AN: Whelp, Ash won.
And supersizing your Pokémon wasn't what ended up resolving the battle. Though it did feel a bit anticlimatic how it did end.
Bad news though: Marnie will likely not be showing up in the anime again except for maybe cameo appearances like Shy Guy did in the episode.
Which stinks given in the roughly twenty minutes she had to be in the anime this episode, I already ship her way more with Ash than I ever did ship him with Serena in the first 40 episodes of the XY anime-
?: SHOTS FIRED! RETALIATION!
What was tha- Holy crud! (Dodges a chair between thrown through my window at my window.) Was that the Amourshippers or XY Anime Fanboys?
?: How dare he besmirch our Goddess!
Definitely the Amourshippers. Quick think of something to say to appease them!
...
Ash should have traveled Kalos with Shauna instea- Boom!
?: Got him!
1! 2! 3! Let's Go!
Disclaimer: Still don't own Pokémon, it's anime adaption, or a lewd body pillow of Marnie that her fan squad like made but were forbidden by Piers and Marnie to never let see the light of day under the threat of getting a hug from a Bewear. If I did, you can definitely bet I'd have made Marnie and Allister, Ash's traveling Companions for Galar. (And I'd likely troll the Amourshippers by having Ash and Marnie hook up by the end of the first season of my take on a Sword and Shield anime.)
?: KILL HIM!
Gotta go, see you at the end of the chapter.
Spikemuth, Galar Region. The Spikemuth Gym. (Take 2: Victory Party.)
Marnie's gaze again went to the boy she had battled earlier today, as he and his friend enjoyed the performance Piers and the Maximizers were putting on to celebrate his win.
What is it about that smile of his that Marnie can't seem to keep herself from getting fixated on. 'It's a nice smile,' Marnie thinks her eyes going down to her Rotomphone to the picture she'd 'discretely' taken of him earlier with his Pikachu and Gengar as Trainer and Starter celebrated and congratulated the Ghost/Poison-Type on his well-earned victory.
Marnie sincerely hopes he never finds out she'd taken this without asking him so she could keep it in her Nice Smile collection with the ones she has of Hop, Bea, and some of the other friends she's made since leaving Spikemuth and becoming a Trainer.
If he knew she collects pictures of smiles, he might find her creepy and for some unfathomable reason the thought of that happening scares Marnie. Though she's struggling to understand why that is.
'Is it because I want to be friends with him?' Marnie asks herself not giving the excitement her fans, and the two boys from Kanto are raising in response to her brother's concert growing more intense, 'Can't be just because I like-like him. We just met today, and life isn't one of those silly romcoms where love at first sight happens that I got dragged into watching with Sonia and Nessa.'
Marnie let's a little amused snort pass her lips recalling the waterworks Sonia and Nessa had produced seeing that one weird movie about the lady and the Magikarp man, which Marnie herself had honestly felt was a bit disturbing. How'd that movie got award nominations, Marnie'll never know.
"What are you laughing about?" The voice of the boy who'd been in Marnie's thoughts of late asked snapping Marnie out of her musings and causing her to panic a little as she hastily stashed her Rotomphone before he could see the incriminating picture she has on it.
"J-just remembering a dumb movie some friends of mine roped me into seeing that they cried over for some reason." Marnie hastily responds trying to play it cool as his brown orbs peer curiously at her. Marnie prays to whatever Legendary Pokémon worships as a creator deity that the boy- Ash can't see the red color splashed across her normally slightly pale face.
Ash hums curiously in thought along with his Pikachu before responding, "Was it that movie about the lady who falls in love with a Magikarp guy?"
Her shock must have been apparent on her face as Ash explained some more, "Chrysa made me Gou, Chloe, and Ren sit through it with her. She ended up going through a whole box of tissues watching it."
"Chrysa?" Marnie asks curious, eager to know more about the Trainer from Kanto and his friends.
"She's one of Professor Cerise's assistants," Ash explains, "Me and Gou are his research fellows."
Marnie nods and figures this Ren must be another assistant of Cerise and she isn't exactly sure why she's a bit relieved this Chrysa sounds like an adult rather than a girl her and Ash's age, "And Chloe is?"
"Professor Cerise's daughter," Ash informs her his smile growing from ear to ear while in response to hearing that, Marnie's own lips start to downturn, "She couldn't be here to see my battle with you today, because she's busy with school stuff. That ends up being the reason she doesn't get to come along for as many of my and Gou's adventures unfortunately."
Marnie's expression grows more severe as now she's kicking herself for feeling like jealous earlier when it seems this Chloe girl is missing out on a lot of fun with Ash and his friend.
"I ended up falling asleep with Gou while Chloe just played with her Eevee and looked up stuff on her phone," Ash says pulling the conversation back to the terrible movie they'd both suffered through, "Ren couldn't do what we were doing because I think he was trying to win points with Chrysa watching it to the end with her."
Ash scratched his cheek and glanced away recalling how drained Ren looked by the movie's end and how the next day he had gone over how ridiculous that movie was with him and Gou in case Chrysa asked them what they thought about the movie.
Marnie's lips rose into a tiny smile as a giggle escaped her lips, she decided then to send her best wishes to Ren since he'll probably need them in case Chrysa drags him into watching more trashy movies with her.
Feeling the Ash's eyes on her she notes the soft smile he has on and looks curiously at him wondering what brought that on as he nods to himself, as if confirming something.
"You laugh's pretty nice to hear, Marnie." Ash states simply as if those words are fact and not a compliment that flusters Marnie once again, "I hope we can be friends so I can hear more of it and have lots of more battles with you."
Marnie dips her head and turns away as one hand moves to cover her lips to hide the sizable grin on them that hearing those words causes Marnie, "I- I'd like that to. I don't have very many boyfriends."
Only a second after those words are out of her lips does Marnie realize how off that sounds as she turns to Ash and tries to explain away what she said, "I mean boys who are friends, not boyfriends like boys I've dated! I've never had one before and-"
Just as quickly as those words come after her last ones does she realize she's giving too much information, "Th-that's not important, you don't need to know about my dating life or anything if you're not interested in hearing it, and-"
'What is wrong with me? Why can't I shut up!?' Marnie thinks as still somehow words are spilling out of her lips before she can stop them from digging a deeper hole in the ground as she can feel not only his eyes on her, but the eyes of the people around them who seem shocked seeing the normally cool and collected Marnie like this.
"Marnie!" Ash declares, raising his voice which startles her and thankfully enough gets her mouth to stop talking against her will.
Everything going on becomes far too quiet for Marnie's liking who stares at Ash in shocked silence as he looks at her with concern, "Are you alright, Marnie?"
He says those words softer this time, as Marnie tries to focus on him and not the stares or whispers of their audience. A glance in Piers's direction shows the music he and the Maximizers are making has stopped as he watches Marnie's interaction with Ash in silence. His own expression indecipherable as his eyes goes from Marnie to Ash and then back to her before going to Ash again.
Slowly Marnie nods, embarrassed and certain he must be able to see the blush across her face given how intently he's looking at her, "So you want to be friends?"
Marnie nods again, not trusting her mouth to betray her again as she tries to get her blush under control.
Ash grins and somehow that smile relaxes Marnie a little as he pulls out his Rotomphone and hands it to her so she can put her number in, "I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to come by here again, but I'd still like to talk and hang out with you whenever you have the time. This'll make doing that easier."
Thank Mew for Chloe teaching him the ins and outs of his Rotomphone, it's honestly a little sad he's had it for far longer than he has, but she knows how to use it better than he can. And did she really have to call him a Boomer when she explained how the Rotomphone worked?
Not that he minds knowing with it he can contact Professor Oak or Professor Kukui to ask them how his Pokémon are doing or can even use it to transfer his Pokémon around. Though Ash would have preferred Professor Oak not making the comment about how he has even less of an excuse to not switch his older Pokémon around with his current team.
Returning his attention to Marnie whose putting her number into his Rotomphone whilst she absentmindedly pulls out her Rotomphone and hands it to him to do the same. It's only when the black and pink Rotomphone's in Ash's hands and he unlocks it does Marnie realize something that makes her panic.
"Huh?" Ash comments seeing a picture of himself with Pikachu and Gengar that must have been from earlier.
A strangled sound escapes Marnie's lips as watches in dread as the picture she'd wanted him to never see is now before his eyes and there's no hoping of taking this back.
Ash blinks as he moves to another picture to see it's of Sonia throwing up Buneary ears with a teasing grin played across her lips next to an equally pretty blue eyed, dark-skinned girl with hair a shade of blue to who has a more relaxed looking smile directed the way of the person taking the picture.
After that is a boy who looks like a younger Leon with Thwackey beside him who are both sporting such bright smiles on their faces you'd think those grins could be used to mimic the effects of a Sunny Day.
The reason for their grins seems to do with an old lady in pink who seems really angry about something and is stomping the ground whilst Opal nearby watches this all play out, an amused grin of her own on her lips.
The last picture is a face Ash is actually quite familiar with, it's Bea whose enjoying sweet with Marnie and Allister. Given Marnie is in the picture with them, Ash figures someone else must have taken it for her so she could be in it.
All of them are grinning happily as they're enjoying some ice cream and cakes together. Even Allister looks like he's smiling despite still having his mask on. Whilst Bea's looks the most cheerful and relaxed between the three of them, Ash's past rival seeming to be at peace in Marnie and Allister's company if she's letting her guard down completely when they are with her.
Morpeko, and a Mimikyu that must be Allister's are there too and they seem to be sharing ice cream with one another. The latter somehow able to use it's tail to hold a spoon it's using to feed Morpeko.
Why couldn't Team Rocket's Mimikyu be as cute as this one?
Ash doesn't get a chance to see if there are any more pictures in there before the Rotomphone is snatched from his hands by it's proper owner and his own is shoved into his chest as he scrambles to grab a hold of it before it falls to the ground.
"I- I really wish you hadn't seen that." Marnie stutters, trying to hide the lower half of her face behind her Rotomphone as she holds it sideways. It's a futile effort since all it's doing is hiding her mouth, not the blush on her face that's redder than Ash's hat. Which if this were any other time Ash wouldn't deny himself in admitting it makes Marnie look really adorable.
He might have just found a girl to compete with Lillie, Lana, Bonnie, and Bianca when it comes to overwhelming cuteness. And if that picture of Bea is anything to go by, she could probably count too. Though if Ash told her that, she'd probably kick his butt.
Still he's not going to point out how trying to hide behind her phone isn't working and risk hurting her feelings more, instead Ash will try to figure out why she's so freaked out about him seeing her pictures, "Why? They're really nice pictures."
"B- But aren't they creepy that I have them?" Marnie manages to say realizing she's probably ruining the cool image Ash likely had of her earlier today.
"No, not really." Ash lets her know causing Marnie to blink, "Kind of wish you were around to take more pictures of the battles me, Pikachu, or my other Pokémon win. Gou's a terrible photographer. They always turn out blurry."
Hearing that in the distance, Gou turns and uses Leer on Ash.
It's not very effective though...
Suddenly Marnie's starting to feel pretty foolish she had built up this terrible reaction Ash would have to her pictures in her mind, "T-then can I... Ask you to take a picture with me? Your previous one's out of place with the others since I didn't ask you if it was okay to take it."
Why? Why is she getting so embarrassed asking him that, this should be no different from the times she's asked her other friends if she could take pictures with them. Distantly Marnie notes Piers and his Pokémon Band have started playing again and that everyone has gone back to enjoying the party.
"Sure! Can Pikachu and Gengar be in the picture too?" Ash asks as the Ghost-Type rises from behind Ash having hidden in his shadow. Gengar and Pikachu both give hopeful looks Marnie's way who can't deny them when they're both so cute. Before today Marnie never imagined a Gengar could be cute, but Ash's unusually colored Gengar pretty much made that an undeniable fact for her now.
Feeling Morpeko scurry up and climb onto Marnie's shoulders, hearing the word picture and figuring what's going on, the Electric/Dark-Type wants to be in the picture as well.
Moments later Piers is treated to the interesting sight of Ash and Marnie standing shoulder to shoulder with their Electric-Type starters sitting on their opposite shoulders whilst Gengar hovers behind the two with his eyes glowing a light blue as Marnie's phone hovers above the five them via Gengar's Psychic ready to take a picture.
Gengar snickers as he throws up Buneary ears behind Ash and Morpeko's heads as his Trainer and Marnie both use their pointer fingers to pull their lips into one of Marnie's trademark smiles that Piers knows has stolen the hearts of many here in Spikemuth and in the rest of Galar, just in time for the Rotomphone's camera to record it for posterity.
Piers himself grins and hopes they'll be seeing a lot more of that kid from Kanto, even if some of the Team Yell people here are a little less than happy with how cozy the kids getting with Marnie.
Though a few of the girls in the team seem to be a different mind as he can hear a few of them mutter something over and over again about ships.
The tagalong kid Ash brought seems a bit put out he couldn't have gotten in the picture as he approaches, but a quick assurance from Marnie lets him know she wouldn't mind adding his smile to her catalog.
Piers will have to grill the hat-wearing kid from Kanto about what his intentions for Marnie are later, and of course he's definitely teasing Marnie about that boyfriend thing earlier. That's the best part about being a big brother after all.
Right now, he's got to dedicate a song to his sis's new friends.
AN: Moral of the story kids: Don't count your Torchics before they hatch.
Also yeah, for those who recall the Gengar from the first episode of the Journeys anime and some others who've shown up in previous seasons to Ash's Gengar, it's a darker shade of purple compared to Ash's whose purple is what Gengar has had in the main series games since FireRed and LeafGrean.
Also this chapter may have been a little more shippy than I intended. Oh well, not like the Amourshippers can get mad at me for it. (Dodges another chair thrown at terminal velocity aimed for my head.)
?: How many times do we need to teach you this lesson old man!?
My other ideal for this chapter was to have Marnie troll Serena by smooching Ash on tv for everyone across the (presently) 8 regions to see.
?: So you have chosen death!?
Whoever guesses what the lady and Magikarp man romance movie was supposed to be in reference to gets a cookie.
Anyway, I got to go before the Rabbid subsect of the Amourshipping fanbase get the picthforks and torches out.
Until next time fellow Marnie simps and readers, bye-onara!