Baimu, who had long since forgotten their first meeting, smiled. "This is Ogerpon, my little sister."
"...Mm. Very cute! Very sweet!"
Bea's assessment sounded a little odd.
Ogerpon didn't understand, but instinct told her Bea meant no harm. She broke into a huge smile. "Ponio~"
After they chatted briefly, Bea eagerly invited Baimu to the Karate Gym.
"Since Mawile has learned so many fighting techniques, why not add one more?"
Bea's thinking was simple.
She wanted to use Champion Baimu and Mawile's popularity to promote Karate.
The arrival of PokéVoice and the rise of Orre had shown everyone just how powerful publicity could be.
Leaders in every field hoped to find a way to draw more newcomers into their industries and help them flourish.
Bea was no exception.
Baimu looked down at Mawile. "Do you want to learn?"
"Mawi..."
Mawile turned toward Bea and studied her carefully.
Bea squeezed a smile onto her serious face and bent down. "Karate is fun! I'm sure you'll love it!"
"Mawile!"
Mawile nodded, just as Bea had hoped.
Bea beamed. "Then it's settled! I'll wait for you at the gym tomorrow!"
The two parted ways.
Only then did Baimu notice that Bea wasn't wearing shoes.
Barefoot?
He raised an eyebrow but thought little of it, leaving the stadium with his two adorable Pokémon.
Outside, Marnie and Team Yell were waiting.
"Congratulations on moving up in the rankings!" She gave her cheering stick a small wave.
Morpeko was even more excited, wriggling with all his might.
But his true aim soon became clear.
He held out a paw to Baimu and begged for food.
Marnie tried to stop him, clearly embarrassed, but Baimu had already smiled and handed him a Rainbow Pokéblock.
"Peko~"
Morpeko quickly lost himself in its sweetness.
Marnie's naturally impassive expression almost