It's that time of...summer...again? I don't know, never mind.
Big moment in the fic is coming up, so get ready for that. Although, most of the chapters around this time were a lot shorter than usual, so there's that, as well.
"Are you sure you're all right?" Brock was saying as Ash approached the group from behind. He was staring hard at May with a worried look on his face.
"I already told you, I'm fine." May answered. "I just..."
"I still think you should let someone see that." Brock insisted. "Why didn't you tell us you got hurt?"
"I guess I didn't think it was that big of a deal." May answered slowly, glancing at the white cloth still wrapped around the wound. "I just tripped and skinned my arm, it's not exactly a - "
"You sure?" Max cut in, examining the makeshift bandage closely. "I don't know, sis, you looked pretty bad out there..."
"Yeah." Ash agreed, speaking up. "You sure you're all right, May?"
May glanced at Ash, as if noticing him for the first time. "Come on, you guys, I'm fine! Could you stop asking already?"
There was a momentary silence among them as they continued to examine May silently. Then Brock's eyes focused on the green flower still in her hair. "All right, so where'd you get that flower?"
May's mouth fell open, but no sound came out for a moment. "It...uh..."
"Yeah, May, who gave it to you?" Max prodded. "Was it Drew?"
"No...I-I..." May stammered, looking to Ash for support, who was staring blankly at her. "I just bought it for myself..."
"Really?" Brock replied quizzically.
"Why'd you do that?" Max asked, a hint of disgust in his voice.
"You know...for the Contest." May continued, confidence slowly returning to her voice. "I thought it might be nice to do something a little different..."
"If you say so..." Max trailed off.
"Anyway." Brock began, his voice turning serious. "Where are we headed next? I had planned to stay here a little longer, but, well..."
May caught his meaning and bowed her head slightly. "Yeah."
"Oh, that's right!" Ash cut in excitedly, causing everyone to turn and look at him. "I just saw Trey back there. He said that the Battle Pyramid is gonna be on Cinnabar Island in two days!"
"Only two days away?" Max cried in disbelief.
"The Battle Pyramid?" Brock said, putting a hand to his chin. "Don't you need the other six symbols to challenge it, though?"
"Yeah, most of the time. But since the Battle Frontier is shut down right now, he said they're accepting any challengers on that one day." Ash explained quickly.
"Makes sense, I guess." Brock said. "Well, if we're heading there next, we'll have to leave by tomorrow morning."
Ash nodded. "All right, then!" He turned to Pikachu, perched on his shoulder as usual. "You excited, buddy?"
"Pi, pikachu!"
A short while later, they had made their way out of the Contest Hall and off the beach, and were making their way through the city streets back to the Pokemon Center.
May, who was walking in the back, behind Max, noticed a fair number of people glancing at her in wonder, most of them boys. She had never had a reputation for such things, so she considered this highly unusual. Max must have noticed it, too.
"Hey, May, why do all those guys keep looking at you?" Max whispered back to her. "It's kinda weird."
"I dunno..." She answered softly, avoiding their glances. She subconsciously brought a hand up to her face, fingering the flower Ash had given her. She glanced at the back of Ash's head, who appeared to be conversing with Brock about something, probably Pokemon related, she figured. Holding the glance for a moment, she smiled to herself before looking away again.
Suddenly, an enormous wave of pain rushed through her body, dulling her senses and throwing her to the ground almost instantly.
Max turned around when he heard her fall, and his eyes widened in shock at what he saw. "M-May? What's wrong?"
Ash and Brock turned as well, and all three of them rushed to May's side at once. "May! Are you all right?" Brock demanded.
"I...yeah...I'm fine..." May breathed, attempting to get back up. But as soon as she shifted her weight, another rush of pain was triggered, and she toppled to the ground in a heap.
"May?" Brock repeated.
"Come on, sis!"
"MAY!" Ash cried finally, staring at this unconscious friend with concern in his eyes.
They had quickly taken May to the city's hospital after that, or rather, Brock had carried her there and Ash and Max had followed. After removing her makeshift bandage, the doctor had easily discovered it to be a Poison Fang wound from a Seviper. Despite all of them wondering why she hadn't simply told them the truth, they were all extremely concerned for her, especially Max. When the doctor had explained to them the severity of the wound, Max had almost started crying.
Now, it was later that night, and a full moon was in the sky, clearly visible through the window in May's room. She had recently awoken, and soon discovered where she was: lying in a hospital bed.
"I still don't get it, sis..." Max said slowly, his eyes locked on the two harsh fang marks still visible on her arm. "w-why didn't you just tell us?"
"This could've been a lot worse." Brock reasoned. "Attacks like that weren't meant to be used on a human."
"I - I know." May answered softly. "I'm sorry...I guess I just...didn't want to make a big deal about it..."
Both her bandana and her flower had been removed when she was put into the bed. The flower was sitting in a new vase from the hospital on the table beside her, and her bandana was neatly folded and set on the same table.
"Well, I guess we can't change that, now." Brock continued. "Try and get some rest."
"Yeah..." Max added, staring at the floor.
May looked at him for a moment, then caught his meaning and spoke up. "Don't worry, Max...I'll be okay."
"...Yeah..." Max repeated, sniffing.
"Come on." Brock said softly, placing a hand on his back as they walked out of the room. Ash was about to follow them, but then he glanced at her from across the room, and changed his mind.
"Hey, buddy..." Ash began in a whisper, turning to Pikachu.
"Pi?" Pikachu answered questioningly. Ash nodded in response, and Pikachu promptly jumped down off his shoulder and exited the room after Max and Brock.
"Ash?" May asked slowly, her eyes following him as he took a seat next to her bed. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing...I just...um..."
"...Listen, Ash...about the Battle Pyramid..."
"Huh?" Ash answered, mentally stopping in his tracks. This was not what he'd planned to talk to her about. "W-what about it?"
"...You...you've got to go ahead without me."
"What? No way!" Ash responded at once. "I'm not gonna leave you here!"
"It's okay...Max and Brock will still be here, I'll be fine..." May continued softly.
"It's not okay!"
"Ash, it's only going to be on Cinnabar Island for one day." May insisted, her voice still somewhat weak. Her eyes betrayed her condition as well, appearing red and sickly. "If you don't leave in the morning..."
"Yeah, I know!" Ash shot back. "But..."
"What?"
"But...what about you? I can't just leave you here!"
"I told you...Max and Brock will still be here, they'll take care of me. You've got to go on ahead, we'll meet up with you - "
"But - I - " Ash stammered, shooting his glance to the floor behind locking eyes with May. "I can't go without you!"
May's eyes widened, but no sound came from her mouth. She simply held his gaze, a faint blush creeping onto her face.
"I - I can't!" Ash continued, showing a level of emotion almost unknown to him. "If I went without you, it wouldn't even matter anymore!"
"A-Ash..." She breathed softly.
"That's why I have to stay here!" Ash went on, tears beginning to cascade down his face. "You've got to get better, May, you just have to! Without you...I..."
The two held each the others' gaze for a long while before Ash continued.
"I...I don't even know what I'm feeling...or why...but I know one thing." Ash continued, looking at her with a defiant gaze that May had only ever seen him give in a Pokemon battle. He took her weak hand and clasped both of his around it. "I'm not leaving...not until you're okay again."
Please R&R!