My Name is Marcus: Umbra

XI. Here's to You

Hop fell backwards as the rock he had been attempting to juggle with his feet bounced upward and smacked him hard on the forehead. He landed hard on his bottom as he rubbed his head and winced from the pain next to his older brother, who sat on the grass doing the same. "How do you do it!?", Hop shouted to Cinderace in a baffled tone.

"That's what I've been saying!", Leon added.

Cinderace stood in front of them, cackling like a mad fool.

The champion's household was brimming with life and energy as all of the guests gathered across the backyard. An assortment of scents wafted through the air as several styles of barbeque, a plethora of desserts, and a complete display of a completed Curry-dex sat upon the log table on the patio, waiting to be picked and chosen from by the guests at their leisure.

By this point, all of the guests had arrived. Milo sat by the fire next to Kabu, singing campfire songs as Marcus's Toxtricity strummed on the protrusions on her chest. Bea chatted with Nessa by the fence, asking for some tips about the latest fashion, to Nessa's surprise. Bede and Marnie talked by the house, mostly about their experiences so far as the newest Gym Leaders in the region - a pleasant conversation overall, although Bede did spend most of his time complaining about Opal's strict and unorthodox training methods.

Piers sat under the same tree he had been all day, now accompanied by Marcus's Umbreon, who laid asleep peacefully beside him.

"That's incredible", Marcus's mother remarked, "I've never seen her get so comfortable with someone so quickly!"

Piers smiled gently as he scratched Umbreon's head. "Birds of a feather stick together, I guess."

Morpeko ate to her heart's content with glee alongside Bea's Machop. Gengar took to entertaining Sonia with his signature disappearing-act. Marcus's Inteleon and Corviknight sat on the roof of the house together, passively watching the celebration with a smile.

"Gordie asked me to tell you that he's sorry he couldn't make it tonight", Raihan explained to Marcus as they stood in front of the door-wall. "Said he had a promotional shoot that was running later than he'd thought."

"I figured he might've been busy today", Marcus remarked. "He is Galar's celebrity claim-to-fame and all."

Raihan smirked and reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulling out a card. "He wanted me to pass this along to you", he said as he handed it to Marcus. "Not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous."

Marcus took the card and examined it for a moment before his eyes went wide. "Is this what I think it is!?"

"Yeeup", Raihan replied. "Gordie's self-proclaimed Legendary League Card. So rare, in fact, that only Platinum Members of his fanclub are able to get their hands on 'em."

Marcus flipped the card over to read the description only to be distracted by a hand-written message. On top of the card-description, written in bold black marker, were the words Congratulations, Champion! Marcus smiled. "If you see him again any time soon, you can let him know that this is going next to the trophy."

Though the air was lively that night, the energy remained peaceful. Many people within the walls of the property were known for battling one another on the regular. Rivalries in Galar were fierce as they all fought for fame, glory, and respect. Tonight, however, everyone was able to come together as friends and simply enjoy the evening in one another's company. Mutually, it was taken as a welcome departure from the hectic nature of this season's Gym Challenge and the ensuing calamities brought on by Chairman Rose and the Noble brothers.

The activity and conversations began to die down as everyone's attention was drawn to the sound of a metal fork clanging against a glass. "Everyone", Leon chimed as he stood atop one of the benches by the table, tapping on his glass, "can I have your attention please?"