Part 9: The Guiding Light of the Wishing Stars

Update 9: The Guiding Light of the Wishing Stars

Budew Drop Inn - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST



So this is it… Now my legend really begins! Watch out, Gloria! I’ll beat you to Motostoke Stadium!



Hi Marnie! Bye Marnie! Fight you later!

_{Wait… How’d you… I… Dammit!}



Macro Cosmos Bloke* :… To the Gym Stadium.

We can refuse him, but we’ve got places to be.

Macro Cosmos Bloke : All right, follow close and be careful not to lose sight of me!

_{For God’s sake, it’s literally the next building over.}

Macro Cosmos Bloke : We’ve made it to the stadium entrance! Please hurry to the opening ceremony!

Gym Lobby - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST



Counter Guy: The opening ceremony marks the beginning of the Gym Challenge… So you know what that means – I’ll need you to get changed as well!

…



Counter Guy: Wonderful! You look sharp as a pin. And that 815 there… That really is the number for you! Now we’re ready at last for the opening ceremony for this year’s gym challenge!

_{Kissing up to me won’t earn you any points with Leon, you know…}

* _{“Macro Cosmos” is the name of Rose’s company.}

The Gym Challenge - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST







I am Rose, Chairman of the Pokémon League! I know that everyone gathered here… And everyone watching at home have all been waiting for this big moment! It is my pleasure to announce that finally – the Galar region Gym Challenge will now begin!



Participants must defeat the eight Gym Leaders… And gather the eight Gym Badges to prove their skills as a Trainer! Only the most worthy will have the honor of challenging the greatest Champion in history! Now, I would like to invite the Gym Leaders to show themselves!



















Unfortunately, we are missing one, but… These are the Gym Leaders that we in the Galar region are proud to call our own!









…



There’s really no words for it but… I can barely contain myself! My heart’s racing!

That was… breathtaking…

Ha! I know, right?!



Chairman Rose's Theme - Pokémon Sword and Shield



So you’re the two Trainers our Champion endorsed himself! Welcome, and it’s a delight to me too! I’m Rose, of course. Oh, and what’s this? I see you both already possess Dynamax Bands! How wonderful! It seems you to have been led here by the guiding light of the Wishing Stars. By the way, it was my wonderful company that invented those Dynamax Bands, you know! I daresay this year’s Gym Challenge is looking to be an absolute blast! Very good – very good indeed! That means a whole Galar region is in for some excitement! The Gym Challenge is an excellent opportunity to show off your Dynamax Pokémon! Now, I’m terribly sorry, but there is some urgent business I need to attend to, so I must be on my way. The best of luck to both of you!

He leaves.

The chairman certainly seems to be in high spirits! Now, listen closely, you too. You both only just started on your path as Trainers. If you want to win, you need to do more than just train your Pokémon. You need to train yourselves, too.

Let’s do it, Gloria! You know the Gym Challenge as a set order that you’ve gotta visit the Gyms in, right?

Yeah. Turffield out West is the first, right?

And to get there, we need to head to Route 3!

Motostoke - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST

And we’re free again! But you know what we are actually free to do, right? Get a bit of tutorial just out the door of course You don’t get a screenshot because it doesn’t deserve it.

If I remember right, Gen 1 had one of the first functional fast travel systems in gaming history, but unlike most such systems it had a direct in-game component. About halfway through it (and its sequels), you acquire an HM called Fly, usually around the time you hit the Gym Leader whose Badge would let you use it. Did I mention the ability to use each HM on the world map was gated behind a specific Gym Leader? The ability to use each HM on the world map was gated behind a specific Gym Leader. Once you have it and talk to a Pokémon, you could have that Pokémon fly you to the Pokémon Center in any city you’d already visited, plus (IIRC) other Pokémon Centers in the wilderness, like, say, just before the Elite Four. This time, since there aren’t any HMs we instead get access to a Flying Taxi which fills the same function. The exact same function. Except this time we have to listen to an MC employee gush for several lines about her CEO first .

Problem is? All those rail stations? Not only are they functional, they almost always lead to the same places you can catch a lift to. For some reason, the developers decided to pack two separate fast travel systems into the same game. Why?

Okay, now that that part of the tutorial’s over, you know what we are ACTUALLY free to do, right?



SHOPPING!

We are already familiar with boutiques, but that shop on the right is a hairdresser. You can probably guess what they do. I actually only rarely ever got my hair did my first time through the game; most of them look pretty awful when paired with a tam o’ shanter and like hell am I getting rid of it. Speaking of which…



Not too proud of this, but I don’t actually have much money. Not enough trainers in the Wild Area. I’ll buy more once I have some cash under my belt.

Oh! Something fun to note:



It’s nice to see them continuing yet another old Pokémon tradition. Back in Gen 1, you had buy one of these and give them to a security guard to let you past and continue the plot, since the guy was so thirsty he was willing to put his job on the line with an act of blatant corruption to get a bottled water. Saffron City’s finest.



Hello, hello, Gloria! Ready to head out and face the Challenge?

Pretty much. Still a bit foggy from last night, though.

How late were you even up?

Past three, I think. Don’t know for sure.

Bloody hell, Gloria, you never talk to strangers for that long. You never talk to ANYONE for that long.

Yeah, she was – wait, is that problem? Sorry if I…

No, no, there’s no way I could ever hold out for that long. But honestly, what did you even talk about?

Everything! She’s so interesting! She knows all kinds of things about music and weaving and the Munethic – did you know East Cameran is actually called Munethic? – the Munethic language and economics and… And I just realized I didn’t get her number. Oh my God.

Shot in the dark: maybe she’s still at the hotel? You could go check… And there she goes.



She isn’t here .

Other Concierge: Would you happen to be Gloria, by any chance?

That’d be me .

Other Concierge: Another young lady left something for you at the desk.

Really?! Let me see!

Other Concierge: I believe this is yours, then.

It’s her League Card… and…



Hop!

What?

You’re a good friend.

I take it she was there?

No, but she left me her number. I never would’ve even thought to check! Thanks, Hop.

You’re my best friend, Gloria. But I think you owe me something now.

I owe you what?

A battle



Battle! Hop Final - Remix Cover (Pokémon Sword and Shield)



Keep up, mate! This is our chance to see if we are up to the Gym challenge!

Well, I mean, I am, but… He hasn’t even evolved his Grookey yet. It’s the same fight as last time but against slightly stronger Pokémon. Hell, the wild Pokémon just outside the city have higher levels than most of his. My biggest issue in this fight was realizing I didn’t have any type advantages over his Rookidee, something probably not worth fixing. Sorry, mate.

Was that really good training? Looks like it is better keep my guard up! Well, I shouldn’t be too surprised. Just what I’d expect from arrival! You know what? I’ll even give you one of my League Cards! That’s how good I think you did in that battle.

You know, I don’t think I’ve printed any of mine out yet.

You should probably get on that. I’m going to want one for me when I beat you! Our Gym Challenge starts right now – from here in Motostoke! Although the first Gym Leader will have to challenge is in a town way far off from here… Still, you’d better believe I’m going to keep on winning my way to that Championship Match!

And off he goes. He does have a point though.



I really regret not exploring this feature more my first time through. The facial expressions you can pick from alone are worth the price of admission.

Route 3 - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST

And with that, we reach the end of this part of the game and finally embark on our grand adventure. But before we do, it’s time to wrap up for the day. Before we head out into Route 3, I’d like to say that I’m considering catching a Machop, a Mudbray, or a Klink before we reach the next town. I would appreciate anyone telling me why I should or shouldn’t add any of them to the team; additionally, anyone with naming credit can force me to catch and use any of them.

And remember, kids: the more of these nice compliments you pay me, the faster the next update goes up