Chapter 37

May had always loved coming home after a big adventure. She returned to her home in Petalburg City after her initial adventure in Hoenn concluded, as well as in Kanto, and now she was about to return home again. She was really excited about seeing what her parents were up to, as well as seeing her old Pokemon, Beautifly and Skitty again. She got excited thinking about curling into a chair with Skitty in her arms, petting its soft fur while the kitten purred sweetly. She hoped that her Mom was taking good care of Beautifly, but since her mother adored it so much, she didn't have much to worry about. One thing that did worry her, was if she were returning home at the wrong time.

Her father, Norman, has been the Petalburg Gym leader for many years. During those years, the Gym would usually be swamped with challengers, ordinary trainers hoping to win a Gym badge so they could get into the Pokemon league. On busy days, there could be multiple challengers a day, some arriving at even the most awkward hours imaginable. Being a Gym leader and officially endorsed by the Pokemon league, Norman had to officially accept the challenge of all trainers, regardless if he was up to it or not. If he gotten lazy and refused to battle the challengers, they could file complaints to the Pokemon league, which in turn, could get the Gym discounted from the official league.

As much as May admired her father and what he represented, she sometimes hated the fact that she grew up in a Gym leaders home. All those years before she turned ten and became a trainer, she would have to deal with total strangers coming to the Gym each day, taking quality "Daddy" time away from her. Every time she thought she had some free time with her father, his time was required elsewhere. One day after another, it became really taxing. As her father grew more and more famous in Petalburg City, the more and more popular the Gym became. As a result, she was denied quality time with her father, time and time again.

May understood the Gym leader life, and why her father was required to do the things he did, but she sure as hell didn't want any part of it. She would watch her father come into the living room after he finished battling trainers next door, and he always looked so exhausted. Pokemon battles sure did take a lot out of you, especially if his opponents were using high level Pokemon that took a lot of skill and technique to beat. May, as sweetly as she could, would then ask her father to spend some time with her while he wasn't busy. Norman was a very serious man, but he could never resist spending time with his own daughter. The two would play together for as many hours as they could, without a care in the world, until of course, the next dreaded challenger arrived at the door step and he was required elsewhere.

She was saddened by this, because whatever precious time they had together was almost always interrupted. It was like her father had a full time profession, always on the job nearly 24 hours a day. May would sigh and curl up with her mother, at least one parent didn't have such a taxing job that she couldn't spend time with her children.

This was one of the reasons that contributed to May's dislike of Pokemon and Gym battles in the first place. They essentially tore her father away from her, and kept the two from being together as much as they could. She started to resent Gym battles and even Pokemon themselves, for she wished to have a fun, simple life without Pokemon. She saw how time consuming they were, and she didn't want any part of it.

Overtime, thankfully, the Pokemon league issued new rules on how Gyms were managed, and as a result they were more lenient on Gym leaders' attitude toward challengers. Gym leaders could now reject and postpone a challenge for a couple of days, a week even, if they so desired. This delighted May greatly, for now her father wouldn't be swamped with so many combatants hour after hour. It was a great stress relief on Norman as well, for he finally started spending more time with his young daughter and his son.

May loved it, she and her brother played with their father everyday now, and Norman finally started putting his own children over his work again. The next few years of her childhood were joyous in every sense of the word, as the girl started developing a sweet personality to go with her love for her father and the time they spent together. Her dislike for Pokemon and the Gym taking time away from them still lingered in her mind however, and would affect her once she turned ten years old.

Norman, being a Gym leader himself, expected his daughter to become a Pokemon trainer someday. He had also hoped for the day where his daughter would become strong enough to challenge the Gym and beat him in a Pokemon battle, thus earning her a badge from her own Gym. As May was nearing her tenth birthday, both her mother and father were getting very excited about seeing their daughter go out in the world and become an aspiring Pokemon trainer. Little did they know at the time, that May had completely other plans. She didn't want to challenge Gyms and become a trainer, she didn't even want any Pokemon! She knew her parents would be disappointed in her if she didn't start a journey, so she decided to put her dislike of Gyms behind her and cope with having a Pokemon under her control.

Once she turned ten years old, her parents told her to ride her bike to Littleroot Town, where she would receive her first Pokemon from Professor Birch. She did ride down there reluctantly, hoping against all odds that she didn't really have to go through with it. Once she arrived at Littleroot Town, she met Ash Ketchum, a fine looking boy with a Pikachu who sat on his shoulder. After an unusual first meeting with pulling Ash up a cliff with a rope, this led to May's bike being fried, her choice of Torchic as a starter, her accompanying Ash on his journey, and the rest was history!

Since she got her Torchic she put her bias against Pokemon behind her, and in fact started to love them. She still didn't want to challenge Gyms however, they were of no interest to her. Even though it might have seemed sophisticated for a ten year old girl, she thought ahead about what life might have been like if she became a Gym leader herself. She thought about how she might not be able to spend time with her family, her potential kids even, and the thought frightened her. Regardless, she traveled with Ash and her little brother Max, while her parents continued to expect her to take the Gym leader challenge. It wasn't until she met a coordinator named Janet, and witnessed a Pokemon Contest, that she finally decided what she wanted to do in life.

Contests were not only more dazzling and more exciting, they weren't held by Gym leaders either! Contests required you to travel and challenge other trainers, but it was just that, there was no profession with someone having to constantly challenge people on their doorstep. She figured that becoming a coordinator was what she wanted to do, and perhaps training and battling with Pokemon wasn't so bad after all. Still, she wondered if her father was somewhat disappointed in her decision to become a coordinator instead of a trainer. She had never asked him about it, and he had never said anything about it. He wished her only the best in her coordinator career, and watched almost all of her Pokemon Contests on TV, but she still never had a conversation with him about her choice. She wondered if it was because of Max, Norman's son, was the one he was expecting to become a trainer. Max really wanted to get Pokemon and battle with them right away. Perhaps he was expecting Max to take over the Gym and continue the family business after he was willing to retire? Max certainly showed no objection to it, and even stated how cool it would be to become a Gym leader some day. May figured that was the case, and at any rate, she was glad to have a little brother.

The ferry that Ash, May and Max took from Atona Beach to Petalburg City didn't take long at all. It took a day for the ship to sail there, and they had a good time on board as well. There was plenty of entertainment and good food on the ship, so getting bored wasn't even an option. May and her brother couldn't wait to arrive at Petalburg City, its been too long since they were last there. As long as the Gym was empty and there were no challengers there, May would be relieved to spend as much time with her parents as possible.

They arrived in Hoenn relatively early in the morning, and after spending the previous night sleeping on the ship, they were relieved to set their feet on dry land again. Petalburg City had a port near the eastern side, which was even better yet for May and Max. Having the ship land in their hometown was the best of it all, they didn't even have to spend time traveling from city to city to get there. Ash was pretty enthusiastic about arriving at their home too, he wanted to play with the Slakoth and Slaking in the greenhouse again. He had a really fun time with them the last time he was there.

When they arrived at the Gym, May and Max eagerly ran up to the front door and rang the doorbell. Caroline, their mother, greeted them all happily and was surprised to see them. They had called their mother on the ship and told her they would be arriving in a day, but she had no idea they'd be arriving so early in the morning.

Caroline was a very nice woman, a typical mother who was always pleased for the well-being of her children. She wore an orange sleeveless dress with a long brown skirt, with several bracelets on her arm. She had brown hair just like her daughter, but her hair extended into curly zigzags down her face rather than staying straight like May's was. She was womanly of course, an attractive mother who didn't go to hell after bearing two kids like so many other mothers have nowadays. People were able to tell where May got her looks from, she was developing the same womanly appearance of her Mom, which was a good thing to say the least. All in all May's home life was wonderful, her parents were loving and rarely ever fought, and if it weren't for his Gym leader work, Norman would spend even more time with his kids than he used to. Of course since now that May and Max were traveling they didn't see each other all that much anymore, but they always kept in contact with phone calls and e-mails every weekend.

The siblings ran into their house and made themselves right at home. Caroline noticed that only Ash was traveling with her children, and was pleased that the boy was so loyal to keep them out of trouble. She had hoped from day one that traveling with an experienced trainer would help her children to grow and prosper, and after traveling with Ash for a few years, she noticed her children do just that. For that reason, she respected Ash greatly and treated him like one of the family.

"Mom, where are Beautifly and Skitty?" May asked, curiously.

"They should be around here somewhere. Those little critters have missed you a lot," Caroline said.

May turned around when she heard the cries of her Pokemon. Beautfily suddenly came flying through the air from the other room, while Skitty scampered across the floor into May's arms.

"Hey, you two, its been awhile!" May squealed.

She toppled over and sat on the floor after Skitty jumped into her arms. The small pink kitten licked her face as May giggled happily.

"That tickles, stop it, Skitty," May chortled, petting her fur nicely.

"Beauti-fly," Beautfily said, landing on its trainers head.

The large butterfly Pokemon had gorgeous white and yellow wings that sparkled in the air. It was the very first Pokemon that May captured in battle, and she was pleased to see her old friend again. Beautifly rested on the top of May's head just like it used to, while May stood up still clutching Skitty in her arms.

"It's always nice to see your old Pokemon again," Ash nodded, remembering his own Pokemon at Oaks lab.

"May, why don't you let all your Pokemon out so they can run around together?" Max asked.

"Good idea," she said, holding Skitty in one arm while she reached into her fanny pack with her other.

She threw each of her four Pokeballs in front of her, in which the light formed into her familiar Pokemon. Combusken, Munchlax, Squirtle and Eevee appeared before her with happy expressions. May bent down and let Skitty out of her arms, while Beautifly flew overhead to greet her Pokemon.

"They all look like they're getting along great," Ash said.

"Well why shouldn't they? They're all my Pokemon after all," she replied.

Her Pokemon then began to run around the house together. Skitty and Eevee managed to hit it off real well, as Skitty was fascinated by Eevee's tail. Eevee started to playfully wag its tail around as Skitty tried to catch it, but it would always mess up as Eevee would jump away before it could grab it. Squirtle found Beautifly's wings to be very pretty, and the small turtle gazed upon them with a gaping expression. Munchlax began to wander around the house in search of food, while Combusken stood next to its trainer sighing.

"Your Munchlax looks well fed. It seems to be hungry now," Caroline noticed.

"Be careful, Mom. You know Munchlax could eat us out of house and home," May said.

"Munchlax?" Munchlax said, snorting at its trainers' comment.

"I can certainly fix you something, Munchlax, come with me," Caroline said, as she started walking to the kitchen.

Max was getting really impatient as he wanted to see where his father was. Ash pondered if Norman was in the middle of a Gym match using his Pokemon, in which he got really excited at the prospect of seeing his powerful Slaking in battle again.

"Where is Dad anyway? Max finally blurted out.

Caroline picked her head up from the cabinet as she pulled out a frying pan. Munchlax eagerly stood by her side hoping to get a full cooked meal.

"He's on the Gym battlefield, of course! A trainer is challenging your father, he may be done by now though," Caroline said.

"Great," May sighed, "Figures that Dad would be in a Gym match the second we come home."

"Are you kidding? That's great news!" Ash said excitedly, "I hope the match isn't over yet, I want to catch a glimpse of it!"

"I'll come with you!" Max added.

Ash and Max ran off together as fast as they could to the Gym battlefield a few rooms down, both hoping the battle wasn't over yet. Max admired his father more than anyone in the world, and getting to see him battle was a sight to behold.

"Com-busken?" Combusken asked, tugging on May's skirt.

"You're right, Combusken. Ash and Max get turned on by a good battle more than anything else, especially when it's by my Dad," she said.

"Aren't you interested in seeing your father battle?" Caroline asked, while standing over the stove.

"Sure, sure thing! Let me just take off my shoes and my fanny pack, I just want to kick back and relax! Being home again sure does feel good," May said.

"I'll be interested in hearing about how you've been getting along with Ash by the way, he's been a good little boy, hasn't he?" Caroline asked.

May laughed, "He has been, he's very sweet. Just wait until I show you what Ash bought me when we were on the beach!"

May rummaged through her fanny pack and took out her two-piece pink Skitty/Torchic bikini. She ran up and showed it to her while her mother had an admonished look on her face.

He bought her a bikini? Caroline thought, Boy, they really must be getting close.

~*~*~*~

Ash and Max ran through the halls which led to the Gym. Ash was running so fast that Pikachu had to hold onto his head tightly or he would fall off. The two skidded down the halls as they approached the battlefield. Ash was ready to step right out in the open and watch the battle from close up but Max tugged on his hood and pulled him behind the corridor.

"What's the matter, Max?" Ash asked.

"If you run right next to the battlefield you might distract my father. He's in the middle of a battle, and he needs the utmost concentration to win it. I want to see how strong my Dad has gotten, but if he sees you he might get distracted and end up losing the match," Max warned.

"Heh, good point. I guess we can watch from this corner, huh?" Ash said, smiling.

"Yeah, and after Dad wins I'm going to run up to him and surprise him with a giant hug!" Max laughed.

"How do you know your Dad is going to win?" Ash asked.

"Are you kidding me? There's no way my Dad is going to lose to some no-name trainer," Max chortled.

The two poked their heads around the corner while they watched the battle silently. Norman was wearing a brown shirt and blue khaki pants, his hair was plastered down on his head. He was giving orders quite intently, his mind was entirely focused on the battle. Kenny, the young assistant that did chores for Norman and Caroline, was standing on the side of the battlefield and refereeing the match. He had a red flag in one hand and a green in another, watching the battle carefully, waiting to decide a winner. He had spiked hair with a youthful childlike face, and wore a kimono that matched well with the Gyms interior.

The opposing trainer was a ruthless looking guy. He had a shaved head and a menacing looking face. He had several chains hanging on his neck, as well as a few earrings in each ear. He was wearing all black, which added to his dark appearance. He had on a long dark vest, with no shirt on underneath. His bare chest flashed out in the open as his chains hanged in front of it. His black pants had a few rips in them, giving him a run down appearance. The man had to be in his early twenties, given his foreboding appearance as well as a tattoo of a naked lady on his right arm.

In the battlefield was Norman's Slaking against the opposing trainers Sableye. Slaking was an 800 pound gorilla that wasn't to be taken lightly, it snorted constantly from its snout and glared at its opponent. It had long massive forearms which it used to run around rapidly, and long burly legs. It beat its chest before it unleashed an attack, one that could very well bring down the house itself.

Sableye resembled a goblin in nature, a small impish Pokemon with jewels for eyes and a creepy smile. It had jagged teeth and a naughty nature that could confuse an opponent with its actions. From what Ash and Max were able to tell, Sableye looked like it had taken a lot of damage in battle. It was panting heavily and looked like it was trying to regain its strength.

Norman smiled confidently and crossed his arms. "Ready to call it a day?" Norman asked rhetorically.

The opposing trainer grunted and flung his chain around his neck. He glared angrily at the Gym leader, for he was not someone that took losing the right way.

"You think I'm just gonna quit don't you? Think I'm going to run off like a coward with my tail between my legs, huh?" the ruthless trainer scoffed.

"I didn't say that exactly, but with the way you battle, you're certainly not going to walk out of here with a Gym badge at any rate," Norman grinned.

The trainer pulled on his vest with much angst, while he eyed the battlefield trying to decide his next move. Slaking was standing still, Norman was apparently letting his opponent move first. Sableye wasn't in the best of a position to attack however, as it was still trying to catch its breath.

Kenny looked upon the trainer and was ready to raise the flag. "Listen, Ross," Kenny warned, "If you don't make another move soon I'll be forced to end this match. By the power invested in me from Norman, I have the right to disqualify you if you don't call an attack soon,"

Ross grinded his teeth. "No, YOU listen, kid! You have no right to disqualify me just because I didn't make a move. It's called using strategy, something I'll need to win. So hold your horses will you, little boy?" Ross snarled.

"You haven't made a move in over five minutes!" Kenny shouted, "Please make one within the next 15 seconds or you're out of here!"

"Pikachu," Pikachu said hesitantly.

"I know, Pikachu. This is getting intense," Ash said.

"Shhhh!" Max said, putting his finger in front of his lips, "Quiet, I don't want Dad to know we're here."

Norman looked through the corner of his eye and noticed the two kids peering from behind the wall however, and grinned confidently. He approved of them watching the match, and was ready to declare a move in his favor.

"10 seconds!" Kenny declared.

"Damn it," Ross said, "Sableye, screw this! Use your Shadow Ball attack!"

Sableye looked back at its trainer with an uncertain expression. Ross pounded his foot on the floor angrily and demanded it to hurry up.

"What the hell are you waiting for? Use the damn attack already!" he snarled.

"Sableye…?" Sableye said, scratching its head.

"Slaking, start charging toward it!" Norman commanded.

Slaking obeyed and started running on all fours toward the small goblin Pokemon. Sableye knew its Shadow Ball attack would have no affect on a Normal type like Slaking, but it had no choice but to obey its trainer. Sableye jumped into the air and formed a dark ball of energy in its hands while it aimed it at the charging gorilla.

"Yes, yes! Fire your attack at that beast and finish it!" Ross shouted excitedly.

"Fool," Norman muttered under his breath.

Sableye released the energy attack from its hands as it shot it toward the gorilla. Slaking continued in a straight charge toward the Pokemon and jumped into the air. Ross' eyes bulged when the ball of energy merely faded upon hitting Slaking's chest. The attack didn't even cause the Pokemon to flinch, it simply disappeared. Slaking roared triumphantly as it was ready to lay the finishing blow to a weary Sableye.

"Now Dad's got him!" Max cheered.

"What the hell happened? Why did my attack do no damage? What the hell is this crap?" Ross yelled angrily.

"All I have to say is this, learn which moves are good against which Pokemon," Norman said simply, "Anyway, Slaking use Faint attack!"

Slaking raised its right arm until its fist glowed an eerie black, and then slammed its fist right down on Sableye's head. Sableye flinched in pain until it came crashing down into the ground.

"DAMN IT!" Ross cried.

Slaking landed back on the battlefield while a fainted Sableye lie defeated in the middle. Ash, Pikachu and Max cheered from the sidelines as Norman was declared the victor.

"This battle is over! Sableye can no longer battle, so the winner is Norman, the Petalburg Gym leader!" Kenny declared, waving the red flag in the air, "The challenger will NOT be awarded a Gym badge. Better luck next time!"

May and Caroline walked up behind Ash and Max to see what was left of the battle. Ash turned around and smiled.

"Too late, the battle is already over!" Ash said.

"Did Dad win?" May asked.

"He sure did, Slaking is even more powerful than I remember it being!" Max said excitedly.

"There's another win for your father," Caroline noted.

Norman recalled Slaking into its ball and turned to his family peering out from behind the wall. Now that the battle was finished, they all ran up toward him and greeted him properly. May hugged her father happily as Norman was pleased to see his daughter again. He ruffled Max's hair playfully with his hand while rubbing May's back contently.

"That was a good match, Norman, I'm glad to have seen at least a little piece of it," Ash said.

"Yeah, we hid behind the wall because we didn't want to distract you," Max said.

"Ah, I knew you two were there all along, you didn't distract me at all," Norman said, playfully nudging Max on the shoulder.

"You did? Aw, shucks," Max blushed.

All was not peaceful in the Gym however, as a furious Ross recalled his defeated Sableye into its ball. His hand nervously squeezed down on the Pokeball as he glared at Norman and his happy family in contempt. He was certainly not happy with the outcome of this battle.

"I think this match was rigged!" Ross cried out.

Norman and the others quickly turned attention to the angry man standing 15 feet away. Norman gently pushed his children aside and walked closer to the man. As the Petalburg Gym leader, it was an insult to say that the match was rigged in his favor.

"The match was fair-play all around, Ross," Norman stated, "Please don't imply something that didn't happen. It's an insult to a Gym leader to hear that his Gym is rigged."

"You think that was an insult, you scumbag?" Ross snarled, "If you think that was an insult, you haven't seen nothing yet."

"Hey!" May said defensively, "Don't dare call my Dad names!"

Ross cackled, and slipped his Pokeball into his pants pocket. He twirled the reflective chain in front of his chest, and rubbed his bald dome with his hand.

"Sorry kiddo, but I think your father is a cheater," Ross said, "There's no way I could have lost that match."

"I disagree completely," Kenny said, "I've been refereeing the match the whole time and I've noticed nothing wrong. I've been working for Norman for five years now, and he would never cheat."

"Face it, Ross," Norman said, "You lost because you weren't using your Sableye's attacks to its full potential. Using Ghost type attacks on a Normal type simply doesn't work. You have to come up with a better strategy if you ever hope to beat my Slaking. Simply train more and improve yourself, and I'll gladly accept a rematch down the road."

Ross glared at the stern Gym leader once more. He was furious at the idea that he couldn't win, and more so, he wasn't about to give up either.

"Heheeheee," Ross laughed, "Don't dare tell me how to raise my own Pokemon. I'd like my goddamn Gym badge now if you please, since this match was obviously rigged."

"Hey, Norman just said that there was nothing wrong with the Gym match," Ash shouted, "I've watched the whole last half of the battle, and he won fair and square!"

"Pi, Pikachu!" Pikachu added.

Caroline stepped forward with an annoyed expression on her face. "If you don't mind, I'd like you to step off our property. You lost the Gym match, you're not getting a badge. Now get out of our house," Caroline yelled.

"Wow, I've never seen Mom so angry before," May said, astonished.

"She has every right to be mad, with that guy insulting her husband and all," Kenny said, walking next to Ash and May.

Norman and Caroline walked across the battlefield in front of Ross, who was hunched over with a devilish smile. Ash, May, Max and Kenny watched from afar, not really sure what to expect.

"You're still standing on our property. I thought I told you to get out?" Caroline asked, agitated.

Ross whistled at the attractive lady while eyeing Caroline from top to bottom. He found her quite sexy, and made inappropriate comments in front of her husband and children.

"You have one fine wife here, Norman, she seems to be taking charge of things," Ross said, "Is this how it is in bed too? Caroline says what goes and what doesn't? No wonder you're such a loser, you have to obey your wife's every command in order to get some. What kind of marriage is this?"

Norman clenched a fist as his blood began to boil. He spoke calmly however, as he didn't want to make a scene in front of the kids.

"If my children weren't standing back there, I would have broken your nose," Norman said, angrily, "I'll say it one last time, get the hell off our property. If you don't, I'll call the police and have them escort you off in handcuffs. Of course, by the time they get here you're likely to have some teeth knocked out of your mouth."

"I'd like to see you try, tough guy. I don't think your kids will be very happy when they find their father covered in bruises," Ross threatened.

"You're a real bastard, you know that?" Caroline added.

"Get out, NOW," Norman yelled.

Ross scoffed at their threats and turned around. He raised his baggy pants back on his hips and ran his hand through his bald dome again.

"If you scumbags won't give me a Gym badge I'll just have to go get one from another Gym," Ross said. He stopped and turned around, and eyed Caroline specifically. "Don't hesitate to call me, sugar. I'd love to knock up a Gym leader's wife."

"GET OUT," Norman repeated, his voice echoing throughout the Gym.

Caroline grinded her teeth and turned around. She stomped her way back to where Ash and the others were standing.

"Heh," Ross cackled, as he exited from the Gym and walked out onto the street.

Norman's rage started to suppress a bit, now that the guy was finally out of the Gym. He turned around to face his children but his face was still all red from anger.

"That guy…he was…" May said, trailing off.

"Just a typical loser from the neighborhood," Norman said, "Sometimes we get dirtbags like that coming in here trying to win a Gym badge. I don't mind battling them, but when they lose they act like arrogant bastards."

"Norman, please! Our children are standing right here, watch your language!" Caroline retaliated.

She just said the same thing to that Ross guy before, May thought.

Norman calmed down when he looked at his innocent children. He sighed and agreed with his wife.

"Sorry, I'm still pissed off about what he said about you," Norman said.

"I know, just ignore his inane comments. I'm angry too, but I don't want to show it in front of them," Caroline said.

Kenny could sense the parents tension and figured it was best to escort the kids to another room.

"Hehehhe, do you guys want to head out to the greenhouse? Slakoth and Vigoroth are out there!" Kenny suggested.

"Hm? Sure, I really want to see them too!" Ash said. The thought of Pokemon almost made him forget about the entire incident just before.

"Go with Ash and Kenny," Caroline suggested, looking at her children.

Max agreed easily enough and ran off with Ash and Kenny, but May was more hesitant. She heard all the words that challenger said about her Mom and Dad, and she was kind of scared. She never heard someone say such crude things to her parents before, and it really bothered her. She wasn't quite sure what to say, but her mother reassured her that they would talk about it. May nodded reluctantly, and headed to the greenhouse out back.

Norman and Caroline were left alone in the Gym, as the two sighed in unison. They walked across the empty Gym staring at the floor.

"That isn't the first time that Ross guy challenged the Gym. He's been here six times already, and each time I've soundly defeated him. He really doesn't know how to properly handle his Pokemon, and that's why he loses each time. He never learns from his mistakes either, yet he keeps coming back," Norman said, "I can't believe I let him get away with those comments he made about you."

"Never mind that, I'm proud of you that you didn't make a scene in front of the children," Caroline said reassuringly, "I feel degraded by those comments, but it was best not to do anything too drastic."

"I won't let him challenge the Gym again, if he even dares shows his face here again," Norman noted, "Not after what he said, I was hoping the scumbags like that were driven out of this city."

"Sad to say there are some still lingering that haven't been stepped on yet," Caroline sighed.

Norman put his arm around his wife and held her contently. The two parents embraced each other in silence for a few peaceful moments.

~*~*~*~*

Ash and Max had a blast running around the greenhouse with Slakoth and Vigoroth. There were plenty of trees and branches to swing on, and the Pokemon just loved to twirl from branch to branch. May and Kenny watched the two boys playing, but both of them had something else on their minds.

"Kenny, about my parents…" May started to say.

Kenny was hesitant to talk with her, but figured it would be for the best. The girl was very shaken up, and she looked like she was waiting to be comforted. He took a deep breath and began to console her.

"I wouldn't worry about your parents, May," Kenny said softly.

"No, I know that. It's not that I'm worried about my parents, it's that it bothers me that these are the kind of people that my Dad has to deal with everyday," May sighed.

"Believe me, guys like Ross are a rarity. Most of the people who come to the Gym to win a badge are usually 15 or younger. They're happy-go-lucky trainer kids much like your Ash friend over there," Kenny pointed out.

"Ready…set…go!" Ash shouted.

Ash and Vigoroth made a sprint down a straight line in the greenhouse. Max and Slakoth cheered from the side as the two tried to outrun each other. Ash sped up once he noticed that Vigoroth was beating him, but this only led him into trouble.

"Ash, watch out!" Max yelled.

Ash gasped as he realized he was about to run into a tree. He tried to stop and turn best he could be he ended up smacking himself right into the bark. Vigoroth laughed on the side while Ash fell to the ground, rubbing his face in pain.

"Aargh! That really hurt!" Ash cried, rolling on the floor.

"Vigoroth!" Vigoroth said, beating its chest.

"It was a bad idea to try and outrun Vigoroth, Ash," Max said, "Even though it's not as a fast as Slaking, it can still go pretty darn fast."

"Tell me about it," Ash sighed.

May put on a half smile, watching Ash make a fool of himself was always amusing. She turned to Kenny again to continue the conversation.

"So most of them are around Ash's age or younger, right? I know a lot of kids come to win Gym badges, but I'm worried about the older trainers who come here. That guy looked like he was 20 something didn't he?" May asked.

"I believe Ross is around 20 years old, yes," Kenny said.

"Are they all arrogant SOB's like that?" May asked.

Kenny was taken back by her language, and chortled naively. "Nah, as I said, guys like Ross are a rarity. Most of the trainers coming here are nice, upstanding people. Very few of them ever cause us trouble. What you witnessed tonight is very uncommon, I can assure you," Kenny said.

May sighed in relief. "That's good. I don't like the idea of a bunch of people coming to the Gym each day and insulting my parents," she said, "That's another reason why Gyms bother me somewhat, especially if the Gym is your home. You never know what kind of person the stranger is that comes to challenge you."

"Well you're a coordinator, aren't you?" Kenny asked, "If so, how do you know your competition in Contests are all nice and understanding people? It's pretty much the same thing, you're battling people you don't really know. There are good eggs and bad eggs, luckily most of them are good eggs."

"I…I guess you're right. There is one coordinator I know that hates my guts, he even dresses like a Cacturne. In any case, I know how to handle him so he's not too much trouble to control. Other guys though like Ross may be a different case," she said.

"Heh, as I said, don't worry about it. Norman is a very strong and powerful Gym leader, he won't take crap from anybody. I was actually a bit concerned that he might have went ballistic on Ross today, but he was clearly restraining himself best he could. Makes me wonder what might have happened if you kids weren't here today," Kenny said.

"I see," May nodded, "Thanks, Kenny."

"Hey, May!" Ash called out, running up toward her. "Slakoth hid its bananas somewhere in the greenhouse and it wants us to go find them!"

"Really? I bet I know where that silly monkey stashed them too," May smiled.

"Well then what are you waiting for?" Ash asked. He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him toward the trees, "Point me in the right direction!"

"Heehee, this way, Ash!" May giggled, pulling Ash with her to the other end of the greenhouse.

They ran through the bushes looking for the bananas, when all of a sudden Slakoth jumped down on top of them and started beating them over the head playfully with a tree branch. Slakoth's drool dripped out of its mouth and onto Ash's face, and that certainly was not a pleasant experience. Ash jumped up in shock and tried digging through his pockets looking for a napkin or a washcloth or something to wipe the monkey drool off his face.

Kenny watched contently as the kids played with the Pokemon. "Heh, I wouldn't want to work in any other Gym but this one," he said, "Nothing beats the Petalburg Gym."

~*~*~*~*

Max was sulking in his room in the late afternoon, and neither Ash nor May could figure out why. Caroline was holding Max's backpack in her arms while the two asked her what was going on.

"That was very generous of you to give Max $300, Ash," Caroline said, "But honestly, I think it's way too much for him to be carrying around everywhere."

Ash and May knew where the conversation was going from there. Ash pulled on the brim of his hat in disappointment, and eyed the floor as he talked to her.

"Yeah, May told me that you never let them carry around that much money by themselves," Ash said.

"I'm going to be putting the majority of the $300 in the bank for Max, he'll need it when he's older. It is a better idea than spending it on something all at once," Caroline said.

"Are you ok with that, Max?" May asked, curiously.

"I guess, but I'm not really enthralled either. Mom, Ash gave me that money as a present to buy something with!" Max pouted, "I know I should be saving my money but I want to at least use some of it."

"Well that's the point, I said I'm putting the "majority" of your money in the bank, not all of it," Caroline smiled.

She patted Max on the head and slipped him five $20 bills. Max's eyes lit up when he saw the money, and hugged his Mom contently.

Caroline spoke softly while she hugged her son. "$100 should be just about right, the rest of it should be saved," she said, "That's about as much as I'd allow you to carry on your own."

"That's still a lot of money, Max," May said, "Make sure not to lose it!"

"I won't," Max said, relieved, "Thanks, Mom."

"Now then," Caroline said, patting her knees as she stood up from the bed, "We need to make the sleeping arrangements for tonight."

"Sleeping arrangements?" Ash asked, confused.

"We're going to need to find a room for you, Ash," Caroline nodded, "I'm afraid our guest room is being used by Kenny, and I'm not sure how comfortable he'd be with sharing the same bed with you."

"Wuh? You mean I have to sleep in the same bed as Kenny?!" Ash said, startled.

"No, silly, she just said that Kenny probably wouldn't be comfortable sleeping in the same bed with you. I don't think Kenny is into guys anyway," May giggled.

Caroline smirked. "Now let's leave poor Kenny alone, you know how hard he works for us," she chuckled in unison with her daughter, "I suppose I could pull out the bed from the couches and let you sleep in the living room, if that's all right with you."

"It's oka.." Ash said before being interrupted.

May pushed Ash aside gently and pouted in front of her mother. "Why not just let Ash sleep in my room? It's not too much a hassle for me, really!" she pouted.

Caroline replied hesitantly, "Well…I don't know if…"

"Please, Mom, Ash and I are used to sleeping in close quarters. We do it all the time when we're in our sleeping bags or in the hotels," May said.

"He can sleep in my room too!" Max suggested, happily.

May gave her brother an evil glare, she knew her mother would be much more comfortable with Ash sleeping in her brother's room than her own. Max caught an eyeful of May's menacing gaze and sulked down on the bed.

"Are…are you sure you want Ash sleeping in your room?" Caroline continued, still uneasy with the idea.

"Of course! Otherwise I wouldn't be begging you!" May laughed.

"Gee, I didn't realize this was such a big debate," Ash said, scratching his head.

Caroline crossed her arms and sighed. "Well I don't think I can win this battle, so if you say so, I'll let Ash sleep in your room," she said.

"YES!" May squealed.

"Pika, pikachu?" Pikachu asked.

"Oh yeah, and Pikachu is welcome to sleep with us too!" May grinned.

Caroline was still uneasy with the idea of letting a boy sleep in May's room, but nevertheless, she knew Ash well and he's been a good friend to her children for a while now. What surprised her more was with how pushy May was to get Ash to sleep with her, she certainly seemed more enthusiastic about it than Max was. Caroline shrugged off her suspicions, but the fact that Ash bought May a bikini and that she wanted him to sleep with him in her bedroom gave her a slight concern.

"Where is your room again, May, anyway? Is it down the hall somewhere, I don't really remember," Ash said.

"Just walk out of Max's room and head to the right, my room is right there. Go check it out yourself," May said.

Ash nodded and ran out of the room with Pikachu. Caroline turned to May and told her to be on her best behavior. May wasn't quite sure what her mother meant, as going to sleep didn't really require behaving, yet she agreed anyway. May started following Ash out of the room but turned to tell her mother one more thing.

"Oh, and Mom? Make sure to remind Dad that Ash wants to battle him tomorrow, he forgets easily," May said.

"I'll remember to remind your father," Caroline noted.

"I can't wait to see Dad and Ash battle tomorrow either," Max said eagerly, "Ash must have gotten so excited watching Slaking beat that Sableye that he wants to battle my Dad again himself. He beat Slaking with Grovyle last time when he won the badge here, I wonder what Pokemon he'll use for their practice match tomorrow?"

"Whatever it is, Max, I'm sure it'll be thrilling," May winked.

"It'll also be a nice contrast to what we had to witness today at the Gym," Caroline sighed.

~*~*~*~*

Ash had his hands on his hips while he was eyeing down May's bedroom. Pikachu was sitting on his shoulder, peering around the room. Her bedroom really wasn't anything special, just the typical closets, bathroom, a small desk and computer, as well as a TV and a bunch of dressers. No difference really from the hotel room they were staying in at Atona Beach, aside from of course, the fact that there were four beds there and in May's room…there was only one.

"Only one bed?" Ash asked, "Why did May want me to sleep in here then? There's nowhere for me to sleep! I hope she doesn't think that we're going to sleep in the same bed together, because I move in my sleep a lot. I'd probably end up kicking her off the bed without realizing it."

"Pi, pikachu," Pikachu said.

"Yeah, and you need some space too, Pikachu," Ash smiled.

May walked into her room and noticed Ash standing there with his hands on his hips. She walked in front of his eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"So…what's up? Were you expecting maybe a bedroom with golden walls or something?" May asked sarcastically.

"No, it's just that you wanted me to sleep here with you and…" Ash said.

"Yeah," May chortled, "I'm surprised my mother agreed to it. I don't know why, but she doesn't want boys in my bedroom. Aside from my brother of course, its always been a rule she told me when I was little. I was never allowed to have boys in my room, but that was never really a problem, as all my friends in school when I was nine and under used to be girls anyway. To be honest, I still can't figure out why she even made that rule."

"Well where am I supposed to sleep?" Ash asked, flabbergasted, "There is only one bed here! You're expecting me to sleep with you on the same bed?"

"What? Of course not!" May blurted out, slightly embarrassed, "You're not sleeping in my bed, you're sleeping on the floor."

"On the floor? Are you crazy? That's even worse than sleeping in the same bed as you," Ash retaliated.

"Y-eah, that was the plan all along. We're going to be at my parents place for at least a few days, I thought you wanted to sleep in the same room as me just like we did back at the hotel and the Professor's place? Certainly it's better than sleeping in the living room on some uncomfortable couch-bed by yourself," May said.

"I wasn't really expecting to sleep on the floor though," Ash sighed.

"Ash, you're forgetting about your sleeping bag!" May said, flustered, "I didn't mean you had to sleep on the floor like an animal! I meant you were going to sleep in your sleeping bag next to my bed on the floor!"

"Oh! That's what you meant? Why didn't you say so in the first place?" Ash asked, flabbergasted.

"We've slept like this so often nowadays that I thought you understood what I meant," May laughed.

"Pika, pika," Pikachu shook his head in disbelief.

"I see…" Ash said.

"Heh, I'm glad you agreed to sleep in my room, Ash, thanks," May smiled.

"No problem. It's just kind of scary wondering where Brock would have slept if he came with us here too," Ash laughed.

"Maybe he would be the one to sleep with Kenny!" May chuckled.

Ash laughed as he took his backpack off his back and pulled out his sleeping bag. Whatever the case, Ash and May would share a bedroom for the days they'd stay over at the Petalburg Gym. Ash was already eagerly anticipating his match with Norman tomorrow, he was especially pumped up about it. He hasn't battled any Gym leaders in awhile, and this was the perfect chance to test his battle abilities against someone powerful again.

Although May prepared for a couple of days of rest and relaxation with her parents, there was already a bad seed brewing that would come back to haunt her, perhaps for the rest of her life.