"Sob! Sobble!"
"Huh? What is it, Brook?" A brown-haired boy turned his head and glanced down at his partners. They all seemed a bit nervous about something. But what?
Slowly, he turned around, half expecting a Bewear or Machamp to be looming over him. Instead, he found nothing except for some dark clouds up in the sky. It's nothing at all. Why were you all so—
A raindrop fell on his head. Then another.
Here he was, alone in the middle of the night, while it was beginning to rain. He glanced down at his Rotom phone, wishing for half a second that he hadn't taken Professor Magnolia's crazy task of completing the Pokédex. He sighed.
"Alright, let's set up camp right here!" he announced to his Pokémon and threw his large bag down onto the grassy ground. He quickly rummaged through it, wanting to find his tent before the rain got any worse.
With a quiet "aha!" he managed to find the hidden object and pulled it out.
"Dottler, give me some light! Growlithe, Yamper, you help me set up the tent!" Two young canines ran to their Trainer to help him in setting up his rather large tent. Meanwhile, a bright orange insect, large and strangely shaped, lit up indigo spots along its back. They gave off a blue light that helped its Trainer see what needed to be done.
The rain was really starting to pick up now, and Brook, along with a Vulpix, was starting to get anxious.
"Sob," Brook complained, pacing near his Trainer.
His Trainer ignored his cry and directed his question to his orange bug. "Dottler, is this storm going to be bad?"
A few moments passed, and then he heard- no, felt- a faint "Yes. I'm sensing lightning in this one. Strong winds, too. It's not going to be a good night in the slightest."
"Alright, thanks." The boy lifted up his tent, nearly finished. His red sweatshirt was soaked to his skin, making this whole ordeal even worse.
"It's going to be going on all night at least."
The Trainer nodded, still focusing on building his tent. "This is going to mean trouble for the train. . ." he muttered to no one in particular. Twice a day, the train would come by here from Wedgehurst, and right now seemed to be when it would arrive.
Finally he stepped back, satisfied with how anchored his tent was to the ground; the increasing winds had threatened to lift it up into the air more than once as he was making it. Quickly he unzipped the mesh covering and threw his big bag in. His Pokémon rushed in after.
The boy glanced back at his Dottler and ran to it. "Thank you, Dottler. Return." The Bug- Psychic-Type disappeared as he was pulled into his Poké Ball.
The boy breathed a sigh of relief and turned to go into his tent to escape the torrent of rain. Instead, his ears picked up a strange noise.
"Jolt!" Right! Different Pokémon appear as the weather changes!
His promise to the Professor echoed in his mind, and he hurried to his tent, where his Pokémon were. "I'll be back soon!" he shouted, barely able to hear himself over the rain. Then he started running in another direction.
Lighting flashed overhead as the boy had his flashlight and phone out, searching for any sign of a new Pokémon. His phone screen flashed with information.
"Oh, a Grubbin!" The boy threw an Ultra Ball where he had seen the green Pokémon. He picked up the Ball and stuffed it into his pants pocket, searching for another rare Pokémon.
"Gull!" His attention was directed to a light-colored bird flying close to the ground. With a single throw, the avian was caught.
"Jolt!" The boy froze, recognizing the cry from earlier; the cry that he first heard. He started to look for the source, only to freeze as a bolt of lightning crashed down a few yards away. He threw himself onto the ground, but quickly became confused as he realized that he wasn't dead.
"Electrike!" a new Pokémon barked. It ran into the flashlight's light, revealing itself to be a green canine with yellow stripes around its face and tail. Almost immediately, a much smaller creature leapt onto its back. From what little the boy could see, it was yellow and covered in what looked to be thick fur. The screen on his Pokédex app claimed it to be a Joltik.
The boy got onto his knees and tossed a couple of Ultra Balls, capturing the Electrike and Joltik.
Immediately upon catching both Pokémon, he let out the Electrike, seeing as it had a Lightning Rod ability.
"Follow me!" he commanded. "I need to get back to my camp!" The Electrike nodded and ran beside him as he raced back to where his tent was. For a second, he considered getting his bike and going into the lake, but that idea quickly left as he saw lightning strike the surface. Not even a Lightning Rod could protect him from that kind of damage.
With his tent now in sight, he dashed towards it. Luckily his Electrike hadn't been struck on the way, so that was a good sign. Along the way, he picked up a sparkly violet stone without hesitation.
The boy opened the covering and scrambled in. The Electrike followed. He zipped the entrance back up to avoid anymore rain.
He lay on his back, breathing heavily. All around him, his Pokémon pressed up against him, whimpering and shivering. Brook rested beside his head, watching his Trainer through worried blue eyes.
"I'm okay guys," the boy told his Pokémon, petting them as best as he could in the dark space. "Really, I am."
He sat upright and placed Brook onto his shoulder, turning on his phone. His Vulpix sat in his lap, hoping to warm him up with her warm pelt. The boy absentmindedly pet her fluffy head and called the Professor.
"Victor?" A tired voice came from the other end of the call. The Professor's face came onto the screen. "What are you calling so late for?"
Victor cleared his throat. "I apologize, Professor. I just wanted to update you on my progress for the day. I just caught four more Pokémon— and Brook's getting stronger too!" The Sobble smiled proudly at Magnolia from on Victor's shoulder.
"That's nice to hear, but. . ." She trailed off, squinting at his shadowed frame. "My goodness, Victor! You're soaking wet!"
"Yeah." Victor chuckled dryly. "There's a bit of a storm here in the Wild Area."
Professor Magnolia gasped quietly. "You're telling me that you went out in the middle of the storm? Victor, you need to be more careful!"
"I'm fine now, aren't I?" Victor sighed. "Besides, one of the Pokémon I caught had a Lightning Rod ability, so I'm safe."
"Even still. . ." Professor Magnolia's next words became indecipherable as thunder boomed nearby. She blinked. "Alright, I'm going to go now. Please remember to be careful!"
"Yep, got it," Victor told her and ended the call.
A moment passed, and then he reached into his pocket, pulling out the sparkly violet rock he had found while out in the storm. A smile crept onto his face as he realized just what he had had. As long as he had this, the whole struggle of running outside in the rain was well worth it.
Victor turned on his phone again and called someone else, placing the phone to his ear this time. I'll show that ugly jerk who he favors more.
"Sword here." He turned the stone over in his hand, gazing upon it from every angle. A few moments passed of silence from him.
He ran his thumb over the rough surface of the stone, a smirk forming on his face. "I've found a Wishing Star."
⚔️ 🛡
The train screeched to a sudden halt. Gloria and Hop were startled awake as their heads were slammed into the table in front of them. The brunette groaned as her headache returned.
"What in the world is going on?" Hop quickly jumped up from his spot beside Gloria and glanced around the train.
"I guess we're in Motostoke already," Gloria told her friend, yawning. She rubbed her eyes before standing up with Hop. Tuff jumped up onto her head.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the inconvenience. Due to the weather, we have been forced to stop and wait until it is safe to progress," the train driver informed the passengers.
Gloria sighed. "This is stupid. . ." she muttered. "There's not even any wea—" A crack of lightning and thunder interrupted her words, making her flinch and move towards Hop.
"Gloria?" Hop wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She quickly moved away. "I was just startled, that's all."
Hop nodded slowly, as if he didn't believe her. Then, ever so slowly, the train began moving backwards.
"For the safety of all passengers, we are moving back to the Wild Area Station. Please remain calm and stay seated."
Hop sighed and sat back down at his seat. Gloria took her spot across from him instead of beside him.
Gloria yawned and took out her Rotom phone. The time read 23:12. She groaned and unlocked it, checking the weather forecast.
According to the Orbeetle Weather report, there was a large band of rain and lightning heading their way. The storm was said to last at least all night.
And as if on cue, rain began falling from the sky, pounding on the windows and roof of the train. Gloria closed her eyes and rested her head on the table, allowing herself to drift off to the relaxing sound of the rain. It's not like she could do much else. . .
⚔️ 🛡
The rest of the night came to Gloria in bits and pieces.
She vaguely remembered exiting the train, back at the Wild Area Station. The storm was only getting worse, and the workers at the station wouldn't permit Hop and her to leave indoors. And so they, along with the rest of the train passengers, were forced to sleep in the station for the remainder of the night.
At around 10, Gloria and Hop woke up and were allowed to leave the station, as the rain had stopped. A few yards away, there was a fence, signaling the beginning of the Wild Area.
"Hop! Gloria!" Both turned around, seeing Sonia running towards them. Her face was red, as if she had been running a marathon.
"Huh? Sonia?" Hop sounded confused.
"Did you run here all the way from Wedgehurst?" Gloria tilted her head. On her shoulder, Tuff grunted, becoming more and more impatient to continue their journey.
Sonia blinked. "Oh, no! I couldn't. . ." She paused. "Anyway, Gran wanted to add her number to your phones, so that way you can all keep in touch." Gloria nodded slowly. "Also, she said that there's someone here in the Wild Area. I believe she said his name was Victor."
"Victor?" Gloria echoed.
"Mhm." Sonia nodded. "Also, Gran was yelling at me and all, and I just wanted to leave as soon as possible. . ." She sighed. "Stuff like how I never do anything. . ."
"Well, maybe—" Gloria started saying.
"You can come with us!" Hop chimed in. "We're heading out to Motostoke now!"
Sonia smiled. "Thank you, but I'd have to pass. My sis is going to be arriving in the Wyndon Airport, and I want to be there to pick her up."
"Okay," Gloria told her. She handed her her phone so she could put the Professor's phone number in. Hop did the same.
"Thank you." Sonia handed them back their phones after putting Magnolia's number in them. She stepped back before taking out a pink-and-cream Friendship Ball and opening it.
A beautiful bird emerged from the Ball, light brown in color. Fluffy black feathers coated its chest, and more durable feathers lined up around its head and wings. Its red eyes stared down at Gloria and Hop, giving it a strong, powerful aura.
"Let's go see Rosie," Sonia told her Pokémon.
It responded with a loud "Knight!" and knelt down for Sonia to climb onto it.
"Bye, you two," Sonia told them as she hopped onto her Corviknight.
With another mighty "Knight!", the Corviknight spread its wings and lifted itself into the sky, heading north.
"Wow," Hop muttered. "I've never seen a Corviknight that color."
"Eh." Gloria shrugged, indifferent about the light-colored avian. She nudged her friend. "How about we go to Wedgehurst now?"
"Right!" He smiled. "Come on!" He started running forward, leaving Gloria with no choice but to follow. Not that she minded the early morning jog.
The two jogged through the Wild Area, stopping more than once to look at the different types of wild Pokémon in the area. The ground was muddy and soft, making Gloria covered in dirt from her waist down as she and Hop ran. Looking over at Hop, she saw that he too was caked in mud. The sight made her laugh.
Hop paused, suddenly becoming self-conscious. "What's so funny? Is it my hair? It's my hair, isn't it? It's a mess. . ." He quickly ran his fingers through his violet strands, desperate to fix the problem that be believed was the source of Gloria's amusement.
"No, it's not that." Gloria covered her mouth and turned away, still snickering quietly. "It's that you're covered in mud."
Hop glanced down and took one look at his dirtied legs before smiling himself. "You are, too," he told her.
"Yes, but you normally hate getting messy, so it's just funny seeing you like that."
Gloria decided to let out Penny, to hopefully get her a bit of fighting experience and make her not so. . . playful. Hop did the same with Nori.
As Tuff hopped down to talk with Nori, Gloria and Hop slowed down to a slow walk.
"You know, I've been thinking. . ." Hop began, glancing at Gloria.
Gloria looked away from Penny, who was chasing a wild Bounsweet (and failing horribly). "What is it?" She asked her friend.
"I— Uh— Um. . ." He glanced away before quickly asking, "With us being rivals and all, we're going to have to leave each other eventually and continue our journeys by ourselves."
Gloria's steps slowed and she let her gaze fall downward, realization hitting her as she took in what Hop had just said. She bit her lip before lifting her head back up and looking at Hop. "We'll still see each other though, right? When we're traveling through cities and towns throughout Galar?"
Hop nodded. "And in the finals match too!" He smiled, though it seemed a bit forced. "Because I'm not going to lose, so neither should you!"
"You got it!" And then Gloria hugged Hop, wanting nothing more than to hide her saddened expression from him. She was not looking forward to the moment when they would depart from each other.
⚔️ 🛡
Before they knew it, the sky was becoming dark again as the sun sank below the horizon. Up ahead, they could see the lights of Motostoke. The two quickened their pace, now beginning to run.
Gloria's legs and feet ached, and she was becoming annoyed from the mud cloaking her skin, but she sped up, the knowledge of being so close to Motostoke giving her strength. The sooner she got there, the sooner she could rest for the night.
"Wait!" Before Gloria could react, something small rammed into her side, knocking her off her feet. She fell to the ground, noticing a Zigzagoon with its jaw open as it prepared to bite her arm.
"Zigzagoon, return!" The Tiny Raccoon Pokémon lit up with a red glow before it was pulled into someone's Ultra Ball. Gloria slowly raised her head, only to find herself facing a teen boy a few years older than she.
"I'm sorry about my Zigzagoon." The boy stretched his hand down to Gloria. "I only just caught him a few days ago, and I have yet to fully tame him."
"It's fine." Gloria took his hand and let him lift her up to her feet. She didn't catch Hop's angry scowl at the strange boy. "I have a Zigzagoon of my own, and as sweet as she is, she's a handful too." She laughed softly.
The boy frowned slightly. "Sweet? A Zigzagoon?" He eyed Gloria up and down. "You're from here in Galar, right?"
Gloria nodded. "Yes," she told him simply, a bit disturbed by his sudden question. She opened Penny's Poké Ball and held her against her chest. "See? She's friendly." Penny was grinning, her tongue out, as she gazed at the stranger.
"That's odd. . ." The boy stretched his arm out, and Gloria could see scratches all along his wrist and hand. He rubbed Penny's head, smiling as she licked his hand like the sweetie she was. "I apologize for seeming rude earlier. It's just that Zigzagoon from other regions are a lot more kind than the ones here in Galar." He lifted his brown eyes to look at Gloria, who nodded. "I'm Victor, by the way. Victor Sword."
"Victor? Sonia mentioned something about you!" Gloria grinned and returned Penny. "My name's Gloria, and this is—"
"The name's Hop," Hop told him tartly, moving to stand in front of Gloria protectively.
Victor stepped back and looked between the two of them. "Oh, my apologies, Hop. I wasn't trying to take your girlfriend from you." Hop's face flushed red.
"No, no," Gloria said, looking at Victor. "We're best friends— not dating."
"I see. . ." Victor narrowed his eyes the slightest bit, in deep thought. His gaze traveled downwards, and his eyes widened slightly. "You both have Dynamax Bands?"
"Yeah!" Gloria moved around Hop and looked down at her wrist. "Professor Magnolia gave them to us yesterday, since we both found some Wishing Stars."
Victor smiled a tiny bit. "You know, Professor Magnolia asked me to help her with completing the Pokédex."
"Really? Cool!" Gloria beamed, then looked at his wrists. "Wait, do you not have a Dynamax Band?"
Victor shook his head. "Nah, but I'm going to get one soon." He added a small little shrug at the end of his statement.
"Alright, how about we just go to Motostoke?" Hop asked, getting impatient. He watched Victor warily as he wrapped his fingers around Gloria's.
"You're going to Motostoke?" Victor asked. He glanced around himself. "Mind if I tag along? I need to sign in for the Gym Challenge there."
"I don't think—" Hop began, but Gloria cut him off.
"Sure!" She moved her hand away from Hop and began walking towards the gate of Motostoke. Victor ran to catch up to her, and the two chatted like they had been friends for their entire lives. Behind them, Hop trudged, hands in his pockets.
He didn't like this Victor guy. Not one bit.
Sooooo... Victor... He's an interesting guy, to say the least.
Vic is the first of three new rivals for Gloria. (Bede and Marnie are coming in the next chapter!! I can't wait!)
Anyway, what do you think of him thus far (just from first-time impressions)?