Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

Dang, it's been over two years since I've updated this story. I can't say I'm not disappointed in myself. Anyways, enjoy this long overdue chapter.

Chapter 14

May quickly slammed the door of the hotel behind her, not giving Ash a chance to say or do anything to what she just did. She leaned her back against the door and let out a long, deep sigh.

"I-I can't believe I just did that…I can't believe I just kissed him." May brought her fingers to her lips as she could still feel the warmth of Ash's lips from a few seconds ago. She blushed a deep red as she replayed the moment in her head. "Oh, man…how am I gonna face him tomorrow when I see him?!"

She turned and slowly opened the door to peek at the trainer. She saw Ash pick up a surprisingly fainted Pikachu from the floor and carefully got on Charizard. "Did he faint from seeing us?" She heard Ash give an order to Charizard and they quickly flew away from the hotel out of sight. May closed the door and sighed once more before deciding to go to her room to get some much-needed rest. It was going to be a hectic day tomorrow.

The brunette was in deep thought as she made her way down the hall of the hotel.

"There's no way I'm gonna be able to make eye contact tomorrow," she thought to herself. She approached the door to the room and pulled out her cardkey. "I don't know how I'm gonna spend an entire day with him without feeling awkward."

May slid the card on the door and pushed it open only to see the lights were still on. She closed the door, walked into the small living room, and saw Dawn and Misty in their pajamas smiling at her.

"Hey, May!" Dawn excitingly said while Misty waved at the brunette.

"Uh, hi, I guess," she replied slightly confused. "What are you guys still doing up?"

Dawn hugged a pillow and began rocking back-and-forth as she continued in an innocent tone.

"Well…we were just wondering, you know," she said as she pointed to herself and Misty, "how the date with Ash went?"

May blushed deeply. "I-It wasn't a date!" She defended.

"Oh, right. Because spending time alone with a guy you like until two in the morning isn't a date," Misty said sarcastically. "Gotcha."

"She's right, you know," Dawn agreed. "You're only kidding yourself."

May brought her hands to her face and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Okay, if I say that it was, would you guys drop the subject? I really don't want to talk about it."

"Why? Did something bad happened?"

"No, nothing bad happened…" May shyly responded looking away from them. She could feel her cheeks heat up again.

"So, something good happened, then?" Misty interjected.

May merely brought her hands together in front of her body and began fidgeting her thumbs.

The two pajamaed women exchanged sly smiles before turning their attention back to their friend. Dawn patted the seat next to her on the couch, calling May to sit next to her.

"Okay," Dawn started as she crossed her arms and May sat next to her. "Spill it—what happened with you and our handsome friend?"

The brunette closed her eyes and covered her hands with her face while taking in a deep breath. She mumbled something into her hands hoping it would be enough.

"Sorry, you're gonna have to speak up, May," Dawn said. "We couldn't really hear you with your hands covering your face, and all."

"Don't pressure her," Misty scolded the Sinnoh native. "She probably did something embarrassing, and she doesn't want to say. Am I right, May?"

"There's no way she could've done something that embarrassing. Unless…" Dawn brought a hand to her head and rubbed it frustratingly. "May, please don't tell me you showed Ash your impression of a Skitty…? I told it's not funny, it's just creepy."

Before May could reply, Misty had spoken up.

"If she embarrassed herself, she must of did her impression of a Psyduck. It's silly and weird, but that one's pretty funny!"

"Oh, I forgot about her Psyduck impression! That one is pretty funny! Did you show him that one?"

"I didn't do any impressions!" May yelled. She realized what she did and apologized for her outburst. She closed her eyes and continued in a soft tone. "I-I kissed him."

Dawn and Misty gapingly looked at each other for a few seconds before smiling brightly.

"You kissed Ash!"

The brunette slowly nodded.

The pajamaed women tried their best to contain their excitement for their friend.

Dawn breathed in deeply to try and calm herself before she continued. "No wonder you were kinda lost walking into the room…so, how did it happened?"

"Well, we were on the roof of the hotel after spending time at his mom's house with the Elite Four and—,"

"Wait, Mrs. Ketchum is living here? And she knows the Elite Four?" Misty interrupted.

"Yeah. She lives next door to each member, so I guess it's only natural that she knows them. They're all really nice people when you talk to them," May said as she grinned. She then turned to Dawn as she realized something. "Oh, I just remembered I met Paul's opponent! His name is Siebold. But, he's not gonna battle him tomorrow."

"Okay?" The blunette gave her a questionable look. "How is this guy gonna be Paul's opponent if he's not gonna battle with him?"

May put a finger to her chin as she recalled the earlier conversation. "Hmm, I think they're gonna skip him, so Paul will face the next Elite Four member and then face Siebold if he wins."

"Aww, I wanted to see what kind of Water Pokémon an Elite Four from here carries…"

"You can't always get what you want, Misty," Dawn argued before turning her attention back to May. "So, who is Paul gonna battle?"

"I don't know," she admitted while she shrugged. "She wasn't there at Delia's house when we were there. I think she was out buying some sweets for everyone. Apparently, she takes forever picking out which ones she wants to buy."

"Sweets?" Misty thought aloud. "Sounds like someone Cynthia would get along with."

After a few seconds of thinking about her friend's statement, Dawn gasped causing the other two girls to stare at her oddly.

"That reminds me of an article I read earlier today," the blunette announced. "They were comparing the previous Kalos Champion's relationship with Cynthia and Ash's relationship with her. I read the previous champion and Cynthia got along well because they liked going out to eat desserts…"

"I didn't see you pick up a magazine today," Misty inquired. "And we were with Ash the whole day, too."

"I was with Paul when he was picking out his Pokémon when I read it online," Dawn clarified. "But that's not the point! The point is this woman sounds like the previous Kalos Champion!"

"Do you really think the last member could be her? I mean that's just one little detail; a lot of people are like that."

"I don't doubt it," May answered the Kanto native. "It does make sense that she'd be the strongest member."

"I'll tell Paul about it in the morning," Dawn said while crossing her arms and staring at the floor. She then turned her attention back to the brunette and smiled. "So, you were telling us how you kissed Ash…?"

"O-Oh, I was," May stuttered. Her face turned red as she continued. "W-Well, I said we were on the roof of the hotel after visiting his mom and as we were saying our goodbyes…I kissed him."

Both girls listened intently to every word—studied every word to picture exactly what happened with the little details their friend was giving.

"So, what happened afterwards?" Dawn asked impatiently.

"Yeah, what did Ash say?"

May leaned back on the couch and slumped. "I don't know…I kinda ran inside of the hotel after we parted lips." She quickly buried her face in the pillow in embarrassment.

"You ran away from him?" Misty stated in disbelief. "How old are you? Twelve?"

Dawn giggled. "She's right, May. Why did you run away?"

"I don't know. I guess I was afraid of seeing his reaction, maybe…"

"Hmm, I guess I would've been afraid, too, if I'm being honest," the blunette admitted. "Expressing your feelings after all these years would be pretty scary."

May smiled gently at her friend's understanding.

"Okay, I think we've grilled you long enough," Misty stated as she stood up and yawned. "We should go to bed 'cause we have to wake up early for Paul's match later."

"Yeah, and I have to tell Paul about his opponent change."

"Even if you don't tell him, I'm pretty sure Ash's manager would let him know," May explained. "Ash told me he's always on top of tasks to make sure everything goes right."

"Oh, okay…good to know I don't have to wake up extra early, then."

"Um, and I don't think I'm gonna go to Paul's match."

The pajamaed girls looked at her questionably before the brunette continued.

"I-I'm gonna spend the day with Ash tomorrow, so I'm gonna miss it."

Dawn smiled brightly. "No need to worry," she said in happy expression. "I'll be sure to tell you exactly what happens in the battle. Go spend time with Ash, okay?"

May returned the smile and nodded.

"Well, you better get over that fear pretty quickly, then," Misty said as she began walking to her room. "Because I'm pretty sure you guys are gonna talk about that kiss you both shared. Goodnight and good luck later!"

"She's right, you know," Dawn agreed after hearing Misty's door close. "I don't think you can avoid the subject if you're gonna spend the whole day with him."

"I know…"

"Come on; let's go get some rest. You can worry about this later when the time comes."

With that both girls headed off to their room to get some sleep before the day began.

XxXxXxXx

The morning seemed to come fast for May. She felt as she had just closed her eyes to sleep when Dawn shook her to get out of bed to go have breakfast. May had grumpily gotten out of bed and lazily began to get ready for the day. It was not until she realized Ash would be showing up soon that she started moving at faster pace. She finished getting dressed and fixing her hair in twenty minutes, which she believed to be a personal best.

May wore a nicely fitted red spaghetti-strap blouse with a pair of blue jeans that complimented her curves nicely and a pair of white flats. Her hair was combed down in a pleasant fashion to the sides instead of her usual upside-down "V" shape that defied the laws of physics.

"What are you guys planning on doing?" Dawn asked the brunette as they headed to the hotel restaurant. May had caught up with the Sinnoh native when she finished getting ready. "Did he tell you what you guys were gonna do?"

"Not really," May answered, putting a finger on her chin as she recollected what Ash told her. "I just know we're gonna have dinner with Delia later. He didn't say anything else."

"Hmm, well, I guess you'll find out in a bit, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess I will."

"Either way, I think he's gonna be thrown off by your look," the blunette said as she glanced at her friend from head-to-toe. "I don't think he's ever seen you with your hair down."

May slightly blushed as she responded. "I-I just didn't want him to think I wear the same thing every day like I did when we were kids, maybe."

"Yeah, uh-huh," Dawn replied sarcastically. "I know that's the look you go for when you're trying to impress someone."

"What makes you say that?!"

"Because I'm the one who told you should wear that look when you want to impress someone!"

The two girls met with the rest of their friends already eating in the restaurant. Dawn sat in the empty seat next to Paul while May sat next to Max. Dawn had asked Paul if he knew about his change in opponent to which he replied that Ash's assistant told him an hour ago, and he was ready for the battle.

"Who are you trying to impress?"

"I'm not trying to impress anyone, Max!" May exclaimed.

"You can't fool me, sis," Max retorted and grinned confidently. "Everyone knows that's your 'dress to impress' look. Remember when she tried to impress Wallace a few years back?" He addressed everyone at the table.

"And Wallace just gave her a pat on the back for being a 'good sport'?" Gary added while chuckling. "Yeah, I remember. It didn't work out too well for her, and it was kinda embarrassing. But, w—OWW!"

He stopped as Misty pulled on his ear.

They ate and talked for a few more minutes before Paul stood from the table.

"As much fun as I think it is talking about pointless things with you all, I have match to head to." He began to head towards the exit of the hotel when he turned to look at the others.

"Good luck, Paul." May said before the man could walk away.

Paul turned to her and grinned.

"Won't need it, but thanks; and enjoy your day with Ash."

"I better go catch up with him. Have fun on your date, May!" Dawn stated as she got up from the table to chase after her boyfriend, who had already exited the hotel.

A few minutes later, everyone said goodbye to May and began making their way to Paul's battle – leaving her to her thoughts as she waited for Ash.

"What am I going to say when I see him…?" She thought as she absentmindedly made her way out the building. "I wonder what he's gonna say about last night."

"BRAA!"

The ferocious roar snapped May out of her trance. She looked up and saw Charizard flying around in circles before taking off behind the hotel. She was confused by his actions but decided to head around the building and follow where the Pokémon had flown. As she turned the corner, however, May lightly bumped into a tall hooded figure—causing her to take a few steps back.

"Oops. Sorry, mister," May quickly apologized.

"Mornin', May!" The figure said, ignoring her apology. He took off his hood and the brunette could see Ash smiling brightly at her.

"A-Ash?"

"Yup!" Ash exclaimed happily. "I don't know why you're surprised, though. I thought you would've noticed Charizard flying around when we got here…?"

"I did, but, uh, it kinda threw me off when he went behind the building," May clarified as she returned the smile back to the trainer. "Not to mention you were covering your face."

"Well, we do that so people would think I'm at one place when I'm really going somewhere else."

"Oh, and that's why you're wearing a hoodie," she said as she eyed Ash curiously. "To hide your appearance from fans…?"

"Pretty much," Ash replied. "I'll take it off when we get to where we're going."

"Pika!"

Pikachu ran from behind his trainer and jumped towards May who caught him.

"Hey, Pikachu!" May stated as she hugged Pikachu tightly. "How are you feeling today?"

"Pika pika!" He said happily.

"I'll take that as good."

Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder and made himself comfortable in his usual spot. The trainer gave his Pokémon a pat before closing the distance between him and May.

"You look amazing, May," Ash stated with a sweet smile. "You ready to go?"

"U-Um, yeah. I'm ready," she said nervously, blushing at the compliment she just received. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing. "And thank you…"

"Come on," he said as he extended his hand to May. "Let's get going, then."

May looked at him lovingly with a slight blush still lingering on her face and accepted his hand.

"Yeah…let's go."

With that, Ash and May began walking towards their destination with their hands happily intertwined with one another.

XxXxXxX

It had been a few minutes of relaxing silence between the Kalos Champion and the Hoenn Princess; they were enjoying each other's company as they walked arm-in-arm. Ash decided to break the silence and turned to May who seemed to be lost in thought; however, she must have been thinking something joyful because she was smiling from what Ash could tell.

"Have you ever been to a botanical garden before?" He asked, breaking the coordinator out of her thoughts.

"No, but I've always wanted to go to one," May turned to him and replied as she brought her finger to a chin. "I hear Kalos has a ton of them." She then focused on the path ahead and thought to herself. "I'm surprised he hasn't brought up the kiss yet… does he not want to talk about it? Is he taking me to the gardens so we can talk about it?"

"I think you're going to like it," Ash said. He chuckled as he recalled his conversation earlier. "I called the owner earlier to ask if it'd be all right to show up today with a friend, and she said she'd close the place for us as a gift. I told her it wasn't necessary, but she kept insisting so we can have some peace and quiet, so it'll just be the two of us."

May grinned slyly and lightly elbowed him in the ribs.

"It sounds like she has a thing for you if you ask me," she said teasingly.

"Yup," he retorted. "She loves me just like one of her grandsons."

May gave him a confused look.

"She's not as young as you think she is," he finished.

Ash continued by saying they would spend most of the day at the garden before leaving for his mom' house. They would arrive a little earlier than she expected, but he said it was so they could 'catch up' with each other. May agreed it would be nice to spend time with Delia beforehand.

When the trio finally made it to the location, May could tell it was going to be vast and amazing. They were not even inside yet, but she was guessing there would be lots of trees and flowers everywhere. She also believed it was probably one of the more 'fancy' botanical gardens in Kalos as the black gate blocking the entrance was tall enough to touch the clouds and wide enough for two Snorlax to walk through—at least in May's opinion. There was a big, burly guard standing in front of the gate as they approached it. He saw them approaching and smiled as he recognized Ash.

"Ah, Master Ash," the guard exclaimed in a deep voice, but in an adoring tone. "We've been waiting for you and your friend this morning."

"I told you to call me Ash, Ron," the Kalos Champion playfully argued as he patted the guard on the shoulder, letting go of May to greet the man correctly. "It's nice to see you again. I hope I didn't cause any problems by showing up today. I told your grandma she didn't need to close the garden, but she wouldn't listen to me."

The guard known as Ron chuckled. "You and I both know once my grandma says something, there's no changing her mind."

"I figured…she's just like my mom. It's probably why they get along so well."

"Maybe," Ron added. He noticed May was just watching the discussion and decided he should not take up anymore of Ash's time. "Please, won't you both come in?" He asked as he opened the gate remotely. He continued as gently as he could with his deep voice. "You both enjoy yourselves 'til your hearts content."

"Thank you, Ron." Ash replied. He put his hand in May's hand once more and entered. "Say hi to the kids for me!"

"Don't worry. I will," the big man stated. "Have fun."

They were a good distance inside the facility when May decided to speak.

"I'm guessing you and Ron are good friends," she commented as she walked with the trainer.

"Yeah," he replied innocently. "I like coming to this place, so I got to know him a little bit each time I visited. This is a family business, and they're all nice people."

May nodded in understanding and thought there was no need to further the subject.

As they walked through the garden, May couldn't help but gasp. It was full of beautiful flowers of all colors in every direction she turned; there were even magnificently tall, green trees filled with different kinds of berries. Some of them she recognized to be Oran, Sitrus, and Pecha berries, and there were some she had never seen before. Right in between the colorful flowers and wonderful trees was a small cement path May believed to be the way to cross the garden without stepping on the nicely cut grass. To say she was in awe would be understatement.

"This is amazing…" Ash heard her whisper.

As she continued down the pathway, May saw a large fountain with a Pokémon that looked familiar but could not identify. It had a grand silver statue of a flying Pokémon with its wings spread out looking towards the sky. It sprinkled water from its mouth in all directions, yet not a single drop landed outside of the fountain. "Its wings kinda look like hands," she thought as she gazed fondly at statue. She saw Ash sit on the bench in front of the fountain and decided to take a seat next to him.

Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder and laid on his lap to take a quick nap. They never really had time to relax because of all the training they did, so he wasn't going to let this chance slip by.

"It's beautiful," May exclaimed, looking at the flowers move slightly from the light breeze passing through.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I like coming here," Ash proclaimed, sitting back on the bench. "It's relaxing and has a nostalgic feeling to it. The way the flowers and trees are bright and green—it reminds me of the times I used to travel with my friends…the irony of it is that I actually did forget about you all," he chuckled and shook his head in disapproval. He then turned to the brunette who was now looking at him. "I really am sorry I didn't keep in touch with you guys. If it weren't for all of you, I wouldn't be where I am today."

May smiled at the trainer as a little blush appeared on her face before responding.

"Like we said, Ash, we get it. You were really busy over here in Kalos," May explained as she moved a closer to him. "It's also our fault for not staying in contact with you." She sighed slightly before she continued. "But we're all together now, and that's all that matters."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" Ash thought it'd be best to change the subject. "So, what new Pokémon have you caught on your journey?"

"Yeah, I caught plenty of Pokémon from a lot of different places," she stated excitedly. "I think the one you'd like the most is—,"

"There you are!" A voice interrupted.

With the abrupt noise, Pikachu opened his eyes and began searching for the familiar voice. He knew the person calling out, but he couldn't seem to find her when peered the area. Suddenly, Pikachu saw the girl walk around the opposite side of the fountain.

"Serena?" Ash stated confusingly, looking at his honey-blonde friend smiling brightly at him. He stood up to stand in front of her while Pikachu climbed on his shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, if you don't want me here, I can just leave," Serena said in sad playfully tone while crossing her arms.

"You know that's not what I meant," Ash retorted, noting her playful tone.

May watched the trainer talk with the beautiful woman who just arrived from the same direction they previously walked through and couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity.

"I think I know her," May thought, trying to remember if she had ever interacted with Serena before. She saw Serena smile at something Ash said, and May's eyes widened slightly as she recalled where she'd seen her before. "Wait, she's the girl I bumped into a couple days ago! I think Dawn called her something like the Kalos Queen." May gazed at the girl and thought she was really beautiful.

Serena briefly glanced in May's direction and noticed her staring.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your time with Ash," she apologized while walking over to the brunette, leaving the trainer talking on his own. "I heard he was gonna be here and wanted to tell hi—wait, have we met before?"

"Yeah, I think so," May replied as she stood. "I'm pretty sure we bumped into each other a few days ago—literally."

"Oh, you're right! We did bump into each other; what a small world, huh?" Serena smiled and extended a hand to her. "My name is Serena. It's nice to officially meet you!"

"Likewise! My name is May," the Hoenn native said while accepting the handshake.

Ash looked at both his friends then looked at Pikachu and whispered to him.

"I think we're missing something, buddy."

"Pika pika Pikachu?"

"Yeah, it does seem like they've met at least once before," The Kalos champion continued whispering.

"Pikachu pika pika, Pikapi?"

"No, I don't they knew each other before their accident; I didn't even know about them meeting."

"Pika pika pi pika?"

"No, I don't think they're long-lost relatives. But if you don't believe me, go ask them yourself…?"

"Pi pika."

"That's what I thought."

May turned to Ash and explained how she met Serena while heading to see Paul's match.

"Yeah, sorry about that again," Serena commented, blushing slightly for being clumsy.

"Don't worry," May replied, giggling nervously. "I'm to blame as well for not looking where I was going."

Serena then turned to Ash curiously.

"Wait, how do you two know each other?"

"I travelled with her and her brother through the Hoenn region," Ash stated.

"Ah, I see…"

"Serena travelled with me throughout the Kalos region," Ash told May. "There were also two other people who were with us who are actually brother and sister like you and Max." He then realized something odd. "Where are Bonnie and Clemont?"

"They went back home," Serena exclaimed. "They were really sorry they couldn't say bye, but their dad wanted them home as soon as possible to fix something he broke."

"Oh, okay. I understand."

The group decided they would sit down and talk, and Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder once again— falling asleep on his trainer's lap. The trainer explained how he met May and his old friends and told Serena one of them was the challenger facing the Elite Four. She was surprised to learn how they were going to extreme measures just to see him again. She then started talking to May about their personal interests.

"So, you're a coordinator?" Serena asked as she received a nod from the brunette. "I always thought coordinators were awesome; I even thought of becoming one at some point." She paused as she reminisced. "I bet you're very popular, right? I mean, considering you've been doing it for years, you must be an amazing coordinator…not to mention, you're really beautiful, May."

May blushed at the praise she was getting from the girl.

"I'm not all that," the brunette said, trying to understate the compliments she was receiving. She then proceeded to return the gestures. "I was actually thinking the same when I saw you earlier—that you were really beautiful. I also heard from one of my friends you're known as the Kalos Queen. Is that true?"

Serena's face flushed a deep red. "Now you have me feeling embarrassed," she laughed nervously. "And yeah, it's a title I have for being the top Pokémon Performer, but it's not something I call myself."

"I know what you mean. I have a title back home I was given that I'm embarrassed about," May recalled. "Though, it might be different since you were officially given the title of Kalos Queen while people just gave me a nickname."

"Oh, what is it?" Serena curiously inquired. "I bet it's a name that really suites you! Would you mind telling me?"

"Wel—,"

"The Princess of Hoenn."

May's face flushed a deep red after hearing Ash call her that.

"That's a pretty title!" Serena exclaimed while clasping her hands. "I'd believe it if the people from the Hoenn region refer to you as their princess."

"It's so embarrassing…" May covered her face with her hands.

"It's alright," the honey-blonde woman comforted, patting her on the back. "I'll always see you as 'May' if it makes you feel any better…?"

"Thanks. I appreciate it," the coordinator said smiling. "And I'll be sure to see you as Serena!"

Both girls laughed as they conversed freely and contently. It had been awhile since May had a conversation where there was only support with no criticism. She admitted Dawn could be condemning at times, which is why this conversation with Serena felt refreshing.

"Hey, Serena?" Ash intruded on their discussion.

"Yeah?"

"How did you get in before we did?" He questioned. "I'm little confused since they told me it was going to be closed until I got here."

"Oh, well, I was on my way to visit this place to kill some time before trying to find you," Serena explained as she thought about the past events. "And when I got here, Ron did say it closed until you showed up. But I figured why not kill to two-Pidove-with-one-stone and wait for you inside while enjoying the garden." She took in a small breath before continuing. "He was reluctant at first because he was told not let anyone in without you, but he knew I was a friend, so he ultimately just let me in. He said he'd take the blame if his grandma told him anything…but then he said his grandma loved me, so he probably wouldn't get into any trouble."

"Hmm, I guess Ron forgot to mention you were here—not that I'm complaining; I'm glad you're here."

"He was probably so excited to see you it slipped his mind, maybe," May interpreted.

"True…"

The trio then began talking about their adventures with Ash. Serena recalled how she met him, which was apparently a long time ago when they were small to May's surprise. He had never mentioned Serena during their travels together. May then gave Ash a look of idiocy when she heard he simply he forgot. They ended up talking for a couple more hours about personal endeavors and such until Serena remembered something.

"How come you guys are here by yourselves?" She asked curiously. This caused May to slightly flinch and blush, which Serena mentally noted. "You said all your friends were here to see you, so I'm just wondering why you all aren't together…?"

"Oh, well, remember Paul?" Ash decided to answer. "Turns out even being injured won't stop him from battling the Elite Four, so everyone went to watch him."

"Wait, I remember you said Siebold made plans when he found out the match would be postponed," the Kalos native replied. "Did he cancel his plans to battle him?"

"No, Siebold said to skip him," Ash simply said. "He said he could battle Paul later if he beat the next person."

"That means he facin—,"

"Yup."

Serena let out a long whistle. "Good luck to him, I remember she said she was going to be impossible to beat after she lost to you."

May looked at both her friends with a timid expression, thinking of the powerful opponent Paul had to face today. However, her thoughts were cut off by Serena.

"She must've been happy to find out she'd be battling today," she exclaimed with a smile. "I know she doesn't get many challengers these days."

"True, but it's because no one can really beat Siebold in a battle," Ash chuckled. "And they have to beat him before getting to her."

"Who is she?" May asked puzzlingly.

"Oh, Diantha," Serena answered. "She was the previous Kalos Champion before Ash."

May had a flabbergasted look on her face and realized Dawn was right this morning.

Ash checked his Xtransceiver and saw it was already two o'clock. He knew it would take a little bit of time to walk from where they were to his mom's house; not to mention they were probably going to buy something to eat on their way there. He started scratching Pikachu on his head trying to wake his little friend up.

"Come on, buddy. It's time to wake up."

"Pi?" Pikachu said as his eyes slowly opened.

Ash then arose from his seat as Pikachu lazily climbed up his shoulder. This caught the attention of the two girls. He gave a warm smile to them before he spoke.

"I think we should head out, May," Ash suggested. "It'll take us a little while to get to my mom's house, and we're probably gonna stop by and get something quick to eat."

Serena had a confused look on her face.

"Oh, Mrs. Ketchum wanted us over for dinner," May explained as she stood up, standing close to the trainer.

"Did you want to come?" Ash asked, not wanting Serena to feel left out.

Serena shook her head.

"I have an interview for a Pokémon Performers' magazine in a bit." She stood and stretched her body. "I just wanted to relax before I had to go, and I was pretty lucky to run into you because I wanted to tell you about Bonnie and Clemont."

"Alright…" Ash said, nodding towards the Kalos native. "See you soon?"

"Definitely!" Serena exclaimed as she embraced him. After a few seconds, she broke the hug and continued. "Do you think I can speak to May privately before I leave?"

Ash looked curiously at his friend. "Um, yeah, I guess…" He turned to May and spoke. "We'll wait for you close to the entrance. Is that alright?"

May nodded absentmindedly. She was also a little confused with the request, but she thought it had something to do with a topic they talked about earlier. She watched Ash disappear before turning her attention to the Kalos native, who was slyly grinning.

"So, you like Ash, huh?"

May blushed deeply from the unexpected question. "Is it really that obvious?"

"The way you look at him gives it away," Serena said, interpreting her flustered expression to mean yes. She giggled before continuing. "Sorry for being quick to the point. I just wanted to get to the topic faster…and I kinda wanted to tell you something."

"Alright?" the brunette inquired, still feeling somewhat flustered. "What did you want to tell me?"

"The truth is…" Serena paused before looking away from the coordinator and finishing. "Ash and I were kinda a thing once…"

"Oh, um, o-okay," was all May could respond as she gave the girl a staggering look. To say the news was a shock to her would be an understatement. "But, why is it so surprising to me?" May pondered, glancing at Serena who seem to be gathering her own thoughts. "I mean, she and Ash were together for a long time, and I guess it's only natural the two of them would have a thing if they were so close…I-I guess I just thought he'd always be the same dense Ash I knew, maybe."

"You don't have to think about it too much," Serena said, staring back at the girl and regaining her composure. She could tell May was thinking many ideas and knew it would be best to clarify the situation as quick as possible. "It didn't last very long, and we just decided to stay friends. We thought it was the best choice for both of us since we were barely getting somewhere in our careers."

May sighed. She did not want to ask the next question but believed it was the right thing to do.

"Do you still, you know, like him?"

Serena giggled before replying. "No, I don't like him," she responded honestly. "I love him."

May felt her heart stop in that instant. She could not comprehend the words she heard from the performer to her expression.

"S-She loves him," the brunette told herself. "And she says it like it's no big deal or like Ash knows that she does—I don't get it. Why is she telling me one thing but meaning something totally different?" She breathed in deeply before finishing her thoughts. "I-If she does mean it when she says she loves him, it wouldn't be right for me to show up and interfere with her chances. I mean, I just showed up after years of not seeing Ash to finally tell him how I feel—it wouldn't fair to her…"

Her thoughts were interrupted as the Kalos native gave her a surprising hug.

"Like I said, don't think about too hard," Serena reminded as she squeezed May a little tighter. "I do love him, but not in the way you're thinking."

"Then ho—,"

"He's my family, May," Serena finished. She released her embrace and smiled at the brunette. "I've known him for years along with my two other friends, and we've all become family. We spent every day with each other—laughed and cried with each other. I think it's only natural we became so close. I could even say the Elite Four is like family to me; I've known them for almost just as long.

"Do I still love Ash in the way you're thinking? Maybe…but I wouldn't change what I have with him now because I know he'll be close to me for the rest of my life, and I think that's what I really wanted." She could feel her eyes getting watery. "A-And I'm kinda hoping I could get to know you and your other friends as well? I would like to be close to everyone close to Ash."

May felt her tears swell up at the warm-heartening confession and embraced the girl this time. Serena was taken back but, nevertheless, reciprocated the hug.

"I'm sure they'd love to get to know you more," May stated happily, clearing her eyes. They held each other for a few seconds longer before breaking apart. "And I'd love to get to know you more, too."

Serena stepped back a bit more from the coordinator and nodded.

"I'd like that very much…"

Both girls gazed at other and laughed.

"I didn't expect this to happen when I asked to talk with you," Serena admitted.

"Me neither, but I'm glad we did."

Serena smiled before speaking again.

"Okay, then, I'll be taking my leave now."

"Let's go together," May suggested. "Ash said he'd wait for us there."

"No need. He's on his way back."

May turned and saw Ash and Pikachu headed in their direction. They were still a good distance away, but they were walking at a good pace.

"So, I'll see you later, May," Serena said, looking at her Xtransceiver. "I really wasn't kidding when I said I had an interview to do."

"Okay, then. Good luck."

"Thanks! I do tend to get nervous about these things even after doing so many of them."

With that, Serena began heading in the direction Ash and Pikachu were coming from. She was just a few feet away from them when the trainer spoke.

"Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt," he apologized.

"No, it's okay," Serena said smiling. "We just finished a couple of minutes ago."

Ash noticed her eyes were a little red. "Is everything al—"

"May is waiting for you to get going."

"Oh, okay…but I wanted to ask you something."

"You could ask me later. I really do have to get going to that interview."

"Alright, I won't hold you up, then," Ash chuckled. Serena smiled and waved before walking passed him. "I'll call you later to ask how your interview went, okay?"

"I'll be waiting for it!" Serena yelling as she continued her leave.

May saw her new friend disappear before starting towards Ash. As she grew closer, she saw the trainer had a face she couldn't read. When she was next to him, she saw Pikachu with a grin on his face as he jumped off his trainer's shoulder and walked away from them.

"Um, May?" Ash said, breaking the girl from her gaze at Pikachu.

"Yeah?" She noticed he was only inches away from and could not help but blush.

She felt an arm wrap around her waist as she looked up into Ash's warm auburn eyes. "What's happening?" She could feel her face heat up even more when she saw him slowly moving his face toward hers.

"I was never good at this," Ash whispered before lightly pressing his lips onto hers.

May's heart spun in her chest as she felt his soft lips against hers. She couldn't help but close her eyes and enjoy the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck, not wanting to let him go and kissed back with a passionate, yet gentle, force. After what felt like an eternity, they slowly broke apart. May looked into Ash's eyes as she smiled.

"What was that for?" She asked as she kept her arms around him.

Ash kept his arms around the coordinator's waist. He smiled and looked straight into her beautiful sapphire eyes that were sparkling with hope.

"Last night."

"Oh, uh, y-yeah," May muttered while laughing nervously. "I-I kinda just did it at random, huh?"

"And you kinda just ran off without saying anything either," Ash chuckled as he leaned his head on hers. "We're not twelve anymore, you know."

"Dang it. Misty was right," she thought frustratingly before focusing on the trainer again. They both had their eyes closed as they spoke. "I'll be honest and say I was nervous to see your reaction."

"Hmm, I guess I would've been, too, if I was in your position."

There was a small silence between the pair; they merely held each other without saying a word for a couple of minutes. It wasn't until Ash peered back a little—still holding May in his arms—to gaze into her eyes.

"Why did you kiss me last night?"

May felt her heart race as she readied her response.

"I, um, wanted to tell you how I felt, but I couldn't bring myself to say the words," she admitted shyly. "I tried, but my mind was having doubts about it…and in the end, I knew my actions would speak louder than anything I could've said to you in that moment, so I—well, you know…I don't regret doing, too. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to."

Ash returned the adoring smile May was giving him.

"Well, I'm glad you did it."

"And," May began, looking innocently at him. "What do you think of all this?"

"About the kisses?"

"Maybe he still is the Ash I remember," May rolled her eyes playfully. "I mean about me being in love with you."

"You're in love with me?" He questioned carefully.

"W-Well, I think I am, maybe," May blushed, thinking of how embarrassing it is to say it aloud to him. She sighed deeply before explaining. "I know I like you, but I think it's more than that. I want to see you smiling and being happy; I want to be the person who makes you smile when you're feeling down…but even if I'm not that person, I'd hope you find it with someone else. I guess that's why I think I love you—because I'd want to see you find happiness with or without me…"

Ash brought her closely and kissed her on the cheek.

"Well, if that's the case, then I think I love you, too," he gently implied, seeing a delightful look on May's face. "I think I've felt those exact same feelings for a while. I've always wanted my friends to be happy and follow their dreams, even if it meant that our paths took us apart. Then I became so busy with my dream I forgot all of you. But," he paused gathering his thoughts, "I'd been thinking lately that something was missing. I wasn't sure what it was—maybe it was missing my friends after all this time, and I just didn't realize it.

"When I met you all again, the emptiness feeling I had had gone away." Ash caressed her cheek with her hand. "And when we were alone yesterday, it felt amazing and complete if that makes sense—something I hadn't felt in years. Maybe since we last saw each other in Sinnoh. I think I missed you the most, May…"

The coordinator grasped his hand and felt the warmth from his touch. She just heard the words she'd been wanting to hear for a long time and didn't know how to respond. She simply snuggled into Ash's chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

From a distance, Pikachu was smiling as he spectated the whole scene. He may have been surprised yesterday by the kiss May gave his buddy, but he knew what Ash was feeling when they left that evening from the roof. He decided he gave them enough time to sort everything they needed to.

"Pika!"

The sudden call caused the pair to separate and look at the yellow mouse. He leaped towards May, which surprised her greatly; yet, she graciously caught him.

"Pika pika pikachu!" Pikachu said as he snuggled against May's cheek, causing the her to giggle.

"Hey, Pikachu," May happily stated as she held him. "Were you watching us this whole time?".

Pikachu merely shrugged as he climbed onto May's shoulder.

"Before you start interrogating him, I think it's time we get going," Ash announced. "I think we stayed a lot longer than we thought to. I'm also pretty sure my mom will be expecting us pretty soon."

May nodded with Pikachu still on her shoulders. Ash put on his hoodie once more and offered her his hand which she gladly took. She was contently grinning as they walked through the garden, hand-in-hand with the man she loved.

"I didn't think I could be this happy," May thought. She briefly glanced at Ash who was grinning at her. "Well, I think I did, maybe."

XxXxXxX

It took the trio almost two hours to get to Delia's house. They made a couple of stops on the way to get some food and some dessert for later—for Pikachu this was a small bottle ketchup. When they stood in front the door, Ash knocked before entering the house.

"We're here, mom," he exclaimed.

May, who still had Pikachu on her shoulder, was a little nervous. She just saw the woman yesterday without any problems, but this was before she kissed her son.

"Hi!" Delia yelled from the kitchen. She began walking towards the young individuals as she continued. "I wasn't expecting you guys for a little while. I still haven't finished making dinner yet."

"We thought we'd get here a little earlier, so we could help with whatever you wanted," Ash explained.

"Oh, well, isn't that sweet of you both," responded his mom. She then briefly noticed the flustered expression May was displaying and knew something between the young brunette and her son took place. "You guys should come in and relax while I finish making dinner."

They properly said hello as Delia led them into the living room. A couple minutes after she had closed the door, there was a sudden knock on the door. She gave a curious look before slowly opening the door. To her dismay, she saw her son's manager with a grim expression on his face.

"May I come in, Mrs. Ketchum?" Ed asked.

The elder woman smiled and nodded politely as she let the flame-haired man inside. However, she knew whenever Ed showed up Ash would be needed somewhere else.

"Master Ash," Ed began, bowing in respect. "It's about the battle between the challenger and Diantha."

"This could've waited 'til tomorrow?" Ash asked, ignoring the formalities he was receiving. "You know my mom doesn't like it when you show to talk about work."

"I could tell. She's giving me a menacing smile that's scaring the crap out of me," his manager grimaced, feeling the stare from the woman. "But, I'm sorry. It couldn't have waited 'til then."

"Alright, you've got me intrigued. What happened?"

"It was a draw."

"What?!" Everyone said.

"Is that even possible for an Elite Four battle?" May questioned as she hugged Pikachu.

"Well, it wasn't really a draw, but it's complicated to say the least." Ed sighed tiredly. "The league wants you to decide what the outcome should be and whether he should move on or not."

"I'm about to have dinner," Ash responded in desperation. "Can't I at least enjoy that before we leave?"

"It'll be quick; I promise. They just require your presence for a few minutes."

Ash sighed in defeat. "Alright." He glanced at May before starting. "Would you like to wait here while I go…?"

Before May could reply, Delia responded for her.

"She'll stay, honey!" She stated with her signature smile. "It'll be a good chance for us to catch up."

"Y-Yeah, it's okay," May clarified. "I'll wait here."

"Sounds good. I'll be back soon," he replied as he walked up to her. Without any hesitation, Ash gave her a kiss on the cheek, causing the brunette to deeply blush. "Let's go, Pikachu!"

"Pika," Pikachu said, jumping from May to Ash.

The two walked out of the house with Ed quickly following behind. As soon as the door closed, the two women could hear yelling.

"Care to explain what's going on with that kiss?!" They heard Ed shout. "The media is gonna have field day if they find out you're in love. Why didn't you tell me? I could've taken precautions!"

"I'll tell you on the way," Ash's voice echoed.

"Of course you are! I'm not letting you off the hook so easily."

The two women giggled at the outburst. Delia then turned to May with a sly grin on her face that made the young woman nervous.

"I want to know all about it," Mrs. Ketchum stated cheerfully, putting an arm around the coordinator to lead her into the kitchen.

"This is gonna be really hard to explain," May thought as she paced with the woman. She slightly grinned to herself. "But I guess I can't say I'm upset about being questioned about it."

Finally! This chapter went a lot longer than I expected. I did feel like I owed you all for not updating this story for so long, though. Granted, this'll be the last chapter I write so long. The editing is a punk to do.

What do you guys think of this comeback chapter? Did you all know which Pokémon I meant for the statue on the fountain? Let me know if you did; pretty simple if you think about it.

I thought I was going to get to the dinner with Delia, but I put so much detail in other parts that it'll be for next time. I'm hoping you all liked the confession, too.

For those of you who are here for Timeflies, I am still working on the chapter. I want to say I'm close to finishing, but I still have a couple more things to add before I finish it. I want to say thank you so much for the reviews and PMs I got. I saw a lot of you guy's add Pokémon I was (or wasn't) thinking about, which really helps. I can't say I'm surprised at the Pokémon you guys wanted her to have. They're all good suggestions.

Well, that's it for me, and I will see you in the next chapter!

-RedHood06