Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon
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An Advanceshipping One-shot
Author: wubbzy
For the Advanceshipping contest at serebii forum.
Count: 840
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Music Box
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"Do you remember that melody?
The pitch is off, and the tone's a little flat
But it sure is nostalgic."
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He hadn't known she could sing.
It was euphony to his ears when the soft melody of a song (he wouldn't even try to guess the name of), grazed his eardrums. Even without a constant beat, he imagined someone turning a music box and hearing the melody play from it. He could also imagine his mother singing him a soft tune to help him go to bed when he was younger. His smile seemed to glow in the moonlight night as he continued to listen, hoping it would help him drift to sleep like his mother's voice had so long ago. It was simple yet angelic and entrancing.
He couldn't sleep, not wanting to miss a single note; it was only when he realized this was when he decided to find out who was making such serene music.
He was pleasantly surprised when he found May sleepily cradling her little brother in her arms as she continued to sing the soft song. Ash wouldn't have been able to hear her throat straining to keep the key in tune. She coughed and sighed and then continuing to hum the rest of the song for fear of it not sounding like her mother's soft voice.
Ash, for the most part, wasn't sure if he should disturb them for fear she'd stop. He put aside that logic in an instant, instead making himself known from behind the tree.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked. She gasped at his presence, flustered at the thought of Ash hiding around while she sung. Awkwardness ran through her veins as her face started to heat, wishing he hadn't heard her.
"Max had a bad dream. My mom usually sings him a song to make him feel better while they look out to the sky. Since she's not here, I felt I should do it," she explained. He nodded in understanding.
"You sing well," he commented.
"Thanks," she said, a small smile adorning her tan face. A tint of pink rose to her cheeks. He heard her after all. "Sorry if I woke you," she apologized. He shook his head.
"It's alright. Besides I'm glad you did. It made me think of the times when my mom used to sing me to sleep." Fond memories of earlier years filled his mind, filling him with nostalgia.
"I can't sing as good I bet. I butchered that last verse," she said, heaving a melancholic sigh.
"That was just one note you can't reach yet. That doesn't change how great you are." She giggled at his ignorance, but then it turned into a disappointed sigh. May knew she wasn't going nor planning to be the next singer that would get the pleasure of seeing her name at the top of the billboards, but she still felt embarrassed. After all, he heard her malady of a note.
"Are you alright?" he asked, concern ringing through. She smiled and nodded tenderly.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just thinking." She leaned on the tree behind her for support as she laid her brother on her lap. Her eyes brightened at the ornate sight of the moon.
He really couldn't explain what affect it had on him, but he knew it made him happy. When he first heard her, not only did a ting of curiosity fill him, but also feelings of peace and serenity that made him smile. Although another thought panged his mind.
"What other things do I not know about you?" he asked. She tilted her head in confusion. Upon processing it, she giggled in amusement.
"You want me to tell you my life story?"
"It's just we've been traveling together for a while now, and I thought I should know something like this." She nodded, understanding his reasoning.
"I guess you're right." They continued to share interesting anecdotes about their childhood.
"May."
"Yeah?"
"I think you should sing more often."
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He often asked her to sing after realizing just how well she could. Although she was nervous at first (especially in front of Brock and Pikachu who had never heard her before), she was more confident after getting used to it, now freely singing whenever he asked.
He'd ask her to sing the same song so much that he'd find himself humming to the melody, sometimes joining in harmony with her.
It was a moment of stillness and tranquility where all the stresses of battling and contest would go away and all that was left was them and the waves of sound. Although it was puerile, he rather liked the fact that it felt like old times. It made him miss home and made him want to go see his mother again.
However, as he laid there whilst hearing her sing a slow tune, he could only think of her. He looked up at May's face as she stared up to the roseate sunset that was fading into the sky. They watched night fall upon them. The moon made him wish it could stay like this.
It's nice, he concluded.
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A/N: The lyrics at the top are from the Pokemon DP ending "Kaze no Message." I don't know if May's English voice actor can sing, but I know for sure Kaori, Haruka's voice actor, can sing beautifully, which is why I based it off of her voice. Even though the initial inspiration for this was Connie Francis and her magnificent voice. Hope you liked it! Critic is much appreciated!