The Pokémon journey begins in Galar

"Really? Hehehe~"

Yuri giggled as she squatted down and poked the Toxel's tiny cheek. With every touch, a gentle static buzz spread through her body, and the faint white electricity flickering on the Toxel's forehead pulsed in sync making the whole scene feel oddly harmonious.

"This little one just hatched recently. I usually carry him around, but he suddenly popped out and gave me quite the scare."

"Hehe... he's so cute~"

The Toxel sat obediently, letting Yuri squish its face and poke its little hands without showing the slightest fear of strangers.

Yuri, on the other hand, was visibly trembling from the static. But she showed no signs of letting go. Most likely, the newborn Toxel couldn't yet control the residual current running through its body.

Strangely enough, it actually seemed to enjoy the interaction something that left Marie with a slightly unsettling thought.

She considered giving Yuri a heads-up, but since Yuri didn't seem to mind, Marie decided not to interfere. Instead, she wandered over to a nearby bookshelf, scanning through the titles before pulling out a book on Pokémon nurseries and flipping it open with interest.

She had never given this profession much serious thought before, but now that they were here, Marie found herself curious. After all, nurseries were responsible for taking care of others' Pokémon. Without extensive knowledge and experience, you couldn't run one properly.

Some people misunderstood nurseries as mere matchmaking centers where Pokémon were sent just to breed eggs, but that was a misconception. In reality, nurseries didn't provide that kind of service. More often than not, trainers would bring in pregnant Pokémon so they could receive proper care and safely deliver their eggs.

If she ever had the chance, Marie wouldn't mind running a nursery herself instead of becoming a Gym Leader. A Gym Leader had to consider the development of the surrounding city too, and that sounded far more exhausting.

As Marie leaned against the shelf flipping through the book, Ee-chan approached with Sii-chan in tow.

"Eevee~ (Marie, do you have any energy cubes for recovery?)"

"Hmm? Is it for Sii-chan?"

Marie glanced down at Sii-chan, who was leaning against Ee-chan. She had been using Teleport and Confusion nonstop along the way, and given she had just evolved and wasn't in full control yet, she was likely worn out.

Marie slung her backpack off her shoulder and pulled out a box with a Ralts face drawn on it. Taking a few energy cubes from inside, she handed them to Sii-chan and gave her a gentle pat on the head.

"Sorry, Sii-chan. I probably can't fully understand how you're feeling after just evolving. But there's no need to rush. Just take it step by step. If there's anything you need, tell me or Ee-chan, okay?"

"Kirlia... (Alright, I understand... thank you~)"

Sii-chan leaned in and hugged Marie. With her new height, she was able to wrap her arms around Marie's crouched figure and snuggle against her.

Now standing nearly a full meter tall, Sii-chan felt more like a younger sister to Marie than ever before maybe even more so than Yuri.

Marie stood up, held Sii-chan's hand, and found a place to sit nearby. Just as she was about to reopen her book, Sii-chan leaned against her knees and plopped herself into Marie's lap.

"Kirlia~ (Hehe~ I'm taking a break!)"

When Marie looked down, their eyes met. She reached out and gave Sii-chan's cheek a little poke.

"Alright then, take a good rest."

"Oh my, young lady, are you interested in nursery work?"

"Hm?"

Marie turned around and met the eyes of the elderly shopkeeper. She paused for a second before giving a polite nod and responding with a soft smile.

"A little, I guess. I just think it's really impressive being able to care for so many different kinds of Pokémon."

"Hehehe~ It's not as impressive as you think."

The old woman chuckled warmly. Her gaze shifted to Ee-chan, who was lying lazily beside Marie, and to Sii-chan nestled in Marie's lap.

"You've done a wonderful job raising your Umbreon and Kirlia. Even with my aging eyes, I can tell they're growing up healthy."

"Thank you. That really puts my mind at ease."

"Hehehe~"

The shopkeeper laughed again. Of course, she could tell Marie was being polite. A Moonlight Umbreon in such good shape? No way it hadn't been raised with deep care over a long period.

She didn't need to say it aloud. It was plain as day.

Still, everyone enjoys hearing nice things, and chatting with travelers was a pleasant way to ease her solitude.

"Marie-chan! Marie-chan! Look at this cutie so adorable, right?!"

Yuri came over holding the Toxel, her body twitching slightly from time to time. Clearly, she still hadn't adjusted to the lingering electricity.

"...Whether it's cute or not, are you enjoying getting shocked?"

Marie scooted a little farther away. Whatever else could be said about taste, she definitely wasn't into this kind of... electric hobby.

"What?! No way! It's not like that at all! The static's super weak it doesn't even hurt. It's just this nice tingly feeling, really comfy! Here, try it!"

"...I'll pass."

Marie stared into the Toxel's big eyes as it was held up in front of her face. After a few seconds of this intense standoff, she turned to Yuri and asked,

"Why are you just carrying him around now? Isn't he someone else's Pokémon?"

"Hehe~ Actually, that lady from earlier said Toxel seemed to really like me, so she asked if I'd be willing to adopt him!"

Marie wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. Judging by the woman's uniform, she probably had regular duties to attend to and didn't have the time to properly care for a newborn Pokémon.

"So what did you say?"

"Of course I said yes! Right, little Sparky? Eeeep!"

Yuri leaned in to rub cheeks with Toxel, only to yelp when she got zapped.

"Eevee! (Careful there.)"

Ee-chan quickly used her psychic power to steady Yuri before she could fall over. Toxel, safely cradled in her arms, was completely unfazed.

"You need to be more careful. You alright?"

"Hehehe... I'm fine! Thanks, Ee-chan!"

"Eevee~ (You're welcome~)"

The shopkeeper didn't say anything, just smiled quietly. That lady from before was a regular here and had been wondering whether she should leave the baby Toxel in their care. Who would've thought he'd find a Trainer so quickly?

"Ma'am, do you know how to properly take care of Toxel?"

Marie turned to the shopkeeper and took the initiative to ask the important question on Yuri's behalf. Toxel wasn't like the other Pokémon they'd brought along. A newborn, even if it looked fine on the surface, would still be incredibly delicate.

If they wanted to avoid trouble down the line, proper care was absolutely essential. This wasn't something that could be taken lightly.

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