>>53586379Soudo and Shieldmillia arguably aren't even friends. They're coworkers, both assistants to Professor Magnolia. Sou is a stoic blacksmith, specializing in the various weapons that Pokemon wield. Schilly is a severely autistic computer scientist, who programmed a VR simulator so people could practice Dynamax battles whenever they wanted. They both entered the Gym Challenge for their own reasons: Sou to search for the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield so he could work on them, and Schilly to get publicity to help search for the Pokemon Sordward and Shielbert stole from her and scattered across the region.
During the course of events we get to see such acts of kindness like Sou completing a gym and then immediately leaving to go back to Magnolia's workshop and not bothering to watch Schilly's matches, and him not giving a shit about Pokemon that don't wield weapons. His apathy finally catches up to him when he finally gets his hands on the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield, coated by Eternatus' poison, and its inhibition-lowering properties combined with Sou's inability to polish the Rusted weapons drives him to keep them for himself instead of give them to Zacian and Zamazenta. Calyrex teleports him to the Isle of Armor from a distance, and the Galarian Legendary Birds split the Rusted Sword and Rusted Shield up between the Isle of Armor and the Crown Tundra.
When Schilly finally catches up to him he apologizes for being an ass, but she also apologizes for not doing anything to stop him. He says that even if he wasn't poisoned his obsession with Pokemon weapons would've probably caused him to act the same, and she reassures him that the next time he goes over the edge she'll slap him back to reality.
As far as the rivals go Bede is an ass that gets a lot of undeserved punishment, Hop is an alright guy just trying to step out of his brother's shadow, and Marnie actually emotes as the down-to-earth straight man of the group.
