Hi all,
I was super glad to hear the feedback from the last chapter, I really felt happy with everything all of you had to say. This chapter came out to be a whole lot longer than I originally anticipated because there were a lot of moments I wanted to add. Overall, I believe it came out well and I hope you all enjoy it. Please feel free to leave a review with any criticism or thoughts you have on the story so far.
Also, minor note, this is my first chapter that has reached the double digit thousand mark in word count. 10.8k words!
Now to respond to some reviews,
To Advance shipper, thanks again for the feedback and ideas, I hope 2024 goes well for you too and I'm glad you're looking forward to the rest of this story. I will admit I've been considering writing a journey fic about Ash/May after this one, and if I were to do so, I think it would definitely be in Paldea.
To Scooby Doo 150, thanks for the understanding. When it comes to what I plan to write, anything is on the table! I've got a lot of ideas which I've been passing by some friends.
Three things are certain in life, they say: death, taxes, and a detailed review from TheCouchEffect. Seriously though, I was stoked to read your review as always and I was not disappointed. I'm glad you're liking everything and I'm flattered to hear you think this is becoming one of the best Advanced stories on the site. I'll definitely take note of what you said regarding the battle suggestions too!
Now, let's get into the story.
Enjoy.
Chapter 9: Between Time and Tension
"Ash.." someone called from afar.
Ash turned his head from side to side, trying to find out where he was and who was calling his name. He surveyed his surroundings and realized it was somewhere familiar. He had been here before..
The Sea Temple.
All around him, the ancient stone interior of the temple seemed to loom over him, and he could see the water entrance just below him. It all looked just like it did when he was last here, everything just as he remembered it; stone pillars and walkways that seemed to go in every direction. He gazed down at his surroundings again and paused to think. This specific room looked extra familiar. He turned around towards the stairs at the front of the room and saw a large, green capsule.
"Ash…" he heard again from somewhere distant.
"May!" Ash yelled aloud. Memories instantly filled his head of the room. This is where he had stowed away May, Pikachu, and Manaphy in the capsule so that they'd be safe while he tried to save the sea temple. Ash quickly darted over to the green life pod that sat motionless at the top of the stairs. He kneeled and peered through the window of the device, anticipating his beautiful, sapphire-eyed friend.
However, she was not there.
All so suddenly, Ash felt the temple and stone shake beneath his feet and all around him, followed by the water at the bottom of the stairs beginning to rise, filling up the room. Ash snapped his gaze in every corner of the room, surveying, observing, trying to find any sign of where his friend might have gone. She had to be around here somewhere and she could be in danger now. He wanted to save her.
No.
He needed to save her.
"Ash!" he heard once again, seemingly from another part of the temple. In less than a second, he was up on his feet and full sprinting down the walkway in which he heard her voice. He was running as fast as his body would possibly let him, with no signs of stopping. He needed to save her. He needed to embrace her and tell her everything was going to be okay.
"Ash!" came once more, this time in the complete opposite direction. Ash skidded to a stop on the stone floor and snapped his head back behind him from where the voice came. He looked down to his feet and saw the water begin to swiftly rise up to his shins. He had no time to waste. He sprinted back down the other direction of the walkway, grunting and breathing hard, pushing himself beyond his limits. He felt like he was getting tired too quickly, but he wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop.
"ASH!" the voice now yelled at him, this time seeming to be from right above him.
He turned his gaze upwards, but he couldn't see anything other than the roof of the temple. Where was May? Ash began to panic as he looked in every direction, trying to find the person he cared about so much. Where was she?
At this point, the water began rising much faster than it had been before, and it rose past his head and fully submerged him. Ash suddenly felt immense pressure on all sides from the water, he tried to swim up, but he couldn't. Something was keeping him down. Ash began to slowly lose consciousness, and the last thing he could hear was…
"ASH!" the voice filled his ears again.
Ash felt completely different sensations all around him. There was no longer water submerging him, rather, a soft and cushiony feeling under him. He was actually laying on his back, instead of floating in the water submerged rooms of the sea temple.
"Ash! Wake up!" he could hear from right above him.
He snapped open his eyes finally, and a soft light penetrated his corneas instantaneously. His surroundings were all blurry, but he could make out the bed he laid on, a desk at the other end of the room, and it didn't take long for him to recognize that he was in the guest bedroom at May's house.
Ash sighed in relief. All of it had simply been a dream.
Well, except one thing. The brunette staring down at him, a look of relief on her face now that he finally gained consciousness, had actually been real and calling his name.
"Good morning, May.." Ash muttered as he stretched his legs in the bed. May was currently sitting on the side of the bed, leaning over his face. She had clearly been trying to wake him, so that would explain the voice in his dream.
"Morning to you too, Ash. You slept in quite late." May laughed, bringing a hand up over her mouth as she giggled.
Ash grimaced. "I did? That's pretty unusual of me." Ever since Ash went to Alola and traveled on his own, he had to rely on himself to get up at the right time so he didn't miss anything he had planned for the day, and he did a pretty good job of it. Except for that one time at the hotel a few days ago, and this morning, of course.
"Yep, and just when I was starting to think you really had matured and weren't the old Ash I remembered from our journeys." May teased the boy, still leaning over him.
Ash chuckled and shook his head lightly. How come he woke up late? Usually he was always up no later than eight AM with little to no exceptions. He began to ponder the question, before the memories of the night prior filled his head.
The moment in the hallway, the close proximity to May, the feeling like he had failed to do something he should have done, everything else he felt in that moment. It all came crashing down on him, and the weight of the internal conflict began to press heavily on Ash's chest once again. Was May still thinking about it too? Has she gotten over it already? Did she feel just like he felt in that moment?
"I was coming to wake you up, but you were being quite the heavy sleeper." May said softly. "You looked like you were pretty into whatever dream you were having. You were kind of shaking and breathing heavily. You had a panicked expression and you even grunted a few times. Were you having a bad dream?"
Ash internally sighed in relief. She didn't seem to be too caught up on the events from last night, so he wouldn't be either. He would still need to figure out what that was all about, but it could wait until later. Following the second part of her statement, the memories and visions of the dream immediately came back into his head. The panic from the situation in the dream had subsided, though Ash's heart was still beating faster than normal. After a moment of silence while Ash collected his thoughts, he finally nodded and answered, "Yeah, it was definitely a bad dream."
"Do you want to talk about it?" May asked concernedly.
Ash contemplated if he should tell May or not, but eventually decided that there was no real point in hiding it. "Yeah, that would be nice." Ash answered as he sat up in the bed.
May scooted a little closer to Ash on the bed and put her hands on her lap as she put her full attention on the raven-haired trainer. "Well what was it about?" she inquired.
"Well…I was in the Sea Temple. Alone." Ash said.
"Was anything happening or were you just stuck in there?"
Ash thought back to how the dream started. "Well I realized I was in there, and I heard you call for my name. I saw the lifepod that I put you, Pikachu, and Manaphy in, and I ran over to look into it, but you weren't there. Then the whole place started shaking and the water started to rise."
May thought deeply about that whole situation. She was still a little bit sensitive about the whole situation, between the danger of that situation and having to say goodbye to Manaphy. She still had never felt as worried in her life than when Ash ran off after putting her in the lifepod. That was easily more stressful than any contest she'd ever performed in. "So what did you do after that?" May asked.
"Well I heard you call for my name again, and I thought you might be in danger…so I started running as fast as I could to where I thought I heard you yell from. Suddenly you shouted my name again, but from the opposite direction. I turned and started sprinting off that way, as fast as I could. I was getting so tired and exhausted but I just kept going because I thought you might be hurt." Ash continued to explain.
May was surprised at his dream. Not only was he having a dream related to her, but it was one where he was trying to save her. "Did anything else happen before you woke up?" May again inquired, slightly more interested now.
"Well, the water started rising even faster, and it fully submerged me and I couldn't move. Eventually I heard you yell again, and that's when I woke up and found you staring down at me." Ash spoke.
"Hmm. I think I might have had an influence on your dream since I was saying your name and trying to wake you up." May realized. "I'm sorry about that, Ash."
Quite surprisingly, Ash just leaned forward and enveloped May into a hug. "It's okay, May. I know you didn't mean to. I'm just glad you're okay." Ash spoke into the warm embrace.
May basked in the feeling of being held in the boy's arms. It was truly like no other sensation she had ever felt. Well…perhaps other than kissing him on the cheek. May giggled at the thought of that. May suddenly realized how torn Ash really was. The fact that it was a bad dream that he had and that Ash had felt so panicked about trying to find her made May realize just how much Ash truly did care about her. This realization only strengthened her resolve from yesterday; she would not let Ash leave Petalburg this week without telling him how she truly felt. It would be a tragedy if she let him get away, and she knew she had to tell him before they began to travel together again. May smiled with determination at the thought, but continued to melt into the boy's embrace.
Eventually they both retracted from the hug and Ash smiled and brought a hand to rub the back of his head. "Thanks, May. I feel a whole lot better now." Ash spoke softly.
May smiled. "Anytime, Ash."
Ash turned to look at the other side of the bed and raised an eyebrow. "Where's Pikachu?" the trainer asked.
"Oh, Pikachu is downstairs playing with Glaceon, he woke up way before you did and I gave him some breakfast, even though I did catch him trying to steal some ketchup." May said happily.
Ash smiled. "Thanks for taking care of him, May. What time is it anyway?"
"It's eleven AM right now."
Ash jumped up and off the bed. "Eleven!? Your contest starts at twelve thirty! We've got to get ready!"
May chuckled. "Relax, Ash. They start checking in contestants at twelve thirty, it isn't when the contest actually starts. Besides, I'm ready, I'm just waiting for you. That's why I woke you up!"
Ash brought a hand to the back of his head and rubbed it up and down. "Hahaha, yeah…sorry about that, May. I'll get ready now." the trainer said sheepishly.
"It's alright, Ash." May giggled. "We're gonna leave no later than twelve though, so you've got plenty of time to get dressed and eat what my mom made for breakfast. Don't be too slow though."
Ash smiled. "Don't worry, May. I'll be ready in no time. I'm gonna go ahead and get dressed now."
"Sounds good, Ash." May said before walking out of the room with a gentle wave and closing the door behind her.
Afterwards, Ash quickly got ready to leave for the contest. He swiftly got dressed in his new clothes and made his bed before brushing his teeth and washing his face. Following that, he went downstairs and found that May's mother had made pancakes, and he completely annihilated what was left for him in no time. After about thirty minutes, Ash was completely set and ready to go.
While Ash did this, May was in the backyard with Venusaur doing some final preparations and reviews for May's appeal while Pikachu and Glaceon played around with each other. Eventually, Ash came out to let May know he was ready, and within a few minutes, they were all at the door preparing for their departure. Pikachu took place on his usual perch atop Ash's shoulder while Glaceon stood at May's feet.
"Well, you all ready to leave, May?" Ash asked the brunette.
May glanced down. "I think so. I'm a little bit nervous since it has been awhile since I was last in a contest, but I'm pretty confident with Venusaur's routine after our practice yesterday."
"I'm glad, May. I know you're gonna do nothing short of amazing." Ash spoke softly, putting a hand on the coordinator's shoulder.
May blushed lightly and smiled. "Thanks so much. I couldn't have done it without you, Ash." May thanked the boy.
"Glace!" came from beside May's legs.
May chuckled. "You too, Glaceon. You've always been a big support for me." May said as she bent down to pet the loyal ice-type. "Hmmm, now that I think about it though, you've been spending an awfully long amount of time out of your Pokeball. Maybe it's time to get some rest?"
"Glaceon!" shouted the ice-type as she jumped back and hid behind Ash's legs.
"I'm just joking with you, Glaceon. You know you can always stay out when you want to." May assured the Pokemon.
Suddenly, Caroline walked into the room from out of the kitchen. "May! Are you leaving now?" she asked hurriedly.
"Yeah, mom. Me and Ash are about to head out to get me checked in for the contest." answered May.
"Oh, good. Me and your father will be there when you perform. In case we don't see you again before you go out, we wish you the best of luck now! I know you're going to do great, May, you always have." Caroline gushed.
May smiled lightly. "Thanks, mom. I really appreciate it. Where is dad right now though? I haven't seen him this morning."
Caroline's expression faltered slightly, but she quickly hid it, though May could see that something was on her mother's mind. "Oh! Your father has just been quite busy this morning, he will be there though, don't worry." Caroline reassured her daughter.
May softly sighed. Her father probably wasn't too overjoyed about her participating in another contest, even if there were no real stakes involved. His viewpoint just made no sense to her. He'd convinced himself that May had already achieved her dream of being a top coordinator after winning the Unova Grand Festival, and that there was no reason for her to keep performing in contests now. Rather, he believed it was the perfect time to begin training and preparing to take over duties as the Petalburg City gym leader.
How could that even make sense? She obviously enjoyed being a coordinator, and just one win didn't mean she should just stop there. May wanted to keep pursuing her dream and setting higher goals. She loved contests and coordinating, so why should she have to stop and do something she didn't love just because she was technically next in line? After all, why couldn't they just prepare Max for it? Yes, he was a young trainer and had yet to prove himself, but he literally had the best possible person to train him for gym duties living in his own house. Why couldn't her dad help him like that?
Both May and Max had always assumed that Max would be the successor to their father as the gym leader. May had no interest in being the gym leader while Max was absolutely enamored with the idea. Yet still, something happened between Max and her father that they absolutely refused to tell her about, and now she was expected to fill her father's shoes in the future.
Quite simply, it was a fat load of Tauros crap, at least in May's opinion. She was sure her father had begrudgingly agreed with her mother to support her in today's contest, but she honestly didn't even care all that much. If her father had to be convinced to support her, then she didn't want his support at all.
May's train of thought ended as Ash lightly patted her shoulder, giving her a look as if to ask, "Are you all good?" May quickly snapped out of her thoughts after realizing it had been awhile since her mother had answered her previous question and quickly came up with something to say. "It's whatever. Me and Ash are gonna head out now. Goodbye."
Caroline looked slightly hurt at her daughter's bluntness, but quietly nodded her head as May opened the front door and pulled Ash out with her into the Hoenn sun. Ash could tell May was a little livid with her parents, assumedly because of the gym leader situation, but he chose not to say anything and rather to let May think it out. After a few minutes, they had made it to the urban part of Petalburg and were once again walking in the streets.
The towering skyscrapers rose far above both trainers as they walked through the sunny and busy streets. The bustling sounds of a hyper-active city filled their surroundings as people walked by, into and out of stores, and stood on the sidewalks or in front of store windows. The city's activity only seemed to be multiplied by the added allure of today's contest, which was starting relatively soon. Posters and advertisements for the event were apparent on every block and many people were rushing in the direction of Petalburg's brand new stadium, seemingly to attend what would come to be an annual event for the city.
May's demeanor had calmed down a bit and she was already back to her regular cheerful self as she guided her raven-haired friend through the buzzing streets. Eventually, they reached the arena in which the contest would take place, as well as many other events in the future.
"Wow, May…I still can't believe it's only been a few years since none of this was really here. The rate at which this city grew is just remarkable." Ash uttered in amazement.
May chuckled. "No kidding. It's pretty crazy to go to a different region for one year, come back to your home town, and find it five times as big."
Ash looked up towards the top of the stadium as they approached it. Directly in front of the stadium was a large park that only accentuated the size and modernity of the high-tech arena. It was nothing short of visually pleasing and amazing. The arena was just as remarkable as any other place Ash had battled in, if not more. It was gigantic, yet so modern and futuristic. Its exterior consisted mainly of concrete, glass, and steel, but it had many different designs that didn't make it seem too boring or streamlined.
"Wow…" Ash murmured under his breath.
"Pika…" came from the Pokemon on his shoulder.
"Come on, Ash! You can marvel at the arena another time, let's go get checked in!" May exclaimed to her awestruck friend as she pulled his hand towards the entrance of the stadium.
The energetic brunette quickly pulled Ash through the front doors of the stadium, and before they knew it, they were faced with the interior that was just as impressive as the exterior. Just inside the front doors, a large atrium wrapped around the entire building. Many different stores, gift shops, and places to eat were located on the sides of this room, and one could probably spend a whole day just exploring the different activities without even going out into the stadium stands.
Right to the left by the front doors was a staircase, similar to that of the one at the Petalburg City Mall, which led up a few stories to the top of the stadium with multiple levels and walkways in between in order to access different stadium seating sections. The inner wall of the atrium had many different entrances to these sections.
Directly ahead of the main doors was a reception area to purchase tickets or check in for events. Right behind it was a hallway which led to the arena preparation rooms for any participants who needed to get ready for an event. In today's case, they would be used for any contest participants.
The inside of the stadium was quite busy, just as it was outside. Most people were biding their time until the contest started by checking out the different eateries and shops around the stadium. It was a pleasant atmosphere inside and there was some light music playing in the background on different speakers.
Ash continued to gaze around the large stadium in awe. He'd been to many impressive structures and arenas before, but this one was one of the best he'd ever seen. He stood still in a stupor as both he and Pikachu looked around in amazement, but were quickly snapped out of their thoughts by a certain coordinator who was in a rush to get checked in.
Ash followed May to the reception desk where a few different receptionists sat and tended to other people. The duo approached the line with a sign that read, 'Contest Participant Check-In.' A large screen was on the wall above the check-in area that listed each contest participant.
Those who had already checked in had a checkmark beside their name, while those who had yet to check-in didn't. May quickly scanned over each and every name of those who were participating and contemplated the thought of her opponents for the contest. Looking through the names, there were a lot of new people she didn't recognize, but also a few familiar people.
She saw Drew's name quickly, and wasn't too surprised. If he was in town, it was no surprise that he'd be participating in a contest like this one. Though she used to despise him, he seemed genuinely changed at their last meeting, and she hoped that he would continue to act like that. Either way, May had beaten him many times before, and she wouldn't hesitate to admit she didn't think he'd be much of a struggle if she was put against him in the battle rounds. However, she'd still bring her A-game no matter what.
The next name she saw was Solidad. Solidad was a talented coordinator for sure, definitely not someone to trifle with. She'd be a worthy opponent for May if they were pitted against each other as she had also won a grand festival before, and perhaps more since she last saw her. May smiled at the thought of an intense battle with her. It would certainly be no cakewalk.
May read another name that had yet to check in. Her eyes scanned across the name before moving on, but did a quick double take as her brain processed it. Oh Arceus, why now?
Harley.
That bumbling oaf had finally shown up again. May hadn't had to deal with that over-obsessed, conniving weirdo in awhile. After she left Johto, he hadn't followed her to Hoenn when she spent a year practicing on her own. She had heard from a few different friends that he'd been asking around to see where May planned to head next, but fortunately nobody had told him, and May was able to go to Unova undisturbed. Either way, his rambunctious plans to ruin her and his constant annoyance did not leave May's memory, and she still had a strong distaste for him. Harley was concrete evidence that the universe truly did have a sense of humor, as well as a tendency to annoy her.
May didn't have time to read any more names as the people in front of her in line left to somewhere else, meaning she was next up. She walked up and it didn't take her much time to get checked in once she showed her identification. She was given a badge and instructed to enter the preparation room, which was down a hallway adjacent to the reception desk, at least twenty minutes before the contest started to be briefed on how everything was organized at one PM. She was also told that no guests were allowed inside the preparation room, and if she wished to talk to anyone, it would have to be taken outside. Lastly, May registered the six Pokemon that she'd be using for the contest.
After finding out everything she needed to know, the coordinator turned to the raven-haired trainer beside her. "Well, Ash. It's still about an hour before the actual contest begins, so maybe we can relax a little bit before I have to go to the prep room." May suggested to the trainer.
Ash smiled. "Sounds like a good idea. There looks like there's a lot to do around here."
Following that, Ash and May turned around and headed out of the check-in line and towards the middle of the atrium so they could stand and talk for a moment to figure out where they'd go first.
May gazed around the different stores and shops in the stadium interior. Since the arena was still relatively new, she didn't know her way around it just yet like she did with the Petalburg City Mall. She glanced down to her phone to check the time and figure out what they had time for. It was currently twelve forty-five which meant they only had about fifteen minutes until May would have to head to the preparation room. May thought that would be plenty of time to grab a quick snack or take a look around a gift shop with Ash.
After finishing her train of thought, she looked up to Ash and began speaking. "So since we've still got fifteen minutes, I was thinking we could grab a quick snack or-"
"Well, well, well." a high-pitched voice cut her off from behind her.
A voice that was all too familiar.
Looks of confusion spread across Ash and Pikachu's face as they stared at the person that stood behind her. May froze up and slowly turned her body to face them, hoping, praying that it was not who she believed it to be. However, her prayers were not answered as she was faced with somebody she wished she had never met.
Now standing in front of her was a tall boy with long, wavy purple hair and blue eyes. He wore a green hat similar to that of a Cacturne head, and a blue shirt with a rectangle cutout that exposed his stomach. Lastly, he wore a collared, green jacket and green pants that had a darker zigzag pattern on both of his sides and a white belt with a yellow buckle. He had a nefarious grin on his face, something that could only signal that whatever he was there for wasn't in everyone's best interests.
Harley.
May silently cursed the world for causing their paths to meet again. She truly envied anyone who had never met Harley before, and had only just started to think she was lucky enough to never have to see him again. However, most unfortunately, it seemed that fate had brought him back into her life.
Just in the past few days, fate had brought back three people into her life; Ash, Drew, and now Harley. May silently chuckled at that. She could definitely live without seeing two of the three ever again.
"Long time, no see…May Maple." Harley said harshly.
May stood in silence, unsure of what to say. She didn't even know how anybody would respond in this situation, so she just stood quietly. Ash stood beside her, still a bit confused, having not yet recognized Harley. Glaceon took up a stiff, defensive stance at May's side.
"Meowth got your tongue, May?" Harley mocked her. "I guess I should've expected you to be speechless after finally seeing a real coordinator in person."
Finally, May found the energy to speak. "What are you doing here?"
"Well that's hardly an appropriate way to greet one of your closest friends, don't you think, May?"
May scowled. "Harley…you are not my friend."
"Yep. You haven't changed one bit. Still the same old, childish girl." Harley scoffed, crossing his arms together.
Ash finally recognized who it was that May was speaking to and the memories of Harley's antics over their travels filled his mind. Everything the purple-haired boy had done in the past along with the way he was speaking to May right now truly left a bad taste in Ash's mouth, and he couldn't say he was pleased to see him. "Answer her question, Harley. Please tell me you haven't come to continue antagonizing May." Ash spoke sternly.
"Hmm. So the boyfriend is coming to the rescue? I suppose it was only natural for you guys to get together after so many years." Harley remarked with a smirk and put his hands on his hips.
Ash's face turned bright red and began to heat up; he wasn't sure how to respond to that. Fortunately though, May came to his rescue.
"Harley! It isn't like that between me and Ash! We're just friends!" May exclaimed loudly as her face also began to heat up. It wasn't as if May was opposed to the idea, but she and Ash had never really brought up anything about a relationship between themselves, and May did not want that conversation to happen with Harley of all people for the first time.
Harley grinned. "Quite a bit quick to defend yourself there, don't you think? Did I hit a soft spot?"
May's face became even more red, matching her bandanna. Arceus, Harley was seriously starting to get on her nerves. He was ruining what was already shaping to be a pretty good day. May took a deep breath and sighed before responding. "Listen, Harley, I don't have the time or the crayons to explain this to you. All you need to know is me and Ash are just friends. Now answer my question, what are you doing here?"
Harley scoffed. "Hmph. No need to get all worked up! Truthfully, the reason I'm here doesn't have anything to do with you. I'm just in town and decided to participate in this contest. I saw you two and knew I had to come by and poke some fun out of you."
May was a little skeptical of his answer, but she'd accept it for now. "Fine. Do us a favor though and leave us alone while you're here." May replied sternly.
"Rude as ever, May. No worries, once I win this contest, I'm out of this urban hellhole." Harley said as he glanced around the stadium interior.
"Like hell you'll win. I'm taking this one home." May said confidently. Ash chuckled in the background at her enthusiasm. He really did think May would win though, especially after seeing how well coordinated she was during their training yesterday.
"We shall see, Maple. We shall see." Harley replied. "Anyways, I've got to get going now. The contest briefing starts soon." With that, Harley simply trotted away and towards the preparation room doors. Leaving a half-fuming May and a slightly flustered Ash.
May glanced down at the time. They had less than five minutes now, so much for spending some time with Ash. May scoffed at the thought of Harley wasting her precious time.
"He must have been a slippery baby, don't you think, Ash?" May asked the boy next to her who hadn't said anything since Harley's remark. May hoped Ash wasn't too broken.
Ash was completely caught off guard by May's remark and his face turned to an expression of incredulity and disbelief at what May said.
"May!?" Ash said in disbelief.
"Yeah, Ash?" May asked, looking up to the raven-haired trainer and tilting her head. Pikachu sat on Ash's shoulder and looked at May in disbelief as well. Suddenly, May realized what she had just said. "Umm…Ash, did I happen to say that out loud?" she slowly asked.
Ash carefully nodded and May looked extremely embarrassed. What would Ash think of her now? May always tried to be kind, but it appears her anger and hatred towards Harley caused a slip. She didn't even realize she said it out loud, it was just a thought that somehow made its way out of her mouth. Would Ash think she's a monster now?
Suddenly, Ash simply broke down laughing, bending slightly and putting a hand on his waist. Pikachu started snickering as well on the boy's shoulder, but both of them were clearly in amusement at the whole scenario.
"Ash? What's so funny?" May inquired, still a little embarrassed and worried. She was a little caught off guard by Ash breaking out in laughter.
It took the boy a moment to calm himself down as he took a deep breath. Eventually, he had settled down enough to answer May. "I'm sorry, May. You just caught me super off guard with that. I've never known you to say stuff like that."
"Yeah…I'm sorry, Ash. It kind of just slipped out." May admitted, looking down slightly.
Ash chuckled again. "Don't even worry about it, May. If anyone deserved it, it was Harley. Like I said, I was just kind of caught off guard, but it was pretty funny."
May smiled now that she saw Ash didn't think anything of it. In retrospect, it wasn't something May would've been known to say, so she could understand why Ash would be a bit surprised. How'd she even think of that? Harley must bring the worst kind of thoughts out of her, huh.
May glanced down at the time again, praying that somehow it would be earlier than before, but against the brunette's wishes, the time she had left decreased from five minutes to four. May facepalmed. "Damn it…we don't have time to do anything now. I have to go to the preparation room in less than five minutes now…stupid Harley..." May said despairingly.
May felt a hand make its way on her shoulder and she looked up from her hand to see a certain boy smiling at her.
"May…it's okay. We'll have plenty of opportunities to spend time with each other in the future. Don't let Harley get too much on your nerves, that's exactly what he wants. You're May Maple, and I know you'd never let someone else get the best of you like that." Ash spoke softly to May, bringing her comfort beyond belief.
"Pika!" added the yellow mouse on Ash's shoulder.
"Glace!" came from the ground beside May.
"I-...Thanks guys…Ash, somehow you just always know what to say at the right times. You're not the same, immature, goofy boy I once knew." May replied, her expression finally taking that of a smile once again. Pikachu and Glacen both looked at each other and rolled their eyes at their trainers.
"Thanks, May. I suppose I always try my best. Don't tell me you always thought I was immature and goofy though." Ash chuckled.
"Sorry, you're right. You were immature, goofy, AND pretty childish." May teased, lightly poking Ash in the middle of his forehead.
Ash simply sighed and was about to respond, but was interrupted by May who added, "Buuuuuuut, you were also courageous, caring, kind, cheerful, helpful, and courteous. Fortunately, those things haven't changed one bit."
Ash grinned wide and May smiled at him. Ash found himself almost lost in a trance in her smile. He'd trade away anything just to see a smile on her face. It made everything worth it to him. It was like her smile could light up the darkest room, and he just couldn't help but stare everytime she revealed it. Suddenly, Ash felt that all too familiar feeling run through his body again. It felt like it started at every one of his extremities, and ran all the way to his heart. He felt his heartbeat quicken slightly, but oddly enough, this time the sensation felt good. As if the feeling was meant to be. Ash wasn't sure what to make of that, but he had to say something or else May would probably find it weird that he was just staring at her.
"Thanks, May. I don't know what to say." Ash replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
May chuckled. "Well good thing you don't have time to! I've gotta get going to the preparation room for the briefing! You can find a spot to relax out here, I don't think it'll take too long." May exclaimed as she glanced at her watch again. She had to get going now if she didn't want to be late. She'd likely be finding out what her appeal time slot is, and that was pretty vital information she couldn't miss.
"Alright, May. I'll probably be sitting out here somewhere. See you in a few!" Ash responded as May began to run off in the direction of the preparation room. She waved to Ash before turning her head and making her way through the hallway doors and towards the preparation room. Glaceon followed her trainer as well, and before both Ash and Pikachu knew it, they were alone.
"Well, Pikachu, we've got a bit of time to kill while May figures out how this is all gonna go. What do you say we go find a spot to chill out for a bit?" Ash turned his head and asked his loyal starter Pokemon.
"Pikapi!" came the expected response.
With that, Ash walked over to a small lounge area with a few couches set against one of the walls of the stadium interior and took a seat. He leaned back and simply enjoyed the peace.
Meanwhile, May had just made it through the hallway and in front of the preparation room. She had to put Glaceon in her Pokeball because Pokemon weren't allowed outside in the preparation room. There were two, wide double-doors that the brunette slowly pushed open, revealing the inside of the large room. Directly past the doors was a large area with various different seating that all faced the back wall. On the back wall was a small podium with a microphone and a large screen behind it. On the right wall, there was a sizable counter with refreshments and snacks.
The room was quite colorful, and had a warm but still modernistic feel to it. It also looked quite comfortable, with each area to sit down being soft and inviting. Overall, it looked like they were trying to go for a unique and inviting look with abstract patterns on the carpeted floor and colorful furniture. Anybody who participated in events at the new stadium would be allowed to use this room, and it obviously would be great for informing contestants about various tournaments and contests, so they clearly tried to make it inviting during its construction.
On both the left and right walls were a door that opened to a hallway lined with small rooms for contestants. The left was for women and the right for men respectively. The rooms were to be used in case a contestant needed to change into a different set of clothes or costume, needed a quiet space, or just wanted to relax until they needed to perform.
May scanned the room and spotted multiple different coordinators, some she recognized and some she didn't. Some of them she'd seen in the news, others she'd encountered in her travels. Her eyes caught the sight of Drew lounging on a chair, presumably waiting for instruction to start, as he scrolled on his phone. May was about to recoil in disgust, but stopped herself as she remembered what had happened the other day, and that perhaps Drew had matured. She would be lying if she said she wasn't still a little skeptical, but she promised herself that she'd give him a chance to at least be her friend in the future.
As the coordinator scanned the room, she spotted Harley sitting in a corner by himself, and this time she did recoil in disgust. Arceus, she wished she'd never see him again.
May internally sighed as she realized what she was thinking. It was no benefit to anyone for her to continue to harbor hate for anyone, even Harley. Continuing to let it boil up would only harm herself and others. The Hoenn-coordinator took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. She felt much more calm at that point. If Harley were to come and try to antagonize her again, she'd do her best to ignore him and not give him any satisfaction. After all, she should show kindness to everyone, no matter who they are.
May smiled as she recalled the person who taught her that.
After a moment, May was brought out of her thoughts as a person stepped up to the microphone and tapped it a few times to get everyone's attention. May quickly walked forward and found an unoccupied seat next to a few coordinators she didn't know and gave her attention to the man at the podium.
"Hello, everyone. Welcome to Petalburg Stadium's first ever annual Pokemon contest. Not only is this the first ever contest, but it's the first of many events that will be held in Petalburg Stadium in the future." spoke the man into the microphone in a monotone voice.
The man was quite short and wore a full black suit fit with a black tie. He had short, black hair, and black rimmed glasses. He was slightly hunched over the podium and was speaking in a dull voice.
May listened as the man continued, "My name is…well, actually, you don't need to know my name, that's not important. I am the Director of Events here at Petalburg Stadium and I pretty much run the show. You're never really gonna see me out there in the spotlight, but I'm always going to be in the background keeping the events running on time. I organize everything you will see here, and I'm a very detail-oriented man, so please try to respect that."
May raised her eyebrows a bit as she processed everything the man was saying. He seemed almost annoyed to have to talk to everyone, and he wouldn't even tell the contestants his name. It was definitely a bit odd, and the other coordinators in the room seemed to agree with May's thoughts judging by their facial expressions.
"Anyways, I'm already going off-topic. I need to explain the rules and schedule of the contest." muttered the man. "This is a pretty standard contest, all of you should be pretty used to it. The first round is going to be appeals from each of you. After I finish explaining, I will display all of the entry times. The first one is going to start exactly twenty minutes after this meeting is over, if you miss your time, then tough luck, because there is no leeway. You should be back in this room BEFORE your time slot. You either show up on time and perform, or you don't. Period. Only half of you will make it to the second round, based on how well performed your appeal is." said the man sternly as he hunched over the podium.
May thought the man was being quite a bit harsh, but it was pretty clear he wasn't exactly a people-person, so she did her best not to hold that against him.
"The second round will be twenty minutes after the final appeal. This will be a battle round, and you will be randomly paired against another coordinator who passed the first round. This will work as a regular contest battle. The third round will be another contest battle, this time being a double-battle while the fourth round is back to just a regular one-on-one. There are sixteen of you to start, so the first round will take it down to eight, the second round will take it down to four, and eventually the fourth round will be the final battle for the winner. You can only use each of your Pokemon one time as well. Once it's been used in one round, it won't be able to battle in the next round or any after that." The man continued to explain.
Three battle rounds, huh. She'd definitely have to bring her A-game on this one. There were definitely some powerful coordinators in the room, more so than she thought there'd be. With the airport closed down for the week, May was only expecting to see coordinators from Petalburg City here, but it appeared that a good half of the people participating weren't even from the city.
"Well, I suppose that's all. I'm going to display the entry times now for each coordinator's appeal. Again, if you're late, you don't perform. No exceptions. I probably won't be seeing any of you for the rest of this contest, so goodbye, and good luck." the man finally finished explaining. With that, he walked down from the podium and through a door located at the back of the room. A few seconds later, the large screen behind the podium illuminated to display all sixteen coordinators along with a time beside their name.
Every coordinator in the room immediately stood up and leaned in to search for their name. May was no exception, and she started from the top and read her way down. However, she didn't need to read too far, as the very first name happened to be hers.
May Maple - 1:35
The brunette sighed. Of course she was picked to go first. At least she'd be able to get it done and over with, but she couldn't say she was ecstatic about it. It didn't matter though, she had won a grand festival for Arceus' sake, and nerves would be the last thing that she'd let get to her.
Each coordinator had a five minute time slot to perform their appeal. Following that, there was a five minute wait between the next coordinator's performance.
May thought for a moment on what she should do next. She had twenty minutes before her appeal, but that was more like fifteen because she definitely wanted to come in a few minutes early so she didn't miss her time slot. The coordinator glanced down at her fanny pack and considered going over Venusaur's routine one last time, but eventually decided against it. They had spent all morning going over it, and she put full trust in her Pokemon.
In that case, she decided it would be best to go talk with Ash and tell him everything he'd need to know about the contest and her time slot. That way, he could go find a seat while she headed back to the preparation room to check in for her appeal. Perhaps this time they'd be able to grab a quick snack at one of the stores in the stadium. May smiled as she headed out of the doors and through the hallway back to the atrium she'd been at before.
She pushed open the doors that led back into the atrium and was once again surrounded by the sounds of people conversing and moving around the building. At this point, it seemed most people that were there before had begun making their way to their seats in order to watch the contest.
May scanned the room as she looked for a tall boy with raven-colored hair and a Pikachu by his side. She looked from left to right until her eyes settled on a lounge area on the right side of the atrium. Her eyes lit up as she spotted the boy sitting down on a sofa. She immediately began making her way over to the lounge until something else caught her eye.
Sitting next to Ash was another girl that May did not recognize. She had long blond hair and wore a pink jacket paired with black pants. What especially popped out to May, however, was that she was sitting awfully close to Ash.
A little too close for May's comfort.
May sighed, maybe she was being a little obsessive. It wasn't like May was already in a relationship with Ash, maybe he knew this girl and she recognized him and they decided to talk while she was gone. She was sure it was nothing more than that. She mentally smacked herself for jumping to conclusions so quickly. They were literally just sitting next to each other, after all. With her mind now set at ease, May began walking over to the lounge area again.
Suddenly, the girl sitting next to Ash brought a hand up to Ash's shoulder and began to rub in circles slowly, most definitely in a flirtatious manner. Ash didn't seem to pay it much attention as he continued rubbing Pikachu's fur on his lap and speaking to the girl. May's entire mindset from a few seconds ago vanished and she felt herself begin to get a little bit annoyed at this girl. She quickened her pace in order to reach them faster so that she could put a stop to this situation.
"Hey, Ash! I'm back!" May exclaimed as she neared the lounge area they were sitting at.
Ash's expression lit up as he raised his head to see May. "Oh! Hi, May! How was the briefing?" Ash asked excitedly, cutting himself off from whatever he was saying before, Pikachu's ears perked up and the yellow mouse raised its head, seemingly looking for a certain other Pokemon. The girl's smile next to him dropped a bit as May approached to stand in front of Ash.
"It went fine. The guy explaining everything was a little weird and seemed kind of annoyed, but the whole preparation room is actually really cool. I also have some news to share with you!" May answered happily, pretty much ignoring the girl that sat next to Ash. The girl's hand had made its way back to her lap and was no longer on Ash's shoulder.
"That's cool. What's the news?" Ash inquired as he put his hands on his knees.
May grinned and began, "Well, I-," but was cut off by the girl next to Ash.
"Do you guys know each other?" she asked.
May almost facepalmed, as if their ongoing conversation wasn't already enough evidence. "Um, yes…me and Ash are close friends." The brunette responded in a half-annoyed tone.
"Just friends?" She asked.
May slowly nodded before asking, "Yeah…who are you?"
The girl smirked. "Oh, well, my name is Ava, I just met Ash here. I saw him sitting alone with his Pikachu and well…I thought he was pretty cute so I had to come up and introduce myself."
Ash's face blanked slightly at the compliment and he blushed. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and said, "Uh…thanks," not really knowing how to respond.
"And since you guys are just friends, I don't think it'd be an issue if me and Ash went on a little date for the rest of the afternoon, right?" Ava asked rhetorically.
Ash looked confused. "Huh? Ava, I never said-"
"Really, Ash, it's no bother. I don't mind at all, let's get going and away from this girl! I have an idea for a place we can go!" Ava cut off Ash and stood up, grabbing his arm.
May simply stood there in silence. At first, she was shaking and saw nothing but complete and utter red as she was about to do something that would likely end her career as a Pokemon coordinator, possibly involving the commitment of multiple felonies. However, as Ava refused to wait for an answer from either of the trainers and began to pull Ash away, May felt a feeling in her heart, like it was chipping away. She stood and was unable to do anything as she watched one of the most important people to her get pulled away. Her heart felt like it was failing.
Ava had turned and was now pulling Ash's arm towards the door. Pikachu had made his way to the ground and was watching in confusion, not sure if he should attack the girl pulling away his trainer unwillingly. However, it all ended swiftly as Ash did something unexpected.
"AVA!" Ash yelled, catching the attention of a few bystanders.
Ava slightly paled at the tone of the raven-haired boy's voice. May was also caught by surprise, as she had almost never heard Ash sound like that.
"What is it, Ash?" Ava asked timidly.
Ash frowned and asked, "What are you doing?"
"I was just bringing you along so we could go on a date." The blonde replied, still kind of nervous by the look in Ash's eye.
Ash scowled. "First of all, I never agreed to go on a date with you, you just started pulling me away before I could even say anything. Second, I'm not leaving anyways, because I came here to watch May's contest! The way you were talking to May was also just plain rude! Quite frankly, I barely even know you, and if you think I'm going to abandon one of my best friends to hang out with someone I met five minutes ago, you're delusional!" Ash finished his rant as multiple bystanders watched in amusement at the situation unfolding.
"I-... Whatever! Your loss! You can go hangout with that bimbo! I didn't even want to go out with you anyway! You're probably a shitty Pokemon trainer! Good luck with anything in the future, because you're gonna need it!" Ava yelled back at Ash, clearly surprised at being rejected. After a moment, she noticed all of the people around them looking at the conflict, and she quickly ran away and out the doors of the stadium.
Ash simply stood, his expression now calm, and watched the girl quickly run out of the doors. After a moment, he turned around back to May and softly said, "I'm sorry you had to deal with that, May. I didn't even know her."
In response, May merely walked over to the boy and wrapped her arms around him, burying her head against his chest. Ash was surprised at first, but simply embraced the brunette back, not caring about the people still eyeing them from around the atrium.
"Thank you for defending me Ash. I know you could've easily gone off with her, but you decided to stay with me, and I really appreciate that. You really are the greatest friend I could ever ask for." May said into the boy's chest.
Ash simply rubbed May's back in response before adding, "Of course, May. You're really important to me, I'd never just abandon you like that."
May felt her face begin to heat up at the words. It was as if each syllable gently stoked May's heart, forcing it to beat a little bit faster. After a moment, they both retracted from the hug and looked at each other.
"I've never seen you yell like that Ash, what caused that?" May asked, putting her hands on her hips.
Ash sat back down on the couch. "I'm not a very confrontational person, but there's two things you don't mess with; my friends and my Pokemon. She was being rude, and I wasn't just going to leave you behind." Ash answered honestly.
May was silent for a moment before she smiled and said, "Thanks again, Ash."
Ash smiled. "Of course, May. Now what was the news you had to share with me?"
May's expression perked up as she remembered what they were even there for in the first place. "Oh! Well…I was selected to perform my appeal first," May glanced down at her watch, "and it looks like I'm gonna have to head over there in about five minutes!" May said with a frown. Oh, come on! This was the second time her plans to hang out with Ash, even if just for a little bit, had been foiled. First Harley, and now that girl. The universe really didn't want her to spend some time with Ash. Unfortunately for the universe, May was one very determined girl.
"Oh, well that's awesome, May! You're gonna set the standard for the rest of the performers, and I know that nobody is gonna be able to hold a candle to you out there!" Ash exclaimed happily. Pikachu started running around May in circles as well in excitement.
May chuckled. "Thanks, guys. I can't lie that I'm a tiny bit nervous, but nothing I won't be able to get over!"
"Of course! You're the May Maple! The Princess of Hoenn, for crying out loud! You've got this!" Ash exclaimed loudly, pumping his fist in the air.
"You have so much confidence in me, Ash. I really appreciate it." May thanked Ash with a little bit of a blush. Ash really did always know what to say at the right time. May glanced down at her watch to check the time, seeing she had to go soon. "Well, Ash, I have to go back to the preparation room to check in for my appeal soon, or else they'll disqualify me for being late."
Ash looked a little bit sad that she had to leave already, but also excited he was going to get to see her perform after so many years. "That's okay, May. I'll go find somewhere to sit while you check in. Look for me, because I'll be cheering you on from the stands!"
"I know I've already said it a lot, but thanks again, Ash. You've been a huge support in all of this." May spoke softly.
Ash showed a toothy grin. "Of course, May! I'm always here for you, no matter what."
"You're the best, Ash. I'm gonna head back to get checked in now. My parents should be getting here soon too. See you after my performance!" May exclaimed before turning and walking back towards the preparation room.
Ash stood and watched as the beautiful brunette walked away from him. All so suddenly, he felt a feeling like there was something he needed to do. It was like his psyche was screaming at him to do something, but it wouldn't tell him what it was, it just wanted him to act. It was the same feeling from the night before in the hallway. This time though, his mind wouldn't let him get away with it. Whatever it was, he felt like he had to do it no matter what, and he subconsciously started running towards May. Pikachu noticed the inner turmoil within his trainer's head and followed him as Ash ran towards May.
"Wait! May!" Ash yelled as he ran towards her. Pikachu ran with Ash in confusion, not sure what his trainer was doing.
May turned around with a confused look. "Huh? What is it, Ash?" She asked.
The voice in Ash's mind only began to intensify as he stopped in front of the coordinator. It was now or never. "One more thing, May."
And with that, Ash didn't give the girl a chance to respond, and he leaned forward and kissed May on the cheek. The sensation was extraordinary as time slowed down. May's face turned a deep red in reaction to it while her mind squealed in excitement. It only lasted for a short moment, but it felt like it could've lasted a lifetime. Just a simple kiss on the cheek caused so many emotions to storm within the duo.
"A-Ash.." May stuttered as she raised a hand to her cheek to feel where Ash had kissed.
Ash, now realizing what he had just done, felt his face heat up to unimaginable temperatures. Oh, Arceus! How come he had just done that!? Why was his psyche demanding that he do that? Why didn't he hesitate? All of the thoughts swirled around in Ash's head and he felt like he had so many things to say. However, only one thing subconsciously came out of his mouth.
"You've gotta go check in for your appeal, May. Don't be late because of me!" Ash replied with a smile.
May simply smiled back and said, "Thanks, Ash," before turning and heading through the doors beside the reception desk that led to the preparation room. Ash watched as the brunette left his vision, this time opting not to chase after her in another thought-crazed moment.
Reality came crashing down on Ash as he realized the full-extent of what he had just done. What on Earth did this mean? What was he going to say to May after her appeal? What was this feeling in his chest? None of it made sense. He turned down to look at his loyal starter Pokemon, only to see Pikachu rolling around on the floor laughing. Ash looked confused and asked, "What are you laughing about, Pikachu?"
Pikachu got back on his feet and pretended to act smitten with love, making kissy faces, and pointing at Ash.
"Oh, come on, Pikachu! You know it's not like that! Besides, don't think I haven't noticed the way you've been acting around Glaceon!" Ash exclaimed. That comment quickly shut Pikachu up and he quickly stopped mimicking Ash and simply stood in place and looked away.
"I'm messing with you, Pikachu. Let's go find a seat now, May's performance is gonna be soon!" Ash said to Pikachu who, after a moment, jumped up onto Ash's shoulder. With that, the duo headed up to find a seat in the stadium stands, one that would give them a great view of their friend's performance.
However, all through the search for a good viewing area, Ash still only had one thought on his mind.
What is happening to me?
Annnnnnnd...that's a wrap for this chapter!
Quite an ending, huh? Seems like Ash's body finally took control and did what we all knew he had to do. Does it make up for last night though? How's their dynamic gonna be after May's performance? Hopefully this doesn't distract May all too much during her appeal too.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with how this chapter came out. I think my writing was a little bit crude earlier on in the chapter, but I also think it got better as it progressed on. I hope all of you guys enjoyed this chapter, also my longest chapter to date. As always, please don't hesitate to leave some feedback or a review. If you wanna talk, shoot me a PM or join my discord.
Thanks for reading,
Peace out.