Ash led the way out of the forest, a little too jolly for May and Max's liking, since they weren't used to hiking for long periods of time. Thankfully, since Abby was the one who teleported them, they were going from one end to the other, something that would've taken another week, and ain't nobody got time for that.
Instead, Abby teleported them near the edge. It still took about an hour, but it was much less than it would've been without her. Although, when she did, she noticed that Ash had a Ralts now, two actually, and she rubbed her hands together and teleported away.
Ash sighed. That was probably going to be a problem later, but you know what? Not his problem right now. What was his problem was that while Ash and Brock were fine, May and Max were dying.
"Ash… why are you so happy…" May groaned, leaning forward like gravity had personally offended her.
"Yeah…" Max wheezed, adjusting his glasses. "Normal people get tired from hiking…"
"Bruh, we were only walking for like an hour, that's nothing," Ash said, shaking his head as Pikachu and Vee nodded.
May stared. "Ash… I feel like my legs are going to fall off"
Max weakly nodded. "I really want to sit down…"
Ash smiled teasingly. "Well, you know, if you really want to, I can always give you a piggyback ride again~"
May froze.
May's entire soul combusted, "ASH—NO—THAT'S—NO—I'M FINE—I CAN WALK—I SWEAR—"
Ash lifted an eyebrow, leaning in slightly, "You sure? You look like you're about to pass out. I can carry you just like last time. Arms under your legs, nice and snug"
"STOP DESCRIBING IT!" May yelped, turning red enough to alert ships at sea. "I-I'm not THAT tired!"
Ash just grinned. "If you say so~"
He turned to Max. "Well, since your sister refuses help, what about you, dude? Wanna ride?"
Max didn't even hesitate.
"YES."
"Bro, that was fast," Ash laughed.
Max pushed his glasses up with sparkly determination, "ASH KETCHUM IS OFFERING ME A PIGGYBACK RIDE. DO YOU THINK I'M STUPID?!"
Ash barked out a laugh and crouched down so Max could scramble onto his back. Max clung on like a Joltik on a power line, eyes sparkling behind his glasses.
"Alright, buddy, hold on tight," Ash said as he straightened up, hands hooked under Max's knees to keep him steady.
Max pumped a fist in triumph. "THIS IS THE GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE."
Pikachu snickered. Vee rolled his eyes.
May stared at them both like she was witnessing a betrayal of legendary proportions.
"Max… you traitor!"
Max adjusted his glasses smugly from his new throne. "Sister, please. Some opportunities only come once."
Ash grinned up at him. "See? Max gets it."
May sputtered. "I—YOU—THAT'S—YOU CAN'T JUST—UGH!"
Ash tilted his head, still walking. "Well, too bad. The Ketchum back only has room for one, so May, I'm afraid you lost your chance."
May threw both hands up before her brain could stop her. "I SAID I'M FINE!"
"Ohhh," Ash said, nodding wisely, tone dripping with playful pity. "That's okay. Some people just can't swallow their pride."
May's jaw dropped. "EXCUSE ME?!"
"But it's cool," Ash continued, unbothered. "Max here knows humility, practicality, smart decision-making,"
"I AM ALL OF THOSE THINGS!" May yelled, voice cracking.
"And he's not afraid to accept help," Ash finished, ignoring every sound she made.
May stomped forward with enough force to scare a Taillow out of a tree. "You are doing this on purpose."
Ash looked thoughtful, then shrugged. "Yeah. Kinda."
Brock snorted so hard he almost choked. May sighed defeatedly as they walked. Ash turned and spotted a small lake with a few Lotad swimming around in it.
Ash thought about it for a moment, remembering that Brock didn't really have any new Pokémon to start training. So he looked at him. "Yo, Brock, there are some Lotad over there. You want one?"
Brock blinked, surprised as he looked over. "Huh. Lotad, huh…?"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Honestly… that's not a bad idea. It'd be nice to have something new on the team. And Lotad are great partners."
May wiped sweat off her forehead, still glaring at Ash. "Yeah, Brock. Go for it. At least someone here gets to make a normal decision today."
Ash shot her a grin over his shoulder. "You could've made a normal decision by accepting help~"
"ASH IF YOU START THAT AGAIN—"
Max cut her off, putting a finger on her mouth. "Shush, sis, you'll scare away the Pokémon."
Brock stepped quietly toward the shoreline, not wanting to spook the Lotad. But the Lotad just blinked up at him with their little vacant smiles.
"Aww," May whispered from behind a bush where they were watching. "They're so peaceful…"
One Lotad approached him. It just… swam right up, stopped at his feet, and stared.
Max leaned closer. "Uh… Brock? Is it supposed to do that?"
Brock crouched. "Well, they're friendly Pokémon, so-"
Lotad suddenly looked up and shot a [Water Gun] directly at Brock's face.
Ash wheezed. Max cackled from Ash's back. Pikachu clapped, and Vee was trying not to laugh.
May covered her mouth. "Oh my gosh!"
Brock sat there dripping, hair plastered to his forehead. The Lotad blinked up at him again as if asking, Do something about it.
Brock wiped his eyes, completely calm. "…Yeah. I like this one."
Ash laughed so hard he had to hold Max with one arm to keep him from falling. "Yeah, buddy, that one's perfect for you!"
Brock pulled out a Poké Ball. "Alright, little guy, let's-"
Lotad interrupted him by walking onto his shoe. Not climbing. Not hopping. Just walking onto it like his shoe was now a ferry.
Max adjusted his glasses. "He's chosen you."
May crossed her arms and nodded solemnly. "You've been Lotad-selected."
Lotad gave the world's slowest blink.
Brock smiled softly. "In that case… Lotad, would you like to come with me?" he said, offering a Poké Ball.
Lotad opened its mouth and said, "Lo~!" Then it shot Brock with another blast of water, making him drop the Poké Ball, but it landed on Lotad's head.
One roll.
Two rolls.
Three rolls.
Ding.
Lotad was caught.
Ash whistled. "Man. Could not have been a more Brock-style capture if we scripted it."
Max, still perched on Ash's back like royalty, nodded sagely. "Truly a sacred ritual. Drenched in holy water."
Brock squeezed water out of his vest as Pikachu helped pat his hair back into something that resembled a shape. "Well… welcome to the team, Lotad."
Lotad blinked from inside the ball like it had no idea what it just signed up for.
May stepped out from the brush, half-glaring at Ash, half-smiling because, even she couldn't deny it, that was peak Brock. "Well, at least something normal happened today."
Ash raised a brow, smirking. "Normal? May, Brock just got baptized by a cabbage lily."
May opened her mouth… then shut it. "…Okay, fair."
Ash grinned. "See? You're getting used to the chaos."
May wanted to argue, oh, she REALLY wanted to, but then she realized something horrifying. She was used to it. Oh no. She was one of them now.
May covered her face with her hands. "I'm turning into a weirdo."
Ash patted her shoulder as he walked by with Max. "Don't worry, I've always known you were a weirdo."
"THAT WAS NOT COMFORTING!" May shouted, flailing her hands.
Ash winked. "Wasn't meant to be."
May sputtered, turning red again, not from the teasing this time, but sheer indignation. "I'm NOT a weirdo!"
Pikachu tilted his head. "Pika?"
Vee snorted. "Ee-vee."
Even Brock paused, wringing out his sleeve. "May… remember when I said Ash is contagious? Yeah, I wasn't joking. If you hang out more than an hour with Ash you'll get into it. I mean, May, you argued with a tree like 30 minutes ago."
May froze, finger in the air. "…That tree started it."
Ash beamed. "See? Certified weirdo. The friend group isn't complete without one."
May let out a strangled scream into her hands.
Max whispered in awe, "She's evolving… into a feral sibling."
Ash nodded sagely. "Next stage is when she starts participating in the chaos voluntarily."
"I WILL NEVER—!" May began.
Then a rustle in the bushes cut her off.
Everyone turned.
A small, round body waddled out from the grass. Another Lotad.
It stared directly at May.
May stared back.
Lotad blinked.
May blinked.
Ash whispered, "Oh boy."
He leaned in. "Careful, May… they're drawn to weirdos."
"IT DOES NOT—!" May started, then the Lotad spat a sudden [Water Gun] right at her face.
It hit her SO hard she staggered back two steps.
The group froze.
May stood dripping, hair plastered flat. Eyes blank. Soul ascending.
Ash covered his mouth, holding back a laugh. "Oh no."
Brock whispered, "She's entered the Silent Rage."
Max leaned forward on Ash's back. "We should run."
May slowly wiped her face, water dripping off her chin.
"…Okay." Her voice was calm. Too calm. "I see how it is."
She bent down, grabbed a Poké Ball, and flicked her wet hair back like an angry Gyarados who had just decided violence was the only language it would speak today.
"Ash."
"Yeah?" Ash asked, still trying to act casual.
May pointed at the Lotad. "I'm gonna battle this one."
Ash blinked and raised an eyebrow. "You want a Lotad?"
May stepped forward, fierce and dripping. "No. I don't want a Lotad. I want to show this Lotad some manners. This disrespectful little pancake chose war."
Lotad blinked innocently. "Lo?"
Ash threw his hands up, nearly dumping Max, as he cackled, unable to stop laughing. "Okay, now THIS is the type of unhinged we like to see! Go for it, you don't need my permission."
May snapped her Poké Ball open, letting Torchic out. "YOU. ME. RIGHT NOW."
-
{30 minutes later}
Everyone was walking again, and May slumped her arms as she walked next to Ash. "Can't believe I lost…"
Ash raised an eyebrow. "You don't train, and you went up against a Pokémon with Water moves, unprepared, with Torchic. What did you think would happen?"
Max nodded, still riding on Ash's shoulders. "Yeah, it was kinda dumb, May."
Ash snorted. "Honestly? I'm impressed Torchic even survived that Hydro-Attitude."
"It was a Water Gun," May muttered weakly.
"Yeah, but emotionally it was more like an insult with water velocity," Ash corrected, waving his hand. "Lotad basically slapped you with hydration."
May groaned into her hands. "Don't remind me…"
Brock, now mostly dry except for that one stubborn piece of hair sticking up, patted her shoulder. "Hey, don't feel too bad. Wild Pokémon can surprise you."
May stared at him with dead eyes. "Brock… it walked up to me. Looked right at me. And THEN assaulted me."
Brock nodded sympathetically. "Yeah… no, you have a point. That one was personal."
May made a small whimpering noise.
Ash side-eyed her. "Also, Torchic is literally weak to water. That's like challenging a Machamp to an arm-wrestling contest and then crying when you lose your arm."
May's head snapped up. "I wasn't crying!"
"You were making a noise," Ash said.
"It was frustration!"
"It sounded like a dying Wurmple."
Pikachu nodded. "Pika."
Vee squinted at her. "Vee."
Max added from Ash's shoulders, "I actually wrote it down to study later."
"WHY?!" May snapped, offended in seven different ways.
Max pushed his glasses up. "For science."
(He absolutely didn't write anything down. He just knew saying that would annoy her, and he is learning too much from Ash.)
May pulled on her face. "Uhhh, why is this so hard? You made it look easy with your Torchic when you fought Roxanne."
"Because, again, you went against a Lotad with an untrained Torchic. I had prep time and training. We are not the same here," Ash sighed.
"Well, it's not my fault I'm not a battle genius like you," May mumbled, looking away.
Ash sighed. "I mean, if you bothered to learn… but fine. If you want, I can help you train."
He said it so casually that May nearly missed it.
She blinked up at him, her frown melting into something more uncertain. "…H-Huh?"
Ash glanced over, hands behind his head as he walked. "Training. Y'know. Battling. Strategy. Not running at a water-type with a fire-type like you're trying to speedrun emotional damage."
May puffed her cheeks. "HEY—!"
"—but," Ash continued, "if you want, I can help you get better."
May froze mid-step.
Max actually slid forward on Ash's shoulders. "WAIT SERIOUSLY?!"
May opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again. "I… I mean… do you really think I can get better?"
Ash snorted. "May, you literally got offended by a tree. You have infinite room for improvement."
"THAT IS NOT-" May stopped, shoulders slumping. "…That is kinda fair, though."
Ash slowed down a little so he was right next to her. Dropping the teasing tone, he spoke normally again. "May, you're not bad. You're just inexperienced with this kind of thing. Everyone starts somewhere."
May looked down at the ground. "I just… I feel like everyone else gets it. You, Brock, even Max with his nerd-boy brain-"
"Hey," Max huffed from above, "my nerd-boy brain is powerful."
May continued, "And I'm just… behind. And it's embarrassing when my own Torchic is struggling because I don't know what I'm doing."
Ash stopped walking and lightly flicked her forehead with one finger.
"Ow HEY!"
"That was for talking like you're already doomed," Ash said. "It's not a crime to be weak. So yeah, I'll help you out. We're friends, after all, aren't we?"
"…Friends, huh…" she mumbled softly, rubbing the spot he flicked.
Ash didn't wait for her to drown in feelings. He nudged her shoulder with his elbow like he always did. "Yeah. Friends. And friends help each other not get obliterated by salad bowls with legs."
May blinked, then burst out laughing. It was loud, messy, and full of all the frustration she'd been carrying.
Brock smiled. Max grinned from his perch, proud like he personally fixed the emotional moment.
Pikachu chirped. Vee looked smug, like, finally, some character development.
May wiped her eyes. "Okay. Fine. I'll take you up on it. Training, lessons, whatever."
Ash nodded. "Cool. We'll start when we get to Dewford."
May frowned. "Oh yeah, how are we getting there anyway?"
"Oh, simple," Ash said. As they stepped out of the woods fully, they saw the water next to the beach and a shack with a boat beside it. Ash pointed at it. "There's our ride."
May and Max blinked in unison, looking at Ash. "Wait…what now?"
"Yep. The person living there is someone named Mr. Briney, and he has that boat. He can take us across," Ash said confidently.
"And do you know this Mr. Briney?" Brock asked.
"No," Ash said with full confidence as he kept walking.
"Wha-Ash!" May shouted after him.
"What?" Ash turned back as he reached the beach and pulled Max off his shoulders, setting him down.
"What do you mean you don't know him? How do you know he'll take us?" May demanded,
Brock walked up behind her, wondering if he should step in, because knowing Ash… well, you know.
"You worry too much," Ash waved her off. "It's fine. Besides, we have a glorious avian to help us."
"Who?" Max asked, still disappointed at losing his place on Ash's shoulders, but curious anyway.
Ash grinned and pointed, not at the sky, but at the roof of the shack, where a lone Wingull sat. "Behold… the Peeko of the lake."
"This isn't even a lake…" Max muttered, staring at the open ocean.
"Why do we care about a Wingull? Do you want to catch it?" May asked. "I mean… aren't there better options…?"
"I don't like your tone. What are you trying to say about Wingull?" Ash shot back. "Haven't you ever heard there's no such thing as useless Pokémon, only useless trainers?"
Before May could answer, Ash continued, "And also no, I wouldn't catch Peeko. I would if I could, but he already has a trainer," he said matter-of-factly.
Max looked up, completely lost but determined to act like he understood everything, especially in front of Ash. He puffed up his chest and turned to May. "Yeah, May. Shouldn't your creepy 'female intuition' thing you always brag about have told you he already had a trainer? Or does your creepy voodoo only apply to gender?"
May rolled her eyes. "As a matter of fact, yes. And I guarantee, with my 'female intuition', that this 'Peeko'" she paused to make air quotes, "is a girl, Max." She planted her hands on her hips for extra emphasis.
Max scoffed, fully confident in his nonexistent Wingull-gender-identification skills. "Yeah right. Peeko is a boy. Don't be weird, May."
May smirked, arms crossed. "Mm-hm. And now you're telling me you can tell a Wingull's gender from thirty feet away?"
Max straightened like he was about to receive a medal. "Yes. Absolutely. My accuracy is at least-" he swung his arm in a wide, confident arc "-ninety percent!"
Pikachu made a squeak that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
Ash dropped his voice into a solemn, mystical whisper. "Well then, Max… if you're so sure…"
He swept his arm toward the creaky shack roof like he was presenting a legendary artifact, "…go forth. And ask Peeko of the Lake her truth."
Max hesitated. Just a little. Just enough for May's smirk to deepen.
"Go on," May said sweetly. "Tell us all about your ninety-percent accuracy."
Max's left eye twitched. But now he HAD to prove it. He had to.
He marched forward with the false bravado of a kid pretending he wasn't scared of the basement.
Ash followed at a distance, narrating like a nature documentary host, "Behold… the young Max ventures forth… to commune with the Guardian of the Shack."
"Stop narrating me!" Max hissed.
Ash ignored him completely. "Will his confidence remain intact? Will he survive the trial ahead? Or will Peeko of the Lake smite him with judgment?"
May snorted, trying not to burst out laughing as she joined in, holding her hands out like she was recording the whole thing.
Max finally reached the shack, craning his neck up at the Wingull. She stared down at him like she was judging his entire existence.
"Oh Peeko of the Lake," Max said, dropping to one knee, "I come to ask for your wisdom."
Peeko looked down at Max as if granting him permission, and Max looked up hopefully, "Are you a boy or a girl?"
All that serene grace evaporated instantly. Peeko squawked furiously, launching herself down onto him and flailing wildly.
"Ah! Why, Peeko? WHY?!" Max wailed as she dug into his hair with her beak. He tried to push her off, but she refused to let go. "Ouch! Those are claws, those are claws!"
At that point the joke was over. May sprinted forward to pry Peeko off Max as the Wingull's attack actually started to hurt. Brock and Ash jumped in to help separate them, while Pikachu and Vee just watched because of course they were.
From the outside, it probably looked ridiculous: a pile of people flailing, yelling, and wrestling with an angry seagull.
The commotion, unsurprisingly, caught someone's attention, "What's all the racket out here!?" a voice barked from the small shack.
An old man with a beard stepped outside, staring at the chaos.
"Sir, this Wingull attacked my brother for no reason!" May called out quickly, attempting to avoid any misunderstandings.
"As if! My sweet Peeko would never do something like that. Come here, girl!" he called.
Peeko finally relented, hopping back to her trainer. Max, now free, sat up with his hair completely rearranged and his glasses hanging off one ear.
"What, she really is a girl… oh…" he muttered.
Mr. Briney scratched Peeko's beak affectionately, then looked back at the group, specifically at Max, "So, what exactly happened?"
"I just asked Peeko if they were a boy or a girl, and then she apparently decided to attack me!" Max exclaimed.
Mr. Briney nodded slowly like he was processing… then widened his eyes, "Well, no wonder you set her off! You can't just ask a lady her gender! Same way you can't ask a lady her age!"
He turned to May, "Ain't that right, missy? Wouldn't you be offended if someone came up to you and asked if you were male or female?"
May opened her mouth, then stopped and actually thought about it, "Hm. Yeah, no…I would probably castrate them," she answered casually.
"Exactly," Mr. Briney said, satisfied. "However! That does not give you an excuse to attack someone! You know better, missy!"
Mr. Briney began scolding Peeko, who up until that moment had looked about as smug as a bird could be with her trainer defending her. But as soon as the lecturing began, she looked shocked and appalled.
"Even if the young man should've known better as well," he added.
"Literally how?" Max asked, exasperated.
May clicked her tongue. "You should've known, Max."
"How!?" Max demanded. "How was I supposed to know!?"
"You just should've!" she insisted. "Everyone else knew, right?"
"I mean, yeah, it was kinda obvious," Ash nodded, and Pikachu and Vee nodded along with him.
Mr. Briney finished petting Peeko and leaned on the railing of his shack. "So then," he said, "if you'd be so kind as to answer, what brings you all here?"
Everyone blinked, collectively remembering that yes, they had come here for a reason. They had completely forgotten in the chaos of Peeko assaulting Max. Brock wasn't sure how to explain, but he didn't need to, Ash stepped forward.
Ash reached into his pocket and held out the letter Mr. Stone had given him, "We need to get to Dewford Town to deliver a letter from Mr. Stone to his son, Steven," he said, spilling the full truth immediately.
Brock, May, and Max stared at him in shock. Didn't he want to keep the letter a secret in case someone tried to intercept it? And Ash just… said everything. With zero pressure.
Mr. Briney blinked, narrowing his eyes. He held out his hand, asking to see the letter. Ash handed it over. Mr. Briney examined the seal and nodded, "Joey, you old fool," he muttered, "you don't visit me and you get kids to do your errands, I swear next time I see you—"
He coughed, realizing he was ranting aloud, and returned the letter to Ash, "Right, well then, if it's for a good reason, I can take you there myself."
May blinked. "Wait… it was that easy?"
"Ha! Well, me and Joseph used to be good friends. So if he needs a letter delivered to his son, it must be important. You can fill me in as we go." Mr. Briney walked over to the boat, motioning for everyone to follow. "Alright, everyone, hop in. Peeko, stay on deck, alright?"
The Wingull puffed out her chest and gave a single imperious squawk before hopping onto the railing, glaring at the water as if daring it to move.
Ash grinned. "Alright then, let's go. Told you I had a ride." He winked as he hopped onto the boat.
May and Max looked at Brock like he might have an explanation, but Brock only shrugged.
"Again, I stopped questioning Ash's creativity a long time ago."
He climbed aboard, and May and Max sighed and followed after him.