As Ezria predicted, she brutally defeated Piers in a Gym Battle, and as soon as her Pokémon were checked up and the group restocked on supplies, they were on their way to Hammerlocke. Though no one said anything, everyone in the group grew tense as they got closer to the city. Timothy and Electchu worried whether or not Timothy would win his final badge on the first go. Coovers, Gwen, and Winnie worried that they wouldn't be able to stop Chairman Rose in time, and though Ezria was the most confident of the group, a part of her still worried that Timothy might reject her and Rose's plan.

On the second to last day, the group tried to ride through the night, for they were only a few hours of riding time away from Hammerlocke, but they ultimately agreed to rest for the night. Gwen and Coovers worked together to make dinner while Timothy and Ezria trained their Pokémon. When dinner was ready, everyone ate in silence. The trainers wanted to try to strike a conversation to lighten the mood, but they all felt too awkward to try.

After dinner, Timothy helped Coovers and Gwen wash the dishes at a nearby stream while Ezria set up her tent. Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen then changed into their pajamas and set up their sleeping bags just as Ezria came out of her tent in her pajamas. Ezria smiled awkwardly as she watched everyone get ready to sleep.

"Well, um, one more day, and we'll be at Hammerlocke," she said.

Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen murmured words of agreement without looking at Ezria.

"Uh, Timothy, are you and your Pokémon ready to crush Raihan?" Ezria asked.

"I hope so," Timothy said half-heartedly.

"You hope so? Come now, you can be more confident than that," Ezria said. "Coovers, Gwen, don't you agree?"

"Yeah. Timbo's got this," Coovers said tiredly.

"Ditto," Gwen said with a yawn.

Ezria grew more uncomfortable with how Timothy's friends replied and cleared her throat.

"Okay, I can see you guys are tuckered out, so I'll go back to my tent," she said. "Good night."

"Night, Ezria," Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen replied.

"Raichu," Electchu said.

"Tedd," Winnie said.

Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen got into their sleeping bags. Electchu laid down next to Timothy, and Winnie got into Gwen's sleeping bag, where its partner wrapped her arm around as they dozed off together. Ezria returned to her tent and laid her sleeping bag on the floor. She got into her sleeping bag and lay on her side facing her open tent door, where she could see Timothy slowly falling asleep. Ezria smiled, loving that the last thing she saw was her crush's sleeping face before her eyes grew heavy.

But as she fell asleep, a shadowy figure with a fog-like ghostly plume on its head and red spikes around its neck was lurking in the woods. It moved from tree to tree until it noticed the sleeping camp from the corner of its bright blue eye. It stopped in midair and began staring deeply at the tired souls, its gaze on Ezria first.

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

Ezria opened her eyes to find herself in a king-sized bed. She looked to discover she was in a large bedroom with a window wall on one side and a doorway leading to a fancy bathroom. Ezria got out of bed and walked to the window to see a massive view of Wyndon, where the sun was halfway through rising above the ocean in the distance.

"What am I doing back in Wyndon?" Ezria asked.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and it opened to reveal Bard in a suit. Ezria gave Bard a sullen look, thinking he was about to ask her to marry him as he had done many times before, but instead of proposing, Bard put his hand on his heart and took a humble bow.

"Good morning...Mrs. Durbin," he said.

Bard squirmed as though calling Ezria by that name caused him physical pain.

"You are summoned to the top floor at once," he said.

Ezria's eyes widened.

"Did you call me Mrs. Durbin?" She asked.

Bard let out a soft whimper before he begrudgingly nodded. Ezria stared at Bard suspiciously, thinking he was pulling some prank. She lifted her hand to point at Bard, ready to threaten him not to mess with her, but then she looked at her hand and saw a golden band on her finger. Ezria's eyes widened again as she stared at the ring, then she turned to the bed to see a body-shaped indentation opposite where she was lying. The wheels in Ezria's head turned, and she covered her mouth as her cheeks heated up.

"Is...is this our...?" She thought.

"Mrs. Durbin, please, there's no time to waste," Bard said. "Your husband and brother are waiting, so kindly get changed."

Ezria's heart skipped a beat at the word, 'husband,' then she put on a clam face and nodded in understanding. Bard nodded back and exited the room to give Ezria privacy. After showering and putting on her regular clothes, Ezria left the room and followed Bard to an elevator. Bard pressed a button to the top floor, and as she waited to reach the top floor, Ezria noticed a silhouette around the buttons shaped like Rose Tower.

"Wait a minute. We live in Rose Tower?" Ezria asked, flabbergasted.

Bard looked at Ezria confused and asked, "Are you feeling alright, Mrs. Durbin?"

Ezria hesitated, unsure of how to answer the question, but before she could, there was a loud ding, and the elevator doors opened to reveal the top floor. Venarge stood at the center talking to a man whose back was facing Ezria and Bard with a Raichu standing next to him. A door opened from the other side of the room, and Kibau, Stan, Mojo, and several other men in suits came in pushing wheelbarrows. Each wheelbarrow contained piles of jewels, Pokémon plushies, framed paintings, and letters. The men put down the wheelbarrows next to Venarge and the man with a Raichu, who kept talking as though the other men weren't there. Ezria walked into the room, still unsure of what was going on, and Venarge turned to her, hearing her footsteps. The man in front of him turned around to reveal himself as Timothy. His green eyes connected to Ezria's, and he gave her a smile that made her heart race.

"Good morning, My Queen," he greeted as he and Electchu walked over to Ezria. "Sleep well?"

Timothy put his hand on Ezria's cheek and pressed his lips against hers. Ezria let out a squeal muffled by Timothy's mouth. When Timothy moved back, Ezria saw a golden band on the hand that wasn't holding her cheek. She gasped softly and looked between her and Timothy's rings before her face turned red. Bard, Kibau, Stan, Mojo, and the other men in suits watched in agony while Electchu smirked, and Venarge looked at Timothy and Ezria in disgust.

"Will you ever stop snogging in front of people?" Venarge rebuked.

"When your experience in being in love exceeds ours, then you can tell me when I can kiss my wife," Timothy said before turning to Kibau, Stan, Mojo, Bard, and the other men in suits with a condescending smirk. "Thank you, gentleman. You may go now."

The men winced as though Timothy smacked them. They turned to Ezria with heartbroken looks before they walked out of the room. When Bard closed the door behind them, Venarge snickered.

"Hiring Ezria's fans to be your manservants so they can watch you two be together while under your command," he said. "I gotta admit, Timothy, that's cruel."

"What can I say? I learned a thing or two from Ezria," Timothy said as he wrapped his arm around Ezria's waist and pulled her into a side hug. "We don't want those pissants to forget that my heart, my life belongs to this woman. Isn't that right, babe?"

Ezria's face turned barn red from Timothy calling her "babe" while holding her close. She smiled and nodded, deciding to play along before turning her head to the wheelbarrows.

"What's all this?" She asked.

Venarge scoffed and said, "What do you think? More gifts for you two defeating rampaging Dynamax Pokémon."

"Including letters to sing our praises," Timothy said, turning to Ezria. "Betcha, some of them are from kids who made drawings of us battling with Doublade and Knightblade. It's gonna take us all week just to read them all."

"Yes, being the most loved people in Galar must be so difficult," Venarge said sarcastically.

"Hey, we can't help it if Eternatus caused three Pokémon to Gigantamax in the same place," Timothy said. "Not that I mind. Eternatus can Gigantamax or Dynamax as many Pokémon as it wants as long as it gives Galar unlimited energy. Last night was just the busiest date Ezria and I have had so far, Venny."

"Stop calling me that," Venarge said like an embarrassed child before turning to Ezria. "Anyway, we have more important things to focus on. Aunt Oleana reports a Kingler, a Hatterene, and an Orbeetle Gigantamaxed this morning. The Kingler is in Hulbury, the Hatterene is close to the mines in Turffield, and the Orbeetle is in Turffield. Uncle Rose has ordered that we deal with them ASAP."

"Sounds good. You take the Kingler while we take the Orbeetle. Leon can have the Hatterene," Timothy said.

"Who says you get to decide? You're not Head Protector," Venarge said.

Timothy scratched his chin in thought, then said with a smirk, "You know what, Venny? You're right. Where are my manners? Head Protector Ezria, what's your call?"

Ezria stood still with her face still red, struggling to process everything around her. Everything felt like life skipped several steps leading to all she ever wanted, or she simply forgot how she went from competing in the Gym Challenge to marrying Timothy and protecting Galar from Dynamaxed Pokémon with him and Venarge. Eventually, the thought of Timothy deeply loving her, citizens worshiping her, and living the rest of her life battling massive Pokémon trumped Ezra's confusion. If life blessed her this way, she would seize the opportunity.

Ezria smiled from ear to ear and pulled Timothy into a firm kiss. Timothy wrapped his arms around Ezria and squeezed her as he kissed her back. When they parted, Ezria snuggled her head against Timothy's shoulder with her eyes closed.

"I don't care as long as we're together, and we've made Uncle Rose's dream come true, my sweet knight," she said.

"Then you won't have to worry about anything ever again," Timothy whispered. "I will always be by your side, My Queen, and Eternatus will power Galar for all time. Our love and our deeds will be remembered a thousand - no, a million years from now."

"I'll settle for all eternity," Ezria said.

Venarge stuck his tongue out, and Electchu smiled at the tender moment. Ezria sighed blissfully, ready for this moment to last forever. She tightened her hold on Timothy and felt him rubbing her back until she heard a vicious scream.

"STEP AWAY FROM TIMOTHY!!!!"

Ezria opened her eyes and lifted her head to see Gwen standing several feet away. Gwen clenched her teeth and looked daggers at Ezria while cracking her knuckles. Ezria glowered back and pulled Timothy as close to her as physically possible in an overprotective embrace.

"Get out of my sight, you mewling wench!" Ezria snarled. "We're married now, and you can't do a thing about it."

Gwen let out a high-pitched, mocking laugh and said, "I beg to differ."

"Oh, yeah? Then what do you call this?" Ezria challenged.

She lifted her hand to show her wedding ring, but nothing was on her finger. Ezria's eyes widened, and she frantically looked at the front and back of her hand, hoping in vain that it was somehow still there. She tried to tighten her hold on Timothy, only to realize he was gone. Gwen mockingly laughed again as Ezria looked around the room to find Timothy, only to realize Venarge, Electchu, and the wheelbarrows of gifts were gone.

"Timothy?! Timothy, where are you?!" Ezria shouted.

"I'm over here."

Ezria turned back to Gwen and gasped to see Timothy hugging Gwen from behind. He kissed Gwen's cheek and happily rested his head against hers while Gwen caressed his cheek, looking at Ezria smugly. Gwen's other hand was on top of Timothy's, wearing wedding rings. Ezria shook her head in disbelief with tears in her eyes.

"No. No, no, no, no, this can't be right. Timothy, you belong to me. We're perfect for each other," Ezria said. "Why would you choose a lesser woman? She's not a powerful trainer and hideous compared to me."

"I think you should look in the mirror before talking about someone being hideous," Gwen chuckled, pointing past Ezria.

Ezria turned around to find a six-foot-tall mirror standing in front of her. She looked at her reflection and screamed to see her face full of wrinkles and warts. There was a large lump above Ezria's left eye, she was missing several teeth, and her hair was dry and discolored. Ezria looked at her hands, which were bony and had long, dirty fingernails. Timothy and Gwen pointed and laughed at Ezria, and she covered her head with tears coming down her face.

"Oh, by the way, Gwen told me about Rose's little science project," Timothy chortled. "Since I obey my bride's every whim, we besieged the Energy Plant and set Eternatus free."

"What?!" Ezria screamed.

Before Ezria knew it, she, Timothy, and Gwen were standing in front of Hammerlocke Stadium. A large dark violet and red draconic alien type of creature with a skeletal structure burst out from underground and flew away with a mighty roar. Chairman Rose climbed out of the hole, out of breath, and watched the creature fly away.

"Eternatus!" Rose cried out with tears in his eyes. "Eternatus, please come back! Galar needs your power!"

"Quit your whining, old man. That beast is never going anywhere near Hammerlocke again," Gwen said coldly. "The only person who could ever find it is my mother, and she's long gone."

"But...but we need Eternatus's power to save Galar's future," Ezria protested.

"Who cares?" Timothy retorted. "We only care about the now. If people and Pokémon run out of energy in the distant future, it's not our problem."

"That's right," Coovers said, suddenly appearing next to Timothy and Gwen. "And thank you for showing us the way to the plant, Ezria. We had so much fun setting Eternatus free. It was like freeing a Pidgey trapped in a cage."

"What? No, you're lying! I only wanted Timothy to see Eternatus!" Ezria shouted.

"Why else was I able to get in the plant to free Eternatus?" Timothy said.

Rose's face fell, and he turned to Ezria with a look of betrayal. Ezria covered her mouth with both hands in shock as tears ran down Rose's face.

"My hopes...my dreams...Galar's future; they're all gone because of you," Rose said.

Ezria opened her mouth and stepped toward the chairman's, but he held his hand up with a bitter glare. Then Rose's mouth quivered, and he fell to his knees, hugging himself and bursting into tears. Coovers laughed maniacally, pointing at Rose while Timothy and Gwen turned to each other and began kissing vigorously. Ezria felt a massive pain in her heart as though it was pierced by a butcher knife, digging deeper with every intense kiss.

Suddenly, a gust of black wind blew in front of Ezria, and she covered her face. When the wind disappeared, Ezria found she was still in Hammerlocke, standing close to the hole, but the sky was gray, and there were no street lights lighting the city. Houses and stores were worn out, and Ezria saw through the windows that they were pitch-black inside. Cars stood in the middle of the road, lifeless with children in dirty clothes and small Pokémon inside the cars, pretending to drive or lying on top of them as though they were out in the mountains lying on boulders—people and Pokémon walk by with expressionless faces. No one acknowledged each other as they passed by.

"Michelle, come out of there," Ezria heard someone say from behind. "It's time to go home."

One of the children got out of one of the cars and ran past Ezria to an old, hunched woman. The woman petted the child and took her hand as they began walking away.

"I imagined myself driving really fast, Gran-Gran," Michelle said. "There were lights coming out of it just like you described."

"That sounds fun," Michelle's grandmother said. "I'm sure that car would love to take you for a ride if it had power."

Ezria's heart sank, and she looked at the large hole again, beginning to realize what was happening.

"Gran-Gran, why have we never had power since you were my age?" Michelle asked.

Michelle's grandmother's face grew crestfallen, and she said, "Well, child, a long time ago, there was a wonderful man named Rose who predicted that Galar would be unable to have power through natural resources by around my time. So, he captured an incredible Pokemon that had unlimited energy to spare and put him in a machine so it could power our homes forever."

"Wow," Michelle said in awe. "What happened?"

"Three wicked people named Coovers Woodward and Timothy and Gwen Durbin broke into Rose's Energy Plant and set the Pokémon free before Rose could turn on his machine," Michelle's grandmother answered. "Despite everything Rose did to protect it with the help of his loyal associates, Oleana, his secretary, and her nephew, Venarge, those wicked people tricked someone into letting them into the plant. Because of that, Galar ran out of natural resources when I was little, and we lost all power for everything. Lights, appliances, trains, batteries for cars, everything."

"And who let the evil people in?" Michelle asked.

Ezria's face grew pale. She took three steps back before she turned around, lowered her head, shut her eyes, and covered her ears, dreading to hear the older woman say her name. Ezria's breathing grew rapid as she tried to brace herself for Michelle's grandmother's answer.

"No one knows."

Ezria's head rose, and her eyes snapped open. She turned back to Michelle and her grandmother, the former confused with the answer.

"Nobody found out who helped ruin the nice man's plan?" Michelle asked.

"Not a soul," Michelle's grandmother replied. "No one knows the person's name, how they knew Rose or the bad people, or if they were a man or woman. This person could have been a Pokémon for all we know. But, you know what, sweetheart? I don't think it matters. If nobody bothered to remember this person back then, why should we? We struggle as it is trying to get through the day without power. What good is knowing that person's name to us?"

Ezria looked at Michelle's grandmother in horror as though the hunched older woman had transformed into a soul-eating monster. She stepped back and shook her head, mouthing out, "No." Michelle looked up at the sky and hummed in thought before she turned back to her grandmother and nodded

"I think you're right, Gran-Gran. It would be easier to look at things like this person never existed," Michelle said.

Ezria gasped sharply as though the child had plunged a sword through her. Her mouth shivered, and a new set of tears ran down her face. Michelle's grandmother nodded, and the two of them began walking away hand in hand. Ezria watched them walk away, petrified by their words. She feared being blamed for failing the chairman forever, but being forgotten when everyone else she knew was remembered in the distant future was worse.

Suddenly, Ezria's hands turned into fists, and she clenched her teeth. She raced toward Michelle and her grandmother, forcefully turned Michelle's grandmother to face her, and grabbed her by the arms. Michelle screamed at the sight of Ezria, bony, wrinkled, and full of warts.

"That person is me! Got it?!" Ezria barked. "I don't care if I was the leader of Team Rocket! You people have to remember that the unknown person in that story is me: Ezria Markenel! I was not tricked! Gwen Weaver, not Durbin, corrupted my man and used him against me: Ezria Markenel! You people should remember me more than anyone! You got that?! The one person in all eternity you should remember is Ezria Markenel!"

Michelle's grandmother looked at Ezria, unfazed. After several seconds, she let out an uncaring "Humph" and walked away with the child as though nothing had happened. Ezria stood paralyzed and shook her head in disbelief before turning to all the other people and Pokémon walking down the street.

"All of you must know who I am!" She screamed. "I'm Ezria Markenel! Ezria Markenel! Ezria Markenel!"

But no one gave Ezria as much as a glance. New tears ran down her face, and her legs gave out as people and Pokemon passed by her like she was nothing but air. Ezria shut her eyes, and pulled her hair as she screamed with her voice cracking and her eyes filled with terror.

"I'm Ezria Markenel! I'm Ezria Markenel! I'm Ezria Markenel! I'M EZRIA MARKENEL!!!"

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

Coovers was inside an elevator with Looker and a dozen police officers behind him. He had a Pokéball in his hand and a smug look on his face. Coovers didn't know how far the elevator was going down underground, but he didn't care. It was just building up the excitement for what was going to happen. It was his moment to shine. His big break. His victory, and he was going to relish it.

With a ding, the elevator stopped, and the door slid open. Coovers, Looker, and the police officers rushed to the other side of an empty metal hallway with a massive metal door, and a keypad next to it. Coovers and Looker stepped in front of the keypad and looked at each other, smirking.

"This is your moment to shine, Coovers," Looker said, with his hand on Coovers' shoulder. "Let's shut down this crazy businessman's scheme."

"Yes, sir," Coovers said.

Looker turned to the police officers and nodded. The officers each took out a Pokéball while Looker prepared to take out his badge. Coovers entered the password Timothy gave to him when Ezria took him to the Energy Plant, and the metal doors slid open. Coovers, Looker, and the police officers ran inside with Coovers and the officers throwing their Pokeballs. The balls opened to reveal Samurott and a dozen Growlithe and Arcanine ready to attack with no remorse.

"This is the International Police!" Looker shouted, holding out his badge. "We have a warrant to shut down this operation. Failure to comply will -"

Looker's face fell, and Coovers, the police officers, and their Pokémon stopped in their tracks to find the Energy Plant was empty. The lights were off, and the core was open. Coovers took several steps forward, shaking his head.

"Where is it? Where's Eternatus?" He asked. "It was right there in the core. It was on the video Timothy recorded."

Just then, a large holographic image appeared in front of the core. Chairman Rose was sitting in an office chair, roaring with laughter. Oleana stood next to him with the edge of her mouth slightly curled up, and Venarge stood next to her with a Cheshire Cat grin. Ezria stood on Rose's other side with Timothy and Electchu, letting out a high-pitched giggle as she hugged Timothy's arm. Timothy and Electchu stood half dead with headbands on their heads. Coovers looked at the image in disbelief while Looker marched past him with a dark look.

"Rose, where is Eternatus?!" He demanded.

"Oh, please. Did you think I would keep my prize here for you to take it from me?" Rose asked mockingly. "I've known about your silly little plan all along."

Looker, Coovers, the police officers, and their Pokémon stood in shock. After a moment, Coovers shook his head and said, "No, you're lying. There was no way you could have known."

"Wasn't there?" The chairman asked. "This is my region. I have eyes everywhere. I knew what you were up to the moment you landed in Wyndon. The only reason you were still playing secret spy was that I wanted to play a little game of pretending to be unaware of your mission before I moved Eternatus to another place. Well, that and so that you deliver Ezria's groom-to-be for her."

"What did you do to Timothy?!" Looker barked.

"Oh, nothing serious," Ezria said, rubbing her cheek against Timothy's shoulder. "We just happened to have found headbands Team Rocket used to brainwash you through the right people and then improved them."

"What do you mean?" Coovers asked.

"Timothy is brainwashed to be with me right now, but I don't have to have this contraption on his head forever," Ezria said. "Slowly but surely, the headband permanently makes Timothy subject to my beliefs and desires. Eventually, it will psychologically affect him to the point that he truly, deeply agrees that what we're doing is right and how much he needs me. At that point, I don't need the headband anymore because my prize loves me by his own will...in a manner of speaking. Of course, we're doing the same to his Pokémon, excluding Knightblade. Isn't that, my darling?"

Timothy let out a zombie-like groan and turned to Ezria to pull her into a firm hug. Ezria let out an "Oh," taken aback before she giggled while giving Timothy a flirtatious look.

"My, my, my, how strong you are," Ezria said as she hugged Timothy back and gave Coovers a wink. "I can have him hold me like this all day."

"Let go of my friends!" Coovers screamed.

"You should be worried about your other friends," Venarge said with a scoff.

"What do you mean?" Looker asked

"It's quite simple. The Magnolias and Ms. Weaver tried to interfere for too long," Chairman Rose said. "As of right now, we've activated our device to extract Eternatus' power, but some of it escaped and have Dynamaxed multiple Pokémon, including a couple of poor creatures in Wedgehurst. We'd love to take care of those Pokémon right away, but I'm afraid Ezria, Timothy, Leon, and Venarge will be focused on other Pokémon threatening lives for a while. I hope nothing unfortunate happens in the meantime."

Coovers' eyes widened, and his blood froze. The chairman, Ezria, and Venarge cackled. Oleana chuckled with her mouth closed, and Timothy and Electchu laughed robotically. Looker clenched his teeth and shook his fist into the air.

"Rose, you will face justice for this!" he roared.

"I'd like to see you try," Oleana said. "But, by the time you find us, we will have made all the arrangements so that Mr. Chairman's project is perfectly legal. You'll never be able to touch him one way or another."

"That's impossible!" Coovers shouted.

"Nothing is impossible for me," Rose said. "Anyway, I love our little chat, but I'm afraid I must let you go, gentleman. So many Dynamaxed Pokémon to deal with in so little time."

"Oh, and Coovers, please be careful out there," Ezria said. "Timothy will want his best man with him at the wedding of the millennium."

The holographic image disappeared, leaving nothing but silence in the dark corridor. Coovers frowned and began reaching to the entrance, returning Samurott as he ran.

"And just where do you think you're going, Mr. Woodward?" Looker asked.

"What do you mean where am I going? To Wedgehurst," Coovers said. "We have to save the citizens there."

Looker shook her head disapprovingly.

"I will deal with that, but you're not coming," Looker said.

"Why? Do you need me to go somewhere else?" Coovers asked.

"No, because you've failed me for the last time," Looker said. "This is twice you've failed to keep your mission a secret, and now your incompetence has endangered countless lives. I can't afford to keep a poor excuse of an agent anymore. You're fired."

"What?!" Coovers asked.

Looker walked over to Coovers, reached inside his coat, and took his badge.

"You won't be needing this," Looker said before turning to the officers. "Move out!"

He raced to the exit with the officers following after returning their Pokemon. Coovers stood still in shock for a moment before he began chasing after them with his arm stretched out to Looker.

"Sir, wait! Give me another chance! I can still save everyone! Please!" Coovers called out.

Suddenly, within a blink of an eye, Coovers found himself standing in the middle of the road at Wedgehurst, the sky covered in dark red clouds. Two Pokémon, one being a squirrel-like creature and one resembling a sheep, were rampaging the town. Houses, cars, the train station, and the Pokémon Center were reduced to rubble, and screams from people and Pokémon were heard all around Coovers. Coovers covered his ears, unable to bear the scream until he remembered his real reason for wanting to go to Wedgehurst.

Coovers ran to the outskirts of town but stopped for a moment when he saw Professor Magnolia's home reduced to rubble. He shook his head, whispering, "no'' before running to the destroyed house to find Professor Magnolia, Gwen, and Winnie lying on the ground, motionless. Coovers knelt beside Professor Magnolia and shook her body until suddenly, she grabbed him by the wrist. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked up, glowering at Coovers, breathing heavily.

"I should have sent someone else," the professor wheezed.

"It's not my fault. I did everything to keep it a secret," Coovers protested.

But instead of responding, Professor Magnolia's breathing died until it stopped altogether. The professor's eyes became lifeless, and her hand holding Coovers' hand fell to the ground with a plop. Coovers covered his mouth as he looked at the professor's lifeless body. Then, he rushed to Gwen's side and began shaking her too.

"Gwen, come on. Wake up," Coovers begged. "You gotta get up. We have to stop the Dynamax Pokemon."

He turned to Winnie and scooted it up, holding it like a baby.

"Come on, Winnie. You need to wake up too," Coovers said, his eyes beginning to water. "You can do it. Just open your eyes. I'll get you the biggest bottle of honey if you wake up right now."

Winnie laid in Coovers' arms, limp with its eyes closed as though it was fast asleep. He looked around, trying to find help, but then he stopped as he saw something that made his heart grow still. Sticking out from the remains of Professor Magnolia's house was a hand with long, teal fingernails and a large, black bracelet on its wrist. Coovers stared at the hand as his mouth began to quiver.

"No. No. Please, no," Coovers whimpered. "This can't be happening."

Tears ran down Coovers' face. The sound of people and Pokemon screaming grew louder, and Coovers dropped Winnie to cover his ears. However, no matter how hard he tried, he could still hear the screams followed by Chairman Rose, Oleana, Ezria, Venarge, Timothy, and Electchu's laughter. Coovers shut his eyes and hung his head as he screamed, "NO!"

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

It was a sunny day in Wedgehurst, and Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, and their Pokémon were out by the lake next to Professor Magnolia's house for a picnic with Sonia and the professor. Electchu, Winnie, Spoink, Mudbray, Cufant, and Drifloon played. Poliwrath, Knightblade, Samurott, Krookodile, Klinklang, Chandelure, and Zoarak were in a group circle talking about battles. Odyssey and Shockwave sat on the grass, having their conversation. Blitzwing, Braviary, and Noctowl flew over the lake together. And Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, and Sonia were sitting on a blanket, talking as they ate sandwiches and berries while Professor Magnolia drank their tea.

When they finished eating, Timothy and Gwen cleaned up while Coovers and Sonia went for a walk, and the professor left to work on research at her lab. With the dishes put away, Gwen sat back on the blanket, watching the Pokémon play with a smile while Timothy laid down next to her to take a nap with his hands behind his head. Gwen turned to the man with the "H.A.K." shirt with a serene smile, finding his sleeping face cute.

"Timothy?" She asked.

"Mmmm?" Timothy asked.

"How does it feel winning the league, beating Leon, and being a hero again?" Gwen asked.

Timothy opened his eyes and smirked at Gwen before he sat up.

"Well, I'd hardly call myself a hero. We got the evidence, and the International Police did the rest by stopping the chairman," Timothy said. "That aside, winning the Galar League and beating a tough Champion like Leon is a dream come true."

Gwen's smile spread to the sides of her face, saying, "I know what you mean. I still can't believe I figured out the mystery behind the Darkest Day. I wish my mom was here so I could tell her I did it."

"I'm sure she knows. Your dad, too," Timothy said.

Gwen gave Timothy an appreciative look, then her smile faded, and she looked away, playing with the grass.

"So... where are you going next?" She asked. "Do you know what Pokémon League you will compete in next?"

"Actually, I'm not planning to compete in another Pokémon League," Timothy said.

Gwen turned her head back to Timothy, confused.

"Why not? Aren't you going to pursue more or your dream?" She asked.

"Honestly, Gwen, I think I already have completed my dream," Timothy said. "I haven't won every league, but I beat the most powerful Champion in the world. Nothing can top that. Besides, I have a new dream here in Galar."

"Really? What is it?" Gwen said.

Timothy scooted closer to Gwen until he sat only inches away from her. Gwen felt her cheeks heat up as Timothy stared deep into her eyes with a heartfelt smile.

"Well, it goes without saying that I like Ezria, but I have been thinking, and I've decided that I want to enter a relationship with someone," Timothy said.

Gwen's eyes widened, taken aback. She looked away and began playing with the grass again.

"I see," Gwen said. "Do you...do you have someone in particular?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact," Timothy said. "She's very kind, smart, determined, and loves Pokemon deeply. She also has a stubborn side, but I can be stubborn too. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever met."

"Oh, I see," Gwen said, hiding her disappointment. "How can you say she's the most beautiful woman when there's Ezria?"

Timothy chuckled.

"The whole world may see Ezria as the most beautiful woman in the world, but when I think about someone of incredible beauty both inside and out, all I can think about is this person," he said. "Someone so special that after one journey together, I wish I came to Galar to be with her sooner."

Gwen turned to Timothy again, her cheeks pink. The last thing Timothy said implied that what he was saying was what she wanted to hear. And yet, his talk of beauty and only thinking of said person didn't add up in her eyes.

"But who could be so special that you want to be with her?" She asked.

"Oh, I think you know," Timothy replied.

Timothy put his hand on Gwen's, and her blush grew. He leaned closer to Gwen with his eyes on her lips. Gwen's heart raced as her face turned completely red, but she didn't move away from Timothy's advance. She slowly leaned toward Timothy, placing her hand on his cheek, and the two of them tilted their heads and closed their eyes.

Suddenly, just as their lips were centimeters apart, the sun was covered by a blanket of dark red clouds. The Pokémon stopped playing and chatting, wondering what was going on. Timothy and Gwen stood up as they stared at the sky to see Eternatus flying above Wedgehurst. With a roar, Galar Particles shot out from Eternatus' body and landed on several Pokemon in town, causing them to Dynamax. Gwen's eyes widened in horror as she heard screaming and buildings being destroyed from a distance.

"No. No, no, no, please, no. This isn't happening," she said. "Why is Eternatus doing this?"

"Guys!"

Timothy and Gwen looked to see Coovers running over to them. He put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath before pointing at the rampaging Pokémon.

"Eternatus is here," he panted.

"We know. We saw it fly over here," Timothy said.

"But why is it here?" Gwen asked, her voice shaking in fear. "We set it free. There's no reason it should be doing this."

"I don't know, but Sonia and the professor are in their lab right now trying to figure it out," Coovers said, pointing at a laboratory high up on a hill on the other side of town. "Meantime, we must fight these Dynamax Pokémon before they destroy Wedgehurst."

"But how? There's so many of them," Gwen said. "Eternatus might keep Dynamaxing Pokémon."

Timothy furrowed his brow and grabbed his backpack lying on the ground beside the blanket. He opened the backpack and reached in to take out the Master Ball.

"Then we will cut the power at its source," Timothy said. "If I can get close enough, I'll catch it with the Master Ball. That'll keep it from hurting anyone or Dynamaxing Pokémon ever again."

"But it's too dangerous," Gwen protested.

"We have no choice, Gwen," Coovers said.

"Coovers' right. If there was any time to use this special ball for me to keep a certain Pokemon, this is it," Timothy said.

Gwen tried to utter words of protest, but nothing came out of her mouth. Timothy ran over to Electchu, Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, Knightblade, Winnie, Spoink, Noctowl, Cufant, Mudbray, Drifloon, Samurott, Klinklang, Krookodile, Zoarak, Braviary, and Chandelure, who were watching the desolation against Wedgehurst in horror.

"Everyone, listen up!" Timothy shouted, catching the Pokémon's attention. "We have an opportunity to stop Eternatus for good. I have the Master Ball, which can catch any Pokémon without battling it! I need all of you to catch Eternatus' attention to draw it over to me! Can I count on you?"

The Pokémon shouted "Yes" in their languages without missing a beat. Coovers smirked and nodded, proud of his Pokémon for agreeing to Timothy's plan. Gwen, however, looked at her Pokémon, horrified that they wanted to follow Timothy. She rushed over to him and grabbed him by his shirt, giving him a pleading look in her opal eyes.

"Timothy, please don't do this!" She begged. "There has to be a safer way! I can't lose you or my Pokémon the way I lost my mo -"

Before she could finish that sentence, Timothy leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips. The kiss stunned Gwen, and Timothy pulled back to give her a heartfelt smile.

"I'm coming back to finish that kiss. I promise," he said.

Once again, Gwen opened her mouth to speak but was at a loss for words. By the time she could utter a sound, Timothy was already gone, shouting, "Charge" with his fist in the air as he and Coovers raced toward Eternatus with the Pokemon.

"Wait!" Gwen screamed. "Wait, come back! Please, come back!"

But it was no use. Her friends were already at the top of the hill, far away from her. The Pokémon shot ranged attacks at Eternatus, who was circling above Wedgehurst. The attacks hit the Gigantic Pokémon, and it let out a roar of fury. It swooped down toward Timothy, Coovers, and the Pokémon, and Timothy pressed the button on the Master Ball, enlarging it to the size of his hand. He threw the ball into the air, hitting Eternatus, who roared again as it was sucked into the Master Ball.

Timothy, Coovers, and the Pokémon cheered as the Master Ball fell toward Timothy's hand. The edges of Gwen's mouth curled with a look of hope. Then suddenly, the Master Ball exploded in mid-air in a ball of pink and violet fire, and Eternatus emerged from the smoke, roaring again in a fury. Timothy, Coovers, and the Pokémon watched in shock as Eternatus created an ornate of pink energy from its core.

"Timothy, look out!" Gwen screamed.

Eternatus shot a massive beam that hit Gwen's friends, causing an explosion that knocked Gwen off her feet. She laid down in a daze until she came to and gasped to see half the hill obliterated. She ran up the remaining hill to find a large, smoking crater. Gwen shook her head and went in the hole, calling out to her friends.

"Winnie! Spoink! Coovers! Electchu! Timothy! Timothy, please answer me!"

"TIMOTHY!"

Gwen turned around to see Rose and Ezria standing on the hole's edge. The chairman looked at Gwen with a hint of melancholy while Ezria stood traumatized. The raspberry-haired woman went into the crater and ran around it, moving her head frantically with tears in her eyes. Ezria got down on her knees and began digging with her hands. Rose sighed and walked over to his minion, placing his hand on her head.

"I'm sorry, Ezria, but he's gone," he said.

Ezria stopped digging and paused before she wailed like a child. Gwen felt her heart break as though it was made of glass. She covered her mouth with both hands, fell on her knees, and burst into tears, hugging herself with her free hand. Chairman Rose knelt beside Gwen and placed his hand on her shoulder, only for her to swat it away.

"Don't touch me!" Gwen screamed.

"Now, now, my child. No need to be hostile," Rose said calmly. "This is my loss as much as it's yours and Ezria's."

"You know nothing of loss," Gwen said bitterly.

"On the contrary, I may not show it, but it breaks my heart to lose Timothy, especially before he and Ezria got together," the chairman said. "In many ways, Ezria is like a daughter I never had. It would have been an honor for Timothy to be like a son-in-law to me and to see their children grow up, never needing to worry about having power. Still, he was in the way, and sacrifices must be made for the greater good."

"Like how you took my mom away to capture a dangerous Pokémon?" Gwen asked.

"Your mother's passing was unfortunate, but thanks to that, my men are prepared to recapture Eternatus as we speak safely," Chairman Rose said. "You and your friends only delayed the inevitable by having the police free Eternatus, but don't worry. The memory of Timothy, Coovers, your mother, and many others will live on for a thousand generations."

"You monster!" Gwen snarled.

"No, you're the monster!" Ezria barked, her eyes red and puffy as she glared at Gwen. "It's all your fault. Why couldn't you or the professor leave us be?"

"Because your cause threatens lives!" Gwen shouted. "Look around you! Destruction everywhere! This is exactly why Timothy, Coovers, and their Pokémon wanted to stop you! No matter how good your intentions are, they would never have agreed to support something that would sacrifice lives!"

"At least when we had Eternatus, it was confined!" Ezria yelled. "You used Timothy's desire to do the right thing to free it, leaving it able to destroy and Dynamax Pokémon wherever it goes! That's why your pathetic town is being desolated, and Timothy and your friends sacrificed themselves for nothing! If Timothy was bound to take your side no matter what I did, I wish he never set foot in Galar! I would never have met him if he hadn't, but at least he would have been out of harm's way! Now he's gone, and I blame you! You destroyed the man I love!"

Finished with her outburst, Ezria continued to cry by herself, covering her face with both hands as she wept, "Timothy. My poor, poor Timothy." Gwen stayed on her knees, taken aback by Ezria's words. The more she pondered on them, the more it made sense. The chairman was recapturing Eternatus, and Gwen's hometown and friends were all gone. The mission was for nothing. Gwen was all alone, and she could do nothing but lie on the ground with her hand on her mural necklace and weep.

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

"Charizard is unable to battle! Electchu wins, and so the Championship Cup and World Coronation Series victory goes to Timothy Durbin from Pallet Town!"

Timothy panted heavily as the deafening sound of people and Pokemon in Wyndon Stadium filled his ears. A Gigantamax Charizard laid front first on the field and, with a flash, reverted to normal to reveal Leon looking at his fallen partner, devastated. With another flash, Electchu shrunk back to its regular size, its body full of cuts and bruises, and it turned to Timothy with a bright smile. Timothy looked at Charizard and then at Electchu, thinking what had happened was too good to be true. He took out his Rotom Phone and saw number one on the ranking page.

After a few seconds, Timothy began to laugh like a mad person. He ran over to Electchu, who jumped into his arms and spun his Pokemon partner around, laughing together.

"We did it! We did it!" Timothy shouted. "We've won every Pokémon League, defeated every Champion, and even won the World Coronation Series!"

"Raichu!" Electchu cheered.

Leon sighed and returned Charizard before walking over to Timothy and Electchu. Timothy put down Electchu to firmly shake Leon's hand.

"Congratulations, Timothy. You are now the Monarch and the Galar Champion," he said.

"Thanks, Leon. It was an incredible battle," Timothy said. "I'll never forget it for as long as I live."

"That makes two of us," Leon said.

Leon smiled and nodded. Just as they finished shaking their hands, an older man in a light gray suit walked over to them, carrying a large, golden trophy. He handed it to Timothy with a bow, and Timothy held it up for all of Wyndon Stadium to see. The crowd let out another deafening cheer with people and Pokemon standing up from their seats.

Suddenly, just as Leon and the man in the suit left the battlefield, Timothy was wrapped in a headlock and felt someone giving him a noogie. He rolled his eyes and looked up to see Coovers as soon as his best friend released the headlock with a grin. Timothy then looked past Coovers to see Gwen, Winnie, Ash, Serena, Pikachu, Brock, Holly, Misty, May, Max, Dawn, Piplup, Iris, Cilan, Clemont, Bonnie, Dedenne, Sonia, Alain, Mairan, and Chespie walk over to the field. Ash gave Timothy a toothy grin as he held hands with Serena, Dawn held Piplup in her arms, Dedenne was on top of Bonnie's head, and Brock knelt in front of Electchu to treat its injuries with Holly assisting him.

"Yay, Timothy! You did it! You did it!" Bonnie cheered. "You finally completed your dream!"

"De, ne, ne, ne!" Dedenne shouted.

"Thanks, Bonnie," Timothy chortled.

"Congratulations, Timothy. That was an amazing match. I wasn't sure how it would turn out," Clemont said.

"I'll say. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time," Dawn said.

"Me too," May said.

"Me three," Iris said.

"Piplup," Piplup chirped.

"You and Leon are so strong there was no telling who was going to win," Misty said.

"Indeed. The battle was a dish full of surprising flavors, with each bite resulting in an unforgettable repast," Cilan said.

"Um, I'm not sure what Cilan means, but it was a great battle," Mairin said.

"Chespin," Chespie said.

"Yup, yup," Sonia agreed.

Alain hummed and nodded.

"My Pokémon and I still have a ways to go if I want to catch up with you, Timothy," Max said.

"Eh, one battle against Timothy is good enough for me," Holly said with a shrug.

Everyone laughed just as Brock finished treating Electchu. He patted Timothy on the back, and Timothy gave Brock a thankful nod. Timothy then turned to Serena, who gave him a cute smile and a hug.

"I'm happy for you," she said.

"Thank you, Serena," Timothy said.

They broke the hug, and Ash stepped in to give Timothy a fist bump.

"Looks like you completed your dream first," Ash said.

"I guess I did," Timothy said. "Then again, one could argue that becoming a Pokémon Master might be a bigger and grander accomplishment than winning every league and defeating every Champion."

"And a bigger challenge," Brock pointed out.

"Suits me fine. The bigger the challenge, the better," Ash said.

"Pikachu," Pikachu said.

Timothy chuckled with his mouth closed before his eyes turned to Gwen. Gwen walked over to him with a bright smile, and Winnie walked next to her. Timothy handed his trophy to Coovers and pulled Gwen into a hug.

"Congratulations," Gwen whispered into Timothy's ear. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thank you, Gwen. That means a lot to me," Timothy whispered back.

As Timothy and Gwen held each other, May and Dawn snickered, Misty, Iris, Sonia, and Bonnie smirked while Pikachu, Winnie, Piplup, and Chespie smiled cutely. Marian said, "Awww," and Alain briefly chuckled with his mouth closed. Brock put his arm around Holly as they watched fondly. Cilan smiled blissfully, while Ash, Clemont, and Max were unsure of what was happening. Serena looked at Timothy with a serene smile while Electchu grinned, and Coovers struggled not to scream for joy as though Timothy and Gwen were suddenly together. Timothy flushed and broke the hug, earning more snickers before Coovers spoke.

"So, Timbo, tell us, how does it feel to accomplish your dream?" He asked.

Timothy hesitated before he looked at all of his friends smiling at him and said, "Honestly, Coovers, it feels amazing, but it's not as special without all of you here to cheer me on."

"Aw, you're just saying that," Sonia said.

"I'm serious," Timothy said. "I never thought there'd be anyone apart from Coovers, his sister, or my family to be there to cheer for me, Electchu, and my other Pokemon. But, the friendships I've gained with all of you is so valuable that the time before I met any of you feels like a lifetime ago. I'm deeply thankful for your support and that you're all here to share this incredible moment in my life with Electchu and me."

"Raichu," Electchu agreed.

"Of course. We wouldn't miss it," Clemont said. "It's such an incredible feat to go so far as to beat every Champion there is. Lance, Leon, Steven, Cynthia, Diantha..."

"Don't forget me, the Unova Champion," Iris said. "Or beating Ash as the Alola Champion."

"Yeah, well, I intend to win the World Coronation Series next year, so you better watch out, Timothy," Ash said.

"Pika," Pikachu said with a competitive smirk.

"I'm looking forward to it," Timothy said. "Anyway, the point I'm making is it's been an incredible journey, and it means a lot that all of you are a part of it."

"Of course we are. I wouldn't have it any other way," Ash said.

"Pikachu," Pikachu said.

The rest of Timothy's friends smiled and nodded in agreement. Timothy and Electchu looked at each other, giving heartfelt looks. Timothy noticed Gwen walking toward him from the corner of his eye, and his smile grew. Their friends were giving them looks again, but Timothy and Gwen paid no mind this time. They stared into each other's eyes with Gwen's hands behind her back and Timothy playing with his fingers and biting his lip.

"So..." Gwen began. "Now that your dream is complete, what will you do now?"

Timothy chuckled and scratched the bottom of his nose. He turned to Serena, who gestured with her hand to go on with a smile.

"Actually, I have a solid idea of what I want to do next," Timothy said. "Although, what I am hoping to do is more in someone else's hands than mine."

Gwen tilted her head and asked, "Why would you leave your next dream to chance?"

Timothy gulped and took a step closer.

"Gwen, there's something I've been wanting to tell you," he said.

Bonnie covered her mouth with both hands to muffle a squeal. May, Dawn, and Marian grinned at each other, struggling to contain their excitement. Cilan beamed, and Iris and Misty watched in anticipation with their hands clasped together. Holly took Brock's hand and squeezed it to keep her calm while Brock smirked. Max, Dedenne, and Piplup stared at Timothy and Gwen with wide-open eyes, but Ash, Pikachu, Clemont, and Alain were again unsure of what was happening. Winnie tilted its head like its partner, while Coovers had a Cheshire Cat grin. Serena, above all, was watching Timothy with a heartwarming smile. Timothy breathed heavily, feeling sweat run down his face as Gwen waited patiently.

Just as Timothy opened his mouth, the sky grew dark within seconds. Everyone looked around to find the stands empty. Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, and Sonia looked up, and their hearts sank to see nothing but red clouds in the sky.

"Where is everyone?" Bonnie asked.

"Guys, anyone who has Pokémon, take them out," Coovers said with a serious voice.

"Why? What is going on?" Mairin asked.

Suddenly, a massive, rectangular block of stone smashed through a section of the stadium, and a Gigantamax Drednaw walked through the hall with a mighty roar. As if on reflex, Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen took out Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, Knightblade, Samurott, Klinklang, Krookodile, Zoroark, Braviary, Chandelure, Spoink, Noctowl, Cufant, Mudbray, and Drifloon. Electchu glared at Gigantamax Drednaw with electricity coming out from its yellow cheeks. Everyone else, excluding Sonia, followed suit, taking out their Pokemon and Alain Mega Evolving his Charizard, ready to take out Gigantamax Drednaw. Suddenly, A Giantamax Charizard burst through a section of the stadium opposite Gigantamax Drednaw, followed by a Gigantamax Snorlax, Gengar, Coalossal, and Machamp. Everyone positioned themselves into a circle, with Coovers and Clemont standing in front of Sonia and Bonnie, respectively, as the giant Pokémon surrounded them with dark looks.

"What's going on? I thought Pokemon can only Dynamax in Power Spots. Not outside of it," Max said.

"They're not supposed to," Sonia said.

"Then what do they want with us?" Iris asked.

"I don't know, but it can't be good," Ash said.

"Let's worry about why this is happening later," Timothy said. "Pick a Gigantamax Pokémon to fight, and give it everything you've got."

"Right!" Coovers, Gwen, Ash, Serena, Brock, Holly, Misty, May, Max, Dawn, Iris, Cilan, Clemont, Bonnie, Mariam, and Alain shouted simultaneously.

The trainers shouted commands, and their Pokémon wasted no time in attacking their enemies. The Gigantamax Pokémon roared in pain before counterattacking with Max and G-Max moves. The weaker Pokemon were taken out in one hit. Many that were still conscious were decorated in cuts, bruises, and burns. Anyone who still had able Pokemon put on brave faces as they ordered attacks, but deep in their hearts, they knew they were outmatched. Within minutes, Timothy, Coovers, Ash, and Alain were left trying to fend off multiple Gigantamax Pokemon at once.

"Quick, Timothy, let's Dynamax our Pokemon! That should give us an edge!" Ash shouted.

"Right! Electchu, return!" Timothy shouted.

"Pikachu, return!" Ash shouted.

Electchu was sent back into its Pokéball before it could protest, and Pikachu ran back to Ash's side. Electchu's Pokeball glowed red and began to expand on Timothy's hand.

"How are you going to have Electchu and Pikachu handle so many Gigantamax Pokémon at once?" Gwen asked.

"I don't know, but I won't let that stop me," Timothy said. "I won't let these rampaging Pokémon do anything to you, Gwen, because I -"

"Run!" Cilan screamed.

Timothy and Gwen turned to Cilan just in time to notice glowing cracks underneath the group. Before they had a moment to react, a burst of energy erupted from the cracks, sending people and Pokémon flying. Electchu's Pokéball slipped from Timothy's hands and rolled several years away from him, stopping in front of Gigantamax Machamp. Before Timothy knew it, the Superpower Pokémon stepped on the glowing Pokéball with a twisted grin.

"Electchu, no!" Timothy screamed.

Suddenly, a giant, yellow star landed in front of Timothy and sent him flying again in a colorful explosion. He landed on the ground with an "augh," and laid there in a daze, hearing explosions, roars, and screams. The Gigantamax Pokémon were gone when he came to, and the stadium was nothing but rubble. Looking past the rubble, he could see buildings all over Wyndon destroyed and on fire, covering the red clouds in the sky with smoke.

Timothy stood up and turned around to see his friends and their Pokémon lying on the ground motionless. Alain's Charizard was back in its regular form. Alain, Clemont, Brock, and Coovers were holding Miriam, Bonnie, Holly, and Sonia from behind, having tried to protect them by using themselves as a shield. Ash and Serena lay side by side, their hands centimeters apart. Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, and Knightblade lay where Timothy stood during the fight, and Electchu was nowhere to be found.

At the center of the field was Gwen lying on her back, her face looking as though she were fast asleep. Timothy rushed to her side, got down on his knees, and picked her up.

"Gwen? Gwen? Please open your eyes," Timothy sobbed with tears rubbing down his face. "Stay with me! Stay with me, please! Wake up!"

"She's not going to wake up."

Timothy lifted his head to see Chairman Rose standing before him with his hands behind his back. Timothy's grief turned to anger as he pulled Gwen in an over-protective hug. .

"Get away from us!" Timothy growled. "This is all your fault! None of this would have happened if you didn't try to contain Eternatus!"

"Try? My good man, I might have let a few Galar Particles get away, but I like to think I had l Eternatus under control," Rose said. "Besides, what did you expect to happen? You release Eternatus, and it flies away with no contempt after being captured?"

The chairman looks up to see Rose Tower half destroyed with a melancholy expression.

"I will have Eternatus back, and we, the people and Pokémon of Galar, will rebuild. In time, our joy and comfort well outlast our grief," he said. "I wish Oleana, Ezria, and Venarge could have seen it."

Timothy clenched his teeth and yelled, "They are only gone because you put them in danger!"

"And you put your friends in danger by setting Eternatus free," Rose said. "Point your finger at me as much as you like, Timothy, but even if I started this, your short-sighted ideals are what led poor Galar and your friends to their destruction."

"He's right, Durbin."

Timothy felt a shiver down his spine and slowly turned his head to see Trent walking over to him. The fallen Team Rocket agent was wearing a strapped black and white prison uniform. The left short sleeve hid the remains of his missing arm, and there was an eyepatch covering his empty eye socket. Agent Basker glared at Timothy with his remaining eye and pointed at Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, and Knightblade.

"You should have given me all of your Pokémon when you had the chance," Trent said.

"Why?! So you could abuse them under your command?!" Timothy snarled.

"At least they would be alive under the service of Team Rocket," Trent said. "Their power would have been used for a mighty cause instead of lying here dead."

"Indeed," Giovanni said, appearing beside Trent. "Even I wouldn't have caused as much chaos as this if I had conquered Galar."

"Yes, you would have. You would have wanted Eternatus for yourself!" Timothy shouted.

"True, but I would have captured it with a Pokéball of my design. A much more efficient way to keep it contained than keeping it in some big, fancy machine," Giovanni said. "Better yet, I could have made headbands to keep the Psychic type Pokémon in control and turn Arceus into a Poison or Dragon type to keep Eternatus in line. One way or another, it would have been mine to secure my rule over Galar instead of the entire region burning. Face it, Durbin. Everything you love and fight for is gone, and it's all your fault. One way or another, you'll forever be alone."

Timothy's heart sank, turning his head to look at his motionless friends and the burning city. New tears ran down his face as he broke down, cradling Gwen's body. Giovanni, Trent, and Rose began to cackle quietly until they slowly began to roar in loud laughter. Timothy shut his eyes and buried his face with Gwen's shoulder, weeping as the maniacal laughter filled his ears. As it hit him that he was truly alone with all of his friends gone, the man in the "H.A.K." shirt could do nothing but lift his head and scream.

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

Timothy sprung up into a sitting position with a sharp gasp. He looked around and realized it was morning, and Coovers, Gwen, Ezria, and Winnie were still asleep. He turned to Electchu, who was lying next to his sleeping back, and laid back down to pull the Mouse Pokémon into a hug. He looked up to where Gwen was lying down and saw she was holding Winnie tightly with a tear running down his face. Timothy eased up, relieved that everyone was alive.

Just then, Timothy heard a soft groan and rotated his body while holding Electchu to see Ezria come out from her tent. She rubbed her baggy eyes and stretched with a loud yawn before turning to Timothy with a weak smile.

"Hey, Timothy. Sleep well?" Ezria asked.

"Not really," Timothy said. "And no offense, but it doesn't look like you did either."

Ezria heaved a sigh and said, "I had a horrible dream. It was like all of my biggest fears happened at once."

"Sounds like the dream I just had," Timothy said.

"Me too," Coovers said.

Ezria and Timothy turned to see Coovers sitting up from his sleeping bag and yawning. Gwen and Winnie moaned as they woke up, looking half dead. Finally, Electchu woke up with a whimper and looked up at Timothy with a weary smile.

"Raichu," Electchu said.

"Good morning, pal," Timothy said. "Did you have a nightmare too?"

Electchu winced and nodded. It said a series of "Rai," and "Raichu" that made Timothy's face grow sour.

"Yeah, that's roughly the dream I had," Timothy said.

"What happened in your dream?" Gwen asked.

"I'd rather not share," Timothy said. "But I said it also felt like my biggest fears also came true."

Gwen frowned and said, "Yeah, the same thing happened with my dream."

"Teddi," Winnie whined.

"So, we all had dreams showing our deepest fears? That's odd," Coovers said. "At least they didn't really happen, though."

"Yeah, I'm very thankful for that," Gwen said. "Still, I don't know about you guys, but I feel as tired as ever."

"Teddi," Winnie agreed.

"Me too," Coovers said.

"Same. I don't think I have it in me to battle once we get to Hammerlocke," Timothy said.

"Raichu," Electchu said, shaking its head.

Ezria hesitated and said, "I hate to say it, but I don't either. How about as soon as we get to the city, I'll schedule our battles for tomorrow, and we just take the rest of the day to rest at the Pokemon Center?"

"Sounds heavenly," Timothy said.

"You said it," Gwen said.

With that, Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen got out of their sleeping bags and took turns going into the forest to change clothes while Ezria went back into her tent to change. By the time she took down and put away her tent, Coovers was setting up the table while Gwen reset up the campfire to make a pot of porridge.

The raspberry-haired woman's gaze turned to Timothy, who was putting his sleeping bag back in his backpack. She glanced at Gwen and felt a shiver down her spine, with parts of her nightmare replaying in her mind. Though a prideful and headstrong woman, seeing her worst fears, even in a dream, shook Ezria's belief in her quality. She walked over to Timothy just as he closed his backpack and cleared her throat. Timothy turned to Ezria, and she turned her head away, too nervous to look Timothy in the eye.

"Ezria, are you okay?" Timothy asked.

Ezria bit her lip, and she asked, "Timothy, I know this is a random thing to say, but...tell me you're never going to forget me."

Timothy and Electchu looked at each other as though Ezria were saying random words. Timothy turned his head to Coovers, Gwen, and Winnie, who were also puzzled by Ezria's question. After a moment, Timothy thought of how best to answer and turned back to Ezria.

"Ezria, I've met a lot of colorful characters in my travels, but after everything we've been through, I can honestly say you are a friend I'm not going to forget soon," he said.

Ezria's eye twitched at the word "friend," but the rest of her body eased up.

"And do you think I'm beautiful?" She asked.

It took all of Timothy's willpower not to squirm. From the corner of Timothy's eye, he could see Coovers flicking his hand toward him with a glare that said, "Do it!" Gwen stopped putting ingredients into the pot, waiting for Timothy to answer with unease. Timothy mentally cursed whatever happened in Ezria's dream that caused her to ask the question, wishing he could say he had eyes only for Gwen. He grew more uncomfortable as Ezria became worried and said the best thing he could think of wasn't a direct answer.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't?" He asked awkwardly.

Coovers facepalmed with a slap, Winnie rolled its eyes, and Electchu gave its partner a look that said, "Seriously?" Gwen frowned and returned to putting ingredients with her back facing Timothy, Ezria, and Electchu to hide her disappointment. Ezria, on the other hand, tilted her head, finding Timothy's answer odd, but then she smiled, interpreting it as a way of saying yes. She walked over to Timothy and playfully bopped his nose with a half smile.

"No. No reason at all," she said. "Come on. I'll help you set up the Pokémon bowls."

Timothy mentally sighed in relief and nodded with a smile. Coovers huffed and went back to setting the table, muttering about his best friend's lack of charm. Gwen began stirring the porridge while Winnie added cinnamon while standing on her shoulder, but her mind was on Timothy not giving an honest answer. But while Timothy, Coovers, and Gwen's minds were focused on their jobs, their hearts were full of fear as the danger they were trying to stop felt more real.

As the group got ready for breakfast, the shadow flew away deep into the woods, for the night was over, and Darkrai was satisfied.