Note: Another week, another chapter. This one might be the longest so far. Hope ya'll enjoy.

Hoenn chapter 3: I have a Cone to Pick with You!

Meteor village could be considered Hoenn's unwavering soul. Whereas many other towns and cities embraced modern infrastructure and technology, the small village had remained virtually unchanged for generations. Well, at a glance at least. A closer inspection would easily reveal an array of solar panels lining the old timey houses, and within the homestead themselves were an assortment of modern-day conveniences that one could find anywhere else.

The village's most peculiar feature was its location. The entire village was situated inside a massive cave system, separated from the rest of the world by a large waterfall. Just entering the village was a challenge, as one would have to navigate a labyrinth of rocky tunnels that were said to have been carved out by the great Rayquaza itself, at least according to Draconid legends. Though perhaps this was a grander tale, it is now believed that the cave systems were created by years of erosion, caused by internal water systems and glaciers formed over a millennia ago.

After nearly half a day's travel the group of trainers had made their way into the village. Exiting the run-down bus that they rode in on, they were greeted by two men wearing festive robes, bowing to the trainers once they had all made their way into the large plaza where the festival was taking place. Outlying the plaza were various households, the largest among them standing in the centre. Everywhere they looked they could find a varied assortment of dragon motifs outlining every nook and cranny of the various stands that dotted the area, hosting festivities mostly consisting of dragon themed games and snacks. There were people everywhere, sporting robes and other assorted attire of various colours.

"Welcome trainers," The man on the right said.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance once again, Ruby and Sapphire." The man on the left said as they both rose up.

"Glad to be back." Sapphire replied.

"And it is good to see you brought honoured guests." The man gestured his hand toward Ash, Pikachu, May, Serena and Yellow.

"Honoured guests? Really Harold?" They were interrupted by a feminine voice. The trainers saw a black-haired woman approaching them, wearing similar robed attire and walking on a set of crutches.

"Zinnia!" Ruby called over to her.

"Glad that you both made it." Zinnia said. "Now you two run along now. The festival's just getting started!"

The men bowed to Zinnia before promptly wandering into a large crowd of people, disappearing from view.

"It's been too long."

"You're looking good, Zinnia." Sapphire said.

"Hey, I do try." She looked to the other trainers. "Glad to see you brought some more friends. A pleasure to meet you all."

The group responded in turn.

"I'm sorry ma'am." Yellow said, eyeing Zinnia's crutches. "I think I can help with…" As her hands started glowing, Zinnia shook her head with a smile.

"Thank you but I'm alright. Sapphires told me all about your healing powers miss Yellow. But my injuries are far too severe. Truth be told, I'm lucky to be standing."

"Oh… I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It's a mercy that the Dragonlord spared my life."

"Dragonlord?" May asked.

"The great Rayquaza. Our great Dragonlord that we dedicate this festival for. Years ago I attempted to tame our lord to save Hoenn in its time of crises." She tapped her crutch on her right leg. "Rayquaza had other ideas however, and I paid the price for my hubris. Haven't walked properly since."

The festive atmosphere started to feel a lot less festive for the trainers present.

"Luckily these two here were blessed by Rayquaza and prevented the disaster. We hold this festival in honour of both our lord and this valiant duo."

"Guess we really are honoured guests." Ruby chimed.

"Anyhow, no point in standing around discussing old achievements. Come enjoy the festival! We're holding a banquet in the main hall in a few hours, so don't fill up on too many sweets!" She said as she looked back at the large homestead. She was slightly startled when Sapphire placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's been a long time. If yer not too busy, let's catch up."

"Of course. I'm heading home if you wanna come with."

"Sure," Sapphire said. Ruby nodded, and the trio made their way off.

"You kids stay out of trouble now." Ruby shouted back to the others.

"Isn't he the same age as us?" Serena asked.

"Speak for yourselves." Yellow said. She looked over to Ash, who simply shrugged. He didn't say anything. In fact… he hadn't said anything almost all day. Pikachu stood next to the trainer, looking up at him.

"Pika…"

"Oh, right Pikachu." he came back to, for the moment.

"Well, you heard the dragon lady. Let's get to some festivities!" May shouted, rushing into the plaza as the others followed behind.

This game had to be cursed.

Yellow and May found themselves at one of the stands, a simple game of bean toss. It seemed simple enough. Toss the beanbag into the right hole, and receive a prize based on the smallest hole you managed to score on. But that's where the grand manipulation came into play. Every time you were just so close to scoring the big… well… err… small one! The giant Snorlax plush hung right above the impossible goal, the temptation literally dangling right over the forsaken player, looking them in the eye with a devilish grin that could only be described as the incarnate of evil. Malice that was as soul piercing as it was huggable.

This time, for sure. Yellow tossed the bean bag, her aim true and her heart even truer. It soared through the air… right over the goal. It wasn't even close.

"Again?! How?!"

"This a young man's game, senior Yellow!" May mocked the older girl as she tossed a bean bag of her own. It too gracefully soared over the goal.

"Oh, I thought your youthful exuberance was gonna carry you to victory junior!"

"Exuberance?!"

They wanted that Snorlax, and they refused to settle for anything less. There was only one, which meant that only one of them would live on to profound glory, while the other would have to stew in the shame of defeat, forever.

"Hey, wanna try one of the other games?" Serena looked at Ash, who was staring blankly at the other trainers.

"Oh. Sure." He said with a smile. It was strange. She had never seen him smile like this. A smile lacking joy nor passion, one clearly meant merely to comfort those around him rather than any expression of genuine elation. Try as he might to not concern her, his eyes could never lie.

"You know, we don't have to be here. If you're feeling tired or sick we can…"

"I'm fine, really." That smile again. "Come on, we can try the balloon darts."

"Pikkaaa?" Of course, Pikachu could feel it too.

"I'm alright buddy, really." Pikachu didn't respond. No point in continuing to speak if he was just going to be lied to.

They made their way over to another stand. It was modestly sized, a thin line on the ground separating the trainers from a large wall with various Pokémon shaped balloons hanging off it. Next to the stand an older woman sat on a small wooden chair. A golden circlet sat on top of her white hair, matching the red and golden embroideries on her festive robe.

"Hello! You two look like a capable duo."

"Somewhat." Serena admitted.

"How are you enjoying our humble festival of the dragon?"

"It's been fun so far. We are grateful that you allowed us to attend your sacred festival."

"Pika pika!"

"It is our honour to host such amicable guests. And what would your name's be?"

"The name's Serena."

"My name's Ash."

"Hmmmmm," she pondered for a moment, eyeing the duo. "And I'm assuming you've come to try your hand at some darts?"

"Yes we have miss… ummm…"

"Just call me Grannie. Everyone here does." She gave the pair a handful of darts.

"Thank you Grannie," Serena said.

"Pika!"

"Seems like it's the little one who does most of the talking for both of you, huh?" She said, smiling at Ash.

"Oh, sorry…" he blinked rapidly, snapping back to reality. "Thanks for the darts."

"Of course." Grannie watched as Ash and Serena made their way to the dividing line. Serena tossed the first dart, aiming for a large balloon that was shaped like a Wailord. Dead on, and the balloon went out with a sharp pop!

"Got one! Your turn Ash."

Mustering up the will, he tossed the dart with moderate precision, aiming for the balloon shaped like a Magnemite. He missed it by mere centimetres.

"Huh. Guess it's just not my day?"

"Well of course you missed. Your throw is too heavy," Grannie said.

"What?"

"Your aim was true, but when your actual throw lacked focus. You're carrying something with you, something that's weighing you down."

"Oh...? I'm sorry… I just…" Serena was right earlier. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be… anywhere.

"Oh, hey guys!" He heard May sneaking us behind him, alongside Yellow, both holding a Venipede plush.

"Playing darts, huh? Who's winning?" Yellow asked.

"Well… you see…" Serena wouldn't say she felt like she was winning much of anything.

"Serena's got one over me actually. Guess she's a natural."

That's when Yellow and May saw it too. A dead smile for dead men.

"You know, in the main house there's a nice balcony that gives you a nice view of the falls. I'd think you'd do well to see it for yourself young man."

Ash looked at Grannie. Despite looking placid, her expression gave him the feeling that this was more than just a suggestion.

"I'll check it out. Pikachu, can you stay with the others for a bit."

Pikachu silently nodded, hopping off the trainer's shoulder.

"I'll see you all later." He said before walking off.

The remaining trainers looked at each other, all concerned.

"He's been like that since yesterday… Ruby said he spoke to him after, but it seems like he's still taking that loss pretty hard."

"Ash always feels a little down after losing, but this is… different," May said.

"We can't just leave him," Serena said.

"And we won't. Come on." The group began to pursue him.

"Actually, if you would be so kind, could you two stay back and assist this old lady? I could use the help of some young folk like you," Grannie said, gesturing to Serena and Yellow.

"But Grannie, we…" Serena protested. Not exactly the best time to be asking for favours.

"I know. And I think you'll be quite interested in what I have to say."

Serena and Yellow looked at each other. Something was off with this woman. While they both wanted to speak to Ash, it was probably a good idea to play along, at least for now.

"Alright. We'll stay back." Yellow said on behalf of the two. Serena hesitated, before nodding in agreement.

"Make sure he's okay, alright?" Serena said sternly to May.

"Don't worry, I will."

"Right over here." Zinnia said as she, Sapphire and Ruby made their way into one of the smaller houses on the outskirts of the plaza. The trainers made their way inside, up a small ramp that sat in front of the door. The interior was as humble as it was untidy, sporting a single large room. Notes and maps were scattered everywhere, as well as an assortment of dragon themed trinkets and other oddities.

"Sorry for the mess," Zinnia said as she walked over to a metallic wheelchair next to her bed. "Been a busy week planning for the festival. Not a lot of time to clean up, you know."

"I'm sure… it's… uugghh…" Ruby wasn't a big fan of messy households.

"If you ain't causin' a mess are ya really doin' any work?"

"Course you'd say that." Ruby scoffed.

"Oh it's true, not that you would know. You've been slackin' off all the time as of late! I didn't see ya doin' any sorta trainin' in a while!"

"I don't know if you noticed but we've had more pressing matters to attend to!"

"Yah. And we've gotta keep ourselves ready and sharp!"

"Sharp? How can someone with such a blunt attitude even fathom such a concept!?"

There they go again. Spend any amount of time around these two, and the bickering becomes part of the environment. She set herself up in her wheelchair, relaxing her aching arms. She placed her crutches against her bed.

"Oh, I'll show you sharp once we get goin'."

"Well, there's no time like the present. Can one of you give me a push?" Zinnia asked.

"Sure," Sapphire took the handles and the trio made their way out of the building, back towards the festival. Soon they found themselves in the crowded plaza once again, now bustling with even more people. With the sun almost set they could now see a volley of lights emanating around the area. Some even took the form of various dragon type pokémon.

"We have a ton of options. The entire village really came together on this one," Zinnia said, admiring the scenery.

"Let's try the good ole' dunk tank!" Sapphire spotted the stand amongst the crowd. It was one of the larger stands in the area, crowded by a small group of children. When the trio got closer, they saw that it was a couple of look-alikes, 3 pairs of them to be precise. They were busy speaking to the elderly man who ran the stand, each child sticking out their hands to receive a ball.

The dunk tank itself was quite large, being almost the size of a man. On top of the wooden platform, built to plummet its host into the cold water below, sat a small Salandit. It didn't seem to mind its precarious position, aimlessly scanning the area.

"You know, this place feels more like a carnival than any sorta 'sacred festival' I've ever heard of." Ruby noted, watching as the first of the children aimed their ball at the dunk tank target.

"Perhaps we leaned a bit on the festive this time, but we are a remote people. There certainly are times for self - reflection, but we decided to be a bit looser this time round. Just because we decide to host a few parties does not dilute the thanks we have for Rayquaza, or you, or the rest of Hoenn."

"Fair enough." Ruby couldn't argue. Being centre stage during both crises, he was well aware of what it took to stop the meteor. Only through the combined efforts of the most determined that Hoenn had to offer were they able to destroy it with the help of Rayquaza. It was hard to forget riding the great dragon up into space and fighting off the mysterious pokémon that resided inside the meteor. Nor could he ever forget the connection he and Sapphire created on that night.

Not created, acknowledged… He reminisced as the final child tossed their ball at the tank, missing the target by a thread.

"My turn!" Sapphire already had the ball in hand. With a casual toss she nailed the target, sending the Salandit plummeting. He swam around in the water for a bit, surprisingly calm for a fire type pokémon.

"Come on Salandit, you're supposed to pretend you're drowning! You gotta give 'em' kids a good show!" The old man complained. The Salandit shrugged before returning to the edge of the tank, quickly climbing out and setting itself back on the platform.

"Ya'll wanna give it a go," Sapphire asked.

"I'm good," Ruby said.

"Not really my style." Zinnia said as she looked at the Salandit. "You're safe for a couple more minutes, bud."

"Salan!" The Salandit waved in approval.

"Well alright. Let's try… there!" Sapphire pointed to another stand in front of a small racing track. The three-legged race!

"Sure, why not." Ruby shrugged as he pushed Zinnia to the station, along with Sapphire. A few other members of the village were also present, already paired up. Some with loved ones, friends, and even some look-alikes.

"I guess it's just gonna be you and Ruby?" Zinnia asked.

"Actually… I think I'd like to have you as a partner." Sapphire responded.

"Oh? But… I…" Sapphire had to be playing a mean joke. Zinnia could hardly stand on her own, let alone with her leg attached to another person. "I can't even stand. I'd just collapse on the side you're not holding up." She was too tired to play into it right now.

"And that's why I'll be attached to your other leg." Ruby said with a smile.

"A… four-legged race. I mean we could… I'm sure the other runners wouldn't mind. But we'd certainly lose…"

"So what? We're here to have fun, like ya said, right?" Sapphire said.

"That means you too." They stuck their hands out, offering to help her up.

"Guess it wouldn't hurt," she said as they helped her up, placing her arms around their shoulders. They walked over to the stand keeper, a young woman who had just finished up attaching a young set of look-alikes.

"We're all signin' up together," Sapphire said.

"Oh?" The women took a glimpse at the trainers. "Oh, Zinnia! Glad to see you're enjoying the festival too."

"I did plan most of it. Might as well get something out of it."

The young women wrapped the trainers' legs to each other with a rope made of a soft material. Tight enough to keep them together, but not rough enough to cause any discomfort. The trio hobbled over to the starting line, alongside a dozen other participants.

"Alright everyone," The stand master said over a megaphone. "Everyone ready?!"

"Yes!" the crowd answered in unison.

"Alright, on three! Two! One! GO!"

And the racers launched off, hobbling at various speeds. As Zinnia thought, they were dead last. She had to take care when moving her legs, however Ruby and Sapphire were taking their time as well, letting her set the pace and following her movements, neither one attempting to quicken their pace.

"I'm sorry I'm so slow…"

"You're doing great. Just one step of a time." Ruby said.

"Thanks… I can't believe we used to be enemies…"

Ruby and Sapphire looked at each other for a moment. Indeed, it was hard to imagine that they had met Zinnia when she was trying to foil their attempts to stop the meteor from destroying Hoenn, all from a justified though misguided vendetta against the Devon Corporation. It was only after her fated meeting with Rayquaza that she came around, with a heavy cost.

"It's like you said. This festival is to give thanks to everyone. And everyone includes you." Ruby said.

"Thanks…" she could feel herself tearing up. Ruby and Sapphire smiled at each other, as they made their way, slowly but surely, to the finish line.

Grannie was right.

Ash found his way to the main house, where one of the Draconid attendants assisted him in finding the balcony that Grannie had mentioned. The balcony gave him a view of the entire festival from high up, as well as a gorgeous view of the flowing waterfall, illuminated by the multicoloured light emanating from the plaza below. He looked down, looking at all the people that had gathered for this festival. There must have been hundreds of them.

He tried to calm his mind as he looked over the village. It wasn't like yesterday, where his mind torrent in a seemingly never-ending loop. Rather he felt like he was in a lucid haze, completely detached from everything and everyone around him.

What's wrong with me… He felt that the answer should be obvious, but now instead of being unable to latch on to a stable thought, there was simply nothing to latch on to in the first place. He gripped the wooden railing of the balcony, tightening his grip. He felt the worn wood digging into his palm. He tightened further, now feeling the sting. It was a light pain, nothing he couldn't handle, but it was something. He just had to feel something. His eyes were still set on the village, though he might as well have been staring at a wall. That was until a large object appeared right in front of him that overtook his entire point of view. It was a small sphere of frosty blue ice.

"Cone?"

He released his grip as he backed up slightly, the sudden intrusion startling him. That's when he realised that it was May, holding up a snow cone right up to his face.

"Oh, hi May. Thanks…" he took the snow cone from her hand. He ate the entire thing in a single bite.

"The view really is gorgeous up here." May said as she leaned over the balcony. "Grannie was right. It's a good place to clear your mind."

"I guess so…"

"Ash… we're worried about you. Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine…"

"Ash…"

"No really, I'm…" He sighed. May made no attempts to hide her concern. The others were probably feeling the exact same way. It would be cruel to continue this charade any further.

"I've just been… having a hard time, you know?"

"I get it. You've been through a lot in the last few weeks."

"Not… just the last few weeks. I feel like I've been out of it for a while now."

"A while, huh? When did you start feeling like this?"

He didn't respond immediately. He felt the words hanging on the tip of his tongue. But it was like some unseen force was holding his throat.

"Hey." She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm here and I'm listening. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"But I do… I… just…" He slumped to the ground, his back against the railing with his knees sitting in front of his chest. May lowered as well, sitting promptly beside him.

"It was a bit after I became the Alola champion." He took a deep breath. There was no going back. "At the time, it was probably the happiest moment of my life. I was finally a regional champion. It felt like I took a big step in accomplishing my dream."

"Of becoming a pokémon master?"

"Yeah." He chuckled. "I really ran with that line for a long time. Even after I won, I planned my next journey right away. I thought of going back to one of the regions I had already competed in to try again. Maybe Johto or Sinnoh. But then I just…" He paused. May waited as he collected himself.

"I can't remember who, but I faced up against a trainer back in Pallet. Just some kid looking for a good fight. We did, and I won. But it felt… weird. Usually when I'm battling, I feel focused. Whether I was winning or losing, it felt like it was just me and my pokémon against the world. But after that battle, I just felt… nothing. And I kept battling. Again, and again and just… nothing. That's when I realised that…" He took a deep breath. "I didn't want to compete anymore. I was done."

"Oh Ash… people change all the time. It's just a part of life."

"Sure but… what about everything I did to get to this point? All those years of training, those years of fighting, those years of… of losing. So many close calls at those pokémon leagues. I told myself that if I could just win one, then it would all be worth it. And then I did it. I finally proved that I could do it, that I had what it took to be a champion. And now I wanted to just… quit. To throw all of that away. How many other trainers had the same kinda dreams that I did? How many of them fell even shorter than I had, never even getting close to the top, no matter how hard they tried? How many of them failed because I beat them? And now I'm here with nothing left to prove, even though it feels like I haven't proven anything at all."

"Ash… you can never throw all of that away, even if you wanted to. Those experiences made you who you are today."

"And what am I? For two years I just floated around, region to region, trying to help a professor with some small-time research while I tried to get my fighting spirit back. And it never came back, so I decided to 'settle down'. Thought that maybe I could 'find myself' if I took some time off. And then all this happened, and it feels that I'm just blindly following one lead to the next. Everyone's counting on me. One of the strongest trainers in an entirely different world is asking me to save everyone, and I have no idea what's even going on." he hadn't even noticed the tears starting to run down his face until his throat started to close up. "I don't even know who I am anymore…"

"Hey…" May placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's alright."

"I'm so sorry… I just… I just…"

"It's okay. Just take your time. I'm right here."

Seconds passed. She could hear Ash pushing back the odd sniffle and whimper, until he finally managed to compose himself, at least somewhat. He released him, with Ash now sitting cross legged and facing May.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"I'm so sorry I'm just dumping this on you. Not really matching the festive spirit..." He wiped his nose and eyes.

"Ash… remember when I started my pokémon journey with you? Remember what my dream was?"

"It was…" he paused. "I'm sorry, I can't."

"That's because I didn't have any. I just wanted to travel. See exotic locales like all those travelling documentaries I used to watch as a kid. But then we met. We travelled around Hoenn, getting into all sorts of trouble. I learned to love and care for my pokémon, and I discovered pokémon contests, something that I love even to this day. Ever since I met you, my life has felt like one big adventure."

"Serena said something similar yesterday…"

"And so does Dawn, and almost all our other friends. It's because of who you are, Ash. When we were all starting out and we were tossed out into the world, you came into our lives. You were exactly what we needed when we needed it the most. A friend. Someone we could rely on, someone who had our backs through thick and thin."

"But you're all great people. You would have found plenty of friends without me."

"And we did. But we also found you. And there isn't anything that's ever gonna change that, because you are you. Doesn't matter if you're Ash the pokémon master, Ash the Alola champion, or Ash from Pallet Town. To us you will always be one of the best friends anyone could ever ask for. No matter what you do or how you feel, we'll always be here for you, cause you were there for us. And that is something that will never change."

He just stopped crying, and now, he didn't even attempt to stop the tears from flowing.

"May… I…" he could barely speak. All he could do was give her the biggest hug he could muster. "Thank you."