I toss and turn in my cot at the Pokemon Center, my partner sleeping silently next to me and a million thoughts running through my head.

No, I'm not an insomniac, and I'm not crazy either. I'm in love. I guess it's about time, I mean, I'm twelve, I shoulda seen this coming. With who, you might ask? My best friend, May. For lack of a better word, she's just so... perfect. I love her smile, the way she laughs, how she always remains optimistic, even with her fair share of slip-ups. She really cares about Pokemon and other people, and I've never met a girl who could match my appetite, and that's a good thing. And she's really pretty. I really like her, but I've always been too shy to tell her. I mean, what if she doesn't feel the same way? Even if she does, if we start dating and it doesn't work out, or if I tell her and she doesn't, will we still be able to be friends? Will it make our other friends feel awkward or like they're invading us? It's too risky. But, on the other hand, I've been aching to tell her, and I can't take every night being like this. I'm desperate. I pull my notebook out of my backpack, rip out a page and pull out the pencil I hide in the coil so that it won't get lost, and lay the paper down on the floor, putting pencil to paper. I begin to write:

"May,

I've gotta tell you something. It's a feeling I've been hiding for a long time, and I've always kinda thought and hoped that you felt the same way. I'm out where I always am. Come find me, and I'll explain everything.

~Ash."

I fold up the paper and return the pencil and notebook to their proper places. She's a sound sleeper, so I figure I'll have no problem messing with her bag. She lays her bandana on top of her sunny yellow fanny-pack when she goes to bed, so I can use that so that she'll know that it's been tampered with. Knowing what order she puts her Pokeballs in her bag in, I find her Skitty, release it and set it down close to her face, as it flicks its tail back and forth when it's sleeping, which will hopefully tickle her nose and make her wake up, and replace the Pokeball in its proper place, this time with my my note to her wedged between it and the thin fabric walls of her bag. I set the bag down, unzipped and with her red bandana leaning against it, stand up and walk out the door.

I start walking along the path at the edge of the city and stop when I get to a large, familiar rock in front of the water. I climb up it and sit at the top, watching the water ripple as I throw stones to skip along the surface of the lake and waiting for May.

Before long, I see a distant figure emerge from the Pokemon Center, seeming to be looking for something. "May," I thought. I saw her turn in my direction, seem alarmed at first, then come running towards me. She's faster than I thought, and it doesn't take long for her to get here.

"What are you doing here?" she asks me as she begins to climb up to where I am, and I move over to make room for her.

"I come here when I get stressed, and I've got one heck of a burden on my head right now, if you know what I mean. Actually, two. my last Gym battle is soon, too." I told her. "You read my note?"

"Yeah. I had no idea you felt this way. And you're right. I feel the same way." she confesses, blushing intensely and staring at her feet.

I started blushing like mad and could feel my cheeks getting hot. "How long have you felt this way?" I asked her.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, ever since I first met you, I've noticed something different about you. Something special, that set you apart from other boys I know. And you make me feel like I'm on top of the world." she sighed.

"Well, if it's been so long, why didn't you tell me sooner?" I ask, feeling slightly hurt that she was keeping secrets from me, but at the same time thinking that she must have a good reason.

"The same reason as you, I'm assuming. That it could ruin our friendship, that you wouldn't feel the same way, or that Brock and Max would feel like third wheels. And it's really hard to tell someone you like that you like them. You should know that." she said, sounding slightly hurt that I didn't understand her better. At that point, what she told me a minute ago, that my feelings are mutual, finally sinks in, I get excited and nervous, and when that happens, I start stuttering, and slowly turn into a stammering, sweaty mess. I knew that would happen. I didn't know what would happen after, though. I start stammering, trying to find something to say, and before I know what's happening, she's grabbed my coal-grey t-shirt, pulled me closer to her, and her lips are touching mine. Her eyes are closed and she's enjoying the moment, but at first I'm too shocked to move. I've never been this close to her before; never seen her face in such great detail. Her long eyelashes, the way the separate strands of her wispy chocolate brown bangs cross over one another, partially covering her right eye. Slowly, I close my eyes and wrap my arms around her. We stay like this for I don't know how long before she slowly pulls away, opening her eyes as I do the same. It must have been early in the morning when I came out, because by now sunrise's spindly fingers are beginning to pull it higher and higher into the sky beyond the silhouette of Mt. Chimney. She moves closer to me, keeping a gentle grip on my arm, and rests her head on my shoulder. We sit there for a while, watching the sun and dawn's red skies grow and get reflected by the rippling water and watching the stones we throw skip across the water before sinking gracefully towards the bottom. There isn't much left for me in Hoenn, and that means we'll most likely be parting ways soon, but, for now, I'm happy for the time we've had and the time we have left.