Pokémon from Galar

After doing all that, Mary walked over to the Rapidash and Ponyta, who were squatting quietly together nearby.

"Hee hee hee~ (Thank you all~)"

The little horse was quite lively. Seeing Mary approaching, it ran over in a few steps, rubbed against Mary's waist, and licked Mary's hand, looking very cute.

"Hiss—(I am so sorry, humans, because of us you were attacked. I am willing to atone for my actions.)"

Although the Flaming Horse could vaguely sense that the person who attacked her earlier was deliberately forcing her this way, in the end, she was the one who forced the stranger to protect her and her child.

"It's alright. To be honest, you're the ones who suffered an innocent disaster. How are your injuries? How about coming to the city with us tomorrow for a thorough check-up?"

Mary stroked the little horse's soft mane. If it weren't for the two hunters she had attracted, neither the Fiery Horse nor the little horse would have been attacked.

"Hissing sound—(Thank you very much, humans.)"

Sensing that Mary didn't intend to continue arguing about the topic, the Flaming Horse had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"Let's get some rest tonight."

Marie reluctantly let go of the little horse's mane, the fluffy, soft texture making it hard to part with.

Chapter 235 Actually, a kiss would have been enough.

Mismagius, accompanied by two Pokémon hunters, left the Mystic Forest first.

The burly man's injuries were more severe; his left arm was completely severed at the shoulder, with charred muscle, blood, and fabric mixed together. This, combined with the effects of high-temperature dehydration and the energy ripples from the final divine bird strike, further exacerbated his condition.

If he hadn't received timely medical treatment, he probably wouldn't have survived until the time of the Alliance's interrogation.

Gengar continued to burrow into the shadows, wary of a possible second wave of sneak attacks.

Although the probability is not high.

Meanwhile, Mary and Yuri, who had crawled into the tent, lay together, unable to sleep. To be precise, it was Yuri who was having trouble sleeping.

"This is a mega stone... It just looks like a glass bead."

Under the dim light, Yuri held the two translucent gems in her hands and examined them closely.

"Well... you really can't tell anything when you're not using it."

Mary smiled, turning to the side. This unexpected gain excited her. Mega Evolution was renowned, but evolution items were quite rare.

While there are channels available, those from the private sector generally require a certain level of trust and passing tests, while those from the official sector depend on whether there is enough money and whether the background is clean.

In general, it's not too difficult for Nie Zi to get a Tyranitar evolution item if he just wants to get one for himself, but it's not easy if he also wants Marnie.

So this time, having obtained a complete set of Mega items, bartering would make things much easier.

"I did some research, and it seems that only a small percentage of Pokémon can Mega Evolve?"

Yuri put down what she was holding and asked curiously,

"Well... strictly speaking, only a small number of Pokémon's Mega Stones have been discovered. Theoretically, every Pokémon has this possibility."

"I see—"

Yuri nodded, snuggling against the pillow. She didn't dwell on these academic questions too much, since she didn't have any Pokémon in her team that could Mega Evolve, so there was no point in thinking about it too much.

"Go to sleep early, we have to go back to Suchuan Town tomorrow."

"Ah."

Yuri hummed in agreement, then giggled and snuggled into Mary's arms.

"I can't sleep, can you comfort me?"

"..."

Looking down, Mary met Yuri's smiling eyes and was a little flustered. How could she know this?

However, he still reached out and hugged Yuri, then gently patted her back and said softly:

Are you afraid of what happened before?

"...Marie, you really don't know how to comfort people. I'm not a little baby."

Yuri twisted her body, wanting to laugh a little. Although she had only made up an excuse on the spur of the moment to get Mary to coax her, she hadn't expected to be so clumsy.

"Uh……"

Upon hearing Yuri's words, Mary's cheeks flushed red, her hands froze, and she stammered, unsure of what to say.

"Pfft... Are you shy?"

Yuri tilted her head back, and although Mary tried her best to avoid Yuri's gaze, she still saw Yuri's flushed and hot face.

"..."

Mary didn't speak, tilted her head, closed her eyes, and steeled her resolve, intending to play dead.

Seeing Mary's tendency to escape reality for the first time sparked Yuri's playful side. She kicked her feet twice under the covers to move herself up so she could face Mary directly.

"..."

Seeing that Mary still refused to open her eyes, Yuri suddenly leaned over and gently breathed into Mary's ear. Feeling the girl's trembling body as she hugged her, she chuckled.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Mary opened her eyes and glared at Yuri, who was snickering, with a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment.

"Stop fooling around and go to sleep."

"Ah, it's open."

Yuri tilted her head back again, looking like she was trying not to laugh. Just as Mary was about to do something, Yuri suddenly tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and kissed Mary's lips.

After pausing for a short while, Yuri pulled her neck back, then smiled with a slightly flushed face and said:

"Actually, all you have to do is give me a kiss."

"……you,"

Mary stared blankly at Yuri, speechless. How come she hadn't realized Yuri was so bold before?

"What……?"

In fact, Yuri herself had to muster up the courage to kiss him after a long time. Since hearing Mary's confession, although the atmosphere seemed to have become more intimate these past few days, their daily interactions had hardly changed.

Unable to fathom Mary's thoughts and too afraid to ask her directly, Yuri decided to take the initiative herself.

"No...it's just—"

As Mary spoke, she lifted her hand from Yuri's waist and placed it on Yuri's shoulder, looking directly into Yuri's eyes.

"I think your kissing technique is a bit off, so I'd like to teach you the proper way for adults to kiss."

After saying that, ignoring Yuri's bewildered expression, he forcefully pressed her down beneath him, then lowered his head and kissed her, prying open Yuri's teeth in one swift motion.

Actually, it wasn't that Mary didn't want to do something, it's just... after all, the two of them were too young. With so many memories, Mary found it difficult to make up her mind to do anything deeper with a girl who was just over ten years old.

Even though he expressed his feelings that day, he actually wanted to comfort Yuri more than anything else. So in their daily interactions, he maintained necessary boundaries and distance, restraining himself from crossing the line.

However, Mary, who had never been in a relationship, only considered her own restraint and failed to take into account the possible changes that might occur with Yuri. After all, she was such a shy person that she subconsciously overlooked that possibility.

Yuri's initiative in stealing her first kiss was something Mari never expected.

Since it was Yuri who took the initiative, then it's okay, right?

Thinking this, Mary grabbed Yuri's shoulders, turned her over, and pinned her down.

……

The next day, Mary, having packed her luggage, took Yuri's hand and headed in the direction of their return journey.

Looking at Yuri, who would blush and look away as soon as she met her gaze, Mary began to wonder if she had gone too far last night.

While I did manage to resist a little, I shouldn't be this shy.

Sighing, Marie tightened her grip on her intertwined hands and looked away. What could she do? She couldn't force Yuri to look at her anymore, especially with all the Pokémon around them watching.

"Hiss~ (Two humans, let me lead you away.)"

The fiery horse, with its keen sense of perception, noticed the atmosphere between the two, so it took the initiative to walk up to Mary and bend its neck.

"Um, is that okay?"

"Hiru~ (Of course, you are my and my child's savior, please accept this small favor.)"

"……Oh well."

Mary nodded, then explained to Yuri before mounting the fiery horse. Mary supported Yuri, who was huddled in her arms, too afraid to look up, and silently gave the fiery horse a thumbs-up.

Chapter 236 Nie Zi's Call

The Flame Horse was faster than Marie had imagined, carrying the little Pony through the Mystic Forest as if strolling leisurely, not only steady but also fast.

Compared to the nearly one-day hike that Mary and her companion had taken, the fiery horse carried them back to Su Chuan Town in just two or three hours.

This is because of consideration for Ponyta's speed and stamina.

After dismounting from Rapidash, Marnie thanked them, then looked at Gengar, who had popped its head out beside her, and said:

"How about I go to the Pokémon Center with Yuri first, and then go see Gym Leader Onyx?"

"Hehe~ (Whatever you like, but you can actually just come to the gym, there's hardly anyone here anyway.)"

Mary blinked, as if that made sense, and nodded knowingly with a smile, saying:

"Then let's go straight to the dojo."

Once inside the city, Mary and her companion relaxed and patted the somewhat uncomfortable Flaming Horse beside them, since many passersby were staring at them.

After arriving at the Ghost-type Gym, they handed over their Pokémon and Rapidash to Nurse Joy, and then went to a conference room with Yuri.

Because of the two hunters yesterday, Onio didn't stay at the gym. Instead, he went with Bea to handle the related cleanup work.

Those two Pokémon hunters were clearly smuggled in from other areas. If they hadn't been caught, or if they hadn't been caught alive, that would have been fine. But now that they've been captured by the Gym Leader and are being held in a League medical facility, there's a lot more to do.

"Ha... Marie, what are we going to do tonight? Stay in Suchuan Town for the night?"

Feeling a bit bored, Yuri lay on the table, fiddling with her Rotom phone, and called out weakly to Mary.

"Let's go straight to Dance Town. We've already been delayed for so long. It'll be quick if we have the Flame Horse take us there."

"Is that so? But speaking of Dance Town, I've never been there before. It's said that it relies entirely on those luminous plants for lighting."

"Hmm... I haven't been there either, but relying entirely on plant lighting is a bit of an exaggeration, although it's true that you can hardly see any sunlight."

"I'm really looking forward to it. I've seen photos of it before and it looks like a beautiful otherworld. I'm so glad I can finally go there in person."