You've been with your trainer a long time! It's been two or three regions, at least. Learning together, growing together, and training together. Practicing for days to get your moves just right. Your trainer scooping an arm underneath yours to show you how to throw the Substitute just right and slipping the TM on your head with a kiss before bed.

Galar isn't that different, really. New sights to see, new people to meet, new Pokémon to befriend and fight. You know the air may taste different, but the bond you share with your trainer never changes.

It's exciting, of course, when your trainer says you're finally allowed to fight in the Battle Tower here. You just have to get checked out and earn your little sticker. You imagine it's not too different than going through the Pokémon center. Whatever it is, you trust your trainer!

You're let out of your Ultra Ball in a cozy little room about the size of a bedroom, featureless save for a door and a human.

"Hello!" She makes eye contact as best as she can and makes sure to call you by your nickname. She seems nice- red ponytail pulled through the back of her baseball cap. Insofar as you understand your trainer's type,1 she's about it. She smiles a lot and explains that it won't hurt a bit and your trainer is right outside. It's hard to tell if she's expecting you to understand her words or her tone.

She snaps her fingers to make sure you're looking at her eyes. Big smile. Lots of talking that's hard to understand, but that feels so nice to hear. Things get a little fuzzy, but it's a good fuzzy. Happy TM and berry dream fuzzy. It's a big, soft cloud of happy memories fading in and out.

It's hard to tell how long- not that you really keep time anyways, and there's no windows in here. Time flies and all. Do they have Timeflies in Galar?

"Three… two… one… and poof!" She snaps her fingers and you jerk back to reality. "There we go! How's that feel?" She doesn't wait for an answer before booping a sticker above your eyes and walking you out the door. It takes you a minute to think through the fuzz and remember who this is. Your trainer says something like "That wasn't too bad, was it?" and you make your agreement known.

As you go back into your ball, your trainer mentions something about picking up some dolls for Substitute practice.

Hm. Why does that sound familiar? You'd think you'd remember if you ever learned how to do that.

Inspired by https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Battle-ready_symbol.

  1. Well, other than "bug/fighting". ↩