Seeker-Of-Endings sat with his paws tucked under him by the side of the ornate bench. On the bench above him sat Serena, and to her left Connie was frowning as she clutched her Pokedex. Her Tyranitar was standing tall on the other side of the bench, looking down nervously at Connie as she tapped buttons on the large device.

Around them, the atmosphere was jovial. The bench was one of many that dotted the small town situated around the Kalos Pokemon League, where the 119th Annual Kalos Pokemon League Tournament had just concluded, and the many spectators were buzzing with excitement at the down-to-the-wire battle that had taken place between the two finalists. But the mood around this specific bench was nowhere near jovial, and as Seeker-Of-Endings offhandedly looked up, he spotted a similarly non-jovial Marcus moving towards the bench; he was drawing a few glances from passersby who recognized him as a Gym Leader as he stepped up to Connie's side, just in front of Tyranitar.

"Nothing?" Marcus asked.

"Nothin'," Connie murmured, looking up at Marcus. "I still don't get it. Piers ain't like this - he's never cut contact like this before, and certainly not for this long."

"From what you've told me," said Marcus, "he did seem to be getting more and more disheartened in the months before."

"Yeah." Connie nodded slowly. "Spikemuth hadn't been doin' well, an' he was gettin' more withdrawn every time I called him…but I wouldn't have expected this."

Marcus sighed. "Looks like I'm going to Galar, then."

"Looks like." Connie set her Pokedex down. "You sure you don't want me comin' along? I'm from Galar - I know my way around."

"I'd love that," said Marcus, "but as I've said before, Diantha wants this to be as secretive as possible, and it'll raise more questions if one of Piers's former Gym Trainers shows up with me."

"I get it," said Connie. "So…you just goin' off?"

"The timetable's pretty strict," Marcus said apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Serena smiled. "We'll keep things running in Laverre while you're away. How long do you think it's going to take?"

"Karen said the Galarian Gym Challenge only takes a month," said Marcus - Connie nodded in agreement at that - "so I'll be back in a month and a half, tops. Definitely before the next Kalosian Gym Challenge starts up."

"That's good." Serena looked relieved; Seeker-Of-Endings knew very well that worries of Marcus missing part of the next Kalosian Gym Challenge had been dancing through her head.

"So yeah," said Marcus. "At this point, all I have to do is hop on a flight. I've got tickets for a plane leaving from Lumiose in three hours."

"Well, good luck," said Connie. Serena echoed the sentiment; Marcus quickly hugged both of them one at a time, casting a glance at Seeker-Of-Endings as he did so. Seeker-Of-Endings nodded in response. "Good luck," he said telepathically.

Marcus smiled, then turned and began to step away. Seeker-Of-Endings watched as he sent out Kriesh; there was a brief exchange, and then the Trainer mounted the Fearow, Flying energy began to swirl around them both, and they lifted off, Kriesh's wings beating as she slowly flew Marcus away from the Kalos Pokemon League.

Towards Lumiose.

Seeker-Of-Endings watched until they disappeared from sight. Bringer-Of-Visions had briefed the Kalosian Heralds many times about the situation in Galar. He knew exactly what Marcus was getting into.

Not for the first time, he remembered the moment, almost three years ago now, when Teller-Of-Tales had approached him, alerting Seeker-Of-Endings to his treasonous beliefs. Back then Seeker-Of-Endings had been sympathetic, his dislike towards Bringer-Of-Visions ensuring that his reaction to Teller-Of-Tales' proposal was simple refusal rather than fury. But now…

Now that Marcus and his team were going into the teeth of what Teller-Of-Tales had unleashed…

Seeker-Of-Endings wished he'd told Bringer-Of-Visions about Teller-Of-Tales' plan from the start.

Cloyster was feeling, simply put, a constant surge of wriggling excitement.

Galar. Ever since that Kalos Pokemon League Tournament three years ago, when Marcus had first broached the possibility of traveling to Galar, that name had filled Cloyster's imagination, transforming from a regular region into a magical, perfect place. And now he was finally going. He knew he'd have to temper his expectations - he knew it was, actually, simply a regular region - but he was excited all the same, barely able to contain himself.

The Lumiose Airport was busy today, and Marcus had to maneuver around a couple crowds as he moved swiftly through one of the terminals. He'd already gotten to his gate, but he'd barely sat down to begin waiting for his flight when he'd received a message on his Pokedex from none other than Diantha, telling him to meet her at a gate about halfway across the terminal.

Yes, she was the Champion, but still, Cloyster could understand Marcus's frustration at Diantha's chosen meeting place. Would it really have been too much to ask for Diantha to just walk to Marcus's gate herself?

But as Marcus reached the gate Diantha had indicated, Cloyster realized that there was a reason Diantha couldn't make it further into the terminal.

An absolutely massive crowd had formed, countless tourists flocking to see and take pictures of the Kalosian Champion. Faintly Cloyster could see Diantha through the throng, a pair of League employees surrounding her, ensuring that the horde didn't engulf her completely. Grimacing, Marcus released Drapion onto the floor of the airport. "Roar," Marcus ordered.

Roar was commonly used to force an opponent back into their Pokeball, similar to Dragon Tail, via careful manipulation of Normal energy to trigger the device and send the enemy Pokemon flying at the same time. But it was also, well, a roar, and Cloyster giggled as he saw quite a few tourists jump as Drapion let out a fearsome bellow.

As silence fell, Marcus cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he said.

The crowd melted away, leaving Marcus alone with the two League employees, a grateful-looking Diantha, and a grinning Drapion. "Thank you, Drapion," said Diantha; Drapion's grin grew even wider as Diantha turned to Marcus. "I apologize for the short notice," she said. "Thank you for your prompt arrival - I am far from unused to the public eye, but all the same airports are not my preferred gathering point."

"I get it," said Marcus, side-eyeing Drapion as the Poison/Dark-type warned any other aspiring crowd-generators away with pointed glares. "So who am I sponsoring?"

Diantha gestured; one of the League personnel handed her a small tablet, an envelope, and a single Pokeball. "The details of your assignment are gathered on this tablet," said Diantha, handing it to Marcus. "They are best read rather than told - you will have plenty of time to study up on the flight. The envelope is a letter of endorsement - required for entry into the Galarian Gym Challenge."

"And the Pokeball?" Marcus asked.

Diantha handed it to him; Cloyster could at once tell that it was occupied, for it was wiggling slightly and the light was on. "It is customary," the Champion said, "for a sponsor to provide their sponsored Trainer a Pokemon of their own. This one has volunteered for the duty."

Marcus smiled, taking the Pokeball and swiftly and securely stowing it on his belt.

"Let the occupant get some fresh air and companionship on the flight," Diantha urged. "He is recently hatched; he will need time to acclimate themselves to the world."

"Of course," said Marcus.

"Thank you again for undertaking this mission," said Diantha. "I pray it goes well. Good luck."

With a last nod, Marcus turned and began to stride back towards his gate, recalling Drapion as he went.

Corviknight Airlines Flight 34 was a crowded plane - quite a few people seemed to be traveling to Galar at this time. Cloyster knew why - the Galarian Gym Challenge was one of the most watched events in the world, second only to the International League that was only held once every decade.

However, many of those watchers didn't seem to be Trainers themselves, for despite the fullness of the flight, the Pokemon area at the back of the plane was fairly empty. This was good, as it meant Marcus had space and time to follow Diantha's request - to give the Pokemon Diantha had given Marcus some fresh air.

Cloyster had been chosen for the job of keeping the mysterious Pokemon company for the flight. The rest of the team would spend the flight relaxing, mostly, although Medicham and Drapion would be having a limited duel in the battle arena. They always loved to test each other, and Cloyster knew from experience that their battles were often spectacular.

But he also knew that this was more important. And besides, it wasn't like Cloyster would begrudge a chance to meet and greet a new Pokemon, even if it wasn't actually going to be a member of the team. So he sat and watched closely as Marcus set the Pokeball down on the ground in front of him.

"Ready?" Marcus asked.

Cloyster nodded excitedly.

Marcus smiled and tapped the Pokeball's release mechanism.

Cloyster watched as the occupant of the mysterious Pokeball was revealed. Before his eyes materialized a small, bipedal form with a pair of long ears that each looked about the same size as the rest of the Pokemon's body. As the light faded, Cloyster began to see colors - brown and gray, with a slight tinge of pink inside the ears and upon the nose. Two large white eyes stared out at Cloyster, and two small buck teeth could be seen where Cloyster assumed the mouth was.

A Bunnelby. Cloyster knew the species well - they were everywhere in Kalos, both in the wild and on the teams of young Trainers. Bunnelby were quite common starting Pokemon due to their high availability and being famously easy to train. A small part of Cloyster couldn't help but wonder why Diantha hadn't gone for a more exotic Pokemon, but he supposed it wasn't all that surprising that she'd go for a safe option, especially since the sponsorship wasn't the actual goal of this mission.

"Hi." The Bunnelby's voice was more confident and assured than Cloyster had expected. "I'm Bunnelby - though you probably already know that."

"Yeah," said Cloyster. "I'm Cloyster. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," Bunnelby responded. "I have to say, I expected a Dark-type."

"Well, Marcus isn't your ordinary Gym Leader," Cloyster pointed out. "And you're one to talk - I expected someone a little less erudite, to be honest."

Bunnelby grinned. "Well, I'm not your ordinary Bunnelby."

"Fair enough," said Cloyster, returning Bunnelby's grin. "So…I guess you know what's going on?"

"Of course, I signed up for it," Bunnelby pointed out. "You know, after I told my parents that I wanted to go, they made sure I knew everything about Galar. I've spent my entire life studying Galar - literally."

"Wow," said Cloyster. "If you don't mind me asking, how long have you…"

"Two months and four days," said Bunnelby. "But enough about me - tell me about yourself! Who is this Cloyster I'm going to be spending the rest of this flight with?"

Medicham smiled exhaustedly as she watched Cloyster regaling Bunnelby with stories of past exploits. Her body ached all over - the consequence of any sort of spar with Drapion - but she was, at least for the moment, happy and contented.

Marcus had come over to watch the spar; now that it was over, he was sitting down in the Pokemon area, pulling out the tablet Diantha had given him. Swiftly, Medicham sidled over, curious about what exactly that tablet contained.

The first thing Medicham saw was a picture of a girl with dark brown hair that perfectly matched the color of her eyes. According to the profile, she saw, the Trainer's name was Gloria. She was 17 years old, she was mentioned as having a 'quiet but excitable' personality (whatever that meant), and she lived in the town of Postwick with her mother, Casey, a former Kalosian who was apparently second cousins with Diantha. Her profile also mentioned that she was close friends with Hop, the younger brother of the Champion of Galar, Leon.

"Huh," said Marcus as he scrolled down the tablet. "I have to say, I was expecting someone with a bit of a lower profile."

"It's not like everyone in Galar is second cousins with Diantha," Medicham pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess so," said Marcus. "I'm looking forward to meeting her - you know, I'm thinking back to when I first started out. The two of us, walking down from the mountains. Sometimes it's hard to believe it's been three whole years since that day."

Medicham wanted to reminisce, to share in Marcus's wistful joy, but at that very moment, Bringer-Of-Visions' face flashed in her mind and she swallowed, a lump suddenly evident in her throat.

"Medicham, what's wrong?"

Medicham locked her eyes on Marcus's suddenly-concerned face. She saw the nervousness in his eyes and knew she couldn't lie, couldn't just say that nothing was wrong. She took a deep breath. "Marcus," she said seriously, "before we left, i talked to Seeker-Of-Endings, and he…he mentioned that we might encounter some trouble in Galar."

"Of course we will." Marcus leaned back in his chair. "I'd be more surprised if we didn't, considering how Alola turned out. What kind of trouble?"

"The Betrayer-Of-Kin kind."

Marcus's expression didn't change, but the way he reflexively shifted his hand to the scar across his torso told Medicham all she needed to know.

"I don't think she's there personally," said Medicham. "But there's a group of…other Absols in Galar. Seeker-Of-Endings and his friends are…at odds with them, and…Seeker-Of-Endings warned me that once they find out you're in Galar, they'll assume Seeker-Of-Endings and his friends sent you. They'll see you as a threat, and…"

"And they're going to try to get rid of that threat." Marcus sighed. "Damn…so much for an easy trip."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Marcus murmured. "I'm glad for the warning; I'd rather not be caught unawares. But Arceus…an entire group of murderous Absols?"

He slumped in his seat, letting out another explosive breath. "I really hope I don't come to regret accepting this mission…"

Unlike Kalos, which had its airport right next to the central hub of Lumiose City, Galar's main airport was located near the northernmost city in the region, Wyndon, rather than its central hub, the so-called 'Twin Cities' of Motostoke and Hammerlocke. This was a bit of an annoyance, considering that Postwick, Marcus's destination, was one of the southernmost towns in all of Galar, separated from the coast by the vast forest known as the Slumbering Weald and the harsh snowy wastelands of the Crown Tundra.

But Galar was a fairly oddly-shaped region. Whereas many regions were roughly equidistant in height and width, Galar was incredibly elongated, easily three times as long as it was wide. As such, there was a wealth of north-south transportation available; a pair of train lines running down the east and west coasts, a series of Corviknight-carried taxis capable of transportation between the three main cities of Wyndon, Hammerlocke, and Motostoke (plus their surrounding areas), and regional flights from Wyndon to as far south as Freezington. Not to mention that Trainers with their own Flying-types could easily fly themselves, though Marcus had chosen not to fly with Kriesh in the name of keeping a low profile.

Instead, Marcus had booked tickets for a pair of Flying Taxis - one from Wyndon to Hammerlocke and another from Hammerlocke to Motostoke. From Motostoke, Marcus would take a train south to Wedgehurst, a town just north of Postwick, close enough to walk.

Kriesh would not deny that she was impressed with Galar so far. Not only was the organization of transport some of the best she'd ever seen, but she'd heard that Galarians were widely regarded as some of the best at finding alternative uses for Pokemon. In Galar, Pokemon didn't have to just be battlers; they could work in stores, volunteer at businesses, help run Pokemon Centers, and even act as musicians - one of the most popular bands in Galar, known as the Orbeetles, was made up entirely of Pokemon, the only such band of its kind in the world.

And in the Wyndon Airport alone, as Marcus and the rest of the team had disembarked, Kriesh had seen exactly that. Alcremie and Milcery frequented cafes and bakeries alike, she'd spotted a well-groomed Galarian Rapidash towing a vehicle full of people down one of the airport's many hallways, and a Falinks, separated into its six component Pokemon, occupied a kids' play area near the gate Marcus had exited through, interacting with the four or five small children also playing in that area.

Not to mention the Corviknight-carried Flying Taxis. Kriesh relaxed in her Luxury Ball; the ride was extremely comfortable, even though the idea of a Corviknight carrying effectively a plastic bubble through the sky sounded terrifying on paper. Kriesh did note that most if not all of the Pokemon working these jobs were species that originated from Galar. The region had held a very isolationist stance for a long time; in fact, Galar had been the last region to sign up for membership in the UPW, and for most of its time in the organization, foreign Pokemon had been confined to the Crown Tundra and the Isle of Armor. Only recently had foreign species begun to be introduced into the Galarian mainland.

No wonder the Heralds were unable to establish a presence here, Kriesh thought idly.

So the journey passed. It took about an hour, all told, and Kriesh would have found herself nodding off if it weren't for her excitement at seeing everything the new region had to offer. She watched as snowy mountains, grassy plains, and winding paths came and went, either laid out in a tapestry below or sweeping by through the surprisingly clean train windows. Here and there she spotted another species she'd only seen before in pictures - Eldegoss floating by in the wind, a Cramorant diving into a lake after something it had seen but that Kriesh couldn't make out, and at one point a Sinistea attempting to masquerade as a teacup. From the bored face the train attendant was making as she shooed the latter through a cracked-open train window, that kind of thing was a regular occurrence.

But at length, the train slowed to a stop in Wedgehurst Station, and Marcus exited along with a surprisingly large crowd of twenty or thirty people. Kriesh hadn't expected such a large group - perhaps there was some sort of event going on in Wedgehurst or something - but she brushed that off as Marcus released her, eliciting a few stares from nearby Galarians.

"You know the drill," said Marcus. "Look out for anything that could pose a threat."

Kriesh nodded swiftly and took to the air, keeping a steady wingbeat as she and Marcus exited the station and stepped out into the small town of Wedgehurst. From here it would be about a ten-minute walk to Postwick, and hopefully a calm and relaxing one. Now that I've thought that, Kriesh thought sardonically, something's definitely going to go wrong.

But the next ten minutes were just as peaceful as Kriesh had hoped.

It was an absolutely beautiful day, with not a cloud in the sky as Kriesh lethargically flew above Marcus as he stepped down the road to Postwick. On the road a few Trainers stood, mostly young boys and girls wanting to test out their new Pokemon. None challenged Marcus, and for good reason; Kriesh cut an intimidating facade as she flew above, and no fresh Trainer would want to challenge someone with such a clearly powerful Fearow.

I'll admit that does make me feel a little proud.

But as they reached Postwick, Kriesh noticed that Marcus's expression was growing slightly nervous. Eventually, Marcus stopped moving and beckoned Kriesh to come down. Kriesh came swiftly, not wanting to waste time when her Trainer was so clearly disturbed by something.

"It's just occurred to me," said Marcus, sounding a little embarrassed, "that I don't actually know which house Gloria lives in. And I really don't want to walk into the wrong house by accident. So maybe go back into the Pokeball for now, and I'll ask around-"

"Hello, hello! What's got you standing around like a lost Wooloo?"

Kriesh and Marcus both turned to see a curly-haired boy with dark skin and a fairly distinctive-looking blue-colored coat striding up. A Wooloo was trundling forwards at his side on its stubby little feet, staring at Kriesh with big black-and-white eyes.

"I'm sorry, just a little lost," said Marcus. "And you are?"

"I'm Hop!" the boy said cheerfully, holding out a hand. Kriesh remembered the name - this would be the Champion's younger brother. He certainly looked enthusiastic, but the motion, Kriesh observed, was surprisingly wooden despite Hop's clear earnestness; it was clear he was copying the motion from someone else's example, most likely his brother's. "What's your name?"
"Marcus." The Dark-type Gym Leader grasped Hop's hand and gave it a shake.

Hop's grin grew even wider. "Are you competing in this year's Gym Challenge? It's going to be a good one, I can already tell!"

"I'm afraid I'm not," Marcus admitted.

Hop's smile only dipped slightly. "I suppose I should be grateful - that Fearow looks tough. But then again, one can't win the Gym Challenge if they're scared of facing tough opponents! You up for a battle, Marcus? I daresay Wooloo could use the practice!"

Kriesh very clearly saw the Wooloo by Hop's side blanch.

"Thanks," said Marcus, "but I've got an appointment to make." Kriesh saw Wooloo noticeably sigh with relief. "I'm actually here as a sponsor, if you'll believe it."

"Really?" Hop's grin returned full force. "Who are you sponsoring?"

"A girl named Gloria," said Marcus. "Lives in this town - do you happen to know which house?"

Hop looked shocked. "You're sponsoring Gloria?" He quickly gathered himself. "I mean, that's great! Gloria's a good friend of mine, and I'm really glad she's getting this kind of opportunity! She's been worried about not getting sponsored for a while…although I have to say, you seem pretty young for a sponsor. Where are you from?"

"Kalos," said Marcus. "I'm a Gym Leader there, actually."

Hop's eyes widened. "You're a Gym Leader? No wonder your Pokemon look so tough! So are you a Normal-type Gym Leader, or are you a Flying-type Gym Leader?"

"Dark-type," said Marcus. "Kriesh isn't part of my Gym Leader team, but she was one of my first catches. Anyway…Gloria's location?"

"Oh, right, yeah." Hop pointed towards a fairly sizable house that lay alone atop a nearby hill. "That's where she lives, right up there."

"Thanks," said Marcus. "I do actually plan on traveling Galar during the Gym Challenge, so if you want, maybe we can have a battle once you've toughened up a little."

"Yeah, that would be great!" Hop said brightly. "So, uh…as it happened, I was kinda thinking about heading to Gloria's house too. After all, Leon promised to come by today, and he kinda hinted that he'd be bringing both of us a present, so I was going to pick her up so that we could meet him together!"

"Well, I don't see why you can't tag along," said Marcus.

"Awesome!" Hop pumped his fist. "Let's go, then! It's not far, though sometimes Wooloo stray onto the main path and block the way, so if that happens you might need some help getting through the…oh, who am I kidding, you're a Gym Leader with a Fearow, you'll be fine!"

Kriesh couldn't help but crack a smile at Hop's sheer enthusiasm. It reminded her of Trevenant or Cloyster, neither of whom ever seemed to run out of good cheer. As Hop and Marcus began to step down the pathway together, Kriesh saw the younger Trainer recall Wooloo. That was a shame - Kriesh would have liked to maybe talk to the small wooly Pokemon. Instead, she flew slowly after the two Trainers, keeping an eye locked on the house that Hop had pointed out.

Kriesh hadn't really noticed until now just how many Wooloo could be seen in and around Postwick. But Hop clearly had a fondness for the species, for he was making sure to excitedly point out every single one he saw. The boy seemed tireless, far more so than Kriesh, who by the halfway point was barely even bothering to glance around at Hop's numerous exclamations, keeping her gaze locked on the slowly-approaching house.

At length, the path twisted, winding back around on itself as it rose up towards a set of steps that led to the front door of Gloria's house. Hop glanced at Marcus. "You're up, I think. I'll let you take the lead - Gloria's seen me loads of times."

Nodding, Marcus stepped forwards. "Here goes," Marcus murmured; moving swiftly up the front steps, he clenched his fist and delivered a sharp triple-rap to the door.

A few moments passed before the door swung open; Marcus stepped back slightly as a Roserade, rather than a human, was revealed in the doorway, receding a long vine that it seemed to have used to twist the doorknob. It eyed Marcus, Kriesh, and Hop in turn, its eyes narrowed.

Just as swiftly, behind the Roserade a dark-haired woman stepped into view, wearing a pair of expensive-looking red glasses that clashed slightly with the farmers' overalls and rain boots she was clad in. She looked apologetic. "Rosie, sweetheart, please don't bother them! It's Hop, remember? Gloria's friend?"

"Sorry," the Roserade muttered, swiftly moving out of the doorway.

The woman beamed. "Hello, Hop! And you…I don't think we've met. I'm Casey. Come in, come in, and bring the Fearow along, there's plenty of space inside!"
Marcus stepped through the door, followed by Kriesh, with Hop bringing up the rear. Casey hadn't lied; the roof was high and uncluttered by lamps, giving her plenty of space to spread her wings. She looked around quickly; to each side was a fairly large, well-lit room, and Kriesh at once gravitated away from the room to the right, where Rosie could be seen staring warily at Kriesh and Marcus, and towards the room to the left, which seemed to be half-occupied by a barely twitching Snorlax.

"That's Pudge," said Casey; at that, the Snorlax raised a hand and waved lethargically before slumping against the wall. "And you've already met Rosie - she's a little thorny, but she's a real sweetheart once you get to know her." Casey glanced around. "Gloria! Hop's here!"

"Coming!" The shout came from elsewhere in the house; Hop quickly stepped into the room with Pudge, leaving Marcus, Kriesh, Casey, and Rosie alone. Casey glanced at Rosie before speaking again. "I'm sorry, Rosie doesn't take too kindly to new faces. Who are you?"

Marcus swiftly introduced himself. "I'm from Kalos," he added.

Casey's face lit up with understanding. "You're Diantha's errand boy!"

"Um…" Marcus clearly was lost for words.

Casey chuckled. "I'm joking," she said. "Diantha told me all about you. Thank you so, so much for sponsoring Gloria - she's been looking forward to this for so long!"

"Hop told me," said Marcus. He lowered his voice. "I brought a Pokemon."

Casey beamed. "Don't tell me - I want it to be a surprise for both of us. You must meet Gloria, she'll be so happy to see you!" Grasping Marcus's hand, Casey practically dragged him into the other room.

Which left Kriesh alone with Rosie.

The two glanced at each other. Their gazes held for a second. Then, jerkily, Rosie stuck out a flowery hand. "Rosie."

"Kriesh." Kriesh shook it as best she could with her wing.

"Sorry about that," Rosie murmured. "Casey said it - I don't take all that kindly to new faces."

Kriesh frowned. There was a haunted look in Rosie's eyes, an unmistakable look. "Flare?" Kriesh asked.

Rosie nodded slightly. "You?"

Kriesh shook her head. "Rocket."

The Roserade's expression softened slightly. "Seems you're doing well."

"So are you," said Kriesh.

"Yeah." Rosie glanced around. "It's a nice place. Large, comfortable…safe. Your Trainer seems nice."

"He is," said Kriesh. She glanced around uncomfortably, not sure how to continue the conversation.

Thankfully, at that moment, a low rumble came from the other room. "Rosie…"

"Coming, Pudge." Rosie stepped past Kriesh and into the other room. Kriesh followed, her eyes swiveling towards a doorway on the other side of the room, where a dark-haired girl wearing a red shirt and ripped pants could be seen stepping down the last few steps of a staircase.

Gloria was a little smaller and a little more unkempt than Kriesh had expected. The sheer amount of people and Pokemon in the room seemed to take her aback momentarily; she paused for a second before stepping fully into the room.

Casey gave Marcus a nod. Marcus stepped forwards, a smile on his face. "Hello, Gloria, I'm Marcus," he said.

"Hi." Gloria shook his hand; there was a lot of hand-shaking going on, Kriesh noted. It seemed to be the main Galarian form of greeting. "Have we met?"

"No," said Marcus. "I'm a representative from Kalos, and I'm here to deliver your official letter of endorsement for the Gym Challenge." He withdrew the envelope from his pocket and handed it to Gloria.

Gloria took it; she held it for a few moments, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing, and then her face suddenly split into a grin. "Thank you!" she said excitedly. "Thank you so much! This…I…I…" She stopped speaking, lost for words; slowly, she turned to Casey and Hop. "I'm going to compete in the Gym Challenge!" she cried.

Hop beamed. "Yeah, you are, mate," he said. "Congratulations."

"Slow down there, Gloria," said Casey. "You're going to need a Pokemon of your own first." She shot another glance at Marcus as she spoke.

"You're right, mum," said Gloria. "Can I go catch one?"

"Actually," said Marcus, clearing his throat, "I think I might be able to help with that."

As he withdrew Bunnelby's Pokeball from his pocket, Gloria sighed with relief. "Thank goodness. I'm sorry, mum, I really didn't want to ask you for money to buy my own…"

Casey stared at Gloria levelly. Marcus held out the Pokeball, and Gloria finally realized that it was lit up. Her eyes widened. "No."

Marcus nodded.

"Oh…" Gloria took the Pokeball almost reverently, her eyes shining. "Th…thank you, Marcus, I…I don't know what else to say."

"How about," said Casey, "you start by saying hello to your new friend."

Kriesh watched closely as Gloria knelt down and slowly, timidly, tapped the Pokeball's release button. The Pokeball flashed, and Bunnelby materialized; clearly, he'd been watching Gloria through the crack in the Pokeball, for his eyes were already fixed on the female Trainer.

"Hi," said Gloria.

"Hi," Bunnelby responded. He held out a paw. Kriesh chuckled to herself as she watched Gloria shake it, realizing Bunnelby had likely been told beforehand how Galarians issued greetings.

"Oh, wow!" Hop grinned. "A Normal-type of your own! Now you and I can have a proper battle!"

"I guess so," said Gloria with a smile. "Bunnelby, would you be up for that?"

"Sure," said Bunnelby. "Although maybe you should check what moves I have first…"
"Wait a second!" Hop cried suddenly. "We can't battle yet! I forgot to tell you - Lee's coming! So you'd better come with me to see him! And you know he always brings presents, so don't forget your bag! I need to get mine from my place - congrats again, see you soon!"

Twisting, Hop dashed off, shouldering the door aside and rushing out of the house with a joyful whoop. Gloria chuckled softly. "That's Hop," she said to Bunnelby. "He's my best friend, always excited about one thing or another. With Leon coming, that's all his mind's going to be on for the next several minutes, so I guess our battle will have to wait." She rose, clutching Bunnelby's Pokeball in one hand. "Actually, that's probably a good thing - I need to figure out your moves before we get into any battles!"

"That's more like it," said Bunnelby, a second before Gloria recalled him and swiftly began to move back up the staircase.

Marcus looked nervous again. "Leon's coming here?"

"Oh, yes," said Casey. "Postwick is his hometown, you know - he visits often, though Gloria's never met him. Have you?"

"No, never," said Marcus.

"Oh, if you liked Hop, you'll love Leon." Casey grinned. "He's just as exuberant, if not even more so. You should meet him. He always loves it when foreign Trainers come to Galar - especially if they challenge him to a battle."

"Thanks," said Marcus.

"So, Marcus." Casey leaned against the nearest wall. "How long will you be staying in Galar?"

"For the whole Gym Challenge," said Marcus. "I'm going to be traveling Galar along with the Gym Challengers - my Pokemon could use some experience, and their types correspond with a lot of Galarian Gym Leaders."

Casey nodded, but her expression was growing a little bit darker. "Do you plan on traveling with my daughter?"

"Yes," said Marcus; at that moment, he finally noticed Casey frowning. "Not in a creepy way or anything, I promise. And only if she agrees."

Casey nodded. "Thank you." Her countenance lightened once more. "My apologies. Just a mother's worries, is all."

"I get it," Marcus stated swiftly.

Casey smiled. "So, about Leon…"

"Oh, right," said Marcus. "I…um…I'll think about challenging him. Maybe, maybe not. We'll see."

Kriesh glanced at Marcus. Marcus returned her gaze as Casey nodded in acceptance. "Where has Gloria gotten to?" she asked, beginning to shift towards the staircase.

Alone temporarily, Kriesh locked eyes with Marcus once more, cocking her head in a questioning stance.

Marcus clearly understood. "Yes, I know," the Trainer murmured. "I probably would enjoy a battle with Leon. It would really let me know just how far I've come. But…I can't. Not if I'm trying to keep a low profile. A battle with Leon would pretty much be the opposite of 'low-profile'."

"Yeah," Kriesh admitted. "That makes sense."

The sound of footsteps turned Kriesh and Marcus's heads once more as Gloria stumbled into the room. She was now fully dressed in a gray coat over a pink dress, with a floppy green hat on her head and a large bag, about as large as she was, hanging from one shoulder. Bunnelby's Pokeball was clutched in her other hand. "I'm ready!"

Casey held back laughter. Rosie and Pudge didn't.

Gloria sighed as she stared at the Roserade and Snorlax. "I'll miss you both."

"Ahem."

"And you too, Mum," Gloria added with a quiet laugh of her own. Casey reached out for a hug, and Gloria accepted it, grasping her mother tightly. Kriesh smiled; she stole a glance back at Rosie and Pudge and saw them smiling too.

"So, Gloria," said Marcus, "I'm planning to take advantage of the Gym Challenge to travel Galar and strengthen my own Pokemon. Would you be adverse to me tagging along with you?"

"Not at all!" chirped Gloria. Casey sighed, but nodded; Marcus gave a grateful smile back before turning back towards Gloria. "Shall we, then?"

"Sure thing!"

And so, with a few more goodbyes, Gloria and Marcus stepped through the front door and out into the sunlight. The day was just as beautiful, if not more so, than it had been when they'd come in, and Kriesh took extreme pleasure in spreading her wings and allowing the sun to beat down on them.

Scarcely had she done so, though, when Kriesh saw a shape barrelling down the path towards Gloria and Marcus. It took her a moment of sudden panic before she recognized Hop.

"He's here!" Hop cried. "Lee's here! You gotta hurry - or hurry as best you could with that bag you've got! That old bag looks like it could pull you over, to be honest!"

"I'll try," said Gloria.

Hop scarcely waited a moment; as soon as the word 'try' left Gloria's lips, Hop turned and dashed off down the path. Gloria staggered after him, clutching her bag tightly - she reminded Kriesh of Lillie, in a way - and Marcus walked after her, keeping a hand at the ready in case Gloria's bag slipped from her grasp.

It had only been a minute since Hop had dashed off when they found him again. The boy was standing still as Gloria and Marcus approached. "Shh!" Hop whispered. "You hear that!"

Marcus and Gloria stopped moving, and Kriesh did so as well. "Sniper: Auditus," she whispered, casting out her hearing. At once she heard it - a loud, regular thumping noise, like a gloved fist striking a wooden post again and again.

"Sounds like it's coming from over there," Gloria murmured.

"Yeah," Hop responded with equal quietness. "That's what I think too…we'd better see what's up."

Slowly, the group crept forwards, moving down the path at a snails' pace. Kriesh followed behind, not wanting to beat her wings and risk making too much noise, despite the oddness of walking down the stony path on her taloned feet.

The noise grew louder and louder. Slowly, Marcus, Gloria, Hop, and Kriesh edged around the hill, eyes scanning for the source of the sound.

"Is that…a Wooloo?"

Marcus was the one to speak; his taller stature had enabled him to crane his neck around the corner faster than the other two. Kriesh, Gloria, and Hop all quickly looked around the side of the hill as well; there, indeed, was a Wooloo who was, at regular intervals, gathering his haunches, powering himself up with Normal energy, and lunging at the wooden gate that lay before him, blocking the end of the path from the dark forest that lay beyond.

The Slumbering Weald. Regarded as one of the most dangerous places in Galar.

"Hey!" Hop's voice broke through Kriesh's thoughts. "You silly Wooloo!" The blue-jacketed boy stepped forwards, staring down at the unlucky Wooloo with a piercing glint in his eye. "I see what you're up to! Don't go using Tackle on the fencing!"

"S…sorry…" the Wooloo murmured, shrinking back.

"Now, you listen." Hop knelt down, his voice growing less sharp, more smooth. "No going past that fence. No. Everyone knows there are scary Pokemon living in the Slumbering Weald."

The Wooloo nodded shakily.

Hop stood, smiling. "Now that that's taken care of," he said, turning back to Gloria, "how about it, Gloria? Let's race! Bet I can make it to my house first, what with you lugging around that big old bag!"

"You're on." Gloria threw off her bag, letting it fall to the ground, and broke into a spring.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Hop dashed after her, their laughter fading into the distance.

Marcus sighed. Kneeling down, he picked up Gloria's bag from the ground. "I'm going to have my hands full, aren't I?"

Kriesh nodded sagely. Marcus cracked a smile. "Please make sure they don't run into any trouble," he said.

"Got it." Kriesh rose into the air once more, and together she and Marcus set off after the pair of running Trainers.

Wooloo stared after the trio of Trainers. He knew the female and the younger male, but the older was a stranger. And that Fearow was scary.

Were the things in the woods really that scary? And if so, should he really be doing this?

He swallowed. But even as he hesitated, the taunts of his older brothers danced once more in his head. Look at Youngest Brother. Too much of a fluff-puff to go into the big scary forest. Oh, so scary, so dark. Is Youngest Brother scared of the creepy trees?

Wooloo shook his head. He knew it was wrong, and he knew the young male Trainer was entirely right. The young male Trainer was a friend to all Wooloo. The young male Trainer certainly had Wooloo's best interests in mind.

But Wooloo had to prove he wasn't scared. That would show his older brothers. Then they'd finally stop making fun of him.

"Hey."

The voice came from above. Wooloo looked up to see a large, black-winged Pokemon with what looked like a bone on its head. The new arrival looked down upon Wooloo as if appraising a potential meal.

"Um…" Wooloo began to back away. "I'm so, so sorry…"

"No problem," the new arrival said. "I'm Mandibuzz - I live in the woods back there. You want to come in?"

"Well…I…I was…"

"Hey, don't be scared." Mandibuzz smiled. "I may look scary, but Pokemon like you have nothing to fear from me. You wanna come in, be my guest."

Mandibuzz reached down to the latch of the gate. Wooloo didn't see what Mandibuzz did, but all of a sudden the gate swung open, exposing the forest beyond.

"Your choice," Mandibuzz said simply. Wooloo glanced around nervously. This is a bad idea, he told himself.

But he took a step forwards all the same. Then another, and then another, and so Wooloo kept walking, stepping through the gate and towards the thickly-clustered trees that lay beyond.

Allowing a slight smirk, Mandibuzz spread his wings and flew after Wooloo.

I've definitely used the Kalos and Alola games for reference in previous seasons. But this, I think, is the first chapter where I lifted an entire scene near verbatim from a Pokemon game.

Goodness knows this won't become a regular thing. I certainly don't plan on just retelling Sword and Shield. If you know me, you know there are going to be more than a few curveballs...