Hi and hello, readers! Chapter 3 of Inconceivable is upon us, and the plans to run away are being finalized! What schemes are our favorite couple cooking up? Keep reading and you'll find out!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.

INCONCEIVABLE

CHAPTER 3-FLIGHT PLANS

"R-run?"

May couldn't believe what she had just heard. Ash usually came up with decent enough plans, but this one sounded much riskier than the others he'd dreamed up. "I know we're trying to keep this secret, but why would we do that?"

"It's the only option that keeps us away from potential contacts. If anyone we know recognizes us, the game's up and we get in major trouble. Think about it. If you stay in Hoenn, I'd have to come over there for a while, which would make people suspicious, not to mention someone's bound to notice your pregnancy eventually. I mean, it's not exactly easy to hide, is it?"

"Not after a while, I guess, no. But what if I came to Kanto and stayed with you? Wouldn't your mom understand?"

"If you came here, you'd end up staying for nearly a year, and anyone would think something's up. Things were different when we were traveling, since they knew we'd be back, plus we had Max and Brock with us. And on top of that, if my mom or Professor Oak knew anything about this, your parents would probably make them their first resource when it came to finding out where you were, and I don't know if they could keep us covered for too long."

"B-but where are we supposed to run to, then?" May was now even more worried about their impending flight than her pregnancy. Their options were limited, and she wasn't sure how they would choose one over another.

"I haven't decided yet. But I think we can get going sooner than later." Ash knew that there was still the off chance that someone could overhear them, so he didn't want to spill too many details. "How long do you think it would take you to get from Hoenn to Pallet Town?"

"About five days if I take a ferry out of Littleroot, plus a day to get my stuff together and travel to the harbour. Let's make it a week, you know, just to be safe. What do I use for an alibi?"

"Tell your parents there's a one-off Pokémon Contest or something in Kanto, which is half-true; the Contest in Terracotta Town will be opening in about two weeks. Pack about as much as you would if you were traveling, since we're gonna need to move fast, and bring your Pokémon too. Once you get to Pallet Harbour, we'll go over our next moves."

"But Ash..." May didn't like the idea of not knowing where they were running to, but she knew that it wouldn't make a difference right away. This wasn't exactly the sort of thing you planned over the phone, either. She knew the Terracotta Contest was not officially part of the Kanto Grand Festival setup, which meant it wasn't likely to get much press coverage, and therefore had less chance of attracting her parents' attention when it turned out she wasn't there after all. "Okay. I'll get my stuff packed, then catch the next ferry to Pallet. I should be able to get my mom to drive me to Littleroot, so I'll get moving as soon as I can. I'll call you with the PokéNav once I'm about a day away."

"That'll give me enough time to meet you at the harbour. We'll talk again then, okay?"

"Okay, Ash." After a quick exchange of "I love you"'s, the couple hung up and began their preparations.

Ash went down to Professor Oak's lab soon after his conversation with May ended. If he was going to travel again, even briefly, he'd need to pick a team of Pokémon to go with him. He had to make sure the ones he chose wouldn't cause any trouble, and he also had to make sure his choices wouldn't give him or May away. He had an idea of who to pick, but he decided to have one last look before finalizing his group.

The Professor greeted him warmly as he reached the facility.

"Hello, Ash, good to see you."

"You too, Professor. How's the research coming?"

"Very well, thank you. Gary has just embarked on a research mission in Unova, while Tracey is doing fieldwork in the Sevii Islands." When Ash looked confused, the professor clarified. "The Sevii Islands are a small island chain just off the southern coast of Kanto, not dissimilar to the Orange Islands. Tracey's project involves comparing the Sevii Islands to the Orange Islands, both in terms of geography and the Pokémon that live there."

"I see." Ash knew Tracey was originally from the Orange Islands, so exploring the Sevii archipelago would be interesting for him. "Professor, I came to collect a few of my Pokémon. The Terracotta Contest is soon, and I decided to enter again alongside May."

"Ah, of course, wonderful! Go ahead out back and decide who you would like to take with you, and I'll have their Pokéballs ready to go." Ash thanked the Professor and headed into the vast paddock where most of his Pokémon stayed when not traveling alongside him.

"Okay, so who do I take with me?" Ash knew Pikachu would be coming, since he couldn't bear leaving his best pal behind at a time like this. He'd take Sceptile as well, which he knew would make May's Blaziken happy at least; the pair often spent their time sparring with one another. He considered the other possibilities, each with its own problems. Noctowl was too distinctive, and Snorlax's size meant that he had to be left behind, too. On top of that, his Tauros' rambunctious nature would draw attention in their sedentary hours, and Gible would likely eat something he wasn't supposed to and cause more harm than good. Ash considered each possibility carefully, but still struggled to come to a decision.

Eventually, he settled on five Pokémon, but was hard-pressed to think of a sixth. He sat down by a tree near the fence and thought some more. After about fifteen more minutes of thinking and pacing, it hit him. Why hadn't he thought of this one before?

He ran into the lab with Pikachu in tow and indicated which Pokémon would be coming. At the mention of his sixth choice, Professor Oak gave him a strange look.

"Really? I thought...oh, never mind. I still have the Pokéball lying around here somewhere, just let me look for it." After a few minutes, Oak emerged with the aforementioned ball. "Here you are, Ash. I'll look forward to hearing about your progress."

"Yeah," Ash said, feeling more than a bit guilty about lying to the Professor. Oak would certainly help them out if asked, but secrecy was Ash's watchword at the moment. "We'll win that medal outright this time, no problem."

"Good luck to you, young man." Professor Oak bade him farewell, and Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder as they left the area.

"Pikachu, chu pika ka chu, pikapi?" Pikachu wasn't upset at the prospect of traveling again, but he couldn't understand why Ash was acting so strangely.

"I'll tell you later, Pikachu." Ash hadn't told his buddy about the recent turn of events, but knew the Electric-type would need to know eventually. "Right now we need to get our stuff together and be ready to go in a few days. May's coming with us, by the way, isn't that cool?" Pikachu cheered at the prospect of reuniting with the Coordinator, unaware of the more advanced goings-on between her and his trainer. Ash grinned at this, and hurried home to prepare himself for a quick departure.

May, for her part, was staying as calm as possible as she tossed the essentials into her pack. She had told her parents about the upcoming Terracotta Contest, which they both approved despite her previous participation in the event. When she was younger, she would have been relishing the chance to travel to a faraway region and see what there was to see; that had been the real reason she'd started her Pokémon journey in the first place, well before she ever met Ash. Now she was getting ready to leave home again, only this time it was to escape from her family and friends, not to travel and compete.

She was apprehensive about the trip, not just because of the uncertainty of her and Ash's final destination but also because she was essentially running from her family, who loved her more than anything. Sure, Ash loved her, enough to take care of her during this crisis, but her family's love was much deeper and, quite literally, irreplaceable. But she knew that she couldn't face her family with this news, and even though it hurt to leave them, it had to be done.

Once she collected her belongings and Pokéballs, she went down to where Caroline was waiting to take her to Littleroot Harbour. She had opted to leave Skitty behind, mainly because the hyperactive Normal-type would be too much to handle; Munchlax may have been a risk because of his appetite, but she knew she could keep him under control with greater ease, since his sole motivation was food, more specifically her Pokéblock. The rest of her small stable of Pokémon would come with her as well, since she knew they would help out too once they got going.

As she headed for the car, she looked back on her home for what seemed like the last time. She battled hard to keep the tears away, struggling to force back the wave of fear and sadness that washed over her. But she knew if she started crying now, her mother would think something was wrong, and she'd risk blowing her cover. So she closed her eyes and took a breath, blinked away the few tears that had surfaced, and clambered into the passenger seat next to her mother.

Along the way, mother and daughter were fairly quiet, but as they passed through Oldale Town a few hours later, Caroline asked May something that frightened the young Coordinator.

"So May, you said you're planning to meet Ash for this Contest. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were more than just best friends and competitors, you know what I mean?" At this, May's eyes widened. Caroline was only teasing, of course, but May was so wound up that she jumped slightly at the question.

"Of course we're more than just friends, Mom! He's my boyfriend! We may be far away from one another, but we really love each other! And that's all we are! Boyfriend and girlfriend, nothing more advanced than that!" May's frantic clarification drew a raised eyebrow from Caroline, but the older woman simply laughed.

"I know, May. What you two have going on is wonderful. Of course, I had to explain the whole thing to your father, but he approves." May shrank down into her seat at the mention of her father, but said nothing further as they approached Littleroot Town.

The sun was just beginning to set over the water when May and Caroline reached Littleroot Harbour. As May stood at the dock waiting to board the ferry to Pallet Town, Caroline stood next to her, watching the ocean beyond.

"You'll have a great time, May. Just make sure you two stay safe. You won't have Brock with you this time, so you'll have to watch each other's backs."

"We will, Mom, don't worry." May was worried; as the months passed and her condition changed, they would have to find somewhere to settle semi-permanently, since her pregnancy wouldn't be conducive to moving around too much. But she trusted Ash to work everything out, and that was all that mattered.

The announcement came over the loudspeaker that May's ferry was boarding, and May hugged her mother as she turned to leave.

"Goodbye, May," Caroline told her daughter. "Have fun and be safe. Give Ash our love."

"I will, Mom. Talk to you soon." At this, Caroline released May from their embrace, and May hurried onto the ferry, ready to embark on the riskiest journey she'd ever attempted.

And that's a wrap! May and Ash have taken their first steps on a fearsome journey, and only time will tell how it's going to work out. There's no set destination yet, but keep sending your votes in and all will be revealed in due time!

Standard operating procedure is, of course, in effect, so please read, REVIEW and give me some feedback! Until next time, namárië!