Viola rolled her shoulders, readying herself. The building she was in—Castelia’s Gym—was empty, its room spacious and slightly darkened. A sweet scent filled the air; mainly fresh honey, but most wouldn’t have been able to identify the undercurrent. Being the Bug-type expert that she was, though, Viola could pinpoint it exactly—an intermingling of sweet blossoms and a low note of pollen.

She’d met up with Burgh, her Unovan counterpart, by chance at a conference. Over a night of drinks, the two of them had argued over which of them knew Bug-types better. The result was a wager—if Viola could make it through a funhouse of Burgh’s design within the designated time limit, her bugs could enjoy themselves with him. If not, then it would be she providing entertainment to Burgh’s own bugs.

“You sure about this?” Burgh had asked the next morning when they’d both sobered up. “My pokemon can get pretty intimate.”

“Worry about yourself,” she’d replied flightily. “Mine can, too.”