OH SNAP! Why am I doing an AdvanceShipping fic? Well, I want to. If you don't like it, get the heck out.

This was requested by XyKPfan. Hugs for you! :D

Poisoned Truth

An AdvanceShipping Onshot

Ash, Brock, Max and May were continuing their journey through the Hoenn Region, but even Pokemon Trainers need to rest. May suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Guys, I'm really tired, and it's going to be dark soon! Max, are you sure that there's a Pokemon Centre nearby?" May whined.

"Well, it looks like we're too far to get there before dark, so we're going to have to camp out tonight." Max said, checking his PokeNav.

"Oh Nurse Joy, we must wait until we meet!" Brock said, with a heavy heart, until Max pulled him by the ear.

"Come on Romeo, we have to set up camp." Max said, with a slight tone of annoyance in his voice.

"Hey, I have an idea! Let's bring out our Pokemon to help out!" Ash said.

"Great idea!" May replied.

"Come out everyone!" The three Pokemon Trainers shouted.

With flashes of white, all of the Pokemon came out of their Pokeballs, eager to help.

"Okay Pikachu, help me set up the tent!" Ash said to the electric rodent on his shoulder.

"Pika pika!" He replied, jumping off of Ash.

"Hey May, could you help me start dinner?" Brock asked.

"No problem!" May replied, until she heard Ash yell.

"Ash, what happened?!" May asked, running over to help him. Ash had somehow gotten himself badly tangled in the tent.

"Well, I tried to set up the tent with Pikachu. He held the poles, while I draped the tent. It didn't turn out so well." Ash said with a sigh.

Everyone else on the other hand, started laughing hysterically. Even Ash himself started to chuckle.

"Ash, are you sure that you can handle this yourself?" May asked sarcastically.

"Yes May, I CAN" Ash retorted.

"Alright, if you need help, I'll be helping Brock with dinner." May said, running to help Brock.

Everything was going smoothly, until May saw Skitty run out into the tall grass.

"Brock, Skitty ran off again. I'll be right back." May said worryingly.

"Alright then" Brock said, still focusing on the stew he was making.

"Skitty! Where are you?" May yelled out.

"Myah!" Skitty replied, poking its head out of the grass.

"Oh there you are!" May realized, picking Skitty off of the ground. "You can't just run off like that! You could get in real t-"

May wasn't able to finish her sentence. A jolt of pain rose up her body. She suddenly felt weak, and collapsed. Skitty jumped out of May's arms, in worry.

Max saw everything, and ran up to his sister.

"May! Wake up May!" Max said, frantically shaking her. "Ash, Brock! Help!"

Everyone ran up to May, wondering what had happened.

"Is she still breathing?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, but it's faint." Brock said, putting his head on May's chest to check her heartbeat. "Put her up on that table."

Ash carried her, bridal style, onto the picnic table near the campsite. He lay her down gently.

"Just as I thought" Brock said, while he looked at her ankle. "She was stung by a Wurmple"

"A Wurmple? Oh no, this isn't good." Max said.

"What happens when you get stung by a Wurmple?" Ash asked, as Brock took the stinger out of her ankle.

"It's not deadly. You do wake up, but the poison affects your brain cells." Brock explained.

"How? What does it do?" Ash asked again.

"Well, it's a long explanation, but long story short, you can't lie. You're forced to tell the truth." Max said.

"Tell the… truth?" Ash repeated.

"Yeah. It's pretty nasty, isn't it?" Max said, with a small chuckle.

"So how do you cure it?" Ash asked.

"There is an antidote, but you can only buy it at a Pharmacy, which there are currently none of." Brock replied.

"Wait a second" Interrupted Max, flipping his PokeNav open. "I think there is one, but it's about 15 minutes away. We would have to walk there, but we can't leave May alone."

"How about you guys go, and I'll take care of May." Ash replied, calling his Pokemon back. "Pikachu, you don't worry. Go and sleep in the tent."

"Pika…" Pikachu replied with a yawn.

"Okay then" Brock said, returning his Pokemon to their Pokeballs.

"Ash, if she wakes up, remember that she can't lie. She may be sweet, or nasty, but it's not her fault." Max reminded Ash.

"Got it" Ash replied.

"We'll be back as soon as we can!" Brock called out.

Once Max and Brock were out of sight, Ash walked over to May.

In his eyes, she was the vision of perfect.

He had started crushing on her the day that he met her, but he could never tell her that. He ran his fingers through her soft brown hair, and took off her bandana. He grabbed her Pokeballs out of her belt, and returned her Pokemon, who were just as worried as he was.

As he looked at her, she started to come to, her eyelashes fluttering softly.

"Oh, what happened?" She asked, rubbing her head. "Why is my ankle bandaged?"

"You were stung by a Wurmple, May." Ash whispered.

He decided not to tell her about the effects of the poison. First, there was something he needed to do.

"Hey May?" Ash started.

"What is it?" May asked.

"Do you…like me?"

"Of course I like you Ash. You're a great friend."

Ash sighed. He knew this wasn't going to be easy.

"No, I mean, do you… love me?"

"…YES!"

May slapped her hands on her mouth, her eyes wide open.

"Did I just say that?" She whispered.

"Yeah, you did."

"I really mean it Ash. I do love you. But I didn't think that you loved me back."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that."

Ash gave her that smile. The smile that made her fall in love with him.

May smiled her biggest smile, pulled Ash near her, and they inched closer, until…

"Hey Ash, is May awake yet? We have the medicine!" Brock yelled. From how loud the voice was, it could be only a minute until they got back.

"Wait a second, what did the stinger do to me?" May asked Ash.

Ash sighed. "Well, it makes you tell the truth."

"So, I couldn't lie to you, even if I wanted to?"

"Nope"

"So you took ADVANTAGE of me to find out if I loved you?" May asked, with slight anger in her voice.

"Yeah…" Ash said sheepishly. "It was wrong, wasn't it?"

"No! It was… crafty. I didn't think that you would be able to pull something like that off. I'm impressed!"

"Heh, thanks…"

"Hello? We're back!" Max called out.

"Hey guys!" May called back.

"Good, you're awake. Let's put this medicine on your ankle!" Brock said, taking the medicine out of the bag.

As Brock put the mixture on May's ankle, Ash smiled at her. May smiled back.

May mouthed the words "I love you" to him. Ash mouthed back "I love you too"