May ran back into the house, trying her hardest to keep her sobs quiet, thanking the Lord above when she finally reached the door to Ash's room. She paused outside the door for a moment, allowing herself time to get her breathing under control; she didn't want the other girls in the room to hear her.
However, collecting her breath proved more difficult than she'd anticipated; the terror she was experiencing seemed to be sucking any and all air from her lungs. She couldn't believe what she'd just done, and she felt much more embarrassed than when she failed to reach the big festival in Johto.
She knew in her heart why she did it; she'd accepted that she was madly in love with Ash, that she loved him with all of her heart; he'd done so much for her, and he was by far the most important person in her life; but she couldn't believe she'd kissed him.
She started pacing in the corridor outside Ash's room.
"Oh Arceus, what did I do?" What on earth was I thinking? Stupidity, Stupidity, Stupidity! "May mentally chastised herself.
May eventually stopped pacing and leaned against the al net to Ash's room door, sliding down the wall into a sat posture on the ground, running a hand through her bandana-less hair.
May quickly found herself wishing she had the courage to face Ash right now. She knew she should have turned back when she heard him calling after her, and it was very possible that if she'd heard what Ash had to say, she'd feel better. But the problem was, she didn't have that courage right now. Not after what had just happened.
What was really killing her was the dread of how Ash would respond to the kiss, and how this would change their friendship and make things awkward, which she didn't want to happen. If she caused her friendship with Ash to fall apart, May was certain she wouldn't be able to live with herself.
Despite her fear, embarrassment, and uncertainty, she couldn't help but allow her mind to relive what had just happened, relishing in the sensation of Ash's soft lips against her own. She slowly lifted her fingers to her lips, allowing them to linger as she forgot about the consequences of her actions and smiled.
No matter how embarrassed she felt, she was glad she did it. Not that she doubted it in the first place, but the way the kiss made her feel confirmed her undeniable love for the raven haired man. Those few seconds they spent connected were undeniably some of the best of May's life. It was everything that happened after that caused her to be embarrassed.
May muttered to herself, her faint voice full of hope, "Maybe...Maybe he feels the same way I do..."
May smiled at the idea of this being real, finally calming herself down enough to enter the room and try to sleep.
Her head hit the pillow, hope still in complete charge of her mind, and she slowly began to fall off into what would turn out to be an extremely restful night's sleep.
Backyard
After May left, Ash sat on the porch swing for hours, staring at the stars. He was having so many ideas that he ended up giving himself a headache.
Ash had been drowsy before May came outdoors, but after what happened, he was wide awake. Normally, observing the night sky would help him clear his head and relax, but it wasn't working right now. He had far too many inquiries. Questions he didn't want to ask May because he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.
"I don't get it...Why would she do that...?" Ash thought, not knowing what to say.
Ash had grown up a lot, but he still had a hard time understanding women. Obviously, he understood what a kiss meant and represented, but it was still a little perplexing. He could think of several reasons why she might have kissed him, but one in particular kept popping into his head.
"Does she...like me?" He was astonished by this thinking. May was one of his best friends; they couldn't be anything more than that, right?
Ash liked May, but he wasn't sure if he liked her. Sure, he enjoyed spending time with her, but so did all of his pals. He also liked how similar they were, but might this signify something more?
Ash groaned and yanked on his hair in fury. This action had made him wince in pain, the act of raising his arms thus high exacerbating his injuries. Despite the fact that his heal pulse allowed him to mend swiftly, he still felt a dull agony when he moved his left arm too high. Another notion came to him when he reflected about the situation with Team Rocket.
"Maybe...Maybe she was simply genuinely grateful for what I did for her; I've heard of things like this happening before...Yeah. That's probably it...At least, I'm pretty sure," Ash argued to himself.
He kept urging himself to just accept it, but in the back of his mind, he was still as uncertain as ever. That one alternative kept resurfacing in his mind...
He sat back on the swing and relaxed as much as he could. The sense of exhaustion finally overtook him now that he had some sort of explanation for why May had kissed him. He yawned and closed his eyes, allowing one final idea to pass through his head.
"I only hope this doesn't affect our relationship..."
Next morning, 6 AM
Ash was tossing and turning in his sleep, almost slipping off the porch swing.
Inside Ash's head, he was imprisoned in a strange dream. Something told him that he was on a journey in his dream. It wasn't, however, the ordinary journey he was used to, not even close. This felt much more serious, as if there was a lot more at risk...
Ash saw himself standing across from another person, though he couldn't determine who because he was only a silhouette to Ash. Ash quickly saw he was in the middle of a battle, with his Pikachu facing a silhouette of a pokemon he couldn't quite make out.
Ash looked in despair as the man's pokemon easily defeated his best friend Pikachu. Ash reached reflexively for his next pokeball, only to recoil in horror as he discovered he didn't have any.
Ash returned his gaze to the man, and despite the fact that he couldn't make out any distinguishable features, he could tell that the man had a wicked sneer on his face. This guy exuded malicious intent, which shook Ash to his core, especially since he had no way of protecting himself at the time.
The individual then began walking toward him. Ash's mind begged him to turn back and run, but for some reason, he couldn't. He was rendered immobile. All he could do was stand there and watch as the figure got closer and closer.
The individual then pulled out a gun. Ash's eyes widened as he remembered his last encounter with one of these guns. He didn't have to wait long until he heard the booming bang of a gunshot.
As awoke from his dream with a shock just as the bullet from the revolver was fired.
Ash sat up and panted, struggling to catch his breath. He was drenched in his own perspiration, despite the fact that it hadn't rained the night before.
The dream seemed so genuine. As if he were genuinely in danger, as if it were occurring. He was still feeling the feelings he felt during the nightmare. Fear, desperation, and, worst of all, a sense of failure for reasons he didn't understand. That he'd failed something far more significant than anything else he'd ever attempted.
After a few moments, he regained control of his breathing and shook off the nightmare, forcing the negative emotions from his head.
After all, it was only a dream.
Ash quickly abandoned his perch on the porch swing and made his way into the house. He observed that no one else was awake yet, and when he checked the time, he realized why. Ash was relieved that his internal clock had woken him up so early; now he could complete his training before everyone else was awake, just the way he liked it.
He entered the living room discreetly to wake up Pikachu, who had claimed one of the abandoned couches the night before because neither Ash nor May had used them.
"Hey buddy, ready to train?" Ash gently nudged his best friend awake.
Pikachu was quick to wake up. He was screaming and ready to go after scratching his eyes with the backs of his paws in the most charming way possible.
"Pika-chu pika pika Pi," Pikachu said, determination on his face. Ash laughed as he prepared to go to training.
Ash fetched a huge bottle of water from the fridge, put on his shoes, and walked over to Professor Oak's lab. The stroll went off without a hitch, and we were at the lab in about ten minutes. He then knocked on the door, waiting for an answer.
Fortunately for Ash, Professor Oak was a morning person who was generally awake as early as Ash was. However, Ash had to wait quite a while this morning before a very weary Tracey answered the door.
Tracey sighed and rubbed his fatigue from his eyes before speaking.
"Are you here to train, Ash?" His scratchy voice indicated that he had been jolted awake by Ash's knocking.
"Sure am!" Ash responded, her face sparkling with delight. Tracey simply shakes his head in bewilderment. He couldn't understand how somebody could be so upbeat this early in the morning.
"Hey Tracey, why are you answering the door? Isn't Professor Oak normally awake around this time?" Ash said, perplexed as to why this morning was unlike any other; Tracey was always asleep around this time, and Professor Oak was always the one to let him into the lab.
"Usually, he is," Tracey replied, "but after yesterday, he felt he needed a good, long rest to rebuild his strength."
Ash nodded and thanked Tracey as he rushed past him into the lab. Tracey wasted no time returning to his room and falling fast asleep.
When Ash arrived at the ranch, he was surprised to see all of his pokemon. They were all awake and just getting started with their training. Ash has created a separate training program for each of his pokemon. Although several were similar, none were identical. Each pokemon had a different concentration, but there were some aspects of the training that were the same for all of his pokemon.
All of the pokemon ran towards their trainer after noticing him. They were still delighted to see him, but not as enthusiastically as the day before.
"Hey everyone! I thought I'd come down here and we could do some training together!" Ash exclaimed loudly, ensuring that all of his pokemon could hear him.
He received numerous responses from all of his pokemon. Although all he could hear were the varied names and roars of his pokemon, he knew that they had all answered yes and were anxious to begin training in their own way. Ash couldn't help but smile as he observed his pokemon's unwavering ambition to grow stronger.
"Alright, everyone! Let's start with a little run around the ranch. I want everyone to do 40 laps, which is about 8 miles. Flying types, I want you to fly the same route, but you do 50. Then we will do strength training with and without weights, and finally, we will work on your moves. I promise that I will train with everyone today."
Everyone was taken aback. When they exercised with Ash, or even when they trained alone, it was usually considerably more difficult than what he had anticipated. When Ash spotted his pokemon's puzzled expressions, he explained.
"Well, I have a battle with Max today and I want you all to see it. I don't want you to be too exhausted to watch, so I'm making today a little lighter. I also don't want you to be too tired to focus on the battle, so I had to tone it down a little." Ash explained. "Plus, I figured I'd take it easy, at least for today, following my injury; I'm still a little sore, after all, and I don't want to aggravate it."
Ash's face contorted to one of great determination after informing his pokemon why they were going to take it easy today, which all of his pokemon noticed and grew enthusiastic about.
Because the training was so arduous, the word "love" may be too strong. Having saying that, Ash and all of his pokemon enjoyed becoming stronger. Their drive to be the best was truly overwhelming, and they understood that the only way to become the best was to train their hardest every day.
His pokemon appeared to grasp everything Ash said and were now waiting for his command. Ash took off his hat, jacket, and shirt, displaying his highly toned, muscular torso, and started running, motioning for his pokemon to follow.
Every pokemon, even those who could run much faster than him, kept up with their trainer. This training was about conditioning as much as it was about bonding. Furthermore, as they reached the sprinting portion of their training, everyone would have the opportunity to demonstrate their true speed.
When all of the pokemon got to train with Ash at the same time, they wanted to be by his side every step of the way.
A Long While Later
All of the pokemon, including Ash, had been working hard for quite some time.
Following the run and a series of wind sprints, Ash and each pokemon were given special, wearable weights that Ash had purchased a few years before. It was a touch pricey, but Ash had been training for eight years and, with only the necessities, he was fairly affluent and could more than afford the weights.
They all then started their strength training. Push-ups were performed by Ash and the pokemon who could physically perform them. After hundreds of push-ups, they turned to sit-ups.
All the while, the pokemon that couldn't do these exercises were undertaking other activities created by Ash to increase their strength. Many were lifting tree trunks, while others were flying at breakneck speeds with enormous quantities of weight pushing them down. Ash had created a number of techniques for his pokemon to increase their strength.
After hours of strength training, they progressed to move-specific training. This was done to refine the moves that each pokemon already knew and to learn new ones. Ash had spent many hours methodically studying each species of pokemon he possessed, learning every move that they could learn, which assisted him in figuring out how to teach these moves to them.
After a while, Ash had worked with most of his pokemon, taking his time with each one before sending them off to work on a specific set of moves that he had chosen for them to accomplish.
Ash watched as his Talonflame used her strong Brave Bird strike to chop a tree in half, exactly as he'd instructed. He smirked to himself and complimented the bird pokemon on his excellent performance before surveying his other pokemon. Most were practicing their movements on targets, while a chosen handful were sparring against each other.
He observed his Pikachu sparring with Charizard. These two were Ash's most powerful pokemon, and they were currently giving each other a run for their money. He decided to step in and interrupt them after noticing how hard both pokemon were panting.
"OK, boys, that's enough; I don't need one of you fainting on me right now," Ash said as Pikachu and Charizard respectfully nodded to each other.
Ash then proceeded to stroke his Charizard's neck, earning the huge fire pokemon an appreciating flamethrower.
Over time, the flamethrowers that Charizard would shoot at him tenderly began to cause him less and less pain, until they didn't hurt him at all.
Ash ascribed this to Charizard's increasing strength and ability to manage the severity of his attacks. He was smiling at his pokemon when he heard something behind him, which surprised the trainer.
"Hey, Ash! We knew you'd be training, but we figured you'd come back for breakfast!" Brock screamed to his raven-haired pal, a taunting tone in his voice. Almost everyone was following him. Everyone except May: Paul, Max, Misty, Dawn, and Serena.
"Oh, hey guys. What are you talking about? I was going to come back for breakfast," he said, turning around to face his pals.
"It's already 10:30, Ash, and we generally have breakfast about 8:30," Paul reminded him.
In shock, Ash's eyelids opened briefly. He had no idea he had been training for so long.
In shame, he rubbed the back of his head and chuckled uneasily. "I guess I lost track of time."
It was then that Ash noticed the trio of girls; his female companions weren't the quiet type, and usually, by this point in the conversation, they would have said something. He looked over to where they were standing and noticed that all three of them were staring at him with wide eyes, mouths slightly open.
"What's up with them?" Ash cocked his head, returning his gaze to his male companions.
Instead of responding, Brock screamed in frustration, wondering how Aah had so much luck, as Max and Paul laughed.
Paul wanted to assist Ash because he saw that he was still unaware. "Ash... "You should probably put on a shirt."
He was still perplexed until he looked down at his bare torso, but he couldn't see how this explained-
"Ohhhhhh..." It took him a moment, but Ash recognized why everyone was staring at him; he wasn't quite as dense as he used to be, and he knew that all of his hard work over the years had delivered some very...positive effects for him.
He hit the nail on the head, as all three girls were engrossed in admiring his shirtless physique, unable to look away.
Misty was the first of the three to come out of her trance, and she decided to tease Ash a little, saying, "Working hard, are we Ash?"
Ash blushed as both Serena and Dawn stared. Ash didn't like all of the attention, so he quickly searched around, eventually finding his black shirt and jacket on the ground. He quickly put his clothing back on, silently praying that the girls would break out of their trances now that he was fully clothed.
Fortunately for him, this appeared to work.
"Oh...hello, Ash!" Dawn exclaimed a bit too loudly, and Serena simply waved and lowered her head, attempting but failing to hide the enormous blush on her face.
"Hey!" Ash exclaimed, eager to put this episode behind him.
"I just couldn't wait any longer for our battle, Ash." I'm overjoyed! "But as for my sister...she claimed she had some things to do, but that she would come to the latter to catch the tail end of the war," Max explained, slightly perplexed, but accepting her excuse regardless because he had no reason not to trust her.
Ash frowned at the reasoning, knowing that he was more than likely the reason May hadn't joined the others, which was exactly what he didn't want the kiss to cause; he didn't want everything to be different between them now, and if this was any indication of what was to come, things were not looking good.
He sighed before doing his best to put on a good front for his buddies, despite how he felt about the situation with May, he was still anxious to battle. As long as May arrives. I don't want her to be late for our first battle. I'll be there when you are! "
"Alright! Let's get started straight now. Ash Ketchum, you're going down! I wouldn't want anything less," Max stated with a determined expression on his face.
"All right, Max, I'm going to let you choose which pokemon I employ. But remember, no matter who you choose, you're going to have a fight," Ash warned the youngster, motioning to all of his pokemon, which were lined up behind him.
Max let a look of surprise wash over him before swiftly returning to a determined attitude. "If I want to be the best, I have to beat the best," he said.
Max had just selected to face up against what was likely his greatest pokemon; they had been battling together for eight years, so it was only natural that Pikachu would be exceedingly tough.
Although he would never admit it, Ash believed that Pikachu had benefited the most from their intense training. His speed had increased tenfold, as had his strength and power, and on a good day, Pikachu can and has knocked out a weaker pokemon in one hit. Ash just hoped that Max was up for the challenge, knowing how much he knew about pokemon and how much he loved them.
Everyone else was as astonished as Max was by his decision. They had seen what the yellow rodent could do over the years, some on TV and some in person, but no matter where they had seen it, they knew Max was in for a fight of his life.
The other pokemon, many of which were sad that they weren't competing, had created a space for the two boys to battle in. Ash took one side, his Pikachu immediately in front of him on all fours, and Max took the spot on the other end of Ash.
"Pikachu, you ready buddy?" Ash exclaimed happily to his pokemon
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said, determined to win this battle.
"OK, Max, who are you going to pick?" Ash questioned his opponent.
"Me and these boys have been through a lot together these past four years," Max chuckled, "and Ash, I'd like you to meet my first pokemon. Sceptile, come on out!"
Max tossed the pokeball, exposing the green, reptilian pokemon within. The Sceptile, Ash's own species, took notice of the visitor. Despite the fact that he appeared rather strong for a pokemon that had only been trained for four years, Ash's Sceptile laughed at the pokemon, clearly thinking much higher of himself.
"Whoa...Max, you chose Treeko! That's fantastic! I can't wait to get this battle started! Brock, can you act as referee for us?" Ash turned away from the Sceptile to meet his long-time friend's eyes.
"Way ahead of you, Ash." Brock had already moved to take his spot between Ash and Max, on the outskirts of the battlefield.
"Are both trainers and pokemon prepared for this one-on-one combat between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and Max Maple of Petalburg City?
"Ready "Ash spoke out.
"Sure thing! " Max remarked that he and Ash shared a competitive gaze across the field.
"Pikachu, Pikachu!"
"Scep scep scep-tile!"
"Okay, then let's get started!" Brock declared the combat fully underway.
"Okay, Sceptile, we can't afford to spend any time. Get in close and attack quickly! "Max gave the order, and Sceptile shot off at breakneck speed towards the electric mouse pokemon.
Ash never let the confident look leave his face. "Pikachu, use agility to dodge and hit him with iron tail."
Before Sceptile could reach Pikachu, the mouse vanished, traveling faster than Sceptile, and the grass type pokemon glanced around in panic, seeking to find the electric rodent.
"Sceptile! Take caution! "Max yelled, finally seeing Pikachu emerge from behind his beginning, but his warning was too late. Sceptile whirled around just in time to see Pikachu approaching him, his tail a gleaming iron color. The simple move exuded force.
The attack struck the lizard directly in the head, dealing significant damage, and Sceptile staggered back to his trainer to recover.
"Are you okay, Sceptile? " Max questioned his first pokemon, which responded positively, but he could tell that his Sceptile was surprised that such a small pokemon could carry such a punch.
"You can't underestimate Pikachu, Sceptile. He's the Pikachu I mentioned earlier. He's defeated numerous opponents without ever being hit himself. He's even defeated legends Regice and Latios! "Max taught his pokemon about some of Pikachu's finest achievements.
Sceptile's eyes grew wide at the news, but that look was soon replaced with a newfound look of resolve. He scowled at Pikachu, who leered back in return.
Max went back on the offensive after realizing his pokemon knew what he was up against.
"Sceptile, charge in with a rapid strike, then slash them with a leaf blade! "
"Be prepared, Pikachu. Maintain your attention on Sceptile's movements "Ash spoke quietly to his starter.
Pikachu did exactly what was asked of him: he focused his attention exclusively on Sceptile. Even when he used rapid attack, when most couldn't see anything but a blur moving across the field, Pikachu was able to track the reptilian pokemon's every move.
Ash decided it was time because Sceptile was only a few feet away from Pikachu "Pikachu! Now! "
Hearing his trainer's cry, Pikachu leapt into the air, deflecting Sceptile's strike, before unleashing a strong thunderbolt. Max and Sceptile could only watch in terror, waiting to see what would happen.
Sceptile faced the attack head on, thousands of volts of electricity rushing through his body, yet his grass typing allowed him take the damage better than normal, as evidenced by his rapid return to Max.
Max was taken aback; Ash hadn't even told Pikachu to use a move!
"How did Pikachu know what to do without you telling him?" Max wondered.
Ash grinned. "Well, the 'rapid attack into another attack' thing is very common, so me and Pikachu felt it would be best if he had an easy way to counter it. It almost always works the first time, but as battles go on longer, we tend to be unable to apply the same tactic again."
Except for Brock and Serena, who had observed Ash grow and develop this method, Max and nearly everyone else had finally realized how much Ash had developed. Instead, he was strong and strategic, use his wits as well as his pokemon's enormous strength.
"All right, Sceptile, use your hardest Leaf Storm! Go!" Max said, pointing his arm towards Pikachu.
Sceptile summoned a great deal of power and hurled a massive storm of leaves at Pikachu.
Max grinned. Pikachu was not going to be able to avoid this strike. At the very least, he was going to land a strong blow on Pikachu.
This perplexed him even more when he noticed Pikachu wasn't moving to attempt to avoid him.
Ash whispered two easy words to his pokemon, "Counter Shield," and he was completely unconcerned.
Pikachu conjured up a tremendous amount of energy from his small body and fashioned it into a shield, shielding his form from the approaching assault. When the leaf storm eventually reached its destination, the scorching energy from Pikachu burned away many of the leaves.
As the attack ended, Max was left with an exhausted Sceptile but Ash still had a perfectly healthy Pikachu.
The girl in the white and red bandana approached the group of observers at this point. May had chosen to remain at home while everyone else went in search of Ash for reasons she hadn't felt comfortable expressing to her pals.
May was terrified to meet him right now, but she was torn because she knew her brother and Ash would be fighting. That was something she didn't want to miss. This conflict had been a long time in the making.
Her eagerness to witness the combat eventually won out, and she arrived at the property.
Dawn quickly saw the brunette as she approached her.
May wasn't sure how to react to the news. She knew from the start that this was likely how the war would end, but she still felt horrible for her brother losing by such a large margin. He was, however, losing to the person she cared about more than anything else in the world, so it wasn't all awful.
Instead of being divided over who she wanted to win, she resolved to observe the combat objectively and enjoy it as much as she could.
"Grrr...Sceptile, we need to try something else!" Max was clearly agitated, even after only a few countered moves.
Ash knew he could take advantage of this; fighting a furious opponent was like snatching candy from a baby, but the idea of abusing this moment never occurred to Ash. After all, Max was one of his buddies, and this was an excellent opportunity for Ash to remind Max of something.
"Max, you need to keep your calm. When you're upset, you don't think straight, and that's a recipe for disaster in a battle," Ash cautioned the young trainer. Max raised his head, catching Ash's cold stare.
Seeing Ash's calm and collected demeanor inspired him to do the same. He understood that growing angry during a battle almost always resulted in a trainer's doom, yet it was sometimes difficult to manage. That said, he knew he couldn't allow his emotions get the best of him in battle, and he was grateful to Ash for reminding him of that.
"Thank you, Ash," Max said quietly to his friend. He would have lost in no time if it hadn't been for him.
Before commanding his pokemon, Ash just grinned and nodded.
"Charge beam, Pikachu!"
Max expertly commanded his Sceptile, filled with newfound confidence. He was finally thinking before acting. He knew that if the charge beam hit, Pikachu's attacks would be much more strong than before. He couldn't afford for that to happen.
"Sceptile! Dodge to the right and use rock slide!" Max was certain this would work. He'd spent many hours practicing his rock slide attack with Sceptile. Sceptile's rock slide has to be one of the fastest and most precise on the planet.
"Pikachu, quick, counter shield!" Ash exclaimed, a tinge of panic in his voice as he realized how quickly the boulders were approaching.
Pikachu managed to conjure up enough lightning to deflect a handful of the incoming projectiles, but not enough to protect himself from all of the rocks.
Pikachu recoiled in pain as a slew of rocks landed on him. However, only about half of them were incinerated by the bit of lightning Pikachu was able to summon before the assault could hit.
Regardless of what was going on, Ash's confident grin refused to leave his face. Even though typical Pikachus are supposed to be rather fragile, Ash knew that they wouldn't mind.
Everyone watching was caught aback by Max's minor achievement. Ash was well regarded as a very powerful trainer around the world, and almost everyone, including May, was reasonably certain that Max wouldn't even land a hit on Pikachu.
She had seen Ash in the Indigo League that year, as well as most of his significant battles prior to that, and suffice it to say, Ash was no pushover when it came to battling. In fact, he was regarded as one of the top trainers on the contemporary combat circuit.
Max was overjoyed that he'd finally gotten a hit on the swift and elusive pokemon. This was his opportunity, and he knew it; he needed to seize it.
"All right, Sceptile! Here's our chance! Use earthquake!" Max exclaimed to his first pokemon.
"Pikachu... utilize iron tail and balance on it," Ash said, stunning almost everyone in the room.
Except for a handful, everyone was perplexed by the command, but they believed the answers to the questions swimming around in their heads would come soon enough.
Sceptile pounded the ground furiously, causing it to vibrate violently. As a result, visibility suffered greatly.
Although Max couldn't see Pikachu at the moment, he was confident that he had inflicted major harm to both Pikachu and Ash's prospects of victory.
May looked on with pride and trepidation. She was proud of her brother for causing so much damage to Pikachu. And anxiety since the person to whom Pikachu belonged was the one she loved.
Ash, on the other hand, stood tall. The smirk on his face grew even wider as he observed his buddies' frightened reactions.
"How naive..." Ash made fun of himself with his thoughts.
"Now Pikachu! Full force thunderbolt!" Ash cried after a few moments, not letting the dust settle.
Pikachu prepared his strike by leaping over the airborne particles that surrounded him.
"Piii-Kaaa-CHUUU!" shouted the yellow rodent as a burst of energy blasted from his body.
Max was too shocked to instruct Sceptile to do anything, allowing the tremendous electric attack to immediately hit his pokemon. Despite the fact that grass types are immune to electric type attacks, Pikachu's thunderbolt was powerful enough to break that restriction, as evidenced by Sceptile crying his name in anguish.
Pikachu continued his attack for a few more seconds before ceasing it, peering hopefully toward Sceptile as he fell back on the ground. The blow had been too much for the now burnt grass type, as both Ash and Pikachu suspected, as he fainted shortly after the attack ended.
"Sceptile is unable to fight; the winner is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" Brock cried, raising his palm to the side of the field nearest to Ash's.
Max's expression was astonished as he hurried to check on his first pokemon and loyal friend. He was worried about Sceptile because that thunderbolt was one of the strongest he'd ever seen.
"Sceptile! Are you okay?" Max asked, trying not to panic; Sceptile was more than likely fine; pokemon, after all, were immensely resilient.
Sceptile barely opened his eyes and gave his trainer a feeble smile before closing them again. Max sighed in relief; even with that final attack's power, his Sceptile would be fine with a nice rest and maybe a potion or two...
Max was still staring at his unconscious pokemon when Ash approached.
"Hehe...Sorry, Max. I definitely should have had Pikachu hold back a little on that last one," Ash remarked uncomfortably.
Max looked up at his instructor, only to see him rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile. He was confused again now that he knew Sceptile would be well.
Ash looked uneasy when he spotted Max staring at him with a weird expression on his face. Ash chose to speak despite his best efforts to avoid the stare.
"You did really well, Max! You even managed to land a hit on Pikachu, one of my fastest pokemon, which is something that a lot of trainers I've fought over the years can't boast." Ash replied, seeking to break the young boy's attention.
However, this did not work because Max merely stared. For over a half-minute, the two were locked in a gazing duel until Max finally spoke.
"How?"
When he looked up at his friends, he noticed that all save Misty, Brock, and Paul were perplexed.
"You're probably wondering how Pikachu survived the earthquake." Everyone around him gave him enthusiastic nods and responses. He spoke again, taking this as his cue to proceed "Actually, it's pretty straightforward. Earthquake does exactly what it says: it snakes the earth quake. So all Pikachu had to do was decrease the parts of himself that were on the ground, and Pikachu's tail is an excellent option for this. It has to do with the amount of surface area on the ground at the time the maneuver is used. At least, that's how it works when a pokemon causes an earthquake; I'm not sure how it works when an earthquake occurs naturally. Normally, an earthquake would have done a lot of damage, but because Pikachu is so powerful, it barely damaged any. Does that make sense?"
Dawn, May, and Misty all seemed to be thinking about what Ash had said. He then returned his gaze to Max, who was still staring at him, clearly contemplating what he'd just heard.
Max's face brightened after a few moments.
"Wow! That's fantastic! Why hadn't I thought of that?!" Max exclaimed in delight.
Ash laughed at his young pal before turning to face his friends who were approaching him swiftly. Except for May, who had chosen to remain where she was, which happened to be quite far away from Ash.
"Oh my goodness, Ash. How did you come up with such an idea?" Misty inquired.
"I'm not entirely certain. It suddenly came to me during a battle a few years ago. It was a bit of a trial and error process "Ash spoke up.
"So...why haven't any of us ever seen you employ this method before? I mean, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has watched every one of your televised matches since we've been away." Dawn said, "I am quite curious."
"I have various earthquake-resistance techniques." I have to, for the sake of Pikachu. I'm sure you've seen a few of them.
Everyone smiled before Max drew Ash's attention once more.
"Hey Ash, thanks for a fantastic match. Even though I lost, I had a great time. It's amazing how strong you are." Max extolled his idol and role model.
"Many thanks, Max. I simply hope I'm good enough to compete in the elite four challenge later this year."
"Oh, yes!" I forgot you get to play the elite four because you won the league!" Serena exclaimed, her delight palpable in her voice.
"How about instead of us all watching at home when Ash decides to challenge them, we all go and support him in person?" Dawn proposed the proposal, which was met with a chorus of "Yeah!"
Ash's face lit up with delight as she heard everyone agree on the bluenette's offer. Having all of his buddies present during the most critical series of conflicts in his life would be incredible.
"Thank you, it would mean a lot to me if you were there." Ash was overjoyed. He was grateful to have pals who were so supportive of him.
His smile faded as his gaze was drawn to May, who was still very far away from the group. Her eyes was fixed on the ground, one arm clutching the other.
Serena's gaze was drawn to Ash. When they noticed this, the action was quickly followed by all of the others.
Misty grimaced when she saw May. "I'm not sure what's going on with her today. She appears depressed and quiet. She claimed she didn't want to attend because she was tired and had things to do, but I don't believe that was the case.""Yes, I haven't known her for long, but this isn't typical of her. Something is obviously incorrect." Paul also contributed. Everyone nodded in agreement with his assertion.
Ash looked down slightly, a guilty expression on his face, though he made sure no one noticed. He knew it was his fault she was feeling this way; he knew he hadn't done anything because May had kissed him, but he still felt completely guilty. Even though he'd enjoyed it, he cursed that kiss from ever happening again. It was doing exactly what he didn't want: it was separating them.
But that was something he was not going to allow happen.
"Do you know what's wrong with her, Ash?" Brock inquired, shocking Ash for a little while. He was so preoccupied with his own thoughts and remorse that he failed to observe the discourse going on around him. And now he was going to have to lie.
Ash shook the thought of lying from his mind; it wasn't who he was. Instead of responding, he approached the lovely brunette.
May didn't look up from the ground when Ash came to a complete stop in front of her.
"May..." Ash murmured quietly. He understood he needed to be sensitive right now, therefore his tone had to be as well.
May raised her head for a brief moment, but was unable to meet Ash's stare. She instantly resumed her focus on her new favorite area on the ground.
Ash exhaled quietly to himself. He knew May well, and it was clear that he wasn't going to get her to talk. Ash thought for a few seconds about what he could do to initiate a proper interaction with her before an idea struck him. He wasn't convinced it would work, but it was his best attempt.
"May." He spoke up, his voice a little stronger than before, but still very quiet and comforting. She forced herself to look at him this time, though she still avoided his gaze.
Now that they were face to face, Ash was confident that what he was going to do would work. Knowing May, he was beginning to believe.
"I challenge you to a fight." Just now." Ash remarked solemnly, his gaze finally meeting hers.
May, like everyone else, was taken aback by what Ash had just requested.
"I don't think-"
"Are we really going to do this?" May's stunned expression was broken by Ash's question.
May paused for a few seconds, unsure how to react, before nervously nodding, agreeing to the battle.
May was perplexed by Ash's actions, but she was prepared to go along with them. All she could think about at the time was how grateful she was that he hadn't told anyone about the kiss.
Ash exhaled quietly to himself. At the very least, his strategy hadn't fully failed.
"Now, if only I could get through to her during this conflict..."
Ash thought to himself as he resumed his position on his side of the field.
Ash watched May walk to the opposite side of the field from where he stood. He could tell she wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew that would change once the battle began. One of the things he enjoyed about her was how intense she got during a competition, it always reminded him of himself.
He was simply hoping he could get that out of her.
Brock took his seat between the two companions without being asked.
"This will be a one-on-one battle between Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town and May Maple of Petalburg City. Please release your pokemon."
"Wow, this should be a good battle. A Grand Festival winner facing a Pokemon League winner." Misty whispered to Dawn and Serena.
"I don't know Misty. It seems Ash has gotten really strong over the past few years," Dawn said as Serena nodded in agreement knowing that too.
Dawn knew that when it came to strength, the coordinators were no match for a trainer, which put them at a serious disadvantage in a regular fight. A coordinator's ability to come up with combinations on the fly was really his only hope in a one-on-one match against a standard coach. "Well, May fights a bit like a trainer. She has that thing going for her, along with her amazing combinations." Dawn thought to herself, hopeful for her brunette friend.
However, this thought is nullified when one remembers that Ash's combinations and strategies rival even those of an expert coordinator, once again putting May at a disadvantage. He just hoped May would make the best of her and enjoy herself. That was really all that mattered to her in the end. May knew Ash was strong and would have to do anything to have a chance in this battle. No matter how hesitant and uncomfortable she was with Ash right now, she would always give her all in a fight.
"Blaziken, take the stage!" May tried to sound cheerful, but she failed when her voice faltered as she exclaimed.
Blaziken appeared from his pokeball and yelled her name in a battle cry. She looked across the court, hoping to figure out who she was competing against. Then his eyes fell on Ash. A smile instantly spread across her face as she ran over to the dark haired coach and hugged him. She was surprised at how much he had grown since the last time they saw each other, now being slightly taller than her at 6ft 4in.
Ash laughed and hugged the two-legged Pokémon back.
"Nice to see you too, Blaziken, but we're about to have a fight so do you think you could let go?" Ash asked softly, which Blaziken happily accepted. Blaziken returned to his side of the field while Ash searched his Pokémon for the one he would use in this fight.
His Sceptile and Lucario jumped on top of all Pokemon, eager to be the chosen one for battle. Ash looked at his two Pokémon and tried to decide which one to choose. He knew that Sceptile and Blaziken had a history and he definitely wanted another chance to fight Blaziken, but he had also used Sceptile as Lucario more recently.
He nodded to his Lucario as he took his place in front of his trainer. Sceptile was visibly upset that he didn't get the fight he deserved. Ash noticed this and solved it.
"Sceptile, I promise you will get your chance, don't worry." Ash tries to calm the Pokémon. Sceptile was still a little annoyed, but he agreed that the rematch would have to wait.
He liked it even more when Blaziken quickly came over and gave him a big hug. The two Pokémon blushed at the contact, but were both so happy to see each other that they didn't care. As they parted ways, Blaziken assured Sceptile that they would fight again soon and that was a promise. Sceptile felt a lot better now that he wasn't fighting anymore and was ready to watch the fight ahead.
Everyone smiled at the interaction between the two Pokémon, even May smiled slightly. She had always known how much she loved Blaziken Sceptile, and seeing them together was a sweet moment. Once that was resolved, Blaziken was back on her side of the court ready and roaring.
"Okay, Lucario versus Blaziken. Get started!" Brock exclaimed and the match began.
"Lucario, start with a bone storm!" Ash yelled at his Pokémon.
A blue mace of aura formed in Lucario's hands as they climbed towards Blaziken. "Blaziken, counter-" May's order was interrupted when Blaziken was thrown after being hit by the super effective attack.
May was stunned to say the least. Lucario's speed probably even exceeded Pikachu's, and that's saying a lot. Luckily, Blaziken seemed to have managed to move a few inches, not allowing Lucario to land a critical hit, which would have cost Blaziken dearly if she hadn't completely knocked her out. May knew she had to be much more careful from then on. What she didn't know, however, was Ash's strategy. In reality, Lucario's speed was mostly an illusion. He was definitely fast himself, but he was aided in their speed on that last attack. He had taught Lucario to use extreme speed with Bone Rush every time he used the attack. It was a great way to trick an opponent into thinking Lucario was faster than he actually was.
"Blaziken, let's go on the offensive!" yelled May, now that her confidence was fully restored. "Enter with a burst of fire!"
Ash knew the dangers of using Lucario in this battle. His half-steel type made him weak to both fire and combat, while Sceptile was only weak to fire. And while it would be silly to think that kind of matchup doesn't matter at all, Ash had complete faith in his Pokemon and knew they could succeed, despite the matchup.
"Lucario, extreme speed to dodge him!" Ash exclaimed. Lucario ran and tried to escape from the two-legged Pokémon. However, he was slowed down when the surprisingly fast Blaziken managed to brush past him with the super effective attack, slightly injuring Lucario. Now it was Ash's turn to be surprised.
"Wow, May. Blaziken is really fast." Ash complimented her friend and her Pokémon. "Well, she had me as a coach." May responded in a falsely arrogant tone. Ash smiled as he felt the tension ease. May resumed acting normal.
"Okay Blaziken, Sky Uppercut!" You can command, feeling. The two Pokemon were now close to the costly attack, leaving Lucario vulnerable. Ash knew that if this attack hit, it would deal a lot of damage due to Lucario's steel type. Fortunately, he only had movement to counter.
"Lucario! Detect!" yelled Ash.
Lucario closed his eyes, allowing his aura to detect the path of the mast of air, allowing him to dodge with ease. So he quickly returned to his coach, planning to regroup. "Are you okay, Lucario?" Ash asked, making sure the previous shot didn't do too much damage. Lucario turned to his trainer and nodded; The previous attack hadn't done too much damage and he was still roaring and ready to go.
Ash noticed something about his Lucario as he nodded. His normally red eyes glowed blue. Seeing this, his mind flashed back to when he had just woken up in Professor Oak's lab. He remembered seeing himself in the mirror; his eyes were the same blue hue as Lucario's.
It was only a second or two before the revelation hit him like a ton of bricks.
That was why Heal Pulse had worked on him and not the many others who had tried before him, it had to be. It was his unique, more powerful aura. It was perfectly logical. He made sure to remember this information for later, but for now he still had a battle to win.
He returned from his daydream just in time to see his Lucario get hit by a Brick Break from the hands of Blaziken. She winced at her pain when she made direct contact, but took it relatively well considering she was weak before the attack.
He thanked Arceus for allowing her and all of her other pokemon to do "weak resistance training". If not for that, that Brick Break would have done a lot more damage than she did. "Are you just going to let me win, Ash?" May asked teasingly. However, she was curious to know what had distracted Ash enough to make him lose focus on the fight, even if only for a moment. When he was in combat he was usually laser focused so it was safe to say she was curious
Ash smiled, ecstatic that May was acting normal again. He just hoped it would last after the fight.
"Dreaming of princess." Ash replied, his tone just as teasing. May matched Ash's competitive smile before attacking again. "Blaziken, Night Slash!"
Hearing his trainer's command, Blaziken made his way towards the blue jackal pokemon as he attacked.
Ash's smile widened. "Take this."
May looked utterly confused, and even a little annoyed that he seemed to be letting her win. "Hey! I thought you said you wouldn't let me win."
Ash had to suppress a laugh. "Believe me... I'm not."
May shrugged and watched as her pokemon continued to prepare for its attack. After the last heavy hit, she got overconfident and decided to do it with another move, although that move wasn't always very effective
The damage from last night's slash is done, May smiled. Lucario took a small step back, her damage starting to pile up. It's just that she suddenly felt that her body was stronger than ever, and a distinct blue aura was emanating from her body. Maya was shocked and horrified by the sudden change. "How does it happen?"
This time, Ash couldn't help but laugh. "Lucario has an ability called Justified. In other words, when a dark attack hits her, her attack power will increase."
May stabbed herself in the heart. Why would she be conceited to attack?
May quickly recovered, gave her a confident look and said, "Never mind, I'll kill Lucario! Blazeken, the brick is broken!"
Blakiken lunged at Lucario with a bloodthirsty look in his eyes. It's easy to see how much she wants this win.
Xiaozi watched as the bipedal pokemon approached. According to him, he gave his orders. "Lucario dodges, use the drain punch!"
Lucario's aura-enhanced reflexes allow her to dodge melee very easily and land a draining blow right into Brachiken's stomach. Blaziken shuddered as Lucario began to look fresh and renewed; almost all the damage done earlier was now gone.
At this point, Ash knew that this fight was his. May knew that too.
"Lucario, do it. Melee! Ash ordered.
Lucario quickly began punching and kicking, hitting various parts of Blazek's body. It was the Brachiken that backed off after cushioning the blow that made Lucario's melee so direct.
At the end of the attack, Lucario looked fine, with a few scratches and minor burns the only things bothering her body. Blaziken, on the other hand, is terrifying. Xiaozi and Lucario were both surprised that Blakiken was still standing. She is clearly a very strong, well-trained Pokemon.
But just a moment later she waved at Lucario and then lost. "Blaziken can't fight. That means the winner is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." Bullock said professionally. He takes his role as a judge very seriously.
"Good job Lucario! You did a great job on the field!" Ash yelled, running over to his pokemon and scooping him up. However, a green pokemon didn't like it and ended the hug with Lucario as she ran up to the boy and threw him down.
"Bayleef Bay!" shouted Bayleef.
Ash sighed and shook his head, a smile lingering on his face as Bayleef nodded his head at him.
"Okay, Bayleef…I know…I love you too." Ash spoke calmly to the Pokemon. She was still very obsessed with Ash.
She looked up at Ash and smiled before running to join the rest of the Pokémon crowd.
While all of this was going on, May took Blaziken back to her Pokeball and walked over to Ash, who was still sitting on the ground after being attacked by his Pokemon Johto.
He quickly thanked Lucario before telling him to run away and join the other Pokémon who dissolved after the battle was over. It was then that he finally noticed May. "Do I need a hand?" May asked with a beaming smile, extending her hand to Ash.
Ash returned the smile and took her hand to get up. Once awake, he spoke.
"It was a great meeting, May. You kept me there for a while. I actually thought you were going to win. You and Blaziken are really cool." Ash complimented the brunette beauty.
May mocked him. "Oh please Ash. If you hadn't been distracted you would have won much earlier."
Even though May thinks she's strong, especially for being a receptionist, she knows she's no match for Ash. Ash frowned at May's words. "May, you should doubt yourself like that. You're one of the best Trainers I've ever met. You and your Pokémon share a bond that can't be beaten, and it's a trait that only the best Trainers possess."
Ash then gave her his signature goofy smile.
May couldn't help blushing at his praise and the smile she loved so much. "Well...I had an amazing teacher."
May blushed profusely but found she didn't care for the moment as she stared into Ash's chocolate brown eyes. Everyone watched as the two shared a moment together, Serena and Dawn both doing it with a bit of jealousy running through their veins.
Just when everything seemed to be back to normal, May recalled what had happened the night before. As the memory came back to the top of her mind, she looked away. Immediately, intense embarrassment washed over her again.
Ash noticed that the joy on her face was beginning to fade and worried that she was retracting into her shell. Ash was usually good with words, but right now he couldn't find anything to say.
"I...uh, I have to go." May said quietly as she left and retreated to the lab. Everyone looked too shocked to move. May seemed to be back to normal, but suddenly she was back to her how she acted in the morning. By now almost everyone had figured out that the reason May's strange behavior had something to do with Ash. Everyone was extremely curious, but decided not to push it for now, given the incredibly downcast look on Ash's face.
Ash sighed heavily, both defeated and sad. He really thought his plan had worked, and it had until moments ago. He understood now that if he wanted things to get back to normal, he needed help. However, he put that thought aside for now and turned his attention to his group of friends.
"Well... how about some lunch?" Ash asked, feigning happiness. He was clearly trying to break up the dark mood that had settled around everyone.
Everyone hesitated a little, wanting all the answers, but decided again that now was not the time to insist. There would certainly be time for that later. Ash started walking through the lab to his house, while everyone else followed in silence.
Viridian City
As the gang returned to the Ketchum residence, James and Meowth wandered the streets of Viridian City.
Meowth never wore clothes, so his appearance hadn't changed since he left Team Rocket, but James looked very different.
Now missing his signature Team Rocket uniform, he had to buy a whole new wardrobe. He and Meowth spent a few hours giving James a new outfit. His new look consisted of a plain white t-shirt under a black jacket with white long sleeves. Dark jeans and sneakers. He didn't seem to remind hardened criminals of that anymore when they saw the big red "R" on his chest. Now he looked almost...young, innocent.
James let out an audible sigh when he realized that he and Meowth had just passed the Pokémon Center for the third time. They had mindlessly wandered the city for hours, trying to find something to pass their time. Now that they weren't a part of Team Rocket anymore, they had a lot of them.
"Miauw?" James looked at his old friend. "What should we do now?"
Meowth looked sad, almost defeated to hear what was going to happen simply because he didn't know.
"James my friend, I don't have an answer to that. All I know is that I'm glad to be off Team Rocket and away from Jessie." Meowth said, to which James nodded. At least it was positive.
"Yeah…I always knew she was crazy, but I didn't think it would come to this…" James said sadly. Even though he had spent countless years of his life stealing his Pikachu, he still hoped that Ash was okay.
In fact, years ago, James and Meowth tried to get Jessie to leave Ash alone, but she didn't want any of that. She refused to give up until she got what she wanted. Honestly, that should have indicated that she was going to do whatever it took to get what she wanted.
"I really hope that the two…that Ash is okay. I still can't believe what happened." Meowth said sadly. Even though they had been trying to kidnap his best friend for years, Ash had often helped them and even saved their lives on several occasions. Honestly, they really liked the raven-haired coach. 'Me too, Meowth. But even if he survived, they'll come after him again. If Jessie really was sent to kill him, that monster Giovanni will do the job.' Jame gritted his teeth, angry that he had to name his previous boss.
Meowth didn't answer as the two walked in silence for a few minutes. After a while, an idea popped into Meowth's head. He smiled and caught James' attention. "James, I think I know what we're doing now.
Jame beamed at Meowth's words. " Really ? What is Meowth?
"Maybe you should wipe that smile off your face, James, because you probably won't like what I'm about to say." James blanched a little when Meowth continued. "If Ash managed to survive Jessie's attack, Giovanni will probably try something else to kill him, like you said."
Seeing James nod, the Scratchy Pokémon sighed and continued, "So what I'm suggesting is... we help Ash. I really want to make up for what I've done over the years. I also want to make it up to Ash. He saved our lives and never reported us to the police no matter how much we harassed him. Now that he might be dead, I feel terrible. I know that probably sounds silly-"
Meowth was interrupted by James, "Meowth, he's not stupid at all. I never liked being the bad guy. I…had nowhere else to go. When I found you guys…it felt like I finally had a family who really cared about me."
"I feel the same way man." Meowth said, his voice cracking a bit as a tear fell from his eye.
James nodded, a sad smile gracing his face. "And now that Team Rocket is even worse than before, I feel compelled to do something. I think it's time we did something good for a change. I like the plan, I'm in.
"You bet your long-suffering ass I'm in, bro." Meowth said happily as a tear rolled down her cheek. He and James had developed such a close bond over the years, and yet they didn't even realize it until they left Team Rocket. The timing didn't matter though, the two had each other. They both knew they had someone they could always count on no matter what.
"Then we must go to Pallet. Arceus, I hope he's alive.' Meowth said.
"Yes...we'd better hurry. I have a feeling something big is about to happen," James said as the two began their journey to the city of Pallet.