Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Ash wandered around Alizarin for what seemed like forever. He decided to return to restaurant to see if Adrian had seen Max anywhere around. The bell above the door ringed when Ash walked in.

"Hey, Sugar, I'm sorry to hear about the little cutie's loss."

"Adric told you?"

"In a way."

"You wouldn't happen to have seen Max, would you?"

"There's a waterfall about a half mile down that way." The waitress gestured towards the East.

"So, he's been through here?"

"You could say that."

"Okay, thanks."

Ash ran out of the door and off toward the waterfall Adrian had pointed to. He burst through the shrubbery and saw Max, about to cross the waterfall on a fallen tree. The water was rushing against the tree, and, ever few moments, the tree would slip a little closer to the edge of the falls.

"Max!" Ash yelled when he saw Max put a foot on the tree and start to step up.

"Ash! I saw a Starly over there, I'm sure I can catch it!"

"Max, do NOT cross that log, it is way too dangerous!"

"No, Ash, I'll be fine." Max stepped up on the log and started to walk across. "I've got good balance."

"Max, get down now!"

Max blatantly ignored Ash and continued crossing the log. In the years Ash had gone without seeing Max, Max had grown considerably. Since he hadn't been on an adventure, Max was no longer skinny as a board, he had a little meat on his bones now, not enough to be considered fat, or even chubby, really, but enough that the small tree he was standing on shifted in the water below him. The water lapped up over the tree and around Max's shoes.

"Max, come back, now!"

Max acted as if he never heard Ash and continued to cross the log that was sinking a little more with each step.

"Max!" No sooner than he yelled again, the log cracked and Max fell into the water and was drug quickly to the edge of the falls.

"Max, no!" Ash, without thinking, dropped Pikachu onto the ground by the river, ran, and dived off the side of the falls down into the lake below. He hit the water with a splash, resurfaced and searched around for Max. He saw him, floating unconscious in the water, and swam over to him. He put Max's arm around his shoulders and swam over to the edge of the lake, and pulled Max up into the grass. He pushed down on Max's sternum, pushing the water up out of his lungs, put his mouth over Max's, and breathed air into his lungs, before repeating the process. After three rounds of CPR, Max coughed up water and sat up, before throwing his arms around Ash.

"Ash! I was so scared, I didn't know, I." Max couldn't talk anymore, he had started crying. Ash shushed Max, and just held him, he let tears fall down his face, silently. Truthfully, he was just as scared as Max was, why else would he have dived from a cliff, without even knowing he would have landed in the water? Pikachu found his was down to where Ash sat, with Max in his arms, but when he saw them, he didn't interrupt, but looked silently on them. It wasn't too long before Ash's and Max's tears were dried, and they just sat there, holding each other.

"I need to go back and train more, on this side of the waterfall, this time." Max got up from Ash's lap and started to walk away, but Ash grabbed his hand before get far. He pulled him back so that Max was facing him.

"Max, I promised your mother that I would I would protect you. And you go off and do something like that?"

"I'm sorry, Ash."

"Jesus, God, Max, you could have drown."

"I know, Ash, and I'm sorry!"

Ash held onto Max's hand and thought for a few seconds.

"Max, I think what you did deserves a punishment, for disobeying me, and for putting yourself in such danger."

"I....I....understand. You were looking out for me, and I didn't listen, and, well, I understand."

"Good, Pikachu?" Ash looked at his pokemon

"Pika?"

"I think you should go into the ball for this one, okay, Pal?"

Pikachu hated the inside of a pokeball, but understood, and nodded.

"Thanks." Ash pointed the only empty pokeball on his belt at Pikachu; a red light surrounded him and he disappeared into the ball.

"Max? I'm going to spank you, okay?"

"Okay." Max looked down, the idea of it really scared him, he knew it was going to hurt, but he knew he deserved it.

Ash reached up and to Max's waistline of his pants. Max quickly blocked his hands,

"Ash! What are you doing?"

"I'm going to spank you, Max, and spankings work best when they are on bare flesh."

"But...but....bu"

"No buts, Max, this is going to hurt, but it's gotta be done."

Max only nodded, and moved his hands. Ash unbuttoned Max's pants. He had dreamed of doing it, but not like this, this wasn't enjoyable, he didn't want to do this. He slid the pants down and left Max shivering in his boxers. He took Max's hands again and led him down to lie across his lap. Max shifted uncomfortably. Ash put his hands in the sides of Max's boxers and started to pull them down. Max lifted his hips to let the cloth slide down easier.

"Are you ready, Max?"

"No, but I don't think it matters."

Ash lifted his hand in the air and brought it down hard onto Max's bare butt. Max cried out it pain and brought his hand back to rub it, but Ash caught it and brought it up to the small of his back. He smacked Max's other cheek, resulting in another cry. A few more slaps had tears down Max's face again.

"Please, Ash, stop, it hurts." Max said between sobs.

"I'm sorry, Max, it's supposed to hurt, but we're not done yet."

Max in his hands, and Ash continued the spanking. Before it was over, Max was full out crying and Ash wasn't feeling too much better. He pulled Max up and into a hug. Max wrapped his arms around Ash and cried into his shoulder. Ash wasn't sure, but he thought he felt something pressing into his stomach around Max's groin area. Max reached down and pulled up his pants and underwear before hugging Ash again.

"Thanks, Ash. I think I deserved that."

"I think I did too. But I hated doing that, ya know."

The two sat there in silence for a second, Ash looking into his eyes, still glistening from the tears. Before he knew what he was doing, Ash leaned in. He brushed his lips against Max's. He pulled back, and Max was staring at him with a look that he couldn't identify. Ash stood up quickly and ran back into Alizarin. Max reached up and brushed his lips with his fingers, he tried opening his mouth to speak, but he couldn't even talk to himself.

Sorry for the short chapter. But it's been a month and I had to get something out.

Reviews are loved. Flames are accepted. Either way, you read.