Well I forgot to say that this is in Ash's POV, but I guess you all figured that out fairly easily. There aren't too many Advanceshippers that don't know that last contest battle. Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter, this is the second and final installment of this story. Well hope you guys like the second half.

Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Pokèmon or its characters

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After settling in and saying hi to my mom we set off in different directions. Brock and Max went off to buy the food for the grand feast that he and my mom will be making for tonight as a final farewell dinner, while I took May and Pikachu to go shopping at the new mall that opened up not too long ago.

As we walked the half-hour to the mall, I could tell that May was happier than I've seen her in a long time. The sight of her like that made me nearly forget about the dilemma that I was faced with.

When we got to the mall it was what seemed like pure chaos as May ran from store to store buying everything from clothes to shoes to trinkets to things that I would have no clue what they were, let alone what they would be used for.

"Ash I'm getting hungry, do you think we could stop to eat lunch?"

"Ha, she's getting hungry? I'm the one carrying all the bags." Not that I mind though. For her I would do anything that she would ask, as long as it brings her happiness and a smile to her face.

"Sure May, I think the food court is in the middle of the mall. We can head down there now if you want."

"Yay! Thanks Ash! All this shopping has got me craving a burger."

As we walked down to the food court something familiar caught my eye in one of the stores and a grand idea came to my mind. "Well that would be a very good start and it could help me find the right words to say to her."

When we got to the food court we found a small restaurant to eat at, sat down, and made our order.

"May, I'll be right back. There's something that I have to get before our food comes. It'll just take a minute." I ran out leaving Pikachu with her and went to pick up the perfect present to help me finally tell May how I feel about her.

I was able to get back with not a minute to spare as our food reached the table. May gave me a curious look as I sat down. While we were eating she started to ask me questions.

"So what did you buy Ash?"

"Um, nothing really. Just a gift for a friend."

"Oh really? Is this friend a girl?"

"Um, ya. Why?"

"Just wondering," she said with a sly smile. "So, do you like her?"

I nearly chocked on my food as soon as she said that. "Does she know? Does she feel the same way?" These were just a couple of the questions that were racing though my mind at that moment.

"I knew it! So do I know her?"

"So she doesn't know, well I might as well go along with this for now."

"Ya, you know her." I stutter with a blush forming on my face.

"Okay so I know her. Is it Misty?"

"Misty? Heck no, she's more like an older sister the way she treats me. I mean would a girlfriend really be hitting her boyfriend just to get his attention/"

"Good point. Well then if it's not Misty… How well do I know her?"

"Um, May? I don't feel that this is the right time to talk about this." I say as my face turns even redder. She almost seemed as if she snapped back into reality or as if she was on autopilot and was just put back on manual. Then came the apologies.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry Ash. I really shouldn't try to pry into your life like that. If you don't want to tell me then you don't have to."

"Don't worry about it May. I promise I'll tell you when I'm ready."

Pikachu gave a small sigh as he sat in May's lap, he was as relieved as I was at May backing off with the questions. "I will tell her today, just in my own way and at my own pace." I tell myself.

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After the meal we started to walk back to the house, with me still carrying the multitude of heavy bags. Pikachu was riding on her shoulder cause he felt that I had enough weight to carry.

"Wow that was a great meal, thanks for treating Ash. That was really nice of you."

"Hey that's no problem May. Like I told you it's my pleasure."

"How come Ash?"

"Well May, that information is on a need to know basis, and I don't think that you need to know." I tell her with a smile.

"You love to give me answers that dance around the truth don't you?"

"Hey I can't let Max get all the fun!"

"Oh why don't you just tell me?" She then ran a few steps ahead of me and gave me the most irresistible puppy dog eyes that one could imagine. "Please tell me Ashy, I promise I won't tell anyone."

"God those eyes are going to be her secret weapon," any resistance that I had just washed away. "Well Ash, now is as good as ever to tell her how you feel. You're all alone with nobody around for miles and if you miss your chance now you may never have this opportunity again."

"Alright May I'll tell you." I say with a smile on my face. I put down all of the bags so I can stand up straight as I finally find the strength to tell her. "May after all this time I have been keeping something from you."

"Huh? What are you talking about Ash? All I'm asking for is a simple explanation for why you don't tell me the truth."

"May, I truly wish that it was that simple but what I have to tell you goes far beyond a simple explanation. May I…"

As I tried to finally tell May the true extent of feelings a small explosion occurred near us, instead of finishing my sentence I dove to protect May from any debris. Then those familiar voices came from beyond the smoke.

"So we caught you finally alone."

"Only two twerps instead of four."

"So let's start the intro!"

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie"

"James"

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

"Surrender now or prepare to fight."

"Meowth, that's right."

"Wobba, Wobba"

"Mime, Mime, Mime"

Out of the smoke came a hot air balloon shaped exactly like a Meowth's head and paw.

"It's like they know exactly when they are not wanted, and that's when they show up. After all of that waiting and pressure I endured, I will not let them ruin this!"

"Team Rocket now is not the time!" I yelled at them.

"Oh I think that it is the perfect time." Jessie replied

"Of course the perfect time is the time that we are least expected, and thus you let your guard down so that we can steal Pikachu!" James finished.

"I don't have time for this! Pikachu use Thunder on their balloon!"

"Pika, Pikachu!"

But the lightning didn't reach all the way to the balloon; instead it stopped in front of it and seemed to hit an invisible barrier. The barrier seemed to hold the charge as the massive amounts of voltage circulated around it.

"Hahaha, you should now by now that we are immune to Pikachu's electric attacks. This version is based off of our little Wobbuffet's Mirror Coat, and so you get the attack thrown right back at you!" Meowth bragged.

Sure enough the Thunder attack was focusing and shot straight back to the ground. But it wasn't aimed at Pikachu; the Thunder was heading straight for me! I had no time to dodge and knew that there was nothing I could do but hope that the attack didn't hurt too much. But at the last moment I felt a hard push on my left shoulder and looked to see May push me aside right as the Thunder hit ground, right on top of her!

"May!" I yell as she disappears into the light. As the dust settles I look to see May lying on the ground not moving.

"You…You…You, monsters! How dare you do that to her! You will pay! Sceptile, Donphan, Swellow Go!" I let my anger get the best of me, but I had good reasons. For one they interrupted me for the moment I have been waiting so long for, next they hurt the woman that I loved, and finally they just won't stop trying to capture Pikachu!

"Now! Sceptile, Solar Beam! Donphan, Hyper Beam! Swellow, Aerial Ace!"

As each of the attacks were powering up I'm glad that I couldn't see the look that I had on my face, the amount of different emotions that I was feeling was fueling my current hatred for those three. The attacks were launched and hit the balloon head on. Sadly enough for them their barrier couldn't hold the strength of the attacks and shattered. I could hear their screams as they "blasted off again" but at that moment they were the last things I was worried about. I ran over to May to check on her. "Oh please let her be okay." When I got to her all my Pokèmon were there right next to me. I knelt down and tried to feel for a pulse, I felt slightly relieved when I felt a pulse but with her still unconscious I was still worried for her safety.

"Alright everyone, return, thanks for your help." After they were back in their Pokè Balls I picked up May while Pikachu got onto my shoulder and I started to run to the nearest hospital.

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When we arrived at the hospital the doctors accepted her to the emergency room, and I had to wait out in the waiting room. The whole time the only thing I could think about was May and how she was doing. Pikachu tried to cheer me up with a pat to the back of my head but he knew as well as I that it would take more than that to cheer me up.

"Ash Ketchum?" I looked up to see a nurse with a clipboard looking around.

"Yes?"

"Follow me please."

She led me to a small room where May was sleeping in the bed. "The doctors said that she will be fine. The electricity will have no lasting effects to her. She just needs to get some rest and she will be as good as new."

"Thanks for your help."

She gave a quick smile and left me and Pikachu in the room, alone with the sleeping May. She looked so peaceful sleeping like that. I lost all thought at that moment as I felt as though this was all my fault. So to calm myself I started to talk to her, in doing so I also unconsciously held onto her hand.

"May, I'm so sorry for what has happened to you today. I feel its all my fault, if I wouldn't have stopped us to tell you how I feel then you wouldn't have been put into this situation." I sighed, took a deep breath and continued.

"Sometimes I wish I could have lived five lives, there would be so much that I could learn and maybe even avoid events like this. Heck that would be a nice thing to be able to do." As I started to count the things off on my fingers, I could feel my mood lighten as the tension started to lift from me. "I mean I could have lived in five different towns, started five different journeys, caught five lifetimes worth of Pokèmon and befriend every one of them, I could have even eaten five lifetimes worth of food, and at the same time…" I swallowed as I finally let my feelings go. "fall in love with the same girl, five times. I just wish that you wouldn't have been put into this position. I've failed you as a friend." I start to look down to keep myself from crying, but at that moment I could feel pressure take hold of my hand. I looked up to see that May was awake and she was squeezing my hand.

"Ash, none of that was your fault, I was the one who pressured you to tell me. And now I understand why you were hesitant to tell me who you liked. I'm the one you love, aren't I?"

I could feel my heartbeat quicken and my face heat up, but there was no hiding that fact now. Even if I thought that she was still asleep she heard every word that I said. I guess it was easier to tell the person that you love them when you think that they are not listening. "Yes May, you are." I respond to her. "For quite a while I have been attracted to you. I don't know exactly when it truly became love but everything is exactly as I said."

"Well Ash, I'm sorry to say, but I'm not sure if I can say the same thing to you."

As she said this I could feel my heart sink further than I have ever felt before. I felt almost as if I could just crawl into a corner and die.

"but, what I do know is that you are the best friend that I have ever had," she continued while starting to blush, "the reason that I have to say that is because I'm not sure exactly what love is or what is feels like. The thing that doesn't confuse me though is that I know that I can fully trust you with anything and I feel safe when I'm around you. I would also do almost anything for you as long as you asked it. But other than that I'm not sure. I'm so sorry Ash." After she finished she held her head down, almost as in shame of what she said. But on the contrary, those words that she said boosted my mood far more than she could have imagined.

"She said that she doesn't love me because she doesn't understand it? And the way that she describes me is very close to the way that I feel towards her. I still have a chance! I have to ask her."

"May, I understand what you said and that's just fine. I love you too much to force you into anything that you would feel uncomfortable with, including any type of relationship with me. But I have one last question to ask you."

With that she looks up with a few small tears in her sapphire eyes and I just stare into hers, smile, and reach into my pocket. I pull out the item that I bought for her earlier today, before Team Rocket's attack. It was a long blue velvet case that contained an item that I thought she would love. As I gave it to her, her eyes couldn't hide her excitement.

"Is this for me Ash?"

"Yes, but I want you to open it before I can ask you my final question."

She opened it slowly. Inside was a gold locket with a detailed image of a Torchic on one side and an image of Eevee of the same quality on the reverse side. They were made so that the image was elevated toward the onlooker. Inside were two spots for pictures.

"Ash it's beautiful, but how were you able to afford this? I can't accept this."

"Don't worry about that May. Do you really think the offer to become a Frontier Brain was the only thing I won for beating the Battle Frontier? No matter how today ends it is yours to do as you wish. Now for my final question. May, would you join me in traveling through Sinnoh?"

With that she gave the biggest smile I've ever seen her make.

"Of course I will!" She yelled as she lunged at me to give me a big hug. "Of course I will; I was afraid that you didn't want me to join you and that's why I was planning on heading to Johto."

May then got up off of me and stood up to put the locket on. It looked perfect on her, just as I saw in my dream. As I got up May started to speak again.

"Ash, I'm glad that you asked me to come with you to Sinnoh, I was starting to feel that I was a burden to you."

"May you will never be a burden to me, I love having you around."

Then she did what I never thought would happen, she kissed me on the cheek. After all the waiting my first kiss received was from the girl I loved and it was better than I could have ever imagined. I could feel myself turn many shades of red.

"Thank you for everything today Ash, it means a lot to me. And I love the locket; I promise that the first picture I put in here will be of you."

"Anytime May, anytime." I say as I guide her back to the bed, "now you should get back to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow and we still need to get home before the feast starts. I'll have Sceptile get the things you bought today, so just relax and I'll take care of everything."

"Thank you Ash, today has been the best day of my life." she said as she drifted back into sleep.

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That was five years ago. I traveled around Sinnoh with May right next to me. I was joined up by the blue haired girl from my dream who was an amateur coordinator named Dawn and soon after by Brock. That year I won the Sinnoh league and a few weeks later May won the Sinnoh Super Contest, beating Dawn in the process. After that I went back and reentered the Indigo, Johto, and Hoenn leagues. I picked up first place in the Indigo and placing second in the last two. All the while May followed, competing in the Johto Grand Festival and the Hoenn Grand Festival. Unlike me she was able to win both, of course it helped that most of her rivals weren't in the Johto festival but she was able to beat Solidad and Drew back in Hoenn. I am very proud of how far she has come from when we first met.

I once again find myself in a large stadium, but this time I know where I am. I am standing in my own stadium that Scott had built for me when I finally agreed to become a Frontier Brain, and around me are the people that came to watch one of my biggest battles to date. Across from me stands Cynthia, Sinnoh champion and the lady in black I remember from my dream so long ago. I look out and see the last moments of our battle.

"Pikachu finish him off with Iron Tail!"

"Pika!"

The next moment Pikachu's tail started to glow and hit the Garchomp square in the head. Garchomp fell down hard.

"This battle's over! And the winner of this battle is the Frontier Brain, Ash Ketchum!"

I look out again to the battle field as Pikachu running back to me jumping into my arms. I give him a quick hug and start to wave to the crowd. I look around and see the section reserved for friends and family. As before all the people I knew from my travels were there watching my battle and now applauding at my victory. As I look down I can see that brown haired blue eyed angel running up to me, the same locket still swinging from her neck. I smiled as my girlfriend came and gave me a hug. As her hug loosened she then finished with a kiss. Five years ago I would have given anything to feel what I was feeling now. By now I know how her kiss feels and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

"Congratulations Ash, I knew you could win."

"Thanks May, you know that means a lot to me hearing that."

"Ya I know, but you still wouldn't be able to do all of this without me." She joked as she gave me another hug. As she did I was able to feel the item in my pocket, and I think she was able to feel it as well.

"Ash? What's that in you pocket?"

I just smile in return and as I take it out I start to get down on one knee and the stadium fell into a hush. When she saw the small box her eyes grew large, and looked as is if the world was unfolding before her. She gave an audible gasp as she covered her mouth with her hands.

"Ash… Is that?" May finally got out. I opened the box to reveal a diamond ring.

"May, we've traveled for years together as best friends and then the day finally came when we officially became a couple. I've watched and helped you grow from an unsure Pokèmon trainer to one of the best coordinators in the world. As we traveled I came to find comfort in your laugh and in your very presence. By this time I don't know if I would be able to live without that feeling of being next to you. So I have to ask you this one question, would you allow me the honor of becoming my bride?"

As I finished I waited for the answer that I knew would be coming. I figured that there was a good chance that I knew the answer but the possibility of the other still remains. And it was that possibility that made me nervous, but I was still confident enough that I wanted to hear her answer, even if it killed me.

"Of course Ash, I would be honored to become your wife." May said as she started to cry tears of joy. "These past few years have been unforgettable, and even if I was unsure of our relationship five years ago when we set out for Sinnoh I know exactly what I want right now, and the only thing I want at this moment is you."

She helped me up from the ground and brought me into a big hug.

"I love you Ash Ketchum."

"I love you too May Maple."

As I finished, the stadium was once again filled with roars of approval. But all that meant nothing to me, the only thing on my mind was my new fiancée right in front of my eyes. To us we were the only ones that inhabited the place, and so I went down to kiss my future wife and seal my glorious future with the woman I love.

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Well there's the end of my second story. And before I hear anything, I know that the Team Rocket motto is outdated but that is my favorite motto. And besides it was the only one that I can remember, and my lazy self didn't want to look up the Battle Frontier motto. Well hope you guys liked the story, I love hearing your guy's opinions so please review!