"Daddy, when did you realise you loved Mommy?"

"A long time ago." Ash said, before looking down at his daughter with a curious look, "Why do you ask sweetheart?"

Isabelle shrugged her shoulders, "Just curious."

Ash laughed again before picking the five-year-old up and placing her softly across his lap. "I actually remember the moment when I told her for the first time. Ready for story time?"

Isabelle's eyes lit up "YAAAAAAY! Story time! Story time!"


Years Earlier


It was a late night in Petalburg. A really late night. Max had just celebrated his 18th birthday and was fortunate enough to be surrounded by his family and his friends. He was also surrounded by people he didn't know, although he suspected that they were fans of his father. That didn't stop him and everyone else from having a good time.

As the liveliness of the party decreased, so did the liveliness of the people in attendance. One person who didn't seem to notice was May, who was still enjoying the party as if it had just started.

Dancing through a sea of incapacitated people, she made her way to the kitchen. She already had a drink in her hand but the determined look on her face says she was after another one. Maybe two. Unfortunately for her, she was a little too clumsy to make a second drink and the first one fell to the ground.

At least it wasn't in a glass, she thought to herself as she poured another drink. I'd hate to see Dad's reaction.

Her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of footsteps walking down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Ash" she said as he walked in the room, "I thought you were asleep you lightweight."

Ash laughed, "I was. I just came here to get some water… and to escape Brocks snoring." The two shared a quick laugh. "Are you still drinking?"

May burped.

Ash laughed, "That's a yes."

"Want a real drink instead of that soft crap?" May smiled. "If you're a real Pokemon master say yes right now."

"Well since you put it that way, I'll say yes."

May smiled as she poured a drink for Ash. Before the drink could reach the top of the cup her smile started to falter. "Ash, have you ever felt unwanted before?"

Ash gave May a quizzical look, "Why?"

May hiccupped. "I made an application to the Pokemon Activities Committee in the hopes of maybe becoming a judge for some contests. I thought my track record speaks for itself. But instead, Contesta and whoever else was in charge wrote to me telling me that I wasn't good enough to judge for them." She stopped momentarily to hiccup again. "After all the work I put in and what I have achieved over the last ten years. And I'm not good enough for them?"

"May I-"

"It just makes me feel like after all this time I don't really matter. Like after all the travelling, the long nights, the early mornings and every battle whether it is big or small, the validation of actually winning a grand festival…just to be told that I'm not good enough to judge for them? Are you serious?"

"May it's not…"

"It's not that I even wanted to do it long term you know? It was something I wanted to try before I got back into the scene and started competing again. I wasn't even asking for money to do it either. And they have the audacity to tell me that I'm not good enough for them? What a croc. Stupid moth-"

"May I'm in love with you."

May stopped ranting immediately. There was a silent moment between the two friends. It felt like hours to them but in reality, it didn't last longer than a few seconds.

"I'm sorry I interrupted you and I know my timing could've been better," Ash said, avoiding eye contact, "But I wanted to tell you earlier and I figured now was my chance. Ever since you stopped travelling with me all those years ago, I felt at first like a little piece of me had died. At the time I thought passed it because it was like the same thing when Misty left, or when Brock left or Dawn or whoever. But whenever you'd come back into my life, I'd be so happy and it never felt that way with anybody else. As I got older it became very apparent to me what it was." He looked into Mays eyes, "All I know is that some of the best times in my life you were there and the ones that you weren't I wished you were."

May was so surprised at what she was hearing that she didn't even notice that she spilled her drink again.

"So yeah," Ash continued, "I love you May, I'm in love with you. And I have been for the past ten years."

There was another silent moment between the two.

"W-Why are you only telling me this now?" May asked before hiccupping again.

"Liquid courage, I guess." Ash said sheepishly, before taking a sip, "Plus you were ranting a bit and I wanted to shut you up."

The two laughed together easing the tension.

"Honestly Ash I don't know wh-" Before May could finish what she was saying, she promptly threw up on the kitchen floor.

"Seriously May all over my fucking feet?"


Present Day


"That's a dollar for the swear jar, daddy."

"It was good story, though right?"

"The story of how you met Pikachu was better? Tell me that one again?"

"No."


Apologies if this was rushed. I haven't wrote anything in forever and I'm a bit rusty. Good to be back.