Hi and hello! Chapter 16 of Inconceivable is here, ready and willing to spread post-holiday fun (depending on your definition of fun, that is). I'll warn you guys right now, this chapter is going to include a few of my infamous time skips, since I'm getting the perception that the last few chapters have been a bit repetitive, so we'll be jumping forward a couple of in-story months this week. With that in mind, curtain up, sit back, and be entertained!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon; Nintendo and Satoshi Tajiri do.
INCONCEIVABLE
CHAPTER 16-DOWN TIME
The strike at the building site had lasted for nearly two weeks. As Biff had instructed, Ash stayed away from the site and the Bell Tower annex while the stoppage was in effect, instead focusing on his time with May. Biff usually sent word of the proceedings at the site through Sandra and the girls, who passed the news on to Ash when they visited. The news barely changed; the only changes involved the state of the negotiations between the city and the project supervisors. Ash was becoming more depressed about the lack of activity, but May reassured him that they would get through.
With this turn of events in mind, May had decided that the best use of their days during the stoppage was to go do some shopping for their new arrival, something Sandra had brought up a few times during their meetings.
"I mean, you've got time on your hands, even if it isn't what you had planned," May reasoned when she pitched the idea to Ash one evening after dinner. "Plus, I think this is one of those things we're supposed to do together, as a couple. If I picked out absolutely everything, something would crop up that didn't appeal to you, and vice-versa. We'll take it easy and keep it to a few essentials, but we're gonna need the stuff eventually, so we might as well do it now before you go back to work."
Ash had relented, knowing May was right. This was a team decision, one that required both of their input. He would have been perfectly happy to let May pick out clothes and accessories, since he assumed that was something she would be right at home doing; after all, fashion was one area he'd long been incompetent in, despite traveling with May and then Dawn for such a long time. But at the same time, May sounded like she wanted him involved, and he couldn't help but feel a bit happy about it.
After this exchange, May spent a few days looking through catalogues to determine what was available and marking down those things she liked, a task Ash was more than happy to leave to her. He wasn't the best at shopping even for himself, and since his mother usually made large parts of his traveling outfits from scratch he'd never had a reason to do so anyway. He contented himself with taking on May's usual job of bringing the Pokémon out, often accompanied by one of the girls when they came to visit, usually Mary. Mary didn't usually talk much, content to read and observe. Ash was just glad her sister was making a nuisance of herself in the apartment; May had told him about the younger girl's interrogations, and he didn't want any part of that.
Kathryn spent a lot of time trying to be helpful and indicate what she thought would be best, but was often turned down by her mother. The younger girl was enthusiastic nonetheless; it never occurred to her that she might be anything less than helpful. May welcomed the girl's input to a point; she might have been young, but she was sincerely trying to help, and often pointed out things May and Sandra missed.
Discussion of May's relationship with Ash usually fell by the wayside during these sessions, with the focus landing firmly on stuff for the newborn. May was grateful for this; she'd grown a bit weary of Kathryn's constant questioning, even though Sandra had put her through the same thing with less intensity. But there was something about Kathryn's questions that sent May's thoughts spinning out of control. Maybe it was the fact that Kathryn was younger, and therefore less aware of how deep her line of questioning went. Or perhaps May just didn't expect such heavy stuff from a nine-year-old. Either way, the girl had a way of making May think much harder about things than she was accustomed, and she wasn't sure if she was comfortable with it.
Late September came with a drop in temperature and no letup in the work stoppage, although Biff's reports were becoming more encouraging. May, whose pregnancy was now more obvious than when they'd started, stuck to her plan of shopping around for basic accessories, and Ash went with her, knowing that in her condition she probably shouldn't be doing this alone.
Sandra had recommended a few shops to look at, and May led Ash through several, seeking out various items for a newborn. Despite May's wish that he get involved, Ash was content to let her do most of the browsing, occasionally pointing out items that he thought looked alright. Since they didn't know whether to expect a boy or a girl yet, they tried to find the most neutral items available, sticking to the basics as much as they could.
"Hey, May, what do you think of this one?" Ash asked May in the third shop they visited, showing her a sleeper with a Pikachu on the front. May smiled, reminded of when she'd first met Ash's Pikachu properly. She'd always had a bond with the mouse, usually holding him if Ash left him out of a battle, so that bond could be formed with their child in a roundabout kind of way.
"It's adorable." May wasn't particularly used to this, but she was always in her element when it came to shopping. She found another with a Glaceon print, and showed it to Ash. "How's this one? This way, both our signature Pokémon will be represented."
"That's an interesting idea." May dropped the sleepwear into a shopping basket, which wasn't particularly heavy due to the paucity of their selection. The other items the couple picked out were fairly routine, including a blanket with a Pokéball pattern. A saleswoman looked at them with interest as they checked out, noting the simplicity of their purchases.
"Is this your first time doing this, guys?" she asked as she rang them up. May nodded, and Ash flushed and lowered his eyes, still reminded of why they were here in the first place.
"This is our first child, yes."
"Well, congratulations to you both." Ash paid for their items, and the couple thanked the saleswoman before heading back outside. They stood for a few moments before May spoke up.
"We're gonna need to do a bit more advanced shopping later on. Not today, you understand, but eventually, closer to when the baby's due."
"What do you mean? I thought we were just buying the basics, why would we need to do any more...?"
"I'm talking about a bassinet, Ash."
"A what?"
"For our new arrival to sleep in. The baby can't sleep in our bed, after all."
"Ah." Ash blushed again, embarrassed at his incompetence. "But wouldn't it be easier to do it now? You know, while you're still...mobile?"
"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that last part, but think about that for a second. What're we going to do with a bassinet for..." She thought for a moment, trying to remember how far along she was. "For just over three months? I'll admit I'm excited for the baby to arrive, but I don't need the visual reminder for that long."
"How does a bassinet count as a..." May glared at Ash, urging him to drop the subject. "Okay, okay, I get it, not today. We'll put the stuff we've got away, and worry about the rest another time. Just let me know when I've gotta go pick one up, will ya? I definitely won't remember that in a month or two."
"Sure, Ash."
"Just out of curiosity, when is the baby due? Aren't you supposed to go to some kind of doctor to find that out?"
"I should be due in January, if my math is right. I don't know, though, maybe I should go to a doctor and see. Maybe Sandra can help me out there."
"Do that. She seems to know what she's doing, so I say go for it."
"Thanks, Ash." The young man placed his arm around her as they turned to head back to the apartment, and May relaxed herself as she let him guide her down the street. Inside, though, she couldn't help but be a bit unnerved. The prospect of the baby's arrival had been an afterthought for so long, and now it felt like their preparations were in overdrive. She wondered if there was anything between the extremes, but her heart wasn't particularly optimistic that there was.
The start of October brought the news that the strike had broken, with both sides of the dispute finally coming to an agreement. The city's reps had opted to give the workers a decent-sized pay increase, conceding that the extra repairs had been unforeseen and that they had been short-sighted in considering them to be under the original contract, but stressed the importance of getting the work done quickly, since the old building genuinely and urgently needed the repairs. According to Biff, the city had stopped short of threatening to hire another contractor—an increasingly common, but risky, tactic among employers, as he explained later—but the reps from both sides managed to hash out the agreement before that option became necessary.
Ash was thrilled; he had truly enjoyed the extra time with May, but he felt like he was going back where he belonged. May had more mixed feelings; on one hand, Ash was back to work, and the extra pay would help in the long run, but at the same time she couldn't help but feel like he was being taken from her. She wanted to talk to him, one on one, girlfriend to boyfriend, but somehow they'd never gotten around to discussing their relationship seriously, just the two of them as opposed to with Sandra or the girls. She wanted to believe that what she'd constantly told the others was true: she was as in love with Ash as he was with her, ready to see this entire ordeal through. That would be easier said than done, since Ash loved her about as much as was possible. But the longer time went on, and the more she thought, she wondered if what she believed to be true was true, or if her heart was just playing tricks on her.
Once back at work, Ash did his best to make up for lost time, and Buizel worked harder than he ever had before cutting up the beams for the upper floor. Heracross' ability to fly came in useful here, since he could carry the finished product up the tower to the workers responsible for putting them into place. May had once again offered to send Blaziken out on loan, and only after Biff reminded Ash of the project's newfound urgency did the young man accept the offer. The two Fighting-types got to know each other as they worked together, since they had only met briefly during the couple's flight and settling period.
Biff spent their lunch breaks telling more of his tall tales to anyone who'd listen; he'd been in good spirits since the resumption of the project, and Ash couldn't help but see some of his own relief in the older man's behaviour. Biff didn't like the idea of not working, but for a different reason to Ash; where Ash was concerned about supporting May, Biff was accustomed to constantly being on the job, no matter how repetitive it got. Ash knew he had been like that on his journeys around the world: he'd wanted to fill every waking moment with training, and a layoff often made him restless and depressed. He didn't doubt that if he'd gone on to the professional level like he'd hoped to someday, it would have been worse. But he'd come to appreciate the down time, and resolved to make the most of it when it came from now on.
This went on for another week, and the building project was looking good; everyone had worked hard to make up for the time lost during the strike, and the old building was beginning to take back its former shape again. As things began to wrap up on his end, Ash found he was needed less as the final touches were started, but he always stood ready in case something came up. Biff and Sully did the same, even though their working hours became empty and monotonous.
One evening toward the end of October, Ash came home and went through his usual routine, taking a quick shower before starting on dinner. May was often lying on the couch whenever he came home, which didn't surprise him in the least; her pregnancy would doubtlessly be taking a lot out of her. She almost always woke up when it was time to eat anyway, so it wasn't like anything was wrong.
They ate in silence that evening, which was actually rather unusual for them; Ash usually mentioned what had gone on at the site that day, while May relayed information Sandra had given her regarding her pregnancy or parenting in general. This time, May was pondering what she was going to say to him once they'd finished, but she wasn't sure how to say it. Her unease about their relationship had surfaced again, and she had to get it out soon.
Ash cleared the table once they finished, and May headed for the couch to wait for him. Once he had the dishes finished—a quick chore, since there were only two or three, and Brock had taught him how to do it properly but fast—he headed over to the armchair to find May sitting up on the couch, looking at him intently.
"What's up, May?" Ash knew that whenever someone looked at him like that, it was important, and he'd better listen up.
"Ash," May said to him, her voice quiet. "We need to talk about something."
Oh, dear! What could May want to talk about (I know, it's half-obvious, but run with it!)? Is it important? Yes. Could the stress be getting to her? Maybe. You'll just have to wait and see.
I tried to make this chapter a bit light-hearted, to show that their life isn't just meetings with neighbours and heading out to work for hours on end. I'm actually awful at shopping in general, and worse at the kind Ash and May were doing, so that's my excuse for how those scenes turned out. I'll also apologize again for the time skips, but this story has to turn the corner sometime, right? There's only so much one can force out of a nine-month period, after all.
Alright, on that sombre note, standard operating procedure remains in effect. Please read, REVIEW and tell me how it went! Until next time, namárië!