The Hoenn region is quite large.
At least, Ye Feng checked the map and saw that the distance from here to the next gym location, Lavaridge Town, was still far.
There were countless towns and cities in between.
If he flew using Rayquaza, he could reach it in a few days.
But he was already tired of flying all the time.
Besides, this was Hoenn, the region he was most familiar with.
So, taking it step by step allowed him to recall the joy of playing the game back then.
Moreover, Ye Feng discovered something interesting about this world.
Outside the cities, it was all wilderness and lakeside, unlike Earth.
Where cities were connected to cities.
Leaving one city meant reaching the next.
Ye Feng traveled slowly.
Two days later, by a large lake, he encountered a familiar group of people.
"Ash, you're two months ahead of me, and you've only reached here?"
That's right, Ye Feng had run into Ash and his friends.
Ash, Brock, May, and May's younger brother, Max.
"Uh, well, Ye Feng-bro, you know how fast we travel."
Ash scratched his head awkwardly. Pikachu on his shoulder, with its two adorable black eyes, scanned Ye Feng, seemingly searching for a reddish-striped Pikachu.
But unknown to them, Ye Feng had long ago, an eon ago, stored the reddish-striped Pikachu in a Poké Ball and wasn't releasing it while traveling.
"Mhm, hello, Ye Feng-bro!"
May greeted Ye Feng as well.
And it was clear that as she greeted him, she was closing the distance between them.
Unfortunately, Ye Feng felt May was too young. He thought, "Wait another seven or eight years until you're an adult, then we can talk about this!"
However, he mused, "May will probably be as delicious as her mother, Mitsuko, when she grows up."
Max, upon seeing Ye Feng, still wore his usual displeased expression.
"By the way, Ye Feng-bro, how was your experience teaching for two months in Rustboro City?" Ash asked Ye Feng.
Hearing this, Brock thought of Roxanne, the beautiful gym leader of the Rustboro Gym.
He felt that Ye Feng and Roxanne could teach together and be very happy.
Ye Feng smiled and said, "It was alright, I guess."
Timeline:
Ye Feng and Ash were in Littleroot Town at the same time, but Ye Feng had set off earlier.
He reached Petalburg City, then Rustboro City.
Meanwhile, Ash reached Rustboro but couldn't challenge Roxanne due to a lack of Pokémon. May returned home, and then her brother Max insisted on traveling with her.
Afterward, Ash and his friends arrived in Rustboro City, around the time when Ye Feng and Roxanne had already hit it off.
After Ash obtained the Rustboro City Gym Badge, he left first.
Ye Feng only caught up after spending two months in Rustboro.
Finally, the entire group met here.
"What are you guys doing here?"
Ye Feng looked at Ash and the others.
"Oh, we're waiting for someone," Brock said mysteriously.
"Who?"
Just as Ye Feng finished speaking, he heard a clear female voice from not far behind.
"Hey! Everyone! Long time no see!"
Ye Feng turned around.
He saw an energetic girl with a good figure, holding a Togepi in her arms, a happy smile on her face, as she approached them.
"Misty?"
"Everyone, long time no see! Ye Feng-bro is here too?"
Misty looked at Ye Feng.
She also glanced at May and Max, who were at the back.
"You must be May?"
May shook hands with Misty. The two girls shook hands, both with smiles, showing no discomfort.
"Right, Misty, what are you doing here?"
Although Ash had made plans with Misty to meet here, they didn't know what Misty's purpose was.
"Of course, it's for this!"
Misty excitedly pulled out a ticket from her embrace!
"Togepi Contest!!"
Misty exclaimed excitedly.
"Togepi Contest?!"
Everyone was stunned.
"Alright, follow me."
Then, Misty led Ash and the others towards the competition venue.
"Ye Feng-bro, are you coming?" Ash looked at Ye Feng.
"Okay, son."
Ye Feng's sudden remark.
Instantly, the atmosphere in the place became silent.
Ash, Brock, and Misty all looked embarrassed.
May and Max looked bewildered.
Although they had been with Ash and Brock for a long time, neither Ash nor Brock had ever mentioned Ye Feng's other identity.
So, May and Max only knew that Ye Feng was an older brother.
"Ash? What's this?"
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you!"
Ash pulled down his hat and explained his situation with Ye Feng to May and Max.
"So! Ye Feng is your dad???!!!"
Max looked at Ash in surprise.
May also covered her mouth in astonishment.
What the heck?!
So Ye Feng was with an old woman?!
Then…
May looked at Ye Feng with some disappointment.
But then she suddenly thought that she was so much younger than Ye Feng. Even if Ye Feng wasn't with Ash's mother, he would have other women.
For a moment, May felt like she had just experienced a breakup.
And her feelings for Ye Feng were not really love.
It was just a girl's admiration for an older brother.
It was just that May mistook it for love.
"It's okay, I'm not in a hurry anyway, I'll just travel with you guys for a while."
It was only natural for a father to lead his son.
Thus, the group arrived in front of a building.
Misty compared the address picture in her hand with the building in front of her. She confirmed that this was the place for the competition.
Just as she was about to enter, two people suddenly leaped out from a high platform at the entrance.
"Hey, little girl, welcome to the Togepi Contest! Come, let us take you inside."
The two people were dressed in Togepi-like outfits, their faces hidden by large hats.
As Misty followed them into the building, Ye Feng and the others were about to enter.
Suddenly, the entire building began to shake.
"Is it an earthquake?!"
Brock exclaimed in shock.
But before he could finish his exclamation.
They saw the large building suddenly collapse outwards like paper.
Then, a huge airship appeared before them.
"Get on quickly!!!"
Ye Feng spoke first. The group successfully boarded the airship just as its doors were about to close.
After entering the airship, they saw Misty looking at them in confusion.
"Misty, what's going on?!" Ash asked.
Misty hugged Togepi and kept shaking her head.
"Where did those two go?"
Ash asked again.
Misty replied, "To the cockpit."
Just as Ash was about to head there, Ye Feng stopped him.
"Son, what's the hurry? Let's see where they're taking us first."
Hearing the term "son."
Ash turned to look at Ye Feng and sighed.
"Ye Feng-bro, can you call me Ash like you used to?"
Ye Feng shook his head. "No. Hanako said that you lacked fatherly love as a child, so she wants me to give you more fatherly love."
"Let's just leave it at that."
"From now on, I'll call you son, and you'll call me bro."