Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Measure of a Trainer - Secrets of Kultran ❯ Chapter 2: Return ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: Pokémon is a registered trademark of Nintendo Entertainment LTD. and Pokémon USA Inc. All characters and locations are copyrighted and used without permission or profit. All original characters belong to ShadowPikachuTrainer and should not be used without permission.

Key:

“Speech”

`Thoughts'

Chapter 2 - Return

The Golden Azumarill, Main Lobby

“May!” Ash and Dawn exclaimed at the same time, seeing the young brown-haired coordinator standing in the lobby of their hotel.

“Hey guys!” May exclaimed. “I was wondering when I would run into you.” May said, moving forward to give each of them a warm hug - leading to blushing on Ash's part which he tried his best to hide by tugging his hat lower over his face.

“It-it's great to see you again, May,” Ash stuttered, “but how'd you know we were here?”

“Your mom told me you guys would be staying here, Ash,” May beamed at the three trainers in front of her. “I won the Johto Grand Festival and I'm here for a vacation!”

“Congratulations! You should have told us,” Dawn said, “we would've invited you along with us so you didn't have to come down here by yourself.”

May shook her head. “Oh, I thought about it but by the time I called, you guys had already left. Besides, we would have been on different boats - my prize for first place was a trip here to Ekab for two weeks with cruise tickets and my hotel room included.”

“How long have you been here?” Dawn asked.

“My ship just docked here a few hours ago, and I've checked into my room. I was just asking them for information on things to do here, and then I was going to lunch.”

“Hey, that's where we're going right now. Wanna come with us?” Ash asked. He was torn between excitement that May was back with them and his confusion about his feelings for both Dawn and May.

“Sure,” May said, “where are we going?

“We were going to try the restaurant here in the hotel. They had a pretty decent breakfast so hopefully they'll have good lunch.” Ash said.

He took the lead once more and they were soon seated at a table. The room had an aquatic theme, with large aquariums filled with Finneon, Goldeen, and Magikarp lining the walls. Their tables were shaped to look like the classic wooden wheel that would be used for turning the rudder of a ship, and the chairs appeared to be made out of pieces of rowing oars.

“So what about you guys?” May asked once the waitress took their drink orders. “When did you get here?”

“Last night,” Brock answered. “We checked in and spent the night, and today we've been enjoying the beach and the ocean. You're more than welcome to join up with us, you know.” He added.

May smiled. “I'd like that,” she said.

“May, how was your time in Johto?” Dawn asked, changing the subject.

“I had a great time,” May said, “the contests were challenging but I got enough ribbons to enter the Grand Festival. I guess Coordinating is more popular there than I thought, because they held the Festival in the same stadium complex that they hold the Silver Conference, and from what I heard, it was just as filled as what they usually get for the League Championship.”

Ash looked up from his menu. “So, who did you end up having as opponents in your rounds?”

“Well, in the first few rounds I was against several different Coordinators from Johto; one I had met before but the rest were mostly strangers. In the first round of the final four I went against Harley,” May said, her nose wrinkling as she said his name in annoyance.

“In the final round I had to face off against Drew. That was a really close round. I ended up winning when the time ran out because I had a few more points than him.”

“Did those two cause you any trouble?” Ash asked, a scowl developing on his face.

May shrugged. “Well, Harley was a jerk, but that's nothing new,” She grinned suddenly. “He did make a fool of himself at the first contest. He tried cross-dressing again to look like me like he did in Hoenn. We hadn't met up yet, and he didn't know I completely changed most of my outfits, so he dressed the same as he did in Hoenn.”

“You should have seen his face when I passed him in the hallway as I went to give my own appeal. It was great!” May said, giggling behind her hand.

Ash and Brock, who had seen the original incident, laughed the hardest. Dawn smiled - she had heard plenty of stories from Ash and Brock about Harley and various other rivals. She was glad that most of hers were also her friends, like Zoey and Kenny.

The waitress walked over to their table and took their orders after placing their drinks in front of each trainer.

As she left, Ash looked over at May again. “So, Harley was a jerk. What about Drew? Did you have any trouble with him on your trip?”

“No, he wasn't any trouble, Ash,” she said. “It's very sweet of you to be concerned, but I know how to take care of myself.”

Dawn was the only one who noticed May's smile falter for the briefest of moments before returning. Dawn frowned in thought, tuning out the conversation. She could tell that May was hiding something, she knew from her brief change of expression that Drew hadn't really been as little trouble as she had claimed.

Dawn felt a brief moment of jealousy over Ash's obvious care and concern for May, but it was quickly squashed down by her admiration of the young Coordinator, and the friendship they had developed during the Wallace Cup.

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone shaking her arm and calling her name. She snapped her attention away from her thoughts and saw May's black-and-white glove resting on her arm. She looked up and saw May grinning at her.

“In your own world there?” May asked teasingly.

Dawn blushed and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, kind of drifted off there. Were you guys talking to me?”

May nodded. “Yeah, I was wondering how your contests ended up. Did you make it to the Grand Festival?”

It was Dawn's turn for her expression to falter. She shrugged at May. “Yeah, I got to the Grand Festival but I didn't make it past the second preliminary appeal round.”

May's expression fell. “Oh, I'm so sorry, Dawn! You must think I'm such a big jerk for bragging about my contests!”

Dawn shook her head. “No need to worry May, I'm over it,” she lied. I'm not upset about you talking about your contest. I'm glad you won - we should talk later about your rounds.”

May's smile returned. “That's a deal. And just keep trying. I know you'll win next time, you're a really great Coordinator,” May said, patting her on the arm.

Dawn now felt guilty for her earlier bout of jealousy - May was a great friend and was one of the nicest people she knew.

“Thanks May,” Dawn smiled gratefully at her friend.

Eager to take the subject off herself, she looked over at Ash. “Hey Ash, have you told her about the Sinnoh League yet?”

Ash's eyes lit up. “Oh, yeah, May! I won the Sinnoh League Championship. It was really tough, especially my final battle against Paul, but it's the first official Pokémon League I've won.”

“I know, your mom told me when I called her up. I could hardly get her to talk about anything else. She's really proud of you, you know,” May said, grinning when she saw Ash's face color slightly. “I knew you could do it, Ash,” she added, “congratulations.”

“Thanks, May.” Ash said, and just as he was about to launch into a detailed account of his last battle with his rival, the waitress returned with their food. His train of thought disengaged immediately, and he began munching on his cheeseburger and fries with a gusto.

The other three trainers stared at him for several moments before beginning to eat their own meals. May shook her head and looked at Dawn who was doing the same. “Same old Ash,” May said with a laugh.

********************************************************** *******

The Golden Azumarill, Elevator Lobby

May had gone up to her own room to change into a swimming suit. The Grand Festival prize gave her a suite on the top floor - there was one suite per floor and each opened onto a large open air deck/balcony area facing the ocean. The others had already changed and were waiting for her to come down.

Ash's mind was whirling: his already confused feelings and emotions about Dawn and May felt like they had been tossed into a Whirlpool attack with May's unexpected visit.

`And now I'm going to spend the day with both of them in the pool', he thought, unsure about that prospect, having already seen Dawn, who had changed into a dark blue bikini that revealed a bit more than her usual swimwear - he wasn't sure if he would be able to keep his eyes to himself.

The elevator door opened and May, who had let her hair down and wore a form-fitting red bikini, walked out, a small beach bag slung over her shoulder.

Ash gulped and suddenly couldn't wait to get into the pool and cool down. “Well, let's go!” He exclaimed loudly, startling Pikachu from his shoulder as he spun and dashed toward the door that opened onto the courtyard.

“Race ya there, Pikachu!” He yelled.

The disgruntled mouse brushed himself off as he got up from the ground, and raced after his trainer, his cheeks sparking.

“Well, I guess Ash is really eager to get in the pool,” Brock said, smiling knowingly after the young trainer. They made their way to the door and saw Ash, who had made it about halfway to the pools, now lying twitching on the ground as Pikachu calmly walked past him, a satisfied look on his face.

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Outside The Golden Azumarill

Only a few other guests were swimming in the pools when they entered the gate through the fence that enclosed the area. There were three small, deep pools roughly oval in size, each kept at a different temperature, closest to the hotel. Two children's pools occupied the southern portion of the area. Two long pools on the west side curved inward and met one another, each a full Olympic length pool. A large circular pool sat in between where they met - it was filled to the point of spilling water, which ran down into the other pools.

This was the famed “Infinity Pool”, in which one could sit back and look out in the direction of the beach, and it would appear that the pool continued on out past the horizon into the ocean because of the optical illusion it created.

The final pool was an enormous rectangular pool that varied from a few inches deep on one side to nearly fifteen feet deep on the other. It was set up specifically for the guest's Pokémon to use.

“Well, we shouldn't be the only ones having fun,” Brock exclaimed, “come on out, Sudowoodo, Happiny, Toxicroak!”

He took three Pokéballs from the built-in Pokébelt on his swimming trunks, and tossed them into the air. Beams of light materialized into several Pokémon. One was a tall, gangly brown Pokémon shaped like a tree trunk, with a Y-shaped “antenna” sprouting from its head, and three green orb-like fingers on each hand.

Happiny was a small, pink, almost egg shaped Pokémon, with a pink pigtail shaped appendage sticking up from the back of its head. She had a red elastic-like pouch on the lower half of her body, which held an oval shaped whitish stone that Brock had shaped for her.

Toxicroak, the Pokémon that delighted in yanking Brock away when he started flirting too much with women he just met, was a large, bipedal light green frog Pokémon. It had a large horn jutting from its forehead, and a pinkish-red throat-sack that expanded and contracted as it breathed.

Ash pulled five Pokéballs from his belt, and released his Pokémon. They popped open, revealing Grotle, Staravia, and Monferno, as well as Gliscor, a large, purplish bat-like Pokémon with large, sharp pincers at the ends of its forearms, and a long, segmented tail that ended in two curving stingers. The fifth Pokéball contained Floatzel, an orange, twin-tailed otter with a yellow underbelly.

Floatzel leapt eagerly into the pool, his twin tails acting as a propeller to send him skimming around the pool. Gliscor and Staravia perched on a nearby railing surrounding the pool while Pikachu and Grotle splashed around in the shallows. Monferno, who didn't particularly enjoy swimming around in the water due to his Fire type, leaned against the railing the two fliers were perched on and took in the warmth of the sun.

Dawn's Piplup leapt from her arms and into the pool after Floatzel as Dawn removed her own Pokéballs. They contained four other Pokémon: Ambipom, a purple primate with two long tails that ended in large hands; Buneary, a small, bipedal rabbit Pokémon whose lower half and the tips of her ears were covered in a yellow wool while the rest of her body was a soft, short brown fur; Pachirisu, a cute Electric-type squirrel Pokémon with an off white body, electric blue stripe down her back and fluffy tail, and two round yellow pouches on her cheeks that stored her electricity; and Swinub, a short, wooly, brown Pokémon with a pink pig-like snout.

May, who had not yet seen Dawn's Swinub, was delighted by the small Pokémon. “Oh, Dawn, you caught a real cutie! Have you used her in any contests yet?”

Dawn smiled, and Swinub preened under the attention as May ran her hands along its soft fur. “Yeah, I did actually. She was the main reason I won my last contest to get my fifth ribbon.”

Ash re-introduced May to his Gliscor, Floatzel, and Monferno, all of whom had evolved into their present forms since the last time she had paid the group a visit during the Wallace Cup.

May sorted through her bag and pulled out several of her own Pokémon. “I only brought a few of my Pokémon - I left all the rest back at home at the Gym with dad.” She said, referring to her father Norman, who was the Gym Leader of Petalburg City.

She tossed her Pokéballs into the air as the others had, and they materialized several that everyone had seen the previous time she had visited.

Blaziken, a tall, bipedal birdlike Pokémon with long, muscular legs, and long whitish hair streaming back behind her head - the rest of her body was covered in red and orange feathers.

Her Glaceon, one of the evolved forms of Eevee, was a short, vulpine Pokémon covered in light blue fur. She had a darker blue growth on her head that trailed off into two ends that hung down on either side of her head, which gave the appearance of a Sherpa cap.

May's Wartortle was a dark blue turtle Pokémon, with a long tail covered in rich, thick fur, and two whitish fin-like ears protruding from either side of her head.

The light from her last Pokéball shot out and slowly reformed into a small, mammalian creature with shaggy brown fur, wide innocent eyes, and a small white crescent shaped mark adorning its forehead. It looked up at the trainers surrounding it and stuck its right paw into its mouth and began sucking on it.

Dawn literally squealed and ran over to it. “May, a Teddiursa! It's so cute! You caught it in Johto?”

May nodded. “Well, sort of. I met a couple who takes care of Pokémon eggs, and they ended up giving her egg to me. I guess her parents were captured by Pokémon poachers. The egg hatched about two months ago with this adorable little girl inside.”

The furry bear Pokémon shrunk back as Dawn came closer to her. She stared at the ground with her head down and began sucking more rapidly on her paw the closer she got.

May knelt down next to her and picked up her Pokémon, who quickly hid her face against May's chest. “Hey, it's alright sweetie, this is Dawn, and she's a friend of mine.” May cooed to the little bear.

May tried coaxing the small Pokémon from where she clung to her before finally giving up with a sigh. “Sorry Dawn, she's always been really shy with other people around, and doesn't take to most people very easily. I've been trying to get her to be more outgoing, because I want her to compete in contests, but I haven't had much luck so far.”

“Well, maybe once she gets to know all of us she won't be as shy. After all, you've been traveling alone so you are the only one she's really seen all the time,” Ash said.

“Great point Ash,” Brock said, “and since she's so young, she's much more shy. That isn't all that unusual among Pokémon. I wouldn't be worried about it May.”

A small smile appeared on May's face. “Thanks you guys. I was worried I might be doing something wrong. I mean, the only other baby I've had to look after was Manaphy and he had to leave just a few days after he hatched.”

May eventually pried the little bear from her place and set her down on the ground.

“War torwar,” May's Wartortle said, as she walked over to the Pokémon and took the paw that wasn't currently in her mouth. She led the brown bear over to the shallow end of the pool and coaxed her into the water.

May smiled as she saw Teddiursa's face light up, and watched her begin to splash water at Wartortle who playfully splashed back with her tail.

“Wartortle has sort of taken her under her wing the past month. They get along really great.” May said.

Piplup swam over and tried introducing himself, but Teddiursa quickly locked up once more. Wartortle turned and splashed Piplup, who quickly retaliated, causing the small bear to look on in interest at her friend playing with this strange new Pokémon. She walked up to the blue penguin and looked at him curiously before she removed her paw from her mouth, and decided he was similar enough to her turtle friend.

She shyly splashed water at Piplup, and very soon a three-way water fight erupted, and Teddiursa quickly became accustomed to the new Pokémon that wanted to play her games.

May laughed at the three. “Looks like you guys were right,” she said, “let's leave them alone for a while and let her make friends on her own.”

The four trainers left their Pokémon to their own devices, and walked to one of the larger pools. Ash cannon-balled in, an his spray soaked the other trainers who entered more calmly down the steps.

The water was the perfect temperature - just cool enough to be a welcome reprieve from the tropical sun, but warm enough that it was not uncomfortable to swim in.

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Ekab Beaches

Down the beach, a blue haired man who wore dark green swimming trunks and a pair of black-tinted sunglasses lay on a towel, sunbathing on the sand.

A young woman with long red hair pulled back into a ponytail lay next to him, wearing a black bikini. She was resting on her stomach, her head turned to the side.

Near their heads sat a crème colored catlike Pokémon with a golden charm that sat on his forehead. The Meowth held a pair of binoculars, which he was using to scan the crowds and the ocean. He surreptitiously turned from time to time toward a group of trainers and Pokémon playing in the pools of a nearby hotel.

“Yo, Jessie, James. Looks like that brown haired Twoipette dat traveled wit da Twoips a while ago is back wit dem now,” the Meowth said with a distinct accent. He was one of the few Pokémon besides the telepathy-using Psychic types that was able to actually speak human language. It was a skill he had acquired with a long, laborious period of study years ago.

The red-haired woman, Jessie, lifted her head lazily. “You mean that one brunette that was always trying to steal my thunder in my Contests back in Hoenn?” She asked.

“Da very one,” Meowth said.

She laid her head back down. “Well, that just means more Pokémon to steal. Now be quiet Meowth, I've been trying to take a nap here.”

Meowth smacked her over the head with his paw. Jessie's hand flew to her head and she looked up, glaring angrily at Meowth. “Ouch! What was that for?” She demanded.

“We're s'posed ta be here lookin' for Pokémon for da Boss and followin' da Twoips, not layin' around an' getting' a tan on da beach!” He said.

He leaned toward the blue-haired man, James, and swatted him as well. “Speakin' of da Boss, ya remembered ta tell him dat we was comin' here ta follow da Twoips, right?”

Silence followed the question, leading both Jessie and Meowth to look over at him. He was looking at them sheepishly.

“Well?” Demanded Meowth.

“Er, well, you see……… I didn't,” he said.

“What?” Jessie exclaimed. “Why not?”

“Well,” James said, laughing nervously, to the two who were currently glaring at him, “I figured if we told the Boss we were going to Kultran to follow the Twerps, he'd think we were lying and trying to get off on a vacation here.”

Jessie and Meowth looked at each other blankly before Jessie spoke up. “Well….. I guess he does sort of have a point. We aren't exactly on the Boss's good side, and we wouldn't want to give him the idea that we're taking a vacation.”

Meowth sighed hopelessly. “Yah, I guess you're right. We'll just hafta make sure we bring da Boss some good Pokémon.”

“Yes Meowth, but when we snuck on the boat disguised as maid staff, I heard the Twerps say that they'd be here for a few weeks, so why rush? Why not wait until the opportune time to grab some of their Pokémon when their too busy having fun to notice?” Jessie said.

Meowth sighed once more in resignation. “Well, I guess youse guys are right. We could use a little relaxation. We'll just hafta keep our eyes peeled an' strike when dey least expect it.”

“Glad you agree,” Jessie said, “now if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to perfecting my tan.”

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Golden Azumarill Pool Complex

May floated lazily on her back. The water of the pool would occasionally lap over her face when someone jumped into the large pool with enough force, but for the most part she just bobbed slightly on the small waves produced by her fellow swimmer.

Ash and Dawn had started out with breath-holding contests, but they had quickly tired of that. Dawn was now resting against one of the walls of the pool with her arms up over the sides. Her eyes were closed in contentment as one of the small jets gently massaged her back muscles.

Ash had become quiet and pensive; something that May was not used to seeing from him, and had moved to the Infinity Pool. He had his back rested on the wall and was staring quietly out onto the horizon as the sun slowly made its descent in the sky. It would be mere hours before the bottom began to disappear below the horizon.

Brock, taking advantage of his Toxicroak currently playing with the other Pokémon, was chatting with an attractive young trainer who had recently entered the pool.

May was beginning to feel the skin on her fingers and toes start to wrinkle from their extended submersion in the water, so she moved upright. She made her way to toward the steps of the pool, intent on reclining on one of the lounge chairs that were provided around each pool.

May toweled herself dry and sat on one of the chairs. As she was about to recline it, her attention was drawn to several Pokémon cries that drifted through the air.

She looked over to the pool that they had left their Pokémon in, and saw that all of their Pokémon, along with some belonging to other trainers were crowded around the pool. They were cheering on Wartortle and Floatzel who were racing each other lap after lap around the perimeter of the deep end of the pool. May smiled as she saw the determined faces on the two as each tried to gain a lead on the other.

Her gaze panned along the crowd of Pokémon, wondering if Teddiursa had made friends with the others like she had with Piplup.

May's pulse quickened slightly when she didn't see Teddiursa. She stood up quickly and walked toward the Pokémon pool. `Calm down, May, you're overreacting,' she told herself. `Teddiursa is really small and is probably hidden behind Blaziken or that Blastoise or any of the others.' She thought, attempting to keep calm.

“Teddiursa!” She called, moving around the crowd. She felt her heart leap and her throat tighten as moved to the side she had been unable to see before, and Teddiursa was still nowhere to be seen.

“Teddiursa!” She called again, this time hearing panic in her own voice.

Pikachu looked up at her from where he stood cheering. “Ka?” He questioned.

May knelt down next to him. “Pikachu, have you seen my Teddiursa? I can't find her.”

Pikachu shook his head in the negative and scampered through the crowd, searching. He quickly returned and leapt into May's arms, shaking his head once more.

“Thank you Pikachu. Could you get Ash and the others? I've got to find her.” May said, her eyes beginning to fill with unshed tears.

“Pika!” He exclaimed before dashing off at Quick Attack speeds, rendering him a yellow blur.

“Blaziken! Glaceon!” She called, pulling their attention from the race. “Please get everyone's attention. Teddiursa has gone missing.”

Their eyes widened when they realized the diminutive bear was no longer standing where they had last seen her. The two turned to the pool and used Flamethrower and Ice Beam respectively, a long stream of flames erupting from the Bird Pokémon's mouth to hit the water next to an pale blue beam of icy energy sent forth from Glaceon's body.

This gained the attention of the entire crowd, and the two quickly informed the others of the situation, trying to find out where the little bear had last been seen. The two swimmers, disoriented by the sudden mix of boiling and freezing water they had swum through, made their way dizzily to the dry ground alongside the pool.

Wartortle immediately listened to the others conversing and heard “Teddiursa” several times. Her head snapped up and she looked around for the bear, wondering if something had happened to her while she had been racing.

She walked over to May, and saw that her trainer was visibly upset.

“Why weren't you watching her?” May said angrily. She immediately felt horrible when Wartortle hung her head, ashamed, as something had apparently happened to Teddiursa.

May bent down and hugged her turtle Pokémon. “I'm sorry I snapped at you Wartortle, I'm just really worried about Teddiursa - she's disappeared and no one saw her leave. It's not your fault.”

By this time Ash, Dawn, and Brock had reached them and caught most of the conversation.

“Don't worry May, we'll find Teddiursa,” Ash said.

“Yeah, maybe she just decided to go for a walk by the beach,” Dawn added.

The trainers quickly collected most of their Pokémon, leaving several at the pool in case Teddiursa wandered back. The rest set out with their trainers to give more sets of eyes to search the beach. The gate closest to the beach was unlocked, and May figured either Teddiursa had been able to jump high enough to unlatch it, or someone had left it open.

As they descended the steps from the pool complex and stepped onto the beach, May felt fear begin to gnaw at her stomach. The beach was packed with people and Pokémon strolling along, playing volleyball, tanning in the sun, and swimming and surfing in clear waters - many more people than Ash and the others had encountered early in the morning.

The group split up, making a plan to meet back within a half hour to see if any had found Teddiursa. If not they would have to figure out some other plan.

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Ekab Beaches

Dawn moved quickly through the crowds after her unfruitful search, hoping that the others had better luck. She pushed through a group of older teens, and saw May, Ash, and Brock already at their designated meeting place. Teddiursa was not among them.

May saw Dawn approach and looked hopefully at her. Dawn shook her head sadly and May collapsed to her knees, the tears she had held in thus far now flowing freely from her eyes. “Where could she have gone?” She sobbed out loud.

`I'm such a horrid trainer and even worse mom. How could I have been so stupid? I should have been watching her.' She thought as buried her face in her hands, her shoulders jerking visibly.

Ash awkwardly placed his hand on her shoulder, but she continued sobbing. Dawn knelt in front of her and pushed Ash's hand out of the way before she firmly gripped both of her shoulders.

“May, I know you're upset and really worried about Teddiursa, but you can't help her unless you pull yourself together. We need to figure out what we're going to do next.” Dawn said in a low, gentle voice.

This got through to the brunette, and her sobs slowed. She sniffed loudly, swiping at the tears on her face. “You're right Dawn. We've got to figure out what happened to…”

She gasped, interrupting her own sentence as a thought came to her. “Ash, does Team Rocket still follow you guys around everywhere?” She asked, her voice still shaky.

Ash nodded. “Yeah, they do…. Wait, I see where you're going with this - you're thinking Team Rocket stole Teddiursa?” He frowned thoughtfully. “I don't know, I'd think with all of the Pokémon there they'd go all out to steal them all. And we don't know if they managed to follow us here.”

“But they could have,” May insisted, desperate for some something to focus on, “she could have wandered away and they could have decided to keep it simple and get away without being noticed. Or it could have been someone else that decided they'd like a Teddiursa.”

Ash nodded. “You're right, May. There's so many people here we'd…”

Ash's sentence trailed off as he saw the sun flash off a white crescent mark further in the crowd. It was complete chance that he'd been glancing that direction and saw it that far away.

Then he got a glimpse of a young man wearing a tan vest, and a brown wide-brimmed hat, who was clutching a Teddiursa in his arms. That was all he needed to see. He could feel in his gut that this wasn't just a coincidence of a kid walking the beach with his Teddiursa.

“Hey! You! Get back here with that Teddiursa!” He bellowed, startling the other three who had been waiting for him to complete his sentence. He shoved past Brock and dashed down the beach, slipping in and out between members of the crowd. The others soon realized he had spotted the missing Pokémon and raced after him.

At Ash's second shout, the boy realized someone was calling to him, and he turned around. Ash realized he couldn't be that much older than himself. He saw the boy's eyes widen when he spotted Ash charging up to him.

He stopped a few feet in front of the boy, breathing heavily. He clenched his fists at his sides and demanded angrily, “Who do you think you are that you can just snatch somebody's Pokémon off the beach? Giver her back, you thief!”

The young man threw one arm out in a defensive gesture, his palm pointed toward Ash, while his other arm remained wrapped around the Teddiursa who had buried its face in the front of his vest as Ash began yelling.

“Whoah there! I ain't a bloody thief, an' I didn't snatch anyone's Pokémon off the beach, an' I sure wouldn't just give up Teddiursa t'some nutter that comes charging willy nilly across the beach screamin' his head off.”

“If you're not a thief then why do you have my friend's Teddiursa?” Ash asked, ignoring the young man's last comment.

“Your friends-” he broke off and looked down at the Teddiursa. “Wait, I can explain-”

“Sure, that's what they always say,” Ash growled, his fists clenched tighter as he prepared himself to fight the boy for May's Teddiursa if it came down to it.

Ash heard his friends run up behind him, panting. He grew confused when the other boy's expression, indignant at being cut off in the middle of his explanation, dissolved into a relieved look.

“May!” He exclaimed as he started to move to walk around Ash.

“I take it you've been lookin' for this cheeky little bugger?” He said, in a pronounced accent that Ash only then noticed, as he gestured to the Pokémon in his arms.

Ash moved quickly in his path to keep the stranger away from his friends, but May had already brushed past him.

“Nate!” She cried, as she threw her arms around both the boy and her Teddiursa. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you so much!” She said, her words muffled by his shoulder.

He was startled, and awkwardly patted her on the back with his free hand. “Y'welcome, May,” he said to her.

May pulled back and took Teddiursa into her arms and held her tightly. Teddiursa looked up at her trainer curiously, wondering why her face seemed to be wet. She reached up with one paw and rubbed one of the tears falling down her trainer's face.

May let out a choked giggle at her Pokémon before her face grew serious. “Teddiursa, don't you ever run off like that again without telling anyone what you were doing. I was so scared that you were hurt somewhere and none of us would be able to find you.” She said, burying her face in the fur on the top of her Pokémon's head.

When her breathing calmed down, she looked up at Nate once more. “Thank you again for finding her.”

He grinned. “No worries, May. But I can't take all the credit. She's the one that found me. I was layin' on the beach, tryin' t'sleep, an' then I got pounced on by this little sheila - scared the bloody daylights out of me. I figured you'd be lookin' for her, so I was headed for the hotel here t'look for ya, before this bloke decided t'rip me a new one,” he said, nodding in Ash's direction.

Ash looked on with a sheepish look on his face, and felt jealousy course through him as he watched the two interact. May looked over at him, and he knew what she wanted.

“Um, sorry `bout before, you know, calling you a thief and all. I just thought-”

“No worries, mate. Ya wanted t'help your friend find her Pokémon, an' thought I was tryin' t'steal her. I'da prob'ly done the same thing m'self.” Nate interrupted.

Dawn was eying up the newcomer with interest. He was somewhat taller than Ash, and had a stronger build while still somewhat lithe like Ash had - definitely more muscular. He had warm brown eyes and a cocky grin on his face which seemed to suit him well. A long, pale white scar ran down the right side of his face from just above his eyebrow to the lower parts of his cheek, standing out against his tanned skin.

`Wow,' she thought, a small blush coming to her cheeks, `he's pretty… hot.'

She found herself wondering, if he and May were an item - they certainly seemed to be close, and she secretly hoped they were a couple. She then finally realized that even if things never ended up working out with Ash, if he didn't return her feelings, there were plenty of other people she could eventually fall in love with.

Nate realized that there were two other people standing around him besides May and Ash. “Where're my manners? Th'names Nate Fisher,” the young, deeply tanned teen said, tipping the brim of his slouch hat in respect to the two girls in front of him. “Nice t'meet ya.”

He extended a hand toward Dawn and took hers. “An' this lovely sheila must be Dawn,” he said.

It seemed to Dawn like the temperature had risen several degrees, and what felt like most of her blood fled to her face. “Uh, yeah,” she squeaked out.

“May's told me about all three of ya. You're a Coordinator, right?” He asked.

She nodded, and he continued. “My mum's a Coordinator back home. Still competes in the local Contests.” He turned to the other two.

May gestured toward the ebony haired Trainer first, and then to the tall brown haired Breeder. “This is Ash, and this is Brock.”

Both stepped forward to shake his hand. Ash gripped his hand firmly, pouring out the jealousy he felt after he saw Dawn's reaction to Nate into his handshake.

“Nice to meet you,” Brock said with a smile, “Obviously you know May. Did you compete in the Johto Contests with her?”

May spoke up first. “Oh, no, Brock. Nate's a League Trainer, not a Coordinator. We actually met on the cruise over here and became friends.”

Teddiursa began squirming in May's arms until she let her climb to the ground. The tiny bear scurried over to Nate and began to tug incessantly on the leg of his swimming trunks. “Tedd, Tedd,” she called up to him.

“More!” He said with mock astonishment. “Well, I guess y'can have a few more. But no more after this or your mum'll be cross at me for ruinin' your appetite,” Nate said as he knelt next to Teddiursa and rummaged through his rucksack. He pulled out a cellophane bag, the top of which had been rolled shut. He unrolled it and removed several pieces of Gummi candy, and held them out to Teddiursa.

She eagerly snatched them from his hands and shoved them into her mouth. She cooed happily and chewed on them, her eyes closed as she let the sweet flavor fill her mouth.

May smiled at her Pokémon's antics. Teddiursa, like most of her species, loved most anything that was sweet. She seemed to have become addicted to Gummi candy in particular.

“Speaking of appetites,” May said, “why don't you come and have dinner with us Nate?”

“Yeah!” Dawn said enthusiastically, “We should be heading off for dinner soon anyway. You should join us.”

Nate's eyes strayed to Ash, from whom he had earlier sensed hostility and jealousy when he talked to both girls. He saw Ash looking impassively at the others, but thought he could see the muscles of his jaw clench slightly as they asked Nate to dinner.

He shook his head. “Nah, wouldn't want t'intrude. I know you've been really excited about seein' these three, an' I don't want t'interrupt your time with your friends-”

May interrupted, shaking her head firmly. “You wouldn't be intruding, Nate. Besides, you're my friend too. C'mon, please?” She said, her eyes begging him. When she saw his expression falter, she set her lower lip in a small pout.

“Agh, alright, alright, y'don't hafta give me that look!” He said. “Bloody hell, that should be outlawed. Shouldn't be legal to do that to a bloke,” he muttered.

May smiled widely. “Great! We just need to get changed and we'll be ready to go. Meet you down in the lobby?”

Nate nodded. “Alright, when'd y'wanna meet?”

Ash grinned for the first time since they had met as he spoke up. “Knowing these two, it'll be an hour for them to get ready.”

Dawn gave an indignant gasp. “Ash Ketchum! Just because we want to spend our time to make sure we look good doesn't mean you have to make fun of us. What do you think would happen to you if you made that crack to a girlfriend? She'd probably smack you upside the head, that's what! Besides, it should only take half an hour,” she said.

May shook her head as the two continued to bicker. “Sounds like we'll see you in about a half-hour.”

“Okay, I gotta change too. Seeya then,” he said as he slung his rucksack back over his shoulder and began to walk toward the south wing of the hotel.

---------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------

Room 1015, The Golden Azumarill

“Why do we have to go to dinner with that guy?” Ash grumbled as he lay back on the bed, flipping through the channels on the room's television.

He and Brock were waiting in their room while May was getting ready in her own room, and Dawn was showering in the bathroom to get rid of her “pool hair” as she termed it.

Brock looked up from the magazine he was reading. “Well, he's May's friend, and she wanted him to come. Besides, I think he's a pretty nice guy, don't you?”

Ash scowled. “I dunno. He seems like an okay guy, but what if it's just an act? There's something I don't like about him.”

Brock smiled - the perfect moment to confront Ash on his suspicions had arrived. “Are you sure it isn't that you don't like the fact that May and Dawn were eying him up like a fresh cut of meat?”

“What? No! Why would that matter?” Ash protested.

“Uh-huh…..” Brock said, disbelief evident in his voice, “come on Ash, I've known you for over five years now. You've got a thing for both of them, don't you?”

Ash sighed and closed his eyes as he rested his head back on his pillow.

“Is it that obvious?” Ash asked in a defeated tone, knowing Brock would never give up on it until he admitted to it.

Brock laughed. “Not too obvious unless you know what to look for. And I've had plenty of experience the hard way of telling when a person doesn't like you.”

“What am I gonna do, Brock? I like both of them, and I don't even have a clue if either of them even feels slightly the same. Even if they do, how would I choose?” Ash asked, frustrated.

“You could try flipping a coin,” Brock remarked.

Ash raised his head and looked at the Breeder in disbelief. Brock managed to maintain a serious face for several moments before he broke into laughter.

“That's up to you, Ash. I think you'll be able to tell when the time comes. Now, as to whether they like you the same way, I don't think you have to worry too much. I think Dawn at least has a crush on you. May…. I'm not completely sure. Something changed while she was in Johto. Nothing big, but… she's not quite the same May I'm used to,” he said, beginning to think out loud.

He shook his head. “Then again, we've only seen her less than half a day. She's definitely become much more independent after journeying around on her own like she did.”

He looked to Ash who was nodding thoughtfully at his observations. “Anyway, would you please give Nate a chance? He seems like a nice guy, and May seems to like him. Besides, you know that Pokémon typically have good instincts toward people, and remember how Teddiursa was all over him.”

Ash groaned. “Alright, I'll try to be nice. But just remember that Harley played the nice guy card once too, and look what happened then.”

“If anything happens, feel free to say `I told you so'. But remember - be nice. You certainly won't get on May's good side if you act like a jerk toward her friend.” Brock said, and then winked. “And now you've confirmed my suspicions on just how much you'd like to be on May's and Dawn's good sides.”

“Hey!” Ash exclaimed and tossed a pillow at Brock. “You better not tell anyone else. I can already tell I'll have enough teasing coming from you.”

“Don't worry, Ash. Your secret's safe with me, but to ensure continued protection you could always give me a few bucks for a bouquet of flowers that I can give to Melonie.” Brock said sighing wistfully as he remembered the trainer he had met in the pool before the frantic search for Teddiursa.

Ash grumbled and pulled out his wallet. “Evil blackmailer,” he muttered under his breath as he handed Brock several dollars.

Further conversation was cut off when the sound of the hair dryer shut of, and Dawn emerged moments later. She had changed into a pink blouse and a short black skirt. Several locks of her hair were now braided, and fell down over the top of the rest of her hair which she allowed to flow freely over her back.

She stuck her tongue out at Ash, a gesture that left him with a strange feeling in his stomach, and said, “See, that was only twenty-five minutes and we still have five to spare, Mr. Girls-take-an-hour-to-get-ready.”

He snapped his eyes away when he realized he had begun to stare at her. He sighed heavily. “Well, I guess you proved me wrong,” he said with mock reluctance.

“You better believe it. Maybe you'll think next time before you try to make fun of a lady,” she said as she hopped onto the bed next to him and elbowed him playfully in the side.

Ash's stomach chose that moment to grumble loudly.

Dawn laughed. “Ash doesn't need a watch, he can use his stomach to tell time. Let's go you two, before it starts complaining any louder.” She said, still laughing as she headed for the door.

A/N: Well, that's that.So, we see more of May after that evil cliffhanger, and we meet a new character who adds to the drama between Ash/May/Dawn.Sorry I took so long getting this one out - things turned out to be more hectic in RL than I expected.

Couple of notes on this chapter.

First, some might take issue with Ash saying the Sinnoh League is the first he really won - That is my personal view, and it is the view he will maintain in this fic. I know he's won the Battle Frontier, but that isn't really a League, and I know he won the Orange Islands, but the impression I got was they were not a professional league (no torch, no Mr. Goodshow, etc.).

Second, for those of you not sure (or those never been exposed to some of the phrases), yes, Nate is Australian (or at least the Pokémon world version - more on that next chap). Now, I am not Australian myself, so there may be some messups of using Aussie slang incorrectly (or using US slang when Aussies use a different word), so any Aussie readers feel free to correct me. I have two Australian friends I used to hang out with (they're back in Australia now - exchange students), so I got most of it from what I picked up from them.

Anyway, I'm starting to rant so I'll wrap up here. Next chap will (hopefully) be up in a week.

Thanks to those who have reviewed thus far, and please, give me your comments and feedback on this chap.