Hey, everyone! Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! It always warms my heart knowing that people enjoy my story, and it really motivates me to continue writing!

Now, things start to really go down chapter 13, so please bear with me and the next few chapters.

Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon

Chapter 13

Drew continued to run in the night, still feeling the adrenaline and lust of exacting revenge on his rival. As he ran in the dark, he realized that the most effective way to crush May's dreams was to first isolate her from everyone else. He figured it would be easier if he got rid of that breeder and that annoying brother of hers. After they were taken cared of, Ash and May would be more vulnerable and easier to mold for his vengeful schemes.

Drew ran into a clearing and saw the lights of settlement in the distance. His eyes wondered onto a red building with a Pokéball insignia on it, and his lips curled upwards.

"Time to make a few phone calls..." He laughed heinously as he made his way toward the Pokémon Center.

May squirmed around in her sleep while breathing heavily. Sweat rolled down her face and she couldn't stop whimpering. Never leaving her dream was the horrible sight of the spot in the park, the spot where Drew ran away from her. She often found herself reliving that same exact moment where she saw the agonizing pain and anger in Drew's eyes, and time and time again, in her nightmare, Drew wore a face of unimaginable fury and hatred, all of which were directed toward her.

As May was about to break down and cry, the image changed, and the tourists in the background began to fade. The scenery darkened, leaving a small spotlight for May and her glaring rival. May could sense the tension as Drew breathed raggedly and dug his fingernails into his palms.

May could hear Drew's hurt voice echo in the air. Curses and whispers kept resonating in the confined space, and the voices escalated rapidly to the point that they became incoherent, all while May covered her ears in fear and despair. No matter what, the voices couldn't stop echoing, and May was on the verge of being overwhelmed. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to drain out Drew's voice, but her attempts proved fruitless.

The voices began to die down after many agonizing minutes, causing May to open her eyes and let go of her ears. After hearing several loud footsteps echoing, May saw Drew walking toward her. May tried to back away from him, only to find an invisible wall. As Drew kept walking to her in a terrifying manner, May collapsed to the ground and cried.

"Drew, I'm so sorry! I'm sorry, I really am! Please, forgive me! Don't hurt me!" She screamed as she cowered into a corner, crying into her hands.

When the haunting footsteps stopped right beside her, May felt a powerful, excruciating grip around her neck as she was forced up and dangling in the air at the mercy of Drew. She noted the cold, empty void in his eyes, and she saw his teeth seething as he put more pressure into his grip. May felt herself losing air rapidly as she tried to pry off Drew's hand from her neck, only to find her attempts useless. The last thing she saw was Drew's demonic smile as her vision began to fade.

"I will make you pay." Drew whispered into her ears, before May heard a loud crack and everything blacked out.

May shot up into a sitting position as she clenched her heart. She surveyed the environment and saw how she was back in her hotel room, sitting in bed in the dark. Memories of her nightmare flashed in her mind, causing tears to flow down her cheeks and eliciting loud whimpers. As she continued to cry, Ash woke up and turned his head towards the sound of her sniffling and whimpering. He sat up to look at May, only to become devastated as he saw the misfortune, fear, and despair in her eyes.

May felt the warm and comforting arms of Ash wrap around her, and she turned and cried into his chest, gripping onto his shirt and shoulder. She cried, wetting Ash's shirt in the process, but neither of them cared.

Ash embraced the girl in his arms, devouring her in a warm, radiating blanket of affection and comfort. His hand reassuringly rubbed May's back in circular motions while his free hand cupped the back of May's head as she continued to let out her tears. They remained in that same position for a long time, both not needing to speak as they embraced.

After minutes, May's crying died down, and she returned the affectionate hug by wrapping her arms around Ash's torso. Ash smiled as May began to calm herself. Although she was no longer crying, he didn't want to return to his sleep until May felt better and went to sleep first.

May didn't know how much time had passed, but now she was feeling sleep overcome her body. Giving in, she shut her eyes and resumed her normal breathing patterns. Ash, sensing that she was asleep, kissed her forehead as he gently positioned her back into bed. After he laid down, he held May by her waist, pulling her close, and slept.

The morning sunlight woke up the couple, reminding them to start the long day of searching for Drew. After they were done using the bathroom and changing into their normal clothes, they decided to check on Brock and Max to see if they were up and ready to eat breakfast. When they knocked on the door, the door opened to reveal a distressed Brock.

"Brock, what happened?" Ash asked, noticing his distraught behavior.

"Nothing good." Brock replied, then motioned for Ash and May to enter the room, "Some things turned up, and now it's up to you two to search for Drew."

"Wait, what do you mean 'it's up to you two?'" May inquired of Brock as they walked into the room.

"Well, this morning, we received a call from your parents," Brock sighed, "the point is, your parents are forcing Max to go back to Petalburg as soon as possible."

"What? Why?" May asked with curiosity.

"Mom and dad said that someone told them about how dangerous are adventures are, so now they want me home." Max grumbled from his bed.

"That's ridiculous! They can't just do that, right?" May spoke with frustration, "And who told them about how 'dangerous' our journey can get?"

"I don't know. I asked mom and dad, but they didn't answer back. They ignored me and just ordered me back home." Max said gloomily.

"...well, looks like we'll have to see you off at the ferry." Ash mumbled.

"Actually, I have to leave, too." Brock spoke up, causing everyone to become confused, "When I woke up, I noticed that there was a message in the videophone, and when I opened it up, the text said that there's an emergency in Pewter City Gym and that I should go quickly."

The room fell silent as they all took in the recent turn of events. May sat down on the sofa and rubbed her temples as she was disappointed with the news. Ash sat down beside her and rubbed her thigh to show that she wasn't alone.

"So...it's just us now?" May asked Ash with less confidence.

"Yeah, and Pikachu, too." Ash replied.

"Guys, I'm so sorry about this. I really am. So while you guys search for Drew, I'll try and come back as soon as possible, okay?" Brock said.

Ash and May nodded, then faced Max.

"Max, I hope everything goes well for you." Ash sighed, "convincing them to let you continue to journey with us will be pretty difficult, though."

"Yeah. But don't worry about me. Finish your mission first, then you can try and get me to travel." Max smiled.

Everyone nodded, then headed down for breakfast. After they were all fed, they gathered their belongings and headed outside. When they reached the boardwalk, Brock and Max faced Ash and May.

"You two go on ahead, while Max and I will head back." Brock said.

"Okay. See you soon, I guess." Ash said, not wanting to split paths with Brock like before. As Ash and Brock said their goodbyes, May squatted down to talk to her brother.

"Max, I hope everything goes well for you back home. I'll miss you." May hugged her brother.

"I'll miss you, too." Max hugged back, then separated.

Ash, May and Pikachu waved goodbye as Brock and Max walked away. Right before they could get out of distance of each other, they all waved again, before moving onto their separate ways.

Ash and May continued to look at the spot where they last saw their two other companions, before Ash held May's hand and led them in the direction of where Drew supposedly went.

"Well, May?" Ash began, "I guess this is it. We're by ourselves, now, and we have a lot to cover."

"Yeah, lets get going." May walked with Ash, while Pikachu sat contently on her shoulder.

As they left the beach and onto the grass and dirt, a thought crossed May's mind, causing her to smile.

"Hey, Ash, doesn't this kind of remind you of when we first started traveling together?" She turned to Ash.

Ash naturally smiled as he was reminded of when he first met May.

"Yeah. It was just us. No one else." The trainer rubbed the back of May's hand with his thumb as they continued to walk hand-in-hand.

"Ah, the memories..." May reminisced as they now approached the thick forest and walked inside.

"Well, since it's just us now, we can enjoy our time together without anyone getting in our way." Ash said.

"What are you implying, mister?" May eyed Ash skeptically while Pikachu snickered from her shoulder.

"I'm just saying that since we are alone, we can focus on our relationship and make it the best it can be...right?" Ash wondered if he was interpreting what to do in a relationship correctly.

At this, May giggled and pecked Ash on the cheek.

"Yeah, you're right. I thought you were talking about more 'mature' things." May giggled.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing. You can worry about that when we get older." May smiled.

"...okay, then." Ash said, deciding that he shouldn't think too hard about that 'mature' thing until later.

The couple walked for a little while as they searched for any clues on Drew's whereabouts. After a few minutes, Ash decided to call out his Swellow to search from the skies. As Swellow flew above the trees, May decided to call out Beautifly to assist in the search as well.

After a few hours of non-stop walking, Ash and May decided to take a short break. They called out to their flying Pokémon to rest for a bit, and they rehydrated themselves as they sat beside the trunk of a few trees. They shared a few snacks with each other and talked for a bit. They didn't know what time it was now, but judging from how the sun was just past its highest point in the sky, they determined that it was the afternoon and that they should keep moving before the sun set. With haste, they moved through the forest to cover as much ground as possible, as quickly as possible.

It was after the sky became an orange color when Ash, May and Pikachu could smell something odd about the air. They thought it smelled like something was burning, and when Swellow and Beautifly descended from the skies to inform them about a burned field of trees and grass, they knew they had to investigate. Running through the ever-increasing shadows of the trees, they burst into a clearing and stared wide-eyed as they saw all the dead remains. At first glance, nothing seemed to have survived here.

They slowly walked onto the rough terrain of the dirt and ash. The soil crumpled beneath their shoes as they walked, and they simply looked around at the horrendous sight, not saying a word. Pikachu, with his sensitive hearing, heard the sound of ragged breathing, and it immediately ran towards the direction of the sound to investigate. Seeing the Pokémon run, Ash, May, Beautifly, and Swellow followed closely to see what was going on.

Pikachu ran to the form of a badly burned and charred Beautifly. Ash and the others stopped beside the weakened Pokémon and gasped. Without a word, Ash and May knew they had to help, so they took out any potions and berries they had from their bags. Even with the care they were providing, the couple knew they had to get Beautifly to the Pokémon Center as quickly as possible, so they carefully picked up the Pokémon. Just then, they noticed footprints in the soil beside them that led away from Beautifly toward the unscathed trees in the distance. Whose footprints are these? Drew's? They didn't care about it for now. All they knew was that they had to get moving to save Beautifly, and the footprints were the best lead to get them anywhere, since they didn't exactly know where they were going.

With haste, Ash, May, and Pikachu ran and followed the footprints after they had returned Swellow and Beautifly to their Pokéballs. As they approached the healthy woods, they found the footprints harder to find, due to the thickness of the grass. But, judging by how the footprints seemed to be going in a straight line, they ran in the same direction.

It wasn't until night time when they finally ran out of the forest. Upon entering the clearing, Ash and May surveyed their surroundings until they spotted a Pokémon Center off in the distance. They ran into a large field of grass, past a few streams of water and trees, until they stepped foot on paved roads. They rushed into the Center that was situated a few meters away, and they ran towards the closest nurse.

"Nurse Joy!" Ash and May shouted simultaneously. The pink haired nurse turned towards them and saw the injured Beautifly in Ash's arms.

"Oh my!" The nurse exclaimed in horror, then turned towards a concerned Chansey, "it needs immediate medical attention! Quickly!"

Chansey nodded and took the Pokémon out of Ash's hands and set it onto a nearby stretcher. After doing so, it quickly pushed the stretcher away into a hallway that led to an emergency room.

Nurse Joy looked back at the concerned couple and Pikachu.

"What happened?" She asked.

"We don't really know what happened to be honest." Ash said sadly, "we were walking through the forest when we came across a field of completely burned and destroyed trees, and we found Beautifly laying on the ground. That's when we immediately took it here."

"It's unfortunate what happened to it. And same with the forest; it's strange how it caught on fire." Nurse Joy said, "Well, I'll be checking on Beautifly now with Chansey. You three are welcome to stay in a room for tonight, while we'll handle everything else."

Ash and May nodded, and after Nurse Joy left, the couple and Pikachu searched for a vacant room to stay in for the night. After finding a room, they walked inside and fell onto their beds in exhaustion. Ash looked at the clock and saw that it was nearly midnight, so he and May quickly took turns showering before getting into bed. Because of how late it was, Ash, May and Pikachu immediately fell asleep.

Ash, May and Pikachu eagerly waited for news of the wild Beautifly. After several long minutes of sitting in the waiting room, they saw Nurse Joy approaching from the hallway. They quickly ran up to her with worry in their eyes.

"Nurse Joy, how is it doing?" May asked, nervous about the outcome.

"You'll be happy to know that Beautifly is making a fast recovery and that it should be out of here after a few days of rest." Nurse Joy simply smiled.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that the Pokémon was feeling better already. As Ash and May were about to ask to see the Pokémon, they both spotted a familiar person in the corner of their eyes, walking out the front door and taking a turn, getting out of their line of sight. What caught their attention was the distinct green hair, and they knew it was him.

"Sorry, Nurse Joy, we have to go now!" They shouted as they ran toward the front door, leaving behind a confused Nurse Joy.

Ash, May and Pikachu burst out the door and searched for where Drew had went. They spotted Drew walking away from the town they were in, toward the same forest they had came from. Without wasting time, they ran after him. They shouted his name multiple times, but he didn't seem to hear them. Soon enough, the green-haired coordinator reached the forest and walked in.

Ash, May and Pikachu sprinted through the meadows and made it to the forest after a few minutes. They ran into the thickets and looked around for any trace of the coordinator. However, as they wandered deeper into the trees, they couldn't catch sight of Drew. They paused for a moment to listen to their surroundings, only to hear nothing. Frustrated, they walked aimlessly through the woods.

As they walked deeper into the trees, a deep rumbling within the earth rocked the terrain, along with Ash, May, and Pikachu. Suddenly, as the ground shook uncontrollably, the earth split between Ash and May, and Ash found his side of the platform to be falling quickly. Unable to jump to safety in time, Ash and Pikachu screamed as they sank into a large, deep ravine.

"ASH!" May screamed as she looked over the edge of the ravine. Her eyes desperately scanned the pit for Ash, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he and Pikachu were alive at the bottom, although bruised and cut up in the process of falling down. She also noticed that Ash's leg was somewhat lodged in between a boulder and the wall of the gorge.

"May, I'm alright!" Ash yelled from below, "I'm a bit stuck, so give me some time to get out!"

"Ash, wait there! I'll find a way down there and help you!" She yelled back as she searched for a way to safely lower herself. She rushed to the sides of the canyon, out of sight of Ash, as she looked for a way down. As she searched the perimeter, she ran into the chest of a person, and she realized who it was before her.

"Drew!" She exclaimed happily, then her face became solemn, "Drew, we need to help Ash! He fell down into that ravine after an earthquake struck!" She began tugging on Drew's arm, only to find him standing in place and not moving. "Drew?" May asked worriedly.

Suddenly, Drew laugh maniacally, causing May to flinch. He then grabbed onto May's wrist with a firm grip, causing May to squeal in pain. Drew walked close to May until his face was mere inches from hers, and he smirked evilly.

"May...oh sweet May..." He said in a childlike voice before switching to a dark, almost unrecognizable tone, "Do you really think I care about your precious Ketchum? After all, you've caused me a lot of...pain."

May remained silent, not knowing where Drew was going with this."

"Pain. Pain, pain, pain!" He roared before lowering his voice, sending chills down May's spine, "Well, after much thought and...suffering, because of you, I've decided that I will...return the favor to you." Drew's lips curled up.

"Drew, I'm s-" May began before Drew tightened his grip on May's wrist, eliciting a scream.

"Oh, May, it's too late for apologies now," Drew laughed, "Too late. Now, I was thinking, how can I return the favor for how you crushed my heart and left me for Ketchum?" Drew's face edged closer to May's, forcing her to look at his revenge-filled eyes, "I've decided that I will make you break Ketchum's heart."

May visibly appeared shocked and skeptical.

"What makes you think I would betray Ash!" May shouted with anger, "just because you weren't able to win my heart doesn't mean that he should suffer!"

Drew simply laughed, wiping away tears.

"I don't give a shit about him." Drew said coldly, "I'm doing this to make YOU suffer! You're the one who hurt me! And in turn, I will hurt you! And what better way than to make you break your bond with Ketchum and make you endure the pain, knowing that it is YOU who broke his heart!" Drew began laughing, "and just to think, after you've lost Ketchum's love and trust, I'll leave you be, as you try and desperately earn his affection back, only to realize the damage that's already there."

"What makes you think I will just listen to your cruel and sadistic plans!" May shouted. She immediately regretted asking that.

"Oh, what do I think? I think I will go after your annoying little brother as he's making his way back home. You can imagine what I'll do to him."

"Max...Max..." May's eyes widened, "You're the one who made Max leave, weren't you?"

"Yes, and same with that hopeless romantic. Now, onto the point: crush Ketchum's heart, or I'm coming for your brother."

"Drew, you have to realize how irrational you are thinking!" May began to form tears, "All this! All this...just for revenge? Drew, I understand that I hurt you really, really badly, and words cannot describe how sorry I am, but you have to realize what you are doing! This isn't right! This isn't the Drew I know!"

Drew furiously slapped May hard across the cheek with his free hand, then harshly pushed May away.

"Do your job...or your brother gets it." Drew snarled, "And don't think you can slack off at anytime and tell Ketchum any of this. I'll be watching...always..." With that, Drew turned around and left, laughing sinisterly.

May finally took in deep breaths she didn't know she was holding. She collapsed onto the ground and cried. Why? Why did this have to happen? She hated this, and now she had to hurt Ash. Her heart sank as she thought about how Ash would grow to despise her and distance himself from her.

"There's nothing to stop this." May thought, "I'm caught in the corner, and there is no getting out."

Just then, she heard Ash calling out to her, his voice sounding weak and tired. May wanted so desperately to run up and help him, but here she was, looking away from the ravine, hating herself more than anything.

"I'm sorry, Ash."