A nice breather of a chapter to end the Postwick Arc. With no ominous setup for later chapters whatsoever.

"-and do you have any idea how worried we've been? You both could have been hurt, or killed - you were hurt! And we've had to sit here for the past half-hour wondering if our children would come back alive or not! Do you think that's fun?"

"No…" Gloria looked absolutely miserable.

"Listen to me, Gloria," said Casey, her voice dropping in volume but not in intensity. "I have half a mind to pull you out of the Gym Challenge altogether after this."

Gloria's eyes widened. "Mom, please-"

"I'm not going to," Casey interrupted. "But only because your sponsor came all this way for you, and I don't want to waste his efforts. However, Gloria, if I ever hear about you doing something like this again, I don't care how much effort Marcus has gone to in order to help you out - I will yank you right out of a Gym Battle if I have to. Understand?"
"I understand, mom," Gloria murmured.

"Good," said Casey; only now did her voice soften. "Now get some rest. You need it."

As Gloria rose and headed towards the stairs, Casey glanced over to Rosie; the Roserade had been standing near a bookcase during the entire conversation. "Make sure nothing comes anywhere near her without my permission," she murmured. Rosie nodded and began to move after Gloria. Satisfied that the conversation had reached its conclusion, Trevenant ducked away from the window, looking back towards Medicham. "Okay, sounds like Casey's not taking Gloria out of the Gym Challenge."

"Thank Arceus," Medicham muttered. "I was not looking forward to telling Marcus that he needed to pull a Valerie."

"I'm not even sure how that would have worked," said Trevenant as the two began to move back towards where Marcus was sitting on a small bench on the opposite side of the front yard.

Judging by how the Trainer's eyes shifted over to Medicham, the Fighting/Psychic-type was telepathically communicating Trevenant's findings. Marcus sighed. "You know looking into someone's windows without their permission is creepy, right?" he asked. "In the future, maybe ask for permission before you do something like that?"

Trevenant's face fell. "Sorry," they murmured.

"It's all right," said Marcus, clearly understanding. "And I won't say I'm not glad to hear the news." He sighed again, leaning against the back of the bench. "Heck of a first day, right?"

"Yeah," said Trevenant. "Not gonna lie, that was fun."

"Not exactly what I'd call it," Medicham murmured. "Hop and Gloria were in real danger. Though I'll admit beating down that Corviknight felt pretty good."

"That's the spirit!" Trevenant said with a grin. He missed Medicham's reflexive flinch at that last word, for his eye abruptly swiveled towards a figure walking very quickly up the path towards them. "Oh, hey! Isn't that the assistant lady from the lab?"

"And what's…" Medicham's voice trailed off as she beheld the unmistakable form of a Corviknight flying above the figure, and she stepped protectively in front of Marcus, staring warily at the Steel/Flying-type.

"Sonia?" At the same time, Marcus rose, clearly having recognized the figure as well.

"Marcus!" Sonia strode through the open front gate, a Yamper that Trevenant recognized as the same one she'd been petting in the lab rushing after her as the Corviknight landed on the nearby fence. "Leon told me to send you his thanks - he doesn't want to leave Hop's side. And I should thank you as well - I can't imagine what might have happened to Gloria if you hadn't been there."

"I'm just glad everyone got out all right," said Marcus. "So what are you up here for?"

"Well…" Sonia looked a little embarrassed. "There's actually a bit of a story behind this. See, I came up initially to let Hop and Gloria's mothers know about the situation…"

As Sonia continued to talk, her Yamper scampered up to Medicham. "Hi!" the small Electric-type said cheerfully. "Didn't I see you out in the yard with Leon's Mr. Rime? I really liked the way you kept bonking your head into those barriers! That must've hurt, but you didn't even flinch!"

"Um, thanks," said Medicham. "I…um…"

Yamper's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh my gosh!" he cried. "Your poor arm! Man, those Slumbering Weald Pokemon must be every bit as fierce as the stories say!"

Trevenant stifled a giggle as Medicham looked even more flustered than she already had. Thankfully, at that point, the Corviknight on the fence spoke up. "Yamper, she did not lose her arm in the Weald," he said. "And whether she did or not, that was insensitive. Apologize to Medicham at once."

Yamper looked downcast. "Sorry," he murmured sadly.

"It's okay," said Medicham.

Yamper's good mood was restored in the blink of an eye, and he promptly flopped to the round and rolled onto his back. "Great! Want to rub my belly?"

Heaving a long-suffering sigh, Medicham knelt down to rub Yamper's belly. Trevenant caught sight of the Corviknight on the fence looking amused at the sight.

"…and once I'd finished that," Trevenant heard Sonia saying, "I got a call from Leon saying you'd all come back safe, so now I'm here to deliver these." Sonia held out her hands, revealing a pair of white-colored bands with a red line on one side and a blue one on the other - the signature colors of the Galarian Gym Challenge. In the center of each band was a small black rectangular case with what looked like a strangely shaped red-black sphere with multiple protrusions lying inside. It looked almost like a wristwatch, but Trevenant could at once feel the aura of Eterna reverberating from the bands.

Those must be Dynamax Bands. They let the wearer Dynamax their Pokemon…though that's pretty obvious when you think about it. I've heard Dynamax turns the Pokemon it's used on into a giant! Now that would be cool to see!

"I think Gloria's resting," said Marcus.

"Oh, that's all right," Sonia responded. "I'll just leave it with Casey."

"You…" Marcus gestured to the Corviknight, clearly trying to find words to describe the problem while not upsetting the Steel/Flying-type. "Um, your Corviknight-"

"King," said Sonia. "Sorry, I should have told you my team's nicknames back at the lab. It just slipped my mind - anyway, what about him?"

"Well," said Marcus, "the Pokemon that attacked Gloria and Hop was…um…"

Sonia's face fell. "Oh. Right." She glanced apologetically at King, who clearly understood as well. "You know what - I'll just leave my team out here. I took them along just in case some more Wild Pokemon got any ideas, but you're absolutely right, bringing a Corviknight along was rather insensitive - no offense, King."

"None taken," the Corviknight murmured, though his expression told a different story.

"I'm sure my team wouldn't mind meeting yours," said Marcus.

"Sounds great!" Swiftly, Sonia released the rest of her team - Trevenant recalled she'd listed off a Boltund, Kingler, Venusaur, and Orbeetle in addition to her Corviknight, and indeed those four materialized on the ground. "Boltund's name is Princess, Kingler's is Prince, Venusaur's is Queen, and Orbeetle's called Jester."

Before Marcus could even release the rest of his team, Princess the Boltund was already hurrying towards Yamper, who was waving all four paws in the air as Medicham ran her hand up and down his tummy. "Yamper! What have I told you about demanding pets from strangers?"

"I didn't demand," Yamper whined, rolling back to his paws. "I asked, and she said yes."

Princess glanced up at Medicham, who nodded. The Boltund sighed. "All right, if it's okay with her, I suppose you can keep going."

"Yay!" Yamper rolled over again. Trevenant broke out into an open peal of laughter, no longer able to contain themselves; for a moment, everyone's eyes flicked over to them.

Then Marcus released the rest of his team, drawing everyone's gaze back towards him. "This is Kriesh," he said, indicating the Fearow, before proceeding to go down the line one by one."

"Nice to meet you all," said Sonia. "All right, Yamper, seems you're enjoying yourself, so I'll leave you out here with the rest. I'll be back soon!"

She stepped away, leaving her team to begin dispersing amongst Marcus's larger team, exchanging greetings and conversation starters. Trevenant, however, did not miss the wary looks a few of their teammates, namely Drapion and Pangoro, shot towards King. Nor did they miss the Corviknight heaving a sigh, rising up from his position on the fence, and flapping down and away from the main group, his body disappearing behind a fence post and some tall grasses.

Frowning, Trevenant shifted away from the group as well. Drawing upon Forest's Curse, he locked onto a small shrub on the opposite side of the fence and cast himself into it. Glancing out of the shrub, he beheld King sitting silently, looking morose.

Trevenant stepped out of the shrub. "Hi!"

King half-turned his head so that one eye was facing Trevenant. "Hello, Elder Tree," he murmured.

"Actually, I'm kinda more of a younger tree, at least compared to the rest of my species, but…" Trevenant trailed off, realizing he was being insensitive. "Sorry."

"I am the one that should apologize, Younger Tree," said King. "It has become clear that my presence here is unwanted at the moment. As such-"

"Why?" Trevenant asked. "I mean, sure, a Corviknight attacked Hop and Gloria. But unless something really weird is going on, you're not that Corviknight. And from what I can tell, you don't seem like a bad Pokemon. So what if some of the others look at you differently because you're the same species that hurt Hop and Gloria? I certainly don't." Trevenant grinned. "And I'm the one who's here. So…wanna talk?"

King smiled. "I would like that, Younger Tree."

Trevenant giggled as he settled down beside King. He liked the name Younger Tree. Perhaps he'd use it himself in the future.

"So," said Kriesh. "King, Queen, Prince, Princess, and Jester?"

Princess - Sonia's Boltund - nodded. "Sonia didn't go for nicknames at first," she said. "But then Rookidee decided he wanted to be called King, and wouldn't answer to anything else. Then Bulbasaur decided she liked the name Queen, and…well, things went from there."

"Does Yamper have a nickname?" Kriesh asked.

"No." Princess looked slightly wistful as she glanced over towards Yamper, who was showing no signs of wanting Medicham to stop rubbing his belly. "Sonia tried to call him Duke, but Yamper didn't like it. And it's not like Sonia's going to force him to accept a name he doesn't want."

Kriesh nodded approvingly.

"So," said Princess, "what about your nickname? 'Kriesh'? I'll bet there's a story behind that."

You have no idea. Kriesh tried to form words - maybe a lie, maybe the truth, or maybe just a refusal to talk about it - but they all seemed to die in her throat all of a sudden.

Thankfully, Princess spoke up again. "You don't have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable. I won't press."

"Thank you," Kriesh responded gratefully.

The moment was at that point interrupted by a loud shriek from Cloyster. Princess rolled her eyes. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me…"

Kriesh turned to see Cloyster cowering away from Prince, Sonia's Kingler, his eyes barely visible inside his shell; the rest of the team had shifted as well and were now watching Prince warily, and Marcus had half-arisen from his bench at Cloyster's cry. Kriesh's eyes narrowed. "Is he-"

"Kinglers are the natural predator of Shellders and Cloysters," said Princess. "And I'll bet you anything Prince decided that threatening your friend with that knowledge would be a great joke."

"Huh." Kriesh glared at Prince; the Kingler at least had the decency to look embarrassed, though that was probably because of the Venusaur that was striding towards him with an irritated-looking expression on her face. "Prince," the Venusaur - Queen, Kriesh recalled Sonia had called her - growled with a 'you're-in-big-trouble' air. "Explain."

As the Kingler began stammering out an explanation - and Kamado and Houndoom stepped over to lead the trembling Cloyster away, with Marcus moving over to make sure the Water/Ice-type was all right - Kriesh glanced back towards Princess. "I figured Jester would be more of the joking type."

"Oh, believe me, he is," said Princess. "He's a little more subtle about it than Prince - Prince wants nothing more than to 'out-joke' Jester, and, well, he overdoes it sometimes. Often. The rest of us have to spend half our time watching them to make sure we don't have a repeat of the Tea Incident."

"What-"

"You don't want to know."

"I kinda figured that." Kriesh glanced around. "Hey…speaking of Jester, I'm not seeing him anywhere in this yard."

Princess looked alarmed and began looking around herself. "You're right," she said. "And…didn't your Trainer have a Liepard? Because I can't see her either."

Kriesh heaved a sigh. "Well, this is going brilliantly."

"You know," said Liepard as she stepped around the back of the house, "my Trainer explicitly told Trevenant and Medicham to ask him before they spied on Gloria again. I have a feeling that extends to me as well."

"What, you don't want to know what's going on in there?" Jester, Sonia's Orbeetle, asked from where he was floating above.

"I didn't say that," said Liepard. "I am just saying we should be quick."

"Oh, relax," said Jester. "It'll just be a quick listen. And besides, my Telepathy Ability gives me some great Psychic senses - not only will I be able to hear inside, but I'll also be able to hear if someone is coming around the house to find us."

Liepard frowned. "What are you actually planning?"

"What?" Jester asked.

"I know your type," said Liepard. "Le farceur, the prankster. And I am warning you - if you intend to pull some sort of prank upon Gloria, I will not allow it. She is in need of rest."

"Oh, relax," said Jester. "I'm not Prince. He's the type that would pull a joke on Gloria at this point. I'm a prankster, yes, but I'm not cruel. I wouldn't dream of pranking Gloria when she's, as you say, in need of rest." Jester smirked. "I'm gonna prank her mom instead."

Liepard snorted. "After listening, I hope."

"Of course!" said Jester. "That's the crux of the prank. When Sonia leaves through the front door, I'm gonna use Telepathy to echo her voice from the back door. And Casey's gonna be so confused. She's gonna say 'Sonia?', and Sonia's gonna say 'What?', and then I'm gonna say 'What?' except telepathically, and it's gonna be hilarious!"

"And what am I, your scapegoat?"

Jester's eyes widened. "Um…no! Of course not, I would-"

"Je ne suis pas un idiot," Liepard said with a sigh. "Why else would you convince me to come along with you for a solo prank?"

Jester let out a respectful chuckle. "All right, you got me," he said. "Tell you what - I'll forget the prank, we'll just listen, okay?"

"Acceptable," said Liepard.

Jester grinned. A purple flash of Psychic energy lit up his eyes, and all of the spots on the Orbeetle's red body lit up with purple light. Liepard began to hear voices in her head, quiet at first, then growing louder until she could make them out as Casey and Sonia speaking. It was similar to the feeling of Medicham's telepathic communication, but the difference was that Orbeetle wasn't speaking, but rather picking up Casey and Sonia's conversation and transmitting it to Liepard like a radio.

Hm…an interesting Ability. And, from the look of it, quite versatile too.

"…Yamper is all right?" Liepard only caught the end of Casey's question, but she could infer the rest.

"Oh, yes," said Sonia. "He's been doing wonderfully - I can't thank you enough for the Mago Berries. Yamper loves them - I've had to chase him away from the bag twice!"

"Well, I'm glad he likes them," said Casey. "I grow them in my garden, you know - I'd be happy to send you some more if you'd like."

"That'd be swell," Sonia replied. "Now…I guess I should address why I'm actually here." There was a shuffling noise. "Gran asked me to give this to Gloria."

"I'm afraid Gloria's resting," said Casey apologetically.

"Oh, no problem at all!" said Sonia. "Is it all right if I leave this with you, then? I-"

"Sonia?"

Liepard shifted at the sound of Gloria's voice. It was barely audible; a renewed pulse of Psychic energy emanated from Jester, and at once Gloria's voice became sharper and clearer. "Is that you?"

"Yes, it is, Gloria," said Casey. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"I want to talk to Sonia, if that's all right," said Gloria.

There were a few seconds of silence before Casey replied, "Are you sure? I think-"

"Can I please talk to Sonia, Mom?"

A few more seconds of silence, and then, "All right."

As the sound of Sonia's footsteps on Gloria's staircase were filtered through Jester's Telepathy, the Orbeetle chuckled. "Oh, this is going to be good, I can already tell…"

"Shh!" Liepard hissed, straining her ears even though she knew it wouldn't actually do anything.

Sonia had evidently finished climbing the stairs, for her voice came into Liepard's mind once more. "What is it you wanted to talk about, Gloria?"

"Well," said Sonia, "I know you're pretty good with rare Pokemon - it sometimes feels like you know everything there is to know about local Pokemon - and I wanted to ask you about a Pokemon I found in the Slumbering Weald."

"Really?" Sonia let out a hmm noise. "All right, hit me."
"Gigantic, dark red fur, four legs," said Gloria. "Looked…almost Arcanine-like, but less shaggy. Scars. I didn't get too much of a look at it before I fell unconscious, but can you tell me anything from that?"

"Dark red fur…" Sonia let out a quiet gasp. "It can't be…"

"What?" Gloria asked. "It can't be what?"

Sonia hesitated. "What," she asked, "do you know about Zacian and Zamazenta?"

Liepard stumbled and nearly fell. Dark red fur…memories came flashing back to Liepard, memories of Legendaries battling across Alola, among them Zacian and Zamazenta, whom Liepard had heard referred to as the Dogs of War.

Gloria was rescued by Zamazenta? But…why?

"I've heard their names," Liepard dimly heard Gloria say. "From all the news reports on the Battle of Alola - they mentioned those names. I don't know much about them, though."

"Legend says they are guardian deities of Galar," said Sonia. "The Dogs of War, they are called. It is said that after the Darkest Day, when the two kings of Galar sacrificed their lives to halt the cataclysm, Arceus himself sent the Dogs of War to Galar to act as guardians, so as to prevent such a terrible event from happening again. Some say that Zacian and Zamazenta are reincarnations of the kings, others say that they are unrelated entirely, but the events surrounding the Darkest Day - and the arrival of the Dogs of War in Galar - are shrouded in mystery. You might be wondering how this relates to your story-"

"One of them saved me?"

Sonia clearly had to take a few moments to collect herself. "Right," she said. "Your description of your mysterious savior matches known descriptions of Zamazenta."

"I got saved by a Legendary." Gloria suddenly sounded near-breathless. "That…feels really weird, actually. Do you think it means anything?"

"I don't know," said Sonia. "Legendaries are, to put it bluntly, gods. Their whims are beyond our understanding. If Zamazenta chose to save you, it could be because he believes you will serve a greater purpose, or it could just as easily have been a random act of kindness. Regardless…" There was a pause, during which Liepard assumed Sonia was leaning in closer, for her next words came out as a whisper. "You cannot tell anyone else of this."

"What?" Gloria asked. "Why?"

"Because of the media attention it will bring," said Sonia. "The Dogs of War only appear when need is greatest. They have only been seen in public three times in the past century. If word gets out that you saw one, were saved by one, you will become one of the most famous people in Galar overnight. And fame isn't always a good thing. There are people…stupid people, but still people…that seek to capture Legendaries and use them for their own gain. It has happened before. Team Galactic successfully bound most of the Legendaries in Sinnoh, Team Plasma separately controlled Zekrom and Kyurem at different times, Team Flare attempted to bind Xerneas and use him as a power source…point is, if someone gets it into their head to try and do the same with Zamazenta, and you're famous for having been protected by Zamazenta, then those people are likely going to decide to try and hurt you in order to try and draw Zamazenta out."

Gloria's breath hitched in her throat.

"Trust me," Sonia continued. "I have had experience with Legendaries, and people who wish to steal and utilize them. One in particular…" She hesitated again. "Just keep quiet about this, okay?"

"Okay," Gloria said shakily.

The sound of creaking floorboards indicated Sonia standing up. "Oh," she said. "Before I go…I almost forgot to give you this."

"A Dynamax Band?"

"Your very own," said Sonia. "And some advice: when you get to the Wild Area - once you've checked in at Motostoke Stadium and signed up for the Gym Challenge, of course - go track down a couple Raid Dens. They're small areas with large concentrations of Dynamax particles - you'll be able to Dynamax in them. And you'll need the practice, because you'll be using Dynamax as early as the first Gym."

"That early?" Gloria paused. "Thanks, Sonia."

"Don't mention it," said Sonia. "Now, I should probably be going. My team is likely worried sick, what with how long I've been gone…"

Her voice faded away as Jester dropped Telepathy. "Well, that was certainly interesting," the Orbeetle stated. "You okay, Liepard? Kinda seemed like you recognized that name…Zamazenta?"

"I was at the Battle of Alola," Liepard murmured.

"Oh." Jester sighed. "So you've met Zamazenta?"

"I've seen Zamazenta," Liepard corrected. "We should probably head back to our teams before Sonia exits the house."

"You're absolutely right," said Jester. "I…oh."

This second 'oh' sounded less like the 'oh, wow' of the previous 'oh' and more like an 'oh, crap'. Liepard turned to see Kriesh, Sonia's Boltund, and a rather irritated-looking Marcus standing about thirty feet away, all of them with matching glares on their faces.

"What," Liepard hissed, "did you say about being able to hear if someone was coming around the house to find us?"

"I forgot," Jester admitted. "I'm sorry, the conversation was interesting, it's not my fault I got hooked!"

He spoke up. "It was her idea!"

Liepard rounded on Jester. "Excusez-moi?" she snarled angrily, reverting to native Kalosian. "Espèce de menteur, comment oses-tu dire que c'était mon idée alors que tu es-"

"All right, that's enough," Princess growled. "Jester, I think we're going to have to have a talk with Sonia."

"Yes, Princess," Jester said, sulking over towards the group.

"And don't think you're off the hook either, Liepard," Kriesh added. "Marcus doesn't seem too happy about this."

Liepard glanced up at the furious-looking Trainer and gulped. "Merde…"

Sonia had left very quickly upon hearing about her Orbeetle's actions; Liepard had been able to hear the sound of her fairly loud scolding echoing back up the path for at least a minute straight. Now she was alone, standing in the midst of a group of fairly irritated Pokemon and one similarly-irritated Trainer.

"Liepard," said Marcus, "I don't begrudge you making friends. But eavesdropping on private conversations is going too far. And, yes, I admit that Medicham and Trevenant were doing something similar…but at least that conversation wasn't happening in a specifically private place, and anyway I seem to recall I told them, and everyone else on this team by extension, to never do something like that again without my approval. So either you weren't listening - which I highly doubt, considering how you always seem to like listening to everything from inside your Luxury Ball - or you decided to ignore my explicit instruction. Which was it?"

"The second one," Liepard admitted. Medicham quickly translated telepathically; Marcus's expression grew even more stormy.

"All right, Liepard, back in your ball," said Marcus. "And, barring battles or other extenuating circumstances, you're staying there until the opening ceremony for the Galar Gym Challenge."

Liepard stiffened. "That is two weeks away."

A momentary pause while Medicham translated, and then: "I know. Which should give you plenty of time to think about why you're being confined to your ball, and why you should never pull something like this again. Got it?"

Slowly, Liepard nodded. His expression not changing, Marcus lifted her Luxury Ball and recalled her into it.

Sighing, Liepard began to pace as best she could in the small Luxury Ball. Two weeks, she thought sullenly. That's a lot harsher than usual. Then again…I guess I was asking to be punished after that stunt…and I guess Marcus is right to be angry. After all, this is an important mission we're on.

Liepard sat down on the cooling gel of the Luxury Ball and began to ponder what she'd overheard. So Zamazenta saved Gloria, and Sonia wants it kept a secret. I get it - Sonia's right that knowledge like that invites unwanted attention. Attention that I myself would not want. So I'll respect her wishes. I'll keep Zamazanta's action to myself.

And I'll make sure to toe the line from here on out. No more stupid detours like that one. That's a promise.

From what Grookey could tell from overhearing brief snatches of the nurses' conversations, he'd been in the Pokemon Center for a day at least. He'd spent most of the time unconscious, his wounds being treated by the Pokemon Center's medicines; he'd heard of many of them from his time at the lab, as Magnolia always kept an emergency stock of medicinal supplies stashed in an easily-accessible cabinet, but he'd only ever incurred minor injuries, requiring simple Potions, in his practice battles with Scorbunny and Sobble.

This was different. Once Grookey had awoken, his head had practically spun with the amount of medicines and treatments given to him. PP-Ups to recover stamina, multiple Super Potions, a cocktail of berries to make up for lost meals, a Full Restore to numb the still-present pain…

Much more joyously, he'd also been given a new, proper stick. A Grookey's stick was specifically made in a certain way, whittled down into a strong, cylindrical construct that was easy to wield and hard to break. Those sticks in the forest had been brittle and unwieldy - poor substitutes - and Grookey was beyond glad to have a real stick in his hands again.

All the same, an hour or two after he'd awoken, Grookey was itching to get out of the Pokemon Center. He felt healed - he wanted to throw himself into training, to grow stronger and stronger, so that Hop would never be forced into that kind of position ever again. And thankfully, about fifteen minutes later, Hop did arrive. His face was nowhere near as scratched-up as Grookey remembered it being, but there were still a few scars present that no amount of medicines would be able to hide. Grookey felt a pang of guilt at the sight of them. He'll wear those forever, he thought, because of my failure.

Grookey shook his head. There was no use in dwelling on the past. The only way to avenge that failure was to get stronger, and get stronger he would. There was nothing else to be done.

The nurse passed Hop Wooloo's Pokeball first, then Grookey's. Hop slid both of them onto his belt one by one with a grin, clearly as excited as Grookey was to get back to training. Grookey expected Hop to turn and leave, but Hop remained standing where he was as the nurse pulled out a third Pokeball.

"I almost forgot," said the nurse, handing the third Pokeball to Hop. "Your Rookidee will need to stay out of battle for a day or two to allow her wing to finish healing properly. Light exercise only, and no flying."

"Sure thing." Grookey watched with shock as Hop took the third Pokeball and slid it onto his belt alongside his and Wooloo's Pokeballs. When did Hop have time to catch a Rookidee in…

No. He didn't.

"Hop!" Leon's voice pulled Grookey out of his thoughts, though they still pricked at him even as he listened to the two brothers converse. "Everything go okay?"

"Yep!" said Hop. "My Pokemon are all fine - they even found a new, proper stick for Grookey!"

"Did they tell you I specifically had Magnolia deliver it?" Leon asked, his eyes sparkling.

"No, really?" Hop grinned. "Thanks, Lee!"

"And…" Leon's gaze strayed towards the third Pokeball on Hop's waist. "You're sure about the Rookidee?"

"Hey, if you could handle Dragapult back when she was a Dreepy, I can handle this Rookidee," said Hop. "And besides, what kind of Champion would I be if I buckled in the face of adversity?"

"I should never have told you that story…" Leon sighed. "Listen, Hop. You're right that it won't always be easy to make your Pokemon trust you. But sometimes, the best way to handle a Pokemon is to let it go. A true Champion knows how - and when - to take a loss. Sometimes that might be in battle, and sometimes it might be something else. Go ahead and train that Rookidee up as best you can, Hop…but if she doesn't want to, then don't force it."

"All right, Lee," said Hop. "Let's head back to the house - I want to get to know Rookidee."

"Of course." Leon gave a wistful smile which did not match Grookey's mood in the slightest. As the two brothers began to move in the direction of their house, Grookey could not stop his heart from nearly beating straight out of his chest. It had to be the Rookidee that Grookey had fought, and Grookey felt terror surge through him at the thought of facing her again. Not of her power - he'd beaten her while he was weakened from fighting Corviknight, so he was reasonably confident the combined forces of him and Wooloo would be able to take her down without too much trouble. No, Grookey was afraid of her reaction. Likely she was conscious in that Pokeball - Grookey was, after all - and had already planned what she would do once she was released. Would she attack? Try and pounce on Grookey, or Wooloo, or even Hop himself? Or would she be just as afraid as Grookey was, recognizing the same thing that Grookey had, that there was no way she could win a fight against a fresh Grookey and Wooloo?

One thing was for certain - her reaction would not be friendly.

By the time the brothers reached their house, Grookey felt like he was going to explode from sheer nerves. Those nerves only grew as Leon stepped inside, leaving Hop outside; swiftly, Hop released Grookey and Wooloo onto the field, the same field where just yesterday they had been battling Gloria.

Grookey at once exploded. "What in Distortion is he thinking?" he yelled at Wooloo - he wasn't sure why he was directing his anger at Wooloo, but maybe it was because he was the only one nearby who could understand what Grookey was saying.

"Grookey," Wooloo said, loudly but calmly. "I do not know either. But you must trust that Hop knows what he's doing. Now let him speak."

Letting his anger ebb, Grookey looked up at Hop, who had taken Rookidee's Pokeball from his belt and was clutching it tightly in one hand. "All right," the Trainer said. "I can tell you were both listening, so I'll make this quick - yes, Rookidee attacked us. Tried to kill us, even. But that doesn't mean you need to treat her like an enemy. She's part of the team now…at least in theory…which means one day you'll have to work alongside her in battle. So if she attacks, subdue her, but if she doesn't, then try and make her feel welcome, okay?"

"Okay," said Wooloo; Grookey echoed it a few seconds later.

Hop smiled. "All right," he said. "Here goes." He flicked the release mechanism on Rookidee's Pokeball.

Grookey eyed Rookidee warily as she materialized. Fortunately, she didn't immediately come out pecking and clawing, nor did she back away in fear. In fact, to Grookey's eyes it seemed she wasn't moving at all; she was curled up in what seemed to be a fetal position, looking a lot smaller than she had seemed in the forest. Grookey's first thought was that she was still unconscious, but then she saw her head shift upwards, revealing one eye that swiveled between Grookey, Wooloo, and Hop before the head dipped again.

"Rookidee?" Hop stepped forwards, kneeling down so as to not appear as tall.

Rookidee looked up again, raising her head only the tiniest bit upwards. "Just leave me alone," she whispered; Grookey was shocked at how broken she sounded, her demeanor a far cry from what he remembered.

"Are…are you all right?" Grookey asked.

"Do I look all right?" Grookey was almost relieved to hear a small bit of ferocity creep back into Rookidee's voice. But then it faded, like a tiny gust of wind, and she shook her head. "Look. I know what's going on. I know what that means." She gestured at the Pokeball Hop was still holding with one lethargic wing. "So if your Trainer wants me to battle, or to teach me some move to get stronger or whatever…fine. Otherwise, just…just leave me alone."

"You aren't a prisoner, Rookidee," said Wooloo.

"I know that," Rookidee retorted. "Do you think I can't hear from inside the Pokeball? That's not the point. Sure, your Trainer can release me, but then what? Do you think I can just go back to the forest as if I never left? No, Corviknight doesn't tolerate failure." Rookidee sighed. "I guess your Trainer kinda saved my life. But what kind of life is this?" She looked up at Hop. "You Trainers…you don't know how much it hurts. To lose your friends, your family, everything you ever knew, everything you ever cared about, all upon the whims of creatures who can't even understand you."

Rookidee finally rose to her feet, spreading her wings. "You say I'm not a prisoner, Wooloo, but here I am. I can't go home. And I sure as Distortion can't just go wandering around the wilds of Galar by myself, as weak as I am. So this is all I have left. Look at me, Wooloo, trapped in this world of Trainers, and tell me how I'm not a prisoner."

Neither Wooloo nor Grookey said anything in response.

Rookidee looked up at Hop again, gesturing to the Pokeball. "If that's all," she said, "then for the last time, I would like to be left alone until such time as I am needed."

Clearly recognizing the meaning behind Rookidee's gesture, Hop recalled Rookidee back into her Pokeball. His voice was slightly shaky as he addressed Grookey and Wooloo. "Well, she didn't attack us. I guess that's a start."

Grookey sighed, wondering how in Distortion this was ever going to work out.

Hop had long since come and gone. But as Scorbunny watched out of the crack in his Pokeball and waited, Gloria did not come.

He and Bunnelby had been healed - while not at full health, they were at least conscious and unwounded - and now the nurses had taken their Pokeballs out to the front desk so that they could easily be fetched when Gloria did show up. But still Gloria did not come.

Why?

Scorbunny's first worry was that she'd been hurt worse than he'd thought. He couldn't remember much beyond the arrival of the four-legged red Pokemon - he remembered he'd fallen unconscious, and the next thing he'd known had been waking up in the Pokemon Center - but he remembered that Gloria had also been sent into unconsciousness by that strange Pokemon's roar. But as minute after minute had passed, a new worry had begun to creep into Scorbunny's mind, an unwanted but omnipresent worry.

What if she doesn't want to come back for me?

After all, it wasn't like Scorbunny had helped her in any way. In fact, he'd been practically useless. He'd failed to beat Grookey, he'd failed to beat Corviknight, he'd even failed to protect her from Corviknight's flock or the strange red Pokemon. Had Gloria decided that Scorbunny was too weak? That it would be best for her to just abandon him and catch some new, actually useful Pokemon?

It took two hours, during which that thought grew and grew in Scorbunny's mind, before the nurses, clearly recognizing that Scorbunny and Bunnelby's Trainer wasn't going to come in a timely fashion, released the duo into a sort of backroom that appeared to be in place for precisely this kind of situation. As it was, Bunnelby and Scorbunny were the only two Pokemon in this room, save for a Greedent who appeared to be sleeping in the corner opposite the door to the room.

"Hey," said Bunnelby. Scorbunny noticed she seemed worried too.

"Hey," Scorbunny responded.

"So…" Bunnelby sighed. "I…guess we got out?"

It somehow hadn't occurred to Scorbunny up until now that Bunnelby had been knocked unconscious by Corviknight. Of course she'd be worried - she hadn't even seen the red Pokemon. "Yeah," said Scorbunny. "I…wish I could say I knew how."

"Do you think Gloria's all right?" Bunnelby asked.

"How should I know?" The tone of Scorbunny's reply was a fair bit more snappish than he'd wanted, and Bunnelby took a step backwards. Scorbunny slumped. "I'm sorry," he murmured.

"What's wrong?" Bunnelby asked.

Scorbunny looked up into Bunnelby's eyes. "Do you think Gloria's even going to come back for me?"

"What?" Bunnelby's eyes widened. "Of course! Sure, she hasn't come to get us yet, but that doesn't mean anything except that she's busy or resting or something! Why would she just abandon you?"

"Why not?" Scorbunny shot back. "I've done nothing but be useless so far! Every battle I've been in, I've done nothing but fail! You had to pick up the slack in the fight against Hop because I couldn't even beat Grookey, and-"

"Scorbunny." Bunnelby shoved one of her ears against Scorbunny's mouth, silencing him mid-wail. She lowered her head, heaving a quiet sigh before speaking again. "I was born to a pair of Diggersby," she said. "One was owned by an Ace Trainer, the other was part of a breeding program. And when I looked around the League Breeding Center…and saw all those strange, beautiful, strong Pokemon…I couldn't help but feel out of place."

Bunnelby held her ear to Scorbunny's lips as she continued to speak. "The thing is, Scorbunny, I'm what's commonly known as a 'com-mon'. It's a derogatory term for Pokemon who are so commonplace in one or more regions that Trainers in those regions use that Pokemon more than most others. Com-mons are easy to find, easy to catch, easy to train, and far too often are discarded once the Trainer obtains rarer and better Pokemon. For Kanto-Johto there's Rattata, Zubat, Pidgey…look, you get what I mean. Well, in Kalos, the standard com-mon is Bunnelby. Nearly half of all Trainers in Kalos have a Bunnelby, and of that number, more than three-quarters are Trainers in their first year of training."

Bunnelby sighed. "Among higher-level battlers, com-mons have a bad reputation. They're regarded, practically universally, as weak. And I was no exception. The Pokemon in the League Breeding Center…some of them were nice. Mostly the ones who knew the Ace Trainer who owned my father - that Ace Trainer was fairly well-known for having taken the time to actually train up a team of com-mons to be legitimately strong. But some - usually the more unique ones - weren't so nice. There was a Bagon who was basically the ringleader - he forced me into battles, and when he won, he and his cronies all laughed at me. Told me I'd never be strong enough to beat them, because I was just a com-mon, doomed to fail while rare Pokemon like them succeeded."

Bunnelby finally looked up into Scorbunny's eyes, withdrawing her ear from his mouth as she did so. "So when I heard that a Pokemon was needed to travel to Galar and work alongside a young Galarian Trainer, I volunteered," she said. "Not to get away from Bagon and his crew…but to prove them wrong. To prove that, no matter if you're a com-mon or a Starter, no matter how weak you start off as, everyone can become strong. Do you get what I'm saying, Scorbunny?"

"Yes." Scorbunny sighed. "I…I just feel like I'm supposed to be strong. I'm a Starter Pokemon. We're specifically made to be stronger than the average Pokemon. And I've been in training for a solid couple months. But you're so much stronger than me…"

"Training?" Bunnelby's eyes sparkled. "Let me guess - a couple battles a day to brush up on skills, and maybe some move practice if you were really feeling it. Do I have that right?"

Scorbunny nodded.

"I didn't start out knowing Quick Attack or Double Slap," said Bunnelby. "But when I asked my father for help in becoming stronger, he told me that those were the first two moves I should aim for. And so I aimed for them. I worked for them. Day in, day out, trying to push my body to accelerate to impossible speeds, training my muscles to move faster, to lift heavier, to punch and kick harder. When my body screamed at me to stop, I ignored it. I learned Quick Attack a month after I was born, and I learned Double Slap a month later. So yes, Scorbunny, I'm stronger than you. But that's not because you're weak in any way. It's because I'm the one who's weak."

"You're not-"

"Even after all that training," said Bunnelby, "on the eve of my departure for Galar, I still couldn't beat Bagon. He laughed at me for even trying to get stronger. Told me that my lot in life was to be weak, and that I should just accept it. When I fought Hop, I beat that Grookey of his in one attack before he even got anything off. You'd practically beaten him already - I basically had a one-on-one against Hop's Wooloo, and he still nearly pushed me to my breaking point. And, don't forget, I got knocked out before you against that Corviknight."

Bunnelby laid one ear down on Scorbunny's shoulder. "We're both weak, Scorbunny," she said. "But that's why we're going to be taking this Gym Challenge with Gloria. So that we can become strong together. So that we can beat Pokemon like Bagon and Corviknight. But if we ever give up, if we ever decide that our lot in life is to be weak, then we let those bullies win. So is that what you're going to do, Scorbunny?"

"No," Scorbunny said, determination filling his voice.

"That's what I like to hear." Bunnelby grinned. "Now, Scorbunny, considering we've got this room to ourselves-"

An ahem came from the Greedent in the corner.

"Mostly to ourselves," Bunnelby corrected. "Want to practice? If you want to get stronger, you're going to have to work for it."

Scorbunny grinned. "Then I guess I'd better get started."

The Greedent in the corner snorted. "Pre-volves…" he muttered. "All right, go on ahead. Just as long as you keep it away from me."

An hour later, Gloria did finally show up, breathless and shaking slightly from the effort of apparently running all the way to Wedgehurst. She quickly picked up Scorbunny and Bunnelby's Pokeballs and stepped outside, where to Scorbunny's surprise, Hop, Leon, Casey, Hop's mother, Marcus, and Sonia were all standing as well.

It was Leon who spoke first. "Well, now that everyone's gathered, we should see about when we're heading out. I'm afraid I can't stay much longer - the rest of Galar needs me, especially so close to the start of the Gym Challenge."

"That's no trouble," said Hop's mother. "I know you're busy, Leon, but it's always nice to see you again!"

Leon chuckled. "Sonia," he said, "I gotta admit, I didn't expect to see you here. What, you planning a journey of your own?"
"Actually, yes," said Sonia, shooting a glance at Gloria. "I've already talked with Magnolia about it - I'm going to be studying Galar's history, specifically trying to untangle the mysteries still surrounding the Darkest Day."

"Really?" Leon raised an eyebrow. "That's a knotty topic - I've heard of multiple historians who have tried and failed to do the same. Where did this come from?"

Another glance was shot at Gloria. "A lot of things," said Sonia. "But, suffice it to say, it's something I've been planning for a little bit. So, what all this is leading up to is that I'm gonna be on tonight's train out to Motostoke."

Leon grinned. "About time! Hey, maybe you can watch Marcus's and my battle! It's sure to be an absolute Champion time!"

Sonia sighed. "Please try not to injure his Pokemon too much. But yes, I'll be there."

Marcus looked nonplussed. "You assume I'm not going to stand a chance."

"Ha!" Leon slapped him on the back. "That's what I like to hear! All right, Hop, young Gloria, when are you planning to head out?"

Hop and Gloria exchanged glances, then looked up at their mothers before answering. "Tomorrow," said Hop; Gloria nodded. "There's a morning train, and to be honest, we'd rather get a good night's sleep and recover for an extra day."

Leon sighed. "You do realize I can tell you're parroting one of your mother's speeches."

Hop looked embarrassed; Hop and Leon's mother shot a look at Leon. "They need their rest," she pointed out. "And besides, an extra day won't hurt."

"All right, all right," said Leon. "No way am I going to refute that. And Marcus, I assume you'll be on that morning train as well?"

"Of course," said Marcus. "Though I don't exactly have a-"

"You can take Leon's room," said Hop's mother. "It's not like he uses it anymore - we've been renting it out as a guest room ever since he became Champion."

Marcus nodded. "Thank you."

"Of course!" Hop's mother smiled. "Now, if we're all done…"

"All right, let's break," said Leon. "I'll see you all tomorrow afternoon in Motostoke!"

As the group broke up and began heading in separate directions - Leon and Sonia towards Magnolia's lab, the rest towards Postwick - Scorbunny felt a shot of excitement rush through him. By tomorrow afternoon, Gloria would be officially signed up for the Galarian Gym Challenge, once and for all throwing Scorbunny, Bunnelby, and whatever other team members Gloria recruited into the deep end of Training.

He was nervous, of course, but also excited, for it would be an experience he'd been waiting for his entire life. Nervousness now surged within him, an ugly thought in the back of his mind pointing out that something was almost certainly going to go wrong tomorrow.

Scorbunny shoved it away. Gloria had all the paperwork. An endorsement from a Gym Leader. Pokemon of her own. She'd met all the criteria. And all that lay between Gloria and Motostoke was a simple train ride.

What could possibly go wrong?

"Arbiter-Of-Fates, are you certain of this?"

The old female Herald spoke in a whisper, her voice tinged with impatience. "Yes, Bearer-Of-Darkness. Future Sight indicates that Marcus will be on the 9:00 train from Wedgehurst to Motostoke tomorrow. The train will be unguarded, and Future Sight also indicates that no powerful Trainers save for Marcus himself will be on that train. And as you know, thanks to my abilities…my Future Sight is never wrong."

"I wasn't asking about that," said Bearer-Of-Darkness. "I was asking about going against Teller-Of-Tales' orders. He did refuse your suggestion to kill Marcus."

"If you agreed with him, then you wouldn't be standing here," Arbiter-Of-Fates pointed out. "You know I am right. Taking Watcher-Of-Time's data into account, Marcus represents far too much of a danger to our plan, even before considering that Bringer-Of-Visions likely sent him here specifically to interfere with said plan. Teller-Of-Tales is a fool to wish to spare Marcus - to do so would be playing right into Bringer-Of-Visions' hands. So, tomorrow, I am going out, I am going to get on that train, and I am going to kill Marcus. If any of you are uncomfortable with that, feel free to say so. I will gladly wipe your memories of this conversation and send you on your way."

The three Heralds surrounding Arbiter-Of-Fates nodded. "I, Bearer-Of-Darkness, will follow you," said Bearer-Of-Darkness, the first of them.

"I, Wielder-Of-Blades, will do so as well," said the second.

"And I, Leaper-Of-Realities, will do the same," said the third.

"Excellent," said Arbiter-Of-Fates. "Remember - this mission will not be easy. Marcus is a strong Trainer with a strong team, none of which can be underestimated. Bringer-Of-Visions sent him here for a reason. So do not hold back. Utilize all your power - your items, your Trainer moves, your strength and speed - all in conjunction with your natural Herald abilities."

Arbiter-Of-Fates's eyes glinted in the darkness. "With any luck, by tomorrow, Marcus will be dead," she said. "And you know me. With my abilities, that means…"

"…that's a guarantee."

Thus ends the Postwick Arc! As always, please drop a review if you have the time and let me know how the arc turned out. I always enjoy reading them, good or bad!

Next chapter will be...something different. I'll leave you all to ponder what that means until next week! See you then!