Trials of a Champion - Kanto [Pokemon x OC]

50 Good Night Pokémon

"Let's face it. You don't have your bodyguard, so you'd be freaked out by the thought of someone walking in on your bath. Everyone in this house is a dude, remember?"

The thought drained the color out of my face.

"So, I'll be back in a bit." With a wave, Paul left the room.

"He's not wrong." I stared at my fingers. "He knows me well."

Vaporeon barked at me.

Shaking my head, and smiling, I spun around to face her. "Nothing. So, it's bath time now!"

She cheered.

The two Eevee boys whined as loud as they could.

Their mother wanted them to take a bath, too!

★

While I rinsed off and soaked in the tub, and tried to keep the Eevee twins from splashing around too much, Paul remembered the layout of the house best he could as he searched for any of the three brothers.

"You look lost."

Paul held back his gag reflex as he came upon Sparky and Jolteon relaxing in the living room.

"Well, it's still foreign territory," replied Paul. "I wanted to ask about some extra blankets."

"Oh. That's all? Sure thing. Follow me."

Sparky guided Paul down the opposite hallway from which he emerged.

"Where's Rosa?"

"She's b..." Something stopped the words from coming out. No way will I let him know she's taking a bath. "She's back in the room watching TV. There was a Pokémon battle scheduled for today that she wanted to observe."

Buying the lie, Sparky grinned. "She takes her Pokémon training seriously, huh?"

"Sometimes too seriously."

"Is that a bad thing? I think it's neat to see someone so dedicated."

"It's an understatement to say she's dedicated."

"How so?"

"Because you don't know how hard she trains her Pokémon, and herself, every single day." Paul considered the many hours I've spent working with my team. It surpassed the amount of time I've spent asleep. Easily. "She may tend to goof off and relax and have fun at the worst times, but she makes up for it by a long shot. Her focus, her willpower, her determination to win and excel, her knowledge about Pokémon.

"She's determined. Determined to reach her goal. And I have no doubt that she can do it."

The notion piqued Sparky's curiosity. "What is her goal?"

"To become the greatest Pokémon trainer ever. The Pokémon World Champion."

"Pokémon World Champion?" He snickered. "She made that up herself, didn't she?"

"I know. It's strange. It's not a thing yet, but her plan is to make it a reality. She wants to become strong enough to defeat every Regional Champ in the entire world. If she does, she'll be the first-ever world champ."

"Sounds neat, and, like, a lot of effort."

"It does, but if anyone can do it, Rosa can." He saw me, as he believed only those who really want to succeed at their dreams could actually do so. "I believe that."

After a moment, Sparky smiled. "You make her sound pretty exceptional."

Realizing he had rambled about me, Paul choked on his air and tried his best not to stumble. "Hey. Don't get me wrong. She has her flaws, too. A lot of them."