[IC] Galarian Stories

[Marlowe]

MENTIONS:

The roar of wind. The rush of colors below. The ebony sea, dotted with tiny diamonds, above her head. These were only a few of the things that Hestia Quintell loved about flying. It was like she was meant to be riding upon Apollo's back; as if the fates had destined them to soar through the sky together. If she didn't know any better, she would have told Chairman Amaranth that she might have been considering a start in training Flying-types. The old coot would surely have a heart attack there and then, with everything else he had to deal with. As Apollo wings caught the night breeze within their azure membranes, Hestia leaned forward in her seat and brushed her fingers against the Charizard's neck. His warm scales vibrated beneath her fingertips as he gave her a low rumble. Nah, she thought to herself as she turned her gaze back to the sky, Fire-types are more of my thing.

Something shiny flashed in the distance, which brought Hestia's attention back to what was in front of her. Past the rolling fields and tiny towns was a large city. Ah, there's Motostoke, she realized. Multicolored lights shone up towards the sky from its depths, and the closer she got, the more she could hear the music that reverberated around the town. It seemed like its citizens had already started the party without her. "Fly lower, Apollo!" Hestia called out to her Pokemon in a laugh. Apollo roared loudly and dipped down towards Motostoke, only stopping his decline when he was just above buildings themselves.

As they drifted above the roofs of the buildings, several surprised faces looked up towards her. Some of them smiled, while others laughed and waved at her. Some of them even called her name as she passed. Hestia's smile stretched wide as she waved back at them. She wondered if any of them were part of the lot of new trainers that signed up for the Gym Challenge-- she hoped they were, at least. While she was only the second major league Gym Leader in their path, that didn't mean she was a pushover. She had worked hard to secure her spot as a Gym Leader and wasn't about to let some kid get an easy pass during their battle.

After spending some time traversing the city's streets upon Charizard-back, Hestia found herself nearing the Motostoke Gym. It was there where the crowds were at their thickest and concession stands dotted the streets more frequently. Apollo snorted at the smell of food, making Hestia chuckle. "You'll be able to rest when we land, boy," she told him. "Let's go land right there, near the front of the gym. We should make our landing something special for the crowd, eh?"

Of course, being a rather snobby Charizard, Apollo's definition of special was to be loud and scary as to provoke a reaction. So, the alloy-scaled beast suddenly swept down on the crowd before he suddenly pulled upwards, drawing startled cries from the people below. After a few moments of gaining altitude, he descended upon the gathering again, this time in a low and leisurely circle that ended with his claws touching the ground. Finally, he spread his wings and opened his maw to let out another loud roar that split the air. Hestia chuckled nervously from his back, somewhat disoriented. "That's a good boy," she grinned at him as he leaned down to let her off of him. "I wonder where the others are. They should be here by now... I feel bad for them if the Chairman finds out they're runnin' late!"

[Psyker Landshark]

Mentions: @Ambra

It was almost impossible for Fiona to be late to the opening ceremony, considering it was held in her own damn gym. That still didn't stop her from giving her best try at it. She'd been loitering about the stadium grounds for hours, just taking in the crowd and generally loafing around. Hornet rested on her shoulder as she wandered around, the Yanmega idly taking sips from the soda cup Fiona offered her every now and again. Considering that Hornet was the newest addition to her team, Fiona was resolved to spend more time with the half-Bug type in order to better acclimate her.

"Let's see..." She murmured to herself as she walked, idly returning the wave of a few fans who recognized her. "Who's going tae show up first? What do you think, girl?" Fiona grinned at her Yanmega, who tilted her head at the question, buzzing briefly. "Moira's always th' punctual type, but so're half this lot. Maybe I should be askin' who's gonna be fashionably late-"

Her musings were cut off by the sound of a flyby, followed by a familiar roar.

"Didn't think she'd be first." Fiona grinned slightly. "Well, let's go greet her. Don't be so nervous, her Charizard isn't going tae eat you." Hornet sagged slightly on Fiona's shoulder, nervously chittering at the thought of seeing a Charizard again.

Fiona made her way through the crowd at a brisk pace, waving and grinning at the new arrival.

"Oiiii, Hestia! About time ya showed up!" She said as she walked up to pat her coworker and friend on the back. "Doin' flybys on a Charizard? What, ya think yer Red now?"

[Jumbus]

---

Isla didn't like Motostoke very much. Not only was it more southern, but it also had just about all of Galar's industrial buildings in one place. It was far too hot. Luckily she didn't have to wear her gym leaders costume until the ceremony actually begun. Instead she wore shorts and a singlet with light blue sneakers, something typical for a jogger. That was more than a blessing, otherwise she would have had a really bad time here.

Isla passed the time at the local cafe, sipping coffee on an outside table. The occasional by passer would recognize her and ask for an autograph, she was happy to oblige of course. But she was surprised how few and far between it all was. The ceremony clearly was a much bigger draw for attention and why would anyone investigate the people sitting at some regular old cafe. She took the time to appreciate the peace. Isla obviously preferred to be in the thick of the media spectacle, but quiet time was very rare for her so it can be refreshing every now and again. She tried to keep the thought out of her head that people forgot about her after the injury.

---

Well it was just about time, Isla got up from the seat and started casually walking toward the stadium. This is when she saw an all too familiar Charizard start swooping in and she picked up the pace. It was typical for Hestia to come in with that sort of style, Isla didn't mind admitting jealousy to that. She needed a flying type bad, instead she had to work around the train schedule. Where was the presentation in that? Never the less, Isla was glad Hestia was here. After all, this was Isla's first time in the Galarian league and she wanted to thank the person who helped her out with it all.

Now outside the stadium, Isla snuck closer behind Hestia wanting to surprise her. She was taken a bit aback by the terrifying display from Apollo, but that wasn't about to stop her. Isla tapped Hestia's shoulder and before she could even react to who was behind her, Isla suprised her with a hug. "Good luck in the ceremony, I'm really grateful I can be here too." It was certainly a modest statement and not something Isla was used to saying, but it had to be said. Coming out of the hug she continued "looks like we're still waiting for the others to rock up. Good to see you too Fiona, guess this whole thing means the slopes are on hold for a while aye." This was a return to her usual cocky self. Noticing the cameras nearby though, Isla was drawn in to the spectacle of it all. Yes I will keep the press busy, you don't need to ask me twice."

Isla spent the next few minutes talking to press. They were all more than eager to interview the ex-sports star's debut on the Pokemon training scene. Although there was a variety of subjects popping up, the most notable point was as follows. "Snowboarding is fun and all, I still go down the slopes regularly. But when it comes to the competitive scene, I've already reached the top of that mountain. Now this is my next mountain to climb. All I'm saying is Victoria better watch out, because I'm coming for her title."

---

Mentions: Hestia @Ambra Fiona @Psyker Landshark

[Prints Avoid]

Zeke

Ah, Gym Challenge season was here again. The sights, the sounds, the crowds! ...the smells, the smokers, the opressive industrial air. Same as it had been for years. Growing up in the his parents' line of work, Zeke was well-acquainted with this time of year. Even if he hadn't been able to participate, he was well attuned to the big events of Motostoke. They meant work. In fact, Zeke had come into town a few days early specifically to give his parents some extra help around the inn. An oversized porter suit, some sunglasses, and simply keeping his mouth shut made sure nobody realized the guy carrying their bags was a gym leader. He was thankful to finally be on good terms with his parents, though he shuddered to think what his life would be if he had never left Motostoke.

None of that was on his mind now though. The Fighting-type gym leader was currently strutting through the mass of fans come to watch the opening ceremony. His trusted Grapploct accompanied him on his right side, and an excited Loudred danced along on his left. His little hype man would occasionally let out a cry, a blast of sound that could be deafening if not for the Pokemon's own self-restraint. Of course these blasts drew attention to Zeke and he made the most of it. He flexed for the cameras, his arms exposed in his unzipped sleeveless hoodie. He and his Pokemon got a few pictures with fans, made some boyfriends jealous, signed some autographs, insulted some challengers. The usual. There was almost an incident with some local fans of Fiona, but thankfully they backed down at his bluffs. Zeke causing any actual trouble would cause problems for everyone.

Soon a different Pokemon's cry drew the crowd's attention away from him. The roar came from above and was accompanied by a plummeting silhouette backlit with flames. Some of the spectators cringed in fear, but of course the familiar Charizard pulled up at the last second so it could descend a little closer to the gym. The momentary distraction had let Zeke and Grapploct step out of the throng of people before it started rushing the stadium. His Loudred remained part of it, however, and was carried along, adding his own noise to the growing uproar. He'd find his way back to them later. He always did.

"That Charizard's kind of an attention whore, eh?" Zeke muttered to Grapploct, holding back a grin. His Pokemon stared back at him unamused. The two took a detour through a smaller side street. Zeke noticed a passing Weezing and took a few deep breaths, thankful for the brief respite. Without Loudred drawing attention to them and with his hood up, Zeke moved quickly and efficiently, not sticking around long enough for anyone to recognize him. He came out on to the main street just in front of the stadium, and he and Grapploct squeezed through the crowd.

Zeke found Fiona, Hestia, and Isla hanging out in front. He took another deep breath and put his back hood down. Break was over. He approached the girls, noticing Isla was talking to the press. Good, he was glad she could keep them busy for a while. As he walked over to Fiona and Hestia, however, a snippet of Isla's interview drifted over to him. "...Victoria better watch out, because I'm coming for her title." Oh, well, that was just to good a setup. He winked at the Major League leaders then turned to stroll up to Isla and the press.

"Ha! YOU?" he punctuated the question with an exaggerated laugh. "Oh no, Isla's coming for the Champion's spot!" he pitched up his voice in mock worry. "That's cute, but how about you go back to playing in the snow and leave her to someone with some experience, sweetheart. Actually, I'll let you be my cheerleader and watch how I do it." It occurred to Zeke that this was the first time Isla had had to deal with Gym Leader Zeke. But she was a champion snowboarder, she'd certainly dealt with much worse from people who actually meant it. Even as he interrupted her, some jeers went up from the small crowd hanging around to get a look at them. Then a familiar call went out from somewhere in the larger crowd around them and more people joined in. Dammit Loudred...

[PrankFox]

Mentions: @Ambra @Psyker Landshark

Ezran let out a huff of annoyance as he attempted to tune his guitar for about the third time that day, and the din of the city was certainly not helping. He had perched himself up on the back of a bench off to the side of one of the major streets; a little bit out of the way of the crowds of people that were making their way towards the Motostoke stadium. He had his headphones resting around his neck and his trademark jacket dropped on the bench next him. Minuet let out a staticky chuckle from where she was standing next to him; the yellow mohawk fluctuating and crackling. "Oh be quiet you," he grumbled towards her, "Like you could do any better. You've only got three fingers." The snickering stopped.

He finally strummed through a few cords and let out a hum of approval at the sound. He let muscle memory take over and plucked out a familiar tune as his eyes scanned the dark skies above that were littered with twinkling stars. He thought he may have seen a large shape pass in front of some of them, but it was difficult to tell with the other lights that shined through the large and industrial city. He grew up in Hammerlocke so he was familiar with the, occasional lack of light that came with city living. He kept his tunes quiet enough that they wouldn't draw too much attention. He, of course, never had a problem with being in the spotlight, he preferred it most of the time, but he knew he'd be much more in the public eye after the season started. He'd take all the alone time he could get.

He heard a sudden ramp up in volume from the crowd as a very quick series of a bellowing roar and the distinctive shouts of what he was pretty sure was a Loudred. "Sounds like some of the others have finally showed up." he flashed a grin towards Minuet who trilled happily in response. He pulled the case up for his guitar and laid it inside before hopping off the bench, throwing on his jacket and slinging the case over his shoulder. "Better not keep them waiting yeah?"

He jogged easily through the streets of Motostoke, with Minuet on his heels, giving a wave or short greeting to anyone who called out to him as either a gym leader or if they knew him from his music. He paused a few times to sign an autograph or take a photo, but ultimately made it to the stadium in good time. It was as he always remembered it, lit up as a beacon in the city and surrounded by press and fans. He could hear shouts and jeers coming from the crowd from both people and Pokemon, but that was to be expected. He took the opportunity to begin his ascent up the stairs, hoping to get through without too much attention, but Minuet, of course, had other ideas.

As they reached the top of the stairs she tilted her head back and let out a half-powered Boomburst and strummed out a loud cord; the yellow electricity around her head flaring up. Ezran let out a faint sigh as attentions immediately turned to him. He let a grin light up his face as he waved to both the press and fans as he slowly made his way through the swarm of people to where he could now see both Zeke and Isla in front of the camera, he couldn't hear what was being said over the calls from the crowd, but knowing Zeke probably some kind of jeering remark. He walked past the press to where Fiona and Hestia stood, Minuet a half step behind him, with an easy grin on his face and hands shoved into his pockets.

"How's it goin'?" he queried towards the two, "I see Zeke is getting an early start to the night." He glanced back towards the two as the hollers started up again, "Can't give any of us a break, honestly." He could see Hestia's Charizard standing behind her, an imposing sight to say the least, and Fiona appeared to be sporting a new addition on one shoulder. it's been a while since they'd all really seen each other, and he was interested in what news they had to share, but that could all wait until after the whole lot of them showed up.

[Solace]

Mentions: @Ambra @Psyker Landshark @PrankFox

Malik Harvey was always reminded of the special connection that he had with Motostoke and its people, each time that he stepped foot in its limits. Yet, the burst of emotion that swelled in his chest, how he'd felt the very first time that he'd been to the city as a child, was never fleeting; its former Gym Leader would always have a home here. While he made it a priority to prepare himself accordingly for the orientation ceremony of the year's Gym Challenge, he'd opted to visit the Wyndon Hospital to surprise the children with his vintage Major League Card and a ride over the big city on the back of his Corviknight, provided that it wouldn't hurt them or trigger some sort of condition.

At midday, Malik had found himself trapped at the Wedgehurst Boutique with his mother, who was persistent on having him accept her tailor-made apparel. For many events with significant fan and press presence like the lead-up to the upcoming ceremony, his mother would design and make new clothing for him to wear. "I spent a lot of time and money making this for you, so you will wear it!"

"Hah, you're just usin' me as free advertisement, mum," Malik would say to her, and she was always proud to admit the sentiment. When the time had finally come, he wore a violet silk shirt with an abstract swirl pattern that fit his frame perfectly, complimenting it with dark dress pants. Most of his time was spent on politely refusing to give out his phone number and addressing the numerous fans who approached him from seemingly all angles with all sorts of requests and questions. Autographs, pictures, petting the Espeon that perched on his shoulder; he already felt so exhausted by the time that he and Lady reached the lift.

With the moment to himself, Malik was leaning on the railing as he took the last drag of his cigarette, feeling a distinct rumble from a certain Pokeball at his waist. "Oh, I know, I'll quit someday," he smiled lightly, laughing when he felt Lady also chime in with a nudge at his ankles. He snuffed out the cigarette against the rail, kneeling down to caress the worried Espeon affectionately. "Last one for the week, I promise." The two of them walked off from the lift as he popped a mint into his mouth, tossing the smoke and wrapper into their respective receptacles; fortunately, his cologne was strong enough to ward off the ashy odor.

Malik tried his best to avert the massive crowd that turned towards him in loud cheers upon his approach, bringing Lady back onto his shoulder as he passed by with smiles and waves. He knew that he was in the clear when he could make out a number of recognizable faces, seeing that some of the other Gym Leaders were already around. He was a bit surprised to see just how 'early' he seemed to have arrived, quick to join up with them after making it past the flock. "That's just like 'im, really," Malik added after Ezran upon hearing the press exchange with Isla and Zeke, giving his friend a playful punch against the shoulder before doing the same to Fiona.

His Espeon hissed in the direction of Hestia's Charizard as it wore a hostile expression. "Don't mind Lady, she's been pet a few too many times tonight," Malik chuckled, doing a quick electric guitar impression towards Minuet before folding his arms over his chest and looking over their group. "Hey, Z! Lookin' fly as ever, Fiona. I see Apollo's in the spirit already, Hestia."

[Crimson Flame]

Liam arrived in Motosoke the day before. Leaving him plenty of time to go shopping in the boutique, dine at the battle cafe, take a few pictures with fans that recognized him, and still have a good nights sleep at a hotel. The next day would be a big day. It was the start of the Gym Challenge season. That meant all the other gym leaders showed up at the stadium, and put on a grand display for all their adoring fans. He couldn’t speak for the other Gym Leaders, but Liam loved the pomp and circumstance of it all.

The next day, Liam got dressed, and was ready to head off to the stadium. He wore his signature pink Fairy costume. The one he wore when he battled challengers at the gym. After the exiting the hotel, he flew on the back of Gabriel, and had Boo sitting on his shoulder. Upon reaching the crowd, he did a few twirls and flips in the air, ending with Gabriel pulling off a shining Dazzling Gleam. Hey, the fans wanted a show, and Liam had to give them something.

Liam and his Togekiss landed gracefully right in front of the Gym, to the sound of screaming fans. A few of the other leaders had also arrived before him. The sight of Hestia’s Charizard scared the crap out of the small Mimikyu, “Mimi! Mimi!” He hid his face behind his trainers neck and shivered.

Liam patted the Ghost Fairy on his head. ”It’s ok little guy. No need to be scared. You can definitely take em!” He then sauntered over to the other Gym Leaders, and waved to all of them. “Hello everyone. You all looking forward to the big show?” Liam asked with a laugh. “Oh my gosh Malik! You look as fabulous as me!” He suddenly exclaimed as he gave his fellow Gym Leader a hug for seemingly no reason whatsoever. “Well almost. There are few that can quite keep up with me in the fabulous department!” He then turned his attention to the other boys that had arrived. Which was Zeke and Ezran. “Although you guys don’t look bad either.” He winked and blew them a kiss.

Mentions: @Solace@PrankFox@Prints Avoid@Ambra

[Yankee]

_{_ _ _______________________________ _ _
mentions: @Psyker Landshark + everyone}

"Skies are crowded today," the cabbie called down over the wind to his passenger. Indeed, every year during gym challenge season the air over Motostoke was full of flying taxis and trainers on their own Pokemon alike. A flash of orange zipped by and shook the cab with it's windy aftershock. "Whoooa! Lotta excitement down there!"

Inside the cab, Nordrin leaned towards the glass windows, catching sight of the Charizard leaving them in the dust.

"I can only guess who that is," the man sighed, sitting back in his seat and crossing one long leg over the other. It was rare to see Nordrin outside of Hulbury, and even rarer was he wearing anything but his chef's coat, but today was a special occasion. He chose to wear clean black slacks with a cool blue button down, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. There was movement from behind Nordrin, and after a few moments two little faces floated out from their hiding spot. Nordrin gestured for the pair of Milcery to float out in front of them and they did so, looking around curiously and peering out of the cab's windows before Nordrin snapped his fingers twice to regain their attention.

"Hey, you two have a lot of growing to do if you got scared just by some wind," he said. "I'm bringing you both along so you can get some experience, so don't blow it alright?"

The Milcery looked a little sullen after being chastised, but Nordrin sighed and reached out with both hands to gently rub their heads. The gesture was much appreciated.

Very soon the taxi approached the gym where the Galarian gym leaders were gathering. Below, Nordrin could see many more Pokemon in all colors. The larger ones were easier to make out: Hestia's Charizard and Liam's Togekiss among them. The silver haired man check the watch on his wrist and thought for a moment he was running late, but that wasn't the case. Most of the other leaders were just eager Bibarels. Hulbury wasn't very far from Motostoke, and normally Nordrin would just take a quick train ride over, but over the years he'd acquired a taste for flying and if there was ever a time to indulge and scratch the itch for air, it would be today.

When the taxi set down on solid earth, Nordrin stepped out and combed his hair back with his hands a few times before paying the cabbie and waving the man off. "Come," he told the Milcery, and the trio made their way through the crowd toward where the other leaders were standing.

"Circus is in town, eh?" Nordrin said once he'd escaped the clutches of fans and paparazzi. Thankfully most of their attention was directed towards Isla and Zeke. Nordrin nodded his head stiffly at those already gathered, giving them a rather clipped greeting, "Ladies, Gentlemen."

Well that's enough pleasantries, he thought to himself. While his Milcery floated close by marveling at all of the other Pokemon gathered, Nordrin caught the Motostoke leader's eye: Fiona.

"Mind if I head in?" he asked her, extending at least the basic courtesy of asking permission before he just waltzed into the gym's waiting rooms and left everyone else behind.

_{_ _______________________ _}

[Exit]

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	______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ __________________... in Motostoke at the Motostoke Stadium

mentions: Everyone      interactions:

Thomas had been inside the stadium since before the sun crested the distant mountains. Although not adverse to it, he often took the opportunity to avoid the crowds knowing full well how much time and energy fans were often to take up. Being as it was the day of the ceremony, he had very little of either to spare. His early morning routine on this day was a little different from his usual. There was still the warm cup of coffee, now inside a favorite thermos of his, accompanying him to his every task. There were the greetings he gave to his Pokemon and the daily check-in with those at the lab and gym. There was the girl to whom he saw to. Then, there were the duties he expected of himself as one of a few leaders on the given day.

Working closely with a florist in the city, he helped to design and set up the floral decor in the stadium, ensuring that everything transported was handled with care and received enough attention to survive the entirety of the day's events. Colors blossomed in every hue, though muted in the light-less morning hours, and touched the accents, edges and corners of much of the stadium's architecture. It was a welcome change of scenery from the usual steel and brick that Motostoke was known for and also helped to clear some of the metal tinged air that often hung in more crowded cities. Confident the flowers would brighten up festivities once kissed by the sun, Thomas moved on to more menial tasks. He spent what was left of the day's dawn helping to set up tables, clean up trash on the field and put up whatever signage was leftover. When he was satisfied, or more accurately when the staff were on the brink of taking up arms to get him to stop, he finally took his leave to tend to a last errand.

By then, the sun had begun peaking over the ridge in the distance and the cool morning air was being slowly carried away by it's gentle warm push. He tried to relish the last moments of his favorite part of the day; when there was still the ice kiss on the tip of his nose and the air unfolding from his lungs turned to a hot ball of fog with his every breath. The coffee, still warm in his thermos, helped to keep his fantasy and as he came upon a peculiar shop tucked into the corner of a quiet square, he pulled from it one last sip. The "Good morning" he gave the elderly woman standing in front was hot and tasted of caramel.

She fumbled with her keys and eventually found and pushed a bronze piece into the door. "Thomas... would it kill you to care for your jersey on any day other than the day before?" Her tired, frail voice cracked around the edges of every word. "It's still too early to bother me. Pick-ups aren't for another hour."

"Well, I do appreciate you opening up so early… and just for me but, Nina, I keep telling you you don't have to."

With a slow twist and a deliberate push, the door cracked open. "If I didn't... you would be up there in your pajamas." Thomas laughed even as she did not and followed her inside. The shop itself was rather old as well. A room trapped in a year a decade ago and encased in the shell that was Motostoke innovation. Floorboards creaked underfoot and the ceiling hung low, threatening to snag at one of Thomas's stray hairs. The air was stagnant and smelled of an odd mixture of dust and clean linens. The walls were covered in various shelves that held not merchandise but Nina's innumerable tools. Mannequins were dressed in other people's clothes. Clothing racks were drowned in fabric. The window, currently sealed shut, displayed yesterday's fashion, though for what Thomas couldn't tell. She didn't sell. She did however clean and repair and was one of the few who’s skills with their hands were unrivaled. The main floor was also her main workstation. Beyond the counter that cut the room in half was a desk and on it, a track suit and a jersey. Ironed out, patches resewn and colors restored... again.

"Not that it matters anyways. These are barely any better than your pjs." Nina continued to waggle her tongue at him even as her back was turned, moving with an unexpected nimbleness to the other end of the room where his articles were waiting.

"Are you taking care of the sapling I gave you?"

"On the window."

Thomas turned and with a quick glance, found a potted plant standing defiant between two towering displays. He moved closer for a better inspection and noticed that it had rooted well and that the stem, which had already begun to stretch toward the sky when he'd given it, was now branching and budding. It was indeed in good health and seemed happy. "Wow. It's looking good."

"Unlike you, I take care of my things."

Thomas furrowed his brow as she straightened out and turned to her again. "I take care of my things."

"Haa-gh." Her rebuttal more of a grunt than anything Thomas recognized. "Clearly..." Her shriveled thumbs traced the trim of the outfit he'd refused to put on for a year and had left to collect dust stuffed into the corner of a closet. "And are you taking care of her?"

"Yes."

"No. Her. The uh... other one." She waved a shaky hand in his general direction signaling at another female dancing along the edges of what he thought she was trying to say. "You told me about the uh... fair ski-"

"Yeah, no Nina. I don't have the time right now. Kind of busy with construction of the lab and training some 'come-ups'."

The old woman shook her head. By now she had produced a bag and had already begun transferring the tracksuit over to it. The suit itself was first, folded some at the edges to allow it to fit with the jersey placed safely inside. Both were easily secured with the slide of a zipper and a sticker was placed on top. She scribbled something on it before picking up the entire thing and making her way back over to him. "Taking care of your things also means taking care of yourself." She held it out for him to take. "Don't forget to save some of that love and attention you give away so freely for Timmy."

"That's... not my name."

_________________________

The roars of the crowd just outside the main doors were loud enough to rouse the Flapple on his shoulder. Having spent almost the entire morning asleep, Thomas was happy to see the small dragon finally blinking it's way into the later early hours of the day. Thomas's greeting nudge on it's chin was returned with a trill on it's tongue and a long stretch and yawn. "There you are. I hope you're rested and ready for the day, Draco."

Thomas himself was now as close to prepared as he expected he'd be. His navy tracksuit was zipped up over his jersey, now in pristine condition thanks in no small part to Nina and her handiwork. His hair was up and tied back, Flapple was finally awake and last he checked since he returned, the stadium itself was ready to go. Although a few trainers and spectators had already started to trickle in, opting to ignore the ever growing crowd outside, the staff were nearly complete and were putting the finishing touches on setup. Everything was pretty much ready to go and in time for everyone's arrival.

He could recognize them by their entrances. Even through walls of concrete and steel, Hestia's Charizard's roar was unmistakable. The muted sound of heavy feet slamming into the ground followed by loud cheers signaled the Fire-Type leader's arrival and her voice answering their call was all the confirmation he needed that the rest wouldn't be far behind. Sure enough, the others followed suit. Fiona's particular speak cut through the crowd shortly thereafter, easily recognizable over a sea of shouts and cheers that threatened to drown her out. Then there was the voice of Isla, with an assuredness to her that was admirable but short-lived under the boisterousness shadow of Zeke's arrival. His persona was donned as it usually was in front of cameras and crowds and even if Thomas couldn't hear the man's exact words through closed doors, he understood the gist of what he was saying. It was a short-lived game as he tried to translate some of the mottled warbling language leaking through to him before the cry of a Loudred cut through everything else and effectively shut his musings up. After the crowd swelled with it's entrance and eventually evened out, Thomas picked up Ezran and Malik adding their song to the others. Liam followed shortly after them, his being one of the few that Thomas could clearly visualize as his compliments and flirtations were always rather loud and obvious. Nordrin was there as well, the renowned chef keeping his volume low, however, and just barely discernible from the rest.

Still to arrive it seemed were Joseph, Henrietta and the two other leaders whom Thomas knew the best: Moira and Elijah. He checked the clock on the wall. There was still time.

"They'll be here, Draco... and it's probably time we got out there as well, hm?" He turned to the dragon on his shoulder who yawned a lazy approval and stretched apple slice wings in preparation. Thomas did the same, pulling his arms behind his back, rolling his neck and taking a deep breath before holding it in his lungs as he went through a final mental check. Floral decorations were done. The stadium was set and prepped and ready. His official outfit was donned for once, though still concealed under his tracksuit which was also cleaned. He'd drunk enough coffee to offset his early morning start and received a wholesome dismissal and reminder from an old lady. And so, with a lung full of air and caffeine in his veins, he exhaled a ball of confidence, poise and carefully scrounged charisma and moved to the doors ready to greet the rest of the world.

"T-thomas! Thomas! I'm so sorry to bother you but... it never ends, does it. We've already got a complaint about some new trainer named Timmy leaving his stuff in someone else's locker. There was a bag with a name on it and some rather plain boring clothes inside that we've moved to 'Lost and Found'. I've made up some temporary signs as a reminder. Do you mind putting these up here? I'm putting these ones up at the other end of the stadium."

[King Cosmos]

There was an art to making an entrance and Henrietta, by extension, was an artist.

She strode down the central street that ran through the middle of Motostoke, from the archway that led into the city to the elevator which would take her the stadium, walking as if the crowd in front of her didn’t exist. With the way people cleared a path for her there might as well not have been, the throng of people parting like the Red Sea at her approach; some of that was no doubt down to the imposing Garchomp that walked behind her, but the rest was all Henrietta. She walked like she expected people to move and they did.

Image and notoriety. That’s what it was all about. People knew who she was, what she was, because she had worked hard to create an identity that people would recognise and a reputation that would garner respect. The clothes might change day to day but the beret? The shades? The hair? They were a brand, her brand, and she’d made sure that brand meant something to people.

Add in a splash of the right attitude and the rest took care of itself.

Henrietta stepped on to the elevator and hit the button for it to take her up, the whole platform rotating around a giant set of cogs and gears as it took her up to the next level. At the top she found herself face to face with a sea of fans, reporters and paparazzi. Camera’s flashed, microphones were pushed into her face and fans waved at her and tried to catch her attention. It seemed her approach hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Good.

There was something to be said for making an unstated appearance. She didn’t demand attention with a flashy entrance, she simply waited for people to notice her, which they would, realise who she was, which they would, and approach her themselves, which they had. The press assaulted her with a litany of questions, barely giving each other time to finish before the next began to speak, let along giving her time to answer.

”What are your hopes for this year’s League?”

”Do you think you stand a chance of winning the Champion’s Cup this year?”

”What do you have to say to the rumours that you and Joseph are romantically involved?”

Henrietta weathered the storm patiently, expression unchanging and eyes an enigma behind her shades as she waited for them all to finish before she spoke.

“I hope that things are more interesting than they were last year; there weren’t many challengers that made it as far as my gym. I always stand a chance of winning, only time will tell if I can beat Moira this year. And Joseph wishes those rumours were true; that’s all I’ll say about that.”

[Majoraa]

"Hope we're not too late, Hydra."

Soaring above Galar was a trio of dragons. A Noivern, a Dragonite, and a Hydreigon in the middle. Upon the Hydreigon's back was Moira, rubbing whatever sleep was left in her eyes away as she rode on the three-headed pokemon. "This is what I get for pulling a damn all-nighter, aye?" She huffed, chuckling afterwards. "I better not hear the end of it from the others." She wasn't that much of a morning person, if she was honest to herself. That, or she didn't want to deal with the crowds and the press. Too loud for her taste. But Moira didn't have time to get a quick coffee, so the wind slapping her face had to do. She petted one of Hydra's heads, and looked back out to see they were approaching Motostoke.

"Finally." Moira slightly slapped herself awake, then looked to Vern and Python. "So how should we make our entrance? Normally? Or bombastic??" She asked her Pokemon.

Of course, given their nature, Moira had to humor them. Just this once.

As soon as they were closing in on the stadium, Moira began counting. "1, 2, 3!!" The three dragons in unison began to divebomb towards the gym. But before they reached the ground, they swiftly flew back up with mighty roars. They circled around the area a couple of times, then Moira vaulted off Hydra and landed perfectly in the middle of the crowd. She looked up to see the trio fly back up into the air to pull of a Dragon Dance, then land next to and behind her. "Whew, nailed it." she whispered, taking in the hype of the audience before marching forwards to the rest of the leaders.

"Posture straight, confidence high, Press ignored." Moira thought to herself. Once she approached the group, she bowed in respect. "Greetings, everyone. I wish you all the best this season." she smiled to them.

Meanwhile, Vern approached Draco to say a quick hello, making funny faces at the fellow dragon Pokemon. Python flew up next to Apollo, giving the Charizard a smug grin, while Hydra stayed by Moira.

[Lord Orgasmo]

---

There was the distinct sound of wings beating as Joseph sat on the back of his Corviknight, Hermes. "I swear, like a billion people just crawled out of the woodwork for this gym challenge. I don't think I've ever had that many challengers." Joseph gripped the steel feathers of Hermes slightly harder, as a signal to speed up. "Well, at least there's no sky police. I imagine we'd probably be speeding right now."

At last the city of Motosoke was with landing distance. There was a large group of people all gathered around the stadium, many here to see the champion. Looking closer, Liam and his bright pink outfit stuck out like a sore thumb. Looks like the other leaders were here, too. Hopefully he wasn't too late.

He had considered coming as Eden, rather than as himself, but decided that for such a large event dressing up might not be the best idea. Not to mention, Hermes would probably be a lot slower if he was wearing such heavy armor. That, and he had been slightly paranoid of flying with it on after his helmet flew off during a flight. It ended up hitting someone's Wooloo, but fortunately the Wooloo barely noticed it with all of its thick wool. He let the trainer keep the helmet as a means of apology, and autographed it, just on the off chance he ever got famous.

Hermes descended from the sky near the crowd, before quickly being returned to his poké ball. Approaching the crowd, Joseph spotted the group of leaders, mostly due to Liam's bright pink outfit, and Hestia's Charizard. He walked to the group with his arms out to his sides before speaking. "'Sup nerds! Guess who!" Joseph put his arms down. "Sorry I'm late, there were an innumerable number of challengers for some strange reason. Maybe I'm cursed or something." Joseph shrugged. "So, did I miss anything important?"

[Jumbus]

---

Isla liked Zeke's TV persona, even more than the real guy if she was being honest. Though she wouldn't tell him that. Even still, trying to upstage her like that was a bit far and certainly wasn't going to fly. Although this has been the first time her and Zeke have both been on camera, this was not her first time having to deal with this sort of thing. It happened all the time during her competition days and she herself had done the same on more than one occasion. Isla adorned the smile that you only make when you are irritated and angry during Zeke's speech. "...I'll let you be my cheerleader and watch how I do it."

Isla wrapped one arm around Zeke's shoulders, trying to hide that she had to be on her tippy toes a bit to do so. "I think being your cheerleader would be a great time. Who wouldn't want to cheer on the guy who brought home the gold of Galar... She turned to the camera smiling, leaving it hanging a bit before continuing. "Oh wait, I forgot, I'm the one who did that, didn't I? And you're just the guy who got kicked out of the major leagues. Oh, I think that will make for a great interview so I'll leave you to it." She gave Zeke a reassuring smile, as if to say that its all in good fun. But the message was clear, she will fire back in turn if he did it again. "Good luck stud." She left back to the now gathering group of leaders only offering a parting wink and a smile to Zeke.

---

Mentions: Zeke @Prints Avoid

[Exit]

^{Some bbcode may not display correctly on your device.}

	______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ __________________... in Motostoke at the Motostoke Stadium

mentions: Everyone      interactions:

...You're being klutzier than usual...

Thomas tore off another strip of clear tape and fixed it to the bottom edge of the impromptu sign, the reminder now visible to everyone... including himself: "Please use your own locker." Thomas nodded.

"'That's goes without saying.'" He replied in another trainer's voice as he got up and gathered his supplies. He stuffed the small roll of tape and the pair of scissors in his back pocket and moved to leave when a shuffling at the far end of the locker gave him pause. Assuming it to be yet another early trainer, and thankfully not the one whom he'd robbed of their locker space, he dismissed it... at least until whatever it was found a voice and called out to him.

"Tom?" Thomas turned and his eyes fell on a very familiar face. White hair and fair skin. Strong gaze of sky colors and a warm smile that it's other half was often without unless in familiar company. Moira's brother was not one easily lost in a crowd of plain faces and his soft voice carried. "I should have known you were already here... and helping out of course." His smile held.

"Well that makes one of us. What are you doing here, Mark?... Are you...?" Thomas glanced him over a few times, quickly recognizing the same jersey the man had donned a few years ago during his first gym challenge taken with his sister. Back then, while they had both been defeated by the champion, it was Moira who had been offered the position of gym leader while Mark had been more than content simply being the support to his sibling. He played a major role in helping her acclimate to the position and of course, knew Thomas very well. Being here however put him on a very different path to her and not one Thomas was sure Mark even had to take. "...Are you doing the gym challenge?"

"Uh... Yeah." He took a step back and away from the lockers, gesturing at the jersey and giving Thomas a better view of the trainer before him. The patch bug symbol sewn into the chest signifying a preferred type was now easily visible as well. "How do I look?"

"Like you're ready to win." Thomas answered with an approving nod and a curl to his lip. "Like the next champion." Then his brows furrowed. "Does your sister know you're here? She didn't say anything about expecting you in the running." As he asked, Thomas tried to think back on his last conversation with Moira but failed to recall mention of her brother at any point during their talk.

"Not yet. I was going to surprise her.

"Well she's definitely going to be surprised... and happy to see you. Of course, we're going to have issues." Thomas smirked. "Your typing's a headache.

"Heh. Yeah. Speaking of, where's Draco? Don't you usually keep him out?

Again, Thomas furrowed his brow, more confused now than before. "Draco's right he-" As reached for the Pokemon curled around his neck, he met with a ball of air.

...Where the fff-...?

_________________________

There were few things in this world that Draco liked more than tart apples. A good battle was one and since his start as a trainer, Thomas was always hard pressed to keep Draco out of the fight. The other, not so surprisingly when Thomas thought about it, was Moira. Moira and her entire team to be more specific. He was sure that if given a proper choice, Draco could ditch him for her in a heartbeat and he really couldn't blame him. Her team was strong and the bond he could grow with others of his kin was not nearly on the same level as those he created with Thomas's own team.

That wasn't to say that Draco disliked his family, but as Thomas exited the stadium through the front doors only to catch Draco dancing joyous circles around Vern, it was sometimes hard to tell. Really hard to tell.

"ThomaAAAAAAAHHH!"

He flinched walking into the solid wall of cheers, already regretting his trading the early morning quiet for the chaotic noise that was... this. Giving his thermos a solid squeeze and gathering what energy and caffeine he could after having left his small preparation from before behind, he tore his gaze away from the traitorous dragon and looked upon the crowd with the warmth and excitement that they expected. It was mostly genuine. Although it was a struggle to quickly match their energy, it was that same energy that reminded him of why he did this and why any of them did this. They loved Pokemon. Loved battles. Loved their leaders and trainers and most of all, loved their Champ.

...Victoria...

Thomas peered above the crowd and then past them. When he saw nothing, he searched the skies.

...Not yet it seems. Always fashionably last... or not?

As he continued the short walk to meet with the other leaders, flashing smiles and throwing waves at some of the more energetic fans, he did a quick head count of those now standing in front of the crowd and found that besides Victoria, Elijah was still nowhere to be seen. Joseph and Henrietta had by now joined with the others and of course Moira's arrival had been hard to miss, seeing as the noise of her entrance rivaled even that of Hestia's and she had managed to steal Draco away... again. Although not usually one to be late, Thomas knew Elijah to also be quite busy, especially around this time with his students. He chalked it up to a long night and a late start and figured he'd appear any minute with Victoria not far behind. Of course, he had to finish his entrance first.

He came to a stop at the edge of the others and gave them all a nod in greeting and a smile. "Hey guys. It's been a minute."

...Entrance successful...

_________________________

^{...Draco get over here...}

[Psyker Landshark]

Mentions: @Majoras End @Solace @Yankee @Ambra

And now everyone was just piling in. Isla, Zeke, and Henrietta were thankfully hogging all the cameras and attention to themselves, which meant she didn't have to. That just left her time to respond to those who'd greeted her.

"Careful, Malik. Ya keep complimentin' me, yer old man might actually think he's on tae something about us gettin' together." She snickered back at the one who'd gotten her into this gig to begin with before turning to Nordrin. Fucking hell. Well, at least he seemed unchanged, and wasn't making this awkward. Small mercy, at least. No hard feelings.

"Nordy, it's cute, but ya don't need my permission tae enter a public stadium. Not that I'd give a shite either way. Go on in if ye please."

Before she could go on further, yet more draconic roars echoed through the sky as Moira made probably the most spectacular entrance yet. Not a terrible airshow, in Fiona's opinion, but she could do better. Though that didn't exactly mean she wanted the spotlight, but...

Fiona rolled her eyes as she felt three of her Pokeballs in particular start wiggling on her belt, their attention piqued by the roars. Of course. Well, who was she to deny her Pokemon the sky if they so wanted to? She pulled said Pokeballs off her belt with a sigh and gave them a resigned smile.

"Fine, fine. Just don't go too overboard, aye? Just because ya want to wave yer dicks around don't mean that I want all the attention fer myself." She said softly before looking to Moira with an apologetic shrug. "Sorry about this, Moira! Bunch of prima donnas here on my crew!" And with that, Fiona lazily tossed all three Pokeballs up in the air, with Talonflame, Noivern, and Mega Salamence all emerging, the Key Stone on the back of Fiona's Dynamax Band glowing brightly.

All three Flying types quickly ascended into the air, spinning up in a Flare Blitz, Boomburst, and Aerilated Giga Impact respectively before coming to an apex, expanding their wingspans fully and letting out cries of their own. Berkut, Lightning, and Felon all immediately accelerated afterwards with mighty flaps of their wings, cutting a swathe in the sky above Motostoke's stadium in formation before each broke off simulataneously. The Talonflame and Noivern each split off in opposite directions, expanding their wings to come to a stall before rapidly whirling around in a J-turn by manipulating the wind currents around them, while the Mega Salamence stalled as well, but rose up in the sky, doing a loop in a perfect Kulbit before flipping around midair and soaring back the way he came. Each Pokemon returned into formation, now returning to their start point as Fiona gave a put-upon sigh from down below.

"Good tae see we've worked out th' kinks in all that post-stall training, at least." She murmured to herself before raising both her voice and her Pokeballs. "Alright, that's enough of that! Get yer arses back in here before someone throws a bloody fit!" All three Flying-types dove straight down at her call, with Felon giving Moira's Dragons and Hestia's Charizard one last contemptous roar before each flew straight into their Pokeball's beam, returning.

"Fook me, th' chairman's probably going tae have my head fer that one..." Fiona rubbed the back of her head, giving Hestia and Moira a sheepish grin.

[Marlowe]

MENTIONS:

With her arrival came a whole lot more. Hestia turned to face Fiona, returning her greeting wholeheartedly. "With this oaf, I might as well be him!" She jabbed a thumb in the direction of her Charizard, who had dipped his head low to glare at the other gym leader with frosty blue eyes. "He's been looking forward to tonight for a long time. No harm in letting him have some fun!" she chuckled as she slung her arm around Fiona's shoulders, posing for a moment to allow some paparazzi to snap a photo.

Isla and Zeke showed up next, and she thanked them for drawing some of the crowd's attention to them. Hestia grinned at their interaction and how they bickered. Zeke was quite the handful, and Isla wasn't left behind in challenging his claim. Next came Ezran, Harvey, and Liam, and she couldn't help but narrowing her eyes at the blond that had been hugged by the flamboyant Fairy-type gym leader. "Hey Easy. Hi, Liam. Harvey."" she nodded at each of them respectively, though her smile faded considerably as she turned to Malik. Even Apollo scoffed at him and his rather obnoxious Espeon, who had been hissing in his presence. Sure, he was a minor league gym leader, but she wasn't going to forgive him over what he did all of those years ago. Yeah, some might say that she was being petty, but how would they feel if they were suddenly defeated by an unworthy rival at the most pivotal time in their life?

Then came the rest-- Henrietta, and Moira, whose Dragonite had forced a low growl from Apollo's maw, and then Joseph and Thomas. All of the spectacles their Pokemon put on display had brought even more attention from onlookers, who all clustered closer and cheered with admiration. There were some out of their numbers that stared wide-eyed and with contempt while several of them watched with determination. Trainers were probably in the crowd's mix, most definitely the ones that they would face when the time came. The crowds only cheered more when Fiona's flying types shot out from their Pokeballs-- Hestia's eyes widened when she saw that one of such winged Pokemon was her Mega Salamence.

"We've really got this crowd going, don't we?" she laughed to herself as she glanced up at Apollo. The Charizard growled in agreement and she reached up to pat the side of his neck.

"Oi! You lot!"

The voice sounded from somewhere behind them, and she caught sight of a rather young face at the doorway to the Motostoke Gym. Hestia recognized him as Chairman Amaranth's assistant, Cereus Rothschild. She swore that Chairman Amaranth was crazy for hiring an assistant that looked to be younger than even she was; in fact, she was pretty jealous that she chose him instead of her!

"Chairman wants you bunch in the locker rooms, now. I suggest you hurry up and get in here."

Hestia glanced over at the rest and shrugged before she pulled out her Pokeball. In a flash of red, the large dragon was gone, and she clipped the Pokeball back onto her belt. Anxiety bubbled up in her. She had already done this many times, though the thought of being in front of so many people still sent a shiver up her spine. "Welp, let's get going!" she told the rest of their numbers before she waved to the crowd (which had produced another cheer) and began to walk into the stadium.

---

In the middle of an empty field covered in fake, bright green grass, a tall, suited man stood to meet the roaring crowd. His brown hair had been combed back, revealing the salt and pepper that coated the underside of some of the locks of chestnut. Gray eyes peered upwards towards the cheering fans who chanted and cried out with excitement as a frown twisted beneath his mustache and beard. He raised a hand to his beard and twisted a finger around one of the ends of his mustache as a blond boy raced from the sidelines to meet him.

"C-chairman Amaranth! I..." panted the young one. "I got everyone together... haa, any sign of Victoria yet?"

Amaranth hummed as he stroked his beard. "Not a single one, unfortunately." He kept his eyes glued to the black sky.

Cereus suddenly took a deep breath and straightened up, his brows furrowing together in what seemed like juvenile determination. "Well, we can't leave them hanging forever, eh?" he asked as he handed Amaranth a mic.

"Suppose we can't," Amaranth murmured to himself as he took the microphone. After a few more moments of pensive thought and a longing glance back up at the sky, he flicked it on and put it to his lips as he turned to face the crowd. With a flourish of his free arm, he opened his mouth to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen! As you probably know, I am Amaranth, chairman of the Pokemon League. I know that everyone here, and everyone watching from home, has been waiting for this grand moment. It is my pleasure to announce that finally, the Galar region Gym Challenge will now begin!"

The roar the crowd emitted almost deafened him. Arceus, if he hadn't had any tact, he could have lowered the sensitivity in his hearing aids... "Yes, the Gym Challenge! Participants must defeat the eight Gym Leaders and gather the eight Gym Badges in order to prove themselves as a Trainer. Only the most worthy will have the honor of challenging Madame Victoria for her title of Champion of Galar! Now, I would like the Gym Leaders to show themselves!"

The giant flatscreen televisions that had previously been focusing on his face (and had made the crinkles around his eyes and the gray in his beard blatantly obvious) now zoomed onto the entrance of the field. At the sight of the seven shadows that emerged from the depths of the tunnel, he shared a surprised glance with Cereus. Not only were they missing the Champion, but they were also missing one of their Gym Leaders. Amazing.

"We might be missing one," Amaranth continued pointedly. "But please say hello to Hestia Quintell, our fiery Fire-type Gym Leader at Circhester! Next, Thomas Tyrell, our Grass-type expert from Turffield! Ezran Hawthorne, the Poison-type fanatic from Hulbury! William Prescott Anwell, our very own Fairy-type Gym Leader from Ballonlea! Henrietta Durand, the hardy Ground-type user from Stow-on-Side! Fiona MacConnell, the Flying-type Gym Leader who makes her home here in Motostoke! And finally, Moira Kingsley, the fierce Dragon tamer from Hammerlocke!"

As he announced their names, the cameras panned from each of their faces, which made the crowd grow even more wild. Amaranth noticed that several of them had noticed Victoria's absence, though it was for the best that they kept up their charade. Now wasn't the time to worry. They had a region to bolster. Nevertheless, he raised his eyes to the sky again. I really, really wish she were here...

"These are the Gym Leaders that we in the Galar region are proud to call our own!" Amaranth motioned to the Gym Leaders once again, and the crowd's cheers, screams, and chants seemed to make the ground tremble beneath his very feet.

---

At last, the night had begun to die down. With the end of the celebrations, people started to go on their own way. The Gym Leaders had gathered in the lobby of the Motostoke Gym, bidding farewell to dreaming trainers and aspiring fans. Hestia, of course, was one of the their numbers that had garnered the most attention, alongside Moira, Fiona, and Thomas-- probably because they thought that their typings were "cooler" than the others. She didn't blame them. Fire-types were pretty cool compared to a couple of fairies or weird mind-readers. But either way, each of them had gotten their fair share of attention, so much so that Hestia's face was tired from smiling and her right hand was exhausted from autographing trainer cards. Nova had escaped his Pokeball to perch upon her shoulder, and the Flareon's warm mane had comforted her a significant amount as he rubbed up against her cheek.

"Augh, I need a drink after this. Or at least a tasty meal. Preferably a free one," Hestia grinned once again as she gave Nordrin a deliberate look. Nova trilled in agreement and curled his fluffy tail around her neck. But before the culinary genius could answer, she noticed the chairman approach with Cereus at his heels. "Oh shite. Looks like you're gonna get chewed out for that stunt earlier, Fiona. Oh, hey, Chairman! Loved your presentation. You drove the crowd wild!"

"I'm getting too old for this," the chairman grumbled under his breath as he wiped his forehead with a folded cloth. "Least you lot did a good job looking presentable."

Hestia laughed. "Was the least we could do since Elijah didn't show up. Speaking of which," she paused as she glanced about. "Where's Victoria? I thought she was supposed to come soaring in on that Altaria of hers."

To her surprise, Amaranth let out a long, disgruntled sigh. "Honestly, all of you know as much as us. We don't know where she is. Perhaps something came up and she couldn't make it, but to be frank, it isn't like her at all to do such a thing. At the moment, we can only hope she's alright. I'll get in contact with her in the morn."

[Prints Avoid]

Zeke

Zeke watched Isla go, the smirk never leaving his face. Of course he'd left himself wide open for the most obvious comeback. He turned back to the cameras, "Cute isn't she? Did she say... she brought home the gold? Well if any old award counts towards the League now, I better start carrying around my medals from the Lilycove Spring Break Beer Olympics." He laughed, and there was a boom from somewhere in the crowd. "These newcomers always get a big head, but it's cool. We can settle it on the pitch."

At that moment Fiona's Pokemon chose to do their display. The combined boom drew all their eyes upward. Zeke rolled his eyes. Flyers. But with the new arrivals and all the showing off, the cameras' attention drifted slowly away from him in different directions. After all, the major leagues were here. The smirk melted off his face as the last of them ran off.

The crowd was in a frenzy and an excited Loudred somewhere in that mass of people was only egging them on. Zeke chuckled to himself then grabbed a Pokeball and called forth his Gallade. The serious Blade Pokemon stood straight and tall and took a quick look at its surroundings. The expression it wore made it clear the celebrations and music and crowd did not impress Gallade. Zeke gave it a moment. And then a light breeze carried the scent of sugar and cinnamon to them. Gallade's head immediately turned in the direction of an array of dessert carts. "All right. Go find Loudred, please. I'm gonna need some extra noise at the Ceremony. Afterwards I'll get you all a donut or waffle or something. Maybe there's Casteliacones somew-" Zeke turned to find that Gallade had already disappeared. Likely at the word donut. He smiled to himself and went to join the other Gym Leaders, even greeting a few them in a friendly manner.

They were soon called to the locker rooms by the Chairman's assistant. Zeke was quick in the locker room. He'd come wearing his uniform shorts, so it was only a matter slipping off the hoodie and changing his shoes for some flip-flops he could slide off quickly. "Well, break a leg out there. Show these challengers what they're in for." He quickly checked his hair in the mirror, then gestured to the others before going off to find his seat.

There were a few seats set on the pitch opposite the entrance everyone would be watching, so Zeke slipped in and took his seat with only a few fans having noticed him. Zeke looked around at the stadium. Thomas's people had done good work. It was almost like they were in a city other than Motostoke. He'd have to pay Thomas a compliment afterward.

Zeke's phone buzzed. Then buzzed again. And again. Them again.

Isha: damn zeke you got rooooooasted
Abby: Yeah, that went beyond taking the piss out of someone.
Isha: whatd you do cheat on her?

Zeke sighed and began typing out a quick response. It might be a while before the ceremony started.

Brennan: He was acting like a jerk that's what he did.
Zeke: shouldnt you be getting ready for the ceremony
Zeke: and i told you to stop adding me to your grouptexts
Isha: did you really win the beer olympics
Brennan: Pretty sure that was a joke. do they even have those in Lilycove
Abby: We're all ready. We got here early and changed. We were just watching you be an ass.
Abby: And Isha's nervous.
Zeke: Isha is nervous? Isha?
Isha: its a lot of people
Zeke: All you have to do is walk out there. It'll be fine. You all walk in together. Just breathe. And I'll be on the other end of the pitch when you walk out. If you start to panic, just look at me and pretend you're running circles around my Lucario again.
Zeke: You're going to do great. Knowing you you'll get addicted to the cheering
Isha: i guess
Abby: No, he's right. You're going to become a monster
Zeke: anyway it looks like everyones ready. i think its time to start soon
Brennan: What if we can't find you
Zeke: oh you will

Zeke silenced his phone and slipped it back into his pocket as the other minor league leaders began to join him. And then Amaranth's voice poured from the speakers, and Zeke stood up to watch the ceremony. It was a familiar script. It didn't change much from year to year, but it never failed to give him chills. He noticed the figures forming up at the opposite end, ready to make their entrance. Zeke thought back to his own experience in that group. He could remember the first time walking out on to that field as a Gym Leader like it was yesterday. He glanced over at Malik. Could he be thinking about the same thing? But no, the other man had willingly given up his spot. It wasn't the same.

As they were announced, Zeke clapped and cheered as expected. His part had been played and he didn't have to be "on" for the ceremony, thankfully. And yet...

The stadium shook from the crowd's passion. And then Chairman Amaranth announced the challengers. In a flash, Loudred was at Zeke's side. "Ready to give these kids the full experience?" His words could not have possibly reached its ears, but Loudred nodded in understanding. Zeke cheered even louder as the challengers poured out of the tunnel to join the gym leaders on the field. He caught sight of a few familiar faces. As expected Isha took quickly to the cheers and was already basking in the attention. Brennan however, looked around a little timidly. Zeke gestured to Loudred who joyfully added his own booming cries to the noise. It was enough to catch the attention of some, including Brennan and Abby. He smiled and clenched a fist in solidarity. The returned the gesture, standing noticeably taller and more confident.

"Good work buddy," he muttered.

Zeke was in high spirits. This had been as good a send-off as any for these trainers. He'd made sure that they all kept him updated on their progress. Many of the challengers who'd come through his gym still didn't believe he was as invested as he claimed to be. But they promised to let him know.

As Zeke slipped his hoodie back on, he caught the end of a conversation about Victoria. He had noticed she was absent. Elijah too... Something seemed wrong but there didn't seem to be much reason to worry just yet. Even the Chairman thought it could wait.

"All right, so about that meal? What's the plan?" He glanced at Nordrin. "Also I kind of promised Gallade I'd take the team for something sweet."

[Yankee]

_{_ _ _______________________________ _ _
mentions: @Ambra@Prints Avoid + everyone}

As the ceremony's start time drew close, more and more of Galar's favorite celebrities arrived until they were all there, minus only two. One of the two happened to be the shining star that they all aspired to reach, which wasn't like her. More than that though... Nordy?

"Oi, we talked about the nicknames. Fio-- ugh." Nordrin scrubbed a hand down his face as the Flying-type expert was swept up in Moira's entrance. The gym leaders' escalating arrivals and feats were driving the crowd into a near frenzy, and with Fiona's permission (whether he needed it or not), Nordrin turned away from the group and made to head inside. He passed Joseph and Thomas on the way into the stadium, bidding each of the other men a curt "hello" before leaving the group behind, the two milcery lagging behind, staring at all of the other pokemon. From inside, the chairman's assistant came stomping over to the group behind him, and Nordrin let out a quick, low whistle. Guess we're in trouble.

---

The ceremony was about as much as Nordrin expected. That wasn't to say he was bored by it or anything, quite the contrary: with Elijah and Victoria's absence, the chairman and the remaining major leaguers stepped up and made things even more exciting in the arena. It was downright inspiring, especially for this year's challengers. That was who this who shebang was really for after all. Personally, Nordrin didn't face many league hopefuls. Most trainers headed toward the Isle of Armor where they could face two minor league leaders on quick succession, or they sought out the more experienced Malik. The chef's reputation as a hard ass probably didn't help much either. Still, the couple of trainers he'd gifted his recommendation to were among the group venturing onto the pitch. Nearby, Zeke's Loudred was warming up for something.

"Lait, Gateau," Nordrin summoned the amazed and dumbfounded Milcery to his side once more, this time recalling them to their pokeballs. Once safely inside so that they wouldn't be blown to pieces by the soundwaves, Nordrin tucked them into his breast pocket. As he'd thought, the noise was deafening so close. The chef grumbled a bit, rubbing his ears - but he couldn't really be upset with Zeke or his pokemon. Although Nordrin himself was far too busy with his restaurant to do so, he found it very admirable whenever his fellow leaders followed the careers of trainers they'd endorsed.

Once everyone gathered in the lobby, Nordrin joined them. He wasn't a total buzzkill, or at least he liked to think he wasn't. Tonight was one of the few nights a year he could get out and relax. Since pretty much everyone in Galar was in Motostoke or otherwise focused on the town, many businesses outside of it would be slow, High Steaks included. That being said, when Hestia give him that look, Nordrin's expression visibly soured. Lucky for the Fire-type leader, he didn't get a chance to retort.

"Keep us updated, yeah?" Nordrin said, nodding to Amaranth and Cereus. It was strange the champion hadn't shown up, but... well, the chairman had said it all already.

Then Zeke brought up meal plans and Nordrin scoffed.

"Why you lot are looking at me like I'm going to drag all your arses back to Hulbury I don't know." Really, they did this so often he should expect it by now. "Tonight, any place in Motostoke would feed us for free. If you're looking for a place with good deserts..." He paused, closing his eyes and scrunching his brows together. Thankfully, Motostoke was one of the region's larger cities, which meant there were more options. Nordrin's standards were absurdly high after all, so the more restaurants around the better chance there was for a least one establishment to satisfy him... but which one? Duke of Spice? Cafe Wonder? The Unovan Eatery? A Battle Cafe? ...eh, no, fuck those battle cafe bastards.

"I have a place in mind."

_{_ _______________________ _}

[PrankFox]

Mentions: Everyone

Ezran noted each other gym leader that arrived after him, shooting a grin towards Malik as he felt the jostle to his shoulder and heard Minuet strum a brightly toned cord. "Good to see you," he clapped a hand on the other man's shoulder, "Nice to see that Isla can handle him." He chuckled lightly as she spun away from the cameras to make her way towards them. Liam, Nordrin, and Henrietta were the next batch to show up and he gave each of them an amiable greeting as they approached. The crowd only continued to get more and more riled up with the dramatic entrance of their resident dragon trainer and he couldn't say he was surprised when Fiona let some of her own team show off a bit. He wasn't sure if he was grateful or not that his team tended to stay mostly on the ground, but the crowd certainly seemed to enjoy it. The Chairman couldn't say they weren't doing a great job making of a show of everything as he usually requested.

As the chairman's assistant urged them into the locker room he followed Hestia's lead and pulled Minuet into her pokeball, much to her chagrin as it shuddered unhappily, before following the rest inside and making quick work of leaving his guitar in a safe place and preparing for the din that would be the inside of the stadium. He gave Zeke a thumbs up as the minor league leaders made their way to the seats on the side of the pitch. He was accustomed to large crowds at this point given both of his professions, and he looked forward to making this ceremony a big one, especially since they were missing both one of their own and the champion. Whatever, they'd make do.

And make do they did. The crowds were as excited as he'd ever seen them and the challengers seemed determined. The hollers of Zeke's Loudred also seemed to inspire at least some of the number on the field. The ceremony reminded him of plenty of his shows, the noise levels were certainly the same, and he reveled in the screams and chants of the crowd as each of them were introduced. It was honestly a miracle they all hadn't gone deaf doing this each and every year. He couldn't wait to get back into the swing of things for the challenge season though. His team wasn't necessarily getting rusty but they were lazing around much more than he would like. Maybe the ceremony would remind them what they were meant to do.

Once they all gathered back together outside the field he freed Minuet from her pokeball once again. As she appeared in a flash of red light she crossed her arms and Ezran couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Don't look at me like that. It wasn't even that long," he poked her shoulder as she let out an annoyed huff, "You're just upset you missed the crowds." The Toxtricity turned around and wandered away from the rest of them and he threw up his hands in exasperation as the Chairman walked out to join them.

So even he didn't know where Victoria was, but if he thought it was fine then they didn't need to worry. Not yet anyway. He nodded in agreement with Nordrin in regards to keeping them updated.

"I am definitely not opposed to food and a drink," he jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Minuet who was still trying her level best to act upset, "Maybe she'll lighten up along with the lot of you." He turned his attention briefly to Nordrin, "I trust your judgement." He wasn't going to be picky as long as the food was decently good and knowing the chef it would be at least that.

[Psyker Landshark]

Mentions: @Ambra @Yankee @Prints Avoid

The ceremony was the usual done-up nonsense as the last two years she'd been through this, though with the added question of where exactly Elijah, and of all the people, Victoria were. Elijah wasn't exactly the type to shirk his job responsibilities, and as for the bloody Champion? Well, it was a good thing that Old Man Amaranth didn't suffer a stroke from something like that.

As they exited the stadium, Fiona chuckled awkwardly at the sight of the Chairman before them, mostly due to Hestia's assertion. Shite, she was in for it now, wasn't she?

The next few words out of the old man's mouth at least reassured her she was off the hook for now. But as for the implication of their Champion being absent...

"Eh, fer all we know, Vickie's eloped or something." Fiona shrugged back at Chairman Amaranth, seeming unconcerned. "Or she lost track of time trainin'. Either way, we got at least weeks until we actually need her, right? Champion's Cup and th' end of challenge season ain't fer a while yet, so we got plenty of time tae fix this if there's actually a problem. Get yerself some rest before worryin' about this too much, boss man. Don't need our Chairman keeling over now, do we?"

As the conversation shifted gears to the evening meal, Fiona's stomach rumbled in response. Oh, right. She hadn't eaten anything beyond a snack since breakfast, considering she'd spent half the day making sure everything at the Stadium was in order for the opening ceremony, and the other half of the day enjoying the festivities.

"Oi, Nordy, ya know I live here, right? Sheesh, at least lemme host. Or Zeke, he's from here." She jabbed a finger back towards the Fighting leader's way. "Anyways, I was thinkin' Duke of Spice's always nice. Battle Cafe's got great desserts, but I kinda want some meat an' booze before we start with th' sweets. Or fish, new sushi place's opened up downtown, chef's straight outta Johto."