Liepard had heard quite a bit about Leon. The Champion of Galar was very well-known across the UPW, with his brash and boastful personality just as legendary as his battling prowess. And indeed, Leon was known to be strong. In fact, several polls ranked him as among the top half of Champions in terms of strength, which was quite surprising, considering that Galar was near-universally regarded as one of the weakest regions overall in the UPW.
Nowhere had this unbalanced power dynamic been more evident than in the previous International League. Liepard had not been alive at the time, but her first Trainer had been an avid reader of recent history and had perused videos of that International League quite a few times. While the Galarians as a whole had put up a poor showing, Leon, who at that point had only been Champion for two years, had gone all the way to the Champions' Finals, where he'd lost to Cynthia, widely considered one of the strongest Champions the world had ever seen, in a tight 1-0 defeat.
And he'd only gotten stronger since then. Many saw his Ace, Charizard, as on par with that of Red's. Oddly, not much was known about the rest of his team - in his fight with Cynthia, he had wielded a Dragapult, Haxorus, Aegislash, Mr. Rime, and Seismitoad, and he was also listed as possessing a Rhyperior, but documentation on those six was ridiculously limited in comparison to the absolute morass of videos, papers, and information on his Charizard.
All in all, Leon was perhaps the strangest Champion Liepard had heard of. And if it weren't for her nervousness about Marcus's cover being blown, she would have been quite excited to meet him. But she knew the loud and excitable Champion of Galar would see no reason not to happily and loudly greet Marcus, offer him a welcome to Galar, maybe a potential battle if he was up to it.
Which, if there happened to be reporters there (which there probably would be), would announce to the entire region that a Kalosian Gym Leader - of the same type as their currently missing Gym Leader, no less - was in Galar. And that would raise all sorts of questions that Liepard could tell Marcus had been hoping to save until later.
Clearly, Marcus had considered refusing to meet Leon. But there was no way he could outright beg off, or Gloria or Hop might start asking questions. Brilliant, Liepard found herself thinking. Two hours we've been in Galar, and already things are going wrong.
So it was that Marcus was following Gloria and Hop down the road to Postwick's main square, still holding the large bag that Gloria had dropped in order to race Hop. Said race had ended inconclusively, as the two friends had both exhausted themselves before they'd even gotten to Hop's house, and were now chatting aimlessly about this topic and that as they slowly walked. Watching from her Luxury Ball, Liepard could see a fairly large cluster of people further down the path. She couldn't see what they were surrounding, but she was pretty sure she knew what - or rather who - it was.
Her suspicions were confirmed as she heard a loud voice faintly on the wind, a voice that grew more and more distinct as Marcus, Hop, and Gloria moved closer until Liepard could make out words. "…Charizard is blazingly strong. But other Pokemon can be strong as well! That's why I want the strongest of challengers to fill the Gym Challenge and come battle me!"
As cheers erupted from the crowd, Liepard rolled her eyes. Advertising? Really? It's not like the Gym Challenge is an unknown thing. Does he like hearing himself talk that much?
Hop was already running forwards, leaving Gloria and Marcus behind as he ran towards the crowd. Gloria gave an apologetic glance towards Marcus and quickened her stride; Marcus did not, following behind leisurely as Hop cried out. "Lee! Lee!"
"Hop!" The crowd parted as Leon stepped through. He cut quite the impressive figure, with his cape flowing in the wind and his Charizard standing tall behind him; said figure was immediately undercut by him kneeling down to give Hop a hug. "I knew my number one fan would come out of his way to pick me up!"
"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Hop rose. "Oh, by the way," he said as Gloria walked up, "this is-"
"You must be Gloria!" Leon cut Hop off as he shook Gloria's hand. Hop looked slightly bemused. "I've heard loads about you from my little brother!"
"Really?" Gloria asked.
"Really," Leon confirmed. "To be honest, he had to remind me we haven't met yet! And…" He looked over Gloria's shoulder at the approaching form of Marcus.
The Champion's eyes narrowed in concentration even as he stepped past Gloria and reached out his hand. "I'm so sorry, I don't think I know you."
"Marcus." Marcus grasped Leon's hand and gave it a shake - by now he'd already gotten plenty of practice.
"He's a Gym Leader from Kalos," Gloria added, "and my sponsor for the Gym Challenge."
As Leon's eyes lit up with recognition, Liepard sighed. And there we go. Instantly, she began looking around the crowd for reporters. Thankfully, no cameras were immediately visible, but Liepard kept one eye locked on the crowd anyway while watching Marcus and Leon's conversation play out with the other.
"So that's where I remember the name from!" Leon's hand grasped tighter around Marcus and he shook his hand again, this time a good deal more fervently. "The UPW's newest Gym Leader - great to meet you in person at last!"
"Good to meet you too, Leon," said Marcus; Liepard could see he was fighting back a more enthusiastic reaction.
"Let's see…" Leon pursed his lips. "Liepard, Houndoom, Pangoro, Drapion?"
"Yep, that's the team," said Marcus.
"Ha!" Leon grinned. "Diantha owes me fifty Pokedollars…anyway! So you're sponsoring young Gloria. Good for you! And as for you, Gloria, congratulations! I look forward to seeing you at the opening ceremony!"
He rose, looking around at the crowd. "All right, everyone, I bid you all farewell for today. But don't fret - I'll always be around to make sure everyone in Galar can have an absolute champion time!"
As the crowd dispersed with a last bout of clapping, Liepard found herself staring at Leon. It was strange to her how he could be so egotistical and yet so friendly. Was the ego more of a cultivated personality, an image that was not his true self?
A lie constantly being told to all of Galar?
"We should probably get back home," said Leon. "After all, once we get there, I've got a surprise for you, Hop - and you, Gloria, as well!"
"Awesome!" said Hop. "Can't wait! Let's go, then - I bet I can beat the both of you back home!"
This time he didn't even give Gloria time to respond before dashing off. "Come on!" Gloria cried, hurtling after him once again with laughter on her lips.
Marcus sighed and hoisted Gloria's bag, which she still had not reclaimed, up on his shoulder.
Leon chuckled as he watched them go. "All right, Charizard, back in your Ultra Ball," he said, recalling the Fire/Flying-type. He and Marcus began to step after Hop and Gloria, both of them moving swiftly but unhurriedly.
"So, Marcus," said Leon, "you planning on staying long?"
"I'm planning to stay for the whole Gym Challenge," said Marcus. "Actually, I was also planning to go around the region - team could use some instruction from the local Gym Leaders."
"Right, you have the generalist team too." Leon frowned. "Diantha did say I'd have to name the whole team…I guess I'm the one who owes some Pokedollars. What was it - Medicham, Cloyster, Trevenant, Tyrantrum, and...Pidgeot?"
Liepard could hear Kriesh's furious squawk even through the walls of her Luxury Ball. So, too, could Marcus, judging by the fact that he was fighting a smile off his face as he corrected, "Fearow."
Leon snorted. "Of course - that's my bad. But yeah, that makes sense. The Trevenant especially - we've got a Ghost-type Gym and a Grass-type Gym, though Allister's thinking of moving down to the minor leagues after this Gym Challenge. Oh, and word of advice - we're still waffling, but Allister's replacement is most likely gonna be Bea. She's a Fighting-type Gym Leader, and I have a feeling your Medicham's gonna like that."
"So you've got a Gym for every type over here?" Marcus asked.
"Yep." Leon grinned proudly.
"Who's your Psychic-type Gym Leader, if you don't mind me asking?" Marcus queried. "Medicham's quite a bit stronger on the Fighting-type front than on the Psychic-type front."
Leon deflated a little. "Actually, that's a little…turbulent at present," he admitted. "Avery's supposed to be the Psychic-type Gym Leader - he's about your age - but his status was recently revoked for, ah, levitating opponents? I don't really know the details, but I'm afraid that's one of the Gyms that's not available at present."
"And what about the Dark-type Gym?"
Liepard felt a flash of momentary confusion at the question - wasn't Marcus supposed to keep quiet on that front? Then she realized what he was doing: by asking the question, he was appearing ignorant of a situation he actually knew all about, intentionally deflecting suspicion.
Leon sighed. "Man, you're really hitting me where it hurts, Marcus," he said. "I'm afraid that's a topic for another time - rest assured, it'll be open by the time the Gym Challengers actually get there. Oh, by the way - you should take that Tyrantrum to Raihan. He's a Dragon-type Trainer, a wielder of Sandstorm, and the Trainer I consider my greatest current rival - not to mention he's got a Tyrantrum of his own."
Liepard noted the rapid change of subject with a frown. She'd been hoping to maybe get some information about the Galarian side of the situation with Piers.
"Sounds perfect," said Marcus. "What's his team?"
"Aside from the Tyrantrum," said Leon, "he's got Garchomp, Flygon, Dracozolt, Dracovish, and Duraludon. Pretty much every Dragon-type that works well in sand."
"And three fossils," Marcus observed.
"Oh, Dracovish and Dracozolt hardly count as fossils," said Leon. "Anyway, Marcus…before I forget, I have something else I wanted to talk to you about."
"I'm listening," said Marcus.
"So," Leon explained, "at the end of the opening ceremony for the Gym Challenge, I always take part in an exhibition battle. Show the Gym Challengers the heights of power they can reach, give them something to aspire to, and of course, put on a show. I've done it with all the major league Gym Leaders, I've done it with a couple of the previous year's winners, and I even fought Rose once - he's got quite a strong team for a non-battler. But I've never done it with a visiting Trainer, and I was thinking maybe you might want to take part? I know the International League's happening later this year, but maybe we could show off a little preview of what other regions are capable of?"
Liepard glanced up at Marcus. From his expression she knew that he wanted, more than anything, to accept. He'd never battled a Champion before - even if it was almost certain he'd lose, the experience of facing one of the strongest Trainers in the world was unmatched. But showing off his power in such a way would ensure that everybody in Galar knew exactly who and where Marcus was.
Any and all anonymity would be completely out the window.
"I'll think about it," said Marcus. A noncommittal answer. That's dangerous, Liepard thought. Sure, you can swing either way depending on circumstances…but 'think about it' too long and the decision might end up being made for you.
"Sure," said Leon. "It's still a couple weeks away anyway. Let me know what you decide. Now, we'd best get a move on - Hop and Gloria are probably already at the house by now."
Indeed, by the time Leon and Marcus arrived - Marcus huffing a little under the weight of Gloria's bag - Hop and Gloria were already ensconced in chairs on a fairly sizable patio, along with, surprisingly, Casey, who was talking with a woman who could only have been Hop's mother. Casey glanced over as Marcus and Leon stepped into the yard; her eyes widened as she beheld Marcus. "Gloria, really?" she admonished. "He's your sponsor, not your pack-Mudsdale. Take your bag and apologize to Marcus."
"Oh, no, it's perfectly fine," Marcus said politely, but Gloria was already stepping over. With a murmur of "I'm sorry, Marcus," she grasped the bag and stepped back, not making eye contact with either Marcus or her mother.
Casey sighed. "I'm Casey, Gloria's mother," she said to Leon.
"Great to meet you, Casey!" Leon shook her hand. "All right, Hop, Gloria, get over here! It's time for your present!"
"You brought us Pokemon, didn't you?" Hop was already speaking as he and Gloria stepped over.
Leon sighed theatrically. "I can never get anything past you, can I, little brother? All right, since you're so eager to get this over with, I'll just release these three right now! Let's see what you make of them!"
Liepard watched eagerly as Leon plucked three Pokeballs from his otherwise Ultra Ball-filled belt and tossed them on the ground. As they hissed open, three small forms emerged, already moving into a straight line as if they'd rehearsed this moment many times before.
The first was a bipedal Pokemon that looked oddly like a Fire-type Bunnelby. It was more humanoid-esque in terms of proportion, with smaller ears and a larger if thinner body, and it was bouncing over to the line rather than walking as the other two were. Definitely the most excitable of the three, Liepard observed. Possibly too excitable - the first step in training it will probably be ensuring that excitement doesn't conflict with battle strategy. Looks like a melee fighter - those feet would definitely be able to deal some damage.
The second was clearly a Water-type. Their body was similar to the Fire-type, but their head was large and round, with two gigantic eyes that took up half the head by themselves. It walked slowly and with clear nervousness. That one's the opposite, Liepard thought to herself. Anyone who trains it will need to instill more confidence. Being constantly worried is nothing but a hindrance. As for fighting style, someone like that is almost certainly a dominantly ranged fighter.
The last was a small, rotund Grass-type who was carrying a stick about as long as they were tall. A weapon-based fighter, Liepard noted. Seems in the middle in terms of both personality and fighting style - I can see them using both melee and ranged attacks, using that stick to either deliver blows or keep opponents at a distance, and they seem nowhere near as worried as the Water-type or as excitable as the Grass-type. I'm willing to bet that one is going to be the easiest to train.
One thing was for certain - these were definitely Starter Pokemon, grown in laboratories rather than caught in the wild. Liepard wasn't surprised that Leon had managed to procure them - he was the Champion, after all - but she was a little surprised that it was Leon gifting them to Hop and Gloria rather than a Pokemon Professor doing the gifting. Most of the time, Professors were quite protective of Starter Pokemon and insisted that, even if they weren't the ones giving them away, that they were nearby so as to ensure they were taken care of.
"Meet the Fire-type Pokemon Scorbunny, the Grass-type Pokemon Grookey, and the Water-type Pokemon Sobble!" Leon gestured to the trio as they formed their line, all three looking around expectantly. "Take your pick as to which one you want to take on your journey!"
"Gloria, you can choose first," said Hop. "Seeing as I've had Wooloo longer than you've had Bunnelby."
Gloria nodded. Stepping over, she looked at each of the three Starters, all of whom were staring up at her. At last her gaze swiveled back to the left. "I'll take Scorbunny," she said.
"Of course," said Hop. "What, are you gonna be some sort of rabbit-themed Trainer?"
"I might," Gloria retorted. "Depends on how many rabbit Pokemon there are."
She was interrupted by Scorbunny leaping into her arms. "Hi!" said Scorbunny. "I'm Scorbunny! When do we start? What do we do first?"
Gloria laughed softly. "Slow down, Scorbunny, let's get you in a Pokeball first, and then we can start figuring out moves and stuff."
"Okay!" Scorbunny hopped out of Gloria's arms. Gloria dug in her pockets. "Um…I don't actually seem to…"
"Here." Leon handed Gloria the Pokeball that he'd released Scorbunny out of.
"Oh! Thanks!" Gloria quickly recalled Scorbunny into it, then stepped off to the side as Hop moved confidently forwards.
"Then I'll go with…" Hop stepped over to Grookey. "Grookey, you're mine!"
The Grass-type grinned cheerily. "All right!" he said, swiftly (if a little clumsily) jumping up into Hop's arms in a clear imitation of Scorbunny. It seemed to Liepard like he was trying and failing to one-up Scorbunny's enthusiasm.
"Huh," said Leon. "Not going for the type advantage, little brother?"
Hop shrugged. "To be honest, I wanted Grookey from the start. And besides, if I'm going to be the greatest Pokemon Trainer in the world, I'm gonna have to learn to work around type advantages, aren't I?"
"Right you are," said Leon. "Goodness knows Charizard's battled more than his fair share of Rock-types."
"Am I going to get a Trainer?"
Liepard's eyes snapped towards Sobble, who was now standing alone. A sudden pang of sadness filled her heart - she'd completely forgotten that with only Hop and Gloria picking Starters, there would always be one who didn't get chosen by either. She could very easily imagine the confusion and sadness Sobble must be feeling right now.
Leon knelt down beside Sobble. "I bet you're feeling a little left out," he said. "Well, don't worry, because you're coming with me!"
"Really?" Sobble asked.
"Yeah," said Leon. "I think if you worked really hard, you might be able to become part of my team someday! But it's gonna be difficult - are you up to the challenge?"
Sobble nodded. "Of course!"
Smiling, Leon withdrew another of his Ultra Balls from his belt. Tapping the button, he sent out a Seismitoad just as large as his titanic Charizard and a good deal more burly. "Seismitoad will show you the ropes," he said. "He's strict, but real strong and real kind too!"
Sobble's eyes widened as he looked up at the massive form of Seismitoad. Seismitoad looked back down at Sobble, the large Water/Ground-type's eyes softening. "All right," Seismitoad grunted, "follow me, squirt. Let's get started."
"Already?"
"When else?" Seismitoad asked. "If you wanna be strong like me, you're gonna have to work for it, and that means being ready to get up and go at a moment's notice. Now come on, squirt, let's start by figuring out what moves you've got and then go to some basic exercises."
Liepard felt a fair amount of relief as she watched Sobble follow Seismitoad towards the pond. I should have guessed Leon had already planned for that problem.
"Hey, Gloria!" Hop cried from nearby. "So, now we've each got two Pokemon…are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I don't know," said Gloria, who was busily examining Scorbunny's Pokeball with her Pokedex, clearly trying to figure out what moves the Fire-type Starter had. "What are you thinking?"
"We should have our first official Pokemon battle as rivals!" Hop stated. "Come on, you know you want to! We can't call ourselves Pokemon Trainers until we've had a proper battle, and what better way to get to know our Pokemon?"
Liepard could think of a number of better ways, but Gloria's widening grin told her that none of those better ways were going to happen. "You're on," she said.
"Now hold on!" Leon cried. For a moment, Liepard hoped rationality would win out, but then Leon said, "You don't just say 'let's battle' and then start a battle! There's an order to things! First, you need to come up with some way to decide who releases first!"
Liepard sighed as Leon began to coach Gloria and Hop through proper pre-battle procedures. As he did so, Marcus swiftly sidled over to the patio where Hop's mother and Casey were standing. "Mind if I send out my team to watch?" he asked.
"Not at all," said Hop's mother. "Just make sure they don't eat anything off the grill."
Chuckling a little, Marcus released Liepard, Houndoom, Pangoro, and Drapion. The patio was suddenly a lot more crowded; Liepard glanced around to see where was occupied and where she could move freely, noticing as she did so that Leon's Charizard, Seismitoad, and Sobble were moving closer as well.
"One of the best ways to learn," Seismitoad was saying to Sobble as they drew closer, "is to watch what other Pokemon do. That's why, even when Leon doesn't use me in the battle, I still watch the whole thing, because that way I get experience that I wouldn't otherwise have gotten."
"Quite right," said Charizard.
Liepard tuned their conversation out and focused on her own teammates. Marcus had only sent out his Gym Leader team, clearly still trying to keep at least some of his cards close to his chest (even though Liepard didn't really get the point of that, seeing as Leon already knew that Marcus had the generalist team as well). Drapion glanced over at Liepard. "Excited?"
"Oui," said Liepard. "It reminds me of my first time battling."
"Ah prefer ta forget mah first time battling," Drapion growled. "But it's a little exciting ta watch, ah admit."
Meanwhile, Houndoom and Pangoro were watching wordlessly as Leon stepped back. "All right, so Hop releases first! Here's to a good first battle, you two!"
Both Casey and Hop's mother called out from beside Marcus. "Don't push your Pokemon too hard!" Casey cried, while Hop's mother's contribution was "Please don't damage the lawn too much!"
Liepard turned to watch as Hop released his newly acquired Grookey onto the battlefield. "Right, then, Grookey!" Hop said with a wide smile. "Let's see what you can do!"
In answer, Gloria released Scorbunny. "You've got this, Scorbunny!"
As the two Trainers readied themselves, Grookey stared at Scorbunny across the small battlefield. "Our first real battle, huh?"
"Looks like it!" said Scorbunny. "Don't hold back on me, Grookey!"
"Get him!" Hop cried. "Use Branch Poke!"
"Same to you, Scorbunny!" Grookey replied. The Grass-type hurled himself forwards, materializing green wisps of Grass energy across the branch he clutched in his right paw. "Branch Stroke!"
"Goal Kick!" Scorbunny rose to meet Grookey; as Grookey's branch came down upon Scorbunny, the Fire-type Starter raised a Normal energy-wreathed foot to block it. "Corner Kick!" Scorbunny cried, twisting to deliver a spinning kick to Grookey's face.
"Nice one!" Grookey admitted. "Branch Poke!" Hauling back, Grookey thrust his branch forwards into the off-balance Scorbunny's midsection. It was Scorbunny's turn to stagger, though his natural resistance to Grass meant he was able to recover quickly.
"Remember to command your Pokemon!" Leon called from the sidelines. "The true strength behind a Trained Pokemon is both the Trainer's and Pokemon's minds working as one!"
"Right!" Hop cried. "Grookey, you've got reach with your branch, use it! Keep Scorbunny from landing more kicks!"
"Scorbunny, keep him at bay with Ember!" Gloria cried.
"Goal Shot!" Scorbunny unleashed several motes of Fire energy with rapid kicks from his feet, forcing Grookey to abandon any further attempts to get in close in favor of dodging the barrage. This he succeeded at with aplomb, using his impressive agility to duck and sidestep each Ember Scorbuny through, but it did not escape Liepard's attention that the Embers were successfully preventing Grookey from going back on the offensive.
"Sooner or later, one of those is going to connect," Pangoro growled from beside Liepard. "He needs to be less cautious if he wants to win this battle."
"What, you're rooting for Grookey?" Houndoom asked.
"Yeah," said Pangoro. "So what if we're sponsoring Scorbunny's trainer? I like strength more than speed. Strength marks a battler, speed marks a coward."
Liepard coughed.
"In some cases," Pangoro added hurriedly.
"Heh," Drapion chuckled. "Real smooth there, Pangoro."
"Oh, shut up," Pangoro growled.
Drapion sighed. "Ah guess ah'm rootin' fer Grookey, too," he growled. "Ah just like an underdog, is all."
"Vous êtes tous les deux ridicules," Liepard murmured.
"An' Houndoom," said Drapion, "ah suppose yer rootin' fer Scorbunny?"
"Of course." Houndoom grinned toothily. "Us Fire-types have to stick together."
"I agree." The low, rumbling voice of Leon's Charizard cut through the four Dark-types' conversation as the towering Fire/Flying-type stepped next to them. "I apologize, I could not help but overhear. You are Marcus's Gym Leader team?"
"Yeah, we are," Drapion growled.
"I don't suppose you have met Piers?"
All four Dark-types stiffened, their true mission flashing back into their minds at that very moment. Liepard spoke first, knowing that if it came to outright lying she was easily the smoothest of the four. "Not personally, no," she admitted. "But one of his former Gym Trainers is now a Trainer at our Gym."
"Really, now?" Charizard bent down towards Liepard. "Has she heard anything from him recently?"
"No," said Liepard, her heart beginning to pound. She recalled Diantha had mentioned Galar was being cagey about the whole situation with Piers. Could it be that they don't know where he is either?
Charizard sighed. "That is a shame," he said. "We…you know what? Forget it. This is a happy time, watching two rivals embark upon their first battle of many. Why should I weigh my burdens upon you?"
Liepard hid a grimace. If Galar doesn't know anything about Piers's whereabouts, that would be crucial information. But I still don't know for sure…that's twice now these Galarians have stopped just when they might have been about to give some information. How frustrating.
A chorus of "ooh" came from the rest of the audience; Liepard turned just in time to see Grookey, parts of his fur ablaze, clock Scorbunny in the jaw with his branch. Scorbunny staggered backwards, obviously winded. Gloria's cry of "Scorbunny, duck!" was completely overwhelmed by Hop's exuberant yell of "Finish it!"
"Branch Stroke!" Spinning, Grookey brought his branch down upon Scorbunny's temple. The Fire-type dropped like a stone, crumpling to the ground in an unconscious heap.
Cheers arose from the audience, most notably Hop's mother. Hop himself pumped his fist in the air. "Yes! All right, Grookey, one more!"
Grookey nodded excitedly, though Liepard could tell he was already tired. What hits Scorbunny had landed had clearly done a number on him.
"Good work, Scorbunny," Gloria murmured. "Take a nice rest." She looked put out - clearly she'd thought Scorbunny would have a free win thanks to type advantage - but she steeled herself as she sent out her second Pokemon. "Bunnelby, this is going to be an uphill battle."
Liepard stared with renewed interest as the Kalosian Normal-type materialized on the field. Determination glinted in her eyes despite the clear disadvantage she was at. Liepard had to admit that she was quite curious about Bunnelby's strength. She'd watched the Normal-type speak with Cloyster and later Gloria; she'd seemed quite confident and knowledgeable in both situations.
Does that knowledge translate well to battle?
"Grookey!" Hop cried. "Branch Poke! Do the same thing that you did to that Scorbunny!"
Grookey grinned despite his exhaustion, sweeping his branch in an arc. "All right, let's do this, weird Pokemon I've never met! Branch-"
"Swift Ear."
Bunnelby lunged forwards in what could only be a Quick Attack and buried one large fist-like ear into Grookey's stomach.
Grookey gagged, doubling over, the attack completely abandoned. Bunnelby took a step back. "Whirling Ears." Twisting her head, Bunnelby struck Grookey across the face with first one ear, then the other, landing back-to-back hits in the space of a single second. Grookey was thrown a good five feet, landing hard on the ground with a thump that drew winces from most of the audience.
He didn't get back up.
Hop gaped. "What…was that some sort of critical hit? What kind of beginner's luck is that?!"
Bunnelby turned and trotted back to Gloria. "Sorry," she said. "I really need to get better about waiting for my Trainer's commands. Did you want me to do something else?"
"Um…good job, Bunnelby!" Gloria's initially confused expression turned to a smile. And deservedly so, Liepard thought. That Bunnelby's strong.
"It's not over yet!" said Hop, though his smile was a little forced now as he recalled Grookey. "I've still got my trusty ally left! Wooloo, let's show this Bunnelby a thing or two!"
Hop's own Normal-type now materialized out of his Pokeball. Liepard stared at him curiously. She hadn't seen Wooloo as especially strong when she'd first seen him, but now that he was on a battlefield, she noted his clearly practiced stance and the way his eyes instantly glanced around the battlefield, taking in the size of the arena he had to work with. Clearly, this Wooloo had been in his fair share of battles.
"Bunnelby, um…I guess just do the same thing you did," said Gloria.
"Okay, then." Bunnelby turned back towards Wooloo. She crouched, readying for another Quick Attack combo to try and fell Hop's second Pokemon as easily as she had the first.
"Swift Ear."
"Defense Curl!" Hop cried.
"Wool Ball!" Even as Bunnelby flashed across the field, Wooloo's wool puffed out into a protective coating, Normal energy giving it substance beyond the standard soft fluffiness. Bunnelby's ear struck Wooloo's wool, and though the fluffy Normal-type stumbled slightly it didn't seem to affect him all that much.
"Woolly Rush!" Bunnelby was forced to expend another Quick Attack to dart away from Wooloo as he rolled forwards. "Left!" Hop called; as Liepard watched, Wooloo curved, still shaped like a ball, and rolled at Bunnelby once more, forcing the quick Normal-type into another dodge.
It's almost like Rollout…Hop and Wooloo must have practiced this a lot.
Indeed, Hop was shouting command after command, calling for Wooloo to change direction this way and that as he rolled around the field, narrowly missing Bunnelby over and over again.
"Now it's the reverse situation," Houndoom observed. "Gloria's Pokemon is the one stuck playing defensive."
"Grookey overcame it," Charizard growled. "Bunnelby just needs to do likewise."
"How did Grookey overcome it, exactly?" Liepard asked. "I didn't see."
"He just charged," Pangoro answered. "Tanked a couple Embers to get in range - that's why he was so badly damaged."
"That ain't gonna work here," Drapion stated. "Wooloo's just gonna bowl her over."
"Bunnelby, use Leer!"
Drapion started as Gloria's cry echoed across the battlefield. A toothy smile crossed his face as Bunnelby, looking surprised, nonetheless obeyed Gloria's order. Normal energy flashed across her eyes, and the Normal energy began to dissipate from Wooloo's wool even as he rolled.
All at once, Wooloo's wool collapsed under him; his momentum was completely arrested as he flopped anticlimactically to the ground. In one fluid motion, Bunnelby dashed in. "Striking Ear."
Wooloo took Bunnelby's ear right on the nose and reeled, groaning in pain. "No, Wooloo!" Hop cried. "Hold on!"
"Finish him!" Gloria cried energetically.
But as Bunnelby rushed forwards once more, ears at the ready, Hop's expression changed in an instant. "Double Kick!"
Wooloo twisted. "Dual Hoof Slam!" A pair of Fighting energy-enhanced hooves came up, slamming into Bunnelby's torso and sending Gloria's Normal-type flying back across the field.
"Ouch," Houndoom stated, wincing in sympathy.
"You said it, mon ami," Liepard murmured. "I thought it was over when Gloria pulled that trick with Leer."
"So did I," Charizard admitted. "The fact that she realized the only thing keeping Wooloo's wool sturdy enough to roll around on was the Normal energy of Defense Curl…that marks an impressive amount of battlefield awareness for a Trainer so young. But Wooloo has been Hop's battler for many months. No matter how strong Bunnelby is, the fact is that she is vastly inexperienced in comparison."
"Hold on there," Drapion growled. "This ain't over yet."
All eyes turned to Bunnelby to see that, in fact, she was rising to her feet. A nasty-looking bruise was already forming on her stomach, but she stood tall regardless. Her head turned to Gloria. "Okay, what's the plan?"
"Just one more hit!" Hop interjected. "Charge her with Tackle! Overwhelm her with bulk!"
Gloria looked down at Bunnelby. "Um…Quick Attack, Tackle, Double Slap, Leer…wait a minute, I know! Bunnelby, use Agility!"
Agility? Liepard frowned. That's a move you don't see on low-level Pokemon very often.
But indeed, as Bunnelby concentrated, Psychic energy began to glow around her feet. As Wooloo trundled forwards, a yell of "Woolly Slam!" emanating from his mouth, Bunnelby crouched.
"Full Speed: Rapid Ear."
The speed-boosting nature of Agility combined with the explosive burst of speed associated with Quick Attack meant that it only took a quarter of a second for Bunnelby to close the distance between herself and Wooloo. Wooloo had no time to react; once more he reeled backwards as Bunnelby's ear slammed into his nose, though this time it had hit even harder due to Bunnelby's momentum.
"Double Kick!" Hop cried, but this time Bunnelby was fully prepared, and with the aid of Agility it was clearly a trivial matter to pull back. Wooloo's Dual Hoof Slam hit nothing but empty air, and as he was stumbling from the whiffed attack, Bunnelby streaked around to his side. "Full Speed: Whirling Ears."
The Double Slap sent Wooloo flying; Hop's Normal-type hit the ground rolling courtesy of an instinctive Defense Curl that had come too late to protect against Bunnelby's attack. But Hop, seeing Wooloo was still conscious, called out excitedly. "Wooloo, you've got this!" he cried. "Roll around and come at her again!"
"Quick Attack and dodge!" Gloria cried.
"Ha, gotcha!" Hop grinned. "Copycat!"
It was Liepard's turn to smile. As much as she wanted Gloria to win, she couldn't deny Hop's Wooloo was an impressively capable battler. Liepard watched closely as both Bunnelby and Wooloo blurred, Normal energy coursing around their bodies; both surged towards each other at such high speeds that several of the watchers started, clearly nervous about potential injuries.
"Full Speed: Rapid Ear!"
"Woolly Rush!"
The two came together in a small explosion of Normal energy, an explosion that for a few moments masked the two from view. Hop and Gloria both craned their necks, hands at Wooloo and Bunnelby's Pokeballs, ready to recall them. The cloud of energy began to clear.
Both Bunnelby and Wooloo were revealed at the same time. They were standing on opposite sides of where they'd started, Bunnelby in front of Hop and Wooloo in front of Gloria.
Both stood. Both swayed. And both fell to the ground at the exact same time.
But in the brief moment before they both landed, Bunnelby's paws lashed out, catching her before she fully impacted, though they were clearly trembling under the strain of holding up her entire weight. There she lay, on hands and knees, while behind her Wooloo collapsed limply, completely out cold.
"I think I win," Bunnelby murmured, just before her arms finally gave way and she, too, fell unconscious to the earth.
The audience erupted in clapping and cheering. Casey and Marcus both clapped with special enthusiasm, while the Pokemon roared and cheered in equal measure. Hop stared at the battlefield for a moment. Then he began to chuckle ruefully. "You beat my two Pokemon with your one?" He shook his head. "You and that Bunnelby are too much!"
Both he and Gloria recalled their unconscious Pokemon. As they stepped forwards to shake each others' hand and congratulate one another on a good battle, Leon moved into the arena to meet them. "That was an excellent battle, you two," he said. "Almost made me want to send in Charizard to join in on all the fun!"
Charizard snorted. "You always say that…"
"I have to say," Leon continued, "you two look like you're gonna be great rivals! So here's a tip from the unbeatable Champion - the role of a rival isn't to knock each other down, it's to pull each other up. To make each other stronger! I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today if it weren't for Sonia."
"The Professor's granddaughter?" Hop's eyes widened. "She was your rival?"
"Yeah." A tinge of wistfulness crossed Leon's face. "And she was a great Trainer, too. The best rival someone like me could ask for. But enough about the past - let's talk about your future! Gloria, I hear you've already been endorsed by Marcus here. But Hop, little brother, you haven't been officially endorsed yet, have you? Well, that's about to change, because after seeing a battle like that, I feel I have little choice but to give you my endorsement for the Galarian Gym Challenge!"
"YES!" Hop's cry was earsplitting. "Thanks, Lee!" He grabbed the envelope from Leon's hand before Leon even let go of it, nearly ripping the paper in his enthusiasm. "I swear I'm gonna win my way through the Gym Challenge to reach you!"
Leon chuckled. "That kind of enthusiasm's what I like to see," he said. He glanced over at Gloria. "And you, Gloria…be a real rival to Hop, would you? Push him, and make the both of you stronger!"
Hop's mother raised her voice. "All right, you three, I think that's enough excitement for one day." She gestured towards the grill, where food could be heard sizzling loudly. "Food's ready, so let's all sit down and eat! Marcus, you're obviously welcome to join in, if you'd like, and so are your Pokemon!"
"I think we'll take you up on that," said Marcus, stepping towards a nearby chair. "I might take some food to go, if that's okay."
"Certainly!" said Hop's mother. Liepard knew perfectly well that the 'food to go' would go straight into the mouths of the rest of the team the instant Marcus had a free moment to send them all out, and so she felt no guilt as she tucked into the plateful of food that Hop's mother happily shoved over to her.
Part of me wishes this entire trip could be this simple. Just wandering around, making friends and watching or participating in battles. Liepard heaved a sigh. But I know there's no way things are going to be this peaceful forever.
In a darkened room in the depths of Rose Tower, Teller-Of-Tales surveyed the ranks of his Absols.
Twenty they numbered, hailing from all across the UPW. Some had been deployed in Kanto-Johto, and some as far away as Paldea. Some were old, seasoned operatives, and some were younger and fresher. But all were united under a single common belief - that Bringer-Of-Visions had overstepped her bounds.
That her way was no longer the right way to go about averting the apocalypse.
All eyes turned to Teller-Of-Tales as he cleared his throat. "Thank you all for attending on such short notice," he said. "Watcher. You are the one who requested this meeting. Why?"
Watcher-Of-Time stepped forwards. The only other Kalosian Herald among the group, he was effectively Teller-Of-Tales' second-in-command, and it had been the two of them that had started this whole renegade movement in the first place. He spoke crisply but with a hint of nervousness. "Marcus is now in Galar," he said.
The meaning of that statement was instantly clear to all in the room. A few groans came from some of the Absols; quickly, Teller-Of-Tales raised his tail, wordlessly demanding silence. "I should have figured Bringer-Of-Visions would do something like this," he said. "Watcher, what is the probability that Marcus will interfere, directly or indirectly, with our mission?"
Watcher-Of-Time swallowed. "I have calculated a 67.49% chance."
More groans. Teller-Of-Tales bit back a curse. That number was dangerously high. But, he reminded himself, that wasn't anywhere near 100% odds. Marcus could be headed off. Confrontation could be avoided.
And so Teller-Of-Tales raised his voice without a single quiver. "Thank you, Watcher," he said. "Marcus must be watched carefully. I want two Absols on him at all times. Follow his journey, make sure nothing goes amiss."
"Or we could just kill him."
Teller-Of-Tales stiffened, as did many of the other Heralds in the room, as the eerily calm voice of Arbiter-Of-Fates sounded. Arbiter-Of-Fates was...frightening, to put it bluntly. Teller-Of-Tales would never have recruited someone like her, someone who was so fantical and so pragmatism-oriented that even Bringer-Of-Visions hadn't wanted to send her on any missions, if he wasn't desperate for numbers and power. And while there was no denying Arbiter-Of-Fates' strength, there was also no denying that there was a reason Bringer-Of-Visions had wanted nothing to do with her.
Slowly, Teller-Of-Tales turned to face Arbiter-Of-Fates as she stepped forwards, separating herself from the circle of Heralds. "Is there a problem with that?" she asked, locking eyes with Teller-Of-Tales.
Teller-Of-Tales did not blink as he responded. "We are not savages," he said. "And besides, I like to keep my options open. If this plan we have conceived somehow fails, then Marcus is the next best thing we have."
"Ah," said Arbiter-Of-Fates. "Forgive me. I was under the impression that you had broken away entirely from Bringer-Of-Visions."
"We have."
"And yet you are acting as if the two of you were working together," Arbiter-Of-Fates pointed out. "As if this was just an experimental foray, and if it fails you'll just return to the fold as if nothing had happened."
"That's not what I'm saying," Teller-Of-Tales growled.
"Then why keep Marcus alive?" Arbiter-Of-Fates asked. "You heard the probability. 67.49%. Those are fairly high odds, don't you think? Wouldn't it be best to nip that potential problem in the bud? After all, it seems foolish to prioritize Plan B over Plan A, does it not?"
Teller-Of-Tales glared at Arbiter-Of-Fates, trying to think of a rebuttal. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, Arbiter-Of-Fates was absolutely right. Marcus did represent a threat, a threat that it would be best to neutralize before it came to pass.
But Teller-Of-Tales wanted to avoid murder, if at all possible. Especially that of Marcus. And that was the thought running through his mind as he spoke again. "Did we not break away from the Heralds," he asked, "precisely because of Bringer-Of-Visions' mistreatment of Marcus and his Pokemon? And knowing that, are you truly willing to turn around and kill him the instant he poses a potential problem to our plans?"
Several Absols noticeably shook their heads; murmurs generally in the negative emanated from around the room. Arbiter-Of-Fates looked unconvinced, but at a look from Teller-Of-Tales she stepped back, saying nothing.
"My orders with regards to Marcus, stated previously, are to be followed," said Teller-Of-Tales. "That is all."
Roughly half an hour later, in a room elsewhere in the same building, Chairman Rose slowly tapped a number out on his Pokedex, hesitating before each digit. His face was an emotionless mask as he finished; as his Pokedex buzzed, indicating an outgoing call, he raised the device to his face and waited.
He did not have to wait long.
"Well, well." The voice coming from the other end of the call was filtered and unrecognizable. "Chairman Rose. I must say, I would not have expected someone of your stature to come to someone like me. What is it that you want?"
"Two jobs," said Rose. "Both to be undertaken at the same time. The first concerns a group of Absol that have recently relocated to Galar. There are twenty in all, and all are highly dangerous fighters. I want you to capture and neutralize as many as you possibly can. You will receive fifty thousand Pokedollars for each successful, proven capture…and a bonus of one million Pokedollars if you are able to capture all twenty."
"Quite a sum, even for someone like you," the voice observed. "And the other?"
Rose hesitated for a moment. "There is a Trainer currently visiting Galar," he said. "His name is Marcus, and the Absol group appears to be targeting him for assassination. I want you to protect him. Ensure he is not harmed until the first job is done."
The voice sounded again, this time noticeably colder in tone. "I do not run a daycare, Chairman. Especially not for Kalosian Gym Leaders. And I do not appreciate you attempting to conceal Marcus's position from me."
"You will receive another one million Pokedollars for Marcus's protection."
A pause. "Two million."
"How about," said Rose, "we split the difference. One point five million."
"Two million."
"Or maybe, one point seven five-"
"I do not haggle, Chairman. Two million for Marcus's protection, or you can find someone else to deal with your Absol problem."
Rose heaved a sigh. "Two million."
"Thank you, Chairman," said the voice. "Consider your jobs accepted. I will contact you again once I have arrived in Galar." Rose's Pokedex beeped to signal that the call had been ended.
Left alone once more, Chairman Rose leaned back and looked out over the countless lights of Wyndon, his face still completely unreadable.
Every step Wooloo took made him want to turn back even more. He hated this place. He hated the fog that covered the ground. He hated the snaggly branches that seemed as if they would snatch him off the ground at any moment. He hated the emptiness, the silence, and the near-total absence of any visible life.
It would have been total but for Mandibuzz. Her words were soothing even though they startled Wooloo every time. "It's all right," she said, her voice cutting through the mist. "Don't be afraid. Nothing's going to jump out at you. And even if it does, I won't let it hurt you."
Wooloo kept walking. He didn't really know why. By all rights he should have turned around. He'd proved he wasn't scared. He'd gone into the Slumbering Weald. So why was he going deeper in?
He stopped suddenly, straining his ears, for he had begun to pick up the sound of more voices, coming from ahead. He could not make them out. Mandibuzz spoke again. "It's all right," she said. "They're not going to hurt you."
Wooloo trusted Mandibuzz. Why? He didn't know. But something about Mandibuzz was comforting to Wooloo. Comforting in a way he couldn't describe, but comforting all the same. And so Wooloo began to walk again, moving towards the voices that Mandibuzz had promised were friendly.
He began to see movement. Pokemon were flitting through the trees in front of him. Wooloo recognized the shape of a Rookidee. Then he looked around and realized that there were actually quite a few Rookidees. Ten, twenty…Wooloo's head began to spin as he reached thirty.
So many Rookidees…is this Mandibuzz their leader or something?
A few of the Rookidees glanced at Wooloo, but at the sight of Mandibuzz they looked away. Wooloo kept walking, looking up as more and more Rookidees came within view. He could now see several Corvisquires flying amongst the gigantic Rookidee flock, seemingly issuing orders that Wooloo couldn't hear.
Mandibuzz landed on a branch. "I have returned," she said loudly but calmly.
"Good."
The new voice came from high, high above. Wooloo's eyes widened as what he'd thought was merely a section of leaves suddenly spread its wings. From above descended the form of a massive Corviknight, its steely feathers reflecting what little light was coming from above. Wooloo saw one of the Corviknight's eyes fall upon him, and gulped.
"Is it Trained?" Corviknight asked.
"It was approached and spoken to by Trainers," Mandibuzz answered.
"Then it will do." Corviknight raised his voice. "SILENCE!" he bellowed.
The flapping of wings stopped in an instant as every single Rookidee scrambled to perch on the nearest branch. Wooloo noticed the various Corvisquires had already been sitting on branches; the Rookidees were so numerous that some of said Corvisquires were squeezed in between the ranks of smaller Flying-types, looking extremely uncomfortable.
"We have gathered here," Corviknight began, "for months on end, rallying more and more to our cause. For months we have watched from the woods, waiting for an opportunity to prove ourselves. To prove our truth. To prove our superiority."
A cacophony of agreements came from the surrounding branches. Corviknight raised a wing; the hush began anew. "For generations," he continued, "the Wild Pokemon of the Slumbering Weald have been seen as a curiosity at best, an annoyance at worst. Young Trainers dare each other to go into the woods. Old Trainers move through its trees, capturing us in their Pokeballs, stealing us. Our friends, our families. But now…now it is time to end this!"
Corviknight took a breath; one eye swiveled down towards Wooloo once more. "We, the Great Flock, are superior to those pathetic Trainers!" he cried. "Our numbers and our combined skill will overwhelm any resistance they muster! And I, Corviknight, will lead this Great Flock into a new era! One where Pokemon reclaim their rightful status as greater than humans!"
He gestured downwards with one metallic wing. "Mandibuzz, my second-in-command, has kindly tricked a Trained Pokemon into these woods," he said. "Humans will follow. They will not abandon their pet." He spat the word, to jeers from the surrounding crowd. "And when they do," said Corviknight gleefully, "we will show them no mercy! The humans will learn that the Wild Pokemon of the Slumbering Weald will not be subservient any longer! The humans will learn that Pokemon are far greater than they are! And when they learn, they will spread our message across this entire region, and Wild Pokemon from all across this region will join our cause. We will create an empire stretching all across Galar, and the humans will learn not to cross us…no matter how many bodies it takes."
Wooloo's eyes were wide as saucers. Tricked? No mercy? Bodies? This is insane! How could…how could I have been so stupid as to come here? How could I-
And then the fog across his mind dissipated, and the reality of the situation hit Wooloo full force. Twisting, he broke into a sprint; he didn't know where exactly he was going, only that it was away from this monster of a Corviknight and his horde.
"Shifty Slash!"
The earth in front of Wooloo exploded as a blade of Flying energy slammed into it inches from Wooloo's face. Wooloo froze, quivering in place, as Mandibuzz flew delicately to the ground in front of him. "I didn't lie, you know," she said. "Nothing is going to hurt you…"
"…at least not as long as you cooperate."
I actually wrote a massive scene for Chairman Rose in this chapter. I scrapped it because (1) it was too infodumpy, (2) it made an already fairly lengthy chapter even longer, and (3) it was just boring. And if there's one thing I don't want this fic to be, it's boring.
Which is why, as you can see, I'm throwing a minor complication into the Sword/Shield intro.