Episode 275: Love, Petalburg Style!
After the battle against Pike Queen Lucy, the group were walking down the streets of Petalburg City.
"Guys, why don't go ahead and head for May and Max's house. I'm going to head for the Pokémon Center to give Pikachu, Marshtomp and Angel a checkup," Sora said.
"That's not a bad idea, Sora. After that battle today, they could use it," Rei said.
"I'll go with you. Just to keep you company," Kairi said.
"Eevee," Angel said.
"Why not? The more, the merrier," Sora said.
"Pikachu," Pikachu said.
"You and Kairi know where to find us, Sora," Brendan said.
"We'll meet up with you as soon as they're a hundred percent," Sora said.
"But keep your eyes peeled for Heartless, Nobodies, or Unversed," Rei said.
"Yes, Master," Sora and Kairi said.
With that said, the couple started to make their way there while holding hands. Pikachu and Angel walked behind their Trainers and they did so by using their tails. The girls were watching them take off, swooning over how romantic it looked.
"It's very sweet, isn't it?" May asked.
"No matter how many times I see it, I can never get enough of it," Leaf said.
"Me neither," Kris, Lyra, and Lisia said.
"Oh, brother. Seeing May like that with Brendan would be something that'll be very hard to picture," Max said before getting a cold feeling. It turns out to be his sister, trying not to get angry at him.
"Is there something you wanna share, little brother?" May asked. Max chuckled nervously.
"No," Max quickly answered.
"I thought not," May said. Max didn't want to face his sister's wrath and say it fast. Riku took Max by the shoulder.
"Word of advice, don't ruin a girl's dream," Riku said. Max took what Riku said to heart and he quickly set his attention on home.
"I'm sure mom and dad are waiting for us to come home, so let's not keep them waiting," Max said.
"That's a good idea. They'll be thrilled to see us again," May said. With that said, the rest of the group started to head for their house.
Over to Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel, the two couples walked down the streets of Petalburg City. Pikachu and Angel both turned to face each other and both smiled affectionately. Pikachu and Angel lands a kiss on the lips and he wraps his arm around around her shoulder.
"It kinda feels like a date, doesn't it?"- Angel subtitle.
"More like a double date. But I'll be sure to give you one when we get home, Angel."- Pikachu subtitle. Angel smiled and nuzzles him.
"I just have to say, that was an incredible battle today, Sora," Kairi said.
"Thanks, Kairi. I'm always glad to have your support," Sora said. Kairi smiled.
"Well, that's what girlfriends are for, Sora. I'll always support you no matter what," Kairi said. Sora just smiled.
"Thanks, Kairi. I love you so much," Sora said.
"I love you, too, Sora," Kairi said.
The couple shared a kiss with each other.
Meanwhile, Riku, Naminé, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, May, Max, Lisia, Rei, Eevee, Azurill, and Marill have made it to their house.
"Home sweet home," Max said.
"Yeah, it hasn't changed at all," May said.
"It must be nice to be home again," Lisia said.
"It is," May said.
"Well, you better let your folks know you're here," Ethan suggested.
"Good idea," May agreed.
"Hey there, we're home!" May and Max announced. Doing some sweeping is a young man wearing a cyan karate outfit.
"May and Max! It's good to see you guys again!" The young man greeted.
"Hi, Kenny. It's good to see you," May said.
"Are mom and dad home?" Max asked.
"Your mom, yes. Your dad stepped out a little while ago," Kenny said.
"Oh, that's too bad," Max said. Kenny looked over to see they some friends with them.
"Say, are they the ones?" Kenny asked.
"Most of them, Kenny. This is Riku, Naminé, Ash, Ethan, Kris, Leaf, Lyra, Lisia, and Rei Sakura," May introduced.
"Nice to meet you, Kenny," Lisia greeted.
"You too, everyone," Kenny said. He leans over to May and Max. "And since you're here, we have ourselves a little problem."
"Problem? What kind of problem?" May asked.
"Probably nothing you need to worry about, but it's complicated," Kenny whispered. May and Max were starting to worry something was up. The rest of the group wondered if there have been Heartless sightings going around. If not Heartless, but it could be Nobodies or Unversed.
"My babies!' A familiar voice called out from behind Kenny. He winces when he heard her. Caroline smiles at the sight of her kids. "You're home, I missed you so much."
"Hi, mom!" May and Max greeted.
"We missed you, too!" May said.
Both siblings went and hugged their mother tightly.
"How have you two been?" Caroline asked.
"Good," Max said.
"Max, I think you grew a few inches," Caroline said. She noticed the rest of the group with them. "Ah, Ash, Leaf, Lyra, Ethan, Kris, Brendan, Naminé, and Riku! I was hoping I'd see you again." She noticed Lisia and Rei with them. "And they are-?"
"I am. My name is Lisia," Lisia introduced herself.
"And I'm Rei Sakura. It's nice to finally meet you," Rei said.
"It's very nice to meet you, too, Miss Sakura. My name is Caroline and as you can tell, I'm May and Max's mother," Carloine said. "Why don't you come inside and relax?"
"Yes, please," Rei said.
"Hey mom, when are we gonna see dad?" Max asked.
"Not right now," Caroline said. Kenny knew there was some tension coming from her. Kenny started to get back to sweeping.
"Say, these stairways are pretty dirty, so I better get back to it! Sweep, sweep, sweep," Kenny said, sweeping so much.
"What's up with him? Mom, is something wrong?" May asked.
"Nothing dear," Caroline said. "I just need to get lunch ready. All of you must hungry, so why don't you join us?" Caroline offered.
"I would appriciate that," Lisia said. "And thank you."
"Yay! We get to eat mom's home cooking again!" Max said with joy. Max was oblivious to the tension going on, but May and Lisia caught on quick when they saw how nervous Kenny was.
Over to the Pokémon Center, Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel had entered the building and they saw Norman having a casual talk with Nurse Joy. She was giggling at something.
"Norman?" Sora asked.
"What would bring him here?" Kairi asked.
"Only one way to find out," Sora said. He, his girlfriend, and the Pokémon couple approaches the Gym Leader from behind.
"Are you sure?" Nurse Joy asked.
"Of course. You know I trust you one hundred percent," Norman said.
"Excuse us," Sora said. Norman turned to see Sora and Kairi and smiled.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't it Sora and Kairi," Norman said.
"Welcome back, Sora and Kairi," Nurse Joy greeted.
"I've been looking forward for your return since I last saw you," Norman said.
"So have I. I've been training hard for this," Sora said.
"Pika," Pikachu said.
"I don't doubt it. But where are the rest of your friends?" Norman asked.
"They're probably at your house by now, along with May and Max," Kairi said.
"May and Max are here, too? This couldn't get any better," Norman said. "So what brings you to the Pokémon Center, Sora?"
"We came here to have my Pokémon healed from battling over at the Battle Pike earlier," Sora said.
"Oh, so you took on Lucy. Did you win it, Sora?" Norman asked.
"Yeah," Sora said, taking out his case containing the Frontier Symbols and showing them. "The Luck Symbol's my latest one."
"Four Battle Frontier Symbols, huh? I'm impressed. And I take it that you won four Gym Badges, too," Norman said.
"Yeah," Sora said, showing Norman the Gym Badges he won. "Just need four more Badges."
"Well done, Sora. But do you think our battle can wait until tomorrow, because today's my wedding anniversary," Norman said.
"Say, didn't May and Max already mention that to us when we were on our way here?" Kairi asked.
"You know, she did mention it once or twice," Sora said. This surprised Norman that they knew. "Anyway, Norman, it's not a big deal. I can wait."
"Thanks for understanding, Sora," Norman said as he smiled. "May and Max showing up on our wedding anniversary. Just seeing them on this special day just makes it even more special," Norman said. He turned to Nurse Joy. "Thanks, Nurse Joy. I can follow up with you soon."
"You know you can always count on me, anytime, Norman," Nurse Joy said.
"Yeah, I know that," Norman said.
"Got something special planned, Norman?" Sora asked.
"Oh, I can't just go and blab it out. I mean, it wouldn't be a surprise if I did. Right Nurse Joy?" Norman asked, winking at the nurse.
"Right Norman," Nurse Joy said. They both shared a laugh. Sora and Kairi didn't know what to make of it. Notman looked to Sora and grabs him by the shoulder. He looked over to Kairi.
"Say Kairi, you don't mind if I have a word with your boyfriend in private, do you? Just a little boy talk," Norman said.
"I don't mind. You two little boys go ahead and have your little talk," Kairi joked, making Sora laugh. He dragged Sora to a private place. He made sure they were out of ear shot range of anyone he knew.
"So, what's up, Norman? Why did you drag me here?" Sora asked.
"Before I tell you, I need you to keep this a secret. That means you can't tell Kairi," Norman said.
"I promise. Just let it out," Sora said. Just in case there was someone listening, he whsipered something into his challenger's ear and his his eyes got wide when Norman told him. "Wow, with a surprise that big, I know I want to keep it a secret, too."
"And that's why I wanted you to keep it a secret until then," Norman said.
"Okay, I'll keep my mouth shut about it," Sora said. Norman knew he found the right person to trust.
Back at the house, May and Max explained to their mother about their experiences, leaving out Organization XIII, Vanitas, Zell, the Heartless, the Nobodies, the Unversed, and the Keyblade since they didn't want to worry her. They did explain about Rei knowing Sora's father.
"Sounds like you had quite an experience," Caroline said.
"We sure have, mom," May said. "Say, when is dad gonna come home?"
"Oh yeah, dad always comes home for lunch, doesn't he?" Max asked. Caroline didn't want to lose her temper in front of her kids since they mentioned their father.
"Not today," Caroline said. Kenny ran an interference by waving his arms, bringing attention to him, hoping it'll distract them.
"Say, how about some more to eat? How about it? Do you want some more, do ya, do ya, do ya?" Kenny asked.
"Sure thing and thank you," Lisia said. Max was starting to catch on as the girls knew tension when they saw it.
"Say mom, I caught some Pokémon along the way. I caught my own Pokémon. One of them is a Beautifly," May said.
"What?" Caroline when she started to lose her temper. Kenny started to whimper.
"We can talk about that later," Kenny said, making everyone know how strange he was acting.
"Are you doing okay, Kenny, you seem to acting weird today," May said.
"Me weird? I haven't noticed," Kenny lied and starting to sweat.
"Anyway, May and her Beautifly have been in some Pokémon Contests," Max said before Kenny cut him off. Caroline was stirring in anger, not caring she was making a mess of her stove.
"They didn't say Beautifly, she said soup n prize! They were just talking about a cooking contest May entered, that's all!" Kenny said, trying to calm her down. The guests knew something was up with her.
"What's wrong with her?" Ethan whispered.
"I don't know, but it looked like she's gonna blow," Brendan whispered back.
"Mom, what's wrong?" May and Max asked. Caroline calmed down just a little and turned to her kids, still angry for some reason.
"It's nothing, kids. I just been trying to work some exercising in some housework, that's all," Caroline lied, trying to hide her rage. Shee did a few squats. "And one, and two, and one, and two." They were clearly not buying it.
After lunch, Kenny took the group into the greenhouse. He shushes them.
"Okay, Kenny, you might as well just spill the beans," Lyra said.
"Yeah, what's going on with our mom?" May asked.
"You'll never know who's listening," Kenny said.
"Is there something happening, Kenny?" Lisia asked.
"Well, the thing is-" Kenny was gonna explain when Max cut him off.
"Hey! Vigoroth!" Max exclaimed with joy. Vigoroth climbed down from a nearby tree.
"Is that your dad's Vigoroth, May?" Naminé asked.
"It is. This is dad's greenhouse. Dad had never let us come in here unless we were with him. This is also where he keeps his Gym Pokémon," May explained.
"That makes sense. Pokémon needs a place to stay," Riku said.
"It's good to see you again," Max said.
"He also never lets us watch any of his battles in his Gym," May explained.
"Why not?" Lisia asked.
"Well, it's because he didn't want his challengers to lose their concentration during the battles. Max and I understood. What Max doesn't get is being a Gym Leader isn't all what it's cracked up to be," May explained.
"I think I understand. My uncle Wallace was the same way. I didn't mind it one bit," Lisia said. "Besides, my mom always said that a good Gym Leader is a strict Gym Leader."
"Funny, my dad always said the same thing," May said. "He always had time to play with us after his battles."
"I hate to interrupt your stroll down memory lane, but there's something I have to let out," Kenny said.
"Right," Lisia said. Before either May or Lisia could ask a Slakoth comes hanging down.
"Hey! Slakoth!" Max said with joy.
"Come on, you guys, it's important," Kenny said. Max spots a large, bulky, ape-like bipedal Pokémon. Most of its shaggy fur is brown, along with the semi-circle patterning under its eyes. Its face, chest, hands, and feet are lighter in color. Its brows are thick and jutting, and it has a large, pink, pig-like nose. Around its neck is a white collar of fur that extends over the top of its head before ending in a small tuft. It has large, five-fingered hands and two-toed feet.
"Look! Slaking!" Max said.
"That's cool," May said.
"I remember how dad has always told me that Slaking can be a total pain in the neck to raise, but if you raise them the right way, they get easier to handle," Max said. Kenny couldn't take the interruptions any longer.
"Look, I cannot take it anymore. I need to tell you right now," Kenny said.
"Go ahead, Kenny," May said.
"Yeah, go ahead before Max goes nuts again," Lyra said.
"Marill," Marill said.
"For one thing, I think your mom and dad's marriage might be falling apart," Kenny said.
"What?! No way!" May gasped in shock. Max didn't like what Kenny had just said. "Tell me it isn't true!"
"Believe me, I wish it wasn't. Your dad has been heading out to the Pokémon Center everyday," Kenny said.
"So, a lot of Trainers head for the Pokémon Center everyday," Max said.
"Max has a point, Kenny. What's so unusual about that?" Ash asked.
"That seems rather normal for most people, but it isn't so normal with him. Afterwards, the two of them have been arguing. I even asked about it, but he told me not to worry. I can't help but worry," Kenny said. "Your mom gets all upset whenever someone would say the word Beautifly, and I have no idea why."
"And how long has it been going on?" Lisia asked.
"For the last few weeks. I think your dad might be having an affair with Nurse Joy," Kenny said. Everyone gasped.
"No, no, no, no, it can't be possible!" May exclaimed.
"Because it's not true!" Max argued.
"Max might be right. There's no way to prove that," Kris said.
"Yeah, for all we know, he could be heading there to pick up some vitamins for his Pokémon," Naminé said.
"Azurill," Azurill chirped.
"Didn't you try asking Norman about it?" Riku asked.
"I did, once. But he just acted like I didn't know what I was talking about, and I couldn't ask Caroline about it, because I'm afraid that she'll bite my head off if I do," Kenny said.
"Well, that's a good reason to stay out of it, but you can't help it. Maybe it's just nothing to worry about," Rei said.
"For May and Max's sake, I hope you're right, Lisia," Kenny said. "I honestly do."
Caroline is in the bedroom packing her belongings in her suitcase. She looked at an old photo of the two of them in a meadow filled with all sorts of flowers and Beautifly. She slams the photo faced down.
"That ungrateful idiot," Caroline hissed. "How could he cheat on me with that pink-haired skank? I give him all the love that a loving wife can give, and I give birth to our two beautiful children, and this is the thanks I get? On all of the days, he had to pick the day of our marriage! To think I saved myself for him on our wedding night! Well, I hope he can do well with his lover."
Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel made their way to the greenhouse and entered inside it. The couples found their friends, talking.
"No wonder it's been quiet. This is where the party is being held," Sora said.
"Sora, Kairi," May said.
"So, you must be Sora and Kairi. I heard about you from Norman. Happy to finally meet you two. My name's Kenny," Kenny said.
"You too, Kenny," Sora said.
"May and Max has told us about you, too," Kairi said.
"Pika, Pika," Pikachu said.
"Eevee," Angel said.
"How did you know where to find us?" May asked.
"Your mom pointed us in this direction. Is your mom doing okay?" Sora asked.
"She looks like she's having some kind of mood," Kairi said.
"Sora, where's our dad?" May asked.
"Down at the Pokémon Center. Why?" Sora asked. May, Max, Lisia, and Kenny winced when he said it.
"I was afraid of that," Kenny said.
"What do we do?" May asked.
"I think we should confront your dad and get the answers right away," Lisia suggested.
"Good idea. That's what we're gonna do," Kenny said. Kairi couldn't help but feel there was some tension going on. Riku, Naminé, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Lisia, Kenny, Eevee, Azurill, and Marill rushed down to the Pokémon Center. Vigoroth falls right on the human couple as Pikachu and Angel ran up to them.
"Hey there, Vigoroth. Nice of you to drop in," Sora said.
"Roth," Vigoroth said.
"You look well," Kairi said. She spotted Slakoth with Vigoroth. "And you're a Slakoth."
"Slakoth," Slakoth said.
Sora and Kairi spotted Slaking sleeping inside.
"And who's this?" Sora asked, taking out his Rotom Phone and scanned it.
Slaking, the Lazy Pokémon
The evolved form of Vigoroth
Type: Normal
Slaking spends all its time lounging around, earning the reputation of being the world's laziest Pokémon. It eats all of the grass around it, and then moves to another spot to eat more grass.
"So that's Vigoroth's evolved form," Sora said, putting his Rotom Phone away.
"I heard that Slaking can be a difficult Pokémon to raise," Kairi said.
"Yeah, but I can bet Norman made it work," Sora said.
Unknown to the couple, Zell has appeared outside the greenhouse.
"I was careless the last time when we met, Ketchum, but this time you won't find me so green. I'll strike when your guard is down," Zell said.
Over to the Pokémon Center, Riku, Naminé, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, May, Max, Lisia, Rei, Kenny Eevee, Azurill, and Marill have arrived in the Pokémon Center. They all gasped in shock. Norman and Nurse Joy were smiling and laughing.
"I knew it!" Kenny exclaimed.
"You were right, Kenny," Lyra said.
"I knew it!" Kenny exclaimed.
"I can't believe my own eyes!" May exclaimed.
"I still say it's not true!" Max exclaimed. Norman heard his kids and he smiles warmly at the sight of his own kids.
"May! Max! Looks like Sora and Kairi weren't kidding you would show up today! Seeing my own kids on our anniversary just makes it even more better. I heard you caught some new Pokémon," Norman said. He saw the frowining faces on his kids' faces. "Hey, what's the matter? Are you okay?"
"Not really," May said. He saw Riku and Naminé with them.
"Riku, Naminé, it's nice seeing you two again. I can see it didn't take long for you two to catch up," Norman said.
"Yeah, it's funny how some things works out," Riku said. Norman smiled as he saw Lisia and Rei with his kids.
"I see you brought a couple of friends with you. Any friend of my kids are welcome in my house," Norman said.
"Um, my name is Lisia," Lisia introduced herself.
"And I'm Rei Sakura," Rei introduced herself.
"Well, it's very nice to meet you," Norman said.
"Dad, we need to talk," May said.
Back in the greenhouse, Sora, Kairi, Pikachu, and Angel were looking over the Lazy Pokémon with amazement.
"To think this is what Slakoth will evolve into," Kairi said.
"I know. Just look at it. I can bet there would be a contest on which one will be the laziest, Slaking or Snorlax," Sora said.
"Well, Snorlax for one thing, since Snorlax can sleep for days, unless it's hungry," Kairi said.
"Yeah, that'll be a dumb question," Sora said. Sora and Kairi both shared a laugh.
"Changing the subject, what did Norman wanted to talk to you about?" Kairi asked. He knew it had something to do with Norman's surprise for his wife.
"W-What do you mean?" Sora asked, pretending he didn't know what she was talking about.
"Don't play dumb, Sora. You know what I'm talking about. Now out with it. What did he talk to you about?" Kairi asked.
"Nothing. Just some boy talk, like he said," Sora said. She wasn't buying it, so she had one alternative.
"Okay, mister, if you won't just let it out, then I'll force it out," Kairi said.
"And how do you plan to do that?" Sora asked. Kairi grinned wickedly as she gave off a wicked cackle when she held out her hand. Sora could have sworn he just saw some devil horns coming out for a second. He didn't like what was going through her mind. "No, no. Not that! Anything but that!" Pikachu, Angel, Slakoth, Vigoroth, and Slaking wondered what could she have in store for him. The Pokémon got their answer when Kairi started to tickle him. Sora started to laugh uncontrollably. "Stop it, Kairi! Stop!" Sora kept laughing.
"Not until you tell me!" Kairi said.
"I'll tell you! I'll tell you! Just stop! Just stop!" Sora laughed. Kairi did stop tickling him. He started to catch his breath and wiped the tears he shed during the laughter. "But before I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone, becuase Norman made me promise not to tell anyone."
"Just spill the beans, Sora," Kairi told her boyfriend. He took in a deep breath.
"If Norman gets mad at me, then it won't be my fault. The thing is-" Sora started.
Back to the Pokémon Center, Norman was having no idea what was going on.
"I honestly have no idea what you mean," Norman said. Caroline came in, carrying her suitcase.
"Norman!" Caroline said in an angry tone.
"Caroline. Where are you going with that suitcase?" Norman asked.
"Anywhere, but here," Caroline said.
"Okay, I can say you deserve a good vacation," Norman said, making everyone do an anime-style fall.
"It's not a vacation! She's leaving!" Kenny said.
"Right. Could it be your mother's?" Norman asked.
"Anywhere but here," Caroline said.
"Won't someone fill me in on what is going on? It feels like that I'm missing something," Norman said.
"Are you for real?" Ethan asked.
Let me," Kenny said. Kenny then starts to explain, "It's like this-"
Back to the greenhouse, Kairi was surprised by what Sora had told her.
"And that's the whole story," Sora said.
"I honestly had no idea. Sorry for making you break your promise, Sora," Kairi said.
"It's okay, Kairi. You didn't know. Now Norman is gonna be so mad at me for blurting it out," Sora said.
"I'll take my share of the blame. I mean, it's my fault that I made you spit it out," Kairi said.
"Not as long as you don't say anything about it," Sora said.
"Of course. Did he say where it is, exactly?" Kairi asked.
"No. He just told me the surprise and that's it," Sora said.
"Did you notice how Nurse Joy and Norman were friendly with each other?" Kairi asked.
"I did notice it," Sora said.
"You don't think Nurse Joy has something to do with the surprise?" Kairi asked.
"She has a lot to do with it, because Norman hired her for the job," Sora said.
"That's good. For a moment there, I thought he was cheating on his wife," Kairi said.
"At least it wasn't," Sora said. Pikachu and Angel's ears perk up.
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed.
"Eevee!" Angel also exclaimed.
"What's wrong?" Sora asked.
He got his answer when Zell came in the greenhouse, holding his Keyblade. Sora summoned his Keyblade and blocked with it. Sora looked right at Zell.
"Thought I've given up, didn't you?" Zell asked.
"Zell! I was wondering when you were going to show your face again, but you picked a really bad time to do it," Sora said.
"No time's a bad time to avenge Team Rocket," Zell said, coming at Sora again. Sora clashed his Keyblade against Zell's. The two of them kept it up as Kairi summoned hers and joined in the fight.
Back to the Pokémon Center, Kenny had explained to the Gym Leader on what's been going on.
"And that's about it," Kenny concluded.
"Is that what's it's all about?" Norman asked.
"How could you think such a thing? I would never do anything to betray your trust, Caroline!" Nurse Joy said.
"But you did. I didn't want to believe it, but I see the truth with my own eyes! And so, I'm leaving," Caroline said. She turned to her kids. "Don't worry about me, kids. I'm going to be okay."
"But, mom!" May cried.
"Caroline, I want you to know, it's not what you think! How about we all go back to the house and talk it over," Norman said.
"There is nothing to talk about. You can discuss it with your significant other," Caroline said.
"You're my significant other, honey! You always have been and you always will be!" Norman said.
"A likely story," Caroline argued. Max has taken all he could stands, and he could stands no more.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Max yelled. Everyone all turned to Max. "YOU'RE NOT GIVING DAD THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT! NONE OF YOU ARE! My dad is the greatest Gym Leader in the world and he's my hero! There is no reason having to yell and fight over something that isn't true!"
"He's right. We were all jumping to conclusions and we weren't giving him a chance to properly explain," Lisia said.
"I guess you're right," May said, feeling a little regretful of the accusations.
"We've all been been jumping the gun and not even bothering to hear his side of the story," Kris said.
"Now, how about we all head home and we can straighten all this out," Norman said. Caroline didn't say anything, but she had to give her husband a chance for her son's sake.
Back in the greenhouse, the fight between Sora, Kairi, and Zell continued when they kept clashing Keyblades. They get outside the greenhouse as they kept clashing blades.
Riku, Naminé, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, May, Max, Lisia, Rei, Kenny, Norman, Caroline, Nurse Joy, Eevee, Azurill, and Marill arrived to see Sora and Kairi fighting Zell.
"Sora, Kairi!" Ash exclaimed.
"Him again!" Lisia gasped.
"Is that the Zell you told us about?" Riku asked.
"It's him," Rei said. She stepped forward and summoned her Keyblade. "Stay here and protect them!" Riku, Naminé, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, and May summoned their Keyblades, much to the surprise of Norman, Carloine, and Kenny. Rei rushed over to the fight and attempts to strike him down, but Zell dodged it.
"We meet again, Master Rei," Zell said.
"I wish I could say it with so much affection," Rei said.
"You can't protect him from me!" Zell said.
"There are times I won't have to, but I just don't understand why you're even rooting for Team Rocket, especially with potential like yours. You have a glorious gift and you're wasting it for evil," Rei said.
"It would be a waste if I just use it for good. I mean, you do-gooders are afraid of the dark, it's pathetic. Me, I'm not afraid of the darkness, and I'm not afraid of the Heartless. I'm going to use the darkness to destroy you," Zell said.
"Then your welcome to try," Rei said. Zell rushed over to Rei to strike her down, but Sora casts a fire spell, hitting him. Zell turned to glare at him.
"Don't get distracted," Sora said.
"Why you-!" Zell roared, running towards Sora with his Keyblade in hand and clashed against Sora's Kingdom Key. He pushed Sora back and began to rush at him. Kairi gave him a push, knocking him down. Zell got back up and held his Keyblade tightly. "You're going to wish you didn't just do that!" He aims his Keyblade at her and casts a blizzard spell. Kairi dodged it, but it it hits something that was in the shrubs.
"No!" Norman exclaimed.
"What was that explosion?" May asked.
"That does it!" Norman hissed. Norman was angered by what Zell had done. "I won't let you get away with what you just did! Slaking!" Hearing, its Trainer's voice, Slaking came charging out of the greenhouse sharing its trainer anger.
"Why is dad so mad?" Max asked.
"I don't know, but it has something to do with that explosion," Leaf said.
"Power-Up Punch!" Norman ordered. Slaking lands a Power-Up Punch onto Zell, making him block with his Keyblade. The punch attack sends him right into a tree. He fell on the ground. Riku, Ash, Leaf, Ethan, Kris, Lyra, Brendan, and May ran towards Zell and held their Keyblades tight in their hands.
"Don't move," Ash said.
"You can't take us all on, Zell," May said. Zell just grinned and chuckled evilly as a small dark portal appeared underneath him and he sinks into it.
"I'll retreat with this result this time, but I'll be back!" Zell said with his voice echoing all around. The Keyblade wielders dismissed their Keyblades as Norman went to the wreackage and of the fireworks display.
"Oh no. It's now ruined," Norman groaned.
"What was it?" Max asked.
"It was a fireworks display for your mom," Norman said.
"Fireworks?" Caroline asked surprised.
"Wow! Giving fireworks for a present is the most romantic thing I ever heard of!" May beamed at her father's thoughtful gesture.
"I agree with you, May. It must have been very nice," Kris said.
"Sorry your surprise was ruined, Norman," Sora said. Everyone looked at Sora and Kairi whom didn't seem as surprised as the rest.
"Sora, did you know about this?" Riku asked.
"Norman made me promise not to tell anyone because it was a surprise," Sora said. The Contest Idol looked at Kairi.
"Did you know too, Kairi?" Lisia asked.
"Only because I forced the truth out of him," Kairi admitted.
"Sorry, Norman," Sora said.
"It's okay, Sora. I should have guessed she would get you talk," Norman said.
"I can get another fireworks display for you tonight," Nurse Joy offered. Everyone except for Sora, Kairi, and Norman all looked at her.
"How can you do that?" May asked.
"Other than being a nurse, I'm also a licensed pyrotechnician," Nurse Joy said. "Norman asked me to prepare the fireworks to surprise his wife. He also made me promise not to tell anyone."
"That takes a huge load off of my mind because I was afraid Norman was sleeping with Nurse Joy, but now I'm glad it isn't true," Kenny said.
"You were right to never doubt him, Max. My mom always said you will find only confusion when you jump into a conclusion," Lisia said. Caroline felt foolish since she now she really knew the truth.
"I can't believe it, Norman! You mean, you went through all that trouble just for me?" Caroline asked, starting to understand.
"Of course, dear. I'm just sorry for making you think I was seeing someone else while your back was turned," Norman apologized.
"Don't apologize, Norman. I'm the one who really should be sorry. I should have known better than to ever doubt you. Just hearing what you did for me just shows how much you care for me," Caroline said.
"If it helps, I would walk on hot coals for you," Norman said. Feeling moved, Caroline smiled before the parents lands a passionate kiss. May was in tears having to see her parents make up. Max was relieved that his parents hadn't split up. Sora and Kairi smiled, knowing everything was okay. Riku and Naminé held hands as Ethan placed his arm around Kris's shoulders. Kris took his hand and sighed lovingly. Pikachu and Angel shared their Trainers' enthusiasm as the human and Pokémon couples hugged.
"Norman, Caroline, if you don't mind, I would like to speak with you alone," Rei requested.
"Of course," Norman said.
"May, why don't you help the others clean up the mess?" Rei asked.
"Okay, Master," May said.
Rei, Norman, and Caroline went inside the house as everyone cleaned up the mess that was made. Rei sat before Norman and Caroline about what they saw. She explained to the married couple about the Keyblade and her being a Master to May and Brendan, and about May being a Guardian of Kingdom Hearts.
"I want you two to know I never intended this to be like this," Rei said.
"I think I can understand, Rei. I somehow knew there was something about that group of kids, but I never expected this," Norman said.
"I'm just sorry it had to come on the day of your wedding anniversary. Like I said, I never planned for this," Rei said.
"You don't need to explain, Miss Sakura. You did say there are things you can't control. And it'll be good for May to make some more friends," Caroline said.
"I'm surprised you're so understanding and accepting about it, but I do swear that I'll do what I can to reach her potential," Rei said.
"And we appreciate it," Norman said. "Most parents would be shocked to hear that their kids are using magical weapons to fight evil monsters, but May's a strong girl."
"She got her strength from you, dear," Caroline said.
Later tht night, Nurse Joy had gotten what she needed ready for the fireworks display. May and Max's friends were invited to attend to the festivities.
"Norman, everything is all set to go," Nurse Joy said.
"Perfect. I hope you're ready for something special," Nurse Joy activated the fireworks and the fireworks fired straight into the air. The image of a Beautifly had appeared in the night sky.
"Oh wow, it's a Beautifly," May said.
"So pretty," Kairi said, leaning her head on Sora's shoulder. Angel did the same to Pikachu. Naminé and Kris did the same with their boyfriends. Love was in the air that night. More fireworks fired up into the sky and the images were all Beautifly.
"How come all these fireworks are Beautifly, mom?" Max asked.
"That's a good question. I was wondering about that too," Sora said. Caroline giggled.
"Well, you see," Caroline said as Norman scratched the back of his head and blushed.
"Hey, look at that, we're all out of drinks. How about I go inside and get some more," Norman said.
"It goes back to when your father first proposed to me," Caroline said.
"Yeah? Tell us," May said, becoming interested in the story.
"We were in a meadow filled with gorgeous flowers. And there were more Beautifly than I could even count. It was like we had our own Cupids watching over us. When he asked me to marry him, my answer was of course, yes and we got married as the months passed. I have never forgotten and neither has your father. And that is why he made all those fireworks into Beautifly," Caroline explained.
"You know, I was wondering why he chose only Beautifly, but I understand now," Nurse Joy said.
"He sure can be romantic," Lisia said, feeling moved.
"Looking back on this now, I'm glad he kept it a secret, because I wouldn't have gotten this wonderful present," Caroline said. May looked at Brendan and he looked back at May and they blushed. Caroline looked right at May and Brendan, and she can tell her daughter's in love.
May had a romantic idea. She decided to have Kairi sing for her parents on her day. She was told by Kris that Kairi has a beautiful singing voice. She heard it when Kairi was singing a lullaby for her baby brother. Kairi was reluctant to do it, but Kris insisted. The song May chose her to sing is "A Dream Worth Keeping."
(Kairi)
Anytime you want to be right here
Just imagine me and all this will appear
You can keep this moment all your life
Forever near
A dream worth keeping
When your feeling lost I'll be your star
Just reach out and touch me no matter where you are
In a world where precious things are disappearing over night
Just keep my star in sight
I believe we found a dream that's worth keeping
For more than just a day
And even though the winds of change may come sweeping
It's still a dream worth keeping
So don't let it fade away
So don't let it fade away
Maybe you'll be in some distant land
Feelin' all alone, but I'll be close at hand
And every time you see a rainbow
Paint the sky behind the rain
You'll be here again
Some day you might be thinking
Life has passed you by
Spirits might be sinking
Hope in short supply
That's the reason why
That's the reason why
I know this dream's worth keeping
As long as it will stay
Even when you see the darkness come creepin'
A dream worth keeping
Don't let it fade away
Her small audience applauded it as Lisia was in tears. Sora was especially clapping as Kairi had finished singing.
"That was a good song you chose, May," Sora said.
"Thanks. I know it's my parent's day, but I figured I'd give it to you too," May said.
"Thanks May. I appreciate it," Sora said.
"That's what friends are for, Sora," May said.
After the party, Norman approached Sora.
"Sora," Norman said. Sora turned to Norman.
"Yeah?" Sora asked.
"Just so you know, I'll be using my Slakoth, Vigoroth, and Slaking tomorrow," Norman said.
"Dad, you're not supposed to tell him ahead of time," Max said.
"No matter. I just want Sora to have the best battle that we can," Norman said.
"Just don't go easy on me just because I'm friends with your daughter, Norman," Sora said.
"I don't intend to," Norman said.
Sora and Norman shook hands, promising each other a good battle between them. Which one will win it and which one will lose it? Stick around if you want to see an epic battle!