Another one-shot from me, sykilik101! And get this: it's an Advanceshipping fic! Who'd of thought I'd ever write one of these? I know I didn't! But hey, it's all for the cause. Go to my forums about the Organization of AntiBashers for more info. But for now, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Pokémon franchise, alright? Just the rights to it. (Not really. I wish, though…)

Dedication: This fic is dedicated to the "cause" of good sportsmanship between all shipping in the fanfiction world. Also, lots of thanks to Chaos-Paladin and PikamasterADV. Without them, I wouldn't have finished this. Thanks, guys!

Hill Under the Stars

The beautiful rays of the setting sun shone down from the sky, the dark silhouette of earthly mounds visible over the horizon. Small blades of grass covered the many hills, flowing delicately in the evening wind. A small forest was situated behind the hills, the leaves rustling together in soft harmony. The sky was painted with splashes of orange, pink, red, purple, and countless other colors clashed together to create a portrait of incomparable radiance. The fragrance of newly-blossomed flowers drifted in the air, lulling anyone who would draw in their scent into a state of peace.

A slab of stone stuck out from the ground, a lone girl sitting against it. She held her legs to her chest, her sapphire eyes fixated on the large orb far above the Earth. Her auburn locks swirled in the air, a red bandana keeping her hair from blowing ecstatically. A look of uncertainty and serenity was plastered on her face, the feelings evident in her eyes and lips, which were formed into a confused yet calm manner.

Young May Maple brushed a few strands of her hair behind her ear, and released a small sigh, before wrapping her arm around her legs once more. She lightly chewed her bottom lip, uncomfortable with the thoughts processing through her mind. She had quite a dilemma on her hands. A crush, actually. A crush on her best friend, Ash Ketchum. The boy she met before she decided to travel around the region. The boy who had helped her grow so much in these last few years she had known him. Merely thinking about him caused a light shade of pink to caress her cheeks.

As she turned her gaze upward towards the sky, she smiled warmly to herself. She didn't mind having a crush on him, though. On the contrary, she was happy that it was Ash who she had these feelings for and no one else. Ash was a kind, sweet, and caring guy who never gave up on anything, no matter what it was. Even when the odds were heavily against him, he would still keep fighting on. However, he was very stubborn and competitive as well. A small giggle escaped her lips as she thought about this morning. Ash and Max had gotten into a heated argument over who would get the last piece of toast. It was quite amusing to see them screaming back and forth, all for a simple slice of toast. It was Pikachu, however, who would claim the food item in the end.

As the memory drifted back into the depths of her mind, the opposite side of her thoughts approached. These ones, however, weren't as joyful, as May's lips curved downward into a frown. She was crushing on Ash, hard. She knew that. But…what was she supposed to do about it? For crying out loud, she was only 13 years! There's no way she could know what love really was at such a young age. And yet…she placed her hand over her heart, which had begun beating faster than normal. Maybe she couldn't understand it, but she could feel it.

A sudden thought came into her mind. How had she looked at love before? She pondered the question, letting it whirl around in her head. Well…before, she thought love was when two people really like each, and they hold hands, and kiss, and a whole lot of stuff. But now…it was like flying. When you see someone flying in the air, you can tell it feels incredible. When you're actually up there, it's a totally different experience. The rush, the speed, the pin in your stomach; it was completely different.

All of this was new to her, and she didn't know how to handle it. Both thoughts were waging war against each other, constantly in a bitter struggle for dominance, leaving her heart and mind in disarray. She thought she knew love before, but now she felt like she didn't know anything about it. Should she just tell him, and get a sensible answer? Or should she wait it out and see if what she felt was real, and if Ash might feel the same way? She didn't know what to do, and the mental reminder that this process had been going on for the past few months only encouraged her desire to scream. However, she managed to keep her feelings in check, as she rested her head onto the rock.

"Hey, May."

Hearing her name, the sapphire-eyed girl looked around the side of the rock to see a figure standing in front of the forest. Even though the sun had set, reducing her vision, she could easily tell that it was Ash, since she could make out the red hat sitting on his head. He was wearing his usual outfit, some jeans and his blue jacket. He was looking around back and forth, trying to locate her. Finally, his eyes rested on the red bandana resting on May's head, and he grinned, before running over to her. His pace slowed as he came closer, before stopping next to her.

"There you are. You've been out here for a long time." Ash leaned on the rock, his eyes cast down on her. "What have you been doing?"

"I was just watching the sunset. It's really beautiful when you take the time to look at it." May replied, turning her gaze to where the sun used to be. With the sun gone from the sky, the night wind's chilly touch tickled her skin, making her body shiver. She rubbed her hands along her arms, attempting to warm them up. To her side, she heard a shifting of clothing. Turning her gaze to Ash, a look of surprise appeared on her face. Ash had taken his arm out of his jacket, and was currently removing his second arm from it.

"Ash, you don't have to…" May's face immediately grew pink, as Ash held out his jacket to her.

"You're not wearing as much as me, so it's no surprise you're cold. Take my jacket, May." He extended his arm to her, the cloth item lying on his hand. Still wearing a surprised face, she blushed as she slowly reached out and took it in her hand. She draped it around her shoulders, warmth still present from when Ash had worn it. It felt really nice; in reality, she had been getting quite chilly for her, so she appreciated Ash's gesture.

Wearing Ash's jacket brought a sense of warmth and comfort to her. A surge of exhilaration coursed inside her, sending a prickle down her entire body. She took in a small breath, and released it slowly, attempting to calm her nerves.

"So how come you're watching the sunset?"

May, breaking out of her small trance, looked to Ash. His gaze was directed where the sun used to be, bearing a small grin.

"Well, when I was little, I always watched the sunset. It's absolutely gorgeous." She discreetly moved a little closer to Ash. However, Ash noticed this, but didn't mind, as his grin grew.

"You know, I used the watch the sunset a lot, too." Ash said.

"Really?" May turned to Ash, not bothering to hide her surprise.

"Yeah. Back when me, Misty, and Brock traveled together, we would always watch the sunset." He then laughed. "I remember how I used to hate it, but Misty convinced me how great a sunset is."

"Misty…" May's lips shaped into a frown. Throughout much of their journey, Misty's name has popped up very often. It was actually surprising how often Ash would talk about Misty. They must've been really great friends, or…a startling thought arose in May's mind, one that gripped at her heart in fear. "What if Ash…has a crush on Misty?" Her body was shaking very faintly, her mind racing, the idea of Ash having feelings for Misty haunting her.

"Ash?" The raven-haired boy looked to the brunette, a quizzical expression plastered on his face.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"How do you feel…about Misty?" Her voice exposed her nervousness, which was easily noticed by Ash. With a huge smile, Ash suddenly knew what was wrong with May. His smile soon grew mischievous and he decided that he would not only answer her question, but have a little fun as well…

"Well, actually…I think I'm in love with her." He said. His face was mostly straight, but the corners of his mouth were twitching…

May felt her entire body become numb, complete horror shooting into her heart. Her eyes wavered as she felt her throat tighten, tears threatening to fall. "He…he really does like Misty…no, that's not it…he loves her…" May's head drooped, closing her eyes, refusing to believe what Ash had said.

Then suddenly, she heard a snicker. Raising her head, she could see Ash's eyes were closed, and he wore an enormous grin. It was then that he began laughing harder than she had ever heard him laugh before. In fact, she could see tears form in his eyes. To say she was confused would be a complete understatement. First he says that he loves Misty, then he's laughing his head off. Moments later, Ash quieted down, as he wiped the water from his eyes.

"Don't look so down, May! I was only kidding!" He chuckled, one eye open and looking straight at her, clutching at his sides.

It took May a full two seconds to process what Ash had just said. Instantly, all of her sadness was depleted, and in her eyes reflected a new emotion, anger. Her body began shaking from the intense fury running through her.

"ASH, YOU JERK!" Ash was taken aback as May let out a shrill scream, sending him back in surprise. He lay on his arm, leaning backwards. When May's yell was silenced, Ash was still slightly stunned by it, as his eyes were still widened. However, only a second passed before he regained his composure, and he looked into her eyes. What he found was that even though she was trying to hold a strong, livid face, small droplets could be seen in her eyes. She was trying to appear angry with Ash, but in actually, it was apparent to him that his joke has hurt her a lot more than he had originally thought. A small frown framed onto Ash's face, as he felt guilty about what he'd done.

"May, I'm sorry…" He began.

"No, Ash, I'm sorry for getting angry, but…" May interrupted. "…that really was mean." With that, she turned around so that her back was to him. Ash's frown grew as he knew that May really was upset by him. He didn't want her to be sad, so, with an idea in mind, he slowly shifted towards…

May let out a small sigh. She knew that Ash wasn't the type of guy to take things seriously when it came to his friends, but sometimes he would say things he should keep to himself. She knew that, within some time, she wouldn't be mad at him anymore, but for the moment…her thoughts were interrupted by a pair of hands covering her eyes. Ash knew he has startled her when her body jumped slightly. He grinned, releasing a small laugh.

"Guess who." He tempted May. The simplicity of the action, added with the ridiculousness of it, was enough to melt away May's temper and release a small giggle. She placed her hands over his, and removed them, turning to face Ash.

"Ash." She said simply. The black-haired boy grinned, before throwing himself forward and pulling May into a playful hug. Placing his knuckles on her head, he rapidly ran them back and forth, receiving squeals of surprise from the brown-haired girl.

"Ash, stop, that hurts!" She yelled, laughing and attempting to grasp Ash's hand. Eventually, she managed to gain a hold of his arm, but he used that arm to grab her around the waist, before using his other arm to continue rubbing her head. With a joyful scream, she pushed Ash forward, trying to stop him from making her head sore any more that it already was. However, her action knocked Ash off balance, as he fell backwards, trying to keep his footing. May grabbed his shirt, hoping to catch him, but to no prevail.

"Whoa!" Ash cried, closing his eyes before the back of his body slammed into the ground. "Oww…oof!" He expelled, as May landed on top of him, pummeling his stomach further into the ground. Ash placed one hand under his throbbing head, pillowing it from the earth and attempting to soothe the pain coursing through it. His other hand he intended to place on his aching stomach, but since May was currently making a bed out of Ash, his hand was instead placed on her back. He opened his eyes to meet her blue ones. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, before May smiled. That smile soon evolved into laughter, which Ash did as well. They laid there for a minute, allowing their chuckles and giggles, full of childish innocence, to echo throughout the field.

As she quieted down, May, exhausted with her little match with Ash, slowly lowered her head. His heart was beating erratically, as her ears easily told her. Eventually, it slowed its pace, as May slowly closed her eyes. Her hands were flat on his chest, and his arms were wrapped around her. Being in Ash's arms…it was blissful. She was sure that he could feel her heart beating hastily, but she was glad that he couldn't see her face, which she knew was beet red. The world around her seemed insignificant compared to how she was feeling with him. It was then that all doubts were erased from her mind. It was undeniable; she really did like Ash. No, not even. The thought seemed too grand, too ethereal to be true, but there was no mistake; she loved him.

The sudden revelation caused her to feel dizzy, as she sat up and held her hand to her head. Looking down at Ash, she was surprised to see a stupefied expression on his face. It was also a mystery as to why his face was so red. Suddenly, a small bit of blood spurted from his nose, and the redness in his face increased exponentially.

"Wait a second…people have nosebleeds when…" May imagined their current position in her mind. Then, it hit her. An annoyed look was shown on her face, as she looked at Ash, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Ash…how could you think like that?" May said in a hushed voice.

"It just sorta happened. I didn't mean to." He said earnestly.

"If you say so. Maybe you should stop hanging out with Brock so much." May shot him a knowing look, causing Ash to chuckle awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. May, moving off of Ash, proceeded to fix her bandana, which had ruffled during their small skirmish. Ash picked himself up from the ground, dusting off his shirt and pants. He walked over and put his jacket back on, which had fallen off May when he had grabbed her. Walking over to the said girl, he extended his arm to her.

"It's getting pretty late. We should get to bed now." He told her. May blinked, somewhat flattered by his action. A second passed before May reached up and grasped his hand in hers. Immediately afterwards, a sly grin appeared, causing confusion to Ash. The next thing he knew, May had lifted herself off the ground, while his face was headed towards the ground.

"MAAA-" Ash's face harshly became acquainted with the dirt.

"That's for giving me a noogie!" May huffed, wearing a victorious grin. Ash said nothing, as he was preoccupied spitting the dirt out of the ground. He turned around with annoyed look on his face, but was instantly stopped by May, who was leaning forward, her hands placed on her knees, so that their faces were mere inches apart. A childish and adorable look of happiness was emanating from her face.

"A little hurt, huh?" May moved one of her hands to point at Ash. Staring down, Ash could see a small bit of blood on the ridge of his nose. Irritated, he wiped the blood off his nose with the back of his hand, flinching at the sting. After removing his hand, Ash looked to see May's face move a little closer. He closed his eyes and flinched, as May's lips slowly kissed his cut. A small second went by before May moved back. Confusion swirling in his eyes, Ash looked up to see May smiling down on him, a faint blush gracing her cheeks.

"Well, come on. Let's go!" May turned around and began running towards the forest where their camp was.

As he watched her figure head into the forest, Ash bore a grin on his lips. "Well, it looks like May know how she feels now…" He closed his eyes, rubbing the back of his head in an exasperated fashion. "Man, what am I gonna do now?" His smile turned into a solemn look. "I don't want to tell her I don't feel the same way that she feels about me, but I don't want to hurt her, either." His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his name called. Looking up, he saw May at the entrance of the forest, smiling and waving at him, gesturing for him to follow her. He simply smiled. "I guess I'll just give it some time…maybe soon, I can feel the same way for her, too…" With that, he stood up, patted off the dirt from his clothes, and paced towards her, the wind blowing gently from the sky.

xxxxx

So, yeah, there's my fic. And if you think Ash was out of character, you're probably wrong! Remember, Ash had matured some when he first met May. This is 3 years later, so he's obviously matured a lot more. Y'know, become more experienced (and picked up on a few things, thanks to Brock). So, that takes care of that. Review and tell me whatcha think!