Chapter 36: A Day in the Life
Someone's stomach was rumbling and sighed, "I could have gotten a bite to eat, before we left."
"Relax, the walk isn't too long, I bet we're halfway there or more by now," a boy spoke with an optimistic tone.
"I hope your right, because I think I might drop soon and there will be no one to look after you out here," the brunette reminded the emerald-eyed person next to her.
"Nothing is going to happen May," Drew tried to assure her that everything will be perfectly fine.
"That's what you said this morning Drew, now it's the afternoon and look at you now," May pointed out about Drew's current health status.
Drew looked at himself; he had to admit that he was a mess. May had taken note of Drew's slight limping from one of his legs and May assured him that they would take a look, once they arrived at the house. His scorch marks had gotten a lot darker and Drew was hardly be recognizable if it wasn't for his light skin still standing out from the pitch black smoke color and his signature green hair.
One thing that they had forgotten was to drop off their Pokémon so that they may heal quicker at the lab, nonetheless they would recover since it was normal injuries from a battle and all they needed was a rest lasting until tomorrow morning.
He had noticed that May seemed to be really tired and it was only halfway through the day. No eating since breakfast was like a lifetime for May, that battle really had worn her out and all that scolding at him earlier might have something to do with it.
Her stomach grumbled even more, "Oh I hope Ash's mom has something for us to eat…"
"May, she's the mother of Ash Ketchum, she should know by now how large her son's appetite is, and you are not so different so she must have. Besides, she's one of those mothers that's always prepared," the coordinator from LaRousse City tried to assure May.
The brown-haired girl held her stomach and paid no attention to Drew, she felt really weak and tired. She could really use a nap right now, which she hadn't done since she was in Petalburg City. "Hey Drew, what would you do if I just dropped right now because of exhaustion?"
Drew thought about how randomly she came out with this question, but he should respond to her anyway. "I guess I would carry you and get you to Ash's house as quick as possible because you'd really need some rest and energy once we got there."
"But Drew, you're hurt? How could I let you carry me like that?" the brunette didn't exactly like the idea of making her wounded friend carry her and run home to the Ketchum Residence.
"It doesn't matter May. I would at least have consciousness and have enough strength to carry you there. I wouldn't leave you here for anything and we are in the middle of an empty road so I doubt I would have enough patience to wait for help while lying down next to an unconscious girl," the boy from Hoenn paid no regard to his own wounds, just concerned about May's own condition, besides it would make them even for last night when they found him unconscious.
May was uncertain about letting Drew do that, so she'd made sure she wouldn't pass out for being tired, but that was really sweet of him. "Thank you Drew, then I guess I'll be safe around you," the brunette winked at the green-haired boy as a compliment.
Drew smiled at the girl, he felt warm inside from that wink and slowly remembered how great of a person May was. It may have been a few days, but it felt like he had forgotten a lot about her, especially her attitude for some reason. He was thankful for being here right now though, not many people are fortunate to have a friend like May around.
He wondered what would have happened if Ash and his own consciousness hadn't convinced to stay in Kanto. That event might have triggered a completely alternate reality where Ash and May would have had a 100% of becoming a couple and Drew would continue on his lonely path as a coordinator traveling far and wide. May wouldn't have been the only girl out there for him though, there were always people like Solidad, after all he was older than Ash according to May and May was the youngest of the four. He only appeared younger to some because of his height that made him look around Ash and May's age, while he was closer to that of Misty.
After tomorrow though, they'd leave and Drew sighed. For some reason, he felt sad about it, but it seemed like it was time for that. "May, how do feel about us leaving after tomorrow?" the lime-haired coordinator wanted to hear his rival's thoughts on the departure.
May stopped for a bit and then spoke; she would have to tell Drew at some point. She sighed, "Drew, I think we are going to stay here a bit longer…"
Drew was stunned by her response, he hadn't expected that. The question was why they would stay longer, not that he actually mined since he didn't plan to travel to Sinnoh for another two weeks. "Why May, what's wrong?"
"Because Drew, you don't look so good and it might take some time for you recover 100%, and I don't want anything horrible to happen to you on the ship," the brunette explained a part of the reason for the extended vacation, but there was no need to say another word.
May's rival, believed what she just stated, but he knew there was a more significant reason and it was all too obvious. She wanted to have her time in Pallet Town extended because of Ash, the boy that meant the world to her. Drew wasn't born yesterday and knew May by now, he wasn't going to force her to spit it out, but he was slightly moved by it. May, would not let him leave, so he would stay in Kanto as well until the actual date of departure was revealed so they could finally head back to Hoenn. Drew would have also argued with May about leaving after tomorrow, but he wanted her to enjoy as much time with her friends as possible, even though he would face his own time of regret about not putting up a discussion for this one.
"May, have you already picked a date for this though? Does Ash and Misty know about this too?" the green-haired teen asked the brunette coordinator.
"No Drew, I was thinking about going tomorrow, but first I would have to discuss this with my parents. Misty knows about it, but I don't want to tell Ash about it because I don't have a confirmation from my parents and I don't want him to get all excited then upset if my mom and dad don't allow it," the sapphire-eyed Hoenn native spoke sincerely about why Ash was the only one that didn't know about this.
Drew only nodded, understanding her situation. He had no doubt inside him that May's parents would say no. They'd be happy to let their daughter have more time with her favorite friend, and with his current condition, they'd agree with May on staying to take care of Drew. Now he was thinking about what would unfold in this unexpected extension, all he knew that things were about to get extremely heated between everyone, despite the deal Ash and Drew had made.
They continued walking towards the house, none of them continued to speak on the way. One had to think about how to tie everything in to a knot once and for all, while the other was only able to wonder about what awaited this following week.
Some time later…
"How's the food guys?" the boy with the headband had a bite of the food they had stored in the lab and looked at his friends as well Pikachu.
They had been at the lab for several hours, they had taken a brief break to eat, and then went to have fun with the Pokémon at the ranch. They had explained them why Drew and May had left, the Pokémon were more than willing to see Drew leave, but they were disappointed that May had to leave with the coordinator. It would take some time, before they could actually accept the green-haired teen and they only thought harshly of the Hoenn male in secret since they could no longer show feelings of dislike towards Drew because of what Ash had told them earlier, however they were kind enough to sympathize the teen because of the wounds he had gained when he ran off.
After a long day, Ash, Misty, and Pikachu were eating once again. Professor Oak had finished eating and had gone to the computer room for research, leaving the three teens and Pikachu to keep eating.
Misty was the first to answer Tracey, "Its great Tracey," the red-head smiled
Tracey smiled at the gym leader, but the friendly glance was soon interrupted by a rude Ash. The raven-haired trainer was chowing down very quickly Ash's Orange Archipelago friend didn't need an answer from Ash to know that he liked it, the sound of munching was a dead giveaway. Misty was never going to get used to the monstrous appetite.
Pikachu ignored his trainer, if he did pay any mind to Ash's vicious eating, he would never be able to eat. At least he was enjoying his food; he had missed eating with his friends after some days. This was one of the longest periods Pikachu had been without Ash, even if it was just a few days.
Ash slurped the last of his noodles and let out a deep breath, and then he had cheerful smile on him, clearly satisfied by the meal. Misty and Tracey just stared at the boy and wondered why he wasn't overweight at all?
Tracey's attention then turned to something he really hadn't discussed the whole week with them. "Misty, you're leaving in a few days right?"
Misty suddenly thought about the conversation she had with May about this earlier in the day. Ash and Pikachu let out some sighs; they had forgotten how little time there was left for all of them to stay together.
The red-head noticed the duo's disappointment towards the fact of saying goodbye, so she thought now was a good time to say it. "Actually, I'm staying for another week or so."
Her friend's faces lit up and Tracey was surprised to hear the unexpected news. "Really Misty, why?"
The Electric-type mouse listened carefully to what she had to say and Ash was just as speechless of Pikachu. He was glad that Misty might actually be staying longer, but the reason behind it was what he wanted to know. Ash knew that Misty would never leave the gym for a quick, and her vacation was almost coming to a close, so it might be important as to why she was staying. Tracey had the same suspicion as Ash and Pikachu, Misty is one that isn't very willing to give up the gym.
"I got a phone call from my sister last night, telling me they shut down all the gyms across Kanto after the Celadon and Fuchsia City gyms were attacked by Team Rocket operatives. To protect the gyms, they've been closed and guarded until the police capture specific Team Rocket members behind the assaults," the red-head explained to the three people sitting with her.
Ash was surprised to hear that the gyms were attacked by Team Rocket, how come he didn't know about this? "Misty, where did your sister hear all of that stuff about Team Rocket?" the messy haired teen questioned the Cerulean girl.
"She heard it on the news Ash, we didn't know because we hardly watched the news," Misty informed Ash about how they remained unbeknownst to it for some time.
"Oh, when did this happen?" the black-haired teen asked another question.
"It happened the same day Drew left," the water user replied plainly to the younger teen.
Ash acknowledged this enough and wondered, "Do you think there is a connection?" Pikachu thought about what Ash said and thought it might be a possibility.
"Don't be silly Ash, it's highly unlikely," the red-head shrugged off the idea.
"It was just a suggestion," the auburn-eyed teen told her. Ash considered this an extended vacation for himself because this would mean staying with Misty for another week.
"So I guess you'll be in Pallet Town for another week," Tracey understood the whole concept as Misty nodded to him.
Pikachu looked out one of the windows of the lab and noticed that the sun had been setting. Time had flown really quick today for the mouse Pokémon. He turned back to the table and saw that Ash as well as Misty saw the signs of night looming.
"Looks like it's time for us to leave Trace," Ash told the boy with the headband.
"Yeah, it looks like it's getting late, I think we'll come back tomorrow Tracey," the raven-haired trainer's red-head friend also informed the teen from the Orange Islands.
"Well alright, I'll call Professor Oak," the boy Misty and Ash traveled with for some time went by the stairs and called the professor's name, declaring that Ash and Misty were about to leave.
Both of the teens had always liked Tracey, he was never very dramatic about things and the only time he would overreact was those moments when he wasn't Professor Oak's assistant. He was also one of the very few people that the pair thought was fully aware of the chemistry in the air, but had managed to stay neutral during the situation.
Pikachu sat on the floor, as they waited for Professor Oak. He was finally going back home, and there he would have a lot to discuss with his best friend. The Electric-type mouse knew something besides training must have occurred during the days he had been injured, today he hadn't seen too much connection between Ash and May, rather it was May and Drew. May had been mothering Drew the whole day and he wondered what might have happened, he was curious about everything.
They heard footsteps and they saw Professor Oak coming down with his usual smile. "You kids are leaving now?"
"Yes, the sun is beginning to set and I'm sure everyone at Ash's house will wonder where we are," the gym leader explained to the gray-haired man.
"But we'll come back tomorrow. I just don't think May and Drew will come because of today's accident," the black-haired trainer commented about the incident.
"That's completely understandable, then we'll see the three of you again tomorrow then," Professor Oak smiled as he led them outside to an orange sky.
Tracey and Professor Oak stated their farewells to the trio, as Pikachu, Ash, and Misty happily cheered goodbye. The two residents of the lab waved goodbye and smiled as they thought what these kids would do at the lab tomorrow, they surely made Pallet Town a much livelier place for Delia, Tracey, Professor Oak, and the Pokémon on the ranch.
Professor Oak closed the door gently and turned to face Tracey. The assistant was the first to speak, "You seemed pretty serious after lunch professor, Ash and Misty didn't notice, but I think I've been here longer than anyone."
"Yes, that's right, but Tracey you're the only person I will live with in this old lab. You could say I had been informed about some disturbing things with Drew when I was sitting down with Ash and Misty, it isn't a case I hear every day and that's why I had been unable to come out of my research room until the three of them left," the professor fetched some cups and poured some beverages to drink.
Tracey drank a bit of his beverage and enjoyed the sweet taste from the juice made out of Oran Berries, "What would that be Professor Oak, what did Ash and Misty tell you that changed the entire scenario?"
"I knew I couldn't ask this while Drew was still around, I thought it might seem rather uncomfortable for him, so I had to be discreet. After I discussed with them, I figured they could stay longer to have fun. But what I mean is that Drew is not exactly the same Drew we saw the day he vanished," the older Oak explained to Tracey.
"I'm still confused sir," the boy with the headband looked at him with signs of confusion.
"When I spoke to the two kids, they told me many things Drew had told him, when he had woken up. Drew said that the last thing he remembered before losing conscious was being attacked by some unidentified creature in this woodland area. The most woodland area in Kanto is the Viridian Forest and I have a feeling what we saw may have been Drew's attacker," the man in the white lab coat stated.
"You really think so? We haven't gotten any word from the other professors about this thing since you spoke to them," the black-haired assistant thought about this and thought how there was a large mystery behind all this, and Ash, Misty, and Drew still remained unaware of it.
"The only thing that doesn't make sense is that he ended up in Route 1. However, they did tell me that Drew was unable to remember some things that happened to him. He didn't remember too much about his time in the wilderness, except the attack and wandering there alone. Drew has even managed to silence all the suspicions we've had about his encounter, and there was no use in arguing since he was the witness and that every last piece of evidence was not enough to connect to his actions. Ash and Misty didn't seem to believe though. What convinced me that Drew really couldn't remember anything and has forgotten about the incident on the night before he left was that when he vanished he didn't recall no black substance consuming his body and we were all there when that happened," Professor Oak expressed every detail he had been told about.
Tracey nodded and was shocked, "That's impossible, how is he unable to remember something like that? Professor, I think Drew has lost so many of his memories between that day and today, that he doesn't exactly remember what's happened to him in that time. Something must have happened at the beach, he can't remember how he ended up in Route 1, and he has no clue about this black aura he had less than a week ago."
"That is the conclusion we all reached, it was disappointing to realize that Drew wasn't going to be much help due to his memory loss, but there isn't much we can do…" Professor Oak sighed and finished his glass containing the beverage.
"Well, Misty is staying in Pallet for another week because of some security measures taken by the gyms after Team Rocket assaults," Tracey tried to brighten up the situation with this good news.
"Oh yes, I had heard about that and had been wondering if Misty would stay since she has no real purpose at the gym right now, but that's wonderful news," the elder Oak tried to smile about this, but his mind was too focused on other current events.
Oak's assistant sat down, sighed, not even that seemed like good news now, he thought about all this, Viridian Forest, the mysterious beast that lurked in it, and the black aura surrounding Drew. His eyes suddenly widened, "Professor, you realize Gary will be passing by Viridian Forest on his way to the Power Plant by Cerulean City!"
Professor Oak hadn't noticed it until now, his grandson might not be able to handle such a formidable foe like that, but he must be by Viridian City by now. He reached for a phone, the first thing he would do was call a Pokémon Center, since this was Gary's resting spot.
"I can't believe you're staying for another week Misty, that's great news," the messy haired teen smiled at the thought about having her friend over longer.
"I'm sorry about having stalled your journey longer Ash," the red-head apologized if she had delayed Ash's departure by a week.
"No worries Misty, I really didn't figure out a place to go yet, Pikachu and I would enjoy your company," the black-haired trainer and his mouse smiled in a friendly manner.
"Thank you," the gym leader smiled at Ash kindly.
"Too bad May is leaving soon," the teen lowered his head and sighed a bit, thinking how he had never been able to confess himself.
Misty tried to put on a disappointed look as well; she was more concentrated on how wide Ash's smile would be once he heard the news from May herself. She also wondered how Drew would take it, staying here longer might bother him, but then again there had been no signs of tension between Ash and him so the result might be completely different.
"You know though, I still can't be believe Team Rocket is still operating, I thought they'd be gone by now like some other organizations I've come across in my journey," the auburn-eyed teen commented and Pikachu shook his head, the obvious was right in his face and Misty was about to point it out to him.
"Ash, last I heard of Brock, which was the day you got back from Sinnoh; I heard you guys were attacked by Team Rocket yet again. I doubt they would only split after a week," the red-head girl stated this to Ash.
"True, but Misty they usually Team Rocket would still be bothering here in Pallet Town like every other time, but this time there has been no sign of them since Sinnoh. Sometimes I wonder what Jessie, James, and Meowth have been doing since it seems like they've finally called it quits," the raven-haired trainer expressed his thoughts on the strange disappearance of the same, old Team Rocket trio he had run-ins with for half a decade by now. Pikachu had also begun thinking about this; he was relieved about not being captured this whole week by Jessie, James and Meowth. It was strange, but this was the first time he had been able to roam freely without trying to be captured in over four years, practically since he had begun traveling with Ash.
"It does seem weird Ash, but they might have moved on to other things. They might have gotten a new task instead of doing stuff, like capture Pikachu, but aren't you relieved about it?" the water user questioned, Ash's feelings towards this.
Ash pondered in his thoughts about whether they had finally gotten promoted, but he didn't know how they could have received a promotion after so many consistent failures they've experienced at his hands. There was a feeling inside him though, it was a sense of nostalgia and felt as though he actually missed the goofy trio. They were villains, but they weren't all bad, they had formed alliances from time to time and they had become a major part of his journey by now.
"You miss them don't you?" Misty was able to analyze Ash and saw that the boy was actually missing the annoying trio. Pikachu also raised an eyebrow; he missed the people that tried to capture his first Pokémon so many times? He recalled all the moments he had with those three clowns, but quickly felt like Ash; he had worked alongside them more than once before, to stop a much greater threat. Meowth was the most notable ally, Pikachu had in these times and accepted that even he felt a little sadness for those guys, he wondered if they got fired for so many constant failures…
Misty soon noticed that now both of them were experiencing this feeling and just let their feeling be. The two of them had so many conflicts with Team Rocket every day of their lives since the start of their journey that it had become daily for them to go against these guys at least once a day. Then again, they might have been participating in the gym attacks and just remembered how much she despised Team Rocket and their cruel ways.
Even after splitting with Ash, she had her moments with other Team Rocket operatives that tried to attack her gym or hurt her friends, and these grunts were much more violent than the goofy trio she encountered with Ash and Brock.
After a bit of walking and getting over the feeling of missing Team Rocket, they switched to another topic. This one however, was ignited by Pikachu. Apparently the Kanto Pokémon had grown anxious to hear about how his friends spent the days without him, from Gary's presence to Ash and May's current status.
"Pika pikachu pi," the mouse leaped off Ash's shoulder and got on the path to start the conversation.
"What's that Pikachu?" the raven-haired friend tried to listen to Pikachu again to comprehend what he exactly he said.
"I think he wants to know about what we did when he was gone Ash," the red-haired girl commented to Ash about this.
Ash hesitated at first, he already knew what Pikachu was looking for, but he decided to start off simple. "Gary was here Pikachu, and we battled. We ended in a tie, but Gary said I earned the victory and declared me winner anyway. The other day you were without us was a day off from training, we went off to the carnival that was here, and later that day is when we went to look for Drew, after I decided that we should look for him now and put a rest to May's worries once and for all."
Pikachu seemed a bit sad that he had missed the carnival, but Ash told him more about how they searched for Drew and quickly understood that part of the problem. Ash was the one behind the whole search party in the end, Misty had also spoken and stated Ash suggested the hour and day to search for Drew, which was that very same day. The Pokémon did not know what Ash was thinking, since this was Drew and he would prove a threat to Ash and May, even though he wasn't as stuck-up as before. Pikachu could feel how much Ash might have regretted it, but like usual, he had done it out of the kindness of his heart to satisfy his friends, especially May.
There was still more to hear, he was sure about it, Ash just didn't want to tell him. "Pipipi Pikapi!" the Pikachu exclaimed to his friend, Ash and Misty soon knew what Pikachu was demanding.
Misty smiled slyly at Ash as they looked at each other. She offered to give him the spotlight, and Ash knew that Pikachu wanted to hear the most interesting part about all this, the part he had been holding back, and he knew that he had taken advantage of Drew's absence to be with May.
"Ok, the day I battled Gary. I went off with May later on; we had some ice cream and played at the park. We shared affectionate moments, we played tag and hide and seek, then we fell asleep under a tree," Ash stated all this and Misty giggled at how the raven-haired trainer was embarrassed to recall all this and had mentioned it all in a rush.
"Pikachu," the Electric-type Pokémon crossed his arms and grinned cunningly. That's all he needed, the rest he would picture in his head where the two of them would be attacking like kids younger than ten.
They were finally approaching the house and by then it had been night. Misty realized that all the talking had made them slow down. It wasn't too late though, some house lights were still on in the town and the trio walked to the doorstep of the house.
Much to their surprise, they found a sleeping Drew on his bed already with pajamas too. Beside him was May, who had also fallen asleep with her head lying on the bed, in a similar style Ash usually did when Pikachu was injured and Ash slept beside the bed. They quickly wondered what was going on; it was too early to fall asleep.
Suddenly, Delia came out of the kitchen washing some dishes. "It's nice to see you all again," the mother spoke softly to provoke the pair of coordinators from waking up. Pikachu happily smiled and rushed to the mother of his trainer and Delia cuddled him, "Welcome back Pikachu."
Pikachu stayed on Ash's mom's shoulder as she asked the two teens, "Drew and May, already told me the whole thing about the burns and why'd you come later. Did you get anything to eat at Professor Oak's?"
"Yeah we did mom, so why are Drew and May asleep?" the raven-haired trainer was more focused on the fact that May and Drew had fallen asleep so early.
Misty had also seemed concerned about as well as Pikachu. "Oh well, May had been extremely tired since she got here and about Drew, I gave him some medicine so that he wouldn't feel the pain of the scorch marks mixed with the cuts and bruises he had gained. By the time he reached he almost dropped on the floor and May was worried, when we checked his leg with the widest gash, it burned marks surrounding it. The fire had been strong enough to penetrate through his pants, which had also burned and the medicine has the side-effect of putting you to sleep for some time."
Ash, Misty, and Pikachu collected the info and were relieved that Drew was alright after hearing that he had been injured pretty bad after all. "I'll finish washing the dishes and go upstairs. If you don't mind, can one of you take May upstairs to her bed?"
"Right away," Misty told the mother of Ash Ketchum and slowly picked up May from her chair, she did this gently to prevent her from waking up and Ash offered to help, but the girl said she could handle it. Pikachu then walked to Ash as they both saw Misty walk off with a sleeping May in the same form Ash had done to Misty, two days ago.
The black-haired teen then went with his Pikachu to the phone. "Pika?" the Electric-type asked him what he was up to.
"I'm going to call Brock, Pikachu," the messy haired Pallet resident told his friend and began dialing the numbers.
Pikachu got on Ash's shoulder and for a few seconds they heard beeping sounds until their favorite chef answered the phone. "Ash, Pikachu how are you? I was thinking about how you were doing."
"Brock, I'm sorry there was just to so many things to do, some bad, some good and I didn't really have the time to call," the raven-haired trainer spoke to Brock, apologizing for not updating him after a bit.
"Relax Ash, just start from the beginning," the Pewter resident told Ash.
For about ten minutes, Ash had explained to Brock about everything that happened. The man that wanted to become a Pokémon Doctor was surprised more and more with every comment Ash had. He mentioned about the various conflicts that had broken out between Drew and Ash over May secretly, and how Drew had a black aura that provoked him to leave. When Ash explained that and the connection to Ash's own experience with such an aura made Brock agree that there had been something fishy behind it.
Ash proceeded to talk about the investigation, Pikachu's injuries, Gary's presence, May and Ash's personal time, the carnival, and finding Drew once again. Brock was taken by shock when he heard Gary was there, he was glad to see Pikachu on his feet again after the incident Ash told him about, and was also proud of his younger friend's progress.
His focus, however revolved around the evidence that supposedly connected to Drew, and Ash explained to him that Drew had apparently lost bits of his memory, and stated the things Drew had said while he was out in the wild. Brock was easily convinced that Drew lost his memory during the attack he faced, just like everyone else and felt sympathy for the boy.
"This is all big news Ash, how do you plan on fixing it?" the older friend asked Ash.
"I'm not sure, Gary said to drop the case since Drew hasn't done anything out of the ordinary, but if he ever did we'd have to figure it out once and for all," the auburn-eyed teen explained the plan and Brock nodded, agreeing that, that was the best thing to do due to the lack of evidence to connect all this.
"What about May?" the former gym leader questioned.
Ash sighed, "I don't know Brock, we had ice cream, played at the park, went to the carnival, but it doesn't look like it was enough. She's been paying attention to Drew the whole, she was mothering him because of his injuries and now they're both asleep."
Brock shook his head, "Don't worry Ash, I know you can do this. You're getting closer, but you'll just need to try harder. Hey can you do me a favor?"
"Yeah Brock?" the raven-haired teen was all ears with Pikachu beside him.
"I have an exam tomorrow and I really need to study for it. I would love to talk to you longer Ash, but tonight isn't giving me time, so we can discuss this tomorrow if you can call me at this hour as well. What do you think?" the brother-like figure of Ash seemed like he really needed to study and Ash quickly understood.
"Alright Brock, I understand really. I would feel that way about training for a gym badge or the Pokémon League, I'll see you tomorrow then," the Pallet teen waved goodbye to his friend.
"Thank you Ash, I promise I'll be able to talk tomorrow, see ya," the older friend smiled in a friendly manner and waved as they both vanished from their screens.
Ash and Pikachu were disappointed at not having spoken too much time with Brock since it had only been about ten minutes, but they nodded, they knew their friend was busy these days and wouldn't always be there.
Misty came downstairs, having already put on her pajamas and brushed her teeth, it was almost eight now that he thought about it. "You going to change in to your pajamas and brush too Ash?" the red-head questioned him.
"Yep," Ash went with Pikachu to change and brush.
Misty was left alone, she had already left May sleeping in her room and changed in to her nightwear, but she had nothing to do. Then she yawned and thought that she might just be sleeping early as well.
Ash quickly came down, he was all set for the night as well and Delia came out of the kitchen. She had also yawned, "Goodnight kids, sweet dreams," Ash's mother smiled and went upstairs.
"Thank you," the pair spoke simultaneously while Pikachu smiled at the loving mother.
They were left alone and realized the tired looks they had, they thought that they had woken up too early this morning, explaining the reason they were so tired. After two crazy days in a row, it was time for a rest. Misty grinned at Ash sweetly, "Goodnight Ash…"
Ash smirked kindly at the girl, "Goodnight Misty," and suddenly leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. Misty and Pikachu were surprised at what he had done, but the girl giggled softly and walked upstairs.
Ash then turned off the lights and slipped in to his inflatable bed with Pikachu next to him.. "Pika pi?" the Pikachu was shocked at what Ash did, he thought he would only do that to May, but now Misty?
"I'll explain tomorrow Pikachu, I'm really tired right now," Ash yawned again and told Pikachu to leave it for tomorrow.
Pikachu sighed; he was going to seek answers tomorrow. They wished each other goodnight and closed their eyes. Pikachu descended to sleep quickly, but for some reason Ash had been unable to fall asleep. He was tired, but his eyes wouldn't close permanently for some reason, he sighed. He felt that something was wrong with him lately, really wrong, and it all started the day they found Drew. All that paranoia could be felt inside him and for an hour Ash tossed and turned in his bed.
"Ash…" a voice was heard and almost made the messy haired teen's skin crawl.
"Relax, it's just me Drew," the voice of the coordinator stated and had sensed Ash's panic.
Ash calmed down and spoke, "Drew, aren't you supposed to be asleep?" The trainer sat up to look at the coordinator that also sat up in the darkness.
"I woke up," the green-haired coordinator plainly stated to him.
"Well what's wrong?" the raven-haired trainer questioned his friend.
"Before I finally call it a day, I had to tell you something," the tone of the coordinator was soft.
"What's that?" the auburn-eyed teen was puzzled by what Drew said.
"Thank you for convincing me to stay Ash, I don't know I would've done if you let me go off like that. From here all I want to stay is, let the best man win," the emerald-eyed rival spoke with a kind voice, something he didn't usually do.
Ash raised an eyebrow, he was surprised by the way Drew was speaking, but he didn't understand what he meant with may the best man win. "What do you mean Drew?"
"I'm talking about May, Ash, let the best man win. Whatever the outcome may be, let's promise to never repeat the same scenes we created, before I went off. You aren't my friend Ash, but you aren't my enemy either and I respect in the end so let the best man win," Drew stated that line one last time.
Ash smiled, he turned to Pikachu, who was sleeping. He wished that his pal could've heard that, but he turned to Drew and grinned. "Thank you Drew, and I respect you in the end too. Let the best man win…"
Drew nodded and the two slowly went back to sleep, they said goodnight and Ash had finally been able to sleep. His stress had been relieved for the night and gently let the sleep consume him; Drew was also falling asleep, but not before smiling. He had made an official friendly rivalry with the person he had despised at the beginning of this trip and now things were different.