Sapphires, Ribbons and Karaoke - An Advanceshipping Valentine's Story, a pokémon fanfic

Xannytoes: Admit it, you saw this coming. Ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of year where men and women alike drop hundreds on flowers you can find in any old garden and chocolates so rich they live in their own little chocolate mansion. To get you in the lovey mood, here's a not-so-little Advanceshipping tale from my deranged mind :D

Well, it would appear I'm a day late. Darn you France and your awful internet! Whilst I go off to rant, you can sit yourself back and enjoy.

Scratch that, I'm two days late! I blame those "Muricans" for stirring up a storm and crippling my internet connection. If it pleases you lot, can you turn it down a tad? The winds are ripping my tulips apart.

Ignore all previous statements. I am in fact, very late. I do apologize for this. Internet problems and life and all that fun stuff. Anyways, on with ze story!

The day before Valentine's Day…

In a faraway city, within the four walls of a Pokémon Center, illuminated by a sickening pink glow, sat a very unhappy coordinator. She was no older than thirteen, dressed in a sleeveless red shirt, white biker shorts, white biker gloves, a worn pair of sneakers and a green bandana. Her pretty sapphire eyes sparkled not from the light, but from the cascade of tears sliding down her gentle face.

She'd lost. In the most devastating way possible. After so much training, so much effort to reach this point, she'd only needed one ribbon for another shot at her dream. Another chance at fame and glory. Of course, she wasn't in it for that. Being famous would be great, but she wanted to win for the people who had brought her this far. She could see it now. She'd stand on stage, Pokémon at her side, and dedicate the victory to them. Pokémon and human alike, everyone who had trained and journeyed with her, no one would be forgotten…

Of course, her dreams crumbled to dust at the final hurdle. Her final contest had pitted her against rivals and unknowns. The one person she hadn't been expecting was that arrogant jerk. He already had his five ribbons; he'd just decided to assure his victory. He entered the contest and performed a flawless appeal. She'd been so angry, felt so betrayed, that all her training lay forgotten in her confused mind. She'd walked on to the stage and seconds later, she'd walked off. Utterly humiliated.

She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there. A few minutes, an hour, time held no value to her anymore. The sun and moon danced through the sky faster than she could blink, seasons shifted before she could look twice. Her clichéd view was that time was slipping through her fingers. It had been so long since she had seen him; the better part of two years had passed since their last encounter.

He would have cheered her up, no matter. He had this way about him, his very being emanating confidence that destroyed misery and doubt, replacing it with happiness and the will to win. She could see him now, hand on her shoulder, telling her everything would be OK, assuring her she'd get her chance, then he'd take her out for ice-cream and all her worries would just melt away.

Of course, he wasn't here. She was alone, with only Nurse Joy for company, who was currently preoccupied removing the leftovers of a Needle Arm attack from a young boy's Geodude. And of course, the pink light. The bulb's bright rays burning into her eyes. Apparently, the nurse had decided to get in the spirit for the holidays and lit the Pokémon Center with several "romantic" lights. She was torn between sobbing her heart out and smashing the lamps to pieces.

Unable to take the crushing weight of her misery, she fled the room. She burst into her room, locked the door and collapsed onto her bed, a new flood of tears bursting from bloodshot eyes.

She cried for her loss…

She cried for letting her Pokémon down…

She cried for the boy's Geodude…

But most of all, May cried for her friend who was more than a friend. Ash.

Valentine's Day:

"Miss Maple, you have a visitor," came the voice of Nurse Joy.

May groaned, a voice spurring her from wondrous sleep. A faint trickle of light peeked through the window, her eyes blazing in the sunlight. Stifling a yawn, she sat up and informed the pink-haired woman she would be with her shortly. May glanced over herself in the mirror, makeup stains painted her face whilst her hair had decided to flee in all directions. A quick splash of cold water cleared the muck and her long brown locks quickly fell back in line with help from a comb. Quickly dressing in her usual outfit, she miserably descended to the lobby to meet this visitor.

"If it's Drew, I'm going to slap him," May muttered dark thoughts to herself. She was in the middle of the process of determining whether to shave Drew's hair or set fire to his endless stack of roses, when her thoughts of revenge caught in her throat.

Standing in the lobby was a trainer only slightly older than she was. Dressed in black jeans, a blue jumper and a red hat that kept his messy raven hair in place, his deep brown eyes locked with May's. An all-too familiar smile crossed the borders of his cheeks, a grin that had May struggling to stand on her feet.

"Hey May," Ash greeted the coordinator, arms outstretched. He pulled May into a warm, welcoming and protective hug, a gesture which May was only too happy to respond in kind…

"I still can't believe you're here." May sighed, her arm linked with Ash's as they walked the streets. Strangers whispered amongst each other, remarking how happy the 'romantic' couple looked. May struggled several times to hide an ever-growing blush.

"I would have been here for your contest," said Ash, his grin faltering momentarily, "Unfortunately, we were held up by Team Rocket…"

May sighed. Even if they were the most incompetent criminals in the Pokémon world, they still had a tendency to mess things up for Ash. She playfully punched him on the arm, her own way of replying that she didn't care and all that mattered was that he was here now. Ash hit the reset button on his smile.

"Pika kachu pi Chuchupi," said Pikachu in his native tongue, currently perched on Ash and May's joined shoulders. Hardly the most comfortable place in the world, but the electric type seemed to enjoy it.

"It is nice to see May," agreed Ash, training his grin on May once more, who's cheeks were burning like boiling water. It took all her strength to remain standing. Here was Ash, who had journeyed across countless regions just to see her compete and spend time with her. Now they were strolling the city, arm in arm, on Valentine's Day! May couldn't even remember why she was miserable.

Only she did, and she quickly retreated back to the isolated cell in her mind. Ash's talk of potential restaurants and Pikachu's replies were lost to the morning breeze, as May fought back tears once more…

"You OK May?"

May looked up. She didn't know how long she'd wrapped herself in sadness, but both she and Ash were now standing outside a tall white building. The walls were decorated with hearts, flowers and other romantic sights. A sign by the door promised karaoke.

May resisted the urge to throw-up.

"Yeah, just fine…" May muttered, tightening her grip on Ash's arm.

"If you want, we can go somewhere else," said Ash, looking around for another restaurant.

"No, this is fine." May faked a smile. Ash stared at her for a moment longer, before leading the coordinator inside.

The restaurant's lights were dimmed, the room only illuminated by candles sitting on velvet-draped tables. Said tables encircled a small stage brightened by a spotlight, shifting colours from red to blue to green, then back to red. Taking her by the hand now, Ash led May to a table he'd obviously reserved earlier.

"Ash –"

"I wanted to do something special," Ash told her, a faint blush slowly emerging, "It's not often I get to see you and I heard this restaurant was pretty popular…" Ash trailed off, turning away as his cheeks grew hotter.

"I'd hug you if it weren't for this stupid table." May grinned.

Again, her troubles forgotten, May lost herself within the evening…

She listened to the droning of wannabe singers trying their luck at karaoke and she listened to Ash's soothing voice.

She tasted some of the most exquisite cuisine to ever cross her lips, thought it failed to match that of Brock's.

She gazed into the pair of hazelnut eyes, such dazzling magic only capable by one person.

She smelled the faint wisps of desert, melted chocolate and fresh cake. A delicious smell by all accounts…

But there was something else, lurking on the edge of her senses. A tang of sweetness. Something once beautiful but beautiful no more.

Her fingers brushed the tip of the red rose, taunting her from its homely vase. How she hadn't noticed it before, she wasn't sure. Perhaps one of the waiters had slipped it there as she was entranced by the trainer before her.

The tears returned, threatening to prick through the barrier and wet her face…

"Alright ladies and gentlemen that was 'Catching you with a Love Ball' by the famous Unova singer, Miss Audrey," said a tuxedo-suited man on stage, applauding a young woman back to her seat, "Now for a bit of fun, we're going to select someone from the audience to sing. Whoever the stoplight stops on, that's your cue!"

The light pattered across the rows of tables, passing over various different couples. A man in a white suit and his gothic girlfriend. Husband and wife dressed up in clothes stamped with a picture of Luvdisc. A man and woman who looked hauntingly similar to Oscar and Andi. May shuddered. The spotlight crawled on, passing over many potential victims. Alas, Arceus had other plans and the light stopped on the bandanna-clad coordinator.

"Well there you have it folks!" announced 'Tuxedo Man', "The pretty girl in the bandanna is the lucky singer!"

May froze in place, the gaze of many jealous couples turned to her. Whilst her singing voice wasn't half-bad, she'd never sung in public before. She debated running for the doors when a hand curled itself around hers.

"Don't be scared," reassured Ash, "Think of your contests, think of how many thousands watch your incredible performances. There's not even fifty people here. You can do this May."

She would most likely never know how it was Ash could convince people to do the craziest and most fear-inducing things. Yet he could and would continue to do so for years to come. May rose from her seat, a new form of bravery ablaze in her soul. She marched onto the stage, the approval of other lovers resounding across the room.

"And with some encouragement from her boyfriend, 'Bandana Girl' takes the stage!" yelled 'Tuxedo Man', passing her a microphone. "What song will you be performing for us today sweetie?"

There weren't many songs May could name off by hand. Constant travel and dedication to her contests left her with little time to sit back and listen to the latest hits by 'Imagine Dragonite' and 'Of Pokémon and Men'. The few songs she did know however, all meant something to her. They relaxed her, tempered her, spoke to her. She would sing the one that meant the most to her.

"Together We'll Make a Promise," May decided. 'Tuxedo Man' nodded, tapping a few keys into a laptop. The song began playing almost immediately, the opening chords silencing the room. May glanced over the diners one last time, before focusing on Ash. The lyrics would appear on a monitor above her, but she had no need for them. Her gaze rested on Ash and only Ash.

"In our never ending journey
The road has split apart
A chapter closes in a story
A finish to a start
And even though it feels like the end, my friend
You know it's only the beginning
It's the beginning…"

So like my journey with Ash, May thought to herself. She thought back to their travels throughout Hoenn and Kanto. How she'd thought they'd travel together forever. Of course, she'd left for Johto, in hopes of winning their Grand Festival. A move she'd come to regret…

"Together we'll make a promise
To never forget it all
We've only scratched the surface
Of worlds we'll come to know
Together moving forward
Even though we're far apart
So safe and sound inside our hearts
We keep our word until we are together once again"

Again, just like her and Ash. They'd promised to meet and they had. No matter how far May travelled or what she experienced, she'd never forgotten all the adventures they had shared.

"And if you hear me in a raindrop
I'm not that far away
You can see in your reflection
Another side of me
And even though we say goodbye, goodbye
We'll never be alone
No we're not alone…"

She remembered all the nights she'd spent alone in Johto. Even if she had occasionally travelled with her coordinator friends, it wasn't like the good old days. Sitting round a campfire, listening to Ash brag about how he won his latest badge or frontier symbol, arguing with Max about this and that, all while gulping down a bowl of Brock's delicious stew. How she missed that time long since passed.

"Together we'll make a promise
To never forget it all
We've only scratched the surface
Of words we'll come to know
Together moving forward
Even though we're far apart
So safe and sound inside our hearts
We keep our word until we are together once again"

"So goodbye to you
And everything we went through
We made it to the ending and
The other side of the moon
Goodbye to you
We'll hold on to the memories
Of the good times"

Despite the hundreds of times she'd listened to this song on repeat (much to the annoyance of her family), even after she'd met Ash, she'd never realized how much it related to her and Ash. As if someone had written the song with the two in mind…

The music faded into several quiet chords, before disappearing altogether. Absolute silence haunted the restaurant. For a moment, May was worried her performance had deafened the audience. Her fears were set aside when cheers, applause and frantic screaming filled her ears. Somewhere in the distance, she heard Tuxedo Man praising her as "the best singer the restaurant had ever served". Her attention however, was focused on only one person, who was wiping away a stray tear from his brown eyes.

Tuxedo Man and the other diners adamantly refused to let her leave the stage after such a splendid performance. After such praise and approval, May was only too happy to continue singing, following up her beautiful solo rendition with "I wanna be a hero" and "I'm unbeatable", much more upbeat songs that left the audience only craving for more. She'd even attracted more diners with her magnificent voice, every table in the restaurant claimed.

And throughout all of it, her sapphires never left his browns.

"What do you say folks, one last song?" Tuxedo Man asked. His response was an uproar from the crowds. May laughed, going through the selection in her head one last time. One song stuck out among the rest. A cheerful and happy swansong.

"This Side of Paradise." May made her choice, "But I'd like to sing it with a friend of mine."

Ash's eyes went wide at her suggestion, his warm cheeks betrayed by the spotlight that now shone down upon him. The coordinator beckoned him forward with a simple gesture, as heads all around the room swirled. Nervously, Ash rose from his seat and ascended to the stage, all eyes on him. He took his place next to May nervously, shifting uncomfortably in place. Giggling, May took one of his hands and squeezed it.

"Think of the Pokémon league," May reassured Ash in the same tone he had used only minutes before, "Think of the hundreds of people who watch from the stands and the thousands who watch at home." She winked. "There's not even a hundred people here."

Ash nodded, blushing. With his free hand, he grabbed the microphone, his hand enveloping May's. The crowd cheered and gushed, with the faint tones of music emerging from the speakers. The spotlight rested solely on them, unmoving.

And yet still, she refused to look away from her Ash.

And he wouldn't turn away from his May.

And with that thought etched into their hearts, they began to sing.

"Lala la la la
La la la la la
Lala la la la
La la la la la"

May giggled at Ash's 'la-ing". Ash sighed and shook his head in mock-hurt, flashing a grin to let her know he was OK. After giving her favourite trainer a simple nod, May began to sing:

"There's a place I know.
It's always jumping.
I'm thinking we should go and leave our worries!"

Ash, all too eager to prove his worth, followed up with the next half of the verse:

"You got a friend in need,
And I'll tell you something,
This time could be extraordinary!"

"Not bad," May mouthed to Ash, winking as she did. Whilst his singing voice needed some work, it was a million times better than most wannabee singers. And thus, the singing continued.

"When shadows fall you're feeling small,
It looks like walls are closing in,"

"Don't be afraid the dark will fade,
Just take my hand and look again!"

Eyes locked, hands clasped, voices united, the two sang the next verse in union.

"This side of paradise, is where I want to be
This side of paradise, for you and me
This side of paradise, what you get is what you see
And I never thought I'd see a place as nice, this side of paradise!"

"Lala la la la
La la la la la
Lala la la la
La la la la la"

As before, May kicked off the first half of the verse.

"We're gonna take a ride,
We're gonna catch that train!"

Following her lead, Ash responded with the next, in a voice that seemed quite alien to him. As caring a person as he was, it was rare he spoke any form of emotion other than excitement and praise. He reserved his kindest tones for when the situation warranted it. Like when May lost a contest.

"When you're at my side the world has hope and,
As we pass on by, we all look the same,"

"The clouds are high, the world is open!
Forget about the pain and doubt,
Your happiness is overdue!"

"I've been dreaming of, the skies above
Dancing through the stars with you, oh take me too!"

"This side of paradise, is where I want to be
This side of paradise, for you and me.
This side of paradise, what you get is what you see
And I never thought I'd see a place as nice, this side of paradise!"

Even now, May wasn't used to the praise of her new fans. Still, she enjoyed it. Their cheering and screaming, although deafening, fuelled her confidence and left her wanting to please them more, just like in her Pokémon Contests. Maybe if she ever stopped competing, she could become a singer.

Ash had what was possible the world's biggest grin glued to his face, as he cheekily bowed to the audience. He turned to May, excitement and relief clinging to him like a perfume. As if through some new form of courage, Ash gently raised May's hand and kissed it, softly and warmly.

Mouth agape, eyes wide, May barely had the strength to stand, electricity coursing through her body. With a wink, backed by encouragement from the audience, Ash led May off of the stage and into the night…

"Best day of my life," May muttered under her breath.

"What was that May?" asked Ash.

They were still holding hands.

"Nothing," replied May, resting her head on his shoulders.

Night had befallen the lands, their path lit only by street lamps and the occasional Lanturn. A stiff breeze threatened the two, though they had no intention of hurrying back to their room at the Pokémon Center.

"How long do you think you'll stay here?" May asked, a question she should have given much earlier.

"Who says I want to go?" Ash laughed, May's heart fluttered. "Today made me realize just how much I've missed having you at my side."

May nearly collapsed. Heart pounding, cheeks burning, breath catching. Her and Ash, together once again. Contests and Gyms forgotten, she couldn't think of anything that would make her happier.

"Besides, I want to watch you in the Grand Festival."

The words were no louder than a whisper, yet it was as if Ash was screaming in her ear. All the horrid memories, buried and forgotten, emerged from their graves to haunt her once more. She saw the one who had ruined everything standing before her, flicking his hair and flashing his roses, the scent poisoning her nose.

She stopped dead in the street. Ash waved a hand in front of her face but she didn't care to notice.

"May, are you alright?" his voice layered with concern and fear and worry and a million other things. She gazed at him, the blue of her eyes dimmed by the torrent of tears that threatened to spill. Ash looked like he too was fighting the urge to cry, his mouth agape as he stared at the wounded coordinator.

"No."

May began to cry.

In a faraway city, within the four walls of a Pokémon Center, illuminated by a sickening pink glow, sat a very unhappy coordinator. Ash sat before her, his hot chocolate barely touched. He hadn't said a word since he'd escorted May to the warmth and comfort of the Pokémon Center. Or so he thought. To May, the building felt like an enflamed prison.

Numbly, May had told Ash everything. How only yesterday, she'd set out to earn her final ribbon. How only yesterday, her rival Drew, despite having five ribbons of his own, entered the contest and humiliated her, though with actions rather than words. His appeal went off without a hitch, earning perfect scores from the judges. May's fury at Drew and the pain that he would do something so cruel left her frozen on stage. With not so much as a whimper, May ran.

She ran from her friend now friend no more.

She ran from her dreams.

She ran out of shame.

She had run, for whatever reason. Whilst she had tried to run away from something, she'd instead run straight into the caring and protecting arms of the boy she loved. There was no denying what she felt. His kind face, his gentle touch, his captivating gaze, his strong voice, his undying loyalty, his warm nature. His everything. And the smile. Especially the smile, the one that spoke a thousand words more than his own voice could.

Even after she'd finished her tale, Ash remained silent for a while yet. His eyes no longer lost in hers, instead staring at his hands. Occasionally, he'd run a thumb over his knuckles or nervously squeeze his fingers. May knew he was in deep thought, though she could not fathom as to what plagued him. Was he thinking of a way to cheer her up? Or was he debating whether to use Drew for target practice?

"He was afraid," Ash finally spoke up.

"What?"

"He was afraid May. You and I both know you're the biggest threat to Drew when it comes to Pokémon Contests. He knew that if he entered this contest and beat you, there'd be nothing to stop him winning the Grand Festival…"

Fresh tears joined the drying stains on May's ragged face. "Why?" was the only word she dared to speak, sobs threatening to come forth.

"Some people don't care about whom they hurt or what they do, just as long as they win." Ash shuddered, as if remembering some sort of bad memory. "Sadly, Drew's one of those people… But if he thinks he's won, he's got another thing coming." Ash's grin returned once again, as he fumbled in his pockets for something.

"Ash, it's over." May sighed, hands over her eyes, "Drew has six ribbons, I have four. Yesterday's contest was the last one this year. There's no way I can earn another ribbon."

"You don't have four ribbons," he corrected her, planting a closed fist on the table. "You have four and a half."

Ash opened his hand…

She knew what it was without looking. A pink ribbon with a gold centre. The Terracotta ribbon. It seemed like eons ago when she and Ash had battled in the contest. When the smoke of battle had cleared and the judges pronounced a tie, they'd split the ribbon, a sign of their everlasting friendship.

"You have four and a half ribbons," Ash repeated, "With my half of the Terracotta ribbon, you have five. You can still compete in the Grand Festival, May."

May was speechless. In one, single moment, Ash had made everything right. He always did, no matter what. He cheered her up after a loss, gave her confidence when things looked bleak. He meant the world to her. She had loved him before, but this one gesture made May love him more than anything. She would leave it all behind, so long as she could spend eternity with her raven-haired hero.

Tears poured from her eyes, though not out of sadness. Happiness overwhelmed her body as Ash entwined her fingers with his.

"Happy Valentine's Day May."

He smiled that wonderful smile. May drowned in compassion, bathed in delight and drank in love, as she and Ash leaned forward to bridge the distance between them.

Xannytoes: If I say so myself, I think that's my best bit of fanfiction yet. Many thanks for reading! If you enjoyed, myself and my derpy partner Death would love for you to leave us a review and favourite the story. We work hard on our stories and nothing makes us happier than to see your approval. If you haven't already, might I also recommend you check out "The Return to Hoenn", mine and Death's fanfic, filled with action, drama and Advanceshippy goodness. Until next time, cheers!