May and Janine returned home, greeted by their father, who was sitting in a chair in the main living area. Koga questioned them with a raised eyebrow and an irritated tone.
"Where have you been? I told you we had special training to do today."
"Just a little sisters' mission," May replied, casually dismissing the question.
"In the Kingdom, to be precise?" Koga inquired further.
"Yup." she nodded.
"This wouldn't have anything to do with your abrupt exit last night would it Janine?" he asked, his tone accusatory and dangerous. Janine flinched nervously and was about to answer, but May interjected quickly.
"Sure did. She started the whole thing, in fact. She found me this morning and told me about this amazing heist she had planned for the Kingdom. And it went great." May lied with a smile. She looked towards Janine for agreement. Janine, somewhat surprised by May's explanation, nodded silently, earning a smile from her sister.
"Interesting," Koga replied simply, doubting the story but currently having no proof to the contrary. "Very well. But I won't tolerate disobeying my orders again. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Father." both girls responded.
"You are dismissed for the evening then," he concluded, disappearing into his bedroom swiftly. After a quick sigh of relief, May made herself comfortable on the couch and smiled at her sister.
"...Thank you May," Janine mumbled, recognizing the risk her sister had taken by lying to their Father.
"No problem at all. I'd do it for you again in a heartbeat." the brunette replied. Giving a curt nod, Janine then excused herself and headed to her room, shutting the door behind her. It was then that Glaceon jumped up next to May on the couch. May affectionately petted Glaceon's head, and Glaceon responded with content purring. "You were great, girl. Nice work,"
"Thanks." Glaceon smiled.
"Anything interesting to report about the Pokemon cells?" May inquired about
"Not really. Just a grouchy old Oranguru standing guard." the Ice Type answered. May chuckled at the description, and Glaceon smiled in response. The two shared a moment of quiet companionship, with Glaceon snuggling up to May and both exchanging smiles. It was then that an idea crossed May's mind and she smiled.
"You know…they probably don't know we're gone yet…" she suddenly remarked.
"So?" Glaceon wondered.
"So I'm going to go have some fun." the ninja laughed with an eager smile.
Meanwhile, in the quiet confines of Ash's room, he collapsed onto his bed, visibly exhausted. Pikachu, his faithful Pokémon companion, climbed onto the bed next to him, noticing the exhaustion on his face.
"You okay?" he asked, expressing concern.
"Tired," Ash admitted. Understanding, Pikachu nuzzled him gently, offering comfort.
"It'll be okay now," Pikachu reassured.
"I'm just glad it seems like it's finally over," Ash said with a tired smile. "She's…finally caught…I finally caught her…"
"Sure did." Pikachu nodded in agreement, sharing a comforting smile. As Ash yawned and started to unwind, Pikachu hopped down and settled on his designated pillow on the floor, and the two partners quickly fell asleep.
A few hours had gone by as the pair slept in the quiet of the night. Neither one was disturbed, not even by the occasional chirp of a night critter outside. In the midst of this peaceful scene, however, May stealthily unlocked and slipped in through the window. Finding Ash sound asleep, she smiled mischievously and removed her top. The room remained undisturbed, and Ash continued to snore lightly. May, with a playful smile, laid on top of him. In his exhausted state, Ash remained oblivious, murmuring in his sleep. Seizing the moment, May initiated a dreamlike encounter, engaging in a tender kiss. Ash, responding to the dream, moaned softly, his hand resting on her back. May, encouraged by his response, deepened the kiss, allowing him to further explore the dream realm he thought he was still in. The two exchanged passionate kisses repeatedly, their actions revealing the true emotions that Ash kept hidden. Eventually, as they parted for air, May smiled down at her adversary.
"You're a good kisser," she whispered to the sleeping Ash. He, still asleep and dreaming, responded with a snuggle as he held her body tightly. May giggled softly, and Ash, in his slumber began mumbling.
"Don't...leave...me..." he pleaded.
"Hm?"
"Stay...close...to me..." Ash continued, half-asleep still. May smiled at his words, entertained by the dreamland conversation he seemed to be having with her.
"Only if you show me just how much you like me," she replied with a mischievous grin. Ash, in his peaceful sleep, kissed the air with a sleepy gesture, attempting to kiss an imaginary version of her. May, amused by the sleepy display, decided to join him under the blankets, rolling off him and crawling in beside him. As Ash continued to dream, he finally managed to find her body, holding onto her as if she were truly there without a clue that she really was. He reveled in the warmth of her body, kissing her tenderly and running his finger along her bare skin. May, responding with happy moans, engaged in the dreamlike intimacy. Ash, lying on his side, continued kissing her until he succumbed completely to sleep, still holding her waist. May, smiling at his cute face, rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes as well. As they both drifted into a peaceful slumber, each slept more peacefully than they had in years, the warmth of their intimacy cocooning them.
The next morning, May, waking up to the tiniest hint of sunlight beginning to rise, found herself in Ash's arms still. As the realization of what they had done dawned on her, she couldn't help but smile. Playfully tickling her neck with his breath, Ash remained oblivious to the world around him even as she roused. Using the sun as her clock, she yawned and shook off her sleep, knowing that she had to finish up here and get home before her father realized she'd snuck out.
"Hm...too bad we don't have more time. I would've loved to see your face when you woke up. Guess I'll be back to do it again sometime for that reaction." She smiled, acknowledging the enjoyable interlude to herself. She couldn't resist giving him one more kiss before deciding to slip away. As she crawled out of his room, the castle remained quiet, with minimal activity, allowing her to go unnoticed. Taking advantage of the situation, she snatched a few valuables from the castle's halls, adding a mischievous touch to her exit.
A few hours later, Janine found herself awakening to the subtle entrance of May through her window. Opening her eyes, she greeted her sister with a suspicious look, taking note of May's half-naked state and the presence of hickeys on her skin.
"Morning sis." May greeted.
"You went back to the castle?" her sister asked as she got out of bed.
"How'd you know?" May wondered with a tilt of the head. Janine rolled her eyes and walked over to her sister, poking May's bare stomach for emphasis.
"You're half naked sis," she stated. May, caught off guard, glanced down at her body, realizing her unintentional reveal.
"Oops. Guess I forgot to grab my top." she realized.
"Not to mention the hickeys." Janine pointed out, shaking her head disapprovingly.
"Oh well. Still totally worth it." the brunette ninja chuckled.
"Did you just come here to brag about sleeping with your Aura Boy?"
"One, we didn't 'sleep' together." May clarified, to which Janine simply rolled her eyes, not believing her for a second. "And two, of course not. The main reason I came back is to give you this," she said, clipping a beautiful gold pendant around Janine's neck. Janine, despite her initial disapproval, couldn't help but admire the jewelry.
"It's beautiful," she admitted.
"Figured we'd need something to show for our 'little sisters mission'. And I thought it would look good on you. And now I know I'm right." May smiled. Janine hesitated for a moment but finally voiced her concerns.
"Thanks but, even still... I didn't steal it... you did... Dad is right... even if you convinced him otherwise..." she sighed.
"Janine, you're an amazing ninja," May reassured her.
"And you're a perfect one..." Janine countered.
"I just know the castle is all." May insisted. And although Janine sighed, she continued, "You're no less a ninja than me. You just need a little more training. You're my sister. I always look up to you no matter what."
"...Thanks I guess…for now just go get dressed, would you? Father will have a fit if he sees you like that." Janine replied.
"I will. See you soon." May nodded and left the room, leaving a reflective Janine behind.
Back at the castle Ash slowly yawned, the morning light filtering into his room. His faithful Pikachu, still asleep, began to stir as well. Ash smiled and petted Pikachu's ears affectionately.
"Hey, buddy," Ash greeted, and Pikachu responded with a sleepy yawn.
"Morning." he shook out his fur and smiled up at his partner before he caught a whiff of something odd. "Why do you smell like a ninja?"
"I did effectively manhandle May for a while before bed... speaking of which..." Ash explained before he looked away, blushing slightly. "I had that dream again..."
"The one where you two are-"
"Shhh!" Ash interrupted, putting a finger to his lips. "Y-Yes. That one."
"You have that dream every time she visits. You can't ignore it forever." his partner pointed out.
"Ugh," Ash grumbled, looking away.
"You really need to just accept how you feel about her," Pikachu advised.
"I'm in love with the criminal," Ash admitted, blushing even more. "There. Are you happy? I said it."
"Well, it's a start." Pikachu simply said.
"I hate you sometimes, you know that?" Ash sighed.
"Yeah yeah." Pikachu chuckled. However as Ash turned in the bed, he raised an eyebrow, noticing something in between the sheets. "Follow-up question."
"No, I don't want to have sex with her." Ash groaned, anticipating Pikachu's question.
"I was going to ask since when do you sleep with pink fabric?" Pikachu remarked, pointing to a pink top among the blankets. Ash went pale, realizing it was May's top. Ash stared at the clothing, processing the implications.
"Oh crap…I don't think it was just a dream..."
"Not entirely anyway..." Pikachu added. Ash couldn't handle the realization and buried his face in the bed, yelling into a pillow. Pikachu, concerned, climbed onto his shoulder, asking, "You okay?"
"Nnnmmmm..." Ash moaned, his head still buried. Pikachu nuzzled his cheek, trying to comfort him.
"You know we have to tell them about this..."
"Mmm..." Ash responded, refusing to move. Pikachu, persistent, tugged at his cape with his teeth.
"You can't just sit here and mope."
"Can and am..." Ash mumbled, moving his mouth out of the pillow just enough to speak..
"You're really just going to give up everything you've worked so hard for?" Pikachu challenged.
"...No..." Ash admitted.
"Then stop moping," Pikachu urged. Ash lay motionless, and Pikachu, realizing he needed help, grabbed his cape in his teeth and tugged once again. Ash finally looked over. "You can't just give up,"
"Alright fine…" Ash sighed, "Just get Riley..."
"Right." Pikachu nodded. He hopped off the bed and headed out into the hall, leaving the room. Outside he saw the guards were now frantic, meaning they'd finally realized that the two prisoners were gone. Pikachu sweatdropped at the unfolding chaos and made his way to Riley's barracks down the hall. Upon arrival, he met up with Riley's partner, Lucario, who was standing watch. The Fighting Type Pokemon turned as Pikachu approached.
"Pikachu?" Lucario questioned.
"The situation's back," Pikachu informed him.
"So I noticed," Lucario replied, his aura senses already picking up on the disturbance.
"Sensed it, huh?" Pikachu remarked.
"I didn't need to. The guards already noticed the cells are empty." Lucario answered, nodding towards the chaos currently running throughout the castle hallways.
"Riley knows, then?" Pikachu questioned. Lucario nodded again. "Alright, see you soon." Pikachu acknowledged before running off. He returned to Ash's room and the training Aura Guardian sighed as he did. "He knows,"
"Knows what specifically..?" Ash inquired.
"That she's gone," Pikachu replied.
"Alright..." Ash sighed, thankful that his mentor at least didn't know yet that she had been in his room.
"So what's the game plan?" Pikachu asked.
"Same as always, I guess...try and hunt her down and catch her…" Ash replied.
"I see..." Pikachu noted. Ash sighed again, and Pikachu hugged him. Ash reciprocated, and Pikachu smiled a little. "We can do this,"
"Sure..." Ash replied sarcastically.
"Ash, come on... moping around is not you." Pikachu continued.
"I just don't see much of a point anymore. She always gets away," Ash admitted.
"It's your job. You told me it's always been your dream to protect this Kingdom," Pikachu reminded him.
"And I can…from everything but attractive ninjas, apparently..." Ash muttered.
"We just need to find the right approach. Obviously, she's not perfect or you wouldn't have caught her yesterday," Pikachu pointed out.
"First slip-up in 6 years," Ash reminded him.
"But it proves she can," Pikachu insisted.
"Sure," Ash replied dismissively.
"We just can't give up. Not after such a big breakthrough," Pikachu urged.
"She's only superhuman and not magic. What a breakthrough," Ash remarked with more sarcasm. Pikachu sighed, and Ash petted his ears. Pikachu cooed happily and nuzzled Ash's hand as they pondered their next move.
After a little while, Riley knocked on Ash's door, and Ash quickly stuffed May's forgotten clothes under his bed before responding.
"Yeah?"
"It's me," Riley announced himself before opening the door. "Can I assume you already know what's going on?"
"Yeah..." Ash replied.
"Know anything extra?" Riley inquired. Ash flinched nervously, knowing that he couldn't let his pride or embarrassment get in the way of stopping May's crimes. Even still though, it was hard to admit this specifically to his mentor. Taking a deep breath for courage, he finally answered.
"Apparently, she passed through my room..." he sighed.
"I'm sure she did. That's why I ask," Riley noted. "The King is adamant that we find her as soon as possible."
"Geeze…of all the days I picked to be a heavy sleeper, it was yesterday apparently," Ash grumbled.
"No clues she let slip then?" Riley pressed. Ash hesitated before slowly confessing.
"...Oh, she left... something..."
"Can you trace her Aura from it?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I hadn't tried, but... probably..." Ash admitted.
"Then perhaps we can get a trail on her. Go get it and let's move before she gets too far away." Riley suggested. Ash turned away, blushing, and Riley questioned, "Is there a problem, Ash?"
"Uh... N-No..." Ash stammered.
"Then use your resources and find her," Riley instructed. Ash shut his eyes, still red, and Pikachu hopped onto his head. Reluctantly, he pulled up the robe, and Riley raised a curious eyebrow. Ash's blush deepened as he tried to explain.
"Er…this is what she-" Luckily for him, Riley knew there were more pressing matters at hand.
"Let's just end it right there."
"Right..." Ash agreed, thankful for Riley's professionalism now more than ever. Closing his eyes and focusing on the robe, Ash attempted to sense May from the clothing. After a moment, he was able to sense a faint trail of Aura leading into the forest.
"...Well, I got something, but I don't know if it's enough to find her."
"It's a start," Riley acknowledged. Ash nodded in agreement. "Let's go. Lead the way."
"Right." the younger guardian agreed. He quickly left the room and Riley followed him out. The two headed into the courtyard and quickly headed out the castle gates. As they left the castle grounds, Riley turned to Lucario and gave him instructions.
"Guard the castle."
"I will," Lucario replied.
"Thank you, my friend," Riley expressed gratitude, and with that, they began their journey to find May.
To be Continued...