As Ash made his way through the forest, frustration and determination etched on his face, Pikachu trudged alongside him, ears drooping in sympathy. The encounter with May had left an indelible mark, one that Ash was eager to put behind him.
"Ash..." Pikachu spoke, a gentle tone in his voice.
"We'll never speak of this ever," Ash muttered under his breath, his focus set on the path ahead.
"Okay..." Pikachu responded, understanding the unspoken wish for silence. As they continued, Ash made his way past Pikachu, the journey to the castle marked by an uneasy silence. Pikachu followed faithfully, aware that his trainer needed some space. Ash's mind was a tempest of conflicting emotions, and Pikachu could sense the storm within him. They arrived at the castle, and without a word, Ash marched straight to Riley's barracks. Riley looked up from his duties as the door swung open.
"There you are." Ash remained silent, his gaze fixed on Riley. Riley, sensing the gravity of his expression, pressed further with caution. "What did you find?"
"I found her village," Ash responded, his voice steady but filled with an undercurrent of frustration.
"You found the entire Ninja Village?" Riley questioned, surprise evident in his tone.
"I don't know how many are there, but it's where she comes from," Ash explained.
"I'll inform the family at once." Riley nodded, wanting to waste no time. Ash simply nodded in agreement and left to return to his own room. Riley left the barracks and headed toward the throne room, where King Norman was in conversation with his son, Prince Max.
"Your Majesty?" Riley addressed Norman. Norman looked up, and Riley conveyed the news. "My student found their village... And she confirmed to him it's hers." Norman's expression shifted to one of concern.
"Max go find your mother…" he mumbled, quickly dismissing the young boy. Max wanted to hear what else Riley had to say, but he understood the magnitude of this discovery and respected his father's wishes. Once he was gone, Norman's gaze returned to Riley.
"So they've been using her as a tool for revenge..."
"What course of action should we take, Your Majesty?" Riley asked. "We can have the troops ready for a full-scale attack within the hour."
"No," Norman said quickly. "She still believes she's one of them…and attacking the only home she's ever known won't exactly endear her to learning the truth. Plus in such an attack she could be hurt."
"Of course Your Majesty." Riley nodded in understanding.
"We need another way to approach this…" Norman sighed, weighing the gravity of the situation. "We'll need time to think about this..."
"Understood." Riley nodded, accepting the decision.
"No matter what happens, I want my daughter back alive and unharmed," Norman emphasized, his worry for his missing daughter evident.
"Understood," Riley reiterated.
"I'll host a tactical meeting in a few hours," Norman added.
"Very well. I'll inform the guard to post surveillance on the village," Riley responded, making mental notes.
"Have your student attend as well." Norman continued, taking note of the well-known connection between the two that had formed over the years. "No matter what plan we come up with, I'm almost positive he'll need to be involved."
"Yes," Riley acknowledged. "Very well." And as Riley left the room, Norman's thoughts were consumed by the impending decisions and the safety of his daughter.
The quietude of Ash's barracks enveloped him like a cocoon, shielding him at least momentarily from the outside world. The day's events had left him physically and emotionally drained, and his weary body sought refuge on the familiar surface of his bed. The room's subdued lighting cast a somber atmosphere, mirroring the tumultuous thoughts swirling in his mind. A gentle knock interrupted the silence, and Riley entered the room. His eyes met Ash's, recognizing the fatigue etched on the young trainee's face.
"Riley," Ash acknowledged, his voice carrying the weight of exhaustion.
"The King is hosting a tactical meeting in a few hours. He wants you to attend," Riley informed him, his words loaded with a sense of urgency.
"Alright." Ash nodded wearily. Riley offered a silent nod of acknowledgment before retreating, leaving Ash to the solace of his thoughts. Pikachu, Ash's steadfast companion, observed the scene with a concern mirrored in his expressive eyes.
"Are you okay?" Pikachu's voice held a comforting tone as he nuzzled Ash's cheek.
"The okay-ist I've ever been, thanks for asking," Ash replied, a half-hearted smile playing on his lips. Pikachu's gaze lingered on Ash, his curiosity evident.
"You're sad..." Ash averted his eyes, the weight of his emotions evident in his sigh.
"I'm tired, Pikachu... really tired..."
"We have some time... you can take a nap," Pikachu suggested as a respite. Ash shook his head, dispelling the notion.
"Not that kind of tired..." Pikachu tilted his head inquisitively, silently urging Ash to share his burden. "I'm tired of May," Ash admitted, his confession hanging in the air.
"But... part of you still..." Pikachu began, understanding the complexity of Ash's emotions.
"Look. She's attractive. I give her that. I still wish I never met her," Ash confessed, his gaze distant. Pikachu's ears drooped in empathy. "I can't get her out of my head... but she drives me crazy..."
"What do you think they'll do to her when they storm the village...?" Concern etched Pikachu's features as he posed the poignant question.
"I don't know," Ash admitted, the uncertainty evident in his voice.
"Maybe a better question is... what do you hope they do?" the electric type revised the question. Ash pondered the question a moment longer before he responded.
"Whatever they do, I hope that they keep me from ever having to deal with her again..." The gravity of his words lingered in the room, and Pikachu, recognizing the depth of Ash's internal struggle, offered solace in a gentle embrace.
"Do you want her dead?" Pikachu inquired softly, knowing the answer but needing to hear it.
"Of course not..." Ash sighed, the weight of the conflicting emotions evident in his voice. "That wasn't what I meant I just…" he stopped and sighed. "It's just complicated…"
"I know..." Pikachu began, understanding the moral dilemma.
"You see my problem then." Ash continued with a resigned tone,
"Yeah… Pikachu nodded in acknowledgment. A silence settled between them, punctuated only by the soft coos of Pikachu, providing a comforting backdrop to Ash's inner turmoil.
"I just wish things were different..." Ash expressed, his voice carrying the weight of regret.
"How so?" Pikachu prompted, sensing Ash's need to articulate his unspoken desires.
"Like she saw the error of her ways...or was never a ninja at all." Ash mused, contemplating an alternate reality.
"Oh..." Pikachu responded, understanding the sentiment.
"Or something," Ash added, his words trailing off into the echoes of what-ifs.
"I see..." Pikachu murmured, his embrace offering a silent understanding. Ash sighed, the room enveloped in the heavy atmosphere of contemplation. Pikachu, ever the loyal friend, offered a simple yet profound gesture by hugging Ash, providing the comfort that words often failed to convey. The room remained quiet, shielding its occupants from the outside world as they navigated the complexities of emotions and the burden of uncertain destinies.
Later, Ash strolled into the meeting room, his every step echoing the gravity of the situation. King Norman, Gary, Riley, and several other high-ranking members of the royal guard were all present already, gathered around a table with a map of the area rolled out. A mark on the map's area that depicted the deep forest showed everyone where the village was situated. Riley acknowledged his student with a nod before turning to address the King.
"We're all here, Your Majesty."
"Greetings, everyone," Norman began, his voice carrying the weight of a long-kept secret. "I'm sure we all know why we're here. At least well enough." Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room. "As it is, some information is known only to Riley of the Aura Guardians, and it is about time for all to be revealed." Ash raised an eyebrow, sensing a revelation approaching. "The thief girl who has been sneaking into the kingdom to steal for six years is my daughter. The very same one who was kidnapped on the night of her birth by a Ninja. She is as much your Princess as Max is your Prince."
"What!?" Ash exclaimed, his disbelief echoing in the room. Gary's eyes widened in shock, and Riley maintained a stoic demeanor, knowing about this secret since the very first time May appeared at the castle.
"His Majesty enlisted my help early on to recognize her Aura and track her down," Riley explained. "It was sworn to secrecy to protect both her and the Kingdom from unnecessary panic and confusion."
"Mr. Ketchum tracked her down to her village, as you all know. I wish to end the threat of Ninjas once and for all to our kingdom, but I also want my daughter back." the King continued.
"My partner Lucario has made scans of the area covertly. From what we can tell, there are several hundred people in this settlement." Riley interjected. Ash fell into silence, processing the magnitude of the revelation.
"I of course trust you all. I know we could simply surround the camp and move in within the hour. However, it might be pragmatic to find a more tactical approach. May must not be harmed in any way." Norman explained to them all with a serious tone.
"Understood sir!" the guards around the room acknowledged in unison.
"That being said, what we need is a way to isolate her with minimal bloodshed and seize the rest of her village without putting her in any harm," Norman added. Ash started sweating bullets, sensing a task was about to fall on his shoulders. Gary and Riley both glanced at Ash, drawing the eyes of the rest of the room to him as well.
"D-don't look at me!" Ash stammered, his anxiety intensifying.
"Ashton." Riley fixed a stern gaze upon him.
"Just because May fancies me does NOT mean I ever want to so much as see her face again! I'm not doing it! No way! No how!"
"I cannot believe I'm doing this," he muttered to himself, the weight of the mission settling on his shoulders. Twelve hours had passed, and the new morning sun painted the forest in a soft glow. But it was all lost on the young Aura Guardian as he found himself reluctantly walking towards the ninja village. He had never been so swiftly volunteered in his life. Pikachu, perched on his head, couldn't help but comment.
"Did you honestly think they wouldn't take advantage of her fascination with you?"
"Sometimes I hate this job." Ash groaned.
"Then let's just get it over with," Pikachu suggested, his tiny voice filled with a mix of sympathy and determination. Ash nodded as they arrived at the very edge of the village. Taking a glance around, Ash for once hoped to see May. He knew he didn't have her dexterity so if he was forced to sneak in to find her, he'd almost surely be caught. So for once, he was hoping that she'd pop up randomly and save him the trouble.
"Why is May never around when I want her...?" Ash mused aloud with a sigh. Without warning, May hopped down from a tree behind him, catching Ash off guard as she planted a quick kiss on the back of his neck. Ash yelled in alarm, and May couldn't help but snicker and laugh at his reaction. "Wh-why are you like this...?" Ash stammered, his discomfort evident.
"Like what? Beautiful? Fun-loving? Skilled? Stop me when you hear one you like." May replied with a mischievous smile.
"Oh, man..." Ash muttered, gulping visibly. His nerves were on full display. May, smiling, approached him again.
"So what game do we want to play today?"
"N-no, I had something different in mind, actually..." Ash stumbled over his words. "I-I would... I-I would—I would like—would you... I mean... uh... I-I... would you like to..." His heartbeat rushed so fast that he looked like he might faint. May, intrigued, walked up to him until her face was only inches from his, making sure she was going to be able to hear him once he finally got it out. With her lips only inches from his, he, extremely quietly, managed to get the words out, "Do... something... with me... just... us..."
"Only if you kiss me first," May responded, not missing a beat. Trembling, Ash leaned in and kissed her. May kissed him back, and soon they were wrapped in each other's embrace, his genuine feelings starting to slip through the facade. Moans softly echoed through the quiet forest as their shared moment intensified. The world around them seemed to fade, leaving only the two of them entwined in each other's arms. As their lips parted for a brief moment to catch a breath, May looked at Ash with a satisfied smile, and he couldn't help but pant softly in response. The air crackled with a mixture of awkward tension and unspoken excitement as Ash hesitated before finally gathering the courage to speak.
"I, uh... I-I'd like to take you on that... date you keep offering," he stammered, his gaze fixed on the ground. May smiled with a hint of amusement in her eyes.
"I accept." she simply replied. Her acceptance and the fatigue from actually asking her seemed to hit Ash all at once, and he collapsed to the ground in a mix of exhaustion and relief.
"That... was the hardest thing... I've ever done... in my life..." May giggled cutely, the sound only making Ash's situation more comical. Groaning miserably, Ash pleaded, "Please don't get cuter..."
"If that's your goal, a date was definitely the wrong call." May smiled softly, unable to contain her amusement. She extended a hand to him, and he reluctantly took it, allowing her to pull him back onto his feet. He chuckled nervously, and May, still holding his hand, spoke with a mischievous glint in her eye, "I know this forest like the back of my hand. And there are some places I think you'll like."
"Yeah..?" Ash inquired, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"You bet." May nodded confidently.
"Okay," Ash agreed with a nod, mentally preparing himself for whatever adventure awaited.
"Just try and keep up," May teased, and without further ado, still holding his hand, she ran off, dragging him along with her.
"Whoa!"
To be Continued...