Chapter 26: Hey "Ash"
May casually walked over to Ash after finding him resting against a tree. He was taking a breather from his training with Pikachu, so he let the mouse play with the other Pokémon. Ash seemed content with the progress of their efforts. It was clear that he was itching to hit the road again soon to measure his progress. May smiled at him, "How's training going, Ash?" The brunette sat down beside him.
"Hey, May," Ash happily welcomed the coordinator to keep him company. "Training is going great. I can't wait for our next adventure," the boy cheered.
"I figured," May giggled. She turned her eyes from Ash to Pikachu. The girl saw the Electric-type playing tag with Glaceon, Munchlax, and Skitty. They were having a wonderful time, especially after the incident with Tyranitar. The Pokémon helped rebuild May's home after the destruction wrought upon by the Rock-type, so they were happy to have fun after a week of hard work. She was also glad to see the wild Pokémon were healing and getting comfortable with coming out of hiding after the unexpected rampage. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Then May thought about the Pokémon responsible for their victory, "Have you seen Pyroar?"
Ash nodded up and down, "He went to check on some of the wild Pokémon at the edge of the area. I think he's made himself feel quite at home here, May, even though he's not officially your Pokémon."
May was delighted to hear that. Pyroar was one of them now after everything it went through. "We're more than happy to have him. He's a great company for the Pokémon here. I don't think it's necessary to catch him if he wishes to stay. I also don't want to press him. After all, he's not a tame lion," the coordinator teased with her last statement.
"I agree," Ash chuckled. They had a pleasant conversation talking about Pyroar's growth from a Litleo, but the conversation led to a discussion over Pyroar watching her while she recovered, which led to the topic of Ash watching over May while she recovered. That subject made May think about the reason she looked for Ash in the first place. Her face turned somewhat saddened.
Her friend quickly noticed the change in her disposition. "Is something wrong, May?" the raven-haired trainer questioned.
May brought her knees close to her chest. She rested her head on them and wrapped her arms around her legs. "There's something that has been bothering me," May confessed.
Ash became puzzled. He suspected it might be related to the kiss they shared yesterday. The trainer wasn't sure how he knew it, but the signs pointed to that as the source of May's strange behavior. She didn't treat him strangely, but the look in her eyes every time she saw him was different from before. Something changed after that kiss. He thought about the conversation he had with Pikachu about it yesterday.
"Pikapi pi!" Pikachu looked at Ash with surprise. His trainer sat in front of him crisscrossed with a nod. The yellow mouse learned that May regained her old memories of Ash.
"I guess Tyranitar's Stone Edge must've affected her memory somehow. I'm not glad May suffered that, but I'm happy she remembers me again," Ash hesitantly shared. May's recollection of her journey with Ash added an element of bittersweetness to the encounter with Tyranitar. If the Armor Pokémon had never attacked, May might have never remembered him.
Pikachu nodded sideways, "Pi pika pikachu." Pikachu assured Ash that looking back on it didn't matter anymore. The only thing that mattered now was the present. In this present, May kissed Ash, which Pikachu felt was a huge deal.
"You're right, buddy. I shouldn't think about that anymore. I'm just grateful she's awake. That's all I wanted," Ash said with relief.
"Chu pika?" Pikachu curiously questioned.
Ash shrugged his shoulders and smiled sheepishly, "I don't know what May's kiss really meant. You must've heard what she said." The moment still confused Ash, but he tried not to think too deeply about it since he thought May might've kissed simply out of joy to be alive and reunited.
Pikachu lowered his ears in disappointment. He believed May's kiss meant more than a 'thank you.' The rodent didn't believe people who were just friends kissed each other like that. He vividly recalled how May passionately held Ash's face while she kissed him. It was gross, but the affection was apparent between them. Pikachu felt Ash pet the top of his head. "Let's not talk about it anymore, pal. I don't want to jump to conclusions unless May brings it up again, and we have training to do. That's all we can do now," Ash informed his best friend.
Ash's first Pokémon looked up at him with a gentle smile. "Pikapi," Pikachu agreed to move on from the subject. His trainer motioned him to come on and bolted off toward an open field. Pikachu energetically dashed off, hoping their training would distract them from May's kiss.
"What's been bothering you, May?" Ash lifted his eyebrow with curiosity.
May seemed uncomfortable. She wanted to answer him. The girl sighed, "I don't know how to say it."
Her sapphire eyes saw Ash smile without judgment. "Don't worry. Tell me however best you can. I'll listen," Ash's smile became more understanding after he assured her. His warm auburn eyes made him the sweetest person on the planet.
The coordinator hated how wonderful he was because it didn't make it easier to share her concerns. Why do you have to be so great? May could feel a sweat coming as she tried to find the words to say. Her sapphire eyes were glistening when she looked into Ash's soul. The warmth in his gaze certainly made her heart flutter.
May took a deep breath, here goes. "Ash, I'm sorry for kissing you before. I hope I didn't make you feel like I was leading you on, but I wanted to apologize for it." Ash lightly chuckled in response. His reaction slightly irritated the brunette, "Why are you laughing?"
Ash bashfully grinned, "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come off the wrong way. I get it, May. I understand you had a lot going through your head when you woke up, so there was a lot to process."
His friend lowered her head with embarrassment. She wouldn't hold anything back because, after everything she experienced, she felt that being clear was the best thing she could do. May twiddled her fingers, "It's not that I don't like you. I just don't know if I can do a relationship right now. It's hard to explain."
Her friend got caught off guard when she practically declared she had feelings for him. "You like me?" was the only question Ash could muster in his astonished state.
May quietly nodded. She hoped Ash wouldn't hate her for surprising him. He remained frozen for a few moments. His stillness worried May, so she waved her hand near his eyes, "Hello, earth to Ash?"
Ash noticed her waving and then frantically snapped himself out of it. "Sorry, that was just…unexpected," the Pallet trainer nervously laughed while he scratched the side of his face with his index finger. He saw May hide her sapphire eyes under her bangs. She still felt embarrassed over the situation, but her hope had been that being honest would set them free. "Can I ask you something, May?" Ash wondered.
May looked at him with a soft smile. She summoned as much bravery as she could to look Ash in the eye and carry this conversation. It wasn't easy making her declaration to Ash, especially because it didn't happen as naturally as it did with Drew. The brunette responded, "Sure."
"Does Drew have something to do with why you don't feel ready for a relationship?" Ash's question nearly blindsided her.
Her sapphire eyes widened, "How do you know about that?" May practically confirmed Ash's suspicion with her question. She didn't think she'd get caught off guard.
Ash placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, you don't have to get nervous. I only asked because while I was taking care of you, you would mutter his name from time to time. It was the only thing you would ever say while you were recovering. None of us knew why, but then I remembered a few photos of you together when you brought me over," Ash reluctantly admitted. Unfortunately for May, she wasn't as slick as she thought.
The girl from Petalburg City turned her head away from Ash. How embarrassing, he saw all that, May lamented the reality of her situation. She felt she was emotionally torturing herself by throwing herself into this discussion with Ash, but she thought it was still the best way to resolve this emotional dilemma. "Yes, I'm sorry," May apologized again but kept her eyes away from Ash.
Her friend from Kanto smiled empathetically, "You don't have to apologize again, May. You don't even need to explain anything to me. I understand."
Ash surprised May again because she believed he'd be upset after hearing the truth about her feelings and her history with Drew. She guessed Ash had always been partially aware of the unique rivalry she shared with the green-haired coordinator. Ultimately, May was thankful that Ash didn't pry. Nonetheless, she couldn't believe he wasn't mad at her, "You really aren't mad?"
"No, I'm not mad. At first, it felt confusing, but I understand where you are coming from after what you've told me. I'm also not going to force you to feel some type of way about me either. It wouldn't be right, even if you do like me," Ash found the last part weird to say when he heard it out loud.
Ash, May didn't expect such a mature answer from someone who understood less about romance than Drew. However, the sapphire-eyed coordinator did need clarity. May timidly asked Ash, "Do you like me?" After everything Ash had done for her, she had to know.
It was Ash's turn to get caught off guard. He didn't predict May to be so forefront today. He rubbed the back of his head nervously with a sheepish grin. "I didn't imagine things to happen this way, but after everything that's happened, I've realized that I guess I do," Ash hesitantly confessed. He began to blush since he could not hide his feelings. By now, Ash was old enough to understand romantic love, somewhat, at least. He learned through Serena, especially. While he had yet to process everything between Serena and him during his journey, he couldn't ignore the feelings that reemerged during his time with May.
After putting his journey on hold and tending to May, he recognized it was something he wouldn't do for just anybody. His feelings for May ran deeper than friendship. While May was recovering, it also gave him time to think about the moments when he put her before himself. Ash always came to May's side when she needed it, and he mentored her to the best of his ability. His soft spot for her went as far back as the day they met, but he got so fixated on getting into the Hoenn League that he never stopped to analyze the significance of his special attention toward May. The fact that he recognized his feelings now was a byproduct of his desire to be by his friend in her hour of need. May, the sapphire-eyed brunette top coordinator from Petalburg City, had taken a hold of his heart. Ash Ketchum felt the feeling sink in as he confessed his feelings to May. His world was dramatically changing by the second as they had their conversation.
"You guess?" May raised her eyebrow with slight annoyance. She expected him to be less hesitant with his confession, after all things considered.
Her expression made Ash break a sweat, "I mean, I do! I do like you, May." The auburn-eyed boy hoped he had been clear enough this time. May acknowledged his reply with a nod. She analyzed him to determine if he was alright since she noticed his sweat. "But like I said, I won't force you into feeling some way about me. I know you're not there," Ash reminded her with empathetic eyes. He eased up when he found the words to say.
"Thank you for your compassion, Ash." May lightened up. She acknowledged him with a gentle smile. "I know our lives are also on different trajectories, and I don't want to tie you down if our paths aren't aligned. I feel like I'd be hurting you if I did that," May admitted.
Ash agreed because he knew she had to continue living the life of a coordinator, and he needed to focus on his dream of becoming a Pokémon Master. They wouldn't be able to make it work. Their paths hadn't crossed in that sense, so neither was ready.
Suddenly, May edged closer to him. Her sapphire eyes glistened with affection for him. She wanted to be with him. After reliving our journey together through my memories and realizing how much Ash has done for me, I know he could be someone I can lean on, but I'm still scared to. Ash Ketchum has a dream he's still reaching for, and I don't want to get in the way. It was a lesson she learned after her breakup with Drew. She wouldn't make the same mistake again. May reached for Ash's hand and raised it against hers. Ash wasn't sure what she was doing, but he silently followed her lead to see what she'd do. Their hands touched their palms. Then May intertwined her fingers between his. May spoke when their hands clasped together, "Promise we'll be friends, no matter what, Ash?" She took a leap of faith by putting her trust in another boy once more.
Ash's eyes blinked a few times, wondering what prompted this reaction from May. Her eyes were intensely focused on him as she waited for a response. The only sounds accompanying them were that of birds chirping and wind blowing. When Ash squeezed May's hand softly and caringly, a radiant smile shaped on his face. His auburn eyes glistened with love for his friend. "May, no matter what happens, I will always be your friend."
"Promise?" May made him promise with a stern tone.
Ash enthusiastically nodded, "I promise." I won't lose you anymore. It doesn't matter if we're not together. You're my friend forever, Ash said in his mind. Even if he didn't communicate verbally, it seemed like May could read his thoughts by looking into his eyes.
May's heart started to flutter once again. Something about the way Ash radiated positivity and the way he spoke lifted her spirits higher. His assuring words breathed new life into her soul. Her friendship with Ash was healing the wounds she endured for so long. She was thankful. That's when she lunged at Ash to hug him. She closed her eyes as she squeezed him, she almost didn't want to let go. The sensation of Ash's arms around her, embracing her, made May feel more secure than she had felt in a long time. He didn't say a word, but she felt his compassion. His compassion was enough. Amidst her relief and joy, May shared some news with Ash. "I am glad you promised because I want you to come with me to this festival."
Ash found the news unexpected since May hadn't expressed interest in returning to the public eye. "You want to go out and perform again?" the pair separated from their hug to discuss the revelation.
May eagerly nodded, "I do."
Her friend rubbed his chin with puzzlement, "I thought you didn't want to get involved with any performing right now. Does this mean you're alright with your celebrity status?"
The coordinator smiled sheepishly, "Not exactly. I still need to solve the whole issue of being a celebrity, but I am making an exception for this event because it's a little different from the events I normally perform in. It'll also be a great opportunity for me to perform for the love of performing, so it'll be refreshing." Her response prompted Ash to ask what made this festival different from a regular performance. "The festival is called 'With You,' and it's being hosted in Laverre City to raise funds for rebuilding Lumiose City and any other areas of Kalos impacted by Team Flare's attack during the Kalos League," May clarified.
Her explanation cleared up Ash's confusion. "That makes sense, so you want to help the people and Pokémon of Kalos, right?" Ash enthusiastically connected the dots. He was happy to hear of his friend wanting to help with the devastation caused by Lysandre and his minions.
"Right, I signed up earlier this morning, so all I have to do now is to show up!" May confirmed her motivation with the same enthusiasm.
Ash excitedly stood up. The boy from Pallet Town made an eager fist, "Man, Pikachu is going to be so excited about this. I am sure you'll give a performance nobody will forget!"
"I'll try," May replied as she stood up, too. The brunette blushed over the praise she received from the boy she cared for. "Does that mean you'll come?" the sapphire-eyed girl shyly questioned.
"No doubt, count me in. I want to see the Princess of Hoenn in action!" Ash celebrated and assured May that she'd be amazing.
May blushed more intensely when she softly spoke. "That's sweet, Ash, thank you. I'm really happy that you can join me."
"A top coordinator like you is what Kalos needs to help bring attention to the cause. I can't wait to get to Laverre City. This will be a great reset for you," Ash continued to cheer for May.
Still staring at Ash's eyes, May joyfully agreed. "I think so too. We'll need to head to Laverre City tomorrow," the coordinator informed the trainer.
"Then next stop, the With You Festival!" Ash pumped his fist excitedly in the air. May giggled at his energy. They were all set for the next memory together.