Chapter 43
The mood in the Petalburg Gym was somber, yet filled with a renewed sense of hope. May curled herself up on an armchair, with a blanket covering her body and a cup of hot coffee in her hands. She sipped from her cup slowly, trying to absorb all the new information given to her by the person who intervened during her struggle with Ross in the alley, Tana.
She was still terribly shaken up by the revelation that horrible things were happening to her mother, it was a disturbing and heartbreaking thought for the young girl. She was frustrated and repulsed, so much so that she immediately wanted to storm out of her house again after Tana revealed some new information about Ross. She couldn't let her mother rot away in some hole as she was being abused and tortured, and she was over-anxious to rush out onto the street to find Ross again and bring him to justice. After being physically restrained and told to calm down by her father, Norman, May managed to subdue her fear and anxiety for her mothers safety, and rest up a bit before rushing into action without a plan.
Her hands trembled as some coffee spilled out of her cup and stained her white skirt, but she didn't care. For all she knew, her mother could be enduring some unimaginable pain while she was sitting on a chair doing nothing. She tried to push the disturbing images out of her head, for it would allow her to think clearly and not feel hopeless. She struggled with her psychological turmoil, no matter how this situation would be resolved, the horrifying tragedy would forever be burned into her mind, and would stick with her for the rest of her life. Whatever the case, she knew she had to rescue her mother as soon as possible, but her father and the others didn't see eye to eye.
"You could have been hurt! Why did you confront that man in the alley?!"
That was what her father scolded her with. She had always loved her father, but instead of being proud of his daughter for nearly bringing down the man that kidnapped his wife, he instead decided to scold her, perhaps out of the fear that he would lose his daughter, in addition to his wife. Norman was already suffering an emotional heartache over the abduction of his wife, and he was fearful that his only daughter could have fallen victim to the same man. May understood his reaction, fair enough, she did put herself into physical danger. Yet at the same time, she was as frustrated as ever with him for not working toward rescuing Caroline as efficiently as possible.
There was also her younger brother, Max, who was awake and in the living room when May was transported back to her house with Tana and Gardevoir. The first thing May's eyes connected with were her little brother's sad and innocent face, and she immediately rushed over and hugged him in her arms. She almost didn't let him go, for she knew as painful as she felt about losing her mother, Max was in a state of shock. As she was cradling her brother in her arms, Tana explained everything to Ash and Norman.
"I've been using Gardevoir to try and track down Ross for about a week," Tana said, "Being a psychic Pokemon, she can sometimes sense a certain person after being in close vicinity of them. After searching on the mainland where Jamie and I were staying, Gardevoir's search led us to Petalburg City. I…was rushing down the street disguised so I wouldn't be recognized, when I accidentally bumped into May. I immediately recognized her, but realized it would be best to confront Ross myself rather than put her in danger, so I pretended not to know her. A little while after that, Gardevoir was finally able to lock on to Ross' location, where we found May battling him with Combusken in an alley."
"I can't believe she would do something so stupid like that," Norman said, angrily, "May, you should know better!"
May frowned and continued holding her brother as her father scolded her.
"I think it's perfectly reasonable!" Ash retorted, "She wants her mother safe and sound more than anything…I…I know I would do the same thing if my Mom was ever missing."
Ash defended her, as usual. May smiled, he was always on her side no matter what the situation, and she appreciated it.
"She nearly took the man down, your daughter is truly a courageous girl, Norman," Tana said, "I would expect no less from the daughter of a Gym leader."
"My Combusken," May uttered, faintly.
She held its Pokeball in her right hand while her left still held her brother close, Gardevoir quickly took it out of her hands. Combusken materialized on the floor, still flinching from being hurt by the taser. Gardevoir knew immediately how to heal the Pokemon, as it had been trained in the medical field for several years by Professor Latrommi and Nurse Joy. Having a ton of experience at a number of Pokemon Centers, the Pokemon quickly pressed its hands against Combusken's chest as it used its "Recover" technique. Gardevoir and Combusken glowed in a bright blue aura as the healing technique was being administered.
May watched timidly with a confused Max by her side, as her starter Pokemon was being relieved of its disorientation.
"It's going to take a while for Gardevoir to be finished, just so you know," Tana said.
"Thank you," May replied, it was all she wanted to say.
"Why do you have Gardevoir in the first place?" Ash asked, impulsively, "It's Professor Latrommi's Pokemon, why did he give it to you?"
"Because I needed help, and the Professor was the only person I could turn to," Tana said, frowning, "Since you and May had started traveling again, Professor Latrommi was the only other person I was familiar with that I could go to for help. I knew all about him thanks to Brock telling me on the beach, especially after that weird walking Premium Ball fiasco that stole your money, plus I went to visit you guys at the lab before you set off again, remember? I didn't even ask for Gardevoir, but once I told my problem to him, he immediately insisted that I use one of his most trusted Pokemon, and called for it to be transported over to his lab so he could give it to me. He really trusts me with Gardevoir it seems, which is strange, because I'm almost like a total stranger to him. I guess when I told him about Brock, Latrommi immediately sprang into action because he cared so much about him and the rest of you, since he considers you guys to be his friends."
"You never did explain why Brock isn't with you. Is he with Jamie or something?" Ash asked.
"It's…a long story," Tana sighed as she sat down on the couch, "A really long story."
"I don't know, from what you say, the Professor seems to be extremely worried about Brock as if something bad happened to him. This isn't all connected to Ross, is it?" Ash asked.
"It must be," Norman said, "Why else would she be trying to track down the same man who kidnapped my wife?"
"Mom," May muttered as her eyes scanned over Combusken's body.
"I'm right about this, aren't I?" Norman asked, turning to Tana. "You said you were searching for Ross with Gardevoir, that must mean that Brock is related to this incident as well. Ross is a real low class scumbag, but he's not a well known person or anything of the sort. How did you come across this man?"
Tana's face began to broaden, as she sat up astute in her seat. What she had to tell them wasn't easy, but she knew it had to be done.
"I'll try to make this as simple as possible," Tana said, carefully, "Jamie, my friend, and Ross know one another. They're…good friends."
May's eyes twitched.
"Damn, well, how do I put it?" Tana pondered, "Jamie and I…kind of duped Brock into thinking we liked him."
"What?" May gasped, turning around quickly.
Tana slouched in her seat, she began to look uneasy.
"When we met Brock on the beach, it was right after Jamie had broken up with her ex-boyfriend…and she wanted someone with a little more dignity. Brock seemed like a nice candidate, but when he revealed to us that he used to be the Pewter Gym leader, that's when Jamie and I realized he was a perfect match. So…we kind of threw ourselves all over him," Tana said, reluctantly.
May suddenly stood up and faced Tana.
"What does that have to do with Ross?" May snapped, holding Max by her side.
Tana took a deep breath as the worried siblings clung to one another, waiting for her to finish her story.
"You see, a Gym leader is a very important person. They're officially licensed by the Pokemon league to give out badges to winning trainers. They get paid a healthy salary. They end up being famous in their hometown and even the whole region. Gym leader's seem to lead such great lifestyles, however, there are also a bunch of people who are envious of Gym leaders, and well, want to take their position," Tana said, "When Brock told us he was a Gym leader, Jamie and I agreed that he was the one to introduce to her ex-boyfriend."
"Which is…" Norman realized.
"Yes, he's the man who kidnapped your wife, Ross," Tana said.
"So then what happened?" May yelled emotionally, "You let Jamie take Brock to Ross, and now he's gone too?"
"May, calm down!" Norman shouted.
"And you lied the whole time when you said you really liked Brock?" May continued to yell, pushing her brother aside, "What kind of person are you, Tana? I thought you were our friend, I thought you and Jamie really liked Brock. I…thought that Brock was finally going to be happy."
"May, please," Tana said, rubbing her right eye.
May continued to argue with Tana, so much so that Gardevoir was beginning to lose its concentration with healing Combusken. The Psychic Pokemon raised its head and stated that the noise was bothering it during the healing process.
Ash and Max quickly ran over to May and tried to comfort her, they both put their hands on her shoulders and walked her backward to a seat on Norman's armchair.
"She lied to him, to us!" May cried.
"I know, but we need to hear the rest of her story," Ash said, "For your mother, May, for your mother."
May looked up at Ash and slowly turned her face away in disgust. She was frustrated that two people she trusted may have led Brock into the same dangerous situation that her mother was in. Was everything that happened down at Atona beach just a farce?
"Tana, please go on," Norman insisted, "I'd like to know everything about Ross and how I can get my wife back. My daughter can get very emotional, you have to understand that."
"Dad, sometimes I wonder if you really have no emotions AT ALL!" May retorted, "You're too calm for your own good."
"Sis, please," Max whimpered, "I want to see Mom again, let her talk."
"But, Max, after what she said about Brock?" May asked.
"Just let her talk, please," Max said, as a few tears ran down his cheek.
"Max," she said, softly.
Max climbed up on the armchair and squeezed himself next to his sister. Norman glanced at Ash, and he knew immediately to stand next to them. He knew how close Ash was with his family, and intended for Ash to stand near his children and comfort them if need be.
Gardevoir nodded as it continued to perform its technique now that the noise was gone, and the blue aura encompassed the patient completely. After a few seconds of total silence, Tana continued telling them what she knew.
"Yes, May, Brock is being held at Ross' place too," Tana said reluctantly.
"Disgusting," May responded.
"But this is why I want to make things right again. I know you probably won't believe me, but after spending all those days on the beach with Brock…I really did fall in love with him," Tana said, sighing, "Jamie didn't feel the same way, not so much anyway, as she was still willing to use Brock as a tool for Ross. Strange, she broke up with Ross because of his controlling and sadistic personality, but…she seems to want to make up with him. I…I guess by handing Brock over to him…it's her way of saying she's sorry."
"Go on," Norman said.
"She's such a fool," Tana said, shaking her head, "She's going to get herself back into trouble again. I wish I could do something to convince her to stay away from Ross, but she's too loyal to him. She…actually picked him over me, if that's any indication as to where her loyalties lie."
"So you mean Jamie is with Ross right now too?" Ash asked.
"Yeah, I believe so. This…this is why I came to Professor Latrommi and you guys. I…I want to save them all. I want to atone for what I did, I…I want to save my friend from going down the wrong path. You guys don't know Ross like I do, he's a man who enjoys inflicting cruelty and pain upon people, and is amused by the despair of others. I…don't want to see Jamie fall victim to that man twice. I want to save Brock before it's too late, I feel horrible for contributing to such a situation. And of course, I want to save your Mom."
"How did you know that Ross had my mother in the first place?" May asked, irritably.
"It's all over the news," Tana replied, "Once I started to search for Ross using Gardevoir and entered Petalburg City, I couldn't escape it. Caroline's kidnapping was all over the newspapers and the TV, and when Ross was identified as the kidnapper, I nearly gasped in shock. I already feared what reaction you guys would have to Brock being kidnapped…I…I didn't know what to think when it happened to your mother as well. The news really shocked me."
"Figures that those low-life reporters and TV stations would glorify the kidnapping of my wife all over the media," Norman grunted, "They're cowards, every one of them. And to think that being a Gym leader, the news will only continue to publicize this further for ratings. Truly disgusting, and those reporters are nothing but cowards."
May sighed as she recalled the reporters fleeing the alley when she asked them to help her with Ross. "You're right, Dad," she said.
"Pikachu, pika?" Pikachu asked, while resting on Ash's shoulder.
"You're right," Ash responded, "I don't get it, why does Ross need Brock anyway? If it's for the Gym badge thing, Ross can't use a Kanto badge to qualify for the Hoenn league. And besides, was Ross really that desperate for a last badge that he asked you and Jamie to bring him a Gym leader?"
"I don't think it is about needing a badge, Ash," Norman said, "He might be desperate to qualify for the Pokemon league, after all, he did assault my family when I banned him from my Gym, but this sounds more like jealousy as well. I'm guessing that he wants to become a Gym leader himself, so it would make him feel like he has some authority. Right now he's nothing but a nameless street punk, but as a Gym leader, he would be well respected and have real power."
"You're probably right," Tana said, "He's always had a thing for wanting power, I noticed it when Jamie was dating him. He always wanted to be in control and have some kind of dominance over people."
"But he's insane if he thinks that by kidnapping Brock that he could become a Gym leader!" Ash exclaimed, "What does he think, that somehow he can gain control of the Pewter Gym or something? That doesn't even make sense!"
"Would it need to make sense, for Ross though?" Norman countered, "He is not a healthy man, I imagine there is something wrong with him. In his twisted mind, he might believe that he can actually gain leadership of a Gym if he has a current Gym leader in his possession. If worst comes to worst, he might actually kill Brock and try to assume his identity."
"DAD!" May screamed.
"You can't say that Brock is going to die!" Max yelled, bursting into tears.
May quickly pulled her brother into her arms and let him wet her shirt with his tears again.
"Dad, you're always like that!" May exclaimed, "Brock is our close friend, you can't just say he'll be killed without a care in the world! I can't believe you sometimes!"
"May, I'm sorry. I was speaking rhetorically, I didn't mean to frighten you two," Norman said.
"You sure did a pretty good job at that," May scoffed, caressing a terrified Max in her arms.
"Great," Ash muttered.
Tana impatiently waved to get Ash's attention.
"I have to ask, Ash, will you help me?" Tana asked.
"Of course I will, I'm not going to let him get away with doing terrible things to Brock and their mother," Ash said, "In fact, I'll be willing to go with you as soon as Gardevoir finishes healing Combusken."
"Thanks, I'll need your help. I'm not sure what we might have to deal with when we arrive," Tana said.
"I'm going too," May said. She brushed her fingers through her brothers' hair as he looked up at her. "I'm getting my Mom back."
"May, it might be dangerous," Ash warned.
"Save your breath, Ash, you're not going to talk me out of it. You know that," May said.
Ash and Pikachu exchanged glances as they sighed. They knew trying to persuade her otherwise would be a lost cause at this point.
"May…thanks," Tana said, "If we come through this thing successful, I hope you can forgive me at some point."
"So we're going to use Gardevoir to try and track Ross down then, right? We might have a long search ahead of us, so we might as well think of a plan now before we get going," Ash said.
Norman stepped forward and towered over Ash.
"None of you are going anywhere," Norman said sternly.
"What?" Ash asked, surprised.
"Sorry, you and May are staying here. I'm not letting you two risk yourselves as you try to play the heroes in some rescue attempt. It is not going to happen," Norman said.
"Dad, you've got to be kidding me!" May yelled.
"QUIET!" Norman bellowed, "You're staying here before you end up getting yourselves killed."
May sunk down in her chair a bit when Norman raised his voice, he was always a little scary when he screamed.
"But…I needed their help," Tana said, meekly.
"You're getting mine," Norman said, turning to her, "I'm not going to let my daughter or her friend thrust themselves into a dangerous situation, they'll stay here with Max."
"Norman, I thought you said that I mean a lot to your family!" Ash retorted, "Why won't you let me help you rescue Caroline? It looks like you could use all the help you can get!"
"NO!" Norman shouted.
"Pika-pikachu," Pikachu sulked, lowering its ears.
"Forget it, Ash," May said angrily, "Dad wants to have things his way."
She got up from the armchair and forcefully brushed past her father as she walked toward Gardevoir and Combusken. The annoyed girl flicked her hair as she kneeled down in front of her recovering Pokemon.
Norman turned toward Max, who was still sitting on the armchair. "Go to your sister," Norman instructed.
Max nodded meekly, and scurried over to her. With all the commotion and the current crisis going on, he didn't want to do anything that might upset or challenge his father.
"So…that's it, you won't let us come?" Ash asked, irritably.
"No, and you know why," Norman said, placing his hands on Ash's shoulders. The Gym leader and the boy exchanged long, determined stares, their opposing points were being well implied. "I'll accompany Tana with my Slaking, and I'll promise to bring back my wife and Brock safely. This means as much to me as it does to you, and I'm sure you understand after all the talks we've been through."
"I…I don't know what to say. I respect you, Norman, but I think I have to side with your daughter on this one. We've been through some pretty dangerous situations before, and we always managed to pull through, I'm sure it is heartbreaking for May to not come along to save her Mom," Ash said.
"I know, and that's why I need you alive," Norman said sternly, placing his hands down harder on Ash's shoulders, "If…I don't make it back, I need someone to continue to look after my kids. May and Max are your family now as much as they are mine, I need the three of you to be safe."
May and Max overheard their fathers conversation, but sat silently on the floor as mixed feelings ran through their head.
"I won't permit any of you to get hurt under my watch, and if the worst case scenario happens and I don't return, I would appreciate it if I knew my children would be well taken care of," he said, "Please, Ash, stay here with them. I don't want to lose you or my children."
He stepped away from Ash and approached Tana, nodding at her as he showed her Slaking's Pokeball in his hand. The two talked privately together, as Ash and Pikachu watched from afar.
"Pikachu, what should I do?" Ash asked, uncertainly.
"Pikachu, pika, chuu," Pikachu shook its head, it didn't know what to think.
Brock's there too, Ash thought, as he walked over to the siblings and Gardevoir, Brock.
That's where the conversation went. Presently, May had calmed down and was sipping her hot cup of coffee. Ash was standing next to her with his arm leaning against the arm chair. Norman and Tana had went into another room in the Gym to discuss their plan, away from the kids so they wouldn't overhear what they were going to do.
Combusken made a full recovery, and was currently relaxing and eating Pokemon food out of its dish. It took the little chunks of brown food with its claws and slowly brought it to its mouth.
"Chew slowly, Combusken," May said passionately, "I want you to take it easy."
"Combusken," the Pokemon nodded, smiling at its trainer.
Max held Skitty in his hands, petting its soft pink fur as it watched Combusken eat its food to regain its strength.
"Combusken sure likes that food," Max said.
"It should, it was…Brock's recipe that he made specifically for Combusken," Ash said.
"Pikachu, cha," Pikachu sighed.
"Brock always did make good recipes for all our Pokemon, he was perfect with tailoring the flavor to their specific tastes," Max noted.
"Yeah," May said, lowering the coffee and placing it in her lap, "Brock's done so much for us and our Pokemon, such a great person doesn't deserve to have such a tragic ending."
"May," Ash motioned.
"But then again, neither did Mom," she sulked.
The room went silent, as the three kids watched Combusken eating its meal, annoyed and frustrated that Norman and Tana excluded them from saving their loved ones. It was hard to be left out of such an important situation, almost as painful as wondering what Caroline and Brock were enduring right now as well.
~**~*~
Ross paced the floors nervously, he had his hands behind his back as he walked from wall to wall in the small damp room. His eyes twitched as his feet stomped the pavement, he was enraged and frustrated that he was caught off guard by a Shadow Ball attack in the alley.
Caroline was in the room as well, the poor mother had one arm chained to the pillar to prevent her escape. She was sitting on a plain mattress on the floor, without any apparel covering her body, in her sorrow. The mattress she was sitting on was stained with blood, mostly her own.
Her body had bruises and various burnt marks, as well as some cracked skin that was desperately trying to heal after Ross toyed with her with his blades. Despite all the pain and abuse she had to endure, the strong woman made sure never to show a sign of weakness. She never cried, or moped, or begged him to stop. She maintained her strong vigor and promised herself that she would be reunited with her children. She couldn't show any weakness, not to Ross, she wouldn't allow him to have that satisfaction.
One thing she did regret however, was how stupid the idea was to let Sableye out of its Pokeball to help her get free. The Pokemon was awfully loyal to Ross, she should have known better. The only thing that managed to get her was Sableye's jagged teeth sinking into her skin painfully, causing her to scream. This alerted the woman in the room adjacent to her own, who immediately called Sableye off and smacked Caroline to the ground. She then removed the taser off of Ross' body and helped him recover. Despite striking the mother and helping Ross, the woman did hand the mother a towel to tie around her leg that Sableye sunk its teeth into. This contained the bleeding and stopped the wound from spreading, but they were already pretty deep cuts. Caroline wanted to cry, but she held in her tears as she sat against the pillar as the pain from her leg consumed her. She was in a moment of pure hopelessness, as her captive was recovering from her attack and Sableye stared at her maliciously. As much as the pain from her leg hurt, that was only a taste of what she had to endure when Ross decided to get his revenge for knocking him out.
At the present time, Ross was getting careless and frustrated. He failed when he tried to take down May, and apparently she had some strong friends willing to back her up. He was angrily pacing the floors as he tried to formulate a plan to get back at Norman's daughter. Being taken down by a 38 year old Gym leader was one thing, being taken down by his young teenage daughter was another. This frustrated him greatly, because he wanted to inflict as much emotional pain on Norman as possible. If he had managed to kidnap his daughter in addition to his wife, his sadistic pleasure of watching Norman in despair would be complete.
Caroline lifted her head up as she noticed Ross starting to punch holes through his walls. He didn't literally punch through the walls of course, but he did manage to leave some pretty big dents.
"What's the matter, did you get a parking ticket on your car today?" Caroline asked sarcastically.
"SHUT UP!" Ross retorted, turning toward her as she sat on the mattress, "Don't you dare mock me!"
"Never mind then, I just thought you looked emotionally distressed," Caroline said.
"Haha, you're a riot. That girl is coming for me, and I know it," Ross said, angrily, "She's going to try and track me down again."
"…May?" Caroline asked, meekly.
"No, not your stupid daughter. She wouldn't know how to find this place if she tried. I'm talking about the woman who most likely interfered back at the alley, Jamie's friend, that Tana girl," Ross said.
"Oh, you mean your sickening loyal girlfriend has a friend of her own who hates your guts?" Caroline laughed, "Well, that's amusing."
"If you don't shut up, I won't hesitate to use the larger blades this time," Ross warned.
"I'll be quiet, but you do know I have to eat, right?" Caroline asked, trying to keep him occupied, "I haven't eaten anything since last night, I'm starving."
"I think you've really cracked, why should I give a damn about you? I'll let you rot on that mattress for the next month if I have to," he said.
"If I end up collapsing, you'll have nothing to occupy your time with when you get bored," she said, "But I'm sure you have better things to do than torture a fully grown woman and do unmentionable things to her body, right? I mean hey, don't you have that Masters degree you're working on? I hear a therapist is a well paying job these days, you would be interested in a job that deals with the sadistic and insane."
Ross furiously marched over to Caroline and swiftly slapped her across her face. The woman fell to the mattress upon impact and slowly rubbed her left cheek which was pounding from the pain.
"I told you to shut up!" Ross yelled.
"Did I say something wrong?" Caroline snickered.
"You dumb bitch, maybe next time I'll just use my knife to cut off your tongue, let's see how you talk after that, huh?" Ross yelled.
Caroline turned away and kept silent.
"That's better." he smirked. He walked away from the mattress and back toward the table he was marching in front of. Tana was still on his mind, and he knew that unlike Norman's family, that girl was a real threat.
"I better find out a way to get rid of my problems," Ross said, pondering as he exited the room, leaving Caroline alone in her despair, once again.
~**~
The evening crept upon Norman's family quickly, as everyone in the house was anxious and unnerved about the upcoming do-or-die situation. Tana waited on the porch of the Petalburg Gym, while Norman stood in the open doorway to say goodbye to his family before he went off to rescue their loved ones.
Ash, Pikachu, May and Max stood side by side, hoping that when Norman and Tana returned, they would return with two extra people. The anxiety was getting to them, as May and Max became emotional while Norman bid them farewell.
"Ash, you already know what I expect you to do. Please, look after May and Max for me," Norman said.
"I…I will," Ash said, nodding, "I know you'll succeed too, and I'll be ready if you need me. Caroline and Brock will be home safely, I know it."
"Pikachu, pika, pika!" Pikachu cooed.
"You watch after them too, Pikachu," Norman said, smiling as he patted Pikachu's head.
"Chaaaaa," Pikachu cooed.
Norman turned to his daughter, who was trying to hold back her tears as she gazed upon her father. She held her arms behind her back as she sniffled emotionally.
"May, you know you've made me proud, if I don't return, I want you to continue living your life to its fullest," Norman said.
"Dad, I'm sorry," May whined, wiping her eyes, "I'm sorry for yelling at you before, and for all the arguing. I know you want me to be safe, but I can't help but feel I lashed out on you for no reason."
"Nah, you did have a reason." Norman winked at her. "You've been so strong throughout all of this, and so brave, you remind me of your mother when she was younger."
May walked forward and wrapped her arms around her father's torso, and rested her head against his chest. Norman rubbed her back compassionately as she sniveled.
"Don't die, Dad," May whispered, "I still need my parents around. I…I still want a loving mother and father, I want us all to be reunited shortly."
"We will, if there is any God in the universe, we will," Norman promised.
May moved apart from her father, she looked up at him in the eyes and nodded. She stepped back into the doorway as Norman approached his son, Max.
"Dad," Max said, quietly.
Norman kneeled down in front of his son so they could be face to face.
"Yes, Max?"
"Good luck," Max said while rubbing his right eye tearfully, "Bring Mom home…and Brock too."
Norman nodded as the two shared a hug similar to the hug with his daughter just moments before.
"We should get going," Tana called out, walking down toward the street.
Norman got up and took one last look at the children standing in the doorway. Throughout all the pain, they managed to put on optimistic demeanors as the trio waved while smiling. He knew for their sake, that he had to succeed. He couldn't let his family be ruined by such a tragic ending, he promised himself that he would restore his family to what it once was, no matter the costs.
He waved one last time to his family, and then walked off with Tana into the unknown. With only Gardevoir and Slaking in their arsenal, he knew they might be in for a tough fight. He felt his heart beating rapidly and the tension in his body rising, as he was thinking about what he might do to Ross when he finds him. This wasn't just a simple Gym battle with Pokemon anymore, this was a matter of life or death. Ross had crossed the line, and Norman wasn't sure if he would be able to restrain himself from physically beating the man to death for what he had done. It was a difficult decision, but Norman had to struggle with his conscience and what was right and wrong, as well as determine what Ross' ultimate fate would be.
~*~*~*~~*
"Want me to make you another sandwich, Max?" May asked.
She finished spreading some peanut butter over her bread, and placed it with the jelly to make some dinner. She took the knife out carefully and tossed it in the sink, while she glanced back at her brother to make sure he was alright.
"I'm ok," Max said, "One sandwich was enough for me."
Max lowered his head and rested it on his arms at the dinner table. The boy looked sleepy, yet there were too many things on his mind to relax.
"Pikachu, did you check where Skitty and Beautifly are?" Ash asked, sitting himself down at the table.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu nodded.
"They're probably sleeping in my Mom's bedroom, they love that place," May said, sitting down next to Ash at the table.
She took a deep breath before eating, staring down at her peanut butter and jelly sandwich which lie before her.
"I…don't know how we're going to sleep tonight," May said quietly.
"You'll be worrying about your Dad, I'm sure," Ash said, "Too bad they didn't even leave us a way to contact them before they set off, I guess they really did not want us tagging along."
"They'll…they'll be using Gardevoir to try and find Ross, that could take them all night," Max noted, "I'm pretty sure Gardevoir's psychic ability works like a radar or something, so they should know whether they're on the right trail or not. Hey, May?"
"Yeah?" May replied.
"Didn't Tana say that once Gardevoir came into close contact with a person, she'll be able to find him easier? How close did Gardevoir come into contact with Ross when you were back in the alley?" Max asked.
"Um, not sure, it all happened pretty fast," May said. She picked up her sandwich and took a small bite before continuing. "I…I only remember Gardevoir firing a Shadow Ball at Ross, but I don't think they actually touched one another. It's too bad, because yeah, Gardevoir would probably be able to find him easier if she did come into contact with him."
"Man, that's a bummer," Max sulked.
"Yeah, they could be spending hours just searching for Ross alone," Ash said, "And then when they actually find the place he's staying at, it'll probably take them longer to sneak their way in and find out where your mother and Brock is."
"They could be gone all night then, and even until early next morning. As I said, it's going to be hard going to sleep tonight knowing everything that's going on," May said as she sighed.
"There's nothing we could do then but wait," Ash sulked, "I'm not a waiting person, it's going to be hard for me too."
May continued eating her sandwich as Max picked his head up from his arms. He stretched out his arms and yawned.
"There is a good thing about Dad and Tana tracking Ross down at night," Max said, "He'd probably be sleeping by the time they find him, and they could launch a surprise attack. It is much easier to break into someone's house and take them by surprise at night than it is in the daytime."
"Jeez, Max, you sound like a burglar," May said, smirking.
"Heh, well it's true. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out," Max replied, smiling a bit.
May leaned forward and stared at her little brother positively.
"Th-thanks for making me smile, Max," she said, "We all need to be optimistic at a time like this."
"I know, sis, which is why we should occupy our time with something other than sitting at the dinner table together all night," Max mused.
Ash turned to May and put his hand on her shoulder. He wasn't sure whether it would be better to comfort her or leave her be, as it would be a long, troubling night while waiting for news about her parents. As awkward as it was, he just needed to know from May herself. She was the one who confronted Ross and had more experience with the man than he did, so he knew she would also have this extra angle of knowing the extent of Ross' cruelty. Frying her Combusken before her eyes and throwing knives just inches from her face had to take its toll.
"So, do you want to say anything?" Ash asked.
May smiled as she turned toward him, although she didn't know exactly what to say. She glanced at her brother across the table, who was watching them curiously. May and Ash shared a moment staring at each other, and Max continued to take notice.
"I want Max to sleep with us in our room tonight, Ash," May said, "It's not right to leave him all alone in his room at a time like this, I want my brother with us all in one place. I'll probably bring Skitty and Beautifly in with us as well, as I want everyone in this house to be together for the night. I…I don't want anyone else to go missing."
"Sure, I think all of us together would help relieve the tension…just a little bit," Ash said, smirking. "What do you think, Max?"
Max was peering off into space as he stared at them.
"Uh, Max?" May asked, "Did you hear what I said? You don't have to sleep by yourself tonight, I want to keep watch over you until our parents return."
Max snapped back into reality as he nodded nervously. "Yeah, ok, ok, I…would like some company as I sleep tonight. I'd be kinda worried by myself," Max said.
"That's exactly my point, I don't want you to worry. At least you know you have your sister and Ash to look after you," May said, smiling.
"Heh, I'm not sure if this is the right time for this," Max said, raising his glasses, "But…you two aren't going to be doing anything while I'm in the room, right?"
Ash looked at him confused. "What in the world do you mean by that?" Ash asked.
"You know, holding hands or any mushy stuff like that," Max said.
"Wha? Max are you insane? Where are you getting this from?" May asked, flustered.
She looked down and noticed that her pinky finger and Ash's were intertwined under the table for comfort, so she quickly moved her hand away. Was that what Max noticed?
"Max, it's ok, I still don't get what you mean, but Ash and I will be comfortable with you there, you know that," May said, her voice raising a tad.
"I hate to ask this question, but I must," Max said, eyeing his confused sister.
Ash and May looked at each other, they were still pretty confused as to what Max was getting at.
"Did…did you…" Max said, coughing into his shoulder, "EH, this is kind of embarrassing to even think about."
May noticed the blush appearing on Max's face, and finally figured out what he was going to say. She cleared her throat as she waited for it, it seemed like the cat was out of the bag.
"…did…did you and Ash kiss?" Max asked suddenly, trailing off at the last word.
"Pika?" Pikachu said, glancing up at May and Ash.
Ash raised his eyebrows as his face went red, it was a complete shock to hear Max even ask such a question. He quickly got up from the table and tried to hide his eyes under the brim of his hat.
May looked up at Ash as he nervously tried to hide his embarrassment. She too was astounded, not only because Max asked that question, but because he insinuated it as if he knew, as if it were common knowledge and he only wanted confirmation. The difference was that since he was her brother, May was more prepared for the question than Ash was, although that wasn't really saying much either.
"Y-you…I m-ean, who told you that?" May stammered.
"Nobody," Max gasped, "I just…want to know."
"M-ax, why w-ould you want to know such a thing? What made you think of that in the first place?" Ash asked, trying to clear his throat so the words would come out clearly.
"I'll tell you, but first I…kinda want to know. Did y-ou guys actually kiss?" Max asked, more direct this time.
May and Ash hesitated, neither one wanted to confirm it. They both knew what the other was feeling at the moment, a sense of complete shock and embarrassment. After all this time, May and Ash had kept their feelings and contact with each other a secret from Max and everyone else, it was almost unthinkable to finally let it out in the open. Could they really say that not only had they kissed once before, but they actually did it several times after that as well? That they actually have real romantic feelings for each other, and the dreaded "L" word was in fact, true? It was also May's little brother, the boy who traveled with them from almost day one. To actually tell him the truth would be something that required far more bravery than either Ash or May could muster at the moment.
Moments passed, and neither said a word.
"If…if you're not going to say anything, I guess you don't have to," Max said, "Your embarrassed reactions and your blushing already lets me know that it happened, as disturbing as it is to try and picture it."
"MAX!" May finally yelled.
"Your faces are a dead give-away!" Max retorted, "There's no way you two would blow up so much if I didn't strike a nerve!"
"OK, that's it, since you seem happy with your answer than that's as far as we'll go!" May said nervously, getting up from the table.
"So it really did happen, I guess everything was too obvious for it not to have then," Max said.
May turned around and pulled on her hair nervously, he apparently figured this out all on his own.
"H-how did you…how did you figure this out?" May asked, her voice cracking between words.
"Wasn't it obvious? You guys sure did a bad job at trying to hide it," Max said, "I noticed it when we were back on the beach. I mean c'mon, you and Ash running down to the water to practice surfing together every chance you had, even if you already practiced on the same course a dozen or so times before?"
"That was for the race!" Ash blurted out, "Why do you think we managed to come in 2nd? It was because of all the hard work we did while we practiced!"
"Yeah and? I could see the way you two were acting together on the surfboard, you really did like to hold each other around, despite denying it!" Max exclaimed, "Not only that, but c'mon! My sister sleeping with you as an infant in her arms? The amount of time she spent by your side in the Pokemon Center when you hurt your head? Mysteriously walking out of the same bathroom together? You going out of your way to spend so much money on the Skitty/Torchic bikini just to make May happy? My sister saying you have a nice butt? Going out for nightly walks on Atona's boardwalk by yourselves? Spending time relaxing together outside of Latrommi's lab when you should have been working to pay off our debt? Making sure you sleep in the same bedroom together when we got home in Petalburg? My sister buying you the new hat with the Pikachu silhouette, and discarding your old hat from your Mom as if it was nothing compared to the one my sister bought you? The increased amount of time you two spend in physical contact now and being comfortable with one another? I just caught you two holding pinky fingers together under the table for goodness sakes! I could go on and on, but its just become so noticeable! Even Mom thought you two were being much more comfortable and flirty with each other than she remembered you being! Mom even thought you two slept in the same sleeping bag together last night, but I assured her you guys wouldn't do anything like that!"
Ash and May gulped. Pikachu was speechless.
"Did you guys think I was stupid or something, like I wouldn't figure it out?" Max asked, "I kind of wondered after all this time if you kissed each other, and judging how you reacted just before, I'm gonna say it's true."
May chortled as she shook her head and hid her face in her hand. "Gee, you're one smart little brother," she said, "I…I don't know how you pieced all of that together…you're so observant!"
"May!" Ash gasped.
"I – I don't know what I could say now," she responded, "My brother…knows we like each other."
"Yeah…but…"
"Pika, pika? Pikachu?" Pikachu asked, looking up at a startled Ash.
May knew Ash was far more uneasy about this than she was. It was somewhat odd, since Max was her brother and not his, thus it would probably be more embarrassing for her, but this was not the case.
"Hey, Ash, did you really like kissing my sister?" Max asked, grinning. "She looks pretty icky to me, I can barely tolerate it when she kisses me on my head! Kissing her on the lips has got to be far worse, it's pretty gross."
"W-hat? Stop asking me such things!" Ash said, flustered.
"Max, what did we say about keeping your mouth shut before you get into trouble?" May asked, agitated, "Remember, Mom and Dad aren't here, that means you're going to have to answer to us."
"Sure, I'm just curious as to what Ash thinks about it," Max said nonchalantly.
"I'm not going to say anything about that!" Ash shouted, "Pikachu, c'mon, lets go do some training on the Gym battlefield…like NOW!"
"Pikachu, pika!" Pikachu agreed.
Ash quickly ran out of the room as Pikachu darted after him. The boy almost knocked over a chair on his way out, Pikachu chortled while following behind him.
As the room was quiet with only brother and sister occupying it, May finally found herself calm enough to ask Max another question.
"Mom and Dad, did you tell them any of this?" May asked.
"Hm, um, not really. Not all of it anyway, besides saying all the general stuff we did between first meeting Professor Latrommi and now," Max said, "I…I think Mom knows you have a thing for Ash though, at least from what I can tell."
May giggled and shook her head.
"Guess it was a silly thing to try to keep this hidden after all, it must have been pretty obvious," May said, amused of it all.
"I have to ask though, you two aren't going to be smooching all the time now, right? I don't think I can stomach watching that everyday," Max sulked.
"What? NO! I mean, well, probably not often…or…uh…not in front of YOU anyway!" May said, embarrassed.
She put her arms behind her head and smiled dubiously.
"That's good news, I can barely stomach the thought myself, I hope I never have to actually SEE it," Max said, winking.
"Eheh, so I see, Max. You don't have to repeat yourself like a brat," May said, "I will say though, things…um will be different between me and Ash now, so it'll probably take time adjusting to. I'm, I'm not sure if it'll be noticeable or not, but…we…may end up showing affection for each other a lot more often."
"Really?" Max asked, somewhat displeased.
"Don't worry, Max, I'm not going to go overboard," May teased, fidgeting with her hands, "I…I do consider Ash to be…"
"Yeah?"
May blushed and turned around, walking with her arms still behind her head.
"…I do consider him as my…boyfriend now. Um…really."
Max rolled his eyes.
"And…I'm…his girlfriend," May said, chuckling, "Heh, it feels so odd to say that. Considering he's my first…boyfriend ever, it's quite a lot to take in. At…at least I've known him for so long beforehand, so we know each other's personalities inside and out. I...just want to make the best of things, for the both of us."
"Um, ok," Max replied, unsure of what to say.
"We'll all travel together, Max, you too, just like we always do. Nothing has changed between you and Ash, he's still your best friend and someone to look up to. Please don't forget that," she said.
"I know, Ash is my role model next to Dad, but still, its weird now," Max said.
"You'll have time to get used to it, we all will," May said. She changed her tone a bit as she looked more solemn. "Right now though, we should be praying for Mom and Dad. They need to make it home safely, along with Tana and Brock. They're who we should be putting our hope and thoughts into at the moment."
May motioned for Max to follow her, and the two walked side by side out of the kitchen.
"Its been a couple of hours, how do you think Dad and Tana are doing?" Max asked.
"I don't know," May sighed, "But…look on the bright side, Max. For all we know, Dad and Tana could have rescued Mom and Brock by now, and are heading their way home as we speak!"
"You really think so? That this whole nightmare could be over with already?" Max asked, eagerly.
May hesitated, it was a nightmare.
"I…I hope Mom is ok when we see her again, I hope Ross didn't do anything really bad to her," Max said timidly.
May hesitated again, her brother didn't know the full extent as to what was happening to Caroline as she did. Ross told her that he raped her, and this was something she couldn't let her brother know, ever. This was not even something she could fully comprehend herself, and she was regretful that those awful lines that Ross said were refreshed in her memory.
Max noticed she was silent.
"May?" Max asked.
May shook her head, she had to remain optimistic. She couldn't dwell on the thought any longer, and tried to push it out of her head.
"We – we have some time to kill now, um…want to watch Ash train with Pikachu?" May asked, quietly.
"Won't that be embarrassing? I mean, do you think Ash is still embarrassed?" Max asked.
She cracked a smile, thinking about Ash at the moment was far more alluring than anything else. Most of all, it made her feel happy, and that's what she needed to feel the most.
"Heehee, I'm pretty sure he still is. That's why I want to see if he suddenly has a heart attack or something when he sees the two of us walk onto the Gym battlefield," May said, snickering.
"Want to sneak up on him from behind, then? We can both scare him out of his mind!" Max suggested eagerly.
She laughed. Yes, family was what was most important. Family and loved ones, it's what made her happy. It was what made both of them happy.
"I like that idea, maybe we can jumpstart Ash out of his nervousness!" she squealed.
"You don't mind me scaring your boooooyfriend?" Max teased.
"Max, you start talking like that and making jokes and I will so slap you across your face without hesitation," May said angrily.
"OK, OK! I'm sorry! I won't make any boyfriend jokes!" Max gasped.
"Better not, you know I'll never be in the mood for that crap," May said, "Now c'mon, let's go startle Ash!"
"OK!" Max nodded.
The two siblings ran off together to give an unsuspecting Ash a huge surprise. They were all still children after all, and they needed to maintain their innocence and playful characteristics rather than get involved in horrifying adult affairs. May had faith in her father, and with a little bit of luck, she hoped to have her complete family back together soon.
And so as time passed at the Petalburg Gym, she waited for her family to return.
And she waited. And she waited…
…but for how long?