"My makeup's dripping!" Abi yells over the music playing at the "Journey Together" interregional trainer event (she's not sure if music is supposed to be playing, but the Team Yell paint on the face of the DJ tells her it's not) and pulls away from her friend group as she tells them, "Gonna run to the girl's room!" just as the funky beat stops and her words echo around the room.
"Was that the Champion?" someone whispers as she dashes into the room, already fumbling in her bag.
The girl's room is white and sterile, but at least someone sprayed air freshener, so Abi's pretty fine with slapping some more eyeshadow on her face. Part of the look is looking like a Zigzagoon. The Galarian kind, at least. And her eyeshadow is glittery.
She's reapplying the lower streaks and wiping glitter off her nose when someone steps in with a sigh and hangs up the biggest yellow coat she's ever seen on the wall rack. It looks familiar. Not that Abi's going to judge—
"Gym Leader Iono?" she shrieks, nearly dropping her eyeliner. "Oh my gosh, hi, I think I have something of yours?"
The perky Electric Gym Leader, who was clearly about to jump into her usual spiel, pauses at that, leaning forward. "Oh? You wouldn't happen to have a pink 'n blue phone case, wouldja? It just kinda snapped off after one of those trainers zapped me with a misplaced Thunder Shock, and Rotom's been hiding for twenty long, looong minutes."
Abi wordlessly takes the phone case out of her bag and hands it to Iono. "I found it over by the DJ."
"Did you now? Yep, that tracks, I was dancin' with Belibolt, 'n I guess the little frogger chose then to act as a lightnin' rod, nyehehe!"
"I own your figurine."
"What?"
"Sorry, I coughed."
They stand in silence for a moment (very long, awkward silence) before Iono breaks it with a big toothy smile as she says, "So what's your name? I'd love to know the wonderful fan behind returning my favorite phone case!"
Abi has to tear her gaze away from the slowly rotating Magnemite on Iono's head as she reaches out to shake her hand. "Abi K--" remember Leon's advice, "Kkkkkhwartz." Yeah, wonderful going. Khwartz. Hop is going to laugh so hard he cries.
The fake name apparently does not hold up, because Iono gasps and vigorously shakes her hand. "Oh my gosh, Champion Abi! I watched all of your matches live! I hafta say, that Thunder Punch in your match against Raihan was outta this world!"
"Uh, thank you," Abi says, and then, figuring it can't hurt, adds "I mean, it was completely improvised. I didn't expect it to actually land, much less for Aira to last long enough to get it in."
"Guess her psychic abilities musta come in clutch! Betcha she'd make a fantastic speedster if Gardevoirs came in Electric typin'."
"She's actually faster than most of my team!"
"Really now?!"
"Yeah, with Teleport."
Iono wheezes. Abi reaches in her bag once more. "Can you sign this?"
Iono takes what Abi gives her. It's not a League card exactly, but one of the trading cards from a PokeTuber TCG she was in. "Ooh, the SR! I have an SSR if you want me to sign that one instead... Keep one with me at all times just in case."
"I like the SR illustration a little better," Abi blurts out.
"Hehe! I'll let you in on a secret," Iono tells her, leaning closer. "I like the SR illustration better too. You got a pen?"
"...Shit." Abi whispers. "No. You?"
"Nopes... I can go ask someone," Iono says, reaching for her coat. Abi makes the ten millionth impulsive decision she's made tonight and says, "Will eyeliner work?"
Iono signs the back of the card in eyeliner so as not to ruin the artwork, and Abi reaches her how to draw a chibi of herself on her hand. In eyeliner.
She then proceeds to fawn about it to Hop for the next two hours and all the way back to Postwick. To his credit, he manages to look interested about it the entire time, and does not mention that she only fixed up one eye of makeup.
Two months later, a very, very lost girl wanders into Iono's gym and demands directions to get into contact with Champion Abi from the League. She leads by asking Iono, "Have you ever heard of Abi Koyouho?"
"Abi!" Iono exclaims with stars in her eyes as she reaches into her coat and pulls out a rectangular piece of printed cardboard in several layers of protective glass. "I actually got her to sign my favorite League Card of her!"
