[Caitlin: Why does this scene feel so familiar? It's like watching a guy tell his current girlfriend all about his 'wonderful' ex-girlfriend.]
[Norman: Hey! My daughter May is NOT an ex-girlfriend! She's a rival and a friend!]
[Professor Cerise: Exactly! My Chloe isn't a 'current girlfriend' either... yet. But I have to say, Norman, your daughter has quite the reputation as a travel companion!]
In Petalburg City, Norman watched the screen with a fiery intensity. He felt like his territory was being invaded.
Across the screen, Professor Cerise was defending his daughter Chloe with equal fervor. This was no longer just a battle of trainers; it was a battle of protective fathers.
"Oh, my," Caroline, May's mother, giggled. "It seems your father is taking this very seriously, May. He looks like he's about to challenge the screen to a gym battle."
May turned bright red. "It's just a video! And I'm only ten right now! Why is everyone acting like this is a marriage proposal?"
"Well, you are waiting for him to start your journey, aren't you?" Max teased. "You said you wouldn't leave until you saw the 'chosen one' on the news!"
"I did not! I just... I had a bad experience with Tentacool when I was little, okay? I'm just being cautious!"
But inside, May couldn't deny the feeling in her chest. Seeing the Ash on the screen—the powerful, confident man he would become—made her heart race. She didn't want to just travel; she wanted to travel with him.
Back in Kanto, Chloe was having a similar internal crisis. She pulled her father away from the keyboard before he could type something even more embarrassing. "Father! Stop it! You're making me want to crawl into a hole!"
"But Chloe! The Petalburg Gym Leader is making claims! I have to represent the Cerise Lab!"
The debate on the "World's Best Companion" exploded. Misty's sisters chimed in, Brock's many siblings weighed in, and even Professor Kukui made a comment on Lillie's behalf. The "battle without smoke" had shifted from the girls to the parents.
In the Footage—
Ash and Chloe arrived in Fallarbor Town just as the grand doors of the Contest Hall were closing. Ash's face fell.
"Oh... man. I'm so sorry, Chloe. I totally forgot to check the ticket times." He scratched his head, looking genuinely sheepish. He had hyped up the event, only to fail at the most basic step.
Chloe smiled gently, touching his arm. "It's okay, Ash. We can catch the next one. Contests happen all the time, right?"
Just as they turned to leave, a voice full of youthful energy called out from the crowd.
"Ash? Is that really you?!"
Ash froze, then turned. His eyes widened. Standing there was a girl with a red bandana, a red-and-black top, and a white skirt over navy shorts.
Her aqua-blue eyes were wide with shock, and her short brown hair framed a face that had matured into a stunning young woman.
"May! What are you doing here?"
Fate had a funny way of working. Ash had looked for her in Petalburg and missed her. He had come to Fallarbor for Chloe, and here she was—the "Princess of Hoenn" herself.
May ran forward, her face lighting up. "I'm competing today! I'm the guest performer for the opening ceremony!" She then looked at the girl standing next to Ash.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, a spark of playful curiosity—and perhaps a hint of something else—flickering in her gaze. "And who is this, Ash? A new traveling companion?"
Chloe stood her ground, offering a polite but firm nod. "I'm Chloe. I'm a research fellow traveling with Ash."
The air between the two girls seemed to crackle with more electricity than a Pikachu's Thunderbolt. Ash, completely oblivious to the tension, just laughed.
"This is great! May, do you have any extra passes? I kind of messed up our tickets."
May giggled, looping her arm through Ash's naturally, much to Chloe's internal chagrin. "For you? Always. Come on, I'll get you the best seats in the house! You've got to see how much my Blaziken and Glaceon have improved!"
As they walked toward the VIP entrance, May whispered to Ash, "You've grown a lot, Ash. You look... different. Stronger."
"You haven't seen anything yet!" Ash replied.
Behind them, Chloe followed, her eyes fixed on where May's arm touched Ash's. The "peaceful" trip to Hoenn had just become a lot more complicated.
In the soft glow of the afternoon sun filtering through the windows of the Fallarbor Contest Hall, Chloe sat between two whirlwinds of energy.
On one side was Ash, the boy she had grown to rely on, and on the other was May, the "Princess of Hoenn," whose vibrant presence seemed to command the very air.
Chloe couldn't help but steal glances at May's outfit.
To a girl like Chloe, who was sensitive to the nuances of fashion and coordination, May's choice of a short skirt over what looked like cycling shorts was... unique.
If the skirt is that short and the leggings are only half-length, aren't they just shorts? she wondered.
It was a bold, distinct style that managed to look perfectly natural on May, despite the unconventional pairing. It was the look of someone who valued both beauty and the ability to move freely—a true Pokémon Coordinator.
"P.S.: About their age, in this version, they grow up over time. Unlike Pokémon, where they stay 10, they actually age here."
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