Hi all,
This was the longest chapter so far, and I hope you enjoy it. It's definitely more dialogue than we've seen so far. I had a lot of writer's block while I was writing this, and I also started reading another story, and it made me realize how bad my writing is compared to other, much better writers. Still, I will continue on.
I've decided to change Ash's journey in Alola completely. I think it would make more sense for the way I'm taking the story if he never went to the Pokemon school, and instead just treated Alola like any other region, with some exceptions.
So here's something. This is a pokemon fanfiction, right? That means there should be pokemon, right? Wrong! I am so bad at remembering to include pokemon as I write, I'm so dialed into the dialogue and characters that I just forget! This chapter, I didn't have Pikachu say anything the entire time, so I added him in on some parts during revision. I think in a future chapter I'll try to have some more inclusion from Pokemon. I've also had some ideas for future stories which would very much require pokemon. I'm honestly kind of nervous to write out a battle due to my ignorance when it comes to that kind of thing, but time shall tell if I can pull it off.
Now to reply to some reviews:
To the guest review giving me Kalos/Alola Ideas:
I understand not having the motivation to write stories, it's something that plagues us all sometimes. I'm more than happy to take into consideration the ideas you have given me, and I definitely plan to branch out in terms of creativity for future stories, such as being set in different regions we aren't used to for advanceshipping. Thanks a bunch for the kind words, I really appreciate it!
To Doc of 102:
I definitely plan to have more oneshots and potential future multi-chapter stories where Ash and May are traveling alone together. In this story, there will be parts where other known characters are there, but rest assured, 90% of the rest of this story will be just Ash and May in each other's company. Also, similar to what I said to the other review, you've clearly got some good ideas and things you'd like to have in a story, and I recommend you try writing one.
Now on to the story,
Enjoy.
Chapter 3: An Unexpected Reunion
Ash's eyes dilated in the fluorescent lighting of the cramped ramen restaurant. His heart rate seemed to be out of control, not quite sure whether it should speed up or slow down, resulting in a complicated mess inside Ash's chest. He felt his skin begin to tingle, and his fingers started to fidget with the closest thing they could find, that being the table. He felt his toes start to tap, and within moments, a great flight of butterflies had found their way into Ash's stomach.
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he sat there staring awkwardly at the brunette, not being able to say a word. He quickly realized what he was doing, and mentally slapped himself for the embarrassment he was causing himself. Pikachu also seemed to be in shock, unable to squeak out anything.
"M-may?" he finally squeaked out.
She squinted her eyes and flashed her signature smile once again.
"The one and only." she replied with a smirk.
It had been an interesting night for May, to say the least, and nobody could have made her believe that she would see a soaking wet Ash Ketchum in her favorite dining spot past midnight. It had been years since she'd last seen Ash or even spoke to him! As much of a surprise as it was to May, Arceus be damned if she wasn't gonna seize this opportunity to catch up with one of her closest friends.
Ash stayed silent for another moment, still not quite believing what he was seeing. Surely he must have hit his head back when he tripped in his sprint to the hotel, he was probably knocked out cold, laying in the wet streets right now.
"Are you alright, Ash?" she questioned, showing more concern and less of a smile.
No, this was definitely real.
"Oh, y-yeah, I'm doing fine, how about you?" Ash asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but unsuccessfully.
"Are you sure about that? I'd say by the looks of it, you're not doing so well right now." May said, adding a laugh at the end. "I mean, Ash, you're absolutely soaked! You look like you were playing in the rain for an hour!"
"Oh, yeah, haha. I was kind of stuck out there for a while until I found this place." Ash said, trailing off at the end a little bit. Why on Earth was he so nervous all of a sudden? "What are you doing here though, May?" he asked.
May paused for a moment, losing her smile, but quickly regained it before saying, "I could ask you the same thing, Ash!"
Ash struggled to process her words, rather staring into her deep sapphire eyes.
"Well, um, it's kind of a long story." He spoke solemnly.
"Ash, it's almost 2 AM, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think either of us have anywhere to be," May countered, "Also, it's literally been years since we've last talked for Arceus's sake! We need to catch up!"
Alright, alright, fair point," Ash said with a smile.
May moved from standing by the table, to sitting on the other side of the booth, she turned to Pikachu, who had now fainted, maybe because of the shock of seeing May, or maybe because he was so high on ketchup that his body shutdown.
"What happened to Pikachu?" May asked with a chuckle.
Ash motioned towards the large empty ketchup bottle and May let out an 'ah' sound of realization.
May laughed before adding, "Also, why did you never contact me, Ash? I've been waiting for a while!"
Ash sweatdropped at the remark and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, I'm sorry about that, May. I've never been really good at keeping in touch with people."
"I get it. It's okay, I forgive you, I was just starting to think you'd forgotten about me." May said, showing Ash her infamous puppy dog eyes.
"Come on, May, you know I'd never forget about you." Ash replied.
"I'm just messing with you, Ash." she said, playfully punching his arm. They both laughed softly.
The truth was that May really wanted to contact Ash since she'd last seen him. She secretly prayed he'd send her a message, but it never came. May came very close to sending him a message, but the worry that he'd forgotten about her or didn't care about her anymore had stopped her. She didn't even know what she'd say. The nerves got the best of her, and contact remained barren between the duo.
May then continued, "Okay now, Ash Ketchum, it's time we catch up," before slightly leaning forward, engaged in whatever Ash had to say.
Ash took a deep breath before beginning, "Well, just a day ago, I finished my journey in Alola."
May interrupted, "Really!? How'd it go!? Did you win!?"
Ash's facial expression dropped slightly and he glanced away. May quickly realized her mistake.
She began to add something, but was cut off by Ash, "No, I lost. I got all the way to the very final match, after battling better than I ever had before, and I just couldn't pull it together for the win."
Ash's head dropped slightly, reminiscing on the past few days of his battles and hopes to win the championship, and finally make it big. May could see the emotional impact the loss must have had on him, and she wasn't just gonna sit by and do nothing.
"Oh…Ash, I'm so sorry." May responded, much less happiness in her voice than from before. May asked herself why she said that. She should have thought about it before she spoke. Of course it was likely he'd be down in case he lost.
Ash began to get lost in his thoughts, but was quickly pulled out of them as May came around the other side of the table.
"No, no, it's alrigh-" Ash began to speak, but was cut off by May wrapping her arms around Ash, embracing him in a warm hug. Blood rushed to Ash's cheeks as the brunette embraced him. Ash's troubles felt like they were melting away, he felt like he was lifted up and onto his feet. Just then, Ash realized how long it had been since he'd shared any physical affection with anyone. He'd rarely been comforted over his issues, and hardly ever embraced over it. May reminded his body of the feeling of an embrace, and quickly welcomed it. He never realized just how much he could have used a hug.
"I'm sorry, Ash. I really didn't mean to hit a soft spot. It'll be okay, Ash, you'll get the next one." May muttered, her voice muffled by her head being buried in Ash's shoulder.
Ash returned the hug and said, "Thanks, May, I really needed that."
May retracted from the hug, and the happiness from before returned to her face. Ash's heart just about melted at her smile. God, she was so compassionate. Ash looked at May up and down. It had been years since he'd last seen her, and she had truly matured. She had gotten a little bit taller, her physique really seemed to fill out, and she was much more beautiful than he last recalled. Her deep sapphire eyes seemed to encapture anything that glanced into them, her smile could end wars, and her flawless skin was something most would gawk at. Her light brown copper colored hair was still similar to how he'd last seen. It fell to a decent length and curled at the ends. She still had her head wrapped in a bandanna, and Ash took a moment to appreciate the unique look. His cheeks turned red as he took in the sight of his former companion. Had she always been this beautiful?
May noticed the silence coming from her friend. She stared at him, but he seemed to be spaced out. What was he thinking about? As she looked at him, she began to look closer. He had really changed since the last time she'd seen him. He no longer looked young and childish, and better fit the role of a young man. His awkward physique had filled out, and he now stood tall with broad shoulders. She could see his muscle definition through his shirt, and wondered if he'd been working out. His face had also matured a lot, his jawline became much more apparent, but his eyes still left the same feeling of compassion to everyone he gazed at. His hair was still the same, raven-colored, mess it had always been, but she definitely liked the look on him. Wow. There was no word short of handsome she could use to describe Ash.
After a moment, the duo both snapped out of their thoughts, and realized how long it has been since someone said anything. They both felt redness creep up their faces, and the air in the restaurant seemed to thicken. Ash could feel the blush on his face, a mixture of embarrassment and something else he couldn't quite place. May felt the same way, hoping Ash hadn't known she was analyzing him. The silence hung heavy on the duo. Eventually, as if breaking through an invisible barrier, Ash found his voice.
"Wow, I still can't believe we're here talking to each other. It feels so surreal after not seeing you for years. I mean, who would've thought we'd be talking in a ramen shop at 2 AM of all times?" Ash said with a chuckle.
May smiled again, "I know right? I feel the same way. Nobody could've convinced me of this."
Ash let out a soft laugh before responding, "Anyways, how have your travels been since we last talked?"
May's eyes lit up at the question, "I'm so glad you asked! It has been great since we last saw each other! After Sinnoh, I headed back to Hoenn for a year and worked on improving my techniques and training my current Pokemon. After I felt I was ready, I headed to Unova and participated in contests there. I learned so much there and had so many great experiences with my Pokemon. Unova was such a beautiful place too, it was so much different than any other region I've been to."
"Hahaha, that's funny. After Sinnoh, I also went to Unova, but I guess I was a year earlier since you stayed in Hoenn for one." he responded.
May's expression faltered a bit as she thought of how she could've reunited with Ash in Unova, "Yeah that is funny, huh."
A short bit of silence.
May continued, "Anyways, Unova was amazing. I worked really hard there and eventually, I got to the Unova Grand Festival, and I won it!"
Ash's eyes went wide, "You won a grand festival!?" he asked.
May nodded happily.
"Holy shit, May! That's amazing! I'm so happy for you! I knew you could do it someday!" he said excitedly. Ash was genuinely proud of her. He had seen her change from a trainer with little to no actual interest in Pokemon, and here she was, having won a grand festival as a top coordinator.
May smiled wide, taking in all the praise, before saying, "Thank you so much, Ash! Truly, I would never be here if it wasn't for you. You taught me so much, and you're the reason I've made it this far in the first place."
Ash was slightly taken aback by her statement, but much appreciative as he stared into her eyes. "Of course, May! I loved traveling with you, and it was an amazing experience. You're one of my closest friends, and I'm so glad to have helped you get to where you are now." he spoke with a smile.
May could see that the regular old Ash still had not left. He was still as caring and passionate as he always was. Maybe this time, he'd grown a bit taller and put some muscle on his bones, but he still was the soft-spoken sweetheart she'd always known him to be.
Both the trainer and coordinator smiled at each other for a moment before Ash asked, "So, where'd you go after that?"
May snapped back to reality before replying, "Oh! Well after the grand festival, I came back to Hoenn for sometime to really just relax and keep training my Pokemon. Eventually, I headed to Kalos, but mostly just to travel, and less about performing."
"That's fair. I mean, you deserve it, not everyone can just win a grand festival, haha." Ash responded.
"Haha, yeah of course. I really just wanted to take a break from all the stress of trying to achieve more, you know? I got back from Kalos a few months ago, and since then, I've just been training my Pokemon and trying to figure out what I'm gonna do next." she said.
Ash smiled, "I totally get it, May. I still haven't really thought about what I'd do if I won a championship, in all honesty."
May was about to respond, but was interrupted by a short, bald man in a black chef's apron and a cloth wrapped around his head appearing from out of the back of the restaurant and approaching the table. He set down a tray next to the table, and handed both Ash and May some chopsticks as the duo's mouths began to water.
"For you, sir," he spoke in a thick accent as he presented Ash's bowl of chicken ramen to him, "and for you, Miss Maple." doing the same for May and her serving. He then quickly returned to the back of the ramen shop.
Ash raised an eyebrow, "Miss Maple?" he asked.
"Yeah, this is my all time favorite place to eat, and I'm pretty much a regular at this point." May replied as she prepared to eat. The aroma of the ramen filled both Ash and May's senses as they craved the delicious food.
Both Ash and May sensed what was about to go down. They were both known for their insane appetites and ability to eat at light speed, and with how hungry Ash was right now, there was about to be a showdown.
Ash grabbed his chopsticks, and began to scarf down the noodles from his bowl, May quickly followed. Within less than a minute, they had both scarfed down every noodle inside their bowls, and were already drinking the soup straight from the bowl. It had been close, but with a few seconds lead, Ash placed his bowl on the table and let out a burp.
After another few seconds, May placed her bowl down and looked up with a cheeky smile, only to see Ash had already finished his whole meal, causing that smile to drop.
"Oh, come on! I was sure I'd be able to beat you now!" May pouted.
"If there's anything that I can't be beat at, it's my appetite." Ash responded with a laugh as he rubbed his stomach.
Both Ash and May broke out laughing. They recalled fond memories of their travels together, and competing with each other's appetites.
The laughter died down after a minute, and May asked, "So, you still haven't told me about your travels since Sinnoh, how has it been?"
Ash thought for a moment, before beginning, "Well, in a way, it's pretty similar to how your travels went. I headed to Unova right after Sinnoh and soon met these two people named Iris and Cilan and we ended up traveling through the rest of Unova."
May frowned at the mention of another girl, but continued listening.
"Eventually I got to the Vertress Conference, which is the tournament in Unova, and I fell short and made the top 8 there." Ash added with a little bit of disappointment but continued, "After that, I went to Kalos next and met three people named Clement, Bonnie, and Serena. Clement was a gym leader at Lumiose City and Bonnie was his little sister. Serena met up with us at Santalune City and returned my backpack to me and we all ended up traveling through Kalos together."
This time, May interjected and asked, "Oh! I remember reading something about Serena, that was how you met Serena?"
Ash responded, "Well, actually, me and Serena had met when we were little kids at a summer camp, and she had actually been looking for me to return a handkerchief I gave to her back then."
May tried her best to hide her frown as she thought, Wait, frown? Why am I frowning? Ash was just talking about one of his friends, and said, "Oh, okay. Continue."
Ash paused for a moment before continuing, "Anyways, after I had traveled through Kalos, I entered the Lumiose Conference, but lost in the final match against this guy named Alain." Disappointment could be seen on Ash's face as he recounted the loss.
May couldn't help but feel a little sad over it. Ash was an amazing trainer, and it was crazy to her he hadn't won it big yet.
Ash continued, "Well, eventually I picked myself up, and headed to Alola. I ended up traveling to Melemele Island. For the most part, Alola wasn't really like any other region I'd been to. I decided while I was there that I needed to get more serious about my training and I spent almost all of my time occupied by training my Pokemon. I created some new training strategies, and even thought up some special moves. I also stopped with only taking Pikachu to a new region. Instead, I had Professor Oak transfer me a few of my old Pokemon, and I regularly switched them out. I just really wanted to focus on making all of my Pokemon stronger. "
May's interest peaked and she was very engaged in what the raven-haired boy was saying, staring at him. Eventually, she asked, "Is there anything else from, Alola?"
Ash sighed, before replying, "Yeah. They don't actually have gyms in Alola, instead they have these things called island challenges which are run by Island Kahunas. They're the closest thing to a gym you'll find out there. Eventually it came time for the Manalo Conference, which didn't have any requirements, and anyone could join. I entered and got all the way to the final round again, but ended up losing to this guy named Gladion."
Ash looked down after mentioning the last part. May could tell it had obviously taken a toll on him, making it so close every time, but falling short.
May, sensing Ash's inner turmoil, decided to address the elephant in the room, "So Ash, I get that you just came from Alola, but what are you doing in Hoenn now? Shouldn't you be in Kanto and on the way to Pallet Town?"
Ash looked away sheepishly before responding, "Well. I kind of stayed up really late the night before my flight, and I ended up sleeping until just a few minutes before my flight left. Me and Pikachu ran all the way to the airport as fast as we could and finally made it on the plane. The plane took us all the way here, before we finally realized that we had gotten on the wrong plane."
May gave Ash a look of understanding before saying, "Oh…I get it. Then since the airport here is closed for the week, you're stuck in Petalburg. No hotels are open either because everybody here who couldn't leave needed a place to stay."
Ash nodded.
"I'm sorry, Ash. I could only imagine how that might feel."
Ash nodded again, then began to look for a way to change the subject and eventually asked, "So, May, how is Max doing now?"
May's eyes darted away for a second and her smile disappeared, but it quickly came back, and she said, "Oh? Max! He's actually in Johto right now! Right before I headed to Unova, Max turned ten years old, and he quickly got to starting his own adventures."
"What regions has he gone to so far?" Ash asked.
"Well, he first started off with Hoenn, of course. After that he went to Kanto, and that led him straight to Johto. He's wasted little to no time between regions." May said.
"That's good for him, I'm glad he's finally able to get out and travel." Ash replied.
"Yeah, yeah, me too." May said with a slight drop in her voice.
There was another moment of silence, and May was desperately trying to think of a way to change the subject. Ash could sense the discomfort May was experiencing once he'd brought up Max, and he couldn't think of why. May and Max were always pretty close, had something happened between them? However, Ash did not want to pry, and unless she decided to tell him, he would not pressure her.
May really didn't want to talk about her family at the moment, and she was racking her brain for an idea on how to change the subject. Eventually, a devious smile spread across May's face as a lightbulb went off in her head.
"Sooooooo Ash, any lucky girls out there from your travels yet?" May asked with a wink as she awaited the awkward response she knew was coming from her former companion.
An immediate blush spread across Ash's face as he processed the question, why'd May gotta ask that of all things?
Ash stuttered, "Uh, well, um, I haven't actually been with anyone, no."
Ash reflected on the question. It had been sometime around his journey in Kalos where he kind of discovered his interest in women, and began to realize some of the things he hadn't when he was younger. It eventually became clear to him that Serena heavily liked him, but as bad as he felt about it, he really just never clicked with her that way. He ended up contacting Brock, the only person he knew to go to, for advice. Brock gave him some genuine advice, and he decided he didn't feel the same way about Serena. She had confessed to him right before he left Kalos, and he admitted to her that he viewed her more as a close friend and sister, and not particularly a partner. It took Serena some time to accept it, but eventually they rekindled their friendship and were happy being friends now.
May let out an evil smile, "Are you sure, Ash? No relationship with Iris or maybe Serena?" she asked. May would never admit it, but half of the reason she was asking this was to see if Ash had feelings for any of his other companions. Wait, why am I asking this?
Ash sweatdropped before responding, "No, no, no, no. Me and Iris would NEVER be together. She's way more of a sister to me. I'll admit though, Serena did like me, but I just never really reciprocated the feelings, and we've agreed to be friends since then."
"So you really haven't gotten with anyone yet?" May asked, this time a little more intrigued. She really wasn't sure why she was so curious about Ash's love life. Suddenly, another thought entered her mind. Has Ash ever thought about me that way? May pondered the thought for a second, and stowed it away to think about later.
Ash shook his head and replied, "No, I just haven't really met anyone where we both had that connection yet." However, the truth was that Ash had felt that way about someone at one point. A certain brunette, as a matter of fact. He didn't know it at the time, of course, due to his emotional immaturity, and he long since 'left' those feelings behind, or so he thought. He'd also never tell May that.
There was silence for a moment, before it was now Ash's turn to smile deviously, as he asked, "Well what about you, May? Any guys who struck gold?"
It was May's turn to blush as she waved her hands back and forth, "Oh no, no, not at all. There hasn't been anyone."
"Not even Drew?" Ash added, half teasing and half curious.
May sweatdropped, "Of course not. That guy was rude to me for as long as I knew him, and then he tried to switch up and act like he was in love with me. He just wanted me for my body, like I'm a trophy, and I wasn't having it. I haven't talked to him since Johto."
May truly didn't like Drew. He'd been really creepy to her in Johto, and she had cut him off as a result. As for Ash, he found himself relieved to hear that May had no interest in Drew. He wasn't sure why, though. He had always felt a little jealous when Drew flirted with May in their travels together. Was this the resurfacing of old feelings? Surely Ash didn't feel that way about May anymore, right?
There was a moment of silence, before Ash asked another question, "Well, May, can I ask what you're doing here? I mean it's past midnight and you're here at a ramen shop."
May rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. She sighed, before saying, "Yeah, it's kind of complicated, Ash."
Ash leaned forward and looked May in the eyes, "I'm here to listen."
May took a deep breath, and began, "So, awhile ago, Max and my parents had a huge argument. I don't even really know what it's about, but Max was just livid with my parents. He took his Pokemon and everything he needed, and he left. He's been on his journey ever since, and hasn't contacted my parents at all. They're being petty about it too, and they won't apologize about whatever was said."
Ash couldn't believe his ears. May's family had always seemed like the kind and caring type. What could've been so bad as to warrant Max leaving with no contact? Still, Ash wondered how this would lead to May being here.
"I'm sorry about that, May. I really hope they can work it out soon, but how'd that lead to you being here?"
"Thank you, Ash. The thing is that Max was always the one expected to become the Petalburg gym leader once my dad retires, and now that Max is gone, my dad wants me to become the next gym leader." May continued.
"I can see the issue, you're a coordinator, not a gym leader." Ash replied.
"Exactly! I don't wanna be a gym leader! I want to keep participating in contests! I want to win more grand festivals! I want to travel the world! They're calling me the 'Princess of Hoenn' for Arceus's sake. I don't wanna abandon my life to be the gym leader." She complained. It was clear to Ash she'd been pent up with this for a while.
"I completely understand, May. I wouldn't want anyone to come and tell me I had to stop my goal of becoming a Pokemon master. I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Ash, you don't have anything to be sorry about. The thing is that I had a huge argument earlier today with my dad about it, and I ended up leaving and I've just been hanging around the city since then. I was close to heading back, but then you came."
"I get it, May. I understand." Ash said, and enveloped the brunette into a hug. Tears began to slowly stream out of May's eyes, and Ash comforted her quietly while she cried into his chest. Pikachu was woken up by the commotion, and he quickly realized what was happening, and nuzzled up against May to comfort her as well. While May was embraced by her friend, she felt something new. She felt protected and safe, like nothing could touch her so long as she stayed in Ash's arms. She basked in the feeling that made her heart warm.
"Thank you so much, Ash." she said. Pikachu made a sound of anger before May added, "and you too, Pikachu."
Still, after all the years, May could tell that Ash was as compassionate as ever. He was still selfless, and would always put his friends above him. She silently thanked Arceus for bringing this boy to her.
The hug lasted a few minutes, before May retracted and said, "We should probably head home before the sun ends up rising." May looked outside to see the rain had actually stopped, after being nonstop for almost a full day.
"Well, I'll walk you to your house so you make it there safely. After that, Pikachu and I will find somewhere to stay." Ash said.
"What do you mean? I said 'we,' that means you're staying at my house, silly." May replied, looking up at Ash.
"Are you sure, May? I don't wanna intrude at all." Ash spoke empathetically.
"Ash, you're staying at my house whether you like it or not. I'm not letting you out on the streets." May blushed at the thought of Ash staying with her. It had been so long since she'd been with him, and she was excited at the prospect of being in close proximity with him for longer. Wait, why am I blushing? What is going on with me? There's no way I still feel that way about him. It's been years, right? May thought to herself.
"May, thank you so much, this really means the world to me." Ash enveloped May in another hug. May hugged back, savoring in the familiar warm feeling from earlier.
Ash and May grabbed their things, and left the warm restaurant behind, and back into the cold and still wet streets. They headed out the door, and May led the way to her house through the urban jungle.
Subconsciously, May's hand found Ash's as they walked through the artificial light of the street lamps. She didn't realize she was doing it, and Ash didn't mind at all. He could feel his heart's pace quicken as they walked, though he couldn't figure out why. May looked down to see what she was doing, and a heavy blush spread across her face. Ash continued on without worry though, and so May did as well.
"Hey, Ash?" May said, looking up to him, her eyes being accentuated by the moonlight that was present with the absence of the dark clouds.
"Yeah, May? Ash replied, looking into her deep sapphire eyes.
"Since you're gonna be stuck in Petalburg for the week, do you think maybe we could spend some time together and hang out while you're here?" She said with puppy dog eyes, though they weren't necessary.
"Of course, May, I'd be happy to!" Ash responded. He really was happy about it. It had been forever since he'd seen May, and it was gonna be great to get to spend some real time with her. Part of Ash was glad he'd gotten on the wrong plane.
"Perfect then. I know plenty of stuff we can do around Petalburg." she replied, tightening her hand in his.
And so the duo walked through the empty streets in the very early morning as they headed to May's house. Ash thought about the situation and was excited to spend some time with May. Likewise, May was overjoyed to be able to spend the week with Ash. Things were really looking up for the pair as they walked through the streets of Petalburg City.
Well, that was definitely a chapter. I honestly hate long points of dialogue, but it needed to be done. There will be more action in the upcoming chapters.
Overall, I'm honestly not too happy with this chapter. I really don't know why, but it didn't live much up to the expectations I have for myself. Still, I hope anyone reading enjoys it.
Thanks for reading,
Peace out