I blinked rapidly, trying to reorient myself from that bout of teleport. Then, as I finally managed to right myself, I'm immediately struck dumb by the sight. We're standing right in front of the Motostoke Stadium, the first time I'd seen a stadium in real life, and it's huge, forcing me to crane my neck to take it in. The double doors were massive, easily big enough to fit a Gyrados through, above which the Galarian league symbol was proudly displayed. The center of the stadium seemed to erupt even further upwards, making it even more imposing, while towards both sides, large plumes of smoke came out of piping from the top, keeping with the fire type theme of the gym.
I went through the doors and was completely taken aback by the sheer volume of people crowding the room. Most of the people had pokeballs on their belts, but I spotted several harried-looking people wearing black and white uniforms and sunglasses, whom I assumed were Galarian league employees. I went up to one and informed her of my name, and she frowned down at her tablet, before directing me to an official near the back. As I walked over, I take in the sight of the stadium. This official had the Indigo League symbol printed on the back of his shirt, and seemed to know exactly who I was once I walked up to him.
"Hello, Lily!" he said cheerfully, confirming that he knew who I was. "My name is Sam, and I'm the Indigo League representative who'll be taking care of all of our endorsed trainers. We'll just need to wait a moment for everyone to arrive."
Then, he gestured to 2 trainers near him, a blond boy and a tall brunette girl, before busying himself with a tablet.
"These two arrived here just before you, so feel free to have a chat while we wait," he said, and I smiled at him in thanks before I turned to the other two trainers.
"Hey, I'm Lily, as you already heard," I said, trying to sound as friendly as possible. "It's nice to meet you!"
"Hi! I'm Alexa!" The tan girl, Alexa, shook my hand excitedly, which helped to calm my nerves.
"I'm Zach," the blond boy said, less cheerful but still friendly, and we shook hands.
"Where are you from?" Alexa jumped in immediately with the question, and I relaxed even further. I had a feeling she would have no trouble keeping up the conversation, saving me from having to awkwardly fumble about.
"Johto. What about you guys?" I asked, with genuine curiosity. I wondered if I could guess who they were related to, since I assumed everyone was related to someone relevant to cannon.
Alexa seemed to wilt at my response and Zach shook his head a little. I'm immediately confused. Were they xenophobic?
"Oh, Zach and I were talking about the wait, since we thought everyone would be arriving here at similar times. We found out that we're both from Kanto, so we thought that maybe the people from Johto would be later," Alexa said, correctly picking up on my confusion. "Do you have any ideas?" Her curiosity shone through.
"I mean, I think we teleported a minute or two later than expected, since we got a bit carried away with the goodbyes," I said, shrugging, "Have you guys been waiting long?"
"Then that's probably not it," Alexa said, with a laugh, "since my parents definitely spent a long time crying and rechecking my bag."
"Yeah, we only spent a minute or two, too. Maybe everyone left at different times?" Zach asked, and that was a good theory, but then we found out that all of us had left at similar times.
"Maybe they're just running late," Alexa finally concluded. "I knew I had more time to pick a different outfit. Wait till I tell my mom. She insisted on getting there before the Alakazam!"
"You really didn't since I arrived before you. I think the others are just really late. Do you guys know who any of the others are?" Zach asked.
"Nope," I said, shaking my head. "I feel like they kept it pretty closed-lipped."
"Yeah, my parents had no idea," Alexa added, "I mean, maybe we'll recognize one of them."
"If they ever get here," Zach said, jokingly, and we all laughed. "I was wondering why we weren't meeting with the chairman immediately, since I figured they'd want us to get started on our gym challenge right away, but I think it's starting to make sense."
"I heard he's sponsoring one of the other trainers this year," Alexa said conspiratorially, and I felt like I had struck gold. I was determined to learn what I could about Rose, despite having no clue what to do about him being crazy.
"That's the whole point of the gym challenge, right?" Zach said, somewhat dismissively. "Everyone's sponsored by someone in Galar."
"The thing is, everyone who the chairman endorses wins," Alexa said, her voice now a whisper. Zach immediately looked much more interested.
"He did endorse the champion. And a lot of the gym leaders," I said, before asking, "Do you know who he's sponsoring?"
"No," Alexa said regretfully, "Although once everyone registers today, we should be able to see on GGC." GGC, short for Galar Gym Challenge, was an app that had information on every trainer participating in that year's gym challenge, along with their corresponding jersey number, number of badges, and scheduled matches. This made it easy for fans and rivals alike to track a trainer's progress. The app had everything, including forum pages to discuss various trainers, published sports betting odds and polls for matches, and all scheduled dates (such as for gym matches and tournament entries) for each trainer, so that fans can buy tickets right there on the app. It was a very useful and convenient tool, although I didn't know how I felt about being so visible.
"It's going to feel strange that everyone can see our progress," I said, and I could see the others felt the same way.
"I'm more freaked out by the idea of having fans," Zach said, lowly. "Did you guys see some of the people outside? Dressed like the trainers?"
"I didn't really notice, I came straight in," Alexa replied. "but I don't think I'd mind that part too much. I'm more worried about how much harder the Galar League is compared to the Indigo one."
"I didn't really look around either, but I can't imagine having fans. Also, battling in front of so many people," I said, and Zach nodded in commiseration. "But, yeah, from what I heard, the gym challenge will be harder."
"I think a lot of them will be experienced trainers, either having spent time in the Minor League circuit, or returning to the Major circuit," Zach pointed out.
Before we could continue the conversation, Sam suddenly started speaking.
"Oh! That's everyone!" Sam said, waving over. I followed his line of sight and see him motioning to what looked like a group of five. Did they all know each other? I traded an anxious look with Alexa.
"Hello!" Sam said once the group drew closer. I could pick out three guys and two girls, all our age. "I'm Sam and I'm the Galar League representative who'll be taking care of all of you trainers endorsed by the Indigo League."
"You'll all get a chance to introduce yourselves later, but for now, let's get started, since our day is extremely packed. To start off, I'd like to extend a big congratulations to all of you! Due to your hard work, talent and initiative, you have all been chosen to represent the Indigo League. Your work this year will help bring your league visibility and to foster cooperation with the Galar League! Moreover, you will hopefully make lifelong friendships, both amongst yourselves, and with the people of Galar. You will be exposed to a completely new culture, so the League hopes you will take this opportunity to immerse yourselves in this rich region, making the most of all the sights, experiences and even Pokémon that are all unique to Galar!"
We all nodded along, drawn in by the passion in Sam's voice. I felt myself getting even more excited, and looking around, I saw the same excitement reflected in everyone's faces. I could see why Sam had been chosen to welcome us.
"Some of the information I'm going to go over is in your welcome packet, but there's no harm in repeating. Basically, we'll be spending the day getting you set up for the gym challenge. This will include your registration, picking up your uniform, getting your League cards, and going to the hotel. Tomorrow will be the opening ceremony, and afterwards, the chairman will be offering his own welcome to all of you. After that, you're free to start your adventure!"
"Now, all of you will first sign up for the gym challenge and pick your official number. This will be the number you will be known by, through the course of this gym challenge and perhaps even beyond." Sam pointed at a counter, where a lady in full sportswear and sunglasses was sitting behind a computer.
"Please line up, and once you're done, come right back here."
The eight of us filed into a line, with me naturally falling into step with Alexa and Zach. I looked around, noticing that every other counter had a line. I guess there were some perks to being endorsed by the Indigo League. The three boys all looked pretty different, with one guy in particular standing out due to his lilac hair.
"I'm Daisy," a pretty brunette said, offering us all a wave. Her face looked so familiar. Daisy? Like Daisy Oak? Or Daisy, like the Cerulean gym leader Daisy? Either one was concerning, since I suspected some good battling prowess.
"Daisy? Oh! You're Professor Oak's granddaughter, right?" Alexa asked, her eyes lit up in recognition. Well, that answered that question. Daisy blushed. I could tell she'd been hoping no one would make the connection. I was immediately more nervous, knowing her grandfather had been champion himself. At the very least, she probably inherited some of his world-renowned genius.
"Yes," she said, bashfully. "I'm sorry, you look really familiar, I'm just bad with faces."
"Oh, we've never been introduced. I just saw you at one of my dad's events," Alexa said, waving her hand, "I'm Alexa! My dad works for Silph Co. so I think he sees your grandfather a lot."
By the time we all introduced ourselves, with the girl next to Daisy introducing herself as Astoria, it was my turn to sign up.
I was asked for my temporary trainer card, so I handed over the thin metal card, and the lady behind the counter gave me a form. It had my trainer ID number already printed out at the top, but it also had several empty sections, such as "Preferred name", "Jersey number", and spots to sign my initials consenting to having my image publicized and used, and that the League was not responsible for any harm, etc. Typical stuff no one read. I contemplated the "Preferred name", before deciding to drop my last name. Lance's Dragonite had been a monster right from the start, even as a Dratini, and after everything I'd learned about the Dreepy line, I was hoping to avoid comparison as much as I could. Mischief and his six moves did not need any additional scrutiny, thank you very much.
For the number, I chose 445, mostly because a lot of the other numbers had been taken, but it was also a nod to the routes Blackthorn City was located between. It also served the purpose of making me less guilty about dropping my last name. There was also a section to circle which kinds of sponsors we'd be open to or against, but I just circled "open to all" since I didn't know enough about Galar to have a strong opinion on any company. Well, except for Chairman Rose's, but I couldn't very well write that. After I finished and handed over my form, I waited a few minutes before she handed over a different card and a circular transparent case, which I recognized as the official badge case. The card was my League card, the Galar equivalent of a trainer card. It had just Lily printed on it, and my jersey number and trainer ID. I scanned it with my phone and uploaded it to my digital wallet.
"You'll be showing the card, either in physical or digital form, at pokemon centers and stadium registrations to verify that you are an endorsed participant in the league challenge," the lady said, blandly. I didn't blame her, considering she must be sick of the speech by now. I nodded politely to show I understood and tucked both items away into my backpack.
I went to stand with the group, most of whom were already done. I learned that the three other boys were named Will, Blake and Eric, but we didn't get to have much of a conversation. Once all of us were done, Sam got our attention again.
"Alright, congratulations on officially joining the gym challenge! Now, I'll take you guys to the uniform shop. You'll be wearing the uniforms for the League card photos and tomorrow, along with during your gym challenges."
This was my first real look at Motostoke, with its beautiful brick exteriors and interesting layout. Unlike Blackthorn City, which was naturally divided into levels through its rough and rocky terrain, Motostoke's divide seemed much more manmade, with stairs and even elevators to take you between the 2 main levels of the "square" we were in. Sam told us that the city was built in such a way that most trainers never explored much of Motostoke besides the square, since all areas of interest were located inside of it, including two pokemon centers and the stadium. There was also a train station and exits to go to various routes and the famed Wild Area.
Inside the uniform shop was a variety of clothes, almost overwhelming in the selection of colors and styles available. Most of it, however, was for fans, rather than for gym challenge trainers who were required to wear the same uniform. I picked up the white jersey and shorts in my size.
They're able to get my name and number printed on it instantaneously, and I noticed I'm not the only one to opt out of having my last name printed. I don't see everyone's, but I know Alexa and Zach both opted out too. In any case, it made sense, since clan or town names were more prevalent in Indigo, with last names generally not being as widely known or used.
After we were done, Sam gathered us again.
"Great! Now we'll head to the pokemon center to make your League cards. These are like the League card you already have, except you can give them out and collect them from friends, fans and rivals alike. It won't have any of your private information on it, of course." That just sounded extremely confusing, to have two version of your League cards, but I figured it was fairly easy to judge when to give which one.
We went into the pokemon center, where we changed into our uniforms. It was interesting to see just how plain we all looked now that we were dressed exactly alike. I understood now why some trainers opted for eye catching hair styles and accessories. It was hard to stand out otherwise.
Sam led us into a room, which had kiosks lined up, and four different photo taking stations, all Rotom powered.
"The way this works is you go to a photo taking station and scan your League card. This will allow you to take photos. Once you finish, the photo you select should be stored into your phone. Then, you'll scan your League card again at the kiosk, where you can make your new League card. Trainers are encouraged to regularly update their League cards! And always make sure to have a lot on hand. For now, you should each print out a hundred."
A hundred? I couldn't imagine that many people wanting my photo. But all of us dutifully go to the photo taking stations.
I went into my digital wallet, pulling up my current League card, noting that it contained a lot of information. It had my total balance, number of pokemon, along with a small image of Mischief, number of pokemon I was allowed to have on me (6), endorser, and gym badges. It also had an empty background, where my new photo would go. I scanned it, before taking my place in front of the green screen.
I was kind of nervous since I wasn't exactly the most photogenic. After taking a few, I finally settled on one where I'm holding my pokeball in one hand like I'm about to toss it up, smiling confidently towards the camera. I'd practiced my smile more times than I'd care to admit, hoping to make it muscle memory for when I inevitably froze up in the stadium.
After I was done, I went over to a kiosk. On my way, I noticed I'm the first of the four to leave. Alexa, who was naturally bubbly, was clearly having fun, taking picture like she's a model. I shot her a thumbs up, before turning back to the kiosk which displayed a mockup of my new League card. The front of my card was the image I'd just taken, along with 445 on the lower left side. I chose a plain white background. The back, however, was empty. There were several different templates, and I settled on a plain purple one, before customizing it. In the end, I had 2 "fun facts" about myself, and a message at the bottom. "My starter is Mischief, who loves razz berries", "I'm from Johto, and am so excited to start my adventure in Galar!", and "Thank you for following my journey! I can't wait to see you guys at the Champion's Cup!". Yes, I was very aware that there was nothing "fun" about my facts. I was also aware that I'd used entirely too many exclamation points to make up for the dullness of the content.
I resigned myself to it, justifying my laziness with the fact that I could always make a new one later. I saw that two of the boys, Zach and Blake, were still waiting their turn.
I went over to join them, and we made some small talk. Blake was also from Johto, and he was very proud of it. He was also very certain he was going to collect all eight badges with little trouble. I mostly tuned his bragging out, but Zach was having a much harder time, sending jabs at him, which devolved into them just one-upping each other. I looked around, hoping someone else would come and hopefully defuse the argument. Luckily, that was right when Astoria finished with her photos, and Zach surged up to take her place, much faster than Blake. Blake sent Zach a contemptuous look, and I turned away, rolling my eyes. First day and people were already making rivals.
At the very least, I felt much better about my own photos when I saw the boys' efforts. I could tell that the other girls, who were all finished, also agreed. Zach was attempting to give the camera a harsh glare, but mostly managed to look constipated. Alexa and I exchanged questioning looks, holding in our laughter.
He might be a fighting type trainer, I mused, or a rock type, given the image he was projecting. Alexa showed me her League card, and when I complimented Alexa on how good she looked, she told me she'd always wanted to be a coordinator. Honestly, it seemed to fit her personality more. At this, Daisy jumped in, telling her she also wanted to be a coordinator and they were off, talking about Wallace's latest exhibition.
Finally, the boys finished, and we were gathered around holding our finished League cards. I held the hundred copies I had rather doubtfully, wondering how I was going to get rid of them all. Surely a hundred different people weren't going to want it.
That thought died a fast death, as all eight of us started exchanging cards and I was left with 93. That was fast. I hadn't come prepared with a card case, and neither had anyone else, so we all lined up to buy one at the main reception room of the Pokémon center. This time, there was no conversation while standing in line since we were all too busy perusing each other's information. From what I could tell, sexism was alive and well, since the boys seemed like more serious competitors than the girls, although I wasn't discounting any of the girls yet, especially Daisy. There was a reason the upper echelons of battling were so male dominated. The Blackthorn clan was a great example, having a strong preference for male trainers when giving out the best Dratini.
I didn't think any of us gleaned much from the back of the cards, since most of them just said stuff about loving battling or being excited to be in Galar or, most commonly, both. My thought at the uniform shop, that most people dropped their last names, was proven correct. No one had included theirs.
One of the trainer cards niggled at my mind. Will had lilac hair and I felt like I knew him from somewhere. I had the sinking suspicion that Will might be the future Elite 4 Will. He didn't wear a black mask, though, so until I saw him battling, I couldn't be completely certain.
Once we're all finished with our badge cases, we head to the Budew Drop Inn, an imposing hotel with gold statues and grand stairways. The best part? It's free. The Galar league subsidizes all trainer's stays at Pokemon Centers throughout the challenge, along with offering discounts on Pokemon related items and services such as on potions, daycare, and even less expected things, like Machamp moving.
So, we flashed our newly upgraded League cards, and got assigned room numbers. I noticed that we all got individual rooms, which meant that this hotel was big. Over 150 rooms for the challengers alone, not counting any of the fans, security, or officials.
"It's been a pleasure meeting all of you! Get some good rest tonight!" Sam says, "I'll meet all of you after the opening ceremony at the stadium lobby, where I'll take you to meet Chairman Rose. The ceremony preparations start at 7 am sharp, don't be late!"
We all say goodbye as he leaves.
AN: I got a bit confused trying to explain, since the league card the trainer uses as their ID and the league card they give out all fall under the same name in the games, but hopefully it came off alright. As always, favourite, follow and review if you're up for it!