Second chapter, and with it the end of the story's prologue. If you have any suggestions, something you liked or hated about the chapter, feel free to express yourself in the comments. English is not my mother tongue, so sorry for any spelling mistakes.
Without further ado, enjoy the chapter.
It was a very pleasant night for her, who hadn't remembered sleeping so peacefully in a long time. The warmth she felt from something she was hugging also helped a lot with the comfort she gained during the night.
She nestled her head in joy, and was surprised when she heard a small moan.
Still sleepy, it took her a while to reason that it wasn't normal to have something giving off heat as she hugged it, and when May slowly looked at the source of the sound, she blushed furiously.
Shirou was shirtless as he slept peacefully, and May was hugging him while aligning her body with his, having her head on his chest and a small trickle of saliva dripping from his mouth and had accumulated on the poor guy.
She quickly tried to free herself, only for Shirou, still in his sleep, to turn around and hug her, holding the poor girl in his firm arms.
May didn't know what to do, it was the first time she was in this situation. It was a cliché from many romance movies she'd watched in her childhood, but experiencing it was something else entirely.
Seeing the shirtless boy holding her so intimately, even unconsciously, left her with a mixture of shame, joy and security. It was a completely new feeling to have someone hold her like this, and May wouldn't deny that it was something she was enjoying. Her mind was conflicted as one part screamed at her to get out of the grip while another part told her to seize the moment.
His internal debate was short-lived when he decided to take advantage of the situation. She wasn't going to be able to get out of the grip either way, and she wasn't going to kill anyone to take the slightest advantage of the situation. She hugged him and aligned her face to the boy's chest, while blushing even more with embarrassment and enjoying the moment.
Soon she felt sleepy and fell asleep again.
When the first rays of sunlight appeared through the curtains, Shirou woke up, and soon realized that he had once again become involved in an embarrassing situation involving women.
How the hell had he hugged the girl in such a way while she slept? He honestly didn't understand why this happened to him, and considering who his father was, his experience with the opposite sex was limited only to what Semiramis had crammed into his mind in the short time they'd been together.
His mind analyzed all the scenarios and none of them showed him a decent way out of the situation he found himself in, and with a sigh of acceptance, he started talking to May affectionately while shaking the girl's shoulders.
"May, wake up, just dawn. If we delay we will miss breakfast." When mentioning breakfast, May opened her eyes and found herself looking at Shirou who had his face inches from her face.
The girl let out a high-pitched scream as she fell out of bed in embarrassment, and awkwardly stood up while making indecipherable sounds. Shirou smiled at the girl's actions and sat on the bed, stretching and noticing that May, even embarrassed, was staring at him, more precisely at her chest. It was teasing material, but he was going to take pity on the girl, she was embarrassed enough already, and her behavior was understandable for a teenager her age. Standing up, he put on his tight black shirt.
May looked at him curiously until she noticed that something was different. She waited for Shirou to wear her clothes and looked at him curiously. "Shirou, why did your skin color change?"
This caught the attention of the young man, who ran into the bedroom's small bathroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His actions startled May, and she shyly followed him as she shyly looked out the door.
Shirou stared in shock at his reflection, his skin was now as clear as it had been before his pact with Alaya, further proof that she no longer had dominion over him. His hair was still white and his physical constitution hadn't changed, which relieved him, the change in skin would be hard to explain, if he had changed his height or the color of his hair, it would only make his situation worse.
Disguising his shock, he looked at May, making the girl blush again at being caught spying on him. Smiling at the girl, he without thinking about her actions, approached her and gently with his hand arranged the girl's bangs, because her hair was loose without her bandana and some strands were in front of her face.
The action surprised May, but she didn't stop him as she took advantage of the situation, it was something new to see someone spoiling her like that, and as a girl she couldn't complain, it was something that the vast majority of girls her age dreamed of having someone who they would appreciate doing things like that.
Shirou stopped his action, to May's displeasure, and looked at her while he justified himself for what happened to his skin.
"Well I honestly don't know what happened, I just woke up and my skin was like this, does it bother you?" May instantly denied it as she smiled at the boy and went into the bathroom to get dressed.
Shirou turned around and started tidying the girl's room, it was a habit he had to always tidy up the rooms he stayed in. Caroline, who had come to wake up the pair, was surprised to see the boy tidying the room, and again smiled with the action, in addition to being well versed in the kitchen and polite, the boy knew how to tidy the room he slept in. She'd like May and Max to have this custom, but their kids have always been unattached to this sort of thing. The woman noticed that Shirou's skin was fair but didn't comment on it, it was extremely disrespectful to comment on someone's color and the boy had only done positive things for his family since he arrived at their house, she would give him the benefit of the doubt.
Smiling once more, she caught the boy's attention. "Shirou, where is May? Breakfast is ready, it's probably no better than something you would have made, but still I hope it's to your liking." Caroline was a little unsure about her cooking after Shirou's wonderful dinner the night before, and she was about to head back to the kitchen when she was stopped by the young man.
"Ms. Maple, I would love anything you could prepare, there's no need to be afraid. And as for Miss Maple, she is getting ready for the day in the bathroom, as soon as she is ready we will join you in the kitchen." The matriarch smiled at the comment and before leaving, she saw something and teased the young man.
"Well, I told you not to call me Miss Maple, it's Caroline, please don't repeat that or I'll be mad, and if I were you, I'd be careful of a certain girl that's looking at you, good luck." With a laugh, Caroline walked out of the hallway, confusing Shirou with the last part of the comment, and soon had his answer when someone shifted his body direction, only for him to stare at May in her signature red outfit as she glared at him with her hands on her hips. .
"I already told you to call me May, I hope it's not a recurring thing. We're friends, don't treat me like a stranger." She clasped her hands and looked at her bedroom floor as she swayed her hips shyly. "We're friends, aren't we?" The girl looked at him expectantly in her eyes, Shirou smiled and hugged May, surprising her, but soon the girl reciprocated and rested her head on the boy's chest, with Shirou resting her chin on his head.
"Of course we are friends, I would be a fool to deny friendship to someone as adorable and cute as you." Shirou spoke without second thoughts, but her comment made May smile shyly as she pulled out of the hug and looked at him in embarrassment.
"Did you really mean that? Who finds me adorable and cute?" Tilting his head to the side in confusion, the gray haired boy didn't understand his friend's doubt.
"Of course I meant it, only a blind person would notice otherwise, come on, your mother told me breakfast is ready." Shirou turned and headed for the kitchen. May stood there with a slight smile on her face as she looked fondly at the boy she had recently met and who had quickly gained so much importance in her life.
"I think my life will be more interesting from now on." Her stomach betrayed her with a loud noise, making her blush. She ran to catch up with her friend as she hurried to satisfy her hunger.
Breakfast went without problems. Shirou's new appearance surprised the family, but they soon ignored it, his color was exclusively Shirou's problem and they didn't care. When everyone was done, Shirou practically demanded that he be in charge of washing the silverware, and Caroline reluctantly accepted.
Max was excitedly heading to the living room to watch the rerun of last season's Hoenn Pokémon League when he heard the videophone signaling that he was receiving a call.
As it was the closest, the young man ran to answer it and was surprised to see an old acquaintance with a Pikachu on his shoulder.
"Ash, I didn't expect you to call, how are you?"
"I'm ok Max, are you and your family ok?"
Max excitedly spoke to his best friend. "You won't believe Ash, yesterday a white haired boy appeared unconscious in our backyard, he looked like a priest or something, my sister started acting funny around him after the boy spoke difficult words. My mom seems to like him, and my dad almost broke his neck when he kissed my sister's hand! Can you believe? He's crazy, imagine the germs he caught kissing May's hand, Ew..."
Ash was surprised by what Max said, but laughed at his friend's comments, he hadn't changed at all. Max composed himself and continued talking to his friend.
"His name is very complicated, I'll just call it Shirou because the rest is hard to remember, and Ash, Shirou cooks better than Brock, I know this sounds impossible, but you had to see, he cooked himself a feast that was better than the expensive food served at the last big festival May attended." Ash perked up to hear that Brock had someone who challenged him at food, and when Max talked about the big festival, he remembered the reason for the call.
"I'm happy to talk to you Max, but I could call May, I need to talk to her." Max nodded and yelled, causing Ash to frown, being caught off guard by the child's high-pitched voice.
"May! Ash is on the videophone, he wants to talk to you!" Ash heard a surprised female scream in the background and then May appeared, pushing Max off the videophone, much to the boy's indignation, and she started talking to her friend and mentor.
"Ash! What a surprise that you called, I thought you were already going on a new journey." Ash smiled at his friend's enthusiasm and didn't want to waste her time as he was leaving in a few hours and needed to speak with her friend.
"May, I'm going to a new region further north, it's called Sinnoh, and you won't believe it, they have contests there, and I heard that they're very popular in the region, I thought it would be of interest to you to know that and I couldn't help but call." As Ash spoke excitedly, May was surprised and a doubt popped into her mind. She wasn't going to lie, if what Ash said was true, she would be excited to discover a new region, but on the other hand, one of the reasons she broke up with her friend was because of her conflicting feelings towards the dense boy. She wanted to travel with Ash, but was afraid of what could happen to their friendship, she still hadn't gotten over her crush on the boy, and if they stayed together, it would be inevitable for her to reveal how she felt, and that made her afraid.
A little disheartened, she looked at the image of her friend. "Ash, I thought it was amazing that there are contests in Sinnoh, but I don't know if I'm going to travel with you this time." This surprised Ash.
"Why, did I do something that bothered you?" The boy asked innocently, May was tempted to say 'Yes' but decided not to voice her thoughts.
"It's not your fault Ash, but Drew and Soledad are going to compete in the contest season in Johto and I'm inclined to follow them, they've been my rivals for a long time and I feel like it would be weird to compete in a region without them for me to face. Probably Harley will be there too, but I think I can manage." May smiled at Ash but it wasn't a real smile, while she wasn't lying, she was conflicted about what to say to her friend.
She saw Ash's shoulders sag and quickly a sad look framed his face. Her heart clenched at the sight of this, and Ash quickly reverted to his signature smile. She knew it was an act, but she let Ash speak whatever she needed to.
"May, I'll support you regardless of your decision, I've known you since you got Torchic from Professor Birch, helped you learn the basics of Pokémon training, and look how far you've come! You are an incredible coordinator and I know you will be successful no matter what you choose to do." Ash's words were sincere and filled with passion and conviction, making the girl's heart skip a beat as tears streamed down her face, startling the poor boy.
"May, did I say something wrong? I'm sorry!" She laughed as she wiped her tears and smiled at her friend.
"It's not bad you fool, I'm just glad you think that of me. Ash, I don't know where I'm going on my next journey, after you told me about Sinnoh, I'm in doubt." Ash smiled at his friend, she would at least consider traveling with him and that alone made him happy.
"May, I'm leaving for Sinnoh this afternoon with Brock, I was going to wait for you to tell me your decision, but I already bought the tickets." Ash rubbed the back of his head shyly, drawing a smile from the girl. She looked and gave the only answer she could to the boy.
"Ash, if I decide to go to Sinnoh, I will wait for you in Sandgem Town, I did some research and found that Professor Rowan's laboratory is in this city, and as it is close to the port that is the destination of the ship from Petalburg, it is simply the ideal destination. But if you don't find me in this city by tomorrow, it means I've gone to Johto." She took her half of the Terracotta tape out of her pocket and smilingly showed it to her friend, who took part of it and did the same on the other side of the screen.
"Regardless of where we go..." May said, just for Ash to complete the sentence.
"We will always be carrying a part of ourselves with us." Ash ended up smiling, they both looked at each other a little longer and then Ash disconnected the call, drawing a sigh from May. She had a difficult decision to make and needed to talk to someone.
Max and her father were out of the question, both would be partial to her going with Ash. Her mother would not be a good idea, because if she discovered her crush on Ash, in addition to forcing her to go to Sinnoh, she would provoke her at all times. The thought sent shivers down her spine.
The only one left was Shirou, but would it be right to say that to him? They hadn't known each other for more than two days, and even though May admitted to developing a crush on the boy, she wasn't sure how the gray-haired boy would react.
The rest of the morning was marked by Shirou helping with household chores, much to her mother's delight, while May spent time with her Pokémon, which were in the gym's greenhouse.
Max was watching his father defeat his gym challengers excitedly, and only stopped when Shirou called them over for lunch.
This time he was the one who cooked, a wordless agreement seemed to have arisen between Shirou and Caroline. They would take turns in the kitchen and whenever Shirou would cook, Caroline would stay by his side taking notes of everything the boy prepared.
The food didn't fall short of expectations, being as good as the dinner, and while Caroline was washing the silverware, Max and Norman watched TV while Shirou sat on the stairs humming to himself. It was a sad but beautiful melody, and even with no words being uttered, only the rhythmic sound was good enough. May walked over and looked curiously at her friend.
"What a beautiful melody, what's the name?" May asked trying to start a conversation that had everything to be embarrassing.
Shirou stopped his music and looked at May, who looked a little nervous for some reason. "Well, this tune doesn't have a name, but Semiramis used to sing it to me so I kind of memorized it." Shirou flashed an embarrassed smile as May cringed at the mention of his friend's late girlfriend (or wife? She didn't want to ask). Taking advantage that something about relationships had been mentioned, she caught his attention.
"Shirou, I need to shop for groceries and clothes for my next journey, could you come with me? There's something I'd like to talk to you about, but in private." Shirou agreed and after May took her yellow fanny pack with money, they both walked through the streets of Petalburg together.
May quickly cheered up when she arrived at the mall, practically pressing her face to the windows, while excitedly looking at the most varied pieces of clothing.
"Shirou look at these dresses, I picture myself in them and they are so cute! I'm going to need at least one more fancy piece of clothing because if I attend dinner at a restaurant I refuse to wear my travel clothes!" With a fire in her eyes, May took Shirou's hand and led him inside the store. As they walked through the establishment, drawing looks and smiles from customers and staff, in their minds it seemed that the daughter of Petalburg's strict gym leader had finally found a boyfriend, and if he was in one piece, it was a sign that Norman approved, and that was impressive. by the man's unpleasant history with boys who approached his daughter, or as he liked to call it, his 'little princess'.
May seemed to dance along the shelves as she picked up piles of clothes and threw them to Shirou, who, not knowing what to do, was simply trying to keep the small pile of clothes that appeared in his hands.
May took him to a chair in front of a dressing room and sat him in a chair, much to the young man's relief, as she asked him to wait and hurried into the store again.
After a few minutes, the girl came back with a few pairs of clothes that Shirou didn't have time to identify, as she ran into the dressing room and practically threw them inside, leaving and looking at the confused boy blushing.
She gently picked up the pile of clothes as she entered the dressing room, and before closing the door, she looked at Shirou with a smile.
"I need someone's opinion and I only have you here Shirou, be a good boy and wait for me, and don't you dare peek." she said, blinking provocatively as she closed the door. Shirou blushed at the girl's comment and waited patiently.
Over the next hour, May tried on countless outfits, from casuals to ball gowns, and Shirou assessed them all with surprising skill. May expected to embarrass the boy, but he knew what he was talking about, and he was really helping her. She chose a beautiful white dress that fitted his figure, strapless and sleeveless, that stretched to his ankles, with a 'V' slit on the left leg.
After handing over to one of the employees the other clothes she didn't choose, Shirou was already standing up when May came back and gently pushed him with her index finger on the chair, much to the young man's confusion.
"Whoever said it's over, I still have some clothes to try on, hang on, I think you'll like it." The mischievous wink and laughter unnerved Shirou, reminding him terribly of a certain girl with black braids who was addicted to jewelry.
Soon May came out of the dressing room and Shirou's mouth dropped open in shock.
She wore lingerie that consisted of a white strapless bra, which further highlighted her already prominent breasts, while her panties of the same color had V-shaped straps, lining up at her waist. She spun around on her own feet as she looked at Shirou with a slight rosy tinge to her cheeks.
"So what do you think?" She asked shyly, while a still embarrassed Shirou struggled to keep his eyes on the girl's face, May realized and internally celebrated, he had at least noticed her figure and that generated feminine pride in his heart.
Bringing a closed hand to his mouth and coughing to calm himself again, Shirou looked with the most serious face he could muster, well, if you ignored the rosy tone on his face.
"Well...you look amazing May, but don't you think your dad will kill me if he finds out I'm...seeing you in your underwear?" Shirou became even more awkward and embarrassed as he spoke to the girl, and even though May was initially scared of the comment about her father, she smirked at the poor boy and spoke in a teasing tone.
She approached and leaned towards the boy, giving Shirou a more privileged view of his, well, assets. He with monumental strength focused his gaze on his friend's face as May gave a light laugh.
"This is going to be our little secret, what the eyes don't see the heart doesn't feel, isn't that the saying? Well, since you liked it I'll keep this one." She excitedly returned to the dressing room and dressed in the last piece of clothing she was going to try on, this being her outfit that she would wear for travel.
She came out of the dressing room with a bandana, but it was green with white details in the shape of a Poké Ball. She was wearing a yellow sleeveless shirt with a center zip, white side pockets and black 'V' collar, a yellow backpack on her back. A green fanny pack was at her waist, while her leggings and white skirt stayed the same. Her look ended with a pair of green sneakers, black socks and white gloves with the wrist and fingers being black. She smiled at her friend and posed with her left hand on her hip as she leaned to the side.
"So you think I looked good in those clothes?" Shirou felt relieved that it wasn't lingerie and analyzed the girl's clothes. The clothes matched and she still maintained a similar style to her previous attire.
Nodding, that was the confirmation May needed, and taking the two pieces of clothing and lingerie she had chosen, she was excited to go to the cashier to pay for her purchases. She had spent more than expected and all the money reserved for groceries had been used for her purchases, Shirou took her groceries and May shyly walked out into the mall, with the boy beside her.
She looked at Shirou worriedly, embarrassed by what she was going to say. "Hey, I spent all my money and there's nothing left to buy groceries, I'm a fool! Come on, you can laugh at me, I deserve it." Despondent she looked down at her feet as she grew more and more depressed. The Magus looked pityingly and caught his friend's attention.
"May, do you know where a pawn shop is around here?" The question confused the girl, but she pointed to a small, antique-looking store at the end of the first-floor hallway, and the pair headed toward the establishment.
Arriving at his destination, Shirou headed towards an old bald gentleman wearing a well-kept suit, who was looking at some jewelry with a magnifying glass. The tinkling of the doorbell on the door caught his attention, and he smiled at the young couple of teenagers entering his store, the boy's clothes cheered him up as they indicated that he could be someone of means, and his business was kind of at a standstill.
Rubbing his hands together excitedly, he greeted the pair.
"Welcome to Thompson Pawn Shop. Where everything can be obtained or sold, for the right price. So how could I help this young couple who walked into my humble shop." The duo blushed at the comment about them being a couple, but Shirou got right to the point of coming here. He reached into the right pocket of his pants and pulled out a beautiful white gold ring set with diamonds.
May's eyes widened at the beauty of the jewelry as the merchant flashed an interest in the merchandise.
"I would like to pawn this ring, I believe I can get a lot of money, am I correct?" Shirou flashed a predatory smile that didn't go with his character, and while it surprised May, it made the merchant frown, this wouldn't be someone to be fooled with. That was the problem with wealthy clients, the rich were always masters of being malicious when they wanted to.
Returning to his act as the excited salesman, he smiled and picked up the ring as he used his magnifying glass to analyze the jewelry.
"Yes, pure white gold and high quality diamonds, you can make a small fortune out of it young man, I believe this ring must have a history, would you like to grace me with such information? It's always nice to know the story behind such valuable items." The smiling man made his way to the front desk as he weighed the ring and calculated the amount he would pay for the item.
A serene look came into Shirou's eyes as he spoke looking without a clear focus. "This ring was a gift from my late wife, but a friend of mine needs help and as I don't have any money on me at the moment, I decided to pawn the ring, although I have an emotional attachment, I'm sure she would approve if she was here with me." As Shirou spoke with a longing tone and the merchant nodded in respect, May understood Shirou's motive and took her hands over his mouth as she looked in disbelief at her friend. Although she confirmed her suspicions that Shirou was a widower, the shock of her action didn't lessen.
She grabbed Shirou's arm and spoke to the boy. "Shirou don't do this! It's a gift from your late wife, I can't accept you pawning this ring for my mistake." Shirou placed his hand on the girl's head and caressed her while she smiled.
"May, it's my decision, the ring is mine and I want to help you, please accept it." Shirou smiled as tears threatened to appear on May's face, she hugged him and nodded in agreement, bringing a slight smile to the old merchant.
"Well, once the sale is confirmed, I pay 25,000 Pokédollars." Said the man with a smile, Shirou knew he was paying little even without knowing the value of this world's currency, and since May wasn't commenting, it seemed to be a considerable amount.
"50,000 Pokédollars and I sell." Shirou countered, he was a tough negotiator when he wanted to.
The man frowned and made another proposal, the kid would be a tough game. "30,000 is my final offer."
Shirou smirked mischievously. "Did I hear 45,000? Well I must be hearing things, come on May, maybe we can find another pawn." Shirou threatened to take his jewel and then the old man sighed in defeat.
"Alright, I'll buy it for 45,000, boy, you should open your own pawn shop, you've got a knack for business." Thompson was a seasoned negotiator, but not a bad loser, he knew when to recognize someone who had bested him at his own game.
Shirou shook the merchant's hand and was surprised by a request.
"Well, since it's a big amount and I don't have all that money on hand, I'm going to make a bank transfer. Do you have your Pokédex in hand?" Shirou was surprised not to know what it was, he looked at May and asked expectantly.
"May, do you own this Pokédex he says? If yes, transfer the money to your bank account." May widened her eyes as she promptly denied it.
"Shirou! Have you ever pawned an asset with a personal appeal and now you want to give me the money? This is too much to accept." The boy smiled at the girl, she was humble, and that was something positive in her book.
"As I said earlier, it's a gift, the money is yours, take it." Afraid and unsure of how to handle the situation, May shyly handed her Pokédex to Thompson, who quickly connected a cable to her computer and after 20 seconds a blue screen with a yellow thumb in confirmation appeared.
"Okay, money in the account. Can I help with anything else?" The pair denied it and they both left the store, with May glancing at the boy who had given her a small fortune. She took her friend's right hand and caught his attention.
"Shirou, are you sure you're going to give me that much money? What if I spend it all over again?" She asked uncertainly, the boy smiled and spoke fondly to his friend.
"I trust your decisions, and the money is yours, spend as you see fit, but first let's go buy your groceries, if you're going on a long trip, you need to be well prepared."
The rest of the afternoon was spent with the duo shopping for everything from canned goods to medicine for humans and Pokémon, and as night began to break out in Petalburg, May's stomach growled loudly, much to the poor girl's embarrassment.
She shyly looked at Shirou who was carrying more than 15 bags without looking bothered. The boy laughed at his friend and pointed to a diner. May happily took his left hand and led him to the spot. They both chose an empty table in the back and the pair sat down. May knew this was the moment of the question she'd been wanting to ask all day, and with a sigh she looked at her friend.
"Shirou, can I ask you something?" she said shyly.
"Sure May, say so."
She braced herself and spoke. "I don't know which region I'm going to travel to. On the one hand, I want to go to Johto because my rivals will be there, but my friend and mentor as coordinator told me about a new region called Sinnoh and there are contests there, and they are famous in the region! I don't know what to do, and also..." She stopped in embarrassment, Shirou realized and tried to help the girl tell him about her afflictions.
"May, I've only known you for a short time, but you have more reasons than just the ones you told me about. You can talk to me if you want, I assure you that I will not laugh or think less of you for anything you say to me." May smiled and, taking courage, said what was bothering her.
"The other reason is that I've started to see Ash, my friend and mentor, as more than just a friend, but he's so dense it drives me crazy! I gave him countless hints that I liked him and the boy always only thought about battles and Pokémon, I'm afraid to travel with him again and ruin our friendship. I can't stand being around him like this any longer Shirou, I don't know what to do..." She started to cry and the boy finally understood. He identified with this Ash, he himself was as dense as a door in his youth, but seeing a lady crying always bothered him. He had experience with these matters of the heart and saw that May was about to make a mistake he had made in the past, and he wasn't going to let that happen again.
He held the girl's hand, catching her attention as she stared at him with teary eyes. "May, when I was younger, I met a girl who years later I found out she had feelings for me. At the time I didn't realize it, both because of my work and because of my inexperience with love. When I finally found out it was too late, she moved on and it plagued me for years. What I mean, May, is that you need to follow her heart. Don't make the same mistake I did, if your friendship with Ash is as strong as you show, nothing can shake it unless you let it. If my opinion is any advice, do what you want to do so you have no regrets. I'm not going to lie, if he doesn't respond to his feelings, it's going to hurt and it's going to take you a while to get over it,
May let her friend's every word enter her heart and mind, and a peace rose in her core. She had finally made her decision, she was going to follow her heart and give her love for Ash one last chance.
Shirou smiled at May's serene expression and saw fit to leave the girl alone in her thoughts. "May, I'm going to buy our snacks, is there anything you like? You wait here with your purchases, I won't be long."
May told her what she would like to drink and eat, and Shirou left her with her shopping bags. Right after her friend disappeared into the crowd, she was surprised by a rose being placed on her table. Looking around, she saw her oldest rival smiling at her.
"May, what a pleasant surprise, I see you are already preparing for your trip to Johto. Look how you've improved without Ketchum's influence! Once we go to Johto we will improve even more as coordinators." He was smiling sweetly at May and for a moment the girl blushed, she wasn't going to deny it, Drew's way of interacting with girls worked, but she knew if it wasn't an act, she was pretty sure he did it to any girl he wanted. interest him. And remembering her comment about Ash, a frown came over her face.
"Listen Drew, I don't know why you're in Petalburg, and frankly I don't care. But don't you dare speak ill of my friend! I owe a lot to Ash and if I'm a coordinator these days, it's because of him. And about Johto, I've made my decision, I'm going to run contests in Sinnoh with my friend." She knew she was being harsh, but she needed to make her intentions clear, she was starting to get annoying the green haired boy's advances.
Frowning, Drew surprised her when he took her arm tightly and made her look into his eyes. May's eyes fluttered because he was hurting her.
"I'm just trying to help you, don't you dream of being a Top Coordinator? So let me, a talented coordinator, help you! You're making a mistake following Ketchum again, it makes me sound like you're a lost puppy in need of your owner's attention. You go to Johto, or…" He never finished when he was forced to let go of May, being lifted by her shirt collar.
He was outraged at someone interrupting his moment with May, but when he looked at the one holding him, a primal fear surged through his soul.
White hair, yellow eyes full of malice, an expressionless face and clothes all in black with a cross on the chest, ending with well-shined black shoes. The boy looked like a clergyman or someone of high society, the LaRousse family was wealthy, and he knew a blueblood when he saw one. The boy's physique put him on alert, he could have overdone it by grabbing May's arm, but that girl needs someone to give her some wits!
His reverie stopped when the boy looked at him with full intensity, and Drew had to stop himself from peeing his pants.
"You will leave May alone, she has free will to choose what she wants. If you approach her again with the intention of hurting her, or telling her what she can and cannot do…" Shirou brought his eyes closer to Drew's and used a small pulse of dark magic to increase the weight of his words "I'll kill you." , and nothing in the world, not even Arceus, will protect you. Do we have a deal?" Shirou released Drew, who landed awkwardly on the ground. The boy wanted to say something, but Shirou's intense gaze and May's surprised look were enough to dissuade him...for now. He was going to show this punk what the LaRousse heir was made of, everything would come in his time.
With a scowl, he straightened his shirt and hurried off, disappearing into the crowd.
May looked shocked at what had happened, First Drew shows up unannounced and tries to influence her to go with him to Johto, then he shocked her by taking her arm hard, it still hurt and Drew's finger marks were present.
But what shocked her the most was Shirou coming to her rescue, a heat rising in her chest when she saw him facing the arrogant boy head on, making it clear that he was going to protect her. This made her blush as she looked in awe at her friend. At that moment she could have sworn that she saw the dazzle of a red cape while a white orb was in her right hand, while a black orb was in her left hand.
She snapped out of her reverie when Shirou gently took her injured arm, which caused May a little pain.
"He hurt you a lot May, I apologize for taking so long, I didn't know that boy would show up. You seem to have a history together, would you like to share? he asked nervously. May smiled and talked about how Drew was her rival and her dislike of Ash. Shirou had an idea of the green haired boy's motivation, but it wasn't the time to comment on that and honestly he didn't want to think about that boy. He had to stop himself from incinerating the boy with dark matter.
May's next action shocked him. The girl leaned across the table and kissed his cheek, quickly pulling away as she looked away flushed.
Shirou still in shock didn't know what to say, May laughed and still embarrassed spoke to her friend. "That was for protecting me, that was very sweet of you, thank you Shirou. Having someone to stand up for me is something I really appreciate, and I don't know what Drew would have done if you hadn't come along." She looked at him fondly as Shirou came out of his stupor and a slight smile appeared on her lips.
Trying to change the subject, Shirou presented the snacks he had bought and soon the duo devoured them all. May's appetite still surprised the poor boy, but he would never comment on it, he knew that some things just didn't speak to a woman, and nothing that implied that she was fat, or getting fat, was something to talk about. , unless the poor wretch had a death wish.
A finished eating and May paid for everything with her Pokédex. Finishing what they were going to do, the two walked slowly through the dark streets of Petalburg, with May stopping at an establishment selling tickets, and asking Shirou to wait outside, bought two tickets for the first ship bound for Sandgem Town in Sinnoh. She wanted Shirou to go with her, but feared her friend's response as he didn't seem to have an interest in Pokémon. And if he wanted to stay in Petalburg, would she have to travel alone? She would have Ash in Sinnoh, but it just felt wrong to leave Shirou behind.
Leaving the establishment, the pair made their way to the gym in silence enjoying each other's company, and when they got home, Norman glared at the pair.
"May, Shirou, why did you come back so late? I was already sending Vigoroth to look for you two and..." Norman stopped when he saw the mark on his daughter's arm and quickly connected the dots, stepping forward and grabbing Shirou by the collar and lifting him up, much to May's panic.
"What did you do to my daughter you bastard? Give me a reason not to break you bone by bone! As Norman glared, May screamed desperately trying to stop her father from making a huge mistake.
"Let him go daddy! Shirou didn't hurt me, he was the one who defended me from Drew, that green haired boy you hate!" She started to cry as she grabbed one of her father's arms. "Please let go of Shirou..." She sniffed as Norman looked on in shock and great guilt and shame hit him.
Caroline and Max came running when they heard the screams, and they both heard May's explanation, and when Caroline looked at Norman still holding Shirou, who was smiling not knowing what to say, the woman yelled at her husband.
"Let the boy out now Norman! You will sleep on the couch for a week to learn never to take action again without knowing all the information. Poor Shirou protected our daughter from that damn boy and his thanks is almost strangling him? Frankly, you need to better control his temper." Norman released Shirou while looking away in shame, while May hugged her friend with no intention of letting go of him for fear her father would do something bad again.
Caroline intended to apologize, but the smile Shirou sent her was enough to allay her fears, she looked sternly at Norman once more as she spoke to everyone.
"After this fiasco, let's go to dinner, the food is ready and it's getting really late, Max has already had dinner and is almost asleep on his feet." Everyone looked at the youngest of the family and saw Max almost falling to the floor in his sleep, drawing a light laugh from the group. Norman escorted his youngest son to his room while avoiding eye contact with the rest of the residents in his home.
Dinner was without side conversation, just having Norman apologizing to Shirou, which the boy readily accepted. The patriarch also thanked him and when Shirou told him what he had done, Norman stood up and happily patted the boy on the back, prompting little coughs from Shirou.
May's father praised the boy for the threat, earning a smack on the back of the head, courtesy of Caroline. At the end of dinner, Shirou offered to wash the dishes, which Caroline promptly denied as a sign of gratitude for the boy defending her dear daughter.
Soon everyone went to sleep, and Norman remained on the couch as a result of his mistake. It was 10 pm when Shirou and May were lying, both in their nightclothes, on the girl's bed. The magus had accepted that his friend would be adamant in her decision to let him sleep with her, which he reluctantly accepted.
Shirou had his eyes closed when May called out to him.
"Hey Shirou, are you awake?" Shirou opened an eye to May, which encouraged her to speak.
"I was thinking, and I would like you to come with me to the Sinnoh region. I bought a ticket for you to go with me tomorrow, but if you don't want to I won't be mad, it's just that…" She blushed and looked shyly at the boy, who now had both his eyes open and was looking at her intently.
She swallowed and continued. "I'm afraid that Drew might come to Sinnoh, he knows I'm not going to Johto, and I also want to spend more time with him, I like you." She blushed at what she said and tried to straighten her sentence. "I like you as a friend, that's right, friend, HAHHAHAHA" She laughed nervously, drawing a small laugh from the boy.
"Relax, I'd love to travel with you, I just hope you'll be patient with me, I don't know anything about these Pokémon journeys." May hugged him happily and agreed to her friend's request, and soon they both fell asleep, without realizing it, holding each other again.
The next day was marked by a May running around the house preparing her backpack for travel, Shirou looking with a nervous smile at her friend running around the house, and May's parents, and their son Max, laughing at the girl's expense.
It was 20 minutes before boarding the ferry when May said goodbye to her family, with Norman again apologizing to Shirou and also asking the boy to look after his daughter, which the boy happily accepted.
After a hug from May with her family, they both waved goodbye and ran to the port of Petalburg.
Boarding was made at the last minute, and the pair sat in two seats next to each other, panting from exhaustion. May looked at Shirou, and they both laughed, drawing the passengers' attention to the pair, which they both didn't mind.
They both looked one last time at the port of Petalburg, thinking about what they'd been through these past two days.
Shirou thought about how fast things happened for him, from dying in the Babylonian garden, to waking up in a new world and being taken in by a beautiful family, only to go on a trip with his friend, who even though they had known him for three days, he felt strongly connected to her.
May thought about everything that had happened since returning from Kanto, and smiled when she thought of Shirou. He was such a find in her life, and she enjoyed and would enjoy every moment with her. Her heart skipped a beat at the memory of Shirou defending her from Drew, and it sent her soul into conflict.
She had decided to try one last time to show Ash her feelings, but at the same time she felt her bond with Shirou getting stronger and stronger. She knew what that meant, but she would take Shirou's advice, and try one last time so she wouldn't have any regrets.
Looking fondly at her silver-haired friend, she smiled to herself. Well, if she didn't work out with Ash, there was nothing stopping her from looking at the new opportunity that came her way.
The gears of fate began to turn, and the two chosen would meet.