Early the next morning, Marnie slipped out of her sleeping bag and was greeted by the sight of Dragapult and his two little Dreepy companions fussing around a large pile of items. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, hair still tousled, before shuffling over curiously.
"What are you three up to?"
"Graah graah~ (Just sorting through the stuff piled up in the nest.)"
"Nya! (Look, Marnie, this big pearl is so pretty!)"
"Nya nya! (No way, this round pearl is way better!)"
The two Dreepy each clung tightly to a pearl, proudly showing them off. Marnie glanced at the half-sorted heap beside them there were Star Pieces, Big Nuggets, various one-time-use TMs, and even the big jars of Pokéblocks she'd given them yesterday.
"Why'd you haul all this out? What's going on? Moving house?"
It was an honest question. Ever since she met Dragapult, he'd practically taken over that nest and never seemed interested in relocating. What changed?
"Ee... (What's going on?)"
Umbreon had likely heard the noise too. With ears twitching, he stumbled over, clearly well-rested from a rare peaceful night outdoors.
"Morning, Umbreon. Looks like Dragapult's planning to move."
"Ee? (Moving?)"
Umbreon stepped beside her, blinking at the Dreepy tangled in the treasure pile. Then, suddenly, as if remembering something important, he turned sharply to Dragapult, who was sprawled out, calmly checking his collection.
"Ee! (You're actually going through with it?!)"
"Graah! (Of course! No way I'm letting a runt like you outshine me!)"
"Ee... (Whatever. You go explain it to Marnie yourself.)"
Clearly aware of some internal drama, Umbreon yawned and wandered off to check on Ralts, who had just woken up.
"So, what's this all about?"
Marnie tilted her head with a smile, directing her question at Dragapult.
"Graah! (I want to travel with you, Marnie. You're a rare kind of Trainer one with potential.)"
"Huh...? Travel with me? You know what that means, right?"
"Graah graah! (Of course! I want to become your Pokémon!)"
Marnie took a deep breath. Dragapult was strong more than strong. With the right synergy, he could easily become one of her core Pokémon for this year's Gym Challenge.
"I had my suspicions... but I still want to ask. Why?"
"Graah! (I already said. It's the potential I see in you. Umbreon is proof. I've never seen a one-year-old Umbreon with that much power.)"
"That might just be his natural talent. That alone"
"Graah! (No. Umbreon is gifted, but not to that extreme. After all the battles I've seen you two in over the past year, I know the truth. The special one isn't Umbreon it's you.)"
Marnie folded her arms, then smiled.
"Alright, final question. What about the little ones? They're coming too?"
"Graah? (Isn't that obvious?)"
"Fair. Silly of me to even ask. Alright... so which Poké Ball do you like? I'll go get my collection."
Just as she turned toward the tent to grab her bag, she realized Umbreon had already dragged it over without a word.
"..."
"Ee~ (You're welcome~)"
Silently, Marnie opened her bag and pulled out a small case containing her Poké Ball collection. It was one of her few hobbies she'd gathered more than a dozen types, excluding the rarer custom balls.
"Pick one you like. For reference, Umbreon's in this Moon Ball."
Dragapult scanned the collection, then gently tapped a blue Poké Ball with yellow crosses on it using his tail a Quick Ball.
"This one?"
"Alright."
Marnie took the ball, pressed the switch, and once it expanded in her hand, gently tapped it to Dragapult's lowered forehead.
Click-
The ball popped into the air, shook slightly, then landed with a crisp chime indicating a successful capture.
Holding the Quick Ball in both hands, Marnie lowered her head and gave its surface a gentle kiss.
"Pleased to have you with me, Dragapult-san."
She released him again, then left to wash up. Dragapult, now officially her partner, returned to sorting through his old hoard with the two Dreepy.
So when Yuri finally emerged groggily from the tent, what she saw was a scene that looked suspiciously like looting.
"...What's going on?"
She ended up asking the same thing Marnie had earlier.
"Oh, perfect timing. Here, these TMs are for you."
Marnie grabbed a few items she'd set aside and stuffed them into Yuri's hands.
"Eh? Wait... what's all this?"
Yuri stared down at the TMs, completely bewildered.
"Whirlpool and Protect Sobble can learn those right away. Solar Beam and Sunny Day are for after your Applin evolves."
"W-whaaat?!"
Marnie ignored Yuri's flustered reaction and continued sorting through the shinier treasures into a large pouch. The rest of the TMs she grouped by type and packed away methodically.
"B-but... why are you giving these to me?!"
Yuri held the TMs with trembling hands. Even if they were single-use, they were in pristine condition. Just one of these would cost a fortune especially a powerful move like Solar Beam.
When she left home, her mom gave her thirty thousand Pokédollars. It was enough for basic travel needs, but she'd never even dreamed of spending it on TMs.
"Why...? Because I had extras. I've got backups at home too, so I figured I'd give these to you."
Ever since Marnie started trading with Dragapult, his hoarding habits had led to a wildly eclectic TM collection. She'd ended up with more than she needed, and sharing a few with Yuri felt like a friendly gesture.
"I... I mean... I really can't..."
Marnie zipped up her bag and turned to Yuri with a slightly exasperated look.
"If it bothers you that much, just treat it as payment."
"Payment?"
"For the info. About Glimwood Tangle. You may not think much of it, but it's valuable to me."
"That weird Pokémon?"
"Yeah. I'm definitely going to explore that forest someday. There's no way I'm letting something like that go without seeing it for myself."
"Oh... I see..."
Marnie's half-serious, half-playful tone finally convinced Yuri to accept the explanation. She understood that this was Marnie's way of giving her an out, and rather than protest again, she accepted the TMs with quiet gratitude.
"Marnie-chan!"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you!"
"Alright, alright. Now come help me take down the tent. We've still got a long road ahead."
____________________
NEXT CHAPTER : Ralts' Love at First Sight
(Ralts had always dreamed of finding a kind Trainer but what truly stole her heart wasn't a human, but a mysterious black-furred Pokémon named Yi-chan. Drawn by instinct and admiration, Ralts finds herself enchanted by this gentle feline and her warm-hearted Trainer. From a shared meal to a shy teleportation, Ralts takes her first bold step into a future she never expected: not just with a Trainer, but with a Pokémon she might just call her fated partner.)
Want to see what happens next? Drop a comment or review to unlock the next chapter!