Although Marie had a hunch that Mr. Leon might've gone the wrong way, she didn't feel the need to chase after him and point it out. After all, he had Charizard with him.
As partners for over a decade, they'd surely been through their fair share of wrong turns. And Marie had never heard of Champion Leon missing anything important, so he probably didn't need anyone fussing over him.
With that, Marie quietly withdrew her gaze and smiled at the Pokémon by her side.
"Alright, back to training. I'll make some Pokéblocks while you're at it."
Since she'd already been up once, she didn't plan on going back to sleep. After sending her three Pokémon off again, Marie pulled a compact Pokéblock maker from her bag and got to work.
Though she had to keep an eye on Ralts's condition at the same time, which made her progress a bit slow.
...
By the time the sun was setting, Marie recalled her team after a full afternoon of training and headed back to Motostoke, holding Silky in her arms.
The Pokémon Center wasn't far from the city gates. She'd already messaged Yuri before heading back, so she made her way straight there.
"Welcome~"
Nurse Joy's warm voice was as soothing as always. After handing over two Poké Balls and Silky, Marie walked toward the lounge area.
The center was crowded this time of day. Though everyone kept their voices down to avoid disturbing the Pokémon, the sheer number of people made finding a seat tricky.
After scanning the room, Marie gave up on resting her feet and instead walked over to the Poké Mart section to restock on potions. The recent battles and training had drained her supplies faster than expected.
She also picked up some status-healing meds and organized them into her portable bag.
Thanks to the spatial-folding backpack she carried, she didn't have to lug around bulky gear by hand. Without it, she'd never manage to haul so many odds and ends around.
"Ah! Found you, Marie-chan! Good afternoon!"
A familiar voice called out just as Marie was putting away a stack of Paralyze Heals. She turned to find Yuri arriving with a short-haired boy beside her.
"Good afternoon, Yuri. And this is…?"
"Hi! I'm Hop, this one's rival! You're Marie, right? Let's battle!"
"..."
Marie blinked, saying nothing at first. Instead, she looked toward Yuri.
"We ran into each other outside the city just now. Hop had just arrived, so we came here together."
"I see. Nice to meet you. I don't mind, but given the time... I'd suggest you register at the stadium first."
Marie glanced at the clock. The opening ceremony was tomorrow, and registration closed tonight. There was only a little over an hour left before the staff called it a day.
The stadium was located in the city center, while this Pokémon Center was right near the gates.
Compared to a battle, registering seemed far more urgent. Missing it could mean sitting out this year's Gym Challenge entirely.
"Aaah! I almost forgot! I'll head out now, Marie! Let's battle another time!"
Realizing the time, Hop turned on his heel and dashed out of the Pokémon Center toward the stadium, all bluster and energy.
"...Your friend's got a lot of spirit."
"Haha~"
Marie turned back to pack up the last few potions and asked curiously,
"What did you do this afternoon, Yuri?"
"Hehe... I practiced Whirlpool with Sobble!"
"In the city?"
"Yeah! Sobble's not as strong as Ee-chan, so we just trained by the river. That way we didn't bother anyone."
No wonder Sobble wasn't with her it must've been worn out from the afternoon and was now resting inside its Poké Ball.
Just then, Nurse Joy called Marie's name. She went to pick up her three Pokémon, letting Ralts curl up in her arms.
"Time for dinner?"
"Mhm! On the way here I found a battle café! Want to go check it out together?"
Yuri latched onto Marie's wrist and tugged her toward the exit, sharing her suggestion.
"Are we going there for dinner... or are you looking to battle?"
Hearing Marie's voice behind her, Yuri scratched her head with a sheepish grin.
"I wanted to go earlier this afternoon, but I was too nervous to go alone."
"There's nothing to be scared of. The café owners adjust their Pokémon based on their customers' level. You can try battling with Sobble, especially now that it's learned a new move."
Marie genuinely thought it was worth trying. Sobble lacked experience, and new moves needed real battles to truly settle in.
"But Whirlpool is still pretty weak..."
With Marie by her side, Yuri began seriously considering the idea of a match. Sobble was still young and timid. It had recently learned Whirlpool and Protect through a TM, but even after days of practice, it wasn't very reliable yet.
Power aside, it often failed to execute the moves. Protect's barrier barely held together and could probably only block one good tackle from Hop's Scorbunny.
As for Bind, Sobble had only managed to use it when wrapping around Yuri's arm during practice. In a real battle, it probably wouldn't dare get that close to an opponent.
The one move it did manage somewhat well was Water Pulse, though the power left much to be desired. Ironically, Water Gun remained its most accurate and consistent move.
"It's okay. At worst, you lose once. Your Sobble's not afraid of battling it's just a little shy. And as its Trainer, it's time for you to take a step forward too. Don't worry, I'll be with you."
Marie gave her a reassuring pat on the back. Most rookie Trainers went through this. Not everyone could immediately adapt to the pressure of making calls and commanding in battle.
It was normal to feel unsure. Normal to fear failure. Marie had gone through it herself, except she'd forced herself to push through.
Even now, she'd barely won a single match against her older brother.
Seeing Yuri like this, Marie didn't have the heart to let her face it alone. A little encouragement could go a long way.
"...Okay... okay!"
Yuri swallowed hard. Her battle with Hop hadn't been scary. They'd known each other for a long time, and she was familiar with Wooloo. There wasn't much pressure.
But battling a stranger with unfamiliar Pokémon and unpredictable tactics was another story. It made her anxious.
Thankfully, Marie was right beside her.
Yuri stole a glance at Marie's profile as she walked slightly ahead, leading the way. The warmth of Marie's hand in hers helped calm the nerves fluttering in her chest.