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

Chapter 30: Storm Rails

The Wild Area greeted us with thunder before rain. Clouds rolled over the open grass in heavy layers, turning Motostoke's brick towers gray behind us and making the road toward Hammerlocke look farther than it had from the stadium gate.

My Fire Badge was still new enough that I kept checking the case without thinking. Kabu's battle had burned through more than a Gym challenge. It had made the next road feel wider, because now three Badges opened deeper parts of the Wild Area for me, while Alice still carried her own third Badge path toward the Electric Leaders.

Alice caught me looking at the badge again and smiled. "It is still there."

"I know," I said. "It feels strange being done with Kabu while your third Gym is still ahead."

"It is not a race between us," she said. "You faced the fire. I still want the lightning."

Hop seemed to take that as a cue from the universe. He spread his arms toward the open land and shouted, "Hello again, Wild Area, my old friend! I've come back to you even stronger than before!"

Gloria stared at him. "He does practice those lines."

"Probably while running downhill," Elena said.

Hop ignored the judgment and pointed toward the northern road. "Ash! Hammerlocke is up that way, got it? You could rush straight there without a single detour, but now that you and I have a few Gym Badges, we can catch stronger Pokémon. So I know what I'm doing."

He tapped his chest with both thumbs. "I'll catch amazing Pokémon and fill in the next page in the tale of my legend."

"That does sound like you," I said.

Corvisquire circled above him, riding the storm wind for one clean loop before landing near his shoulder. The sky rumbled again, and Boltund lifted its head beside Alice, ears sharp. Pikachu's cheeks sparked against my shoulder. The Wild Area was not only open today. It was charged.

Then Bede walked into the road as if the thunder had delivered him.

"Do not waste your efforts," Bede said. "It is not as though either of you would ever make it through the Gym Challenge anyway."

Gloria groaned, shoulders dropping. "Bede again?"

Hop blinked, eyes narrowing. "Who's this?"

"The challenger Alice beat in Galar Mine No. 2," Elena said, her voice turning flat.

Bede's eyes moved to Hop with cool interest. "The Champion must have been off his rocker to endorse the likes of you. It seems Hop here cannot even throw a Poké Ball properly."

Hop stiffened at Leon's name. "Rubbish. You don't know enough to recognize greatness when you see it. My throws are the greatest, and my bro is the finest Champion the world has ever seen."

"How tiresome," Bede said. "Fine. I will battle you over there. Perhaps that will help you understand how weak you are."

Hop stepped forward, anger bright on his face. "You're on. You challenged Alice and lost, and I'm their greatest rival. There's no way you're beating me."

Bede's smile sharpened. "All this prattle about Ash, Alice, and the Champion. Do you not have anything of your own to show?"

That hit differently. Hop chased after him toward a side rise before I could decide whether to speak.

"I'll show this wally my real skills," Hop called back. "See you later. Let's meet up in Hammerlocke when I'm through with him."

They vanished into the gray edge of the coming storm.