And here we are. The final chapter. I'll save my talking for the end. Let's enjoy it, one last time.
How did my life end up this way? Joy thought as she trudged down the path. How did I lose my cushy job in the city to my know-nothing cousin and his damn wife?
"Joy!" Raine shouted from the air. "Wait!"
Joy stopped and looked to the woman as Skarmory landed and Raine ran up to her.
"What do you want?" Joy scoffed. "You already have your damn center."
"You're gonna need this," Raine responded, tossing the key into Joy's hands, "if you're gonna open the door to the center.
Joy looked at the small key in her hands. "Why'd you bring it to me? Wouldn't you have rather forced me to come back and beg for it?"
"What's done is done," Raine said to her. "I guess I felt bad for tricking you out of the center."
"Joe was disappointed in you for doing that?" the nurse guessed.
"Yeah," Raine sighed.
Joy laughed. "He's always been a softie. Just like his the rest of the Joys."
"We've… never really talked, have we, Joy?" Raine asked her in-law.
"No, I guess we haven't," Joy responded, looking at Skarmory. "Why'd you do it?"
"Do what?" Raine asked her back.
"Why'd you give up your dream of being a coordinator?" Joy clarified the question.
Raine laughed. "How did you know I used to be a coordinator?"
"The family's always been talking about you, and how I should get away from work to meet you, since I've been so busy the rest of the time." Joy walked up to Skarmory rubbed her hand behind the Steel-Flying type's head. At first she was apprehensive, but Skarmory relaxed under the calm touch of the Pokémon Nurse.
"I guess other things became more important," Raine looked into the orange sky. The sun was halfway obscured by the mountains, leaving a purple eastern sky to mix with the orange western sky.
"More important than your dream?" Joy was still unconvinced.
"I wanted to be a top coordinator for a long time," Raine said. "But then I met Joseph. I admit at first I was just feeling sorry for him, but as time went on, we spent a lot more time together. He stopped whining and really grew up, and I guess I found that new maturity attractive. I fell in love with him. He became more important than my dream of becoming a top coordinator. I wanted to stay with him forever, and I have since that day. Then when Cyndi was born, I had a new responsibility. And I grew to love my daughter. She's a wonderful girl, even if she's a bit of a loudmouth at times, and she means the world to me. As I got older, my priorities changed. My family became more important than becoming a great coordinator."
"I see…" Joy was glum.
"What's wrong with that?" Raine asked Joy, concerned about her estranged cousin.
"You had so much potential," Joy said. "You could have done anything you wanted. You could have become a great Coordinator, and been rich and famous. Instead, you choose to become a housewife."
"Well, some things aren't for everyone," Raine laughed. She saw the hurt in Joy's eyes. "Is… is that what you wanted to do? Did you want to be a coordinator?"
"I had to become a nurse," Joy spat. "It's our families' legacy! The women in our line always become nurses!"
"But that's not what you wanted," Raine pushed up her glasses.
"…No. I wanted to be a champion coordinator." Joy admitted.
"Why were you so angry with Joe, then?" Raine asked. "He was doing what he wanted to do."
"He's a man!" Joy shouted, becoming hysterical. "He could have done something else! He had the potential! And he squandered it to become a nurse!"
"Joy," Raine said, taking her in-law in her arms, "it's okay. Just let it all out. We're family."
Joy sobbed into Raine's shoulder. "Why didn't you fulfill my dream, Raine? Why did you let yourself get limited by other people like I did?"
"You're not limited, Joy," Raine told her, "you can go and do whatever you want. You're still young, and have lots of potential."
"But…" Joy sniffled, "…what about the center?"
"You have a lot of cousins, right?" Raine smiled. "Tell one of them to take care of it."
"…are you really sure I can do this, Raine?" Joy asked.
"Of course. All you have to do is stick to your dream." Raine reassured her. "And you've gotta have a Pokémon, of course."
"I do," Joy said, opening a Pokéball from her apron pocket. A small, pink Pokémon appeared. She had yellow tips at the ends of her ears and a small mouth. Her eyes looked strange, but one could tell when they were open or not.
"Whismur!" the small Pokémon called out.
"Oh, it's darling!" Raine smiled at the Pokémon. "Does it have a name?"
"Yes," Joy smiled. "I named her after my niece."
Raine grinned. "Well, she's cute for right now, but later, she'll become a big Exploud."
"You take care of Cyndi," Joy told Raine. "If you're gonna do anything, do it with everything you've got."
"And I expect to hear my daughter raving about how you're winning contests," Raine smiled.
Joy recalled her small Pokémon and began to walk away. The sun had set during their conversation.
"Oh, and Raine?" Joy said before departing. "I'm sorry for everything."
"Forgiven and forgotten. That's how it is with my faith, and that's how I'll treat you." Raine responded. Joy turned and left on her own journey with Cyndi, her Whismur. She turned off the path to the Pokémon Center in the forest, instead deciding to rough it in the forest and train for the next contest she could enter.
Raine turned back to Skarmory. "Let's go back to where our family and friends are waiting, old girl," she told her Pokémon as she climbed onto Skarmory's back.
The Armor Pokémon lifted off, and flew back to the Cerulean Pokémon Center.
"Just as long as you're okay, honey," Delia told her son over the video phone.
"I am," Ash smiled to her. "I just wish I hadn't eaten so much of Brock's cooking. He cooked enough for all the trainers visiting the center, and I still ate too much."
"Don't eat too much, Ash," Delia warned him. "May won't like it if you get out of shape."
"I… I never thought about that," Ash blinked into the monitor.
"Did Misty go back home?" Delia asked.
"Yes, mom," Ash replied.
"Where is everyone else?" Delia continued.
"Norman's already got a room for him and Caroline. Tracey is also in his room with Oak. May's here with me, Brock, Max, and Cyndi are out. I dunno where Raine is. Joseph is at the counter." Ash prattled off the list as though he wasn't truly paying attention. Delia smiled, knowing that her son was feeling like things were returning to some form of normalcy.
"Tell Raine that we're all done here. Caroline and I will be coming up before the nights over," Delia continued. "Make sure Brock saves us some food."
"I will," Ash responded automatically.
"And make sure you get plenty of sleep and change your-"
"I will," Ash interrupted as Pikachu scrambled off the boy's shoulder into his lap.
Pikachu smiled at Delia. "Pikaka, pika pika Pikapi ka Pikapika pikachu pika pi."
"I know you will," Delia smiled at Pikachu. "Take good care of them."
"Bye, Mom," Ash said.
"Bye, sweetie. See you soon." Delia hung up.
Ash stood up and stretched. He had been talking to his mother for what felt like hours. Raine had come back a while ago, while the rest of the group waited for Brock to finish cooking. He and May had eaten their fill, and May was yawning loudly as Joseph ran the computer on the desk. He tapped the keys very quietly, a difference form his wife's heavy handedness.
"Okay, I've got sleeping arrangements set up," he told May, who kept pacing around the room.
"Thanks, Doctor Joseph," May yawned. "Can I go to sleep now?"
"Not until Brock and Max get back," he said, a glint in his eye. The hidden meaning was lost on the girl, however, as she let out another rude yawn while in front of him.
"Where'd they go, anyway?" May complained as she walked over to Ash.
"They went to go get supplies for our journey, remember?" Ash sighed. "Cyndi wanted to go with them, probably to say goodbye to Max before we leave tomorrow."
"Oh yeah," May said, thinking. "We're leaving to go to the Battle Pyramid, right?"
Ash struck an confidant pose. "Yeah, and I'm gonna beat Brandon and win my last Frontier Symbol!"
"Pi pikachu!" his partner chimed in.
A depressed look crossed over May's face. "Is something wrong, May?" Ash asked.
Before May could say anything, Brock, Max, and Cyndi stepped in, each carrying a large sack. "We've got everything we're gonna need," Brock smiled as he dropped his sack on the counter. "Do you have our rooms yet, Doctor?"
"As a matter of fact," Joseph grinned, "I do. This way, please." He took a clipboard with him as he led the trainers and his daughter down the hall. He led them to down a hallway in the center. Many of the doors were closed as they passed by. Joseph sighed as they came to the end of the hallway. "Here are the last two rooms we've got."
"The last two?" Max asked.
"Yeah, and they're only for two people each," he said, sighing, "so two of you are gonna have to sleep in a separate room."
"So which room are we going to get?" Max said, turning to his sister.
"Actually," May blushed, "I'd like to share my room with Ash."
Ash turned bright red as everyone's eyes shot to him and then to May.
"I-It's not like that!" May tried to squelch their thoughts, blushing. "I just wanted to talk to him about some stuff!"
"Okay, sis," Max pushed up his glasses with his free hand. "Whoever-I mean, however you sleep at night."
May growled at her brother, but didn't hit him due to the sack of supplies he carried, fearing that he's drop them and break the contained items.
"It's okay," Ash sighed. "I mean, the rooms are both for two people, right? May and I have shared a room before, so I'm sure nothing bad is gonna happen."
Grinning like a Cheshire Cat, Joseph opened the door to the room that Brock and Max would be staying in, and let them begin to become aquainted. Ash and May left their packs in the room after taking out their night clothes and a change for the next day (Raine was kind enough to give May a complete wardrobe switch when she gave May her new outfit), with the coordinator also taking with her various shower supplies. Cyndi hung around the room as Max prepared for sleep. Ash and May left the room and stepped into the room across the hall.
Immediately, Ash noticed something different. But he couldn't put his finger on the change.
"Um, Joseph," May asked, "why is there only one bed in here?"
That was the difference, Ash thought. Wait, one bed? "I thought you said this was a room for two people!" the boy shouted quietly, worried that he may grab the attention of his friends across the hall.
"Well, technically," Joseph smiled, "it is. This room is for a married couple."
"M-married?" Ash and May blushed brightly, as images from their dreams that morning rushed into their minds. The both shot a look at each other, both guilty of a similar offense.
"It really is the only room left!" Joseph tried to quell them. "I did as best as I could!"
May sighed. "It can't be helped, can it?" She turned to Ash. "We made this bed ourselves. I guess we have to sleep in it." May stuck her tongue out and giggled at her pun.
"Well, you're the one who wanted to talk to me, so you sleep in it!" Ash shouted back at her before he realized what he said.
"You said it, not me," May giggled as she tossed her changes of clothes onto the bed. "I guess you get the floor."
"Wait! That's not what I meant!" Ash tried to recover from his folly.
"So, so you want to sleep with me now?" May fluttered her eyelids seductively.
"Yes! I mean- No! I mean- gah!" Ash flailed around. Pikachu was rolling on the ground laughing at his trainer's plight.
"Yes, well," Joseph coughed, "I guess I'll leave you two alone…" he said quietly under Ash's ranting as he slipped out the door.
He heard the door click and realized it was too late to ask to switch rooms with Max. Resigning himself to his fate, Ash began to make himself comfortable on the floor as May turned on the television.
May hopped off the bed with her night clothes in one hand and her bag of shower supplies in the other. "I'm gonna take a shower," she said, walking into the bathroom, closing the door. "Don't try to peek at me!" she called from behind the door.
Ash grumbled. "What does she think I am, some kind of pervert?"
"Pikapika…" Pikachu said. He turned to the bed and leapt from the ground to it. Enjoying the softness, he snuggled up against the pillow.
Ash looked jealously at Pikachu. Stealing a glance at the closed bathroom door and hearing the shower on behind it, Ash slinked onto the bed next to Pikachu.
"Woah," Ash felt himself sinking into the bed. "This is a soft bed." He looked around for at remote to the television across the room from him. Pikachu pointed to the nightstand, causing Ash to look over and pick the remote off of it.
Ash began flipping through channels. He felt himself dozing off on the comfortable bed. It was a gigantic leap forward to sleeping on the floor and on Raine's furniture.
May stepped into the bathtub and pulled the shower screen over the tub. She took a deep breath and turned on the showerhead. The cold water splashed her body, causing her to dart out of the water's path. She kneeled under the water and turned the cold knob all the way off while turning the hot knob all the way on. May had always preferred hot showers to cold ones. Cold showers made her think too much of rain and that terrible day at the beach when a cold current brought a mass of Tentacool to the shallow waters. Hot showers made her feel cleaner and happier.
As she stood in the shower, she began to contemplate how she would go about talking to Ash. This subject was important. As she took the bar of complimentary soap and unwrapped it, she thought of the situation. After Ash is finished with the Battle Pyramid, what's gonna happen to us? Will we go somewhere where he can participate in a Pokémon League and I can do contests? I should tell him Drew's going to Johto. Will that influence his decision? What if… she dropped the small bar of soap. The current pushed it down the drain in the tub.
What if he wants to go somewhere without contests? What if we have to split up? May felt weak for a moment. No, Ash wouldn't want to split up with me! But, what if his dream makes him?
May thought hard about that. Ash had been traveling much longer than she has, and he was still far from being a Pokémon Master. Would victory in the Battle Frontier be it? No, May told herself. To be a Master, Ash would have to keep traveling. The journey is more important than the destination. He'll have to keep going. Just like I will if I ever want to be a top coordinator.
May looked into the drain and sighed. The bar of soap was long gone. She looked and saw the tiny bottle of complementary shampoo. Figuring that shampoo is just soap for your hair, May popped the top open and squirted some into her hands.
As she rubbed herself down, her thoughts returned to Ash. I don't want us to split. We can't. Will one of us have to put our journey on the backburner? Will Ash want to? Will I have to? Am I willing to make that sacrifice?
She put more of the shampoo in her hands and began to massage it into her hair. She made sure that her signature hair style was kept in top shape. I can't let my looks slack just because I've captured a man, can I? May laughed to herself out loud. There's really nothing more I can do about this without talking to Ash, she decided. She rinsed her hair out under the running water and stepped out of the tub. She grabbed one of the plain towels and dried herself off, and then slipped into her usual night clothes: a large, yellow shirt and her underwear. Before opening the door, she considered getting more dressed, but brushed off the notion. Ash and Pikachu would be the only two in the room, and they had already seen her dressed thusly on several occasions, not the least of which was the night in the forest less than a week ago.
She quietly creaked open the door to spy Ash and Pikachu asleep on the bed. The boy had dozed off while watching the news on television as they recapped their victory over Misty and Harley from earlier that afternoon. His hat was lowered over his eyes, and Pikachu napped on the pillow next to him.
May saw this and thought how cute the scene was. Then, she got an idea. An idea she was sure would make Ash freak-out. Unbeknownst to her, her eyes had taken on that gleam of the untamed. She quietly tip-toed over to the bed and quietly slipped onto it, being sure to not wake Ash. She set herself parallel to him, and leaned as close as she could to his ear.
Making her voice sound as sultry and seductive as possible, she whispered into his ear, "Hey, lover."
Ash quickly snapped out of his sleep and turned his bright red face over to May, who was working to stifle the laughter that was building up inside of her. He jumped off the bed, knocking his hat from his head, and backed up the wall as quickly as he could, never taking his eyes off of the girl who laid on the bed.
Ash began to speak, but in typical Ash fashion, only an incomprehensible string of noise left his mouth. The volume of said noise was kept to a dull roar. May exploded with laughter after noticing.
Pikachu scratched at his ears with his hind paw, turned over, and resumed sleeping.
"M-M-May!" Ash managed to get out, "what are you doing?"
Trying to calm her laughter down, she began taking in deep breaths. "I-I was trying," she said between giggles, "to wake you up. That reaction was priceless!" She again fell into a laughing fit.
Ash was not amused. Especially not after he was dreaming himself doing. "Why'd you scare me like that?" he demanded to know. "That was a dirty trick!"
May continued to play around with the innuendo Ash was unknowingly letting out. "Oh, I'm being dirty now, am I?" she fluttered her eyelashes before tumbling on her back in laughter.
Ash was about to say something mean in response, but when May fell on her back, he caught a glimpse of the cotton panties he had to fish out of the dryer that day. Why now, of all times? he cursed. Being unable to respond to such advances by the girl, he turned and sat in the corner, facing the wall.
May stopped laughing and slipped over to Ash on the side of the room. "Are you okay?" she asked.
Ash growled.
"Did I make you mad?" she asked again.
The boy let out another grunt and nodded his head.
May smiled at how cute Ash acted when he was mad. Her eyes fell back into an apologetic mood. She wrapped her arms around him and sat on her knees behind him. "I'm sorry, Ash," she whispered into his ear. "I didn't mean to upset you. I guess I was just having a bit of fun when I shouldn't have."
Ash sighed. "I forgive you, May," he said. "Just give me a heads up next time, alright?"
May smiled at him. "Alright," she gave his torso a squeeze. May stood up and sat on the bed, looking expectantly at Ash. "You gonna change into your bed clothes?" she asked him.
Ash quickly recalled what he defined his 'bed clothes' as. It merely meant discarding his pants, socks, and hooded sweatshirt. While he wasn't above discarding the latter two, Ash had no intention of sleeping in the same room as May alone without his trousers.
"No, I think I'll stay dressed," he smiled falsely, trying to dissuade the girl who looked at him from the bed from encroaching any further.
"Are you sure?" May asked. "I might get cold and turn up the heat, making you get really hot."
Shaking alternate definitions of cold and hot from his mind, Ash looked back up at her. "I'll be fine," he sighed, crawling over to lie on the ground beside the bed.
"You gonna join me up here?" she asked to the boy who had crawled up to her feet.
Ash gulped. He did enjoy the softness of the bed while he was up there before May gave him a rude awakening. Pikachu was enjoying the bed too much to join him on the hard, cold carpet, either. "Is there any way I could get you to put on more clothes if I said yes?" he asked, not expecting her to comply.
"Well," May placed her finger to her chin in thought, "if it makes you that uncomfortable, then I'll go put my shorts back on."
"Could you please?" Ash asked, sitting up, looking up to the girl.
"Okay, Ash," she smiled at him, slipping off the opposite side for where she left her clothes in the bathroom.
Ash slipped on to the bed where May had gotten off of it. Pikachu still napped through their conversation, proving that he either could sleep through anything, or that he was no longer interested in interrupting the couple during 'personal time.'
May appeared in the door way, and raised the end of her shirt to prove to Ash that she was wearing shorts to comfort him. Ash blushed at the presentation, turning back to the wall he just departed from.
May climbed onto the bed and sat behind him. "There where some things I wanted to talk to you about…" she began.
"Like what?" Ash turned back to face her.
Her normally bright eyes took on a shade darker than usual. "Our next destination is the Battle Pyramid, right?"
"Yeah," Ash answered, completely unaware of what May was thinking.
May picked up Pikachu and held him in her lap. She stroked the Pokémon's fur, trying to keep herself calm. "Where are we gonna go after that?"
"What do you mean?" Ash asked.
"Drew said that contests are starting in Johto soon," she answered, "and I was worrying about where we're all gonna go after the Battle Frontier."
Ash crossed his legs and put on a puzzled look. "Y'know, I haven't given it much thought," he answered honestly. "I don't know what kind of place we're gonna go next, but we can go together, right?"
"What if," May began, "just pretending, the next place you wanted to go had already had their Grand Festival and wasn't going to have another one until after the Pokémon League there was over?"
"Well," Ash said, "why couldn't we go to Johto? You said the contest were starting there. I could participate in that league again."
"Didn't you already participate in the Johto League?" May said, annoyed.
"Yeah, but I can go again," Ash said.
"Okay, but what if I wanted to go somewhere that had Contests but no league," May asked back. "Would you put your quest on hold to stay with me?"
Ash was taken back and began to ponder. His journey was important to him. He would always need to challenge himself by going to new battles and facing new challenges. Traveling with May to a place with nothing for him to compete in meant that he would go for up to a year without doing any serious training. But what about a reverse situation.
"Would you go to a place with Gyms but no Contests for me?" he asked her.
"I-I came to Kanto to follow you to wherever you were going next," she blushed and looked at her hands as she sat them atop Pikachu. "I never thought about going to more contests here. It was just gonna be down time until Hoenn's contests started again." She looked up into his eyes, blushed lightly. "So… I guess I would…"
"I… I guess I would, too," he sighed. "But I'd much rather go to a place that lets us both do something." He slid down the bed and sighed, resting his head on the pillow. "It'd be better for both of us in the long run. If I have to train for Gyms, I'd be a better practice partner for you, and vice-versa."
"That's true…" May said to herself. She put Pikachu back on the pillow next to her, and slid down the bed, laying her head on Ash's chest. "This is gonna be a hard one to figure out, huh?" she said to Ash while facing the celing."
"Wherever we go," Ash wrapped his arm around May's upper body, "we'll go together. I still don't know where we'll go. But, May, you're important to me. Just as much as my Pokémon, and defiantly more important than winning a dumb ol' tournament."
"Thanks, Ash," May turned her head and smiled at him. "That's very sweet."
Ash blushed and looked away. "W-We should be getting to sleep. I don't know how far the Battle Pyramid's gonna be from here. It could be a long time before we sleep in a soft bed again, and I want to get as rested as I can."
"Good thinking," May said to him. She broke from his grip and slid under the covers. Ash stayed on top of them, and just watched May go under. "Aren't you gonna join me?" she asked.
"I-I don't think I should," Ash blushed and twiddled his thumbs.
"Oh, don't be such a worry wart," May smiled, sitting up. "It'll be fine. We've slept together before, and nothing happened then, right?"
"But this time there's a bed," Ash pointed out, thinking himself clever.
"C'mon, Ash," May tried to persuade him, "wouldn't you rather be warm?"
"I am warm," Ash said. "I'm still wearing my clothes. They keep me warm."
May got a defeated look on her face. "Okay…" she sighed. "I guess I just wanted you to hold me as we slept… If you don't want to, I can't make you…"
Ash felt May's guilt trip in full force. "Y-Y'know, if I do this, you're gonna end up being spoiled."
And then, she did it. She looked up at him with her eyes and the cutest look she could muster on her face. "Please, Ashy," she cutely begged. "I just want you under the covers with me. Is that too hard?"
Ash could try to rationalize with May's guilt trips. He could work against her claims. But the Pokémon-Master-in-training was powerless against her cuteness. Knowing that he was fighting a losing battle, Ash sighed and slipped under the covers, still clothed. "I'm still gonna be wearing my clothes, though," he said as though he won the argument.
May slowly wrapped her arms around his midsection. "That's fine," she said, nuzzling his chest.
Ash sat there blushing for a second, but then wrapped his arms around the girl. He slipped further under the covers, and rested his head on the pillow next to Pikachu as May rested her head on Ash's chest.
"Ash…" she said, "…have you thought about the future?"
"The future?" Ash blinked. "Isn't that what we just talked about?"
"No, I mean way into the future. Not a week or so, but years," May clarified her statement.
Ash closed his eyes and thought. "What about the future?"
"I dunno," May said. "All kinds of stuff."
"Well, one time, I wondered how long it would take me to become a Pokémon Master," Ash let out.
"What does it mean to be a Pokémon Master?" May asked him, both of them looking at the ceiling.
Ash thought for a moment. "I… I really never thought of that."
"'Cause if it's just becoming one with your Pokémon, then you already are a master to me," May smiled, even though he couldn't see.
"Thanks, May," Ash said to her. "What kinds of stuff do you think about when you think about the future?"
May blushed. "I think about what my wedding will be like," she giggled.
Ash gulped audibly. The reason was twofold: the first was his dream the night prior, the second, what that would mean for him.
"Ash," May said curiously, "how long do you think we'll stay together?"
"What do you mean?" Ash asked, thankful to get off the subject of a lifetime partnership.
"Well, I see on TV and stuff that people are always breaking up for stupid reasons, and the divorce rate is really high," May told him. "I was wondering if that would ever happen to me."
Ash felt his heart skip a beat. "I don't want to leave you, May," he said.
"Are we gonna be together forever, Ash?" May asked him.
"Forever's a long time, May," he said. "We don't know what will happen between now and then."
May became glum. "Does that mean we're gonna have to leave each other some day, even if we don't want to?"
Ash thought of something to reassure her. "I don't know what will happen, but I'll do everything I can to make sure we stay together, May."
"Really?" she asked.
"Yeah," Ash responded.
"Do you love me, Ash?" she asked cutely.
"You know, don't you?" Ash responded.
"Yeah, but I still like to hear it," she giggled.
"Okay," Ash smiled. He took in a deep breath and cleared his thoughts. He began speaking in a calm, quiet voice to her. "I love you, May. I've never felt this kind of love before. It's different than the love I give my Pokémon. It's different from the love I give my Mom, or any of my friends. It's a love I want only us to share. You have a really special place in my heart, May."
May snuggled against him. "That was really sweet, Ash," she told him.
Ash chuckled. "Well, I got most of that from our conversation about love the other night, remember?"
May giggled. "That's right." She snuggled against his chest again. "G'night, Ashy," she said to him sweetly.
"Good night, May," he pulled her closer to him.
May felt warm and safe in Ash's arms. It was a similar sensation to when she had been frightened as a little girl and ran into her parent's room at night and was held by her daddy after she had a bad dream. Not just safe. Secure. May felt like she was held by the most dependable security system in the world. And she loved him to pieces. The girl let out a yawn, and felt herself drifting off to sleep.
May stood on a mountaintop. Rather, May was walking up to a mountaintop. She found it difficult to climb the stairs and took a look down to see why.
She was wearing a long white dress with pink frills just under the neckline, accentuating her chest. The pink frills trailed down the dress to where it bloomed outward, tiny pink roses sewn into the fabric in swirls that ended about halfway down the bloom. The rest of the dress was plain white, with a long train covering the last few steps May had apparently been walking up.
May clicked her heel against the stone step. She felt the tall heel of the dress shoe she wore tap the stone, and heard a click as she did so. Rubbing her legs together caused her to feel nylon stockings on them, similar to the ones she had worn for special occasions such as funerals and weddings.
It struck her, then. She was dressed as a bride.
Not knowing why she was walking up the mountain in a wedding dress, May decided that the only way to obtain an answer would be to approach the top. Sighing, she picked up the front of her dress in her hands, which she noticed were in arm-length white gloves, and began the process of climbing the stairs.
As she peaked her head to the top of the mountain, she saw a lone man standing there, looking at the setting sun in the distance. His black, scraggly hair was immediately recognized by her, and he had his hands in the pockets of the black slacks he wore as part of his tuxedo. A pink rose was pinned to his black coat. Wheezing in the heavy dress, she finally got to the top and walked as quickly as she could to his side.
"Ash…" she panted… "What are we doing here?"
"It's a very important day," he said cryptically.
"Well, if it's what I think it is," May caught her breath, "then where is everyone? Why are we the only two here?"
"Because he won't appear before that many people," the man responded.
"Who won't appear?" May asked.
"He won't appear before that many people," the man responded again.
"Who is it?" May was becoming annoyed, both with the dress and her apparent fiancé.
"There," he said, pointing to the skies behind May. "Look."
May turned around and saw a large, shimmering bird flying towards the mountain they were on. It had majestic comb atop its head, however, it was too far away to tell the color. It had large red wings with green feathers protruding from the back, and a large, flaring bush of tail feathers. It seems to glow with a golden aura and it changed colors as it flew above Ash and May.
"W-What's that?" May was startled at the strange creature. At first, she was repulsed by how strange it looked, but at the same time, she was drawn in to its unique beauty.
"Don't you remember?" Ash said, also looking at the creature. "That's Ho-oh."
"Ho-oh… That Pokémon we saw after you lost to Brandon?" she asked.
Ash nodded. "Its made an appearance here for us. For our day."
As Ash and May spoke, Ho-oh flew overhead, and away from the mountain top they stood on. It let out a shrill cry, and continued on its way.
"Charizard!" Ash tossed a Pokéball. From the ball, a draconic Pokémon appeared. He had large, powerful wings and a royal look upon his face, as if he was a king. His powerful tail snapped at the ground, flicking embers from the end of his tail. As Ash walked up to him, the powerful dragon bent down, allowing Ash to climb on his neck. "C'mon, May," he said to the girl in the elaborate dress, "let's follow Ho-oh."
May picked up the front of her dress again, and walked over to Ash. She stepped over Charizard's neck and straddled the dragon between her legs. She wrapped her arms around Ash as he ordered the Pokémon to rise. Charizard rose up and took off, flying after Ho-oh. At first, May was frightened. She feared that Charizard would drop her much like Drew's Flygon had. However, Charizard's wings flew powerfully, and he didn't falter as they chased after Ho-oh. May began to enjoy the sight of the ocean they flew over, with many tiny islands in the distance. She wrapped her arms around Ash tighter, both for more support on the flight, and as a sign of affection.
"This is so romantic, Ash," she said.
Ash blushed. "I-uh heard from someone that you wanted to fly with us one day."
May's dress fluttered in the wind behind them as they flew. She let out a sigh. "I'm just so sad that this is all a dream."
"Yeah," Ash sighed as well. "This seems like it'd be really neat if it happened for real."
"Wait, are you dreaming?" May asked Ash.
"Yeah, are you?" Ash asked back, confusion crossing his face.
May nuzzled Ash's back. "Let's just enjoy the moment."
Ash agreed as they chased after the rainbow bird on the back of one of Ash's most trusted partner.
Brock knocked on the door across the hall. "Ash! May! Are you two gonna get up?" He tried to open the knob. He was surprised when he felt the knob turn in response. He peeked into the door and saw Ash and May still sleeping quietly in the same bed, under the covers, with Pikachu napping on the pillow next to Ash's head. Staring for only a moment, he quietly closed the door and found himself face to face with Max as he turned around.
"Are they gettin' up?" the boy asked the breeder.
"I think we should let them sleep a little longer," Brock smiled, taking the boy by the arm and leading him down the hall.
The center was quiet, with Chansey patiently sitting at the counter. Brock asked the pink Pokémon if breakfast had started in the cafeteria. The Normal-Type gave a nod, and Brock led Max to get something to eat.
The clicking of the door closed roused May from her slumber. The sun drifted in through the window, causing the girl to clench her eyes shut. "It's too early," she whined, pulling the covers over her face. She looked over under to covers to see Ash's torso and lower body. Remembering where she was and who she was with, she popped her head from under the covers, only to expose her sapphire eyes to the sun again. She turned over to Ash, and nudged him.
"Not yet," he said as though he was awake. "I'm going back to sleep."
"It's morning, Ash," she said, shaking him again.
"I know what time it is," he responded, eyes shut. "I just don't want to get up yet."
"Well, if we keep Max and Brock waiting, they're going to wonder why it took us so long to get up," May warned him, hopping out of bed. "I'm gonna get dressed." She looked to the ground where her clothes had fallen off the bed when she and Ash had gone to sleep before. The stepped into the bathroom and began to change behind a closed door.
Ash turned over and looked at Pikachu. The electric-type looked at his trainer with wide eyes.
Ash grudgingly sat up and rubbed his eyes. Pikachu leapt onto Ash's head and messed with his trainer's dark hair. Ash pulled Pikachu from his scalp and gave his buddy a hug. Being nearly completely dressed except for his hat and shoes, Ash was already ready to go. May was changing as quickly as possible as the trainer put his hat back on his head. Ash stepped up to the door. "Hey, May, can I come in and brush my teeth?"
"No," she said, struggling against something from the other side of the door. "Besides, you never got your toothpaste from your pack last night."
Ash groaned. "I can't believe I forgot…"
"…there," she said, giving a sigh of relief. "Now, why didn't you want to wake up?"
"You better not make fun of me when I say this," Ash prefaced.
"I won't," May said, the sound of clothing coming from her side of the door.
Ash began, "I was dreaming that I was on top of a mountain, and you came up wearing a wedding dress. And we saw-"
"Ho-oh, and then we followed it on Charizard?" May ended, opening the door, dressed in her new outfit.
"How did you know?" Ash asked looked in her eyes, afraid of the answer.
"I had the same dream," she said. "Except, I was me, and everything."
"How did we have the same dream?" Ash was confused. He turned on the television, and the newscaster possibly had an answer.
"Reports are coming in that a large, golden Pokémon was seen flying over Cerulean in the early hours of the morning," the television said.
"Golden Pokémon?" they both said at the same time.
"The police tell the populace that it was more than likely a weather balloon, or a rare-colored Pidgeot, and says that they will not be pursuing the subject further," the TV finished.
"Do you think Ho-oh gave us that dream?" May asked him as he turned off the television, scared by the events.
"I think this is just a coincidence," Ash tried to brush it off. "It's all to weird, otherwise."
"Yeah, I guess you're right…" May sighed. "C'mon, let's get something to eat! I'm starving!"
Ash chuckled as Pikachu climbed to his shoulder. "That's something I can agree on. Let's go."
Everyone in the cafeteria held their mouth open as they took in the scene. Such a display of raw, primal energy was not something seen in a Pokémon Center's cafeteria. A display of such ferocity was shocking to everyone who walked by.
For Brock, it was par for the course of watching Ash and May eat.
The couple greeted their friends as they entered, then immediately got in line. Ash and May got as much food as could possibly fit on their tray without stacking incompatible foods. Ash got himself a waffle, a plate of biscuits and gravy, and another plate with eggs and bacon. May got three chocolate chip pancakes, a bowl of fruit flavored cereal, and some biscuits and jam. Both got milk to drink. They sat down across from each other, smiling politely to themselves and their other friends, and then proceeded to tear into their food. Sighing, Max and Cyndi finished what was left on their plates, and then left the cafeteria to avoid being associated with such poorly mannered people.
May and Ash smiled at each other at varying intervals during their display of how kind people could be so cruel to food. Brock gave up trying to correct them. He just got up and went to wait for them in the lobby.
After they finished, Ash and May stepped into the lobby, where they caught up with Max, Cyndi and Brock. The five stepped outside of the center to find all of their parents (Brock's excluded), as well as Professor Oak, Tracey, and Misty waiting for them.
"I guess this is it, guys," Ash said to the group.
"You're all leaving?" Cyndi said depressingly.
"We've gotta go and get my last Frontier Symbol," Ash told her. "My toughest battle is waiting for me in the Battle Pyramid."
"You've all done so much for us," Joseph said to the traveling trainers. "I don't know how to thank you all."
"It's nothing," May smiled, taking Ash's hand. "We've all gotten something out of this adventure."
"Well," Max said slyly, "apart from Brock, that is."
Brock began to cry. "You don't have to rub it in!"
"You've been such a good influence on Cyndi, Ash," Raine said to him. "Good luck in the Battle Pyramid."
"Thanks, Raine." Ash smiled back. "Good luck with your store."
Delia and Misty stepped up to Ash. "You better take good care of her, Ash," the Gym Leader warned him. "You already know what it's like to be on a girl's bad side."
"I'll do my best, Misty," Ash laughed.
"Take care of yourself," Delia said to him. "We'll be waiting for you to come back to Pallet Town. And make sure you change it every day, honey."
Ash sighed. "I will. You'd think since you think I'm mature enough to have a girlfriend, you'd think I'd be mature enough to do that."
Meanwhile, Norman and Caroline walked up to May. "You be sure to keep an eye out for your little brother, May. You don't need to be so absorbed into Ash that you forget about him.," Norman reminded her.
"I'll watch him. I've always cared about Max, and Ash isn't gonna change that," May brushed off their worry.
"May," Caroline bent down to be at eye level with her daughter, "if you have any questions about anything you start to feel about Ash, you can always call me."
"Alright, Mom," May smiled into her mother's eyes with the same she inherited from her. "I promise."
Cyndi blushed and stepped close to Max. "Y-You… You better stay in touch with me!" she shouted at him before ducking behind her father's legs.
"What do you mean?" Max asked her, becoming confused.
"I mean, when I can get my starter Pokémon, you better come back here and teach me how to be a trainer!" she shouted, poking her head out at Max before hiding again.
"Why are you acting so weird, Cyndi?" Max asked.
Brock placed his hand on the boy's head. "I think I should explain it on the road."
"What's up?" Max asked Brock as he was lead away from the girl.
"Like I said," Brock pushed him along, "I'll explain later."
Ash and May laughed knowingly at May's little brother. The traveling party said their farewells to the group as they set off down the road. They left amid the cheers of their friends and family with behind them, and set off for Ash's battle at the Battle Pyramid. The sun shone above them, brightly lighting the way for them as they traveled to their next Battle Frontier adventure.
"Hey," Ash recalled as they walked down the road, "it's just been over a week since we had this little side adventure, hasn't it?"
May placed her finger to her chin. "Yeah, a week ago today, you were battling Drew because you both thought I was kidnapped by the other."
"Yeah, and now you have a boyfriend," Max said.
May giggled and grabbed Ash's hand. "Things can certainly change in a weeks time, huh?"
Ash smiled and squeezed her hand back, "Yeah. I'd never have guessed that I'd get my first girlfriend while on my journey."
"Watch out, Brock," Max warned the breeder, "I think Ash and May are gonna start kissin' right here."
May became indignant. "And what would be wrong with that?" she asked her little brother. "Ash is my boyfriend, after all."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean the rest of us wanna see it," Max smiled as he ran ahead of his sister along the path that lead through the forest.
"Max, you're gonna get it this time!" May threatened, chasing ahead of him after releasing Ash's hand.
The trainer stepped next to Brock. "Some things never change, huh?" he asked Brock, jokingly.
"I guess not," the youth laughed back. "Didn't they fight the day this all got started, too?"
"I better keep May from beating Max to a pulp," Ash laughed, racing ahead of his long time friend.
"Don't leave me back here, Ash," Brock called, chasing after him as fast as he could, "my mediating skills can solve any conflict between brothers and sisters!"
As he chased down the road to stop his girlfriend from hurting her brother, Ash Ketchum knew that his life was changed forever this past week. There are many more challenges awaiting him, not just in the Battle Frontier, but in life as well. But for as long as he continues his journey, he will have invaluable partners joining him in his life, not the least of which are his best friend Pikachu who hangs obediently on his shoulder, or the girl named May, whom he's fallen in love with. And as long as he stays with such valuable friends, he's certain to have many more exciting adventures in the days, and yes, years to come.
And that, my friends, is the end of the story. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Now, a hot button issue is what's going to happen next in the story. This is complete. However, a sequal is in the works. So we haven't seen the last of Ash, May, Cyndi and Brock.
However, I'm going to take some time off before I write another long thing. There are some oneshots I want to do, including a challenge that I want to accept. But, for that, just watch my Profile Page.
I would like to thank everyone who's helped me over the course of this journey. Unfortunatly, that's probably too many names to list! So, I'll just offer a big blanket, "Thank you!" to everyone. Especially, you, the reader. After all, if it wasn't for you, there'd be no point to my writing.
Until we meet again!