The Pokémon journey begins in Galar

By the time Yuri's Gym Challenge had wrapped up and she reemerged from the stadium in fresh clothes, a familiar figure was already waiting outside.

It was the poised and elegant secretary who had earlier accompanied Chairman Rose. She stood calmly by the arena's entrance, her hand gesturing toward a sleek black business vehicle parked nearby.

"The Chairman has been expecting you," she said, voice crisp and direct. "I'm here to escort you both to Tidepier Seafood Restaurant. Oh, and these are the Chairman's League Cards consider them a gift."

"O-oh... thank you."

Yuri instinctively shrank back a little, visibly intimidated by the secretary's cool and commanding presence.

"Thank you," Marnie said more evenly.

They each accepted the League Card. The photo on the card showed Chairman Rose in a well-tailored suit, exuding both charm and authority.

"If Chairman Rose makes a decision, he tends to act on it immediately," the secretary added. "Now, please get in."

She turned smoothly and opened the driver's side door, sliding into her seat with practiced ease. Seeing them still frozen in place, she called back with a note of gentle urgency.

"Let's not keep him waiting."

"Right, sorry to trouble you," Marnie replied, snapping out of her thoughts. She tugged Yuri by the hand and they both climbed into the backseat.

With a soft hum, the car glided smoothly through the streets. The secretary Miss Oleana remained silent the entire ride, focused solely on driving. Her detached demeanor made it clear that unless it involved the Chairman, she had little interest in idle conversation.

…

When the vehicle finally rolled to a stop, Marnie and Yuri stepped out and immediately recognized the restaurant it was the same seafood place Marnie had once booked a reservation for.

"Whoa wait, Marnie-chan, what about our reservation?" Yuri asked, blinking.

"Eh, guess we'll just eat here again another time. Not like we're the ones paying for this meal anyway."

Oleana, who had already exited the vehicle, didn't react to their casual exchange. She strode past them and pushed open the restaurant doors.

"Welcome!" called out the staff.

Tidepier's interior was simple and refreshing. The pale blue decor evoked the sense of being underwater. Although the hall was spacious, only one table was occupied.

The entire place had been reserved.

Marnie had expected maybe a private room, not a full buy-out of the restaurant. Clearly, Chairman Rose didn't do things halfway.

Following Oleana to the far end of the restaurant, they approached a window-side table. Beyond the glass was the endless blue expanse of the ocean but what truly caught their attention was the person sitting beside the Chairman.

"Congratulations on your victories," Chairman Rose greeted them warmly as they approached.

"Thank you, sir. That's very kind of you."

"Ahaha~ Thank you!" Yuri chimed in, a little flustered.

After their greetings, Marnie's gaze drifted toward the unexpected guest beside the Chairman Sonia. She had claimed earlier she wouldn't be in Hulbury. So what was she doing here now?

"Oh! You two got invited too?" Sonia smiled. "Congrats on your wins!"

"Hehehe~ But Sonia-oneechan, you never told us you were coming back to Hulbury," Yuri pouted.

"Alright, alright, girls. Let's sit down first," Chairman Rose said, clapping his hands gently. "Lunch is nearly ready."

Everyone took their seats. Sonia slid in toward the window, Yuri sat in the middle, and Marnie took the outermost seat.

Across the table, Chairman Rose was the only one seated. Oleana stood behind him at a diagonal, stiff and composed. She showed no intention of joining them.

Chairman Rose seemed used to her professionalism and made no effort to insist she sit.

Turning his gaze back to the girls, Rose smiled.

"Hulbury is famous for its seafood. Nothing compares to fish caught fresh from the waters here. Every dish on the menu is fantastic please enjoy yourselves."

"Thank you for your generosity," Marnie replied politely.

Sensing Yuri's growing nerves, Rose offered her a reassuring smile, then turned to Sonia.

"How's Professor Magnolia these days? I owe her a great deal. Without her research, we wouldn't have been able to harness the power of Wishing Stars to create Dynamax Bands."

"Well… she's been a bit uneasy lately," Sonia admitted. "She said there's still so much we don't understand about Dynamaxing. When I left for my journey, she even insisted I bring an energy detector…"

"Ah, the Power Spot Detector. Thanks to that, we've been able to pinpoint energy locations. Still, I hate to hear that she's troubled. Sonia, I think you should pay a visit to the Stow-on-Side historical archives."

"I believe the key to unlocking the mysteries of Dynamax lies in history."

Their conversation sailed right over Yuri's head. She didn't seem the least bit concerned perhaps assuming none of it would affect her.

Suddenly, Oleana spoke from behind.

"I understand. I'll arrange for Miss Sonia to tour the archives properly... However, Chairman, it's about time we were on our way."

"Already? I was hoping to talk more with these two young ladies… Ah well, duty calls. My apologies, Marnie, Yuri. I have matters that need my attention."

He smiled gently and added, "The bill is already under my name please enjoy your lunch. Until next time."

With that, Chairman Rose rose from his seat and departed with Oleana, leaving Yuri visibly relieved. Sitting across from him had made her far too nervous to eat.

"Sigh… Was that a favor he just forced onto me?" Sonia muttered with a half-hearted smile, propping her chin in her hand. "Still, he's right. The archives are probably worth investigating if I want to dig into the legends…"

"What brought you back to Hulbury, anyway?" Marnie asked, tilting her head. She doubted Rose had summoned Sonia directly.

"Lurina and I go way back. I came to see her and maybe ask a few questions. Just didn't expect to run into the Chairman."

"Eh? You and Gym Leader Nessa are that close?" Yuri asked, surprised.

"Yep. Don't let her cool image fool you she's seriously competitive. I bet she's still stewing over that loss to Marnie."

"…Why me, though?" Marnie blinked. "Plenty of strong challengers passed recently."

"You're a rookie," Sonia said simply. "Did you think Nessa took that battle lightly? She fought you with everything she had."

"Well, yeah… she was really serious," Marnie admitted.

"Haaah~ What a mess," Sonia sighed, though the fond smile at her lips suggested she wasn't too upset. "Looks like I'll be staying in Hulbury a little longer after all."

————————————————————————————————————————————————

Share what drew you in your review helps power the next steps in this journey.

This is just the beginning. Keep the momentum going in OneJourney and stay ahead of the curve.

[email protected]/yanxx

Change @ to a.