In which the writers attempt to put off the tournament as long as possible.
When Victor and Gloria left the stadium, Sonia and her grandmother were just returning. They were both laughing and discussing their theories, but Sonia lit up even more when she saw Victor.
"I take it you gave Raihan a good thrashing?" she asked when the two pairs of people met.
"I did," Victor confirmed, and Sonia cheered.
"That means you're ready for the finals!"
"And what about me?" Hop mock-complained as he headed over from the Vault. "I'm right behind him, after all. Where's my cheer squad?"
Sonia ruffled his hair like he was a child. "Defeat Raihan, and then we'll talk."
"I will!" Hop insisted and gestured back in the direction he just came from. "I just defeated all of the warm-up trainers. Raihan's sandstorm isn't going to be a problem."
And to prove it, he ran right into the Gym, calling for Raihan's attention.
They all watched him go, and finally, Victor asked the question that needed to be asked.
"Did you figure out what went wrong with the Dynamax Pokémon?"
"No," Magnolia answered at once, her cheerful mood gone.
"It's like the legend," Sonia explained, "with the Darkest Day. Giant Pokémon going on a rampage, nearly destroying the Galar region..."
"But they didn't nearly destroy the Galar region," Victor objected. "They took ten steps, and Leon defeated them, and they returned to normal."
"I didn't say it was recreating the legend," Sonia said as if he'd offended her.
"We don't know the true extent of Wishing Stars and Dynamaxing," Magnolia explained when the teenagers seemed confused. "And I'm afraid I don't have enough time to find out if it was connected to the Darkest Day."
"You're not dying, Gran," Sonia said with an eye roll.
"Of course I'm not dying. But I am retiring. And since the lab doesn't have any assistants who have worked there for more than a few months, I've decided to use nepotism to choose my successor."
"Nepotism?" Sonia repeated, and her grandmother had the briefest flash of a wicked smile before leaning her cane against her leg and shrugging off her lab coat. Then, with a force that her appearance hid well, she tossed it at Sonia.
"Congratulations, Sonia. You're the new Professor Magnolia."
Sonia's mouth fell open. Victor and Gloria wisely stepped away from the family feud.
"But I can't be a professor! I haven't earned it!"
"You've been writing down your theories since childhood. I'm sure that the ones that turn out to be true can be published as a thesis."
"But how am I going to get grant money if I don't have a title?"
"Technically," said Victor, "the Champion of Alola calls her YouTube show 'Professor Freeman's "Practical" Science,' and she's twelve years old."
He even made the quotes with his fingers, just like the Alolan Champion did when introducing the show to her subscribers. Sonia sent him a death glare while the official professor cackled like a witch.
"Not helping, Victor," Sonia hissed.
"You did always want to be a professor," Magnolia pointed out. "You just got a bit stalled once your lazy tendencies kicked in - unfortunately, your grandfather and I are partially to blame for those genes. But now it's my turn to leave a butt groove on the couch and your turn to do the science that motivates both of us to actually work."
"But...the degree..."
"You can sign up for the official courses next year. You'll just be promised a job once you graduate." She nodded solemnly. "I will continue my official job until that day comes."
With that promise, Sonia quickly ditched the tan coat she'd been wearing the whole time and pulled on the inherited lab coat. Turning to the teens, she gave a nervous smile.
"What do you think?"
Even Gloria could see that she looked great, and they were all quick to voice it.
As Victor and Gloria were making their way to the train, Hop called out for them to wait for him as he ran towards them. He waved his completed medallion around as he showed off his accomplishment. "I beat Raihan no problem," he proudly proclaimed. "The championship is mine!"
"We're proud of you, mate," Victor said, but a smirk came to his face. "But you still need to get past me, and you haven't kicked my butt yet."
Hop put the medallion away and dramatically rolled up his sleeves. "And that's about to change."
The two boys began to mock wrestle before they were separated by a man who was tall and familiar.
"Now, the station's no place for roughhousing," Raihan said with a smile as he let them out of his grip. "I remember when I was like that. I was determined to succeed, and no one was going to take me down. The dream was in my hands."
"So what happened?" Gloria asked.
"I lost to Leon," Raihan said with a shrug. "Because for a split second, I hesitated. I questioned my strategy, and I lost to a guy that still doesn't need one to this day."
Hop nodded in agreement. "Just like me. When I doubted myself, I couldn't pull off a win. But once I cast my doubt aside, I was able to take down the top gym leader in all of Galar."
Victor shrugged. "Not that you could beat me when you didn't doubt."
"Don't be a jerk, Victor," Gloria scolded.
Raihan looked down at the boys and put on the most serious expression he had ever given them. "Make sure you have confidence and determination. Without those, you will never beat Leon."
Gloria frowned and looked between her two best friends. Sure, she traveled with Victor all this way and wanted him to win, but she didn't want Hop to lose. He earned it just as much and wanted it so badly. "What if two people have the same amount of confidence and determination?"
The boys looked at each other as they finally realized that they had never thought about what would happen to the person who didn't fulfill his dream. Raihan shrugged and returned to a more cheerful demeanor. "Just let the best man win. If you're good enough friends, then you can get past something as trivial as winning or losing."
The train ride to route 10 was uneventful but somehow nostalgic. It reminded Victor of when he first rode the train out of Postwick, when he first got his Pokémon partner, and when exploring the region was a whole new experience. But the train doors opened, and the cold air rushed past him, reminding him of how far he had come since then. The three friends stepped out to take their last trek together.
Hop looked around in amazement. "It's like a giant wall made out of snow and ice!"
"Good thing my first Pokémon is a furnace," Victor remarked.
Gloria breathed on her hands for warmth. "It's still warmer than winter in my house," she said. "We had to burn cardboard for warmth, and we had to do it slowly since we could only afford one flame."
The boys pretended she hadn't spoken, instead deciding it was more fun to whistle at a Beartic and confuse it until it charged one of them to battle.
Gloria crossed her arms and mumbled, "Bede would have come up with something by now."
The boys, finished with the Beartic project, were more occupied by the other Pokémon that greeted them. A quick scan from Rotom confirmed that it was, indeed, a Mr. Mime. "But it's blue," Victor said in confusion.
Hop nodded. "Well, that's what they look like in this region."
"But then why was the one in Spikemuth pink?"
Hop, processing the question, gave a very confused shrug. But he let the subject drop as he turned to his friends. "How about a race?"
Victor wasted no time in taking on the challenge. "First to the top wins!" And in a flash, the three were off. At least until Hop slipped and fell face-first into a snowbank. Victor turned his head to laugh but then fell knee-deep into a snow pile. Gloria stopped to help Hop up, who helped her pull Victor up. Victor shrugged it off before turning to his friends. "Pacing race?" They nodded and started again.
The road ahead was littered with ice types to battle, but they were treated as obstacles to overcome in order to win. Gloria was the first at the top, followed by Hop. Victor claimed that he was slowed down by icy pants, but the scoreboard remained the same. Their eyes cast just a bit ahead of them to focus on a large wall and gate. Beyond that was Wyndon, their final destination.
Victor: Dash (Cinderace) Corviknight, Drednaw, Excadrill, Fraxure, Clobbopus
Gloria: Ace (Inteleon) Dishwasher (Obstagoon) Rogue (Thievul) Hattie (Hatterene) Harry (Grimmsnarl) Stabitha (Pawniard)