1. Ash's Story (Part 10: Galar)

Chapter 10

At the Pokémon Center, Hop eagerly proposes a battle, exclaiming, "There you are! I've been waiting! Let's have a battle, you and me. We'll get in a bit of training!"

Surprised by his sudden suggestion, I inquire, "Now?"

"Seriously? This is the moment when you play along and act pumped up for battle! If you've gotta ask why we should bother training, you'll never make it through the Gym Challenge!" Hop retorts, urging me to embrace the opportunity for practice and improvement.

In the heat of the battle, Hop commands, "Wooloo, you're up first!" To which I respond, "Blipbug, let's go!"

As the two Pokémon emerge onto the battlefield, Hop urges, "Keep up, mate! This is our chance to see if we are up to the Gym Challenge! Use Tackle!"

Wooloo charges forward, landing a solid Tackle on Blipbug. In response, Blipbug retaliates with Struggle Bug, dealing damage to Wooloo and diminishing its Special Attack. As the battle progresses, Wooloo attempts Rollout, but Blipbug narrowly evades the attack. Then, much to our surprise, Blipbug starts to glow, signaling an evolution. "That early?" I gasp in astonishment.

Before us stands a yellow bug with blue spots. Gloria identifies it, saying, "That's a Dottler. After evolving, it gains the Psychic Type."

Dottler: The Radome Pokemon: Bug and Psychic type. Evolved from Blipbug at LV:10. It barely moves, but it's still alive. Hiding in its shell without food or water seems to have awakened its psychic powers.

I seize the moment, directing Dottler, "Psychic Type—let's try Confusion!"

Dottler executes the move, causing Wooloo to sustain considerable damage. Hop responds swiftly, shouting, "Headbutt!" But I anticipate the attack and have Dottler use Reflect, mitigating the damage. Then, Dottler finishes off Wooloo with another powerful Confusion.

Next up is Rookidee, and I opt to switch Dottler for Pikachu. Pikachu launches a Thunderbolt, but Rookidee skillfully evades using Agility. Rookidee retaliates with Peck, causing Pikachu to protectively cover its head. Despite the hit, Pikachu stands firm and counters with Iron Tail, defeating Rookidee.

"Backed into a corner? You got it all wrong, mate! This'll just make my victory all the better!" Hop declares confidently.

As the final Pokémon, Grookey emerges, I choose Scorbunny. Scorbunny uses Ember and follows it up with Double Kick, dealing consecutive blows until Grookey is eventually defeated.

"Was that really good training? Looks like I'd better keep my guard up!" Hop remarks with a hint of disappointment as he recalls his Pokémon. "Just what I'd expect from my rival! You know what? I'll even give you one of my League Cards! That's how good I think you did in that battle."

Hop generously hands over the League Cards, and Victor follows suit. As we examine the plain photo, Flora politely expresses, "Thank you?"

"Our Gym Challenge begins right now—from here in Motostoke! Although the first Gym Leader we'll have to challenge is in a town quite far off from here... Still, you'd better believe I'm going to keep on winning my way to that Championship Match!"

With an enthusiastic rush, Hop dashes off, his voice echoing, "Hello, Galar! Meet your next Champion! From the sleepy town of Postwick—it's me, Hop!"

As the conversation shifts, I propose, "Since you were kind enough to share your League Cards, how about we do the same?"

Alice and I hand our League Cards to Victor, who graciously accepts. Inspired to train further, Victor decides to return to the Wild Area for additional practice. Meanwhile, Gloria receives a call notifying her that her Grass-type Pokémon have returned from their Poke Jobs.