"The town market seems especially busy today." Chloe said, filling their sixth bag of groceries. "Makes sense. The Wallace Cup is a huge event, and I think this is the first time it's being held in Kanto. People from all over are here for it." Ash said behind his bag. "Why are we helping with your groceries though?" Gladion rightfully asked. "You eat don't you?" Chloe said putting more items into his bag. "Touché." Gladion said calmly. "Alright. Can everyone still see?" Chloe asked. A chorus of yes, and one kinda came back to her. "Alright, just one more thing. Combee brand honey." Chloe said looking at the list.

"It should be right over here! Quick there's one bottle left!" Chloe shouted running for it. As she grabbed it, another hand also grabbed it. "Hey let go, I found it first!" Chloe yelled trying to grapple the honey out of the other persons hands. "Not a chance! Do you know how hard it is to come by this honey? I need it for what I'm making tonight." A girls voice said. Ash could barely see over his bag but he knew the voice anywhere. "Chloe just let it go, you won't win this." Ash pleaded, slightly muffled from the bag. "Not. Gonna. Happen! This is the last thing we need!" Chloe grunted. "Same here! Now let go of it, and find your own!" The girl shouted. "I did, you find your own!" Chloe argued. "Chloe! May! One of you let go of the bottle before!" Ash shouted but was interrupted by Chloe screaming. Moments later he heard a crash as the bottle hit the floor. "Before that happens." Ash finished.

After paying for their groceries, and the ruined product, the group went back to the lab to get May and Chloe cleaned up. "Ash where are you going?" Lillie asked. "Too find two bottles of Combee Honey before we have a bigger situation on our hands." Ash said with a hint of fear. He had seen May hangry enough times to know this was fairly calm for her. "Until I get back, I don't know, maybe have Gladion try and keep May distracted." Ash said sacrificing the strongest willed of the group. "And if that doesn't work, send in Goh and Cinderace." Ash said, before closing the door behind him and Pikachu.

"There we are two fresh bottles." Ash said putting his purchases away. "Come on Pikachu, we don't want to keep them waiting to much. "May! Where are you!" Ash heard a voice that seemed familiar, but he couldn't pin where. Following the voice he found a boy in glasses being the cause. "Come on May. You said this would be quick." The boy said looking at his Pokenav. "Max? Is that you?" Ash asked approaching. "Ash! Wow you look. Different." Max said bewildered. Ash was wearing skinny jeans and a yellow t shirt. It wasn't his most outrageous outfit. "Yeah, two years sure can change people. I mean look at you, you have to have started your journey by the looks of it." Ash said. Max was dressed far more for a journey than he was previously. "Come with me, I know where May is, she had a bit of a scuffle." Ash said leading Max to the lab. "Why doesn't that surprise me." Max said.

"Let me at her! She ruined my dinner!" May yelled trying to pull away from Gladion and Goh. "Where's Ash!" Lillie yelled, holding Chloe back as well. "Alright! Enough!" Professor Cerise said not wanting his lab to turn into a war zone. "You're both trainers, so settle this like them!" He said sternly.

"This will be a one on one match. The winner will be whoever's Pokémon is left standing at the end! Are we clear!" Professor Cerise said from the middle of the battlefield.

"Boltund I choose you!"

"Blaziken! Spotlight!"

The two Pokémon landed in the battlefield, energy flowing from them similar to their trainers.

"Boltund use Wild Charge!"

"Blaziken use Sky Uppercut!"

The two attacks landed, neither Pokémon seeming to care.

"Boltund use Spark!"

"Blaziken use Blaze Kick!"

Electricity and fire flew from the attacks.

"Look May's out there fighting." Max said looking out the window. "We should stop them!" Max exclaimed. "Let them work it out. Personally I'd rather them do this now rather than later." Ash said setting the groceries down.

"Boltund use Dig!"

"Blaziken be ready with a double Blaze Kick!"

Boltund burst out of the ground, but was quickly hit back by Blaziken's attacks.

"Now use Brave Bird!"

"Boltund get out of there!"

It was no use, May's experience in battle shone through, and Boltund was defeated.

"Hah! Now the honey is mine!" May said proudly. "You mean the honey that exploded all over us?" Chloe asked. "Exactly… oh." May said realizing what that meant. "And that's our cue." Ash said. Him and Max walking out each with a bottle of honey. "That was the last bottle, how did you get more?" Chloe asked, being handed hers. "I asked if they had more in the back." Ash said plainly. "May! How could you leave me back there!" Max scolded. "You're a trainer now Max. I didn't ask for you to come with me. You just did." May pointed out.

"Hey Max, since we're already here, how about the battle I promised you way back." Ash offered. "Seriously! You mean it!" Max said excitedly. "Sure you can even pick the style and who I use." Ash said calmly. "Okay. How about. A double battle. Against Pikachu, and do you have your Sceptile here?" Max asked. "Right here." Ash said, pulling out the Pokeball. "Ash, are you sure this is a good idea. Max is still a new trainer." May said a bit worried. "I made a promise, and I intend to keep it." Ash said readying his pokeball.

"Alright this will be a two on two double battle. The winner will be decided when neither of one sides pokemon are able to battle." Professor Cerise said a bit more calmly than the last time.

"Pikachu! Sceptile! You're up!"

"Come on out Ralts and Treecko!"

"First move is yours Max." Ash said patiently. "Treecko use Dig! Ralts use Double Team!" Max called out. "Smart use your smaller Pokémon's size to your advantage! Now Pikachu use Quick Attack on Ralts, and Sceptile, prep a Dual Chop, and wait for Treecko to pop up!" Ash commanded.

"He's going easy." Chloe whispered, sitting down with the others. "I could've seen that coming. Max idolized Ash when we traveled together. It was no surprise he picked Treecko as his starter." May said sitting down as well.

Ash watched as one Ralts after another disappeared, until there were none left. "Sceptile, it's a trap!" Ash shouted as out of the hole came Ralts, absorbing both attacks without a scratch. Followed by a barrage of Bullet Seeds. "Pikachu use Quick Attack on Ralts! Sceptile use Leaf Blade on Treecko!" Both attacks struck hard, sending the two Pokémon colliding into each other. Sparks were flying from Pikachu's cheeks. "Stand down." Ash commanded his Pokémon. "No! The battle is still going the judge hasn't called me out yet!" Max demanded. "Max, your sister was right. This isn't a fair fight, and I don't feel good beating you like this." Ash said sadly. "You promised we'd have a match when I became a trainer! Now let's finish this!" Max cried out. "Max, Pikachu hasn't used an electric attack, and Sceptile is barely at half power. This isn't a fight I want to remember us having." Ash said, putting his hand on Max's shoulder. "You've changed! The old Ash would've kept going!" Max yelled. "Max, look at our Pokémon. Pikachu and Sceptile don't have a scratch, meanwhile Treecko and Ralts are relying on each other to stand up. Look, come back when you've entered a league, and then I'll give you a full battle to the end." Ash said with a smile. "You sound just like dad!" Max said removing Ash's hand before grabbing his Pokémon and running off.

"Well, I'd say I told you so, but even I expected you to finish the battle." May said approaching Ash. "I messed up, I should've just waited." Ash said glumly. "We should go look for him, Vermillion isn't the safest at night right now." Chloe said thinking about the various construction work going on. "I'll stay here in case he comes back." Professor Cerise said calmly. Chloe headed to the port. Goh headed north towards Saffron. Gladion headed to the fields with Lillie. While May and Ash looked around the city.

"Ash I'm worried, where could he be?" May asked. "Same place any trainers goes after a battle." Ash said realizing where Max was. The two ran into the Pokémon canter to find Max outside a glass window looking into a room. "You were right." Max said. "It was too much, and now they're hurt because of me." He said tears rolling down his face. "Max, there's going to be lots of battles, some of them you're going to lose. Some of those might even be bad losses, but you can't give up on them. Because they didn't give up on you." May said, hugging her little brother. "It's true, even when they were down, those two got back up, just to keep trying because you wanted to keep trying." Ash said with a smile. "Come on, we'll stay here until they're better." Ash said sending the others a message.