The sun shone brightly over the open road, the blue skies framed by scattered clouds. The scenery was picturesque, with lush greenery flanking both sides of the path. It was the perfect day for travel—except for Gladion, who now had an uninvited companion travelling with him.
Sabrina, walking with her hands clasped behind her back, was unusually talkative today. Her usual stoic demeanor was offset by her persistent questions.
"Why haven't you completed the gym circuit yet?" she asked, glancing at Gladion with her signature unreadable expression.
Gladion sighed. "Because I'm focusing on training my Pokémon. I want to make sure they're battle-ready for the Indigo League. Rushing the circuit would be counterproductive."
Sabrina tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled. "Your Pokémon are already strong. Your Umbreon alone could take on most gym leaders, yet you're still holding back. Are you afraid of something?"
He stopped walking for a moment, turning to face her. "Afraid? No. I'm just... thorough. You wouldn't understand, Sabrina. I actually enjoy training and seeing my Pokémon grow, not just steamrolling through battles like some overpowered psychic prodigy."
Sabrina frowned slightly. "If you're not afraid, why are you walking everywhere instead of teleporting? You can teleport, can't you?"
"I can, but I don't want to," Gladion replied, his tone strained. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to suppress his irritation. "I like enjoying the scenery, feeling the breeze, hearing the sounds of nature—you know, normal human experiences."
Sabrina stared at him blankly. "So... you're wasting time."
"It's not wasting time! It's called living, Sabrina!"
Her lips twitched, almost forming a smirk. "Interesting. Wasting time... but somehow not."
Gladion groaned, muttering under his breath, "Why did I agree to this?"
As they continued walking, Gladion's mind drifted to his next goal: Fuchsia City and Koga's gym. It was going to be his seventh badge. It was also going to be his last major gym battle. To Gladion's relief, he doesn't have to challenge Giovanni to complete the circuit.
Gladion remembered a peculiar rule from the anime—trainers could challenge two minor gyms in place of one gym to qualify for the league tournament. It was only for only gym badge though. It was present so that a trainer who specialises in say Fire types would not have to worry about facing Cerulean gym.
Gladion had wondered if that rule was even real. He had just found out about this from a trainer in the Pokemon centre.
It wasn't as if anyone had confirmed this to him. Not his mother, who was a minor gym leader herself, and certainly not the official league documentation he had read. His mother probably assumed that her brilliant son would only aim for major gyms and wouldn't bother with minor ones.
'Well, Mom, jokes on you. I'm glad I don't have to challenge Giovanni, especially after…' Gladion's thoughts trailed off. He remembered the chaos near the Vermillion City—the screams, the destruction, the faces of the Rocket grunts who didn't make it out alive. Well, none of them did.
He shuddered but quickly pushed the memory away. "Nope, not challenging Giovanni. Minor gyms, here I come."
"You're muttering to yourself," Sabrina noted, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Just planning my next move," he said quickly, hoping she wouldn't pry further.
"Planning? For what? You're just going to Fuchsia City. Walk, teleport, challenge the gym, and move on. It's not that complicated."
Gladion forced a smile. "Yes, thank you for that groundbreaking insight, Sabrina. I don't know how I've managed to survive without your wisdom."
She blinked. "Sarcasm is a waste of energy."
"I'll remember that next time I have to deal with you," he muttered under his breath.
As the sun began to set, the duo decided to set up camp near a small stream. Gladion released his Pokémon, who immediately began stretching, playing, and getting comfortable in the open space. Nyx, his Umbreon, perched on a rock, watching everyone with an unnerving smirk.
Gladion started unpacking his cooking supplies, setting up a small firepit. "Alright, dinner time. Let's see… I'll make some stew and—"
"Why are you cooking?" Sabrina interrupted.
He looked up at her, confused. "Because we need to eat?"
"But why you? Shouldn't someone else handle it?"
"Who, Sabrina? The Pokémon? Or maybe the rocks will magically become eatable. "
At that comment, Collosus tossed a rock in his mouth with a smirk. Gladion's eye twitched at that.
"I could teleport," she offered nonchalantly.
Gladion raised an eyebrow. "Teleport… where, exactly?"
Gladion paused, staring at her in disbelief. "So, let me get this straight. Your plan is to teleport home, eat whatever your mom or maids cook for you, and then teleport back here?"
"Yes," Sabrina replied, as if it were the most logical solution in the world.
He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Of course. Why didn't I think of that? Oh, wait, because it's completely ridiculous!"
Sabrina crossed her arms. "Ridiculous is wasting time cooking when you could be training or strategizing."
"Ridiculous is dragging me along on this journey just to criticize everything I do!" Gladion shot back.
Nyx let out a low snicker, clearly enjoying the exchange.
"Fine," Sabrina said, sitting down with her arms still crossed. "Cook your food. But don't expect me to help."
"I wasn't planning to," he grumbled.
As Gladion cooked, Sabrina continued to make unhelpful comments.
"Are you sure that's enough salt?"
"You're cutting the vegetables unevenly."
"That fire is inefficient. I could light it better with my psychic powers."
Gladion slammed the knife down onto the cutting board. "Sabrina, if you don't stop, I swear I'm going to teleport you to the middle of the ocean!"
She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "You wouldn't dare."
"Try me," he growled.
The Pokémon watched the exchange in silence, their expressions ranging from amused to exasperated. Nyx, gave Mystique, his Milotic, a knowing look as if to say, 'He's going to lose his mind before we even reach Fuchsia.'
After what felt like an eternity, dinner was finally ready. Gladion served bowls of stew to himself, Sabrina, and his Pokémon. As they ate, the tension began to ease.
"This isn't terrible," Sabrina admitted, taking a bite.
"Thanks. That's the nicest thing you've said all day," Gladion replied dryly.
"You're welcome," she said, completely missing the sarcasm.
As the fire crackled and the night grew darker, Gladion found himself glancing at Sabrina.
"Hey, Sabrina," he said suddenly.
She looked up from her bowl.
"Why are you really here? You're already strong. You've got all eight badges. You don't need to tag along with me."
Sabrina stared into the fire for a moment before answering. "Because I'm curious. You're different. Strong, but you hold back. Smart, but you don't rush. It's… interesting."
Gladion blinked, caught off guard by the honesty in her voice.
"And besides," she added, her usual smirk returning, "someone has to keep you from wasting time."
He rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Great. Just what I needed—a psychic babysitter who herself needs babysitter."
--------Author Notes------
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