First of all, thank you to everyone who took time out of their day to read Chapter 1 of this story. Even if you didn't review, thank you very much. To those that did review, I really do appreciate it a lot, and I took into account everything that was said.

I'm enjoying where the story is going and I hope you guys do as well. As you guys will find out throughout the story, I love Pikachu lol. He's seriously one of my favorite.

With respect to the updates, I was able to finish this rather quickly because I have a lot of free time on my hand cause the semester is over. Unfortunately, I start school soon so I won't be able to update as frequent, but hopefully I'll stick to my plan of twice a week.

Enough rambling, enjoy and please review.


With the day coming to an end, various members of the group had already decided to get going in order to prepare for the upcoming trip. Professor Oak and Delia thought it would be a good idea to allow the kids to have their fun and decided to each head back home to get some rest. Tracey and Gary followed soon after and, saying their goodbyes, each followed the professor into the lab to get some rest.

"So, how are you guys each going back home to pack for the trip?" Ash asked the group that would be departing in two days time. Pikachu was being lulled to sleep on Ash's lap while the raven-haired trainer spoke.

"I'll be going back home to pack and tell Forrest to take care of my brothers while we're gone. I'll probably be back tomorrow evening to leave with you the following morning Ash," his older friend answered back.

"Paul and I should probably start heading back to Sinnoh. We wanted to leave tonight in order to arrive tomorrow morning and make it back in time to meet you all at the docks." Dawn replied.

"Wait… You guys are going back together too? You guys sure seem to spend a lot of time together as of late." The confusion apparent in Ash's tone as his two friends from Sinnoh blushed and looked away.

"We do not!" The pair answered in unison, not helping their already deep blush.

Because May was not usually as dense as her raven-haired friend, she quickly connected the dots and decided to help out her blunette friend out of her current predicament.

"Wait guys, how do you plan to make such a long trip in that short a span of time?" She was honestly curious at how the pair would go about traveling all the way Sinnoh and back in roughly two days.

Noticing the attention flipping, Paul decided to speak up. "Well Ash is not the only one who's been training and catching new pokémon this past year." Quickly, he unclipped a pokeball and out from it appeared a large intimidating blue dragon with long red wings.

"Whoa Paul, you never told me you had a Salamence." Ash quickly answered, surprised at the newest member of Paul's team. The dragon type took a glance around at the crowd before taking flight into the night sky.

"She's a little shy, but wait till you see her fly Ash. He could give your Pidgeot a run for its money." Dawn answered, the pride over Paul's pokémon apparent in her response. "That's how we were able to make it here on such short notice."

"Well the important thing is that you guys are here before 10:00 in the morning when the ferry leaves." Brock reminded the pair.

"Sure thing. We should probably get going if we want to have enough time to pack everything and make it back." Dawn answered as she quickly pulled May aside, which confused the brunette.

"What's wrong Dawn?"

"Is it too obvious?" She quickly answered, taking glances at the boys as they small talked, waiting for Dawn to finish.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know," she stole a glance at the guys and quickly looked back. "The whole me and Paul traveling together."

"YOU GUYS ARE DATING?" the brunette shouted, catching the attention of the others at the bonfire.

"Would you keep your voice down!" Dawn glared at May when the brunette realized how loud her reaction was. "We're not dating, but we have gotten… closer."

"Oh, but what's the big deal with not letting Ash know?" May recalled countless conversations with Dawn about her travels with Ash in Sinnoh. Although the blunette admitted to having a small crush on Ash while they travelled, she confessed to have lost all feelings for the boy shortly after they stopped traveling together. A short sting of pain quickly hit May after asking the question. She could not understand why she began feeling a hint of anger and jealousy towards her friend. Ash and her were only friends, best friends actually, but that should not have been a reason for her to feel that way towards Dawn. Why am I starting to feel this pain in my chest? Its almost as if I'm… jealous? But why? Ash is my best friend, I shouldn't be thinking this way. Before May could continue dwelling on her thoughts, Dawn answered.

"No, of course not! I just feel like I should be the one to tell Ash, and I can't even say anything because I don't even know if Paul feels the same way" It was clear that Dawn was a bit saddened by that last bit.

"Well maybe this trip will bring you guys closer together until you find an answer Dawn."

"I sure hope so, but until then can you just help me out? You know how dense Ash is but if he keeps asking questions, he might find out how I feel about Paul and spill the beans before I can. They're probably over there talking about that now…"


Just as the girls looked in the direction of the boys, Ash and Paul had engaged in a who-could-fit-the-most-marshmallows-in-their-mouth-before-time-runs-out challenge, with Brock refereeing, timer in hand.

"Rou're groing drown Paul!" Ash got out between marshmallows.

"In rour dreafs Ketchum!"


"Boys… I'll never understand" May let out, both girls clearly dumbfounded by the attention span of the opposite sex.

Both girls joined the group and after witnessing the boys nearly collapse from the amount of marshmallows in their mouths, Brock determined the challenge ended in a tie, much to the dismay of both trainers. After they collected themselves, Dawn and Paul hopped on Salamence's back, ready to depart on their journey.

"Please don't be late!" Ash aimed his statement towards his female companion who had the tendency to make him late to almost all his battles. "I know how much you love doing your hair Dawn but you'll have plenty of time on the ferry."

"Don't worry about it Ash, I'll make sure she's here on time." Paul replied, earning a playful shove from the blunette.

"You two behave now!" May yelled out. Now aware of the situation Dawn found herself in, May decided to have some fun with the coordinator who often times found ways to tease and bother the brunette. She figured it was time for some payback.

Dawn was clearly glaring at May, fuming at her last remark. Luckily, for her, the night along with their current altitude hid her blush from the remaining members on the ground. The pair quickly waved at their friends before Salamence took off in astonishing speed, soon disappearing from view. Just then, it dawned on Ash that he had forgotten something.

"Hey May, how are you getting home to pack? Do you need any of my pokémon to help you get home?"

The brunette smiled at her friends concern and offer, "It's okay Ash. I actually knew about your moms gift beforehand so I have my bag ready at your house."

"Oh okay… But how did you now about the gift already?"

"Well your mom called me to help her find out who would be available to go, that way she knew how many tickets to buy."

"Oh, I didn't know you and my mom were talking, May." Ash answered, scratching his chin while his thoughts began to stir. "How long have you guys been talking?"

"She calls me every now and then to check on how I am as well as ask if I've heard from you."

"That sounds just like her," he answered, letting out a small chuckle. "Does she call you too Brock?"

"Not really, not as often as she calls May, Ash." The older companion answered.

"Hm… Well that's weird."

Brock simply smiled and shook his head. He may have matured during his travels, but boy, is Ash still dense with these things. He quickly turned over to May who had the same confused face as Ash did. Well, I guess that's probably why you two are meant for each other. With a light chuckle, Brock began to walk ahead of the pair of friends.

By this time, Ash had picked up Pikachu from his lap and the three decided to head back towards Ash's home where May would be staying and Brock would split with the pair and head back to Pewter City. The walk was a quiet one, each deep in their own thoughts. May was thinking of the wonderful time they would all have their, the shopping she would get to do on the paradise island, and the beautiful beach she would get to lay down on and enjoy. Unsurprisingly, Brock was thinking of the beautiful women he would meet along the beach and the resort. With Max not being around, and Croagunk staying with Forrest at the gym, Brock felt free at last to find his soul mate, or soul mates. Ash on the other hand was not thinking about the trip, rather he had the sudden feeling that they were all being followed. The fact that his pokémon were left back at the lab and Pikachu being asleep did not help ease his worries. If it came down to it, the trio had no way of defending themselves. The rest of the walk was spent with Brock and May asking questions about Ash's latest journey, with the latter too distracted to answer their questions with much detail. The three arrived at Ash's house without any problems when Brock was ready to say his goodbyes.

"Hey Brock why don't you just leave tomorrow morning. Its getting pretty late and Pewter City is not that far anyway." Ash suggested to him, worried about something happening to his friend. The group had not realized but it was close to midnight.

"I guess that's not such a bad idea. I am pretty tired anyway, I'll just leave tomorrow morning then. Thanks Ash."

Just then, Ash heard a small rustle in the trees in front of his home and quickly turned around scanning the area. Brock had already entered the house, but before May followed him, she realized Ash was frozen in place, facing off into the nearby trees. She turned to grab him and when she tapped his shoulder, she was startled. She could have sworn that when Ash turned to face her, there was a glint of blue in his eyes, but before she could open her mouth to say something, it quickly changed back to his normal auburn eyes.

"What's wrong May?"

"O-oh, n-nothing Ash, you ready to come inside?" May stuttered as she concluded that her imagination was simply playing tricks on her.

Ash simply smiled warmly and nodded, "After you, best friend."

May chuckled and walked inside the house. Before Ash stepped inside, he took one quick glance back at the woods, where he swore he saw a small shimmer of light that quickly vanished away. He shook his head, thinking his head was playing games with him and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.


Flashback

In the woods, a trio of pokémon stares intently at a group of humans walking into a home along a path.

"So Ash who exactly is this friend of yours that you were training with on Mt Silver"

"Oh, he's a trainer I met one day when I decided to train up in Mt Silver; he's really good. I battled him and lost pretty badly. He doesn't talk much, though." The trainer answered, sounding a bit distracted.

The three begin to enter the house but the trainer who answered the question quickly turns towards the pokémon, who scatter trying to remain undetected. They wait for the boy to walk into his house before speaking.

"We need to go and tell him that the boy is traveling." One of the pokémon says to the other two.

"Why don't we just snatch him up now? Its his fault all this happened, I'm tired of waiting" The second Pokémon asked the first. "He's defenseless and it won't be much trou-"

"No! We were sent solely to scout. Let's head back." The third pokémon interrupted.

The second pokémon grunted in disapproval but they ultimately turned back and quickly sprinted through the trees, easily disappearing quickly.


"So…" Ash started, "I guess Brock can take the guest room, I'll sleep in my bed, and May can have the sofa."

"Ash Ketchum, you must be crazy if you think you're taking the bed while I sleep here on the sofa." The brunette answered, ready to literally knock some sense into Ash before Brock caught her in mid air. Ash simply broke into a laugh that might have woken Delia up if she was not such a heavy sleeper.

"I was only joking May, obviously you'll be sleeping on my bed while I take the sofa." Ash quickly stated, laughing nervously. He wondered what his fate would have been if Brock had not helped him out.

Embarrassed by her sudden outburst, May simply huffed and walked away from the two guys downstairs and went into the bathroom to change.

"Do you think she really got upset Brock?"

"I don't think so Ash, she's probably just embarrassed by the little scene she just made." His friend assured him.

"Well I'll go change in my room while May uses the bathroom. You can use the guest room Brock. I don't think I'll be awake when you leave, so have a safe trip and see you tomorrow night."

"Sure thing Ash, and thanks again. Goodnight."

With that, the two headed upstairs, each going to separate rooms. Brock was changing into his nightclothes while Ash looked through his drawers for his shorts and shirt. He laid Pikachu down on his bed, hoping not to wake up his companion. He quickly took off his pants and shirt, but after taking off his shirt to put on his pajama shirt, he heard the doorknob turn. Ash remembered he forgot to lock the door before beginning to change and quickly turned around to face the door. Much to his dismay, May had no idea he was inside changing and barged in while he was shirtless. The two stood in silence as a blush grew on each of their faces. Before long, she found herself starring at Ash's bare chest that, although not overwhelming, was definitely the body of a physically well-fit young man. Her gaze slowly moved lower as she saw he had on a pair of torchic boxers. With this scene happening in a span of seconds, Ash finally reacted.

"MAY!" Ash yelled as he quickly threw himself on the floor behind his bed.

"Ash… I'm… So sorry… I had no idea you were in here changing!" She finally got out between the hysteric laughter she could not contain anymore.

Ash's face immediately became flustered as he tried to reach for his shorts and shirt while trying to cover as much of himself as possible with his bed. After Ash let out the scream, Pikachu groggily woke up and saw the scene in front of him. He quickly glanced at his trainer on the ground reaching for his clothes and then to the brunette laughing uncontrollably on floor opposite to the side Ash was on. The electric mouse simply shrugged his shoulders and lazily curled up on one of the pillows before falling back asleep. Meanwhile Ash was finally able to change into his clothes after May recuperated enough of her strength to reach over and throw Ash's clothes towards his side of the floor.

"Sheesh Ashy," May started as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Next time warn a girl before you wanna' put on a show." She finished before giving Ash a playful wink.

"Ha. Ha. Ha. Go ahead and laugh it up." Ash declared as he turned away with his arms crossed against his chest. "I guess I shouldn't tell you that the reason I got those particular boxers was because of you." He finished, trying to excite May's curiosity.

"Wait… Really?" May asked, obviously curious to know the story.

"Yeah, I remembered how your first pokémon ever was Torchic and it was just a way of remembering you while I traveled"

May was taken aback by the boy's honesty, surprised that he even thought of her during his travels. She knew they were good friends but always figured he was too focused on his training to remember about his friends.

"Wow Ash, I honestly don't even know what to say." May could feel her face start to heat up as she turned away to avoid any eye contact. The boy however, knew he got the response he wanted and thought it was time to bring it home.

"That's fine May. Don't say anything… Because I'm only joking! My mother got me these when I first got back from Kalos." He finished, unable to control himself anymore. He immediately burst into laughter, rolling around uncontrollably on his bed. "You should have seen your face May," he let between laughing and rolling.

"Ash Ketchum, you jerk!" She immediately jumped on him and tackled him to the bed. Her facial expression was one of pure anger while her eyes revealed slight sadness and pain at the young boy's harsh prank. Before she could help it, her eyes got watery and small tears began to form at the ends of her eyes. Ash knew he messed up and immediately felt horrible for pranking May and seeing her get upset.

"May, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry," he quickly said, trying to amend the situation. He felt a harsh sting in his chest at seeing his best friend hurt in the way she was. "May I actually do think about you during my travels. If you get off of me I can show you I'm not lying." She quickly rolled off and wiped the remaining tears from her face, waiting for Ash to make his point. He quickly went over to his black vest and opened one of the flaps, revealing on the inside of it a small half a ribbon, seemingly pinned to the inside of the vest.

"Look May, I keep my half of our Terraccota ribbon with me at all times. Whenever I face a tough challenge or start to think about giving up, I quickly reach for it and think about how you're always cheering me on and hoping I do my best. It gives me strength when I need it most."

"Ash…" May began, before again becoming overwhelmed with tears falling down her cheeks.

"Aw, I messed up again, didn't I? I am sorry May. I wish I could be as good a friend as you are with me."

Before Ash could continue, May put a hand up as if to tell him to stop and quickly reached for a necklace under her shirt. She pulled out a thin delicate gold chain, and at the center of it, hanging from it, was the other half of the Terraccotta ribbon that the two tied for during one of their last adventures together.

"You're a great friend, silly. I keep my half with me at all times cause it reminds me of all the wonderful times we all had together. Knowing that you do too just made me happy Ash. Thank you." She said, sniffing and reaching for the young trainer.

Ash walked over to her and let the young brunette pull him into a deep bear hug, resting his head on top of hers while she sniffled all over his shirt. He could feel how his shirt became moist with the tears May was wiping on him but he could care less. All he could think about was how she was starting to feel better and how important their friendship truly was to May. He always considered May one of his closest friends, but he could not explain the warm feeling he began to feel while he was hugging her. Now that he thought of it, the feeling seemed to return every time the young coordinator embraced him. He had no words to explain what the feeling was but he knew it was a feeling he liked. If it were up to him, he would stay where they were all night, but he knew his legs as well as May's would eventually give in.

"Hey May…"

"Yeah Ash?"

"I think we should get to bed. It's getting pretty late."

"Five more minutes." He chuckled and nodded, letting his thoughts run wild about the upcoming trip and the fun times he would have with all his friends, especially May. Before he could think for too long, May let go and let out a small yawn, clearly exhausted from the long day.

"All right bedtime," she said before jumping on the bed and quickly getting under the covers.

Ash simply nodded and headed for the door, "Goodnight May." As he stepped out he could not help but smile as Pikachu curled up close to May before cooing in content of the body heat and falling back asleep.

After Ash left the room, May turned towards the ceiling with both hands behind her head. She wondered about the coming days and the experiences they would all share. She could not help but feel excited and felt an unexplainable happiness after the events that just happened. Ash just admitted to thinking about her during his journeys, but she wondered if that was that the case with all his friends? Did he keep mementos from all of his friends, or was she the exception. She remembered Ash telling him about a lure Misty gave him before they eventually all split. Did he carry that with him as well? She eventually wondered why it mattered anyway. It's not like I like him… Do I?

While this last thought crossed her mind, however, the sleep eventually took over and she quickly fell asleep, a small smile across her lips.


The morning sun shone through the small spaces between the blinds in Ash's room, hitting the face of one small electric type that was having, according to him, the greatest dream about ketchup imaginable; something along the lines of Ketchup Kingdom is what he would call it. Unfortunately, the brave ketchup warrior would eventually lose this battle, as the sun was far too powerful for his little paws to shield. He gave in to the dark side and slowly opened one eye, followed by the other. As he realized it was morning, he slowly turned around and saw May, sleeping cozily next to him, a small smile present on her face. He wondered if she too was dreaming of Ketchup Kingdom and quietly sat up from bed.

"Chaa…" He let out as he stretched and yawned. I wonder where Pikapi is. All I remember is him dying on the floor next to me and May dying of laughter on the floor opposite to him. Well, better go find him. Arceus knows, he'd be lost without me.

With that, the mouse pokémon hopped off the bed and quietly left the room, hoping not to disturb May's sleep. He slowly closed the door and began to run downstairs, hoping to find his trainer asleep on the couch. As he reached the living room, however, Ash was nowhere to be found. The couch looked intact with the sheets folded nicely and placed to the side. Before he checked anywhere else, he felt the smell of delicious breakfast hit his nose and ran into the kitchen, hoping he would find his trainer ready to eat. Much to his surprise, Ash was not in the kitchen either.

"Oh hey Pikachu, are you looking for Ash?" Delia asked.

"Pika," he responded as he nodded his head in case she did not understand his answer.

"He ran off this morning saying he would be back by breakfast time. He didn't exactly tell me where he was off to though," she finished with a frown.

Pikachu nodded again before leaving the kitchen and running outside to see if he could find the raven-haired boy. As he stepped out, he saw Ash jogging towards the house with his Arcanine running next to him. Pikachu quickly broke into a sprint and tackled his trainer to the ground expressing how happy he was to see he was okay. Arcanine simply smiled at the greeting the small pokémon gave his trainer and thought about giving the same kind of affection towards his new trainer in the future. Although with his weight, he might end up hurting Ash instead.

"Hey buddy, I wanted to wake you up to come train with us but you looked so comfortable I couldn't do it."

"Pika pi Pikachu pikapi"

"Oh really? An entire Ketchup Kingdom, huh?" He replied to his friend with a light chuckle. "Well I guess it's a good thing I didn't wake you then. Is May awake?"

"Pi," he answered while shaking his little head.

"Well I know what will do the trick. Return Arcanine, take a nice long rest, you deserve it."

After returning the dog pokémon, the two quickly ran through the door and went upstairs, greeting Ash's mom on the way up. His mom told him to bring May down now that breakfast was ready and he intended to do so. When he reached his room he saw that May had now taken over the entirety of the bed and was in full Starmie form, stretching her arms and legs across the bed. Both he and Pikachu quietly giggled at the sight and got as close as possible to May without waking her up. He thought of an idea that would probably wake her up, but told Pikachu to clear away in case her reaction was similar to what he was thinking it would be. First, he thought he would be civil.

"Hey May… Its time to wake up."

She began to stir a little so Ash decided to slowly rock her shoulder to see if she would wake up. However, all he got was a grunted response.

"Mmm… Five more minutes honey." She barely got out before going back to sleep. Ash had to shake off the blush that started on his face before proceeding with his original plan. He got real close to ear and prepared to stay clear.

"May… Food is ready."

Immediately, as if on cue, May shot straight up from the bed, barely missing Ash's head who was able to get out of the way just in time. Now Pikachu knew what he meant by stay clear. May quickly got out of bed and stared at her two friends who sweat-dropped and started to laugh.

"Well, what are you guys waiting for? Food's ready guys, last one there loses!" She quickly shouted before running down the stairs of Ash's home, reaching the kitchen in record time. Ash and Pikachu simply continued laughing as they got up and went downstairs to join May and their mother. Once they reached the table, May was already sitting waiting for the two to join her. The table was filled with plates of food, ranging from pancakes, to eggs to bacon and sausage. Once the boys were seated, they dug in, only stopping occasionally after they remembered they needed to breathe. Delia just smiled at the trio as they enjoyed her tasty food she prepared with all the love she could.

"May did you sleep well last night in Ash's bed?" asked Mrs. Ketchum.

"You bet I did. I slept like a baby, I didn't even feel when Pikachu left the room or when they came in to wake me up."

"Yeah May you were knocked out cold," Ash replied slightly chuckling as he remembered her Starmie position. "I'm glad though. I woke up a little early to go out and jog with Arcanine for a bit. Brock was already gone by the time I woke up, though."

"I wonder if he made it back okay." The brunette added.

The rest of the morning was quiet as May helped Mrs. Ketchum with the dishes while Ash and Pikachu took a shower and got dressed; after them, it was May's turn. She decided to take her time and thoroughly wash her hair as she did not know when she would get the chance again, as they were going to a tropical beach that included lots of sand and wind. While May was in the shower, Delia took time to talk to Ash about something that was on her mind.

"Ash, do you like May?" She outright asked him.

"WHAT! What are you talking about mom?" Ash's face was full of horror, shocked that his mother would ask him something like that so casually.

"Oh come on Ash. I know you better than anyone else, and you obviously care about her in a way different to the way you do your other friends."

"Yeah mom because she's my best friend though, not because I like her or anything." He quickly defended himself.

"Okay honey. I'm just saying, I really like May a lot and would definitely approve of you two starting to date."

By this point Ash had lost all hope in his mother and simply pulled his cap over his face, hiding the blush that was starting to form over his face. He heard the sound of the shower turning off and realized his mother was still talking off in the kitchen. Afraid of what his mother would say while May was around, he dashed into the kitchen to plead his case.

"Mom please don't say any of that stuff while May is around. I don't want you to make her feel uncomfortable. It would change everything if she thought I liked her."

"Aha! So you admit it!"

"MOM! That is not what I meant. Just please don't say anything else."

"Alright Ashy, I'm just saying, you two would be so cute together!"

"Mother…" The irritation was evident in his response now. His mother simply motioned with her hand that she was zipping her lips closed and tossing away the key. Ash nodded in relief and went back to the couch. A couple minutes passed by and May finally finished getting ready. She stepped into the living room and saw Ash flipping through channels with Pikachu taking a nap on his lap. She decided to sit next to him and see if there was anything good on the television. After a couple of minutes, they both sighed in defeat and turned it off.

"So Ash, I heard you yelling while I was taking a shower. What were you and your mom talking about?" She asked him, batting her eyelashes at him as her curiosity grew. Just as he was thinking of an excuse, in came his mother to worsen the situation.

"Yeah Ashy, what were we talking about," she asked sarcastically. "I already forgot." She added on innocently popping her head into the living room from the kitchen. Ash nervously laughed while thinking of a proper excuse to give. His trusty partner was dozing away unable to help, and he cocked his head back on the couch in defeat.

"This is gonna' be a long day…" He eventually sighed.


The next chapter will hopefully be up soon. As I said after the last chapter, I hope the pace of the story is to your liking, and the new pokemon will definitely keep coming so post which ones you'd like to see featured.

I try my best to equally include all aspects of a good pokemon fanfic, from the battles, to the pokemon, to the dialogue and plot, to of course the shipping! So let me know how that's going for you all.

Thank you once again, next chapter will be up soon. Leave a review while you wait ;)

-HRS