Hop smiled as he sent out his Dubwool, Grant returned in kind with Zappy.

Hop grinned as he exclaimed, "Victor may be far stronger than me but I'm at least still stronger than you!"

Grant ordered Zappy to strike. Dubwool made the first move however, kicking up dirt before charging at Zappy full speed and slamming into him with its horns into the the revived abomination. Zappy was slammed back into the snow on impact before he struggled back to his feet. Zappy stood up in the snow and prepared to counter, but the shooting pain in her oversized legs caused him to flinch. Afterwards the raining ice hit him in the head and was at last to much to bare, fainting him as Dubwool brushed off the hard pellets of frost, protected by its wool coat.

Grant saw he was in trouble and sent out Wick.

"Ha!" Grant exclaimed, "I've got you now! Calm Mind!"

Wick focused, concentrated, and the flame in the center or its body grew brighter. Meanwhile Hop grinned, "A ghost type huh? Not bad, but I'm prepared! Taught Dubwool some new moves! Show him what we got! Wild Charge!"

Dubwool began to violently vibrate, charging static electircty that flowed through its fleece as it attack with reckless abandon, the blow electrocuting both Dubwool and Wick, Wick far worse than Dubwool.

Wick countered with the concentrated flames that it blasted from within its body, which burned Dubwool's wool coat and fainted it.

The hail pelted Wick, and melted on his body which weakened his already dimming flames. Hop sent out his second Pokémon, Pincurchin as Grant ordered Wick to strike once more. Wick this time struck with Shadow Ball, calling upon a sphere of dark energy that consumed her spiked opponent and fainted it. However, the hail and damage from Dubwool began to much for her to bare and she too, fainted.

It was two to three now, and Grant knew he was at a disadvantage. Grant sent out Kiss as Hop sent out his Snorlax.

"I'm not gonna lose that easily!" Hop exclaimed, "I'm not weak and I'll prove it here and now!"

Grant signaled Kiss to prepared. Kiss crossed her arms in an X shape and awaited her opponent's move. Snorlax rushed over and leapt Kiss, ready to crush her with Body Slam, but Kiss countered with Obstruct. She pushed off Snorlax and left the massive beast on its back, open to attack, its defense lowered. She rushed forward with claws glowing as she slashed Snorlax's stomach with Night Slash in an X shape, the blow to Snorlax's soft belly hitting the creature's weak point and thus a critical hit that left a massive X shaped gash that fainted the lazy creature.

Hop began to get angry now as he cried out, "Darn it! I won't lose! I'm not weak! I swear I'm not weak! I'll prove it!"

Hop sent out Cinderace, who began to kick a small rock, the rock engulfed in flames by the sheer speed at which it flew through the air. However, Kiss once more used Obstract and, her arms protected by the thickest fur on her body, deflected Pyro Ball right back at Cinderace whos defenses were lowered by the hard blow to its head from the rock.

Kiss slammed Cinderace with its long head, swinging its massive neck to build momentum that slammed Cinderace into the snow, fainting it on impact with the frosted ground.

All the while however, the hail had begun to get to the now weakened Kiss, who stood strong still, ready to finish the job.

Hop sent out Corviknight, his last Pokémon. He cried out, "I'm not weak! I'm not! I'll prove it I swear!"

Grant ordered Kiss, "Obsturct and then finish this!"

However Hop predicted this and ordered, "Use Scary Face! Don't attack yet!"

Corviknight's eyes glowed with a menacing power that frightened Kiss, causing her to hesitate and drop her guard just as Corviknight took advantage of the speed drop and lunged. Corviknight flew high into the air and dived downward in a corkscrew motion. A move commonly called Drill Peck. The beak was the drill head, and the bird's whole body the drill itself as it tore into Kiss's body, driving its beak deep into her flesh and fainting her.

Grant sent out Rook and ordered, "It's weakned by the Hail! Go in for the kill!"

The two birds flew high into the air in a dance like motion, passing each other as both flew above the clouds. Rook exposed the sharpened daggers that were its feathers all along his left wing as the opposing Corviknight used Pluck, stabbing into the metal outer layer of feathers where its beak got stuck. Rook then used Steel Wing, stabbing its feathers into its foe's neck, pinning it beneath him as he rushed towards the ground digging deeper and deeper behind the outer layer and through the soft under layer of feathers beneath until, in a Critical Hit seeking praise from Grant, it slammed into the ground and ended the battle by fainting Hop's Corviknight.

Hop clenched his fist in anger and sighed, "Huh... you're not on Victor's level but you're stronger than me... just like everyone else..."

Hop sighed, "What did I expect? I'm a disgrace to Leon. I'm weak."

"I mean yeah you accept help," Tom chuckled, "Look at him Grant. Easily defeated by you. By us. By those who stand alone. Do you believe me now?"

Grant ignored the hallucination and approached Hop, "You OK buddy?"

Hop sighed, "I'm just so sick of being weak. Weaker than everyone else. I feel like a disgrace, you know? To Leon. Like I'm tarnishing his image by association."

Grant shook his head, "Nonsense man! Nonsense! That's not true! Look, we need to talk OK? Is there a place we can grab a bite?"

"I mean yeah but isn't money tight for you?" Hop asked, "I can cover you if-"

"Nah man," Grant assured him, "This one's on me. I'm not poor anymore I can afford it. Turns out these gym challenge makes quite the living."

Hop asked, "Are you sure? Of the two of us I have-"

"It's what friends do," Grant assured Hop as they entered the town, "Come on. Let's eat."

The two ordered and began to eat as Hop sat with a somber sigh, "What a day man."

Tom smiled as he sat next to Hop at the end of the table opposite of Grant, "Pathetic. Worthless. This is what happens when you accept help Grant."

Grant muttered, "Liar..."

"What?" Hop asked confused.

Grant smiled, "Oh nothing. Tell me what's bothering you first."

"Well again I feel weak. Hop beat me. Marnie could easily best me in a battle. Victor can sweep my entire team with just one Pokémon. I just... I don't know what to do."

Grant sighed, "I used to be weak. Beyond weak. In a way I still am. Weaker than you. Than anyone..."

Grant explained, "I'm an orphan Hop. I was also recently diagnosed with Schizophrenia. My hallucinations have fed me the same lies for years of not accepting help and how accepting help makes people weak, but... maybe help makes us stronger together. You're willing to accept help. You're willing to help others. That's real strength Hop. Besides I'm sure Victor has a weakness and I believe in you to find it. I believe you can win."

"Thanks," Hop smiled, "I... I needed to hear that dude."

"It's what friends do," Grant explains, "I'd go as far to say family, as in I love you as my brother, but I feel I would be overstepping."

Hop chuckled, "Nah man. If I'm family to you, you're family to me. Anyways I'll cover the check."

"But I'm-" Grant explained.

"One," Hop responded, "I take care of my family. Leon says he does everything for his family, in other words me, and you're not blood family but you're just as much family as he is. Family, of blood, not love, is the most important thing isn't it? Besides, I'm trying to offer my help here so you can learn to accept help. Let's be real that's the real reason you wanted to take the check isn't it?"

Grant sighed, "Yeah... little bit."

"It'll get easier," Hop assured him, leaving the money on the table with the bill, "Anyways, I better head on to the next town. Gotta face the next gym."

"Gyms been getting harder?" Grant asked.

Hop nodded, "Yeah kinda. Why?"

"There was a huge difficulty spike after gym 3 right?" Grant asked, "Like, full teams of six."

"No?..." Hop replied, "Dude that's not... right. I think there's a mistake somewhere that's making the gym leaders go harder on you. Maybe they think you have more badges then you do? I can ask Leon."

"Really?" Grant asked, "I assumed it was normal. Then again I assumed my hallucinations were real for six years so..."

"OK so I'll look into that," Hop explained, "See you at the finals!"

"Oh but if you don't," Grant requested as Hop began to leave, "Do remove the endorsement system in my place."

Hop grinned, "Of course after all..."

Both smiled and spoke in synch, "Our cause is just..."

Melony tapped the pile of adoption papers on a table in the lobby as she awaited Grant's arrival. She sighed as the door opened, expecting Grant only to see...

"Son?" She asked.

Gordie glared, "I'm here to take on the next challenger in your place. Leon's orders."

"What?" Melony asked, "Why? What does Leon have to do with all this? Gordie where have you even been? I've been worried-"

"Save it 'mom'," Gordie growled, "I have a challenger to defeat. You're relived of duty until I crush defeat Grant."

Gordie walked away with a wide and malicious smile on his face, "With the power of Terrakion no one can defeat me..."