Rose and Oleana led the group out of the stadium to a restaurant close to the town's Pokemon Center. As soon as the chairman entered the restaurant, the person behind the desk gave him a warm smile, instantly recognizing him despite his sunglasses. She grabbed several menus and led the group up the steps until they were at the other side of the restaurant, where dining tables were standing next to a glass wall where Hulbury Stadium could be seen. Sitting at one of the tables in a window seat was Ezria, who stood up from her seat and walked over to everyone.

"Uncle Rose." she greeted as she hugged the chairman.

"Ezria, my dear. Congratulations on your victory," Chairman Rose said as he hugged her back.

Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen looked at each other, confused with how Oleana's niece addressed the chairman. Ezria then turned to Timothy, and she tinted before she walked over to hug him too. Timothy hesitated before he hugged her back.

"I saw your battle," Ezria said as she broke the hug. "You were magnificent."

"Thank you," Timothy said. "You did great too."

Ezria's blush grew, and she looked down bashfully. Her reaction made Chairman Rose chuckle quietly, while Gwen frowned. The woman from behind the desk then cleared her throat and asked, "Who has the separate table?"

"I do," Gwen answered.

"Lovely," the server said. "Let's have you sit at our middle table with the Pokémon while everyone is at Chairman Rose's regular table?"

"Fine by me," Gwen said.

The server smiled and led Gwen, Electchu, and Winnie to the middle table while Chairman Rose, Timothy, Coovers, and Ezria sat at the table on the right side. Ezria took Timothy by the hand and led him to sit on her side of the table while the chairman and Coovers sat on the other side. The server handed everyone their menus, and they began browsing through them.

As they browsed, Timothy looked up from his menu to look at Gwen, who was discussing what to order with Winnie, and then asked Electchu what it wanted with a smile. His heart grew warm from how Gwen felt more comfortable around their Pokémon. But then he noticed Ezria glancing at him from the corner of his eye. He turned his eyes to her, and she immediately looked back at her menu, her cheeks turning pink again.

Timothy grew puzzled by Ezria's bashful demeanor and began to wonder if she liked him more than a friendly way. The idea unsettled him as he thought about how she would react to finding out about his true motives on top of how he did not think of her in that way. He didn't know how he would act interested in a woman romantically even if he felt the same way about Ezria. He looked back at his menu and began to think of a way to interact with Ezria in a friendly way without giving her hope while on the mission until he heard her voice.

"Timothy, it's your turn to order."

Timothy jumped in alarm and looked around to find Ezria, Coovers, and Chairman Rose looking at him and a waitress standing next to the table with a notepad and a pen. Timothy felt his cheeks heat up, and he cleared his throat.

"Sorry. I'll, uh, have the clam chowder." he said.

"Good choice," the waitress said as she took everyone's menus. "We'll have your orders ready right away."

"Thank you," Timothy, Coovers, Ezria, and Chairman Rose said simultaneously.

The waitress walked to the kitchen to give her orders to the cooks. As soon as she was gone, the chairman smirked at Timothy and asked, "Were you having a lot of trouble choosing, Timothy?"

"Oh, no, I was... thinking about my next Gym Battle," Timothy lied.

"Oh, really? Do you get lost in thought over upcoming battles often?" Rose asked.

"No, just recently," Timothy answered.

"I can vouch for that," Coovers said. "He did drift off thinking about training his Pokémon once during dinner on the way here."

"Is that so? Clearly, you're very devoted to the Gym Challenge, Timothy, " Ezria said with a smile. "But, please don't brainstorm while we're having lunch together."

"Of course. I won't think about it anymore. Promise." Timothy said.

Ezria gave Timothy a sweet look that he returned with a forced smile. She shyly looked away from Timothy again and scooted her chair closer to him, making him nervous again.

"On a side note, I was thrilled that you started your battle with Knightblade," she said. "I wish I thought of taking out Doublade so it could watch its sister."

"Yeah, Rose told me you were ecstatic," Timothy said. "Knightblade is a powerful Pokémon, and I like how you've trained it with such powerful moves, just like with your Doublade, Sirfetch'd, and Weezing."

"Thank you," Ezria answered. "To be frank, while non-offensive moves have their place, such as Weezing's Smog, I think they are useless in the long run compared to having nothing but attacks."

Timothy's smile turned sincere, and he said, "Yes. I feel the same way."

Ezria felt butterflies in her stomach as she blushed again. Timothy mentally winced, and Chairman Rose smiled, realizing that Timothy gave her more hope by revealing they had something in common as Pokémon trainers. After a moment, Ezria collected herself and cleared her throat.

"Actually, while I've trained most of my Pokémon to have nothing but attacks, I intentionally created my team so that half of it contains Pokémon with terrific defense." she said.

"Why's that?" Timothy asked.

"Do you know the story of the Darkest Day?" Ezria asked.

"Yeah, Galar almost got destroyed by Dynamax Pokémon and was saved by a knight with a sword and shield," Timothy answered.

"Yes. It's my favorite story," Ezria said. "I love it so much that in memory of that knight, I formed my Pokémon party so that half of it represents the sword with their powerful offense, while the other half, including Weezing, represents the shield with their incredible defense."

"Ah, I see. That would also explain why some of your Pokémon are sword and shield based like Knightblade, Doublade, and Sirfetch'd," Timothy said.

"Exactly," Ezria said. "Though if I were a knight in ancient times, I would prefer to use two swords rather than a sword and a shield."

"How come?" Coovers asked.

"Two swords means double the offense," Ezria said, her eyes still on Timothy as though he asked the question. "They also can be used to defend and create serious damage. That's why, though I love all of my Pokémon, Doublade is my partner. It has attacks that can cause massive damage, but it also has the highest defense out of all Ghost type Pokémon in the world."

"I see," Timothy said.

Ezria's smile grew, and she stared deeply into Timothy's eyes, thinking they were having a moment. She then looked down at his hand and teased the idea of putting her hand on top of it. Ezria's pink cheeks turned red, and she slowly moved her hand toward Timothy's. Timothy looked at Ezria, confused, until he saw her move her hand toward his, and he grew uncomfortable. He wanted to move his hand away to let her know he wasn't interested, but then he noticed Chairman Rose's smile growing as he watched Ezria make her move. At that moment, Timothy realized that not only was Ezria romantically interested in him, but the man he, Coovers, and Gwen were trying to get arrested was hoping that he and Ezria might end up together. Timothy froze in place, thinking he was stuck with needing to lead Ezria on for the sake of the mission.

Luckily, right before Ezria's fingers touched Timothy's hand, two waitresses came in carrying trays of food. One of the waitresses walked over to Gwen, Electchu, and Winnie's table with their orders, while the second one walked to the chairman's table. Ezria moved her hand away as she scooted her chair away from Timothy before the waitress placed a plate of seafood salad in front of her. After placing a bowl of clam chowder, fish and chips, and a fish salad in front of Timothy, Coovers, and Chairman Rose respectfully, everyone thanked the waitresses before they began to dig in.

For a few minutes, everyone ate in silence, enjoying their food without a care. Timothy looked up from his clam chowder and saw Gwen secretly put honey on Winnie's lunch. The Little Bear Pokémon almost squealed in delight but quickly covered its mouth so the staff couldn't hear. Timothy chuckled with his mouth closed, finding the moment between his companion and her Pokémon partner cute.

Halfway through their meal, Coovers turned his head to the chairman and noticed Oleana standing behind him with her hands clasped in front again. The Unovian man looked at the secretary, baffled as it hit him that she was silently standing there the entire time.

"You are not eating?" Coovers asked.

"I had an energy bar while you were watching Ezria's match," Oleana answered without looking at Coovers.

"That's my aunt for you. Always making sure she only has enough stamina to do her job for Uncle Rose." Ezria said.

"Yeah, I wanted to ask about that. Why do you call Rose your uncle?" Timothy asked.

"Because we're so close that he's like an uncle to Venarge and me," Ezria answered.

"Ah, I see," Timothy said. "You've known each other for a long time, huh?"

"Indeed, we have," Rose said. "Oleana, Ezria, and Venarge are very dear to me. We've been supporting each other's dreams for many years, and though I have a brother and a niece, I consider Oleana, Ezria, and Venarge as my real family."

Timothy and Coovers smiled, pretending to care about how their target felt about his closest minions. They returned to their food until Ezria cleared her throat to grab Timothy's attention.

"Speaking of dreams, what's yours Timothy?" She asked.

"My dream is to win every Pokemon League and defeat every Elite Four and Champion." Timothy asked.

"Oh? How far have you gone in accomplishing that goal?" Ezria asked.

"I have won the Johto and Hoenn Leagues and have beaten the Johto Elite Four and Lance, the bi-regional champion. I've faced the Hoenn Elite Four but lost to the final member, Drake."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ezria said with a sad frown. "Though, why haven't you faced him again? You didn't give up, did you?"

"Of course not. I just decided to go on another journey and grow stronger with my Pokemon before trying again," Timothy said. "Drake recommended that I go to Galar and compete in the Gym Challenge. Truth be told, I would have traveled here to compete years ago had I heard of Galar earlier."

Ezria smiled again and said, "That is a shame, but I am thankful that Drake told you about our beloved region, and the important thing is you're here now."

"I second that." Chairman Rose said.

"Thank you, you guys. I'm happy to be here." Timothy said.

Ezria gave Timothy another sweet look while Rose nodded. The chairman turned to Coovers and asked, "And what is your dream?"

Coovers froze while chewing on a chip. Timothy and Coovers grew nervous, knowing that Coovers's dream involved his position with the International Police. Coovers stayed frozen until he remembered his second dream, and he swallowed before he answered with a blissful smile.

"It's my life-long dream to live happily ever after with my beautiful soulmate." he chirped.

Chairman Rose and Ezria stared at Coovers, stunned over how he answered in such a giddy way. Timothy rolled his eyes despite knowing why Coovers was avoiding telling the truth.

"That's...nice," Rose said awkwardly. "Have you found your soulmate?"

"I sure have. Her name is Son - er, Sonja," Coovers answered. "She's kind, encouraging, passionate about what she wants to do with her life, and an amazing cook."

"She sounds like a nice person," Chairman Rose said. "Does she feel the same way about you?"

"I hadn't had the chance to find out before we started our journey," Coovers said before he looked at the ceiling, keeping his blissful grin with his hands clasped together. "But when I get the chance, I know she will return my feelings. And then, we will go on double dates with my other best friend, Brock, and his girlfriend, Holly, and it will be completely wonderful."

The table was silent, with Rose and Ezria weirded out by Coovers's declaration. Timothy mentally groaned as he facepalmed, embarrassed for his closest human friend. The moment was suddenly broken by the sound of a phone vibrating. All eyes turned to Oleana, who took out her phone, and the edges of her mouth curved down as she saw the name of who was calling. She gave the chairman a short nod to excuse herself before answering her phone as she walked away. Timothy, Coovers, Rose, and Ezria watched Oleana leave, wondering who was calling until the raspberry-haired woman cleared her throat and scooted her chair closer to Timothy again.

"So, Timothy, do you want to find your soulmate someday?" She asked.

Timothy bit the inside of his lip, knowing what answer Ezria was hoping for. He glanced at Chairman Rose, who was also interested as he ate his soup. After a moment, Timothy thought he had a chance to subtly let Ezria down in a way that might not affect his influence on the chairman and his minion.

"I honestly have never put much thought into it," he said. "I'm so dedicated to my dream that it doesn't interest me."

"Not until recently." Coovers said with a smirk.

Timothy's eyes widened, and he shook his head and made a cut gesture. Coovers's smirked, thinking Timothy was being stubborn again as Rose and Ezria turned their heads to him.

"Oh? How so?" Ezria asked with a smile of intrigue.

"A couple of years ago, Timothy was battling against his rival, Ash, at the final round of the Indigo League," Coovers began. "Ash always lost to Timothy in battle, so it looked like Timothy was going to win. But before the final battle started, Ash took a moment to express his gratitude to one of his companions, Serena, a girl, who has been in love with him for ages. He declared that he was going to battle for her."

"Mmmm, how romantic," Ezria said. "So, Ash was also in love with Serena?"

Coovers chuckled and said, "Actually, while they're dating now, he didn't understand romance at the time. Even so, he knew that Serena meant a lot to him, and it was through that passion to battle for Serena that when it was down to Electchu and Ash's Pikachu hitting each other with Thunder and Thunderbolt, respectively, Pikachu triumphed, and Ash won the Indigo League."

Ezria furrowed her brow and said, "That's disappointing. I think Timothy really should have won if he's beaten Ash before."

"So did Timothy, but then a month later, he said something interesting about that battle," Coovers said.

Timothy continued to make a cut gesture frantically and mouthed out "No," but his efforts only encouraged Coovers.

"You see, Eletchu should have beaten Pikachu because it had the more powerful attack, but Timothy concluded that it wasn't just the skill or power or the bonds Ash has with his Pokémon that won him the league. Instead, it was because Ash had a more important reason to win than just to prove he's the best. He wanted something beyond winning so badly that it drove his Pokémon to triumph regardless of the odds. In short, he believed that it was love that resulted in him losing that battle, and he said he might be interested in looking for it."

Timothy gave Coovers a death glare and a throat-slitting gesture. He reverted to his regular demeanor just as Rose and Ezria turned their heads back at him. Ezria leaned toward Timothy, making his cheeks heat up as the raspberry-haired woman gave him a flirtatious look.

"Do you really think you lost to Ash because of his love for Serena and that you might be interested in romance?" she asked.

"Uh, well, I didn't say that in those exact words, but I did give that implication," Timothy answered.

Ezria's smile grew, and she felt her heart race. Timothy squirmed as he saw hope shine in Ezria's rose-red eyes. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to change time so that he had never said those words at the Viridian City Airport. As far as Timothy was concerned, he didn't need to tell Ash anything since he realized he loved Serena on his own. Trying to help the raven-haired boy break his density was good for nothing but Coovers unknowingly leading Ezria on. If only Timothy had not spoken that day, he wouldn't be stuck in this predicament that could devastate Ezria.

"Sir!"

Chairman Rose, Ezria, Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, Electchu, and Winnie all turned their heads to find Oleana racing to the chairman's table, still holding her Rotom Phone. Though she was keeping a professional face, there was a twinge of fear in her eyes as she raced to her boss.

"Oleana, what's wrong?" Chairman Rose asked.

"It's the World Championship finals," Oleana said.

Timothy and Coovers looked at each other, and the former asked, "Wait, Lance's battle against the Galar Champion for Monarch is today?"

Coovers took out his Rotom Phone to check the calendar and said, "Well, what do you know? It is today."

"What about the finals? Did Lance beat Leon?" Rose asked.

Timothy looked at Rose with a puzzled face and then looked away, muttering, "Why does the name Leon sound familiar?"

"No, he won, but that's not what's important," Oleana said. "Our staff in Wyndon just contacted me and said a Gigantamax Drednaw is attacking the stadium."

Timothy, Ezria, Coovers, and Gwen all sprung up from their seats. Rose stared at his loyal secretary with his mouth slightly hanging open for a few seconds and asked, "You mean it's attacking from outside of Wyndon Stadium?"

"Yes," Oleana said. She pressed a few buttons on her Rotom Phone's screen before she handed it to the chairman. "It's already making news."

Coovers walked over to look over Rose's shoulder, while Gwen took out her Rotom Phone to look at the news with Electchu and Winnie, standing on top of their table. Timothy took a step to watch the news with Coovers, but Ezria grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Let's use my phone," she said.

Timothy hesitated before he reluctantly complied. Ezria took out her Rotom Phone and searched for news footage before she moved closer to Timothy and held her phone up for both of them to see. On the screen, there was live news footage of a Gigantamax Drednaw next to Wyndon Stadium coming from a news helicopter. There was a large hole in the building created by the Bite Pokémon, and it was standing on its back legs, roaring. Timothy's heart sank as he grew worried for the people and Pokémon inside and around the stadium that were in danger of Gigantamax Drednaw's rampage.

He looked up from Ezria's phone and saw Coovers equally worried. His eyes then turned to Gwen and saw her trembling as she watched the footage with Electchu and Winnie. Her opal eyes shrunk and her mouth quivered as though Gigantamax Drednaw was looking at her and threatening to attack. Her hands began to shake, confusing Electchu and worrying Winnie, who put its paw on Gwen's arm. At that moment, Timothy wanted to walk over to Gwen, but Ezria held his hand tight, and he didn't know what he could do to comfort Gwen.

"That's what a Drednaw looks like, Gigantamaxed? It's enormous," Coovers said.

Rose looked up from Oleana and asked, "Do we know if it's anyone's Pokémon?"

"No, sir. It appears to be a wild Drednaw," Oleana answered.

"A wild Drednaw? How can it Gigantamax without using a Dynamax Band? Is it because it's close to a Power Spot for Dynamaxing?" Timothy asked.

"No. Our Pokémon Stadiums surround all of the Power Spots. It shouldn't have absorbed any Galar Particles outside of the stadium," Chairman Rose said.

"Well, is there anything we can do? There has to be a way to stop it from rampaging," Timothy said.

Chairman Rose furrowed his brow, and he turned his head to Ezria. The raspberry-haired woman frowned, realizing she was too far away to do her job. She considered using Doublade to fly over to Wyndon, but she knew she wouldn't make it in time. At that moment, Rose and Ezria feared that they had already failed to protect Galar with this random moment of a Pokémon Gigantamaxing, and Ezria and Venarge were too far away to stop it.

"Wait, it's Ash, Serena, and Goh!" Coovers shouted.

Rose and Ezria looked back at the footage and saw Ash, Serena, and Goh running over to Gigantamax Drewdnaw with Pikachu, Scorbunny, and Absol ready for battle. Timothy's eyes widened, and he leaned his head closer to Ezria's phone to get a better look, unable to believe that the teenagers were over facing the enormous Pokémon alone. Gwen's body began to shake more, afraid for Ash, Serena, Goh, Pikachu, Scorbunny, and Absol's lives.

The three little Pokémon tried to cause damage against Giganatamax Drednaw with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, Scoorbunny using Double Kick, and Absol using Dark Pulse, but their attacks did nothing to the giant Pokémon. Gigantamax Drednaw then got on all fours and extended its neck toward Ash, Serena, Goh, Pikachu, Scorbunny, and Absol. Pikachu jumped into the air and flung a circular yellow electrical net from its tail toward Gigantamax Drednaw, but the effort only momentarily slowed the Bite Pokémon down, forcing the teenagers and their Pokémon to run away from its jaws.

"Come on, Ash, Serena, you got to stop it," Timothy said.

"Wait, are you saying one of those boys is the rival who beat you in the Indigo League?" Ezria asked.

"Yeah, he's the one with the blue jacket." Timothy answered.

Ezria furrowed her brow and said, "Timothy, I'm surprised at you. I never pegged a trainer like you to lose to a boy."

Timothy turned his gaze away from Ezria's phone to give her a severe look and said, "Don't condescend. Ash may be younger than me, but what he lacks in age, he makes up for with his spirit, his passion for his goal, and his bonds with people and Pokémon. He's a more worthy rival than you can imagine at first glance."

"And he's about to get himself killed if he doesn't run away," Gwen said fearfully, having overheard Timothy from her table.

"He won't, and neither will Serena," Timothy said. "Trust me, you two. These two were at the battle against Team Rocket. They're gonna pull through."

Ezria's frown deepened, and she said, "I admire your confidence in your friends, Timothy, but Gwen is right. How can those kids handle themselves against a Gigantamax Pokémon?"

"Hey, what's with those cracks on the ground?" Coovers asked.

Timothy, Gwen, and Ezria returned to watching the news and found Ash, Serena, Goh, and their Pokémon lying underneath glowing red cracks in the ground. Red lights floated out of the cracks and into Pikachu, and the Mouse Pokémon grew giant, forcing Ash, Serena, Goh, Scorbunny, and Absol to run away again in a panic. Before anyone watching knew it, Pikachu struggled to balance itself standing up in its giant, chubby body.

"Amazing. His Pikachu Gigantamaxed without a Dynamax Band," Chairman Rose said.

"Raichu," Electchu said, amazed to see its friend become so big.

"It must have gained Galar Particles from those cracks," Coovers said. "Could that energy be coming from the Power Spot inside the stadium?"

"Possibly, but let's see what your friend is going to do," Rose answered.

They turned back to look at Oleana's phone to see Ash, Serena, and Goh stare at Gigantamax Pikachu in shock. The kids snapped out of their gaze to see Gigantamax Drednaw standing back on its hind legs, and Ash stood up to give Gigantanamax Pikachu an order. Gigantamax Pikachu slowly charged toward Gigantamax Drednaw with a white outline surrounding its body. By the time it was halfway through the distance to its opponent, the Bite Pokemon slammed its forelegs into the ground, creating a shockwave heading toward Gigantamax Pikachu. A strong wave of water burst out of the ground from underneath Gigantamax Pikachu, and it stumbled back and hit the Wyndon Stadium, shaking it. Gwen gasped and covered her mouth, terrified for the spectators inside the stadium.

"You see? His Pikachu has Gigantamaxed, but he doesn't know how to use that to stop Drednaw," Ezria said.

"Ash will figure it out," Timothy said, his eyes still on Ezria's phone. "He won't give up until he gives it everything he's got."

Giganatamax Pikachu stood against the stadium for a moment before it stood back up and glared at Gigantamax Drednaw. The Mouse Pokmoen turned to Ash, and he shouted another order. Gigantamax Pikachu's tail glowed white, and it grabbed its tail before walking over to Gigantamax Drednaw. The Mouse Pokemon slammed its tail into the ground, creating a series of gray spikes that struck Gigantamax Drednaw, nearly making it lose its balance.

"There, you see? He figured out how to have Pikachu use Max Steelspike," Timothy said.

"Maybe, but he hasn't won yet," Ezria said.

Gigantamax Drednaw slammed its forelegs into the ground again, and a giant stone slab rose from the ground. Ash, Serena, and Goh became afraid at the sight of the stone slab, but then their gaze turned to the stadium. Everyone looked at their screens, confused as Gigantamax Pikachu's stout figure was blocking whatever the teenagers were looking at. Whatever they saw made Ash smirk confidently as he turned his head back to the battle. Gigantamax Drednaw extended its neck and headbutted the slab, causing it to fall toward Gigantamax Pikachu slowly, and Ash gave his partner one more command. Gigantamax Pikachu jumped into the air with electricity surrounding its body, but suddenly, the electricity disappeared, and the Pokémon landed on its bottom. Gigantamax Pikachu then got on all fours and fired a bolt of yellow electricity into the clouds above it. Moments later, multiple bolts of lighting shaped like the Mouse Pokémon's tail struck down from the clouds toward Gigantamax Drednaw. The lightning destroyed the slab and sent Gigantamax Drednaw flying and crashing into the ground on its back. With a white and red flash, the Bite Pokémon was back to normal size and sitting up, wondering what it was doing in the middle of the lawn.

"Yes! Way to go, Ash and Pikachu!" Coovers cheered.

Timothy smiled and lifted his head up to look at Gwen again. She let out a heavy sigh with her hand on her chest and turned to Winnie, who gave her a cheerful smile. Timothy's smile widened as he was glad to see Gwen relieved after worrying about the people and Pokémon in Wyndon Stadium. He looked back at Ezria's phone to find Pikachu back to its regular size and hopping onto Ash's shoulder. Serena, Goh, Scorbunny, and Absol stood behind them, smiling with the honey blonde girl giving her beloved a look of admiration for his victory. But to his surprise, Timothy saw the tall, tan-skinned man with long purple hair running over to Ash, Serena, and Goh, wearing a cape.

"Of course. Now it makes sense," Chairman Rose said, looking up from Oleana's phone to face Timothy. "Leon told your young friend that his Pikachu can use G-Max Volt Crash?"

"G-Max Volt Crash? Is that the move Pikachu used to defeat Drednaw?" Timothy asked.

"It sure is. Pokémon obtain special Max Moves when they Gigantamax." the chairman explained.

"I see," Timothy said before he realized something and looked back at Ezria's phone. "Wait, so this guy is Leon, your region's Champion?"

"That's right. The undefeated champion himself," Chairman Rose answered with pride. "I have been sponsoring Leon since he was a boy. He is the pride and joy of Galar, which reminds me. You said Leon won against Lance, right, Oleana?"

"Yes, sir, that is correct." Oleana said while putting her Rotom Phone away.

The chairman's smile grew, and he turned back to Timothy.

"Like I said, undefeated," he boasted. "Frankly, Timothy, I think you should consider Leon the biggest obstacle to your dream if the fact that he defeated Lance is anything to consider."

"We'll see, Rose," Timothy said.

The chairman smirked, and the two men turned to Ezria, realizing she hadn't said a word in a while. Ezria was still looking at her phone, baffled as she watched the news channel replay parts of Ash and Pikachu's battle against Drednaw. Timothy and Chairman Rose looked at each other before Timothy tapped Ezria's shoulder, and she looked away from her phone.

"You okay?" Timothy asked.

Ezria briefly smiled, touched that her crush cared, but her look of bewilderment returned as she put her phone away and began playing with her fingers.

"I...apologize," she said. "I was wrong about your young friend. He had Leon to help, but he still triumphed despite never partaking in a Dynamax battle, much less a Gigantamax battle. Can you forgive me?"

Timothy gave Ezria a questioning look, making her worry that he would say no. Timothy appreciated that she gave Ash the credit he deserved, but from how she delivered her apology, he wasn't sure if she was entirely repentant for underestimating Ash just because of his age. He glanced at Rose, who was looking at him like he was expecting to forgive Ezria, and Timothy mentally sighed, feeling he had no choice.

"It's okay, Ezria," he said. "If it makes you feel better, I didn't think that much of him when I first met him either."

Ezria gave Timothy another sweet look, thinking she was growing closer with him by either of them forgiving the other for something. Timothy fought the urge to show that he was uncomfortable with the way Ezria was looking at him as it was clear that he was once again getting her hopes up through his kindness. Suddenly, Chairman Rose clapped his hands, and everyone turned to him.

"Well, now that we can rest easy knowing that Wyndon isn't in danger, let's go back to lunch," he suggested.

Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, and Ezria smiled and nodded in agreement. They sat down with Winnie and Electchu getting down from Gwen's table, and quietly finished their meal. But as they ate, Timothy looked up at Coovers and then at Gwen, who were both looking back at him. They all had their minds on how a Pokémon grew large outside of a Power Spot or a place in the Wild Area and the damage Gigantamax Drednaw caused. Even though no one was harmed thanks to Ash and Pikachu, Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen saw what happened outside of Wyndon Stadium as a possible sign that the effects of the chairman's plan were already starting to happen.

What was worse was Chairman Rose, Oleana, and Ezria did not appear to be worried about a Gigantamax Pokémon nearly destroying a stadium full of spectators. Ezria would continue to glance at Timothy as she ate her salad, Oleana stood still like a statue, and the chairman enjoyed his lunch with a smile as though nothing had happened. At that moment, it became too clear to Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen that the chairman and his closest associates did not see how what they were doing with Eternatus could cause harm and how much they needed to be stopped.

*************************************************************************************************

After everyone finished their lunches, Chairman Rose paid the checks for both tables with generous tips for the waitresses. Everyone followed the chairman to the front entrance, with Ezria walking close to Timothy while Gwen and Winnie kept their distance from the chairman. Rose said a warm goodbye to the staff standing on both sides of the entrance, bowing at the chairman as he, Timothy, Coovers, Electchu, Gwen, Winnie, Oleana, and Ezria exited the restaurant. They walked a few feet from the restaurant before Rose clapped his hands together and turned to Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen.

"Well, I can honestly say I am happy we could do this," he said.

"Me too, Rose. Thank you for treating us. The food was delicious," Timothy said with a friendly smile.

"Yeah, I can see why that restaurant is one of the best in Galar," Coovers said, patting his belly.

Chairman Rose gave Coovers a brief chuckle with his mouth closed. Ezria stepped closer to Timothy, making him uncomfortable again as she gave him another kittenish look.

"I'm really happy we could do this together with Uncle Rose, Timothy," she said.

"Er, yeah, so am I," Timothy said. "We should do it again sometime."

"I couldn't agree more," Ezria said. Her cheeks turned pink, and she briefly looked away. "Are you planning to leave for Motostoke right now?"

"Motostoke? Is that where the next Gym Battle is?" Timothy asked.

Ezria giggled and said, "Yes, silly. Didn't you know Motostoke Stadium is where Gym Challengers face Kabu, the Fire type Gym Leader, for their third badge?"

"Uh, well, I guess I just hadn't asked Gwen where the next battle was," Timothy asked. "She's our guide, you see."

"Your guide? How is Gwen your guide when she is from Johto?" Chairman Rose asked.

Timothy and Gwen's eyes widened, realizing that what Timothy said didn't match with his story about where Gwen was from.

"I-I-I am, but I looked up where each Gym Battle is and the best routes to get there," Gwen said. "Navigating through our Pokémon journeys is one of my roles in our group. Timothy and Coovers would be lost without me."

Ezria frowned and looked at Gwen skeptically, and said, "Really? And has your research shown you the best way to go through the mine safely?"

"It does," Gwen said.

"Do you have a map?" Ezria asked.

"Don't need it. I have the whole route memorized," Gwen answered.

Ezria's frown deepened, and she turned to Timothy, asking, "Do you really trust your friend to guide you through mine that neither of you has gone through before just from memorizing the route?"

"Well, Gwen has never strayed us before, so if she knows the way, then she knows the way," Timothy said.

Gwen smiled appreciatively, and Coovers gave a grin and a wink as though Timothy was complimenting their companion in hopes of romance. Timothy mentally rolled his eyes over his best friend's persistence before he saw Ezria walk over to him, take his hand with both hands, and hold it up to her with a pleading look.

"Timothy, I admire your loyalty to your friend, but I cannot allow you to go through the mine with only Gwen's memory from reading a map to guide you," she said. "The mine can be a dangerous place with Pokémon that could emerge from the ground under you and tunnels in danger of collapsing. Please, let me be your guide to Motostoke. I've been through the mines many times and know the safest way through. We may be rivals at the Gym Challenge, but I don't know what I would do if any harm came to you. Please, let me help you."

"I think that's a wise decision," Chairman Rose said. "I know from experience the pain of something happening to someone important, and I don't want that to happen to any of my Gym Challengers, much less one of my friends. Let Ezria guide you and your friends for all of our sakes."

Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu resisted showing skepticism about how the chairman and Ezria worried about their safety in the mines but not when giant Pokémon are rampaging so long as they are stopped. Gwen held Winnie close to keep herself from glowering at the chairman in disgust. Timothy tried to think of a way to convince Ezria and the chairman to trust Gwen without revealing she was a Galar native, if for no other reason than because he didn't want to deal with more of Ezria's romantic pursuits. But try as he might, Timothy could see that Rose and Ezria were sincerely concerned, and accepting Ezria's offer could be a sign of trust between him and the chairman and his followers. As far as he knew, that trust became more essential after a Pokémon Gigantamaxed outside a Power Spot. Timothy turned his head to Coovers, and he nodded, thinking the same thing. He then looked at Gwen, and she glared at him knowing what was on his mind. Then, she huffed and looked away, waving her hand. Timothy winced at Gwen's response before he turned back to Ezria with a smile.

"Alright, if it means that much to you, then you can lead us through the mine," he said.

Ezria's face lit up, and she hugged Timothy as she squealed, "Thank you, Timothy! You don't know how relieved I am!"

"I think I have an idea," Timothy said as he politely hugged her again.

Chairman Rose smiled and patted Timothy's back while Ezria was still hugging him.

"I appreciate it, Timothy," he said. "Knowing you won't be taking such a risk will help me sleep better at night."

Gwen scoffed and rolled her eyes while Coovers smiled to continue the friendly act. Just then, Oleana's Rotom Phone was beeping from her pants pocket, and she took it out to silence the alarm.

"Excuse me, Chairman, but we must get going for your five o'clock meeting," she said.

"Oh, yes, that's right," Chairman Rose said. "Looks like it's the perfect time for us to part ways. Ezria, I'm counting on you to lead everyone safely."

"Don't you worry, Uncle Rose. We'll be in Motostoke before Timothy and his friends know it," Ezria said.

"Very good," Chairman Rose said. "Timothy, best of luck with your next Gym Battle. Coovers, Gwen, it's been a pleasure meeting you."

"Same to you, sir." Coovers said.

Gwen looked away from the chairman again as he said goodbye. Rose's smile weakened, hoping she had begun to be more comfortable around him, but he quickly shook it off. He waved to Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, Ezria, Electchu, and Winnie as he followed Oleana toward Hulbury Stadium, where his car was parked. At the parking lot, the chauffeur opened the car door for them to get in from the back before he got in and started the car. As the chauffeur began to drive away, Chairman Rose closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose, satisfied with how things were going with the Gym Challenge.

And yet, he couldn't help but have a nagging feeling that he had seen Gwen before.