Shippings in this chapter: Advanceshipping, Slight SapphirePearl, Contest and Pearlshipping
Rating: K+ (PG)
Chapter eight
"Garchomp and Venasaur?" I questioned Ash as I sat up from the bed and got a bowl of berries for Ash and I. "Sounds like an interesting pair."
"Well that's the plan right?" Ash asked me as he watched Munchlax followed me back to the bed.
"I guess it will do." I replied as I handed Munchlax a bowl of bulk berries as I went back to lay down with a bowl of berries for Ash and I so share. "Slow down will you now? I don't have many left Munchlax." I told my never ending eating pokemon.
"Munch!" Munchlax nodded and went back to where it normally came out of.
I continue to gaze at what was in front of my eyes and that was ceiling above me. The room consisted of two double beds place at the left and right sides of the room and in between was a television big enough for the people to watch from and a huge window with a beautiful aqua colour sea. My mind still couldn't grasp the concept that Dawn and Kenny was against Ash and I from winning the grand festival this year. After I lost the Aqua ribbon to Dawn I wasn't myself even I acted normal in front of my friends, to the fact I lost to somebody that had been a pokemon coordinator for shorter than I have was just embarrassing that I was surprised Drew or Harley didn't mock me about my lost.
I was afraid to lose to Dawn again. I was afraid that she might be the one that will make me question myself why I'm even a coordinator to begin with. I turned to my side and my face pointing towards Ash's who was also lying on his back with his hands behind his head. Looking like he was thinking as deep as I was until he turned towards my direction.
"Hey." He began. "What's the matter? You look like something is bothering you."
"I'm scared Ash." I replied. "I'm afraid that there will be a time where we will have to face Dawn and Kenny."
"You shouldn't be." Ash replied. "You're the one of the oldest coordinators here with the most experience at begin with. You shouldn't let one lost get you down. And even we lose this grand festival there's always next year." Ash added as he tried to lift my spirits.
"But that doesn't mean it will make any difference. It's the skill that makes everything happen." I replied. "I lost to Dawn before; while we battled she used moves I could never think of, combinations that I could never think could work. She is much better than I am Ash." I replied as I sat up and looked at the huge window placed in the middle of the room and behind the television. "I'm starting to lose hope of winning a grand festival at all." I sighed.
"May…" Ash added as he too sat up next to me.
"I came back here to win this year's grand festival for redemption. To find my old self that use to love contests. When I left Hoenn to come here for the first time I couldn't stop smiling. When I arrived to Sinnoh to compete in the Wallace Cup and lose to Dawn my winning streaks became rare that I can't remember the feeling of winning one." I said as I began a new topic. "But I always knew that one person back in a other region would be cheering on for me if he was here and say to never give up, but he wasn't. Even my rivals where here to help me cheer on, in the end they are my rivals, not my dearest friends I miss so much."
"So I'm not a friend but I rival eh?" Ash asked in a sad tone of voice as when I looked at him he was looking at the scene outside. "I don't see you like that May. I see you as a close friend of mine."
"You're…different." I replied. "In a way I find too hard to explain to you." I answered back.
"Ever since I lost my memories I didn't feel like facing the world anymore and wished that when I close my eyes, this would be all a bad dream." Ash replied as he looked towards me. "But, when I met you, that all changed because I had a friend like you, May. You made me change the way I felt about myself" Ash added as he soon sighed. "Even I will never be my old self at least I won't look at the world the same why I did before I met you."
"And Dawn?" I asked. "How much does she mean to you?"
"She a very close friend to me." Ash blushed and looked away from me. "But she has being acting strange around me lately and I have being having a hard time talking to her."
"You love her don't you?" I asked out of nowhere, discontinuing the flow of the conversation. My voice soon became depressed and a sound of a whisper after that.
"Love is too complicated to talk about now the grand festival is tomorrow." Ash replied as he tried to avoid my question and avoid eye contact with me.
"That's not what I mean." I replied as I looked into Ash's eyes. "The love I'm talking about is the one is where you get jealous when you see Dawn near another boy, the one where you feel happy then normal when she is near you, the one where you feel disappointed when she loses a contest, that feeling of when she hasn't come back you feel so worried that you want to look for her when you know you can't and you feel like the whole world is crumbling to pieces when she is leaving and not returning for a very long time." I replied as I repeated the words Lyra told him a few years back.
Ash's eyes got larger with shock on how I knew what Lyra had told my once as he quickly put his attention back to me. He acted like he knew that does words were meant for me and not Dawn or that he supposedly had a crush on me. Like I was acting like Lyra and this was the first time he had heard those words for the first time in his entire life. A blush quickly spread across his cheeks once more, for what reason I had no idea.
I moved closer to Ash until the sides of our bodies touched. I was wondering why Ash didn't move back and push me away or even look away, but he didn't and instead he let me rise my hand and brush my fingertips through his thick black hair as I continued to gaze into his auburn eyes. I moved my eyes until our foreheads were touching. I could still see the blush on his face. I soon moved my hand out of his hair and slowly make its way to his cheek. I felt it on how dry they were, like he cried recently. I felt water starting to build in my eyes once more.
"Why did you cry?" I asked in a very soft voice. "Tell me." I simply demanded in a soft voice.
"I…" Ash replied as he closed his eyes and held my hand which was still on his cheek. "I want my old life back. I want to stop seeing my friends so sad. It's all my fault why they are the way they are now." Ash stopped and soon continued as he opened his eyes. "But how did you know?"
"Because I cry for that same reason as well." I replied as I felt water run down my cheeks. "If only this was a dream, my life would be much happier. I could finally stop pretending." I added as more tears quietly ran past down my cheeks.
"Our life." Ash added as we both look into each other's eyes and saw a shadow puppet that was playing out fake lives.
Soon we moved out faces even closer until we both closed our eyes and felt our lips touching, our tongues meeting at times, the warmth of our bodies touching and the tears we were both felt run down our cheeks. For that moment I felt like time stopped and let us both enjoy the moment, like it finally stopped watching my dreams go pass by and gave my wish.
But it was such a short wish.
We both opened our eyes and we didn't say anything afterwards and I decided to make the first move by standing up and walking out of the room and made my way out of the pokecenter.
As I laid my back against the white cement wall outside of the pokecenter I thought of what had just happened. I looked on the neglected path on which Ash and I walked together to met with dawn and Kenny, I felt like the whole scene was happening all over again when I saw Dawn walking back to the pokecenter. Her face quickly replied with a worried state as she quickly ran towards me as my back slide down the cement wall of the poke center.
"May!" Dawn called out as she ran towards me.
I wanted to reply but my lips wouldn't call out those words and felt like I was talking to myself or that me acting like a deaf person that could only hear its own voice talking.
"Why are you acting so depressed?" She asked.
"I can't take it anymore Dawn!" I cried as I laid myself into her arms. "Let's just tell him already!"
"You know the reasons as well as I do, why we can't do that." Dawn quickly stated. Sounding like she was my mother. "Even I want to tell him but I know I can't."
I soon got myself together and wiped my tears away sat up with my back against the wall.
"At least you know about this only a few weeks ago. I have been holding this for more than two years." Dawn included.
"Dawn." I began as I felt my old self coming back. "What did happen in the accident that made Ash forget his memories?"
Dawn looked away from my and quickly stood up and made her way into the red and white building.
"Give me some time to gather my broken self and I shall tell you." Dawn spoke to me as she didn't look to me as she walked into the building leaving myself and the cold weather all alone.
"If this is a dream please wake me now." I demanded as I wished on something I knew would never happen.
"No!" A young girl screamed as I immediately woke up and saw myself facing the wall with myself lying down in bed.
Mimi who was sleeping right next to me quickly got up and ran to the girl's aid. I quietly turned my body so I could face to where I heard the scream. I covered most of my face using the blanket that was keeping my warm with only my eyes could be only seen so that I could make the people believe I was still asleep.
"What's wrong?" Mimi asked the young girl which soon turned out to be Dawn.
"I had a nightmare of Ash's accident." Dawn replied as I could hear her breathing heavily.
"Again?" Mimi asked.
"No." Dawn quickly stated. "I haven't had a nightmare like that since Ash's accident." Dawn added as she placed her hand on her forehead. "I must have dreamt it again when May asked about the accident."
"You know she has the right to know, I mean she is his friend." Mimi responded.
"I know but I can't tell her yet." Dawn answered back as she turned her attention towards Mimi. "She won't forgive me if I told her. I don't want to lose another friend."
I continue to lie on the bed with half my face covered with sheets as a thought how bad the accident must have been that it will end up me hating her. Even I was afraid of battling her, I could never hate her. I mean an accident is a accident.
Or was it?
I quickly shook my head to get such thoughts out of my head. I had to focus on the grand festival and how Ash and I could through the appeals. As my thoughts mention the word Ash my focus on passing the appeals quickly went to the kiss Ash and I had earlier. I asked myself why I did that or why Ash didn't do anything to stop that kiss.
I was worried that event could cost us passing the appeals as my thoughts went back on what I was supposed to be focusing on. If I knew Ash well enough he would be having a hard time sleeping now or tomorrow we would have a hard time talking. Before I could read Ash like a book but now if I could read Ash now the words would be burled out and I would be having a hard time reading it.
My best decision was to sleep all my thoughts and see what tomorrow was going to throw at me. I also decided that I should just stop worrying about telling Ash about who I am in his life and just enjoy the moments I had with him.
After all, I wasn't just the only one who wants to tell somebody about a long lost hidden secret.
"Welcome to another fantastic grand festival!" Vivian cheered as the crowd cheered making us all in the backstage nervous. "Are you ready to see another unbelievable grand festival?" Vivian asked the crowd in a loud voice.
"Yeah!" The crowd cheered in their loudest voices.
"I forgot how noisy a grand festival can be." I sighed.
"Second." Drew added.
Drew and I were waiting for our partners to arrive. Even Dawn and Kenny hadn't shown up yet. I was worried about that if Ash didn't come soon I wouldn't even make a appeal.
"You nervous?" Drew asked me.
"You?" I questioned Drew.
"No." Drew quickly declared.
"Typical." I muttered as I glanced over to the hallway and saw Dawn and Kenny with Harley behind them running towards us.
Dawn had a really elegant ballroom dress as it was a much different change to her pink contest dress. She had a yellow dress with an orange belt wrapped around her waist. The bottom half of her dress started to separate as white dress underneath could be seen. Her hair was placed much higher as her ponytail was curly instead of straight. Dawn's partner, Kenny was wearing a cape and what seems to be a suit you would normally wear if you going Toro, Toro to a Tauros as he had dark green suit with yellow shoulder parts placed on his shoulders with a black belt to finish the whole outfit.
"Where's Ash?" Kenny asked the group.
"We thought he was with you guys." Drew replied. "Well this is his first grand festival. He must of acted like a Torchic and run off."
"Ash isn't a person that runs away from his dreams!" Dawn complained. "You know ash longer than I have. You should know that."
"Dawn." Drew began. "Yes I knew him longer than you and Kenny have but that doesn't mean I know him very well."
"Hmph!" Dawn simply replied in an annoyed tone.
"Now let's welcome Dawn and Kenny to the stage that comes from Twinleaf town in Sinnoh!" Vivian applauded.
"That's us!" Kenny praised in a confident manner. "Let's go Dee Dee!" Kenny added as he ran towards the entrance.
"That's really starting to get old!" Dawn complained as she tagged behind Kenny as they both ran into the stage ready to make their appeal to the judges.
I watched as the two used their pokemon. Dawn was using her Empoleon as Kenny was using his Floatzel as both did outstanding combinations. I was watching until somebody tapped me on the shoulder.
"Here, Have this." Drew said as he gave me a red rose with no thorns. I was surprised that Drew had given me a rose once again.
"You haven't given me a rose in a long time." I replied.
"Is it too late to start?" Drew asked.
"No." I smiled.
"Anyway you should look for Ash. I want to battle against you in the finals." Drew demanded.
"Don't worry you will." I replied in a determined tone of voice as I placed the rose behind my right ear as I soon was about to run out of the hallway to find Ash when I nearly forgot to say something to Drew.
"Good luck!" I cheered as I waved my hands into the air to gain their attention.
Both of them looked shocked since they both knew as much as I did that I had never cheered them up before the appeals.
"You never said that to me before." Drew replied as he started a new conversation between us.
"Is it too late to start?" I asked as I repeated the same words Drew had just told me earlier.
"No." He smiled as I smiled back and went in search for Ash.
I ran down the halls and checked every room I ran pass as I saw a small corner television in one of the rooms and saw other coordinators making their appeals. I was sure that Drew and Harley was going to make their own appeals soon which made me even more determined to find Ash, wherever he was. I was glad this time Ash and I where one of the last coordinators to make out appeals. I soon found myself out of the contest complex and looked to my right and left where Ash could be. I couldn't remember the last time I was so annoyed with Ash showing up late.
"Ash Ketchum you better show you face here soon!" I yelled hoping that would make Ash appear out of nowhere.
Soon I heard footsteps coming towards the complex. Soon I saw the person I was after and was shocked to find Pikachu on his shoulder. He was wearing his costume with Pikachu with a cute little yellow bow tie around his neck.
"I didn't know you had such a loud voice." Ash replied as held his ear showing that he heard my loud call of his name.
"Why do you have your Pikachu with you?" I asked in shock.
"I decided maybe I should bring him with me. I want him to be in the grand festival this year." Ash replied back.
"But I thought you two didn't get along." I asked once more.
"Well that's what I thought when I asked Professor Oak back in Pallet town but he said that Pikachu missed me a lot." Ash said back to me as he patted Pikachu in the head. "Right buddy?" Ash smiled.
"Pika!" Pikachu smiled.
"Anyway what happened about last night…" Ash responded. "Sorry." Ash apologized.
"It's all right." I smiled. "But right now we have to hurry to make out appeals or we won't get in!" I panicked as I grabbed Ash's hand and made him run with me back into the contest complex.
"Slow down!" Ash called out but I had to ignore it since I really wanted to get into the appeals.
"No time!" I soon responded as I saw Drew and Harley walk out of the stage showing me that they had finished their appeal. Ash and I heard Vivian call out names onto the stage and she acted like she was about to call us off the list of showing our appeals. Soon she turned towards the entrance and saw Ash and I running onto the stage.
"Well let's welcome our last two coordinators to show us their wonderful moves!" Vivian started. "May Maple and Ash Ketchum!"
"Okay time to shine Inferna…" Ash started but was interrupted when Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder and on to the stage.
"Guess it's time to depend on luck." I whispered to myself. "Delcatty take the stage!" I called out as my pokemon was released from its pokeball.
"Now what?" Ash whispered to me as the Solidad and her crew of judges and Vivian and the crowd waited for us to make a move.
"I will just use Assist and you use one of Pikachu's moves that will go good with it." I whispered back.
"You rely on luck too much." Ash replied.
"Like we have a better plan." I whispered back. "Now Delcatty, use assist!" I called out.
"Delcatty!" my prim pokemon called out as it summoned rain onto the field.
"Thunder Pikachu!" Ash called out in a slight worried tone. Acting like he didn't know what he was doing.
"Use shadow ball into the thunder!" I called out to Delcatty.
Both pokemon followed our orders and as soon thunder hit Delcatty's shadow ball and soon broke into a huge fire work display. The crowd cheered on how much they seem to like the display but we knew we had to wrap up the appeal soon.
"Run around in a circle while using volt tackle!" Ash called out.
"Assist Delcatty!" I called out as I was relying on luck once more. Soon Delcatty used Silver wind right into Pikachu's volt tackle tornado making it slowly turn smaller and as soon it was gone small sparkles floated in the air showing Delcatty's and Pikachu's beauty and power.
"All right!" Ash and I both cheered as we both high fived each other. In my excitement I went to embrace Ash but was interrupted when we heard the crowd cheer on how much they loved our appeal.
"What combinations!" Vivian praised. "Now to our judges!" Vivian added on as she pointed towards the panel of judges.
"Remarkable." One of the judges commented.
"A beautiful display of electric moves and luck." Nurse joy complimented
"I haven't seen such combinations like that. Relying on luck shows how much you trust each and how big your friendship is to each other. Fantastic job." Solidad praised as she stood up and clapped and soon the other judges and the crowd applauded the two of us.
"Thank you!" Ash and I said simultaneously as we waved our hands into the air with huge smiles on our faces.
As I waved to the crowd on how glad everybody liked Ash's and I appeal I thought to myself on what Solidad told the both of us.
"…shows how much you trust each and how big your friendship is to each other..."
I never thought for one second before that what Solidad was true. I never thought that while hiding my true self to Ash that we were starting to trust each other and start a new bond of friendship between us.
"Maybe starting all over isn't all bad." I thought to myself as Ash and I walked off the stage to join the others.
End of chapter.
Author's notes
Thought it was time to say a few things, anyway i wanna thank all the people that bother to review this fic. it fels nice when people review fics. makes me feel happeh! = ) anway big big big advanceshipping moment, and a very sweet contestshipping one, which would have to be my fan moments thus far.
Nothing much else to say really other than this is the first time im writing on contest moves so if you got a few combos to suggest please feel free to say some and also this is the first time im writing about Kenny so if im making him to OOC please say so.
Anyway thats all from me. ^^
~midnight
