We left Sunny Town with haste, aiming to reach Fuchsia City—and hopefully earn our next gym badge—before the end of the day. The thought of spending another night in my sleeping bag sounded terrible. Even with only one bike left, Paul and I worked out a solution to reach our destination the fastest.
I still got to enjoy the wind rustling my hair and tickling my skin.
"Isn't this just the best?"
Pikachu, Eevee, and Luxio all shared the space on my head and shoulders, and Dratini poked her head out of my bag. They all cooed in agreement.
"There's not even any rain anymore. Just a somewhat cloudy sky, a gentle breeze, and a relaxing bike ride through the countryside. Can you imagine any other way to spend the afternoon?"
"Yeah. I can, actually," grumbled Paul, pedaling.
From my perch on the bike's extra seat, I glared at his back. "Hey! As I recall, we all agreed on this setup, and you need practice. Until you become a pro biker, or this bike also gets destroyed, this is how we're getting to Fuchsia City. Now, complain not! Pedal more, my young padawan!"
"Just hand me my water, Master Rosa."
I smirked and handed over the bottle. "At least you know what's good for you. Look! See those trees on the horizon? The map on my Pokétch indicates that Fuchsia City is right on the other side. Just get through that forest. You can do it! Let's cheer Paul on, you guys!"
Pikachu, Eevee, Luxio, and Dratini all shouted words of encouragement.
He laughed. "Guess I can't let my audience down. Just make sure to hang on!" After chugging down a ton of water, Paul tossed the bottle back to me and returned his focus to pedaling, quickly accelerating to a pace where I had to hold on tight.
The Pokémon wore fat grins on their faces as we zipped across the wide-open country.
Paul's rapid improvement impressed me enough to make me smile just as much—if not more. Of course, when I remembered my arms securely locked around his waist, my smile vanished. My face, neck, and ears felt impossibly hot, and Pikachu proceeded to tease me for what felt like forever.
We rode through the small cluster of trees, and upon clearing them, we arrived at the edge of a magnificent valley. Mankind and nature intertwined perfectly here. Acres upon acres of stinky farmland and dry grasslands sat before our eyes. Neatly tended rows of crops and burnt grass meadows reached to our knees. Unfamiliar Pokémon pranced about in fenced pastures, and the farther I looked, the space between the fields grew wider until eventually, farmland turned into wildland.
A hill lived at the very center of this valley. On it, the trees had gathered together as close as possible to watch over the surrounding lands, their combined eyesight reaching for miles and miles. Tiled rooftops, bell towers, and brick chimneys poked out of the canopy in random patterns. There was a city on that small hill, but it did its best hiding from the eyes of outsiders.
"Wow!" I hopped off the bike and dashed ahead to absorb the full view.
The city, the forest, and the expansive fields reached to the horizon line. Who knows how much farther they continued after that?
"This is amazing! I've never seen anything like this before!"
Paul came up beside me, one foot on the ground to keep the bike upright. "It's nothing but farmland. What's so incredible about that?"
"Everything! It's so different from every city we've been so far. It's like a random blend of houses and plants, but I bet it works like a network. All these farms must've been slowly developed over years of hard work by generations of families. And that hill? I expected a city with trees, and I got a forest with buildings. How could you not be amazed by it?!"
After my moment of pure awe, a fist gently tapped the back of my head.
"You dope."
I grinned.
Pikachu, Eevee, and Luxio also marveled at the sight.
Dratini slithered out of my bag and perched her head atop mine. "Are you seeing all this? Somewhere out here is your home, Dratini. I can feel it. Stick with me, and I'm going to make sure you get there. After all, a promise is a promise." She mewled in excitement and wagged her tail.
"I'm assuming that hill is Fuchsia City." Paul gestured to the cluster of trees at the valley's center. "Know anything about it?"
"I read it was originally the site of a ninja clan hideout. Over the years, people came down from the mountains or up from the sea, which led to more recruits, so then the town needed to expand. While farmers moved to the outskirts, the majority of citizens simply built new buildings from within the safety of the trees."
"That explains why it feels like the city is trying to hide within nature." He turned. "Does that mean ninjas run the gym?"
I laughed. "Maybe, but don't get scared. We can work out an anti-ninja strategy on the way to the gym."
"I'm not scared!"
Snickering, I returned to my seat on the bike. "Then don't get so defensive about it."
Holding back a snarl, Paul quickly changed the subject. "Before anything, let's stop by the Pokémon Center first. I think those practice battles we had at lunch exhausted everyone."
"Sounds like a plan."
With a kick, we resumed our course for the Happening and Passing City.
★
We entered Fuchsia City after a quick bike ride, not much longer than ten minutes. Despite the shadows of trees engulfing everything, the city appeared lively and full of light. Someone cut down a minimal amount of trees to make way for the houses and shops, plus a train station, and a pathway leading to some city landmark, like a Pokémon Gym, maybe?
The Pokémon Center sat across from the train station. Just as we agreed, Paul and I headed there before anything else: to have our Pokémon healed, of course, but also to book a room for the next few days.
"Hey, Paul!" I raced over to find my friend relaxing on a sofa in the lobby. "Did you get your Pokémon back already?"
"See for yourself." Grotle and Eevee stood at his side, grinning at me. "The whole team's brimming with energy now. Too much if you ask me."
"That's great! So are we!" Pikachu and Luxio agreed with enthusiastic cries.
Dratini stuck her head out of my bag, which was placed at Paul's side, to view all the commotion. "Hey. Don't let anyone see you. I promised I'd let you know when we're in the clear." She snuggled up against his side, knowing his body shielded her from view. Patting her head, he looked back at me. "So, did you get us all checked in?"
"I did, and we took a quick peek at the room. You won't believe how nice it is for such a low price. I tested one of the beds and nearly fell asleep. Right, Luxio?" He flicked his tail thinking about the soft pillows. Pikachu kept daydreaming about the two beds she used as trampolines.
"Well, some good news, at least."
"Is there bad news?"
"I overheard other Trainers saying that Fuchsia Gym is already closed for the day."
My jaw dropped. "What?! You can't be serious!"
"I didn't believe them either, so I went to see for myself. They were right. Fuchsia Gym hours are from 8 am to 4 pm."
"Darn. That means we just missed it, huh?"
"Yep." He threw his arms over the back of the sofa. "So, nothing to do but sit here and wait for tomorrow to come. I suppose we could do some more training, or find something to do in town. There's a couple of shops we passed that looked decent."
I raised an eyebrow. "You want to go shopping?"
"Yeah. What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all." I hoisted myself up and over the couch, plopping down beside him. Dratini immediately scooted over and curled up at my side. "It just doesn't seem like you. Anything you want to look for?"
He suddenly looked offended. "What else would I look for, Girlie?! We need to stock up on more Pokémon food supplies and medicine, duh! And in light of recent poisoning events, I think we should look for some heavy antidotes."
"Don't call me that, and calm down! It's a good idea. I totally agree that we need to go spend the rest of the day stocking up on supplies."
Paul shot me a look. "But?"
I averted my gaze. "But...what?"
"You have something else in mind, don't you?"
"Nothing too major." I pressed my fingertips together. "But, I wanted to head out of town if I ever got the spare time."
"Out of town? Why?"
"To catch a new Pokémon. This one!"
I opened my Pokédex and brought up an entry on the horse I met earlier: "Ponyta the Fire Horse Pokémon. Its hooves are ten times harder than diamonds. As a newborn, it can barely stand. However, through galloping after its parents, its legs are made tougher and faster."
"A Ponyta?"
My head vigorously nodded on its own. "I thought the one we met earlier was cute. They can be found in herds right around Fuchsia City. If you recall, I don't have a bike anymore, so I thought having a fast Pokémon like a Ponyta would be a neat way to get around. What do you think?"
Paul considered the idea for a moment. "Not like I have any better ideas, but I don't want to catch one."
"That's alright. I'll go by myself with my Pokémon. You, Grotle, and Eevee can stay here and do whatever. And we'll meet back up for dinner in two hours. How does that sound?"
He looked at his Pokémon and shrugged. "No objections from us."
"Sweet! Back in a flash!" Securing Dratini in my bag, I hoisted it over my shoulders and dashed out the door. Pikachu and Luxio rushed after me, and together we sprinted down the sidewalk heading out of town.
Once I completely disappeared, Paul released a deep sigh. "Good. I was hoping she'd go off on her own for a minute." Both Pokémon gave him a curious look. "But knowing her, she'll be back quicker than I can say 'Pokémon.' So there's no time to waste. I need you both to help me find something."
Grotle and Eevee exchanged glances, wondering what their Trainer had planned.
★
After splitting off from the main road, Luxio, Pikachu, and I reached the outer fields and continued walking in one direction. When we could no longer hear the crunch of tires on gravel roads, see scarecrows, or even smell civilization, we had gone far enough.
"Alright! Time to find us a Ponyta! If I were a herd of horses, this would be the perfect spot, right?" I said. "Very off the beaten path, wide-open fields where you can graze to your heart's content, and little to no human interactions."
Of course, even in the right location, finding an entire herd of Pokémon was still a lot easier said than done.
We trekked through fields of knee-length grass for almost an hour and still spotted nothing but a few Spearow, Rattata, and the occasional Bellsprout. It left me feeling a little disheartened.
"We are in a good spot, right? I mean, it's nice and sunny, so they should be around here somewhere. Anyone have any ideas?"
Dratini mentioned a lake way off to the east.
"It's worth checking out."
We pushed our way through the tall brush until we nearly fell over a short cliff. A shimmering lake sat at the bottom, surrounded by green grass, shrubs, and shrimpy hills, as well as...
"There they are!"
A herd of fiery-maned horses claimed a spot near the lake, some of them small and some of them huge with massive horns on their foreheads.
"I'll bet that's the evolution of Ponyta. Check them out for us, Dex."
It promptly responded: "Rapidash the Fire Horse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Ponyta. With incredible acceleration, this Pokémon reaches its top speed of 150 mph after running just ten steps. When at an all-out gallop, its blazing mane sparkles, enhancing its beautiful appearance."
"It's not wrong there. Just look at the way their flames and coat shimmer against the sun." The sight mesmerized both myself and my Pokémon. I pat Dratini on the head. "Good thinking on this lake. Ha, you can lead a horse to water, even if it's a Fire-type, huh?" She smiled back. "Well, let's get a closer look. Shall we?"
I quietly tiptoed down from the cliff, approached the herd as close as possible, and then crouched behind some bushes. We all poked our heads up over the shrubs to spy on the horses.
"So, now the next question: which one should we catch?"
Pikachu went for the obvious choice.
"No way. Do you see how big those Rapidash are? They'll stomp all over any one of you."
Luxio suggested using Wartortle due to his type-advantage.
"Even with a type advantage, Rapidash can probably dodge attacks with ease thanks to their incredible speed. We'd also be at risk of getting hit by a Solar Beam, which fully evolved Fire-type Pokémon tend to learn. I say we just stick to the original idea and catch a Ponyta.
"Of course, that leads us to our next issue: picking one."
More than half of the herd consisted of Ponyta. Some looked smaller and younger than others, walking around on shaky, newborn legs. They were the easiest targets and an ideal choice for impulsive people. However, all of the young Ponyta stuck to their Rapidash parents like glue. I would certainly have an issue if I chose a foal with a mother or father standing nearby.
On the other hand, I could've tried for one of the more experienced Ponyta. There'd be less of a chance of being attacked by a protective parent, but we would have a more difficult fight on our hands.
"Dammit. Which one do I want?"
Dratini suddenly made a cry and gestured towards the back of the herd.
A tiny Ponyta grazed silently by itself, standing far apart from the others. Its ears perked up when a Butterfree flew by. It tapped the horse's nose with its blue forearm, making it sneeze a few harmless flames.
The adorable interaction made my heart squeeze. I muffled my squeals to prevent startling the herd. "So cute!! Let's catch that one before it sneezes again and my heart gives out."
Pikachu and Luxio agreed, but before we moved, Dratini told us to look at Ponyta again.
"What's wrong?"
While playing with Butterfree, Ponyta had failed to notice the rest of its herd start walking off in one direction. The little pony moved to catch up. However, a Rapidash separated from the group, aggressively approached Ponyta, and snorted at it. The young horse lowered its head and quickly cowered in fear.
"What the heck?" I muttered, observing the unusual interaction between the two horses.
The rest of the herd walked off, leaving the other two behind. Rapidash huffed at the young foal before turning back to the rest of the group. Ponyta attempted to resume its course and tiptoe to the others, but the stallion roared angrily.
Ponyta responded by throwing a tantrum.
Unfazed, Rapidash took an aggressive stance and pawed the ground with its hoof.
Intimidated, Ponyta bowed its head, and suddenly it charged straight at Rapidash. The older horse responded by rearing up on his hind legs, knocking Ponyta some distance to land on its back painfully.
We all gasped in shock.
Luxio asked if they were having a fight.
"I'm not sure. Horses don't usually have fights like this, especially between an older and a younger one." I frowned at the Rapidash towering over the injured foal. "Do you think it's trying to kick Ponyta out of the herd?"
Undeterred, Ponyta lifted itself up and ran back towards Rapidash, but it tripped and fell flat on its face. The older horse remained stern, causing the little one to throw a tantrum again and refuse to be left behind.
"It's understandable why he doesn't want to go. That's his family," I murmured.
Having had enough of the pony's latest tantrum, Rapidash reared up on his back legs again, opened his mouth, and upon returning to all fours, unleashed a massive stream of fire to throw Ponyta into the air.
"Oh no!"
When the smoke cleared, the herd had vanished, leaving Ponyta sprawled out on the ground all by himself.
"They're gone?!"
Ponyta returned to his feet and tried to step forward, but stumbled and fell over again.
"Oh man!" Without hesitation, I slipped out of my hiding spot and dashed over to help out the tiny foal. "Ponyta, are you okay?"
His eyes blinked open, and upon registering our presence, he spooked. He flipped himself around and lifted his two back legs. Before I could react, Luxio used Protect to shield everyone.
I collapsed with wide eyes. "It's alright, Ponyta! We're not here to hurt you. We just came over to make sure you're okay. That was a powerful Fire Blast. We could feel the heat from pretty far away."
The Pokémon whinnied, staring off into the distance and hoping his family came back.
"I'm sorry that happened to you. I've never seen a horse kick one of its own from the herd before."
Ponyta's head drooped further.
"Ack! I mean..." My shoulders slumped. "Sorry. I'm probably not helping."
Suddenly, Ponyta's legs shuddered. He collapsed on the grass.
"Uh oh. Come on, guys." I went over to help him stand up. Ponyta, however, insisted on getting up by himself, and after a few tries, succeeded. Based on what the Pokédex said about newborn Ponyta, I came to a shocking conclusion. "You know something, guys? I think this little guy is a newly hatched Ponyta."
Pikachu, Luxio, and Dratini all gasped.
"Well, it makes sense. He can barely stand, so he must be very young. Of course, that makes it even crueler that he'd just get abandoned like that."
Ponyta toppled over once again.
"Alright. You had your chance." I stepped over and helped bring Ponyta back onto his feet. "This time, I'll help you. Where do you want to go?" He neighed and pointed his snout at the lake. "You're thirsty? Got it. Let's..." When I mistakenly put my hand on his mane, the red-orange flames scorched my hand. "Ow!"
The Pokémon all cried out in alarm, with Dratini almost unable to look.
"I'm fine." Remaining composed, I clenched my teeth and gazed over at the calm, alert horse. "Yeah. That was pretty stupid of me. I wouldn't trust some stranger right away, either. Sorry, Ponyta."
He snorted.
"How about this? We'll just walk at your side, and if you fall, we'll help you up. Deal?"
Ponyta agreed with a nod.
We all trekked over to the lake. Once we arrived, Ponyta craned his neck down to take a long sip. I crouched and plunged my burnt hand straight into the cool water. "Ahhh.... That feels much better."
Luxio and Pikachu splashed water on their faces.
Also thirsty, Dratini emerged from my bag and slithered down my body, leaving an uncomfortable tingling sensation in her wake. She moved over to the water's edge and dunked her entire head underwater.
Ponyta noticed the serpent at his side and jumped back in a panic.
"Oh, right. I suppose you haven't met. Ponyta, this is Dratini. Dratini, say hi."
The two Pokémon greeted each other and chatted up a storm.
I smiled at the interaction. "Wow. That was fast. Dratini makes friends faster than I do."
Luxio suggested they became friends so easily because they're both very young.
"That could be, or maybe they're both just really friendly. But at least this way, Ponyta has somebody."
The minute I said his name, Ponyta's stomach bellowed louder than a Gyarados. He looked away with an adorable and embarrassed face, making the rest of us laugh at his unusual bashfulness.
"Someone hungry? I might have something in here for you." I rifled through my bag and fetched a bright, red, delicious... "Here, an apple!"
Ponyta's eyes popped out of their sockets. He hopped over, sucked the fruit right out of my hand, and ate it in one bite. He licked his lips clean of apple juice, neighed, and trotted around us in circles.
"All better now?" His burst of energy made me giggle.
He nodded before lowering his head and pushing his snout into my hand.
"Oh, this? Don't worry about it. I'm fine now. See? It's all better."
Seeing the burn had resided a little, his ears happily flicked back and forth.
"So, Ponyta, what are you gonna do now?"
He regretfully shook his head, studying our surroundings with a hesitant expression.
"Well, if you don't have any ideas, why don't you come with us?"
The pony eyed me curiously.
"I have to be honest with you. We already considered catching you before everything happened; that's why we're out here in the first place. This way though, at least we got to know you first. What do you say? Want to be part of our team?"
After a moment, he accepted my offer with one condition.
"You want a battle first?"
He continued to whinny.
"With Dratini?" The little serpent and I exchanged looks. "But, well, the thing is that she isn't really my Pokémon. You see, I'm taking her to her home. We think it's somewhere in the Safari Zone."
Ponyta insisted on a battle with Dratini, and that was his final word on the matter.
I looked back to Dratini. "Well, want to battle?"
She excitedly nodded.
"Okay. I'm glad to hear it."
Ponyta moved several feet away from us and stomped on the ground.
Dratini stood in front of me, facing her first-ever opponent with a confident glare. "Let's see. We already know that you can use Thunder Wave and Wrap. Can you use any other moves?"
Dex answered my question: "Dratini's moves are Thunder Wave, Wrap, and Twister."
"Not too bad. I can work with that. Ready, Dratini?" She responded with an excited cry.
Ponyta went first. He lowered his head and released a spiral of fire from his mane.
"Deflect it with Twister, Dratini!" She waved her tail and created a small tornado from it, sending it at her opponent. The two attacks combined into one massive vortex before vanishing into thin air. "Nice power!"
Ponyta charged at us. His mane grew larger and formed a ring around his body, his goal to slam into Dratini with a powerful Flame Wheel.
"Slow it down with Thunder Wave!" Dratini emitted a weak bolt of lightning from the tiny orb on her forehead. It landed a direct hit on Ponyta and slowed him down enough for us to brace for impact. "At the first opportunity, grab it with Wrap." Just as Ponyta collided, Dratini wrapped her tail tightly around Ponyta's front legs. "Now use Twister once again!" Ponyta was unable to dodge our second Twister and was sent flying.
Upon hitting the ground, he fell over unconscious.
"Ah, too much power!" I wanted to run over and check on him, but my Pokémon all reminded me why we had the battle in the first place. "Oh, right. Poké Ball!" I chucked the ball quickly, smacking Ponyta on the head and bringing him inside. After three clicks, the pony was my newest Pokémon. "Alright!"
I brought Ponyta back out to treat his wounds from before and during the battle. "There. Welcome to our herd, Ponyta. Glad to have you on board." He responded with a happy whinny and hopped several times.
Dratini slithered over to Ponyta and started up a conversation real quick.
"There they go."
Luxio reminded me to start heading back before it gets too late.
"Oh yeah. It's almost dinner time, huh? I'd hate to keep Paul waiting for his food, no matter how much of an ass he can be." I stepped over to our new friend. "Hey, Ponyta. Are you ready to go back to town? I'm staying the night at the Pokémon Center in Fuchsia City. My friend will be getting hungry, so we need to hurry. You think you can carry us there?"
He turned his body a little and motioned for us to climb aboard.
"You sure you'll be able to handle it?"
He nodded.
I inched over to him and carefully reached for his mane. When I touched the flames this time, my fingers felt a warm sensation. "It's not hot!" Speechless, I silently thanked Ponyta for putting his trust in me and hopped onto his back. Pikachu sat behind me, Dratini returned to the comforts of my bag, and Luxio remained on the ground. "Suit yourself. Just make sure to keep up. No doubt this Ponyta's a fast runner."
Ponyta responded with a happy neigh, reared up on his back legs, and galloped away.
I held on tight to his neck as we returned to Fuchsia City, a smile plastered on my face the entire way there.
★
Within twenty minutes, we entered the city once again, where I guided Ponyta to the Pokémon Center. Paul hung outside with Grotle and Eevee, having some sort of practice match to warm-up for the gym, no doubt.
I waved to them. "Hope you guys didn't wait too long!"
He turned to us, and his eyes widened. "That's quite a catch, Rosa." They all stepped over to us. "And don't worry. I wasn't quite hungry yet so I thought to give these two some more training. How'd it go?"
"See for yourself." I hopped off Ponyta's back. "Say hello to our newest recruit."
Ponyta stomped on the ground, huffed, and caused powerful flames to erupt from his body for a brief moment, showing his strength and eagerness to battle. Paul looked rather impressed.
"Wow. You sure are a fighter. I'm Paul. Hope you didn't have too much trouble dealing with this one. She sure can be a handful."
I aggressively pointed my finger at him. "Hey! You're more of a pain in the ass than I am and you know it. Ponyta, don't listen to a single word this guy says to you—"
"What happened to your hand?"
"Huh?" I stared at my fingers. "Oh. Right. You see, I was stupid and touched Ponyta's flames right when we first met."
Ponyta frowned again, feeling immensely guilty.
"D-Don't worry, Ponyta! I already said it's fine."
"Lemme see." Without saying anything, Paul took my hand and inspected it.
My face quickly heating up, I stammered, "What... What are you doing...?"
"What does it look like? I'm about to help your burn out. Stay still." With his free hand, he retrieved a Poké Ball from his belt. "Lucky for you, one of my Pokémon learned a new move just before you got back."
"New move?"
Paul summoned Mom Eevee from her Poké Ball, who yawned and stretched her legs like a cat stirring from their sixty-seventh daily nap. The other Eevee hopped over to greet her mother with a quick nuzzle. "Eevee, you think you can help this moron's burn?"
"Who are you calling a moron?" My eyes returned to our connected hands. I flinched and pulled away. "And don't just take my hand like that."
He ignored me and looked at his Pokémon. "Better hurry before she whines more."
Nodding, Eevee opened her mouth to emanate a sweet cry. Her body glowed a comforting blue-green color, and then blue-green waves came off her body. The energy reached my hand, enveloped it in the same light, and worked quickly to make the burn disappear completely.
I turned my hand back and forth, purely amazed. "What move...was that?"
"It's called Heal Bell," replied Paul. "It's a status move that heals things like burns, poison, and paralysis."
"And you know how to use something so cool?!" I gasped down to Mom Eevee. She replied with a smile, making me smile back. "Well, thanks a lot. I owe you one. Do the other Eevee all know?"
She and Paul both shook their heads. "No. This Eevee doesn't know," we both watched the baby Eevee struggle to copy her mother's moves, failing miserably, "so I can't imagine any of the others do."
"Ah, well. That's what makes mom so special, huh?" I crouched to scratch Mom Eevee's head, prompting a cry of joy. "It's good news knowing we have a healer on the team."
"Speaking of good news, I've got some more. You wanna hear?"
Very curious, I stared up at him. "What is it?"
He revealed two lanyards from his bag, both of which held laminated cards. "These are our passes for entering the gym tomorrow. We're the Gym Leader's first challengers for the day."
I sprung back onto my feet in surprise. "You serious?!"
"Yep."
"Wow, Paul! How the heck did you pull that off?"
"I just went to the gym and asked about reserving a couple of spots as early as possible for tomorrow morning. Here." He tossed one of the lanyards to me. "Make sure not to lose it."
"Like that'll ever happen. Here, Luxio. You hold it." I fastened the lanyard around Luxio's neck. "Now, I can't possibly lose it. Did you find out what kinds of Pokémon the Gym Leader uses here?"
Paul sighed in frustration and scratched his head. "No. Everyone here has their lips sealed shut for good. It looks like we won't know until our battle."
"Damn. I guess there won't be any planning. Then, the next order of business! Food! Who's hungry?"
Everyone responded with enthusiastic cheers. Luxio, Pikachu, Dratini, Ponyta, Grotle, and both Eevee were all stoked about our next meal.
"There's a noodle shop just up the street," said Paul. "And it looked pretty decent."
"Lead the way to the noodles!"
We headed straight to the noodle shop. All twenty-seven Pokémon, Paul, and I took down an entire buffet of dishes to ourselves. I stuffed myself to the brim. I needed the energy for whatever I'd face in tomorrow's battle.
Maybe I'd even get to use my new Ponyta!