Ch.15
"Stupid Fox."
Paul walked out of the Pokemon center with his bag and began to walk towards the outskirts of the city.
"Just walk straight ahead, I'm tired of hanging around with these morons."
Paul noted the sound of a rumbling jet passing over the city, probably looking to land somewhere back at the airport. And for some reason that reminded him about how he got to Lumiose in the first place.
"Thank you for the food!"
"You're all very welcome" Meyer said proudly, "who do you think Clemont learned to cook from in the first place?"
Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie started to dig in at their different pace.
"Too bad Paul didn't stay around for breakfast" Meyer said with a spatula in hand.
"He seemed quite…odd, more than usual. Do any of you know if something happened?"
Serena and Meyer gave Clemont strange looks,
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he responded.
"What do you mean Clemont, are you saying I'm hiding something?" Serena said as she took another bight of food.
"Uh…no?"
"Yea-yeah Cle-Clemont" Meyer said, "I-I don't know anything about Pauljumpingonbuildings, infiltratingsecretbases or anything like that, that would be ridiculous, wouldn't it?"
"Jumping on what? Dad what are you-" Clemont was soon cut off by a spoon in his mouth.
"Just eat son, just look at your friends" Meyer nodded towards Ash and May who were scarfing down food like there was no tomorrow, "now those two have a healthy appetite, why didn't you ever eat like that?"
Clemont responded by removing the silver spoon from his mouth. His glasses then fogged up as he looked right at his dad,
"Because I don't want to choke" Clemont then pushed up his glasses, "Meyer, are hiding something from me?"
"He's suspicious!"
Ash took one last bit before putting his spoon down. He then looked over to May, who was still eating furiously, almost with bad intentions in her eyes. Ash stared at her for a moment before May noticed him. She turned and looked at straight at him, their noses almost touching.
"Can I help you?" May said.
"Oh, uh, nothing, I was just thinking, you usually finish breakfast before me most of the time-"
"Are you calling me fat?"
"Wait what, of course not." Ash put his hands up in front of him.
"Then mind your own business."
May went back to eating while everybody decided it was best to just go to their happy place.
"Come on guys, let's get to Sycamore's lab." Ash began to take a huge step,
"Wait!" May stood in place holding her left arm.
"May, what's the matter?" Clemont said.
"I can't go with you guys to the lab." She replied.
"What do you mean May?" Ash then walked up to her. May avoided her gaze.
"Pika?" Pikachu echoed.
"I-I have to leave."
Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie followed May silently to the airport. Ash seemed the worse off as his usually bright eyes were dim.
"Why didn't you say something earlier May?" Clemont said.
"I knew I had to leave soon, but" May paused as she looked straight ahead, "I guess didn't want to believe it myself. So I kind of forgot about it."
They made it to the airport and May found the same plane she had first came to Kalos in with Ash and Paul.
In front of the plane stood a familiar figure, the black glasses business women in her distinguished power suit.
"Hello Miss Maple, you're on time."
"Hi" May said.
"Now let's see if this "Kalos fashion" has any weight in other regions." She took a couple steps towards the planes entrance, she turned to look back at May; she wasn't moving from her spot.
"Quickly Miss Maple, we're burning money."
May slowly lifted her head and bit her lip,
"I'm not going."
The black glasses woman looked right through May, sending the chills through the Pokemon coordinator's spine.
"No, what do you mean no?" She said.
"I don't want to go, I want to stay in kalos."
"May" Ash said as he put a hand on her shoulder, "why don't you want to go?"
May turned to look at Ash, "so you don't want me to travel with you anymore?"
Ash went wide-eyed, "of course I want you to stay."
"I don't ever want to see you go."
"But I thought Pokemon Contest was what you loved."
"Ah" the blackglasses woman walked up to Ash, "so it's you."
She grabbed Ash's shoulder and squeezed, Ash yelped and pulled back,
"It's always the honest looking ones that cause trouble" she said without taking her eyes of Ash.
"Are you sure you want to stay?" Clemont asked.
May looked down and avoided any eye contact, "I don't know…"
Ash stiffened up when he heard this, "she doesn't know? But there's nothing here in Kalos for her…"
"Well, if you're not sure then I'll help you decide." Ash said
May looked at Ash, confused on what he was talking about.
Ash saw her confusion and continued with a smile, "May, I challenge you to a battle." Everybody looked at him confused at the sudden challenge, "if you win you stay, if I win, you go back and win every Pokemon contest and win the grand festival."
Clemont pushed up his glasses still wrapping his head around what Ash said "Well, that's one way to make a decision."
"The hell that's going to happen. Miss Maple must decide for herself."
Ash growled at her, fed up with her attitude that reminded him of someone else.
"Actually that's not a bad idea, dumbass" a new voice entered the picture, "but growling like that isn't going to get you anything."
Serena was the first to turn and saw purple haired trainer.
"Paul? What are you doing here?" Ash said. Paul walked into the middle of things with his hands in his pockets.
"I had a feeling you would all be here. And I didn't want to be the only one who didn't say bye. But it looks like you need my help."
"Nobody asked for your help." Ash responded
"Pika!" echoed Pikachu.
"Are you sure? Look me in the eyes and tell me you can battle her at 100%"
Ash tensed up and he felt his hands curl into a fist. All he could do was look to the side, "of course."
Paul grounded his teeth, "are you stupid? If you don't battle at your strongest then what's the point?"
Paul turned back to May as he took out a Pokeball, "I'll send your behind right out of Kalos."
"Good luck with that" Ash began, "you have to get past the witch in the suit first."
"A battle? Sounds like fun" said the black glasses women before staring daggers at Ash.
"She has it out for me."
"You're an official judge?" Clemont asked while inspecting her arm band closely.
"Yes" replied the black glasses women as she stood midfield between May and Paul, "I use to judge gym battles as well some Pokemon league battles. It was my dream job,"
She then curled her hand into a fist and her voice began to tremble, "but that idiot champion Lance...he will rue the day he messed with me."
Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie took several steps back, hoping to not be caught in her rage zone. She then took a slow inhale,
"Alright losers, this will be a one on one battle" she began as she raised her arms into the sky, "first Pokemon to keel over loses. Now make this quick, I've got places to be.
"Torrterra, stand by for battle." Torterra appeared in a flash of light.
"He's using Torterra!?" Ash said.
"Miss Maple, please let's keep this going" the judge said to May.
"Wait, why am I battling? Do I want to win?" May squeezed her hands and shut her eyes, "I-I want to stay. Yes, I want to stay with Ash, even if I can't compete in contests here, there will be more, and-and if I don't stay I might never get a chance to tell him."
May opened her eyes, filled with a new determination.
"Blaziken, take the stage!" Blaziken came out of its poke ball before doing a flip and making a powerful entrance.
"Clemont, this doesn't seem like a great idea, don't you think May should be deciding this herself."
Clemont looked at both sides of the field, "maybe, but then again it seems like May is incapable of making a decision right now, and this is not something she will be able to think about overnight it seems."
"Also" Clemont continued, "this might be the best way."
"How?" Serena asked.
"By all accounts, May is one of the better Pokemon coordinators in the Pokemon world and if that's the case that would easily put her at Paul's equal. But more importantly, if she really wants this, I doubt she would lose."
"Blaziken, Fire spin." The Blaze pokemon quickly followed its trainer's orders and fired a vortex of fire that soon surrounded Torterra, which grunted in pain.
"Stone Edge" Paul called out. Torterra's eyes began to glow green as it formed its Stone Edge attack. The fire spin was quickly dispersed as sharp rocks went flying all over the place. A couple of stray rocks hit Blaziken, but it stood its ground.
"Blaze kick, let's go." In a white and red blur, Blaziken closed the distance between it and Torterra before slamming a flaming right into Torterra's skull, causing the continent Pokemon to grunt in pain. Blaziken then went flying back to its former position.
"Leaf Storm" Paul called out. Torterra quickly recovered and fired a powerful Leaf Storm at Blaziken.
Blaiken once again had to stand its ground to a powerful attack. It was able to do so, but with evident damage taken.
"This isn't the kind of battle I imagined" Clemont commented.
"What do mean brother?" Bonnie asked.
"All their doing is trading powerful attacks. Is this how May usually battles Ash?"
Clemont, Serena, and Bonie looked at Ash, but he didn't respond. His hand where in a fist as he looked on.
"Remind me who I'm battling again?" Paul said suddenly.
"What?" May said.
"This is boring, I feel like I'm battling Ash and his primitive battling style."
"Whose battling style is primitive!?" Ash said from the sidelines.
"Is this really how you battle princessof Hoenn, or are you holding back?" Paul said.
May grounded her teeth, "of course not, don't you dare mock my battling! I'll beat you just to swipe that smirk of your face, Blaiken, Overheat."
"Wrong answer"
Blaziken's body tempature quickly spiked, it then fired a extremely intense balst of fire that soon engulfed Torterra, causing the large Pokemon to cry in pain.
Blaziken's attack soon died down and the Blaze Pokemon stood, looking as if it had been sapped of most of its energy.
Torterra came into sight again, standing, but motionless. The smell of smoldering wood began to carry as smoke was visibly seen coming from Torterra.
"Is it over?" Bonnie said.
"Frenzy Plant!" Torterra opened its eyes and its body began to glow green. It then pounded the ground and giant vines came flying at Blaziken from the ground.
"Blaziken dodge" May called out hurriedly. Blaziken dodged the first barrage of vines, but its lack of energy soon became evident as a vine clipped it on the way up and two more slammed down on Blaziken, finishing the job.
Blaziken crashed onto the ground knocked out cold.
"Kung fu chicken is unable to battle, the giant dirt turtle wins."
May stared at her fallen partner in disbelief, "what happened? Why did I feel so…weak?"
"That was unimpressive, I wonder if this has something to do with him being around." Paul decided to just watch as he stood next to his Pokemon.
"May, are you alright?" Ash said as he ran up her. May didn't notice him right away, but soon snapped out of her thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm fine." May walked up to Blaziken as it began to come too.
"Bla-ziken."
"It's alright Blaziken, it's my fault, rest up for now" May returned Blaziken to its Pokeball and turned to the others.
"I'm sorry guys" she began before a smile appeared; "I made a huge issue of this for no reason. I forgot that I still have some unfinished business to deal with."
May neared Ash as their eyes met, "so you're leaving?"
May nodded, "Yeah."
She then quickly hugged an unprepared Ash and stayed there for a moment, a small blush showing, "I'll miss you."
"I-I'll miss you too" Ash said unaware of his own blush.
"Why is he getting a hug? He didn't do a damn thing."
"Tor-terra"
"Don't look me at me like that you dirt turtle" Paul said while he returned Torterra into its Pokeball.
"May, are you really leaving now?" Bonnie said as Serena stood next to the steps that led to the plane.
"Yeah Bonnie" May knelt down next to the youngest of the group, "don't worry though, I'll see you guys again soon enough."
"But what about…" Bonnie then felt May's hand on her head.
"Don't worry about that. Whatever happens, happens. Just make sure you keep Bonnie's and May's expeditions alive until I come back, alright?"
Bonnie nodded, and May stood up.
"Good luck on your inventions Clemont, maybe they won't blow up as much."
"Yeah" Clemont said as he rubbed the back of his head, "that tends to happen doesn't it."
"Just make sure you stay strong and keep at it. Also make sure you keep Ash out of trouble."
"I will, but there is nothing certain when it comes to Ash."
"Hey Paul" Paul responded by looking at her, "thanks for your help, and don't be so serious all the time."
"No"
"Well, I guess it can't be helped." May then turned to Serena,
"I hope you find what you're looking for Serena."
"Me too, thanks." There gazes lingered for a moment before May turned to Ash.
"Make sure you win the rest of your contests May." Ash said.
"Don't worry Ash, I will. Just make sure stay on top of your game, or Paul will destroy you."
"Gah, that's blunt."
"Hey May, I hope I'll see you soon, it was great to travel with you again."
May nodded, before reaching for her bag. Ash followed May's lead and the two sides of their Terracotta ribbon were joined once again, "don't worry; we won't be apart for too long."
May soon boarded the plane and went it took off.
The group stood silent as the plane became smaller and smaller in the blue sky.
"Alright then" Ash said as he high stepped his way past everybody, "let's go to Sycamore's lab."
"What!?"
"Huh, weren't we planning to go there today?" Ash said.
"Pika" said Pikachu with his ears drooping
"What's wrong Pikachu, cheer up" Ash said as he petted the electric mouse Pokemon.
Clemont and Bonnie looked at each other while Serena looked back at the plane that was now out of sight.
"Five second recovery, not bad." Paul took Ash's lead and began to walk off.
"Come on guys, I can't wait to see Gabite again, I wonder how the training is going."
The rest finally followed. Serena was able to catch up to Paul,
"So, did you really go all out?" She asked.
"…No, it's almost impossible for anyone to truly battle at 100%"
Serena's face scrunched up in confusion, "what do you mean?"
"Any single idle thought in a battle will ruin any chance of one to battle at 100%" he replied.
"So you had an idle thought during the match?"
Paul didn't answer and Serena took that as her cue to drop the conversation.
Serena the looked up ahead where Ash was. She didn't notice her hands to close into a fist