After lingering there a little while, they continued on their way.
But as it grew later, even after walking for quite some time, they still failed to reach the next town before nightfall.
"Looks like we'll be spending the night outdoors..."
Muttering quietly, Xia You led the women to a stream, pitched a tent in a clearing beside it, and built a campfire.
Makomo had never experienced anything like this before and naturally found it novel, so she lent a hand under Cheryl and Dawn's guidance.
Dinner was once again prepared by Makomo and Cheryl together.
There was a clear difference between Makomo's cooking style and Cheryl's.
Part of it came from the regional differences between Sinnoh and Unova, and part of it came from their different tastes.
Cheryl plated her dishes more elegantly and favored lighter flavors, while Makomo's dishes were somewhat more casual. She paid little attention to presentation, preferred saltier flavors, and adored desserts. Almost every meal ended with some sweets to round it off.
Neither was really better or worse at cooking; their skills were almost equal. In any case, Xia You loved both their cooking and, as always, ate several bowls of rice.
When night fell, while Cheryl and Makomo cleared away the dishes, Xia You and Dawn began tending to their Pokémon.
The two worked in perfect harmony, grooming and cleaning the Pokémon in an orderly routine.
Makomo found a moment to glance their way and saw more of Xia You's Pokémon, which naturally stirred further curiosity in her eyes.
The Tyranitar that had looked so fierce at the Striaton Gym, the Crystal Steelix that had just crushed its opponent, and several other Pokémon she had never seen before all seemed incredibly docile now. They let Xia You handle them however he liked without