"By the way, where did Hop run off to?"
During dinner, Marie and Yuri sat side by side, quietly eating curry. Sirfetch'd had yet to leave and was nestled among the other Pokémon, happily eating the meal Marie had prepared.
Toxel, still too small to eat on its own, was curled up in Yuri's arms as she gently fed it. Aside from the occasional twitch or jolt from the little one, it made for a rather heartwarming scene.
"Hmm... Hop? When I talked to him earlier today, I think he was still on Route 5," Yuri replied after swallowing her mouthful of curry.
"He hasn't reached Hulbury yet?"
"Nope. He said he's doing some special training. Most of his Pokémon don't have any type advantage against Water-types."
Information about Hulbury's Gym wasn't hard to come by. Nessa's team typically featured Drednaw, a Water and Rock-type, along with Pokémon like Goldeen or Barraskewda standard choices, though they occasionally switched things up during challenges.
Unlike most Gyms, Hulbury's battle stage wasn't just a field of grass. After all, you couldn't expect a Goldeen to flop around on dry land. The arena included a man-made water zone, roughly splitting the battlefield between land and water. Marie had been training Baru to get comfortable underwater just in case, though she hadn't decided if she'd actually have him battle.
Water-type Gym battles were usually 3-on-3. Since Baru had fought in the Grass Gym previously, this time it made more sense to send in Ee-chan. As for Pichu and Silicobra, it would be a good chance for them to gain experience. When the opponent was a Gym Leader, it wasn't often you got that level of skill on the road.
Some real battle practice was definitely in order.
Even as Marie thought through her options, she didn't leave Yuri hanging. While still spooning curry from her bowl, she followed up on her earlier words.
"He might ambush you before you even reach Hulbury, just like he did back in Motostoke."
"Yeah... I mean, he is my rival."
Yuri gave a sheepish smile. She'd battled Hop several times some wins, some losses but she often found her confidence wavering. Just his presence was overwhelming at times, his energy difficult to match.
Marie could tell. She didn't say anything though. These were the kind of internal doubts that only the person themselves could overcome. No amount of encouragement from others would make much of a difference.
"Speaking of which, has your Eevee decided what to evolve into yet?"
Marie took the initiative to change the topic. Yuri had been wrestling with that decision for a while before ultimately choosing to let Eevee decide for himself.
And days had passed since then. It was only now that Marie remembered the whole situation.
"Oh, that... Eevee seems to be leaning toward Espeon, Umbreon, or Sylveon."
"Why those three?"
"He said evolution stones are too rare. He'd rather I spend the money on something else instead."
"Pfft... That's such a miser's logic."
Marie couldn't help but laugh. After the chuckles subsided, she added,
"Though technically, Leafeon and Glaceon don't need evolution stones either. In fact, in some other regions, stones don't even work on them."
"Huh? Why's that?"
Yuri blinked in confusion. She didn't quite follow. But Marie wasn't too clear on the details either.
"There's a team of researchers working on it, apparently. But no definitive answer yet. Supposedly, in other regions, getting close to certain mysterious rocks causes evolution. So if you want to save money, maybe travel to those places and evolve him there."
"...That makes no sense. Wouldn't traveling cost more than the stones?"
Yuri didn't hesitate to shoot down Marie's suggestion. Inter-regional travel wasn't something you did on a whim. Where would she even get the money for that? And those evolution spots likely had restricted access anyway, especially for conservation reasons.
"True, but it's faster and more predictable. The three options you mentioned take longer."
"It's fine. I like how things are right now. Eevee's strong as is."
Yuri had a point. That Eevee really was strong sharp in battle, with good instincts and loads of experience. Honestly, he was more capable than Ee-chan had been in the beginning.
Of course, Ee-chan had made it through thanks to Marie being there every step of the way.
"Oh right! Marie-chan, when we get to Hulbury, let's go have seafood! I heard there's a really famous restaurant there!"
"You're talking about Wharfview Seafood, right? That place takes reservations. Without one, you're not getting in."
"I know, I know! I actually looked into it. Since we'll be staying in Hulbury for a bit anyway, we can just make a reservation!"
Hearing Yuri's enthusiastic tone, Marie let out a quiet sigh. Why was it that Yuri only got this motivated when food was involved?
"Fine. If we run into Sonia while we're there, we'll have her treat us."
That restaurant was pricey, after all. Saving money where they could was always a good idea. Whether they even crossed paths with Sonia was another matter she might be gone by the time they arrived.
"Hehehe... I hope I can get Nessa's signed League card~"
Yuri giggled to herself before shifting to a more wistful tone, her thoughts clearly drifting somewhere else. Marie found it a bit odd and asked curiously,
"You do get a card after beating the Gym, don't you?"
"Not that one! I mean the rare one! There's this super gorgeous, super mature version of her card where she's wearing a dress! It leaked online ages ago, but no one knows how to get it!"
"..."
Marie opened her mouth, unsure how to respond. She wasn't exactly into collecting League cards. If it were rare Poké Balls, she'd probably care more.
"Marie-chan, do you have a favorite Gym Leader? Oh! Is it your brother?"
"...No, my brother..."
Marie's expression turned a little complicated. Sure, Piers treated her well. She liked him, obviously. But as a Gym Leader, it wasn't really like that.
"Honestly, I don't have a favorite Gym Leader. I respect them as Trainers, but that's about it."
"Really? Don't you think Bea is super cool? And Nessa has that graceful, mature vibe! Oh, and Allister is like this mysterious, shy little animal, and Raihan is totally that dependable older brother type!"
"...They're Gym Leaders, you know. Can you not focus so much on their looks? You're literally taking part in the challenge."
"I know! I'm just saying. Not long ago, I was just another fan like everyone else!"
Yuri didn't seem bothered at all as she swayed gently and explained.
To be fair, the Gym Leaders did lean into idol-like public personas in some ways. Marie could understand that. Of course, she wasn't about to admit that she, too, had once thirsted over Bea and Nessa a little.
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