May blushed profusely as she tugged a little at her skirt in an attempt to lower it. She had never worn a skirt that was so short before. Nor had she worn an outfit with such little fabric involved. Saying she was embarrassed was clearly an understatement.
"I-It seems a little..." she stammered.
"You look really nice." Ash interrupted as he flashed her a genuine smile. May blushed profusely at the compliment and turned her attention from her clothes to him.
"You...really think so...?" she wondered. Ash grinned and nodded at her, causing her to blush even more. "Th-Thank you, Sir Ash..."
"Oh…A-Are you set on calling me that..?" he asked, scratching behind his head awkwardly at the title. May's eyes grew somber as she looked down at the ground. She was quiet for a few moments before she answered him.
"...In this world…I have nothing of value to thank you for all your kindness towards me...so even if my title holds no weight here...I still want to give you a title of honor to at least try and repay your kindness..."Sir" is the title given to those who serve the royal family with great courage and honor…and that's how I feel about you…I don't mean to make you uncomfortable with it…I just…I want to make sure you know how much I appreciate everything you're doing for me…" she explained. Ash's eyes widened in shock as he listened. He never imagined just a title would mean so much to her. The way she described it even made him feel honored about her bestowing it upon him. Smiling gently, he took her hand in his own. Her eyes met his as another blush crossed her cheeks. He pulled her into a comforting hug and held her slender figure gently. After a moment of surprise, May slowly wrapped her arms around him, her face still a deep red color.
"You don't have to do anything for me Princess..." he assured her.
"But I want to...and this is all I have...I ask that you accept what little thanks I can bestow...if only to make me feel better..." she insisted. Ash smiled and nodded.
"Alright. I'd be honored to accept your offer of a title Princess." He replied. The two shared a warm smile when Ash's stomach roared to life, catching everyone's attention. May giggled softly as Nurse Joy smiled and Ash blushed with embarrassment.
"Sorry…" Ash mumbled.
"Not a problem. The cafeteria is open for another two hours if you two are hungry." Joy offered.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy." Ash nodded.
"Yes thank you very much for everything." May added.
"You're both very welcome. I have to finish up some work for now so please just come find me if you need anything." The nurse smiled at them. Giving a small wave, she headed off and Ash turned his attention back to May.
"Are you hungry?"
"Yes…I suppose I technically haven't eaten anything in a few centuries." She half-joked.
"Let's go get some food then." He smiled.
"Very well." She agreed. Ash took the lead out of the room and back down the hall towards the lobby. "There's truly some kind of dining hall in this building?"
"Oh yeah. Pokémon Centers have everything." He nodded.
"There are other attractions?" she wondered.
"Well I don't know about attractions, but one of the things these places do have are rooms that travelers can sleep in for free." Ash explained.
"So it's like...inn of some kind?" May guessed.
"Uh...yeah. Yeah, it's like an inn." Ash agreed. May gave him a small smile and nodded.
"I see."
"It's also a place for medical treatment." He continued.
"A medical center in an inn? What an interesting combination." She commented.
"I suppose so." Ash chuckled.
"And places like this are...common in this time?" May asked
"Yup. Most towns have one." He nodded.
"They're all open to everyone?" Ash nodded again as May whistled in amazement. "Such an interesting idea."
"Heh. Sure is I guess." Ash replied as he scratched the back of his head a little. May looked up at him and smiled a little.
"And what do you do Sir Ash?" she inquired.
"What do you mean..?" he wondered.
"Do you have a job? Or a goal perhaps?" she clarified.
"Oh. Well, I'm a Pokémon Trainer." He answered.
"I keep hearing that word. Pokémon Center, now Pokémon Trainer. What is a Pokémon anyway?" May asked.
"You don't know what a Pokémon is? They're the creatures that live all over this world. Like Pikachu." Ash explained, pointing to Pikachu on his shoulder.
"Really? In my time we called them Magical Creatures." She informed him.
"Oh ok. I got it." Ash realized. "Then I'm guessing you didn't have Pokémon Trainers then either."
"No, we didn't. What is a Pokémon Trainer?"
"Uh..." he stalled as he scratched his head, trying to think of the best way to explain. "Well take Pikachu and me as an example. We travel around different countries along with other Pokémon we meet along the way. We challenge other trainers to competitions of strength and unity which culminate in tournaments called Leagues."
"Wow…in my time we barely interacted with Magical Creatures. Most people are pretty afraid of them. The only ones I had regular contact with were the Rapidash that pulled my carriage." May explained.
"Well in this time most people live alongside Pokémon day to day. Some people keep them as pets, some study their abilities, and lots of us work alongside them and become friends with them. That's part of what I love about being a Pokémon Trainer." He smiled.
"That...sounds like a lot of fun..." she commented.
"It sure is." Ash smiled. May smiled back until a thought crossed her mind and she looked at him with concern.
"I'm not...interfering with your goal, am I? I don't want your kindness towards me to cause you any problems…"
"Oh don't worry. I want to help you get home and there will always be more tournaments. No real way to know when you might get your chance to go home." He assured her. May blushed slightly and Ash smiled at her.
"Thank you Sir Ash…" she said as she gave a small smile back.
"It's no problem, Your Highness." Ash replied as the two of them arrived in the food court. The room was packed with other travelers and trainers chatting and eating dinner.
"There seem to be a lot of people here." May commented. "Are a lot of these people...Pokémon Trainers like you?"
"Most of them." He nodded. The two shared a smile and Ash took her over to the buffet counter. May looked at all the food curiously, not recognizing most of the recipes.
"What are all these different dishes called?" she asked.
"Well...that's a casserole, that's sushi, tacos, and that's mac and cheese over there." He explained.
"Well, everything smells delicious." she smiled. Ash smiled back and handed her a plate.
"Go ahead and take whatever you'd like. It's all you can eat." He said. May nodded and took a little bit of everything onto her plate, surprising Ash.
"You sure you can eat all of that?" Ash cautiously asked as he sweatdropped with a smile. May blushed a little with embarrassment as she pushed some of her hair behind her ear.
"I was...known for having a big apatite..." she explained. Ash smiled at the revelation as he began to make his plate match hers.
"That's something we have in common then." May looked at him in surprise and he gave her a small chuckle with a wink. She smiled and the two began looking around for a table.
"Over here." Ash said as he gestured to an open table. May nodded in agreement and followed him to the table. They both sat down across from each other as Ash flashed her a smile. "Enjoy."
"Thank you." She replied as they both began eating. May's eyes widened in surprise as she took her first bite of modern food. "Whoa! This tastes...really good!"
"Doesn't it?" he chuckled.
"We had nothing like this back home. It took hours for the chefs to prepare anything." She explained.
"Oh. I guess I never thought about that..." Ash realized.
"I suppose our technology was a bit less..." May started. Ash nodded in understanding as May continued trying new foods.
"Well do you like everything?" he questioned. She smiled and nodded as they continued to eat together and chat.
"Can I...ask you something?" she asked.
"Of course." He nodded.
"You mentioned that Pokémon Trainers...work with lots of Pokémon?" Ash nodded again. "How is that possible...?"
"Oh." Ash said as he pulled a pokéball from his belt and showed it to her. "We use these."
"What's that?" May wondered as she tilted her head curiously. Ash tapped the button in the center of the ball and it opened up with a flash of white light, releasing a Taillow onto the table. May nearly jumped back in surprise at the sudden appearance of the little Pokémon. "Ah!"
"It's ok. This is called a pokéball. It stores Pokémon inside so Trainers can travel with them." Ash explained.
"But...but they're living creatures...how is that possible?" she questioned him.
"Ah well...to be honest, I'm not sure how the technology works..." he admitted.
"How can you bond with them if they're in those little balls?"
"The same way humans bond with each other I suppose. Just spend time together and over time a friendship blooms." He smiled. "Just take a look at Pikachu and me. He hates being inside his pokéball, so he chooses to stay out here with me."
"Really?" May wondered.
"Yup. No one has to be in them if they don't like them." He smiled.
"Still doesn't it feel...more like a form of ownership...?"
"I don't think so. Pikachu is my best friend. I've never thought of him as my property." Ash countered.
"Wow. That's amazing." May smiled.
"It sure is. All my Pokémon are my friends." Ash agreed as he pet Pikachu's head, earning him a purr from the Electric Type.
"That sounds really nice." May nodded.
"Would you like to give catching Pokémon a shot? I'd be happy to teach you how." He offered.
"I...I don't think that's a good idea...I don't want to risk hurting the timeline…" she reminded him.
"I don't think you catching a Pokémon will break time." Ash chuckled.
"Well...I'll certainly think about it." She conceded.
"Alright." He agreed as May began to search for a new topic of conversation.
"So...where were you headed when you found me?" she asked.
"Well, I had planned on going to Lavaridge Town." He informed her. May's eyes widened in surprise as a small gasp escaped her lips.
"I was on my way to the Lavaridge Settlement with my caravan." May pointed out.
"Really?" he wondered.
"Yes. It was a fairly new settlement at the time. Given its proximity to the volcano, we were doing regular checks." She explained. Ash nodded in understanding as she continued. "I'm curious how it has grown..."
"Well why don't we find out and head there in the morning?" he offered. May smiled a little and nodded in agreement as they both finished the food on their plates. "Alright. What's your final verdict on food from this time?"
"It's exquisite." She giggled. Ash smiled brightly as he watched her laugh. She seemed to just light up and it made her look even more beautiful.
"Cute laugh." He said before he could stop himself. His eyes widened in shock of himself as a May blushed hard. "Di-Did I say that out loud..?"
"Yes…" she confirmed.
"Oh, man..."
"Oh…Did you...not mean it...?" she asked as her smile faded a little.
"Oh! No no, I did! I just...er…" he stammered as he tried to find the right words. May looked at him in concern.
"Have I offended you Sir Ash...?" she whispered. Ash quickly shook his head as he tried to recover.
"Not at all...I'm just...embarrassed." he explained.
"Whatever for? It made me smile." She pointed out.
"Well, that doesn't help with the embarrassment…I like your smile too." He countered. May blushed more at the second compliment and smiled again.
"Thank you..." she replied as Ash smiled back at her.
A little while later, after they were done with dinner, May was following Ash as they walked towards the front desk. One he had convinced her that the rooms at the Pokémon Center were in fact free, they had gone in search of Nurse Joy to book two of them.
"Nurse Joy?" Ash asked. She looked up from her final set of papers and smiled at them.
"What can I do for you Ash?" she said.
"Can we get two rooms for the night?" he requested.
"Of course." She nodded as she brought up the guest registry system on her computer. She got their names registered and handed them each a room key.
"Thank you." He replied politely.
"Yes thank you." May echoed. Ash turned to her and smiled.
"Come on. I'll take you to your room." He offered.
"Very well. Thank you, Sir Ash." She smiled back. Ash walked her to the room with the same number as the one on her key, making note of his room right across the hall.
"Here you are. And I'm right across the hall if you need anything." He assured her. May nodded in understanding and bowed to him politely.
"Thank you very much, Sir Ash." She said. Ash blushed at her actions and scratched behind his head again.
"O-Of course...Your Highness." He responded. May lifted her head and smiled at him.
"May is just fine Sir Ash. Given our situation and your above and beyond efforts, I believe first name address has been more than earned." She informed him.
"O-okay...May." he corrected himself. Both young adults blushed and smiled at one another.
"I shall see you in the morning then?" Ash nodded and she smiled, daintily pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Then until then...goodnight Sir Ash."
"Goodnight May." He replied as he walked into his room. May retreated to her own room and closed her door. She looked around the room curiously, noting the size difference between her bedroom and this one right away. Despite this, however, it is neatly organized and cleaned with a bed, a bathroom, and a closet. She sat down on the edge of the bed, only to gasp at the softness of the mattress, a far cry different from what she was used to.
"Whoa...!" she gasped. She crawled under the sheets and sighed happily, finding them far more comfortable than what she was used to. Even the pillows felt more comfortable. May giggled and snuggled into bed as she began to drift off to sleep.
"Maybe being here for a while won't be so bad after all..."
To be Continued...