{A short while later}
"Wait, Ash, slow down!" May called as she stumbled over a tree root, Torchic bouncing nervously in her arms.
"I'm not even running," Ash said, walking casually as he dragged them along toward the nearby forest to get their Pokémon.
Wally tried to keep up, wheezing a little but refusing to stop. "A-Ash, are we… are we really going to find one out here?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't there be?" Ash asked, glancing back. "You good, by the way?"
Wally finally stopped and held up a finger as he caught his breath. "Give me a second." He reached into his pocket, pulled out an inhaler, and took a puff. "Okay, now I'm good."
Ash nodded. "Alright then, glad you've got that with you. Just as a reminder, you've got extras, right?"
"U-uh, yeah. My parents got me a bunch. I have five here in my bag," Wally said, holding up the small bag hanging at his side.
"Great to hear. Don't want to see you pass out halfway through," Ash nodded. After all, Wally had a sickness, it was never given a name, but based on what Ash had seen when they were kids, it was at least a form of asthma.
Wally's sickness itself was strange, since normal asthma shouldn't make someone's body as weak as his. Even though his parents lived here in Petalburg City, he had been sent to live with his aunt, uncle, and cousin in Verdanturf Town because the air there was cleaner. Thanks to the direction of the wind, the ash from Mt. Chimney couldn't reach him.
In fact, that's the entire reason he was allowed to go to Pallet Town in the first place. You might wonder why Wally's uncle or parents would let him go so far away just for school, but here's the thing: Pallet Town is the one town in the world with zero pollution. No smoke, no cars, none of that. The air is as clean as it gets. They'd have to be idiots not to send Wally to the best place possible for someone with his condition.
But that was a story for another day. For now, Ash was here, and so were they. Even if they needed to work on their cardio… well, Wally had an excuse. May had none.
"Man… I really wish we'd stayed for lunch," May groaned, rubbing her stomach. Torchic chirped sympathetically.
"If we finish up here quick, we'll be back just in time for dinner," Ash said. "I'd offer you something now, but when we're surrounded by wild Pokémon who could jump out and steal your food… not the best idea."
"Great," May muttered. "Starve now, eat later. Perfect plan."
"Well, maybe you've just got to work real hard and we can get back sooner," Ash teased.
May gave him a look that could curdle milk. "You're lucky I'm too hungry to yell at you."
Before Ash could retort, Vee's ears perked up and Pikachu's tail twitched. Both Pokémon looked toward a bush behind them, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
The bushes rustled.
Wally gasped quietly, clutching Treecko's Poké Ball. "I-Is that a wild Pokémon?"
Ash just took one look and sighed. "No, it's not," he said as he walked over and, without looking, stuck his hand into the bush, shaking it around. Then he pulled out a wild Max by the back of his shirt.
Ash held Max up like a misbehaving Meowth. "And what exactly do you think you're doing here?"
Max flailed in the air like a caught Magikarp. "Hey! Put me down!"
Ash raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing out here, Max? Don't tell me you followed us."
Max crossed his arms, pouting even as he dangled. "I didn't follow you. I just… walked in the same direction. For research."
May groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You're impossible. Mom and Dad are going to flip if they find out you snuck off again!"
"I wasn't gonna get lost," Max said defensively as Ash finally set him down. "I just wanted to see how you catch Pokémon! It's not fair if you get to learn and I don't!"
"Yeah, well, you're not old enough yet," May reminded him, bonking Max on the head.
Max rubbed his head with a glare. "Ow! You didn't have to hit me!"
"Well, maybe next time you'll think before sneaking off," May shot back, hands on her hips.
Ash just sighed, though there was the faintest grin tugging at his lips. "Man, you two really are siblings, huh?"
"Don't start," Max said, pointing at him with a glare that was only half-serious. "You were way worse when you were my age, weren't you?"
"...Uhhh…" May and Wally looked at each other, wondering who should be the one to tell Max.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Max asked.
"Ash was, like, the perfect kid growing up," May said. "He never disobeyed his mom, always studied, heck, he gave himself a bedtime…"
"Y-yeah, I mean, he played pranks on us… but he only did it because we were friends, and he never made us upset," Wally added.
Ash scratched the back of his head, pretending to look bashful. "Aww, you're gonna make me blush," he said with a grin. "C'mon, I wasn't that good."
May rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. You probably said 'please' and 'thank you' to wild Pokémon before you caught them."
"That's called respect," Ash replied, keeping a straight face, which only made it funnier. "If you ask nicely, sometimes they let you win."
May folded her arms, glaring at him suspiciously. "You're joking… right?"
"No, actually," Ash said. "You'd be surprised how many Pokémon, when they find a trainer who gives them free food, a home, and training to get stronger, will willingly go with you."
"I… I don't even know how to respond to that," May sighed.
"Then don't. The sooner you learn to go 'head empty, only bonk,' the sooner you'll learn," Ash said, walking backward. "Anyway, Max, like they said, you shouldn't be here, but I guess the choice is May's if she wants to send you back."
May sighed. "As much as I want to tell you to go back right now… it might not be safe for you. Plus, if we take you back, it'll take too long, and I wanna eat soon. So fine, you can stay, but just stay out of the way."
"Oh yeah!" Max pumped his arm in victory. "Okay, what are we looking for? I have a complete list of the area!"
"Slow down there," Ash said, shaking his head. "We're looking for something new for May and Wally to catch."
"Really? Aww, but I was hoping—" Max started, but then May chopped him on the head.
"Max, no. We've been over this. You're too young to have a Pokémon. This is why we can't take you anywhere, you're too immature," May scolded him.
"Hey, you're one to talk! Besides, I know way more about Pokémon than you did! I'm perfectly prepared!" Max huffed.
"That's not the same thing," May shot back.
Ash and Wally were just watching from the side. They looked at each other, then back at the sibling duo.
"I mean… she has a point. Intelligence and maturity are two different things," Wally said softly.
"I am mature!" Max insisted, puffing out his chest. "You're just scared I'll be better than you when I get my first Pokémon!"
"Oh, please," May scoffed. "You couldn't even tell the difference between a Nuzleaf and a Seedot when you were little!"
"That was years ago!" Max argued. "I've been studying ever since!"
Ash finally decided to step in before they scared every wild Pokémon away within a mile radius. "Alright, alright, let's all take a breath before I have to separate you two like a daycare class."
May folded her arms. "He started it."
Max mirrored her pose perfectly. "She hit me first."
"Wow," Ash said, pretending to look impressed. "You two really are siblings."
Vee barked softly while Pikachu facepalmed.
"Okay," Ash continued, clapping his hands once. "Here's the deal, if you two can not fight for the next ten minutes, we can finish this sooner and head back to eat."
May perked up a little at that. "Alright, let's do this quick so I can taste Mom's cooking! So, what are we looking for exactly?"
Ash grinned. "Whatever finds us first."
May's eyes widened. "Wait—what? That's not a plan, that's a disaster!"
"Relax," Ash said, brushing aside a branch as he walked forward. "Half the fun of finding your first Pokémon is the surprise. I mean, I could do the boring thing and pull up a PokéNav and get you exactly what you want, but it's like an unwritten rule, your first Pokémon is random. No cheats allowed. And I'm the biggest cheat in the world."
May groaned. "You really don't have a plan, do you?"
Ash smirked. "Sure I do. Step one: walk. Step two: find Pokémon. Step three: catch Pokémon."
"Step four," Max added with a grin, "hope May doesn't trip over another tree root."
"Max!" May snapped, cheeks reddening as Torchic chirped something that sounded suspiciously like laughter.
Wally chuckled softly, adjusting the strap of his bag. "It's not a bad plan, really. I mean, sometimes the best Pokémon appear when you least expect it."
Ash pointed at him. "See? Wally gets it. That's how I met Pikachu."
Pikachu puffed his chest out proudly from Ash's shoulder, giving a confident, "Pika!"
"...Didn't you almost fall off a cliff when you met him?" May asked.
"Hey, in my defense… I've got nothing. But hey, I caught my little buddy and I'm still alive. He was just a little Pichu back then," Ash said with a shrug. Pikachu rubbed the back of his head, but he did smile, remembering his old adopted mom. Ash wondered how she was doing.
Just as Ash was about to keep walking, May froze. "Wait," she whispered suddenly, holding out an arm to stop Max (who immediately bumped into her). "Did you hear that?"
The group went quiet. The forest was filled with the sounds of chirping Taillow and rustling leaves, but under all that… there was a soft, squishy squirming noise.
"Hmm, sounds like a Pokémon," Ash said as he smiled and slapped May on the back. "You're up."
"Me?" she blinked, caught off guard.
"Yup. Your first wild Pokémon encounter. Go see what's in there."
May's heart leapt into her throat. "Wh–what if it's something scary?"
"Please, did you forget who you're with? I'm right here. Buttt of course, if I have to save you again, that'll make it a third time," Ash teased.
"Not helping," May hissed back, but Torchic hopped forward anyway, chirping bravely.
Slowly, May knelt beside the bush, brushed aside the leaves, and came face to face with a bright red Wurmple munching happily on a leaf.
"...Oh my gosh," May whispered, eyes lighting up. "It's so cute!"
"Wurrr!" the little caterpillar chirped, tilting its head up at her.
"Looks like it's not scared," Ash said with a small grin. "That's good. You've got the perfect opening."
May froze. "Wait, you mean right now?!"
"Well, yeah," Ash said simply. "What, do you want to take it out for dinner first? Just go for it."
Max pulled out his PokéNav and whispered, "And here we see the wild May, about to engage in her first battle. Will she succeed, or will she—ow!"
May bonked him again without looking. "Do not narrate me!"
She took a breath as Torchic puffed out her chest and marched up to the Wurmple. The Wurmple just kept eating its leaf snack, not caring, this one was a little glutton.
Torchic walked up to the Wurmple and stood up straight like she was trying to intimidate it. Wurmple just took another bite of its leaf and looked at Torchic like it was asking, [You want something?]
Torchic somehow looked offended, as May felt herself sigh helplessly and look over to Ash.
Ash just made a closing-zipper motion on his lips and smiled, making May want to slap herself in the face.
Meanwhile, Torchic tried again, she stomped on the ground and made Wurmple drop its leaf snack. Wurmple watched its leaf fall to the ground; it looked at it for a second, then back at Torchic, then down at the leaf. Then it looked up and shot a [String Shot] that wrapped around Torchic's head like a mummy.
Torchic blinked a few times, then started jumping around and making angry little chicken noises as she tried to get the webs off her face. Meanwhile, the Wurmple went back and got another leaf snack.
Ash couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. "Okay, okay, maybe not that kind of opening!"
May spun around, red in the face. "You said to go for it! What was I supposed to do, ask it politely to battle me?"
"You could've warned Torchic!" Max said, ducking behind his PokéNav like it was a shield.
"Shut it, Max!"
Torchic finally managed to shake off the String Shot, the silk dangling from her beak like a streamer. She gave an angry chirp and stomped the ground, glaring daggers at the Wurmple, who just blinked lazily and kept munching.
Wally smiled, amused but also thoughtful. "Actually, that's not a bad sign. Wurmple's calm, it means it's used to humans. Probably won't run."
"Yeah, good eye, Wally. But yeah, May, you realize you don't have to ask for permission, right? You can just do it. There are no rules out here in the wild, you could just tell Torchic to attack it for no other reason than you feel like it, and it's fine."
"But… I mean, I don't know how to battle," May mumbled.
Ash sighed, putting his hands on his hips. "Alright, sure. How about this then, I'll guide you, but only when you need it. Alright? Just wing it."
"Wing it?! That's your big advice?!" May hissed, staring at Ash like he'd just told her to solve a math test blindfolded.
Ash shrugged with that infuriatingly calm grin. "Worked for me plenty of times."
"Yeah, well, you're you!" May turned back to Torchic, who was now pecking angrily at the leftover silk on the ground. "Okay, okay, focus, May… you can do this."
Torchic puffed out her feathers proudly, like she was saying, "Finally!"
"Alright, Torchic!" May pointed at the Wurmple. "Use—uh—use [Ember]!"
Torchic blinked once. Then twice. Then opened her beak and fired a small puff of flame, only to singe a leaf beside Wurmple instead of the actual bug.
Wurmple paused mid-bite, turned its head toward the burned leaf… then slowly back to Torchic.
There was a long, silent beat.
Then Wurmple launched another [String Shot], this time hitting Torchic square in the face again.
Ash and Pikachu both winced in unison.
"...You missed," Max helpfully pointed out, adjusting his glasses.
"I can see that!" May snapped, her voice pitching into frustration. "Ugh! Why is this so hard?"
"Clearly because you aren't good at battling," Max said, like that meant something. May glared back, making Max flinch and quickly hide behind Ash.
Ash sighed. "No, that's not it. Here, then, I'll guide you. Stop overthinking it. This isn't finals; half of battling is strategy, the other half is instinct."
Ash stepped forward a little, standing slightly behind May. "Alright, May, take a deep breath first. Don't rush. Look at Wurmple, then think about what Torchic can do."
May nodded, though her face was still red. "Okay… okay." She watched as Wurmple finished its snack, while Torchic literally had fire in her eyes from how angry she was. "Right. Torchic, get ready!"
Torchic shook off the silk, eyes narrowing. She gave a loud "Torrrchic!" and stamped her little claws into the dirt.
"That's better. If you can't use [Ember] yet, stick with what you know," Ash said. "Now repeat after me, [Scratch] attack."
May nodded and pointed forward. "Torchic, let's go, [Scratch] attack!"
Torchic chirped sharply and charged, her claws glowing faintly as she swiped across Wurmple's side. The bug yelped, rolling backward before shaking itself off.
"Nice one!" Ash grinned. "That's how you do it, keep that momentum going!"
"Right! Torchic, again—!"
But before May could finish, Wurmple spun in place, releasing a silvery mist of sticky silk. [String Shot] wrapped around Torchic's legs, slowing her down mid-run.
Torchic stumbled, chirping in protest.
"Torchic!" May cried out, watching Torchic thrash around.
Ash just put a hand on her shoulder. "Alright, that's fine. Don't panic. She's just slowed down, not out. What do we do when we're stuck?"
May bit her lip, thinking fast. "Uh…Torchic, burn through it! Use [Ember] on your feet!"
Torchic let out an indignant "Torrrchic!" and blasted a burst of fire downward. The flames scorched through the sticky silk, freeing her legs in a puff of smoke.
"Alright, nice one! Now keep the pressure up!" Ash nodded.
May nodded quickly, heart pounding. "Okay, Torchic! Use [Scratch] again, this time, aim for its side!"
Torchic darted forward, her movements sharper now that she was free. She slashed across Wurmple's body again, this time landing a clean hit that sent the little bug tumbling backward.
"Wurmpleee!" it cried, landing flat on its back. It wriggled in protest but looked dizzy.
"Okay, it's weak, you know what to do," Ash guided.
May blinked, fumbling at her belt. "R-right! Poké Ball!" She pulled one off and held it up, only for Max to whisper loudly, "Don't miss!"
"Max!"
She threw it anyway, perhaps a bit too hard, but the ball struck Wurmple dead-on. It opened with a flash of red light, sucking the little bug inside. The ball dropped to the ground and shook once… twice… three times
Click.
The forest went quiet for a second. Then May gasped, eyes wide. "I… I caught it?!"
Ash nodded as he clapped his hands. "You sure did."
May looked at the Poké Ball in her hands like it was made of gold. "I actually did it!"
Torchic jumped up and down excitedly, chirping in celebration, and even Wally clapped softly from the side. "That was great, May."
"Yeah, I knew you had it in you, you're a natural," Ash said, smiling.
Sure, it was shaky and probably took longer than it should have, but compared to an average trainer, May was definitely considered a prodigy. It's just… well, she was next to Ash, who again is a cheating cheater who will use his cheats to get ahead of everyone.
Anyway, back to the story, Max crossed his arms with a reluctant pout. "Eh, it was okay, I guess."
Ash smirked and nudged him. "You can say 'good job,' you know."
Max looked away, cheeks puffed out. "…Fine. Good job, sis."
May's expression softened. "Thanks, Max." Then she turned to Ash and gave him a quick hug. "And you, thanks for helping me. I thought I was gonna mess that up for sure."
"Psh, it's fine. You did all the work, though I suppose this thank-you hug is enough payment," Ash teased.
May realized what she did and quickly pulled back. "No, I didn't mean, I mean, well, you—" she stammered, while Max stayed silent, rubbing his chin like he was having a genius idea… but said nothing for now.
Ash chuckled as he looked back over to Wally. "Alright, one down. Now it's your turn, buddy."
"A-Ah, right," Wally stammered, looking around the forest nervously, clutching Treecko's Poké Ball like a lifeline. "Um… where should I even start?"
"Just keep walking, you'll find something," Ash shrugged and smiled.
Wally nodded nervously, taking a deep breath. "Right… okay. Just… walk and see what happens."
The group moved deeper into the forest. Shafts of sunlight pierced through the canopy, casting gold patches on the mossy ground. Every now and then, a Taillow chirped above, or a Zigzagoon darted past, rustling the underbrush.
Max trailed close behind Ash, scanning the area with his PokéNav. "According to the data here, this forest has Wurmple, Poochyena, Lotad, Seedot—"
"Nope." Ash reached down, took the PokéNav out of Max's hand, and handed it over to May. "No cheating. I said so before, you get what you get, and it's more fun like that."
Max frowned but quieted down. He was going to say something, but he didn't. He sighed, if it was May, he would've immediately started arguing, but this was Ash, so he stayed quiet and nodded.
Wally, meanwhile, got a few steps ahead as he looked through the bushes. He walked forward a little. "Um, guys?" he turned back.
But then they heard a small, gentle voice, "Raaa~"
They froze, since that voice didn't come from any of them.
Then, suddenly, Wally felt a gentle tug at his pant leg.
He blinked, looking down.
A tiny white Pokémon was tugging on Wally's pant leg, its cheerful, cherry-colored eyes shining up at him from underneath its green helmet.
"Raa!" it said again, smiling hugely up at him.
Wally froze, eyes wide. "Wh-what… what is—"
May gasped, leaning forward. "Oh my gosh! That's a Ralts! You're so lucky, Wally, those are super rare! And a Psychic–Fairy type, too!"
Ash held back a chuckle. "What did I say? It's more fun to get the random lottery," Ash said, slightly tapping Max's side with his elbow.
"R-Ralts…" Wally repeated, kneeling slowly so he didn't scare it. The little Pokémon tilted its head, curious, still holding onto his pants. "It's… so small…"
"But it's so pretty, aww, and it's so cute!" May said, clapping her hands together. "Aww, I wish I had one too! Hey, if there are ones here, do you think there's another for me?"
"Probably not. Ralts are rare for a reason, and they don't usually go in groups," Max said, crossing his arms.
There was no sound, but they could swear they heard the sound of breaking glass behind May as she deflated. "Aw…"
Wally looked at May and lowered his head. "Um… you can have it… if you want it."
May looked at Wally, then closed her eyes and sighed. When she opened them again, she smiled softly. "No… you should catch it. You found it. Besides, maybe I can find one later."
Wally's hands trembled slightly as he looked back down at the Ralts. It was still smiling, unbothered by everyone staring at it. Its little hands lightly tugged on his pant leg again, like it wanted attention.
"Ralts…" Wally whispered softly. "You… you came right up to me…"
"You know, Ralts are usually really shy, so that means either this one's brave or it already likes you," Ash said.
"Um… so do I… battle it?" Wally asked.
"I mean, like I said, you don't have to always battle. Besides, I think it likes you. You might just be able to ask," Ash shrugged.
"No way it's that easy," Max said, adjusting his glasses. "There's always a battle."
Wally just looked at Max, then at Ash, then down at the Ralts. He looked at his Poké Ball belt and grabbed one, holding it out. "Do you wanna come with me?"
Ralts tilted its head, then smiled as it pressed the button with its little hand and went inside. It didn't even need to roll, it just clicked shut.
"What do you mean that worked?" Max said, dumbfounded.
"Told ya." Ash stuck his tongue out playfully as he walked over to Wally, who was holding the Poké Ball and staring at it. "So, how are you feeling?"
"I–ha…" Wally let out a short breath. "It's all so exciting, I can't believe this is all real! It's kinda getting a little hard to breathe, but I'm having so much fun!"
"Hey, buddy, that's great and all, but don't go passing out on us," Ash said, snapping Wally back to reality.
"Right, thanks," Wally said.
"Okay, yeah, congratulations and all, but can we leave now? I'm really hungry," May grumbled.
"Sure," Ash said, then gave a little smirk. "Just tell me which way is out."
He raised an eyebrow, already stopping Wally from answering, since Wally had been keeping track, but Ash knew May hadn't.
"I–uh, well…" May stammered, clearly looking for an excuse.
"Ha! Serves you right, May. Maybe you should pay attention more," Max said smugly.
May looked at him. "Okay then, which way is it, if you're so smart?"
"I, uh—" Max stammered, pointing to the right. "This way."
"Wrong," Ash called out immediately.
Max switched directions. "I mean, this way!"
"Wrong again."
"Ah… okay, maybe I don't know…" Max finally admitted.
Ash chuckled as he pulled out a Poké Ball. "Well, looks like we'll have to use the Abby Express, then."
"The what now?" May and Max asked in unison.
Ash just smiled and opened the ball. Abby appeared in front of them, sipping tea she'd somehow pulled out of nowhere.
"Hey Abby, send us over to the Gym, and I'll give you half a chicken nugget," Ash offered. Abby needed no more words.
One moment they were in the woods, then suddenly, they appeared in front of the Gym again. Abby, of course, was nowhere to be seen. She'd already left to do her own thing.
Max looked dizzy. "What… was that?"
Meanwhile, May and Wally were fine, after all, they'd used Professor Oak's Alakazam to go back and forth from their homes to Pallet so often, they were used to teleportation sickness.
"You'll get used to it," May said.
Caroline peeked her head out the kitchen window where she was working on dinner and smiled. "Oh, you're back! How was it?"
Max was about to say something, but May quickly covered his mouth, because remember, he went without telling their parents (even though, spoiler, they fully knew).
"It was great! Ash helped me catch a Pokémon, and it was fun, and nothing else happened," May said quickly.
Caroline gave a knowing smile. "Of course, dear. And Ash, thank you for helping my daughter! Why don't you join us for dinner?"
Ash smirked as he slowly turned his head toward May, keeping full eye contact. "Of course, Ms. Maple. I'd love to join you all for dinner. Would you like any help in the kitchen?"
"Oh, how kind of you to offer, but you don't have to bother yourself," Caroline chuckled.
"No, I insist. If you're worried I'll ruin your amazing cooking, don't be, my mother runs a restaurant, and I help out with cooking all the time," Ash said, while May was already covering her face.
"Well, how can I reject such a kind offer from a polite young man? Okay, if you insist, I'd love to have someone finally help out in the kitchen," Caroline said.
Although she didn't say anything, May and Max suddenly found the floor and ceiling very interesting.
May groaned quietly, "You had to say yes, didn't you?" she muttered under her breath.
Caroline, meanwhile, looked over at Wally. "By the way, you're also welcome to join us for dinner, Wally."
Wally looked at Caroline and gave a polite bow. "Thank you, but no thank you. I'm gonna go walk home and celebrate with my parents, and after that I need to catch the bus to Verdanturf Town so I can talk with my aunt and uncle. So, I'm sorry, maybe another time."
Caroline nodded with a gentle smile. "That's perfectly fine, dear. Be safe on your way, alright? Tell your parents I said hello."
"I will," Wally said with a bright grin. "Thanks again, everyone. And…uh, May? Congratulations on your first Pokémon."
May smiled back, a little bashful. "Thanks, Wally. You too, Ralts is super cute. Take good care of it."
"I will," Wally promised. He gave a little wave to the group, then turned and started off down the road, Treecko's Poké Ball clipped proudly at his belt, and Ralts' newly caught Poké Ball clasped tightly in his hand.
As soon as he was out of sight, Max immediately groaned, "Finally, food time. I'm starving."
"Same here," May sighed dramatically. "I'm too hungry to even yell at you anymore, Ash."
"Then I'll take that as a win," Ash said smugly, stepping past her and heading for the door, rolling up his sleeves as Pikachu and Vee jumped off and sat in the grass, getting ready to watch Ash pull his magic.
—
For the rest of the evening, Ash used his charm, the kind he only uses on parents. He put on the golden boy treatment: polite, helpful, insisting on cleaning the dishes, and even helping Caroline cook.
Yeah, there's a reason parents liked him. Because if Ash really tried, you couldn't find a single thing wrong with him. Sure, he's a massive troll, but not in front of parents. You wanna know how he got away with all the pranks as a kid? Because no one ever believed that the 'precious golden boy' who never disobeyed his mother and gave himself a bed time, could pull a prank.
Meanwhile, there were such golden gems as the picnic incident, but anyway, by the end of the night, May was sulking because it felt like her parents liked Ash more than them. She would've gone to get Max for support, but he was too busy fanboying over Ash to care.
So by the time night fell, instead of letting Ash go find a hotel, her parents insisted on letting him stay the night, and Max immediately offered up his room, even though they had a spare bedroom.
So how could Ash refuse? He humbly accepted to stay the night… all while giving May that look. You know the one. And May just covered her face with her hands.
-
{Late in the middle of the night}
Norman was sitting in his Gym, waiting. It was the middle of the night, and he knew his kids, Ash, and his wife were sleeping peacefully. Good, he didn't need them knowing about this.
The reason he was standing here was because, while Ash had taken May and Max out, he'd gotten a call on his official communicator, and the number was one he recognized. He had to stop himself from breaking the phone right then and there.
All it said was that someone was coming to speak with him. But Norman knew better, especially who this was coming from. They wanted something.
He stood there with his arms crossed, tapping his foot against the hardwood floor of his Gym. Though his mouth was closed, he was grinding his teeth.
After a moment, he heard the doors to his Gym open. There was no knock, no request for permission, which meant it was them.
He looked up and saw a figure by the door. It was dark, so Norman couldn't see the man's face clearly, but he could tell from the silhouette, the crisp suit, the gleaming badge of the Pokémon Association, exactly who it was.
Norman opened the door fully, and the suited man stepped inside. He let the door swing shut behind him but didn't move away from it, like Norman wanted him to, as if he intended to leave as soon as possible.
"What a pleasant surprise," Norman said, keeping his voice formal and polite, though inside, he wanted to bite his tongue off.
The stranger smiled, a knowing, smug smile, like he understood exactly what Norman was thinking, and knew there was nothing Norman could do about it. "I'm great. And I see you're settling in well here in Hoenn. How have you been… since you were kicked out of Johto?" he asked, his tone almost mocking.
"Oh, good, good," Norman said stiffly, shaking the man's hand. "But enough about me, what do I owe this visit?"
The man didn't answer right away. He strolled through the Gym, glancing around at the facilities like some kind of safety inspector.
"You should know that it's PPA policy to keep a check on League operations," he said finally, turning back to Norman. "And despite your history, you certainly qualify as a League operation now, Norman."
Norman nodded, hiding the scowl he wanted to show. "Of course. But I thought the League would be sending their inspector."
He knew full well this was a BS excuse. The League handled Gym inspections, not because the Association couldn't, but because, in the Association's own words, checking Gyms was beneath them.
But Norman couldn't call him out. No matter what he wanted to say, he couldn't do anything against someone from the Association. So he held his tongue.
"Although we have no doubt that you're a competent Gym Leader, we'll require updated information for our database, your team, certifications for your Gym trainers, the usual," the man said casually.
"Of course," Norman replied. "Will you be requiring an inspection today?"
"No, no, no," the man said, shaking his head. "I simply stopped by today as a friendly reminder. Don't worry, I wouldn't surprise you and sabotage your Gym by giving you no time to prepare."
The threat was there, subtle, but sharp. Norman heard it clearly. If the Association wanted to ruin him, there would be nothing he could do.
So he just nodded. "I'll do my best."
"Wonderful," he said, though his tone didn't sound particularly enthused. "Then I suppose I'll take my leave."
"Won't you stay for some tea?" Norman asked, though inside, he wanted nothing more than for the man to leave right now.
"I'm afraid I'm running on a tight schedule," the other man said, to Norman's relief. "I probably won't be returning for the inspection, but I'm sure I'll see you around sometime."
"I hope so," Norman replied, following the man toward the exit and holding the door open.
As the man walked toward the door, he suddenly stopped and turned. "That reminds me, there's one last thing I have to tell you."
And there it was, the real reason he was here. Norman nodded. "Of course."
The man pulled a photo from his pocket but didn't hand it over yet. "Do you recall… your assignment?"
Norman felt his hands clench tightly, his nails digging into his palms. Of course he remembered the assignment. It was the very reason he'd been forced to leave Hoenn and go to Johto five years ago.
"Perhaps," Norman said evenly. "But of course, the Association asked me to forget, so I'm afraid I don't remember much." He didn't know if this was a test, but he wasn't about to take the risk.
The man nodded. "Good answer." He finally held out the picture. "But… there's someone going around targeting the people involved in the project."
Norman took the photo and looked down at it, and his fingers tightened as his expression darkened. The image showed a lab… and the bodies of scientists sprawled lifeless across the floor.
"Is this a threat?" Norman asked, his tone cracking slightly. He couldn't tell if this was some veiled warning to keep him silent, but if they came here, if it involved his family, that was a line too far.
The man tilted his head. "No. Just a warning. Whoever did this is after the people behind the Rayquaza Project. And you were a part of that. I figured it was only courteous to let you know."
"I see," Norman said stiffly, still holding the door. But he knew better, this wasn't the end.
As the man stepped out, he turned one last time. "And it seems your services might be needed again. So be ready if we call you."
Then he left.
Norman shut the door immediately. He turned back toward the gym floor and finally let out a frustrated groan. There it was, they were planning to drag him back into their mess. Just perfect. Just peachy.
It was bad enough that he might now be a target… but that meant his family could be in danger too. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, grinding his teeth as anger burned in his chest.
He couldn't believe the audacity. The Association had gotten themselves into a disaster, and now they wanted him to clean it up again. And the worst part was, they knew exactly what they were doing.
Norman took a deep breath and sat down, trying to think. He couldn't protect them 24/7. Max didn't have a Pokémon and was still too young to defend himself. Caroline had been a trainer when they were younger, that's how they met, so at least she wasn't helpless.
As for May… well, after hearing the story about how she struggled to catch that Wurmple, he wasn't feeling too hopeful. But then he remembered something, Ash.
Just from what he'd seen in the recordings of the Silver Conference and the Indigo League, Ash was strong enough to win both. He was at least at a low Gym Leader level, maybe higher. And more importantly, he and May were already close friends.
If Ash could take care of himself, then Norman knew, he was strong enough to take care of May. And that gave him an idea.
---
{Childhood arc: Halloween in Pallet}
It was a chilly autumn night in Pallet Town, the kind where the wind whistled through the trees and the leaves crunched under tiny sneakers. The neighborhood kids had gathered at Professor Oak's lab for their very first Halloween sleepover.
"Okay, everyone!" Green announced, holding a flashlight under her chin to make her face look spooky. "We're gonna tell ghost stories! Real ghost stories!"
Gary smirked and crossed his arms. "Ha! There's no such thing as ghosts. Right, Ash?"
Ash, sitting on the floor beside a sleepy Pichu nibbling candy corn, shrugged. "Maybe not... but what about Ghost Pokémon?"
That made everyone shiver.
"B-but those are different!" Shauna squeaked, hiding behind a pumpkin bowl of candy.
"Not in the dark, they're not," Silver muttered with his usual brooding tone, though he looked just as nervous as the rest.
"Anyway!" May said, trying to change the subject. "Who's up for a costume contest?"
She proudly spun around, showing off her homemade Pumpkaboo costume, which was half-cute and half-crooked.
Dawn giggled. "That's so cute! Look, mine even sparkles!" She twirled in her Mismagius witch outfit, throwing glitter everywhere.
Hilda, wearing a cape that was clearly just a tablecloth, declared, "I'm a vampire Gym Leader! Rawr!"
"Vampires don't say rawr, Hilda," Cheren corrected, adjusting his glasses.
"Yeah, they go 'bleh'!" Bianca added, before tripping over her own ghost sheet costume and faceplanting into a pile of candy.
"Bianca down!" Trevor reported, notebook in hand. "That's the fourth fall tonight!"
Tierno just laughed. "Don't worry! She's fine, her candy broke the fall!"
Then came Wally, nervously tugging at his tiny Zorua mask. "U-um... can we maybe not do ghost stories? They're kinda scary..."
Rosa knelt beside him and smiled. "Don't worry! I'll protect you. I'm dressed as a Gallade!"
"Gallades aren't pink," Paul deadpanned, folding his arms. "That's just your pajamas with paper swords."
"...They're customized," she huffed.
Meanwhile, Ash leaned back against the couch, his little vampire fangs glinting in the flashlight glow, as he raised his cape to cover his face, "You know," he said with a mischievous smirk, "I heard there's a real ghost in this lab."
Everyone froze.
Pichu stopped nibbling. He was also wearing little vampire fangs like Ash
"W-what do you mean?" Chloe asked, her Eevee headband trembling.
Ash lowered his voice dramatically. "They say… a long time ago, one of Professor Oak's test tubes broke open and—"
"Ash!" Green interrupted. "You're making that up again!"
"Y-yeah, t-thats not real…right?" Yellow said while shaking in her Pikachu hood
"Am I?" Ash leaned forward, red eyes from his costume glinting. "Then who's that standing behind you?"
Green jumped and spun around so fast she almost smacked Gary in the face with her flashlight.
No one was there.
...Until the lights flickered.
"W-was that the wind?" Trevor squeaked.
"I-It's probably the lab's generator," Cheren reasoned. "Perfectly normal... probably..."
Then came a soft creaaaak from the hallway.
Shauna screamed. "IT'S THE GHOST!"
All the kids scrambled behind the couch except Ash, who just grinned. He waited until everyone was holding their breath…
Then he shouted, "BOO!"
"AAAAHHHH!!"
The lights came back on — revealing that it was just Pichu standing on a stool, holding a bedsheet over its head.
Pichu tilted its head, confused by all the screaming.
Ash burst out laughing, rolling onto his back. "You guys should've seen your faces! Classic!"
Green stomped her foot. "A-Ash Ketchum! That wasn't funny!"
Gary snorted. "Actually, it kinda was."
"Not helping, Gary!" Green barked.
Ash wiped a tear from his eye, "Well, now that we have thoroughly assured dominance, how about we go with the candy hiest?"
"Oh, really?" her eyes glinting, hearing the word hiest, "Elaborate,"
"Pink is holding another Halloween party, and Gary and I got the invites because, well, obviously," Ash said, and everyone knew most of them rolled their eyes or held back a chuckle, knowing Pink's obsession with the two boys
"Get on with it," Silver added, crossing his arms
"Well, you guys don't know this, but Pink's family gives out full-sized candy bars," Ash revealed
"Full-sized?!" Shauna gasped, nearly dropping her pumpkin bucket.
"You mean, not the tiny ones?" Trevor asked in disbelief, flipping open his notebook.
"Statistically, that increases candy satisfaction by at least 72 percent!"
"Exactly!" Ash said, smirking. "So… who's in?"
Every hand shot up instantly — except Cheren's, "I don't think Professor Oak would approve of—"
"Cheren," Green interrupted, "it's for science. Candy science."
"…Proceed," Cheren said, adjusting his glasses again.
"Ok, well, Gary and I will go in, we'll distract Pink and Violet, Green, you're in charge of getting Orange and Brown's attention since they will definitely be there," Ash started.
"Errr…do we have to, remember last time?" Gary said, and everyone remembered the last time Ash and Gary had gotten tied up and almost been kidnapped, but not really.
"Do it for the candy, you fool. If you do, you have full permission to throw me under the bus."
"Deal," Gary immediately agreed.
Meanwhile, everybody was silently saluting Ash for being the hero they needed
—
{30 minutes later}
The state Ash was left in needs to be studied. He left the mansion cowering; yeah, things had gone south, and Pink found them. So, as he said, he held them back, and he was dragged in, but he managed to escape.
When he got back, they were already eating the candy. Ash didn't say much; he just went over and lay down on the couch. "You know, when I said you could throw me under the bus, you could have at least tried to help."
"Hey, you're the one who offered," Gary said, leaning back
"I mean you're fine, rightttt," Green said, poking Ash on the cheek, "You're here and hey we got the candy,"
"Well," he said, swiping Green's hand away from his cheek, "since I risked my life for all this candy… I think I deserve a reward."
May raised an eyebrow. "What kind of reward?"
Ash put on his most dramatic smirk. "Kisses."
Every girl froze. Even Green blinked. "E-excuse me?"
Ash reached into his pumpkin bucket, pulled out a chocolate Kiss, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.
"Chocolate ones, obviously," he said, chewing smugly.
There was a collective pause… followed by Bianca yelling, "A-Ash Ketchum, that's not funny!"
Dawn smacked him with a candy bar. "You knew what you were doing!"
"Nah, ya'll just have dirty minds," Ash said, looking offended as he stuck his tongue out.
Rosa was half-laughing, half-blushing.
Even Yellow tugged on her Pikachu hood, cheeks pink.
And Green was half thinking about strangling Ash, but she couldn't stop herself from laughing too.