Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon


"Ash, please don't be like this. You're being irrational! You really need to rest."

It was now night time on the edge of a beautiful lake. Trees lined up further away from the clearing, and everyone, except for Ash, wanted to set up camp. The raven-haired boy wanted to cover as much ground as possible and also wanted to get away from the others, specifically Drew, to clear his mind of what he had experienced prior to this point. Along the way to the lake, Drew had tried to pull May away from Ash multiple times as attempts to start conversations that interested her. All these instances only served to anger Ash as he became increasingly stressed and unhappy. Now, at the lake, May was desperately trying to convince Ash to stay, so Ash decided to give in.

"Fine, but I'm going to sleep by the trees." Ash stated as he walked away from the camp that was situated by the water. Ash settled down by the dim woods as Pikachu tried to cheer him up.

May had her arm extended as if wanting to hold onto Ash, then retracted her arm and looked down at the ground in sadness. Drew took the opportunity to wrap an arm around May and walked her away from where Ash had left her.

"Hey, don't worry about him, ok? He isn't worth the time since he's stubborn beyond belief." Drew said, trying to press his body closer to May's. "Instead, how about if we go for a walk? It'll make you feel better."

May turned to Drew, contemplating. The words of Brock flooded her mind as she took to the idea that Ash was specifically acting this way because of the green-haired coordinator.

"I don't know, Drew. I appreciate the offer, but right now, I really don't feel comfortable with leaving Ash." May said, then looked back at Ash sitting on the ground with his knees in his arms, facing away from the others. "I have to look after him. He means a lot to me."

May left Drew's grasp and ran over to the trainer. Drew looked bewildered, then scowled.

"Ketchum," he muttered under his breath, quiet enough so no one could hear him, "you will not take May away from me. I swear to it."

Drew silently fumed as he went to sit near Max by the campfire to wait for Brock to finish making dinner. By the trees, Ash was staring at the ground in deep thought while Pikachu was patting him on the back.

Suddenly, Ash snapped back to reality when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to the sight of an emotionally distressed May.

"Ash, do you mind if I sit here for a bit?" She asked.

Ash shook his head, then looked back at the ground. May sat down next to Ash and looked at the dirt as well. Pikachu figured the two of them needed some time alone, so he left to hangout by the others. For a long time, no one moved or talked between the two as they sat; the sounds of nature were the only things that resonated. Finally, May looked at Ash.

"Ash, I'm scared of what's been happening." She said worriedly.

Ash glanced at May, wondering what she meant.

"Ever since Drew came along, you became so isolated and unhappy, and it hurts me to see you like this," May continued, her eyes getting wet, "please don't be like this, I want to have my normal Ash back again."

Ash could only stare at May as she kept talking to him.

"I know you're bothered by Drew, but please don't act this way, we can sort this out." May placed her hand on top of Ash's, "Please, Ash, you mean a lot to me."

Ash paused for a moment, processing the words in his mind.

"May, I...I didn't mean to hurt you," Ash began, "I'm so sorry for acting this way and I promise to lift my spirits and even get along with Drew."

Ash gulped at his last statement, but knew he couldn't take it back.

"You...you really mean it?" May's eyes filled with hope.

"Yes, but only if you'll be happy."

May couldn't help but lean her body towards Ash to pull him in for a hug. Even though she wanted to ask Ash why he was upset with Drew, she was perfectly content with the raven-haired boy's promises to improve his mental health and relationship with Drew.

Ash was surprised by the hug, but immediately melted into the coordinator's touch as he felt free from all pain and stress. He was disappointed though, when May broke the contact after awhile.

"Would you like to go back to where the others are, with me?" May asked, still seated next to the boy.

"Sure," Ash nodded, "but I think I'd still rather sleep here for the night to clear my thoughts."

May nodded back, then got up with Ash and walked back to the campsite. By the time the two sat down next to Max and Drew, Brock had conveniently finished cooking and had started handing out bowls, serving everyone their dishes.

"Hey, Ash, glad to see you're looking better. Was it all because of May?" Brock asked as he passed Ash his bowl of food.

"Yeah," Ash nodded as he graciously accepted the bowl, "she managed to get through my thick skull and got me to feel better."

"Huh, I wonder how my sister can ever be reassuring to others," Max pushed up his glasses, "especially when she's always condescending towards me."

May shot up from where she was standing and glared at her brother with an accusing finger.

"Hey! I'm never that bad with you! You're always exaggerating the facts when all I'm doing is putting you in your place!" May shouted.

Max merely chuckled and was about to continue berating her until he saw Ash wave him off.

"Max, there is no need to annoy your sister. She may not be that helpful in your eyes, but to me, I see her as someone who is selfless and genuinely caring no matter what, and I am thankful to have her as my friend." The trainer smiled at May, who couldn't help but blush at his comment and passion.

Brock, Max and Pikachu stared at Ash, flabbergasted, the three of them not expecting Ash to immediately jump to May's defense in that manner. Drew grunted, but no one noticed.

"Wow, I didn't know you felt that strong for her, even though you should have known that I was simply joking around by saying she wasn't caring when she actually is." Max said.

Ash's face reddened as he tried to hide himself from embarrassment for not knowing that Max was simply teasing May just for the sake of it.

May giggled and leaned against the trainer with her head resting on his shoulder.

"Oh, Ash, I feel humbled to hear those words coming from you. You're the best a person could ever hope for." May said with a dreamy voice to embarrass Ash even further.

"Guuuys," Ash complained, "let's just eat and not continue this conversation."

Brock, May and Max laughed at Ash's remark and agreed, continuing to eat. The whole time, Drew felt anger fueling up in his chest as he tried to forget May's clinginess towards Ash. Pikachu wasn't paying much attention during the conversation since he was focused on his own food.

While everyone was eating, Ash couldn't help but steal glances at May, who was sitting next to him. Even though he had tried to suppress the urge, he felt too compelled by May and had to look. Immediately, he felt a wave of happiness as he saw May's content face as she cheerfully ate.

"Why do I feel this way?" Ash wondered as the warm feeling in his heart arose again, "I can't stop thinking about her; it's like I can't live without her at all." Ash sighed. "I really need to ask Brock about this stuff as soon as I get the chance to."

At the same time, May felt compelled to steal looks at Ash, since he was all that was in her mind. She turned her head in the slightest way so she could gaze at Ash without alerting the others. When she laid her eyes on the trainer, she caught Ash staring at her, which the boy then blushed profusely with his eyes wide opened and immediately turned to look back at his food. May giggled and blushed as well, and before she knew it, she was dreaming about the boy of her dreams.


In May's fantasy world

It was the middle of the night in the same forest with the lake. An abundance of shining stars filled the sky, and Ash and May were both sitting next to the body of water while star gazing. May had her body leaned up against Ash and had her head resting on Ash's shoulder. Ash had wrapped an arm around May's waist and laid his head on hers.

Suddenly, the two found themselves in the water, playfully splashing each other. They laughed together as they shared this moment of pleasure. Ash was closing in on May and had picked her up and tackled her into the water. After they emerged from the water, they found themselves in one another's arms, grasping each other's backs as they kissed. The water kept dripping from their hair and they were still completely drenched, but none of that mattered to them as they continued to share each other's embrace. Finally, they stepped out of the water, holding hands, and walked back to where they had set up camp.

May told Ash not to look when she was changing into dry clothes, but she didn't keep to her own words. After she had changed, she watched Ash change behind a tree. Unbeknownst to the raven-haired boy, May was mentally praising and worshipping his toned body and she couldn't help but squeal from delight. Ash heard this and looked embarrassed seeing May. She could only giggle and turned back to where the sleeping bags were.

Seconds later, Ash returned and got into his sleeping bag. Naturally, May wanted to be as close as possible to Ash, so she got him to make space on his conveniently large sleeping bag and laid down with him. May pulled close to Ash and had an arm and her head resting on Ash's chest. Ash instinctively lowered his arms around her waist, pulling her up close. As May began dozing off, Ash kissed May on the head, then fell asleep in the comforts of the brunette.


May was smiling dreamily, not noticing that Ash, Brock, Drew, Max, and Pikachu were all staring at her.

"Umm, is she alright?" Ash asked no one in particular.

"Yeah, what's going on with her? She isn't normally like this, right?" Drew wondered.

"Well, she's been acting rather strangely recently, so who knows? She could be thinking about something...or rather someone who means a lot to her." Brock said. In actuality, he knew May was dreaming about Ash and he wanted to give Ash something to think about in hopes of bringing him and May together.

"...someone...who means a lot to her?" Ash wondered. Instantly, he remembered his conversation with May by the woods. Her hand had been on his, and she had said, "please, Ash, you mean a lot to me." What did all this mean? Why would May dream about him? Ash grew frustrated by all these questions he didn't know the answer to. He felt confused about his feelings for May, and now he was even more confused as to why May would be thinking about him in this fashion. Yet, all he knew was that it felt good to have her think about him and only him.

Drew thought about what Brock said. "Someone who means a lot to her." He repeated in his mind. He shot a glance at Ash, whose eyes were still fixated on May. "She can't be thinking about him, right? He's too dense for her. It would only make sense for May to think about me." Drew smirked. "Yeah, that's it. She's dreaming about me because no one else is as good as me, especially not Ketchum." But then, he remembered what May had said to him about Ash. "He means a lot to me." She had said. Drew gripped his bowl and utensils harder. "Ketchum..." He muttered quietly to himself.

Meanwhile, Max knew all too well that May was dreaming about Ash. He just simply sighed and continued to eat. Pikachu would constantly look between May and his best friend and figured that May had a thing for the trainer.

"Pi pikachu pika," the Pokemon grinned, devising a plan, "pika pikapi."

Pikachu swore that he would have a talk with May the first chance he gets to confirm his theory, especially considering what he witnessed in the hotel room. If what he thought was true, and although he was not quite familiar with the human concept, he would do everything he could to unite his trainer and May under new circumstances, or simply, a romantic relationship.


The gang finished their dinner and decided to hang back and relax for the time being. After assisting Brock in cleaning up the silverware, Ash decided it was time to tell Brock about what had been going on with himself.

"Hey, Brock, do you wanna go for a walk with me?" The trainer asked.

Brock sensed that Ash wanted to get something off of his chest about something important, so he nodded. They told everyone else they would be leaving for a bit, and with that, they left.

Pikachu figured it was time to have the talk with May, so he hopped onto her shoulder and pointed towards the woods to talk.

"Pika!" He smirked, giving the message to May that it was finally time.

May gulped, sweating.

"D-do we have to go n-now?" She stammered.

Pikachu nodded, sparking around the cheeks.

May sighed and walked away from the camp after telling Max and Drew that she was "getting some fresh air."

The two boys just shrugged, not knowing what May and Pikachu were doing.


"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Brock asked, "I know there's more than just 'wanting to go for a walk.'"

After walking just far enough to still be able to see the campfire, Ash turned to Brock.

"Hey, umm, I really need your help on something," Ash said, "I don't know how to put this, but...lately, I've been feeling something weird in my chest whenever I'm around May..."

Brock remained silent, so Ash continued.

"Like, this first happened during the night in our hotel room. I heard May compliment me when I was trying to sleep, and I could feel her breath on my cheek at one point. That's when I felt that weird feeling. And whenever we embraced each other, that feeling came back again, but only stronger. And for some reason, I couldn't help but stare at May during dinner tonight. It's like I couldn't control myself." He confessed.

Brock processed the information.

"How do you feel whenever you're with her?" Brock asked.

"Well, whenever we interacted, I'd feel so...happy...and I'd feel relieved of all stress. I don't know why, though. Do you know what all this means?"

Brock nodded. What Ash just confessed only connected the points to Ash's disdain for Drew. "It appears that Ash is finally experiencing love." He thought. "Although it's going be quite difficult to explain the concept to him."

Brock walked up to Ash and patted the trainer's shoulder.

"Well, Ash, I am fairly certain that you are experiencing the concept of love." He smiled.

Ash furrowed his brow.

"Love? What do you mean?" The raven-haired boy asked.

Brock sighed at Ash's denseness.

"Look, it's basically like whenever I'm chasing after any cute girl I come across, except what you are experiencing is much more serious. I don't really know how to explain it to you, so I'll let you figure it out. If you continue to experience that feeling around May, talk to me so I can help you.

Ash nodded but was still confused. "Love? I'm in...love? Sure, I love all my friends and my family, but...am I really experiencing THAT kind of love? Is this how it feels?" Ash slumped his shoulders. "Augh, this is hurting my brain even more. I'll figure this out later."

"Wanna go back now?" Brock asked.

Ash nodded, and the two walked back towards the campsite.


May walked deeper into the woods with Pikachu on her shoulder. She felt anxious as sweat dripped down her face.

"So, great weather, huh." May smiled nervously, hoping to avoid the impending conversation.

"Pika." Pikachu smirked devilishly. After getting a good distance away from the others, Pikachu decided it was now time.

"Pi pika Pikachu pika pi."

"Umm, w-what are you talking about?" May smiled sheepishly.

Pikachu sparked again around the cheeks, frightening May.

"Alright, alright. I'll tell you now." May gulped. "Just promise me you won't tell anyone."

Pikachu raised his paw and pretended to zip his mouth. May could only sigh and took a deep breath.

"Alright, well here goes," she began, "I...I am in l-love with...Ash."

Pikachu grinned. His theory was confirmed, but he motioned for May to continue.

"It used to start out as a silly, childish crush when I first met him, but after traveling with him for awhile, I became really attracted to him. During the Millenium Comet, when we were with Jirachi, I'd always wish to be with Ash every night when I'd flip a panel from the Wish Maker charm I bought. And when we were at the the royal ball in Cameron Palace, I'd wish to dance with him. Unfortunately he wasn't allowed to dance, so I felt somewhat incomplete. And my feelings for him solidified when Samiya was sinking. When water was pouring in around us, and after Ash put us into the pod, I was devastated."

May began tearing up as she recalled the event.

"I...I was so...terrified when he left. I was so afraid that he wouldn't make it back, that he'd...die." May broke down, crying. She dropped to the ground, not bothering to wipe her tears.

Immediately, Pikachu felt sympathetic towards the brunette. Even though he had been terrified for his trainer while in the pod with May, he didn't realize just how much Ash had meant to her.

"Pikapi." Pikachu patted May on the head to comfort her.

After minutes of battling her emotions over the memory, May finally wiped her tears.

"Well, all that is in the past now, and fortunately, Ash managed to make it out alive." May couldn't help but smile. "That was when I knew for sure that Ash was the one for me."

Pikachu smiled as well, happy to see May's spirit back again.

"Oh, and Pikachu? To answer your question from when we were in the hotel, I reacted that way because I was afraid that he would question me and suspect me of something. It's a good thing he didn't because then I can express my feelings for him how I want."

Pikachu nodded, understanding the situation. Satisfied with their conversation, Pikachu pointed towards where the camp was, indicating that they should go back.

May nodded, and the two headed towards the campsite.


It was getting late for the group, so they all decided to turn in for the night.

"Goodnight, guys, I'll see you all bright and early tomorrow." Ash said as he walked towards the trees to where his sleeping bag was.

"Wait, Ash!" May called out.

Ash turned around to see May carrying her sleeping bag.

"I'm coming with you." She stated.

Ash smiled and nodded. The two walked towards Ash's gear and settled down. May put her sleeping bag directly next to Ash's, much to his curiosity.

"Umm, May, why are you putting your sleeping bag right next to mine?" He asked.

May giggled and hopped into her bag.

"To sleep next to you, silly." May replied.

Ash raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I'm sleeping next to you whether you like it or not because you need some comfort." She persisted.

Ash brightened up internally after hearing this.

"Alright, thanks for looking out for me." He smiled. Ash slipped into his sleeping bag, facing May. "Goodnight, May." He yawned.

"Goodnight, Ash." May smiled.

Before he knew it, Ash's eyelids closed due to drowsiness. After making sure he was asleep, May pulled closer to Ash and kissed him on the cheek.

"Sweet dreams." She whispered.