Okay, team, here's our stop
It's time to reach for the top!

Meloetta's song sang the truth; a peaceful rural town covered in grass caught my watchful eyes. I landed in front of a house next to a wooden gate. Several sheep Pokemon were roaming around the town, including one that was rolling into the gate and bouncing off comically. One such Pokemon was lying down next to the gate, looking as if it wanted to explore the area beyond. After Doctor Hooves got off my back, I returned to my Decidueye form.

The Doctor looked around in wonder, as did I. He said, "I'm not quite sure why, but this place feels fairly familiar to me. I almost feel as if I am at home."

Meloetta smiled. "I believe that is because we are in the region that is based off of Great Britain. I welcome the two of you... to the Galar region!"

My eyes sparkled with wonder. "The Galar region... I have always wanted to travel to Great Britain, but my negative emotions I hid inside had dragged my mindset away from trying to go there with my new powers. However, since I am in the Pokemon equivalent of Great Britain, I have achieved my dream nonetheless! I do have one question, though... Since you are here, the others should be near. Where is your Trainer?"

Meloetta giggled. "Oh, Heart Fist? She's inside with Pummel, Keldeo, and a couple of new friends."

"Why are you so surprised? This always happens on our Pokemon adventures! In Kalos alone, Pummel and Heart and I befriended Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and Serena in rapid succession! And need I even mention Equestria? After we explained our reasoning for being in Equestria, everypony welcomed us like we were family! Well, besides Chancellor Neighsay. I'd heard that he chained you up with magic as soon as he saw you. Not that it matters, because it's time for me to introduce you to our new friends!"

We followed Meloetta into the house, where three of my friends were sitting on a couch with two other boys. One of the boys had white skin and brown irises. He was wearing a red long-sleeved shirt with some kind of logo on it, and his jeans appeared to be somewhat worn. The other boy had light brown skin, deep purple hair, and yellow irises. He was wearing a woolly blue jacket.

Of my friends, there were Pummel Fist, Heart Fist, Roborygon, and Keldeo, the latter of them also known as the colt Pokemon. Pummel used to be a human alongside his mother Heart Fist, but Archie and Maxie turned them into Pokemon using a special potion. Now they can take on the form and powers of any Pokemon that is registered in their Pokedex. They have chosen to use Machop, a grayish-green biped with powerful muscles, as their predominant species. Roborygon was constructed by Pummel's Pikachu, PhD, in order to assist him and his friends on their adventures. Considering the fact that it was based off of Porygon-Z, Roborygon (aka Roborygon Mk. Z) looks similar to it, except that in terms of colors, he has a Shiny Porygon-Z's color scheme, although the blue and gray are inverted, and yellow is in place of the blue; in addition, he has purple visual monitors in place of yellow eyes. The entire group was watching something on Pummel's phone, which had a jet black case. And from the looks of it, they were watching something very interesting.

The group turned to me. Pummel replied, "Oh, hey, Helix. Hi, Doctor Hooves. Has Meloetta told you a little about Victor and Hop?"

"She didn't state their names directly, but she did say you made a couple of friends."

Pummel answered, "Yeah, let me introduce you to them. Guys, meet Helix and Doctor Hooves."

The brown boy eyed Doctor Hooves strangely. "Doctor Hooves, huh? Pretty quirky name for a Pokemon, even though it's a horse Pokemon."

The Doctor sighed. "Why does everyone here keep mistaking me for a Pokemon? I'm a pony, for Celestia's sake!"

Keldeo looked at him, sighing. "He isn't the first creature you've encountered that speaks human, you know. And he isn't a Pokemon. Truth is, my friends and I met him on a faraway planet populated by equines that can talk. We discovered that world by accident after trying to escape the aftermath of a dark lord's defeat. But enough about us, you guys should introduce yourselves!"

The brown boy shook the Doctor's hoof. "I'm Hop. It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Hooves!"

The Doctor said, "The honor is mine, Hop. It isn't every day that I get to meet someone from the future!"

"From the future?!" Hop gasped. "That must mean you came from the past! But why come here to Galar?"

Pummel answered, "Basically, they came here to the Galar region because they need as much help as they can get in order to defeat a monster that will soon roam around Equestria--that's Doctor Hooves' home planet. His name... Lord Tirek. He's a centaur that gets stronger from consuming magic. When he stole all the magic of Equestria a few years ago, he was bigger than a Primal Groudon! Now, don't worry, because the bearers of harmony defeated him back then and took back the magic with help from the Rainbow Power offered by the Chest of Harmony. But we're sure he won't be a pushover this time either."

Victor exclaimed, "That sounds super tough! If you want to get as strong as you can, I suggest you take on the Gym Challenge. The Gym Leaders will put your skills to the ultimate test!"

I smiled. "That's what I was hoping you would suggest. We can't take it on without Pokemon of our own, though. Do you know how we could get some?"

"Don't put the cart before the Rapidash! You can't go on an adventure without getting used to the customs of Galar. The first thing you need to do is get rid of that Rotom Dex. Nobody uses them anymore!"

"But how will you be able to record Pokemon information without a Pokedex?" Rotom Dex asked.

"It turns out that Rotom have a new device to go into..." Pummel held up his phone, and I saw a Rotom's face on the back of it. "...phones!"

The Doctor gave Pummel a confused look. "I beg your pardon, but this is the very first time I've encountered a phone with a screen rather than buttons. How are you even supposed to work it?"

Pummel laughed. "It's called a touchscreen for a reason. You touch the screen with your appendage in order to interact with the phone. But this may be a little tricky for you, Doctor, because you have hooves."

"But it's no big deal, Doc. Rotom Phones can perform some functions that don't require touching the screen. Here, you can use mine." Victor gave Doctor Hooves his Rotom Phone, which had a red case. "I've already taken on the Gym Challenge, so I don't need this anymore. And you'll need something to carry all the stuff you'll find on your journey, so you can use my bag. It's in my room, on the other end of my home. You'll find it next to my bed, and there's a hat if you need to keep warm."

"Thank you very much, Victor." The Doctor went in that general direction to get his gear.

I held my phone up to Rotom Dex. The phone was dark green like my hood. "Ready to enter your new home, Rotom?"

"Of course I am! But... I could use a little help getting out. I've been in here so long I've forgotten how to exit my Pokedex abode. How can I leave my current appliance with relative ease?"

"The answer to that is quite simple. According to The Dex Can't Help It!, the easiest way to exit a Pokedex..." Roborygon aimed an appendage at Rotom Dex and fired electricity from it. "...is by electrical stimulation!"

"Zz-zzt!" After some erratic movement, Rotom burst out of the Pokedex. "Yow! I love electricity, but that was too much of an overload!" I aimed my phone at the Rotom now flying around. "Here I come!"

The speed generated by Rotom combined with the power taken to enter the phone was enough to push me back a few inches. "Whoa!" I exclaimed.

I looked at my phone's screen, which lit up blue, indicating startup. "Beep boop boop beep..." I turned the phone around to look at its back. After a few seconds, Rotom's eyes appeared on it, and the phone began to float. While it floated, a lightning bolt-shaped protrusion appeared on the top, and a short protrusion appeared on the bottom. "...Phone successfully inhabited! Oh, these circuits are so warm and cozy, Helix!"

I held my Rotom Phone with pride. "With you piloting my phone, you will be able to do far more than if you were in my Pokedex. I am certain of that."

Hop said, "Glad you like the Rotom Phone! As for the Pokemon, I got Lee to bring three of them for you all."

I asked, "Isn't that one too many? Pummel and Heart Fist have exceptional fighting capabilities, and they seem to know enough about Galar to get through without a starter. We're the only ones who really need the help."

"Make that two too many. You're a Pokemon. You could take on the Gym Challenge without a starter!"

I shook my head. "No, I couldn't." I lifted my left wrist, revealing a white bracelet with a Z insignia. "I can't use Z-Moves with my own power alone. And I doubt that I could do whatever special skill is offered in this region."

Hop nodded. "Yeah, you're right. There's no way you could fit yourself in a Poke Ball to go Dynamax. I wonder who could take the third Pokemon..."

"We'll fight that Snorlax blocking the path when we come to it. Right now, I think it's time to set off to find Lee."

The Doctor came back wearing a brown, cylindrical backpack and a gray knit cap. "I have to agree with that, but might I ask, who is this Lee you speak of?"

Pummel showed me and the Doctor his Rotom Phone, which was playing a video of a brown man in a royal robe. A giant Charizard with flaming wings was behind him. "Leon is the current Champion of Galar, as well as Hop's big brother."

The Doctor and I stayed for a short time to talk to Victor. The Doctor said, "I mean no offense to you, but..." He turned so that his backpack was visible. It was shifting from side to side. "...this bag is rather uncomfortable, and difficult to get used to. I should have brought along my saddle bags."

"Sorry about that," Victor said sheepishly. "Maybe I can get Mum to whip up a saddle bag for you. We in Galar are used to farming, so it should be pretty easy for us to put together."

Victor waved to us as we left his home. "Good luck, guys! I know you can complete the Gym Challenge!"

I turned to Victor before I reached the door. "I know you already took on the Gym Challenge, but aren't you going to come with us?"

Victor shook his head. "No, I'm not going to this time. I would have become the Champion if it hadn't been for Leon's Charizard using its G-Max Move. Right now, I'm taking a little break from battling. I'm sure my partners need it. But when I finish taking my break, Leon better watch out! I've got a sweet trick up my sleeve to take him down."

As I walked down the steps from Victor's place, I saw Hop waving to me. "Come on, Helix! You're too slow!"

Elsewhere, a bald doctor in a spherical flying machine scratched his chin in confusion. "That's funny. Why do I feel like somebody ripped me off?"

His spherical red companion answered, "Perhaps it's because someone did reference one of your famous lines."

"Cut it out, Orbot! You should know that nobody would dare rip off the great Dr. Eggman!"

After the long walk through Route 1, we came to a fairly more urban town. A crowd was gathered at the train station, where a Charizard and his Trainer were striking a flashy pose. My keen eyesight allowed me to identify the Trainer as Leon. "Hello, hello, Wedgehurst! Your Champion, Leon, is back! I promise I'll keep doing my best to deliver the greatest battles for you to watch!"

The crowd roared in applause. "Wow, it's our Champion!" "Go, Leon!" "You and Charizard are the greatest!"

We overheard them talking about how they want to fight the Champion, who assured them that Charizard isn't the only Pokemon that can be strong. He wanted the strongest Trainers to come and fight him at the end of their Gym Challenge.

That was when the Doctor waved to Leon in order to catch his attention. "Excuse me! Leon!"

Leon didn't seem to notice the Doctor's attempt to catch his attention, but Hop gave it a shot. "Lee!"

Upon seeing Hop's hand and hearing his voice, Leon grinned. "Hop!" He walked through the crowd to us. "So, it looks like my number-one fan brought along his new friends!" He looked at us, particularly at Keldeo. "Incredible! You've a Mythical Pokemon right there! I reckon he must be yours, Pummel!"

Pummel smiled. "That's right! I'm proud to say that he finally has his own cutie mark! You must have a very sharp eye to have noticed that he's affiliated with me."

"And these fierce eyes over here..." Leon turned to me. "...I've got it! You must be Helix--am I right?"

I nodded. "That's correct. But how did you know about me? I would think that Hop only told you about Pummel, Heart, and their Pokemon."

Pummel shook his head. "Nah, I told Hop about you and Doctor Hooves, and how you would come here to obtain the skills necessary to defeat that magic thief."

Leon said, "Yeah, I heard loads about all of you from my little brother. If you've watched any of my matches, you'd know that I'm the Galar region's greatest-ever Pokemon Champion--and a massive Charizard fan, too. People call me the unbeatable Leon!"

Hop entered the conversation. "Come on, everyone! Bet I can beat you all back to my place! It's right next to Victor's home." He then dashed off, but he didn't know...

...that I was such a fast Pokemon. When he saw me in front of the court at his home, Hop's jaw nearly dropped. "Yow! You're too fast for me, Helix!"

The rest of the group caught up to us. Keldeo said, "It looks like you didn't think about the speed stat of the final evolution of Rowlet. They're super fast!"

The Doctor turned to Leon. "I beg your pardon, but I'm feeling a tad concerned about when Helix and I will get the chance to obtain Pokemon. I can't bear to think about what would happen if we didn't get the Pokemon and return to save Equestria from Tirek..." He shuddered. "So would you mind showing us these starting Pokemon?"

"Right then! The greatest gift from the greatest Champion... It's showtime, everyone!" Leon pulled out three spherical devices with a red top half, a white bottom half, and a white button on the front. Poke Balls, as every Trainer should know. "Take a good look, you two!" He threw the Poke Balls, and from the first one came a green monkey with orange hands and feet. A stick was hidden behind the tuft of green fur on its head. "The Grass-type Pokemon... Grookey!" From the second came a white rabbit with red toes and ears. An orange band was between its eyes, just above its small pink nose. "The Fire-type Pokemon... Scorbunny!" From the last, a light blue lizard with a yellow fin-like protrusion from the top of its head. Its large curved tail had a dark blue tip. "And the Water-type Pokemon... Sobble!"

The trio of Pokemon went on their own ways to demonstrate their skills and personalities. Grookey climbed up the tree, Sobble jumped into the pond, and Scorbunny stayed on the court. "Whoo! You can't stop me!" Scorbunny exclaimed as it raced around the court, leaving behind fiery footprints.

"Ooh, a Sitrus Berry!" Grookey removed the stick from behind its head and used it to beat against a yellow berry shaped like a pear. "Gotta love that berry beat!"

...said water glob hitting Scorbunny right on the ears. "Wah! I hate water! Gotta dry gotta dry gotta dry!" Scorbunny proceeded to hop high into the air repeatedly...

...striking a tree branch with its head in the process. This caused the berry that Grookey was beating to bounce off the tree branch. "Oops! Oh well, no big deal. I can always find other stuff to hit." The berry fell...

...into Sobble's pond. "Eek!" Sobble quickly leapt out of the water and onto the grass. The poor thing burst into tears. "Waaaahh! Don't startle me like that!"

Grookey jumped down to calm Sobble. "Sorry about that, Sobble! I was just having a little fun!"

Scorbunny soon followed. "Yeah! Besides, it wasn't that scary. That water you splashed me with was actually kinda thrilling, and plus, you weren't alone; we all got in on the action!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." In the end, they all laughed about the incident.

Leon declared, "All right! Line up, everyone!" The Pokemon did as instructed, with Grookey on the left, Sobble on the right, and Scorbunny in the center. Leon turned to me and Doctor Hooves. "Which will you choose?"

I glanced at my three options. "I believe I know who I would like as my starting Pokemon, but I feel it would be kind to allow Doctor Hooves to choose first. Is that okay, Doctor?"

The Doctor smiled. "Of course. Thank you very much, Helix!" He then took a look at his choices. "Let's see... I would like to have a starter Pokemon that is curious and willing to try new things. After all, I could use some help with my research into quantum physics. And a Pokemon with flexible digits would be able to make up for my lack of fingers. Therefore, I believe the right Pokemon for me... is Grookey!"

I said, "Out of those three, Grookey most definitely is the right one for you. You know, you can give it a nickname if you want. Anyone can nickname the Pokemon they catch."

"Okay. In that case, I will give him the nickname Ukiki. That sounds like a good name for a monkey like him."

I chuckled. "Nice. That's the perfect name for your new partner. I wonder if there's a Super Mare-io 64 game in Equestria..."

"Not that it matters, because right now it's time for me to take my pick. I normally go with Water- or Grass-types to fit my calm and intellectual mindset, but I feel like going outside my comfort zone." I walked over to Scorbunny. "Come on, Hotshot. You're coming with me to begin my Galarian team!"

Scorbunny, which I had nicknamed Hotshot, jumped up and fist-bumped me. "Aw, yeah! You'll score big-time with me on your team!"

I turned back to Leon. "Thank you very much for these new Pokemon, Leon. We will be sure to unlock their full potential, both as friends and as heroes."

Leon replied, "I bet the two of you will, Helix and Hooves. That's why I brought along the Pokemon for you: So you can battle and train to grow stronger together... to conquer whatever evil awaits you!"

She nodded back. Heart crouched down to Sobble and said, "Don't worry, Sobble. I choose you! We'll work together to complete the Gym Challenge!"

"All right, enough of all this Trainer nonsense for one night!" Victor's mother and Hop's mother came from Hop's house. "Dinner's ready, everyone. Bring along your Pokemon, and let's all eat!"

The Doctor gave me a nervous look. "Shouldn't we work to train our team as soon as possible? We don't have all week to conquer Tirek. At this rate, he'll have gotten the magic of all the princesses by the time we start our Gym Challenge!"

I shook my head. "Remember that we can return to Ponyville at any time using our time-space machine."

The next morning, we met back in front of the court. Leon said to us, "You all spent the whole night with your new Pokemon, right? You getting on all right? Understanding one another? Maybe even built up a bit of love?"

The Doctor smiled. "I'm already certain that I'll be good friends with Ukiki. I'm sure that Helix and Heart have gotten to know their own Pokemon pretty good as well."

Leon smiled. "Then listen up, new Trainers of Galar! Believe in yourself and your Pokemon! If you trust in one another and carry on battling side by side long enough, then someday... you might even become worthy rivals for me, the unbeatable Champion!"

I grinned. "And the first step towards that goal..." I turned to the Doctor. "...is a Pokemon battle. Are you ready to learn the ropes of Pokemon?"

Doctor Hooves replied, "Of course, Helix. Will you please demonstrate proper battling techniques for me?"

"Yes, I will. Normally, I would battle my rival--which I consider you to be--but I believe in the saying 'watch and learn.' Besides, even though ponies have had their fair share of combat, you don't know the mechanics of Pokemon battles. So I will instead allow you to spectate as I challenge... Meloetta!"

Heroes of light defend against the cold of the night
It is time to unleash my might!

Behold, the tune of this grand Relic Song!
You can sing along!

Harmonic strength is powered by our bond
The show must go on!

Where Meloetta's light green Aria Forme once stood, there was now her auburn Pirouette Forme. Her hair was now wrapped up neatly in a bun, and her skirt was frilled outwards, like a ballerina. "But before we begin the battle, I feel you should check the moveset of your Pokemon."

"I always do." I held up my Rotom Phone. "Okay, Rotom. Bring up the Pokedex entry for Scorbunny and identify the moves that Hotshot currently knows."

But Rotom answered, "I'm sorry, but this phone isn't equipped with the Pokedex application. You'll have to request assistance from Roborygon instead."

"On it." Roborygon brought up a hologram of Scorbunny projected from his single black antenna, which was in the place of where a Porygon-Z's horn would be. "Scorbunny, the Rabbit Pokemon. A Fire-type, Scorbunny warms up for a battle by running around to get fire energy coursing around its body. Once it's ready to battle, the pads on its feet and nose radiate tremendous heat. Scorbunny's moveset right now consists of Tackle and Growl." He then switched to Grookey. "Grookey, the Chimp Pokemon. A Grass-type, Grookey uses its stick to rhythmically strike. The sound waves produced revitalize nearby plants. As it strikes with great speed, Grookey gets more and more pumped. Grookey's moves are Scratch and Growl." Last, he switched to Sobble. "Sobble, the Water Lizard Pokemon. A Water-type, Sobble's skin color changes when it gets wet, and it becomes invisible as if camouflaged. When it gets scared by something, it cries. Its tears have the chemical power of one hundred onions, so attackers won't be able to keep from weeping. Sobble's moves are Pound and Growl."

"I mean no offense to any of the Pokemon," Doctor Hooves said, "but those moves sound considerably weak. My own hooves are likely stronger than them! How can I increase the power of those moves?"

Roborygon replied, "Pokemon become stronger and learn new moves as they increase their level. They can increase their level by obtaining enough experience points. Pokemon get experience points by battling other Pokemon."

"That is very good to know. I feel mildly comforted now, thanks to your lecture."

Meloetta took on a battle stance while motioning towards Hotshot. "Now, have at me!"

Hotshot ran towards Meloetta and prepared to slam into her. However, Meloetta sidestepped to her right, causing Hotshot to pass right by her. "Whoa! Talk about quick thinking!"

"That was only the prelude to my performance! Time for the opening act!" Meloetta lunged forward and struck Hotshot with a swift kick to the face.

"Behold, a move that even Sectonia would bow down to!" Meloetta cloaked herself in light and began to charge into Hotshot.

I warned, "Jump!" Hotshot leapt right over Meloetta's Dazzling Gleam. "Now, stomp on her!" Hotshot drove his powerful feet into Meloetta's back.

The Doctor was left stunned. "Wait, but... Roborygon, you said he only knows Tackle and Growl!"

I grinned. "Pokemon are not limited to their moves. Moves are the attacks that have official names, like Secret Sword and Thunderbolt. Pokemon can still do other maneuvers. You can tell that a Trainer is having their Pokemon use a move when they say to use a move. That's the difference between using Stomp and stomping an--"

Meloetta punished Hotshot with Psychic, launching him into the tree. "We can't hit pause on the action, Helix! We gotta keep up the pace!"

"I'm not backing down, either!" Meloetta sped towards Hotshot, preparing for another foot strike. "Here comes U-turn!"

Hotshot's Tackle met Meloetta's U-turn, but the latter won the duel between the moves. "This isn't looking good..." Hotshot groaned.

Having finished executing U-turn, Meloetta flipped backwards into the air. "Now it's time for Sobble to take the stage. I know you can--"

"Now's your chance, Ukiki!" The Doctor launched Ukiki with his hind hooves, and the little monkey grabbed onto Meloetta's face. "Use Scratch, and don't hold back!"

"Just doing what a monkey does!" Ukiki said as it obliged, driving Meloetta crazy.

"Just a little bit more!" Hotshot got back on his feet, and he proceeded to run towards Meloetta.

Meloetta finally got Ukiki off of her. "Got you! Now for the--oh!" Meloetta couldn't finish her thought, because Hotshot unleashed a kick right in her face. She was thrown to the ground by the powerful foot. "You got me good, you two... You finished act one, but I was holding back so you had a chance against me. Now it's time for the real star to debut. Sobble, it's time for you to be Ukiki's training partner!"

"What's the plan, Doc?" Ukiki asked. "I think I'm ready for a new move, but I want your ideas on what to do."

The Doctor replied, "I think it's time for you to utilize that stick of yours. It's time to make like the Pone Age ponies and try beating Sobble with it!"

"Okay!" Ukiki removed its stick from behind its tuft of fur and prepared to strike.

Sobble jumped to its left, narrowly avoiding the stick, before preparing to slap Ukiki with its front legs.

"Use your stick again!" This time, instead of just smacking Sobble with the stick. Ukiki thrust the stick forward, poking Sobble in the right cheek.

I said, "I do, but apparently my friend didn't know about type advantages." I turned to the Doctor. "There are many types, but new Trainers should always start by knowing these three types: Water beats fire, fire beats grass, and grass beats water. Ukiki must have used a Grass-type move when it attacked with its stick."

Roborygon brought up a list of Pokemon moves. "Searching move database... Doctor Hooves, it appears that your Grookey used a new Grass-type move specific to Galar: Branch Poke!"

I deadpanned. "...Out of all the Pokemon moves I've heard of, Branch Poke has to be one of the lamest."

"Sobble, use Pound again!" Sobble dodged another Branch Poke and landed a Pound on Ukiki's orange snout. Surprisingly, the Pound was strong enough to knock Ukiki to the edge of the court.

Hop himself winced after seeing that attack. "A critical hit! What sort of beginner's luck is that?!"

I explained, "That's when an attack spontaneously does significantly more damage to the opponent. There can be various causes of a critical hit, such as attacking their weak spot, having obtained a strong enough bond with their Trainer to land a critical hit, or just due to luck. But don't let that lucky shot get you down. Remember that you have the advantage!"

"Right. Ukiki, advance!" Ukiki ran back to the court and continued towards Sobble.

"Jump!" Ukiki suddenly leapt over Sobble, to the latter's surprise. "Use Branch Poke on its tail!" Ukiki poked his stick into Sobble's tail, on the dark tip. "Now, launch Sobble!" Ukiki proceeded to use its stick to hurl Sobble into the tree.

Roborygon made a boxing bell sound. "Ding ding ding! Sobble is unable to battle, so Ukiki wins! This match goes to Doctor Hooves and Helix!"

I shook the Doctor's hoof. "You did well for a beginning Trainer. Congratulations on beating Sobble and Meloetta! How did you know to distract Meloetta, giving Hotshot a chance to turn the tables?"

The Doctor chuckled nervously. "Well, actually, I didn't think about that. I merely wanted to get a feel for engaging in Pokemon battles, and I admit that it was somewhat fun. I'm sure Ukiki enjoyed it too."

Leon told all of us, "Nice job, everyone. You and your Pokemon all fought hard. Made me almost want to let out Charizard and join in on all the fun! Good effort out there! Why don't I get your Pokemon all sorted?"

The participants in the battle stepped forward to have Leon restore their health with Potions and Revives.

Leon turned to me. "And Helix, you've got real promise, I just know it! In fact, I have a suggestion for you: Be a real rival to Doctor Hooves, would you? Push him, so you can make the both of you stronger!"

The Doctor smiled. "That exhilarating experience makes me already want to get stronger with my new friend! I want to become as strong as I can with the help of Ukiki!"

Leon laughed. "So, you want to join the Gym Challenge? You think you're ready for the single greatest competition in the Galar region? Not putting the cart before the Rapidash there, Doctor?"

The Doctor shook his head. "We need to get as strong as we can and build an exceptional team of friends in order to conquer the threat to my home land. If the Gym Challenge is the best way to do that, then I would gladly partake in it!"

"If that's really what you want to do, you have a whole lot you need to learn about Pokemon. Before you even think about getting the Gym Badges, best to think about getting a Pokedex."

"That's right. A Trainer's Pokedex helps them learn lots of things about all the Pokemon out there, including their strengths and weaknesses. But it's more than just a collection of data, you know. It's a record of a Trainer's passion for Pokemon training!"

"That sounds like an incredibly useful device, Leon. I just hope they don't have a so-called touchscreen... Anyway, how can we obtain these Pokedexes?"

I replied, "During my Pokemon adventures, I was given a Pokedex by a Pokemon Professor, who can often be found in his or her Pokemon Research Laboratory. Therefore, we should go to the Pokemon Research Lab!"

Leon said, "That's the kind of know-how that a Trainer needs! I'll let the professor know to expect you. You'd better let Victor's mum know that you're heading out to say bye, though."

Helix and Hooves: Trainers of the Future

by The Kelduo

Chapter 1: A New Generation of Inspiration