Hello everyone. Hope you are enjoying this story thus far. It truly is a joy to write, what, with it being my favourite book series meeting my favourite game/anime series. Since I had the time, I thought I might add the ages to this.

May: 17

Ash: 17 (Technically, XD)

Max: 14

All of May's friends in her grade: 17

Also, I won't be able to post any new chapters in the near future, due a horrible occurence of my computer breaking down
Luckily, I have most of the data on the loaded onto the internet already, so no problem there. I just won't be able to get on to upload new chapters.

Chapter 3

Lying on the floor, I didn't know where I was. Surrounded by concrete walls and columns, I couldn't recognise this foreign environment. A single fluorescent tube on the roof above my head let off the only light in the dark room.

White lines were painted on the hard floor and I realised that I was in a car park. I tried to move my body, but I found that my limbs were entirely numb. It made me feel like a corpse.

A figure stepped out of the darkness, an evil smile spread across his face, purples bags under his eyes. His obsidian eyes were glued on me, malice causing them to turn icy, and a guttural snarl erupted from his gaping grin.

"Ash…" I tried to utter, but only a barely audible whisper came out, though he still seemed to hear me as he growled again.

In the blink of an eye, he was beside me, his lips brushing along my neck, my breath catching in my throat. His teeth barely scraped along my neck, easily cutting a line through my skin.

I gasped, disbelief in my voice, when a voice seemed to echo through the car park, and Ash's face before me dissolved, the last thing my eyes seeing of him his maniacal grin.

"Miss Maple?!"

I blinked my eyes open to find the entire class' gaze firmly plastered on me. Mr. Gaul was staring at me intently, as if waiting for something.

"Yes, sir?" I asked him groggily, rubbing my eyes.

"The answer to the question please, Miss Maple?" He queried me, his left eye twitching uncontrollably.

"Uh…" I stuttered. I saw Brendan beside me trying to mouth something. I tried to work it out, then it clicked. "The answer is Steel, sir," I answered confidently.

"Correct." Mr. Gaul muttered grudgingly, "But Mr. Duncan," He turned his gaze to Brendan, "I would appreciate you didn't give her the answer to the question next time."

Brendan nodded nonchalantly and Mr. Gaul returned to teaching, and this time I valiantly stopped myself from nodding off like I had.

The past few nights, I had been plagued with these dreams, all with Ash doing much the same thing, but the location always varying. The reason for these dreams is truly unknown to me. Ash hasn't been to school for the past few days, in fact, I haven't seen him since that day he flogged my Venusaur.

The bell rang, and the class sprang into action, packing up and heading off to the next class. Mr. Gaul shouted a few last instructions for homework, but everyone including myself had left.

"May? Why have you been so tired the past few days?!" Brendan asked me as soon as we were in the hall.

"I haven't been able to get much sleep, that's all, Brendan. Don't worry about me."

He went to say something else, but he held his tongue and waved goodbye to me. "See you at lunch," he called out before jogging off to his class.

I headed off to my Battling class, my eyelids droopy and my head tilted towards the ground. I reached the door and bumped into a stationary figure. From the walking pace and the bump, I managed to find myself on the ground. I quickly uttered apologies and the man's hand wrapped up my own and pulled me to my feet.

I puzzled at the cold hands. "Thanks," I said with a smile, looking to his face. I froze.

It was Ash.

He smiled crookedly at me and bent down to pick up my books. "There you are," he said as he handed my books back to me, "May, isn't it?"

I looked into his eyes to find myself staring into a sea of gold, in contrast to the onyx his eyes had been coloured to last time I saw him.

"Uh…yeah," I managed to get out, "Why are your eyes gold? A few days ago they were black?"

Ash saw the confused look on my face and quickly answered, "Black? My eyes were never black." This confused me further. "You saw me from a distance, it must have just been a trick of the light," he continued, and I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Well, I think we should go inside," I said simply, and he smiled again, his breath brushing over me and making me stagger. He had such a beautiful smell about him, it made it hard to think.

"After you," he gestured through the door he was holding open for me. All I could do was smile and walk through the door. Ash came in behind me, and I wondered how it looked to everyone else in the room.

In front, me, average in just about everyway, next to him, perfection in just about everyway I could think of. It was probably like comparing a villager to a god.

I sighed at the thought and went further into the class. I noticed that Ash seemed to be following me, and I wondered why. Why would he want to follow me?

Miss Lynch quickly entered the room, bringing in a cart of pokéballs behind her.

"Ok, class, today we will not be battling with your pokémon, but instead with these," she gestured to the pokéballs, "to test how good of a battler you really are."

The class went forward and picked two pokéballs each off the cart randomly. "Partner off," Miss Lynch told us, "And start battling with your rental pokémon."

Ash placed a cold hand on my shoulder, causing me to shiver, not that I realised that was because of his hand. He removed it instantly, and merely asked me. "May, would you like to be my partner," he asked in his velvet voice.

I nodded, not really knowing what he asked me, and followed him off to one of the areas in the massive gymnasium. I went first, throwing out my first pokémon, hoping for a good one. Out from the pokéball came a massive dragon of a shade of indigo with red wings. I gasped when I realised the pokémon that had emerged. It was a Salamence.

Ash smirked, "Looks like I have quite the opponent," he called to me and he threw his own pokéball, releasing his pokémon. I laughed when I saw what he had.

Standing in its place on his side of the field was a small pokémon black pokémon covered in what seemed to be an orange cloak.

"This will be funny," I laughed at him as I saw the shy pokémon retreat further into his cloak, "You think you can beat a Salamence with that, than you will be sorely mistaken."

Ash smirked, at retorted, "It's not size that matters in battling, May, remember that."

"Whatever, let's just get started already. Salamence, let's get this over and done with quickly. Use Fire Blast!"

Salamence roared loudly and released a powerful jet of flame straight towards the cowering Snorunt. But strangely, the cloaked pokémon seemed to get a surge of courage and quickly and easily dodged out of the way of the flames and launched a powerful Ice Beam at the stationary Salamence.

I gritted my teeth as Salamence was now frozen. "Melt the ice Salamence, then go for a Dragon Claw." The ice surrounding the dragon melted steadily, Salamence using the heat it can generate to rid itself of its frozen prison. The ice shattered as Salamence managed to extend its wings, and blue fire engulfed its fore claw as it dashed in for a Dragon Claw.

"Snorunt, use Protect," Ash ordered casually. The small ice-type created a green energy barrier around itself, protecting itself from the powerful attack created by the Dragon opponent, the claw simply bouncing off the energy shield.

I clenched my hands into tight fists, "Come on, Salamence, try a Dragonbreath!" Salamence breathed in deeply and forced out a stream of blue flames straight at the vulnerable Snorunt.

The cloaked pokémon suddenly multiplied, copies spreading around the great dragon, confusing it. "Don't let that trick stop you, Salamence, just get rid of them all with Dragonbreath."

Once again releasing the jet of vivid flames, Salamence turned in a circular motion, hitting all the Double Team copies of Snorunt with ease. After a quick movement, the dragon-type had eliminated all the copies, but hadn't found the real one, as it had not been in the ring.

I was getting frustrated now, but it was too late, as a massive gale of icy wind forced itself down onto the confused Salamence, grounding it, and knocking it unconscious.

"Oh that's just not fair," I muttered, pouting with my loss. Ash just flashed his crooked smile in my direction and I started swooning again. Wait! Why am I swooning over someone I've been having nightmares about the past few days?! Life's mysteries. But he's just so good looking, I thought dreamily.

I recalled the fainted dragon, converting it back into bright red energy that retracted into the orb in my hand. Ash did the same with Snorunt, and we returned the two pokémon to the cart and went back for Round Two.

"I'll beat you this time," I called out to him. I was sure the determination would be visible in my eyes; I could feel it burning through my body. I HAD to beat this guy. But I knew I wouldn't, he was just too good.

I grasped the second pokéball, hoping for a pokémon that I could be familiar with and released the pokémon inside. Forming before me was a large orange mouse, with a long thin tail tipped with a lightning bolt.

"A Raichu," I raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "That sucks."

"Now May," Ash called to me from the other side of the field, "What did I just beat a Salamence with?" he asked, a slight bit of patronisation slipping into his beautiful voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, size doesn't matter," I grumbled in response to him, "Let's see what you got oh master of all things high and mighty." He grinned, dimples pressing through on his cheeks.

Gracefully throwing his second pokéball out, he laughed musically, his pristine white teeth showing through in his smile. What had emerged from the pokéball was a small yellow pokémon much like the one currently occupying his shoulder. Two main differences were present, the first being the sheen on the different coats of fur; Ash's Pikachu's coat was a more vivid yellow than the school's one, secondly was the tails; Ash's Pikachu's tail had a straight edge at the end, while the school's Pikachu had an indent.

I instantly registered the pokémon in front of me as a female. I chuckled momentarily, my thoughts whirring non-stop about a strategy that I could use. Coming up with nothing, I decided that I would go full-out.

"Raichu, let's start it with a bang," I called out to my awaiting comrade, "Go with a Thunderbolt!" The large mouse released a large stream of electric energy straight for the standing Pikachu, but the immobile Pikachu jumped out of the way of the bolt with a speedy Quick Attack.

"Raichu, counter the Quick Attack with an Iron Tail!" I commanded the large orange rodent. Its tail glowed vivid silver and with a twist, brought the thunderbolt tip crashing down towards the oncoming mouse.

Reflexes overtook the opposing mousse body and he easily leaped over the attack and slammed into Raichu with its own offence. Staggering back, Raichu ground its teeth together, and I tried to figure out a way to get around the opposing defence.

Without command, Pikachu blew off an array of powerful electrical attacks, Raichu nimbly dodging them. "Ok, Pikachu, let's finish it. Give them a Volt Tackle and Iron Tail combo!" Ash shot a crooked smile my way, and I became entranced in his gaze, and Raichu looked towards me quizzically, wondering why I wasn't giving him a command.

Pikachu, on the other hand, was completely in his element, as he rushed at full tilt at the immobile Raichu, an electrical aura crackling around her body, while her indented tail shone with a bright gold due to the electrical energy.

Raichu was obviously fed up with me, as he tried his own method of preventing the pokémon in front of him, as he launched a powerful Thunderbolt into the onrushing Pikachu. The electrical attack hit its mark, but did nothing to stop its target. At this point I had managed to snap out of my trance over Ash, but too late.

The yellow mouse had leaped into the air, spinning around like a ball with her golden tail sticking out awkwardly, and brought itself slamming down into the vulnerable Raichu.

The glowing tail struck Raichu's head strongly, and the electricity coursed through the metal-like limb straight into Raichu. Letting out a cry of pain as the power of each attack coursed through him.

I watched as my pokémon collapsed to the floor unconscious. I sighed unhappily. I just couldn't win.

I heard a quick 'Return' muttered from Ash and footsteps coming towards me. I looked up at him with discontent and scowled as I saw the smirk painted on his face.

"Don't start," I growled at him, trying my best to stare daggers at him, but to no avail as he continued to smile happily at me. I held up the pokéball and recalled the large rodent, praising it for a good job.

"Hey, don't think I came over here JUST to brag," he said mockingly, making me scowl again, "You actually did a pretty good job out there." He's mocking me again, I thought to myself, so I shot him yet another nasty glare. "I'm not trying to mock you," he quickly told me, I cocked my head to the side inquisitively like a dog. He knew I thought he was mocking me? "I'd have managed to knock just about anyone else out with ease, but you hung in there pretty well," he told me with as much encouragement as he could muster.

"Whatever," I just muttered to him and I quickly walked over to the cart where we originally picked the pokémon up from.

"Why don't join me for lunch, May?" he asked me politely as he flashed me yet another smile. How can I deny a smile like that?

"Fine, but if my friends," -I thought over the definition of friends when I remembered Misty- "Want me back at the table, that's where I'm going," I told him as firmly as my voice could manage.

"Deal," he grinned broadly, dimples pushing through on his cheeks.

I sighed contentedly as he trundled off casually, yet gracefully in the direction of the door, Pikachu still sitting on his shoulder. Right on the dot of him reaching the exit, the bell rang out through the school alerting everyone to the end of the period.

I quickly picked up my books and followed the sea of people towards the halls outside, when something odd struck me.

Ash had only ordered one command through both of those battles.

Brendan and I walked out of Gym together. He was babbling on about something but I wasn't listening. I was trying to figure out why Ash hadn't uttered a single command during the entire time we were battling.

I think Brendan switched subjects of his talking just before we reached the cafeteria, but naturally, I still wasn't listening. I saw Ash at a table with four other people sitting at it, each with a tray of food in front of them that they weren't eating.

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief when I saw them. All four were stunning, unbelievably beautiful. The first was a petite girl with short strawberry pink hair pulled back in two ponytails. She was had a massive grin on her face, but you could see that the people at surrounding tables gave them strange looks.

Next to her and with his arm placed casually over her shoulder was a tall man with hair that resembled flames. He was chatting animatedly with the girl who he had his arm around.

Across on the other side, next to Ash, were the other two. The first was the same height as Ash, his mauve hair falling down to his shoulders, his face hard and without laugh lines. The final one of the four was another girl. She looked more suited to life as a runway model than a schoolgirl.

She had navy blue hair that fell down just past her shoulders in two different sheets, one tied behind the other. She had a small flask that she was sipping out of slowly, then screwed that lid back on and placed it in her handbag that was sitting on the table.

The thing that I found odd was the similarities between the five – which includes Ash. Each of them had the same bright amber eyes and pale, albino skin.

"Brendan, Ash wanted to talk to me," I muttered to Brendan, who seemed to be taking on similarities of a Golden Retriever, "I'll come back over a little later."

I saw Ash cock his head right when I said his name, mutter something to the rest of his small group and walk over to an empty table with his untouched tray of food. Brendan nodded to me after I finished talking to him, his face taking on a look of surprise and then a pout, and he left me to walk over to our normal table.

Ash beckoned me to come over and join him, so after looking left and right, I headed over. Naturally, like the klutz I am, I managed to attract all the people's attention in the cafeteria by tripping in some spilled soda.

Hitting the ground with a thud, I found Ash to be instantly by my side, a mocking grin painted on his face, to help me up. Everybody else around us was muttering, gazes intently focused upon us. It seemed that they had never seen Ash do something nice like this for someone.

As he lifted me to my feet, he continued to hold my hand. That was when I noticed their temperature. I shuddered due to their cold, and when he realised this, he instantly let go.

I looked towards his group, to find a look of barely disguised disgust on their beautiful faces. Did they all have bloody mood swings like this? I thought to myself, They seemed so happy before.

Swiftly and gracefully, the raven-haired man pulled me to his solitary table and sat me down opposite him.

"I see that you know how to make an entrance, May," he quipped mockingly, "Do you do that often?" he gestured to the place where I had landed.

"Just because you're good looking won't stop me from knocking you out," I threatened casually, then leaned in and took the apple on his tray.

"And if you think that was a way of annoying me," –he nodded to the apple that I had now taken I bite out of –"You are sorely mistaken. I don't eat much."

I stuck my tongue out at him and continued to eat the apple.

"Ok, now that that is cleared up, I think we can get down to business," Ash leaned forward onto the table, his arms folded in front of him, revealing his surprisingly muscular arms.

I swallowed. "Ok, hotshot, I wanna know why you actually bother talking to me?" I glared at him, hoping for some sort of response.

He chuckled.

"Not the response I was hoping for," I muttered under my breath.

"I talk to you because I find you-," he pondered momentarily for the right word, "- Interesting."

"Well, what makes me so…interesting, to you?" I asked, sarcasm laden heavily on interesting.

"I'm different to most people here, and I have different…tastes. And you seem a particularly delightful taste to me," he answered me, a smile gracing his face. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"You have a way of…dazzling people, and I would rather appreciate it if you didn't do it to me," the pale boy grinned again, and I had to keep myself in check to prevent from swooning over him.

He pouted, then his smile reappeared, "Whatever you say, May," he glanced briefly back at the table where the rest of my friends were, "I think Brendan wants you back, he's complaining about me."

I gave him a quizzical look, wondering how in the world he could hear Brendan when Brendan was on the other side of the room.

"Umm, right…I'll head back over then. Goodbye, Mr. Ruriko." (Oh, and for those wondering how I know his last name where it hasn't been mentioned during this story, it's because Brendan has told me a few things about the Ruriko's during my time. Also, for those wondering why his name isn't Ketchum, you'll find out…eventually :D)

He waved casually, and I trotted away to join my table again, when I remembered something I'd forgotten to ask him, so I turned around.

And he was gone…

I looked around the cafeteria and found no signs of the strange man.

"Things about him just get creepier by the minute," I muttered as I sat down next to Brendan.

There we are. Please review. I've only got 1 review for this story so far, which is saddening. So don't hesitate to give me some advice if need be, or just tell me if you enjoyed it or hated it. Reviews are always loved when they are given to me.