Chapter 10: Gloria's POV

Today was finally the day. I was about to start my Pokémon journey. The air was buzzing with excitement as I made my way to Wedgehurst to meet up with my best friend, Hop. Leon, the Champion himself and Hop's older brother, had come to give us our first Pokémon, and I could barely contain myself. It was all I'd talked about for weeks.

Hop was already bouncing with excitement when I arrived. "Ah, Gloria!" he called, waving frantically. "Leon's here, and he's got the starters all ready!"

Leon stood there with his usual confident grin, holding three Pokéballs in his hands. His Charizard loomed behind him, looking equally intense.

"Alright, you two," Leon said, glancing between us with a warm smile. "Today's the day you start your own journeys. I've got three Pokémon here: Sobble, Scorbunny, and Grookey."

I stepped forward, practically trembling with excitement. The moment I laid eyes on Sobble's Pokéball, I knew he was the one. "Aye, I think ye and me, Sobble, we're goin' tae make a grand team!" I said with a wide grin. I pressed the button, and with a flash of light, my new partner Sobble appeared, looking up at me with those big, watery eyes. He was shy, but adorable. I knelt down and gave him a reassuring smile, which seemed to put him at ease.

Hop stepped up, grinning like a madman as he picked up Grookey's ball. "Looks like it's you and me, Grookey! Let's show everyone what we're made of!"

Grookey chirped, leaping onto Hop's shoulder with a playful grin and waving his stick around, looking ready to start a beat.

Leon clapped his hands together. "Why don't you two have a quick battle? It'll be good practice and give you a chance to bond with your new Pokémon."

Hop was already in position, fists clenched in excitement. "Gloria, you'd better be ready!" he called out as Grookey hopped down to face Sobble.

I gave a nod, focusing on my new partner. "Let's do this, Sobble!" I called out, taking my stance across from Hop. "I'm not goin' easy on ye!"

"Alright, Grookey!" Hop shouted, already fired up. "Use Scratch!"

Grookey dashed forward, claws ready. I quickly called out, "Dodge it, Sobble!" and my little Water-type managed to sidestep, barely avoiding the attack.

"Now, hit it with Water Gun!" I commanded, and Sobble unleashed a stream of water that caught Grookey in the chest, knocking him back a little.

Hop grinned, unfazed. "Not bad at all, Gloria! But we're just getting started! Grookey, give her a Growl!"

Grookey let out a little growl that made Sobble hesitate, shrinking back just a tad. But I knelt down to reassure him. "Ye're doin' great, Sobble. Just focus. Try Pound!"

Sobble charged forward, landing a determined Pound attack. Grookey staggered a bit, but was still standing strong, both of them locked in an intense back-and-forth.

We kept going, each shouting commands, until finally Sobble managed a well-timed Water Gun that sent Grookey back. The battle was done, and Sobble had come out on top.

Leon applauded as we called our Pokémon back. "Well done, both of you! You're on your way to becoming great Trainers."

Just then, I noticed a kid standing off to the side, watching us with interest. He had a Pokéball clipped to his belt and was wearing a Pokémon Ranger outfit that looked just a tad oversized on him. He walked over with a friendly wave and a bright grin.

"Hey there! Nice battle, you two. You both have some real talent," he said.

I noticed his eyes lingering on Sobble with admiration, and Hop, ever the curious one, piped up. "And what about you, mate? You look like you know a thing or two about Pokémon."

The kid introduced himself. "I'm Tom," he said, nodding towards his belt. "Mind if I introduce my own partner?"

Leon raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. "Go ahead, Tom. Let's see what you've got."

Tom took a Pokéball from his belt and released it with a flick of his wrist. With a flash of light, a large Midnight Form Lycanroc appeared in front of him, looking powerful and fierce. Its red eyes glinted, and even Leon's Charizard, a Champion-level Pokémon, shifted slightly, as if sizing up the newcomer.

"Whoa," Hop muttered, staring at the Lycanroc in awe. "You've got a Lycanroc? And it's the Midnight Form too—that's brilliant! How'd you even find one like that here in Galar?"

Tom shrugged, giving his partner a pat. "He found me, actually. We've been together for years now."

Leon's eyes lingered on the Lycanroc, clearly impressed. "That's quite the Pokémon you have there, Tom. Looks like you've put in a lot of work with him."

Lycanroc gave a calm, confident nod, acknowledging Leon's praise. Charizard eyed Lycanroc warily, his tail flame flaring a little brighter. It was clear the two Pokémon were recognizing each other's strength.

I was equally impressed, though I tried not to show it too much. "Ye must be a strong Trainer if ye've got a partner like that already," I said, crossing my arms with a grin.

Leon clapped a hand on Tom's shoulder, looking between the three of us. "If you're all planning to start your journey here in Galar, you'd make a solid team traveling together."

Tom, Hop, and I shared excited glances, already talking about what routes we'd take and which Gyms we'd hit first. Tom suggested starting with Wedgehurst and then planning our way around, and Hop couldn't have agreed faster. I could already feel the excitement building; the road ahead was full of possibilities, and with this team, I knew we'd be in for an unforgettable journey.

"Good luck, all of you," Leon said, his grin widening as we turned and started down the road. And with that, our adventure had officially begun.