Chapter 10
   “Where is it in Hoenn?” Brock asked, watching Ash packing his backpack.
   They had travelled back to Pallet Town, Brock leaving the Gym under supervision of 
Nurse Joy. This delayed their journey, though, considering Brock wouldn’t stop thanking 
Joy and complimenting her on the clothes she wore almost everyday.
   “They’ve got a base in the sea, just off the coast near Petalburg City.”
   “Really? We could visit May and Max- oh, erm, sorry…”
   Ash looked up and smiled at Brock. “Nah, it’s okay. I was planning on seeing them 
anyway, considering I’m there.”
   “May will try and smash your face in.” Brock warned, but Ash grinned.
   “I’m looking forward to it all the same.”
   Brock smiled, and began to fold some clothes for him. Delia then called them 
downstairs for lunch.
   As they ate, Oak and Tracy came round and stood beside the table as they finished.
   “What’s your plan?” Oak asked Ash.
   Ash sipped the last drops of his orange juice and replied. “I’m going to rebuild the army 
I had, bit by bit. I’ll give the tablet to Giovanni, find out what he’s planning and after 
that…” He looked out of the window. “After that it’s war.”
   “There’s never a chance for a little sit down with a cup of tea and a quiet chat with you, 
is there?” Tracy asked. 
   “Only if I like you.” Ash said, grinning broadly, forgetting, for a moment, the prospect 
of war.
   “Well, I hope you don’t mind,” Oak said, and he led them out to the front of the house.
   “WHAT!!??” Ash cried.
   A pile of suitcases met his eyes, casting a shadow over him.
   “What the hell is this?” Brock asked, amused.
   “All the stuff we’ll need. We’re going with you.” Tracy smiled.
   “That’s great!” Delia laughed.
   “BUT WHAT’S EVERYTHING YOU NEED!? EVERYTHING YOU OWN!!!???” 
Ash gaped.
   “Just some clothes, y’know,” Oak said, “daywear for all temperatures, nightwear for all 
temperatures, pyjamas for all your moods, scientific equipment geared up and ready to go 
for almost every experiment you can think of-always useful-and some books, for bedtime 
reading.”
   Ash’s eyes slowly and disbelievingly went over all the cases, and stopped, seeing a 
huge case with paper sticking out the opening.
   “Is that full of books?” he asked quietly, pointing.
   “Yep.” Tracy replied.
   “BEDTIME READING!!?? WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!!????”
* * * *
They were in Petalburg City by midday the next day. And the Gym was in sight, where 
May and Max would undoubtedly be.
   Ash groaned slightly, rubbing the back of his head.
   “What?” Brock asked, “Don’t want to see them?”
   “No, I do,” Ash replied, still rubbing. “I just don’t want to be hit in the back of the head 
again.”
   Oak thought for a moment, then his face lit up, and he dove into the pile of suitcases, 
which a disgruntled Charizard was carrying.
   “Ash, come here!”
   “What?” Ash called, jumping in the pile as well, much to Charizards growls of protest.
   “Told you we’d be ready for everything.”
   “Ha! Brilliant, Professor.”
   He reappeared, a biker helmet on his head, completely covering it.
   “I’m taking to heart the moral of the Scouts!” Ash muffled, raising a hand to the air. 
“Always be prepared!”
   Ash slowly walked into the main Gym hall.
   “… Hello?” he called softly.
   WHACK!!!
   “IT’S YOU!” May’s voice roared.
   The back of his knees burning from the wooden stick May wielded, Ash lay on the 
ground, clenching his teeth with the pain. Then Max came out of nowhere, his feet 
finding their target….
   “HOW DO YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO COME BACK HERE!!??” Max demanded.
   Clutching his special place, Ash got up on his knees and cried, “JUST HIT MY HEAD 
LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE!!!”
   And they did, breaking it open and breaking his nose some more.
   “….. I like cheese….” Ash mumbled, smiling, and lay on the floor, unconscious.
* * * *
When he awoke, he was on the couch in the Gym lounge, Delia clutching a tissue over 
his broken nose and replacing the plaster that had been there for the past few days. Brock 
was standing over him, smiling.
   “Lucky we came when we did. We shouldn’t have stayed outside.”
   “It was my place to tell them.” Ash said.
  Tracy and Oak were standing talking to Norman, the Gym Leader of Petalburg and the 
father of Max and May, who were sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, gazing at 
Ash with a look of surprise and disbelief.
   “He did it to save us?” Norman asked incredulously. Oak and Tracy nodded.
   “But why?” May whispered. “At what cost?”
   “Broken nose, stinging shins and the loss of the ability to have children.” Ash replied, 
smiling, though after thinking of Charlie he decided not to joke about it.
   The room went silent. Max smiled at Ash for the first time in over two years.
   He was taller, broad shouldered and developing a muscular build. He wasn’t wearing 
glasses like he had done.
   “You must be, what, 11 years old?” Ash asked.
   “Yeah. Got Laser Eye surgery on my birthday.”
   “Cool.”
   The next few seconds were a blur. 
   May had jumped up from the floor and rushed towards Ash. Pushing Delia out of the 
way, she grabbed the startled boy and kissed him full in the mouth.
   “May!” Max gasped.
   They broke apart after a moment, Ash’s face burning with embarrassment. He stared at 
May, who quickly retreated out of the room.
    “Okay…” Brock said, breaking the stunned silence. “Why is it never me to randomly 
get kissed by a pretty girl?”
    Ash just sat there, staring into space.
    “Ash, you better lie back down,” Delia advised.
    “Mum I’m not that shocked.” 
    “Your nose is bleeding again!”
    “Oh, right. Sorry.”