A Love -Hate Relationship
10
We March For Marnie!
A/N: This Fan Fiction is based on the Galar region and games (Sword/Shield) featuring CanonXOC
"And that does it for your registration." said the man behind the desk,"And now if you make your way to the Bewdew Drop Inn you can get set up for your rooms!"
"HaHa, Wicked!" said Hop,"That's the Chairman for you! Even booked us all Hotel rooms!" he grinned and quickly scooped Anani's hand into his.
"Come on, Anani! We should go check out the sweet digs!"
They were off in a run all the way to the Hotel Lobby, where Sonia stood, studying a bronze statue.
"Oh, hiya!" Sonia waved as she turned to be greeted by two familiar faces,"Seems you two got yourselves registered!"
"Of course we did!" said Hop,"But Sonia...what are you doing at our Hotel?" he blinked.
"You're not competing too, are you?" Anani asked.
"Oh, heavens no!" laughed Sonia,"I been there done that already!" she chuckled,"Actually...I am researching the mysterious Poke'mon that are said be in the Slumbering Weald." she stated,"So I reckoned if I look into some of Galar legends, I might figure something out."
"I see." said Anani," And this statue is tied to those legends?"
"Why...yes, actually, it is." said Sonia,"Mighty curious about the Slumbering Weald yourself, are you?" she blinked,"Come to think of it...you were found there, right?" she asked,"So then...I suppose your curiosity makes sense." she stated,"Care to join me, then?"
"I reckon we got some time...right Anani?" said Hop.
Anani gave a firm nod. She had connections to the Slumbering Weald that she didn't understad. So many questions without answers, and she was willing to take them wherever she could get them.
"I see." Sonia chuckled,"This statue here is of the hero who once saved the Galar region." she explained,"You see...long ago, a great black storm covered the Galar region." she stated,"People called it...the Darkest Day."
The Darkest Day...
Anani thought to herself. It seemed to trigger memories of darkness...
"The land was assaulted by gigantic Poke'mon." said Sonia,"However these massive creatures were defeated by a single young hero who wielded a sword and shield." she said,"This statue here is meant to depict the young hero of that legend."
"Wow...that's wicked." said Hop.
Sonia nodded.
"Yes, though..."she blinked,"We still don't understand what kind of sword and shield the hero actually had...and this black storm is a mystery in of itself." she stated,"Whatever it was...it blotted out the skies all across Galar." she blinked,"I suppose that tracks with it being called the Darkest Day."
"Wow..." said Hop,"I suppose that hero must have been about as strong as Lee, then."
"Seems you're gonna have your hands full with this one, Sonia." said Anani,"You'll be all right!"
"Heh, thanks." said Sonia,"I'll muddle through somehow, not to worry!" she said,"By the way you'll be staying at the Hotel tonight, won't you?" she asked,"Shouldn't you check in?"
"Probably so!" Hop laughed,"Push on Anani, the sooner we check in the sooner we'll be free with out time!" he laughed and ran up to the desk with Anani in tow, freezing up as a crowd of Gym Challengers gathered around a mob of sorts blocking way to the check in counter.
"What's this, now?" Hop sighed.
It looked like a collection of punks that, according to the irritated muttering of surrounding Challengers, called themselves Team Yell, had decided to block way to the counter. While Anani liked their style of choice clothing, they were beginning to cause a real rukus...
"Uhm...excuse me?" Anani called out to them,"We're trying to check in..."
"We came all the way out to this big city so that we can properly cheer on Gym Challengers!" said the biggest one of the group, he seemed to be raising an arguement with the associate who was also trying to get them to move aside so that he could do his job,"Team Yell is here to help, after all!"
Anani twitched as her words went unheard, and she finally snapped.
"Well...you could help by moving aside!" she huffed. Hop gasped at this sudden burst of irritation from her. It seemed a bit more than just her hair style changed a little. And he was impressed. The big guy froze up.
"...What did you say, mate?" he said as he turned to face Anani,"You want Team Yell to move?" he asked,"You gotta come and make us move!"
"...That can be arranged." said Hop stepping up beside his friend with a smirk.
"Hop?" Anani blinked.
""What you thought I'd let you sneak a battle in without me?" he said,"You're not gonna get ahead of me that easily, mate, I'm joining!"
"Oh is that right?" asked the grunt,"Well let me tell you, mate, Team Yell is all about helpin'..." he stated,"...Helpin' one very special trainer win the Gym Challenge, that is!"
"Oh is that right?" Anani blinked.
"Got that right." the punk huffed,"We wanna make sure she gets cheered on nice and proper...and now you're gonna help us make some noise!"
Anani smirked.
"I reckon that works with me right fine!" she grinned," I love making noise!"
"I dare say, Anani!" Hop laughed,"I haven't seen this side of you...I like it!" he grinned,"Let's win this!"
And just like that a battle started right in the lovely hotel lobby. Team Yell sent out Nikit and Zigzagoon meanwhile Hop sent out Wooloo and Anani went with her ever trusty Punkoon.
"All right let this double battle commence!" said Hop,"Charge in with Tackle!" it only took a beat for Wooloo to roll straight into Zigzagoon with a powerful blow.
"No way!" the male bloke cried out,"How is it such a strong hit!?"
"Let's just say Wooloo and I have experience fighting those troublesome Zigzagoons~!" he grinned sending a wink at Anani.
"That leaves Nikit to us, Punkoon!" Anani grinned,"Now use Headbut!" The Foe's Nikit and Punkoon did a graceful dance of elegant motions of dodging and head smashing. But only one could prevail...fortunately for Anani, despite Nikit and Punkoon the Zigzagoon being of the same type match up, Anani's Zigzagoon was just a bit faster. Where as Hop's Wooloo's tackles were just a bit stronger from having plenty of mach battle practice with Punkoon in the past...
"That's victory for us, mate!" Hop beamed,"Now step aside and let us check in already!"
"We made a lot of noise but..." the grunt sighed,"Defeat was all we heard it seems..."
"What are you lot doin' here!?" a girl's voice chimed in, commanding the attention of the room. She was a twin-tail wearing lass with an edgy style of her own. Leather jacket, studded boots and a bag she wore over a salmon pink dress.
"MARNIE!?" Team Yell gasped, exchanging looks with each other while attempting to hide their faces behind their banners in shame.
"Marnie?" Anani blinked.
For some reason, she seems familiar to me...
Anani thought.
"I reckon she's that special trainer Team Yell claimed to be rooting for..." Hop whispered to her.
The girl called Marnie blinked her green eyes and let out a sigh before turning toward Anani and Hop with an apologetic expression.
"I'm terribly sorry about them." she said softly with a gentle bow of the head,"They're just a bunch of my fans." she explained,"They call themselves Team Yell and follow me around, cheerin' for me." she sighed,"I think they let it all go to their heads a bit..."
"Oh, no worries then." said Hop.
"Yeah...it was actually kind of fun~" Anani giggled,"I needed to let loose a little...been a while since I had the chance to make some noise..." she blinked and looked up a moment,"For whatever reason, I feel a bit more free as of late."
"Not a thing wrong with that, mate!" Hop grinned.
The girl called Marnie blinked a few times and gave a thankful smile before turning to the Team Yell lot.
"Come on now, you lot! Back home with you! NOW!" Marnie huffed, rather cutely, she looked almost like a stubborn child it made Anani and Hop giggle a bit watching her scold her fan club. Obediently enough, Team Yell finally cleared out of the lobby and the surrounding Challengers gave their thanks before making their way to the counter to check in.
Marnie gave a heavy sigh once the last member was finally gone.
"They just get so caught up with wanting to cheer for me, they tend to get a bit shirty with other Challengers." she explained," I'm Marnie, by the way...sorry again for any trouble they caused..."
"No harm done." Hop chuckled, leaning back on his clasped hands,"So you're a Gym Challenger too, are you?" he blinked,"The name's Hop, and this here is my mate Anani." he said.
"Nice to meet you." Anani said politely. She gazed a bit on the girl when she wasn't looking.
Why does this girl seem so familiar to me?
She asked herself.
"So...Team Yell, was it?" Hop blinked,"Pretty impressive that you already have a set of fans to call your own~" he grinned.
This compliment seemed to catch Marnie by surprise. A gentle blush flushed her cheeks and she blinked a few times, melting into a warm smile with a nod. Though little known to Hop to have even take notice of such an expression...
"Oi, Anani, we're up next." Hop grinned as he pointed his way toward the counter. But Anani seemed lost in thoughts. Trying to figure out where she's heard the name Marnie before...
"Piers." she finally said.
"Say what!?" Hop and Marnie both gasped out at the same time.
"Oh, sorry!" said Anani,"I mean...in one of Piers's interviews..." she went on,"I could have sworn I heard him say the name Marnie before..."
"...That right?" Marnie blinked.
"Bah...don't mind me, haha." Hop laughed, "She's just a raving Piers fan- "
Anani blushed laughing awkwardly, the raven haired girl infront of her just smiled.
"I see...a fan of Piers, are you?" she asked her, but Hop went ahead and answered for her.
"Oh, the biggest!" Hop laughed teasingly as a blushing Anani gave him a hard knock in the arm.
"...That right?" Marnie chuckled.
"What about you?" Anani asked,"You seem to know him...are you a fan too?"
"Number one~" she grinned.
"Wicked!" Anani said with a grin of her own.
"Anani!" Hop huffed,"Come on now, you can spend time being a Fan Girl later we have to check in!"
"Oh, right!" Anani blushed, turning back to Marnie with flushed cheeks,"I better do that before Hop goes spare on me..." Anani laughed,"But perhaps we can get together and hang out sometime while we're not competing, aye?" she blinked,"It would be nice to have someone else to talk to about Piers~" She grinned.
"Haha. sure." Marnie grinned with a wave"Bang on, then!" she said with a nod.
Anani gave her a polite wave before running to catch up to Hop with the front desk. Marnie stayed back and watched the two friends interact while the clerk bowed his head in thanks for their help with the Team Yell situation.
"So...a right fan of Piers she is, aye?" she blinked and chuckled to himself,"I'll have to call my brother up and tell him 'bout it sometime." she smiled,"I reckon that'd brighten him up in a day." she chuckled,"Come now, Morpeko." she said softly to the small companion at her feet,"It will be our turn up next."
"Peko pe...!"
Anani, was it?
Marnie thought to herself with a chuckle.
I look forward to meeting up with you again.
To Be Continued