Pokemon: Shuffled Journeys

by sithlorde1988

An AU write-up of the Pokemon anime in which nothing is how it was in canon. How different is the anime if it involves an Ash who starts his journey out in Galar, with Iris and Hop as travelling companions? Also, what order will he visit the regions in? And who will his starter be? To find out the answers to these questions (and more), read the story! Better summary in Chapter 1.

8. A Motostoke Surprise! part 2 (VS Bede)

A/N: Hello there, sithlorde1988 here with another chapter of Pokemon: Shuffled Journeys! I'm sure some of you are probably like 'FINALLY! About time!' but to be fair I had other stuff come up that kinda made Shuffled Journeys take a temporary back burner so to speak. Not least of which being the fact I've put out several chapters of my other existing stories since I last updated this and even put out a one-shot for the sake of seeing how it would be received (a Mario one-shot at that), not to mention the fact I literally only had ONE new review since the last update. And that was from a guest. I'm guessing I didn't wait long enough for reviews or something. ANYWAYS, before I get too far distracted, lemme paste the guest review real quick and reply to it. This was the review:

The only reason I wasn't sure if it was iris from the anime or not because she felt a little oc and didn't feel quite like the iris I'm familiar with that's why I said that and great job on the chapters as always have a good day

First of all, thanks for the review! Always feels nice to get a review from a reader, even if sometimes reviews aren't always positive in nature. I just take the negative ones as constructive criticism and learn from them. Granted, I haven't really had any negative reviews per se as yet ((unless one counts Skitty4's pointing out that I made the group always beat the Team Yell trio aka Bob, Guv and Brielle every time they battle, but even then that wasn't entirely accurate given that Hop's lost to them several times, even if one of the others DID end up salvaging the win so I guess I DID kinda make them always lose.

But isn't that kind of how it goes in Pokemon? The bad guys almost never win (excluding Jessie, James and Meowth in the anime the few times they teamed up with Ash, but even then they still ended up kind of taking an L so that Ash could succeed)) but I digress.

That said, I'm pleased by your praise. Also I freely acknowledge that I did kinda make Iris a tiny bit OOC at first, but as I said in a previous chapter, her first appearances in both Black and White as well as in Master Journeys/Journeys had her hanging out being cuddly with trees, and having Poke Balls chucked at her head due to her hair being mistaken for a Pokemon so I maintain it's not THAT OOC.

Besides, this is SHUFFLED Journeys so needless to say there's going to be at least a few semi-OOC bits by necessity in the plot. But it's good that she didn't quite feel like the Iris you're familiar with as I'm trying to make her not entirely the same as she was in the anime, even if I DO keep some of her character aspects the same (e.g. her love of Dragon-types and her tendency to call people 'little kids' when annoyed) so that means I'm at least partly getting her character more or less correct. That being said, thanks for reviewing! As a warning, this chapter might have a couple rough scenes in it but nothing too bad.

And with that taken care of, let's get into chapter 8! Per usual, all the typical disclaimers apply, those being that I do not own Pokemon in any way, shape, or form, save MAYBE for Lumie (who to be fair is basically an OC since the games hardly touched much on the player character's mother and even less on said player character's father, to the point he might as well not have existed). One more thing, be sure to read the end-chapter A/N carefully as there'll be some stuff in it that you'll want to see. With that aside, NOW let's start chapter 8!

Chapter 8- Surprises in Motostoke! part 2

Previously on Pokemon: Shuffled Journeys...

"So this is Motostoke! I thought it'd be smaller."

"Oh, and before I forget, these are for you."

"What are they?"

"They're called Wishing Stars, Ash. They're the key to unlocking a great power for your Pokemon."

"EEVEE/WOOLOO, GO!"

"Wooloo, you did great mate. Now return."

"It's all up to you, Gloria. Hopefully your Eevee's Confusion doesn't cost us the battle."

"Well done, you two. That was an excellent battle."

"We got lucky that Gloria's Eevee didn't defeat itself with its confusion. As it is, that confusion was the only reason that Wooloo lost."

"This is potentially awkward. Let's go get the rooms then, yeah?"

"I'm afraid there's only two rooms left, and each room has only one bed, so you'll have to split up, two to a room."

"Well, common sense AND decency BOTH suggest that we have the ladies pair off for one room while Hop and I take the other."

"Honestly, I have no issue at all with that plan. Anything that means I DON'T have to share a room with Gloria."

"I said I was sorry, Hop. I know you haven't won that many battles, but don't take that out on me."

"Oh, shut up! I don't need you to remind me that I don't have a great track record in battles. So stop being such a ditz already!"

"H-How dare you? I'm NOT a ditz, Hop! And frankly, I don't know how Iris puts up with having a sore loser like you for a cousin!"

"Hop, that was COMPLETELY uncalled for! I know what happened was unfortunate, but that's no call to be such a little kid over a battle that you ended up winning! Now grow up!"

"Guess I'm rooming with you after all, Ash."

"I don't mind rooming with you, but you need to think more before you speak."

"You're right, mate. I was bang out of order."

"See, you CAN learn."

"Morpek?"

"Oh nothing, it's probably just some newbie trainers having a rough patch. Nothing we need to be worried about, Morpeko."

"I guess I'll take the floor while you take the bed?"

"Works for me."

"While I AM concerned for Iris, I think Gloria is able to find her own way to her room, Ash. But if you're that worried, you can go on ahead and look for them."

"If you say so, Hop. I'll be back later."

"Shoot, I'm SO sorry! Are you okay?"

"Hey, cheer up, yeah? I've had worse spills than that before. Are YOU okay?"

"Yeah, just a bit preoccupied is all. I'm Ash, by the way. Ash Ketchum."

"Nice to meet you, Ash. I'm Marnie."

"You wouldn't happen to have seen a purple-haired girl with long hair and pigtails or a blonde-haired girl with a beret and an Eevee on her shoulder anywhere, would you?"

"Are you referring to the girl I saw running off with tears in her eyes after some git made some frankly rude comments towards her? If so, she's in room 835 alone. I also saw the purple-haired girl chase after her too."

"IRIS! Over here!"

"Gloria locked you out of the room? I hope she's okay."

"Let's give her tonight, and if we've not heard from her in the morning, you can go check on her then."

"Fair enough. As for your rooming dilemma, you can share with me and Hop for tonight, provided you're okay with sharing the floor with me since Hop kinda called dibs on the bed?"

"Wow, who knew Ash Ketchum could be such a gentleman? I'm impressed."

"Given how small this floor is, I think we might have to cuddle up to save room, if you're okay with it."

"Ash, any particular reason I'm finding Iris in here with us when she's supposed to be rooming with Gloria?"

"Don't yell at Ash, Hop! He offered to let me crash in here with you guys after Gloria ended up locking me out of our room after YOU made her cry!"

"The only reason you found us the way you did was because YOU had dibs on the bed so we had to cuddle up to save room."

"Ugh, FINE. I'll apologize to her. I was bang out of order anyways."

"You want to talk about what's bothering you?"

"Hop took off walking. He and I got into a fight, and he went off to the ceremonies alone. If he thinks I'm just 'some cheap broad who throws herself at everyone', HIS words NOT mine, then let him go! I'm not like that!"

"I see Hop's not with you."

"I'm sorry, but all Challengers must change into their uniforms before heading to the Opening Ceremonies."

"And without further ado or explanation, I declare this year's Galar Region Gym Challenge officially open!"

"Gloria's in trouble!"

(End recap)

(Unknown area, Kanto region)

"So, we managed to get out of there in one piece. That's good, right?" A purple-haired male said to his two companions, one being a female with really long red hair and the other being a Meowth.

"Of course that's good, James! Would you rather we were still stuck in there possibly being caught in that big raid? If you ask me, I think we got off lucky. Imagine if we hadn't helped the Champion out of captivity. Hopefully he and the Elites that were with him got out safely." The Meowth said to the now-named James.

"Oh shut your Meowth. We know we got lucky getting away when we did. But that's not gonna do us much good if we can't do what Red asked us to do, now is it? He only had one simple request of us in exchange for getting us out of there, and that was to be his eyes and ears in Team Rocket. And I think we could do a good job at it if we put our minds to it! And if it gives us a chance to get our own back against all those fools who constantly mocked and degraded us, so much the better." The red-headed female said with a slight sneer. James frowned at this but nodded.

"You make a good point, Jessie. But still, being a spy is a LOT easier said than done. Besides, wouldn't us having a talking Meowth kind of diminish our effectiveness as spies? Um no offense to you at all Meowth." James replied to the now-named Jessie, turning towards Meowth with an apologetic look.

"No biggy James, I know I'm an unusual Pokemon. But he asked YOU and JESSIE to be spies, NOT me. So if anything I can just go off elsewhere and try to gather intel. Trust me, we can work around our situation rather well. Besides, the Champion is definitely someone we want on our side." Meowth pointed out. Jessie huffed.

"What Meowth said. Besides, if anything we can use him as a saboteur of sorts." Jessie said. The three then shrugged, sitting for awhile in their makeshift hideaway as they plotted out their new path in life...

(Meanwhile, in the Galar region, with Delia and Lumie)

"Mmm, this is kinda nice, don't you think? Just you and me snuggled up while we sunbathe? If not for the fact people might see us, I'd have suggested we not wear bathing suits to avoid tan lines, but rather obviously that'd be just indecent." Delia said to Lumie, giggling at her little joke. Lumie turned to Delia, slightly red-faced at what Delia had implied.

"You're incorrigible, Delia. Besides, that's what the bedroom is for, you minx. Now behave. After all, we'll have a hard time keeping what we have secret if the kids figure it out immediately because you can't keep your hands off me since we shared that first kiss." Lumie scolded Delia, giggling as she saw the embarrassed look on Delia's face.

"You're right, of course. I'll behave. Speaking of the kids, I wonder how they're doing?" Delia asked Lumie, who shrugged as they decided to get dressed and see if Sonia knew anything about the kids' whereabouts...

(meanwhile, elsewhere in Galar, with Ash, Hop and Iris)

"What do you mean Gloria's in trouble?!" Ash said in shock after hearing Iris yell it out. Iris frowned.

"Exactly what I said. Judging from that scream, there was a struggle, and most likely Gloria was taken during the end of the opening ceremonies." Iris replied. Hop looked away at Iris' remark, a look of regret and disappointment on his face. He might be annoyed at Gloria, but he'd never wish ill on her. She IS still his friend after all. Hop sighed and looked at the others.

"We need to split up and try to see if anyone's seen her! And one of us needs to let Lee know that Gloria's missing!" Hop said to Iris and Ash who nodded.

"You're right. Hop, you can go and find Leon and let him know what happened. He's YOUR brother after all. As for Iris, you can go try and find out if anyone's seen Gloria in Motostoke at all." Ash decided. Iris frowned at this.

"That's all well and good, but what about YOU?" Iris asked Ash with a tone of worry. Ash smirked.

"Not to worry, I'm gonna be doing some fact-finding of my own. Not to mention, someone has to cover the off chance Team Yell has her, because let's be real, the last few times things have gone wrong, Team Yell's usually been involved with it. Why should this time be any different?" Ash replied, making Iris and Hop nod as the three took off in seperate directions. Had any of them lingered even a bit longer, they'd have seen a certain blonde-haired challenger dragging Gloria out of the back exit to Motostoke towards the Wild Area...

(back inside Motostoke)

While Ash and Hop ran off to do their parts, Iris went around the city to gather information from people. As she did so, she barely managed to stop herself in time from running into a certain tall dark-skinned male with a red bandanna and green eyes. Iris blinked as she recognized this person from the Opening Ceremonies.

"Oh, um excuse me, Mr. Raihan? Are you busy right now?" Iris asked the now named Raihan. Raihan looked around, finally realizing Iris was speaking to him.

"Right now? No, not really. Why, something wrong little lady?" Raihan asked Iris who nodded.

"I don't know if you noticed, but during the Opening Ceremonies, at the end, I heard a scream from within the crowd, and when I went to investigate, I found that my friend Gloria was nowhere to be seen. I'm not sure if maybe she fell and hurt herself, or if maybe she's been captured somehow. Either way, my friends and I are trying to figure out what happened to her so we can all start our Gym Challenge together." Iris explained to Raihan who then nodded as he recalled seeing Iris among the prospective Gym Challengers.

"That's no good. Tell you what. I didn't see anything myself, but I have some time now so why don't I help you and your friends look for this...Gloria did you say her name was?" Raihan asked Iris who nodded.

"That's right, her name is Gloria. My friends Hop and Ash went off elsewhere to try and track down info on her in case we can figure out what happened to her." Iris said to Raihan who frowned at Hop's name.

"When you say Hop, you don't mean Hop as in the younger brother of Leon, do you? THAT Hop?" Raihan asked, to which Iris nervously bit her lip slightly but nodded.

"Yes, THAT Hop. He and Leon are brothers. And I'm their cousin. My name is Iris." Iris said, introducing herself to Raihan who nodded.

"I see. Well, I don't know how Leon's little bro got himself endorsed given last I checked he had no real experience with Pokemon and even less experience winning battles. But I'm sure he's not that person anymore. That said, nice to meet you, Iris." Raihan said, smiling as he extended a hand out for Iris to shake, which she did, trying not to be too embarrassed that she was shaking hands with a fellow lover of Dragon-types. But she put that out of her mind for now to focus on the task at hand.

"I assume Hop went to inform Leon?" Raihan asked Iris, who nodded.

"Well, we can leave that to him and go and find your friend Ash since who knows what trouble he could get into if he tries hunting info in the back alleys of this place, as they can get kinda sketchy at times." Raihan said to Iris who went wide-eyed.

"SKETCHY? Do they get that bad?" Iris asked uneasily. Raihan nodded.

"Unfortunately so. I've heard rumors that a lot of times shady characters can be seen dragging stuff down those alleyways. So let's hope Ash didn't do anything TOO stupid trying to find info." Raihan said to Iris, who nodded as the two ran off to find Ash...

(At the same time, over with Hop)

"Why is it that whenever I don't need to find Lee he always finds us, but one of the few times I DO need to find him, he's nowhere to be seen?" Hop grumbled under his breath as he kept looking for Leon. Eventually he found Leon sitting alone enjoying a drink, oddly enough. Hop walked over to Leon who looked up in surprise at the sight of Hop approaching him.

"Hop? Where're Ash and the others? Aren't they supposed to be with you?" Leon asked Hop in confusion.

"We had to split up, Lee! During the ceremonies, Gloria disappeared and we can't find her! Iris said she heard a scream near the end of the ceremonies, and when we went to look, we couldn't find Gloria anywhere! I personally think she might've gotten kidnapped. Can you help us find her, Lee?" Hop asked Leon who frowned.

"Why would Gloria not be walking with you guys in the first place, Hop? You four are always together." Leon asked with a raised eyebrow. Hop flinched at the question, looking down with a guilty look on his face.

"That's my fault, I'm afraid. She and I got in a fight last night because I said things to her I shouldn't have after she had to basically carry the two of us to a win over some Team Yell grunts who were blocking the front desk so people couldn't claim their rooms. I snapped at her and called her a ditz, among other things. And all because I wouldn't listen when she tried to apologize for her confused Eevee defeating Wooloo by accident. This is all my fault. If I'd just accepted her apology and not lost my temper, maybe she'd have been walking with us this morning and not gone and gotten herself caught or worse." Hop said, a look of serious regret on his face. Leon sighed and looked at Hop.

"Hop, how many times have you been told not to lose your temper when you lose a battle? I know it's rough, but you can't keep lashing out! Eventually you'll start getting better as a trainer and winning battles. But you really do need to start getting wins under your belt soon since you likely won't be going far in the Gym Challenge if you can't win battles. So perhaps you could try putting in more time on your training if you want to win battles, and less time being rude to your friends." Leon said before frowning and lightly punching Hop in the arm.

"And that was for calling our cousin easy and cheap. I heard about that too." Leon said rolling his eyes at Hop who winced.

"I was being the protective brother figure. It was her fault for dressing up extra cutesy." Hop protested weakly. Leon laughed.

"Trust me Hop, the last thing you need to be is brotherly. I can handle that job JUST fine. Besides, I think we both know why she would do that." Leon said. Hop nodded.

"That said, we should start looking for Gloria." Leon said to Hop who nodded. With that, both of them started searching for Gloria...

(Meanwhile, at that same time, in another location with Ash)

"Gloria? You around here somewhere? GLORIA?" Ash called out, looking around Motostoke for Gloria on a whim. Luckily for him, a familiar face heard him and walked over.

"Ah, look who we have here. Looking for something, or perhaps someone, Ash?" Marnie asked Ash with a sly grin on her face. Ash looked at Marnie and nodded.

"Marnie! Hi! Yes, Gloria went missing near the end of the ceremonies earlier. Iris heard a scream and when she and I went to investigate, we couldn't find Gloria anywhere. Right now, she, Hop and I are split up to try and track down leads to Gloria's location. We think there could've been a struggle given the scream, but we lack proof of that at the moment. Can you help us?" Ash asked Marnie who smiled and nodded.

"Of course I can. What're friends for?" Marnie replied with a smirk. Ash nodded.

"Great. We need to figure out where she could be." Ash said. And he and Marnie proceeded to do just that. After a bit, they caught up to Iris, but she wasn't alone.

"Raihan? Why is one of Galar's Gym Leaders with you, Iris?" Ash asked Iris in confusion. Iris facepalmed.

"He's helping look for Gloria, Ash. We also found out that she was definitely taken. Raihan had one of the other Challengers tell us they saw a girl of Gloria's description being tied up, gagged and dragged off by a blonde-haired guy with a pink and purple outfit during the ceremonies. Unfortunately, the witness was too far away to get a better view of the guy past what was described." Iris explained to Ash who frowned. He then looked at Raihan.

"Sorry if I came off rude just now. I'm worried about Gloria is all. Any help is welcomed." Ash said apologetically to Raihan, who waved it off.

"No worries Ash, I get where you're coming from. But I wonder if Leon might know who that Challenger was that was described?" Raihan replied right as Hop and Leon approached the group.

"ASH! I got Lee to help us! We should be able to find Gloria now for sure." Hop called out as he and Leon reached the group, Leon having gotten close enough to hear what Iris and Raihan had told Ash.

"I could be wrong Raihan, but that Challenger you're describing sounds an awful lot like that Challenger that Chairman Rose endorsed. I think I was told his name is Bede but don't quote me on that. But if it IS him, why would he risk his Challenger status this early like this?" Leon said, clearly confused. Raihan could only shrug while Ash, Hop and Iris all frowned in confusion. Eventually they decided to try and gather more info to try and locate Gloria and the presumed Bede. Shortly thereafter, Marnie came up to the group with an eager smirk.

"It seems that one of the guards over at the west side of Motostoke saw Gloria being dragged out of the western exit of Motostoke by her captor, who refused to identify himself to the guards as he exited the town saying, and I quote, 'I have no time for this! As a challenger endorsed by Chairman Rose himself, I need to be on my way to gather Wishing Stars! Oh, the girl? She's just a means to an end,' suggesting to me that he might have nabbed Gloria as a way to bait Ash and Hop to battle him, since they have Wishing Stars which makes sense given he's collecting them, possibly for this Chairman Rose? That's just my guess." Marnie told the others, making Leon frown.

It was DEFINITELY who he thought it was. 'Rose, what were you thinking endorsing such a brash and ruthless youth for the Gym Challenge?' Leon thought to himself. After that, Leon and Raihan turned to the group. "Unfortunately, we're still needed here in town for League stuff, so we can't help you any further. But we can wish you all the luck in getting Gloria back. And Hop? If it comes to it, you need to believe in yourself and give your all! You can't keep second-guessing yourself every time you have a setback. And do be sure to apologize to her once you see her." Leon said to the group before Raihan spoke up.

"What Leon said. But also I have selfies to take. And Iris? If you ever decided you want some intense training on handling Dragon-types, don't hesitate to look me up." Raihan said with a sly grin, winking at Iris who gaped at the offer but simply nodded, turning away so neither Raihan or Ash saw her face go red at the wink sent her way. Raihan and Leon then left the group to go about their business, while Ash, Hop, Iris and Marnie made for the western exit of Motostoke, hoping to save Gloria. No sooner did they exit Motostoke and start traversing Route 3 than a giant bird landed in front of the group and a postman walked out to face the group. Ash could tell at a glance that this postman was a male (hence 'postman', though in fairness there are female postmen as well).

"Excuse me, is one of you a Hop Shieldori? *1* " The postman asked the group, who exchanged confused looks before Hop raised his hand.

"Yeah, that's me." Hop said. The postman reached into his bag and pulled out an envelope with neat flowing cursive written on the front which he handed to Hop.

"This is for you. The sender asked to remain anonymous for now, but their identity should be revealed in the letter in that envelope. With that, I will leave you as my task is now complete, and the post waits for no one! Back to mail delivery, Corviknight! AWAY!" *2* The postman said eagerly as he hopped on the big bird, now named Corviknight before flying off into the distance. Confused, but seeing no other option than to read the letter, Hop carefully opened up the envelope and read the letter, Ash and Iris leaning over his shoulders to read while Marnie and Morpeko stayed next to the group to listen.

"Greetings, pathetic little brother of Leon. Oh yes, I know EXACTLY who you are. How could I not, being endorsed by the great Chairman Rose himself? And you were endorsed by WHO again? Oh right, that brother of yours! How sad you have to have family endorse you! Oh well, you'll see soon enough just who the better of us two is. Which brings me to the reason for this letter. I challenge you to a 1 on 1 battle at the entrance to Galar Mine, which is at the end of Route 3. And before you think about tearing up this letter and refusing to accept my challenge (which would be cowardly AND pathetic!), know that I have your friend as my captive to ensure you take my challenge.

For you see, should you refuse or decline this challenge, your friend becomes my slave! But no need to worry, for I'm not that heartless. Should you accept my challenge, you need only defeat me (if you can!) and I'll set her free. But, should you challenge me and fail, not only will I keep your friend as my slave, but you AND your friends will have to drop out of the Gym Challenge and hand over your Wishing Stars! Of course, should you be too chicken to face me, you can merely surrender your Wishing Star to me and I'll let your friend go. The choice is yours, Hop. I'll be waiting at the entrance to Galar Mine. Be there by tomorrow night, or you know what will happen. Hoping to face you soon and crush you!

Until then, warmest regards from your future rival (if you manage to have a future!) -Bede" The letter said. Hop exchanged wide-eyed glances with Iris, Ash and Marnie.

"So I have to battle this scumbag to save Gloria? Otherwise we lose her forever? Geez, way to put pressure on me." Hop said anxiously before sighing.

"Well, there's only one thing for it. Ash, you and Iris need to help me get better at battling. Marnie, if you feel like it, you can help out too." Hop said after a bit. After exchanging a pointed look, Ash and Iris nodded their intent to help Hop, though Marnie frowned at him a bit.

"Wait a tick, now I remember why you look familiar, Hop. Ain't you that git who was rude to Gloria last night?" Marnie asked with a frown, making Hop look down but then look back up and nod.

"That's right, I was rude to Gloria. I shouldn't have been though, since it wasn't her fault that Team Yell lucked out with landing a confused status on Gloria's Eevee which led to the highly unfortunate 'friendly fire' between Eevee and Wooloo that took Wooloo out of the battle. However, I admit I handled that loss poorly by snapping at Gloria and taking it out on her. I should've thought more before I lashed out. And on that topic, I owe you an apology as well, Iris. I shouldn't have been so short with you this morning. I'm sorry." Hop replied to Marnie while directing the last bit of his reply at Iris, the former of which crossed her arms in thought while the latter smiled and gently hugged Hop.

"Apology accepted, Hop. What you said did hurt, but we are family so we can't be at odds with each other. Though I won't disagree you owe several apologies to Gloria after you defeat that jerk Bede and save her. And I have faith you can do it." Iris said to Hop who nodded, returning Iris' hug before pulling away after a few seconds. Eventually, Marnie sighed and looked at Hop.

"Look, I won't go around hating on you for what you did, but you need to learn you can't keep lashing out at people when you lose. One of these days it's gonna end up costing you more than you can afford to lose. That said, I will help you get ready for battling Bede, if only for Gloria's sake since she doesn't deserve to suffer more because of you." Marnie said with a frown, before getting Iris and Ash's attention.

"If Iris and Ash here agree, I propose that the three of us take you on in a 3 on 3 Triple Battle, with you getting to use 3 Pokemon to each of our 1. That way your whole team if you even have 3 Pokemon gets experience and not just one of your Pokemon. That sound good?" Marnie suggested, aiming the question as much at Iris and Ash as at Hop. Iris and Ash nodded to Marnie's suggestion. Hop thought about it then nodded.

"Agreed. And no matter how this bout plays out, none of us, myself included, get to have any hard feelings about the outcome." Hop said. Ash, Marnie and Iris all nodded in agreement. They then grabbed a Poke Ball (in Ash and Iris' cases) or gave a low whistle (in Marnie's case) to summon their Pokemon.

"ROLYCOLY, I CHOOSE YOU!/TRAPINCH, LET'S GO!" Ash and Iris said as they threw out their Poke Balls, bringing Rolycoly and Trapinch out.

"Oi Morpeko! Let's get in on this battle!" Marnie said as Morpeko leapt onto her shoulder before doing a cool little front flip and landing next to Rolycoly and Trapinch.

"Well, here goes nothing. OSHAWOTT, WOOLOO AND RUFFLET, GO!" Hop said as he tossed his three Poke Balls out to send out his three Pokemon. With that, the battle began!

"Rolycoly, use Harden several times to up your Defense!" Ash called out.

"Trapinch, use Mud-Slap on Oshawott and Wooloo!" Iris added.

"Morpeko, use Tail Whip to nerf the other team a bit!" Marnie said. Rolycoly began spamming Harden while Trapinch and Morpeko used Mud-Slap and Tail Whip to drop the stats on all of Hop's Pokemon, as well as minimally damaging Oshawott and Wooloo (but not Rufflet who was of course immune to Sand-Attack but still took a hit to its' defense from Tail Whip).

"Wooloo, start layering on the Defense Curls! While you do that, Oshawott will use Focus Energy and Rufflet will start boosting itself with Hone Claws!" Hop called out, deciding to start out by trying to offset the lowered stats of his team. All three of Hop's Pokemon started buffing themselves. Ash and Iris exchanged a nod before looking at Hop.

"Rolycoly, use Smack Down!" Ash called out.

"Trapinch, use Bite!" Iris called out. Trapinch and Rolycoly used their attack, logging much damage on Wooloo and Rufflet.

"Morpeko, use Power Trip!" Marnie called out as Morpeko started pummeling an unsuspecting Wooloo, causing the Normal-type to take more damage.

"Wooloo, fight back with Tackle!" Hop called out, but to his surprise AND that of Iris, Ash and Marnie, instead of Tackle, Wooloo reared its' tiny legs back and delivered a solid pair of kicks straight to Morpeko's face, leaving the Dark/Electric-type to reel backwards in pain, clutching its' nose which had taken the brunt of the attack as it landed on its' backside crying from the impact. Marnie sighed.

"You're in no shape to go on, Morpeko. Go on ahead and return. Ya did good for me, mate." Marnie said, reluctantly recalling Morpeko to her, setting it down next to her.

"Hop, your Wooloo just learned Double Kick! That's great!" Ash said cheering. Iris frowned.

"Trapinch, use Bite on that Wooloo!" Iris called out as Trapinch rushed forward and clamped its' jaws down on Wooloo, knocking out the Normal-type to Hop's disappointment.

"Return, Wooloo. Thanks for a good effort." Hop said smiling at Wooloo as he returned him to his Poke Ball. He then turned to Oshawott and Rufflet.

"Oshawott, use Aqua Jet on Rolycoly! Rufflet, hit Trapinch with your Wing Attack!" Hop called out.

"Rolycoly, dodge that and retaliate with Smack Down!" Ash called out to Rolycoly.

"Trapinch, use another bit, but on Rufflet this time!" Iris added. Oshawott formed a geyser around himself, and charged into Rolycoly, doing a lot of damage to the Fire/Rock type. Meanwhile Rufflet pulled back and slapped Trapinch across the face with his wing, sending Trapinch skidding along the field before slumping down in front of Iris swirly-eyed, but not before hitting Rufflet with one last Bite, enabling Trapinch to take Rufflet down with it, causing the Normal/Flying-type to also hit the ground swirly-eyed. Iris and Hop sighed as they recalled their Pokemon after thanking them for their efforts. At that, it was down to Oshawott versus Rolycoly. Ash and Hop exchanged a determined look and nodded.

"OSHAWOTT/ROLYCOLY, USE AQUA JET/SMACK DOWN!" Ash and Hop called out simultaneously, as Oshawott charged forward in another geyser and hit Rolycoly full-on, all the while being hit point-blank with Smack Down, causing a minor explosion that cleared to show a crater where the two attacks clashed, at the bottom of which both Rolycoly and Oshawott could be seen laid out on the ground both swirly-eyed, to Ash and Hop's shock.

"Huh, looks like a draw. I guess at least no one lost, right?" Ash said optimistically. Hop nodded.

"Agreed. I didn't techincally win, but I also didn't lose. Either way, good job everyone." Hop said to Ash, Iris and Marnie.

"Thanks. You did pretty good yourself." Iris replied. Marnie smirked.

"You're not so bad, Hop. Hopefully you can beat that berk Bede. Otherwise you might be regretting it forever. Because I recall an old expression about how much people who care for each other fight. And I get the sense that could apply to you and Gloria." Marnie said teasingly, as Hop's face went pink in embarrassment.

"S-shut up! Gloria's nice and all, but if anything I feel like she's like a sister to me! Besides, I think we all know that both she AND Iris totally have their hearts set on Ash." Hop joked, expecting the punch on his shoulder from Iris.

"Hop, be nice. And what business is it of yours if I do like Ash? Besides, I'm not rushing him into anything he's not ready for yet." Iris said with a huff as she crossed her arms.

"Gloria and Iris are my friends, Hop. Maybe one day WAAAAY down the line we'll end up more, but that's only when we all agree we're ready for it. And YES I said WE, I'm not opposed to possibly being shared with more than one girl, though I don't see it happening since let's be real, how often do harems happen anymore?" Ash joked, ignoring the red faces of Iris and Marnie at his joking reply. If Ash was serious, then it's possible there wasn't a need to fight over him.

"Anyways, with that done, are we ready to go hunt down Bede and save Gloria?" Hop asked the group. Ash and Marnie shrugged, while Iris looked at Hop.

"I think the better question is, are YOU ready? You may have fought us to a draw here, but there's a difference between managing a draw against us and beating Bede outright. There's no shame in needing to take your time a bit and grind some levels up against a few wild Pokemon on the way to the mine to ensure your team is in optimal shape for the battle with Bede. After all, if you fail to win, not only is Gloria doomed, but possibly so are the rest of us. So you have a lot riding on you winning, Hop. But never forget that Ash and I believe in you." Iris said to Hop with a smile before pulling him into a brief hug. Hop blinked at this but returned the hug. Ash saw this and chuckled.

"Aw, look. You two are getting along. How sweet." Ash joked, as Marnie giggled at the joke.

"Ash, don't be such a little kid! Of course we get along." Iris huffed. Hop frowned at Ash.

"Don't poke fun at me and Iris, Ash." Hop said. Ash nodded.

"Sorry, I was only joking. I think it's great you two get along." Ash said in his own defense. Hop then turned back to Iris.

"I guess you do have a point there. I guess we can take the slow route to the mine so we can level-grind a bit on the way." Hop decided, to which Ash, Iris and even Marnie gave approving nods. With that, the four of them started making their way along Route 3, towards Galar Mine...

(meanwhile, at Galar Mine, with Bede and Gloria)

"Remind me again why I agreed to work with lowlives like you? Scum such as you should really be beneath me, as a trainer handpicked for endorsement by Chairman Rose himself." A blonde-haired male said to a certain familiar trio of Team Yell grunts.

"Relax, mate. We're not actually asking you to work with us per se. Moreso, we're currently in what I like to think of as a, shall we say, 'mutually-beneficial arrangement'? Firstly, YOU take out those brats endorsed by Leon, thus furthering your supremacy as the lone endorsee of Chairman Rose AND allowing us revenge on them in one fell swoop. In exchange for your assistance in this endeavor, we will use what resources we have to help gather Wishing Stars to make your job easier. Surely you must be pleased that you have a chance to be of even greater use to the man who not only endorsed you for the Gym Challenge, but gave you that Gothita you started with? *3* Or could it be you have doubts about how useful you can be to the Chairman?" Guv said persuasively to the blonde haired male..

He'd been chosen to be the spokesman for the trio since he knew Bob was frankly too stupid to not bollocks it up, and he didn't trust Brielle not to possibly try to flirt with the blonde haired male on the side. Not that it's his business who she sees, but there's a certain appeal to be had to 'marrying within one's own' as it were. It may or may not also have had to do with a possible lowkey affection he'd carried for the lone female of their trio for some time, but that's neither here nor there to the current topic. The blonde haired male frowned at Guv.

"Who do you think you're dealing with, you worm? I, Bede, have long been the lone Trainer handpicked by Chairman Rose to win the Gym Challenge! While I appreciate your willingness to help with gathering Wishing Stars, don't delude yourself into thinking we have any 'arrangement' as you put it. This is merely just us happening to have a common goal, in this case eliminating the challengers endorsed by Leon. He has no business handing out Endorsements as a Champion. Only the Chairman should have that power. And don't think me stupid. I know damn well you have a thing for that Brielle girl you and Bob work with.

That's your lookout if you find her attractive. Of course, for all you know, she could either find another guy attractive or not even like guys at all. So you MIGHT want to think about confronting her about this sooner than later lest you find yourself pondering a 'what-if' forever. That said, have no fear. I will destroy that Hop and in so doing end the threat of those four that Leon endorsed. The only regret I have is that two of them are females, so doing this could potentially ruin any possible shot I have at getting with either one of them." The now named Bede said with a sneer as he nodded respectfully to Guv who frowned.

"I suppose that makes sense. And I'm guessing that regret is why you felt the need to have HER tied up and gagged? Or were you just in a kinky mood when you did that?" Guv asked with a teasing grin on his face. Bede scowled.

"That's none of your concern! But since you asked, I tied that girl up and gagged her just to keep her from giving us away until I got her out of town. Now if you're not too busy running that fool mouth of yours, help me untie her and then quickly relieve her of her Pokemon and any valuables she might have on her. Of course, if you happened to decide you wanted to take the clothes off of her back to give to that girl you like as a present, I wouldn't judge. But that's your call." Bede said to Guv who frowned.

"I'll help you re-tie her, but YOU have to do any undressing or stealing. We Team Yell may be troublemakers, but dammit we have standards!" Guv said, making Bede laugh.

"HA! A bunch of common thugs and groupies like YOU have standards? That's a laugh!" Bede said, frowning at Guv before untying Gloria as he and Guv managed to quickly tie her hands up to a rock behind her before tying her feet to a pole nearby and mounting the pole in the ground, but not before Bede decided to un-gag Gloria and help himself to a gentle if chaste kiss on Gloria's lips. Bede smiled afterwards.

"Nice, she has very soft lips. Maybe later once I defeat Hop, I'll see what else she's good at. After all, if she's going to be my slave, I'll have to be sure to make good use of her potential." Bede said with a devious grin as he gave a quiet if maniacal laugh at his plan before grabbing the stuff he'd taken off of Gloria and stuffing it in a bag and stashing it in a nearby hole in the ground, which he rolled a rock on top of so it wouldn't be easily spotted. Bede then turned to Guv.

"Well? What are you still doing here? Your purpose here has been served, unless you're volunteering your sorry band of bunglers to be distractions for the other three that will likely show up with Hop so that he and I can have our one-on-one showdown. But I doubt your lot want to lose yet another battle, do you?" Bede said to Guv who frowned.

"Oh yeah? Well guess again. Not only will me, Bob and Brielle be that distraction, we'll defeat those trainers too! Then maybe you'll be sorry you constantly look down that ugly nose of yours at us. But then you wouldn't be the first to underestimate us Team Yell grunts. But at least our boss believes in us." Guv said with a huff as Bede smirked.

"Is that so? I look forward to seeing your efforts then. Now go train with your friends before they get here since they could be here at any time." Bede said to Guv who frowned but did as he was told, leaving a smirking Bede alone with a bound and unconscious Gloria. Worth noting was that she'd been changed out of her uniform before being tied up, having been changed into a light, form-fitting purple tank top with a pink skirt and matching underclothes that Bede personally had Brielle pick out for Gloria. He allowed himself an amused grin as he let himself look Gloria over as she hung on the pole she'd been tied to, still out cold. Bede then walked over to her, gently running a finger down one of Gloria's cheeks.

"You know, I almost hope I DO destroy that fool Hop. Because I'm actually looking forward to having you at my command. Because if what you look like now is any indication, methinks you'll be QUITE the looker further down the line. Heh heh, I look forward to that. But for now, rest while you can. For you'll have plenty to stress out about soon enough." Bede whispered huskily into Gloria's ear, knowing she couldn't hear him while unconscious. As he turned around and made to walk towards the entrance to the mine to start gathering Wishing Stars, he barely heard the almost inaudible groan behind him which signalled Gloria coming to, looking around in confusion at her surrondings.

"Ugh...W-where am I? And why isn't this the Motostoke Stadium? Last I recall was being at the Opening Ceremonies for the Gym Challenge with Ash and Iris. Yet now I'm out who knows where?" Gloria said groggily to herself as Bede smirked, turning back around to address his captive.

"Ah, you're finally awake. Good. To your questions, you're by the entrance to Galar Mine, at the far end of Route 3 to the west of Motostoke. As for why this isn't the Stadium, do you REALLY think someone could've taken you hostage right in the same area as the Opening Ceremonies for the Galar League? I know you're not daft my dear, so do use your head and think. Or do you not do that very often?" Bede asked Gloria with a sneer who frowned at Bede.

"What are you talking about, and better yet who are you?" Gloria said before she felt something on her wrists and looked up in realization.

"And why in the name of Arceus do you have me tied up to a pole like this? Is this part of some sick twisted plan of yours you perv?" Gloria snapped as she started trying to wriggle out of the ropes, to Bede's amusement.

"Please, you're wasting both our time trying to get free. Those ropes were knotted tightly enough that not even Leon can untie them. They only get untied when I say so. And for now I don't say so. As to your other question, you can call me Bede, though if my plan goes as I think it will, you might be calling me Master Bede soon enough, my pretty.." Bede said as he walked closer to Gloria to look into her now wide, frightened eyes, letting himself look her over some more. Gloria visibly cringed at this.

"Ew, get away from me you creeper. If you think I find this sort of thing enjoyable OR attractive, you're sadly mistaken. And not even in your dreams would I call you Master! I'm a free woman, for Cresselia's sake! And I find your attempts to dominate and/or control me sad and pathetic. Besides, there's only one, MAYBE two people I have any sort of affections much less feelings for, and you're not either one of them. So if you were hoping to sweep me off my feet and possibly do inappropriate things with or to me, you can forget it!

My friends WILL find me! And once they do, you'll be sorry you ever tried to make me your slave. And for the record, I'm quite sure that's not how Gym Challengers are supposed to act. So you better hope this little incident doesn't reach the ears of anyone official or you might just be out of not only an Endorsement but of the Gym Challenge as a whole. So I hope you thought about that before you tried all this." Gloria said to Bede defiantly. Bede just smirked as he laughed at Gloria, right to her face.

"Are you always this naive, my dear captive? Or is this just a special reaction for me? Because you know, I'd hate to have to mar that pretty face of yours with a handprint, or worse. So maybe you should keep those crass opinions of yours to yourself lest I have to get nasty with you." Bede said calmly to Gloria, resisting the urge to slap her for her threatening comments. He then leered at Gloria as he had a thought occur to him.

"You know, you really shouldn't have to be tied up like this. But between that attitude of yours and the fact I don't trust you not to bolt if I left you untied, I'm left with no choice. Be good and I might just untie you. However, for now you stay where you are. I have some business of my own to attend to in the mine. I'll be back later to check on you." Bede said to Gloria before turning and disappearing into the Galar Mine, leaving a sputtering and angry Gloria tied up to the pole she was tied to. To make matters worse, Gloria realized she didn't have ANY of her Poke Balls OR Pokemon on her. So she had no way to get help. Gloria sighed.

"Well, this sucks. Hopefully the others find me soon. At least for all that he can be rude and hurtful, at least Hop wouldn't resort to tying me up like this...I hope. Ohh, where are you guys?" Gloria said sadly as she leaned back and relaxed, knowing that was the only choice she had at that moment. She also refused to let her embarrassment at Bede's suggestive comments show. Unbeknownst to her, there were a pair of eyes observing her from in a nearby set of bushes.

(meanwhile, back with Ash and company)

"Well, now I'm glad I let Marnie talk me into taking the slow route. I got loads of experience for all three of my Pokemon. I think I might just have a shot against Bede!" Hop said optimistically. Iris and Ash exchanged pleased smiles at Hop's mindset while Marnie smirked.

"Well don't look now mate, but I think we're at the entrance to the Galar Mine. And unless I'm wrong, I think we found your friend!" Marnie said, pointing to a pole both to the left and straight ahead of the group. Ash and Iris turned to look where Marnie was pointing, and both of them went wide-eyed at what they saw.

"GLORIA!" Ash and Iris both practically shouted in shock as they saw their friend tied up to a pole, wearing a VERY different outfit than what she'd had on that morning. However, before Ash and the others could get close to Gloria, a familiar trio of laughs reached their ears as an equally familiar trio of trainers emerged from a nearby bush to face the group.

"YOU GUYS? Did you capture Gloria? And if so, why?" Ash asked, immediately angry at the sight of Team Yell being near Gloria. Bob and Guv laughed at Ash while Brielle rolled her eyes at his question.

"Cool your jets, Ketchum! We didn't capture your friend, BUT we were asked to help keep you and your lady friends over there busy so our associate can have a showdown with your friend there, just the two of them. Or are you and your girlfriends too scared to fight us?" Brielle said to Ash with a sly smirk, turning to give Guv and Bob a coy wink.

"Oi! Don't get your knickers in a twist there, ya daft bimbo! Me and Iris here are just FRIENDS with Ash. While we may agree he can be a charming lad and quite the catch, we're content just being his friends for now. So quit it with the scandalous lies! As to your claim of us being too scared to face you sorry excuses for trainers, why don't we just let our Pokemon do the talking?" Marnie snapped at Brielle, who stopped short on recognizing Marnie. However, Bob spoke up before Brielle could say anything.

"Say wha? Why don't you shut that mouth of yours and let your Pokemon do your battling for you?" Bob sneered at Marnie. Iris rolled her eyes at the trio.

"And WHY should we waste our time battling little kids like you three? And before you get any ideas, NO it's not because we're scared of you! If I recall correctly, we kicked your sorry butts at least three times already! The only reason you're not completely blanked out is because you happened to luck out a couple times against Hop. And really if you hadn't relied on cheap tactics like confusion, he'd have beaten you that last time! So I HIGHLY doubt you have any room to talk about US being scared of YOU." Iris said with a huff as she glared at Bob and Guv, glaring at Brielle.

"And for your information, we will of course battle you three! I can't speak for Marnie or Iris, but I for one have enough faith in Hop here that I think he can defeat Bede on his own. Good luck, Hop. Don't give up and do your best! And remember, never give up until it's all over!" Ash told Hop, giving his shoulder an encouraging squeeze before he, Iris and Marnie walked off with Bob, Guv and Brielle for yet another battle. And not a moment too soon, for no sooner did those six leave than Bede came back out of the mine, smirking as he saw Hop standing there.

"Well, well. Looks like you decided to man up and take my challenge after all. I'm actually glad for that. I was hoping to get a good warm-up before going through those mines. Not to mention, now your pretty friend there gets to watch me wipe the floor with your sorry self. Or do you somehow have the misguided impression you can defeat ME? Me, a trainer personally selected and Endorsed by the great Chairman Rose himself? If you think that, you're clearly more deluded than this fool over here who apparently thinks herself too good for me." Bede said to Hop with a sneer as he approached him.

Hop rolled his eyes at the obvious arrogance in Bede's tone, his eyes following the direction Bede pointed to both go wide-eyed and look away at the sight of Gloria tied up to a pole without her usual beret in a very form-fitting purple tank top with an almost too small pink skirt. Hop frowned at Bede, not amused by what he saw in the slightest.

"All right, was it REALLY necessary to change her outfit like that? Wasn't it enough just to basically take her hostage? I better not find out that you touched her without her permission or me beating you in a battle will be the LEAST of your worries! So you ready to put your money where your mouth is, or is your cowardly ass all talk and no action?" Hop growled at Bede, grabbing Oshawott's Poke Ball off of his belt, clearly ready to battle. Bede smirked.

"I thought you'd never ask, Hop. And it's really none of your concern what I did or didn't do to Gloria when I captured her. Especially given that last I checked you were angry at her over your inability to win even a simple battle. Honestly, I almost wonder at this point if Leon only endorsed you out of pity and a sense of familial obligation to his younger brother. Because I have no idea how else you'd have convinced him to endorse you.

Your friends I can kinda see since they can at least hold their own against those worthless peons from Team Yell. You, however, can't even dispose of THEM. Why do you think I picked YOU in particular to challenge after I took your friend? I knew I'd likely win!" Bede said, smirking slightly evilly as he readied a Poke Ball of his own. "Is one on one good, or is even that too much for your feeble skills to handle?" Bede taunted Hop. Hop frowned but kept his cool. He then glared at Bede in absolute anger and irritation.

"No, I'm QUITE fine with a one on one. So are we gonna battle, or are you just gonna stand there and talk smack to me all day?" Hop said to Bede. Bede laughed.

"My my, someone's eager to get spanked for the umpteenth time in battle. In that case, allow me to oblige you. Gothita, come on down!" Bede said as he threw his Poke Ball, revealing a short female black and purple Pokemon. Hop frowned as he pulled out his Pokedex to identify Bede's Pokemon.

"Gothita, the Fixation Pokemon. Even when no one seems to be around, Gothita can still be heard making a muted cry. Many believe it's speaking to something only it can see. Though they're only babies, there's psychic-like powers stored in their ribbon-like feelers, and sometimes they use that power to fight. Pure Psychic type. Due to a 3 out of 4 ratio of female to male Gothita, this Gothita is female." Hop's Pokedex read off, prompting Hop to frown in thought.

"A Psychic-type, eh? Interesting. But not an impossible matchup. Oshawott, let's give it our all mate!" Hop said as he sent out Oshawott to fight Gothita. Bede laughed.

"I knew you'd use a weak Pokemon and boy was I right. Gothita, since Hop insists on using baby Pokemon, let's treat them like what they are. Hit that Oshawott with your Tickle attack over and over until its stats are bottomed out! Don't let up until those stats are at their minimum!" Bede commanded. Hop laughed.

"THAT's your opening play? Oshawott, intercept that Gothita with a Focus Energy-Water Jet combo!" Hop called out as Oshawott flexed itself to up its' critical-hit ratio before surrounding itself in a geyser and launching said geyser at Gothita who was hit for a good bit of damage and knocked backward, interrupting it's attempt to use Tickle on Oshawott, though it did get at least one Tickle off and weaken Oshawott a slight bit. Bede frowned.

"So that's how it's gonna be. Gothita, show this upstart your Psybeam attack, full power!" Bede commanded, as Gothita fired a beam of psychic energy at Oshawott, who could only endure the attack as Hop hadn't commanded him otherwise. The attack hit for considerable damage. Hop frowned at this but smiled at Oshawott.

"Hang in there, Oshawott! We're not done yet! Show that Gothita your Water Gun attack!" Hop called out to Oshawott, who prepared to fire Water Gun, only to be surprised when Gothita used its psychic powers to stop the Water Gun in its' tracks and redirect it, causing it to hit not Hop OR Oshawott as would be expected, but instead fly straight towards an unsuspecting Gloria, hitting her outfit and soaking it so it was even more skin-tight than before. This also had the effect of making Gloria's eyes snap wide open to look around, settling their gaze on the surprising sight of Hop battling Bede. She smiled and looked down at Hop.

"You can do it Hop! I have faith in you!" Gloria called out, cheering on Hop. Hop looked up and smiled at Gloria.

"Thanks! And I'm sorry about before! I was just being a little brat about losing. I didn't mean anything I said. I actually feel terrible about what I said. You're the farthest thing from a ditz! You're one of my closest friends! I know at times we get along like brother and sister, but at other times I feel like we almost get along as more than that. But that's for another time. For now, try to keep those eyes open while I finish off this perverted creeper and get you free from there.

You hear that Oshawott? We're not giving up! We have to win this for Gloria's sake! Let's give it our all! Now use Aqua Jet again!" Hop called out to Oshawott, but to his surprise, instead of the expected geyser charge that usually accompanied that order, Oshawott's eyes sparkled with determination and he grabbed the scahchop off of his stomach and hefted it in his hand like a weapon as a watery blade extended outward from the scalchop and Oshawott extended it forward, charging at Gothita with the shell out like a blade, dashing through it like a swordsman who is about to clash swords with their enemy.

If that was surprising to Hop and Bede it was nothing on what happened next. While Oshawott straightened up after the attack, panting and almost out of breath, Gothita's eyes went wide before it clutched at its stomach before finally falling over backwards to the ground, eyes swirly in defeat. Both Hop AND Bede's jaws dropped at this, for different reasons. For Bede, he never had expected Hop to win and this was a massive blow to him as well as a major setback to his plans. As for Hop, he was just dumbstruck. He'd just won his first ever Pokemon battle, all on his own! He ran over and hugged Oshawott as a frustrated Bede recalled his Gothita. Hop cheered as he smiled at Oshawott.

"All right mate, we did it! Not only did we defeat that berk Bede, but you even learned a new move in the process! I'm so proud of you Oshawott!" Hop said, hugging Oshawott carefully as Oshawott smiled, happily nuzzling his face into Hop's cheek.

"Osha osha wott wott!" Oshawott said happily waving its' arms around excitedly. To both Oshawott and Hop's surprise, they heard giggling from behind them, reminding not only them but Bede that Gloria had seen the whole thing. Hop then looked at Oshawott.

"Say Oshawott, think you can use your new move to carefully cut those ropes off of Gloria so she can get down already? I can't imagine she's very comfortable with wet clothes like that." Hop said to Oshawott, who nodded and used his new move to carefully sever the ropes holding Gloria up and tying her to the pole, prompting Hop to have to dash over towards her.

Even then, Hop only just barely ended up getting to her in time to catch her before she hit the ground, smiling down at her, not at all mindful of or concerned about her wet clothes. Gloria blushed in embarrassment as she hid her face in Hop's chest. Hop laughed a bit at Gloria's expression before setting her down gently on the ground and marching over to Bede, an unpleased scowl on his face as he looked ready to beat up Bede. Bede scowled at Hop as he approached.

"Oh what's this then? Are you angry I got your girlfriend a bit wet? Or are you actually gonna be a man and fight me? I may have lost the battle but I can still damn sure win the war!" Bede said with a scoff. Hop raised his fist, as if to punch Bede, but at the last second, he lowered it, frowning at Hop.

"I want to beat the scumbag and evil out of you, but for Gloria's sake, I won't. Besides, you're not worth possibly being disqualified over. Though I WILL take a couple of THESE as recompense for what you did. Also, Gloria's NOT my girlfriend! I'm lucky that she even likes me as a friend." Hop said, reaching into the small bag on Bede's hip and pulling out two Wishing Stars, one of which he recognized as being Gloria's and the other he took so Iris could also have one. He then glared at Bede.

"Now get your sorry face out of here before I change my mind and beat you senseless for what you did to Gloria. And I better never have to see your ugly mug again or if I do, the next battle will make this one look tame by comparison! Now beat it while you still can." Hop said, crossing his arms and glaring at Bede who stuck his nose up as he huffed.

"Hmph! Fine, you got me, THIS time. But make no mistake, this isn't the last you've seen of me! Mark my words, our paths will cross again and I WILL take you and your friends out of the Gym Challenge!" Bede said with a sneer as he stormed off into the Galar Mine after glaring at Hop one last time. Hop shook his head as Bede vanished into the mines.

"Ruddy coward! He'd better get out of here! He's lucky Ash and Iris didn't get ahold of him, since THEY're the ones Bede should be worried about." Hop said to himself with a smirk before walking back over to Gloria, smiling down at her as he helped her into a sitting position before sitting down next to her. Gloria looked over at Hop, a mixture of embarrassment and gratitude in her eyes. Hop gently put a hand on top of Gloria's hand, Gloria feeling something land in her hand, frowning as she realized it was her Wishing Star.

"Did you get back my stuff from Bede? I think he took everything I had except the clothes I have on. I can tell you got back my Wishing Star. Thank you for that by the way, and for saving me from him. He creeped me out something fierce, you know." Gloria said smiling at Hop who nodded.

"You're welcome. And if you didn't hear me before, I am sorry for the way I treated you last night. You're right, that wasn't your fault that Wooloo got knocked out. That was just a mix of bad luck and some cheap tactics on Team Yell's part. I shouldn't have taken my frustration out on you. Nor should I have said what I did to you. You are far from a ditz. I

f anything you're a strong, feisty, charming lady. If any of us is pathetic or stupid, it's me for constantly hurting yours and Iris' feelings the way I do. I don't expect you to forgive me for what I said, but hopefully we can at least get along for the sake of the group." Hop said to Gloria, who smiled at Hop before gently resting her head on his shoulder, smiling up at him.

"I forgive you, Hop. If anything, I apologize too for calling you weak and pathetic. That was uncalled for of me, even if what you said DID hurt my feelings. As far as I'm concerned, you coming out here to save me and free me from that pervert more than makes up for our spat. So thank you very much for rescuing me. I knew you could do it, Hop." Gloria said, smiling at Hop as she gently leaned her head up to peck Hop on the cheek.

"That was for saving me." Gloria said as she looked down, frowning at the dark spots on her tank top and skirt from where the Water Gun had hit her. Hop smiled having an idea. He reached into his bag, pulling out a spare shirt and shorts and offering them to Gloria.

"If you want you can duck behind that big rock and change out of those wet clothes. I apologize if these don't quite fit you right but it was all I had on me unfortunately." Hop said to Gloria who nodded and did just what Hop suggested. As she did that, Hop and Oshawott frowned at the rock, realizing there was something underneath it. But he waited for Gloria to change and return before doing anything about it. Once Gloria walked back out wearing Hop's offered change of clothes (which needless to say loosely fit her, but enough she didn't have to use a belt or anything to keep the outfit on), Hop pointed at the rock she'd been behind.

"Is it me, or does it seem like something's under that rock?" Hop asked Gloria, who frowned and looked at the rock too, seeing the faintest hint of an object underneath the rock.

"You're right. There IS something under it. Think you can get it moved so we can get whatever's under there?" Gloria asked Hop who nodded.

"Wooloo and Oshawott, move this boulder so we can get whatever's underneath it!" Hop called out as he threw Oshawott and Wooloo's Poke Balls to get them out. Oshawott and Wooloo nodded as they were sent out of their Poke Balls, Oshawott using his new move to slice the boulder clean in half, the two pieces falling to one side to reveal a bag underneath, making Hop and Gloria's eyes go wide as they had a hunch of what was inside.

Sure enough as they opened it, not only was all of Gloria's stuff inside, but so was an egg similar to the one Iris and Ash had found, but where that egg was almost multi-colored, this egg was moreso a bright blue (almost baby blue). Hop offered Gloria her stuff back, which she eagerly accepted, though they looked carefully at the egg. "Should we raise it together since that's how we found it?" Hop asked Gloria who opened her mouth to agree, but then had another idea.

"We could do that, but I feel like we should give this egg to Ash since unlike the rest of us, he only has 2 Pokemon so far, and neither of those are an actual capture of his." Gloria suggested. Hop frowned at first but then nodded.

"That DOES make sense. Speaking of which, how long is it gonna take Ash and the others to beat those Team Yell goons? They're not THAT strong, even if I myself haven't yet beaten them." Hop said with a frown. Gloria blinked.

"Ash and the others are battling Team Yell?" Gloria asked Hop. Hop nodded.

"Yep, Bede used Team Yell to keep Ash and the others busy so they couldn't help me defeat Bede, not that I needed the help in the end as you probably saw. By the way, I think we can dry that outfit you had on if you want to keep ahold of it. To be honest, it looked good on you, if a bit borderline-revealing." Hop said to Gloria, who turned away as her cheeks went a bright red at Hop's compliment.

"I might keep it, I dunno yet. But thank you for the compliment." Gloria said. At that moment, a very dinged-up Ash and Iris emerged from a nearby bush, Marnie close behind with a scowl on her face. Hop and Gloria walked over to the group, the latter being careful to keep her outfit held up as she ducked behind a tree to change into her usual outfit after fishing it out of the bag. As she changed, Hop addressed the others.

"So, how'd it go? Did you guys defeat Team Yell?" Hop asked. Ash frowned slightly at the question.

"Yes...and no. We beat them, but not before they ganged up on and knocked out Iris' Trapinch 3 on 1. Luckily Marnie and I were able to drive them back with Rolycoly and Morpeko." Ash replied to Hop who frowned and gave Iris an encouraging hug.

"Iris, I'm sorry for this morning. You're not cheap or easy. I was just being an overprotective berk. Besides, I can honestly say I've seen girls dressed in less than what you had on, even if it was only just slightly less." Hop said to Iris as he gave her an apologetic look. Iris smiled and waved it off.

"I get it, Hop. What you said about me being 'a cheap and easy floozy' did hurt, but I forgive you since you stepped up and faced Bede on your own. Speaking of which, did you beat him?" Iris asked as she looked around, not seeing Bede anywhere. Hop smiled and looked at Iris.

"Why don't you ask Gloria if I won?" Hop said with a smile as almost on cue, Gloria stepped out from behind the tree she was changing by wearing her usual outfit. She then gave the egg from before to Ash, after which she ran over and eagerly hugged Iris.

"Gloria! You're okay!" Iris said happily as she returned the hug, not really caring if they had an audience. Gloria frowned a bit.

"Yeah, I'm okay, but had Hop not beaten Bede and saved me when he did, who knows if that'd still be the case. Bede was kind of a creeper." Gloria said with a shudder.

"That's an understatement, Gloria. The guy had the gall to hit YOU with a Water Gun attack! Not me, not Oshawott, YOU! He's lucky I didn't beat him senseless for it! As it is, I'm content that Oshawott beat his Gothita silly. Oshawott even learned a new move in the process. Apparently now he can use his scalchop on his stomach as a water blade. It was really powerful too." Hop said to Iris and Ash, the latter of which frowned.

"I didn't see it so I can't be sure, but it SOUNDS like you're describing Razor Shell to me, which is one of Oshawott's best moves. Supposedly Oshawott only learn that move when they're close to evolving so that means you might be the first of us to get an evolved Pokemon." Ash said to Hop who smiled.

"Interesting. Say, Marnie, why are you scowling?" Hop asked Marnie who looked over at him.

"Oh I'm just angry at Team Yell. They may or may not have called Iris and I cheap bimbos who only hang around Ash for the thrill of it." Marnie said grumbling as she thought about the insults Team Yell used. Iris leaned over and patted Marnie on the shoulder.

"Easy does it. I was pissed too, but Ash got them good for that. His Rolycoly knocked all their Pokemon out with one Smack Down after that comment. I'm impressed he didn't hit them as well." Iris said to both Hop and Marnie. After a bit of exchanging notes, Marnie turned to the group.

"Well, as much fun as this has been with you lot, I suppose it's time I take my leave for now. But luck and fate willing, we might meet again. If nothing else, I owe at least Ash and Iris a battle. But for now this is farewell." Marnie said before walking away, taking care to shoot Ash in particular a sly grin as a parting gesture. The group could only wave as they watched Marnie leave them. Afterward, Ash turned to the others.

"Well, since we're here, the only thing left for it is to head into the mine since according to what Team Yell said after we beat them, that mine is a straight shot to Route 4, which itself leads right to Turffield, which is where our first Gym Battle awaits. So we're almost to our first Gym Battle, everyone." Ash said to the group. Hop then walked over to Iris.

"Iris, before I forget, I took this off that git Bede when I beat him. Thought you could use it." Hop said, placing something into Iris' palm and closing that hand over it. Iris looked down, opening her hand and gasping as she saw a Wishing Star in her palm. Iris, in a rare moment of glee, gave a squeal of happiness and tackle-hugged Hop.

"Thank you Hop! Now I just need a Dynamax Band and I can Dynamax my Pokemon!" Iris said. Hop nodded at Iris.

"You're welcome. Now what say we go through that mine?" Hop said to the group, and they nodded, as the foursome went into the mine unaware of what would await them inside...

end of chapter

A/N: And finally done! Jeez, that literally took me days to get typed out! But I think what I typed out here was pretty well worth the effort. And yep, Hop finally won himself a battle! I know in the games he probably won a few off-screen, but I felt like the game intended him to be a bit more of a struggling trainer at first given Leon's comments about Hop needing a rival to push him so he'd be his best (literally happens in Sword and Shield) so yeah I had him struggle at first with battles.

Might still have him lose a few here and there to keep him from being too overpowered. Though I think if anyone's overpowered at the moment it might be Ash given I just had him defeat Team Yell's Pokemon with one Smack Down. But that's a one-off end to an offscreen fight so it shouldn't happen too often.

That being said, I mentioned (numerous times even) my now-previous poll that was to decide the formatting of Shuffled Journeys. As it happens, NO ONE voted on that poll which I take to mean there's no preference on how I format it. So that said, i've decided to make Shuffled Journeys a multi-story series! Meaning this first fic will cover the group's travels through Galar and possibly Ash going to his next region.

And honestly I'm not entirely decided on the order he'll visit the regions in, though I do know which region he's going to after Galar. And anyone who's read the previous chapters might have seen some hints to that region in some of the cutaways to other people at the start of these chapters. But for those who don't figure it out, I'll reveal the second region at the end of this story.

In the meantime, I opened up a new (sort of) poll on my profile. For those who remember the poll I did to decide Ash's harem, I decided that a 3 way tie for 1st was an inconclusive way for the poll to end given that I intended to let the girls in 1st and 2nd get into the harem, and given that 3 of them tied for 1st, that would make it next to impossible to sort out who gets in. So I re-did the poll, also replacing the non-voted girls with other girls and bumping one of the girls who got votes out for a different girl since I felt that I couldn't honestly do her justice while adding her into the harem.

So my apologies to the 5 people who voted for her but them's the breaks. That said, this time around the poll is a blind one in that you won't see the results after you vote, but I'll be able to see them. However, I WILL periodically update the poll standings. This poll will be up for 2 weeks and since it went up yesterday, the poll will end around May 10th.

However, I reserve the right to extend it by another week if I feel there's not enough votes or a tie is likely. So that being said, be sure to vote on this poll! And also feel free to leave reviews with your thoughts on the story so far, your feedback and any ideas you may have for the story, since I'm always open to reader input even if I reserve the right to not use it if I don't think it fits the story. So until next update, sithlorde1988 out!

Notes

*1*- I realized while typing this chapter that they don't give hardly ANY of the characters last names. So I gave Hop the last name Shieldori as a nod to his affinity for Zamazenta, (even though in the anime it's Goh who takes Hop's spot as the chosen ally of Zamazenta) and because I feel like Shieldori is a good last name for Hop and Leon.

*2*- I HAD to make that SpongeBob reference there. I mean come on, if I wasn't gonna use that Mermaid Man line there, where else could a random 'AWAY!' usage fit? That and I could see a random Galar postman being a lowkey SpongeBob fan because why not?

*3*- The game never DOES as far as I can recall actually specify exactly WHICH Pokemon Chairman Rose gave Bede other than it being his first Pokemon so I opted to make it Gothita since I feel like of the three Bede has in his first battle, Gothita made the most sense as a gift from Chairman Rose (that and I could see Bede being a low-key emo if he wasn't so self-important) so yeah I opted for his starter to be Gothita. I almost went with Hatenna but I didn't think that would be the type of Pokemon that Rose would give Bede. If wanted, that can be looked at as the first Pokemon that Bede caught.

Updated Teams (for reference, on chapters with cameo/guest allies/enemies, their teams are included as well because why not?)

Ash- Rolycoly, Pikachu, Egg

Gloria- Eevee, Yamper, Rookidee

Hop- Oshawott, Wooloo, Rufflet

Iris- Exeggcute, Trapinch, Egg

Marnie- Morpeko

Bede- Gothita, Hatenna, Solosis

Guv- Galarian Zigzagoon

Brielle- Galarian Zigzagoon

Bob- Galarian Zigzagoon