And we back! Hope you enjoy the newest chapter!
Chapter 19
"My darling, I just find myself so blessed to be lucky enough to have a twilight stroll with you where your beauty provides a more beautiful glow than the moon itself."
"Shut up!" Max shouted, he was about to yank Brock by the ear but before he could get a chance to a Croagunk popped out and hit him with a poison jab as Lucy stood awkwardly trying to hide her blush.
"Hey, what's all the commotion?" Came a voice from the treetop. Max and Lucy looked up to see Iris perched on a tall sycamore tree.
"Brock was being an idiot." Max called up.
"How did you find us?" Lucy asked.
"Cause Brock was being an idiot." Iris replied smartly. "I could hear his shouting from 20 trees away."
"Any sign of Gary?" Lucky asked her.
"Not yet, I'm going to go ahead and see if I can spot anything. Keep an eye on Brock." With that Iris and Axew leaped away from tree to tree.
"I'm not making any promises." Max muttered.
Despite the serious situation, Iris was enjoying the fresh air whipping her face as she ran through the treetops. This was the first time since the Pallet Town incident she could be free in nature like she always loved. She loved to travel with everyone but sometimes she just enjoyed the opportunity to lose herself surrounded by the solitude of foliage.
She needed this especially given the hurt she felt from what Cilan did back in Pallet Town. She sat still on a long branch of a Juniper tree deeper in. Sometimes it just hits her randomly, the pain of the betrayal of her closest friend.
Why did he help her and Ash so much? Was all that time spent just a lie? What was Iris to him that he could just throw her away so easily.
"Xew." Axew cried in concern peering down at her from her shoulder.
"I'll be okay Axew, just adjusting." Iris explained with a sad tone in her voice.
Just then her ears peaked as her abnormally good hearing picked up on the sound of soft footsteps.
She saw Gary and Misty walking through the forest, standing a little closer than they usually would have. The pair of them also had a little smile on their faces.
"Oh, looks like they're having a nice moment." Iris giggled. "Time to ruin it."
She took in a deep breath.
"HEY, YOU TWO!" She shouted from the top of the tree causing them to jump.
"God damn it Iris, don't scare us like that!" Gary yelled back.
Iris was rolling laughing on top of the tree at the sight of the pair jumping in fright.
"Would you be quiet, there could be more enemies out there." Misty screamed just as loud.
"Like you're one to talk running off by yourself." Iris replied, still laughing. "Come on you two, follow me and we'll regroup and meet back up with the others."
Iris led the pair back to where the other 3 trainers were waiting. By the time they got back Brock was just about recovering from the previous attack from his Croagunk.
"Gary, Misty thank Arceus you're safe." Max cheered, running up to the two of them.
"Great to see you too Max." Gary smiled.
"We should let the others know we've found them safe and sound." Lucy told Iris.
Iris nodded, she turned and threw out one of her pokéballs to release her Emolga.
"Emo, emo?" She cried as she glided in the air.
"Emolga, can you fly up high as you can in the air and maybe do a few circles while sparking some electricity so Cameron and Leaf could see you and lure them here?" Iris asked.
"That's ambitious." Max deadpanned.
"It'll work." Iris snapped, as Emolga rose into the air.
"I'm really glad you two came back safe," Brock told Misty and Gary. "But I don't want either of you two to do something that dangerous again."
"Wow, Brock, always knew it was in you to talk like a parent." Gary laughed.
"Yeah, I was in charge of keeping all my siblings safe when my father wasn't around, luckily none of them are stupid enough to run head-first into a forest full of enemies at night." Brock said seriously, causing Gary's laugh to die in the forest silence. "And they're just kids Gary, what's both of your excuses?"
"I only ran in to make sure that Ash and Gaz didn't get into trouble, and as you saw they did, so it was a good thing I did." Gary said defensively.
"And I did the same for Gary." Misty added.
"You can explain when we're back with everyone at Anabel's." Brock told them. "And don't worry I plan on having this same conversation with Ash and Gaz too once they wake up."
Just as soon as Brock's sentence finished, Cameron and Leaf emerged from the shadows of the trees.
"Good to see you guys, glad your safe." Cameron shouted happily.
"You idiots!" Leaf shouted as she smacked both of them on the back of the head.
"I already had some words with them, don't worry." Brock told her.
"Yeah but they could use a slap or two as well." Leaf huffed.
"Told you the plan would work." Iris teased Max.
"You got lucky." Max murmured.
"Such a kid." Iris laughed.
"I think we should all head back to the Battle Tower to rest, we need it after a night like tonight." Lucy suggested.
She led the group back out towards the direction of where she knew Alakazam was waiting to Teleport them back. After his moment of seriousness earlier, Brock was now back to trouncing behind Lucy as if he was her proud dog.
'It's so bright.'
Ash's eyes stung from the sharp brightness of the sight in front of him even though his eyes were closed. They were so heavy, and he didn't want to open them because he knew that would be even more painful.
He twitched for a few moments, but he knew he had to bite the bullet and he opened his eyes wide before immediately returning to a squint after the sharp pain.
"Ash, are you awake?" He heard a soothing voice speak out. He turned his head slightly and saw a figure sitting next to him. After taking a moment for his eyes to focus he began to recognise the familiar beauty that was next to him.
"May?" He croaked.
"Of course." She smiled. Ash's other senses came to him as he realised May had his hand in hers. He also could have sworn he saw someone make a bad attempt at leaving discreetly out the door behind May.
"Where are we?" Ash asked.
"We're in the infirmary of the Battle Tower, Anabel was kind enough to let us rest here for a bit." May told him.
"Why am I in the infirmary?" Ash fretted. "Is everyone else okay?"
"We don't know what happened." May spoke through gritted teeth. "Something happened to you and Gaz in the forest and you both came back unconscious. Gary hasn't come back at all yet."
"Gary is missing?" Ash asked. "I have to go look for him."
Ash attempted to rise out of the bed, but he winced in pain before he could. He still tried to fight through it though, until May placed a hand on his chest and pushed him gently back on the bed.
"You need to rest." She said caringly.
"I have to find Gary!" Ash croaked loudly.
"No, you're staying right here." May replied forcefully. "Enough damage was caused by you running blindly through the night."
"What are you talking about?" Ash asked confused.
"Me and you need to have a talk Ash." May said seriously.
Ash could sense the tone in her voice, and he knew May was troubled by something.
"May what's wrong?" Ash asked looking up in concern. "And where's Pikachu?"
"Pikachu is being looked after by the Blissey." May explained. "He helped us fight off Team Rocket members while you were gone."
"Team Rocket?" Ash said confused, his eyes then widened as he began to remember everything that happened. "Oh, crap is everyone okay? What about my Pokémon and everyone else's?"
"It's okay Ash, all our Pokémon are back, safe and well, we're still waiting on word if some of us are okay." May told him.
"I need to help find Gary." Ash started.
"We've been over this, you're in no condition to go and we have a big enough search party out there." May shook her head.
"If he gets hurt it'll be my fault." Ash said sadly.
"It was his decision to follow you Ash." May said consolingly. "It won't be entirely your fault."
"Entirely?" Ash caught.
"One of the things we need to talk about." May confessed. "Ash, I don't know how much longer I can watch you run head-first into danger with no regard for anyone else."
"What do you mean?" Ash asked, feeling slightly offended.
"You didn't think, and you ran into a forest at night full of Rocket operatives who wanted to kill you." May told him with a slightly raised voice.
"I had to!" Ash protested. "It was the only way to get our Pokémon back! We would have lost them if I didn't."
"I almost lost you." May shot back. "I really appreciate you for going after our Pokémon and I'm so happy I have them back, but you were almost killed."
"What other plan was there?" Ash asked, getting frustrated himself. "It was either we ran in there and got our Pokémon or Team Rocket got away with them."
"We could have waited and came up with a better plan that didn't involve anybody getting hurt or going missing." May argued.
"And by the time we thought of one all our Pokémon would be gone forever." Ash spat.
This caught May off guard, he had a point. They probably would have lost their Pokémon if they hadn't run after Team Rocket, but she still wasn't happy with everyone being put in danger because of it.
"Ash what if you had gotten seriously hurt, or even worse killed?" It pained May to even speak those words. "Would it even have been worth it? We would have regained our Pokémon but lost you."
"If I didn't run after them, I'd still be here but our Pokémon would be gone." Ash countered. "But since I did, I'm still here and so are our Pokémon."
"But Gary isn't." May interrupted. "And Gaz is in just as bad shape as you are. Does that not mean anything to you?"
"They chose to go too I didn't make them." Ash replied.
"They went because if you didn't you could have died!" May shouted. "We came back around full circle to the fact you were lucky to survive tonight. If it wasn't for Gary, you and Gaz probably would still be in that forest dead!"
Ash saw how upset May was getting them all at once it clicked. He understood now.
One of the things that constantly linked Ash and May was their kindness to both people and Pokémon. Ash would risk anything in order to rescue his and everyone else's Pokémon. Every one of his friends felt the same way yet they didn't go to the lengths Ash did. Ash then realised that doesn't mean they don't love their Pokémon as much as Ash, they just approach the situation differently. Still, he didn't regret what he did if he was being honest with himself.
"May, I think you realise where you're coming from now." Ash told her.
May's expression suddenly changed from frustration to a mix of relief, happiness and surprise.
"Really?" She asked genuinely. "I would have expected it to take you much longer, knowing how dense you are."
"I'm not dense." Ash protested leading to a giggle from May.
"May, I'll admit that what I did wasn't a good idea and if Gary is hurt, I'll never forgive myself but at the same time..."
He took a deep breath wary of the backlash he'll probably receive for his next sentence.
"But if I was in that position again, I'd probably make the same choice."
May's expression changed again back to frustration.
"Ash-" May started before she was cut off.
"Just let me explain." Ash interrupted. May heeded his words and let him speak.
"I'm never going to let my friends Pokémon be taken away from or get hurt or worse. I will do whatever it takes to avoid that. If I hadn't ran out there and our Pokémon were gone forever, I wouldn't be able to handle it. On the other hand. if I did get them back but I was seriously hurt I could live with that. I'd risk myself 10 times out of 10 if it meant saving my Pokémon, my friends, my family or you May."
May's head was dropped all the time that Ash was talking. Once she finally raised her head, Ash could see tears glistening in her eyes.
"Ash I don't want to lose you." She spoke, sincerity dripping off her words.
"That goes both ways May." Ash smiled. "I can't lose you either. That's why I'll risk everything for you."
"Then how would you feel if I died trying to save you or someone else." May countered, her tears now breaking the dam that was her eyelid and began slowly falling down her face.
"I'd be crushed." Ash admitted. "But I would understand your actions and why you did it, and I'd know I'd do the same in your position, so I'd be a hypocrite if I was angry."
May knew she couldn't stay mad at Ash for long. His idiocy came from his kindness and caring for others. The only way to change him is to change those things about him. She'd never do that though, because that's one of the many reasons she felt so strongly about him. Instead she just had one more question.
"Since when do you know what hypocrite means?"
"Gary kept calling me one, so I looked it up." Ash admitted.
May couldn't help but let out a little exhale of a laugh. Ash once again moved to get up but May stopped him.
"Ash you're not going out there." She warned.
"Don't worry I'm not going." Ash assured her. "I just want to sit up."
Ash began to attempt to sit up but was struggling a little. Knowing he was too stubborn to ask for help May instinctively began to assist him. After a minute or two Ash was sitting gingerly on the edge of the bed.
May again began to hear a heartbeat louder than her own. She assumed she was hearing things due to a lack of sleep, so she shook it off and began to focus on Ash again.
The two sat side by side in silence for a minute. They were close enough that their shoulders were touching. May's previous conversation with Serena popped back into her head and she felt her face heat up.
'Is it time? Should I do it now? What if someone comes in? What if he says no? I haven't showered since yesterday, should I wait until after I shower?'
"May are you okay? You look flushed?" Ask asked.
"I'm fine." She spoke with a high voice. "Just tired been a long night." Her voice way lower now, trying to compensate for her previous sentence but going too far.
"What's wrong with your voice?" Ash asked.
"Shut up." May told him slapping him lightly on the back of the head.
She wasn't lying, it was a long night and she was exhausted. She decided to follow her instinct and laid her head on Ash's shoulder.
As soon as May's head hit his shoulder it was Ash's turn to have his mind race.
'She put her head on my shoulder, what do I do? Do I put my arm around her? Do I put my head on hers? Do I push her off? Do I run?'
Ash froze for a few seconds as his mind panicked. His brain being stimulated at such a high rate so soon after waking up from being unconscious started to affect him. He began to feel dizzy and he swayed a small bit to the left until his head rested gently on top of May's.
'Wow smooth move Ash.' May thought with a smile.
'Oh god that was an accident I bet she thinks that was weird.' Ash cursed in his head. 'It feels nice though.'
The pair sat in their positions for a number of minutes. Neither wanted to move they didn't even know how long they've been there. They didn't care. They just soaked in each other's presence as their slow breathing set the rhythm of their time together. After another while Ash looked at the digital clock on the bedside locker of his hospital bed.
'2am…' He thought, he then saw the date on the display underneath the time. '22nd of May?'
"Oh Ash? I forgot to tell you something." May spoke up.
"What is it May? Ash asked.
"Happy Birthday." She cheered.
A smile spread across Ash's face.
"Thank you May." He replied.
"You're a big nineteen now, you better act like it." She teased.
"Shut up." He laughed.
"I have to apologise I was meant to get you a gift but with everything that's happened recently I didn't have time." May spoke sadly. He grabbed both of Ash's hands in hers. "I'm so sorry Ash."
"It's okay May." Ash replied, rubbing her hands with his thumbs. "Your being here is more of a gift that I could have wished for."
These words touched May's heart and a comfortable warmth spread through her whole body.
Those words left Ash's mouth before he even realised. Did he say too much? Or was this the right time.
May looked up from her interlocked hands with Ash and looked at his face. She could see the red tinge on his cheeks. Her thoughts fluttered away, and all her focus was on the handsome face in front of her.
Ash stared into May's sapphire eyes. He noticed she again looked a little flushed. Despite this, for what must be the millionth time, Ash could only think of how beautiful May was.
"Ash, I lied." May whispered. "I actually do have a present for you."
May leaned closer and closer to Ash, her heart rate picking up with every centimetre she approached. May's eyes drifted closed as her lips pressed against Ash's.
Ash felt the soft touch May's lips against his. His heart leaped the second they made contact. He moved his hands from mays and placed them around her waist. Mays arms rose and wrapped around Ash's neck.
They both shut out the outside world completely. They put all their years of hidden feelings into their embrace. Everything faded away except for the presence of each other in this very moment.
This was all both of them ever wanted.
Long time but it was finally time for the moment you all waited for. I hope you all enjoyed, please leave a review, follow and favourite if you wish. Stay safe!
