Sorry! I think I've missed two weeks of updates to this poor, neglected story. Thanks for coming back to read, to my...um, people-who-came-back-to-read! :P :) Hopefully this is long enough to count as acceptable! :D

~Ash's POV~

"'Course I am, Mist! When am I not?" I question, and Misty's unease fades just a bit.

"But...normally you're always hungry. It's not even arguable: Ash Ketchum needs and loves food," she urges, looking at me like I've a few loose screws upside the head (I heard Max saying this once, when Brock was going all love-struck).

I struggle with my answer, not wanting to tell her the truth. "Sure, I guess. But I' okay right now. I ate a huge lunch on the ship," I tell her truthfully, glad for some honesty.

"Well, okay, I suppose." She stares at the berry for a while as if it's a crystal ball. Ooh, I love those things! They're so shiny, seriously! I've seen a bunch of them, and some of them look like rainbows, all sparkley and pretty and stuff. They reminded me of a beach ball in the bright, bright sun! That's why I tried to bounce it on the floor...Note to self: Ash, crystal balls are not beach balls, and they will not bounce.

"...okay? Hello? Ash?" I shake myself out of my rainbow/beach ball/crystal ball/sparkly daydream and look at her.

"Sorry, what?"

She sighs heavily. "They taste pretty good; sweet. Are you sure you don't want any?"

YES, YES I DO. "Nah, I'm okay. I'll eat some later, 'kay?"

"A-Are you sure?"

NO! "Yup." Only when she turns away to inspect the water do I sigh and put a hand to my empty tummy.

~Drew's POV~

"Dawn, I'm serious. Those berries..."

"What is it?" she asks. It's not annoyed, but impatient. If that makes sense...Okay, so I don't make any sense right now; so what? I'm hungry and thirsty and tired, and I really don't feel like myself. Secretly, I want to go and grab a berry myself and swallow it whole, but I restrain myself and walk over in a normal fashion.

I examine the berries, remembering a book I once read about poffin-making. It talks about which berries are safe for humans and Pokémon, or both. Or neither. But honestly, doing that makes me think of Roselia (and the others, of course). I really wish I could have brought them along with me, but I know that they are probably having a blast with Solidad.

I pull my focus back to the berries when a page from the book lodges in my memory. "Dawn, don't touch that plant," I point quickly, and she reels, tripping in her bare feet and collapsing against me. My instincts strike faster than my common sense, and I catch her before I decide if I want to or not. (Just kiding; I'd catch her. But that's not the point.)

"Oops...um, sorry," Dawn mumbles, blushing. I shrug and pop her back to her feet.

"Let's try not to make it a habit."

"Sorry. Um, anyway...what's with these berries?" The light from the midday sun glow on the plant, showing the tell-tale purple berries with yellow stripes and pointed leaves.

"Well, they're poisonous."

"Ah. That's a good reason, then."

~May's POV~

"The Wingull is moving." I glance over at the nearly silent boy beside me. "Turn right, slightly."

"Alright." There's an (or really, another) awkward pause, and I sigh. "When do you think this Pokémon is going to find a place to land?" I ask in exasperation. As if my wish was heard and we were put in the good graces of said Pokémon, it swerved and began to lower itself by the water! "Yes!"

I can swear that Paul gave a sigh of relief.

...

Actually, I can't. Because then he'd probably kill me. But I know there was a gleam of liberation (it means freedom; Solidad taught me after Drew...never mind) in his cold eyes, showing itself to me as the sun begins to set.

~Ash's POV~

I haven't eaten in about 48 hours. I am hungry. Now, I bet you're wondering why I'm not eating, like, anything. Well, it's pretty easy, actually. Since there are a very limited number of berries, I'm saving them for Misty! I'll probably eat a couple, but when we get rescued, they will have food for me to eat. And that's when I'll eat. And eat, and eat, and eat. But for now, those berries will have to go to Misty.

That's just how the world works: Misty gets the good stuff.

Wait, now it sounds like I'm being forced! To straighten it out: I'm not being forced. It's just that I think that Misty should have the food. Why, though? Hmm...I'm not quite sure myself. It's not like she needs it any more than I do, it's just that something is telling me that Misty deserves the best that I can offer, though.

ANYWAY, it's in the afternoon now, and my stomach is starting to hurt; I'm really, really hungry...maybe a berry won't hurt after all-

"Hey, Ash?"

"Yup?"

Misty is about to ask me something when her stomach rumbles and she puts a hand to it, her face red. "Sorry..."

"Don't be sorry; eat a berry! Hey, that sort of rhymes!" I grin to myself; I like rhyming. Misty looks at me doubtfully, but shakes her head.

"I'll be alright. But Ash, I...um...I'll be right back, okay? Just, like...stay on this side of the island? I...um..." Her face flushes. "I kind of...have to use the bathroom..."

Oh. I blush and turn. "You know what, these clouds are so interesting!"

~Paul's POV~

Finally. That Wingull is coming in to land...where, I'm not sure. I know that Wingull have to begin to lower themselves for a good while before they land, so we probably missed the landing point due to fatigue and hunger. May gives a happy laugh and we swim faster.

I can't wait. This trip needs to be over, and I need to give Reggie a talking-to about deciding what's best for me and what isn't.

But I re-focus myself and we follow the Wingull. I can't tell where it's going to land, though, because I don't see any boats.

Then the Pokémon lands. And that's when I feel like drowing myself, which honestly wouldn't be a very hard task right now.

~May's POV~

"WHAT?!" I shriek, and Paul grimaces, glaring. But I know that the glare isn't for me. It's for this darned Wingull! The Pokémon is supposed to lead us to help, to safety, to food! Instead, it parks its tail feathers right there in the water and takes a nice little nap.

I feel like screaming. Now we really don't know where we are, and we've waisted hours chasing this stupid thing! I know it isn't right to be mad at a Pokémon, but I am nothing but mad.

Actually, I'm tired too. And hungry. And thirsty. And annoyed.

Ooh, and scared. Because Paul does not look any happier than I feel. He looks much, much angrier. Darn it.

~Ash's POV~

"Well, goodnight, Misty," I yawn, and she lies down next to me in the soft sand.

"Goodnight, Ash." It's quiet for a while; I'm just watching th stars. There are a lot of stars out here, and they're really pretty. It's nice to see something besides a painted white roof. In fact-

"It reminds me of our traveling days together. The stars, I mean."

"That's exactly what I was going to say!"

Misty laughs a little. "I know." Another silence, and when she speaks again, her voice is soft and quiet from drowsiness. "If there's anything good about being stranded on an island...it's being stranded with you...I've missed you so much, Ash...You don't even know..." And she was asleep, her solid breathing somehow managing to take up the huge space.

"Oh, I know." It's whispered into the darkness, but that's alright. "I know just how hard it was. Because I felt the same way."

There we go, another day in this mess! Again, I hope you liked it, and I hope it makes up for missing so much time!

(Also, please don't ask me why there are only berries on this island, or why it was just now that I mentioned that they are actually people who need to use the bathroom, or where the heck the Wingull came from, or why I'm not focusing on Drew and Dawn! (*huff, puff*) Because somethings are purposefully mysterious, or just unimportant plotholes, or just plain gross to write. :)

But other than that, how do you like it so far?

Reviews and PMs are appreciated! :)