Zed's Links
Zed met Stella as kids in the same hometown. Being younger, he started calling her "big sis" and viewed her as such. Soon after, Zed moved to Alola where he grew up and eventually joined Team Skull. After quitting, he returned to his hometown and set off to see Stella again, where he unknowingly provoked a confession from Chiaki to Stella. He feels somewhat protective over her, but is willing to accept whoever she chooses.
Stella met Zed as kids in the same hometown. As an only child, she enjoyed playing with Zed and treated him as her own little brother. After he moved to Alola, the two lost contact with each other for years. Stella barely recognized Zed when he confronted her after returning. She still sees him as a good friend despite his time as a grunt in Alola.
Sophie is Zed's unlikely friend. Although he tries to avoid Sophie, Zed doesn't actually dislike her company and is actually more concerned about her image as a celebrity and the misunderstandings people have when they see the two together. He is, however, against Sophie's ideas of recruiting him in roles she throws at him because he finds the thought of himself in showbiz ridiculous. Zed doesn't really understand Sophie's persistence to recruit him despite all his efforts to keep her away.
Zed is Sophie's good friend and current mission - though she may be the only one who considers their relationship a friendship. Soph thinks he has the perfect face for a villain and has been trying to recruit him ever since she first bumped into him - literally. She's very impressed by his dedication to looking like a bad boy and wonders why he won't accept the roles she tries to push his way. Still, she is very persistent and determined to win him over one way or another; any time she sees him, she tends to latch onto him and won't leave him alone.