“And the winner is… Gloria!”

The young woman pumped her fist high in triumph as the cheers of the crowd thundered around her, drowning out the announcer. She was making good time so far in the Gym Challenge, but her battle against Stow-on-Side’s Gym Leader had been the hardest yet.

As the crowd’s elation soared, the Gym Leader herself strode across the battlefield. Sandy-haired Bea caught Gloria’s hand in a firm clasp, pushing the badge into her palm, and the older girl leaned in close so that Gloria could parse her words. “Let’s go freshen up, shall we, challenger?”

Gloria nodded mutely, still held aloft by the glow of victory. As Bea strode with purpose towards the women’s changing room, Gloria followed after, still in a daze. Her pokemon partner—a Raboot—followed after her, dutifully matching her stride.

The locker room was sparse but immaculate, a perfect complement to Bea’s personality. As the Gym Leader methodically toweled off the sheen of sweat she’d picked up during the battle, Gloria sank onto one of the benches, still overwhelmed. The crowd’s cacophony was muted by the concrete walls but still present, continually surging like waves crashing against the sand.

As Raboot hopped up to sit next to his trainer, eying her with concern, Gloria took it all in: the fresh taste of victory, the distant roar of the stadium, the feeling of the crisp uniform on her skin.