#hopxoc

[missusk]

Pecha Berries

A Pokemon Shield Nuzlocke Story.

Chapter 1 - Mediocrity

Mediocrity was the one thing she was ever really good at.

Dolly gazed out her living room window, slumping her head on her fist. Her fingers drummed on the sill as she watched the trees sway back and forth, the spring wind wisping through strands of her hair. She picked at the skin surrounding her nails - an unfortunate habit, sure, but it was something to do.

She was never very popular, never very funny, and pretty average when it came to marks in school. Her ex-boyfriend said she was a solid 5/10, so she had that going for her. Not interesting enough to be pretty, not interesting enough to be ugly.

A few Sqwovets bumbled across the branches of the Slumbering Weald, a fat one cracking the branch and tumbling into a shrub below. She winced on his behalf. He seemed fine though, as he quickly scuttled back up her fencing.

Well, she has been known as being 'a pleasure to have in class', but that's about it.

Average on all accounts; the princess of plain, the queen of common, the czar of standard. If anything, It didn't matter if she was the best at something no one cared about.

“Hey Dolly, wanna come play?” the Sqwovet asked, flicking his tail back and forth. “Me an’ the boys are having a dung war later.”

Dolly resisted the urge to grimace.

“Thanks Jeremy, but uh, no thanks,”

"Why? You’re not doing anything,” the Sqwovet huffed, setting his hands on his hips.

She shrugged and he scrambled back toward the trees, calling back into the bushes.

"She’s not coming! I told you humans don’t play with their own dung!” 

“What a step back on the evolutionary ladder,” another voice grumbled as the shrubs rustled. 

Perhaps there was one interesting aspect about her - she could talk to Pokémon, not by her own choice, however. These daily requests for dung wars was exhibit A of why talking to Pokémon wasn’t as dreamy as everyone assumed it was. Exhibit B was Blipbug mating season. She shuddered at the thought and slumped over to the couch, flopping onto the flowery decorative pillows her mum picked out when they first moved to Postwick. 

It's not that she didn't enjoy doing things, it's just that she was completely average at them. Sometimes by her own account, sometimes not. A lot of people lived by a dramatic, inspiring mantra. Hers manifested in that half-assing anything was better than no-assing it, and easier than whole-assing something.

Her mum’s Munchlax snored in the corner, letting out quiet murmurs as he slept.

“Rawst berries…snrk …Sitrus berries…. snrrrt ….pork loin… hurk…” 

Dolly rolled her eyes as she flung a leg up on the back of the couch, pulled out her new Rotom phone, and started scrolling. Living in the world of Pokémon had perks, but sometimes pictures on social media weren’t one of them. Lady posing with a Slowbro here, Sudowoodo there, a picture of a sandstorm…even social media was average today. Her eyes began to droop until she saw a flash of gold and red.

"Ah! The exhibition match!" Dolly exclaimed, sitting up on her couch.

Now that was someone who was good at something. One of those blokes that was good at everything, probably. Champion Leon was tall, dark, and handsome, charismatic to a fault, and the most powerful person in Galar, next to Chairman Rose of course. They said he was bad with directions, but it’s not like that was a character flaw. The passion that he oozed through every pore was palpable, even through a screen. It was magnetic, pervasive, and it almost made her feel like she could feel that passion again one day, too.

Almost.

As she watched Leon's team decimate yet another Trainer, her mind began to drift. Charizard used Air Slash, which is effective against Fighting-types. Rubbish mistake sending a Machamp against his famous Charizard, what was this Trainer thinking? Has she ever even seen Leon battle before? Rubbish.

Even though Dolly allowed herself to believe she was absolutely average at everything, a small thought pricked the back of her mind as she evaluated the battle.

She was good at one thing, once. Pokémon battles.

But that thought didn't last very long.

"Hello, hello!"

The pseudo-politeness of that verbal knocking was Seismic Tossed into the dirt as a boy barged into the living room, along with a cotton sphere and dirt from a pair of shoes and two pairs of hooves.

"Oh, that your flash new phone, Dolls? Were you watching Lee’s exhibition match on it?"

She glanced up to see her purple-haired best friend grinning at her, with his trusty Wooloo partner grinning right along with him. A quick glance to the left revealed her mum grimacing at the now dirt-speckled carpet.

“Hi Hop,” she said. “And hi Wooloo,”

“Hi,” Wooloo replied sheepishly, hiding half of his face behind his Trainer.

"I've got all my brother's matches recorded anyway,” Hop continued, ignoring her greeting. “Don't you want to meet the legendary Champion in person?"

“That’s today?!”

Hop beamed and folded his arms over his chest as Dolly scrambled off her couch.

“You bet, it’s been on the calendar for months! That’s why I came here to get you! Lee’s coming into town today, so come on, get off your duff and let’s get moving!” 

“Yeah!” Hop’s Wooloo bleated as he raised his head in mock-triumph as his Trainer did.

Dolly trailed after her best mate who was already heading out the door.

“Going to Wedgehurst with Hop, bye mum!”

“Now wait a minute, Miss Dolores, you get your hat, remember the weather,” she scolded from the kitchen.

“And grab a bag, too, Lee’s probably going to have presents for us!” Hop sing-songed on his way out the door.

Dolly hopped to her room, slung her mum’s old leather bag over her shoulders, figured she’d be fine without her gran’s ugly old hat, and sprinted back to the front room. After a kiss on the cheek from her mum, she sprinted out the door.

“Now no going into the forest with the two of you!” her mum called from behind them.

“We know!” they replied simultaneously.

They trotted down the steps of her house and to the dirt path and a laugh exploded out of Hop’s mouth.

“Look at that bag, it’s about to pull you over! If Lee brings a Snorlax you’ll be all set!”

"Shut it, it’s the only one I’ve got," Dolly said, shoving at him with said bag. "If you’d like to buy me a new one at the boutique I’d be happy to trade it out,”

“No thanks, mate, I’m saving my money for potions and Poké Balls for when Lee endorses me for the Gym Challenge,” Hop whistled as a Wooloo came rolling by.

Their eyes followed it as it rolled into the fence near Dolly’s house.

“What’s a Wooloo doing here?” Dolly asked as it butted its head against the fence post.

“I see what you’re up to,” Hop grinned, marching up to it. He pulled at the Wooloo’s flank and backed it up. “Don’t go using Tackle on the fencing!"

“Don't go past that fence, little Wooloo, there’s some scary Pokémon in there,” Dolly agreed as Hop patted its head.

The Wooloo looked at her blankly. Odd for it to not respond... She had dozens of conversations with the Wooloo around here, but perhaps she had never spoken to this one specifically. Although her Curse was overall pretty terrible, talking with Pokémon was one perk - the only perk, really.

Hop brushed his hands off and grinned as the Wooloo scuttled off.

“Well now that that’s taken care of, let’s set off! You’ve still never met my big bro, right? You can’t miss out on your chance to meet the undefeated Champion!”

“It’s true,” Dolly grinned, hiking her bag up on her shoulders. “Someone so famous from such a nowhere town, and your brother, no less.”

“Yeah, well Postwick will be the hometown of two of Galar’s Champions once I get through with the Gym Challenge,” Hop grinned, pumping a fist in the air. “Speaking of nowhere towns, there’s Wedgehurst! Race you there!”

Hop took off at a sprint, kicking up dust as he ran towards the Wedgehurst train station. Dolly snickered and took off right behind him.

The plaza was filled with spectators and villagers, which wasn’t too challenging, to be honest, as their little villages weren’t exactly a thriving metropolis. They reached the back of the crowd, peering around bodies and through the arms of folks gathered to see their beloved Champion. The crowd erupted with cheers, and Hop and Dolly saw a flash of fire and a twirl of gold.

“Hello, hello, Wedgehurst!” they heard from through the crowd. “Your Champion Leon is back!”

Hop was grinning ear to ear as they pushed their way through the arms and legs of the spectators, Leon addressing the people of Wedgehurst. Once they finally made it to the front, Hop stumbled forward, beaming at his older brother. Dolly followed behind him, curiosity burning in her to see the undefeated Galar Champion in person. She had seen so many matches on the telly and scrolling through her phone, and she had imagined countless times what it would be like to meet someone so charismatic and passionate. Well, not countless. She didn’t daydream about the Champion that often. 

Anyway.

He stood tall, a dark red and gold cape slung over his shoulders. She could immediately see the resemblance between the two brothers as they stood grinning at each other, each with a megawatt smile, golden eyes, and indigo hair. He seemed even more dynamic in person as he ran to give his younger brother a hug. He ruffled Hop's hair as they stepped back.

“So, my number-one fan in all the world has come out of his way to pick me up! Look at you, Hop! I reckon you’ve grown…” he said as he scratched at his chin, then snapped his fingers. “Exactly an inch and a quarter since the last time I saw you!”

“Bingo! That’s the sort of sharp eye that’s kept you undefeated for so long, eh, Lee?”

Hop was vibrating with excitement. Suddenly, Leon turned her way, taking in her appearance as well. A grin appeared on his face.

“And these bright eyes over here,” he started, making his way toward Dolly. 

Automatically Dolly stood a bit straighter, her mind racing for something clever or interesting to say that could possibly surprise or enrapture Galar’s famous Champion. He approached her, still smiling his million-dollar smile. Dolly felt like she was about to turn to a puddle.

“You must be Dolly - am I right? I’ve heard loads about you from my little brother,” he grinned, looking between her and Hop.

Now was her chance to make a good first impression.

“Yes.”

Nailed it.

“Now that we’re all acquainted,” Hop grinned. “Bet I can beat you both back home!”

And with that, he took off sprinting to Postwick again. Dolly watched in horror as her safety net sprinted off, kicking up dust at the two of them. She was banking on Hop and Leon chatting all the way home as she walked beside them, basking in the glory of the Champion. What on earth did she have to say to the most famous person in the country? ‘Yes’? Because that went over great the first time. Leon let out a laugh as he watched his brother.

“Always got to be the best, that Hop. You know,” he said as he turned to Dolly. “With a proper rival of his own, I’m sure he could push himself to become something truly special.”

“Yes.”

He was surely captivated now.

Dolly stood beside him, waiting for Leon to finish addressing the crowd again. She pondered for a moment that sure, who wouldn’t want a good rival? An accountability partner with a dose of healthy competition was often a recipe for growth. She wasn’t sure where Hop would find that in their little town, though, but perhaps if he started out on the Gym Challenge like he always said he would, then maybe he’d find a suitable sparring partner. 

“Do you train Pokémon too, Dolly?” Leon asked as they started towards Postwick. Hop had already made it to the edge of Route 1, hopping back and forth as they made their way to him. 

“Ye- I mean uh, n-no,” she stammered, fiddling with her hands. “I did, once, but uh, not anymore.”

She certainly didn’t anticipate talking about this today, with the Champion, no less.

“Well, I hope you change your mind soon.”

“Come on, you Slowpokes!” Hop called, tapping his foot. “I could have made it to Kanto and back by now!”

A devious grin inched onto Leon’s face.

“Pardon me, Dolly, but I need to show my little brother that Galar’s Champion is truly the best. Not if I make it there first!” he yelled to Hop with a laugh, breaking into a sprint. Dolly watched as the two brothers ran beside each other, pushing and laughing as they raced back to their childhood home. 

She was nearly out of breath by the time she caught up, the two of them laughing and chatting in their front yard. She tried with every fiber of her being to breathe like a normal human and not the Weezing she felt like. Maybe if she willed it hard enough the sweat would disappear from her brow and the undefeated and surprisingly attractive Champion wouldn’t notice how completely out of shape she was.

“Finally, took you long enough,” Hop grinned, running to meet her at his front fence and pulling her arm. “Come on, Lee, you promised us a present! You brought Dolls and me some Pokémon, didn’t you?”

“Consider this the greatest present from the greatest Champion,” Leon grinned, waving his hands before him. “Come on out, you three!”

He turned to the makeshift pitch in their yard and tossed out three Poké Balls. In a flash, three Pokémon appeared, all running to explore the new space around them. In a burst of chaos they had managed to ignite one of the hedges, knock over the mailbox, and fall headfirst into the pond by slipping on a puddle of tears. After a grimace and some quick repairs, Leon called them to line up, which they dutifully obeyed. Hop pushed Dolly’s shoulder forward. 

“Go on Dolls, you pick first. I’ve already got Wooloo, after all.”

“P-pick?” she asked, eyes wide at the Pokémon before her.

She hadn’t had a Pokémon in years, not ever since her last partner. Even when Hop had tried to persuade her to catch a Wooloo to befriend his, she always made up some excuse to avoid the trip. He tried relentlessly for a while, but after years of attempting he eventually gave up. She glanced at Leon. But then again, the undefeated Champion of Galar had brought Pokémon all the way back for Hop, and for her, even though they had never met. She couldn’t turn down a gift from Galar’s Champion, right? She may be lazy, but she wasn’t rude.

Dolly looked to the options before her, trying her best to swallow her fear. The Sobble was looking at the ground, the Grookey was looking at the surroundings, and the Scorbunny was looking straight into her eyes.

Could she really do this? As she looked at each one, the reminder of her Curse flashed through her head like a gunshot. It could happen by one overpowered Solar Beam, a Blast Burn, a Hydro Pump. Sheer Cold, Fissure, Guillotine...she shook the thoughts out of her head. How could she have the audacity to choose who may meet an early end? The dried sweat on her forehead was chilling.

“Hey lady, are you going to pick one of us or not?” the Scorbunny yawned, scratching at his nose. He turned to the other two. “When do you think Mr. Leon will let us get some grub?”

“Soon, I expect,” Dolly replied, kneeling down. “We’re to have a barbeque later tonight.”

All three of them jerked their heads to her.

They stared wide-eyed as the Grookey and inched his way toward the Scorbunny. Cupping his hand on the wrong side of his mouth, he whispered.

“Did...did she just understand what you said?”

“Shit if I know!” the Scorbunny shouted, spurring more tears from Sobble. “But I do know she said barbeque!”

The Grookey slapped his forehead before shoving the shoulder of the Scorbunny.

“Try asking her something.”

“What color am I?” the Scorbunny asked, squinting his eyes.

“That depends,” Dolly responded, “Most of you is white, but you’ve got bits of red, orange, yellow…”

“A human can understand me!” he yelped, falling onto the grass.

Grookey and Sobble’s mouths dropped open Dolly could feel Leon’s gaze on her as Hop jumped up and down.

“See, Lee? I wasn’t pulling your leg when I told you she could talk to Pokémon! Brilliant, right?”

“Yeah, I’ve been able to since I was a kid,” she laughed nervously, scratching her neck. Was it wicked? Sure. Was it worth it? No.

“Hey lady! What am I thinking?” the Scorbunny interrupted, squeezing his eyes shut and scrunching his face. After a moment the Grookey thwacked him on the back of the head.

“She said she can talk to Pokémon, not read your mind.”

“Oh yeah.”

“So,” she said as she looked at each Pokémon again. “I’ll let you guys pick. Which one of you would like to be my partner?” 

Perhaps it wouldn’t be all on her if something were to happen again, right? She was torn from her thoughts when the Scorbunny immediately jumped up.

“Oh pick me! I want a Trainer who can speak Pokémon!”

The corner of her mouth twitched up, and she nodded her head.

“Well, that takes care of that,” she whispered, more to herself than anyone.

“Yes!” he yelled, bounding around her.

She laughed and held out her knuckles for a fist bump. He bounded around her again, then seeing her first, he prepared for a jump. Fist out, he jumped, overshot it, and punched Dolly square in the face and it only took a second before she was on the ground with a Scorbunny on her stomach.

“How’s that for first impressions,” the Grookey said, slapping his forehead again. 

First she saw stars, then the blue of the sky, then the wide grin of her new Scorbunny.

“Heh, sorry,”

“You’ve got quite the arm,” Dolly mumbled, rubbing her jaw and sitting up. The Scorbunny fell to her lap, still looking up at her.

“High attack,” she continued, opening and closing her jaw. “Pretty adamant...we’ll have to watch your special attack in the future. Do you have a name?”

The Scorbunny scratched his chin again.

“Hmm...Scorbunny.”

“Okay, well now is your chance to change it," Dolly said, letting out a laugh. "What would you like me to call you?”

“Something ace! Like...like...” he started, hopping off her lap. He paced back and forth, then looked around. “Like Mr. Leon!”

“Okay well I’m not going to call you Mr. Leon, just because you think he’s cool,” she added with a smirk and a glance to Leon. Though he was, indeed, very cool. “How about Jackson? I had an old rabbit stuffy named Jackson,”

“Awh, yeah that’s even better!” Jackson yelled, hopping up and down.

“Jackson it is then," she smiled.

“Right, then” Hop interrupted, helping Dolly up and stepping over to the remaining Pokémon. “I’ll go with Grookey. You and Wooloo will have to get well-acquainted, since we’ll all work together so I can be the next Champion!”

He held his arm out to Grookey, who cheered and raced up Hop’s arm until he was sitting on his shoulder. Leon grinned and walked up to them, nodding as Grookey cheered from Hop’s shoulder.

“I bet you will be, Hop. That’s why I brought along these Pokémon for the both of you, so the two of you can battle and train and grow stronger together to try to reach me!”

Dolly’s eyebrows furrowed. Reach him? Why? She supposed he didn’t often hand out rare Pokémon to strangers, so perhaps she shouldn’t be so surprised he’d want more Trainers out in Galar. Maybe she should just hand Jackson back off before she got too attached and all this got more misconstrued. 

“Oh, thanks Mr. Leon but-”

“Just call me Leon,” he grinned to her.

“Oh, right, uh, Leon, thanks and all but I’m not-”

“Alright!” Hop and Leon’s mum called as she made her way out of the house carrying a rack full of ingredients. “Enough with all this Trainer nonsense for one night! Dinner’s about ready, so bring your Pokémon and wash up!”

Dolly’s sentence died in her throat as the two brothers sprinted into the house, pushing and laughing again as their Pokémon trailed behind them. Her mum walked up to her and hugged her arm around Dolly’s shoulders.

“You’ve got a new Pokémon, haven’t you, love?”

Dolly looked down to Jackson, who was gazing between the two of them expectantly.

“I guess so,”' she said with a faint smile. “I certainly didn’t expect today to be filled with so many surprises,”

“Well, I’m glad. I know I’m always nagging on you to get up and do something, and this seems like the perfect avenue for it. I think it will be good for you,” she added, gazing at Dolly with an understanding only her mum could muster.

Dolly nodded weakly and let out a sigh. Even her mum now, too?

“You gonna eat or what,” Hop asked as he walked up to the two, barbeque sauce smeared on his cheek. “Mum says you better get some before Lee eats it all.”

Dolly’s mum clapped and ran back into the house, stating that she forgot to add her secret spice blend to the vegetables. Hop looked to Dolly and swallowed the rest of his kabob. 

“I told you Lee was the coolest,” he grinned, sauce still smeared on his cheek. “I asked him to bring you a Pokémon too, hope you don’t mind. I figured you just didn’t like the ones around here, and that’s why you’d never catch one. Now we can battle together! It’ll be ace, you and me, getting endorsed and doing the Gym Challenge together!” Hop enthused, bobbing his kabobs up and down with enthusiasm. Grookey on his shoulder kept swiping at the meat on top, to no avail as Hop kept bouncing them up and down.

Dolly looked at her best mate, gung-ho and enthusiastic for her in a way she could never be for herself. She probably wouldn't be very good at it, but maybe if she could support Hop in his journey and muddle through a handful of Gyms before dropping out. She nodded. Yeah, that was a good plan. Catch no more than six Pokémon, beat the first Gym, release her team all back into the wild, then drop out and move back to Postwick and watch her friend become the new Champion and achieve his dream. Less risk, that way, to herself and her new Pokémon. She wouldn’t get too close, just in case.

Looking down to her new Scorbunny, to the hope and trust she could already see in his eyes, something in her heart tugged. Maybe keeping one would be fine.

The rest of the night came and went with everyone having full stomachs and full hearts. Dolly spent a sleepless night with her new Scorbunny, him asking her thousands of questions, and her finding an odd amount of joy in answering them. She had to admit, he was pretty funny, and as the sun rose they had ended up talking and learning about each other almost all night. They both liked spicy curry, they both knew how to juggle, and they both had an embarrassing fascination with Leon. The sun hit Dolly’s face, and she awoke to see Jackson snuggled beside her head on her pillow. She reached to pet him, a bit of love already built up between the two of them. Yeah, maybe keeping just one would be fine.

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Author’s Note (A/N): View story summary and full chapter index HERE!

Chapter Index:

Current: Chapter 1 - Mediocrity

Next: Chapter 2 - A Mysterious Encounter

[missusk]

Pecha Berries

A Pokemon Shield Nuzlocke Story.

Chapter 5 - Dusk

[Team Roster: Jackson (Raboot), Bella (Yamper), Lacey (Wooloo), Sap (Charjabug), Hudson (Mudbray), Posey (Eevee)]

“I’ve lived around Wooloo for years and I still can’t get a hang of this,” Dolly panted, shoving her body against the Wooloo. “Come on, why won’t you budge? The rest of your mates are already in the pen!”

Dolly looked to the pen corralling the nineteen other Wooloo. They were slowly meandering around the pen and...out of the pen. She would grow old and die here in this bloody Gym mission at this rate. Dolly let out an exasperated huff.

“If all your friends rolled off a cliff, would you do it?” the Wooloo responded glumly, chewing on the grass as the rest of the Wooloo meandered back around the simulated pasture. Dolly resisted the urge to strangle it.

“Why’d you listen to Hop, huh? What’d he do differently than I’m doing?”

The Wooloo gasped, inhaling the grass it was chewing on. Surprisingly it didn’t react - maybe that was another aspect of Pokémon physiology Dolly was never going to understand.

“You know THE Hop?!” the Wooloo asked incredulously, whipping around. Dolly flopped to the ground with a thwump.

The rest of the Wooloo all lifted their heads in unison with an excited gasp.

“HOP?!”

“You know Hop?!” another Wooloo asked.

“Hop’s the greatest!”

“I love Hop!”

“I’m IN LOVE with Hop!”

“WHERE IS HE?!”

The Wooloo all bleated happily from around the pasture. Dolly smacked her forehead. Of course. Of course. No wonder Hop said he breezed past this mission, while Dolly was doomed to sit there for the rest of her life. A lightbulb clicked above her head.

“What if I told you he’s at the end of this Gym mission?” she said, slowly drumming her fingers together.

After a beat, the Wooloo all erupted into a simultaneous, “YAAAAAY!”

“But you’ve all got to run into the pens and help me get to those stairs at the end!” she called, trying to make herself heard from above the bleating (and one yelling) Wooloo.

In an instant the Wooloo exploded through the pen. The counter counted twenty, and the next gate opened. Dolly jogged to keep up, assuming the Yampers and Trainers around would block the path of the Wooloo, but the herd annihilated every bush and shrub unlucky enough to be in the way. The Yampers tried to bark but to no avail, each one only jumping out of the way quickly enough to avoid the stampede of infatuated Wooloo.

A few League staff glared at her as she approached the final staircase as they tried to catch the Wooloo who were now freely rolling around the entire room, breaking through the hedges and wooden signs. Whoops.

She trotted up the steel staircase, offered the cameras a guilty wave as confetti poofed around her, and headed through the doors to the stadium.

She could feel the crowd’s cheers like vibrations in the air as suspense trickled into her blood. The first Gym and final Gym. She made her way through the tunnel toward the light of the stadium, her heart beating in her ears. The old determination began coursing in her veins, the desire for competition replacing any semblance of fear. The same light flickered on again, blazing into a roaring fire as she stepped onto the pitch.

Cheers roared from around her as audience members waved their banners into the air. She couldn’t resist beaming a smile at them and waving to the Rotom camera that flitted about the field. She met Milo in the middle, his smile matching hers.

“Since my Gym is the first, we get a lot of Challengers. I try to keep my mission challenging but that didn’t stop you from completing it! That was uh...quite the unorthodox strategy. I have never seen them behave like that…” he finished, scratching his chin.

“Guess I’m just...really good with Pokémon?” Dolly shrugged, guilty sweat prickling on her brow.

“I think I’ll be the judge of that,” Milo said with a grin. “Ready to go against your first ever Gym Leader?”

Dolly nodded curtly, determination burning in her eyes. She gripped Jackson’s Poké Ball and Leader and Challenger turned, taking their places on opposing sides of the pitch.

Dolly breathed in through her nose, out through her mouth as she tossed Jackson’s Poké Ball up and down. It popped into the air and fell in rhythm with her heartbeat, the sweat from her non-gloved hand slipping it up easily. She closed her eyes, felt the vibration of the crowd, leaned her arm back, and threw.

In an eruption of cheers and a flash of light, her Raboot appeared before them, darting back and forth on the pitch. Little spurts of fire exploded beneath his feet and the grin on his face was identical to his Trainer’s.

This is what she had been missing. This is what she was waiting for: the eruption from the spectators, the power oozing from Jackson, their bond electrified in a single current as he flawlessly executed her commands. He tore throughout the pitch, spitting balls of flame at Milo’s Gossifleur. It didn’t take long before the Pokémon was defeated.

Milo grinned from across the pitch, giving a silent nod of approval. He sent out his next Pokémon and an Eldegoss appeared before them.

“Come on then, it’s Dynamax time! You’re about to be uprooted!”

Milo called Eldegoss back to him and a sharp white light surrounded his wrist as his Poké Ball grew huge. He gave it a loving pat and hurled it into the space behind him.

Dolly’s jaw dropped as she watched his Pokémon grow to momentous proportions. What normally would have weighed barely six pounds now smashed to the ground, a crater forming beneath the weight of the behemoth Pokémon. The crowd roared, breaking out into a song-like chant as the Eldegoss cried into the air.

Dolly hardly had time to be afraid as the Pokémon loomed before her. Instead, an eruption of adrenaline burst within her chest and rushed through her veins. She could hardly contain it as she called Jackson back to his Poké Ball. A huge grin broke over her face, her Wishing Star bracelet shining as she hurled Jackson’s massive Poké Ball into the air behind her.

Her grin never wavered as she commanded her monumental Pokémon to blast a geyser of flames into their opponent. She needed no practice from the Wild Area’s glowing red dens, as commanding her Dynamaxed Pokémon came as second-nature as breathing, as natural as the sweat that flung off her forehead, dripped down her back, pooled behind her knees as she ordered him forward in a blaze of heat.

After one final blast, Milo’s Eldegoss called out again, as if in a melody to the chorus of spectators singing around them, and fell to the pitch below. Dolly’s heart pounded in tandem with the final verse of the audience’s song, her veins pulsing in unison as they cheered her name. Life burned in her as Jackson shrunk to his regular size, then rushed up to her side. They both jumped into the air as Milo returned Eldegoss to its Poké Ball.

Victory.

Milo gave her a smile and a nod from across the pitch as he made his way toward her again. They met in the middle, the cheers from the crowd still surrounding her like sparkling, glittering confetti. She wiped her brow and gave a grin as the Rotom camera flitted around her face.

“That must have been a fulfilling battle for you! You have quite the way with Pokémon,” Milo grinned, holding his hat to his chest. “Allow me to present you with your very own Grass Badge.”

As she took the tiny golden Badge the crowd cheered behind her, the sound swelled in her heart, in her body, as she looked around the stadium. The cheers from the crowd satiated her desire for that ‘something’ that she had so hungered for when sitting on her couch and watching Pokémon battles through a screen.

Perhaps one more Gym couldn’t hurt.

Dolly thought that yeah, perhaps just after Hulbury she could head back to Postwick. One more battle with a Gym Leader, one more chance to feel that blazing passion in her bones, then she would call it quits.

Milo guided her off the pitch, still complimenting her battle style. She paused for a second when she saw a child holding a fuzzy Wooloo toy in the stands. She would have to wrangle Hop in with them somehow, but she’d rather get an earful from her mate then risk being run over by those twenty infatuated Wooloo.

“Say, Milo,” she started, wringing her hands together. “I might have promised something to a, uh...large group. You wouldn’t mind letting me borrow...all of your Wooloo for a bit, would you?”

He gave her a quizzical look and nodded suspiciously as they finally left the stadium.

Milo saw her and Hop off to the next town after letting her borrow his Wooloo barrage. Hop kindly obliged her request, giving each infatuated Wooloo a pat and a kiss on the forehead. One of them passed out, but beside that, no other strange incidents transpired.

She and Hop made their way across the massive brick bridge leading to Hulbury, Hop locking his hands behind his head.

“That’s probably the strangest thing I’ve done in a while,” he said. “I feel like my lips are raw from all that Wooloo love I had to give out thanks to you,”

“Yeah, I owe you one. I didn’t want to get pummeled in my sleep by a stampede of Wooloo...you saw how they acted during my Gym mission,” Dolly laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

“Challenger Dolly owing future Champion Hop a favor, huh? That is a tempting offer,” he grinned. “Perhaps I can mull it over through a Pokémon battle? We’ve both got our Grass Badges now,”

Dolly grinned as well, pausing as he turned in front of her. He already had his Poké Ball out, tossing it up into the air.

“Something tells me you won’t take no for an answer,” she said, already reaching into her bag as well. “I know just the Pokémon for this,”

She tossed out Posey’s ball as Hop tossed out his Wooloo. Her Eevee hopped back and forth, a determined grin on her face as she locked eyes with the Wooloo. When she looked up to Hop tossing the Poké Ball, suddenly she began to cower. Her tail shot between her hind legs.

“Posey?” Dolly asked, watching the scene unfold as her Eevee slowly backed away from Wooloo and Hop.

Suddenly Posey shook her head and scuttled back to her Trainer. Dolly knelt as Posey jumped into her arms, shaking.

“I can’t, I can’t do it,” she whimpered into the fuzz on Dolly’s jacket. “I’m not strong enough, I’m not good at battling, I’ll just make you lose,”

“What are you talking about? I thought you liked battling?” Dolly asked, stroking the fur on Posey's head.

“Not against Trainers,” she whispered, quickly glancing back to Hop. “Just send out someone else…”

“Are you sure?” Dolly asked, motioning to Hop to pause. “You’ve been doing great so far, you have one of the highest levels on the team,”

“I’ve never battled a Trainer before... What if I lose? I’m scared, Dolly,”

“Well, I won’t make you battle, even though I know you can win.” she said, letting out a melancholy sigh. Then, she looked back and forth suspiciously, and leaned in to whisper into Posey’s ear. “And a Wingull told me that this Wooloo is only level two,”

“He is not,” Posey said as a smile inched onto her face.

Dolly shrugged. After a moment she pat Posey on the head again.

“I won’t make you battle, Posey, but something I’ve learned recently is that if you don’t sometimes do the things that terrify you, you won’t ever grow.”

Dolly stood again, reaching into her pocket for Posey’s Poké Ball. She held it out, raising an eyebrow. Her Eevee glanced from the ball, to her Trainer, to Hop across the way. A new light seemed to dawn in her eyes as her Trainer smiled at her. Posey took in a breath.

“Alright, I’ll try,”

Dolly grinned, clenching her fists.

“That’s all I ask, Posey, I know you can do it!”

Her Eevee turned, setting her paws sturdily into the brick and dirt beneath. A new fire seemed to swirl about her, and Dolly gave Hop a thumbs up to continue their battle.

Dolly couldn’t help but let out a laugh as Posey performed just as she knew she could - gracefully, powerfully, and before they knew it, Hop’s last Pokémon hit the ground.

“We both got ourselves the same Grass Badge, so how come you’re so much stronger?!” Hop huffed, scratching his head.

Dolly grinned as Posey ran back to her.

“I did it Dolly, I did it! I even leveled up, too!”

Dolly smiled and hugged her Eevee.

“I told you could! I’m so proud of you, Posey!” she smiled into her Eevee’s fur.

“And I can get even stronger, I know it! When can I evolve, Dolly? What should I be when I grow up? A Flareon? Umbreon? Vaporeon, maybe? We don’t have any Water-types, that would be so cool!”

Hop smiled too as he watched the two of them. He stepped over to the pair, and Posey let him pat her on the head as well.

“You’ve gotten strong, Dolls. Seems I’ve got to train even harder from now on,”

They fell into step again as they continued across the bridge to Hulbury.

“I’ve never seen you like this before,” Hop said from beside her.

She glanced up at him, and his brow was furrowed slightly. Suddenly, he stopped and looked at her.

“It’s like you have a whole new life in you.”

“Yeah, it...it feels good,” she said, more to herself than to her friend. She looked down to her hands, then to her Eevee who was gazing up at her with so much love. She could feel her heart swell.

“I’m glad you’re doing the Gym Challenge with me,” he said, brow still furrowed. “Even just seeing you talk to your Eevee like that before we battled...it’s starting to make sense why Lee wanted to endorse you too. It’s like that fire in you ignited the fire in Posey as well.”

“Oh, well, that was nothing...she just needed some encouragement is all…” Dolly said, her face flushing pink.

“Look at you, being all modest,” Hop laughed quietly.

He paused again as his eyes flit about her face. Her cheeks grew warmer as she kicked at the dirt. She tried to mumble out a retort, but the way he was looking at her was pretty distracting.

“What?” she grumbled, shoving her hands in her pockets. Why did he keep looking at her like that? Ever since Motostoke his gaze always seemed to linger just a second too long.

“Just thinking about how I’ll finally beat you after I get my Water Badge,” he said.

When Dolly raised an eyebrow at him, he finally broke into a grin. She rolled her eyes and waved goodbye to Hop as he rushed to Hulbury, desperate to take on Nessa before she did. She and Posey continued walking along the bridge, taking in the view of the Wild Area.

Wingulls flew about the bridge, coasting through the air the closer she walked to Hulbury. Even though it hadn’t been incredibly long since she began this trek, she was surprised at how easy battling came back to her. That, and even how easily communicating with her Pokémon had become. Sure, there were times that Jackson acted even more like a moody teenager since evolving, or Hudson would only shrug instead of answering a question, but thinking back to her battle alongside Posey really made her wonder. At the time it was just to encourage Posey to try, try, try again, but perhaps what she said impacted her more than she thought. It had been such a rush of commotion and emotion up until now, she never really took the time to fully think that yes, she was indeed terrified.

She was terrified of losing another Pokémon, another friend. She was terrified of broadcasting her introverted self across the nation. She was terrified the most, though, of having to return to boredom. She had been doing the things that terrified her, and she had already noticed growth within her. Those thoughts took a back seat as she finally emerged from the Hulbury tunnel, a soft gasp escaping her lips.

Dolly looked about the port town, a smile gracing her face as the salty air breezed over her. It had been a long time since she smelled the ocean, and this was a pleasant surprise. Fishers chatted and laughed as their fishing poles swung behind them, and joggers gave polite waves as they trekked through the port town. The gray cobblestone road tied the charming town together, weaving in front of bold-colored houses and connecting them, the downtown, and the market, all to the sparkling sea at the edge of town.

She continued down the main road, looking about for the next Gym and she caught the tail end of a conversation from three people standing in the road. She recognized one as Bede, especially when he shot that now-familiar glare at her. When she approached, the man in the group called out to her, and Bede said his farewell and sauntered off into Hulbury.

The two other people turned, one a tall, elegant blonde woman with icy blue eyes. Dolly had seen this woman before - she was a League staff member, one of the higher-ups, too. If Dolly remembered correctly, her name was Oleana. She had a glamorous name to go with gorgeous hair, face, and style.

The other was a tubby, middle-aged man who had a much warmer ambiance about him. As soon as he lifted his sunglasses and smiled, Dolly felt her heart quicken again as she was met with striking green eyes.

Oh boy.

Rose approached her again as he had in the Motostoke atrium, grasping her hand in his.

Ooh boy.

“Ah, Dolly, was it? So nice to see you again. We were just talking about you,”

Dolly’s eyes widened. Her? Why? Did she have something in her teeth when they last talked? Was he talking about how the guiding light of the Wishing Stars led them to each other? That their meeting was fated by the cosmos? Or did they watch those Wooloo obliterate Milo’s entire stadium thanks to her? Although she was undefeated thus far, that didn’t mean she had a ton of pocket change for stadium renovations.

He released her hand and placed his in the pockets of his blue polka-dot shorts. Even in casual summer wear he was enrapturing.

“I must admit I’m curious as to Leon’s reasons for endorsing you,” Rose said. Suddenly his eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands together. “Ah! I just had a brilliant idea, as I tend to do. You’re going to face Gym Leader Nessa soon, yes? If you get a Gym Badge from her, I’ll hold a celebration. I’d like to get to know you a little better, after all.”

It took every fiber of her being to not fall over from shock and ecstasy at his comment. And that warm smile. He wanted to get to know her? A dinner date with just the two of them? With him and those green eyes gazing at her so captivatingly? She might just die right here. She probably still had mud in her hair... He was truly a gentleman of the highest caliber. This Curse could take a backseat if all she needed to do was get one more Badge. One more, a fancy dinner with the one and only Mr. Rose, and then she’d go home. Or maybe he’d whisk her away to some fancy after party or something? Then she would go home.

Oleana whispered into the Chairman’s ear, breaking their trance, and Rose smiled at Dolly again.

“Please, do your best for the sake of Galar’s future,” he said, and turned into Hulbury. Dolly didn’t realize her mouth was hanging open until Oleana turned to her, the warmth of the air evaporating immediately.

“The chairman will be heading to this town’s seafood restaurant. Win the Gym Badge and meet him there at once. Do not keep him waiting.”

This lady didn’t have to tell her twice. Dolly walked as elegantly as she could past the windows of the seafood restaurant, then stumbled into a sprint. Dolly raced her way through Hulbury, to the Gym, to a lighthouse, through a conversation with Nessa, into the Gym, through the Gym, and exited with a Water Badge. She’d let her Yamper be the flower girl at her wedding as thanks for destroying Nessa’s Pokémon. The Gym Leader barely had time to congratulate her before Dolly was rushing back off the pitch.

At first Dolly was frustrated by Nessa’s Gym soaking her to the bone, but at least now she was squeaky clean. Couldn’t go on a date with the chairman while looking like a greasy Grimer. Would he offer her another charming smile? A bouquet of aptly named roses? Guide her by the hand and pull her chair out for her? Offer her a selection of fine wines? She wasn’t old enough to drink yet though, maybe he’d buy her a chocolate milk instead. Maybe this place had those cool swirly straws, too.

She pushed open the double doors to the restaurant, flipping her hair back and puffing out her chest - girls did that, right? She glanced around for Rose, finding him in his inconspicuous bright blue shorts. There were two women standing beside him and Dolly’s stance deflated. So, it wasn’t just the two of them? Well, maybe it was a double date or something. Or they both worked for him, maybe? That tall one was Oleana, and that other one...was that Sonia? As she approached, Rose offered her another charming smile.

“You’ve arrived Dolly, welcome. Let’s celebrate your recent victory, shall we?”

Sonia looked at her and grinned, eyebrows raised.

“Oh, were you invited too? It’s good to see you again, congratulations on blowing through that Gym like it was nothing!”

They all took their seats, Sonia nattering on about her Gym performance, then her and Rose started talking about Dynamaxing or her gran or something. Dolly wished she would buzz off, couldn’t she feel the chemistry between her and Rose? Ugh. So much for their romantic date. This place didn’t have swirly straws, either.

Before she knew it, Oleana had pulled Rose away from her yet again, so it was just her and Sonia at the table. Dolly plopped her head on her fist with a huff as she watched Rose walk away.

“Congrats on beating Nessa,” Sonia grinned. “You blew right through it! She and I are good friends, and she can get pretty competitive. I’m sure she wasn’t happy about how fast you beat her.”

Dolly tore her eyes away as the door closed behind Rose and Oleana. That guiding light of the Wishing Stars was not doing a very good job of keeping her and Rose together.

“What? Oh, yeah, I guess so.”

“You really are a top-notch Trainer, Dolly. I can see why Leon endorsed you too,” Sonia said. “With how successful you’ve been so far, maybe parts of the Curse no longer affect you.”

Dolly slurped at the rest of her chocolate milk. This place probably didn’t do refills...

“I dunno, but I’m probably not going to stick around to find out,” Dolly sighed. “I actually might be off to Postwick after this, I’m not sure I want to keep going with the Gym Challenge.”

Sonia’s mouth hung open.

“What are you talking about? You’ve been doing great! You beat Milo and Nessa with ease, you can’t stop now!”

Dolly shrugged. She was having a lot of fun with her Pokémon. Was it a worthy risk, though? She was already one Gym beyond what she said she’d do in the first place.

She and Sonia pushed out of the restaurant and into Hulbury as the sun started to set. Dolly grumbled when she looked over the startling pinks and oranges that reflected over the water - that would have literally been the perfect atmosphere for the end of her and Rose’s date and instead she was here with Sonia talking about her Nuzlocke Curse.

Dolly waved goodbye to Sonia and started through the town again. Sonia said that perhaps parts of her Curse weren’t affecting her anymore, but Dolly wasn’t so sure. Everything corresponded to the last time she was with Pokémon: She could still talk to Pokémon, only catch one per route, and she had nicknamed them all - but she would have done that anyway. There was that final aspect of this Curse, but that wasn’t one she wanted to test.

She took a breath. Perhaps she could stop by that little market, get a souvenir for her mum, then really head home. As she trekked down the path she ran into Hop, who was jogging through Hulbury.

“Hey mate! I saw your match with Nessa, I’ve never seen you so determined!” he grinned, falling into step with her. “You’ve got both the Grass and the Water Badge by now, right?”

She nodded.

“Just like me. In that case, we’re both headed for Motostoke and the Fire Gym Leader, Kabu! I hear he’s actually holed up in Galar Mine No. 2, undergoing some special training. Let’s head there and see what all the fuss is about!”

Something about the way he was grinning at her like that made it hard to spit out she was actually heading home. She couldn’t stand the thought of being the one to make his smile deflate, so she only sighed and followed along behind him. She did have to get back to Motostoke first anyway, so may as well fake it until they got there, then head on home.

She watched as the sun sank below the horizon. Only a little bit longer, then she wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore - just sit comfortably in her house with her mum until...well. Until something else. She could figure out the rest of her life later.

Hop charged forward into the mine, stating he’d catch her back in Motostoke. She rolled her eyes - so much for finding Kabu together.

As Dolly stepped into the mine herself, she couldn’t help but smile. She had to admit, this mine was much more beautiful than the last. Blue, purple, and red stones glittered on the walls, cascading a purplish glow over everything, even the ponds in the mine. The dark purple sand sat like silk on the floor, glittering in the light of the gemstones. She meandered through, managed to catch a Noibat named Fay, and continued down the path - she was just so cute, one more couldn’t hurt, right? And she was a Dragon-type. They could fit eight Pokmeon in their living room if her mum moved some furniture around. A lot of the mine started to look the same, and Dolly could have sworn she had seen this pond before.

“Back at the beginning?” she huffed, shoulders slumping. She wondered if it would be faster just to go all the way around through Turffield again to get to Motostoke than maneuvering through this stupid mine. She heard footsteps behind her.

“You again.”

She turned and was face to face with a tall, white-haired trainer. She took a startled step backwards.

“I’d feel sorry for my Pokémon if I made them take part in a battle against low-level opponents. I’m not in the mood to deal with weaklings right now,”

Dolly looked around sarcastically.

“You’re not talking about me, right Bidet? Seeing as I absolutely annihilated you last time we saw each other?”

“It’s Bede, not- whatever.” Bede huffed and stepped so he was only a foot away from her, standing at his full height. “Then again, I suppose it’s a form of mercy to crush weak opponents early on. If you’re under the misguided impression that you’re stronger than me, then surely you would be up for a Pokémon battle.”

“What, do you have a fetish for losing against cute girls in mines?" she sneered, meeting his gaze. "Gross, but I can’t just stand there letting you spew lies like that.”

“Quite the mouth on this one. It’s utterly inconceivable that I, the Challenger chosen by the chairman, will lose!”

She was thrown into battle and immediately tossed out Posey. Although Sap may have been better for a type advantage, another burst of confidence for Posey would do her well.

Posey battled through almost all of Bede’s Pokémon, every once in a while looking back to Dolly for a nod of encouragement. Once Bede tossed out his final Pokémon, Dolly noticed Posey’s legs starting to shake again.

“Alright Posey, that’s enough, let’s send out someone else,” Dolly called, her brow furrowing. Although Posey was handling his Pokémon well, she didn’t want to push her too far for no reason. Sap could handle these Psychic-types well enough. Bede smirked, folding his arms.

“What, your pathetic Eevee can’t handle it, huh? She’s too scared? Too weak? Just like her Trainer?”

Posey quaked where she stood and let out a yelp.

“No!” she called. “Dolly’s not weak, and I’m not either! I’ve grown stronger because of her, and I’m not afraid anymore!”

Dolly’s eyebrows pulled together, standing there and watching her Eevee. She felt a surge of pride well within her for how much growth Posey had gone through in such a short amount of time.

“I’m tired of hiding, tired of running! If I don’t do the things that terrify me, I’ll never grow!” she said as she looked back to Dolly with a new determination in her eyes. “Because that’s what Dolly’s been doing, and I want to be brave, just like her.”

Dolly felt a knot of pride well in her throat. She nodded.

“Alright, Posey, fine. One last Pokémon, then we’ve beaten this idiot.”

After using a potion to get Posey up to full health, Bede tossed out his Ponyta.

“Posey, use Swift!”

Stars erupted from around Posey, filling the mine with light. They swirled around the room, then shot straight at the opposing Ponyta. A few ricocheted behind Bede, hitting the walls around them. Small shards of gemstones broke off, falling to the floor. The room sparkled in blues and greens and purples as they fell, like cold Wishing Stars falling to the earth.

“Ponyta, Confusion!”

Another flash of light erupted around the room. She could feel Posey getting weaker, but Posey was faster than this Ponyta. One good hit, and Bede would be finished in no time.

“Posey, use Swift one last time!”

The Ponyta moved first, and Dolly watched in horror as another flash of brilliant light erupted. Posey’s scream echoed throughout the mine.

Dolly felt her blood grow cold, her fingers numb.

Her fingers were numb. Her fingers, then her wrists. Her eyes went wide. She hadn’t felt this in a long time. She hadn’t felt her fingers like this since...

No.

The dust trickled through the arena, and the falling gemstones glittered as they clattered to the floor.

No.

They fell like a macabre sunset. The tingling turned to stabbing as it shot up her arms, her shoulders.

NO.

The sapphires fell like settling dusk.

Her mind shot back to that moment in the forest, with her first Pokémon gasping for breath.

“Dolly?” she had whispered, the light slowly draining from her eyes. “What’s happening to me?”

Her fingers went numb then, too. It felt the same. She was seven, she was seventeen. She was there in the forest, here in the mine.

“Dolly, why won’t you help me?” she had said.

The smoke settled, Posey’s silhouette in the dirt of the mine floor.

“I’m trying, I’m trying!” Dolly had cried, gripping her close to her chest. “I can’t,” she had cried. Her Pokémon smiled.

“I still love you,” she had said.

“Critical hit.” Bede smirked.

Posey’s fur still waved in the wind from the outside of the mine, the dirt and remnants of shattered gemstones from the walls still trickling down, grazing over the floor and the cave pond. The flower that always lay tucked behind her ear was crushed under the hoof of Ponyta.

She flashed back again to the forest. Raindrops had started to speckle. Her Pokémon’s small body had tensed, then gone limp, still with the trace of a soft smile.

“Faline?” she had whispered as her friend’s eyes closed.

“Posey?” she said now, voice barely audible.

No movement.

“Posey?” she asked, louder.

Her Eevee lay there, motionless.

“Posey, get up!” she called again, her hands and arms were trembling as the stabbing grew stronger. “Use Swift, Tackle, anything!”

Her voice echoed throughout the silent caves as the stings crawled into her chest like a thousand spiders, tearing at her heart. Only the echo of her own voice called back to her. Even Bede’s face twitched.

“What’s wrong with you, just use a revive!”

Dolly ran from her spot, disregarding every rule of battle etiquette. She collapsed to the ground, and tenderly reached out for Posey. She willed herself to touch her, to hold Posey in her arms.

She flashed to the forest, holding her first Pokémon. Her mind flashed to how she held her as the rain pricked her skin.

She flashed to the present, gripping Posey to her chest. The specks of dust and dirt pricked at her eyes, her skin.

Bede was whispering now too.

“Is she... dead?”

Dolly’s eyes widened at the reality of the word as she stared up at Bede.

She couldn’t even open her mouth to lie. She couldn’t open her mouth to lie that no, she was only fainted, or no, she was only sleeping. She couldn’t even open her mouth to lie that she didn’t feel the stabbing in her veins, the stabbing in her heart, even as much as she wanted to. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t even open her mouth to lie and say the Eevee that lay in her arms was alive.

Because she wasn’t.

He froze too, then shook his head.

“You’re a cruel Trainer,” Bede whispered, face laced with horror. “You’re disgusting. I was right, your last win was a fluke. I’m not battling something as pathetic as you.”

He returned Ponyta to its Poké Ball and turned, leaving Dolly there on the ground. The only sounds in the cave were his footsteps, and the small taps where her tears hit the ground.

The rest happened in a blur.

She ran to the Pokémon Center only to have the nurse confirm what she already knew. She would have done anything not to have everyone in the building staring at her with shock, confusion, pity. All of them were silent and staring as she stood there frozen, hearing the words she knew, but dreaded all the same.

“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do.”

With a ghostly nod, eyes hollow, Dolly left and returned to Route 4. She completed her errand and walked away, leaving Posey and the haphazard tombstone beneath the tree by the river. ———————————————————————————————————–Previous Chapter | Next Chapter Full Chapter Index

[missusk]

Pecha Berries

A Pokemon Shield Nuzlocke Story.

Chapter 3 - The Gym Challenge

[Team Roster: Jackson (Scorbunny), Bella (Yamper), Lacey (Wooloo)]

It was their third day in the Wild Area. Dolly’s chest heaved as she pried off her boots and inhaled sharply as she peeled off her socks. Laying them out in front of her with a grimace, she slowly wiggled her toes.

They were swollen, with blotches of red pocking where her shoes were too tight. The skin around her blisters were peeling up, just a bit paler than the fresh skin around it. Her legs ached, and her shoulders had a simultaneous dull and sharp shooting where her backpack straps sat. She let out a groan and flopped back onto the grass.

“This is rubbish,” she grumbled. “Hop better be grateful that I’m doing this for him,”

“That’s what you get for always sitting on the couch,” Jackson stated, raising his eyebrows.

“What do you know, we only met a week ago,” she huffed from her spot on the ground. 

Her view of the sunset sky was interrupted by a Scorbunny face.

“Am I wrong? You have like, zero muscle.”

Dolly looked to the side, avoiding eye contact with the Pokémon in front of her. She grumbled as she lifted herself back up to a sitting position, gazing at the camp before her as Jackson trotted off smugly. She lifted her arm and tried to flex. Maybe if she pushed some skin up on her upper arm it could look like a bicep? Whatever. He was just a foot-tall bunny with toothpick arms too, what did he know.

Her team darted about, filled with an unimaginable amount of energy compared to how she was feeling. She leaned back on her elbows as she watched them play. There were only two new team members, a Bunnelby and a Grubbin, who seemed to be getting along fine with the rest of her Pokémon. One more team member and that would be six - couldn’t get too attached to too many, just in case.

It had been a while since Dolly interacted with so many Pokémon at once, and she wasn’t quite sure how to do it. Should she treat them like a classroom of students? As a group of friends? Or something more dramatic, like a team of seasoned warriors or something?

They all cheered as Lacey headbutted Jackson into a tree stump. She scratched the seasoned warriors idea out pretty quickly.

Her stomach tightened as dusk crept over the Wild Area. This night was exactly like the one so many years ago: cool, a slight breeze, the grass already dewing over in the spots the sun hadn’t hit for a while. It had the type of air that sticks to the lungs a bit, then chills and makes nose hair prickle. The kind where her feet ached, dirty and grass-stained, but it was okay because she could wash them up quick before supper - but only when mum flashed the back porch light a couple times. It was after a day of adventuring, of training, and plenty of laughter. Of just her and her Pokémon. Just one, at that time, though. 

Her Pokémon and her used to dart around the forest with the flower crowns they made together, giggling as they pricked their fingers on burrs and thorns as they reached for the Pecha berries in the bushes behind her old house. She could remember how she smiled, what her laugh sounded like. Her heart clenched in her chest at the thought. That was before…

Dolly fiercely shook her head, almost whipping her glasses off her face. She shook it again for good measure, as if to shake the memories out altogether.

That was a different time, a different life. That was before she moved to Postwick. Perhaps it won’t happen like that this time, she faintly hoped. She let out another deflated sigh as the sun finally sank beneath the horizon. Perhaps things will be different this time.

“Alright, team,” she called, forcing herself up off the ground, wincing as little pebbles dug into her raw feet. “Who wants some grub?”

They all circled around her gleefully with cries of ‘Me! Me!’ and an excited buzz from Sap, her new Grubbin.

After a quick batch of curry, they settled in for the night. They all snuggled up against one another as Dolly unfurled her tent like a blanket over all of them. After an unfortunate escapade filled with plenty of frustrated grunts, an accidental fireball, tears in the fabric, and an apologetic Yamper, their first night in the Wild Area set the stage for the rest of their nights in the Wild Area: all sleeping together to keep warm under their dilapidated tent shreds. At least it wasn’t raining this time.

It took eight hours, Jackson leading morning calisthenics, breakfast porridge, and they were on the road again.

“Miss Dolly, are we almost there?” Lacey asked, trotting along beside her. “I don’t mean to complain none, but some of the folks on the team are getting real tired of traipsin’ through these fields,” 

Dolly reached down and gave her Wooloo a pat on the head.

“I’m sure we’re getting close, Lacey,” she said. “Motostoke’s getting bigger by the day. I suspect we’ll be there by lunch time.”

It was true. The city that was just a speck at the Wild Area train station was now a looming industrial giant.

“I don’t mind travellin’ so much anymore, though, Miss Dolly,” Lacey said, looking down sheepishly and brushing against Dolly’s leg. “At first, I was real scared, but now it’s not so bad. I like havin’ everyone on the team, they’re all real friendly. An’ you’re a real good Trainer,”

Warmth spread throughout her chest and Dolly bit her smile back. Maybe keeping two would be fine.

As they traveled closer, Motostoke seemed to loom taller and taller, and yet the path winding there looked longer and longer. They encountered an array of wild Pokémon, built up a few levels, and finally made their way up the steps of Motostoke. 

Dolly’s legs wobbled as she took in a breath. The city was magnanimous. Bricks, vendors, and Pokémon lined every inch of the streets and smoke billowed out of the skyscraper-like pipes that rose in the air. Windows sparkled in the sun, casting an orange glow on the city. 

She had a crick in her neck, but she didn’t care as she arched her head to see the tops of the buildings. The river gushed beneath the bridge, coursing through the city just as the residents above did. Dolly stopped at the end of the bridge, taking in the rest of the site before her. People and Pokémon bustled to and fro, stepping around the wide-eyed Trainer standing in the middle of the street. She had never seen buildings so tall, not even before she moved to Postwick. The city seemed to buzz with music, as Pokémon sang with their Trainers on the corners, and shopkeepers shouted their deals from their welcome mats. Dolly grinned as the magnanimity of the city soaked into her skin. 

“Hey, Dolly, you finally made it!” a voice called. 

Dolly waved a greeting as a tall red head sauntered up to her. Sonia stopped and twirled her hair with a grin.

“Real ace of you to make it through the Wild Area! Seems like your trek ran you ragged, though,” she added with a pitiful glance to Dolly’s haphazard appearance.

Dolly looked through her smudged glasses to the rips in her dress, the mud on her shoes, and the dirt under her nails. Yikes. 

Sonia offered her a pity laugh and set her hands on her hips.

“Alright, here’s the deal. It’s barely the afternoon, and something about the way your mouth’s been hanging open this whole time tells me you’ve never been to a city like this, and Sonia’s here to show you around. Let’s pick up some new clothes for you, I’ve got a friend at a salon down the road that can fix up your hair, and then I’ll treat you to lunch, sound good?”

“If Sonia’s buying lunch, count me in!” another voice called. Hop jogged up to meet them, grinning. His eyes widened when he took in Dolly’s haphazard appearance and he took in a quick breath through his teeth. “Yeesh, Dolls, did you crawl all the way here?”

Dolly was about to retort but Sonia interrupted.

“Dolly and I are actually about to go shopping and get our hair done, if you’d like to join that?” she asked, setting a hand on her hip. “If not then buzz off.”

“Buzzing off,” Hop said with a salute. “I’ll catch you guys later then.” 

Sonia and Dolly laughed at the grimace on Hop’s face and they headed toward lunch first (per the request of Dolly’s grumbling stomach), then the boutiques together. She tossed out her old pink dress in favor of non-disgusting, inconspicuous, normal leggings and shirt. Sonia kept trying to get Dolly to buy lots of frills, lots of patterns, and lots of blindingly-bright neon that made Dolly's skin look like washed-out paper. After a little back and forth, Sonia did persuade her to buy a skirt to go over her leggings and some peach-colored glasses, just to liven up her look at least a little bit. 

“Thanks for all of this, Sonia, but you really don’t need to spend all this money on me,” Dolly said, feeling along the fringe of her new black skirt. “I feel a little guilty,”

Sonia waved her off, grinning and twirling her hair again.

“Oh, come off it. I’ve always wanted a little sister to spoil, and you looked so bedraggled coming up those steps to Motostoke. Gran gave me some pocket change, and it’s the least I could do for my best mate’s little brother’s best mate.”

It took her a second to do the mental math as Sonia laughed again. 

“Speaking of those two, though,” Sonia continued as they made their way toward the salon. “Leon said you can talk to Pokémon, is that true?”

“Um, yeah. Sometimes it’s nice, sometimes it’s annoying,” she shrugged. She really wouldn’t mind not hearing those two Sqwovets screaming at each other every time she sat in her living room.

“Fascinating,” Sonia replied, looking into the sky. “Do you know why? Like, did you learn it somehow?”

Dolly shrugged, watching two kids kick around a ball with a Pikachu.

“I dunno, I’ve been able to for as long as I can remember.”

“Are there other odd things that happen with you and Pokémon?” Sonia asked.

A bell tinkled as they walked into the salon. Dolly shrugged again as the beautician took her bag and jacket. Why was everyone pushing this today? When Hop found out she could talk to Pokémon he just said ‘wicked,’ asked if his Wooloo thought he was cool, and they moved on with their lives.

Sonia squinted her eyes.

“Have you lived around Pokémon much?”

“Just as much as any other person.”

The beautician guided the pair further into the building.

“Are you good at learning new languages?”

“Not really, sometimes I feel barely fluent in the one I do know.”

“What about social cues, body language, things like that?”

“Hardly.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have the Nuzlocke Curse, would you?”

Dolly’s jaw dropped and her eyes went wide.

“How did you..?”

Sonia nodded, a slight smile appearing on her face.

“Lucky guess. I read about it in a book recently. It was about communicating well with Pokémon, and it listed that as an exceedingly rare condition - so rare that it’s only been speculated about in theory. I’ve never heard about a real human being able to speak to Pokémon, so I’ve been dying to ask you ever since Leon told me. Can you tell me about it?”

Sonia seemed pretty normal, pretty nice, and genuinely interested in Dolly. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to let her know a little bit…Just the basics.

“I’ve never met anyone to know about it besides me and my mum... But I’ve known I’ve had it for a couple years, now. Not sure if I was born with it or if it came along later,” Dolly said as the beautician leaned her back in the basin. 

“Girl, I’ve never seen so many sticks in a client’s hair,” the beautician grimaced to herself as she picked out remnants of the Wild Area. 

“When did you start noticing signs?”

“I think I was about seven or eight,” Dolly continued as Sonia looked on inquisitively, a hand on her chin. 

“That same book guessed Trainers could only catch a limited amount of Pokémon, is that true too?” Sonia asked as she spun in the chair beside her. “The authors predicted it’s something about the blood of the Trainer, counteracts something in the technology of the Poké Ball, interacts with the language part of the brain or something. But again, it’s all just speculation.”

Dolly pursed her lips at the concept. After she caught her first Pokémon, she tried a billion times to catch others around her house, only for the Poké Balls to break.

“That might explain why I always feel so tingly, too,” Dolly whispered, looking at her hands. 

“Tingly?” Sonia repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“You know how you feel when a body part falls asleep, and just starts to wake up? It’s like a bunch of Beedrill stinging at numb skin. It doesn’t hurt, it’s just really uncomfortable, so I don’t try too many extra times anymore,” Dolly said, her voice tapering off as the beautician shampooed through her hair. “It does really hurt, sometimes, but that’s just when...um…never mind…”

When what? They died? Sonia was nice enough, but Dolly didn’t really want to delve into that bit or her backstory with a woman she met a week ago. Sonia seemed to know at least two things about the Curse, but Dolly was hoping that was the limit. She couldn’t decide if she wanted those authors to have written more information for her own sake, or less so she’d get fewer questions from Sonia.

After the beautician brought her to the chair and Dolly picked out a new hairstyle, she explained to Sonia a bit more.

“I’ve never met anyone else with something like this, so it’s kind of hard to measure,” she said with a shrug.

“It sounds interesting,” Sonia said, twirling her hair. “Gran’s got me on this historical project right now, and that’s all the book mentioned anyway. I haven’t been able to find any other reliable sources, but if I find out anything else about the Nuzlocke Curse, I’ll let you know.”

“Alright, honey, take a look.”

Dolly grinned at her fresh, new appearance, thanked the beautician, tipped her significantly, and she and Sonia stepped back out into the setting sun of Motostoke. As they walked down the brick streets, Dolly tugged at her new hairstyle. She had never gotten her hair longer before, so she wasn’t quite used to how it sat. She fiddled with it and the shopping bags she was holding when then they spotted Hop and Wooloo walking down the main street.

“Hey girls, finally done with all your doll houses and pillow figh-” Hop stopped mid-sentence, his jaw still hanging open.

“What?” Dolly asked, looking behind her. 

His eyebrows pulled together and he blinked a few times.

“You look...different.”

Dolly raised an eyebrow.

“Astute observation. Apparently Fairy-type Pokémon can make your hair longer in minutes. It felt pretty weird. My mum’s always cut my hair and I’ve never had it done before, much less gotten it so much longer in one sitting. Keeps getting caught in my bag straps, though,” Dolly added with a grumble, hiking her backpack up again.

She picked at the ends of a few platinum strands that laid over her shoulders. Hop's gaze flitted to her face and lingered just another second. She noticed his jaw clench as he swallowed.

“Huh.”

She wasn’t quite sure why, but Dolly was also glad the beautician persuaded her into letting her test some new mascara on her. After another beat Hop flung his arms behind his head.

“Pokémon are ace, don’t you think Dolls? ‘Cept giving a Feebas long hair still makes it a Feebas,” he ended with a grin.

“I oughta smack that stupid smirk right off your face,” Dolly growled. “I’m sure this Wishing Star can add some extra damage.”

“Sorry Dolls, as much as I’d love to stay around for that, I’ve got a date with a Gym Challenge registration sheet! I’ll save you a spot!”

And with that he was off, sprinting through the streets of downtown Motostoke.

“...Twit.”

“Happy to see you two embrace a healthy rivalry,” Sonia sighed from beside her. “To be fair though, I’ve never heard Hop pay attention to anything that wasn’t a Pokémon or his famous brother. Pretty impressive he noticed a change in you,”

“Come off it, Sonia,” Dolly grumbled. “The bloke called me an ugly fish.”

“Can’t deny that one, mate," Sonia chuckled. "Anyway, you ready for the opening ceremony? How is your Pokédex coming along?”

“I’ve caught a couple Pokémon...they’re a pretty lively bunch.” She flinched at the memory of her mangled tent and their weird game of seeing who can headbutt Jackson the farthest.

“Now that you’ve freshened up a bit, why don’t you head up to check in at Motostoke Stadium? It’s right up the road,” Sonia said, motioning to the monumental stadium at the end of the path. “Just follow the purple head sprinting down the road and you’ll get there in a flash.”

Dolly left Sonia with a wave and a thanks, then set off for the stadium. She was surprised to run into Leon, who directed her up the lift and to the front doors. Although he was eloquent and charming as always, she successfully managed out a grunt of gratitude like the Conkledurr she was.

“Took you long enough,” Hop grinned. “Coulda got a manicure myself with how long I had to wait here,”

“You could have gone in, you know,” Dolly said, rolling her eyes.

“I couldn’t have you miss this part of my legend! What kind of mate would I be?”

Dolly rolled her eyes again as the pair pushed through the grand glass doors to Motostoke Stadium. Their jaws dropped in unison.

“Would you look at this,” Hop breathed. “This place is packed with Gym Challengers! Every one of these folks is another rival!”

The brick walls arched to the ceiling, which to Dolly, seemed like a thousand stories high. The grand entryway was draped with bold banners advertising the Challenge and Dolly couldn’t help but breathe out in wonder. Bold colors and banners and smiling faces adorned the atrium, and Dolly arched her neck to see through the domed-glass ceiling.

She looked around her in awe as she and Hop made their way through the crowd. The magnificent atrium was filled with Gym Challengers of every shape and size. There were all types of people surrounding them; some their age, some older adults, and even some who could have been old enough to be her grandparents. There were Pokémon fluttering around as well, weaving in between the legs of the hopeful Trainers. A Blipbug here, a Butterfree there, and Dolly almost lost her footing when a Morpeko scampered between her legs.

A girl about her age grabbed him up off the ground. She dusted off her dress and tossed one of her dark pigtails out of her face as she stood up, the Morpeko secure in her arms.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” the girl said. “He gets real excited ‘round so many people, but you’re looking a bit gobsmacked by all this. You must be from some small country town, is that it?”

She nodded. This girl had a soft and unassuming smile - Dolly liked this fellow Gym Challenger already.

“Yeah, from Postwick.”

“I’m quite the same myself, I'm from a small town off Route 9. What’s your name?” the girl asked, patting her Morpeko.

“Dolls, come on, we still need to register!” Hop called from the desk.

“Dolls, huh? That’s an odd name,” the girl said with a smile. She held out her hand. “I’m Marnie.”

“It’s Dolly, actually, short for Dolores. He just calls me that, but his name is Hop, so mine’s not so bad in comparison,” Dolly said, shaking her hand.

“I look forward to battling you, Dolly. And beating you,” she added with a soft grin.

She could feel the buzz of friendly competition in the air between them. She couldn’t help but grin as well.

“We'll see about that, Marnie,”

Dolly jogged up to the front desk where Hop was waiting in line to register. 

The boy in front of Hop turned after finishing his registration, looked him up and down, then shoved past his shoulder. Hop let out a grunt and Dolly scoffed as he sauntered out into the crowd. 

“Seriously? What a piece of work…” Hop grumbled, rubbing his shoulder.

The League staff at the counter called for the next in line, and Dolly handed over her endorsement from Leon. She could see the staff member’s eyes grow wide through his sunglasses.

“Fancy that,” he whispered. “This is the first time we’ve had a Challenger endorsed by the Champion!”

Hop grinned in return, slapping his endorsement on the counter next to Dolly’s.

“Well, now you’ve had two, because I am as well!”

“The two of you must be something special,” the staff member said with a nod to the both of them. He flipped through the pages on the clipboard in front of him. “Alright, you’ve both been successfully registered as Gym Challengers. You can request a number, otherwise we can assign one to you. What’ll it be?”

Dolly scratched her chin. When she was younger, she and her first Pokémon had a competition of who could shove the most jellybeans in their mouth. Dolly won with a high score of fifty-two, and from then on that had always been her favorite number. 

“I’ll take number fifty-two, if it’s available.”

The League staff flipped through his papers again.

“It is! It’ll be 052,” he said, scribbling down on his paper. Then, he looked to Hop. “And for you?”

“Eh, number one is already taken, just give me whatever,” he said, folding his hands behind his head.

“How does 189 sound?”

“Sounds like the number of the next Champion,” he grinned. “I’ll take it!”

The League staff raised his eyebrows, and she could see the faint outline of his rolling eyes from behind his sunglasses. She wondered how many times he had heard that line before.

“You can pick up your uniforms to the left,” he said, gesturing. “The opening ceremony starts tomorrow at 09:00 sharp, don’t be late.”

Sure, Dolly's main goal of all this nonsense wasn’t necessarily to be the Champion, but now, after looking around at all of the other dewy-eyed Gym Challengers, a fire of competition rose within her. She used to be good at Pokémon battles, and directing her team through the Wild Area came as second nature as riding a bike. Suddenly, the risk of it all started to finally be outweighed by the reward of victory. The thrill of competition, of the lights and the cheers, all of it made her think that maybe this whole ordeal wouldn’t be so bad after all. It could maybe be fun, even.

Hop and Dolly made their way to the Budew Drop Inn, where apparently Chairman Rose had reserved rooms for all the Gym Challengers. They found Sonia in the lobby, stating that she was researching the mysterious Pokémon that were said to be in the Slumbering Weald. She dove into Galar’s history and the tale of a great hero who saved the country. Dolly zoned out as she talked, looking around the hotel lobby. A group of people all with pink hair were standing at the registration table. They were all wearing matching outfits, too, maybe they were a band or something? Did the opening ceremony have a half-time show?

She focused again as Hop elbowed her in the ribs and she let out a grunt.

“Did you hear that, Dolls? Apparently, this hero guy had a sword and a shield. I wonder if it has anything to do with what you heard in the Slumbering Weald?”

“Oh, yeah, maybe,” Dolly said, wondering if Sonia noticed her not paying attention. “Wait, actually, yeah maybe!” she almost shouted, focusing in again. “Have you found anything about a shield, Sonia? Or about, you know…the other thing?”

Sonia scratched her chin and shook her head.

“Not particularly, no. About either topic,” she added with a shrug. “Once I find out anything more specific, you’ll be the first to know.”

If that thing in the Slumbering Weald really had some connection to Galar’s history, then maybe she could even learn more about her Curse as well. It did tell her to ‘break the Curse,’ after all. Dolly shoved the hope of breaking the Curse pretty deep down a long time ago, though.

Tagging along with Hop for this Gym Challenge was turning out to be pretty lucrative. Hopefully Sonia would run across some new information for her soon. Assuming her lesson was over, they waved goodbye to Sonia and headed up to the registration counter, only to be blocked by the weird band-looking group. After a couple threats were thrown at them, they learned they were called ‘Team Yell,’ then Dolly and Hop defeated them all within a five-minute span. Dolly was surprised to see Marnie walking up the steps as soon as they had finished. Marnie smiled at the two of them again as they got back into the line to check in. The three of them chatted a bit, learning she was from a town called Spikemuth. It certainly sounded more interesting than Postwick.

The night came and went and before she knew it, and it was time to line up for the opening ceremony. Her nerves tingled as she and Hop grinned at one another, the anticipation palpable in the air. Dolly could feel a lump of nervousness in her throat. One by one they lined up, all waiting to enter what they thought would be their pitch one day.

As she and the rest of the Challengers waited, they heard Rose address the crowd, welcoming them to the Gym Challenge. His powerful voice echoed throughout the stadium.

“It is my pleasure to announce that finally,” he paused. “The Galar region Gym Challenge is about to begin!”

The stadium erupted into cheers as he smiled around the stadium. She had to admit, even though her heart was beating in her throat, Rose had quite the aptitude for commanding a room - stadium, even. As she and the other Gym Challengers waited in the tunnel, his voice continued.

“Participants must defeat the eight Gym Leaders and gather the eight Gym Badges to prove their skill as a Trainer! Only the most worthy will have the honor of challenging the greatest Champion in history!”

Again, the crowd went wild at the mention of their Champion.

“Now,” Rose called, gesturing grandly. “I would like to invite the Gym Leaders to show themselves!”

As he introduced each Gym Leader, Dolly’s heart pounded in her chest. It had been a long time since she had felt like this, such a rush, such a thrill, and to think it was only a week ago she had sat on her couch for three days straight.

It was time to introduce the Gym Challengers. Each name was called, and one by one the other Gym Challengers moved forward, walking onto the pitch. A couple A’s, one B, two C’s…

And she was next. Her heart was beating in her throat as she waited for the announcer to call her name. A League staff ushered her forward. 

“Number 052, Challenger Dolly!” the announcer's voice boomed over the arena.

It was like she was waiting her entire life to hear it. It was like she was waiting her entire life to feel the vibration in her veins as the crowd roared for this new Challenger, for her future matches, for her. She stepped out of the tunnel, into the light, as the waves and power erupted from the stands. Even if she was only going to battle through one Gym, she would remember this moment for the rest of her life. 

———————————————————————————————————–

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[missusk]

Pecha Berries

A Pokemon Shield Nuzlocke Story.

Chapter 2 - A Mysterious Encounter

[Team Roster: Jackson (Scorbunny)]

Dawn had barely broken, the sky still pale, as Dolly and Jackson traveled down the well-beaten path. Rookidees were chirping, Jackson was humming, and Dolly was stomping through the dirt. She rubbed at her eyes, fighting back the yawn that kept trying to escape. Hop texted her at the ass-crack of dawn to get her to come back and get an endorsement with him from Leon. The furious vibrating from his thousands of texts rumbled her phone off her nightstand, onto Jackson's head, who then bolted awake, yelped out in shock, and caught her curtains on fire.

As she scuffed at a few pebbles, she repeated her plan in her mind: Get the endorsement, beat the first Gym, release her team, drop out. She wouldn’t let herself be persuaded otherwise, not even by that beautiful smile or golden eyes. Dolly walked up to the two brothers in their front lawn again, the two chatting as the sun rose higher in the sky. Dolly tried to glare daggers at Hop, who only smiled.

“Good morning, Dolls,"

"Hrmph."

Leon smiled as well, holding his hands lightly behind his back. 

"Understanding your new Pokémon alright, you two?”

“Course we have,” Hop said, crossing his arms. “Grookey, Wooloo and I are like three peas in a pod. Seems Dolls has made fast friends with her Scorbunny, too,”

Suddenly a fire seemed to blaze in Leon’s eyes. It was that same passion that he exuded during every match she had ever watched, every bit of it tangible in the air as he looked between the two of them. When those passionate, dazzling, golden eyes stared into hers, Dolly was certainly much more alert.

“Then listen up, new Trainers. Trust in your Pokémon, trust in yourselves and each other, and someday,” he said, his piercing golden gaze fixed on Dolly. “You may even become worthy rivals for me, the unbeatable Champion.”

She felt her throat tighten. Surely he couldn’t be talking about her, right? Perhaps his eye was only good for deciphering how tall Hop had grown. She briefly wondered if he could read her mind when she thought about dropping after the first Gym and giving Jackson back to him. Hop’s voice tore her from her thoughts.

“What’re you looking at her for, I’m the one who’ll be coming to challenge you!” he said, turning to her with a devilish grin. “If you think she’ll be strong enough to challenge you, then I guess she’s my first rival! And either way, just having a Pokémon with you doesn’t make you a real Trainer, you know.”

Leon laughed from beside them.

“And you think you’re a proper Trainer? How about you and Dolly here have a match, and I’ll be the judge of that. What do you say?” Leon asked, turning to Dolly. “Willing and ready to take Hop on in the first-ever Pokémon battle of your life?”

Dolly looked between the two brothers, one blazing with expectant confidence, the other with supportive assurance. Would it be fair? This wasn’t her first-ever Pokémon battle, but neither Hop nor Leon knew that. She hadn’t battled in years, though, and if the Curse was still afflicting her then…

 “C’mon, Dolls, unless you’re scared me an’ Grookey will pummel you into the dirt?”

 ...there was no way she could lose. Something started to burn within her, sparking something in the dusty and rusted light switch that had been turned off and unplugged years ago. The competition that burned Hop’s eyes was contagious, and it fueled the fire that she had attempted for years to quell. Before she could stop herself, she answered.

“There’s no way I can lose.”

They made their way to the makeshift pitch, Hop pumping his fists.

“I’ve watched every match that Lee’s ever had, read every book and magazine he’s left behind, and I know exactly what to do in order to win!” he grinned, taking his spot across from her.

She could only nod, her mouth too dry to speak. Her heart was throbbing throughout her body, the blood pulsing and rushing through her ears. This was it, what she had been avoiding for so long. Just one battle couldn’t hurt, right? If it went too far, perhaps she could cut it off and declare Hop the winner. And, something inside of her longed for battle, wanted it more than anything she had wanted for ages. It was like life itself had finally started to bubble within her again. Her doubts were quelled the second she ordered Jackson forward.

Suddenly the flame roared to life. The fire she had snuffed out over years of denial burned within her, blazing in every corner of her skin. She and Jackson moved in one fluid motion, her commands seamlessly executed as if their minds were one. In three short hits Wooloo was down, and out came Grookey.

Dolly grinned as she looked between her Fire and his Grass-type Pokémon. She had only been ordering Tackle on Wooloo, but something about the way Jackson was hopping back and forth, spurts of fire exploding on the ground with each step, posed an idea in her mind. 

“Jackson, use Ember!”

Fire spit from his mouth directly into Grookey’s chest, knocking him backwards. Hop ushered his Pokémon forward again, looking to Dolly in disbelief.

“Did you already know about type advantages?!” 

She nodded as she sent Jackson forward again, and in one swift motion, Dolly won their first battle. Hop looked at her incredulously as he returned Grookey to his Poké Ball. After a moment he stood tall again with a huff.

“Well that was a shock. Guess now I know why Lee agreed to give you a Pokémon too,”

Leon grinned as he looked at Dolly, the same ferocity burning in his eyes as she felt in her skin. 

“I’ve got a favor to ask of you, Dolly,” Leon said. Dolly nodded at the sheer force of will before her. “Be a real rival to Hop, would you? Push him, and make the both of you stronger. And,” suddenly he turned, looking stern as he looked between the two of them. “If you want anything to do with Galar’s fiercest Pokémon competition, you two better look at getting a Pokédex first.”

“Right right, Pokedéx, we’re on it,” Hop replied, waving his hand. He trotted to his front gate, Dolly in tow. “Better tell your mum we’re off to the Pokémon Research Lab, don’t want an earful from her, of all people.” 

As the pair made their way to Dolly’s house, a crash erupted from somewhere beyond her front lawn. They looked at each other, then raced toward the source. The fencing, which Dolly had only ever seen closed, was broken open with the path to the Slumbering Weald laid bare. Splinters and clumps of white wool littered the path and trailed into the forest. Her mind jumped to the suspiciously quiet Wooloo that had been tackling the fence the day before. Hop seemed to be thinking the same thing as they approached the fencing. 

“We’ve got to save it,” Dolly said, urging Hop along.

“That’s what I was thinking,” he replied, breaking into a jog. “Even if this place is off-limits, we can’t just let that Wooloo get hurt!” 

The pair made their way into the Slumbering Weald, the forest thickening almost immediately. She had gazed upon the forest a thousand times from her window, but she never dared to actually enter it. Even at Hop’s incessant prodding when they were younger, they never let their curiosity get the better of them for fear of what might be lurking inside - and for what their mum’s would do to them if they found out.

It was as if a wall of fog pummeled both of them, making it challenging to see the path in front of them. The forest was quiet as the pair stepped through, the only sound coming from the crunching of leaves beneath their shoes. Dolly discreetly gravitated towards Hop, eyes peering around the dark shapes that loomed around them. After a while they slowed and a faint purple glow enveloped the mist. Something about the mist felt familiar, nostalgic, even, as they trekked further into the trees. A humming seemed to be enveloped in the mist, growing louder the further they walked.

“Do you hear that?” Hop asked.

They paused, waiting for the noise again. It was silent, as not even the leaves under their feet rustled. Dolly swallowed, her heart beating in her ears. Then, a muffled cry pierced the air and they broke into a sprint.

The further they ran, the thicker the fog became. It enveloped them like a blanket, the strangely familiar sensation covering every inch of the forest. It slithered over their skin, whispered through their hair, thickened the further they ran. After a while Dolly could barely see her hand in front of her face, let alone Hop beside her. His voice was her only landmark as he called out to her. 

Then, his voice was lost in the fog. She spun around, looking for any semblance of her friend. Something was moving toward her, rocking back and forth as it walked. The leaves beneath its feet were silent.

The hair on her neck stood on end as it grew taller the closer it moved. Yellow eyes pierced through the fog and Dolly stumbled backward as the shadow loomed over her.

“Dolls, you alright? I can’t see anything!”

She motioned to call back to Hop but her voice was muffled by the strange fog. It slid down her throat, strangled her call, and pushed her into the ground. 

A piercing howl cut through the fog and her vision went black.

All she saw was the mist, swirling in darkness. 

“Shield of Galar.”

Dolly whipped her head around. That certainly didn’t sound like Hop. It was almost as if the voice was embedded into every particle of mist that was swirling around her.

“Shield of Galar, your arrival here signals the beginning.”

“Wha...what? Who are you?” she called into the mist.  

“Overcome the Nuzlocke Curse. You are called to greatness. Trust in yourself. Trust in your Pokémon.”

Before she could call out again, Dolly’s eyes shot open, and the trees of the Slumbering Weald were swaying above her. The mist had lightened, and the shadow was nowhere to be found. She looked around for the source of the strange voice, only to see Hop laying beside her.

Feet came pounding across the ground, and suddenly the Champion was standing before them. He helped them both to their feet, as his eyebrows pulled together.

“You two had me worried sick, I’d been waiting for ages and you never showed!”

The pair tried to splutter out an explanation as the Wooloo came waddling forward. They both let out a sigh. 

“The little chap’s fine, though all of you had fainted by the time I found you here. You know this place is out of bounds." Leon's scowl softened as he looked between the two. "But...then again, it took courage to come in here all the same. And I can understand well enough why you did it.”

The two nodded and followed Leon as they made their way out of the forest.

“Glad that Wooloo’s fine,” Hop said. “My arse is right sore, though, some mad shadow shoved me over but I couldn’t get a good look at it through all that bloody fog,”

“You saw it too?” Dolly gasped, grabbing at her friend’s sleeve. “Did it say anything to you?”

Hop’s brow furrowed as he shook his head.

“I didn’t hear anything, I think I hit my head on something and passed right out. Why, did you?”

“Something about the Shield of Galar,” she explained, scratching her chin. “Not sure what that means, though.”

Hop shrugged as Leon turned to them, brow furrowed to match his younger brother.

“What’re you two talking about, mad shadow, Shield of Galar?”

“That’s probably what knocked us out,” Hop explained. “Not sure what it was - a Pokémon, maybe? Whatever it was, it just had this sort of presence…”

“The fearsome Pokémon they say live in the Slumbering Weald…” Leon muttered, more to himself than the other two. “Could they be illusions? Well, either way, perhaps if you two get strong enough you can be the ones to reveal the truth someday. Especially now that I’ve decided to endorse you both for the Gym Challenge,”

Leon ended his sentence with a sly grin, and their eyes grew wide.

“You mean it, Lee?” Hop asked, his voice echoing through the trees.

Leon nodded and grinned as his little brother jumped up and down.

“You’ve shown a bit of prowess in battle, and a right bit of courage here doing what you did today," Leon said. "I think I’d be interested to see how you two fare in the Gym Challenge. After watching you two battle and seeing you put your neck out for a stray Wooloo, I’d say you both have what it takes to become proper Trainers.”

The sun shone warmly on their skin as the trio exited the Slumbering Weald, the mist and the strange vision far behind. Hop stretched in the sun, turning to Dolly.

“Better tell your mum we’re off to Wedgehurst again, she’ll go spare if we run off without telling her. I’ll meet you at Route 1 when you’re done.”

Dolly nodded, turning over in her head how on earth she was going to convince her mum she wanted to run off with her best friend to travel through half of Galar. She wouldn’t be too long, though, just to the first Gym and back.

As she opened the door to her house, she found her mother putzing about the kitchen, compiling ingredients and bread into a paper bag on the table.

“Mum? What's all this?”

Her mum looked guiltily to the table, which upon closer inspection had quite an assortment of things: some fruit, a map, even a collapsible tent. 

“I had a feeling this day would come again,” her mum sighed.

Dolly looked to her mum in confusion. She could see her eyes start to glisten.

“That was the only thing I’ve ever seen you have passion for, Dolly. Pokémon, that is,” she said, walking up to her daughter. She set her hands on Dolly’s shoulders, blinking back the wetness from her eyes. “I know you’ve faced many trials with Pokémon in the past, dear, but ever since you came home with that Scorbunny it’s like you came back to life.”

Dolly looked to her mum, scanning her face. So, she had felt it too.

“I know how this Nuzlocke Curse has taken such a toll on you, but I want you to know that I fully support you going out and trying again. To see that light in your eyes that had faded for years, even if it’s only been two days, well, I think it’s worth it,” she said, pulling Dolly into a hug. “It’s like I finally have my daughter back.”

“Mum,” she whispered into her shirt.

“Be safe out there, love,” her mum said into her hair. “Know that I love you, and your Pokémon will fight for you and protect you always, so take good care of them. You’ll always be my little Pecha berry.”

“I love you mum. I...” Dolly said, blinking the tears out of her eyes and into her mum’s hair.

She contemplated telling her she’d be back just after the first Gym, but something about the mixture of the look in her mother’s eyes, the mysterious voice in the Slumbering Weald, and the ever-growing calling in her heart, made her feel that telling that aloud wouldn’t feel right.

“I’ll do my best.”

Her mum held her at arm's length, squeezing her shoulders.

“I know it, love. You always have a home here. Remember, east or west, home is best,” she said with a smile, tapping Dolly’s nose. Then, her eyes widened. "Oh, yes! I've got something for you."

She disappeared and returned with a box in her hand.

“No matter what you said when you were little, even with everything you’ve been through with Pokémon, I always knew this day would come when you would return to them,” she said as she held the box out. “So here, something to remember home and healing by.”

Dolly took the box. She lifted the lid and inside was a delicate chain with a small gold charm on the end. It glinted as Dolly turned it over in her fingers, the gold sheen reflecting the light of their kitchen lamp. Tears pricked in her eyes.

“It’s a Pecha berry,” Dolly breathed.

“It’s something I was holding onto until you turned eighteen, but I figured a little early wouldn’t hurt.”

Dolly nodded. Home and healing. 

“Well,” her mum said, turning back to the table. “Since I knew this would happen, I’ve taken the liberty of gathering a few other things for you.”

She scooped up the materials on the table. She listed off the contents, dumping them into Dolly’s bag one by one. Much to her chagrin, Hop was right when he said her bag would fit a Snorlax, as even a weeks worth of food and an entire camping set fit in her bag with room to spare. Then, her mum turned her by her shoulders.

“Off you go, then. Don’t run yourself ragged, let your Pokémon and your friends help you when you need. Especially that Hop, me and his mum have been rooting for the two of you since you met,” she ended with a grin. 

Dolly's cheeks flared red.

“Mum! Don’t make it weird! He’s my best mate, that’s gross,”

“Alright, alright, no need to fuss,” she laughed. “He’s just such a cutie, and so fit now that he's older."

Dolly gagged and her mum rolled her eyes.

"And I know he's such a good friend to you, Dolly.”

With a flustered retort and a final wave, Dolly trotted down the steps from her house and met Hop along Route 1. They meandered their way through the route, into Wedgehurst, gathered their Pokedéxes from Professor Magnolia’s self-proclaimed assistant Sonia, and were then again heading to the Wedgehurst train station. It wasn’t until Hop had the revelation they should fill their teams a bit, then he was running off to Route 2. With a sigh Dolly followed, managing to catch another two Pokémon to add to her team, the same fire burning within her. An excitable Yamper named Bella joined her and Jackson, and a Wooloo to match Hop’s. Two more was good for now, and that’s all she could catch anyway.

As she and Hop reached the end of Route 2 in a heated discussion about the thickness of Wooloo wool, two glimmering streams of light shot through the sky.

“Did you see that?” Hop gasped, following the trail of light with his finger. “It looks like they landed near Professor Magnolia’s house!”

The pair ran to the end of the route, searching around the grass for the fallen balls of light.

“Over here!” Hop called, beckoning Dolly over to him.

Before them lay two glimmering stones. Each emitted a warm red light, glowing more powerfully as they reached for them.

“They’re Wishing Stars!” Hop gasped again, turning the stone in his fingers. 

“And not a lot you can do with them in that state,” a voice said.

The pair turned to see an elderly woman walking towards them.

“Hand them to me, dears, and I’ll get them usable for you,”

“Professor Magnolia, thanks!” Hop grinned, elbowing Dolly.

“Y-yes, thanks!”

The pair took a seat on the bench overlooking the lake near Professor Magnolia’s house. Dolly swung her legs back and forth as they waited for her to finish tinkering with their Wishing Stars.

“They say Wishing Stars appear for someone who has a true and burning wish in their heart,” Hop explained, looking over the water. “Makes sense for us, since my wish is to be the greatest Trainer ever.”

Dolly set her head in her hands as she watched Wingulls flap over the water. Made sense for him, sure, but she certainly didn’t care about becoming the greatest Trainer. Did she have a wish in her heart? She thought back to her Pokémon, to Jackson, to Bella, and to her new Wooloo Lacey. Then she thought even farther back. Perhaps she did have a wish in her heart. 

She was pulled from her thoughts as Professor Magnolia appeared behind them again, handing them two white bracelets. With a brief explanation from the professor and another round of thank-yous, the pair were officially off to their grand adventure.

At least, that’s what they thought until their train to Motostoke was stopped prematurely.

They looked around the station, Hop pulling aside a rail worker.

“What gives? This isn’t Motostoke?” he said, setting his hands on his hips.

“Righto chap,” the worker said with a nod. “Wooloo on the tracks, can’t move forward. Either back to Wedgehurst, or walk through the Wild Area.”

A grin spread on Hop’s face as he turned to Dolly.

“This is brilliant!” he exclaimed, clenching his fists.

“Brilliant?”

“Absolutely!” he replied, pulling Dolly along outside the station. “The Wild Area is filled with awesome Pokémon waiting to be caught.”

They followed the brief path out of the station and up to the railing of the dirt plaza.

“Look at that!” Hop continued, leaning on his heels with a whistle. “That’s Motostoke, waaaay off that way! And, between there and here, are countless new Pokémon waiting to be met,”

Hop was vibrating in anticipation as Dolly gazed beyond the fencing into grand fields, lush green grass swaying as far as the eye could see. Little ponds and rivers dappled the landscape, with bright blue water bubbling through. Dolly breathed out in wonder at the beautiful show of nature before them. They heard someone approaching from behind, and Hop turned with a grin.

“Well, if it isn’t Sonia,” he said. 

A tall woman walked up beside them, twisting at her hair with a huff.

“My gran gave me a proper earful, in her own way…said ’Those two young Trainers are setting out on a journey, but what are you doing with your life?’” she said, imitating Professor Magnolia.

“Yeesh, that sounds rough,” Dolly said, grimacing.

“Don’t worry about it,” Sonia replied, waving her off. “Either way, I’m excited to be on the road again. And, I’m curious to see what else I can find out about that Pokémon you two met in the Slumbering Weald, so really the timing works out well.”

Hop was bouncing between his two feet as Sonia spoke.

“Well,” he started. “I’m off to go stick my head in as many of those red glowing dens as I can find. I’m going to battle the snot out of a bunch of Dynamax Pokémon and fill in another page in the tale of my legend. I’m off then, see you in Motostoke, Dolls!”

And with that, he sprinted off into the rolling fields of the Wild Area.

“Ugh, what cheek!” Sonia huffed as they watched their friend disappear into the grass. “You better be careful out there, Dolly, Dynamax Pokémon are on a whole ‘nother level. Either way, though, the Wild Area is waiting for you. This is the start of your real adventure!”

After a wave, Sonia trotted into the Wild Area herself.

Dolly looked out at the rolling fields beyond the fence post. They seemed to stretch until the end of the earth, with Motostoke but a blip in the distance. A lump formed in her throat as she watched clouds rolling across the plains and lakes beyond her.

 Hesitate.

 Wait.

 Go back to Wedgehurst, home to Postwick.

She shook her head fiercely as if to slap the thought away and into the ground. She took a breath in. 

“Well,” she said, tossing her three Poké Balls out. Jackson, Lacey, and Bella all stood beside her, looking on with curiosity.

“Guess it’s time for an adventure, huh? No more mediocrity.”

Dolly took one step, her foot hovering before it hit the ground. She looked at the ground in front of her and her leather shoe she bought in Wedgehurst years ago when her mum and her moved. It was a little worn, a bit beat up, weathered, but sturdy all the same. It was the nights of crying herself to sleep, the nights she heard her mum cry down the hall. It was the ‘never being a burden,’ never being ‘too much.’ It was being the freak, the weirdo, being called names until she turned into nothing, a nothing that blended in so well with her surroundings. It was the halfheartedly trying only some things on, for fear of the unknown, for fear of what she would do if she dared to look greatness in the eye.

With a breath, she set her foot down. With another breath, she took another step forward. Step. Step. Step. Until she was jogging. Until she was running. Running beyond the train station, running beyond Wedgehurst and Postwick, running beyond moving houses and running beyond her past. Running beyond this Curse and running beyond her insecurities. She felt those memories and feelings and burrs dripping off of her skin as she ran faster and faster. The mediocrity was sliding of like sludge, dripping behind her.

But, she was finally running. She wasn’t sitting on her couch, staring out the window. She wasn’t watching her phone and quelling the throbbing in her chest when she watched each and every Pokémon battle. This is what she had been waiting for. This is what she had been missing. The faint memories of the feeling of freedom started to well again within her soul. They bounded along beside her as she recalled the wind in her hair, the Pokémon by her side. They danced like her Wooloo, Scorbunny, and Yamper did, bounding and dancing along with her as she ran into the hills, into the fields, into the unknown adventure. Out of mediocrity and into greatness.

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