" Victor calls out, surprising Milo.
"Scor!" Scorbunny continues to bounce off the barrier and ground and starts shooting a series of fireballs from its mouths.
"Fleur! Fleur!" Gossifleur moves around the arena, barely avoiding each series of fireballs as they hit the ground.
"Gossifleur, use Rapid Spin, get away!" Milo instructs.
"Fleur!" Gossifleur spins around rapidly, starting to move across the arena.
"Scor!" Scorbunny continues its bouncing and attacking.
"Fleur!" Gossifleur continues to spin, until it spins right into a couple fireballs, being knocked backward with some burn marks.
"No, their attacking was too random for Gossifleur to dodge at that speed!" Milo realizes.
"Now, Scorbunny, Tackle!" Victor holds out a hand.
"Scor!" Scorbunny bounces off the barrier and slams its body against Gossifleur.
"Fleur!" Gossifleur is knocked back hard, lands on the ground, with its eyes whirl.
"Gossifleur is unable to battle!" Dan calls out.
"We defeated Gossifleur…" Victor says, barely surprised.
"Scor! Scor!" Scorbunny happily jumps up and down.
"Well done, Gossifleur," Milo picks his Pokémon up in his arms. "Now get some rest." Milo holds out a Poké Ball, which shoots a red beam at Gossifleur, turning it into red energy and flies into the Poké Ball.
Milo then looks at Victor, who rubs the back of his head as he watches Scorbunny jump up and down, "Did Victor come here with battle strategies ready for each of his Pokémon or did he come up with strategies as the situation rose… Either way, let's see how he does against a Pokémon he hasn't fought."
"You did a great job, Victor, but your Gym Challenge is only halfway over," Milo begins, before holding up a Poké Ball, and then throws it. "Go, Eldegoss!"
"Eld-goss!"
"Eldegoss?" Victor reacts, before his Rotom Phone flies up and in front of him.
"Eldegoss, the Cotton Bloom Pokémon, The seeds attached to its cotton fluff are full of nutrients. It spreads them on the wind so that plants and other Pokémon can benefit from them."
"Sound like a very helpful Pokémon," Victor takes his Rotom Phone out of the air.
"It is, Eldegoss has been my lifelong partner and to earn your Gym Badge, you must be able to beat us," Milo explains.
Victor looks down at Scorbunny, who nods its head, "Scor."
"Right, and we will," Victor says.
"That's the spirit," Milo says.
Victor pockets his Rotom Phone, "Alright, Scorbunny, let's start by jumping off the barrier."
"Scor!" Scorbunny jumps up and bounces off the Max Barrier.
"Sorry, but the same trick won't work twice," Milo starts. "Eldegoss, use Round!"
"El-goss!" Eldegoss jumps up, finding itself in Scorbunny's path.
"Scor?!"
"El-goss, El, goss!" Eldegoss starts singing, sending soundwaves that knocks Scorbunny out of the air.
"Scor!" Scorbunny falls onto the ground.
"Dot-er…" Dottler responds, on Gloria's shoulder.
"Eldegoss' definitively faster than Gossifleur," Gloria adds.
"Now, Eldegoss, follow it up with Leafage!" Milo instructs.
"El-goss!" Eldegoss, still in the air, calls out, as leaves rise out of the ground and then shoots down, pumpling Scorbunny, as smoke is brought up around the downed Pokémon.
"Scorbunny!" Victor yells.
The smoke clears, as Scorbunny returns to its feet, covered in scratches, "Scor…"
"Sobbl…" Sobble sadly says.
"Scorbunny might have the type advantage, but Leafage still seems to have done a lot of damage," Gloria realizes, before looking over to Victor.
"Scorbunny…" Victor softly says.
Victor is on his knees, holding onto Scorbunny.
"I… I'm so sorry, Scorbunny…" Victor softly says, as he hugs his Pokémon.
Victor 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.
"Maybe… this was a mistake…" Victor says to himself. "Maybe I wasn't meant to be a Trainer…"
"Scor," Victor looks up to see Scorbunny is looking at him, before it shakes its head. "Scor, Scor."
"Scorbunny…"
"Scor, Scor, Scor," Scorbunny points at itself and then toward Victor, causing him to temporarily take out a Poké Ball, then looks back at Scorbunny. "Scor… Scor!" Scorbunny nods its head.
"You and Rookidee…" Victor starts, before he smiles slightly. "That's right, you both are with me. I'm not alone in this… I never was." Victor looks ahead at his Pokémon with a big smile. "I will not forget that, and I promise, I won't let anything get in my, no, our way again, not even me."
"Scor!" Scorbunny smiles.
Milo then notices a small shine on Victor's Dynamax Band, before smiling, "Look like it's time."
Victor looks over to the Gym Leader, "Time?"
"Yeah, time to not hold back anymore," Milo says, before he holds out a Poké Ball, which shoots out a red beam, turning Eldegoss into red energy and flies back into the Poké Ball. "Let's uproot them, Eldegoss!" Milo then holds out his hand, with the large, glowing Poké Ball surrounding it, before Milo starts to turn around, "Dynamax!"
Milo throws the large Poké Ball which opens and shoots out a massive red energy, as it starts to take shape and grows, until it forms a giant Eldegoss, "El-goss!"
The crowd started cheering in earnest, as Victor took a step back, looking up at the giant Eldegoss.
"Scor! Scor!" Victor looks down to see Scorbunny is bumping its fists with a huge smile.
"Scorbunny…" Victor then notices some of the crowd.
"Go Victor! Go Scorbunny!"
"You can do it, Challenger!"
"Give it everything you got, Scorbunny!"
"Eldegoss' not so scary!" Mia yells.
"You got this!" Gloria calls out.
"Sobbl!"
"Dot-er!"
Victor breathes in deeply, before smiling, "We're not alone in this."
"Scor," Scorbunny nods its head.
"I don't know how anything of this will end, but I do know, we will give it our all," Victor thinks, before holding out a Poké Ball, which shoots out a red beam, turning Scorbunny into red energy, and flies into the Poké Ball. "Go, Scorbunny!" Victor then holds out his hands, with the large, glowing Poké Ball surrounding it, before Victor starts to turn around, "Dynamax!"
Victor throws the large Poké Ball which opens and shoots out a massive red energy, as it starts to take shape and grows, until it forms a giant Scorbunny, "Scor!"
"Alright, he did it!" Gloria pumps a fist into the air.
"Sobbl!"
"Dot-er!"
"I did it…" Victor looks up at his giant Scorbunny.
Scorbunny looks down at its Trainer, "Scor."
"Alright," Victor turns back to face their opponents. "Let's do this, Scorbunny!"
"Scor!"
"That's what I want to hear, Victor," Milo says, before holding out a hand. "Now let's start up with Max Overgrowth, Eldegoss!"
"El-goss!" Eldegoss calls out, as large seeds shoot out of its cotton fluff, which slams into the ground around Scorbunny, before they explode into giant mushrooms and then explode into green energy.
"Scor!"
"Scorbunny!" Victor calls out.
Scorbunny looks over to Victor with a small smile, "Scor…"
Victor then notices the grass that covers the arena is glowing, "What's going on?"
"A side-effect of Max Overgrowth is that it creates a Grassy Terrain," Milo explains. "Which slowly heals all Pokémon on it."
"It heals them…?" Victor asks.
"But it also increases the power of Grass-type moves," Milo adds.
"Uh-no," Victor quickly looks at his Dynamaxed Pokémon. "Scorbunny, hurry, use Max Flare!"
"Scor!" Scorbunny starts shooting a large stream of fire.
"Eldegoss, jumps up!" Milo instructs.
"El-goss!" Eldegoss jumps up, with the fire steam hitting the Max Barrier.
"Now, Eldegoss, attack with another Max Overgrowth!" Milo calls out.
"El-goss!" as the sun shines brightly behind it, Eldegoss shoots large seeds from its cotton fluff.
"Scorbunny, counter with Max Strike!"
"Scor!" Scorbunny slams a hand on the ground, causing a part of the ground to crack, before a large explosion geyser shoots up, hitting Eldegoss and its seeds
"El-goss!" Eldegoss, knocked back, lands hard on the ground, as two of its seeds slam and explode harmless on the ground, with a third hitting Scorbunny in the back.
"They both had done a lot of damage," Gloria notices that both Dynamaxed Pokémon are breathing heavily, with scratches and marks on them. "This could go either way."
"Sobbl…" Sobble leans forward.
"What is it, Sobble?" Gloria asks, before she notices that both Dynamaxed Pokémon are glowing slightly. "What is that…?"
"Scorbunny, what's wrong?" Victor notices his Pokémon is glowing slightly.
"It would seem we have already used up too much energy," Milo notes.
"So the Dynamaxing is about to reverse itself?" Victor realizes.
"Then I guess it's time we end this," Milo holds out a hand. "Max Overgrowth, bombardment!"
"El-goss!" several seeds start to shoot out of Eldegoss' cotton fluff, with them slamming into the ground around Scorbunny, explodes into mushrooms and then explodes into green energy, as more seeds slam and explode, continuing.
"Scorbunny, use Max Flare!" Victor calls out.
"Scor!" Scorbunny spits out some fire, before it gets hit against by some seeds, forcing it down to its knees.
"Scorbunny!" Victor calls out. "I know you can do it! You can beat this! I believe in you! Scorbunny!"
The seeds bombardment finally stops as thick smoke surrounds the Dynamaxed Pokémon, and silence follows.
Then suddenly, a small flame is seen within the smoke, before a large stream of fire shoots out of Scorbunny's mouth, blasting through the smoke.
"You're not the only one who can counter with Max Strike!" Milo holds up an arm. "Go, Eldegoss!"
"El-goss!" Eldegoss calls out, as a park of the ground cracks, before a large explosion geyser shoots up before the fire stream, blocking it, before the fire stream blow through the explosion geyser, then hits at Eldegoss, who disappears within the fire stream, before a large explosion goes off around it, as the fire stream dissipates.
At that moment, Scorbunny is glowing and then shrinks down to normal size, and falls down, "Scor…"
"Scorbunny!" Victor runs over to his Pokémon.
Meanwhile the smoke from the explosion starts to dissipate, revealing a shrunk Eldegoss, who has whirls in its eyes.
"Eldegoss is unable to battle!" Dan calls out. "The winner is Challenger Victor!"
"What…" Victor, who was kneeling next to Scorbunny, stands back up. "We… won?"
"Scor!" Scorbunny jumps into Victor's arms.
"We won!" Victor yells, as the crowd starts to cheer and applause.
"Alright, Victor," Gloria smiles, as she applause.
"Sobbl!"
"Dot-er!"
"Yeah, Victor, Scorbunny, Rookidee, I knew you could do it!" Mia jumps up happily.
Rookidee forms from red energy, before it flies over to Victor's shoulder, "Dee."
"We couldn't have done it without you, Rookidee," Victor says.
"Scor."
"Dee," Rookidee blushes slightly.
"Well done, to all of you," Milo approaches the group. "You got the Gym Badge ring that was given to you at the opening ceremony?"
"Oh, yes," Victor, using one hand to still hold Scorbunny, digs into his back pocket, before holding up a metal ring.
Milo smiles, "Then allow me to be the first to add a Badge to it. The Grass Badge." Milo holds up a badge, with a design resembling a leaf floating in the wind.
The Grass Badge is added to the metal ring.
"Alright, I got the Grass Badge!" Victor holds up the metal ring.
"Scor!"
"Dee!"
Victor then nervously scratches the top of his head, as everyone, including his Pokémon, Milo, and Gloria start laughing.
"After a difficult battle, Victor had managed to win his first Gym Badge. Now one step closer to the Galar League, what could possibly be next for our young heroes?"
At the far edge of Turffield, around the side of Galar Mine is a small, shadowed Pokémon covered in scratches and marks, with electricity coming off its cheeks.
"Find out, as the journey continues..."