Hi and hello! Welcome to Chapter 21 of Inconceivable, where May and Ash will begin trying to rectify their mistakes thus far. How's it gonna go? Only one way to find out, folks, so curtain up!

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

INCONCEIVABLE

CHAPTER 21-COMING CLEAN

Now that Ash and May had revealed their deception to their families, May made it clear that they had to do the same with those who had helped them. Their priority was Sandra and her family, but May marked out a few other people they needed to tell.

"You have to tell Morty who you really are, since he's the one who got us the apartment in the first place. If his associate is there, tell him too. It's not fair that they should have to be deceived any more, they've helped us so much."

Ash had agreed on the spot, and offered to tell Biff separately from his family; since they'd worked together for so long, the old veteran deserved a one-on-one confession. May would tell Sandra and the girls by herself, which Ash questioned a bit.

"Wouldn't it be better for us both to be there? I mean, Sandra and I aren't as close to each other as you are, so it would help establish a firmer connection."

"No, Ash. For one thing, I don't want Kathryn bombarding you with a thousand questions when she finds out who you are. It's going to be a handful anyway, since I happen to be her favourite Coordinator. The other is that I feel like I should tell them by myself, since that's how we got to know each other. You just tell Biff, the two of you know each other well."

"But I should really be here. I know you want to do it yourself, but it might be..."

"Ash, I said no. I'll tell Sandra everything, and I won't make anything up. I know you want to be here, but it'll go quicker if we do it separately."

Ash finally relented, resolving to tell everyone tomorrow. May was scheduled to meet with Sandra in the afternoon, so Ash would go talk to Biff then and tell Morty in the evening, since he probably wouldn't have a challenger that late. With this in mind, the couple went through their evening routine and prepared for a difficult round of revelations the next day.

The next morning raced by, and around noon Ash headed out to talk to Biff, while May waited patiently for Sandra and the girls. No sooner had Ash turned the corner towards the main road that he ran into the trio, who were already heading for the apartment.

"Oh, hello, Satoshi." Sandra said, smiling warmly. "Where are you headed so quickly?"

"I'm heading for the Pokémon Centre," Ash lied, mentally sweating as he tried to find a suitable excuse. "Haruka asked me to check on a few things down there, and I'd planned to go there anyway."

"Are your Pokémon alright?" Kathryn asked, and Ash nodded.

"They're fine, I'm just going to talk to Nurse Joy about a few things. I'll pick some stuff up for Haruka while I'm at it, so it's not my only stop."

"Well, we'll let you get to it, then. See you later, Satoshi." Ash nodded, and he headed down the road as Sandra and the girls disappeared around the corner. As soon as he was sure they were out of sight, he ducked into a side street and made a beeline for Biff and Sandra's street, remembering the route he and May had taken months ago.

Upon reaching the right street, Ash wondered how he was going to break his news. Biff would likely be caught off-guard by the revelation, but Ash was sure that the trust they'd built over the past few months would lead the older worker to understand. Still, it was going to be difficult, mainly from his end, and it wouldn't be any easier telling Morty later in the day.

As he reached Biff's door, Ash knew what he was going to say. Getting it out is the hard part, he thought as he knocked three times and stepped back. A few seconds later, Biff opened the door, and looked genuinely surprised at seeing him.

"Oh, hey there, Narazaki. I wasn't expectin' a visit from you today."

"Yeah, sorry to burst in on you like this. Are you busy? I have a few things I want to talk about."

"No, I'm not busy, just hangin' around until the next job comes. Come on, we'll talk inside." Ash followed Biff into the living room, and he sat down in one of the armchairs across from Biff, who had already taken one. "So, what do you want to talk about? You're not havin' problems with your girl, are ya?"

I wish it was that simple, Ash thought, but he shook his head.

"No, we're fine." Ash breathed heavily, ready to spill his secret. "Biff, I'm gonna be honest with you here. I'm not who you think I am."

"Whaddya mean? You're Satoshi Narazaki, we've worked together for months."

"We've worked together, but Satoshi Narazaki is...doesn't really exist." When Biff looked even more puzzled, Ash continued. "Biff, my name isn't Satoshi Narazaki, it's Ash Ketchum. I'm from Pallet Town, nowhere near here. And I'm not just another guy looking to support his girl, I'm on the run."

"Ash Ketchum; I recognize that name. You're a Pokémon trainer, aren't ya, I saw your name in the paper once. And whaddya mean on the run? You're not...runnin' from the law, are ya?"

"No!" Again, Ash had to take a breath before speaking. "I'm on the run because I did something stupid, and my girlfriend's pregnant because we took things too far one night."

"Too far? You mean...?"

"Yes, it wasn't the way it should've been. We're on the run because my girlfriend isn't just an ordinary girl. Her name's not Haruka Igawa, it's May Maple. The same one your daughter idolizes." Biff's eyes were wider than a Snorlax's waistline by now, and he stared at Ash before he spoke.

"You're...you're not serious? You two really are Ash Ketchum and May Maple?"

"Biff, I came here because we decided to come clean about what we've done. May's already told her family; we ran because we were scared of what her dad, who happens to be the Petalburg City Gym Leader, would do to us. She's getting ready to tell your wife and kids today, since they've helped her so much. I'm really sorry I've been misleading you, and since we worked together for so long May thought it was best if I told you myself." Ash finished and dropped his gaze, staring at his shoes. Biff was thinking hard, and eventually he spoke again.

"Wow, Nara-...sorry, Ash. That's some story. I thought you were just another guy looking to make a livin', but you're tryin' to support a family. Not only that, you're completely on your own, no parents or friends to help you out."

"Yeah," Ash looked back at Biff. "I really hope this doesn't cause any trouble between us, Biff. You've been a great mentor, and I never would've survived down at the site without your help."

"Trouble? You kiddin' me? I've gotten to work with one of the premier Pokémon trainers in the world, and my daughter's been hangin' out with her idol, even if she doesn't know it yet! I'll tell ya, Ash, knowin' who you really are makes things easier; well, actually, it makes it easier on you."

"Really?" Ash couldn't believe it, he was expecting a lot worse from this!

"Well, you've been trying to keep your identity secret, right? That's why you used a different name."

"Right."

"So now, you don't have to worry too much. Count on this, Ash: I'm here for ya. You ever need to discuss anything, just come around and talk it up. Me, Sandra, the girls, whomever, we'll be here to listen."

At the apartment, May had just finished telling Sandra and the girls her end of the story. Mary was nodding calmly, but Kathryn looked ready to jump out of her seat in excitement. Sandra listened patiently until May finished, then spoke.

"Well...I can't say this isn't something of a shock, May. I had no idea you might be using a cover name, and it's a bit surprising that you felt the need to hide in the first place."

"We were scared, Sandra. My dad isn't the most understanding of people sometimes, and I worried that my being pregnant would send him through the roof. Now that he's coming, I'll have to tell him the whole story, not just what I told my mom." At this point, Kathryn abandoned her attempts to keep quiet and let out a squeal of excitement.

"I can't believe it! All this time, I've been talking to my favourite Coordinator! You've gotta tell me everything, May! Who you've battled, what it's like to be a championship-level Coordinator..."

"Kathryn!" It wasn't Sandra who reprimanded Kathryn this time; it was Mary. "You haven't known who May is for two minutes and you're already starting in on her! Give her some space, she's got a lot going on!" Mary looked around to see the others staring at her, and dropped her gaze as her face went bright red. May turned to Sandra with an eyebrow raised, and Sandra shook her head.

"Mary, I don't know where that came from, but please don't do that again. That's my job. And Kathryn?" The younger girl looked at her mother, still stunned by her sister's outburst. "Please don't pester May, she does have a lot on her mind. You can still talk to her, but be mindful, okay?"

"Okay, Mom," Kathryn said quietly, turning towards the door. "Um, May, do you want me to take the Pokémon for a run-out?"

"Sure." May smiled at the girl. "Kathryn, we're not throwing you out of here, you know. I had the same reaction when I met one of Ash's old traveling partners."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Her name was Misty, and she'd traveled with Ash for a long time. I was really eager to meet her, so you might say I was just like you back then."

"That's so cool! See, Mom, it's not so bad to..."

"Alright, Kathryn, enough. Go take the Pokémon outside, and we'll let you know when to come back." Kathryn ran to get the Pokéballs, and Sandra turned to her older daughter. "Mary, would you help your sister, please?" Mary nodded and closed her book before following Kathryn out of the apartment, Pikachu and Glaceon in tow. As the door shut, Sandra turned back to May.

"I'm really sorry we've deceived you for so long, Sandra. We couldn't risk anyone finding out, otherwise my dad would find out for sure."

"I understand. You've been through a lot, May. The doctors probably won't be expecting you to have a different name next time we go, but I'll handle them for you."

"Thank you, Sandra. You've been so helpful for so long, and I really appreciate it. So does Ash."

"You're most welcome, May. I'm sure Ash was headed to talk to Biff when I passed him earlier. Knowing Biff, he'll be a bit surprised at first, but he'll understand. He's a good man, that's why I married him." May giggled and looked out the window, knowing the pressure was off her now, and her family was on their way.

And there it is. Sandra and her family know who Ash and May really are now, so that should make things easier. The families are closing in, so this tale should come to a head pretty soon. Don't worry, though, we're not done yet!

Standard operating procedure is in effect. Please read, REVIEW and tell me what you thought! Until next time, namárië!