Timothy snored as he, Coovers, Gwen, Electchu, and Winnie slept. Eletchu was cuddled in a ball next to him while Coovers slept with a pillow on his head, and Gwen spooned Winnie. The clock above Coovers's bed said it was almost one-thirty in the afternoon, though no one would be able to tell with only the mushrooms to light the dark forest outside.

The door opened, and Ezria entered the room with a pleasing smile, having trained her Pokémon since eight in the morning. She turned on the lights, and her eyes immediately went to Timothy. Her smile grew, finding his sleeping face adorable even with him snorting loudly in his sleep. Ezria thought of taking a picture but decided against it, thinking she'll have many opportunities to watch him sleep once she claimed his heart. She took her pillow from her bed and hit Timothy on the head with it, causing him to jump into a sitting position with an "Ah!"

"Rise and shine, sleepy head," Ezria said with a playful tone. "You got an hour and a half until your battle with Opal."

Timothy groaned and grabbed his Rotom Phone from the bed stand to check the time.

"Good grief, have we been sleeping this long?" He asked.

"You sure have. Luckily, I'm here to keep you guys asleep, and Opal was around to schedule your battle so late, isn't it?" Ezria said. "Now come on. I've had Nurse Joy prepare a big lunch just for you and your Pokémon."

"Er, thanks, Ezria, but I don't need a big lunch," Timothy said. "Besides, Gwen, Coovers, and Winnie will want to eat too."

"Nah, we should let them sleep a little longer. They don't have a big battle coming," Ezria said. "Besides, you haven't had breakfast yet, and those Impidimp pranked you guys before you got to eat dinner. You need to cover a whole day's worth of meals."

As soon as she finished her sentence, Timothy's stomach growled. Ezria hid a giggle while Timothy sighed and rolled his eyes as if to say, "Fair enough." He got out of bed and went to the bathroom to change from his pajamas and brush his teeth. After waking Electchu, they went downstairs with Ezria and walked to the cafeteria, where Nurse Joy greeted Timothy with a bow. Behind her was a table with two large plates; one had a tall stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and two links of sausages, and the other had two burgers, a salad, and a bowl of rice on the side. Next to the table were six bowls with twice the normal amount of Pokémon food. Timothy grew uneasy with how carried away Ezria got just to make sure he and his team were fed, but when his and Electchu's stomachs growled, he sighed and shrugged before taking out Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, and Knightblade.

Thus, Timothy sat down, and he and his Pokemon began to feast. Ezria watched with a pleased smile before turning to Nurse Joy.

"Thanks so much for having this arranged, Nurse Joy," she said.

"It's my pleasure," Nurse Joy said. "I still remember hearing about the man who freed all those Pokémon wearing a shirt like that and having a Raichu for a partner while I was healing Pokémon in Kanto. I wouldn't have believed it if you and Chairman Rose hadn't made sure he is that man. I never thought he'd participate in the Gym Challenge, much less be here in my Pokémon Center."

"I know. Isn't it wonderful?" Ezria said. "It's almost uncanny how lucky we are that he's here. I hope he stays in Galar forever."

Nurse Joy turned her head to see Ezria staring at Timothy with a dreamy smile. She looked at the two of them before giving the raspberry-haired woman a playful look.

"Got a special reason for wanting him to stay?" Nurse Joy teased.

Ezria flushed and played with her hair as she said, "W-well, what can I say? I can't help it if he's so remarkable."

Nurse Joy giggled.

"Don't worry, Ms. Markenel. I know exactly how you feel," she said.

"You do?" Ezria asked, surprised.

"Yes. I have feelings for a special man. He was in the battle against that horrible crime organization too," Nurse Joy said, looking up at the ceiling with a sad smile. Her mind was on a man with spiky brown hair, tan skin, and slit-like eyes.

"What happened?" Ezria asked.

Nurse Joy looked down and sighed before she answered, "He already had somebody. All I could do was watch from a distance as he chased her and begged her to be with him."

"And did she?" Ezria asked.

Nurse Joy nodded.

"He kissed her, then they hugged each other on their knees, and he gave her a necklace that made her very happy," she said.

"I'm sorry," Ezria said.

"It's fine. I'll get over it one day," Nurse Joy said. "And I hope you won't experience what I went through."

Ezria scoffed as though Nurse Joy told a bad joke and said, "I wouldn't worry about me. No one is more deserving, more perfect to be with Timothy than me."

"With all due respect, Ms. Markenel, that's exactly what I thought when I tried to be with the man I like," Nurse Joy said. "He was a doctor-in-training who cared an awful lot about taking care of Pokémon. He worked long and hard to heal all the Pokémon who were hurt during and after the battle. As a nurse, I thought I was the perfect person to be by his side. The thing was, my other competitors were all of my cousins across the world who are nurses, and many policewomen also admired him. Even so, the person he chose wasn't someone who was a doctor or a policewoman. Who knows how good of a Pokémon trainer she is for that matter?"

Nurse Joy put her hand on Ezria's shoulder.

"I agree that you are the perfect choice for the one you want, Ms. Markenel, but you shouldn't let your guard down," she said. "You said it yourself that he's remarkable. It only makes sense to assume other women will want to pursue a hero like him, and even if the odds are slim, he might pick someone else whether it makes sense or not."

Ezria grew uneasy from Nurse Joy's words. She looked at Timothy, who was conversing with Electchu while they ate, and furrowed her brow.

"She makes a good point. Timothy's a much bigger hero than whoever Nurse Joy is talking about." she thought. "Come to think of it, I wonder if any other women have tried to woo him. Maybe they'll take advantage of the fact that he's interested in finding romance."

Ezria realized what she said and shook her head, scoffing at herself.

"Why would anyone do that? I implied that I want to be with Timothy, so all of Galar knows better than to get in my way."

Ezria smiled, satisfied with her logic. But then her smile faded into another look of realization, and she looked up at the ceiling, imagining she was looking at the room she was sharing with the group. She made a dark face as she thought of a brunette woman still asleep with her little bear Pokemon partner.

"Maybe it's not a native woman in Galar I should worry about."

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

Timothy held his belly as he walked to Ballonlea Stadium. Though he was hungry after missing breakfast, he felt the second burger was one too many. He checked to ensure Coovers, Gwen, and Winnie were still asleep before going to the stadium with Electchu and Ezria. They went inside, and Timothy checked in before turning to Ezria.

"Well, it's time to get the show on the road," he said. "You're going to wait here and not watch the match like you promised, right?"

"Absolutely," Ezria lied. "But I know you're going to be brilliant out there. Opal doesn't stand a chance against you, Knightblade, and your other Pokémon."

"You got that right," Timothy said with a grin. "I can see me getting my badge before your brother too."

"Don't count on it!"

Timothy, Ezria, and Electchu turn to see Venarge walking over to them from the entrance to the hall leading to the waiting room with a prideful grin. He reached into his pants pocket and took out the ring containing his ring of badges, including one with a pink and brown butterfly. He held the ring up to Timothy's face, making him step back.

"You thought I was going to lose again, didn't you? Well, I got payback against that old hag, and she only took out half of my Pokémon." Venarge boasted. "Once again, I'm ahead of you, Durbin."

Ezria snorted out a laugh and said, "Oh, Venny. You still think it's a race for getting all the badges first."

"Shut up, Ezria," Venarge snarled. "Why are you even still here? You won your fifth badge yesterday."

Ezria grabbed Timothy's hand and stepped close to him as she said with a bright smile, "I just happened to bump into Timothy and his companions when I was on my way out of the forest. We will be traveling together for the rest of the Gym Challenge. Isn't that right, Timothy?"

"Yeah, that's right," Timothy said reluctantly.

Venarge scoffed and said, "Whatever. That puts me ahead of all of you. Plus, I'm almost in the Great Class."

"Yeah? Well, Timothy is in the Great Class," Ezria mocked.

Venarge's face fell as Timothy took out his Rotom Phone and showed him his rank. He clenched his teeth, and his face became as red as his hair.

"So what? I just need to win a couple more battles, and I'll be there too," he said before pointing at Timothy. "And when I do, I will challenge you to a battle."

"Good. I haven't come across anyone in the Great Class yet to beat, so I thank you in advance for your contribution, Venny," Timothy said.

Venarge's face went from maroon to barn red, storming his way to the exit. Ezria snickered as she watched her brother leave before turning to Timothy.

"Messing with my brother like that is so much fun," she said. "Though honestly, I never pegged for you to have such a teasing side, Timothy."

"Ah, what can I say? I can't help it when there are arrogant trainers like your brother who have it coming, especially if I find them bullying people like Ned," Timothy said. "Speaking of which, I wonder if he's still in the Gym Challenge. I haven't seen him since after my battle with Nessa."

"There he goes being so caring about others again," Ezria thought before she said. "I haven't seen him battling lately when I'm watching Gym battles before it's my turn since then. We can only hope he's still competing, and we just haven't seen him."

"I sure hope so," Timothy said. "Anyway, I better check in. See you after the battle."

"I'll be waiting right here," Ezria said.

Timothy talked to the person in front of the door and entered the hall leading to the break room. He looked back to see Ezria waving to him with a smile before he closed the door behind him. The man in the "H.A.K." shirt sighed and turned to his partner as he walked.

"She sure is devoted," he said. "I really hope we can get her to defect from Rose's plan."

"Raichu." Electchu agreed.

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

Timothy went to the restroom to change into his uniform and then went into the waiting room with Electchu to sit on a bench. He looked around to see five Gym Challengers in the room waiting for their battle. Many of them were stressed or frustrated, having faced and lost to Opal once already. The men still competing were glowering at Timothy, and he rolled his eyes, figuring they also watched Ezria's interview and officially saw him as major competition for her heart. He also grew uneasy as he realized Ned wasn't there.

Three Challengers returned from their battles throughout the hour that Timothy and Electchu waited. One of them was walking with glee, but one returned frustrated, and another hung her head, silently deciding to quit the Gym Challenge. The clock hanging on the wall came close to saying three o'clock, and Timothy scooted closer to Electchu and leaned into its ear.

"Okay, here's the plan," he whispered. "Knightblade is the major player, but we can't rely on it throughout the match. We need it to be in the best condition when Opal sends out her last Pokémon, especially if it's Gigantamaxed. We'll start the battle with you using Iron Tail to hurt her Pokémon seriously, and if we need to, we'll use Blitzwing to take down opponents with Steel Wing."

"Rai Rai Raichu? Rai Rai Raichu Rai Raichu," Electchu said.

"Hmmm. You're right. Opal's partner might have an attack or two that might seriously hurt Knightblade just like with Bea's Machamp," Timothy said. "How about this: we have either you, Blitzwing, or someone else face her partner for a little while and see what kinds of moves it has first, just like when we battled Lucy and her Milotic. Sound good?"

"Rai Rai Rai Raichu," Electchu pointed out.

"Ezria doesn't need to know if one of my Pokemon is knocked out if she's not watching. We can lie and say I had another perfect match," Timothy said. "Besides, I don't want to experience the Pokémon I Dynamax losing, leaving the rest of my Pokémon to try to take out a Dynamax or Gigantamax Pokémon without the power to match it again. All the same, I'd rather no one in my party faint if I can avoid it."

"Raichu," Electchu said with a nod.

Timothy and his partner waited a couple more minutes until a staff member called for Timothy through the speakers. The Gym Challengers that desired Ezria glared at Timothy again at the sound of his name with one muttering, "I hope Opal wipes you out with her first Pokémon." Timothy rolled his eyes again as he walked down the hall to the battlefield.

The field was pink with a purple center circle and an aqua circle around it. Opal was waiting on her side of her Pokémon with the referee talking to her while on his Aegislash. The announcer introduced Timothy to the crowd, and they cheered, grabbing Opal and the referee's attention. The elderly woman gave Timothy a wrinkly smile.

"Well, I hope you are well-rested, young man," Opal said.

"Don't worry. I am," Timothy assured. "In fact, Ezria had to wake me up so I could be here on time."

"Indeed? You are quite fortunate to have her as a friend," Opal said. "But now, let's see how you and your Pokémon behave without the color pink."

Timothy and Electchu looked at each other, unsure if they heard Opal correctly. The referee levitated to the center of the field and raised his hands.

"This is a four-on-four Pokémon battle between Opal, the Gym Leader, and number seven, Timothy, the Gym Challenger!" He declared. "The battle will be over when all Pokémon from either side cannot continue! Furthermore, only the Gym Challenger can switch Pokémon! Are the contestants ready?!"

"Ready!" Timothy replied.

"Quite ready, Algie," Opal said.

"Then battle begin!" The referee shouted.

The people and Pokémon of Ballonlea applauded as Opal took out her first Pokeball.

"Weezing, dear, come out for mommy," she said.

She threw the ball into the air, and a Galarian Weezing burst out. Timothy hummed in thought before turning to his partner.

"The chairman said Galarian Weezing has excellent defense, so let's not expect it to go down quickly," he said.

"Raichu," Electchu agreed.

"Alright then. Electchu, let's do it!" Timothy shouted, pointing at Weezing.

Electchu hopped into the battlefield, facing Weezing on all fours with its tail up, ready to use Iron Tail on command. Opal smiled at Electchu, finding it going against her first Pokémon amusing.

"Let's not waste any time, Electchu! Use Iron Tail!" Timothy shouted.

"Weezing, use Fairy Wind," Opal said calmly.

Electchu charged at Weezing with its tail glowing white, but Weezing summoned a gust of silver wind that sent Electchu flying back. Electchu landed on its back and groaned before it got up with a couple of cuts on its body.

"Use Tackle." Opal said.

"Stop it with Electro Ball, then use Iron Tail!" Timothy shouted.

Electchu got on all fours again and waited with an orb of electricity at the top of its tail. When Weezing was close enough, Electchu flung the orb, and it hit Weezing in its bigger head's face. The Poison Gas Pokémon shut its eyes from the impact, leaving it open for Electchu to smack it in the face with its tail. Weezing backed away with its eyes still shut, wailing from the Steel type attack. Opal looked at her Pokémon, taken aback, before smiling at Timothy again.

"I see. You used my strategy against me," she said.

"Used and improved," Timothy boasted.

Opal frowned with her eyebrow raised.

"Arrogant, are we? Such a lack of pink in your heart," she said. "Weezing, use Sludge."

"Dodge and use Thunder!" Timothy shouted.

Weezing opened its eyes and spewed dark brown sludge at Electchu from both mouths simultaneously. Electchu jumped to the side, avoiding the sludge, and unleashed a large beam of electricity that hit Weezing. Weezing howled in pain and had several burn marks on its body after the attack.

"Now use Electro Ball again!" Timothy shouted.

"Send it back with Fairy Wind," Opal said.

Electchu threw another orb of electricity, but Weezing sent another gust of wind. The orb slowed to a halt before it came flying back to Electchu.

"Use Iron Tail to knock it back, then use Iron Tail again!" Timothy instructed.

Electchu's tail glowed white again, knocking its Electro Ball back, using its tail like a baseball bat. The orb hit Weezing in the face, leaving it distanced to be hit again with Iron Tail.

"Now use Iron Tail again!" Timothy shouted.

"Weezing dear, use Sludge," Opal said.

Weezing spewed dark brown sludge from the mouth on its larger body, and it hit Electchu's eyes just as it was charging. Electchu moved back and tried to get the sludge off, but its arms were too short of reaching its face.

"Now, use Tackle once more," Opal said.

"Electchu, calm down and listen closely," Timothy said. "Wait until Weezing is close enough, then hit it hard with Iron Tail!"

Electchu stopped trying to get the sludge off and took a deep breath before using its bifurcated ears to hear Weezing levitating, coming closer with a "Weeeeeeeeezzzzzzzz." When its opponent was close enough, Electchu's tail glowed white, and it spun around and smacked Weezing so hard that it sent the Poison Gas Pokémon flying to the other side of the field. It zoomed past Opal and crashed into the wall before plummeting to the ground with both heads having swirly eyes.

"Weezing is unable to battle! Electchu wins!" The referee declared.

The audience paused in surprise before they applauded. Opal returned Weezing and thanked it before turning to Timothy.

"Impressive. I didn't expect you to be able to hit my Weezing despite your Raichu being blinded," she said.

"I've trained my Pokémon to sense where their opponents are when they can't see them," Timothy said. "It's mostly for something like Smog and Mist, but this works too."

"Indeed? Then let's see how well you do with my next Pokémon," Opal said as she took out another Pokéball and threw it. "Go, Mawile!"

The ball opened, and a Mawile appeared on Opal's side of the field. Timothy walked over to his side and carried Electchu to his spot. The Mouse Pokémon was still trying to get the sludge out, and Timothy patted its head.

"Just hold on a moment, pal. I'll get a handkerchief and get that out for you after the battle," Timothy said as he took out another Pokéball. "Odyssey, let's go!"

He threw the container, and his loyal Lucario came out. Odyssey took an offensive stance as it glowered at Mawile, having a good idea of what Timothy had planned for the Deceiver Pokémon.

"Odyssey, use Bone Rush!" Timothy shouted.

"Mawile dear, use Astonish," Opal said.

Mawile spun into the air while making a black ghost face appear with pink glowing eyes, a smile, and a red aura surrounding it. The face scared Odyssey so much that the bone of energy shattered and evaporated into the air.

"Now use Draining Kiss," Opal said.

"Dodge using Extreme Speed followed by Bone Rush!" Timothy shouted.

Mawile ran over to Odyssey, preparing to kiss it, but before it could, Odyssey's body became surrounded by a green aura, and it disappeared from Mawile's sight, quick as a flash. Mawile stopped and looked around for its opponent, only for Odyssey to ram it by its side. Odyssey created another bone of energy and smacked Mawile in the head, making Opal's Pokémon squeal as it fell to the ground with several scratches on its body.

"Don't let up, Odyssey! Use Bone Rush!" Timothy shouted.

"Protect yourself with Iron Defense, then use Draining Kiss," Opal said.

Mawile's body became outlined in white and briefly shined just as Odyssey charged toward it with a bone still on hand. Odyssey swung its bone, but it bounced off Mawile's body. Mawile walked over to its opponent and used its pair of large black jaws on the back of its head to kiss Odyssey on the face. The Aura Pokémon glowed red, and a light yellow orb of energy flew off it and into Mawile. Some of the scratches on its body disappeared, while Odyssey groaned, feeling drained.

"Now use Astonish again, followed by Draining Kiss," Opal said.

"Odyssey, shut your eyes and back away until I say otherwise," Timothy shouted.

Odyssey closed its eyes with its paws just as Mawile created another ghost face to intimidate it. Mawile ran toward Odyssey, ready to kiss it with its jaws again, but Odyssey stepped away with its eyes still covered, using its aura to know where it was going. Odyssey backed away until its back was against the wall, and Mawile smirked as it got ready to kiss it.

"Now, use Aura Sphere just before Mawile kisses you!" Timothy shouted.

Odyssey put its hands together, creating a blue ball of energy between them. It waited until it sensed Mawile was close enough and fired the ball. The ball hit Mawile, and it stepped back, covering its face in pain.

"Now, use Bone Rush!" Timothy shouted.

Odyssey created another bone and hit Mawile in the chin with an uppercut swing, sending it flying in the air again. When it landed a dozen yards away from its opponent, Mawile whimpered in agony with bruises on its body and struggled to get up.

"Now, use Aura Sphere again!" Timothy shouted.

"Use Iron Defense," Opal said.

Mawile took a deep breath before it stood in a straight position, and its body became outlined in white just as another ball of energy was flying toward it. The ball exploded, and Mawile became surrounded in a black cloud of smoke; unfazed by the impact. Opal smiled, pleased that her Pokémon was safe, until she heard Timothy calling out to his Lucario again.

"Use Extreme Speed followed by Bone Rush, double time!"

Odyssey ran into the cloud of smoke, using its aura again to find its target. The white outline in Mawile's body disappeared just in time for Odyssey to appear right in front of the deceiver Pokémon, armed with a bone of energy, and hit its face again. Mawile backed away again, only for Odyssey to beat it two more times. The smaller Pokémon wobbled until its body couldn't take anymore, and it fell on its back with swirly eyes.

"Mawile is unable to battle! Odyssey wins!" The referee shouted.

Opal looked at her poor Pokémon in shock before glumly returning Mawile as the crowd cheered. She turned to Timothy, who was praising Odyssey for its victory, and Electchu joined him while still having sludge on its face after hearing the referee's call. Opal furrowed his brow like a grandmother about to ridicule her grandchild.

"How dare you order your Lucario to be so brutal to my poor Mawile!" She rebuked. "You lack more pink in your heart than I thought."

Odyssey looked at Opal with its head tilted and turned to Timothy with a bewildered face.

"Luca?" It asked.

"Yeah, that's her thing. I don't get it either," Timothy answered with a shrug.

"Raichu," Electchu said with its eyes still shut.

Opal scoffed, astounded that Timothy and his Pokémon showed no care for her words. Her frown deepened, and she took a third Pokéball.

"Togekiss, let's teach them some manners," Opal said.

She threw the ball, and a Togekiss came out, happy to battle for the aging Gym Leader. Timothy pursed his lips and looked at Odyssey and Electchu before he looked down in thought.

"Odyssey's moves won't do much against Togekiss, and Electchu can't use its Electric attacks and Iron Tail to defeat it thanks to Weezing," he thought. "I could take out Knightblade now, but only half of its attacks can really hurry Togekiss, and I still want to hold off using my trump card until we know what to expect with Opal's last Pokémon. With that in mind, the only option is to take out another Pokémon with a Steel type move."

With his mind made up, Timothy took out Odyssey's Pokéball and said, "Odyssey, return!" Opal raised her eyebrow as Odyssey was sucked into its container, and Timothy took out a different Pokéball. He threw it, shouting, "Blitzwing, let's go!" and his proud Braviary came out cawing. Blitzwing and Togekiss stared at each other at eye level, for they were the same height. Opal frowned again, imagining what Timothy had in mind, but she wasn't concerned because she knew how to deal with Blitzwing.

"Blitzwing, use Steel Wing!" Timothy shouted.

Blitzwing's wings glowed white, and it charged toward Togekiss. Togekiss watched its opponent fly toward it, unfazed, confusing Timothy.

"Togekiss, use Ancient Power," Opal said.

Togekiss created a large ball of white and gray energy in front of it and fired. Unable to react in time, Blitzwing flew right into the ball, and the ball exploded, creating a cloud of smoke, sending it several yards back, and crashing into the ground on its back. Blitzwing hissed in pain before it stood up, and spread its wings, showing the scratches around its body.

"Opal surprised us with a move Blitzwing is weak to," Timothy said. "And this is why we should be cautious about using Knightblade for her last Pokémon. Sharp thinking Electchu."

"Raichu," Electchu said.

"Togekiss, use Ancient Power again," Opal said.

"Dodge it Blitzwing, and then use Aerial Ace followed by Crush Claw!" Timothy shouted.

Togekiss fired another ball of energy aimed at the ground toward Blitzwing, but it flew up just before it hit. Blitzwing flew down to Togekiss' level and charged after its opponent. The Valiant Pokemon hit Togekiss, who winced but stayed airborne, barely hurt by the Flying type attack. Unfortunately, it only had a moment of respite before red aura surrounded Blitzwing's talons, and the Valiant Pokémon dug its talons into Togekiss.

"Now use Steel Wing, double time!" Timothy shouted.

Blitzwing's wings glowed white again, and it rammed its wing into Togekiss's stomach. Togekiss squealed and fell to the ground, but just like Blitzwing before it, it stood back up, trying to ignore the pain it felt all over its body.

"Hmmm, a triple attack," Opal said. "Well, let's see how you like this: Togekiss, use Ancient Power."

"Dodge and use Steel Wing!" Timothy shouted.

Togekiss fired another white and gray ball, but Blitzwing avoided it as it charged at its opponent. It flew toward Togekiss with its wings glowing white, but Togekiss showed no signs of concern. Timothy furrowed his brow, figuring his opponent was up to something again.

"Togekiss use Air Slash," Opal said.

"Blitzwing, use Steel Wing to block!" Timothy shouted.

Togekiss lifted up one wing and started waving it around. Light blue energy streaks then appear and swirl around, forming into a ball above the tip of Togekiss's wing.

Togekiss tossed the ball at Blitzwing, and Blitzwing stopped flying in midair to use Steel Wing to protect itself. Blitzwing wasn't fast enough as the ball hit it, and the Valiant Pokémon was sent falling to the ground on its back. Its eyes were shut as it lay down with more cuts on its body.

"Now, use Draining Kiss," Opal said.

Timothy frowned again, annoyed that his opponent was trying to regain some of her Pokémon's health again. He looked at Blitzwing, who was still lying down with its eyes closed while Togekiss flew toward it. Then Timothy's eyes widened as he got an idea, and he knelt down to whisper into Electchu's ear. The Mouse Pokémon didn't wholly understand with its eyes still covered, but it trusted that its partner knew what he was doing. Electchu shouted "Chu," "Rai," and "Raichu" several times to Blitzwing, and the bird-like Pokémon stopped struggling to get up and gave a short nod as it laid down with its head pointing at its friends. Togekiss flew until it was right above Blitzwing and gently lowered itself to kiss it with its eyes closed.

"Blitzwing, now!" Timothy shouted.

Blitzwing's eyes snapped open, and it smacked Togekiss in the face with its wings glowing again. The Jubilee Pokémon squealed as it flew back with its eyes still closed, giving Blitzwing the chance to get back into the air. When Opal realized what had happened, Blitzwing struck Togekiss four more times before her Pokémon fell to the ground with swirly eyes.

"Togekiss is unable to battle! Blitzwing wins!" The referee shouted.

The audience cheered again as Opal looked at her fallen Pokemon, shocked. It took a few seconds to fully process what happened before she looked at Timothy with an amused look.

"I see. You had your Raichu give your Braviary your instructions so I would be clueless to your little trap," she said. "I suppose you think you improved another one of my strategies?"

"Well, you're down to your last Pokémon, so I consider that a fair observation," Timothy boasted.

Opal smirked and said, "Maybe so, but I hope you are prepared because I'm going to have fun with what happens next."

She took out another Pokéball, held it out, and Dynamax Energy emerged from her Dynamax Band. The energy went into the Pokéball, and it began growing in size. Opal threw the ball, and in a pink flash, a massive creature that looked like a towering, five-tiered cake appeared. A small head with a large tuft of cream on top and two ears with a topping on each one was the apical tier of the cake-like. Two of the bottom layers of the cake were pink with a purple bow in the lowest one, and the middle layer was blue with flower and sun decorations.

"What the heck is that thing?" Timothy asked, astonished as he took out his Rotom Phone.

"Alcremie. Gigantamax Form. The Cream Pokémon. A Fairy type," Rotom said. "Cream pours endlessly from this Pokémon's body when in Gigantamax form. The cream stiffens when compressed by an impact. A harder impact results in harder cream."

Timothy smirked at the sound of Opal's partner only being a Fairy type, but then his smile disappeared as he noticed Blitzwing huffing as it stayed airborne with the damage covering its body.

"This isn't as advantageous as I was hoping," he thought. "I'm in the lead, but Electchu is blinded, I don't have anything to get the sludge off, and Blitzwing is not gonna last much longer. That makes Odyssey the only Pokémon able to find out what moves Alcremie knows, and it's already taken some damage. If Odyssey faints while briefly taking on Opal's last Pokémon, I need to hope Gigantamax Alcremie doesn't have any attacks that will take down Knightblade or this will be a repeat of my first battle with Bea."

Timothy took a deep breath before he took out Blitzwing's Pokéball and returned it. He took out Odyssey's Pokéball and threw it, causing the Aura Pokemon to come out, still ready for battle despite losing some of its energy. Opal raised her eyebrow, finding it peculiar that he didn't Dynamax his Pokémon. She wondered if Odyssey had a move that would seriously hurt Gigantamax Alcremie, knowing that its other three moves were Extreme Speed, Bone Rush, and Aura Sphere. Whatever Timothy had in mind, however, Opal was happy to play his little game.

"Alcremie, it's time to give them the pink that they lack! Use G-max Finale!" She shouted with excitement in her eyes.

Gigantamax Alcremie screamed, and white giant cream projectiles with a pink-purple prince fell down from the sky.

"Odyssey, use Extreme Speed to dodge, and attack using Bone Rush!" Timothy shouted.

With its body surrounded in a green aura again, Odyssey disappeared just before the projectiles fell on top of it, completely covering Timothy's side of the field with glowing cream. Odyssey reappears right in front of Gigantamax Alcremie and with a bone of energy in its hands, hits Gigantamax Alcremie on its bottom cake layer. Gigantamax Alcremie squealed but otherwise didn't appear to have taken much damage despite the Ground type attack causing normal damage.

"Alcremie, use G-Max Finale! Cover the whole field!" Opal shouted.

"Odyssey, dodge it again!" Timothy shouted.

Gigantamax Alcremie shouted again, and projectiles fell from the sky. Odyssey disappeared in green aura again, but as the cream crashed into the field, it ran out of space. So much cream fell that the referee flew to the audience with his Aegislash to avoid getting hit. Eventually, Odyssey stopped running, surrounded by cream off-field, and it only had a moment before a ginormous ball of cream fell right on top of it.

"Odyssey!" Timothy shouted.

The projectiles stopped coming, and silence overtook the stadium. Everyone was staring at where they last saw Timothy's Pokémon. Timothy was worried that Odyssey was getting weaker the longer it stayed crushed under the pile. Finally, he saw movement coming from the top of the pile of cream, and Odyssey's left arm burst out. Timothy smiled out of hope until he realized that Odyssey's arm stood hanging in the air. It stood in place for a few seconds before it collapsed, motionless.

"Odyssey is unable to battle! Alcremie is the winner!" The referee shouted.

The audience cheered again, and Opal cackled in triumph. Timothy sighed and returned Odyssey to its Pokéball before taking out a fourth ball.

"I promised you you're going to be the Pokémon that's going to win this battle for me, and now it's time we fulfill that promise together. Let's give it everything we've got," he said to the Pokéball.

Galar particles came out of Timothy's Dynamax Band and merged into his Pokéball. He waited until it grew half the size of his body and threw it into the air. The giant container opened, and Knightblade came out cheering in Dynamax form, ecstatic to have its upcoming moment of victory against a Gigantamax Pokémon.

"Knightblade, use Max Steelspike!" Timothy shouted.

Dynamax Knightblade slammed its sword into the ground, creating a series of jagged gray spikes that extended toward its opponent. Cream came flying into the air as the spikes sprung up, sending some hitting the barrier protecting the audience. The spikes hit Gigantamax Alcremie, and it squealed in agony, its body nearly tipping.

"Now, use Max Steelspike again!" Timothy shouted.

"Alcremie, use Max Guard then use G-Max Finale!" Opal called out.

Gigantamax Alcremie lifted its arms, and a light blue barrier of energy appeared in front of it. Dynamax Knightblade summoned more spikes, but the barrier blocked them before they could touch Alcremie. The giant Cream Pokémon raised its hands again, but before it could use its G-Max move, there was a big flash, and Opal's partner shrunk. Alcremie was now completely pink, with its body resembling several clumps of whipped cream. It had a large crowning blob flanked by two loop-like "bangs." Its lower body was similarly composed of two dollops of whipped cream resembling a robe or a dress. Opal stood stupefied, realizing Alcremie could only stay Gigantamaxed long enough to protect itself and nothing more, leaving it in greater danger with its opponent still Dynamaxed.

"Knightblade, finish this with Max Steelspike!" Timothy shouted.

Dynamax Knightblade slammed its sword into the ground again, creating a series of jagged gray spikes a third time. The spikes hit the poor Pokemon, who was only as big as a person's head, and Alcremie let out a high-pitched scream as it was sent flying and hitting the ground a few feet away from Opal with swirly eyes. The referee floated over to Alcremie on his Aegislash and checked on it before he raised his hand to Timothy's side of the field.

"Alcremie is unable to battle!" He announced. "Knightblade is the winner, which means the victory goes to challenger number seven, Timothy!"

"Yes!" Timothy shouted.

"Raichu!" Raichu chirped.

Knightblade roared in triumph before it shrunk back to its regular form in a flash. It floated over to Timothy and Electchu in Shield Forme, and Timothy hugged it, taking it aback before it happily hugged him back with its arms.

"Great work, Knightblade. I knew I could count on you," Timothy said.

"Aegislash," Knightblade said.

Opal returned Alcremie to its Pokéball and walked over to Timothy, Electchu, and Knightblade with a pleased grin. She reached inside her sleeve and took out a hot pink handkerchief as she stopped right in front of Timothy.

"Here. For your Raichu," she said.

"Thanks," Timothy said.

He knelt down and wiped the sludge off Electchu's face. When he finished, Electchu opened its eyes with a cute smile, and Timothy playfully poked its nose before standing up to face Opal.

"You still severely lack the color pink, but you are an excellent trainer with excellent Pokémon. Truly that was one of the best battles I've had this year. Second only to my battle with Ms. Ezria," Opal said.

"Er, thanks," Timothy said, uneasy with her comparing him to Ezria and still talking about lacking pink.

Opal reached into her umbrella and took out a badge, saying, "Here; a Fairy Badge to show your efforts against me."

"Thank you," Timothy said.

He took out his ring containing his badges and took the Fairy Badge to connect it to the Water, Fire, and Grass Badges. He turned to Electchu and Knightblade and lifted his ring for them and the audience to see. His Pokémon and the audience cheered. Timothy put away the ring and returned Knightblade to Pokéball before shaking Opal's hand and heading to the exit with Electchu. As soon as the two of them were out of sight, Timothy sighed in relief and took out his ring.

"Three more to go, pal," he said. "Just three more battles until Ezria takes us to Eternatus, and the proof the International Police needs will be as good as ours."

"Raichu," Electchu said with a smile before giving Timothy a look of unease. "Rai Churai Chu Raichu Chu Rai Raichu?"

Timothy bit his lip and said, "I don't know. If Ezria is true to her word about not watching any of my battles, she doesn't need to know that Odyssey fainted, but I should make up a story as to why I didn't have a perfect match just in case. Hopefully, she'll be okay since I had one more Pokémon left than Venarge did."

"Raichu," Electchu agreed.

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

Timothy went to the men's room to change back into his regular clothes, his mind on what to say to Ezria. He and Electchu walked back to the lobby, where Ezria was sitting on a bench, rewatching footage of the battle recorded by a League Staff member. As soon as she saw Timothy from the corner of her eye, her face lit up, she quickly put away her phone so Timothy couldn't catch her, sprung up out of her seat, and she ran over to give him a tight, affectionate hug. Timothy mentally sighed and hugged her back gently.

"I heard from people who were heading home after the battle. I knew you could do it," Ezria praised.

"Ah, well, Opal was a good opponent, but she was no match for me in the end." Timothy boasted.

"I don't doubt it," Ezria said before she moved her head back to raise her eyebrow at Timothy. "Though, I heard one of your Pokémon fainted?"

Timothy hesitated and said, "Yes. Odyssey fainted, but it was a part of my strategy against Opal's Alcremie."

"How so?" Ezria asked.

"Well, when I faced Bea, her Machamp severely hurt Knightblade with Max Darkness before Knightblade crushed its opponent in one hit," Timothy lied. "So, when Opal took out Alcremie Gigantamaxed, I had Odyssey face it to find out what moves Alcremie had, so Knightblade and I were completely prepared. I had hoped we could have done that without Alcremie taking out Odyssey, but hey, the important thing is Knightblade won, and I got my fifth badge."

Timothy and Electchu waited as Ezria thought about Timothy's story. After a few seconds, Ezria's smile returned, and she said, "Interesting strategy. I like that you want to make sure you are prepared for your opponent's last Pokémon, though I hope Odyssey is okay with being used as a sacrifice."

"I wouldn't worry about that. I've used strategies like this before, and my Pokémon trust that I know what I'm doing," Timothy said. "After all, one of the most important things about being a Pokémon trainer is that the Pokemon and the trainer trust each other. Right?"

"You are absolutely right," Ezria said. "And now, we only need three more badges to enter the Championship Cup."

Timothy and Electchu smiled and eased up as Timothy hummed in agreement. Suddenly, the front doors slid open, and Coovers and Gwen ran inside, huffing and wheezing with Winnie in Gwen's arms. They ran over to Timothy, Ezria, and Electchu and stopped in front of them with Coovers's hands on his knees, and Gwen was wiping off sweat from her forehead while still carrying Winnie with one arm.

"Did...we...miss...your...battle?" Coovers huffed.

"I just finished it a few minutes ago. I got my fifth badge," Timothy answered, taking out his ring to show off his new badge.

"That's great," Gwen gasped. "But why didn't you guys wake us up? We wanted to cheer for you."

"We decided to let you guys sleep in since you aren't the ones who had a gym battle," Ezria answered.

"'We?'" Gwen asked with a hint of suspicion in her weary voice.

"Er, well, you guys were pretty fast asleep, so I also thought you should stay in bed a little longer," Timothy admitted.

Gwen gave Timothy a glaring pout for taking Ezria's side, then hesitantly said, "Well, I admit I do feel pretty refreshed, but I still wanted to see your battle, Timothy."

Timothy looked at Gwen sweetly, but Ezria stepped in front of him and said, "Yeah, well, it's your fault for pushing yourself and dear Timothy."

"And Coovers too, thanks for noticing," Coovers mumbled.

"That's why I'm staying with the group till the end to make sure it doesn't happen again," Ezria continued. "In fact, I say we stay in Ballonlea one more night before we start traveling again. It's a long journey to my and Timothy's next Gym Battle in Circhester, and I want us all to be ready for that. Besides, I'm guessing you two were so quick to go see Timothy's battle that you haven't eaten yet."

Coovers, Gwen, and Winnie's stomachs growled as if on cue, and the Little Bear Pokémon looked up at its partner with a begging look that said it wanted something smothered in honey. Coovers and Gwen chuckled in embarrassment, and the former said, "You make a convincing argument, Ezria."

"I'm glad to hear it," Ezria said with a proud smirk. "Now, hurry back to the Pokémon Center and grab something to eat at the cafeteria. Timothy and I will grab some supplies at the nearby store."

"Um, actually, Ezria, I think Electchu and I should join our friends so I can tell them what happened at my battle with Opal,'' Timothy said.

Ezria gave Timothy a childish pout before she shrugged uncaringly and said, "Suit yourself. I won't be long."

With that, the raspberry-haired woman made her way to the exit, and Gwen smirked as she watched Timothy's rival leave before turning to her friends with a grumpy face.

"We haven't left town yet, and already I'm irritated," Gwen grumbled. "I admit I got carried away, but couldn't we have someone else be an addition to our group like Sonia, Ned, or Professor Magnolia? Heck, I'd be fine with Opal making us travel at a regular pace."

"Easy for you to say," Coovers said with his mind on the pink clothes Opal made him and his Pokémon wear.

"Yeah, I don't want her in our group either with her constantly trying to win me," Timothy said. "Although, thanks to that, we have a solid chance to get to Eternatus."

"We do?" Coovers and Gwen asked simultaneously.

"Yes. While Ezria and I were chasing the Impidimp, I tried to get to know her better out of hopes to find something we can use to make her defect," Timothy said. "She told me her life story and ended by saying she and Venarge are working for the chairman. Their job requires them to partake in the Gym Challenge, and the World Coronation Series for a secret project that she believes will benefit Marco Cosmos and all of Galar."

"Oh, my goodness. She has to be talking about the chairman's plan with Eternatus." Coovers said.

"Exactly," Timothy said. "I tried to get Ezria to tell me what the project is, but in the end, she said she'll reveal the project to me when I finish the Gym Challenge. She said what Rose has planned will likely take place after that."

"Well, that's convenient," Gwen said. "And that leaves us little time to get the evidence and for the International Police to stop them before Chairman Rose dooms all of Galar."

"Agreed, though at least we have something of a timeline opposed to believing Rose could carry out his plan any day," Timothy said. "Either way, we have a window that ensures we will get inside the Energy Plant. I made Ezria give me her word, and if she sincerely wants to start something with me, she will keep it."

Gwen frowned and said, "Be careful how far you go leading her on Timothy. This might get ugly if you lead her only to break her heart."

"Duly noted," Timothy said.

"Regardless, this makes it official that Ezria is the key to stopping Chairman Rose just as we hoped," Coovers said. "Furthermore, if the Chairman plans to carry out his plan after the Gym Challenge, it might be best for me to request that Looker and my other higher-ups should be ready to take action as soon as we get proof. To that end, I'm going to call Looker and let him know that you agreed to assist me in my mission, that you have given us an opening to get the proof, and that there isn't much time between after you get all of your badges to save all of Galar."

"Will he agree to go so far as to get ready when we still have no solid proof?" Timothy asked.

"It's unlikely since we of the International Police have to do some things by the book. Still, the fact that Ezria said the chairman has a plan that is supposed to help his company and the entire region give a small but noticeable connection to Professor Magnolia's claims." Coovers said. "But while we're still not in the Energy Plant, Ezria's back in our group, and we're going to be friends with her. So, keep your contempt and your disinterest in dating her in the back of your heads. Got it?"

"Yes, Coovers," Timothy and Gwen said begrudgingly.

"Good," Coovers said before he put his hand on his stomach with a look of agony. "Now, let's get back to the Pokémon Center already. I'm so hungry I can eat a pile of food that's Electchu's height."

Timothy and Gwen scoffed in amusement until Gwen frowned and put her free hand on her stomach.

"Actually, that much food sounds good to me," she said.

"Teddi," Winnie whined in agreement.

Timothy chuckled as he and Electchu followed their friends out of the stadium, but Timothy's smile faded as soon as they were out. At this moment, it hit him how it became more important than ever for him to win his last three Gym Battles and be friendly to Ezria. His heart grew heavy as he looked at Gwen and realized he would have no more opportunities to try and spend quality time with her. He quietly whimpered, wishing the roles were reversed, so Ezria only saw him as a friend, and Gwen was crazy about him. He hung his head as he walked for half a minute, then lifted it back with a determined look.

"No, I can't look at it that way," he thought. "Serena said not to give up until it's over, so be positive. I found time to be with Gwen without anyone else but our Pokémon once before. I can do it again. I just need to wait for the right moment and otherwise focus on making her wish to protect Galar come true. I can do this. It's not over yet."