Hi everyone! I know it's been ABSOLUTELY FOREVER since I last updated! I'm really sorry about the delay, I've got an incredibly busy schedule this summer! Anyways, I wrote this chapter with the intention of answering a lot of questions people have had about the story overall, and thought it may not answer every question, I was sure to reveal a lot here! I also really want to clarify that when I refer to Ash's muscular physique, don't think of an overly buff, Jojo Joestar / Dio Brando Dragon Ball Z kind of physique, he's just got a hot, muscular teenage boy body. Though I mean absolutely no offense to Jojo, Dio, or DBZ as I love them very much! And also, remember that this is a AU fic so things will be irregular! Also, I imply that Barry, Brock and Cilan are seen to have good bodily structure. Cilan was to be a bit more lean while Barry and Brock are more similar to Ash in burly and strong stature, but I'm still implying that Cilan is just as masculine and strong! Anyways, I'm really running on here, so please read and review! I hope you enjoy this chapter! I actually had a lot of fun writing it! So please read and please review! Your reviews keep me motivated and ultimately keep these chapters coming! And as I have said earlier, I will include the age listings for the characters since you all should all know them by now.

11/19/2013: This is the updated, edited version of Chapter 6: Wasser's Heart! :)

May Maple - 16 years old

Max Maple - 8 years old

Ash Ketchum - 17 years old

Brock Harrison - 20 years old

Autumn Aki - 20 years old

Barry Pearl - 17 years old

Dawn Berlitz - 16 years old

Cilan Dent - 19 years old

Iris Drake - 17 years old

Chapter 6: Wasser's Heart

"Come on May! Hurry up! Who cares about what you're wearing? We're going swimming!" May groaned as she heard Max's shrill call from outside of her bedroom. Whether it was swimming or not, she wasn't one to go out without primping herself. Her room was chimerical; clothes and accessories obscured the floor and she couldn't even sit on her bed without several magazines and books slipping off onto the ground. She could barely walk without stepping on something as it was.

May trudged around her room in strain as she tried to gather her stuff. As Max had said earlier, he and May were going swimming with the group, who consisted of Ash, Iris, Cilan, Dawn, Barry, Autumn, and Brock. Ash had invited Max to come along, much to May's dismay. They would be heading down to the West Fork to a place they called Wasser's Heart. Apparently, it was the name of a swimming hole in there. May and Max had never been to a swimming hole. Living in the city, it was rare for them to go swimming at all. Even when she was traveling around to Hoenn cities with Drew and her friends back home, they rarely stopped anywhere but shopping departments, Pokémon Centers, and of course, Contest Halls. She was curious as to what it would be like.

May heard Max groan from outside of her door and just rolled her eyes, stepping up to the long mirror to check her appearance. She wore a teal colored tank top with a pair of small jean shorts over her swimsuit, which was a pink bikini with matching swim shorts. For her shoes, she wore a simple pair of beige flip flops decorated with pink and blue flowers on the straps. On her head was a sky blue swimming cap, but it was placed on her head in such a way where it only covered the top and still showed off her brown tresses. It resembled the look of her bandana. She smiled slightly, satisfied with her look for the day and grabbed her drawstring containing her Poké Balls, stepping outside of her room.

"Took you long enough!" snorted Max, who was sitting cross-legged by the stairs resting his chin on his hand in a bored way. He was wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of red swim shorts with an orange Poké Ball on the right leg. He had on a pair of black sandals and his green backpack. His expression however was of disapproval as he glared at his sister. May narrowed her eyes at him accusingly.

"Like you've never delayed! Anyways, come on, we're supposed to get Ash." She said. Max stood up and followed her down the stairs. As soon as they reached the base, May called out

"Mom! We're going! We'll be back by nine at the latest, okay?" she yelled. Caroline quickly came into the foyer holding a pot and stirring what was probably dinner inside of it.

"Okay, but be safe! And make sure Max is always with you!" she ordered. May sighed and then nodded impatiently.

"Yes, Mom, I will!" she replied. Max pouted.

"I'm not a baby you know," he pointed out. Caroline smiled weakly at him.

"I know, I know—Ash will be with you, right? You're not going off on your own to the West Fork? Because we still haven't been here too long and—"

"Yes, Mom! We're going with him, but he's not our body guard! We'd be just fine without him too!" May exclaimed. Max snickered.

"You? You can't even find the bathroom!" he laughed boorishly. May gritted her teeth in anger and then smiled as best she could at her mother.

"We'll be just fine, goodbye Mom!" she said under clenched teeth and grabbed Max aggressively by the arm, hauling him out the door.

"Goodbye kids! Have fun! And be safe! Oh, and tell Ash I say hello!" Caroline called out as she watched her kids walk down the cobblestone driveway. May nodded with her back turned and waved back whilst pulling her brother, who struggled to get out of her iron grasp.

"That hurts, let go!" he shouted at her as they made their way down the main path. May released him, still irate and seething as she quickened her pace toward Ash's house. Max followed up quickly to meet her pace.

"Man, I can't believe I get to hang out with you and your friends! Wait until they hear about all the dumb things you've done!" he laughed. May whirled around and glared at him.

"Max, I swear, if you embarrass me, I will put makeup on you while you sleep, take a picture and show it to everyone!" she snarled. Max gave her a smirk.

"Okay…" he sneered. May sighed in distress, knowing he wouldn't keep his mouth shut and just continued on towards Ash's. Max ran up to meet her pace again.

"So why didn't Ash come to pick us up? He always does…" Max asked.

"I told him not to. He's always coming to get us; I figured we should get him sometimes. Plus, I've never actually been to Ash's house…" she trailed off. As odd as it sounded, it was true; May had never been to Ash's house, only his ranch. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that she still knew so little about him. She neglected to ever ask Ash about himself or even if she could one day come over. It seemed like she constantly dragged Ash into her own affairs, from simple things about herself to staying for dinner. She had never bothered to ask him what he wanted. May suddenly felt selfish. Ash was always so compliant with her, she had never thought about his feelings.

"Well that's weird. It seems like he's always over at our house, you think we would've gone to visit him sometime." Max said as they continued down the path. May nodded slowly, letting her thoughts take over again. It was time she got to know Ash better.

…

"Whoa! I never knew Ash lived here!" Max exclaimed. After a little while of walking, May and Max had finally reached Ash's house, which was nothing they had expected. It was an enormous, two-story cabin house, similar to the Maples', but more elongated. There was a large porch in the front with a rocking chair, a swing seat and two small tables all along the walkway. There was an extremely lengthy balcony on the second story that branched out to the three different rooms visible from the front. There were even stairs from the ground outside the front yard leading up to it. The lower half of the house was composed of gray stones while the upper half exhibited honey-colored wood. The house was massive, exuding elegance and comfort simultaneously.

Max gaped in awe at the splendor of the dwelling, while May just stared at it wide eyed. She had never really paid any attention to Ash's house, as they were either by the Giant Oak or the barns whenever she stepped foot onto his ranch. His family's land was entirely vast, to a point where it even took Ash about twenty minutes to get to his own house by walking from the barn. At least, that was what he had told her. She had never really wanted to make the trek, but now that she was here, she regretted not having visited sooner.

May and Max began to walk towards the door. As they walked along the smooth driveway, May took notice of the other surroundings. There were two cars parked in the front: A large, black cruiser jeep and a dusky red truck. Their garden was just as lovely as the house, filled with red and yellow tulips along with apple blossom trees framing the building. There was a small fountain on the right side of the driveway that had a stone Goldeen with water spouting from its mouth. On the left side, May noticed a small yet beautiful tree. It was adorned with several white flowers with the ends of the petal tinged a purple color and a matching filament. She didn't know what type of flower they were, but they were very pretty.

The two finally reached the door. While Max gazed around the porch in awe, May cleared her throat and knocked on the door a couple times. She stood back, waiting for Ash to answer. She looked at Max to make sure he wasn't looking, and then quickly began to dust herself off and fix her hair up. The last thing she wanted was for Max to begin to tease her about primping herself up for Ash, especially in front of him.

"What an awesome place…" Max gushed as he came back to his sister's side, who had luckily finished fixing herself by the time he shifted his attention back to her. May nodded in agreement and then stood upright in surprise as she heard approaching footsteps. The door suddenly began to creek open and the two stepped back to see a small figure opening it. When the door swung open fully, their jaws dropped.

"Mime?" a curious, yet cute sounding voice perked. May and Max blinked. A Mr. Mime in the doorway stared back at them just as perplexed. It was wearing an apron and holding a broom. It blinked and then smiled joyfully.

"Mime! Mr. Mime!" it piped cordially. Max's eyes grew wide.

"Oh wow! A Mr. Mime! I didn't know Ash had one!" he exclaimed.

"Mimey? Who's at the door?" another voice asked suddenly. May and Max blinked in surprise again. They began to hear footsteps again and this time, the figure of a woman emerged. As she stepped into the light, May and Max got a better look at her. She was a beautiful lady, with golden-brown eyes and long, auburn colored hair that was tied into a low pony tail. She wore a blue and white floral skirt that reached to her ankles and a matching blue sweater with a flower on the side. As soon as she saw them, she smiled widely.

"Oh hello there! You must be Ash's friends! He's been expecting you!" she beamed kindly. Her voice was like butter. May stared in awe of her beguiling appearance. From her amber eyes, she could tell; this had to be Ash's mother. She suddenly felt more uptight and conscious. This was her first ever meeting with Ash's mom. She knew she had been away during the move, Ash had told her so earlier, but didn't know that she was back. May wished she was wearing something a bit more modest now, feeling skimpily dressed in her tiny shorts and tank top.

"Y-yes, nice to meet you; I'm May, and this is my brother Max," May introduced her and her brother to the kind woman. Max gave her a small bow. Her eyes widened in enthusiasm.

"May and Max? Oh you're Norman and Caroline's children! I should have known! May, you look so much like your mother, do you know that? Oh I'm so thrilled to meet you! You know, I still have to invite you and your family to dinner! Ash has been telling me to, but it's been so busy here—Oh, I'm sorry, I never introduced myself!" she finally took a pause for a breath. She then straightened herself up and folded her hands together in a graceful fashion.

"My name is Delia, I'm Ash's mom! And this is Mimey, my sweet little helper!" she exclaimed kindly, putting an arm around her Mr. Mime who waved at the siblings. May smiled at them. Delia was such an amiable woman; it was hard not to be drawn to her.

"It's nice to finally meet you too, Mrs. Ketchum," May held out her hand. Delia shook it kindly and gestured them inside.

"It's so nice to finally meet you kids as well! I'm so sorry I haven't been around to say hello, you see, I was away in the Kanto region for a while visiting a friend. Ash, he's such a sweet heart; he and the other ranch hands kept the place running so smoothly while I was gone! Come on in, he's probably upstairs!" she invited and brought them inside.

May glanced around Ash's house wide eyed. There was a long, spiraling stairwell leading to the second floor and the foyer was so cozy and warm with the many pictures and paintings up on the wall. Delia led them further into the house and then stopped in a room with a long, wooden table covered with a white cloth and two small, golden candelabras.

"Come! Have a seat kids! Mimey will get some snacks while we wait for Ash, he shouldn't be long! "Delia smiled as they sat down at the table. May tried to look as respectable as possible, sitting up straight with a polite expression on her face.

"So, Ash has told me so much about you two! I hear you were a Pokémon Coordinator back in the Hoenn region, May!" she exclaimed with shining enthusiasm in her eyes. May nodded nervously.

"Y-yes! I loved competing in Pokémon Contests," she answered. Delia nodded vigorously.

"Oh, how wonderful! Just like Ash! You know, he loves to battle! When he used to travel, he would compete in all kinds of tournaments! I would love to see your appeals some time!" she said excitedly. May laughed coyly while Mimey came walking in holding a silver tray of cookies and milk.

"Mime mime!" he smiled as he set the tray down on the table and then took his leave.

"Thank you Mimey!" Delia called. She then turned to Max.

"And Max! Ash tells me that you're a big fan of Pokémon!" she smiled. Max, who suddenly grew interested, smiled widely.

"You bet I am! Your Mr. Mime is so cool!" he exclaimed. Delia laughed, blushing slightly.

"Oh, why thank you! He'll be happy to hear that!" she giggled.

"Looks like you guys are enjoying yourselves," someone called suddenly. They all turned toward the doorway of the room. There stood Ash, holding a tan colored bag over his shoulder with a smirk. Again, May was enthralled by his appearance. He was always so comely and well put together. He wore a pair of navy board shorts with small, leaf-like patterns on the sides in a lighter shade of blue and a pair of black and blue wading shoes. He also wore a thin, silver chain around his neck and a white, button up collared shirt with mid-length sleeves that was left open, exposing his aesthetically exceptional build. May held back a hitched breath as she glanced at his sturdy abs and chest muscles. And of course, on his head was his baseball cap, the same black and blue one.

"Pikachu!" a familiar little voice squeaked. Ash's Pikachu came scampering down at his side and jumped up excitedly upon seeing the Maple siblings. Max lit up as soon as he saw the little Pokémon.

"Hi Pikachu!" he exclaimed as Pikachu leaped into his arms. Delia beamed elatedly at them and turned back to her son.

"Hello Ash! I was just talking to May and Max! It's so nice that we've finally gotten to meet," she turned back towards May and Max. I'm so sorry about my initial absence. But I'll make up for it! Sometime next week, you're all coming over here for dinner, and I won't take no for an answer!" Delia declared. May turned back toward her, finding it difficult to tear her gaze away from Ash. He chuckled and walked up to them, grabbing a cookie. May laughed a bit.

"We'd love to," May smiled. She knew her parents would definitely say yes. Ash bit into his cookie.

"Mom just got back from Kanto yesterday. I'm glad you all got to meet! But we should really get going now. We'll be late otherwise" he said, scratching his head. Delia nodded.

"Of course! You two, come over at any time! And we'll set up that dinner date soon!" she said as they all started to get up and push their chairs in. Max, who was now being tickled by Pikachu circling his shoulders, tried his best to speak without laughing.

"Th-thanks, Mrs. Ketchum!" he chortled as Pikachu climbed on top of his head. May shook her head at him and then turned back to Delia.

"Yes, thank you very much for the refreshments. We'll be sure to drop on by!" she smiled. Delia clapped her hands in delight and then held out the tray to them.

"Okay kids! You all have fun! Make sure you take some cookies with you! Oh, and make sure you take care of my Ash, okay?" she simpered. Ash groaned in embarrassment while May giggled.

"Of course we will," she laughed. Max hastily grabbed some cookies and began to feed one to Pikachu as they started to walk out.

"Splendid! Goodbye then! I'll see you later!" she called sweetly.

"Bye Mom! I'll be home before midnight!" Ash called back as they soon reached the foyer. He gave her an assuring smile and then opened the front door, allowing May and Max to step out first before following after them.

As soon as they reached the walkway, May let out a content breath.

"Wow, Ash! Your mother is so sweet! How come I haven't met her until now?" she inquired as she and Ash fell behind Max, who was now having a playful race with Pikachu. Ash scratched his head whilst smiling bashfully and then straightened up and met her gaze.

"Well, she told you herself, she's been in Kanto. She was visiting a friend of our family's who lives in Pallet Town. Apparently, he wasn't feeling all too well…" he trailed off a bit. May frowned.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said. Ash quickly shook his head and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't be. Mom said he was doing better by the time she left," he chuckled. May's expression softened a bit in relief. No matter what, Ash always seemed to carry himself in high spirits. He adjusted his hat a bit with his free hand and then continued.

"Also, I'm really sorry that haven't invited you over until now, things were a bit hectic, but now that Mom's here, it'll all be in order, plus, we've got that dinner she's planning. She makes a mean apple pie!" he smiled. May gazed up at him with bright eyes.

"Oh yeah! Your mom told us you were directing the ranch pretty much on your own!" she said, her tone clearly impressed. Ash laughed.

"Nah, I did a few things here and there, but if it weren't for the ranch hands, everything would have been a mess. Your dad was especially great help," he added. May remembered then that her father did often disappear into the Ketchums' land with Ash. She had initially believed that Ash was giving him pointers, but it was clear now that their relationship was equally symbiotic.

"I'm glad he was there!" she giggled. Ash just smirked at her and they continued walking, watching Max who was now eagerly chatting to Pikachu about the different moves he could learn.

"So Ash, what's the deal with this Waster's Heart place…?" May asked, curious about the swimming hole. Ash laughed and roughly ruffled the top of her head with his hand playfully.

"WASSER's Heart; and it's a swimming hole in the West Fork. We discovered it years ago while exploring a forest. It was by accident really; Barry and I were racing and I tripped over a rock and fell. He kept going though and accidentally ran through a shrub and into the swimming hole." Ash smiled as he reminisced. May laughed and looked at him in disbelief.

"You guys had some competition going on between you, huh?" she inquired rhetorically. Ash chuckled softly.

"We were only eight years old then. We were so excited about it that we did some research on the place. We found out that it was called Wasser's Heart based on this old story about one of the ancient residents of Aria," he said.

"What's the story?" May asked, suddenly becoming interested.

"Well, the way the story goes is that there was a man named Wasser, and he was notorious for being the 'scrooge' of the region. Apparently, he was this huge introvert who rarely spoke to others in the community. People described him as 'cold' and 'harsh. He just wasn't a people person. Even though he didn't like people, there was one thing that he was famously fond of: water. Wasser was crazy about water Pokémon and swimming; in fact, he was said to be the best swimmer in all of Aria. They say that Wasser was the one who found the swimming hole in the first place. He and his Golduck found it while travelling to the Isle of Lyonesse in the West Fork. They say that it was the only place where Wasser would smile. Many years later, after his death, people started to call the spot 'Wasser's Heart' because people believed that his heart was just a hole filled only with his love for water," Ash explained. May blinked in surprise at the story. It wasn't a very heartwarming story, but it was intriguing to know that someone so brooding would value something so incredibly like water.

"What a guy he was…I wonder how he'd feel, seeing us all partying in there…" May thought aloud. Ash laughed.

"He would probably drain the water," He snickered. He and May laughed and Ash began to step forward, taking the lead as soon as they reached the three-way fork in the path. Max stood by them with Pikachu in his arms.

"Okay guys, we're about to enter the West Fork now. Now I know you're both new to this particular side of Aria, so stay close and don't wander," he informed them. May and Max nodded and then began to follow after him. As Max ran up to Ash's side and began to talk to him, May stayed back and just gazed at them with a reverent look in her eyes. She hated herself for lapsing back into this thought, but she was admiring Ash's shoulders again, and how broad they were. He always stood with such valor and confidence; it was hard not to view him with such high esteem. As he turned slightly while walking with Max, the flaps of his open shirt slipped back a bit and revealed his stalwart physique. May held back a breathy sigh, and began to blush again.

If anybody knew how strong Ash was, it had to be her. Though apparent by his muscular appearance, the extent of Ash's strength shocked May. For one, she had seen him force a Bouffalant out of its resting spot; he had also lifted May up effortlessly on numerous occasions, from pulling her out of the Pokémon pond in the ranch lands to catching her when she fell out of the Giant Oak without so much of a stagger. Even when he did yard work, he seemed to do it with such dexterity; it was almost as if he enjoyed it. Suddenly, images of him began to pop up into her head; carnal images much to May's horror. She could just picture him, shirtless and sweat drenched with his captivating smirk and passionate gaze. May was beet red now and began to cough anxiously. Ash and Max turned around suddenly with concerned looks on their faces.

"Are you alright, May?" Ash questioned, slightly worried. May blushed even redder and shook her head hastily.

"Oh yeah! I'm fine! Don't worry about me!" she exclaimed disarmingly. The boys looked at each other questioningly before shrugging and then continuing on. May's shoulders slumped and she looked down in guilt. It was absolutely wrong for her to think the way she did about Ash. She had a boyfriend, and despite their current feud, she was still obligated to him. Ash was just her friend; her kindhearted, considerate, ATTRACTIVE friend. She sighed and looked up at him with hopeful eyes. Right now, he was her closest friend; their friendship meant a lot to her. He was always there when she needed someone and she felt happier whenever she was around him. However, the more time she spent with Ash, the guiltier she felt about her relationship with Drew. She wasn't cheating on him, but the thoughts she had about Ash weren't exactly faithful. May bit her lip in confliction and then looked back up at her handsome friend and her brother. They were laughing together and Ash began to mess up Max's hair playfully. Her gaze softened and she then smiled slightly. It was best to ignore the situation for a bit; face it later. For now, she was going to live in the moment.

…

It had been a little while since the three had set off into the West Fork. May had gone through the whole trek in utter amazement; the West Fork, though not as woody and flowery as the East Fork, was just as dazzling with its enormous watery setting. There were patches of shimmering ponds along with a flatter plains and taller grass fronds. The most abundant flowers seemed to be bright calla lilies, which were sprouted around pond mouths and stream borders. There were forests, but they were much smaller and the area as a whole was more wet and marshier. A bit farther off, May could make out a large, rock point which seemed to mask another part of the West Fork. Along with the exquisite scenery, they also saw several Pokémon, mainly water types dwelling in all parts of the area. From Goldeen and Seaking hopping out of the streams to families of Azurill, Marill and Azumarill gathering around ponds, there were so many. Max looked as if he were going to have a heart attack, he was so excited.

They were now deep into a small, dewy forest. Ash, along with Pikachu who was now perched on his shoulder again, lead May and Max through the wet fronds and marshy grounds, making sure they were able to keep up. He suddenly began to slow down as they came to face an enormous rock slab that was a little taller than May.

"Well, it took a little while, but here we are!" he exclaimed proudly. May and Max blinked in confusion before Ash smirked at them and pushed the large leaves framing the slab away and disappeared behind them. The siblings' jaws dropped in disbelief and they neglected to follow until they heard Ash's friendly shout.

"What are you guys waiting for? Come on!" he called out. May gulped and then pushed the same leaves back, first allowing Max to go in before pushing her way over to them as well. As soon as they were behind the rock slab, her eyes widened in astonishment.

"Wow!" Max cried out in wonder, voicing May's exact thoughts. It was pure magnificence. In front of them stood an enormous, circular pool of shimmering cyan water, framed by the emerald growth of the forest around them and headed by small, but elegant waterfall dyeing the body in pure serenity. There were big, lilac lotus pods distributed unevenly throughout the water. There were also calla lily bunches sprouting up in sporadic patches around the land pieces decorating the swimming hole, along with shiny rocks gleaming in the spotlights of rayed sunbeams.

May was utterly mesmerized as she ogled the beautiful water setting, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Ash and Pikachu smiled at her in acknowledgement.

"THIS is Wasser's Heart," he said as he held out his hand toward the swimming hole in a presenting fashion.

"It's beautiful…" she mused. It truly was ethereal; she didn't even imagine Wasser's Heart to be this lush in scenery.

"Hey! Watch it!" they heard suddenly. May quickly stepped up towards the edge of the rock ledge they stood on and grinned.

Down into the swimming hole she could already see her friends lounging around in the water. There in the water sat Brock, Autumn, Barry, Dawn, Cilan, and Iris, whom by the look on her face and the sound of the voice they heard, was most likely her yelling. They were spread out and about in the swimming hole. Brock and Autumn were in one area just sitting on what were probably more rocks slabs talking to one another while two Pokémon swam around them. One was a Miltank, and the other was a Marshtomp, which May knew because it was native to her home region. Brock seemed to be wearing orange swim trunks while Autumn was dressed in a frilly red bikini. Cilan and Iris were splashing one another, followed by Iris beginning to swim after Cilan who was now laughing and swimming away from her. They also had a couple of Pokémon with them. There was one brown, fish like Pokémon swimming around and minding its own business supposedly while two other Pokémon, a dinosaur like pokemon with big eyes and horns and a black, white and yellow rodent one played together. Cilan wore a green pair of swim shorts and Iris wore a plum colored one piece with a built in skirt. Then there was Dawn, who was sitting on an island-like rock slab in the center of the swimming hole with her feet in the water petting her Piplup, who was sunbathing. Barry was in the water, but rested his arms and head on the base of the island rock right next to her. Swimming near them was a large Empoleon, who seemed to be lying leisurely in the water. Barry was wearing a black and gray pair of board shorts while his girlfriend was dressed in a white bikini with a sarong tied bottom. They all always looked so polished, just like Ash. It was then that Dawn suddenly looked up and saw Ash, May, Max and Pikachu and began to wave excitedly at them.

"Hey! Guys, down here!" she called out. May smiled at her and waved back. Soon, everyone turned to see them.

"Well, it's about time, Ash! You're always late these days! You're lucky I don't fine you," Barry scoffed as he turned around to look at him. Ash shrugged sheepishly in return.

"Come on down! The water's great!" Autumn yelled.

"We'll be right down!" May called back. She set her blue bag down next to the barrier rock and pulled out a Poké Ball before quickly stripping herself of her clothes and shoes. She now stood in her pink bikini and shorts, smirking at her brother and Ash.

"How do I look?" she asked playfully. Ash smiled nervously. He almost looked as if he were blushing, which made her feel triumphant. Max on the other hand just laughed.

"Like a plank board wearing a pink swimsuit!" he snickered. May glowered at him angrily and began to trudge up to him.

"Why you little—"however, Ash quickly got between them.

"Come on, guys! Everyone's waiting, no time for that!" he said quickly. May rolled her eyes and then folded her arms, smirking at them.

"Then you'd better take off the excess clothing, or they'll get wet," she said, staring specifically at Max. He rolled his eyes and then slipped off his green backpack, taking off his white shirt and glasses and dropping them into his bag. He then placed it next to May's.

"Oh yeah, thanks for the reminder!" Ash exclaimed as he dropped his tan bag on the ground. Then he slipped off his opened white button-up and let it fall to the ground. May gulped as she stared at him. She had only seen Ash shirtless on two occasions; the first time was when she was watching him and her father round up the Tauros one hot afternoon. He had taken it off due to the heat, and May had almost drooled so she went inside under the pretense that it was too hot out. And it was a very, VERY hot. This was her second time seeing him without a shirt, and it was overwhelming. May just stared at his lithe and strong form, her cheeks beginning to turn pink before someone abruptly interrupted her thoughts.

"What's taking you all so long? Come down already!" May heard Iris shout at her. She shook herself back to reality and then nodded.

"We're coming!" Ash called back. He took off his hat and then grabbed his bag, stuffing his hat and shirt inside and then took out four Poké Balls.

"Alright then! Come on guys," he smiled and began to lead the way down. May, Max and Pikachu, who had leaped back onto Max's shoulder followed him down what seemed to be a stairwell-like transition down to the swimming hole. May stared around in awe as she walked down, gazing at the many flowers and greenery that seemed to be plastered to the rocks all around. They were soon down by the base of the swimming hole and Ash stood up tall, holding up his Poké Balls.

"Alright, come on out, guys!" he yelled and tossed them upward. Four Pokémon then emerged in the flashes of light: A Kingler, a Totodile, a Corphish, and a small, blue and white Pokémon with a small scallop on its belly that May had never seen before. Max's eyes sparkled in excitement.

"Oh wow! A Kingler, Totodile, Corphish and an Oshawott! They're so cool!" he exclaimed. Ash grinned.

"Alright guys, feel free to kick back," he said.

"Corphish cor!" Corphish chirped.

"Wow, they're so cute!" May gushed. She looked down at the Poké Ball in her hand and then threw it upward.

"Come on out, Wartortle! Join the party!" she exclaimed and light blue turtle Pokémon materialized from the light.

"Wartortle!" it growled and then leaped into the water. The rest of the Pokémon along with Pikachu swam off on their own and basked in the water playfully while May looked up to see Dawn and the others waving to them.

"Come on, May!" Dawn yelled thrillingly. May looked back at Ash and Max and then ran forward and leaped into the water.

"Geronimo!" she yelled excitedly as she flew out and then dove into the swimming hole. The water was cool and soothing and she could see some lotus pods whirling around her. She then sputtered back up and wiped her eyes, beckoning the others to come in.

"The water's great!" she yelled happily. Ash grinned and then jumped in after her with Max following by closely. As he surfaced, he received a great splash to the face.

"Hmph! It's about time, Ash! Too busy fixing your hair?" someone jeered. They all turned to see Barry, who smirked deviously at them. Ash glared at him while May just giggled.

"Hey May! Good to see you! And who's this?" asked Barry who now swam up closer and identified Max with narrowed eyes. He was clouted on the head by Dawn, who had now swum up to them with a big smile on her gorgeous face.

"Be nice Barry! And hi May!" she greeted. May laughed.

"Hey guys, this is my little brother, Max." she introduced. Max smiled at them and waved. Dawn's eyes brightened up.

"You're May's brother? You're so cute!" she gushed and clasped her hands together in delight. Barry pouted jealously while Max blushed and swooned. May rolled her eyes.

"Only on the outside!" she said. Max glowered at her. She stuck her tongue out at him and he began to chase her through the water. Ash on the other hand splashed upward and caught Barry in a headlock.

"What was that about my hair again?" he laughed as he playfully dragged his knuckled over Barry's head.

"You asked for it, Ketchum!" he snarled as he tried to get out. Dawn giggled at them and swam after May and Max.

"Get back here, May!" Max threatened forebodingly. May blew a raspberry at him and then splashed him. Dawn burst into laughter, only to be splashed from the other end. She whirled around and pouted angrily at the now triumphant Iris, who had swum over to them.

"Come on, Dawn, you didn't expect to keep your hair all perfect HERE!" she laughed. Dawn shook her and smirked at her, splashing her back.

"It's on!" she snickered and then began to swim away as Iris chased her. In the meanwhile, Max was succeeding in soaking his sister, who was now laughing and begging for mercy.

"Whoa whoa! Calm the fires, or should I say, waves?" someone said suddenly. Max stopped splashing his sister and turned to see Cilan peering down at him in disapproval. He then shook his head smugly and put his arm around Max in a brotherly manner.

"I'm not sure who you are really, but let's let up on the splashing!" he smiled. May giggled while Max looked at him strangely.

"She's my sister…" he muttered. Cilan blinked and May swam over to them.

"Thanks for the rescue, Cilan. This is my little brother, Max," she said. Max waved dumbly at him while Cilan burst into laughter.

"Oh, of course! Pleased to meet you, Max! I advise you to treat ladies with respect," he smiled. Max laughed and smirked at him.

"If only she WAS a lady!" he snickered. May palmed his head and dunked him into the water, swimming away in fumes while Cilan hastily brought Max back up.

"I'm gonna tell Mom!" Max called out as he sputtered back to the surface.

"Tell Mom what?" Ash asked suddenly. He was now sitting on the mini rock island gazing at Max until Barry snuck up behind him and gave him a huge shove.

"Ahh!" he cried out as he fell back in with a large splash. Barry doubled back in hysterics while Dawn reprimanded him. May laughed and watched as Ash surfaced right next to her and spit out water.

"Hey, hey, you're splashing us!" Brock called in annoyance from the left edge of the swimming hole. He looked blatantly vexed while Autumn snickered. Ash, Cilan and Barry grinned and looked at one another mischievously before they all began to approach Brock. Autumn's eyes widened and sparkled in amusement.

"Looks like I'm out!" she laughed and quickly swam away from Brock and over to where May, Dawn, Iris and Max were floating.

"What—Wait! Autumn come back!" Brock called in confusion. All of a sudden, he was bombarded with enormous splashes of water. Ash, who was grinning madly then jumped on top of him and dunked him in the water.

"Loosen up, Brock!" he shouted as they brought him back up. As he came back up, Brock shook off the excess water and gritted his teeth.

"You guys are in for it!" he growled and then dived into the water.

"Uh-oh," Ash chuckled before he and Barry were pulled into the depths of the water. Cilan, who was trying to swim away was hopelessly dragged underneath as well. The girls just stood back laughing as the boys emerged from the deep, gasping for breath. Brock, who was holding Cilan in a chokehold grinned at the girls triumphantly before Cilan took full hold of his arm and flipped him over, engaging him in another playful fight.

"Brock! I've got your back!" Ash yelled jovially as he swam towards them. He was held back by Barry, who now held him in a full nelson.

"Get him, Cilan!" he laughed. As the boys tussled in the water with one another, the girls shook their heads, giggling.

"One of them is going to drown," Iris rolled her eyes as she sat down on the mini island.

"Probably Barry," Dawn giggled as she watched Barry and Ash thrash around in the water. Autumn laughed and clasped her hands behind her head leisurely.

"It better not be Brock, he's supposed to come with me for cake tasting next week," she said.

"Cake tasting? Ooh, what kind of cake are you looking for?" Dawn inquired excitedly. May brought herself up on the rock island next to Iris and listened on intently. Autumn's eyes flickered with revere as she gazed up at the sky.

"Oh, I can just imagine it! A beautiful, three tiered hazelnut cake with a chocolate and caramel filling topped with delicious butter cream frosting, that's my dream cake!" she mused eagerly. Dawn and Iris breathed in awe and May began to drool at the tantalizing description. Autumn took immediate notice of this and laughed.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely bring some samples back for you guys." she assured them.

"Yes you will, or I'll eat your entire cake before the ceremony." Iris warned. While the girls started giggling again, May looked around for Max. He was now off in the northern end of the swimming hole playing with the other Pokémon. He obviously must have gotten bored with all of the girl talk. May smiled at him, glad that he was at least enjoying himself.

"Autumn, I'm so excited for the wedding! I just can't wait!" Dawn gushed dreamily and she rested her head back on the rock island edge. Iris nodded in agreement.

"You bet! We've still got to get that dress of yours." she added. May's eyes widened in interest.

"You still haven't gone dress shopping yet?" she asked. Autumn shook her head.

"There are too many things getting in the way! For one I need all of my bridesmaids that live here to come along, and I'm still missing a couple!" she smirked at May. May blinked in confusion. Iris snickered.

"That means you, May!" said Dawn. May blushed and widened her eyes in surprise.

"You—you want me to be a bridesmaid?" she asked in disbelief. Autumn gave her a dumbfounded look.

"Of course! We're all practically best friends now." she laughed. May felt a flicker of warmth in her heart. She had never really thought they felt that way about her. Though they had only known each other for a little more than a month, she had to admit, she felt extremely close to them, however she never knew that they had felt the same.

"Th-thank you so much! I would really love to!" May exclaimed happily. Autumn clapped her hands together in delight.

"Hooray! Just wait you guys, I'm going to pick some amazing dresses for you." she declared.

"I just hope it's not your maid uniform," Iris scoffed playfully. Autumn smiled at her deviously and splashed her.

The girls began to talk quickly amongst one another again. The boys on the other hand still hadn't settled down and continued their wild escapade. It wasn't until May saw Ash dive in deep that they began to catch her attention again. Ash rapidly swam underwater towards Max, sneaking over toward him.

"Uh-oh," May giggled and directed the girls to Ash and her brother.

"Ahh!" Max screamed as Ash burst out from the water from underneath him and had Max seated on his shoulders. He waved his arms around in panic as Ash quickly stepped out onto the edge of land. Pikachu and Wartortle clapped their hands eagerly and the Pokémon cheered Ash on.

"Ash! What are you doing?" Max yelled in alarm, though there was a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Hold on tight, Max!" Ash replied. He then climbed up on top of a higher rock slab and pulled on hanging loop around the limb of the fringe tree that stood over them. It was a rope swing.

"There's a rope swing here too?" May asked in surprise. Iris nodded.

"Yep! We tied it up ourselves! It took the three of us to do so! Ash sat on Brock's shoulders and I sat on his and we tied it up on the highest branch we could. Ash, Barry, Dawn and I were eight. Cilan was nine and Brock was ten," she reminisced longingly. May grinned in amusement and watched as Max clung to Ash fearfully.

"This is going to be rich…" she thought aloud.

"Woo! Yeah, Ash! Let's go!" everyone cheered. Max looked as if he were trembling.

"Max, don't be scared!" May called out. Her brother pouted instinctively.

"I'm not scared!" he retorted. May laughed and watched as Ash took firm hold of the rope swing and swiftly brought it back.

"Ready, Max?" he asked. Max gulped and bit his lip, nodding. Then, as fast as lightning, Ash brought himself back and ran at full speed, swinging off of the rope.

"Incoming!" he yelled out ecstatically as they flew through the air.

"AHH! ASH! WE'RE GOING TO DIE!" Max screamed as they took off in the air.

"Brace yourselves!" Autumn yelled and the two boys dropped into the water with an enormous splash. May laughed so hard that she slipped back into the water. She watched as Ash and Max surfaced from the deep and saw that Max was now shaking in enthrallment. Ash looked up at him, smiling.

"So was it scary?" he grinned. Max looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"That—that was awesome! Let's do it again! Come on!" he gasped with enthusiasm. May smiled at her brother's excitement.

"Wait Max! You haven't seen the adrenaline unless you've ridden with me!" Barry stepped in impatiently. Max looked at him funny before shrugging and climbing onto Barry's shoulders.

"Heh, we'll see who's better, Ketchum!" he sneered at Ash, who just scratched his head in confusion. He then raced up to the high rock and grabbed the rope swing.

"Prepare yourself for a rush!" he yelled to Max, who nodded eagerly.

"Ugh, Barry! Does everything have to be a competition with you?" Dawn groaned.

"Dawn, it's Barry. He'll even make pissing a contest," Iris pointed out. Dawn shook her head, smiling. Barry and Max then took the swing, soaring high across the air.

"YEAH!" they yelled simultaneously before falling into the water. Again, Max sputtered out of the water in pure mirth. May could tell by the look in his eyes that he was having a blast.

"That was awesome, Barry!" Max yelled as he high-fived the blond.

"Heh, take that, Ash!" he smirked at him. Ash just shook his head and dunked Barry into the water. He turned towards May.

"Come on, May! Use the rope swing!" he called out. May blushed and shook her head with a nervous smile.

"Maybe a little later!" she called back. Ash blinked and nodded in understanding.

"Okay, but I'm holding you up to—Ahh!" he suddenly cried out he was suddenly flattened by a jumping Cilan. And there was more splashing. May and the others laughed as Cilan hastily helped him up.

"My bad! I was using the rope swing!" he said nervously as Ash dangerously approached him. Another confrontation broke out and this time, Max was involved in the frenzy of splashes and dunks. May shook her head and then called out to her brother.

"Be careful, Max!" she yelled. Iris rolled her eyes.

"Cilan can be such an idiot sometimes," she snorted. Dawn and Autumn giggled.

"A cute idiot, right Iris?" Autumn teased. Iris suddenly turned red and glared at them.

"I never said 'cute!" she snapped.

"Oh, but you thought so, didn't you?" the girls teased. Iris blushed even redder in embarrassment and then buried her head into May's shoulder, who patted her head consolingly.

"Aw, Iris, don't be embarrassed," May laughed as she assured her friend. Dawn giggled again.

"What about you, May? Ash seems awfully intent on 'playing' with you!" she snickered. It was May's turn to blush now.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked nervously. Autumn rested her head back against the edge of the rock island again.

"Aw, don't tease her, Dawn! It's just that, Ash hasn't seemed this eager about a girl since Misty!" she said. May's ears suddenly perked in interest.

"Misty?" she asked, losing the embarrassment she had felt earlier. Autumn, Dawn, and now Iris nodded, smiling.

"Uh-huh! Boy, I've never seen him act the way with another girl the way he did with Misty. Well, until now at least," Iris smirked. May blinked in realization. She suddenly remembered what he had said to her back when they were discussing relationships:

"Any relationship can be tough, believe me; I know" This had to have been the girl he hinted at. Misty.

"Who is she?" May asked. She was all ears.

"Misty Waterflower is her full name. She's a good friend of ours. She used to live here in the West Fork until a year ago. She was, and is still obsessed with water Pokémon. But aside from that, she and Ash were together for six years. They were crazy about each other!" Iris exclaimed. May listened on, suddenly having this strange sinking feeling inside of her. A girl whom Ash had been deeply involved with for six years; it almost felt like a spike to her heart, which it shouldn't have because they were friends.

"Wait, so what happened if they were going on so strongly?" May asked. She didn't realize how stern she sounded.

"Well, you see, Ash, Misty and Brock all used to travel together, and—"Dawn was about to continue, but was interrupted by May.

"Really? I didn't know that!" May exclaimed. The girls turned to her with looks of disbelief in their eyes.

"You didn't? That's weird! You and Ash seemed to be so close too." Iris said. Dawn elbowed her and then sighed.

"Well, it's not surprising that Ash wouldn't go boasting about himself now. He's changed a lot in the last couple of years," she said. May looked at her questioningly.

"Really? What was Ash like?" she asked, smiling. Though she was interested in knowing more about Misty, it felt a bit better when the subject shifted.

"Ash? He was the definition of hot-blooded! I mean he still is, but to a much lesser extent than before." Iris guffawed.

"Yep! We were all about six or seven years old growing up together here. We would always have so much fun together playing as kids! It was me, Barry, Ash, Misty, Brock, Cilan and Iris!" Dawn exclaimed. May looked at Autumn in confusion.

"I actually moved here about three years ago. That's when Brock and I met," she said dreamily. May nodded and then let Dawn continue.

"Well, we were together for four years. Then, when most of us had turned ten years old, we all set out to different regions to start journeys. It was something we had all wanted to do for quite some time. Even Brock and Cilan decided to come along with us. So we all set out on different paths: Barry and I decided to go together to the Sinnoh region. Ash, Misty and Brock headed out to the Kanto region where Ash was originally from,"

"And Cilan and I took route to the Unova region. It was sad splitting up the group, but in the end, we all really appreciated that time. Even now, I know I'll go back to traveling someday," Iris said. May nodded her head as she listened.

"I took to competing in Contests while Barry took part in battles and tournaments. We really excelled." said Dawn.

"Cilan and I seldom really participated in battling or Contests, Unova doesn't even have Contests; but we sure did have a lot of fun. And we caught a bunch of Pokémon too!" Iris added.

"So you all traveled around to different regions?" May asked.

"Yep, even Autumn was running around from region to region running Café Cabins!" Dawn smiled at her friend who posed jokingly.

"But why didn't you all just travel together?" May asked. Dawn's expression softened and she looked up at the sky gently.

"Because we all wanted different things. Don't get me wrong, we were in no mood to leave each other, but we knew no matter what we'd still be bonded. It was the distance that really strengthened our friendship even more. And besides, we all ended up doing pretty well in the long run!" she smiled.

"Yeah, especially Ash! You probably know by now that he's got this incredible trainer rank, huh?" Iris looked at May expectantly. So it was true. Ash really was the supreme trainer Max had been talking about. She nodded slowly, finally understanding.

"Yeah, my brother actually told me; he's a battle geek. But Ash never really mentioned it…" she said.

"Well, I wouldn't expect Ash to brag now. He's a lot more mellow these days," Iris shrugged. Dawn continued where she left off.

"Ash was an amazing Pokémon trainer. The first year of all of our journeys, he didn't win any leagues, but then as time went by, he worked his way up to beating every single Battle Frontier! He conquered the Indigo, Silver, and Lily-of-the-Valley Conferences and was runner up in the Ever Grande and Vertress Conferences! He's even beaten a couple of Elite Four members!" she exclaimed with much enthusiasm.

"He was even asked to become a Frontier Brain in Kanto," Iris added. May just stared at them wide eyed. She was impressed that Ash was such a skilled trainer, and even more astonished that he never talked about his many achievements.

"Wow, Ash is really something…!" May breathed in awe. The girls nodded.

"You've got that right! He came back incredibly strong. So did Barry of course!" Dawn added cutely. Iris rolled her eyes and then looked back at May.

"When Ash came back, he had changed a lot. I guess it wasn't surprising really though, considering why," Iris said, suddenly beginning to look sad. May frowned. Now all of the girls seemed solemn, which made her heart sink.

"Why? What happened?" she asked. Dawn sighed.

"Well, after Ash came in second at the Vertress Conference, he got horrible news. His father passed away after fighting a long-time illness. That was the first time I had seen Mrs. Ketchum cry," she looked down with sadly.

"After that, Ash stopped everything. He put an end to his traveling immediately and came back home to work on the ranch again." said Iris.

"But being Ash Ketchum, he straightened himself up really quickly. He was so strong, especially for his mom. Because of him, the ranch carried on perfectly and has been since. The ranch hands do get some credit, but Ash kept on going. That's what he does best; moving forward!" Autumn piped up confidently. The other girls brightened up at this. May just sat down in utter astonishment. From conquering several tournaments and battle trials to coping with the loss of his father to running his family ranch, Ash was just an incredible guy. She couldn't believe the things he had done.

"Ash can still be a hothead, but he's toned down a whole lot. You can tell that he still loves to battle though, it's so obvious! But he won't tell anyone, he's a lot more reserved when it comes to that stuff now. Apparently, he's holding off on the bragging," Dawn beamed. May smiled slightly at this. It was good to know that Ash was still strong.

"So that's why he never told me about himself…" she said. Iris nodded.

"Yep, Ash here's set on 'tranquility and modesty'. I never thought he could pull it off either!" she laughed. May smiled with them, but then the question came wafting back into her mind.

"Wait, so what happened with Misty then?" she asked, immediately regretting it. Autumn smiled and answered this time.

"Interested in the other girl, huh?" she teased. May instantly turned red.

"N-no, not like that!" she protested. Autumn laughed and leaned her head against the rock island, gazing up at the sky thoughtfully.

"It was a year ago, three years after everyone had come home from their journeys. I was relatively new here, but we had all gotten to know each other by then. The way the story goes is that Misty ended up breaking things off with Ash." She said. May blinked in surprise. Iris continued.

"You see, Misty had dreamed of becoming a Gym Leader, for as long as we could remember. That was all she wanted, an entire gym of just water Pokémon. Well, she had finally achieved that dream after her journey with Ash. She was offered a position as the new gym leader in Cerulean City in the Kanto region. This was something that she had wanted for a long time." She said.

"She wasn't happy to leave us all, but we all knew she was doing the right thing by accepting the offer. She had invited Ash to come along with her to stay in Kanto, but he had refused her for the sake of the ranch. So she and Ash ended things there. She packed up and moved herself to Cerulean. Though we don't get to talk much, she's doing pretty well there now." Dawn explained. May, who didn't exactly understand it, felt this small relief come over her.

"So she and Ash are really finished?" she asked without thinking.

"Yep. It was pretty sad, seeing it end like that. Ash was crazy about Misty, he even had a special lure made for her!" Iris exclaimed. Autumn snickered then.

"Yeah, but he's totally over her now. I think he's moved on actually…" she smirked as she looked up at May, who now began to blush furiously.

"Wh-who, me?" she said, completely flustered. Dawn laughed.

"Don't worry May, we know you've got a boyfriend in Hoenn!" she said. Autumn sighed impatiently.

"Yes, but Ash hasn't acted this way with a girl since Misty left! It's obvious he cares a lot about you, May," she pointed out. May frowned, her cheeks still red.

"Well, May's already involved with some other guy anyway. Ash isn't the type to move in on someone else's girl. He probably just sees you as a close friend is all, so don't get all ruffled," Iris winked at her. May smiled weakly. For some reason, that statement made her feel more down than elated. And she felt guilty for the same reason. Autumn shrugged.

"I guess. But overall, things have been a lot brighter since you've come along, May! For one it's more lively around here!" she grinned. May blushed again, more lightly this time.

"Wow, I feel so flattered," she giggled. As the girls began to break out into conversation again, May stared upwards in deep thought. It seemed like Ash had suffered a lot, but he carried himself with such great strength and optimism already. She felt a pang of sadness suddenly. For someone to overcome that much hardship in life, he had to have really endured some pain. Her admiration for him was becoming stronger now, much to her dismay. Then there was still Drew. She knew she still felt attached to Drew. They had been through so much together. Though at first he had been snide and somewhat of a bully, she had come to see his truly warm interior and appreciation for her. Despite their current fight, she couldn't help but admire him as well. She sighed in distress, feeling walls crumble down on her, until something broke her thoughts rather abruptly.

"Wh-huh?" she exclaimed as she suddenly felt herself lifted off of the rock island.

"Get ready for the splash!" Ash yelled. He had her over his back with her legs dangling in front and then he charged into the water, yodeling like Tarzan.

"Down the hatch!" he cried out excitedly.

"AAH!" May screamed as they collided with the water. As she quickly surfaced and spat out water in her mouth, she glowered ferociously at Ash who was laughing hysterically. Everybody else was laughing as well.

"Why you—"she growled and then leaped on Ash, clinging to his back angrily.

"Ahaha, ow, May!" he laughed as he tried to spin her off of his back. He suddenly pulled her up in a piggy-back style and then carried her out of the water and towards the rope swing.

"Hold on tight!" he yelled as he grabbed the rope and then ran forward with all of his might. Before May could get off of him, they were propelling back into the water again. May laughed suddenly as she felt herself flying in the air; she felt a powerful surge in her heart and her mind was elated and free. It was one of the best feelings she had. And then they crashed into with an enormous splash. As soon as they came back up, everybody was clapping. May looked around and smiled at them gleefully, completely forgetting about all of her stressors. It was a day of pure leisure, and it was meant to stay that way.

"You want to go again?" Ash asked, to which May responded by nodding eagerly.

"Not so fast! Come on, Dawn! Let's get up there!" Barry stood up on the land edge and smirked at Ash. Dawn groaned and as she began to swim toward him, she gasped in surprise as her boyfriend's feet were yanked off of the ground and he was dragged into the water.

"Gah!" he cried out.

"Enough with the competition, Barry!" Cilan laughed. He and Ash had dragged him off of the land and back into the water.

"Ugh! I got water up my nose!" he spat and then tackled the two back into a thrashing mound in the water. May and Dawn laughed together as they watched their circle of friends. Cilan, Barry and Ash were playfully battering each other up again while Iris sat with Max and the other Pokémon, introducing some of them to him. Autumn had now swum back to Brock's side and they were cuddled up together by the opposite edge just laughing at the fighting group. When the three dispersed again, Dawn floated back to a panting Barry and kissed his cheek while Cilan went back to sit with Iris and Max. Ash on the other hand swam up to May and gazed at her with kind eyes.

"So, what do you think of Wasser's Heart?" he asked. May laughed and looked around her, identifying the beautiful scenery again. She scooped up a nearby floating lotus pod and took in the sweet aroma, sighing heartily and then looking back up at Ash with eyes full of warmth.

"I really like it," she smiled at him. Ash grinned and then fell backwards in the water, relaxingly floating on his back.

"I'm glad! We'll definitely come here more!" he exclaimed. May smiled gently at him as he cruised around the water leisurely.

"I may even like it more that what I've got at home…" she said, staring intensely at Ash who didn't notice the serious look in her eyes. She looked down and thought again Yeah… I may even like it more than what I've got at home…

So there it is! May's emotions become suffer a maelstrom with everything going on around her. Then she's got that dinner with Ash and his mother. I would really like to thank everyone who has reviewed my story. I really appreciate the kind compliments and constructive criticism, it really motivates me to keep on writing more chapters. I really hope more of you can review my story so I know exactly what you think of it. It's better for me as a writer to really hear your opinion and again, it keeps me going. Thanks again to everybody who has read and reviewed. You all inspire me.

P.S. I made Iris's last name 'Drake' in obvious reference to her Dragon Pokémon specialty along with a reference (Shout out!) to one of my favorite historical figures, Sir Francis Drake! If you don't know who he is, I suggest you read about him, he's awesome! But anyways, thanks again for reading! Until next time!