Pokémon from Galar

This left Mary somewhat bewildered. She had thought she would have another conversation with that consciousness, after all, that thing had given her a strange fragment yesterday, just so she could believe in its existence.

But let it be. If it's gone, it's gone. Anyway, I'll be leaving Hammerlocke City the next day. Even if something happens, there's not much I can do.

Good morning, Yuri.

After tidying up her clothes and hair, Mary sat down on the chair next to her and looked at Yuri, who was still in her pajamas and looked a little dazed. She put down her phone and greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning, Mary-chan, haha—"

Yuri rubbed her eyes, then covered her mouth and yawned widely. Since the plan for today was to spend the day in Hammerlocke City, neither of them was in a hurry to get up. They had been in the wilderness for a while, so it was good to relax for a day or two.

"...What time is it?"

"It's not even nine o'clock yet. I thought you would sleep a little longer."

Mary glanced at her phone, then looked at Yuri and answered with a smile. Yuri, who had just woken up, was still a little dazed and probably didn't notice Mary's teasing. She just nodded and made "uh-huh..." sounds.

"Well... I went to bed late last night, otherwise I could have woken up earlier..."

Yuri climbed out of bed, casually took off her pajamas, and walked barefoot into the bathroom, seemingly intending to take a shower. Mary stared unabashedly at Yuri's smooth back, actually wanting to go over and hug and touch it, but reason prevented her from indulging in such fantasies.

Perhaps sensing the gaze from behind, Yuri suddenly turned around as she reached the bathroom door, only to meet Mary's gaze, who hadn't had time to look away.

"Want to shower together?"

"Ah...no need, I've already packed everything."

"OK then."

As Yuri walked into the bathroom with a seemingly nonchalant smile, both of them felt their cheeks burning as they left each other's sight. They were both excited and saddened by the long and arduous road ahead, wondering when they would finally be able to make the other person start to waver.

Just then, Rotom's phone suddenly beeped. Mary covered her face and looked down, only to find it was a message from her brother:

Good morning, Mary. Are you up? I hope you can go to the Punch Gate Arena to see Chibana today. When are you free? I'll contact him.

Cibana?

Mary frowned. Why? She didn't believe her brother was really that bored, that he would ask Chibana to give her special treatment just because of a joke he made yesterday. After all, she didn't remember him and Chibana having a particularly good relationship.

Despite her thoughts, Mary's reply was quite swift.

"It'll be tonight. I made plans to go shopping with Yuri during the day, but did something happen?"

'Alright, I'll tell that guy, Zibana, to keep an eye on things. We'll discuss the details when you meet him. There might be a little trouble, but it's nothing serious; your brother can handle it.'

When Mary saw the message from her brother, she grinned, her dissatisfaction practically overflowing. Had his sister-obsessed tendencies gotten even stronger lately?

"It won't be too late. I'll go over after dinner, around seven or eight o'clock."

Okay, be careful when you go out these days. See you later.

'I see.'

Without closing Nie Zi's chat window, Mary stared at the last sentence for a while, wondering why her brother had suddenly said such a thing.

At least in Mary's eyes, when it comes to danger, the only Pokémon that comes to mind is Eternatus. She knows what Chairman Rose's purpose is, so she's not worried. Maybe there'll even be a chance to cooperate.

Unable to figure it out, Mary decided to stop guessing on her own. She wasn't weak; if she really ran into something, she could run away even if she couldn't win. Balu's speed was no joke.

Yuri didn't take long to take a shower; she probably just took a quick shower to wake herself up.

Not long after, Yuri emerged from the bathroom, dressed casually and steaming with moisture. She smiled as she dried her wet hair with a towel.

"Should we go to the east side of Motogakure City today? Part of the castle there is open to the public, or should we go to the more bustling commercial area in the west?"

After thinking for a moment, Mary said:

"Let's go to the east side first. The sightseeing shouldn't take too long, and then we can go to the commercial area. By the way, where did you visit last time?"

"Um... well, I was in a rush last time, so I didn't really get to explore much."

Yuri chuckled twice. Last time she came, she only bought some things in the commercial area and ate some good food. She didn't go anywhere else at all.

Bending down, Yuri picked up the hairdryer that hadn't been tidied up the night before from the nearby table, handed it to Mary, and said with a smile:

"Help me blow-dry my hair~"

"Sure."

Mary stood up, pulled Yuri to sit on the edge of the bed, then climbed onto the bed herself and turned on the hairdryer.

Yuri's hair wasn't long, not even reaching her shoulders. She raised her hand and ran it through her chestnut-colored hair; the wet feel wasn't very pleasant.

The noise of the hairdryer filled the entire room, so much so that the two of them fell silent in tacit agreement. Yuri sat in front, her hands resting on her lap, her legs swinging back and forth idly.

Feeling Mary's fingers brushing against his head, he really wanted to lean against Mary's chest, but remembering that his hair was still wet, he didn't dare to lean down, lest Mary have to change her clothes again.

Actually, these things could now be done by Thousand Faces or Trembling Salamander, but Yuri still prefers to bother Mari. Just like Mari habitually asks Yuri for help instead of Suzu-chan.

Once her hair was dry, Mary stopped using the hairdryer, smoothed Yuri's fluffy hair with her hands, and, ignoring Yuri leaning against her, carefully tidied the ends of her hair as she spoke:

"Speaking of which, I have something to do at the Kensei Arena tonight. I'm not sure when I'll be back, so Yuri, you can go to sleep first and don't wait for me."

"Hmm? What's up?"

"I don't know. My brother just contacted me and asked me to come over, but he didn't tell me what it was about."

"I see~ But if it's Marie-chan's brother, then will he be able to meet Kibana?"

"Um... most likely."

"Wow~ Could you get me an autographed League card?"

Yuri turned around excitedly to look at Mary, her face full of longing. Mary didn't mind, and said with a smile:

"I'll give it a try, I should be able to get it, but the card art might not be rare."

"Thank you, Mary-chan~ I love you the most!"

Chapter 207 The Messenger

After Yuri finished getting ready, the two of them left the hotel together. After having breakfast nearby, they took a car to the eastern part of Hammerlocke City.

"There are so many fewer people here compared to over there."

Yuri looked around. This area was a residential area, so there were definitely fewer people on the streets than in the commercial area. But if she went a little further and went to the tourist area, there would probably be more pedestrians.

Mary wasn't quite sure either, since it was her first time in Quanji City.

"It's a residential area after all, but the area around the station should be much more lively."

"It's better to keep things quiet; I like taking walks like this."

Yuri grabbed Mary's arm and said with a grin, "The weather is nice today." However, Mary tugged at her collar, somewhat wistfully thinking that summer was probably just around the corner.

"...Has the weather been getting warmer lately?"

"Because summer is just around the corner."

"At times like these, I really want to stay home and not go out."

Mary looked up at the sky and sighed. After all, the weather in Spiketown was usually cold and gloomy, and the seasons didn't change much.

"Home? In Sharp Nail Town?"

"Well, this year should be alright, going to Wuzi Town to escape the summer heat is a good option."

"Ah—I'd rather go to Battleground Town. We never see snow where I live, and I'd also love to experience the hot springs there!"

Unlike Mary, Yuri's hometown was spring-like all year round, and she had never seen what snow looked like. Rather than feeling cold, she was more inclined to have fun.

"Why don't you just have Little Sixtail blow a room full of snow for you? It's very cold over there."

"How can that be the same! Moooooo—!"

Hearing Mary's unromantic reply, Yuri pouted, clearly dissatisfied with the answer.

Mary shrugged. She was just saying it casually, teasing Yuri, since she looked especially cute when she was angry.

"Sorry, sorry, but I'll treat you to a hot spring bath later, okay? How about we book a hotel with a hot spring?"

"You said it yourself!"

"Of course, would I lie to you?"

The hot springs in Battlegrounds are indeed quite nice. The place is famous for its ice, snow and hot springs. However, although it is very close to Spiketown, the road is difficult to travel. Normally, you have to take a detour to get there, so Mary has not been there many times.

"Hehe~ I really want to get to Battleground Town soon."

"It's hard to say. The Fairy-type Gym in Dance Town is a tough hurdle; I might be stuck there for a while. By the way, how's Hop's challenge going? Have you contacted him recently?"

Yuri was taken aback when Mary suddenly mentioned it, then shook her head and said with some worry:

"Probably not yet. If they approve it, they'll definitely contact me. Is it really that difficult to get a Fairy-type Gym?"

"Anyway, according to my brother, the Popula Dojo Master is very strong, and it's said that he's been looking for a successor in recent years, so he might become stricter with younger people?"

Mary wasn't too sure either; she'd only heard the news, and while it was highly likely, there was no concrete confirmation yet.

"The successor... but what exactly is this 'pink' that the Popra Gym Leader mentioned?"

"Well, who knows? There's been no news of a successor so far. Maybe they haven't found someone they like yet?"

The two chatted casually as they strolled with their Pokémon to the open area of ​​the castle.

The train station was not far from the open area, and there were many people coming and going. However, when Mary and her companion went up there, they found that most people were going to the station, and only a few were visiting the area.

The open area of ​​the castle is only a small part on the east side, and part of the interior is also open to the public. It is filled with various objects, but they are probably all imitations. The real items should be stored in the treasure vault.

However, the atmosphere was quite nice; at least Mary and Yuri, who came to visit, found it quite interesting.

"Oh my, castles are so nice. I wish I could live in a castle someday."

Yuri looked completely lost in thought, it was hard to tell what it was that caught her eye. Maybe she was just letting her girlish heart run wild.

"Even without a castle, you can still be a princess."

"moooooooo—don't say such embarrassing things!"

Yuri weakly raised her hand and punched Mari a few times for making sarcastic remarks, but the reddened cheeks and ears completely extinguished her momentum.

Mary chuckled a few times, didn't resist, and just let Yuri vent her anger before walking out of the room.

The exit was located on an open-air platform with a fairly large fountain. Mary pulled Yuri to sit down on a bench nearby, intending to rest for a while and kill some time.

After resting for a while, Yuri suddenly tugged at Mary's sleeve, then pointed to a corner a little further away, and whispered in Mary's ear:

"Look over there, isn't there a little girl there? Is she lost from her family?"