Megan's POV

We were currently still on our way to Rustboro City, heading through a forest when a clearing opened up and we saw a large lake where dozens of Lotads were swimming around.

"I've heard of this place from my mom." I said.

"Yeah, and my dad told me about this place. It's where Brock caught his Lotad when they were traveling in Hoenn." Adam remarked.

I looked around and saw a hill nearby with a wooden cabin on top of it. "That must be the flower and berry shop that the sisters Nicole, Rita, and Natalie run." I said.

"We should check it out and say hello." Adam suggested.

Jason and I nodded our heads and we started heading towards the cabin. As we walked, we passed flowers and berry trees and there were a lot of people with woven baskets picking those flowers and berries.

"There's a lot more people here, compared when my dad visited." Adam remarked.

"Yeah, and the flower gardens and berry orchards are a lot bigger than what my mom described." I added.

As we walked, we saw a familiar face among the gardens and orchards.

"Hey, Amber!"

She looked up and waved at us.

"Hey, you guys!"

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm picking some berries to buy for my Pokemon." she replied, showing us her basket, which contained some berries.

She then looked slightly flustered. "So Adam, are you here to buy any flowers for someone...special?" she asked.

"No... Why?" Adam asked.

"Oh... No reason." Amber replied, clearly disappointed by Adam's answer.

Amber thought that he would've been buying flowers and hoped that might have given her some. She WANTED Adam to buy her flowers. Now it's clear that Amber does have a crush on Adam, like April suspected. I thought.

We then said goodbye to Amber and continued on our way to the cabin. When we entered the cabin, we found shelves set up on the side of the main room that held vases of flowers for sale, for people who didn't want to pick their own or just want a random assortment of flowers to give as a gift. There were also pots for sale with berry tree saplings in them, for people who wanted to grow their own trees at home.

We found Nicole standing behind the nearby counter, talking to Rita. They were both in their mid-forties. Nicole's dark blue hair was still down to her shoulders, but she no longer had any bangs, and her green eyes still had a kind look. She wore a pink turtle neck with a red apron over it. Rita's green hair was still a pixie cut and she wore a green jumpsuit with a maroon shirt underneath.

Nicole noticed us and smiled. "Hello, can we help you find anything?"

"I'm Adam Ketchum. My dad told me about visiting this place while he was traveling, back when he was young, and we wanted to introduce ourselves." Adam greeted.

"I'm Megan Hayden. My mom is May." I said.

"And I'm Jason Oak."

"Oh! I remember them! They were such a sweet group." Nicole said, seeing the resemblance between me and my mom, and Adam and his dad. They then recalled when they had first met our parents.

"Where's Natalie?" I asked.

"She's out making some deliveries in Rustboro City." Rita replied.

"Your shop has grown a lot bigger and has gotten a lot busier since my dad was here." Adam noted.

"Well, once your dad became the Pokemon Master, he was interviewed on TV about his journeys and he mentioned our shop. Because of his position as the Pokemon Master, his endorsement caused our business to really pick up!" Nicole explained.

"People all over southwestern Hoenn now visit our shop to buy flowers and berries. To keep up with the demand, we've had to clear away more parts of the forest to expand our flower gardens and berry orchards. It's a lot of work for just the three of us, keeping things running efficiently. Luckily, our children, who are all in their mid-to-late teens, are helping us by tending to the flowers and trees each day." Rita added.

"The Lotads in the lake help us keep the flowers and trees watered. In exchange for their help, we let the Lotads eat a share of the berries that are grown each day." Nicole said.

"So the Lotads help the flowers and berries grow, which means that your business stays on track, and they get a good meal in exchange for their help." Jason said, putting the pieces together.

"Exactly!"

"Well, you've made an effective system to tend to everything and it's nice that you're helping the wild Lotads in supplying food for them."

"Yesterday, there was a girl down by the lake who battled and caught one of the Lotads. She had long black hair with purple highlights." Rita said with a frown.

Christina! I realized.

"What did you do about it?" I asked.

"The Lotads are technically wild Pokemon and don't belong to us, so it's not like she wasn't allowed to catch one. Still, since they help water our plants, she should've at least told us that she wanted to catch one before doing so. So there wasn't anything that we could do about it, but it was still rude of her to do that." Nicole replied.

It was rude of her to do that without asking. She should've had the courtesy to at least ask the sisters, since the Lotads technically live on their land. I thought to myself.

"Well, I have to get back to work. Excuse me." Rita said, and walked past us and out the front door.

"It was nice to meet you all. Feel free to look around and buy some flowers or berries if you want to." Nicole said.

"We're going to stock up on some berries for our Pokemon and yours to eat." Jason said.

Nicole nodded and handed Adam and Jason a basket.

"I'm going to look around inside some more." I said.

So Adam and Jason went outside. I walked around the shop, looking at all of the vases of flowers on the shelves, admiring them. As I looked at the flowers, I was reminded of the flower garden in my backyard, back at home. Seeing the flowers made me feel a little homesick.

I wonder how Mom is doing? With the baby on the way and Dad gone, being unfaithful, it can't be easy.

I frowned and shook my head, looking back at a vase of my favorite flowers. I sniffed the flower's aroma and smiled, as it helped calm me down.

I was so lost in my thoughts and depression that I hadn't noticed someone else enter the cabin until I heard a unknown boy's voice talking to Nicole. I kept my back to them, but listened, still staring at the flowers.

"Good afternoon. Can I help you?" Nicole asked.

"I'm looking for a flower to give as a gift." the boy said.

Judging by the voice, I could tell that the boy was around Adam's age, so a couple of years older than me.

"What's the occasion?"

"I saw a girl compete in the Petalburg City Pokemon Contest and was very impressed with how she performed. She must be a new coordinator, since I've never seen her compete before. She did very well for a first-timer. I'm a coordinator too, so I'll likely run into her during my journey, maybe even compete against her. When I do meet her, I'll give her the flower as a gift, to show that I admire her prowess."

The girl he was talking about sounded like me. I felt my face go red.

"So who is the lucky girl, if you don't mind me asking?"

"You know May Hayden, one of Hoenn's best-known Top Coordinators? It's her daughter."

My mouth fell open and my face turned even redder. I would've loved to turn around and see the mysterious guy who was going to buy a flower for me, but I couldn't, because I was scared. I needed to get out of there without him seeing me!

I kept my back to the counter and sneaked to the door. Once outside, I ran.

I nearly collided into Adam, who had a basket full of various berries.

"Are you done yet?" I asked, glancing back towards the cabin.

"Yes, I just need to go inside and pay for everything." he replied.

"Where's Jason?"

"He's down by the lake to check out the Lotads. He likes examining Pokemon as much as he likes battling with them and he's becoming more and more like Gary."

"I'm gonna find Jason and we'll wait for you by the lake."

I walked down to the lake and found Jason sitting in the grass by the lake, writing something in a notebook. He looked up, hearing my footsteps.

"What are you writing?" I asked.

"I'm just taking some notes on the Lotads and their habitat. I also found a Pokemon in the trees and caught it."

"Oh?"

He removed a Pokeball and tossed it. A Treecko appeared.

"A Treecko!" I cried, and removed my Pokedex.

"Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokemon. Treecko is able to climb smooth vertical walls and use its thick tail to attack opponents. Since Treecko builds its nests in large trees, it is said that those trees will live a very long life."

"The Rustboro City gym leader uses Rock Pokemon, so a Grass Pokemon would be a big help to me." Jason explained.

I put my Pokedex away and Jason packed his notebook up.

"A Treecko, huh? You've caught another new Pokemon in Hoenn." Adam said, walking up to us.

Jason nodded his head and returned Treecko. "Treecko will help me with my gym battle."

We then started back on our way to Rustboro City.

"We're like my dad, May, and Brock when they traveled in Hoenn. We each have one of the Hoenn starters now."

As we walked, I still couldn't help but think of the boy and what he had said.

If he's a coordinator, I'll likely meet him in the next contest in Rustboro City. He said he's giving the flower to May's daughter and that can only mean me, right? What other person could he be referring to? He must see something special in me.

I now felt even more confident in myself because of the mysterious boy's compliment and the training that I had done with Adam.

Normal POV

Dawn had just finished doing the dishes in May's house and May was on the couch, relaxing. Dawn walked into the living room and sat down beside her close friend.

"Thanks, Dawn. The longer I've been pregnant, the harder it's been for me to get things done around the house, and without Drew around to help this time." May said.

"I'm happy to help. I understand what you're going through. I went through the same difficulties myself when I was pregnant with Adam. And with Ash usually away because of work, it was Delia who helped me out around the house. But it must be even tougher for you than it was for me. I mean, this is your third child, so it's the third time you've gone through this! I only did it once!" Dawn replied.

May chuckled. "Drew and I wanted another baby because we knew that Megan and April were leaving on their journeys this year and the two of us didn't want to be alone here in the house."

"To fill the lonely feeling in my heart with Adam gone on his journey, I've been calling Brittany in Sinnoh regularly and visiting her at times, too. Still, she'll be starting her journey next year."

Then the front door opened and Ash walked into the house, having just gotten back from returning from helping the police with Team Rocket.

Dawn sighed in relief and ran over to him, hugging him tightly. Ash hugged her back and kissed her head.

"I'm glad you're safe." Dawn said.

The two shared a loving kiss, happy to be reunited, with Ash safe and sound.

"How's Adam?" she asked.

"Don't worry, the kids are all safe."

May then walked over as Dawn released Ash, and May hugged him, too.

"I'm glad you're safe. Thank you for making sure that Megan was safe. You've always proven yourself to be trustworthy." May said quietly.

"What happened to them?" Dawn asked.

Ash then went on to explain how the kids had encountered Team Rocket and gotten aboard their ship, saved the captured Pokemon, and defeated the grunts who had come after them.

"They even paralyzed two grunts, so they're now in custody of the police. Hopefully, we'll get insight on what's going on in Hoenn, regarding Team Rocket's plans." he said proudly.

"I'm shocked that Megan stepped up to help battle Team Rocket and was unafraid. That isn't like her. April is the braver and more headstrong of the two sisters while Megan is, instead, the kindhearted, curious, and adventurous one. It seems that she's growing up and becoming a little more brave, with help from Adam and Jason." said May.

"But how is Team Rocket back so soon? Is Adam going to be safe? He has another threat following him and this is going to be even worse. I'm scared for Adam. Last year was bad enough. But now they're out for vengeance against you, Ash, and they'll target those closest to you. Adam will be the first one they'll go after, since he's in Hoenn." Dawn said, growing worried.

"Dawn, breathe. Adam is brave and resourceful like I am and I trust in him to always find a way out of any dangerous situation. He's proven it during the previous run-ins with Team Rocket, after all." Ash said.

"And I trust that Megan will be safe too, regardless of the danger. I was safe when I traveled with Ash, and Megan will be safe while traveling with your son, who is like Ash in more ways than one." May said.

Dawn took a deep breath and calmly said, "You're both right. There's no need to worry. Adam has proven himself to be capable of dealing with these kinds of challenges that come his way."

During her travels with Ash, Dawn had had many moments where she'd been overly worried about something, while Ash had always been the more levelheaded one who had always helped her reel in her emotions, just like he had done for her just now. She was forever grateful to have a man like that in her life.

"Anyway, I just dropped by to show that I was okay, and to fill you both in on what had happened. Right now, I have to leave and head to my battles with the Hoenn Elite Four." Ash said.

"I also have to leave and head to Sinnoh. In a couple of days, I have an important meeting with someone, along with Darien." Dawn added.

Ash and Dawn hugged May goodbye.

"Thank you both for everything." May said.

But as Ash and Dawn walked to the front door, Ash stopped.

"I forgot to ask one last question, May. Did you find out any new information on Christina's parents while I was gone, since her mom has been seen with Drew?"

May's expression grew serious. "We talked to Officer Jenny and found out who her parents are. Her mom is someone that I don't know, but her dad is someone that I'm very familiar with. He's someone who has had a bone to pick with me since my younger days as a coordinator. His name is..."

Author's Note: Don't you just love cliffhangers? ;)

Megan, Adam, and Jason meet some familiar faces from Ash's past Hoenn journey and see just how much their business has grown over the years. They also learn that Christina has caught a Lotad, and they run into Amber, who seems disappointed that Adam wasn't thinking of her.

Megan also overhears an unknown boy, who seems to be speaking highly of her. And Jason has caught a Treecko, his newest Pokemon.

Meanwhile, Ash returns to Dawn and May. Unfortunately, their visit with May has come to an end and they must say their goodbyes. Still, lots of questions remain.

Who is the mysterious boy that Megan overheard?

Who are Christina's parents?

Who is Dawn going to meet in Sinnoh with Darien?

How will Adam, Jason, and Megan fare in their upcoming gym battles and contest in Rustboro City?

Be sure to keep reading to find out in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!