Astra stared into the small pot hanging above the campfire, the stew within emitting a thick, savory aroma. Judging enough time to have passed, she threw in some Oran berries and gave the mixture a good stir. Soon enough, a delicious and filling meal for everyone would be ready. Sighing, she stood back up and turned.
Nearby, May sat on a fallen log with her Torchic sleepily resting in her lap. She absently stroked a few fingers through his feathers as she stared into the flames.
“It’ll be done in a bit,” Astra said, sitting next to the other trainer with a smile. “It’s Magikarp and berry stew! My grandpa makes it all the time when we . It was the first thing he taught me how to cook, actually.”
“Mm?” May didn’t look up; still gazing at the fire with a small, melancholic frown.
“Yeah! See, it’s really easy because all you need to do is boil the water and add in what you need,” Astra explained, idly swinging her legs. “But if you want to get really good at it, you have to add in all sorts of things with the right order and timing. See, if I had added the berries first then the meat wouldn’t be able to soak in the flavors evenly.”
She paused for a moment, but May didn’t respond, unfocused eyes still peering into the flames.
Astra deflated. “So…yeah,” she finished, lamely.
She sighed and looked across the campsite. It was one of the many small clearings that dotted the roadside, with an almost pre-built fire pit in the middle of a few solid log benches surrounded by trees and a small path to the road. The large breach in the canopy above bathed the area in soft starlight; shadows flickering in time to the shifting flames. Their sleeping place had already been set up, but while May had been much faster at setting up the fire she had seemed… distracted.
Her thoughts wandered back to their encounter with Steven not an hour before dusk. Even now she still wasn’t sure what that strange pressure he exuded during those first few moments was. He seemed cordial enough otherwise, but...
Her gaze shifted back to May. She had been unusually angry, especially at the end. Even the fact that he had led them back to the trail had only gotten a grudging thanks, and May was back at it not a minute later.
It was an escalation to a pattern she already didn’t like. The way May had told Astra herself to leave when they first met, her impatient dismissal of Cindy outside Petalburg and every other trainer they had met in the past two days, and now the mess with Steven. Why?
Well, idle musing wouldn’t get her anywhere. Maybe figuring out why Steven set her off so hard would get some answers. How to work around to it, though…?
“Hey,” she started, turning to face her companion. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Hn?” May blinked, looking at Astra with a frown. “I’m fine. Why?”
“I dunno, It’s just, you were acting a bit off earlier and...”
She trailed off as May’s face soured. “If you have something to say, just say it.”
Astra glanced away, absently scratching her cheek in embarrassment. To be caught so easily! “Ah, I guess I wasn’t very subtle, then?”
“I’m pretty well practiced on detecting bullshit, Astra,” she said, the ghost of a smirk crossing May’s face for a moment before vanishing into an expectant frown.
Astra sighed. “Well…I was just wondering why you got so mad at Steven earlier,” she said, rushing through the words as though they burned.
May’s expression shifted rapidly, her frown replaced by an incredulous squint. “What? Why are you asking about—oh.” Her lips thinned and she looked away. “Look, I get it, I fucked up and got everyone hurt. Can we move on or are we gonna play the fucking blame game here?”
“Not… exactly.” Astra fiddled with the folds of her cloak for a moment, searching for the words. “It’s that you were acting so irritated and harsh and I don’t know why.”
May snorted. “Are you kidding me? Did you hear that crap he was spouting? He was a prick! Why would I be all nice to someone like him?”
“But you were acting like that before we even got out of the woods,” Astra shot back, “I had to remind you that he saved us before you even said thanks!”
Her face darkened with every word. “So what?” she growled, standing up. Torchic squawked as he dropped to the grass. Chirping in annoyance, he waddled around to sit at the fire’s edge. “It’s over and done with! Why are you getting so worked up about it?”
“Worked up? You’re the one getting worked up about a simple question!” Astra rose to match, concern and annoyance coloring her voice. “You’re acting really weird and I don’t know if something is wrong or not!”
“Well I think I’m fine, so just drop it,” May hissed. “Nobody cares, it’s stupid, and it doesn’t matter!”
“I care, and I think it does matter!” Astra stepped forward, gaze and tone unwavering, “I’m not going to let this go May, so please just—"
“Fine!” May roared, tossing her hands in the air. “You wanna know so bad!? I’ll tell you! He pissed me off because he got in my way!”
Silence reigned as May glared at a bewildered Astra, panting slightly. “There!” she spat. “Are you happy now? Glad you got my stupid reason?”
“‘Got in your way...?’” Astra repeated, unsure of the answer she received. “What do you mean by that? How did he—"
“Oh no,” May denied, holding a palm out to silence her, “I already answered your shitty question, I’m not saying anything else!”
“But you didn’t! I don’t understand what you meant!” Astra argued, knocking May’s hand aside. “We’re not done until you explain!”
May continued to glower, the shadows from the firelight flickering madly as a breeze jostled the flames. A strangled noise filled the air as she threw her hands up in defeat. “Whatever!” she bit out, before collapsing back onto the log. She slouched over, rubbing at her forehead. “Ugh, were you always such an annoyingly snoopy brat?”
“My family’s always been pretty good at figuring out what people were feeling.” Astra allowed herself a flash of a grin. “I don’t enjoy prying so much but… it’s important.”
“Ngh,” May grunted, closing her eyes. A moment passed before May sighed and muttered something that Astra couldn’t make out.
“What?”
“I said,” May faced Astra, her lips thin, “that he interrupted our fight. That’s why I was pissed.”
It took Astra a moment to piece it together. “You mean that argument we had before he showed up?”
May just scowled and turned away, which was all the confirmation she needed. It just didn’t make any sense.
“May,” she said, confused, “we can have a battle anytime, why was this one—"
“No, you don’t get it!” May interrupted, jumping to her feet again. “I was looking forward to our rematch all day! I had everything planned, I had all my new tricks ready to show off, and then we got lost in the damn forest for the entire back half of the afternoon!”
She started pacing around, her hands a flurry of motion as she continued to rant. “There was tension! Frustration! Anticipation! It was the perfect moment to go all out! Then he jumps in right as we were about to start and ruins the whole thing!”
She finished by collapsing back onto the stump. Astra made a noise, finally understanding. Steven had gotten in the way of their rematch, so May tried to take it out on him. That was… rather petty, wasn’t it?
“Okay, I think I get it,” she said. “We were all stressed out and it was a convenient outlet. But just because he interrupted our rematch doesn’t mean you had to act like that.”
“What, are you lecturing me now?” May grimaced, before shooting a half-hearted glare at the other girl. “You didn’t have any big fuckin’ issues with me fighting every other trainer from here to Petalburg. What the hell makes this one so different?”
“That’s not the issue,” Astra said, shaking her head, “it was the way you started this fight and that outburst at the end. It was really uncalled for.”
“Oh, should I flutter my eyelashes and chat up everyone I meet just because they might have some sort of stupidly powerful Pokemon?” May made a face. “Hell no. You can do whatever, but I’m not sucking up to every half bit trainer on the off chance that they could be like him.”
“I’m not saying you should go that far, but if you could just be a bit kinder—"
“For the love of—I’m not here to make friends, Astra!” May snapped.
“Well, you made friends with me and Brenden,” Astra countered. She hesitated. “I mean, we are, aren’t we...?”
May’s face twisted at the doubt in Astra’s voice. “Wh—don’t be stupid; you guys are different!” she exclaimed, “I let you share my hotel room, I’m not gonna let just anyone do that!” She paused, then looked away, a faint red hue crossing her cheeks. “Well, I’d probably make Brendan sleep on the floor.” she mumbled.
Astra tilted her head. “Wait, why would you make Brendan sleep on the floor?”
May gaped. “Wh—I’m not gonna let a guy sleep in the same bed as me!”
“That seems mean,” Astra observed, a small grin hidden under the fold of her cloak. “The floor is pretty hard, and it would be cruel to make him sleep there when there’s spare room on the bed.”
“S—spare room!? You can’t seriously be telling me you don’t see a problem with that!”
“No? Should there be?” Astra gazed at May innocently.
May buried her incandescent face in her hands, whining softly. “I’m dead. I have died and gone straight to the worst afterlife. Do I have to explain this? Oh please no; it was bad enough on the other end—"
She looked up when she heard a snigger. The sight of dawning realization on her face was the last straw, and Astra doubled over, giggling helplessly.
“You little twerp!” May huffed, still blushing furiously. “I can’t believe you!”
Astra just grinned. “Oh? I’m almost insulted that you think I’m that clueless.”
“Big words coming from little miss ‘chair full of water!’”
The banter was a refreshing change of pace; all this serious talk was starting to get tiring, and dinner was likely nearly done as well. Still, there was one last thing to tackle. Maybe she could finally get to the bottom of this.
“How are we different?” Astra asked.
May blinked, caught off guard by the subject change. “Eh?”
“You said me and Brendan were different. How?”
May scratched her head, confused. “W—well, you guys are my friends, I guess? Of course you’re different!” She sighed and slouched down, arms crossed. “Are you done yet? It’s starting to get really annoying.” She grimaced, and Astra could see her teeth clench for a moment. “I’m not exactly a fan of this...” She paused for a moment, searching. She gave up. “This.”
“Just a few more,” Astra promised. “And… well, we weren’t always friends.” She looked up at the stars, gazing into the myriad lights above. “Don’t you remember when we first met? It was only a few days ago.”
May followed her eyes upwards, squinting. “Yeah? You kicked Brendan’s ass, then I kicked yours, and we went out for sushi. Why?”
“Aren’t you missing something?” A melancholic smile stole its way across Astra’s face as she reminisced. “When we first met, you completely ignored me. And when I called out you basically told me to get lost, just like every other trainer I’ve seen you beat.”
May winced, looking away. “I—I mean. That was..." her voice faltered. “Look, I’m sorry, but we’re friends now, right? What does it even matter?”
“But you’ve never given anyone else a second glance! What changed your mind about me?”
May sighed and tossed a stick into the fire, watching as the flames curled over the wood. “Probably when I found out we were rivals, I guess? You were already hanging out with Brendan, so it meant you weren’t like the others.”
“Ah, I think I get it...” So it was due to pre-existing connections? But… that didn’t quite explain her hostility toward strangers. It was far too harsh a difference in treatment. Well, one question answered, a few to go. “So then… you made friends with Brendan when you found out he was your rival, too?”
“Eh.” May shrugged. “He just kinda sprung that on me when we met, it’s not like I was looking for it.” She looked away. “It was convenient to have someone help me get stronger. Everything else just… happened.”
Astra nodded, humming as she considered everything so far. It made sense, in a weird sort of way. “I think I get it. I just don’t understand why you’re so rude to everyone else. Maybe if you gave them a chance, you could be friends with them too—" She stopped when she heard a crack of wood.
“No.” May said, having gripped the log she was on so tightly that a piece of bark had snapped off. She stood back up, eyes covered in the shadow of her bangs. “No, I don’t think you do. You just keep going on and on like everything's so fucking clear and perfect don’t you?”
“Uh?” Astra blinked. ‘“I—that’s not—"
“Shut up.” May cut her off with gritted teeth. “Do you think I’m just going to sit here and listen to you yap about shit you can’t possibly know about? You don’t know me, you don’t know anything!”
She took a step forward, flame-cast shadows darting every which way. “Do you think I’m stupid?” she asked. “Do you think I’ve never had any friends in my life? Newsflash, I’ve had tons. And guess what, they’re gone. Every year, every region, every school I’ve ever been to; the same exact story again, and again, and again.
“No matter what I say, no matter how hard I try or how much I beg, when dear old dad finishes his championship or his tournament I get dragged away. Everyone I’ve met, everything I’ve done, good or bad, none of it matters. It all vanishes, and then it all happens again.” Her hands clenched and her voice lowered, sorrow replacing rage. “And he just leaves, like he doesn't even care.”
Her eyes closed for a brief moment, then snapped back open, full of fire and fury. “Do you even know what that’s like!?” she screamed, towering over Astra. She yelped as May suddenly grabbed a fistful of her cloak and pulled her close, her furious expression mere inches away. “Let me tell you: it fucking sucks. So if you think I’m just going to sit here and let myself get lectured on how to live my life by someone who’s never been through a hundredth of what I have, then you can take your amateur psychology bullshit and fuck off.”
She shoved Astra aside and stomped off, ignoring Astra’s sharp gasp as she fell off her seat.
“Wait!” Astra called out, scrambling to her feet. “Wait, May!”
“Shut up, shut up!” May screamed, clutching her head in her hands. “I am sick of your questions, I am sick of people telling me what to do, and I am sick of this entire fucking day, so just. Shut. Up.”
“I… I didn’t mean to...” One hand reached out in vain, but nothing else was said as May vanished behind a tree, leaving her grasping at nothing. Astra stared ahead, arm shaking, before slowly collapsing back onto her seat.
A small chirp attracted her attention, and she saw Torchic waddle past her into the darkness. He looked back for a moment, then turned away with a huff. Astra watched him go.
She stared at the fire, rocking her seat a little closer when the night’s wind sapped her warmth away. After a while she wiped at her face with her sleeve, tiny, twin spots of damp visibly soaking the cloth when she pulled it away.
With a flick a pokeball came to her hand, Treecko appearing shortly thereafter. The small creature looked around for a moment, before sensing something wrong with his trainer. He scurried into her arms, and Astra curled up, embracing Treecko in a hug.
“I screwed up,” she whispered, staring into the distance. “I screwed up and now May hates me.”
“Tree?” Treecko asked, curious.
“I pushed her too far,” she muttered in return. “I just wanted to know why she acted the way she did. I thought I could help, or change it, or… or something! But I just made her mad.”
Treecko blinked. “Tree.”
“I should have waited.” She stroked Treecko’s back absently, the green Pokemon shifting around in her lap. “Or tried to hide it better at the start, or—or just not pressured her as hard as I did.”
“I didn’t know,” she continued, quietly. “Her life… she was right. I can’t even imagine it. I’ve always had everyone in the village; Grandpa, the other Ralts, even some of the guards. But she didn’t. She didn’t have anybody.”
Her hand clenched. “That doesn’t excuse what she’s done; acting like that to people who don’t deserve it is wrong…” A sigh escaped her. “But I shouldn’t be focusing on that; she’s already so angry at me, that would just make it worse.”
“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted to Treecko. “I’ve never screwed up this bad before. Maybe that discussion with Grandpa, but…” Another sigh. “What do you think?”
She wasn’t expecting a true answer; Treecko couldn’t understand the full nuance of what she was talking about. But he was still smart, so it was only a small surprise when he began to wriggle out of her embrace. He dropped to the floor and Astra watched in confusion as he started to dig through her pack.
She frowned when he resurfaced, prize in hand. “Treecko,” she said, annoyed. “You already ate earlier. I didn’t let you out so you could grab a snack—"
She broke off when her companion scurried back over and shoved the berries into her hands. She stared at them uncomprehendingly, but he only gazed back at her serenely. He pointed at the berries, then at the tree where May disappeared.
For a moment she failed to understand, but then it clicked. A scene from earlier today; anger and aggression, but in the end, forgiveness and cooperation.
And it had started with…
She stared at Treecko, and a giggle escaped her. She reached out and pulled him close, quiet laughter resounding as she finally realized what she had to do.
“I thought I was supposed to be the trainer,” she said, releasing him and smiling. “But it looks like you’re the one teaching me tonight. You’re right.” She stood up, turning to face the darkness. “I need to go talk to her myself.”
She turned back for a moment to flash him a small grin. “Thanks, Treecko.”
Treecko gave her a lazy thumbs up, already occupying the warm vacancy on the log. “Ko.”
Astra walked into the forest, following the dim beacon of May’s thoughts and emotions. She didn’t dare look too deep, but the faint echoes she couldn’t help but see were worrying. May was sitting against a tree trunk when Astra found her and Torchic, the fiery Pokemon resting on her lap. She looked up, the sullen look on her face darkening to a scowl.
“What do you want?” she said with venom. “More questions? Maybe you want to criticize me some more?”
Astra flinched and looked away. There are a hundred excuses that she could say, rebuttals that all diverted blame back to her or elsewhere—but no. That’s not what she came here to do, so she didn't say any of them. Shaking her head, she stayed silent and moved forward.
May’s scowl deepened and she rose up, gently setting Torchic off to the side. “I don’t know if you missed the fucking message,” she growled, “but maybe I should say it again. Take your bullshit and fu—oof!”
She stopped when Astra launched herself forward and wrapped her in a hug, arms wrapped tightly around her waist. May took a step back, dragging her friend with.
“The hell?” she exclaimed, bewildered. A pair of hands grabbed her by the shoulders, trying to push her away. “Get the fuck off me—"
“I’m sorry.”
Astra could feel May stiffen, freezing in place. “I’m sorry, I—I shouldn’t have pried so hard. I should have stopped when you got upset. But I didn’t.”
Stress blurred around May in a jagged haze, emotions vacillating between too many states to name. What was she feeling? Astra couldn’t tell at all. Maybe May didn’t know either. Astra’s hands remained where they were. Could this mend the gap she’d made? What if it didn’t?
“I shouldn’t have ignored your feelings. You’ve done so much for me and I turned around and hurt you. I’m sorry. ”
Was she crying? Her head felt light, and her heart heavy. She didn’t want to go back to being alone. Her shaking grip tightened, fistfuls of cloth twisting in her hands.
“Please don’t hate me…” she whispered.
A long, horrible moment passed—and then May sighed.
“You’re making it really hard to stay mad at you, you know that?”
Astra blinked, looking up. May’s head was tilted away awkwardly, avoiding her friend’s gaze as exasperation and embarrassment competed for room on her face. Then the conflicted expression solidified into a grimace.
“Can you get off me? I don’t—this is weird.” A pause. “And your hat is digging into my chest,” she added, lightly pushing Astra away once more. Astra released her, backing up a few steps as May smoothed herself out.
“Did you seriously cry on my shirt?” she muttered, rubbing at a small spot. “That’s such a kiddy move, dude.”
Astra hesitated, unsure of what to do next. “D—do you still hate me?” she asked, hoping the answer wasn’t what she feared it was.
“…No,” May said, looking away again. “I never hated you, you just pissed me off. Jeez, with a display like that, how could I? I feel like I just kicked a puppy.”
A weight lifted off Astra’s shoulders. She hadn’t ruined everything after all! “Thank you,” she said, smiling. “I know I already said it, but I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to—"
“Just—just shut up.” May sighed, glancing at her. “I’m no good at this mushy emotional crap. Yadda yadda, I forgive you bleh.” She made a face. “Just don’t pester me with questions like that again.”
“Yeah!” Astra chirped. “I can do that.”
“Good.” May picked Torchic back up and started back towards camp. “Man, I am starving. Do you think that stew is ready yet?”
“Oh!” Astra said, falling in with May. “I completely forgot about that! Yeah it should be way done by now!”
“Ah, I can’t wait!” May grinned, Torchic warbling in agreement. “Oh hush you, you already ate.”
“Chic!”
“Okay fine, but only a bite!”
A peaceful moment passed, before Astra turned to look at her companion again. She hesitated, but… it still had to be said. “I still don’t think you should be mean to people.”
May’s lips thinned as she side-eyed Astra. “Didn’t we just—"
“I’m not saying you need to be friends, or anything!” she hurriedly explained, “But can’t you just… not antagonize them? I don’t want what happened with Steven to happen again, and… it’s just not right.”
May looked at her for a moment more before sighing. “Man, you really are a goodie two shoes, aren’t you? Fine,” she drawled, waving Astra away with a hand. “If it’ll get you to stop harping on about it, I guess I can try playing nice, for a bit. But I don’t want to hear you complain if I go off on any bastard that tries to start shit.”
Astra just grinned again. “Thank you.”
“Whatever,” May brushed her off, speeding up. “Let’s just get back so I can finally eat—what the flying fuck is in my pot!?”
The camp came into view, as well as something new—something that was leaning against the poles holding the stew up above the fire. A small, light brown figure with two brown stripes going horizontally across its back was slowly dipping its clawed hands into the stew pot and bringing portions of berries and meat up to its face.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
It lazily turned around at May’s exclamation, two lidded eyes circled by dark brown fur dully gazing at them.
“My stew!” Astra cried, “It’s eating my stew! Wait, where’s Treecko, I left him—you’re still asleep!?”
Her Pokemon, still curled up on the log, sleepily raised his head at his master's call. He squawked as he spotted the creature just in front of him, falling off the log in a panic.
“That stupid Slakoth is eating my goddamn dinner!” May roared. “Torchic, peck that asshole’s eyes out!”
Astra’s command came at the same time. “Treecko, get that thing away from the fire!”
Both Pokemon shot forwards, Treecko slamming his tail across Slakoths face. The thieving Pokemon let out a droning groan as it wobbled away from the assault, and Torchic came in and rapidly drilled into Slakoths face with its beak, eliciting more cries of pain from the creature.
Apparently having had enough, it abruptly seized May’s Torchic in one clawed hand and flung it clear across the campsite and into a tree in one smooth motion. Torchic struck the tree like a screeching baseball and bounced off with a considerably quieter thump, instantly knocked out. The Pokemon—Slakoth, apparently—promptly decided that it was done fighting and proceeded to collapse like a falling tree, laying on the ground with vacuous eyes.
Astra gaped at the sight as May cursed up a storm, running to retrieve her bird. She approached the Slakoth warily, but the brown Pokemon didn’t seem inclined to do anything else at the moment. What was that absurd display of strength? Treecko repeatedly jumped on its back as though he was playing Slakoth like a bizarre drum, but only received a muted, annoyed grunt in return.
“Ugh, I just used a potion, too,” May grumbled, a flash of red light returning the unconscious Torchic to its home. She walked over, joining Astra as she tentatively poked Slakoth with a stick. She watched for a moment. “You should probably catch it,” she muttered.
Astra looked up. “Eh?”
“The Slakoth,” May repeated, louder. “You should catch it.”
Astra blinked. “Really?” She eyed the slow Pokemon dubiously. “It seems strong, but… I’m not sure it can do much.” She lifted one of Slakoths arms into the air with the stick. It fell back down bonelessly. She glanced back at May, who shrugged.
“When they evolve, they get way stronger than even this, and more energetic. Second form, at least. Third goes back to being lazy, but crazy powerful.” She looked away, teeth grit. “They’re good enough for dad to use, anyway.”
“Your dad has one of these?” Astra asked. He was the Gym Leader in Petalburg, wasn’t he? The one that had told her to get lost until she’d gotten stronger.
“Nnn,” May grunted. “He has two; a Vigoroth and a Slaking. They’re the evolved forms,” she explained at Astra’s confused look.
“Oh. Then, shouldn’t you capture him? You would know more about these guys than I do.”
May’s face scrunched up, repulsed by the very idea. “And use the same Pokemon that he does? I’ll pass. Besides, that thing took your food, right? Only fair you put him to work for it.”
“If you say so.” Retrieving an empty pokeball from her pack, Astra tossed it at the prone Slakoth, who made no move to dodge and vanished into red light. The pokeball wobbled for a moment then settled down, announcing its success with a click.
“Welcome to the group, food thief,” Astra said, storing the ball away. She turned to see May mournfully looking into the stew pot.
“I think we’re going to have to make a new batch,” May said.
Astra looked inside. A few strands of hair were floating on the surface and some of the meat was gone, but there was still enough here for a meal. “Eh? There’s still some Magikarp in there, and he hardly got any of the broth. Just need to pick out the hair.”
Using a ladle, she scooped out some meat and berries, and removed the couple of hairs that had been dragged with. She sipped it and found it to be as excellent as it always was; the savory Magikarp mixing with the Oran excellently. She sighed in contentment, then turned to see May staring at her in horror.
“What?”
----------------------------------------
The next day came quickly, the sky covering itself in dull gray clouds. The duo packed up camp and headed out once again, the shaded road stretching endlessly into the horizon. Occasional shafts of sunlight broke through, alleviating the muted colors of the forest with flashes of brilliant verdancy.
“I think we should get to Rustboro today,” Astra commented, still poking at the map in vain. She frowned at the device. “At least, I hope so. We’ve moved into the other half of this rectangle.”
“Why do you even bother to look at that thing?” May asked, peering off into the forest around them as they walked. “You should know it’s hot trash by now.”
Astra shrugged, putting the pokedex away. “It’s not like there’s much else to do.”
“I guess,” May sighed. She perked up a moment later as she spotted something lurking in the distance. “Ooh! Yes, another lake!” she cheered.
“A lake?” Astra asked, confused. “Why are you looking for another—hey! Wait up!” Astra shouted, scrambling to follow as May burst into a sprint.
“I still need a water Pokemon that can actually use water moves, genius!” May skidded to a halt at the water's edge, Astra hot on her heels. “Aha!”
Three lilypads sat in the center of the small lake, ebbing and flowing in time to some unseen eddies below. At May’s exclamation, they all rose above water, each one revealing rotund blue bodies with beady eyes and yellow bills beneath them. Upon sighting May and Astra, two of them immediately cried out in alarm and fled to the far side.
However, one appeared to be a bit braver than its companions. “Lotad!” it called, glaring at both of them in defiance.
“Oho, we’ve got a challenger I see.” May laughed, “You’ll do just fine! Go, Tentacool!”
With a flash of light, Tentacool appeared, seamlessly diving into the lake. “Tentacool,” it said, eyes fixated upon his foe.
The Lotad tensed at Tentacool’s appearance and puffed up. Gurgling, it spat out dozens of small bubbles, a field of shimmering spheres forming a barricade between them.
Astra tensed at the sight of them. “May, watch out!” she warned, “Those bubbles don’t seem like much, but they can erupt with a lot of force!” As many bruised villagers could attest to over painful winces and mild cursing.
“Hah, as if that could hurt Tentacool!” she replied, brushing off Astra’s concern with a wave. “That thing must be trying to spook us off. Well too bad, ‘cause that move is just what I’m looking for. Tentacool!” May commanded, a grand sweep of her arm accompanying the order. “Ignore the bubbles and give that Lotad an acid bath!”
Diving underwater, all that could be seen of Tentacool was a swift ripple speeding towards the Lotad. The bubble blockade descended at once, turning the water into a turbulent froth as they burst open down below. The Lotad’s eyes went wide when the assault didn’t even slow the speeding ripple down. Tentacool erupted from the water in a furious spray, glaring down at his astonished opponent in disdain.
“Tenta,” it said, then belched forth a stream of noxious purple slime, the viscous mass wholly coating the Lotad and pooling inside its lilypad. Its screech echoed across the lake, thrashing around as the toxic goop seeped into its skin.
“Super effective!” May cheered, Tentacool backing away from the poisonous froth.
Astra was impressed. “Wow, it only took one hit? I’m not sure if your Tentacool is strong or that Lotad is awful.”
“Well, I am one of the best trainers there are,” May bragged. “So obviously it’s the former; nothing I catch is gonna be weak!” Retrieving a fresh pokeball, she hit the button and smirked. “Alright, c’mere, bowlhead!”
She let the pokeball fly. Both trainers watched as the ball sailed clear over the Lotad, splashing down some distance off. Astra glanced at a frozen May.
“I see the best trainers also have the best throwing arms,” she observed.
May grit her teeth. “It was just the wind!”
Astra looked around at the trees and bushes surrounding them, the foliage seemingly frozen upon their branches. “It is very breezy today, isn’t it?”
May just growled and threw another ball. It landed in the lake with a resounding ‘plop,' no nearer to the Lotad than the last. Silence reigned for a moment.
Astra looked at her friend, stone-faced. “Was that the wind too?”
“Hey!” May said, bright and cheery, “I’m gonna answer your question with a question: Shut up?”
She got it on the third try, despite the sound of Astra’s helpless giggling. Lotad vanished, and the ball dinged shortly thereafter. Tentacool retrieved all three spheres and May recalled him, pocketing everything with a sour glare.
“Alright, haha, laugh it up! Fuckin’ brat,” May grumbled, taking out her pokedex. “It’s a girl, huzzah. Ah shit, she got poisoned. Where’d I put my antidote?”
Shaking her head, Astra turned to leave, but a motion out of the corner of her eye made her pause. Turning back to the lake, she spotted the two other Lotad who had fled floating where their third member had vanished into May’s pokeball. They circled around the spot in silence, diving and surfacing, turning every which way. She observed the display in confusion, but the reason became clear with only a moment’s thought.
They were searching for their missing friend.
She watched them circle aimlessly for a moment, but at last they seemed to realize their missing member wasn’t coming back. Astra heard a quiet, mournful cry seep from under the surface and the two Lotad slowly started drifting away.
“Hey, May?”
May looked up from her bag, elbow deep in containers and items. “What?”
“Those other Lotad look pretty sad, don’t they?”
May glanced at the Lotad, frowning. “Maybe? What about it?”
Astra sighed. “I dunno, I guess I feel bad for them. You just took their friend away, after all.”
“Well, shit happens.” May shrugged, resuming her search for an antidote. “Pokemon get eaten, eat each other, fall down holes and vanish all the time out here. Screw being sad, little bastards should be jealous! Living life as one of my Pokemon has got to be better than whatever they’ve got going on out here.”
“You don’t know that,” Astra muttered to herself. Maybe the creature had belonged to a secret society of Lotad in hiding and would make everyone worry when she didn’t come home! But she didn’t say that.
“Did you say something?”
“No,” she answered, turning away. “It’s just sad they never even got to say goodbye.”
Astra heard a sigh and the clink of a plastic bottle. An electronic whirr made her turn to look and she was surprised to see May’s Lotad on the ground between them, shivering and pale. An opaque yellow spray bottle appeared in May’s hand and she quickly hosed the afflicted Lotad down with a sickly sweet-smelling liquid, topping it off by unscrewing the cap and outright dumping some into her lilypad.
Color returned to Lotad rapidly, her eyes blinking as strength returned to her body. She shook itself off as she stood, the last drops of antidote falling off in a light mist. Snapping fingers drew her attention to May, who looked upon her with thinned lips.
“Yo,” the girl said with half a wave. “I’m May. I’m your trainer now, got it?”
Lotad seemed to deflate at her announcement. “Tad,” she said, despondent.
“So long as we’re clear.” May cleared her throat. “Uh, anyway, your first task is to go tell your buddies over there that you’re leaving, got it?”
Lotads eyes widened. She spun in place, frantically searching for her former comrades before spotting them in the lake. “Lotad!” she exclaimed, dashing toward the waters. The two trainers watched as the trio quickly reconvened in the middle, bumping into each other excitedly.
“You better make it quick,” May called out. “We’re burning daylight, you know!” She scowled when all she heard in return were excited variations of ‘Lotad.’ “Tch.”
Astra sidled up next to May. “That was really nice of you,” she said, nudging her with an elbow.
“Shove it up your ass,” May grumbled, pushing her off. “Did I ever tell you that you’re annoying? Spilled your stupid bleeding heart all over my shirt.”
“Aw, am I rubbing off on you?” Astra sang, “You’re getting Astra residue all over~”
“Gonna need some industrial grade bleach for this,” May deadpanned. “Scrub the stains out real hard. Take a bath in it even. If I start singing to the wildlife while wearing a crown of flowers I might as well start gargling.”
“Oh come on,” Astra complained, still grinning. “I’m not that bad!”
“Glug glug, motherfucker,” May chimed, slamming down an imaginary shot glass.
“Maaay!” she whined.
“Lotad low,” said Lotad, interrupting the bit. The two trainers looked down to see that May's newest Pokemon had returned, looking much livelier. The other two were at the shore, looking on at their friend. Astra smiled at the sight; it reminded her of her own departure from home.
“Ready to go, dude?” May asked, pokeball in hand.
“Tad,” Lotad barked, determination flashing behind her eyes.
“Alright, let’s get a move on then. Return!” As the red light reached out to envelope the water Pokemon, she turned back and waved at the duo left behind. Stubby blue legs raised in kind, a final farewell for their fellow. After the light vanished, the two drifted back across the lake, vanishing from sight and mind.
“Finally,” May said, turning back to the road. “Let’s get out of this damn forest; I’ve got a Gym to thrash!”
----------------------------------------
The pace of travel picked up quickly after that. Gleaming pillars of glass and concrete appeared in the far distance as Rustboro came into sight at last—and the closer they got to the city, the more trainers they seemed to encounter. Bug-type enthusiasts in particular seemed to be out in abundance, as well.
“Fucks sake, if I never see any of this bug shit ever again, it will be too soon,” May groused, picking another patch of sticky webbing off her leg. She grimaced, trying to flick it off her hand. “Seriously, what kind of weirdo uses four Wurmple?
“It’s more common than you might think,” Astra said, vividly recalling her first battle.
“He could at least train them to fucking aim.”
“Wide area attacks aren’t really meant to be—"
“It got in my nose, you don’t get to be pedantic about it!”
“Excuse me!” said a new voice.
Astra and May looked up to see a portly man in a green suit clutching a briefcase and waving to them from the side of the road. He jogged up to them, panting as he did. A troubled expression was present on his face.
“Excuse me,” he repeated, pausing to take a handful of deep breaths before continuing. “Are you two Pokemon trainers?
“Yes?” Astra asked-slash-answered. “Can we help you?”
May shot her a look, but the man looked ecstatic. “Oh, how wonderful! Yes, yes, you see, I’ve been wanting to see one of my favorite Pokemon and I’ve finally managed to get the morning free to come out here. But there’s not one to be found!” He grew despondent, slumping down. “And I was really looking forward to it too. But!” He brightened. “Then I spotted you two, and—"
“Holy shit,” May exclaimed. “Get to the point.”
The man looked taken aback. “My word, youth these days. Don’t you know to respect your elders?”
An elbow from Astra cut off any rhetoric May could have made. She glared at her friend, then rolled her eyes. “You said you were looking for a Pokemon?”
He blinked, then smiled. “Ah, yes! I was wondering, have you two seen any Shroomish around recently?”
The two looked at each other, then back to the man. “We saw a bunch on the way here,” Astra said, “but not recently.”
“Most of them were around when we got lost, right?” May said.
“Yeah. I think we only saw maybe one or two today, but that was a while ago.”
“I see…” he said, downtrodden. “Drat. I was hoping that you would have seen one. I suppose my trip was a waste of time after all—"
“There you are!” a second new voice shouted, coarse and furious. Another man came sprinting down the road, skidding to a stop in a cloud of dust. He wore a black and white striped t-shirt and tough leather gloves, with a pair of loose blue pants finishing the rough ensemble. Atop his head was a blue bandana, emblazoned with a symbol that Astra soon recognized as a stylized ‘A’ with an oval-shaped hole and bones for the ends.
He glared at the suited man in rage, panting only slightly—he was obviously in better shape. “How dare you make me wait!” he yelled, voice lightly accented. “I was just gonna ambush you in the city, but you just had to spend three hours screwing around in the forest! Three! No more!”
He stepped forward, the grin on his face betrayed by the glint of violence in his eyes. “Screw subtlety, I’m just gotta do things nice and direct. Now you, Devon stooge! Hand over those papers, would you? Or else things are gonna get real difficult.”
The suited man went pale as a ghost. He backed up a few steps before outright turning and fleeing, hiding behind May and Astra and quivering with fear. “Y-you two are Pokemon trainers, right?” he blubbered, clutching onto May’s arm as if it were his only lifeline. “You have to protect me, please!”
“What the—get off me!” May yelled, snatching her arm from the terrified man. “I’m not a damn shield! Tch,” she shoved him back, turning to face the new guy. “I did not need this today. Just stay back!”
Astra’s gaze flickered between the two men rapidly. What was going on here? What papers? Were they in the box the suited man was carrying? Why did this guy want them? Eyes narrowed, she stepped between the thug and his target.
“Who are you?” she asked, diverting his attention. “Why are you doing this?”
The thug blinked, noticing the two trainers for the first time. He chuckled, finding the display amusing. “Hiding behind kids? What a joke. Get lost, brats,” he sneered. “This is between Team Aqua and that corporate goon.”
“Team Aqua?” Astra sounded out. What was that? A group? She glanced at May, who shrugged. She didn’t know either? “I don’t think I’m going to be doing that,” she continued, frowning. Whatever it was, she didn’t like anything about this guy. Neither did the suited man, who seemed faint.
“What, are you two gonna protect him?” The Aqua grunt laughed. “That’s rich! One last chance to back off; nobody who crosses Team Aqua gets any mercy, not even a couple of kids!”
“Well,” said May, stepping forward. “I don’t particularly give a shit about your stupid gang or whatever, but if you think I’m gonna let you shit talk us like that…” Her knuckles popped as she flexed them, staring at the Grunt all the while. “You’d better think again, bastard.”
“Tch, don’t say I didn’t warn you! But that’s fine, I don’t really mind.” His grin widened, the air growing heavy with dark intent. “I was hoping for some excitement today anyway! Poochyena, Carvanha, let’s crush these fools!”
“Treecko, let’s go!” “Kick his ass, Torchic!” Astra and May called out, throwing their own balls into the air. Beams of light coalesced, Treecko and Torchic ready to fight.
Across from them, a larger, more scarred Poochyena than May’s took form, snarling at the sight of its foes. To its side, an aquatic Pokemon briefly floated in the air before plummeting to the earth. Both trainers stared incredulously at the red, blue, and yellow fish; its vicious, jagged maw snapping repeatedly as it wriggled on the ground.
“…Do you think he knows there’s no water here?” May asked as the Carvanha continued to uselessly flop around.
“I don’t think we should tell him,” Astra whispered back, fiddling with a violin string. “He might get upset.”
A vein throbbed on the Aqua grunt’s head. “I can hear you!” he yelled. “It doesn’t matter if there’s no water here, I don’t need it to deal with small fry like you! Carvanha, Aqua Jet that Torchic! Poochyena, go after the Treecko!”
“Shit—Torchic, dodge!” May yelled, Torchic chirping in distress as he narrowly avoided a cutting stream of water. Carvanha wriggled on the ground while he shot, Torchic frantically attempting to duck and twist around the erratic streams.
Music filled the air as Astra began to play; a song of battle, struggle and triumph in equal measure. A plan of action formulated in Astra’s mind, which she broadcasted to Treecko. ‘Interception!’ she commanded.
Treecko sprung forward, meeting the grunt’s Poochyena in two swift leaps. The dog growled and vicious teeth shone as it prepared to chew Treecko to bits, but its jaws snapped down on naught but air as the speedy Pokemon dove down. He slid beneath the Poochyena in one smooth motion, the hound tripping over as one of its legs were knocked aside. Ignoring the aggravated howl behind him, he began dashing towards Carvanha and Torchic.
Torchic sprinted for all he was worth, but he couldn’t get close to his fishy opponent without a deluge of high pressure water cutting him off at every turn. Just as Carvanha was about to land a solid hit, Treecko sped into place, blocking the jet with his own body. Almost unaffected by the attack, he began to march against the flow.
“Alright!” May cheered, “Torchic, follow Treecko and burn that Poochyena if it gets close!”
Backing up against his ally, Torchic turned to face his new enemy. Gouts of fire halted the Poochyena’s advance, and the hound growled at the heat’s edge.
“Stop that Treecko, Poochyena!” The Aqua grunt yelled, fist clenched. “One measly Ember is nothing to you!”
Emboldened by his master, the enemy Poochyena charged through Torchic’s flame, the smell of burnt hair leaving a cloying pall in his wake. Torchic squawked, ducking as the dog leapt clear over the chick and homed in on Treecko with wild abandon. Treecko whirled around and blocked it with his hand, gasping as Poochyena’s teeth dug into his arm.
Astra spared a moment to feel relieved that the sense-sharing training had paid off. He had seen the attack coming even without her telling him about it! A flash of memory came to Astra then, of guards and Poochyena attacks and retaliation in kind. “Treecko,” she said, a sharp chord accompanying her words. “Stick your hand down his throat and absorb!”
Through the pain of the bite and the torrent of water, Treecko still had enough left in him to stare at his trainer in shock. Clenching his eyes and gritting his teeth, the lizard forcefully pushed his arm past rows of teeth and plunged his fist deep into Poochyenas maw, grabbed a dangling bit, and pulled.
Poochyena’s eyes widened into dinner plates. It released Treecko’s arm and reared back, falling over itself to free the blockage in its throat. Coughing and wheezing, it never saw Torchic until his flame had already reached it.
“Hell yeah!” May cheered as a blazing cloud enveloped the dog. “Good job Torchic!”
“Tor!”
A snarl interrupted their celebration, one soot-stained paw emerging from the cloud of smog. Another one soon followed, and then the Poochyena emerged in full. Fur fell from its body in ashen clumps and faint wisps of smoke still wafted through the air, but it stood even so, shaking from the effort. It glared at its opponents, eyes filled with pain and the promise of retribution. To the side, Carvanha ceased its assault on Treecko, irritated that it wasn’t having any effect.
“Seriously?” May muttered, scowling. “Wow, that’s one tough dog. The fuck has he been feeding it, pure zinc?”
“Hah!” the Aqua grunt cried, pumping his fist. “That’s my girl! Now bring these snot-nosed punks down! Poochyena, take out that damn Treecko; Carvanha, boil them all alive!”
Boil alive!? Horrified, Astra quickened the pace of her song, Treecko frantically dashing toward the suddenly steaming fish Pokemon. “May, hold off that Poochyena!”
“I’ve got it covered,” May yelled, sweeping her arm out. “Torchic, Scratch and Peck, show no mercy!”
Razor talons speared through the air as Torchic leapt forwards, intercepting the speeding Poochyena with swift rakes across its face. Poochyena recoiled, then snapped around and slammed its jaws around one of Torchic’s legs. Screeching in pain, Torchic stabbed at his head, Pecking him across the face and eyes over and over.
The Poochyena howled, muffled as it was by a mouthful of leg. It shook Torchic around, the bird crying out in distress before unceremoniously being flung across the road. He rolled to a stop, caked in dust and a bit of blood.
Shaking, Torchic struggled to his feet for a moment, but was unable to bear weight on his bitten leg. He stared at Poochyena, gasping for breath.
On the other side of the road, Treecko skid to a halt in front of the Carvanha, slamming a glowing green hand on the swollen fish’s scales.
Pain!
Yanking back, Treecko hissed at the fine, razor cuts covering his palm. Astra gasped at the sight. Merely touching Carvanha had sliced open Treecko’s hands!?
The Carvanha’s pointed maw seemed to curve into a cruel grin as it saw the trickle of blood. It swelled, gouts of steam and sizzling water drops pushing through the cracks in his jaw. Too late to back out, too close to dodge.
‘Treecko!’ Astra called, breaking him out of his shock. ‘Stop him before he can fire!’
Clenching a fist, Treecko threw both arms around Carvanha’s body and held its mouth shut with all his might. The fish Pokemon wriggled about in shock, suddenly unable to unleash the boiling water inside. Treecko cried out in pain as dozens of sharp scales cut deeply into his arms, falling to the ground and barely keeping hold of his opponent.
‘I know it hurts but stay strong, I know you can do it!’ Astra said, reassurement and pride surging through their link. ‘Now drain it dry!’
Hands surging green, Treecko squeezed Carvanha even tighter as thick bands of verdant energy erupted from the now thrashing fish. Its eyes rolled madly, a multitude of piercing whistles sounding as the trapped steam managed to escape.
“Damn it all!” the Aqua grunt yelled. “Poochyena, tear that Torchic apart! And what are you waiting for Carvanha? Stop sitting there and end it!”
“Torchic, use ember!” May raised a fist, cheering with all she had. “Send this dog to the pound!”
Redoubling its effort, Carvanha writhed against his captor, jagged scales opening innumerable cuts in Treecko’s skin. Drops of scalding water splattered about as Treecko struggled to drain it. A surge of strength freed the Carvanha from Treecko’s grip for just a moment and a single, boiling hot jet impacted Treecko’s face.
He gasped, dropping Carvanha to paw at where the water had struck—which was all that his foe needed. A torrent of water, roiling and angry, engulfed Treecko in an instant. Astra gasped as their link exploded into agony; a searing cacophony that seemed to last a lifetime.
“Treecko!” Astra stared into the steam cloud in desperation, blinking sympathetic tears from her eyes. In the fog was a figure. Shaking and trembling, covered head to toe in angry red splotches, Treecko had still mustered the strength to stay upright.
To the side, Astra saw small gouts of fire burst and fade as Torchic attempted to fend off Poochyena. The dog was limping forward slowly, but all the same it endured through every weakened blast of Torchic’s assault with bared teeth and hateful eyes.
Thinking quickly, Astra asked Treecko a single question: Ready?
Through cracking skin and hissed breath, Treecko looked back at her with one eye and gave her a shaky thumbs up. “Ko.”
She was so getting him a special treat after this.
The Aqua grunt looked on incredulously. “Is that thing still standing!? Enough already; if water won’t work just bite his head off, Carvanha!”
Instructions flashing into his mind, Treecko shuffled towards the fish. It glared at him and flopped into the air, jaws snapping. Dodging around the angry fish’s awkward lunges, Treecko lined up his targets as best he could, the world spinning around him as the burns took their toll.
The moment came. With the last of his strength, he twisted and slammed his tail into the flailing Carvanha. With a sickening crack, the fish was sent flying as razor scales cut open Treecko’s tail. His eyes rolled back into his head and he fell, passing out before he hit the ground.
Across the road, Torchic blasted Poochyena with the last of his fire to little effect. He panted in exhaustion as the hound stepped forward, smoke, soot, and hatred rolling off his coat in waves. Poochyena leaned forward with slavering jaws wide, but a loud noise made it look up.
Carvanha slammed into Poochyena’s face at speed. They ricocheted off each other, the fish flying back into the air as Poochyena recoiled, twitching. It teetered, before the screaming Carvanha descended from on high, slamming into its skull once more with a dull, echoing thud.
Both of them fell to the grass, knocked out cold.
Silence fell across the battlefield. Torchic cawed out in victory, hopping around on one leg in celebration. It was cut short as an array of red lights shot out, recalling all Pokemon back home.
“You did good, Treecko,” Astra muttered as he vanished. “Thank you.”
“Way to go, Torchic,” May said, giving his pokeball an affectionate pat. “Take it easy for a while.”
“You…” the Aqua grunt ground out, shaking in anger. “You’ve got to be kidding me… How are you snot-nose punks this tough!?”
“A-duh,” May said, rolling her eyes. “It’s ‘cuz we’re fucking awesome. Astra, high five!”
She held out a palm, which Astra slapped enthusiastically.
“Yeah!” Astra said, pointing at the man with a grin. “That’s what you get for being such a jerk!”
“And!” May added, with vindictive glee. “We aren’t the ones who sent a fish out to fight on dry land, you absolute moron!”
The grunt twitched. “Tch. Well, it doesn’t matter.” He stepped forward, a glint in his eye. “Pokemon or no, I can still get those files by myself—urk!”
A duo of flashing lights interrupted him, resolving into Marill and May’s own Poochyena. They glared at the grunt, interposing themselves between the thug and their masters.
“Marill mar!” Marill said, swinging her tail around with promise.
Poochyena merely growled, hackles raised.
May smirked. “You were saying?”
The grunt stepped back, fear in his eyes. He grit his teeth, fists clenched. “Damnit! You’ll pay for meddling in Team Aqua’s affairs!” he yelled. “We’re not done with you or Rustboro! You better watch your back!”
With those parting words, he turned and dashed down the road, proverbial tail between his legs. Astra and May glanced at each other and smiled.
“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!” The green-suited man said. He shook May’s hand vigorously, beaming with gratitude even as she viciously tore it free. “You have no idea how much trouble you’ve rescued me from! It would have been a disaster if these papers had fallen into their hands!”
“It’s no trouble, really!” Astra said, blushing at the praise. Her gaze turned to the briefcase, curiosity piqued. “That guy really wanted those papers. What's on them?”
“Ah,” the man said, hesitating. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you. Confidential, you see.”
“Wait,” May interrupted, “then why the hell were you just lugging them around out here in the middle of nowhere? Weren’t you just looking for a Shroomish in the first place? The fuck does any of this have to do with that!?”
The man wrung his hands, looking up and down the road and generally anywhere but at either of them. He sighed, mumbling his words. “I didn’t want to make a trip back home before I went to work so I brought them with me…”
May stared at him through lidded eyes. “You’re a dumbass.”
“Yes, yes I know!” he blustered, straightening his suit out—then he paused. “Wait, did that goon say that Team Aqua still had plans for Rustboro?” Suddenly panicked, he quickly searched his pockets before bringing out an oddly-colored pokeball. He thrust it into Astra’s hands. “Here, take this Great Ball as a token of my thanks! I had hoped to use it on a Shroomish, but I must return to my office at once, it’s a crisis! Goodbye!”
“Wh—thank you?” Astra watched the man speed off down the road.
“Welp,” May said after a moment. “That was weird. Do you think he’s realized he just sped off right behind that other guy?”
Astra hesitated. “Shouldn’t we go after him? It could still be dangerous…”
May sighed. “I wouldn’t bother. We’re all going in the same direction anyhow; if he gets in trouble again he’ll just run back to us. Let’s get moving. Hopefully we can take a shower, heal our Pokemon, get our first badge, and meet up with Brendan before the day is out!”
Astra stared at the city up ahead. She turned to May. “Do you think we should be concerned about these ‘Team Aqua’ people? That guy we fought seemed...” The memory of steam and scoured skin replayed in her mind. She grimaced, a sour feeling welling in her stomach. “Harsh.”
“Pfft, nah.” May rolled her eyes. “I bet they're just a bunch of two-bit nobodies. Sure that guy might have been a bit tough, but we had like, three times the number of Pokemon. If they show their faces again we’ll just keep kicking their ass until they learn not to mess with us, right?”
Astra smiled at the reassurance. “Yeah, you’re right. There’s probably nothing to worry about.”
The two of them walked in silence for a minute, before May spoke up again. “Say,” she said, tapping her chin with a finger. “The hell do you think is in that suitcase that’s so important anyhow?”
“Maybe it’s a recipe for the world's best soup?” Astra suggested.
“Nah, it’s gotta be like, a bunch of dirty stuff! A record of secret underground dealings; that’s why a gang is after him!”
“It could be a formula for medicine, and he wanted to sell it to whoever was buying!”
“Oh! No, no see, I got it! It’s—"
The two of them continued to theorize and laugh, one crazy conspiracy coming after another. Ahead of them in the distance, past a wheezing man in a suit, gleaming spires of concrete and glass stood tall against the cloudy sky. Shafts of sunlight illuminated small portions at random, shining lights flaring in and out as the clouds in the sky above broke apart and reformed endlessly. They traveled down the road together.
Towards Rustboro.