After what was, to Gloria, a disastrous news conference, the Champion hurriedly registered for her first round of battles at the Tower. Luckily for her, there wasn't much time to spare for yelling at Leon about what he'd said; she wanted to wait until the weekend was over to read him the riot act. Gloria was in Wyndon to battle, and that was what she was going to focus on.

"You didn't tell me you were working with Lee on all this," Hop mentioned as he registered himself for battles at an automated kiosk in the Tower lobby. His tone seemed a bit less energetic than usual. "That's pretty cool."

Gloria sulked beside him, having already signed up for the weekend.

"It wasn't that big of a deal," she lied a bit, trying to make her involvement seem as minor as possible, "Leon organized most of it, he just asked me for some advice along the way." That was all pretty much true, but it had definitely been more than some advice.

"Still, mate, you're already doing such amazing things as Champion." Hop received his time ticket for when he needed to be ready to battle for Friday night and Saturday afternoon.

Gloria mindlessly grabbed her phone out of her purse and turned on the screen. She'd put it on silent right after the newscast as it had been buzzing endlessly with text, call, and social media notifications. She hadn't checked who they were from yet.

There were so many notifications on Gloria's lock screen that she couldn't even see the extent of them. She'd made it so that message previews didn't show up for privacy reasons, but she could still see who'd been trying to contact her.

Marnie – 2 unread messages

Mum – 1 unread message

Raihan – 33 unread messages, 4 missed calls

Gloria sighed, shutting off her phone completely. The Champion decided she would only reply to her missed notifications after hopefully battling Leon on Saturday. She desperately needed to focus on battling.

"Hop, what's your time ticket say?" Gloria asked her friend as they walked away from the counter, settling down on two velvet couches facing each other over a coffee table in the front of the lobby.

"My time slot for tonight is eight to ten. Tomorrow, I'm on from noon to four, and if I win 'em all, I'm slotted to face Lee at five." Hop replied, turning his ticket over in his hands.

"Sounds good. I'm on at 7:30 tonight, so I don't have much time til then. I have to be here at eleven tomorrow, and I'll likely be against Leon at four."

"You'll definitely win your way there," Hop looked up at his friend with a soft smile but his eyes were already clouded with defeat. "I'm not even sure I'll get through tonight's matches…"

"Don't think like that, mate!" Gloria encouraged him, a bit annoyed that Hop was still doubting himself after how well he'd done in the gym challenge. "Just go into it with a good attitude and you'll be fine."

The two rivals moved into the challengers' waiting room after a while as more and more trainers and fans arrived in the lobby. They signed a few autographs until Gloria suggested they try to shift into a focused battle mindset.

The Champion had since changed into a more traditional challenger uniform reminiscent of what she wore during the gym challenge, this time with athletic leggings instead of shorts and a champion sword-and-shield logo on the front of her jersey. The fancier getup was being saved for her battle with Leon, of course.

"I'm on in ten," she mentioned to Hop, who seemed busy on his phone answering fans' Chatter comments. "I'm gonna go register my Pokémon, I think I've decided on who I want to use tonight. See ya on the other side, mate."

Hop looked up from his phone, his old smile returning. "Have fun, Champ. This'll be a piece of cake for ya."

Gloria rolled her eyes as she waved goodbye to Hop, walking past a few other trainers seated on the benches in the waiting area. She made her way up to the receptionist's desk, detaching the six Poké balls from her belt and setting them on the counter.

"H-hello," Gloria stuttered a bit, nerves getting the best of her. "I'm here to register my three Pokémon."

"Welcome, Champion!" The receptionist greeted, her gray eyes beaming. "First, what is your challenger number?"

Gloria hurriedly pulled the crumpled time ticket out of her pocket, searching for the ID number that was printed on it.

"Um… 0001-19." She read the number out loud as the receptionist typed the number into the computer behind the desk.

"Great, thank you. Now, please hand me the Pokémon you are using today."

Gloria pocketed her ticket and slid three of the shrunken Poké balls across the counter, her hand shaking a bit as she did so. The first trainer tiers are easy, calm down already!

The receptionist carefully placed the Poké balls in a device beside the computer, similar to the machines used in Pokémon centers. The capsules grew to normal size and their buttons blinked as the data inside was read.

"Cinderace, Dracovish, and Lucario, correct?"

"That's right," Gloria's voice cracked as her Pokémon's species names were displayed on a monitor on the desk that faced her.

"Great, thank you. Now, if you would be so kind to leave the rest of your party here during your time in the Tower, that would be splendid."

Gloria felt a bit uncomfortable leaving the rest of her partners behind the desk while she battled. She knew these were Frontier rules everywhere in the world and that security here would be impenetrable, but she couldn't suppress a queasy feeling at the thought of someone trying to nab the Champion's team.

"Yeah, no problem." She passed the rest of her team over to the receptionist, saying goodbye to them in her head. Be good, you three. Chariot, Nori, Gio… I'll be back soon.

The receptionist handed back Gloria's selected team, briefly explaining the rules of the upcoming battles.

"Your Pokémon have been temporarily set to Level 50. This reset will automatically wear off at the end of your session tonight, so no need to worry about lasting side effects. Their stats have also been automatically altered to match their level marker…" Gloria began to zone out, thinking about the battles to come. Although she had been studying the Frontier rules for as long as she could remember, the Champion had never actually participated at a competitive facility. Gloria feared there was no amount of reading or mock battles that could have adequately prepared her for what she was about to face.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'll be back at 9:30."

It was an easy gauntlet for the Champion to overcome.

After nearly twelve battles in two hours, Gloria was more than exhausted, her team weary as well. Ancho, Splat and Foo had fought hard but only faced one or two truly tough opponents. Her confidence had returned, and Gloria knew that if she kept up this pace the next day, she was sure to face Leon.

Gloria wanted to battle the former Champion, yes, but she hadn't spoken to him after the broadcast earlier that evening. He probably didn't know he'd done anything wrong by accrediting her for the Tower, and Gloria wanted to explain why that was a mistake, but she just didn't have the energy for it that night. Besides, she wanted to focus on the task at hand; winning her way to the top.

Rather than heading back to the hotel right away, Gloria sat around in the Battle Tower lobby to wait for Hop. Normally she would have sent a text and told him she was leaving on her own, but Gloria wanted to avoid reading her missed messages at all costs. She decided to talk to some fans about her recent battles to pass the time.

"So, how'd you do in there?" a young girl asked, her eyes sparkling as she talked with the Champion.

"Oh, it was a good time. My team and I won twelve in a row before we had to retire for the night!" Gloria didn't want to brag, but the first series of battles wasn't much of a challenge at all.

"Ooh, which Pokémon did you use? Didja bring Zamazenta?" another girl asked.

Gloria didn't want to admit how slow her training with the legendary Pokémon was going. Zamazenta was exceedingly proud, and although it saw the Champion as a worthy trainer, building trust with it was slow-moving.

"Nah, me mum is watchin' over 'Zenta while I'm at school. He needs lots of attention, I don't want to keep him cooped up all the time. Tonight, I brought my aces… can ya guess who?"

"Um… Definitely Cinderace!"

"Yep! Ancho was leadin' off my team of three tonight. Foo was out there takin' names, and…"

"Wait, I thought Nori headed off your party!" An older teenage boy interrupted. "During the gym challenge, you'd always start with your Thievul and switch out with Parting Shot if you had a disadvantage…"

"Wow, you've studied up! Nope, Nori wasn't with me tonight. I brought on a newer friend, someone who can dish out some MAJOR hits. His name is Splat, the Dracovish…"

"Gloria!" the Champion was cut off by the sound of Hop's voice as he ran up to her, apparently finished with his first series of the weekend. "How'd it go?"

Gloria turned to him as he reached her, smiling inwardly at her fans' reactions to seeing Hop.

"Smooth as butter, my friend. Twelve whole wins!"

"What'd I tell ya? You're doing great. I managed to have eleven battles in the two hours, and… I won 'em all, too!"

"Wow, Hop, you're probably as good as your brother now!" One of the younger girls next to Gloria squeaked, striking a funny-looking Charizard pose.

"Eh, we'll see about that one!" Hop answered shyly, trying to avoid grinning too wide. He turned back to Gloria and she noticed how tired he looked.

"We should head back for the night, I'm beat." He muttered.

"Yeah, I was just waiting for ya." Gloria smiled at their fans one last time and waved goodbye. "Thanks for saying hi, you three. I can tell you'll be great trainers real soon." The kids looked at each other with eyes as round as dinner plates, completely in awe of the Champion's praise.

"Bye, Champion!"

"See ya around, Hop!"

Gloria laid on top of the still-made hotel bed, staring up at the ceiling. The Champion Suite she'd reserved had two king-size beds, a master bathroom and a living area, which were more luxuries than she'd ever need, but she was free to book it anytime as the Champion of Galar. She and Hop were sharing the room that weekend, and with how many sleepovers they'd had as little kids, it was a completely normal occurrence. During the flight back to the hotel, Hop had received a call from his brother.

"Hop, you and Gloria should join me for dinner since your battles have ended!"

"Sorry, Lee, but… Glor and I are pretty worn out. Maybe tomorrow would be better."

Gloria was beyond grateful that Hop had declined Leon's offer. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally cause a scene in public… she'd never be able to live something like that down. Who knew how irrational she would have acted, being so angry and so exhausted at the same time.

"You okay, Glor?" Hop's voice broke the monotony of the ambient noise coming from the TV. "You're awfully quiet tonight."

The Champion squeezed her eyes shut, resisting the urge to turn her phone back on and answer all the unread messages.

"I'm okay," she sighed, rolling over to face the wall rather than her friend who was already tucked into his own bed, ready to fall asleep. "There's just a lot going on right now." She suddenly focused on the soft voices coming from the TV. The news was on, recapping the day's events:

"Word has it that Champion Gloria and Trainer Hop were among the challengers who cleared tonight's gauntlet of the Battle Tower's first season." A reporter declared. Gloria rolled her eyes, tired of hearing randos who didn't know her speak as if they knew her life story. "Although we can't provide live coverage of these matches, we will be interviewing trainers at the Tower tomorrow as the best of them all face off against Leon of Postwick."

"Thanks for that, Minerva," another reporter chimed in. "Now, we have an interesting situation with the Champion facing some elite trainers this weekend. Some of you may be thinking, 'If Gloria loses, especially to Leon, what does that mean for her Championship title?"

Gloria grabbed a pillow and squished it over her head.

"Well, since the Battle Tower follows the Frontier rules originally established in Hoenn, these battles are not official league matches and do not affect any trainers' Galar League standings. However, there is a separate tier system in the Tower that trainers can gain and lose their rank in."

"Turn of the telly, would ya?" Gloria ordered, her voice muffled by the pillow on her head. The room was suddenly silent as Hop must have listened to her command.

"You should get ready for bed," Hop muttered as Gloria threw the pillow off her face as to breathe normally again. "I think you'll feel better in the morning."

"I'm hopin' so." The Champion answered, reluctantly getting up and trudging over to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

There had been talk on the town all night about each Tower challenger's teams, held items and movesets, so Gloria had taken it upon herself to wake up early on Saturday morning to do some strategizing.

Foo's had the focus band all day and hasn't needed it, so I think I'll give her the leftovers… Gloria thought, sitting on the leather couch in the suite's living area while scribbling in a little notebook she'd brought with her. And although the choice scarf/Fishious Rend combo did wonders for Splat yesterday, I think we should bring back the rocky helmet to take people off guard, ESPECIALLY Leon… I doubt we can outspeed Charizard. Although depending on his lineup, he might have mostly special-attackers… Gloria pursed her lips and tapped her temple with her pen, trying to decide what to do.

"Mate, it's seven in the morning, why are you up?" Gloria jumped a little as Hop walked into the room, rubbing sleep from his eyes. She must have left the door open, which had let light into the bedroom from the window.

"Oh, sorry. I'm just trying to plan for the day."

"Jeez, give yourself a break, wont'cha? And at least let me take you to breakfast before you head over to the Tower."

Gloria could only stomach a yogurt from the hotel café before heading to her fate. She carried a small duffel with her that held the outfit she'd face Leon in, mulling over in her head if it was a good idea to use the same team she'd used the night before.

Leon's certainly heard about my lineup from yesterday, especially after I told everyone in the lobby. His Tower trainers have probably also relayed my movesets to him… Is that allowed? I guess so. Well, I swapped around some items and even used some TMs on Ancho and Foo, so… at least I have that. And maybe he's assuming I'm using a different team today. He won't know what I'm using today until I face him, he'll only know what I did last night… Okay, I think this will be fine…

"I think I'm going to check out the Battle Shop before I head in," Hop mentioned as the two trainers approached the entrance to the Battle Tower. "Might pick up a few last-minute items to switch things up."

Gloria already knew what the Shop had in stock – she'd decided on nearly all of its inventory. There were a few items she was saving up for with the Battle Points she'd won with each battle; it wouldn't be wise for her to spend them now.

"Good idea. But you might want to save up for some of the rarer things they have; the more expensive an item is, the more desirable it tends to be in battle." She told Hop, wiping the sweat from her palms on her leggings. It wasn't even moderately warm outside, but Gloria was caught up in nerves once again.

"Next time I see ya, you'll have faced Lee!" Hop exclaimed as Gloria stood in front of the elevator that would take her to the second half of her first Tower series.

"Hopefully you're right, and hopefully I'll win…" Gloria's hands shook as she rested her fingers on the three Poké balls in her belt. "Good luck to you as well."

"You too, Champ!"

A half hour.

That was all the time Gloria had before she was slated to face Leon.

She hurried into the locker room just below the top floor of the Tower, quickly stripping off her sweat-saturated Challenger uniform. Her skin was warm and damp from the heat of battle, but she threw on her boss-fighting uniform without cleaning up further than simply reapplying deodorant.

Gloria looked herself over in the mirror after changing, breathing heavily after having to pull on her tall black boots. Her ponytail was falling out, strands of hair sticking up all around her head. This won't do, she thought, undoing her hair tie and retrieving a comb from her bag. Gloria quickly combed through her hair, smoothening it as much as possible, then tied it back up in the highest ponytail she could muster at the top of her head. There we go. Every strand was pulled back aside from her sideswept bangs, an iconic look.

She had time to spare after the rush, so Gloria took a few swigs from her nearly empty water bottle and dabbed her face dry with a paper towel. She took out a small makeup bag and pinned her bangs back to powder her face and hide the redness of her flushed cheeks. She didn't want to look as exhausted as she felt – Leon hadn't been battling all day, so he had an advantage there – Gloria wanted to feign the same energy.

After finishing up, Gloria headed out of the locker room and up a short flight of stairs. She sat on the bench next to the door that led to the roof, checking her watch.

Five minutes til go time.

Gloria bounced her knee as she waited, deciding to put on some chapstick to freshen up even more. Her chest felt tight and she forced herself to breathe deeply, calming her mind as much as she could.

It was more than the nervousness of battle. It was much more than having to face Leon for the first time since the championship. Gloria and her predecessor were going to be the only ones on that roof, besides a room monitor who would only talk to the trainers if one of them were to forfeit. There was time to talk. What would he say to her? What would she say to him?

"Challenger Gloria, it's time. Are you ready to face the tower boss?"

Gloria looked up at the room monitor, smiling gently as to hide her overwhelming anxiety.

"Yeah, I'm all set. Let's go." She stood up, patting the Poké balls in their holster, feeling a burst of courage as her tailcoat trailed down to the backs of her knees. Gloria led the way through the gilded double doors and onto the roof.

The sunlight of the outside world was blinding compared to the earthy glow inside the tower and Gloria fought the urge to cover her eyes as they adjusted to the light. It was mostly sunny in Wyndon that afternoon, a somewhat rare sight, and Gloria strode up to her position on the battlefield, which shone like crystal in the daylight.

Leon was already there waiting, his scarlet coat like a burst of flame against the azure sky. Gloria looked at him for a second before speaking, noticing right away how dull his eyes seemed, missing their usual glow.

"I knew you'd make it this far," He declared, his voice strong but lacking some resonance. "Are you ready to show me what you've got, Technician?"

It was intriguing to be called by that title rather than Champion, especially since Gloria hadn't defeated a Frontier-type boss yet. Leon likely didn't know it was usually an earned title, but the Champion took it in stride. Her eyes then narrowed as she remembered what had transpired the day before.

"You shouldn't have said anything about me helping out with all this, especially on the news."

Leon's eyes darkened, glaring at the Champion. Her heart skipped a beat in surprise, caught completely off guard by his reaction.

"Er… Leon, you feeling alright? You look exhausted." The tower boss looked down for a moment, then back up at Gloria.

"I was up 'til Arceus knows when last night, on the phone with Raihan." he answered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't need you tellin' me what he's already said."

Gloria suddenly regretted bringing up the topic. Clearly Leon was already experiencing the fallout of his impulsivity, and her fanning the flames would only make him more merciless in battle.

"Anyway, I already asked you," he continued, sounding more tired than upset. "Ready?"

"Let's go."

"Out, Ancho!" "Go, Asher!"

The opponents called out their first Pokémon in unison, following the traditional rule as to not give one trainer an advantage. Gloria's eyes widened as the two Cinderaces popped out onto the battlefield, facing each other in slightly different stances. She looked out of the corner of her eye at the holographic scoreboard projected onto the Tower's dome.

"When did you get a Cinderace?" Gloria blurted out, keeping her voice from shaking.

"Raised him up back home quite some time ago! You don't know half of who I am as a trainer!" Leon called, his usual confidence seeping back in his words.

"Focus blast!"

"Pyro Ball!"

Focus blast?! Gloria stared in shock as Leon's Cinderace moved ever-so-slightly faster than Ancho, firing a ball of pure energy into her own Pokémon's torso. Before Ancho could even kick up a Pyro ball, he was flown backward, hitting the ground with immense force. According to the hologram, Gloria's Pokémon had lost over half of its HP.

How did it do so much damage?! He doesn't even have STAB! Wait… what's Cinderace's hidden ability?

"Ancho, get on your feet and use Pyro Ball!" Gloria's Cinderace leapt up again, wiping dirt off its face as it kicked up a fireball and sent it flying at Asher. Leon attempted to call a dodge but the Pyro Ball collided within milleseconds, sending Asher tumbling backwards. The opponent's Cinderace landed on its feet, still just above half health.

Shit. I was not expecting this at all, shit! I'd get off a Flame Charge for the speed boost, but I'll be knocked out by then, it's not worth it! We just have to count on their Focus Blast missing!

"Ancho, Pyro Ball again!"

"Focus blast once more!"

This time, Gloria's Cinderace waited until Asher sent its Focus Blast over, not taking its eyes off the opponent. Ancho dove under the aura ball Matrix-style and kicked up yet another fireball, launching it at Asher before Leon could even process what was happening. The move connected and the opposing Pokémon was bowled over, hitting the ground this time. However, it was still able to battle with an eighth of its total HP.

"Don't get too cocky!" Leon shouted, his Cinderace back on its feet within seconds. "Focus blast, again!"

Again? Gloria thought, is he using choice scarf or just spamming?

"Flame Charge!" If Gloria's Pokémon could get in a speed boost without fainting, it'd have an advantage over what Leon sent out next.

Unfortunately, within the scuffle Ancho had gotten within a much closer range of Leon's own Cinderace. The Focus Blast made contact before Gloria's Pokémon could evade it, and Ancho was out for the count, flying backwards through the air towards its trainer and landing with a thud on the battlefield.

Okay, that's okay, we got in two good hits. Time for something foolproof. Gloria's mind was a whirlwind as she withdrew her Cinderace and called out her next Pokémon. Asher was weak, and this next turn was sure to be its last.

"Splat, get 'em!" Gloria's Dracovish entered the battle, its primitive roar echoing throughout the skydome. Splat was facing straight towards Leon, not seeming to be paying attention to the Cinderace that was diagonally in front of him. Good boy, Splat.

"Asher, High Jump Kick!"

"Fishious Rend!" Gloria was sure Splat would be slower than Asher, but this move could still get the job done… she knew for certain that Leon would be down a Pokémon by this turn's end. And also, was he assuming Dracovish was a rock type?

High Jump Kick connected with Splat's head, only knocking the dragon slightly off balance. Asher, however, was sent flying back towards Leon without even being hit by Fishious Rend, the tower boss staring at his Pokémon in shock as it was completely knocked out.

"What in the…" Leon stared at the Dracovish in awe as it roared, and he finally noticed the rocky helmet equipped to the back of the Pokémon's head. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

Gloria tried to hide her glee as Leon chose his next Pokémon. Splat was truly a force to be reckoned with.

"Alright, Red, time to shine!" Gloria's heartbeat quickened as she recognized the nickname Leon had called out. Charizard… already? Sure enough, Leon's ace was brought out onto the battlefield, its tail flame flickering brightly. Luckily for Gloria, she read through what Leon was about to do since his Pokémon held the disadvantage in this type matchup.

"All right, Red, it's Gigantamax time!"

"Splat, let's Dynamax!"

The two trainers called back their Pokémon, their Poké balls glowing and morphing with a powerful red light, and they threw the Charizard and Dracovish back into battle in their gigantic, powered-up forms. Gloria covered her ears as the Pokémon roared and she hurried to stand beside her monstrous dragon.

"Red, Max Wyrmwind!"

"Max Rockfall, Splat!"

Gloria's heart sank as her Dracovish was hit with a super-effective move, but took solace in the facts that Splat tanked the hit with a little less than half HP left and that Charizard was dealing with a 4x super-effective hit. According to the scoreboard, the two Pokémon were at about the same level of health.

Gloria quickly decided to use Max Geyser the next turn despite only being 2x effective since its base power was much greater than Rockfall, and Splat's water typing meant STAB.

"Max Geyser!"

"Finish him with another Max Wyrmwind!"

Gloria shielded her face with a hand as the huge Pokémon's attacks collided at once, covering the battlefield in a harsh, violet light. As blinding as it was, Gloria was reminded of someone's eyes, which gave her further confidence in her skills.

As if the light wasn't enough, both Charizard and Dracovish let out deafening roars. Gloria looked up in surprise and noticed both Pokémon were left unable to battle by the last move and had begun shrinking back to size. The Champion quickly withdrew Splat and secured the ball in its holster, promptly retrieving her final team member.

I believe in us, old friend! She silently urged her Lucario into battle and threw out its ball.

"Let's do this, Foo!"

"Anaklusmos, battle!"

Gloria felt like her heart had leapt up into her throat as Leon brought out his Aegislash. Oh no, Oh Arceus, please not that thing. Please, no! The Champion recalled how Leon's Anaklusmos was the first Pokémon he'd used against her in their championship match, quickly taking out two of Gloria's team members. That beast of a Pokémon had hurt her morale so badly that she'd almost lost to Leon like every other challenger before her. If it hadn't been for Ancho… And I can't use Ancho now! If we can't get five hits of Bone Rush in on this turn… we're done for! Gloria's hands shook feverishly as she commanded her Lucario.

"Foo, Bone Rush!"

"Swords Dance!"

Leon, I know what you're doing… If we don't finish you now, you've got us beat.

Gloria's Lucario bolted forward towards the Aegislash, which was carefully sharpening its sword body with the edge of the shield it held. One of Foo's claws popped out of its paw, quickly morphing into a long femur as another claw grew back.

The bone looks sturdy enough…

Foo began to furiously beat the Aegislash with the bone, each hit being super-effective but only dealing moderate damage.

One hit… two hits, c'mon… THREE hits… Gloria willed the Lucario to keep going, but after the third hit, Lucario's marrowous weapon shattered against Anaklusmos' steel body. The Aegislash had less than half its health left, but Gloria knew what Leon was planning.

"No! Foo, Bone Rush once more!"

"Finish them with Sacred Sword!"

"FOO, DODGE IT!" The Lucario was in too close a range after its Bone Rush attack, not managing to get out of Aegislash's radius before the Pokémon whammed itself against Gloria's final team member. Sacred Sword sent Lucario soaring, then landing with a sickening blow against the floor. Without looking at the scoreboard, Gloria knew that Foo was out in one hit.

…Focus sash… she didn't have her focus sash…

The Champion hurried to her Lucario's side, not daring to look up at Leon as he withdrew his Aegislash.

"Foo, you fought so hard. Thank you." She called the Pokémon back into its ball, her whole arm still shaking from the adrenaline rush.

Gloria finally stood up, feeling the sting of defeat even deeper when she managed to meet Leon's gaze as he'd approached her.

"…That was a good battle," she forced the words out of her mouth, trying not to choke on the depth of her loss.

"Hm. Was that really the best you could do?" Leon's tone seemed much different than usual, none of the humility present he'd usually had after winning battles.

"W-what? What's that supposed to mean?" The Champion's words came out like steam, as her stomach was boiling in anger.

"After our final match this summer, after all the expertise you lent me in building the Tower… you really lost that badly?"

"I didn't lose badly, you absolute prick!" Gloria was up in Leon's face now, spitting out each word. "That was a close match and you know it!" Leon shifted his gaze at something in the distance, acting like he was above making eye contact with the Champion.

"It's not close when I can one-shot one of the 'Champion's' Pokémon. Maybe what you were on about earlier was right."

"Leon, what are you talking about?"

"I should have had Raihan help me instead of you."

Gloria reached the first floor of the Battle Tower, hurriedly wiping the last tears from her face. At least I'm wearing waterproof makeup.

As she entered the lobby, Gloria was met with a crowd of giddy-looking trainers eagerly awaiting her news.

"Hey, Glor!" Hop greeted from the front of the crowd. He was already back in street clothes, so the Champion assumed he'd been beaten before he had the chance to battle Leon. "So? How'd your match go?" Gloria was still in her Tower boss getup, and that combined with what time it was made it obvious to the crowd that she'd been facing the boss himself. The girl put on her best Champion smile, although it felt so, so fake, and happily greeted the crowd.

"Hi, all. Well, unfortunately… I lost!"