Hey guys long time no see! I've finally finished my and now I'm neck deep in my education degree (that's right I'm going to be a teacher mwahaha). So, I got wicked inspired by the Hoenn remake (Ahhhh so excited!) And I decided to rewrite Ashes to Ashes :). I know a lot of you said that it did not need a rewrite, but I feel too disconnected from the old one to finish it properly - that and I cringe every time I read it. Now, that said I'm ramping up the rating because I want to see if I can take a more mature take on the story and plunge into some new territory. As before this story is game based and more importantly May is obviously aged up so for anyone cringing about the pairing concept, you can breathe again. I'll apologize up front for any grammatical errors, I do not pretend to be an expert by any means so feel free to correct me!
The wind howled like a wounded beast as it slammed into the window, rattling the panes fiercely with icy claws as they raked against the glass. May Maple groaned softly in the darkness of her bedroom and wriggled her way further beneath the warmth of the heavy duvet, trying to ignore the storm raging beyond the curtains. Somewhere downstairs she could hear the phone ringing, but she merely rolled over and drew the covers over her head. If it was truly important they would call her cellphone which was -
"Shit," May grumbled, coming to full wakefulness. Her mobile phone was downstairs in the kitchen, and heaven only knew who was trying to call her this early in the morning. She sighed and rolled over onto her back, listening to the shrill electronic warble. "Gabriel, can you get the phone!"
She waited, listening to the muffled sounds of movement downstairs and the phone's ring steadily growing in volume. The door to her bedroom was nudged open and the edge of the mattress dipped sharply as a large black and grey shape jumped up onto the bed. May grinned and scratched her Mightyena behind the ears as she plucked the phone out of his mouth. "Good boy," she cooed, continuing to pet him as she flipped the phone open. "Hello?"
"May! Finally, I was just about to hang up," a deep, masculine voice replied. "I just wanted to tell you not to bother to come in to work today, the weather is absolutely foul. It's not worth the trouble to prep and open for a Tuesday night."
"Well thank you for the heads up Nathan, but why tell me this at...6:30 in the morning?"
"The wife just got home from her contest in Sinnoh, I suspect I'll be finding myself indisposed for most of the day."
May huffed a laugh into the phone. Nathan had always had a bawdy sense of humour, but the man meant well and he was utterly faithful to his wife despite his flirtatious disposition. Still, a better employer and a better friend she couldn't dream of. She'd come to him nearly five years ago, practically penniless and draped woefully over the edge of his bar. He'd merely given her a smile, poured her a drink and offered her a job within five minutes of conversation. Bar tending at a cramped little pub on the outskirts of Littleroot was a far cry from being Champion of the Pokémon League, but it'd brought her more happiness than the League ever had. "You're a devil Nathan. Say hi to Lizzy for me, hopefully I'll get to see her before she leaves again."
"I will, take care May, I'll see you on Wednesday."
"Until tomorrow then."
May snapped the phone shut and tossed it onto the bedside table before flopping back down onto the bed. Any notions of falling back asleep, however, were immediately dispelled by a heavy pair of paws on her chest and a long tongue flicking across her nose. May sighed and scratched Gabriel beneath his chin. "Right, right you did get the phone for me. Fair is fair, let's get some breakfast."
The red-eyed canine barked and jumped down from the bed, standing with his tail wagging excitedly by the door. May flung back the covers, shivering as the cold air washed over her bare arms and legs. She shoved her feet into a pair of slippers, snatched her flannel housecoat up off of the floor and slid it on, cinching the belt loosely around her waist. Carefully, with her canine companion taking the lead, she made her way downstairs into the darkness of the living room. She flicked on one of the nearby lamps, blinking against the soft golden light that spilled into the room. She made her way over to the window and drew back the curtains. Outside, beyond her reflection in the cold glass, the world was nothing but a swirling white oblivion in the darkness of the early morning. The driveway was barely visible and nothing could be seen past the edge of the front garden. May shivered and dropped the curtain. Today would be confined to the couch with her large wool throw blanket, copious amounts of tea and bad movies. She felt her face split into a smile; paradise. She made her way out to the kitchen, flicking on the lights with her Mightyena hopping excitedly in place. She laughed and gently nudged him away with her foot. "Settle down, you're going to trip me up you silly goose."
She took down a can of poké-chow, frowning slightly as a few flakes of paint from the cupboard came away onto her hand. She really needed to sand those down and stain them properly. Mentally adding it to her to do list she turned on kettle and slid a few slices of bread down into the toaster before opening up the can of poké-chow and emptying it out into Gabriel's food dish. The Mightyena barked his thanks before tucking into his breakfast with gusto. A low whine echoed from the porch and May smiled, reaching up for another can of pokémon food. Her Manectric trotted into the kitchen, greeting her with a wide yawn as she lowered her front end and stretched, a few stray sparks dancing over her coarse blue fur.
"Good morning to you too Kella," she laughed and emptied the food into the electric-type's food bowl. Two more bowls lay empty beside the two canines, one for her Breloom and the other for her Absol, but the two were notoriously late risers and would wait until later in the day to come ask for a meal. The four pokémon from her elite team were her constant companions and she was more than content to keep them out of their pokéballs. Her Blaziken was also a usual sight to see roaming around the garden, but the large fire-type was a bit rough on the furniture and it was easier to keep him inside of his pokéball during the winter seasons when he was confined to the house The bright blue and gold pokémon bobbed her head in a manner of thanks before settling herself in beside Gabriel. May smiled and watched them eat while she waited for the kettle to boil and flicked on the radio wedged into the corner of the counter. It was part of a large stack of electronic equipment, scanners and radios that kept her well in touch with the various branches of law enforcement in the region – she might've not been the head of the League anymore, but she felt obligated to help in times of emergency. Dealing with eco-terrorists had given her a unique skill set after all. She cranked up the volume as The Searcher's cover of Love Potion Number Nine drifted into the kitchen. May swayed her hips in time to the music as she poured up a cup of orange pekoe tea and waited for it to steep while she buttered her toast. She felt something brush against her side and looked down at Garbiel with a half-smile. "Now, now you already had your breakfast greedy guts, keep this up you'll get fat."
The Mightyena sat back on his haunches, tongue lolling out of his mouth in a canine smile as he waited patiently for her to gather up her breakfast and head into the living room. She set the mug and plate down onto the coffee table and sat down, patting the couch next to her. The Mightyena needed no second bidding as he hopped onto onto the sofa and rolled over onto his back, nestling his head in her lap. May laughed and rubbed the soft grey fur of his underbelly.
"You big softie, you're just a big old lap dog aren't you," she said as Gabriel let out a contented growl and licked her hand. She chuckled and picked up her cup of tea. Without warning Gabriel's head shot up, ears pressed flat against his skull and lips skinned back over his teeth in a silent snarl. A moment later three knocks from the porch rang out. May held her breath, not daring to move until she heard another set of knocks, more forceful and insistent than the first three. Carefully she set down her tea and rose, pressing her back against the wall as she sidled out towards the door. Gabriel kept low and close to her side, every muscle taut as a coiled spring. Edging out towards the porch May raised a hand, making a fist aside from her two forefingers. Gabriel responded and dropped into a predatory crouch, jaws agape and ready to grapple as soon as May dropped her hand. Drawing a deep steadying breath she closed her other hand around the cold, metal knob and threw open the door.
"What the fuck are you doing here!?"
Almost immediately Gabriel sat back on his haunches, all traces of aggression melting away as his ears perked up and his tongue lolled out. The silver haired man standing on the outside porch had clearly had a harrowing journey. Dressed warmly as he was in heavy, arctic weather gear his face was pinched, cheeks red from windburn and his steel coloured hair was dusted with a layer of ice. He gave May an awkward smile, his eyes flashing nervously in the porch light.
"Nice to see you too. May I come in?"
Azure eyes turned as frigid as the weather outside as May pressed her lips together in a thin line. She said nothing, allowing the Champion to stew in an awkward silence for a few moments before she finally relented and stood to one side, beckoning him over the threshold. "Kick the snow off your boots first, Kella likes to nap out here."
"Thank you," Steven mumbled, ducking inside out of the storm. May moved back a few paces, folding her arms over chest in a decidedly defensive stance directly in front of him, effectively barring him entrance to the rest of the house. Steven sighed, his shoulders dropping defeatedly. "May I -"
"Just start talking Steven and make it quick. This better not be another stupid bid from the League to get me back there."
"I wish it were only that," Steven sighed. "May we're in trouble – a lot of trouble, and we need your help."
May snorted. "I fail to see why the League needs my help, if you think I'll go crawling -"
"Oh spare me your selfishness for five minutes! This is bigger than you and me! We need your help because as of this morning Hoenn is in a state of unofficial emergency," Steven snapped, slate grey eyes blazing. May unfolded her arms, momentarily taken aback by the heat in the normally passive man's voice and felt a slight stab of guilt in the pit of her stomach. It must have shown because as quickly as it had come the anger faded from Steven's face and he sighed again. "I'm sorry May, I know the League has hurt you, I know I've hurt you, but we really do need your help."
May bit her lip and finally moved back, allowing Steven to remove his boots and coat and enter the living room. He paused for a moment with a small, sad smile and ruffled Gabriel's ears before sitting in the chair that faced opposite the couch where May sat herself down. She rubbed at her temples, trying to fend off the headache building there and exhaled deeply through her nose. "What's this all about Steven? What do you mean we're in a state of emergency? I haven't heard anything about this on the scanners."
His lips twitched as her usage of the word 'we' but he made no comment on it. "Tell me, have you ever heard of the Cipher organization?"
"Yes," May replied, narrowing her eyes. "David, the boy who took them down – he's my cousin."
"I know," Steven said with a nod. "Then you are fully aware of their practice of producing Shadow Pokémon."
"Of course – Steven what's this got to do with anything?" May asked, feeling fear coil tightly in her belly.
"They're back, and it's worse than ever this time," he said gravely. "From what our intel has gathered Ardos is the one at the helm. He managed to gather a significant amount of Cipher's assets before fleeing the Orre Region and setting up base in Kanto. He stayed under the radar there for the last three years slowly building up the group again with several – changes to their operation protocols. We didn't notice at first; they were clever and patient. Over the past two years they have completely wiped out Team Rocket and they have the region in a choke hold; they've done the same to Johto. The governments' hands are tied, they can't do anything without putting citizens at risk. Ardos has a new breed of Shadows, far more aggressive than the first two generations and this time his people are not afraid to get blood on their hands – quite the opposite in fact. It's why they stayed out of our sight for so long...no witnesses left to report anything."
"And now they've set their sights on Hoenn," May finished, feeling slightly nauseous. "When? How long?"
"We estimate around two months ago; as you well know we have Team Aqua and Team Magma under close surveillance – a few weeks ago Team Aqua, every trace of them, completely disappeared. It was classic Cipher MO, the base had been stripped down to the foundation, all personnel missing and their assets seized by unknown corporations and false identities."
"Fuck," May breathed. She dragged a hand through her hair and stared into the depths of her now cold cup of tea for a few moments trying to process the information Steven had thrown at her. Every region had their crime syndicates and gangs – it was par for the course of being a population hub in the vast stretches of wilderness that filled the wide world. They were, however, usually localized and not much of an issue outside their designated spheres of influence. Cipher had been a different beast entirely. Three years ago had seen everyone glued to the news networks for a solid month following the drama unfolding in the Orre region, terrified that such a horrifying concept as Shadow Pokémon would leech out into surrounding areas and put them all beneath the heel of Cipher's boot. Now they were back and they had achieved what no other group had done – multi-region control at a terrifying level. If they managed to spread their influence much further, a global dictatorship was imminent. May let go of her hair and finally met Steven's gaze. "What's the plan then?"
"We're gathering all our assets, doubling security and police influence in areas of import and taking the heads of state into protective custody."
"Okay so you're battening down the hatches, that's all well and good, but this isn't just a storm you can weather Steven."
"I know," he replied. He plucked at a stray thread on the cuff of his shirt, trying his best not to look directly into her eyes. "You aren't going to like it though and I don't want you hitting me again."
"I promise I won't break your nose this time. Now tell me what our next move is – I'm assuming that's why you came here in the first place."
"Yes. We're, ah, we're meeting with a group that operates external to the League for a – a consultation. They have a certain level of knowledge and expertise regarding large scale criminal operations -"
SMASH
"You IDIOT!"
"By the Gods woman, just once, once I'd like to see you and not have an attempt on my life!"
Steven glared at her, doing his best to remain dignified while plucking shards of ceramic out of his hair and clothing. It was difficult, however, with his slate coloured hair plastered flat by cold tea and his shirt collar rapidly turning orange from the dripping liquid. May was on her feet, clutching the broken remains of the tea cup's handle where she'd smashed it over the League Champion's head. She threw the broken ceramic down onto the table and sat down with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest.
"You deserve it," she growled. "What are you all thinking!? Asking Team Magma for help, are you bloody mad?"
"We don't have any choice May, we've never faced a threat of this magnitude before!"
"I still think it's a bad move," she sniffed. "Am I correct in presuming that you want me to attend this farce of a consultation?"
"You would be," he replied, failing miserably to mop the tea from his hair and face with a rapidly disintegrating napkin. "It's in Lilycove in a few hours time."
Lilycove. She had to admit it was a smart choice; with no gym and no official League branch it was the closest thing to neutral ground while remaining in the relative safety of a large urban centre. Whether or not that was the Leauge or Maxie's brilliance, she didn't know, but she was banking on the latter. She sighed and finally uncrossed her arms.
"Fine, fine, just let me get some things. Do you have a strong flyer or are you planning to take me into town so I can withdraw one?"
"Drake loaned me his Salamance."
"You did that on purpose you bastard," she hissed, throwing him a clean napkin. "You know that stupid creature hates me."
"Dragons are proud and you managed to defeat it, of course it's going to be resentful. I had no other choice, no one else was strong enough to fly in this storm."
"Are you still talking about the lizard?" she muttered spitefully as she made her way upstairs to change.
"I heard that."
May couldn't hear Steven laughing so much as feel it. Her arms were locked securely around his waist and she could feel the chuckles vibrating through his shoulder blades as she screamed bloody murder. If the Salamance could have laughed he probably would have too as he banked sharply to the left, using the momentum of the turn to flick up his tail and land a stinging blow to her lower back.
"Stupid, fucking lizard!" she screeched into the freezing wind. At least they had left the blizzard behind after passing Slateport. It had been touch and go for a while up until then and frankly she was shocked that Salamance's wings hadn't simply iced up and sent them plummeting from the sky. The prideful dragon had some skill it would seem. At last the lights of Lilycove slowly came into view, breaking the gloom of the stormy morning like a beacon. Salamance angled his wings and started making a wide circle over the city, slowly spiralling down until he touched earth in front of the grand Lilcove Hotel. May's legs barely supported her as she slid off of the dragon's broad back and reluctantly allowed Steven to take her arm. She'd much rather lean on him than fall flat on her face in front of Maxie and his goons – it wouldn't do much for her reputation if she did.
The warmth of the lobby washed over her and she sighed in relief. Flying at high speeds in the face of gale force winds had been brutally cold, even in the arctic grade winter gear Steven had provided her with. Her face felt raw and started to sting painfully with the sudden shift in temperature. Still, she'd gladly take the pain over going back outside.
"We're in the board room upstairs," Steven murmured as they stepped into the elevator. "Wallace is here for us since Sootopolis is the closest major city with a gym. Maxie is here with Tabitha, but no doubt he has others stationed nearby. Our main goal here is to negotiate a truce and some sort of working contract. Maxie is no fool, he knows that his organization is Cipher's next major target and that without our help he's as good as dead...however he also knows that without him, our goose is also thoroughly cooked."
"So he's going to fight for as much ground as he can get. Understood."
"We don't need you to do much, you're mainly here for intimidation purposes."
"Bit ironic don't you think?"
"You are plenty bloody scary when you want to be," Steven muttered as the doors slid open, granting them access to a wide hallway that ended in a pair of closed double doors. "Here we go."
May nodded, taking a deep breath as she let go of Steven's arm and he opened the doors. All eyes in the room turned to them. On one side of the table she saw Wallace, tall and serene as always, sitting across from two men. Tabitha looked very much as he had ten years ago, minus the absurd hooded uniform. He had apparently swapped it out for a crisp black suit and tie and a black earpiece no doubt keeping him in touch with other grunts in the area. Maxie sat next to him and she was hard pressed not to stare; he looked nothing like she'd expected. Like Tabitha he hadn't aged much, a few more lines about the corners of his eyes and mouth maybe, but there was no trace of grey in his fiery red hair and his dark brown eyes were sharp as ever, regarding her coolly over the rims of his glasses. They were simple things, rectangular lenses held by slim black frames, but they suited him in a strange way. His hair was longer than it had been years ago, elegantly combed back with the edges falling just past his broad shoulders. Gone was the bold red and black overcoat she'd once feared replaced by an immaculately tailored suit and a stately coat draped gracefully over his shoulders. He looked so – so normal. Indeed the only trace of Team Magma she could see on either of them was the small, stylized pin shaped into a red 'M' pinned to the lapels of both their suit jackets. He looked her up and down once before looking away and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.
Wallace rose to greet them, shaking Steven's hand. "Glad you made it, we were starting to wonder whether you'd manage to break through the storm."
"It was dicey for a while, I'll admit," Steven replied as they took their seats. "Now then, I've already briefed May on the situation so we can get right down to it. Maxie, what has your surveillance turned up?"
Maxie stood, clasping his hands behind his back. His velvety tenor soon filled the room and May's lips twitched in a small frown. It was the same voice from her childhood, but without the twist of maniacal laughter and extremist heat it was, like his outward appearance, so normal. It was unsettling.
"Team Aqua has been quite cleanly wiped from existence, as you know. The swiftness of the attack leaves me to believe that there had to have been a Cipher agent in their midst which means other Cipher spies have probably infiltrated my own organization and the higher stations of Hoenn's government. Another attack is imminent, this we know, it's just a matter of where and when," he said. "Furthermore we have picked up some unusual seismic activity in several parts of the region – this is likely Cipher related construction for Shadow Pokémon production facilities and regional bases of operation."
"This confirms most of our reports," Wallace nodded. "It's very likely that aside from eliminating potential resistance Cipher is actively seeking out Hoenn's legendary pokémon."
"How do we know that they haven't been taken already?"
"I can't speak for the others, but Groudon is safe," May interjected. Maxie's smouldering gaze slid over to meet hers and he raised an eyebrow.
"How can you be sure of this Miss Maple?" he asked and the corners of his mouth curved upwards into a nasty smirk. "As far as I'm aware this is the first time you've left Litteroot in almost a year, let alone visit the Cave of Origins."
May felt the heat rising to her face, but she refused to break eye contact and held his gaze steady. There was the Maxie she knew, the acerbic and bitter master of Team Magma. This was a man who played life like a game of chess and enjoyed humiliating every opponent he bested. She suppressed a shiver as she felt her adrenaline levels spike ever so slightly, the long absent, but familiar rush. Oh how she'd missed it. "Groudon and I have a bond. When I confronted him at the Cave of Origins and put him back to slumber he recognized me as a friend – a companion of sorts," she said and her voice twisted into a snarl, "no thanks to you might I add."
Maxie's smirk twisted into a leer, but he kept his silence. Steven abruptly stood, clearly trying to put a stop to the grudge match that was slowly forming in the board room. "The well-being of Groudon and the others aside, let's get to the point of this meeting. We're here to negotiate a truce and alliance between our two parties."
"Yes," Maxie nodded, finally looking away from her. "Name your terms."
"Any and all information collected pertaining to Cipher and their actions will be shared between us and that should the need ever arise, assistance will be provided in the case of a confrontation with their agents."
"Agreed," Maxie nodded, "However, there is still the issue of trust. You don't trust me, and frankly I don't trust you. If this...partnership is to yield any form of success we will have to find a way to ensure that there is no duplicity on either end."
"So it's collateral you want."
"To put it bluntly, yes."
"I think have an idea."
May fidgeted slightly as all eyes turned on her. Again she felt a spike of epinephrine surge through her bloodstream and relished the sensation. She looked between Steven and Maxie; had tempting the tempers of titans always been this thrilling? "An exchange of personnel. One member from each side. This way we can keep an eye on each other as well as holding the – collateral you wanted."
"And just whom do you propose take part in this exchange?" Wallace asked, bright eyes narrowing. May smiled and laced her fingers together.
"Me," she said. Steven shot up from his seat, looking at her with a startled expression, but she shot him a warning glare. "Sit down Steven, you know damn well I'm the only one who is expendable enough to qualify. Do we have a deal Maxie?"
"Yes, I think that should suffice. Tabitha shall take your place and go with the League," Maxie said with a small smile – a smile she decidedly did not like, "and you will come with us back to our headquarters."
"Done."
"Not done!" Steven snapped. "May this is highly inappropriate -"
"I said sit down Steven!" she snapped. "This is our best option, I'm doing this for everyone's sake. Done!"
"Done," Maxie agreed with a voice like wet silk and briefly grasped her outstretched hand. "Then our business here is concluded."
"...Yes," Steven said as they rose, May moving to stand by Maxie while Tabitha took her place next to Steven. May could see the storm of rage brewing behind Steven's steel coloured eyes, but she shook her head softly. "We'll set up a time for regular debriefings."
"I look forward to it," Maxie replied dryly before turning sharply on his heel. "Come, Miss Maple – we have a long commute."
May pressed her lips together, but remained silent as she followed the crimson haired crime lord out of the room and down the stairs. The doors of the lobby parted and a blast of icy air washed over them as they walked out into the stormy night. They'd barely made it down the front steps of the hotel when a length of black fabric was looped over her eyes from behind and tied firmly in place. She cried out and reached up to claw it off, but found her arms held down.
"Calm down Miss Maple this is merely a precaution," she heard Maxie say frighteningly close to her ear. "We can't have you knowing the exact location of our hideout."
"This is ridiculous!" May seethed as she was roughly led into some sort of vehicle, an SUV of some sort judging from the size and seat configuration. "I offered to go with you in good faith, you really think I'm going to betray you?"
"No," Maxie replied from somewhere nearby, "but you are loyal and therein lies the problem. I don't want you reporting every little detail to Steven Stone and his League lackeys."
"Still," May huffed as she leaned back in her seat and someone fastened the seat belt over her torso, "this seems a little excessive."
"I haven't lived this long by being careless," came the dry answer. "If you prefer I could have you sedated – how do you feel about chloroform?"
"I'll pass thanks."
"Do cheer up Miss Maple, you volunteered for this little escapade remember?"
"Oh piss off."
Tadaaaa
I realize this chapter seems deucedly similar to the original in places, but this is a rewrite after all so that's going to be unavoidable in some parts. Anywho, I hope you peeps enjoy it and I'll try to update on a more regular basis than last time. Ta darlings!