Aries

Soul

"Hutber Port," Steven announced, glancing around the port as he realised he would indeed have to wait for a boat to get back to the mainland of Kanto. Ash looked around too, far more unimpressed by the area that they stood in. Ships honked loudly as they sailed off to regions and places Ash had never seen before. Steven had called the ones with massive boxes on top "container ships" which carried goods like food to other places so they could all share.

It sounded nice, Ash supposed. He turned around, where he spotted a little Horsea flailing in the water, burns along the blue seahorse's body. The Horsea spat ink about weakly, trying to create some kind of image with it. Ash gazed blankly at it while Steven raised his Pokenav to get the dex entry.

"Horsea. The Dragon Pokemon. Water Type. By cleverly flicking the fins on its back from side to side, it moves in any direction while facing forward. It spikes ink to escape if it senses danger."

When the Pokenav stopped speaking, a loud crash sounded behind them. After what seemed to be an explosion, one of the smaller vessels was a crumbling piece of acrid smoke and metal. Steven and Ash looked at each other, throwing out their Squirtles who spit water into the air dove into the water and helped Kai drag the few sailors out.

They twitched on the surface of the port slightly, mumbling and grumbling softly from what seemed to be paralysis. Steven tried to get some kind of answer out of them, but it was becoming more and more obvious as the minutes bore on that the men were in no condition to answer.

"...Are we just going to leave them here?" Ash mumbled awkwardly. Steven laughed, sharing the awkwardness with Ash and silently sidestepping away from the twitching forms in front of them.

"Now, listen here trainers! I will be building a five-star hotel, exclusive only to the richest and the best, upon the ocean of our wonderful port. But unfortunately, some annoying Tentacool is getting all funny about it, so... if you exterminate them for me, I'll pay you a million dollars!" A rather ugly lady in the centre, Nastina, explained as a collection of curious people surrounded her. She gestured proudly to the spot where construction scaffolding was placed, casting long shadows upon the port.

Ash's mouth dropped open. Steven nudged him a little to get him to stop gaping like an idiot, which he did, but the shock hadn't left his system just yet. Luckily, Steven had already released his Skarmory, had Aeris perched atop the steel bird, and was marching up to Nastina. A part of him remembered he was still playing a part, a character.

And Ash knew even he didn't know how much Steven loved that. After all, Daigo couldn't care less if somebody hated him. He didn't have business deals. An image to uphold. Anything.

"How dare you disturb these Pokemon's natural habitat." Steven began, a coolness escaping into his tone. "I am from Hoenn, and we have some of the most gorgeous resorts in my region. But we do not exchange that beauty for the death and ruin among the local species! Don't you know the precious individuality of Pokemon? I guess you don't, you shallow-"

Steven took a sharp breath as Ash held his shoulder nervously and spoke alongside his friend, trying to mimic his Hoennian accent. It would be good enough- he had already been picking up the accent with all the time he had spent with the guy.

"..He is right. The will of Pokemon should take precedence over the selfish desires we hold." Ash muttered, bitterness leaking into his expression. Steven nodded back to him. "My friend is right. No wonder some Pokemon dream of purging such imperfection away."

Nastina was... taken aback, to say the least. She waved her hands anyway, looking to the trainers who still flocked for the money. The prize, the end goal, the ca-ching. It disgusted Ash.