Gloria's bout was later in the day, leading Cassius to believe he'd be able to sleep in a bit on the day of. Enjoy the feeling of a mattress, catch up on some much-needed sleep, all that good stuff. Thus, he wasn't in the best of moods when he heard knocking on his door at the wee hour of eight in the morning.

Only some of his early morning irritation evaporated when he saw Hop standing at the door, fully dressed. "Mornin', Cassius!"

"Morning," Cassius mumbled back, confused. "Can I ask why we're up so early?"

"For Gloria, duh!" Hop beamed, Cassius wondering where all this sudden energy was coming from. From what he'd seen, Hop could function fine early in the morning, but as was evidenced when they'd stayed the night at Professor Magnolia's, he was hardly a morning person.

"But... why?" He asked. "Gloria's fight isn't until this evening, and I doubt that she's even up right—"

"Hop!" A familiar voice yelled from next door. "Arse! In 'ere! Now!"

"Never mind," Cassius amended, shutting his mouth. She seemed even more spirited than Hop was right now. Though, she'd probably be receiving a noise complaint or ten.

"Coming!" Hop called back, careful to keep his voice down. He turned back to Cassius. "Come on, you'll see what's up in a sec. Nothing bad, promise."

Hop's definition of bad had shown itself to be quite a bit different than Cassius' version, he had learned since meeting him, but going by Gloria's attitude and Hop's insistence, saying no probably wasn't in the cards. "Can I get changed first?"

"You may," Hop allowed. "Don't know why you're so tired anyhow. We've woken up much earlier than this on the road."

Yeah, but that was the road. Where he slept in a portable sleeping bag within a tent situated on top of dirt or grass. He'd been enjoying a dreamless sleep in a heavenly bed the league was paying for when Hop had knocked. "The road doesn't give me a king-sized bed," he settled for saying. "Give me five."

"See ya in a bit," Hop grinned as Cassius closed the door. Sighing, the Unovan freshened up, found a clean change of clothes, and readied himself to indulge a likely hysterical Gloria at eight in the morning.

The door to her room had been propped ajar for him, Cassius closing it fully behind him as he entered. Hop still wore a pleasant smile on his face, while Gloria looked impatient. "Took you long enough," she snorted.

"Good morning to you too," Cassius yawned, far too tired to deal with her right now. "So, what's up?"

"Here ya go," Hop handed him something in his hand in lieu of explaining. It was a small glass, with a clear liquid inside. "Careful, don't drop it."

"Water?" Cassius asked, bringing the glass to his nose and taking a whiff. The strong liquid stench that assaulted his nostrils almost made him lose his grip. "Hrk—not water."

"Quit your greetin'," Gloria scoffed. "S'only eighty proof anyway. Hardly the strong stuff."

Eighty proof of what? "Is this... liquor?"

"Vodka, yes," Hop clarified happily.

Cassius took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. "Vodka. Okay, sure. Why not?"

Hop gave him an encouraging smile. "If it makes you feel better, it's only a shot."

"I wanna know why we're taking shots to begin with," Cassius requested, eyeing the shot glass in his hand warily.

Hop obliged. "Well... Gloria and I have a bit of a tradition, the day of each big match we've ever fought in for the past... oh, I dunno, two years?"

"Two 'nd a half," Gloria corrected.

"Two and a half years, where we'll take a quick shot before a fight. Nothing crazy, just a little good luck ritual. Helps to settle the nerves a bit, you know?"

"No, I don't know." Cassius wasn't going to let Hop get away with thinking that what he said was completely normal. "And for the last two and a half years? So you were what, fifteen or sixteen when you started doing this?"

"Definitely fifteen," Gloria clarified.

"Where did you even get a handle?" Cassius spotted a tall bottle of the liquor atop Gloria's nightstand, because of course she'd put it somewhere easily within arm's reach. "You're a celebrity. Literally everyone knows you're eighteen!"

"Ah, forgot you're Unovan," Gloria shook her head, almost pityingly. "You 'nd those awful drinkin' laws. Here in the civilized world, the drinking age's eighteen."

Cassius was ready to retort, before realizing that Gloria was completely right. "Oh." He'd completely forgotten about that. He could go to a bar, or a liquor store, and get whatever he wanted, and no one would bat an eye. The thought was, ironically, very sobering.

Hop patted him on the shoulder comfortingly. "I know, it hit me hard too. We're gettin' old, man."

Ignoring that awful (and false) revelation, Cassius eyed the glass in his hand, before turning to Gloria once more. "So, what, you just called room service asking for a bottle?"

"First handle's complimentary for all gym challenge participants of legal age, apparently," Gloria explained. "Be criminal of me not to take a free one." Well, at least now Cassius knew why Gloria sounded so belligerent last night.

Noticing the nervous expression on his face, Hop offered a smile. "Hey, you don't have to if you don't wanna."

Cassius seemed to war with the idea for a few moments, before sighing slowly. "Fine, whatever. I guess if I'm legal, then it couldn't hurt."

The three huddled around each other, careful not to spill their glasses. "Can I at least get a... what did you call it, a chaser or something?"

"It's just a shot," Gloria rolled her eyes. "Be a man."

"You were the one who told me about that stuff!" Also, it definitely wasn't just a shot. Cassius was no expert, but he didn't think shot glasses were supposed to be filled to the very brink.

Hop raised his shot. "To Gloria's victory!"

"To me," Gloria said simply.

The two turned to Cassius, waiting for his toast. "You guys are alcoholics," he settled on saying. A clink, and the trio knocked their respective glasses back.

Cassius only barely managed to down his shot without gagging. Even then, he shivered slightly as the warm liquid scorched his throat on the way down, and pooled together into his stomach. The feeling was hardly pleasant. "Ugh."

Gloria shook her head. "Would expect nothin' less from someone who likes hard seltzers."

"Literally one of the first things I ever told you was that I thought vodka was gross," Cassius argued. A sudden thought came over him. "Wait, are you even allowed to fight if there's any alcohol in your system?"

"Unless you show up pure steamin', doubt they'd disqualify anyone before their match and risk losin' money for it." Gloria didn't seem to care about the potential repercussions at all. "'Sides, I'm havin' just the shot. It'll probably be outta my system by the time I take the pitch."

Because of course she'd thought this through. "I don't even know why you'd take the risk for something as nasty as vodka."

"It's an acquired taste. Maybe if you weren't so addicted to fruity piss, you'd be able to stomach actual quality."

As their banter continued, Hop only nodded his head, noticing how the nerves in Gloria's body language and tone seemed mostly gone. Something told him it wasn't solely due to the liquor. "I've gotta good feelin' about today."

The rest of the day passed far too quickly for Cassius' liking, even if he'd managed to fall back asleep after his rude awakening this morning. Before long, it was evening, and he found himself inside the Turffield stadium with Hop, watching the young man hype his childhood friend up before she entered the women's locker room.

"Okay," Hop took a breath, his chest rising and falling slowly in a controlled motion. "You ready?"

"Hop, lemme go." Gloria seemed more annoyed than nervous. In fact, she didn't seem nervous at all. Which was probably a good thing. "Keep holdin' me up, and I won't even make it to the pitch."

Hop smiled sheepishly. "I know, I know, it's just... this is your moment! I'm excited for you! And also maybe a teeny bit scared." He took her hands in his. "I know you'll probably do amazing, but I can't help but worry."

Gloria rolled her eyes, though Cassius noticed the faint tinge of red that spotted her cheeks. "You're free to worry all you want, but you'll probably feel proper bummed when I wipe the floor with'um."

"I don't doubt it." Hop finally relented, releasing her hands and stepping back. "Do your best."

"Mhm." Gloria spared Cassius a look. "Any words, muppet?"

Cassius shrugged. "Good luck, I guess."

She snorted. "That it?"

"What more did you want? You don't seem like the type to rely on luck, anyway."

Gloria actually seemed to consider the point for a moment before humming. "Good point. I'd suggest you watch close—not everyone gets a front-row seat to a future champion's first bout."

It was Cassius' turn to roll his eyes. "I'll be sure to take notes."

"Good boy." Noticing the time, Gloria made her way into the locker room. "See you both when I win." She disappeared behind the door, and their trio became a duo.

Hop seemed to let his eyes linger for a moment. Cassius was about to ask if he was okay before the Galar native slapped his cheeks with his palms, shaking his head out of whatever funk he seemed to be in.

"She'll be fine," he said assuringly. Cassius wasn't sure if it was directed at him or if he was talking to himself. Hop didn't seem to linger on it for too long, turning to Cassius. "Shall we?"

One of the many, many perks that came with being a registered challenger were prime seating accommodations. Beyond not having to pay out of pocket for their own seats, designated seating areas had been provided for challengers away from the masses, higher up in the venue. They weren't quite luxury suites, but the way Hop had described them, they were pretty damn close.

After a leisurely elevator ride and a quick confirmation of their challenger status (not that they really needed it; the staff member seemed to recognize them instantly), the pair were led to a wide seating area, with a bar and food stall sectioned off above the seats. The seats themselves were visibly wider than the ones provided for the general audience, and more than that, came with a cupholder, built-in tray, and what looked like a recline feature. Damn near a luxury suite indeed.

Though, Cassius noticed it was mostly empty. "Reckon most of the other challengers are already on their way to Hulbury," Hop estimated, reading his mind. "'Specially the ones who fought earlier in the month. Probably don't have time to waste watchin' us live and in-person, considering the lengthy walk."

Cassius certainly wouldn't complain. At least he wouldn't have dozens of eyes on him as he watched. And beyond that, it was kinda nice to have the place to themselves.

"I'm off to get some grub," Hop made for the stalls. "You wanna come with, or do you wanna find our seats?"

"I'll find a spot for us," Cassius decided. "Could you get me a soda and something filling? Anything's fine."

"Will do!" The two separated, Cassius making his way down to the first row of seats by the railing. Hop probably would have wanted to see his best friend fight from as close a vantage point as he could find.

The one other non-employee in the area was also sitting in the front row, in the second seat from the right. Cassius straightened out a bit as a pair of familiar green eyes found him again. "Heya," Marnie Rosemary drawled, voice small.

"Hey," Cassius waved, for lack of anything else he could think of doing to greet her. He supposed it wasn't a massive shock to see her still here, considering her bout had only been yesterday and she had no pressing need to get to Hulbury soon. "Glad you're well."

"Mhm," Marnie replied, neutral expression set upon him. Crap, was he supposed to initiate a conversation with her?

"I, uh, saw your battle. You were great." For once, he wasn't lying. After trying and failing to go back to sleep following Gloria and Hop's "ritual", he'd browsed the news at his own peril and come across highlights of Marnie's match the day prior. Even calling her performance great might have been an understatement—she'd only lost a single Pokémon. Her Morpeko had absolutely cleaned house.

The Pokémon in question had taken the seat beside her, crossing its arms in smug satisfaction at the praise. Marnie wasn't nearly as big-headed. "Thanks," she replied simply.

Cassius stood around awkwardly for a second or two. Her gaze lingered on him, unchanging. Unblinking. Those few seconds began to stretch into an eternity as she continued to simply stare at him. Quite frankly, it was uncomfortable.

He was just about to excuse himself when she spoke again. He had to strain his ears a bit to hear her. "'Voice gave out. Too much yellin'. Sorry."

"Oh no, you're fine." Now he felt bad forcing a conversation when her throat was obviously sore. It explained the rasp in her voice, at least. "I'll, uh, get out of your hair." He shuffled awkwardly by her, making for the very end of the row, opposite of her. "Congrats again on winning." She nodded in lieu of a response, and Cassius sighed as he took his seat.

Hop found him not too long after, offering his own quick hello to the girl before he sat down beside him. "Here you are. Burger, chips, popcorn and some pop."

Cassius blanched a bit at all the food. "Is this for the both of us?"

"You said you wanted something filling," Hop shrugged, organizing his own food before moving on. "Saw you chattin' up Marnie. Anything you'd like to share with the class?"

"That I'm an awful conversationalist," Cassius muttered, sinking further into his chair as he took a nibble from a fry. Hop probably would have prodded more if the lights hadn't suddenly dimmed throughout the entire stadium.

"Ladies and gentleman!" The public address announcer boomed throughout the stadium. "Welcome to The Turf, for today's headlining Galar League Gym Challenge match! Are! You! Ready?!"

The crowd roared in collective agreement, and Cassius could feel the energy even as high up as he was. "I can't hear you!" The announcer repeated. "I said, are! You! Rrrrready!?"

An even louder response came this time, and that seemed to satisfy the announcer. "Then without further ado, let's introduce our competitors!"

The spotlights, which had been randomly strobing across the crowd, turned and focused on the field entrance opposite of their side of the pitch. "Fighting in the home corner—the humble farmer, finely attuned with all manner of Grass-types! Tough and buff, the people's champion! Number 831, Turffield's very own—Milo Yarrow!"

The man himself leisurely walked out of the tunnel, accompanied by some mild country music that seemed a little tame for a massive sporting event. Still, the crowd cheered wildly at his entrance, loose chants of his name breaking out in pockets of the assemblage.

Milo waved politely, entirely unfazed by the thousands focused on him. He came to a stop on his side of the pitch, tipping his hat toward the crowd. His easy smile never once wavered—he seemed equal parts relaxed and excited.

The spotlights shifted toward the other field entrance. "And the challenger! Hailing from Postwick, she's made a name for herself in junior circuits across the region, and comes in as one of the most highly-touted rookie trainers in her class! Fierce and relentless, her fiery temperance intimidates all in her way! Introducing, for the first time as a professional in the Galar League Gym Challenge and as one of the first trainers sponsored by Champion Leon—number 313, Gloria Victoria!"

Cassius fully expected something loud and intimidating once he saw Gloria exit her tunnel, but the music seemed to do the complete opposite. Something classical, almost gothic, softly poured from the stadium speakers, leaving the crowd murmuring in confusion. Likewise, Gloria's countenance was stony, and almost bored as she made her way across the field to her side of the pitch.

Cassius made to ask Hop what the deal with her entrance music was when the Postwick native started chuckling in disbelief. "Oh, Gloria. Didn't think she'd actually go through with it."

"Go through with what?"

"She'd been warring with what she wanted to do for her first entrance for months, even before she got her endorsement," Hop explained. "She wanted something bold, but she also wanted something unique, and kinda scary. Something people would remember her by."

"And she settled on... classical music?" Cassius asked, confused.

"It's not classical music. Well, it technically is, but that's not the point," Hop corrected. "Those of the older crowd with a discerning ear probably picked it up by now. Says all you need to know about how she thinks this match is gonna go."

Cassius was still lost. "So...?"

Hop shook his head. "It's funeral music."

"Trainers, step forth and shake hands!" The announcer called. The two approached each other at the center circle, and promptly shook heads. Milo was still grinning, clearly excited. Gloria still had yet to reveal anything that wasn't laser focus, even as she returned to her side. "Today's referee is Delman Thomas, fifteen year veteran in the Galar League Gym Challenge. Mr. Thomas, the floor is yours!"

The referee, a stern and aged Black man, was projected upon all the screens in the venue, nodding as the attention was turned to him. His voice projected clearly as he spoke. "Trainers, this will be a one-on-one match between the challenger, Gloria Victoria, and the Turffield Gym Leader, Milo Yarrow. You are allowed up to six Pokémon in this bout, utilizing any six or less Pokémon currently present on your person. You are allowed unlimited timed switches, three battle items, two healing items, one revival item, and any one held item per Pokémon."

Cassius tried to keep track of all the rules as the referee continued. "Any foul play, including attacks purposefully directed at fellow trainers or crowd members, will result in an automatic forfeiture, disqualification in the challenge, and further disciplinary and legal action. Any purposeful attacks or maneuvers deemed detrimental to the long-term health of participating Pokémon, be it your own or your opponent's, will also result in forfeiture and disqualification by the offender. Any actions in line with these violations I would deem questionable will be reviewed by myself and the league review office, and if found guilty of a violation, the offender will be automatically disqualified. Any violation of any of the rules I have just stated will result in a minimum penalty of forfeiture. Trainers, have I made the rules clear?"

"Yes sir," Milo nodded.

"Crystal," Gloria agreed.

"Very good. Trainers, this match will continue until all of one trainer's team has been determined to have been knocked out, or otherwise unable to continue battling. If the decision is too close to make in real time, it will be reviewed and determined by myself and the league review office. If the match result is deemed a Double K.O., victory shall be automatically awarded to the incumbent gym leader." Taking a breath, the ref finally seemed to relax a little. "I want a good, clean fight, you two. If at any point you feel yourself unable to continue, let me know and I'll stop the fight immediately. All good?"

Another round of nods. Mr. Thomas raised his arm. "Then the match may officially begin! Trainers, to your corners!"

The mic cut off as Milo seemed to mouth something toward Gloria. Good luck, or something along those lines. Gloria only nodded, repeating the gesture curtly before making for her corner.

"Trainers, release your first Pokémon!"

The two quickly obliged, two Poké Balls being tossed out almost instantaneously. Milo's was no surprise—a hearty squawk was heard as Milo's Flapple took to the field, rapid beats of its wings keeping it hovering above the ground. It seemed smaller in-person, Cassius thought, though he didn't suppose it took away from the skill and power of it in any way.

"Oh," a surprised sound came from Hop, who was watching Gloria. Following his gaze, Cassius found himself similarly surprised. He'd been certain that Gloria would have led off with Scorbunny, but she'd instead sent out Yamper, who eagerly panted with excitement.

"I was sure she was gonna lead off with Scorbunny," Hop echoed his sentiments. "Seemed more suited for this kind of fight. She must be savin' him for later."

Cassius supposed they'd both find out. Settling in for his first in-person professional Galarian bout, he watched the referee throw his hand down and officially start the match. "Begin!"

"Nuzzle," Gloria immediately called for, and Yamper shot forward like a bullet. Its smaller, pudgier size betrayed its speed, as it quickly closed the distance between it and the Flapple. Cassius noted the sparks of electricity bursting from its tail and its neck fluff.

Milo seemed prepared for such a maneuver. "Flapple, Acid Spray in front of you!" Raising up, Flapple's cheeks puffed before a purple liquid shot from its mouth, coating the ground in front of it with a sickly-looking substance.

"Smart," Hop grimaced. "Trying to keep Yamper off of him. Now she'll probably have to—"

"Jump over it," Gloria commanded coolly.

To the surprise of Hop, and most other viewing patrons, Yamper propelled itself over the shallow purple puddle, its tiny legs not even grazing the hazard. It continued on its warpath toward Flapple, who seemed equally surprised.

"Oh," Milo commented, before quickly adjusting. "Flapple, fly up and hover back! Keep your distance!"

Obeying, the Flapple flapped its wings with even greater fervor, rising a few meters higher in the air—well above Yamper's ability to reach it. Harmlessly flying above its opponent, it reestablished a healthy distance between itself and Yamper.

Still, Gloria was unfazed. And unwilling to change her plan. "Keep chasin' it." Making a wide u-turn, Yamper maintained its pressure and established another beeline toward Flapple.

"Let's try this. Give it a few Acid Sprays, try and cut off Yamper's path!" Milo ordered. More acidic projectiles were discharged, splattered indiscriminately across the space between Flapple and Yamper. Though they would prove hazardous only briefly—the first shot it had sent out had long since evaporated—they would still prove cumbersome for the Puppy Pokémon to maneuver through.

Or at least, that was the thought. Gloria didn't seem to care much either way. "Jump again, and keep evadin'." Another great leap over a puddle, an adept sidestep of another, and Yamper had to make a turn around only one of the sprays. Even then, it barely broke the straight line it had created to reach Flapple, who was still taking necessary time to recover from so many consecutive Acid Sprays.

"That thing is relentless," Hop muttered in awe. Yamper as a species weren't particularly fast, at least to his knowledge, but any Pokémon would seem quick if they made short work of obstacles like Yamper currently was. Was that all they'd been working on together? How else would Yamper look so shifty?

An idea seemed to come to Milo. "Ah! Flapple, let Yamper get close!"

Hop quickly caught onto Milo's scheme. If Yamper was so determined to land a Nuzzle, Milo was going to make Gloria pay for it. Nuzzle would require physical contact—hence Yamper's dogged pursuit after Flapple—giving Milo at least one free shot. And it was plainly obvious which move he'd been trying to land since the beginning of the battle.

"Acid Spray!" Milo shouted once Yamper was in range. Though it seemed like a sure shot, he still kept himself prepared in the event Gloria went for something unexpected.

She did not. "Tank it," she ordered simply. With a bark of affirmation, Yamper executed another leap into the air, right into the coming rain of Acid Spray. Flapple had lowered itself to get a clear, horizontal shot—though Yamper was certainly fast once it hit top speed, judging by the wide turns it had been making throughout its pursuit, it couldn't change direction very well. Especially when it was this close, and in the air.

The crowd roared in approval as the Acid Spray coated Yamper, notching the first landed attack of the match in favor of the gym leader. The celebration was short-lived, however, as Yamper managed to power through the attack and briefly knock Flapple from the air. The small spark on its fluff transferred to the dual Dragon-type.

Both Pokémon felt the secondary effects of the attacks quickly. Upon landing, Yamper shivered as it attempted to shake off the lingering acid on its fur. On the other side, tiny jolts of electricity ran across Flapple, as it regained its bearings and took to the air once more.

"Neither attack did much damage, but I assume that wasn't the goal," Hop noted, Cassius following closely. "Milo's motivation is obvious. With Yamper's special defense lowered, he's going to go for a Twister now to take it out. That's been his bread and butter for most of the challengers he's faced."

He put a hand to his chin. "I can get why Gloria would push so hard to paralyze Flapple, but it's risky to do so at the expense of leaving Yamper so vulnerable to a Twister. Especially when Electric-type attacks are almost entirely ineffective against a dual Dragon-Grass type..."

"Is she normally so risky?" Cassius asked.

"Maybe not quite risky, but... bold's more like it," Hop answered. "She doesn't spend a lot of time staying idle in fights. Constant pressure, constant movement. Some might call that risky, but that's just how she is."

Cassius could believe it. An "offensive pacemaster," he remembered Gloria calling herself. Yamper had been shot out of a cannon the second the ref had started the battle. Thinking back, the most he'd ever seen from her training when he happened upon her was focused on endurance and conditioning. Maybe that was the fundamental backbone of her strategy—constantly keeping her opponents on their back foot.

"Wheel back around it," Gloria commanded. Yamper obeyed, though it was clear the fatigue was finally starting to catch up. As it ran to angle itself in Flapple's peripheral, it was noticeably slower.

Milo noticed, too. "There we are! Flapple, use Twist—"

His order died as Flapple suddenly plummeted to the ground, stiff as a board. Crackles of electricity coursed throughout the Pokémon's body as it remained motionless.

Had it fainted? No... "It's paralyzed," Cassius deduced.

"That was fast," Hop noted, impressed. "Fortunate turn for Gloria, however. Now I imagine she'll go on the offensive..."

Yamper remained rooted to the spot as Gloria called out her next attack. "Tail Whip. Make sure it sees you."

Instead of charging the immobilized Pokémon, Yamper instead sat down, tilted its head, and wagged its tail widely, panting as it did so. It was so innocuous, it was more cute than threatening. Though Flapple continued to struggle mightily against its paralysis, it seemed to relax slightly as Yamper continued to wag its tail innocently.

If Pokémon weren't attacking, they were setting up future attacks with stat or status moves, Cassius recalled. So in this instance, Yamper was... "Is Gloria trying to lower Flapple's defense?"

"That seems to be the case," Hop confirmed. "Though, I thought for sure she'd try and nab Flapple while it was down, especially after all the effort and setup it took to paralyze it in the first place. A Tail Whip at this point isn't gonna do much in the way of shortening the fight, outside of it taking maybe one less hit to knock it out."

"And that's just time she could instead spend hitting it," Cassius figured. Hop nodded. If Gloria's best friend was at a loss, then Cassius had no way to deduce what she was trying to do.

A second current jolted through Flapple, and the Pokémon continued to lay motionless. Still, Gloria maintained her present course. "Keep using Tail Whip. Don't stop 'til it gets up."

"Maybe she's trying to make Electric moves viable," Hop guessed. "Maybe Yamper only knows Electric-type moves, so she's lowering Flapple's defense to make them hit harder. Trying to nullify the natural resistance Flapple has to Electric-type moves."

"Doesn't Yamper know Tackle?" That was a pretty common move, and if his memory served him, Cassius had seen Yamper use the move before. "Couldn't she just use that?"

"We don't know what moves Yamper knows at this point," Hop shook his head. "Maybe she went all in on Electric-type moves to maximize STAB. She could have gotten a hold of an Electric-type TR or TM while she was in town, and taught it to Yamper. Maybe to turn Yamper into some variety of a hard counter Electric-type Pokémon."

"But then why send out Yamper at all if it only knows Electric-type moves?" Cassius didn't understand. "Scorbunny would be the better choice, even if Fire-type moves wouldn't be super effective."

Hop hummed in acknowledgment. "So you would think. Honestly, I'm not sure what she's doing, so long as we don't know what other moves Yamper knows. Nuzzle and Tail Whip are all she—"

He stopped midway. Cassius had been waiting on him to continue, so when he didn't, he turned toward Hop to see if he was alright. A look of realization had dawned on Hop's expression. "Forget everything I said. I know what she's doing."

Flapple finally managed to get itself off the mat (or grass, in this case), returning to its airborne position. Milo put into motion what he'd been setting up from the start. "Alright, here we go! Twister!"

How such tiny creatures could conjure such power, Cassius would never know. The Flapple, which seemed hardly bigger than his forearm, whipped its wings at an even faster pace, creating a tornado similar to the one Cassius had seen in the online database footage he'd watched not too long ago. Though it was small in width, it towered within the battleground, reaching to about the same height as their own private seating area. The crowd seemed to egg it on with their cheers as they watched it form and begin its path of destruction toward Yamper.

Yamper, for its part, looked to want none of that, and neither did Gloria. "Sprint right, don't stop until it fizzles." Yamper agreed, dashing as fast as its little legs would carry it. Though Yamper had recovered some of the wind it had lost from all that prior running around, it still wasn't quite enough to completely outrun the pull of the Twister. Though the Twister dissipated before Yamper received the worst of it, small but high-speeding pellets of dirt picked up by the attack had slammed into Yamper's body, the damage intensified from the prior Acid Spray.

Gloria looked visibly miffed. Briefly cutting off her mic, she seemed to mouth a series of profanities aimed at the Flapple, before quickly adopting a neutral expression once more. "All good, Yamper?" She asked, voice returning. Though battered, Yamper returned to its feet, still in the fight.

Cassius very much doubted Yamper could take much more if only a graze from Twister did all that. "You said you knew what Gloria was planning?" Cassius prodded, turning back to Hop.

Hop nodded. "I should have known from the start. It's so like her, she'd naturally go for the flashiest opening possible. From the moment this fight started, she was aiming to make herself stand out."

That was nice and all, but Cassius still had no idea what he was talking about. "By doing..?"

"Think about everything you know about Gloria. And then, think about how you could make the biggest statement you could in your first fight." Hop grinned excitedly, as if trying to stifle a laugh. "What if she wasn't trying to use Tail Whip to make Electric-moves viable...

"... but rather, make a different move hit really, really hard?"

"Give'um another Tail Whip." Once again, Yamper wagged its tail harmlessly, relaxing Flapple even further. That was three now. Milo knew he was treading on thin ice—defense was never Flapple's strong suit, health even less so. He had to end this now. Wing Attack wouldn't be very effective, Leech Seed was situational, and he'd done all he needed with Acid Spray, which naturally left...

"Twister!" More torrid flapping, and another Twister began to swirl into being. Their last attempt had been a good start, and a direct hit with this Twister would surely finish the job.

A fact Gloria was most aware of. But rather than instruct Yamper to run away again, she opted for a different approach. "Sprint for Flapple, position yourself directly below it as best you can." Barking, Yamper once again got on its horse and dashed toward Flapple, arcing around the infant Twister and rapidly approaching its opponent's position.

Milo wasn't entirely surprised by the unorthodox call, but did mentally credit Gloria for her quick thinking. "Nice idea, but we'll just go over the Twister and force you into it! Flapple, fly up and—!"

The leader paused briefly, seeming to consider something before sighing, still smiling. "Never mind. Just try to shake Yamper as best you can! Get it tired!"

Cassius was having trouble following. "Why did Gloria do that? And why did Milo stop?"

"Man, what a play by Gloria," Hop answered, completely unbiased. "So, how Milo had attacked with Twister before was by having Twister follow Yamper until Yamper couldn't outrun it, and was eventually grazed or hit by it. Gloria noted that, and opted to have Yamper instead follow Flapple, so that Flapple would potentially be hit by its own attack if Twister still honed in on Yamper."

"But then why not fly over it like he said? It sounded like a good idea. Yamper wouldn't be able to follow."

"Normally, yes, but Flapple is paralyzed," Hop reminded. "Say Flapple does as Milo had intended and hovers over its own Twister, but then succumbs to paralysis. Flapple wouldn't be able to fly anymore and would plummet straight down..."

"... right into the Twister," Cassius realized. Wow. "And since Twister's a Dragon-type move, it would be super-effective against itself."

"Correct," Hop grinned. "Paralysis is dangerous for Pokémon that fly. Falling from flying height hurts, especially when it happens repeatedly, and it gives your opponent a free shot while you're down. Add a super-effective Twister to the mix, and Milo's in a tough spot in terms of effective maneuvering. Hovering over it would have been too risky."

On the pitch, Flapple was doing its best to shake Yamper, but the Puppy Pokémon seemed to have just enough in the tank to keep on its trail. Not far behind, the Twister continued to follow Yamper, slowly beginning to dissipate without a lack of direction or continued flapping from Flapple to keep it sustained.

Cassius' eyes widened slightly. "Huh," he murmured. Had Gloria planned that? Or was that just a happy byproduct of her intending to paralyze Flapple from the start? It ate at him, but... not in a bad way.

The Twister dissipated completely, ending the chase. Yamper was gassed once more, panting wildly. Flapple was plenty winded itself, especially after creating two consecutive Twisters and having to outrun the second one. That gave Gloria the opportunity to call out her next attack.

"Tail Whip," she repeated. Once again, more wags of the tail, though the act was decidedly less animated than previous iterations. Still, it did the trick. That was four of them now.

Flapple looked to have caught its breath—which meant it was time to end this. "Alright, here we go!" Milo called out, with finality. "Twister, once more!" With how tired Yamper was, there wouldn't be any way for it to try and tail Flapple like that a second time. Squawking eagerly, Flapple began beating its wings again, a strong current beginning to form in the familiar shape of Twister...

... before fizzling out entirely, as another electric jolt sent Flapple crashing down to the ground again not so gently, paralyzed. "You're kidding!" Milo bemoaned. That was three times now!

For the first time all fight, Gloria's tensely neutral facade broke, as an eager, almost feral glint in her eye gave way to an immediate command. "Now! Get in there!" Obeying, Yamper sprinted with everything it had toward its immobilized target, with an all-out speed it seemed to have been restraining to this point. For this chance.

Cassius watched closely, trying to make sense of it all. What did Gloria being flashy have to do with this? And wasn't lowering defenses just good strategy in general? What statement could Gloria possibly be trying to make, especially now with Flapple so vulnerable—

Vulnerable. She had substantially lowered Flapple's defenses, and paralyzed it to ensure a hit. With a move that hit really, really hard. To make the biggest statement she possibly could. To be bold.

It hit him. "She's trying to take out Flapple in one shot," he realized.

Hop nodded, on the edge of his seat. "Yup."

Barely within a meter now, Milo recognized the imminent danger. "Acid Spray! Buy yourself some time!" Only barely able to move its head, Flapple managed to scrounge up what little acidic bile it could with the strength and energy it had left, desperately spitting it out in the direction of Yamper.

Gloria was prepared. "Roll right!" In perfect step, Yamper rolled its fluffly body sideways, bypassing the weakened projectile while maintaining its momentum. Barely a half second later, and Yamper was right on top of Flapple.

"Use Bite!" Gloria roared, Yamper already opening its jaw to tear into the defenseless Flapple. It was so raw, so visceral—all Milo could do was watch as the Pokémon some had called too overwhelming for the league's first leg of the challenge was left helpless beneath the assault.

As soon as Yamper clamped down, Flapple trillled loudly in pain. Another shriek followed as Yamper's Bite clamped deeper, further into Flapple's thin, worm-like body. Milo feared the worst—it might have been a critical hit. For good measure, Yamper shook its opponent around in its mouth, like it would a toy, before tossing it some ways once the damage had been done, and the move had been finished.

Milo knew as soon as he laid his eyes on Flapple. So did Gloria, as well as the rest of the crowd. Gone were the stadium-wide chants rooting for Milo, collectively urging him on. In its place was a stunned silence, the previously raucous assembly now reduced to a quiet, discomforted murmur.

The referee, Mr. Thomas, was beside Flapple immediately to confirm the obvious. "Flapple has fainted, and is unable to continue. Milo, please prepare to send out your next Pokémon."

Beyond the burst of emotions swirling within Hop—pride in Gloria, smug content at the quieted crowd, and the tiniest bit of sympathy for for Milo and his Flapple—he briefly turned his attention toward Cassius, who had been oddly quiet since coming to realization of what Gloria had been trying to do. For his part, Hop had cheered like mad when the attack landed, but Cassius had remained quiet. Watching more stoically, he presumed.

It was anything but stoic, Hop discovered. Cassius was leaning forward in his seat, mouth slightly agape. His hands were clenched tightly in his lap, knuckles, nearly white. Food forgotten, Cassius looked about ready to leap over the railing to get a better look at the aftermath of what had just happened.

What was most telling, though, were his eyes—wide, unblinking, and locked squarely onto the battlefield. Hop recognized the look, because that had been him once. After the first time he'd watched Lee during his challenge, when he'd watched his older brother lay waste to his first opponent to open the circuit. Hop remembered being unable to tear his eyes away from it all, thinking how lucky he was to watch someone command a Pokémon battle the way Lee had in person.

It was ironic, then, that Cassius was experiencing the same thing not from a sibling or idol, but from someone he'd been bickering with for weeks and had only recently managed to get on decent terms with. But Hop supposed it didn't matter, in the end. You couldn't help that feeling when it hit you. It just kind of happened.

That feeling of awe, and inspiration. That feeling of falling in love with a new sport for the first time.

Hey, everybody! Hope you're all well.

Again, sorry for the long wait. It's been a crazy few months since the last update (graduated, moved back home, got a job, etc.), but I'm settled in now and writing again. I managed to update some other stories in the meanwhile, but I wanted to really spend time making this chapter as good as I possibly could. Beyond it being the first circuit battle, it's hugely important for reasons I'm sure you already picked up on.

Writing action is hard, man. Incorporating aspects of Pokémon battling from the games and manga and anime means there's a lot of freedom involved in writing, and you're really only limited by your own imagination (which can be a good or bad thing). With Gloria, I wanted to make her first battle as true to her character as possible—which meant having her go out of her way to humiliate her opponent by one-shotting their strongest Pokémon. After all, insta-killing opposing Pokémon is a pretty big deal (and pretty fun to do in games), so I tried to imagine how it would be like if it were to happen in a real-life setting. You'll see the effects of her doing so in the next chapter.

Most of all, I hope you enjoyed the fight (the first of many!). I want these to be more than dodge, attack, dodge—I wanna get creative with these. The best fights showcase the traits, motivations and flaws of the characters within them, and I hope to convey that throughout the rest of the challenge.

Next update will happen soon. Certainly sooner than this one (I know I said that last time, but this time I mean it!). Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope to see you all next time.

~Slalem