And after a very long wait, here is Chapter 4. Sorry bout' that wait. But nevertheless here it is.

Disclaimer: No. I still don't own Pokémon. But, if one of you want to just give it to me. That would be awesome.

"And the Winner is Marina of Little Root Town!" The announcer called as the crowed roared.

A hooded man stood in the corner watching the T.V intently as it showed the girl who had just won the match. His two pokemon stood at his side watching the screen as intently as their trainer. "humph" The man could be heard grunting. He started to walk towards the door of the pokemon center. His Pikachu and Meowth ran to catch up with him and jumped on to their respective shoulders. But before he could make it out...

"ASH KETCHUM YOU AND I ARE GOING TO HAVE A TALK!" An angry bluenette stormed into the pokemon center moving her head around looking for her prey.

Ash had started to slowly walk backwards hoping to avoid any confrontation. He knew better than to confront an angry girl. Especially this particular one. But he was out of luck. Before he could react, Dawn was on him, dragging him by the ear out of the center, almost as quickly as she had come in. As soon as they were out she dropped him on the pavement and proceeded to yell.

"ITS TIME YOU MAN UP TO WHAT YOU DID AND QUIT YOUR HIDING!" Dawn yelled

With his head down, Ash slowly got up from the ground and quickly checked his surroundings. But he wasn't off the hook yet. He had to get out of the public. He was drawing too much attention to himself.

"Dawn. I know your angry but can we-"

"Oh no. ANGRY doesn't even begin to cover it." Dawn said angrily.

"Fine, Super Angry, but can you yell at me elsewhere, I don't like the attention." Ash said with a a stern tone that surprised Dawn.

"The attention?" Dawn instantly mocked "Little Ashy boy doesn't like the ATTENTION!"

Ash covered her mouth with his hand. "Think back to five years ago. Why I disappeared." He hissed into her ear. "Now think about why I don't like the attention." He uncovered her mouth.

"Fine." She hissed back. "But you are going to get the beating of a life time." And she grabbed him by the ear and dragged Ash in the direction of the gym. Meowth and Pikachu laughing the whole way.

XxXxXxX

Surprisingly, Ash didn't get a beating of a life time. Well the rest of his body didn't. But his ears and his brain would remember that when a girl gets mad, they can yell.

"Yes, Dawn. I know." Ash pleaded. "But there are reasons. I swear."

"So lets hear them" She tapped her foot impatiently.

Ash muttered something

"What's that I can't hear you."

"I said I can't tell you." Ash said with a said look on his face.

"Oh, You CAN"T TELL ME!"

"No, But you should probably stop yelling."

"And why's that?" Dawn scoffed.

"Dawn?" This didn't come from Ash. "What are you doing to Ash?"

Dawn looked flustered. "Well um.."

Ash smirked. Dawn slapped him.

May's eyes were bright red like she had been crying for a long time. Her voice wavered as she spoke quietly. She slowly walked into the room, her arms close to her chest.

"Can I talk to him?" May said quietly. "Alone" Dawn nodded and walked out of the room hesitantly, not wanting her friend to be hurt again.

Ash nodded to his pokemon and they scurried after Dawn.

"So." Ash said in a gruff voice.

"Take off the hood" May said sternly, taking Ash off guard.

"What?" Ash said wondering if he had heard her correctly.

"Take off the hood." she said sternly

Ash complied.

As soon as the hood was off his raven hair fell into place and May could see his deep brown eyes gazing at her. The 'z's' had disappeared from his face due to his growing older, but his face hadn't changed too much as he was still recognizable.

May collapsed onto her knees and fell into his arms, again catching Ash off guard.

"I am so glad you are back" May cried into his shoulder.

"So am I." Ash said with a small smile. "So am I."

Ash, May, and Dawn had moved into the kitchen and Dawn was fixing some Tea as they talked.

"Where have you been for the last five years?" Dawn asked Ash as she brought the Tea over to the pair.

"Around."

"Well I get that part" Dawn was frustrated. "But Where?"

"Around." Ash said with a sly grin that only served to frustrate the girls further.

"At least give us a region." May pleaded

"All of them except for Kalos. But more recently Kanto and Johto."

"Mount Silver?" Came a voice from the doorway.

"Mount Silver" Ash confirmed as he turned to see Norman Maple.

"Thanks for your help with Archie by the way." Norman said as if the two were old friends.

"Don't Mention it."

"What?" May looked at the two men in thorough confusion. "You mean you were in HOEN AND MET MY FATHER BUT DIDN'T WANT TO SEE ME"

Ash slowly backed his chair away in fear of the girl. "Well it was a bit more complicated than th—"

"And how could it be 'more complicated' as you say." May mocked.

Ash scratched the back of his neck trying to find an easy way out "Well, I didn't exactly tell Norman it was me."

May was still angry. "Why?"

"Well–"

Flashback

He didn't know where he was. The last he remembered was watching an excessively massive boat from the Petalburg harbor. The Team Aqua symbol on the bow made him feel so close to his goal. Little did he know, that he was oh so far. There had been a man behind him. Norman. He knew Norman quite well, and he liked him. Ash let a small smile slip as he began to think of the family that he loved so much, especially May. As soon as the word entered his mind hundreds of emotions flooded him, everything from guilt, to happiness, back to overwhelming guilt.

But Norman hadn't known that he was there. No, as far as he was concerned, Norman only knew Satoshi. Had Norman known that he was indeed standing in front of him, a fist would have most certainly connected with Ash's face.

"How do you plan on doing this?" Norman had asked him.

"Very Carefully" Satoshi said with a smirk and walked forward, leaving Norman to wonder who this man with the Pikachu really was.

Flashback End

May looked at him in disbelief, then looked to her father for conformation. She got a nod then looked back to Ash.

"But you said you didn't know where you were."

"I didn't"

"So what happened?"

Ash looked to his two pokemon who were patiently sitting on the table. They looked grim, they had been there as well and knew that it wasn't a story for the light hearted. He got a nodd from Meowth, and a very reluctant one from Pikachu.

"Well um–" Ash's face began to show anger, confusion, hatred, and guilt. "Things happened" He managed to get out.

Norman looked on in sorrow. He didn't know the full story. But his crew had recovered security tapes from the ship where Ash had been held. The tapes had not been pretty, and he agreed with Pikachu's reluctant nod.

"What kind of things?" May said, full of curiosity, completely oblivious to Ash's pained face.

Ash opened his mouth ajar slightly, but decided against it and simply raised his shirt to show his chest. Gaping across it was a scar.

Both May and Dawn gasped in surprise as Ash slowly let his shirt back down and leaned back in his chair.

"Wow" Was all May could say. "But still, why didn't you at least come say hi, even if you weren't to tell me you were you." She said sadly.

"I couldn't."

Norman watched on with amusement between the two. He really liked Ash, he could see the spark between him and his daughter. He felt bad for Dawn, who seemed to have been trying to get a word in-between the two, but was instantly shut out.

"Well I got to go." Ash said as he stood up and his two pokemon leaped on to his shoulders.

"Why? You can spend the night here!" May practically begged, She was not going to loose him a second time.

"I got stuff to do." The Ash they had just been talking to had disappeared. His cold demeanor had returned catching May off guard once again.

"Well it has been good seeing you again." Norman said as he went to shake his hand.

Thankful that Norman had stepped in to help him, Ash gratefully accepted and allowed Norman to walk him out. The girls remained in the kitchen to finish their tea, giving Norman a perfect opportunity to talk to Ash

"I see the way she looks at you." It was time for ash to be caught off guard.

"Huh?"

"And you have my permission." Ash nodded as he began to walk out the door. But Norman came closer to him, his tone changing as well. "But if you hurt her, like you hurt her four years ago, you wont just have to worry about Dawn, or Brock, or Max, or Paul. You will have to worry about me. And thats not something you want to worry about. It is worse than Rocket, Galatic, Aqua and Magma combined. "

"Sir yes sir" Ash said with a slight mock.

"Now go get to work. I know you wouldn't have left if you don't have something to do."

And with that Ash turned, put his hood over his head, and walked towards his camp, he had a contestant, and an old friend to catch up with.

So Whatcha think? Good? Bad? Feedback in the comments please!

Signing off!

- Sunblade