Electchu woke up from the sun shining in its eyes through the window. It stretched and let out a cute yawn before turning to Timothy. Eletchu walked over to him from its side of the bed and lightly poked his nose with the tip of its lightning-shaped tail. Timothy groaned as he got up in a sitting position and stretched before turning to his oldest friend.

"Morning, pal," he greeted. "Sleep well?"

"Raichu." Electchu replied.

Timothy smiled before he let out a yawn, got out of bed, and grabbed his backpack to change from his pajamas. The trainer and his partner then walked down the stairs to the dining room, where Professor Magnolia was sipping tea, Coovers was munching on some pancakes, and Sonia was in the kitchen, cooking. The peach-haired woman heard Timothy and Electchu come in and gave them a bright smile.

"Good morning, you two," she greeted. "Hungry?"

"Starving," Timothy replied.

"Good. There's a plate full of pancakes on the counter. I'm making lots of them, so have as many as you want," Sonia said before turning to Electchu. "And I'll be right there to give you another bowl of Pokemon food and some nice, juicy berries."

"Raichu! Electchu cheered.

"Thank you," Timothy said.

The man in the "H.A.K." shirt grabbed a plate and began filling it with a stack of pancakes. After filling it with maple syrup and a slice of butter, he sat next to Coovers and took a bite.

"Dang, these are nice and fluffy," he said.

"I know, right?" Coovers said with a cheerful grin. "First, she treats us with some great curry, and now these pancakes. Sonia's such a great cook."

He turned his head to ensure Sonia and Professor Magnolia weren't looking and leaned into Timothy's ear with his hand covering the side of his mouth.

"She's going to make someone a very happy husband someday," he whispered

Timothy rolled his eyes and smirked at his friend before he went back to his pancakes. After a couple of minutes, the Unovian man snapped his fingers and said, "By the way, I spoke with Lance shortly after waking up."

"And?" Timothy asked.

"He says he will be more than happy to write that letter," Coovers said. "He has some stuff going on, but he will have it faxed to us later today."

"Excellent," Timothy said. "One less thing to worry about."

"Exactly," Coovers said. "Also, he told me another thing we can use for our mission that I think you'll like."

"Oh?" Timothy asked.

"There's this thing called the World Coronation Series," Coovers began. "It's a competition to determine the strongest trainer in the world. Trainers worldwide battle each other to make it to the top and attempt to earn the title of Monarch."

Timothy and Electchu looked at each other with looks of intrigue.

"That sounds awesome. It might even help my Pokémon, and I get stronger if I battle more people than just the Gym Leaders in this region," Timothy said. "Is this a new thing?"

"No, it seems like it's been around for a while. In fact, Lance is going to compete for the title of Monarch against the Galar region's Champion next week," Coovers said.

"He is?" Timothy asked, surprised. "How have I not heard of this? You'd think Lance might have brought it up after I beat him in battle."

"Maybe he wasn't competing at the time or it didn't cross his mind," Coovers said with a shrug. "In any case, the next season of the World Coronation Series starts about a week after Lance battles the Galar Champion for the title of Monarch. There's a ranking system based on a trainer's wins and losses during the series. So, Lance thought competing in the upcoming season and climbing up the ranking might help catch Chairman Rose's attention."

"Hmmm, well, winning multiple battles outside of the Gym Challenge could further imply that I'm a mighty trainer the chairman could recruit," Timothy said. "Alright, I'll sign up as soon as the next season starts. Nothing wrong with extra opportunities to get the proof we need to stop the chairman when lives are at stake."

"Indeed," Professor Magnolia said. "In the meantime, what else do you gentlemen plan on doing to prepare for tomorrow?"

Timothy and Coovers took a moment to think about it, and the latter answered, "Well, I was thinking I get some supplies for the journey since we will be traveling all over the region for the Galar League."

"And I was thinking of spending the day training my Pokémon so that we're all ready for the league," Timothy said.

"Good," Professor Magnolia said before turning to Coovers. "Do you have a spare outfit?"

"What do you mean?" Coovers asked.

Professor Magnolia closed her eyes and shook her head, thinking the answer was obvious.

"You are the companion to a participant in the Gym Challenge: a very public event," she explained. "It would not do to wear something that reveals who you work for."

Timothy scratched his chin in thought and said, "She has a point. If the chairman is so determined to hide Eternatus, we don't want to give the impression of what we're doing while working to gain his trust."

Coovers looked at his suit and said, "That's true. I guess I'll have to go shopping."

"Oh, you need to shop for new clothes?" Sonia asked, walking over to the table with a new stack of pancakes in one hand and a bowl of Pokémon food with berries in the other. "I can help you out with that."

Coovers's eyes instantly turned to Sonia with a hopeful look.

"Really?" He asked.

"Of course," Sonia answered with a cheerful smile as she placed the bowl in front of Electchu. "There's a cute little clothes shop in town. We can look at some outfits and get your supplies after breakfast."

Coovers beamed like a little child and said, "I'd love that."

"Great!" Sonia said before she filled a plate with pancakes and began digging in.

Coover's cheerful smile was plastered on his face as he returned to his breakfast. Timothy stared at him, concerned, which Coovers noticed and reacted with a blissful look.

"Isn't it wonderful, Timbo? I'm going clothes shopping with the love of my life," he whispered.

"Is something you don't hear a man say every day," Timothy muttered before taking another bite of pancakes.

"Raichu," Electchu said with unease before eating its breakfast.

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

After breakfast, Sonia washed the dishes while Coovers dried. Professor Magnolia left for her laboratory in town to do some work, and Timothy and Electchu went outside to train with Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, and Gengar. After cleaning up, Coovers and Sonia walked to Wedgehurst to shop. They went to the town market for Coovers to buy supplies, before going to a clothing store. They browsed through the clothes, with Sonia taking out every clothing she could find that looked interesting and was Coovers's size.

"How about this one?" She asked, holding a yellow polo shirt with a black zig-zag stripe.

"Hmmm, I don't know. It's interesting, but yellow isn't really my color," Coovers answered honestly.

"Alright then..." Sonia said as she put the polo shirt back on the hanger and took out a blue plain polo shirt.

"Better, but I don't think we're there." Coovers said.

Sonia furrowed her brow and continued to look through the clothes until she found a currant-colored, full-sleeved, buttoned shirt. She held it up against Coovers's chest and looked closely before she smiled.

"I like this one," she said. "It might be too semi-casual for a trip, but I think you'll look very nice in it."

Coovers tinted from her compliment and her standing so close to him again. He looked at Sonia with a goofy smile before he snapped out of it and cleared his throat.

"If you feel that way, then I'll buy it," he said. "You never know when I might need it for something formal."

"Awesome," Sonia said with a smile that made Coovers's heart skip a beat.

The peach-haired woman handed the shirt for Coovers to carry before she began browsing again. Coovers stared at Sonia as she looked through the clothes, smiling at the sight of her so upbeat.

"You like to shop, don't you, Sonia?" He said.

Sonia stood still just as she was about to take out a pair of jeans. She began to play with her ponytail with her finger.

"Could she be any more adorable?" Coovers thought.

"Sort of," Sonia replied. "It's nice shopping with someone other than my Gran for once."

"Really? Don't you spend time with friends?" Coovers asked.

"Not really," Sonia said sadly. "I used to hang out with my best friend all the time when we were kids, but then we drifted away..."

"I'm sorry," Coovers said.

"Hey, it happens," Sonia said, giving Coovers a small smile. "Anyway, it's just me working for my Gran."

"Oh, yeah. Your her assistant. Right?" Coovers asked.

Sonia hesitated, still playing with her hair.

"Yeah... more or less." She said.

"What do you mean, more or less?" Coovers asked.

Sonia was silent for another moment before she sighed and turned her head to face Coovers.

"I call myself Gran's assistant, but at the same time, I'm not really her assistant," she explained. "I help her out from time to time, but I don't really do anything apart from running errands or making our meals and stuff like that. I know I should be trying to do something with my life at my age, but I don't know what I want to do. I guess if I had a goal, it would be to try to prove to Gran that I have potential."

"How?" Coovers asked.

Sonia sighed again and said, "Well, it appears that the only thing that can impress Gran is finding out the mystery behind the Darkest Day."

"The Darkest Day?" Coovers asked. "Your grandmother mentioned that last night. Some sort of legend in your region?"

"Yup, yup," Sonia said. "Long ago, a black storm covered the Galar region, and the land was assaulted by gigantic Pokémon, but then they were defeated by a single young hero bearing a sword and shield."

"Gigantic Pokémon? You mean like they Dynamaxed?" Coovers asked.

"Pretty much," Sonia answered. "There's a lot of mystery behind the legend, though. Like, what kind of storm the legend is talking about or if it even occurred. I'd like to know who the hero in the story was, if he even existed, where the sword and shield are now, and what it has to do with Dynamaxing."

"Sounds like it would be quite an impressive feat if you find the answers." Coovers said.

"It sure would." Sonia said before her face fell. "But Gran doesn't seem interested in letting me try, especially since a colleague of hers is already trying to solve the mystery..."

Coovers gave Sonia a sympathetic look as she looked away glumly while still playing with her hair.

"I'm sorry. I know how tough it can be to please someone," he said.

Sonia looked back at Coovers and asked, "Really? How so?"

Realizing he was referring to his mission, Coovers loudly cleared his throat and thought of an answer that didn't reveal his occupation in public.

"Well, you see, I work for a...private company that involves secret assignments," he said. "I can say with confidence that I've been getting excellent results, but my superior doesn't entirely sing my praises just because I mess up on one or two things. I want to show him I can do my job perfectly. It's frustrating that this is how he thinks of me after all of my success."

"Boy, that sounds exhausting," Sonia said. "I guess that's life for ya."

"Guess so," Coovers said before giving his crush an encouraging smile. "But hey, sometimes you just gotta work with what you got, right? Don't give up until it's over. At least, that's what a friend of mine likes to say."

Sonia smiled back and looked up in thought as she began playing with her hair again.

"Don't give up until it's over, huh? That's a nice way to look at it," she said. "Not sure how to put that into action when what I want involves something that might not have happened."

"You never know until you find out," Coovers said. "I've heard it said that there's truth behind every legend, so maybe there is a way that you can uncover the mystery."

"You really think so?" Sonia asked, looking at Coovers again.

"I don't see why not," Coovers said. "If you put your mind to it, I believe you'll find something to impress your grandma."

The two of them were silent for a moment. Then, Sonia giggled with her mouth closed and said with a bright smile, "You're a sweet guy, Coovers."

"I try my best," Coovers said, resisting the urge to squeal in delight over her compliment.

Silence overtook them again, with Coovers's light blue eyes staring into Sonia's aqua eyes. The two of them realized what they were doing and looked away, clearing their throats. Sonia went back to browsing while Coovers looked away to hide a blush and a goofy smile, confident that they just had a moment. He gazed into the wall, thinking of going on dates, holding hands, kissing, and watching the sunset together until he heard Sonia let out an "Oooo," and he looked back at her.

"How about this?" She asked as she took out a shirt. "It has an outdoorsy look."

Coovers stared at the shirt, and his face lit up like a candle.

"Now we're getting somewhere."

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

It was late afternoon, and Timothy was still training with his Pokémon out in the front yard. Apart from taking an hour for lunch and a brief nap, Electchu, Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, and Gengar have been hustling as their trainer gave orders.

"Poliwrath, use Dynamic Punch! Electchu, block with Iron Tail! Odyssey, attack Shockwave with Bone Rush multiple times! Shockwave, dodge Odyssey's attacks! Gengar, use Dark Pulse! Blitzwing, dodge, and use Steel Wing when you get an opening!" Timothy instructed.

Poliwrath punched at Electchu with its fists glowing white, and Electchu deflected every punch with its tail glowing white. Odyssey swung, thrust, and jabbed at Shockwave, who gracefully dodged every attack, moving like a ballerina. Gengar constantly shot a beam of purple circles in the sky to hit Blitzwing, who dodged easily before hitting its companion in the gut with Steel Wing. Timothy observed his Pokémon as they battled, giving feedback as they fought. Eventually, the Pokémon began to tire, and Timothy loudly clapped his hands to gain attention.

"Nice work, everyone. Let's call it a day," he said before taking out five Pokéballs. "Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, Gengar, get a good rest. We're going to train some more on the way to the first gym after the ceremony, and I want to make sure we're all ready to win in one go."

The Pokémon made calls of understanding before returning to their Pokeballs. Timothy put the balls in his pockets while Electchu walked over to him, sweating. The man on the "H.A.K." shirt smirked as he got down on one knee and wiped the sweat off his partner's brow.

"We got this, pal," he said. "If we keep up the training, we're gonna breeze through the Gym Challenge no problem."

"Raichu," Electchu agreed.

"I hope so."

Timothy turned his head to see Professor Magnolia walking down the path to her house with her cane. He stood to face her as she stopped before him and Electchu.

"You train your Pokémon very hard," Professor Magnolia said.

Timothy smirked and said, "Well, we didn't win two Pokémon Leagues and beat a regional Champion by lofting around and hoping for the best. Isn't that right, Electchu?"

"Raichu," Electchu replied proudly.

"Good. I expect you to show that kind of devotion to the chairman during the Gym Challenge," Professor Magnolia said.

Timothy gave a short smile and a nod of understanding. Just then, the three of them heard two sets of footsteps walking over to them. They turned their heads, and their eyes widened in shock at the sight of Coovers. He wore a black shirt with a curvy blue "G" at the center, dark brown shorts, white shoes, black socks that almost reached his knees, and a green baseball cap with black goggles. Sonia walked behind him, carrying shopping bags with a proud smile. Coovers stopped walking a few feet from Timothy, Electchu, and Professor Magnolia to strike a pose.

"Ta-ta!" He shouted. "What do you guys think?"

"Uh, it's... nice," Timothy answered hesitantly. "Is this really your outfit for the journey?"

"It sure is," Coovers said proudly. "Do I look like a regular, traveling Pokémon Trainer or what? And hey, now you and I both have shirts with letters on them, Timbo."

"Yeah, but 'H.A.K.' stands for something," Timothy pointed out. "What's the 'G' supposed to stand for?"

"Doesn't matter. The point is I look good," Coovers answered.

"You sure do," Sonia answered.

Timothy, Electchu, and Professor Magnolia grew uneasy with how confident Coovers and Sonia were. Timothy wondered if Coovers only liked the clothes because the woman he liked approved, but the extent of his friend's happiness proved that he was sincere about his new outfit. Professor Magnolia sighed and shook her head, muttering, "Well, he certainly looks like he's not with the International Police," before clearing her throat.

"Anyway, I have some things for you, gentlemen," she said.

She reached into her coat pocket and took out two red, rectangle devices with a curvy lightning bolt on the top and the face of a Rotom on the back of each of them. Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu looked at the devices curiously as the two men took them.

"What is this?" Coovers asked.

"It's a Rotom Phone," Professor Magnolia answered. "With it, you can call each other if you get separated, gain information on locations and landmarks, and it can serve as your Pokédex."

"Nice. It'll be handy to identify Pokémon I've never seen before," Timothy said.

"It certainly will be. It also tells you what type the Pokémon is when you scan them," Professor Magnolia said. "More importantly, Rotom Phones can take pictures and record video. If you succeed on your mission, taking pictures and video might be essential to getting the evidence the International Police requires."

"Understood," Coovers said. "We'll make sure to do just that when we get in."

"You better," Professor Magnolia said before turning to Timothy. "Your Rotom Phones can also turn into bikes, which is how Gym Challengers usually travel when collecting Gym Badges."

"Oh, that's cool," Coovers said. "How do we turn them into bikes?"

"It's very straightforward," Professor Magnolia said as she took out her white Rotom phone from her pocket. "Just hold out your phone and say, 'Rotom, bicycle mode.'"

The Pokemon professor's phone let out an electronic buzz as it leaped out of her hand and, with a zap, turned into a white electronic bike with the phone as the stem. Timothy, Coovers, and Electchu gasped in awe.

"Just when you think you know everything that can be used with a Rotom," Coovers said.

"Indeed. And when you're done, just get off your bike and say, 'Rotom, phone mode,'" Professor Magnolia said.

The bike changed back into a phone with another zap, and Professor Magnolia caught it in the air. She put it back in her pocket before turning back to Timothy.

"And there's something else you'll need," She reached into her other coat pocket and took out a Dynamax Band. Timothy looked at the band curiously as the Pokémon Professor continued. "This is a Dynamax Band. It's something Chairman Rose and I created back when we were partners. As the name suggests, this is used to Dynamax your Pokémon."

"And I need that for the challenge?" Timothy asked.

"Yes, you will," Professor Magnolia confirmed. "Most of the Gyms in Galar are essentially stadiums large enough for Pokemon to Dynamax, which the Gym Leaders will do at some point in battle. The Gyms are Power Spots for Galar Particles, and you'll need that to have a chance against the Gym Leaders. You can only Dynamax one Pokémon per battle and for a limited time, so choose what Pokémon you're going to Dynamax and when wisely."

"Wow. Gonna Dynamax your Pokemon during the Gym Challenge. That sounds like fun," Sonia said. "Anyway, I'm gonna go inside and bring all this stuff in Coovers's room before I get started on dinner."

"Thank you, Sonia," Professor Magnolia said with another small smile.

Sonia turned her head to Coovers and gave him another smile that made his heart race before she went inside, carrying the bags of clothes and supplies. Timothy, Coovers, Electchu, and Professor Magnolia waited until the peach-haired woman was inside, before the man in the "H.A.K." shirt turned to Sonia's grandmother.

"She doesn't know, right? About you and the chairman?" He asked.

"No, and she's not going to," Professor Magnolia answered sternly. "She has her own matters to deal with than concern herself worrying over something she can't do anything about."

Coovers furrowed his brow and said, "You don't know that. Sonia might have some talent for discovering things."

Professor Magnolia raised her eyebrow and said, "I'm talking that kind of talk from someone who likes to gaze at my granddaughter?"

Coovers's face turned red with his eyes wide in shock. Timothy and Electchu covered their mouths to hide their snickers. After several seconds, Coovers collected himself and calmly said, "I'm saying this as someone who's been with her all day. She cares about your approval and figuring out what to do with her life. I think she will prove herself if given the right opportunity."

Professor Magnolia kept her suspicious gaze at Coovers, but he showed no unease about how she would react. Timothy and Electchu looked at their friend, confused, for they had never seen him show interest in a woman beyond simply admiring their beauty and loving it when she acted friendly toward him. Eventually, the Pokémon Professor closed her eyes and sighed through her nose again.

"Maybe. Maybe so," she said. "I have been thinking of having her go and search for clues regarding a legend in our region. Perhaps that will be just what Sonia needs."

Coovers smiled with optimism, hopeful that Sonia would get the chance they both hoped for. Timothy and Electchu, we're as curious as ever about how their friend acted regarding his crush.

"Oh, and one more thing," Professor Magnolia said. "I'm having you meet a colleague of mine in Motostoke, who will be your guide during the Gym Challenge."

"Why?" Timothy asked, confused.

"If you are to compete in the Gym Challenge and gain the chairman's attention as soon as possible, you need someone who travels all over the region for her research to take you to each Gym Battle," Professor Magnolia explained. "She will lead to ensure you travel to each Gym Battle as quickly and efficiently as possible."

"I guess that makes sense," Timothy said. "What's her name?"

"Her name is Gwen Weaver," Professor Magnolia answered. "Her Pokémon partner is a Teddiursa, and you will meet them at the lobby inside Motostoke Stadium before the opening ceremonies."

"Gwen Weaver, Teddiursa, Motostoke Stadium lobby. Got it," Timothy said. "Anyway, why don't we go back inside? I'm sure Lance has faxed the letter of endorsement to us by now." Timothy suggested.

Cooper's eyes widened as he said, "Oh my gosh! I totally forgot about that!"

Professor Magnolia disapproved, and Timothy chuckled nervously, embarrassed for his friend. The three of them and Electchu began making their way inside the house, once more thinking of the mission to find evidence against Chairman Rose. As they walked, however, Coovers glanced at Timothy, remembering the professor talking about traveling with a woman. His mind went to the day the two of them parted ways with Ash, Serena, Brock, and their friends, where Timothy hinted at being interested in the idea of romance. With that in mind, Coovers began to wonder what might occur while they travel with Gwen Weaver.