"You have a beautiful Lapras," Marianne commented, watching the majestic Water-type enter the battle. "Does she have a name?" It then occurred to her she hadn't asked for his, and sheepishly, she added, "Er, and it'd be good to know your name, too. I think I missed it when I got the notification."[break][break]

Whew, smiling this wide was tiring. It really stretched her face out. This would be so exhausting to do all the time. She resolved silently to tip waitresses better.[break][break]

Anyway. Right. The battle![break][break]

The HYDRO PUMP surged towards her Klefki in a spray of water, and Angel spun indignantly, sending a FAIRY WIND blowing back in retaliation![break][break]

[break]

TAGS – Caleb Harcourt[break]
NOTES – Vital City Tournament: Caleb vs Marianne!

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Marianne stifled a slight yawn behind her hand, the day's battles beginning to wear on her. She'd just finished spending way too long sneaking coins from PAY DAY with priam conrad, also, though she didn't feel like admitting that.[break][break]

Her Klefki chimed encouragingly, waking her trainer with a soft jingling sound, just in time to see their next competitor.[break][break]

"Mm, that's me," she said, stretching in the hopes it might make her more alert. "You must be my next match?"[break][break]

His bright smile took her aback a bit. Was he in customer service? He was awfully friendly compared to other people she'd met today.[break][break]

She did her best to match his energy with a smile of her own as her Klefki took to the field.[break][break]

"Feel free to go first!"

TAGS – Caleb Harcourt[break]
NOTES – Vital City Tournament: Caleb vs Marianne!

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Had she really just lost to a guy who spammed PAY DAY nonstop? Who knew that was apparently the fastest way to defeat her in battle. Really, these things were timed, and this thing was a speedrun.[break][break]

"Congratulations on your win," she started to say, before she realized the man was indeed quite serious about grabbing all the money on the floor. Awkwardly, she glanced about herself, and when there was a lull in foot traffic she joined him. She felt a little self-conscious for them both, as if they were robbing a water fountain of coins people had tossed in to make a wish.[break][break]

It just felt weird. Like she was cheating. Was it cheating? Cheating at life, maybe? Was that a thing?[break][break]

"I guess some people are just born rich," she reasoned aloud, justifying the pocketing of change as no different than a gift from circumstances of birth. "Other people have to be smart."[break][break]

It was a compelling argument for crime, though a goody-two-shoes like Marianne would be mortified to hear such an observation of herself spoken aloud.[break][break]

[break]

TAGS – priam conrad[break]
NOTES – Vital City Tournament: Priam vs Marianne!

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"So... how long have you been doing this?"[break][break]

Marianne was suspicious despite herself. It all seemed a little too good to be true, didn't it?[break][break]

Like... weren't there things like inflation to consider here? Didn't doing this over and over weaken the power of the Pokedollar? Did PD generated by PAY DAY, well, break the economy?[break][break]

There had to be checks and balances for something like this, right? ... Right?[break][break]

Her Klefki was unbothered with such existential questions, and just decided to PLAY ROUGH, instead.[break][break]

[break]

TAGS – priam conrad[break]
NOTES – Vital City Tournament: Priam vs Marianne!

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Oh." She blinked, surprised and embarrassed at how obvious her thoughts had been. Did she seem like a greedy person? Maybe she was. Looking at random money get thrown in the sky, apparently, revealed some of the worst parts of a person. "Umm.... you wouldn't mind?"[break][break]

It was such a strange offer, she couldn't help but wonder if it was a scam. Was this a scam people did in the VCT Tournament? Was she going to get hustled?[break][break]

Meanwhile her Klefki focused on business, striking the Sylveon with a FLASH CANNON!

[break]

TAGS – priam conrad[break]
NOTES – Vital City Tournament: Priam vs Marianne!

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Oh, I've never been here before, but I've always wanted to stop by," Marianne marveled at the cafe, eyes flitting over nearby board games before settling on the handsome man and the Luxray curled beneath his chair. Her own Klefki jingled pleasantly in mid-air, hovering at her shoulder. "Thanks for inviting me. I've been looking forward to it!"[break][break]

She'd always been curious about the mysterious younger Graves brother. Granted, not because of who he was exactly, but because of who his older brother, GIDEON GRAVES, was: Marianne's boss, who doubled as the accidental object of her unrequited affections.[break][break]

It wasn't as if she didn't know a crush on your boss was a terrible, irrevocably bad idea -- the power imbalance alone would make it questionable, never mind the fact Marianne would rather die than admit her feelings aloud -- but the heart wanted what it wanted. She'd tell herself she didn't, but well, then things like this happened.[break][break]

Things like gifting the wrong Graves with an extravagant present you won in a Pokemon tournament you really had no business entering. And then winding up having lunch with the wrong brother on that false pretense.[break][break]

Typical twenty-something shenanigans and hijincks, Marianne told herself. Nothing weird or embarrassing about it.[break][break]

"Dr. Graves told me that you're enjoying the Zeraora?" she opened in what she hoped was a casual manner, unfolding the cafe menu.

TAGS – Gunner Graves[break]
NOTES – Mission: Sleepless in Slateport (Jan 2024)

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"It's nice to meet you, Priam. How are you liking the tournament?"[break][break]

Money rained down from the sky with PAY DAY, and a small part of Marianne itched to grab a few of the discarded coins and slip them into her pocket. A little extra buffer for paying rent didn't hurt, right?[break][break]

It seemed like it'd be rude to her competitor, though, so she didn't. But she definitely thought about it. A lot.[break][break]

As if trying to whisk away her trainer's awkwardness, a FAIRY WIND sought to scatter the coins away as much as to hit the enemy Sylveon.[break][break]

[break]

TAGS – priam conrad[break]
NOTES – Vital City Tournament: Priam vs Marianne!

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Good morning!" she replied cheerfully, much more at ease than she'd been on the first day of the tournament. It was beginning to become fun instead of scary, and the sting of losing had long worn off.[break][break]

If she'd realized the man across from her was a Rocket, she would feel quite differently, however.[break][break]

"Angel and I are ready when you are," she said, releasing her Klefki to the field. "My name is Marianne, by the way."

TAGS – priam conrad[break]
NOTES – Vital City Tournament: Priam vs Marianne!

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Bad associations? That's unfair. They're just Pokemon, after all," she said, brow furrowing. How bad would someone have to be to ruin someone's opinion of a Meowth?![break][break]

The SHADOW CLAWS raked through the Klefki's keyring, and she retaliated with a FAIRY WIND, attempting to blow it back.[break][break]

"A recording? Really?" she repeated, eyes lighting up as she grabbed her phone. "Okay! Uh, her name is Karen. Can you say something nice to her?"[break][break]

The red record button clicked on.[break][break]

[break]

TAGS – MATIAS SILPH[break]
NOTES – Vital City Tournament: Matias vs Marianne!

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Oh sure, can do," Marianne said, though she had the tiniest suspicion this was just a canned thing celebrities said. "She'll be glad to hear it."[break][break]

Frankly her mother would whine about the fact that Marianne had failed to get a selfie with the man, and then she'd also ask aggressively whether or not he battled shirtless and without shoes like the gossip magazines said.[break][break]

And really, Marianne didn't know why her mother was so hung up on a person who had such crazy and bizarre rumors, but eh. Her mother never been one for reason.[break][break]

TRAILBLAZE is met by her Klefki's FLASH CANNON, blinding the Galarian Meowth as it strikes![break][break]

"Wait. What do you mean by marred?"[break][break]

[break]

TAGS – MATIAS SILPH[break]
NOTES – Vital City Tournament: Matias vs Marianne!

[attr="class","pkmn"]

A GIFT

FROM Marianne Lovelace[break]TO Gunner Graves

[break]
ZERAORA[break]
GACHA

"You think so? I--" But then her thoughts cut off, because inexplicably, it seemed she had somehow won against the upcoming Elite Four and current Gym Leader. "Oh, wow."[break][break]

How had that happened?[break][break]

Marianne blinked once, then twice, before she composed herself enough to be a gracious winner. "You fought very well," she said, extending a hand to shake the taller man's own. "It's an honor to go against you at this event!"[break][break]

Suddenly she realized a crowd had formed around them, blocking off traffic the way the other battles had not so long ago. It was strange to be the center of attention, and even stranger to be it when she had won something.[break][break]

TAGS – Michael Navidson[break]
NOTES – Vital City Tournament: Navy vs Marianne!

[attr="class","pkmn"]