True to Hop's word, their trio broke camp early. The headstart to Motostoke proved beneficial, and they were met by neither trainer nor Pokémon as they closed in on the city's massive entrance.

Now that Cassius wasn't in abject fear of the place (mostly), he would freely admit the Wild Area was an alluring idea. Picturesque as it was mysterious, there were Pokémon everywhere, from multiple different terrains. They'd been fortunate enough to enjoy mostly sunlight after their soggy first day of training, but Cassius could easily identify different terrains across the area. Spots of snow, rain, and others.

"Hey, Gloria?" He asked, getting the girl's attention. "Where'd you go off to while Hop and I were training? Were you exploring?"

She shrugged. "In a sense. Was lookin' for decent Pokémon. Some of them were cool, but I just ended up trainin' out there while I was lookin'."

Hop was curious. "Any sweet spots you found?" Gloria nodded, pointing to the group's left. "See that old watchtower over there? Spent a whole day travelin' there and givin' the place a thorough look. Place's crawlin' with Ghost-types—not really my thing, but figured it might float your boat."

That it did. "What kind of ghosts?"

"Duskulls, Drifloons, Gastlys. Spotted a Golett once or twice."

Hop turned to Cassius at the mention of Unovan Pokémon. "Golett, aye? That tickle your interest any?" Cassius shook his head. "Not really."

"Any particular reason?"

"You'd think it's dumb."

"After our little heart-to-heart last night? I won't know until you tell me."

"..." It took all of what remained of Cassius' confidence to answer. "When I was a kid, I saw a Golurk fly over Lacunosa once. I thought it was gonna blow up our house, so I stayed up all night thinking that I'd explode."

To Hop's credit, he didn't laugh. Barely. The smile he wore conveyed he very much wanted to. "Cassius... really?"

"I told you that you'd think it's dumb!"

To his surprise, Gloria actually came to his defense. "Nah, he's kinda right. Those big fucks shouldn't be flyin' the way they do. Creeps me out."

A kindred spirit! "See? She gets it!"

"That said, stayin' up all night's pretty sad."

Or not. "I was six! Give me a break!"

Their banter had distracted them enough to reach the threshold of Motostoke's entrance. A massive staircase, lined with what looked like red pipes, led up to an entryway that led into the city. Cassius steeled himself as they approached the pavement—this was it.

Hop steered them in the direction of two attendants, standing idly by. He waved in greeting. "Hiya."

The taller of the two nodded in reciprocation. "Mornin'. What can I do you three for?"

"Trainer check-in, if you would."

Another nod. The man pulled out a tablet, tapping away. "Gotcha. Names?"

"Hop Dande, Gloria Victoria, Cassius Hargreaves." The shorter of the two attendants, a woman, hummed in controlled realization. "Huh. Champion's kiddos."

"Identification please?" The man opened a palm, upon which Hop placed his personal ID. Gloria readied hers, as did Cassius. Though not without a question. "What's this for?" He whispered in Gloria's direction, out of earshot of the two attendants.

Gloria obliged. "Trainer check-in's a thing the league does to make sure all their participatin' trainers keep the challenge runnin' orderly. You're free to take the challenge at whatever pace you'd like, but there're deadlines near the end of each month. Trainers need to be at certain cities before those cut-offs to fight their next gym leader and continue their challenge."

Ah, that made sense. "So it basically ensures there isn't anybody taking their sweet time with the challenge, then."

"In a way," she shrugged. "It's also used to inquire about missin' persons and the like. If trainers miss the deadline, they're disqualified, contact is attempted, and in rare circumstances, search teams are sent out. Sometimes trainers just give up, sometimes they're off and dead somewhere. It happens."

A very comforting thought, as Cassius handed his ID over. The female attendant attempted small talk as her coworker worked. "You three just gettin' from Postwick?"

"Nah," Hop answered. "Spent a little time out here. Our train got obstructed, so we got some training in." It wasn't entirely a lie, anyway. Getting Cassius up to speed was training.

"Heard about that, rather unfortunate. Been the norm, sadly—we've been gettin' real weird Pokémon activity out here recently." Her partner elbowed her none too softly, much to her chagrin. "What? They're trainers, they've a right to know."

"We've no right to tell," he answered, handing Gloria her ID and finishing the process. "Anyway, you three're all set. I'll contact the league and let 'em know you're here. In the meantime, reckon you hustle down to Motostoke Stadium and get yourselves registered proper. You're all rather late to the party—dare I say among the last ones here."

That late, huh? Hopefully there wouldn't be anyone too suspicious about that. "Got it. And that'd be...?"

"Straight shot from the entrance up ahead, you'll wanna take the lift. Stadium'll be right in front of ya, can't miss it."

"Sounds good. We're off, thanks!" Hop bounded away, his two compatriots not far behind. Up the stairs they went, until they were met at the ingress of Motostoke. The three continued onward, officially passing into the city limits.

"We made it," Cassius said aloud, eyeing his new environment. Everything here was new, so he supposed he would have been awestruck by whatever mass of concrete he stumbled into, but Motostoke was a certainly different view than anything he'd seen previously. The bridge they were traversing gave way to a massive grouping of buildings stretched out before him, taller than any he'd ever seen. Buildings taller still stood farther away, chief among them what Cassius assumed to be Motostoke Stadium.

He couldn't help but notice the abundance of smoke in and around the city. "What's with all the smoke?" Hop was happy to answer. "That's this city's defining feature! Motostoke is primarily powered by steam energy. Been keepin' the place running for decades at this point."

"Isn't that, like... dangerous?"

"Dunno. I'm not an engineer," Hop admitted to his ignorance. "Anyway, there's plenty to see and do! And better believe we'll get all that the city has to offer before we leave."

"When is that, by the way?" Cassius asked. "I know we have a month to get to... wherever it is we go after this, but can we really go about wasting time here?"

"Wasting time," Hop scoffed in a very poor imitation of Cassius. "For one, we'll have plenty of technical league stuff to fill out before we leave. That'll keep everyone in Motostoke for a few days at least. Second, we're gonna be back here for the third gym battle in a few months time, so better believe we're gonna get a solid lay of the land. Motostoke doubles as the host for the ceremony and the end of the front three of the challenge."

"Front three?"

"The first three gym leaders. The challenge goes front three, middle three, and back two. They're kinda like tiers—to me, anyway. I'll explain later."

They continued on, passing the main street without much fanfare. That was good—the less people that noticed them, the better. Cassius warily eyed an Onix, slithering beside its trainer with nonchalance. Gloria noted a few stores that caught her eye. And Hop was just happy to be there.

Before long, they reached the lift, stepping on as an operator ushered them on to the platform. "Please don't lean over the rails," he droned, as if it were a common occurrence. Cassius nearly stumbled as the lift jolted itself into motion, wheeling itself upward with a groan and a creak.

Cassius continued to eye the landscape as the lift ground to a halt. He had to be nudged by Hop as they prepared to exit the platform. "And after all that talk of wasting time here." The Unovan sighed as they departed. "Okay, maybe I'm a little curious. I've just never traveled to massive cities like this before, that's all."

"Well, we've plenty of time to sightsee later. Let's get signed up first, yeah?"

Cassius bit his lip in uncertainty. "Yeah, but... shouldn't we be training?" After all he'd promised to do, it felt like a cop-out to be playing the part of tourist.

That didn't seem to bother Hop any. "And we will! After we have a little fun. Just 'cause we're traveling for the challenge doesn't mean we can't take the time to experience the sights and sounds a little." He grinned. "Why else d'ya think they'd give us the runabout throughout Galar if they didn't want us to enjoy it like we should?"

"To make it a pitfall for trainers who don't take the challenge seriously," Cassius answered honestly. Hop sighed. "Mate, you really gotta lighten up a little."

Hop shook it off. "Well, thoughts for later. For now, one thing at a time, yeah?" His eyes landed on the scene before them. "Look sharp. We're here."

Motostoke Stadium was every bit as giant as Cassius figured it would be. The massive structure of brick conveyed itself more like a castle than an arena. Massive chimneys jutted from the stadium's walls, pumping steam into the sky. A gargantuan clocktower loomed within the stadium proper. If Cassius were asked to describe what a hub for Pokémon battling would look like, it would have probably looked something like Motostoke Stadium.

"Wow..." Hop awed. "Motostoke Stadium, home of the opening ceremony. Everyone'll be watching... Gloria's mum, my mum, your folks... the entire world! Gettin' me a wee bit nervous, really."

Hop steeled himself. "Nah, these ain't nerves. I'm only tremblin' 'cause I'm so excited! By the time I'm here again for the third gym leader, I'll be a household name!"

"If we make it that far," Gloria saw fit to remind. She was getting impatient. "And we're not gonna afford ourselves the chance if we don't register. So let's stop dawdlin' and get a move on."

Hop shot her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, got a little ahead of myself. Right," the teen took a breath, calming himself. "Come on, you two! It's time the world learned our names!" He took off for the doors, an exasperated Gloria and anxious Cassius not far behind.

The doors slid open, and in the three entered. The interior of the stadium's reception area seemed much more modern than its outward appearance. Flags adorning the walls advertised the Galar League Challenge, reading off the names of past winners. A massive display of nine screens collectively broadcasted itself as the registration booth, hanging above a reception desk.

Of course, people were present too. A hodgepodge of trainers, all of different ages, races and experiences, turned their attention on to the group of three. It felt like one of those bar scenes in old cowboy films—the room fell eerily silent.

Cassius clenched his fist. These weren't just any run-of-the-mill trainers. Every person here was handpicked for their skill in battling, and given an endorsement. And as of now, he was among their ranks. He didn't know who any of them were, but he was willing to bet they sure knew who he was.

Of course, Gloria took the initiative, taking the lead before him and Hop. Her stride was with purpose, uncaring of the people watching them. She looked like a runway model, with how she strutted down the main way without a care. Cassius and Hop couldn't play the part nearly as well, but they fell in line beside her, ignoring the many stares.

Whispers floated throughout, but Cassius tuned them out and maintained his poker face. He wasn't here to fight anyone. He was just here to register. Nothing bad was going to happen.

As they neared the registration desk, they found someone had already beaten them to it. Someone their age, it looked like, with curly white hair and an overcoat the most obnoxious shade of pink Cassius had ever seen. His mother would have probably had a heart attack if she saw that particular hue on any interior decor.

The stranger looked to be finishing up their own registration as the trio came to a halt. Turning around, they were met with a boy with a haughty expression and an upturned lip. It quickly morphed into a frown as he saw they were obstructing his exit. "You're in my way. Move."

"You first, cockwomble," Gloria rose to the challenge, delivering her best glare. That didn't please the stranger any. "Do you have any idea who I—"

Then, he stopped. An unsettling grin spread across his face. "Wait. You're the champion's trainer." His smirk grew when he noticed Gloria's entourage. "And you brought the other two! I must thank you—saves me the trouble of seeking out you three myself."

Gloria was hardly in the mood. Hop and Cassius weren't either. "If you fancy a chat, it can wait 'till I'm registered." Her eyes narrowed. "We can even take it outside."

"No need, I've more important things to attend to than a sitdown with you three. I only wish to... scout the competition, so to say." His attention traveled between her and Hop. "Gloria Victoria and Hop Dande. An independent standout, and the champion's little brother. I've heard plenty about you two."

"Good things, I hope," Hop smiled cordially, attempting to maintain the peace. He extended a hand for the stranger to shake—and quickly retracted it when he showed no signs of reciprocating.

"Yes, well, you two are certainly all the rage here in Galar. Nobody apparently wants to shut up about you." The fact seemed to displease him greatly. "Though, in terms of mere buzz, you two pale in comparison to your third member."

And suddenly, his eyes fell on Cassius. The Unovan stiffened slightly—though this strange character didn't physically intimidate him, his demeanor was cause for concern. He reminded him far too much of unsavory individuals he'd known back home. Those who prided themselves on strength, often by administering it to the weak. Through Pokémon battles or otherwise.

"Cassius Hargreaves, was it?" He took a step toward Cassius, eyes locked on him. His loud projection had gathered the attention of everyone present. If they didn't already know who he was, they damn sure knew now. "The mystery man from Unova. Here to grace us with his first public appearance!"

He gave him an obvious once-over, and added in a lower voice, "Though, I must admit, I'm not terribly impressed by what I see."

Cassius hated confrontation. Even as he maintained his straight face, he fought against the urge to snap back. He was so obviously egging him on, trying to provoke a reaction. An old technique of schoolyard bullies everywhere. If this asshole of a stranger had his way, Cassius would retort, and he'd look like the bad guy. He wasn't going to fall for it. Not when he had his newfound reputation to uphold.

Still, he was obviously expecting some kind of answer. And even though Cassius was as nervous as he'd ever been internally, he couldn't let it convey itself in any response. So, he played it safe, maintaining his neutral visage as best he could. "I'm sorry to disappoint."

His response, or lack thereof, seemed to irk the hothead even more, but he relented before long. "Well, it doesn't really matter. But you'd do well to listen, Hargreaves." He eyed Hop and Gloria. "You two as well. There's room enough for only one champion to usurp Leon—and it will be me."

A bit of a flair for the dramatic, this one. Usurp? In this day and age? If Cassius wasn't so put off, he might have laughed a little at the theatrics.

Hop was still making an effort to be nice. "Well, we'll certainly keep that in mind, mister...?"

"Bede. Proud endorsee of Chairman Rose. If you've a brain in that head of yours, you'd be wise to remember it." With a sneer, Bede turned, coat flowing as he made a show of leaving through the door. Though, the tension did not leave as easily.

Hop's friendly smile fell at last. "Yeesh. Piece of work, that one."

"I'm over it," Gloria ignored. "Another delusional blowhard for me to crush later. He'll need to get in line." Her gaze turned back to the registration desk, stepping forward and garnering the attendant's attention. "I'm here to register."

The attendant looked to be more unnerved by the confrontation than Gloria did. "O-Oh. Yes, of course. I'm terribly sorry about that. We'll have a word with the chairman to ensure that the rest of your stay here in Motostoke is—"

"Don't care. Register. Now."

A gulp. "Yes ma'am. I-If you'll only give me a moment to confirm some details, Miss Victoria..."

Poor guy. Hop felt kind of bad. She'd been in such a good mood when they'd arrived, too. Now she was pissed, and taking it out on some unfortunate challenge official because of one untimely confrontation.

"Okay," the attendant breathed, regaining his wits about him. "We've received confirmation of your arrival in Motostoke not too long ago. Gloria Victoria, please provide your endorsement and valid identification, please." A bit of fishing in her bag, and she procured her letter from Leon, handing it over along with her ID.

The attendant carefully inspected the letter, going so far as to scan it for authenticity. After a brief moment of clicks and typing, the attendant smiled, handing back the ID and letter to go along with what looked like a wearable band. "Alright, everything checks out. Here's your Challenger Band. Please wear it at all times so as to identify yourself as a gym challenger."

Gloria slipped on the band as the attendant continued, handing her a sheet of paper and a pen. "Additionally, please write down your preferred size and number for your official challenge uniform. Feel free to add any unique specifications, should they apply. Due to the nature of your late arrival, we might not have any special alterations ready in time for tomorrow's ceremony, but we will endeavor to have them ready by the time you depart Motostoke."

It took her less than thirty seconds to fill out the form. "Here. Anything else?"

"Just one last thing." Two more sheets of paper. "For this one, you're just confirming that you're fully consenting to your participation in the challenge. This other sheet is a waiver all challengers must sign before participating in the challenge. I'm required to inform you that should you agree to the terms stated in the waiver, the Galar League will not be held liable for any untimely accidents or otherwise throughout the duration of your challenge. You will hereby assume any and all risks involved with participating in the Gym Challenge."

Again, no hesitation on Gloria's part as she signed the documents. "Am I done?"

"Yes ma'am. Thank you for your cooperation! All trainers taking part in the Opening Ceremony have been booked a room at the Budew Drop Inn next door. Simply provide your name and show them your Challenger Band, and you're all set. Have a wonderful day, and best of luck Miss Victoria!"

With a grunt of thanks, Gloria stepped back. "That was easy." Cassius shot her a look. "That fine print stuff didn't put you off any?" She returned the look. "Why would it? Only natural the league would wanna clean its hands of any controversy. So long as we don't bumble our way into a Bewear's cave, it won't even matter."

Cassius slumped slightly. "I guess."

"What? Gonna let some legal jargon put you off? And after that declaration of yours last night?"

"No," he quickly denied. "It just... puts it into perspective, I guess." He supposed you weren't really a trainer until you signed away the right to sue over your own death.

His musings saw him miss Hop signing himself up, which had been an even shorter process than Gloria's. "Alright, you're up Cassius." And so he stepped toward the receptionist, ID and endorsement in hand. Before long, he was staring at a blank uniform request sheet.

If he was going to ham himself up to be the top rookie trainer like he probably should have, then a lower, flashier number like one or something in that range would have worked. They were among the last arrivals, however, so he would have been shocked if those numbers were still available.

He settled on a random number. "Is 713 available?" A quick set of clicks on the receptionist's keyboard. "Indeed it is." That would work. He slapped on an XL tag, and slid the form back. After signing the legal waiver and consent form, he was officially registered.

"The ceremony is set to take place at exactly noon tomorrow. You will be expected to arrive in the locker room area an hour prior, so please prepare accordingly. You will have a designated locker with your jersey. Bear in mind that there will be a media session after the ceremony for individuals of interest." The receptionist smiled. "If you've any further questions, feel free to contact the league office at the number provided on your Challenger Band. If that will be all, on behalf of the Galar League, we wish you the best of luck throughout the duration of your challenge."

"Thank you," Hop smiled in thanks, before the three went on their way. Though the stares lingered still, Cassius was feeling marginally better. His first step had been achieved, however small it was. He was officially a gym challenger.

"Well, I'm not sure about you two," Hop announced once they exited the doors. "But I'm quite ready to sleep in a bed again. What's say we check out the fancy digs?"

One whiff of Cassius' own clothes was enough to spark agreement from the Unovan. "Yes, please."

The Budew Drop Inn was quaint, by multi-story five-star hotel standards. The tile floors were spotless, and the air felt nauseatingly clean, but aside from that, it felt relatively standard. Well, not including the gaudy golden statue centered near the entrance, but Cassius was willing to ignore that.

Hop whistled, apparently impressed. "Well, I'll be! I could get quite used to this kind of living!" He looked more like a kid in a candy store than a near adult checking into a hotel, frantically eyeing every plant and chair. After days roughing it out in the wild, Cassius was tempted to do the very same.

Gloria, for once, was actually smiling. "A shower, actual food, and a bed... I need it more than air."

Hop was about to agree when he heard shouting coming from further within the lobby. "Huh, odd." The trio went up the stairs, not quite sure what to expect from the sudden noise. What they were met with was very much not within expectations.

Cassius' first assumption was that the Opening Ceremony had apparently overlapped with a nearby emo convention. He liked to think of himself as a generally accepting and tolerant person, but he could not deny how odd the scene at the reception desk was without context. Droves of paint-covered, spike-adorned people clad in almost entirely black ensembles crowded the desk, accosting some poor hotel employee who looked to be at his wits end.

"If you would please listen to me," the man attempted to reason through gritted teeth. "If you are not a gym challenger actively participating in the Galar League, you do not have a room provided for you courtesy of the league. We are currently at full capacity, so if you have not booked a room prior, I am going to have to ask you to leave."

"'Zzat so?" A stocky living stereotype standing at the front of the mob guffawed, crossing his arms. "So you're tellin' me and my mates that we came all the way here, to this big ol' city, to cheer on gym challengers, just for some wage slave to tell us to bugger off?"

"No, sir," the receptionist nearly snapped. "I am telling you that we are full, your party does not have any rooms booked, and that I am asking very politely for you to leave so that I may check in actual gym challengers."

Said gym challengers were standing around very impatiently, eyeing the group with obvious disdain. One particularly incensed woman stepped forward with purpose. "Oi, tubs, you gonna skulk about all day 'ere, or are you gonna get your lard ass out within the next year or two?"

The lard ass in question ignored the insult. "It clearly states in this document here," he whipped out a weathered piece of paper. "That any member of a challenger's approved entourage is to be afforded a room with full benefits. You, sir, are breaking the law."

"Yeah, what he said!"

"We've a right to stay!"

"This is oppression!"

The poor attendant looked like he had aged twenty years. "Sir, those are regulations from a gym challenge from ten years ago that you have very poorly attempted to doctor on to a current directive sheet. The mandate has since been discontinued."

That didn't discourage the rebel any. "So, you would side with the unfair law, and utilize your privilege to deny us what we are rightfully owed?"

"Sir, with all due respect, you called me a wage slave not more than a minute ago. What privilege do I have to utilize?"

Gloria, with her body screaming for a shower, was not having any of this. "Come on. We're makin' 'em leave, now." For once, Hop and Cassius agreed without hesitation, in a similar state of unbridled need for relaxation.

The trio muscled past the group, making their way to the leader. Gloria got to him first. "Listen, cunt. Either you leave and let me check in, or I make you leave. Your call."

He wasn't as perturbed as she would have liked. "Oh, and here come the champion's trainers, here to rub it in. Sorry, but we ain't leavin' 'till we get what we're owed."

"If it's a bed you're after, there's a nice patch of dirt outside I can put you to sleep on. For free."

"What my friend is meaning to say," Hop, ever the peacekeeper, quickly intervened. He wanted to get to his room, sure, but he didn't want to literally fight for it. "Is that we would really appreciate this situation being defused peacefully, before any authorities are involved. We've all a better use of our time than arguing, yeah?"

"Oh yeah?" The man didn't seem pleased. "And who's to say I want this resolved peacefully? In fact..."

The man revealed something in his palm—a Poké Ball. "I'm willin' to battle for this."

Uh oh. Things were escalating quickly. This was very much happening. Cassius maintained his stoic expression, but his hand clenched Hyla's Poké Ball a tad tighter. He'd prepared for the inevitability of a battle—he wasn't naïve enough to think he'd get through the entire challenge fighting only gym leaders—but he didn't think a fight would come so soon. Or against emo kids.

A sudden voice interrupted his fretting. "Don't think you will." Turning, Cassius found himself facing a girl who didn't look too out of place with the mob. Beside her was a small rodent-looking thing, with a comically displeased look on its puffy face. The ringleader paled, as did the rest of the group. For whatever reason, the rest of the gym challengers present turned tense too.

"M-Marnie?"