My Christmas and New Years was wonderful! Here's the next chapter, is similarly based to the episode 'Love, Petalburg Style'! I don't own Pokemon except my own characters! Enjoy!

Chapter 37: Petalburg Lovin'

Arrival back in Petalburg City is a third visit for Angelina, a special homecoming for May and Max; but for Ash, this represents home to his fifth gym battle. While Brock follows May and Max to their house, Angelina and her friends join Ash at the Pokemon Center.

The glass doors parted open when Ash, Angelina, Jeremy, and Christina stepped inside the Pokemon Center. They saw a familiar dark-blue haired man wearing a red jacket leaning over the desk talking and laughing with Nurse Joy.

"Look who it is," Ash said, walking forward. "Hey Norman!"

"Oh Norman, are you sure?" Nurse Joy asked.

"Of course. You know I trust you one hundred percent."

"Excuse me," Ash startled the two adults, they turned to him and the others.

"Oh! Welcome back, Ash!" Nurse Joy greeted.

"Yeah, I've been looking forward to your return." Norman added.

"Thanks. I have been, too." Ash smiled.

Norman nodded at Angelina and Christina, then looked back at the girls' brother, "I would imagine you have quite a few new Pokemon. Am I right?"

"Yes sir. That's why I'm here." Ash replied. "And we're ready to win!"

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.

"Well well! That's the spirit!" Norman grinned.

"So what do you say to a battle re-match?" Ash asked.

Norman shrugged, "I don't see why not," then he glanced over his shoulder and waved, "Thanks, Nurse Joy! I'll follow up with you soon."

"You know you can depend on me anytime, Norman," Nurse Joy assured.

"Yeah, I know that." Norman laughed.

Christina giggled, but Angelina and Jeremy shared suspicious expressions; they wondered what was going on between the nurse and Petalburg's gym leader.

Pokemon!

Every trainer has a choice,
to listen to that voice inside.
I know the battle may be long,
winners may have come and gone.
I will carry on, Yeah!

This dream will last forever,
this dream will never die,
we will rise to meet the challenge every time.
Yeah, this dream keeps us together,
just know that you and I,
will be the best that the world's ever seen,
because we always will follow this dream.

Pokemon!

The gang leave the center after Ash gives his Pokemon to Nurse Joy and head over to Norman's greenhouse where they find the others and Kenny.

"We just saw Norman over at the Pokemon Center talking to Nurse Joy," Ash said. "Think she must've been helping him with one of his Pokemon. Right Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!" the electric mouse nodded.

Angelina and Jeremy noticed the nervousness and tension from their friends.

"What's wrong?" Christina asked.

"I know! Ask me what I'm going to do? Yep, this is a job for the original love doctor I'm afraid." Brock claimed, then runs off. "That's me. Later!"

"This could be bad!" May said worriedly.

"It's fine! Brock knows what he's doing!" Max assured.

"But he calls himself the love doctor!" Kenny reminded.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Angelina told them.

"Wait!" Ash called, but everyone had already left the greenhouse and chased after Brock.

They arrived back at the Pokemon Center; the glass doors parted open and they saw Norman leaning against the desk in deep conversation with Nurse Joy.

"You're kidding!" Joy giggled.

"No, really!" Norman said.

"Yeah, it's true." Kenny sighed.

"I can't believe my eyes!" May shrieked.

"I still say it's not true!" Max yelled.

Angelina rolled her eyes, "You won't know until you find out," she walked forward and the others followed. "We're back, Norman!"

Norman turned around and smiled, "I see, and you've brought May and Max! Hi!"

"Hi," May spoke timidly.

"So I hear you caught some new Pokemon?" Norman questioned, but then was concerned about his childrens' downed expressions. "What's wrong? Do you feel okay?"

"No, not really," May replied unsurely.

"Norman, its great to see you again," Brock said in a serious voice.

"Brock, how are you?" Norman greeted happily.

"We need to have a talk."

Angelina knew it wouldn't last long when she watched Brock run up to Nurse Joy and grabbed her hands, but was pulled away by Kenny. "We should be half-way to Fortree City by now," she said annoyedly, then she looked up when May and Max's mother walked inside.

"Dear, what's wrong?" Norman asked concernedly. "Where are you going with that suitcase?"

"I'm going anywhere but here," Caroline informed.

May and Max gasped, everyone else was in shock except for Norman when he asked if Caroline needed help with her luggage.

"Listen up! She is leaving!" Kenny shouted, shaking his fist.

"Right. I'm just wondering where she's going." Norman replied.

"I just told you, anywhere but here," Caroline reminded.

"Well okay," Norman said, then he looked to his gym assistant. "I guess that means you'll be handling the kitchen detail, Kenny."

"How could you be so incredibly dense!" Kenny, May, Max, and Caroline yelled.

"Not everyone can understand women." Brock admitted.

Angelina placed her hands on her hips, "Say that a little louder, I dare ya!" she said insultedly.

"My bad," Brock said, embarrassingly. "Almost forgot you were here, too."

Jeremy laughed, "Don't worry 'bout it."

It didn't take long for Kenny to explain the problem to Norman as to why Caroline was leaving and was always furious at him for being around the Pokemon Center talking to Nurse Joy.

"But fortunately now, my eyes are wide open," Caroline announced. "Don't worry about me, kids. I'll be just fine. It was really thoughtful of you to have us deal with this on our wedding anniversary."

"That's right!" May responded. "I forgot, your wedding anniversary is today!"

"I didn't." Caroline replied.

"That's why you can't leave." May declared.

"Yeah, you've gotta try and work this out." Kenny added.

"Knock it off!" Max screamed angrily. "None of you people are even giving Dad the benefit of the doubt! My dad's the best gym leader in the whole world, and he's my hero, too!"

"Yes. I know, Max." Caroline sympathized.

Norman laughed, "What a mess, but at least now I know what you're talking about."

"Dad! We don't think it's very funny!" May said upsetly.

"I'm sorry, May. There's just been a huge misunderstanding." Norman informed. "What do you say we all head home and straighten this thing out?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Angelina said, still holding her Wynaut. "Ash is back at the greenhouse waiting for us."

They arrive at Norman's greenhouse, and suddenly heard a loud explosion. Ash, Pikachu, and two of Norman's Pokemon (Slakoth and Vigoroth) were laying on the ground while Team Rocket stood nearby.

"ASH!" everyone cried.

"Ash, are you all okay?" Norman asked.

"Yeah, thanks." Ash stood up.

"Not you three crooks again!" Norman glared at the Rockets.

Jessie and James yelped, "It is-"

"Nice to see you again, Norman," Meowth finished irritatedly.

"Team Rocket's trying to steal some of your Pokemon," Ash informed (A/N: in a tattletale voice, LOL), while his sisters giggled.

"There's no way I'm letting you three clowns catch any of my Pokemon!" Norman admonished.

"Hey! You don't have to get nasty!" Jessie snapped. "Seviper, Poison Tail!"

"Cacnea, Pin Missile!" James ordered.

Ash, Norman, and the Pokemon dodged Seviper's glowing purple tail, but Cacnea's Pin Missile attack fired overheard; striking something and caused another explosion.

"OH NO!" Nurse Joy and Norman shouted.

"What was that explosion?" May asked.

"THAT DOES IT!" Norman roared angrily. "You'll regret ever coming to this town!"

Jessie and James panicked while Meowth stood it's ground worriedly, "Okay, so now I'm afraid."

"Why's dad flipping out like that?" Max asked.

"Good Lord!" Caroline gasped.

"Now Slaking!" Norman called, and in minutes the large ape-like Pokemon appeared and roared angrily at the Rockets. "Give'em your Focus Punch!"

Slaking jumped up with a glowing fist, then knocked the Rockets and their Pokemon into the sky and out of sight.

"That was just one attack!" Ash said in awe.

"Oh!" Norman gasped, he ran toward a destroyed machine hidden in the grass. "My anniversary surprise is ruined!"

"Surprise?" May asked, confused.

"Yes, it was a fireworks' display for Mom." Norman replied.

"Fireworks?" Caroline asked surprisingly.

"Wow! Giving fireworks as a present is about the most romantic thing I've ever heard of!" May squealed excitedly.

"I can have another fireworks' display ready for tonight," Nurse Joy offered, which everyone gasped and stared in shock.

"But how can you do that?" Ash asked.

"Besides my being a nurse, I'm also a licensed pyrotechnician. So of course Norman asked me to prepare all those fireworks to surprise his wife." Nurse Joy explained. "And he also made me promise I wouldn't tell anybody."

"What?" Caroline gasped.

Brock ran up to Nurse Joy, smiling goofily, "You are amazing! You've stirred up the fireworks inside of me as well!"

Angelina sighed, "It's not fireworks, but I knew what he meant," she frowned when Max pulled Brock away from Nurse Joy.

Later that evening, the party was prepared while Nurse Joy fixed the fireworks' machine for Norman.

"Norman. All set to go!" Joy called.

"Thank you. All right! Everyone ready for something special?" Norman pressed a button on a remote and fireworks shooted out of the machine, forming into Beautifly.

"Oh wow! It's a Beautifly!" May awed.

"That's really cool," Ash said.

"Definitely," Angelina agreed.

While Norman went back to the house for more drinks, Caroline explained why the fireworks were formed into Beautifly. When Norman first proposed to her, they stood in a field of gorgeous flowers and there were Beautifly everywhere as if they were being watched by a special group of cupids.

"And looking back on all this, I'm so glad he kept it a secret after all." Caroline blushed happily.

"I'm glad too," Kenny added. "Mystery solved."

"Its so cool that our parents are so in love," May said.

"See May, I told you so." Max grinned.

Everyone laughed, then Norman returns and tells Ash what Pokemon will be used in their battle tomorrow. Although, Max says it wasn't a good idea for the challenger to know ahead of time, but Norman wants him and Ash to battle as best they could, and they agree to that with a handshake.

"Yeah, but Dad will win anyway," Max insisted.

"It's hard; I want Dad to win, but I don't want Ash to lose." May said undecidedly.

"A tough call," Brock noted.

Christina looked up at her sister, "Can we stay and watch the battle, too?"

"Maybe," Angelina said unsurely.

While both opponents are brimming with confidence, Max is standing firmly in his father's corner while May's torn feelings have her caught in the middle and Angelina is undecisive about staying, but one question is on everyone's mind, will Ash win his fifth badge? Stay tuned!

§To Be Continued§

Okay, you should all know what happens in the episode of Ash's battle with Norman, because I'm not making a chapter from that. As for this one, I just had to include the episode that followed 'A Double Dilemma'. So thanks for reading, leave comments please!