Return of the defeated (on hold)

/Part 1/

It had been a few days since Ash had returned from traveling and it had been fairly quite, training his pokemon, talking with the Professor and Gary answering their questions, and trying to think of his next move. The fourth day of being home Ash was walking home along with Professor Oak, Gary and Tracy he just assumed his mom invited them for dinner since she loved to cook. As he entered the door he was taken by surprise to see his friends there with smiles on there faces holding a banner that read CONGRATULATIONS ASH", he couldn't help but smile his first real smile since he got home.

 The group was Brock, Misty, Max, Dawn, Paul( which caught him off gaurd), Iris, Cilan, and lastly May. He couldn't figure out why but seeing May agian made is heart race slightly and he felt as though the room temperature had risen a few degrees, he just put it to the fact that all his friends were there to see him and he was very happy to see them all.

Most of the party was spent catching up with his friends he found out Brock was almost finished with school to be Pokemon Doctor. Misty is still the Cerulean Gym leader and it had become one of the strongest gyms in Kanto. Her and Tracy had recently found feelings for each other and began dating.

 Tracy has continued working for Professor Oak and had many drawings published worldwide. Max started his journey with a Treecko and had placed in the top 8 in Hoenn and top 8 again in Sinnoh and been traveling through Johto region. Dawn had traveled through Hoenn competing in Contests with May off and on, she just beat May in the Hoenn Grand Festival to win it. 

During her travels she ran into Paul, after a few weeks of traveling they came to realization that they had feelings for each other and have been a couple since then. Paul had traveled through Sinnho after his loss to Ash to train and find himself after a year or so he went to challenge the Hoenn League where he was runner up and had met Dawn. 

After they traveled through Kanto together Iris and Cilan returned to Unova to continue there dreams. While training her dragons Iris ran into Cilan just before he was awarded is S class rating. They went to dinner to celebrate which led them to share a kiss and becoming a couple shortly afterwards. Lastly May had traveled and competed in contests though Sinnoh and Hoenn again this time winning the Grand Festival. Ash couldn't help but notice how much the brunette had grown in the time a part. 'Why am i thinking of May this way?' he pondered but couldn't quite put his finger on the reasoning.

After a few hours Ash stepped out to get a little fresh air and clear his head. It seems all his friends either had accomplished there dreams or were almost there. He couldn't help but feel ashamed having failed so many times. Ash was lost in his thoughts when he heard someone come outside he looked and seen it was Gary.

 " Hey Ash you ok? Its not like you to be so distant during a party like this, and no lying I've known you your whole life I know somethings on your mind." Gary stated. Ash let out a sigh and leaned against the deck, "Gary I've been competing in leagues for seven years and I still haven't won a league. I really thought Kalos was the one I thought I trained enough but I guess I was wrong.

" Ash sadly replied. Gary and Pikachu gave him a concerned look they've never seen Ash this down he was always so positive and up beat. Gary wasn't sure what to say when Ash continued, "For the first time since I started my journey I don't know what my next move will be."

After that was said Gary let out a little sigh, "Ash I'll level with you, all those years of us growing up and treating you the way I did it was because I was jealous of you." Ash looked and Gary with a slightly shocked look, Gary Oak was jealous of him? "You're a natural with pokemon even the really shy scared ones, hell look at you and Pikachu, even gramps couldn't bond with him.