Hi all,

I've done some planning and calculations, and right now it looks like this story will end around chapter 13-15. It may end up being longer or shorter than that depending on how long each chapter turns out, but that's the way it's heading right now. You should see all the documents I have for planning this story out, lol.

I was REALLY struggling early on with this chapter, I had a major case of writer's block and couldn't type out any more than just a few sentences without getting a major headache. I'm not sure what changed though, because eventually I broke past it and just got into the flow, and wrote about half the chapter in one go. After that though, I was only able to get a little bit done everyday until today, where I got into the flow again and finished it. Quick proofreading and revisions, and now here we are.

Now, to reply to some reviews:

To Advance shipper, thank you again for the ideas. I may try to write something in the Paldea region, but unfortunately my knowledge of it is quite little. I'll see if I can do a little research and come up with some ideas to add to my list.

To Glaxy, thanks as well for the feedback and ideas. I'll add them to my list.

To 'not telling,' thank you, I'm glad it's good, haha.

To the guest talking about Drew, this chapter should reflect your review ;)

To 0rbital, thanks again for the kind words, I'm glad you're enjoying my work.

To everyone else sending me PMs or reviews, thanks again, I really appreciate the support. If you ever see anything in my writing that could be better, please do not hesitate to let me know. I'm always happy to hear constructive criticism. I've been getting an increasing amount of reviews too, and eventually I won't be able to reply to all of them.

Last, but not least, I wanted to just give a shout out to this forum called Advancers on Proboards. It's a pretty old forum which I discovered only very recently. It's lost most of its activity, but I had some great conversations with those still on the board, and if not for that forum, I'm not so sure I'd be writing this story right now. Anyone who'd like to join is more than welcome, and I'd hope to see the place gain some activity again some day.

(sorry for the longest author's note yet),

That's all,

Enjoy.

Chapter 6: A Day of Surprises

"Greetings, May." They said with a smile, extending out their hand.

May did not make any motion to reciprocate the handshake they were offering. Instead her heart rate spiked, she felt her blood run cold, and her muscles stiffened, still without any movement. She stared at the person in front of her as anger started to make itself present in her emotions, but she did her best to keep her cool. Glaceon stood at her feet, half-glaring at the person standing in front of their table.

Ash and Pikachu both sat silent as well, the raven-haired trainer also stared at the person in front of him, though his emotions better represented confusion, yet still a slight bit of anger and annoyance. Ash wasn't quite sure why, it had been years since he'd last seen this person, yet he had always sort of had a disliking for them, and the feeling in his chest proved that was still true, even almost half a decade later.

"So you're just gonna ignore me? That's hardly a nice way to treat one of your oldest friends." They said, flicking their hair to the side with a sly smirk.

The person took a step back to reach for a chair from another vacant table, before dragging it up to Ash and May's table and taking a seat. May still sat silent, secretly wishing that this person would disappear and she could go back to chatting with Ash. Glaceon and Pikachu moved closer to their trainer's legs.

The boy's green eyes seemed to bore a hole through May's skull as he continued to wait for a reply. The room seemed to slow down and the happy mood from the last few hours faltered. May finally found her voice as she searched through her mind and body to find it, where she finally squeaked out something quietly.

"What are…you doing here?" she paused for a moment before continuing, "...Drew." Annoyance oozed from her words.

Ash and Pikachu continued to sit silent. There was so much tension in the air, it felt like you could cut through it with a butter knife. The green-haired coordinator's smile dropped at the tone of her words. His expression turned solemn as he winced.

Drew put his hands on his knees and said, "I just wanted to catch up with you, May. It's been years."

"I thought I told you I didn't wanna talk to you anymore while we were in Johto." sneered May, finally letting her emotions take control.

Drew winced again at her words. He sighed and looked down to the floor, regret clearly filling his mind as he shut his eyes and collected his thoughts.

He took a deep breath, before looking back up to May, and beginning, "I just want to say that I'm sorry, May. I did and said a lot of things back then that I regret. I was really just an asshole. You cutting me off was a real wake up call, and I've changed a lot since then. I just saw you while I was walking by the cafe, and I knew I needed to at least try and apologize."

May was taken aback by Drew's response and Glaceon relaxed a slight bit. This was the last thing she expected if she ever saw him again, and she felt the anger begin to fade away. However, she realized that he was probably just trying to get on her good side so he could date her, and she felt annoyed again. Though, he did kind of seem genuine.

"That's great, Drew, but I still don't want to get in a relationship with you. I'm not interested." May replied, turning away and crossing her arms.

Drew looked down again and said, "I know, May. I already ruined that opportunity. I just want to be friends."

Now May was really taken aback. Had Drew genuinely changed? He seemed like he was being authentic, and not like he was actually interested in a relationship anymore. She looked him up and down, he hadn't changed much physically since she last saw him, unlike Ash. He still stood around the same height and his facial features stayed the same. He also still had the same, slightly too long hair that he had to keep flicking to the side. He still wore the same clothes he always had, with the light green pants, purple jacket, and black undershirt.

May took a deep breath, and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, before replying, "Alright, Drew. I'm willing to be friends, but if you try ANYTHING, I will never talk to you again."

Drew looked up, with a look of surprise on his face, as if he didn't expect her response. He gave out a slight smile, and once again extended his hand out for a handshake. This time, May extended her hand out as well, though still reluctant, and shook the other coordinator's hand.

"Thank you so much, May. I really appreciate it, and I promise I won't try anything!" Drew exclaimed, as he excitedly shook May's hand, before adding, "Do you want to catch up?"

"I would like to, but I'm kinda busy." May replied, motioning to the other side of the table where Ash sat, who hadn't said anything, and was still staring forward.

Drew looked over to Ash, as if only just realizing he was here, and said, "Well who are you?"

Ash stood up and extended his hand out to the Hoenn native and said, "I don't look familiar?"

Drew extended his hand out slowly as he took a closer look at Ash, recognizing the hair, the marks on his cheeks, and finally the Pikachu under the table, before he realized who he was talking to. Drew's facial expression changed as he realized who he was staring at.

"Ash?" Drew asked.

"The one and only." replied Ash with a smile as he shook the coordinator's hand. Ash had previously been a little bit angry with Drew, but for some reason, him making his intentions of only wanting to be friends with May clear removed any anger that Ash had for the coordinator. He didn't sound like he was here to put down May and her skills as a coordinator, unlike the past.

"Wow, Ash…you've really changed." Drew said as he realized how much taller he'd gotten, as well as the solid and broad build that Ash had put together. Drew didn't even recognize him when he came in, although he was mostly focused on May.

"You should see me in a Pokemon battle." Ash laughed as Pikachu hopped up and onto his shoulder.

"I'd like to challenge you sometime, we'll see if you've improved as much as you say you have." responded the green-haired coordinator, once again flicking his hair to the side. Although Drew might have a pretty ugly history, he seemed much friendlier now. Both Ash and May's suspicion continued to decrease. The tension was still there in the room, but it had decreased severely.

For the next few minutes, the trio of Pokemon trainers continued to talk about different things, ranging from Pokemon, to battles, to contests, to food, and many other things that had come to mind. Everyone sort of caught up with each other on the main details. Apparently Drew had spent the last few years away from contests, focusing on trying to be a better person, and he instead enrolled into a school. Eventually he left and decided to come back to Hoenn, where he was met by the newly developed Petalburg City. May also told Drew how she'd won a grand festival, to which Drew congratulated her immensely.

The conversation was fairly pleasant for all three, until suddenly, May felt her stomach begin to churn, and she felt a sick feeling. Glaceon looked up to her trainer in concern, and May excused herself from the table to use the bathroom. She gave Ash a pleading look of, 'hang in there,' before she left.

After May made haste for the bathroom, Ash and Drew were left alone at the table. Drew's expression changed from a smile to a smirk as he turned to Ash while he was taking a sip of water.

"So, Ash…are you and May a thing yet?" he asked with a devilish smirk as he leaned back and crossed his arms.

Ash nearly spit the liquid out from his mouth as his face turned red, before forcefully swallowing it, and turning to Drew. "No! What makes you think that?! We're just friends!" Ash answered a little too quickly.

Drew scoffed, "Oh please, you guys clearly like each other. I'll tell you right now, every time I saw you guys traveling together, it was obvious. You haven't at least noticed the way she looks at you?"

Ash was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say, as the redness on his face reached maximum power.

"See, you don't even know what to say. Trust me, it's better you realize these feelings sooner rather than later, just don't try and force anything, let it be natural. I promise I'm not gonna try and get between you two. It's clear she really cares for you." Drew added as he uncrossed his arms. He sounded genuine.

"Uh, well, thanks Drew, but like I said, me and May are just friends.." Ash said, still not really sure how to respond other than by denying it.

"Don't keep denying it, Ash, but no problem, I owe it to you guys after how I used to act." responded Drew as he flicked his hair to the side for the umpteenth time.

Ash was again silent for a moment as he thought before saying, "You've really changed a lot, Drew, you're a much better person now."

Drew smiled wide and replied, "Thanks Ash, I'm really glad. I've really got to go now though, I'm supposed to be meeting someone soon." the coordinator took out a piece of paper and jotted down something quickly, "Here's my number, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call me." He then handed it to Ash.

He waved one last time, not giving Ash a chance to respond, before leaving the cafe and hurrying down the walkway to somewhere else in the mall. Ash took a moment to realize everything that had just occurred. That was the same Drew that had bugged him and May on their travels together and always tried to put May down about her skills as a coordinator.. He really had changed, huh.

Now that Ash was alone, he began thinking about what Drew said. Did May really like him?

Surely not, they were definitely just friends.

She hadn't shown any interest in him like that, at least to his knowledge. A few years ago, he might never have noticed anything like that, but surely after how much he's matured and grown, he'd be able to see that kind of stuff.

Right?

After another few minutes, May came back from the restroom, this time looking much more relieved. Ash stowed his thoughts away for the time being and asked her if she was alright now, and she said she was feeling great and that there must have been something in the salad. May sat back down and decided not to eat the rest of it as Ash finished the last bits of his meal.

May suddenly realized what had been happening before she left, looked up, and said, "Wait. Where did Drew go?"

Ash chuckled at her cluelessness before replying, "He said someone was expecting him soon, and that he had to go."

May let out a small sigh of relief, it had been pretty awkward earlier. Even if he really had changed, she still had some bad history with him. Though it was good to see him changed for the better.

May looked up and added, "I can't believe that was Drew, he's acting so different from what I'm used to."

"Yeah, I was kind of worried at first when he came, but he was very kind." Ash responded, as he took a sip of some water.

May looked down and paused eating for a moment before adding, "I'd really like to believe he has changed, but let's just be a little bit cautious. In case that was all just him acting."

Ash was surprised at her bluntness, before he realized that however Drew acted to May in Johto must have really been bad. He didn't question her, and agreed, and in all truth, Ash was a little suspicious himself. Though Ash being Ash, he still held faith in the green-haired coordinator.

Both Ash and May were silent for a bit before they both looked at each other and broke out laughing, May commenting on how unexpected it was for Drew to show up, she joked how apparently everyone is showing up in Petalburg this week. The duo shared a moment in the bright cafe as they both made jokes back and forth. Under the table, Pikachu and Glaceon finished their ketchup and kibble as they communicated with each other.

May glanced down at her watch quickly before exclaiming, "Oh! Ash! The show's supposed to start in just a few minutes! We've gotta finish up and get to the stage!"

With that, May quickly stood up and grabbed her bag as Ash took both the trays and threw them away, along with any other trash they had. Pikachu made his way back onto Ash's shoulder, and the duo left the cafe, and returned back into the bright lights of the mall, filled with all the trainers and their Pokemon talking to each other.

May turned around, looked up to Ash, and grabbed his hand before exclaiming, "Alright! We've got a few minutes, let's get down to the first floor!"

May's sparkling, sapphire eyes caught Ash in a trance once more, and he stood still as May tried to pull him towards the stairwell. Ash felt the same familiar feeling from earlier once again rushing through his body, like a shock of electricity from Pikachu. Ash paused as his heart began to beat in his chest heavier, as if trying to escape.

What in the world was happening to him? Everytime he feels this way, it's because of something that May did.

Overall, one question made itself apparent in his mind.

What was she doing to him?

Eventually, and with a little more tugging and motivation from May, Ash snapped out of his stupor and began to follow May back towards the stairwell that they had gone up earlier.

"I've really got to stop doing that.." Ash mumbled under his breath, not intending to be heard.

May stopped and turned around, flashing Ash a look of curiosity. "Stop doing what, Ash?" she inquired, tilting her head to the side as she searched the boy for an answer.

Ash's face immediately turned red, not expecting May to hear his quiet comment. "Uh, what?" he answered with a question.

May could see the blush on her friend's face as clear as day. She'd been suspicious of him having one before, but this was the first time she'd ever seen it clearly. Ash really did have the ability to blush, huh. Maybe he'd matured even more than she thought. She could tell that Ash didn't intend for her to hear him mumbling, but she still pressed on.

"You said that you've really got to stop doing that." May said, putting her hands on her hips, "Doing what?" she asked again, a slight smirk appearing on her face.

Ash stuttered as his face turned as red as a Pokeball, before replying, "Um, uh-, Oh! Eating so much! I've got to stop eating so much, I'm feeling kind of sick!"

Phew. Ash had saved himself, he was now in the clear.

"Oh, ok…I'll let my mom know not to make too much food then." May replied with a smirk, knowing full well what she was doing and what Ash said wasn't the truth. Ash's face turned to that of despair and hopelessness at May's words.

"Okay…." droned Ash, agreeing with the brunette, as it was the only way to save himself from admitting something he wasn't quite sure of himself. Pikachu laughed at his trainer, but a quick glare shut him up after he remembered who controls his ketchup supply.

May paused. Whatever Ash was thinking about, he really didn't want her to know, especially if he was willing to give up the prospect of food because of it. Ash didn't know it, but May didn't actually intend on telling her Mom that.

Either way, he still was willing to give it up, and combined with that blush on his face, what could he have been thinking about? Well, now wasn't the time to figure it out, they had a show to catch. Though she would admit, Ash looks pretty cute when he's blushing. Wait, what? May stopped and stowed the thoughts away, realizing they had to get to the show soon if they didn't want to miss it.

"Okay, well let's get going! We don't want to miss the show!" May exclaimed, once again grabbing Ash's hand and running down the stairs with him.

The duo and their Pokemon rushed down the stairs, before immediately taking a turn straight to the center of the mall, where the stage was set at. They could see it in the distance, along with a large crowd of people around it. The lights started to dim slightly and May wiped a sweatdrop off her brow.

"Phew, we made it, Ash." she said, still subconsciously holding his hand.

"Yeah..we did, May." replied Ash, holding her hand as well, but not wanting to say anything about it as a small blush appeared on his face again.

May looked down at her hands and realized what she was doing before quickly letting go of Ash's hand, snapping her head back towards the stage, pretending as if nothing happened. This time it was her turn to blush immensely. Fortunately though, Ash seemed to also be looking at the stage, and not questioning her about it.

The stage was a large semi-circle, and was set up against the wall of one of the corners in the middle of the mall where each section intersected. It was raised up a few feet from the ground, and had plenty of room. As of right now, there was nothing on the stage, it was a black surface with four small platforms around the edges. There were plenty of spotlights around aimed at the stage for proper show lighting.

Fortunately for both the trainers, they didn't miss the beginning, and someone stepped on the stage and began to address the crowd with an invigorating voice. They held a microphone in their hand. They wore a light blue jumpsuit with a large logo of the Petalburg City Mall on it, it had many designs through stripes and dots of different shades of blue all over it. He had a short, clean, teal colored hairstyle as well.

"Hello Petalburg City! Let's make some noise!" shouted the man as he began to hype up the crowd. Everyone cheered, including Ash, May, and their Pokemon as the man waited for the cheers to subside.

The man began to speak again, "My name is Jordan Frost, and I'm the lead entertainment director here at Petalburg City Mall."

He slowly walked around the stage, looking at the audience before continuing, "As you know, each section of the mall has an exhibit featuring two types of Pokemon, and today, this show is brought to you by the Ice and Water type section!"

Ash and May both listened intently, and Glaceon especially leaned in to get a better look at the stage as it raised up a little bit higher. The crowd cheered at the reveal of who would be performing the show.

Three other people in similar jumpsuits to Jordan stepped onto the stage and stood on three different platforms on the edge of the stage. Jordan stepped onto a similar platform, and raised the mic to his voice, before shouting, "Now, let the show begin!"

The crowds erupted into cheers as the spotlights all shined into the middle of the stage. After a moment, the cheers subsided and everyone watched closely to see what would happen. Music began playing through the speakers, an uplifting and exciting tune. The stage slowly slid back, revealing a large tank of water inside. Ash and May's eyes both widened as it was pretty unexpected. Once the stage's original surface had been removed entirely, there was a moment of silence, nothing happened, and all four performers stood still. Everyone leaned in, anticipating what was to come. The tune changed to a slow, suspenseful, drum.

Suddenly a large splash came from the middle of the water tank as three Pokemon jumped into the air in a synchronized pattern. It was four Dewgongs. They all jumped up and twirled in the air, shooting streams of water out of their mouths, creating a helix of water. The music changed to a faster paced, exciting rhythm.

A collective awe was heard from the crowd as the Pokemon landed back into the water and began to swim around in a circle. Each of the four performers all jumped gracefully and landed on one of the Dewgongs backs as they continued swimming around in a circle. One by one, each Dewgong and their rider would go in the middle and jump out of the water while their performer would do a somersault in the air before landing safely back on the Pokemon, earning oos and awes from the audience. Afterwards, many other tricks were performed, each one better than the last. The spectacle put the entire audience in awe as each trick amazed them with the coordination of the performers and their Pokemon. May silently took down some mental notes, this kind of stuff could be used in one of her contests. By the end the performers had all jumped back to their platforms, and the Dewgongs swam under, back where they were at the start.

Ash, May and the Pokemon on their shoulders watched in awe at the display in front of them. Suddenly, somebody in the crowd moved and lightly shoved May into Ash. She recovered and subconsciously leaned to the side and up against Ash as the performance continued. Ash's arm made its way around May's side and he held her close. Both trainers did this without noticing as they found comfort in each other's close proximity, happy and content watching the performance.

After the Dewgong had swam back under the water, another Pokemon came out from the back of the stage. A Froslass appeared, and made a path of ice on to the middle of the stage of water. Suddenly, two of the Dewgongs swam back up, and started shooting water to the sides, opposite of each other. The Froslass then froze the water, creating an arc of smooth ice, like the loop of a matchbox car track. The Dewgongs swam back down and Froslass turned the rest of the stage to ice, as each performer stepped back on. This time, they had skates on their feet, and they began to skate around the stage gracefully. The crowd stared in awe at this change of pace.

Each performer then took turns gaining speed and traveling up the loop of ice before gracefully making their back down. May stood in wonder at the display, continuing to make mental notes on the grace of each performer and the coordination with their Pokemon.

Afterwards, like with the Dewgongs, there were a few more tricks and spectacles, before the Froslass returned backstage, and the ice melted. The original stage floor slid back into place, and Jordan stepped back onto the middle along with each performer.

They all took a bow, and the crowd erupted in cheers, claps, and whistles. Each performer smiled wide, and Jordan raised the microphone up to his mouth one final time, before speaking, "Thank you all for supporting Petalburg City, and we hope you enjoyed the show!" He then led the performers backstage, as the lights turned back to their bright fluorescence and the crowd began to disperse.

Ash and May both simultaneously realized the position they were in and quickly disengaged from each other, both looking away and blushing. Pikachu and Glaceon both rolled their eyes. May decided to quickly change the subject.

"That was an awesome show. They were so talented and coordinated." exclaimed May.

Ash turned back and looked at the brunette before replying, "Yeah, that was really cool. It must have taken lots of practice."

"I wonder if that Jordan Frost guy ever did any contests, he looks like he'd be amazing for them."

"It looked like he has. I'm sure you could do something like that if you practiced enough, May." Ash said, smiling at the coordinator.

"Me? No way. That stuff is way above my level." scoffed May.

Ash put his hand on May's shoulder before exclaiming, "May! You won a grand festival for Arceus's sake! You could definitely do something like that!" replied Ash as he looked into May's eyes. Glaceon licked her trainer's cheek as well.

May turned her head and made eye contact with Ash, when she suddenly felt a feeling rush through her body, like nothing she'd ever felt before. It was exhilarating, like an electric shock making its way through her nervous system. She stared into Ash's deep chocolate-brown eyes and her heart skipped a beat.

Woah! What in the hell was going on with her? May quickly snapped out of it, realizing that it had been longer than a few seconds since Ash finished speaking, and she didn't wanna embarrass herself further.

"Thanks, Ash. You're right, I'll try and think of something like that next time I have a contest." replied May with a light blush as she broke eye contact and looked to the side.

"Of course, May! Just remember that whatever you do should be yours, I know you can come up with something even better than that."

Ash smiled at May. Arceus, she was adorable. What!? What on Earth was he thinking? He really needed to work through these thoughts. He'd never thought about anyone else like this before. Ash decided there and then that the first chance he had, he was going to call Brock to talk about this.

May turned back to find Ash staring at her, another light blush appearing on her face. She decided to change the subject, and said, "Alright, Ash. We went clothes shopping, we got something to eat, and we got to see the show. What are we gonna do now?"

Ash snapped out of his thoughts and processed what May had just said. It took him a moment but eventually he replied, "Well…I don't really know, May. I'm not super sure what there is to do around here. You can choose."

"Hmm okay…buuuuut since you're making me choose, then you can't say no to whatever I say." May exclaimed with a devilish grin.

Ash simply shrugged and said, "Okay, whatever you wanna do."

May put her hand to her chin and began to think as she stared off into the distance. What could they do? It had to be something that Ash would enjoy, as she didn't want to make him unhappy. They had been out in public all day too, maybe she should think of something that would be a little more excluded, that way they could talk without any disruptions.

Ash quickly noticed how cute she looked when she was deep in thought, before shaking off the realization.

After a few moments, a lightbulb went off in May's head, and she immediately blurted out her epiphany to Ash.

"I got it! Let's go on a hike!" shouted May, attracting looks from a few different people around them. She quickly realized how loud she yelled it, and sheepishly waved and mouthed the word, 'sorry.'

Ash raised an eyebrow and questioned the brunette, "You want to go on a hike?"

Pikachu also raised an imaginary eyebrow, "Pika?"

May looked back to Ash and nodded with a smile.

"Honestly, May, you never striked me as the kind of person to love walking during our travels." replied Ash. Pikachu looked to his trainer and nodded in agreement.

May's smile dropped and she rolled her eyes, "Okay, Ash. Well maybe you weren't the only one to mature since we last saw each other."

"Fair enough." Ash shrugged.

"Well let's go then! I know the perfect trail!" exclaimed May, once again pulling Ash off, this time back out the entrance of the mall. Ash chuckled and followed May to wherever she went.

The duo and their Pokemon made their way out of the mall and once again found themselves navigating the streets of Petalburg City. Ash found himself continuing to marvel at the structures and skyscrapers that were apparent on every street corner. At this point, they had been in the mall for a few hours, and it was now the afternoon, about 4 PM.

After a few minutes of walking, the duo had exited the main urban area of Petalburg, and were approaching the outskirts, where a large park and nature reserve was that took up a few hundred acres. May explained to Ash how they had designated the area this way so that it isn't urbanized, and so that Petalburg can have a balance between city and nature. The park had lots of different trails that went around and through it. There was a relatively small mountain in the middle of the park that you could take a trail to the summit. It would take the average hiker about 30 minutes to reach the top, where a beautiful view of the Petalburg City skyline waited.

After a bit more walking, they reached the beginning of the trail, and began their way through it.

"It's honestly been awhile since I've gone up this trail, but it's worth it for the view." May spoke as she took a step onto the trail.

"I did a lot of hiking while I was in Alola; there were so many beautiful trails and scenery. I'd love for us to go there someday." Ash replied.

Ash was faster on the trail than May was, so he decided to stay behind her so she could set the pace. Glaceon and Pikachu ran around their trainers, who were being far too slow for them, and played with each other.

May's heart melted at the thought of traveling with Ash again, possibly even alone. She began to think about what it would be like to share a journey, just between the two of them. He could participate in gym battles while she participated in contests, and they'd both be there to root each other on. She imagined the late nights they'd spend staying up and talking around the campfire, too engaged in conversation to bother sleeping. How they'd always be there to help each other, and they'd have so many adventures, catch plenty of Pokemon, and how eventually Ash would break out of his dense brain and see how much she liked him and-

May cut her thought process off and took a deep breath, subconsciously stopping on the trail. She had pledged to leave those feelings behind in Sinnoh. She couldn't let them back out. She and Ash were friends. Nothing more. She had to understand that.

"Are you alright, May?" Ash inquired, looking up to May, who had stopped in the middle of the trail.

Crap. She didn't even realize she had stopped moving.

"Yeah I'm fine, Ash. Just a little tired, haha." May answered, trying to play it off with an awkward smile.

Ash's caring side kicked in and he immediately responded, "We can take a break if you need, I really don't mind."

"No, I'm fine, let's keep going." May shook her head.

"Are you sure, May?"

"Ash, I'm positive." May said, turning back to the trail and continuing on, not giving him a chance to convince her to stop. She had to show Ash that she could do it at least a little longer.

"Alright, just tell me if you need to take a break." Ash added, not wanting May to push herself too much.

May just nodded and kept going on. At this point, they'd been on the trail for about 15 minutes or so. Ash looked around and admired the familiar nature of Hoenn. It had been years since he'd last been in this area, and nostalgia honestly hit him kind of hard. It felt like he had just gotten dropped off here with a sick Pikachu, who eventually fried his soon-to-be companion's bike. Ash smiled at the thought, he still owed May a bike.

Ash began to think about their friendship together. Out of all his companions, he never felt closer to them than he felt to May. It was as if May had always understood him. She had adopted her own goals after he helped her find them, and they were always able to relate to each other on that level. Ash had always enjoyed traveling with May, even when they got into major arguments, but it was kind of refreshing; everyone has arguments occasionally.

Ash continued to think about his and May's relationship, meanwhile May did everything she could to not think about it. Pikachu and Glaceon had tired out, and returned to their trainer's shoulders.

Another few minutes passed, and now May was actually feeling tired. Truthfully, it had actually been awhile since she last did any sort of major physical activity, not being on a journey and all, and her endurance reflected that. She tried to keep pushing on, but her lack of breath was really starting to catch up to her, and the trail had been almost solely uphill.

"Alright, May, let's stop and take a break." Ash said, noticing how tired the brunette was, and not wanting her to make herself suffer.

This time, May did not protest, and simply nodded before slumping down against a tree as she shut her eyes and caught up with her breath.

Ash took his backpack off and reached in, pulling out a blue water bottle, before walking over to May.

"Here, drink some water, it'll help." soothed Ash, handing May the water bottle. She glanced in Ash's direction and took the bottle, before immediately unscrewing the cap and drinking it.

After a moment, she had mostly caught up her breath, handing back the water bottle.

"Thanks, Ash. I don't know what I'd do without you." she said, still panting slightly.

She glanced over to Ash, who was standing upright, not looking bothered in the slightest. She felt slightly annoyed. "How on Earth are you not tired at all?" questioned May.

Ash chuckled a little bit, "Like I said, I did a lot of hiking in Alola, plus my own exercise."

May rolled her eyes and got back on her feet.

She took a moment to brush herself off, before taking one last deep breath, and continuing up the path. Ash quickly found himself in the same position as earlier, following May up the trail. May wanted to keep her focus off of the actual hike, that way she didn't focus on getting too tired again. She decided to engage in some talk with Ash for the time being.

"Ash, can I ask you a question?" inquired May.

"Shoot." Ash answered back.

"Out of every region you've visited so far, which of them was your favorite? Based on everything; the scenery, the Pokemon, the league, the cities, your companions."

"Wow," Ash replied as he began thinking, "That's a hard question."

"Come on, do your best." May pushed.

"Well, in terms of scenery, I think Alola takes the cake. For the cities, definitely Kalos, those were awesome. For the league, I think I did the best in Sinnoh. For Pokemon, It's a hard choice but I'd have to say Kanto. That's where I got Pikachu." Pikachu smiled at his trainer. "And for my friends..." May listened in closely and her ears perked up. "I don't think I could ever decide, I'm pretty close to all of them." Ash said.

May looked down slightly, kind of disappointed in the answer as she kept walking. She probably should've expected him to say something like that. She quickly thought of another question. "Well, Ash, how long do you think you're gonna keep traveling to different regions?"

"Until I become a Pokemon master, of course, no matter how long it'll take." Ash exclaimed, proudly talking about his goal.

"What region do you think you're gonna travel to next?"

"It's either between Paldea or Galar. Those are the only two places left that I haven't explored yet. I don't really know much about either though."

"Do you know who you're gonna travel with?" May asked, listening closely.

"No, I haven't even thought that far. Usually the people I travel with are people I meet in their region; with the exception of Brock."

May was satisfied with that answer and thought for a moment about what to say. She really wanted to ask Ash if he'd mind if she joined him in his next travels. It had been May's dream for a while now to travel with Ash again, because she truly missed being around him. She had always wanted to contact him and ask him about it, but nerves also kept her from going through with it. Now was her chance, and she knew that she had to take it.

"Ash, can I ask you another question?" May said timidly.

"Of course, May." Ash replied, caring as always.

"Do you think that maybe you and me could-" She was cut off by a loud noise in the middle of the trail, interrupting what she was about to say, and tearing the duo's attention away.

"ZIGZA!" yelled a small Pokemon, appearing in the middle of the trail. It had four legs and zigzagged stripes of brown and cream colored fur. It also had a black, mask-like pattern on its face.

'Wow," May thought as she stared at the Zigzagoon with a look of incredulity, 'Just as I was about to ask Ash, of course something has to interrupt me."

Ash immediately stepped in front of May and took up a battle stance as the Pokemon continued to shout at Ash and May. Pikachu jumped on the ground in front of Ash, a similar stance to his trainer.

Zigzagoon immediately charged at Ash and Pikachu, bearing its teeth.

"Pikachu, use thunderbolt!" Ash gave the familiar command to his loyal Pokemon.

Pikachu charged up, electricity appeared on his cheeks, and let out, "PikaaaaaCHUUUUU!" A large yellow bolt of electricity came from Pikachu and striked Zigzagoon down.

Once the smoke cleared, Zigzagoon was laying on the ground with swirls in its eyes. That wasn't too hard for Ash or Pikachu to handle. May watched, a wave of nostalgia running over her as memories of familiar encounters with her raven-haired friend filled her mind. She recalled every time Pikachu had used thunderbolt on Team Rocket, or when Ash had saved her multiple times, just as he did now (even though she probably could have handled it).

In another instant, three more Zigzagoon came out into the trail clearing and growled at Ash and Pikachu. The duo prepared for another attack, but the Zigzagoon simply picked up their fallen comrade and ran back into the foliage.

Ash relaxed slightly and turned to Pikachu, "Good job, Pikachu. You did great."

"Pika!" replied the yellow mouse, jumping back up onto his trainer's shoulder.

"We can keep going on, but this time I'll stay in front." Ash declared, looking back at May with a smile.

Arceus. May couldn't get enough of those chocolate-brown eyes. She agreed absentmindedly.

They continued walking, and they were almost at the summit of the mountain, it would only be a few more minutes before they finally made it. May realized what she was about to ask Ash before the Pokemon interrupted.

Damnit.

Now the moment had passed, she wouldn't be able to ask now, it just wouldn't be right. She had lost the courage she had in the moment, so she put her head down and kept moving forward instead.

Suddenly, Ash and May reached a clearing at the end of the trail, the trail opened up into a large, relatively flat area. It was all dirt, but there was a small, wooden bench at the other end. Ash looked further past the bench and…

Wow.

Ash and May were presented with one of the most beautiful sights they'd ever seen. Right in front of the bench was the edge of the mountain, it had no foliage, and overlooked the entire city of Petalburg, as well as the surrounding mountains and forests.

The smell of nature filled Ash's nostrils as he stepped up to the edge, standing just behind the bench. May followed, stepping beside him. The view was absolutely beautiful. Ash could completely see how much Petalburg had changed here. The urban sprawl of skyscrapers, large complexes, modern structures, and greenery, all balanced together into one of the most amazing cities he'd ever seen.

It had taken the duo longer to reach the top than anticipated, and it was now dusk and relatively close to sunset. The faint glow of the sun filled the sky with colors of orange, pink, and yellow, a complementing backdrop to the modernistic city of Petalburg.

May stepped forward and took a seat on the bench, and Ash followed soon after. Pikachu and Glaceon both laid down below their trainer's feet. The bench wasn't very long, and both trainers were pressed up against each other sitting on the wood. Ash laid back against the bench, still taking in the view while May remembered how beautiful it was.

May took a deep breath. She genuinely felt happy right now. She was here, witnessing a beautiful view, sitting next to one of her closest friends, without a worry in the world. Ash felt a similar way. As much as the last few days had been taxing, and as much as he'd wished he was in Pallet Town, this was a good feeling. It was like a vacation from Pokemon battles, and he didn't fully realize it yet, but he was glad it was being spent with May.

They both continued to absorb the view in front of them. Oddly-shaped clouds were present in the colorful sky above them, almost reflecting the city below them.

"Wow." Ash finally broke the silence.

"Yeah. It's pretty amazing." replied May, both their eyes still on the skyline.

They both continued to look on and Ash subconsciously placed his arms over the backrest of the bench.

"Hey, Ash?" asked May, turning her head to the raven-haired trainer, her eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"Yeah, May?" Ash said, turning to May, almost immediately being captured in her gaze.

"Can I tell you something?" May said, a little bit nervous as her fingers started to fidget with the hem of her new jacket, "Something…that I've kind of wanted to tell you."

Ash looked on with a little more concern, "Of course, May, you can tell me anything."

May sighed, looked away, and began talking, "I just… I've really missed traveling with you…I guess."

Ash was silent, not knowing what to say.

May continued, "It's just… whenever I traveled with you, I really felt happy. I enjoyed every day, all the adventures we had together. When I went to Johto without you, I had to try, but I regretted it. I just wanted to be back with you. I really missed talking to you these last few years." May looked away and bowed her head down.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, as Ash pulled her into a warm embrace. She instantly returned it, happy to be in Ash's arms.

"I'm sorry, May. I wish I stayed in contact with you. I also wish you came with me to Sinnoh, but I know you had to go on your own for a little while. I really enjoyed traveling with you too, and I'd never forget the adventures we had together." Ash spoke to May as he held her. After a moment, the hug ended, and they both retracted. A blush was apparent on both of their faces and May remembered her thoughts from earlier. Ash was pretty cute when he blushed.

"Ash…do you think we could travel with each other again? Maybe to your next region?" May finally asked, her sapphire eyes sparkling as she awaited an answer.

Ash was quiet for a moment, before suddenly breaking a smile. "Of course, May. I'd love to have you come with me. You're always welcome on my journeys."

May felt a rush of happiness flow through her, the warmest feeling, like she'd just received the best news of her entire life. This time, she jumped onto Ash with an embrace, wrapping her arms around the raven-haired boy.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Ash." May babbled.

"Of course, May. Of course."

Both trainers retracted from the hug and sat back down on the bench, this time even closer. Ash's arm subconsciously made its way around May's side.

May thought for a moment and debated over something. Ash could tell she was thinking and turned to look at her.

Suddenly, the brunette leaned over and placed a kiss on Ash's cheek.

A myriad of emotions flowed through both of them as May did this. They both felt a wave flow through them, much like the ones they felt earlier in the day.

Ash was caught unaware, but quickly realized what had just happened and his cheeks turned to a shade of pink. May leaned back and couldn't believe what she had just done. She turned away as a blush spread across her face. What would Ash think? What was he gonna say? Will he stop being friends with her? Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmy-

"May…why'd you do that?" Ash asked, raising a hand to touch where her lips had made contact with his skin, now pink from the situation.

"I- uh..I just…felt like doing it. I don't know." stammered May, barely able to look at Ash.

"I-... it's okay, May. I uh… I didn't mind." Ash murmured slowly to the brunette.

May's eyes widened. What did he just say? Did he just say…that he didn't mind? Who is he and what did he do with the old Ash?

May's brain started operating at maximum capacity as she processed Ash's reply. He didn't question her motives behind it, saving May a lot of explaining to do.

May realized how long she'd just been sitting there thinking, and she realized that Ash had turned back to what was now the sunset. She looked forward as well as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the mountaintop in a gentle twilight. The city of Petalburg's lights began to flicker below. Ash and May both sat in silence, only interrupted by the rustle of leaves and the distant hum of the city below.

There was a subtle yet palpable shift in the air. The atmosphere changed to excitement, albeit with a touch of uncertainty. Ash, still processing May's unexpected gesture, couldn't help but smile, his cheeks still adorned with a noticeable blush, as they both stared into the canvas of the evening sky.

Pikachu and Glaceon sensed the shift in their trainer's dynamic and exchanged knowing glances as they nestled comfortably at their trainer's feet.

Finally, Ash broke the silence, his voice carrying a lightness that mirrored the setting sun. "We should probably head back now."

"Yeah, you're probably right." May replied softly, as they both stood up and grabbed their bags.

They took one last glance at the view, before heading back down on the trail. This time, no words were spoken throughout the trek, and only the sound of the wind and the rustling of leaves interrupted the silence. Both trainers were lost in thought, thinking about the events of the day.

After some time, they made it back to the base of the mountain, and began to make their way back to May's house. They approached the familiar path, and walked up to the steps of May's house. It was now night, and the stars made themselves visible in the inky canvas of the night sky.

May opened the door and peered inside, this time checking more dutifully. Nobody was there, and so they both made their way into the foyer. The lights were off.

They began up the stairs and stopped in the same position as the night prior as they finally gave each other a knowing glance.

"You know, May, it's been an amazing day; I've really enjoyed spending time with you." Ash said, breaking the silence of the journey home.

May smiled softly. "Yeah, I enjoyed it too, Ash. I've got plenty of ideas for tomorrow. Who would've thought we would end up hiking to the top of a mountain today?"

Ash grinned. "Life's full of surprises, huh?"

May nodded. "Definitely, and I'm glad we could catch up like this. I've missed you, Ash."

The sincerity in her words warmed Ash's heart. "I've missed you too, May. I'm looking forward to traveling together again. It'll be like old times."

May smiled, her sapphire eyes sparkling with anticipation in the low glow of the house in the night. "Old times with a new twist maybe?"

Ash raised an eyebrow with intrigue, "What do you mean?"

"Well," May began with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "I think this time it'll be a lot more exciting than before."

"Well then I'm up for it." Ash said pridefully.

"We should probably go to bed now though; we still need to catch up on sleep from last night." May added.

"Yeah, you're probably right, May." Ash said.

They gave each other a final smile as they both turned away to head towards their respective rooms.

Suddenly, May stopped and turned back. "Ash. Wait."

Ash stopped and turned as May walked back up to him. He was about to ask what she needed, but May simply stood up on her toes and gave Ash another kiss on the cheek, the same familiar feeling from earlier coming back.

May stepped back, and gave Ash a smile, before turning away and disappearing into her room, Glaceon following her. Ash stood there and brought a hand up to his cheek again. Pikachu stared at his trainer and rolled his eyes.

They both went back into the guest room, and Ash quickly changed and got into bed, Pikachu laying next to him. He found himself staring at the ceiling once again. It had definitely been an eventful day.

He suddenly realized he never got the chance to call Brock, so that would have to wait for tomorrow.

Ash began to think about the brunette that had occupied his thoughts the whole day. Did he have feelings for her? Arceus, he didn't know. That was the question that laid on his mind as he slowly submitted to sleep, tired from the activities of the day.

May quickly changed into her clothes as well and laid in her bed, Glaceon following her like the previous night. She set her alarm to get up at a normal time the next morning, and pulled the covers over her as she shut off the light.

May also thought about Ash, the person who she'd been thinking about all day.

The truth was that she liked Ash as more than a friend, though she still was hesitant to accept it. She knew deep down that was the only reason she would've kissed him on the cheek. The most important thing though, was that he didn't reject it.

So like Ash, May slowly submitted to sleep, though she had a different thought on her mind about the raven-haired trainer.

Maybe it's possible.

Woah! What could happen next? How is their relationship developing? We'll have to find out in the next chapter!

Overall, this chapter was a pain. I struggled on a lot of parts where I just couldn't get into the flow. Eventually I did it, but it took longer than I would've liked it to finish. Better late than never though, right?

Seriously though, hope anyone reading enjoys this. I think it actually came out pretty well. Tune in next time.

Thanks for reading,

Peace out.