Part 19: I’m Cheering For You

Then this update is dedicated to you.

Update 20: I’m Cheering For You

Hammerlocke - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST



Oh! If it isn’t the Trainer endorsed by the Champion! Let’s see… What was your name again…

… Did you just go on your phone to look that up? _{I’m right here, you know…}

(He actually does this.)

Ah, right! Gloria! And Leon himself recognized your potential… Then I guess you’ll grow into quite the Trainer. All the same, though, anyone wanting to challenge the mighty Raihan has to prove they’re up to it by earning seven Gym Badges first.

I mean, I am getting around to that, but right now I need to get through that door.

Ah, so you’re here to see our treasures, are you? Gaining a better understanding of Pokémon by studying history certainly isn’t a bad idea. I like your spirit, kid! Follow me, why don’t you.







Wait, Sonia?

Gloria! Sparkling timing! C’mere, I need your eyes on something.

Once Upon a Time... - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST









Brilliant, aren’t they? These tapestries tell the story of the creation of a kingdom in Galar. Say, young Gym Challenger, what sticks out to you most about them?

Oh, those have to be Henry and William, the Brother Kings. They’re the ones that set up the Kingdom of Galar – rather, the most recent form, the one that dissolved a couple centuries back – about 1000 years ago. After Alfred the Unifier’s Kingdom – he diplomatically united Galar Proper about 1000 years before that, his realm collapsed a few years before when the royal family disappeared – anyway, after his kingdom collapsed, Old Camer dissolved into a bunch of petty warlords fighting over territory. Eventually, one of them, a Galaro-East Cameran nobleman named Henry, teamed up with the Kalosian Duke of Coumarine. They called him William the Bastard because his father, the previous Duke, never formally married his mum, who herself was the bastard daughter of the Earl of Wyndon. There was a whole scandal about it – but, it granted him a loose claim on Wyndon. So the two struck an alliance, took over Wyndon and the bulk of East Camer, and used them as a base to take over the rest of Galar Proper. Interestingly, they’re important in queer history because one of them might have been trans! See, by all accounts they ruled as co-monarchs and were both considered men, but they somehow had biological children. Some historians say they either adopted or one of them brought in children from a previous marriage, but there’s no record of either of them ever getting married to anybody, and adoption or legitimized bastards would both have opened up a can of inheritance worms that an unstable new kingdom couldn’t have –

Gloria. Gloria, What do you notice about those tapestries? In terms of what we talked about?

… That’s a storm in the middle of the day in one of them, and the two are given a sword and shield in another. They might be connected to Zacian and Zamazenta and the Darkest Day.

Abso-bally-lutely!

Maybe we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. I actually read up on this when I was camping in the Wild Area on the way here; one of the legends around the Brother Kings has a solar eclipse happening when they were around Hammerlocke. They had a couple astronomers at the court – some of the first in the world – who were able to explain it as a natural phenomenon, it’s part of how they built a reputation of smart governance. But, that was a solar eclipse. I mean, they’re cool and rare, but not supernatural.

Oh, I looked into that. That “solar eclipse” showed up all across Galar – and nowhere else.

Okay, that’s… Pretty unusual. But then, come to think of it, I think something similar happened to Alfred, too. The whole solar eclipse thing is just one of those things associated with Galarian royalty. But that isn’t definitive proof. It’s just an oddly consistent element that shows up in stories about great leaders dealing with crises every… thousand… years…



Wait, it’s been about a thousand years since the Brother Kings. I don’t like that.

Precisely. There is a reason the chairman’s been funding my research. But there’s still not enough to act on yet. Look, you have your Gym Challenge, right? I’ll keep researching, you keep chasing your dreams. I’m cheering for you.

Thanks, Sonia. Let me know if you make any breakthroughs?

Of course! Off you pop, now.

Hammerlocke - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST



The tapestries in the vault depicts the heroes of the Galar region’s past. I suppose if we’ve got any modern hero, it’d have to be our Champion, Leon. Listen up, Gloria. Your goal is to defeat that superstar Leon. So go conquer Route 6 and train yourself up along the way to Stow-on Side!

Let’s follow the nice man’s advice!



But first, let’s reject this poor shy nerd. He says giving someone an Applin is a sign of love, and the girl he fancies is about to move overseas. So he wants us to do the dirty work for him and get him his Pokémon.

I’ll consider it.



Team Yell Appears! - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST



Grunt B: Just look at those adorable eyes.

Grunt A: It’s our duty as Team Yell to make sure Silicobra gets a nice, peaceful sleep!



Grunt A: Of course! It’d be our pleasure.

They let her by, then close ranks.



Oh my God, Hop! Are you okay?

Oi, Team Yell. Don’t suppose you’ll let us through?

Grunt A: Nah, you kids are way too loud. Can’t be lettin’ you through. An’ we’re particularly not fond of kids wearin’ the Challenge Band!

Grunt B: With all your stompin’ round, Silicobra’s sure to wake up!

Right… what do you say, Gloria?

I okay.

We fight them one by one. They’re not particularly tough. But. I changed my mind on something! After learning I could give all Dietrich at 30 and make it stop being a dead weight, I blew several of the exp candies I had lying around to get it up there. Let’s see how she does.



Well, she does all right, but it is a solid win (she took this thing down in two hits).



Next round. Wait, shit!



I missed the screenshot since it went by so fast, but Bruce (who’d been poisoned in the last fight) just shook off the status effect because he liked me so much. Affection is POTENT. Also, she goes down too.

Route 6 - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST



Grunt A: Then there’s no point in us stickin’ around! Let’s get out of here! We’ll make these bothersome kids holler some other day!

They run off.

Hop…

Hey Gloria .

Are you doing better?

Well, yes and no. Gloria… Gloria, you’re just a better trainer than I am, flat out.

No, I –

Don’t lie, mate, you’re better than that.

Yes. I –

I call “let me speak” rights. Remember that?

Okay. Go ahead.

Bede… He trounced me. He really did. But he didn’t trounce me like you did. And keep doing.



I don’t hold it against you! I mean, you’ve been smug about it, but you haven’t been any smugger than usual. Bede… He didn’t just drag me through the dirt and call me names. Lee has never once been defeated. Not since he entered the Challenge for the first time. Me? I lose more fights than I win. And yes, Gloria, I can see you holding it back, I know that’s actually more common than not. But… When it comes to other trainers? Every fight I get in, I just keep proving I’m Leon’s little knockoff.



I’m not done training Pokémon, but… I think I need to take a step back. Go home, talk to my parents, talk to your mum. Get my head in order. I can’t tell whether I really want the championship or just want to catch up with Lee, you know? And I think… Maybe I feel like I have to catch up to you, too.



Look. I don’t think he hurt me as much as he dug up a bunch of things I need to face, you know? Just… I’m not going anywhere, right? I’ll just spend a few days at home getting my head in order. I’ll ring you when I get my feet under me. Later, mate.