Chapter 20 – Next Stop: Mount Silver
"I think she ran out of time already" said Dawn from outside the door "Let's go back in"
"Dawn, we have just closed the door" said Serena "Be patient"
"Why are you so calm?" asked Dawn
"Because I trust May" Serena said "And also, because I'm still going to have my moment with Ash"
"I hate you" said Dawn
"No, you don't" said Serena smiling "You love me"
"Yeah, right" said Dawn
INSIDE THE ROOM
"Hi May" said Ash "Where is Dawn and Serena?"
"They went to have some breakfast" answered May
"Of course" said Ash "So, what do you want to talk about?"
May sat down on the bed hit her her hand on her side to show Ash she wanted him to sit next to her. Ash did as she ordered
"Ash…" said May "Did you miss me?"
"What?" asked Ash
"During all those years… did you miss me?" she asked looking at him
"Of course I missed you May" Ash answered "Why wouldn't I?"
May looked at him with sad eyes and Ash noticed it
"Is it because I didn't keep in touch as I promised?" Ash asked "I was telling Dawn that…"
"It's not that" said May crying "It's not that"
"May, please don't cry" Ash said hugging her "What is it then?"
May put Ash away from her so she could look into his eyes
"Ash…" started May "How do you see me?"
"What?" Ash asked confusedly "What do you mean?"
"When you look at me. What do you feel?" she said
Ash looked at her at first not knowing what to answer, but then he started to smile at May making her really comfortable
"I feel like I'm safe" Ash answered "I feel like I can really trust you and no matter what happen, you will never leave me"
May smiled back at him and took his hand placing it into her chest
"What do you feel now?" May asked bushing
"Your heart" answered Ash "It's beating really fast"
"Do you know why?" asked May even redder
"No" said Ash
"It's because of you" May said
"Because of me?" Ash asked
"Yes" May said "Because you are here with me"
"Well… I'm glad I give you such good feelings" Ash said
"If I tell you something… would you keep in secret?" May asked
"Of course May" Ash answered "You can tell me anything"
"I… regret" May started "I regret letting you go"
"What?" Ash asked "What do you mean by you regret letting me go?"
"Back then when we parted after Battle Frontier. I shouldn't have let you go" May said crying again "I should have convinced you to stay with me or I should have gone with you to Sinnoh"
"May… I would never let you give up on your dream because of me" Ash said hugging her once more "It was your dream to became a top coordinator"
"But I should have done that by your side" May said still crying "If I had stayed with you… things would be so different now. We would be together"
"We are together now" Ash answered
"Boy… you sure is a dense man" May said smiling
"Yes" Ash said "I get this a lot"
"It's okay" she said "If you weren't dense… you wouldn't be you. It's you charm"
It was Ash's turn to pull May away so he could look into her eyes
"May…" Ash started "There's something I always loved about you"
"What?" she asked blushing
"Your eyes" Ash said stroking her face "I've never met someone with such beautiful eyes like you"
May blushed even harder, such a compliment from Ash wasn't expected
"I don't know why I'm telling you this now" Ash said "But I think you should know"
"Well… anytime you want, you are more than welcome to look at them" she said smiling
Ash smiled back still stroking her face
"You are a very beautiful woman May" Ash said making her to blush again "Drew is a very lucky guy"
May look at Ash confusedly, but then realized Ash didn't know that she and Drew were no longer together
"Ash, Drew and I are no longer together" May said
"Really?" Ash asked "For real?"
"For real" May said "Please say you love me now" she then thought
"That's good because... I hate him" Ash said smiling
"What? Why?" she asked also smiling
"He was so mean to you sometimes" Ash said "As your friend I tried to give you support but… You deserve so much better than him"
"Really?" May blushed "Like who?"
"I don't know" Ash said "Someone that will take care of you, and make you feel loved the way you deserve. Someone who will always be by your side, someone like…"
"Someone like you" May said completing his words
Ash was caught by surprise. He wasn't expecting that answer but…
"Yes" he said "Someone like me"
They once more looked deeply at each other's eyes until May grabbed Ash's hands again
"Ash…" May said "I don't know if you did get the message here, but if you did, please let me know"
Ash looked at her and saw she was hoping for an answer at that very second
"May… I…" Ash started saying
"Hello guys we're back" said Dawn entering the room very loudly being followed by Serena "So what were you guys talking about?"
"Yes, we just want to know" said Serena "we weren't listening through the wall just to be clear"
"Of course you weren't" said May
"Hey, nice hand holding May" said Dawn pointing to her handing over Ash's "Are you guys cold? There are some blankets at the wardrobe if you need"
May let go of Ash's hand and started staring angrily at them
"Thank you for letting me know Dawn" May said
"You're welcome girl" said Dawn smiling
"So Ash" said Serena "Do you feel better?"
"Yes thank you" said Ash smiling "I still feel my body tingle a bit, just like when I get hit by Pikachu's thunder…"
Ash stopped at the middle of his sentence when he realized that…
"Oh my God Pikachu" said Ash getting up of the bed fast "I have completely forgotten about him. Where is he? Is he okay?"
"Calm down Ash" said Dawn "He is okay"
"Really? Where is he?" Ash asked breathless
"He was found by Professor Oak at his Lab who then took him here to be treated by the Elite Four" said Serena
"Do you know where he is?" Ash asked once more
"Yes" May said also getting up the bed "Last room at the end of the hall"
As she said Ash left the room leaving the girls alone
"So…" May said "You guys were listening?"
"Come on May" Dawn said "This is a hospital. The walls are thin in case any patient start screaming"
"It would be impossible not to listen" said Serena "Haven't you gone too far?"
"What?" May asked
"She is right" said Dawn "All that things about heart beating fast and stuff"
"Hey, I followed the rules. I didn't say I love him and I didn't kiss him either" May said
"Not for lack of chance of course" Dawn answered
"Whatever" May said "Serena, you're next. Go on"
"I'm not going now" said Serena
"Why not?" Dawn asked
"He's with Pikachu" Serena said "Let him have this solo moment"
They three agreed
AT PIKACHU'S ROOM
Ash was still looking at his best friend sleeping calmly, he never though Pikachu could get so badly injured. But it made Ash happy to see how strong he grew since they started traveling together many years ago
"Is he really gonna be okay?" Ash asked to Nurse Joy
"He is Ash. He usually wakes up every day now since he left the comma" Nurse Joy said
Pikachu slowly started to open his eyes, and what a surprise to finally see his master and best friend standing right there next to him
"Hey buddy" said Ash "How are you feeling?"
"Pika" Pikachu said
"I know. I'm also tired. But you did it" Ash said "You came here safely. I'm so proud of you"
"Chu" he said smiling
"I'm going after Lance" Ash said "I really wanted you to go but…"
"Pikachu?" he asked
"I know you want to come" Ash said "But you still have to recover, and unfortunately I can't wait that long"
Pikachu calmly started to close his eyes, falling asleep seconds after Ash's words. He was still pretty bad
"That's right buddy" Ash said "Rest now"
"He will be okay Ash" said Professor Oak from behind him
"Hey Professor. I didn't notice you there" Ash said "Thank you for bringing him here"
"Don't worry Ash" Professor said "So, how are you going to go after Lance?"
"I told you yesterday" said Ash "We must go to Mount Silver and try to get they before they do"
"Since we are closer to Mount silver than Pluma Island, maybe we'll have a chance" Professor Oak said
"Of course we have. It's simple" Ash said Smiling
"I've always admired your positivism" said Professor Oak
"Ash Ketchum" said a voice from behind them
"Bruno" said Ash "How are you?"
"Better than you I believe" Bruno said "And I believe this is yours"
Bruno handed to Ash his Poke balls belt. It was all there all his six poke balls were there just like he gave to Pikachu
"I found it buried on a beach by Vermilion's coast" Bruno said
Ash took his belt and then looked at Pikachu behind him and smiled
"You are the best Pikachu" Ash said
"Ash" Professor Oak started saying "Do you want me to transfer another Pokémon for you to use on Pikachu's place?"
"No need" said Ash still looking at Pikachu "As long as his Poke ball is with me… he will be as well"
"As you wish" Professor Oak said smiling
Suddenly the ER door opened and through it came Lorelei, Agatha, May, Dawn and Serena
"So Ash" said Lorelei "Are you ready?"
"Yes" he answered
"We have a long way to go so let's start…" Lorelei was saying but got interrupted by Ash once more
"Sorry Lorelei Ash said "But you are not coming"
"What?" Lorelei asked surprised just like everybody else in the room "What do you mean?"
"I mean that I want you, Agatha and Bruno to stay here and protect Indigo Plateau" Ash said
"Have you gone mad boy?" asked Bruno "We are the Elite Four. We are going to help you save our Master"
"No. You are staying" said Ash giving Bruno a cold glare nobody never saw Ash giving before
"I think we should stay" said Agatha
"What? What do you mean Agatha?" asked Bruno
"This is Lance's apprentice" Agatha said "He has the same eyes of him. The eyes of determination"
"He knows what he's doing" said Lorelei finally agreeing with Ash "So be it Ash. We'll stay here as you ordered us"
"Thank you Lorelei" said Ash changing his cold glare to a friendly one "I'm sorry Bruno"
"It's okay kid" Bruno said "Just bring him back"
"I will. I promise" Ash said turning to May, Dawn and Serena "I could use your help. If you want"
The girls smiled and nodded in agreement
"Ash" said May "When Lance accepted to give The "Lady" his mind in exchange of his… he hugged us"
"So?" Ash asked
"He put this into my pocket when he hugged me" said May putting her hand into her pocket and showing them a small, bright ball "I don't know what it is"
Ash took the small ball from May's hand, he knew exactly what it was
"The Mighty Pearl" Ash said
"The what?" May asked
"The Mighty Pearl. It allows the holder to hold more than six Pokémon at once" Ash said
"Oh my God" said Dawn "This is wonderful"
"But… why would he give you this?" Ash asked "I have well trained my six Pokémon. The others are not ready for a battle like this"
"I think it was because of this" said Serena also putting her hand into her pocket and showing them a Poke Ball "He put this Poke ball into my pocket as well"
Everybody looked at the Poke ball as Ash took from Serena's hand
"Whose Poke Ball is this?" asked Agatha
"Dragonite's. It is Lance's Dragonite Poke Ball" Ash said "He wants me to use him"
"Lance wanted to get caught by The Lady" said Lorelei "He planned all this"
"But why?" asked Bruno
"Lance thinks that Ash is ready to surpass him in battling" said Agatha "And if Lance faces Ash without his strongest Pokémon… Maybe…"
"I will be able to beat him" Ash finished Agatha's words
Ash looked at Dawn and smiled at her
"You also have something don't you?" Ash asked
Dawn smiled back to Ash and also put her hand into her pocket, showing them a small piece of paper
"What is that?" asked Serena
"I don't know" Dawn said "It's a piece of paper folded several times"
Ash took the paper and unfolded, it was the size of a regular notebook sheet of paper
"It's a map" said Ash
"A map?" asked Lorelei "Of what?"
"Mount Silver" said Ash "Of course…"
"What?" asked May
"It's a shortcut to the top" said Ash
"A shortcut?" asked Bruno
"Yes" Ash answered "The regular way to get to the top is by the caves, climbing everything. But there's a waterfall on the appositive side of the Mountain that can be surfed by a Pokémon, so…."
"You are going to get there faster than Team Tenebris" said Lorelei
"And you can fight them before they enter the Temple of Dragons" said Professor Oak
"Yes" said Ash "But I am going to let them enter the Temple of Dragons"
"What?" Lorelei asked in surprise just like everybody in the room "Why?"
"The battle is going to be hard" Ash said "Mount Silver can't hold that much power together. If we battle there the Mountain may fell down, causing avalanches and landslides that may also hit Kanto and Johto"
"I understand" said Professor Oak "Battling inside the Temple of Dragons is safer than outside"
"That's right" said Ash "So we must get to the Temple first, enter it and wait for them"
"But Ash" said Lorelei "This is impossible. Only the Dragon Master can enter the temple"
"That's true" said Ash "That's why there will be no problem for us"
Everybody looked at Ash confusedly
"I am the Dragon Master" Ash said
And silence filled the room