"You've done well so far. But I think now's the time for you to be shot out of the sky."

The Tera Orb shook and sparkled in Larry's gloved hand. He clutched his tie to keep himself from flinching as he tossed it into the air.

A wonderous crystal formation grew to surround Larry's Flamigo, before it burst to reveal a crystallized set of balloons over the crystal encased Flamigo, who honked mightily.

The opposing Trainer, a young tan-skinned woman with blond dreadlocks, wasn't fazed by this display.

"I'm not afraid! Poison Drip! Terastallize, and then use Ice Spinner!"

Her own Tera Orb shined over her Toxapex, encasing it in crystals as well before bursting to reveal a giant snowflake-shaped crystal crown over the Brutal Star Pokémon.

"TOXAPEEEX!" the urchin shouted, before generating a short tornado of sheer cold air and blasting it Flamigo's way.

Flamigo was hit hard by the Ice Spinner, but managed to defiantly stand its ground.

Larry smirked. "Looks like the wind's petered out for now. But our flight's just taking off! Flamigo, go all out! Close Combat!"

"FLEEEEEE!"

Flamigo started charging towards Toxapex with great fury.

The Trainer panicked. "P-Poison Drip! Barricade yourself, baby! Hurry!"

"TOXAPEX!"

Toxapex quickly shrouded itself in its spiny legs as a shield, preparing to take the full brunt of the attack.

Flamigo rushed in at Toxapex with a flurry of fast punch-like motions that took a while to break through, but eventually cracked the barrier and landed some solid hits on the poor Toxapex, who looked thoroughly weakened by the end of the attack.

"Sweetheart! You okay?"

"Tox…apex…" Toxapex looked like it was on the verge of collapsing, but still able to stand despite the bruises all over its body.

"Let's shine off with a Poison Jab, baby!"

"PEX!"

Mustering all of its strength, Toxapex leapt into the air and whirled like a drill until its poison tip jabbed right into Flamigo, sending the Pokémon off-kilter.

"Mmmm…" Larry found himself growling as he hoped for Flamigo to pull through.

Flamigo steadied itself, and seemed to have fully recovered from that attack. That is, until…

"SKURK!"

Flamigo suddenly clenched, and its face went pale. Toxapex's attack had successfully inflicted Poison. With one last puff, Flamigo felt the last of its energy dissipate. The Terastallize effect exploded into tiny crystals as Flamigo took its last bow and fainted.

Larry recalled his fallen partner. "Good job, Flamigo. You did great."

His opponent breathed a sigh of relief. "Great work, darling angel! We did it."

"You sure did," said Rika. She and Poppy were standing off to the side. "That was a very impressive performance."

"Very impressive," Larry said in turn. "I remember you from the Gym Challenge before. Diane, right? You're a lot more confident now than you were back then. Let that confidence soar you up to impossible heights."

"Thanks, sir! And ma'am!" Diane graciously replied to them both.

Rika turned to Poppy. "Well kid, you know what happens next."

"That's right!" Poppy ran up alongside Larry. "I gotta get—"

"HASSEL!" Larry suddenly shouted, startling everyone in the room. "Come on out!"

"Whoa. Where's this guy been?" Rika quietly uttered.

"Waaaahhh!? Mr. Larry! It was supposed to be my job to call for Grandpa Hassel!" Poppy whined. "You usually can't do your outdoor voice!"

"…But we're indoors."

The door opened, and a rather confused looking Hassel stepped out.

"Did… somebody call for me?" he asked with a puzzled expression.

"I did," said Larry. "I lost the battle, so now it's your turn."

"Uhh… go get him, Grandpa Hassel!"

He and Poppy started walking off, leaving a stunned Hassel to watch them. He looked Rika's way, who just shrugged at him in return.

"Well… okay then." Hassel cleared his throat and took his place on the stage. "Greetings! You're a face I haven't seen before, I don't suppose you're a student?"

As Hassel and his opponent prepped for battle, Larry and Poppy took their places next to Rika.

"Hello, Rika," Larry greeted her. "You look nice today."

Rika snapped her head in his direction, thrown off by this gesture.

"Uh, thank you. You… too?" She smiled at him, and then nudged him in the shoulder. "Look at you today, Mr. Rockstar!"

"What do you mean?" he whispered.

"Well, I've never seen you this friendly before!" she whispered back. "Or energetic! You were lightning in that battle! This whole week, it's been like seeing a whole new side to you!"

"Yeah!" Poppy agreed. "You're usually a lot grumpier, Mr. Larry!" Larry frowned at that, and Rika tutted while shaking her head. "Oh, was that a mean thing to say? I'm sorry."

"Well, I guess I'm just in a very good mood," Larry modestly responded. "I'm actually pretty excited today because I've got plans this afternoon. Guess I'm just flying high because of that."

"You? Have plans?" replied a legitimately shocked Rika, loud enough that Hassel and the trainer were briefly taken off guard.

"Ouch…" Larry said quietly.

"Now you're the one being a little mean, Rika," whispered Poppy.

"No, no, it's a great thing!" Rika whispered. "I'm glad to see you getting out there and enjoying yourself more. I told you it's a great feeling." She raised an eyebrow. "Anyone… special you're seeing?"

Larry smirked at her. "That's my business and mine alone. But I've been needing an afternoon off like this for a while now. I've been stripping myself to the bone catching up on work lately. Another nonstop day of this and I'd be toast…"

He rubbed his neck to soothe the aching it felt from hunching over a computer screen so much this week, and refocused his attention to the match.

Rika did as well, until she felt a ping in her pocket. She reached in and took out her Rotom Phone, adorned with Wooper and Phanpy stickers, to see a text message.

bosslady I assume larry is still in the middle of battling? Please let him know after he's done that i'd like him to write a TPS report on the merchandising proposal we talked about in last week's meeting and have it submitted to me through slackoth by thursday morning.

Rika grimaced as she read it.

Thursday, meaning two days from now? And on that proposed expansion for broadening our merchandise lines? That sounds like a nightmare to get done in that short amount of time, especially for someone stretched so thin.

She looked over at Larry, who was still watching the battle with a slight smile, before sending her reply.

Rika got it. i'll let him know.

She hit the send button a bit forcefully, and Larry turned to her, noticing her demurred face.

"Everything alright?"

"Oh yeah," said Rika, smiling back at him. "Just some personal orders from the boss. Don't worry about it."


Across hills and valleys from the Pokémon League, Larry wasn't the only one in the heat of battle.

"Corvisquire, no!"

Corvisquire the Raven Pokémon weakly flapped its wings as it fell from a mighty hit, forcing its Trainer to recall it.

"Grrr…" The trainer, a man who looked to be at least in his young twenties with neatly combed brown hair and a blue jacket, looked up to his opponent with determination.

Ursaring beat its chest and growled triumphantly, giving the crystallized antennae on its head a little glittery shake.

"Well, well! It's been ages since the last time my friends and I found ourselves fluttering this high!" Katy marveled. "You'd better give up now before we make you crawl… back into… your cocoon!" she awkwardly tried to boast.

It really has been too long, I need to work on my banter… But this is the kind of battle I've been yearning for for so long!

"Because… we've got you in our web!"

"That's what you think!" the Trainer shouted. "Go, Ceruledge!"

With a confident smile, the Trainer tossed his Great Ball, and out came a tall Pokémon clad in dark armor that made it look like a knight. Sword-like appendages extended from its arms, with ghostly blue wisps spouting from its head and blades.

"CERUL!"

Katy was stunned at the sight of it.

That's a Ceruledge!?

"Rrrrr…"

Katy was even more stunned at what happened next. Her Ursaring, the tough bear Pokémon that never backed down from a fight before, was growling uneasily at the new challenger. It was as if this Ceruledge was giving Ursaring a frightening aura of being something powerful.

Ursaring backed up a couple of steps and looked worryingly at its owner, shocking her.

"H-hey mama, what's the matter?" Katy quietly asked her Pokémon. "You've got this. No different from any other Challenger, right? We just gotta fight back as hard as we can."

Ursaring gave an unsure but obeying growl in return.

"Hit 'em with a Will-o-Wisp, Ceruledge!"

Ceruledge gathered its energy and shot a wisp of flame at Ursaring. The move didn't seem to damage Ursaring at all, but it did leave a nasty Burn affliction.

Katy was upset at first, until she had a realization.

Oh, wait a minute. If Larry was right about this TM move, this might just be to my advantage…

"Now Ursaring! Use Facade!"

Ursaring bunched up, looking as if it stricken terribly by its burn. But then, once Ceruledge was caught off-guard, Ursaring suddenly lunged into the air to strike its opponent.

…To its surprise however, its attack phased through Ceruledge completely.

"Rrrgh!?"

Katy gasped.

Oh no! Is Ceruledge a Ghost-type!? I… I thought I remembered it as being Fire and Psychic!

"Ceruledge, while it's stunned! Use Bitter Blade!"

"CERUUUUU…" Ceruledge started charging up one of its sword arms… "…LEDGE!" …and then struck the ghastly blade right into Ursaring's body.

"RAAAARRRGH!"

Ceruledge buffed up as green energy expelled from Ursaring, the blade draining its life energy to transfer it into Ceruledge like a vampire.

What is that move!?

Once it was done, Ceruledge drew its blade out. Ursaring tried to stand back up to face it head-on… but then it gave out, and collapsed, its Tera energy bursting into shards and sparkles.

Katy recalled her Pokémon in shock.

That last Pokémon turned the tides. I was so confident that whole time and then… suddenly it's like I was completely out of my depth.

Her hands started shaking a bit. But she scoffed it off as best she could to walk over to her victor.

"Congratulations! That was a well-fought battle, Rupert. You really had me and my friends crawling on our toes by the end. As promised, here is your Badge." She handed him the official Bug Badge. "And for your efforts, have this TM as icing on the cake!" She also handed him a green-colored compact disk, TM021, for teaching a Pokémon the Bug-type move Pounce.

"Thank you, Miss Katy!" Rupert graciously bowed.

"That Ceruledge of yours… I was amazed at how strong it is. I've never seen one of those Pokémon up close before."

"Oh yeah! Ceruledge is one of the biggest aces on my team! I found him when he was just a lost little Charcadet, down in the mountains between Mesagoza and Artazon, and he and I have had a really tight bond ever since then!"

"How wonderful!" Katy smiled. "I… I once had a partner exactly like that. You must have been training him very hard before coming here."

"Well… yeah! We've been training a lot! Three gyms down—well, four now, and we've been making good use of those new STC centers as well!"

"Did you say… three?" Katy repeated in surprise. "You went to three gyms before coming here?"

"Uhh… yeah," he chuckled awkwardly. "I actually, uh… I forgot until now that I should've come to this Gym first, but I had just gotten to Medali and was told the Gym Leader was unavailable today, so I remembered your Gym and I… kinda doubled back."

Katy's smile faltered, but she quickly tried to hide it.

"Well, that's… that's okay. Y- you know there's no set order to facing our Gyms, right?"

"Oh, I guess you're right, heh-heh! Well um… I'd better get going now. But thank you again!"

"Mm-hmm. Thank you for the fun battle!"

Rupert ran off, and Katy turned her back to try to regain her composure.

As she started to walk away, a few of the townsfolk, who had come to watch, shouted things to her like "Great match, Katy!" and "You almost had him on the ropes!" Katy smiled and waved to all those people who came out to see her, but she was doing it completely on autopilot.

Once everyone had filtered out, and she saw off her two Gym Trainers, Katy marched down a set of stairs to a seating area halfway up the treehouse. And then, she let herself slump over on one of the railings, looking really worn out.

Her face was a strange mixture of excitement, relief, and… sadness.

"Wow… what a battle," she said to herself. "That first half was so great. His Pokémon were all on the tougher side, so I actually had to think and use some strategies I haven't had to rely on. It was like battling in the good ol' days. But then… that Ceruledge…"

She looked wistfully off in the distance. She still felt a bit rattled at just how much Ceruledge's strength ended up throwing off her confidence completely. She buried her head halfway into her arms, as she thought harder about this and how it reflected on her strengths as a Gym Leader.

I keep thinking about how much I wish I could stop worrying about Geeta's words for why I should keep my Gym Challenge easy. But… even if I wanted to start fighting stronger Trainers again, would I still be on the same level I was from a few years ago?

Or have I been easing up on my Gym Battles for so long that it'd be too much of a struggle trying to fight stronger Trainers? How many other Challengers have built up teams with really tough Pokémon like that Ceruledge that I don't have any clue how to fight…?

Even Ursaring seemed to recognize the odds weren't in our favor. I've been holding back on training my team to keep them at an easy level. Are even my heaviest hitting friends just not up to snuff for the kinds of battles I want to be having?

She reached into her bag, and pulled out her dusty Premier Ball. She set it on the top of the railing, where it lay motionless.

"What do you think?" she asked it forlornly. "That fight we had in us back in the day… we've still got it, right?"

The Ball sat silently for a bit. Then, it rustled, and Katy heard a noise from inside. Her eyes began to light up… but then it sat still once again.

Katy sighed.

"We do. I know we do. I know we do! If I could just prove that…" Her head slumped. "But. I can't. I know that. This is just… the way it has to be."

She decided to clear her mind and focus on other things. What else did she have on her plate?

She took a sharp breath. "That's right! Our hike!" She picked up the Premier Ball and cupped it in her hands. "Even on so-so days like today, I can depend on adventures with Larry to bring me back up. Nobody else but me and…" She squeaked to herself. "…my… boyfriend!"

She jumped happily in the air as she let out a squeal of delight. Then she had to quickly look around to make sure nobody saw that.

"I swear I'll find a way to win back your confidence." She looked lovingly at the Premier Ball one last time before putting it away.


Sometime later that afternoon, Katy finally got her wish, and the two newly christened lovers met up in Medali, took a hike through the Dalizapa Passage from there all the way to Zapapico, where they took their rest and marveled at the town's unique architecture, and then finally cut through the rocky terrain of East Province Area Three to make it to the path going through the Tagtree Thicket.

Katy noticed the large purple banners adorning the entrance to the forest, along with a hanging placard advertising the site of a Star Training Center belonging to what was called the "Navi Squad". Once they had walked a ways inside the shrouded thicket, Larry spotted some fencing going along a large section of the forest. And soon enough, they found a large gate that intersected their path.

Almost immediately upon beginning to cross it, a bunch of teens suddenly emerged from inside, all sprouting the same modified school uniforms, star-shaped sunglasses and helmets signature to Team Star's look. They practically accosted the pair, begging them to come inside the Squad's base and partake in rigorous STC training, refusing to take no for an answer.

The leader of this particular faction however, was quick to run out in front of his grunts. A peculiar man clad in green and purple clothing with much of it covering his face.

"Hark! Why must you all act like ruffians? This type of rowdy behavior doesn't define who we must be any longer! And haven't you any idea of what nobility stands before us? Nay, they are Gym Leaders of the Pokemon League! We are but squires compared to their ranks!"

He bowed humbly to the both of them. "Please, your graces! Forgive my frenzied knights, for they are just so exceptionally eager to welcome feisty Trainers into our newly refurbished jousting grounds. I pray upon thee that you enjoy thine selves in the Tagtree Thicket, free of further stress and trepidation!"


As they walked on past the Navi Squad base, Katy remarked, "Well, he's an eccentric fellow for sure, but very humble and polite! And even those grunts all looked sorry for the trouble they caused. I guess they really have turned over a new leaf."

"I guess so," Larry agreed. "But I wish I could've understood a word of what that kid was saying."

"Speaking of which… what was that I saw you whispering in his ear?"

Larry smirked at her. "Don't worry about it. All I can say is, no more surprises will be happening today."

After evading Team Star's wily temptations and crossing a bridge into the deeper part of the forest, Larry and Katy found a nice clear opening on a hillside and set up a picnic blanket.

"I'm so glad we finally did this," Katy said in-between bites of her sandwich. "My mind feels so clear ever since coming here again. I feel like… somebody with no fears and insecurities out here."

"Cheers to that," Larry agreed, cracking open his thermos of orange juice. "I've never had a day like this before. Just something to do that's quiet… and relaxing… and no worries of adult life. This feels so… freeing."

Katy thought she heard a sudden rustle off in the distance, accompanied by some yelling.

"Did you hear something?"

"Mmm. It's probably just the wind."


"EYAAHHH! What's the big idea!? Let me through!"

"Nay, wench of the streaming screen!" Atticus declared. He and three of his Navi Squad members were standing guard outside the entrance to the Tagtree Thicket. "I was warned of an interloper looking to cross into this glade. And as its sworn protector, I will not allow thee to disrupt its sanctity! A plague upon your witchy Iono Zone!"

"Give me a break!" Iono barked. "I have a bounty out for a huge VIP that's going to get me mad clicks, and my loyal Ionites in Zapapico gave me a hot tip that they were heading towards that silly little forest! So I'm not gonna let some flashy Team Star punks intimidate me! I've got too much riding on the line!"

Atticus hmphed. "If it's entertainment thy seeks, perhaps thou could survive a round of battling in our fair running grounds with a cavalry of the most vexatious Poison paladins our natural kingdom can offer?"

On cue, a bunch of rowdy Poison-type Pokémon surrounded the edge of the thicket, including angry Amoonguss, gnarly Grafaiai, and some stubborn Stunky.

"Ehhhhh…" Iono looked really nervous now.

"Surely your noble followers vie to see their queen of pastels brave such harsh trials for the sake of courage and triumph…"

Iono gritted her teeth. "Man, the things I'll do just for views…"


As she finished her sandwich, Katy remembered something she wanted to ask.

"So… how was your battle today? Does Paldea have a new Champion?"

Larry almost choked on a pistachio. "What th—Okay. You're really beginning to scare me now. How did you even know I was with the Elite Four today?"

"Oh, just call it a woman's intuition." And somebody just happening to tell me that you weren't in Medali this morning…

"Well. Umm. She was a tough Trainer for sure. She clipped all my Pokémon's wings with a very strong Toxapex."

Toxapex… Katy thought to herself. That's another Pokémon I'm not too familiar with.

"But, as for her dreams of being Champion, she ended up just barely losing to Hassel and his Baxcalibur. Didn't even make it to Geeta."

"Oooh, sounds like she was shown mercy."

"Ehh, I suppose." He then muttered to himself, "Honestly, I feel like Hassel is more of a roadblock for Trainers than Geeta herself is…"

"What was that?"

"Ehh, nothing. How about you, though? Any fun new Challengers?"

"Mmm!" Katy made a noise while swallowing her cookie. "It's crazy you should ask, actually! I just had a match with a surprisingly intense Trainer myself today."

"That is crazy! A welcome change from the kinds of Challengers you say you get most often, I have to imagine."

"Well…" Katy's mouth twisted, remembering her mixed emotions from that match. "It was kind of fun, I felt like I actually had to strategize for once. But… then he ended up outplaying me."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I… feel like maybe if I had the chance to do more battles like that, I might've come out on top but… it is what it is, I guess." She demurred a bit. "Y'know… you're really lucky. From the sounds of it, being both a Gym Leader and an Elite Four member means you get to have those kinds of exciting battles all the time, and always have fun surprises like that."

"I suppose that's true. But, sometimes, having to battle twice as much as everyone else, on top of all my other duties, makes it all feel kind of… stressful. Not to mention, having to raise two teams means I have to come up with double the strategies."

"And double the banter, I bet!" Katy chirped. "I was just thinking that I need some better quips while battling myself."

"See, you talk about banter. I guess I put on a bit of a show when I'm Terastallizing or trying to make 'flying' puns, but… otherwise I never try for anything like that. Which is also what confuses me."

"In what way?"

"Well, all the rest of you really like to put on such lively performances while battling, so why do people gravitate towards me so much? I'm nothing special, and yet I'm being asked for autographs, or to be put on livestreams… I don't understand it."

"Well, I think that's the thing!" Katy giggled. "Not standing out at all compared to everyone else must make you more memorable to a lot of people. Compared to a lot of the other Leaders, you're the only one who puts on a persona of just being a normal guy."

Larry shook his head. "It's not even a persona. It's just who I am. I've never seen myself as being truly exceptional in any regard, so I don't try to be something I know I'm not. I take comfort in being honest about myself. Even that 'Exceptional Everyman' title that caught on, sometimes I think even that's a bit much."

"Well, they like to call me the 'Sugarbug' and I think that's only a facet of who I am as well," Katy related. "I mean, I am just as sweet as people say I am, I suppose. But you've also seen how hotheaded and competitive I can get. Not to mention I'm… a bit of a braggart sometimes. Occasionally I… I feel a bit insecure about that."

"The thing is though, that's what I like about you the most. You're not like other people who put on a façade or wear a mask. You don't show off for the sake of a performance. You just wear your heart on your sleeve, because you're a nice and generous person. And, well, I wish more people were like you."

"Ohh!" Katy's cheeks went rosy red. "Why are you so good at making my heart feel all fuzzy?"

"You do the same to my heart, so you have to answer first," Larry replied with a smile.

Katy dove in and let herself melt into Larry's lap.

"Alright, you're the one who's out there stealing hearts, criminal. And you pay your penance by feeding me grapes."

"Oh no, I'd better seek out an appeal," Larry joked.

"Mm. Sorry, appeal denied. Crimes considered too unforgivable."

"Well darn." He picked off a grape from the bunch and let it fall into Katy's mouth.

"Mmmm! This is the life. I don't think anything could possibly—"

"SKRAIAIAI!"

Her eyes darted open. Katy instantly shot up again as she and Larry looked for the source of that noise.

"…Uh-oh," said Larry. Katy looked at him, and he pointed up at a tree.

Leering at them from up on a branch was a Grafaiai. It screeched softly at them from its perch and pointed its poison-tipped finger as if threatening the pair.

"Oh no…"

"Alright, listen…" Larry tried to comfort her, aware of her fear. "If we just be quiet and not make any sudden movements, it shouldn't—"

"OH NO, YOU DON'T!"

Katy's sudden shout made Larry jump. She grabbed her hiking bag and tossed it up to the branch, where it made a loud impact and caused the Grafaiai to stumble back.

While she was occupied with that, Larry felt a sudden buzz in his pocket. He flipped out his phone, where the Caller ID indicated Geeta was trying to reach him.

Larry's eyebrows furrowed. Whatever the boss wants, it can wait until morning. This is my time.

He declined the call and snapped his phone shut just as Katy was finished chasing the Grafaiai off.

"That's right, SCRAM!" Katy yelled fiercely. "I'm not letting you ruin a good time for me in this thicket EVER AGAIN!"

She huffed and puffed loudly, before turning back around and noticing Larry's stunned expression.

"Oh…" In an instant, that rage seemed to disappear, and she was back to her kind disposition. "I'm sorry, Larry. Seeing that Grafaiai got me a little worked up. I hope… I didn't frighten you too badly."

"N-no," Larry stammered. His face was getting progressively red. "In fact… it was honestly kind of hot."