Chapter 38
Caroline held an exhausted Munchlax in her lap, the poor slob ate more than its stomach could hold. Its eyes were shut and it was snoring loudly, but that didn't compare to the obnoxious drool that was coming out of its mouth. The mother complained as its drool dripped onto her brown skirt, in which May quickly ran over with a paper towel. She placed the paper towel right underneath Munchlax's mouth, so the drool would be contained there, hopefully anyway, and not go on her mothers clothes.
Munchlax wasn't the only Pokemon present, as Beautifly was contently resting on May's head. Beautifly and May were apart for a long time, and the Pokemon was delighted to have its trainer back again. As much as Beautifly loved Caroline, it was still nothing compared to the bond between it and May. It was May's first captured Pokemon after all, and one that had achieved her success in many Contests. May was grateful that her Beautifly took good care of her Mom while she was gone, and was pleased to spend time with it and Skitty as well. May reached above her and stroked Beautifly's wings, the bug type really enjoyed her slender touch.
Ash was standing with confidence, the usual demeanor he gave off before he went into battle. He already had a Pokeball in his hand, but he was waiting for the signal before he released his Pokemon. Across the battlefield stood the Gym leader, Norman, with his arms crossed and a sly smirk. The Petalburg Gym was alive with excitement, as Ash and Norman were about to battle for the first time since Ash won the Balance Badge a while ago.
Max and Kenny were fighting over the flags, the boy wanted to referee the Gym match this time. Kenny said that it wasn't proper to have such a young boy referee the match, but Norman assured him otherwise.
"It really doesn't matter, Kenny, this is not an official Gym match anyway," Norman said, "If Max wants to referee the match, it'll be fine."
Kenny handed Max the red and green flags. "You're the boss," Kenny said, "And I know better than to get on the bad side of the son of a Gym leader."
"Heh, stop playing around, you dummy," Max said, playfully jabbing Kenny in the gut with the flag.
"I'll stand next to you to give you pointers if you're doing this correctly," Kenny said, "You know how to declare when someone is defeated right?"
"Yes, of course! I know how to referee a match, and I won't let my Dad down either," Max cheered, "You can instruct me, Kenny, so long as you're not breathing down my neck every five minutes."
"Heh, so I see," Kenny said, "You must be pretty excited about this match, right?"
"My Dad versus Ash, they haven't battled in a long time. Ash won last time but I'm sure Dad will completely own him this time. My father always adapts to the opponents battle strategies after he knows what they're doing," Max said.
"Hey, you two!" Ash called out, "Are we going to start the battle anytime soon? Stop yapping and let's get started already!"
"Hey, Ash!" May called out, "Don't get too over-anxious or you'll end up fumbling in the battle. Don't want to fall flat on your face, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, May," Ash replied simply.
Max held the flags in his hands and looked at the two opponents standing on both sides. They both nodded at Max, and he was ready to start the match.
"Alright!" Max said gleefully, "This is a practice battle between the Petalburg Gym Leader, Norman, and Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town! Let the battle begin!"
"You forgot to state how many Pokemon we'll be using," Norman reminded him.
"Oh, I did?" Max blushed, "Sorry about that, um…how many Pokemon are you guys using anyway?"
"It's a double battle, we'll both be using just two Pokemon, at the same time," Norman said.
"Gotcha," Max nodded.
"Go ahead, Max, now you say it," Caroline suggested.
"Right, Mom," Max squealed in excitement, "Let the double battle between Ash and Norman begin!"
"And so the routine begins," Norman said, reaching for his Pokeballs, "Slaking and Vigoroth, come out!"
The two simian Pokemon formed on the battlefield, one burly ape and the other a more agile like monkey. Slaking slouched on its side while holding its head up with its hand, while Vigoroth swayed his arms back and forth.
"No surprises?" Ash asked, "I thought you'd use something I haven't seen before."
"Well what do you expect, Ash?" May retaliated, "My Dad only has three Pokemon! You should know that."
"Well yeah, but I thought he had something secret planned, although since I didn't see any other Pokemon around the greenhouse, I guess not," Ash shrugged.
"My, Ash, you sound disappointed," Norman said, "You may have beaten these Pokemon before, but then again, they've improved significantly since our last battle. It really has been a long time."
Caroline turned to her daughter and put a hand on her thigh, while holding Munchlax in her arm with her other. May smiled up at her mother, Caroline could tell from the look in her eyes that she was once again on the side of her friend rather than her father.
"You want Ash to win again?" Caroline asked.
"Y-yea, I-I know it's kind of weird to want him to win over my Dad…but, you know," May stuttered, "It's Ash, and I want him to do well."
Caroline giggled playfully, "There's something about Ash that you're not telling me."
"Wuh? What are you talking about?"
"Nothing," Caroline said, she looked at the ceiling with an odd smile on her face.
May squinted her eyes. "You're getting weird, Mom," May said sarcastically, "Maybe old age is finally getting to you."
"Hey, that's a terrible thing to say to your mother!" Caroline scolded.
"Two can play at that game, huh?" May giggled, leaning her head against her mothers arm, "Maybe next time you shouldn't make wild accusations about my friends."
"You're just trying to wiggle your way out of it, I think I know the way my daughter works," Caroline snickered.
"Aw, Mom, you're making me blush!" May said, embarrassed.
"I've heard about these "teenage years," and I hope you're ready for them, May. It's not easy to raise a teenage daughter these days, not at all," Caroline said.
"I'll be a good girl, I promise," May said lovingly.
"Now that seemed to imply something. I think I better take another look at that bikini of yours after the match ends, you said Ash bought it for you?"
"It's just a normal swimsuit, Mom, it's nothing to get excited about. It's not like I was walking around and posing in it or anything, it's to swim in!" May exclaimed. She lowered her voice and spoke softly. "It is very special to me because of the length Ash went through to make me happy, I wouldn't have that swimsuit right now if it weren't for him. It's more than just another bikini, it honestly is something special. I still don't think I can ever repay him for it."
"I see," Caroline said, thinking quickly.
"Choose your Pokemon already, Ash!" Max yelled.
Ash looked at Max slightly distracted, he overheard that May was talking about him and tried to listen in on the conversation. Nevertheless, it was time to battle, something Ash enjoyed greatly. He pulled out his two Pokeballs, and was ready to release them on the battlefield.
"I haven't used these two Pokemon in a long time, I hope they're up for this," Ash said, looking confidently into the balls.
"That's right, Ash called Professor Oak yesterday, I think he transferred over some of his old Pokemon," Max said.
"Here we go!" Ash cried, "Kingler, Muk…I choose you!"
Moments later, the two Pokemon formed on the battlefield. Kingler was a crustacean Pokemon just like Corphish, except it resembled more of a crab in nature. It was red in color with spikes coming out of its head, and a humongous pincer that could crush boulders in two with ease. It constantly foamed at the mouth, it was very excited to be used in battle again. It was much larger than Corphish, being an evolved form especially, and looked just as powerful.
Ash's second Pokemon was made out of purple sludge, his Muk that he caught in Kanto ages ago. It could constantly form and reform into a liquid shape, as well as spread its ooze around the floor to move quickly. It wasn't solid in nature, thus it gave it a clear advantage over physical attacks. Muk moved its sludge-like arms, as it was getting ready to engulf its prey.
"Make your move first," Norman said.
"I will," Ash replied, "Kingler use Crabhammer on Vigoroth, Muk leap on top of Slaking!"
The two Pokemon obeyed instantly. Kingler launched itself toward Vigoroth as its pincer glowed a powerful white glow, while Muk leaped up into the air and was preparing to body slam a lazy Slaking that was resting on its side.
"Vigoroth, Mega Punch. Slaking, do what you need to do," Norman said.
Vigoroth pulled back its claws and released its punch full force into Kingler's pincer. The two opposing forces brutally exchanged blows with their powerful attacks, neither one giving into the other. Kingler tried a narrow swipe at its opponent, but Vigoroth was just too fast. It hopped around like a playful primate, sticking out its tongue and mocking Kingler at every turn. Kingler again tried to smash the monkey with its pincer, but Vigoroth avoided the attack, causing the crabhammer attack to smash into the ground instead.
Muk was a few seconds from landing on top of Slaking, its hope was to smother it with its toxins, and cover it with goo. Before it came crashing down, Slaking stood up on its legs and raised its hands to catch the falling sludge Pokemon. Muk landed on top of Slakings hands, the Pokemon was holding the Posion type at bay and prevented it from completely covering it.
"Use, Focus Punch and knock it out of your sight," Norman commanded.
Slaking obeyed and punched Muk straight in the underbelly, sending it flying across the battlefield. The Pokemon splattered upon hitting the ground, and needed a few seconds to recover its missing sludge to pull itself together.
"Muk, don't just sit there, Slaking is going to come charging at you!" Ash called out.
"Heh, you're too focused on a single battle, Ash," Norman said, "Vigoroth, Mega Punch Kingler in the back!"
"Vigo-roth!" Vigoroth cried, as it did a sombersault over Kingler's head, once again avoiding a blow with Crabhammer.
"K—ookie?" Kingler said, unsure of where the monkey landed.
Vigoroth roared in amusement as it punched the crab straight from behind, giving it a severe blow it would not soon forget. Kingler cried out in pain as it was launched across the other side of the room, smashing into a pillar against the wall.
"Ugh, Ash's Pokemon are being thrown all over the place!" May exclaimed.
"He probably underestimated your father since he beat Vigoroth and Slaking once before, but as usual, he should have expected these Pokemon to get stronger," Caroline said, "Norman battles challengers nearly everyday, and from each battle Vigoroth and Slaking improve their battle capabilities. They're much tougher than the last time Ash faced them."
"Slaking, use Hyper Beam!" Norman roared.
"Muk, slither your way out of there!" Ash called out quickly.
"Muuuuuuuuuk," the sludge Pokemon said, as it made itself flat on the ground, so it could slide away with ease.
The elemental attack from Slaking did smash into the ground near Muk, but the Pokemon was largely un-phased because it was in a pure sludge-like form.
"Muk, counter with Sludge Bomb!" Ash said.
"Muuuuuuk!" Muk taunted, as it sent out several black globs of sludge toward its opponent.
Slaking was still recovering from the effects of Hyper Beam, as the attack usually wears out the attacker and forces them to recuperate for a few seconds, and was thus unable to avoid the attacks. It was hit directly with several Sludge Bombs, as the strikes pounded against its chest and made it fall backward on the ground. It collapsed on its back as a loud thud shook the room, but Ash knew he wasn't out of the woods yet.
"Muk, completely smother Slaking and cover it!" Ash said.
"Whoa, is Ash going to try to smother Slaking?" Max questioned, "Is that even legal?"
"You're the referee, you make the rules, Max. What do you think?" Kenny asked.
"Well…so long as it's using its normal attacks…it probably isn't against any rules," Max thought.
Muk saw its chance and took it, as it jumped on top of the exhausted Slaking and covered its body with its sludge. The purple sludge soon was able to cover its entire body, as a struggling Slaking moved its limbs frantically to get out of the disgusting sludge and take a breath of fresh air. Ash knew that if he was able to smother Slaking and prevent it from breathing, it would eventually collapse and faint. He also knew that he couldn't have Muk stay on top of its face for too long, as he may accidentally end up suffocating the ape instead.
"That was a pretty good move," Norman said, "But again you're forgetting something."
"Yeah, what's that?" Ash asked.
"This is a two on two battle, and thus my struggling Slaking has an ally," Norman grinned, "Vigoroth, run toward Muk and get that thing off Slaking!"
Vigoroth just finished body slamming Kingler into another wall, when it heard its trainers command. It quickly jumped away from a badly beaten Kingler, and ran over to help its fallen comrade. At a blinding speed, Vigoroth had its hands digging through the floor as it ran toward its target, several bits of rock and debris were being burst out of the ground.
"Vigo-roth!" it cried digging its claws underneath Muk's sludge-like body. Using ape-like reflexes, it then flung the poison type into the air as it crashed down on the floor before Ash.
Slaking gasped for air before finally standing up, and was now more irritated than ever. Vigoroth and Slaking exchanged friendly glances in the meantime, Slaking was thankful that Vigoroth came to its aid.
"Teamwork, that's what's great about a two on two battle. In case one Pokemon is in trouble, you always have another to help it out," Norman said.
"Now you're forgetting about a thing," Ash said angrily, "It's that you also have to be aware of combined attacks from your opponent! Kingler, use Bubblebeam and Muk use Sludge Bomb together!"
Kingler and Muk quickly gathered side by side, as they were ready to launch an attack in unison.
"Koooo-kie!" Kingler shouted, firing a beam of bubbles from its mouth.
"Muuuuuuk!" Muk cried, flinging a series of sludge at its opponent.
The sludge and Bubblebeam intertwined with one another, forming a dirty looking attack full of sludge and water. Vigoroth's back was turned to the attack as it was still chatting with Slaking, and it didn't realize the danger it was in.
"Vigoroth turn around! You've got to get out of the way!" Norman shouted.
"Vigo--?" Vigoroth said uncertainly, turning around.
"—ROTH!" it cried in fear, as a jet of sludge and bubbles struck it hard in its chest, propelling the Pokemon into Slaking, in which both of them were slammed into a wall from the intense pressure of a dual attack.
"Yeah!" May cheered, striking a fist into the air, "Way to go, Ash!"
"Not bad, guys!" Ash complimented, waving at his two Pokemon.
Muk and Kingler continued to stand side by side, hoping to use their new found strength to their advantage again. Several bits of debris were on top of the fallen primate's, the two Pokemon were clearly taken by surprise by the attacks.
"Now, while they're still stunned, Kingler use Hyper Beam! Muk, try to get in closer so we can end this!" Ash yelled.
Kingler fired the orange beam of light from its mouth, as Muk slid slowly across the floor toward its opponents. Slaking and Vigoroth were back on the battlefield again, only to see another attack launching toward them.
"Dad, you have to watch out! Do something!" Max shouted.
"Max, you're a referee, remember! Referees are NOT supposed to take sides during a match, you're supposed to be impartial!" Kenny scolded.
"But Dad's gonna get hit…" Max sighed.
"Your father knows what to do, he sees it coming," Kenny said, "You just better be ready to judge the outcome."
"Slaking, counter with your Hyper Beam!" Norman commanded.
Slaking jumped in front of Vigoroth and shielded it with its body. It then fired the orange beam of light from its mouth, in which it collided full force with the opposing Hyper beam. Upon the two attacks colliding, the room was lit up in a spectacular orange hue, the lights clashing with one another as the two powerful attacks threatened each other for domination.
Ash knew that Slaking and Kingler were at a standstill with their Hyper beam attacks, so now it was Muk's turn to take on the advantage. Muk continued to slide itself across the floor until getting at a good angle to attack Slaking.
"That'll do, Muk," Ash said happily, "Now fire your strongest Sludge Bomb at Slaking's mouth!"
"Muuuuuk!" it cried, firing a huge clot of sludge at full force.
"WATCH OUT, SLAKING!" Norman yelled.
Slaking turned its head slightly but it was too late. The sludge smacked it right in the mouth, completely covering it, thus preventing it from firing its Hyper beam attack any longer. With its Hyper beam attack out of commission, this allowed Kingler's Hyper beam to come back and strike the Pokemon as well.
"You got him!" May said happily.
Kingler's Hyper beam completely obliterated Slaking upon impact, the attack was so strong that it sent Slaking crashing against the wall, leaving its full body imprint in the wall before it came crashing face-first into the floor. While Slaking was defeated, Vigoroth only managed to take a little damage from the attack, and was still ready to fight.
"That was a good strategy, covering Slaking's mouth like that so your Hyper beam could hit," Norman said.
"Yeah, and now that your strongest Pokemon is out of commission, I'll be taking your other one out too!" Ash said confidently.
"Max!" Kenny scolded, "Declare something!"
"Wuh?" Max looked up confused, too hyped about the battle to think about anything else.
"Slaking is defeated! As the referee you must announce that!" Kenny insisted.
"Oh, right!" Max said nervously. He raised the red flag and declared the outcome. "Slaking is unable to battle, the match will now be a 2 on 1 battle. Vigoroth versus Kingler and Muk!"
"The odds are looking good for Ash," May said, "Right, Beautifly?"
"Beauti-fly," the bug-type replied.
"Did I say that correctly?" Max asked Kenny, eagerly awaiting a reply.
"Yep, couldn't have said it better myself. You really do make a good judge, it's no wonder you're a Gym leaders son," Kenny chuckled.
"Aw, don't rub it in," Max said bashfully.
Kingler and Muk closed in on the lone Vigoroth, both ready to tear it a new one. Instead of taking this opportunity to his advantage, Ash decided to play a more defensive route. Both his Kingler and Muk had taken a lot of previous damage, and he didn't want to run the risk of charging in, only to end up with both of them caught up in a potential surprise attack from their aggressor. Ash clenched his fist as he knew he had to make a move soon, but he didn't want to run the risk of making one that would cost him the match.
"Hm, as fast as Vigoroth is, I'm sure it won't be able to dodge or defend attacks from two Pokemon at once. If I can get in close and fast, I should be able to put an end to this match," Ash said quietly.
"Pikachu, pika!" Pikachu shouted, warning Ash of the danger on field.
Oblivious, Ash looked on the field as Vigoroth had quickly burrowed underground. Its massive claws and arms were great for digging in the earth, and the Pokemon apparently realized that it could take refuge underground to avoid the attacks. Kingler and Muk looked around the battlefield, both unsure of where or when the Vigoroth would emerge from the ground.
"Vigoroth, emerge and use Focus Punch!" Norman commanded, raising a fist into the air.
The ground behind Muk suddenly split open as a raging Vigoroth emerged in a striking position. The Pokemon was about to unleash an attack at Muk, but Ash quickly thought of a plan.
"Muk, thin out your body!" Ash shouted, desperately.
Muk complied, stretching its body along the floor so its sludge was no longer accumulated in one place. As Vigoroth came crashing down, its fist did hit the purple sludge of Muk's body, but since the Pokemon was so spread apart, it hardly felt the impact. Instead, Vigoroth found its fist pulsating as it felt the pavement of the ground instead.
"Good move," Norman said, astonished.
"Muuuuuuuuk," Muk roared, as it quickly formed its body back together to go on the offensive.
Vigoroth dodged its parry attempt and was prepared to dig underground again. Ash realized that "hit and run" was the tactic that Norman was going for here. Vigoroth would bury itself underground in the subterranean caves, and occasionally emerge to deliver a devastating blow to the unsuspecting Pokemon. Ash also knew that he couldn't try the same tactic with Muk again, as Norman would be expecting it this time. Likewise, he had no mode of defense for Kingler, should Vigoroth choose to attack him instead. It was do or die time, and Ash decided that ending this battle as fast as possible would be the ideal case.
Ash threw out his arm and pointed to one of the holes that Vigoroth had dug. "Kingler, fire your Water Gun attack down the holes! Hopefully the water will flow through the caves and flush Vigoroth out!"
"Kook-ie, kookie!" Kingler agreed. It approached one of the holes and pointed its open pincer down below. It rapidly fired jets of water into the subterranean, in which it would catch up with Vigoroth and flush him to the surface.
Moments later, it did just that. A huge opening in the battlefield appeared, as the jet of water propelled a perplexed Vigoroth into the air. It was now an easy target, and at that point of the battle, Norman realized that he would lose.
"Quickly, while it's still in the air….body slam it…both of you!" Ash commanded.
Kingler and Muk leaped into the air, and while at opposite ends of Vigoroth, both of them slammed their bodies into the poor primate, striking it swiftly and painfully. Seconds later, all three Pokemon landed on the floor. However, only two of these Pokemon were still standing, as the other slammed to the ground against its own free will. Ash and Norman anxiously looked on the battlefield, but the result was what everyone was expecting. Vigoroth was knocked out, and Kingler and Muk were victorious.
Kenny gave Max a nudge with his shoulder, reminding him what he should do. Max stopped gawking at the battle, and started to raise his flag in the direction of Ash.
"Vigoroth is unable to battle, Ash Ketchum is the winner!" Max declared.
"Pikachu, pi!" Pikachu cheered, jumping on Ash's shoulder.
"We won, Pikachu!" Ash said triumphantly.
Kingler and Muk were thrilled with their victory, and approached Ash with jolly expressions. Ash patted both his Pokemon on the head, and thanked them for their hard work.
"Koookie, kookie," Kingler nodded.
"Muk!" Muk declared.
"Ash just beat my father again," May said, "And oddly enough, I'm not really all that surprised by it this time."
"That boy really must be some trainer, his quick thinking on the field is what led to his victory, it was very impressive. I hope you're learning from him, May," Caroline said.
"I am," May said, watching Ash prancing with his Pokemon. "I am," she repeated, softly.
Norman recalled his fainted Pokemon into their Pokeballs, and looked modestly across the field at Ash. It looked as if Norman made some sort of silent decision, as he didn't say anything, but he nodded while looking at Ash. He smiled, and then quietly walked off the battlefield and exited the room.
"Dad?" Max asked, wondering why his father left the Gym without saying a word.
The boy stared awkwardly across the room. Since he admired his father so much, he was slightly disappointed to see Ash beat him again, yet we was more mature about the battle outcome this time than their previous engagement.
"Max, I bet you had fun refereeing that match?" Ash asked.
"Heh, he did," Kenny said smiling, "I better watch out, if Max starts to like this stuff then I may be out of a job!"
"Don't worry, Kenny, I bet Mom could find some other housework for you to do," May giggled.
"As long as it doesn't involve removing Slaking's manure, then I'm game," Kenny chortled.
I wonder if Dad is thinking about the future, Max thought.
~*~*~~*
"Mom, do you have a sec?" May asked, standing in the door frame.
Caroline was busy typing on the computer in her bedroom, but when she noticed May's uneasy expression, she knew there was something concerning her. Caroline closed her PC and turned toward her daughter.
"I still want to talk to you about what happened at the Gym yesterday," May said.
"It still bothers you?" Caroline asked.
"Yes, it does," May said bluntly. She walked over to her mother and held both of her hands. She looked up at her mother in the eyes and sighed in despair. "I don't want you or Dad to see any more people like the guy who came into the Gym yesterday."
"I understand how you feel, but essentially, with your father's career we have no choice. We're supposed to accept challenges from all those trying to get a badge, you know that," Caroline replied.
May shook her head and scrunched up her face. "Isn't there some sort of rule against abuse of a Gym leader? I can't believe that there's nothing against this, that people can just walk into the Gym and insult the Gym leader…insult you and Dad," she said distressed.
Caroline rubbed her daughters' shoulders and assured her that everything would be fine.
"Your father and I took care of it, we forced him off our property and forbade him from challenging us again. I understand that things may have gotten a little scary for you and Max, but everything was under control."
"Were…were you scared?" May asked timidly.
"Hm?"
"Were you scared of…of what could have happened when you talked back to a guy like that? He…he looked like a gang member or something…I…"
"Yes," Caroline nodded, "To say I wasn't scared wouldn't be telling the truth. I was worried that the man might have launched out and attacked your father, or worse, have a weapon of some kind, but we stood our ground and make our dominance known. It's our Gym, and we can refuse to give him a badge, especially since he didn't win. Your father and I were both worried, you never know what's going on in anyone else's head, especially if they're aggressive and foreboding like that person from yesterday."
May walked away from her mother and sat on the bed. She placed her hands in her lap and looked at the floor in a troubled manner.
"So…even though you were scared, you had the courage to stand up to him," May said, her eyes wobbling.
Caroline approached her daughter and kneeled down before her while putting her hands in her lap. She saw tears start to form in May's eyes, and realized there was something more to this than she let on.
"May, what's bothering you?" Caroline asked sternly. "I can tell it's more than the man who came to the Gym yesterday, please tell me what's upsetting you."
"No-thing," May said, her voice more high pitched than usual.
"I'm not letting you leave this room until you tell me what's upsetting you," Caroline said, her voice beginning to shake as well. "May, you always used to be honest with me, and tell me everything that was on your mind. What's bothering you?"
"It's your courage, Mom," May confessed, forcing a smile.
"What do you mean?"
"I…I was in a situation like this not too long ago, while Ash and I were on the beach. There…there were four people who were harassing us, they were all…older people," May grieved.
"Really? Why didn't you say anything?"
"I…I didn't want to worry you or Dad," May sulked, "That's not the point though, the point is you had the courage to stand up against someone…and I didn't."
Caroline tried to say something but May continued, her voice cracking as a few tears ran down her cheeks.
"I let those people walk all over me, they did terrible things to us. I ended up with a few cuts and bruises after the whole ordeal was done, and Ash got into a fight with one of the guys…he…he ended up receiving a painful punch to the stomach," May sniffed, "And I couldn't do a thing."
"Honey, you…"
"The difference is I'm not like you, I'm not like Mom or Dad," May cried, "I…I don't have the courage to stand up against people like that…I just don't. My knees start to shake and my body starts to tremble, I'm...I'm a coward."
"Stop putting yourself down like that!" Caroline scolded.
"It's true. If Ash wasn't there on the beach with me, I don't really know what might have happened. I was even willing to give up participating in that surfing competition, but Ash kept reassuring me that we could do our best, and try to win no matter who our competition was," May grieved, wiping the tears out of her eyes, "After the competition ended, I got over it. I started to gain more confidence and more assertive, I…I promised myself I wouldn't let people walk all over me like that again…"
"And…and you…?" Caroline hesitated.
"…and when that guy came to the Gym yesterday, all those previous fears and doubts came shooting back into my mind. I thought that perhaps I was able to overcome these fears, and have some confidence, but when I saw how that guy treated you, they…they just shattered. It was at that point when you and Dad were standing up against and yelling at that Ross guy, that…that I realized I still have a long way to go."
"And you did have the courage to speak out against him, you yelled at him from across the room, remember?" Caroline reminded her.
"I know, but he just shook it off. My threats meant nothing, and I thought of what it might be like if I had to run into that guy alone. If you guys, and Ash or Kenny weren't there, would I be able to fend him off myself? Would I be able to defend you guys and he'd take me seriously? Or…would it be a repeat of what happened with Precita?" May sniffed.
Caroline raised her daughter from the bed and held her close, trying to give the support that mothers usually give to her children. She rubbed her back comfortably, hoping to relieve her of her stress.
"I promise, you'll grow into a strong young woman, that I'm sure of," Caroline promised, "Don't doubt in yourself, please, you don't know how worried that makes me as your mother."
"I want to grow up to be like you, Mom," May said, "That's what I came here to talk to you about."
"May…"
"I want to be strong like you."
~*~*~~*~*
Norman placed Slaking's Pokeball on a shelf, and shut the cabinet doors in front of it. After a long and fierce battle, he knew that his Pokemon would need a nice long rest, especially since he would probably have to face new challengers the very next day. Being a Gym leader was hard work, but Norman loved every minute of it. Still, there was always something on his mind regarding the future of the Petalburg Gym, and it troubled him for a long time, until today.
Ash and Max were walking in the hallway together. Max was chowing down on some potato chips hungrily. Pikachu, who was hanging on Ash's shoulder, was also chowing down on a chip that Max had given him.
"The battle was awesome, Ash. I know I acted like a stuck-up brat the last time you beat my father, but this time I'm more mature about it," Max said, biting down on a chip.
Norman heard Ash and Max talking in the hall, and decided to listen in on their conversation. He leaned against the wall opposite of the hall they were standing in, and closed his eyes while remaining silent.
"It didn't bother you at all this time, that I defeated your father?" Ash asked.
"Don't get me wrong, I would have liked to see you lose!" Max giggled.
Ash pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes in an embarrassed manner. "Gee, thanks a lot, Max!"
"Heh," Norman grinned.
"Anyway, I was really hoping for Dad to win this time, but I dunno, I had a feeling you would beat him again," Max said, staring at the chip in his hand.
"Your father really is a tough opponent, I was being knocked all around the field during the beginning of the battle. If I didn't pull myself together and realize what was happening, I might have lost," Ash confessed.
Max chomped down on his chip and smiled. "One day, Ash, when I become a trainer, I'd like to be stronger than you and my Dad combined," Max said.
"Both of us combined? That's a pretty big goal," Ash said.
"Pika," Pikachu added.
"Why not? You and Dad are the two most powerful trainers I've ever seen, I'd love to get as strong as you guys. It isn't really a shock that I want to get as powerful as the people I respect the most," Max said.
"Max!" Ash exclaimed, embarrassed.
"I guess I know why my sister aimed to follow your lead and become a competent trainer when we all first met. You already had a ton of experience, and my sister needed someone to learn from and get stronger. In that same way, I'd like to take the best parts out of your battle style, and my Dad's battle style, and combine them together," Max said.
"Max…" Ash said, trailing off.
Max laughed, "Yeah! With my Dad's great battle strategies and your dumb luck, I should be unbeatable!"
"Hey!" Ash exclaimed, nearly toppling over in embarrassment.
"Pikachu, pika!" Pikachu snickered.
Norman chortled, and slowly walked into the hallway to greet the two boys.
"Interesting conversation you two have got going," Norman smiled.
"You heard all that?" Max said embarrassed, blushing.
"I sure did," Norman nodded.
"I heard it too!" Kenny said, walking down the hall with a mop in his hands.
"Gee, I'm starting to think everyone in this house has huge ears or something," Ash noted.
Kenny continued mopping the floor in the distance as Norman approached Ash and asked him to see him in private.
"I'd like to talk to Ash about something for a moment, can you wait outside for a bit, Max?" Norman asked.
"It's ok, I want to see what Mom is doing anyway," Max said, pulling more chips out of his bag.
Ash was a bit confused about why Norman wanted to talk to him alone, but nonetheless he followed him into his room with Pikachu on his shoulder. It was a fairly small room with a lot of desks and cabinets and papers scattered about, but it was fairly welcoming as well.
Norman walked into his brown cabinet and took out Slaking's Pokeball. He twirled the ball in his hand for a few moments, and then looked at a flabbergasted Ash.
"You're familiar with Slaking by now, right?" Norman asked.
"Yeah, after battling it twice and playing with it in the greenhouse for a few hours, I'm pretty comfortable around it," Ash grinned.
"That's good, because I was wondering how you would feel about being in command of this Slaking some day," Norman said.
"What?!" Ash asked, astonished, "You're not going to give me your Slaking, are you?"
Norman laughed, "No, not right now. Calm down, Ash!"
"The way you made it sound…"
"I saw your eyes lit up, you looked like you were about to jump for joy," Norman chortled, "Getting a new Pokemon really does excite you, I though my daughter was just exaggerating when she told me this."
"But…but why? Why would you want to give me your strongest Pokemon?" Ash asked, still in shock.
Norman looked at the Pokeball in his palm again, and then slipped it into his pants pocket. He rubbed his face with his hand and started to pace around the room.
"Ash, I'm going to be 38 years old come next Fall," Norman said, "I'm starting to think about the future of this Gym, after I retire."
"Hm? I don't understand, I've seen Gym leaders well over 60 years old. I thought you could be a Gym leader for as long as you could battle! 38 isn't that old, at least I don't think so," Ash said.
"Ha! Again you're moving to fast, Ash, slow down a bit. I'm talking about in the far future, not two weeks from now. I'm starting to think about who I'll pass on this Gym to after I decide to retire my Gym leader status. I've weighed my options, and I've limited them down to just a few people."
"Aren't you going to keep the Petalburg Gym within your family line?" Ash asked, "Wasn't your father the Gym leader before you?"
"Yes, he was," Norman replied.
"So then you already have a person to pass the Gym to! Your son will take over the Gym in the future, Max has already said a lot of times how he wanted to become a Gym leader some day. I think it would be really cool to see Max become the new Petalburg Gym leader too," Ash grinned.
"You really think so?" Norman asked, "I've been wondering about that myself, and my son shows a lot of promise. However, he hasn't even become a trainer yet, so he won't be able to prove his worth as a Gym leader for a long, long time. In the meantime, I've been thinking about passing the Gym to someone who already is a trainer, someone who I can count on."
Ash thought for a few seconds, and the next most likely suspect rang a bell.
"You mean May?" Ash asked, "I'm not sure about that, Norman, May still doesn't seem to care for Gyms very much. I think she'd be better off continuing what she's doing, being a great coordinator and traveling on her journey. She really wants to travel more than anything, I don't think she'd be happy in a stationary place like this!"
"Ha, would it surprise you if I wasn't talking about May?" Norman snickered, "I know full well that she doesn't want to become a Gym leader, and I have no intention of forcing her to become one. I'm very proud of her and the dream she's decided to follow, and I won't get in her way. I'm also very pleased that you were so quick to defend her, and state what she wants to do, before I even said her name."
Ash got embarrassed, again. "It's…it's just that I've known her for such a long time now that I know what she wants to do. She…she's really determined."
"True, true."
Ash was still confused. "If, if you weren't talking about your children…then who were you thinking about? I don't think Kenny could take over the Gym, does he even have Pokemon? Or do you mean Caroline? That she's going to be the new Gym leader?"
"No, you're skipping over the most likely person I'm thinking about."
"Huh? I can't think about anyone else, unless you mean your uncles or aunts or something? Who else is there that could be the new Petalburg Gym leader?"
"You," Norman said.
"WHAT?!" Ash exclaimed.
"Why do you think I offered you my Slaking? I've been thinking about who could take control of the Petalburg Gym before Max is qualified himself, and I was thinking about something. You're a strong, competent trainer. You've taken both of my children under your wing and exposed them to so many different Pokemon and environments. You've proven to me that you're trustworthy. You've defeated me twice, something nobody else has been able to accomplish. And most of all, I already consider you to be part of the family," Norman said encouragingly, "What do you think?"
"Pika, pikachu" Pikachu asked.
Ash turned to his buddy, and meekly stated his response.
"I…can't," Ash said meekly, "Sorry, but I have to decline."
Ash could tell that Norman was disappointed in his response, his face was no longer as jovial as it was before. Norman sighed and pressed his hands against his desk, stretching out his arms while Ash watching him from behind.
"Is there any particular reason why you're refusing?" Norman asked, quietly.
"I'm sorry, Norman, but I never really thought of myself as a person who would become a Gym leader. That's…just not something I'm aiming for," Ash confessed, "Thanks for the offer, and I'm still surprised you would pick me to take your place, but I need to follow my own dreams."
"Your own dreams involve becoming a Pokemon champion, do they not? I know quite a few people who won trophies at various Pokemon league tournaments, and a lot of them became Gym leaders shortly after that. Does the idea of being a Gym leader bother you?" Norman asked, turning to him slightly.
"No, not really. Two of my best friends are Gym leaders themselves after all, and I think it's great to have your own Gym," Ash said, "I'd rather be out in the world, traveling, and battling new trainers with Pokemon I've never seen before. When you're a Gym leader you're forced to stay in one place, you can't travel or see new Pokemon or anything."
"Yes, it can be tiring to stay at the Gym for a long period of time," Norman confessed.
"In fact, being a Gym leader can sometimes take you away from your friends. Reminds me of what happened to Misty," Ash said, quietly.
"Pikachu, chu," Pikachu sighed.
Norman turned around, noticing that Ash was pretty much in a trail of thought.
"Maybe that's why I don't want to become a Gym leader, I don't want to lose my friends," Ash concluded, "I don't want to be stuck in one place, not being able to travel with my friends and explore lands with new Pokemon."
"I see," Norman said, "May shares some of the same sentiments, I think her love of traveling is also what turned her off from the Gym leader life."
Ash looked up at Norman, hoping that he wasn't disappointed in him. "I hope you understand, Norman, it's not something I'd want to do for the rest of my life," Ash said.
"I understand, perhaps it was a bit silly of me to ask you this in the first place. I've gotta say though, it's nice to see someone so focused and determined about their own path in life, that they're able to turn down other roads without hesitation," Norman complimented, putting his hand on Ash's shoulder, "I respect you a great deal, Ash, I hope you never give up doing what you want to do."
"I won't," Ash smiled.
"One thing though, does the thought of Max taking my place someday bother you?" Norman asked.
"Hm? I'm…I'm not really sure. I'm mostly positive about the idea because Max is himself, and I want him to be happy with his choice. Max admires you a whole lot, and he seems to want to follow in your footsteps. I'd tell him to go for it without hesitation, but it seems a little odd to say that at the moment since he hasn't even become a trainer yet," Ash chortled.
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to the day the little rascal turns ten myself," Norman chuckled, "When he does become a trainer, I hope that you'll let him continue to travel with you. I can say this without a doubt, you've done more for my children than anyone ever could in regards to Pokemon, I'm within your debt for this reason alone."
"I didn't do that much, really!"
Norman grinned. "It's ok, you don't have to be modest. I want May and Max to continue to learn from you, and grow alongside you. Please continue to look after them."
"I…I will," Ash said, "Pikachu will too."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.
"Good, as I said, I already consider you to be part of the family. You know, it would be amusing if you actually became my future son-in-law someday," Norman said deviously, raising his eyebrows.
He was trying to figure out if there was anything going on between Ash and his daughter, it was something that crossed his mind quite a number of times in the past. He'd be able to tell just by Ash's body language and facial expression alone, since the question would imply something serious. Norman eagerly awaited his reply.
"Son-in-law?" Ash asked, bewildered, "What the heck is that? Is it something to eat?"
Norman smacked his forehead and rolled his eyes.
"I should have known better," Norman said, shaking his head.
~*~*~*
After a few minutes of walking through the house and trying to comprehend what Norman was implying, Ash came across May who was juggling small foam balls with Skitty.
"Yay, you still got it, Skitty!" May cheered, throwing another ball toward Skitty's tail.
"Nyaaa!" Skitty replied, playfully juggling the balls.
Skitty used its tail to bounce the three foam balls in the air, and was consistent in keeping them in place without the balls falling down. May clasped her hands as she was pleased that Skitty could still juggle three balls without fail.
"Its been a long time since you've juggled with Skitty," Ash said, walking next to May.
"Yeah," she replied, holding a fourth ball in her hand, "Even after all this time its spent with my parents, it still hasn't lost its touch. I was afraid it might forget how to juggle since I haven't practiced with it for a long time, but I can see that worry was put to rest."
"Skitty is awfully cute, why don't you let me try to throw it a ball?" Ash asked.
"Oh, sure," May said, handing the fourth ball to Ash.
Skitty continued to juggle the three balls with its tail as it noticed Ash with the fourth ball in his hand.
"Ash is going to throw the last ball to you, make sure you catch it!" May instructed.
"Ready, Skitty?" Ash asked, holding the ball up high.
"Nyaaaa!" Skitty taunted.
"Here goes!" Ash shouted, throwing the ball gently toward Skitty's tail.
Skitty used its tail to get the fourth ball under its control, and was able to successfully juggle it with the others. Skitty cheered as it was now juggling four balls for May and Ash.
"That's a new record! Maybe next time we'll try five balls!" May said.
"You don't want to overwhelm it though, juggling four balls is amazing as it is!" Ash said.
"I guess you're right," May smiled, as she kneeled down next to Skitty, "Ok, you can stop now, Skitty."
"Nyaaa nayaa," Skitty snickered, dropping all four balls to the ground. It then caught notice of its bushy pink tail, and playfully began to run in circles chasing its own tail. It ran so fast that it ended up getting dizzy in less than five seconds.
"Pikachu, pika," Pikachu sighed.
"Skitty, how many times do I have to tell you not to chase after your own tail?!" May scolded.
Skitty lie dazed on the floor, with circular patterns in its eyes. It was certainly out of it.
"Heh, it's still the same old Skitty. May, I guess it didn't need to be around you to still be a playful screwball," Ash mocked.
"Skitty was always kind of screwy, even before I caught it," May said. She turned toward Ash and clenched a fist. "Unless you were implying that I'm a screwball! You're trying to start something, Ash?"
"No, of course not!" Ash shook his head, snickering, "Well, maybe not entirely. I just like to see you get mad over such silly things, you're kind of cute when you're angry."
"You suck at sweet-talking, Ash," May giggled.
"Sweet-talking?" Ash asked, perplexed.
"Never mind," May said. She walked up to him and gave him a brief hug for being so amusing.
"You know, I talked to your father before and he said some pretty interesting things," Ash said.
"Like what?" May asked, brushing her head on his shoulder.
"He was talking about the Gym, and if Max will take it over in the future, and some other stuff like that," Ash said.
"Oh, that," May sighed, stepping away from him.
"He also said something about it being funny if I became his son-in-law, what the heck is that?" Ash asked.
"Wuh?" May turned in disbelief, "He really said that?"
"I…think so," Ash said.
May shook her head, she was flabbergasted. "I think Dad needs to remember how old we are…I can't believe he figured it out though."
"Figured out what?" Ash asked.
May smiled, after all this time, she never said those three magic words. There was never the right opportunity, but now seemed as good as ever.
"That I love you! What else?" May grinned.