The gang left Rubello Town not too long after, and May was in much higher spirits as she marched along. She even willingly joined in Ash and Brock's training sessions, even if most of her Pokémon, besides Combusken, would have rather done anything else.
But Ash called up something to help her out. He made a quick call to Oak and Misty to ask them to send him Venusaur and Blastoise over to help May's Bulbasaur and Squirtle.
Obviously, May's Squirtle knew Ash's Blastoise. Her sister, Misty's Blastoise, had told her all about the big Blastoise she admired, which also made May's Squirtle a total fangirl.
Then there was May's Bulbasaur meeting Ash's Venusaur. Technically speaking, both of them were similar too, since Ash's Venusaur was a prince and May's was technically a princess.
Although May's Bulbasaur didn't seem like she wanted to train, Venusaur had experience dealing with little Pokémon. So when they stopped to eat, Venusaur used a vine to pick up Bulbasaur and walked off with her.
May would have said something the first time, but Ash just put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head, so May decided to drop it.
With Ash's two goobers back, it reminded him about Charizard. He hadn't seen him in a bit. He hoped he was doing well. Based on how strong he was during "the incident," it shouldn't take too long before he suppresses the Charizard King and comes back. Ash missed his big fire lizard.
But that's a story for later. For now, it was about time they got to Fortree City, and they could see from far away that the town was buzzing with excitement because a carnival was going on all around them, the Feather Carnival.
"Whoa…" Max spun in a slow circle, eyes wide, "This is insane."
"It's the Feather Carnival," Brock said, smiling as he took it all in, "They only do this once a year."
Performers moved through the walkways, some juggling glowing feathers, others dancing in elaborate bird-themed costumes. A group of Wingull flew overhead in perfect formation, drawing cheers from the crowd.
May's eyes lit up instantly, "This is amazing!"
Even Pikachu perked up on Ash's shoulder, ears twitching at the music, while Vee popped out of the bag again, fully awake now and taking everything in.
Ash just stood there for a second, hands in his pockets, taking it all in with a small grin.
Then Max snapped his head toward him, "WAIT, you have a Gym battle!"
May pointed at him immediately, "Yeah! We shouldn't get distracted, we came here for your badge!"
Ash blinked once.
Then shrugged.
"I mean…yeah," he said casually, "But the Gym's not going anywhere."
Max stared at him, "Ash."
May crossed her arms, "Ash."
Ash raised both hands defensively, still grinning, "What? I don't mind waiting. We just got here. Might as well enjoy it."
Brock just chuckled quietly and shook his head. As he started walking, he gave Ash a light punch on the shoulder, "Come on. You know how he is by now."
Ash smirked and followed right behind him, "See? Brock gets it."
"Brock enables you," May said flatly, though she was already walking with them.
"I prefer 'supports my lifestyle,'" Ash replied.
"Your lifestyle is chaos," Max added.
"Yeah, but it's fun chaos," Ash said, shrugging.
—
{Meanwhile, on the other side of the carnival}
Jessie, James, and Meowth were at a stall selling food to people at the Feather Carnival.
They were here because Matori had assigned them a mission to scout Fortree to see if it would be ideal for setting up a base. But they were convinced it was really just because she wanted them out of the way while she handled more important business, especially since they hadn't done anything lately.
They had set up a stall and were selling a lot of assorted food, but it was mostly Meowth doing the cooking since Jessie and James didn't know squat about it. At least Growlie was helping with the fire and grilling, and Cubone pitched in with cutting.
Jessie mostly stood over the counter, flashing an exaggeratedly sweet smile at a passing couple, "Step right up! Fresh grilled skewers, made with love, and a hint of mystery!"
Meowth, standing over the grill, rolled his eyes as he flipped a skewer and let Growlie hit it with a nice Ember for a perfect char, "Da only mystery is how we ain't been shut down yet," he muttered, "You two couldn't cook instant noodles without burnin' the water."
"Excuse me?!" Jessie snapped, turning on him, "I am perfectly capable of cooking!"
"Yeah," Meowth shot back, "if da goal is to poison da customers."
"Now, now," James said absentmindedly, barely paying attention as he stared out at the carnival lights, "Let's keep things civil…"
Mime Jr. mimicked his distant stare perfectly, even placing a tiny hand on its chin like it was lost in deep thought.
Jessie crossed her arms, glaring, "James, are you even listening?"
"…Huh?" James blinked, snapping out of it, "Oh yes! Of course
Meowth squinted at him, "You got that look again."
"What look?"
"Da 'I'm-about-to-start-cryin'-over-something-from-my-childhood' look."
Jessie groaned, "Oh no."
James turned back toward the carnival, his eyes softening as he watched a group of performers float by with glowing, bell-like decorations that chimed gently in the wind.
"…You know," he began wistfully, "this reminds me of when I was a child…"
"There it is," Meowth muttered.
Jessie pinched the bridge of her nose, "I swear, every time."
James clasped his hands dramatically, "There was a grand festival at one of my family's estates. Lights everywhere, music drifting through the gardens…it was beautiful."
Mime Jr. spun slowly, mimicking the dreamy atmosphere.
"And there," James continued, his voice growing softer, "was a stall. Hanging from delicate ribbons were the most lovely little Chimecho…their cries like gentle bells in the wind."
"I wanted one more than anything," James said, placing a hand over his heart, "I begged my parents. I pleaded. I even offered to give up my allowance for a month—"
Jessie snorted, "A month? How noble."
Meowth elbowed her, "Remember, he was a rich kid. His allowance was probably more than what we get in a year."
"But they refused," James went on, undeterred. Growlie nodded along since he had been there that day, letting out a sad howl to support James's story.
Mime Jr. drooped dramatically, copying his sadness.
James sighed, staring out at the carnival again, "And ever since then…whenever I see a fair like this…" He paused, "…I remember what it felt like to want something so simple…and be told no."
Jessie shook her head and rubbed her temple, "Oh, don't start! We are not doing this!"
"Man, that is pretty sad," they heard an all-too-familiar voice say, followed by a "Pika."
"Thank you. At least someone appreciates the value of a sad backstory," James said, nodding.
"Yeah, real tragic," the voice replied casually, "Denied a Chimecho. Truly heartbreaking."
Jessie blinked.
Meowth froze mid-flip.
James tilted his head slightly.
"…Wait a second," Meowth said slowly.
They all turned.
Leaning against the counter like he had all the time in the world was Ash, one elbow propped up, his head resting on his hand. Pikachu sat comfortably on his shoulder, and Vee sat on the counter, wagging his tail.
Ash smiled, way too relaxed for someone standing right in front of them, "Hey," he said easily, "Good to see you guys. It was getting a little stale without watching y'all chase me around. How've you been?"
There was a long pause.
Jessie's eye twitched.
James blinked.
Meowth squinted.
"TWERP?!" all three shouted at once.
Pikachu waved a paw, "Pika!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' HERE?!" Meowth snapped, pointing a claw at him.
Ash shrugged like he hadn't just casually walked into their lives, "Festival. Gym battle. You know, the usual."
Jessie immediately straightened up, flipping her hair dramatically, "Well, well, then pre—"
"Oh look," Ash interrupted suddenly, turning his head and pointing off into the crowd, "A wild Chimecho."
There was, in fact, a Chimecho drifting gently through the carnival, its soft, bell-like cry chiming through the air as it floated between the lights.
James froze, "…Chime…" he whispered. His eyes went wide. Growlie perked up, and Mime Jr. gasped dramatically.
"CHIMEEEEECHO!!!" James yelled, immediately vaulting over the stall and sprinting into the crowd at full speed.
"WAIT JAMES!!" Jessie shouted, reaching out like she could physically grab him from across the street.
Meowth's jaw dropped, "He didn't even hesitate?!"
Growlie barked and took off after James. Mime Jr. followed, mimicking a heroic chase pose as it ran.
And just like that, he was gone.
Ash watched the spot where James had just disappeared into the crowd.
Then he slowly turned back to Jessie and Meowth, still leaning casually against the counter like nothing unusual had just happened.
"Sooooo…raincheck?" he said, gesturing vaguely toward where James had run off.
Jessie blinked once.
Then twice.
She looked in the direction James had vanished, then back at Ash, then at the half-cooked skewers on the grill.
"Yeah," she said flatly.
Meowth sighed, rubbing his face with one paw, "Yeah. Raincheck."
Ash grinned, completely unbothered, "Cool. I'll hold you to it."
"Don't," Jessie snapped immediately.
Ash just chuckled, then pointed at the grill, "Can I get, like, five of those?"
Meowth squinted at him, "You're really gonna buy from us?"
"Why not?" Ash shrugged.
Pikachu nodded enthusiastically, "Pika!"
Vee bounced slightly on the counter, tail wagging.
Meowth looked at Jessie.
Jessie looked at Meowth.
Cubone looked between them both.
"Fine," they said dejectedly.
A minute later, Ash walked away from the stall with a bundle of skewers in hand. Pikachu was already nibbling on one while Vee happily munched on another, leaving Jessie and Meowth behind, quietly thinking about how they were going to hit James with a hammer later.
—
{Meanwhile}
Winona was helping out with the festival, giving rides to the children with her birds, trying to act normal.
A line of excited kids stretched across one of the wooden platforms built into Fortree's massive trees. Laughter filled the air as a Swellow swooped down gently, letting two kids climb off while another pair eagerly took their place.
Winona offered a practiced smile, "Hold on tight," she said softly.
The Pokémon took off again, gliding smoothly through the air, weaving between the treetop walkways and lanterns that lit up the carnival.
From the outside, everything looked perfect, but on the inside, she was still trying to compose herself from the memory of what happened.
She still remembered the way Wallace talked to her, and everything, including the stress of being the appointed leader of the Gym Leaders. She barely registered anything around her and was only snapped out of her thoughts when one of the children ran up to her and tugged at her sleeve.
"Miss Winona! Can I go again?!"
Winona blinked, then smiled gently, "Of course," she said, kneeling slightly to meet their height, "Just make sure to give others a turn too, alright?"
The child nodded rapidly and ran back into line.
Winona straightened, watching the festival for a moment, and thought it must be nice to be that carefree.
She didn't even have anyone to talk to. Flannery was supposed to come visit the festival, but she called saying that, for the foreseeable future, she wouldn't be able to leave Lavaridge.
She didn't really explain anything. After all, Ash told Flannery not to tell anyone about the device, so she had to go to the volcano every day to make sure it wouldn't ever die out. If she missed even a single day, Mt. Chimney could potentially go dormant permanently.
So even though Flannery would have liked to tell Winona, she couldn't, she made a promise to Ash. And Ash had texted her, saying that if she told anyone, he'd leak the video of her embarrassing intro…and she'd rather eat glass.
So Winona was left alone like this. But Flannery did mention that soon, someone interesting would probably come after her, and he'd pull her out of any pity party she was in.
Winona let out a quiet breath, watching the lanterns sway gently between the branches.
"Someone interesting…" she murmured under her breath.
She didn't know whether to be annoyed at Flannery for being vague or curious.
Probably both.
Another Swellow swooped down, and Winona instinctively stepped forward, helping a child climb off before guiding the next one on, barely even thinking about it.
Meanwhile, in the background, Ash was walking with Brock, May, and Max, a skewer hanging from his mouth.
He chewed as he looked at Winona. Even without his Aura, he could tell she wasn't doing well, and with it, he could see her emotions were all over the place. He chewed slowly, then swallowed.
He didn't approach her. After all, they didn't know each other, he couldn't say anything without risking sounding insensitive or undermining her when he didn't even fully know why she felt that way. He had a decent idea, just not the full picture, especially with all the chaos that had been happening around him.
So he kept walking, passing her by. But he made a note to himself to make a call to a certain redhead who could do something.
Pikachu noticed Ash was zoned out, so he nudged the side of his head, "Pika." That got the gang's attention.
Ash waved his hand, "Nah, it's nothing. I was just thinking…maybe I should bring Molly over to have fun here too."
May's eyes immediately lit up, "Molly? Really? You're gonna bring her?!"
"Maybe." Ash looked at his phone, "Well, I sent a text to my mom asking if Molly could come to the Feather Carnival, and she sent me a picture of Molly in a new sweater, so I think it's probably a yes."
"Yes!" May pumped her fists in victory like Molly was her little sister instead of Ash's.
"So when is she coming?" Brock asked.
"Well…" Ash raised a finger like he was feeling the air, "If my calculations are right, then right about—"
Before Ash could finish, Abby teleported in, holding a levitating Molly, "Big brother!" Molly cheered as she floated upside down in Abby's psychic hold.
Abby dropped her into Ash's arms and stole his skewer as payment, then teleported away, leaving Molly with him.
Pikachu hopped onto Ash's arm to get a better look, "Pika!"
"Pikachu!" Molly giggled, reaching out to pet him.
Vee popped out of the bag immediately, tail wagging like crazy. Molly's eyes lit up even more, "Vee!" she said excitedly, hugging him next.
May walked up quickly, smiling wide, "Hi, Molly!"
"May!" Molly waved happily, "You look pretty!"
May blinked, caught off guard, then laughed, "Aww, thank you!"
"Alright, enough of that, we've got a festival to enjoy," Ash said as he lifted Molly onto his shoulders, "Where to first, Captain Molly?"
Molly, perched on his shoulders, raised both arms like she was leading a charge, "Food!"
"Well, that settles it," Brock said with a small chuckle, "Captain Molly has spoken."
May laughed, falling into step beside them, "Alright, fine, but we're also doing games after."
"Ohhh, I dunno, Captain Molly, how many plushies do you think I should win for you?" Ash asked dramatically.
"All of them! And some for Mama too!" she shouted, raising her fist into the air.
"Aye aye," Ash saluted.
Meanwhile, Max watched Molly, rubbing his chin and narrowing his eyes, wondering if this younger girl (who was only a year younger than him BTW) would be an ally or an enemy in his master plan.
—
By the end of the first day, the gang made it to a hotel. In total, Ash had won Molly a giant Altaria plush, a giant Wingull, and two smaller Pikachu plushies.
And since Ash was used to winning way too many prizes, thanks to Green and Misty constantly abusing how good he was at festival games, he also got May a Torchic plush he noticed she'd been staring at for more than three seconds.
All in all, it was a very fun day.
Now it was dark. Molly had already fallen asleep, hugging the giant Altaria plush. Ash gently laid her down on the bed. Pikachu had also fallen asleep beside her, lazy as always, though this time it was more of a sugar coma than actual tiredness.
Everyone else had gone off to their own rooms, so only Ash was still up with Vee, since he didn't really sleep much.
With the quiet settling in, Ash went ahead and let his Pokémon out, and fed them their dinner.
While he sat on the couch, Ash pulled out his phone and scrolled through it. After everything he'd done to make Koraidon and Miraidon comfortable, they had finally started warming up to him.
Slowly, Koraidon rested its head on the couch, scooting closer to Ash like a big dog.
Ash didn't even look up at first.
He just reached over without thinking and scratched under Koraidon's chin, "There you go," he muttered, scrolling with his other hand.
Koraidon let out a low, rumbling purr, clearly pleased, and leaned more of its weight against the couch.
On the other side, Miraidon hovered quietly near the wall, its glowing eyes dimmer than usual as it observed. It didn't approach right away, but it didn't leave either.
Ash glanced up this time, noticing, "You too, huh?" he said simply.
Miraidon hesitated.
Then, slowly, it drifted closer, more careful than Koraidon, more reserved, but still closing the distance.
Ash set his phone down this time, "C'mere."
Miraidon lowered itself slightly and, after a second, gently rested part of its frame against the couch beside him.
Ash leaned back between the two of them, one hand idly resting on Koraidon while the other tapped lightly against Miraidon's side, "You guys are getting spoiled," he said under his breath.
As he let them rest their heads on his legs, Vee took the chance to lazily flop onto Miraidon's head.
Ash finally grabbed his phone and made a call.
The phone rang three times, and on the fourth, the video call was accepted.
Flannery appeared on the other end, her hair slightly messy, clearly fresh out of a shower. She was wearing oversized pajamas with a faint Torchic pattern. She blinked at the screen, squinting slightly.
"…Ash?" she said, her voice a little groggy, "Do you know what time it is?"
Ash leaned back on the couch, completely relaxed between Koraidon and Miraidon, "Yeah," he said casually, "It's 'you picked up after four rings' o'clock."
Flannery narrowed her eyes, "I almost didn't."
"Yeah, but you did," Ash smirked.
There was a pause.
Flannery crossed her arms, "This better be important."
"I'm in Fortree," he said.
Flannery blinked, "Wait, right now? Huh…I didn't think you'd make it there so soon, I'm gonna be honest."
"Wow, your lack of faith hurts me," Ash said, shaking his head helplessly.
Flannery waved her hand, "Yeah, yeah. So why did you call me? I doubt it's just to show off."
Ash smiled, "Tell me, do you wanna be here too?"