The battle between Marnie's Kingambit and Hop's Rillaboom reached its climax.
Marnie confidently commanded, "This is the end. Kingambit, Kowtow Cleave!"
Hop panicked, shouting, "Rillaboom, dodge it—quick!"
Rillaboom hesitated when Kingambit suddenly knelt down, appearing defenseless. That brief moment of hesitation proved fatal. Kingambit's armored base slid forward, and its gleaming black blade slashed across Rillaboom's chest. The massive Pokémon staggered before collapsing, unable to battle.
Piers raised his arm toward Marnie, announcing the winner. "RILLABOOM IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! THE WINNER IS MARNIE OF SPIKEMUTH!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, chanting Marnie's name. Team Yell's voices rang through the arena, proud of their hometown hero. Marnie waved, but her gaze immediately shifted toward Summer, observing his reaction.
Hop sighed as he returned Rillaboom to its Poké Ball. "Wow… no wonder my teacher supports you."
Summer, however, was lost in thought, analyzing Kowtow Cleave's strategy.
Marnie smirked. "Is he impressed by my growth?"
Hop frowned slightly. "Is he disappointed in me?"
Piers clicked his tongue, unimpressed. "Marnie just pulled off a brilliant win… and this guy is staring at her Pokémon instead?! How obsessed can he be?!"
Marnie turned back to Hop. "Don't lose your next battle. I want a rematch in the tournament."
Hop grinned. "No way I'm losing! My goal is to be Champion!"
Marnie smirked. "Too bad for you—so is mine. I'll make all of Galar know my name."
Hop laughed and ran off for more training, determined to improve.
As Team Yell dispersed, Piers approached Marnie, watching her carefully. "So… Champion, huh?"
"Of course," she answered without hesitation. "I won't lose—not in any battle."
Piers exhaled, hands in his pockets. "Guess I'll wait before handing the Gym over to her…" He then crossed his arms. "Wanna challenge me next?"
Marnie shook her head. "No. I need training first."
Piers froze for a moment, then swallowed. "Summer's training her?! I'M GONNA GET DESTROYED NEXT TIME!"
Forcing a casual tone, he muttered, "Just… don't overdo it, okay?"
Marnie gave him a suspicious look but let it go. She confirmed she'd be home for dinner, and Piers, realizing his terrible cooking skills, sighed in relief. "I'll have Gideon cook something nice."
Marnie's eyes lit up. "Now that, I'm looking forward to!"
Later that day, Marnie met with Summer in Sunset Forest, sipping a fresh berry juice as he recounted the Rocket invasion. She listened in silence, taking in every detail.
"The Pokémon here really fought to protect their home," she murmured.
For Marnie, Spikemuth was everything. She understood that deep connection to a place. Sunset Forest felt like part of her home now, too.
Marnie smirked. "So you really caught Hatterene, huh? It's supposed to be Grimmsnarl's counterpart."
Hatterene flipped its tendrils proudly.
Marnie laughed. "Guess you've gotten strong, Summer. Just hearing your stories, I can tell how much you've changed."
Her gaze landed on Ogerpon, tilting her head curiously. "Oi. You're cute."
Ogerpon blinked up at her.
Marnie softened. "Where'd you find this little one?"
Ogerpon suddenly tensed. The atmosphere shifted.
Marnie's smile faded. "Wait… did I say something bad?"
Ogerpon shook its head, but Summer sighed. "Yeah… it's got bad memories of its old home."
Marnie's expression hardened. "I see." She gently patted Ogerpon's head. "Sorry. I won't ask about it again."
Marnie slowly withdrew her hand, her eyes filled with apology. "Sorry, did I bring up bad memories, Ogerpon?"
Ogerpon shook its head. It wasn't a problem. It wasn't that little masked Pokémon from Kitakami anymore—it belonged to Sunset Forest now. That place? Not worth remembering.
Marnie nodded in understanding, deciding to change the subject. "Alright, no more of that. But tell me, Summer, how did you meet Milotic? It's really strong, but back then, you only had Grookey. Don't tell me you won it over with just your charm?"
Nearby, Rillaboom folded its arms in thought. In a way… it kind of was. But the whole time-travel thing? That part was harder to believe.
Summer smiled. "You could say it was charm… or maybe an old bond."
Marnie raised a brow. "A bond? You mean you met it when it was a Feebas, and it recognized you after evolving?"
Summer hesitated, then looked straight into her eyes. "Actually, Marnie… there's something I want to ask you, too."
That direct gaze caught Marnie off guard. Her own eyes darted around nervously before she took a sip of her juice to hide her flustered expression. "…What do you want to ask?"
"Do you think my growth has been… normal?"
Marnie blinked. "Eh?" She thought for a moment, then spoke honestly. "Not really. It's not just your strength, Summer. Your presence, your aura—it's changed too much. It's like you've lived through years of experiences in such a short time. The first time we met, your eyes still had some hesitation in them."
Summer touched his chin, deep in thought. "So… people really notice the difference."
"Of course. I've been paying close attention."
As soon as she said that, Marnie realized—wasn't that basically admitting she'd been watching him closely all this time? Her face turned red. "Ugh, what am I even saying…"
But Summer continued, unfazed. "You remember how I said Celebi isn't just the Guardian of the Forest? It also has the power to travel through time."
Marnie stiffened. "…I remember. But why are you bringing that up? Wait… Summer, don't tell me—" Her eyes widened as the pieces fell into place. "The changes in the forest… they weren't natural, were they? And you—your sudden strength, your knowledge—are you saying you traveled through time?"
Summer exhaled. "You could say that. Milotic, Ogerpon… our bonds were formed across time itself."
Marnie set her cup down and inhaled deeply. Then, in a low, sharp voice, she snapped, "Summer. ARE YOU AN IDIOT?"
Summer flinched. "Huh?"
Marnie clenched her fists. "How can you just say something that important so casually?! Why didn't you deny it?! What if the wrong person heard you?!"
Summer frowned. "Marnie, I trust you. And besides, my time travel isn't something I can control freely. The time, the place—it's all random."
Marnie glared at him. "That's not the point! If people find out you have an ability like Celebi's, you'll become a target! Do you have any idea what could happen if the wrong people come after you?!" Her voice shook slightly. "Do you even realize how many people would be devastated if something happened to you?! The Pokémon in this forest, the people of Spikemuth—" She hesitated, then quickly added, "—and me included."
Summer was silent for a moment before nodding. "You're right. I wasn't thinking. I won't tell anyone else."
His easy agreement made Marnie's frustration melt into quiet relief. "…Good. Let's keep this between us." She picked up her drink and took a long sip, trying to calm her nerves.
After a pause, she set the cup down and crossed her arms. "But Summer, listen. You're strong, sure. But don't get cocky. Even the strongest trainer can be caught off guard. Promise me you'll be careful."
Summer nodded. She was right—there were still too many unknown threats, like Team Dawn, an organization he barely had any intel on.
Marnie studied him, then suddenly asked, "…Summer. Do you think I'm annoying?"
Summer blinked. "Why would I?"
"Because I keep nagging you," Marnie muttered.
Summer smiled. "You're just worried about me, right? If anything, I should be grateful."
Marnie froze. "…Eh?" Her hand covered her mouth. Had she been that obvious? She quickly turned her head away, hiding her flushed face. "I-I mean… I wasn't worried. Not really." The last part was barely audible.
But after a moment, she shook her head. "No, no, wait. That's wrong. It's normal to worry about friends, right?"
Summer chuckled. "Yeah, it is. Friends should look out for each other."
Marnie slowly turned back to him, her eyes narrowing slightly. Just… friends?
"…Did I say something wrong?" Summer asked, confused.
Nearby, Ogerpon glanced up at Rillaboom, silently asking, Is this what Hatterene meant by 'tsundere'?
Rillaboom nodded sagely. Yep. But at this rate, the 'tsun' part is almost gone.
Marnie sighed. "Forget it. Let's move on." She exhaled, then looked at Summer. "You trained Hop, right?"
He nodded. "Yeah. His Rillaboom trained with mine."
"That makes sense," Marnie said, then stood up straight. "Then, Summer—no, Summer-sensei—I want training, too. If I'm going to be Champion, I need to get stronger."
Summer grinned. "Of course. But it's not just me. The Pokémon of Sunset Forest are strong, too. They can teach you a lot."
Marnie smirked. "This whole place… it's like the Wild Area, isn't it? Lakes, forests, mountains, snowfields—it's got everything. And with so many strong Pokémon living here, it's perfect for training."
Summer's eyes gleamed with an idea. Training… If every area had a powerful guardian, and challengers had to prove themselves against them to get stronger…
Wait.
Why did that sound exactly like the Battle Frontier?
(End of Chapter)