Amour

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon nor am I in possession of any of the rights reserved by the companies that do own them.

Tiny transparent flakes of ice lightly fell through the air and landed on the ground just as softly as they floated through the air. Normally a person would be overwhelmed by the sheer cold or amazed by the beauty of the snow falling through the afternoon sky but the boy who walked down the snow covered trail wasn’t concerned with either.

Pulling his scarf down, he exhaled and watched his spent breath disburse in front of him, “May?” He said aloud, his voice almost as chilly as the bitter wind.

A girl not far behind him raised her head and nodded, too cold to open her mouth.

He looked over his shoulder, his dark brown eyes calmly observing the person behind him. Seeing that she was alright, he pulled his scarf back up and turned around. Once again, they marched down the trail without any conversation.

As he continued to walk down the tree lined path, May momentarily wondered why they had to go this far to see one pokemon. Even if she didn’t know what they were looking for, surely it had to be in order places, too.

Maybe she should have sat this one out like Brock did? She could be somewhere warm relaxing instead of freezing to death.

Her aquamarine eyes drifted down to the footprints her companion left in front of her and her thoughts trailed off as she remembered something more important than climate.

Every since they set off, Ash seemed like a different person. He was usually the type of person who would be throwing snowballs and making conversation but his attitude seemed to mirror the temperature itself.

Was the pokemon so difficult to deal with that it would supposedly require the most concentration Ash ever put forth in his life?

May, using what little energy she had left, shook her head. It was crazy to even think that he would act this way about catching pokemon when he was the very example of having fun catching them.

“May?” He asked again like he did every twenty steps or so.

She looked up to find a cabin nestled into the woods on the side of the dirt path. Almost instantly, the idea of food and rest entered her mind and never left. With her eyes sparkling, May got more of a bounce in her step as she walked and then jogged to the cabin.

When she noticed that she didn’t hear anything behind her, she stopped and looked only to discover Ash looking at the watch he brought along with the scarf his mother gave him. Uncertain to rather she should approach him, she simply watched him as she stood in front of the door of the cabin.

“Ash…?” Her voice was scratchy thanks to the fact it was the first thing she said since they woke up but it had the same effect on him as if she yelled it.

Immediately, his head snapped up in her direction, “Oh? Go on in and go rest if you want to. I’m going to….” He paused as he tried to remember what he was going to say.

“Look for the pokemon?” May said quickly; ready to tell him that he should rest first before attempting anything if she was right.

He nodded, “Well, that’s-“

“Ash?” Someone called out from behind, surprising them both.

May’s eyes didn’t have to linger on the girl for a second before she knew who she was. That bright orange hair and crystal blue eyes were all that were needed to identify her.

Misty smiled, seeming to be unaffected by the cold, as she walked up to the two of them. Despite the brisk breeze, the older girl stuck out her bare hand to Ash who pulled off his glove to do the same.

“Didn’t expect you to get here faster than me,” Misty admitted as she shook hands with her best friend before she started with idle chatter.

May quietly watched as Ash turned back into the Ash she always knew, the one who laughed and made stupid jokes. For a brief moment, she forgot about the promise of dinner and shelter and even the cold. She simply observed Ash as he spoke. Happily, he talked about a lot of stuff. Stuff like meeting new people, stuff like visiting places he never thought he’d see, and so on. Like her, Ash seemed to forget completely about the cabin as he spoke to Misty but he also seemed to forget about something else…

Her…


Amour


“You wouldn’t believe it Misty,” Ash declared as he held his hands up in the air, “It was this tall and Raichu took it down with one attack!”

“You’re right,” Misty said dryly as she took off her coat, “I don’t believe it.”

He sighed as he warmed himself in front of the fire place, “H-How come!? I’m telling you it was this big!” The trainer repeated as he continued to hold his arms up to show her how large the Houndoom was.

“That doesn’t make me believe you! They don’t get that big!”

“They do!”

“They don’t!!”

The banter went on and May didn’t say anything as she sat on the couch. The couch was positioned behind the two who sat directly in the front of the fireplace so their shadows loomed over the girl who didn’t protest since that’s how it actually felt. In a way, it almost felt like she wasn’t even here…

It was now apparent that Ash lied to her but she didn’t know how to or even if she wanted to respond. It would be wrong to interrupt their fun… but wasn’t it wrong that he lied to her? If she knew that it was going to be like this she wouldn’t have traveled with him to the cabin in the middle of nowhere.

Furthermore, if he really didn’t want her to come, all he had to say was that Misty would be here.

At the thought of the girl, May looked up at her. Her orange hair was longer and seemed even more vibrant than before and, thanks to the light from the fire, her skin seemed to have a certain glow to it. From where she was sitting, she could still here bits and pieces about their conversation but she could easily tell from her body language that Misty was just as glad as Ash to be in each other’s company.

It was then that Misty looked over her shoulder and, for a least a second, locked eyes with the onlooker. Sky blue eyes openly stared back into the dark blue that silently observed. Before looking away, the older girl smiled warmly before turning back to Ash and it was then that May recalled how she felt about Misty.

Of course, it wasn’t hate or anything like that. It was just the kind of annoyance you feel when someone was in the way. May already knew that she desired to be more than friends with her companion but she also knew fully well that Misty stood in the way of any relationship she could muster with him.

‘Even now,’ May thought sadly as she watched the two, ‘He… forgot about me again.’

“I’ll go get us something to drink. What do you want May?” She did a double take at the mention of her name and was almost shocked to find Ash standing in front of her.

“Um… whatever you are having.” She said quickly causing him to nod and promptly leave the room.

With Ash gone, a breeze named silence swept through the room and all that remained was the flicker of the flames. Neither of the occupants spoke, one fearing to ask a question that shouldn’t be asked and the other awaiting the return of friend that she has been without.

A few minutes passed and nothing changed until Misty suddenly got up and took a seat on the couch besides May. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest as the longing for the truth started to turn into a question but Misty spoke before she could pose it.

“You know, this is a traveler’s cabin but not many people know about it. It’s made just so people can have somewhere to rest for a day or two so they have extra beds and a lot of stuff packed into the kitchen.”

“Why….”

“I think it’s even some first aid packs stored in one of the bedrooms. Can’t remember which-“

“Why are you here?” May asked causing Misty to trail off and turn in her direction.

Again, the room descended into silence but, this time, tension was in the air. While May never proclaimed her dislike of Ash’s best friend, Misty wasn’t at all oblivious to it. Of all the girls to ever be around Ash, May was the only one who ever looked at her with eyes that cold.

Misty was never naïve. There were times when you couldn’t win, people who would take advantage of you, and people who you could never be friends with. No matter if she tried or not, May was the type of people who wouldn’t even accept her as a friend.

Despite that, Misty knew that the question wasn’t answered with ill intent so she asked one that was just as honest, “Why do you want to know?”

This was the proof.

This was all that May needed to tell that Misty was in her way on purpose. Year after year, she was the one who followed Ash to islands she never heard of and she was the one who watched him from behind patiently waiting to tell him how she felt but one person stood between him and her confession.

Misty was not someone she hated and could even remember her admiration for the girl at times but, as of right now, there was no one she could care less for.

The girl she watched through narrowed eyes stared back at her with a wry smile on her face but questions would remain unanswered as Ash returned.

May, once again, returned to being the shadow Ash regarded her as until she noticed that he only came back with two cups. Hurt, she moved to speak until Ash handed her the cup of steaming tea.

“Too lazy to make something for yourself?” Misty thought out loud, voicing May’s unasked question.

“Um… Not really, I just wanted to hurry up. I didn’t tell you about some of the new pokemon I saw and I met a lot of gym lead-“

“You can have mine.” May said softly, cutting him off as she held up the cup of tea.

“B-But you already drunk some of it!” Ash stammered as he started to blush.

“That’s okay,” May’s face started to take on a light shade of red as the thought of an indirect kiss came into mind, “I-It’s not like-“

“Here. I didn’t really want tea anyway.”

The younger girl blinked as Misty held out her cup in front of her own. Ash, surprised by the sudden offer, accepted the cup from Misty leaving May biting her lip in frustration, “Um, thanks Misty.”

Frustration was something that May learned to deal with a long time ago. Learning how to adapt to new things wasn’t exactly one of the things she knew how to do well so it was common for her to get frustrated a lot. Pokemon battles, cooking, and cold places… enduring and getting better at dealing with them was frustrating but nothing ever frustrated her as much as Misty’s smiling face.

This feeling was more than annoyance… more than just plain frustration. This feeling that gripped her chest could only be described as hate. She could have excused it… Even pretend that it wasn’t what she knew it was but she couldn’t overlook such a blatant example of Misty alienating her.

“I’m going to sleep.” May whispered as she stood up.

“May,” Ash called out, his concerned voice reaching her before she walked away, “Is something wrong?”

“No… I’m just a bit cold.” She said as her back faced them, “That’s all.”

“How about a battle to warm you up?”

May looked over her shoulder and her eyes fell on the only person in the room who would issue her such a challenge. Misty reached down to her waist and grabbed one of her poke’balls.

The older girl tossed the red and white orb up and down as she waited for a reply and May gave her the answer she was looking for with a nod of the head.

“Wait,” Ash stood up and looked at both of his friends, “May, are you really sure about this? She’s a-“

“I can beat her.” May said, cutting him off in the process.

Ash shook his head, “I mean, she has an advantage here and you don’t have any-“

“I can beat her!” She exclaimed as she grabbed a poke’ball of her own.

This was her one chance to take that damn smirk off her face. All of the feelings she previously had all flooded back into her consciousness. The anger she felt knowing that Ash came here only for Misty, the shame she felt in coming with him, the sorrow that resulted from him never thinking about her the same way she thought about him. Of course, she knew that a win wouldn’t erase any of it but it would at least give her a brief moment of delight to see the look on Misty’s face after she was beat.

“Yeah, don’t be like that Ash,” Misty said, grabbing her coat off the couch before she got up, “It’s not like she doesn’t have a chance.” She added quickly, the tone of her voice showing that the statement was as sarcastic as it sounded.

May was just as quick to put on her coat. With a poke’ball in hand, she opened the door of the cabin and walked out with Misty following.

The snow was still falling but that was a fact May paid little attention to as she got ready for a one-on-one battle. Ash, who almost forgot where he threw his coat, rushed out the door with it on just as Misty opened her mouth to speak.

“Let’s use just one pokemon. Of course, first one to go down loses,” Misty announced as she stared at the girl in front of her, “Ash can be the judge.”

May glared back at her as she held out the poke’ball, “Come out Blaziken!”

A thin red beam materialized from the ball and, suddenly, the pokemon that May counted on the most appeared. The vibrant crimson and striking yellow of the pokemon made it stand in extreme contrast to the environment around it. One would think that the half fire-half fighting pokemon would be cold but the air around it was as hot as the flame in its eyes.

“Poliwrath.”

That was all Misty had to say for the familiar tadpole pokemon to appear. His narrowed eyes looked at the opponent before him as he held up his fist. The deep blue color of its skin seemed to be just as dark as the waters it frequently trained in. While most would consider the swirl on the front of it to be cute, many trainers associated it with the enemy’s downward spiral when facing the dangerous fists of the fighting water type.

The girls turned to Ash who, in anticipation of the battle, forgot what he was supposed to do until he felt the glares aimed in his direction, “Ah, begin.”

A feathered arm flew through the air and melted the snowflakes around it. Poliwrath easily avoided the quick punch with a back flip. Although one punch was already dodged, another was thrown and more came after that. The flurry of punches continued until Poliwrath hopped backwards and waited on the command of Misty who gave him what he was waiting for.

“Body Slam.”

Again, the pokemon narrowed his eyes at his opponent but, this time around, he didn’t just stand and look at the flaming bird pokemon. Poliwrath quickly closed the distance between him and Blaziken. After side stepping the uppercut that May ordered her pokemon to do, Poliwrath wrapped both of its arms around Blaziken and lifted him into the air before doing a massive backdrop.

Before he could release its hold on the stunned pokemon, Misty issued the same order again and he was happy to execute. Before it could recover from the last one, Poliwrath used its colossal strength to once again lift his opponent in the air before delivering another body slam.

“Body Slam.”

May stomped on the snow as she watched Misty’s pokemon go into motion to do another one, “Break free Blaziken!! Reversal!”

The now sluggish Blaziken attempted to do exactly what she said but it was already too late as her pokemon made contact with the snow again. Poliwrath implanted the pokemon into the ground and Ash ran forward to see if the battle could continue.

Blaziken, without question May’s strongest pokemon, was effortlessly defeated and the way it laid motionless in the melting snow was all that was needed to prove it.

“He can’t continue May.” Ash said softly as he looked over the pokemon to make sure it wasn’t injured.

Still, it was only when Misty summoned her mighty Poliwrath back into its poke’ball that May realized that she lost. No, not just lost… She was crushed and Blaziken suffered because of her own recklessness. Through the steam caused by the rapidly melting snow that Blaziken unconsciously laid in, May could see the smiling face of Misty who returned to tossing her poke’ball up and down as she started walking back to the cabin.

Quietly, she held out her poke’ball and made her favorite pokemon return back inside of it. With her head hung down, May didn’t say anything as Ash got up and turned towards her.

“It was a good battle. He almost had it but he was still stunned a bit.” Ash said happily, attempting to life her spirits, as he moved closer to her.

A lie…

The last thing she needed was a lie… especially from him. He was going to go back in the stupid cabin and have some fun with his stupid play girlfriend. She knew he didn’t care already but she thought he at least had the decency not to lie to her twice in a row.

He put his hand on her should as he spoke, “Don’t worry about it May, I lose to her every now and th- Well, I don’t lose to her now but-“

“I’m tired of your lies!” She yelled out loud causing him to withdraw hand.

May, her eyes already beginning to water, watched as Ash slowly returned his arm back to his side, “Don’t pretend like you care now!! You brought me up here with a lie about a pokemon that doesn’t exist then you ignored me the whole time!” She screamed as the tears started to come.

Shocked, Ash could barely put together a sentence, “May… w-what are you talking about? It does and-“

“I don’t care! Go and talk to stupid girlfriend in front of the fireplace!” She turned her back to him and started to walk away from the cabin, “I’m leaving!”

Recovering from his shock the best he could, Ash chased after her, “May! Wait!”

As he trailed behind her, May confirmed that she was tired of waiting now and also for him as she ran down the path faster than the tears streaked down her face.

“May!!”

~*~

May leaned against a tree as she fought to catch her breath. She ran as long as she could to get away from them. She couldn’t stand it anymore. She could deal with Misty alone but why did he have to lie to her face… again.

Slightly recovering, she pushed herself off the tree and looked down the now snow covered path they took to get here. It would take roughly six or seven hours of walking to get back to the town but that was something she would just have to do.

Still, the sun was going down and she knew that it would be more difficult going back especially since it would be colder and since she would be alone.

As she started to walk, she wondered if that was such a big difference. Virtually, she was alone even though Ash was right next to her when they walked down the trail. It was always like this though… she was always just a replacement.

“A placeholder for Misty…” She thought out loud as the sky turned a darker color.

May looked up as she walked and noticed that it wasn’t snowing anymore. While that meant snow wouldn’t be falling on her, that didn’t really change much considering that the snow wasn’t what made the trip so bad in the first place. It was the howling, cold wind that assaulted her every step of the way.

Her boots sunk into the snow as she continued to make her way down the path but May kept walking, determined to get as far away from them as she could. Sighing as she tried to think about something other than Ash.

But she couldn’t.

Well, until something in the distance caught her eye. The pink dot in the air that swirled around like a feather caught in the wind. It sailed through the air like a bird except it movements weren’t as swift. It moved through the air gently and with grace… almost like a butterfly except that it didn’t have wings.

It soared above her head in the night sky and she could tell that it was a pokemon, most likely a legendary one.

May watched it fly as she pulled out a poke’ball, “Blaziken… Come out.”

The pokemon was materialized from its container and, although swaggering, was conscious and aware of its surroundings. Regaining his footing, Blaziken stood up and followed his owner’s line of sight to the flying pokemon.

“I’m sorry about earlier but… do you think you can help me right now?” Blaziken looked over his shoulder at his master after she spoke and nodded before turning back to the light pink pokemon above them.

Pokemon, like people, were intelligent enough to know how to estimate certain things. The strength of their opponents, the weather, their own level of strength, and even that of their owners… They knew it all. More importantly, they were smart enough to understand the concept of respect and the way Blaziken stared at the pokemon above was a clear example of that.

Taking that pokemon down was going to be the hardest thing he ever did.

May pointed at the pink dot, “Flamethrower.”

Her pokemon braced itself before opening its mouth and a wide pillar of fire appeared out of nowhere. The air around the blast of fire was so hot that the all of the snow in a certain radius instantly melted. Thankfully, the fire didn’t come into contact with any trees but it smashed directly into the pink dot in the night sky.

She bit her lip as she pulled an empty poke’ball out of her pack but the pokemon would serve to disappoint her as the thick pillar of flames disbursed quickly. Obviously upset, the unharmed pokemon dived out of the air towards Blaziken who waited on his command.

May panicked. What was once a dot high in the night sky was now speeding through the air towards her most loyal of pokemon like a bullet. Raking her brain, she opened her mouth to order him what to do but it was then that she realized that she was too late, the small pink pokemon was about to charge headfirst into her pokemon at that speed and it was all her fault.

Blaziken, knowing his fate was sealed, looked on the magnificent pokemon in admiration as the deadly double edge attack neared closer and closer.

Out of nowhere, something yellow dashed in front of the awestruck pokemon and dug its feet into the snow to brace itself for impact.

“Raichu!! Endure!” A familiar voice yelled from behind.

Ash turned his hat backwards and watched as the sudden collision of pokemon and pokemon occurred. The high level Raichu, one who would normally shrug off attacks, found it hard to get back up but the pokemon that floated above him seemingly was in much better shape.

Sparks of electricity started to appear as Ash’s number one pokemon stood up fully and prepared for a thunderbolt strong enough to vaporize land until Ash sighed, “Raichu, don’t you know who that is? It’s Mew!”

The look on the bright yellow’s pokemon face softened and he realized that it really was the rare pokemon they first encountered so long ago. The two that were ready to fight just seconds ago, happily started to play with each other in the snow.

May leaned against a tree and let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding, “I lost again… I might as- Wait, this couldn’t be the-“

“Pokemon I was lying about?” Ash finished her sentence as she summoned her pokemon back, “I tried to tell you before you ran away.”

The famous trainer watched as Mew played with his Raichu, “Misty and I come here every year to meet just so we can see it again… It just takes some time to spot him.” He said softly as his heart beat started to slow down again, the thought of seeing May hurt quickly subsiding thanks to good timing on his part.

“The reason I didn’t really try to say anything on the way up was the same reason I made Raichu get in his poke’ball,” Ash continued, “We had to save our energy. I learned my lesson the first time I came up here.” He said, recalling how he almost passed out in the cabin the first time he visited Mew.

May didn’t say anything as the sun finally started to set but Ash, who knew her better than she thought he did, knew that she was thinking of a way to apologize. While she was a fairly straightforward person, May wasn’t so used to saying sorry since she wasn’t the type of person to make mistake after mistake.

Interestingly enough, May was similar to Misty in many ways but the biggest difference between the two was their tolerance. While Misty was quick to take action in almost situation, May was one to endure something until she couldn’t take it anymore. She would rather hide something than bring it out in the open for everyone to see.

That’s why he had to ask…

“May,” Ash paused as he tried to think of how to phase the question, “Do… Do you like me?” He asked slowly, taking his time to voice the question so he wouldn’t fumble his words.

The sight of pokemon playing in front of her was easily forgotten as she snapped her head in his direction. If the blush on her face wasn’t enough proof, the surprised look in her eyes was all that he needed to see that his guess was right, “I… I was going to tell-“

Despite the fact that the blush he had was just as red as the one on her face, the look in his eyes wasn’t as happy as it was before. When he noticed her optimistic expression, he couldn’t help but turn his sight to the snow at his feet, “May… I know this is going to sound stupid but you don’t really like me.”

“Huh…?”

“We’ve just been around each other for a long time… That’s why you feel-“

“How are you going to tell me how I feel?” May asked, placing emphasis on me.

“Because I felt the same way…” Ash whispered, lowering his head as he made his admission.

The pokemon, the snow, and the temperature were all forgotten as May’s heart started to thump in her chest. Stepping forward, she asked a question knowing that the answer was going to hurt, “About me?”

He didn’t answer.

As she waited for his answer, the cold returned with a fury. The swirling sound of the wind blowing through the trees that lined the muddy dirt path, the happy sounds of friends tumbling in the snow that was so different to the dreadful sound of her beating heart that felt like it was going to burst out of chest soon if she didn’t get an answer, and the sound of Ash shuffling his boots in the snow all filled her ears but the only thing she wanted to hear was his answer.

“No…”

It hurt but not as much as knowing who the alternative was. May gave no outward reflection of her feelings but she had no choice but to accept another defeat by Misty, “So I was right about her being your girlfriend?”

At that Ash chuckled lightly but the distant look in his eyes remained, “Ha, I never told her how I felt. It wasn’t until she left that I realized that we were better as friends and it was just because we were always with each other that I wanted to be… more than that.”

“Ash…”

“Even though I say that, I kind of still feel the same way. I…” Ash took off his hat and scratched his head, “I think she knows but I still can’t tell her how I feel.”

Ash was an interesting person. At times, he was so dense that she would believe he thought a subliminal message was something to eat but, now, he perfectly described how she felt at this very moment.

She was amazed that he could so accurately describe the feelings she had but, at the same time, she was still uncomfortable with him knowing how she felt, “Is it because she came first? Because I’m younger? The… The way I look?”

“No! I mean...” Ash quickly raised his head and looked her in the eye, “I feel the same way about you May.”

“Then why?” May sighed as their eyes locked, “That’s all that I want to know… Why do I always come in second to her?”

“The way I think about you sometimes…” Ash turned away from her as his whole face turned a shade of red, “I… I think of you differently.”

“I know…” May whispered, the thumping in her chest returning as she moved closer to him, “I think of you the same way…”

“May… You…” Ash found himself at a lost for words as his eyes focused on the lips that was moving closer to his mouth.

She could remember reading romance stories and thinking that the description of kisses were always way over exaggerated. All that stuff about them being like a spark of electricity and all that was just corny stuff put in to make girls have something to blush about, right?

His lips were warm but it was the inside of his mouth that felt light a cozy retreat for her tongue. Ash’s back was pressed into the bark of tree as she advanced on him but he had no problem with that as their tongues mingled in each other’s mouth. For the first time, she tasted Ash and he tasted her… and that was the best she could ask for.

The hat Ash favored was forgotten just as easily as the playing pokemon as he dropped it and pulled her closer to him. A chilly breeze passed but the passionate kiss kept both of them too busy too take notice of anything around them as the light, gentle kiss became more than what it was meant to be…

Gradually, May pulled away and broke the kiss. Silently, they both stared at each other with lust written across their faces. May smiled at the dazed look in his eyes, “Your first kiss?”

Ash slowly nodded as his mind started to function correctly again, “Y-Yeah…”

“Mine, too.”

While it wasn’t exactly the best kiss in the world, what it lacked in technique was made up with feeling. Ash, who wasn’t at all familiar with things of this sort, didn’t at all mind the kiss. However, he did want to know how she felt before they took things any further… A kiss, even though it felt good, didn’t change anything between them.

They were still friends and, more importantly, his feelings for Misty were still firmly in place.

Realizing that he was still holding her, Ash withdrew his arms from around her, “May… I-“

“You still feel the same way about Misty?” She said calmly, taking her turn to finish one of his sentences. May took his hand into hers as she look straight into his eyes, “I… I don’t care about that. I’m not going to ask you to forget about her or anything but just give me a chance.”

May tilted her head as she moved in for another kiss but stopped before their lips came into contact, “Just let me have you for now… we can worry about later when it comes.” She whispered, her breath flowing over his lips as she spoke.

“May…” Ash again relented to her advances but, to his credit, he held out long enough to make a point, “We have to go back… It’s getting dark.” He said quickly, their closeness making it difficult to speak.

He was right. She could clearly see the stars in the sky and, even if she didn’t notice it at first, it was colder than before. As much as she didn’t want to see Misty again, she had no choice but to go back to the cabin.

As May thought about her course of action, Ash was already picking his hat up, “Raichu! We’re about to go back!” He called into the woods, being careful not to shout too loud.

The shivering pokemon returned with Mew floating not far behind him. Before returning Raichu back to its poke’ball, Ash waved goodbye to the legendary pokemon that nodded before flying off into the night sky.

Silently, he watched the sight that May admired not even hours ago. As the graceful pokemon glided through the air, May wrapped her hand around his, “Can we walk back like this?”

He couldn’t refuse when she asked like that and, even if it was her bare hand wrapped around his, it didn’t at all feel unpleasant. With a lot of walking to do, the two started to walk back to the cabin.

“Like I tried to tell you, even though Blaziken is a fire and fighting type, you could have beat Poliwrath if he had recovered from the Body Slam quick enough to do a Reversal.”

May smiled and grasped his hand tighter, “I didn’t expect her to do something like that straight from the start so she caught me off guard.”

Except, this time, they talked.

~*~

The flames in the fireplace in a way memorized her. While it could be called strange seeing that she worked with water pokemon, the flickering flames were almost a symbol of her own character.

It appeared to be so strong while, in reality, it would take nothing more than a bucket of water to reveal how weak it actually was. It was so pretty but at the time it looked so lonely. Sometimes it would quiver while other times it would roar…

Yes, she knew that she couldn’t lie to herself of all people. The tomboy that other people thought of her as was nothing more than a front, a mask she wore to protect the lonely girl who virtually had nothing in common with her sisters.

Misty smiled as the warm air from the fireplace flowed over her body. There was someone she didn’t have to wear this mask in front of though… but the thought of him removed the smile from her face. The satisfied expression on her face turned into a more forlorn look as she thought about him.

Would this be the year he finally said it?

Misty sighed, “He’s too much an idiot to know I want him to say it first…”

Love was a feeling that all trainers were well accustomed to but the type of love she wanted to share with Ash was way different than the type of love she shared with her pokemon… Although she could play it smooth, she enjoyed being around him more than she did with anyone else. It wasn’t until she finally left him and Brock that she realized how much she’d miss them.

That’s part of the reason she came here with him every year.

She wanted to remain in his life as much as she wanted him to remain in hers. Under the guise of coming to visit Mew, she came here to hear about what he had been doing lately but, most of all, the reason she came was so he could finally say how he felt about her.

All she wanted was the confession from him… After that, they were free to do what they wanted.

Misty licked her lips as a soft smile reappeared on her face, “Even have sex…”

The suddenly opened and Misty jumped at the sound of the door slamming back shut.

“Wasn’t able to find her?” The orange haired girl guessed based on the noise.

“She’s right here Misty.”

Looking over her shoulder, the water pokemon trainer saw something she never wanted to see. She could overlook the fact that he was half way holding her hand and of course she could excuse how close they were standing next to each other but… the way she stood behind him and the look on their faces just made it feel off.

Something happened.

Something important happened.

“What happened?” She said, the tone of her voice showing that she wasn’t asking but instead demanding to know.

Ash turned away from the suspecting eyes of Misty, “N-Nothi-“

“Ash,” She threw the blanket she had draped around her on the floor, “Don’t lie to me. All I want to know is what happened? Did she do something to you?”

“She didn’t do-“

“I… We kissed each other.”

May stepped in front of Ash who, like Misty, was too shocked to speak. This was finally her win… She had the first kiss that Misty never would and that alone was all she needed to feel better but the expression on her face only made the situation better.

“A-Ash…?” Misty squeaked out as May savored the experience.

Ash, for the second time, couldn’t bear to look at his best friend. With his hat hiding his eyes, he started to walk towards one of the bedrooms. He passed by Misty without a word and her suspicions were confirmed without a doubt.

The sky blue eyes that were normally so confident were only confused. The body language that told people that boldly told people she was someone not to be dealt with was now barely a whisper.

Misty was clearly upset.

May watched her from the other side of the room, “Now you know how I felt.”

The older girl’s train of thought was derailed by the abrupt statement, “What?” She asked softly, her feelings still a ball of confusion.

“I’m in your way now.”

“You think I care about that? I don’t mind you taking your cheap shots at me but when you hurt him to get back at me….” Misty trailed off as she inhaled and slowly exhaled a breath to calm herself.

May shook her head before Misty could even bother to finish what she was about to say, “Don’t even think of it like that! You’ve been doing this to me every since I met him!! I like him just as much as you do!”

“I don’t give a damn anymore,” Misty said as she turned away, her heart pounding in her chest as she wanted to voice that she loved him more than anyone, “I don’t care what you two do. Go and kiss some more if you want to. I’m going to sleep.”

Right now, Misty knew that she couldn’t deal with the reality of the situation. Although she was indeed too angry at both of them to think rationally, she also felt betrayed. He was supposed to be here for her and not even one day passed before something like this happened.

Did the way he felt about her change?

As she retreated to one of the various bedrooms, Misty pushed the thought out of her mind. More than anything, she wanted to go and talk to him but knowing what he did with May held her back.

Misty glanced over her shoulder and saw that May was already gone. The orange haired girl sighed, her shoulders drooping almost as low as her mood. May went to Ash while she, the person who loves him the most, walked into another part of the cabin alone…

~*~

“Ash…?”

He didn’t bother to move from his position in the bed, “Misty?” He called back.

“No, it’s me…” May whispered as she walked into the dimly lit room and stared at him. Ever so slightly, he seemed to deflate upon realizing it wasn’t Misty. While it hurt, she ignored it as she moved closer to the bed, “I’m sorry… about earlier.”

“It’s alright.”

May took a seat on the edge of the bed and looked down at him, “Ash, you already told me how you felt about her so I know that you’re not alright with it…”

She learned over him and he moved to turn on his side but, unintentionally, she knocked his hat off his face. With the small sum of light provided by the dimly lit lamp, she could see the tears on his face and it wasn’t until that exact moment that she saw that Misty was right.

She hurt him… She really hurt him in the process of wanting to make Misty feel bad.

It was also then that she realized that it was the first time she ever saw him cry. He didn’t even sob but the tears continued to come even though he wiped them away with the back of his hand. Watching him, it almost felt like she couldn’t hear anything but the sound of her heart breaking.

“That was the first time she looked at me like that…” He whispered, tears spilling forth as he spoke.

It was her fault.

“I…” He paused as he attempted to regain his composure but failed, “I was going to tell her this time.”

It was all her fault.

“Ash, I swear I’m sorry.”

It was too late for apologies…

“It’s-“

Another kiss…

While, it took him by surprised… he eventually relented to her whims again. This kiss, while more forceful than the one before, had more powerful feelings behind it. The jealously that made her go to this extent, the lust that remained from their first intimate encounter, the selfishness that made her only take her own wishes into account… All of them were the driving force behind the kiss but there was still one feeling that loomed above all of them.

She broke the kiss and a thin line of salvia hanged between their parted lips. Licking her lips, she could taste his tears, “I’m sorry.”

The chains wrapped around her heart were made of guilt. Of all the adventures they shared, Ash was never one to cry no matter how emotional the situation was but, alone, he silently cried because she messed up everything he planned.

An apology wasn’t enough.

His tears stopped but the downcast look on his face remained. With their faces so close that their lips were almost touching each other, they looked into each others eyes. The eyes that were commonly hidden under his favorite hat now started at the sapphire eyes that looked back with feelings that he couldn’t quite make out.

Despite the jumbled mix of feelings, he could definitely see the remorse in her eyes. He wanted to say it was okay… but he couldn’t. Deep down, he knew it was her fault but the thin lie wasn’t strong enough to fool his conscious.

It had nothing to do with May. It was his fault that it even came to this. He was too slow to say what he wanted to Misty and he couldn’t fend off May’s advances… even now.

That’s why he made no attempt to stop the next kiss.

She licked her tongue across the corner of his mouth and his lips parted almost immediately. Ash was pressed into the bed when she moved on top of him, allowing her to have better access to the inside of his mouth as their tongues danced in each other’s mouth.

Since the only heat was coming from the heat from the fireplace in the other room, it was a bit cold but neither of them paid any attention to the temperature of the room as she got completely on top of him. As her breasts pressed into his chest, Ash flicked his tongue around in her mouth and worked his hand into her hair.

As he tangled his hand in her soft, beautiful brown hair, her bandana became undone and fell off as the kiss became more than just something to make him stop crying. Oblivious to the sound of the blowing outside, the kiss they shared became heavier.

All they took notice of was each other.

The light smell of shampoo she used, the way her tongue slid across his, the gentle touch of her fingertips on the side of his face… He was intoxicated with her but that was just the beginning and May let him know that when she moved his hand to her breast.

Ash tenderly grabbed the mound of flesh and squeezed causing the girl on top of him to moan softly. May, her long brown locks of hair pooling on his chest, broke this kiss only to mutter a few words, “Harder…” She said, needing more of sensation.

He complied quickly and the touch that was almost a tease became serious. He roughly massaged her breast through her shirt and that was exactly how she wanted it.

“Stop…” May said suddenly as she motioned to get up.

“D-Did I do something wrong?”

“No!” She said quickly as she pulled her hands away from him and reached for the bottom of her shirt. She pulled it off and threw it on the side of the bed where her bandana was, “It’ll feel better like this.”

Ash looked at the girl on top of him and blushed as he remembered this was the first time he ever seen a girl like this. While it was something new to him, it didn’t make him nervous at all but the same couldn’t be said for May.

The brown haired girl was worried. Not only about he felt about her body but that he would compare her to Misty. The orange haired girl was older, had bigger breasts, and had a very large sense of presence. Compared to Misty, May was boring…

Ash chuckled nervously, “You told me you hated the color pink.” He said, noting the color of her bra.

Apparently, he didn’t think she was boring and the sound of him laughing relieved her of the guilt that weighed her down so much. Released from the very feeling that made her feel bad, May joined him in laughing, “I brought it because… I had you in mind.” She admitted, causing Ash to pay even more attention to the pink lacy undergarment.

Even though the laughs eventually died down, the comfortable feelings remained as she reached for the clasp of her bra. Unhooking it and letting it fall off her shoulders, May exposed her body to him. Her breasts weren’t small but there weren’t exactly large either. They were just big enough that they almost fit into his hand but Ash didn’t take account of the size of them as they moved. May rolled off of him and lay in the bed as he sat up and, again, applied his hand to her breast.

Squeezing it just like she told him to, Ash massaged her full breast before he leaned down and started to plant light kisses on the corner of her mouth. He played with her using the teasing kisses but May didn’t all mind. As he made a trail of kisses down her neck, his hand traveled down her body… sliding all the way down until he could feel the smooth spandex she wore under her skirt.

Taking the initiative, he rubbed his fingers across an area that only May herself ever touched. Even though the clothing barred him from actually touching her most private of places, he still touched her through the spandex… sliding one of his fingers between the lips of her vagina.

May, needless to say, shuddered as the pleasure assaulted her. When she touched herself, it… it never felt this good. She was already wet and the spandex covered finger continued slid up and down the petals of her sex just as gently as the kisses that he was now applying to her bare chest.

She was reminded where his other hand was when he gave her breast another grope but it was when his mouth came into contact with her other breast that she reached a new level of pleasure.

“Oh my god Ash…” May moaned as he took as much of her breast into his mouth as he could, “D-Don’t stop!”

He didn’t.

His finger continued to stroke her at a study pace and the slick sound of his middle finger rubbing her sex probably would have been heard if it wasn’t for May’s panting. The way he was doing it… It almost felt like a dream. No, it had to be a dream.

“My nipple…” She barely got out, the feeling beginning to overcome her, “Please…”

Yielding to her wishes, Ash twirled his tongue around her areola before lightly tugging on her nipple with his teeth.

“D-Don’t stop…” May pleaded, the oncoming feeling peaking as his fingers continued to slide down the folds of her sex.

His hand kneaded her breast, distorting it as he squeezed it just as hard as he wanted him to.

An orgasm was something that she never ever experienced before and it was something that completely overwhelmed her. Her senses dulled to the point where the only thing could do was feel and that was exactly what she did. It felt like she was hit by a giant wave of bliss and rode it as long as she could… It felt like she was being relieved of something she pent up for so long.

It felt like happiness defined.

“Ash…” She smiled as Ash lifted his head and looked down at her.

“I love you.”

They were simple words that were so difficult to say and, the feelings behind them so complex, that the statement didn’t do them justice. To put how she felt into words was impossible. This was something she could only prove through passion and she was completely willing to do just that for him.

A pleasant surprise it was but Ash could only turn his head away from her beautiful eyes, “May, I-“

“Don’t say it. I just wanted you to know how I felt.” May put her arms around his neck and stared up at him, “I know I’m selfish… I want you with me but I can’t make you do anything Ash.”

Ash nodded as she slid from under him. Wondering what she was doing, his unasked questions were answered when she unzipped the skirt and pulled down the spandex along with her panties. The last of her clothes pooled on the floor and she stepped out of them and crawled back onto the bed.

“You’re waiting on me to take your clothes off for you?” May teased as he observed every inch of her body that he could.

Dazed, Ash shook his head as he returned to his sense, “You want to-“

She giggled at the blush on his face, “Do you want to?” She whispered, licking his neck as she moved closer to him.

He answered by pulling his tee shirt off and casting it to the side. Ash nervously reached for his jeans but May’s hands got there first. Unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans, May reached her hand inside his boxers and found what she was looking for.

His stiff, erect member was so warm… She pulled down his boxers and lowered her head so she could get a better look at it. Like Ash, she had never previously seen the sex of the opposite gender and she was taking her time now.

Examining it, she slid her hand up and down his shaft and he could barely contain himself as she softly licked the tip. Based on his reaction, May smiled before she took the head of his manhood into her mouth.

Although this was new to her, it was also new to Ash who was in Heaven as far as he was concerned. The way her lips were sealed around the head of his dick, the way she worked her hand up and down as she sucked, and the way her tongue twirled around… Before he knew it, he could barely get say her name before he came.

His semen splashed on the back of her throat and more came after that. May warmly accepted it though as she coaxed more of it out with the hand that sailed up and down shaft.

Ash, after he recovered from his euphoric high, tried to apologize but the smile on her face stopped that as she swallowed his seed.

“It’s okay,” She whispered as she lifted her head, using her finger to get what he left on her face into her mouth, “I like the way you taste…”

He blushed as he watched his semen go down her throat, “Do you want me to do it for you?”

“We can do that next time… Lay down.” She said, gently bringing her hand to his chest to push him back. He laid down and she crawled on top of him before positioning herself just above his penis.

It wasn’t until she lowered herself and the tip of his dick penetrated her that he realized the reality of the situation. More than the fact they were have sex and more important than his inability to make a confession, they were about to do something they couldn’t take back.

Ash looked up at May who stared back down at him and lust took over as she descended just low enough for his penis to slightly enter her. Both of them felt a spark in their bodies, an indication that what was ahead was surely better.

May placed her hands on his shoulders and slowly brought herself down on him until his member was met with some resistance… She chewed on her lip and drove herself down on him, her pelvis colliding with his.

It hurt… but it wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. Still, tears started to make their way down her face. Ash, while taking in the feeling of being inside her, looked up at her again, “May?”

“It’s okay.” She smiled, wiping the tears away with her forearm, “I’m happy… I’m happy we’re together.”

“Does it hurt…?” He asked, bringing his line of sight down to where they were joined.

May shook her head as she put her hands back on his shoulders and used her knees to lift herself in the air, “Not for real. Just be gentle with me.”

Again, she slowly descended on his dick and both of them took their time with it. Pure pleasure was the only way it could be described for Ash but, for May, the feeling was more of a pain that felt good. However, the look of ecstasy on his face more than made up for it…

“Let me do it.” He said as he noticed she was moving slower and slower, sensing that she was getting tired.

Tenderly, he helped lay down on the bed and he got in position. May, with her weary half opened eyes, looked up at him with a smile as he put her legs over his shoulders. Not needing to be reminded about being gentle, Ash leisurely guided himself back into her.

“Lower… Yeah, right there.” May voiced as she used her hand to help him.

Neither said anything as he placed his hands on her waist and slowly slid himself into the wet, slippery entrance that was her vagina. Moving just as slow as she did before, Ash firmly held on to her waist as he drove all of his length into her and it felt better than he imagined it would.

The bare feeling of being inside her was enough to make him feel good but she was so tight. With every careful thrust, he built a consistent rhythm. As opposed to being forceful and fast, Ash took as much time as he could handling her as tender as possible.

The affection she wanted for so long was there in the depths of his brown eyes and the compassion she wanted to so bad finally belonged to her. She finally had what she wanted for so long…

Ash slightly increased his pace as the feeling of his orgasm edged ever closer, “May, I’m about-“

She placed her hand on his chest as she looked into his eyes, “A few more minutes… Just a few more minutes.” She whispered, a similar feeling about to overtake her as well.

Holding back his own release, he continued. Her half opened eyes stared at her lover as he managed to keep the same pace. Ash forced himself into her again and again; the sound of their sex meeting reached her ears as her climax arrived.

Too tired for anything else, May could only let out a content sigh as the pleasurable feeling once again found a home inside her. Ash, still driving his dick in and out of her, came to stop as her vaginal walls contracted around him.

The floodgates of ecstasy opened and his warm seed was ejected into her body.

Almost as tired as she was, Ash pulled out of her causing the white globs of his essence to pool on the bed sheets but neither of the two cared about that at the moment. Exhausted, Ash took his place on the side of May who turned to him with a sleepy smile on her face, “I meant it when I said I love you.”

Regardless of the sex, her feelings for him were as strong as ever. No argument concerning her only favoring him because they traveled together or a certain orange haired girl was going to change that.

Ash was the only one she would go this far for.

The person she had those strong feelings for turned his head to look at her only to find that she already drifted off to sleep. After pulling her closer to him, Ash fell asleep not thinking of another strategy to defeat a certain type of pokemon or wondering how he would confess to the girl he loved…

Because the girl he loved already told him how she felt.

~*~

May rubbed her eyes as she half stumbled out of the bathroom. Stretching her arms into the air as she walked, she entered the room that she and Ash spent the night in and picked her trademark bandana out of the pile of clothes she left on the side of the bed.

“Speaking of the bed,” She thought out loud, her face taking a red tint to it as she recalled what happened, “I have to wash the sheets before we leave. I hope it doesn’t take to-“

“I don’t want to hear that shit!!”

Misty’s yelled echoed through the cabin causing May to stop what she was doing instantly. Dropping the sheets on the floor, the brown haired girl stepped towards the doorway and peaked down the hall. From where she was, all she could see was Ash listing to her yell at him.

“What do you want to hear then?” A fully dressed Ash yelled back with the same level of intensity, “What do you want me to do!?”

They retreated into the main room and May, keeping out of sight, followed them. Tilting her head, she could now see that Misty was fully dressed and looked like she was prepared to leave.

“What do you think I wanted to hear Ash?” Misty said as she zipped up the heavy coat she wore over her clothes.

“I… I don’t know.”

Misty narrowed her eyes at him, “Exactly.”

She opened the door but Ash rushed to step in front of her, “You don’t have to leave though Misty...”

Despite his words, the door was opened and she stepped out into the cold with Ash, his coat still in one of the bedrooms, followed her, “I’m going back to the gym.” She said softly as she walked away.

May stepped from out of the shadows and moved to the doorway to watch them from inside. While she was perfectly indifferent to Misty, she still worried how Ash would take her departure.

Ash pulled his hat down over his face as the sunlight assaulted his eyes, “You still don’t have to-“

“I’m glad you’re not hurt…” Misty suddenly said, cutting him off in the process. She stopped walking as she muttered the words with her back still facing him.

Enduring the freezing winds, Ash ran forward and put his hand on her shoulder, “I-“

“Don’t touch me.” She whispered with an edge to her voice sharp enough to cut him. Ash, surprised, brought his hand off her and stepped away as Misty continued to look forward with seemingly no intention of looking behind her.

“I don’t want to see you Ash.” Misty said as she started to walk again away again, “Don’t call me because I won’t answer and if I need anything from you then I will call Brock and tell him to send you a message.”

Even if her words made an impact, he was never a weak person. Ash pulled off his favorite hair and threw it in front of her, “Keep that… at least.”

“I…” Misty stopped and stared at his favorite hat, “I don’t want anything from someone who can’t even admit how he really feels.” She stated before walking past his hat and down the trail.

With that, Misty walked away and Ash watched as she disappeared into the distance.

“You’re going to catch a cold…” May said as she stepped out of cabin but her topmost concern was that he took her leaving to heart.

She was relieved but confused when she saw that he had a smile on his face, “Ash?”

“Misty is just like that sometimes. She might hate me right now but she is still my best friend.” Ash said before turning to May who sought to get his hat, “Oh, leave it there.”

“Why…?”

Ash smiled, “It’s not mine anymore.”

May sighed as the meaning of his words dawned on her, “I’m still sorry about causing this. If I just would have just listened to you then it wouldn’t have been like this.” She said, watching as snow fell on the cap.

“It’s okay May. Really.” Ash folded his arms as he looked up at the falling snow, “She’ll come back one day.”

With that taken care of, the brown haired girl looked over her shoulder at Ash, “I was kind of wondering… If she’s your best friend then what am I?”

He blinked, “Well… I would say chef but you can’t cook and I could say maid but you don’t really-“

A snowball smashed into his face and an angry May held up a shaking fist but Ash’s resolve to make fun of her was still firmly in place, “I would call you an athlete but you don’t do much.” Ash cackled as he dodged another hastily thrown snowball.

May smiled as he made his stupid jokes but didn’t stop scooping up snow to throw at him, “Is that right?” She threatened, chasing him with a snowball in hand.

“But,” He began, smiling as he ran away from the girl he loved but not without a snowball hitting him in the back of the head, “I guess I could just call you my girlfriend.”

~Fin

Author’s Note: Long story, no? This is actually a response to a challenge by VerseMan I stumbled across while reading reviews. I normally only really write Evangelion stuff with notable exceptions but I saw the challenge and said why not. I needed something to help me get back to writing and I really like making stories with rare parings.

If I get the chance I might write one of those really rare parings for this section but, now that I really feel like I can write, it’s time for me to get back to Nightshift.

Ha, here’s to hoping that I get the required number of hits and reviews.

Like always, many thanks for reading and many many thanks for reviewing.