Return of the defeated (on hold)

/Part 10/

"May..I..I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I never thought that way before about consequences, I always just acted on instinct and went for it. I just want to protect everyone I care about and all pokemon I encounter." Ash said looking lightly ashamed. "Its my nature to to be a protector and now that I'm an Aura Guardian it is part of my duties to stop criminals."

May looked at Ash with a softened look "Ash." she said as she put her hand on his arm "I understand what you're saying but if any of the people on your life or your pokemon lost you, our worlds would crash down." Her eyes began to water as she explained all this to Ash, when suddenly even surprising even herself she slapped Ash. "I'm sorry Ash, but it's so frustrating to see you get injured from the sidelines. I cannot bare the thought of losing you again, you mean too damn much to me."

Ash shook his head clearing the shock from the slap he look at May as tears rolled down her cheeks. He knew everything she said was true and that he had never thought of what would happen if something happened to him. He looked and seen Pikachu with Glaceon closely by his side, Lucario and Dragonair looking at him with similar looks. When he looked back into May's sapphire eyes his heart ached seeing the pain and sadness in them, he stepped forward pulling her close. He gently wrapped his arms around her softly whispering in her ear how much she meant to him and that nothing was going to happen. It took Ash almost five minutes to call her down and the pokemon stood close to their trainers to comfort them the best they could.

They pulled back from the hug looking deep into each other's eyes, Ash began to feel a warmth deep in his chest. He let his heart take control of the situation and he started to talk "May I've got something I've been trying to figure this out for awhile but I'm just gonna go for it. May I.." Just then he was cut off by May screaming in fright as she felt a firm grip around her ankle. Everyone was caught off guard as the poacher had came to and grabbed May. She acted on instinct stomping her opposite foot on his other hand making him yell out and causing him to let her go. She spun on the ball of her foot bringing her foot in contact with his face with enough force to him onto his back and knocking him out again. Ash looked shocked seeing May knock him out and with the amount of force she had. She turned and seen the look on his face, she explained to him that her dad had taught her and Max some simple self defense just in case anything were to happen. Ash quickly pulled out a length of rope from his pack and quickly hog tied the poacher and took all his poke balls. Just as they finished taking care of the poacher, they heard someone enter the clearing.

"What is going on here?", came a authoritative voice. They turned to see a woman with green colored hair and a blue uniform, it was the Officer Jenny assigned to the Pewter side of Mount Moon. The pair quickly explained the situation to her, she wrote down their statements and got a good look at the poacher's face.

"This is Nelson the Poacher, we've been after him for a few years but always he always manages to escape at the last moment. Thank you both very much for capturing him." She said as she paged for other officers to search the area for his traps and campsite. May and Ash finished filling out their statements and told Officer Jenny if they found anything they'd call her. The pair turned and continued along their way towards the Mt. Moon entrance, walking slightly closer together than normal after what had happened before the poacher grabbed her. Ash was slightly frustrated at once again being interrupted when he and May were having a tender moment. May could tell that when Ash was talking to her in the clearing that his feelings were coming out, she was saddened that the moment was interrupted but wore a happy smile knowing that he was getting closer to understanding his feelings.

They had been walking for about thirty minutes when suddenly Lucario alerted Ash, "Master I'm sensing a small group of pokemon and their auras feel distressed." Ash closed his eyes focusing the area around them, when his eyes opened they had a bluish tint to them.