Love in the Time of Traveling

Chapter 4: A Wish

I honestly think it's best to get this out of the way now: please don't ask about Ash and Serena's kid. It'll happen when it happens. Please just enjoy the journey along the way. Anyway, time for Chapter 4!

Chapter 4

A Wish

Gloria could feel the eyes on her as she left the house with Hop, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement.

Everyone was following them out, and a brief look back told Gloria that Magnolia and Ash were both intrigued by the two rivals. They weren't alone.

Rookidee was, too, though whether for amusement or out of a sense of duty, Gloria didn't know. In either case, she preferred to keep her attention on Professor Magnolia's garden, and more specifically the large, outlined battlefield that occupied a large part of the Professor's front yard. She hadn't paid much attention to it earlier, but looking at it, she was curious as to why a researcher would have something like that in the first place. Was it to give upcoming trainers a place to practice? Or perhaps something created for Sonia's benefit? Maybe her spars with Leon?

It didn't matter. Gloria was quick to discard the thoughts.

Having done so, she finally took her place inside one of the trainer boxes, Scorbunny running in place at her side with energetic enthusiasm. Rookidee once again decided to perch atop her beret. On the opposite side stood Hop, winding up his arm and ready to battle as Wooloo bleated in challenge at his side. The rest of the adults remained on the sidelines, with only Sonia stepping in the middle of the field, clapping her hands together.

She had to imagine this is what it would feel like, stepping onto the pitch of a Gym stadium. With an anticipatory breath, she warmed herself up. One eye tracked Sonia, while the other landed on the foreign trainers. It welled inside her, and she grinned to Scorbunny; she'd show them her skill and how a true Galar trainer battled.

"All right, I'm going to be your referee. How many Pokémon you want to use?" Sonia asked, turning her head between both challengers.

Hop's answer was quick, his smirk growing more playful. "Let's do two each."

"You've got a new Pokémon, as well?" Gloria squinted in her friend's direction, zoning in on the extra Poké Ball hanging from his belt.

Hop clipped the Poké Ball out, holding it proudly as he stared back at Gloria. "Lee's gift. To celebrate the start of my legendary adventure. He's a good one, too. Bet he could beat any one of yours."

"Just having a new Pokémon ain't gonna help ya, you know."

"Likewise. We're gonna beat you, anyway."

Gloria's gaze grew sharper at the remark, lips pursed in a thin line. "Don't get too cocky, mate. Remind me the last time you won against us?"

"Scor!"

"It's not cockiness if I'm right." Hop reattached his new Poké Ball on his belt, ignoring Gloria's snide reminder and bringing his attention instead to the fluffy and battle-ready companion at his side. "Ready to show 'em, Wooloo?"

"Baah!" The Sheep Pokémon rolled onward until it entered the battlefield, wearing a confident expression that looked out of place on his cute, fluffy countenance. Most trainers would underestimate the Normal-type, but Gloria knew Hop's buddy way too much to fall for it.

Gloria tensed, ruffling her hair in contemplation while making sure not to upset the bird on her beret. Hop's intent was clear: create pressure on her by saying he had a new, unknown Pokémon, then leading with the one she knew about. A bit cheap perhaps, but hardly against the rules. She began to figure it was probably better to reserve Scorbunny to face the mystery Pokémon with her current lack of information, which left only one other choice for the first matchup.