"Hello, Mr. Maple." Ash said politely, standing on the doorstep of the Maple residence. The man smiled, giving a laugh.

"Good to see you, Ash. Come on in, you're always welcome." the boy nodded, stepping past the man. "I take it you've been well?"

"Yes, it felt like it's been a while since I came to visit," Ash stated with a smile, the man giving a friendly nod.

"Dad! Who is it!"

"It's someone you'll know! I'm sure he wants to see you!" Norman called back, smiling. Ash smiled, recognizing the voice immediately.

"I swear, if it's Drew again-" the figure came down the stairs, Ash noticing the grace in her walk. The girl was in a red tank top with skinny jeans, her hair held in an upside down V-shape under a pink bandana, a white pokeball symbol on the side. Looking curiously at the boy, her eyes lit up. "Ash!"

"Hey, M-" he was cut off, grunting as he felt his back collide forcefully with the ground. Wincing, he saw the brunette hugging him with her face in his chest. "May?"

"Ash, I missed you so much!" she said happily, her voice coming slightly muffled from his shirt. He smiled, then cringed as she suddenly looked up at him with an angry expression. "Why didn't you try to contact me!"

"Ah, w-well...You were traveling Johto, and I didn't know where you would be..." Ash replied, avoiding eye contact with the brunette. She glared at him for a moment, then smiled.

"Okay, I believe you on one condition!" he looked at her, who was smiling brightly. A little too brightly. She quickly pulled him up, opening the door and dragging him outside.

"Have fun, you two!" Norman called, watching his daughter drag the boy to certain doom. He shook his head in amusement, smiling. "Poor kid..."

"Ah...May, Where are we going? Do we have to be in such a hurry?" Ash asked, his arm beginning to hurt from stretching.

"There's this really great discount on clothing today, and you're going to help me decide what to get!" she said cheerfully, pumping a fist in the air as she continued to drag him. His eyes widened in horror.

"S...Shopping?"

"Yes!" the boy prayed for courage as he watched the girl drag him inside a large building, entering a large lobby. Looking around, he saw various shops selling goods of all kinds. "This way, over here!"

"Okay, okay!" he replied, trying to get himself from her grip to no avail. "May, please don't tear off my arm!"

"Huh?" she looked back with a confused expression, Ash feeling himself heat up. She looked...cute. Wait, did he just think that? "Oh, your arm! I'm so sorry!" she quickly let go, the boy giving a content sigh as he moved it around comfortably.

"Thank you..." he sighed, giving her a smile. She smiled and nodded, quickly darting back for the shops ahead. Crossing his hand over his heart, he frowned as he dashed after her, hoping to catch her before too many bags piled up. Unfortunately, as he found her leaving a shop, she had three bags. "Seriously?"

"What?" she asked innocently, giving a confused look again, the boy looking away to avoid any strange thoughts like earlier. Feeling the bags being thrown into his arms, he sighed as he watched the brunette disappear inside another store. "Come on, that's not all!"

"Of course it's not..." he sighed following her in. Looking around, he finally found her walking towards the dressing rooms. With a handful of clothing. His eyes wide as she disappeared behind the curtain, he sighed as he sat no a nearby bench. Looking around, he nodded as he admired the variety of clothing the store had been selling.

"What do you think?" looking back, he was surprised to see her wearing a blue t-shirt reading '2 cute for U'.

"Looks good," he replied calmly, looking away again to avoid anything further on the topic. The brunette frowned, poking out her lower lip as she disappeared behind the curtain again. A few moments passed, Ash glanced back at the door feeling slightly worried. Seconds had passed since she came out in another outfit, that's not like her at all.

"Hey, Ash!" blinking out of his state, he noticed a boy younger than him, waving as he came closer.

"Max, good to see you!" Ash smiled, the boy nodded.

"How long's it been?" the glasses-wearing boy asked, holding his hand out.

"Too long, I'll say that." Ash chuckled, shaking the boy's hand.

"So, what are you doing here?" Max asked, looking oddly at him. Ash pointed back at the dressing room with a sigh, shaking his head. "Ah...Well, see ya." and with that, he disappeared.

"Huh? Traitor..." he muttered, understanding why the boy had ran.

"So how about this one, then?" he looked back, biting his lower lip as she was now wearing jean shorts ending halfway down her thighs, matching with a pink tank top. She gave him a wink. "So?"

"I, uh...Yeah, I...like it..." he quickly turned away, mentally cursing himself for acting stupid. But, if he had answered honestly, she might have been creeped out. The brunette frowned again, giving a devilish smirk as she disappeared in the room again. "She's trying to kill me, I know it...The next one's going to scar me for life..."

"Oh, you'll love this one."

"Great..." he muttered, taking a deep breath before turning around. The brunette wore a blue two-piece bikini, revealing a lot of bare skin and showing off her curves and figure. As his eyes set on her, they widened as his jaw dropped. She posed, the boy moving his hand to his nose as she winked again, making the boy grow very warm.

"Do you like it?" she asked innocently, unaware the boy was struggling to not pass out. Blinking rapidly from his state of dizziness, he nodded.

"I, uh...Yeah, ah...I...like... it...looks good..." the girl giggled, smiling sweetly at the boy's nervous behavior.

"We're friends, Ash. It's not like it matters." she winked again, disappearing behind the curtain. The boy removed his hand from his face and looked at it, giving a shocked look as he rubbed it on his pant-leg. He sighed, breathing deeply to prevent from passing out. But, no matter how much he tried, the image remained in his mind. "All right, I'm ready then!" she said happily, emerging from the curtain. She blinked in confusion as she noticed the boy's expression, who seemed to be in a heavenly fantasy. "Hey, day-dreamer, do you want to go?"

"Huh?" he immediately replied, looking at her. He jumped up, nodding. She giggled, leaving the store with him. As they left the mall, May looked surprised as she noticed the brightness outside.

"Wow, it got dark outside..." she stated, looking around. Ash turned to his side, looking out from behind the mountain of shopping bags in his hands, his eyes widening as he noticed.

"How long were we in there, exactly!" he asked in shock.

"A few hours, maybe. I think it's about...Seven, right now...?" she put a finger to her chin, giving a thinking look as she thought. The boy shook his head of his thoughts, which were along the line of 'cute'.

"A few! We went in at- Man, we were there the entire day!" Ash exclaimed, eyes wide. The brunette smiled, giving a wink as she put her hands to her cheeks, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"Aww, come on, it wasn't that bad. You got to enjoy a day with me," she said sweetly, the boy's cheeks heating up as she winked again, then laughing playfully as she hurried away. He shook his head with a smile, struggling to catch up with the many pounds of shopping material.

"Oh, there you are," Norman stated, looking up from his newspaper as his daughter stepped through the doorway, closing it behind her. "Did you have fun?"

"Yep!" she nodded, smiling.

"Oh, I know that look." an older brunette said, stepping into the room with a cup of tea. "Were you teasing him?"

"Maybe," she stuck her tongue out playfully, laughing as she dashed up the staircase. The two adults looked at each other, shaking their heads.

"That girl..."

"Poor boy..."

END