Ash watched May leaping up and down and grinned.

The pretty announcer pinned the bright orange ribbon onto May's jacket. May beamed up at the crowd and as she did so, she saw Pikachu, Brock, Max and Ash cheering her on from their front row seats. Her eyes sparkled as she saw the huge grins on all of their faces.

"Well done, May!"
"Thanks!" May threw her arms around Ash and then backed away; a nervous laugh rising in her throat. Brock and Max hugged May too, and then they all stood staring at each other, grins plastered all over their faces.
"I'm hungry," Ash said.
"Naturally," May remarked, laughing, and they walked to the Pokemon Centre for some free food and a place to sleep.

That night...

"Ash?"
"Mmmph," Ash groaned, turning over on his side and opening his eyes.
"Ash!"
"I'm awake," he muttered.
"Will you help me?"May asked, and as Ash craned his neck to look up at her he saw a tear slide down her pale cheek. He sat up immediately.
"What's up?" he asked, reaching out an arm and wrapping it around May. "May - what's the matter?"
"I can't find Skitty anywhere," she wailed, flinging her arms around Ash. He gently stroked her shoulder as she sobbed on his chest and then pulled away, mascara smeared all over her face. Ash wiped away a tear on her cheek and pretended not to notice the black gunk smeared on his fingers.
"OK," he said, getting out of bed and handing May a tissue from the bedside table. "C'mon then."

"Thanks Ash," May said, cuddling Skitty, who was still asleep. "I... I'm sorry I cried all over you, I was just worried."
"That's--that's--that's..." Ash said, failing to stifle a huge yawn. "OK. Goodnight."
May climbed back into bed and buried her face in Skitty's pink fur.
"Night Ash," she called, as she heard Ash's footsteps fade away on the landing.

"MAY!"
May opened her eyes and growled, "Max! Go away! I'm trying to sleep!"
"No, no, you have to get up now!"
"WHY?" May shrieked, flinging herself out of bed and yanking open the door. Max stood there, already dressed, beaming at her. He was holding a big pink and white balloon.
"What?" May asked, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.
"Happy birthday!"
"Oh!" May grinned; she had totally forgotten. Brock burst out of his room holding another balloon and a wrapped present. Ash did the same, though his present was considerably larger than Brock's. May beamed at them and hugge Max. Then she noticed her hair in the shiny surface of the balloon and ran back into her room.

Ten minutes later, a fully dressed and made-up May sat at the table downstairs opening her presents.
"Thanks, Brock," she said, putting her new heart shaped seals onto Skitty's Poke Ball. "They're lovely."
"Open mine next," Max said, thrusting a package into May's hands.
"It's... a new pair of sunglasses," May said unenthusiastically, as she lifted a tiny pair of sparkly yellow sunglasses from the tissue paper nest they were settled in. "Thank you, Maxie, but... well, I don't know whether they'll fit."
"No, I thought they wouldn't," Max said, taking them from her and sticking them on his face. He looked ridiculous.
"Mine last," Ash said, as Pikachu toddled across the table with a present.
May opened the box and gasped. "Ash! They're beautiful!"
"Thanks," Ash grinned, and helped May fix the coral necklace around her neck. He reached further into the box and brought out a matching bracelet and fixed it around her wrist.
He looked down into her eyes as she beamed up at him, and their eyes met. "Thank you, Ash," she said softly.

"C'mon," Brock said to Max, as they raced down the path to the forest.
"Ash? Walk with me?"
"OK," Ash replied, and he and May walked together. It was silent. The quiet was pressing against May's chest and obstructing her breathing. "I-" she began and then fell silent.
"May?" Ash had stopped and was facing her again. "I need to tell you something..."