The Future's Young Fingerprint

Larousse City, Hoenn. 29th June, 2033. 12:34pm.

"Okay, are we all ready to go?" The green haired boy's older counterpart asked. The group nodded determinedly. "What's the plan, chief?" Older Paul asked dryly. Older Drew smirked. "A question that I've been dying to answer," he spoke dramatically. Misty, who had been diagnosed with a fever rolled her eyes. "Get on with it already," she called from Ash's back. Older Drew sighed. "Fine, fine," he smirked.

"Okay, so, the plan is that we will divide into three teams and find them. They couldn't have came South, because that's where this cave is located, and if they would've, we'd have found them already. So, Team 1 is going to go into the North part of the forest, Team 2 is going West, and Team 3 is going East." He explained.

"Each team will get four pokémon. Since Ash doesn't have Pikachu, he'll take another pokémon, preferably Misty's since she can't fight," he continued. Misty huffed annoyedly. "Once a team finds a person, they will go straight to May and I's house where her parents who are visiting can help you. They probably won't recognize you, so please tell them so that they could remember. They still don't know what's happening," he finished. "Ready?" he smiled at getting an enthusiastic response from his audience. "Alright, let's go!"

Drew stepped up and looked down at the muddy ground. "Alright, I'll make the teams," he decided as he picked up a damp stick from the ground. Everyone gathered around him. "Alright, so leading the teams will be…" he looked around. Then, he glanced at Older May. "Hey, May," he called. "Hmm?" both of them hummed before turning to each other and laughing. Drew rolled his eyes. "Older May," he called again.

This time, the taller woman turned to look at him with bright blue eyes. "Yeah?" she asked. "Would your parents recognize the older people? Like Dawn and Paul?" he asked. She tapped her chin for a moment before nodding. "They would. They've met Paul and Belle and Dawn before," she smiled at her two friends. Drew nodded, a plan formulating in her head. "Okay, so," he turned to the ground and started writing.

Team O. Dawn (West)

Dawn
Paul
Belle

Team O. Paul (East)

Ash
Misty
O. May

Team O. Drew (North)

May
Drew

Older Paul nodded in approval. "That's good. Let's go now?" he offered. Older Drew smirked. "Wait," he put his hand in the middle, hinting something solely to annoy his friend. Older Paul groaned loudly. "Why Drew? Why?" he grunted before putting his hand atop his. Soon, everyone's hands were on. Older Drew grinned. "Ready? And break!"

Team Older Dawn gathered up and headed towards the west. "So, how're you guys liking this adventure so far?" The woman asked, trying to make small talk with the past her and her past husband. Dawn giggled in a bubbly manner. "It is awesome! You know, I never thought I'd meet myself when I'm older! And my child! Like wow! And that too, with ice cube, over here," she motioned to Paul before gigging childishly.

Paul merely rolled his eyes. Suddenly, Belle started crying. Older Dawn immediately started tending to her. "What happened Belle? Why're you crying?" she rocked her daughter at her hip. "Baby, are you hungry?" Belle still cried. "Sleepy?" she still didn't stop. "Thirsty?" Belle's crying started dying down a little as she saw her mother playing out a drinking motion. "Ah, so Belle's thirsty, huh?" she put her down.

"Dawn," she called. "Could you get me full milk bottle from that bag?" she pointed to the carry-on backpack Paul carried behind his back. "Sure," the bluenette walked up to the bag and started clashing around it's contents, only to find an empty bottle. She looked at Older Dawn. "There's only one bottle, and it's empty," she announced.

"Are you sure?" Older Dawn asked, desperately hoping there was an alternative. Belle resumed crying loudly. "Shhhh…" Older Dawn hushed her. Dawn shrugged after searching through the bag once again. "Nothing there," she said. Older Dawn groaned. Suddenly, Paul remembered something. "There's a lake here, not too far away. If we go to the north-western part of the forest," he said. "You could get some freshwater from there."

Older Dawn smiled tiredly. "I guess we don't have a choice, huh?" she glanced down at the tiny warm-purple haired two-year old in her arms. "Belle do you want to walk on your own? You're old enough to do that, y'know," her mother advised. The girl nodded and her mother placed her down on the ground.

The girl stood up and silently started walking a few steps before turning around to face the group with a raised brow. "Let's go?" she asked sassily. Dawn held back a giggle. "Looks like she got my attitude," she grinned and faced the purple-haired seven-teen year old who glanced back at her. "But she definitely got your looks," she blushed a little and ran ahead.

Paul blinked after dumbly before letting out a small smile. She was definitely one of the most interesting people he'd ever met. He surprisingly liked her though. She was unique, different, and nit that he'd ever admit it, but even a little cute. Just a sliver, he assures you. She was like a breath of fresh air for him: she bothered him, but wasn't too bothersome; she was cute, but not too cute, but the thing that she was too much at was attitude. Boy, did she have attitude.

Hell, she could even take a person like him by surprise with that sassiness. "When will we get there?" Dawn wailed as she rubbed her aching legs. They'd been walking for quite a while now, and time seemed to have slowed down with nobody talking. In reality, Dawn's legs didn't hurt at all; she just wanted to start a conversation with Paul.

"A few more steps," he replied curtly as ne walked past her. Dawn puffed out her cheeks and ran after him, though what she saw next really made her jaw slack.

Meanwhile, Older Paul's group was currently headed East. "Why didn't I have my own team?" Older May complained from the back. Misty rolled her eyes. "Because if you're the May we know, then there ain't no way you're responsible enough to lead a group on it's own," May furrowed her brow. "Hey! I am not irresponsible!" she huffed. Misty waved her hand dismissively. "Yep. That's May, alright," Older May growled in frustration.

"Guys, can you stop? My head hurts from your idiotic comments. Especially you," Older Paul pointed to Older May, who in turn, pouted. "Not my fault," she shrugged. "Sure," Ash grunted under his breath. "What was that?" The woman demanded. "Nothing!" Ash called. He adjusted Misty on his back.

After an hour of walking, Ash sighed. "I don't think we're finding them anytime soon," he said. "I agree," Older May said from in front of him; she'd overtook him a while ago. Older Paul sighed. "We'll rest for a bit and then start again, okay?" he decided. "Alright!" Ash and Older May chorused excitedly.

Suddenly, Ash remembered something. "Hey, Misty hasn't spoken in a while. Misty?" he looked up to see his redhead friend as red as her hair. Ash immediately placed his hand on her forehead. He looked at the other two in horror. "She's burning up," he told them. Older Paul stood up from where he was sitting and copied Ash's actions. "Holy shit, she is," he exclaimed.

Older May asked worriedly: "What're we going to do?" Older Paul sighed. "We don't have a choice. We're going to have to go to the house,"

Over to the North side of the forest, Older Drew's team had come farther than the others, with May's occasional complaining. Drew tapped his chin. "Well, if Leaf was in the water group, then they must've gone towards the lake, right? I mean, even Paul said the scream came from the northwestern side," he pulled out a map. The other two stopped to look at it.

"Oh yeah! So if Paul and Gary were here," May pointed to the lake in the picture. "Then Leaf must've been somewhere around here!" Older Drew exclaimed. "And we're here," Drew pointed to a spot not too far away from where his older counterpart's hand was. "Then let's go," May cheered.

They walked a few steps before they saw an odd sight. "Is that what I think that is?" May quivered. Older Drew nodded. "It's an injured Houndoom," he informed. "What's it doing here?" Drew asked, walking up to it. "Don't go! It could be dangerous!" May quickly reached for his arm.

Drew sighed and nodded. Suddenly, May spotted something unusual stuck to a bush. "Hey, what's that?" she curiously touched the spot of red and felt it before her pupils decreased in size. Drew shook her shoulders worriedly. "May? May? May!" she finally returned back to reality. Older Drew furrowed his brow. "What happened?" he asked worriedly. May faced him, her facial features all screaming disbelief.

"This is the fabric from Leaf's skirt,"