You might be wondering, in all of this, where Ash was. After all, he could easily get there, save the day, and run some pockets, but he's not there.
Well, simple: he's in the forest again, where he took May and Wally. You might wonder why, well, it's kinda obvious, right? To catch some Ralts, duh.
He got Abby to teleport him to the forest and pulled up his DexNav, because yeah, he had that, remember? Now he just had to adjust it. First, he checked for Ralts. He found a few, obviously not a lot, but there were some around, though none in one group. Ralts are social Pokémon, but they don't go around in herds. It's kinda weird.
Either way, that's just the nature of Ralts. Some Pokémon like being in groups; some like being by themselves. It's pretty normal, actually.
Anyway, he changed the filters, looking for some Modest or Timid ones. In the range of the radar, there were about 50–75 Ralts in the area, and after filtering, there were only like five left.
Ash rubbed his chin as he started walking. Time to look through all of them to find one he likes. Like a man once said, "All Pokémon are not created equal, some are better than others." But all that BS about potential isn't really a thing. Talent and motivation are what matter. What good is a perfect Ralts if it's lazy and doesn't want to train?
Ash rubbed his chin. "Alright then, let's go hunting."
The first Ralts he found was near a fallen log, playing with a group of wild Shroomish. He crouched quietly, observing through the scan lens. Playful. Curious. No real focus.
"Nah," he whispered. "It's too cute."
But since it might be useful, he threw a ball at it, hitting the little Ralts and catching it after a few rolls. He might not use it now, but it could be useful later.
He moved on.
The second was practicing teleport hops across a creek, not bad distance, but wobbly landings. Ash smiled a little, watching it trip and fall into the shallow water with a splash.
"Resilient," he murmured. "But clumsy."
The third one? Hiding behind a tree, peeking out every time a Taillow swooped by, "Shy. Maybe too shy."
Fourth? That one surprised him. It was meditating, actually meditating, in the middle of a glade, surrounded by faint psychic energy. He stepped closer, intrigued… until the Ralts opened one eye, looked straight at him, and teleported away.
"Okay," Ash muttered, chuckling. "Smart and rude."
Now, he might have gone after that one, but it was too serious, unacceptable. He wanted a silly little guy. Why would he need a serious one?
He left that one, ignoring it. He found a few more Ralts naturally, since, again, Ralts are attracted to kind emotions, and Ash is literally oozing Aura. If Ralts didn't naturally like him, that would be strange. Unfortunately, none of them were the kind he was interested in. Still, if any normal person saw this scene, they'd pass out from envy.
Ash was now looking for the last Ralts on the DexNav. It led him to a lake, where he saw a few Ralts drinking water. It also looked like they were trading berries to eat. The Ralts who had been following Ash jumped up and ran over to join their friends.
Ash kept walking, looking at all the Ralts. "Guess this is where they all are, huh," Ash mumbled as he looked around. The only reason he found all of these Ralts was because, with his Aura, Pokémon naturally were relaxed around him. If, like, a poacher tried to find Ralts, they would sense the bad intentions and teleport away.
Ash started scanning all of the Ralts, looking for which one had the nature he wanted. There were about 10 Ralts, and surprisingly none of them were the Ralts he was tracking.
Ash raised his eyebrow and was gonna keep looking when he heard howls, and it looked like the Ralts heard it too. When he turned, he saw a pack of Mightyena running around, starting their hunt to get a Ralts for their dinner.
The Ralts immediately started running. Most of them could [Teleport], but the ones that couldn't ran away. Ash wasn't worried, even without Pikachu or Vee, he could punch a Mightyena's teeth out if he wanted to.
He was gonna turn and ignore this since it looked like the Ralts got away, but then he heard a little cry, "Raaaa!!!"
Ash looked over and saw a Ralts, this one was a guy, as he was shaking and being backed into the cliff. His back was against the stone as the pack of Mightyena closed in. The Ralts looked too young to [Teleport].
It tried to shoot a [Confusion], but Mightyena were Dark type, and it did nothing, so they kept walking closer.
"Great," Ash muttered, already rolling his shoulders. "Guess it's hero time again."
He took one step forward, then stopped.
From above the cliff, a little blue figure jumped down, landing squarely between the Mightyena and the frightened Ralts. In front of the first Ralts was a second one that looked a little taller and braver, but what was most important was that she was a blue one, a Shiny.
The Shiny's eyes flashed pink, and a pulse of psychic pressure rippled through the air, trying to hurt them. But of course, it didn't work since they were Dark type, and she wasn't strong enough to use any Fairy moves yet.
So the Mightyena prowled closer to their new prey. The blue Ralts spread her arms wide as if trying to shield the smaller one behind her, letting out another sharp cry. The lead Mightyena snarled and lunged forward.
"Alright," Ash sighed, cracking his knuckles. "I was gonna let nature handle itself, but you just failed the vibe check." He picked up a nearby stone and flicked it with his finger, putting a little Aura into it.
The glowing blue stone flew through the air, and as it was about to bite down on the Ralts, the stone came in like a bullet and hit the Mightyena on the side of the head, sending it flying to the side and crashing into a tree, groaning in pain.
The rest of the Mightyena froze, staring as their packmate groaned in the dirt. Ash just smirked, twirling another pebble in his fingers. "Man, y'all really thought you could snack on a baby Ralts in my forest?" he muttered, shaking his head. "Nah, that's crazy."
A low growl rolled through the pack. Four pairs of red eyes locked on him now. The lead Mightyena barked, and they charged.
Ash didn't move until the first one leapt. Then he sidestepped like it was nothing, grabbed it by the scruff, and, with a bit of Aura strength, yeeted it over his shoulder straight into the lake.
A splash. Silence. Then a wet, very offended bark echoed from the water.
Ash, with a flick, moved his leg, swinging it back and hitting another Mightyena in the jaw, kicking it back, and in that same motion, he flicked the other pebble in his fingers at the third, hitting it in the head as it fell face-first into the dirt.
"You know, usually I don't do this, buuuttttt, you guys are kinda annoying me," Ash said, still talking like he was talking to children. Meanwhile, Vee and Pikachu were still just watching. They hadn't even moved, in fact, Vee was over by a rock, taking a nap.
The last Mightyena took its chance, thinking it could get a sneak attack. Ash didn't have any pebbles left in his hand, so maybe they could hit him.
But when it jumped, from Ash's jacket a little purple arm flicked out another rock, hitting the Mightyena in the neck and making it fall again before slipping back into Ash's jacket.
When the Mightyena hit the ground, the rest of the pack froze, then shook their heads and lowered them in submission, whimpering as they ran away.
Ash dusted off his hands again. "Yeah, that's what I thought. This is my forest, don't forget it!" he huffed.
Then Ash turned around, kneeling slightly so he wasn't towering over them, cuz now, looking at them, they were pretty small.
"You two alright?" he asked.
The shiny Ralts blinked up at him, still on guard, her legs shaking slightly.
"Hey, hey, chill. I'm not tryna fight you," Ash said, raising his hands.
That got a confused blink from her. The little male Ralts peeked out from behind her, tilting his head.
Ash chuckled. "Man, you two are adorable. What's your deal? Big sis and little bro or something?"
The shiny Ralts gave a tiny nod, still cautious, but curious now. Ash smiled softly, scanning both of them and checking the Pokédex.
-
[✨Ralts (F)✨]
[Nature: Modest]
Ability:Synchronize, hidden Ability: Neuroforce
Egg Move: Boomburst
-
[Ralts (M)]
[Nature: Adamant]
Ability: Synchronize, hidden Ability: Telepathy
Egg Move: Psyblade, Bitter Blade
-
He let out a low whistle, this was a really good find, especially with those Egg Moves. Yeah, normal Ralts couldn't learn those, but he'd gotten used to it, accepting that some Pokémon have different learn sets than what he's used to.
And then there was that Neuroforce ability. Yeah, if you know what that does, that's very good. Shame they can't both get it, but like he said before, not all Pokémon are created equal, Shinies are just better than their non-shiny variations.
The Ralts tilted her head again, as if asking what he meant. Ash just shook his head. "Nothing, nothing."
Then, behind them, another Mightyena jumped out, lunging for the Ralts again, but Ash, without even looking at it, reached his hand out, grabbed it by the jaw, and threw it behind him into the river like it was a ragdoll.
"That's annoying. Anyway," he reached down and grabbed the two Ralts, putting them under his arm. "You two are my friends now. We're having soft tacos later," Ash said as he started walking back toward town.
The Ralts just blinked. They didn't know how to react to this, except, since Ralts can sense emotions, and yeah, with Aura, Ash is like the definition of a positive person for them, they weren't really scared, more confused about how they should feel.
–
{Back in town}
People were panicking. Mr. Stone was constantly asking if the people from the water company were here yet to get his Castform out of the fountain. May and Max were just in the crowd, after all, what could they do? May was a newbie, and Max didn't have a Pokémon.
Meanwhile, off to the side, there was a reporter and a cameraman, none other than Gabby and Ty. They'd come here hoping to interview Mr. Stone, but it looked like they wouldn't be able to. They were reporters, but they weren't insensitive.
Surprising, I know a reporter with a heart. But yeah, first they couldn't interview Norman because he left town for business, and now they can't interview Mr. Stone.
Gabby sighed. "Again, we can't do anything. I swear, we need a scoop soon."
Ty lowered his camera as he looked into the fountain. He noticed something. "Uhh, Gabby…"
But Gabby didn't hear him. "I mean, how hard is it to get a good scoop-"
"Gabby…" Ty said again.
"Every time we get somewhere, something explodes, floods, or runs off before we even-"
"Gabby."
"What!?" she snapped, finally turning toward him where he was pointing.
She looked over and saw, in the fountain, on the grate, it looked like the metal there was cut, leaving the opening exposed. "What?! The mesh over the intake hole has been cut! So that's how the poor Pokémon got sucked into it!"
"Yeah, looks like it," Ty said, but when he looked around again, it seemed like no one else had noticed. "Should we te-"
But he got cut off when three people from the water department came in. "Out of the way, please! Everyone move, this is official business. Mr. Stone, you may stay so we can recover your Castform."
The three "workers" from the water department pushed through the crowd, their reflective vests gleaming under the midday sun. The woman in front carried a heavy toolbox, the bigger man hauled a coil of pipe, and the smaller one clutched a tablet that looked way too high-tech for a maintenance crew.
Mr. Stone blinked, adjusting his glasses. "Oh, thank goodness. You arrived quickly."
"Of course, sir," the woman said smoothly, flashing a badge too fast for anyone to read. "We got your emergency report and came as fast as possible. We'll have your Castform out in no time."
The crowd relaxed a little. May still frowned, Torchic chirping uncertainly beside her. Something about the way the woman smiled, it felt wrong. Too calm. And she noticed something: she was into fashion and clothes, so only she saw this. The boots the people were wearing didn't seem like work boots; they almost looked brand new, like they were bought specifically for this.
Now, if it was just one of them, that would be fine, maybe they just needed new boots because the old ones were worn out. But all three of them had the same boots, and she could tell by the fact that there were no scratches on them. If they were at least used, there should've been some creases, but there were none.
As she was thinking, Max tugged on May's sleeve and pulled her in. "May… how did they know it was a Castform?"
May blinked. He's right, the people that called only mentioned that Mr. Stone's Pokémon got sucked into the fountain. No one ever said anything about a Castform.
May froze. Max's words echoed in her head like a dropped Pokéball in a silent room.
"...You're right," she muttered, her eyes narrowing slightly. "No one said what kind of Pokémon it was."
Max frowned. "So how did they-"
"-know exactly what they're rescuing," May finished quietly, her hand curling into a fist.
The fake technicians were already opening the maintenance hatch. The woman knelt beside the panel, pretending to type commands on her tablet, while the tall man unscrewed the drain bolts with almost military precision.
Mr. Stone, clearly anxious, leaned forward. "Is it going to be alright? My Castform's been in there for several minutes-"
"Oh, perfectly fine, sir," the woman said with a saccharine smile. "We'll have it right out."
May exchanged a glance with Max. He could see it, she was thinking the same thing he was. Something was wrong.
Torchic squawked softly, feathers bristling.
Then, just as one of the fake workers removed the last bolt, a faint metallic click came from inside the panel.
"Wait-" May started, but too late.
A burst of pressurized water exploded upward from the fountain, blasting into the sky with a roar. The crowd screamed and stumbled back as a thick mist engulfed the plaza. Through the spray, May barely saw the woman snap her fingers, and the big man yanked something from the toolbox, a small, capsule-like machine that emitted a deep whirr.
A pulse of magnetic light rippled through the mist. The fountain water shimmered, and suddenly, something small and silver-blue shot out of it, spinning helplessly midair.
"Castform!" Mr. Stone cried.
"Got it!" the small fake tech shouted, tossing a strange Pokéball-like device. It latched around Castform's body with a metallic clamp before sucking it inside.
Just as someone was about to call them out, from the same fountain three more Pokémon jumped out next, a Lombre, a Sharpedo, and a Carvanha.
The Sharpedo and Carvanha jumped and flailed around, tethering people and hitting any Pokémon that were out, scaring most normal people away, while the Lombre jumped and grabbed Mr. Stone.
The Lombre latched onto Mr. Stone's leg, flailing wildly as the Sharpedo and Carvanha splashed chaos across the plaza. People screamed and scattered. The fake workers, no, the kidnappers, used the confusion to start the plan
"Now!" the woman barked.
The big man slammed the toolbox shut and hoisted it up, revealing hidden thrusters along the sides, like a portable jet case. He hit a button, and the whole thing erupted in smoke and steam.
"Wh-what is this?!" Mr. Stone shouted as Lombre dragged him backward, the woman grabbing his arm.
"Sorry, sir," she said with a grin. "Company policy, Devon property comes with us."
"HEY!" May shouted, running forward through the mist. "Let him go!"
Torchic darted ahead, puffing up its feathers. "Torchiic!!" it cried, firing a burst of Ember. The flames whizzed through the haze, just barely missing the woman's head as she ducked.
"Oh, bold one, aren't you?" the woman sneered, motioning to her team. "Cover me!"
The Sharpedo and Carvanha surged again, water splashing everywhere, driving back anyone who tried to get close.
Max covered his head, shouting over the chaos, "May! They're taking him!"
"I can see that!" May snapped, eyes darting through the haze. When the smoke dispersed, she saw they were gone, but she did spot one of their uniform vests tossed carelessly on the ground near the edge of the trees.
"No!" May panicked, looking around. People were still watching, and Ash was nowhere to be seen. "I-we need to go after him!"
"What? But May, we can't beat them! You have Torchic, and those guys had three Water types!" Max explained.
"I don't care! We can't sit here and do nothing. Max, I'm going! If you're not coming, then wait here, and if Ash comes, tell him where I went!" May said, and before Max could protest, she took off running.
Max looked back at May, then quickly at everyone else, back and forth a few times. He ruffled his hair, frustrated. "Ghaaa! Fine! May, wait up!" he shouted, sprinting after her.
Gabby and Ty looked at each other. Ty sighed helplessly, already knowing what was going to happen, and, as he thought, Gabby went running off. Easy for her; she wasn't the one carrying a pile of equipment on her back. Groaning, he started running too, still holding the heavy camera.
"Hey, kids, wait up! We can't let you go alone!" Gabby called, trying to keep pace with Max and May.
Then she glanced over at Ty, who was barely keeping up. "Ty! This must have all been planned!"
"Huh?! What makes you say that?!" Ty panted.
Gabby raised a finger. "One: the grill over the intake hole was cut. Two: it was the president's Castform that got trapped in it. And three: after it got freed, the other Pokémon jumped out!"
"Don't forget, they knew Mr. Stone's Pokémon was Castform without anyone telling them!" Max added as they moved through the trees.
Gabby nodded, panting as she leapt over a root. "Exactly! Which means this wasn't random, they must have planned this! And I'll bet my integrity as a reporter they're the ones who messed with the fountain!"
"Then we have to find them before they get too far!" May shouted, Torchic bounding beside her. "They went this way, look footprints!"
Sure enough, faint marks led into the forest trail, three sets of heavy boot prints, and one lighter pair dragging slightly.
"Mr. Stone," Gabby realized, her eyes narrowing.
May scanned the area, and then spotted movement ahead. "I think I see them!" she pointed.
Sure enough, through a gap in the trees were four figures. One of them, Mr. Stone, was tied up on the ground, while the Lombre rummaged through his pockets.
The other three "workers" stood nearby, but their disguises were gone. Instead, they wore striped shirts and blue bandanas, the standard grunt uniform of Team Aqua. Of course, none of the kids knew that yet.
The grunts froze at the sound of rustling from the trees. The woman snapped her head toward the noise.
"Hey! Stop right there!" May shouted, bursting from the brush with Torchic in her arms. Max and Gabby followed close behind, Ty lumbering a few steps back, the heavy camera thumping against his shoulder.
"Well, well," the woman sneered, standing tall. "Looks like we've got some curious kids poking their noses where they don't belong."
She was dark-skinned, with sleek black hair streaked in blue, Shelly, of Team Aqua.
May pointed accusingly, her voice sharp. "You're not with the water company, you're thieves! Give Mr. Stone back!"
The larger man snorted. "Big talk from someone whose strongest Pokémon probably still knows [Scratch]."
He wore the standard grunt uniform, his bald head gleaming beneath his bandana. Amber, another Aqua member
"That's [Ember], thank you very much!" May shot back. "And Torchic's not afraid of you!"
Torchic puffed up and let out a fierce chirp. "Tor-chiii!"
Shelly rolled her eyes and flicked her hand dismissively. "Lombre, deal with them."
Lombre looked up from Mr. Stone, taking something from him, and then leapt forward, firing a [Water Gun].
A jet of water blasted across the clearing, forcing May to dive aside with Torchic clutched in her arms. The blast slammed into a tree, sending bark exploding in all directions.
"May!" Max cried, stumbling back.
Gabby steadied herself. "Ty, go!"
Ty's eye twitched; she really did sound like she was commanding him like a Pokémon. But he didn't argue. He grabbed the lone Pokéball from his belt and tossed it forward.
"Magnemite, [Thunder Wave]!" Gabby commanded before Ty could even speak. Magnemite glanced at her, then back at Ty. Ty just sighed and nodded.
A ring of yellow static fired toward Lombre, but a Sharpedo suddenly burst from a nearby puddle, slamming into the attack and dispersing it in a shower of sparks.
"What the-?!" Gabby gasped.
"Didn't think we'd come unprepared, did you?" boomed the massive grunt, Matt, towering over the others, his face partially hidden by a black cowl rimmed with jagged blue 'teeth,' "Sharpedo [Bite]!"
The shark Pokémon lunged like a torpedo toward Magnemite. The little Steel type barely dodged, but the impact still sent it spinning into the mud.
May, trembling, pointed ahead. "Torchic, use [Ember]! Keep them back!"
Torchic spat a flurry of fireballs but a Carvanha leapt from the shallows, intercepting the attack in a spray of steam and water.
Max grabbed May's sleeve. "May, we can't beat them! They're way stronger than us!"
"I don't care!" she shouted, standing between the grunts and Mr. Stone. "We can't do nothing!"
The woman smirked. "Aw, isn't that cute? Too bad it's useless. You're almost gonna make me feel bad." She raised her hand. "Lombre, [Bubble Beam]! Then you can get out of here, we'll take care of these ones."
The bubbles hit Torchic like cannonballs, knocking it back into May's arms. She fell hard, sliding in the dirt.
"Torchic!" May gasped, cradling it. The little Fire-type groaned weakly, little spirals spinning in its eyes.
As that happened, Lombre followed Shelly's orders and started hopping away with the item it had looted off Mr. Stone's body.
"Looks like that's game over," Matt said smugly, hoisting the metal case again. "Mission accomplished."
Mr. Stone struggled against his bindings, furious. "You won't get away with this!"
The woman crouched beside him, smirking. "Oh, we already have."
Then a rock hit her square in the forehead.
She quickly covered her head. "Ow!"
"Now hold up." The voice came from the trees, calm and unimpressed. "You know, I have a friend with your name. I don't quite like you tarnishing it, you know?"
Everyone turned toward the sound. Sitting on a branch, tossing a stone in his hand, was Ash, completely calm, like he wasn't staring down Team Aqua grunts.
He looked over to May and Max. "Huh. So I leave for, what, thirty minutes, and there's a kidnapping, an explosion, and some wannabe pirates picking on you guys? I really can't leave you alone, can I?"
Shelly's eye twitched as she rubbed the red mark forming on her forehead. "Who the hell-"
Ash dropped from the tree, landing lightly on the dirt path with a casual grin. "Name's noya, noya business."
Matt scowled, "Cocky brat. You think you can take on Team Aqua by yourself?"
Ash shrugged. "By myself? Nah. That'd be unfair… for you." He snapped his fingers. "Vee, Pikachu, showtime."
Pikachu and Vee lazily stepped out, stretching their backs before doing a few warm-up stretches.
Shelly's smirk returned. "You really don't know when you're outmatched. Matt, teach him a lesson!"
Matt cracked his knuckles, "With pleasure! Sharpedo, [Aqua Jet]!"
The shark Pokémon blasted forward in a streak of water. But Pikachu only looked at it, sidestepped quickly, then leapt over as it tried to rebound for a second hit.
"Now, [Iron Tail]!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu flipped midair and slammed straight down on Sharpedo's head with his tail, sending it crashing into the mud.
Matt froze mid-shout. "Wait, what!?"
"Vee, your turn!" Ash called.
Vee's eyes gleamed as he bounced high, his fur glowing blue as he charged up a [Bouncy Bubble]. He landed squarely on Carvanha, bouncing it off the ground and draining its energy as the bubble exploded, slamming Carvanha back into the dirt before hopping back to Ash's shoulder, purring.
"Sharpedo, get back up!" Matt shouted, panicking.
Ash smiled slightly, that playful smirk that always seemed to annoy people. "Oh, right, you can't swim on land, huh?" He pointed casually. "Pikachu, [Floaty Fall]."
Pikachu launched upward, using electromagnetic propulsion to rise and glide before crashing down tail-first into Sharpedo's back. The ground cracked.
The shark gave a pitiful groan before fainting.
"Guess that's everyone," Ash said, dusting off his jacket.
Shelly backed up, gritting her teeth. "You little punk, you don't know who you're messing with!"
"Bland and unoriginal. Seven points," Ash said casually.
Shelly twitched. "Matt, Amber, grab Mr. Stone and retreat!"
Matt tried, fumbling for the case, but Vee darted forward, a blur of silver fur, and headbutted his shin so hard his leg buckled. As he fell, the capsule they'd used to grab Castform slipped off his belt and landed on Mr. Stone's chest.
Pikachu shot out an [Electroweb], wrapping around Mr. Stone and the capsule and pulling them both back toward Ash, who caught them, one in each arm.
"Yeah, I don't think so. Since my friends are watching, I'm being very nice right now," Ash said in his usual cheerful voice. Then he lifted his head, his eyes darkening. "Now get out of my face before I start trying."
Shelly flinched, then shook her head. "Fine! We'll settle this another time!" She threw a small sphere to the ground; smoke exploded around her, blanketing the area.
When the mist cleared, the Aqua trio was gone.
Ash sighed, looking around. "Man, villains love the whole 'smoke bomb exit,' don't they?"
Then he looked over at May and Max. "You two okay?"
May nodded slowly, still processing what had just happened. "Yeah… you beat them in like thirty seconds."
Ash shrugged. "Eh, they weren't that good." He slowly helped Mr. Stone down and cut the ropes with Pikachu's [Iron Tail]. "You alright, Mr. Stone?"
The older man exhaled shakily. "Yes… yes, I believe so. Thank you, my boy. That could've been disastrous. But is my Castform alright?"
Ash looked at the capsule and forced it open. Castform popped out crying and immediately leapt into Mr. Stone's arms.
"Ahh, I'm so glad," Mr. Stone said, hugging Castform. He flinched slightly, his chest was still sore from being dragged and hit around.
Ash knelt beside him. "Here, let me check it," he said, quickly inspecting him to make sure nothing was broken or seriously injured.
"No, you shouldn't waste your efforts on an old man like me," Mr. Stone coughed.
"You can tell yourself that all you want, that's not gonna stop me. Besides, good news: you look fine. Just some bruises, nothing permanent."
"Thank goodness…" Mr. Stone sighed, clutching Castform tightly. "You really saved me there, young man."
Ash smiled faintly. "Nah, I just happened to be in the neighborhood and saw my two dumb friends come running after you. Though, you might wanna hire better security."
"Hey!" May and Max said in unison.
"The fact that you two responded makes it worse for you," Ash said back, and that shut them both up real quick.
Gabby jogged up with her camera, panting but determined. "I got the whole thing!" she said, holding up the camera. "That's front-page stuff!"
Mr. Stone frowned. "I think I must ask you not to report on what happened."
"What? But why?" Gabby immediately asked.
Mr. Stone sighed. "I won't stop you from trying, but knowing your superiors, they're going to want to keep this quiet, especially because it looks like they got what they were really after." He checked his pockets to be sure. "Yeah… they took the part I was carrying."
"That 'thing' they grabbed from your pocket," Ash said, crossing his arms. "I assume it wasn't just your wallet."
"No, it's a prototype part. I don't know what they wanted with it, but it can't be for anything good. That Lombre must've run off with it."
"Well, I'm sorry for not getting here fast enough. If I did, I might've been able to stop them from taking it."
"Don't blame yourself," Mr. Stone said, shaking his head. "You've done more than enough." He forced himself to stand, nearly stumbling, but Ty caught him.
"Careful, sir," Ty said quickly, helping the president steady himself.
"Thank you." He looked at Ash. "So you must be Ash, right? I've seen your battles, it's no wonder you could beat those ruffians. If you're here, I assume you're planning to take on the Gyms, so you must be heading to Rustboro."
"Yeah, you got it," Ash nodded.
"Very well. Then come to the Devon building when you get there, so I can properly repay you."
Ash sighed. "Fine. But first, let's get you back to town." He reached out and helped Mr. Stone onto his back so he could carry him.
–
Later that day, Ash marched out of town with May and Max in tow, the three of them walking through the woods.
"So… remind me again why we had to leave so soon?" May asked.
"Because I don't want to be interviewed. I just got here in Hoenn to not be recognized. I'm not ready to give up my peace and quiet for a little clout."
May huffed, brushing a stray leaf out of her hair as they followed the dirt path toward Rustboro. "You know, for someone who 'doesn't want attention,' you sure cause a lot of it."
Ash glanced over his shoulder, walking backward with his hands behind his head. "Hey, I didn't start that mess. I just ended it."
"Yeah," May muttered. "I guess, but still…"
Behind her, Max was practically bouncing with energy, his backpack rattling with every step. "Still though! That was amazing! You beat all those guys like they were nothing! Pikachu was all zoom, and then your Eevee went whoosh-" He mimed the scene with exaggerated sound effects, nearly tripping over a root.
Ash grabbed him by the shoulder and pushed him back up. "Careful there, champ. Don't want you face-planting before we even hit the next town."
"Sorry," Max said sheepishly, adjusting his glasses. "It's just…wow! I mean, Mr. Stone was the president of Devon Corp, and you saved him! That's like something out of a movie!"
May rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, we all helped, remember?"
Max crossed his arms. "You threw, like, one [Ember], May."
"It was a good [Ember]!" she shot back. "Torchic hit its mark!"
"Yeah, it was a great [Ember], don't worry," Ash said, holding back a laugh. "It was the perfect size, you know, the big ones hurt too much anyway."
"...I don't know what you're talking about, but I feel like I should try to hit you."
"Woooowwww, how mean! After I saved you, and I was gonna give you a gift!" Ash turned away dramatically. "Fine then, I just won't give it to you."
"Wait, a gift? What was it?" May asked quickly.
"Nope, not telling you. 'Cause you're mean to me," Ash said again, pretending to sulk.
"No, come on, Ash! You know I didn't mean it! Just…what is the gift?" May asked again.
Ash turned away once more. "Nope. I get it. You hate me." He fake-sobbed into his hand.
"Hey, come on, don't be like that! Pikachu, you're with me, right?" May looked down at Pikachu, hoping for backup.
Pikachu just looked up at her, then over at Ash, crossed his arms, and looked away.
"You've got to be kidding me. Fine! Ash, I'm sorry! Don't actually be mad at me!" May put her hands together in an almost pleading motion.
Meanwhile, as the scene played out, Max was watching from the side, rubbing his hands together with a mischievous grin. He whispered to himself, "Excellent… Operation Brother-In-Law is going as planned…"
"Hmm?" May looked back suspiciously. "You say something, Max?"
Max froze. "Huh? Me? Nope! Just… thinking about how cool Ash is! Totally not scheming anything!"
Ash raised an eyebrow. "...That's a suspiciously specific denial."
"Hahaha…what denial?" Max laughed nervously. "Anyway, let's go! Come on, Ash!" He ran ahead.
Ash and May looked at each other. Then, with a playful pout, Ash looked away from her. "Wait up, Max! At least one of you Maple siblings doesn't hate me!" he called, running after him.
"Wait a minute! Don't you dare leave me! I already tried to apologize, you big oaf, get back here!"