"Blastoise, use Liquidation!" I command the water type. Blastoise coats himself in water and smacks the opposing Mudsdale away. The horse Pokémon regained its balance.
"Urgh." the challenger who owned the Mudsdale grunted. "Use Focus Blast!"
Mudsdale shot a orange ball of power at Blastoise, and he took the hit head on. He slid across the grass but stood his ground.
"Alright, I think it's time for our finisher! Blastoise!" I yell. Blastoise looks back to me and nods. I held out his pokeball, and the blue beam of energy made contact with his tough shell, sucking him inside. I hold my arm out, letting the Dynamax energy flow into the pokeball, turning it giant, and I turn around and lob the pokeball into the air, one handed.
The ball opened and Blastoise grew bigger and bigger, until his Gigantamax form was unleashed. Blastoise had cannons all over his giant shell, and his belly was now red, as well as his lower jaw.
The crowd erupted in applause and cheers, and I could see the fear in the challengers face.
The challenger Dynamaxed his Mudsdale, in his last hopes of winning.
"Use G-Max Cannonade!" I yell. Blastoise turns his shell toward the Mudsdale, and the cannons start firing water, striking the Mudsdale at every angle. The Mudsdale couldn't withstand it, and it started shrinking, until it completely faded out from Dynamax, and it collapsed onto the ground, fainted.
"The Champion wins once more! Give a round of applause for Blastoise!"
Blastoise shrinks back to normal size, and comes up next to me, and he nudged my shoulder with his head.
"Awesome job, buddy. You did great."
I held up my fist, and he bumped me, cannon to fist. Blastoise and I walk out of the stadium, and I head into the locker room to grab my bag. I pluck it off the hook I hung it on, and put my arms through the straps, and fasten them. My backpack was tight. Blastoise shot a small bit of water at me. It lands on my cap.
"Ah! Is there really a need for that?" I laugh, wiping the water off of my head and shaking my hair dry. I put my cap back on and turn to Blastoise. Hop, Bede, and Marnie were all there.
"Congrats, mate! That match was a real killer! I didn't realize so many of your Pokémon were weak to Ground." Hop says, slugging me in the shoulder.
"I'll admit, that was a tough fight. It's good Blastoise was there to save the team." I said, looking to the Water type. He nodded.
"Blast." he mumbled.
"Yeah, I agree with Hop. You were pretty amazin' out there, Blastoise." Marnie says, giving a light smile.
"Not the most amazing display I've seen, but it gives me an idea or two." Bede says.
"Bede, last time you tried to fight Blastoise in the league, your Pokémon were all taken down by his Flash Cannon. I'll admit, your Hatterene gave him quite a tough time."
Bede scoffed.
"So how are the gyms looking, you two?" I ask them.
"People don't seem to understand how strong the Fairy Type is. Hatterene's Psychic has taken down quite a few challengers."
"Same. Every time they bring a Fightin' or Bug type, Grimmsnarl just makes it so easy." Marnie says.
"It's good to see you guys are holding up." I say, giving them a confident smile. "Hop, how's the research on Unova going?"
"Well, it's hard to summarize what a Pokémon that can merge with the other regional Legendaries looks like." Hop groans.
"Well, Blastoise and I are on a schedule. It's good to know you guys are doing well. I'm looking forward to our battles in the future." I say. I shake each of their hands, and they walk out of the locker room, and Blastoise and I follow them soon after. As I reach the lobby, I see a lot of fans. They all come over to me, but the league staff hold them all back. Blastoise stays next to me. He looks like he's trying to protect me. As we reach the exit, we walk out onto the platform going into the stadium. As we walk down the stairs, I hear the various fans asking for pictures. Blastoise suddenly shoots a gigantic Hydro Pump into the air, making a temporary shower of rain, making all the fans take cover.
"Blastoise, there's no need for that. The fans are one of the greatest parts of being Champion."
"Bla." he says, ignoring me. He continues to waddle beside me, his walking limited due to his giant shell and stubby legs. We make our way to the station, where, once again, fans crowd us.
Blastoise can be quite the claustrophobic type, so he suddenly gets in front of me, shielding me from the crowd.
"Alright, that's enough for one day." I chuckle, returning him to his pokeball. I walk past all the fans, signing a few league cards and merchandise, and get onto the train. I take a seat at an empty booth and take my bag off my back. I put my hands behind my head and unwind for a few moments. I look out the window to the Wild Area. I'm lost in thought for a while until I hear a familiar voice come through the train car.
"Scuse me! Tryin' to get through!"
Marnie.
I turn around and see her struggling to get through a group of people. I get up and walk over to the crowd. There were about four people blocking her way.
"Excuse me?" I ask. They all turn to me. "Someone is trying to get through." I say, pointing to Marnie. They all move out of the way and Marnie walks through, her Morpeko at her feet.
"Thanks. These people don't know when to stop shufflin' around." she says.
"Well, it's a very cramped space. Come on, take a seat." I offer, tapping the table. Marnie sits in the seat across from my bag, and Morpeko hops onto the table, greeting me.
"Y'know, it's hard to beat down Isaac in the league when you're so fond of 'im, Morpeko." she sighs. "That Lucario of yours hits hard. How much do you train with it?"
"Lucario likes to battle. He and Cinderace like to spar on a daily basis. He mainly focuses on honing his speed, because that one time where Morpeke used Aura Wheel and boosted his speed so much that Lucario couldn't see him, he started getting annoyed."
"Yeah, I remember that." she said, recalling a memory. "Morpeko had moved so quickly and fast that Lucario just sat down and started meditating, and as soon as we went in for an attack, he stood up and smacked Morpeko out of the air like a baseball  with Bone Rush. Morpeko was annoyed after that." she made a small smile.
Morpeko then scowled at me.
"I will admit, Marnie, your Grimmsnarl gave Lucario a tough time. Those two critical hits with Spirit Break had Lucario on edge. I could feel the worry in his aura."
"I knew it! You owe me, Bede!" Marnie suddenly exclaimed, standing up and slamming her fist on the table.
"Hey, not so loud." I chuckled. "Who owes you what now?"
She sits back down and takes a deep breath.
"Bede bet me a few Technical Machines that my Grimmsnarl almost beat ya."
"Why am I not surprised?" I roll my eyes. "Bede never has a positive attitude towards you, Hop or me."
"Tell me 'bout it. Such a jerk." she reflects my expression.
"You really shouldn't speak so negatively of dear Bede." said a familiar elderly voice. Opal walked toward us from the end of the train car.
"How many times have you caught Bede saying he's better than us?" I ask her.
"Oh, several times, but he has overcome many hardships over his life. He deserves a little time to cope."
"Does that include all the times he's called you Old Lady, Ms. Opal?" Marnie questions her.
"See now, you two have respect towards me. Bede doesn't seem to enjoy my company." she says.
"Opal, you might be a former Gym Leader, but we still respect you as one." I say. "Anyways, this is my stop. Marnie, Opal, I'll see you around." I say. I stand up and get off the train, and step into Wedgehurst. It's always nice to breathe in the fresh farm air. I make a left and head for the lab. I let myself in and find a familiar sight. Hop has fallen asleep at his desk. I roll my eyes and sigh. Hop works way too much. I take my bag off and put it on the couch, and walk over to him. I tap his shoulder a few times.
"Hop?" I ask. No response. I shake his arm. Nothing. I'm getting fed up with this. I grab a pokeball off of the table, and release his Rillaboom. The Grass type Pokémon looks at me and waves, and I point to Hop. Rillaboom nods and sets his drum right next to the sleeping beauties chair. Rillaboom raises his drumsticks high in the air, and slams down on them with full force, using Uproar. A mix of yelling and drumming echoed through the air. I covered my ears from the noise.
Hop jumped up from his chair, and falls over.
"I'm up, I'm up!" he exclaims. He rubs his head and groans. "Ow. Rillaboom, again? For the last time, you don't have to be my alarm clock! I can get myself up in the morning perfectly fine." he says, standing up and dusting off his jacket.
"Y'know, you might say that," I start. "but it's obvious you need to stop working so late."
"Hey, how long have you been standing there?!" he suddenly yells, jumping back.
"I was the one who had to ask Rillaboom to wake you up."
"Again?" he asks.
"Yes, again. You keep falling asleep."
I dart my attention to something flashing in my eye. I look at Hop's paperwork and see an envelope with a shiny red pin on it.
"What's that?" I ask him, pointing to it. He turns his head and grabs the letter off the table.
"I dunno. Sonia said it came for me." he shrugged. Rillaboom came up behind us and wrapped his humongous arms around us, enveloping is in a big group hug.
"Okay, buddy." Hop strained. Rillaboom let us go. I dusted off my jacket and straightened my hair. "Dude, why are you always so worried about your hair? You're like Gordie."
"Shush. Can't have the people thinking I don't take care of myself." I say. "Anyways, where's Sonia?"
"She said she had an appointment somewhere? She didn't really specify. All she really said is that it was in somewhere called the Crown Tundra. Remember? Back when I said that back on the Isle of Armor?"
"Oh, yeah. She did say that, didn't she? Speaking of, where is this Crown Tundra?"
"Somewhere south of Postwick." Hop looked toward me with a hopeful look in his eyes.
I smirked.
"Lemme guess, you want me to go to this Crown Tundra and register all the Pokémon there for your research?"
"Gah, dang it! How do you do that?"
"Hop, we've been best friends long enough that I can practically read your mind like an Alakazam." I say. "And you already know I'm always up for a new adventure! You wanna come?"
"No, actually, I can't." Hop sighed. "I have more work to take care of. But make sure to snag some photos every now and then, alright?"
"Will do. Peace, boys!" I say, running out of the lab. I go to the train station and ask the guide about the suspicious location. "Is there some way I can get to a place called the 'Crown Tundra'?"
"Oh, yes, sir! The Tundra is a cold place, so make sure you bring a coat! Hop on and we'll take you right there!" he says, enthusiastically.
"Alright, appreciate it." I thank him. I step onto the train and find a comfortable seat in a booth. I slide in and a voice comes over the PA.
"Hello, passengers." he says. I looked around. There was no one else in this car but me. "Please have a seat and enjoy the ride. Our ETA to the Crown Tundra will be about one hour. Enjoy your time riding the Galar Express!"
The train starts moving, and I pull out my phone and look at the news. Nothing new. I open my Pokédex and look through the two categories I have. Normal Galar Pokédex and the Isle of Armor Pokédex. I've registered every Pokémon catchable in Galar. I sigh and turn off my phone, and decide to take a nap.

"Dad, quit following me around!" a voice exclaims, waking me up. I snort and open my eyes. I stretch my arms and yawn. Another voice tunes in.
"Come on, Nia! Listen to your Papa!"
I see a girl dressed in a dark blue jacket and skirt with a hairstyle similar to Bede. She has lipstick on. The man, who I'm assuming is her father, is wearing a orange jumpsuit with a black construction cap on, as well as a huge brown bag on his back. I get up and exit the train, and as I step outside, I'm greeted with a gust of cold air. I cover my face with my arms, and shut my eyes. Hop was right. It was cold here. I step outside and hear the same two people from a second ago arguing.
"Nia, come on! I want to take you on my Ultra-Mega-awesome adven-tour!"
Adven-tour?
I walk up to the people and cross my arms.
"Something going on?" I curiously ask.
They turn around and I get a good look at them. The father has a full beard and a bit of a mustache.
"Oh, you, help please!!" The girl says, running up and taking my hands. "Can you knock some sense in my dad and tell him I don't want to go on his ridiculous adventure?" she pleads.
"Adven-tour, actually!"
"Uh, sure, I guess?"
"Well, you sure are a demandin' one, Nia! Be sure not to trip, youngster! Copperajah, let's have us a little dance!" the man says, taking out a Pokémon and throwing out a Copperajah.
"Stand back." I tell the girl.
I take out an Ultra Ball and chucked it, and Lucario emerged from it in a beam of blue light. He stood up and faced his opponent. "Throw it off balance with Bone Rush!"
Lucario forms a green bone of energy and makes an attack on Copperajah's legs, making it fall over on the third smack. The Copperajah faints.
"Copperajah! That's ultra-Mega-not good!" the man says, returning the Pokémon. He throws out an Aggron.
"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!"
Lucario put his paws together and formed a blue ball of energy, and shot it at the Aggron. It took the hit head on, but was still standing. It must've had Sturdy.
"Aggron, use Bulldoze!"
Aggron stomped the ground, making a hurdle of land rush towards Lucario.
"Lucario, jump!" I yell. Lucario leaped into the air, but a small part of Bulldoze caught his foot, and he was caught off balance, and fell face first into the ground.
"Lucario!" I yell. Lucario wearily stood up, awaiting his next move. "Use Aura Sphere!"
After one more attack, the Aggron fainted.
"Aggron!" The man exclaimed. Lucario came up next to me and nodded. "Well, youngster, you are a strong one indeed! Well, Nia, shall we-"
The man looked around, and so did I, but the Nia girl was nowhere in sight.
"Nia! MY DARLIN NIAAAAA!" the man yelled.
"Uh, sir, do you want some help looking for her? And are you sure darling is the right word?"
"My daughter is the sweetest girl ever, but she can get a little rowdy sometime! She's probably at that Max Lair down there hill from here! I'll see you down there if you'll help me! Oh, and by the way, the names Peony!"
Peony ran down the hill to an illuminated cave. I held up Lucario's Ultra Ball, but he grabbed my wrist. I look him in the eyes with a worried expression.
Isaac, if you would, I would like to stay out of the pokeball for now. My species reach the peak of their abilities in these kinds of areas.
I chuckle and strap the Ultra Ball back to my belt.
"Alright then, Lucario." I chuckle. "Why don't we head down to that cave Peony talked about?"
Very well. If anything is to cross our path to oppose us, I will gladly stand in its way to protect you.
"That's good to know. Let's get going." I say.
Lucario and I slide down a few small hills, and I see a few Pokémon that normally aren't in the Wild. Amaura. Aren't those fossil Pokémon?
Lucario and I reach the cave Peony talked about, we walk down a long path, eventually leading to an opening. Peony is up ahead arguing with someone.
"My darlin' Nia went in there, and I'm going in there to find her, whether you like it or not, lady!" he angrily grunted.
"Sir, if you would let me explain it, I would gladly let you in!" the woman said. She was wearing a lab coat.
Lucario and I walked up to them, and I tapped Peony's shoulder. He was tall. He looked behind himself and looked down at me.
"Ah, youngster, this lady won't let me into the Max Lair! Let's talk some sense into her!"
"Sir, if you would let me explain it, please."
"Peony, calm down. Ma'am, please, carry on with your explanation." I say.
"Thank you, kind sir." she says. She takes a deep breath and starts talking. "Dynamax Adventures are where you team up with three other people to take on multiple Dynamaxed Pokémon in the caves, and eventually finding the Pokémon at the end."
"Alright, sounds easy enough. Can we go in?" I ask.
"One small thing, sir. You cannot bring Pokémon you own into the Max Lair." she says. Lucario's ears slightly flopped down.
"Well, how do we fight the Pokémon then?" I ask, confused.
"Since your Pokémon would be exposed to all the Dynamax energy, we have Pokémon ready for you." she says, taking out three pokeballs. Out of them came an Alolan Raichu, a Sceptile and a Nidoking
"Please pick one."
I carefully analyze the Pokémon, and I make up my mind.
"Can I take Sceptile?" I ask. The woman nods and hands me the pokeball. "Sceptile knows X-Scissor, Breaking Swipe, Leaf Storm and Grass Pledge."
I take out my other pokeballs and was about to hand them to the lady, but Lucario put a paw on my shoulder.
I will gladly look after the team. Please stay safe, Isaac.
"I'll be fine, Lucario." I say, handing him the pokeballs. Peony suddenly rushes into the Max Lair all alone.
"Peony!"
I return Sceptile and run after Peony, but I come to a fork in the path. Two enormous pathways. It was like a labyrinth. I decide to take the left path, and suddenly I hear a Dynamax cry. I look up and see a Relicanth. It was Dynamaxed. I took out Sceptile's pokeball and my Dynamax band already filled it with Dynamax energy. I turned around and chucked the pokeball into the air.
Sceptile emerged from the pokeball and kept growing, eventually reaching Dynamax size.
"Use Max Overgrowth!" I yell. Sceptile shot out a bunch of giant seeds from its mouth, and they landed around the Relicanth, and it surprisingly went down in one hit. Relicanth shrank down to normal size. Sceptile shrinks down in size and we run further into the cave. We come to a three way fork in the road. We decide to take the center route and we find an Aurorus.
We defeat it and find a Clefairy on the path after that, and Sceptile and I reach a large open area, with some kind of red wall of smoke blocking us from going further.
I put my hand on my knees and start gasping.
"How deep is this dumb cave?" I ask.
"Sceptile!"
"What is it?" I ask. Sceptile points toward the wall of mist, and something approaching behind it... it looked big. Something suddenly shoots at us. Sceptile tackles me out of the way and we land several feet away from the impact area. The Pokémon comes into view. It was.... a Suicune? Isn't that from Johto?
"Sceptile, use Leaf Storm!" I say. Sceptile jumps off of me and created a fierce storm of leaves with its tail, and the array of leaves barely scratches Suicune. It was Dynamaxed and was overflowing with energy.
"Well, it's time to Dynamax, then!" I say. I hold up Sceptile's pokeball and he's sucked inside, and I Dynamax the pokeball and throw it behind me. Once Sceptile is fully scaled, I yell out a command for Max Overgrowth. Suicune took significant damage. It suddenly used Max Mindstorm, and Sceptile started dizzily stomping around, confused.
"Stay strong and use Max Overgrowth again!"
Sceptile keeps his balance and used Max Overgrowth once more, making Suicune weak. I take out an Ultra Ball and let the energy make the ball huge, and I chuck it at the legendary Pokémon. Suicune is sucked inside and the ball falls to the ground. It shakes once, twice, three times and clicks. I just caught one of the Legendary Beasts of Johto. I return Sceptile and let Suicune out, this time at its normal size, and it opens its eyes and stands up. It looks around, then stares me straight in the eye. It turned its head and wrapped the ribbons on its body, similar to Sylveon, around my wrist. I hear a voice.
"Hey, I know you!"
I turn and see Nia, and she's awed at the sight of Suicune. She comes up and pays its head, and the beast doesn't flinch.
"You've caught yourself a legendary Pokémon, huh? Pretty impressive. Hey, what was your name?" she asks.
"I'm Isaac. Galar Champion." I say, blankly. I continue to massage Suicune's sore muscles from being Dynamaxed so long.
"Nice to meet you! As you can tell, my dear old dad doesn't stop asking me to go on his adventure. Hey, why don't you fill in for me?"
"Uh..." I say.
"Thanks! I'll be off!" she says, and runs off.
I stare at her until she's gone, and I turn to Suicune.
Suicune stands up and I guide it toward to entrance of the Lair. What a day...