Disclaimer: If I owned May... I'd destroy her.

Note: So how did you like my little May/Ash hook-up in the last chapter? Thought that would surprise you guys. Hahaha but yeah don't worry, everything will turn out well...or will it? I guess you'll just have to keep reading. Well on to chapter 7! Will Ash and May hit it off?! What will everyone think?! And what about Misty?!

Thought
"Speaking"
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(Little notes by me!)
A Forgotten Face

Ch. 8 A New Found Love

The city of Cerulean could be seen above the horizon. Beautiful trees and other plant life dotted the hills, quaint houses lined the streets, sparkling bays glistened in the morning sun, and a huge gym with a massive Dewgong was getting closer by the minute.

"We're home..."

Misty Waterflower stood atop a hill looking down on her hometown. It's so good to be back, now I can live my life without any problems

But you miss him, don't you? She looked down at the velveteen box in her hands and closed her eyes.

People can be forgotten. She concluded.

Would you like to be forgotten?

Misty sighed; she couldn't fight off this internal battle. No… I wouldn't.

Then go back...he'll understand.

Bu- But- I just want him to be happy, he's with May now...

That doesn't mean he's happy.

Misty thought to herself as she stood there. Staring off into the distance, her train of thought wandering around the question if Ash was really happy.

Finally she decided, 'It's too late...I'm never going to see him again…'

The girl and her Togetic made their way through Cerulean City when at last they reached the Cerulean Gym, her home.

I wonder if my sisters are finally back… thought Misty with a laugh.

She opened the gym doors and walked in. Everything was just as it was when she had left which was about 6 days ago. She had been gone almost a whole week. Misty let her Pokemon out and checked on the remaining ones. Everyone was doing fine it seemed, but her sisters still were not home. They had been gone for a month! After the cruise they went to the Orange Islands for another vacation.

(Flashback to when Misty's sisters left)

"Like, come on now little sister, you're back and like, old enough to take care of the gym!" Lily said.

"Yeah sis, Lily's right. You're not traveling with that Ash anymore and we like, totally need a vacation!" said Daisy.

"So, we figured it wouldn't be bad if you took care of it again! Like when we went on that cruise... you seemed to be totally fine with taking care of yourself!" Violet said.

"But I don't want to take care of the gym! You guys are the attractions here! I can't do water shows all by myself!"

"So what!? Just defend the Cascade Badge! That's all there is to it," said Daisy as she flipped her hair.

"But but - " started Misty.

"No 'buts' little sister. We deserve a vacation after taking care of the gym for 4 years," scolded Violet.

"Okay, well we're going to be in the Orange Islands for about 2 weeks. Don't worry! You did fine the last time, you'll like do fine again!" called Lily as all three sisters headed out the door.

"Like bye Misty!" shouted all three in unison.

And with that they left...again.

(End Flashback)

She was alone again. Misty never liked being alone. But the Pokemon were there to keep her company… but she would have to go through the same old boring routines. Get up, feed the Pokemon, make sure the gym was okay, battle the stupid trainers, and go to sleep to wake up the next day to the same thing.

Where's Team Rocket when you need them!?

Misty was in for a long, boring week. She checked the messages and found that they were all from her sisters wondering where she was. I thought I had told them… Misty went to her room to lie down. She had been walking for quite some time and was tired.

She entered her room and lied down on her soft bed. How she had missed her bed. She looked over to her dresser and was suddenly saddened. It was a picture of her and Ash. She had her arm around his shoulder and was giving her famous wink and smile. Ash had his Pokemon League hat on and his fingers in a V-shape, the 'Victory' sign. Both were looking very happy.

Misty immediately slammed the picture down on its face. She thought about Ash's happiness again and cried. She knew she would never get over him. He had always been there for her, to make her laugh, to cheer her up, to encourage her, to protect her...

Maybe it was better that she was home. Her sisters wouldn't make her feel any better. But then again, they had all gone through relationships and have known about how she liked Ash. This was all too much. She was tired, aching, and depressed. After hours of crying, she finally drifted off to sleep...

Dreaming about Ash...

Ash awoke later than usual. It was already 11 o' clock! He had slept in way to late. Ash got up, stretched, did his daily routines, and got dressed. Brock and Pikachu were out of the room. Must be having breakfast already.

He left the room and May greeted his eyes.

May…

She glanced at Ash and blushed the slightest bit. He was glad to see that he could make her act that way.

He took a seat next to May. Brock was already cooking and it would be ready in a couple of minutes. Max was still asleep; he had a long night and was only eleven. Pikachu was gulping down a bottle of ketchup as usual. It was a beautiful day. This was going to be their last day in the hotel. They planned to eat a good breakfast, checkout, and make their way home.

"So you're finally up Ash." Brock had noticed who he sat next to. If this is what you want Ash, I'll stand by. But I hope he knows he's making a mistake.

"Yeah - " Ash yawned, "I guess I just stayed up later than usual last night."

"Oh so how did you like the fair?"

Both May and Ash blushed. Brock knew, he had seen it all; he just wanted to see the reaction.

"I-It was fun," stammered Ash.

"What about you, May?"

"O-oh...it was great."

"I had some of the worst food there, I'm glad I can cook decently. What did you guys eat?"

"Uh, just cotton candy I think."

"How was it?"

May peered over to Ash and grinned wickedly. "Delicious."

Ash turned crimson. May had given him the most seductive look ever when she had said that. He could feel himself get hot and start to tingle. Stop it… not here, not now. Thinking about May like that was too much! He had just hoped no one was watching him.

But Brock had noticed. He sighed but paid no attention to it. He couldn't really make fun of him for it... he was Brock! The lady killer! If he did he would be a complete hypocrite. He went back to making breakfast. They had a long day ahead of them.

"Alright breakfast is ready dig in! I'm going to wake up Max, he can't sleep all day."

As May and Ash stuffed their faces, Brock was waking Max up. Luckily it wasn't too much trouble. Max always woke up pretty easily and was never too grumpy about it. The party sat down and ate;Ash and May were on seconds. By the time they were done with their great breakfast they started to pack their bags. Max was ready in no time flat seeing that he had the littlest to pack, Brock didn't take too long, Ash came and third, and of course May took the longest (you know it's true ladies). She had to fold all her clothing perfectly, pack it neatly, and made sure she had everything. While she was looking around the room she noticed something was left behind. Something that didn't belong to her...

It was a small picture, probably for a wallet. It showed Misty and Ash. They were sitting underneath a starry sky in a field. Ash's arm was around Misty's waist and Misty's head was rested upon Ash's shoulder. They're backs faced the viewer. They looked like they were in love.

Hmm…So they did like each other. Well Misty had her chance. But I think I'll keep this just in case she pops up again. She slipped the photograph into her pack, it would be safe there. Finally, after about 45 minutes, she was done.

"Okay I'm ready!" called May.

"About time! Come on May let's go!" Brock started lugging his bags out into the hallway.

The whole group did a final check of the suite to make sure they had everything, plus they wanted the shampoo, conditioner, and other things that were given to them by the hotel. When everything was secure they made their way down to the lobby for checkout. By now it was noon.

"Hi, may I help you?" asked the woman behind the desk.

"You can help me by coming along! Such beauty should not be wasted sitting behind a counter all day!" By now Brock was drooling over the woman. He was expecting his ear to be pulled any second, but it never happened. 'Oh...yeah,' he thought glumly, 'Misty's not here…'

"Sorry, Brock move!" May butted in. "Yeah, we want to checkout."

"Okay, I'll need your room number."

As all the information was given out and the room was paid for the gang exited the hotel and got on the main road. It was finally time for them to go home.

"Max, do you know which way to Pedalburg from here?" asked Brock.

"Hold on, let me check the PokeNav." Little beeps were made as Max punched in the coordinates. Finally a result came up. "Yep! We're not too far from home, but it will take maybe two days to get there."

"Alright well let's get going!"

The group was making their way back to Pedalburg to take May and Max home. After they would drop them off, Brock and Ash would travel back to the mainland and then from there head their separate ways: One to Pallet Town and the other to Pewter City.

They had been traveling for quite some time so the group was getting tired. It was about 5:30 already. Brock figured dinner was a good idea and then they would make camp.

"Well, we're all getting tired. How 'bout I make some dinner, then we camp here for tonight. We can get to Pedalburg by noon tomorrow."

"Yeah the PokeNav says we're only 30 miles away."

"So what's going to be for dinner?" May was starving, she barely had eaten at lunch and her hunger was getting worse by the minute.

"How about a nice sub? I don't have anymore stew mix with me. So we can either have sandwiches or... dirt."

"Uh, sandwiches will be fine," laughed May.

"How long will it take?" Ash was also very hungry.

"You make them yourself. I'm not making your sandwiches for you." Brock mumbled something about being lazy.

Ash, May, Max, Brock, and Pikachu all made their own subs and stuffed their faces full. The smell of mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, various meats, and other fresh veggies filled the camp. Their dinner was better than expected. All of them started to unpack their sleeping bags and set up camp. It was already getting dark.

"Um, Brock... is there like a pond or a river near by or something?" May really wanted to get cleaned up. Maybe a nice bath would do. She was really sweaty from the long trek. She didn't want to smell bad in front of the guys, especially Ash.

"Yeah," started Brock as he finished a bite of his sub. "Probably, why?"

"Oh I just wanted to take a quick soak. I'm all gross."

"Oh yeah sure, it's around here somewhere." Brock was a little too busy with his dinner.

"Well that doesn't really help me. Whatever I'll just use Beautifly to help me find it. I'll be back in a couple minutes."

"Yep."

May summoned her Pokemon. In a blaze of white a butterfly appeared before her.

"Beeeeeeauuu!"

"Hey Beautifly! Do you think you can find like a river or a pond nearby?"

"Fly!"

Beautifly took to the sky. Sparkles fell from its wings as they beat. The colors on its wings glistened in the moonlight. No wonder it was called Beautifly. After about two minutes in the air, Beautifly came back. May followed her butterfly Pokemon when they reached a small pond. May undressed, and got into the pond for a quick bath. She recalled her Pokemon as she stepped into the cool water. May floated atop the water and just soaked. It felt nice. She gazed up into the illuminated, starry sky. Suddenly, she heard a rustling in the bushes. She quickly went underwater, and came back up to check her surroundings. Odd… nothing's there. But May was still suspicious. She quickly got out of the water, put her clothing back on, and started to walk back to camp.

Shortly after May had left to take her bath, Ash had to go to the bathroom.

"Just go in the woods man..." Brock sure was helpful tonight.

Ash then remembered that May had gone to take a bath. This could be interesting. After he went to the bathroom he let out his Swaillow.

"Can you go up and see if you can find May?" he felt a bit perverted doing this, but his male ways got the best of him.

"Swaill!"

Swaillow took off to the night sky. After about a minute of searching he called to Ash to follow him. They traveled only a short distance before they came to a clearing. In front of them was a small pond. And someone was in it.

"Thanks Swaillow...you can go back in your ball now." He didn't want Swaillow to know what he was about to do... birds were always intelligent.

Ash watched as May undressed. She's got a good body… He could feel himself get hot and sweaty. He realized that he would have to take a cold dip later, his pants somehow felt like they had gotten tighter… He watched as she got in the pond and floated on top of the surface. She's beautiful. I should have given her the necklace…at least it would have been appreciated. He was so lost in his own thoughts about May that he tripped on a twig and fell into some nearby bushes. Crap!

May was startled and looked around. Ash thought it would be best for him to leave now before she found out what he had been doing. He slowly and quietly got up and left. He had to get there before May or she would suspect something. Ash got back to camp quickly enough. He was panting and his face was red.

Calm down… if she sees you like this, she'll know! That or Brock or Max, even Pikachu would know.

He bent over breathing hard, trying to catch his breath before someone had noticed his arrival. As he stood there he thought of what he had just done. I just saw May completely naked… but why the hell did I sometimes see Misty in her place…?

Christ I hate talking to myself…

"What's wrong Ash?" asked Brock stepping out of his tent.

"Wha- Oh..." huff, "I was being chased by a, uhh, a Beedrill, yeah that's it."

"Ash, Beedrill don't live in the Hoenn Region."

"Oh, then I guess I found a new Pokemon!"

"Right..."

"I think I'm going to go to sleep now. I'm really tired," tried Ash as he clumsily made his way back to his sleeping bag. He quickly dressed into his nightwear. It was a hot night so he was only in his boxers. He climbed into his sleeping bag near the fire and drifted into sleep.

May had come back to camp quickly after she thought she was being watched. She saw that Brock had started a fire, Max and Pikachu were asleep, and Ash... he was so cute! Curled up in his blue sleeping bag, his black hair fallen across his face, and the light of the fire making shadows dance across his face. She wanted to be in the sleeping bag with him right now.

"So how was your bath?" Brock was the only up.

"It was fine. But I think someone was watching me… I heard rustling in the bushes."

"It could have just been a Pokemon."

"Yeah I know, but it had to have been pretty big to make such a commotion," said May sitting down besides Brock.

Brock sat there silent. Now he knew why Ash was so flustered. Little perv…Brock looked over to the sleeping Ash. He's pretty good at pretending to sleep. But I better stay up and make sure he doesn't try anything else.

As it got later into the night, Brock started to get tired. No…have to stay awake…make sure Ash doesn't do anything stupid… But his eyes said otherwise. They got heavier by the second and he was having trouble keeping them open. May can defend herself… Brock crawled back to his tent. He was already snoring and mumbling nonsense about women in his peaceful slumber.

May stayed up. She just thought about things, mostly about Ash. She pulled out the picture she had found earlier that day. I wish that was me in the picture. May was startled. Ash had stirred. His eyes slowly fluttered open.

He yawned and then turned towards May. "What do you have there May?" Ash was still yawning.

"Oh! Nothing! Just a picture."

"Can I see it?" inquired Ash as he crawled beside her.

"No! It's personal," she scolded as she quickly pressed it against her chest, arms crossed over it.

"Oh I understand," Ash backed off.

"Yeah..."

"Well can you at least tell me what it's a picture of?"

"Um well...it's a picture of a good friend of mine and me."

"Who's the friend?"

"Oh you wouldn't know him I don't think."

"So then you can tell me right?"

Crap… "Uh yeah!" May laughed nervously, "Why wouldn't I be able to? Ehehehe..."

"So...what's his name?"

"Um… Al!"

"Al?" Ash made a funny face.

"Yeah that's right? Is there a problem with that name?"

"Not at all!" Ash started to wave his hands in front of him with a stupid smile on his face.

"Yeah... he's really nice." May looked into the fire, still clutching the photograph in her arms.

"Oh..."

"Ash, that's not what I meant."

"I-I know."

"I only like him as a friend. You're much more."

With that, May leaned in and gave Ash a kiss. She slowly broke the kiss pulling away with a smile on her face. The two sat their, gazing into the fire together in silence.

"So..." May had broken the silence, "What did you guys do while I was gone?"

"Oh! Uh, I just went for a walk." Ash's eyes snapped out of their daze from the fire.

"Did you see anything interesting?" asked May.

"Oh you could say that," Ash smiled faintly, his eyes never left the fire's jumping sparks and crackling embers.

"Was it cool?"

"Far beyond..."

The two stayed up and talked for a while. May never did catch on to the fact that it was Ash that was watching her. They started to get tired and finally sleep came over them both. Tomorrow they would journey back to Pedalburg and take May and Max home.

Ash never really did get to sleep that night. He stayed up thinking about tomorrow.

May's going home… How the hell do you lose two girls in one week? I can't lose May just now, she's just…

Perfect?

Ash sighed, staring up at the sky. He thought he saw a shooting star.

Didn't you say the same about Misty? I thought you loved Misty. Ash hated it when his conscious came into play. He talked to himself on rare occasions, but tonight called for it.

I thought I did too…

Don't lie to yourself, Ash.

Fine, yes. I did love her at one point in time. But now she's nothing but a memory… and a bad one. Ash watched a Crobat flutter overhead, swooping down on some prey.

I hate it when you're a hypocrite. You were thinking about Misty the entire time you were watching May.

Ash rolled over and buried his face into his pillow. Shut up.

He turned back over, eyes wandering over the campsite. He watched May sleeping in her sleeping bag. Her hair had fallen in front of her eyes obscuring her face. She was still holding her picture.

No, don't. She said she didn't want me to look, so I won't. I'm not gonna trespass on her privacy.

Says the boy who spied on her when she was bathing…

Ash groaned, he was tired of listening to his mind argue with his heart. He finally fell asleep. The next day he would say good-bye to May. He didn't want to; he wanted her to be with him all the time. He wanted her.

He needed her.

He loved her.

Sorry for the boring chapter; just trying to set the scene for the next chapter. Review please Smile Until next time!

Night Mare579