"W-what? I-I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you right… Did you just say that you're in love with Ash? Ash KETCHUM?"
Dawn was perplexed and utterly shocked. Her mouth hung wide open to match her equally wide eyes.
"Dawn! Keep your voice down!" May whispered loudly and placed a hand on her mouth.
It was still late in the afternoon and the two girls had not moved from their seats on the bench. Ash had still not returned yet, and he probably wasn't going to any time soon considering how much food he needed to buy.
The blunette removed her friend's hand and apologized. "Okay, sorry. It's just that… I mean… are you sure? You aren't playing a joke on me now, are you?"
"No, I'm not!" May furiously responded. "I'm serious here. I think that I love Ash Ketchum. Like in more than just a friendly way!"
"You think you love him? Or you know you love him?"
May was taken back by the question. She had pondered this same question over and over again. Did she really love him, or was this just a petty and meaningless crush? But the more she though about it, the answer in her head was as clear as the blue Hoenn skies. There was no mistaking her decision now.
"I know I love him," the teenage girl declared soundly without hesitation. "I'm in love with Ash Ketchum."
Dawn frowned at first, causing the brunette beside her to become anxious. Did she make a big mistake by spilling her secret?
'Oh no, maybe Dawn likes Ash too and that's why she looks mad right now,' the Top Coordinator though as she clutched her Terracotta Ribbon once more.
Before the brunette could say a word to Dawn, the girl broke her frown with a gigantic smile and hugged her best friend tightly.
"Oh my Arceus, I knew that this day was going to come soon! I just wasn't sure when, but I definitely knew that it was going to happen this week. The signs were everywhere, like with all the teasing you were getting and how much you and Ash kept blushing every single day. I thought you were joking initially because I expected Ash to be the one who confessed first, but he's as dense as a Graveler and would never–"
But before Dawn could babble any more, May pushed her away from the one-sided embrace.
"Hey, just calm down for a bit, Dawn," May smiled timidly at an arm's length. "Before you say anything else, I need you to answer something for me. Do you have a crush on Ash?"
The young coordinator tilted her head in confusion at the question and then laughed.
"Wahahaha~!" Dawn shook with laughter and covered her mouth with one of her hands. "Umm, no way May. I'm not going to lie, though. I did have a small crush on him when we first started traveling together, but then I realized how super dense he was! He never responded to any of my flirting so I just gave up and moved on."
May sighed in relief and smiled softly. "Your story sounds a lot like mine, Dawn. Except unlike you, I never gave up my feelings for Ash. They've only grown stronger since I last saw you guys at the Wallace Cup. Even then, I wanted to say something to Ash, but I was too afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
May looked away with sadness and responded, "I was afraid that Ash wouldn't return how felt about him…"
"Wait, so how did all of this happen?" Dawn asked, looking to change the subject.
"What do you mean, Dawn?" the confused brunette asked.
"I mean, how did you fall in love with Ash? Was it love at first sight?"
May giggled at question and shook her head. "No, it wasn't love at first sight. I'm sure told you already know this, but the first time I met Ash, Pikachu barbequed my bike to a crisp."
May and Dawn shared a fit of laughter as they recalled the tale. Ash sure knew how to make lasting first impressions.
"Anyway, Dawn. I had a small crush on Ash that blossomed during our adventures together," May took out her half of the ribbon and placed it in her palm. "You already know about the story of how Ash and I split this ribbon, but there were other moments with him that make my heart flutter just thinking about them."
The brunette grinned at her best friend. "One time, Ash and I were having a really bad fight with each other on our way to Fortree City. We couldn't stop arguing and we both got really mad at each other."
"Ash and I were then challenged to a tag battle by these two people, Oscar and Andi, who kept thinking that the two of us were a couple," the Top Coordinator smiled softly as she recalled that day. She still couldn't believe all the nasty things she called Ash, but May knew that he didn't let the insults faze him. "We lost horribly to them and things just got worse. We didn't make up with one another until after Team Rocket showed up."
Dawn giggled at the mention of Team Rocket. "Those goofballs are the most annoying people on the planet."
May nodded her head in agreement and continued. "Ash and I beat Jessie and James in a tag battle and then we apologized to each other. That was the first time I realized that I had developed a small crush on Ash," the Top Coordinator sighed contently.
"He was so sweet when he apologized and I just couldn't stay mad at him. And there were other times when he acted like a hero too," May told Dawn, who was smiling the entire time.
The girl blushed as she began to recall Ash's heroics. "He once saved me from a horde of wild grass Pokémon who ganged up on me when I accidentally entered a forbidden forest. We ran out of there while holding hands the entire time."
"Ash also cheered me up whenever I felt down. And I think during those moments, I began to realize who Ash truly was – a person who cares deeply for his friends."
Dawn smiled brightly, agreeing with May's observation. One of Ash's great characteristics was that he couldn't stand seeing his friends sad and even went out of his way to cheer them up.
" You know, Dawn, I almost didn't qualify for the Hoenn Grand Festival my first time around," May stated nonchalantly, breaking off into a different topic.
The blunette stared at her with wide eyes as if her friend was insane. 'If May didn't qualify, then she wouldn't have become the Princess of Hoenn!'
"H-how, May?! You're the best Coordinator in all of the Hoenn region!"
May blushed lightly at the complement. "Thank you, Dawn. But I almost didn't qualify for it because there was a good chance that I wouldn't have gotten my fifth contest ribbon."
The brunette thought back to one of her fondest memories with Ash. "Ash, Brock, Max, and I were stranded on an island just a few miles away from Pacifidlog Town, where the last Pokémon Contest was being held. I only had four ribbons so that was my final shot at qualifying."
"There was a ferry on the other side of the island that would take me to the town, but on the way there, Ash and I got separated from the group," May sighed heavily. "I promised my mom that I would always watch out for Max, and if I got on that ferry, then I would have broken that promise."
"Ash grabbed me by my shoulders and told me to go chase my dream. He wanted me to get on the boat," the brunette gently placed a hand on her heart. "It was the most heartfelt and sweetest thing he ever said to me."
"We ended up finding Max and Brock, and I managed to get to Pacifidlog Town before the signups ended," May smiled warmly at her patient friend. "From that point on, my feelings towards Ash changed forever. He was much more than my friend or mentor; he became the person I needed the most in my life."
Dawn squealed in delight after hearing May's words. That was the cutest thing she had ever heard her best friend say.
"But I think the moment when I finally discovered how much I loved him happened during the Manaphy incident I told you about earlier."
"What about it?" the blunette asked, vaguely remembering the tale.
"Ash and I made it to the Temple of the Sea with Manaphy's help, but so did the thieves who were following us," May said with gritted teeth as she clutched her Pokédoll a little too tightly. "Their leader, some weird pirate guy named the Phantom, followed us to the treasure known as the Sea Crown and stole some of the gems."
Realizing that her nails would have broken through the soft fabric of the Pokédoll, May realized her grip but remained with an aggressive tone. "That asshole caused the temple's ancient air bubble to burst and made water flood into the entire place."
Dawn placed a hand on her friend's shoulder and smiled; her way of gently asking May to calm down.
The teen smiled and continued. "Anyway, with the help of the Pokémon Ranger Jackie, Ash and I managed to place all but one of the stolen crystals back into their original positions. Manaphy ended up finding the last crystal and we were about to go back, but the pathway got flooded."
"The way back was too dangerous and we were basically trapped," May frowned at the memory. "I thought we were done for, but Ash didn't give up. The Phantom's ship was still there, so Ash grabbed one of the escape pods before the ship floated away and placed me, Manaphy and Pikachu in it."
The brunette began to blush as she offered a timid smile. "That was the moment when I fell completely in love with Ash. He risked his own life for the sake of mine. No other person ever did that for me or cared for my life more than their own."
"I was never aware that Ash had already captured my heart until I went to the Johto region," May sadly confessed to the blunette. "I was so alone and I missed waking up and seeing Ash sleeping right next to me. After I won my first ribbon and saw that he wasn't there to congratulate me, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks."
After a brief moment of silence, the Top Coordinator grinned largely, "I love him, Dawn."
After she recalled her adventures with Ash, the sapphire-eyed girl managed to convince herself that she her heart had been right the entire time. She truly did love Ash without a doubt in the world.
Dawn squealed once more after hearing her best friend. She had never heard anything so cute before! What May went through was just too tragic for the young coordinator to hear.
"May, you and Ash totally need to start dating now!" the blunette stood up and started jumping up and down. "And judging by the stories you just shared with me, it is sooo obvious that Ash feels the same way about you!"
"You really think so, Dawn?" May asked as she lightly clutched the half-ribbon in her palm.
"Duh, of course I do," Dawn rolled her eyes at the cliché question as she sat back down. "Think about it, May. Ash has been acting so romantically around this entire week. The Pokétch and shopping, the day at the park, today, the Manaphy Pokédoll…! C'mon May, its super obvious."
May beamed with happiness at Dawn's encouraging words but quickly frowned. "I-I don't know, Dawn. I get what you're saying, it's just that this past week has been so… so… ugh FRUSTRATING."
The brunette stood up and let out her anger. Realizing how she acted, May sat back down in embarrassment and slouched. Dawn placed a knowing hand on her best friend's back.
The Top Coordinator sighed. "Sorry about that, Dawn. I'm just so frustrated because I can't tell if Ash feels the same way about me or not. He acts super dense about everything that has to do with romance, but then he goes and does all these sweet things for me without even trying."
Dawn offered the girl a small smile. "It's not easy having a crush on the densest boy alive, and I can't even imagine what its like to be in love with him."
"I'm just so confused right now, Dawn," May stated as a single tear rolled down her eye. She was really stressed about the whole situation.
The young Coordinator gave a comforting hug to the Top Coordinator.
"Everything will be alright, May," Dawn said quietly as she rubber her friend's back. "Even though Ash is denser than a rock, we both know that he cares deeply about you. He wouldn't let your feelings affect the relationship you two share."
May hiccupped as she smiled and hugged her friend back tightly. "Thank you, Dawn."
The blunette smiled, but then noticed over May's shoulder a figure in the distance struggling to carry a tall tower of takeout boxes, which was blocking his vision. Ash was back already.
Dawn broke her hug with May and leaned in close. "Hey May, I'll do you a favor today, but you soooo owe me later."
"What are you talking about, Dawn?" the confused brunette asked.
"Shhh!" Dawn shushed her friend for talking too loud and pointed to their friend.
Before May could say anything, Dawn stood up from the bench and walked over to the raven-haired trainer.
"Need help, Ash?" the young coordinator asked with a sweet smile.
"Oh no, what gave you that idea, Dawn?" Ash sarcastically replied as he tried to keep the top box from falling.
"Hmph, if you're going to be like that then maybe I won't help after," Dawn stuck her tongue out.
"Okay, okay, sorry. But yeah, can you grab the takeout boxes on the top so that they don't fall all over me?"
"Sure thing, Ash."
Dawn and Ash started walking towards the bench. As they were walking, Dawn made eye contact with May. The blunette winked at the coordinator, who was still confused on what favor Dawn was planning on doing for her.
"Hey, May," the trainer greeted as he placed the takeout boxes down on the bench. "They didn't have any more takoyaki balls when I went to the food stall, so I got you some karaage sticks instead. I hope you don't mind."
"That's fine, thanks Ash," the coordinator grinned brightly as Ash handed a box of Japanese-style fried chicken sticks to her.
"Well, let's eat now," Ash said as he licked his lips and grabbed his own meal.
Dawn, however did not eat yet. She was still standing up as Ash and May teared into their meals.
"C'mon, Dawn. Sit down and eat with us," Ash stated with a mouthful of food in his mouth, causing the girls to giggle at his rudeness.
Dawn let out a loud and obviously fake yawn as she stretched out her arms. "Actually Ash, I'm feeling a bit tired now. I think I'm just going to go back home."
Ash and May looked up from their food and simultaneously tilted their heads to the side.
"Huh? Really, Dawn? Its not even dark yet," the Pokémon master pointed out.
"Umm yeah it is, Ash. The sun already set and its getting dark now, see?" Dawn gestured to the sky above them. It was no longer fiery orange, but rather a refreshing dark blue. The pole above their heads lit up in response to the dark environment.
Dawn grabbed her meal from the bench and said goodbye to her friends.
"I'll see you guys later. I just really need to get a hot bath right now," the young coordinator stated, flipping her hair with her hand. "Oh and thanks for buying my yakisoba, Ash. Have fun, you two."
Dawn winked at May, causing the girl to blush and look down at her food.
'So this is what she was planning,' May thought with a small smile. 'I guess that just means a little more alone time with Ash. Thanks, Dawn.'
Ash and May waved goodbye as Dawn slipped into the crowd.
The duo of best friends ate their food on the bench in peaceful silence, enjoying the tropical Hoenn night breeze and the sight of the festival decked in glowing lights.
"Dawn has been acting really weird this week," the auburn-eyed trainer noted as he finished his fifth order of ikayaki sticks. "I mean, she's always acting weird, but something's been off about her ever since we arrived in the Hoenn region."
May giggled and put down her empty container. "What do you mean by that, Ash?"
"Well, this whole week she kept saying that she's tired. It's not like her to just want to go back home so early."
The Top Coordinator giggled again, thinking about the real reason why Dawn kept leaving.
"Maybe she just wants to get more sleep. We girls do love to get our beauty sleep," May winked her eye flirtatiously at the trainer.
"Well us guys need our beauty sleep too," Ash replied with a wink of his own.
Both of them began laughing at the teasing they gave each other. After they finished up their food and threw away the trash, Ash and May sat back on the bench side by side.
The Pokémon master turned to May and grinned. "Hey May, how have you liked the week so far? I hope you had a fun time hanging out with Dawn and I."
May beamed brightly at the trainer. "Of course I had a fun time, Ash. Everything we did the past couple of days was super fun! This week has been the best week of my life."
"I'm glad to hear that, May," Ash chucked fondly. "I was worried that you didn't want to see us anymore. We didn't exactly keep in touch with each other after the Wallace Cup ended."
The brunette stuck out her tongue at the trainer. "You mean you didn't keep in touch, Ash Ketchum. I tried calling you at almost every Pokémon Center in the Sinnoh region, but every time I tried, the Nurse Joy there said that you guys left earlier."
"It wasn't my fault," Ash said as he raised his arms innocently. "I kept getting challenged every where I went. Especially after I beat Cynthia. You should have seen how many people on the boat ride over here tried to battle with me."
"Uh huh, right," May said as she crossed her arms in mock annoyance. "All I hear is that Mr. Sinnoh League champion couldn't bother dropping a call to his best friend."
The raven-haired trainer smirked in response. "Not all of us can be naturally-gifted Coordinators, you know. Some of us have to train hard with our Pokémon."
"Oh, is that the case then, Ash?" May asked with a smile leaning in close to Ash's face. "Last time I checked, you taught me everything I know about Pokémon."
Instead of teasing her any further, Ash leaned in just as close to May and stared directly into her deep sapphire eyes. "And I'm really proud of how far you've gotten, May. I don't think I ever had the chance to tell you that."
May was taken back by Ash's words. She smiled softly and placed a hand over Ash's hand.
"T-thanks, Ash. I'm proud of how far you've gotten too," the Top Coordinator whispered.
May realized just how close she was to Ash's face. She wanted to kiss him so badly right then and there. Oblivious as ever, however, Ash pulled his face away from May at that moment and leaned back on the bench. The brunette sighed in frustration and pulled back her hand.
'We were so close too,' May pouted. Ash truly was an infuriating boy.
"So, May," Ash started as he smiled at her. "What do you want to do now–"
The raven-haired trainer was interrupted by a loud rustling sound that came from the Petalburg Woods just west of Route 104. Everyone in the festival turned their heads and began to cheer. The Beautiflies were ready to migrate out of the greater Petalburg City area.
Suddenly, almost a hundred of the butterfly Pokémon began flapping their wings at once as they soared through the night sky. They were performing their signature Bug-type move Silver Wind, causing glistening silver dust to fall onto the cherry blossom trees of the Hanami Festival.
The coordinators of the event had planned for a late showing from the Beautiflies, as bright yellow lights illuminated each cherry blossom tree in order to show off their shimmering features.
May and Ash watched in awe as the cherry blossom planted right behind the bench began to shine. The color was a magnificent sight to behold – a delicate, soft pink combined with a cool sparkling silver.
"Wow, these cherry blossom trees are gorgeous!" May exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
"Yeah," Ash agreed with a smile. "Now I'm really glad that the festival coordinators decided to host the Hanami Festival right next to Petalburg City."
The Top Coordinator smiled right back. "I'm going to have practice some more Silver Wind combinations with Beautifly to use in my next contest."
"Already planning ahead, eh?" the auburn-eyed trainer chuckled. "Try enjoying your vacation, May. You already won the Johto Grand Festival."
"But I need the practice!" May pouted as she whined.
"You don't need to practice, May. Like I said, you're a natural," Ash plainly stated while moving closer to her. "Besides, you're already the best coordinator in the world."
The brunette felt her heart flutter right afterwards. That was the sweetest compliment Ash had ever given her. May grinned largely as she launched herself in Ash's arms. The girl wrapped her arms around the trainer's neck and buried her face in his chest.
At first, Ash was too stunned to move. It was a very intimate gesture that he did not know how to respond to. But slowly, the boy began wrapping his own arms around her waist, pulling her tightly to him.
'There's that nice strawberry scent again,' Ash noted as the lovely strawberry shampoo from May's hair charmed his nose.
The two remained like that for a bit more as they enjoyed the warmth that emanated off each other's body. After a few moments of silence, May finally spoke.
"Thank you, Ash," she quietly mumbled from Ash's chest.
Ash looked down at her and smiled. "No need to thank me, May. I'm just telling the truth. And just in case, you probably shouldn't tell Dawn I said that."
May laughed and wiped her eyes once more. Not wanting to interrupt the embrace any further, Ash and May stayed still and closed their eyes.
However, the duo was unaware that the some tourists and locals from the large nighttime festival crowd stopped at a distance and stared at them.
"Ahh, young love," a middle-aged woman gushed. "Do you remember when we were their age, honey?"
"Yeah, those were good time," the woman's husband replied with a laugh, but then immediately frowned. "Wait a second, that girl over there kind of looks familiar."
"Yeah, I think you're right," another man stated as he observed the hugging pair. "Woah! Guys, look! I think she's the winner of the Johto Grand Festival!"
"Wait, what?! Are you sure?" more voices shouted. "What's she doing at the Hanami Festival?"
"She lives here, you tourist morons," a local man shouted back. "That's May Maple, daughter of our gym leader Norman."
The yelling going on from the locals and the tourists sparked more interest from other festivalgoers, who wanted to see what was happening. They all crowded in one area just outside of hearing distance from Ash and May.
"That's Ms. Maple?! Wait, then who's the guy that she's hugging? I didn't know that she had a boyfriend…" a young teenage boy dejectedly sighed.
"I dunno! But he looks really familiar too," yelled an older man.
"Hold up, I know who that is! That's the winner of the Lily of the Valley Conference in the Sinnoh region!" a different voice rang. "He was at the PokéMall earlier this week!"
"Oh shit, I thought those were just rumors! What was his name again? Ash Ketchum?" a new voice asked.
"Does that mean that the Sinnoh League Champion and the winner of the Johto Grand Festival are dating?" a young teenage girl with her phone out asked, causing the rest of the crowd to quiet down.
Suddenly, the members of the crowd broke free from their huddle and charged straight towards the poor teenagers. It was a vicious catfight as men, women, and even children of all ages stampeded over everything in their path. They whipped out their phones and cameras, hoping to get a picture of the hugging teens.
Ash and May were still hugging one another. It was a long overdue hug that neither of them wanted to break. As they remained together, the silence of festival in the background quickly became rowdy and very disruptive, causing the brunette to open her eyes.
"Hey Ash?" May asked as she looked up from his chest.
"Hmm?" the Pokémon master opened his eyes and looked down. "What is it May?"
"Do you hear something… strange? Like a herd of Tauroses is charging right at us? "
Ash cocked his head sideways and his eyes widened in shock.
"Umm, May. I think I found out what that strange noise was."
Ash nodded over to the gigantic blob that was headed their way. It was a crowd of the worst kind of people the duo had encountered before – ravenous fans.
Not before long, the crowd of festivalgoers surrounded Ash and May in an instant. The disruptive sounds of camera clicks and flashes, followed by the occasional swear word filled the air around them.
'Why can't they leave us alone?' the frightened brunette asked herself.
Feeling miserable that all the attention meant for the Beautiflies' honorary day was being spent on the two of them, May turned back and buried her head in Ash's comforting chest. She just wanted to disappear from all the craziness and stay in the auburn-eyed trainer's warm embrace.
The Top Coordinator surprisingly felt Ash loosen his grip on her waist. Confused, the girl noticed that the trainer had also grabbed a mysterious purple orb from the side pocket of his pouch. The orb seemed to be filled with some sort of mysterious gray gas. In an instant, Ash threw down the sphere, causing the vapor to spread everywhere. The crowd of fans began coughing everywhere in the chaos.
May couldn't see anything in front of her. She was really starting to get scared now in the dark cloudiness. Suddenly, the sapphire-eyed girl felt a hand grab her right one and pull her along.
'Ash.' May thought as she began grinning.
Ash and May continued to run through the smoke, which had engulfed a large radius of the area. As they ran further away from all the coughing, the pair could hear the voices of their camera-wielding assaulters in a distance.
"*Cough cough* what the hell just happened?" the middle-aged woman cried out.
"Ugh! I can't see anything."
"Guys, they're *cough* getting away!" the teenage girl yelled.
"Why do you tourists always have to ruin our events? *cough cough*"
The bickering sound of arguments from the tourists and locals began dying out the further Ash and May ran. The two best friends continued running hand in hand even after they got out of the dark smoke until they arrived in a completely different area of the festival.
"Wow, that was a bad experience," Ash wheezed out, trying to catch his breath after he let go of his best friend's hand.
"Yeah, no kidding," May agreed as she also tried catching her breath.
After a few seconds of panting, Ash and May looked at each other and began laughing loudly.
"That was such a close call," the raven-haired boy chuckled. "I didn't think that my plan would work back there."
May gently poked Ash's stomach with her finger. "It worked out great though, Ash. But what was that purple thing you were holding at first?"
"That was a smoke ball, May," Ash grinned. "Usually you would give it to one of your Pokémon in order to flee any wild ones that you encountered, but I guess it also works when you're trying to escape from insane fans."
The Top Coordinator giggled in response. "Wow, Ash. I didn't think you had the ability to come up with such a great idea."
"Haha," Ash sarcastically laughed. "If it wasn't for my abilities, you and I would probably be surrounded by them all night."
"I guess so," the brunette smirked and rolled her eyes. "But seriously, thanks for saving me back there, Ash. I was really scared."
May gave Ash another warm hug, sighing softly in content as she rested her head against his chest.
"You're welcome, May," the raven-haired trainer smiled, tightening his grip around her. "I'll always protect you no matter what happens."
The sapphire-eyed girl blushed hard after hearing that. Just knowing that Ash alone said those words made her knees weak and her heart skip a beat.
'We might as well finish this hug since our last own got interrupted,' Ash thought as he silently hugged May for a few more seconds.
The pair finally let go of each other after some time and grinned at each other.
"How about we take a look at the activities on this side of the festival?" Ash recommended.
"Sure thing, Ash. Let's go back home afterwards though. I'm getting really tired."
The two of them began surveying the area around them. The place looked oddly familiar.
"Hey, Ash? Have we already been here?" May asked as she scratched the top of her head.
"Ehh, technically…" the trainer responded with slight hesitation. "We're in the aisle where all the games are, except this time we're on the opposite end of it."
"Yeah, I think you're right," May replied, cuffing her hands over her eyes. "I can see the cork gun game booth down on the other side of here. And… wait a second... Ash, look over there! There's the mini Ferris wheel I saw before we got here!"
Ash turned his head in the direction that May was pointing in. The Ferris wheel was not as "mini" as the trainer thought it was. The thing was not your average height of 200 feet, but rather it was a humble 50 feet tall. It was also just a standard Ferris wheel that only turned in one direction.
"Huh, I can't believe I missed that huge piece of metal," Ash mumbled to himself. The ride was clearly the tallest attraction in the festival, but it seemed to have disappeared from the pair's sight the entire day.
"Whoa, it looks really fun!" the brunette exclaimed with wide blue eyes that started to glisten under the moonlight.
Ash smiled and grabbed May by the hand once again. "C'mon then, May, let's go for a ride on it before we head back home!"
'Ash has held my hand more times this week than ever before,' May internally squealed in delight as the young Pokémon master pulled her along. 'I could get used to all this hand holding and hugging…'
Ash and May arrived in front of the Ferris wheel stand where there was a very small line of people. Because it was getting late, most festivalgoers had already left the event or were waiting for the evening fireworks show to start.
As soon as they got to the counter of the booth, Ash released May's hand and pulled out his wallet.
"Good evening, sir," a familiar feminine voice called out. The smiling woman was dressed up in a pink festival kimino with white floral patterns that matched her hair color. She also wore a small cap with a red plus sign on it. The friendly vender was Nurse Joy from the Petalburg City Pokémon Center.
"Huh," the trainer confusingly said before noticing who the woman was. "Hey, Nurse Joy! It's me, Ash Ketchum."
Nurse Joy tilted her head in confusion before remembering the two teens in front of her. "Oh, hi Ash! It's been such a long time. I haven't seen you since you last came to Petalburg City all those years ago!"
The jolly young lady moved around the counter to give Ash a hug. "Congratulations on winning the Sinnoh League, Ash! I watched the entire competition from the Pokémon Center. Plus my cousin from the Lily of the Valley Island wouldn't stop bragging about how she got your autograph."
The woman let go of Ash after noticing the brunette standing right next to him. "Why hello there too, Madame Maple, winner of the Johto Grand Festival!" Nurse Joy bowed with exaggeration before she hugged the coordinator.
"Hi, Nurse Joy. But really, I already told you. Please stick to calling me by my actual name," the embarrassed teen asked politely as she hugged back.
"I know, I know, but I still like to tease you about it," Nurse Joy giggled as she released her.
"So what brings you two to the Beautifly Hanami Festival?" the nurse asked as she smirked. "Are the two of you on a date right now? I saw you two holding hands at first."
Both Ash and May felt their cheeks burn at the question.
'This has been happening to me almost every single day,' Ash annoyingly said to himself. He still couldn't understand why he would get so flustered easily and it was really embarrassing.
"N-no, we aren't," Ash stuttered rapidly, causing May to frown.
'Once again, Mr. Wouldn't-know-romance-if-it-hit-him-right-in-the-face does a sweet thing for me and then completely denies it the next minute,' the frustrated brunette miserably said to herself.
"Anyway, how about you, Nurse Joy?" the trainer quickly changed the subject. "How come you're over here instead of working at the Pokémon Center?"
The young woman grinned. "The festival coordinators wanted some fireworks for tonight, and if you recall, I am a fully licensed pyrotechnician."
Ash and May nodded as they remembered all the drama that went on back when they were traveling together. Caroline believed that Norman was cheating on her with Nurse Joy, when in reality, Norman was only asking for Nurse Joy's help in order to create Beautifly-shaped fireworks for their anniversary. It was an exhausting day for everyone.
"Since I'm the most reliable one in all of Petalburg City, the coordinators asked me to run the Ferris wheel booth so that in case there was an emergency, they could easily find me," Nurse Joy proudly stated and placed one hand on her hip to model. "Also, it gave me a great excuse to break out my new kimono."
May reached over to feel the fabric of the kimono. "Wow Nurse Joy, this is a really cute kimono. It looks super adorable on you."
"Thank you, May," the nurse grinned once more. "Anyway, are you guys staying for the fireworks? It's going to be very beautiful. I designed all of them from scratch."
"Well, actually, May and I were thinking about riding the Ferris wheel first before we headed back home," Ash stated as he rubbed the back of his head.
"That's fine too. The fireworks show is going to be starting in a couple of minutes so the two of you can probably watch it as you ride."
"Really? That's great! We'll take two tickets then," the Pokémon trainer stated as he reached into the wallet.
Nurse Joy, however, placed her hand on Ash's wrist and lowered it. "No need to pay, Ash. You and May can ride on the Ferris wheel for free as many times as you'd like."
May frowned at the offer. "Thank you, Nurse Joy, that's really kind of you. But it wouldn't feel right to just ride without paying for tickets."
"Don't worry about that, May. The rides are on me so technically you two are paying." The nurse grinned at the brunette's innocent intentions. "And if the festival coordinators ever ask, I'll just say that the Sinnoh League Champion and his lovely date, the Johto Grand Festival winner, were my special guests."
Ash and May became red for what seemed like the millionth time that day. It seemed like everywhere they went, people thought that they would make a cute couple. Well, not that May minded or anything… But it was getting quite annoying.
"T-thanks, I guess," the Top Coordinator managed to spill out as Nurse Joy opened one of the cars of the Ferris wheel and led the two in.
"See you guys in a couple of minutes. And I hope you enjoy the show."
With a quick wink, Nurse Joy closed the car door and turned on the ride. Although the Ferris wheel was no more than 50 feet high, it still had a lovely view of the illuminated Petalburg City in the distance.
"Wow, May, you can see the whole city from up here," Ash grinned as he turned to the girl.
"Yeah, and you can see the whole festival too," the coordinator smiled as she watched the festivalgoers crowd in the middle of the area in anticipation for the show. "The cherry berry blossom trees are so beautiful with the dust from all those Silver Wind attacks."
All of a sudden, a large gust of wind blew harshly at the car that Ash and May were sitting in as they reached the top of the wheel, causing both teens to shiver. May was affected more by the cool night breeze and began rubbing her arms to keep warm. One of the many characteristics about Ash that defined him perfectly was his compassion. He could never just sit back and watch a friend suffer, even if it was such a small problem as a midnight shiver.
Without warning, the auburn-eyed teen grabbed the waist of the sapphire-eyed girl and pulled her close to him. The wide-eyed May squeaked out a yelp at the surprise contact, but realized what had happened and gazed up at Ash's grinning face.
Feeling a bit more confident, the Top Coordinator offered a small smile to her best friend and rested her flustered head on his shoulder.
"Thanks for keeping me warm, Ash," May said quietly with a content expression donning for face. '…Even though you probably have no idea that what you just did is straight from a romantic movie.'
Oblivious to the girl's thoughts, the boy smiled and looked at the girl. "No problem, May. I hope you're feeling better now."
Curling up closer to Ash, the Top Coordinator sighed and gently closed her eyes. She was reminded of the night before when Ash carried her home in his arms. It just felt so right to be with him. As they enjoyed each other's warmth, a bright burst of light launched into the air and exploded. The fireworks show was finally beginning.
"May, look over there," Ash unknowingly shook the girl's eyes open. "The fireworks are going off now."
The first firework exploded into the shape of a cherry blossom tree with vibrant pink colors. The next set of fireworks burst into all shapes and varieties of Pokémon – Zigzagoon, Ralts, Torchic, Slaking, Electrike, Milotic, Wailmur, Jirachi, Metagross… and many other iconic Hoenn native Pokémon.
Ash gazed down at the girl cuddling up against him and grinned. "This is really cool. Nurse Joy did a great job with the fireworks."
May returned the smile and nodded. "They look so detailed."
The brunette and the raven-haired teen continued watching the show in complete awe. The last time they watched fireworks together was back in the Cameron Palace in the Kanto region when they encountered Lucario.
By the time Ash and May reached the top of the wheel once more, the final fireworks were being prepped to launch.
"Wow, this is so beautiful…" May proclaimed with wide eyes as she sat up from her position.
"It sure is," Ash quietly agreed as he grinned brightly at the girl.
And in that little moment, Ash and May stared deeply into each other's eyes as the last fireworks shot up in the air and exploded. Neither of them broke away from the contact. It was the most intimate stare either of them had ever given to the other.
'Whoa, I never realized how alluring May's eyes are,' Ash thought while he stared. The girl's sapphire eyes illuminated under the light of the final fireworks.
'I… can't stop staring,' the Top Coordinator admitted to herself as she kept gazing, thinking the same thing as Ash. Reaching into her pocket, May unconsciously touched her half of the ribbon for strength. 'Ooo, I can't take it anymore!'
Just as the last firework burst into the shape of a Beautifly perching in a heart, May threw all caution into the wind and clutched her Terracotta Ribbon for strength. Leaning forward, the brunette captured her best friend's lips in a chaste kiss. It was a light, yet somewhat sloppy kiss that expressed all her feelings at once.
May leaned in more to the kiss and wrapped her arms around Ash's neck, not caring at the moment about the consequences. A kiss shared with the love of her life under glow of the stars and the fireworks. It was everything the young teen could have ever hoped for and more. Or so she thought.
Ash was freaking out as he felt his best friend's lip upon his own. 'What the hell is happening?'
His face felt like an oven as it suddenly reached new levels of hot. Ash did not pull away from May, but he did not kiss back either. It wasn't like Ash disliked the taste of May's strawberry sweet lips. Not at all, the raven-haired trainer had never felt something so pleasurable in his life.
However, he remained shocked as the girl in his arms kissed him. One of the greatest Pokémon masters to ever live sat helplessly as his best friend took a leap of faith and crossed over, waiting for him to take that step and join her on the other side of a completely revitalized relationship.
May pulled back from Ash's lips with a full grin on her blushing face as the sky darkened once more. Ash, on the other hand, stared with wide eyes at the girl with equally red cheeks. His mouth was left open as he tried to comprehend what had happened in the past few seconds.
"Ash, are you okay?" May asked, her arms still around the boy.
Ash could only nod his head lifelessly and he quickly pulled out of the embrace. Without even glancing at the girl, Ash moved turned and looked outside the other side of the car, noticing that the festivalgoers were starting to leave. The Beautifly Hanami Festival was over.
'He didn't even kiss me back…' May bit her lip down hard and cursed herself. 'Damn it, why is he acting so cold right now?'
The pair awkwardly waited in silence until their car reached the bottom of the Ferris wheel. Nurse Joy let the two out and smiled.
"Well, how did you two like the show?"
"It was really awesome, Nurse Joy," the brunette said half-heartedly. She felt like she was going to cry, but the girl steeled her emotions.
"Thank you, May," the young woman replied. "Well, it seems like the festival has just ended. I think the two of you should head back home now before it gets too late."
Ash nodded silently and thanked the nurse. He was in deep thought and could not focus on anything at the moment. 'May kissed me…' was the only thought that ran through his mind the rest of the night.
The two waved goodbye and exited the area back to Route 104. Ash and May walked in total quiet the entire way back to the home of the Maples. Every time May tired to initiate a conversation, Ash would just shrug it off and stare in every direction except hers.
"Umm, so thank you for taking Dawn and I to the festival today, Ash…" the brunette forced a smiled, trying to talk with the trainer after they had entered back into the city.
"Huh, oh. Sure thing, May," Ash quietly replied as he stared straight ahead at May's home on the next block over. He was still too distracted to properly respond.
May began to silently whimper as she turned her head away. 'Shit. Ash won't talk to me and now he won't even look at me. What have I done?'
The two of them arrived in front of the house where May unlocked the door. All the lights were out inside the house, which meant that everyone was already asleep.
The Top Coordinator turned to the Pokémon master and offered a miserable grin. "Thanks again, Ash. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night." He only nodded in response.
After speaking as fast as she could, May ran up the stairs and opened the door to her room, not caring how Ash would react to the rude farewell. She closed her door quickly and slid down to the ground.
May began tearing up at the thought of how horribly the night had turned. All of it had happened because she couldn't contain herself. She had kissed him – not the other way around – and the sapphire-eyed coordinator believed that their friendship had been shattered because of her selfish intentions. Her brilliantly bright eyes had never looked so extinguished before.
She quietly sobbed with her hands covering her mouth in an effort to avoid accidentally wake up Dawn, who was sleeping soundly on the guest futon. In a mess of tear stains and sniffles, May changed into her pajamas and crawled into her bed.
'I'm sorry, Ash,' the brunette whispered into the night before she slipped into a dreamless sleep.