After everyone finished dinner, Marie walked over to where Ralts had eaten earlier. Just as she crouched down to collect the dishes, a little green head suddenly peeked out from the bushes.
"Ralts… (Thank you… The food was delicious.)"
"I'm glad you liked it."
Hearing Ralts' trembling voice, Marie smiled warmly. She reached out and handed over a small energy cube she had prepared earlier.
"Here, have one it's your dessert."
Once the cube was in Ralts' hands, Marie stood and returned to the makeshift table, once again enlisting Yi-chan as her unpaid helper.
Ralts crunched through the energy cube in a few bites. The taste wasn't amazing, but it left a pleasant feeling in her body. Still feeling a bit cautious, she glanced at Marie and Yuri only to suddenly notice Yi-chan using telekinesis to carry the dishes to the lakeside.
It was Yi-chan who had invited her to dinner earlier, so Ralts naturally felt more comfortable with her than with Marie.
"Ralts? (Huh?)"
Curious, Ralts used Teleport to hop next to Yi-chan, peeking at the dishes being rinsed in water held aloft by psychic power.
"Ralts! (Big sister, you're amazing!)"
"Yee?"
Yi-chan turned her head curiously and saw the little Pokémon waving excitedly beside her. She nudged Ralts' belly gently with her forehead.
"Yee~ (Careful at the edge, don't fall in.)"
"Ralts… (I wonder if I'll ever have psychic powers like that…)"
"Yee… (Not sure. Marie taught me all the abilities I have.)"
"Ralts? (Marie… that's the person from earlier?)"
"Yee~ (Yep! And she's the one who made that curry you liked so much~)"
"Ralts! (It was so good! I wish I could eat it every day!)"
Yi-chan nodded proudly. Of course she was trained by the best.
…
Once the dishes were washed, Yi-chan brought Ralts back near the tent. Marie took the cleaned utensils, packed them into a storage container, and smiled.
"You two really hit it off fast."
She'd seen the two Pokémon chatting by the lake. It was a heartwarming sight.
"Yee~ (Mhm! She even said she wants to eat Marie's food every day!)"
"Really? Well, thank you~"
Marie lowered her head and looked at the shy little Ralts hiding beside Yi-chan. For such a timid Pokémon, she certainly had a hearty appetite.
Night fell quickly in the quiet forest, far from the noise of human civilization. The early spring air had a subtle chill once the sun set.
After cleaning up, darkness began to settle over their little campsite. Marie cleared the area where they had cooked and lit a small campfire. From inside the tent, she retrieved two blankets and handed one to Yuri.
"Better wrap up it gets cold at night."
"Hehe~ Thanks."
Yuri cuddled her two Pokémon and wrapped them all in the soft blanket. The flickering firelight gave her cheeks a warm, gentle glow, making her look adorably cozy.
Marie sat down beside her. With Yi-chan in her arms, she gave her a soothing massage while also using her as a warm pillow. Ralts mimicked her and lay down right on Yi-chan's belly.
Pulling the blanket over herself and her Pokémon, Marie had her Rotom Phone floating in front of her.
The device, which hovered effortlessly and could be operated by Rotom itself, was incredibly convenient. While it lacked some of the features of a dedicated Pokédex, it made up for it with superior versatility.
A small pot sat over the fire, gently heating up some milk for bedtime. Yuri sniffed the air curiously and leaned over to peek at Marie's phone screen.
"Marie-chan, what are you reading?"
"A research paper on how Psychic-type Pokémon can develop their powers."
"???"
Yuri tried to make sense of the screen, but the dense text and complicated analysis made her dizzy. Marie chuckled and gently ran her fingers along Yi-chan's warm, fluffy belly.
She'd actually trained to do proper massage techniques Yi-chan and her brother's Pokémon had been her test subjects back then. Now, no one could resist her touch.
"This little one wants to know how to get stronger. Since I read about it before, I figured I'd dig up the paper and help her out."
She gestured toward Ralts, who was now reading the paper through Rotom's display with Yi-chan's guidance. Marie didn't interfere in their learning process.
"…I've been meaning to ask Marie-chan, did you study Pokémon language or something? How do you communicate with them so easily?"
Pfft.
"No, of course not. Humans can't actually learn Pokémon language. I just… understand it naturally."
"Whoa- seriously?! That's amazing! How did you do it? Can I learn too?"
"I really don't know how it works. I've understood Pokémon since I was born. I'm not sure how someone else could train to do the same."
"Could you be… one of those legendary Aura Guardians?!"
"Aura? No way. I don't have any kind of aura power."
Marie shook her head. She had never experienced anything like that. Whether her ability was limited to understanding Pokémon, she still wasn't sure.
"Anyway, enough about that. Yuri, are you in a hurry to get to Motostoke?"
"Huh? Not really… I don't think there's a deadline for signing up for the Gym Challenge?"
"Well, technically there is, but we've got plenty of time. If you want to get there early, I can probably get you to Motostoke the day after tomorrow."
Yuri blinked and looked at Marie curiously.
"I'm not in a rush. There's no real deadline for taking on the Gyms. Do you have something you need to do?"
"Mhm."
Marie smiled gently and glanced at Ralts, who was still listening intently to Yi-chan's teachings.
"I want to practice a new move… and visit an old friend."
"Ah- I see. But would it be a hassle if I came along?"
"Not at all. He's very kind. And besides… you've never experienced a Dynamax battle in the Wild Area, right?"
"Nope! I saw a few dens on the way here but didn't dare go near them…"
"I figured. Well, I'll show you. Dynamax battles in the Wild Area are truly something special~"
A spark of mystery lit up Marie's smile, and Yuri squirmed with excitement. If she weren't holding two Pokémon in her arms, she'd have jumped up already.