Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, but I'd be damned rich if I did.
The water passed by the ferry in white waves. Max noticed this when he stuck his head over the side of the boat and lost the breakfast he'd eaten with Ash on the way to the port. It had been a while since Max had been on a ship, and then the ship didn't rock back and forth as much as the ferry he was on now. Ash walked up beside him and started rubbing his back.
"Feel any better now, Max?"
"No. How long before we make it to Abboth?"
"Shouldn't be too long, just look." Ash pointed to the horizon, and Max's face lit up when he saw the new land, and their new adventure peeking into view.
"Professor Birch told me to call him when we were about to Abboth for further instructions. I'm going to go call him now, okay?"
"Okay, I'm just going to stay here, just in case."
The ferry pulled up to the dock, and people started filing off. Ash stood on the deck of the ferry while Max threw up into the ocean one last time before pulling himself up to his feet and wiping his mouth with his sleeve. Ash chuckled and put his arm over Max's shoulders and led him to the ramp.
"Birch said to meet with a scientist named Professor Luanne Magnolia, her lab is just about half of a mile from here, and she'll give us all we need to know about Abboth."
"Okay, let's get started, then, I can't wait to get my first badge!"
"Easy there, tiger. You haven't even had your first match yet, Kid."
"Then, battle me, now!"
"Max, I don't have any pokemon with me that are as young as your Treeko and Ralts. You'll find someone to battle soon, though, I know it."
"Did I hear someone was looking for a battle?"
Ash and Max both turned around when they heard the voice. Behind them, a boy with blond hair stood with a 'devil may care' smirk on his face. Max was excited at the thought of his first battle.
"Yea, I'm Max. Today's my birthday, and I just got my first pokemon, well, my first two. I haven't battled yet, so I'm not sure how well I'll do."
"Really? I just got my pokemon today too. I've been looking for someone to battle. My name's Colin, by the way." The boy smiled and reached to his waist, brought up a pokeball and expanded it, looking at Max, questionably.
Max pulled a pokeball from his belt in agreement. He wore the biggest grin of his life when he tossed the pokeball onto the grass in front of him.
"Go Ralts!" In a flash of light, the alien-looking pokemon was released.
"A Ralts, huh, impressive. Go Eevee!" Colin released his pokemon onto the grass as well.
"'I guess I'll be the referee in this match." Ash said, walking to, what would be considered, the sidelines of the battle.
"Eevee, tackle it!" Colin said, excited.
"Ralts, dodge it, and use confusion!"
Eevee jumped at Ralts, but Ralts rolled out of the way, and released a blast of purple light, catching the other pokemon dead on. Eevee was knocked back and rolled onto it's feet, leaping at the Ralts again, hitting it in the torso. Ralts rolled on the ground, and lie still.
"Ralts! Are you okay?"
"Eevee, tackle it again!"
Eevee jumped into the air and started falling, head-first, at the pokemon on the ground.
"Ralts, no!"
Right as the tackle was about to connect, Ralts shot another confusion. It was too late for Eevee to change direction, and the confusion blast hit it, and hard. The blast sent Eevee flying through the air, it landed on the ground near Colin's feet.
"Eevee is unable to battle, Ralts is the winner, Max wins the battle."
"Good job, Ralts, return!" Max pointed the ball at his pokemon, a red beam shooting out, and surrounding the Ralts; the beam receded, along with the pokemon, back into the ball. Colin did the same for his downed pokemon, before returning his pokeball back to his belt.
"Good battle, Max." Colin said. Max noticed the disappointment in his voice, and walked over to him, putting his hand on his shoulder.
"Colin, that was a great first battle. You almost had me."
"Thanks, Max."
"You two both handled your Pokemon really well, much better that my first battle, I'll tell you that much." Ash said.
The three boys all started toward the town's pokemon center. They reached the center and walked through the doors. Neither Max, nor Ash was surprised to see a Joy behind the counter.
"Welcome to the Pokemon center of Fallow Town, the first stop off the Ferry in Abboth. I'm Nurse Joy, can I help you?"
"Yea, we just had a battle, and need to heal out pokemon." Colin said.
"Well, then just hand me the balls containing the pokemon."
The boys handed Nurse Joy the balls and took a seat in the lobby as she walked back into the back of the center.
"So," Colin started," Where are you guys from?"
"He's from Kanto, and I'm from Hoenn. What about you?"
"I'm from here, this is my home town of Fallow Town."
"Really? So you must know Professor Luanne Magnolia?"
"Know her, she's my mom."
"Will you take us to the lab, then?"
"Sure, I'd be delighted to." Colin smiled.
Nurse Joy walked back into the lobby and handed the pokeballs back to their owners, smiled and returned to the counter. Colin stood, and waved his hand in a gesture to follow him; Ash and Max stood and walked with him out the door and down the dirt path.
A grey building came into view and Colin took off into a run, with Ash and Max at his heels. Colin swung open the door of the building and charged in.
"Mom! Mom! I brought friends to see you!"
"Calm down, Colin! Who did you bring?"
"This is Ash, and this is Max."
Max stepped forward and extended his hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ma'am. I'm from Hoenn, and-"
"Oh yes, Professor Birch called about you, I'm Professor Magnolia." She said, shaking Max's hand with a smile. "I'm supposed to give you a map and information about Abboth, right?"
"Yes, Ma'am, that would be very nice of you." Max smiled sweetly.
"Well, you're a sweet boy, aren't you? First off, I'd like to give you this." Professor Magnolia reached into her lab coat pocket and pulled out a pokedex, handing it to Max.
"A pokedex! Thank you, Ma'am!"
"You're very welcome, Max, now, if you'll follow me, I'll tell you more about the area, as well as give you a map of it."
Max and Magnolia walked towards another room, leaving Ash and Colin standing in the foyer.
"So, Colin, you just turn ten as well?"
"Nah, I turned ten last month!" Colin beamed.
"Were you excited to get your first pokemon?"
"Well, I've known this Eevee for a while now, I found it injured, and brought it home. My mom, being the pokemon lover she is, helped me nurse it back to health, she wouldn't let me take it to the center, she told me it would be a good experience. And it was, I love that Eevee like I'm sure you love your Pikachu, otherwise you wouldn't let it go around on your shoulder like that."
Ash smiled at Colin, and looked at is partner on his shoulder.
"You're right; I couldn't ask for a better partner, he's been with me through it all."
The two boys talked until they saw Max return with the professor.
"Ash! I got a map, and the pokedex registered in my name! She said that the next town, Alizaron Town has a gym! We can probably make it by sundown!"
"Not so fast, Max. If you'll look at the map," the professor started, "you have to go through a forest to get there, and if you get lost in that forest, and the sun goes down, you could be stuck in there for days. I advise you find a place to stay for the night."
"Do you know of any place we could stay tonight?" Ash asked.
"Well, there's a guest room in our house, you could stay there if you wanted."
"That would be awesome of you!" Max said.
"That would be nice, thank you Ma'am." Ash said.
Ash and Max walked up the stairs of Colin's house, to the room the professor pointed them to. Ash opened the door, letting himself and Max into their room for the night. They dropped their bags on the floor, and Ash walked over, and sprawled out on the bed.
"Which one of us is sleeping on the floor? I figured that I would, since it's your birthday."
"I thought we'd both sleep on the bed."
"But it's a twin, it's really small."
"Oh well, you're, pretty much, my best friend. I don't mind."
"Okay, thanks, Max."
Ash stood up from his bed, and walked over to the backpack he'd discarded by the door. He pulled his pajamas out of his back pack. He slid his shirt over his head and his pants from his waist. He replaced them with his pajamas, and tossed Max his out of his back pack.
"Thanks , Ash." Max removed his clothes, and Ash couldn't help but blush slightly at the sight. Ash tossed the blanket back and crawled into the bed.
"Come on, Max, I'm sure you've had quite the day. And, we've got to get an early start tomorrow."
"Yea, I know." Max walked over to the bed, pulled back his side of the blanket, and crawled in next to Ash.
"Have a good birthday, Max?"
"It's been the best. I get my pokemon, and I start my adventure with my best friend. Ash?"
"Yea, Max?"
Max scooted even closer to Ash, and pulled him into a hug.
"Thanks."
"It's no problem, Max. Happy birthday."
Max fell asleep soon after, with his arms still around Ash. The morning came much too soon for Ash, he slept so peacefully in Max's arms, he even dreamt of him and Max sitting in a field, after a hard pokemon battle, eating together on a blanket, spread out in the grass. The alarm went off at the break of dawn, and Max stretched his arms in a yawn, and the lack of embrace woke Ash from his dream, right as he was leaning across the blanket on the grass. Max sat up in bed, and rubbed his eyes.
"Good morning, Ash."
"Good morning, Maxxie." Ash said with a yawn.
"I'm gonna grab a shower before we leave."
"That's probably a good idea, it's a question when the next actual shower you'll have will be. It'll probably be bathing in streams for a few days before the next city. Just remember to put on clothes before coming out this time." Ash smiled at Max. In reality, Ash wished Max would walk out naked again, something about the boy attracted Ash.
"Ha ha, funny, Ash." Max said with sarcasm.
Max walked into the bathroom connected to the guest room. Ash heard a knock on the door, and Colin's voice.
"Hey, you better make your showers quick, we don't have that much hot water, my mother and I have already showered."
"Okay, thanks for the warning, Colin."
Ash walked over to the bathroom door and started to tell Max to hurry with his shower, but was hit with an idea as he opened his mouth. He knocked on the door.
"Max?"
"Yea, Ash?"
"Are you in the shower yet?"
"Not yet, I had to pee."
"Well, there's not much hot water left, Colin and Professor Magnolia already took their showers, do you mind if I take a shower with you so we both get a warm shower?"
"Sure, that's fine, but let me get behind the curtain first."
Max opened the shower curtain, and stepped in, giving Ash an okay. He opened the door and walked in the bathroom, excited to shower with Max, but determined not to let him know it, Max was his best friend, and he didn't want to ruin it. He stripped of his pajamas and stepped into the back of the shower, behind Max. He looked at Max's slender back and shoulders as he ran his hands through his hair. It was tempting for Ash to reach out and grab Max's butt, but he with held the urge and reached for the shampoo instead.
Max was lathering himself clean when Ash had another idea.
"Hey, Max, you want me to get your back for you?"
"Sure, thanks."
Ash took the washcloth from Max and started running it over the young boys back. Max was warm to the touch, and Ash was wondering if he was enjoying it as much as he was. When he had soaped Max's back, Max turned around and let the water run down his back and legs, giving Ash the frontal view he had been waiting for all shower long. Ash looked and looked away quickly, before Max could notice, but he made a mental picture of it, so he could remember later.
"Now switch places with me, so I can get under the water."
Ash had already soaped himself up, and he switched places with Max, letting the water wash over him, rinsing away all of the soap from his body. He reached down and turned the shower knobs off, and pulled the curtain open, stepping out onto the shower mat. He tossed Max a towel and started drying himself. Max stepped out of the tub with the towel around his waist and walked over to where he had laid his clothing. He dropped the towel onto the floor and reached for his underpants. Ash couldn't help himself, he grabbed one edge of his towel and snapped it hard at Max. The corner of his towel was damp, and it cracked hard against Max's tender flesh, leaving a big red welt on his right butt cheek. He shrieked and turned around to look at Ash.
"Ash, you jerk, that hurt." Max whimpered.
"I'm sorry, Max, I couldn't help it." Ash laughed at the semi-pathetic look on Max's young face.
Max poked his lower lip out, and quivered it a bit, tugging at Ash's heart strings, before continuing to dress himself. When both he and Ash were dressed, they walked out, back into the guest room, and picked up their back packs and headed down stairs.
"Thanks for putting us up for the night, Professor."
"You're welcome, boys, would you like some breakfast?"
"No thanks, we'll find something on the way, Max is itching to start to the next city."
"Okay, good luck, Max, have fun on your journey. Be careful, boys."
"Thanks, Ma'am."
Colin accompanied the two boys outside.
"Colin, I have a question to ask."
"Yea, Max?"
"Would you like to join Ash and I on our journey?"
"Thanks, Max, but I'm more of the lone type, I like my time to think. But, I'm sure we'll see each other again, I still have to beat you in a battle."
"Well, you better train your pokemon well, good luck, Colin."
Max extended his hand, and Colin obliged him with a friendly handshake. Max knew that he hadn't seen the last of Colin, as he and Ash turned and walked down the dirt path toward the next city, and Max's first gym challenge.
Note: Once again, sorry for the short chapter, but it took me three days to write this. I'm very busy lately, working like a dog to pay for my laptop. But, I hope you enjoyed it. I'll try and update soon.
Please, read and review. Or, read and flame, I'll enjoy the attention, either way.