Pokémon: Out of the Woods | A Galar, Unova & Sinnoh Fanfiction

Chapter 33: Carrying On

Beyond the reinforced security of the Budew Drop Inn, life in Motostoke went on as if nothing had happened. The same buses and trains delivered the same commuters and students, who hurried on with either the same urgency or reluctance to reach their destination. The same planes passed overhead. The same chimneys belched out the same black smoke. The same Flying Taxis waited right outside the hotel, hoping to do what they always did: overcharge challengers and their supporters for the short trip to the stadium.

Of course, that was how it always was, anywhere in the world. Countless people died every day. It still made those who knew Ralph feel like they existed behind a screen, watching a world that was exactly the same as it was before, but would never be the same for them again.

The taxi drivers were, however, out of luck that day. All of the challengers and their families crammed in to the Galar League shuttle bus. Heather actually wanted to walk to clear her mind, but if she was going to complete this mission, she couldn't forget the reason she joined the Gym Challenge: to go deeper into the society affected by the problem than she ever could by openly telling people she was a bounty hunter.

As Heather took the last seat beside Hessie's grandpa, he asked Bard's father, Ruslan, for his autograph. Ruslan left his Gym in Driftveil City in his daughter's hands and flew out the previous night. He was once too rich and sheltered to care about anything more than showing off the shiny Pokémon he bought, but since he saw Team Plasma's destruction first-hand, he changed so dramatically that he became a reasonably respected Trainer. Before that, however, he had no idea that the people who built a giant swimming pool in his Gym's basement, only to tell him it was unsafe and he couldn't use it, were actually Team Plasma. The swimming pool's purpose was to hold the Plasma Frigate. So Ruslan hadn't just come to support Bard, but to make up for his ignorance by doing what he could to fight Team Plasma now.

At first, Heather thought she was the only person on the bus without at least one parent or guardian. Hazel's parents took a Flying Taxi from Ballonlea. Hessie's grandpa took the train from Wyndon. There was another lone challenger, though: the black-haired man she saw last night.

Oh. I guess he's that uncle that Perry mentioned.

Perry returned Heather's call once he got home, which was 5:31 AM in Galar. At least Heather was already awake. Perry wasn't himself. Verbena's passive-aggressive comment upset him. He was even more solemn once he heard about Ralph.

'That's... that's so fucked up...'

Their call was interrupted by Amaryllis bursting in. She wanted to gush about the novelty of her first date and kiss, but ended up relaying the story to her friends. She lost her smile then. She, too, was even more solemn upon hearing that a Gym Challenger was killed in Galar.

'I'm kinda glad there are people like you on the Gym Challenge there... like, there's you, Laverne and Night's uncle...'

That didn't help Ralph...

'So you must be Garnet!'

Heather was shocked from her thoughts by the voice of the man beside her. Hessie's grandpa smiled. Her green hair must have come from somewhere else, because his was brown. She had his eyes.

'Uh... yeah.'

He rummaged around in his bag to produce five Max Revives.

'What lovely hair! Anyway, do take these as thanks for looking out for our Hessie.'

Ralph's parents thanked me for looking out for him, but that didn't help, either...

'It's OK... I haven't really done anything...'