"Aww. C'mon May. I wanna keep travelling around Johto with you." Moaned a small, bespectacled boy. "Plus you're going to Sinnoh in a about a month to compete in the Wallace cup. Please let me come with you."

May just laughed and tussled the boys hair. "Now Max. Dad asked me to bring you home so you can help him with the gym, so that's what I'm gonna do. And I'm going to Sinnoh to talk to Ash about something. The Wallace cup is of secondary importance but right now I'm gonna take you home."

"All right." Max grumbled.

"Max I'll give you my Squirtle before I leave for Sinnoh." May told her brother. "But only if you be good. If you kick up another fuss about going home then I might rescind the offer."

"All right!" Max said as he perked up.

The Sister and Brother duo boarded the ship back to Hoenn.

"It's about a 4 day trip back to Hoenn and we both have separate rooms okay Max?" May told her brother. "But my cabin is just across the hall from yours so if you need help with anything feel free to come and get me."

"Okay. Yeah." Max said. "By the way. I get the feeling there's something different about you lately May."

"Like what?" May asked.

"I don't know. You just seem more… energized and playful. Like your Skitty." Max thought.

"Maybe hanging around Ash, his attitude rubbed off on me. Or maybe Skitty's energy rubbed off on me." May suggested.

"I guess. It's not a problem just an observation." Max reassured his sister.

"If it ever becomes a problem let me know." May told him.

"I will." Max replied.

2 days into the trip an explosion rocks the boat and it begins to sink. May and Max are trapped in their cabins by members of Team Aqua looking for revenge.

"You two were members of the group that stopped us from achieving our goal of world domination." One grunt said as he called out a Mightyena.

"So now we get to exact a little revenge." The other finished as he called out a Manectric.

May called out her Venusaur and ordered it to use Razor Leaf.

"Venusaur" Venusaur bellowed before launching a barrage of leaves that were harder than steel and sharp as razors, cutting down the Mightyena and Manectric.

"Max! run to the side of the boat and jump into the water. I'll be right behind you!" May yelled.

"You better. I don't want to explain to mum and dad how you drowned fighting off a terrorist organization." Max called back as he ran off.

May recalled her Venusaur and shoulder barged through the Team Aqua grunts. Before she reached the closest end of the ship. She climbed onto the railing and looked for Max.

"MAX! MAX WHERE ARE YOU?" she yelled.

"May" Came a faint reply. "My foots tangled on the rope to one of the life boats."

"Hold on I'll cut you free!" May called to her brother as she pulled a knife out of her bag and jumped for the rope.

She grabbed the rope and waited for it to stop swinging before she cut it. Her brother screamed as they dropped towards the ocean.

May fumbled with her Pokéballs as she searched for Squirtle.

"This would be easier if I clipped them to my hip like Ash does." May told herself.

They hit the water hard. May broke the surface to breathe and went under to look for Max when he didn't.

She found him struggling to swim up as the rope weighed him down. She swam as hard as she could but found her limit when she was halfway to Max. She began to lose consciousness as Max slowly stopped moving. He went limp and sank as her world turned to black.

She woke up several days later in Slateport hospital.

"What happened?" Was the first thing she asked the orderly.

"You were found unconscious on a small island just off the coast of the beach." The nurse told her. "You're lucky to be alive. You're also the only known survivor of the ship that sank two weeks ago."

"The… only… survivor." May repeated as tears filled her eyes. "So those weren't nightmares. Max really did drown." May sobbed.

The nurse tried to calm her down but she pushed her off.

"Leave me alone! I want to mourn my brother." May told the nurse.

After three weeks of therapy to get over the death of her brother, May called out Beautifly and flew home to Petalburg.

"Well Beautifly. Here we are. Home." May said with dread in her voice. "Return." May said as she returned Beautifly to its pokeball.

May opened the door and came face to face with her mother.

"Mom…"