Chapter 7 Lunch Together
Ash, May, her family, Brock, and Dawn all made it to Viridian city in the afternoon after another day of walking through the Diglett tunnels and through the small mountain around Viridian Forest. As they finally entered the city limits, they began discussing the urgent matter at hand.
"I need to call my mom and Professor Oak!" Ash said. "Make sure they are okay!"
"You're right!" Brock said. "If Team Rocket is targeting us your Pokemon at Professor Oak's lab could be in danger!"
"They said they were coming after you though Ash, not your Pokemon!" Max said.
"You never know with Team Rocket," May said.
"One of them was bad enough!" Dawn complained. "I hope we don't have to deal with any Army Rocket!"
"We better head to the police station to tell Officer Jenny about this. Maybe.."
Suddenly two stomachs rumbled. Ash and May clutched their tummies, both looking at each other and laughing.
"Guess it's about lunch time huh?" Ash said.
"Yeah, I'm feeling pretty hungry myself. How about you guys?" May asked looking at everyone.
"I think we better wait on that though!" Brock said. "At least till we can make a call!"
Looking around, Ash saw a videophone booth.
"Well looks like we're in luck!'
He ran over to the phone and dialed his mom's number. He waited and soon she appeared.
"Mom! Listen-"
"You've reached the Ketchum residence… I'm afraid I'm unavailable to take your call right now. Please leave me a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible!"
Damn… just the recording. Ash gritted his teeth, worried over the possibility that something might have happened to her. He immediately punched in his next option. Professor Oak.
"Come on, pick up!" Ash told the machine.
Then a man in a green shirt with an orange headband appeared.
"Ash! Hey!" Tracey said with a smile.
"Tracey! Listen to me carefully!" Ash told him in an urgent tone. "Team Rocket said they were going to be targeting me!"
"Uh… no surprise there. Haven't they been targeting you since you started your journey?" Tracey asked.
"No… I mean they said that their BOSS is targeting me!" Ash told him.
"Oh," Tracey understood that was a bit graver. "I suppose that could be a problem. If it's the entire Team Rocket and not just Jessie, James, and Meowth!"
"Well, we haven't seen any others yet. But they said Ash has been made a prime target for some reason!" Brock said. "So we could see more soon!"
"Yeah and we thought that maybe they might try to send someone to go after my Pokemon at the lab, or my mom!" Ash said.
"Well, I saw your mom just a little a while ago!" Tracey reassured him. "She and Professor Oak went out to lunch!"
Ash breathed a small breath of relief. "Well… tell them to be careful when they get back!"
"Okay!" Tracey said. "I'll keep my Pokemon Watchers eye out on high alert around the lab!"
He hung up. Ash now knew his mother was safe, at least she had been when Tracey last saw her.
"I hope nothing happens to her!"
"Don't worry Ash!" May said as she walked up beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. "We beat Team Rocket all the time! And now we're all gonna be together!"
"Yeah, don't forget I got my own pokemon as well!" Max said, putting hands on his pokeballs that he wore on his belt like Ash. "And Dad's here too!"
Caroline sighed. "I wish I had Pokemon. I only once tried to catch a Tentacool that turned out to be May!"
May blushed at that. She would have yelled at her mom to not tell them if not for the fact that all but one hadn't heard this before.
"Wow, you did? How did you mistake your own daughter for a Tentacool?" Dawn asked with puffed cheeks ready to laugh.
"She had a blue swimsuit on and there were a couple Tentacool nearby!" Max said. "It was pretty funny!"
"Max!" May yelled.
"Well, I'm going to the police station to inform Officer Jenny. I'm sure she can help us out," Norman said. "Why don't you kids all go to lunch!"
"Oh, I'm going with you Norman!" Brock said. "It's been so long since I've seen the officer Jenny of Viridian city!"
Ash didn't actually recall him meeting that Officer Jenny, though she had been the first one he'd ever met when he started his journey.
"Alright, Brock. If you insist. We'll meet at the police station later then," Norman said.
He and Brock began to walk down one street, leaving Caroline with her children, Ash, Dawn and Pikachu.
"Well, what are you guys in the mood for right now?" Caroline asked looking around at them.
"Well, I want a double cheeseburger with everything on it!" Ash said.
"Pika!" Pikachu agreed, its mouthwatering at the thought of ketchup.
"I think I'd like a cheese pizza!" Max said.
"Hmm… I'm in the mood for vegetarian pizza myself! Dawn said.
"Well, I don't know this city very well," Caroline said. "What about you May?"
May looked at her friends. "Well, I might like a sandwich so I guess I could go with Ash for a burger if that's okay."
"Of course, May! You don't even need to ask!" Ash told her.
"Yes!" May said in joy.
"Wow must be really looking forward to a sandwich huh?" Ash said.
"Uh… yeah."
That wasn't it though. She was looking forward to having a good sandwich or burger but even more so… she'd be with Ash… alone. Except for Pikachu, but close enough. It was almost like a date. At least as close as one could get to being on a date with Mr. I'm So Dense. Maybe now was a good time to tell him how she felt. That was probably the best thing but May didn't know if she could. It made her so nervous.
Dawn and Caroline both smiled at them, while Max had a curious look on his face.
"Well, you two enjoy yourselves!" Caroline said.
"Pika!" Pikachu waved as though to say it was here too.
"You too Pikachu!"
"Well come on May! I know a good burger place nearby!"
The rest of the group split up, Dawn and Max going with Caroline to a pizza parlor that Max looked up on his Pokenav. While Ash walked May along the street, Pikachu on his shoulder as always. They arrived at the Burgerball which had the sign of a Pokeball with a burger coming out of it.
"So, May, what do you plan on doing now that your journey through Johto is done?" Ash asked his friend.
May looked at him. "Well, I've been staying at home for a while. Just taking a break you know. I love traveling but I kind of miss my family… and you."
"I know," Ash said as he put a hand on her shoulder again.
She blushed a bit but rested her head on his shoulder now, causing him to blush. "Traveling through Johto was good, and it helped me grow as a trainer so I didn't have to rely on you and Brock all the time. But I enjoyed having you for company."
"I know, May. You're one of the best friends I've ever had," Ash said.
May smiled. "Thanks Ash. You're probably the best guy friend I ever had." Even though I want to be more, she thought.
They placed their food order than sat down and continued talking for a while as they sat down facing each other on a table with Pikachu sitting on the end of it with a ketchup bottle.
"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go on a journey again together?" May asked.
"Sure. But I probably want to spend some time at home for a while myself. My mom said she'd been missing me, so I think it might be a good idea to stay with her at home. At least for a few months."
May nodded. "I know how she feels. I think of Manaphy a lot and miss it."
Manapy was a rare pokemon that they had encountered near the end of their journey together in the Battle Frontier. It had hatched in May's arms and imprinted on her, thinking of her as a mother figure. May had been very sad when that happened, as she in turn started to view the pokemon as her own child.
May started to tear up, even though it had been over a year since she'd departed from Manapy it still hurt.
"Hey, hey."
Ash reached over to the napkin holder and pulled one out. He leaned across the table and wiped May's eyes with one hand while taking her hand with his other.
"It's okay. Manapy is safe out there, somewhere," Ash said.
"Thanks Ash," May said. "I just hope he hasn't forgotten me."
"I sure he hasn't."
May suddenly got up and walked over to his side. Before Ash knew it, she wrapped her arms around him. Her eyes still watery but her smile sincere.
"Thank you, Ash!" she said.
He smiled and patted her head.
"I'll always be there for you if you need me May. Whether it's for advice, a shoulder to cry on, or to save you from a dangerous Pokémon."
She giggled. Their food was brought over by a waitress and they immediately began to chowing down on a pair of burgers, double patty for Ash and single for May.
"Mm! You weren't kidding when you said this was a good burger!" May said. "How'd you discover this place anyway?"
"I came here the day after I took Pikachu to the Pokemon center. Nurse Joy wanted to thank me for stopping Team Rocket from stealing all the Pokémon there. First time I ever met them," Ash said. "I think that was when Pikachu started loving ketchup!"
He looked over to the yellow Pokémon still licking the ketchup bottle.
"So, this was your first restaurant huh Pikachu?" May asked stroking the yellow pokemon.
"Pika!" It agreed.
They ate their burgers and patted their stuffed tummies.
"That hit the spot!" Ash said.
"M-hmm!" May agreed.
"Now time to go to Pallet Town!" Ash said as he got up.
Pikachu jumped on his shoulder. May hesitated a moment. She'd enjoyed the lunch, best one she'd had in a while and not just cause the burger had been good. She'd been able to eat with Ash… alone. She wanted to tell him, but her tongue felt twisted as she tried to find the words.
Ash stopped at the door, opening it and looking back as though expecting May to be there, only to find her still sitting there.
"Hey May, you coming?" he called.
"Oh, right sorry!" she ran to catch up. He held the door for me, trying to act like a gentleman maybe? "Let's go!"
As they exited the restaurant to rejoin the others, May smiled to herself. The lunch had been great. She only wished it had been more of a date. She looked down at Ash's hand, less than a foot from hers.
She looked away, at the same time, Ash looked down at her hand.
She seems to have gotten a bit cuter since the Wallace cup. He thought. She's older now too. Maybe I could… no it's still too soon. She's still thirteen and I'll be sixteen soon.
Well Ash and May had lunch, not a date yet but I thought I'd give our stars a little private time. Hope you guys liked it. How long till May finds the courage to tell Ash her feelings? What sort of bumps await them in Pallet Town? Will danger strike soon? Find out in the next chapter. A new record for this story at over 2,000 words. Found quite a few grammar errors when I looked over and fixed as best I could. Kinda rushed it I guess.