Chapter 56

'Skitty, I know you've been fighting his Charizard for a while, but you can do this! Use assist!' May cried as she saw her small, pink pokémon teetering on her feet, her fur slightly singed and eyes barely staying open.

On the other side of the room, Red's Charizard seemed fine, though if they could aim the attack right, just maybe, they could hurt him.

'Charizard, blast burn,' Red responded, his lips pulled back in a slight snarl as Ash cried, 'come on Skitty! You can do it!'

'Ash, whose side are you on? You can't just keep switching sides! This is a serious battle, you know!' Max cried at the man in disbelief, though May didn't hear him, her ears pounding as the giant flying and fire type released a fiery hot flame right at her exhausted, battered Skitty.

She could feel the intense heat from her side of the court, so intense that she knew Skitty wouldn't survive it. With how exhausted her pokémon was, May knew that there was no way she could avoid it.

She should have called the match.

'Skitty!' May cried, rushing forward without a thought, trying to reach her pokémon. May had to protect her.

'Charizard, stop!' Red yelled, his eyes widened in disbelief as his pokémon let out an almighty roar.

Crouching in a ball around her pokémon, May heard Skitty whimper and burry herself into her trainer. She didn't hear Gary snarl, 'Blastoise, hydro pump that fire attack!'

Feeling the spray of water against her face, May looked up to see Gary jumping over the barricade, a giant Blastoise being pushed back towards her, both cannons blasting water that seemed to evaporate, its vapour filled the room.

'May!' Gary snarled, walking past a frozen Max. The younger man blinked, his expression frozen and his movements mechanical as Ash held out a hand to the younger man. Whilst the ranger was white as a sheet, the Kanto native looked furious, his cheeks red and eyes narrowed in anger, though he avoided so much as looking at May as Gary stalked towards her.

'Hi Gary,' May whimpered, deflating as she saw him stomp toward her, the water softening the threat slightly as it made soft squelching noises.

'May, WHAT were you thinking jumping in front of his Charizard? Haven't we already told you who he is?! Don't you EVER do anything that brash again! I'd expect that stupid shit from Ash, not you! What the fuck is wrong with you?' Gary snarled as he glared at her, moving to grab both of her arms so she couldn't escape, her Skitty shivering in fear at the man's intense anger.

'What would have happened if I hadn't been here?' Gary continued, his face uncomfortably close to May's.

Feeling her eyes water at his words, May stared at her feet, feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt fill her.

Once she was certain her cousin wouldn't continue, she mumbled, 'I don't know, I wasn't really thinking. All I know is that that fire looked hot enough to melt steel, and Skitty wouldn't have survived it. She didn't even have the energy to avoid it. I just… I wanted to help Skitty because I know I wouldn't be able to face the world without her by my side. My pokémon are like my family, I'm sorry.'

'Arceus, May, you scared me! Don't do anything so stupid again,' Gary sighed before pulling her into a tight hug, kissing the top of her head, his hands trembling and face white as a sheet.

In a shaky voice, he muttered, 'you should forfeit. You've lasted longer than most people, but you won't win against Red. He's too powerful, and with your reckless attitude, you're gonna get seriously hurt.'

Jutting out her lip, May turned her face to glance at the older Ketchum, who had reached them.

'It's ok, I forfeit. You shouldn't have jumped in front of Skitty like that, though, May. I was going to have Charizard stop,' Red offered after reaching the duo, surprising them both with the mere statement.

Seeing the man's haunted expression, May couldn't bring herself to look at him.

She'd thought he hadn't been nice, but she'd been the awful one in this situation, scaring everyone around her.

'I'm sorry if I scared you,' May chuckled sheepishly, noticing that Gary wasn't releasing her from his clutches.

'May!' Brendan's voice snarled as the man stomped towards them, his black hair exposed as he clutched his beanie in his hand, the whites of his knuckles evident due to how tight his grip was.

Taking one glance at him, May saw that his red eyes were narrowed in anger, his cheeks flushed and his jaw clenched in a bid to regain control of his emotions.

'Hi diaper buddy,' May tried to grin, hoping to elevate the man's emotions by smiling at him, though it came out a painful grimace. There was no pretending that everything was ok, especially with what had just transpired.

Seeing the man's livid expression, Gary begrudgingly released his cousin from his arms, frowning at the man as May let out a squeak. Being released as she was, May had never felt more exposed, especially with Brendan's impeding anger. With how long they'd known each other, they both knew what was happening, and May wanted to find a hole to hide in and avoid the storm.

'Don't you diaper buddy me! I knew you could be brash, but I didn't think you'd be daft on top of that! Far out! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW TERRIFIED I WAS WHEN YOU JUST JUMPED IN FRONT OF SKITTY? Have you lost your mind? What would your parents have thought? What would I tell them? More importantly, how could you forget everyone that cares about you? How do you think Max or Orlando would have felt if they both saw something happen to you? We all felt how hot that fire was from where we were—on the other side of the room! Red's Charizard is nothing to joke about. Fu—Are you insane?' Brendan ranted as he jabbed her painfully in the shoulder, spittle flying on her face as he yelled, his face turning redder and redder with each word.

'Brendan,' May winced at her childhood friend as a sense of guilt filled her, tears stinging at her eyes as she looked up at him. She honestly hadn't really thought of anything, only knowing she needed to help her Skitty, save her before it was too late.

'Don't, May. I tolerate a lot of shit from you, and you know it. You swanna off to meet a legendary or two, that's fine. It cuts that you're not thinking of me and at least asking me to tag along, but I know how you can get swept away with things. You go fight the elite four and Steven, that's fine too,' Brendan seethed, his hands jabbing wildly with each point he made.

'But this? I am constantly telling you not to hurt yourself and you do this in front of me?!' Brendan snarled at the woman, his ruby eyes narrowed in anger, and, in that instant, May saw all of the love he had for her, all of the times he'd worried about her but hadn't said a thing.

Feeling her eyes water, May couldn't bring herself to look at her oldest friend.

She'd been taking him for granted, assumed he was ok with everything, but he wasn't. She'd been hurting the man on a regular basis, and she'd never even realised it.

Without thinking, May pulled the man into a hug, whispering, 'I'm sorry, Bren-Bren. I love you, you know I do. Please forgive me. I'm sorry!'

Begrudgingly, Brendan wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer before he muttered, 'you're lucky I've known you my whole life. Don't ever, ever do something that reckless again, or I'll be the one to kill you myself.'

'Gary, is this your girlfriend or his?' Red frowned, his eyes flickering from May to Gary and Brendan, a subtle frown visible on his lips.

'What? Me and Gary?' May squeaked as Brendan released her and began to laugh heartily, tears coming to the man's eyes, much to May's embarrassment.

'Does Leaf know?' Red frowned as Gary pulled an aptly disgusted expression before letting out a light chuckle himself.

'Red, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this is one lady I won't be doing anything with. May and I, we're not together, nor will we ever be. Besides, she's to me what Ash is to you, and she's probably someone Birch would never touch with a ten-foot pole,' Gary responded, though he sounded almost as amused as Brendan, much to May's mortification.

'Before you tell me that I should inform Leaf, as far as I'm concerned, she is a stranger to me,' Gary continued as Steven reached them, registering Red blinking at Gary's words, but dismissing it to focus on May, who glanced at Orlando as he comforted Max with Ash.

'Gym leader, what on earth was that?' Steven scowled as May grimaced sheepishly, having forgotten the man was there. Whilst he appeared calm to the others in the room, May saw through his act. He was, to her, quite obviously shaken, and she wouldn't be surprised if he'd been immobilised with fear when she'd recklessly dived for Skitty.

No, she saw that his eyes were a fraction wider than usual, and his lips were formed in a subtle frown. His face was pale, but everyone seemed to be in shock, because of her.

Steven had always been as steadfast as a rock, and May could read him better than any, bar perhaps Wallace.

'Well, you see, I wasn't really thinking, Steven. I just wanted to get to my pokémon before anything happened to her,' May muttered in response, wincing slightly at his intense glare.

'That much is clear, gym leader. Obviously you still have a lot of maturing to do, though I hadn't thought it was as much as it is. When you take over, and I know you will, you'd better shape up. No matter what happens, May, you must never act like that again. You could have been seriously injured, and no one wants that,' Steven snapped, his voice colder than May had ever heard it, and she felt herself recoil at his words, feeling more pain from his icy tone and decisive words than she'd ever felt from anyone else.

'Hey, don't you talk to her like that! She'll be your little gym leader when she's good and ready, not before. Besides, Norman's still active and successful, isn't he?' Gary snarled, stepping protectively before May, who frowned uncertainly at her feet.

Hearing her cousin's angered words, May felt her guilt increase, knowing that her companions would get into an argument if she didn't act quickly, and the realisation made her feel a stab of irritation for the man. Yes, she'd acted recklessly, but she hadn't done anything to compromise anyone else, unlike the man, who'd compromised her future by what he had unwittingly coerced her into back in Hoenn.

'Gary, drop it, I deserved worse than that and you know it. Steven, I'll find a way to beat Red after I've come to terms with everything. When I've beaten him, I'll do what you want. Is there anything else you wanted to belittle me for?' May questioned the man as she stared at him in anger, directing her internal anger towards him.

She should have thought it through and recalled Skitty instead of jumping out like that.

In response, the man, let out a brief smile before he murmured, 'have dinner with me and I'll forgive you.'

'Steven!' Brendan snarled, his tone filled with furious disbelief as he took a step forward. With evident concern, his ruby eyes were intent upon May's sapphire ones, which were widened in surprise.

Glancing from one man to the other, May laughed, ignoring the stunned expressions of her companions at the champion's request.

Seeing Steven's smooth expression, May recalled their last dinner together, which had been a result of a strong trainer challenging him in an official capacity. Having researched the trainer's methods, Steven had scheduled a dinner with her to discuss their plan of attack—since May had never been ordained.

Whatever Brendan's rage was about, May couldn't help but smile. Steven Stone was too much of a gentleman to do whatever her childhood friend was considering, and May knew it.

With an eager smile, she beamed at the man, 'really? Of course I'll have dinner with you, best friend! Will this be in an official capacity, like the last one we had in Sootopolis?'

'Yes, I'll pick you up tonight at the usual time. Dress smart,' Steven responded, the corners of his lips lifting slight in a small smile, and May knew she was forgiven—albeit the incident would most likely not be forgotten by the man.

'May's going on another date with Steven?' Ash chuckled as he and Max reached them, Max looking completely shaken with Orlando doing his best to appease the man, though he honestly looked no better than Max did, and May felt her guilt increase at having caused others such trauma.

'Max, Orlando… I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking,' May whispered as she pulled her brother in a tight hug, Gary begrudgingly moved away from her as Orlando sent her a grim glance before tearing his eyes to the ground, his expression clouding over.

'You could have been killed,' Max struggled to respond, his voice strangled as May wiped the tears in his eyes affectionately, hoping to appease her brother however she could.

'Don't ever do that again, May. I may pick on you, but I can't lose you, especially not like that,' Max grimaced in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer into him.

'I'm sorry,' May whispered again, though couldn't help but feel a small amount of guilt. She would honestly do it again if it meant her pokémon were safe. After all, like Max, she considered them to be her family, and it was her responsibility to look after them.

Seeing Ash's serious expression, May knew that he understood her thoughts completely. Instead of berate her, he sent her a small smile, a secret message that he'd forgiven her.

'So, you're going on a date with Steven?' Iris frowned as she and Cilan glanced at Steven's guarded eyes and May's sheepish expression.

'It's not a date. It's a strategy meeting,' Steven responded before sending May a swift glance and stalking out of the room, appearing disinterested in any who were there. May, however, could see the slightest spring in his step, and couldn't help but smile slightly. He'd definitely forgiven her, as per his word. The thought made her feel a bit better about the whole scenario.

'Well that will make Drew happy, especially when the tabloids get a hold of it,' Brendan muttered sarcastically, his expression darkening as he glared after the champion of Hoenn.

'Making him happy is not my priority at the moment, especially if it has anything to do with me shutting out Steven. Drew's just going to have to understand that Steven means a lot to me and that he's not going anywhere. Besides, Drew has someone else,' May shrugged as innocently as she could without giving away her actual emotions.

Before anyone could interrupt, she turned her eyes on Red, knowing that her friends would argue with her once the shock of her statement had subsided. Their stunned expressions alone were enough to inform her of that.

She had to extrapolate herself from this situation as quickly as possible.

A/N:

Poor May is getting absolutely ripped apart for caring about Skitty! To be honest, I think I'd do the same tho

Does anyone have any ideas for the Steven x May date? I feel sorry for Steven, I think he's still absolutely smitten with May (and we know poor Drew is... and with her behaviour with Gary and Brendan there's going to be a lot of confusion)

For those interested in my other stories/requests:

I'm hoping to tie this story in with May, Gym Leader a lot more (which is based loosely off of ORAS, though I've moved and lost my games), and I'm thinking of writing a May, Champion story too, so please let me know if you're interested in that. I do find May easier to write than other characters so I tend to base a lot of my stories around her, but I'm happy to try any suggestions or requests (Mount Chimney Catastrophe was a Brendan x May request which I'm having a lot of fun writing, whilst The Champion's Helper was something I felt inspired to write out of the blue).

Sorry this is so long, but I genuinely want to make content that you'd enjoy and I can't do that if I don't know what you like hehe. So if you like Ash x anyone, or any of the side characters x anyone, I'll do my best to write it well. Though I haven't kept up with the latest series of the anime but will be catching up ASAP, including playing the games I can afford. I'm so sorry my absence from my stories was so long, I just had no time, was burnt out (emotionally and physically, the first chapter of this story may have been my life for a while haha) and then I lost my confidence in coming back.

I'm so, so grateful to anyone who takes the time to read any of my stories (especially this giant note), let me know if you like anything in particular and I'll do my best to get it out to you. I'm also trying to come out of my shell slightly so please don't leave me hanging :)

Thanks again, and I honestly can't tell you how grateful I am that people all over the world take the time out of their day to read some of my works. I just hope that one day I can write my own original content/plots/characters for you to enjoy too