"I said that I love you," Ash calmly repeated as he stared directly into the two blue orbs in front of him.

He couldn't stand the tension around them anymore and decided to say what had been on mind ever since he got there. Ash did not want to feel awkward around his best friend anymore. She was too important to just let their relationship drift apart.

He waited silently for the stunned girl to say something. For a moment there, it looked as if May wanted to speak first, however, being as impatient as he was, Ash decided to take the initiative before she had the chance.

They continued to sit there awkwardly and the tension between them did not seem to dissolve after Ash's confession. The brunette still did not say anything yet as her mind flew at two different speeds.

'Did he just say what I think he just said?' May thought to herself. This wasn't what she had planned for and the end result just sounded too good to be true. "I better not be hallucinating this time…'

'Crap! Why did I just let my big mouth say that?!' the raven-haired trainer asked as he cursed himself.

"Listen, May," Ash began, tired of waiting around for a response from the shocked coordinator. "What I said is very sudden and all, but I just need to let you know how I strongly I feel."

Taking in a deep breath, the auburn-eyed teen continued to poor out his emotions. "Ever since last night when you kissed me, I felt something change between us. I didn't know what it was at the time, and I kept contemplating whether or not it was just a petty crush. But now, I think I finally realized how I feel. I… I fell in love with you May."

"Ash–" May tried to say but was cut off as the trainer raised a hand in front of her face.

"Let me finish first, okay?" Ash asked softly, staring straight into her eyes.

The brunette gazed back into his eyes for a moment before she nodding her head and motionied for the boy to continue.

"I know that I avoided you the entire night, and I want to apologize for that, but I only did that because I was confused," the trainer tried explaining as best he could. "The kiss was something I never felt before. It felt as if I got struck by a thousand Thunderbolts all at the same time, but in a good way."

May smiled at Ash's analogy. She couldn't describe their kiss in any better way that he did – numbing, yet so, so explosive. It was great to finally hear what her best friend finally thought and it made May's heart leap in her chest once more.

"You probably don't even feel the same way about me," Ash mumbled as he looked down at the floor. "Maybe you just had a small crush on me and I went and screwed everything up again. You know, I bet even the kiss was probably just a spur of the moment from the fireworks…"

The brunette's eyes widened in despair at the trainer's words. She wanted to tell him that that wasn't true; that she did that because she felt the same way about him and loved him dearly. But she couldn't. May's voice failed her in that moment and she turned her head away in embarrassment at her sudden weakness. But hey, who could blame her? She was a teenage girl that came packaged with all the hormones of one. She was far from perfect.

"May, please look at me," Ash asked with a gentle voice. The tables had turned and it seemed that this time May was the one who did not dare to look in his direction. "I want you to know that I would never think badly of you for what you did. You're my best friend, May. I didn't know how to react to last night but now I think I finally found the words to express how I really feel."

Ash pulled out his half of the Terracotta Ribbon and held it for confidence in a manner similar to how the sapphire-eyed girl had done earlier.

"I want you to know that the kiss you gave me is something that I will always cherish. It was my first kiss and I can't think of any other person I would rather share it with," Ash turned and grinned at his best friend.

"I was told to just follow my heart and listen to what its saying. And right now, its telling me that even if you don't feel the same way, I'll be okay with that," he retained his toothy grin. "I love you, and that's enough for me."

With powerful words that were honest and pure, the Pokémon master finally broke the barrier. May's face cracked as a wave of emotions rolled down upon her in an instance. With tears streaming down her soft cheeks, the Top Coordinator lunged at the Pokémon master with enough strength that knocked the boy down on her bed. She cried on top of Ash as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"S-sorry, May! Please don't cry!" the trainer frantically apologized as he wrapped his own arms around her waist, hoping that she wouldn't accidentally fall off the bed. "Damn, I spoke way more than I wanted to. Maybe I shouldn't have said all of that…"

The brunette shook softly her head and stared into the auburn eyes a few inches away from her face. "Stupid Ash," she mumbled through her tears. "Sometimes, you can act like a totally dense idiot, you know that, Ash?"

Ash chuckled softly and rubbed her back softly. "Hehe, you remind me all the time."

The pair remained in their slightly awkward position for a few more minutes as they enjoyed the company of the other in their arms.

"Ash, that was my first kiss too," May confessed as she snuggled closer.

"It was? But I thought that you and Drew…?" Ash trailed off as tried not to focus on the petite girl lying on top of him.

The girl looked down at Ash with her completely shocked, puffy eyes. "Why would you think that Drew was my first kiss?"

"I just thought that… you know, you liked him or something," the Pokémon trainer quietly stated, which caused May's already red eyes to widen more than she thought was possible. Ash laughed awkwardly as he tried to defuse the situation. "I mean, you always looked up to him as a coordinator and you even followed him to the Johto region to compete in contests together so I thought…"

The raven-haired trainer did not finish his sentence as he nervously glanced at the girl in order to see her reaction. May smiled gently and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, making sure that he could not pull away from her.

"No, I don't like Drew in that way," she softly admitted and stared back into the equally surprised auburn-colored eyes in front of her. "But, there is someone I like– love, actually. I've known him for a long time ever since we were kids. He can be quite annoying sometimes and he does really stupid things once in a while, but I wouldn't change anything about him. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

Ash shook his head, his heart beating heavily in his chest. "No… Have I ever met him before?"

May sighed and wiped away the rest of her tears, and then pulled the boy's face a few inches from her own. "You really are the densest boy alive."

The brunette angled herself accordingly and dived right into his lips – the second kiss they shared together.

Ash was frozen underneath the weight of his best friend. He couldn't think properly and didn't know what was happening at first, but he just didn't care anymore. The auburn-eyed trainer responded back with as much love as May gave into it. The kiss was quite humble and only involved their lips, but it was still a knee-jerking experience for the both of them.

'He finally kissed me back!' May happily hummed on top of Ash. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect moment.

Ash pulled back slightly and smiled warmly at the girl who had captured his heart. "So does this mean that I'm the one whom you love? Not anyone else?"

May giggled a bit and pressed her forehead against Ash's. "If that kiss didn't convince you, then I don't know what will."

"Maybe another one?" Ash hopefully asked with a large grin, craving for more.

The brunette did not have enough time to giggle as she was pulled right back down into a kiss. It lasted a few more minutes than the last one and by the time they broke apart, both had started panting a little in order to catch their breaths.

"I didn't realize how bold you would be, Ash," May laughed as she let the teen caress her face.

"Until a few minutes ago, I didn't realize either," Ash chuckled, rubbing her face softly with one of her thumbs. "I love you, May."

"I love you too, Ash," the brunette shyly responded as her face blushed. She was still getting used to the idea that boy who had captured her heart felt the same way as her. "D-does this mean you'll be my boyfriend?"

Ash smiled at nodded his head, bringing May's forehead to his lips and kissing it. "As long as you're my girlfriend, I suppose we can make this work," the trainer teased, taking pleasure in the idea of only belonging to May.

"Is that so?" May amusingly questioned with a smirk. "And how exactly did you come to realize that you fell in love with your super awesome girlfriend?"

The brunette was genuinely curious. The night before, Ash avoided her at all costs like she was infected with a severe case of Pokérus. But in less than 24 hours, the love of her life told her that he felt the same way and even kissed her! Not that she minded now, of course – today was the happiest day of her life! But still, something big must have happened while Ash was at the Pokémon Center.

"Who did you talk to when you went to the Pokémon Center this morning?" May added on, effectively pinning Ash on her bed until she got an answer.

"I called Brock at his gym in Pewter City to ask him for advice," the trainer admitted with a shrug. "He told me that he thought I was in love with you, but I told him he was insane and denied it. It wasn't until after I told Brock about everything that happened this week and after some deep thinking, I finally realized why I was confused."

He looked at her straight in the eyes and offered the most loving smile he had ever given to anyone. "I didn't want to lose you, May. But it wasn't just because you're my best friend; it was because we share a special connection that's unlike any other. I just needed a little push from Brock to realize how much I care about you. You mean the world to me."

Ash finished his story with a grin but slowly frowned as he felt tears drip onto his face from above. The Top Coordinator above him was smiling as little droplets dripped down her eyes.

"You mean the world to me too, Ash," she managed to choke out as she pecked him on the cheek. "I love you so much."

'I need to give Brock a big hug the next time I see him,' the brunette thought as she smiled through her tears.

Seeing the water molecules, however, the raven-haired trainer quickly wiped the tears from her face and smiled. "How about you, May? How did the beautiful winner of the Grand Festival find out that she loved me?"

Before May could answer, her breath hitched in pleasant surprise.

'He called me beautiful!' she said to herself. 'Oh, well duh. Of course he did, he's my boyfriend now. But still, that is so sweet of him!'

"I realized it as soon as you and Brock split up with Max and I back after our adventure ended," she looked down timidly at the Pokémon master. "When I got to the Johto region, I felt empty inside. I really missed seeing all three of you beside me when I woke, especially you, Ash. I don't exactly remember how I fell in love with you, but I know for sure that I realized that I was in love after winning my first contest without you there."

She got off the boy and sat the both of them up, which allowed the brunette to wrap her arms around his waist and bury her face into his chest.

"It didn't feel the same without you," she mumbled through her chest. "After that day, I came to understand how much I need you in my life, Ash."

Ash smiled warmly and hugged the girl right back. Before, he wasn't quite sure if he actually knew what being in love felt like, but after hearing May's story, the raven-haired trainer was positive. Although he didn't acknowledge it at the time, Ash felt the same way about her when he traveled in the Sinnoh region.

The raven-haired trainer rested his chin on top of the petite girl's head. "You know, I never admitted this to anyone before, but I missed you more than any other person I've ever met during my journey. I just never figured out why until… well, today actually."

The two pulled back their arms and beamed at each other. They were truly in love with each other, and it felt so amazing to finally admit it.

"How about you show me how much you missed me?" May seductively whispered in his ear, an enticing smile covering up her face. The coordinator figured that she would have to take charge and become the bolder of the two in their relationship. And she didn't mind that one bit.

Ash was initially shocked by his girlfriend's sudden attitude but grinned deviously as he pushed her onto her back. The brunette shrieked loudly at the surprise nudge but then began to giggle. The trainer couldn't stop laughing as well as he pinned down the girl and planted his lips right over hers in a not-so-modest kiss.

Before Ash and May could really enjoy the contact, the door to May's room swung wide open as their younger friend entered the room.

"Ash! May! Are you guys okay?" the blunette exclaimed as she entered the room. "I heard someone scream so I– "

Before Dawn could get another word out of her mouth, the Sinnoh native stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the sight in front of her. A blushing Ash was lying on top of an equally blushing May, and both of them had their arms wrapped around each other's bodies.

"HOLY FREAKING ARCEUS!" Dawn exclaimed as she squealed. "Awww, this is the cutest thing that I have ever seen in my entire life!"

Ash sweated dropped at their friend's actions and nervously chuckled at May. He got off the sapphire-eyed girl and helped her sit back up on the bed. The two watched in hilarity as Dawn began jumping up and down. Noticing that they were staring at her, Dawn ran over to her two best friends and stood in front of them.

"Wait, so you guys are dating now, right?" she quickly asked, egging them on to rapidly answer her question.

"Y-yeah," Ash anxiously replied as he grabbed onto May's hand, which caused her to smile in delight.

The blunette narrowed her eyes and stared at the couple before breaking out into a large grin.

"I can't believe it finally happened!" Dawn giggled as she wrapped both of them in a hug. "Congratulations, you guys! I'm so happy for you two."

Dawn gave her friends strong squeezes that made both of them simultaneously sweat drop. "Thank you, Dawn," May said as she pulled free from the girl's grip.

"Yeah, thanks, Dawn," Ash also thanked the blunette as he tried to free himself. As soon as May broke free, Dawn spent all of her energy locking Ash in the tightest embrace she had ever given him.

The raven-haired trainer looked helplessly at the smiling brunette. She began to giggle as she watched her boyfriend struggle to pry off Dawn.

"Okay, I think that's enough now, Dawn," May suggested through her fits of giggles. "I don't want you to flatten my boyfriend to death."

"Aww! You called him your boyfriend!" the blunette noted as she continued gripping the trainer.

"Dawn! Can't… Breath…!"

Dawn blushed and let go of Ash, who sighed in relief. "Sorry about that, but this is probably the last time I'll get to hug you like that, Ash. You're no longer on the market, you know," The younger coordinator winked at the blushing pair and laughed.

"Exactly. He's all mine," May giggled contently as she sat back down next to Ash. The boy smiled and reached out to take her hand in his once more. For a guy who was denser than a rock, the auburn-eyed trainer sure knew how to make his girlfriend's heart feel lighter than air.

Dawn grinned at the sight. "Guys, can I please be the godmother of your baby?"

Ash and May grew red after hearing Dawn's request.

"D-dawn!" the brunette scolded her best friend as her cheeks burned like an oven.

"What?" Dawn pouted her plump lips and stared at the couple with large puppy eyes. "Please! I promise that I'll babysit the baby for you guys when you want to go out on hot dates!"

The duo remained speechless on the bed as the situation got even more embarrassing. But before either of them could yell at the blunette, Dawn broke out in hysterical giggling.

"Pfft… wahahaha~!" the girl doubled over in laughter after she stopped her fake pouting. "I was only joking, you guys! You two just looked so cute when you're both red like that."

Ash glared at the blunette harshly. Even as he began a new relationship with his first best friend, his other best friend had no problem continuing to tease him mercilessly. And now it seemed like he accidentally dragged May into the teasing as well. Oops. However, being the forgiving friend that he was, the Pokémon trainer exhaustedly sighed and let the issue go. He placed his hand around May's waist and pulled the girl closer to him. The brunette giggled in response and rested her head on Ash's shoulder.

"Hey, is everything okay?" a worried feminine voice called from the hallway.

"We heard screaming," a more masculine voice added in as the footsteps outside May's room grew closer and closer.

Suddenly, Caroline and Norman burst into the room with worried expressions on their faces. However, their expressions soon turned into expressions of shock as they saw Ash and May cuddling together on her bed.

"Sorry, that was me," Dawn sheepishly admitted. "I couldn't stop screaming because the two of them over there just look so freaking adorable together!"

Caroline quickly got over her shock and grinned largely as she moved towards the nervous couple on the bed. She bent down and enveloped both teens in a big hug.

"I can't believe my baby girl officially has a boyfriend!" the stay-at-home wife squealed. "I'm so happy for you two!"

May laughed and thanked her mother. "Thank you, mom. It means a lot that you approve of me dating Ash."

"Of course I approve, sweetie," Caroline grinned and then looked at Ash. "I know that you will take good care of each other. You're a fine boy for my daughter, Ash."

Ash laughed sheepishly at the praise that came from his mother figure. "Thanks, Caroline."

The loving mother released the two teens and turned to look at her husband. Norman had been standing quietly at the door the entire time with an unreadable expression on his face. Caroline motioned for him to come over to the kids and say something.

As the gym leader crossed the room over to May's bed, Ash nervously tightened his grip on May's waist. Noticing that her boyfriend was starting to get anxious, the smiling brunette leaned up and gently pecked him on the cheek – a way of letting him know that everything was going to be all right.

Norman stood in front of the couple and stared directly into Ash's eyes. The Pokémon master still couldn't properly analyze the look on the gym leader's face. He neither frowned nor smiled the entire time.

After a few seconds of staring back and forth, Norman spoke. "Ash Ketchum, are you dating my daughter?" he asked, emphasizing the key word of the question.

"Y-yes, sir," the Pokémon trainer responded with direct eye contact the entire time. This moment was almost as terrifying as Ash's battle with Cynthia during the Lily of the Valley Conference. No wait scratch that. It was even more terrifying since Ash had none of his Pokémon to back himself up with.

Norman closed his eyes and took a deep breath. However, the powerful gym leader spontaneously began to shake with laughter. "HAHAHA! Oh man, you should have seen the look on your face, Ash."

"Huh?" the trainer tilted his head, perplexed by what just happened.

The father of his girlfriend wiped a tear from his eye and continued to laugh. "You have to admit, Ash, that was priceless. I thought were going to wet yourself."

Everyone began laughing at Ash's expense as the tension in the room instantly evaporated. As soon as he finally settled down, Norman held out to his hand for Ash. The auburn-eyed trainer stared at it with a confused expression before putting out his own hand.

"Congratulations from me as well, Ash," Norman grinned as he gave the trainer a strong handshake. "I sure am glad that she picked you, son."

Ash continued to stare in disbelief after the gym leader let go of his hand. He had just steeled himself thinking that Norman would launch a verbal assault at him, but since that didn't happen, the Pokémon master sat back thoroughly confused at what just took place.

"Wait, so you aren't mad at me?" he questioned.

"Mad?" Norman repeated, becoming just as confused as the trainer. "Why would I be mad at you, Ash? I've seen the way you treat my daughter even before you two started dating and that's good enough proof for me."

"R-really?" Ash stupidly asked.

"Yes, really," Norman replied as he stepped next to his lovely wife. "I know how much she means to you and I know that you'll take good care of her for me. May's in good hands."

The Pokémon trainer instantly grinned at May's parents. They were very accepting of his new found relationship with their daughter, and for that he felt extremely grateful.

Caroline turned to Norman and pecked him lightly on the cheek. "Looks like I won our little bet, honey," the stay-at-home wife smirked after she pulled back.

Norman frowned but slowly smiled. "I guess you were right, dear."

The three teens in the room tilted their heads in confusion at the same time. What bet?

"Umm, Mom, Dad? What are you guys talking about?" the brunette asked from her bed.

Caroline giggled and smiled at her daughter. "Oh, your father and I were just talking about a wager that we agreed to after you three kids left to go to the Beautifly Hanami Festival yesterday."

"What was it about?" Dawn spoke up for the first time in minutes.

The mother of the Top Coordinator grinned once more and hugged her husband from the side. "Norman and I just made a little bet about when Ash and May were finally going to get together."

May's face grew red more out of anger than embarrassment. "Mom! Why would you two want to bet on how my love life was going to turn out!?"

"Now, now, calm down May," Norman tried soothing his daughter. "Your mother and I both believed that you and Ash were going to start dating soon, but we just didn't know if it was going to happen this week."

"Your father bet that you two would start dating next year since both of you have finished your adventures and that your boyfriend would be too dense make a move until then," Caroline tried not to laugh at the couple's disapproving frowns. "I, on the other hand, knew that you to would start dating this week because of how romantic Ash was acting the entire time and how flustered you were getting. And it looks like I was right!"

Caroline and Norman laughed sheepishly as their daughter continued to glare at them.

"Well I'm glad you two enjoyed your little manipulation game," May pouted sadly.

The blunette began to giggle at the sight of her pouting best friend. "So what were the stakes then?" she asked the two parents.

Caroline began to blush furiously as she suddenly refused to say another word, causing Norman to laugh carelessly at his wife and wink at them. "Now those are just going to have to stay private between Caroline and I."

"Huh?" all three teens exclaimed at the same time as the stay-at-home wife stomped on Norman's foot.

"Oww! What was that for?"

"Wait, you don't mean…? Ughhhhhhh, you guys are the most embarrassing parents on the entire planet!" the disturbed brunette yelled out as she buried her face into Ash's side.

The Pokémon trainer gazed down upon her in amusement as he tried to cheer her up. "They aren't that bad, May," he said with a chuckle, pulling her waist closer to himself.

"Whoops, would you look at the time," Caroline frantically noted, her face still red with embarrassment. "I need to go start making us something to eat for dinner. How about we leave Ash and May some privacy?"

Grabbing onto to her husband's shoulder, Caroline forcibly pushed him towards the door.

"Ash and May, try not to lose track of time," Caroline grinned as she struggled to drag Norman out of the room. "Dinner will be ready in about two hours. I hope you the three of you don't mind."

All three teens nodded their heads and thanked the loving mother. Sensing that she needed to go leave them to each other, Dawn happily decided to go as well.

"I'm going to check up on Pikachu. I left him downstairs the entire time and I sooo need to tell him about everything that just happened," the blunette giggled before she exited May's room. "Have fun you two."

The young couple began to blush after they heard the innuendo in their best friend's voice. Leave it to Dawn to make things awkward as ever, especially with May's parents still in the room.

The gym leader's eyes widened in shock as he also identified the true meaning behind Dawn's words. "H-hold up, Caroline, let's not be too hasty now. We should continue to talk with the kids about their relationship."

Caroline giggled at Norman's nervous attempt to stay in the room. He was already beginning to act like an overprotective parent.

"No can do, Norman. We need to give them some privacy," Caroline explained as she winked at the blushing pair after finally managing to pull him all the way out.

"B-but–!"

Slam! May's mother had slammed the door right before Norman could say another word.

Both Ash and May gave a big sigh of relief; it was just the two of them again.

May turned sideways to face the raven-haired trainer and grinned. "Phew! I was afraid that they were never going to leave."

Ash returned the warm smile and gave May a light peck on her forehead. "Me too. I love spending time with Dawn and your parents, but now that we're dating, I'd rather spend more alone time with you."

"Aww," the brunette gushed at her boyfriend's statement, staring directly into his brown eyes. "Thank you, Ash."

Ash continued to grin as he caught the sincerity in May's words. "No problem, May. I wouldn't be a very good boyfriend if I didn't say all this romance crap once and a while."

May giggled softly and shoved him playfully. "That's not what I meant, you jerk. I mean thank you for this entire week. It's been the best week of my life."

The auburn-eyed trainer offered a toothy smile at the girl and wrapped both his arms around her waist. "You're welcome. Even though it didn't turn out as I thought it would, this has been the best week of my life too."

The Top Coordinator smiled as she placed her arms around his neck. "Oh and thanks for giving me the best gift I've ever received."

"Are you talking about the Pokétch or the Pokédoll?" the trainer asked dryly.

"Neither. I'm talking about you, Ash," the brunette giggled and leaned up towards him.

The pair lost themselves in a kiss that expressed all their love. It was even more explosive than any previous embrace because this time, both Ash and May knew that the other felt the same way.

"ASH KETCHUM, YOU BETTER GET OUT OF THE GYM AND MOVE YOUR BUTT OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!" May yelled loudly from the living room area.

The girl was currently dressed in the blue and white blouse along with a black pair of biking shorts. She also wore a matching bandana headpiece and the Pokétch that Ash had picked out for her in the PokéMall. May glanced impatiently at her watch and sighed, recalling the past few days.

It had been almost three days since Ash and May began their new relationship together. Those three blissful periods were filled with the most romantic things May had ever experienced, and she absolutely loved them. During that time span, Ash took the brunette on lovely dates all over Petalburg City – with Dawn tagging along of course. The young teenagers practically spent every waking second together as often as they could. In fact, they even slept in the same bed together.

May giggled lightly as she pictured in her head the first night they spent together as a couple. Ash ended up going back to his own room after he said goodnight to May and Dawn. The brunette, however, was not going to let Ash think that he could slip away from her so easily.

Having already decided that she would be the bolder of the two, May snuck out of her room later than night after her parents and Dawn fell asleep and quietly tiptoed into her sleeping boyfriend's room. She entered the room silently and crawled under the blankets to cuddle with her pleasantly surprised boyfriend. This became a little routine for them for a bit, and it wasn't until last night that Ash and May were discovered sleeping next to each other by a curious, yet very excited Dawn.

'It wasn't like we did anything indecent,' the brunette grumbled to herself, thinking about how her best friend almost woke up the entire neighborhood with her squealing.

Suddenly, the coordinator's train of thought was broken as Dawn and her mother exited the kitchen to greet May.

"Good morning, sweetie," Caroline greeted as she pecked her daughter on the cheek. "That's a very cute outfit you have on."

"Thank you, Mom. I thought it looked cute on me too," May jokingly posed for her mother.

"Hey there, May," Dawn stated with a sleepy yawn. "Are you all set?"

"Yup, I'm ready to go," the sapphire-eyed girl smiled as she pointed at her backpack. She couldn't believe that the entire week had already flown right past them.

"Wait, where's Ash?" the blunette asked, looking around the room to see if the trainer was in there.

May frowned and crossed her arms. "He's still at the gym with Dad, but I have no clue why he needed to go there so badly."

"Maybe Norman wanted to battle with Ash one more time," Dawn suggested, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't think that's the case," Caroline responded to the two girls with a grim expression. "Slaking is still recovering from the Pokérus virus he contracted earlier this week."

In that moment, however, the stay-at-home mother's face quickly grew back into a genuine smile. "Why, here they come now," she pointed down the hallway right behind Dawn that led to the gym.

Ash and Norman were walking straight towards the living room, sharing a laugh as they came into hearing distance of the three girls.

"Don't worry, Norman. You and I will have a huge battle the next time we see each other again," Ash promised with a grin to his father figure.

"You bet we will!" he exclaimed loudly as he patted him on the back. "I expect you to go full out on me, Ash. The Sinnoh League champion wouldn't want to end up getting humiliated by an old gym leader like myself, now would he?"

Ash laughed and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as the two men arrived in the living room.

"Morning Caroline," Ash greeted warmly to the housewife, who greeted back before dragging her husband into the kitchen.

"Hey guys, have you seen Pikachu?" the trainer asked as he approached the two teens. He allowed his longtime companion to sleep in longer considering what had happened a few days ago, but since he started sleeping next to May every night, the electric type decided to make himself comfortable on May's empty bed.

However, the only response the Pokémon master received from both May and Dawn was a harsh glare.

"Umm… what's up?"

"What were you doing that so happened to take such a long time, Ash Ketchum?" May continued to glare as she placed her hands on her hips.

Ash placed his hands up in the air innocently and sweat dropped. "I just needed to use your dad's videophone to call Nurse Joy."

"And why is that?" the brunette moved closer until their noses were practically inches away.

"Well first I needed to say goodbye to her," the trainer admitted, gently wrapping his arms around her waist. "But Nurse Joy also wanted me to tell her everything that happened between us since she found out that we kissed at the festival. I must have taken longer than I thought I would."

May continued to glare at Ash, who let out a sheepish laugh in response. Not being to stay mad at him, the coordinator reached up and embraced the auburn-eyed trainer, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"I guess I can forgive you this time," May rolled her eyes before giggling at the feathery peck.

"Umm, guys," Dawn interrupted as she rolled her own eyes and flashed to her Pokétch to them. "I know you two like acting super cute and all, but we seriously have to get going now if we want to catch the boat at Slateport City in time."

The blunette had a point. Originally, Ash and Dawn had not intended to stay longer than seven days in the Hoenn region and were planning to return back to the Sinnoh region by then. However, after Ash and May began dating, the trainer asked his best friend if May could come along with them, to which she responded with an enthusiastic yes. Today was finally the day. Ash, Dawn, and May were getting set to leave the Maple household in order to reach the seaport metropolis by late in the afternoon.

"Why are we leaving so early again, Dawn?" Ash complained as he continued to embrace May. "The Sinnoh Grand Festival is still a couple of months away from now."

Dawn crossed her arms in annoyance. "I already told you, Ash. We agreed to meet up with Brock at Lake Valor so you guys could help me perfect my Counter Shield. And since May is coming along now, what better way to do that than to train exclusively with the Johto Grand Festival winner?"

May laughed embarrassingly at Dawn's praise. "I'm not that good, Dawn. But I agree with you. We need to get you started early so by the time the Grand Festival starts, you'll be able to wipe the floor with the rest of the competition."

The brunette broke her hug with her boyfriend and smiled at him. "We should get going soon."

Ash rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and apologized to them. "I guess you're right. Sorry for being late again."

Dawn smiled endearingly at the auburn-eyed trainer. "You know, even though you haven't been acting as dense lately, you're still just as reckless as ever, Ash."

The trainer laughed at the truthfulness at Dawn's statement before the Top Coordinator's attire caught his eye. "Hey May, are you wearing the outfit that I helped you find at the PokéMall?" he asked, realizing that she wasn't in her orange and green outfit.

May smiled and performed a small twirl. "Mhmm. I figured that I might as well wear a new set of clothes since I'm starting out a new adventure in the Sinnoh region."

"Well you look stunning, May," Ash nonchalantly complemented, causing the sapphire-eyed girl to blush shyly and the blunette to gush at the adorableness.

'Damn! I still need to learn how to control my emotions whenever he says stuff like that!' May made a quick mental note to herself.

"Thanks, Ash," she quietly replied as she reached up and cradled his cheeks in her hands.

The brunette smiled sweetly at the boy and brought him down to her lips. The two began kissing softly for a while, forgetting that Dawn was still there.

"A-hem!"

The loud noise interrupted the kissing duo. However, it did not come from Dawn, who was still giggling at the surprised expressions on her friends. The sound actually came from Norman, who was standing in the doorway that connected the kitchen and living room.

"Okay, you two, I think that's enough," the gym leader crossed his arms and leaned back against the doorway.

But behind the powerful gym leader stood his even more powerful wife. Caroline playfully slapped Norman behind his head and laughed.

"Be nice now, dear," Caroline grinned as her husband pretended to suffer from pain. "You and I used to act like them all the time when we were still dating," she said, pecking him on the cheek.

Norman smiled. "You're right, honey. I guess I'm still getting used to the idea that our baby girl is finally dating someone."

May laughed and walked over to her father, giving him a hug. "You're never going to let that go, are you, Dad?"

"Nope," he returned the hug. "So are you three ready to go now?"

"Almost," the trainer politely added. "I just need to find Pikachu first."

"Oh, I saw him still sleeping on May's bed," Dawn pointed out to Ash.

After hearing that, Ash quickly ran up the stairs and came back down a few seconds later with his tired companion in his arms.

"C'mon buddy, we're about to leave now," Ash stated, which caused Pikachu to yawn adorably and make his way slowly to his trainer's shoulder.

One by one, the three teenagers began to say goodbye to Norman and Caroline.

"Thanks again for letting Ash and I stay here, Caroline" the blunette said as she gave the housewife a warm hug. "I'm really glad I finally got to meet you and Norman."

"It was our pleasure, Dawn," Caroline smiled as she watched Dawn give her husband a hug as well. "Feel free to come here any time you're in the area. You were great company to spend time with."

"Yeah, and you'll always be welcome to stay in our home, Dawn," Norman smiled, quickly returning the embrace.

After the blunette finished her goodbye, May stepped forward and lunged at her parents, giving both of them a hug at the same time.

"Thanks for letting me go with them, Mom and Dad," the Top Coordinator gratefully said with a grin.

"No problem, just stay safe, sweetie," Caroline replied with tears in her eyes. She knew that her daughter would be off on another journey sometime in the future, but she never realized how soon that day had come. "Remember that I love you very much, May."

"I love you too, Mom," May said as she pulled back from the embrace. "And you too, Dad."

The gym leader chuckled heartily. "I love you too, May. Have a fun time in the Sinnoh region."

Finally, Ash and Pikachu were the last ones to say goodbye. "Thanks again for letting us stay here for the week, Caroline," he said, hugging the older woman. "This place is like a second home to me and you and Norman are practically like my second parents."

Caroline wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled. "You're very welcome, Ash. And you too, Pikachu," she stated as she kissed the boy's forehead and rubbed the mouse's head affectionately.

"Please watch over May for me," she quietly whispered to Ash after a moment of silence.

Ash nodded his head and offered an assuring smile. "Don't worry, Caroline. I'll make sure nothing happens to her."

"Thank you," the housewife smiled back and let go of their embrace. "The next time I see you, I'm going to make you a huge meal."

The grinning trainer laughed in appreciation and let go of his mother figure as he turned towards Norman. The two of them stood silently before the gym leader's face eventually cracked into a grin first.

"Ash, you've really transformed into a fine young man," the gym leader said as he stuck out his hand. "Not only did you mature enough on the battlefield to become a Pokémon master, but you also matured as a man. And that's a feat in its own."

The trainer firmly shook Norman's hand. "Thank you, Norman. That means a lot coming from you."

"And you sure have grown a lot too, Pikachu," he petted the electric mouse. "I can't wait to battle you and your trainer again."

"Pika!" Pikachu stated and pumped its paw in the air.

Turning his attention to Ash, Norman looked him directly into Ash's eyes and spoke softly. "Promise me that you will protect my daughter, Ash."

Ash nodded his head without hesitation. There was no doubt in his mind what his answer was going to be. "I promise, Norman. I'll protect May with my own life."

Satisfied with the amount of dedication he was seeing Ash give his daughter, Norman broke the handshake and smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you, Ash. You make sure that Dawn and Pikachu don't get hurt as well, got that?"

"Yes, sir," the auburn-eyed trainer confidently responded before turning back to his friends. "Well guys, are we ready to go now?" he asked with a grin plastered on his face.

Both girls nodded excitedly at Ash and opened the door of the Maple house. The three friends made sure they had grabbed everything and set out the door. As they walked down the block, all three of them turned back to wave goodbye one last time to Norman and Caroline.

"Well guys, we have a long walk ahead of us so try not to complain so much," Ash said after they reached the eastern exit of Petalburg City and entered Route 102. "That means you, Dawn. No complaining like last time."

The blunette stuck her tongue out at Ash and stole Pikachu from his shoulder.

"Hmph. Let's go walk ahead, Pikachu," the young coordinator pouted as the electric mouse climbed on top of her head.

May quietly slipped her hand into Ash's when Dawn gave them a little privacy, causing the trainer grin at her warmly.

"So Ash, have you decided what we're going to do after the Sinnoh Grand Festival?" May asked her boyfriend as the two strolled down the path.

"Actually, I've been thinking," Ash started hesitantly before glancing at May. "Remember how I wanted to ask a question to that old guy from the Hanami Festival?"

The Top coordinator nodded her head, wondering where Ash was going with this. "What about him?"

"Well, I asked him about a few rock shaped prizes he had, and he told me that those were Mega Stones."

"Mega Stones?" the brunette repeated as she titled her head. "I never heard of them before."

"Yeah me neither. Apparently they are used to mega evolve certain Pokémon into even more powerful forms," Ash answered with awe in his voice and a twinkle in his eyes. He was completely fascinated by the idea of even stronger Pokémon. "But they only last a short time and you need a Mega Ring to use them."

May smiled and squeezed Ash's hand. "That sounds really cool, Ash. Where would you find all of these 'mega' items?"

"Only in a distant region that the old guy was born in called the Kalos region," the raven-haired trainer replied as he looked in May's eyes. "I was thinking that maybe when we finish up the Sinnoh region, you and I could go start a new adventure over there sometime…?"

May turned in surprise and looked up at her boyfriend. His voice sounded uneasy, as if he was anticipating her to reject the proposal.

Smiling, the sapphire-eyed coordinator leaned up and placed an affectionate peck on Ash's cheek. "I would love to travel with you again, Ash. And I'm sure my parents won't mind that I'll be traveling with the love of my life after we come back to Petalburg City."

The trainer smiled with a small blush and let out a sigh of relief. "Hehe, thanks, May. Anyway, I bet Dawn and Brock would love to come with us too. I'll probably ask them after Dawn finishes competing so she's not distracted by any thoughts of a new region."

"That sounds great, Ash," May returned the grin and gave the hand interlocked with her own another squeeze. "You three are the best travel companions in the world."

The loving pair continued walking in peaceful silence after losing sight of the blunette ahead of them.

"Hey, Ash?" the brunette broke the silence as she took a shiny item out of her pocket. "You still have your half of the Terracotta Ribbon on you, right?"

The trainer nodded and reached into his bag to pull out the special object. "Of course I do."

Ash and May gently placed their halves side by side, fitting it perfectly like a puzzle.

"It's kind of funny, Ash," the Top Coordinator admitted with a soft giggle. "It turned out that just like the Terracotta Ribbon, I found my other half with you."

Ash chuckled amusingly at his girlfriend's analogy and squeezed her hand tighter. "You keep stealing all the good lines that I'm supposed to say to you."

The sapphire-eyed coordinator laughed at his playfulness. "Please don't be mad at me, okay Ashy?" she asked innocently.

"Man, you're using that nickname again? It's so embarrassing," the trainer confessed, pulling down his hat to cover his burning cheeks.

"Aww c'mon, Ashy," May implored with an adorable grin. "It sounds really cute and you know it."

"But Dawn won't stop teasing me if she hears you call me that," the raven-haired teen complained half-heartedly. Though Ash had to admit– unlike a few days ago, that nickname seemed to roll sweetly off of May's tongue than it had before. It sounded so right when she said it.

The brunette pouted mercilessly at her boyfriend. "Pleaseeeeeeeeee, Ashy!"

"Sigh, fine, you can call me that," Ash caved in as he glanced at the girl beside him. "But only if you and I are alone together."

May beamed brightly at the teen and stopped the both of them from going any further. She let go of his hand and moved her arms around his neck. "I love you very much, Ash Ketchum."

Ash returned the large smile and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He no longer felt confused about his feelings, for they were as clear as day. "I love you too, May Maple. And no matter how hard I try, I will never stop loving you."

The two shared another kiss that was no less than intoxicating for the both of them. It conveyed all their built-up feelings of love, joy, and happiness in their relationship. Ash and May finally pulled back and wore matching smiles on their faces.

"You're getting better at that everyday, Ash," May teased as she leaned up and pecked him on the lips once more.

"I would say the same thing about you, May, but you've always been a good kisser since day one," Ash replied with a chuckle and allowed his girlfriend to hook her arm around his. "C'mon, we better get going. We have a long journey ahead of us."

The Top Coordinator nodded as she snuggled closer to his arm and gazed up lovingly into his eyes. "You know, Ash, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"You are too, May," the Pokémon Master replied before smirking. "Now how about we try to catch up with Dawn and Pikachu?"

Suddenly, the laughing trainer broke free of the coordinator's grip and sprinted down the path of Route 102, leaving the brunette behind him in amusing surprise.

"Ooo, you're going to be in SOOO much trouble when I catch up to you, Ash Ketchum!" May exclaimed, the two of them laughing the entire way as she quite literally chased after the boy who had unknowingly captured her heart.

A/N: Well guys, this is the end of my story and I hope that you all enjoyed it! I also hope that you liked my references to the real-life Hanami Festival (I did some research on it just for this story!) and to the mega stones from X and Y! Anyway, I'd like to give a special thanks to everyone and especially the Advanceshippers for reading A Week in Petalburg City! Please review and favorite!

Pokemon ORAS + fans = Advanceshipping 4 life :)