A/N: A bit of a long one, but I think you'll like what's in here. Lots to cover, and I almost did the (now) classic "Horseradish-Sprout splits the chapter in two because he did a shit job planning out his story beats" but then I realized I would have had three battles in a row fighting Bea, and I know this franchise thrives on its repetitive nature, but this fic is easily going to hit 200,000 words before Gloria battles Raihan so I think I can spare y'all some of the details. Also, Gen 9 announcement last week? Not to be dramatic - I loved all three starters, but I would absolutely die for Fuecoco. That little pepper gator must be protected at all costs. Anyway, here's the chapter!
The crowd was roaring in anticipation. Across the pitch, I saw Bea grinning maliciously, about to send out her final Pokémon. I held my final Pokéball in my right hand as well. We lobbed them out together, and on my end, Bewear appeared, roaring with excitement, ready to help me win my fourth gym badge.
Bea's ball, however, bounced onto the ground and rolled to a halt in front of Bewear, not opening. Bewear cautiously approached the ball and was about to lean over and pick it up when it exploded, sending him skidding back towards me.
The audience was dead silent, and as the dust settled around Bea's Pokéball, I could just make out the shape of a small draconic figure on the inside. The creature shuddered weakly and spread its wings. Slowly, it rose, and we all got a glimpse of its figure. Oily black skin was stretched tightly over bone – so tightly that it almost seemed as if the bones themselves were made of the inky skin. It stood warily, and then lifted its head to the sky and screamed.
Its scream was deafening, and everyone in the stadium reeled back at the sheer power of the scream. Even the walls and floors of the stadium creaked and cracked, and pink Dynamax energy mists burst from each crack made. Soon after, the domed roof of the stadium started to crumble, sending rubble down directly towards Bea and me. We ran, with Bewear in a dead sprint behind us, but I could feel the rocks crashing to the ground, landing closer to us with each second. There was no escape.
Suddenly, a bright golden streak zipped past the three of us and lept into the sky. I couldn't help myself; I turned around to see the golden light streak upwards to the ceiling, crushing any falling debris in its way into a powder. It reached the hole in the top of the dome and paused, and for the briefest second, I could make out its form: it was the blue wolf that had been appearing to me, only it looked much different. Instead of its mangy and matted fur, it was well-kept, flowing elegantly and regally. In the creature's jaw was a golden sword that was longer than the wolf itself. In that moment, the wolf turned back around and shot like a bullet towards the center of the pitch, where the black dragon stood, convulsing and growing in size, sucking in the pink clouds of Dynamax energy. The two collided with a powerful blast, and as the ground was torn up all around me, everything went black.
I jerked upwards with a loud gasp and looked around me. It was early in the morning, and I could see the first rays of the sun peeking through the windows of the Pokémon Center's sleeping area. Marnie and Victor were both still fast asleep in their bunks. I slowly got up out of bed and made my way to the bathroom, knowing that there was no way I'd be able to fall asleep again – I could feel the dream start to slip out of my memory only to be replaced by the nerves and excitement of my fourth gym battle tonight.
As I reached for the bathroom door, it quickly opened, and I almost collided with Hop. We both jumped back with surprise and then shared an awkward laugh with each other.
"Big day today, huh?" Hop asked.
"Yeah," I replied with a grin.
"Good luck then."
"What do you mean, you can wish me luck later—hold on," I said, looking down at him. He was already dressed, wearing his denim jacket and athletic pants over a t-shirt. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Oh! Yeah, couldn't sleep," he admitted, scratching the back of his head. "Just thought I'd go for a walk before it got too hot."
"You want me to come with?" I asked. "We could grab some breakfast for us and Victor and Marnie, or…"
"No, mate," Hop laughed. "You should rest up for your big battle. Bea's tough, you can't get distracted!" He moved past me a little forcefully and headed back to the room. I watched him return to the sleeping area and I slipped inside the bathroom.
Hop still hadn't returned by the time Victor, Marnie, and I set off for the gym again, instead texting me that he'd meet us there. Victor looked almost sick to his stomach, but he held himself together remarkably well otherwise. Marnie and I bid him goodbye and good luck as he shuffled off into the locker room, and I was immediately jerked to the side by a chipper-looking Veronica Summers.
"I was hoping you hadn't forgotten our interview!" she said, dragging me over to Mac, who was finishing setting up his camera and lighting rig. I glanced at Marnie, signaling that I needed a little help, but she shrugged and walked off to the same booth we were at yesterday.
"Uh, no," I said, doing all I could to keep my balance as she tossed me in front of the bright lights, "but I was hoping to…"
"See your brother take on Bea? Of course, we'll be quick. Don't worry! Mac, how are we looking?"
"Ready to go, Ronnie,"
"Mac, not when I'm working."
"Ready to go, Veronica Summers, Unova Channel Five."
"This is going in your performance review," she sneered, sticking her tongue out. I giggled nervously as Mac slid behind the camera and pressed a button. After a moment, a red recording light flickered on.
"Is this going to be live?" I asked.
"Oh, heavens no," Veronica replied with a charming laugh. "This will be part of another promotional package. We don't usually live interviews until the tournament. So don't worry about everyone watching. They won't see it for a few hours at least."
"That…doesn't really help," I said nervously, but Veronica laughed again.
"Well then just focus on me for a few questions, and then I'll let you go. First off, now that over half of the challengers have dropped the challenge, there's a much larger public eye on the remaining gym challengers. What do you do to combat that pressure?"
"Honestly?" I asked, recoiling slightly as Veronica shoved a microphone into my face. "I try not to think about it too much. I'm really focused on just finishing the battles one at a time. I haven't really thought much about what's coming later on."
"Alright," Veronica said with a smile. "But no doubt that's getting a bit hard, especially with being a trainer in the top five. Do you feel that there's any additional pressure on you to perform well?"
"I…well I do now, thanks for reminding me."
Veronica laughed a little too warmly and a little too loudly. "Now, you've been traveling with a couple other notable trainers. How do you handle things on the road? Are there any rivalries between you and Hop Nambarek?"
"Maybe a friendly rivalry, but we've been friends for ages, and we don't let this kinda stuff come between us…oh hey!" I gave a wave to Hop, who had just slipped through the doors. He looked up and smiled, but when he saw that I was with Veronica, he quickly made his way to the press box.
"Mister Nambarek…!" Veronica called, hoping to bring him into the interview as well, but he didn't look back and shut the door quickly behind him. "Damn, I was really hoping to pick his brain about his loss to Bea. My producers really wanted to hear about that strategy."
"Yeah, he took it pretty hard," I said with a laugh.
Veronica perked up immediately and swiveled around, almost hitting me in the mouth with her mic. "Care to tell me more?"
I pushed the mic back a few inches, laughing uncomfortably. "I mean, it was a tough battle, and a pretty high-profile one. I'd be a little let down if I lost too."
"Do you have any comment about his bizarre strategy last night?"
"I…I don't really know what he was thinking, really, but he's always got unconventional strategies, and they've usually worked out for him, and…"
Veronica could tell I was reaching, so she thankfully changed the subject. "And your brother. He's been low in the ranks since his big loss to Kabu, but most strategists think that this gym battle could change his trajectory in the challenge if he wins. Do you think he's a dark horse contender for the challenge?"
"Oh, I dunno, probably," I said. "He's gotten very strong in a really short time. I wouldn't be surprised if he beats Hop in a battle one of these days."
"Will that be soon?"
I shrugged, and just as I did, a loud cheer erupted from inside the stadium. The battle must have been starting already! "I'm sorry Veronica, I can talk more after the battle, but I don't want to miss this!"
"Of course!" she said with a smile. She started muttering with Mac as I rushed off to the box to cheer my brother on.
Victor's battle, compared to Hop's, was like night and day. Any nerves he had walking to the stadium were completely gone. His strategy was complex, but sound, centered around his Butterfree. Butterfree was constantly creating harsh winds that kept Bea's Hitmontop and Pangoro from keeping a solid footing. Pangoro in particular barely stood a chance between Butterfree's powerful Air Slash and Bug Buzz attacks. Even the impressive Sirfetch'd was in a rough spot, as Victor quickly swapped out to Kubfu to slowly chip away at it until it too fell, leading to her calling her final Pokémon, the dreaded Machamp, who she naturally brought to its Gigantamax state. Victor then had Kubfu take the defensive, and though Kubfu eventually got knocked out, Butterfree came right back out and Gigantamaxed just as Machamp's Gigantamax energy faded. It was a slow, but steady strategy, and the audience roared in approval, even though their hometown hero had been bested. I was screaming louder than any of them, and even Marnie was clapping with a surprising amount of enthusiasm. Hop was also grinning, but there was a strange sadness in his eyes. I asked him about it, but he once again told me not to worry.
After meeting him at the locker room door with a bevy of new fans, everyone rushed off to grab some food while I stayed back, preparing for my own battle. I took out the TR that Marnie had given me and attached it to Bewear's Pokéball, hoping that Bewear's powerful new attack would be enough to compensate for my own lack of strategy. Instead of going to meet my friends for a couple hours, I elected to stay back just outside the gym and formulate a plan. A couple hours ticked away, and soon enough I saw Marnie walking my way, Morpeko leading the way, small paper bag in its mouth.
Morpeko hopped into my lap and dropped the bag between my legs. I opened it up and pulled out a Lumiose Galette. Morpeko looked at it hungrily but seemed to know that she would be in trouble if she tried to eat it out of my hands.
"Morpeko wanted to give you a good luck gift," Marnie said, sitting down next to us.
"Yeah?" I asked, biting into the pastry. "Morpeko bought it with her money? She made the transaction? How does Morpeko make her money, then?"
Marnie knocked her shoulder into me, hiding a smile. "Alright, I had the idea, but Morpeko did pick out the treat."
"Well, it's very sweet of both of you," I said. Marnie looked at her knees and smiled.
"Where are Hop and Victor?" I asked.
"Dunno about Hop, but your reporter friend got her meat hooks into your brother, so I bounced," she sighed.
"And here I was thinking you were coming here just to see me," I quipped.
"Both can be true," she replied quietly. The two of us sat in silence as I finished the galette. Morpeko kept staring at me, so I picked a piece of Oran berry on the top off it and tossed it her way.
"You use that TR I got you?"
"Yeah, thanks again for that."
"Good. Listen, you probably have a strategy for her, but in case you didn't see from the battle, Bea's fighting types are only good if they stay fast and keep their footing. Slow 'em down or keep 'em off balance and you'll have no problem."
"How do you suggest I do that?" I asked.
"Do I look like your coach? Figure it out," she said with a grin. Off in the distance, the figure of a young woman appeared and started to get closer. She walked quickly, and with purpose. When she realized that it was Bea who was walking our way, Marnie stood up quickly, and when I followed suit, she brought me in for a quick hug, whispered a good luck, and walked away, Morpeko in tow. Within seconds, Bea was standing right next to me. Her face was hard but gave away a warmth from underneath.
"Gloria Dixon?"
"Yeah, that's me!"
She held out a hand. "Heard good things. Looking forward to the battle." We shook, and then she quickly disappeared through the doors of the gym behind me.
"Quite the personality, that one," I said to Marnie, forgetting she was too far away from me now to hear.
I could hear the murmur of the crowd pulsating in the stands just a few yards out. I stood next to the league official nervously, rolling Raboot's Pokéball around in my hands like dough. The crowd was bigger than any that had seen me in a gym battle before, I could tell that already.
"Lot riding on this one," the official said in a low grunt. I nodded and looked at him, but he looked ahead, as if he weren't even speaking to me. "Come on, then."
The two of us walked to the edge of the tunnel and stopped, waiting for the voice of the announcer to call me on. I could see at least four separate news cameras, each flashing red. Among them was Mac, who winked at me and gave me a thumbs-up. I smiled, heart rate dropping a beat for just a moment.
"And now!" The announcer called, but I didn't let him finish before I started trotting out. The stadium erupted and I watched thousands of pinpricks of light flashed on and off from every angle. I could see myself running onto the pitch on the big monitor. For a moment I found relief that I looked much more confident than I actually was. I stepped onto the orange gravel that composed the battle area. It was tightly packed, but just loose enough that Vibrava could make good use of a dig attack. Another angle to take for this battle, I thought.
I reached the center of the stage and pivoted, waving at the roaring audience. Up in the box, I could just barely make out the forms of Victor, Sonia, Rose, and two figures that looked suspiciously like the brothers Buckingham. They did not look very entertained at their commonfolk companions in the box. Next to them was a shock of platinum blonde hair that I'd recognize anywhere. I blinked, wondering how much convincing Rose had to do to get Bede to come watch my battle. I also wondered why Marnie wasn't with them, but I had a feeling she wasn't a fan of staying in the challenger box and had moved to a different section to watch my match.
"And now, please give another Stow-on-Side Welcome to—" Bea entered to deafening cheers yet again. She looked up at the audience and nodded confidently as she jogged out to the center of the pitch. Her face was stone. She was already focused on the battle to come. As we met in the center, she raised her hand to shake again, which I took eagerly.
"Good luck," she said.
"Thanks, you too," I responded. Before I could say anything else, she let go of my hand, turned, and walked to her end of the pitch, leaving me awkwardly standing with my hand still out. "Okay then, all business here," I said loudly. She turned and gave me a small nod, not breaking her stone face for anything. I quickly turned and jogged to my end of the pitch.
"Okay," I said to myself. "Slow her down or lose their footing. She'll probably lead with Hitmontop again. Let's test that top's balance." I put Raboot's Pokéball back onto my belt, grabbing for Vibrava's instead. As I turned to face Bea again, the crowd's volume increased even more, yet I could barely hear it over the pounding of my own heart.
The referee, a stern middle-aged woman, took her spot at midfield and looked over at me. "Gym Challenger Gloria!" She bellowed. I raised Vibrava's Pokéball without saying a word. Bea did the same, before the ref said anything else. With a quick blow of a whistle, I hurled the Pokéball out.
The audience, for a brief second was silent, and time seemed to slow down as the two balls arced toward each other in the air, before two flashes of white revealed our first two matchups. Vibrava buzzed around eagerly, while Hitmontop hopped back and forth between its two feet.
"Dig!" I cried, while Bea ordered a Quick attack. Hitmontop flipped onto its head and spun mercurially towards Vibrava, who dove toward the ground, knocking him off course and landing hard onto the ground. Vibrava quickly recovered and dug down underneath the pitch. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Stay Alert! Revenge!" Bea called. Hitmontop hopped back onto its feet. I could just barely make out Vibrava's trajectory as the gravel shifted ever so slightly above him, but Hitmontop didn't notice until the shifting gravel was too close. Vibrava crashed upwards, knocking it back, but with a quick spin and recovery, Hitmontop launched back at Vibrava, catching it off-guard and kicking it hard with both legs. Vibrava careened off to the side and skidded to a halt ten feet from me. He pulled himself back into the air but was very shaky. He likely couldn't take another hit. I glanced back at the Hitmontop. He was moving slower too. At the very least, Vibrava's dig attack had done considerable damage.
"Triple Kick!" Bea yelled, and immediately Hitmontop launched forward on its head again, spinning even faster and spreading its legs out, ready to collide with Vibrava.
But I had other plans. "Come back!" I cried, raising Vibrava's Pokéball, and tossing out another ball with my left hand. Out popped Boltund, just in time to take Hitmontop's kicks. Boltund was shocked but otherwise still had plenty of fight left in her – just as I had hoped.
"Crunch!" I called, and before Bea could even make a new order, Boltund had grabbed onto one of Hitmontop's arms and tugged, sending it crashing to the ground. Even though the attack seemed a weak one, it proved to be just enough, and Hitmontop lay on the ground, unmoving.
"Hitmontop is unable to battle!" the ref yelled. The crowd erupted, and Bea returned her Pokémon. She still had her stone mask up as she tossed out Hitmontop's replacement. Boltund trotted back to me to receive a quick head scratch as Pangoro materialized at the other end of the pitch.
"Boltund, I need you to move as fast as you can for as long as you can. You can do it," I said to her with a final scratch under the ear. "Now! Nuzzle!"
"Bullet Punch!" Bea called, and in the blink of an eye, the massive black and white beast was throwing a powerful punch at Boltund. It managed to land a good hit in, but Boltund quickly recovered, and with a quick spark of electricity coursing through her fur, she ran back up to it and knocked into its leg. Pangoro roared in surprise and anger, but its arms froze up in paralysis for a long enough time that Boltund was well out of reach before it could land any retaliation move.
"Again!" Bea yelled, but Paralysis overtook Pangoro. It seized up and fell to one knee, while Boltund looked back at me expectantly.
"We got a little time, bud! Use charge and keep moving!" I cried. Boltund yipped in response and shot forward, moving in a wide arc around Pangoro. I could see the static electricity building, with bolts of electric energy shooting through her fur and lashing out violently into the ground.
"Circle Throw!" Bea yelled.
"Spark!" I bellowed.
Pangoro began to lumber forward, ready to grab at Boltund, but she was much too fast, zipping and crashing wildly into it with a loud thunderclap that shook the entire stadium. Pangoro instantly fell down, unconscious, while Boltund kept running excitedly around the pitch, as the audience screamed in excitement. I pumped my fist in celebration. I was halfway through Bea's team, and in much better shape than I would have expected.
"Go! Sirfetch'd!"
"Boltund! Same strategy! Nuzzle!" I called. Boltund turned and launched herself at Sirfetch'd as it materialized in front of us.
"Detect!" Bea cried, and just in the nick of time, the bird pulled its thick leafy shield in front of it and pushed ever so cautiously to the left. It wasn't enough of a shove to do any damage, but enough to send Boltund off-course without absorbing any of her static electricity.
I growled. I could feel my momentum about to slip and knew that I couldn't let Bea get comfortable. I had to keep the pressure up. "Spark!" I yelled.
"Revenge!"
Boltund shot back towards Sirfetch'd, who this time opened its wings, ready to take the blow. "No…!" I shouted, but it was too late – Boltund had walked, or rather ran directly into the trap. As Boltund tried to disengage, Sirfetch'd wrapped its sword wing around her and tossed her in the air in an incredible feat of strength. While Boltund was helpless in the air, Sirfetch'd swung its leek sword hard, and like a cricket batsman, slammed it into Boltund, sending her tumbling back towards me. It was too much for her, and when she rolled up next to my feet, the ref announced her unable to battle.
I knelt next to her. "Sorry, girl, I got too greedy. You were brilliant, though." I returned her to her ball and tossed out another. Raboot hopped to attention, watching Sirfetch'd cautiously.
"Swords Dance!" Bea yelled.
"Take the offensive! Flame charge!" I cried. Raboot ran up to Sirfetch'd as it twirled its sword menacingly. Sparks began to fly with each step, and with a final hop, Raboot jumped headlong at Sirfetch'd, hitting it square in the chest with a fiery burst. Sirfetch'd staggered back but remained firm on its feet, while Raboot flipped up into the air and landed coolly a few feet away.
"Back up!" I cried.
"Brutal Swing!" Bea roared.
Sirfetch'd brought its sword down hard, but Raboot was able to hop out of the way just in time. Sirfetch'd took another swing, landing just inches away from where Raboot had landed. Their dance continued, with Sirfetch'd getting closer and closer with each hit.
"Clear out of there!" I ordered. "Ember when you're far enough away!" Raboot nodded, and in one final dodge of the leek sword, he disengaged entirely, rushing back twenty feet, before launching a volley of small fireballs back toward its aggressor.
"Detect!" Bea barked. Sirfetch'd brought its shield back up to its face and blocked each fireball. The first it blocked with relative ease, but with each movement of the shield, I could see it was a greater strain on the Pokémon to move.
"That's our angle! Just keep using Ember!" I yelled, pumping my fist. Raboot nodded and began sending fireballs left and right. Sirfetch'd was able to dodge a couple, and even block a couple more, but the onslaught was too much for it, and it started hopping backwards as a last defense.
"Move back forward!" Bea barked, beginning to lose her stony façade and revealing a fiery interior even Kabu would be impressed with. "Brutal Swing!"
"Finish it with a Headbutt!" I cried. Raboot ran up and dove at Sirfetch'd as it rushed him, and just as the bird was bringing back its sword to strike a blow, Raboot collided with it, sending Sirfetch'd into the sky and landing hard on the ground. The leek sword and shield both landed next to it with an ineffective flop. Sirfetch'd was out for the count.
The audience roared in approval, and as I saw her call back Sirfetch'd, I could see that Bea's stony face was crumbling. She was not happy, and that somehow made me feel more confident. If I was getting under her skin, maybe I could take advantage of a mistake. I returned Raboot as well, knowing that hoping for a mistake would not be a solid strategy. All she had left was that Machamp, and I'd need some real power to take that thing down.
Fortunately, I had Bewear. I brought his Pokéball to the Dynamax Bracelet on my wrist. "Alright, big guy, let's see what that Max Mindstorm can really do," I whispered, tapping the ball to the bracelet and feeling the Dynamax Energy swirl around the Pokéball. Bea had the same idea as me; I could see the pink energy swirling around her as well. We tossed both of our Pokéballs out.
Gigantamax Machamp was already a threatening sight from the stands, but from the pitch, it was downright terrifying. Four veiny arms reached out to the heavens, and each vein pulsated with a bright orange glow, as if it were lava pumping through its bloodstream. Grey skin stretched tightly over its already incredibly muscular body, as if it were coated with a thin layer of steel. Its eyes glowed angrily, and it roared a deep, guttural roar that shook the entire stadium. It was the tallest Dynamax Pokémon I had ever seen. Even Bewear, who was far too big for this stadium, was not as tall in his Dynamax form, but he roared loudly in return, ready to go all out for this battle.
"G-Max Chi Strike!" Bea called out.
"Max Mindstorm!" I roared.
Machamp leaned back with two right arms, ready to pummel Bewear. Its fists began to glow orange with whatever aura it would bring with it. Whatever it was planning, it would hurt Bewear. A lot.
But Bewear was just faster. He broke out in a sprint, his gigantic black paws glowing with a deep lavender aura. Waves of powerful pink and purple psychic energy emanated from his head as he let out a devastating roar and tackled Machamp with all his might. For a second, the two were airborne, and silence overpowered the stadium, as if Bewear had somehow grabbed all our breaths away with him. Just like at the start of the battle, time slowed to a near crawl. Flashes of light still flickered as the two came tumbling down, but not a single soul in the entire gym stadium could breathe as we all watched the two powerful Pokémon fall.
After what seemed like ages, they fell to the ground and a powerful shockwave shot out, blasting everything in a hundred-foot radius. Gravel flew up and scratched at my face, and a powerful gust of wind knocked me completely off my feet. I landed flat on my ass and though I knew I should get up quickly, but as the dust started to settle, I was frozen in my spot. Soon, the shadow of one massive Pokémon started to rise from the dissipating dust and let out a terrible roar. Out of the dust cloud stepped Bewear, and in his paws still was the still muscle-ridden, but slightly deflated body of Bea's Machamp.
I think the audience reached a level of cheers louder than anything I had ever experienced, but I couldn't hear them. I watched Bewear shrink down to normal size and help Machamp back up to his feet. Machamp clearly was in no place to battle, but with Bewear's help, he was able to stand with dignity until Bea returned him to his ball. I finally pulled myself up from the ground and sprinted toward Bewear. When I was close enough, I jumped into his arms, and he caught me and gave me one of his backbreaking hugs. I hugged him back tightly. My other senses gradually returned to my body, and I could hear the crowd completely losing their minds.
"You knocked out Machamp in a single hit. Very impressive," Bea said, walking up and extending her hand for another shake. I took it happily once Bewear finally let go of me.
"Bewear's never yet let me down," I said, beaming at Bewear. He rumbled in thanks. "Still, you sure didn't make it easy. I saw how you battled Hop and my brother. You were solid as a rock."
"I try," she said with a smile. "Battling against you and your team... I hadn't expected it, but it made my heart dance. It's good to be unshakable in the face of battle. But it's good to be moved by battle, as well. I don't get moved by much. Leon'd better watch himself if you keep battling like this."
"You really think so?" I asked.
"If I don't beat you in the league championships first," she said, returning to that stony look, before flashing me another smile. She walked off the pitch right after, and with one final wave to the relentlessly loud audience, I went the other direction, back to the locker room.
"Gloria, that was incredible!"
"Can you sign this Ultra Ball?"
"I went out and caught a Stufful just so I could have a Bewear like yours!"
"You got a one-hit KO on Machamp; that's insane!"
I pushed my way through the crowd of fans. Some I recognized, but some were new. It was very slow-going and a little invasive, but I was still riding the high of my gym battle win, so even when I was completely held up, I couldn't wipe the gigantic smile off my face. "Thanks," I said, over and over, until I finally managed to squeeze through a few of them, only to bump directly into two bodies that refused to budge. I whirled around and felt my heart finally sink for a second.
"So, you've been calling us 'Pink Pyroar' and 'Mohawk Man,' huh?" Pink Pyroar said with a sneer.
I gulped. "Uh, what? Where did you…" I stammered.
"I love it!" Mohawk Man yelled. "It's metal as hell! My name's actually Josh, but don't you never call me that, now, right?"
"Bang-up job out there, you may be giving us somethin' else to yell about," Pink Pyroar said, dropping her façade and smacking me hard on the back. "You know what, Marnie's right, you're okay."
"This isn't quite the reception I was expecting from you two," I said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"We had a chat," Marnie said, muscling her way in between the two and giving me a tight squeeze. "You were killer out there," she congratulated, not even bothering to hide her smile. She looked deep into my eyes for longer than either of us were expecting and I saw her smile falter into an expression of…something. She started to slowly lean into me, and I felt my heart jump all the way back up from my stomach to my throat, but thankfully before I could do anything embarrassing to break the silence, she gave me a tighter squeeze and rested her head against my cheek. All I could smell was the autumn air of her perfume.
"Gloria!" I heard Victor call before he grabbed onto both of us for a group hug. "You are gonna be the talk of Galar for a week after that battle, that was incredible!"
"Thanks, Vic," I said, finding it hard to breathe under the pile of people.
Suddenly a third body piled on top of me, and I was blinded by a shock of red hair. "Way to go, Gloria!" Sonia cried. "That was your best gym battle yet, just brilliant all the way down!"
"Thanks," I said, finally pulling all of them off me. My hand lingered on Marnie's for a brief second before she pulled it away quickly, blushing.
"Yes, Gloria, you truly pulled off a remarkable victory," Rose said, walking around Pink Pyroar and Mohawk Man. The three shared a brief and mutual look of disgust, and once their eyelines split, so did the Team Yell members, muttering rude things about capitalism until they were quickly silenced by a glare from Oleana, who was right behind Rose.
"Worth the few extra hours of waiting?" I asked.
"Most definitely. Even the brothers Buckingham were impressed, though they couldn't be here to congratulate you in person. Perhaps next time."
"They're more than welcome to take all the time they need," I said with a shiver. Truthfully, I was thankful I wouldn't have to deal with their pompous attitudes today.
Rose laughed heartily. "Gloria, I wish I could be as frank about them as you are sometimes. I envy that about you almost as much as I envy your clear talent with Pokémon battles."
"Thanks, I mean it—hold on, where's Hop?" I asked. I looked left and right and was met with shrugs.
"He wasn't with us in the box," Victor said.
"Where is he, then?" I asked. Still no response. I pulled out my phone and brought up our text log. Not a single message or missed call from him. I began typing quickly into my phone when suddenly the earth began to shake.
"What's going on?" Victor asked. Marnie instinctively grabbed at my hand. A terrible boom sounded a few miles away, and a pillar of pink light shot up outside the city limits. It flickered after a couple seconds and then disappeared.
"Oh, not now," Rose muttered.
"Not now?!" I asked.
"Don't worry about it," he replied quickly. "Oleana, get me a status report."
Oleana stepped off to the side and whispered into her phone as another crashing noise came from outside of town.
"It's in the direction of the Dynamax Statues!" Victor said.
"Shit, I needed to check that out tomorrow!" Sonia yelped, rushing off to hail a Corviknight taxi.
"Sonia, wait!" Victor said, chasing after her. A third crash came, and another pillar of light shot up, only to be quickly extinguished as well.
"Status is normal," I heard Oleana say quietly to Rose. I turned my head back to the two to see a wave of relief wash over Rose before his expression hardened with worry again.
"Then what on earth is going on over there?" he asked.
"I'm going with Sonia," I said, rushing forward. Marnie gave a little resistance but started running alongside me, hand still firmly clasped in mind. Morpeko bounded along in front of us, eager for the exercise.
"Are you sure that's safe?" I heard Rose yell, but a fourth crash, louder than the other three, shook the entire stadium plazaA.
We caught up with Sonia just as the taxi landed. "Room for two more?" I asked.
The driver grimaced. "It'll be a squeeze."
"That's fine," I said quickly, and felt Marnie squeeze my hand and then immediately let go. I turned back to her. "It is fine, right?"
"What?" Yeah, totally fine, I, there are worse people to squeeze next to, I guess," she stuttered. Sonia and Victor piled in the cab without saying anything, but I could hear a slight snicker coming from both as Marnie and I awkwardly crowded in behind them.
"You sure you want to go there?" the driver asked nervously as a fifth crash shook the cab. The Corviknight flapped its wings in an annoyed fashion.
"We'll pay you double, let's move!" Sonia shouted. Marnie slammed the door shut behind us and we were jerked into the air, heading back to the Dynamax Statues.
A/N: It wasn't until I started writing this chapter that I really came to realize just how bizarre the name Sirfetch'd is. But anyway, Bea's gym is done! She was a much harder character to write, mostly because I played Shield and Allister was my Stow-on-Side gym leader. I wanted this to be a mashup of both Sword and Shield, so I decided to have one of each exclusive leader, and while I do like Allister and his team better, Melony made more sense as a gym leader to me. Don't worry, Gordie and Allister fans, they'll still show up later on! But first, we gotta give Bede his just desserts (finally). See you next week!
NEXT WEEK: REVEALED!