Edge ofEmotions
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, unfortunaly.
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King's Fist: Enjoy this chapter folks.
Chapter 3: Sundown
"I choose you, Glaceon!" May yelled, and she threw a Poke Ball into the air. Out of the Poke Ball, a blue and light-blue Pokemon appeared. Glaceon was happy to be out of the ball, and it looked at Ash's shoulder, where Pikachu was sitting. Pikachu jumped down, and started walking next to Glaceon.
"When did you start to let your Pokemon walk next to you?" Ash asked May, who put her Poke Ball back.
"Ehm… when I travelled to Sinnoh, I usually travelled alone, and when I returned for your tournament, I decided to let my Pokemon walk next to me, so that I wouldn't feel lonely," she said, very fast, to her male companion. The way she said this was very fast, faster then May usually spoke.
"Ahh…," Ash said, and they continued walking. The sun was going down, as they were walking out of Viridian City. Viridian City was the neighbor town to Pallet Town, and was the last city before you got to the Indigo Plateau. Ash remembered Viridian City very well. He defeated Team Rocket and earned his Earth Badge, and lost to Agatha when he got back from Hoenn.
"We are never going to make it to Celadon at time. It closes tomorrow!" May said, and she got worried. Ash looked at his female companion. She was always worried when it came to important events, like with contests. Ash was wondering why she really wanted to participate in this tournament.
"Never seen you so worried, in a very long time, May," Ash said. May was anxious, and she looked at him. She was worried, while he was relaxing and calm. It was something that had changed about him. Before, Ash was always worried, and they had a big fight over it once, which in the end brought them closer together. Now, he was calm.
"We either have to wake up very early tomorrow, or we have to walk during the night," May said, still worried.
"We'll settle down in Viridian Forrest, and then go to Celadon tomorrow. No way are you walking through the night with an empty stomach," Ash said, and May laughed. It was almost as she was mocking him.
"You can cook?" She said loudly. She laughed, and it was almost like she was mocking him.
"I've learned from watching Brock and Cilan cook. Cilan is an expert when it comes to food. When I travel alone, I have to cook food. It's either that or starvation," Ash said, and May stopped laughing. May was a bit shocked to see that Ash was serious.
"You can't be serious? Got anymore surprises for me?" May asked him, as they were walking towards Viridian Forest.
"I've stopped waking up late. Now I wake up very early, at dawn," He said, and May didn't know what to think. Was he pranking her, or was he actually serious?
"That is something I need to see," She said.
"Well, it depends if you are awake to see it then," He said, smiling to her.
(That's a burn) Pikachu said to Glaceon, and she agreed with him. May laughed. Ash has never burned her before. This Ash, who could cook and wake up early, had just burned her.
"So tell me Ash, when did start to change?" May asked him, rhetorically.
"Ever since I left Unova, something had to change." He spoke, and May nodded. Ash was very different since the last they saw each other. He has grown up, in maturity and psychically.
"Interesting…" She said, and she looked at the sun. It was going down, and May looked at her Pokegear. It was 10:15PM, and they were only at the entrance to Viridian Forrest. She turned worried again. Talking with Ash made her worries disappear.
"So may I ask you May? Why are you so worried to get to this tournament?" Ash asked her.
"Since Contests aren't going on for the moment, I need to stay fit when they re-open, and this is the tournament to do so," She said, and Ash nodded. Pikachu and Glaceon, who were walking behind them, leaped up to them. Glaceon sat on Ash's shoulder and Pikachu in May's hands, holding him like a little baby, while Ash used his fingers and tickled Glaceon underneath her head.
"Oh, how did the Sinnoh Grand Festival go? I didn't get… to see it," he said. His voice was shaky, something May could hear.
"I…didn't really…do that…well," she said, and Ash moved his head towards May. He was still tickling Glaceon, who was now in his arms. They walked into Viridian Forrest. It was dark, and May could see the bug Pokemon in the grass.
"What happened?" he said. The bug Pokemon in Viridian Forrest was usually a bit fiendish, but they immediately turned away when they saw Ash. They knew who he was, and Ash nodded towards them, and May didn't notice it. The bugs had huge respect for Ash.
"My mind was just somewhere else. I got Top 32, and I barely passed the appeal round," she said. She was sad, and Ash wondered what she meant with "her mind was somewhere else".
"OK, how did the Johto Grand Festival go?" Ash asked May, once again.
"Better then the Sinnoh Grand Festival," May said. Ash opened up his mouth to ask her, but May continued on: "Top 16"
"That's not bad," Ash said. They were walking through the forest, where the trees got closer and closer each other. It was more difficult to walk through this forest, as the path got slimmer.
"Compared to Hoenn and Kanto, it certainly not great. This was also my third time," She said, and her voice indicated that she was upset. Ash didn't say anything; he just looked at the path in front of him.
"Why are you asking so many questions, Ash?" May asked him all of a sudden, which made Ash get caught a bit off-guard.
"Well, while I was travelling in Unova, I just had this sudden feeling. I thought of my previous journeys, and I realized that I didn't know you that well, compared to others," he said, not giving May a look. She laughed a bit, but once again, as she saw that Ash was serious, she stopped laughing.
"Where did you get that idea from? Cilan?" May asked him, and his head turned towards her. His mouth twitched, and May, using her female institutions, knew that he meant yes.
"We know each other Ash. We travelled for two regions, and we have experienced a lot together. Jirachi, Deoxys & Rayquaza, Lucario & Mew and…" May said. It was somewhat sad. Their eyes meet. The dark eyes met blue eyes. Darkness and ocean met. Ash had always thought that May's eyes were pretty, and something special about them. They were different, just like the ocean. The ocean was different from anything else, just like May.
"Don't worry May. I just think I don't know you that well, like for example, where were you born? Why did you dislike Pokemon at first and so on," Ash said, and May breathed out as a sign of relief.
"Oh…" she replied.
"We can have it like this May. I ask you, and you answer. Then it is your turn to ask me, and I'll answer." He said. Truth was that May didn't know a lot about Ash either. She heard many stories about Ash while she was travelling around in Sinnoh and Johto, about him helping legendaries and saving the day, being a hero all the time, but nothing about him personally.
"Sounds like a pretty good idea. I'll start," she said, and Ash gave a small smile, as the road they were walking on switched from ground to grass.
"When are you born?" she asked.
"May 22nd. When and where are you born?" he asked her back, with a grin.
"June 11th. This might come as a shock, but I was born in…" May said, having the answer on her tongue. Ash was on his toes. He had always thought she was from Petalburg, but he hadn't been sure, but this was the moment of truth.
"Do tell!" Ash said, with excitement.
"Petalburg City," she said, and she laughed. Ash's head dropped like a bag of potatoes, and he looked at May, who was giggling. Ash could hear someone else giggle as well, and it was Pikachu and Glaceon. Ash felt embarrassed, as both his human companion and his own Pokemon made fun on him.
"It's okey Ash-y. You can ask another question," she said. She grabbed his cheek, and Ash could feel himself getting a bit red on his cheeks. She released her grip, still giggling. He touched his cheeks, and they were warm. What were these feelings?
"Ehm…what is your favorite region?" He asked her, while the red color on his cheeks faded away.
"Kanto is by far my favorite region. I've remember traveling to Kanto when I was little kid. I used to look at the sea. It was beautiful. That was also the last time we ever visited a region because my dad became Gym Leader right after," she replied.
"Oh, is that the reason why you decided to get a Pokemon?" he continued.
"Yeah, it was. I never liked Pokemon, but my dad really wanted me to become a trainer. I didn't like walking at all, but when I realized that I could travel to other regions, I made my mind, that I had to get a Pokemon, so I could fulfill my dream of returning to Kanto again," she said.
"So if you ever settle down, you would pick Kanto?" he continued asking her.
"It depends. I don't want to live too far from my dad and mom, but I love Kanto…Hey! You have asked me three questions!" she said, and Ash laughed. He scratched his head, while smiling.
"Sorry for that. I got carried away," he said.
"Don't worry about it. I'd say we're even when I get to ask three questions in a row," she said excitingly. "So Ash, where do you want to live?" she asked him.
"I want to live somewhere in Kanto. A mansion. With a lake. Where all of my Pokemon can relax," Ash said, and May imagined herself a mansion with a lake. She could see Pikachu play in the lake with many other Pokemon. Ash was also in the water, playing along. The sun was shinning down at them. She could see all of Ash's friends there too, near the grill or in the lake as well. She saw that she was sitting on the edge to the lake, in a red bikini. She was staring at Ash, as he got tackled by his Pokemon in water-wrestling. She was laughing, and then she heard a voice.
"Earth to May," a voice spoke to her. May woke up, and she was standing still, while Ash was waving his arms in front of her.
"Oh, I faded out for a minute," she said.
"Figure. Since you faded, then it's my turn, right?" he asked her.
"Sorry, but since you asked me a question, I get to ask one more question before you can go again, so I can ask three questions now," she said, and Ash's head dropped. "So Ash, was Pikachu your original pick?" she asked him.
"No. I originally wanted Squirtle, but it was taken, by my friend Gary, along with Bulbasaur and Charmander," he said, and looked at his yellow partner. "But I'm glad that I got Pikachu. No Pokemon can ever replace Pikachu," he said, and Pikachu jumped into his arms, and Ash patted it. May smiled, as Ash continued to pat him. Something that never would change was Ash's love for his Pokemon. From the time they meet each other, Ash's love had never decreased, and it was growing for every step they took together, as partners.
"How long are you going to travel?" May asked him. The bug Pokemon that were living in this forest looked at them from the sides. Caterpies and Weedles began staring at them from the sides, taking great interest in them. They probably knew who Ash was.
"Not sure. I want to win a League first, before I make a final decision," Ash answered her. It wasn't easy to create questions to ask him.
"What is your saddest memory?" she asked him, and Ash began to think. His hands were going back and forth on his chin, trying to find a memory. After a while, he seemed to have found it.
"When Butterfree left. It was my first capture, and I was heartbroken when it left. I still wonder where he is, and if he is still thinking of the good old memories," Ash said, and he shed a couple of tears. May understood how he felt. She felt the exact same way when she had to let go off Manaphy. While Manaphy wasn't her first capture, there was a special bond between them. Ash, using his elbow, cleaned his away for tears. May noticed that Ash was cleaning his tears. She had almost never seen him cry.
"But you have used your three questions. My turn!" he said excitingly, and May sighed. They talked and talked, and they didn't realize that the sun was going down. Ash now knew that May had ancestors that lived in Kanto, she wanted to become a photograph and journalist when she was younger, due her love for traveling, and prior to beginning her journey, she was a swimming champion at her age. May did also find some information about Ash. His father left his mother and him when he was still a baby, he had left all of his Unova Pokemon back with Professor Juniper and that he had special items with him all the time, like their ribbon.
"So Ash, have you ever experienced "love"?" May asked him, innocently. This was one of the questions she had always wanted to ask Ash. While he loved his friends and Pokemon, he had never shown affections for any girl, or boy for that matter.
"Love? I love my Pokemon, my friends and my mom, if that is what you mean," Ash said relaxed.
"No silly, I mean like real love, as in a-," May said, but Ash interrupted her. He pointed towards a lake, located near a cave. May didn't even realize it, but they were out of Viridian Forest, and near Diglett Cave. Diglett Cave now had a lake next to the cave, and more wood surrounding it. It had an open area right next to the lake.
"We can sleep here tonight, and then go to Celadon tomorrow, through Diglett Cave," Ash said, and he ran to the open area. May sighed. He didn't answer her question. Ash took all of his Poke Balls, and threw them up. Sceptile, Gliscor, Totodile, Staraptor and Gible came out, and they were standing in a line. Ash pointed at the lake and the woods. Sceptile and Gliscor went for the woods, while Totodile, Staraptor and Gible went for the lake.
"What are you doing?" May asked him, putting down her bag, next to Ash. Ash took out his sleeping bag, and he pulled out a lighter.
"Asking them for help. The job gets done much faster when everybody are cooperating. Sceptile and Gliscor are getting firewood, and the others are getting water. We have a long day in front of us, so you better get some sleep May," he said, and before May could respond back, his Pokemon were back. Sceptile and Gliscor came back with firewood, and the others came back with fresh water. Ash used his lighter, and with the firewood his Pokemon just gathered, he made a fire. May took out her Poke Balls, and out of them, came Blaziken, her starter Pokemon, and Munchlax, the biggest eater Ash knew. May said to Ash that she needed to use the toilet. He boiled the water with the fire, and he took out two cups. He took out two tea bags, and put them in the two cups. He could feel the scent go through his nose. The sweet scent…
Ash was sitting in his sleeping bag, sitting on a log, holding a tea cup in his left hand and "The Millennium Cup: Rules Guidebook" in his right hand. Behind him, were his and May's Pokemon resting. In a tree that was similar to the tree back at Oak's, Sceptile had decided to sleep next to Gliscor because of Totodile's behavior, up in the tree. Totodile, Gible and Munchlax were all sleeping on the ground, right next to the tree. Their heads were all into each other. Staraptor and Blaziken were also on the ground, sleeping next to the tree, but they were both sleeping separately. And on Ash's right side, Pikachu and Glaceon were both sleeping next to each other. Ash took a zip from his tea, and gazed over to Pikachu and Glaceon. His eyes were resting on them for a while, until he heard May talk.
"Wow, you got these guys to sleep quickly," she said, and Ash lowered down his tea cup and book. Sceptile had gotten annoyed by Totodile, and before any damage was done, Ash ordered Sceptile to get into the tree and sleep there. Ash's eyes went from Glaceon and Pikachu to May. She was wearing a green t-shirt, with a Poke Ball logo on the right side of the shirt, and sweatpants. Ash simply nodded, and May went into her sleeping bag. She was sleeping on the right side of Ash, with Glaceon and Pikachu in the middle of them. May noticed the tea cup next to her sleeping bag, and she gazed at Ash.
"I made tea for you," he told her, and continued to read the guide book. His eyes were stuck on the book, and May smiled for herself. She went in the sleeping bag, and drank the tea that Ash had given her. It was warm, and she stared into the fire that Ash had created. May glanced at the fire for a long time.
"Man, I am tired," Ash spoke, and May jumped a bit, while sitting. Ash glanced at her. "Is it anything wrong?" he asked her.
"No, just a little surprised when you started talking. That's all," she replied back. Ash put his guide book at the ground, but when he did so, he could feel the pain from the cut he got back from Oak's ranch. He tried to hide it from May, but May quickly saw it.
"Are you okey, Ash?" she asked him, and she was about it go out from her sleeping bag, but Ash took up his other hand, and said it was no need to.
"It's alright. Probably just the after effects," he said, but May wasn't buying it. She went out from her sleeping bag, and walked over to him, sitting down right next to him.
"Ash, lift up your shirt," she ordered him. Ash, who was wearing a plain black t-shirt and a pair of shorts, opened his shirt. He didn't want to argue with her, he was in too much pain to lie to her. When Ash lifted his shirt, there was blood over his bandage. May went straight for her bag, which were next to her bag.
"There is no need to get another bandage May. I can just wait for tomorrow. It isn't that bad," he told her. She walked back to him, holding penicillin and a roll of bandage. She carefully took of Ash's bandage. Ash could feel her warm hands on his chest and back. His odd feeling came back once again, and it rushed through his body. She took forth for some cotton and put penicillin on it. Ash's feeling vanished, as he could feel the penicillin.
"Lay down Ash," she commanded him, and he laid down, his head on the log. The log was hard, and May noticed it immediately. She got her sleeping bag, and put it under his head. It was soft. May opened up the bandage roll, and she wrapped bandage over his wound. The pain vanished, as the same feeling he got just a few moments ago, came back.
"We need to shift out the bandage every single day," she told him, and she put away the bloody bandage.
"How are you going to sleep, May?" he asked her. Her sleeping bag was used as a pillow, and she didn't have anything other then that. She went back to her spot, and went into sleeping position.
"No worries Ash. You are the injured one, so you need the treatme…" she said, but before she could finish the sentence, she got sleepy all of a sudden. Ash was looking at her, and she tried to stare back. She let out a big yawn, and her eyelids got heavier and heavier. The last thing she could see was Ash, looking at her, before she went to sleep and into her sweet, comfortable dreams.
A smell was going through the air, and May could feel it. Her eyes were down, she was half-asleep and something was on top of her. She could smell something delicious. She opened her eyes, and she moved a bit. The thing on top of her fell down. It was her sleeping bag. She realized that her head was resting on something soft, and she stood up, and there she saw Ash's sleeping bag, on the log. Ash must have given her his sleeping bag and her own, so she could rest. Those thoughts got easily overshadowed, as she could hear someone eating, and when she turned around, she saw Ash cooking pancakes, while reading the guidebook. She saw her Pokemon, along with Ash's Pokemon, eat food. Ash's head moved up from the book, and there May was standing, very confused.
"Hi May. I didn't think you would wake up until 12 O'clock, but since you're up now, I made pancakes," he said. May, who was half-asleep and half-shocked, saw a tea cup and three pancakes right next to her.
"Hope you like them. They are fresh," Ash told her. He was still reading the guidebook.
"When did you get up?" May asked him.
"I got up two hours ago. I feed all of the Pokemon, took a bath in the lake, took my regularly push-ups and sit-ups and I took on a new bandage," he said, cheerily. May was stunned. He wasn't lying when he told her he woke up early, made food and took push-ups. He was telling the truth.
"You better eat those pancakes before they get cold," he told her. He turned a page, still drinking from his tea cup and took a pancake.
"How much is the clock?" May asked him, rubbing her eyes. She wanted to make sure this was reality, and not a dream.
"11:00 AM," he told her, eating his pancake, with some berries as garnish. May was speechless, but she decided that she should just eat the food that Ash had given her. Three pancakes later, May decided to take a bath in the lake before they decided to start walking. Ash packed everything together, and he ordered his Pokemon to help him. Ash, who wanted to have harmony in the group, ordered Blaziken and Staraptor to take care of Totodile, while searching for berries, so he wouldn't start trouble with Sceptile. Pikachu was given the order to make sure that Munchlax didn't create trouble as well. Sceptile, Gliscor, Glaceon and Gible had to help Ash with the cleaning. Sceptile was quiet, but Glaceon, who was right next to him, could tell that he was angry.
(Don't be so mad at Totodile) Glaceon said.
(Not mad? That croc climbed up the tree, just to annoy me, at the middle of the night, destroying my sleep!) Sceptile argued back. He spoke loudly, while packing things together.
(He's just a big fan. You defeated a legendary and you are one of the strongest on Ash's team) she spoke. She got rid of the flames by turning the ice into water, when the fire and the ice connected.
(Yet he never annoys Pikachu or Charizard) Sceptile argued. He used his tail to swipe the ground very quickly.
(Maybe it's because neither Pikachu nor Charizard are at Oak's ranch) Glaceon replied.
(Pikachu are here now, but he still goes after me, every single day) Sceptile angrily said, swiping so fast, that the dust hit Gible straight in the face. Sceptile didn't even notice that he hit Gible, but Gible laughed it off.
(Maybe the fact that you defeated Darkrai makes him such a big fan. Pikachu defeated a Regice, who weren't as good as Darkrai) Glaceon replied back. Sceptile's angry face faded away, and instead he had a smug smile.
(So you are discrediting your boyfriend's win over Regice?) Sceptile said, rather smugly towards her.
(He's…not…my…boyfriend) Glaceon nervously replied back. Sceptile could see she was getting red on her cheeks. Glaceon failed miserably to hide her red cheeks.
(Whatever you say, my dear) Sceptile said back, and he bowed her as she was a queen. Sceptile was finished cleaning up, and he went back to the tree, where Pikachu was baby-sitting Munchlax. Pikachu saw that Sceptile was smiling, and surprisingly enough, Sceptile said to Pikachu that he would take care of Munchlax until Ash and May were finished.
(Ehm, thanks Sceptile) Pikachu thankfully said to him.
(My pleasure) Sceptile said, and he bowed for Pikachu. Pikachu didn't understand anything, but Glaceon who was staring in their direction, could see Sceptile's smug smile still hanging. Pikachu, clueless, walked over to Glaceon, who had turned her back to Pikachu, so he wouldn't see her blushing face.
(I wonder what's up with Sceptile) Pikachu spoke to Glaceon.
(Probably nothing) She replied back, nervously. May got back, fully clothed and with her towel and her night-wear in her hands. Ash, who had just received berries from the gathers and water, was ready to go.
"Good May. Now we are going to get to Celadon quicker then I expected," Ash said, just as cheerily as he was during breakfast. Ash returned back his Pokemon, thanking them for their help. May did the same, while she took care of her towel and her night wear. "Ready?" Ash asked her. May was ready, as was Glaceon and Pikachu.
"Yes," May replied back, and the four of them walked a bit, until they hit the entrance to Diglett Cave. Even though the sun was shinning, as it had during the last few days, Diglett Cave was dark. Ash took up his flashlight, and turned it on. Both the two of them and their partner Pokemon walked in. Pikachu used his electricity to create a flashlight of his own, so he and Glaceon could see. May walked close to Ash, most likely because she was afraid for the dark. This cave wasn't just filled with Digletts anymore, but also bigger and more terrifying Pokemon, like Rhydon, Aggron and Steelix.
"No need to be afraid May. When me, Iris and Cilan were traveling in Unova, we usually talked when we went through dark forests and caves. It made time pass by," Ash told her. They heard a sound go through the cave, creating an echo.
"What are you proposing?" she asked him, just looking around, even though it was to no use, since the cave was darker then the abyss.
"Another round of questions," Ash told her. He was still holding his flashlight in his one useful hand, while May hold onto his other hand. The echo went again, and Ash pointed his flashlight towards the source of the sound. All they saw was a Geodude still sleeping, rolling on the floor, cracking rocks. "It's OK now," Ash told her, and May let go of her grip.
"Sure," May said, still a bit terrified. Ash could hear in her voice that she was scared. Her voice was shaking. Ash put his free hand on her back, and stroked her back. The feeling that he felt yesterday came back. It was warm, and he could feel that the warmth came from his hand, that was touching May's back. May noticed that Ash had his hand on her back. It didn't make her cured from her fear, but she got calmer and less terrified.
"I'll go first. What is your most terrifying moment?" Ash asked her. The feeling was still rushing through his body.
"Well, it all started when I was in Sinnoh. I was back in Lake Valor, the same place where we had the Wallace Cup. My Pokemon and I were going on a tour, since we had just won our 3rd ribbon, so they deserved a break. Our group was going on this tour around Lake Valor, and I decided that my Pokemon decided some fresh air. We had no problems, until I couldn't find my Munchlax. I thought Munchlax had stolen some of the group food, but I was wrong. When I noticed Munchlax standing next to the lake, completely still, for the first time ever, I saw horror in Munchlax's eyes. We saw dead bodies float in the lake," May said. She breathed quickly, and Ash could almost feel that she was about to cry. Ash patted her in the back. Ash was lost for words. He did not know what to say.
"These people must have drowned," Ash bluntly said.
"I thought so too, but one of them had a bullet in his chest. It was still blood on his jacket," May replied back. Ash scratched his head, thinking of something to say. He wanted to hit himself in the head for bringing up this specific question up, but Pikachu was already their. He gave him a shock, which made Ash flinch.
"I'm sorry for brining this up. It was stup-," Ash quickly spoke, but got interrupted by May.
"It's alright. I have never told anyone this story before," May replied back, sniffing. The tension in the air was awkward. Ash had to quickly think of something to release the tension.
"But now that is over, and it's my turn to ask the questions," May said. She had stopped sniffing, and she gazed at Ash. Ash, even though not pointing the flashlight at her, could see her face and her eyes pierce through his. She sounded happy again, and not sad anymore.
"Fair enough. Give me your best shot," Ash said. Now he was happier as well. The tension was at least not awkward anymore, and that was a good thing.
The wing was blowing through his brown cape, just like old days. He looked over Lake Valor, just like old days. Lake Valor had always been quiet, peaceful and beautiful. The one person he had loved the most, had all of those three attributes, especially beautiful. Her light-blue eyes were more perfect then sapphire. He thought about those eyes almost every single day because they were some of his most precious memories. He wished that he could change the past because all the past has given him, was memories. It was the only thing left he had. He didn't want to lose them. Lake Valor was an open lake and you could see it perfectly from the city nearby. You could go around it, with no obstacles in the way, except for a very tiny forest. In the tiny forest, there were a couple of trees and some bushes. The man knew he would find what he was looking for, right there. He walked to the forest, still in his brown and plain cape, with the hood still on. No human or Pokemon were in sight, but he had no use for any human or Pokemon right now. He walked into the forest, and there he saw a woman. She was leaning up to a tree, holding her bloody right arm with her left arm. It seemed that she didn't notice anybody was there, as her eyes were down.
"Are you hurt, my dear?" the man said with kindness.
"Who the hell are you?" she rudely replied back to him. She had opened her eyes, and she stared at the man with the hood and the cape. Her suit was shredded and bloody.
"I'm a tourist, who is currently travelling through different regions. This is actually the first time, in a very long time that I've been back in Lake Valor. But enough about me, sorry, but what about you, my dear?" he kindly asked her. The woman perceived it as taunting.
"Go away," she answered him. She tried standing up, and the man in cape saw that her right leg was injured. He stepped back, giving her more space. She tried to stand up, but she failed, so she let go of her right arm, and used her left arm to lean against the tree, a tree right in front of her... She felt the pain in her right arm when she dropped her arm in vain. The man in cape reached out a hand, as a sign of kindness and help.
"I can give you help," he spoke to her, with kindness in his voice.
"You can't help me," she answered back, still in huge pain.
"I can give you what you desire most," he said, and the woman looked at him. She couldn't see his face. She thought he was joking, but the sentence she had just heard, began to wander around in her head. The way he said it was different. Not in a taunting manner, but more serious and mysterious.
"Oh, so you can give me what I desire?" she answered sarcastically back.
"Only if you join my side, I can give you what you want," he seriously continued on. The wind was not blowing anymore. It was quiet, just as the man in the cape wanted. He was still holding his hand out, waiting for the woman to reach back to him.
"So… I join you, and you give me my biggest wish? Is this a fairytale?" she said, still sarcastically. She managed to laugh a bit, but it stopped, as the pain grew and grew. How long had she been out here? She had been living on almost no food or water the last few days.
"No, it is not a fairytale," he told her, and he reached out a little longer. The woman, still leaning to the tree, looked at his hand and him, even though she couldn't see his face. Her left arm left the tree, and the left arm touched the man's arm. She didn't believe in magic, but it was almost like she expected to feel better, but nothing happened. The man withdrew his hand, back into his cape.
"Come on, my truck is waiting nearby," he told her, and he walked out of the forest. The woman followed after him, slowly. When they were out of the tiny forest, the woman saw the sun. It wasn't sunny day, but she could see it. The clouds were in the way. She saw the truck waiting there, and the man in cape in front of her. He turned around, and faced her. He didn't say anything, he just stared at her as she walked towards him, slowly but steady. The awkward tension in the air got interrupted, when a man, from the lake rose up from the water. He was wearing west, and a military outfit. He was holding a gun in his hand, and he was pointing at the man in cape.
"Stand back, boss!" he screamed. The woman stopped walking, while the mysterious man yawned. Being held at gun-point was probably not that dangerous for him.
"Jake…" the woman said carefully. Her voice was concerning, and not harsh and rude anymore.
"We can kill this guy, steal his truck and then get out of here!" the man named Jake yelled. The mysterious man yawned once again.
"Jake…this man can help us," she told him, still concerned. The mysterious man's eyes shifted from Jake to the woman. She sounded soft. He had never heard of her being soft or concerned before.
"What if he is one of them? The people who did this to us?" Jake asked her. He lowered his gun a bit, and he took his right hand, and held it over his stomach. Just like his boss, he was in pain. The mysterious man looked at Lake Valor again.
"He isn't! Just trust me! Now, drop the gun!" she screamed to him. She could feel the pain increase, and she walked up to the mysterious man, and took her left arm on his shoulder, to lean and rest. Jake was unsure if he was going to drop the gun or not, but he did what the woman had told him. He dropped the gun, and he was now without any weaponry at all. The mysterious man, still looking at Lake Valor, in his own world and memories, came back to reality. He had felt that somebody was touching his shoulder, and he noticed it, when the woman touched him. He nodded for himself, and he grabbed something from inside his cape. As it slowly revealed itself, it was a gun. Jake picked up his gun again, but the mysterious man ignored it. He gave it to the woman, who was still leaning onto him. It was almost like she didn't notice it at all, but when she saw it; she looked at the man in the cape, who still didn't have a face. He was the faceless man.
"Why are you giving me a gun?" she asked him. He offered it to her, as she leaned away from him. It was a normal gun, and more common then Jake's gun. Jake was still looking at them, still pointing at the man in cape.
"Take it," he told her, and she pushed the gun onto her, and it was now in her hands. The woman stared at the magazine and she opened it. It had one bullet and one bullet only. Jake lowered his gun, but he was still on edge. The woman gazed at her gun. She lifted it up, and pointed it at the mysterious man in cape. It was loaded. The mysterious man was still uninterested, just as when Jake pointed his gun at him. He continued to look at Lake Valor.
"Shoot!" Jake screamed, almost like a baby wanting their lollipop. The woman hesitated. She had her finger on the trigger. She could do as Jake suggested, and kill this man, who she didn't even know. But there was something in her head that was repeating itself; "I can give you what you desire."
"What are you waiting for?" Jake asked his boss. The woman shifted direction, and she pointed at Jake instead. He could barely react, as the woman pulled the trigger, fast. The bullet went through his military jacket, and right to his heart. It pierced through his skin, and into his heart. He held both of his hands over his heart, but he couldn't stop it. He became unsteady, and quickly, he fell into the lake. He created a splash, and the mysterious woman saw the water around him turn red, but that wasn't the thing she noticed most of all. The woman could hear it. She dropped the gun, as she could hear his heartbeat stop. How could she hear his heart? She dropped to the ground, as the heartbeat sound faded away. After a couple of minutes, she stood up again. The mysterious man did not even react. He had turned around, now searching the mountains for lost memories.
"Are you happy now?" the woman angrily said, and she walked right past him. The mysterious man snapped back to reality, and he followed right after. She had picked up the gun, and she gave it back to him, as he caught up with her. He didn't say anything, as they walked through the grassy fields.
"You just made me kill one of my men," she told him. She climbed onto the truck, still holding over her wounds. The mysterious man went into the front seat, while the woman joined the back seat.
"I did not order you to kill that man. I wanted to see what you were doing with that bullet," he told her. She thought to herself: "Who was this man?" The man started the truck, and they drove slowly away from Lake Valor. They didn't take the path to the city nearby, the just drove away. The woman found some bandage next to her, and she strapped it around her bloody right arm.
"How do you know what I desire, and what do I desire?" she asked him angrily. She felt stronger, or at least with more energy then before. She had a lot of questions to ask him.
"I know a lot of things. I have a lot of experience. More then you can ever imagine. And the thing you desire the most, is to get revenge on the person who did that to you," he told her. He didn't turn around, but he pointed at her hand. The woman couldn't believe it. He knew about her, and the person who had injured, and taken away everything from her.
"So you have a vendetta against him too?" she replied back. Her voice wasn't angry anymore. She was curious about where this was going.
"I want to make him suffer, just as much as you do, Hunter J," he said, and he turned around. The wind had blown of his hood, and Hunter J saw his face. She didn't have words to describe what her mind was going through.
"You…" Hunter J said, stammering. She couldn't produce any words to describe him.
"It's not about me Hunter J, nor is it about you. It's about getting revenge for everything Ash Ketchum has done to us," he told her, as they drove towards sundown, over the grassy field, leaving the peacefully Lake Valor for itself.
Her hands were shaking, just like her body. She looked at Ash, who was making rhythms on his stomach. They were walking next to a pond, and May could see the reflection of Vermillion City. After leaving the dark Diglett Cave, they made it to Vermillion City. It took about one hour to get out, and the clock was already 12 at that time. Even though the chance of not getting to Celadon at time made May worried, it didn't seem to worry Ash at all. Ash insisted that they would eat at a restaurant in Vermillion, so they could get some more grub. May protested at that idea, but after hearing Glaceon and Pikachu's stomachs make noises, she gave in. At the restaurant, May didn't order much. She ordered some salad, while Ash ordered burgers for himself, and Pokemon food for Glaceon and Pikachu. May wanted to leave Vermillion as fast as possible. She couldn't afford getting there late. Two burgers and three sodas later, the four of them left the restaurant and headed for Celadon City. The clock was 2:23 PM, and the road was long. Addition to the long road was that Saffron City was closed for any tourists. They were building arenas for the tournament, and only people who lived there could get in, so they had to take a longer path. Traffic, tall buildings and civilization were switched out with trees, bushes and lots of wild Pokemon. Pikachu's stomach was grumbling, still hungry, even though they had only walked 15 minutes since they left.
(You are always so hungry, Pikachu. You weren't as hungry as before) Glaceon said to him, walking behind their trainers.
(We met someone in Unova, who made delicious food, and ever since I met him, I've eaten much more) Pikachu replied back, and he, just like his master, began making rhythms on his stomach. Pikachu tried to match the sound to Ash's, so he had to check how he did it. When he looked up, he noticed that May was worried.
(Glace, why is May always so worried?) Pikachu concernedly asked Glaceon. Glaceon's face got a bit red. Never had Pikachu named her Glace before. She rapidly snapped out of it.
(Ehm… I can't really tell.) She expressed. She walked faster, not saying anything to Pikachu. Both Glaceon and May were hiding something, and he had to find out what it was.
Their path to Celadon City was very strange. Ash and May spoke with each other, while Glaceon didn't speak with Pikachu. Pikachu tried to make contact with his ice-friend, but she ignored him. May was getting extremely worried when she saw the sun go down. She opened up her Pokegear, and the clock had just turned 11:00 PM.
"How far are we from Celadon?" May asked her male companion, who was reading the guidebook he had gotten from Oak.
"Not far. Maybe 500 meters," Ash spoke, while skipping a page. May was relived when she heard Ash tell her this, but Ash wasn't done: "But if my memory serves me right, the Poke Center is far away from the gates to Celadon," Ash continued on. May became nervous again and she knew she could not wait much longer. Without even a sign, May ran towards Celadon City. Ash, Glaceon and Pikachu were caught off guard, as they saw May sprint to Celadon City. May ran all she could to the gates of Celadon. It only took her 5 minutes while running to get to the gates, and after she passed the gates, she saw Celadon crowded with people. Thousands of people were standing in the streets. May figured out they were contestants for the tournament, but that didn't concern her. She needed to find the Pokemon Center, so she tried to stand on her toes, searching.
"Where is it?" she said to herself, still concerned. After a bit of searching, she found the Pokemon Center. It was only a block away, so she ran all she could to get there. She blended in with the crowd, who were bugging the traffic. She ran across the street, and after bumping into people a few times, she got inside. Even the Pokemon Center was crowded, but not to the same degree as the outside. May went to the counter, where three Nurse Joys were standing behind it.
"Do you need any help?" one of the Joys said to her. The other two were busy with other people, while she had no customers or line waiting.
"I want to participate in the tournament," she spoke, breathing heavily. Nurse Joy walked over to the computer, and she signed in.
"Your Pokedex or your ID-card is required," she told her, and May handed it over, still trying to catch her breath. After scanning her Pokedex, Nurse Joy told her she was in the tournament. Nurse Joy also told her that which participants where going where, would be decided tomorrow. May just nodded, and she walked over to a free table. She sat down, and she managed to get her breath back after a while. She looked out of the window, and she could see Celadon City. Celadon City was huge, and city lamps were spread all over the place. She stared at the hotels nearby. They all had the signs: "Closed for tonight!" Her eyes rapidly shifted over to other buildings, like the casino nearby. She noticed a tall building. The building was huge, and she could see the building have the name: "Celadon Department Store"
"I have to visit the Department Store tomorrow with Ash… ASH!" she screamed, but before she could stand up, a familiar person came over. Ash, Glaceon and Pikachu came over to her, and Glaceon jumped into her arm. May began to stroke Glaceon's fur gently, back and forth.
"You were in quite a rush," Ash told her. Pikachu jumped into his lap, and then down at the seat next to him.
"Sorry for just leaving you guys," May spoke to them. She felt guilty for leaving all three of them behind, but Ash just blew it away.
"I'm the one who should say sorry. If I took you seriously when you said you had to get here, we would have been here way earlier," Ash replied back, feeling guilty for making her feel guilty. She continued on, stroking Glaceon's icy fur.
"Did you register for the tournament?" May replied back, after a while. Even though Ash tried to make her un-guilty, she still felt very guilty.
"Yes. Took about a minute to do so, but May, did you rent a room for the night?" Ash spoke, trying to sound casually. May stopped stroking Glaceon. She had always forgotten something, from time to time, but this was one of the worse things she could do.
"Ehm…I forgot," she said, scratching her head. Now this made her feel really guilty. If they could not get a hotel room, they had to sleep outside. Ash quickly stood up, with May following him, with their Pokemon trailing after them. When they got to the counter, one person was in front of them.
"Enjoy your stay," the Nurse Joy said to the man, who left the line. Ash and May finally got to the counter. "Do you need a room?" Nurse Joy spoke.
"Two rooms, to be exact," Ash told her, with May looking at him, wondering. Why did they need two rooms? When they travelled in Kanto and Hoenn, they only had one room, for four people. Nurse Joy walked over to a computer, and she tried to check if any room was available. After a bit of searching, she went back to the counter, with a sign on her face which was something Ash didn't want to see.
"I am very sorry, but we only have a room left. It's yours, if you want to take it," she told them, and she took forth a key. Ash shifted his dark eyes over to May. May nodded, and Ash sighed.
"We'll take it," Ash told her, and she handed him over the key. "Do you have any room for my Pokemon?" Ash asked her.
"I'm sorry, but we are full because of this tournament. We do have an open-area outside, where Pokemon can rest, if you want," Nurse Joy told him, and Ash nodded, thanking her. Ash looked at the key, and it said; "Room 108" Ash and May walked towards the elevator, with Pikachu and Glaceon behind them. May was still curious why Ash didn't want to have the same room as her. They had always had the same room together. The room was on the second floor. The room was nearby, at least according to the sign, hanging on the orange walls, matching the brown tree floor. They finally got to room 108, and when Ash opened the door, he saw a king size bed on the other side of the room. May didn't say anything; she went straight for the bathroom. The bathroom was pretty. It wasn't special, but it was pretty nevertheless. May left the bathroom, and went towards the balcony. There she could see everything in Celadon City. The clock was soon 12:00PM, but people were still outside. Pikachu and Glaceon jumped on the king size bed. It was soft and comfy, and cold. Pikachu was feeling very warm, even though the clock was a lot. It was August, so it did make sense. Ash was still staring at the bed, but he snapped out of it, when May walked away from the balcony, and towards him.
"I am going to buy some food from the restaurant next door. Do you want anything?" May asked her male friend. Ash realized that he was hungry again, which May probably knew he was.
"Ehm… maybe a couple of pizza slices," he told her, taking off his shoes and bag. May nodded. She was going to remember it this time. She walked for the door, but Ash stopped her. "Hey, here is my money," he said, holding a couple of Poke Dollars in his hand.
"You paid for me in Vermillion, so I'll pay for you now. By the way, I can take your Pokemon to the open area downstairs" she said, happily and smiling to him. Ash, a bit fumbled and confused, took forth his Poke Balls, and handed her five Poke Balls. She took the five Poke Balls, and she smiled to him. It was just as he remembered it, back in Kanto. She went out the door, leaving Ash alone, with Glaceon and Pikachu, still on the bed.
May threw out seven Poke Balls. Out came Blaziken and Munchlax, along with Ash's Sceptile, Totodile, Staraptor, Gliscor and Gible. They were all alone in the open area, where Pokemon could spend their time, while their trainers were somewhere else. The open area didn't have much. It had a middle sized tree, a couple of playing toys and a big pool. Sceptile jumped into the tree, with Gliscor following him. Staraptor flew over to a slider, sitting on that, resting as well. Totodile and Munchlax jumped in the water. They both fell asleep. Munchlax managed to float because of his thickness. Blaziken and Gible found a spot near the tree, and rested as well.
"Good night," May said, quietly. She formed a weak smile, as she saw all of the Pokemon rest, not creating any sound. It was a wonder how they could fall asleep so quickly, as the noise from the city was very loud. She left them, and headed out for the restaurant nearby.
May returned to the hotel room, holding a box and a take away soup. She was hoping Ash would like a vegetarian burger, as they were sold out for burgers. Knowing Ash, he would be happy, but she knew that he was disappointed. The door was open, and when she walked in, she didn't see Ash, only Pikachu and Glaceon on the balcony, looking over beautiful Celadon City. She put the food on a desk, and she tried to search for Ash.
"Don't go any further May! I don't have any clothes on!" Ash loudly said to her. May figured out that he was leaning towards the wall. May made a tiny giggle, as she felt tempted to peek at Ash. She had already seen his muscular chest one day ago. She began blushing, and she didn't try to hide it, as nobody could see her reddish face anyway.
"I'm using the bathroom right now," May told him, laughing a bit while saying it. She didn't hear any respond, but she went to the bathroom anyway. She found all of her clothes there, waiting for her. It must have been Ash who did this. He probably did not want her to see him all butt-naked, so he put all of stuff there. After taking a quick shower, putting all of her clothes on a clothesline, which was already there. She brushed her teeth and put on her night clothes, and she walked out of the bathroom. She hoped that her food was colder now, but when she got out, she got shocked. There she saw Ash with a blanket and a pillow against the wall, reading his guidebook, on the floor
"Ash Ketchum, what are you doing?" She asked him, loudly.
"I'm reading, don't you see?" Ash replied back, skipping a page. He was eating his vegetarian burger while reading. "The burger is pretty good," Ash thanked her, as he continued reading on. May was almost fuming of rage.
"You can't sleep on the floor!" May told him. She was speaking loudly, and this made Pikachu and Glaceon, who were both sleeping outside, wake up. They looked through the big windows glass, at Ash and May.
"Well, I can't sleep on the king sized bed because you are sleeping there," Ash replied back, casually. He finished his burger, and continued on reading.
"If you don't want to sleep next to me in the bed, then I can sleep on the floor, and you sleep in the bed," May argued back. She was angry at Ash. He knew he had an injury, but he still slept on the floor. He was acting immature.
"No way am I letting you sleep on the floor. I saw you sleep yesterday May. You need something comfortable to sleep on. I don't," he quickly countered her. He was still looking down in his book. He was right. May didn't like sleeping on the ground or the floor, but she would rather have herself sleep on the floor then to let Ash sleep on the floor, injured.
"You are injured Ash! It's not good for you," May argued back. Ash finally looked up at her. He knew he had an injury, and it wouldn't be good for him to sleep on the floor with the injury that he had, but he was not going to sleep next to her.
"What do you want me to do? Sleep next to you?" Ash spoke, now raising his voice a bit.
"Yes. What is so dangerous to sleep next to me?" May said back, now lowering her voice. Ash knew she just wanted to look after her. He knew she wanted to repay him. He had looked after her several times throughout the years, and May just wanted to repay him.
"Well…I've never slept next to a girl…in a bed before…May…" Ash told her. He lowered his voice, and he tried to avoid eye contact with her.
"Come on Ash! We are friends," she told him, and Ash looked up at her. He nodded, and he stood up. He could feel some of the pain again, so he took his right arm and held it over his injury. May ran up to him, and supported him. She supported him all the way to the bed, where Ash settled down. May carried his pillow and blanket, and nursed him, putting his pillow under his head and the blanket over him.
"Thank you May," Ash thanked her, as he continued reading his book. May went back to her desk, taking her soup over to the bed. Ash was reading his guidebook again, as May settled in, in the bed, holding her soup. She turned on the TV, eating her ramen, which was now cold. They could still hear the sound outside, but Ash just continued on reading. They left the balcony door open, so it wouldn't turn that hot inside. After a while, May got tired of watching TV. She turned it off, and she turned around, to see Pikachu and Glaceon sleep next to each other, on a table on the balcony. May simply smiled, and when she turned around to sleep herself, Ash was yawning. He put his guidebook on the desk next to him, ready to fall asleep.
"Good night," Ash said, and turned off the lights on his desk. Ash had his back against May, sleeping on near the side of his bed, while May slept closer to the middle. Both of them closed their eyes, and fell asleep. After a while, Ash turned around, rolling on the floor towards the middle. He was now face to face with May, without him knowing. May did also move, as she went closer to the middle. She put her hands on Ash's chest, on top of his t-shirt, leaning against him. She produced a little smile for herself, as she fell asleep herself, with her arms on Ash's warm and muscular, yet comfortable chest.
Wow, this is a longer chapter then I thought. Thought it would be somewhere around 12-15, but it is actually 17. How fitting is that? Anyway, hopefully you will enjoy this chapter. The tournament won't start until chapter 5, but the next chapter is important, so stay tuned for that.
Just want to say that the "De-evolution" plot is going to be important, and not just going to be thrown aside. The same thing with the Millennium Cup. It's also very important for this story, as we will find more about both of these two things in the next chapter. Yes, we will learn more about De-evolution and the Millennium Cup.