This is what I've been working on lately, so I haven't been updating anything else…sorry about that! AND also…my hard drive was completely wiped (although that happened a month ago) and I haven't had the heart yet to go write everything I wrote over yet…which is why I haven't updated much at all…

Disclaimer: OMC, I don't own Pokemon? Really? Wow, I would never have guessed!

Pokemon: Advanced Ego

Summary: May got to Professor Birch later than expected—she missed Ash. She found another traveling partner instead. May and ?

Chapter One: Early is on time, on time is late…

"Shuppet," said a Shuppet, appearing in front of May. She was riding her red bicycle, and was on her way to Professor Birch for her first Pokemon.

"AAAH!" May shrieked. In order to avoid the ghost pokemon, she swerved and crashed into a tree. That knocked her unconscious for a good hour or two.

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"Oww…" May moaned as she got up. "Oh great, my bike's totaled…" She surveyed the damage. There was absolutely no way that she'd be able to ride that bike again. She sighed. If there was one thing in the world that she hated, it was Pokemon. And look what those pocket monsters have done already! Her parents don't buy her bikes everyday…she could just imagine her dad saying, "Now May, money doesn't grow on trees…."

Dejectedly, May walked towards Professor Birch's lab. She should just go run off somewhere now, without getting a starter Pokemon. It's not like she wanted one…she only agreed to get one because if she didn't, it would be a disgrace to her family. Sometimes May wished that she didn't have a gym leader for a father, and that she never moved from Johto. At least there, a lab wasn't very close by and she wasn't pressured to get a pokemon!

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"Oh, Professor Birch has a visitor…" murmured May. She hid behind a vase, since she didn't want to interrupt. Of course, eavesdropping wasn't very good either, but…

"Hello there. Gary, is it? You're Professor Oak's grandson!" Professor Birch chuckled.

"Yes, I am," said Gary, looking pleased. "I came to deliver this package to you. I invented it myself."

"Pokemon inventions already? You're so young!" Professor Birch took the package and opened it eagerly.

"You're the first to see it! I thought I should introduce it away from Gramps, or he'd try to steal credit," said Gary, grinning.

Professor Birch nearly jumped up in delight. "A portable Pokemon storage box! You'd be putting Lanette and Bill out of business with this!"

"Interesting, isn't it? You can withdraw and deposit Pokemon as you please…I even added some extra features, such as automatic sorting. As soon as you deposit a Pokemon, the box sorts it by the categories of offense, defense, speed, type, and you get the idea…you can also manually sort the Pokemon if you want," said Gary.

"Genius! Pure genius!" exclaimed Professor Birch.

"I still have some bugs to work out, but I'll market it soon. I was thinking of researching the Pokemon of Hoenn first, so that I can make sure the sorting works out—." Gary said.

May could tell that this was important, but she accidentally shifted a little from her hiding spot. The vase teetered, and fell over the edge. May dived, and grabbed it before it fell. She squeaked, as she felt stares from Gary and Professor Birch.

"May?" Professor Birch said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Eep!" May jumped, and returned the vase to its table. She laughed nervously.

"You're here for your starter pokemon, correct?" asked Professor Birch.

"Yes…" said May.

"You're late," remarked Professor Birch.

Gary raised an eyebrow. "Late? Reminds me of a certain someone…Ashy-boy."

May shrugged. Before she came to the lab, she had taken out a bandana (a present from her little brother, Max) from her bag and tied it over her head, so that the big bruise that appeared there wouldn't show. Fortunately for her, it matched her outfit.

Professor Birch coughed. "I'm afraid you came too late for the regular Pokemon. The Mudkip, Torchic, and Treeko are all gone."

"So I…don't have to get any pokemon?" asked May hopefully.

Professor Birch mistook May's tone for disappointment. "You don't have to give up hope yet! There's one more Pokemon…though it's a bit dangerous…and, probably shouldn't be given to beginner trainers…" Professor Birch tapped his chin thoughtfully. He began to have some second thoughts.

"Take it," said Gary encouragingly.

"Fine…" muttered May. "I'll take it."

Professor Birch pressed a button near the table where all the starter pokeballs would have been placed. A secret compartment opened up, and a single pokeball lay on the cushion there. The Professor took a pair of tweezers, and picked up the ball. Then he dropped it into May's hands.

"Release it," he said simply.

"O…okay," said May. She had a bad feeling about this. She threw the pokeball, and a red light came out of it. It materialized into a Swablu.

Gary blinked. The flying cotton ball didn't look that dangerous!

"Swab…" said the Swablu angrily. Apparently it had been sleeping.

"Hello…" said May uncertainly.

"Here's a pokedex, some pokeballs, and a map. Gary, here's your package back. Good day!" Professor Birch pushed Gary, May, and the Swablu out of the lab and shut the door. He looked deathly afraid of the Swablu.

"He could've kept the package…" muttered Gary. "It was the demo version…"

"Really?" came a muffled voice from the lab. A pair of metal hands protruded from the lab window, grabbed the package, and disappeared.

"Er…" May stared at the Swablu. It stared back. She was experiencing what would commonly be known as…a communication block.

"I suggest you give it a nickname. Keeps the love going, you know," said Gary.

"Uh…I'll call it, Icicle," said May randomly.

Gary nodded to her. "I'll be going now."

"Wait! Can I…um…" stuttered May. "Can I, travel with you?"

Gary paused. Then he shrugged. "Sure, I guess. What's your name again?"

"It's May," said May, grinning. "And thanks so much! Traveling alone just isn't as much fun, I think…"

"Swab, swab bluuu, swwaabbb, swabbbb, bluu," sang Swablu.

May and Gary couldn't help but fall asleep. Swablu grinned evilly, and looked through May's bag. It found a bottle of ketchup.