Hello,
This is my very first FF, so please be polite in the reviews. The timeline may be a tad blurry from the show so please don't focus on that, instead just focus on the story. Please Review! Thank you for reading.
Ash awoke with his heart beating rapidly. Quickly examining the forest around him, he came to his senses.
"It was a dream. Calm down. She's safe."
His mind flashed back to the dreams that constantly haunted his mind every night. It was always the same thing. His dear former traveling companion, May, was always the cause. She was always in some sort of scenario involving the loss of her life… and he could do nothing to save her.
Ash had been traveling a few years without May. She had found her purpose in life that didn't require him anymore. As much as it pained Ash, he was happy that she had found her calling.
It was funny how Ash had slowly discovered how meaningful May truly was to him while they traveled. He would do anything to protect her from harm despite the constant disagreements. She brought him down to earth. May provided him with the clarity of what love is.
Ash did not know how she had evaluated their relationship.. merely as friends or possibly something more. Clearly she didn't think much of it since she left him.
His heart ached with grief as he slowly emerged from his sleeping bag. An enthusiastic "Goodmorning" greeted him by his long time friend Brock.
"Mornin' bud" Ash grumbled back.
"Don't you sound chipper this morning." Brock teased.
Ash smirked at him while wiping the sweat from his face.
"Same dream as usual?" Brock questioned.
He knew all about Ash's dreams. They were best friends. It was clear to Brock what was happening.
"I can't get rid of these night terrors. It's been years since she's left us. I don't understand why she surrounds my every thought. You'd think that I would be able to move on.. but it just won't happen."
Looking around he realized his group was short one person.
"Where's Dawn?" Ash questioned sounding genuinely worried. He cared about Dawn dearly as well. Although extremely annoying at times, they had developed a very strong friendship.
"Oh you know, she's off in her own world!' Brock chuckled.
"In all actuality she received a call from her mom… So she ended up going home for a little visit!" Brock continued.
"She didn't want us to come with her?" Ash questioned.
"Nah she figured she could give us a break from her constant nagging."
Ash laughed and then immediately began thinking of May. How he just needed to see her… possibly confess his true desires. A blush emerged on his cheeks.
Brock smiled. He knew that Ash had to see May again. It was extremely clear that it was the only way to solve the problem. May would be ecstatic to see Ash, for Brock knew that May always had a tiny crush on him. It was obvious to everyone besides Ash. Hence everyone commonly referring to him as a "dense boy".
"I honestly think you need to take some time off from traveling. Maybe you should visit May. I'm sure she would be extremely happy to see you!" Brock suggested.
"I suppose that's the logical thing to do. I haven't talked to her in so long though… I doubt she'd be able to drop whatever she's doing just to spend some time with someone she hasn't seen in two years." Ash sounded defeated.
Brock thought how bizarre Ash's tone was. Ash was one of the most determined individuals that he had ever met. There was never anything out of reach for him. Clearly girls were on a completely different scale of difficulty for him.
"Please, for your sake. Call May and ask how she is and if she has some time to catch up with an old friend."
"I guess I have a call to make!" Ash nervously shrugged.
Ash looked at his watch.
8:30 AM. She should be awake by now. Just call her. She would probably love to catch up. Ash's heart was beating rapidly again. His thoughts were running at a million miles an hour.
He pulled out his phone and dialed her number. The phone rang three times and then was answered with a voice that sounded elegant and beautiful.
"Ash! Is this a dream? I haven't heard from you in ages!" May was practically yelling at this point.
Relief came over Ash. She did miss him.
"May! I know this is completely random. I couldn't stop thinking about you!" Ash instantly blushed at what had just came out of his mouth.
"Aw Ash! I always reminisce on our old adventures. But anyways, whats up!" May said sweetly.
"Well honestly, I felt like I was about due for a visit. If you're not too busy.. I can come out to Petalburg in around two days.."
The line was silent for a moment. Ash became even more of a nervous wreck.
"May, if it's too difficult to do right-" Ash was interrupted.
"NO! Ash it is completely fine! Im sorry I was just processing what you said! I would love for you to come see me. I couldn't imagine anything better!" May said enthusiastically.
"Alright fantastic! I suppose then I will meet you in two days at the Petalburg Harbor then? I just need to make sure that they have tickets available at the harbor in Sunyshore city!" Ash said.
"Okay sounds good. Call me as soon as you find out! I'll let you go now Ash!"
May hung up the phone.
It had been so long since she had heard from him, but he never left her thoughts.
Ash had changed her as a person. She had always been a shy and timid girl, but the day she met him everything about her changed. She had blossomed into a beautiful young lady with the strength and confidence that was astounding to most that knew her before Ash. May's brother Max had even said that Ash brought out the best in her.
She was so grateful for everything he had done for her. Their bond was more than a basic pair of friends.. for she believed that they had always been destined to end up together. The anticipation of his visit was going to drive her insane until he finally arrives. Mays first actions are going to include a big hug and a long discussion on their lives for the last two years.
Ash had just discovered that there would be a ship leaving to Petalburg in the morning. It would be about a days journey to arrive in Hoenn, so it wouldn't be a short trip. Ash had offered to get a ticket for Brock, but he respectfully declined. He knew this trip wasn't going to be catered to a big group. Merely the two of them realizing their feelings for one another.
Ash looked at Pikachu sitting on his shoulder and said, "Well buddy, looks like we're taking a mini vacation!"
"PikaPi!" Pikachu grinned back at Ash.
Ash then went inside the local pokemon center to rest up for his long day ahead of him.
The next day Ash headed on the ship. He said his goodbyes to Brock and told him to enjoy his break. Brock merely smiled back and told Ash not to come back without May. Ash began blushing at the comment.
Pikachu and Ash found their cabin and decided to just relax and enjoy the day that they had. It had been a long time since Ash and Pikachu had a day on a boat together. They might as well explore and have a little fun.
They spent the day aimlessly walking along the ship looking for some sort of entertainment. Ash finally decided to settle in the dining area and take advantage of the all you can eat buffet. Stuffing his face was inevitable. After filling his belly, they traveled to the deck of the boat. He held the railing while the ocean flashed by him. His head began to think of May. Seeing her beautiful blue eyes and gorgeous smile gave him. He couldn't get there soon enough.
The next morning, Ash awoke to a loud horn alerting the passengers that they had arrived. All Ash had to do was get his belongings and run to the dock where May would be.
As he was rushing down the giants ramps from the boat, a rush of adrenaline ran through him.
"Only a couple more yards Pickachu" Ash said
"Pikachu!" Pikachu sounded winded as he was running along side of Ash.
Finally he was nearing the dock. He made out a petite figure with long hair. It was May. Suddenly the figure began running towards him.
"ASH!" He heard his name being called out.
Suddenly the petite woman jumped onto of him, which caused Ash to drop all of his belongings, nearly landing on Pikachu.
"May, oh my God you look incredible." which she truly did.
Ash let go of their hug and looked her up and down. She was wearing a simple white halter dress that fell to the middle of her thighs. Her legs and arms were incredibly toned. She had golden skin from being outside with her pokemon all the time as well. Her gorgeous blue eyes glistened in the sun and her hair fell to the middle of her back. Instead of her old hairstyle she was wearing it down with loose curls. He began to breathe a little faster than normal.
May smiled and began analyzing the differences in Ash. He was wearing a typical pair of dark bluejeans with a white shirt and of course his signature hat. He was indeed stronger looking as well as a good 7 inches taller. His hair was the same shaggy hair style, with his eyes being a deep and pretty brown. There seemed to be gold flecks sprinkled throughout the iris. May had never noticed the details but her stomach fluttered with butterflies. He was so handsome.
May wrapped her arms around his neck and held him there for a while. Ash at first not knowing what to do, followed his instinct. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tighter. Her hair brushed against his face and was treated to the mouthwatering smell of cinnamon and vanilla. Ash realized it had been about a minute since they spoke and quickly ended the silence.
"We need to go somewhere to sit and catch up! Im starving.. and you probably are too!" Ash sounded elated.
May let go of him and smiled. "Of course! We should drop your things off at my house! I know the perfect place we can eat too. You'll love it!" May helped Ash with his things and grabbed his arm, leading him to a taxi. Pikachu ran after the couple trying to stay within close range.
They got into a cab and told the taxi where to go. Ash looked out of the window and admired the beauty Petalburg City was blessed with. Big beautiful willow trees were flowing in the wind and the sweet smell of flowers lingered in the air. May placed her had on Ash's arm as the taxi pulled up to a large house. It had been years since he had seen this house. Nostalgia flowed through his brain, as well as a warm feeling through his body. It felt right being here with May. He looked back at her and smiled.
"Let's go put your things away." She said warmly.
They walked into the house with Pikachu on his shoulder. Ash's nose was greeted with a fantastic combination of freshly baked pastries and a floral scent. As they walked to the stairs where Ash could place his belongs, Max came running down the hall.
"ASSSSHHHHH!" Max ran up and hugged him.
"Hey buddy! How's training going? I'm surprised you're not off exploring the region!" Ash said smiling.
"It's going great! Want to see my collection? I learned so many techniques from you!" Max was practically talking too fast for anyone to really understand.
"Max give him some space! You can talk to him tonight when we get back home!" May screamed.
"Ohhhh where are you two love birds going?" Max teased.
Both May and Ash began blushing. Ash ran his hand behind his neck and chuckled nervously.
"Ugh don't listen to him. You know how Max is." May said awkwardly laughing.
"Yeah, well okay lets go grab some food!" Ash said.
Ash quickly dropped his stuff off in the guest room and left Pikachu in the garden where Norman keeps some of his pokemon. He then followed May back to the kitchen where she was putting bundled up blobs into a basket.
"What is that? Aren't we going out to a restaurant?" Ash questioned.
"Well we are going out… but to a park! It's a beautiful place! I spent all day yesterday and early this morning finishing up our meals. You'll enjoy it!" May said enthusiastically.
Ash merely smiled and followed may out of the door. He was forced to hold the basket of course, and keeping up with May springing to the park was another difficult task, but it was worth it. They finally reached the park around early afternoon. The air was still a little brisk, but may had brought a couple blankets and pillows. They found a nice secluded area under a giant shady tree and they began to set up their picnic.
May smiled and began asking question after question about Ash's journeys since she had left heir group. Ash told her about Sinnoh and all of the new friends he had made. Dawn came up in conversation and May immediately frowned.
"Who is she?" May said sounding a tad defeated.
"She's just someone who decided to travel along with me and Brock! We've become pretty close. She's a good friend." Ash put emphasis on the friend part.
May smirked a little realizing that Ash had no romantic feelings towards Dawn. "Thank God" she thought.
"What have you been up to May? I haven't heard from you in ages!" Ash replaced the silence.
May told him stories of Johto and how far she had come with contests and how she had won a few Grand Festivals already. The friends she had made and the new Pokemon she had caught.
"I am so proud of how far you've come. It's incredible how you used to be completely scared of pokemon and now you adore them as much as I do." Ash smiled.
"You taught me well Ash. I couldn't have grown into who I am today without all the things you've taught me. I want to thank you for that." May placed her hand on Ash's.
Ash blushed and placed his other hand onto of hers. He felt a sudden burst of confidence which caused him to say this:
"I don't think you understand how much I've missed you. It has been a difficult couple of years without you in my life."
May instantly leaned into Ash's arms. Her face looked like a tomato due to his last statement. "He must feel something more for me" she thought.
Ash wrapped his arms around her and buried his head in her hair. It was time to tell her the truth of his feelings towards her. She couldn't possibly say she didn't feel the same way.
"There's something else I need to say May. Please don't get nervous when I tell you this. It has been on my mind for the last couple of years."
May looked up at him curiously.
"Please Ash, you can tell me anything!" She responded.
Ash took a deep breath and continued.
"Almost every night since we went our separate ways I dream about you. It drives me crazy. I know I should have told you before you left but I finally understand what I feel towards you. We developed such a beautiful friendship over the time we spent together, and I want you to be in my life as more than my best friend. I fell in love with who you became. You helped me grow as much as I helped you and you opened my eyes to love and what it means to want to sacrifice everything for someone. I'm sorry if you weren't ready to hear this, but I couldn't hold it in any longer." Ash began to smile weakly, waiting for Mays response.
May looked at Ash with her mouth agape. She couldn't believe what Ash had just said. It was everything she wanted to say and more. How could it be possible that this man had felt everything that she had and put it into worlds so much better than she ever could have? It was the most beautiful thing May had ever heard. Her heart raced as she thought of what she should say back.
"Ash.. I don't think I.. Well you.." May stuttered.
Ash's heart sank as he heard those words. He frowned and started pushing May off of his lap. She got quickly confused. She looked at him and smiled. May quickly sat on his lap facing a confused looking Ash.
"Ash.. I'm in love with you too. I'm honestly just at a loss for words right now." She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck
Ash couldn't believe his ears. It was impossible. She couldn't have said anything better. He looked at her and pulled her closer to him. His arm was wrapped around her waist and his other was running his fingers through her hair. Their eyes met for a brief moment and they slowly leaned in for their first kiss.
Both were extremely inexperienced but they figured out what they had to do by instinct. Their lips met with an electrifying shock that flowed through their bodies. The kiss slowly intensified as time went on. Ash laid her on the blanket and kissed her some more. He slowly slid his tongue inside of her mouth and ran his fingers up and down her body. They had never felt so happy. Sharing this beautiful moment with each other was more amazing than they had ever imagined.
Finally after the long moments of kissing they shared, a break was in order. Ash laid down and pulled May in his arms. She looked up at him and said "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this. You're all mine."
She buried her face in his chest and smiled with joy. The rest of the day they spent together enjoying each others company. They talked, ran around and kissed all afternoon. Finally as the sun was setting, Ash and May returned to their blanket and watched as the orange sun disappeared over the distant mountains. They kissed again, slowly and passionately as the sun vanished. May looked up at him breaking the kiss.
"Should we head back now?" May proposed.
"Whatever you want, beautiful." Ash said dazed.
They grabbed all of their belongings and began walking back to the house hand in hand. Once they were home, Ash noticed two cars in the driveway that were not there earlier. He realized it must be Norman and Caroline home from their daily errands and job. Ash became nervous, due to the fact that he had just spent the in tire day divulging in loving May. Now he had to see her father.
Ash quickly said,"I think I'm going to talk to your parents about my intentions with you. I mean we're both young adults, so they should be completely understanding of our relationship… right?"
"Of course Ash. My family knows all about how I feel about you. It won't be any surprise to them." May reassured Ash.
"Okay." Ash replied as the nervousness left his body.
May opened the door and led him inside. Norman and Caroline were sitting in the living room sharing a couch. Norman was massaging Caroline's feet as May and Ash entered the room.
"Ah there you two are! Ash my boy, how are you doing." Norman stood up and shook Ash's hand.
"Hello Norman, I am doing very well. Enjoying my vacation with May! Thank you so much for letting me stay with your family" Ash said very formally.
"Ash, you don't have be so reserved! We love you to death dear!" Caroline said cheerfully.
She stood up and gave him a big hug. Ash returned the hug and smiled.
"Sit down son, tell us how you've been!" Norman said.
Ash explained about his travels and new adventures that he had encountered over the last few years. Both Caroline and Norman were extremely entertained. Finally as Ash was closing up his story, Norman interrupted him.
"So Ash, what brought you back to Hoenn?"
"Well thats what I wanted to talk about. Norman, I really missed May. But there's more to it than that." Ash said.
"May honey, why don't you join me in the kitchen." Caroline suggested.
"Yes mother!" May followed her mom out of the room giving Ash one last good luck smile before disappearing.
"Alright buddy, tell me whats really going on." Norman smirked.
"Well, I have developed strong feelings for May over the last four years. She has brought so much clarity into my life… and I don't want to keep traveling without her. She's my world." Ash said steadily.
Norman merely smiled at Ash. He knew that he had felt this way about his daughter. It was quite obvious to everyone except for May, clearly. In all actuality, Norman couldn't be happier. Ash was considered one of the best pokemon trainers of all time. He had the determination of a champion and he had developed quite a large amount of wisdom. He would be the perfect son-in-law. If their relationship came to that… which it most likely would.
"Ash, I couldn't have chosen a better man for my daughter to date. I give you my blessing on committing your life to her. You two are absolutely perfect together. My only request is that you respect everything she asks for. Do not pressure her into anything and promise that you will dedicate yourself to her and only her."
"I will do anything for May, Norman. I would give anything to make her happy." Ash replied sternly.
Norman stood up and shook Ash's hand. He now had the blessing of May's father. Everything was falling into place.