Hey, wassup? D This isn't exactly my first story, but it's the first one to be posted on here. I've written a lot of others, but I can't find them currently, so, yeah... -sweatdrop-

But, anyway, this is just a short (I guess) little oneshot that I developed one night when I was bored. It's not all that great, if great at all, but I figured it was decent enough to stick up here.

So...hope you like it!

In this fic, Ash is 18 and May's 16. Their ages don't really matter, I guess, but I just figured I'd let you know. ;)

To Feel Loved

As darkness descended upon the dusk-lit streets of Scarlet City, I silently stepped through the sliding transparent doors of the Pokemon Center, scanning the lobby for any of my friends.

"Guys?" I walked further into the room, heading toward the stairs. Recieving no response, I ascended the stairs slowly, walking down the hall toward the room we'd all rented. "Brock? Max? May? Pikachu?"

I twisted the small, golden doorknob, pushing the door open. Almost immediatley, the sound of someone crying hit my ears.

Stepping into the room, I spotted May lying on the bottom bunk across the room, her back to me.

"May?" She jumped and turned around quickly, revealing a saddened Pikachu curled up on the other side of her.

"A-Ash, when did you get here?" She quickly wiped her eyes, disguarding the tears that had been sliding down her cheeks.

"Not too long ago," I answered, closing the door silently behind me and walking over to her. "What's wrong?"

"It's-It's nothing, really," she answered, averting her gaze away from me as I stood over her, leaning down slightly, one arm resting on the side of the top bunk.

"Are you sure? You look pretty sad to me." I sat down on the edge of her bunk, turning to face her soon after. "Does this have something to do with what happened at yesterday's contest?"

"N-Yeah." I furrowed my brow in confusion, detecting the small mistake she had made in her answer.

Deciding to go along with it, I asked, "What about it?"

"Well, I lost for one," she responded, looking down at the magenta carpeted floor.

I was silent for a moment, looking over at Pikachu, who had stood up and was currently stretching.

"True. But, I don't believe that's what you're really upset about - is it?"

She looked up at me slowly, her normally sparkling sapphire eyes red and puffy from previous crying. Reminants of tears could be detected on her cheeks as she slowly averted her gaze again.

"I don't really want to talk about it..."

Then to my surprise, she rose, stopping briefly to utter one last sentence to me, "I'm going out for some fresh air."

"But-" I rose, taking a step toward her before she swiftly made her way across the room, pulling the door open and disappearing quickly behind it, before it closed somewhat soundly soon after.

I sighed and turned back around, looking down at Pikachu as it walked across the bed, stopping at the edge to look up at me.

"You gonna tell me what's wrong with you?"

It gave me a small smile before jumping onto my shoulder, allowing me to scratch it behind the ear. I laughed slightly, "Ah, just feeling her pain?"

It nodded, cooing happily as I continued to scratch it behind the ear.

I then turned and exited the room, descending the stairs swiftly while calling out May's name.

As I had expected, upon arrival in the lobby, she was gone. I'd no clue which way she'd went, so I couldn't chase after her.

"Damn," I muttered, crossing the lobby and stopping briefly at the doors to allow them to open.

"Hey Ash!" I whirled around as my name was called.

To my surprise, a blue haired girl met my gaze, worry visible within her eyes.

"Dawn? What's wrong?"

"I just saw May walking down the street not too long ago, and some guy just walked up to her and started...harassing her, I guess. You've gotta help her before he does somethin' bad to her!"

I nodded, the information finally sinking in. Just the thought of someone harassing May in any way at all caused my anger to flare up.

It was already dark out, making it a tad hard to follow Dawn through crowds of late night travellers, none of them willing to move out of the way before you collided with them.

"Just a little further!" I heard Dawn yell from somewhere up ahead.

"Hold on a second!" I called back, trying to squeeze through a group of older guys, all of whom refused to move.

"I can't! May needs someone to help her! Unless you want her to get raped, you'd better hurry up!"

"I'm tryin'!" I answered, forcefully pushing through the older men and resuming my run after my younger friend.

"Down here!" she told me once I'd caught up, before dashing into a darkened alley. I quickly followed, nearly bumping into her about a foot inside.

"What?"

"It's too dark; I can't see anything."

"How do you know she's even down here?"

There was a brief moment of silence before I heard what sounded like May's voice yell, "Get your filthy hands off me!", followed by what was probably her smacking someone.

"Nevermind. Pikachu, I need you to- Pikachu? Pikachu?" The small electric type had disappeared, more than likely either back at the Center or lost in the mobs of people. I truly hoped it was the first.

"I'll go try and find it. You help May," Dawn told me before I felt her brush by me and exit the alley.

I started to say something, but decided against it, and slowly began my way down the alley, hoping not to run into them before I could see them.

Suddenly, small streetlights lit up on both sides of the wall, though they only produced a very dim light. This was enough for me to look ahead and find her, though. Her and an older man, who currently had his lips pressed firmly against hers, his hands slowly sliding up from her sides toward her chest.

A dark scowl forming on my face, I ran forward and tackled the man, my shoulder coming in contact with his side, thus knocking him away from her.

"Ash!" Her relieved cry faintly hit my ears as I stood up slowly, rubbing my shoulder.

"Keep your hands off her!"

He stood up, a sinister expression on his face. "You're in no place to be making threats, little boy." The glint of what looked like a stainless steel knife was seen briefly in his hand as he started back toward May. This was more than likely a threat toward me, but I didn't care.

With a low growl, I tackled him again, knocking him to the ground. I felt the knife's sharp blade slice my side, but paid little attention to it.

"I said keep your hands off her!"

A soft grunt escaped me as I was rolled roughly onto my back. For the first time since I'd encountered him, I saw the man's face. He had a sort of maniac look to him, as if there wasn't anything that could be categorized as crazy that he wouldn't do.

A slight feeling of fear surfaced within me as a sinister, maniacal grin spread across his face.

My heart skipped a beat as he raised the knife, the dim light above us reflecting off of it briefly before he began to bring it down, only to be stopped when May jumped on his back, grabbing his wrist.

"May, what're you doing? Get outta here!" I told her as she struggled with him to keep the knife from reaching me.

"No, Ash. I'm not leaving you," she answered, grunting softly as she continued to pull back at his wrist.

I raised a knee and brought it forcefully into the man's stomach, causing him to sag slightly above me. His arm grew somewhat limp, therefore causing May to release him as I pushed him off of me.

There was a moment of silence before she suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly.

"Thank you so much!"

I placed a hand at her back and rubbed it comfortingly when I sensed tears coming back to her eyes.

When she pulled away, she had a single tear sliding down her cheek, yet a smile on her face. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

I started to respond, but stopped when I saw him rising behind her, the knife raised.

"May, watch out!"

I didn't have time to get the words out of my mouth before his hand swept around her, plunging nearly the entire knife into her stomach.

An overwhelming feeling of shock and fear swept over me, too strong to allow me to move as he turned and ran off, fading into the darkness as he grew farther away.

Fighting away the numb feeling that had taken me over, I caught May as she went to fall to her knees.

Holding her in my arms, I looked at the knife sticking out of her stomach, then back at the pained expression on her face.

Tears already lining the brims of my eyes, I whispered her name, barely loud enough for me to hear, let alone her.

"Ash..." I looked back to her face, being met by her own gaze, her beautiful sapphire eyes clouded with pain, "I'm sorry. I never should have-"

"No, May." I gently brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face, "Save your breath."

"Ash-"

I shook my head, trying to convince her to remain silent.

Just then, Dawn came running back down the alley, Pikachu at her heels.

"I found Pikachu." She looked down at May, an expression of horror coming across her face, "Oh my God, what happened?"

"I'll tell you later, go get help! Now!!"

She nodded, and took off back down the alley, Pikachu following along after.

"Ash, I can't-I can't...breathe," May whispered hoarsely from my arms.

I looked back down at her, my heart skipping a beat at the paleness of her skin. It was then that I realized she was bleeding - a lot. There was already enough drained to cover nearly my entire arm, up to my elbow.

"Please, just hold on a little longer," I told her, looking back at the knife. Should I try to take it out? Or would that make it bleed worse?

"I can't..." she whispered. I could feel her breathing becoming more shallow with each passing moment.

I felt a single tear slide down my cheek as I looked back down at her, "Please, May..."

"Ash..." I felt my heart skip a beat as she took a deep, struggled breath. Her eyes slowly closed as fresh, hot tears slid down my cheeks.

"May, please...don't leave me. I need you," I told her softly, my voice trembling. "Please, May. I love you..."

---

May Maple died in my arms that night, her last breath being taken after those last three words. I've never been sure since, but I could almost swear I saw a small smile grace her lips just before her last breath was taken.

Standing before her tombstone now, I realize that I had given her what she'd wanted. That very last moment of her life, she'd received what she'd been wanting all her life, what any parentless girl at her age would want; to feel wanted, to feel as if she belonged, to feel loved.

And that, without a doubt, was the greatest thing I had ever given anyone.

R.I.P.

May Maple

1992-2007

Daughter, Sister, Friend

Gone, but not forgotten.

---

Sorry, May fans, I know that more than likely disturbed you...

But, aside from that, what'd y'all think? Critisism is accepted, just not toward the couple. I've mentioned before, I'm not going to tolerate that.

I realize it was slightly rushed, and Dawn was extremely random to put in there, but I couldn't necessarily think straight at the time...