When Timothy and Electchu entered the lobby with Timothy in his regular clothes, they found Coovers, Gwen, and Winnie waiting for them. Coovers gave his best friend a toothy grin as he approached to high-five him.

"Two badges down, six to go," Coovers said. "Keep this up, Timbo, and we'll make our way to Eternatus in no time."

"Count on it," Timothy said, smirking.

Gwen walked over to Timothy smiling and said, "Congratulations, Timothy. Though I found it odd that you choose to use your new Pokémon before using Electchu."

"Hey, I wanted to use Knightblade in battle for the first time. Can't trust how powerful it is just by doing nothing but training it with Blitzwing," Timothy said. "Besides, I imagine Ezria would like it if she finds out I'm using it."

Gwen's smile melted into a frown the moment Timothy said Ezria's name.

"I hope you're hoping that for the sake of your mission and not for any special reason," she said.

Timothy grew uneasy and waved his hands as he answered, "Of course, I am. Everything I'm doing to please her is only for the sake of the mission. I'm not going to do it for anything else. I promise."

Coovers smirked while Electchu tilted its head at Timothy, puzzled that its partner felt a need to make a promise to Gwen. Gwen raised her eyebrow, unsure of whether or not Timothy was being sincere. Her demeanor made Timothy nervous until the researcher signed and pointed at his chest.

"I'm going to hold you to that promise," she said in a warning tone. "Do not forget that she, her brother, and the chairman are a threat." She turned to Coovers and pointed at his chest too. "That goes for you too."

"Teddiursa," Winnie said, mimicking its partner's serious look.

"Hey, don't worry about me. It's my job to view them as targets with a mission like this. I'm leaving all the attention to Timothy," Coovers said.

"Good," Gwen said before turning back to Timothy. "Now, let's get ready to -"

"Excuse me."

The group turned around to see Oleana walking over to them, holding a clipboard. Gwen furrowed her brow while Timothy asked, "What is it?"

"Chairman Rose would like to see you and your companions in his private box," Oleana answered.

"I'm sorry, but we are about to leave for Timothy's next gym battle." Gwen said, struggling to hide her contempt.

Oleana's gaze turned to Gwen and said, "Your journey can wait when the head of the Galar League wants an audience with you. You should be grateful that he's taking the time to want to see you amidst his busy schedule."

"Yeah? Well, we have a schedule to keep, too." Gwen said.

Oleana's professional face turned sour, and her left eye twitched. Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu grew nervous as the two women glared daggers at each other. Timothy decided to step in front of Gwen and give Oleana a friendly smile.

"We would be honored to see Rose," he said. "Please, lead the way."

Oleana kept her glare for a moment before she regained her calm demeanor

"Very good. Follow me," She said.

Oleana turned around and walked to an elevator with Coovers and Electchu following. Timothy sighed in relief until he turned around to see Gwen give him a look that sent shivers down his spine.

"I thought I made myself clear," she snarled. "You have your battle, and we leave."

"I know, but we're also trying to gain the chairman's trust," Timothy said. "If he's offering a friendly meetup, we have to take it."

"He could unleash Eternatus at any moment." Gwen hissed.

"And that's why we have to do this," Timothy said. "The more we develop a friendship with him, the sooner he trusts us to the point of taking us to Eternatus. If we do it sooner, we might get the evidence before I need to finish the Gym Challenge."

Gwen's frown deepened. She looked past Timothy to see Oleana staring at them, growing impatient. Gwen looked down at Winnie, who gave her a worried look as it hugged her leg. After a couple of seconds, Gwen shut her eyes and squirmed before she growled under her breath.

"Fine," she said. "But please keep the chairman's attention away from me as much as possible. I don't care how you do it. Just make it, so he barely notices Winnie and I are there."

Timothy looked at Gwen, confused l. The way she stared at him with her opal eyes showed pain and fear behind what she was asking of him. There was something more behind her reason for not wanting to see Chairman Rose than simply wanting to follow her schedule. He wanted to ask what it was that frightened her, but he knew it wasn't the time or place to do it.

"Okay," he said. "I'll make sure he keeps his attention on me."

"Thank you." Gwen said.

"Excuse me, the chairman does not like to be kept waiting," Oleana said.

"Coming," Timothy said.

He walked over to Oleana, Coovers, and Electchu, and the secretary pressed the button to the elevator. Gwen mentally sighed before she picked up Winnie and held it tight. The Teddiursa hugged her back, hoping it would calm her nerves as the two of them went inside the elevator with everyone else. As the elevator went up, Gwen stood behind everyone in a corner to avoid any further attention from Oleana. Oleana looked behind her to look at the woman who boldly opposed her, and Gwen and Winnie immediately looked down to avoid eye contact. The secretary smirked, thinking Gwen had been put in her place.

The elevator stopped at one of the higher levels of the stadium, and Oleana led the group to the left side of the hallway. The sound of people and Pokémon cheering from the stands could be heard through the walls as they walked. Eventually, they stopped in front of a door containing a keypad, and Oleana took out a key card to unlock it. She opened the door and stood back for Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, Electchu, and Winnie to enter first.

When they went in, they found themselves in a room with two couches facing a glass wall, where the battlefield could be seen. Chairman Rose sat on one of the couches with a glass of iced tea in his hand. He was wearing sunglasses, a black hat with the Marco Cosmos symbol, blue-green shorts with white polka dots, and a white long-sleeved sweater that did not do favors to his portly belly. Oleana closed the door behind the group, and Rose looked up to see everyone from the reflection of the glass wall. He smiled and took off his sunglasses as he stood up to give Timothy a welcoming smile.

"Ah, Timothy. I'm relieved Oleana was able to catch you in time," he said as he walked over to Timothy. "You were no doubt about to leave for your next Gym Battle. Am I right?"

"Yes, we were," Timothy said as he shook Chairman Rose's hand.

"I thought so. It seems I constantly catch you just in the nick of time," Chairman Rose said. "I hope you're not too eager to complete the Gym Challenge to make time for a friend."

"No, of course not. I'd be happy to make time for you, Rose," Timothy assured.

"I'm glad," Rose said before he knelt to pet Electchu. "And congratulations to you, Electchu, for winning the battle for Timothy."

"Cha," Electchu squealed, pretending to enjoy the affection.

"You saw my battle?" Timothy asked.

"Of course," Rose said as he stood back up. "It always does my heart good to take the time to see Gym Challengers give it their all. It's one of the things I love about running the Galar League." He looked behind Timothy to see Coovers, Gwen, and Winnie. "And these must be your traveling companions."

"Yes, sir, we are," Coovers said, offering the chairman his hand. "My name is Coovers. I'm Timothy's best friend."

"A pleasure to meet you," Rose said as he shook Coovers's hand. He turned his head to Gwen and asked, "And who are you, young lady?"

"Gwen and this is my partner, Teddiursa," Gwen answered bluntly.

"Tedd," Winnie said.

Coovers looked at Gwen, confused over her not calling her by its nickname. Chairman Rose kept his friendly smile and offered his hand. Gwen hastily shook his hand, and the chairman's smile grew.

Then suddenly, his cheerful demeanor melted into a confused look that made Gwen and Winnie uneasy.

"Frightfully sorry, Gwen, but have we met before?" He asked.

"No, we have not," Gwen said, avoiding eye contact.

"Are you sure? You look strangely familiar," Rose said.

"No, we have not met," Gwen insisted. "I'm from Azalea Town in the Johto region."

"The Johto region?" Chairman Rose asked.

"Yes, Gwen here is from Johto," Timothy lied. "You'll also have to forgive her shy demeanor, Rose. She tends to keep to herself when meeting new people."

"Timothy, what are you talking about? Coovers whispered. "She's not-"

Timothy elbowed Coovers's side and gave him a look as if to say, "Play along." Coovers looked at Timothy even more confused until he decided to go with it and smiled at Chairman Rose and Oleana.

"Yes, that's right," he said. "Timbo, Electchu, and I have been traveling with Gwen and Eddie for years, so it takes a bit for her to let her guard down for others."

"Oh, I see," Rose said before turning back to Gwen. "Forgive me. I shall keep my distance, but I hope it won't be long before you warm up to me."

Gwen and Winnie continued to look away from Rose, making it clear that they wanted him to back away. The charmian frowned, hurt from Gwen's lack of reply, until he heard the sound of people and Pokémon cheering again. He cleared his throat before turning to Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu, bringing back his friendly attitude.

"Well, now that introductions are out of the way, let's all sit down?" He said. "The next match is about to start, and I think you'll like who's facing Nessa next, Timothy."

Timothy raised his eyebrow to act interested as Chairman Rose put his arm around him and guided him to one of the couches. They sat down with Electchu sitting next to Timothy, while Coovers, Gwen, and Winnie sat on the other couch with Gwen and Winnie sitting farthest from the chairman. She looked at Timothy and mouthed out, "thank you," when Coovers and Rose weren't looking. He smiled and nodded before the announcer spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for the next Gym Battle, our beloved Nessa will now be facing one of Galar's most beloved trainers, number 12, Ezria!" The announcer shouted.

The audience roared with thunderous applause, with some standing up as they cheered. Ezria entered the field, waving and blowing kisses as she walked over to her side of the field. Timothy smirked and turned his head to Chairman Rose.

"I should have known." he said.

The chairman gave a hearty chuckle and said, "Perhaps you should have. Ezria was up here when you had your battle."

"Oh, really? I bet Ezria was pleased with what she saw." Timothy said, turning his head to Electchu, who rolled its eyes.

"She certainly was," Chairman Rose said. "Ezria told me all about your double battle and what happened after that. You should have seen the look on her face when she saw Aegislash - er, Knightblade on the field."

"I can only imagine," Timothy said. "Come to think of it, though, why was she up here and not with the other challengers? After not seeing her in the waiting room, I was under the impression she didn't make it to Hulbury yet."

"Ah, yes. Ezria prefers not to interact with your fellow Gym Challengers much," Rose exclaimed. "You may have noticed from how people and Pokémon are cheering for her that she's rather popular in Galar. Her public life is so big that she would rather not be around other challengers who practically worship her when she needs to focus on her upcoming battles. So, I allow her into the private boxes in the gyms until it's time for her battles."

"That does add up. The other Gym Challengers did like to express what they love about her," Timothy said.

"Indeed. No other Gym Challengers, apart from Ezria and her brother, Venarge, are allowed in places like my private box, here," Chairman Rose said. "But you, Timothy, are an exception because she wanted you to watch her battle against Nessa."

"Lucky me," Timothy said.

The crowd cheered again, and everyone looked down at the field again to find the battle had started. Nessa took out her Goldeen while Ezria threw a Pokéball and an unusual-looking Weezing came out. The Weezing was gray with top hat-like tubes on top of its heads, the larger head having a cloud-like mustache, and the smaller head having clouds on its face in the shape of eyebrows and a beard. Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu leaned on their seats, baffled, and Chairman Rose chuckled again with his mouth closed.

"First time seeing a Galarian Weezing, gentlemen?" He asked.

"Little bit," Timothy replied as he took out his Rotom Phone and scanned Ezria's Pokemon.

"Weezing. The Poison Gas Pokemon, and the evolved form of Koffing. A Fairy and Poison type." Rotom said. "This is the Galarian form of Weezing. All Koffing living in Galar evolve into this type of Weezing regardless of their origin. Galarian Weezing consumes particles that contaminate the air. Instead of leaving droppings, it expels clean air."

"So, a regular Koffing can evolve into this kind of Weezing just by being here in Galar?" Coovers asked.

"Galar is full of surprises, Rose." Timothy said.

"Be it ever so humble." Chairman Rose said.

Down at the field, Nessa shouted an order, and Goldeen charged with its horn sticking out toward its opponent. Ezria looked at the effort with a condescending smirk before giving Weezing a command. The poison gas Pokemon opened its mouth on its larger body and released a stream of thick black smoke that covered Goldeen, leaving it clueless about when its opponent was. Ezria then tossed a berry toward Weezing, and its larger head caught it with its mouth. It turned back to Goldeen and released purple rings of energy from its mouth, followed by a wave of purple energy. The rings and wave of energy hit Goldeen, and it flew a couple of feet away before it landed limply on the ground. The referee declared Goldeen unable to battle, and the audience applauded.

"Distracting Goldeen with Smog so Weezing can take it out just by using Belch. Clever," Timothy said.

"Mmmm-hmmm," Chairman Rose hummed in agreement.

Nessa returned Goldeen to its Pokeball and took out Arrokuda. She wasted no time telling Arrokuda to use Aqua Jet, but Weezing moved away before its opponent could hit it. Nessa ordered Arrokuda to use Aqua Jet again, but at Ezria's command, Weezing's body became surrounded by a field of rainbow-colored energy, which expanded outwards. The energy knocked Arrokuda back and sent it crashing into the ground. Without wasting any time, Weezing began spinning around, and its body became surrounded by a light blue aura as it slammed at Arrokuda one more time. With the last move, Arrokuda laid on the ground, unconscious, and the audience cheered again as the referee declared the Rush Pokémon down for the count.

"Wow, Weezing and Ezria are relentless," Coovers commented.

"Well, Ezria is a merciless trainer," Gwen mumbled to avoid being heard by Chairman Rose.

"Teddiursa," Winnie whispered in agreement.

"That was a powerful use of Dazzling Gleam and Gyro Ball," Timothy said, having only heard Coovers. "Arrokuda didn't have a chance with Aqua Jet."

"It wouldn't have mattered even if Arrokuda landed a hit," Chairman Rose said.

"Why's that?" Timothy asked.

"You see, a Galarian Weezing has some of the best defense a Pokémon can have," Rose explained. "With the right training, it can take little damage in battle."

"Meaning Arrokuda had as little chance of defeating Weezing as Goldeen did." Coovers said.

"Correct." Chairman Rose said.

Nessa returned Arrokuda to its Pokéball and gave it a sad smile before she put the Pokéball away. She threw her last Pokéball into the air, and Drednaw came out, roaring. The Gym Leader wasted no time putting Drednaw back in its Pokéball, and the Pokéball grew in size, glowing reddish-pink. Nessa threw the ball, and Drednaw came out in its Dynamax form. Ezria grinned and returned Weezing to its Pokéball. As soon as the Pokéball grew to half her size, she kissed the container before she threw it, and Dynamax Weezing came out. The crowd went wild, excited to see Ezria battle with one of her Pokémon Dynamaxed.

Dynamax Drednaw struck first with a massive stream of water from its mouth, but the Max Move barely hurt Dynamax Weezing, making Nessa uneasy. Ezria's Pokémon slammed its body onto the ground, creating a series of jagged gray spikes that extended forward and hit Dynamax Drednaw.

"So, that's Max Steelspike," Timothy said before turning his head to Electchu. "We should find an opportunity to try that out sometime."

"Raichu," Electchu agreed.

Nessa commanded Dynamax Drednaw to use Max Strike, and it got on its hind legs before it slammed into the ground, creating glowing yellow cracks on the ground as it landed. Ezria scoffed and ordered Dynamax Weezing to levitate and use Max Steelspike. Her Pokemon floated up into the air before its opponent's attack could hit underneath. As soon as the yellow energy disappeared, it slammed its body onto the ground, causing a series of jagged spikes to strike again.

"Raichu Chu Rai Rai Rai Rai Raichu." Electchu said.

"Yeah, you're probably right, Electchu," Timothy said. "Since Blitzwing can fly and Knightblade can levitate, they could be the only ones who can dodge Max Moves when they're Dynamaxed. We'll just have to deal with you, Poliwrath, Odyssey, and Shockwave taking damage during a Dynamax battle."

Chairman Rose smiled again, amused by Timothy discussing future Dynamax battles with his Raichu. Back down in the field, Nessa and Ezria made their next moves at the same time. Dynamax Drednaw prepared to use Max Geyser again while Dynamax Weezing made a loud call, and five giant, yellow stars fell from the sky toward Dynamax Drednaw. Once again, Dynamax Drednaw's attack did little damage, but the stars landed all around it and exploded. The Bite Pokémon roared in pain, and its knees wobbled until they gave out. With a flash of light, Drednaw returned to its regular form, lying on the ground, and the referee declared Ezria the winner.

People and Pokémon stood up from the stands, applauding and cheering at the top of their lungs. Chairman Rose clapped for his loyal employee, and Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen joined in. Nessa returned Drednaw while Ezria ran over to hug Weezing after it changed to its regular size. Nessa walked over to congratulate Ezria and give her a Water Badge. The raspberry-haired woman attached the badge to her ring and lifted it into the air, causing the audience to cheer again. Some audience members chanted Ezria's name as she returned Weezing and exited the field. As soon as she was out of sight, Chairman Rose stood up and faced his guests.

"My most promising Gym Challengers, including Ezria's brother, Venarge, are already a quarter of the way through," he said. "If you five can spare some more time, what say we all go to lunch to celebrate? My treat."

Timothy turned his head to Gwen, who was instantly uneasy and said, "Oh, you don't have to do that, Rose. I mean, it's just the first two badges."

"Nonsense, it's never too early to celebrate one's progress," Chairman Rose said. "There's a seafood restaurant close by that is one of the best restaurants in Galar. I assure you, you will rarely find seafood as good in Galar or any other place in the world. Besides, I think I can speak for Ezria when I say she would love it if you came to eat with us."

Timothy grew unsettled by the way the chairman was insisting. It was another opportunity to strengthen his fake friendship with Ezria and the chairman, but Gwen was growing more uncomfortable the more the chairman pressed on the matter. Timothy's hesitation made Chairman Rose tilt his head, and he turned to where Timothy was looking at.

"Oh, I see. You're worried about how your friend will feel with her being so shy," he said. He scratched his chin in thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Alright then. How about I reserve a separate table for Gwen and the Pokemon, so she doesn't have to worry about being uncomfortable during lunch? Would that help?"

All eyes turned to Gwen and Winnie, with Coovers and Electchu confused about what was happening. Gwen continued to look away from Rose like she had something to hide as she tried to think of an answer. After half a minute, Gwen felt her stomach growl, and she blushed.

"Y-yes, that'll be fine," she said.

"Fantastic," Chairman Rose said. "Shall we go?"

Timothy and Coovers nodded before they stood up and followed the chairman out of the room with Gwen, Electchu, and Winnie. Rose opened the door to find Oleana standing beside the doorway with her hands clasped together. The faithful secretary immediately began walking beside her boss as the group began walking to the elevator.

"Oleana, call Ezria to have her meet us at the Captain's Table and then reserve a table for four people and one Pokemon and a separate table close by for one person and one Pokémon." Rose ordered.

"A separate table, sir?" Oleana asked.

"Yes, it seems one of my new friends, Gwen, is a little shy around me," Rose said.

Oleana raised her eyebrow and turned back to look at Gwen, walking behind everyone while carrying Winnie. Gwen kept her head down as she walked, ignoring the secretary's suspicious glare. Coovers looked back between Oleana and Gwen, and as soon as Oleana turned her head away from Gwen, he moved closer to Timothy and leaned into his ear.

"What is going on?" He whispered. "Why is Gwen acting so strange?"

"Gwen asked me to keep the chairman's attention away from her," Timothy said.

"Why?" Coovers asked.

"Don't know, but she must have a good reason," Timothy said.

Coovers frowned and said, "You'd think this is something she or Professor Magnolia should have told us about before."

"Guess it didn't seem important at the time," Timothy said. "I don't think Gwen agreed to help us expecting to join Chairman Rose in his private box and have lunch with us any more than we did."

"That's true. Though, I think this is something we should ask her about later," Coovers said. "For the sake of my mission, I'd like to be aware of anything that might cause problems."

Timothy frowned and said, "Honestly, Coovers, the way Gwen was acting, I don't think we should pry on the matter. If she doesn't want to tell us, we should just stick to knowing that she doesn't want to be around him."

Coovers looked at Timothy, taken aback, having expected him to agree with him. He looked back between Timothy and Gwen and grew curious about what was on his oldest friend's mind. Eventually, Coovers shrugged, giving Timothy the impression that he had dropped the matter. Still, as the group after the elevator, the Unovian man secretly smirked, suddenly feeling confident with how Timothy might be feeling about Gwen.