May reached a hill overlooking a small town and stopped abruptly.
"Bingo," she whispered. Ash arrived next to her, panting slightly. "Looks like we have a starting point."
"Slow down…" he urged, still catching his breath.
"We haven't a moment to lose," May insisted.
"We don't know anything about them." Ash looked concerned.
"And we're here to find out exactly that," May replied, her determination unwavering.
"Just be careful," Ash said, his voice softening as he took her hand.
"I am," May assured him, squeezing his hand gently.
"So should we find the village leader or something?" Dawn asked as she, Janine and Gary caught up.
"Not right away," May said. "If you want the inside scoop, often the best place to go is where the common folk gather to dish out their woes."
"Good call." Janine nodded approvingly. May turned to Ash.
"Ash and I will find a bar. You three check around the village square and well."
"You got it." Gary gave a mock salute.
"I guess that's a royal order." Ash chuckled. May smiled, squeezing his hand again.
"We'll meet back up in half an hour. And keep a low profile."
"We will." Dawn nodded seriously. "Please be careful."
"I'll make sure she does," Ash promised. Gary gave him a nod of approval.
"That I don't doubt," he said, heading off with Dawn.
"Later, sis," Janine said with a wave.
"See you soon," May replied. Ash looked at May, his resolve strengthening.
"Alright. Let's do it." May smiled, her eyes filled with confidence.
"Let's," she agreed, leading the way down into the village. Ash walked beside her, their hands still intertwined, ready to face whatever lay ahead together.
May rested her head on Ash's shoulder as they walked through the village, her closeness making his heart race and cheeks flush. She smiled at his reaction, enjoying the rare opportunity to be openly affectionate.
"I like being able to be out in public like this...even if we are in a potentially dangerous situation," May murmured.
"I can tell..." Ash, still blushing, nodded.
"Don't you?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Of course I do," Ash replied earnestly. May leaned in to peck his lips, her voice soft.
"I love you."
"I love you too," Ash said, his smile mirroring hers. They walked hand-in-hand into a small bar, its atmosphere tired and wary. A man greeted them from behind the counter.
"Welcome. Please have a seat anywhere you like," he said.
"Thank you." Ash nodded. May spotted an open table near the center of the room and led Ash to it. They sat down together, still holding hands. Another man approached their table, his demeanor friendly.
"Can I get you two something to drink?" he asked. Ash glanced at May, then back at the waiter.
"Well, uh... What do you recommend to tourists?"
"We make the best of Unova's specialty liquor. It's called Scolipede's Mix." The waiter smiled. May's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"I'll give it a whirl."
"A fair warning, it is quite strong." The waiter raised an eyebrow.
"Not a problem," May said confidently.
"I'll have water for now." Ash sweatdropped.
"As you wish," the waiter said, heading off to prepare their drinks. Ash took a deep breath.
"You okay, honey?" May piped up.
"Yeah... But I'd encourage you to take it slow. No idea how strong 'strong' is, and it's against my Aura Code to get drunk in the first place. Aura Boy's gotta stay sober." he reminded her.
"I can take it. Ninja versions of liquor are pretty strong already." May chuckled.
"I don't doubt it..." Ash said, squeezing her hand.
"And I know I have a responsible young man watching over me," May teased.
"Maaay..." Ash groaned, though he was smiling.
"Trust your wife, my love."
"I do."
"Good," May said, smiling warmly. The waiter returned with their drinks.
"Here you are," he said, placing the glasses on the table.
"Thank you," Ash and May said in unison. May took a small first sip of her drink, savoring the taste.
"Mm. Not bad."
"Enjoying yourself?" Ash watched her closely. May smacked her lips, contemplating the flavor.
"Not the best I've ever had but not the worst. Remind me to make you a real recipe someday." She took a bigger sip, drawing the attention of some of the other patrons, who were impressed by her boldness. Ash leaned in, his voice a quiet reminder.
"Remember about drawing attention..."
"Sometimes you gotta just draw the right attention to get people to talk." May winked at him. Ash blushed, admiring her confidence and strategy. She always knew how to handle situations with a blend of charm and cunning. May threw her head back and downed the last of her drink, feeling the burn of the liquor as it slid down her throat. A group of gruff-looking men approached her, their leader smirking.
"Not many girls can handle a drink like that, little lady. Color me impressed," he said. May met his gaze with an expertly crafted one of her own. The men couldn't tell, but Ash could tell she wasn't intoxicated at all. And she played the roll of the innocent drunken girl quite well.
"I'm not like most girls," she replied.
"What else does that entail?" The man's friend grinned. May shrugged nonchalantly.
"Hm. Game of darts perhaps?" she offered. The leader's smirk widened.
"Now there's an idea." Ash sweatdropped, watching the exchange with growing concern.
"Here we go..." May stood up from the table, her movements fluid and confident. She joined the men at the dartboard, a challenge in her eyes.
"Loser buys the next round."
"You're on, girlie," the leader said, taking up a dart. May tossed her first dart, intentionally hitting one of the lower point rings. The man chuckled, thinking he had the upper hand. "Not a very good shot, are ya?" he teased, tossing his dart and hitting a higher-point ring. "Better get your purse out, little lady." May played with another dart in her hand, her expression unreadable.
"Too bad I'm not a very good shot then. It seems like you paying for the next round wouldn't put you out too much like it would for me." The man scoffed as he removed the darts from the board.
"I wish. Thanks to that tyrant of a Queen, coming here is a luxury these days."
"Tyrant Queen?" Ash's interest piqued.
"Is that right?" May asked, her tone casual but eyes sharp.
"You're really not from around here, are you?" the man said, his skepticism evident.
"Guess not," May replied with a shrug. The man continued, his voice low and bitter.
"Consider yourself lucky. Queen Iris is literally bleeding the entire country dry. All for some myth about dragons." May raised an eyebrow.
"Shut your trap, man. You know what'll happen if the spies catch you bad-mouthing her." The leader looked around nervously but continued.
"Of course I do. But they never come here."
"Not a fan of free speech, I take it?" May threw another dart, again intentionally scoring low.
"Not a fan of dissent of any kind," he replied. Ash listened intently, sensing the tension in the air.
"Why would it be a myth to look into dragons? I've been to a lot of places and seen some pretty crazy things. Dragons don't seem like too much of a stretch," May suggested, her curiosity genuine. The man threw his dart into a decent score, shaking his head.
"It's a myth because no dragon creatures exist here at all. Our ancient lore talks about how this place was once filled with dragons, but today there's not a single one."
"Interesting..." May mused.
"Not one?" Ash asked, incredulous.
"Queen Iris is obsessed with the ancient lore and legend, and spends all of our tax money on funding her research into them. We barely have enough to get by day to day." The man nodded grimly.
"Why not just leave?" May asked, probing deeper.
"Bad-mouthing her isn't the only thing she doesn't tolerate, girlie," the man said, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Like asking too many questions." A cold voice interrupted them. May turned around in surprise to see a stern-looking woman with piercing eyes long light blue hard enter the bar with an authoritative presence. "Party's over, cheapskates. Unless you intend to voice your complaints to the Queen herself." The man's face paled at the sight of the newcomer.
"S-Sorry, Captain," he stammered before running off, his friend quickly following suit. May raised an eyebrow at the woman's commanding presence. The woman leaned against the counter, her eyes landed on the couple, who had suddenly become the only other people left in the room.
"Too many questions will get you killed," Clair warned, her voice low and laced with caution. "I'd exercise caution if I were you."
"Just curious about our vacation spot," May shrugged nonchalantly., her tone light and carefree.
"Heck of a choice." the woman smirked. May, undeterred, casually perched herself on her husband's lap.
"I'm an adventurous person," she said, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I thought it might be interesting." Ash blushed, shifting slightly under her weight. May's presence was both comforting and electrifying, a combination that never failed to leave him flustered. May turned her attention back to the blue-haired woman, her curiosity unabated. "May I know the name of the woman who can empty an entire bar in 30 seconds flat?"
"Not from around here, are you?" the woman's eyes narrowed.
"Nope. Honeymooners," May replied with a playful grin, planting a quick kiss on Ash's lips. Ash moaned in surprise, his cheeks reddening even further. May's smile was one of pure delight.
"You have no shame," Ash said, giving a nervous laugh.
"Nope," May repeated, her smile widening. The woman chuckled softly, her interest piqued by the boldness of the young woman.
"Interesting choice of destination."
"I'm an adventurous person," May reiterated. "And there's a lot of rumors about this place."
"Don't go chasing them. It could get a girl like you killed." the Captain's expression turned serious.
"So that's a no on getting an introduction?" May asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice. The woman's lips curled into a small smirk.
"You'll see soon enough." May shrugged, seemingly unfazed.
"Oh well," she said, turning to Ash with a teasing look. "Wanna find a hotel and start the real honeymoon fun?"
"Oh my gosh, I can't with you…" Ash muttered, shaking his head in exasperation. "Have you heard of privacy?"
"Yup. That's why I said hotel," May replied, her smile never faltering.
"The problem is saying anything…" Ash mumbled, a drop of sweat forming on his brow.
"Don't be shy, my love." May giggled, leaning in closer.
"Uh huh…" Ash sighed, resigning himself to May's playful nature. May stood up, pulling Ash along with her.
"Well, nice meeting you, miss. Wish us luck. Personally, I'm hoping to be carrying a baby soon," she said with a giggle, dragging a stunned Ash out of the bar. Ash choked in shock, his eyes wide.
"MAY…!"
"Yes?" May responded innocently as they reached the edge of town.
"Way to toss me an Explosion!" Ash exclaimed, blushing hard. May blinked, her expression sincere.
"Ash, I was just playing a role so we could get out of there. Calm down."
"You can't just drop something like that on me…" Ash protested, taking a deep breath to steady himself. May's eyes softened.
"I'm not literally expecting you to get me pregnant when we go on our real honeymoon. Don't have a heart attack."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it…" Ash exhaled slowly, nodding. May smiled and gave him a quick kiss.
"Someday, I hope that is something you want to do with me, yes. But I was just playing the curious honeymooner so we could get out. Okay?"
"Okay…" Ash sighed, his tension melting away. May pecked his lips again.
"We've just gotta wait a few minutes. Everyone should be meeting up with us soon."
"Uh huh…" May took his hand, intertwining their fingers.
"I love you."
"I love you too." Ash squeezed her hand gently. They walked to a nearby tree and sat in its shade, the leaves rustling softly above them. May snuggled into Ash's side, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. As the minutes passed and they waited for the rest of their group to return, May dozed lightly, listening to the steady rhythm of Ash's breathing. He kissed her forehead gently, and she smiled in her sleep.
"I missed the quiet," Ash whispered, his voice barely audible.
"I'll never disagree with that…" May murmured, half-awake.
"Even though you're typically part of the reason it leaves?" Ash teased, smiling down at her. May smiled back, her eyes still closed.
"I like the excitement too."
"Clearly."
"And you still married me in spite of it," May said, a hint of pride in her voice.
"I did."
"My Aura Boy…" May squeezed his hand lightly.
"My Ninja Girl…" Ash chuckled. They sat in comfortable silence, the world around them fading into the background. For a moment, it was just the two of them, wrapped in their own little bubble of love and tranquility.
"If only we had a basket of strawberries…" May mused, her eyes opening slightly. "I could stay here forever…"
"Heh." Ash laughed softly. May lifted her head and gave him a small peck on the lips, which he returned. She kissed him again, each one a bit longer and more intense than the last. "All right, all right," Ash said, blushing as he pulled back slightly. May smiled and laughed, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"I love you," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder once more.
"I love you too," Ash replied, his voice full of warmth. As they waited for their friends to arrive, the couple enjoyed the rare moment of peace, knowing that whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.
To be Continued...