Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon, or any other property in this work that I did not make myself.
Pokémon: Sinnoh no Isekai
Chapter Two-hundred and forty-seven: Marnie's memories
The reborn trainers were able to arrive in Spikemuth after heading out from Circhester, but by the time they got there it had gotten a tad late, so they found a hotel, checked in for the night, rested, then got up the following morning. After freshening up and getting breakfast, the reborn trainers left to go find where the Spikemuth gym was located so that they could begin the process of earning badges from Piers. Surprisingly, Kenny was particularly excited about getting to battle Piers, but for a reason that came as a bit of a surprise.
"Dude, he's a gym leader who uses dark type Pokémon," Kenny began to explain when Trip asked him about his excitement, "Lemme rephrase that. A gym leader who uses dark type Pokémon. It's a dark type gym!"
"Oh yeah, those are exceedingly rare," Trip said, "I technically fought another dark type gym before, back in Sinnoh when that kid with the Honchkrow took over Maylene's gym in Veilstone City."
Dawn couldn't help but smile a bit in amusement; Kenny was legitimately excited at the prospect of battling for a badge against a gym leader using dark types, and Trip had reminded Dawn of that boy she had help set off on the path to prove himself. It brought feelings of nostalgia to Dawn as she recalled how things had gone down in the early days of her life here after she had been isekai'd to this world. But those nostalgic feelings would have to be put off to the side for the time being, as Dawn and the others had to find Piers's gym.
Luckily for them, after a bit of searching around, they found not the gym itself, but rather someone they knew could lead them right to the gym. Two someones actually, who the reborn trainers had met a short while ago over in Stow-on-side. Marnie, the little sister of Piers, and Nina, Marnie's friend who has autism. The two girls were coming out of a local coffee shop, both carrying to-go cups of coffee. "Oh, it's you girls from Stow-on-side," Mina said as she called out to Marnie and Nina, waiving them down so that she and the others can catch up to them.
"Oh, it's you guys," Marnie said, "I figured that you'd eventually make it here to Spikemuth, given you're going around to challenge the gyms of Galar. I suspect you lot are looking for my older brother Piers."
Dawn nodded once in the affirmative. "We're hoping you could show us the way. We have no idea where to go here."
"Do you know da wae?" Kenny asked. At that moment, two of Kenny's on hand Pokémon, Elay the shiny Kantonian Sandslash and Silver the Alolan Sandslash, came out of their Pokéballs, stood next to Kenny, and made a series of tongue clicking noises.
The display from Kenny and his Pokémon made Nina giggle a bit in sincere amusement. "You guys are silly, but in a way that tells me you are good people."
Marnie gave an amused hum of a chuckle. "Yes, they are a bit on the silly side, I suppose." To the reborn trainers, Marnie said, "Well, Nina and I were going to go see Piers right now anyway. You lot can come along." As such, the reborn trainers ended up following after Marnie and Nina, heading off elsewhere into Spikemuth to look into issuing challenges to Piers.
As the group walked, Trip said, "So Marnie, I can tell that you and Nina are close friends."
"Yeah, we've been thick as thieves ever since we first met when we were little kids," Marnie said, "I was literally the only kid who was friends with Nina growing up. To a certain extent, I'm still her only friend who isn't an authority figure or a Pokémon. Nina's a perfectly good person with nothing wrong with her, so it's a load of bullocks that others fail to recognize just how good and sweet of a girl Nina is." Nina, although looking a bit sad to be reminded about how she lacks friends, at the same time looked happy that Marnie was sticking up for her, and as much as she was.
Kenny gave a suspicious sounding hmph. "And I suppose it's because of her being autistic. I heard stories how kids with autism are avoided like the plague by other kids who think they're weird or whatever. I agree it's, as you say Marnie, a load of bullocks that Nina had been given the raw deal that she had been given."
Marnie nodded in agreement. "Yes. I was Nina's only friend growing up, and likewise she was my only friend growing up."
"You had trouble making friends growing up too?" Mina asked, "Why? Are you also autistic?"
Chuckling a bit, Marnie said, "No, I'm not. I can explain better when we see Piers. We're heading to the house where Piers and I live, we need to stop off there before we can get to the gym."
The house where Marnie and her older brother lives looked an awful lot like a certain house where a certain non-magical family with a certain magical nephew lived, only difference is that this house also had a notable garage on the one side as part of the building. The garage door was open, and Piers with a few male Team Yell grunts were working with rock band equipment. Piers stopped when he saw that Marnie and Nina had arrived with guests, and his eyes narrowed a bit when he recognized who said guests that the girls had brought over were.
"Well well what's all this then?" Piers said, "Marnie, you and Nina have brought over some rather famous guests."
"I'm guessing the guy with the epic hair is Piers," Mina said to Marnie. The reborn trainers knew who Piers was due to past life knowledge, but they had to play dumb as no one else knew that they knew.
Gesturing to Piers, Marnie said, "Yeah, that's my brother Piers."
"I figure that you all are aiming to challenge me at my gym," Piers said, "Well lemme get some coffee in me before we head down to my gym. You guys can join me if you wish, I keep a variety of creamers in the fridge in case we have guests."
"Piers has Hazelnut creamer," Nina spoke up, "That's my favorite."
"Actually, Hazelnut creamer does sound good in coffee," Dawn said as she and the others all followed Piers into the house.
...
Inside of the house, the reborn trainers each with a mug of coffee (Dawn's had Hazelnut Creamer, Trip took his coffee straight, and Kenny and Mina both had Kalosian Vanilla Creamer) in hand stood around while Piers (his coffee had some sort of Pumpkin Spice Creamer) stood leaning against a wall. "Yeah, you guys had taken the Galar region by storm with your battles you've had with the other Galar gym leaders," Piers said, "Especially you Dawn, what with how you're the Champion of Sinnoh and whatnot."
"I'm willing to bet that Nina would also fare very well against the Galarian gym leaders," Kenny remarked, drawing a surprised look of wry amusement out of Piers as Nina flinched a bit and looked down, "She and I had a battle in Stow-on-side, and she was very fierce. I daresay she might of had me beat had it not been for Rose and Oleana coming up and making us drop the battle before it could actually be finished."
Smirking a bit in agreeable amusement, Piers pointed directly at Kenny. "You're absolutely right, Kenny. Nina, same as Marnie, is a right proper talent as a trainer. Aside from entering a Galar Gym Challenge, Nina also ought to enter the next season of the World Coronation Series. She'd probably add even more spice to things there than Marnie could, and Marnie herself is something of a firecracker."
"On the walk here, Marnie mentioned that she was Nina's only friend growing up," Mina said, "And that in turn Nina was her only friend. I got it that Nina had no other friends because she's autistic, but how come Marnie lacked other friends as well?"
Holding up a finger in a 'hold on a minute' gesture, Piers walked out into the living room of the house then came back with framed photo. Showing the framed photo to the reborn trainers, Piers said, "You can tell I'm the guy standing behind the black-haired girl in the princess dress and wearing the little tiara. As for the girl herself, well that's Marnie back when she was about half as old as she is now. This photo was taken at a birthday party thrown for Marnie back when she was a little kid, she's the birthday princess in this photo." Indeed, the reborn trainers recognized Piers as the guy in the photo; his awesome dreads were just not as epic as they were currently in the present time.
As for Marnie, she wore a silver tiara on her head and a pink princess dress with short sleeves. However, what surprised the reborn trainers about Marnie in the photo was that she looked half as old and looked to weigh twice as much as Marnie today. Sighing as she rolled her eyes, Marnie said, "Yeah, I used to be a fat kid. It's why I had trouble making friends, no-one wanted to be friends with the fat girl growing up."
"Well, no-one aside from Nina," Piers said.
"I guess that you were like that when you first met Nina?" Trip asked.
Nodding once, Marnie said, "I actually first met Nina at the birthday party shown in that photo..."
(FLASHBACK)
A much younger and super plump Marnie was in the backyard of where she and her brother Piers lived in Spikemuth. Marnie was dressed up as a princess as there was a birthday party set up for her. "Today's your birthday so I'll let things slide for today," Piers told his little sister, "But starting tomorrow it's right back to you dieting and exercising. Mum may not see any issue with you carrying around that extra weight, but I want to fix things so your health won't go bonkers later on down the line."
Marnie looked more annoyed than anything else. "I know, I know," Marnie said as she rolled her eyes, "And I'm actually surprised that there's as much set up for my birthday party as there is."
Smiling in amusement, Piers said, "Actually, that new lady Mrs. Bloomingwood is coming by, and she's bringing her daughter along. Said daughter is around your age, a few months younger actually, but I bet she'll be willing to be friends with you and attend your birthday party here."
Marnie looked a bit unsure about the idea of another girl wanting to be friends with her. "She'll be willing to be friends with me. What, is she a fatty same as me?"
"No, she's actually rather slender and as such I'm going to want you to try following after her," Piers said, "She's active all the time according to her mum, so all of that active activity ought to help slim you down." Piers knelt down to be as level with his plump little sister as possible. "Listen, Marnie," Piers said, his serious tone having a bit of as concerned hint to it, "Mrs. Bloomingwood's daughter, Nina, she... she has had a rough time. Kids back where the Bloomingwoods used to live over in Stow-on-side didn't want to be friends with Nina because she has what's called autism."
"Autism?" Marnie said, her curious expression reflecting her likewise tone, "What's that?"
"It's kind of hard to describe," Piers said, "Basically, it's something she was essentially born with, and it makes her march to the beat of her own drum. She's still a wholly sweet and perfectly good kid, and I bet you'll love being friends with Nina. Just... just keep in mind you need to show some patience and understanding with her." Marnie still wasn't sure if any kid, especially another girl as other girls tend to find Marnie gross due to her obesity, would want to be friends with a fatty like Marnie. But she chose to have faith in what her older brother said.
Maybe this Nina girl would be different from the mean kids who disregard Marnie because of her weight.
...
Nina turned out to be rather friendly, and she in no way indicated that she was bothered by Marnie's obesity. They had fun when Nina came to Marnie's party, where Nina gave Marnie a plushy of the Pokémon Morpeko. Granted, Marnie was concerned when Nina freaked upon hearing the loud rock band practice coming from the garage, but Nina's mom explained while Piers went to the garage to tell the guys there to knock it off that Nina is sensitive to loud noises, especially if they're sudden. Piers then came back and apologized for the noise, telling them it won't happen again.
There was also how Marnie and Nina were set to do a lot of outside playing and running around. Marnie could tell full well this was part of Piers's plan to make her lose her plumpness, although Marnie disregarded that. Mostly due to the fact that, to Marnie's surprise, Nina was perfectly willing to play with her. No other kid had ever wanted to play with Marnie, none of them liked the idea of having to play with the fat girl. But Nina here didn't judge Marnie for her weight; she was nothing but kind and friendly towards Marnie.
But then again, Marnie showed Nina the same courtesy.
...
It had been a few months since Marnie and Nina first met; they girls were relaxing at a party thrown for Nina's own birthday. Whereas Marnie wore a princess dress at her birthday party, Nina insisted on wearing a somewhat baggy Scorbunny onesie, like the ones some adults have but Nina's was sized to fit a kid. The hood of the onesie was worn up, although the ears had trouble staying up and just flopped back. It actually made Nina look even cuter than she usually did, although Nina always was a cute, albeit somewhat weird, young girl.
At this party, Piers was helping with setting up a table with his Obstagoon out. After they finished setting the table up, Nina came up and asked if she could pet Piers's Obstagoon. Smirking a bit in amusement, Piers said it was okay, and told Obstagoon to be gentle and patient. Obstagoon agreed, and it knelt down to be more level with the autistic birthday girl. She just gently petted Obstagoon over the top of its muzzle, and she was being careful to be gentle and not do anything too rough. Obstagoon gave a gentle and happy cry, which made Nina giggle in amusement.
Marnie looked on, likewise amused. She walked up to Nina, her gait not as much of a waddle as it used to be as Marnie has seen some success in losing weight. "You really like Pokémon, huh Nina?" Marnie asked.
It took Nina a few seconds to realize someone was talking to her, she was so focused on petting Obstagoon. Nina realized Marnie had asked her a question when Piers gently pointed it out to her. "Oh, sorry I didn't respond right away," Nina apologized, "It's just that your brother's Obstagoon is really friendly. You think that if I ever get a Scorbunny, I can also get an Obstagoon who will be friends with it?"
Marnie smirked a bit, being reminded of how it's Nina's goal in life to get a Scorbunny. "If you raise them right, then yes," Marnie replied.
Nina smiled, nodded once in understanding to Marnie. "Yes. And to answer your question, yes I do like Pokémon. They won't be mean to you if you're autistic, or if you're chubby. They won't be mean unless you're mean to them first. If you're nice to a Pokémon, then the Pokémon will be nice to you." Piers's Obstagoon gave a nod of agreement while giving off a likewise grunt.
Marnie was surprised, but realized that Nina had a point. Pokémon, unlike human kids, aren't judgmental of things like Marnie's obesity or Nina's autism. Any case were a Pokémon is considered to be 'acting mean' is actually the Pokémon acting on instinct as opposed to knowing malice; they can get hostile if they feel their territory is invaded, or if food is an issue such as them seeing their food being taken or if they're hungry and desperate to they take food from humans, or if the Pokémon feels those it cares about are being threatened. They may also be hostile towards a human if ordered by their trainer.
But Marnie realized that Nina had a point; Pokémon won't judge a kid for being fat, or special needs, or anything else kids would judge other kids over. Pokémon will be nice if they are treated nicely in turn. It's basically just how they work. It gave Marnie a new appreciation for Pokémon, to the point she walked up to Piers's Obstagoon and gave it a hug, which elicited a happy, positive reaction from Obstagoon. Nina giggled cutely in amusement as she saw that Marnie was being nice to a Pokémon, thus the Pokémon was nice in turn.
...
More time passed, and the efforts to have Marnie diet and exercise her extra pork away paid off. At this point, she was now as slender as Nina, and Piers decided that it was a good cutoff point. "I didn't want you being overweight," Piers said to his now thin little sister, "But at the same time I don't want you being underweight. You got a good weight going right now, so just keep yourself as you are now and you'll be golden."
Marnie nodded in response, finally glad that she didn't have to do anymore of that pain in the fanny dieting and exercising. She still had to watch herself, keep herself active and not horf down sweets like she used to, but it wouldn't be too difficult for Marnie. She had also noticed that, after she had reached the goal weight set for her, other kids were now willing to give her the time of day, including other girls who prior were mean to her because she had been fat. Most of those kids didn't even know the cute thin girl used to be 'the gross fatty'; they thought Marnie was an entirely new kid altogether.
Marnie was... a little annoyed with those other kids. Oh, so they were willing to be friends with her now that she was thin? They were being kind and respectful to her now that she no longer weighed double what a girl double her age weighed? Marnie was annoyed with how shallow kids could be and, while she was courteous to them to an extent (kind of had to be as Piers recently became a gym leader so her actions could reflect on him), she didn't exactly befriend any of those kids who prior had been mean to her; she got away with it because she was pulling off a 'cool, aloof beauty' thing now.
...But Marnie still had one friend, that being the only kid who never judged her for how she had been fat. Marnie still had a friend, a real, true friend, in the form of Nina, the autistic girl that was brought to her one day some time ago when Marnie was having a birthday party. Nina never judged Marnie for being fat, she never was mean to Marnie. Much like how it would work with a Pokémon, Marnie was nothing but nice to Nina, so Nina in turn was the same to Marnie. Marnie still had to keep a few things in mind when it came to working with Nina due to her autism, but Marnie was more than glad to accommodate Nina.
Because she was a friend, a real friend.
(FLASHBACK OVER)
"So yeah," Marnie said to the reborn trainers, "Nina is loads less shallow than the other kids I knew growing up. She accepted me right off the bat, never saw me as less of a person despite how plump I was when we had first met." Marnie cracked a smile, small but sincere. "...Nina really is a great girl."
"She's a rare gem of a person is what she is," Mina said, "And we got how she had been given a raw deal despite how she ain't got nothing wrong with her. It munches major butt that she'd been screwed over like that."
Piers let out an amused chuckle. "Yeah, those are words that I'd agree with. I still say she ought to try the Galar Gym Challenge when it's next held, I bet she will be making heads turn. Heck, she may even make it to the Championship Title match against Leon."
Nodding in agreement, Dawn said, "Given that Nina was able to push Kenny as hard as she did, then I will have to agree with you. And there's also the next season of the World Coronation Series."
Piers gave a calm but knowing smile as he nodded in agreement. "Oh yes. Mark my words, she'll have little issue if any making her way into the Masters Eight."
"Y-You guys really overestimate me!" Nina said, clearly looking embarrassed before she scrunched up.
"I don't know, Nina," Trip said, "You were pretty ace when you were battling Kenny. That Cinderace of yours is especially tough, I was figuring that it would most likely have won you the battle had Rose and Oleana not interrupted it and made us cancel it."
Nina, although still looking embarrassed, relaxed a little bit. "...Well Cinderace has been with me ever since I got him when he was a Scorbunny. Cinderace has never not been with me."
"Cinderace being with Nina does help to keep her calm," Marnie remarked, "I guess that makes Cinderace something of an emotional support Pokémon to Nina."
Kenny nodded in agreement. "Yeah, and if the battle I had with Nina is anything to go by, her Cinderace is tough as nails."
"Don't nails bend easily?" Nina asked, "Or are you talking about fingernails, in which case they can chip."
Marnie gave a small but understanding smile. "Nina, the phrase 'tough as nails' is an expression that describes someone or something as being really hard to take down. Kenny is saying your Cinderace is very difficult for someone to take down in a battle."
Nina, looking a bit embarrassed, said, "...Oh." The others didn't hold it against Nina that she took things literally, and the incident was easily laughed off. After things were settled and those who were having coffee finished it, Piers led everyone off to where the gym in Spikemuth was located, although he said that they may have to wait for Rose and Oleana to get in, given how they (Oleana especially so) liked to run things. Marnie and Nina were even offered to watch the battles live, although Marnie said they'll watch things on the telly because the noise may distress Nina if they watch the battles live.
"Oh, that reminds me," Piers said, "Nina's mom and I went about finding a pair of noise canceling headphones for Nina." Piers then went into one of the rooms in the house and came back out a few moments later with a pair of noise canceling headphones, purple to match the mostly purple color scheme of the outfit that Nina wore. Nina, thinking the nose canceling headphones were cute, immediately tried them on, then she hugged Piers out of gratitude. After things there settled down, everyone made their way over to Piers's gym.
As expected, Rose and Oleana were there, with Oleana telling Dawn and the boys that due to how Piers's gym doesn't allow for Dynamax and Gigantimax, they had to really put on a show to compensate. To that end, the reborn trainers came up with various ideas on how to make their battles with Piers as awesome as they can be as shows despite how they couldn't utilize their Dynamax Bands.
Kenny went first and was able to defeat Piers by sweeping his entire team using just Zarbon, his named Machamp; at one point in the Kenny versus Piers battle, Zarbon blocked a powerful blow from Piers's Obstagoon by using his fanny, and the hard pounding that his fanny took made Zarbon cry out more in aroused, sensual pleasure than it made him cry out in pain. As such, Kenny had relatively easily earned the Dark Badge. After Piers's team had a chance to rest, the leader of the Spikemuth gym battled Trip and lost to him, as Trip swept him using his named Primarina Suzaku, going the special route as opposed to the physical route Kenny went with Zarbon.
The next day, Dawn had her battle with Piers and won, using a mix of her named Totem Kommo-o Tambourine and her named Lucario Leni, swapping out as need be. After Leni took Obstagoon down with a well placed Aura Sphere, Dawn won the battle and was presented with a Dark Badge by Piers. The reborn trainers (at least the ones competing to earn badges) were now at seven badges each, and as such they had only one stop left to tackle in their trek over the Galar region as part of the Galar gym challenge tour they were on.
Piers, with Marnie and Nina behind him, saw the reborn trainers off as they headed to Hammerlocke to have their tangos with Raihan. Piers, after he and the girls were alone, asked Marnie to see Nina home as he was gonna be busy tidying up things at the gym before he could see Marnie herself at their home. Marnie agreed, and had Nina follow her off to take her back home. As the girls walked, Nina talked about the battles that Dawn, Kenny, and Trip respectively had against Piers, giving her own thoughts on them like how she thinks that Kenny's Machamp is silly.
Nina seemed happy, excited, a bit at ease. Marnie smiled at this, glad that Nina was having a good time. Marnie was of the opinion that it was owed to Nina, given how good of a person she was. Marnie herself felt she owed a lot to the first kid to have honestly accepted her, someone who had always seen her as a real person. It's the main reason Marnie was as loyal of a friend to Nina as she was...
(FLASHBACK)
Marnie, wearing her Team Scorn outfit that was a yellow and dark blue pallet swap of her normal outfit, met up with Nina who wore her own Team Scorn outfit that was just a yellow and dark blue pallet swap of her normal outfit. The two girls were at the Team Scorn base hidden in the Galar region somewhere. "Well now Nina," Marnie began, "You actually rose to an Admin position in Team Scorn, and now you're Team Scorn's top name in the Galar region."
Nina nodded in understanding, although she still looked a bit nervous. "I'm... I'm just worried some of the others may not be entirely receptive to the idea of me being their boss. I mean, I am a pre-teen girl with autism."
"And yet you had beaten many others in the race to rising up to the position of Admin for this recently established Team Scorn Sector," Marnie said, "Oh, I got it that you had named the Sector as the Headphones Sector."
Nina traced a hand over the right earpad area of her yellow and dark blue noise canceling headphones that she wore around her neck. "Yeah, because I have noise canceling headphones like this."
"I also got it that you had to pick a code-name to use, as you can't exactly use your real name while you're doing Team Scorn work," Marnie said.
Nina nodded once in understanding. "Yes, I'm going to go by Admin Scorbunny."
Marnie chuckled a bit. "Knowing you, that doesn't surprise me in the least."
"The boss..." Nina began, catching Marnie's attention, "...The boss said that part of his big ultimate plan will make it so that I'm not disregarded or disrespected by most people anymore. You think the boss's plan will work?"
Giving her friend a gentle smile, Marnie said, "Even if it doesn't, don't forget that you always have a good few people who still care about you, who have every bit of confidence in you. You're loads better than you think you are, and bullocks to those who harsh on you just because you're autistic."
"The Admin who runs the Sector in Johto," Nina began, "The boss says that he's very kind and respectful to those with autism. You think he'll be willing to be friends with me, Marnie?"
"Well it certainly wouldn't hurt to check," Marnie replied with a gentle smile. Eventually, Nina and Marnie met Admin Brother of the Katana Sector, and it turned out that yes, he is kind and respectful to those with autisim, given his Admin's Assistant Akari (who just so happens to be Brother's actual little sister) has autism. Brother had said that Nina's rise to an Admin position proves what he had been saying, that those on the spectrum are just as capable of proving themselves as those not on it, and all that was needed was to give them a chance to prove themselves.
Something Nina didn't get for real until she aligned with Team Scorn.
(FLASHBACK OVER)
Marnie contemplated how she and Nina had become part of Team Scorn, are now working for them to help bring about their goals. Goals that, if carried out correctly, will lead to an end that will allow Team Scorn Boss Pariah to accomplish his goals. Goals that he will use to benefit the whole of Team Scorn, make it so that they are equal parts feared and respected. Marnie had regretted that it took having to beat down on and conquering small-minded people in order to make them respect others, but they wouldn't have done so otherwise.
The small-minded idiots Marnie grew up knowing at school had the freedom to express how they felt about others, and it was a freedom they had abused with gusto. They abused it to bully Marnie over her past obesity, and only now treat her kindly because she's thin and they don't recognize her. They abused it to bully Nina over her autism, something that she still gets flak for to this day. Marnie realized that the people are using various freedoms to get away with being utter sods, getting at worst only mild scoldings while in school.
...But when Team Scorn finally got into position so that they ran the show, they'll be able to set the rules. They'll be able to enforce their will. They can make those utter sods stop acting like utter sods. Marnie wasn't sure why she was agreeable to this idea, maybe she was just that emotionally scarred from the bullying she suffered in the past back when she was still super porky. Or maybe, as she looked at Nina as they walked, Marnie thought that seeing Team Scorn come out on top in the end was the best thing to make things nice for Nina.
Nina, if no-one else, deserved to have a nice end result.
END, CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVEN
Author's notes;
This chapter sees the reborn trainers make it to Spikemuth so that Dawn and the boys can earn their respective Dark Badges from Piers. However, most of this chapter is dedicated to establishing the backstory of Marnie and Nina here, showing why they are as close and loyal friends to one another as they are. Long story short, Marnie accepted Nina despite Nina's autisim, and Nina accepted Marnie despite how Marnie had a history of being a fat kid. Nina also gave Marnie a newfound appreciation for how Pokémon functioned.
Due to the time spent together. as well as how Nina was so accepting of her, Marnie became close friends with her, even after she lost all of her excess weight and got as slender as Nina herself. Marnie also saw that other kids started accepting her only after she became thin, further making her realize just how good of a person Nina is, how she's a real, genuine person who accepted Marnie right off the bat. It's the main reason Marnie is as loyal of a friend as she is to Nina, why Marnie had chosen to follow Nina into Team Scorn.
But more on that later. The next chapter will see the reborn trainers get to Hammerlocke where Dawn and the boys will have their respective battles against Raihan. I may also be able to squeeze in the Leon-Lance battle in the World Coronation Series season that wrapped up before the main one. I don't know. Either way, the reborn trainers will soon be doing some region hopping escapades, going on one of their most epic journeys to date. Dawn and the others will be taking the world by storm soon enough, but until then take care.
Dawn's Pokémon: (on hand) Chi-Chi (female Infernape), Tsukune (Palkia), Froot Loop (Mew), Tambourine (female Kommo-o; Totem), Leni (female Lucario), Germany (male Garchomp)
Kenny's Pokémon: (on hand) Roshi (male Torterra), Cell (male Siczor; shiny), Zarbon (male Machamp), Elay (male Sandslash; Kantonian; shiny), Silver (male Sandslash; Alolan), Black (Giratina; Origin Forme)
Trip's Pokémon: (on hand) Myde (male Emploeon), Deelia (Dialga), Space Kitta (Celesteela), Suzaku (male Primarina), Foruze (male Electivire), Alfred (male Marowak; Alolan; Totem)
Mina's Pokémon: (on hand) Scar (male Eevee; scared over one eye), Dragonite (male), Gardevoir (male), Lucario (female), Espeon (male; shiny), Sylveon (male; shiny)