"Well, I guess this is goodbye" Ash said to May. "Yeah..." she replied, with longing in her voice. "Promise we'll meet again" she said. Ash giving her a big grin put his hand on her shoulder, "Of course we will. Friends forever right?" he showed her his half of the Terracotta Ribbon. "Yeah!" She exclaimed with new found confidence.

They walked back to the boat that would take May and Max back to the Hoenn region. All the while both of them not wanting to go on traveling without the other. "Hey you guys, where were you?" Max asked. "Um..." Ash and May both nervously replied, with small blushes on their faces. "Just saying goodbye one last time before parting, right May?". "Yep, I'm gonna miss traveling with you guys!" May told them. "I'm sure we'll cross paths again" Brock joined the conversation.

Ash looked over to May who turned and stared back at him as if to say 'don't go', but they knew they had to, and both left it as it was. "Hello. Earth to Ash and May!" Max yelled, waving his hand between them. "Oh uhhh… Right" they both said.

With that and a few hugs and handshakes, before they knew it, May and Max were gone. They waved until they couldn't see each other anymore. Brock looked over to Ash, his face full of sorrow, and a hint of regret. "Ash..." Brock started. "Are you ok?" Ash turned to him, "I don't know why I didn't tell her. When we said goodbye, it hurt so much! It was like having a part of me torn away from me!" Ash started to yell. Brock just stood there, not sure how to reply. He had never, since he met Ash, heard him say something so deep.

Suddenly it clicked. Ash was completely in love with this girl! "What is this feeling, Brock? It feels like I am being choked to death. I don't know what it was when May and I were saying goodbye… It just hurt so desperately bad!" he paused. "I didn't feel like this when I said goodbye to Misty, or anyone else for that matter!". Brock just stared at him. This was really out of character for Ash. He was always talking about his next adventure at this point, every OTHER time. Now he is giving off an aura of pain.

"Ash, how do you feel about May?" Brock asked. "She's my best friend! I connect with her on a level that I have never been near anyone else with." Ash started. "When I'm with her, I get this sudden feeling that I could take on anything and still come out on top. But now that she's gone, I feel empty. Lost. Helpless." This wasn't the Ash he knew. "Ash, I think- I think that you're in love with May." Brock stated plainly, with a hint of knowing in his voice. "In love?" Ash asked. He knew she was special to him, but in love?

Ash started pondering every second of his time with and without May. 'Could I be in love with May Maple? It seems possible but is love what I feel? Does it have anything to do with this longing.' He kept thinking about his time with her. He had come to realise, over the past couple of years, that he would gladly give up his life for her's. He was sure about that when he was saving the Sea Temple from Phantom. He had also noticed that he liked to be alone with her more than with anyone else. First he thought that he was just trying to get to know her better and become better friends, but when Max had asked to come along, back in Hoenn, he was sure that wasn't the case. He didn't know it at the time but, that small bang on the head, when Max had asked to go, definitely was him wanting to travel alone with May.

Brock was wrong. He wasn't in love with May Maple. He was far beyond that! He was indescribably, infinitely beyond that. Nothing could be put before this girl! Not even Pikachu!

It had been at least an hour since Brock had asked the question. They both just sat there in utter silence, while Ash was deep in thought. Ash shook his head finally ready to answer Brock's proposal. "No Brock, I'm not in love with her," he started. Brock turned in surprise, wondering how Ash would finish this. "I'm nothing without her!" he got out.

His friend was in so much pain, and there was nothing he could do to help. "Listen Ash, you need to go after her! I've never seen you like this before, and it sucks to see you like this." Brock stated.

He was right. He had to chase her! Ash Ketchum had to show this girl how much she really meant to him. "You're right Brock!" Ash stood up and pumped his fist in the air, while wiping away his tears. "Thank you for always being here for me Brock. I really am sorry to have to discontinue traveling with you, but this is something I need to do!" Ash exclaimed.

"That's the Ash I know! It's been good, friend. I give you my regards on your journey." Brock said as they started to walk in different paths. "Thank you so much, Brock! You have been the best bro all the way through!" Ash replied as he started towards Pallet Town.

"Come on Pikachu, let's go, so we can see mom before we set off to find May!" Ash told Pikachu who had been sitting with Brock the whole time. "Pi Pikaka Pikachu!" Pikachu replied.

And they were off…

That was two days ago. After arriving back in Pallet Town he left all of his Pokémon at Professor Oak's lab, and set off with Pikachu to Petalburg City in Hoenn. The home of his other half, the home of his home.

He had boarded the ferry the previous morning, and the ship was going to dock in Slateport City in less than an hour, so he did the only sensible thing. Instead of just showing up unexpectedly, he decided to give Max a call and make sure that may was still there. He wasn't going to lose her again.

He walked up to one of the video phones and dialed the number to the Petalburg gym. The phone rang a few times and then someone answered. "Hello, Petalburg Gym, Max Maple speaking" Max appeared, and said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Hey, Max, just who I hoped to talk to!" Ash started. "Oh hey Ash, I didn't expect to hear from you so early." Max replied. "Well I'm actually on my way over there right now." he said. "That's great, Ash. What made you decide to come see us so early? I mean, it's not that I'm not happy about it, just wondering." Max stated. "Actually about that,I was really wondering if May was still there." This made Max rather confused. "Yeah, why? Do you want to talk to her?" he asked. "No, I was just wondering if she was still there. I want to kind of um, surprise her!" Ash finished.

'May's been going on about how she misses him since we got on the ship back. She's seemed so glum since they parted.' Max quickly snapped out of his thoughts, and told Ash that he'd see him in a few hours and not tell May that Ash was coming. With that they said goodbye, and ended the call.

"You hear that Pikachu, we're gonna get to see May again!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika kapi!" Pikachu yelled in excitement!