INT. STRIATON CITY GYM - DAY
HILBERT stands in the STRIATON GYM - face to face with three IDENTICAL TRIPLET BROTHERS. CILAN, CRESS, and CHILI. The place has a glass roof so all of the SUN can leak in and a rocky field for the gym battles.

Cilan has tidy green hair, Cress blue hair that droops over his left eye, and Chili has spiked-up, wild red hair. They each wear aprons, as the gym acts as a mini-cafe as well.

TIGHT on Hilbert. SHELDON the OSHAWOTT is sat on his shoulder.

HILBERT (V.O.)
The next morning I decided to challenge the Striaton City Gym.

Cilan stepped forward to greet Hilbert. He grinned.

CILAN
Welcome to the Striaton City Gym. It is run by me, Cilan, and my brothers-

CHILI
-I am Chili. We will decide which one of us you will battle!

CRESS
It depends on the type of Pokémon you have...

Cress takes a curt bow.

CRESS (CONT'D)
The name is Cress, by the way.

CILAN
Ah, so you chose Oshawott I see.

CRESS
I guess that means I'm out.

CHILI
Me too.

Chili and Cress step back - Cilan remains. He smiles at Hilbert and removes his apron, tossing it at Cress, who manages to catch it last-minute and fold it up.

CILAN
I guess it's me and you then.

Cilan unclips a Poké Ball from his belt. He simply opens it with a quick double-tap on the top, and a green monkey with a bushel of grass on its head pops out. It's called PANSAGE.

Hilbert scans it with his Pokédex as Sheldon hops from his shoulder and onto the battlefield.

CILAN (CONT'D)
Hmm, choosing a Pokémon with an intense disadvantage against mine? This doesn't taste right...

Hilbert frowns as Chili, acting as the referee, lifts a flag and blows a whistle. Hilbert doesn't waste a second.

HILBERT
Sheldon, use Razor Shell!

CILAN
Pansage, Bullet Seed!

Pansage opens its mouth, unleashing a barrage of seeds. Sheldon removes the shell from its chest, holding it up in the air and using it to shield its face. Hilbert grins as Sheldon then swings the shell with a massive effort, slashing Pansage across the chest.

CILAN (CONT'D)
Dig, Pansage.

Pansage burrows its way underground on the rocky battlefield. Sheldon looks around, nervous. He runs over to Hilbert, hopping in his arms. Hilbert lifts Sheldon up.

HILBERT
What are you doing?

Sheldon starts to pout. Hilbert walks onto the battlefield, setting Sheldon down, and pushing him forward. Sheldon tries to fight him, looking scared. Cilan watches, amused.

HILBERT (CONT'D)
I need your help, Sheldon. You're the strongest Pokémon I have. I trust you more than anyone else. You can do this.

Sheldon looks happy that Hilbert's said this. His confidence boosted, Sheldon gives a nod, standing up straight, hands on his hips. Hilbert laughs.

HILBERT (CONT'D)
All right! Now, Sheldon, use Water Gun to make the ground muddy. I'm sure it'll be easier to find Pansage that way, the ground will break wherever he's at if it's wet!

Sheldon likes this plan - he sprays the water around the battlefield, spinning around like a sprinkler.

Suddenly, from beneath Sheldon, Pansage BURSTS through the muddy ground, spinning like a DRILL, hands above its head. The impact THROWS Sheldon through the air.

HILBERT (CONT'D)
NO!

Sheldon hits the ground, covered in mud. He looks down and out. Cilan smiles.

HILBERT (CONT'D)
Sheldon, use Razor Shell! You can do it!

CILAN
Pansage finish this off with Bite.

Pansage LEAPS at Sheldon, BITING onto the top of his head. With a sqwee, Sheldon PANICS, running around the field like a maniac, just like he did when SEWADDLE did the same thing.

Hilbert does a literal facepalm, not wanting to watch anymore.

CILAN (CONT'D)
Your Oshawott doesn't want to give up. But it's not fighting. I find it amusing...

Hilbert looks up - to finally see Sheldon SHAKING Pansage off of his head. Pansage skids to the ground.

CILAN (CONT'D)
Pansage, turn the blessing of the sun into your own glorious power!

Pansage opens its arms as it stands up, DRAWING in the sunlight to its body... It begins to glimmer, a BALL OF SUNLIGHT FORMING IN-BETWEEN ITS PALMS...

Sheldon stands up weakly... He gives a whimper. He's losing. Hilbert's nervous as all hell now, gritting his teeth as he speaks;

HILBERT
Sheldon, you can do this! Use your shell to deflect it and use Fury Cutter!

Sheldon forces himself to keep standing- DETACHING his SHELL and READYING it as Pansage BLASTS a beam of SUNLIGHT AND POWER right at Sheldon -

The shell does its job well - DEFLECTING it. But it pushes Sheldon back as it does. Sheldon does his best, BRACING - LOCKING his tiny FEET into the MUDDY GROUND - STANDING HIS GROUND.

An EXPLOSION OF LIGHT surrounds Sheldon. Hilbert looks HORRIFIED - The attack HIT?! But the light fades - and his Oshawott isn't there anymore. In its place is a light blue colored otter, taller, with pointed black ears, and a large, dark blue frilled abdomen with a place for two shells -

Both are in the Pokémon's hands, though, and it uses both to block the attack and completely deflect it, SLAMMING the sunlght right into Pansage's face. The monkey falls back as the newly-evolved SHELDON runs, SLASHING at it repeatedly.

Hilbert checks his Pokédex to see that his Sheldon evolved into a DEWOTT. He GRINS as Dewott finishing slashing, and Pansage lies there, UNCONSCIOUS. He won!

CILAN
You... You beat me. What a surprise. You are very strong...

He recalls Pansage into its Poké Ball and approaches Hilbert, presenting him with a badge. Hilbert WRAPS his newly-evolved Dewott into a HUG.

HILBERT
Thank you so much! I can't believe it.

Cilan turns around, away from Hilbert - talking as he clips the Poké Ball back on his belt and puts his apron back on.

CILAN
In the Unova region, we are still novice Gym Leaders. Which means the other Gym Leaders are much stronger than we are, so be prepared to face a much bigger challenge with the others. We still have a lot of hard work to do as well, we don't deny it. You shouldn't either, so just keep that in mind...

CHILI
Uh... Bro...

CILAN
What!?

Cilan spins around and sees that - HILBERT AND SHELDON HAVE ALREADY DASHED THEIR WAY OUTTA THERE, the front door swinging shut. Cilan's brothers chuckle while we get a CLOSE-UP of his frowning expression.

SMASH CUT TO:

EXT. HOTEL - DAY
HILBERT flaunts his badge proudly as he approaches IRIS. He does a victory dance. She just giggles.

IRIS
Congratulations. First badge is quite an achievement...

HILBERT
(all peppy)
Time for you to take your tent dowwwwn and for me to check your Pokémon out of the hotel because we're leaving.

Hilbert marches toward the tent, ready to pull it down when Iris SNATCHES him by the hood. He starts choking him as she drags him back toward her, turning him around and locking eyes with him. She smirks, raising an eyebrow.

IRIS
We are?

HILBERT
(gasping for breath)
Uhh, yeah. So... let me go... So we can... go get it.

Iris DROPS him, he falls flat on his face. He gets up, glaring at her.

HILBERT (CONT'D)
What's your problem?

IRIS
My problem is that I don't take orders from a kid.

HILBERT
Is that like your catchphrase or something?!
(beat)
Besides, I'm no kid. We're literally what, a few months apart?

IRIS
Fine, but still. You're a kid. Don't tell me what to do. I'll go check the Pokémon out, you pack up all our stuff. Got it?

HILBERT
(frowns)
Fair enough.

IRIS
Thank you for being such an understanding assistant.

She giggles and turns on her heel, entering the hotel as Hilbert begins packing their things.

EXT. ON THE ROAD - DAY
HILBERT and SHELDON the DEWOTT are walking with IRIS, who has her AXEW lounging on her shoulder, through a grassy route.

HILBERT (V.O.)
My confidence was at its peak. I thought I was a superhero flying, looking down at everyone else as if they were ants -

INT. HILBERT'S TENT - NIGHT
NIGHTTIME dawns upon them. The tents are set up elsewhere now, HILBERT is in his as Sheldon sleeps, curled up nearby. Hilbert looks at a photograph. Himself, BIANCA, and CHEREN. Much happier times.

HILBERT (V.O.)
But then, that high was gone just as quickly as it came. My cape got caught in an airplane's propellers and I was sucked in - chopped to bits, then when the engine exploded I was smashed into even smaller pieces. I just seriously took a nosedive into HUGE nostalgia mode that night. My heart ached, because I knew I was missing something. Iris was cool, but I missed my friends. My mom. I kept longing for the days when we used to be with each other everyday. Life on the road was much different. Exciting, but... definitely different.

As a single tear falls from his eyes and drips onto the picture, Hilbert is startled by a scratching at the tent's opening. IRIS'S shadow is visible. She whispers;

IRIS (O.S.)
Hilbert?

HILBERT
(sniffles)
Uh. Yeah, come in.

Iris unzips the tent. She steps in, glances around. She makes note of Sheldon's sleeping form, tip-toe'ing her way in and slowly zipping it back up behind her, as to not wake him.

IRIS
You... were crying?

Nosily, Iris notices the picture in Hilbert's hands. She takes a seat next to him. Peeks over at it as he tries, rather poorly, to hide it.

IRIS (CONT'D)
...Friends of yours?

HILBERT
None of your business, quite frankly.

IRIS
No need for the 'tude, Hilby. I just wanted to break the ice. We've been traveling with each other for two days now and we still know nothing about each other.

HILBERT
...Who the hell's Hilby?

IRIS
I guess you don't like that nickname.

HILBERT
Absolutely not.

Iris laughs.

HILBERT (CONT'D)
(beat)
Yeah. They're friends.

Hilbert nods, the two chuckle.

IRIS
Well, what happened?

HILBERT
It's gonna sound so stupid. They left when I SHOULD have, but shit happens you know? So I had to stay, they left. My Cross-transceiever has their numbers in it, but I'm... too nervous to call. They're probably like champions already and here I am, just got my first badge. It'd be embarrassing.

IRIS
You never know unless you give 'em a call. They could've gotten sidetracked. Maybe you should call them. And if you're so embarrassed, tell a little white lie or something.

She winks at him, he nods.

HILBERT
Enough about my boring life. I'm curious to here why you're so intent on leaving your privileged life.

IRIS
The life everyone else would KILL to have, right? It's not as flattering as it looks. I'm just not fit for it. I'd rather walk in my grandfather's footsteps, not do all this. It's like tarnishing everything he stands for.

HILBERT
Your grandfather someone important?

IRIS
I guess you could say that. He's a powerful trainer and my parents think it's not ladylike for me to pursue being just like him, that I should do feminine things like make tea, dance, socialize, and look pretty. I'm not a freaking porcelain doll, you know? It's annoying. They just don't get me at all.

HILBERT
You sent that letter yet?

IRIS
Yeah. Just a half hour ago. I'm actually a little nervous for their response.

HILBERT
But it's for the best. It's your life, Iris, they can't control you forever.

IRIS
I guess we have more in common then we thought.

HILBERT
Yeah, we're pretty much in the same boat.

IRIS
So I wrote my letter. When are you making your phone call?

HILBERT
Tomorrow morning. I promise.

Iris grins.

IRIS
Good. I'll let you get some rest then. See ya in the A.M.

Iris leaves, Hilbert zips up his tent behind her. He tucks away the picture into his bag and curls up into his sleeping bag, putting out the lantern that's giving off light.

HILBERT (V.O.)
I had an idea in my head. It was so brilliant! I knew as soon as I'd wake up in the morning, I'd call Cheren and Bianca, and then Iris would commend me for my brilliant plan -

EXT. CAMPSITE - MORNING
CLOSE-UP of IRIS's face - she stares at the camera/at HILBERT in DISBELIEF.

IRIS
You idiot! You can't be serious?!

HILBERT (V.O.)
-Or she'd do the exact opposite.

Hilbert is confused by her reaction.

HILBERT
But... you said to lie to them.

IRIS
A little white lie. NOT tell them that you've beaten all the gyms and you'd see them in a week. You're telling me we have to travel through the entire Unova region in a WEEK?! You're insane!

HILBERT (V.O.)
Yeah that was what I told them. I'd meet 'em at the Pokémon League in a week, that I'd already gotten all my badges. Looking back after she told that to me, it started dawning on me how stupid it was. I think I said this before, but I'm not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed...

HILBERT
It'd be fun! You said you wanted to travel. Here's your chance to do it and make history in the process.

IRIS
I... I mean, it's stupid. It really is. But... You may have a point there. It could be fun, maybe.

HILBERT
That was fast. Are you bipolar?

IRIS
Not at all. Just a quick thinker.

She looks deep-in-thought. Sighs.

IRIS (CONT'D)
Fine. Let's do it.

HILBERT
So what's for breakfast?

IRIS
We're not eating. We're going.

HILBERT
What?

IRIS
If you wanna make it to Nacrene City and beat Lenora by the end of the day, we've gotta leave NOW. So let's GO.

Hilbert sighs and he helps her start packing up stuff.