It was a quiet morning in the metropolis of Petalburg City as the sun rested slightly above the horizon. The only sound that was truly noticeable throughout the city was the sound of the local Pokémon. Baby Taillows chirped impatiently in their nests as they waited for their mothers to come feed them, while young Zigzagoons rummaged through trashcans in an effort to find a morning meal. It was as if the city itself had not woken up yet.

The same presence of silence emulated in the Maple household in every room since all were sleeping peaceful; well, all except one. Ash was currently lying down on the bed of his friend Max, who left the week before to begin his own journey as a Pokémon trainer. The auburn-eyed teen turned his head to look at the time. 7:30 A.M. He had been up for two hours already.

Ash did not get any sleep last night. He kept tossing and turning in his bed as he tried to get comfortable, but gave up at around 5:30 and just stared at the ceiling. The boy reached up and touched his lips.

"I can't believe that May kissed me," he declared too loudly, causing his sleeping companion to slightly stir.

After checking that he did not accidentally wake up Pikachu, Ash placed his hands behind his head and sighed.

'Why did she even do it?' he asked himself the question that had invaded his mind ever since the two left the festival. 'Does she like me…? Or is she trying to mess with me again…'

Ash shook his head and closed his eyes. 'No. May would never tease me that far. But still, I just can't figure out why she did it!'

The Pokémon master who had conquered all defying odds set against him could not conquer how he felt. And if he was honest with himself, Ash had never felt more confused in his entire life. This wasn't like a Pokémon battle where he could let his instincts take over for him. No. This was a real life situation complete with a set of real life consequences.

One wrong move and Ash's friendship with May could all go crumbling down like a sandcastle. And in his opinion, that would be worse than any defeat he had ever suffered through.

But perhaps, maybe it would be best if he listened to his gut. His instincts had never failed him in tough situations before. And right now, his instincts were telling him to talk with an old friend first and foremost. Ash opened his eyes and shot up from the bed.

"I know what I have to do," the teen said out loud with a determined face, which caused the electric mouse to wake up.

"Pika," the mouse tiredly accused his trainer of being too loud before yawning.

"Sorry about that, Pikachu," Ash apologized as he rubbed his first Pokémon's back. "Go back to sleep. I have to take care of some business at the Pokémon Center."

Pikachu's ears perked up at those words, causing the electric mouse to bounce up and its four legs. "Pikachu?"

"Its nothing, just close your eyes, buddy. I'll be back later."

"Ka chu pika pika," Pikachu stated with a determination equal to that of his trainer. He then jumped up Ash's arms and scurried around until he reached his shoulder.

"Alright, you can come along," Ash laughed as Pikachu nuzzled his fuzzy cheeks into Ash.

The raven-haired trainer quietly closed the door to his room and gently tiptoed down the hall. Making sure that he was extra cautious around May's room, Ash and Pikachu made their way downstairs and quickly snuck out of the front door of the house, hoping that no one saw him.

"Pika pi kachu?" Pikachu asked his trainer as the two of them walked down the block to head over to the Pokémon Center in the downtown area.

Ash blinked in slight confusion. "I already told you yesterday morning, Pikachu. Dawn, May, and I went to the Beautifly Hanami Festival over at Route 104."

The electric mouse shook his head and responded, "Pi pika pi!"

"Oh, you mean last night? Well, Dawn left early so May and I kinda stayed over there for one or two more hours."

"Pikachu. Pikachu pi?"

"N-nothing happened," Ash stuttered as he blushed and turned away. "May and I just ate, watched the cherry blossom trees, and even rode the Ferris wheel that they had setup. That's it."

Sensing the hesitance in his trainer's voice, Pikachu pressed on the matter at hand. "Pika?"

"Yeah, that's all that happened. End of discussion, Pikachu," Ash snapped harshly at his friend.

Pikachu began pouting harder than he had ever done before in front of his trainer. He wasn't going to give up without a proper fight!

Ash glared at the pouting mouse for a couple of seconds before sighing in defeat. "Okay, okay. Sorry for yelling at you, Pikachu," Ash said, rubbing the back of his head. "Just stop doing that and I'll tell you what actually happened."

Pikachu stopped his adorable pouting and grinned. He got him right where he wanted him.

Ash smirked as he saw Pikachu let his guard down. "HA! I knew you were faking!"

The surprised electric mouse stopped grinning immediately and tried fake pouting again, but to no avail. It looked like Ash was the one who caught him first instead of the other way around. The trainer chuckled and patted his first Pokémon on the head as he rounded the street corner.

"Don't worry, Pikachu. I'll tell you later as soon as we get to the Pokémon Center," Ash assured as his laughing demeanor suddenly turned dead serious. "We're going to see an old buddy of ours whom I need to speak with."

Pikachu nodded his head and frowned. Something big must have happened the night before. He had never seen his trainer act so somber before and it didn't match his upbeat personality one bit.

Ash and Pikachu continued walking in Downtown Petalburg City until they saw a glass building with a large letter "P" came into sight just a couple of blocks away from them. It was the Pokémon Center.

The auburn-eyed trainer smiled for the first time in minutes as he grinned at his partner. "How about a little race, Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded with a cocky smile and hopped of his trainer's shoulder. But as soon as he touched the ground, Ash sprinted away laughing deviously. Realizing that his trainer had cheated, Pikachu launched after him in a burst of speed. The day was starting to look bright again.


"No fair, Pikachu!" Ash yelled out as he arrived at the glass doors of the Pokémon Center a couple of seconds behind his companion.

"You… cheated…" he panted heavily as he tried catching his breath.

"Pikachu pika pika," Pikachu stuck out his tongue.

"Well, even if I did run off without saying GO, you clearly had the advantage from the start. You're quicker and smaller than me," Ash complained as he dropped on one knee to let the mouse climb back up. "Using Volt Tackle to beat me was a cheap move. Especially since you knocked over a bunch of people on the street."

Pikachu rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. Like trainer like Pokémon. "Pikachu."

"Don't say sorry to me, buddy. Anyway, we should probably go inside now."

Ash and Pikachu walked through the glass doors and entered the Pokémon Center. Everything looked the same from the inside just like the last time they went there. Trainers and coordinators alike sprawled out on the couches fast asleep as the smell of sweat and hard work lingered in the air. Yes, it just like the last time they were there. The duo walked up to the empty counter and rang the bell, which grabbed the attention of a pretty pink-haired individual who was organizing books on the shelves behind the counter.

"I'll be with you in one minute, sir," she kindly stated without turning around.

Ash grinned brightly and said hello. "Hi Nurse Joy, its me Ash."

Nurse Joy quickly spun around with a surprised expression before returning the warm smile. "Ash! Its so good to see you again!"

She moved to the boy and gave him a quick hug over the counter. The young nurse pulled back and saw the yellow mouse sitting on the Pokémon master's shoulder.

"Why hello there too, Pikachu," Nurse Joy giggled as she picked up Ash's partner and gave him a tight squeeze. "I haven't seen you in years!"

"Pika…" Pikachu managed to squeak out as Nurse Joy began hugging him to death.

Ash laughed nervously as he watched the adorable mouse get squeezed like a stuffed animal. Nurse Joy let go of Pikachu and smiled brightly at the pair.

"So Ash, how did you enjoy the fireworks show last night?" the young nurse asked, oblivious to the teen's discomfort of the events that followed after the show. "You seemed so quiet yesterday after you and May finished riding the Ferris wheel. It wasn't bad, was it…?"

"Oh no no, that's not the case, Nurse Joy," Ash frantically explained as he sweat dropped. "It was such an awesome performance! One of the best I have ever seen. You really are the best pyrotechnician in the whole city."

Nurse Joy blushed and began laughing as a sign of embarrassment. "I wouldn't go that far, but thank you for the compliment, Ash. That means a lot to me. So, what can I do for you and Pikachu today?"

Ash's face became stern once again after hearing the question. "I need to use one of your videophones here."

"Oh… Umm, sure thing, Ash," Nurse Joy hesitantly agreed, feeling a bit disturbed by the lack of details in his request. The young woman knew that Ash had been staying in the Maple household, and she also knew that their house had a videophone in it. What kind of gym leader didn't have one in their house nowadays?

Nurse Joy moved out of the counter space and escorted Ash to one of the more isolated corner videophones in the Pokémon Center. She had a feeling this was going to be a personal conversation.

"Thanks again, Nurse Joy," Ash grinned at the jolly nurse.

"It's no problem, Ash," she replied with her own smile, though it was a more of a concerned one. "And remember Ash, if you ever need to talk, I'm always here. You've been coming here for such a long time that you're practically a member of my family. All you would need is the pink hair."

Ash let out a hearty chuckle at Nurse Joy's joke, which was music to her ears. "Yeah, I will, Nurse Joy. You're practically part of my family too."

Nurse Joy smiled once more and said goodbye to the trainer. "Call me if you need anything else, Ash."

"Will do!" the auburn-eyed trainer stated as he placed his hand on the machine. "Alright, here goes nothing. I hope he's awake, Pikachu."

"Pika?"

"Oh right, you still don't know who I'm calling. Doesn't matter though, you'll see him in a couple of minutes," Ash said as he punched in a few digits.

The two waited patiently as a black loading icon popped up on the screen. Before long, a vague and somewhat blurry image of a man appeared in front of them.

"FORREST! Please tell Tommy and Cindy to stop fighting!" the man yelled out to the right of him. Slowly, the resolution of the screen became clearer and revealed the young man to the pair. He wasn't paying attention to the screen as he a couple of small children ran past him.

"Thanks for calling the gym, but if you want to schedule a Pokémon battle with me today, I can't. My siblings– FORREST, WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!" the man yelled and then sighed in frustration, not even looking at the pair. "Ugh, my siblings won't stop being annoying. Sorry, today isn't a good day."

"No need. I already got a gym badge from you a few years ago," Ash smirked.

As soon as he heard the familiar voice, the man turned his head quickly with a shocked expression before grinning. "Well if it isn't Ash and Pikachu. Its great to see the two of you again."

"Hey there Brock," Ash returned the grin as Pikachu waved at their longtime friend.

This was Brock Harrison – current leader of the Pewter Gym in the Kanto region, old traveling companion and mentor of Ash since the beginning of his long journey, Pokémon breeder and soon-to-be Pokémon doctor, and most importantly, the biggest pervert on the planet. He was yet another one of Ash's closest friends.

"I haven't you guys since we split up after the Lily of the Valley Conference ended," Brock noted with a warm smile. "How is your trip to the Hoenn region?"

"It was okay. Got to battle some cocky kids on the ship ride here, had to walk from Slateport City all the way to Petalburg City without Dawn shutting up about how tired she was the entire time. You know, the usual," Ash replied nonchalantly with a shrug.

The Pokémon breeder laughed at his friend's statement. "Yeah, that sounds just like any other day with you two. Speaking of Dawn, is she here with you right now?"

"Nope, its just me and Pikachu. Dawn is sleeping right now over at the May's house," the auburn-eyed trainer explained. "We were originally going to stay over here at the Petalburg City Pokémon Center, but Norman and Caroline said it was okay for us to sleep over at their house instead."

Brock nodded his head. "I haven't seen them in a long time as well. Say hi to the Maple family for me when you have a chance, Ash."

"Sure thing, Brock. Norman and Caroline really miss you and your cooking skills. And so do I," Ash laughed embarrassingly as his stomach growled at the thought of Brock's cooking. "Oh, and Max left about a week ago to start his own journey."

Brock grinned largely. "Its good to hear that Professor Birch actually trusted Max with his very own starter Pokémon. Any way, how about May? What's up with her?"

After hearing his friend's question, the Pokémon master began to tremble nervously in his seat. "N-nothing much. She's fine I guess…"

The Pewter City native frowned at the answer. Something wasn't right. "Well did she appreciate that you wanted to spend some time with her?"

Ash did not answer and kept his mouth shut, prompting Pikachu to speak up for him. "Chu pika pi."

"She was really that happy? How come you didn't just say that, Ash?" Brock narrowed his already too narrow eyes, waiting for him to explain his odd behavior.

The Pokémon trainer sighed tiredly. "Brock, I called you because I need to tell you something really important. You are one of my oldest friends and I would really appreciate your advice."

The gym leader stared hard at his friend and slowly nodded his head. "Alright Ash, I'm all ears. Go ahead."

Gathering his breath, Ash looked him directly in his eyes. "Last night at the local Hanami Festival, May kissed me."

It was dead silent in the Pokémon Center after Ash revealed the secret that had eating away his sanity for the past couple of hours. The auburn-eyed teen sat there quietly as he stared at the ground while he waited for the reaction of Brock and Pikachu. The Pokémon breeder was totally floored as his jaw dropped to the ground. That was probably the last thing he ever expected to hear out of Ash's mouth. The electric mouse shared a similar reaction. He was so surprised that his dense trainer had shared a kiss with the brunette that he fell right off of Ash's shoulder.

Brock shook his head out of shock and grinned at his best friend. "Congratulations Ash! I always knew that you learned more than just battle techniques from me! Tell me, which one of my smooth moves did you use?"

Ash's face grew extremely red from embarrassment as he began scolding his old friend. "Shut up, Brock! I didn't hit on May with one of your lame moves!"

Brock frowned with disappointment. "So what you're telling me is, that you invented your own method of picking up chicks and you've been holding out on me this entire time?!"

The trainer smacked his head hard with one of his hands in frustration. "NO. It just happened, okay?"

Suddenly, a young lady with pink hair popped out of her hiding place behind a nearby plant and stood right in front of Ash.

"You and May kissed?!" Nurse Joy squealed as she began jumping up and down. Noticing that she was starting a scene, the jolly nurse covered a hand over her giggling mouth and blushed. "S-sorry for spying on you, Ash. I was just so worried since you were acting so strange. But now I'm so happy for you!"

Ash blushed heavily as Nurse Joy bent down and wrapped the boy in a big hug, causing Brock's eyes to twinkle in hope.

"Ahem, Nurse Joy. You're looking as sexy as ever!" he exclaimed as he placed his lips on the camera, thus covering the entire screen with kissing motions.

The young woman realized that she was giving the breeder a peep show and pulled back from the hug quickly. "O-oh, Brock! I-It's nice to see you again."

Nurse Joy self-consciously pulled down on her short nursing skirt and smiled at the trainer. "I want you to tell me everything later, okay Ash?"

"Okay, Nurse Joy," the trainer nervously replied as the nurse patted him on the head.

"Good boy," she said as she waved goodbye and left Ash, Pikachu, and Brock back to their privacy.

"Nurse Joy is gone now, Brock, you can stop acting so perverted," Ash gritted out of his mouth as the breeder continued to kiss the camera. "Can we please focus on what I need to talk about now?"

"Okay, okay, sorry!" the breeder apologized after realizing how upset Ash was. "Anyway, I remember the day I joined you, May, and Max after getting attacked by all those Taillows. The moment I saw you two together was the moment I knew for sure that you and her would develop a close relationship. And I was kind of right since you two ended up becoming best friends!"

"I wish things could just be that simple again, Brock," Ash sighed as he cradled his head in hands. "The thing is, I'm really confused right now. I've never felt so confused in my entire life. May has been on my mind this entire week even before she kissed me and I have no idea why…"

Seeing his friend in such distraught was too painful for Brock and Pikachu to see. This was an issue that Ash had never faced before, and he wasn't handling it well.

"Ash, look at me," Brock commanded sternly.

The stressed raven-haired teen looked up at the videophone and stared at his friend.

"I don't want you to freak out at what I'm about to tell you, but I need you to just hear me out for a second," the breeder stated with a serious tone.

Ash nodded and waited for his old mentor to speak. "Alright, Brock."

"Okay. Ash, I believe that during the course of the past week and the time you spent at Petalburg City, you fell in love with May."

As soon as he heard those powerful binding words, Ash sprang up from his seat in disbelief. "What the hell are you talking about, Brock? I'm NOT in love with May. S-she's just my best friend and that's it!"

Just as Brock had suspected, the Pokémon trainer did not like what he had heard and was trying his hardest to deny how he truly felt. The gym leader needed to hear more of Ash's experience before jumping to any more conclusions.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down there, Ash," Brock frowned as he tried to settle down the boy. "That was only a simple thought. I want you to tell me what specifically happened the last few days. What did you do as soon as you got to Petalburg City?"

Ash took a deep breath and sat back down. "Alright. On the first day that Dawn and I arrived in front of May's house, she seemed really psyched to see me. We just talked a lot that night about our adventures, and I told May that I found out she won the Johto Grand Festival."

"May seemed really surprised at first, but then she got even more surprised when Dawn told everyone that I beat Cynthia in the Sinnoh League," he explained as he recalled that night. "She even gave me a hug and told me how proud she was of me. So we eventually fell asleep and the next day I took Dawn and May shopping at the Petalburg City PokéMall."

Brock listened intently with raised eyebrows. Since when did Ash learn to willing shop with the girls?

"Anyway, I ended up buying May a new Pokétch that she had her eyes on and I even picked out a new outfit for her that I thought looked great. We got crowded by a bunch of fans on one of the floors of the mall, so I stepped in and protected May," Ash unconscious frowned at the bad memory. "Later that night, she gave me a small peck on the cheek which really caught me off guard."

His former companion scratched his chin intently. The feeling was starting to sound mutual.

"The next day after that, we went to the newly opened Petalburg City Park and had some fun playing around in it, and later that night we had a late picnic and then watched the stars."

Brock smiled at the story. Ash was more of a romantic than he thought he was. He made a mental note to watch Ash's killer techniques with the ladies more carefully the next time he traveled with him.

"Yesterday was when it all happened," Ash mumbled as he pulled down the bill of his hat in embarrassment. "I took Dawn and May to the Beautifly Hanami Festival that was going on over at Route 104. We ate a bunch of festival food and messed around for a bit. Oh, one of the games we played was the cork gun game. I ended up winning May a Manaphy Pokédoll that she really wanted."

The Pokémon breeder chuckled softly. He remembered just how much Ash and May loved Manaphy and how much the Prince of the Sea meant to the two of them.

"Later that night after Dawn left, May and I got bombarded by bunch of crazy fans with their cameras," the trainer continued. "We managed to escape and then we rode on the Ferris wheel to watch the fireworks. And as we were riding it, t-that's when the kiss happened."

Ash finished his tale with a light blush on his cheeks. He could still feel the unreal tingle on his lips that resulted from such a modest kiss.

"Wow, I'm really impressed with you, Ash," Brock whistled as he teased his friend. "Every single thing you just told me was romantic in one way or another."

"Thanks I guess," Ash gave a half-hearted response. "But seriously Brock, I could really use some advice."

Pikachu nuzzled his trainer lovingly, sensing that the trainer had not yet cheered up. He was still feeling conflicted over the whole matter.

Brock offered a warm smile to his longtime friend. "Don't worry, Ash. My best advice I can give you is to let nature take its course and listen to your instincts."

"I already did though! They told me to ask for your help!" the trainer retorted, but the breeder's smile did not waver.

"I can see that. But let's be honest here, what would be better; avoiding May completely like you have with all your other problems in the past, or following how you actually feel and letting that be your guide?"

Ash opened his mouth before quickly snapping it back shut.

'Follow how I feel? What does that even mean?'

As Ash pondered over the meaning of the question in his head, a loud crashing sound appeared in the background of Brock's videophone.

"Damn it…" the breeder crushed under his breath as he looked to the right. "Sorry, Ash, but I have to go take care of my siblings before they somehow burn down the gym."

Noticing that he snapped the trainer out of deep though, the gym leader of Pewter City grinned even wider and said, "Just think it over, Ash. I'm sure you'll figure it out soon. It was great seeing you and Pikachu again and feel free to call whenever you want to talk."

"Great, thanks again for the advice, Brock," the auburn-eyed teen thanked his old companion before waving goodbye and switching off the videophone.

Ash slumped in his chair afterwards and stared up at the ceiling in thought. "Let my feelings… be my guide," he repeated to himself, savoring the real meaning of those words. He had a lot to think about.


May Maple was quietly laying on her bed fully dressed as she tightly clutched her half of the Terracotta Ribbon in her palm. Earlier that morning, she had woken up from her sleepless dream to the sound of loud footsteps coming from downstairs. And even more curiously, she had noticed a certain teenager with a yellow mouse walk out the front door without even getting noticed. Ash and Pikachu snuck out the house without even telling anyone.

May sighed. 'He doesn't even want to talk to me at all,' the brunette sadly said to herself.

The Top Coordinator thought back to the prior night on the Ferris wheel. Her kiss with Ash was one of the most explosive things she had ever experienced. To her, it was more fiery and magical than any one of the fireworks that burst in the sky. She just wished that Ash felt the same way.

'He was probably grossed out by the kiss,' her inner pessimist thought as she let it consume her mind. 'Ash didn't even kiss me back!'

Sighing once again, May squeezed the one object in her hand that meant everything to her and stood up, slipping it back into her pocket. She moved next to her best friend who was currently snoozing on the guest futon.

"Wake up, Dawn!" the sapphire-eyed girl yelled into the ear of the sleeping coordinator.

"Five more minutes…" the blunette managed to let out before flipping her back away from May.

Staring down at her in amusement, May knelt right beside Dawn and shook her violently. "C'mon Dawn! Wake up right now!"

The younger coordinator opened her eyes in irritation and turned towards the brunette. "What the hell is wrong with you, May!?"

May began to giggle in response at Dawn's sudden outburst, but quickly became serious again. "Please, Dawn. I need to tell you something really important that happened last night and I just can't wait any longer."

Hearing the distraught and pained voice of her best friend, Dawn sighed and agreed. "Okay, May, I'll get up now. Just never wake me up like that again. You keep ruining all my beauty sleep."

"Alright, alright," May smiled softly at her friend's expense. "Get dressed and meet me downstairs when you're finished."

Dawn sat up from her bed and stretched out her arms. "Got it."

Satisfied with how well she coerced the Sinnoh native, May quickly exited her room and closed the door behind her. She was about to have a long talk with Dawn about her situation and needed all the advice she could get. The brunette made her way down the stairs and entered the kitchen area, where her mom was currently absorbed in reading a magazine.

"Morning, Mom," May stated as she sat at the table with her mother. She noticed that there wasn't any food on the table. Her mother usually prepared a lavishing breakfast for her, especially when they had guests in their house. Something wasn't right. "Umm… Mom? Are you okay?"

Caroline snapped her head as soon as she heard her daughter's voice. She stood up from her chair and moved quickly to the coordinator.

"MAY! EXPLAIN THIS RIGHT NOW, YOUNG LADY!" the stay-at-home wife demanded as she shoved the magazine she was reading right in front of her daughter's face.

"W-what are you talking about, Mom?" the brunette boldly asked, for she was scared out of her mind at that moment.

Caroline pulled back the magazine and pointed the headline at May. It was the latest issue of Coordinators Weekly, the publishers who reported May's victory in the Johto Grand Festival before any other magazine, newspaper, or online article.

Confused and frightened by her mom's sudden explosion, May focused her eyes on the headline. Has the Princess of Hoenn found her sweet Prince, the Sinnoh League Champion?

The brunette's eyes widen as she took in a full view of the front cover of the magazine. Smacked right down the center of it was a large picture of Ash and May hugging one another at the Beautifly Hanami Festival from the other night.

"M-mom, I can explain," May nervously stated to her very upset mother, who was glaring down upon the poor girl. "Ash and I were–"

"Good morning May, good morning Caroline," Dawn interrupted the conversation as she happily skipped into the kitchen. Noticing the angry expression on Caroline's face and the frightened one on May's face, the blunette tilted her head in confusion.

"Am I interrupting something I shouldn't be hearing…?" she hesitantly asked.

May was about to answer her best friend until the stay-at-home mother moved straight to the blunette. "Dawn! Do you happen to know anything about this!?" she asked as she shoved the magazine in the girl's face.

"Huh, know what?"

Dawn grabbed the magazine and skimmed the front cover of it, her eyes widening in equal shock as May's.

"No, I don't know anything, but I want May to explain this right now!" she exclaimed as she jumped up and down in excitement. "You and Ash look so cute in this!"

Caroline and Dawn cornered May on both sides as they waited silently for her to speak.

The brunette sighed. "That picture is from last night after Dawn left Ash and I at the festival by ourselves. It was taken just after you left by a bunch of insane fans who trapped us while we gave each other a hug."

Caroline stared at her daughter before breaking into a huge smile. "May, I wasn't actually mad at you. I was got very excited when I saw the headline of this week's issue."

The Top Coordinator began blushing hard after hearing her mother. "W-why would you be excited about that?"

"Well like Dawn over here just said earlier, I think that you and Ash look super adorable hugging each other in this," Caroline grinned as she and Dawn giggled at the sight of May's heated face.

"I can't believe how fast that got published…" May grumbled to herself as her face cooled down a bit.

As the giggling from the two ladies quietly settled down, Dawn spoke up. "So May, what was the thing that was so important you needed to shake me awake? Does it have something to do with this magazine cover?"

The stay-at-home wife was confused. "Wait, what is she talking about, May? Did something bad happen last night?"

May sighed began to explain herself once again. "First just let me start off with what happened after Dawn left."

"Ash and I were flirting back and forth a little after we finished eating," the brunette stated with a small blush, causing the two women to raise their eyebrows in disbelief. "–Or at least that's what I thought Ash was doing."

"Anyway, the Beautiflies from the Petalburg Woods flew over us immediately afterwards and then Ash said something really sweet to me so I gave him a long hug. We stayed like that for a bit until a huge crowd of tourists noticed who we were and started taking pictures of us," May explained as she gestured to the magazine.

"Ash used a smoke ball and we managed to escape them, and then we ended up finding the Ferris wheel at the festival and he suggested that we go for a ride."

"Awww! That's so cute of him," Dawn gushed out. She couldn't handle how cute Ash had been lately.

"It was a very beautiful night and Nurse Joy from the downtown Pokémon Center said that there were going to be fireworks. So Ash and I watched the fireworks while we were on the Ferris wheel…" the brunette stated softly as she tried finding confidence in her voice.

"It was really cute… a-and I couldn't stop staring at Ash, s-so I reached up and I kissed him on the lips," May nervously admitted.

There. The cat was finally out of the bag and May felt great. It felt so good to get that off her chest. The girl, however, did not anticipate how her mother and other best friend would react. The two sat in their seats staring with wide eyes at the girl.

"You and Ash… kissed?" Dawn questioned, her mouth down to the ground.

May nodded softy and bit her lip. Was it really that hard to take in? She glanced at her mother, who could only blink as she continued to stare blankly at the Top Coordinator.

"Oh. My. Arceus. You kissed Ash Ketchum!" the blunette exploded in a tornado of happiness and glee. She shot up from her seat and tackled the girl in a hug. "You two are going to have the cutest babies in the whole world!"

Dawn's sudden exclamation caused May to become redder than already pissed off shiny Gyarados. "D-dawn! It was just a kiss and that's it!"

The blunette giggled as she hugged the coordinator even tighter. "Oooo I just can't believe that you shared your first kiss with the densest boy alive!"

May struggled to get out of Dawn's grip as she tried catching her breath. "Dawn…! You're squeezing me too tight!"

The Sinnoh native let out an embarrassed giggle and let go of her best friend. "Sorry, about that, May, but its still soooo cute to think about!"

After Dawn settled down, May turned to her mother, who patiently waited for her turn to speak after recovering from her, eh, shock.

"May Maple, I think you already know how I feel about this," Caroline sternly stated.

"Y-yes, mom. I'm really sorry you had to find out this way," May hung her head in shame.

"What are you talking about, sweetie?" the loving mother asked with honesty in her voice. "I'm so ecstatic that you finally have your first boyfriend!"

Not excepting such a reaction from her mother, May sprung up from her dejected state and stared incredulously at the smiling woman.

"Wait, you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad? My baby is finally dating Ash Ketchum!" Caroline exclaimed with a squeal that Dawn joined in on. 'And I won that little side bet with your father. HA!'

May shook her head quickly. "N-no! Ash and I aren't dating!"

The two ladies stopped their celebratory squealing and replaced them with confused expressions.

"Huh? You guys aren't dating, May?" Dawn asked as she cocked her head to the side. "But you and Ash kissed, right?"

The brunette looked down at the ground wistfully. "Actually, I kissed Ash, but he didn't kiss me back…"

It was dead silent in the kitchen after May revealed what really happened the night before. Caroline frowned at her daughter and broke the silence.

"What do you mean he didn't kiss you back?"

"It's exactly as it sounds. Ash didn't kiss me back," May repeated as her voice began to choke with tears. "After we left the festival, he completely stopped talking to me and wouldn't even look in my direction. And now I'm just so confused and so frustrated."

In an instant, Dawn and Caroline witnessed one of the most powerful Pokémon Coordinators on the planet who was also the winner of the Johto Grand Festival break down before their eyes.

Dawn moved back over to May and gave her a much gentler and more comforting hug. "So this is what you wanted to talk about, May?" she softly asked.

May nodded her head as she began to openly sob in her friend's arms. She was so stressed about the situation that the emotional damage finally managed to burst the dams. Caroline moved closer to her daughter and began to stroke her hair softly. The three of them sat there as they waited for May to stop crying.

In a mess of sniffles and hiccups, May finally stopped crying and relaxed.

"Thanks, you guys," May sniffled as he wiped the remaining tearstains from her face. "Ugh, I hate it when I cry."

That was a true fact. May had always believed that whenever she cried in front of others, those around her would interpret it as a sign of weakness. But Arceus be damned, it felt so good to finally express all those emotions May had been bottling up for the longest time.

"Kissing my best friend might have been the worst mistake of my life," May miserably stated after she finally calmed down. "I jeopardized our entire friendship just because I couldn't control myself."

Dawn gave her friend a comforting squeeze. "No you didn't, May. Stop thinking like that. You and I both know that Ash would never let such a small thing ruin a friendship with anyone."

"But now he's avoiding me, Dawn!" May yelled back with a mix of sniffles. "If I could, I would take back the kiss at any cost if it meant that Ash and I would just stay as friends."

Caroline rubbed her daughter's back soothingly. "Calm down, May. There's no need to lash out at Dawn. And she's right, you know. Ash is the nicest boy your father and I have ever met. We both agree that Ash cares so much about you, May. You mean more to him that just one of his friends."

May offered a sad smile to her and released her embrace with Dawn. "I know, Mom and I'm sorry Dawn. But I'm still scared because…" the brunette replied with a slightly hesitant expression. She looked her mother straight in the eyes. "Because I love him, Mom."

Caroline widened her eyes at May's reveal of how she truly felt. She never imagined that her daughter would grow up so fast before her very eyes. The stay-at-home mother wrapped her own arms around May softly.

"Oh sweetie. I know it hurts right now, but you'll be okay," Caroline stated as she attempted to keep her daughter's spirits up. "Please, May. Tell me how this all happened?"

"It happened when I started traveling in the Johto region after we split up," the brunette admitted as she began to smile. "I don't know how or why, but my feelings for Ash gradually happened."

Dawn smiled as well. It seemed like her best friend was starting to feel better. "I think it would be best if you talked with him later, May."

Caroline nodded eagerly at this proposal and agreed with the blunette. "She's right, May. You need to confront how you feel with Ash wakes up, dear."

"He already woke up, Mom," May pointed out with a frown. "He snuck off this morning to go do something. I thought it was because he didn't want to talk to me today."

"Nonsense," Caroline reassured her daughter. "He probably had a good reason to go out this morning. We never know. However, we do know that Ash won't let this little event affect your friendship, May."

The brunette slowly nodded her head and stood up from her chair. "Thanks again for the support, mom. You too, Dawn."

Both women beamed brightly at the Top Coordinator.

"You're very welcome, dear," Caroline said as she pecked her daughter on the cheek.

"Yeah, May. It was no problem at all," the blunette gave her best friend another hug.

"How about I cook us some breakfast and we can all relax for a bit?" Caroline suggested as she grabbed her cooking utensils.

"Yeah, that would be great!" the two girls simultaneously replied. It was turning out to be a less-stressful day than all three of them had previously thought.


After Caroline had cooked up a wonderful meal of bacon, bacon, and more bacon, May and Dawn decided to move into the living room area as they waited patiently for the return of the raven-haired trainer.

Well, at least Dawn was waiting patiently. May couldn't stop pacing back and forth around the living room as her anxiety took over.

"You need to learn how to relax more, May," the blunette playfully teased as she flipped through the channels of the television. "Everything is going to be fine."

The sapphire-eyed girl took a deep breath and sat down. "You're right, Dawn. I'm just blowing this way out of proportion again."

'Settle down, May or else you're going to explode!' the brunette scolded herself.

Suddenly, the doorbell of the Maple household rang causing both girls to squeak in surprise. He was finally here.

May stood up from her seat and calmly opened the door. "Hey there, Ash," she quietly stated with a soft smile. "Hi too, Pikachu."

The trainer was quite surprised to see May standing in front of the door. She never woke up this early by choice. However, the trainer returned the soft grin and said, "Good morning, May."

The mouse jumped off of Ash's shoulder and gave May a quick lick on the cheek, causing her to giggle softly. Pikachu ran down and made his way over to Dawn who was still sitting on the couch.

"Hi, Pikachu! H-hey, cut that out!" the blunette laughed as the electric mouse cuddled right next to Dawn in an effort to gain warmth.

"It was really cold this morning," the trainer smiled at the sight. "And hello to you to, Dawn."

"Huh, oh, sorry Ash," Dawn apologized as she waved to the teen. "Hey, so where did you go this morning?"

"I just had to go talk to someone down at the Pokémon Center," Ash stated as he began staring at May. He quickly leaned into the brunette's ear and whispered. "Hey May, I need to talk to you about what happened yesterday. Do you think we can go somewhere private?"

May gulped before whispering back, "Umm, sure thing, Ash. We can talk in my room."

Ash nodded and let the brunette lead him up to her room as Dawn watched the whole thing. He could have sworn that he saw the young coordinator perform a mini fist pump, but he shrugged it off and followed the girl in front of him.

May opened the door and gestured for Ash to enter her room. Ash smiled and sat down on the brunette's bed after she closed the door.

"Thanks for letting me talk with you, May," the trainer said as the girl sat right beside him.

"No problem, Ash," May forced a happy smile. On the inside, the Top Coordinator was currently freaking out. She didn't want to screw anything up further. "I also need to get something off my chest."

Ash and May sat there in awkward silence, waiting for the perfect opportunity to arise. May unconsciously reached for her half of the Terracotta Ribbon and squeezed it. It was more than just a good luck charm or a confidence booster; the ribbon represented her friendship with Ash. The Terracotta Ribbon as a whole represented the equality the two of them shared – like Yin and Yang. They balanced each other perfectly in almost every aspect, and May recognized that. She just hoped that the love of her life sitting just a few inches beside her would recognize that as well.

'Here goes nothing,' the brunette thought, the ribbon still being caressed in her palm. She opened her mouth to speak.

"I love you."

The two teenagers remained completely silent as the words cut through the tension like a knife. Those three words were just enough to shatter the suspense in the room and caused a pair of eyes to widen in complete shock.

"W-what?" May quietly asked, her voice no more than a whisper. She was not the one who spoke first.