"Ooh, where are they?"
Marinette was apprehensive on how this day would turn out. Waiting in her living room while her Pokémon played about, she ran through various scenarios in her head on what could potentially happen while she, Alya, Nino, and Adrien babysat Manon. Considering that this was Marinette, a good number of such imagined scenarios wound up being worst possible situations in which Manon's innocent Mankey business would wind up injuring Adrien, such as reopening his head injury from a flying frying pan (or was it a drying pan) and making it worse, ultimately causing him to file a restraining order against her and hate her forever.
Fortunately for her, Togetic ensured she didn't dwell within her insane and overactive daydreams for too long, lifting her spirits up with a sprinkle of her joy dust.
"Thanks for that," Marinette sighed, receiving delighted chirps from Togetic in response. "I shouldn't be so wound tight over this. I babysat Manon plenty of times in the past. I've always survived by the end of the day, although she is a few years older now. Does age make her craftier in driving me nuts?"
"You're seriously questioning if Manon is deliberately making your life miserable?" Alya's voice intruded. Sure enough, Marinette turned around to find her best friend standing by the open doorway, waving without a care in the world. "I let myself in, just so you knew."
"You're here early," Marinette commented.
"I figured you'd be panicking," Alya explained, pausing upon noticing a small red bruise on Marinette's forehead. It appeared as though it was fading away, but her inquisitive nature compelled her to ask regardless. "Uh, girl, what's up with your forehead?"
"My mom thought it'd be like 'old times' if she sent Fletchling to wake me up," Marinette pouted. "I don't sleep in that long anymore. I would've had enough time to get up and prepare to train and babysit without the rude Peck awakening."
"Better safe than sorry, y'know," Alya shrugged. "This is technically early for you, no offense. Electabuzz misses being your alarm clock."
"You're not helping," Marinette deadpanned.
"And you're too cute," Alya grinned back. "Anyway, I know you have experience babysitting, but thanks to my quick thinking, Adrien, Nino, and I are now involved in your little misadventures."
"Alya, I told you I didn't need you to help me with this," Marinette fretted.
"Not when you don't have an effective strategy against Nadja and her Electric-types," Alya pointed out. Marinette tilted her head up and let out a strangled groan, having forgotten about the issue. "You're lucky I know you too well. You're gonna need all the help you can get."
"Is that so?" Marinette questioned wryly.
"Yeah, with my Electabuzz for field practice and Adrien's experience in battling Nadja yesterday, you should be more than ready by tomorrow morning for your Gym battle," Alya assured. "This battle's definitely going to spark high ratings."
"… Wait, what?" Marinette responded, eyes widening with incredulity as her bluebell pupils shrunk at the same rate.
"Girl, did you forget that Nadja televises her Gym battles?" Alya prompted. Marinette felt herself starting to wilt, though Alya continued to speak. "It fits her nature as a television reporter to do so. It gives future challengers an opportunity to learn from Nadja's battle style, but even then, she proves her power as a Gym Leader to throw them off guard with new tactics and moves from knowing that they studied from her previous battles. Kinda clever and risky, isn't it?"
"Ohh, I can't handle battling in front of a camera, where millions of viewers are watching me, especially Adrien!" Marinette bemoaned. "I'm too self-conscious!"
"Then how are you going to battle in the Kalos League?" Alya shot back, hands on hips. "It's also good mental prep for battling in front of large crowds, even if you can't see them or pay much attention to them, not that you should. Besides, you're not that self-conscious."
"Fair point," Marinette relented. "I guess I overreacted on that one. I can handle battling in front of a lot of people, but how did you know about this?"
"Seriously?" Alya laughed. "Girl, you're so out of the loop." She held up her phone, which conveniently had a video player up and on pause. "I managed to get a recording of Adrien's battle. I wasn't kidding when I said Adrien's experience is gonna help you. It is the most recent."
"Oh," Marinette mumbled in understanding.
"I'm sure you're aching to watch it," Alya added matter-of-factly.
"… Uh-huh," Marinette nodded feebly.
She quickly got close to Alya as her friend shifted her phone to horizontal style for better viewing. But before Alya could tap the play button, a couple of knocks where heard coming from the doorway. As if the timing was inopportune, they found Nadja standing outside the doorway, waving a hello while Manon smiled from behind her mother's legs.
"Morning, girls," Nadja greeted. "I'm dropping off Manon."
"Hi!" Manon giggled before her observation of her babysitters prompted up a memory from yesterday. "Hey, I thought there were gonna be two guys too!"
"Adrien and Nino?" Alya muttered thoughtfully. "They should be on their way."
"I've got to go now, so sorry for the abrupt greeting and all," Nadja announced, bending her knees to reach Manon's eye level. "You be a good girl for Marinette and her friends, okay, Manon?"
"I will, Mommy!" Manon beamed as mother and daughter gave each other a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hee hee hee!"
"Thanks again, Marinette," Nadja said graciously as she prepared to leave. "Don't get in too much trouble, Manon. I love you."
"Love you too!" Manon responded. "Bye-bye!"
She, Marinette, and Alya saw Nadja off. It wasn't long until Manon's attention was captured by Marinette's various Pokémon going about at their leisure in her living room that her excitement shot through the roof. She was practically a blur, inspecting her Pokémon repeatedly in a matter of seconds while making indistinguishable excited noises.
"Whoa…!" Manon gasped. "Marinette, is this all your Pokémon? They're so cute! Ooh! I love this one!" Tikki couldn't catch a break from little children as she was ensnared in Manon's inescapable embrace. "Marinette, didn't this used to be a Ledyba?"
"That's right," Marinette affirmed. "Tikki evolved since I last babysat you and she's much stronger now."
"How strong?" Manon prompted.
"I think this is the perfect time to train if Manon is willing to watch," Alya announced.
"Are you two going to battle?" Manon asked, tilting her head to the side curiously.
"You might say that," Alya said, tapping her fingers together rather suspiciously. "Say, Manon, you said something along the lines of wanting to be an awesome Pokémon Trainer like Marinette, right?"
"Yeah!" Manon cheered. "I love Pokémon! Mommy sometimes let me play with her strong Pokémon. I want to go around and catch 'em all! And then I'll challenge Mommy and Marinette to a battle and win!"
"Those are some big dreams you've got there, Manon," Alya remarked airily, facing Marinette next. "It's all the more important that you have as much time to train as you can. Even Manon understands this. What do you say we show her how serious you are?"
"Hey, after you battle, can we battle next, Marinette?" Manon suggested. "I wanna help too!"
"I don't know," Marinette mumbled, looking away doubtfully. "You're still too young, Manon."
"I'm not young!" Manon complained, childishly stomping her feet. "I've watched Mommy battle tons and played with her Pokémon! I have experience! Promise! Please?!"
"Uh, well," Marinette hesitated.
"Pretty please?" Manon used Baby-Doll Eyes.
"Ooohh…" Marinette still couldn't prepare a mental defense sturdy enough to fend off that move.
"Chillax, Marinette," Alya interceded. "It'll be supervised. I'll even let her use Electabuzz since she probably has experience with Electric-type Pokémon."
"Why are you on board for this?" Marinette questioned skeptically.
"Do you have any other plans to keep her entertained while training for your Gym battle?" Alya responded knowingly.
"Well… no," Marinette deflated. "I'm just surprised Manon is all for me going against her mom."
"Mommy told me it's her job as Gym Leader to allow only the best Pokémon Trainers to compete in the Kalos League," Manon clarified. "Aside from that guy that battled her yesterday, a lot of Trainers wind up taking a lot of rematches just to get her badge. They battle better and it's always exciting to watch them show off their new moves! That's how awesome my mommy is."
"Well, well, for a 'little angel,' she understands the concept of losing pretty well," Alya concluded.
"That's not how I remember it," Marinette frowned dubiously. "Alya, you weren't around when Manon and I did Pokémon battle virtual simulations years ago."
"Ooh, you always won those battles!" Manon whined, sticking her tongue out defiantly. "Don't bring them up! That's not fair! They weren't even real Pokémon battles! I'll beat you in a real battle, Marinette! Count on it!"
Marinette smiled nervously in response. As flattered as she really was on how much Manon looked up to her, the younger girl was always too high-strung for Marinette to handle alone. Back when Marinette was still in Lumiose Academy and only had a Ledyba for a companion, she would entertain Manon by showing off Tikki, taking her around Lumiose City under Nadja's restrictions, and participating in virtual Pokémon battle simulations. Being older and more experienced, Marinette would easily defeat Manon, to which Manon would throw a tantrum over. And if she tried to go easy on her for the latter, Manon would easily find out and call her out on it. As such, it was a lose-lose situation as Manon would wail about the outcome either way.
"C'mon!" Alya alerted, quickly picking Manon up, much to her sudden amusement, and placing her on Marinette's shoulders before tugging her BFF along. "Crying over losing is not going to help any of your cases if we don't get started."
Before Marinette knew it, she found herself outside of her family bakery with Manon laughing along the way and Alya dragging her along as her feet moved unconsciously to avoid wearing out her shoe soles. Her awareness caught up when Alya abruptly stopped and Marinette crashed into her back. Manon was unaffected as she was out of reach on Marinette's shoulders, giggling with childish mirth before calming down.
"Alya, what the hel-lo," Marinette couldn't bring herself to stay angry, considering the person who was now in their path.
"Hey," Adrien replied, appearing a bit winded. Marinette immediately noticed that his head bandages were gone, thus Adrien was back to his pristine self and she was allowed to have peace of mind. "Sorry I'm late. Apparently, the Trainers back at the Center took the sign that my injury being healed up as an opportunity to challenge me to a Pokémon battle. Nino and I were stuck in the Pokémon Center as a result."
"Where's Nino?" Alya followed up.
"Funny story about that," Adrien chuckled, nervously scratching the back of his head. "Given my status, I can't turn down challenges. But… there's nothing that prevents someone else, aka Nino, from taking the challenges on my behalf."
"You left him?!" Alya scolded.
"I didn't want to, but we needed to reach out to you about our situation," Adrien explained, holding his hands up defensively. "The Trainers back in the Pokémon Center weren't giving us the time of day so I couldn't message you. I had to battle a couple of times, but at the rate challengers were popping out, we were going to be late. So Nino drew their attention away from me so that I could escape."
"Wow, even in town you can't catch a break," Alya remarked kindly. "Sorry to hear that, Adrien."
"Y-Yeah, sorry," Marinette added her condolences. Manon watched her favorite babysitter curiously. "A-Are you beeling fetter…? I mean, feeling better?"
"It didn't really hurt," Adrien replied. "I needed the bandages to prevent infection. Anyway, Nino will catch up with us in no time. He's a strong Trainer and his battle beats knocks off everyone's socks."
Meanwhile at the Pokémon Center…
"Loudred, Echoed Voice!"
The powerful concentrated soundwaves emanating out of Loudred's mouth blew the opposing Kabuki Trim Furfrou across the battlefield and sent the Poodle Pokémon tumbling along the dirt. Furfrou didn't get up after that attack.
"No fair!" Furfrou's Trainer complained, recalling the fainted Pokémon. "I'm supposed to be battling Agreste's son, not you!"
"Sorry, not sorry!" Nino grinned, high-fiving his Loudred. "Look, anyone that wants to take a crack at my bro has to get through your boy Nino first."
"Why are you talking like that?" another Pokémon Trainer waiting at the side questioned.
"Y'all are just haters," Nino rebutted. "You see me as some washout reject compared to Adrien and that's probably true to some extent, so I'm only being what you see me as. Besides, I'm not letting you dudes lay one Poké Ball on him. Even Adrien needs a vacay, and Arceus does he need it."
"Tch, I'm not wasting any more time here," a third Trainer scoffed, making his way to the exit while sending his irritated glare at Nino. "I'm going to find Agreste mysel−YOW!"
He apparently forgot that Nino sent a couple of his Pokémon to block the exits as to prevent them from going after Adrien unless they swear on their honor as a Pokémon Trainer that they wouldn't pursue him. In this case, this Trainer walked right into Nino's Maractus, who conjured up a Spiky Shield as commanded for anyone leaving without permission.
"Gee, isn't that a bit extreme?" another random Trainer commented concernedly.
"This was my favorite shirt!" the third Trainer whined, examining the puncture holes he received from the Spiky Shield with utter disgust. "You dumb Muk!"
"Hey! Language, dude," Nino chuckled, holding his hands up. "You knew what you were getting yourself into when you attempted to challenge Adrien." He recalled Loudred and pulled out a new Poké Ball in place. "So… who else wants some bad beats beatdown?"
"I see," Alya nodded. "Cool. Can you tell him to meet us at the battlefield nearby Marinette's home? We're gonna help her prepare for her Gym battle."
"The Lumiose Gym is pretty tough," Adrien concurred. "Mind if I help out?"
"Yes! I mean, yes," Marinette corrected herself immediately following her outburst, much to Adrien's confusion and concern. All the while, Manon was perplexed the entire time she was on Marinette's shoulders. "Yes, I really need the help. Yes… please?"
"Any additional insight you have from your battle will surely come in handy," Alya prompted, holding up her phone and showing the paused video still active.
"Oh, looks like you already got a recording of my battle," Adrien commented. "It'll let you know what Pokémon she uses and what moves they'll likely know, but be warned that she'll purposely change things up for you since she expects her challengers having studied her beforehand."
"Hmm, in that case, maybe I shouldn't watch the video," Marinette pondered.
"Girl, are you insane?" Alya questioned. "Wait, I already know the answer, but still! You need all the help you can get."
"I know that, Alya, but if watching the video is going to put me at a disadvantage, then it'd be better to take my chances and mix things up myself," Marinette reasoned. "All I need to know is that Nadja specializes in Electric-types and that should narrow down the kinds of moves her Pokémon can use."
"That doesn't sound like a bad idea, Marinette," Adrien remarked, much to the dark-bluenette designer's bashful delight. "By not watching the video or any previous recordings, you won't subconsciously expect Nadja to perform the same tactic from the videos had you watch them."
"Wait, wait!" Manon chimed, raising a hand up. "So then, that means for Marinette to win against Mommy, she shouldn't watch the video because she knows how Mommy battles by not watching if Mommy knows she watched it, but she didn't?"
"Um, something like that," Marintte grinned shakily, inwardly confounded by her younger ward's logic.
"Oh, okay," Manon accepted before another curious thought came to mind as she shifted her gaze from Marinette to Adrien and back. "Hey, Marinette. Is he your boyfrie−?"
"GAAAHH!" Marinette suddenly shouted with flailing arms, instinctively catching on to what she was about to ask. This was not how she wanted her feelings for Adrien to be revealed. "Ah… uh… um… whew…"
"Marinette, are you okay?" Adrien asked.
"Don't worry about her, A," Alya intervened, much to her best friend's eternal gratitude. "Manon squeezed her neck with her legs. Her neck is very sensitive, y'know."
"Oh," Adrien managed to nod, still bearing a concerned look as Marinette calmed down.
"Manon, don't make such hasty accusations!" Marinette whispered in a hiss.
"Did I do something wrong?" Manon asked, not understanding why Marinette overreacted the way she did.
"We'll talk about it when you're older," Marinette concluded in a slightly louder volume, but loud enough for Adrien to hear.
"But−."
"When you're older!"
Manon puffed her cheeks as she pouted and folded her arms. She heard that excuse many times now from both her babysitter and her parents. She felt she wasn't that young anymore. Only a few more years until she would turn ten years old and could officially become a Pokémon Trainer, but that would be if she would immediately head out without considering the additional Pokémon education that Lumiose Trainer Academy had to offer. Honestly, she hated being this restricted, but that was the way life went as a little girl. But she will show Marinette and her own mother that she was more than capable of doing great things at her youthful age.
"You guys are so cray-cray," Alya sighed before perking back up. "I love it. C'mon and let's get going already."
Before another discussion regarding different approaches in Marinette's preparation for her Lumiose Gym battle, Alya grabbed the sleeves of both Marinette and Adrien as to tug them along to the initial destination of the spare Pokémon battlefield residing nearby Marinette's home. Before Marinette knew it, she found herself at one side of the battlefield with Tikki as her selected Pokémon while Alya opposed her from the other side with Electabuzz. Adrien was in charge of Manon this time as the both of them were relegated to the sidelines. Since this was merely a practice battle, a battle judge was not necessary.
"Remind me why I'm starting with Tikki?" Marinette demanded.
"You have two Flying-types and one Water-type on your team," Alya explained. "You'll most likely deal with the standard formal three-on-three battle rules." She glanced over towards Adrien, who nodded back in confirmation. "You have Kirlia and Swadloon, the latter having electrical resistance and Protect. This battle's gonna help you decide on a strategy for your third Pokémon. It's probably safe for me to guess that you won't use Feebas for this battle. I mean no offense, but as far as I know, Feebas is probably not suited for a high-leveled Gym battle, not yet anyway."
"I've been training her during my spare time," Marinette interceded. "She still hasn't fully mastered Ice Beam, but she's getting there. It's just a matter of not having it break apart upon release."
"That leaves you with Tikki and Togetic," Alya resumed. "You know your Pokémon better than I do, so it's up to you to find out what moves and maneuvers you want to use for tomorrow."
"But what if I can't?" Marinette voiced worriedly. "I feel like I should've caught a variety of Pokémon by now, at least one Ground-type had I remembered Mrs. Chamack."
"Oh, Marinette," Alya sighed, pressing her fingertips upon her forehead. "You've been in worse jams before. Let me show you. Electabuzz, go!"
"Wait!" Marinette cried out. "I'm not rea−!"
Her pleas fell short when Tikki was struck with a quick but painful Thunder Punch. Tikki wound up distracted by her fretful babbling that she couldn't foresee and evade a rudimentary elemental punch. Fortunately for her, it appeared that Electabuzz held back this time as Tikki climbed back into the air while residual static electricity temporarily discharged from her carapace. She brushed it off with a mighty flex of her limbs, waiting for Marinette to get her head in the game to give her a command.
"Not holding back," Alya reminded, wagging a finger brazenly. "Thunderbolt back to back!"
"Tikki, dodge!"
Now that she was focused on the battle, so was Tikki. The Five Star Pokémon spun to her left to avoid the first Thunderbolt. She barrel-rolled to the right to evade the next one. The mass of sparking one-hundred thousand volts moved fast, meaning her reflexes had to be faster lest she would end up as one fried Ledian.
At the same time, Marinette furrowed her brows in concentration. Dodging constantly was going to be pointless as Tikki would soon wear out, not to mention that her intelligent opponent was bound to pick up on her flight patterns the longer the attack barrage drew out. She needed to think of some sort of defense against Electric attacks or else she would be at a severe disadvantage.
"Electabuzz, Low Kick!"
Marinette's thought process came to an abrupt halt upon witnessing a swift-footed Electabuzz instantly appearing in front of Tikki while in midair. Electabuzz swung a leg from behind as if to trip Tikki, disorienting her balance from the bottom by sweeping her legs, while sending a hand to slap down against one of her shoulders to push her down to the ground.
"What the?!"
"You also have to be prepared for a non-Electric-type move," Alya warned. "Don't underestimate moves that you know Flying-types have an advantage against."
"Wow, this explains how Marinette got to be so strong," Adrien remarked in esteem. "With an awesome friend like Alya to push her, there's nothing she can't do."
"Hey, when is it my turn to battle Marinette?" Manon asked, pulling him by the arm to get his attention. "I'm bored."
"I, uh, I don't think it's up for me to decide," Adrien mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "Did Marinette allow this?"
"Yes!" Manon bawled, startling Adrien with the intensity of her cry. "I can help! I have experience!"
"Oh, um, how about we wait for them to finish," Adrien suggested calmly.
Manon continued to pout, but said no more as she crossly folded her arms and resumed watching the ongoing practice battle. It was rather one-sided with Tikki still evading every attack Electabuzz threw at her. From long-range Thunderbolts and Discharges to Thunder Punch and Low Kick physical confrontations, this seemingly impossible scenario was really forcing Marinette to think on her feet. As flashy and hot-blooded as the skirmish started out, it was becoming increasingly boring. Tikki did attack back, but her Mach Punch and Silver Wind attempts were easily brushed aside, thus remaining one-sided.
Her decreased interest in the practice battle, added with the present possibility of her not actually being able to participate in helping Marinette train, opened her attention to her surroundings. In particular, Manon's ears picked up the sound of rustling bushes while Adrien still remained invested in the battle. A tiny orange Pokémon peeked out of the bushes.
"Nenne?" the Pokémon squeaked.
"A Dedenne!" Manon tittered in place. "Mommy doesn't have one."
While Nadja did have a handful of powerful Electric-type Pokémon to use for her battles, Manon was sure that Dedenne wasn't numbered among them despite being a Kalos native. She seen them on books and online, but this was the first time seeing one up close. She snuck away from Adrien to the bush that the Dedenne was currently residing in while the Antenna Pokémon looked up at her curiously. Wild Pokémon in urban areas were rather uncommon, but it wasn't impossible. If this Dedenne was indeed a wild one, the Pokémon probably wandered from the grassy outskirts of town to explore the big capital of the Kalos region. Manon didn't care about the circumstances. All that matter that there was a cute Pokémon right in front of her.
"Ne-nenne?" the Dedenne mumbled with a curious head tilt.
"You're so cute!" Manon squealed.
Her hasty display of affection astonished the Dedenne enough for the Antenna Pokémon to retreat back into the bushes. Manon blinked successively, comprehending that the Dedenne just fled. Thinking that the cute Pokémon wanted to play hide-and-seek, she giggled and dove into the bushes to look for the Dedenne. It wasn't hide-and-seek anymore when she saw Dedenne skitter along the sidewalk. Tag was just as much fun as hide-and-seek, and so Manon went on with the nonexistent game, completely forgetting about her babysitters of the day.
Speaking of such, Adrien gained some additional insights for Marinette from watching their ongoing practice battle. Considering that Marinette was a very resourceful and open-minded individual, she might hopefully appreciate this particular advice.
"I don't know much about Togetic's new battle style, but there's a way for Tikki to fight back against Electric-types," Adrien mused to himself before speaking aloud. "She's really come far, hasn't she, Manon? … Manon?" The lack of a response caused him to turn and discover the reason. Manon was no longer by his side. Adrien's eyes widened in shock as he felt his throat uncomfortably swell. "Oh, no…"
"Are you even trying, girl?" Alya goaded. "This is becoming a total snoozefest."
"You're the one with the type advantage," Marinette huffed. "What else did you think was going to happen?"
"A miraculous miracle?" Alya responded wryly. "Maybe it'll happen this time. Electabuzz, use Discharge! No holding back!"
"Tikki, Mach Punch!"
Tikki climbed up in the air quickly before taking a steep dive with an outstretched powered fist leading her. Her line of sight was limited to Electabuzz, who began generating a large amount of wildly crackling electricity in his horns. She could do it. She could land a solid hit before Elecatbuzz could fry her up. Her fist in his face should put him down. Maybe that ought to be enough to take out Electric Pokémon in one hit.
"Stop the battle!" Adrien bellowed.
"Adrien?!" Marinette yelped.
Sensing that her Trainer was distracted, Tikki looked away too at the approaching blond boy. The Five Star Pokémon didn't realize that she was nosediving too quickly, her Mach Punch going into the ground instead of Electabuzz. Her boosted uncontrollable speed combined with her punch enhanced by her Iron Fist stirred up an impressive wall of dirt that, needless to say, submerged Electabuzz. Marinette was quick to catch the aftermath with Electabuzz coughing and sputtering from his front side being splashed with dirt while the electricity in his horns had diminished.
"What's going on?" Alya demanded.
"Uh, not to raise a red flag, but…" Adrien drawled delicately. "… I lost Manon."
"You what?!" Alya and Marinette screeched at him.
"Adrien, you were supposed to be in charge of her!" Alya chastised.
"I'm sorry!" Adrien held his hands up. "I got caught up with the practice battle that I didn't realize she slipped away. She was hoping she'd get a chance to participate."
"What are you talking about?" Alya asked.
"She said something about helping Marinette train for her Gym battle," Adrien explained. "Did you allow her to participate?"
"Oh, about that," Alya hummed as the memory came back to her, exchanging glances with Marinette. "What time is it now?"
"It's nearly been an hour since you started," Adrien stated. "I'm impressed how long you and your Pokémon lasted."
"Oh, Arceus, we did promise her," Alya sighed.
"Were you serious about that?" Marinette questioned.
"Of course," Alya replied, raising a brow at her. "If children see that you're sincere in your promises, they will follow. It's how I've been able to get my siblings' obedience whenever I babysit them. What were you thinking, Marinette?"
"I… I don't think Manon is old enough to command a Pokémon," Marinette admitted. "I'm responsible for her."
"Marinette, it's not like we're giving her a Pokémon," Alya argued. "And besides, we're here for you and Manon. She'll be supervised. And trust me. I've handled stuff like this before. I know every tip and trick to get my sisters to behave when I want them to."
"Oh," Marinette deflated, feeling ashamed. "I should've trusted you more."
"Hey, if anyone's to blame here, it's me," Adrien intervened. "I lost track of her. It's my fault."
"No, it's not," Alya shook her head. "You said you never babysat before. We should've taken that into account more seriously, just as we should've if you guys somehow had to bail. Speaking of such, how's Nino doing?"
"No response," Adrien muttered, holding up his phone. "I'm thinking he's stuck in another battle at the Pokémon Center."
"Alya, Adrien, listen please," Marinette spoke up, getting her thoughts and bearings together. "For as long as I've known and babysat Manon, there really is no secure plan to follow with her, which is how I've learned to improvise before leaving on my journey. Arguing about what could've been and placing blame is just going to waste time. We need to act now and find Manon."
"Lumiose City is a huge place, not to mention confusing for newcomers," Alya added.
"The best course of action is to split up and find her," Adrien declared. "We'll have to hope she didn't go into the outskirts of the city."
"She won't," Marinette assured. "Even Manon knows it's not a good idea for her to wander outside of Lumiose City. She'll stay within the city limits. She couldn't have gotten far either."
"There might also be the possibility that someone might've found her," Alya mumbled, catching Marinette's horrified expression from the corner of her eye. "Let's hope it doesn't come down to that."
"What do we do?" Adrien asked.
"Okay, here's what we'll do," Alya proposed. "I'll check out the Vernal and Estival Avenues as well as part of the South Boulevard where the Academy and Damocles's lab are. Marinette, you check the avenues within Jaune Plaza and Vert Plaza to the east, where the Lumiose Station is and where the North and South Boulevards intersect. Adrien, you cover the Autumnal and Hibernal Avenues as well as the remaining parts of North Boulevard. Message me if you find Manon. Otherwise, we'll meet up in front of Prism Tower in two hours. Got it?"
"Yes," Marinette and Adrien nodded.
Before long, Adrien sent Plagg out to aid him as they went off north. Marinette watched their fleeting forms in earnest admiration before she and Tikki departed to search the east, leaving Alya and Electabuzz to scout out the local area of the south.
Alya opted to start at Centrico Plaza after scouring out Bleu Plaza, where she and her friends were around. She would then make her way south along Vernal Avenue before making a round trip up Estival Avenue on the way back to Prism Tower. Given how large and active these streets were, Alya was sure she would be pushing her luck with the limit of two hours. She felt bad for Adrien and Marinette, who had to venture further out to different sections of the city. Even though she lived in Lumiose City for only a few years since moving from Alola, Alya was well experienced with the whole city layout, exploring every alleyway she could find for scoops. She was confident that her friends were able to bear the responsibility of exploring this large City of Light.
She checked the clock in her phone. A half-hour had passed and she nearly combed through Vernal Avenue. In the short distance at the end of the road stood the Damocles Pokémon Lab. It was practically yesterday that she and Marinette visited the leading authority of Pokémon for confirmation on her findings on Mega Evolution, as well as the mysterious legend of the Bond Phenomenon. She couldn't dwell on that now as there was an unsupervised little girl wandering about in the big Kalosian city.
"Electabuzz, do you see her?" Alya asked.
"Ele," Electabuzz shook his head.
"Darn it," Alya grumbled, snapping her fingers. "Let's try Professor Damocles's lab next. Maybe he can help."
Treating the situation with a leveled head, just like with any trouble her sisters would give her at home, Alya calmly approached the front yard of the lab with Electabuzz trailing behind, ever vigilant in case Manon happened to be nearby. The area felt abnormally quiet. Maybe it was the tense circumstance she was in now, but Alya felt the Pokémon lab was usually livelier than this.
She wasn't far from the truth when Electabuzz barked out a warning that made Alya freeze in her tracks. Had she made another step, she would've experienced a face full of a fireball aimed from one side. Alya saw the fireball hit the grass on the other side. The power was weak as it barely scorched the grass. At its worst, it would've simply frizzled her hair and left her face and glasses covered in soot.
Alya rolled her eyes, knowing full well the culprit behind the ambush and continued forward to the entrance without a second thought. Electabuzz appeared concerned, but didn't say anything as he obediently followed her inside.
"Fehn," the mischievous instigator growled, hopping out of her hiding spot.
That bespectacled human girl returned to Damocles's lab under the unlikeliest of odds, and again, she refused to acknowledge her and her harmless prank. Granted, spitting out that weak Ember was a prank thought up at the last minute up seeing her approaching the lab, but that still should've counted for something. Even her Electabuzz lackey was frightened and upset by that ambush. Fennekin swore she won't be ignored the next time that female human came back to the lab now that it appeared that she appeared to be dependent on Professor Damocles for help. Or maybe it was to taunt the Fox Pokémon over her inability to upset her. In any case, Fennekin scampered back into the lab, plotting her newest irksome prank to finally get a rise out of that girl called Alya.
Moving along, Alya entered the foyer, seeking out Professor Damocles or Caline for assistance when a startling discovery was revealed before her eyes. Electabuzz shared her gobsmacked gaping look.
"But why can't I be a Pokémon Trainer?!" Manon whined, holding up a small orange Pokémon in front of the professor and his aide. "I have a Dedenne I can start with!"
"Erm, I'm sorry, miss, but I can't give you a Trainer license, even with your experience as the Lumiose Gym Leader's daughter," Professor Damocles cleared his throat. "I don't have permission from your parents to authorize such circumstances nor have you reached the age requirement of starting your Pokémon journey."
"Please, let me take you back to your caretaker," Caline offered.
"No!" Manon wailed, stomping her feet. "I wanna be a Pokémon Trainer now!"
"Manon, stop!" Alya intervened sternly, her scolding stopping the younger girl's tantrum. "What are you doing?"
"Y-You're not Marinette!" Manon retaliated, pointing at her viciously while the Dedenne in her hands sought refuge on top of her head. "I don't have to say anything to you!"
"Oh, really?" Alya challenged, adopting a thoughtful pose with a finger tapping her chin. "You want to be a Pokémon Trainer like her, if I'm correct. What will Marinette think about your behavior now? Is this behavior worthy of a starting Trainer?"
"N-N-No," Manon whimpered, using her arm to wipe away her tears. "B-But I'm tired of everyone saying I'm too young to do anything. You didn't even give me a chance to battle with Marinette! It's not fair!"
"Manon, there's a reason that there's an age restriction for kids to wait until they're at least ten to start a Pokémon journey," Alya explained sincerely. "It's a huge responsibility to take care of yourself and your Pokémon while traveling and making your dreams come true. You lack the maturity and mindset to be a legit Trainer. You don't know everything. You just need to be a bit more patience for the next few years. Even I didn't start immediately turning ten. I attended Lumiose Academy for four years after moving here to help increase my knowledge in Pokémon. Marinette too."
"Marinette and Alya were really good students of mine," Caline added, tenderly patting Manon and the Dedenne on their heads, much to their enjoyment. "If you really want to follow Marinette's footsteps, you're welcome to enroll into Lumiose Trainer Academy."
"Really?" Manon mumbled.
"You'll have to give up four more years before you can start your journey," Alya reminded. "That's the benefit of being young. You still have time to decide if you actually want to continue your Pokémon education or start your journey upon reaching ten. You don't have to decide now, Manon."
"I-I get it," Manon nodded. "I'm starting Jr. Trainer School soon. I'll ask Mommy and Marinette for help. But…" She cupped her new Dedenne friend in her hands. The Antenna Pokémon gazed up to her expectantly. "What do I do with Dedenne? I went out of my way to catch it."
"It's a boy Dedenne, if I may clarify," Professor Damocles spoke up.
"Afraid that's out of my jurisdiction," Alya grinned, holding her hands up.
"Will Marinette catch Dedenne for me?" Manon asked hopefully.
"Uh, nothing against the girl, but as much as I love her, she's not gonna give back Dedenne if she catches this one," Alya answered. "Dedenne is her favorite Pokémon and part of her dream future. Your best bet now is if your mom allows it."
"Ohh, she's never gonna let me keep him," Manon pouted, stomping in place.
"Wait! I think I've got an idea," Alya announced, pounding a fist into an open palm. "But first, let's let Marinette know so that she doesn't worry herself to death as usual."
Manon felt remorseful enough for causing all this trouble, even after receiving a bit of scolding from Marinette once they reunited back at the battlefield they started out in less than an hour later. It was pretty much Marinette venting out her worried state towards Manon, but fortunately for her, Alya came to her defense and settled her frustations. It also sort of helped that Marinette was still susceptible to Manon's Baby-Doll Eyes. All in all, the dark-bluenette designer was simply grateful that Manon was safe. Her frustration was immediately forgotten once her bluebell eyes fell upon Manon's passenger.
"Ohmigosh! A Dedenne!" Marinette squealed, scooping the Antenna Pokémon up in her hands and placing him near her face. "Ooh! I love Dedenne! I've always wanted to nuzzle one!"
Her careless wording made Dedenne think she was calling out one of his moves. As such, he rubbed his cheeks against hers with greater intensity, generating static electricity that instantly fried Marinette, leaving her frozen in place as she collapsed with electricity discharging out from her body in periodic intervals.
"Girl, girl, girl," Alya softly facepalmed while Manon watched curiously. "Heh, I wonder if Dedenne wants to be your new alarm clock."
"Was that an attack?" Manon asked.
"That was Dedenne's Nuzzle," Alya responded. "Dedenne thought Marinette told him to use Nuzzle."
"Ohh," Manon nodded in understanding. "Okay, now I know one attack. Can Dedenne and I challenge Marinette to a battle now?"
"What do you think, Marinette?" Alya inquired as her BFF recovered from her momentary shock-induced paralysis. "She's really itching to show off. Well, that or she needs a bath."
"I don't need a bath!" Manon yelled back indignantly. "I already had one this morning!"
"We did promise her," Marinette mumbled. "As long as you're supervising her, Alya. But do I really have to fight this little cutie?" She held up Dedenne, who was then taken back by Manon. "Aw…"
"Sorry, Marinette, but finders keepers!" Manon declared, holding up Dedenne in her hands while dancing victoriously.
"Personally, it's not too early for her to get started in learning how Pokémon training works," Alya affirmed, facing a different direction. "Adrien, you haven't said anything since we found Manon. Feedback?"
Adrien was caught off guard upon being singled out by Alya. He was pleased that Manon was safe and they were all back together, but most of Manon's business was usually handled by Marinette, which was why he was fine staying quiet in the background. He had been thinking about Nino, worrying if he was still stuck at the Pokémon Center. Before he could consider messaging him again, Alya wanted him to share his opinion on allowing a young child like Manon to engage in a battle.
"If you're asking me, then I'd say it's up to her," Adrien shrugged. "I was forced to learn how to battle around her age in order to be very proficient later on when I started my journey. I didn't have a say in it, which is why I'd let her decide. If she wants to try Pokémon battling, then by all means."
"That's some useful feedback, A," Alya replied. "Thank you."
"Well, I'm ready to get started," Marinette said, calling out her Togetic while Tikki flew off to the side. "I've already gotten some ideas for Tikki. Now I want to try Togetic."
"Okay!" Manon exclaimed, racing off to the other side of the battlefield while Dedenne went along with the activity and entered the battlefield to face off against Togetic. "We're ready here too!"
"Then you can have the first move, Manon," Alya announced. "Do you know what other moves Dedenne can use?"
"I have an idea," Manon grinned confidently, facing Marinette and Togetic. She felt her heart pound rapidly. She was experiencing a live Pokémon battle for the first time. She was too excited. She wanted to go all out. "Dedenne, Thunder!"
"Nenne?" Dedenne murmured, looking back at her with a confused look.
"Oh, no, do you not know Thunder?" Manon questioned.
"Sorry, Manon, but since the battle started, I'm going to attack and not hold back, because I know you don't like that," Marinette muttered apologetically. "Togetic, Dazzling Gleam!"
"Dedenne, Nuzzle!"
Manon immediately countered with the only move she knew Dedenne was capable of. The Antenna Pokémon attempted to charge in after generating static electricity from his cheeks, but the brilliant rays of the Dazzling Gleam knocked him back. He rolled a couple of times before stopping on his stomach, but promptly got back up.
"Yay, Dedenne!" Manon cheered. "Let's try something else! Um, Thunder Shock?"
She had guessed correctly this time as Dedenne generated a weak spark of electricity, casting it upon Togetic once she ceased her Dazzling Gleam. The move was super effective, but her incredible special defense shrugged it off. If anything, Marinette could rely on Togetic tanking attacks well enough, but considering that Nadja was no ordinary Pokémon Trainer, she ought to not press her luck on that trait.
"Great job, Manon," Marinette commended. "Togetic, use Extrasensory!"
"Thunder Shock again!"
The telekinetic waves clashed against the yellow jolt of electricity at the center of the battlefield, remarkably resulting in a stalemate. Manon could feel her energy rising higher. The rush of a Pokémon battle was getting to her.
"Sweet Kiss!"
"Dodge!"
Togetic blew Sweet Kiss after Sweet Kiss, sending out cherubic projectiles to hone in on the scampering Dedenne. The Antenna Pokémon proved to be pretty speedy as the Sweet Kisses broke apart upon touching the ground.
"Now Togetic, let's mix things up! Metronome!"
The Happiness Pokémon pointed her nubby arms up as they started to glow and waved them back and forth rhythmically. The power of Metronome was unpredictable, though to Manon, she thought it was some sort of hypnotizing act the way Togetic was swaying her arms. After a few passing seconds, a bright light flashed from her arms, shielding her from everyone's sight. This move was expected to be big.
When the immediate light died down, Togetic was seen bouncing up and down on the ground.
"That's Splash," Adrien commented.
"… Huh?" Marinette gaped comically.
"Now's our chance!" Manon tittered. "Dedenne, Nuzzle!"
Dedenne scurried over to the preoccupied Togetic, throwing himself at her and affectionately nuzzling against her as static electricity paralyzed her. Togetic found herself down on the ground, unable to move as electricity discharged from her body at erratic intervals.
"Togetic, are you alright?" Marinette called out.
"I'm gonna win! I'm finally gonna win!" Manon shrieked. "Dedenne, use Thund−YAWN…"
Before she knew it, Manon wore herself out from all the excitement as she appeared to be wobbling in place. Her enthusiasm, while in the right place, caused her to overexert herself. She couldn't stay awake long enough to finish the command that she nearly collapsed. Or she would've fallen asleep on the ground had not Adrien been quick to react and catch her.
"I think it's time to call off the battle," Adrien announced, carrying the tired Manon in his arms while Dedenne made himself comfortable in his luxurious hair. "I knew this was bound to happen. She's not used to battling yet."
I wonder if I faint now Adrien would catch me too, Marinette thought, slightly envious of the sleeping little angel in his arms.
"Marinette, stay sharp," Alya slapped her back, snapping her BFF out of her thoughts. "Let's head back to your place and call it a day."
"Huh? Uh, yeah," Marinette agreed, recalling Togetic and adding a mental note to give her a Cheri Berry as soon as they're home.
"Do you feel ready to face Nadja tomorrow?" Alya inquired. "Did you learn some useful things from the practice battles?"
"I have ideas I'm going to try, but it'll depend on how the Gym match will turn out," Marinette explained. "Let's eat. I think Mama prepared something hot for us."
Later in the day…
"Hi, Marinette," Nadja greeted from the doorway of the Dupain-Cheng living room. "I hope Manon has behaved herself."
"It was the same old, same old," Marinette surmised. "More or less."
"Oh?" Nadja prompted, eyeing her daughter holding a Pokémon in her hands. "Does that include having her play with your Dedenne?"
"Um, actually," Marinette giggled nervously. "This Dedenne isn't mind, as much as I want him to be."
"Dedenne is a wild Pokémon that Manon befriended," Alya added.
"Manon," Nadja spoke in a warning motherly tone. "What did I tell you about handling Pokémon, especially wild Pokémon?"
"But Mommy!" Manon cried out, hugging Dedenne defensively.
"Mrs. Chamack, please let me explain," Marinette interceded before Manon broke down crying. "Manon is really talented for a child her age. And she's really eager to begin learning how to raise a Pokémon."
"It's true," Alya continued in her stead. "Just for fun and to see if she was actually ready to take care of a Pokémon, she and Marinette had a practice battle. Manon was totally awesome, especially since the Dedenne is still a wild Pokémon. He obeyed and followed her along without objection."
Nadja appeared pensive, but still didn't make a comment, worrying Manon greatly.
"Listen, Mrs. Chamack, I take full responsibility for this," Marinette declared. "I'm sorry for going behind your back about Manon's well-being and her handling a Pokémon, but−."
"It's fine," Nadja sighed, cutting Marinette off.
"I'm sorry?" Marinette repeated.
"To be honest, I knew this day would come," Nadja smiled besides herself, placing a comforting hand on top of Manon's head. "I've been handling Manon's education and interaction with Pokémon. While I don't really approve of you exposing her in such a manner, it did help me understand I should be more mindful of her progress. I believe Manon will be a remarkable Pokémon Trainer someday, if that's what she wants."
"Yes, Mommy!" Manon exclaimed. "I want to be as strong as you and Marinette! And then I'll challenge the both of you to a Pokémon battle and win! I almost beat Marinette and I could've if I stayed awake!"
"Settle down, Manon," Nadja laughed, combing Manon's hair with her fingers. "I believe you. I know Marinette and her friends are responsible enough that they were able to supervise you in handling a Pokémon. Tell you what." She knelt down even closer to look her young daughter in the eye. "If you're really serious about this, I'll capture Dedenne for you if you promise to take good care of him until you're ready to become a Pokémon Trainer."
"Really?!" Manon squeaked.
"I'll talk about it with your father, but I'm sure he'll approve either way," Nadja smiled.
"Ooh! Thank you so much, Mommy!" Manon shrilled, clamping onto her mother around the neck affectionately while Dedenne leapt out of her hands to avoid being squashed. "I promise! I'll take really good care of Dedenne!"
At the side, Marinette, Alya, and Adrien watched in fondness over the happy ending.
"I'm glad she's an understanding parent," Adrien commented with a wane smile.
"Um, you okay, Adrien?" Marinette asked quickly.
"It's nothing," Adrien waved off. Marinette learned to differentiate his real smiles from his false ones, but didn't want to press the matter if he wasn't up for it. "Thank you though."
"This is an ideal world we live in," Alya remarked. "Although, I can't help but feel we forgot something."
Back at the Pokémon Center…
"Seriously!" a Pokémon Trainer snorted. "How long are you going to keep us here?"
"No one's leaving unless ya'll swear on your honor to not pester Adrien while he's still in Lumiose," Nino stated rather tiredly. "Do it as a favor for your boy Nino. C'mon and give it up already."
"Fine," the remaining Trainers relented. "We'll leave Agreste's son alone until he steps foot outside."
"Finally," Nino sighed, falling onto his back, but was held up by one of his Pokémon. The other Trainers were able to leave after giving their word. "This day was too insane. Adrien, you owe me big for this."
"Toise Blastoise," the Pokémon holding him up responded.
"At least there was some good that came out of all this insanity," Nino laughed. "You gained enough experience to finally evolve. I was wondering when that would happen, Blastoise."
"Blast," Blastoise shrugged.
"Oh, yeah, gotta check my messages," Nino mumbled, pulling out his phone and scrolling through his list of notifications. "Ah, geez. I missed out on the whole babysitting gig. I hope Adrien didn't lose track of the girl. He lacks so much experience outside of Pokémon battles."
"I still can't help but feel guilty over all of this," Adrien sighed. "I was the one who lost track of Manon after all."
"But if it wasn't for that, then Manon wouldn't have befriended a wild Dedenne and we wouldn't be here now," Alya reasoned. "Not to mention that Manon would've probably been bored with us."
"It's okay, Adrien," Marinette asserted. "You're forgiven."
"Thanks, guys," Adrien smiled, to which Marinette felt herself involuntarily smile back. This was a real smile of his she adored. "I should get going. Thanks for letting me be a part of the whole babysitting experience. I'll see you at Marinette's Gym battle tomorrow."
"Wait, you're coming to watch?!" Marinette squeaked inaudibly, her face flushed red. However, Adrien didn't hear her and left after waving a quick good-bye. "… He's so considerate. He's coming to watch me?"
"That's what he said, girl," Alya smirked.
"Ohh, pinch me~," Marinette sighed dreamily, falling into Alya's arms. "Adrien is finally going to watch me battle in a Gym!"
"You know he's watched you battle before," Alya pointed out.
"But this is different!" Marinette insisted. "There's no room for error this time! I have to do my best so that he'd have a high and better opinion of me. The dream is coming true, Alya."
"Another dream of yours could've come true early had you caught Dedenne instead of Manon," Alya added.
"That can wait," Marinette waved off. "I'll find another Dedenne with Adrien and we'll have that Dedenne as the family pet."
"Life goals, girl," Alya nodded. "Life goals."
I'll admit that I was stuck with writer's block for this chapter on top of the usual laziness. I also had a bit of fun instilling a bit of Guzma (mainly that memetic line of his) into Nino according to an anonymous review I got quite a ways back. Sorry I don't remember your name, but thanks for the suggestion. At least Nino has shown true loyalty to his best bud.
Manon was interesting to write as I was trying to find an appropriate balance for her childish behavior. And her near victory over Marinette was supposed to allude to the fact that her akumatized form nearly defeated her in the actual show. To be honest, I was initially going to have Manon battle against Alya instead with our little Fennekin friend getting involved, but I have different plans for that mischievous fox. Either way, I guess I wanted to portray Manon in a more positive light instead of having her as her usual bratty self, even though I don't see her as that bratty, but still.
Next on deck is Marinette's Gym battle. It's sure to have some shocking (Bleh…) results.
Please review!