The Pokémon journey begins in Galar

The next day, after parting ways with Sonia, Marie and Yuri set out once more, continuing their journey along Route 5.

"Sigh... It's such a shame Sonia-nee won't travel with us."

Yuri sighed as she walked, clearly disappointed. Even though they were heading in the same general direction, Sonia had declined her invitation to travel together.

"That's only natural. Sonia has her own responsibilities. She's not like us, walking to Hulbury step by step."

"But the Gym Leader in Hulbury is Nessa, you know! She's so gorgeous! I really want to see her already."

Marie gave a small nod. Nessa was not only a Gym Leader, but also a successful model. Her stunning looks and graceful presence had won over countless fans.

"It's not something you can rush. Getting to Hulbury from here will take time, and we're not on a speedrun. This is a journey, not a race."

"I know, I know! I'm just a little excited, that's all."

Yuri waved her hand dismissively, indicating she hadn't forgotten their true goal.

Just then, Ee-chan walked up to Marie with Sii-chan in tow, lifting her head to call out.

"Eevee... (Marie, something seems strange with Sii-chan.)"

"Strange?"

Marie shifted her gaze to Sii-chan. The little Ralts had recently made notable progress in meditation. From barely being able to sit still at first, she had evolved to meditating while holding onto Ee-chan's tail and following behind her as they moved.

Honestly, Marie had no idea how Sii-chan managed it. But since she couldn't enter the same meditative state when paired with other Pokémon, Marie had chalked it up to the strength of her bond with Ee-chan.

"Ralts... (It's not a bad feeling or anything. It's just... I feel unusually energetic today, like my psychic power's bubbling over.)"

"You can't control it? Seriously?"

That concerned Marie. Sii-chan's powers were deeply tied to her psychic energy and emotions. If she lost control, it could be dangerous.

"Ralts! (No, no! It's just a weird sensation. I can still control it just fine!)"

To demonstrate, Sii-chan suddenly teleported and landed lightly in Marie's arms, nestling herself in comfortably. Little Chuu, who had been fluttering nearby, looked on with obvious envy.

"Hmm... well, just rest for a bit then."

Marie gently patted Sii-chan's head, then pulled out her Rotom Phone and began flipping through the reference materials she had borrowed from Sonia.

What could she say? The Professor's granddaughter was built different. Even her "leftovers" were treasure troves. Marie had quietly taken a bunch of materials and research papers tailored to her own four Pokémon, but hadn't had time to read through them all yet.

Yuri, overhearing the exchange, walked over worriedly. She glanced at Sii-chan and gave her tiny hand a gentle squeeze.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yeah. Sii-chan said her psychic energy feels unusually active, so I'm checking if there's anything about that in the documents."

"Should we head back then? There's no Pokémon Center up ahead, right?"

Yuri knew she didn't fully understand what was going on, so she immediately suggested turning back. After all, Nurse Joy would definitely know more.

"...Yeah, good point. Then maybe "

Marie was about to agree when Sii-chan cut her off.

"Ralts! (No need! I don't feel unwell at all, so there's no reason to go back!)"

Apparently feeling guilty for holding them back, Sii-chan scrambled up Marie's arm with her tiny hands and gave a little push to Marie's soft chest.

Marie looked down and gave her a gentle smile, pulling her back into a hug.

"Alright, alright. No turning back then."

"Eh? We're not going back?" Yuri asked, confused.

Marie nodded firmly. Sure, going straight to Nurse Joy might have been the safest call, but Sii-chan's feelings mattered too. If she ended up blaming herself for slowing everyone down, that emotional scar could be worse than any psychic instability.

"There's a nursery just ahead. Remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. What about it?"

"Let's head there first. It's not too far from Turffield."

Then Marie looked down at Sii-chan again.

"But if anything starts to feel off, you have to tell me right away, got it?"

"Ralts! (Got it!)"

Decision made, Marie handed Sii-chan back to Ee-chan. The two Pokémon were obviously close, and seeing how worried Ee-chan looked, it made more sense to leave Sii-chan in her care.

Marie resumed scrolling through the files, and with Rotom's help, she was able to filter through keywords and narrow her search efficiently.

"Eevee? (So how do you feel now?)"

"Ralts~ (Really, I'm fine! Aside from feeling a little weird, nothing hurts or anything.)"

"Eevee~ (That's good then~)"

Satisfied, Ee-chan lowered her head and gently used her psychic power to lift Sii-chan onto her back.

"Eevee. (You should rest for a bit.)"

"Ralts! (Okay okay!!)"

Sii-chan beamed with joy. She stretched her tiny arms out and snuggled deep into Ee-chan's soft fur. Being doted on like this made her feel like she was floating on air, her psychic energy stirring even more actively.

In fact, without even realizing it, that psychic force was starting to grow stronger and stronger.

"Eevee? (Hey... what are you doing?)"

Confused, Ee-chan turned to glance at her back. Why was Sii-chan's psychic energy suddenly leaking out?

"Ralts? (What do you mean? I'm not doing anything?)"

Sii-chan looked up, still wearing a blissful smile, her voice tinged with delight.

"Eevee?! (Then why is your psychic power spreading... wait, why are you glowing?!)"

"Ralts? (Huh?)"

Sii-chan blinked in confusion and looked down only to realize she was glowing.

At the same time, Marie finally found what she was looking for. She skimmed through the page and let out a breath of relief. It wasn't anything dangerous.

Turns out Sii-chan's case was simple: her natural potential was unusually high, and as a result, her powers would see a massive leap upon evolution. The glow was merely a signal from her body preparing for that change.

Left as is, she was going to evolve very soon.

Just as Marie was about to explain this, Yuri suddenly grabbed her arm and yanked her forward.

"Look, look!! Marie-chan!!"

"...??"

Marie stumbled a little, confused, but as she lifted her head, she saw it.

Sii-chan was glowing even more intensely now. That radiant light completely enveloped her small body, shimmering and brilliant.

"That was fast..."

Marie barely had time to process how perfectly timed it all was before the light burst apart and from within it emerged Sii-chan, no longer a Ralts but now a graceful Kirlia, standing in front of everyone.

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