Edit: I changed the ending of the chapter because 1) My original plan left me in a spot where I did not know how to continue the story and 2) I kinda want to end the story quickly. There should be one more chapter (2 is unlikely) and I want to say thanks for your patience. I'll post all my thoughts on my journey writing this story in the final chapter. Also, for updates on my current and future stories, check out my profile. I'll try and update that as much as possible.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

Ash fluttered his eyes open, gasping for breath, and squinted as he tried to adjust to the immensely bright light. He covered his eyes from the light, but it didn't seem to help whatsoever, so he lowered his arms and stood up. Once he could finally open his eyes, Ash realized that he was standing in an all-bright world, where there was nothing else there but himself and the overwhelming light.

"Where am I?" Ash wondered aloud, walking forward a bit and scratching his chin. His footsteps echoed throughout the void, bringing some change to the otherwise eerily silent place.

"What is there to do here? And why am I here? And...who am I?" The trainer asked himself. Looking down at his hands and clothes, he tried to recall who he was, but he did not have the slightest idea of his own identity.

Frustrated by the lack of answers for his many questions, he clenched his fists and yelled loudly for any chance of being heard by something. But there was no response.

Groaning, Ash decided to pinch himself to see if he could wake up from what he assumed was a dream, but despite his efforts, he still remained in the bright world.

"Ugh, just get me out of here! Please!" Ash shouted to no one in particular.

But, as if his wishes were responding to him, Ash noticed that the overwhelming light slowly faded to a dark, nighttime setting. In little time, Ash realized that he was standing on grass, overlooking a simple town that was surrounded by hills. The sight seemed very familiar to him, but he just couldn't remember where he had seen it before, or even what importance it served him. Walking along a dirt path, he saw a sign that pointed to the town.

"'Welcome to Pallet Town.'" Ash read. "Huh, the name feels awfully familiar to me, but I don't know why..."

Deciding to explore the town, Ash followed the trail down. Based on his observations, the town was really quiet. "Or is it because it's night time?"

Ash ventured further into the area until he laid eyes on a white house with a red roof, with the building surrounded by a white fence. Curiosity got the best of him, and he wondered onto the yard of the house. For some reason, he felt a sense of happiness and familiarity with the house, and when he decided to go knock on the door to find out why, he heard the sound of crying and sniffling coming from inside. He heard another voice in there, this one sounding like an older man, trying to comfort what Ash presumed to be the person who was crying. Curious, Ash decided to press his ears against the door and listen to the conversation inside.

"Now, now, Delia, we should get going so we can be there for Ash." The trainer heard from the older man.

"Y-you're right, b-bu-but, I can't help but fe-feel that it's already t-t-to late." He heard a woman cry out.

"Delia! Do you even know what you are saying?! This is your son! He'll be just fine. He has to. Now, we have got to go to the hospital. Come on!" The older man said.

Ash heard footsteps coming closer to the door, so, out of fear of getting caught eavesdropping, Ash hid behind a nearby bush. He saw the door open to reveal a man in a lab coat and grey hair, and a woman in a pink and purple outfit who sported a ponytail. Ash felt a tingling sensation in his heart when he saw them, but he didn't know why.

The man led the distressed woman away from the house, then pulled out a Pokéball and summoned an orange dragon Pokémon.

"Dragonite! Please fly us towards the hospital! We need to see Ash!" The man said.

The dragon Pokémon complied, lowering its back for the man and the woman to climb on. In no time, the Pokémon flew upwards with its passengers, and away from the town.

Ash stepped out from behind the bush and looked on as Dragonite flew away. The trainer grasped his head, trying to concentrate on putting together what was happening.

"What is going on?" He asked himself. "First, I was in some weird world with nothing except myself, and then all of a sudden, I was brought here to this town. There has to be some major event or something going on now. Was I brought here to find that old man and that woman, what was her name, Delia?"

Ash shut his eyes as he was feeling overwhelmed by confusion and the unknown.

"But, all I know is that Delia is crying about her son, who is now in a hospital. So that means that there must have been some major accident, and now the man and Delia are on their way to see him. Should I follow them? Should I go to the hospital, too? I can't help but feel that my life depends on it."

Ash opened his eyes, but this time, he found himself to be standing outside a rock building with brown doors and some strange architecture around it. He glanced up and saw words that were etched into the rock, saying "Pewter Gym." He also noted that it was also beginning to rain heavily.

"Huh, why do I feel like I know this place as well?" Ash wondered. "Gosh, this is really hurting my head."

Ash heard the doors slam open to reveal a young man with spiky brown hair, a brown outfit, and, most notably, squinty eyes. The trainer saw that he was in a hurry as the man ran as fast as possible, away from the city. Ash's instincts told him to follow the person, so he sprinted on after him. As Ash ran after him, he could hear the young man mumbling to himself about some dire situation, so he tried to listen to his words.

"Damn, how could this have happened? If only I were there, this wouldn't have happened." The person muttered. "Gosh, I wonder how Delia and May are handling this. This must be painful for them."

Ash clutched his heart, feeling an unknown sensation flowing through him. He didn't know what exactly triggered this reaction, but he did know that when the person he was following mentioned May's name, he felt an intense amount of sadness.

"May...who is May?" Ash wondered. Ash stopped in his tracks and clutched his head again, this time feeling even more dread and hopelessness. "May. I...I feel like I know her, yet, I don't know her. Who is she? And why does her name make me feel this way?"

Ash stood still in the rain, shutting his eyes and letting himself be completely drenched. He didn't care about the wetness, for all he wanted to know was the point of his existence, his connections with the world and people, and about this person named May. But he knew that these answers would be too difficult to find, and that greatly frustrated him.

"Ugh, why am I here?! Why do I have to suffer through this?!" Ash screamed aloud. He dropped to his knees and cried, feeling more overwhelmed than before. All he wanted to do was seize to exist. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't feel anymore pain. And he wouldn't have to suffer anymore.

The torrential downpour slowly subsided, and Ash opened his eyes to see that he was at the top of a cliff. Ash stood up and inched his way toward the edge, admiring the view. He could see the lights of civilization in the distance, and he could see the beauty of trees and forests around him. Ash then looked up high at the moon. Just looking at the bright astronomical body put him into a trance, and he felt more relaxed. All his worries were pushed aside, and for once, he felt happy. That is, until a stray cloud moved in front, blocking Ash's view. His smile turned into a frown, and he looked away from the sky to the cliff edge. He stepped closer to the edge, until his toes had nothing under them. Ash took a deep breath and looked straight ahead, looking at the scenery before him. He closed his eyes and spread out his arms, feeling the light breeze brush against his skin. Slowly, but surely, his body leaned forward. But he didn't stop himself. This was exactly what he wanted. To be relieved of all pain. To escape his confusion. To die. And with that, he leaned forward so gravity could do its job.

When Ash felt himself beginning to fall, he heard something. He heard a voice call out to him. An angelic voice.

"Ash! Don't give up! Be strong! Don't die on me!"

Ash opened his eyes and panicked when he realized what he was doing. He turned around and grabbed hold of the cliff edge with his hands. His breathing was rapid, and he struggled to hold onto ground. Ash looked down and saw that he was dangling high above the ground, so he quickly turned his attention back on getting himself to safety. He threw an arm up to grip onto a solid surface, then he managed to crawl onto the cliff. For awhile, he laid on the ground, trying to calm himself. For once in his life, he realized that he was close, too close, to never coming back. Never living again.

Ash sat up. He tried to recall what prevented him from finishing himself. All he knew was that he wanted to escape his problems, so he leaned forward to fall, and, "That's when I heard that voice." Ash realized. "That voice saved my life. But to whom does it belong to?"

All he knew was that the voice sounded very passionate and worried about him. But Ash swore that he would find who the voice belongs to at all costs.

"But where do I start?"

Ash stepped closer to the cliff edge, but this time not as close as before, in order to prevent any accidental fall. He looked around for any clues of what he should do and where he should go, and that's when his eyes focused in on a patch of dark red grass at the bottom of the cliff. Even in the darkness, Ash could see the stains, and he saw that the red stains led away from the cliff towards where the settlement in the distance was. Deciding that he should follow the trail, Ash looked for a way down and found a safe path down the side. In no time, he was at the bottom, following what he now realized was a trail of dried blood.

Ash followed the trail through the thick woods, until he finally arrived at the city. At this point, the trail wasn't as apparent, so he looked around for anything that stood out to him. All around him were civilians and buildings, but as far as he could tell, nothing was out of the ordinary. That is, until he saw a flying Pokémon above him with two passengers on its back. Realizing that it's the same Pokémon and people from before, Ash followed after them. He followed them until he saw them lower onto the ground, next to a hospital. He saw the old man recall the Pokémon back into its ball, and that's when he saw that the young man with spiky hair and squinty eyes had also arrived. The person in the lab coat, the woman, and the spiky-haired man all seemed to recognize each other, and Ash saw them run inside the building. Ash followed them in to see them frantically asking the doctors about a boy named Ash. A Chansey pointed them down a hallway, and the three ran down said hallway. As Ash followed them, and when they neared a corner, Ash could hear commotion coming from inside a room. Following the three others, he walked inside to find a boy on a bed who was completely bandaged up, and...there was this girl...a girl with a red outfit and a bandana on. She was sitting on a chair next to the bed, and she was hunched over while holding onto the patient's hand. No matter what, Ash couldn't tear his eyes off of her. He didn't know why, especially since he didn't feel like he knew her at all, yet there was something strikingly familiar about her.

The girl still had her back faced towards the three people who entered the room, and the woman, the elder man, and the younger man rushed to her side.

"May!" Ash saw the spiky-haired person put a hand on her shoulder.

"May...why does that name sound so familiar to me?"

"May, are you alright? Everything is going to be fine. Right?" The older man asked, but didn't receive a response. "May?"

The girl didn't move at first, but then she turned her head ever so slightly to face the others. Ash tried to look at her face, but her messy hair covered his view. That is, until, she looked in his direction, and his heart stopped.

"May." Ash said. He knew that face anywhere. It was the face of the cute, innocent girl who traveled with him, and the girl who he gave his heart to. But here, her face was saddened, tired, miserable. "May...it's her. She was the one who rescued me on the cliff." Ash realized, as he knew that her voice was the same one from when Ash nearly killed himself.

"Pika..." Ash turned his attention to a Pikachu that was beside the boy's head. The Pikachu had a solemn expression, and his ears were flopped down. Looking at the whole picture, from May, Pikachu, and the bandaged boy, he remembered everything. His memories rushed back into him, and he knew now that Professor Oak, Brock, and his mom were here to visit him. He also knew that the boy on the bed was himself, and that meant that May had brought him all the way here.

"May. May! It's me! I'm right here!" Ash called out to the girl. But she didn't respond. She was still crying. "May, it's me! I'm alright!" Ash stepped closer to her and knelt by her side. But there was still no response. "M-May?" Ash asked worriedly, bringing a hand out to comfort her. But his hand went right through her, and that's when Ash saw that he was a transparent entity, someone who didn't actually exist in the physical world. And that's when Ash, with an immense amount of despair and hopelessness, cried. He choked, and he buried his face in his hands.

"May...please. Hear me..." Ash wished, but he knew he was cursed. There was nothing he could do. "May...May! MAY!"

Ash gasped for breath. He sat straight up and tried to control his breathing. Before long, he looked around himself to observe his surroundings, and tears rolled down his face when he realized that he was still alive and that everything he feared was just a dream, for he was sitting comfortably in a hospital bed with bandages and casts on his arms and legs.

Ash shut his eyes and covered his face with his hands, silently weeping in gratefulness. He was truly terrified that he would never walk again, and he was especially terrified that he would never see May and her smile. But all those fears are gone now, at least when he sees May again. Just to make her know that he is doing well.

The door clicked open, diverting Ash's attention away from his thoughts, and Nurse Joy walked towards his bed with a clipboard in hand.

"Welcome back!" Nurse Joy beamed. "It's incredibly fortunate that you are conscious after everything that had transpired."

"Nurse Joy! How long was I out for?" Ash asked.

"You've been unconscious for two weeks. However, because of your fall, we can only fully heal your cuts and scrapes. Your arms and legs are broken, but with treatment, you'll be able use them again, although not to their full extent."

"So...what does that mean?"

"It means you may have a limp for the rest of your life."

"Oh..." Ash's face fell. "Well, at least I'm still alive, right?"

"Yep! That's the most important thing! And it may all be because your friend carried you on her back all the way here!"

"May! May I please see her? I need to let her know that I'm fine." Ash asked with determination.

"Of course. Your friends have been waiting outside for two weeks, and I'm sure they will be excited that you're back." Nurse Joy exited the room.

Ash's excitement and nervousness began to tear through his soul. His eyes never left the door, and he waited impatiently for May to walk through the door.

The doorknob slowly turned, and May shyly stepped into the room. She closed the door behind herself, her eyes never leaving Ash's, and she took small, timid steps towards him.

Ash noticed how scared May looked and how she was acting awkwardly, probably because she was so afraid that he was dead, so he tried to ease her.

"Hey, May," Ash put on a warm smile, "It's me. Your Ash."

May's nervousness subsided, and she wore the biggest smile Ash had ever seen. May quickly closed the gap between them and crawled onto the bed to hug him, her tears soaking his clothes. Ash felt his own tears falling again, and he didn't try to stop them. He embraced May, thankful that he was back with her.

May quickly pushed away from Ash with a stern look and angrily pointed her finger at him.

"Mister, you better not scare me like that again, you got that?" She asked him in a serious tone.

"Uh, y-yea, of course, M-May." Ash said unconfidently as he was surprised by May's sudden change in emotion.

"Ash Ketchum! That didn't sound sincere enough!" May began to raise her voice, poking at his chest.

"Yes! I promise! I promise I won't!" Ash quickly said, bracing himself for an onslaught. But he was met with none, as May laughed uncontrollably. Dumbfounded, Ash was about to ask what was going on before May cut him off with a quick peck on the lips.

"I know you won't." May said with a smile.

Just then, the doors opened to reveal Brock, Delia, and Professor Oak. May got off the bed to allow some space for the others, and as she did, Brock, Delia, and Oak all swarmed Ash.

"Ash, we were so worried about you!" Brock exclaimed.

"After we had received a phone call from the hospital, we came here immediately!" Professor Oak explained.

"Ash Ketchum! Explain how you got yourself in this predicament!" Delia commanded as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Uhhh, I...fell down the stairs?" Ash said sheepishly, not wanting to tell her the truth and worry her further. May, Brock, and Oak all placed their hands over their faces in disbelief over his answer, but for Delia, it was enough.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter. The important thing is that you are safe and sound, and it's all thanks to May!" Delia said in her usual cheerful voice.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Ketchum, I'm always looking after your son!" May grinned. "Even if it means reminding him about changing his-"

"M-May! You don't have to!" Ash interrupted as his cheeks turned to a slight tint of red.

"Why, that is just what I'd expect from my future daughter-in-law!" Delia said nonchalantly, causing Ash and May to blush heavily, while Brock and Oak chuckled to themselves.

"Alright, Delia, you're making them uncomfortable. And I think it's best if we leave now so the nurses can finish checking up on Ash." Professor Oak said. The others nodded their heads in agreement, and everyone, except for May, shuffled out of the room.

May held onto Ash's hand and rubbed his forehand with her thumb.

"Get better now, okay?" May asked, looking into Ash's eyes.

"I will. You can count on that." Ash gave a reassuring smile.

May smiled back, then headed for the exit. Opening the door, she looked back at him with the thought that soon enough, they would finally be traveling like normal again.