It's just that time again! Yup, another batch of updates from the guy who really should have thought this process through better!

Yeah, anyway, you guys are not that far behind anymore. I put Chapter 32 up on the other site a couple of days ago, and I think I'm adding up to 27 today...so yay, I guess.

The group spent the remainder of the evening in the hospital while Ash was treated, sans Brandon. The Pyramid King had sincerely thanked everyone for their help and departed for Tohjo Falls soon after, saying something about getting in touch with the other Frontier Brains.

Ash, meanwhile, was taken in for treatment. The entire process took only a couple of hours. They removed the bullet from his shoulder and stitched up the wound, but the doctors had said that that was all they could do, and that it wasn't a particularly grievous wound in the first place. Well, no more so than any other generic bullet wound.

By the time they had exited the hospital, Pikachu taking care not to stand on Ash's sore shoulder, it was already dark outside.

"Man..." Lily said distantly as they walked down the street, toward the northern port. "Some day, huh?"

"I'll say." Max agreed. He sounded exhausted.

"So what's the plan for you guys?" Trey asked, directing his attention toward Brock. "Where're you headed next?"

"I think we were all going to Pallet Town next." Brock answered, glancing to Ash for confirmation.

"Yeah." Ash nodded. "I used to live there before I was a Pokemon Trainer, and my mom still lives there. I figured we could just stay there for a while until we figure out what to do next."

"What about you two?" Brock asked, glancing at Trey and Lily.

The two glanced at each other. "Well, since finishing the Battle Frontier is kind of impossible right now, we were thinking of heading to Hoenn next." Trey explained.

"Hoenn...?" May echoed softly, her thoughts drifting back to her own home in Petalburg City.

"Yeah." Lily answered, nodding. "We've never been there before, so we figured it'd be a fun experience."

As they made their way up to the docks, they continued chatting until they made their way to the ticket booths. Trey purchased two one-way tickets to Hoenn, Brock bought one for Pallet Town, and, like usual, Ash bought the three for himself, May, and Max, also for Pallet Town.

Once they drew up to the line of ships, Trey and Lily stood off to one side, facing the rest of the group.

"Well...I don't think we're gonna bump into you guys again any time soon." Trey admitted, a touch of sadness in his voice.

"Yeah..." Ash agreed, nodding slowly.

"Thanks again for all your help." Trey continued after a brief moment of silence. "Back in Fuchsia City, and here with the Battle Pyramid, too."

"We were glad to do it." Brock replied honestly.

"Yeah." Ash added. "And you're the one who saved my Swellow from drowning, remember?"

"Right."

The two groups stood there for another few moments, staring at each other awkwardly.

"Well...um..." Lily began slowly. "...Bye."

"See you guys later." Trey added, raising a hand in farewell as the two began walking away.

Ash raised his left hand, waving back at them, along with Pikachu, May, Max, and Brock. Before too long, though, Lily turned around and faced Ash and May one last time.

"Oh...and good luck, you guys!" Lily said, smiling at the two for a second before turning and walking out of sight, along with Trey.

Brock and Max brushed off the comment as nothing, but Ash and May stared back in confusion. After a moment, however, the two turned to each other and merely grinned.

"Pika, pika." Pikachu said, chuckling.

Their boat departed soon after, and, given the fact that it was actually night, the group soon retreated to their cabin for a much-deserved rest.

Their room had two bunk beds, which was what they had come to expect over the months. Ash and Brock usually shared one, and May and Max the other. This rule remained true here, with Brock and Max taking the respective top bunks, leaving Ash and May the bottom.

It wasn't long before the lights were out and everyone had curled up in their respective bed for a good night's rest, Pikachu taking the floor at the foot of Ash and Brock's bunk. However, soon after the lights were out, and it became apparent that the others were asleep, May silently rose from her bed and made her way across the room.

"Ash?" She whispered from the side of his bed. He appeared to be asleep as well. "Ash..." She persisted, shaking him gently.

It took a few more tries, but eventually he awoke, albeit rather groggily. "M-May?" He muttered softly, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "What's wrong?"

"Pi?" Pikachu murmured quietly, ears perking up at the noise.

She put a finger over her mouth, indicating silence, and motioned to the door. Ash glanced back at her, confused, but swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up anyway a moment later.
Without making a noise, the two made their way outside, taking care to close the door with as little noise as possible. Pikachu watched this and decided it would be better to simply go back to sleep.

"What's going on?" Ash inquired, still rubbing one eye.

"I just wanted to...talk to you." May answered softly. She glanced at his shoulder, the hole still apparent in his shirt. "How's your shoulder doing?"

He looked down at the wound as well, finally coming fully awake. "I guess it's okay. It's still a little sore, and it hurts if I try to use it too much, but it's fine besides that."

"That's good."

The two were silent for a few seconds as they awkwardly glanced at each other, trying to figure out what to say next.

"Um...so...what are we...?" May began nervously, breaking the silence.

Ash looked back at her, a strange look present on his face. "I...dunno...I mean...we kinda..."

May held his gaze as a touch of regret entered her tone. "If you don't...I mean...it's okay if you...don't..."

Ash watched her with concern as she looked away, tears entering his eyes. "May...?"

He continued watching her for a moment, and when she didn't turn back to face him, he stepped up next to her. "Listen...May...I..."

She looked back at him, tears brimming her eyes.

"I...I really hate it when you do...that." Ash told her softly, looking back at her sadly.

She held his gaze in pleasant shock, not quite believing what she had just heard.

"When you cry...it makes me want to cry, too." He continued.

May smiled back at him, knowing what a sentiment like that meant, coming from a guy like Ash. She threw her arms around him, taking care not to put too much pressure on his right arm.

Ash returned the gesture after a moment of shock, wrapping his arms tightly around the girl who had become so much more important to him over the last few days.

"Thanks for saving me...you know, back there." May said softly as they broke apart.

"Sure. I couldn't just sit there and watch you get hurt like that...especially not after that." Ash said, eyeing the still-visible fang marks on May's left arm.

May continued smiling back at him, and then she decided to mention something that had been on her mind recently. "You know we're gonna have to tell the others sooner or later..."

Ash paused, glancing over her shoulder at the door behind her, leading back to their room. "Yeah, you're right. Hmm..."

Suddenly, May yawned, and it hit both of them how tired they were from the day's events. "Well, we can worry about that later." May said, giggling.

Ash nodded, chuckling as well, and moved to open the door back to the darkness of their room. He let May inside first and then went inside himself, quietly shutting the door behind him. The two climbed back into bed silently and quickly fell asleep, the both of them unable to stop thinking about what had just transpired.

Please R&R!