It's been a long time since I played the original Pokemon Ruby, but I remember especially the Pokemon contests and the secret bases. I also remember that the graphics were totally new and very cool (for the time), and Alpha Sapphire has all of these same things with improvements.
Visiting other bases has two other benefits as well. By collecting flags from other people, your rank goes up. You start at green, turn bronze at 30, earn silver at 100, and need 500 to display a gold flag. I just got silver, and part of the reason I haven't finished the main story yet is because I've spent so much time searching for other bases. Also by meeting these new people, you can invite up to 5 to be your friends and hang out in your base. Each one will provide you with a special skill and you can battle them!
In order to find new bases, simply connect to the internet and check the news app on your PokeNav. When you pass people (via Street or Spot) you learn the area of their base. You can check your PokeNav map and fly to that area at any time to search for the base. Some are very tricky to find.
I did hear some people say you get to do this any time you use Fly and I would like to let you all know this is not true. You can only control Latios/Latias during flight by using the Eon Flute. You can not control any other Pokemon this way. Using the move Fly will give you the same ability to land in cities you have already visited via a short cutscene, and you must have that Pokemon in your team to use it.
If you guys have any comments or questions, be sure to leave them below, or send them to me. I hope to meet some of you in-game as well sometime - let's see who can find MY base. Until then, have a great week, and I'll have a new post for you very soon!