Well, here's the next chapter in our epic saga (haha). As for the last scene of Ch2 with the umbrella, that was actually a reference to a scene between Sango and Miroku in Inuyasha, my other favorite anime. As I've said in the past, I do not own Pokemon or its characters, but this fanfiction is mine. Enjoy. Please review!


Chapter 3

After about half an hour of walking, Ash and May saw the Pokemon Center and the other buildings of Viridian City starting to appear. As always, the duo went to the Pokemon center to check into a room and to request that Nurse Joy look after their Pokemon.

"Well kids, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I can take care of your Pokemon right away!"

Ash quickly asked, "What's the bad news?"

"I'm afraid that we don't have any rooms left."

"Ugh, I'm soooooo tired of sleeping outside!" May complained.

"I'm afraid there's not much I can do about that."

Someone from behind said, "Nurse Joy, they can have my room. After all, it would be a shame to let such a pretty lady sleep on the cold, hard ground tonight."

May blushed and slightly turned her face away. A young man with black hair and dark brown eyes walked up next to May. He was about as tall as Ash and in May's opinion very handsome.

Having noticed Ash next to May he said, "And of course her boyfriend, the lucky guy that he is, should be with her."

"Uh, thanks. What did you say your name was?"

"Jacob Higurashi, but you can call me Jake."

"I'm Ash and this is May."

"Hi, Jake."

"Wait a minute. Are you Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town?"

"Yup, that's me."

"Would you sign my Pokedex? I'm a huge fan of yours. Ever since I saw you in the Kanto League, I've been following your exploits. You've recently been the first in a long time to beat the Battle Frontier and were even offered a position as a Frontier Brain, but you declined."

"Wow, you must've been keeping a close watch on me."

"Yes, I have. In fact, your Kanto league battles have inspired me to become the best trainer I can be."

Jacob looked over at May.

"And of course I know who you are ma'am. You're May from Petalburg City. Your father's the Petalburg Gym leader. You've become a top coordinator and you've recently competed in the Kanto Grand Festival finishing in the Top 4."

"Gee, Jacob, you sure did your homework!"

"It would be an honor giving up my room to you guys. Besides, my cousin from Vermilion just moved here yesterday, so I was about to check out anyway."

May spoke up and said, "Thank you very much, Jacob. You don't know how much I could use a good night's rest on an actual bed."

"Any time, May. If you guys need me, I'm just a few blocks away. I used to live here before we moved to Vermilion, so I could show you guys around if you'd like. Here's my cousin's address."

Jake gave them a piece of paper with the address of the house in which he would be staying.

"Sure, that'd be nice," said Ash and May in unison.

"Well, hopefully I'll see you guys soon. Bye!"

"Bye, Jake!"

The young man walked out of the automatic doors of the Pokemon Center. With her signature smile, Nurse Joy handed over two keys to the room that had previously been occupied by Jacob.

"Well, here's the key and I'll have your Pokemon in fighting shape A.S.A.P.!"

"Thank you, Nurse Joy!"

May and Ash walked down the hall to find the room. May was thinking about her recent experience with Jacob and the fact that he had confused the two for a couple.

Is it just because it's just the two of us without Brock? Do we really look good together? Well, Jacob made it clear that he thought I looked good.

May gave a small giggle, but then remembered that Ash did not deny that they were a couple.

Either Ash liked the idea of us being boyfriend and girlfriend,

May looked up at her traveling partner as he attempted to locate the room.

Or he's just incredibly dense!

May giggled again, but at a much more noticeable volume.

"What's so funny, May?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just that Jacob was kinda cute."

With a look of jealousy on his face, Ash quickly turned his head.

"Er, I mean I guess he's o.k. It was nice of him to give up his room, and he certainly has good taste."

May remembered Jacob's comment about her beauty and blushed at the supposed compliment.

"Er, In Pokemon trainers."

A giant sweatdrop appeared on May's head.

"Right, Ash. There's our room."

Ash took the key and unlocked the door. Both Ash and May surveyed the room and saw that it had everything that they needed. There was a small desk, a bathroom, a T.V., two twin sized beds, and a nightstand. They started to unpack their things, mostly clothes, and when they were finished they decided to walk around Viridian.

"I think we should take Jacob up on his offer."

"Yeah, We've gotta get to the mall and get some serious shopping done!"

"Hold on, May. We?"

"Of course! For one thing, We have got to get you a suit for the ball. Don't tell me you planned on going in that outfit! And for another thing, I'm going to need someone to carry my bags."

"But, May, I had planned to see the other places in Viridian. It's not everyday that we get some time off."

"But, Ash, we have to go so that I can get a dress for the ball. Or do you want me to just go naked?"

Ash paused at this and thought for a few seconds about it, but then mentally scolded himself for even thinking such a thing.

However, a few seconds was too long of a pause for May.

"Ugh, ASH KETCHUM I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU, YOU PIG!!! YOU WERE IMAGINING ME NAKED WEREN'T YOU!?"

"Um, no, see what had happened was...uh...sorry?"

"I'll accept your apology on two conditions."

Oh, crap, I know where this is going.

"Promise that you'll go shopping with me and carry my bags and..."

May paused for no more than two seconds, but to Ash it seemed as if she had kept him waiting for hours.

"I'd like you to ask me to the dance," said May timidly.

After realizing that she had actually asked him, May quickly followed and explained,

"I mean so that I won't have to dance with Drew or anything."

"Oh, thank God!" Ash blurted out accidentally.

"...that I get to go to the ball.

Ash had never liked Drew. He respected him as a Pokemon Coordinator. However, whenever he saw May, he almost never seemed to support her and usually talked down to her. I mean who the hell does he think he is. What gives him the right to constantly put her down like that?! And what about those stupid roses! Ash jealously remembered the many times that Drew had given May a rose before saying 'goodbye'. Well, he better stop doing that, cuz if not, Romeo's gonna get it. He was unaware that he was making the angriest face that May had ever seen when he thought this.

"Hey, Ash, if you don't want to go with me thats o.k. I can go by myself," said May somewhat hurt.

"Oh, no I definitely want to go with you. I was just thinking about something else," Ash said attempting to brush it off.

"Really, Ash? You'll take me?"

"Of course, May. What are friends for?"

Right, friends. Jeez, this guy cannot take a hint!

"But I'm not much of a dancer, May."

"Oh, that's o.k. I guess I can lead, but just so you know that it's usually the strong, handsome gentleman's duty to lead the lady across the dance floor."

"Well, we can figure it out when it gets closer to the dance. Now we have to get to the mall and get your dress."

Ash and May got their bags and walked out of the room. After leaving the Pokemon center, they walked a few blocks west of the center. They stopped at a white house with a small garden in the front yard. The house had a two car garage, and it had a tire swing on the tree in the backyard. The mailbox had the name Higurashi on it, so the duo assumed that they had arrived at the correct location.

"O.k. I think this is it."

Ash stepped up to the door and knocked three times. After a few seconds, a young lady who appeared to be in her mid twenties answered the door.

"Hello. You must be Ash and May. Come in. Jake is in his room. I'll tell him that you're here. Please have a seat on the couch."

"Thank you!"

"Jake! Ash and May are here!"

The young boy that they had met earlier today came rushing down the stairs.

"Hey, guys, so I guess you decided to let me show you around."

"Yup, we've gotta go find May a dress for the Grand Festival Ball."

"Oh, I know the perfect place for that."

"Joanne, I'm going to head to the mall with Ash and May. Is that o.k.?"

" Sure, Jake, just be back in time for supper."

"Let's go!"

"Bye, Joanne."

"Bye, Jake, have fun!"

Ash, May, and their new friend walked out of Jake's house and started their way west.

"It's about fifteen minutes away, so we can spend sometime getting to know each other. As for me, I just got finished going through the Sinnoh region."

"Sinnoh region? Where's that?" asked Ash.

"It's north of Johto and Kanto."

"Past the mountains?"

"Yup. I traveled around there for a year and a half and collected the eight badges there, and I was lucky enough to compete in the Pokemon league."

"Nice. How far did you get?"

"Best 4."

"That's pretty good."

"I guess I did o.k., but that's nowhere near as good as beating the Battle Frontier."

"Yeah, I admit that was kinda hard."

He's so cute. May thought as she admired his modesty. Unlike Drew, Ash isn't completely conceded. He's accomplished so much more than Drew, and yet he doesn't brag about it. May felt herself blush. I guess I am in love with him. Well, he probably doesn't feel the same way. I mean he's probably too busy for a girlfriend.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Jake.

"So, May, what are you planning to do after the Grand Festival Dance."

"Oh, I'm not sure yet. I was thinking of going to the Johto region and compete in the contests there."

"That sounds like fun. I think you'll like it there. There's a lot of Pokemon that aren't in the Kanto or Hoenn region."

Ash's heart sank. She's leaving me to go to Johto?! But that's so far away. I was hoping that we could travel around some more.

Ash's thoughts were also interrupted by Jake.

"What about you, Ash? What do you plan on doing?"

"I'm not sure right now, but the Sinnoh region sounds kind of interesting from what I've been told."

May looked down at her shoes. After all of this time together, I can't believe that he'd want to throw it all away. I know that we're not going out, but he doesn't even seem sad that we're going to be going our separate ways soon.

"Well, we're here guys."

Ash and May looked up at the huge shopping center. The food court was right outside with about every kind of cuisine on the planet. The trio walked in the front doors and saw the three floors of shopping areas. Everything and anything that anyone could possibly want to buy could be located in a store at the Viridian mall.

"As you can see, this place is larger than Viridian Forest, so we're going to need these."

Jake handed each of them a map with all of the stores and their locations.

"O.k. So, Ash. You said that we were here to pick up a dress for May, so I've circled all of the dress shops, shoe shops, accessory shops, and jewelry shops in the mall."

Ash looked at the map that Jake had given him and he almost had a heart attack.

"Jake, this is more than thirty shops. I thought we were just here for a dress. Why do we need to go to jewelry shops and shoes shops and all this other stuff?"

"Hellooooooo, Ash. When you shop for a dress, you not only have to get a dress, but you have to get matching shoes, jewelry, and other accessories that match perfectly with the outfit."

May was very surprised at Jake.

"How do you know this, Jake. Do you go shopping for dresses often?," she said with a giggle.

"Nope, but when I was a lot younger, my cousin used to take me with her to buy dresses for homecoming, prom, friends' weddings, and whatnot. Let's just say I picked up a thing or two."

Ash thought, And by the look of things, I'm going to have to pick up and carry a few things myself. Well, at least I have Jake here to help me carry things. I sure as hell am gonna need it.

Ash sighed deeply and said sarcastically, "Here's where the fun begins."


How was this one? I hope it was as good as the first two. I hope to get a few reviews until I post the next one. And just for fun, I thought I'd post a riddle here. The first one to get the answer will get the next chapter in a message (or

any kind of email) a few days before I post the final version, and you get to add anything you'd like to it. Just nothing obscene or compromising to the plot line. Here it is: Is the following statement true or false? "This statement is false."