Marnie quickly scrolled past yet another of Marcus's obituaries on social media, the 3rd one she'd seen since sitting down at the kitchen table;
Local Boy-Champion Meets Lugia, Gets Gusted Into Tree, Can't Get Down, Starves.
"Peko Mor…?", Morpeko inquired with a hint of concern as she peered at Marnie's phone screen from her place on her trainer's shoulder.
"No, Morpeko, he ain't actually dead", Marnie reassured the small Pokemon in her typical nonchalant demeanor. "Ya can't go believin' everythin' ya read online, y'know."
None of these posts held any truth whatsoever, this she knew without a shadow of a doubt. By now, everyone in Galar knew about the champion's extended leave into the Crown Tundra, and had taken to the web in droves to speculate about his whereabouts and well-being. Thus, a plethora of blatantly absurd troll-posts surfaced, none of which made any sincere effort to seem earnest in their delineations of the champion's "demise".
From this, it was easy to deduce that any such posting on the web was nothing more than the result of a bunch of internet trolls' imaginations running wild, and should be taken with a grain of salt and nary a second thought.
Even with that said, however, Marnie couldn't help but feel a little worried for Marcus's well-being. She'd much more easily be able to tolerate all of the troll-posts and satirical eulogies preemptively depicting her boyfriend's death had it not been for the added fact that he'd been radio-silent since his departure. That was three months ago, and she still hadn't heard anything from him.
She twirled an index finger in small circles through her jet-black hair, which fell untied and untamed along her shoulders. I get you're on an expedition n' all, she thought to herself, but is it that hard to just send a text once in a while?
Eevee had come to recognize this gesture as one of Marnie's nervous ticks, and quickly scampered over to her trainer's side, nuzzling her head gently against Marnie's ankle in her best attempt to comfort her.
Marnie felt the rubbing against her ankle and looked down from her phone to see the ivory-furred Pokemon looking up at her with deep emerald-green eyes filled with worry for her trainer. "Aw, Eevee", Marnie hummed with a titter. "I'm alright, really", she reassured with a gentle smile, picking Eevee up off the floor and taking her into her lap.
I just wish he'd call is all…
Eevee gave a worried frown; she knew something was bothering Marnie behind that smile of hers.
Marnie continued to scroll through her phone until she came across a poorly-photoshopped picture of Marcus trapped under a pile of snow, captioned off by yet another "obituary";
Champion of Galar Toppled by Gentle Breeze, Stuck Inside of Small Snow Pile (Send Help Pls).
Marnie couldn't help but chuckle at this one; out of all of the phony statements she'd seen so far, this one was easily the most believable to her.
She finally pulled herself out of her phone, switching it into sleep mode and setting it on the table in front of her before placing her head within the palms of her hands as her elbows rested on the tabletop.
Big dork… I knew I shoulda just gone with ya...
It wasn't that Marnie was worried about the worst-case scenario; if the battle against Eternatus proved anything, it was that Marcus was more than capable of looking after himself and staying safe, even in the most hostile of environments. What concerned her were the smaller details about his condition. Was he making sure not to push himself too hard? Was he remembering to wear a jacket in the snow (something she's noted vocally to him time and time again that he's notoriously bad at) so as not to catch a cold? She almost felt a little guilty, not being there with him to help look after him in ways she knew he often didn't for himself.
Among all else, though, she missed him. Their relationship together had only truly begun to blossom just weeks before he announced his plans to leave for the Tundra. Originally, he had offered to bring her along, and she almost took him up on it; who wouldn't want to spend time with their significant other catching rare and powerful Pokemon and uncovering the truth about some of Galar's most deeply-rooted legends? However, her duties to the Spikemuth Gym and to the city's revitalization efforts inevitably kept her tethered to the mainland. And while she was proud to be doing the work she was doing, she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't feeling a little lonely, and the lack of communication over the last few months certainly didn't make matters any easier.
Knock knock knock
A sudden knock came to the front door, bringing everyone around the table back to the world around them.
It's still pretty early, Marnie thought to herself as she took to her feet. That's probably the mail gettin' delivered.
With Eevee tucked under her arm and Morpeko still standing atop her shoulder, Marnie made her way to the front door of the house.
Thud thud thud thud thud
Another knock, this time heavier and in more rapid succession.
"Chill out, will ya? I'm comin'!", Marnie shouted. Informal as this may seem, she already knew exactly who was at her doorstep.
With a swift twist to the right with her hand, she unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door to the outside. There stood a portly man wearing black leather jeans and a Spikemuth Gym t-shirt beneath a black denim vest that was frayed where the sleeves would be. He carried a dark brown satchel, which hung slinged over his right shoulder.
"Why y'always gotta make such a big commotion, huh?", Marnie asked as she held open the door, a look of stoic annoyance on her face.
"G'mornin' to you, too, Marnie", the man chuckled with a grin. "I didn't realize it was pajama day at the Gym already", he teased.
Marnie blushed. "C-cut it out, Earl!", she chortled as she used her free hand to clutch the zipper of her sleepwear; a Morpeko-onesie she'd won from a carnival game a few years ago. "It's my first day off in weeks, lemme have this, will ya?"
He smiled heartily. "Sorry, sorry, couldn't resist", he laughed. "I'm always pokin' at your brother 'bout that first thing in the mornin', too, y'know?"
All of Spikemuth was an extended family to Piers and Marnie, and Earl was no exception. A regular session-drummer for her brother's musical endeavors, a former-member of Team Yell, and the mailman for the suburban district they lived in, Earl watched Marnie grow up from a crying toddler into the proud and powerful young woman she now was. Everyone in the city felt great pride for Marnie and her accomplishments, but for Earl, who had gotten to know her well over the years he'd spent delivering mail to her and her brother, it felt a little more personal.
"Speakin' o' which", Earl continued, "where is the tired bugger, huh?"
"Conked out on the sofa in the basement", Marnie answered. He n' some o' his friends had a late night out in Circhester last night."
"That right, huh?", Earl asked, somewhat surprised by her response. "Never figured Piers the type to go out n' party."
"Normally he don't", Marnie said with a shrug, "but the way he tells it, I was workin' late at the Gym, n' Gordie was offerin' food... Piers's always lookin' for an excuse not to have to cook for himself."
Earl tittered. "Yeah, that sounds like Piers, alright. What about you? "'Nother rivetin' night o' watchin' Pokemon beauty contests?"
"...Maybe", Marnie replied, feeling somewhat called out by that remark. "Why? You tryin' to say I need to get out more?"
"No, no, I ain't sayin' nothin'", Earl hummed with a grin.
Marnie chuckled as she jabbed Earl's belly gently with an elbow. "You got somethin' for us or not, Earl?", she finally asked.
Earl smirked. "Cuttin' to the chase now, are we? N' here I was thinkin' we were havin' fun." He reached into his bag with his left hand, pulling out a modest stack of letters. "There ya go, kid; everythin' for both you and Piers today", he said as he handed Marnie the handful of mail. "I sorted it all out for ya, shouldn't be too hard to discern whose stuff is who's."
Marnie nodded with a small smile as she took the mail into her own hand. "Thanks, Earl."
"Not a problem!", Earl replied. "Welp, that's enough lollygaggin' from me, eh? Better get back to my route." He turned away, taking his first steps down the stone stairs of the doorstep. "Have a nice day off, Battle Princess."
Marnie clenched her jaw slightly behind a grin; something about being called that still felt a little weird to her, and Earl knew that. "You'd best start runnin' 'fore I find somethin' to throw at ya, wise guy", she threatened in jest.
Earl laughed, a jaunty guffaw that echoed through the neon-lit underground complex their neighborhood was built within. "See ya 'round, Marn", he said with a gentle wave.
. . .
Eevee squirmed in Marnie's arm as her trainer locked the front door behind her; she had had enough with being held, and wanted now to freely prance about on the floor. Recognizing this, Marnie smiled and placed the snow-furred Pokemon on the ground before making her way back into the kitchen with Morpeko on her shoulder and the mail in hand. She began separating the mail as she walked, and by the time she returned to the kitchen, she'd identified all of Piers's mail and placed it in a neat pile on the table. A stack consisting of some bills, an envelope from one of the local concert venues, and roughly a dozen letters reeking of various perfumes and decorated with painted kisses sat in wait for Piers as he slowly crept into the kitchen.
"Who was that?", he asked amid a low yawn.
Marnie gestured to the stack on the table. "Who do ya think?"
Piers looked over at the pile of mail before letting out a tired sigh; he could already smell the conflicting aromas wafting off of it. "Y'know, fanmail was kinda cute at first… nowadays, it usually just borders on creepy."
"What's the matter? Life of a rockstar too much to handle?", Marnie teased. "Maybe you should call it quits n' come back to the League."
Piers smirked. "Don't tempt me, punk", he replied, "I might just challenge you for the gym."
"N' I'll beat you hollow, n' you'll fall flat on your face", Marnie retorted without a moment's hesitation.
"Yeah, you're probably right 'bout that", Piers chuckled softly, as if anticipating a response like that from her. "Guess I'll have to stick to sufferin' as Galar's favorite rock star… woe is me", he uttered sarcastically.
Marnie tittered, making her way over to the staircase leading upstairs. "I'm gonna get ready to head out for a bit, you want me to bring you anythin'?"
"I thought it was your day off, where you fixin' to go this early?", Piers asked.
Marnie held the small stack of her own mail up in front of herself. "Chairman Aster likes to drone on in his letters. I can't ever get through 'em without workin' up a good buzz first."
Piers raised a sarcastically suspicious brow as he smirked. "A good buzz, huh?"
Marnie sighed. "Caffeine, Piers", she groaned, "ya know I'm just goin' to the cafe up the road."
"I'm just sayin', kid; word-choice is everythin'", Piers teased. "Take it from a lyricist."
"You want anythin' or not?", Marnie asked again with a humoured grin.
"Nah, I'm okay", Piers replied in a light-hearted mocking tone. "Figure I can fix up my buzz off o' somethin' 'round the house today."
"Aw, stow it already, ya git", Marnie chuckled.
With Morpeko still on her shoulder and Eevee now following closely behind her heels, Marnie made her way up the stairs towards her room in order to prepare herself for the day to come.
. . .
It was a lovely day in Spikemuth; while the sun may not have been shining through the bedrock canopy that overlaid the skyline, the commerce, energy, friendliness, and continued progress of the city had made just about every day in recent memory a lovely day for Spikemuth. Houses that once sat vacant along the end of Marnie's street now glowed with the life of new neighbors - in one driveway, a pair of twins played basketball with a Riolu and a Tyrogue, while across the street, an Indeedee could be seen braiding a little girl's hair.
The little girl perked up as she saw the young Gym Leader taking her morning stroll along the sidewalk, recognizing her signature twin-tailed hair and pink dress immediately. "Good morning, Miss Marnie!", she called out gleefully.
Marnie smiled warmly and waived back; the admiration she'd been receiving from the young neighborhood children lately never ceased to flatter her.
The shift in energy wasn't limited to her suburb, either. Since Chairman Aster and Macro Cosmos began working with Spikemuth to rebuild and revitalize, the whole city had seen a remarkable influx of traffic in the form of both tourists and new residents. Neighborhoods and apartment complexes were being built or refurbished to accommodate for the droves of people seeking to move there. Hotels were also constructed in order to give travelers an adequate place to rest their heads at night.
As the people continued to fill in every corner of the city, businesses continued to bloom and grow. Schools, libraries, and hospitals had begun opening across Spikemuth, meaning that people would no longer have to trek all the way to Circhester or Hammerlocke for these necessities. Restaurants unboarded their windows, garages began building and repairing vehicles, local concert venues began sprouting up all over town in nearly every district. Marnie's favorite music store, which shut its doors nearly five years ago, was now open for business once again.
Things were looking up for Spikemuth, and that optimism showed widespread across its people. As Marnie walked deeper into the city, she could hear the hearty laughter of a friendly conversation between two strangers waiting for a bus. She could taste the aroma of cinnamon rolls wafting from a nearby bakery into the air. She could see the joy on everyone's faces - people she'd known all her life as they endured their previous misery through the sheer power of a fake smile - as they went about their daily routines according to Spikemuth's new norm. It all brought her so much happiness; a prospering Spikemuth was one of her biggest dreams, and now she got to live it out every day.
We've all come a long way…
As Marnie approached the Battle Cafe, she noticed an energized street performance taking place outside of the building. A Thwackey and his teenage trainer were laying down some heavy beats on a set of large floor-tom drums, alternating frequently between the heads and the rims as an amped up Toxtricity competed with a Jigglypuff in what could only be described as a hardcore highstakes Pokemon rap battle. Marnie reached into her coat pocket for her loose-change - Piers had always taught her about the importance of supporting local talent, and making sure she always had something on-hand to do so with. She grabbed hold of all of the change in her pocket and emptied it into a tip jar that sat near Thwackey before proceeding towards the cafe door. Thwackey and his trainer both smiled and nodded in thanks at Marnie as they continued to play.
Life was good in Spikemuth.
. . .
As noisy as it was just outside of the cafe, the inside was surprisingly calm; many of the newer buildings in Spikemuth were insulated and soundproofed with the acoustics of the city and the liveliness of its people in mind. As Marnie sat with Eevee and Morpeko at a booth with a cup of Komala Coffee in her hand, she could hear nothing from the outside but the faintest muffled sounds from the street performance taking place just beyond the door; enough noise for her to appreciate the life breathing through her hometown, yet quiet enough for her to remain focused on the mail she had to read through.
Correspondence between Marnie and Macro Cosmos via mail had become more frequent over the last few weeks as construction projects and plans for the upcoming League season continued to develop. Documents needed her signature, and construction plans required review and approval, and while it was all for the good of Spikemuth, she couldn't help but meet every letter she received from the Chairman with a groan. Any time she got one from him or the Macro Cosmos construction division, she knew she was in for a block of text filled to the brim with drawn-out pleasantries and unnecessarily big words, and while she had been on significantly better terms with the corporation since the renovations of Spikemuth began, she always found herself irritated that Aster and his correspondents couldn't simply be straight and to the point with their written words and save everybody involved a lot of time. All of the caffeine Spikemuth's new Battle Cafe had to offer was barely enough to get her through one of these infamous letters without falling asleep.
Marnie stared apprehensively at the small pile of mail that sat on the table in front of her - she recognized the handwriting on the first envelope as belonging to the Chairman's secretary. Today was Marnie's first day off from the gym in weeks, and she really didn't want to spend any of it trying to sort through a flex of scholarly wordplay from Aster. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't build up the motivation to open the envelope; she just wasn't mentally prepared.
... Maybe I'll just start with some o' the other mail, she thought to herself as she began sifting through the pile.
The next envelope came from the Hijiki Oka clothing company, and contained a gift card and a coupon book, all of which were redeemable at their store as well as any third-party retailers that carried their products. Marnie never really thought Hijiki Oka's fashion line to be her style, though she was more than willing to give it a chance, especially since the company themselves went out of their way to provide it to her at little to no cost. She made a mental note to send them a thank-you card.
After that came a letter from Macro Cosmos Living, which detailed all of the financial benefits of investing in a timeshare in the outskirts of Wyndon. Junk, Marnie thought to herself as she cast it aside.
A newsletter from the Porcini clothing company, containing the newest punk fashion lineup for this upcoming season. Now this is more my style, Marnie thought to herself. What I wouldn't give to be sponsored by these guys…
Marnie knew where the next letter came from without even checking the return address; the envelope was Opal's signature shade of pink. It contained an invitation to Bede's sixteenth birthday party, which was to be held at the Ballonlea Gym in a few weeks. Marnie chuckled to herself. There's no way Bede actually consented to this, she thought. Still, I'm glad he's got someone lookin' out for him. She planned to RSVP as soon as she got home.
One envelope remained; a generic-looking white one that appeared as if it had been purchased from a gift shop. Compared to the other envelopes she'd received, it seemed incredibly unassuming. This, however, actually made her more immediately attentive towards it, and it quickly piqued her curiosity. There weren't any sort of context clues printed on the envelope itself that she could use to guess at its contents. Even its sender was a mystery; the only thing the envelope had to offer in terms of a place of origin was a return address to some place called Freezington.
A light bulb began to flicker in her head; why did that name sound familiar to her?
It couldn't be… could it?
She knew the chances were slim. He'd never written her a letter before, she wasn't even entirely sure if he'd ever written a letter before. But as far as she was aware, she didn't know anyone else down in the Tundra. Even if the odds were little, she grew eager at the prospect alone; it had been three months, and she was desperate to hear something from him.
Eevee and Morpeko noticed a subtle degree of excitement coming from their trainer as she tore into the final envelope. The two Pokemon huddled close to Marnie to get a closer look, with Morpeko climbing up to her shoulder and Eevee hopping into her lap.
Marnie's eyes went briefly wide in astonishment as she unfolded the letter within. She covered her mouth with her right hand, hiding an uncontrollably wide grin that continued to grow as she glossed over the first few sentences written on the parchment. She recognized the handwriting instantly; it was terrible.
"Morpeko, look, see?", Marnie said amid peppy titters as she held the letter closer to the small Pokemon perched upon her shoulder. "I told you he ain't really dead!"
Morpeko's eyes widened in excitement. She pressed herself against Marnie's cheek as she tried to situate herself to read the letter alongside her trainer.
Eevee cocked her head to the side with curiosity as she looked up at the young Gym Leader.
Marnie smiled warmly and tenderly as she read. She could hear Marcus's voice in her mind with every passing word.
. . .
Hey, Marnie
It's me; I'm not dead, which may come as a bit of a surprise to you considering that, apparently, people have been taking to the internet and writing my obituary PREEMPTIVELY in case I did die. But I didn't, so how about that?
Marcus: 1, Internet: 0.
. . .
Marnie sighed with a giggle, the faintest sense of relief washing over her.
. . .
In all seriousness, I'm really sorry it's taken me this long to contact you. I've tried calling and texting, but none of my attempts ever ended up getting through. Turns out, the Crown Tundra's one big deadzone; it's like this place eats mobile data and cell phone reception for breakfast or something. I figured you probably wouldn't be too shaken up by it at first, but as soon as Sonia told me that she saw a few "eulogies" for me on the web during one of the rare instances she actually had a glimmer of service, I knew I should probably do something to let everyone back home know that I'm alright. So, here I am; most DEFINITELY alive, with all of my bits intact.
No thanks to the Crown Tundra, though, I'll tell you that much right now. This place is brutal, Marnie, the very land itself feels like it's trying to kill me sometimes! It's cold, the cliffs are perilous (and there are A LOT of them), and finding food for the day means a battle with a bunch of fat angry Greedent who SWEAR that they need it more than you do. And the Pokemon around here, they're made of some of the toughest stuff I've ever seen. As a trainer looking to recruit for a team, that's great; there really is a lot of latent potential in the Pokemon out here. As someone who's just trying to get by from one day to the next, though, it's pretty stressful. I tense up just thinking about the hoops I have to jump through and the hurdles I have to leap over just to avoid the endless hordes of Boltund that seem to ooze from behind every blade of grass around here, waiting to pounce on me like I'm some kind of mincemeat.
. . .
Marnie chortled to herself. What a drama queen, she thought as she rolled her eyes.
. . .
...Okay, I might be making it sound a little more dramatic than it actually is.
. . .
She giggled, more audibly this time; the way Marcus wrote to her almost made it seem as if he was sitting right in front of her.
She could hear the faint ringing of the bell above the cafe door as she continued.
. . .
Actually, all four-legged, Electric-Type, walking death-traps aside, it's pretty amazing out here… one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, in fact - majestic cliffs overarching snowy hillsides to the north and rich grasslands to the south, ancient ruins of stone and mortar that tell haunting and beautiful stories without words, a lush meadow along the southern sea with a massive tree that grows the biggest fruit I've ever seen - I think you'd really like that last one. It's hard to describe, but there's a certain magic to that place… kinda reminds me of the Slumbering Weald.
The blizzards aren't fun, and they certainly happen often enough to warrant me complaining about them, but even the snowiest, coldest, and most treacherous mountains out here are breathtaking. One of them has a giant tree growing out of the top with an old castle built around it; I swear, I can see all of Galar from up there. I've been making a point to climb up there every so often to just look out and take in all the sights… It always makes me feel like home isn't so far away.
The Pokemon out here are pretty amazing, of course! All kinds of them, too, most of them, I'd never even heard of! Have you ever heard of a Garchomp? THOSE things are INSANE. Just picture a Sharpedo, except on land, with legs and arms, sicles for hands, can swim through the earth itself, and can fly through the air at the literal speed of sound. Pretty hard to imagine, right? Well, fret not, because when I get home, I'll introduce you to MY new Garchomp so that you don't HAVE to imagine it!
. . .
Marnie was already imagining what Garchomp must look like based off of Marcus's description; she wasn't entirely sure if she should be intrigued or disturbed by what she was picturing.
. . .
There's also a bunch of Pokemon out here that are supposed to be extinct; Kabuto, Kabutops, Ominite, Omistar, Aerodactyl, and more. I'd thought that the only way to see these Pokemon in our time was by restoring their fossils or something, but these guys are everywhere! Apparently, there's a legend going around the locals in Freezington that a Pokemon with the power to see into the future used that ability to save all of the prehistoric Pokemon from a meteor strike hundreds of millions of years ago, and that's why they're still around to this day! Pretty cool, huh?
Speaking of which, let's talk about the legends. Can we talk about the legends? I've been DYING to talk to you about the legends around here. A Pokemon that was revered as the king of Galar before the royal family was established, colossal titans locked inside of ancient temples, a trio of legendary birds that constantly battle for dominance over the land… Honestly, with all this power packed into one place, it's a wonder that Galar hasn't seen more chaos like the Darkest Day than it has. Though to be truthful, I haven't actually seen anything described in these legends personally, so…
... Look, I don't want to say that centuries of myths passed down from generation to generation are nothing but lies, so let's just say that all of the cool legendary Pokemon around here see what a big dork I am and just don't want to associate with me…
I HAVE made some pretty cool new friends, though! I already told you a little about Garchomp; she LOVES to yell and scream. Honestly, with as loud as she is and with all the energy she's got, she'd make a great addition to Team Yell! I told her a little bit about you, too… she's really excited to meet you. I also ran into an Electabuzz… he was a bit of a handful, at first, but we've all warmed up to one another. He loves to arm wrestle, though between you and me, I think he's already tired of having my scrawny little self as his opponent. Cinderace and I also found a Swampert living in one of the caves we happened to be exploring at the time; very friendly, very relaxed, LOVES to eat. There are many more as well, of course. Most of them, I'd never even seen before until I'd met them. Some of them apparently aren't even from this dimension, if you can believe that!
. . .
Marnie certainly didn't believe it. Legends being proven true were one thing, but the existence of different dimensions had to be some kind of a joke, right?
. . .
This place has inspired all of us to train really hard to push ourselves to even greater heights. After all, if I want all of Galar to get stronger, then my Pokemon and I need to get even stronger, too. I've been thinking about you a lot, too, you know; I know I still owe you a rematch, and I've got every intention of delivering as soon as I'm back in the area. Just a heads-up, though; if it's my title you're after, you're really gonna have to put in some serious time for it… I'm not saying you'll have to train for one-hundred years or anything, but it certainly wouldn't hurt your chances.
. . .
Marnie let forth a sly grin as she moved the letter closer to Morpeko so she could see it for herself. "Look at this, Morpeko… the nerve o' this guy, am I right?", she chuckled. "Well, challenge accepted."
"Pe, Morpeko!", Morpeko cheered in agreement as she pumped the air with her tiny arm, a determined smile on her face.
Their bravado was cut short when a barista unexpectedly placed a cup on the table Marnie and her Pokemon were sitting at.
"Here you are, miss", the barista began, "one large Tapu Cocoa with whipped cream, marshmallows, and a dash of Pumpkaboo spice!"
Marnie's eyes widened in confusion; this was her favorite drink from the Battle Cafe, made exactly how she would usually order it. The only issue this time is that she didn't order it. "Oh, uh… I-I didn't, uh…"
"It's already paid for", the barista interjected. "Courtesy of the young man sitting over by the window."
Marnie looked past the barista towards the window. There, sat a young man with medium-length, wavy, dark-brown hair, who wore a caramel-colored leather jacket over a black sweater, denim blue jeans, black gloves, a set of black chukka boots, and a pair of half-rimmed sunglasses with grey lenses.
"Th-thank you…", Marnie said to the barista, prompting her to nod before walking back towards the front counter.
Marnie didn't know what to make of this character; something seemed vaguely familiar about him, but she was almost certain she'd never seen him before in her life.
But then… how did he know my favorite drink, n' exactly how I ordered it?
The young man took notice of Marnie staring at her. He smiled softly at her, giving a gentle wave of his hand.
Marnie offered a timid wave back. She felt herself beginning to ease back into her seat as she began rationalizing things in her head.
This guy's gotta live 'round here, she thought to herself. The whole city's practically my fanclub n' all, they know everythin' 'bout me… guess it wouldn't be too crazy for somebody to know how I take my cocoa. Plus, everyone 'round town's been actin' real friendly to one another lately… maybe he's just payin' it forward?
With that thought in her mind, she took the cup of cocoa into her hand, placed it to her lips, and took a small sip from it. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she let out a delighted hum - it was the best Tapu Cocoa she'd ever had; the temperature wasn't even a single degree too hot or too cold, there was a perfect amount of whipped cream sitting afloat in the beverage, the drink had been sitting just long enough for the marshmallows to begin melting into the cocoa, there was just the right amount of Pumpkaboo spice to give the drink the subtle kick she liked, and the overall blending of flavors was flawless.
Whichever barista made this really knows their stuff, she thought to herself as she continued to take increasingly larger sips.
She wanted to give the young man a proper smile, to thank him for the cocoa. As she looked up from her cup, however, she saw that he was preoccupied on his phone. He seemed rather concentrated as he stared intently at the screen, and Marnie didn't want to distract him from whatever it was he was so focused on. Seems like a nice guy, she thought to herself as she took another large sip from her cup. Hope he's havin' a good day.
Her thoughts began to drift back to Marcus as her eyes returned back to the letter in her other hand. She continued reading.
. . .
I miss you, Marnie. I hope you're doing well; sleeping well, keeping healthy, all that stuff. I know, it's probably kind of weird going from reading the words of a cocky rival to the writings of an unnecessarily concerned boyfriend and all, but what can I say; I'm a guy of many hats, apparently. Not a day's gone by since I left that I haven't thought about you. Not being able to talk to you these past few months has been pretty rough. I'm still bummed we weren't able to work it out so that you could tag along with me. But I get it, one-hundred percent; I know you're working really hard between managing the Spikemuth gym and overseeing the construction going on in the city. Just promise me you won't overdo it, alright? I know you like to give it your all in everything you do, but don't forget to take care of yourself along the way.
. . .
Marnie smiled. Big dork, I should be sayin' that to you.
. . .
I'm really looking forward to seeing you again soon. As I write this, my plan is to be back within the next week or so (although I'm not sure when you'll be receiving this letter, so by the time you read this, it could be sooner). Maybe when that day comes, we could just take the day and be lazy together? I don't know about you, but a nap-day sounds really nice to me right about now, and I figure we could both use it, given all the work we've both been putting in. Think about it, maybe?
Whatever we end up doing together when I get back, it'll just be nice to be with you again. I'm excited to hear your voice, I'm excited to see your smile, to hold you in my arms, to kiss you again. Until that time comes, though, take care, be well, and give my best to everybody for me.
I adore you, Marnie. I'll see you very soon!
Your favorite champion/dork,
Marcus
. . .
Marnie could feel a light soreness in her jaw muscles as she smiled wide; even without physically being there with her, Marcus seemed to have a knack for making her smile so hard and so frequently that it hurt. Her cheeks grew warm as she giggled quietly to herself.
Doofus… You're lucky you're my favorite...
I adore you; it was the closest Marcus had ever come to telling Marnie that he loved her. Part of her wished he would just come out and say it already, while the other part of her wasn't even sure what she would do if and when he finally did. They'd been dancing around those three words practically since their relationship began, but for one reason or another, neither of them had been able to work up the gall to say it. As was with the admission of their feelings that took place on the Wyndon Eye, Marnie was holding out hope that Marcus would say those words first.
"I'll see you very soon", Marnie thought to herself. Can't come soon enough...
She let out a pining sigh as she folded the letter neatly in half before placing it back into its respective envelope. "I should write him back", she said aloud. "Even if he doesn't get it 'til he's already back home n' all… it'd just be the polite thing to do, yeah?"
"Ee!", Eevee chimed in from Marnie's side with a bright smile; she seemed to like this idea.
"Pe, pe!", Morpeko squeaked in agreement with a nod.
Marnie smiled at her two companions. "Guess that settles it, then." With that, she began collecting her envelopes and empty cups and made her way towards the door; she'd start writing back to him as soon as she got home. As she grabbed hold of her things, she noticed the envelope from Chairman Aster, which still remained unopened. She grimaced slightly; she knew she needed to read it, but she still lacked the proper motivation to do so.
That can wait for now, she thought to herself as she placed the envelope with the others in her bag, which hung over her right shoulder. Gettin' back to Marcus takes priority.
After tossing her empty cups into a waste bin, Marnie took a brief moment to flip through social media on her phone. In her aimless scrolling, another of Marcus's "obituaries" appeared. This one was posted by Hop, and it depicted Marcus in the wilderness with a chipper smile on his face about to be tackled from behind by a Beartic in full-charge;
HopShot189: Former Self-Proclaimed Pokemon Stadium Champion Confuses In-Game Beartic with Real Beartic During 100 Years of Training.
Marnie tittered softly; as tired as she already was of people making memes at Marcus's expense, she couldn't help but appreciate the effort Hop put into this one. She tapped her thumb against the Like icon and prepared to scroll downward.
Before she could, however, a comment was suddenly added below Hop's post in real-time. Marnie's eyes widened in sudden astonishment as she read the reply;
champion_iGuess: Stop telling people I'm dead, it's rude and disrespectful.
He's back already!? Marnie thought to herself excitedly as her thumbs made a mad-dash to her phone's contacts, scrolling frantically towards the M-section. I've gotta call him-
"Hey, girl,"
A young man's voice called to her from behind, prompting her to quickly turn around; it's low timbre was unmistakable. Standing before her now was the young man from before, the one responsible for giving her the Tapu Cocoa. Now that she was looking at him more closely, she couldn't believe she didn't recognize him sooner; his longer hair was still unfamiliar to her, but she could never forget his eyes, molten brown like a rich honey.
"Did you just get back from the Crown Tundra, too?", he continued with a smooth grin. "Because that was probably the coldest shoulder I've ever gotten from anyone", he joked.
Her eyes held steadfast to his as she stared up at him in yearnful shock. The warmth of his smile was enough to melt her down to her core, just like always.
"...Marcus?"
He beamed brightly at the sound of her voice, his eyes glimmering like topaz. "Hey, Marnie."
Marnie didn't hesitate for a second; one minute, she was staring in utter captivation at Marcus's smile, and the next, she was pushing herself forward with her toes, practically throwing herself into him as she wrapped her arms tightly and affectionately around his neck. Marcus, having preemptively braced himself for the tackle, managed to maintain his footing, and wrapped his own arms firmly around her waist before lifting her up off the ground and doing a quick twirl. The young lovers giggled in delight even as Marnie's feet returned to the ground, their arms pulling one another even closer together as they leaned forward into a passionate kiss. The two of them felt as if they were taking breath into their lungs for the first time as their lips locked again and again, their enthrallment towards one another growing with every reconnection. Finally, the two pulled away from one another, looking lovingly into each other's eyes as they continued to hold firm to one another.
"Sweet Arceus, it's good to see you!", Marcus exclaimed with a beaming grin.
Marnie smiled a blushing tender smile; she'd missed that goofy grin of his. "You too."
Morpeko and Eevee pranced in circles around the two trainers in excitement, both in honor of Marcus's homecoming and in celebration of the reunion of the happy couple.
Marnie tittered as she loosened her arms from around Marcus's neck before jabbing him in the shoulder. "Cold shoulder my tail", she laughed. "You've been back here this whole time? Why didn't ya call me!?"
Marcus let out a playful "Oof" as Marnie jabbed at him. He chuckled, holding his hands out in front of himself and shaking them from side to side. "Uh… Surprise?"
Marnie giggled. "How'd ya find me here, anyways? You ain't been to the city since all this stuff started poppin' up."
"Well, I tried stopping by your house and surprising you there, but Piers told me that I'd just missed you", Marcus explained. "He told me that you'd be at the new Battle Cafe and said that I couldn't miss it even if I tried, which evidently was a lie, because I somehow wound up walking around the same block of town for probably twenty minutes before I finally worked up the nerve to ask a stranger for directions."
"Dummy, ya should'a just called", Marnie laughed. "And what's the deal, huh? You come out here, lookin' all different n' buyin' cocoa for me, actin' like some complete stranger!" She jabbed at Marcus's shoulder again, softer this time.
Marcus rubbed his shoulder where he had been struck following a brief recoil from the blow. "Yeah, I kind of asked for that one, huh?", he chuckled, running his free hand through his long brown locks. "I mean, I haven't been able to see a stylist in months, and I've got this long mop on my head now… thought it'd be funny to see how long it took you to recognize me."
"The mop is one thing n' all, but I don't recognize anythin' from this outfit o' yours, either", she remarked, looking him up and down with careful scrutiny. "I'm actually kinda impressed", she continued with an approving nod, "ya finally found yourself an outfit that don't look like it was picked out by your mom."
Marcus let out a stunned breathy chuckle. "Wow, okay", he replied in an exaggerated manner. "Say whatever you want about my fashion sense; I looked good in all that stuff", he defended with a confident grin.
"Ya looked cute in that other stuff", Marnie rebuffed. "This, what you've got on right now, that looks good… really good." She blushed slightly as she continued to stare at him.
He giggled softly, a hint of pink splashing his dark complexion. He jabbed her shoulder softly with a loosely balled fist. "I mean, I did learn from the best", he said with a wink.
Marnie smiled softly. "Yeah, guess maybe you did pick up a thing or too."
Morpeko quickly climbed atop Marnie's shoulder, using it as her leverage point to hop upwards onto Marcus's, where she began excitedly and affectionately rubbing her cheek against his.
"Aw, hey, Morpeko, I missed you, too!", Marcus laughed as he gently scratched Morpeko's head with his index finger.
"Pe, Mor!", Morpeko cheered gleefully.
"Ya had Morpeko worried sick, y'know", Marnie said with a smile as she looked upon her favorite person and Pokemon with fond reverence. "She thought you were dead n' everythin."
Marcus began rubbing Morpeko's belly with the back of his finger, prompting her to let herself fall onto her back in a state of relaxation. "Yeah, no thanks to people like Hop, am I right?", he chuckled. "Did you see that fake obituary he posted for me today? I can handle people joking that I'm dead and all, but I draw the line when someone brings up my defeat in Pokemon Stadium. So not cash-money of him, am I right?"
Marnie tittered half-heartedly, her eyes now falling towards the floor. "Yeah… the nerve o' some people", she joked in a voice that bordered gloomy.
Marcus looked to her with brief concern, immediately sensing a degree of distress in her voice. He knew the cause without need of even another word; evidently, Morpeko wasn't the only one who was worried about him. He smiled tenderly, opening his arms wide for her; he knew exactly what she needed.
Marnie looked up to Marcus's gesture with tempered surprise; either he was reading her mind, or her facade wasn't what it used to be. She felt herself quiver as she glowered softly at him, inevitably accepting his invitation and allowing herself to fall into his comforting embrace once more.
"Dork… you're too nice…"
Her arms wrapped firmly around his waist as he held her in his, with one arm cradling her back and the other gently holding onto the back of her head. In between soft sniffles, Marnie occasionally tightened her grip around him, which he met with a widening smile as he pulled her even closer into himself. A greater sense of comfort permeated from the two of them as they continued to pull one another closer and closer, enraptured by their silent repose; two pieces had become whole once again, and it felt just as fulfilling as it did the very first time.
Morpeko nuzzled close against Marcus's cheek as she continued to stand perched upon his shoulder while Eevee nestled herself along Marnie's leg, elated by this happy reunion.
"I'm sorry for scaring you guys", Marcus finally said.
"It's alright", she tittered, a sweet smile returning to her face as her eyes looked upwards and met his. "I know you're able to look after yourself, an' all…"
Marcus grinned softly at her before planting a tender kiss upon her forehead as he continued to hold her close.
She giggled. "Just… y'know, maybe write us a lil' sooner next time?"
AN: I know I said that the Galar Chronicles stories wouldn't be centered around Marcus, but to be fair, Marcus isn't the focal point of this installment. Plus I know that people seem to like the MarcusXMarnie fics, and so do I, so...
I hope you guys are enjoying these one-shots so far! I'm having fun with this opportunity to flesh out the world and its characters in a little more depth, and I'm looking forward to continuing to do so.
A couple of people have reached out to me about writing something for other ships... maybe you'll see one of those on the next installment...?
Thank you so much for reading! Stay tuned for more in the near future!