May could not believe her eyes; standing right in front of her was the person she was just thinking about, Ash Ketchum. He finally recovered his breath and smiled.
"Hey May? Um…. Are you okay?" asked her best friend, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. May was standing completely still, the deafening silence around the two making Ash really uncomfortable.
'No. Freaking. Way.' May asked herself as she rubbed her eyes. 'This can't be him. Ash is probably somewhere in the middle of the Sinnoh region right now. I must be hallucinating or something.'
"May?" Ash looked at her with concern. He reached his arm out and gently touched May's arm, startling the now wide eyed girl.
'Maybe she thought I forgot about her and now she's mad at me…' the auburn-eyed trainer sadly thought as his arm pulled back.
Ash sighed and placed his other hand on May's shoulder. "Listen, May. I'm really sorry about–"
The sapphire eyed girl quickly pulled Ash into a hug, interrupting his apology. Ash eventually returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her while smiling as he breathed in her sweet, strawberry scent again. It had been a long time – more than a year if he remembered correctly – since they last saw each other face to face.
Ash felt his shirt get slightly wet and looked down at May. She also looked up and had a smile across face with little tears dripping down her cheeks. The coordinator's deep blue eyes looked up into warm chocolate brown eyes.
'Crap! I think I made her cry!'
"May, I-I'm sorry…" Ash awkwardly apologized. He didn't know what to do when it came to situations like this.
"Don't be, Ash," May laughed though her tears. "I should be the one saying sorry for getting you all wet."
The coordinator quietly wiped her tears away for a moment. She wasn't one to cry often and it usually irked her when she let her emotions get the best of her. However, this was an exception considering the situation she now found herself in.
"I really missed you, May," Ash broke the silence, still holding May in his arms.
The girl looked up from the embrace and smiled at the sincerity of his words. "I really missed you too, Ash…"
The two continued their affectionate embrace as Dawn made her way around the corner with Pikachu.
"I swear, Pikachu, your trainer is so reckless sometimes," Dawn sighed to the electric type.
Pikachu nodded in agreement and also sighed, "Pika."
"Now where is he?" Dawn scanned the area to try and find the Pokémon Master. She moved her eyes everywhere until they landed a peculiar spot. "Gasp! Pikachu, look over there!" Dawn pointed out a strange figure across the street with her finger.
"Pika?" Pikachu responded and cutely turned his head to the side.
The strange figure turned out to be his trainer and their former traveling companion May. The two of them were hugging one another, but more surprisingly, it looked like Ash was really enjoying the moment.
"Awww! They look so cute like that!" Dawn screamed at the mouse on her shoulder, causing him to sweat drop.
"Come on, Pikachu," Dawn excitedly said to him. "Let's go say hi to May!"
Dawn rushed up to the hugging pair, who were caught up in their little moment to actually notice her. Although she felt bad about interrupting their moment, Dawn coughed to get their attention.
"A-hem."
As soon as they heard the cough, Ash and May snapped back into reality and looked at the smiling girl.
"Hey guys," the young blunette smirked, innuendo clear in her voice.
Ash and May quickly let go of each other and looked everywhere but the direction of each other.
'My face feels like it got hit by Infernape's Flamethrower attack…' Ash thought as he secretly glanced at May. Her face looked as red as his own and she was avoiding awkward eye contact with him.
"Uhhh… What's up, Dawn?" Ash lamely asked; his face flushed. He could tell that Dawn was getting a kick out his embarrassment at the moment.
"Oh, I just want to say hi to May too, if you don't mind," the blunette smiled all too sweetly.
"Oh… Right," Ash replied and stepped to the side.
"Anywayyyy," Dawn drew out the last syllable for emphasize, knowing that her two friends were uncomfortable; "It's been such a long time, May! I can't believe it!"
"I know! It's so great to see you, Dawn!" the Top Coordinator laughed as the two hugged one another. "I missed you so much."
"Pika chu!" Pikachu exclaimed to May, who finished her hug with Dawn.
"Hi Pikachu, how are you?" May giggled as she picked up the electric mouse. Pikachu started to rub May's cheek affectionately with his own in response.
"I missed you too, Pikachu," the sapphire eyed girl smiled. "Has Ash been taking good care of you?"
"Pika," Pikachu nodded and jumped onto May's shoulder, causing her to giggle again.
"May," Dawn called to catch her attention, "We have soooo much to catch up on. Oh and I need to tell you about all that's happened lately since you left the Sinnoh region. Oooooo, and we have to go shopping together and–"
"As awesome as that sounds," the young trainer interrupted as he rolled his eyes, "I think you two should talk about your shopping plans later."
Suddenly, Ash's stomach grumbled very loudly, making him rub the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Typical Ash," May rolled her eyes as she smiles. "At least it's good to know that you haven't changed one bit."
"Actually May, I think that's a bad thing," Dawn said as she frowned. "Usually he would eat all the food we had in a couple of seconds."
Ash rubbed the back of his head out of embarrassment once more and smiled at the two girls. At least Dawn had another female to complain to instead of him.
"How about we go inside the house so Ash can get something to eat?" May suggested, stepping aside to let her friends in.
Her excitement was so great that she wanted badly to spend time with her friends, no questions asked about how or why they appeared out of the blue in front of her doorsteps.
"Sounds great, May," Ash replied as he entered the house. "It's been a while since the last time I saw your family."
Dawn was very excited to go inside the Petalburg Gym. She pushed Ash out of her way to get a better look. "Ooo, I've never been inside the home of a gym leader before! Your house is so beautiful, May!"
"Thank you, Dawn," May smiled at her friend.
Another feminine voice from the adjacent room spoke.
"May, who was at the door?" the woman asked as she came out of the kitchen. "Gasp! Ash! How are you, dear?"
"Hello Mrs. Maple. I'm doing well," Ash smiled warmly at one of his mother figures. To be exact, this woman was Caroline Maple. She was the loving stay at home wife of the Petalburg Gym and a very friendly person.
"Ash, you know how I feel about you calling me that. Please call me Caroline," stated Caroline politely as she hugged Ash for the first time in years. "It's nice to see you and Pikachu again."
"Chaaa," the electric mouse tiredly waved its paw from May's shoulder. It then jumped off and hopped on the comfortable-looking couch to sleep.
When Caroline pulled back from the hug, she finally noticed the blunette standing right next to May.
"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie. My name is Caroline; I'm May's mother," she said as she kindly extended her right hand.
"It is nice to meet you, Caroline," Dawn smiled and accepted the handshake. "My name is Dawn, and I'm a Pokémon Coordinator from the Sinnoh region."
"Oh, so you are Dawn," Caroline also smiled, "May has told me a lot about you. You are a very talented girl."
"Thank you, Caroline," replied Dawn, giggling at the sudden praise.
"Hey Mom?" May started as the two girls let go of each other's hand. "Would it be okay for Ash and Dawn to have dinner with us tonight?"
Caroline grinned at the three teenagers and nodded. "Of course it would be okay. You two are welcome here anytime, Ash and Dawn."
"Awesome! Thanks Mom," May said with a lot of excitement. This was going to be the first time in many months since she ate a meal with her friends.
"By the way Ash, where is Brock?" Caroline questioned. "I dearly miss him as well."
"Oh, Brock said that he wanted to go back to Pewter City to take a break from our Sinnoh adventure," the raven-haired trainer replied. "He also needed to check on the Pewter Gym since he left his brother Forrest in charge."
"That's too bad," Caroline sadly noted. "It's been years since I last saw him. He was an excellent helper in the kitchen."
"Speaking of meals, is dinner ready yet, Mom? I'm starving," groaned her hungry daughter.
At the same time, Ash's stomach grumbled again. The trainer sheepishly laughed at the rudeness. "Yeah, me too. Can we please eat now, Caroline?"
Dawn smiled at the pair. "You guys are a bunch of Munchlaxes."
Caroline giggled at the blunette's remark. "In just a few more minutes, you two, the food is almost ready. Ash, can you please tell Norman that it's dinnertime? He's in the gym right now."
"Sure thing, Caroline," Ash grinned and went out the kitchen door, thus leaving the three females to themselves.
"Would you two girls like to help me finish last minute preparations on the food?" Caroline asked as she took out extra aprons.
"Okay!" Dawn and May replied at the same time, reaching out for the aprons.
May was very excited as she helped her mother and Dawn. However, one thing was on the Top Coordinators mind as she worked.
'Wait, I forgot to ask what they're doing here,' she thought to herself. 'I mean, I'm happy to see them, but this is very surprising, even for the most spontaneous boy I've ever met.' As she continued working, May couldn't help but think that something was going on.
Ash walked down the hallway of the Maple household. He had forgotten how big and roomy Norman's house was since it connected straight to the Petalburg Gym.
"Now if I remember correctly, the entrance to the gym should be… Ah, here it is!" Ash stated when he found a big door with the symbol of the Petalburg Gym badge, the Balance Badge, on it.
Ash knocked on the door, but received no response. Hoping that he was not interrupting anything important, Ash gently pushed the door open. As soon as he did that, a ground shaking noise erupted through the Petalburg Gym. The young trainer struggled to keep his balance.
A large ape Pokémon was causing this disturbance. "SLAKING!"
"Stop using Earthquake, Slaking. That's enough," a calm and collected man said from the shadowy part of the gym. "It seems that we have a challenger today."
As soon as Slaking stopped, the man started to walk towards the light and revealed his confident form. This man was famous throughout the entire Hoenn region, especially in the areas near Petalburg City, like North Petalburg. He was a powerful man who loved Pokémon as much as he loved his wife and children. The man was also an important father figure in Ash's life. His name was Norman Maple.
"I am Norman, the gym leader of the Petalburg Gym, and I accept your challenge. Prepare yourself."
However, when Norman saw the face of his challenger, his eyes widened and he dropped his tough guy act. "Ash Ketchum, is that you?"
"Hi Norman," replied Ash, who was still recovering from Slaking's attack. "Yeah, it's me."
Norman walked up to the boy and extended his hand. "It's great to see you again, Ash."
"It's great to see you too, Norman," Ash chuckled as he shook the man's hand and turned to the large ape. "It's also nice to see you, Slaking."
"Slaking," the large ape Pokémon replied as he yawned and fell asleep on the floor.
"Anyway, what brings you to Petalburg City, Ash?"
"Well, I wanted to see how your family was doing," Ash explained. "My friend Dawn and I wanted to spend some time with May since we haven't seen her in a while."
"Oh, is this Dawn the girl that May told Caroline and I about? The one from the Sinnoh region?" asked the gym leader.
"Yeah. She wanted to come along with me to visit you guys."
Norman nodded in response. "Ahh I see, so where is Dawn anyway? I would like to introduce myself to her."
"She's helping Caroline and May in the kitchen right now," Ash pointed out. "By the way, Caroline said that it's time for dinner."
Norman looked at the clock in the gym and laughed. "Wow, I didn't even notice that it is the evening already. I've been waiting for a challenger all day."
"Don't worry, Norman," Ash smiled at his father figure. "Pikachu and I will battle you again if you want."
"If you insist, Ash. I haven't had a challenger in weeks," the gym leader laughed. "It's been a while since someone came to the gym."
Norman heard his stomach grumble, his cheeks becoming red. "Let's go get some food first."
Ash and Norman walked out of the gym and down the hallway. When they reentered the portion of the building that was the residence of the Maple family, the two men headed straight to the kitchen where they found the three girls sitting at the table waiting for them. Glorious and mouth-watering entrees also waited for them on top of the table.
"It's nice of you boys to finally join us," Caroline a little too sweetly replied.
Upon seeing the look of his wife's face, Norman quickly apologized and put his hands in the air. "Sorry, honey. Ash and I were just catching up. I did not forget about dinner if that's what you were thinking."
He moved towards his wife and kissed the top of her head lovingly. Caroline's initial anger melted away and she smiled once again. Norman sighed in relief and sat right beside her as Ash followed right behind him.
"So…" Norman started as he extended his hand to the blunette, "you must be Dawn Berlitz. May has told us a lot about you."
"Yes I am," Dawn stated with smile and accepted the hand. "And you must be May's dad."
"That, I am. I heard that you are the girl who beat my little girl in the Wallace Cup, right?" Norman asked with suspiciously.
Dawn became nervous when she heard question and didn't know how to respond. "Well I, u-umm…"
"I'm joking, Dawn," Norman laughed. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Norman Maple."
"Oh. It's nice to meet you too, Norman," Dawn replied with a giggle of relief.
"By the way, where's Max?" Ash interrupted as he turned his head to see if his old travel companion was on his way to the kitchen.
"Max just started his journey earlier this week," May explained. "He was very excited to finally start his own journey just like you, Ash."
"Yes, he wanted to begin his adventure as soon he turned ten years old," Norman laughed with pride in his voice. "He chose Treecko to be his starter Pokémon when Professor Birch arrived and immediately started towards Rustboro City."
And with that said, the five people grabbed their utensils and dug into the food. However, it more of an eating contest between Ash and May, who really enjoyed themselves while the other three people shook their heads and sighed at the sight.
When the food was all gone, Ash rubbed his stomach in pleasure and yawned in satisfaction. "Thanks for the meal, Caroline. It was a nice change from Brock's cooking."
"Well I'm glad you liked it, Ash," Caroline smiled at the boy.
"Yeah, thanks Mom," May said as she accidently burped and apologized with a light blush.
"Thank you, Caroline," Dawn politely said to the mother and then stared at her two friends. "But I couldn't really enjoy the food since these two ate most of it."
Ash and May looked at each other and sheepishly laughed.
"Sorry, Dawn," the Pokémon master turned his attention to Dawn and apologized. "May and I have huge appetites. You should have seen the look on Brock's face whenever he cooked for us during our adventure through the Hoenn and Kanto regions."
"By the way, how did you and Dawn get to the Hoenn region, Ash?" Norman questioned.
"Oh well you see, after the Sinnoh League, Dawn and I bought two tickets for the S.S. Aqua from the Lily of the Conference Island to Slateport City. We've been walking all day to get to Petalburg City."
Normand nodded his head. "Speaking of the Sinnoh League, did you go far in it this year?"
"Well actually, I… hehe," Ash started but was flustered to continue. He didn't want to brag to a long time gym leader about his instant rise up the power ranks.
"Ash beat Cynthia and won the Lily of the Valley Conference!" Dawn yelled out, thus saving Ash from having to say it.
The members of the Maple family were shocked after they heard that. Norman and Caroline always knew Ash had the potential to be a Pokémon master, but it seemed unlikely because of his youth.
May was just as surprised as her parents, but smiled largely after recovering from the shock. The Top Coordinator sprang up from her seat and tackled the auburn-eyed trainer into a big hug, who had to stand up to keep the both of them from falling over.
"Congratulations Ash!" May happily said as she felt Ash's arms wrap around her.
Ash felt his face get red as he returned the sudden embrace. "T-thanks May."
'Why is my face burning again?' Ash asked himself. This was really confusing him.
When they finished their hug, the two of them returned from to their seats. They noticed that May's parents were smiling at them while Dawn was smirking. May blushed at the facial expressions and looked at the ground.
Ash was as dense as a rock and became very confused by the various reactions. "Are you guys alright? Did something happen?"
"Oh, it was nothing, Ash," Caroline assured with a giggle. "Tell us, how did you defeat Cynthia?"
"It was amazing, Caroline!" Dawn interrupted. She was very proud to have seen Ash win it all and was not ashamed to announce it. "The battle came down to Ash's Gible and Cynthia's Garchomp."
As a fanatic of Pokémon battles, Norman was intrigued by the matchup of the two dragon types. "How did your Gible defeat a fully trained and experienced Garchomp?"
"Actually Norman, the battle was pretty intense so near the end. I didn't think that Gible could withstand any more attacks," the raven-haired boy explained. "I was just by a stroke of luck that Gible and I managed to defeat Cynthia's Garchomp."
"Huh? What do you mean, Ash?" May asked.
"My Gible is pretty strong. He managed to learn the move Draco Meteor without evolving, but he wasn't the best when it came to using it," Ash laughed as he remembered when Gible accidently burned Dawn's Piplup with a meteor gone astray. "Gible never perfected the move, but when the time came when we needed it the most, Gible managed to use Draco Meteor accurately on Cynthia's Garchomp."
Everyone listening except Dawn was surprised to hear that. Ash's Pokémon were some of the most powerful ones they have ever encountered. But then again, they were not as surprised few moments later when they remembered that the trainer of these Pokémon was after all the Ash Ketchum.
"Congratulations, Ash. That sounds like a great battle," Norman said with pride.
Caroline got up from her seat and kissed the forehead of the boy she considered as her second son. "Great job, Ash. Max is going to be very excited when he learns of this."
Ash sheepishly laughed at all the praise he was receiving. Wondering how the blunette's adventure was going, May turned to Dawn.
"So Dawn, how have your contests been going lately?"
"Oh, I already have the five ribbons needed to compete in the Sinnoh Grand Festival," Dawn stated proudly, reaching into her backpack and pulling out a burgundy colored case.
"Whoa, that's awesome Dawn! Congratulations," the Top Coordinator stated as she examined her friend's contest ribbons.
"Thank you May. The Sinnoh Grand Festival is going to be held at Lake Valor, you know, the place where we competed in the Wallace Cup."
The brunette stood up from her seat and hugged the blunette warmly. This was a big feat that both girls managed to accomplish in their first year as Pokémon Coordinators.
After the hug ended and the two Maple parents congratulated Dawn, May returned to her seat and asked her friend a question that had been on her mind for a while.
"Hey Dawn, I have something to ask you. What are you and Ash doing in Petalburg City?"
"Oh, well Ash wanted to see you, May. Traveling here was all his idea," Dawn turned and sweetly smiled at the young trainer. "I wanted to come with him to visit you since the Grand Festival isn't starting for a couple more months."
"Really?" May questioned with surprise. She also turned to Ash, who then began to rub the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Yeah really. I saw the latest issue of Coordinators Weekly with your face on it after the Sinnoh League ended," Ash explained to May, who then became confused. "Congratulations on winning the Johto Grand Festival, May."
It seemed like a hugging festival was happening in the Maple house since this time, Ash was the one who stood up from his seat to give May a hug. May was surprised at first and blushed at the surprise contact, but returned the hug anyway. When he pulled back, Dawn also congratulated her and gave her another hug.
"Thanks guys," the brunette sincerely said with a smile on her face. "I wanted to call you to tell you, but I didn't know where you two were for over a year."
"I would have found out one way or another, May," Ash responded, returning the smile. "After all, you're my best friend."
Dawn and Caroline giggled after hearing that unexpected response.
"Aww! That's very sweet of you to say, Ash," the blue haired coordinator gushed. Ash didn't hear the teasing in Dawn's voice and shrugged it off.
"So you guys came all the way here to congratulate me?" May asked with a grin. "You didn't have to come all the way to Petalburg City for me. You and Dawn could have just called me, Ash."
"Actually May, the reason that Dawn and I came here instead of calling is because we want to spend time with you. My late gift to you is going to be spending a few days here in Petalburg City so we can hang out like the good ole' days."
After turning to Dawn, who smiled and nodded in confirmation, May felt her face split into a smile bigger than the one she wore after winning the Johto Grand Festival.
"That sounds great!" the Top Coordinator exclaimed, energy surging through her. She was finally going to spend some real quality time with her friends, free of contests or battles. "This is a great present; thanks guys!"
"Pika…" a small, yet tired voice squeaked from the entrance of the kitchen. When Dawn turned around, she saw the electric mouse yawn and jump into her lap. She took a quick look at her Pokétch and frowned. Then, she turned her attention back to May.
"Anytime, May," the blunette replied with a smile but frowned once more. "It's getting pretty late though. Ash and I need to go now."
"You're right," he responded with a similar expression on his face but smiled in politeness. "Thank you for the food, Norman and Caroline, but Dawn and I have to go to the Pokémon Center now. If we don't, they might run out of rooms."
"But there's plenty of room here," May blurted out quickly. "You can sleep in Max's room, and Dawn can sleep on the guest futon in my room."
Ash thought about for a second. The thought of sleeping in a big house was more appealing than the smaller rooms of the Pokémon Center, but he didn't want be a bother to the Maple family.
"That would be great, May. But I wouldn't want to impose on your parents."
"Nonsense, Ash. You and Dawn are welcome here anytime," Caroline stated with a warm smile.
"Caroline is right. It's the least we can do to repay you for watching over May and Max when you three traveled together." Norman assured.
"Well…" Ash hesitated and glanced over at Dawn. The blunette nodded in agreement with the idea of staying over at the Maple residence. A hot bath in privacy sounded a whole lot better than, yuck, public housing. Especially considering that she had been walking all day through the tropical and humid routes of Hoenn.
"That'd be great. Thank you, Norman and Caroline," the trainer said with gratitude.
"Yeah, thank you, too," Dawn stated with a smile. 'Hot bath, here I come!'
May grinned in silence, but in her head, the Top Coordinator was extremely thrilled. 'YES! I can't believe Ash and Dawn are staying here for the next few days!'
"Well, it's getting late you three," Caroline yawned and blushed in embarrassment. "You should all go to bed now if you want to spend a lot time together tomorrow."
Norman and Caroline said goodnight to the three teens and went up the stairs to their bedroom.
After the parents left, the trio moved to the living room area where they talked about various things and watched a movie.
"How about you tell us how you won the Johto Grand Festival now, May," Ash asked later that night. He was glad that he got to be the mentor and best friend of the winner of such a special event.
"Okay, but it probably won't be as exciting as your league championship," the Top Coordinator replied with modesty. "It all started with me going up against Soledad in the Double Battle Round after my appeals. I used Blaziken and Glaceon against her Lapras and Pidgeot, but she was really close to beating me."
Ash nodded his head as he was listening while Dawn was paying attention with extra detail. It's not every day that one gets to hear a Top Coordinator tell their story or, for that matter, be one of their best friends.
"I used the technique that you and Dawn showed me before I left the Sinnoh region after the Wallace Cup," May said as she smiled at her friends. "Blaziken's Counter Shield prevented Lapras' Hydro Pump from knocking him out. We used the steam created by the fire and water as an advantage to surprise Soledad's Pidgeot with an Ice Beam attack and a Sky Uppercut attack on Lapras."
Ash was pleasantly surprised after hearing May's tale. It wasn't because May defeated Soledad, but rather because May's battle style sounded very similar to his own.
'That seems more like a Pokémon battle rather than a contest,' Ash thought to himself. 'It also sounds like something I'd do.'
Dawn snapped Ash from his train of thought when she praised May. "Wow, May! I can't believe that you used the Counter Shield in a Grand Festival! That means I have to practice extra hard on it before the Sinnoh Grand Festival starts so my Pokémon can master it too."
May smiled at Dawn's determination and continued. "Anyway, the final round came down between me and –can you believe the odds?– Drew."
Ash felt his stomach churn in unpleasantness after hearing his name. He didn't know why, but the Pokémon master really disliked Drew. Maybe it was because he looked down on other coordinators and trainers, or maybe it was because he constantly hit on May or made her cry during their adventure through Hoenn and Kanto. Ash had no clue, but one thing he knew for sure was that he did not like the boy from LaRousse City.
Dawn noticed Ash grind his teeth and suspected it had something to do with the mentioning of Drew's name. When Ash told her stories of his past adventures, he would unconsciously clench his fists when he talked about the green haired boy. She never told him, but Dawn believed that Ash was jealous, yet he stubbornly refused to recognize it.
"In the Double Battle, Drew used his Roserade and Flygon against Blaziken and Glaceon. The battle wasn't as exciting as my battle with Soledad though since Drew, who was as cocky as ever, thought that he could beat me with the type disadvantage," May explained, failing to see the mischievous grin that spread on Ash's face.
"I beat him with a quick and powerful battling style against his traditional contest battling style. And that's how I won the Johto Grand Festival," May finished with a smile.
Dawn was struck with wonder after listening to May. The aspiring blunette was very, very grateful to Ash for introducing her to the Princess of Hoenn. But there was one thing on her mind after her wonder faded away. Dawn couldn't help but notice the way May described her battle style. Unlike the Pokémon trainer earlier, the young coordinator wasn't as surprised as he was at the eerie familiarity between May's style and Ash's. The two of them shared so many common traits that this really did not come as a shocker to the blunette.
"That sounds awesome, May! I have to watch the replay of the Johto Grand Festival one day," Dawn said.
"Great job, May. I've really proud of you," Ash added in, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Thanks, Ash," May smiled warmly at the contact. "I couldn't have done it without your teachings."
Dawn grinned at the sight of her two friends. She had never seen a friendship so close before. The three of them leisurely chatted once more until the movie they were watching ended. Afterwards, they decided to go to bed.
Ash yawned as he brought stuff and the sleeping Pikachu with his towards Max's room. He looked at the clock; it was 12:24 A.M. already. Ash knocked on May's door to say goodnight.
"We're going do something awesome tomorrow, so don't oversleep guys," the trainer said to his friends in front of. "That means you, Dawn."
Dawn shrugged off Ash's words and went inside May's room to put down her stuff. A few seconds later, she came out with a fresh pair of pajamas in her hands and a magazine.
"Hot bath, here I come!" the coordinator stated in joy and closed the door to the bathroom. Ash and May laughed at their friend's action and then turned to each other.
"Thanks again for letting us sleep over, May," Ash said tiredly but with a grin. "I'm glad I got to see you again; I really missed you after the Wallace Cup ended."
"I missed you too, Ash," May returned the warm grin. "But now we get to spend some time together again."
"Yeah," Ash yawned in weariness. "Anyway, we better go to bed now. It's getting late."
"Okay, Ash," May replied and opened the door to her room. "See you in the morning."
After fixing Dawn's futon next to her own and changing into her own clothes, May climbed into her bed and started to drift off into a peaceful slumber.
'Yawn, this week is going to be awesome...' May thought before closing her eyes and finally falling asleep.