Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Pokemon, its characters, locations, or names. All of them, with the exception of the original characters, belong to Nintendo

A/N: Mushiness prevails! Actually...I hate this chapter. It wouldn't be so bad if I could make the mushiness a little...less, but it basically would degrade it further, so just bear with it. D:

Also, yes, I'm aware the believability of this chapter is..nonexistent. XD Haha. But I really couldn't think of another pokemon that would be powerful enough for what happens to replace the one I used.

Warnings: The pairing in this is RivalSibling. I am not even sure what'll end up in this thing. A little bit of violence I'm sure, so...sorry, no prior warning.

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Chapter 7: The Electric Encounter

The room was dark and silent when May 'woke up' hours later. In all reality, she hadn't really been sleeping; the who scene of the battle and the aftermath was still replaying itself in her mind, confusing her all the more. 'While I am still alive and breathing, you will not touch a hair on that girl's head, got it?'….what was that about? What does he get out of putting his own life on the line for my own? That Foxy woman could have easily turn the shot to him…

She puzzled over why he had panicked so badly for several minutes, getting no answers from the night. May turned over, her head on her arm, looking at Ash. He was sleeping restlessly, mumbling under his breath things she couldn't quite hear or make out as coherent words. It was obvious that she was not the only one bothered, considering how still and calm he had been before then.

Slowly, May sat up and curled her legs under her as she bent next to Ash. She pulled her hair back with one hand, and brushed the other across his lips, getting a stuttering gasp in response. "Shh, it's ok."

After another small sound - "uh…" - Ash finally went silent, relaxing from whatever nightmare that had taken hold. Satisfied, May slipped out of bed, and got dressed silently, watching the still form, whose breathing had also went into the more regulated rhythm that was of normal, restful sleep. With a final look, she left the room, letting the door shut quietly behind her.

Walking along the halls, she noticed that there were no guards around, or at least none that she could see. It took her a while before spotting Sora emerging from a room only some feet away, and running over. "Hey, Sora!"

"Oh! May, what are you doing up? It's 5:30…on a Saturday!" Sora asked, looking the younger girl over as she talked. May shook her head.

"I need to talk to you. Mind a walk back to the room?" she replied, getting a deep frown from Sora. The green-haired woman looked clearly confused at the request.

"What is going on? Why?"

"I just do. Just follow, please?" When Sora nodded in agreement, May gave her a tired smile, and started back the way she had came. It didn't take long before they came up to the door and keypad, and that the code was put in - May noticed that there was a visible crack along the side of it, which showed just how the trio had managed to get in - and they entered. They turned to the left, going into the room that held the shelves of games.

"Ok now, what is it that you need to talk about? You look like you've been through Hell," Sora commented, keeping her voice low. May would have laughed, had she been in the mood to do so. She went into explaining what had happened: how Foxy, Dill, and Steelgar had broken in unbeknownst to the others; how Ash had taken the three on in the pokemon battles; and lastly, how it had ended.

"…that is interesting. Though, what do you think about it?" May shook her head, her eyes faintly darkening. That was the question she'd been asking herself already.

"That's the thing, I don't know what to think. The whole thing confused the hell outta me…how did they get in! Why did Ash go off and put himself in such a risk? I don't get it," she admitted, biting her lip worriedly. Sora looked blankly at her; she had no answers.

- - -

With a groan, Ash stretched out, letting his muscles ease our of their stiffness. Rolling onto his stomach, he rubbed his eyes, and looked around curiously. Seeing no one around, he scrambled up, scanning over the room in alarm.

Dressing quickly, Ash scooped up the pokeball that held his faithful Pikachu, unleashing the small pokemon as he rushed out of the door. In the back of his mind, he knew it was foolish to get wound up over it; it was daylight, and there was nothing wrong.

It didn't stop him from worrying.

Quietly, he came up to the closed door of his game library, his eyes widening slightly as he heard the soft voices from inside it. Ash relaxed slightly, recognizing them as Sora and May. Idiot, you're just paranoid. His curiosity rising, Ash opened the door to a slit, slowly and silently.

"I can't tell ya anything, I don't know. You are talking to the wrong person about that." Sora. There was a sigh, and Ash twisted to be able to see what was happening. Talk about what?

His mental question was answered immediately. "But…how do you go about that? It surely can't be so simple…walking up and saying 'oh, yeah, by the way, I love you. How's the weather?'"

Letting the door shut again, Ash leaned back against the wall, his throat tightening. He felt as if he'd suffocate, his breathing forced. I shouldn't have heard that. I shouldn't have listened, he thought. A heavy guilt fell over him. Without another word, he pushed off the wall, and back towards the bedroom. After gathering a few things, he went back out to spend some time alone.

- - -

Only after several hours went by did May return to the bedroom, taking care to keep her footsteps a muffled shuffling. She pulled her pokemon team out of her bag, the surfaces of the red and white pokeballs dull from the wear of traveling and use. Looking around, she frowned. "Eh, Ash? You in here?" she asked to the still, silent air.

Getting no reply, she released three of her pokemon - a meowth, vaporeon, and pikachu, respectively - and crouched down in front of them. "Think you can help me find Ash?"

The trio of pokemon stared, cocking their heads to the side and their eyes innocently wide and questioning. May sighed, rubbing a hand down her face. "I don't want to get lost again, ok?"

Satisfied, Vaporeon and Meowth started a slow circle around the room, their noses to the air as they searched. Pikachu crawled under the bed, leaving the bemused teenager to her thoughts. Meowth nudged her, looking up regretfully. When May turned her eyes down to meet them look, Vaporeon and Pikachu returned, shaking their heads.

"Hopeless…come on, let's see if this helps any." May stepped past them, and into the bathroom. Pikachu and Meowth jumped onto the counter, watching as she pulled a washcloth out of the small towel closet and opening the cabinet to peek inside. "Aha!" She popped the lid off the small bottle, and let some of the clear fluid drip onto it, before replacing the bottle and shutting the cabinet door. "Ok, here, smell this."

Pikachu cautiously sniffed at it, her small black nose twitching, as the others joined in. "Pikapi! Chuuu!" the yellow pokemon squealed, bounding out of the bathroom.

May followed, hopping past Vaporeon to get to the door. Swinging it open, the three pokemon bolted into the hall, getting to the outer door before her and waiting impatiently as she came up behind them, and let them out.

Vaporeon led the way, passing the guards and workers without recognizing them. Many minutes later they came up to the end of the main hall, and to another locked door. May looked curiously at the keypad, at the worn out numbers on it: 1, 3,5, and 9. She frowned, punching in a combination, and getting a beeping sound. It had been rejected.

Trying again, then again, it was rejected. Growing frustrated, May narrowed her eyes, putting a final set in - 5, 1, 3, 9 - and the door clicked, unlocking for her. "Thank you!" she said, pushing it open before it relocked.

Bright sunlight attacked her eyesight. May's pokemon fretted, covering their eyes with their paws and whimpering, as she blinked away the tears that came up from the pain. As her eyes adjusted, she glanced around at the landscape. It appeared as if they were in the mountains, and the open mouth of a cave was to her right, while to her left there was a trail leading out of eyeshot.

May frowned, as she looked at the lone trail. Pikachu sniffed at the ground, at the set of footprints in the dirt, as she returned Vaporeon and Meowth with a quick thank you. "There isn't supposed to be another way here…only the portal in Viridian Forest, he had said…" she said to herself, she started the walk along the gravel trail.

Slowly the gravel turned into dirt, then to fine yellow sand, the sun making it look white. May gasped, as she stepped out of the shade of the trees that had covered the end of the trail. The trees circled the perimeter of a small lake, was could not have been more then fifty feet wide. The tops of the mountain ridges peeked over the top of the trees.

May blinked, when her last remaining pokemon returned herself to the pokeball. Shaking her head, the young girl picked her way around the lake, admiring the way the sun reflected on the surface. She spotted Ash near the tree line several feet away. He was hunched over, engrossed in whatever book he was reading. His clothes, cloak, and a stack of books sat by his side. "Um, Ash?"

There was a moment of silence, as Ash slowly looked up, going taut. His eyes went wide. "What are you doing out here?" he asked.

May sat down on the sandy ground, curling her legs around. Ash looked at her curiously, having went back to being relaxed. "You've never mentioned this being here before," she commented.

"No one knows about it." Ash said, looking around, taking in the scenery, "Sometimes I come down here to get some uninterrupted alone time, and let things take care of themselves."

"It certainly is private…" May picked up on the books, examining its worn cover. "How long have you been out here?"

Ash chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully, as he mulled the question over in his mind. "Around three to four hours, I think. I didn't exactly bring a watch."

"You've been sitting here this whole time?" Ash shook his head, looking at the water that was rippling gently in the breeze. The sunlight was beating down on it, sending sparkles across the surface.

"I go swimming too." He toyed with the pages of one of the books, the slight rips and tears along the edges showing the age and use of it. "I came over here to read just a while ago."

"What are these about?" she questioned, looking at the pile's different titles. Most of them were ones she didn't recognize, and doubted she'd have read if she had heard of them. Ash lifted them up, and set them on her lap, the spines facing up. "Hm…Where did you get all of these? I don't think I saw them laying about anywhere."

"I keep them in the closet, in a box. It's easier then putting a bookcase in," he said, leaning back to stretch out. He put his hands behind his head, cushioning from the ground. The sky was a pale blue, with clouds moving across slowly and lazily. May watched him, the troubled look the man had evident.

"There is something wrong." It was stated in a matter-of-fact voice, instead of asked. "What is it?"

Ash shook his head, his eyes closed. "Nothing is wrong. I'm fine."

May frowned, watching him quietly, before prodding again. "No, you aren't. What's going on?" she asked, getting a scowl in response. He rolled onto his knees, and started pulling his shirt on.

"Nothing is wrong." May piled the books into her arms, dropping the subject, and followed him up the trail at a sluggish pace when he had finished dressing and gotten up. There was no point is pushing him about something that obviously he had no mind to talk about; it was a waste of breath and time.

About halfway back to the building, Ash's step faultered, and he looked around, his eyes narrowed dangerously. He started up the trail faster, going at a half run, his movements hurried and somewhat frantic. May struggled to keep up, no longer able to keep her steps matched with his, and even in the hallway where she didn't have unsteady ground to contend with it was hard. "Ash, what is the rush? What is going on?" she asked.

"Something," he said, his voice strained. Ash took the pile of books and tossed them haphazardly into the hallway when he had the password put in and the door opened. Slamming it shut again, he grabbed her wrist - May yelped, the tight grip actually hurting somewhat - and pulled her along, mumbling under his breath inaudibly.

There were several moments that went by before they finally stopped in front of another door. Pushing it open with a single, quick movement, he shoved her in, following at her side. "Would you hurry up? You know the boss had told us not to dawdle, because of…" a voice said.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya…blah, blah, blah, knows when something is going wrong or is about to go wrong. Somehow." The dark of the room hid the identities of the intruders, but the voices were all-to-familiar. Flipping the light on, Ash scowled; he was starting to feel like he did whenever Team Rocket showed up.

"Not you again!" His voice rose angrily. He was getting sick of seeing their faces. "What in hell are you trying to do now? Bring my utter 'downfall' about again?"

Foxy, Dill, and Steelgar turned to regard the pair, eyeing them warily. "Oh yes," the woman said, smiling cruelly, "and in one of the best ways. Bring down the structure, bring down the master. And what a better way to shut everything down?"

"What's better then destroying your energy source?" Dill asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement. They could only stare in amazement, though, when Ash smirked, not a ounce of fear or worry showing on his features.

"You are fools, aren't you? You really don't know anything about this place…" he remarked, crossing his arms across his chest, "That machine there, you can't hurt it." The tone of his voice had shifted, giving the impression of him going 'na na na na na naaaaa' without acting doing so.

Narrowing her eyes suspiciously, Foxy reached over, aiming to pull at the revealed wires. She hollered as an invisible force propelled her away, slamming her into a wall. Dill and Steelgar glared at Ash, neither liking what they were seeing. "What was that supposed to be?" they both asked, getting an evil smile from the less-then-happy young man.

"Just my security system is all. I'm not quite that niave as to leave something this important without one." Looking about innocently, Ash whistled loudly, the high note echoing in the silent room. There was a screech, a door opening near the ceiling with a pop. The legendary thunderbird was perched on the edge, wings tucked to its sides and eyes open. With a cry, the pokemon took flight, circling the room excitedly. Ash, with more care then had been shown before, took a hold of May's hand, stepping to be in front of her. "Careful, keep close," he whispered, as the bird flapped its wings at a faster rate.

Within seconds, the room had become a swirling wind tunnel. Foxy was once again thrown against the wall, still dazed from the first onslaught done by the creature, while Dill and Steelgar kneeled down, fighting against the force. Even Ash was having trouble, his feet sliding under him, the shifting winds tearing around; it didn't help that May had to hang on, her eyes squeezed shut, and clinging to him.

The attack went on for several minutes, growing stronger instead of ceasing. Ash bent down, pulling May with him, to crouch closer to the floor, one hand flat against the metallic flooring to try to gain more stability; it was growing more difficult to stay in one place. "Tell it to stop!" she yelled right into his ear, the roaring of the trapped wind nearly overbearing her voice.

"I can't, he won't stop if he thinks something is wrong with this room! I trained him that way!" he replied just as loudly, wincing as the angry Zapdos screeched at them. "Zapdos, stop!"

Screeching again, the wind became even stronger. Ash ground his teeth together, feeling that they were being pushed back several inches. The pokemon screamed, its wings flapping continuously. "Pikachu! Use your THUNDER ATTACK!"

From the pokeball he had conjured, the yellow rodent was released, sparks flying from the thing's red cheeks. They hit the rampaging Zapdos, distracting the pokemon. The wind started to die down, getting slower and the howling ceased. Breathing heavily, Ash stepped forward, shaken from the wind storm. "You must listen when I give you an order!" he said, pulling down on the lever that was at the wall, "You could have killed us!"

There was a scream of pain from Zapdos as something was shot out at it from the original opening that it had appeared from – a spear, most likely of the Ground or Rock element – and the hurt pokemon returned to its perch, nursing the stinging sore. Foxy, Dill, and Steelgar cowered in their respective spots, all with wide eyes and shivering.

Calmly, Ash turned to them, eyes narrowed. "Hm…it might be a good idea of you were to run for your pathetic, measly lives, before I actually get real angry." he suggested, moving away from the door and motioning for May to follow, "I'm getting sick of the incompetence of you people."

Without another word or question, the trio escaped out the portal quickly, frightened. Sighing loudly, Ash turned to look at May, his eyes dark. "There goes my mood."

May frowned at him. "No…you still have the rest of the day to feel better," she pointed out.

"Don't...give me that look. You're too pretty for it." He faintly blushed, looking away in embarrassment. Her eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, oh...thank you?" May said, slightly baffled. She carefully ran a hand through his dark hair, smoothing down the unruly locks, making him turn even redder. "You actually look really cute when you are embarrassed."

"Please stop." Ash backed off, hiding his face in his hands. "I'm beyond just being embarrassed."

"Why are you..." May could see by how his shoulders straightened that he had gone rigid when she reached out, just barely touching him. Turning slowly, lowering his arms, he stared with worried brown eyes.

"I really don't understand it. How you managed it, I'll probably never find out or know, but somehow you've gotten me tangled into something I have never in my life been in before." She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, her head turned to the side.

"What is it? What'd I do?" she asked, verbalizing the question Ash had suspected that she would ask. He shifted uncomfortably, neither like nor hating the situation. Doubtfully, he shrugged and sucked in his breath.

"I'm...no, forget it," Ash said, shaking his head. May tightened her grip, refusing to let the matter go.

"No, I will not. What are you on about?" May replied, frowning. Ash had to close his eyes, trying to ignore the feeling of doubt and wariness that was telling him to get the subject changed. No, he thought.

Taking another breath, he spilled it out quickly, the words running together in his haste, "I'm-in-love-with-you."

There was a moment of silence, as May moved to be in front of the nervous – and certainly scared – man. She hugged him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Ash," she said quietly, her voice trembling somewhat, "I...I love you."

Opening his eyes to stare, Ash gaped at her. May could only smile hesitantly, letting the words sink in fully; when they did, the two happily collapsed to the floor, neither minding the sting of hitting the metal.

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