"Finally, we've made it to Motostoke!" Haigha cried as she walked up the steps into the city where the opening ceremony was being held. "I feel like we've been in the Wild Area for days!"

"Calm down, Haigha. It's only been one day." Ringo said as he, along with Sonia and James, walked up behind her. "But I know what you mean. I've been so excited for the ceremony that its felt like an eternity since we set out from home."

"Loving the enthusiasm, guys!" James said. "It's that attitude that's going to get you through the gym challenge. The best way to get a crowd fired up is with a shining personality and a confident smile."

"And aren't you the best one to teach people how to win?" Sonia asked.

James chuckled. "Well, I've been teaching Ringo for years."

Sonia smirked and shook her head in amusement. "That aside, we got a day until the opening ceremony. What do you guys want to do until then?"

"I for one want to go and get registered immediately." Haigha said.

"Why am I not surprised?" Sonia asked. "Motostoke Stadium is in the upper part of the city. We just have to ride the elevator up and look for the biggest building that you can find and that'll be the stadium. Unless you're James, you physically can't miss it."

While the two kids were laughing at Sonia's joke, James was checking his watch. "Actually, I have to go and meet the chairman about the ceremony in an hour. I'm afraid that you're going to have to go on without me."

"You're leaving already?" Ringo asked. "I kind of wanted you to be there for the registration."

"Don't worry, bro." James said. "I'll be there to see you on the pitch for the ceremony tomorrow. I'll see you then."

"Alright, see you then." Ringo said as he shook his brother's hand goodbye and the three of them set out into the city.

Meanwhile, a few miles outside of Motostoke, a train was rumbling southward along the tracks, the view of the northern Wild Area passing by the window. Sitting in the private car at the rear of the train was Chairman Rose, smiling at the thought of the upcoming league. "This year is shaping up to be a great league. Wouldn't you say, Merlin?"

"It is, indeed, sir." Merlin replied.

Merlin was a young boy of twelve. He had light blue hair, black eyes, and wore a pink button shirt with white khakis and loafers. Atop his head sat a blue conical hat like what a wizard would wear. "I must thank you again for allowing me this chance to prove myself."

"Thank nothing of it, lad. My endorsement is a small thing in return for the promising future that we're creating, is it not?" Chairman Rose asked. "Of course, I am expecting great things from you. The last person that I endorsed was James Snare himself and you know how he turned out."

"I promise you, sir," Merlin said. "Your faith in me was not misplaced. I shall prove it over the course of my gym challenge."

"That's the dedication that I've come to expect from you." Rose said as the train pulled into the station. "I'll be wishing you luck in your endeavors. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting with the champion that I must attend to."

The two of them left the train and walked through the crowds and parted ways outside of the station. Merlin started heading toward Motostoke Stadium, while Chairman Rose walked towards his meeting with James, talking on the phone with his secretary.

As Merlin was walking, he sensed something behind him. He stopped to turn his head, but saw nothing other than the bustling crowds. He resumed walking, a little faster now, ignorant of the red cap of the figure just behind the pillar.

Motostoke Stadium was a very impressive building. Made of solid brick and standing several stories tall, the building was quite grand. It had also been decorated for the opening ceremony, different colored flags with the symbols of the eight major league gyms embroidered on them were strewn over the entrance. The door was made of glass and you could see all of the contestants that had gathered there. Haigha and Ringo couldn't lie, they were a little intimidated by the fact that every single person there was a potential rival for them.

"Are you ready to go in?" Haigha asked.

"Of, Of course I am." Ringo said, beads of sweat trickling down his face. "Hey, is it hotter than usual today?"

"Ah, pre-competition jitters, how I miss that feeling so." Sonia said. "Well, I'm gonna go see about rooms in Budew Drop Inn, you kids go and get registered. Just go inside, give the guy at the front desk your endorsement letters and he'll take care of it from there. Have fun you two!" She hugged her cousin and then left for the nearby hotel.

"I know I've asked this before," Ringo said. "But are you sure that she's not your sister?"

"After all these years, she might as well be." Haigha said.

The two of them walked into the stadium and went up to the front desk. Unfortunately, they couldn't talk to him immediately due to a blue-haired boy in a wizard hat who was already talking to him.

"You're all registered, Mr. Potter!" The man at the desk said. "Here is your challenger band and your uniform will be ready for you when you arrive tomorrow morning for the ceremony."

Merlin turned around with a humph. "Out of my way," he said to Ringo. "People like you should know when one of the elite is in the room." He rudely pushed Ringo out of the way and walked out of the reception area.

"Well that was rude." Ringo said. "I wonder what that guy's deal is?"

"I don't know," Haigha replied. "Don't let it get you down, we'll teach him some manners when one of us battles him in the league." She handed her letter to the man at the desk along with Ringo. "Hello, we're here to get registered."

"Alright then, give me a minute to confirm the authenticity of your letters." The man said as he read the letters, his eyes widening in shock when he read the signature. "What? I thought that was a rumor." He went back to checking the letters.

Haigha and Ringo looked at each other in confusion. "Is everything alright?"

"What?" He asked. "Oh, no. It's nothing, I'd heard rumors that James had endorsed a trainer for the league this year, but I thought they were fake, and for there to be two. Who exactly are you?"

"Well, that's elementary, is it not?" A feminine voice asked. Haigha turned to see a bespectacled girl with a tuxedo and a red deerstalker cap walking towards them. "This lad here is the champion's younger brother, Ringo Snare, and this girl is Haigha White, his best friend. If Champion James Snare would endorse anyone in the region, it would be the two of them." She said as she handed an endorsement letter of her own to the front desk man who took the letter and started to check it.

Haigha was standing there, perplexed at how this girl somehow knew them without even meeting them. "I'm sorry, but who are you and how do you know so much about us?"

The girl turned to them, pushing her yellow glasses up her nose. "Oh, I'm sorry, I tend to do stuff like that when I talk to people. My name is Kaitlyn, I'm from Wyndon." She shook both of their hands. "As to how I know you, I'm pretty smart, I know a lot of things that most people wouldn't."

"Like what?" Haigha asked.

"Like," Kaitlyn paused to look at the two of them, her eyes darting around from place to place. "Haigha," she snap pointed to the flame-haired girl. "You have two Pokémon, a Rookidee and a Scorbunny. Ringo," she snap pointed to him. "You have three Pokémon, a Wooloo, a Grookey, and a Cramorant."

"How could you possibly know that?!" Haigha asked.

"Elementary," Kaitlyn said. "Your shirts are curving around the Pokéballs on your belts, I can use that determine the number of Pokémon you have. From there, I can see a Cramorant feather on your shoulder, Ringo, along with a green hair, distinct to the Grookey line. Also, I'm detecting a faint scent of Wooloo fur. You're from Postwick, so having a Wooloo just seems logical."

"Blimey," Ringo quietly whispered.

"As for Haigha," Kaitlyn continued. "There's a collection of ashes on your knees from a Scorbunny's tracks and the indentations on your shoulder perfectly match the width of a Rookidee's talons."

"That's pretty impressive." Ringo said. "How do you do that?"

"It's a hobby." Kaitlyn said as the front desk man finished checking their letters.

"Alright, Mr. Snare, Ms. White, and Ms. Wiggins, you're all registered." He handed the three of them little golden bands that fit in the palms of their hands. "These are the challenge bands that will hold your gym badges. What would you like your uniform number to be?"

"106." Haigha answered.

"221." Kaitlyn said.

Ringo thought about his number. "962."

"Alright, we'll have your uniforms ready for you tomorrow. All challengers have been given a free room in the Budew Drop Inn until the ceremony. Have a nice day!"

The three kids all left the stadium and parted ways outside, Kaitlyn leaving on some important business that she didn't clarify on, leaving Haigha and Ringo on their own.

"She seemed nice, didn't she?" Ringo asked as they walked over to the hotel.

"I don't know," Haigha said. "Something about her seemed off."

"What about her was off?"

"I can't tell, she just seemed off." Haigha answered as they got to Budew Drop Inn.

Like most buildings in Motostoke, Budew Drop Inn was made of brick with a simple green neon sign and two lamps on either side of the glass door marking its location. It stood ten stories tall, about the size of the stadium, and windows dotted the walls like freckles. It didn't seem like anything special at first glance, but it had a great reputation for being a nice place where gym challengers could duck in for a night's rest to take a break from the stresses of the gym challenge.

"I thought it'd be bigger." Haigha said as she walked through the door.

The first thing she noticed when they entered the hotel was the nine-foot-tall bronze statue in front of her. The statue depicted a man wearing a cape and armor with a wolf-shaped helm. He held a sword aloft in his right hand and brandished a shield in his left. His expression was slightly disturbing, his mouth was open like he was shouting a war cry and his eyes blazed with rage.

"What?" Haigha asked, a little dumbfounded. "What is that supposed to be?"

"That's the statue of the hero who once saved ancient Galar from ruin," Sonia said. She was sitting on a couch next to the door, so neither of them saw her on the way in. "It's pretty impressive, isn't it?"

"Oh hey, Sonia!" Ringo said. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good, considering I couldn't get a room because they're all booked for the night." Sonia replied. "Haigha? I hope you don't mind if I room with you tonight." Haigha didn't respond, she hadn't looked away from the statue. "Haigha? 'Ello there?"

Haigha slowly turned to Sonia. "The statue. What was the legend about this bloke?"

Sonia pursed her lips together in concern, but her expression vanished just as quickly as it occurred. Whatever restraints Sonia had about the story, she dropped them when she remembered her cousin's personality. "A long time ago, a great storm called the Darkest Day blanketed the whole of the Galar Region. Gigantic Pokémon ran rampant, destroying everything in sight. They would've destroyed the entire region if it weren't for a young man with a sword and a shield," She pointed at the statue. "They say he single-handedly defeated every giant with just those weapons."

"What kind of sword was he using?" Ringo asked.

"Nobody really knows." Sonia said. "Really, the story is the only thing that we know about that day. We know that it happened, but nobody knows what happened. What were the sword and shield? Where did they go? What was the Darkest Day? Whoever finds that out would be one of if not the greatest researcher in the history of Galar."

While Sonia was telling the tale, Haigha was thinking about the two people from the Slumbering Weald. For some reason, this story reminded her of them. Did those two have a hand in the Darkest Day? The story was pretty incomplete so it seemed fairly reasonable. Maybe Haigha could find a way to get her worthiness by filling in the missing pieces of the puzzle. It was thinking for later though, she ran to catch up to Ringo and Sonia, who had gone to the front desk.

"Alright, that's two rooms for the three of you," the female receptionist was saying. "Free of charge, given your gym challenger statuses. Here you go," she gave them two keys. "Young lad, you'll be in room ten-twenty-one. The lasses will be in room ten-twenty-two. We hope you enjoy your stay!"

Haigha took her key and started to head for the elevator but got interrupted when she was rudely thrown to the ground and over to the staircase. The throwers were two people, a boy and a girl, wearing black jackets and sporting magenta sports paint.

"Oi!" The boy shouted. "Ain't anyone enjoyin' anythin' with Team Yell in the house!"

"Excuse me, sir," the receptionist nervously said in a desperate attempt to maintain order. "Can you please move? You're disrupting the li-"

The female cut her off by slamming her fist into the counter. "Can you please shut yer gob?! This is Team Yell's lobby now and nobody's leaving 'til we say so!"

While all this was going on, Jacqueline had been standing at the door. She wanted to help, but knowing Holly and Ligon personally, she also didn't want to hurt them. She'd wait until she absolutely had to step in to show herself.

Ringo had pulled out Cramorant's Pokéball and was about to battle the two punks before Sonia stopped him. "Don't pay them much mind, Ringo," she said. "These are just a couple of overzealous fans, we'll just walk on past and it'll be fine."

Sonia walked towards the door to the stairwell only to be stopped by Ligon slamming the door shut when she tried to open it. "Just where do you think yer goin', lassie?"

"I'm going to my room to relax." Sonia answered. "Do you mind letting me pass?"

Ligon laughed. "Not on yer life. Everyone's stayin' right here 'til the ceremony's over!"

Sonia and Ligon stared at each other, a silent furious stare where they were challenging the other to cross a line. Sonia made the first move by making a grab for the door handle. Ligon responded by shoving her to the ground, hard.

"Oh, I wouldn't have done that if I were you." Ringo said.

"Why not?" Holly asked, not even trying to hide her sarcasm. "She gonna have a hissy fit?"

"She's not. But she is." Ringo said as her pointed over his shoulder.

Holly turned over to where Ringo was pointing and saw Haigha on her feet, a blazing expression of fiery, furious rage in her eyes.

"Ha, what is that scrawny little thing goin' to do?" Holly asked before swiftly being silenced by a flaming uppercut from Haigha at three-hundred miles per hour.

What happened next happened so fast that only someone with her speed could process the event. After fire punching Holly, Haigha ran over to Ligon and kicked him in the stomach. She grabbed onto Holly, who was still in the air from the punch, and carried her all the way out of Motostoke and ran all the way back to do the same thing to Ligon, who was still reeling from the kick. She came back to the same spot, huffing and puffing, whether it was from anger or exhaustion was anyone's guess.

"Messing with her family is the quickest way to tick her off." Ringo said. "You alright, mate?"

"I'm fine." Haigha answered. "Are you okay, Sonia?" Her cousin got up with a cross look on her face.

"I just want to go to bed and forget about all of that." She huffed. "Hate to be the person those punks are cheering for." They all went to their rooms with Sonia griping through the whole trip.

Back down in the lobby, Jacqueline, who had been able to see the whole thing movement for movement thanks to her super speed was feeling kind of conflicted. She was angry that Holly and Ligon had followed her all the way down to Motostoke and she knew what that meant. She was also sad because she'd heard what Sonia had said. Team Yell was Jacqueline's personal cheer squad, her biggest fans, and she didn't want their actions to make people think any less of her. She powered through her emotional mess the only way she knew how. By putting on a mask of calm and keep moving forward. She sighed and walked over to get her room key from the front desk, a twitch of black lightning running across her cheek.

A few hours later, Haigha was standing out on the balcony, gazing at the starlight-coated city of Motostoke, feeling at peace as she saw the moonlight faintly reflecting off the giant gears and cogs that were sprawled throughout the industrial city. Her phone read that it was near midnight but she just couldn't bring herself to go to bed. She was just staring out across the city, waiting for sleep to come to her.

"Can't sleep?" Ringo asked. Haigha looked around to see him standing on the balcony next to hers. "Guess I can't blame you. I'm pretty excited too."

Haigha smiled a little. "Every challenger in this hotel is probably thinking the same thing that we are. It all changes tomorrow. Are any of us ready to face it?"

"I know that we are," Ringo said. "But I'm still worried, none-the-less." The two spent time looking over their railings. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?" Haigha asked.

"I know that we've been friends for years and nothing will change that," Ringo started. "But I want to make a pact with you. Whenever we get on the field together, facing each other down, it'll be rivals first and friends second. Got that?"

"That all?" Haigha asked. "I thought we were already doing that."

"So is that a yes?"

"Of course it is! Now come on, let's at least try to get some sleep."

The two of them went back into their rooms and crawled into their beds. Meanwhile, Sonia, who had been listening to her cousin's conversation whilst pretending to sleep, smiled as she remembered when she and James had that exact conversation before their own opening ceremony.

Author's Note: Yeah, Holly and Ligon are going to be 'those' kinds of grunts. Just general annoyances.

Also, our last two main characters have arrived!

Bede is Merlin Potter, a Hatterene. Yes, I'm aware Hatterene can only be female, I wanted to keep Bede's gender.

As for Kaitlyn Wiggins, an Orbeetle, she has no game-counterpart. Every generation, I like to make an OC for a type that didn't get a specialist in the games. For SwSh, I made a Sherlockian Detective that specialized in bug-types. I hope you guys like her.

Have a blessed day!

~ Dr. Bluebone