Are we seriously not going to have a single Gym Battle focus on Shieldmillia!? The quiz thing was the perfect setup, to show how she always researches stuff, but no, instead let's keep focusing on the one character who is not really interested in the Pokémon League at all, and is only around to help search for Shieldmillia's Pokémon.
Seriously, the exclusive focus on Soudo for Gym battles is the most disappointing thing on the SwSh arc. I hope we at least she her Champion Cup battles.
While I expected Hop to be in this chapter, because he shows up in Ballonlea in the games, I'm surprised Beet shows up. When the preview images were released, I assumed the letter might have been a second endorsement, and thought "Wait, is Kusaka going to change it from the games? Is Beet going to continue in the Challenge a little more?", but the dialogue shows Beet just formally left the Gym Challenge. It might be an invite to become a Gym Trainer or something, and eventually become a Gym Leader.
The fact this letter even exists indicates the "Pink!" scene already happened offscreen. Maybe when Poplar (Opal) was still in Hammerlocke a few chapters ago. I guess we already a possible new scene/chapter for when the full volumes come out in a few years.
And Beet is witnessing the Hammerlocke tremor. I guess he'll become more involved in the plot, figure out stuff, and actively fight Rose and Macro Cosmos.
Now that Namida-kun evolved, I wonder if Manabu is going to see some action.
As I brought up in the previous thread (but I don't if anyone noticed because I posted today), there's a theory on 5ch that each of the 3 kids is being paired with one of the Rivals: Soudo has become a Rival to Beet, Shieldmillia is becoming friends with Hop, and thus there should be something going on with Manabu and Mary.
Drizzile's design looks kinda punk, and I think it evolving right now could be on purpose. Mary shows up in Ballonlea in the games, and if we go by them, she should show up here too. Hop did, like in the games.
And if she shows up, it's just obvious she's going to interact with one of the characters. Maybe that's when she starts interacting with Manabu. Perhaps, Morpeko will start to like Manabu the same way it starts like the protagonist in the games.
I have no idea what Manabu and Mary would do together though. Maybe Mary would help him catch a Pokémon? I don't know.
I wonder if we'll see Mary with an Impidimp now, since it evolves into her Gmax ace, and it has a Wanderer encounter in Glimwood Tangle.