Chapter 36 - chapter 41

After his journey through Sinnoh was complete, Ash and Brock said their goodbyes to Dawn and got on the next ship out of the region.

" I always hate having to say goodbye to a friend," said Ash.

" Yeah, especially a girl like Dawn, I always thought she was cute with her shining blue eyes and hair as blue as the waters of Cerulean City," said Brock.

" Uh, that's a little disturbing Brock," said Ash.

" I'm sorry, are we heading back to Kanto?" asked Brock.

" Nope, we're going to the region where the most beautiful girl lives," said Ash as he began to blush.

" Uh Ash, Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy are in every region, who else is there? " said Brock unknowingly.

" I'll give you a hint, she has eyes as blue as the ocean, beautiful brown hair, the personality and body of a goddess, and she has an annoying, nerdy little brother," said Ash.

" No way, I never knew that you had romantic feelings for May! High five! Get it in!" shouted Brock at the top of his lungs.

" Shut the hell up Brock, you're scaring everyone on this ship including me!" yelled Ash.

" Pika Pika!" yelled the yellow electric mouse from Ash's arms.

On the horizon, Ash and Brock saw the waterfalls of Ever Grande City and the shipyards of Slateport City. The heroic duo was back in Hoenn, the land of the world's most beautiful Pokémon Coordinator. Ash's heart started to beat very fast. The last time he was with May, he didn't have the guts to ask her to be his girlfriend and he considered that to be the worst mistake he made in his life. He couldn't wait to see May again and this time he was going to make a move on her.

Brock, Ash, and Pikachu disembarked the ship at Slateport City and immediately went to the nearby Pokémon Center. Ash remembered the wild Pokémon in Hoenn were no pushovers and he wanted all of his Pokémon to rest before he began his long journey to Petalburg City in search for May. Little did he know, Ash didn't need to search far.

"Ash!" yelled a beautiful 13 year old girl from the Pokémon Center door. Ash immediately recognized the voice and turned around already blushing.

"May! Long time no see!" said Ash.

" What are you doing back in Hoenn?" she asked.

" Well out of all the regions I visited, this is by far my favorite," responded Ash.

" Where are you headed Ash? I would love to travel with you and Brock again if you want me too," said May.

" I would love it if you join us May," said Ash.

Ash wanted to spill his heart out there to her right now but he knew there was a time and a place for everything, Professor Oak usually gave him that advice. Brock, who went to flirt with Nurse Joy, came back and saw May and Ash standing together in the lobby.

" Aw, what a picture perfect couple you two would make," said Brock slyly.

" Shut up Brock or I'll trade your Sudowoodo for a Rattata," whispered Ash.

" It's nice to see you again May. Still a Pokémon coordinator I see?" asked Brock

" Of course! Still single I see?" asked May with a sarcastic grin.

Brock began to sob quietly.

" Where to Ash?", asked May.

" Well I want to have a rematch with all the gym leaders so first I want to travel to Petalburg City and challenge your Dad," responded Ash.

" Sounds great, I haven't seen my family in a while," said May.

" Pika Pikachu," added Pikachu.

The heroic trio then left and headed north towards Route 110 en route to Petalburg City.

The heroic trio were walking north on Route 110. The road sure changed since Ash was last there. There were more trees and male Pokémon all tried to impress the female Pokémon in the grass.

" This place looks nothing like it did when we were here last," stated Ash.

" Yes, over the last two years, scientists say that Kyorge made it rain endlessly in this part of Hoenn and more trees grew and a large amount of water Pokémon migrated here. Now it's a haven for all types of Pokémon. Many trainers now call it the Route of Romance because of the large amounts of Pokémon eggs you can find in the springtime," explained May.

" Now I see why they call it the Route of Romance!" yelled Brock. He was looking at a woman with long blonde hair who was fishing in the river. Brock rushed over to her and started his usual flirting routine. Ash and May laughed at his desperation.

" So Ash what have you been up to lately?" asked May trying to start a conversation.

" Nothing much, just battling every trainer I see, attempting to become a Pokémon master," responded Ash.

" I'm sure you're doing a great job at it," said May as she put both arms around Ash and gave him the largest hug he had ever gotten. Little did Ash know, but May was just as happy to be reunited and she too wanted to pursue a romantic relationship. Ash started to blush and his heart started to beat quickly.

" Well May, I had a lot of motivation," said Ash and he took out half the ribbon that May gave him 2 years earlier. May was flattered and she too began to blush.

" Aw Ash," said May in a quiet voice. A few seconds later, Ash and May heard a slap, a splash, and then a scream. They turned around and saw the blonde girl staring angrily at Brock who was in the river.

" YOU PERVERT!" yelled the blonde girl who then stormed away. May and Ash ran over to Brock to help him out of the river.

" Brock! What did you say?" asked Ash.

" Well Ash here's a word of advice, never ask a girl to fish using your fishing pole, if you know what I mean," said Brock still dazed from the slap. May and Ash just facepalmed and Pikachu used thunderbolt on Brock for being such an idiot.

" I think we should set up camp, it's getting dark," said Ash. Both May and Brock agreed.

Ash and Brock found some firewood while May and Pikachu set up the sleeping bags. Since Ash decided to travel light, he only had Pikachu, Charizard and Grovyle with him. Ash and Brock piled up the firewood and Ash released Charizard to start a fire. They all ate dinner and went to sleep, except Ash wasn't sleeping. He looked at May in her sleeping bag and just admired her beauty. May sensed someone looking at her, turned over and saw Ash looking at her.

" Ash, what's wrong?" said May in a caring voice.

" Nothing May, I just can't… I just can't sleep," stuttered Ash. May heard the hesitation in his voice and had a feeling she knew why he wasn't sleeping.

" Do you want to go for a walk?" May asked.

"Sure, I'd love to," responded Ash.

Ash and May walked around Route 110. Ash brought Charizard just in case.

"So how have you been May?" asked Ash.

" I've been well, just doing what I love, participating in contests and earning ribbons," responded May. She looked and smiled at Ash and he smiled back looking into her beautiful sapphire eyes.

" Hey Ash, do you believe in love at first sight?" asked May blushing. Ash knew why she was asking this and he began to sweat.

Before Ash could answer, there was an explosion in front of them.

" May!" yelled Ash as he jumped in front of her to protect her. Then a trio in a Meowth balloon descended upon Ash and May. Then the trio started their motto.

" To protect the world from devastation," said a woman with long red hair.

" To unite all people within our nation," said a man with blue hair

" To announce the evils of truth and love!"

" To extend our reach to the stars above!"

" Jessie!" said the woman with red hair.

"James!" said the man with blue hair.

" Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

" Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

" Meowth! That's right!" yelled their Pokémon.

" Team Rocket! Not you guys again!" yelled Ash.

" How cute, the two twerps are out for a lovely midnight stroll." Said James.

" It seems like someone forgot their Pikachu. Well I guess we just take May here and hold her for ransom" said Jessie.

" Don't you dare touch her!" yelled Ash.

"Go Seviper and use poison fang!" yelled Jessie. Seviper exited his pokéball and before Ash could react, Seviper had bitten into May's arm.

"May!" yelled Ash.

"Ash…" said May weakly before she fainted.

Ash looked at May with tears in his eyes then looked at Team Rocket as if he was about to murder them.

" Ooh, look! The little twerp is crying," said James with an evil grin.

" You went too far this time, harass and try to hurt me is one thing but hurting May is going too far. Go Charizard and use Steel Wing!" ordered Ash.

Team Rocket's Meowth balloon could do nothing to avoid it and as Charizard's wings hit, the balloon exploded sending the trio into the starry night sky.

" Team Rocket's blasting off again!" yelled the trio as they disappeared in the sky.

Ash quickly rushed to May's side and noticed that her pulse was abnormally quick.

" Charizard! Bring us to the Pokémon Center back in Slateport City quickly!" ordered Ash.

"Char, Charizard," said Charizard as it laid down to allow Ash on his back. Ash picked May up and climbed on Charizard's back and then took off towards Slateport City.

"May please hold on, I can't… I can't live without you," said Ash trying not to cry. Seviper's venom was quickly spreading throughout her arm and if she didn't get immediate medical attention she would surely die.

About five minutes later, Charizard landed outside the Pokémon Center and Nurse Joy came running out.

" What happened to her?" Asked Nurse Joy.

" She was bit in the arm by a Seviper." Responded Ash.

" Bring her inside quickly!" ordered Nurse Joy.

Ash carried May inside to the ER and laid her down on the bed.

" Okay Ash, now I need you to wait in the lobby, this might be a while," said Nurse Joy. Ash nodded then walked outside to Charizard.

" Charizard, I need you to fly back to the campsite and tell Brock and Pikachu where we are."

" Charizard!" responded Charizard and he flew off towards Route 110.

Ash walked back into the lobby and sat down. He was worried and tried to think positive. He figured it couldn't be too bad since he got her to the Pokémon Center quickly. He was sitting for about four hours when Nurse Joy came out and looked at Ash with a tear in her eye.

" I think you better say your last words to her," Nurse Joy suggested.

Ash ran into the ER and May had become pale from the poisoning. Ash walked up to her and held her not wanting to let go.

" May please don't die on me, please," cried Ash. May opened her eyes a little and looked at Ash.

" Ash please forgive me but I can't hold on any longer. I'm so sorry Ash…" said May. His name started to echo and then May's voice changed to Nurse Joy's and Ash awoke from his nightmare.

" Ash wake up, the surgery that I performed was a success and we managed to remove all of the venom however she's going to have the bite marks on her arm for at least a month. You may go in and see her," said Nurse Joy.

" Oh thank you, thank you Nurse Joy, I don't know how to thank you!" responded Ash as he hugged her. Then Ash ran towards the recovery room.

Ash ran into the recovery room where May appeared to be sleeping. Ash moved quietly around the room trying not to wake her up. He went up to her bedside and kissed her hand.

" I just knew you'd be alright because you are the strongest and most beautiful girl I know," said Ash softly. However May was not asleep and she responded with a smile. Ash continued to hold her hand.

" Do you really mean that Ash?" asked May as she slowly opened her eyes. Ash's face immediately turned red. He figured if there was ever a time to spill his heart out to May, this would be the time. He moved up closer to her head and looked deep into her eyes.

" Of course May, you're the whole reason I came back to Hoenn. My life felt empty in Sinnoh, and I would look at the ribbon we share every day, wishing you were there with me. I dreamed about you every night. May I am so sorry that I didn't protect you quickly enough. I feel like this is all my fault" said Ash. Before Ash could finish, May put her finger on his lips.

" Ash, nobody saw that attack coming, this isn't your fault. I'm still alive now because you brought me here. You stayed here during the entire surgery, and when I woke up, you were the first at my bedside. I love you Ash Ketchum. You've made me the happiest girl in the world by coming back for me, and I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have you in my life. I would give everything up just to spend the rest of my life with you," said May. Then she sat up, put her arms around Ash, and kissed him. Ash had always dreamed of having his first kiss with May, but now his dream was a reality.

In the middle of their kiss, Brock and Pikachu walked into the room. Their eyes widened as soon as they saw the couple kissing.

" Um, we can come back…" said Brock nervously.

" Pika…chu," said Pikachu.

The couple broke the kiss and looked at Brock and Pikachu.

" No Brock it's ok come on in," said May.

" What happened?" asked Brock.

" Well I couldn't sleep, so May and I went for a walk and then Team Rocket ambushed us. Jessie ordered her Seviper to bite May with poison fang. Luckily, Nurse Joy was able to remove the venom from her body," responded Ash.

" That sounds terrible, I'm glad you're ok May," said Brock.

" Thanks Brock," said May.

Nurse Joy then walked into the room and spoke to Ash and Brock

" We will need to keep May here for the next 36 hours, but you two can stay in the guest room.

" Can I stay in your room?" asked Brock with a smirk on his face.

" Correction. Ash can stay in the guest room and Brock can stay in the backyard." Answered Nurse Joy. Ash and May laughed at Brock's horrible flirting skills.

" I brought all our stuff from the campsite. Let's prepare our room Ash," said Brock.

"Okay…" Said Ash however he didn't want to leave May's side.

" Go set up the room Ash, I'll be fine," said May smiling. Ash gave May a quick kiss and then walked with Brock and Pikachu to the guest room.

After they set up the room, Ash decided to call his mother Delia to tell her where he was. The phone rang and then his mom picked up.

" Hi mom, I just wanted to let you know that I'm not returning to Kanto yet, I decided to come back to Hoenn."

" Hi sweetie, it's so good to hear from you. Why are you back in Hoenn honey?"

" Well it's a nice place," responded Ash.

" Ash Ketchum, don't you lie to me!" yelled Delia.

" Okay Mom, I'm sorry. The truth is, I returned here to see May," responded Ash.

" To see May? My little boy has a girlfriend!" yelled Delia excitedly.

" Mom…" responded Ash blushing.

" I'm sorry honey, but this is great news. May's a very nice girl and I wish you luck in your relationship," said Delia.

" Thanks mom," responded Ash.

" Okay honey, I'll let you go. Good luck and stay safe. I love you sweetie," said Delia.

" I love you too mom," said Ash. He then hung up the phone and went back to May's room. Brock and Pikachu were sitting down and looking at the magazines that were on the table.

" Look at that girl Pikachu. How hot is she?" asked Brock while pointing at a picture of a professional swimmer.

"Uh Brock, I would prefer that you didn't turn Pikachu into a sex maniac," said Ash.

" Ooh I'm sorry," responded Brock sarcastically.

" Hey, it's almost lunch time and there's a restaurant across the street. Who's hungry?" asked Ash.

" Me!" responded Brock and May.

" Pika!" yelled Pikachu.

" Okay, I'll go pick us up some food and I'll bring it back here. I'll be back in about 15 minutes," said Ash.

Ash walked out of the Pokémon center and went to the restaurant and picked up food for Brock and May. Then he went to the Poké mart and picked up Pokéblocks for the Pokémon. Then he returned to the Pokémon center.

" Hey guys, I'm back! For us Brock, I got a few slices of pizza. For the Pokémon, I got some Pokéblocks," said Ash.

" Thanks Ash," said Brock.

" Brock, can you do me a favor and take the Pokémon out back to eat?" asked Ash.

" Sure Ash," responded Brock.

Brock took their Pokéballs and the Pokéblocks and walked outside.

" What did you get for me Ash," asked May.

" For you May, I got you a surprise," responded Ash.

He took out a white container and put it on the table next to May. She opened it and looked inside. She looked inside and smiled. Ash got her ramen.

" Ash, you are perfect in every way," said May. Ash smiled back and kissed her on the cheek.

" Well, as long as your happy, I'm happy," said Ash.

Then Brock's Croagunk entered the room dragging along Brock. Obviously Brock was flirting with Nurse Joy yet again and Croagunk used his poison jab on him.

" Let me guess, Brock was harassing Nurse Joy again?" asked Ash. Croagunk nodded his head yes. Ash and May both laughed at Brock's flirting attempt again.

Later that night, Ash didn't sleep in the guest room with Brock. Instead, he slept in the recovery room with May. He was afraid if he left her side, something would happen to her. May woke up and saw Ash sleeping in the chair in the room. She smiled, glad that her boyfriend gave up being comfortable in order to protect her. She got out of the bed and hugged him. This woke Ash up.

" What's wrong May?" said Ash.

" Nothing Ash, don't worry. Why are you sleeping in here?" asked May.

" I'm just nervous after last night," responded Ash.

" Ash, you said yourself, I'm a strong girl, and having you in my life makes me stronger," said May.

" I love you May, I just don't want anything to happen to you," said Ash. May sat on his lap.

" As long as you love me and I love you, I am invincible, and our love is eternal," responded May. She then kissed Ash goodnight and fell asleep in his arms.

Ash woke up the next morning with May still on his lap. He carefully lifted her up and put her back on the bed, and then he went into the guest room and got changed.

By 10 A.M., May was released from the Pokémon center by Nurse Joy, and then our trio starting to walk northward on Route 110 once again. Brock was walking in front with Croagunk, May and Ash walked behind him holding hands, and Pikachu was on Ash's shoulder. Luckily there were no young blondes on the Route today, so Brock managed to keep himself out of trouble. Eventually they were walking westward on Route 103 and ran into a small river.

" Look guys, a river. Oldale Town is on the other side of it. Let's swim across," said May.

" Sure May, that sounds like fun. I'll get Charizard to fly our stuff across so it doesn't get wet. What do you say Brock?" asked Ash.

" I would love to go swimming," responded Brock.

Ash and Brock then got changed into their swimming trunks.

" Hey Brock, where's May?" asked Ash.

Before Brock could answer, May came out of a nearby wooded area in her brand new purple bikini.

" So Ash, what do you think?" asked May. Ash looked at her speechlessly, stunned by her beauty. He walked up to her and hugged her.

" May, you look absolutely amazing," responded Ash as he kissed her.

Brock turned around to face Pikachu and Croagunk, who were behind him, and started to cry.

" Why can Ash get a girlfriend, but I can't even get a girl to like me," said Brock to the two Pokémon.

" Pika pika," said Pikachu.

" Go Charizard and fly our things to the other side of this river!" ordered Ash.

Ash and May jumped in the water, followed by Brock, Pikachu, and Croagunk.

The trio was having fun in the water with their Pokémon.

" Hey Ash duck!" yelled May as she splashed him.

" You're not going to get away with that!" yelled Ash as he chased May around trying to splash her. She swam behind a rock to hide from Ash. Ash went behind the rock to look for her and get revenge but she wasn't there.

" Hey Brock, is May over by you?" yelled Ash to Brock.

" No Ash, it's only Pikachu, Croagunk, and I over here," responded Brock.

" Where could she be?" thought Ash to himself. Then, he felt someone touch his leg, and behind him, a Tentacruel jumped out of the water holding May in one of its tentacles.

" Help me Ash!" yelled May.

" Pikachu, use quick attack!" ordered Ash. Pikachu jumped off of Brock's shoulder and hit the Tentacruel with enough force for it to release May. Ash quickly swam over to May to protect her.

" Now Pikachu, finish it off with thunder!" ordered Ash.

" Pika… CHU!" yelled Pikachu as it shocked the Tentacruel. The Tentacruel then fainted and sank to the bottom of the river. May was scared and was crying.

" Come on, let's get to the other side," said Brock.

Ash, May, Brock, and the other Pokémon climbed onto land. Charizard was waiting there with their things. May was still crying because of the attack. Ash put a towel around her and sat down with her under a nearby tree.

" It's okay beautiful, you're alright. Please don't cry," said Ash comforting May as he rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand.

" Oh Ash, I was so scared," said May.

" I know May, I know. But now I'm here with you. You're safe with me," said Ash before his arms around her. May stopped crying and kissed Ash.

" I love you Ash," said May

" I love you too my angel," responded Ash

" Hey guys, here are your clothes," said Brock as he approached the couple.

" Thanks Brock," said Ash and May. The trio then changed back into their clothes. Ash called Charizard back into its Pokéball and they walked towards Oldale Town.

It was about five o'clock in the evening when they walked into the town. Oldale Town was slightly larger than when Ash was last in Hoenn. They were a couple of buildings away from a fancy Italian restaurant.

" We should stop here for dinner before continuing on to Petalburg City," suggested Ash.

" Yes, I'm starving," said May.

" Good idea," said Brock. Then Brock walked up behind Ash and whispered into Ash's ear.

" Hey Ash, why don't you take May to that Italian restaurant, Pikachu and I will find another place to eat," whispered Brock.

" Sure. Thanks Brock," responded Ash quietly.

" Okay, I'll talk to you guys later," said Brock with Pikachu on his shoulder.

" Pika," said Pikachu.

" Where are they going?" asked May.

" Well Brock isn't fond of Italian food. I prefer it like this though, just you and me," said Ash as he kissed May's forehead. May blushed and smiled and they walked into the restaurant. It was a fancy place with dimmed lights and candles on every table. Ash and May sat down and enjoyed a nice romantic dinner.

" Thanks Ash for such an amazing dinner," said May as they walked out of the restaurant. They shared a kiss and met Brock and Pikachu by the entrance to Route 102.

" Hey guys how was dinner?" asked Brock as May and Ash approached.

" Wonderful!" said Ash and May smiling simultaneously.

" I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves, Petalburg City is only a half a mile away," said Brock. The trio walked west towards Petalburg City. The wild Pokémon in the grass just watched as the trio walked past, probably because most of them recognized May. It was getting dark, so Ash held May close to him so nothing would happen. In about 20 minutes, they arrived in Petalburg City. They immediately went to May's house. May knocked on the door and May's mother Caroline answered.

" May! I missed you so much! Welcome home!" said Caroline as she turned to her husband Norman who was sitting on the couch watching TV.

" Honey look who's home! It's May, Ash, and Brock," said Caroline to Norman.

" May, Ash, and Brock? Well don't make them stand outside honey. Let them in," said Norman.

May, Ash, and Brock walked into the house. May went over to her father and hugged him.

" Hi Dad, I missed you guys so much," said may to Norman.

" I missed you too sweetie. Hey Ash and Brock, nice to see you two again. Make yourselves at home," said Norman.

" Thank you," said Ash and Brock.

" May, I'm cleaning up from dinner in the kitchen. Come join me," said Caroline.

" Sure Mom," said May. May and her mother walked into the kitchen where Caroline was doing the dishes.

" So May, how have you been?" asked Caroline.

" I've been fine Mom. I just been participating in contests whenever I can," responded May.

" That's good. It was nice of Ash to come back to Hoenn. He's a great friend," said Caroline.

" Well Mom, he's more than just a friend. He's my boyfriend," said May. Caroline looked at her smiling.

" That's great news May. I wouldn't trust any other guy in this world with my daughter besides Ash. Do you want me to tell Dad?" asked Caroline.

" I would prefer to tell him," responded May.

" Okay, whatever makes you feel more comfortable sweetie. Do Ash and Brock have a place to stay tonight?" asked Caroline.

" Well, there's always the local Pokémon center…" said May.

" Absolutely not! I will not have my daughter's boyfriend and his friend stay in some small, uncomfortable room at a Pokémon center. Ash can sleep in the guest room and Brock can take the couch," said Caroline.

" Thank you Mom! By the way, where is Max?" asked May.

" Oh Max? He decided to sleep over at his friend's house tonight but he'll be back tomorrow afternoon," responded Caroline.

Meanwhile in the living room, Norman, Brock, Ash, and Pikachu were watching a televised Gym Battle between a trainer and Wallace of Sootopolis City.

" Hey Norman, I wanted to know you wanted to battle me again?" asked Ash.

" A rematch? Sure I would love to Ash," said Norman.

Caroline and May walked into the living room.

" Okay guys, bedtime," said Caroline.

" Brock, you can take the couch, and Ash, follow me upstairs and I'll show you where you're sleeping," said May.

May walked Ash upstairs and showed him the guest room. This room was huge compared to the small guest rooms of the Pokémon center.

" Thanks beautiful," said Ash. He hugged May and held her tightly.

" Goodnight Ash, I love you," said May.

" I love you too my angel," responded Ash before kissing her goodnight.

Caroline who stopped by the guest room on her way to her bedroom heard Ash and May and smiled. She thought about how quickly her daughter was growing up and cried tears of happiness. She then continued walking to her bedroom

The next morning, Ash woke up early, around 8. He walked out of the guest room and down the corridor. He stopped when he passed May's bedroom, quietly opened a door a little, and peered inside. He smiled at May, who was still sleeping peacefully. He walked downstairs, past the couch where Brock was sleeping. Ash giggled at Brock because between every snore, he would say either Nurse Joy's or Officer Jenny's name. Ash smelled breakfast cooking and walked into the kitchen, where Caroline was making breakfast.

" Good morning Ash, you're up early," said Caroline smiling.

" Good morning, breakfast smells good," responded Ash.

" Thanks Ash, take a seat, breakfast should be done in 10 minutes," said Caroline saw Ash go for the coffee and said when did you start drinking coffee he said a month ago

" Thank you," said Ash as he sat down. Caroline sat across from him while she waited for the breakfast to cook.

" So Ash how was Sinnoh?" asked Caroline.

" To be honest, I didn't like the region. I felt like it was missing someone," said Ash. Carline smiled because she knew who that "someone" was.

" It's okay Ash, you can say that you missed May, she told me about your relationship," responded Caroline

" She…she did?" asked Ash nervously.

" Yes, but don't worry Ash you're a nice guy and I know for a fact you'll be there for my daughter whenever she needs you," said Caroline caringly.

" Thanks," said Ash smiling.

" Did you really come back to Hoenn just to see May?" asked Caroline. Ash nodded his head yes.

" Of course, May means everything to me and I never told her my true feelings when I was here last. But I made a promise to myself that I would find her and tell her how much she means to me," said Ash. Caroline smiled at Ash.

" Aw Ash, that is the sweetest thing I have ever heard," said Caroline. Ash looked down at the morning newspaper. The headline was about an outbreak of Lotad in the Petalburg Woods. Caroline sat back at went into a deep thought. She thought about how she and Norman started their relationship.

Norman was originally from Johto and like Ash he travelled to Hoenn to battle all of the gym leaders. When he arrived in Hoenn, he met Caroline when he was walking in Petalburg City. Norman was a shy boy and never talked about his feelings much. However, he and Caroline instantly became friends and started travelling together. He travelled around Hoenn, trying to win all of the gym badges. He battled gym leader after gym leader, and the whole time, Caroline was at his side cheering for him. Norman started to have romantic feelings for Caroline and she started to have romantic feelings for him. However, neither of them ever directly brought it up. Eventually, Norman won all of the badges but decided not to challenge the Elite Four. He wanted to travel to Kanto and challenge the gym leaders there. He left Caroline behind and went to Kanto to become champion of the Indigo League. Caroline became depressed and would cry herself to sleep every night. Norman lost all his motivation to win his battles and he didn't make it past Pewter City. He decided to return to Hoenn to find his true love, Caroline. Caroline was shopping in Slateport City when she saw Norman disembarking the ship from Kanto. She couldn't believe her eyes. She went over to greet him and they travelled together once again. They walked to Petalburg City, where there was an opening for a gym leader position. Norman gladly took this position and he proposed to Caroline during the gym's reopening ceremony.

" Uh… Caroline? Are you alright?" said Ash concerned. Caroline quickly snapped back into the present.

" Huh? Yeah Ash I'm fine. May came into the kitchen and saw Ash drinking a cup of coffee and covered his eyes and said Guess Who Ash said hi angel then Brock came into the kitchen

" Well everyone, I made a lot of food so eat up," said Caroline. Ash and May sat down at the table next to each other and held hands under the table as they ate breakfast. Pikachu ate five plates of bacon by himself.

" Thanks Mom, the food was amazing," said May.

" Thanks Caroline," joined Ash and Brock.

" Pikachu!" said Pikachu.

" Your welcome guys. Hey Ash you should get ready, Norman will probably call for you soon," said Caroline. Ash nodded his head and went upstairs to get ready. May, Caroline, and Brock cleaned up from breakfast, and Pikachu sat on Ash's bed.

" Are you ready for today Pikachu?" asked Ash.

" Pika pika," said Pikachu smiling.

Ash combed his hair and put his cap on and walked back downstairs. Brock then got changed in the guest room and May was upstairs taking a shower. Ash didn't want to go to the gym without her.he told caroline that he wpuld be back in 10 minutes she saod o well tell May and she did he went to the store and got a Sapphire dress and a sapphire ring by the time he returned, May and Brock were ready and the trio walked to the gym. may asked were he went he ssid you have to wate until we tell your dad about us i know your mom knows 😉

When they entered the gym, Norman was waiting for them by the front door.

" Hello guys. Ash, are you ready for the match?" asked Norman.

" You bet!" yelled Ash.

" Good, let's get started," said Norman as he opened the door to the arena and walked in. Before Ash walked in May stopped him.

" Good Luck," said May before she gave Ash a good luck kiss. Norman saw the kiss through the door and he smirked. Ash then entered the door and stood on the challenger's side of the battleground. Norman stood on the other side with a Pokéball. May and Brock sat on the sidelines.

" Are you ready Ash?" asked Norman. Ash nodded his head yes.

"We will use two Pokémon each," said Norman.

" Sure thing," agreed Ash.

" Okay then, begin! Go Slaking!" yelled Norman as the giant Pokémon emerged from it's Pokéball.

" Go Grovyle!" yelled Ash.

" Slaking, use Faint Attack!" ordered Norman.

" Grovyle quick, dodge the attack and use Leaf Blade!" ordered Ash. Slaking was way too slow to avoid the attack and it got hit directly with a critical hit.

" Now Grovyle, finish it off with quick attack!" ordered Ash. Grovyle quickly moved behind the large Pokémon and hit its back, sending Slaking flying into the wall. Blood poured out of Slaking's body. Slaking then fainted.

" Go Ash! Make me proud!" yelled May from the sidelines. Norman looked over at his daughter and smiled. It didn't take him long to figure out about Ash and May's relationship.

" Slaking return! Go Vigoroth!" yelled Norman as the large Pokémon disappeared and a white sloth-like Pokémon emerged.

" Vigoroth, use Fury Swipes!" ordered Norman. Before Ash or Grovyle could react, the attack hit with devastating force.

" Now Vigoroth, use Slash, followed by Faint Attack!" ordered Norman. The first attack hit followed by the next. Grovyle immediately fainted.

" Grovyle return! Go Pikachu!" yelled Ash. May motivated Ash once again from the sidelines.

" Come on Ash, you can do it. I believe in you!" yelled May. Ash looked at her, smiled, and once again looked at Norman.

" Okay Pikachu, use Volt Tackle, followed by Iron Tail!" ordered Ash. The two attacks hit Vigoroth, leaving it paralyzed.

" Vigoroth, use Facade!" ordered Norman. The attack hit Pikachu, sending him flying it the air.

" Pikachu, stay focused and use Thunder!" ordered Ash. Vigoroth couldn't move due to paralysis and it got hit by the Thunder attack directly. Vigoroth then fainted.

" Vigoroth return!" yelled Norman. Ash looked up at May who smiled and winked at him and Ash smiled back.

" That was a very good match Ash. Naturally, I cannot give you another Balance Badge," said Norman.

" Of course. I'm just doing this for fun," said Ash.

" Well then I suggest you travel to Rustboro City and challenge Roxanne," said Norman.

" Will do," said Ash. May ran up behind Ash and hugged him.

" Oh Ash, I'm so proud of you!" said May. Ash began to blush.

" I'm going to let you guys get going," said Norman.

" Okay Dad, but before we go, I need to tell you something," said May. Before she could explain, Norman spoke up.

" Don't worry May, I approve of your relationship with Ash. Ash, look after my daughter for me," said Norman.

"How did you know?" asked May.

" Lucky Guess," responded Norman. May and Ash both smiled.

" Don't worry, I would give my life to protect your daughter," said Ash as he looked into May's sapphire eyes.

" Well what are you waiting for you two? Kiss each other!" said Norman. The couple kissed and embraced in the center of the arena. Norman, Brock and Pikachu all smiled at the romantic scene.ash gave her the sapphire dress and sapphire ring

The trio then left the gym and headed west into the Petalburg Woods toward Rustboro City.

The Petalburg Woods are a haven for all types of Pokémon. It is located between Petalburg City and Rustboro City. To get to Rustboro, the trio had to pass through the woods. It was about one in the afternoon when they entered via the long dirt trail. It was just the same as Ash remembered it, dark and scary at night and peaceful during the day. They saw all kinds of Pokémon, from Wurmples to Zigzagoons. They walked all day through the woods, the Petalburg Woods are huge, and it took about 12 hours to walk through them. It was about nine o'clock at night when the trio decided to set up a camp in a clearing. Ash and Pikachu gathered the firewood, Brock started cooking dinner. May set up the tents, and Charizard started a fire.

" Finally, all done!" said May.

" Dinner's almost ready guys," said Brock. They sat down and ate Brock's chicken soup. Brock they laid down by the fire and read a magazine article titled "How to Seduce a Beautiful Woman". There was a small lake near the campsite. Ash and May were sitting on the grass near the water, looking up at the many constellations in the night sky.

" The stars are beautiful tonight," said May.

Ash looked over at his girlfriend who was smiling. The stars were sparkling in her blue eyes.

" But not as beautiful as you," said Ash. May blushed and looked over at him. Their eyes met and time seemed to stand still.

" Ash… I love you," said May in a soft voice. She kissed him and then laid her head on his chest. Ash felt like the luckiest guy in the world because he is able to call the most beautiful girl in the world his girlfriend.

Pikachu and Grovyle watched from a nearby bush. They were happy that they master found a girl like May. There was a gentle cold breeze which made May shiver, so Ash took off his jacket and put it around May.

" But Ash, what about you?" said May caringly.

" Don't worry about me, I'll be fine as long as you're warm, Beautiful," responded Ash.

" Thanks Ash, I love you," said May.

" I love you too, May," said Ash as he kissed her forehead and rubbed her back. May looked up at Ash and smiled, and then she kissed him again. However this kiss was more passionate than the others and lasted longer. They continued to kiss but eventually it turned into making out. Their tongues battled to enter each other's mouth. Ash gave up and allowed May to explore his mouth with her tongue. Brock went to the lake to see if they were alright, but stopped when he saw them making out.

" I better leave them alone," thought Brock to himself. They made out for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually they stopped and looked deep into each other's eyes. Then May fell asleep, resting her head on Ash's chest.

" Good night, my love," said Ash as he kissed May and fell asleep also.

Brock got up and went to find Ash and May. He stopped near Pikachu and Grovyle and looked at the couple laying together by the lake. Brock smiled, took a blanket from the campsite and put it on Ash and May.

" Goodnight lovebirds," said Brock quietly as he walked back toward the two Pokémon.

" Let's go get some sleep you two," said Brock.

" Pika," said Pikachu.

The next morning, the orange sun reflected off the lake's beautiful blue water. When Ash woke up, May was still sleeping with her head on his chest. He kissed her cheek and laid back down, looking at the water Pokémon who were swimming around in the lake.

An hour later, May and Brock woke up and they had breakfast. Then they packed up the camp, and were on the move again. They were near the exit of the woods, when Brock noticed a young woman studying a group of Lotad. Brock gave Ash Croagunk's Pokéball so he couldn't interfere and ran over to the woman.

" Oh God, here we go again," said Ash. May giggled.

" Hi, my name is Brock. Do you like Lotad too? It is by far my favorite Pokémon," said Brock, telling lie after lie.

" Hi Brock, my name is Jess and Lotad's not my favorite Pokémon by I worked with scientist who want to know why there are a large amount of Lotad in the Petalburg Woods," said Jess.

" Jess, that's a beautiful name. Do you want to go to dinner tonight in Rustboro City?" asked Brock with hearts in his eyes.

" Um sure Brock, you seem like a nice guy. I need to go to Petalburg City, but I'll give you my phone number and you can call me later," said Jess.

Ash and May shocked. Brock's flirting finally worked?

" Oh thank you Jess. I'll talk to you later," said Brock.

" Bye bye," said Jess. Brock walked over to Ash and May.

" Congratulations Brock, you finally convinced a girl to go out with you," said Ash.

" It must've been that magazine article I read!" said Brock.

" Sure or just luck," whispered May in Ash's ear. He couldn't help but laugh.

The trio then continued walking to Rustboro City. As they were walking, Ash saw a beautiful rose growing in the ground, and gave it to May.

" For you, my love," said Ash romantically. May blushed and kissed Ash. Brock was walking in front of them, already talking about wedding plans.

The trio eventually walked into Rustboro City. The only difference in the city from when Ash was there last, was the construction of a large shopping mall.

" Ooh Ash, look! Let's go shopping!" said May excitedly.

" Sure May," said Ash with a lot less enthusiasm but he was willing to sacrifice a few hours of his day for May.

" You can go guys. I'll take our stuff to the Pokémon center. I have a phone call to make!" said Brock.

" Thanks Brock," said Ash and May. Then the couple walked to the mall. They stopped at every store in the mall. They stopped at a store which sold dresses. May went to try one of the dresses on. It was a midnight blue dress. May came out of the dressing room, wearing the dress. Her hair was in pigtails with matching blue bows in her hair.

" So Ash, what do you think?" asked May smiling. Ash walked over to her and picked her up.

" May, words couldn't describe your beauty," said Ash as he kissed her. May blushed and then decided to buy the dress.

They continued to walk around the mall. A few hours later, they left but Ash was holding at least 8 shopping bags full of clothes and accessories for Pokémon. They walked past a billboard for a Pokémon contest in town scheduled for the upcoming weekend.

" Ash, look!" said May as she pointed at the billboard. This wasn't just any contest, it was a contest for couples.

" Do you want to participate with me?" asked May.

" Sure May, I'd love to," said Ash. The couple kissed and walked back toward the Pokémon Center.

Meanwhile at the Pokémon Center, Brock was making a phone call. He called the number and got a recorded message… for a retirement home!

" NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Brock as he collapsed to the floor and began to cry.

Finally the weekend arrived. The trio was in the Rustboro City Pokémon Center's guest room preparing for the weekend. Ash was getting ready for his next gym battle, May was preparing for the contest that she and Ash signed up for, and Brock was preparing to see Roxanne. He claimed since they were both rock-type trainers, that they shared a "special" bond. The plan for the day was for Ash to battle Roxanne and then later in the evening, go to the contest. May had dressed up early for the contest in her midnight blue dress.

" I need to send Charizard back to Professor Oak, I'll be right back," said Ash. He then walked out into the lobby and called Professor Oak.

" Hi Professor. I have battle coming up and I want to trade my Charizard for Bulbasaur," said Ash.

" Hello Ash, certainly, your Bulbasaur is on the way. So I heard you got yourself a girlfriend," said Oak.

" Haha, yeah. I'm guessing Mom told you?" asked Ash.

" Of course, I've never seen her happier," responded Oak.

Then Ash's Bulbasaur arrived.

" Thanks Professor, I must get going," said Ash.

" Goodbye Ash and good luck," said Oak as the call ended. Ash then went back into the guest room.

" Are you all ready to go?" asked Ash.

" Of course," said May.

" Definitely," said Brock who was wearing a cologne which smelled horrible.

" Oh my God Brock, what the hell are you wearing?" asked Ash holding his nose.

" It's a new cologne that I bought back in Petalburg, you like it?" asked Brock.

" Sure Brock," said Ash trying not to breathe.

The trio left the Pokémon Center and headed toward the gym.

Meanwhile, high above the streets of Rustboro City, another trio was hovering in a Meowth hot air balloon.

" That little twerp hurt my Pokémon and I want revenge," said Jessie angrily.

" Don't worry you'll soon have your revenge when we ambush him in that gym," said James.

" Yeah, we'll catch them completely off guard," said Meowth.

Ash, May, and Brock walked into the gym and looked around for Roxanne. The gym was dark and the only source of light was the sunlight coming in through the windows.

" Um… Hello!" yelled Ash. There was no response.

" We told you not to wear that cologne Brock, you made everyone run away," said May jokingly.

Ash then noticed a shadowy figure of a woman on the other side of the room.

" Roxanne is that you?" asked Ash.

" Roxanne my love, I've returned for you!" yelled Brock. The woman looked up and took a few steps closer to them.

" Hi guys, I'm Roxanne," said the woman.

" Roxanne? You seemed to have gotten taller, and your hair color changed, and your eyes are a different color," noticed Brock. Then he realized that the woman wasn't Roxanne.

" Wait a minute… you're not Roxanne!" yelled Brock. As he said this, James and Meowth came crashing through one of the windows, and the woman revealed herself to be Jessie. Team Rocket continued on with their usual motto.

" Now you little twerps, you're going to pay for hurting my Seviper!" yelled Jessie.

" Go! Carnivine!" yelled James.

" Pikachu use Volt Tackle!" ordered Ash.

" Carnivine dodge the attack and use Bullet Seed!" ordered James. However Pikachu was too fast and he hit Carnivine directly. The two continued to battle. While this was happening, Jessie signaled Meowth to sneak behind the trio and attack them. Meowth moved quietly and quickly in the shadows until he was right behind Ash. Meowth started furiously swiping at Ash's back with his claws. Ash was taken off guard and could avoid the attack. Pikachu couldn't help his master because he was occupied with Carnivine. The May took out a Pokéball.

" Go Blaziken and use Peck on Meowth!" ordered May. The Pokémon emerged and started to run at Meowth. It keep pecking Meowth until he had to retreat back to Jessie and James. One of Meowth's ears was bleeding almost uncontrollably from the pecking however Meowth still seemed able to fight. Ash however, could move. He collapsed to the ground in a pool of his own blood.

" Ash!" yelled May.

" Pika…chu!" yelled Pikachu concerned.

" I'll go get Nurse Joy!" yelled Brock as he ran out of the gym.

"Ash?" asked May with tears in her eyes.

" Aw, the little twerp is upset her man couldn't even fight a little cat Pokémon," said Jessie grinning evilly. Then May looked up at Team Rocket with rage in her eyes.

" I have had enough with you three! I'm going to send you all to hell! Blaziken, use sky uppercut on all three of them!" ordered May. Blaziken ran quickly across the room and hit the trio with the uppercut before they could even react.

" Team Rocket's blasting off again!" yelled the trio before disappearing into the sky. May went over and held Ash's hand.

" Please don't die on me Ash," said May crying hysterically. She then began to pray as she waited for Nurse Joy to arrive.

A couple minutes later, Nurse Joy and her Chansey ran into the gym with Brock following close behind with a stretcher. Nurse Joy couldn't believe her eyes.

" Oh my God! This is horrible! Brock, help me lift Ash up onto the stretcher," said Nurse Joy. The two lifted Ash up and rushed him back to the Pokémon Center. He was immediately taken into surgery to stop the bleeding. May waited in the waiting room.

Three hours passed, May hasn't heard a word about how the surgery was going. She sat down crying into her hands.

" I should've seen Meowth sneaking around. This is all my fault," thought May to herself. She then remembered what she told Ash when he was the one in the waiting room. She told him that no one could've prevented the attack and that it wasn't his fault. However, she never thought she would be the one in this position. About a half an hour later, Nurse Joy walked out of the ER.

" May I have good news! Your boyfriend's alive. The only thing is that he won't be able to walk for a couple of weeks," May smiled happy that Ash was alive but then frowned again when she remember the contest.

" He can't walk?" asked May.

" He can walk, but barely," responded Nurse Joy. May nodded her head and walked into the recovery room. Ash was still asleep. She took Ash's hand and started to cry.

" Ash, I'm so sorry," said May. She wanted this weekend to be perfect, but now Ash was laying in a bed almost unable to walk. Ash woke up and saw May crying.

" What's wrong May?" said Ash quietly. May looked up at him.

" Ash, I'm sorry. This is all my fault," said May. Ash then signaled for her to move closer to his face. His kissed her cheek.

" Have you forgotten what you told me where you were in bed injured?" asked Ash.

" I remember Ash, but now I understand just how bad you felt," said May.

" This isn't your fault May. In fact, you saved my life by sending Blaziken after Team Rocket. May I couldn't ask for a better person to rely on when I need help," said Ash. The two then shared a kiss. May cheered up a little more.

" Thanks Ash, but now I need to go to this contest and forfeit," said May.

" Why?" asked Ash.

" It is a contest for couples and there's no way you can walk there," responded May.

" I'm sorry May. I realize how much this meant to you," said Ash.

" It's alright Ash, for now just get some rest," said May as she kissed him then left to go to the Contest Hall. Ash felt horrible but he had a plan.

Later, May arrived at the Contest Hall and walked into the main room. As she walked in the judges announced her.

" Our next performance ladies and gentleman will be performed by May of Petalburg City and Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, Kanto," said one of the judges. May frowned and then walked up to the judges' table.

" I have some bad news but my boyfriend is injured and I must forfeit," said May. As she said this, a voice called from onstage.

" Oh no you don't," said the familiar voice.

" Ash?" said May as she ran up to the stage. Ash had borrowed a cane from Nurse Joy to help him walk to the Contest. Ash looked into her eyes.

" I promised to always be there for you and I wasn't going to let an injury stop me," said Ash smiling. May returned the smile and kissed him.

" As I said before, here is May and Ash," said the judge.

" Are you ready?" asked Ash.

" I'm always ready when I'm with you," responded May.

" Let's do this! Go Bulbasaur!" yelled Ash.

" Go Venusaur and Blaziken!" yelled May. A Bulasaur, a Venusaur, and the Blaziken appeared on the stage.

" Bulbasaur use Vine Whip!" ordered Ash.

" Venusaur use Vine Whip! Blaziken use flamethrower!" ordered May. The two vine whips hit each other, forming the shape of a heart. The flamethrower hit the two Vine Whips, lighting up the outline of the heart. The Bulbasaur and the Venusaur retracted their Vine Whips and the flaming heart remained hovering over the stage.

" Blaziken use Flame Wheel!" ordered May. The flame wheel surrounded Ash's Bulbasaur.

" Bulbasaur use Solarbeam!" ordered Ash. Bulbasaur shot the Solarbeam out of the top of the flame wheel. The couple continued to impress the audience with different stunts and moves. At the end, it was quite obvious who won.

" Well after a show like that, we declare the team of Ash and May, the winner! The couple hugged each other as they accepted the ribbon from the judges. It was a pink hear inside of a golden flame.

" Thank you Ash," whispered May into Ash's ear.

" I'll do anything for May no matter how crazy it is," responded Ash. The couple then kissed in front of the audience

A couple of days later, Ash could walk again. Not perfectly however, he still limped. Just before he was released out of the Pokémon Center, Roxanne came in looking for him. She had heard about Team Rocket's attack at her gym and wanted to see how he was doing.

" Hello Nurse Joy, is Ash Ketchum still here?" asked Roxanne.

" Yes he is, he's getting ready in the guest room," said Nurse Joy pointed down the hall.

" Thank you," said Roxanne as she walked down the hall.

Ash was putting on his jacket, Pikachu was by his side, May was brushing her hair, and Brock was putting on his new cologne. When Roxanne walked in, Brock was the first to notice her and he nearly fainted.

" Roxanne!" yelled Brock excitedly. Ash and May looked over at the door.

" Roxanne? What are you doing here?" asked Ash.

" Hi Ash, Officer Jenny told me about what happened at the gym the other day and I just wanted to see how you were doing," responded Roxanne.

" I don't know how he's doing but since you came to visit, I know that I'm doing fine," interrupted Brock. Roxanne giggled at him. She thought his flirting methods were cute.

" Thanks! But I went to your gym to challenge you. I want to have a rematch with all of Hoenn's gym leaders," said Ash.

" Sure thing Ash. I'll be waiting for you," responded Roxanne.

" Can I walk with you to your gym?" asked Brock blushing.

" Of course Brock," responded Roxanne smiling.

" YES!" yelled Brock. Then the two walked out of the room.

" Hey Brock, are you wearing cologne?" asked Roxanne.

" Yes, do you like it?" asked Brock smirking.

" Like it? I love it," said Roxanne. Brock smiled.

" Do you know what they called me back in Pewter City? The rock solid Pokémon trainer," said Brock winking. Roxanne laughed at him.

" Oh Brock, any normal girl would've slapped you in the face for such a comment. But lucky for you, I'm not like most girls. I think you're a funny guy Brock," said Roxanne smiling.

" You… like… me?" asked Brock stuttering.

" Of course Brock," responded Roxanne before kissing him on the cheek.

" YES!" screamed Brock again. Back in the guest room, Ash and May heard the scream and laughed.

" I guess she likes him," said May.

" Yeah, I feel kind of bad for her," said Ash jokingly as he kissed May. The couple then walked to Roxanne's gym.

When the couple walked in, Roxanne was already prepared for the battle and Brock was behind her, ready to cheer her on. Ash prepared to battle and May gave him a good luck kiss, then the battle started.

" Go Geodude!" yelled Roxanne.

" Go Bulbasaur!" yelled Ash.

" Geodude, use Rock Tomb!" ordered Roxanne.

" Bulbasaur, dodge and use Vine Whip!" ordered Ash. Bulbasaur dodged and it hit Geodude multiple times.

" Geodude, keep fighting and use Tackle!" ordered Roxanne.

" Bulbasaur, use Tackle also!" ordered Ash. The two Pokémon charged each other and collided. Both Pokémon went flying in opposite directions, however Bulbasaur wasn't hit hard, but Geodude fainted. Brock started to cheer Roxanne up.

" Don't worry Roxanne, you'll get him this time," yelled Brock. Roxanne smiled at him. However, May got angry that Brock would turn on his best friend to cheer for Roxanne. But then she remembered how she cheered for Ash over her own father and realized that just like she was in love with Ash, Brock was in love with Roxanne. She calmed down.

" Come on Ash, you can do this!" yelled May.

" Go Nosepass and use Rock Throw!" ordered Roxanne.

" Bulbasaur, dodge and use Razor Leaf!" ordered Ash. Bulbasaur narrowly escaped the rocks and used Razor Leaf against Nosepass.

" Keep going Nosepass and use Tackle!" ordered Roxanne.

" Bulbasaur use Solarbeam!" ordered Ash. Bulbasaur attacked quickly and Nosepass couldn't react in time. The Solarbeam hit directly and sent Nosepass flying into the wall. Nosepass couldn't withstand the second attack and it fainted.

" Nosepass, return," said Roxanne. Brock quickly rushed to her side.

" Are you okay Roxanne, you did well," said Brock. Roxanne put her arms around him.

" I'm glad you were here Brock, because if you weren't, I would've done worse," said Roxanne smiling. Meanwhile on the other side of the gym, May was congratulating Ash.

" Oh Ash, you did so well," said May as she kissed Ash.

" Aw May, I would've been able to do it without the world's most beautiful cheerleader," said Ash. Roxanne and Brock then walked up to the couple.

" Hey guys, want to go to a restaurant tonight? I'll pay," said Roxanne.

" You don't have to do that Roxanne," said May.

" Don't worry I want to. I've never had a battle like that in a long time," said Roxanne. The four then walked out of the gym and to a local restaurant. It wasn't as nice as the Italian restaurant back in Oldale Town, but it was still a nice place. The four then sat down and enjoyed their dinner.

" Thanks Roxanne, this was a good dinner," said Brock.

" Thanks Roxanne," said Ash and May.

" No problem guys," said Roxanne. Roxanne then walked the trio back to the Pokémon Center. They were to leave by boat to Dewford Town in the morning.

" Good night guys. Thanks for a good battle today Ash," said Roxanne.

" Likewise! Good night," said Ash.

" Good night Roxanne, thanks again for dinner!" said May.

" Hey Brock wait up, can we go for a walk? I want to talk to you," said Roxanne.

" Sure," responded Brock. Ash and May looked at each other confused and then walked into their guest room.

" Brock, I want to join you three in your travels. But Brock I want to go to spend time with you because I've never liked a guy so much as I like you. So can I go with you?" asked Roxanne blushing.

" Of course you can join us!" said Brock.

" Thanks," said Roxanne as she kissed Brock. Brock finally had a girlfriend.

Ash and May walked into the guest room and relaxed on the couch and watched TV. May laid down and rested her head on Ash's lap. The only light in the room was from the TV screen.

" That was nice of Roxanne to buy us dinner," said May.

" Yes it was," said Ash. He looked down at his beautiful girlfriend watching TV and admired her eyes like he always enjoyed doing. Then he decided to flirt with his girlfriend by pinching himself. May noticed him, giggled and looked up at him.

" What are you doing Ash?" she asked.

" Checking to see if I'm dead because I've never been this close to an angel," responded Ash. May blushed, sat up, and the couple started making out. Pikachu, who was on the bed, watched the couple as he always did. He found human love so confusing but yet so beautiful.

" I love you May and I just want you to know how grateful I am to have a girlfriend like you," said Ash.

" Aw Ash, I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend and I'll always stick by your side," responded May. The couple continued making out. Then a few minutes later, Brock and Roxanne walked into the room and turned the lights on. Ash and May quickly looked at Brock and Roxanne with their lips still locked together.

" I'm staying at Roxanne's place tonight, so we'll leave you two alone," said Brock smirking. Then he walked out with Roxanne, holding hands with her.

" It looks like Brock finally found love," said May.

" Yes, what a perfect couple, the Rock Solid Pokémon trainer and the Rock-Loving Honor Student," said Ash smiling.

" We should get some sleep because we need to get up early tomorrow. Good night Ash, I love you," said May as she kissed Ash.

" Good night my Love, sweet dreams," said Ash. The couple then went to sleep. The next stop on their journey: Dewford Town.

Ash and May woke up the next morning feeling reenergized. They were prepared for the long boat ride to Dewford Town. Ash and May walked out of the Pokémon Center and down the street to Roxanne's house. Ash knocked on the door and Brock, who was wearing a bright red bathrobe with a Steelix on the back of it, answered the door.

" Uh? Are we… interrupting something?" asked Ash nervously.

" Don't worry Ash, I just got out of the shower. Roxanne and I will be ready in ten minutes," responded Brock.

" We'll walk around the block until you guys are ready," said Ash trying not to crack up laughing. Ash and May went window shopping while Brock and Roxanne got ready. Then Ash started to laugh out of nowhere. May knew what he was laughing about and joined him.

" That was the funniest thing I've ever seen. He looked like such a pedophile," said Ash.

" Yeah I know," said May almost crying from laughter. Then Ash and May heard a voice call from across the street.

"Ash? May? Is that you?" said a little kid crossing the street. Ash and May turned around to see May's little brother Max walking towards them.

" Max!" said May as she ran over and hugged her little brother.

" May, long time no see. Sorry I wasn't home when you were there, I was out training my Pokémon," said Max as he pulled out a Pokéball and sent out a Grovyle.

" Hey Max, it's good to see you again," said Ash.

" Hey Ash, likewise," said Max.

" That's a nice Grovyle you have there," said Ash.

" Thanks. See I told you a couple years ago May when you got your first Pokémon, that my starter would be a Treecko," said Max grinning. As he said this, May's Blaziken let itself out of its Pokéball and starting hitting Max with Peck.

" Blaziken! Stop that right now!" ordered May.

" Looks like it didn't forget Max's comment about it," said Ash laughing. Blaziken then returned to its Pokéball.

" Where are you guys going?" asked Max. May didn't want her brother coming along. She was afraid she would never leave her and Ash alone.

" Somewhere where you can't go Max," said May quickly.

" May, either you let me go with you or I'll tell Dad that Ash got you pregnant," responded Max.

" Did I say somewhere you can't go? I meant we would love to have you with us," responded May nervously.

" Oh thank you May, you're the best sister ever!" said Max excitedly. Then May whispered in her brother's ear.

"On one condition, you give me and Ash privacy when we want it," whispered May.

" It's a deal!" said Max. Then Roxanne and Brock walked around the corner and spotted the trio.

" Hey guys!" yelled Brock.

" Brock!" yelled Max as he ran up to Brock.

" Hey Max, how are you? May I introduce you to my lovely girl Roxanne," said Brock smiling.

" Hey Roxanne! I can't wait to travel with you guys again," said Max.

" Hey guys, we should get going, the boat leaves in twenty minutes and it's a long ride," said Ash. Then the five heroes walked to the Westside of Rustboro where the S.S. Anne was preparing to depart.

" Tickets please," said the sailor by the gangway. The five showed their tickets and boarded the huge steamship. It was an overnight trip so they got their own rooms. Ash and May were in Room One, Brock and Roxanne in Room Two, and Max and Pikachu in Room Three. Ash didn't tell May nor the others that he paid extra for a special luxury cabin with a balcony. He wanted to surprise May. The heroes each went into their own rooms to unpack. Ash held May's hand and led her into the room.

" Oh my… Ash," said My surprised. Ash hugged May from behind.

" What do you think my Love?" asked Ash, speaking softly into her ear. May looked out the window at the blue ocean, blue as her sapphire eyes.

" Ash, words cannot describe how much I love you. Ash took May's hand and kissed it as he led her out onto the balcony. The couple then embraced.

In the next room, Roxanne wasn't feeling so good. Her face was almost green.

" What's wrong babe?" asked Brock.

" I forgot to tell you that I get seasick easily," responded Roxanne.

" It's okay Babe, I'll run down to the medical station and get you some seasickness pills," said Brock.

" Thanks Brock," said Roxanne. Max walked in as Brock was preparing to leave.

" What's wrong?" asked Max.

" Roxanne doesn't feel so good, she's probably-" But before Brock could finish, Max interrupted.

" She's pregnant!" asked Max.

" Max!" yelled Brock.

" Geez Brock, and you told ME to use protection," said Max.

" Max, come with me to get medicine," said Brock.

" I'll be right back Babe, get some rest for now," said Brock as he kissed Roxanne and walked out of the room with Max.

" Max, what're you trying to do? Destroy my first serious relationship?" asked Bock angrily.

" Sorry Brock, I didn't mean to say that," said Max.

" It's alright Max, just don't yell out pregnancy accusations again," said Brock.

Brock and Max then walked into the medical station and saw two nurses standing behind the desk. One had blue hair, and the other had red hair.

" Excuse me we're looking for a medicine to cure seasickness," said Brock.

" If it's medicine you looking for, you're in the right place," said the nurse with red hair.

" If you can't handle the sea we'll send you to space," said the nurse with red hair.

" Why do I have a feeling that these two aren't nurses?" asked Max.

" It's because they aren't. Hello Jessie and James!" yelled Brock. The duo behind the desk then revealed their true identities and gave their usual motto.

" Listen you two, I don't want to fight but my girlfriend is seasick," said Brock.

" You? Girlfriend?" asked Jessie who then looked at James. They made eye contact then burst out laughing.

" I have a girlfriend! What's so funny?" asked Brock.

" Oh nothing, nothing," said Jessie before sending out Arbok.

" Go Sudowoodo and tackle Arbok!" ordered Brock.

" Arbok, dodge and use Poison Fang on the little twerp!" ordered Jessie. Before Max and Brock knew it, Arbok was latched onto Max's leg.

" Get it off me!" yelled Max in pain. Without thinking, Brock grabbed Arbok himself. However, Arbok then tackled Brock into the wall and knocked him out cold.

" Brock! Grovyle, go and use Bullet Seed!" ordered Max. Grovyle then hit Arbok and its masters with the Bullet Seed.

" Grovyle, now finish them off with Razor Leaf!" ordered Max. It hit Team Rocket directly.

" Looks like we're blasting off again!" yelled Team Rocket as they shot through the top of the ship and into the sky. Max rushed over to Brock's side. A few sailors ran in and tried to help Brock. He was okay except for having a slight concussion. He was then carried back to his cabin to rest. Max walked into Brock's cabin with the seasickness medicine and gave it to Roxanne.

" Max! What happened?" asked Roxanne with tears in her eyes.

" He's alright Roxanne, just a few bruises," said Max as he left the cabin still shook up from before. Max went over to Ash and May's cabin to tell them what happened. May saw the leg wound and hugged her brother, glad he was safe.

May walked over to Ash, who was laying in bed, watching TV and laid down next to him.

" Ash, I'm nervous for Max he seems like such a target for Team Rocket," said May caringly. Ash looked over at his beautiful girlfriend and kissed her.

" May, don't worry about before. Brock protected him and we will always be there to protect him," said Ash reassuring May.

" Thanks Ash," said May as she starting kissing him. They heard Roxanne and Brock in the next room. Brock was telling Roxanne how he stayed alive just for her. Ash and May chuckled at this The two made out on the bed for a little while before falling asleep in each other's arms. It would be another five hours before our heroes arrived in Dewford Town.

Ash woke up as the S.S. Anne was sailing into port. He looked out the window and saw the island's golden beach. It hadn't changed a bit since Ash was last there, except for the addition of a port for cruise ships. May got up and put her arms around Ash.

" I remember when we were here," whispered May into his ear.

" Same here, I remember wanting to battle Brawly but all he wanted to do is surf. It didn't bother me as much as it probably seemed to you, Brock, and Max. I was just glad I was able to spend time with you," said Ash as he turned around and kissed his girlfriend.

" I know you want to battle Brawly again, but can we spend today at the beach?" asked May.

" Anything for you my Love," responded Ash. Then somebody knocked on their door. Ash answered the door to see Brock, still a little injured from the night before.

" Good Morning Brock," said Ash.

" Good Morning Ash, I just came by to see what today's plans are," said Brock.

" Well May wants to go to the beach today, so today we're just hanging out. I'll battle Brawly tomorrow," responded Ash.

" Sounds fun, but Roxanne wants to go to Granite Cave, so we will be unable to join you," said Brock.

" Alright," said Ash. He then got closer to Brock to whisper in his ear.

" Listen, can you take Max with you?" asked Ash.

" No problem Ash," said Brock however you can see in his reaction that he would've preferred if it was only him and Roxanne.

" We have arrived in Dewford Town, thanks for travelling on the S.S. Anne," said the Captain over the P.A. system. The five heroes then collected their supplies and disembarked the ship. They then dropped all their supplies at the local Pokémon Center's guest room. However Ash and May planned to camp out on the beach. Then they headed North on Route 106. When they reached a fork in the road, Brock, Roxanne, and Max went west towards Granite Cave. Ash and May went east towards the beach. It was just as Ash and May remembered it. The water was calm and a light blue. Ash looked over at May who was to his left. She started taking her clothes off.

" May what are you doing?" asked Ash nervously.

" Calm down silly, my bikini is under my clothes," said May giggling. Ash then had a flashback to three years prior, when May changed in public on this same beach. He laughed when he remembered Max's reaction to his sister stripping on the beach. The couple then walked into the water. The water was clear and under them, they saw a school of Luvdisc swimming by. They swam around in the water, splashing each other for a little while. As they were swimming, they heard a voice nearby.

" Good job, Hariyama! You doing good!" said the voice. Ash and May looked in the direction of the voice to see Brawly and his Hariyama practicing attacks on the beach.

" Hm, I'm surprised he's not surfing," mumbled Ash, remembering his last experience in Dewford Town.

" Let's go say hello," suggested May.

" Of course May," said Ash with almost no enthusiasm. The couple walked up the beach to the area where Brawly was training.

" Hey Brawly!" yelled Ash.

" Hey little dude and dudette, how've you guys been?" asked Brawly.

" We've been good! I have won many ribbons and Ash has won many Pokémon battles and now I can call the best Pokémon trainer in the world my boyfriend, Ash," said May.

" Sweet, good job guys," responded Brawly.

" Yeah, I'm here because I want to have a rematch with you tomorrow," said Ash.

" Sure little dude, there's been almost no waves recently so I'll have a lot of free time tomorrow," responded Brawly.

" Thanks Brawly, we'll leave you to train, see you tomorrow," said Ash as he and May left and walked back towards the water.

" See you tomorrow guys," said Brawly as he went back to training his Hariyama.

Ash and May continued to swim in the water. It was a very peaceful day, Ash flirted with May while swimming and compared the water to her eyes and the sun to her heart.

" Aw Ash, you're melting my heart," said May blushing. Ash then picked her up and kissed her under the golden sun.

Meanwhile at Granite Cave, Brock, Roxanne, and Max were walking through the dark, stopping every few seconds to look at rocks and fossils. Max seemed interested in the fossils, but Brock seemed interested in other things. Roxanne was looking at the rocks and explaining them to Brock and Max.

" These are very interesting. I want to take some back to Rustboro to show them to the students there," said Roxanne.

" Yes very interesting," said Brock almost angrily. Roxanne sensed Brock's annoyance and asked Max to take a flashlight and explore another part of the cave.

" No problem Roxanne. Hey, maybe I'll find an Aerodactyl!" said Max excitedly. Max ran off and it was only Brock and Roxanne in the black cave.

" Now it's just you and me," whispered Roxanee into Brock's ear. The two started sweet talking to each other and starting making out in the cave. Little did they know, Max actually found an Aerodactyl fossil and was running back towards them. As they were making out, Max snuck up behind them and shined the flashlight on them.

" Having fun you guys?" asked Max smirking. Brock and Roxanne jumped and Brock quickly made up an excuse.

" Sorry… Max but… she had something on her lip," stuttered Brock.

" Right," said Max.

" Hey, it's getting late I think we should head back to the Pokémon Center," suggested Roxanne to break the awkward atmosphere.

" Good idea," said Brock quickly. The trio then walked out of the cave. Watching them leave from a higher cliff was none other than Jessie, James, and Meowth.

" Why don't we jump them right now?" asked Meowth impatiently.

" Patience Meowth, there's too many witnesses now," said Jessie.

" Can I help you guys," asked a voice from behind them.

" What the hell do you want?" asked Jessie angrily whilst turning around. She turned around to see a man with white hair in a black and purple sweater, standing next to a Metagross.

" My name is Steven and I just wanted to see if you three needed help," said the man irritated.

" Well we don't, so beat it Albino!" yelled James.

" I'm tired of your attitudes," said Steven.

" What are you going to do about it?" asked Meowth. Steven then turned to his Metagross.

" Metagross, use Hyperbeam!" ordered Steven. A large, bright beam was fired directly at Team Rocket, sending them flying.

" Team Rocket's blasting off again!" yelled the trio. Steven watched them fly off, smiling. Steven then climbed down the mountain and followed Brock, Roxanne, and Max back to Dewford Town.

On the beach, the sun had set, and Ash and May had set up camp on the beach. They laid down, watched the stars and listened to the calm sea.

" This is so peaceful," said May.

" Indeed it is, and I get to admire this peace with the best and most beautiful coordinator," said Ash as he kissed May on the cheek. May then put her head on Ash's chest and he rubbed her back. They made eye contact and kissed on the sand which was silver from the moonlight. May then fell asleep next to Ash. Ash put a blanket on her and kissed her on the forehead.

" Good night beautiful," said Ash. Ash then looked up and noticed Pikachu and May's Blaziken sleeping under a nearby palm tree. Ash put a blanket on the two Pokémon and laid down next to May. He needed his rest for his gym battle tomorrow because Brawly was no pushover and was able to defeat Ash within seconds. Ash thought about which Pokémon he should use and what he was going to do if he beat the Elite Four at Ever Grande City. Then Ash fell asleep on the silver beach.

It was a beautiful morning on Dewford Island when Ash woke up on the now golden beach. He needed to prepare for the gym battle so he woke up Pikachu and walked a little way down the beach to train. Ash planned on using Pikachu in the battle because he believed a well aimed Volt Tackle could destroy Brawly's Hariyama.

" Ok Pikachu, we need to train. Use volt tackle on that palm tree!" ordered Ash.

" Pika PIKA!" yelled Pikachu. Pikachu's body glowed yellow as he charged the tree at an extremely quick speed. As he hit the tree, it split in half, went flying twenty feet back, and caught on fire.

" Good job Pikachu, that Hariyama should be child's play!" said Ash excitedly. Pikachu nodded in agreement. Then the two continued practicing. Meanwhile back at the campsite, May had woken up and was watching her boyfriend battle with her Blaziken from a distance.

" He's so cute when he gets excited," said May smiling.

" Blazi," agreed Blaziken.

Ash then looked over into the direction of the campsite to see two beautiful sapphire eyes in the distance.

" Okay Pikachu, that's enough for now," said Ash. Pikachu jumped on his master's shoulder and the two walked back to the campsite.

" Good morning Beautiful," said Ash as he approached May who was watching the rising sun.

" Good Morning Ash," responded May as she pulled him closer to kiss him. He looked deep into her eyes which reflected the orange sun.

" Now I know I'm going to win the battle later," said Ash flirtatiously. Before kissing his girlfriend back. Ash then got his clothes out of his backpack.

" Let's get ready, we'll meet Brock, Roxanne, and Max in town for breakfast," suggested Ash. May agreed then got up and got dressed. Ash was packing up the camp and May was putting on her bandana when Brock, Roxanne, and Max walked through the trees and onto the beach.

" Hey you two!" yelled Max to the couple.

" Hey guys," said May.

" Did you guys have fun yesterday?" asked Brock smirking and winking.

" Yes we did Brock, how about you guys?" responded Ash.

" It was alright for the most part," responded Roxanne.

" Actually it was quite awkward Ash," thought Brock to himself while glaring evilly at Max who looked at Brock and knew exactly what he was thinking.

" That's good. Hey do you want to go to breakfast at the diner near the gym?" asked Ash to the group. They all agreed and the five of them walked into town. The diner was recently built and was very elegant. The five heroes sat down and Pikachu started drinking the many ketchup bottles on all of the tables.

" Pikachu! You're drinking all of the ketchup!" yelled Ash who had an angry look on his face. May rubbed his back.

" Calm down Ash, it could be much worse," said May trying to calm Ash down. He nodded and sat down with his girlfriend and his other friends. They all enjoyed their breakfast, mostly consisting of bacon and eggs. Then Ash realized what time it was and started to rush to make it to the gym on time. He and May had finished eating, so Ash took his girlfriend and walked towards the gym.

" You're real excited for this rematch aren't you?" asked May looking sweetly at her boyfriend. Ash smiled at her and nodded his head yes. About two minutes later, the couple ran into the gym's battlefield. May sat on the sidelines and Ash got ready for his battle. A few minutes later, Brawly and his Hariyama walked through the gym's double doors.

" Welcome Ash, you may remember our last battle, but I'm not going to let you win this time," said Brawly grinning at his opponent.

" Whatever you say, are you just going to talk trash or will you battle like a real trainer," said Ash.

" I'm ready. Since I traded away all my other Pokémon, Hariyama is my only one left, So this will be a one on one battle. It doesn't matter though, you're still gonna lose. Hariyama get out there and kick his ass," said Brawly.

" Go Pikachu!" ordered Ash. The yellow mouse started sparking and was ready for a battle.

" Hariyama, use Surf!" ordered Brawly. Ash's eyes opened wide. May also looked shocked.

" How does it know Surf?" asked May to herself. Water started to fill the battling area and a wave was heading towards Pikachu. Ash was nervous at first but he had gotten a crazy idea.

" Pikachu, use Thunder on that wave!" ordered Ash. Pikachu looked confused but followed the ordered and started to shock the wave. The power of the move sent the wave moving back towards Hariyama and the wave was now electrified.

" Hariyama, dodge it!" ordered Brawly. However it was too late and Hariyama took massive damage.

" Go Ash!" yelled May from the sidelines. At that time, our other three heroes also walked into the gym and sat down on the sidelines. From the window, a white-haired steel type trainer was watching the battle. It was Steven.

" Whoa…" said Steven as he saw the attack. He had only met Ash once before but he remembered him.

" He has gotten much more powerful," said Steven to himself.

In the arena, Hariyama managed to get back up but barely.

" Okay Hariyama, use Focus Punch!" ordered Brawly. Pikachu attempted to dodge but the attack happened too fast.

" Come on Ash and Pikachu, you can do it!" yelled May.

" Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" ordered Ash.

" Pika…CHU!" yelled Pikachu. The attack was extremely accurate and hit Hariyama directly, sending it flying through the gym's wall.

" Hariyama!" yelled Brawly. On the other side of the wall, by the window, steven saw the large Pokémon heading towards him and swiftly dodged it. Hariyama landed out near the beach and it was bleeding.

"My God…" said Steven.

" Hariyama, no!" yelled Brawly. Normally after a victory Ash would be celebrated and rubbing his win in Brawly's face, but he looked more concerned now. May noticed this and ran out next to her boyfriend and Brawly.

" Brawly… I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt it this bad…" said Ash worried that he killed the Pokémon.

" It's alright little dude but I need to get Hariyama to the Pokémon Center and fast, I'll talk to you later. Hariyama, return!" said Brawly as he patted Ash on the shoulder and ran towards the Pokémon Center.

" I feel so bad," said Ash to his girlfriend. She kissed him and ran her fingers through his hair.

" It'll be alright Ash, it'll be alright," said May comforting him. Steven was going to talk to Ash, but seeing as he was upset, he would wait until the next day. Our heroes walked around Dewford Town for the day without a word from Brawly. Ash was getting more worried. Finally, our heroes set up camp in a field near the gym, ate dinner, and went to sleep. Ash however, looked up at the starry sky and prayed that Hariyama would be okay. May turned over and saw Ash looking up at the sky and crawled over to him. She snuggled next to him and turned his face so he was facing her. She then began to make out with him. These two were not the only ones awake however. Max was also awake and heard the sounds of the kissing.

" What the…" he said to himself as he turned over and saw his sister and Ash making out. His eyes became wide and he quickly turned over again and pretended to be asleep. Steven watched the campsite from a nearby tree with his Metagross. Steven knew he was going to have to fight Ash again and he wanted to figure out Ash's weaknesses in battle before they would have to duel. Then Steven fell asleep underneath the tree.he next day, Ash woke up about ten in the morning. He was still exhausted from worrying about what had happened the day before. The rest of our heroes were already awake. They were sitting at a picnic table enjoying breakfast. May noticed that her boyfriend had awaken and walked over to him and kissed him good morning.

" Good morning my love, Brock made breakfast. Are you hungry?" May asked her boyfriend. Ash hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the morning before. He looked down at his stomach and noticed it was growling.

" Yeah, I guess," said Ash in a low voice. Ash got up from the ground and sat next to May at the table. The heroes began eating their breakfast when Steven came out of the woods and approached the table. The heroes looked up and saw the white-haired man standing over them. Ash though he recognized him.

" Have we met before?" asked Ash.

" Of course you remember me Ash. I'm Steven, Steven Stone," said Steven.

" Oh right your Mr. Stone's son correct?" asked Ash.

" That is correct. I was watching your gym battle yesterday and..." Steven began to say, but stop when he saw Ash put his head down.

" I'm sorry Steven but Ash feels guilty about what happened to Hariyama yesterday," said May.

" Guilty? It's a battle, Pokémon will get hurt but it'll make them stronger. Just ask my Metagross how many dents he got put into him during battles, and now he can take on the entire Elite Four by himself," said Steven trying to cheer Ash up. Ash lifted his head a little to look at Steven.

" Your right, Pokémon do get injured in battle, but not killed," said Ash about to cry.

" Hariyama's not dead Ash. I stopped by the Pokémon Center earlier and saw Brawly standing over Hariyama in the Recovery Room," said Steven.

" So Hariyama's... just fine," said Ash starting to cheer up.

" Of course, he just needed some stitches," said Steven.

" See Ash, I told you there was nothing to worry about," said May as she kissed his cheek.

" Thanks Steven, I still feel guilty but it's nice to know that I didn't kill a Pokémon," said Ash. Brock then started to clean up from breakfast, May and Roxanne helped him, and Max walked around with his Grovyle. Ash walked with Steven and talked about Pokémon battles, however Steven always seemed to change the subject to rocks and fossils.

" Hey Ash, I found something you might be interesting in, deep inside Granite Cave," said Steven whispering.

" What is it?" asked Ash curiously.

" We'll head over there in a few minutes, go get May and bring her with you, you might get some good news from this thing," said Steven smiling.

" Good news? What is he talking about?" asked Ash to himself. Ash then walked over to his girlfriend and hugged her from behind.

" Hey Beautiful, do you want to take a walk with me and Steven to Granite Cave in a few minutes?" Ash asked his girlfriend.

" Sure Ash, you did what I wanted to do the other day, so I'll go with you," said May smiling. Steven then let Metagross out of its Pokéball and signalled for the couple to follow him. They walked north out of Dewford Town and towards the cave. High above them, was a familiar Meowth hot-air balloon.

" Hey look! There's the Albino asshole with the twerps," said James angrily.

" Let's attack them right now," suggested Meowth.

" Are you crazy? You saw what that Metagross can do. Let's wait until they enter the cave and ambush them there," said Jessie. The Rocket trio watched the heroes enter the cave, then the balloon descended.

Steven, Ash, and May were walking through the darkest parts of the cave. They walked for what seemed like an eternity, since they kept having to fight Zubats and Sableyes every five seconds. Finally they reached a door made out of diamond. On the door was some Braille writing.

" What's it say?" asked Ash.

" It says: Ye who enter here, exit the timeline," responded Steven.

" What's that mean?" asked May.

" You'll see," responded Steven in a serious tone. Steven put a Dragon Scale in front of the diamond door and it open, revealing a large chamber with a blue stone in the center. The trio approached the stone and Steven placed the Adamant Orb on top of it. The stone began to glow and a shiny Dialga appeared in the back of the chamber.

" Whoa, a shiny Dialga!" asked Ash surprised.

" That's not why I brought you here Ash, the Dialga isn't really there," said Steven.

" Then why are we here?" asked Ash. Just as he said this, Dialga used Roar of Time and Ash disappeared in along with Dialga.

" Where did they go?" asked May, who didn't believe what she just saw happen.

" Ash, with the help of Dialga, exited the time line. He'll be able to see his past and his future," said Steven.

Meanwhile in an alternate dimension, Ash was floating alongside Dialga, and he was able to see his entire life. First Ash looked at his past. He saw himself being born, when he got Pikachu as his started from Professor Oak, and finally he saw when he met May.

" I'll never forget the first time I met her. I didn't believe in love at first sight until I laid my eyes on that angel," said Ash to Dialga.

" I was so naive back then, I should've known she had a crush on me since that first day," said Ash chuckling. Dialga nodded his head in agreement.

Then Ash started to see his future. He saw Pikachu being hit multiple times by a Metagross but eventually making it faint with multiple Thunder attacks. He then saw himself as a gym leader in a gym that looked more like an aquarium. Then Dialga roared again and the dimension twisted and before he knew it, he was standing in front of May and Steven, Dialga was behind him. Then Dialga used Roar of Time again and this time May disappeared.

" That was insane," said Ash to Steven. Ash was dizzy from the experience and could hardly walk straight.

In the alternate dimension, May floated alongside Dialga and started to look at her past. She focused on one part of her past, when she first laid eyes on Ash. Then she saw herself talking to her mom after Caroline guessed that she liked Ash. Caroline told May to wait for Ash to make the first move, something he didn't do until three years later. Then May started to look at her future. She was Hoenn's best Pokémon Coordinator and she had a nice house in what looked Sootopolis City. Before she could see any more, Dialga roared, twisting the dimension and sent May and itself back to Granite Cave.

" What just happened," said May not believing what just happened. Steven smirked.

" I couldn't believe it myself when I found this stone. My dad always told me this stone only existed in mythology," said Steven.

Outside the chamber, Team Rocket watched the trio.

" Imagine how that stone would look on the boss's desk," said Jessie.

" Yeah, we'll all be promoted and I'll replace that stupid Persian of his," said Meowth excitedly. Then Team Rocket sent out all of their Pokémon and ran into the chamber reciting their usual motto.

" Meowth, go steal that stone and Wobbuffet, help him!" ordered Jessie. Before Steven, Ash, or May could react, Meowth ran past them and grabbed the stone. However, when he grabbed the stone, the shiny Dialga appeared again to defend the stone. Meowth was scared and couldn't move. Jessie saw the Dialga and got an idea. Syhe took out a Master Ball and threw it at Dialga.

" A Master Ball? Oh no!" yelled May.

" It's not going to work," explained Steven.

" What?" asked Ash curiously. The Master Ball went right through Dialga as if it wasn't even there and instead caught a passing Zubat.

" NO!" screamed Jessie. She couldn't believe she wasted her only Master Ball on a semi-useless Pokémon.

" You know what to do Dialga," said Steven nonchalantly. Dialga then used Roar of Time, sending Team Rocket flying out of the cave and into the sky.

" Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" yelled Team Rocket.

"Wobbbuuffffettt!" yelled Jessie's Wobbuffet.

" Good job Dialga!" yelled Ash.

" Ok Dialga, you can go back into resting now," said Steven. Dialga roared again before using telepathy.

" Ash and May, your futures are bright, and I can guarantee, you'll be together until the end of time," said Dialga. Then Dialga spoke to Ash so that May and Steven didn't hear what it had to say.

" Ash, in your pocket I left a piece of diamond from my chest. Do with it what you want," said Dialga. Then Dialga roared again and disappeared. Ash and May looked at each other happily and kissed passionately, glad that they would be together for eternity. Steven watched them smiling. The trio then walked back to town.

" Let's not tell the others about today," suggested May. Ash agreed. On the way back to town, Ash saw Brawly and Hariyama training on the side of the road. Ash ran up to them.

" Hey Brawly!" greeted Ash.

" Oh hey little dude, how are you?" asked Brawly.

" I'm fine but how's Hariyama?" asked Ash.

" Don't worry little dude, it looked worse than what it was, you're forgiven," said Brawly patting Ash on the back.

" Thanks," said Ash now cheered up.

" That was a good battle, that Pikachu of yours is strong," complimented Brawly.

" You really think so?" asked Ash excitedly.

" I know so! It's getting late, you should get back to town," suggested Brawly. Ash agreed and the trio walked back to their campsite near Dewford Town's gym. Brock saw the trio approaching.

" Hey guys, we didn't see you all day, what were you doing?" asked Brock.

" Yeah we were worried," said Roxanne.

" Calm down, we were just checking out all the awesome fossils in Granite Cave," said May. The heroes then sat down for dinner and Steven prepared to leave.

" Are you sure you don't want to travel with us Steven?" asked Ash.

" I'm sure. I need to continue my studies, but we'll meet again one day," said Steven shaking Ash's hand. He then walked towards Granite Cave. Our heroes waved goodbye to him. Max took out a map and looked at it.

" Where to next guys?" he asked.

" I guess back to Slateport Town," said Brock and the others agreed. Then they all went to sleep. Ash kissed May good night then laid down and thought about what had happened that day. Ash and May were lying next to each other holding hands. Ash took the piece of diamond out of his pocket and looked at it for a while. Then Ash figured out exactly what he would use it for. Tomorrow, our heroes would be on the boat for Slateport City