The Pokémon journey begins in Galar

Marie stepped out of the corridor, holding the Grass Badge in her hand.

A staff member dressed in the Grass Gym's uniform approached and stopped her.

"Congratulations on clearing the Grass Gym challenge, Miss Marie. As a reward, please accept these."

With that, he handed her a Technical Machine and a set of clothing.

"This is...?"

"A TM for Magical Leaf. It's reusable. And this here is a replica of Milo's Gym uniform. Please accept it."

"Oh... thank you."

Marie accepted both items with both hands and gave a small bow in gratitude. For many new trainers, the TMs given out after Gym battles were an incredibly useful gift.

Even the ones that weren't personally useful could be sold for a decent sum, since TMs distributed from Gyms were known for their quality and reliability.

Of course, Marie didn't have much use for this one. Maybe once Silk evolved, she could learn it just to expand her moveset.

After parting with the staff member, Marie had just stepped into the lobby when Yuri popped out of nowhere. With a short run-up, she launched herself straight at Marie.

"Wow congrats! That was amazing, Marie-chan!"

"Careful."

Staggering back a few steps, Marie instinctively caught Yuri by the waist to keep them both from falling.

"Ugh, Marie-chan, can't you look a little happier? That's your first badge, you know!"

Yuri pouted in dissatisfaction as she lay draped over Marie. Her lack of visible excitement made it hard to tell how she was feeling.

"I am happy. What makes you think I'm not?"

Marie looked directly into Yuri's eyes, calm and unflinching.

"You don't look it at all!"

"Not everything needs to be for show."

She patted Yuri lightly on the back and said, "I'm going to get changed."

"Okay..."

Yuri let go, clearly still unsatisfied, and straightened up with her hands on Marie's shoulders. Then she trailed behind as Marie walked toward the changing room.

"...Why are you following me?"

"To watch you change."

"..."

She must've been so excited that she'd lost her mind. Marie reached out, lifted Yuri's bangs, and touched her forehead with concern.

"You don't have a fever, do you?"

Yuri batted her hand away, annoyed.

"What are you doing?! I'm not sick!"

"...Fine. Whatever makes you happy."

In the end, Marie didn't say anything more. It wasn't worth arguing over.

Once she was changed and they'd left the stadium, Marie tugged at the strap on her shoulder as they made their way toward the Pokémon Center. She turned to Yuri and asked, "So what's your plan next?"

"What else? Head to Hulbury for the next Gym, of course!"

The smooth victory at the first Gym seemed to have fired up Yuri's competitive spirit. Marie had no intention of dampening her enthusiasm. After all, some things could only be learned through experience.

"Alright. Let's stay in Turffield for one last day and head out tomorrow."

The two walked side by side down the street. Turffield was still buzzing with activity, and it didn't look like it would quiet down anytime soon.

"Miss Marie!"

A voice called out suddenly. Marie turned her head and saw a group of punk-styled youths jogging toward her. Their outfits were eerily similar to her brother's.

"Oh, it's you guys. You came to see my Gym battle?"

The members of Team Yell stopped beside her, panting as they caught their breath.

"Yeah! We didn't expect you to have such a strong Pokémon already. That was incredible!"

Marie shook her head. She wanted to explain, but it felt too bothersome, so she let it go.

"Thanks. So where are you headed next?"

"We'll still be around Turffield for a bit. Sales of Poké Puffs have been pretty good lately. No point missing the chance."

"I see... Let me introduce someone. This is my friend, Yuri."

Marie stepped aside and gently pulled Yuri forward.

"Eh, ah... Nice to meet you."

"Hello! We're Team Yell, Marie's official fan squad!"

"Whoa, seriously? That's so cool! Can I join?!"

"...??"

Marie's lips twitched. She glanced at Yuri, whose eyes had suddenly lit up with excitement, and grabbed her collar.

"Quit messing around. We'll be heading off. You guys take care and don't overdo it."

"Got it! See you next time, Miss Marie!"

As Team Yell waved and went back to their business, Marie dragged Yuri by the collar, while Yuri struggled to straighten up and clung to Marie's arm.

"Why not? It's so awesome that you already have your own fan club before your second Gym! That's super impressive!"

"..."

To be honest, Marie had mixed feelings about the whole "fan club" thing. Sure, it was nice, but it was also kind of embarrassing. Besides, what did Team Yell have to do with Yuri?

"And what does that have to do with you joining?"

"Because I'm your fan too! That battle today was amazing. I'm totally hooked!"

Marie leaned back slightly, resisting the increasingly close face with an exasperated look.

"That match was way too close. I almost lost."

They finally made it to the Pokémon Center, though not without trouble. Marie, utterly drained, managed to send Yuri away for a bit.

Her Pokémon had already been treated back at the Gym, which offered healing services for challengers. Since Barro and Silk weren't seriously hurt, Marie hadn't stuck around there for long and instead came to the Center for a proper check-up.

She handed all four of her Pokémon over to Nurse Joy and then spotted Yuri sipping bubble tea in the lounge. Sitting down beside her, she took the still-warm cup Yuri offered and glanced at her phone.

"What are your plans for the afternoon?"

"Slurp just messaging Sonia to see if she's free. I hope we can hang out!"

Marie poked the straw into her drink, took a deep sip, then let out a long sigh and slumped back into the seat.

"Sonia's been busy investigating stuff these past few days. I doubt she'll have time to wander around with us."

"Ah! She replied. She said the investigation's wrapped up for now and she's free this afternoon!"

"…That's unexpected."

"Yup yup!"

Yuri kept tapping away at her phone, then tilted the screen toward Marie with a grin.

"She's heading over now to meet up with us."

"Perfect. That means we won't have to pay for lunch."

Marie cradled her bubble tea lazily and sprawled further into the chair, determined to indulge in a rare moment of peace.

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