Ash's Story (Part 6: Unova)

Chapter 34: Switch Tracks

The gate into Join Avenue looked too clean for a place that was supposed to be busy. Bright arches framed a wide street, but most of the storefronts were empty, and the signs looked as if they were waiting for names.

Golly looked around with her notebook already open. "What is this place?"

Alice studied the empty avenue, her eyes moving from one vacant shop to the next. "This is actually new to me."

A man in a sharp business suit paced near the center of the avenue, muttering to himself and rubbing his temples like the whole street had become a headache. "What should I do? I cannot possibly manage everything alone."

I stepped closer before he walked into a display stand. "Excuse me?"

The man spun toward us with startling energy. "Hello! Welcome to Join Avenue! We do not have anything yet, as you see, so it is just an avenue at this point."

Cilan looked down the empty street with theatrical interest. "An avenue before its flavor has been chosen. How fascinating."

The man clasped his hands together. "Where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. I am the owner of Join Avenue. My dream is to go around the world building avenues that bustle with lots of people."

"That sounds ambitious," Alice said carefully.

"The problem is that I have no one I can trust to manage the avenue," the owner said, suddenly looking at me with bright eyes.

I felt the danger before he said anything. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Something just struck me! You seem to be a Trainer traveling around, are you not?" the owner asked.

"Uh, yeah, I am," I answered.

"You naturally meet people from all over this region, do you not?" he continued.

"I guess so," I said, already regretting the answer.

The owner leaned forward like he had just found the solution to every problem in Unova. "I know it seems sudden, but will you manage the avenue for me?"

For a second, nobody spoke.

Iris broke the silence first. "Did he just give Ash a street?"

Golly's pencil stopped moving. "He cannot legally give Ash a street without documentation."

The owner waved both hands. "There will be documentation! First, a survey!"

Before I could escape, he started asking questions about what kind of shops I liked, what I wanted visitors to feel, how I handled recommendations, and whether I believed people returned to places that remembered them.

That last question made me pause.

"I think people return when a place does not treat them like they are replaceable," I said.

The owner stared at me, then shouted, "I knew it! You are the one! Who else could be so well suited to managing the avenue?"

A worker hurried up behind him. "Sir, it is almost time for your next appointment."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" the owner cried. "My assistants, you heard me. I must leave now, so please support our newest manager."

Several assistants bowed while the owner hurried away with half his staff. Two Ace Trainers approached us almost immediately, smiling with professional calm that did not match how ridiculous this had become.

One of them bowed. "Pleased to meet you. How should we address you?"

"Just Ash is fine," I said.

"Now that you are the one to manage the development of the avenue, please turn it into a wonderful attraction where many people visit," the other Ace Trainer said.