Yeah, it's been a while since my last update. I've just been very busy with school and my personal life lately. Graduation is less than two months away, which doesn't give me much time to write fanfics. But I've finally finished this chapter and I'm almost done with the next one, so expect it out before the end of Spring Break. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters.

Chapter 21-The Arrival in Celadon City

The next morning, May and Drew woke up and met up with Ash and Dawn for an early breakfast. Everyone was packed up and nearly ready to go, their bikes loaded up. It appeared that Ash was borrowing Misty's bike and Dawn already had one, so that meant traveling to Celadon City would be quick. After enjoying a very nice breakfast, they hopped on their bikes and started riding to Saffron City's western exit.

"Wait, lemme get the map out," Drew said, digging in his pockets.

"Don't worry about it," Ash said. "I know this area really well, so you don't even need the map."

"Well that's good. Thanks a lot," Drew replied.

Ash pedaled slightly faster to put himself in front of the others. Dawn was riding directly behind him, with May and Drew in the back next to each other. The wind felt refreshing and wonderful in their hair. May felt that they couldn't have asked for better travel weather. Drew was quite relieved that he didn't have to read the map and be in complete control of which direction they were going.

"It'll take us two days to arrive in Celadon City, right?" Drew asked.

Ash laughed. "Oh, no. I recently discovered a shortcut that cuts it back about a day."

"How the hell did you do that?" May asked in surprise.

"Well, I was checking out houses in the area and accidentally took a detour in the woods," Ash explained. "I stumbled across another road that eventually lead to the main road to Celadon City."

"That's really neat," May said. "So, Dawn, I have a curious question. What got you into coordinating in the first place?"

"My mom is a coordinator," Dawn replied brightly. "She's absolutely brilliant. I spent my earlier years watching her train and helping her make poffins. I think that experience, more than anything, is what helps me do so well." She smiled. "And Ash's recent training has been absolutely wonderful for both me and my Pokemon."

Ash's cheeks reddened. "Oh, it was nothing."

Dawn shook her head. "Don't pretend to be modest. You've been really great."

Drew looked at May questioningly, gesturing with his head towards Dawn. May knew what he was asking, but she wasn't planning on answering. She had promised Dawn that she would hold her silence, even to Drew. So she shrugged in reply, causing Drew to shrug back.

"Are you planning on entering the Kanto Grand Festival?" Drew asked.

"Definitely," Dawn replied enthusiastically. "I can't wait."

"Do you remember when we first entered the Kanto Grand Festival?" Drew asked May.

"Oh yeah. It was the first time I ever beat you in a contest," May answered with a smirk. "It's also when I started to realize that you liked me."

Drew gaped at her. "It took you that long to figure it out? Wow, you were even more dense than I thought."

"Jerk!" May exclaimed playfully, sticking her tongue out.

Ash and Dawn shared an amused look, still pedaling at a fairly even pace. Near midday, Ash checked the time and prepared everyone to stop for lunch. After choosing a fairly empty spot, except for a few Pidgeotto, they began eating. Ash leaned back and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Dawn asked in a concerned voice.

"Oh, it's nothing," Ash replied, shaking his head. Dawn raised her eyebrows. "It's just that, well…I miss Pikachu," he admitted. "This is the first time since we became partners that we didn't travel together."

"That's so sweet," May said with a smile. Dawn nodded in agreement. "I'm sure Pikachu feels the same way."

Ash's face relaxed and he smiled. "Yeah, you're probably right."

They ate in silence for a while, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Drew was still wondering what was going on with May and Dawn. He had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with either him or Ash, but he wasn't going to bank on it. After a while, he wondered if he should just ask Dawn about it when he got the chance. Well, if he got the chance. Since they had met up, Dawn was either with Ash, May, or all three of them. And while they were still traveling to Celadon City, he knew the chance wouldn't arise.

"Ash, why don't you just ask Professor Oak to send Pikachu over?" May asked. "I mean, you've swapped your Pokemon that way before. It's just a one-way swap this time."

"But Pikachu doesn't get in its Poke ball and that's the only way to send a Pokemon over," Ash reminded her.

"Well, maybe you can think of some other way," May suggested, but without much conviction.

"I think he will," Dawn said firmly.

The two girls shared a quick look that didn't go unnoticed by Drew. His suspicions about their actions moved closer to them being about Ash than about him. He decided to observe the situation over the next few days and draw conclusions from what he witnessed. He just had to be very subtle about it.

"Drew, is something wrong?" May asked, concerned. "You're being really quiet."

"What? Oh, no," Drew replied, blinking a few times. "I'm just thinking."

"About what?" May asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing," Drew said dismissively.

"Is he always like that?" Dawn asked Ash in a whisper.

"He wasn't when I knew him. The Drew I knew was egotistical, arrogant, and a bit of a show-off," Ash explained in an undertone. "But six years can really change a person. I guess all this time with May and growing up made him become humble and reserved."

"Well, look at you, sounding all wise," Dawn said teasingly, playfully nudging him with her shoulder.

Ash smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "It's been known to happen from time to time."

Drew's eyes flickered over to the pair for a second, his mind taking in what they were doing. However, May noticed this and her eyes narrowed slightly.

"What're you doing?" she asked in a low voice.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Drew lied casually.

"Ok," May said, thought she sounded skeptical. She turned to the other two. "So, you guys ready to go or what?"

"Yeah, we're done," Ash answered.

They packed up the remaining food, reloaded their bikes, and continued riding. May noticed a very slight, almost unnoticeable, change in both Ash and Dawn. They seemed to be acting just a little more friendly towards each other. Drew was still observing the situation and began to wonder if Misty was ever going to find out about Ash and Dawn's time together. He thought she had a right to know, but didn't wanna be the one to tell her. He felt that was Ash's job. If he had been in Misty's position with May in Ash's, he would definitely want to know.

As day began fading to night, Drew got the urge to check his map, just to be sure Ash was right about getting there that very night. May was feeling hungry again, but didn't wanna complain. When the sky was a fairly dark blue, Dawn slowed down and rode alongside May. She gave Drew a look and he sighed and sped up next to Ash.

"What's up?" May asked curiously, her eyes on Drew's back.

"Well," Dawn began hesitantly, her eyes on the two boys ahead. "It's just that…well, things are starting to get more difficult for me."

"How so?"

"Well, I'm finding it harder to control my feelings than I did before," she explained. "And I don't know what to do."

May pondered her words for a moment. "Well, just think about what you said yesterday. You know that Ash is with Misty and you respect their relationship. You think your friendship with him is more important than any potential romantic relationship. Just remember those thoughts whenever temptation strikes."

Dawn sighed. "I know. It's just that sometimes these thoughts are overpowered by my feelings. The whole 'listen to your heart instead of your head' thing keeps coming back to me."

"But even though your heart wants him, your brain knows the consequences that come with that," May pointed out. "Just think of it like a contest. Pick a strategy that works well and gives the most positive outcome."

"Girls, we're here!" Ash called back.

"Ok!" Dawn shouted. "Thanks, May. I'll keep working on things."

"No problem," May replied with a smile.

They turned their attention to Celadon City and May's jaw dropped. Bright, beautiful, multi-colored flowers adorned every building in sight. The lamppost light bulbs were shaped like flowers, as were several of the doorknobs on the houses. Plants hung out of every shop window and house mailbox. Everything looked very well cared for and new.

"This is beautiful," Dawn said in awe.

"When did this happen?" May asked Ash, who was grinning.

"According to the guy I asked when I was last here, about two years ago," Ash replied. "Apparently, the gym leader Erica wanted to brighten things up, so she and some of her friends began decorating the entire city. Their grass Pokemon help keep the plants and flowers well fed and they water them, with the other citizens occasionally helping out."

"Wow. That's really amazing," May said, her eyes taking in the beauty of the city.

"And it's so nice of her to do this for everyone," Dawn added.

"I think it looks really good," Drew remarked. "Let's hope she spends as much time training her Pokemon as she does beautifying the city."

They continued riding towards the Poke Center, still gazing in awe at the beautiful city. May's eyes roamed around, searching for the gym. She couldn't find it, though. Drew seemed to be doing the same thing, but every once in a while he would look up at the sky. Eventually, as they neared the Poke Center, May's curiosity got the better of her.

"Drew, why do you keep looking up at the sky?" May asked, her eyes on the back of his head.

"I'm waiting for Masquerain to return," Drew replied simply, his eyes still scanning the sky."

"But you just sent Masquerain out a few days ago," May reminded him. "Kanto and Hoenn aren't exactly next door neighbors either. Masquerain might not be back for at least another week."

"Why is Masquerain traveling to Hoenn?" Ash asked, confused.

"We wanted to send a letter to my family that detailed our three wins," May explained.

"Why didn't you just call instead?" Dawn asked.

"Well, a conversation like that might take too much time, whereas a letter can be written whenever it's convenient," Drew answered, slowing to a stop, for they had just arrived at the Poke Center.

Ash shrugged. "If that's what you wanna do, then by all means do it. I just prefer calling."

They grabbed their bags and walked into the Poke Center, taking in its rather different atmosphere. The walls were painted hunter green and the chairs were a leaf green. Flowers hung from baskets on the walls and sat in vases on the tables and the counter. Nurse Joy and Chansey also wore green, as opposed to the traditional pink.

"Hi, Nurse Joy," Ash said cheerfully.

"Hello, Ash. I thought I'd see you again," Nurse Joy remarked with a smile. "How can I help you?"

"We'd like to have two rooms for the next few nights," Ash replied.

Nurse Joy typed on her computer and frowned. She clicked her mouse a few times and typed again. Her frown became more pronounced. After repeating the action again, she sighed and hitched a smile back on.

"I'm sorry, but we only have one room available."

"What?" May asked, her eyes wide. Drew and Dawn looked shocked, but Ash was unusually composed.

"We'll take it," Ash said firmly.

"What?" May repeated, this time louder and more surprised. "Ash, you're crazy! The four of us will never fit in one room for several nights!"

"Do you have a better idea? If so, I'd love to hear it," Ash said, taking the key from Nurse Joy. When May didn't reply, he smiled. "Thank you, Nurse Joy."

"It's the last room on the left, just past a picture of a Blissey," Nurse Joy said. "Enjoy your stay!"

"I hope we fit," Drew muttered, remembering the unpleasant night in Viridian City. "With four of us, it'll be quite a squeeze."

May nodded in agreement. "Hopefully we'll last til the end of our stay."

"Oh, don't be so pessimistic,' Dawn said, smiling as they walked. "I'm sure it'll be big enough for us."

"Let's find out!" Ash exclaimed, unlocking the door and pushing it open.

End Chapter 21

Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It took quite a while to write, even though it was short. I really apologize for that. I've just been very busy lately. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter! Chapter 22 coming soon!