One small gasp is what shot Vincent up as he awakened instantaneously from a seemingly dreamless sleep, which perplexed Vincent in that moment that he stood there in the faint darkness of his room due to the dream he had previously from his nap the other day.

He didn't have a moment to lose. Though it was early, the time reading nine in the morning, he felt refreshed and ready to go. Swinging his legs to the side of the bed as he lightly pressed his knee with one of his wrists, he brought up one hand as he grazed over the chin of his face with the tips of his fingers, remarking that perhaps it was best to get rid of the thin amount of facial hair he had on him, as opposed to waiting for it to get too thick.

To Vincent's disdain, he remembered that he didn't exactly have any shaving tools of any kind. That panic and solemnness soon left him when he saw a small box placed beside his backpack when he opened the curtains.

Inside the box was a small toiletries kit. New toothbrush, a new hairbrush, a bit of toothpaste, a razor blade, shaving cream, shampoo, and soap. It may not have been much but considering the position he'd been in from the start, he felt a sense of gratefulness and shock overwhelm him as he tried to find the words and thoughts for this gift that he didn't ask for.

"That Nurse Joy…she's really kind." He remarked to himself with a whisper. "Maybe a little too kind for my liking, but I'll take it…I better say goodbye to her before I head out later."

He knew that he had time since his supposed meeting with that man he spoke to over the phone the other day, Nathaniel, would be expecting him at around three in the afternoon. Sure, it may have still been early, but that didn't mean that he'd stop himself from getting ready.

Breakfast? Done.

Shower? Done.

Clothes? On.

A clean shave? Also done.

Vincent knew that he couldn't waste all day in the bathroom after he'd done all of that since in the moment, he was reminded of the morning he'd received that job back home, thinking about the familiar position in the present.

Though thoughts brewed in his head to get more than what he had in terms of clothing, for the time being, it was somewhat nostalgic to rub his now smooth, hairless chin, that reminded him of those pre-pandemic days.

Ready to go, and with the clock reading 9:30, he gathered all of his belongings and began to walk towards the Pokemon Center's entrance. One inquiry, however, infiltrated his mind as he got closer and closer.

He remembered that to get to Rustboro City, he needed to go from Oldale Town, to Route 102, Petalburg City, Route 104, and Petalburg Woods…so how long would it take to reach Rustboro? Should he have left even earlier, or is he going to get lost again?

His troubles seemed to fade quickly as at the front of the Center, Officer Jenny was waving her hand towards him, seemingly gesturing him to get into the passenger seat attached to her motorbike.

Though she wasn't the only one there to greet him.

"Vincent!" Nurse Joy exclaimed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a million bucks shivering under pressure." He replied. "But overall, good and ready. How'd you know about the-"

"Jenny called me after Nate told her about you." Joy explained. "I just wanted to wish you the best of luck! Figured I'd see you off before you go." Joy's wide smile then slowly morphed into a faint frown. "Though I may not see you for a while…"

"I'll make sure to come back and visit!" Vincent promised. "Mark my words…whenever I can, I'll come back to Oldale Town! Or at the very least, I'll give you a call!"

"I trust you, Vincent! I wish you could've stayed longer but…" Nurse Joy took a few close steps towards him and wrapped her arms around him. "I guess this is goodbye."

"Yeah…" Vincent croaked as he accepted the hug. "Goodbye for now."

"I'll be rooting for you!" She exclaimed as she the two of them separated after he patted her on the back lightly.

"Thank you!" Vincent said as he approached Jenny's bike to get into the passenger seat. "Well Joy…keep taking care of those Pokémon! And take care of yourself, too!"

"Of course, Vincent!" Nurse Joy smiled. "Say hi to my sisters if you ever see them!"

"Absolutely!"

"Ready to go?" Jenny asked.

"Yep…" Vincent nodded.

The motorbike howled upon its ignition and in just a few short moments, they took off towards Rustboro at a moderate speed.

"Bye, Vincent!" Joy shouted in the distance as she waved.

Vincent waved back as Nurse Joy disappeared from his view and he turned back to the oncoming road as Jenny safely guided them both by traversing the path, concentrated on driving.

"Goodbye…" Vincent sighed.

"Something wrong, Vincent?"

"Wha-? Oh, no, no. I just um…nah, nothing to worry about. I said I'd call her, right?"

"She'll be okay!" Jenny assured.

"Right…" Vincent said leaning back in his seat as his senses, focusing on the hums of the motorbike and the wind lightly brushing against his face.

"So, Vincent?" Jenny spoke up. "How much do you know about Rustboro City? Scratch that, even Petalburg?"

"Hm." Vincent crossed his arms as he looked up at Jenny. "If I'm not wrong, Petalburg City is home to Norman? A Normal Type Gym Leader who's well known for standing his ground in battles?"

"Yeah!" Jenny exclaimed. "I've only interacted with him a couple of times, but him and his wife, Caroline run a greenhouse where they let most of their Pokémon live. It's a marvelous place! They do get a little bit of fans here and there, which can get a little crazy. I can only imagine what their kids go through when people recognize them as they're travelling."

"Kids?" Vincent inquired. "Who are they if you don't mind me asking?"

"Last I've heard, Norman's kids, May and Max, have been travelling throughout the Hoenn region with a group of friends. I briefly caught a glimpse of May's win in the Pacifidlog Contest, which makes that her fifth content ribbon. I can imagine that she's on her way to the Grand Festival in Slateport City right about now."

"Uh huh…" Vincent nodded as he spaced out, looking away from Jenny and off to the side. "So, May and Max are real…that just leaves Ash and Brock…I can't believe this is happening."

"Are you sure you're okay, Vincent?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah I'm just…thinking. That's all." Vincent responded with a lack of enthusiasm.

"I know you must be nervous but I'm sure you and Nate will hit it off well! Trust me!"

"Oh, I don't doubt that for a second." Vincent turned to face her again. "Seemed to be a very eccentric guy over the phone. I'm gonna guess that means he's even better in person. Or, I hope so, anyway."

"You'll be in good hands! It might take some getting used to, but Nate will help you in the right direction."

"Right…right." Vincent trailed off as he focused on opening his backpack.

"You still with me, Vincent?"

"Yeah I just…um." He murmured, holding up his notebook.

"If there's something wrong, you can tell me, you know?" Jenny offered.

"I'd prefer to write things down for now, if you don't mind."

"Alright. Go ahead. I'll keep the two of us on course."

May and Max…

Just like that, Officer Jenny confirms that they exist.

I'd assume, of course, they'd have a reputation of being the son and daughter of a Gym Leader, but little did I expect to be caught up within this timeline.

May and Max…now that just leaves Ash and Brock. I loved all of these guys when I was younger and the irony of this entire situation is, so did thousands, if not, millions of kids, I imagine, and none of these characters will ever know.

But meeting them now just might not be all the same since I'm not that kid anymore...however, that may bode different for that little Vincent running around.

In more ways than one, I've got myself to focus on. Let's see if we can't convince Nathaniel to send me looking for them.

As he wrote down the last few words, he focused his attention back on the road, gasping as he felt a slight bump in the road hit up from below.

"Sorry about that!" Jenny exclaimed. "So, you care to tell me what's on your mind?"

"Nothing too crazy." Vincent commented as he slipped the notebook and pencil back into the bag. "When you mentioned May, Max, and the Slateport City Grand Festival, I just thought to myself, I…wonder if I'd see it myself or not. Hell, I just thought of a man I met back in Littleroot. He's from Kanto and came to cheer for his son competing in that contest."

"Well I can't say for certain what's going to happen, but you can ask Nathaniel when you get to see him later." Jenny mentioned. "I do know that most of the time his team will go mobile looking for stories. Nate's even helped me out a few times."

"No kidding?" Vincent inquired as his eyes widened. "Well, I just can't wait to get there and meet him. Oh, right, about Rustboro City? I am a hundred percent certain that the Gym Leader there focuses on Rock Types, am I wrong?"

"No, you've got it!" Jenny exclaimed. "It's good that you're aware of your surroundings already! Sometimes trainers travelling to different cities won't even have a clue about what they're signing up for until they reach that city."

"I may not be a Pokémon Trainer, but it doesn't mean I can't know a thing or two about the Hoenn region." Vincent remarked. "Though I may not have been to all of these cities and towns myself, but it's good to have that knowledge at my beck and call!"

"Keep in mind about what I said before!" Jenny bellowed.
"It takes more than just knowledge to get through these journeys, but I trust that you'll eventually learn as you go along."

Reaching Rustboro City, Vincent seemed a bit too eager to get to the building that housed 'Rustboro Press', but Officer Jenny was still assisting any way she could. With his watch reading 11:30, he needed something to occupy his time before he could meet with Nathaniel.

Something that came to mind, as he skirmished through his wallet, was that he could potentially get a few more bits and pieces of clothing, and maybe get something to eat as well. The city was not limited in its ability to satisfy those needs, to which Jenny was kind enough to point him in the right direction of where to go.

Though he couldn't rely on fast food all the time in the future…but, he was grateful regardless for the lunch. There were still a few hours to go, and Vincent's mind trailed back once more to when he'd been hired to a job he'd temporarily lost back home, but it helped him think of the time his parents assisted in going clothes shopping.

He remembered being into it. He remembered feeling a sense of achievement and satisfaction when getting those clothes. Now, the clothes he had on were fine for the time being, but he felt like it'd do him some good if he were to get a few more, without going overbudget.

Getting a feel for the dress shirts and the pants that were on display, he selected an acceptable sized pair of dark dress pants, like what he had on, in addition to a silky feeling, dark navy blue, dress shirt.

Those were the two items he'd check out of the store, so when he made the purchase, he packed away his white dress shirt, the new pair of pants, and changed into the new dress shirt he picked up. After he was done, now carrying an extra plastic bag with his extra clothing neatly tucked inside, he exited the store and began to walk back to the 'Rustboro Press' building.

However, with it not being that far, and the time now being only twelve in the afternoon, he had some time to kill and still had a small amount of desire left to do a little more exploring, and scope things out.

The first thing that came to mind was the Rustboro City Gym, which Vincent could recall as the first step into a larger world in Pokémon Emerald. Earlier, Jenny had driven him around the city, and he did catch a sight of the gym.

This time, however, he intended to not lean back on Jenny's help since he thought that he needed to learn to be more independent, so he instead legged it on foot.

Retracing his steps around the city took no time at all and he found himself at the doorsteps of the Rustboro City Gym. He took note of, and marveled at, the gym's exterior design, with the rock's overhead built on top of the metal structure that kept the gym itself up.

No surprise there, considering it was the Rock Type Gym that Vincent could expect out of Rustboro City.

"Hello?" Vincent called out, as he knocked on the door. "Hm?"

He then noticed that the gym's front door was unlocked and let himself walk inside. With the door slamming shut behind him, hearing the thud of the door echoing within the gym's walls.

"Helloooooooo?" He called out once more. "Anybody here?"

What stood before him were empty bleachers that surrounded the battlefield. Not a single soul in sight…just himself and his voice bouncing off the walls through echoes that transmitted and raised the decibels of the sound of his voice within the area.

He took a moment to walk over to the battlefield to stand within one of the marked white painted rectangular barriers where he'd expect a challenger to stand for the remainder of the battle with Roxanne at her end. He looked onward and took in the sights of the battlefield's rocky terrain and took a deep breath through his nose.

"So…" Vincent pulled off his sunglasses and plopped them on his collar, as he took out the card that Jenny gave to him previously and typed in the number on his cell phone. "This is where everything happens…huh? Wow."

Almost immediately, the call was answered as Vincent's sight still gazed throughout battlefield's interior.

"Hey Jenny!"

"What's up, Vincent?"

"Oh, nothing, really. It's still a bit early so I decided to walk over to the Rustboro Gym and check it out to see if anybody was here or something but um…nobody's really here right now."

"I see. Well, Roxanne isn't always a Gym Leader twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. She often fulfills a role as a teacher at the Pokémon Trainer School just right beside the gym."

"Really? Well that sure is something. Maybe I'll go over there right now, maybe say hello or something."

"You can try, if you'd like. Maybe visiting will be a good thing for you…"

"Look Jenny, I know you mean well but as I've said before, I'm not too sure if I'd ever really want to be a Pokémon Trainer."

"Okay, fair. I won't force anything, but I will say that not everyone who owns a Pokémon is necessarily a trainer. Sometimes it's great to have a companion and I'd say the school embodies great examples of that kind of connection people have between people and Pokémon."

"Alright. I'll go give things a look then I'm going back to Rustboro Press."

"I'll let Nate know so he can be ready for you! Take care, Vincent! Bye!"

"Bye."

Clicking the red 'hang up' icon on the screen of his phone, he plopped it back into his pocket and took one last glimpse of the rocky battlefield, before heading back to the front door. Stretching both of his palms in front of him, he pushed forward on the door as he shoved himself out and back outside once again, not before placing his sunglasses over his eyes.

With the trainers school not being too far away from the gym, it only took a few minutes to reach it as he only needed to turn a corner as the building resided right next door. When he entered the building, it seemed very quiet for a moment until a man in a red suit approached him.

"Hello? May I help you today, sir?" The man asked.

"This is the Pokemon Trainers School, correct?" Vincent responded, taking off his sunglasses again.

"Why, yes, it is! I am its headmaster! My name is Charles, and you are?"

"Vincent." He responded dryly.

"Ah, Vincent! A pleasure to meet you!" Charles smiled. "Say, would you like me to show you around?"

"I um…" Vincent glanced down at his watch as it read 1PM. "I got time to kill. In just a few hours I'm heading over to Rustboro Press to potentially talk about some work. But since I still have a few hours to kill, I figured, 'hey, why not get a lay of the land?' You know?"

"Ah yes, I can absolutely respect that!" Charles nodded. "Now, follow me, if you may!" He gestured for Vincent to get beside him as they both began to walk down the hall.

"If I may ask as well, I've been told that Roxanne works here as a teacher?"

"That she does!" Charles exclaimed. "Roxanne was one of our top students and while being a Gym Leader, she's also, as you've mentioned, one of our teachers! Say, Vincent, you look very…familiar. Have we met before?"

"No…?" Vincent shot a browed expression, feeling confused. "This is the first time I've stepped into this building and city."

"Ah, I do apologize for asking. I remember meeting a Vincent a long time ago, but Roxanne may be able to explain it better than I could."

"I don't mean to be a pushover, but can you take me to Roxanne first?"

"Oh, with pleasure!" Charles responded without protest, gesturing Vincent to turn back. "It's right this way. Currently Roxanne is teaching our school's Beginner's Class. Lots of young students are here to learn about, and bond with, Pokémon so one day they may be excellent trainers with open hearts. It's in our motto, 'Go forth together with me, friend!'"

"Right…" Vincent croaked. "The power of 'Friendship' sure is something else, huh?"

"It is very effective, I assure you!" Charles said, walking over to a door to grab its handle. "Now, this way, please!"

When the door opened, Vincent could almost feel his breath being taken away as the many sights he saw within the classroom upon its reveal, left him stunned for a millisecond or two.

A classroom full of kids as opposed to having them online was almost…momentous yet distant since he recalled the mess that he endured during his university studies when everything moved online back home.

The second, but expected thing was Roxanne, the Rustboro City Gym Leader in the flesh, standing at the front of the classroom, but wasn't facing the students, but was facing a TV screen with somebody on it…that somebody, being Professor Oak.

Chatter among the kids spread as Vincent walked into deeper into the classroom, getting closer and closer to the front where there contained the big monitor that Professor Oak was currently contacting the class through.

"Ahhh! I see that we have a visitor today, Charles?" Oak commented from within the screen.

"Hello headmaster!" Roxanne waved from the front of the classroom. "Who is this with you?"

"Hello everyone!" Charles greeted. "Greetings Professor! This here is a young man named Vincent. Vincent, this is Roxanne, our very own teacher and Rustboro City's very own Gym Leader."

"Hi, how are you?" Vincent spoke, as he held back the shock that stunned him at the door, shaking her hand.

"I am doing fantastic, thank you for asking!"

"And I believe this man needs not an introduction!" Charles waved his arm towards the big monitor. "This is-"

"Professor Oak…" Vincent interrupted. "I know. He's in charge of many things involving Pokémon research and oversees new trainers receiving their Kanto Region starter Pokémon in Pallet Town."

"Ah ha ha. I do my best!" Oak remarked with a laugh, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "How are you today, Vincent?"

"Honestly…?" Vincent smirked as he crossed his arms. "Doing pretty good! Never thought I'd see the day where I'd meet you or…even Roxanne here. Mind you, I'm not exactly an ultra-fan, but I can respect what you guys do in your respective careers. And today I might just be starting out with a new career of my own at Rustboro Press."

"Why, thank you! And that sounds splendid! I hope it works out for you!" Oak smiled. "Say, Vincent? Yes, I've heard of that name before."

"Here we go…" Vincent murmured with a sigh.

"How about you, Roxanne? Do you remember that name?"

"Yes, I do remember a very strong trainer named Vincent who managed to defeat me with his excellently trained, at the time, Marshtomp! It was a very intense and memorable battle."

"I have a fleeting suspicion, and I do very much apologize if this is false…but Vincent, do you happen to be a relative of that young man that Roxanne faced some time ago? An older brother perhaps?"

"…"

"I only ask because you look so similar to that young man…Vincent?"

"Uh…yeah, yeah." Vincent cackled. "That's my little brother! We share the same name!" He lied. "You know where he is?"

"Not at the moment but I heard some time ago from one of my trainers that they, and some of their other companions travelling the Hoenn region currently have become such great friends!" Oak replied. "The last I've heard from them is that he's currently on his way to Slateport City to cheer a young trainer on for her Grand Festival entry. And afterwards, it's off to the Hoenn League, if I am not mistaken!"

"Interesting…" Vincent remarked. "Go on."

"Go on?"

"Yeah I mean…I'd love to know who he's with."

"Ah, that shouldn't be a problem! And they were here in this very classroom some time ago as well! Their names are May, Max, Brock, and Ash Ketchum. If you see your brother, you might just run into them!"

"…Thanks, Professor." Vincent waved as he began walking towards the classroom's exit. "I'm sorry, but I gotta get going! I don't want to be late for my potential new job! Wouldn't look great as a first reputation!"

"Alright, Vincent. It was an absolute pleasure meeting you. Please take care now! And if you run into Ash and the others, please do say hello to them for me!"

"Sure…see you, Professor!" Vincent waved back as he hastily pushed the door open and rushed out to the school's exit.

Stepping outside, Vincent groaned as he pressed his entire face with the surface of both of his palms.

He just…couldn't believe it. First his younger self, May and Max, and now Brock and Ash.

In that moment, he felt so paralyzed, that he didn't reach into his bag to pull out his journal to record his thoughts in that moment. Vincent instead, stomped forward knowing that he had a new potential job to go to. So, if he needed to walk off the adrenaline he felt in that moment, now would be a good time to do so since he didn't want to present an overly anxious, stress induced Vincent to Nathaniel, as his first introduction later.