A/N: Please read author's note at the end. Thank you and enjoy!
How to Change a Life
The next two days involved much of the same. The gang would wake up, eat breakfast, talk for a while, and shower. And at some point, Professor Birch would show up with Mightyena and her cubs. They would sit and talk for a few hours before he would take his leave, leaving the others alone in the hospital room.
They would pass the time with games and conversation. Some of the board games were already becoming stale, but they really didn't have much else to do. Though, there were many different games that they could play with cards, which was nice as it kept things fresh.
The only thing different was on the fourth day, when the doctor entered the room for what everyone assumed to be Ash's 'physical therapy', if you could even call it that anymore; at this point, it was really just Ash walking normally from one position to another.
As the doctor entered the room, Ash swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up easily. "Hey, doc! We gonna do some walking?"
Ash and the others were very surprised when Doctor Miller put his hand up and shook his head. "Not today, Ash. In fact, I think it's safe to say that we're done with your physical therapy."
This news made everyone break into smiles. Ash now felt as if he was almost completely back to 100% and hearing that he no longer had to do physical therapy meant that the doctors agreed that he was almost back to normal.
"That's great news! But if you're not here for physical therapy, then why are you here?" May questioned. Sure, doctors would come in semi-frequently just to check on things, but Doctor Miller almost never came in unless he was going to have Ash do physical therapy.
The doctor couldn't hide the smile that was growing on his face. "Well, I have some good news..."
After hearing this the people in the room pokemon included, became eager to hear what the man had to say. Though, he seemed to be tormenting them by not yet telling them what the news was. Even if it was jut a few seconds, Ash became incredibly impatient.
"Well? What is it, doc?" Ash spoke, his impatience and excitement evident in his voice. The others were feeling impatient as well, so they were glad that Ash had said something.
"Sorry, I was just trying to build a bit of suspense." Doctor Miller revealed before continuing. "Well... myself and the other doctors we have working on you have agreed that we feel comfortable with you leaving the hospital earlier than we originally planned."
The joy in everyone was hardly contained as the happiness they felt showed clearly on their faces. Ash, May and the pokemon even voice their happiness at the news with a chorus of 'Yeah'!' and 'Alright's!'.
"So, when will Ash be able to leave." Brock questioned, wanting to know exactly how early they would be able to get out of this place. The hospital and its staff had been good to them but it was still just that. A hospital. And no one wanted to stay in one for a long period of time.
"I feel comfortable enough to let Ash leave tomorrow morning. There's a bit of paperwork that can be taken care of tonight so that you guys can leave first thing in the morning." Doctor Miller told the group happily.
Doctor Miller was still amazed that this man had managed to survive. And now, Ash was going to get out of the hospital. His story would surely be one that himself, nor the other doctors who worked on him, would ever forget.
"Alright! This is great news! Right buddy?" Ash question his first pokemon, Pikachu.
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed as he jumped into Ash's arms, causing him to laugh and the others watching to smile.
"Even though we're letting you out early, I still want you to take it easy for another 3-5 days. I know that you have plans to start a journey, but I want you to hold off on that for a few more days so that you can recover completely." Doctor Miller explained to the boy. He was expecting a groan of disappointment but instead, all he received was a joyous smile.
"Sounds good, doc. May said we could stay at her place for a few days so I can get back to one hundred percent." Ash then turned his gaze to May. "And I'm super excited to see where you live. Even more so to meet your parents!"
May was overjoyed at how much Ash wanted to see her home and meet her parents as it showed how much interest he had in her. She nodded her head at the raven haired trainer.
"It's gonna be a lot of fun! And my parents are going to love you, there's no way they won't!" May exclaimed. Her words seemed to make Ash even more excited.
"Well, that's all I wanted to say. I'll be taking my leave now. And please try and find me before you leave. I'd like to see you off." Doctor Miller asked of the group, earning nods of agreement from them all.
"Thank you, doctor. We really appreciate all you've done for my Ash, and us as well." Delia said to the man, whom nodded his head in acknowledgement and appreciation.
"It was truly my pleasure. I'll have someone swing by in a bit to drop off the discharge papers so that Ash can sign some things and they can be taken care of tonight. I'll see you all soon." With that said, Doctor Miller took his leave.
"Oh man, I'm so happy that I finally get to leave this place!" Ash exclaimed, still feeling the excitement from when it was first revealed that he could leave tomorrow morning.
"You and me both. We've been in this hospital for far too long." May added, causing everyone to laugh and nod their heads in agreement. While they were all happy to stay by Ash's side, they still didn't like the fact that it had to be in a hospital.
"And I really am excited to hang out at May's house for a while." Ash said again before turning his attention to the other man in the room. "Aren't you, Brock?"
The older man nodded his head while smiling. "Definitely! Very much so. I'm very eager to see what a combination house/gym looks like."
May laughed at the man's words. "It's really not all that special, so don't get your hopes up too high. But we are going to have a great time. I'll show you around Petalburgh, we can hang out and just have a good time!"
"That sound great to me, May." Ash told the girl as they shared a smile.
It was then May remembered something that made her groan in annoyance. Seeing this, the others waited for her to explain herself. May met Ash's gaze before speaking.
"I totally forgot about my brother..." May stated cryptically.
"Oh yeah. Didn't you say he was a fan of mine?" Ash inquired as he though he remembered May telling him that sometime earlier.
May nodded her head in the affirmative. "Yes he is. And I feel I need to warn you, he can be a little... much. Especially since you're a successful trainer. He's going to absolutely bombard you with questions and comments about battling."
Ash couldn't seem to find where the problem was. "Okay...I'm happy to talk about battling. I do love it after all!"
"Let's just see how much you love talking to my brother about it." May responded. No one ever believe just how annoying Max could be, but she fully expected Ash to be one of those who would find out first hand.
It was at this time that Professor Birch made his arrival. He could feel that the air in the room seemed very light, and was curious as to what'd happened to make it this way.
"What's got you guys so happy?' Professor Birch asked, causing everyone to realize that he was there. They all said their greetings before acknowledging his question.
"The doctor just came in and he told us that Ash will be discharged tomorrow morning. He's getting out earlier than expected!" Brock told the man, who smiled at the revelation.
"That's great news! I'm glad to see that you're healthy enough to leave the hospital." The professor said while looking at Ash, who nodded at his words.
"I am too! Though, the doctor said I still have to take it easy for a few more days and can't start my journey right away. But that's fine since we're going to be staying at May's house for that time." Ash told the man.
As he took in the young man's words, Professor Birch got an idea. "I'd be happy to drive you all there. It's just in Petalburgh after all. Plus, that's quite a long walk for someone who is just getting out of the hospital."
While Ash was completely confident that he could handle the walk with relative ease, he still accepted the professor's offer.
Ash nodded his head at the older man before responding. "That'd be great, Professor. Thank you."
With the mention of travel, Brock began to think of how Delia was going to get back home. He turned to the woman in order to speak to her, which everyone noticed.
"Hey Delia? How are you planning on getting back to Kanto?" Brock questioned the young mother.
"I think I'm going to be taking a ferry out of Slateport City. I know we flew here but I don't really like flying and the tickets are quite expensive. Plus, there's barely any flights anyway. We were lucky to get one when we did." Delia told the man, though everyone heard what she'd said.
"But mom, how are you going to get to Slateport City. That's a pretty far walk. If money is the problem, you can take some of my tournament winnings." Ash offered to his mother. He'd received a sizable amount of money for winning the Kanto pokemon league, so paying for a flight wouldn't be a problem.
Delia simply shook her head at her son. "No Ash, that's your money. You earned it. Plus, that's not really the issue. I would just much prefer taking a ferry. Flying on planes always makes me uneasy."
"If I may interject, I'd be more than happy to drive you to Slateport." Professor Birch interrupted.
Delia, along with the others, were surprised by the offer. "Oh, no that's quite alright. I appreciate the offer, but I couldn't ask you to do that."
"I insist. It's not too long a drive. I can take you straight from Petalburg after dropping the others off at May's house." Professor Birch explained. The drive definitely wouldn't be short, but Birch really didn't mind driving, especially since it was to help out a new friend.
Delia was about to politely decline the offer once again before she decided it would be best just to accept it. The walk to Slateport City would take quite a while, and she did need to get back to her garden, as well as Mimey, who was looking after things at home.
"Thank you, Adam. I'd really appreciate that." Delia spoke kindly to the man, whom smiled and nodded his head in response before explaining once again that it was no big deal.
Again, Professor Birch stayed for a few hours and talked with the gang for what would be the last time in this setting. They even took to playing a few card games.
Somewhere during the day, a nurse stopped by and dropped off some papers that Ash would have to fill out, which he happily did immediately. These were the papers that would grant his freedom from this place, and he couldn't be more excited to get them finished.
The professor stayed for quite a while on this day as it was to be the last that everyone would be here together. It was dark out before Professor Birch and the Mightyena, along her cubs, took their leave.
The rest of the day was a lot like the others, with nothing but conversation and games to pass the time. Though because they knew that this was their last day in the hospital, the games seemed a little more fun and the jokes, a little more funny.
For the first time in a while, the day seemed to fly by. Before anyone knew it, the sun had gone down and it was getting very late. No one even noticed the time until the clock struck midnight. As if on cue, when they all realized the time, Brock let out a yawn.
They all decided to get ready for bed, which never took long. Brock and Delia, like normal, were the first to fall asleep. They were out even before May and Ash had fully settled in for bed.
It wasn't too long after the others were asleep that May and Ash were finally in their respective sleeping spots.
"It's kind of hard to believe that it's your last night in the hospital. I mean, it's been almost two weeks since we first brought you here." May said to Ash.
"Yeah...it's feels like forever since everything went down. Since I...went down." Ash joked, causing May to laugh uncontrollably at the stupid joke. Now that Ash was almost completely back to normal, jokes about the accident were much funnier.
Once May recovered from her fit of laughter, the two sat in silence for a few moments.
"But in all seriousness, it is pretty insane that we've all been here for almost two weeks. Even if I was unconscious for a lot of it." Ash started. "But I can't even imagine having to be sentient in a hospital for two weeks. I really appreciate what you guys did for me by staying by my side."
May smiled sweetly at the man in front of her. "Of course, Ash. We all care about you, and that's what you do for people you care about. Plus like I've said a million times, you saved my life and the least I can do is stay by your side. And believe it or not, I really enjoyed my time here...after you were awake that is. Before that, it was more stressful and terrifying than anything. But this past week, we've really gotten to know each other, and it was easily one of the best weeks of my life."
Both Ash and May blushed slightly at the brunette's words. Ash, in embarrassment over the praise, and May because of her boldness.
"I'm with you there, May. This week has definitely been one of the best of my life as well, and I have you to thank for that. Despite everything, I'm really happy that I'm here. That I got to meet you. It's so crazy to think that if even just one thing had been different, we might've never met." After Ash spoke, he began pondering things that potentially could've caused them to miss each other and never meet at all.
"Had I arrived a day later or a day before. If I decided not to go to Professor Birch's lab before I started my journey. Had you started your journey earlier or later...All of these things could've meant us never meeting one another." Ash finished, very happy with how everything had fallen into place that'd allowed them to meet.
May felt a great amount of fear well up inside of her when she thought about having never gotten to meet Ash. Especially since she'd actually had every intention of leaving a day earlier than she did, only to have her parents convince her to stay one more day. She would definitely have to thank them for that at some point...
"I'm just so happy that it all worked out in the end." May said to the man in front of her, a genuine smile on her face.
"Me too. I wouldn't change a thing about what happened that day." Ash spoke sincerely.
May chuckled momentarily before raising an eyebrow. "Even the part where you fell off of a cliff?"
Despite her teasing tone of voice, Ash remained serious, but still held a softness in his expression as well.
"If it meant I wouldn't get to meet you, then no. I would go through that a million times over because it was a result of me helping out the person who would end up becoming one of my best friends." Ash spoke with conviction, conveying just how sincere he was being.
May inaudibly gasped at Ash words as she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Hearing how much he cared for her always made her heart beat madly and fill up with absolute joy, and this time was no different. Before she met Ash, May never knew she could even feel things like this. She was incredibly happy to be so cared for, so appreciated for simply being herself. Ash really did know how to make a girl feel special.
May wiped the tears out of her eyes before she giggled. "You really are something else, you know that?"
"Funny...I was about to say the same thing about you." Ash responded, a sweet smile on his face.
That was it for May. She really couldn't control herself anymore. She quickly stood from her chair and hopped on the bed before taking Ash into her embrace. The hug was much like when he'd first woken up, with May straddling the man's waist and holding on tightly, her head buried into his chest.
May had moved so quickly that Ash was actually surprised. Though, it didn't take long for him to get over the momentary shock and hug the brunette back. He definitely didn't hug his other friends this much, but he could very much see himself getting used to doing so with May.
May refused to budge for minutes, not that Ash minded. He simply took to running a hand up and down her back, and also sometimes running his hand down the back of her head, feeling the softness of her hair.
It was almost 3 minutes later before anything changed. Ash pulled back just slightly, still holding onto the woman, to look at her face. He'd thought he heard her breathing pattern change and when he looked at her expression, it was clear to see why.
She'd fallen asleep.
Ash couldn't help but chuckle at the situation as he thought to himself. "Well...she did say she was only comfortable sleeping here when she was near me. I guess she got a little too comfortable this time."
Ash didn't want to wake the brunette up, but he also wasn't going to allow them to sleep like this; it would be much to awkward. As quickly devised how he was to move around, all the while making sure May didn't wake up. Obviously, it wouldn't be the biggest deal in the world if May woke up, but Ash wanted to allow her to sleep.
Because he was feeling almost 100% better, Ash decided that he'd allow May to take the hospital bed for their final night. His mother had always raised him that in situations where there weren't enough beds for everyone, he should always offer it up to others, and this was something he always did happily.
Moving smoothly, Ash lifted May from the side and slide out from under her. Once he'd gotten himself off the bed, he looked to make sure that May hadn't woken up. He was happy to see that she seemed to still be in dreamland. Had she woken up, there would've been no way that she would've let him sleep anywhere but in the bed.
Content with the outcome, Ash took a seat on the chair that May would've been sleeping in. He was beginning to feel the exhaustion of the day catch up to him, and he felt more than ready to go to sleep. Before he placed his head down on the bed, he reached out and grabbed May's hand as she had with his so many times before.
Ash only had one thought on his mind before sleep finally claimed him.
"She was right. This is comfortable."
May's eyes fluttered open for what would be the final time in this hospital. She found herself leaving the state between being asleep and awake much faster than she had the past two weeks. When she finally opened her eyes, she felt rejuvenated, like she'd gotten the best sleep she'd had in a while.
Though her eyes opening also caused a question to pop into her head. Why was she looking at the ceiling?
No matter how good she felt, her mind was still in the process of waking up, which was aiding her confusion. May then realized that she was laying horizontally, and her head was lifted on a pillow. And what she was laying on was much too comfortable to be one of the cots...
It was a few seconds before May realized that she was sleeping on a bed. A real bed. And the only real bed in the room was the one Ash was supposed to be in.
Still feeling confused, May looked to her right, seeing Ash slouched over in the chair she was supposed to be sleeping in, still sleeping peacefully. Her gaze then shifted to where their hands were interconnected, which caused her to smile.
As she continued waking up, she started to remember the events of the night before that'd led her to this point. She remembered becoming overcome with emotion and embracing Ash in a deep hug, even letting a few tears out whilst doing so. She reveled in the things she felt the night before, just the thought alone bringing back the complete joy and comfort that'd totally encompassed her.
May then realized that she must've fallen asleep in Ash's embrace and he had moved so that she could take the bed.
May was slightly upset with Ash and considered scolding him when he awoke due to what he'd done. But in reality, she was touched that Ash was willing to give up his bed, his hospital bed for her. Just the thought made her warm inside. She couldn't bring herself to actually be upset about this
"Ash really is too nice for his own good..." May thought to herself. If she'd been awake, there would've been no way she would've allowed Ash to sleep anywhere but on the bed he was assigned to.
"He sure is stubborn..." May turned her gaze from Ash to look at Brock, the source of the voice. She also noticed Delia was standing beside the man. It appeared that the two had been a wake for a while.
"Even when it's a hospital bed, he won't ever let someone sleep anywhere but the best spot if he can help it." Brock continued, smiling at his friends nature.
"That's probably my fault." Delia started, sighing at her son while also being very proud of him. "I'm the one that taught him to always give up the bed if there weren't enough for everyone. I just thought he would know that he didn't have to do that when he was in the hospital..."
The young mother's words caused everyone to laugh. It seemed that Ash took his mother's teaching a little too close to heart.
"I know that you didn't let him have the bed. So how did this come about?" Brock inquired. From what Brock could tell, May was just a stubborn as Ash and there was no way she would've allowed him to sleep anywhere but the bed, even if he was feeling almost 100% again.
May blushed bright red at the question. She hadn't really expected them to ask, so she hadn't even thought of a formidable response. She really didn't want to reveal the truth as it was a bit embarrassing, but she couldn't think of anything to say.
Quickly, she formulated a response. "I-I...must've fallen asleep and he just decided to pick me up and switch places with me. You know how Ash is...when he gets something in his head, there's no stopping him."
May hoped this response was good enough. Her statement about Ash was true, and it could've made sense, she hoped. The only problem was the massive blush that refused to leave her face.
Luckily for May, even though both Brock and Delia could see her flushed face and could easily tell she wasn't giving them the real story, they decided to just let it go. The circumstance really didn't matter all that much anyway. Though based on her reaction, they assumed it must've been something personal and a bit embarrassing.
Brock smiled at the girl, pretending to accept the story while Delia giggled, letting it known that she knew May wasn't telling the truth, but was letting it go for her sake. It was more fun for the woman to make up what might've happened in her head anyway...
It was at this time that Ash began to stir awake. The others had made sure not to talk too loud, so Ash was more than likely awakening simply due to his internal clock.
Ash found himself waking up much quicker than he had on the other days as he knew this would be the last morning he would have to spend here. When he awoke completely, he took notice of May, Brock and his mother all awake in front of him, the former giving him an angry look.
"Ash Ketchum, why did you make me sleep in the hospital bed?!" May started, deciding she was going to scold the man. "You know you need the rest more than I do!"
May wasn't actually angry, she just wanted to let him know that what he did really wasn't necessary. Though, she really couldn't help but appreciate what he did for her...
Ash smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, May. I just thought since it was our last night here, you should be extra comfortable. You know, have a night where you could get a perfect nights sleep."
The anger, which May was forcing on her face anyway, faded immediately after Ash finished speaking; she did feel incredibly well rested. Instead, it was replaced by a warm smile. May then giggled and shook her head.
"You really are stubborn, you know that, right?" May teased, causing Ash to chuckle.
"I thought we already established this. We both are." Ash retorted, causing both parties to laugh once more.
"Thanks, Ash." May told the man in front of her, who responded with a toothless smile and a nod of the head.
"Well Ash, are you ready to get out of here?" Brock questioned his friend, who beamed at the question.
"Hell yeah! Finally, I get to spread my wings a little." Ash's enthusiasm seemed a bit over the top to the three others in the room, and Ash realized this. "What? You guys know how much I hate staying in one place for too long."
"Trust me, we know." Delia said back to her son, causing them all to share another laugh.
"Okay, so what's the plan?" May questioned. There were a few things they had to do before they would leave the hospital, so she was curious as to where they would start.
Hearing May's questions, Brock decided to come up with a plan on the spot. "Well...before we leave we should call Professor Birch and see if he wants us to walk to his house, or if he'll just pick us up. We also have to find Doctor Miller and say our goodbyes."
Everyone nodded their heads, accepting the plan. With that being said, everyone stood up and gathered their things. Now that it was finally time to leave, it was crazy for them to think that this hospital had been their home for nearly two weeks. And while the stay bring about a good amount of positive moments, they all hoped they'd never have to be back in the hospital again.
"Do you have everything?" Delia made sure to questioned the younger members of the group, her motherly side showing through.
Delia earned words of affirmation from Brock and May, but Ash had something else he'd forgotten to do.
"Oh, before we leave I want to change out of these shorts. I'll be right back, I'm gonna go into the bathroom and put my traveling pants on." Ash told the group as he entered the bathroom and closed the door. It wasn't even 30 seconds before Ash returned, redressed in his preferred traveling attire.
"Alright, let's head out." Ash spoke jovially, causing everyone to start their march out of the room.
Though after taking just a few steps out the door of the room, the four people and the two pokemon came across the man they were looking for, Doctor Miller.
"Oh, perfect! I had a bit of a break, so I decided to come say my goodbyes now; I'm going to be pretty swamped the rest of the day." Doctor Miller explained.
"We were just about to come looking for you. Good thing we caught each other." Delia said to the man, earning a nod of the head in response.
Doctor Miller locked eyes with Ash and shot out his hand for a shake. Seeing this, Ash took it happily and did just that.
"Ash, your case is one of the craziest things I've witnessed in all of my 25 years in medicine. But even though I don't know how it happened, I'm very glad that everything worked out for you in the end. It was an honor and a privilege to work on a man like yourself." Doctor Miller spoke kindly, causing Ash, along with the others, to smile with gratitude.
"Doc, thank you for helping to save my life. Miracle or not, I'm confident that I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for you and your team of doctors and nurses. I appreciate all you did for me, as well as my friends and family who were with me. You made this stay comfortable for all of us." Ash responded with great appreciation evident in his voice.
The two had long since stopped shaking hands when Doctor Miller addressed the rest of the group. "You all are very good people, staying with him through his difficult time. I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of you. I'm happy I was able to help you all." The doctor said earning more smiles and words of thanks from the others.
Withe everything said and done, Doctor Miller was going to take his leave. But not before he said one last thing.
"Goodbye." Doctor Miller addressed them as a whole before focusing in solely on Ash. "And please...don't come back."
Everyone laughed at the doctor's joke.
"I certainly hope I won't have to. Goodbye, doc." Ash stated, giving the man another handshake.
Though as the doctor began walking off, he remembered a question he had to ask him. "Doc wait!" Doctor Miller stopped his stride and turned around. "What about the stitches in my back?"
the doctor simply smiled before responding. "They're dissolvable. There's no need to physically remove them. They should be gone in a week or two."
Ash nodded his head, accepting the doctor's words before he walked off, turning a corner and leaving their line of sight.
With Doctor Miller gone, Ash turned back around, ready to get a move on. "Alright. Let's go give Professor Birch a call and get out of here!"
No one responded with words, instead they all simply walked until they were back in the waiting room. Once they arrived, Brock turned to address the group.
"I'll go call Professor Birch. You three make sure there's nothing else we have to do before we leave at the front desk." Brock told his three friends, earning nods of acceptance.
Delia, May, Ash and the two pokemon did as Brock had said and made their way to what would be considered the lonny; the area that housed the doors to both the general unit and the intensive care unit.
Before anyone could begin to move toward the desk to talk to a receptionist, they were stopped as a woman in scrubs blocked their path.
Both Delia and May immediately recognized the woman, but Ash had no idea who this person was in front of him. She was a very pretty blonde girl, with blue eyes and a semi-short build and Ash assumed she was more than likely a nurse as the color of her scrubs matched that of the other nurses he'd seen around the hospital. And as much as May hated to admit it, this woman looked good, even in scrubs.
Despite the woman being in front of all three members of their group, she was only looking at Ash. May's felt a pang of jealousy flow through her body as she recognized the woman as the nurse who'd asked about Ash's age awhile back. Delia simply watched the scene, curious as to see how it would unfold.
"Ah, Mr. Ketchum, it's so wonderful to see you up and moving around! Are you leaving already?" The woman spoke politely.
Ash, trying to be polite, responded kindly. "Um, yes we are about to leave. And please, just call me Ash. And excuse me if this is rude but, do I know you?"
The nurse's smile became brighter as she took in Ash's words. "Oh I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm one of the nurses who helped out with you during the week you were unconscious. My name is Bella."
Now that he had an idea as to who this person was, Ash let a genuine smile cross his face. "Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you, Bella. And thank you for helping me out while I was comatose."
"No thanks are necessary, Ash. I was just doing my job." Bella spoke very sweetly.
May's jealousy was becoming greater by the second, though she was doing well to hide it. She knew an outburst would surely raise questions from Ash, and she didn't want that. Delia simply continued watching the scene, still very much curious as to what was going to happen.
"So, is there something I can help you with? We were just heading up to the front desk to see if there was anything else we need to do before I can leave." Ash explained to the woman, hoping to not offend her in any way.
Luckily for him, the smile never left her face, indicating she took no offense to what he'd said whatsoever.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry for bothering you. In all honesty, I just...wanted to meet you, and shake your hand. I mean, you beat some pretty incredible odds. Plus, I heard that you actually won a pokemon league. I've never met anyone who's accomplished something like that, and I think that's so cool!" Bella spoke excitedly, though with a bit of timidness in her voice as her face went just slightly pink.
Ash smiled brightly at the woman's kind words. "You're not bothering us at all, so don't even worry about it. I was just wondering if there was anything that we could help you with. But thank you, I really appreciate your kind words, and I'd be happy to shake your hand. You did help me out while I was here, after all. I owe my life to you and the other nurses and doctors who helped me these past couple of weeks."
With that said, Ash stuck out his hand, which Bella grasped with both hands to shake. It wasn't long before the woman pulled away, her face very red for some reason.
Quickly, Bella looked at Ash, though not at his eyes, and spoke quickly before rushing of. "Um...T-Thank you. Have a good rest of your day."
Delia and May watched in confusion as the woman rushed hurriedly out of sight. They then brought their eyes back to Ash, whom was looking at his hand for some reason.
"What is it, sweetie?" Delia asked as both herself and May approached Ash closer to see what he was looking at.
In Ash's hand was a small piece of paper. Written on it was Bella's first and last name, as well as a phone number which was obviously hers. The final words on the note read, 'call me'.
Just as May's jealousy had started to fade away, she had to see this. She was still trying her best to hide it, but Delia noticed that she was having a difficult time doing so. Not wanting May to feel this way any longer, Delia decided to try to fix the issue.
"I guess she gave me her phone number..." Ash rationalized. For as dense as he was, he wasn't stupid. He knew what this meant. It meant that this woman was into him, attracted to him, and wanted a chance to be with him. Ash's words served to make May even more upset.
"Here, why don't I hold on to that for you..." Delia said, as more of statement than a question. Ash handed the note over immediately.
"You can just throw it away if you want, but don't do it here. I don't mean to be rude and I'm flattered, but I'm simply not interested." Ash explained to his mother. He felt bad for saying this, but this was what he was feeling, and there was no fighting that.
As Ash spoke, a wave of relief washed over May, causing her to let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. She was extremely happy with Ash's reaction to the note. If he would've kept it, she might not have been able to keep quiet any longer.
"Do you guys remember her from last week?" Ash questioned.
"Remember the nurse we told you about that asked for your age?" Delia asked, earning a nod from her son. "Well that was her."
"Bitch..." May mumbled quietly. Only Delia had been able to make out what she'd said, causing her to giggle. Ash on the other hand, only heard mumbling.
"What did you say, May?" Ash questioned innocently.
The brunette reacted by smiling innocently. "Nothing."
Ash simply accepted that it must've just been a cough or something that he'd heard from her. At this moment, Ash realized something that made him go red, which both May and Delia noticed.
"Oh, man..." Ash groaned. "That means she was one of the nurses who gave me sponge baths. She saw me almost completely naked."
Now that she knew Ash wasn't interested in the nurse, May found the situation pretty funny. "Ash...I'm pretty sure that's the reason she was into you in the first place."
Ash didn't respond verbally, he simply dropped his head, causing May and his mother to laugh. May then decided to tease Ash just a bit more.
"And if you don't want to be bathed by strangers, don't go falling off a cliff. It's pretty simple, really." May teased, causing Delia to laugh and Ash to smirk.
"Hey, just be glad that I managed to get you back on the cliff. Otherwise, it would've been you getting sponge baths from strangers!" Ash joked back, causing the brunette and his mother to laugh once again.
May curtsied teasingly and put on a fake regal accent. "Oh thank you my knight for saving me from such awkwardness."
The banter caused everyone to continue laughing for a while longer before they finally composed themselves and approached the front desk of the hospital.
They immediately asked if there was anything else Ash would have to do before he could leave, only to receive the answer they were hoping for. The receptionist informed them that they received his discharge papers the night before and that he was free to go at any time.
By the time they were informed of the good news, Brock had returned from the phones, a content grin on his face.
"Professor Birch said we should walk over to his house. Apparently it's close, and he said he'd have breakfast ready for us when we got there." Brock informed the group.
Ash and May's eyes widened as their ears perked up when they heard the mention of food. Pikachu was also excited that he may be getting some ketchup. Torchic would've been reacting similarly, but she'd requested some time in her pokeball to rest.
"Well? What're we waiting for?" Ash asked rhetorically before himself and May began walking ahead of Brock and Delia, who chuckled at the two's excitement.
As they started walking, Brock leaned in to whisper to Delia. "You think the professor made enough food?"
Delia chuckled at the question before shaking her head. "Not a chance..."
With that said, the gang continued their walk to the professor's house. Even thought they'd gotten ahead of Brock and Delia at first, Ash and May were waiting for them at the front doors of the hospital.
The four people, plus Pikachu, then followed Brock's lead as he remembered the directions Professor Birch had given him over the phone.
During the walk, Delia and May decided to tell Brock what'd transpired in the lobby while he was calling Professor Birch. The story mad Brock laugh but also at one point, sigh in what had to be jealousy.
"Why do you have all the luck, Ash...?" Brock questioned with sadness. Though, it was clear to tell he was being hyperbolic, with just a hint of truth thrown in.
May and Delia laughed at the question before the raven haired trainer raised an eyebrow and looked at Brock incredulously. "I don't know what kind of 'luck' you think I have. I literally just fell off of a cliff and died...or did you forget about that?"
"Oh, yeah. Right..." Brock responded plainly, causing another round of laughter. "I should've rephrased that. Why do you get all the luck with women?"
Seeing that Brock seemed to be genuinely curious, Ash simply shrugged his shoulders. He honestly had no idea why girls seemed to be interested in him. "I have no idea, Brock. It's as much a mystery to me as it is to you."
"Well, working out literally everyday certainly doesn't hurt, I'm sure." Delia added teasingly, despite it being true. When Ash was still living at home, his training regiment was extreme, and she knew that it had only increased in intensity over time. Obviously, being in shaped helped with the ladies.
"Plus it helps that you're kind, determined, selfless, and have an awesome personality." May added, becoming more comfortable with complimenting Ash.
After she spoke, she met Ash's gaze as he shot her an appreciative smile, both of them slightly red in the face.
"Huh, I guess...I guess I'll have to work on that then..." Brock said, sounding defeated. He hadn't really been expecting a real answer, so what he got was quite a shock and it made him feel slightly self conscious.
Though, he quickly managed to laugh it off along with the others. It wasn't even 10 minutes of walking before they reached the professor's house; he was right, it was fairly close to the hospital.
Brock approached the door first and rang the doorbell. It wasn't 10 seconds before the door was opened, allowing Professor Birch to come into view. He welcomed everyone with a smile, but the four people in front of him seemed only focused on his torso.
"Umm, Professor Birch? What are you wearing?" May could stop herself from letting out a few chuckles as she spoke.
The professor looked down, noticing what they were laughing at. He was wearing a pink, frilly cooking apron. He mentally scolded himself for forgetting to take it off before answering the door as the four people in front of him, along with Pikachu laughed.
"It was the only one the store had when I went to buy it! I just haven't gotten around to getting a new one!" Birch defended himself. Though, he wasn't mad at all. He knew how to roll with the punches, how to take a joke.
"I see how it is. I guess you guys don't want breakfast..." Birch taunted, causing May and Ash to shut up instantly, their eyes wide in fear.
"We're sorry, Professor." May apologized as quickly as she could.
"Yeah, we didn't mean anything by it. It-It looks great...on you!" Ash had a hard time pretending to compliment the god awful apron, but was incredibly afraid of his meal being taken from him.
Upon seeing their reactions, Professor Birch let out a hearty laugh. "I was only kidding, you two. Please, come in. The last of the food should be done in just a minute."
Both Ash and May showed an immense amount of relief on their faces as they quickly entered the house, allowing the wonderful smell of breakfast foods to lead them to the kitchen.
When they arrived, they first noticed Mightyena and her cubs eating some pokemon food. When they heard the others enter, the dark pokemon paused their meals and happily greeted the new arrivals.
"I'm glad to see they're still doing well." Brock mentioned to Birch, whom nodded in response.
"Yeah, they've already adapted to living here. And I really like having them around." Professor Birch added happily.
After greeting the pokemon, everyone's eyes fell on the food that was placed on the professor's large kitchen table. Like the morning in the hospital, there was practically every kind of breakfast food anyone could imagine. And quite a lot of it as well. It appeared that Delia was wrong, the Professor did have enough food, it seemed. Though with May and Ash, she wasn't sure if there would ever be enough food...
"Professor, you really didn't have to make this much. Me and Ash know how to get by without eating like we want to." May said to the professor, with Ash nodding his head in agreement.
Professor Birch simply smiled brightly at the two. "It was no trouble at all! I haven't cooked a large meal like this in a long time and I love cooking. I truly enjoyed making it!"
"Well, thank you, Professor Birch." Ash voiced his appreciation toward the man this time, with May being the one to nod in agreement. Ash noticed a couple of bottles of ketchup on the table, one of which he grabbed and handed to Pikachu, who's eyes lit up as he began sucking down the red liquid.
May also let Torchic out, as it seemed Professor Birch had set up a bowl of pokemon food for both her and Pikachu. Not wanting Torchic to become jealous at the fact that Pikachu had Ketchup, May took another of the bottles of the red stuff and squirted it on top of her pokemon food before Torchic began eating it jovially.
"Well, we better eat before the food gets cold. And then we need to head out!" Professor Birch stated. As everyone was hungry, no one needed to be told twice as they all grabbed as much food as they wanted and dug in.
The food was absolutely delicious, and most everyone, Ash and May especially, voiced their opinions about it being as such.
With this being Birch's first time seeing May and Ash eat, he was incredibly surprised. He'd been told about their eating prowess by Brock and Delia, but this was so much more than he expected.
Somehow, both Ash and May managed to finish their food at around the same time once again.
Ash shot a competitive glare toward May. "We'll settle this one day, Maple."
May returned the look, but added a smirk. "Oh yes we will, Ketchum. Yes we will."
The two then giggled at each other before they focused back on the other conversation happening at the table
The breakfast only ended up taking about half an hour to complete, which was done purposely as to give them plenty of time to get to where they needed to be.
The gang said their goodbyes to the dark pokemon, knowing they probably wouldn't see each other again for a long while. While this was a sad thought, they all knew that they would see each other again; they all had plans of visiting Professor Birch ever y time they were in Littleroot Town.
With those goodbyes said, the gang pilled into Professor Birch's jeep. It was a bit of a tight fit, but they made it work. Delia tok the front seat, while Ash and Brock took the back window seat, with May being in the middle of them.
"Alright. First stop, Petalburgh City Gym!" The professor exclaimed before slamming his foot down on the gas pedal and speeding off.
While he wasn't driving nearly as fast or as recklessly as he had when he was trying to get Ash to the hospital, the ride was still quite bumpy and he was definitely going above the speed limit. Despite this, everyone enjoyed the ride tremendously as the weather was nice, and the cool breeze hitting their faces through the open top of the vehicle was incredibly refreshing.
Having walked the path they were driving a few times before, May was amazed when she realized how close they already were to Petalburgh.
"Driving sure is a lot faster than walking." May mentioned offhandedly.
Ash smiled toothlessly at the comment as he though of something he wanted to explain to her.
"That may be true, but walking is definitely the better way to travel in my opinion." Ash paused and looked at May, who was staring at him slightly confused. "When you're driving, you don't get a chance to take anything in. Half the fun of a journey is just that...the journey. And that's extra true with what you want to do."
May smiled at Ash's explanation, knowing he was correct. While driving would get people around much faster, it would also ruin the fun of a journey. Plus, hardly anyone in the pokemon world had a car; driving was a pretty rare thing here.
It wasn't another 2 minutes before they entered Petalburgh City. And once they did, it wasn't much longer before the gym came into view. Ash smiled in childlike wonder as he looked at the half gym, half house. It was much bigger than most gyms, which was to be expected as it also doubled as a living space.
Seeing the look of amazement on Ash's face made May smile warmly. Seeing such excitement, such wonder in Ash's expression made May feel similarly. Ash's personality was so refreshing to her.
It wasn't but a few more seconds before the jeep came to a stop in front of the gym. After Professor Birch put the vehicle in park, everyone, even the people who wouldn't be staying here, exited.
"Thank you, Professor Birch. For everything." Ash said with great appreciation as he extended his hand for a shake. Though, Professor Birch ignored the outstretched hand and instead pulled Ash into a hug.
Ash happily accepted and pulled back a few moments later. Brock then said his thanks and goodbyes, ending up in a similar situation Ash had. It was then that May approached the man.
"I can't thank you enough, Professor. You helped get me through what ended up being one of the most difficult times of my life. And you're a big part of the reason that Ash survived. I seriously can't thank you enough for that." When May finished speaking, she rushed forward and hugged the man tightly. They separated just a few moments later.
Just a few feet away, Brock had just finished saying her goodbyes to Delia when Ash approached her.
"Thanks for coming, Mom. And thanks for being there for May, along with Brock. I know you all were having a hard time with everything, but you managed to help each other out." Ash spoke gratefully, earning a sweet smile from his mother.
"Of course, Ash. And you're very right about the fact that we all helped each other. Both Brock and May really helped me through this whole process, and I know I did the same for them. I'm so grateful that you have such incredible friends." Delia told her son, earning a smile and a nod. "And watch out for May, alright? She's such a sweet girl, and I don't want her getting hurt."
Ash's toothless smile widened as he processed his mother's request. "Of course, Mom. I'd never let her be hurt. Not while I'm around."
The two family embers then pulled each other into a deep hug, with Delia having a few tears come to her eyes. Though, she forced them back as she didn't want to make Ash worry. She wanted nothing more than for Ash to be happy, to pursue his dream, and she didn't want him to be worrying about her while doing so. Even if she did get lonely every once in a while, Ash's happiness truly was her own.
"I love you, Ash." Delia spoke with a loving, motherly tone.
"I love you too, Mom." Ash responded while still in the embrace.
When the two pulled away, Delia turned stern momentarily. "And you better not forget to call me, young man!"
Ash couldn't help but chuckle a this mother's action and words. "Don't worry, I won't. I swear it."
With that said, Ash walked over to Brock, away from his mother in order to allow May, who'd come up beside them during their embrace, to say goodbye to his mother. The two had obviously become fairly close during their stay at the hospital, so Ash wanted them to have a proper goodbye. Or rather, a proper 'see you later'.
"Delia...Thank you so much for all that you've done for me. Without you and Brock...I don't know how I would've made it through this. Even when it was your son who was injured, you still made an effort to make sure that I was alright. I appreciate that more than you will ever know, Delia. You're a wonderful woman and an even better mother." May finished sincerely, earning a loving smile from the young mother.
"Oh May, I have to thank you as well. Despite what I put on, I was worried sick about Ash. But you and Brock helped me see that he was going to be okay, even when things were at their darkest. I'm so incredibly thankful that my Ash was able to meet you. You're the kind of person every mother dreams their child will meet." Delia paused, allowing May to absorb her truthful words. "You've already made a big impact on him. I've never seen Ash as happy as he is when he's around you. Romantically or not, I'm just happy that you two have each other."
Delia's own words managed to bring a tear to her eye. May didn't know how to respond, so she simply shot forward and captured the woman in a hug.
While in the embrace, Delia whispered in May's ear. "Please take care of my Ash. He may be strong, but even he needs help sometimes. Don't let him forget that."
"I won't...I swear it." May whispered in response, using one of Ash's lines, which caused them both to smile. The two then broke apart and sent each other one more smile.
"I'll see you later, Delia. Have a safe trip home." May told the young mother.
"Goodbye, May! Have lots of fun on your journey!" Delia responded. With that being said, May turned around and began walking to where Ash and Brock were standing close to the entrance to her home.
But when she got about halfway, Delia got an idea in her head. As was said before...
...even she liked to have some fun every once in a while.
"Oh, and May?" Delia shouted, causing the brunette to turn around, and drawing everyone's attention to her. Delia looked May in the eye and smiled. "You have my blessing!"
Delia shot a wink at May as a blush covered the brunette's face. The young mother then approached the passenger's side door and entered the car, followed closely by Professor Birch getting behind the wheel; they couldn't stay as Delia had to make a certain time in order to be able to get on the ferry back to Kanto.
"Bye!" Both Delia and Professor Birch shouted as they began to drive off, earning waves from Brock and Ash. However, May was just now breaking out of her shock.
When she was fully sentient once again, May couldn't help but smile ad shake her head. She knew Delia wouldn't have said that if she'd though Ash would know what she was talking about, so she wasn't too worried.
Plus, she couldn't help but feel joyous at the fact that should a romantic relationship ever come about between herself and Ash, that his mother supported it 100%.
With this happy thought in mind, May forced the blush off of her face and walked the rest of the way to Ash and Brock. Brock was standing with his arms crossed, a smirk on his face, while Ash was very obviously confused.
"What did she mean by 'you have my blessing?'" Ash questioned, having no idea what his mother was talking about. May simply giggled as she walked toward the door, pulling it open.
Brock put a hand on his slightly taller friend's shoulder as he stood behind him. "Nothing important, Ash. I wouldn't worry about it."
Upon hearing Brock's words, Ash decided it was best not to dwell on it. Plus if Brock said it wasn't a big deal, then it more than likely wasn't. Ash then followed May as the two entered her home.
Brock waited back for just a moment as he let out a breath, as smile on his face while he shook his head. "Oh, Ash...You've still got a lot to learn. And I think May's the perfect person to help you do that..."
A/N: Okay, so there's something I'd like to address here and now just to avoid any confusion. In the first chapter, I mentioned that I already have 200,000 words of this story done, which is true. That being said, these 200,000 words are all BEFORE THEY START THEIR JOURNEY. I just don't want anybody to think that I have this whole thing completed, because I don't. This story will probably reach over 1,000,000 words when it's all said and done but for right now, I have around 200,000 words written. The very end of this 200,000 words will leave off just before they all leave on the journey. The actually journey section will be written in the future, along with my other stories. I just don't want anybody getting confused and thinking that I already have the entire journey written because I don't. That being said, it will be completed. And I write every time I can and will always try my best to get periodic updates out to you once the journey portion of the story starts. I hope this clears up any misconceptions you all might've had.
On another note, the gang is finally out of the hospital! I know most of you were eagerly waiting for that to happen. And now, they start their few day stay at the Maple household, what will that entail? Will Norman be accepting of Brock and Ash? They are still boys after all, and he holds an immense distrust toward them because he's so worried about May. But I will say, Ash's first meeting with Caroline and Norman is one of my favorite parts of the story. Please leave a review if you could, and make sure to follow and favorite if you haven't already! See ya!