Chapter 256: Hop’s Path

"Listen to me, Teach! Raihan is ridiculously strong—no wonder he's considered Leon's greatest rival!"

Outside the wooden cabin, Hop was animatedly recounting his loss at the Hammerlocke Gym. His four-on-four doubles battle had only resulted in him taking down two of Raihan's Pokémon. Even though he had a solid plan going in, he had still been overwhelmed by the sheer pace of the battle.

"That's to be expected. Raihan is the final Gym Leader for a reason," Summer said, sipping his berry tea. "His strength is a given, but what you should really be asking yourself is why he's strong, not just how strong he is. Take a moment to reflect—how exactly did you lose?"

"Hmm..." Hop crossed his arms, deep in thought. "Originally, my plan was to lead with Corviknight and Rillaboom. Corviknight's Steel typing would make it immune to Sandstorm damage, while Rillaboom could counter his Gigalith…"

"But the battle didn't go how I imagined at all! With all that sand flying around, I completely lost track of Flygon's movements. Before I knew it, Rillaboom got taken out by Fire Punch, and Corviknight got completely held down by Gigalith."

"I thought I could use Flying-type moves to disperse the Sandstorm, but I'm nowhere near as good at controlling wind as your Corviknight, Teach…" Hop sighed in frustration. "After that, I sent in Snorlax and went for Dynamax, managing to take down Gigalith. But that gave Flygon the perfect opening to finish off Corviknight with another Fire Punch."

Hop rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "Then it was down to my Dubwool and his Duraludon. He immediately Dynamaxed, and man… my team just couldn't break through its insane physical defense. In the end, I didn't even stand a chance! And I had type advantage, too!"

"You think just having a type advantage is enough to win?" Summer raised an eyebrow. "Didn't Raihan also prepare countermeasures for you?"

Hop nodded hesitantly, gradually realizing his mistake. "Right… I completely underestimated Sandstorm. It hid Flygon's movements way too well."

"Raihan's team revolves around Sandstorm. Gigalith's Sand Stream sets it up, Sandaconda can keep it going, and Flygon thrives in it. And don't forget his ace, Duraludon—it's completely unaffected by the weather. His team is built around maximizing its advantages in a sandstorm."

Hop's face twisted in embarrassment. "I… I never even thought about that." He suddenly felt like an idiot. His brother, Leon, meticulously studied his opponents, filling entire notebooks with battle notes. Yet here he was, losing to something he hadn't even considered.

"And this was a doubles battle," Summer continued. "Did you actually have your Pokémon work together?"

"...No," Hop admitted sheepishly. "I just had both of them focus on attacking one target at a time. But looking back, Rillaboom only got taken out so easily because of Gigalith's Sand Tomb…"

The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. I keep saying I want to live up to my brother's name… but I'm making mistakes this stupid?

"It's not too late to improve," Summer reassured him. "There's still a month left before the Gym Challenge ends."

"...Yeah! You're right, Teach!" Hop immediately clenched his fists with renewed determination. A loss like this wasn't enough to break him. If he just gave up after a single setback, he wouldn't be Hop anymore.

"I need to come up with a way to deal with Sandstorm… And I need to train my team's synergy better. Next time, I won't make the same mistake. I won't bring shame to Leon's name!"

Summer's gaze turned sharp. "Hop."

"Huh?" Hop blinked, sensing a shift in Summer's tone. "What's up, Teach?"

"Do you really think losing a battle brings shame to your brother?"

Hop felt a bit flustered under Summer's scrutiny. "W-Well, yeah! I mean, I'm his little brother!"

"Is that so?" Summer asked. "Then tell me—has your success or failure ever affected his reputation, even a little?"

Hop hesitated. His pupils trembled slightly as he searched his memories. Has it?

No.

No matter how many times he won or lost, Leon's status never changed. Everyone still saw him as the undefeated champion. Even when Hop lost his Gym battle, Raihan still spoke of Leon with nothing but respect.

"...Hop, why are you taking on the Gym Challenge?" Summer pressed. "Is it just to prove to people that the Champion's little brother is strong too?"

"I… I'm doing this because… Because…"

Hop fell silent, digging through his past. He had always admired his older brother. Ever since Leon won the Champion's Cup for the first time, then went on to never lose a single official match, Hop's admiration had only grown.

Whenever someone mentioned Leon, Hop would puff up with pride. "Yeah, that's my big bro! The undefeated Champion!" It was his favorite thing to boast about to his childhood friends.

But one day, he lost a battle to them.

And the kids around him sneered.

"The Champion's little brother isn't all that, huh?"

"Yeah, your bro's so strong, but you're not even close!"

Those words had crushed him. He had felt like he had failed Leon. When his brother came home, Hop had even burst into tears, apologizing over and over for embarrassing him.

But Leon had simply laughed and ruffled his hair.

"What are you crying for? Everyone loses sometimes. Even I lost to my friends before I became Champion. And it's because I lost that I swore to never lose again."

"Losing isn't the problem. It's what you do after that matters. Use it as a stepping stone to improve. You never have to apologize to me for that."

But hearing that had only made Hop feel guiltier. His undefeated brother had admitted to losing—just to make him feel better.

"If only I hadn't lost…"

Was that why he started his Gym Challenge? To prove that the Champion's brother was strong too?

To make sure he never tarnished Leon's reputation again?

"Hop," Summer's voice cut through his spiraling thoughts. "Are you actually enjoying the Gym Challenge?"

"Of course!" Hop blurted out. "I've grown so much, met amazing partners, made all kinds of new friends… I love this journey! I don't regret it for a second!"

"Then that's all that matters," Summer said, smiling. "You are you. Your brother is him. Everyone walks their own path. The only thing that matters is finding the path that suits you best."

"So tell me again—why do you want to defeat Raihan?"

Hop took a deep breath. The weight in his chest lightened, as if a fog had lifted. His eyes shone with clarity.

"I want to become Champion. Not to prove I'm stronger than Leon. But to prove how amazing my Pokémon are!"

His voice was steady. Certain.

He exhaled deeply, flashing Summer a grateful smile. "Thanks, Teach. You really are something else. Yeah… Leon is Leon, and I'm me. And I feel so much better saying that out loud!"

"Good. Now, if you want to beat Raihan, we'll need to step up your training," Summer said with a knowing grin. "Time to get serious."

"Yeah! Bring it on, Teach!" Hop's enthusiasm reignited.

Leon… I won't walk in your shadow anymore.

I'll find my own path.

"Haah… Finally done…"

Hop wiped the sweat from his forehead, taking deep breaths to recover from the grueling special training. Summer's methods were seriously intense, but he had gained a lot from them. Once he solidified what he had learned, he'd be ready to challenge Raihan again.

"You want something to drink?" Summer asked as he headed toward the cabin.

"Oh, definitely! Juice, please! Thanks, Teach!" Hop replied with a grin.

When Summer returned with a glass of juice, Hop eagerly took it and chugged it down. "Ahh, so good! Teach, the juice you serve here is always amazing! What brand is it?"

"It's made from berries harvested in Eternal Forest," Summer answered casually.

"Oh, that makes sense… But wait, doesn't the best-selling berry juice in Galar all come from Spikemuth? Don't tell me those berries are actually from Eternal Forest?" Hop looked at his cup in shock, connecting the dots.

"That's right." Summer nodded. Then, as if remembering something important, he added, "By the way, Hop, there's something I want to ask you."

Hop grinned. "Sure thing! Ask away! If I know the answer, I'll tell you!"

Summer's eyes sharpened slightly. "Slumbering Weald—do you know anything about it?"

"Slumbering Weald?" Hop tilted his head before realization struck. "Oh yeah! It's right near my house. But no one's allowed to go in—it's off-limits because of the dangerous Pokémon that live there. Heh, once I become Champion, I'm definitely gonna explore that place!"

Hearing Hop's excited response, Summer rubbed his chin in thought. So, Hop hasn't encountered Zacian or Zamazenta's illusions yet.

He had initially planned to subtly guide Hop and Gloria toward Slumbering Weald, leading them to the Rusted Sword and Shield. In the game's events, the two had seen visions of the legendary wolves early on, which led them to uncover the truth behind Galar's heroes. Eventually, they had retrieved the relics and used Zacian and Zamazenta's power to help Leon stop the rampaging Eternatus.

But if that encounter never happened… then everything else that followed wouldn't happen either.

If the two never saw the illusions, they'd have no reason to investigate Galar's history, no reason to retrieve the ancient relics, and—worst of all—no way to secure the legendary wolves' aid when Eternatus awakened.

Without their help, could Leon really stop Eternatus alone?

The thought made Summer's expression darken slightly. I guess I'll have to go to Slumbering Weald myself. I can't afford to take any chances. If Chairman Rose's plan goes through unchecked, it won't just be Wyndon that's in danger—it could threaten all of Galar… including Eternal Forest.

"Teach, you interested in the so-called 'dangerous Pokémon' in Slumbering Weald?" Hop's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Summer met his gaze and nodded. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Whoa, really? Well, if it's you, I bet you could explore the whole forest without breaking a sweat!" Hop said, eyes gleaming with admiration.

Summer chuckled. My strength, huh? If Slumbering Weald really housed the two legends, he would give them the respect they deserved. He had made up his mind—when he went, he would bring both Milotic and Hatterene with him.

He had only one month left before the Gym Challenge ended. That meant only one month before Eternatus' revival.

Time was running out.

Deep beneath Hammerlocke Stadium, within Galar's central energy plant, chaos was unfolding. The facility, responsible for converting Dynamax energy into electricity and supplying power across the region, was in a state of emergency.

Alarms blared through the corridors, red warning lights flashing in every direction. Scientists and engineers worked frantically at their consoles, sweat beading on their brows as they scrambled to contain the situation.

"It's no use! We've reached critical levels!" one researcher shouted, his fingers flying across the keyboard. "The storage facility can't hold any more Galar particles! Why are we gathering so many Wishing Stars all at once?!"

"You idiot, this is Lady Oleana's order! If you engineers had upgraded the energy storage sooner, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"The original plan didn't call for such a rushed operation! The collection team didn't even consult us before dumping in all those Wishing Stars—they just wanted to take all the credit!"

"What do we do? Should we divert more energy to 'The Egg'?"

"Are you insane?!" another scientist snapped. "If the unhatched Eternatus wakes up now, we'll all die down here! Damn it, the power conversion system is already beyond its limits, and the region's Dynamax spots are starting to overflow!"

"Release the excess energy," a cold, authoritative voice interrupted.

The room went dead silent. The researchers turned to see a woman in a pristine white lab coat standing behind them. Her icy-blue gaze carried no warmth as she repeated, "Execute the release protocol. Immediately."

"Y-Yes, Lady Oleana!"

With newfound urgency, the engineers obeyed. Systems hummed to life, vents opened, and a surge of raw energy flooded out, dissipating into Galar's atmosphere. As the readings on the monitors stabilized, the alarms quieted down.

One of the lead scientists swallowed nervously before addressing her. "Lady Oleana, releasing this much Dynamax energy all at once… it'll cause wild Pokémon across Galar to enter a frenzy. There'll be outbreaks of uncontrolled Dynamaxing everywhere."

Oleana remained unfazed. Crossing her arms, she replied coolly, "I'm aware. Your job is to upgrade the energy storage system and continue supplying The Egg as planned. Everything else is not your concern."

The researchers exchanged uneasy glances but dared not question her further.

Oleana sighed, rubbing her temple. The last few days had been exhausting. The Champion's Cup was fast approaching, and Macro Cosmos' business operations had suddenly spiked. Now, on top of everything, the energy team had made a critical mistake.

Damn it, we're running out of time…

But she couldn't afford to lose her composure. This was all for Chairman Rose's plan.

And if certain obstacles stood in their way…

They would be eliminated.

Her cold gaze flickered with calculation.

Using Leon to quell the out-of-control Dynamax Pokémon would be too obvious. It might draw attention to why these outbreaks were happening in the first place.

No, she needed to use other pawns to mask their true intentions.

Her lips curled into a smirk.

Those trainers and Gym Leaders who have received favors from Macro Cosmos…

It's time for them to pay their dues.