Knights of Galar: A Pokemon Shield Nuzlocke Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Pokémon Professor

Route 2 was a good place to start for Ruby to build up a team of Pokémon. Route 2 was a stretch of road that lead from Wedgehurst to the professor's house and as any Pokémon trainer could tell you, it was full of Pokémon that were ripe for beginners to pick and choose from. There were many Pokémon one could find in the grasses on the route from the vulpine-looking Nickit to the tiny bird-like Rookidee. The teenage trainer was buzzing with excitement. When going through this route, any of these Pokémon could be her first catch and she'd be on the road to building up a strong team to participate in the Gym Challenge with. She'd read countless magazines before on the Gym Challenge and knew what to expect from them. There were gyms specializing in grass, water, fire, fighting, ghost, rock, ice, fairy, dark and dragon type Pokémon so it was vital to have Pokémon that were able to match up to any of those gyms. What Pokémon types would she catch in this route and which gyms would they match up to? Ruby knew full well that anything could happen and her adventure was just beginning.

She and Bugs walked down the path after they'd dropped by the Wedgehurst Pokémon Centre to buy some essentials they'd need for their journey. Ruby made sure to buy plenty of potions to heal her Pokémon up as they'd need them. Bugs walked beside her instead of on her shoulder as they entered Route 2. He wanted the exercise to keep up his strength as he would be needed for Pokémon battles again anytime, especially if his master was going to make a catch. He kept all senses alert for any Pokémon lurking in the grasses, waiting to pounce. Ruby breathed in contently, enjoying the fresh afternoon air. The late afternoon sun was warm and it made her feel good. What could be better than setting off on a Pokémon journey in lovely, sunny weather like today?

"I just love a good walk in the sunshine." Ruby said happily, "It brings me back to when I was growing up back home. Mum, dad and the three of us would enjoy a walk through nature on a nice day like this. And thankfully, not all of them had us getting bitten by Skwovets."

"I enjoy da countryside too." Bugs agreed, "It's peaceful and quiet, unless any Pokémon come nosin' around, and ya get ta kick back and enjoy life as the day goes by."

"Do you miss those days or do you enjoy being a Pokémon caught by a trainer?" Ruby asked.

"I'll admit, I do miss when I used ta be a wild Pokémon." Bugs replied, "I could go anywhere I wanted, although I could never get ta dat blasted Pismo Beach I always heard about. I always miss dat left turn at Albuquerque…"

Ruby couldn't help but giggle. It really did feel like she'd literally gotten herself Bugs Bunny in a Pokémon's body.

"At da same time though, bein' a caught Pokémon has its advantages." the little Scorbunny said, "I get ta go ta even more places than before, I get ta meet all sorts of people and Pokémon and I get to make friends with people like you. It also makes up for me not having any real friends or family when I was in the wild too. I like having a companion."

Ruby remembered him lamenting how he never knew what it was like to have a family earlier. She was curious to know why but at the same time, didn't want to upset her first Pokémon by bringing it up. She imagined it was too sensitive a subject for him to talk about so she didn't probe for answers.

"I'm glad I could be your companion." the Galarian girl said kindly, "And I know you and I are going to be the best of friends on this journey!"

"I don't doubt dat fer a second, doc." Bugs replied, "Say, if ya don't mind me asking, what made ya want ta become a Pokémon trainer? It always interests me ta hear why some people choose dis career."

That interested Ruby. She'd never really imagine a Pokémon ever asking that question. Then again, they were sentient creatures too so why wouldn't they ponder something like that.

"Well, you see…" Ruby began.

She was then interrupted as a spasm of pain shot through her bottom and made her scream in pain.

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" she yelled, clutching her behind and hopping up and down frantically, "What the hell was that?! Something's biting my bum!"

Bugs looked behind her to see that indeed, something had bitten Ruby's bottom. It was a small tortoise like Pokémon with a tiny body and legs and a large head with an even larger mouth and a huge buck tooth. A single orange spike protruded from the top of its head. It was clinging on to Ruby's bum pretty hard and didn't seem in any hurry to let go. Bugs frowned, recognizing this particular species of Pokémon.

"N'yah, I should've expected we'd see a Chewtle on dis journey." he muttered, "Dey're pretty common in places like dis and like Skwovets, they love biting things."

"Well don't stand there expositing, get it off me!" Ruby squealed, shaking her butt to try and get the Chewtle to let go.

Bugs leapt into action, heating up the fire in his body enough so he could spit out an Ember attack at the chomping tortoise. He hit it square on, the fire ball hitting the Chewtle in the face and making it cry out in pain. It let go of Ruby's bum and fell on the ground, shaking its head to ease off the Ember attack. Ruby rubbed her sore bottom and glared at the Chewtle.

"You jerk, what was that for?!" she scolded, "I didn't even attack you!"

"I'm so sorry about that! Honest!" the Chewtle whimpered, its voice clearly telling Ruby that it was female, "I could smell something delicious in your backpack and I was trying to get that! I missed and bit your bottom by accident!"

"What do I have that you could…?"

Ruby stopped as she quickly realized what the Chewtle meant. It could likely smell the flapjacks in her backpack that her mum baked for her earlier. She slipped her backpack off her shoulders and took out a piece.

"Is this what you could smell?" Ruby asked.

The Chewtle nodded.

"Well if you wanted a piece, you could've asked nicely instead of biting me." she said sternly.

"I told you, that was an accident!" the Chewtle snapped, "I wasn't trying to bite you! And I didn't ask because I was worried you'd just be mean and tell your pet Scorbunny there to attack me. I hoped I could get the food without you noticing."

"Look here doll-face, I ain't her pet! I'm her buddy!" Bugs retorted, "And you maybe a wild Pokémon but stealing is still stealing so you should be ashamed of yerself for trying to pinch food from an innocent trainer!"

The Chewtle hung her head in shame. Bugs recoiled. He'd expected the water-type Pokémon to just argue back. That always happened when he bickered with people or Pokémon! But no, this one actually seemed to realize that what she did was wrong.

"You're right, it was wrong of me and I'm so sorry for inconveniencing you like that." she said, "I'll just go on my way and leave you two to go about your business."

The Chewtle then turned and started to walk away. But she didn't get far as Ruby walked up to her and got down on her knees, giving her a soft smile to reassure the Pokémon that she wasn't going to hurt it.

"Wait, don't go." Ruby said gently, "I know that it was wrong of you to try and steal from me and it really bloody hurt when you bit me…but maybe we can work on that. If you come with us, we could teach you to be a better Pokémon and have you learn right from wrong. And I can give you all the food you could ever want." she added, winking.

That seemed to pique the Chewtle's interest. Her huge mouth spread into a grin of delight as she took this in.

"You really mean that?" the blue-reptilian Pokémon asked eagerly.

"From the bottom of my heart." Ruby said brightly.

Bugs was gobsmacked.

"WHAT?! Seriously?!" he exclaimed, "Dat ting just bit ya on da butt because it wanted ta steal yer flapjacks and yer just gonna invite it ta join us just like dat?!"

"Bugs, it didn't mean to bite me and think about it, we could do with a water-type Pokémon on our team." Ruby noted, "And besides, if we let this Chewtle join us, we can help it be a better Pokémon that can learn not to steal. It's better than just letting it go on its merry way without learning its lesson, don't you think?"

Bugs wanted to argue some more but he had a feeling that he couldn't change Ruby's mind. He also hated to admit it but she had a good point. If they let the Chewtle go, it might just bite people again and try to steal their food. At least if it came with them, they'd be sparing other trainers the same fate. He sighed.

"OK, if ya want it, catch it." he said, not sounding too happy about it.

"I knew you'd understand." Ruby said impishly, "In that case, welcome to the team Chomps!" she cried enthusiastically.

"Y'what?" the Chewtle asked in confusion.

"It's my nickname for you." Ruby explained, "Much like how I nicknamed my Scorbunny, Bugs. If you don't like it, I can pick a different one."

"Oh no, Chomps is fine, if a bit on the nose." Chomps said reassuringly, "It makes me sound like I'm ready to bite my enemies to pieces. I look forward to travelling with you, um…"

"I'm Ruby." Ruby introduced.

"Nice to meet you." Chomps replied, "And again, so sorry that I bit you. I really was aiming for your backpack…"

"As long as it was accidental, I can forgive that." Ruby said dismissively, "You didn't mean to hurt me, that's the main thing. Though yeah, it really did hurt…" she muttered, rubbing her sore butt, "At least from now on, any opposing Pokémon will be on the business end of your teeth and not me."

"It better be or I'll bite her myself." Bugs said threateningly.

"I bet you couldn't bite through a Sitrus berry with those teeth." Chomps sneered.

"Oh you watch yerself sister, I ain't a bunny ya mess around with!" the Scorbunny shot back.

"OK, that's enough you two. We're meant to be a team so you better start acting like it!" Ruby scolded.

Bugs and Chomps huffed but said nothing more. They looked away from each other, clearly unwilling to cooperate.

"OK, so I now have my first catch of my journey." Ruby said brightly, "Next up, plenty of training so we're ready for the Gym Challenge when that opens up! Get ready you two, we've got a lot of battling to do!"

The next couple of hours were spent training up the two Pokémon that Ruby had in her team. They travelled through Route 2 searching for Pokémon to battle so they could hone their skills and get stronger in preparation of what was to come. Bugs and Chomps fought a variety of Pokémon as they trained, including Skwovets, Rookidees, Nickits and even Yampers. During their training, they had levelled up a few times and Bugs had come to learn a new move with Quick Attack. He'd gotten to test it out in one battle, using it to strike down a Nickit as he battled it.

"Whoo hoo, I like dat! It feels like I'm moving at light speed!" he cried enthusiastically.

"We could put that Quick Attack to great use." Ruby agreed, "I remember seeing some Pokémon trainers use Quick Attack as a finishing move. They'd get their opponent's health down low and then use Quick Attack so they move first and finish the opponent off. I always found that a clever use of moves."

"And now you'll be able to use dat tactic yerself, doc." Bugs said with a wink.

The training didn't go entirely smoothly. During one battle, Ruby had sent Chomps to battle a Skwovet that had appeared and despite Chomps's best efforts, the Skwovet was tanking her hits and still fighting back. It came dangerously close to finishing Chomps off altogether with a powerful bite attack that left the water-type Pokémon's health critically low. Ruby had acted quickly, spraying a potion on Chomps so the Skwovet wouldn't take her down and Chomps had finished the fight with one last Water Gun move. The Skwovet fainted, no energy left to battle and as relieved as Ruby was, she was also mad at Chomps. During that battle, Chomps had been rather stubborn and kept fighting to defeat the Skwovet without giving Ruby chance to strategize how to handle it. She was glad she'd been able to use a potion quickly before Chomps could've been killed.

"Chomps, if you're going to be a part of this team, you can't go being reckless!" Ruby said firmly, "That Skwovet was fighting to kill and you could've died if I hadn't jumped in to heal you! In a battle, you have to use strategy if you're going to win!"

"Sorry Ruby, I was just so sure that I could beat that thing." Chomps said, sulking.

"Well that's what our training's all about, getting stronger so we can beat any Pokémon, wild or trained, that may stand in our way." Ruby insisted, "If you follow my commands and stick to the training, you'll be ready for anything."

Chomps felt a little better after that. She liked the idea of being able to handle anything.

"OK Ruby, I'll try and be less reckless." the little Chewtle said happily.

"Good cause if ya end up on trouble again, I ain't saving ya." Bugs snorted.

Ruby glared at him, making him recoil and rub the back of his head sheepishly. It surprised Bugs that a girl like Ruby could look so welcoming and friendly and suddenly look serious and threatening if she wanted to. Now that was settled, Ruby decided they'd take a quick break from training. She sat down on a rock with Bugs and Chomps in front of her and she opened up her backpack. She unwrapped the pieces of flapjack mum had given her earlier and she gave a piece each to her Pokémon while eating the last piece herself. Bugs and Chomps ate their flapjacks, their faces beaming with delight on the wonderful taste of the sweet confection.

"Mmm, dat's quite good. Yer ma's a great cook!" Bugs complimented.

"That's nicer than any berry I've found in the wilds!" Chomps cried, "Thank you muchly Ruby!"

"I knew you two would like them. Nobody can bake a flapjack like my mum." Ruby said appreciatively.

"I'd love to see what else she can bake." Bugs said, "I bet she could make a great carrot cake."

"Well, all you have to do is ask." Ruby said with a smile, "She's happy to take requests from time to time."

"Dat's nice ta hear." Bugs replied, "Anyway, now we have a moment, do ya mind answering the question I asked ya before Chomps interrupted earlier?" he shot a glare at the Chewtle but she took no notice. She was still happily munching away on the flapjack.

"Ah right, you wanted to know why I chose to be a trainer." Ruby acknowledged, taking a bite out of her flapjack, "Hmm…I don't know when exactly I decided on that. All I know is that Pokémon has been my passion since I was little. I think I was about four or five when I watched my first ever Pokémon battle on TV. I remember it so vividly…watching Gym Leaders Nessa and Milo duke it out at Wyndon Stadium together, their Pokémon Dynamaxing and growing to incredible sizes…it just blew my mind and I wanted to know more about what I'd just seen!" she exclaimed excitedly, "Then mum and dad told me everything about Pokémon and, to my shock, I also learnt that dad had been a trainer himself before I was born!"

Chomps looked up from her flapjack with interest.

"Your dad was a trainer?" she said curiously, "What do you mean "was"? Is he dead or…"

"Oh hell no, nothing like that!" Ruby blustered, "Goodness no, he's alive and well! He's just retired, that's all. He's now a florist who works at a flower shop near the Turffield Gym. He tells me he likes to sell flowers to gym challengers in the hopes they're good luck charms. He'd joke about how anyone who bought from his shop was always guaranteed to win."

"So why did he retire?" Chomps asked.

Ruby sighed.

"In the end…his heart grew out of it." the silver teen said solemnly, "He'd lost many Pokémon in battle and I guess he just couldn't bear the heartache anymore. He even released all the Pokémon he used to own as he felt they were safer in the wilds than with him. I can't tell you how disappointed I was to hear that but now I'm older, I understand why he did it."

"And yet while he retired, yer here right now following on from da path he left behind." Bugs summarized, "It's clear him telling ya dat didn't dampen yer passion in anyway."

Ruby scoffed.

"Ya think?" she laughed, "If anything, it ignited my passion for Pokémon further! I once said to myself "I'm gonna be the trainer my dad was, and more and make him proud to see that his eldest daughter is continuing the sport he once participated in"! I really can't wait to see his face when we arrive in Turffield and he sees you two." she finished, "I'm willing to bet it'll make him nostalgic for his days as a trainer."

"And we'll be the best Pokémon you could ever want!" Chomps declared, "For you, your dad and everyone in the Galar region!"

Ruby just giggled, flattered by Chomps's determination and loyalty to her.

"It's hard to believe that a minute ago, you were biting me on the bum for a piece of my flapjack and now suddenly you want to be the best for me." she remarked.

"I don't see why dat's so funny." Bugs muttered.

"You shush, you've been quite mean enough to poor Chomps." Ruby retorted, "Anyway, snack time's over. We've got more training to do before we reach Professor Magnolia!"

"Geez, you'd think she was our next opponent with da way you're acting." Bugs said, rolling his eyes.

"No, but it never hurts to get an early start before we enter the Gym Challenge." the teen trainer noted, "Come on you two, let's get going!"

It was evening by the time Ruby and her new friends had reached Professor Magnolia's house. Traversing through the rest of Route 2, they had fought some more Pokémon and had even battled at least three trainers on their way. Neither trainer had been a challenge for Ruby and her Pokémon. One had a Skwovet, the second had a Chewtle of her own and the third had a Blipbug and a Nickit. Each one had gone down without posing much of a challenge though Ruby had found herself feeling a little sorry for the three trainers. Here she was, a brand new trainer just starting her journey and she makes these three, which were probably also new trainers themselves, look like weaklings. She hoped she hadn't dampened their spirits too much and that they'd go on to become stronger trainers themselves with stronger Pokémon to battle with. It was still a surprise that a sport as popular as Pokémon battles could create so many friendships. The psychology behind it all was certainly interesting, that was certain.

Ruby crossed over a small bridge and headed towards a little stone fence with a pair of white gates that were already open. There was a lake beside the house that was probably full of Pokémon waiting to be caught. Professor Magnolia's house was a two-storey building with purple roofs and a garage on one side of the house. The purple roofs reminded Ruby of the Research Lab back in Wedgehurst. Magnolia clearly had a thing for purple, didn't she? She also noticed the top floor had about five windows. How many rooms did the professor think she needed exactly? Did she have anyone living with her or was it just her? Ruby also saw that just outside the stone fence was a training area for Pokémon battling, identical to the one that she and Hop battled on at Leon's house. Speaking of the champion, he was chatting to the professor. Magnolia was an elderly woman who wore spectacles and carried a cane with the handle shaped like a bird. As if to emphasize the fact she was a professor, Magnolia wore a white lab coat. Hop wasn't here, which told Ruby she'd got to this place first. She decided she'd wait for him and wandered over to the nearby lake that she'd noticed on her way over.

The teen trainer didn't see any signs that said no fishing was allowed so she naturally assumed it was OK for her to do so. She approached the riverbank and got out a fishing rod from her bag that her mother had packed for her. It was surprisingly easy to pack a fishing rod as it was able to fold in multiple places so anyone who used it could store it away easily in a bag or case or whatever they were carrying items in. Ruby unfolded the fishing rod until it was fully extended and she threw the line in. She stood still and waited for a Pokémon to grab the line. Bugs and Chomps stood by patiently, wandering what she was going to fish up.

"Don't ya think we should look fer somethin' else?" Bugs asked, "We've got our water type already."

"True, but I won't get that far with just two Pokémon." Ruby replied, "And also having multiple Pokémon of the same type could be useful in fending off the gym leaders. For example, imagine how easy it would be to beat Kabu if I had a team of water types."

"Ah, dat's smart thinking dere." Bugs acknowledged, "But don't get too carried away. Trainers can only have six Pokémon on dem at a time, in case ya don't know."

"I do, which is why I plan to rotate my roster." Ruby replied, "Why just have six Pokémon when I can change things around and use multiple different ones over the course of my adventure?"

She then yelped in alarm as the fishing rod suddenly jerked and nearly pulled her over. Ruby pulled back, determined not to lose the Pokémon she'd caught. She furiously wound the line back in and pulled the hooked Pokémon up out of the water. There was a round of disappointed faces as what they saw was the most ridiculed Pokémon ever seen and owned by a trainer. Ruby had fished up a plain, simple old Magikarp. Magikarp were water-type Pokémon with red coloured scales, long, thin whiskers on either side of their mouth and yellow fins on the top and bottom. This Magikarp had white whiskers instead of yellow, which meant this one was female. Magikarp were the laughing stock of Pokémon, chastised for being useless in battle, mocked for their poor swimming abilities and overall having nothing of value to offer…except for one thing. The Magikarp dangled helplessly from Ruby's line.

"Um…hello? Please could you put me down?" she asked politely, "I feel like I'm about to be preyed upon dangling like this…"

"I say we throw it back." Bugs muttered, "We all know that Magikarp are completely worthless."

"Not so fast Bugs." Ruby said sternly as she put the Magikarp down on the riverbank, "I'm sure even you know full well that Magikarp has at least one thing that makes it not so useless after all."

Bugs snapped his fingers as he realized what Ruby meant.

"D'oh, silly Bugs, how could ya forget about what dey evolve into?" the Scorbunny sighed, "Yes, they evolve into Gyarados, a Pokémon that's certainly NOT worthless at all!"

"Exactly, so I won't throw it back." Ruby said, "We could do with a Gyarados on our team and if we have to have a Magikarp to evolve into one, I'm not going to complain."

She remained one time she'd watched the Gym Challenge on TV and seen a battle between a trainer that owned a Gyarados and another trainer that was fighting for the right to challenge Leon. She'd been wowed by the appearance of Gyarados, a big sea serpent with fearsome fangs and a vicious look in its eye. She'd also seen just how powerful these Pokémon were when the trainer had claimed victory with his Gyarados and had just fallen short of claiming the title when Leon defeated him. Just watching Gyarados in action made her desire to own one herself and now she'd fished up a Magikarp, she could evolve it into a Gyarados and make her wish come true! She knelt down by the Magikarp and patted it softly.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you." she said gently, "I'm just a new Pokémon trainer looking for Pokémon. My name's Ruby Silverlock and I'd be happy if you came with me."

"Same here, it'd be great to have another water type!" Chomps cried.

The Magikarp stared incredulously at Ruby.

"You…you'd like to have me?!" she exclaimed, "Wow…I'm speechless. Nobody ever wants me! They always point and laugh at us Magikarps you know. "Oh look, it's a Magikarp, a Pokémon that can only flop around uselessly and do nothing else! Oh look, it's that Pokémon that knows Splash, an attack that does nothing!" I've heard it all and it's quite disheartening to be frank. You're the first trainer that's ever wanted me in my life!"

"Well let's just say I see the value in Magikarp and I'm not like those people who just run off to catch wild Gyarados instead." Ruby replied, "I'd rather earn that evolution than just catch one freshly evolved."

"I've wanted nothing more than to be a Gyarados." the Magikarp said dreamily, "Oh how mighty and powerful they are…if I was a Gyarados, nobody would ever laugh at me again! That's why I've yearned for a trainer who would take me in. If I become a trainer's Pokémon, I can get stronger and stronger and finally, I'll be able to evolve and I won't be a laughing stock anymore!"

"That's right." Ruby agreed, "I'll happily help you achieve your dream. Welcome to the team Ariel!"

The Magikarp beamed with delight.

"Oooooh, I even get a nickname like what some Pokémon give their trainers!" she squealed, "Thank you! Ariel's a lovely name for me!"

"I bet ya she starts singing "Part of yer Woild" now." Bugs snickered.

"So you've managed to fish up a Magikarp young lady." came a voice from behind Ruby, "I think you're the first trainer to come here who hasn't just thrown it back."

Ruby yelped in surprise and turned around to see who had said that. It was Professor Magnolia. She'd seen Ruby fishing and both she and Leon had decided to watch and see what she'd do with the Magikarp she'd caught. They were both surprised to see her willingly invite it to be part of the team. Ruby rubbed the back of her hair sheepishly, feeling guilty on having fished here without asking first.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry! Should I have asked first before fishing here?" Ruby asked worriedly.

"Oh take it easy there child, it's perfectly fine." Magnolia said dismissively, "My lake is open to any and all trainers to catch Pokémon from. I even welcome it as it's a great way to build up a team to get you started on your way. I must say my dear, I've never seen anyone willingly take a Magikarp with them. They always throw it back, but not you…"

Ruby smiled modestly.

"I'm the kind of girl that thinks any Pokémon can be worth something." she said, "And this one desires to become a Gyarados so I'm willing to help it."

"Oooh, such a kind heart from such a young girl…" Magnolia said approvingly, "You'll get far as a trainer with that kind of attitude."

Ruby was astonished. She hadn't expected to receive such high praise from the Pokémon Professor herself upon first meeting her! What a start to her journey this was turning out to be. Magnolia turned to Leon.

"Is this one of the two trainers you said had just received a Pokédex from my granddaughter?" the old professor asked.

"She is." Leon confirmed, "This is one of my neighbours, Ruby Silverlock. She's the eldest daughter of Annie Silverlock. She's also friends with my brother. I'm surprised he isn't here yet…" he added, noticing a distinct lack of Hop nearby.

"That's surprising to me as well. Usually he's the first to arrive anywhere!" Ruby blurted, "I hope he didn't get caught up in a Pokémon battle or got lost anywhere…"

She, Leon and Magnolia didn't have to worry any further for a lean bodied boy in a blue, fur-collared jacket came rocketing down the path towards them, his face frantic as if he was late for dinner. He stopped just by the gate to Magnolia's house and took a moment to catch his breath. He was panting heavily, having run quite a long way before getting here.

"…and here he is, right on cue." Ruby chuckled, "We can always expect Hop to show up anywhere."

"I say little bro, where were you?" Leon asked curiously.

"I was…looking for Pokémon…to…catch…but a lot of…them fled…before I could catch them!" Hop panted, "I…caught one…at least…but then I noticed what…time it was…so I ran here…hoping I wasn't too late!"

"It's OK, me and Magnolia were just chatting as we waited for you and Ruby to arrive." Leon said casually, "We were just talking about if she's unravelled the mysteries of the Dynamax phenomenon yet."

That immediately piqued Ruby's interest. So the professor was interested in Dynamaxing too. The whole Galar region was home to this fascinating phenomenon and yet nobody quite knew what it was about.

"Have you done so?" she asked eagerly.

"Oh goodness no, the whole thing is still full of questions." Magnolia replied, sounding annoyed to admit that she hadn't, "I'd hoped my granddaughter would take over research but…"

She cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject.

"Never mind that. You two probably know who I am already." Magnolia said, "Welcome, young trainers! Now come, let's head indoors."

Everyone headed inside to Magnolia's house, except for Chomps and Ariel. Ruby returned them to their Pokéball so they wouldn't take up so much space inside. They all stood together in the professor's kitchen, which had a round table and three chairs in the middle of the room and neatly tiled floors. Bugs was quick to notice baskets of vegetables sitting in one corner of the kitchen, one of them especially containing carrots but Ruby shook her head at him, silently telling him not to try and pinch any. Ruby could tell just from walking into this kitchen that Magnolia was a woman who liked to keep her living space tidy. There wasn't so much as a speck of dirt on the floor and the counters had no food stains, dust or anything around. If there was any doubt anyone lived here, the cleanliness of this kitchen would dispute those doubts. Magnolia spoke to Hop first.

"Why, Hop dear." she said, "I wondered when your time would come to set off on your own journey just like your brother did. It'll be interesting to see how you fare in comparison to him."

That made Hop feel a little uneasy. He had expected that people would start comparing him to Leon due to the two being brothers. He hoped he wouldn't look pathetic in comparison to his champion sibling. Magnolia turned to Ruby.

"And you, Ruby," she said, "I'm still quite impressed with your compassionate attitude towards that Magikarp you fished up. I imagine your desire to befriend any Pokémon you capture will get you far."

Ruby hugged herself shyly. She was still overwhelmed by getting to meet a famous Pokémon professor and receive such high praise from her upon first meeting.

"Leon tells me you two received a Pokédex each from Sonia." Magnolia continued, "I'm sure you'll have it completed in no time!"

"I guess…" Ruby said unsurely, "I mean, there's a lot of different species to catch so I can't imagine filling the Pokédex up will be easy…"

"I know it isn't dear, but a truly dedicated trainer will fill in as many spots as possible on their Pokédex." the professor said reassuringly.

"While we were waiting for you and Hop, me and Magnolia were talking about Dynamaxing." Leon cut in, "I assume you already know about it, right Ruby?"

"Duh, who doesn't?" Ruby retorted, "I've watched so many matches on TV that I couldn't possibly NOT know what Dynamaxing is!"

"Yes, quite." Leon said briefly, "The professor here has been researching the phenomenon for years and years. As she'll tell you, it takes proper understanding of the thing to use Dynamaxing to the fullest!"

"Like whenever you Dynamax your Charizard for example!" Hop cried enthusiastically.

Both he and Ruby had always enjoyed watching it Dynamax whenever Leon's matches had been on TV. Just the sight of the awesome, orange dragon-like Pokémon grow to immense size and display its raw power was enough to make them want to see their own Pokémon Dynamaxing. Magnolia shook her head, smirking teasingly at Leon.

"Oh there you are again Leon, always talking about Pokémon." she chuckled, "There are other things worth wondering too, you know. Like how many different types of tea there are."

"You'd have to be a sad person to ponder about that, no offence professor." Ruby said.

"Hey professor, can you do me a favour?" Hop cut in, "Help me convince Lee to endorse us for the Gym Challenge!"

Ruby recoiled. Hop was asking for an official endorsement for himself and her from the champion?! He was certainly selling the two of them big for this year's Gym Challenge! Magnolia seemed to be on Hop's side for this for she turned to Leon and asked:

"Oh Leon, why wouldn't you endorse them? They're both clearly showing much potential to be great trainers."

Leon looked thoughtful as he considered this.

"That's the thing professor, the two have only just started out as trainers," he answered, "There's still loads they don't know yet!"

"Dearie, I thought your dream was to have everyone in the Galar region become strong trainers. Isn't that right?" the spectacled woman noted.

"Well, yeah…you're not wrong." Leon admitted. He knew too well how often he'd talked about his dream and promoted it onto others, not just to be inspirational but because he genuinely believed in it.

"That goal's precisely the reason I gave them both Pokémon, in fact." he added.

He quickly made his decision and turned towards the two teens. They could feel their stomachs tingling with anticipation on what he was going to say.

"Right then, in that case…how about this?" he suggested, "Let's see if the two of you can show me such a brilliant battle that I'm left with no choice but to endorse you. What do you say?"

"I say we do it!" Hop cried eagerly, "I'm keen to show you and Ruby my new Pokémon I caught and how great they are!"

"You sure you're ready to get your bum kicked again so soon after I beat you earlier today?" Ruby teased, "I'd hate to make you look bad in front of your brother, the famous champion of Galar."

"This'll be different as my Pokémon have gotten stronger since then!" Hop said dismissively, "And if you win again, it'll just motivate me more to become even stronger so you'll be helping me there!"

He ran outside to get ready for his next match with his neighbour. Shrugging, Ruby decided not to keep him waiting and ran out after him. Leon and Magnolia followed the children over to the training area so they could see for themselves how this fight would go. Ruby and Hop took their positions on either side of the blue square, waiting for the signal to go. Hop was keen to start, barely able to keep himself still.

"Come at me with everything you have so we can prove to Lee that we've got what it takes!" he challenged.

"Would I do anything less?" Ruby scoffed, "Leon did tell me to be a real rival to you, which means I should do just that."

Leon smiled, glad to see that Ruby was taking his advice to heart.

"Listen up you two," he said, "The reason why I'm unbeatable is because I learn from every battle I see or take part in. That's how I've gotten to where I am today, so show me something good in this battle!"

"I'll try to!" Ruby laughed.

Hop drew out his first Pokéball and prepared to throw it.

"It's time for my legend to begin!" he declared.

Ruby giggled. She'd always liked the sheer enthusiasm and desire to prove himself to be amazing that her friend displayed. There was something quite endearing about a person who had so much confidence in what he could do and was just ready to give it their all.

"I've always gotta start with my first." Hop said with pride as he looked down at the Pokéball he had in his hand, "Wooloo, let's go!"

He threw the Pokéball and out came the sheep-like Wooloo once more. It bleated with delight, glad to be out to have another battle again. It quickly noticed that Ruby was its trainer's opponent and braced itself. It remembered losing to Ruby and Bugs earlier so it was anticipating what Ruby might bring to the table. The silver-haired teen drew out a Pokéball from her jacket pocket.

"You do love your Wooloo, don't you?" she said, "Now you and Wooloo can meet one of my new friends! Go Chomps!"

She threw the Pokéball and out came her first Pokémon she'd caught on her journey, Chomps the Chewtle. The little tortoise-like Pokémon stretched and yawned.

"Ooooeeee, that was a nice nap! Is it dinner time yet?" Chomps asked.

She then took notice of Hop and his Wooloo and quickly realized what was happening.

"Oh, it's another Pokémon battle. Ah well, I can show this trainer what I'm made of!" Chomps cried enthusiastically.

"You got a Chewtle? That's a good catch!" Hop complimented, "I hear they're strong water types that pack a mean bite!"

"You don't have to tell me that…" Ruby muttered, putting a hand over her bottom and wincing as their first meeting played in her head again.

"Whenever you're ready kids, let the battle begin!" Leon cried, swiping his hand down to signify the beginning of the match.

"Let's show Leon and the professor what we've learnt Chomps!" Ruby cried eagerly, "Use Water Gun!"

Chomps obeyed and opened her mouth wide. She fired a jet of water that built up in the back of her throat out and sprayed the Wooloo all over. The Wooloo stood its ground and tried its best to tank the hit. It did some damage but the Wooloo was far from down. The Water Gun had soaked its wool but otherwise, the Normal type Pokémon was unhurt. It shook itself dry and pawed the ground with its hooves.

"Wooloo can take a little shower." Hop gloated, "Use your Tackle attack!"

Wooloo sprung into action, moving at a surprising speed for a Pokémon that had such little legs. It then threw itself forwards into a roll to pick up more speed, hurling towards Chomps like a runaway boulder. Wooloo slammed hard into Chomps and sent her flying backwards but the reptilian water Pokémon took the hit. She landed on her stomach and got up again just as quickly, shaking her head and smirking as if the Wooloo had lightly slapped her rather than tackled her.

"It's cliché, I know but: is that all ya got?" she gloated.

"Chewtles can take a hit." Ruby explained, "I found out as such as we were training. It'll take more than a tackle attack to do any meaningful damage to Chomps."

"Then we'll just have to hit harder!" Hop declared, "Tackle her again Wooloo!"

"Use Water Gun Chomps!" Ruby ordered quickly.

Both Pokémon launched their attacks simultaneously. Chomps squirted water at Wooloo but the Wooloo took the shot and launched itself towards its opponent in another tackle attack. It rolled towards Chomps, pushing through the Water Gun like rock diverting a stream and it slammed into the water Pokémon a second time. Chomps cried out and fell over onto her back. How could a big ball of wool like that hit so hard?! The Wooloo shook itself dry and bleated with pride, glad it landed such a powerful hit. But despite that, Chomps stood up again and smirked, clearly still full of energy left to battle. Two tackles had barely even fazed her. Even Wooloo looked surprised at that. Hop wasn't willing to give up so easily. He was sure that Wooloo could finish the fight. He commanded it to tackle one last time but Ruby was ready for him.

"Launch yourself into the air with Water Gun and then use Bite!" she commanded.

Chomps grinned. During their training, she'd practiced doing a manoeuvre like that and had managed to get it down well. She aimed down at the ground and fired a Water Gun that launched the tiny tortoise into the air. The Wooloo stopped dead in its tracks and looked up in astonishment. It hadn't expected the water Pokémon to do something like that. Then Chomps plummeted down towards the Normal Pokémon and landed on its back. She opened her mouth and bit down hard, her singular buck tooth enough to make the bite extremely painful. Wooloo yelled in agony and flailed about madly, trying to shake Chomps off of himself. Chomps refused to let go, holding on tightly with her mouth. Ruby felt a little sorry for the Wooloo given her own experience on being bitten by Chomps but she knew that that was the point of Pokémon battles. They knew what they were in for and they accepted what was coming. The singular bite attack was enough for Wooloo's last remaining energy to deplete and it collapsed onto its side, worn out and unable to fight any longer. Chomps let go of it and waddled back over to Ruby, feeling very pleased with herself. Hop grunted, disappointed that his Wooloo had lost the battle but he remained undeterred. He returned Wooloo and brought out his next Pokémon.

"At least now I'll have the type advantage!" he crowed, "Grookey, it's your turn!"

He threw the ball and out came the familiar monkey-like grass type Pokémon that was Grookey, Hop's chosen Pokémon from earlier. Grookey jumped up and down gleefully, glad that he could have another shot at facing Ruby and prove his worth.

"Grookey get to fight Ruby again! Grookey win this time!" he cried excitedly.

"Not on your life little fellow." Ruby crowed as she returned Chomps, "Bugs, it's you now!"

Bugs hopped onto the battlefield, chucking to himself as he took his position and eyed up his opponent. He wasn't at all worried that he was against Grookey again as he knew that he could win. Fire beats Grass after all.

"Hey doc, hope ya don't mind getting' burnt again." Bugs warned.

"Grookey won't get burnt again!" Grookey declared.

The rabbit and monkey stared each other down and waited for their trainer's commands. Ruby gave the first order.

"Bugs, use Ember!"

The fiery Scorbunny did just that, firing a ball of flames at Grookey. Grookey yelped and tried to run away but Bugs's attack came in too fast for him to dodge. He was hit by the Ember and he cried out as he was burnt by the fire. He rolled around on the ground to put the fire out and ease the pain he was feeling from it. He got up and shook himself, still eager to fight on. Ruby was surprised at this. She'd expected Bugs to take it down in one hit but Grookey was still standing. It was always wise to aim for super-effective moves but even they weren't always guaranteed to finish the fight quickly. Hop grinned, glad that Grookey was still fighting fit despite the attack.

"Let's show that Scorbunny you won't go down so easy!" he cried, "Use Scratch!"

Grookey acted instantly, rushing towards Bugs on all fours and then pouncing on his opponent. He knocked the fire rabbit down onto his back and scratched him across the face. Naturally, he didn't do it hard enough to draw blood or leave any scars as Pokémon battles were meant to be fun and nothing too extreme. If this had been a fight for survival, it'd be a different story. Bugs winced but he was far from going down in this fight. Scratch was a relatively weak attack so it didn't do much to him. Also Ruby had noticed that Grookey had made a huge mistake that she could exploit. The grass monkey was on top of Bugs after pouncing on him and scratching him. He was up close and very vulnerable to another Ember attack. He'd never be able to dodge in time.

"Bugs, he's given you the perfect opportunity to finish this! Use Ember while he's still on top of you!" she commanded.

"I like yer quick thinking Ruby!" Bugs cried gleefully.

He summoned another ball of flames to his mouth and coughed it up straight into Grookey's face. The monkey-like Pokémon cried out as he was hit by the flames and he staggered backwards as the attack quite literally ate away what was left of his strength. Grookey panted and strained as he tried to remain standing but it was useless. He was unable to fight any longer, collapsing onto his back.

"In hindsight, Grookey think that was an ill-conceived move…" he muttered more to himself than anybody.

"Ugh, you and me both mate!" Hop agreed, feeling stupid that he'd allowed Grookey to get so up close and personal to Bugs so he could launch that attack.

"So doc, what was dat about not getting burnt again?" Bugs taunted.

"Come on Bugs, be nice, Grookey tried his best." Ruby said sympathetically, "It's not his fault you have type-advantage over him."

She then heard a beep on her Rotom phone and she took it out to see what it was about. As she did this, Bugs also glowed a brief flash of blue again. On her phone was a display of her Pokémon and a declaration that they'd levelled up. It also stated that Bugs had learnt a new move, the fighting attack known as Double Kick. Its name was self-explanatory and was one of the earliest fighting attacks certain Pokémon could learn. Ruby beamed.

"Wow, you learnt another new attack!" she cried excitedly, "Double Kick will be a great new move for you to use!"

"Yeah, I bet I could kick my opponents into da atmosphere now I know dat move!" Bugs said eagerly.

Meanwhile, Hop returned Grookey so he could rest from his battle. He felt annoyed to once again be down to one Pokémon while Ruby hadn't lost a single one but as he knew from Leon, a battle could so easily turn in one's favour. He took out his last Pokéball.

"OK, time for my newest Pokémon to show what he's made of!" Hop cried optimistically, "It's your time to shine Rookidee!"

He threw his Pokéball and out came his first and only new catch while he'd been on Route 2, the tiny but tough Rookidee. It was a small bird-like Pokémon with blue and black feathers, a yellow underbelly and red eyes. To Ruby, it looked almost like a ball with legs and wings but she knew from encountering them in the Slumbering Weald and on Route 2 that they could be mean Pokémon to deal with and packed a powerful peck. Hop's Rookidee stood up as straight as he could and puffed his chest out, eager to battle.

"A knight will die for his king! I shall battle to the bitter end my lord!" he said, saluting to Hop.

"Seriously Rooky, you don't have to keep calling me that. I'm just "Hop" and I'm nobody's king." Hop laughed.

Ruby giggled, already amused by his Rookidee's devotion to him. But she knew this kind of opponent wouldn't be funny in battle. It wouldn't be a straight forward fight as she had no Pokémon with a type advantage over Rookidee. It was a flying type and they were only weak against electric, ice and rock types. She had no Pokémon of those types or with any attacks of those types so she'd have to rely on endurance for this battle. Bugs looked disappointed.

"And I was hoping I could test out my new move." he sighed, "Double Kick won't work well on a flying type Pokémon."

"I know." Ruby said, "I'll bring Chomps out again. Her Water Guns might be powerful enough to win."

Bugs stepped off the battlefield, a little annoyed he couldn't keep on fighting but he trusted his trainer's judgement. Chomps had become pretty strong during their training so she could well be the one to handle Hop's Rookidee. Ruby threw her Pokéball and out came Chomps the Chewtle for the second time in the battle. She looked around in surprise and chuckled; amused she was needed again so soon.

"Oh ho, another battle already? I suddenly feel very popular today!" she said happily.

"We've got a flying opponent on our hands so you gotta be on your a-game Chomps." Ruby explained, "Hit it with Water Gun!"

"Fly out of the way!" Hop ordered.

Chomps fired a jet of a water at Rookidee but the little bird Pokémon took flight and flew out of the way. Rookidee smiled, confident that his flying skills could win him the match. He waved through the air as Chomps kept firing Water Guns at him, trying to hit but missing every time.

"Ha, you call yourself a worthy opponent? You are but a squire, turtle girl!" Rookidee taunted, "My Lord Hop was able to hit me on his first try!"

"Oy, cut me some slack! I'm not a speedy Pokémon like you fliers are!" Chomps muttered, "It's not my fault I'm slow!"

"Then I suggest you forfeit now, water girl for you shall never hit a fine knight such as my…"

Rookidee was abruptly cut off as he was suddenly hit by another Water Gun. He'd been too busy boasting to realize Chomps had stopped shooting and had waited for him to crow some more so she could hit him. Rookidee spun through the air and nearly fell to the ground but he regained his balanced and furiously flapped his wings to keep himself airborne. He shook himself off, annoyed he'd let his arrogance get the best of him and leave him open to attack.

"Forgive me my lord, I got too cocky and was hit!" Rookidee apologized.

"Never mind that, you can still turn this fight around!" Hop declared, "Use Peck on that Chewtle!"

The flying Pokémon obeyed and charged towards Chomps. He moved so fast that she barely had time to register he was heading towards her and she cried out as Rookidee hit her square in the face with his sharp beak. His speed combined with his attack made for a powerful hit and Chomps staggered back. The damage she'd taken from Wooloo earlier combined with that hit left her with little health left. While she could take a few more hits before going down, it was still enough for Ruby to prepare herself for her next attack. Her stomach tingled as she could see that Hop was going to give it everything he had. Down to his last Pokémon, he was determined to make it count. She was about to command Chomps to use Water Gun again but decided against it. Rookidee could easily dodge and then come in for another Peck attack. She instead waited for Hop to give his next command.

"Peck her again Rookidee, we might be able to win this!" Hop ordered.

The blue, black and yellow bird swooped towards his opponent, his beak aimed right for Chomps's forehead.

"And now mighty Excalibur aims for a victory strike!" Rookidee said confidently.

But he'd done exactly what Ruby had expected him to do. Now he was flying towards Chomps, her Water Pokémon couldn't miss.

"He's wide open Chomps! Hit him with Water Gun!" she yelled.

Hop gasped, realizing that he'd played into his friend's hands and now his last Pokémon was helpless to avoid Chomps's Water Gun. He was in mid-attack so he couldn't dodge in time. The Water Gun hit Rookidee and a combination of the power of Chomps's attack plus the surprise of being hit stopped his Peck attack and caused Rookidee to fly backwards from the attack. He crashed down at Hop's feet, soaking wet and ashamed of himself for his defeat. He looked up weakly at Hop.

"Forgive me my king…I have failed you as a knight!" he rasped.

He then lay still, no more energy left in him to fight. Chomps bounced up and down with glee over her victory. Ruby couldn't help but feel pleased with herself, especially with her good timing on executing Chomps's winning move. Hop returned Rookidee sadly and put a hand to his head. He visibly looked disappointed but he tried not to sound like a sore loser.

"Oof…gutted I lost, but I'd expect nothing less from my rival!" he sighed.

"I wouldn't sell myself short there Hop." Ruby said as she returned Chomps, "You gave a good battle! Your Pokémon especially managed to land some good blows."

"Yeah, but I made some dumb mistakes out there like Grookey getting too up close to Bugs or Rookidee charging straight towards Chomps!" the purple haired boy complained, "I was so sure that I could replicate my brother's fighting style but I'm being too bone-headed! I must look like a joke to you Lee." he said sadly, looking over to his brother.

Leon and Magnolia had enjoyed watching the battle and had been well-impressed with the two children's skills in the fight. Magnolia in particular was impressed they'd caught on so quickly. Leon shook his head and gave a sympathetic look to Hop.

"A joke? No little bro, not at all." he said gently, "Nobody should view themselves as such just because they made a few mistakes. Every trainer does. No trainer is perfect after all."

That made Hop feel a little better. As the champion, Leon always knew the right things to say to a budding trainer if they felt down. His wisdom was always going to be valuable.

"The sting of defeat and the joy of victory…I guess going through both is the key to the two of us getting stronger, right?" he asked.

"Speaking from experience, that's what I went through in my claim to fame as Galar's Champion." Leon answered, "My old mentor on the Isle of Armour always said that failure can lead to success. Just think of your defeat as a chance to succeed in future Pokémon battles, Hop. Mark my words, you still have plenty of chances to be my successor."

Hop felt more confident in himself with those words to take in. He then looked to both his brother and Ruby as they waited to hear if he would indeed endorse them in the Gym Challenge. Leon smiled brightly, having enjoyed what he'd seen.

"Well Hop and Ruby, having seen a match like that one…I suppose I've little choice but to give you both an endorsement as champion!" he said brightly.

He reached into his cape pocket and pulled out a couple of letters. Both letters had his signature on them and a wall of text telling how he had endorsed whoever he would hand the letters to. He gave one each to Ruby and Hop. Ruby stared at the letter she held in her hand as if she'd just been given the Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. It was so unbelievable that she could scarcely breathe for a minute. She was officially endorsed by the champion himself and would get to participate in the Gym Challenge! She would be taking part in Galar's gym circuit for the right to win a place to participate in Galar's greatest competition, the Champion Cup, for the right to challenge Leon for the title! How cruel would it feel if this all turned out to be a dream in the end?

"Oh my gosh…I never thought this day would come but…" Ruby trailed off, completely lost for words. Unable to say anything else, she nervously coughed and put her letter in the inside pocket of her jacket. She turned back to Leon and simply said: "Thank you so much!"

"Yes! Thanks Lee!" Hop cried, his voice not lost by the sheer amazement of it all, "I swear I'm going to win my way through the Gym Challenge to reach you!"

Leon smiled optimistically.

"You may both be young still, and plenty rough around the edges, but it was a proper battle." he said, "Charizard and I were both feeling the excitement in every last cell in our bodies! I can't wait to see more thrilling battles out of you both."

Hop turned to Ruby. It stunned her to think he'd been disappointed one minute and now he was acting like his defeat hadn't happened and he was back to being eager and excited again. Some people only WISH they had that kind of optimism in them!

"Yeah Ruby! You and me are going to train up against one another to aim for that Champion's title!" Hop exclaimed.

"And I bet the two of us will bring out great things in ourselves as we do so!" Ruby cried, punching the air eagerly, "Oh yeah, this Pokémon journey's gonna be so much more awesome than I dared imagine!"

The two were then cut off as something flashed through the sky above. Hop and Ruby both spotted it and they gasped in alarm.

"Huh? What's that?!" Hop cried.

Up in the twilight sky was a white light drawing a line of red behind it. The kids, Leon and Magnolia watched as this strange light hurled by at unimaginable speeds. Magnolia adjusted her glasses and watched, knowing exactly what she was witnessing. Ruby and Hop had never seen anything like it before so they were entranced. It was like watching a shooting star, but this was far closer than any shooting star they'd seen and it was heading down towards the ground. Everyone watched as the light landed, harmlessly crashing by a bench that Magnolia used to sit by the lake whenever she wanted to. The light had in fact been a couple of red glowing stones travelling together and they'd now come to Earth. Where they'd come from, nobody knew but upon closer inspection, they knew exactly what they were.

"Ruby! Would you look at that? They're Wishing Stars!" Hop cried excitedly.

"That they are my dear." Magnolia confirmed, "The vital component that every trainer needs to Dynamax their Pokémon. That's how they do it, the energy from those stars gives them that power."

Ruby had heard much about Wishing Stars before. It was ludicrous to think that somehow, against all odds, two just happen to land where she and Hop had been battling so now she and him could Dynamax their Pokémon! It was like a gift from Arceus himself! Maybe it was a sign, something like destiny that brought this about. Ruby shook her head. No, that was asinine! It was clearly a coincidence and nothing more. She and Hop bent down to pick up the Wishing Stars. But then something strange happened. Hop picked his up but as Ruby did the same, her silver hair suddenly began to glow. It was a bright, heavenly aura that looked odd emitting from just a person's hair but it otherwise looked an incredible and strange sight at the same time. Bugs stared at Ruby in wonder.

"Hey doc, forgive me if I sound stupid at all, but do you humans usually have hair dat glows?" he asked.

"What do you mean Bugs?" Ruby asked.

She grabbed a strand of her hair and noticed the strange glow emitting from it. She gasped in awe. Her hair had never done anything like that before! Her eyes were wide in a mixture of fright and amazement as she took this in. Leon and Magnolia were equally as astonished.

"How extraordinary…" Magnolia murmured.

"W-what's going on?" Ruby stammered, "That's never happened before! Is something happening to me?!"

"Don't panic Ruby, I'm sure there's a reason for that." Leon said softly, trying to ease the teen girl's nerves.

"I imagine it might be the Wishing Star…" Magnolia guessed.

She strode over to Ruby and took the Wishing Star from her. As soon as it was out of her hands and away from her, Ruby's hair stopped glowing. It was like nothing had happened. Magnolia held the Wishing Star close to Ruby. Her hair glowed again. She took it away and her hair stopped glowing again. That made her more interested in the Wishing Stars than ever before. She'd studied Dynamaxing for years but nothing had ever dug up results like this. Could this be something new to discover about Dynamaxing?

"How strange…when you hold the Wishing Star, it makes your hair glow." Magnolia murmured, "I've never known these things to have an effect on humans like this."

"Is it anything to worry about?" Ruby asked concernedly.

"Did you feel anything when your hair started to glow like that?" Hop asked, sharing Ruby's concern.

"Well…no. I didn't feel any different." Ruby said thoughtfully, "It's just my hair glowed and that's it. It clearly doesn't have any horrible side effects."

"Then I imagine it isn't anything to worry about." Leon said reassuringly, "If your scalp was burning, then we'd have the right to worry. I wonder if this an indication on you as a trainer Ruby? Like maybe you have a closer connection to the Dynamax phenomenon than anybody in the Galar region."

"But why me though? What makes me so special?" Ruby wondered, "I'm just another girl starting her Pokémon journey! I'm no different to any other trainer!"

"But you're the only one born with silver hair." Leon noted, "I always did doubt your mother saying you were born that way…with this in mind, I imagine it might've had something to do with a Wishing Star."

"We'll have to look into this at some point." the professor declared, "In the meantime, I can use those Wishing Stars we found to create a Dynamax band for each of you. When you go through the Gym Circuity, you'll be able to Dynamax your Pokémon just like the Gym Leaders do and have gigantic Pokémon to fight your battles."

"I know! Yes, this is gonna be awesome! I'll be able to Dynamax my Pokémon!" Hop cried excitedly, "What a start to my legend this is! That Pokémon in the woods, an endorsement from Lee himself and now Wishing Stars! Isn't this amazing Ruby?"

"Yeah, sure…" Ruby said uncertainly.

She fingered a lock of her hair, still confused as to why it glowed when she held the Wishing Star. Was there something her mum wasn't telling her? Did she know about this? She hadn't been able to adequately explain why she'd been born with an unusual hair colour like this and had just said she'd been born that way despite no one in her family having silver hair. And what teenager had silver hair anyway aside from those who dyed their hair? It was clear that what caused her hair to be this way was down to the Wishing Star. Did she unknowingly have Dynamax energy inside of her? Or did it just mean she had a strong connection to Dynamax energy? Whatever the reason, it showed that she wasn't as ordinary as she once believed…

__________________________________________________________________________________

Pokemon obtained: Chomps the Chewtle. Gender: Female. Nature: Hardy. Ability: Shell Armour (it's protected against critical hits)

Ariel the Magikarp. Gender: Female. Nature: Gentle. Ability: Swift Swim (its speed increases when it's raining)