A/N: Here he is! Kabu! Gym battles are going to be a pretty serious affair going forward. This chapter was exhausting to write, but I had so much fun with it. Hope Gloria doesn't get burned by Kabu's team.

Hop, Victor, and I walked up to the entrance to the gym to find it absolutely crowded with spectators buzzing excitedly at the prospect of live gym battles for the first time in nearly a week. They were checking tickets, ordering street food, and taking pictures to document their time on social media. Victor and I both exhaled sharply, surprised and a little on edge at how many more people would be watching our gym battle this time around.

"You lot better get used to this," Hop said happily, clapping us each on the back. "Leon always told me that if you win three gym battles, you're a bona fide celebrity. HOW'S EVERYONE DOIN' TODAY?" The crowd quickly silenced and turned as Hop bellowed his last words excitedly, and then rushed us as if we were long-lost relatives at the first family reunion in years.

"Gloria and Hop! You didn't quit after the cave-in!"

"We were sooo worried, especially since you looked so sickly when you came back to Motostoke!"

"Hop, can you sign my Pokéball?"

"Hop, sign my face!"

"Victor, your Butterfree is so gorgeous, what's her secret?"

"Gloria, step on m—"

"Hop, why did you do this to us," I muttered through pursed lips.

"Okay, yeah, wasn't quite expecting this," he giggled nervously, as the fans crowded us

"Hop, aren't you nervous about bringing a grass type like Thwackey into a fire-type gym?" one teen asked.

"Uh, of course I have, don't be daft," he laughed. "Guaranteed, Gloria's Raboot's better than anything Kabu's got, and that thing doesn't scare me."

"Didn't her Raboot beat Thwackey in your last battle?" he responded. I snorted.

"Hey, Victor, are you single?" a younger girl asked. Victor turned beet red and tried to push his way through the crowd to no avail. The crowd drew even closer, making it impossible to even move forward.

"Hop, will your tackle strategy still work when your Wooloo evolves?"

"Gloria, can I pet Bewear?"

"Victor, I have a fire stone for your Growlithe, but you have to go on a date with me first!"

"Gloria, please, step on—"

"Awright, folks, they've had enough," came a bored but assertive voice. Suddenly the crowd parted; not of its own volition, but because a bunch of leather-clad arms were shoving them aside. The crowd finally stepped out of the way, revealing Marnie with a handful of Team Yell members, still leering at the faces in the crowd.

"C'mon, make way for—YOU?!" I whirled around to see none other than Mohawk Man and Pink Pyroar.

"Hey, uh, long time no see," I giggled nervously.

"Marnie, love, we'll take care of these wankers for you," Pink Pyroar grinned, grasping at her Pokéball. "B'sides, we've got a score to settle."

"Stuff it," Marnie said with her usual bored inflection. "They've got a gym battle today. Not fair for 'em to start their battle with weakened Pokémon." She made eye contact with me, and I gave her a small smile of thanks. Her head cocked to the side, as if evaluating me, but she showed no other emotion.

"Thanks, Marnie," Hop said sheepishly.

"Don't thank me," she shrugged. "I'm just trying to get to the stands. Apparently Kabu's got a line of big battles today. Don't get lost on your way there."

"That's my brother who does that!" Hop growled playfully.

"Couldn't tell the two of you apart if I tried," Marnie sighed as she headed to the door with her companions.

"That's because we're both unbeatable!" Hop cried triumphantly. A few of the people in the crowd gave a small cheer.

"Not what I was goin' for, but…sure," Marnie said, rousing the audience even more. She looked back at me and gave a subtle wink. "Good luck, though I'm sure you'll be just fine."

I nodded, and before the crowd could congeal back onto us, Victor, Hop and I followed her in, much to the chagrin of Mohawk Man and Pink Pyroar.

Hop and I waited in the locker room while Victor took the pitch. The room may have been familiar, but it wasn't any more comfortable than it was when we had been waiting in it on the night of the Opening Ceremony. There were no other trainers with us this time. I got the feeling that it would be the norm to have fewer people waiting the further we went in the gym challenge.

Hop stood at the corner, jogging in place to work off either nerves or excitement. He had called out Thwackey, who was visibly nervous about the impending battle. I couldn't blame the poor thing either. It was bold of Hop to lead with a grass type, but he was a pretty bold battler. I sat with Raboot's Pokéball in my hands, taking deep breaths and trying not to let the growing nervous energy get to me.

Truth be told, I was more worried about this battle than the last two. Raboot and Boltund had really come in clutch with moves that had a solid type advantage over Milo and Nessa, but Kabu and I would be on even footing. Whoever won this battle would win purely on the strength and skill of their partners. I wasn't worried about my skills, but with still less than a month of experience, how could I hope to compete against Kabu, who had been a high-ranking gym leader since before I had even been born?

The door slid open and Hop and I jerked our heads toward it expectantly. Inside shuffled a gym attendant and Victor. Victor's eyes were trained directly on the ground, and I could see his wrists shaking. One look at the gym attendant's empathetic face told me everything I needed to know. He had lost the battle.

"Hey, mate," Hop said, walking over and resting his hand on Victor's shoulder. "You can't win 'em all."

"Yeah, I know," Victor muttered. "Kabu's as tough as they say he is. I really wasn't ready this time. He just totally overwhelmed me."

"You'll get him in the rematch," I said warmly. "He won't know what hit him."

"…right." Victor did not seem convinced.

"Miss Dixon," the attendant grumbled in a raspy baritone.

"Yeah, I'm coming. You alright, Vic?"

"I got it," Hop said. "Go kick Kabu's ass, Gloria." He smiled warmly and guided Victor to a bench as I was escorted out the door and into a familiar dark tunnel.

"You see it a lot," the attendant said. "Lots of trainers hit a wall around 3 gyms in. That's when the Gym Leaders stop taking it easy on you. Really start lettin' loose, right?"

"I guess," I said nervously.

"Kabu's no pushover either. Any bloke who pushes this hard this long to be champion isn't gonna let some kid walk all over him." We rounded the corner of the hall and found ourselves at the entrance to the pitch. Waiting at the edge of the turf was Kabu, who nodded ever so slightly.

"He's right," Kabu agreed. "I moved here from Hoenn when I became a man, thinking I could take on the league like I did there. Bit of a shock from the way things go over there. I've been fighting tooth and nail to get where I've gotten, and so have my partners. It's good to see you in uniform finally, Gloria."

"Th…thanks," I muttered. "I wasn't…"

"Wasn't expecting me to take the field by your side?" Kabu laughed once, before his smile turned to a very stoic frown. "I never cared for the pomp, the crowds, any of that. Only for the battling. You and I will step out as equals. We each have the same thing to prove in this battle, really. Our fires burn from the same source."

"I…I think I see what you mean," I said, and as I stepped up next to him, he nodded. The two of us faced the entrance quietly, took a deep breath, and jogged out onto the pitch.

For the second time at this stadium, I was greeted by a massive, ravenous crowd, cheering and wailing as if Kabu and I were fighting in the championships already. The stadium was alive, burning with an energy that was unlike anything I had experienced in the challenge so far. I grinned and waved, and though I could not see anyone's faces, I could still somehow tell that they were cheering for me.

"The fame is a tempting feeling," Kabu instructed as we reached the center of the pitch. "Do not be drawn to it like a moth to flame. Do not let it distract you from the heat of battle."

"Really burning through those fire puns," I suggested with a smirk. For a brief second, Kabu's façade broke, and I could see the smile of the man underneath, but it was soon gone, replaced with the hunger of a man that was about to battle me to the death himself.

"Give it your all," he said simply. "You'll see there's no time limit now. First to knock out three Pokémon wins. I will not make it easy." He held out his hand, which I took eagerly.

"I won't make it easy for you either," I said.

"Good." And the two of us let go of each other's hands and walked to our respective edge of the pitch. The crowd, eager that the start of the battle was so close, roared in approval. I looked into the stands as best as I could as I walked. There was wave after wave of flashing lights as spectators took photos with their phones or cameras. Plenty of camera operators and Rotom whizzed around with their equipment, transmitting live video to some unknown control room.

I reached my end of the pitch. Kabu was already standing, poised and ready to throw out his first Pokéball. The field between us was the same synthetic and fire-resistant turf. There was nothing in terms of obstacles or changes to the environment, just a long field of bright green turf. Above I could see the late morning sky. It was bright blue; not a single cloud in it. Peeking over the edge to my right was the sun, lighting most of the turf up. I noticed that it was unbearably warm, even with the light jersey and shorts I had changed into. Was that Kabu's doing? Or was it just the first real scorcher of the summer? Either way, Kabu's Pokémon would do even better in the heat.

There was a groan of metal and a buzz on my wrist as I noticed the tell-tale pink mist of Dynamax Energy seeping in through vents of the field. I reached to my belt and grabbed Boltund's Pokéball. Kabu's strategy may have been to overwhelm, but he couldn't do anything if he couldn't match my speed.

"Gym Leader Gloria!" Came the shout of the referee, who had materialized at the side of the pitch. "Are you ready?" I shook the insecurities out of my head and held Boltund's Pokéball up. The crowd cheered in excitement!"

"Leader Kabu!" the referee shouted again, turning her entire body towards him. Her voice was immediately lost in the roar of the crowd as Kabu mirrored me, raising his first Pokéball high into the air. The referee tried to shout the next instruction, but the crowd overpowered her as well. I still knew what I had to do. I lobbed Boltund's ball into the air, and Kabu pitched his like he was an experienced baseball player.

The crowd silenced almost immediately as the balls arced in the air and opened. Two flashes of light faded into my Boltund and Kabu's first Pokémon, an elegant Ninetales. The fox surveyed both Boltund and me cautiously, sizing us up. Save for twitching each of its long golden tails, it was a statue. I had seen plenty of Kabu's gym matches in action, and I knew that Ninetales were much faster than they let on. If I had any chance at all, I had to slow it down.

"Boltund!" I cried. "Nuzzle!"

"Will-O-Wisp," Kabu said, his cool voice a stark contrast for his chosen type.

Boltund shot forward, a yellow and black blur against the grass, and I saw sparks fly off her body. Ninetales instead lifted her head up and howled. As she did, three balls of bright violet fire appeared around Boltund, throwing her a bit off course and causing her to yelp in surprise and pain. Nine tails took a quick step to the side as Boltund hurdled past, but almost immediately the flames disappeared and Boltund snapped to the left and shot back toward the Nine tails. She crashed into the fox, but with only enough force to make it lose its balance for a moment. The crowd erupted again, excited that the first blows were given.

Boltund trotted back, a little dazed. I saw pain in her eyes, and I grimaced as well. Will-O-Wisp was a move that could burn a Pokémon. I was starting to see how Victor got so overwhelmed. Boltund would have to finish the job and quickly if I wanted this Ninetales to go down. "Boltund, are you okay?" I called, and I got a reassuring bark in return.

"Fire Spin!" Kabu shouted. Flames burst from Ninetales' mouth and snaked outwards, against all laws of physics. They sped toward Boltund, and I knew the last thing I needed was for her to have even more fire wrapped around her.

"Boltund! Duck left and use Spark!" Boltund obeyed and hopped over the flames. I thought I saw a couple of them lick the pads of her paws, but she did not seem to notice as she charged toward Ninetales, even more sparks shooting from her slick yellow fur.

"Ember! Down low!" Kabu cried, and Ninetales spun into action again, shooting small bursts of fire toward Boltund's feet, in an effort to slow her down. But she was moving much slower than she was at first; a sign that Boltund's Nuzzle had successfully paralyzed it. Each burst of fire hit the ground mere milliseconds after Boltund had left the spot. Boltund then crashed into Ninetales a second time, and with her full force and the additional electric charge of a Spark, Ninetales was swept off its feet. It landed hard on its side, but quickly picked itself up and shot another volley of fireballs at Boltund.

"Look out!" I cried, but it was too late. The fire crashed into Boltund, who responded by rushing the battlefield in terror. She was still running much faster than the Ninetales could run, but Ninetales was getting much more accurate with its flame throwing. I gulped, terrified what Ninetales could do by using the move Flamethrower.

"Keep up the pressure!" Kabu barked. "Ember!"

"Hard right!" I cried.

Ninetales unleashed another barrage of fireballs. Boltund heard my cry and jerked her body to the right, just in time for the fireballs to miss entirely. The crowd erupted, cheering at my read of the situation. I knew I wouldn't get that lucky for long, and as Boltund stopped to take a ragged breath, I could tell that the burn was still greatly affecting her.

"Now's your chance! Spark!"

Boltund shot toward Ninetales a third time, and before the fox could take a new breath to let loose another volley, it was thrown onto the ground again. "Bite, while you're still close!" I commanded. Boltund leaped at Ninetales again. A hush fell over the crowd as she leapt, and it seemed as if time had slowed to a near-stop as Boltund bared her fangs.

"Fire Spin," Kabu ordered. Ninetales howled, even louder this time, as the snaky flames shot forward again, this time enveloping Boltund entirely as she crashed into the fox. As quickly as she had come onto the fox, Boltund hustled back to me, fire following her and snapping at her heels. Ninetales stood up shakily. Somehow, against all odds, it was still standing.

"Quick attack!" Kabu yelled.

"Spark!"

Boltund had just started to charge up her move when Ninetales burst forward at surprising speed. The two collided, and the flames that were circling around Boltund slithered away for a moment before dissipating completely. Boltund stood between Kabu and Ninetales, panting harshly, and Ninetales, finally exhausted, dropped to its knees and fell over, unconscious.

"Ninetales is unable—" The ref started, but her voice was quickly lost. The crowd exploded like a thunderclap, causing Boltund and me both to jump out of our skins. Kabu nodded and pulled out his Pokéball, returning Ninetales. His face showed no emotion other than fierce determination. Something told me Ninetales was the least of my worries in this battle.

"Boltund!" I called. She came trotting over, and up close I could see that she was clearly worse for wear. She still had the fire in her eyes, but I could tell she didn't have much in her. There was no way she'd be able to handle whatever Kabu sent out next.

I knelt next to her and scratched her ear. It was hot; a reminder of the burn she was still suffering from. "How you doing, girl?" I asked. "How much more you got in you?" Boltund sniffed my hand and looked hard at me, in a look that said it all. Not much, but I'll do what I must.

"Alright, here's what we can do. As soon as his next Pokémon comes out, I want you to use Nuzzle. Go as quickly as you can, get it paralyzed, and you'll be set. That's all I need. But if you can't do it, that's okay. I can make do. What do you say?"

Boltund yipped confidently and turned around, facing Kabu. He raised an eyebrow in surprise, but then nodded. I hoped that I didn't make a bad decision and felt my heart drop to the bottom of my stomach as Kabu wound up and pitched his second ball.

Another flash of light, and the crowd went completely silent. Standing in front of us was another dog, but a dog no trainer ever enjoys going up against. It stood far taller than Ninetales, with a majestic cream-colored mane and thick black stripes. It lifted its massive head and howled, louder than the Ninetales ever could muster, before standing in a fierce and battle-ready stance. An Arcanine.

"NOW!" I bellowed, and Boltund burst forward like her whole life depended on it, even catching Kabu and Arcanine off-guard, managing to land a clean hit and shooting a surge of electricity into Arcanine's fur. Arcanine winced at the shock but otherwise did not even budge.

"Bite," Kabu said.

Arcanine lunged after Boltund, and I felt my legs almost give out. It was pure luck that at the last second, Arcanine froze in its tracks and hunched forward as the paralysis overtook it. Boltund, now too tired to run, trotted back to me.

"I get it, buddy, promises always kept here, come on back," I said shakily as I lifted her Pokéball and returned her. Arcanine stood up tall and glared at me, chilling me to the bone even though the heat from all of Ninetales' Embers was still all over the field. I gripped my second Pokéball. It would be a tough fight, but Boltund had already done so much just in paralyzing the dog. I took a deep breath and tossed it out.

"Let's go, Bewear!" I cried, and the audience began to cheer again. Two huge Pokémon that were (at least I hoped), evenly matched.

"Agility!" Kabu cried.

"Don't let it get set up!" I cried. "Take Down!"

Arcanine hopped back and forth on its haunches slowly while Bewear lowered his head and began lumbering toward it. As Bewear picked up speed, so did Arcanine, and at the last second, the dog nimbly jumped out of the way. Bewear skidded to a halt and whirled around.

"Take Down!" I roared again.

"Will-O-Wisp!"

I stepped back, eyes wide. The same strategy with Arcanine? But we had barely held on against his Ninetales! I watched as Bewear rushed Arcanine a second time, but this time, it did not move out of his way. Instead, it spat those same violet orbs of fire directly at Bewear, right before the giant red panda smashed into it.

The power from Bewear's Take Down was too much for both Pokémon, and they tumbled to the ground and rolled, each Pokémon pushing to pin the other. Arcanine, muscles relaxed from the use of Agility, managed to squirm out from Bewear's grip and circled around him. "Bite!" Kabu instructed, and Arcanine leapt back into the fray, fangs bared.

"No!" I yelled as Arcanine's teeth sank into Bewear's right arm, but Bewear hardly seemed fazed, beyond expressing annoyance that Arcanine would not let go. I grinned; Bewear's thick and fluffy fur was actually protecting it from the brunt of Arcanine's Bite! Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Bewear! Flail!" I cried. Bewear swung his right arm straight up, so suddenly and forcefully that Arcanine was thrown into the air as well. The dog hung in stasis for the briefest moment, and I watched its pupils shrink as it realized what was going on just as Bewear brought his arm down with equal force, slamming Arcanine into the turf. Arcanine yelped in surprise, letting go of Bewear's arm. As Bewear staggered back to catch his balance, Arcanine scrambled to its feet and growled again.

I glanced quickly at Kabu. He was focused on Arcanine, but he didn't look worried. My eyes shifted to Bewear. He seemed focused as well, but in his eyes, I could see that he was also hurting. Arcanine's Will-O-Wisp had to have been affecting him too, making his attacks less effective.

"Flame Wheel!" Kabu yelled.

"Let it hit and then use Payback!" A simple strategy, but I knew from experience that it was effective. Arcanine barked loudly, spitting embers left and right, as it started to run towards the left of Bewear, picking up Momentum. Bewear stayed where he was, only moving when necessary to keep the dog in his sight. As Arcanine circled, he kept barking, and embers kept shooting out of his mouth and flying around him like a cyclone. Eventually, Arcanine was sprinting at full speed, taking long, powerful strides, and the embers were now a wall of fire that spun around it like magic. The Fire wall then shifted so that it was on its side and Arcanine jumped inside, and like a Dedenne in its exercise wheel, it sprinted towards Bewear, fire spinning in front and behind it.

Arcanine blasted directly into Bewear, and flames shot out twenty feet in all directions. It was close enough that a burst of heat almost singed my skin, and I couldn't imagine what it felt like to Bewear. But when the fire subsided, Bewear had gripped Arcanine firmly by its haunches and lifted it up over its head and falling backwards, like a wrestler in the ring. Bewear got up immediately and took a couple steps back before falling to his knee. Arcanine also got up, much more slowly, and began to circle again. Both Pokémon were exhausted, and it looked like whoever was able to land the next hit would be the only one left standing.

"Flame Wheel, again!"

"One last Take down!"

Arcanine was a lot less flashy with its flame wheel this time around, dashing forward and letting the embers turn to flames almost immediately, as Bewear lowered his head, spread its arms wide, and charged. The two were fully set to repeat their last blow when at the last second, Arcanine's flame wheel faltered. In a single moment, the flames disappeared, and I saw Arcanine reeling from tensed muscles—he hadn't fully worked through Boltund's paralysis—and that single moment of weakness was all Bewear needed to dive onto it, driving the two directly into the ground for the third time.

Bewear pulled himself up one last time, shakily, and turned around to look at Arcanine. Arcanine did not get up. "Arcanine is unable to—" the ref yelled, but once again, she was drowned out by audience screams.

As Kabu returned Arcanine to its ball, Bewear limped towards me. I could tell he was aching, and when he finally reached me, I knew he was done for the day. I hugged him tightly. His fur was matted with grime and soot from all the fire attacks. "You were incredible, as always, Bewear," I said warmly. "Take a good, long, rest, okay?" Bewear moaned thankfully and dissolved, returning to his Pokéball before I even had a chance to call him back.

I grabbed Raboot's Pokéball and gazed across the field. Kabu's face was stone, but the fiery confidence in his eyes was still unwavering as he held his final Pokéball in a firm grip. "Alright, buddy," I said quietly. "I don't know what Kabu's got planned, but I know you can take it. Go big or go home, right?" I kissed the silver button on the Pokéball and tapped it against my Dynamax Band. Dynamax Energy whirled around me, and I threw the Pokéball up as far as it would go. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Kabu do the same. Raboot exploded out of his Pokéball and roared, the audience roaring in return as the giant rabbit stood towering over me, ready to fight whatever monster Kabu had planned for us.

And a monster it was indeed. Kabu's Pokéball cracked open, and a long creature scuttled out and reared its head at us. It was a massive bug, reaching eighty feet or more in its Dynamax form. Strings of fire blew from its angular face in a cross pattern, waving frantically as the bug reared itself up to full height. As it did, I caught a glimpse of its underbelly. Its exoskeleton glowed yellow orange, as if it were just barely containing a plume of lava. This was a Centiskorch, but it was unlike any Centiskorch I had ever seen or heard of. This one must have been able to Gigantamax, same as Victor's Butterfree.

"Raboot!" I called to my partner. "He may be a hot bug, but he's still a bug, and bugs burn! Light him up with max flare!" Raboot nodded and breathed in, ready to toast the Centiskorch.

"Gigantamax Centiferno!" Kabu roared. With terrifying speed, the Centiskorch rushed around Raboot, attempting to surround him. I saw its flaming underbelly begin to glow brighter and hotter. The temperature seemed to spike fifteen degrees, and only continued to rise as Raboot blew hot fire all around himself. There was a huge explosion, but it was all neatly contained inside the coils of Centiskorch. Not only did the flames not get past it, but it looked as if the Centiskorch was instead absorbing the heat that was being generated. For a moment, the fire waned and I could see Raboot's face. He was nervous, but otherwise not too harmed from the fire. But if fire couldn't hurt that Centiskorch, he and I both knew that we were in a rough place.

"Max Flare again!" I cried, as Kabu roared for another Gigantamax Centiferno. Another fiery explosion that resulted the same way. As the flames died down again, I could see that now Raboot was really in trouble. Meanwhile, Centiskorch looked even more rejuvenated than ever.

"Gigantamax Centiferno!" Kabu cried a third time.

"Just hit it as hard as you can!" I wailed desperately. Raboot shrieked with effort as Centiskorch began to light yet another flame around him and jumped high into the air; he was so high above the air that he could have just hopped out of the stadium and ran away. Instead, he flipped over and launched a powerful kick toward Centiskorch. As the giant foot sped toward its target, it began to glow; not with fire like Raboot's previous moves, but with a brilliant lavender and red aura. Raboot's foot connected with Centiskorch's face, and the Pokémon was sent reeling, losing all the focus in its attack and almost landing on Kabu himself, who only just managed to dodge out of the way.

Suddenly, Centiskorch began to shrink. I let out a cheer, but only until I saw Raboot doing the same. Somehow, we still weren't out of the woods just yet. Chancing a look over at Kabu, I saw his nerves showing for the first time the entire battle. I flushed with pride; no matter how the battle turned out in the end, I had thwarted his strategy of overwhelming and overpowering. Centiskorch was looking rough, and Raboot, even after being hit by such powerful moves, looked like there was plenty of fight left in him.

"Double kick!" I cried, as Kabu ordered a Flame Wheel. Raboot hopped up into the sky and came crashing down well before Centiskorch could get moving, and once the dust settled, only Raboot was standing.

Silence enshrouded the entire stadium as every pair of eyes shot directly to the referee. She narrowed her eyes, watching Centiskorch, and after a single, agonizing second, raised her left hand, pointing directly at me.

"Centiskorch is unable to battle; Gloria has won the match!"

The entire stadium shook as if there was an earthquake as the audience roared its approval. I felt my knees going weak and I sank down on the turf, smiling and feeling totally bewildered. Raboot sauntered over and gave me a soft knock on my shoulder. He was holding in his excitement well, but I could see that he was still radiating with happiness. I pulled him in for a big hug. At first, he resisted, as if embarrassed, but after a second, he wrapped his arms around me and hugged back.

"Great Pokémon and a great trainer! It's no surprise you won. Congratulations, Gloria." Kabu had appeared over the two of us, smiling and extending his hand. I took it, and he pulled me up. "I always enjoy reaching the part of the gym challenge where I can truly start to go all out. And though I am disappointed in my loss, it always fills me with joy to see a trainer of your caliber excel as you did."

"Thanks," I said sheepishly. "I really thought you had me a bunch of times there. I better do a lot more training if I want to keep up in the league."

"True, we all must work our hardest. I of all people know that. I also know now that you and your Pokémon will become a fantastic team. I'm glad I could battle you today! Let me give you a Fire Badge as proof that you've defeated me!" He pulled a single red and gold badge out of a pocket in his shorts and placed in in my outstretched hand.

"Thanks," I repeated, shaking his hand vigorously. "It means a lot coming from someone who's been in the league for so long."

"No, thank you," he replied, beaming. "Pokémon battles have become part of the Galar region's culture. And it's the young Trainers who are responsible for keeping our culture alive. Of course, I hope that instead of just keeping it alive, you also help it become something better. We adults will be the pillars for you to build on."

"I'll…I'll try."

"You'll succeed. Now come along. You need to tend to your Pokémon, and I have one more battle to fight." The two of us walked off the pitch as we entered it – as equals. Only this time, with the crowd screaming and chanting – was it my name they were saying? – I actually felt that way.

A/N: It was actually a brilliant, deliberate, and inspired choice to have Gloria not realize that Kabu's Centiskorch had the Flash Fire Ability, and definitely not me plotting out the entire battle ahead of time to end in a 'fighting fire with fire' scenario only to realize this myself halfway through the draft of this chapter. I am a good author. Really. I promise. (Seriously though did anyone know this? I didn't know because I started with Sobble and Kabu was one of the easiest gyms for me lmao) Anyway, hope you liked this one as much as I did, and see you next week!

NEXT WEEK: CHANGE OF PLANS