Chapter 11
After Delia had stuffed some cotton wool up each of his nostrils, Ash left the Gym and 
went to look for May, having to fight Max back from coming with him.
   “But we’ve got so much to talk about!”
   “Yeah, Max, I know, but I’ve got to talk to your sister just now.” Max had looked 
blankly at him. “Alone!”
   “Fine, be that way!” And he left.
   Ash smiled. Max may have changed physically, but he was still as huffy as before.
   He found May pretty quickly.
   She was sitting in the Petalburg graveyard. She was facing a marble gravestone, which 
had fresh flowers placed on the top. Ash knew fine well whose grave this was. He had 
seen him die. 
   “May.” he said as he came up behind her. She didn’t look round, but her shoulder 
shook slightly.
   Ash just stood behind her, hands in pockets, and looked at the gravestone in silence. 
Another death brought about by a futile battle. 
   Drew had been May’s rival when she had been competing in Pokemon Contests, but 
they got to know each other so much that they had developed strong feelings for each 
other. They had just started dating when the whole thing with Team Rocket started, and 
Drew had been killed in an explosion. Ash tried to save him, but he had been too far 
away.
  “I loved him Ash.” May said. “I loved him so much, then he died, then we all thought 
you had betrayed us. I just couldn’t take it all in. I had lost two of the dearest people to 
me in my life in one day….”
  Ash looked down at her, his fists clenched in his pocket. Then he began to cry. He was 
quiet, but the flow was steady.
   “I’m sorry May.” he whispered. “When I made the deal, I…. I was only thinking of 
your safety. I didn’t think it would have such an…. effect….” He knelt down beside her.
   Still crying, he reached out and touched the marble stone, holding onto it tightly, his 
eyes tightly shut. Then May took his shoulders with her hands and turned him towards 
her.
   “I’m still hurting over Drew, Ash. I always will, but….” She moved closer. “… You 
lost Misty. You know how I feel…. In more ways than one.”
   Ash kept his eyes closed. “May…”
   She kissed him again, and this time he kissed back. They held onto each other, the 
warmth of their bodies becoming one. 
   When their lips parted, May whispered, “I love Drew, but I love you, too, Ash.”
   Ash opened his eyes and stared deep into hers. A familiar feeling of happiness entered 
his body, making him feel more alive than ever. 
   Then Misty’s face flashed in front of him, and he pulled out of May’s reach and stood 
up.  
   “Sorry, May. But I can’t.” He looked towards the sun. It was starting to sink down 
below the horizon, bathing them in orange light. “I can’t forget Misty, May. I can’t. She 
may be dead, but to me she’s alive. In here,” He pointed to his heart, “and here.” He 
touched his forehead. 
  “But why can’t you let go?” May asked softly.
  Ash took a deep, shuddering breath. The tears once again dripped down his cheeks.
  “I had a kid, May. His name was Charlie. He wasn’t born, so he died with Misty. As far 
as I’m concerned, those two were supposed to be my family, the family that I live to 
protect, and they died. I won’t let myself love anyone else, so until the day that I die they 
will always be the only ones I truly cared for.”
   He didn’t look at May, though he heard her gasp. And she began to cry, jumping up 
from the ground and putting her arms round him, and putting her head on his shoulder. 
Ash put his head in her hair, and, staring into the sunset, cried once again for Misty and 
Charlie.
* * * *
Celebi and Mew faced off against the Team Rocket squadron in the mountains in Sinnoh. 
They had been fighting for hours, and whenever either Mew or Celebi destroyed one of 
the tanks that the Team Rockets were moving in, another took its place. 
   Using telepathic waves, Celebi and Mew communicated with each other.
   “Do you feel it?” Mew asked.
   “Yes.” Celebi replied.
   “They’ve got something that we can’t fight against.”
   “I know….”
   Giovanni suddenly emerged from one of the tanks. He raised a hand in greeting.
   “Celebi! Mew! How lovely to see you!”
   “Can’t say I feel the same way.” Mew said coldly.
   “Come now, Mew.” Giovanni pouted. “I created your friend, Mewtwo! How is he these 
days?”
   Mew’s eyes flashed, and didn’t attack only because Celebi stopped him.
   “He’s dead and you know it!”
   “Oh, that’s right.” Giovanni smiled. “Yes. Do you know how he died?”
   Mew grew rigid. “…..no.” he replied.
   “I shot him. Point blank in the head. Rather messy.”
   “W-what?” Mew hissed, then, in a rage, he flew forward at Giovanni, who raised one of 
the tablets. It had a picture of wind blowing in trees. Ash’s second success.
   The power of the tablet grabbed hold of Mew and knocked him out. It was all very 
quick. 
   Celebi looked on in horror, hearing the resounding thud of Mew as he hit the ground 
over and over in his head.   
   “What sort of power could…?” Celebi whispered.
   “This power.” Giovanni grinned, and held out the tablet again. 
   Celebi felt something cold grip her heart, draining her of energy. The force.... was 
unbearable. 
   As darkness shrouded her vision, Celebi caught one last glimpse of Giovanni capturing 
Mew in some kind of pokeball, and advancing on her with another….