Love Doesn't Do Encores

Ch15 Battle Gym Leader Allister

( I'm open for any further things my readers want added to this or future stories.)

To say your exit out of Stow-on-Side was quick and abrupt to say the least was an understatement. Gloria literally dragged you out of town and the two of you two ran through the heat like the time the onix chased you two in the Wild Area until exhausted and too hot from the heat to handle and collasped under a shady ledge of one of the cliffsides that were still surrounding the path you took out of Stow-on-Side. Panting, sitting on the ground as your Drizzilie face planted the shaded ground next to you just as tired. 

.....You weakly raised an arm from your sweating tired self pointing up. "W-W-We...a-are *wheeze* NEVER r-running- *gasp* in the h-heat again! Hhhaaaaa-'' Your arm flopped back to your side as your laid there heaving your lungs out and Gloria weakly nodded agreeing to that proposal.

After a few tired moments of just laying there in the shade catching your breaths and regular temperatures back thanks to the shade provided Gloria eventually spoke. "W-Well...W-What now?"

You shrugged. "I dunno man. The past two days have been absolutely CRAZY!" During the silence as you were catching your breaths, the silence let it sink in for you two exactly what had transpired the last day and a half for the two of you. "It all happened so fast I can barely believe it happened."

Gloria nodded again patting her pockets. "If I didn't have these wee ones on me person I would nah believe it either but 'ere we are. UGH! What was that boy thinkin'!?"

You shrugged forcing yourself back up into a standing position despite your tired body's protest. "I-I dunno but I think it might be best for us to just leave Stow-on-Side all together before we get caught in anymore trouble's crossfires." 

She nodded immediately and used the ledge she laid again to help pull herself up. Before pausing for a moment..and pointing at your hand. "What's that ya got there?"

You hummed before lifting your hand up and coming face to face with the lightly dirty mask that Sonia's yamper had found. And you lit up in realization. "OH! It's the mask Sonia found." You held it out to her as she made a reach for it. "I must've forgotten I had it when we suddenly split town. But I think she said it might've belonged to whoever runs the ghost type gym around here."

"Allister," Gloria corrected you turning the small mask over in her hands...before smiling. "Well if it is we outta return it ta him! I was plannin' on seeing 'em anyways! Now might be a good time as any if we need a reason ta leave."

You nodded. Good enough reason to you too. "I...think Sonia said his gym was a day out of here by some grave yard."

"Oh yeah it is! In fact when I checked the map for his location, I noticed there's also an Inn and a taxi station right next to it as well! We'll have somewhere to rest up then!" You nodded, nudging your pokemon who made an annoyed noise but reluctantly got up from his spot on the ground. "I just hope he's not too scared to accept battling with me. Especially since I already go the same badge he give out from Bea."

You paused..looking up from your yawning water type to raise a brow at her examining the mask more. "..What are you talking about?"

She still looked at the mask almost sadly for a moment before looking at you. "Oh right. Of course you wouldn't really know about him. Even tho it's easily known." She sighed looking back down to the mask. "Allister accordin' ta Lee is one of the newest Gym Leaders in Galar, in fact this is gonna be his first Gym Challenge too."

You blinked wide eyed at her. "Oh really?"

She nodded slowly. "In fact he's only been an official gym leader for 'round two years, but he is a bit eccentric from what I've heard. He claims ta be able ta see ghosts after an accident when he was four that claimed the lives o' his folks." She looked at you and you stared back STUNNED at the words that came and still stumbled from her mouth. "Then he was taken in by the old Gym Leader of the stadium he runs now before he passed away too. From there Allister took over and I think the Chairman or Lee's the one who's taken on the responsibility for him about keeping the stadium up n' running since he's so young." She held the mask with a slightly bigger frown. "In fact accordin' to his league card he's supposed ta have at least a hundred of these things cuz he's so shy."