Ash's Story (Part 6: Unova)

Chapter 40: Returning Flames

Route 5 sounded restless after Lostlorn Forest.

The road carried performers, traders, trainers, and people heading back and forth between Nimbasa and Driftveil, but the Driftveil Drawbridge trouble still made everyone move carefully. Team Rocket's damage had slowed the bridge repairs, and even after the Subway incident was fixed, the roads still felt like they were recovering.

I kept Yancy's phone secured in my bag while we walked. After the Ferris Wheel calls, the strange mystery had started feeling less like a random lost item and more like another thread Nimbasa had tied around us.

The phone rang before we reached the busier part of Route 5.

Alice looked at my bag at once. "That must be her."

I answered the call carefully. "Hello?"

Yancy's voice came through brighter than before. "Hi, Ash. I am off today, so I was thinking I could pick up my phone. The one you have been keeping for me. Are you busy?"

"Actually, we are not," I said.

"Really? You are not?" Yancy asked, sounding relieved. "Good. Can we meet at the Ferris Wheel in Nimbasa City? I am looking forward to seeing you there, Ash. Good-bye."

The call ended quickly, leaving me staring at the phone.

Golly adjusted her notebook. "A public meeting location is safer than a private one. We all go together."

Eve nodded. "No mysterious phone girl gets Ash alone before we know she is real."

Alice smiled faintly. "I already planned to go with him."

We returned to Nimbasa and waited near the Ferris Wheel plaza. After a little while, a pink-haired girl in a white hat hurried toward us, then froze when she saw me.

She lifted both hands suddenly. "No! I am not who you think!"

I blinked. "Are you Yancy? What do you mean by that?"

Her face turned red. "What? You are Ash? I am so sorry. I thought you were someone else. It is nice to meet you. I am Yancy. You were different than I imagined, so I was a little surprised."

I introduced everyone before the awkwardness could grow. "This is Alice, Golly, Eve, Iris, and Cilan."

Yancy bowed quickly. "It is nice to meet you."

I handed her the phone, and she held it close with obvious relief. "Thank you, Ash. I am sorry I could not find time to pick it up earlier. I really enjoyed talking with you, so maybe I was a little lucky."

Alice watched her expression carefully, but not unkindly.

Yancy blushed. "If you do not mind, can I still call you sometime?"

"Sure. I do not mind," I said.

Yancy let out a breath. "I was really scared you might say no. Can I ask one more thing? I called you too often, and Ma—I mean one of my coworkers got really mad at me. Could you call me sometimes?"

"If you want to, we can do that," I said.

"What? Really? Thanks, Ash," Yancy said softly. "You are really nice. I am usually at work, and sometimes I have trouble picking up a signal, but I would like it if you check your Rotom Phone and call me. I should head home now. Good-bye."

She hurried away before any of us could ask much more.

Cilan stared after her with growing recognition. "I knew I recognized her from somewhere. She is Nancy, the famous idol."

Eve's eyes widened. "She is an idol? Then why is she hiding her true name?"

I looked toward the crowd where Yancy had vanished. "Being famous probably is not easy. Fans can harass people, and she needs to be careful."