Trials of a Champion - Kanto [Pokemon x OC]

64 All I Want For Christmas Is...

Worse, my primary source of heat vanished about half an hour ago.

My eyes creaked open to find an empty space where Paul used to be.

"Pa ... ul?"

I yawned, sat up, and rubbed my eyes to get rid of the eye boogers. Paul's jacket fell off my torso. A flaming pony slept at my side.

"Paul? Where'd you go?"

"Don't worry. I'm right here." He stepped away from the fire started with Growlithe's help.

"What are you doing up already?" I looked outside. "It's early."

"No, it's not. You slept in, lazy."

"I'm not lazy—uh...?" My nose picked up a delicious scent. "You make something?"

"That's what this is." He showed me a bowl filled with rice and scrambled eggs.

"You made breakfast? Without me? But it doesn't look burnt!!"

"Now, that's just mean. I can cook some stuff. Here, eat."

With a nod, I accepted the bowl. "Thank you."

He gave me a fork. "How are you feeling today? Better?"

"My head doesn't hurt anymore. I don't feel sore from the electrocution, either."

Paul turned his head. "And, emotionally?"

Realizing what he really asked about, I gave a sigh. "I don't feel like talking about it."

Paul nodded, said "Alright," and stood back up. "Moving on, then. I decided where we should go next. Want to see?"

"Yessh," I said with a mouthful of food.

"Make sure to chew properly."

We moved over to the fire. Charla and Ponyta sat beside me to keep me warm while I munched on breakfast. It tasted delicious, actually, leaving me very impressed with Paul's cooking skills.

"Someone's been paying attention to my cooking, huh?"

Luxray agreed after chugging his bowl of eggs and licking his lips.

"Seriously. I can cook, just not as well."

"Well," I said, "what did you decide?"

Paul began. "We both now have the Marsh Badge, which totals six badges each. We only need two more to qualify for the Pokémon League, which means we need to continue to the next gym. Preferably sooner rather than later."

"What gyms are available, and which is closest?"

"I've been studying the map over the last couple of days." He showed me. "Based on the path that Charizard—"

"Charla."

"Sorry, based on the path that Charla took, we're somewhere down here." He used his finger to show our current estimated area: the south side of mainland Kanto. "There are only two other official gyms in the Kanto region: one in Viridian City, and one on Cinnabar Island."