Megan's POV
Two months had passed since we had all competed in the PokeRinger competition where Skye had been victorious against Adam.
Along the way, we had stopped and stayed at a hotel that our parents had stayed at when they traveled. Yet when they had found it, it hadn't been remodeled into a hotel just yet. My Uncle Max had had a fun time in scaring my mom and the others with a Shuppet, since he had wanted to get back at my mom because of a fight they'd had. But now, it was a proper hotel and it was quite nice. It was out of the way from the main path and just a nice break from the loudness of the cities.
We had even visited the weather institute where we had met Castform, which had been fun to see the different weather forms that Castform takes.
It had been a long journey, but we had finally reached Fortree City. As we entered the city, true to what we had heard, the houses were built into the trees, high up in the branches. The city was busy on the ground and up in the trees. As we walked further into the city, I noticed that were a lot of booths set up.
"Something must be going on." Adam said.
I nodded my head in agreement while Jason verbally agreed.
"Hey, Skye!" I called out as I spotted her. We walked over to her and she smiled.
"Hey, guys! Welcome to my hometown: Fortree City." she said.
"What's going on around here?" Jason asked.
"The annual Feather Festival is being held. It's held every year to celebrate Flying Pokemon and their bond with the city. But there's also another reason for celebrating: Fortree City is holding its very first contest, and to mark the occasion even further, the contest will be a tag team contest." Skye explained.
"Well, I'm glad that we caught Fortree City at this time of year." said Adam.
"Yeah, we'll definitely have a lot to occupy our time when we have some time to relax." Jason added.
"Where is the contest hall, anyway? I still need to register and find a partner." I asked.
"Follow me and I'll show you." Skye said to us.
So we all walked through the city of trees, taking in the unusual sights that weren't seen in most cities, which were built on the ground instead.
"So what's with everyone living in trees?" I asked.
"Yeah, I've never seen anything like it." Jason commented.
"Fortree City was founded by people who had a deep love for Flying Pokemon. So much so, that they built their houses in the trees to be closer to the Pokemon. Over the years, the residents carried on the tradition. The only buildings on the ground are the store, the gym, the hospital, the Pokemon Center, and the contest hall."
"I like that the city has upheld that tradition." Adam said. "It shows the love and dedication that the people of this city have for Flying Pokemon and each passing generation ensures that it's never forgotten."
"I can't imagine living in the trees. But it must be fun and interesting to do so, compared to how almost everyone else in the world lives." I said.
"I bet it helps with any fears of heights, too." Jason joked.
We then stopped at a clearing in the trees where the contest hall was, and went inside.
As I glanced around the room, looking for any familiar faces who I could partner up with, I saw my sister, along with Adrian.
"April!" I yelled.
April looked over and saw us. She grabbed Adrian's hand and the two walked over to us.
"Have you registered yet?" April asked.
"I'm about to do so, once I find a partner. Have you?" I asked.
"Yes, I'm partnering with Adrian, like we did in the last tag team contest."
"I figured that. Since you two are now traveling together, it gives you plenty of time to practice together, and as a team as well."
"It has, and it's been a lot of fun, too." April said with a smile.
"Megan!"
Turning, I saw Christina approaching.
"Hey!" I greeted.
"Would you want to be my partner?" she asked nervously. "I know you've already forgiven me, but I'm still not sure if you would be open to something as big as this."
"I've forgiven you already, Christina. I'd be happy to partner with you. Let's see how former enemies - now friends - work together. Besides, it's time for us to become better friends, and a tag team contest is a good way to build friendship and trust. You're a skilled coordinator, so I'd like that partnership for the contest." I replied.
"Jason and I have forgiven you as well." Adam added, since Christina had been rude to him and Jason for taking my side in the past.
"Really? Are you sure?" Christina asked.
"Yes, of course." I said, hugging her in confirmation.
Christina was shocked, given how she stiffened from my embrace, but she quickly hugged me back.
"Thank you, Megan." she said, grateful.
As we parted, she looked at me and said, "Just...don't pair your Zangoose with my Seviper, or our performance will be a disaster!"
I laughed and said, "Of course! That would be a disaster!"
"By the way, who's your partner, Skye?" Adam asked, realizing that we hadn't asked her who she had partnered up with.
"It's Amber."
"When is the contest?" I asked.
"The day after tomorrow."
"Then we need to register quickly and get to practicing! We can't waste any time!"
"Right! We don't have a lot of time to prepare, Megan!" Christina agreed with me.
"But...I was hoping to enjoy some of the festival. But with the contest only two days away, I won't have the chance to do so." I said, sighing in disappointment.
"The festival will continue until the day after the contest, so you'll be able to experience it. We'll all have the chance to go, once the contest is over." Skye replied, and reassured me.
Christina and I then went to register for the contest, then we returned to our friends.
"I'll see you and Adrian at the contest, Sis." I said to April.
With that, we left the contest hall with Christina and Skye.
"Like you two, I need to go and find Amber, so that we can practice." Skye said.
But before anything else could happen, we saw a Skarmory swoop down from above and land in front of us. The rider jumped off of its back and greeted us.
It was Winona. She was Skye's mom and the gym leader of the Fortree City gym.
She was in her mid-forties. Her lavender-colored hair was partially hidden by the light blue helmet she wore. The helmet had decorative silver wings attached to the sides that extended just behind her head. Her outfit was a light blue top with long white sleeves, and light blue gloves were on her hands. Her white pants were slightly puffed and baggy down below the knees, but the top half of them hugged her thighs. She also wore long light blue boots that were hidden beneath the baggy part of her pants.
She removed her helmet, which caused her long, straight lavender-colored hair to fall down her back and past her waist. It was clear to see that Skye had gotten her looks from her mom.
I then noticed that Skye's demeanor changed. She looked disappointed and awkward. She even seemed closed off at the sight of her mother.
"Hi, Mom." she greeted awkwardly as she looked away.
I then remembered the day that Skye revealed to me how her parents treat her like an outsider in her own family.
"Mom, I won the PokeRinger competition and Taillow evolved." Skye said, hopeful to hear some congratulations.
But Winona paid no attention to her daughter's words and focused on us instead, mainly myself and Adam.
"I spotted you two from the sky and you looked similar to two traveling trainers that I met many years ago." Winona told us.
"Well, I'm Adam Ketchum, son of Master Ash Ketchum." Adam said.
"And I'm the daughter of Top Coordinators: May and Drew Hayden. I'm Megan Hayden." I added.
"Well, I'll be looking forward to seeing what you've got for the contest. And Adam, if you're anything like your father, you'll be a real challenge when you battle me for your badge!"
It felt nice to have such high praise given.
"Do you have any siblings?" Winona asked.
"I don't, but Jason has always been like a brother to me, since we both grew up in Pallet Town." Adam said, motioning to Jason, who stood beside him.
"I have an older sister who will be competing in the contest as well. I also have a younger brother, who was just born a few months ago." I replied.
"That's wonderful! My son and daughter have..."
She continued on about Skye's older siblings and their accomplishments and speaking highly of them.
"This isn't fair!" Skye suddenly interrupted, yelling at her mom with tears in her eyes. "Despite my contest wins and me being proud of everything I've accomplished, I'm still getting compared to my siblings! I don't get the praise that I so desperately crave from you and Dad! I just want you both to love me like you love my brother and sister, but I've always felt like an outcast and I can't take it anymore! I do the best that I can and try to tell you about it, and you just ignore me! I can't ever make you proud of me!"
We stood there awkwardly for a moment because we had been getting the praises and attention that Skye was desperately wanting. And now, seeing how upset she was, I wanted to help her. But before anything could be said or done, Skye ran off with tears streaming down her face.
"Skye has improved ever since I met her. She's grown and has became a great coordinator and a great person. She's told us how she's treated, and that isn't fair. She just wants to be accepted by you, but instead, she feels like an outcast in her own family." Christina said to Winona.
"She has such a huge amount of pressure on herself, so of course she's going to make mistakes and errors, but she's supposed to be supported and cheered on by the people that care for her. Thankfully, she has us to do that for her, but she wants her family, who are the people that she cares about more than anyone else. She wants you and her dad to accept her and give her the high praise that her siblings get." I added.
Winona looked uneasy and guilty.
"I'm sorry. I had no idea." she said, looking down. "I was never intentionally acting that way to Skye and Skye never said anything about it to me or her father, not even once. We didn't know that this is how she felt. She must've been too scared to tell us."
"How could you have never realized that?!" I asked in disbelief. "Surely you must've realized that you favor your two older children over her, right?"
Winona took a deep breath and said, "There's something that you don't know about Skye. Unlike her siblings, Skye was an unplanned child. Wallace and I never wanted to have any more children after our first two, but when my son was seven and my daughter was three, I discovered that I was pregnant again, with Skye.
"We raised her just as we did with her siblings. We were never mean or cruel to her, but subconsciously, we unknowingly treated her like the odd one out because we never wanted nor asked for a third child.
"And unlike her siblings at her age, Skye still doesn't have a set goal in her life. She's trying coordinating out, but she said that she may try to be a trainer one day. And coming from such an accomplished family, she's the only one who hasn't exactly had any big accomplishments yet.
"But despite all these things, Skye never once complained or spoke up. Now I see that Skye was clearly just keeping the pain to herself until she hit her breaking point just now. That's why neither Wallace nor myself suspected anything."
"I guess it can be true and possible to do that. We aren't parents, so we can't understand how it is to love your children and not realize that you show favoritism." said Christina.
"Still, you should talk to Skye and try to work things out, now that you know how Skye feels. Everything needs to be out in the open. No secrets, nothing hidden." I said.
"Yes, I can't let my little girl continue hurting. I need Skye to know that she can talk to me and to never bottle everything up again." said Winona.
I wondered if my brother Zachary would grow up the same way as Skye did, since he would come from an accomplished family with two older sisters who had their life's goals set. Would my parents treat him how Skye had been treated? I didn't think that they would, but I would never know until he got older.
Normal POV
In Team Rocket's island base, Jacob Berlitz, the head of Team Rocket, began to think about how his plans were going...and how he had received some telling information about his grandson from Hunter Mya.
Team Rocket had both of the orbs in their possession and these orbs would enable them to control the two most powerful Legendary Pokemon of Hoenn at the same time: Kyogre and Groudon.
And the news about his grandson's powerful Aura that could be unleashed through his rage sounded like a powerful weapon, if he could get Adam on their side. And if he refused to join them, he could use the lives of Adam's friends as leverage. Or better yet, he could brainwash Adam, making him a loyal pawn in their master plan.
Jacob had learned from his mistakes of the past. Team Rocket would succeed this time. And no matter how many times they failed, they would never be defeated for good...because "they" wouldn't let Team Rocket disband.
Author's Note: Megan, Adam, and Jason arrive in Fortree City, which feels like a whole world away! They'll get to enjoy the festival after the contest is over, which Megan will be competing in with Christina as her partner. It's a testament to how much things between them have improved since their first meeting, huh?
They also learn the truth about Skye from her mom and now understand why Skye's parents have treated her like an outcast for her entire life thus far.
Meanwhile, Team Rocket is coming ever so close to putting their plan into motion!
Who will win the first contest to ever be held in Fortree City? Find out in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!