Trials of a Champion - Kanto [Pokemon x OC]

29 Rulers of the Road

A/N: I've got a good few chapters lined up for my Pokémon story, but before that, I just wanted to check in on my lovely readers and see how everyone's doing. I wanted to thank you for all the support and kind words I've received over the past few weeks; it really makes my day and encourages me to keep writing.

Speaking of Pokémon, did anyone play Pokémon Go this weekend? It was the 2nd and final day of the big Pokémon Go Fest today. I played, and I was very happy with some of my catches (like a shiny Swablu<3)! Feel free to DM me if you wanna chat, about Pokémon or whatever else.

Anyways, what better way to end a great Pokémon day than with another Pokémon chapter?

Without further ado, enjoy!!!

The next morning, Paul and I trudged through a dense forest. Luxio sauntered behind me, while Pikachu and Eevee perched on our heads. Paul walked at my side, grumpy that I took control of navigation for our group.

"So, where are we headed now?" he asked for the millionth time.

"I'm not giving this map back to you," I hissed. "And be patient. We're almost there."

"Where is 'there'?"

After breaking through the treeline, we came upon a cluster of small buildings sitting at the foot of a suspension bridge. This magnificent example of modern-day architecture stretched out to a piece of land sitting on the horizon.

I pointed. "There."

"Look at the size of that bridge!" gasped Paul and Eevee, stepping forward with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"That's the Cycling Road," I explained as we stepped into town. "And it looks like they've finished up construction. That means we can go straight to Sunny Town on the opposite shore without going all the way around."

"Seems reasonable. Wait, cycling? We don't even have bikes, though."

"I know that. I never said we would be biking, just walking."

We hurried over to the Cycling Road's northern toll booth only for the officer on-duty to turn us away. "My apologies, kids, but you can't cross this bridge without a bike," he said with an apologetic frown.

My jaw dropped in disbelief. "Why can't we just walk across it?"

"This bridge is over twenty kilometers long. It'd be dark before you reached the other side. Not to mention it looks like a storm's coming in." He gestured to the sky, where grey storm clouds slowly accumulated above our heads. "You'll get drenched and catch a cold."

I nodded. "Fair enough. Well, is there a place nearby to get bikes?"

"Sure is. There's a bike shop near the Pokémon Center that sells 'em. You can't miss the bicycles in the window. Tell the workers that Norman sent you. They'll give you a nice discount just for saying hi to me."

"Thanks so much!" I spun around to face Paul. "So, that's settled. Let's rent some bikes, cross that bridge, and get to the next town. Come on!" I walked back into town with my Pokémon.

"Wait." Paul hurried after us. "You sure we shouldn't just take the long way? After all, bikes can get pretty expensive, even with a discount."

I glanced back over my shoulder. "But Paul, you really want to walk the long way around? It'll take us a day or two to get to Sunny Town, but if we bike across the bridge, we'll be there within an hour. How can you turn that down?"

He made a face. "Well, I suppose when you put it that way..."

"Great! Then, let's get going!" I marched off with a spring in my step. "Once we reach Sunny Town, it's just a straight shot along Route 18 to Fuchsia. Smooth sailing all the way there, and who could resist an easy bike ride above the sea?"