A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Pokemon Shuffled Journeys! I know it's been a bit since the last update but I've been working on several other fics as well while keeping this going. As of this point I have 4 stories I'm presently working on including Shuffled Journeys. Those stories are as follows:
Pokemon: Shuffled Journeys (this fic)
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Hacker's Memory-The Amasawa Files (Digimon fic, basically my attempt at writing up Hacker's Memory in fanfiction form. Mainly told from Keisuke's POV with some exceptions. Basically Hacker's Memory retold with more Keisuke focus and a bit more emphasis on KeisukexErika among other pairings)
Digimon Data Squad Redux (rewrite) (As the name implies, a rewrite of my old Digimon Data Squad redux fanfic but massively overhauled to flow better and not fly so sharply in the face of canon Data Squad)
A Mine Is A Terrible Thing to Waste Redux (rewrite) (Again, as the name implies, a rewrite of one of my old one-shots, but as a multi-chapter story)
I may or may not resume some of my other older fics as well if I think I can pull it off later on but for now those four I listed will be my main focuses (though I DID say awhile back I had plans to resume Frozen II) until I get them further along. That being said, let's focus back on Shuffled Journeys!
To that end, thanks once again to Skitty4 for her review on chapter 4 (again not required but greatly appreciated. But to what you said in your review about me having the group defeat Brielle, Bob and Guv every time, that's not strictly true given that they defeated Hop at least once already.), and to the guest reviewer called Mighty Ranger 1, who left a review on chapter 6! Again, because it's a guest, I have to reply to it in here so let's get that review pasted real fast! The review is written as follows:
Is this version of iris of character that's named iris or is it actually her from the anime series just bit confused if it's actually her from the anime or just a oc character that has the same name also fantastic job on the story so far looking forward to seeing what will happen as we go forward have a good day
First off, YES, this 'version of Iris' as you put it is actually Iris from the anime. I don't know WHERE you got the idea Iris would EVER be an OC. Second of all thanks for the praise on the story. Glad to see I'm doing stuff right with it. If I'm being honest, I appreciate the feedback. That being said, since I only had those two reviews, and not much else to speak on...actually that's not quite true. I do think I need to mention the fact that I have literally ZERO votes on my current poll.
I know it's just to determine if I do Shuffled Journeys as a singular fanfic that covers all regions in one story OR if I make Shuffled Journeys into a multi-story series, with one story for each region, but I'd have hoped I got at least SOME votes. Otherwise I'm taking the lack of votes to mean there's no preference one way or the other. I'd prefer to have your opinions though so do vote on that poll. It'll be up until at least the 17th aka Sunday (it's currently Friday the 15th as I type this opening A/N) but if no one votes in the next two days I reserve the right to extend the poll an extra week.
And speaking of polls, thanks to everyone who voted on the harem poll I had up previously! That poll HAS closed since the previous chapter and the final tally was 5-5-5-2-1-0-0-0! I won't say who won for now but know your input was received and helped me out tremendously in shaping Ash's harem in this series. I will say that one of the five girls who was a lock for his harem MIGHT (keyword MIGHT) be swapped out given what I did with Ash and Gloria's moms in the previous chapter (for anyone who read chapter 6, you know exactly what I'm referring to) but I'm undecided on that at the moment. That said, NOW on with chapter 7!
Chapter 7- Surprises in Motostoke! Let the Gym Challenge Begin!
(Viridian Forest, in the Kanto region, Leaf and Gary)
"Remind me again why I agreed to go with you through this forest, Gary?" Leaf asked Gary as she rolled her eyes. Gary smirked at Leaf.
"Simple. It's the fastest way to get to Pewter City. Besides, the path to the Rock Tunnel entrance was blocked off anyways by bushes so this was really the only option. So there wasn't really a choice to be had in the matter. Why? Scared?" Gary said teasingly as Leaf huffed.
"Not likely. Just annoyed at how long this forest is. And frankly there's not even that many Pokemon in here. All I've seen so far are Caterpies and Weedles. I thought there were Pikachus and even the Nidorans as well and some of the Pidgey evolutionary line?" Leaf replied. Gary shrugged.
"Last I heard, Pikachu are ridiculously rare in this area. As for the other ones you listed, I've never seen Nidorans in this forest, but I have seen them in the routes out of either exit of this forest. And Pidgeys ARE here, but not as common as they usually are. So that one I'll give you should be here." Gary replied after a moment. Not long after he said this, the grass near Gary and Leaf rustled, and out leapt a pair of Pokemon, both of which were birds. However, one was considerably bigger and taller than the other. The shorter bird was brown with a cream underbelly, pink feet with claws, and small wings. The taller bird was similar to the smaller one but had a pink crest of feathers on her (Leaf could tell the taller bird was a girl from the more dainty way it'd leapt out of the bushes) head. Gary pulled out his Pokedex and analyzed the birds starting with the smaller one.
"Pidgey, the Tiny Bird Pokemon. Very docile. It will often kick up sand to protect itself rather than fight back. For this reason, Pidgey are often the first Pokemon beginner trainers look to catch. Normal/Flying type." Gary's Pokedex read out before analyzing the taller bird.
"Pidgeotto, the Bird Pokemon. Normal and Flying type, and the evolved form of Pidgey. This Pokemon is full of vitality. It constantly flies around its large territory in search of prey. When it finds it, it dives out of the sky and uses its sharp claws to capture it. For that reason, unlike it's pre-evolution Pidgey, Pidgeotto can be dangerous. Extreme caution is recommended when approaching a Pidgeotto as a result." Gary's Pokedex read out as Gary and Leaf looked at each other before each picking a target (Pidgeotto for Gary and Pidgey for Leaf) and sending out their starters.
"NIDORAN (M)/(F), GO!" Gary and Leaf said as they threw their Poke Balls, releasing their starters who stared down Pidgey and Pidgeotto.
"Nidoran (F), use Tail Whip followed by Scratch on Pidgey!" Leaf called out as her Nidoran (F) whipped her tail around to lower Pidgey's defense before slashing across Pidgey's torso with her claws, causing considerable damage.
"Nidoran (M), use Focus Energy into Leer, then follow up with Peck on Pidgeotto!" Gary called out as his Nidoran (M) seemed to both tense up and slightly flex then glared at Pidgeotto to drop her defense before ramming forward with his horn in a pecking motion as it made direct contact, sending Pidgeotto sliding back a bit, glaring at Nidoran (M). Eventually Leaf and Gary exchanged a look, nodded and readied empty Poke Balls aiming for their respective birds.
"GO, POKE BALL!" Gary and Leaf shouted in unison as they tossed the balls at Pidgeotto and Pidgey respectively, hitting the birds and sucking them in in flashes of red light. The two balls then rocked back and forth for a bit, Pidgeotto's more aggressively than Pidgey's as she was fighting against her capture, but in the end both balls went still with twin 'ding's to signify the captures were successful. Gary and Leaf nodded to each other and exchanged a high-five as they picked up the Poke Balls containing their first captures. Without another word, the two kept walking through Viridian Forest after recalling their starters, both planning out how best to bring the full potential out of their new Pokemon.
(Meanwhile, back in Galar, with Ash and friends)
"Wow, so this is Motostoke. I thought it'd be smaller." Ash said as he and his friends gaped at the gate to Motostoke, eventually walking into the city after being given clearance to do so by the guards posted at the gate. After that they looked around unsure where to go, until they heard their names being called nearby, the group turning as one to see the speaker. To their surprise, it was Leon calling their names!
"Good, I see you lot made it. Not as fast as I'd have liked but still you made good time to a point." Leon said. Hop frowned.
"Yeah, there's just the problem of you not warning us the train derails at the Wild Area, Lee. That slowed us down a bit." Hop pointed out.
"But at least it wasn't a total waste. Most of us got new Pokemon out of the deal, after all." Gloria pointed out with a smile, Iris returning the smile. Hop shrugged.
"That's true, but I wasn't trying to single out Ash by saying that." Hop said, as Ash shrugged.
"Nah, it's fine. I know I didn't catch anything in the Wild Area. But I already have two Pokemon in Pikachu and Rolycoly so it's not like I'm falling behind or anything just yet." Ash replied offhandedly. Iris rolled her eyes.
"True, but don't forget Pikachu is your brother's Pokemon. You're merely looking after him for Red. You said that yourself." Iris pointed out helpfully.
"Good point Iris. Nevertheless, I get a feeling I'll get my first legitimate capture when the time is right." Ash said seeming unconcerned about his lack of actual captures to this point. After all, it's still early in the journey. Leon shrugged.
"Fair enough. Now then, if you head straight down that path behind me, you'll come to an elevator of sorts that if you ride it up to the top, you'll be next to the Motostoke Stadium, which if you go there, you can get fully registered for your Gym Challenge. At that time, you'll be given everything you need for your Gym Challenges from your uniforms, your jersey numbers, your Challenger Bands, and all that. So do be sure not to get lost. Oh, and before I forget, these are for you guys." Leon said, holding out three purplish-pink objects shaped like stars.
"What are these?" Ash asked Leon, frowning. Iris and Hop facepalmed as they remembered Ash wouldn't know.
"They're called Wishing Stars, Ash. They're the key to unlocking a great power for your Pokemon. You see, here in Galar, Pokemon are able to undergo a transformation called Dynamaxing once per battle where they grow to massive size for a short time. Keep in mind this transformation is only temporary. And in some special cases, Pokemon can even undergo a rarer phenomenon called Gigantamaxing where in addition to growing to massive size, the Pokemon's appearance changes slightly to accomodate the Gigantamax form. And it's funny I'm talking about this with you four, because one of you has a full team of Pokemon capable of Gigantamaxing." Leon said, looking specifically at Ash as he said this. Hop frowned in thought.
"Actually, if you think about it, most of Gloria's team is also Gigantamax-capable, Lee." Hop pointed out thoughtfully.
"It is?" Leon asked in surprise.
"Yep. In addition to Eevee who if you recall is Gloria's starter, she recently caught a Rookidee. And if I recall correctly, it's final evolution, Corviknight, can Gigantamax." Hop said to Leon. Iris laughed.
"How funny is it that out of our group of four, the two who DON'T have G-Max capable Pokemon are the two related to Leon?" Iris said laughing and ignoring the frowns Hop and Leon directed at her. Ash nodded.
"That is interesting. But at the same time, it's still early so you two could still catch Gigantamax-capable Pokemon before our journey is done. So be patient." Ash remarked. Leon and Gloria blinked at Ash in surprise at his remark.
"That's true, I suppose. But since when are you our voice of reason?" Iris asked, only half-joking. Ash shrugged.
"I dunno. But someone's gotta do it I suppose." Ash said thoughtfully. Leon nodded.
"I suppose I shouldn't keep you guys. Be on your way now. I'll see you again eventually, probably at the Opening Ceremony most likely." Leon said to the group as he walked off, though not before handing the Wishing Stars to Ash, Hop and Gloria, the latter of whom frowned at Iris not getting one but had no chance to protest it because Leon was gone before she could speak up. The group then stopped briefly off at the Pokemon Center to heal before heading down the path that Leon had indicated for them to take. After a bit they found the elevator Leon had indicated, riding it to the top. After they got to the top they saw the Stadium Leon had indicated. Ash then realized he'd forgotten to ask Leon something. He turned to Hop.
"Hey Hop? Are Stadiums what Galar uses for Gyms? Leon never mentioned that." Ash asked Hop who turned to face Ash.
"I'm not sure myself, but I'd say that makes sense." Hop replied to Ash. Ash shrugged, accepting Hop's response for the time being as the group walked into the stadium. Once there, they approached the front desk, where the receptionist asked them to form a single-file line to get registered, which they did with surprisingly Gloria at the front. One by one the group got registered, picking their jersey numbers (149 for Iris, 133 for Gloria, 658 for Ash, and perhaps most surprising was Hop's jersey number choice of 821), getting their Challenger Bands and other stuff. After all four were registered, a member of the Galar League staff approached the group.
"Challengers Gloria, Iris, Ash and Hop, now that you're all registered, the League has booked you all complimentary rooms at the Budew Drop Inn, where all Gym Challengers are being invited to stay the night so they can more easily make it to the opening ceremonies in the Stadium in the morning. So if you're ready, please follow me." The staff member said to the group who briefly exchanged uncertain looks but all nodded and followed the staff member to the inn. Once there, the group went inside to claim their rooms. However, what they weren't expecting was for a trio of Team Yell grunts to be blocking the front desk and heckling any trainer who tried to get registered. Frowning at this unsportsmanlike behavior, Ash made to go confront the group when surprisingly Hop put a hand on Ash's shoulder.
"No. You've already beaten Team Yell once today. This one is all mine, and possibly Iris or Gloria's if either one wants to be my tag partner if it comes to it." Hop said, making the girls shrug and Gloria nodded.
"If you need a tag partner Hop, I've got your back." Gloria said to Hop with a smile. Hop nodded with a smirk as he went to confront the grunts.
"OI! Any particular reason that you lot are blocking up the front desk? Or are you trying to keep challengers from claiming their rooms?" Hop asked the three grunts, who looked at each other before one of the two females sneered as she turned to face Hop.
"First off, no one asked you to butt into our business, little boy. Secondly, we're just keeping the front desk warm for our favorite challenger is all. So if I were you, I'd step off unless you want a proper thrashing. So what's it gonna be you cheeky brat? You gonna back off peacefully and we'll forget this happened, or are we gonna have to get rough with you?" The sneering female replied as her companions (one male and one female) cheered her on. Hop rolled his eyes.
"Gee, like I've never heard THAT one before. Like heck am I backing off! What kind of future legend, never mind champion, would I be if I let the likes of you wreak havoc? I hope you're prepared to put your money where your mouth is. Or are you and your mates there all talk and no substance? I wouldn't be surprised at that if that were the case." Hop scoffed as Gloria stepped up next to him. THe sneering female shrugged, motioning the other female grunt over to join her.
"Have it your way then, brat. Me and my friend here will beat you and your little girlfriend over there in a tag battle. That fine by you?" The sneering female said to Hop as the other female walked over to the sneering female. Gloria's eye twitched at the sneering female's comment.
"Excuse you? Hop and I are just friends, you stuck-up bimbo! Besides, I don't even think Hop here appreciates girls that way just yet. Plus he and I are still a tad young for anything like that anyways. Yeesh." Gloria remarked annoyedly as Hop laughed.
"Ignore them, Gloria. They're just trying to get a rise from you in hopes of throwing you off your game. But we won't let that happen will we?" Hop said to Gloria who frowned before nodding.
"Quite right! We won't let that happen! So bring it on you two harpies!" Gloria said with a huff as she and Hop readied their Poke Balls.
"WOOLOO/EEVEE, GO!" Hop and Gloria said as they threw their Poke Balls and released their Normal-types onto the field. The two female grunts smirked before throwing their Poke Balls. From the Poke Balls emerged what looked to be a red fox and a small pink and black imp who glared at Wooloo and Eevee. Gloria took out her Pokedex to scan the Pokemon, starting with the fox.
"Nickit, the Fox Pokemon. Cunning and cautious, this Pokemon, aided by the soft pads on its feet, survives by stealing food from others. It erases its tracks with swipes of its tail as it makes off with its plunder. It survives off its ill-gotten gains. Dark-type." Gloria's Pokedex read out about the fox, before she aimed it at the imp.
"Impidimp, the Wily Pokemon. It sneaks into peoples' homes, stealing things and feasting on the negative energy of the frustrated occupants. Through its nose, it sucks in the emanations produced by people and Pokemon when they feel annoyed. It thrives off this negative energy. Dark-and-Fairy type. It is worth noting that Impidimp are gender-locked to only be male." Gloria's Pokedex read off for the imp. Gloria and Hop exchanged a nod before looking at the grunts.
"Wooloo, use Defense Curl to buff your Defense then follow up with a Tackle on Nickit!" Hop commanded.
"Eevee, pelt both opponents with Sand Attack, follow up with a Tail Whip on Impidimp and then hit it with Quick Attack!" Gloria commanded. The two Normal-types followed orders, the resulting combos not only lowering Impidimp and Nickit's accuracy, but also dealing both Pokemon considerable damage. The sneering grunt smirked.
"Big mistake! Nickit, now that you and Impidimp are close together, go for a beat-up on the cheeky one's Wooloo!" The sneering grunt commanded. Impidimp complied, hitting both Pokemon with multiple strikes, dealing a good amount of damage to both. Hop and Gloria nodded.
"USE TACKLE!" Hop and Gloria called out in unison as both Normal-types hit Impidimp, who was closest, sending him to the ground swirly-eyed as he was knocked out from the combined impact of two Tackles. The non-sneering grunt frowned.
"Oi Impidimp, let's get some of our own back! Hit that Eevee with your Flatter, then give the Wooloo a taste of your Bite!" The non-sneering grunt called out as Impidimp went up and seemingly started flattering Gloria's Eevee out of nowhere, causing stars to spin over Eevee's head as the move confused her. Impidimp then turned around and charged straight for Wooloo, giving it a good Bite, dealing a lot of damage, but Wooloo wasn't done yet. However, when Eevee's confused status prompted her to accidentally hit Wooloo with Tackle, Wooloo reached its' limit, falling down to the ground swirly-eyed, to Hop's disbelief.
"Wooloo! You did good mate, now return." Hop said, recalling Wooloo and looking at Gloria.
"It's all up to you Gloria. Hopefully your Eevee's confusion doesn't cost us the battle." Hop said frowning. Gloria frowned at Eevee.
"Eevee! Snap out of it! Use Tail Whip and then Quick Attack on Impidimp!" Gloria called out as Eevee partially heard her, using Tail Whip. But, due to her confusion, Eevee didn't use Quick Attack afterwards, instead turning towards Impidimp and making a really adorable expression, somehow managing to lower Impidimp's Attack in the process while Eevee fought to shake off her confusion, trying not to be embarrassed by the flattery that Impidimp had given her. Iris and Ash exchanged wide-eyed looks at this.
"Did Gloria's Eevee just learn what I think it did?" Iris asked Ash. Ash frowned.
"If by that you mean did it just learn Baby-Doll Eyes, then I think so. First I've heard of a move being learned while confused, though." Ash replied in surprise.
"Impidimp, keep pressing your Bites on Eevee, and we'll have won this battle!" The non-sneering female Team Yell grunt said as her Impidimp kept chomping at Eevee, who kept dodging out of the way, snapping out of her confusion in the process.
"Good job Eevee! Now Leer into Quick Attack!" Gloria called out as Eevee once more lowered Impidimp's Defense with Tail Whip before charging into him at high speed with Quick Attack, ramming her head into his stomach and smirking as Impidimp crashed to the ground unconscious afterwards, swirly-eyed. The non-sneering grunt gaped at this as she returned her Pokemon. Eevee smirked at Impidimp as he hit the ground. She walked back over to Gloria as Impidimp was recalled to his Poke Ball. Gloria and Hop exchanged a high-five as the grunts recalled their Pokemon.
"Oi! You may've won this round, but this is far from over! You'll regret crossing Team Yell, you brats!" The sneering grunt said as she and her companions fled the hotel to the cheers of the other challengers who were waiting to get their rooms. Ash and Iris walked over to Hop and Gloria.
"Well done, you two. That was an excellent battle. You guys showed that lot what's what." Ash said to Hop and Gloria, the former of which frowned at the latter.
"We got lucky that Gloria's Eevee didn't defeat itself with confusion. As it is, that confusion was the only reason Wooloo lost." Hop said rolling his eyes at Gloria.
"Well, excuse me for not seeing it coming, Hop. I am sorry that your Wooloo got knocked out though. I never like seeing that happen. So do try not to be too mad at me." Gloria said to Hop uneasily, not caring for the tone Hop had used with her. Iris and Ash exchanged uneasy glances.
"This is potentially awkward. Let's go get the rooms then, yeah?" Iris said to Ash who nodded, the two backing away from the now glaring Hop and Gloria.
"Be that as it may Gloria, next time I'll have to think more about just who I ask to be my tag battling partner since I can't be having my partner be a loose cannon during a key matchup." Hop said bitterly as he walked away from Gloria to get his room, leaving her both confused and looking more than a bit upset. Gloria shook it off to go claim her room at the inn. Once all four were at the counter, the receptionist looked at the group.
"Ah. Challengers, Ash, Iris, Hop and Gloria, I take it?" The receptionist asked the group, who nodded.
"I'm afraid there's only two open rooms left, and each room has one bed, so you'll have to split up two to a room otherwise two of you will have to go sleep at the Pokemon Center. So figure out among yourselves how you'll sort the arrangements and then I'll give out the room keys." The receptionist said to the group. Ash and Iris exchanged glances before both nodding.
"Well, common sense AND decency both suggest that we have the ladies pair off for one room while Hop and I take the other. Is that acceptable to everyone or does anyone have a preference on who they share a room with?" Ash asked the others. Hop looked at Ash.
"Honestly, I have no issue at all with that plan. Anything that doesn't mean I have to share a room with Gloria. If you can't tell, I'm a bit peeved with her just now." Hop said as he crossed his arms in frustration. Gloria heard this and actually had a slightly sad/hurt look on her face at Hop's tone.
"I said I was sorry Hop. Do you think I planned for Eevee to get confused and manage to hit Wooloo instead of Impidimp? I know you haven't won that many battles yet, but don't take that out on me. I think you've got the talent, you just have some bad luck at times is all. So don't be mad at me because you can't catch a break most of the time. No one likes someone who throws a wobbly after all." Gloria said, crossing her arms as she glared at Hop, trying not to let on how hurt she felt by his attitude towards her.
"Oh shut up. I know I don't have the best track record in battles. I don't need you to remind me of that. So stop being such a ditz already." Hop shot back, not letting on how much of a sore spot his battling record was. Gloria's eyes widened, and she felt tears form in them before she could stop them.
"H-how dare you? I'm not a ditz, Hop! And frankly, I wonder how Iris puts up with having a sore loser like you for a cousin!" Gloria said, accepting one of the room keys from the receptionist and storming off to the room she'd grabbed the key for, not wanting Hop to see her cry at his hurtful words. Iris blinked at this, then glared at Hop after Gloria had stormed off.
"Hop, that was COMPLETELY uncalled for! I know what happened was unfortunate, but that's no call to be such a little kid over a battle that you ended up winning! Now grow up!" Iris said to Hop rolling her eyes before chasing after Gloria to try and comfort her. Ash was gaping, not expecting to see Gloria and Hop exchange words like they had.
"Guess I'm rooming with you after all, Ash. I hope you're not upset with me as well over what just happened?" Hop asked, getting Ash's attention as he gave himself an internal shake to get to his senses. Ash looked at Hop.
"Hop, I don't mind rooming with you. But I do have to say that you could've chosen your words better. While I can understand being frustrated that you couldn't help Wooloo win, that's not a reason to be so harsh with people. I'm not saying you're in the wrong though, either. But I do think you could've been less rude in your reactions. Now you need to take a step back, calm yourself then take a hard look at how you handled things just now and hope you haven't caused Gloria to hate you for what you said, because the last thing our group needs is internal strife. If necessary, I'll be a practice partner for you so you can get better at battling. But I never want to hear you say anything like what you said earlier again, Hop. Because I don't think you realized this, but your words really hurt Gloria's feelings. And I think you hurt Iris a bit as well because of how close she and Gloria are. So hopefully you learn something from this, yeah? Now let's get our room." Ash said to Hop who had gone quiet to listen to Ash's response, eventually wincing as Ash made good points about how he'd handled his defeat.
"Yeah, sounds good mate. And you're right. I was bang out of order. But I think for now the best thing we can do is let the girls have space before I try to fix things." Hop said after a moment, making Ash smile in pride at him.
"See, you can learn. Maybe you'll make your brother proud yet, Hop." Ash said, giving Hop a playful clap on the shoulder as the two grabbed the key to their room, and headed there for the night. As they did so, none of them noticed the blue-eyed girl observing everything from nearby, looking intrigued by what she'd seen as she blew some loose strands of raven-colored hair out of her face.. She then looked down at her Pokemon, which looked like a two-faced rodent, one side light brown, almost hazel in color and the other black with a cream midsection and pink cheeks. The Pokemon turned to its trainer, it's small black eyes full of confusion.
"Morpek?" The Pokemon asked its trainer, just as confused by what they'd seen as its trainer. Its' trainer simply smiled.
"Oh nothing. Probably just some newbies dealing with a rough patch. I don't think it's anything we should worry about, Morpeko." The now named Morpeko's trainer said as she walked away from the front desk, Morpeko following closely behind.
Meanwhile, back with Gloria, she'd gotten into her room, closing and locking the door behind her as she laid face-down on the bed and sighed. She knew Hop could be difficult at times, but she'd honestly had no clue he could get so bent out of shape over a simple accident. At least Ash never raised his voice to any of the group. She frowned, punching her pillow slightly as she cried a bit into it. Why was she so upset about what Hop had said anyways? Yes he was out of order, but he was right about one thing: it WAS her Eevee's fault that Wooloo had gotten knocked out since it was her misaimed Quick Attack that did Hop's pokemon in when all was said and done.
Still, did that REALLY give Hop a right to call her names and belittle her as if she'd planned that? She wasn't really sure. But Gloria knew one thing, she was glad she wasn't rooming with Hop right now since she wasn't sure if she wanted to scream at him or just ignore him, as both seemed equally viable. Because she was so immersed in her thoughts, she completely failed to hear Iris knocking on the door of the room to be let in, instead basically crying herself to sleep.
Iris frowned from outside. Given that Gloria had unintentionally locked her out, she had a few choices for how to proceed: a)Get the hotel receptionist to let her into the room (since she probably had a spare room key), b)keep knocking until she got Gloria to let her in, c)go sleep on one of the couches in the lobby, d) go get a room at one of the Pokemon Centers in town (she recalled Leon once mentioning how Motostoke had the most Pokemon centers of any town at three (though Hammerlocke was pretty close behind with two Pokemon Centers), or e)go find Ash and Hop's room and hope they let her sleep on the floor or something with them.
Not wanting to get lost and not really wanting to deal with awkward questions if she went with option C or D, and figuring B was a waste of time, she was between A or E. But then she recalled that the receptionist had said she was going home for the evening. Unbeknownst to Iris, the receptionist had actually left after Ash got his key from her. So that left her with option E. Reluctantly she started turning around to try and go find the room Ash and Hop had booked.
(over in Ash and Hop's room)
"Dude, this room is nuts! The TV is huge, the beds are super-cushy and these mini-fridges are unreal! The League sure didn't skimp out when footing the bill!" Hop said in excitement as he and Ash looked around their hotel room. As Hop had said, it was pretty luxurious. The room had a 60 inch flatscreen TV (mounted to the wall of course), a fancy mini-fridge (that Ash and Hop were please to find had been stocked with snacks and stuff on inspection), a very luxurious bathroom with a walk-in shower and a huge closet, easily big enough to fit the wardrobes of up to four people. The only real complaint to be had with the room was the fact that there was only one bed in it, a discovery that actually embarrassed both boys when they realized it.
But being the intuitive guys they are, they found a workaround, one of them would make a bed on the floor and the other would get the bed since no way in Arceus were they sharing a bed. Or at least Hop wasn't. Ash, surprisingly, wasn't that fussed about sharing a bed, having done it numerous times when he was younger (both while in Kanto and after moving to Galar). Hop, on the other hand, was a very private sort of person and didn't really care to share a bed. Granted, he's shared one with Iris before when it was necessary but he didn't enjoy it that much.
"Indeed they did not. I guess I'll take the floor then while you take the bed?" Ash offered Hop, feeling bad for Hop after what he'd been through in the lobby.
"Works for me." Hop said, tossing his backpack onto the bed and helping Ash make up a bed of sorts on the ground, making sure to give Ash most of the pillows so he'd have plenty of headrests on the ground. Ash finished making his 'bed' before looking at Hop.
"Now that we have our beds set up, you think we should go make sure the girls got to their room safely?" Ash asked uneasily. Hop frowned.
"While I am concerned for Iris, I think Gloria is able to find her own way to her room, Ash. But if you're that worried, you can go on ahead and look for them. But I'm staying here and enjoying this room." Hop decided, getting comfortable on the bed. Ash shrugged.
"If you say so, Hop. I'll be back later." Ash decided after leaving his and Hop's room to go check on Iris and Gloria. He made a note of the number of their room (025 as it happens) before starting to walk along the hotel checking to look for Iris and Gloria's room. He was so focused on his search, he didn't see the raven-haired girl nearby him until it was too late and he practically walked into her, knocking them both to the ground with a audible pair of 'oof's from both of them. After he realized what had happened, Ash's cheeks turned red with embarrassment as he helped the girl up.
"Shoot, I'm so sorry about that! Are you okay?" Ash asked the girl after helping her up. The girl rolled her eyes at Ash, but when she saw the worry and concern in his eyes, the snarky remark she'd been preparing about watching where he was going died on her lips. She then frowned at Ash.
"Hey, cheer up, yeah? I've had worse spills than this before. Are YOU okay?" The girl asked Ash, smiling slightly at him in an attempt to try and cheer him up slightly. Ash noticed this and smiled slightly.
"Yeah, I'm all right. Just a bit pre-occupied is all. Again I am SO sorry for walking into you like that. I should've been watching where I was going. I hope you're not too upset with me over that? I'm Ash, by the way. Ash Ketchum." Ash said, introducing himself to the suddenly-smiling girl.
"Huh, fancy that. What're the odds I manage to walk into, out of all people, the kid brother of Kanto's missing Champion? Nice to meet you by the way, Ash. I'm Marnie." The now-named Marnie said as the small two-sided rodent with her waved its paw at Ash in a cheerful sort of greeting. Marnie smiled as she saw this.
"Oh right, and this little one is Morpeko." Marnie added, gesturing towards Morpeko with a hand, holding the other out for Ash to shake. As Ash shook Marnie's hand, he found himself struck by how surprisingly soft and smooth her hands felt. But he chose not to voice this, partly because he was too busy being concerned for his friends. However, he did notice the very slight tinge of pink dusting Marnie's cheeks, despite her best attempts to hide it.
"How can you be so easily embarrassed when we've just met, Marnie? I wouldn't think a handshake is that embarrassing." Ash said with a grin. Marnie rolled her eyes.
"Oh, shut it. I wasn't embarrassed. I was just taken aback with how carefully you shook my hand is all." Marnie said. Ash laughed.
"I believe you. But moving on, you wouldn't happen to have seen either a purple-haired girl with long hair and pigtails or a blonde girl wearing a beret with an Eevee on her shoulder recently, would you? They're friends of mine and I was making sure they found their room okay." Ash asked Marnie, who stroked her cheek thoughtfully before remembering something.
"Are you referring by chance to the girl I saw running off with tears in her eyes earlier after some git made some absolutely insensitive and frankly rude remarks to her? Because if so I think I saw her headed to room number 835 alone. I did see the purple-haired girl you mentioned chase after her though, but I haven't seen either of them since then. I hope that was of some help to you? Also, if you see your friends, let the two who drove those Team Yell berks off know that I thank them? That lot gets way too big for its' britches sometimes, I tell you what." Marnie replied, pointing towards the hall near where she'd been walking from before Ash had unintentionally and literally ran her over trying to find Iris. Ash nodded.
"I'll pass it along when I see Gloria and I'll tell Hop when I get back to our room since he and I are sharing a room due to there only being two rooms left when we went to get ours." Ash replied. Marnie nodded.
"Sounds good to me. And Ash? I forgive you for walking into me. I know you didn't mean to do it. If you want, don't be a stranger about visiting my room if you feel like it. I'm in room 877." Marnie said, winking playfully at Ash before walking off towards her room with Morpeko following close behind, leaving behind a confused and embarrassed Ash.
"D-did she just wink at me, Pikachu?" Ash asked Pikachu who'd been riding shotgun on his shoulder this whole time. Pikachu shrugged, not sure either. Not long after that, Ash started walking the way that Marnie had pointed, being more careful about his surroundings, only THIS time it was HIS turn to be nearly bowled over as a familar figure ran past, trying to find something. Ash picked himself up then gaped as he realized who'd almost ran him over. He then cupped his mouth.
"IRIS! Over here!" Ash said loudly to try and catch Iris' attention, which worked as she whipped around on hearing his voice and walked over to him. She then helped him up as she saw him on the ground, blushing prettily in embarrassment.
"Oops, sorry about that Ash. I was just about to go try to find you and Hop's room actually so good timing that I did find you. Turns out Gloria's locked me out of my room with the only key so now I either have to get the receptionist to let me in, go find a room at the Pokemon Center or hope you and Hop can find room for me to bunk with you tonight." Iris said, trying not to let Ash see the red dusting on her face.
"Gloria locked you out of the room? Is she okay, d'you think? I know she was pretty hurt by Hop earlier." Ash said, suddenly wide-eyed in alarm. Iris shrugged.
"I wouldn't think so, but it's possible. More likely she just cried herself to sleep or something." Iris replied, smirking at how concerned Ash looked for Gloria.
"Let's give her tonight to calm down then we can check on her in the morning if you're still worried about her then. How's that, Ash?" Iris asked Ash who nodded.
"Sounds fair to me. And as to your rooming issue, if you don't mind sharing the floor with me, you can definitely share with Hop and I tonight. I'd offer you the bed, but Hop already kinda called dibs on it?" Ash said sheepishly, remembering how eagerly Hop had claimed the bed previously. Iris giggled at Ash's sheepish expression.
"You're so silly, Ash. I don't mind sharing a floor with you. I mean, it's not like we're doing anything more than sleeping. Right?" Iris said, purposely making her sentence ambiguous so as to possibly embarrass Ash which of course worked given how red his face got at her remark.
"Y-yeah, you're absolutely right. You're a nice girl and all, but I don't think either of us is even remotely ready to try anything like what you were suggesting yet. Maybe one day way down the line if we both feel the same about each other, we could revisit that but for now we stick to just sleeping, and possibly some cuddling since I did see your little cuddle-bug streak you had on the way to the Wild Area." Ash said teasingly as he smirked playfully at Iris, who stuck her tongue out at Ash equally playfully. The two made their way back to Ash and Hop's room. Once there, Ash used the keycard he'd taken with him to let them in, carefully rearranging the pillow stacks so there was enough for them both to share for the night. Ash immediately noticed Hop was already half-dozing, having gorged himself on curry and surprisingly enough Doritos from the mini-fridge.
Thinking of the mini-fridge reminded Ash of something as he turned to Iris.
"Before I forget, there's food and drinks and a bit of everything in that mini-fridge behind you, Iris. So help yourself if you're hungry or thirsty." Ash offered Iris as he started fixing the floor up so it could accomodate them both. Iris smiled at Ash.
"Wow, who knew Ash Ketchum could be such a gentleman? I'm impressed." Iris joked, walking over to Ash and playfully pulling him into a hug, before surprising herself AND Ash by leaning up to peck him quickly on the cheek.
"That's for being such a kind and supportive friend to me Ash." Iris explained, not wanting Ash to see her embarrassed face. She then sat her bag next to Ash's, before helping herself to some food and drink from the mini-fridge. Ash nodded, before looking at Iris.
"Do you need to use the bathroom? If so, do it now. I'm about to go wash up and get changed for bed since I sense Hop did so while I was out checking on you and Gloria." Ash said to Iris, who shook her head, not feeling the need for the bathroom in that moment. Ash nodded and went towards the bathroom, but not before grabbing his pajamas first. Eventually Iris then got comfy in the spot Ash had set aside for her to lay on, deciding to watch a bit of TV while Ash was in the bathroom. Not long after Iris had gotten comfortable, the bathroom door opened, and out stepped Ash, his pajama bottoms on but his shirt was slung over one shoulder, having evidently forgotten his toothbrush.
Not realizing Iris was awake, he walked over and bent down to grab his toothbrush from his bag, kneeling to retrieve it and not realizing that as he was retrieving it, he was inadvertently sitting partially on Iris' lap while doing so due to how small the floor area was that they had to share. Surprisingly, Iris made no objections to Ash partially sitting in her lap, instead just focusing on the TV and not trying to stare at his shoulders or back, despite the entirety of said back and shoulders being on full display for her at that moment. After he retrieved the toothbrush, he went to straighten up, only to accidentally brush his hand against Iris' stomach over her shirt as he got up, prompting an embarrassed yet surprised, if somewhat muted, squeak of shock from Iris who turned to face Ash at that.
"Um Ash, you DO realize this is a small floor area right? And just now when you went to stand up, you accidentally rubbed my tummy with your hand." Iris said, giggling in spite her face very red with embarrassment at what she'd just said. Ash turned to face Iris, also red-faced.
"Ohh, umm no I didn't realize I was doing that. I'm sorry. I didn't make you uncomfortable did I?" Ash asked Iris who frowned.
"I think moreso I'm embarrassed than uncomfortable since I know you didn't mean anything by it. But it was still unusual to feel that." Iris said, still embarrassed. Ash sighed.
"Sorry, Iris. Maybe I should let you have the floor to yourself so I don't embarrass us both any further tonight." Ash said contemplatively. Iris frowned at Ash and looked him in the eyes.
"You don't have to do that! It was just an accident after all. Besides, I have no room to talk about uncomfortable things since you DID give me rather an impressive view of your chest this whole time since you're not wearing a shirt." Iris pointed out teasingly as she laughed at Ash's embarrassed look. Ash nodded.
"Very well. I'll be back after I brush my teeth and we can figure out our seating arrangements better then." Ash said red-faced as he disappeared back into the bathroom to brush his teeth, setting his shirt on the counter next to him as he brushed his teeth. Back in the room, Iris got comfortable again, secretly pleased that Ash was such a gentleman. Granted, she didn't think Hop'd have been so cool about it had he been awake to see it. But he was asleep so it was a moot point.
At that moment, Ash came back out of the bathroom, now wearing a shirt, before sitting down next to Iris, smiling at her.
"Enjoying whatever you're watching?" Ash asked Iris conversationally. Iris turned to face Ash, a smirk on her face as she nodded.
"Indeed I am. But given how small this space is, maybe we should just cuddle together to save room and we can watch it together." Iris suggested with an impish grin, winking playfully at Ash who blushed slightly in embarrassment.
"A-are you sure?" Ash asked Iris who giggled.
"Would I have suggested that if I wasn't? Stop being such a goof Ash." Iris said, gently pulling Ash down next to her so she could get comfortable cuddling into his chest, positioning herself so her back was flush against his chest, pressed against Ash as she pulled the blanket over the two of them, smiling up at him.
"There. How's that, Ash?" Iris asked Ash who blinked at her owlishly for a second before finally finding his voice.
"Pretty nice, actually, all things considered." Ash replied, wrapping an arm carefully around Iris' waist as she nuzzled herself into his chest, Ash smiling before carefully holding her against him as they watched the movie that was on the TV together, Ash smiling in spite of himself. He couldn't really explain it but something about that moment just felt...right, for lack of a better term, to him. Clearly, Iris felt the same if the look she directed up to him was any indication. So they cuddled together watching a movie, and by the time said movie was over, Ash was still awake but very content as he smiled down at Iris who was now peacefully dozing in his arms. In spite of himself, Ash let himself also nod off, a content look on his face as he held the peacefully dozing Iris close to him.
Of course, said peace was short-lived the next morning as Hop got up to use the bathroom. Forgetting that he'd given Ash the floor, he went to get out of bed, only to be stopped in his tracks as his feet landed on something soft and slightly squishy! Looking down quickly, Hop was torn between embarrassment that he'd literally gotten out of bed on the wrong side and horror at the fact he was standing on Iris' back.
Confused as to why his cousin was with him and Ash, Hop went back onto the bed, getting out the other way and walking into the bathroom, not hearing Iris groggily stir as he closed the bathroom door, having been woken up by Hop's not so gentle foot to her back. Luckily it was moreso near her kidney area and not her spine or he could've done damage had he put full weight down before realizing his error. And of course, because she was awake, her shifting around woke Ash up too, who sleepily smiled down at Iris as he registered she was awake.
"Morning. Was the floor too hard on you last night?" Ash asked Iris, pausing to close his mouth as he yawned. Iris smiled as she looked at Ash.
"Not at all. If anything, I quite enjoyed using you as a pillow. I would've been happier had Hop not woken me up by literally putting his foot on my back when he got up. Luckily he didn't hit anywhere important, so I should be okay since he pulled his foot away pretty fast when he realized what he'd stepped on. Was the floor nice for you too?" Iris asked Ash, smiling up at him happily as she let herself relax in his arms.
"It wasn't too bad, all things considered. I hope this doesn't sound too embarrassing or awkward, but I actually quite found myself enjoying cuddling you last night. I don't know how, but somehow cuddling like that just felt right. Not sure I can explain it better than that." Ash said to Iris who smiled.
"Don't worry about it, I felt the same way. And besides, what's wrong with a bit of a cuddle between friends?" Iris asked Ash, winking playfully at him as she spoke.
"Nothing that I can see." Ash said smiling. Iris nodded, contentedly leaning her head against Ash's shoulder just as Hop came out of the bathroom slightly more awake. He blinked as he registered what he was seeing. He frowned slightly at Ash.
"Ash, any particular reason that I'm finding Iris in here with us when she's supposed to be sharing a room with Gloria?" Hop asked conversationally. Iris frowned at Hop.
"Don't yell at Ash, Hop. He just offered to let me crash with you guys since Gloria locked me out of our room last night after YOU made her cry with your insensitive face and tactless remarks." Iris said to Hop, crossing her chest and huffing. Ash frowned at Iris.
"Iris, I know Hop was out of line, but is it REALLY worth yelling at him for being a protective brother figure? Besides, I think he already feels bad about what he said without you rubbing it in." Ash said. He then turned to Hop.
"Yeah, pretty much what Iris said. She literally ran me over trying to find me last night because Gloria had locked her out and she didn't know where else to go. The only reason you found us the way you did was we had to share the floor since you looked pretty comfy on the bed and we didn't mind snuggling to save room." Ash said sheepishly. Hop sighed.
"I suppose you're right Ash. I guess we should go get downstairs and see if Gloria's already down there." Hop said as he started gathering his stuff, something Ash and Iris were quick to emulate. After they cleaned up their makeshift beds, Ash looked at Iris.
"The bathroom's yours if you want to change first, Iris. After all, wouldn't want you being embarrassed too much." Ash joked making Iris roll her eyes.
"Don't be a little kid, Ash." Iris said before smiling. She then leaned up to quickly peck him on the cheek again to Hop's surprise and Ash's shock and pleasure.
"And thanks for being such a gentleman." Iris said before going into the bathroom, a smile on her face. After Hop recovered from what he'd seen, he playfully punched Ash on the shoulder, grinning at him.
"So, you and my cousin? Wouldn't have seen that coming. Yet it also makes a certain sense. After all, you've both been through similar ordeals in your lives so of course you'd be drawn to one another." Hop said teasingly as Ash rolled his eyes.
"Hop, do me a favor and SHUT IT. That said, Iris is a very nice girl, and yes she is very pretty. But she hasn't given much of a sign that she sees me as more than a friend, albeit a good friend. And I'm not gonna try to force her into something she might not want. Besides, there's plenty of time on our journey for us to sort our feelings out. Speakng of, perhaps you should apologize to Gloria when we see her? I know you feel terrible for what you said." Ash said, giving Hop a knowing look.
"Ugh, fine. I'll apologize to her. I was out of order to her anyways. But I won't be surprised if she holds a grudge for awhile over this. And I wouldn't blame her one bit if she did. I said some pretty hurtful things after all." Hop said, sighing as he fully realized what he'd said last night to Gloria. Around that point, Iris came out, wearing a sleeveless tank top that was a similar color to her usual dress, and a purple knee-length skirt with a purple silk hoodie worn open over the tank top and her usual purple slip-on shoes to complete the look. Ash also noticed that Iris had worn her hair down other than to braid the lower part of it into a smaller ponytail that rested at her mid-back. Ash and Hop both smiled at Iris when she emerged.
"You look great, Iris." Ash said to Iris, not expecting her to clean up so nicely.
"Almost TOO good. I better not have to chase a bunch of guys off of you Iris. There's only so many times I can pull off the overprotective brother figure act, after all. Ash knows this full well, don't you Ash?" Hop asked Ash with a pointed look in his eyes. Ash gulped and nodded.
"Yep, I know that VERY well." Ash said nervously. Iris rolled her eyes at Hop.
"Hop be nice. Just because I felt like dressing up a bit doesn't mean I'm trying to turn heads or anything. Sheesh." Iris said. Hop sputtered at Iris' response, while Ash had sped into the bathroom to change into his usual outfit (partly to get away from the bickering Hop and Iris and partly so he could hurry up and check on Gloria). After a bit, Ash emerged in the same outfit he'd had on the night before, but Iris and Hop had stopped arguing apparently. Actually, on emerging, Ash didn't see Hop anywhere and gave a visible start when he saw Iris sitting blankly on the floor, her eyes clearly full of tears. Ash ran over and pulled Iris gently into a comforting hug.
"Are you okay? Do you want to talk about whatever's bothering you?" Ash asked Iris quietly. Iris blinked before realizing it was Ash and relaxing into his arms.
"Hop took off walking. He and I got into a fight, and I think Hop might have gone off to the Opening Ceremonies alone. But if he just thinks I'm some 'cheap broad that throws herself at everyone', HIS words NOT mine, then let him go. I'm not like that. Just because I like to be cuddly with those I'm close to doesn't make me cheap OR easy." Iris said, looking sad, so Ash gently turned Iris so her face was leaned into his chest, so she could cry if needed, which she did just that, crying for some time before finally looking up.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been using your shirt as a towel like that. But I do feel better now." Iris said, leaning her head onto Ash's shoulder. Ash frowned.
"As much as I'm enjoying this, shouldn't we be getting to the Opening Ceremonies as well so we can start our Gym Challenge properly? Plus what if Gloria's not okay?" Ash said, making Iris' eyes go wide as she remembered that Gloria was also hurting from what Hop had said. She looked at Ash.
"You're right, let's go." Iris said as she and Ash grabbed their bags and left the bedroom, heading to the lobby. As they headed that way they were joined by a very quiet but not as sad Gloria. Her face brightened further as she didn't see Hop with the group.
"I see Hop's not with you." Gloria commented happily as she hugged Iris playfully, smiling teasingly at Ash as she pretended to nuzzle into Iris' chest, not expecting Iris to wrap an arm around her happily as she felt Gloria nuzzle into her. As they walked, they eventually reached the lobby where the League staff from yesterday was waiting for them, along with Marnie.
"Good, you three are finally here. Challenger Hop went on ahead by himself, claiming he could find the Stadium just fine on his own. But I will ask if you three, or I guess four in this case, would like to be escorted to the stadium for the opening ceremonies. Would you like that or would you also prefer to walk?" The league staff member asked the group who looked at each other before all nodding.
"We'll take the escort. If nothing else, people can't look at us funny for running late. Suffice it to say stuff happened last night." Ash said to the staff member who nodded in understanding. The group then went to the Motostoke Stadium. Once there, the staff guided them inside where the receptionist stopped the group.
"I'm sorry but all Challengers must change into their uniforms before heading in for the Opening Ceremonies. Would you like to change before heading in?" The receptionist asked, and all four of them nodded.
"Very good. Girls, your changing room is straight ahead and to the right. Challenger Ash, the guys' changing room is the same but on the left. Step quickly as time is of the essence." The receptionist said, shooing the quartet off towards the changing rooms, where Gloria, Iris and Marnie went in together to change, leaving Ash to change alone in the rooms on the left. While changing, Iris and Marnie started feeling playful so they decided to turn their changing into a size comparison contest to see who had the better figure. Much to both girls' embarrassment it was a tie though.
Unbeknownst to Marnie and Iris, both Ash AND Gloria had seen this, the former through the open section of the wall near where he was changing, which he tried to face away from not wanting to spy on the girls, and the latter because she was in the same room as Iris and Marnie, though unlike Ash, Gloria did discreetly sneak a peek or two where she could, unable to resist being curious. After a bit, three red-faced girls and one not-as-red-faced boy came out of the changing rooms, now wearing their uniforms.
"Good, you four may now enter the Stadium for the Ceremonies. Have fun." The receptionist said as the group was escorted to the locker rooms by a League staff member, not being able to see Hop anywhere. But they wouldn't have time to worry about that for at that moment, no less a personage than Leon himself had walked out onstage to address the whole stadium on the TV in the locker rooms where the challengers were all seated.
"People of Galar! I know you were all expecting Chairman Rose to be here for this, but he had things come up last minute with Macro Cosmos so I'm here instead to speak on his behalf. Here we are ushering in another year's Gym Challenge. And like all years, this year has an especially promising batch of new Challengers ready to take a run at the Gym Challenge in hopes of possibly being the next to take the mantle of Galar region Champion. But are any of our Challengers up to it? Heck if I know! But for right now, let's meet our Challengers! Come on out everyone!" Leon said as the challengers all started filing out of the locker rooms, stepping onto the pitch en masse, Ash being able to stay next to Iris, Marnie and Gloria while Hop was stuck standing inbetween a surly-looking purple-haired male with a blue jacket and brown jeans and a snooty-looking blonde male wearing a multi-colored jacket and huffing under his breath as if it was beneath him to be seen with the other Challengers.
"And there you have it, Galar! These are this year's Gym Challengers! But only those brave challengers able to get all eight of Galar's Gym Badges will be eligible to enter the Champion's Cup where the preliminaries will have all qualifying challengers battling it out until only one remains and that one will advance to the actual final 8 tournament where he or she along with most of Galar's Gym leaders will do battle to decide which of them will have earned the right to challenge me for the title of Champion of the Galar Region. On that note, I present to you your Galar Region Gym Leaders! Come on out gang!" Leon called as seven more trainers walked out, most of whom were female but some were male including a guy who looked very much like a hired hand from a ranch, an older Trainer with a very dignified and professional demeanor and appearance and a trainer of similar height, build and skin tone to Leon, but with an orange bandana over his head, crossing his arms over his head, his face schooled in a smirk as one of his green eyes closed while a Rotom Drone took his picture.
Near him, the lone dark-skinned female, a younger lady with fair complexion and looks that screamed model, rolled her eyes at the dark-skinned male's antics. Next to her, an elderly lady with a top hand and holding an umbrella as if it were a walking-stick snorted at the dark-skinned male's antics. Behind the elderly female, a smaller female with a very poofy looking white coat and similar-colored hair chuckled at the other Gym Leaders' antics, even if one of them did manage to no-show the ceremonies. Two, she corrected herself as she recalled that both Piers and Bea skipped out on the Ceremonies. Leon walked over to the gathered Leaders.
"From left to right, Milo, Nessa, Kabu, Opal, Melony and Raihan. Both Bea AND Piers were supposed to be here but both couldn't make it. Unfortunate, that, but it can't be helped. That said, those are your Gym Leaders, and if you beat them all, you should have one of THESE to show to the officials when you reach Wyndon Stadium for the Champion's Cup." Leon said, holding up a circular case filled with eight puzzle piece like badges which all fit together perfectly to fill the circle given to challengers.
"So that said, all Challengers must ALSO visit these gyms in a pre-set order. First up, they must travel to Turffield City where the first leader, Milo, awaits in his Stadium. Each Gym Leader will have a challenge of sorts that challengers must overcome before being approved to battle the Gym Leader. Those who succeed will get to challenge the Gym Leader. Any who can best Milo's team will earn their first Badge, a TM and a specialty uniform.
From there, the order of the remaining badges goes Nessa in Hulberry, Kabu whose stadium is right here in Motostoke, Bea's gym in Stow-on-Side, Opal's gym in Balloonlea, Melony's gym in Circhester, Piers' gym in Spikemuth and finally Raihan's gym all the way in Hammerlocke. Only those who have visited all eight Stadiums and earned a badge from each will be able to qualify for the Champion's Cup in Wyndon so do your best to reach that goal, Challengers! And without further ado or explanation, I declare this year's Gym Challenge officially open!" Leon said, waving his arms excitedly to signify the start of the Gym Challenge. As the crowds started cheering wildly for Leon, the Challengers went back to the locker rooms to exit the Stadium. In the ensuing mass of people exiting, Ash and Iris got seperated from Gloria and Marnie, but were able to find Hop. After a bit, they also caught up to Marnie. Before anyone could say or do anything, an audible AND familiar scream echoed through the Stadium. Ash and Iris exchanged wide eyed looks with each other, then with Hop, all three realizing the same thing as they ran off in a hurry.
"Gloria's in trouble!"
Oh no, where could Gloria have been taken? And did Team Yell take her or is there another villain on the scene? The answers to these questions, and likely loads more, to come. As the journey continues!
TO BE CONTINUED
End of Chapter
A/N: I know, one of my longer chapters for this. It wasn't originally gonna be this long but then things happened. Since I don't think I'll have any updates go up tomorrow, an early Happy Easter to everyone! And yes, I had Marnie show up earlier than I thought I would. But then I forgot she appears around this point in Sword and Shield after a run-in with Team Yell. So yeah Marnie's here! And yes, for any eagle-eyes reading the ceremonies section near the end of the chapter, a couple other familiar faces made cameos. And yeah I mixed together the Gym Leader rosters of both Sword AND Shield because 1)Why not? and 2)I intended this Galar region section of Shuffled Journeys to be focused on both Sword AND Shield because it just made sense to me. The fact that it resulted in even gender balance among the Gym Leaders (at least for now) was just a happy coincidence.
But seriously, it was just a spur of the moment decision on my part, much like Hop's blow-ups at both Gloria and iris in this chapter. And before I get a bunch of negative feedback for how I had Hop acting in this chapter, this is part of a character-development arc I had planned for him. Besides, it keeps the group from being too Gary Stu or Mary Sue (I think those are the names for overly perfect characters?) so yeah. But in all seriousness, vote on my new poll! It'll determine whether I do all the regions in this story or if I split them up and do one region per story which would make Shuffled Journeys a multi-book series. The poll is up but I'm extending the deadline from the 17th to the 24th since I doubt I'll get a lot of votes by tomorrow especially with it being Easter Weekend! So yeah for now enjoy the chapter, and feel free to leave reviews, or leave PMs with your feedback, and especially vote on the poll! Hopefully the next update will be quicker than this one! Until next update, sithlorde1988 out!