"She told me May's dating a guy called Brendan Birch," Ash revealed, bracing himself for Gary's reaction.
No way...
"Gary, you there?" He hit his phone a few times. "Hello?"
"Still here," Gary grinded out.
"Jus' wanted to give you a heads up."
"How long have they been... t-together?" He practically puked the last word.
"I dunno. I guess she thought you moved on. If you ever need me, I'm here." Ash offered sympathetically. He attempted to be supportive, but he knew he dropped a pretty big bomb.
An epiphany struck Gary's mind as he relayed Ash's words over and over like an broken record. Moved on? No way was he going to let the love of his slip through his fingers that easily. This wrong can easily be fixed, and Gary had an aptitude to come up with plans. Granted, they don't always sway his way, but he was determined to do this. He would win May back, but he'd require Ash's assistance. A conspiratorial smirk twitched on his face as cogs turned in his head.
"Get to Goldenrod City as fast as you can." Beep!
Alternative Ending: Man with a Plan
"So what exactly are we doing again?" Ash asked, watching the scenery flash by through the window. Bullet Train was indeed fast.
"You have a very important job as my bro," Gary disclosed, throwing his arm around Ash's shoulder. "You are my wing-man."
Ash scratched the back of his head and glanced at his equally clueless Pikachu. "What's a wing-man?"
"You're gonna help me get back from this Bitch guy."
"Birch," he corrected, as Gary waved a hand dismissively.
"You, my friend, are my sword and shield," he explained like it was a top secret mission. "I don't know if this Bitch guy-
"-Birch-"
"-is huge so, if necessary, I'll need reinforcement if there's gonna be a physical altercation," Gary concluded as Ash raised his eyebrow, perplexed. "A fight," he added with a sigh as Ash finally nodded in understanding. "I'm the brains, you're the brawn, 'kay?"
Gary paused, squirming on the seat. "If May's pissed at me, this is where you jump in and take my side. You're May's best friend, so you can help change her mind."
"So you want me to be your human shield?" His blank face lit his face as he punched the air. "Cool! What's the plan?""
"We're meeting my private investigator at the airport."
"Awesome!" Ash grinned at Pikachu. "This is Ash Ketchum's mission."
"Gary Oak's mission," he reiterated. "You're the side character in my story."
"Aw, but I like being the main one!"
Ash followed Gary out of the train station, anticipation coursing through his veins. His journeys revolved around him, but he knew he had to come over as soon as possible to help Gary. Hell, he wanted to help May too. Since the Sinnoh Grand Festival, she hardly talked to him. Ash frowned, realizing her distance hurt him. They were best friends- family even- she shouldn't have cut him off. He had a chance to meet her after years, and Ash was excited about it. His frown flipped into a smile as he remembered they were on the way to meet Gary's private detective. Ash envisioned a tall man with a long trench coat and hat, wearing shades and waiting in the shadows. This was gonna be like those awesome spy movies he's watched.
"There he is!" Gary said, abruptly ending Ash's daydream.
He scrunched his face in confusion. Ash stared at Gary, and then at the short person, trying to see if he and Gary were looking at the same thing. The short boy spun around, unable to contain his elation, confirming Ash's blatant doubts. The bespectacled so-called private investigator sprinted towards them, panting as he arrived at a stop. Familiarity dawned upon him and Ash laughed high-fiving the young boy.
"Ash and Pikachu, long time no see!" Max chirped as Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder.
"Felix, did you get what I asked for?"
"His name is Max," Ash interrupted, wondering if Gary got people name's wrong on purpose.
"It's okay, Ash, Gary Oak can call me whatever he wants," Max sighed dreamily. Ash shrugged at the oh-so familiar scene. It wasn't the first time a friend of his was starstruck by Gary. Of course, everyone was. He was Professor Oak's grandson.
"At 12 pm today, Brendan asked May to come with his to the lab, but she was going to stay at the gym all day. At 12:31 pm Dad finally convinced her to go. At precisely 1 pm May and Brendan travelled to Littleroot Town. I got your message at 2:11 pm and managed to find efficient transportation for you and Ash at 2:30," Max reported with utmost seriousness. He glanced at his watch. "It is currently 3:16 pm, sir."
Ash sweat-dropped at the formality, but Gary seemed to appreciate it, giving Max a pat on the back. "Max, why are you spying on your sister for Gary?"
"Well, believe or not, I don't actually hate my sister," Max remarked in his usual snarky manner. "She can do way better than Brendan Birch."
"Like me!" Gary chipped in, giving Max a fist-bump.
"Like him," Max repeated with a grin.
"So where's the transport?"
"I have retrieved the best transportation money could buy!" Max pointed proudly to a nearby tree. "Ta-da!
Gary and Ash exchanged disappointed looks before sighing. "Bicycles?" Gary muttered to himself. "Bicycles!" he repeated incredulously, gesturing to the bikes reclining against the tree trunk. "I was expecting a car or something."
"Mom and Dad were getting suspicious of me," Max grumbled. "And do I look old enough to rent a car?"
"Fine," Gary conceded, climbing onto the bike. "You can go home now."
"What? No, I wanna come too!"
Gary shook his head in refusal. "You said it yourself- your parents are getting suspicious!"
The quaint town was surrounded by green shrubbery, a stark difference of the concrete towers of Petalburg City. The soft breeze whisked through the window, carrying fallen leaves along with it. Autumn had a nostalgic ambiance to it. The fragrance of fresh air reminded May of her adventures.
It was silly that such a common smell could remind her of vivid memories; camping in the wild with Ash and Brock; trekking up Mount Coronet as she held Gary's hand, scaling precarious paths; wandering through Eterna Forest with Beautifly perched on her head, strolling through flowery meadows alone, Venasaur napping near the roses; taking Delcatty for a calming stroll in Amity Square and finding rare berries. Or the time Glaceon created a icicle chandelier for her in Snowpoint City because she was so excited. The indescribable elation as she stood on stage, holding her new ribbon in the air, applause drowned by the cheers of the audience. The salty smell of the seawater, the wind blowing through her hair as she peered over the cruise ship. The tickling touch of warm, golden sand under her feet. The breathtaking awe that left her speechless when saw the view after conquering great heights. The first light of dawn, rousing her from slumber. And watching sunsets with Gary, a comfortable silence between them that was far from platonic. Even then, he meant more to her than she dared to admit.
It was stupid that a simple breeze could stir those feelings, suffocating her. It was just plain stupid that a mere breeze could make her cry. It was just all too stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She thought angrily as tears began to well up in her eyes.
"May, are you okay?" Brendan asked, petting a baby treeko.
"Yeah," she lied eloquently, throwing him a weak smile, "just got some dust in my eye."
"Okay then!" He grinned without a second thought and winked. "I gotta say, I'm really glad you're spending time with me again."
"And these adorable pokemon," she added, smiling at the baby torchic, mudkip and treeko. "How long is it till they're picked by a trainer?"
"Until they learn an attack move. These are newborns."
May picked up the baby Torchic and cradled it in her lap. It reminded her of Blaziken. "Torchic," May whispered warmly at the chick. It looked up innocently. " One day a lucky trainer is going to choose you to be their friend and you'll be travelling through the world, growing stronger together. It's going to be a lot of fun."
"I think you should go on a journey too," Brendan casually threw in, feeding the hungry mudkip. "I mean, come with me and travel through Hoenn again!"
"I can't," May shook her head. "I'm happy with what I'm doing right now." Liar, the voice in her mind whispered harshly.
"I want to travel with my girlfriend," Brendan moaned, disgruntled by the rejection. "I even talked to your parents about it, and they're were fine-"
"Hang on, you think I'm your girlfriend?" May bit back a scornful laugh. "We are friends, Brendan." That was the hundredth time she had to remind him.
"And what about the date?" he shot back, scaring treeko away.
"I only said yes because you wouldn't stop asking!" May replied evenly, her hand curling into a fist. "My parents wouldn't stop hounding me about it."
"I should have guessed you'd lie," he stated coldly. "You did a good job fooling everyone else, and now it's my turn, right?"
"What did you say?" May glared at him, her face growing hot with rage, and her eyes stung with tears she thought she dealt with before. Brendan's face washed with regret as he realized the magnitude of his words. She placed Torchic on the carpet and stood up, turning her back towards him.
Brendan grasped her arm before she could take a step. She snatched her arm back, lightly massaging the discomfort away. "I'm sorry, it just slipped. I didn't mean it."
"You meant it," she said, seething. "You were just waiting for the right moment to throw it in my face!"
"We're best friends," he said, desperation in his voice. "I am really sorry. How 'bout I buy you food?"
"You think food is going to fix it?"
"No," Brendan gulped. Unhappy about ignored, treeko, torchic and mudkip retreated the room and disappeared into the garden. "But it'll make it a little better?"
May scoffed, stepping closer to him. Her vicious scowl made him feel two inches tall. "I'm leaving."
"Reconsider for the sake of our friendship?"
"What makes you think I can fight Brendan Birch?" Ash asked nonchalantly. The cycled along the beaten path, passing by a cluster of Birch trees. Nostalgia hit him as he got flashes of the first time he travelled through this part of Hoenn. Gary smirked.
"You were going to take swing at a thousand year old Lucario who- by the way- is a steel and fighting type pokemon," Gary replied with a knowing look. "And didn't you almost beat up the boy that was traumatized by an alien pokemon?"
Ash cringed at the memory as Pikachu quietly agreed with Gary. "May told you that, didn't she?"
"She told me everything about your journey together." Gary paused, a contemplative look crossing his face. He licked his lips, unsure how to verbalise the burning question in his mind. "How come you never fell for her?"
"I dunno," Ash said truthfully. "I mean she's pretty, but I've met a lot of pretty girls."
"And you've never fallen for them?" Gary asked in disbelief. "At all?"
"Maybe..." A small blush streaked across his cheeks and faded as he the image of a certain red-head flashed in his mind. "I can't let anything come in between me and my dream to be a pokemon master. I'm going to be traveling across the world, trying to be the very best that no one ever was," he explained as Pikachu cheered. "I can't imagine settling in one place for anyone."
"Just like your dad," Gary surmised quietly. "Do you think you'll ever meet him?"
"If I ever do, I'd give him a piece of my mind for abandoning Mom and me," he vowed, an uncharacteristic bitter edge to his voice.
They arrived at a stop. It was no surprise that the small town seemed desolate. There were a few people on their daily walks, and novice trainers eagerly running past them, unaware of the grand journey that lies ahead. The wind swirled past them, leaves crunching under their feet.
"May's here somewhere, can't be too hard to find," Gary stated, scanning the streets. "Let's check out the lab first."
Gary and Ash walked along the narrow street, meandered past the pokemon centre, and although tempted to top up on supplies from the pokemart, they decided against it ("Gary, you have like a hundred antidotes!" Ash cried, dragging Gary away from the shop window. Gary begrudgingly agreed. He was always prepared). They arrived near a lush field, bordered by several trees. A small cafe could be seen around the corner ("Ash, we just had food an hour ago!" Gary sweat-dropped as Ash drooled at the fresh pies on display). They crossed the road, heading to a field bordering the woods, but before they reached the field, a voice called out.
"Gary Oak?"
Gary spun around at the mention of his name. He came face to face with a boy that looked the same age as him. Tufts of chestnut brown hair poked out under his strange white hat. The boy was slightly taller than him and looked at Gary with obvious suspicion. Ash's stare flicked between the two, scratching his head as he stood awkwardly in the middle.
"What are you doing here?"
Gary didn't miss the hostility in his tone. Gary smirked, which made the boy harden his glare. "...And you are?"
"Brendan Birch," he stated roughly, "back to my question: what do you want?"
"What I want is you to piss off," he quipped, amusement gleaming dangerously in his eyes.
Ash's eyes widened as Brendan curled his hands into fists. The tension escalated faster than he thought. He stepped in the tiny space between Brendan and Gary with a nervous laugh.
"Hey, we're just looking for an old friend, not a fight."
"Ash?" A voice called, full of airy excitement. "Gary?" The same voice grew quiet and surprised.
"May, it's good to see you again," Ash greeted. For the first time, he appeared supremely confident compared to Gary.
"May, uh... hi," Gary said, slightly startled. She wore a flowery summer dress that matched her bandanna. Her hair was tied in a pony tail. A small white cardigan matched the tennis shoes she had. He forgot how amazing she looked.
"Oh, so you still remember me, do you?" she replied sarcastically, her eyes staring at him icily.
His grin faltered. "Of course I do!" As he felt a twinge of resentment, his frown morphed into a scowl. "I don't recall you trying to contact me either. I'm surprised you still know my name."
"-I think it's best to you to leave, Gary," Brendan warned.
May rolled her eyes at him, exasperated. "This has nothing to do with you, Brendan. I think you should go instead!"
"Really, your own boyfriend?"
"For the last time," she sighed through gritted teeth. "You. Are. Not!" She stressed on each word in hot irritation.
"He's not?" Gary said, his face lighting up with hope.
"He's not?" Ash repeated skeptically. "I guess Serena was wrong," he whispered to Gary.
"No shit, Sherlock."
Brendan bowed his head in resignation. "I should have known better not to get involved with a slut like you-" THWACK!
Brendan fell on the grass with a thump, bright red blood dripping down his nose. He glanced up at the culprit, his eyes wide with shock. It wasn't the person he expected; not Gary, but Ash. The mild-mannered boy glared at him with a ferocity that made him feel like the newborn treeko he babysat. He clambered back on his feet, prepared to throw him a punch of his own, but Ash was faster. He pushed him back down, taking him off-guard again. Ash was a lot stronger than he looked, Brendan grumbled internally.
"Say that again about her and next time, I'll make sure you end up at the pokecentre!" Ash growled, glaring at him.
"You better watch you back too, Ketchum," Brendan retorted, spitting out blood. He glowered at the three before scampering away, clutching his nose.
"I always knew he was a jerk," May replied nonchalantly, seemingly unaffected by Brendan's insult. In fact, she looked happier. "Thanks, Ash."
"See, I told you your fighting skills were going to be useful," Gary commended, giving Ash a congratulatory slap on the back in con. "You looked like a freakin' machamp- and a granbull!"
"Wait," May began, her eyebrows knitting as her mind put all the pieces of the puzzle together. "You thought Brendan and I were dating? That's why you finally decided to see me? That's the only reason you're here?" Her words oozed of incredulity and disappointment. She scoffed, shaking head head. "You might as well leave too, Gary."
"I wanted to come a long time ago, but I thought you hated me!" he countered earnestly.
May paused, a tender look softening her expression. "I never hated you."
"Why wouldn't you? I effectively destroyed your career."
"That was Harley," May muttered, spitting the name out like venom.
"I wasn't exactly innocent," he insisted, grasping her hand.
"Neither was I," she sighed, squeezing his hand gently. "We decided to do it together, remember?"
"But it was my idea," Gary uttered quietly, "I'm so sorry."
May pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around his shoulder. Her face nuzzled his neck as shut her eyes. Gary held her tightly in his embrace and felt her breath against his skin. He relished the warmth, realising how much he missed her touch. He couldn't believe they almost lost each other because of a misunderstanding. He closed his eyes in contentment.
"Don't be, I'm so happy to see you again," she murmured in his ear, holding him firmly as if he would disappear again like in the nightmares that plagued her sleep.
"May, do you wanna come to the Galar region with me?"
"Definitely," she cried, her eyes beaming at the thought of an whole new adventure with Gary. "I wouldn't miss another journey with you for the world!"
She was inches away from his face, and Gary seized his chance. He leaned in, closing the gap between them, meeting his lips with her. A kiss she gladly reciprocated, pulling him even closer.
"Guys, I'm still here!" Ash announced, shifting his weight awkwardly as Pikachu covered his eyes.
The broke apart, laughing at their old friend, blushing in embarrassment. May leaned into his arms once more. Gary made a teasing comment to Ash that made him turn a brighter shade of red, but she wasn't really paying attention to their banter. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder, and her's around his torso. The fit in each other perfectly, like she found her second half. Little did she know, Gary was thinking the exact same thing.
They were soulmates. It didn't matter what happened in the universe, they would still find each other.
The End.
Did you prefer did ending to the time-travel one? I started this story of a whim, can't believe I've finally completed it after 5 years! It feels bittersweet. Hope it was a satisfying finale for you.
Please review!