Ash, May, and Max finally got out of the Petalburg Woods and reached Rustboro City, Ash kinda did have to explain that he had Aura, and also kinda what it did. They were gonna find out sooner or later; no point hiding it from them.
Although, even though he explained it and it had been a few days of traveling, they still asked more questions, even if he'd already told them what he was going to.
"So wait," May said, walking beside him with her arms crossed. "You're telling me you can sense emotions? Like, actually feel what someone else is feeling?"
Ash gave a small shrug. "Pretty much, yeah."
May frowned, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "So… does that mean you can tell when I'm mad?"
Ash smirked. "May, I don't need Aura for that."
Pikachu snorted, and Vee let out a small, squeaky laugh.
"Ha-ha, very funny," May muttered, puffing her cheeks.
"You're right, it's hilarious," Ash kept teasing as they walked into town. When they got there, they looked around. "So here we are, any plans you guys wanna do?"
"Wait, are you not going to challenge the Gym right away, or go see Mr. Stone?" Max asked, looking up at Ash.
"Nah, waiting won't kill me. And Mr. Stone isn't here yet, remember, he went to the hospital and will probably get here in like three days, more or less. Besides, half the fun of the journey is sightseeing," Ash said.
May's eyes lit up. "Alright then, leave it to me, I have a plan!" she said, beating her chest proudly. "First, let's go shopping. I heard there are really cute clothes here! Then maybe we can go for lunch, there's this place I've been dying to try their pasta! And then-" May began listing off thing after thing.
Ash looked at Max, and Max gave a helpless sigh, hoping that May's ranting about things to do wasn't going to weird out Ash. But thankfully for him, Ash was friends with Green, and Green was way worse, so this was nothing.
"Ok, sureeee, buttt… I had a better idea," Ash said as he pulled out his phone and scrolled. "There's a Master Rank Contest happening here in Rustboro. I know you wanna compete in Contests, but since you can't participate in this one, wanna go watch it together? I bought the tickets online," Ash said, showing the digital tickets.
May froze mid-sentence. "Wait, wait, wait, Master Rank Contest?" Her eyes sparkled like stars. "Ash! Why didn't you lead with that?!"
Ash chuckled, pocketing his phone. "Because if I did, you'd sprint there before I even finished the sentence."
"I would not!" she protested, then paused. "…Okay, maybe I would. But come on, Master Rank! That's the real deal! There'll be pros there!"
Max crossed his arms with a smirk. "You're drooling…"
"I am not!" she said, wiping the corner of her mouth just in case.
Ash chuckled as they made their way down the busy street, the sound of chatter and the smell of street food filling the air. "Well, if you're that excited, I guess we better not keep you waiting."
"Why are we even still standing here? Let's go!" May said, grabbing onto Ash's arm excitedly. She didn't even notice what she was doing, she was too excited to think, as she pulled Ash along toward the contest hall.
Max just watched, rubbing his hands together as he followed quickly behind them.
—
A while later, they were at the contest hall. Ash redeemed the online tickets, getting their seat numbers. He went to grab some snacks for them while May and Max looked for their seats.
As they did, Max looked at his and May's and felt conflicted. The way the seating arrangement was, he would be in the middle. Now, as much as he would like to sit next to Ash, his plan came first. So he looked at May.
"Hey, sis, let's swap," he said, holding out his seat number.
"Hmm? Why?" May raised an eyebrow.
Max thought fast and cleared his throat. "Well, the middle seat gives the best view, and you clearly need it," Max said, hiding his real intentions behind an insult.
"Excuse me!" May said, crossing her arms. "What do you mean by that? I'll have you know I am perfectly capable and I know what I'm doing, MAX!"
Max tilted his head innocently. "So you don't want it?"
May stopped, grumbled, then snatched the ticket out of Max's hand and shoved hers into his. "Only because I want to see it," she muttered before stomping away to her seat.
Max smiled, rubbing his hands together. Excellent, he knew exactly how his sister thought. It was almost too easy.
—
{Meanwhile}
On the docks of Rustboro City, workers and Pokémon were carefully unloading boxes from a ship. Standing nearby, Roxanne was watching with a clipboard in hand, nodding along.
She looked excited as she checked off each item people carried down. "We have fine art, historic artifacts, geological specimens... I can't wait for the grand opening!"
If you're wondering what she was talking about, it was kind of obvious, all these boxes were filled with expensive museum artifacts. She was overseeing the setup of Rustboro City's first museum, and Roxanne was thrilled.
Then, from the ship, someone else walked out. He was holding a box in his arms, his jacket tied around his waist, it was Brock.
He walked up to Roxanne. "Alright, with this, that should be everything. Is the museum ready here?"
You see, when Brock was back home, he heard his uncle Curator mention they were starting a collaboration with Rustboro City, sending some of Pewter's artifacts over. Since Brock knew Ash was heading to Rustboro soon, he volunteered to take the shipment himself.
That's why he was here. Besides, he truly cared about these things, especially because this shipment was special. It included artifacts all the way from Galar, since the Curator had recently gotten permission to open a new archaeological site there.
"Yup! Everything's on schedule," Roxanne said with a bright smile as she checked her clipboard. "You really saved us a ton of trouble bringing these over yourself, Brock. I didn't expect Pewter's museum to send one of their own Gym Leaders!"
Of course, Roxanne knew who Brock was. He'd competed in the Kanto-Johto Gym Leader Tournament, and as a fellow Gym Leader, and a Rock-type specialist, she'd naturally been interested in his battles.
Brock rubbed the back of his neck with a small chuckle. "Heh, well, I'm not the Gym Leader anymore, but I appreciate the compliment. I'm just doing my own thing these days."
Roxanne nodded approvingly. "Well, once we finish unloading, I insist you come by the museum tomorrow. I'd love to show you how we're organizing the Galar exhibit!"
"Wouldn't miss it," Brock said, smiling warmly. "And if you wouldn't mind, I have a friend I need to meet up with. I hope you don't mind me bringing him along too."
If you're wondering why Brock wasn't flirting with Roxanne immediately like with every girl, well, it's not that Roxanne isn't pretty (she is), but as he's shown time and time again, Brock only likes older women. Roxanne was younger than him, so he wasn't interested in that way. He was, however, more than fine with being friends.
(A/N: Yeah, by the way, I looked back at every episode Roxanne was in. Surprisingly, Brock never tried to flirt with her.)
Roxanne smiled, tucking her clipboard under one arm. "Of course, I'd love to meet your friend! It's always nice to see new faces, especially other Trainers. Is he from Pewter too?"
Brock shook his head. "Nah, he…well, I'm sure you'll meet him sooner or later." He scratched his cheek.
Just then, a Machoke carrying a heavy crate stumbled slightly, and Brock immediately rushed over to steady it. "Careful! That box looks like it's packed with pottery, don't want a repeat of the flower incident!"
Roxanne blinked. "...The flower incident?"
Brock sighed, standing up straight. "Long story short, my brother thought ancient Galarian urns made good flower pots."
Roxanne covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. "Oh dear… Well, I'm glad you're here this time to supervise."
"Yeah, let's just say I've learned not to trust Forrest around anything labeled fragile," Brock said with a helpless sigh.
As the last of the crates were unloaded, Roxanne checked her clipboard one final time, satisfied. "That's the last of them. Thanks again for all your help, Brock. You've really made this easier."
"No problem at all," Brock said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find my friend before something that doesn't make sense happens."
"Of course, I'll take it from here. I hope you find Rustboro interesting!" Roxanne bowed before turning back and throwing out two Poké Balls, releasing her Aggron and Probopass.
Aggron picked up the heavier artifacts while Probopass used electromagnetism to levitate more boxes as she guided them toward the museum. As they worked, a small, faint cry came from one of the boxes.
Roxanne looked back. "Hello?"
But she heard nothing, just the workers packing up. She shrugged, thinking it was one of them, and kept walking… while inside one of the boxes, something let out a scared little cry.
—
{A few hours later}
Ash, Max, and May walked out of the Contest Hall. Ash was sipping on a drink as May practically bounced with excitement from the show.
May twirled around, holding her hands to her chest like she was about to burst. "Did you see that Milotic's [Aqua Ribbon] combo?! It was perfect!"
Ash took another sip from his straw. "Yeah, it was good. The way they timed the [Water Pulse] with the ice mist for that shimmer effect, really creative use of lighting too."
May blinked, staring at him like he'd just grown a second head. "Wait. You actually noticed that?"
Ash shrugged. "What, you thought I was just watching for fun?"
"I…uh…well, yeah!" she admitted. "You usually only pay that much attention when someone's battling."
"Hey, Contests are battles," Ash said simply. "It's the same concept, it's all about tempo. Kinda like a dance if you think about it."
May blinked again. "Huh, like dancing? I guess yeah, it would. But since when do you know so much about Contests?"
"Since always. I just never cared enough to bring it up," Ash shrugged as he kept walking.
May looked at him with her mouth open, then shook her head, snapping out of it. "You never cared enough to bring it up? What's that supposed to mean?!"
Ash shrugged. "Yeah, well, glitter isn't really my thing. Even though I could totally pull it off, and you know it," Ash said with a grin.
May puffed out her cheeks. "You? Pull off glitter? Please. You'd probably trip over your own sparkle."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? You're saying I wouldn't look good in a Contest outfit?"
"Absolutely not," May said flatly. "You'd look ridiculous."
May and Max both imagined Ash in sequins and a top hat, both struggling to hold back a laugh.
Ash rolled his eyes, grabbed his phone, and scrolled a few times before turning it toward them. "Ok, here," he said, showing them a picture of him, Gary, and Green in the suits they got from the Birds. "You realize I wore this suit in the Silver Conference too. I still have it."
May's jaw dropped. "Wait, wait, what?! That's you?! You look like you walked straight off a magazine cover!"
Ash smirked, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "Told you I could pull it off."
Max looked at May. "I'm surprised you forgot, we watched the Silver Conference together, sis. You called out how he looked really go-mph!" Max started, but May quickly covered his mouth.
She was blushing, clearly embarrassed. "Uh, I just forgot! Since, well, I'm not used to seeing Ash in a suit, okay? So I just forgot!"
"Sure you did," Ash said, shrugging as he put his phone away.
May puffed her cheeks again, clearly trying to look unbothered, but her red face betrayed her. "Ugh, whatever! Still, I'll show you when I enter my first Contest!"
Ash chuckled. "That's fine. I'll just remember that for the next time you trip onstage."
"I won't trip!" May barked back, spinning dramatically, then almost bumping into a passing Breloom.
The Pokémon gave her a deadpan look before walking away.
Max sighed. "Yup. Totally won't trip."
"Not. A. Word." May glared, pointing at him.
Ash laughed, shaking his head. "Come on, let's get something to eat before you two start throwing rocks at each other."
May brightened up at that. "Ooh, yay! Like I said, there's this place serving their famous Rustboro pasta, and I've always wanted to try it!"
Ash waved his hand in front of them. "Lead the way."
May beamed and pulled out a pamphlet. "Ok then, follow Conductor May!" she said, starting to march forward.
-
About ten minutes later, they finally reached the spot the pamphlet pointed to, only to find a closed building. May looked up at it, then back at the piece of paper. "Wait…but…it's supposed to…"
Ash leaned over and took the pamphlet from her hand, glancing at it. "Yeah, May, this pamphlet's from five years ago. Guess they closed sometime in those five years." He gave May a teasing grin.
"Five years ago, huh? Guess we missed the lunch rush."
May's eye twitched. "You don't say…"
Max crossed his arms and sighed. "Nice planning, sis. We walked twenty minutes to a ghost restaurant."
May bonked Max on the head without looking. "Oh, hush! How was I supposed to know they closed?!"
Ash laughed and stretched. "It's fine. Happens to the best of us. There's gotta be something else nearby, Rustboro's the third largest city in Hoenn, after all." He pulled out his phone and started scrolling through a map app. "Hmm… there's a café about three blocks away. Looks like it's got good reviews."
"I guess… but I am kinda disappointed. I heard so much about the Rustboro pasta, and it turns out it's gone…"
"Well, if you want spaghetti, I'm sure we can find another place," Ash said as he kept scrolling.
"It's not the same," May sighed. "It's fine. Let's look for somewhere else, no point if it's closed…"
But just as she said that, a familiar voice spoke up behind them. "Well, actually, they didn't close, they just got a bigger location."
Ash recognized that voice. He turned around and saw Brock waving at him, with his Bonsly sitting on his shoulder.
Ash grinned. "There you are. You've got a lot of nerve showing your face around here," he said, walking toward him.
"Oh yeah? What are you gonna do about it?" Brock shot back.
"Oh, I'll show you what I'm gonna do about it," Ash said as he wound his arm back.
For a moment, May and Max's imaginations went wild about what might happen, but then Ash and Brock clasped hands, dapping each other up.
"Man, it's good to see you again!" Ash said, pulling him into a quick hug.
Brock laughed. "You too, buddy. You didn't cause any explosions while I was gone, right?"
"Only the usual amount," Ash said with a small smirk.
May blinked. "Wait, hold on, you two know each other?!"
Ash and Brock exchanged a look before saying in unison, "Long story."
Max's eyes widened. "You're the Brock?! Pewter City Gym Leader!" He recognized him from the Gym Leader Tournament and remembered how strong Brock was in the battle.
"Former Gym Leader," Brock corrected with a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm focusing on my own thing these days, and Ash here's the one who helped me realize that." He shook his head with a smile. "But enough about me, it's nice to meet you both. Ash told me about you too."
"Uh, hi there," May said, looking up at Brock. "So you traveled with Ash?"
Brock nodded. "Yep, and we're good friends too. Though he does tend to, uh… attract trouble."
Ash elbowed Brock playfully. "Hey!"
Brock smirked. "Am I wrong?"
"I mean, you're not wrong, but you didn't have to say it!" Ash said, crossing his arms as Pikachu and Vee chuckled behind him.
Brock laughed again. "Well, how about we catch up over dinner? I can show you where the restaurant moved. Roxanne recommended it to me when I spoke to her."
As May and Max's faces lit up with excitement, Ash crossed his arms and eyed Brock suspiciously. "Uh-huh… and, per se, why were you with Roxanne?"
Brock snorted and punched Ash lightly on the shoulder. "Not like that! You know my taste is a little… older."
"What do you mean by older?" May asked.
"I'll tell you when you're older," both Brock and Ash said at the same time, as they started walking away
"Wha-were the same age!" May shouted after them as she ran to catch up and Max just followed along already fanboying even more