"Marnie?"
Seeing Summer lost in thought, Marnie called out softly.
"Ah, it's nothing. Let's head outside first—I'll help assign the right mentors for your team." Summer snapped out of his thoughts. No way Sunset Forest would actually turn into something like the Battle Frontier… right?
Marnie nodded. "Good idea. That last battle didn't even give you a chance to meet all of my partners." She took the lead, stepping out of the cabin, with Summer following closely behind.
Once outside, Marnie lifted Morpeko in her hands and smirked. "This little one is the Pokémon you know best. So, Summer, any advice?"
Morpeko, cradled in Marnie's arms, nonchalantly stuffed a whole berry into its mouth, chewing with zero concern.
Summer rubbed his chin. "To be honest, I'm not exactly an expert on Electric-types. And when it comes to Dark-types, I'd say you're the real pro."
Marnie raised a brow before chuckling. "Well, that's a surprise. But I do know my way around Dark-types."
Summer nodded. "Still, I once met another trainer who also raised a Morpeko. Unlike your aggressive battle style, she specialized in disruption tactics—using moves like Thunder Wave and Taunt to mess with opponents. Against tough enemies, she'd rely on Super Fang and Parting Shot to keep the battle under control."
Marnie tilted her head. "Hmm… why does it feel like you know this trainer really well? Wait—was it a girl?"
Summer smirked. "How'd you guess? Yeah, she was pretty strong-willed. Had a younger brother too. They had some misunderstandings in the past, but they eventually worked things out. A happy ending, I guess."
"Ogerpon~!" Ogerpon suddenly raised its little mask. I know! You're talking about Danya, right? She's a tough big sis!
Marnie mumbled under her breath, "Just a friend, huh…" She had a natural fondness for older siblings who looked after their younger ones.
Then, raising her gaze, she spoke up. "Thanks, I'll take that advice. Actually, Morpeko already knows all those moves. It's a smart one—picks things up quickly. Just a bit too… wild sometimes."
She sighed as she looked down at Morpeko, who was still happily munching away. The little Pokémon let out a satisfied hum, fully accepting the praise. As for any complaints? Sorry, it was too busy eating to hear them.
"Oh, by the way, I know an Electric-type expert who might be helpful."
"An expert?" Marnie looked intrigued.
Summer nodded. "Yeah. He's the Gym Leader of Hoenn's Electric-type gym. You probably know him—Wattson, the old guy who's always laughing while messing with electric circuits."
Marnie blinked before realization hit her. "Oh, him—Grandpa Gideon's friend. So he's a Gym Leader too? When he was in Spikemuth, he was always busy fixing the town's power grid, so I never really got to talk to him much."
"Yeah, I got to chat with him once. He told me almost all Electric-types have special organs for generating and storing electricity. For Morpeko, that'd be its cheek pouches."
Marnie reached over and poked Morpeko's red cheek pouch, causing a few sparks to crackle.
Summer continued, "For Pokémon like that, increasing their storage capacity also helps them generate electricity faster. That means stronger, quicker moves. To train that, they need to absorb a ton of external electricity."
Marnie sighed. "That's easier said than done. Morpeko's like a bottomless pit—I have no idea where its limit even is."
Summer chuckled. "No worries. The berries in Sunset Forest are way more nutritious than normal ones. Plus, don't forget—this forest has plenty of wild Morpeko too. They'll be happy to share their electricity."
"Oh yeah, those guys… They're doing fine, right?" Marnie smiled. "Not that I needed to ask. With you around, I'm sure they're living comfortably."
"…Yeah."
Summer recalled the scene of a horde of Morpeko lazily absorbing electricity. Comfortable was putting it lightly.
After strongly insisting, they had gotten him to plant even more Thunderstruck Trees. Now, those Morpeko had basically turned into couch-potato electric rodents.
"Anyway, that settles Morpeko's training plan. Who's next?"
Marnie thought for a moment before tossing another Pokéball. "Next up—Liepard."
A sleek Liepard emerged, moving gracefully. As Marnie's second Pokémon, it didn't have the raw power of her other teammates, but it was the perfect glue that held her team together—great at disrupting opponents, repositioning allies, and setting up final blows.
"Liepard, huh? That reminds me—we never got to finish our battle last time." Summer recalled that twilight battle they had.
Marnie's eyes softened as she smiled. "Yeah, time flies, doesn't it? Back then, I made a promise to get stronger… and I kept it. Though I was a little surprised by everyone's reactions."
She playfully flicked her hair. "Besides, if we had finished that battle, I definitely would've won."
Summer smirked. "Wanna settle it now?"
Hearing this, Rillaboom immediately perked up. Obviously, he and Summer would've won that match. If they fought again right now, he'd prove it.
Liepard took a quick glance at the muscular Rillaboom, then casually flicked its tail. But internally? It was sweating bullets.
That brute… If it knows any Fighting-type moves, one hit and I'm done for!
Still, if Marnie did want to battle, Liepard wouldn't back down. She was the one who had risked herself to save it from a pack of Thievul back when it was just a Purrloin. If she called for a fight, it would fight.
Marnie smirked. "Hah, kinda unfair, don't you think? If we're battling, it should be Morpeko instead." She lifted Morpeko in front of her.
Morpeko, mid-bite, froze. Wait, what?!
For the first time, it properly examined Rillaboom. Then, without hesitation, it started shoving berries into its mouth as fast as possible.
Better eat now. Might not get another chance later.
Marnie sighed, gently knocking Morpeko on the head. "Really? Backing down before the battle even starts? I know I didn't teach you that."
Both Liepard and Morpeko secretly let out relieved sighs. Their battle instincts told them that taking on that Rillaboom in this forest was basically suicide. Even the air here seemed to favor the Grass-type Pokémon. How were they supposed to win?
Summer chuckled. "Honestly, Marnie, your strategy with Liepard is already perfect."
Marnie grinned. "Thanks for the compliment~."
"So, the training focus should be on increasing agility, allowing Liepard to execute its moves even faster." As Summer spoke, he suddenly asked, "By the way, Marnie, what ability does your Liepard have?"
"It's Unburden~"
"No wonder it's so quick. In that case, you might want to try giving it an item that gets consumed during battle. That way, its speed can suddenly increase, catching opponents off guard."
Marnie smirked, clearly interested. "Heh, catching them off guard? I like that kind of battle style~ Nice suggestion. I'll gladly accept it."
"I'm glad to help. But since we're focusing on speed—"
Before Summer could finish, Ogerpon eagerly let out an excited cry, practically shouting, Pick me! Pick me! I've been wanting to be a teacher for so long!
"Alright, Ogerpon, I'm counting on you," Summer affirmed with a nod, as this had been his plan all along.
Ogerpon jumped around excitedly before assuming a serious, almost authoritative stance, preparing for its first lesson as Teacher Ogerpon.
Looking at its small yet energetic teacher, Liepard felt relieved—until it saw Ogerpon pull out a thorn-covered wooden club. A drop of sweat trickled down Liepard's forehead. Wait… is this that so-called "soft exterior, harsh reality" situation?
"Hehe, Ogerpon sure looks excited to train Liepard," Marnie chuckled. "Alright then, next up is this one—come on out, Scrafty!"
Scrafty emerged, its mohawk-like crest standing tall as it pulled up the sagging skin around its waist. It wore the same uninterested, rebellious look as always.
Its presence immediately caught Rillaboom's attention. The two had faced off before, and Rillaboom had taken the victory in that match.
Now, both Pokémon regarded each other with renewed interest—one eager to size up an old opponent, the other slightly irritated. Since when did this monkey get so tall? Now I'll never get my revenge... Scrafty grumbled internally, lamenting the fact that its species didn't have another evolution.
"Alright, Scrafty," Summer said, "I think you should focus on building power to strengthen your Fighting-type moves. So, Rillaboom, I'm leaving this one to you."
"I agree as well," Marnie added.
At their decision, both Pokémon reacted differently—one excited, the other a little reluctant. Sensing something off, Marnie gently asked, "Scrafty, if something's bothering you, you can tell me."
Scrafty shook its head. Even if it wasn't thrilled, it would still follow Marnie's decision.
"Wait… could it be that you're still holding a grudge about losing to Rillaboom last time?" Summer suddenly asked.
Scrafty scoffed, unwilling to admit it outright. But the way it subconsciously pulled up its shed skin gave away its true feelings.
"Scrafty..." Marnie knew exactly how it felt—she hated losing battles too. That frustration of defeat was all too familiar.
"Maybe it's not just frustration," Summer continued. "Scrafty, you guys value family and partners, right? You've already acknowledged Marnie as your partner, so losing must have been especially tough for you."
Scrafty tightened its grip on its shed skin. Not just a partner—a very important one.
Each battle it failed to win weighed heavily on its mind. To Scrafty, Marnie was so dazzling in her pursuit of victory, yet it felt like its own lack of strength had failed to protect that light.
"I'm sorry, Scrafty," Marnie said sincerely. "I didn't notice how you felt. When we lose a battle, we should share that frustration together. Don't carry it alone—because you've already worked so hard."
Marnie had always struggled with expressing emotions, making it difficult to sense the feelings of her Pokémon like Summer could. But once she understood their troubles, she would do everything in her power to resolve them—just as she did in every battle she fought.
"Scrafty!"
For the first time in a while, Scrafty's usual uninterested expression changed to one of determination. I was being foolish before—letting my own pride get in the way.
Now, it wanted to train even harder. More than sharing the pain of defeat, it wanted to share the joy of victory with Marnie.
"Actually, Rillaboom is also a Pokémon that deeply values its teammates," Summer added. "Ask around the forest, and you'll see. You shouldn't let one loss affect your relationship. I mean, look at me and Marnie—we get along just fine, don't we?"
Scrafty looked up at Rillaboom, meeting its gaze. The sincerity in those eyes was undeniable.
They were the same—both fighting for their partners. If Scrafty regarded Marnie and her team as family, then Rillaboom saw the entire forest as its comrades. That was a level of conviction Scrafty couldn't help but admire.
It let out a small sigh before stealing a glance at Marnie, who was now awkwardly looking away, cheeks slightly flushed. Meanwhile, Morpeko, who had been squeezed tightly in her arms, was practically gasping for air.
Really? You two are just "getting along fine"? Scrafty thought.
"Rillaboom!"
Rillaboom issued an invitation, and this time, Scrafty didn't hesitate to accept. Maybe I can also learn a thing or two about Summer while I'm at it.
As the two Pokémon left, Marnie sighed in relief. "Thanks, Summer. You're really good at understanding Pokémon. No wonder they trust you so much."
"No need to thank me," Summer replied with a smile. "The real key to solving the problem was you, Marnie. So, which Pokémon is next?"
"At least let me properly thank you first~" Marnie pouted playfully. "Alright, next up is this one—Grimmsnarl. Funny enough, I met it because of you, Summer."
Grimmsnarl appeared with a hearty laugh, flexing its muscle-like fur with pride. Its mischievous yet powerful aura radiated confidence.
"Marnie, what's Grimmsnarl's ability?"
"It's Prankster, of course. You should know that, right?"
"Yeah. Since it gets priority on status moves, I think it could be both a strong Dynamax choice and a solid support Pokémon."
"Grimm?"
Support? Grimmsnarl's grin froze. A real warrior fights head-on—what's the point of playing defensively? The most it ever used a status move for was Taunt!
"Think about it," Summer continued. "Opening a battle with Grimmsnarl allows you to use its ability, bulk, and status moves to control the pace of battle. Depending on the opponent's attacking type, you could set up Reflect or Light Screen. And if you use a Light Clay, the effects last even longer."
"This would create the perfect offensive setup for your teammates while completely frustrating your opponent."
Marnie smirked. "Frustrating the opponent, huh? Sounds right up my alley."
Meanwhile, Grimmsnarl's face darkened. My dreams of being a warrior are slipping away...
"But," Summer continued, "judging by its reaction, it looks like Grimmsnarl prefers a direct fight."
"Yeah, that's why I caught it—it refuses to back down, no matter how bad things get," Marnie said with a smile.
"Well, don't worry. You don't have to stick to one strategy. Battles are unpredictable, so it's important to adapt. That's something I know you're great at, Marnie."
Grimmsnarl's eyes gleamed with determination. Fine. I'll try these status moves—but only if they actually make fighting more fun!
(To be continued...)