This is the last chapter in the story, but there's still an epilogue. The epilogue won't focus on Ash and May though; instead it will concentrate on some of the other elements introduced in the story. For now though, let's enjoy this last chapter ok?
Chapter 50: Half of My Heart
Ash, May, and Pikachu got off-board the ship with all their stuff and were happily greeted by May's family. Caroline and Norman hugged their daughter, "Sweetie, it is so nice to see you," Caroline kissed her daughter's head.
"We can't wait to hear all about the adventures you had in Pallet Town," Norman stated as he held her daughter.
"It's nice to see you guys again too and there are so many things to tell," May smiled as she hugged her parents too.
Ash and Pikachu smiled as they were greeted by Max, "Ash, Pikachu! It's been such a long time; I've missed you guys so much!"
"Pikapi!" Pikachu leaped towards Max and the little boy hugged the mouse.
"Hey Max, you've grown so much. We've missed you a lot too," Ash received a hug from the little boy as he still held on to Pikachu too.
When Norman and Caroline finished hugging, they turned their attention to Ash. "Ash, it certainly has been a long time. I was wondering if we'd ever meet again," Norman smiled warmly at the raven-haired boy.
"Ash, it's so wonderful to see you in Hoenn again. Thank you for taking care of our daughter during her stay," Max and May's mother greeted and thanked the young man.
"It wasn't any trouble Caroline, but I'm glad to see all of you again. How's the gym stuff going?" Ash warmly replied to the loving parents.
"Why don't we discuss this over lunch at our home," May and Max's father suggested kindly.
May and Ash's stomachs grumbled because of hunger and laughed with embarrassed expressions. Max put his palm on his face and said, "Some things just never change."
Everyone laughed and walked to Norman's jeep, which took a while because of all the autograph signing the man had to do, but they managed to avoid enough fans to reach the jeep. Then May's family took off with Ash and Pikachu.
At May's Home
Everyone sat at the dinner table and ate some steak that Caroline prepared before going to the port. "So you three arrived rather early," Norman discussed about their early arrival.
"Yeah, we were surprised too, but that ship turned out to be really were fast," May explained to her father.
"It's supposed to be the fastest ship around, but it was a fun ride too," Ash added on to what May said.
"Really, what did you guys do?" Max asked with curiosity.
"Well first we got to meet the great-grandson of the guy that invented Pokeballs!" Max's older sister stated with a squealing sound because of the opportunity she experienced.
"You're kidding!" Max exclaimed with shock.
"That's wonderful honey," Caroline commented about the meeting.
"Yep and then he signed us up for a tag team battle going on the cruise. We won and got awarded with these watches," Ash spoke and he and May showed their C-Gears.
Max grabbed the C-Gears with an even more shocked expression, "No way! These are C-Gears, I read about them a few weeks ago! They aren't supposed to be out here until like next month!"
"Someone has been going his research," May grabbed the C-Gear from Max and teased.
"Hey May, I didn't finish looking at it!" the little boy complained.
"Just look at Ash's, Max, besides I'm afraid you might break it," May answered him with a stern voice.
"Here you go Max," Ash handed over his C-Gear for Max to admire.
Max smiled, "This is why I prefer Ash as an older sibling than you." The little boy then stuck his tongue out.
"Why you!" May lunged at him to give him a piece of her mind, but Ash grabbed her with Pikachu just in time.
"Take it easy May, let's keep telling your parent's about the fun time we had," the black-haired teen laughed at his girlfriend's antics.
"Ok," May sighed and looked at her chuckling parents. "Well anyone, In Pallet we had a great time too. Drew and Misty were also there so it made it even better. We went to the carnival; we did lots of training, and had some battles."
"Man, why couldn't I have gone!" Max said in disappointment because of the fact that his parents didn't let him travel to Kanto.
Norman shook his head, "That's great. Did you get stronger May?"
"You bet she did, she did amazing in today's battle," Ash told Norman with a happy tone.
"Of course, there were some rough times too," May stepped into the conversation again with a much more serious voice.
"What do you mean sweetie?" Caroline looked at her daughter strangely.
"We got into some trouble with some guy dressed in black. Ash and Drew were having a battle out by the meadow until we were attacked by a guy with an all Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon team," the brunette spoke as she recalled the horrible struggle they faced that day.
"Wait a minute, I read about this guy on the paper just a few days ago. I also received a call from the Pokémon League stating that he officially became one of the most wanted around the four regions," Norman commented with a rather stern tone.
Max became a little frightened when he heard about this man. Is there anyone who's strong enough to get the Pokémon League's attention like that? The boy wondered.
"He almost, well we probably wouldn't be here right now if we hadn't pulled through that day," Ash stated with a serious attitude, he implied the fact that they could have died.
Norman became horrified, "How on earth did you pull through?"
"We were saved by another man dressed exactly like the way who attacked us, except he had a Lucario with him and he actually managed to fight hard enough to cause the other to escape," May explained with more detail.
Everyone including Pikachu remained silent, but then Caroline sighed, "At least you are safe and sound now."
"Yes, thank goodness, but now let's move on to a lighter topic," Norman let out a deep breath and smiled.
The teenagers nodded and Caroline spoke again, "May, Ash, isn't there something you'd like to tell Norman about?"
"You didn't tell dad?" May asked with a worried look, she thought that Caroline would have saved them from her father's unexpected reaction.
"I wanted him to hear it from you two," the brunette mother winked.
"Tell me what?" Norman looked at the couple with a confused face.
"Norman, I don't know how tell you this, we didn't really prepare for it, but I-I-I'm," Ash became tense and laughed nervously while putting his hand behind his hand back.
Norman became a little impatient, "You're what?"
"Ash and I are dating," May put her and Ash's hands on the table, she said it as quick as possible to avoid the awkward feeling inside her.
"I knew it!" Max got up from his chair and yelled while Pikachu chuckled with Caroline.
Ash and May stared at Norman while they still held hands; they quietly waited for a response, telling the girl's father about the relationship was always hardest. Norman got up, closed his eyes and frowned. He then opened his eyes and hugged Ash.
"This wonderful news!" the grown man let out with cheer, he had been waiting for this for such a longtime that he almost lost faith at this point.
May giggled, she was pleased with her father's reaction. Ash let out a sigh of relief and smiled, "You're daughter is a wonderful person Norman and I'm fortunate to have her in my life."
Norman let go and smiled with his wife. May said, "Awww," and gave her boyfriend a peck on the cheek that made the boy blush as red as May's blouse.
"I knew that you'd come back with a boyfriend, but I didn't know if it was going to be Drew or Ash. Either way, I guess I'm happy for you two as long as you don't kiss in front of me, it's gross," Max congratulated his sister.
"Thank you Max," the older sister hugged him tightly, tightly enough to suffocate him just because of his last comment.
Max got his sister off him, who gave him a sneaky smile. "You're going to be just like that in a few years Max, so be careful with what you say," Norman informed his younger child.
"By the way May, what happened to Drew, he obviously had feelings for you too, but how did he react about the whole thing?" Caroline asked his daughter.
"Drew left to Sinnoh a few days ago, on the same day Misty did. He told me that he loved me, but after some stuff he started to believe that I was happier with Ash, so he dropped the flag," May told the mother about Drew.
"That was sweet of him," Caroline smiled at the fact that Drew would consider May's happiness so much like that.
"Speaking of Drew leaving to Sinnoh, mom told dad and I that you guys are leaving to Unova tomorrow?" Max asked the pair.
"That's right," Ash smiled with enthusiasm.
"Indeed it is, I've only been to Unova once as a teenager, but it certainly is a beautiful place. It's far, but it's worth the ride," Norman gave his opinion about Unova.
"Ash and I heard that Unova holds both a Pokémon League and a Grand Festival, so we figured why not go there. Besides, according to everyone, Unova is home to a lot of tourism," May talked about Unova.
"Yes, Unova happens to be home to the largest metropolis in the world. It's supposed to be ten times larger than Petalburg City too, so that will be fun for you two," Norman added on, he was clearly talking about Castelia City.
"Can you bring me back something May?" Max pleaded to his older sister.
"Of course I will Max, I might even bring you a Pokémon from Unova," the girl winked at him.
Max hugged his sister, "Thanks May."
Ash grinned at the sibling love, "Hey Max, so when do you get your first Pokémon?"
"I turn 10 in a few months so soon!" the dark-haired boy spoke with eagerness.
"That's great, maybe we can have a battle when I get back from Unova," the auburn-eyed boy stated.
"Yeah and I'll win," Max said with confidence and Ash smiled as he admired the little boy's confidence.
"So why don't you kids go along with Max and explore Petalburg City since you're leaving tomorrow," Norman recommended to the kids.
"That's a great idea, let's go May," Ash told his girlfriend to come along.
"Right behind you," May grinned as they left the room with Max and Pikachu right behind them.
They exited the house and wondered where they should go, "Hmmm, where do you think we should go?"
"I'm not sure Ash," May was unsure about where to go.
"Let's go downtown, there's always cool stuff going on there," Max said as he moved forward with Pikachu on his shoulder.
"Good idea," May complimented her little brother.
"Of course it's a good idea because I said it," the boy in the green shirt teased.
May glared at Max for his wise guy comment until Ash told her to calm down. "Come on May, let's have fun," the boy grabbed his girlfriend's hand and kissed her forehead, which she returned with a kiss on the lips.
Luckily Max hadn't seen it since he was walking along with Pikachu, Ash and May followed close behind them after the sweet gesture between the two.
Downtown Petalburg
"Look at all this stuff, so many Pokeballs and Pokedolls. They even have Dialga and Palkia Pokedolls!" Max admired the things on the window display with Pikachu.
"This is Poke R Us, dad use to bring me here when I was little to buy me Pokedolls of Pokémon like Torchic and Skitty. Now he just brings Max since I'm always traveling," May told Ash as she admired the giant toy store.
Ash looked at May and then at the toy store, "Come on May, let's go inside. I'll buy you and your brother something."
"You mean that!" Max and May exclaimed simultaneously.
Ash nodded and the group of four rushed inside. They went to the Pokedoll section of the store where they found lots of plush dolls of all kinds. "Hey Pikachu, want to help me find a cool Pokedoll?" Max asked the yellow mouse.
"Pi!" the little Pokémon said yes and ran off with Max.
"What Pokedoll do you want May?" Ash asked his beloved.
"You're too much Ash, you're just too nice to everyone and you treat me like your queen. Thank you for being the best thing to happen to me," the sapphire-eyed girl hugged him and lifted her leg like a typical girl.
Ash smiled and hugged her back with all his affection. At that moment May spotted the perfect Pokedoll. "Ash, can you please buy me that one?"
"Of course," Ash looked to see where May was pointing and found a Manaphy doll in front of him. It was perfect.
Ash grabbed the blue plush toy, which happened to be very soft like a pillow. He and May remembered the Manaphy they encountered a long time ago and recalled the fact that Manaphy considered May the mother and Ash the father. It was an adorable Pokémon, the swimming and all the other activities done with Manaphy were unforgettable.
The raven-haired teen got the plush toy off the shelf and smiled at May, "Let's go pay for it."
"Hey Ash, I found the Pokedoll I want. It's this one!" Max showed the Pallet boy a plush toy version of Arceus.
"Arceus, cool Max," the boy grinned and had a little flashback of the creator of the Pokémon world.
"Yep, what did you pick May?" the little boy asked.
"This," May showed him Manaphy with a smile. Max and Pikachu grinned at her; they too momentarily remembered the old times with Manaphy.
"Let's go to the counter guys," Ash told them and they went to pay.
There an old woman smiled at them, "Ah, a fine pair of Pokedolls. Might I ask who these are for?"
"It's for us," May and max answered at the same time.
"These Pokedolls are made of the finest material around, you two are very lucky to have picked this set. That will be $50 please," the lady asked politely.
Max and May were surprised at how pricey the Pokedolls were, but Ash paid without a problem and the woman returned the Pokedolls. "Thank you for stopping by," the woman waved goodbye and the children waved back too.
After exiting the toy store Ash handed over Max's toy, "Here you go Max."
Max grinned happily, "Gee thanks a lot Ash, you're the best."
"And this is for you," Ash gave May the Manaphy with his warmest smile.
"Thank you so much Ashy," May closed her eyes and pecked him on the lips.
Pikachu smiled at the sweet moment while Max said, "Hey what did I say about the kissing!"
"Oh, get over it you little brat!" May scolded at Max.
"Take it easy May, he's your little brother," Ash calmed her down yet again.
May sighed, "You're right Ash, I'm sorry for yelling at you Max."
Max gave her a sheepish smile, "No May, I guess I should be apologizing this time. You two are clearly crazy for each other so I guess you have the right to be affectionate."
His older sister gave him a kind smile, "Thank you, you're the best little brother anyone could ask for."
The four smiled until someone called out Ash and May. "Ash, May?"
They turned around and their eyes shined as bright as the sun. In front of them stood a young girl with blue hair next to a guy with purple hair.
"Dawn!" Ash and May screamed with joy.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu also got in front and shouted with happiness.
Dawn ran up to the three and they all shared a group hug, "Ash, May, Pikachu, it's great to see you guys again! I can't believe it!"
"It's great to see you Dawn!" Ash laughed and embraced his friend.
"Dawn I knew you were in Hoenn, but I didn't know you were in Petalburg," May held her friend's arms and smiled at her.
"What about you three, I thought you might still be in Johto and Ash I thought you and Pikachu were in Kanto!" the blunette spoke with great joy.
"There was a change of plans, as soon as I got back to Hoenn I went to Kanto and pay Ash a visit and I brought him back home with me," the brunette giggled and showed them holding hands.
"No way, you two are dating? This is great, Brock and I would always talk about this day when you went to Sinnoh, but I can't believe it finally happened. You guys are dating!" Dawn became overwhelmed by joy.
"Yeah, it took a while, but we did it," Ash smiled sheepishly.
"Hey, so you're Dawn?" Max got in the way of the reunion.
"Yes, and are you Max?" Dawn grinned at the little kid.
"Yeah, I'm May's younger brother. You're the one that beat my sister in the Wallace Cup right, you're the blue-haired friend she talked about," Max spoke with great admiration for the young coordinator.
"Yes, it's so great to finally meet you," Dawn giggled at the little boy.
"Likewise," the boy with glasses smiled.
Ash smiled at the two and turned his attention to the silent boy behind Dawn. "Hey Paul, when do you plan on saying hi?"
"When I feel the urge to," Paul came out from hiding and gave his signature arrogant smile.
"Great to see you too," Ash glared at his Sinnoh rival.
"So you're Paul, Ash has told me so much about you when I went to Sinnoh." May informed the purple-haired teen about her talk with Ash, regarding him.
"Yeah that's me. Pleasure to meet you, so you're the girl Ash has actually felt love for huh?" Paul teased Ash.
May giggled, "That's right, it's nice to meet you too Paul."
"How on earth did you manage to get girlfriend Ash?" the purple-haired teen questioned his rival.
"I have a heart, that's how," the black-haired boy gave Paul a cocky smile.
Paul closed his eyes and smiled, "Guess you beat me there."
"Wow, I can't believe I'm meeting Paul. I'm a huge fan! You're Electivire is incredible!" Max got between Ash and Paul.
The purple-haired teen gave Ash a smug smile and looked at Max, "Thanks, but that's nothing compared to what my Electivire is now. Speaking of Electric-types how's your Pikachu?"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu got on Ash's shoulder and gave Paul a smug smile.
"He's stronger than ever," Ash gave Paul an arrogant smile.
May and Dawn laughed at the competitive exchange between the boys. "So Dawn, how are the contests going?" the brunette asked her.
"It's going great; I just need one more ribbon before I'm all set for the Hoenn Grand Festival," the blue-eyed girl smiled at May.
"That's awesome Dawn," May congratulated her friend's achievements.
"What about you Paul? Are you still trying to prove yourself by finding Brandon?" Ash asked his rival.
"Yes and I just need two more frontier symbols before I find out his location. When I find him I'm going to beat him and then I'll come after you Ash," the dark-eyed teen informed the auburn-eyed boy.
"Does this mean you won't battle me until you do so?" the raven-haired teen asked Paul.
"That's right so if you plan asking me for a battle later, the answer is no," the boy closed his eyes and told Ash with a stern tone.
Ash hunched forward in disappointment with Pikachu as everyone laughed, even Paul, who managed to pull off a quick laugh.
Dawn then noticed the Manaphy in Mays arms, "May, did Ash buy you that?"
May blushed and grinned at her, "Yeah, isn't he sweet."
"Very, I didn't know you had it in you Ash," Dawn teased her friend, who turned red.
He saw Paul's sly smile and knew that he was taunting him about being such a lovebird, "What are you looking at?"
"Oh nothing, just taking pleasure out of all the teasing directed towards you," Paul made a wise guy comment.
Dawn giggled, while May hugged Ash to lighten him up and she smiled sheepishly. "May, how about we have a quick battle of our own, I'm curious to find out how strong you've gotten?"
"You bet, let's battle! I want to find out how strong you've gotten too," May gave her a confident smile.
Ash, Pikachu and Paul looked at the girls; they also became interested in seeing this battle. They both wondered who would come out victorious; Dawn and May were well-known around the four regions for their skill so it technically wouldn't be a "quick" battle.
The girls got out their Pokeballs, but Max intervened, "Hold it, I don't think it's safe to battle in the middle of a street, why don't we settle this at the park."
"Good idea," Dawn stated with her confident smile still on.
"The park is only a block away from here, let's go!" May ran with her Manaphy in her arm and Dawn followed close behind.
"I'll be the referee!" Max declared, having enough experience from helping in the gym to take the spot.
"Come on Paul," Ash smiled and ran with Pikachu, behind their friends.
"Right," the purple-haired teen said and ran too.
At the Park
"Sweetie, can you hold the Manaphy doll for me?" May asked Ash sweetly.
"Sure," the boy accepted the doll. He spoke again, "Hey May, good luck. I have your back," the boy winked at his lover and she blew a kiss at him
He sat on the grass next to Pikachu and Paul while Max got in the position of the referee. "So Paul, are you going to root for Dawn?" the messy-haired teen asked his friend.
"I guess, I've traveled long enough to see that she's a tough trainer," the boy remarked with a neutral voice.
"I assume you'll be cheering for May?" the teen asked Ash.
"Dawn is my friend, but May is my girlfriend, of course I'll be cheering for May," the black-haired teen told Paul.
"This one-on-one battle will be between May and Dawn, none of the trainers are allowed to switch Pokémon. Let the battle begin!" Max announced.
"I choose you Piplup!" Dawn released Piplup with eagerness. The little Water-type was surprised to see May and greeted the brunette. May smiled and saluted the Penguin Pokémon, but Piplup quickly got to business and became serious.
"Wartortle, let's show them what we're made of!" May smiled and chose her Water-type as well.
"Water Pokémon vs. water Pokémon, this should be interesting," Paul stared with interest.
"Piplup use Drill Peck!" Dawn commanded.
"Wartortle, counter Drill Peck with a Rapid Spin! May demanded.
Piplup spun its beak and rushed at an incredible speed towards Wartortle. Wartortle got in its shell and spun around at an alarming speed. Before they could collide though, Dawn made another command, "Piplup go underground!"
"What?" May was taken by surprise.
Piplup went underground while Wartortle missed its target. The Turtle Pokémon wasn't sure what to do and at that very instant Piplup came back to the surface and used Headbutt on Wartortle.
May frowned as Wartortle got up, "Wartortle use Bubble, then Ice Beam, and wrap it up with a Rapid Spin!"
Wartortle shot out multiple bubbles that were later frozen by its Ice Beam and then used Rapid Spin to increase the launch rate of the ice/water combination. The ice crystal balls came in Piplup's direction like bombs.
"Piplup shred them with Drill Peck!" Dawn called out and extended her arm forward.
Piplup's Drill Peck easily broke through any incoming frozen bubbles and aimed for Wartortle. "Wartortle use Rapid Spin and Water Gun!"
"Piplup stop and use Ice Beam on the water!" the blunette countered May's command.
The quick Penguin Pokémon froze the water and what was now ice dropped to the ground and broke into pieces.
Ash, May, Max and Pikachu were all surprised with Dawn's ability to counter all of Wartortle's attacks so quickly. Paul was the only who smiled with confidence, Dawn truly is phenomenal.
I'm going to have to use stronger combinations if I want to get to Piplup. "Wartortle use Rapid Spin and then use Water Gun and Ice Beam repeatedly!" May yelled out another combination.
Wartortle spun around again and this time shot out Water Gun like projectiles, which were then frozen by Ice Beam and heading straight for Piplup like ice missiles. Dawn frowned, "Piplup use Drill Peck again!"
Piplup managed to break through some of the ice missiles, but with difficulty. Eventually Piplup could no longer withstand the brute force the ice missiles and flew back. May smiled confidently while Dawn gave a sly smile, impressed by the technique.
"Impressive May, but I'm going to kick things up a notch now. Piplup use Whirlpool" Dawn warned her rival and Piplup prepared its attack.
"Bring it Dawn," May grinned slyly. Piplup shot out a large water-like tornado, which Piplup went inside of and began moving.
The small penguin began to control the Whirlpool's movements and moved towards Wartortle. "Wartortle use Ice Beam to stop that Whirlpool!" May exclaimed.
The ensuing battle eventually caught the attention of bystanders and watched the battle in awe. May's Wartortle then used Ice Beam on Whirlpool.
"Piplup shoot out of there!" Dawn demanded and Piplup shot out like a rocket while the Whirlpool became a frozen statue. "Now Piplup, use Drill Peck on the Whirlpool so Ice Balls shoot out in a direction!"
Piplup then aimed towards the Whirlpool with its peck and destroyed the frozen tornado. Chunks of ice shot out in all direction, including towards Wartortle's direction. "Wartortle, break through the ice with Rapid Spin!"
Wartortle cut through the ice easily and came out of its shell once the ice stopped flying everywhere. "Wartortle use Bubble!" May made a fist of determination.
"Piplup counter it with a Counter Shield!" Dawn commanded and caught everyone by surprise, except for Paul. Like Pikachu, Piplup spun around, except bubbles shot out.
The bubbles unleashed clashed with each other while creating multiple little explosions in mid-air. "That's the way Dawn," Paul said as he stared intently at the battle.
Ash and Pikachu looked at Paul, "She sure has gotten a lot stronger huh Pikachu?"
Pikachu nodded and then Paul interrupted, "It's her willpower, she learned that from you. Her style has a sort of resemblance to yours, except she does it much more eloquently."
"You've learned a lot about Dawn through observing her battling right Paul?" the raven-haired teen asked him.
"Yes, I never noticed it during Sinnoh because it was more important to focus on you, since you would eventually be my opponent in the Pokémon League. Now though, I see that Dawn has extraordinary capability, it's not of this world," Paul closed his eyes and said sternly as a light red color showed on his face.
Ash and Pikachu smiled, "You know, if you like Dawn you should just say it. No shame in hiding yourself under that cold exterior."
"Who said I liked her?" the purple-haired teen spat at him.
"I'm not as dense as I use to be Paul; you've made it way too obvious. I think you should tell her sometime, you know take advantage of the fact that you're traveling together, besides I think she might like you too. Despite your aggressive attitude, she always admired your battling skills, that's for sure," Ash explained everything to Paul with detail.
Paul looked at him and frowned, "Humph, when did you start to mature?"
Ash grinned at him, "Just a week ago."
"Tell me Ash, how you won May's love?" the purple-haired teen asked with slight interest.
"It wasn't easy because I had competition with another boy who went to Kanto with her. He and I always argued, but eventually even he realized that May seemed happier when she was around me. He is a great person and we managed to become friends, despite our differences. I think he noticed this and saw that a person like that could help May reach for something more, I knew May since Day 1 of her journey and she adopted a lot of my techniques, I never judged her. He would though, because he had this ego kind of like yours that would sometimes get in the way of him and his emotions, it's something he couldn't rub off and when he noticed it, he knew that someone gentler and supporting needed to be with May." Ash closed his eyes and recalled the antagonistic moments with Drew.
"After learning enough from me, he dropped out and it was up to me now to win May's love. We shared so many moments together that were bad and good, but they were needed to spawn the love that we have now. She knew how much I did for her and I knew how much she had done for me, this thing of always picking each other up after falling down hard, ultimately formed that love because that friendship became stronger than anything else. Our friendship served as the basis to what we are today, that's why you should always be there for Dawn, and she's earned a partner that could support her, someone like you that can make her stronger. Sadly, I can't be there for her anymore, so I'm leaving it up to you, you are Dawn's mentor now, but you are also her friend now. From here, you have to find the strength to build on that, please Paul. She's like a little sister to me and she deserves so much more now because she's come so far," the black-haired teen gave the invisible torch that would guide Paul in the same way it guided him with May and Dawn.
Paul gave him a blank look, but then spoke, "I didn't know she meant this much to you."
"She means a lot to me like all my other friends, so please take care of her after I'm gone. Give her that love I sought out with May," the auburn-eyed boy spoke with a warm tone.
Ash's rival frowned at him, but then smiled, "I will Ash. I'll be there for her now. After all the good things you've done for people, you've earned someone like May."
"Now it's your turn," Ash spoke like a mentor to Paul, regarding love. For Paul the irony was all too obvious, this boy didn't know what love even was when they battled through Sinnoh, but now he was different. May matured him in ways that surprised him, in a good way.
Ash turned his attention to the battle, "Now why don't we focus back on this battle?" Paul nodded and they looked at Dawn and may battle. Ash shifted his head to Pikachu and they gave each other a wink because of the job they had done with helping Paul identify his role now. Ash thought of himself differently now when it came to love, he probably had friends like Pikachu and Brock to thank for that because when his relationship started, it was their advice like the Charizard flight and picnic thing that helped them progress as couple more efficiently, but from here he felt that he could finally do it on his own.
"Piplup use a Big Bubble and then Ice Beam!" the blunette commanded.
A large bubble was released by Piplup that aimed for Wartortle. "Smash that with Aqua Tail," May demanded.
The large ice ball shattered when Wartortle hit it with Aqua Tail. May came up with an idea when she saw Piplup use a technique like that. "Ok Wartortle, use Rapid Spin, then Hydro Pump, and finish it with Ice Beam!"
Wartortle got in his shell and shot out Hydro Pump with Ice Beam like earlier with Water Gun, except now the Ice Beam and Hydro Pump formed large ice balls. Dawn became frustrated; Piplup couldn't drill through something like that.
"Piplup go underground!" The Penguin Pokémon managed to avoid the large ice balls, but for how long? "Piplup use Whirlpool!" Dawn shouted and a large Whirlpool burst from underground that encircled Wartortle while still in Rapid Spin form.
May groaned, "Wartortle try to redirect that Whirlpool at Piplup with Rapid Spin!"
Wartortle spun around furiously; the speed he had gathered up was enough for him to redirect the Whirlpool. "Piplup use Ice Beam!"
While Piplup successfully froze the Whirlpool, Wartortle broke though it and shattered the frozen statue in the process. Still in Rapid Spin, Wartortle hit Piplup with incredible speed.
Piplup got up, but before Dawn could make another command, May borrowed a trick from Ash, "Wartortle use Hydro Pump on the holes that Piplup dug up!" Ash smiled at May's technique and when they caught eye of each other, they winked.
Hydro Pump burst from underground and hit Piplup yet again, causing the Penguin Pokémon to fly off. Dawn made another command as Piplup got on its feet when it landed, "Piplup use BubbleBeam and then Ice Beam!"
Piplup shot out a barrage of bubbles that were frozen by Ice Beam and aimed towards Wartortle. "Counter it with the same technique Wartortle," May ordered and Wartortle also made ice balls that crashed with others and created little sparkles. Some ice balls however, hit Piplup and Wartortle.
When they got up, both were clearly exhausted. May and Dawn intended to finish this now, "Piplup use Hydro Pump!"
"Wartortle use all your energy to bash through the water with Rapid Spin!" May demanded and her Turtle Pokémon began to spin again.
Both Pokémon struggled to gain the upper hand, but Wartortle broke through the powerful Hydro Pump and sent Piplup flying. Wartortle got out of his shell and gasped for air, clearly tired from exerting so much power.
Piplup got up because of its persistent attitude and frowned at Wartortle. Dawn and May blankly stared at their Pokémon. Wartortle and Piplup let out deep breaths and fainted together. The crowd clapped the girls' performance and left as soon as it was over.
Everyone was surprised when they saw that it ended in a tie. "Piplup and Wartortle are unable to battle; this match ends in a tie!" Max declared when the battle was officially over.
Dawn returned Piplup and May returned Wartortle; both warmly thanked their Pokémon for their great efforts. Dawn walked over to May and smiled, "That was a fun battle, guess we're both equally strong huh?"
"Yeah, it looks that way. Thank you for an enjoyable battle," May replied with a kind grin.
"Thank you May," Dawn thanked May instead.
The boys ran up to the girls. "That was amazing, it was the best battle I've seen in forever," Max praised the girls, whom thanked him.
"You guys were great out there," Ash congratulated them with Pikachu.
"That is battle that could be considered on par with the ones they hold at Grand Festivals," Paul complimented.
"Thanks guys," the girls thanked them at the same time.
"Hey the sun is almost setting, we should probably get back home," Max told May as the sky became orange.
"Yeah, hey why don't you guys come along? I'm sure our mom and dad would be happy to let you sleepover tonight," May told them.
"Really, thank you May," Dawn thanked her friend while Paul gave her a half-grin.
They all walked to together to the house. On the way, Dawn asked them about their plans, "So what do you lovebirds plan to do?"
"We're heading to the Unova Region tomorrow morning," Ash told his close friend.
"Unova, that's a far region," Paul commented.
"Yeah, but since Ash has been to all four regions, we considered going somewhere completely new," May explained it to Paul.
"Unova is a good option if you plan to start from scratch. There are lots of interesting Pokémon there and they have the toughest league among the five regions," Paul stated what he knew about Unova.
Ash would feel his blood boil from the talks about battling; Unova would surely be a fresh new start. Dawn then spoke, "You plan on winning the Unova Grand Festival too, May?"
"You bet, I'm ready for anything and this will be much easier now that I feel like I have everything that makes me stronger," May took a glimpse of Ash as they held hands and walked together.
"Do you plan on staying in Petalburg for a day?" Max asked Dawn and Paul.
"No, Dawn's contest is in less than a week so we can't afford to waste too much time. The walk is pretty long since it's all the way in Rustboro City," Paul informed the little boy
Max looked disappointed when he heard that, but Dawn spoke to him, "Hey Max, if we can we'll stop by Petalburg again and visit ok?"
Max's face lightened up, "Awesome!"
Dawn smiled, but her attention shifted to Ash and May when she saw them rub their hands.
"Hey, so when's the wedding?" Dawn teased the couple and they turned red.
Everyone laughed together as they continued walking to May's house.
At May's Home
"It's so great that you get to sleepover, come on the Pokémon are hidden around here somewhere," Max spoke excitedly as he led the group around the greenhouse after Norman and Caroline met Dawn and Paul, whom they were happy to have over.
"Your father is considered one of the toughest gym leaders around May; he must gain a lot of publicity for his abilities," Paul stated as they walked.
"He does and it's kind of annoying sometimes, but that's what you get when you're that good I guess," May responded Paul.
When they arrived at the spot the Pokémon usually hang out by, they found Slaking, Vigoroth, Slakoth, Blaziken, and Venusaur. "Professor Oak must have transferred the Pokémon when we were out, I guess it's time I let out my other Pokémon!" May released Skitty, Munchlax, Wartortle, Beautifly, and Glaceon.
"May you're Pokémon look stronger than ever," Dawn complimented her friend.
May grinned at her, "Thanks Dawn, but we always have more training to do."
"Speaking of strong Pokémon, Norman's Pokémon look just as strong, Max do you think your father would like to have a battle with me?" Ash asked the youngest friends.
"No way, the gym is busier than usual and dad is always tired now. Besides, the gym is always in a bad condition after a hard day's work, right now the employees must be cleaning it," Max explained why Ash wouldn't be able to have his battle.
Ash looked disappointed, "Guess I won't have a battle until I get to Unova."
"May, do you plan on just taking one Pokémon to Unova just like Ash always does?" her little brother asked her.
"I still don't know," May wondered.
"You should probably decide now, since your departure is so early you most likely won't have time to think it through tomorrow," Paul suggested.
"Yeah Paul's right, if you want I can help you decide May," Ash told his partner.
"Thanks honey," the brunette smiled.
All of May's Pokémon got together so May could pick one of them. They all are exceptionally powerful, but she felt it was best to only take one so she could get a fresh new start and get new Pokémon in Unova. The more May thought, some of the Pokémon actually fell asleep.
Skitty and Munchlax fell asleep after a few minutes. "Looks like two don't seem very interested in traveling right now May," Ash laughed.
"Guess you're right," May said as she glared a little them because of their disinterest in regards to traveling.
Glaceon and Beautiful came up to May, Beautifly got on May's shoulder while Glaceon rubbed on her leg. "I think they want to stay May, they seem to like hanging out in the greenhouse and they're always happy when it comes to helping Caroline around the house."
"You think so Ash?" the brunette looked at him; Ash nodded and decided that her two other faithful Pokémon should stay too.
They were now down to three Pokémon. The thinking became much more critical, but then May noticed Max whispering to himself. "Please don't pick Venusaur or Wartortle," the boy repeated it several times.
"What's wrong Max?" May asked him.
Max looked at her with a worried look, "May please don't take Wartortle or Venusaur. They're so much; it's much less lonelier around here when they're around please."
"Awww," Dawn looked at the boy with sympathy.
May looked at Venusaur and Wartortle, whom smiled, they didn't seem to mind staying with little Max. "I guess, it's settled then, Blaziken we're going to Unova." May grinned confidently at her first Pokémon.
Ash knew that Blaziken would be her choice, even if all the other Pokémon wanted to go. Blaziken was May's first Pokémon and she had the same bond with him like he did with Pikachu, who he petted at that moment.
"Blaziken!" the Hoenn starter fired up a little, he was clearly excited for the challenges that would wait in Unova.
"Pikachu chu!" Pikachu got on the floor and made a fist. The mouse was clearly showing signs of confidence alongside with Blaziken, the two Pokémon were eager to travel with their trainers for the new adventure.
The entire group smiled at the Pokémon's determination to conquer Unova. "So May, I guess that you and Ash are all set for Unova."
"Yep, tomorrow marks a new beginning," May stated and everyone shook their head in agreement.
Max and Dawn yawned along with the Pokémon. "It's getting late, we should all go to sleep now," May recommended as she looked out the window and saw the moon.
They all agreed and headed to the places where they would sleep, but not before May, Ash, and Pikachu said their final goodbyes to May's Pokémon, whom warmly said farewell to them as well and thanked them for the time in Kanto.
Ash volunteered to sleep in the living room while Paul slept in the guest room, May and Dawn would sleep in May's room. Everyone got in their nightwear and went to sleep that night.
Paul stared at the ceiling inside the guest room. Recalling everything Ash had told them this afternoon, he was certain that things would go right. For once in life, he really considered Ash his friend and ultimately, his guidance for becoming a light-hearted human being. The purple-haired teen quickly went to sleep, tomorrow Dawn and he would go to the port and say goodbye, and from there they would have to get on their way to Rustboro City.
Ash and Pikachu were smiling happily before going to sleep. "Tomorrow is going to be great Pikachu, we are finally getting this show on the road and it's with May this time, this is perfec…" the boy couldn't finish his sentence as Pikachu and he fell asleep.
The ones who had still hadn't found sleep were May and Dawn. May lied on her bed while Dawn slept on an air mattress. "Hey Dawn, do you and Paul have like a thing for each other."
Dawn blushed at the mention, "I guess I do, I don't know about him. Paul is always too serious about stuff to make anything noticeable. Why?"
"Because he seems to like you," the brunette told her.
"You think so?" the blunette asked.
"Yeah, Ash and I noticed a little bit of it today. When he told Max about your plans, it was like a sign of consideration and Ash told me about some stuff that Paul was doing while we were battling. He was admiring your ability and would call you extraordinary," May informed her young friend.
Dawn blushed even redder when she heard that, "Wow, I never thought Paul would say that. Even though he was always cruel to Ash in Sinnoh, I admired his determination and the fact that he doesn't give up his beliefs. When I came to Hoenn, I came across Paul and I suggested that we should travel together. At first he seemed to be bugged, but then opened up little by little as a friend, I guess he was just misunderstood by others his whole life because of his attitude. His parents abandoned him and his brother so it was up to his older brother to keep them under a roof and with a bite to eat."
"That must have been hard, but Dawn. I really wish you the best with Paul, you guys have a chance at being happy, that same happiness Ash and I have," May told Dawn.
Dawn closed her eyes and smiled, "Thank you May, it really means a lot to me. You're the best."
"That's what best friends are for," May said and smiled.
The girls closed their eyes and slowly drifted to slow, it had been a long day. May fell asleep, holding her new Manaphy doll and with a grin on her face.
That morning at the port
Ash and May made it in time to the port, where they were ready to say goodbye to their friends and family. May dressed in a whole new style for Unova, she wore a short sleeveless jacket with black fingerless gloves and a black shirt that exposed a little cleavage and a little of her stomach, but it suited her fine. She also wore the same type of skirt she had worn during her first journey with Ash, except it was black instead of blue. Her shoes were also a black and white version of her original shoes while her bandana is now white with a pink Pokeball desigon in the middle also.
Ash wore a new red and white hat with a blue Pokeball design in the center. He also wore a pair of slim black jeans and red shoes that suited him perfectly. Like May, Ash also wore black fingerless gloves and he wore a hoodie. This hoodie was white on the bottom half and blue on the upper half, it also had a yellow zipper.
"Honey, you've come so far and I'm so proud of you, but it's time for you to get on the road again. Call me when you can and enjoy Unova sweetheart," Caroline hugged her daughter, who grinned at her loving mother.
"Please be careful sweetie, I want to wish you the best in the Unova Grand Festival and I know that this time you have everything you need to win it, you found the key to your true victory," Norman hugged her daughter as well, remembering the conversation he had with Max before May went to Pallet Town, her search for happiness had been over because she had what she needed, Ash.
Max tried not to cry, knowing he wouldn't see his sister again for months or even a year. "Goodbye May, I really hope you do great in Unova. I know you'll win this one too because you're the best coordinator out there."
"Thank you all so much, I love you. I know that the three of you are always there for me and I will call when I have the chance. When I come back, I'm going to tell you everything about Unova, I love you so much," May spoke as she began sobbing a little.
Dawn and Paul approached Ash, Dawn was the first to speak, "Ash, it was short, but I'm glad we saw each other again. Next time though, we have to hang out longer and I wish you all the best in Unova, I know that you'll win for sure this time, you've earned it."
Paul then spoke, "When you come back, we're having our battle got it. I also wish you best of luck in Unova, I faced some opponents who come from there and it's not easy to beat them. Nevertheless, I'm sure this time you'll come out on top. Take care Ash."
Ash smiled, "Thanks guys, I really wish you the best in the Grand Festival and the Battle Frontier. Paul you deserve to win this time, Brandon will know what you're truly made of and remember what I told you," the raven-haired teen wished his friend good luck. "Dawn, this is our final goodbye for a long time, I know that you'll become top coordinator, you came 2nd in the last one so its guaranteed that you'll win this one, best wishes ok." Ash said warmly, he held back any tears of sadness, this was his true goodbye because this was the last time he'd see his friends in a long time.
Ash and Pikachu shook hands with Paul, while Dawn hugged both of them. May then approached the Sinnoh residents while May's family approached Ash. "Please take care of her Ash, she belongs with someone like you, if she ever feels down always be there for her. Never let her go, she's as special to us as she is to you. Good luck in Unova and please feel free to call if May is going through trouble," Caroline smiled and wished the boy good luck.
"I'm sorry we couldn't have a battle this time Ash, but next time it's guaranteed. May is lucky to have someone like you around her. I know that as long as she's with you, she'll always be safe and you will be there for her when she is not in her best condition, just like she'll be there for you. Good luck in the Unova League, all the traveling and battling counts for this one," Norman shook hands with the boy and grinned kindly.
Max gave his brother-like friend a hug and held back any tears, "It was great seeing you Ash, I'm just sorry that you couldn't have stayed longer, but I know that when we see each other again, you'll be a Pokémon League Champion. I know you're going to beat everyone in Unova because you're the strongest trainer I know."
Ash patted the little boy's back. "You're all too kind, but thank you for the kind words. I promise I'll take good care of May and I'll try to keep her out of trouble. Take care, especially you Max," the auburn-eyed boy looked at Max in the eyes. Max also petted Pikachu as a goodbye gesture.
Paul was the first to say goodbye to May, "It was a pleasure meeting you May and I know that with you, he won't go around doing anything ridiculous. After seeing your battle yesterday, I'm certain that you'll be unstoppable in Unova, I wish you good luck over there."
Dawn hugged May and the girls smiled. "May, I give you my best wishes in Unova. After battling yesterday, I realized that if you keep it up like that, you are no doubt going to be Unova's Top Coordinator. When we meet again we have to go shopping ok? Thank you for everything that you've done for me." The girls held back any tears in their eyes as they said goodbye.
Ash, May, and Pikachu smiled at the friends and family. When they boarded the ship and got on deck, they waved with their most beautiful smiles. Max was being calmed by Caroline, while Paul did the same with Dawn. The ship began to move slowly as they separated from the port; the moving of the ship symbolized the beginning of their new journey. Eventually, all of their friends and family disappeared while May continued to quietly cry on Ash's chest.
The Hoenn region disappeared and they were now surrounded by water. Ash made May look at her and he spoke, "Don't cry May, like you told me when we left Kanto. We'll meet them again and we'll have lots of new things to tell them when we come back, for now though, let's focus on our new adventure. It's going to be the most exciting one yet, we're going to make new friends and we're going to win in the Pokémon League and Grand Festival."
May's crying stopped and she smiled at him, "It is going to be exciting and the best part of this is that we're doing it together."
"Yeah," Ash took out the half of his Terracotta Ribbon from his pocket and showed it to her.
May didn't say a word and took out the ribbon she always carried. They held the halves of the Terracotta Ribbon and placed it together, the ribbon symbolized their love. They were each other's half. She is the half of his heart and he is the half of her heart, together they make one heart, they shared one heart.
Ash reached into his pocket and felt something else, he reached for it. When he took it out, the item revealed itself as the sapphire necklace he never had a chance to give to May.
"Ash…what's this?" the brunette asked him
The boy looked at the sapphire necklace and saw how much it resembled her eyes. Ash smiled and said, "This is yours May."
Pikachu stood behind May and gave Ash a wink, implying that he had been the one that placed the necklace inside the hoodie. Ash placed it on her and was left stunned by how beautiful she looked with it. When he looked at her, he thought about the dream where they married, he stared at her in the image of a bride and she did the same when she looked at him at that moment. Their imaginations stopped when they saw a colorful Pokémon hovering above them.
"Look Ash, it's Ho-oh," May pointed to the Rainbow Pokémon.
"It's beautiful," Ash admired Ho-oh's beautiful colored feathers.
"Where do you think it is heading?" the brunette asked him.
"It's going to Unova," Ash answered her calmly. "I love you May, you are my only love, my one love," Ash told her and didn't say another word.
"I love you Ash and you're my one and only love, you always have been my one love," May said without saying another word.
The couple kissed tenderly and with all their passion. They were completely lost in each other as they let their tongues explore and never felt more in love as they kissed. Pikachu smiled at them happily as Ho-oh continued to fly over them. Ho-oh blessed Ash and May's love, making it something as eternal as time itself. That's the story of how one heart formed and one love was found. The End
Long chapter, I know, with all the lovey dovey stuff, Paul and Ash's talk, May and Dawn's battling, etc., but I found it as a satisfying close to the first part of Ash and May's adventures. So for all of you who have been wondering if there is going to be a sequel, yes there will be and it will obviously focus on their time in Unova. Besides, there are still some unanswered questions like what's up with those men in black? This is just the beginning, but for now Ash and May's story is over. Stick around for the epilogue, which won't focus on Ash and May at all like I said before, the epilogue will be more about paving the way for Unova. I'll also reveal some more stuff about the sequel in the epilogue. The epilogue should be up within 3 weeks because I have some stuff I want to get done before continuing, but if I find the time I will post up the epilogue sooner. So I'll see you then!
