An earsplitting scream of terror echoed throughout the Desert Resort. May scrambled and flailed as she got back onto her feet and away from him as fast as she could.

"Whoa! Whoa! Hey!" Ash gasped as he moved away from her as well, trying to give her enough space to move without slapping him in the face. "Take it easy!"

"Who are you?! Where have you taken me?!" she demanded.

"I was just going to take you to get medical treatment! I found you unconscious!" he hurriedly tried to explain. May shook her head and backed away from him, still terrified.

"Where are my guards?! What have you done with them?!" she yelled.

"I didn't do anything! You're the only person around here I've seen, whoever you are!" he assured her. May slowly began to take in her surroundings, realizing that the vast desert she once was in was now just a small section of sand near the volcano. Something was clearly very wrong.

"That...that's impossible! You're lying!" she tried. Ash could tell she was getting more panicked and scared. He needed to calm her down quickly before she caused a scene.

"Look miss, I saw a weird tower in the Desert Resort and went inside. I found you unconscious inside and I felt obligated to help." He explained. The mention of a tower caught May's attention.

"A-A tower...?" she asked. Her shock made her accidentally take another step back, only for her to step on the tail of a Pokémon buried in the sand. A large green Pokémon burst out of the ground and cried out in pain.

"Flygon!" he cried out. He turned his attention towards May and glared angrily at her. She gasped and fell back in surprise as the dragon closed in on her.

"Shoot! A Flygon!" Ash grunted as he quickly stepped between May and Flygon. "Sorry Flygon! It was an accident!" he tried. May's eyes widened at his bravery. She had never seen anyone stand up to a Magical Creature like that before.

"Fly!" Flygon yelled as he launched a Dragonbreath at them. Reacting quickly, Ash grabbed May and dodged the attack, releasing his own Pokémon in the process. Out of the pokéball came a red-shelled, crustacean Pokémon with a short tail. His eyes were saucer-like with small pupils, and he had three spikes on top of his head. He possessed four pairs of limbs in total: two large pincers and three pairs of legs. The upper segments of his legs, the underside of his body, and the lower halves of his pincers were cream-colored.

"Bubblebeam Corphish!" Ash ordered the Pokémon.

"Corphish phis phis phish!" Corphish cried out as small blue bubbled shot out from his open pincers and pushed Flygon back putting some distance between them. May watched in shock as Ash shielded her behind him. Never had she seen a human and Magical Creature work together like that. Where the heck was she?

"Flygon fly!" Flygon yelled.

"Look, we're sorry...! It was an accident!" Ash tried again. Flygon softened his glare a little as he watched Ash's actions carefully. The trainer took May's hand, causing the Princess to blush softly as he spoke to the angry Pokémon in a calm voice. "We'll leave..."

"...Fly." Flygon nodded in agreement before flying off deeper into the desert. Ash sighed in relief as he recalled Corphish and put away his pokéball. He returned his gaze to May and looked at her in concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Y-Yes..." she answered.

"That's good." He gave a small smile. May couldn't help but blush under his gaze as she slowly came to terms with just happened.

"...Thank you...you saved my life..." she said slowly.

"It's no problem." He smiled at her. May gave a small smile back and then curtsied to him.

"I'm in your debut, good Sir." She thanked him politely. Ash blushed slightly, surprised by such a formal response.

"It was nothing really..." he tried to wave her off.

"I apologize for accusing you of kidnapping...may I know your name?" she wondered.

"Uh...I'm Ash, Ash Ketchum." He introduced himself. She bowed to him politely and smiled.

"Thank you for your assistance, Sir Ash."

"N-no need to be so formal...heh...heh heh..." he stammered as his blush deepened. May tilted her head curiously at his statement.

"I'm sorry? Why would I not bestow the title of "Sir" upon someone that rescued me?" she questioned him.

"H-huh..?"

"You're a hero, Sir Ash. The title is the least I can do to thank you."

"I-I'm sorry I don't understand what's going on...who are you…?" he stuttered.

"Princess May Maple of the Kingdom of Hoenn." She answered. Ash blinked in astonishment as she smiled a little. He hadn't been in Hoenn all that long, but he was fairly confident there was no Kingdom here.

"U-uh..." he tried.

"Now, could you please tell me where in my Kingdom we are?" she asked.

"Well, we're in a desert...on Route 111." He tried to help.

"I'm sorry? I'm not familiar with that name..." May answered.

"Uh...well…"

"Well then…do you perhaps know where Petalburg Castle is from here? I should be able to find my way back there." She tried again. Ash could only look at her, completely dumbfounded.

"I...know how to get to the city at least. If that helps." He replied.

"The city...? What city?" she wondered.

"Petalburg City is southwest from here." He explained.

"But that...that's not right...Petalburg is the name of my Castle...it's not a city..." she said as her face fell a little, slowly becoming as confused as he was. Ash noticed her change in mood and it made him feel bad. After thinking more about what he could do, he decided that maybe getting help from someone else would help clear things up.

"...Let's...get you to the Pokémon Center. Maybe they can help." He suggested.

"A...Pokémon Center…?" she asked. Ash's eys widened in shock. She didn't even know what a Pokemon Center was?

"Oh dear..." this might be harder then he thought. He shook off his surprise in an attempt to not worry her. "Uh...come on. Let's get this straightened out...Y-your Majesty."

"...Alright Sir Ash." She nodded after a moment to consider his words. Ash offered his hand to her, which she accepted while she blushed a little. Taking the lead, Ash escorted her down the path back towards Mauville City.

It was just as the last of the sunset was disappearing that the travelers arrived on the outskirts of Mauville City. May's eyes widened in shock at the sight of such large city lit up with electricity even as the night started to settle in. She had only gone through what was a small settlement just a few hours ago. Ash noticed her surprise and turned towards her.

"Is something wrong..?" he asked.

"What...what happened to the Kinsetsu Settlement?!" she panicked. Ash looked at her sadly, hopelessly confused and worried that he didn't know how to help her. Her face fell sadly as she whispered softly to herself. "Something is very wrong..."

"Are you okay?" he cautiously asked.

"...I wish I knew..." she answered honestly. "Everything looks so different...I was just here earlier today..."

"As far as I know it's looked like this for a while…Something is up with that tower..." he agreed.

"I entered the tower in hopes of finding shelter for my caravan. When I was inside it began to shake and tremble...and then everything went dark…" she explained.

"The tower started shaking when I found you." Ash pointed out. "But it just...vanished when I ran outside."

"It...did...?" she gasped.

"Yeah..." he confirmed. "I don't know what that means..."

"I do not either...I've never heard of a tower that could simply vanish..." she agreed.

"Well…let's just...get you to the center...we can find help there hopefully." He reminded her. May gave a small nod and followed Ash as they entered the city. The Princess kept a firm grip on Ash's hand as they walked through the streets. There were so many new things and people around her that it began to freak her out. May began trembling as they walked, very overstimulated by the massive city. Ash noticed her growing fear and looked at her with worry. "Are you okay…?"

"I-I..." she started, only to stop short and jump at the sound of a nearby car revving its engine.

"It's ok. It's just a car..." he assured her.

"It's just…all so-" May stammered, only to be cut off again when some kids threw pop snaps into the street, causing her to jump again. She clung to his arm tightly and Ash blushed brightly at her actions. She whimpered a little and closed her eyes, trying to block out all the noise. "I-it's okay..." Ash tried as he wrapped an arm around her to comfort her. She relaxed a little at his touch as Ash rubbed her back. "Take a deep breath..."

"Ok…" May sighed, following his advice and taking a deep breath. She was able to calm herself down after a minute or two and Ash gave her a small smile.

"Better?"

"Yes…thank you, Sir Ash…"

"You're welcome. Now come on. The Center is just ahead."

"Ok…" Ash guided her down the street towards a large building with a red roof. They walked into the lobby, drawing the attention of a pink-haired nurse behind the desk. She looked up from her desk upon hearing their footsteps.

"Oh, Ash. Welcome back. I thought you were on your way to Lavaridge Town." She commented.

"I was, but when I was going by the Desert Resort I found her unconscious in a weird tower, and she didn't seem to know where she was." He explained, gesturing to May. The woman's eyes widened in shock at his story.

"A weird...tower? In the Desert Resort…?" she asked.

"Yeah. Do you know anything about something like that Nurse Joy?" he wondered.

"You...saw the Mirage Tower...?" Joy gasped.

"Mirage Tower? Is that the name?" Ash questioned her. Nurse Joy was silent for a moment before silently motioning for the two of them to follow her. She led them back to an exam room and closed the door so they could talk privately.

"You're positive you found her inside the tower...?" Joy asked.

"No doubt. There was this rumbling and I got her out. After that the entire thing vanished." He nodded.

"Oh dear..."

"What's wrong…?" May gulped.

"The tower you saw...the people around here call it the Mirage Tower...very few have actually seen it and no one has gone inside. Most believe it to be a myth." Joy explained.

"Whoa…" Ash commented.

"There's more…there's a Legend surrounding the tower...saying that it...travels through time..." she continued.

"Through...t-time..?" May gasped.

"Yes…the Legend says that the tower disappears and reappears at different points in the timeline. But, just like the sandstorms in the area...it's all at random..." the nurse finished her explanation. May's eyes widened in complete horror as Nurse Joy's words settled in.

"So...Princess May is from the distant past or future…?" Ash realized. Nurse Joy's eyes widened again as she looked at May in shock.

"Your name is...Princess May?" she asked.

"Y-Yes...?" the princess acknowledged. "You know me...?"

"...Actually I only know of you...In ancient times Hoenn was ruled by King Maple as his family...one of the most famous tales of that time was the disappearance of his daughter...Princess May Maple...it was said she disappeared during a trip through that area..." Joy explained. Ash gasped and looked at May in astonishment as May's throat began to run dry at the revelations settling into her mind.

"D…Disappeared…?" she croaked out weakly.

"So she...she really is a Princess..." Ash realized.

"I guess...some Legends really are true..." Joy remarked. Ash was quick to notice May's growing fear and panic and he turned his attention back to Nurse Joy.

"How do we get her home…?" Ash asked.

"That's the thing...I'm not sure you can..." Nurse Joy answered.

"But...there has to be a way. I mean maybe if I took her back to the tower..." he suggested.

"It won't work. The tower's time jumps are random...even if you were able to find it again, she could be sent even further into the future or sent back to a time before Hoenn even existed." Joy pointed out.

"But..." Ash started, only to stop trying when he couldn't think of an alternative. May lowered her head sadly as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry but if you put her back in the tower there's no telling when she'll end up...and that could be very dangerous for her and the rest of the timeline..." Joy cautioned them. "I'm so sorry..." Ash turned towards May and watched the young lady quietly cry. Even though she was still almost a complete stranger to him, he was able to feel and understand how devastating this was for her. Ash had always been one to help out anyone in need, but for some reason this time he felt an even stronger desire to help.

"Well…it doesn't matter. I have to try to help her." he declared. May's head snapped up and she looked at him through her tears.

"What…?" she wondered aloud. He looked back at her and nodded.

"I can't leave you alone and stranded here..." he reminded her.

"But...the tower won't work..." she reminded him.

"Princess I promise..." Ash assured her as he took hold of her hand. "I'll find a way to get you back home somehow."

"Sir Ash…" May whispered as a bright red blush crossed her cheeks.

"It's really not a problem." He smiled.

"...Then...I can stay with you for the time being...?" she hopefully asked. Ash nodded without hesitation and May gave a small smile under her tears. "Thank you so much Sir Ash..."

"Of course...Your Highness." He grinned with a small blush of his own. May smiled back at him and her own blush deepened a little at his charm.

"Well...if she's going to be in this time for a while, she'll need something other than an ancient dress to wear to help her blend in." Nurse Joy pointed out. May tilted her head in confusion and looked down at her dress.

"It's not that bad..." she said as she looked at Ash. "…is it?"

"I think you look beautiful..." he commented with a blush. She blushed as well as Nurse Joy smiled.

"I'm sure we can find you something both comfortable and modern for your stay." She assured the young princess. Ash smiled and gently rubbed the back of May's hand with his thumb, alerting them both to the realization that they were still holding hands.

"We can trust her." He assured her.

"O-Ok..." she nodded.

"Actually, I think I have just the thing for you." Joy smiled as she led May into another room. Ash sat down on a nearby chair and took a deep breath as Pikachu looked at him from his shoulder.

"You sure about all this...?" he asked his trainer.

"I want to help her..." Ash insisted.

"I know but...what if it really is impossible...?" Pikachu questioned.

"We won't know until we try." Ash pointed out.

"I guess...but what about the Hoenn League?"

"Well..."

"Are you sure we can really do both...?"

"I'm hopeful I'll find a solution for her along the way to the League...and if not, there will be more tournaments...she may not get multiple chances." Ash explained. Pikachu thought for a moment before giving him a small nod of agreement. As the two shared a smile, Nurse Joy opened the door again and gently coaxed May in behind her.

"Go on. It's alright Princess. You look wonderful." She assured her. May timidly walked back into the room, now sporting a new look. She was now wearing a red t-shirt with a dark blue circle around her neck, dark blue bike shorts, a white skirt, a pair of black socks, red and yellow sneakers, a red bandanna with a white pokéball print, a yellow waist-pack, and dark-blue and white gloves. She blushed in embarrassment as Ash smiled at her and blushed himself.

To be Continued...