Hey guys!

Just a note: the sequel is now up! Check my profile to find it. It's titled 'Train Of Thought.'

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

"Welcome to Unova!"

The call came from a redheaded young woman with bright blue eyes and a barrette modeled after an airplane's propellor clipped in her hair. Grinning, she placed her gloved hands on her hips and nodded her head at the aircraft parked on the landing strip a few yards away. "You should feel honored!" Skyla teased in a friendly, lighthearted fashion. "My planes are mostly just for shipping cargo. I don't let just anyone ride on them... but I do make exceptions for certain people. Great trainers like Cynthia, for example." The Gym Leader quirked an eyebrow. "You had a lot of recommendations, but I guess I never formally asked. Are you a trainer?"

The recipient of her question, a young girl with brunette hair under a green bandana, laughed and shrugged her shoulders a little. "To be perfectly honest, Ash was more of a trainer than I ever was," she said. Her eyes brightened, and she smirked mischievously. "Me, I'm a Pokémon coordinator... one of the best in all of Hoenn, in fact!"

Skyla nodded, then paused and apologetically tilted her head to one side. "Um... sorry, but what's a coordinator?"

The brunette nearly fell over. "W-w-what do you mean, 'what's a coordinator?'" she sputtered in shock. "A coordinator is someone who specializes in competing in Pokémon contests! Don't you guys have contests and Grand Festivals here in Unova?"

"Well... not exactly." The girl looked as though she wanted to hop back on the plane and take the next flight back to Hoenn, so Skyla hastened to add, "We have something similar, though, called the Pokémon Musical. I've heard it's a lot of fun."

"A Pokémon Musical? That sounds interesting. Where do you have to go to participate in it?"

"The Musical Theater is in Nimbasa. Huge city, can't miss it. There are lots of other things there too, you know. Sport stadiums, lots of shops, even an amusement park." The redhead tapped her chin in thought. "Elesa says the ferris wheel has been a particularly popular spot lately."

The coordinator's expression was bright with interest. "What would be the fastest way to get to this Nimbasa place?"

Frowning, the Flying-type Gym Leader crossed her arms for a moment, pondering. "Well, we're in Anville Town right now, which is miles away from pretty much everything. There is a subway system that runs through all of Unova, however, and the main station is situated right in the middle of Nimbasa. One of the train lines makes a trip here to Anville every couple hours, so it would probably be easiest to get there that way. Your other choice would be to return to Mistralton City with me after I finish dropping off some shipments, but then you'd have to hike it the rest of the way there. I think just taking the subway would be way easier. In fact—" She dug a gloved hand into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled pad of paper and pen, scribbling into it.

"Here you go," she said after a few moments, ripping out the sheet and shoving it into the brunette's hand. "Train fare isn't too expensive, but still—if you show this to the conductors, they'll know you're mine and Elesa's guest. Plus, now you have my autograph!" she joked.

The girl blushed. "T-thank you!"

Skyla nodded. The shrill whistle of a locomotive suddenly rang through the air, and she craned her neck and squinted into the distance. "There's the train now," she hummed. The Gym Leader turned back to face the coordinator and coughed meaningfully. "You should probably get over to the station so you don't miss it."

The younger female was silent for a short moment, then shook her head with a small smile. "You said the train runs to Nimbasa every couple hours, didn't you? If that's the case... well, I think I might just wait for the next one."

"Eh?" Skyla blinked. "Well, whatever. It's your choice. Are you going to do some sightseeing here in Anville first? It's a great spot for tourists, that's why half of my planes end up making stops here to drop off cargo."

"I wasn't really thinking about sightseeing. It's just..." The brunette turned to gaze at the horizon, and then at the approaching train. She glanced back at the Flying-type specialist, and her sapphire-colored eyes were shining.

"You see," May said simply, "I'm waiting for a few friends."

See you guys then. :)