Chapter 5: Clothing and Companionship
May felt the sun beat down on her skin, filling her with energy in the warm water. She swam through the ocean, surrounded by all sorts of sea life. Water Pokemon floated all around her, a world of colorful life illuminated by rays of sun; transferring their way through the water.
Swimming by May, a small, blue, and overjoyed aquatic Pokemon smiled at her. It had stubby feet and long, rounded arms as well as two long blue antennae. A red gem was present on its chest, and two yellow dots lay above each of its eyes like eyelashes. May smiled at the creature, and it swam around her through the school of water Pokemon, happily laughing.
May looked to her left to see a toned, raven-haired boy swim up beside her.
Ash Ketchum.
He looked at her and gave a compassionate smile, one which she returned. His caring, chocolate-brown eyes comforted May, filling her heart with happiness and peace. She felt beautiflys in her stomach as her heartbeat quickened.
Suddenly, a school of luvdisc appeared and surrounded the trainers. She felt as if the ocean around her began to disappear, and it was just her and Ash, floating through a warm and endless nirvana; May smiled wide.
She felt the light-blue Pokemon begin to draw her up and towards the surface, and she followed happily.
She broke through the surface of the water, and took a deep breath of fresh, ocean air. The sun lay its hands on her skin softly, and the warmth filled her body from head to toe.
Soon after, the raven-haired boy broke the surface as well, and took a breath of fresh air like her. He looked towards her, and May's heart melted at the sight of his tender smile as her heart felt heavy. May felt drawn to him, like two opposite ends of a magnet. Both her and Ash swam towards each other, before finally joining in a warm embrace. The school of luvdisc swarmed in a circle around them.
Ash lifted May's chin, forcing her to look up to him. He smiled at her, causing her heart to throb. He closed his eyes and began to lean in towards her glossy lips. May closed her eyes and waited for the sensation she felt like she desired for so long.
But it never came.
Annoyed at the time it was taking, May opened her eyes to see what the hold up was. However, instead of being greeted by a raven-haired trainer surrounded by a school of luvdisc, in a sunny, colorful, and warm ocean, May was welcomed by the sight of her mother staring down at her.
The warm embrace of the ocean slipped away and the water evaporated from May's senses. The vibrant colors of a sea full of life dulled, and was replaced by the soft glow of May's room. The sounds of the excitement of water Pokemon faded and were replaced by the familiar sounds of an early morning.
May quickly realized the situation. She was laying in her bed, bunched up in the covers, cuddled up with her loyal ice-type. May's eyes quickly noted that the dim light was on and invading her retinas. She squinted her eyes, struggling to adjust to the light. May's mother, Caroline, came into focus after a minute.
May's heart, still echoing the joy from the dream, resisted the intrusion of reality. As her mother spoke, the images of the sunlit ocean and Ash's caring smile played in her mind like a cherished melody. The dream's warmth lingered, influencing the way May perceived the world around her.
Caroline moved her mouth to speak, "Come on May, it's time to get up," she patted May over her comforter, "I know you didn't get much sleep, but you don't wanna ruin your sleep schedule."
May let out a groan, annoyed at being awoken from her dream; it was just about to get good too. Glaceon, who was being pet by Caroline, jumped over to May.
"I know, Mom, but don't you think you could've given me five more minutes?" May asked as she sat up in bed and stretched her arms outward before petting her beloved ice-type Eeveelution.
"May, it's already almost eleven, you don't need to be sleeping any longer. Dad also told me about Ash." giggled Caroline, "I'm sure you must be happy that he's here."
May's eyes shot open. Eleven? She had to get ready soon if she wanted to go out with Ash before the mall got too busy. She also felt a blush come across her face at her mom's second statement.
May began to get out of her bed. "Come on, mom, please don't embarrass me. Thanks for waking me up though. I'll be down soon." she replied.
Caroline took a deep breath and stopped May from getting up. "May, we do need to have a talk about last night." Caroline declared.
May's expression faltered and she looked away, "Yeah, yeah. I know, I won't do it again." murmured May.
"I'm serious, honey. You can't just go running off like that. What if you got hurt or went missing?" her mom continued.
"I know, mom. Maybe if dad would let up on me being a gym leader. I'm a coordinator, not a battler." argued May, sitting up fully in bed now.
Caroline sighed, "I know, May, we just need to keep working it out. Dad isn't getting any younger, and someone will need to replace him eventually. He just wants to have that prepared."
"Why does it have to be me though? Why can't it be Max?" rebuked may.
Caroline was silent for a moment before replying, "May, you know that's not possible."
May put her hands down and glared at her mom, "You guys still won't tell me why he left. What did you say to him? It's not like him to just leave, especially without talking to me. Do you know how close we were? He won't even respond to my messages anymore."
"I'm sorry, May, it's just better that you don't know for now." Caroline spoke, staring in a different corner of the room.
"I don't wanna talk about this right now. Let me get ready, please." May finished.
Caroline sighed and stood up and walked over to the door. She stepped out into the hallway and began to close the door.
"I still love you, May." spoke Caroline.
"I love you too, mom." May responded, though still with resentment in her voice.
With that, Caroline closed the door, and May was once again to herself.
Now undisturbed, May half-debated going back to sleep due to her exhaustion, but quickly dismissed the idea. No way was she going to miss out on a chance to spend some time with Ash Ketchum.
May stood up from her bed and yawned. She wiped her eyes and fully adjusted to the light of the room. Glaceon stood up on her bed and watched her trainer.
May walked over to her closet and opened the sliding door, glancing at the outfits she had hanging. She sifted through a few different jackets and outfits from other regions, before one specifically caught her eye. Her eyes lit up, and she took the outfit off the hanger and looked in the mirror with it next to her.
"What do you think about this one, Glaceon? Do you think Ash will like it?" May asked her Pokemon as she twirled around in front of the mirror.
"Glaceon!" agreed the ice-type, jumping up and down on May's bed.
May stopped to ask herself why her first question was if Ash would like it, but quickly dismissed it, not wanting to think about it further.
May changed into the outfit, and grabbed a familiar bandanna that went with it, before brushing her teeth, doing her makeup, and everything else she needed to do to get ready.
After sometime and once completely ready, May took one final look in the mirror to admire her work, while there, she began to think about the situation. She still held resentment towards her father for their argument the previous day, and still didn't want to talk to either of her parents. On the other hand, her best friend was finally here after so long. May decided there and then that she wouldn't let her problems come between them, and she'd instead focus on having fun with Ash. She nodded to herself in the mirror, now with an understanding of her goals for the week.
May walked towards her door before leaving her room with Glaceon and heading into the hallway. She went over to Ash's door and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again, and after a few seconds, slowly pushed open the door.
The bed was made, and Ash's bag laid on the desk chair, his phone also sat charging on the desk. She could also see his clothes from yesterday laying on the bed, drying. Glaceon peeked through May's legs, seemingly looking for a certain Pokemon.
May, not knowing where Ash was, went downstairs and into the kitchen while Glaceon followed close behind. There she found her mother, cooking up a brunch.
"Hey, mom, do you know where Ash is?" inquired May.
Caroline glanced over her shoulder at May, "Why don't you check the backyard? I think he said he was going to do some morning exercise. Your father is also in his office if you wanna talk to him."
May stood there puzzled for a moment. Exercise? In the morning? That wasn't something Ash would do during their travels. Maybe he had started since then. She also shrugged off the suggestion of talking to her dad.
"I like the choice of style too." Caroline winked at her daughter's choice of clothes, to which May smiled at.
May walked over to the backdoor connected to the kitchen. She had a pretty sizable backyard. It was fenced in and a relatively large grass area with a few trees around as well as a small garden. May looked out the window and what she saw made her freeze.
Ash was in the backyard doing a combination of high-intensity exercises. May watched for a moment, and it looked like he was doing a circuit around the backyard, where each corner he would do a different exercise. Pikachu also ran along with him. In one corner, he was doing push-ups, then he'd jog to the next and do sit-ups, then the next he'd do pull-ups on a tree branch, and lastly jumping jacks.
It wasn't the exercises that made May freeze though, it was the person doing them. Ash was dressed only in a black pair of exercise shorts, and opted to go with no shirt, which showed off his respectable physique. May felt a blush form on her face, before she shook it off and opened the door outside.
She stood on a small patio at the back of the house, and called out to Ash. Both he and Pikachu paused their workout to look over to May. She waved to Ash and said hello, and he waved back. Ash then jogged up to the patio to talk to May, Pikachu ran beside him.
He reached the back of the house and took in a deep breath of air, catching his breath. "Hey, May. I was just finishing up." he huffed.
May took a moment to respond as she stared at Ash, who still didn't have a shirt on.
"Are you okay, May?" Ash asked.
She snapped back to reality and stammered, "Y-yeah, sorry, I was just coming out to check on you."
Ash raised an eyebrow, but shrugged it off. "Alright, May. I'll go get dressed in just a few minutes." Ash put his hands on his sides, "And I love the choice of clothes!" Ash exclaimed as he looked down from May's eyes and at her clothing.
May had dressed in her original Hoenn outfit from when she traveled with Ash, and it still fit like a glove, including the actual gloves. Ash recalled the look of the brunette in her outfit, and realized she'd only gotten more beautiful. He blushed, realizing what he just thought, before dismissing it so as not to embarrass himself further.
It might have just been the sunlight, but May could've sworn she saw a blush on Ash's face.
"Thanks, Ash! I saw it and just knew I had to wear it today." May gushed. Ash was about to reply, but a quick, light-blue blur on the ground distracted him and May.
"PIKAAA!" shouted Pikachu as he was tackled to the ground by a familiar Pokemon.
"Glaceon! Glace!" exclaimed Glaceon as she licked Pikachu's cheek.
Both Ash and May busted out laughing before May giggled, "I guess Glaceon found who she was looking for." They both continued laughing for a moment before Glaceon finally got off Pikachu and returned to her trainer's side.
Ash looked back up to May while Pikachu caught his breath on the ground and said, "Alright, May. I'm gonna go get dressed and I'll be down. Your mom said she was cooking something."
May nodded at him and both trainers and their Pokemon headed inside, Ash and Pikachu going upstairs to change in his room while May and Glaceon stopped to talk to her mother.
Ash entered the guest room and went back to the clothes on his bed. They had gone a good way drying, but were still damp from the rain. With no other choice, he shed the exercise shorts and put on the familiar, but still slightly wet, outfit.
Ash went to the bathroom to wash off his face, and finally put his hat on, before heading downstairs to the kitchen.
Inside, both May and Caroline were talking. Caroline had finished cooking brunch. She had made some biscuits and gravy, and Ash's mouth watered at the sight of it on the table.
Caroline turned to Ash, "Hi, Ash. I've just finished cooking, both you and May can eat here. I know May wants to get out soon."
"Thank you so much, Mrs. Maple, I'm starving." thanked Ash as he approached the plate of food.
Within a minute, both Ash and May were feasting at the counter, once again competing in who could finish faster. May was closing in on Ash after he started with the lead, but his speed was just far too great, and she finished almost fifteen seconds after Ash.
May sighed and rubbed her stomach, "I just don't know how you do it, Ash..."
"It's just the way I am, I guess." Ash chuckled and put his arms behind his head,
Afterwards, the duo went to their rooms to grab their bags and anything else they might need. They headed to the front door with Pikachu and Glaceon and prepared to exit.
Ash stopped for a moment, "Wait, there's something I have to do first."
May looked over to Ash, "What's that?" she asked.
"My phone is charged now, so I can finally tell my mom and Professor Oak where I've been. I promised I'd send her a message once I landed in Kanto, so she's probably worried sick." Ash responded.
May nodded in understanding as Ash pulled out his phone to video call his mother. Pikachu jumped up on his trainer's shoulder as the phone began to ring. After a few seconds, Ash's mom picked up the call.
"ASH KETCHUM! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" boomed Delia over the phone, anger clear on her face over the video. Ash winced at her reaction.
"Calm down, mom! Please let me explain!" replied Ash.
"You better have a good reason for this! You told me you'd contact me as soon as your plane landed!" Delia looked at Ash's surroundings, "And where are you!?" she asked.
"Okay, okay, just calm down." Ash reasoned, not wanting to face his mother's wraith.
Ash then explained how he'd gotten on the wrong plane and ended up in Hoenn instead, and how the airport was undergoing maintenance and wouldn't be operational for a whole week, and how all the hotels were at max capacity.
Delia's expression calmed down with understanding. "Well I can't believe you did that, Ash. Where are you staying now?"
With that, a familiar brunette walked into the frame of Ash's camera, and Delia's eyes widened.
Delia gasped, "May!?"
May smiled and waved her hand slightly, "Hi, Mrs. Ketchum!"
Delia was very surprised to see May, especially after all this time. May explained how Ash was staying at her house and Delia thanked May for taking care of her 'Ashy' until he can get back home, to which Ash sweatdropped at. Delia and May talked for a moment, before Ash said goodbye and they hung up. Afterwards, Ash called Professor Oak and had a similar conversation, and eventually they were ready to leave again.
May decided to let Glaceon stay out of her Pokeball, while Pikachu took his usual spot on Ash's shoulder. May led Ash down the walkway from her house and back to the streets, and after a little bit of walking, they were back into the urban part of Petalburg City.
Ash stopped to take in his surroundings. The city was so much different in the daylight and when not under a heavy rainstorm. The familiar buildings from last night now showed their true form. They were bright and modern, and technology was apparent on almost every surface. The city was busy now, with masses of people entering and leaving buildings and walking the streets. The sounds of the bustling city filled with thousands of conversations stayed perpetually moving. The aroma of nearby restaurants enlightened the mood as well.
"Come on, 'Ashy,' it's this way to the mall!" May teased Ash. He sweatdropped at the nickname again.
"Oh, Arceus, please don't call me that." Ash mumbled as he followed the brunette.
Pikachu laughed at his trainer before Glaceon came by and said something to him, which Pikachu then sweatdropped at. Ash grinned at his companion.
May continued to lead Ash through the streets, navigating past people and buildings.
"Wow, May, Petalburg is just amazing now. How come it has developed so much in the last few years?" Ash inquired as he looked up and around at the skyscrapers and urban central that was Petalburg.
"It's because they wanna start holding the Hoenn League Tournaments here eventually." May replied, looking back at Ash who was still engrossed in the city.
Ash nodded and continued following May through Petalburg's streets as they entered a large plaza. On the middle end of the plaza, there was a large building with a big, neon sign that read, 'Petalburg City Mall.' Around the rest of the plaza were other buildings, namely restaurants and places to eat, along with a few other recreational activities. The aroma of food almost picked up Ash and carried him away. In the center of the plaza was a small park with a big grass area, many trees, and a small pond. Ash could see many trainers playing with their Pokemon or just enjoying the atmosphere.
"Come on, Ash!" May shouted to the trainer as she ran towards the front doors of the mall. Ash rushed to catch up with her as she pushed through the doors of the mall. His eyes widened at what he saw inside.
The mall was likely the most futuristic shopping center he'd ever seen. Right as he walked in, he was faced with a large fountain of water surrounded by different greenery and trees. Directly behind that was a large staircase that raised to the top level of the mall, which was the sixth floor. On each side were walkways adjacent to many different stores, places to eat, hangouts, lounge areas, and other activities. The scent of warm-cooked food was apparent.
Past the staircase and in the middle of both walkways was a large, glassed-in area. Inside was a large grass area where many different grass and bug type Pokemon could be seen. Ash spotted a bulbasaur, chikorita, treecko, oddish, butterfree, surskit, and masquerain to name a few.
Past the exhibit, Ash could barely see to the other side of the mall. In the middle, it looked like the mall diverged to the left and right further. Along with everything was the masses of trainers and their Pokemon roaming through the mall and its contents. Music played through speakers, and filled the building with an upbeat vibe that paired with the noises from crowds of trainers and their Pokemon. The mall gave off a great, lively vibe.
"Wow, May, this place is unlike anything I've ever seen before! They've got a whole Pokemon exhibit right in the middle of the mall!" Ash gushed as he slowly walked around to look at the different Pokemon. Pikachu beside him also was at a loss for words, or squeaks, if you will. Ash had matured in the last few years, but the allure and interest of Pokemon had never once faded from his mind.
May laughed and said, "Yeah, Ash. It's pretty cool. In the middle of the mall, it also extends off to both sides, so from above it looks like a big plus sign. Each end of the mall has different types of pokemon in the middle exhibit, and in the very center is a stage where they do shows with the Pokemon every now and then. We might be able to catch one today if we're lucky!"
Ash and Pikachu were still in a trance at the marvels of what the building had to offer. May and Glaceon both noticed it and walked up to the trainer and his partner.
"Come on, Ash! Let's get to the clothing store, we've gotta get you a new outfit!" May exclaimed. Ash snapped out of his trance and turned to see May, her sapphire eyes sparkling in the bright lighting of the mall. Ash's heartbeat quickened and he found himself unable to move as he stared at the brunette. He didn't understand why, but his eyes would not let him look away. Ash felt his chest begin to feel heavy, and the same feeling from the night before in the hallway rushed through him. What was this feeling? Why does it only happen around May?
Ash was trapped in a limbo between questioning himself and staring at his companion, who was, now that Ash had gotten a good look...quitepretty.
May waited for Ash, but he still didn't move. She noticed him staring right at her, without moving, and a blush appeared on her face. She glanced away, and that's when Ash finally snapped back to reality, along with a little prodding from Pikachu.
May glanced back and noticed Ash had snapped out of it, and motioned for him to follow her as she quickly ran to the staircase in the middle of the mall.
"I know the perfect store, come on! It's on the third floor." May exclaimed as she began to walk up the stairs.
Ash followed the coordinator up to the third floor. Truth be told, Ash was never much of a fashion person, as he had his mom always choose his outfit for a new region. After some thought, Ash reckoned he should probably learn how to dress himself, considering he was a lot older now.
May and Ash had reached the third floor and were now walking alongside the different stores on the level. Ash still struggled to pry his eyes away from the Pokemon exhibit below as he peered over the barrier. After a few minutes, the duo and their Pokemon had reached the store May was looking for. May stopped and Ash almost kept walking, not paying attention until she grabbed his arm and yanked him back next to her.
"This is the place, Ash! Come on!" May said to the raven-haired trainer.
In front of Ash was a medium sized store with front windows that displayed different types of clothing, for both trainers and their Pokemon. It showed off accessories, jackets, and pretty much any type of common clothing you could think of. Ash looked up to read the sign, and in big, bold, red letters it said, 'Poke-Style Emporium.'
May grabbed Ash's hand and dragged him into the store while Pikachu and Glaceon followed close by. Directly in front of the doors was a desk area to check out anything you bought with one cashier. She had long, blonde hair and wore black pants and a red shirt that had the store's name written on it. Around the rest of the store were just different sections of clothes and accessories. Ash could see clothing racks and shelves all over the store, filled with many different types of attire. In the very back was a changing room. The store gave off a fresh smell, like opening a brand new book.
Once they entered through the doors, the cashier noticed them, waved her hand and said, "Hi, May! How's it going?"
"Hey, Emma! It's going great, how are you?" May replied, waving her hand to the cashier.
"I'm doing good as well, who's this with you?" Emma inquired.
"This is one of my best friends, Ash. He's here in Petalburg for the week so I'm taking him clothes shopping." May responded, grabbing Ash and bringing him over to the counter.
Ash reached out his hand for a handshake with a smile and said, "Hi, the name's Ash Ketchum, I'm from Pallet Town."
"Good to meet you, Ash. I'm Emma, I work here if you couldn't tell already. How do you know May?" Emma said, shaking Ash's hand for a second.
"Me and May traveled through Hoenn together as well as part of Kanto a few years ago. I'm kind of stuck in Petalburg for the week with the airport being out of commission, and May offered to let me stay with her." Ash explained before adding, "How do you know May?"
May butted in and said, "Well, let's just say I'm kind of a shopaholic, and I've gotten to know a lot of employees at my favorite stores." May said with a little bit of shame as she laughed it off.
Ash and Emma both laughed while May sweatdropped. Afterwards, Ash and May both explained how he'd gotten on the wrong plane, got stuck in the rain for a while, and desperately needed new clothes while Emma listened in understanding.
"Ahhh, I understand. That's an unfortunate situation, I'm glad May was able to help you though." Emma responded.
"Yep." Ash said, rubbing the back of his head, "I'm gonna go start looking for clothes now while you guys talk."
Ash walked off with Pikachu and headed to the men's section of the store in the back right while May and Glaceon continued to talk to Emma. As soon as Ash left, a devious smile appeared on Emma's face as she looked at May.
"So, you like him, don't you." Emma teased, leaning against the counter.
May's eyes widened and a blush immediately crept over her face, "What!? No! What makes you say that?" echoed May.
Emma laughed and replied, "Well it's pretty obvious just by the way you're acting around him. I can read people pretty well."
May stayed silent for a moment, blush still apparent on her face, to think of her response before saying, "Okay...well I used to kind of like him a long time ago when we traveled together, but that was years ago! We've barely talked since then. We're just friends!"
Emma chuckled again and said, "Whatever you say, May. You should probably go help your 'friend,' it looks like he's having some trouble."
May looked over to Ash at the other end of the store to see a look of bewilderment and confusion on his face as he sifted through different clothes, not knowing what would match or even how to pair different pieces of clothing. May sighed and shook the blush off of her face before walking over to Ash.
May came up beside him and looked at what he was holding. He had a brown pair of pants in his left hand and an orange jacket in the other. May facepalmed at the color pairing.
"Having some trouble, Ash?" May teased as she put the two pieces of clothing back where Ash got them.
Ash sighed before replying, "Yeah...let's just say I was never the one picking my outfits."
May giggled before taking a deep breath as she thought of what to do for her friend. After a moment, an idea made its way into her mind. Pikachu and Glaceon hopped onto a nearby shelf to watch their trainers.
"Okay, first, let's figure out what kind of stuff you wanna go for." May said.
"Well I wanna get a nice jacket and some pants that match, like pretty much what I always wear, just something new." Ash replied as he glanced around the store.
"Alright, what kind of colors do you wanna go for?" May continued.
Ash thought for a moment about what he wanted. Eventually he decided and replied, "I think I wanna go for something that's a combination of black, white, and some form of blue. I always liked that look."
"Alright, now that we know what we're looking for, let's start with the jacket, come on." May replied and grabbed Ash's hand to bring him over to the jacket section.
May went to the rack and sifted through all of them, before she grabbed two different jackets and held them up for Ash to see. Ash's eyes lit up at both of them.
"Okay, these are the two I found, which one do you like more?" May asked, holding them both up next to each other.
The jacket in May's left hand was similar to what he wore in Kalos. It was a navy-blue jacket with white highlights on the sleeves and sides. There was also a stripe of black on the very bottom. It was a zip-up jacket and it also had a black symbol that looked something like an X on the right chest pocket.
In May's right hand was a similar but also different jacket. This jacket was a darker shade of blue, and it had some black and white undertones on the sides and sleeves. The shoulders had a slightly different shade of blue on them. This jacket was also zip-up, and there was a white and black symbol on the left chest pocket that looked like a Pokeball.
Ash thought for a moment, but honestly couldn't decide between both of them. His eyebrows furrowed before he came up with an idea. Ash wasn't much of a fashionista, but May was, and she'd clearly have a better opinion on what looked good.
"I really like both of them, May." Ash said with a pause before asking, "Which one do you like better?"
May was surprised a little bit at Ash asking her that, thinking he'd rather pick it himself, but she snapped out of it and held both jackets in front of Ash to see how they'd look on him. Eventually, May made up her mind on which would look better on him.
"I think this one would look a lot better on you, Ash." May said, holding up the jacket in her right hand with the pokeball symbol on it.
Ash smiled, "You're the professional, May. If that's what you think looks best, that's what's best." he said.
May felt her cheeks begin to warm-up at Ash's faith in her, before she shook it off, smiled, and replied, "Thanks, Ash."
Ash nodded and took the jacket from her hand while May put the other one back.
"Okay, now we've gotta find you some pants. That should be pretty easy, as most stuff would go with that jacket." May said.
They both walked over to the pants section, and May quickled pulled out a pair of dark gray pants that would match the outfit perfectly. She handed them to Ash to make sure the sizing was correct, and he nodded.
"Thanks so much for the help, May. I don't think I could've done this without you. I just need to find a hat and some gloves now." Ash said as he glanced at the accessories section of the store.
"Of course, Ash! I'm always happy to help. I'm gonna go look for some clothes for me while you do that." May replied.
They parted ways as Ash went to the hats and accessories section of the store while May went to the women's clothing section. Both their respective Pokemon followed them.
May began to look through some different clothes, as she looked through different jackets, she found a green one with a Roselia on the back, and it made her visibly recoil as she was reminded of a certain person she didn't like very much.
As Ash started to look through the different hats, he began to think about May. She was so good at this stuff; he didn't know how she did it. He was thankful that she was able to help him, as he truly had no idea how to find the right kind of clothing. He could buy a new hat, but that was about as far as his abilities could take him. Ash silently appreciated May's help and her expertise in the situation.
After looking through some different hats, and with a little help from Pikachu, Ash chose a red hat that had a black section in the middle with a dark blue pokeball symbol. It was kind of similar to his Sinnoh hat, but with a few color and design differences. Along with the hat, he grabbed a pair of black gloves with a section of blue on the wrist.
Lastly, Ash grabbed a pair of tennis shoes that look comfortable. They were black with some blue sections on the design. They looked like they could go with pretty much everything, so he took them. Afterwards, Ash headed to find May, who was standing by the changing rooms.
Ash reached where May was as she was sitting down and looking at an outfit she had put together. Once Ash came up to her, she stuffed the clothing behind her back, not wanting Ash to see.
"Hey, May, I've got everything I need. I think I'm ready to go. Are you?" said Ash.
"Ash, you haven't even tried it on, how do you know if it's gonna fit or look good on you?" May giggled at her friend's lack of knowledge when it comes to clothes shopping.
"Oh, I guess you're right." Ash replied looking down at the clothes, realizing his stupidity.
"You can go in first and I'll tell you how it looks on you, then you've gotta give me your opinion on what I have." May said, motioning for Ash to go into the changing room to try on his new clothes.
"Sounds good." Ash replied with a smile.
Ash went into the changing room and began to change into the new clothes. He noted that they did feel nice and comfortable on him as he zipped up the jacket, put on the gloves and shoes, and finally fit the hat on his head. He looked in the mirror, and Pikachu gave him a squeak of approval. Ash stared in the mirror and honestly liked the look of it on him. He made a few different poses, and thought it looked good. Then he began to think of the brunette outside, who's opinion mattered more to him than his own.
Ash stepped out of the changing room, and May put a hand over her mouth to hide her reaction. Ash looked great in these new clothes. It kept with his old and usual style but put a new spin on it with the more creative designs. May was proud of Ash for choosing a hat that paired well with the rest of his clothes too.
"You look great, Ash!" May exclaimed as she checked out how the clothes looked on him. Glaceon also gave her approval.
Ash looked over to May and replied, "You really think so? I mean it feels great; it's nice and comfortable."
"Yeah, Ash! I think we made the perfect choices." May responded, standing up and walking around to look at Ash's new outfit. A blush appeared on her face as she looked closer at her companion, though she quickly shook it off. Ash really did look great in this attire. May could see them traveling through a region together while he wore this outfit.
After May was done looking at his outfit and had snapped out of her thoughts, Ash went back in and changed back so he could buy the new clothes. Once Ash came out, he sat down with Pikachu while May went in to change into what she had got. May quickly changed into the clothes and only took a brief look at them in the mirror, as she was more focused on what a certain boy would think of it.
May stepped out of the changing room and walked in front of Ash, who was looking at the ground. Noticing May, Ash looked up and his jaw just about dropped. May was wearing an outfit similar to what she wore while she was in Sinnoh, except it was dark blue instead of orange. This change reflected through the outfit. Wrapped around her hair was a cherry-red bandanna. There was nothing particularly revealing about the outfit, but for some reason, Ash felt his face begin to warm up as he stared at the brunette. He noticed how well the outfit paired with her sapphire eyes.
May waited a moment, but Ash didn't say anything, and she spoke, "Well how do I look, Ash?"
Ash still didn't respond for a moment, and May was beginning to think that it didn't look good at all, and her heart began to sink as she regretted her choice of clothes.
Pikachu gave Ash a slight shock, knocking him out of his stupor, and he immediately stammered, "Oh! S-sorry! You look a-absolutely amazing, May!"
May immediately looked up, a very noticeable blush on her face. She wasn't expecting that reaction from Ash.
"I-I mean, it looks good on you, May." Ash stuttered. She really did look amazing to him. The colors complimented her features perfectly.
May was silent for a moment, and she swore she could see a blush across Ash's face as he looked up at her, though it may have just been the lighting. Ash felt a familiar feeling rush through his body like one of Pikachu's shocks.
She smiled wide and replied, "Thank you, Ash." Ash felt his heart almost melt at the reply. Why was his heartbeat going so fast? What is going on with him? He's never felt this way until he came to Petalburg this week, what is happening to him?
Afterwards, May changed back into her original clothes, and they both went up to pay for their new attire.
Emma flashed a smile at them as they both scanned their clothes. After everything was scanned, she said, "That'll be 80 dollars; 40 for Ash's stuff and 40 for May's."
As May reached into her bag to get some money, Ash handed over the full eighty dollars. May looked up to see Ash grabbing the bags.
"Wait, Ash! Why did you pay for my stuff? I can pay for it." May exclaimed.
"I've got it covered, May; you deserve it after everything you've done for me just today and last night." Ash replied with a heartfelt smile. May felt yet another blush cause her cheeks to warm up and she went up to Ash and wrapped her arms around him, catching him by surprise.
"Thank you, Ash." She said into his chest as she hugged him. Ash happily returned the embrace, thanking her as well for everything she'd done to help him.
Once the hug broke, Ash handed May her clothes, and she opted to bring them home instead of putting them on now. Ash went back to the changing room with his new clothes, so that he could finally get into some fully dry attire, even though his old clothes had pretty much dried out at this point, he still wanted to wear the new stuff.
While Ash was in the changing room, Emma winked at May and mouthed the word, 'friend,' while she made air quotation marks with her fingers. May just covered her face as her blush began to grow. Ash was so kind and compassionate. Arceus, was she lucky for being such close friends with him.
Eventually Ash came out with his new attire on, and May said goodbye to Emma, before they walked out of the store with Pikachu and Glaceon. They got out and leaned against the walkway guardrails as they decided what to do next. After some thinking, May asked someone walking by if they knew when the next show would be on at the center stage of the mall, and they said there was one planned in just about an hour, which gave May a good idea on what they could do until then.
May suggested that they go get something to eat while they wait for the next show to start and Ash happily agreed, never being one to turn down the offering of something to eat. They walked around the mall for a little bit and Ash continued to take in its size and magnitude while they both looked for a place that caught their eye.
Eventually they stumbled across a small cafe a little ways down from the clothing store with a lot of different types of food, so they settled on that. They pushed through the doors and it was a nice, little place. At the end of the room was a counter where you could order food and pick it up once it was made. They had a few tables around the rest of the room where you could sit down and eat, though most people were taking their food to go. The cafe was styled off of an old diner, and looked futuristic in that retro old kind of way. There was an amazing aroma of fresh grilled food, which is what led them there in the first place. Ash and May could hear the sizzling of a grill in the back.
They both walked up to the counter and ordered some food. Ash ordered a simple burger and fries while May asked for a small salad, citing that she was still kind of full from breakfast this morning. Ash also asked for a bottle of ketchup, but they explained they weren't allowed to give them away. Pikachu's expression was nothing short of furious. Afterwards, and despite May's protest, Ash paid for both of their meals.
After paying, they took a seat across from each other by the window at a table with two chairs while they waited for their food to be made; May sat facing the door while Ash sat facing the wall. Ash glanced out the window to again marvel at the modernistic building while May got some kibble for Glaceon and Pikachu out of her bag and poured them both bowls before placing them on the ground. Pikachu still looked unhappy he wasn't able to get any ketchup.
Ash thought about the events of the last day and realized he never properly thanked May. He turned to her and said, "I just wanna thank you, May. I don't know where I'd be right now if I hadn't bumped into you last night." It was true; Ash might still be sitting in the streets right now, wet from the previous night, if May hadn't come to his rescue.
May was a little surprised at the sudden change of tone from Ash, which wasn't something he would usually do. She could tell it had been on his mind as she looked into his chocolate-brown eyes. "Of course, Ash! You're one of my best friends. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't help you." replied May with a caring smile.
"Thanks, May. I'm lucky to know you." Ash said, causing a blush to appear on May's face. '"I also owe you a favor for helping me with the clothes, I don't think I'd be out of there right now without your help." Ash and May both chuckled.
Unbeknownst to the duo talking, Pikachu was currently staging a heist to get a bottle of ketchup from the counter. When the person running the register walked to the back, Pikachu leapt over the counter, quickly grabbed a bottle, and headed back over to where Ash and May were sitting down, all without anyone realizing, except Glaceon, who laughed at what the yellow mouse had done. Pikachu decided to share the earnings of his thievery with Glaceon, and they both sat happy beside the table.
"Well, I'm always happy to share my expertise with you when you need it, Ash. You don't owe me anything though, you already paid for all the clothes I got." May said, chuckling a little bit.
Despite May's protest, Ash insisted he still owed her a favor, citing that he was paying for the clothes for giving him a place to stay the previous night. Eventually May gave up and agreed with him.
They both looked down at the commotion under the table, and Ash realized that Pikachu had obtained a bottle of ketchup. Ash asked him how he got it, and Pikachu just responded with an innocent shrug. What really surprised Ash was that he was sharing his ketchup with Glaceon, something he would NEVER do for anyone, even Ash. Ash smirked at his loyal Pokemon who clearly had an affection for someone else. Both Ash and May laughed at their Pokemon's antics.
"So Ash, I'm curious how much stronger you've gotten since we last saw each other." May spoke, resting her chin on her hands.
"Well, I'd love to show you if we get a chance sometime. I've started using a lot of different training methods and have gotten better battle strategies as I've continued exploring regions." replied Ash, looking down at the Pokeballs on his hip.
"Maybe sometime later today or tomorrow we could show each other our Pokemon and what they can do." May suggested.
"Of course, May. I'd be happy too, I'm also curious as to how your contest abilities have gotten better." Ash responded.
Ash and May continued to talk about battling, contests, training and pretty much anything that had to do with Pokemon. Ash explained more in depth about his adventures in Alola, and May explained how her adventures in Unova had gone, and what eventually led to her winning the Unova Grand Festival.
Eventually, the food was ready, and Ash went up to grab both of their plates. He set them down, and they both began to dig in. Ash was at his usual pace, while May slowed down a little bit. Ash did try to be a little more careful and mindful while he ate though.
At that moment, May realized just how happy and content she was sitting across from Ash. She had been in a relatively bad mood for a while now, with everything going on with her parents, and she realized she'd barely gotten a break from it all. Here she was, spending time with Ash, without another care in the world, and she was genuinely having a good time. She smiled wide.
Similarly for Ash, he was genuinely happy spending time with May. He realized just how focused he'd been on battling and how he'd given himself almost no chances to take a second to breathe and relax.
This change of pace was amazing, and he realized there was nobody he'd rather be spending it with thanMay.
Ash stopped himself. Wow, that was a bold statement. He noted to himself that he really should call someone to talk about what he's been feeling sometime. A few different names floated through Ash's head, namely Brock, Gary, and Professor Oak.
May eventually thought of something to say to Ash, and looked up to him, "Ash, can I tell you something?"
Ash paused eating and put down his food to look at May and replied, "Absolutely, May, you can tell me anything."
May opened her mouth to begin speaking, but was stopped. Her eyes widened and her jaw almost dropped to the floor. She looked behind Ash as someone had just entered the cafe; someone she recognized immediately.
Ash asked May if she was alright, but she was so surprised that she didn't respond. Once Ash realized she was looking behind him, he turned around, and his eyes widened in surprise too. Pikachu and Glaceon also looked up in surprise, while Glaceon frowned.
Eventually the familiar face noticed them, and walked up to their table slowly.
"Greetings, May." They said with a smile, extending out their hand.